4 Corners Store, National Night Out connect Douglas County neighbors

Aug. 4—TOWN OF SUPERIOR — A crowd gathered Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 4 Corners Store for food, fun and a chance to pet Odie, a 215-pound English mastiff who is the store's official greeter.

"Everyone knows Odie," said Jan Najjar, of the town of Oakland, who had treats in her pocket for him.

Aspen Oswskey, 3, of Foxboro, clutched an Odie trading card as she ate supper on the grass with her family.

"She's probably Odie's biggest fan," said Aspen's mother, Courtney.

The dog wandered around visiting with the crowd during the National Night Out event. Robert Liimatta, a sophomore from the town of Superior, patted the mastiff's head. He's known Odie since 4 Corners Store owner Raquel Stockey got him as a pup.

Stockey has turned the store in the town of Superior into a gathering place for the community with Easter egg hunts, Halloween trunk or treat events, a Christmas stocking giveaway and more. Girl Scouts can sell cookies at the store; baseball teams can sell fundraising cards.

"It's really improved a sense of community in the town of Superior, for sure," said Liimatta's mother, Bettina. "She's always donating, very generous with her store and herself and supporting other organizations and the school ... it's really a nice addition to the community."

National Night Out was added to the shop's event roster Tuesday. It drew people from the towns of Summit, Oakland and Superior, as well as Foxboro and the city of Superior. The event featured a dunk tank, fire trucks, a rodeo queen, free food provided by the Pattison Park Lions Club and much more.

"It's nice to gather and see your neighbors again, especially after COVID," Bettina Liimatta said.

"I think it's great," said Jeff Larsen of Summit, vice president of the lions club. "I see a lot of people I know, but I see a lot of people I don't know, and I've lived here all my life."

James and Alasia Knowlton, who live half a mile from the store, biked to the event with their three children.

"We just thought it may be a good chance to meet other people," Alasia Knowlton said.

Fire trucks from the towns of Superior and Summit drew their attention. Son Slade, 4, wants to be a firefighter when he grows up. Soon the kids were buckled into the back seats of a pumper truck, sporting red plastic fire helmets.

Rita Anderson from the town of Oakland brought her super stocks race car to the event. The 34-year-old has been racing for 14 years. She said she's one of three women drivers at the Superior track, and the only one currently in the super stocks class. She comes from a racing family; her father Ron raced in the 1960s and 1970s.

"I've been out of it for many, many years," he said. "I never knew I would have a daughter who would want to race cars."

He and his wife Josie are with her every night she races, working on the car.

"There are a lot of racing families, even in Oakland; I would say probably at least a dozen," Rita Anderson said. "And we're just trying to get more community members to come out and watch us race."

They all appreciated Stockey and the 4 Corners Store.

"We love Raquel. Anything and everything, you ask her and she says yes," Josie Anderson said. "I mean, she probably sponsors a dozen (race) cars."

The store is also a convenient place to grab such diverse items as a package of lo mien noodles or a can of evaporated milk, she said, saving area residents a trip into the city.

"I come here for everything. And if she doesn't have it, you don't need it," Josie Anderson said.