Habitat owners are business owners

A frequent image of Habitat for Humanity home owners is one of struggling on subsistence level incomes, i.e., minimum wage jobs. Four Sisters Habitat owners have made moves to change that image and have become business owners.

Peggy Dorsett has worked in local video stores for 10 of the 16 years she has lived in Sisters. She is generally acknowledged as one of the most informed video retailers in town.

When the owners of Sunbuster Video, Dorsett's employer, decided their plate was full and they needed to divest themselves of the video business, they offered the outlet to Dorsett. As of November 1, the business is hers. She will continue operating as Sunbuster Video.

A jewelry designer/maker for many years, Candy Park has opened a niche in Kate Aspen's new bead studio. Park will manufacture and repair jewelry. She works in gold, silver, and fashion stones and does lapidary work. Her business is named Bono Dea, which means "Good Goddess." She is also set up to replace watch batteries and bands.

Park moved to Sisters in 1989. She expects to maintain her part-time job at Ali's Deli while her jewelry business builds.

Dawn Roberts, an employee of B-J & Friends beauty salon for three years, will become owner of the salon just before Christmas. After the holidays she plans to remodel and rename the salon. Soon-to-be Belladawna will continue to be a full service hair and nail salon.

Tana Sproat was born and raised in Sisters. After several moves Sproat returned to Sisters to stay six years ago. When her work as a dental technician ended in March 2004, she began Tana's Cleaning Service on a part-time basis. It developed quickly to a full-time business. Some of her work comes from Bend, but most is located in Sisters and Black Butte Ranch.

She says her biggest obstacles are the cost of supplies and gas.

All of these women will bear the burdens of self-employment -- long hours and the pay per hour may be less than found elsewhere -- but the satisfaction of building their own businesses and, hopefully, doing what they love seems worth the effort.