Wednesday, July 17, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Continued from page 1
even using the word <radical.=
He framed his comments by
explaining, when starting with
small numbers it doesn9t take
a lot to significantly increase
percentages.
However, even given that,
he said, <The rate of growth
for Sisters is off the charts.
The 32 percent increase over
the past eight years is not nor-
mal numbers; a whole differ-
ent scenario.=
The employment numbers,
he said, are more volatile than
the population numbers. In
2007, prior to the recession,
employment figures reached a
peak of 2,264 with a big drop
through 2012 to about 1,800.
In the past six years, the num-
bers have consistently climbed
back up to 2,408, or a six-and-
a-half percent increase since
the 2007 peak. By compari-
son, the number of residents
has steadily increased.
Runberg said the good
news is the jobs that have been
added back since the recession
are different types of jobs,
not just tourism-related. And
that is good because it means
the local economy is becom-
ing more diversified, which
means Sisters may be more
resistant to the next economic
downturn.
Central Oregon in general
was in the middle of a build-
ing boom in 2007 when the
bubble burst and building-
related businesses were the
hardest hit. Comparatively,
in the earlier dot-com bust,
Central Oregon wasn9t partic-
ularly impacted because there
weren9t many dot-com-related
businesses here, although
recessions do impact tourism
as people cut back on discre-
tionary spending during such
times.
However, statistics indicate
that in both 2006 and 2018,
Deschutes County had the
fourth most diversified econ-
omy in the state of Oregon,
behind Clackamas, Lane,
and Multnomah counties
(according to the Hachman
Diversification Index 3 2006,
2018).
Despite the best economic
planning, Runberg said, luck
plays a part in which geo-
graphic areas are hurt by eco-
nomic downturns. He used the
Columbia Gorge area as an
example. Those towns were
not particularly impacted by
the 2008 downturn because
the things they are good at,
like agriculture and food
and beverage manufactur-
ing, weren9t hard hit so they
had great resistance to that
recession.
He thinks resiliency is a
more important component of
economic vitality than diver-
sity. How quickly can an area
bounce back from a down-
turn? Aside from two areas,
Deschutes County has experi-
enced the most robust expan-
sion in the country.
Runberg pointed to the
<huge deficit in homes= that
currently exists in Deschutes
County. The overall number
of building permits has been
down, with only two of the
last six years seeing enough
homes built to meet the need.
One way to build in safety,
according to the economist,
is to add other elements to
the economy. In Sisters that
is happening with increases
in the healthcare, manufac-
turing, accommodations and
food services, administrative
support and waste manage-
ment, and professional, sci-
entific, and technical indus-
tries. Retail trade and arts,
entertainment, and recreation
industries are remaining fairly
level.
Again, keeping in mind the
small scale of overall employ-
ment in Sisters, it doesn9t
take very many increases
or decreases in employees
to have a noticeable affect
on percentages of growth or
decline. In 2010, tourism/ser-
vice industries employment
was at 45.9 percent. In 2012 it
increased to 46.9 percent and
then began a slow decline to
38.9 percent in 2018.
Runberg told the Council,
<Tourism is one of the best
incentivizers.=
People come to visit, love
it here, and decide to move
their business here or start a
new one.
CHAMPION: Rider
is on to high school
rodeo competition
Continued from page 1
to take a ribbon from the
steer9s tail. At the end of the
rodeo, Steffan and her part-
ner 4 Gator Goodrich from
Stanfield, Oregon, were sit-
ting in second place. Then a
door opened.
<We were very last in the
go,= she recalled. <The peo-
ple who were right behind us
missed.=
The pressure was intense.
A clean run meant a champi-
onship 4 but so much can go
wrong. Goodrich got his job
done, catching the steer.
<After he caught, I knew I
just had to grab the ribbon,=
Steffan said.
But she was in a tough
position to get at it, and was
clotheslined and knocked
down by Gator9s rope. With
one sole focus and plenty of
determination, she got back
up and swiped the ribbon.
<I kind of thought we lost
it,= she said. <And then they
announced it as I was hand-
ing the judge the ribbon. It
didn9t really sink in.=
Steffan took a bit to pro-
cess the reality that, in her
final year of junior high
rodeo, she is a world cham-
pion. That9s not hyperbole,
either. The massive annual
rodeo draws competitors
from Canada and Latin
America as well as many
of the states 4 including
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Adrienne Steffan won a saddle, several belt buckles, a Yeti cooler — and
a championship — at the National Junior High Finals Rodeo last month.
even Hawaii.
The 10-day event is chal-
lenging outside the arena as
well as inside. It was hot and
humid in South Dakota, with
occasional thunderstorms.
Competitions last all day and
into the night.
<It9s hard on you and the
horse out in that,= Steffan
noted. <Definitely makes me
glad I live in Oregon.
Winning a championship
stokes the fire in the young
rodeo competitor, who is now
looking to ride into the next
level in high school competi-
tion. She says she9s got a lot
of work to do in barrels and
poles.
It’s hard on you
and the horse out in that
[heat and humidity].
Definitely makes me
glad I live in Oregon.
— Adrienne Steffan
<Practice, practice, prac-
tice= is her mantra. She9s also
looking to improve her skills
in other events.
<I9d like to work harder
in team roping, 9cause I9d
like to get better in that, more
consistent, too,= she said.
SISTERS
549-9388
Tasty THURSDAY
5 to 7 p.m.
Camp Sherman
LIVE MUSIC
Andean Blue
Opal, Pearl,
White Topaz, 14k & 22K
Open 7 days a week,
12-9 p.m.
541-595-6420
Sat., July 20, 7-9 p.m.
NTT
391 W. Cascade Ave. | 541-549-2675
corkcellarswinebistro.com
LANDSCAPE MATERIALS
Come see the
BEAUTIFUL
MURAL
3/4" Pink Rock Decorative ...............$42/yard
2.5" Drain ( Round ) ............................$58/yard
Pea Gravel ................................................$54/yard
Sand ............................................................$38/yard
Bark Mulch Hemlock ...........................$45/yard
Dirt ..............................................................$28/yard
2.5" Ballast ...............................................$42/yard
3/4" Minus ................................................$24/yard
Bio Fine .....................................................$38/yard
$10 minimum order
Delivery in town, $30 | Delivery out of town, $50
1 yard material minium on delivery
541-549-9631
Sales Service
•
Rentals • Accessories
506 N. Pine St.
www.sistersrental.com
by the ultra-and
mega-talented
@vividesign_co
Com
ult e soa
rav k
u
ray iolet p so
s! art me
GROWTH: Small scale
makes percentages
loom large
21
Serving
S
erving Breakfast
Br
& Lunch
7 days a week
7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
403 E. Hood Ave.
541.549.2699