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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2016)
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Habitat picnic, concert set Sisters Habitat for Human- ity and the Cascade Horizon Band will bring recognition and fine music to the Village Green on Wednesday, August 10, when the two organiza- tions share their roles at an evening get-together. Habitat will begin the con- nection with the Annual Vol- unteer Appreciation Picnic at 5:30 p.m. The Cascade Hori- zon Band, which played an evening concert in the Village Green a year ago, will start its performance at 6:30 p.m. The band, with several musicians from the Sisters area, is preparing a wide- ranging selection of pieces that includes “The King and I,” “Star Wars,” “Washington Post March,” “Themes Like Old Times,” “Armed Forces: Pride of America,” “Rock, Roll and Remember,” and other numbers. All Cascade Horizon Band concerts are free to the public, though donations are encour- aged and accepted. Donations at the August 10 performance will be passed on to Sisters Habitat for Humanity. CITY COunCIL: Three seats are up for election in November Continued from page 3 serve and of having choices from among a pool of quali- fied candidates. “It’s paramount to the suc- cess of Sisters in the short term and, more importantly, the long term. The lack of sta- bility that has been part of the political landscape over the last few years has damaged the community in many ways. As elected officials come and go, often they lack the knowl- edge of exactly what their role is, and they tend to make decisions that are based on knee-jerk reactions to imme- diate controversy,” Allen said. From his years of experi- ence in local government, Allen knows that it takes a couple of years to really learn what the role of a Council member is and how to use authority in a way that ben- efits the community. “Stability of elected offi- cials has a calming effect on business prospects looking to locate in a community, on small-business owners look- ing to expand, modernize and grow their company, and offers the general public some certainty in making plans for homes, careers, and the future,” he elaborated. Sisters relies heavily on state, Federal, and private grants to help fund many of the improvement proj- ects needed in town, like the Cascade Avenue project and the new restrooms at Village Green and Cliff Clemens Parks. (See photo, page 4.) “Groups that give out grants want to know the com- munity is stable and that there is some level of continuity in policy. That is difficult when those making decisions are changing every few months,” Allen cautioned. Some people tend to think that serving on City Council requires a huge time commit- ment. At times in the recent past that may have been true, but as the City gets back on a firm footing, the need for endless meetings is greatly reduced. “We plan to reduce the number of meetings to twice per month with a work session prior to the regular Council meeting. This will allow for less of a time commitment and (have Sisters) function like most of the smaller cities in the region. Other meetings will be scheduled as needed,” confirmed Allen. Council currently meets on the second and fourth Thursday evenings of the month at 7 p.m., with a 5:30 or 6 p.m. workshop beforehand. They used to also meet the first and third Thursday mornings for work- shops, but that is no longer the case, making it more con- venient for citizens who work to serve on Council. To have a strong, healthy community that citizens can be proud of and enjoy liv- ing in, it takes qualified citi- zen involvement in the local government as councilors, commissioners, and task- force members. A vibrant community has citizens who work together for common goals. Additionally, being of public service can be a grati- fying endeavor, as current Councilor Nancy Connolly shared. “It is humbling to know that people voted for me to be on Council, showing they believe in my ability to do what is best for the commu- nity, even though at times it might not appear that way. By serving on Council, I am able Cr a 19 to effect change and shape the future of the city for years to come and hopefully leave future Council members with clear, fair, well-thought-out policies,” Connolly offered. Allen has offered to meet with anyone who is consider- ing running for the Council to discuss the time commitment and the roles and responsibili- ties of a Council member. I would like to hear from people so that I may ease the fears of service... — rick Allen “I would like to hear from people so that I may ease the fears of service and learn what hesitation they might have in serving,” said Allen. He can be reached at 541- 815-4380 or rallen@ci.sisters. or.us to schedule a meeting. Comfort d o o G - Fo z y o d PATIO, FULL BAR, BE BEER & WINE 541-549-EATS (3287) 243 N. Elm St. Sisters 5-9 p.m. Tu-Su • Reservations Recommended
