News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters continued to draw more people and businesses to the area in 2005 to enjoy the natural beauty of Central Oregon and the charms of a small, tight-knit community.
That influx is bringing growth and change.
Hayden Homes won approval to develop 400 new homes in the Sisters area and several other subdivisions were either approved or added homes to new phases.
The growth is prompting concern among some residents about the impact on already crowded schools. To counteract some of that crowding, the school board decided that next year the fifth grade class will be housed at Sisters Middle School.
The school board itself changed markedly in 2005, with three new members joining veterans Jeff Smith and Glen Lasken. The new members are Steve Rudinsky, Rob Corrigan and Mike Gould.
The school district moved its administrative offices to the historic old school building at the corner of Highway 20 and Locust Street. The administrative site is part of a campus that will include a new Sisters City Hall and a new Sisters Library.
The 8,000-square-foot library opened its doors on December 20 (see related story, page 5).
Some developments proved more controversial than others. The construction of a McDonald’s at the west end of town stirred intense debate in the community over the presence of “formula food’ establishments in Sisters.
A proposed ballot measure to ban such establishments is in abeyance while a citizens’ group works to develop tighter standards for drive-up and drive-through business and other code restrictions to ensure that such establishments fit in to Sisters.
A Sisters man was arrested on suspicion of arson after the building was torched in July (see related story, page 3). Cache Mountain Development rebuilt the restaurant and convenience store building from scratch and the facility opened along with a Chevron station in December.
Sisters was ground zero for a statewide controversy over land use. The Prete family of Sisters was the chief petitioner for the voter-approved Measure 37 which allows for development of previously restricted lands.
After long study, the U.S. Forest Service and the Warm Springs Tribes recommended re-naming Squaw Creek in Sisters to Whychus Creek. The name comes from a Native American phrase meaning “the place where we cross the water.”
The Oregon Board of Geographic Names approved the change, which was made as part of a nationwide trend toward removing the word “squaw” from landmarks.
There may be more water in the creek, whatever its name. The Three Sisters Irrigation District launched a piping project in the Lower Bridge area that is expected to conserve water that will be returned to Whychus Creek.
Sisters continued to draw thousands of tourists to participate in music and arts festivals.
A new arts center designed to nurture artists and support an arts-based economy opened this fall at the Sisters Arts Center.
As Sisters moves into 2006, the city continues to work on its growing pains — struggling to resolve the need for more water, more space for municipal wastewater treatment and seeking a solution to traffic problems.
Those needs seem likely to grow more urgent as Sisters continues to be a destination of dreams for both visitors and people seeking a new home.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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