Cascade closure, vendors pose problems

Cascade Avenue was closed during Quilt Show for the second year, to the delight of some and the chagrin of others. Those affected negatively by the closure were businesses at both ends of town, and the gas station in the center.

Eric Metzel, owner of Coyote Creek Café felt there could be a better way to redirect the traffic that wouldn't affect the Three Wind Shopping Center on the west end of Sisters.

Brad Smith, owner of Paulina Springs Books on Hood Avenue said his receipts were down from last year. But he remained upbeat about the Cascade Avenue closure.

"You have to look at things beyond your own business," said Smith.

Ann Richardson, executive director of the Sisters Quilt Show, said the closure is a work in progress. It came about as a safety issue, not necessarily for the comfort of showgoers. The Deschutes County Sheriff said the show couldn't continue as it was, with increased pedestrian traffic conflicting with heavy summer traffic through the middle of Sisters.

However, the nature of drivers tends to be to follow the car in front. Even if some wanted to stop for food or gas, if the car in front was turning onto the bypass, a whole line tended to turn.

Peggy Dorsett of Sunbuster Video in the Three Wind Shopping Center was not pleased.

"I did one-third of my normal Saturday," she said. "It's one thing not to reap the benefits of the 'biggest day of the year' as it is for some people. But when I can't even do my normal business, something is wrong. It's just not right to cut us off from the flow of people."

Richardson said a meeting is planned with ODOT, the city, the sheriff's department and interested business owners to debrief the situation.

Another blot on the day, according to Richardson, was the number of transient vendors around town.

"We noticed a big increase in vendors from previous years," she said.

The Quilt Show committee chooses not to dedicate an area to transient vendors, feeling that it detracts from the show, said Richardson.

"We want to enhance and maintain the quality of the show. There is a need for food vendors, but not the others," she said.

Businesses can make space available to the vendors, usually for a fee, and the city provides a day license, also for a fee.

The transient vendors were dotted around town, selling a variety of wares.

Richardson said many merchants were unhappy with the number of vendors competing for trade.