Heading south out of Carson City, there are two buildings located on on Sunridge Drive, standing side-by-side, sitting high on a hill overlooking Eagle Valley. These majestic buildings are the Sunridge Station (Station 12) operated by the East Fork Fire Protection District and the Sierra Lutheran High School.
Built just after the turn of the century, both of these buildings are the creations of Native American stonemasons. The fire station was built under the direction of Dennis Talas, a master of the cinderblock and a hands-on foreman. The high school was built by Keystone Masonry, owned by Paul and Evelyn Wungnema Larkin and their two sons. Evelyn is a third generation stonemason and her sons are fourth generation stonemasons.
And, get this! Dennis and Evelyn are cousins! And, they were each working on their respective buildings at approximately the same time. As with all of the Wungnemas and Talases, they poured their hearts and souls in their building, striving for perfection while working under bid specifications and all the paperwork associated with a large construction project.
We like to imagine, that every so often, the cousins would take a break together, have a drink or a snack while getting caught up on the family doings. Then, break time over, the cousins would walk back to their respective construction projects and resume their work.
In the years, since the buildings were constructed, they’ve undergone change and expanded to accommodate the needs of the community, all while maintaining their dignity. If you have a chance, take a ride and go see both of these buildings for yourselves.