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The Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation will still receive
the $5,000 contribution promised earlier this year by the City of Sisters.
The city council had raised the possibility of reducing or eliminating the
SOAR contribution in the face of a city budget shortfall.
According to city councilor Jean Cooper, the city "may have been more generous
than we could afford to be."
But the council decided Thursday, November 21, to follow through with the
contribution after SOAR supporters turned out to make an impassioned case for
the value of the program.
"I guess I look at the SOAR program as something that's important to the
residents of the city first, to the community and our country," Colin Adams
testified.
He noted that the program served 1,185 individual children last summer. "That
indicates to me that there is a pretty significant need we're filling," Adams
said.
Adams noted the benefit to the community of providing constructive
activities that kids really use in after-school hours and vacation times
when they might otherwise be idle and possibly prone to trouble.
"I think of it as preventive maintenance," Adams said. "You can ask (public
works director) Gary Frazee what would happen to his budget if he had
to forego his preventive maintenance. It's cheaper to buy that oil than to buy
a new truck."
SOAR director Tom Coffield said SOAR's "latchkey program" is most in need of
funds. That program offers elementary school children activities from 2 to 5:30
p.m. during the school week, including study sessions, arts and crafts and
structured play.
Coffield said SOAR wants to expand the program to serve middle school children
as well. SOAR is also developing a program called "Project Adventure," a
team-building activity in which kids role-play and do activities that build
trust and cooperation in ways that directors hope will help them cope with the
social pressures of their age.
After that testimony, the city council agreed that the program should receive
the $5,000 paid quarterly as promised.
"We ought to stand up to a commitment we made," said councilor Gary Miller.
"We're not in a pretty financial picture, but, darn it, that's not SOAR's
fault."
Cooper concurred. "This shows that people are participating, that you do have
support," Cooper said. "That's my comfort zone. I wanted to know that I was
making the right decision."
Mayor Dave Moyer asked whether SOAR had received any financial support from
local homeowner's associations.
Coffield said that, while most of the private donations to SOAR come from
donors who live outside the city limits, the program has not received funding
from the homeowner's associations.
Indian Ford resident Howard Paine encouraged Coffield to approach the
homeowner's associations in the area.
Paine believes they would be receptive to helping the program.
