Ranger district employee retires

If you've ever had an occasion to visit the Sisters Ranger District office on the corner of Cascade Avenue and Pine Street in search of a permit to cut firewood, to obtain a pass to recreate in protected national forests, or just to ask directions, you probably had the pleasure of speaking with Sandy Sharp.

But if the total sum of your life's experiences to date does not include such an encounter, then you'll have to chalk it up to a missed opportunity, because January 10 was Sharp's last day on the job. She has turned another page in her book of life to a new chapter entitled "Retirement."

Sharp came to Sisters nearly 12 years ago and took up her position behind the desk at the district office. An information assistant by title, she performed a wide variety of duties, ranging from issuing permits to pick mushrooms and gather rocks for private landscaping to answering questions from the general public and handling all manner of telephone calls. But perhaps her most important function was that of a weather observer in the National Weather Service's (NWS) Cooperative Observer Program (COOP).

The COOP consists of volunteer observers who take and record weather observations every day. The data from these COOP sites help to fill in voids where automated weather stations don't exist. Currently, more than 12,000 volunteers from across the country participate in this program. The goal of COOP is to provide observational meteorological data required to define the climate of the U. S. and to help measure long-term climate changes.

Sharp began each workday at 8 a.m. by raising the American flag. At the same time she would estimate wind speed and direction by how the flag was moving and take note of sky conditions, such as the amount of cloud cover and the presence of smoke or fog. Then it was over to the precipitation gauge to check for rain or snow. If there was any ice or snow in the cylinder she would let it melt before getting a proper measurement. She also sampled snow depths at several locations.

From inside the office Sharp would go to a digital thermometer to read the current outside temperature, and retrieve the maximum and minimum values for the previous 24-hour period. She would then sit down at her computer and enter all this information into an electronic spreadsheet provided by the NWS office in Pendleton.

She also transcribed the data onto a hardcopy form, which she mailed monthly to Central Electric Cooperative and others for their private use.

Last week Sharp received a special service award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration citing her dedication to duty as a COOP observer.

Sharp's work required her to wear many hats.

The Forest Service is in partnership with Northwest Interpretive Association, a nonprofit enterprise that promotes the discovery and use of public lands. Some of their revenue comes from selling items available at parks and other locations such as the Sisters Ranger District office. So, Sharp applied her bookkeeping skills to keep that money separate from other sales and issued weekly and monthly financial reports.

As a teacher she has trained college students in all aspects of her job. She periodically changed items in the office's display case. Occasionally bird-watchers visiting the area would report their findings to Sharp, who kept a running file of this activity so she could share the information with others.

Over the years Sharp has fielded all manner of questions, some of them straining the limits of credulity and reason.

"I've written down some of the more whacky questions I've ever been asked," she said. "Someday I'd like to get them published in a small book for all to enjoy."

Before coming to Sisters in 2002, Sharp worked in the human resources department at the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District.

"Turns out human resources really wasn't my thing," she said. "I've been much happier working here in Sisters."

Sharp's replacement still hasn't been selected, and that person probably won't be on the job until mid-February at the earliest.

Lisa Paddock will do her best to take up the slack until the new employee arrives.

When asked what she plans to do in retirement, Sharp replied: "I'll probably do some volunteer work for the Deschutes Land Trust. I have an old spinning wheel at home that I hardly ever use. I'd like to learn how to spin yarn from raw wool."

"Sandy is the nicest person I've had the pleasure to be around in more than 30 years," said Kristie Miller, Sisters Range District manager. "I will miss her dearly."

And this from Sisters naturalist, Jim Anderson: "The departure of our Best Gal Sandy from the information desk at the Sisters District office will, for me, leave a big hole. There was never a time when I walked into the office on business that I didn't find Sandy explaining the forces of nature, where the best birding or fishing was, or the closest campground to someone who was lost, bewildered or broken down. She did it with grace, kindness, a sense of humor, and professionalism. Godspeed, Dear Heart."