Sisters given the gift of water

The city of Sisters got quite the surprise at a recent city council meeting — a donation worth $250,000.

Sisters was preparing to hand the money over to the Pine Meadow Ranch to gain its water rights, but instead, they were told they’d be paying nothing at all.

The ranch was previously owned by the late Dorro Sokol, a well-known member of the Sisters community.

Her daughter, Cris Converse, has been working with the city for several years to transfer the water rights to the city, with a charge.

But at the last city council meeting, Converse announced the rights would be given to the city, for free.

“I said, ‘You know, I’d really — you know that agreement we’re in for $250,000? Well, I need to change the price. I want to change it from $250(,000) to zero,” Converse said Wednesday.

Converse said her mother loved Sisters and she wanted to give back to the community.

“I’ve never had a place where I had so many connections to people,” she said. “I think we all want to contribute and feel a responsibility towards the community. The community is important, the town is important.”

The city still will need to drill a well to access the water, but the donation will expedite that process.