New biking and hiking trails have been created west of Sunriver for all to enjoy Page 6
INSIDE THIS ISSUE SROA News.................... 4 Nature Center................ 8 Calendar...................... 13
Public Safety................ 27 Classified..................... 38 Letters......................... 39
Come help Artists’ Gallery Sunriver celebrate 10 years of success Page 14
S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
AUGUST • 2020
VOLUME XLVI • NUMBER 8
Pathway use in Sunriver: the new ‘COVID-19’ normal
Turn to Pathway, page 3
Sunriver named Oregon’s first ‘Dark Sky Place’ Thanks to Sunriver’s clear night skies you can step outside on almost any evening, look up and be greeted by twinkling stars and planets. It’s no wonder the community is blessed with having its own observatory. The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory and Oregon Chapter of the International Dark Sky Association are excited to announce the designation of Sunriver as the newest addition to
PHOTO COURTESY JIM CULPEPPER
the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) Dark Sky Places program. Sunriver is the first “Dark Sky Place” recognized in Oregon and one of only 130-plus recognized worldwide to date. An unincorporated community surrounded by national forest, Sunriver’s development was launched in the late 1960s with a vision to build a community integrated with nature, a vision which has been achieved.
Bob Grossfeld, observatory manager of the Sunriver Nature and Observatory (SNCO), spearheaded the Dark Sky Place effort. The SNCO’s mission is to: “Inspire present and future generations to cherish and understand our natural world.” Sunriver’s five-square miles features slow curving roadways and pedestrian/ Turn to Dark, page 3
SROA’s hybrid annual meeting will allow ‘virtual’ participation By Susan Berger, Sunriver Scene SROA NEWS – There’s nothing like a pandemic to throw a monkey wrench into the works and make the simplest of things more complicated. Thanks to the coronavirus, the Sunriver Owners Association has had to get creative in how to safely host this year’s annual meeting, scheduled for Aug. 15, 1 p.m. at SHARC. The meeting will be a hybrid of limited, in-person owner attendance or it can be streamed live from the comfort of your own home (and in your pajamas, if you like!). In an effort to keep the meeting as brief as possible, SROA staff has pretaped several topics that would have been discussed – providing owners the opportunity to watch and learn more
about some of SROA’s projects from the last year ahead of time. Visit the Annual Meeting page at www.sunriverowners. org/annualmeeting to view. PLEASE NOTE: Due to uncertainties of the pandemic, meeting details are subject to change without notice. How to participate • Prior to the meeting everyone is encouraged to go to the SROA website Annual Meeting page and virtually view some of the meeting topics at www.sun riverowners.org/annualmeeting • Make a reservation to attend the “inperson” meeting. Due to COVID-19 there is limited seating, occupancy restrictions and social distancing requirements that must be followed. • Out of fairness to all owners, we ask
that only one member per household attend the in-person meeting. Additional household members are encouraged to watch the meeting via live streaming. • Watch the meeting live via YouTube streaming: At 1 p.m. Aug. 15, go to https://bit.ly/SROAAnnualMeeting or use the button on the Annual Meeting page www.sunriverowners.org/annual meeting • Watch the recorded meeting at a later date on the Annual Meeting page on the website. Owners Forum comment submissions There will be an owners forum at the end of the in-person meeting. • In-person attendance: Attendees Turn to Annual, page 3 SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XLVI • NUMBER 8 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
By Chuck Rosenfeld, Bike Patrol Volunteer For more than half a century, the 34 miles of pathways in Sunriver have consistently been the most popular amenity in our community. SROA has continuously improved safety and upgraded the pathway network with new tunnels, wider, re-paved surfaces and improved signage. With the current restrictions, mandated for COVID-19 control, many public facilities and recreational amenities have been closed or severely restricted resulting in a dramatic increase in pathway usage by residents and visitors alike. Fresh air and exercise are a welcome break from social isolation. Residents and employees within Sunriver have adapted to pandemic restrictions, and have felt relatively isolated from coronavirus hot spots. As warmer weather arrives and lodging and travel restrictions eased, we welcomed the return of visitors and part-time residents from many distant places… which also brings an increased risk of virus transmission. As of July 1, Oregon mandated face coverings inside all public places. On July 15, Oregon also required face coverings now be worn outdoors in places where proper social distancing can’t be maintained. As we strive to continue unrestricted use of our paths, it is incumbent on all users to exercise caution and basic measures to maintain community health. Everyone is strongly encouraged to use masks when not engaged in vigorous activity. Our pathways are regulated by a Bike Patrol consisting of Sunriver Police officers, SRPD summer hires and Citizen Patrol volunteers… all trained in pathway rules and health controls. When they make personal contact with the public, they don their masks and, if required to render first aid, they are equipped with additional protective gear. All Bike Patrol person-
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