JANUARY 2020
THE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF NEWBERRY COUNTRY
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Volume 19 Issue 1
New owners move into first 3 townhomes in Habitat’s Putney Place Neighborhood
“It’s a pretty amazing opportunity,” emphasized Charlotte Dudley, shown with her son. “As a single mom, I couldn’t have done it on my own – paying rent and saving to buy a home. Now I’ll be able to put money into something permanent for my son and me. And if something goes wrong, I know how to fix it. This has definitely changed my whole life.”
“It’s surreal. I still can’t believe it,” said Bridget Sittel, shown with Doug Vakoc, the Habitat affiliate’s board vice president. “In this area, even working as hard as I can, I couldn’t even afford to rent most places. Now I’ll have a place to relax, to invite family and friends over – it’s a home.”
“It has been an awesome experience,” summed up Kristina Kastner, shown with her mother Susan. “What a journey.”
By Andrea Hine, Editor
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Cedar Homes page 20
“I call them ‘the little women,” said Teri Myers of La Pine’s Chamber of Commerce. “They work together like sisters.” The three people to whom Myers referred – Charlotte Dudley, Kristina Kastner and Bridget Sittel – like their counterparts in the classic novel by Louisa May Alcott – didn’t let gender constraints get in the way of attaining their goals. At a dedication ceremony held at the Senior Activity Center in midDecember, they officially became the first three townhome owners in Putney Place Neighborhood
– to the acclamation of dozens of friends, wellwishers and civic dignitaries. The most recent affordable housing project undertaken by Habitat for Humanity of La Pine Sunriver, Putney Place Neighborhood is being built on county-donated land without which, according to Wade Watson, the Habitat affiliate’s board president, “would have cost $10,000 – $15,000 more per lot and priced out many wouldbe applicants. We are very grateful,” he said. (All three county commissioners, Tony DeBone, Phil Henderson and Patty Adair, were in attendance, as was Daniel Richer, mayor of La Pine.
“This is a day of great celebration, and a reward for all of us at Habitat who got to know the new homeowners during the past year,” continued Watson. Added Doug Vakoc, board vice president, “I can’t think of a better Christmas present than handing over the keys to these three deserving, hard-working ladies.” In his remarks, Watson praised the City of La Pine, “which has been a terrific advocate, and very supportive in moving the Putney Place Neighborhood project forward.”