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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 2018)
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Electricians have Habitat wired By Kathryn Godsiff Correspondent Continued from page 17 Meadow Ranch, southwest of town, suggested “Three Sisters,” which was short- ened to “Sisters” by the U. S. Postal Department. Until November 1898, John J. Smith served as post- master before he sold his homestead to Alex Smith (no relation). Alex sold a half interest in the property to his brother Robert, who became the new postmaster. When a larger store was built in town, the post office moved to its new site, which later became Bush’s Market. The two-story building had room for a dance hall that also housed Odd Fellows meetings. In 1901, the Smith broth- ers helped make Sisters a real town when they plat- ted it, utilizing the typical grid system of the U.S. Land Survey office. Streets were laid out running east-west and north-south. The original plat stated: “… all lots 40 feet front by 114 feet and all blocks 140 feet square – bisected east and west by alleys 12 feet wide. Streets 80 feet wide…” The original city was comprised of six city blocks bounded by Cascade on the south, Adams on the north, Elm on the west, and Larch on the east. The east-west streets, except for Main, were named after volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain Range. The names of trees were given to the streets running north-south. There have been a number of additions since the original plat was filed. The Davidson Addition to the south of town was surveyed in 1901 and included Hood to St. Helens. The McCaffery addi- tions one and two contain six blocks west of the origi- nal townsite and two blocks east of it. Part of the original John Smith homestead was included in the McCaffery First Edition and dedicated 1919. The McCaffery and Dennis families donated that land. Have a story idea for The Nugget? We’d love to hear it! Send an email to editor@nuggetnews.com It can be a challenge these days to find electricians with room in their schedules to get a new home wired. Darleene Snider, construction man- ager for Sisters Habitat for Humanity, was understand- ably delighted to take up an offer to have a home wired by apprentice and journeyman electricians. “This is a pilot project for us,” she said. “But we’re most definitely looking for- ward to doing this again in the future.” The project was organized by Prineville electrician Brian Samp and sponsored by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) union, local 280. Through the local IBEW training center, it finds apprentices in years 2-5 of their apprenticeships and journeyman electricians will- ing to mentor them through a residential wiring project. An electrical apprenticeship takes five years, and many work mainly on commercial construction, so it’s a win- win for all to have access to a residence. Becky Conway’s home on Desert Rose Loop was the site of the action last Saturday. Thirteen electri- cians descended on the site and by the end of the snowy day, Snider said the wiring would be 95 percent com- pleted. Normally it takes two to three days of being $ 15 Proud sponsor of Outlaws Athletics! fitted into a busy electrician’s schedule. Samp organized simi- lar projects with the McMinnville chapter of Habitat for Humanity. “I started doing this in 2008. This is my 15th Habitat house,” he said. When he moved to Central Oregon, he reached out to local chapters and Sisters happily took him up on the offer. In addition to the spon- sorship by IBEW local 280, the electrical equipment for Habitat homes is provided through a gift-in-kind pro- gram of Habitat International and Schneider Electric, a global company. An Albany company, Electrical Construction Company (Ecco) also contributed by being the contractor that pulled the permits for the Sisters home. Samp said this company helped Habitat for Humanity in the Willamette Valley and was willing to extend their assistance over the mountains. Sisters Habitat for Humanity is one of the busiest chapters in Central Oregon, and Snider is more than happy to provide an opportunity for apprentice electricians to ply their trade. There is a desperate shortage in the industry, said Samp, and he encourages those who are interested in earning while they learn to look into an apprenticeship. PHOTO BY KATHRYN GODSIFF Volunteers from IBEW local 280. Darleene Snider of Sisters on far left, project organizer Brian Samp on far right. Veterans’ Services Serving those who’ve served. 541-585-VETS (8387) | www.deschutes.org/vets Reg. $50. Call for availability. OFF SPORTS PHYSICALS Offer valid through 3/14/18 541-548-2899 On-site Digital X-Ray! 3818 SW 21st Pl. YourCareMedical.com Hwy. 126 to Redmond, two turns and you’re there! 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