A Sunriver tradition for more than 20 years, the Sunriver Sunfest wine festival takes place at Fort Rock Park Aug. 31 & Sept. 1
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Phantom Diner.............. 7 Nature Center................ 8 Calendar...................... 11 Women’s Club.............. 25
SROA News.................. 26 Public Safety................ 34 Commentary................ 44 Classified..................... 47
Team Elliott Racing, partially sponsored by SHARC, takes its first win of the season in Coos Bay despite a flat tire at the finish line
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S U N R I V E R
S C E N E A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSOCIATION
SEPTEMBER • 2013
volume xxxix • Number 9
Workshops held for member input on river access
By Brooke Snavely In August, Sunriver Owners Association (SROA) held four workshops and began conducting a survey in an effort to understand what members want in the way of river access. There is one year remaining on a contract with Sunriver Resort that allows SROA members and guests and residents of the 97707 ZIP code to use the resort’s existing boat ramp at the marina. Indications are that the resort will close and remove the existing ramp after the summer of 2014, leaving owners with no formal river access point. SROA intends to construct river access facilities next year so they are available in 2015, and is seeking owner input into the design and support of a final project. Last year, owners approved a land exchange with the resort that gave SROA a 13-acre parcel with lagoon and river frontage due east of HOLA! restaurant. Possible uses of the parcel were sketched out by McKay Sposito landscape architects as part of the Infrastructure and
Property tax appraisers to make rounds in Sunriver
Jay Battleson of WHPacific explains the preliminary plan to owners during an August workshop at SHARC. Comments will be accepted through September.
Amenities Master Plan (IAMP). Proposed uses include a boat ramp, picnic area, parking, restrooms, off leash dog park, and road and trail access were presented as a conversation starter at the August workshops held in Vancouver, Wash., Tigard, and Sunriver. Overall, owners were interested in the concepts but expressed numerous concerns about costs and creating an attractive nuisance that draws more than SROA members and guests to the river.
At all the workshops, SROA Assistant General Manager Hugh Palcic said the goal of the board has been to develop new amenities without seeking additional funds from SROA members. At the Aug. 10 workshop in Vancouver, owners suggested a tollgate, booth or card swipe to control access to the site. “I like the way the gate at the (Mary McCallum) owners park works,” an owner Turn to Access, page 5
Sunriver resident tackles local section of the Pacific Crest Trail By Judy Jenkins Never one to walk away from a challenge, I was nonetheless a bit daunted by my sister’s inquiry earlier this year about hiking a stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail. A false sense of my own capabilities gave me the courage to respond affirmatively before common sense prevailed. I assumed I might learn a little about backpacking, but my lessons were more frequent and humbling than I’d expected, and extended far beyond the bounds of that sport. The trail from Willamette Pass to McKenzie Pass proved to be a training ground for exercises in flexibility, cooperation, endurance and perseverance for our close group of family and friends. We chose the final week of July for our trip due to the schedules of our members. Joining me on this trip were my sister Susan, from Edmonds, Wash., my brother Dan from Santa Barbara, Calif., my nephew Ken from Orono, Maine and dear friend and follow Sunriver homeowner Patty Enger, also from Santa Barbara. While Ken is 26, the rest of us range in age from 53 to 64. Our Sunriver home served as basecamp, a rest and recuperaTurn to Trail, page 15 SUNRIVER SCENE SUNRIVER OWNERS ASSN. VOLUME XXXIX • NUMBER 9 P.O. BOX 3278 SUNRIVER, OR 97707
Ken Akiha, Judy Jenkins, Dan Livingston, Patty Enger and Susan Phillips are ready to hit the trail
By Scene staff Beginning this month, teams of appraisers from the Deschutes County Assessor’s office will go door to door through Sunriver asking permission to inspect residential properties for the 2014-2015 tax year. The appraisers will introduce themselves with Deschutes County photo identification badges and business cards. They will be driving marked Deschutes County vehicles and working in teams of two. Homeowners or occupants who have questions or concerns about the validity of the appraisers can call the Deschutes County Assessor’s office (541-3886508) for verification. “Every owner has the right to refuse entry to the inspectors, but we encourage them, if they have questions, to contact our office and to ask questions of the appraisers,” said Theresa Maul, chief appraiser of the Deschutes County Assessor’s office. “It could take maybe 15 minutes if they walk through the home and around outside and take a few measurements. The ideal situation is if somebody lets them in and allows them to do a quick walk through.” Maul said the county’s goal is to visually inspect approximately 3,500 homes in Sunriver over the next 12 months. The findings of the visual inspections will be combined with sales trend data to create updated market values for the homes – information that will be used to calculate property taxes for the 20142015 tax statements. Maul said they understand many Sunriver homes are not occupied in the fall and numerous doors will go unanswered. In those cases, Maul said the inspectors may walk around the exterior of homes to take measurements and update the county records on the number of bedrooms in each home. She said they can tell quite a bit from the street. “We won’t go further than knock on Turn to Tax, page 3 PRSRT STD. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BEND, OR PERMIT NO. 213