A Sunriver owner lost 70 punds, thanks the fitness center at SHARC and some perserverance. Page 5
INSIDE THIS ISSUE SROA News ................... 4 Calendar ..................... 13 SHARC News ............... 22
Public Safety ............... 27 Classified .................... 38 Letters ........................ 39
SHARC will screen a movie celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Page 19
S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
NOVEMBER • 2018
VOLUME XLIV • NUMBER 11
NW Natural to purchase Sunriver Resort utility companies NW Natural Water Company, LLC (NW Natural Water), a subsidiary of Northwest Natural Holding Company, has signed an agreement with Sunriver Resort LP to acquire Sunriver Water, LLC and Sunriver Environmental, LLC. Sunriver is one of the largest resort communities in the Pacific Northwest. The water and wastewater utilities serve a combined 9,400 connections and employ 21 people across both companies. “This is an important acquisition and an exciting step in building our water business,” said David H. Anderson, NW Natural Holdings president and CEO. “We were attracted by these companies’ legacy of high-quality service, talented workforce and expertise in wastewater operations. We look forward to providing safe, reliable and affordable service to the Sunriver community, just like we do every day for our natural gas and water utility customers.” “We’re pleased to partner with NW Natural Water in this transaction. They have an excellent reputation and commitment to the communities they serve, and will bring value in providing a vital public service to Sunriver,” said Tom O’Shea, managing director of Sunriver Resort LP. “Meanwhile, this sale will allow us to focus long term on our core business of resort operations, club management, real estate and development.” The transaction is subject to certain conditions, including approval by the Oregon Public Utilities Commission for the water distribution acquisition, and is expected to close in the first half of 2019. This marks NW Natural Water’s fifth announced acquisition within the past year, and its first in the wastewater sector. It recently completed its acquisition of Falls Water Company in Idaho, and has additional acquisitions pending in T U, SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XLIV • NUMBER 11 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
The new Discovery Center will combine the best features of the Sunriver Nature Center and Oregon Observatory.
Nature Center major fundraising campaign announced Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory (SNCO) just announced a $5 million comprehensive fundraising campaign to expand and update the current facilities. “Sunriver has undergone a renaissance, with increased visitor numbers and programs. As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, it’s time for SNCO to create a campus that will serve our community as the hub of environmental learning in Central Oregon for the next 50 years,” said Dave Buhaly, SNCO Board President. The campus expansion calls for a 7,700-square foot Discovery Center that will house permanent and special exhibits and provide for six animal enclosures, offering both interior and exterior viewing. The Earth & Sky theater will house full planetarium projection system capabilities as well as allow for traditional presentation of nature films, guest lectures, and seating for up to 94 visitors. In addition to the Discovery Center,
an 1,800-square foot pavilion will be constructed on the bank of Lake Aspen to serve as an outdoor education space in support of the nearly 5,000 K-12 students that visit the eight-acre campus annually. “We have outgrown our existing facilities for both the nature center and observatory,” said Marv Henberg, Comprehensive Campaign Committee chair. “The current nature center building cannot accommodate the nearly five times the number of visitors it was originally planned for. There is no space for rotating or traveling exhibits that speak to the contemporary concerns or themes,” he said. “Often, collections cannot be displayed because of lack of space. Attendance at the Oregon Observatory now overflows the parking lot and, in peak season, guests are waiting sometimes over 30 minutes to access a T C,
Sunriver Resort’s management company sold to Hyatt Hotels Lowe and partner Geolo Capital have reached an agreement to sell international lifestyle hotel company Two Roads Hospitality to Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Two Roads Hospitality is a global operator of independent, boutique and lifestyle hotels, resorts and vacation residences. The company was created in 2016 when Destination Hotels, a wholly owned Lowe subsidiary, merged with Commune Hotels and Resorts, a Geolo-owned company, establishing Two Roads as the largest global collection of lifestyle hospitality brands. Sunriver Resort has been operated un-
der the umbrella of Destination Hotels since 1993. The acquisition consists of a base purchase price of $480 million, with the potential for Hyatt to invest up to an additional $120 million in the aggregate, contingent on the outcome of certain terms to be individually defined after closing. The addition of Alila, Destination, Joie de Vivre, Thompson and Tommie brands to the Hyatt portfolio will strengthen Hyatt’s lifestyle and wellbeing offerings for high-end travelers worldwide.
“When Lowe formed Destination Hotels in 1973 there were two properties in its management portfolio,” said Robert J. Lowe, Lowe chairman. “This transaction, 45 years later, demonstrates the strength of the brand built by many outstanding team members who led the company through those decades of growth and success.” Two Roads currently manages more than 85 properties and more than 17,000 rooms across eight countries, representing approximately $2 billion in total property T R, PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BEND, OR PERMIT NO. 213