2
Wednesday, July 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
O
P
I
N I
O
N
A special place
for community
By T. Lee Brown
Guest Columnist
Letters to the Editor…
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. Let-
ters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor.
The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be
no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.
To the Editor:
Sisters needs a dog park.
The July 11 column by Craig Eisenbeis
about Whychus Creek Trail being defiled by
dogs emphasizes the need for a community
off-leash dog park. About one third of U.S.
households have dogs, and here it’s probably
more, yet there is no place to let dogs play and
exercise safely. The local grapevine informed
me that Peterson Ridge and Whychus Creek
Trails are de facto off-leash areas (“You won’t
get arrested.”). Mr. Eisenbeis points out the
downsides with that approach. In addition
we have a problem here with dogs running
free and attacking wildlife. (See The Nugget,
September 27, 2016, “Sisters is not a dog
park” by Jodi Schneider McNamee.)
Dog parks build social relationships
among the widest range of people — cutting
across age, ethnicity, economics, and politics.
Everyone is welcome and included. Over the
years I’ve met veterans, new moms, people
with disabilities, athletes, long-time residents,
first-time visitors, teens, newlyweds with their
first dog, people who have had dogs all their
lives.
Users police themselves. Poop is scooped;
if you don’t notice your dog pooping, four or
five people will make you aware. Redmond
has an excellent off-leash park, well worth a
visit for ideas — a public and private co-oper-
ative venture.
I’ve met with the Sisters Parks Advisory
Board, SPRD, the Redmond Public Works
manager, and the benefactor who funded the
Redmond Park. All agree that the critical ele-
ment here is land. The Master Plan sets aside
land for a dog park at the East Portal, but it
See LETTERS on page 21
Sisters Weather Forecast
Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
Sunny
90/54
90/50
89/49
89/50
90/55
93/57
The Nugget Newspaper, LLC
Website: www.nuggetnews.com
442 E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, Oregon 97759
Tel: 541-549-9941 | Fax: 541-549-9940 | editor@nuggetnews.com
Postmaster: Send address changes to
The Nugget Newspaper,
P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759.
Third Class Postage Paid at Sisters, Oregon.
Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius
Production Manager: Leith Easterling
Classifieds & Circulation: Teresa Mahnken
Graphic Design: Jess Draper
Community Marketing Partners:
Patti Jo Beal & Vicki Curlett
Accounting: Erin Bordonaro
Proofreader: Pete Rathbun
Owner: J. Louis Mullen
The Nugget is mailed to residents within the Sisters School District; subscriptions are available outside delivery area.
Third-class postage: one year, $45; six months (or less), $25. First-class postage: one year, $85; six months, $55.
Published Weekly. ©2018 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All advertising which
appears in The Nugget is the property of The Nugget and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, Inc. assumes no liability or responsibility for
information contained in advertisements, articles, stories, lists, calendar etc. within this publication. All submissions to The Nugget Newspaper will be treated as uncondition-
ally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and subject to The Nugget Newspaper’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially, that all rights are currently
available, and that the material in no way infringes upon the rights of any person. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photos, or manuscripts.
There’s a special place
in my heart for SPRD. Two
years ago, my family set out
from Portland in a tiny travel
trailer, wandering beaches,
deserts, and mountains. I’d
fallen in love with Sisters
during an artist residency
at Caldera. Now we set up
camp in the forest nearby,
hoping this would become
home.
Our family had grown
close on the road; we needed
a little space. My husband
went to work. My health
improving, I started writing
again. As for our 5-year-old:
we signed him up online for
Adventure Camp at Sisters
Park & Recreation District.
We were nervous, walk-
ing up to the SPRD building
in our battered cowboy hats.
Back in Portland, Gusty
had loads of friends. Would
the children of Sisters wel-
come him? And would the
grownups welcome me?
Technically, we were home-
less. That might not go over
well.
The woman at the front
desk was kind. When I
mentioned our living situa-
tion, she discreetly invited
us to use the shower. She
no longer works there, but
her friendly and gracious
attitude still permeates the
reception area.
In the classroom, lovely
teachers welcomed Gusty
and the kids followed suit.
Next I met a whip-smart
woman named Shannon,
who seemed to know every
detail about SPRD’s pro-
gramming. I picked up a
copy of The Nugget on my
way out. Breathing the dry,
toasty air, I sat in the shade
of Hyzer Pines disc golf
course for a good read.
This was it, I knew. This
was home.
Things have changed
since then. Our family
showers in the house we
bought in the pines. We’ve
made friends, joined organi-
zations, started school. My
health improving, I write
and work and teach.
SPRD has changed, too.
The staff ’s community-
minded generosity of spirit,
I came to realize, did not
trickle down from a kindly
leadership team. When I and
other parents reached out
to the former director and
former youth director with
ideas and offers of help, their
responses ran the gamut
from tepid to lethargic.
I started asking local
folks about SPRD. Some
barely knew it existed.
Others expressed frustra-
tion that it didn’t reach out
more. Like me, a significant
handful greatly appreciated
SPRD — including numer-
ous groups that help make
Sisters special. SPRD acts as
an “umbrella,” letting small
groups focus on their core
mission. Interviewing farm-
ers market managers for an
article, I first heard the name
Kris Harwell. As SPRD’s
finance manager, she helped
these groups deal with
finances and bureaucracy.
They deeply appreciated her
knowledge and support.
This year, SPRD’s Board
had the opportunity to infuse
the organization’s leader-
ship with community spirit.
When the director stepped
down, Harwell gamely
agreed to act as interim
director. Suddenly the kids
were offered arts, cooking,
and Earth Keepers enrich-
ment education. The SAGE
Room bustled with seniors.
A volunteer fair sprouted
up. More than a daycare
with some sports added on,
more than a Parks and Rec
that (weirdly) doesn’t man-
age the city’s parks, SPRD
began to buzz like a com-
munity center.
I met with Kris and found
her dedicated, inspiring,
and open-minded. She con-
nected people to each other
and engaged them with
SPRD. Clearly beloved of
the front office staff, Kris
had already paid her dues at
SPRD.
Hiring her as perma-
nent director, even on a
trial basis, would show the
Board’s commitment to
people, not just programs.
Many folks were rooting for
the local mom who’d shown
potential as a community
leader. Instead, the Board
hired a peculiar-acting man
from out of state, and a
whole lot of drama ensued.
He resigned last week.
I don’t know Kris well.
I don’t know whether she’d
still consider becoming cap-
tain of this rudderless ship.
On behalf of those who
cherish SPRD, who believe
in its potential as a com-
munity hub for our growing
populace, the Board should
ask her.
Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and
are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.
