Wednesday, August 15, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Sisters Horizon survey
wraps up August 17
A Sisters Country
Horizons online survey
asking residents to choose
top strategies to ensure the
region’s future livability will
end on Friday, August 17.
As of August 9, more than
400 people had completed the
survey since it went live on
July 23.
It can be found at www.
sistershorizons.org.
The more than 50 strate-
gies listed in the survey were
developed over the past sev-
eral months through com-
munity leader interviews, an
initial survey of residents and
visitors, community meetings
and forums, presentations
and events. The strategies
are organized into four focus
areas: Prosperous Sisters,
Livable Sisters, Resilient
Sisters, and Connected
Sisters. As of last week,
approximately 1,600 partici-
pants have been involved in
this community visioning
phase since it kicked off in
February.
“The response to this sec-
ond survey has been excellent
and shows residents are dialed
in and eager to help shape the
community’s future,” says
Ruth Williamson, part of the
consulting team advising the
process. “The survey results
will be analyzed and utilized
this fall by a new citizen
Vision Action Team whose
charge will be to develop an
action plan for the community
in partnership with the City,
County, other public agencies,
community organizations,
and local businesses.”
The first Sisters Country
Horizons survey — com-
pleted by nearly 500 Sisters-
area residents between March
and May — found residents
treasuring the community’s
natural environment and
small-town feel, and citing
growth, traffic and housing as
major challenges to the com-
munity’s quality of life.
Sisters Country Horizons
is a visioning project
sponsored by the City of
Sisters. Deschutes County
and the Central Oregon
Intergovernmental Council
are project partners. The
Horizons project will run
through December 2018 and
result in a long-range vision
for Sisters Country and a plan
to achieve it. It will be car-
ried out by local government,
public agencies, community
organizations, and the busi-
ness community.
The response to this
second survey has been
excellent and shows
residents are dialed in
and eager to help shape
the community’s future.
— Ruth Williamson
Sisters Country is that part
of Deschutes County served
by the Sisters School District
006, including the city of
Sisters, surrounding smaller
unincorporated communities
and residential areas, ranches
and farms, as well Camp
Sherman.
For more information, visit
the Sisters Country Horizons
website at www.sistershori-
zons.org or email info@sis-
tershorizons.org. You can also
like the project at www.face-
book.com/sistershorizons/.
THE
GALLERY
RESTAURANT AND BAR
SOUP OF THE DAY
August 15th-21st
Wed ......................... Black Bean
Thurs ............ Chicken Tortellini
Fri .. Clam Chowder & Vegetable
Sat .............Cream of Spinach
Sun.......... Clubhouse Tomato
Mon ....Cajun Chicken Gumbo
Tues ........Tomato Gorgonzola
Breakfast & lunch 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Full-service dining in the bar nightly until 10 p.m. (21 & over)
171 W. Cascade Ave., Sisters • 541-549-2631
away. You would probably see more on social
media anyway.
Jo Kilmer
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
child who was killed defending our coun-
try had no right to be here; doing so would
certainly create mean-spiritedness and fur-
ther break the hearts of those who lost loved
ones.
Political correctness would not lump an
entire ethnic group into a class of rapists and
murderers, while doing so has clearly created
mean-spiritedness and promoted violence
against that ethnicity.
I could go on (God knows there’s a pleth-
ora of examples) but hopefully the point has
been made: “Political correctness” is basi-
cally another term for respect, consider-
ation, kindness, and generosity towards oth-
ers despite their race, ethnicity, gender, or
disability.
Interestingly, it is a term rarely used by
people who espouse those values; on the other
hand, I hear it often used by those who say
it with a derisive sneer, denigrating the very
ideal which would prevent the mean-spirited-
ness that Mr. Wright eschews.
Really can’t have it both ways.
Michelle Tormey
s
11
s
s
To the Editor:
Once again we would like to say a big
thank-you to the first responders who tack-
led the fire that started on Rabbitbrush Road
on Saturday, August 11. Without them we
and a lot of our neighbors might not have our
homes.
We have had two fires close by in the last
2-1/2 weeks. The fire on Saturday called for
Level 3 evacuation (GO NOW!) in which
we had to go. The problem we have seen
with both fires is people coming into the
area who have no business there other than
to try and get a better look at what the emer-
gency is. This not only puts them in danger,
they could be hampering the efforts of the
first responders plus the people needing to
evacuate.
I understand the curiosity factor, but for
all you “Lookie Loos,” if you don’t live in an
area where there is an emergency, please stay
s
s
s
To the Editor:
Three-hundred-and-fifty fabulous meals,
12 vendors, four presentations, and two musi-
cal groups all packed into two hours of non-
stop fun. On behalf of the Sisters Park and
Recreation District board of directors, I would
like to thank the entire Sisters community for
making the inaugural D-ATE (Appreci-ATE,
Congreg-ATE, Particip-ATE, Recre-ATE &
Grab a Pl-ATE) Night community dinner a
huge success.
When the board decided at its July 24
meeting to hold a recreation-focused commu-
nity dinner in place of the cancelled August 9
Hawaiian luau, I knew we had our work cut
out for us. We had just 15 days to organize
a major public event from scratch. Was that
even possible?
Not to worry. When word got out that
SPRD needed help, the community stepped
up. Old friends of SPRD said, “Whatever
you need.” Folks who had not volunteered
for SPRD before asked how they could help.
Eight sponsors, both long-standing and new,
said, “Of course, we’ll contribute to sup-
port this event.” Vendors, invited with little
advance notice, altered busy summer sched-
ules to participate. And city public works staff
could not have been more helpful.
In the midst of this outpouring of help,
two people deserve special shout-outs.
Without event coordinator Jodi Winnwalker,
an organizer extraordinaire, the event would
have been far less successful. And board
member Peggy Tehan went above and
beyond when she and her crew of volun-
teers prepared those 350 delicious rice bowl
meals.
Not only was it good for the community,
the event was good for the organization. Every
SPRD staff and board member, including our
wonderful cadre of teachers, enthusiastically
pitched in to get us across the finish line. It
was truly a team effort.
Jeff Tryens
Board President