~ 4th of July ~ Fireworks ~ Parade ~

2020 Grand Marshal John Sypher 

​Thank you to all those who submitted nominations for our 2020 Grand Marshal. Hands down, the nominations for this year's Grand Marshal favored one very special person...

John Sypher! 

John taught at Chester Elementary School from 1959-1987. During that time he started and coached a 6th grade girls basketball team, which was unheard of in those days. ​He started an after school tumbling program, instructed and ran the afterschool Computer Program when the district received their first computers and continued to do this into his retirement. ​
"... his students will never will never forget how he touched their lives.

"Your greatest gift was you never gave up on kids".

"I strongly believe his legacy and community service to our town is unparalleled, ask any 40, 50, 60 or 70 year old who grew up in Chester." 
John bought comic books with his own money in order to help children who were struggling with reading, coached J.V. Football for the high school, and  established a summer camp program for children in the area which included:  ​Building stilts and teaching children to walk on them, establishing bicycle trail and road rides around the local area, with emphasis on nature, established art projects of all kinds supplying all the materials out of his own pocket.  And, in his spare time he coached a local woman's town baseball team.

John is also well know for his work at the Stover Mt. Ski Hill. It is said that from 1959 to 1987 he taught most of the children in Chester how to ski.  He instructed skiers at all levels, ​established a ski swap, collected equipment to make sure everyone who wanted to learn had equipment, held classes on the lawn of the High School in the evening for beginning skiers, maintained the lifts, equipment and grooming of the ski hill, procured the poma lift and snow packer for the hill, established a work program during the summer for those who could not afford a season ticket, and drove the district school bus to the ski hill on weekends for free in order to save the district money and assure children could get to the ski area. 

In 2015 a former student gave a scholarship to the Chester High School Alumni in John Sypher's name to be presented to a graduate going into teaching.
​John's legacy is the lives of the children he touched. ​

Previous Grand Marshals 

2020: John Sypher 
​2019: Joe Rogers 
2018: Aaron Seandel 
2017: Carla & Terry Parsons
2016: Plumas Bank (Team) 
2015: Dick McNeil 
2014: Dale & Georgia Knutsen 
2012: Greg McIntire 
2010: Darold Adamson 
2009: Jim Benner 
2008: Ruby Cooke 
2007: Will Henry 
2006: Joan Sayre 
2005: Cheri Collins Smith & Bill Dennison
2004: Fire Chiefs 
2003: Sandy Benner Osman
2002: Rayan Simpson 
2001: Bob Brockway 
2000: Bill Dennison 
1999: Gordon Neuman
1998: Ed Sylvester 
1997: John Cozort 
1996: Ed Neuman
1995: US Veterans Honored (Art Hudson - Air Force, JD Copeland - Navy, George Thore - Navy Pilot,  Sylvin Thore, Edward Brazelton - Army, John Cozort - Navy, Frank Ranella - Navy, Ed Newman - Sea Bees, Joe Herrick - Navy, Jim Garret Air Force Pilot) 
1994: Dr. Dana Ware 
1993: Barbara Benner & Maxine Keefer 
1992: Don Woodhall
1991: Operation Desert Storm (Dan Little, Dan Huhn, Jim Price, Robert Knibbs, Chris Wolters, Curtis Prosise & Randy Floyd) 
1990: Eldon Lay 
1989: Richard Crenna
1987 Joan Sayer & Marilyn Morris Quadrio
1983: John Sanders 
​1980: Larry Hope 

2021 Parade Grand Marshal

Nominations for the Parade Grand Marshal are being accepted now. Entries must be turned in by May 15th at the Chamber office, 278 Main Street or  mailed to PO Box 1198, Chester Ca 96020. Download a nomination form here.

Click here to register your float, group, or individual entry!