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Wednesday, February 3, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
JUNTOS: Grants fund
family program
in Sisters
Continued from page 3
Participants can expect to be
able to create goals for grad-
uation and attendance; and
be able to identify barriers
and ways to overcome them
for both graduating from
high school and going on to
college. Parents and students
will gain skills and knowl-
edge to have more effective
communication with key
school staff, as well as be
introduced to the FAFSA and
other financial aid resources.
Students will learn about
the SAT/PSAT/ACT testing,
tips for essay writing, impor-
tance of volunteering and
community service, and how
to be competitive in applica-
tions for college.
By the end of the six-week
course families will have a
completed education action
plan to focus on next steps.
“This program gives fami-
lies ownership of their child’s
education,” says Jones.
Many of the families that
participated in the first cohort
in 2013 wanted to continue
to meet. The group set up
monthly meetings to con-
tinue to discuss how to sup-
port their children.
“Of the participants in
the first cohort, we had
four seniors,” says Jones.
“I am proud to say all
four of those students are
attending college. We are
changing the culture —
families are energized.”
Recently, Jones was
approached by Oregon State
University to continue and
expand her work in the
Juntos program.
sisters is an example.
When we started the
Juntos program here we
were the fifth program
in the state; now there
are 14 school districts
participating.
— Ruth Jones
“Other districts saw all
the positive energy coming
out of the Sisters program,”
says Jones. “Sisters is an
example. When we started
the Juntos program here we
were the fifth program in
the state; now there are 14
school districts participat-
ing. We started a program in
Redmond … soon Culver and
then Prineville.”
She started working
directly for the Open Campus
program through Oregon
State in November. It made
sense for her to continue to
be housed in Sisters, and the
University agreed. Jones has
a small office in the Sisters
Middle School library and
still keeps a watchful eye on
the Sisters program while she
expands the good work she
has done to other rural com-
munities in Central Oregon.
Through a grant from the
Ford Family Foundation,
Jones’ position is paid for
and Oregon State University
has offered to pay up to 70
percent of her tuition costs so
she can finish her bachelor’s
degree.
“I have an associate’s
degree,” she says. “But to
finish my degree, be able to
stay in Sisters and continue
to support these families —
this position transition was a
no-brainer for me.”
Volunteers are needed
to assist with the program.
Knowing Spanish is a
requirement, as well as desire
to work with students and
families.
“Juntos means together,”
says Jones. “We are here to
support and assist Hispanic
families and tell them that
their kids can go to college
just like anybody else.”
For more information,
contact Jones at Ruth.jones@
oregonstate.edu.
City hears another
appeal on project
By sue stafford
Correspondent
The developers of
McKenzie Meadow Village
(MMV) have been hit with
another appeal from Pinnacle
Alliance Group regarding a
November 19, 2015 Planning
Commission decision to
approve an extension on the
MMV subdivision plan.
Mark Adolf of Pinnacle,
who for several years was
aligned with developers of
MMV to construct an 82-bed
assisted-living facility (ALF),
was unable to ever secure the
financing necessary to con-
struct the project. MMV part-
ners provided multiple con-
tract extensions to Adolf until,
in 2013, they terminated their
agreement with him.
At the time of the original
approval of the MMV Master
Plan in 2010, restrictions were
placed on the developers that
none of the other nine phases
of the development could be
started until the phase one
ALF was completed. Thus,
the inability of Adolf to secure
his financing effectively put
the entire development on
hold. Included in the Master
Plan are cottages and low-cost
senior apartments, two hous-
ing options widely regarded
as critical in Sisters.
The delays caused by
Adolf’s inability to secure
funding required MMV devel-
opers to apply to the City for
multiple extensions on the
Master Plan, the site plan, and
the subdivision plan.
Since the termination of the
agreement between Adolf and
MMV, Pinnacle has acquired
another piece of property
located next to the post office
with plans, fully approved
by the City, to build an ALF.
Although the project is clear
to proceed, Adolf has yet to
apply for the building permit
and pay the requisite fees to
the City to begin construction.
He has filed three appeals
with the Oregon Land Use
Board of Appeals, claiming
that decisions made by the
Sisters Planning Commission
and City Council regarding
MMV were not valid. The
appeals have stalled MMV’s
ability to begin building their
planned ALF, for which say
they have plans and a builder
ready to go.
At the request of Pinnacle
and MMV, the public hearing
was left open for 14 days.
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