Kassy receives Sustainability Award

Karen Kassy of Sisters was presented with the individual Sustainability Award from The Environmental Center for her work on recycling in Sisters and other environmental efforts.

The 2012 Sustainability Awards were announced by The Environmental Center Thursday night at a celebration at the Cascade Culinary Institute's Elevation Restaurant. The Environmental Center received 20 nominations, and the winners were selected by a community review committee.

"Sustainability is a big, complex topic." said Mike Riley, executive director of The Environmental Center. "Achieving it requires patience and perseverance in the face of some daunting obstacles. The Sustainability Awards celebrate the citizens, businesses, and organizations in our community that are dedicated to overcoming these challenges."

The award citation noted that "Karen Kassy shows her commitment to sustainability in her day-to-day actions, her dedication to community by volunteering throughout Central Oregon, and her willingness to champion recycling in the face of stiff institutional resistance.

Karen became an 'accidental activist' when the Sisters Recycling Center (SRC) was slated for possible closure...

When the City of Sisters slated the SRC for future closure, Karen volunteered to research, report, and recommend actions to the council.

Over a period of several months, she filed public record requests, wrote letters and articles that engendered citizen involvement, and attended meetings.

Karen persuaded the Sisters City Council to keep the recycling center open seven full days per week for a six-month pilot project that can be monitored and refined, and that hopefully will result in avoiding closure."

The citation also noted that Kassy "works from home and walks or bikes for almost all in-town trips/errands. She sold her car and shares a car for consolidated trips that require a vehicle.

She purchases renewable energy and has used an energy monitoring device to eliminate 'energy hogs' from her home. She is an avid supporter of purchasing re-used items and shopping locally."