The Rotary Club of SunriverLa Pine dole out grant dollars to local nonprofits Page 19
INSIDE THIS ISSUE SROA News.............. 4 Calendar................. 13
Public Safety............ 24 Classified Ads.......... 31
The Sunriver Area Chamber of |Commerce welcomes new business to the Village Page 22
S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
JANUARY 2024
VOLUME XLVII • NUMBER 1
New fire, police chiefs officially sworn in
To protect or not to protect… a question of aesthetics
Turn to Plant, page 3
New Police Chief, Steve Lopez
The Sunriver Service District officially swore-in the new police and fire chiefs in ceremonies held in November and December. On Nov. 30, former Sunriver Police lieutenant Steve Lopez took the reins from retiring chief Mike Womer. On
New Sunriver Fire Chief Bill Boos is sworn-in.
Dec. 13, the Sunriver Fire Department welcomed fire chief Bill Boos. The oath of office for each chief was administered by Jim Fister, chair of the Sunriver Service District Board of Directors. Following is a brief background of
each chief. Sunriver Police Chief The Sunriver Service District Board voted at its September meeting to apTurn to Chief, page 3
Resolve to get involved with your association By Tony Selle Happy New Year from the Nominating Committee. As we begin a new year, it is a tradition for many of us to make resolutions. Often our resolutions are aimed at self-improvement or selfattainment. Such as, I want to lose 10 pounds, take two strokes off my golf score, or run a 10K. Other times, our resolutions are externally focused, perhaps because we realize how truly fortunate we are, and we become inspired to give back in some way. We know you agree, Sunriver is an amazing place to own, live and recreate. If you are searching for a way to get involved locally and give back to your community, the SROA Nominating Committee invites you to resolve to get involved in Sunriver in 2024.
Sunriver has tremendous services that we all enjoy. Some of them, like snow removal on the paths and roads are obvious. But did you notice how clean and litter-free the roads and paths are? How invasive species are really kept in check? Did you enjoy going to special events such as Uncorked or the owner’s Happy Hour? Those things, and many other functions and services, all happen because of owner volunteers just like you. Sunriver is Sunriver because its owners are actively engaged. We manage, oversee or perform many of the services that occur here. And there is always a need for more owners to get involved. The SROA Nominating Committee is recruiting candidates for the 2024 SROA Board of Directors and we sin-
cerely invite you to apply. You can find applications and information at www. sunriverowners.org or reach out to one of the committee members listed. Besides serving on the board of directors, there are many other ways to get involved in Sunriver. There are numerous committees, work groups and task forces that need owner volunteers. This is in addition to the incredible array of clubs and organizations that perform services we all enjoy. Again, more information on all of these is available at www.sunriverowners.org. Sunriver is a special place because of its owners. The Nominating Committee will continue to recruit (pester) you to be a candidate for the SROA Turn to Nominate, page 3 SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XLVII • NUMBER 1 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
SROA NEWS – Depending on your interest, you may or may not be aware of the continued work by the Design Committee regarding the allowance for the protection of trees from damage caused by wildlife browsing. As part of the overhaul of the SROA Design Manual (adopted by the SROA Board of Directors in June 2023), rules regarding this topic were included to prohibit the use of wire cages or other fence-type materials around plants. The manual did allow the use of alternative deterrents such as motion-activated sprinklers and repellent sprays. Some owners feel the rule is too restrictive – prompting the board to send the rule back to the Design Committee for further research and justification. Following weeks of fact-finding, numerous meetings and talking with experts in their field, the Design Committee presented its latest revision to the board during the Dec. 16 board meeting. The board decided to postpone the approval of the rule and allow owners the chance to read and understand the new protection rule. “It’s not arbitrary – there’s a lot of hard work that went into this,” said Gerhard Beenen, SROA Board President. “We want to make sure owners know what’s being proposed.”
PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BEND, OR PERMIT NO. 213