NORTH FORK - The 40th anniversary of the Loggers Jamboree program "Chips is dedicated to Alvin McDonald, a life-long North Fork resident. As Grand Marshal, he will lead the July 4 parade, which kicks-off the jamboree celebration.
    Mr. McDonald, a Mono Indian, was one of the original group who conceived and produced the first jamboree in 1959. Others were Elaine and Dyk Fink, Herb Punkin, Blaine Thornburg, Gene Ayres and Jack Dozier.
    The idea for the celebration was bandied about at a picnic held on the banks of Willow Creek. This is the location of today's jamboree.
    A heated discussion over who had the best chainsaw brought the first logging competition into being.
    Mr. McDonald earned the title of Champion Logger that first year and held it for the next two years until Mr. Fink bested him in 1963.
    In addition, he has commuted to many jamboree contests throughout the west and has many trophies attesting to his skills.
    Mr. McDonald joined the California Lumberjack Association, and once won the California State Championship.
    He staged his logging shows on his own, and at one time, his contests could be viewed on the "Wide World of Sports.
    Despite all his traveling about, "The celebration held at North Fork was the biggest and best of all, says Mr. McDonald. "We drew the largest viewing audience and the most competitors.

    People around the world are asking the same question: how will Y2K affect me, my family and my community?
    A town-hall style meeting will be held at the Oakhurst Community Center to help answer this and other questions.
    On four separate Wednesday evenings in August (August 4, 11, 18, 25) county, utilities, emergency service providers, businesses and churches are invited to speak and address the concerns of the public.
    This is all a part of the President's Council's new program, "Y2K Community Conversations.
    Eastern Madera County Chamber of Commerce has been asked to partner with a local chapter of The Joseph Project 2000 (a national non-profit Christian based ministry) to bring Y2K information-sharing to Oakhurst.

    Last Wednesday evening's Eastern Madera County Fire Safe Council public meeting was by far the most heavily attended in the organization's young history, with nearly 100 residents packing Oakhurst's Sierra Senior Center facility.
    Most of those were residents of the John West/Jean West roads neighborhood, there to learn details of the ambitious program to make them and their homes safer from wildfire.
    The culmination of months of planning, the John West-area project will get under way July 1 with California Division of Forestry and Fire Protection crews removing brush and vegetation on John West Road, starting at its intersection with Crane Valley Road [426].