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Sisters, Oregon
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Annex vote crucial to SOAR
By Jim Cornelius

Recreation programs in Sisters have as much riding on the outcome of the March 12 annexation vote as the school district does.

SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) plans to build a gym, a martial arts/dance studio, teen center and ball fields on 15 acres out of the 100 acres the school district seeks to annex into the city for new high school site.

A "no" vote on annexation would force SOAR to find another site, at least for the building. That would cost SOAR additional money to buy land.

Though it wouldn't completely scotch SOAR's facility plans, "it would sure be a huge setback," said SOAR director Tom Coffield.

The gym/studio/office facility is estimated to cost just under $1 million. The ball fields are an additional expense, although community donations of funds and labor will contribute substantially to that portion of the project.

The whole project will be funded solely through grants and donations.

"We won't go to any tax bond," said Coffield. "We just won't build if we can't raise the dollars."

So far, the fund-raising is going well.

SOAR has already landed a $100,000 construction grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and director Tom Coffield hopes to secure another substantial grant from the Ford Family Foundation.

"There are some who prefer to give to bricks and mortar and some who prefer to give to programs -- and the same is true of grant programs," Coffield said.

It may take a while to assemble the funds for construction. The program will build in phases if necessary.

According to Coffield, the first priority is to create a permanent home for Sisters' popular and growing martial arts and kickboxing programs. Currently, the programs serve more than 200 people out of rented space in Sisters Industrial Park.

"We're paying rent on warehouse space to run a Taekwondo program in an industrial area where it doesn't really belong," Coffield said.

If voters turn down annexation, SOAR will have to reevaluate its master plan. The ball fields could probably still be built on the unannexed land, but the indoor facilities would likely not be allowed.

Coffield said SOAR would prefer to have all of its facilities together. The SOAR director would also prefer not to have to put money into a land purchase -- assuming the organization could find a suitable alternative location.

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