A stunning Wild West town in Oregon has been accused of trying to ban the construction of a cowboy statue in a bid to stop conservatives visiting.
Sisters, a small town with a population of around 4,000, is currently in a debate over a proposal to place a bronze statue in the center of a roundabout. The statue would feature Red Rock, a well-known local bull, with renowned rodeo star Lane Frost riding it.
Mayor Jennifer Letz told local NBC affiliate, KTVZ, ‘We just feel that if there’s something that’s too attractive, it’s going to, maybe attract the type of activity that we don’t want’.
She appeared to be referencing road safety concerns about putting a giant sculpture where it could block drivers’ lines of sight.
Letz – a non-partisan lawmaker – spoke after her colleague, councilman Gary Ross, said he did not want fans of the statue to get ‘clobbered’ and hurt by speeding drivers.
But independent journalist Kevin Dahlgren claims the council is opposed to the statue because of its ‘western theme’ and suspects anti-conservative bias it as play.
‘The mayor said, and I quote: “It’ll attract the wrong type of activity that we don’t want.” Translation: It’ll attract the wrong type of people,’ Dahlgren argued.
The small town of Sisters, Oregon (pictured) has been embroiled in controversy as locals fight for a statue in the middle of a roundabout
Mayor Jennifer Letz told local news: ‘We just feel that if there’s something that’s too attractive, it’s going to, maybe attract the type of activity that we don’t want’
Council members opposed the proposal to put the statue in the middle of a roundabout, citing safety concerns
‘Why do I say this? Because this is a western-themed statue, and western implies tradition. Tradition implies traditional values, which really falls more in the conservative camp. And she happens to be very liberal,’ he continued.
Letz has not taken public stances on contentious social issues in interviews, instead sticking to bread-and-butter topics such as growing the local economy.
Dahlgren’s post went viral, with many agreeing that the bull is a perfect fit for the community of Sisters.
‘Sisters is famous for its traditional/sustainable animal traction/ agriculture swap meet. This is exactly what I think of when I think of making the trip up past the Dalles to go to Sisters,’ one person shared.
However, others pointed out that Dahlgren’s claim neglected the safety concerns the statue presented and wasn’t a partisan issue.
‘Huge assumption. The city council didn’t vote down the statue only the location. Safety is a concern in an IG selfie world, careless photo seekers could be injured crossing to the roundabout to [take photos] by the statue.” Other locations have been discussed for the statue,’ one comment read.
‘My town put a roundabout with a mound and a statue. It created blind curves. Drivers need a clear line of sight. No mound, no statue,’ another pointed out.
Despite the concerns, community members in Sisters showed up to voice their support in proudly honoring a part of the town’s history.
The statue depicts rodeo legend Lane Frost (pictured) who rode the legendary bull, Red Rock, in Sisters in 1988
Independent journalist Kevin Dahlgren posted a viral video arguing that the mayor’s comments had an underlying partisan message about conservatives
‘The safety issue that you’re talking about is nonsense to me,’ Gary Tewalt, a resident of Sisters, argued at the meeting, KTVZ reported.
‘And fact is, the traffic going so slow. If everybody bumped into each other, you wouldn’t have any issue,’ he added.
‘The history is so important in this town has zero history that we support, and Red Rock could be the first piece of it,’ Curt Kallberg agreed.
Councilman Michael Preedin agreed that the piece of art was ‘beautiful’ and was an honorable tribute to Red Rock and the town’s history.
The town has a rich history and a strong affiliation with rodeo culture. Red Rock, an infamous bull, was raised in Sisters and presented a terrifying challenge to any cowboy who dared to ride him in the 1980s.
Community members voiced support for the statue at a town meeting, but the council opposed the proposal due to concerns people would try to cross traffic to snap a pic of the statue
The sculpture depicts Lane Frost’s legendary bull ride in Sisters, a town with a rich rodeo history (Pictured: A similar statue of Frost in Cheyenne, Wyoming)
The sculpture’s co-designer, Dyrk Godby, told KTVZ that after Red Rock was retired in 1987, he came back for a final battle against Frost for a showdown in his hometown.
Red Rock has gone without a home at the moment, as city council members agreed with Letz that putting the statue in the middle of a roundabout created a safety issue.
Councilman Gary Ross argued that people may cross the roundabout to get a picture in front of the statue, which could be dangerous if oncoming traffic goes over the speed limit.
Mayor Letz wasn’t immediately available for comment due to wildfires ravaging Central Oregon.
