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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2020)
8 Wednesday, October 14, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Cobb wants to ‘walk her talk’ By Sue Stafford Correspondent Susan Cobb decided to run for Sisters City Council when she realized that, instead of encouraging oth- ers to run, she would walk her talk. She indicated that even if she doesn9t garner a Council seat, she will find other ways to be involved. If she is elected, Cobb has identified a number of issues she would like to address including working with the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce to amplify the businesses already in Sisters and what new ones could be brought in to sus- tain and grow the business community. With Zoom meetings the norm for now, Cobb would like to see a brief pre-meet- ing overview of topics to be discussed to help those phon- ing in to understand the pro- ceedings. She believes ongo- ing open communication from City Hall is important. Cobb thinks creation of additional safe bike and pedestrian lanes out to Adams and Hood avenues, while maintaining a lush, treed environment, would benefit residents and visitors. Fire mitigation and edu- cation for all citizens is high on her list of priorities. While she served for three years as the president of the Timber Creek Homeowners Association, Cobb actively supported fire prepared- ness education with mailers to homeowners. She would like to see public fire mitiga- tion meetings at Sisters Fire Hall to explain topics such as fire preparedness, emer- gency evacuation routes, and the use of fire-wise building materials to raise everyone9s awareness. To assure all residents have the opportunity to thrive, she sees a need for more local low-income hous- ing that is built with as much care as market-rate housing. To help those in the com- munity who are unhoused, she pointed to programs in other cities where they are provided with tiny homes, so they have a roof over their heads. Cobb thinks it is incumbent on society to care for the people who have the least. She summed up her phi- losophy this way: <I am just an individual who cares about the people. I will put my whole heart and soul into making things better for the greater good. . . I will do my best for the vast majority.= Most of her working career was as a project man- ager for Pacific Bell, during which time she received a supervisory certificate in management from Golden Gate University. Her job evolved into working with software developers to cre- ate software for billing. She was one of only a handful of women working in that field in the earlier days of computers. She took all of that experience and formed her own consulting busi- ness, spending five years in Europe fulfilling one con- tract after another in Munich, Amsterdam, London, and Prague. Do you know your agent? Do you understand your policy? Are you overpaying? Call or come in today for a free Farmers Friendly Review 541-588-6245 • 257 S. Pine St., #101 www.farmersagent.com/jrybka AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS Senior SAGE Room OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY 11 A.M. TO 2 P.M. Preregistration required! Call 541-549-2091 SistersRecreation.com 541-549-2091 • 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters SUCCESS: Market created hopefulness and community love Continued from page 3 PHOTO PROVIDED Having received her bachelor9s degree in fine arts from University of Nevada Reno, Cobb is an artist at heart, drawing and painting most of her life. In Central Oregon, she is recognized as an accomplished quilter, who donates her quilts to a number of organizations and fundraisers. She used both her artistic skills and man- agement background while working at Stitchin9 Post for four years. Cobb chose to move to Sisters in 2006 because her sister and brother-in-law live here. <As this is my first attempt to be a civil ser- vant, there is much to learn,= Cobb9s Voter Pamphlet entry says. <I will study the appli- cable laws, learn the ropes at City Hall, and be an advocate for the people of Sisters.= Cobb didn9t offer an opin- ion on any decisions made by the current Council. <I can9t say from the side- lines, without the material the City Council had before them,= she said. sanitizer. A few hundred shoppers attended the first Sisters Farmers Market, one of the only communal events in Sisters since March. Word spread around communi- ties of shoppers and vendors about the safe and welcom- ing environment created at the Market throughout the 16 weeks of the season. By the 17th and final event on Sunday October 4, the maxi- mum number of vendors was reached at 25 spaces, and over 750 shoppers poured in for closing day. Another remarkable suc- cess attributed to our sup- portive community was the September Fundraising Raffle. Originally created to raise funds for help- ing offset extra costs due to COVID-19 this season, the Raffle expanded mid- month to fundraise for farm- ers and families impacted by the devastating statewide wildfires. The community showed their support for these causes by purchasing Raffle tickets in-person and online throughout the month, raising over $7,000 in all. Half of the overall proceeds were divided between two Oregon wildfire relief efforts; UNETE, Center for Farm Worker Advocacy, and Friend of Family Farmers9/ Portland CSA Coalition9s GoFundMe for small farms affected by Oregon wild- fires. Four local community members were drawn as win- ners on October 1 for vari- ous prize packages consist- ing of over $3,000 of goods and services donated by local producers and businesses. The real success of the Sisters Farmers Market can hardly be quantified in num- bers. In a year when more separated us than brought us together, the Market cre- ated a source of hopefulness and community love, which is at the heart of Sisters cul- ture. Anyone who meandered through the path of eclec- tic booths was able to tap into the joyous, vibrant, and inclusive environment cre- ated by the people involved. We may not know what our cherished community events will look like in the near future, but lessons from this year exemplified how a supportive community can inspire connection and grow resilience. For more information on the 2021 Market, visit www. sistersfarmersmarket.com. 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