Competing visions

Sisters has changed a lot in 20 years.

When my wife, Marilyn, and I first moved here in late October 1993, the population was 750 people. We lived in a double-wide trailer across East Cascade Avenue from the elementary school. The trailer is now a duplex.

We walked our dog Cody up and down the banks and the dry streambed of Squaw Creek where the homes of Timber Creek and Buck Run now sit. We weren't too happy to see homesites staked out in "our" playground. We were going to lose it to "gentrification." Of course it was private property, but still...

Today those are neighborhoods full of people who moved here to share in the same quality of life that drew us to Sisters. And the streambed is no longer dry - the creek flows all through summer and may soon again host steelhead and salmon. The name is different, too.

Things change.

The biggest change Sisters has experienced was the construction of a municipal sewer system. Installing sewers was extremely controversial and contentious. Opponents feared that Sisters would be swamped in a sea of development if a sewer system went in, that its quaint charm would be lost forever. Others found something less than quaint and charming in having to pump out septic systems multiple times every year and didn't think that capping growth based on an inability to handle waste was good public policy.

The citizens voted, the sewer came and it did, indeed, bring development. There were a bumpy few years while the city and its citizens sorted issues like how much density was too much density and the like. But in the end, Sisters navigated change and is the better for it.

Many changes in Sisters have been controversial and contentious. There's nothing wrong with that. It means that people care. Virtually everybody who lives in Sisters Country chose to be here. Most of us moved here from elsewhere, looking for that something that Sisters seemed to offer. A few were born here and chose to stay here, even though it's not easy to make a living and there's a big ol' world out there beyond our mountains and forests.

We want Sisters to stay Sisters, to keep the qualities that drew us here in the first place. A beautiful landscape offering endless adventure; a small, engaged community; good schools; a thriving arts community ... and tranquility.

There are two broad attitudes toward change: "Sisters is fine the way it is; don't screw it up." Or, "Sisters is could be even better if..."

Most of us operate somewhere on a spectrum. Sometimes we're conflicted in our own desires. Part of me would be - like John Lee Pettimore's granddaddy - perfectly content to hide out in the woods and "only come to town about twice a year."

Another part loves the hustle and flow of a music event and wants to have a "scene." Options for shopping and dining out are nice. And I like to see people prosper.

Those who want to create new amenities, events and activities in Sisters aren't necessarily greed-heads out to ruin Sisters. And those who are skeptical of new amenities, events and activities in Sisters aren't necessarily obstructionists. Some see change as opportunity, some see it as a threat - and most of us see a mixture of both.

How to navigate all of the varied and passionate attitudes toward change?

First, everyone wants to feel that their voice is heard and listened to. (It helps if the voice is informed and civil.) Endless "visioning" is not enough. Ultimately, things boil down to action on the ground - and that's where things get contentious. Better to put together a proposal and let the debate begin.

Sometimes competing visions just have to fight it out. Will Sisters have a sewer system; a new high school; an amphitheater; a skating rink; paved trails in the forest? Or not? Sometimes there's a middle ground to be found, as there was on the Cascade Avenue renovation.

Neighbors will sometimes find themselves opposed on one issue and aligned on others. Hopefully, they'll be able to continue being good neighbors.

Hopefully some workable ideas will come out of last week's economic summit. Perhaps there will be some consensus on projects that a solid majority of folks in Sisters can get behind to maintain and enhance our quality of life - and the experience of those who come to visit us.

But there's always going to be controversy and contention. Because we're human, and that's how we roll.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

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.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
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