News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Jerry and Bob Petersen bought The Paper Place in 1981. Kara Calmettes helps run the store.
For three decades, The Paper Place has been one of those destination stores in Sisters - the kind of place folks make a point of visiting each time they come to town.
Owner Jerry Petersen recalls a hotel administrator who would come in and spend hundreds of dollars on greeting cards, picking out the perfect card for each individual he interacted with.
"There's people who come over three times a year and they stop and load up on cards for the year," said Petersen's daughter, Kara Calmettes, who manages the store.
Over the years, The Paper Place has expanded off its base of greeting cards to include games and gift items.
"We've concentrated on having good under-$20 gifts," said Petersen.
Petersen and husband Bob moved to Sisters in 1981. Suddenly an opportunity arose.
"One day there was a sign on the door (of The Paper Place) that said 'For Sale,'" Jerry recalled. "And Bob and I said, 'Wouldn't that be fun - to have a little store.' So we bought it."
She soon discovered that having her own business was a lot of fun - and a lot of work.
"I started out working seven days a week," she said. "You have to work hard if you're going to stay in business."
The store grew, taking over adjacent spaces ("We just outgrew our pants," Jerry says).
The past 30 years have seen many changes in Sisters, many of which have made it a more favorable climate for local businesses.
"I think it's more of a destination for people than it used to be," said Calmettes. "I think it used to be that people stopped on their way through to somewhere else - and now people come to Sisters."
"Women like shopping here (in Sisters) because you can walk around; it's outside and it's not a mall," said Petersen.
There's no real secret to surviving and thriving over 30 years, according to Petersen. It really boils down to effort and good relationships.
"I think probably it's just hard work, and I think it's supportive, loving employees," she said.
Teri Hart, who works at The Paper Place, is one of those employees - and she embodies that supportiveness because "they're great people to work for."
Visitors and locals alike have come to rely on The Paper Place for the perfect card and for the right gift at the right price. It's kept Jerry Petersen going for the past 30 years - and she has no intention of stopping now.
The Paper Place is located at the corner of Hood Avenue and Elm Street in Sisters.
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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