Wednesday, July 1, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Phyllis Lewis receives BPAC award
By Craig f. eisenbeis
Correspondent
For the second year in a
row, a Sisters-area resident
is the recipient of the Big
Chainring Award. Phyllis
Lewis was honored last week
with the 2015 award. The
Deschutes County Bicycle
and Pedestrian Advisory
Committee (BPAC) selected
her for the honor in recogni-
tion of her volunteer contri-
butions to pedestrian- and
bicycle-friendly environ-
ments in Deschutes County.
Last year’s award went
to Patrick Eckford, also of
Sisters.
Started in 1996, the Big
Chainring Awards are pre-
sented annually. The awards
were conceived to honor indi-
viduals, businesses, and pub-
lic agencies that have made
significant contributions
in support of better bicy-
cling and walking in Central
Oregon, and in encouraging
children and adults to walk
and ride their bikes, thereby
making Deschutes County
communities healthier and
happier.
A chainring is the main
pedal-driven gear ring that
moves the bike chain to pro-
vide energy and propulsion to
a bicycle. In a similar man-
ner, Big Chainring Award
recipients are seen as a driv-
ing force in the community.
Lewis received the award
at last week’s county com-
mission meeting. “Honestly,”
Lewis said, “I was totally
stunned when I got the letter
telling me that I had received
the award. It had never
entered my mind that I would
even be nominated.”
The formal name of the
award conferred on Lewis
by BPAC is the Peter Hanson
Memorial Award. Peter
Hanson was a BPAC member
who died of cancer in 2005.
BPAC noted that Hanson’s
contributions were in such
areas as trail building and
environmental and outdoor
community projects. BPAC
members determined that
Lewis’s contributions to the
community have been in the
same spirit as those engen-
dered by Hanson’s work.
A BPAC news release for
last week’s award ceremony
said, “Phyllis Lewis has pro-
vided tireless dedication as a
volunteer promoting bicycle
and pedestrian improvements
through service as a member
of the Sisters Trails Alliance
Board of Directors, City of
Sisters Parks Advisory Board,
and the Deschutes County
Bicycle and Pedestrian
Advisory Committee. In these
roles she has been instrumen-
tal in development of many
projects that have improved
bicycling and pedestrian
facilities in Sisters Country
and throughout Deschutes
County. She also led efforts
that received national recog-
nition of Sisters as a cycling
and pedestrian friendly com-
munity. Phyllis exemplifies
how that dedication will lead
to a more pedestrian and
bicycle friendly environment
to benefit all members of the
community.”
For her part, Lewis
insisted that there are many
deserving candidates for the
award.
“This particular award is
supposed to go to someone
who has made great contribu-
tions, and I feel that I am just
one of the many people who
volunteer. So I was very, very
honored; and I still don’t even
know who nominated me!”
Chuck Humphreys, chair-
man of the Sisters Trails
Alliance, had plenty to say
about Lewis and the role she
has played in the community.
“I’ve had the pleasure
of working with Phyllis for
years on trail issues,” he said.
“Of course, she is tenacious,
and smart, and committed,
and capable of getting things
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done — while being disarm-
ingly unassuming. But most
importantly, she is simply
wise, with a heart of gold.
She embodies all that is good
about Sisters Country.”
Humphreys went on to
say, “This BPAC award is the
highest commendation of a
volunteer, because it reflects
the values of Peter Hansen.
Before he died of cancer,
Peter worked hard to get
things done, not to be recog-
nized. He gave himself to his
volunteer work — setting a
standard that this award tries
to recognize in others. Phyllis
is an incredibly deserving
recipient of this award —
almost as if this award was
designed, years ago, with her
in mind.”
The Sisters Trails Alliance
was not alone in singing
Lewis’s praise. Sisters City
Councilor Wendy Holzman
had this to say: “I am very
fortunate to have gotten to
photo provided
Phyllis lewis, second from left, receives BPaC award from Deschutes
County Commissioners.
know Phyllis and worked
While obviously pleased
with her. The fact that the with the award, Lewis seemed
BPAC committee chose to even more pleased that all the
elevate her award from the fuss stirred up by her award
‘individual’ category to the was bringing attention to the
Peter Hanson Award speaks important role of volunteer-
volumes about her. She is ism in the community.
committed, tenacious, and
“I’m really happy that
does the work of two, while folks in the community can
at the same time being one of see that there are volunteers
the most genuine and caring who are looking out for their
people I know. It is a privi- best interests; and I am very
lege to know her.”
happy just to be a part of it.”
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