Play and Stay in Sherman County

Wasco State Airport serves Wasco and Sherman County and is owned by Oregon Department of Aviation. The paved runway extends for 3,450 feet. The facility is at an elevation of 1,459 to 1,503 feet, about one mile from Wasco. Find details on the State of Oregon’s Wasco Airport page (FAA).

Meanwhile, there also are a number of private airstrips, used by ranchers and agri-tourism destinations, in Sherman County, Oregon.  Those strips are invitation only.

“The Citizen Reporter” is Sherman County’s bi-monthly newsletter, produced by the County Court Administrative Assistant. The newsletter contains events and news submitted by entities within the County. Each edition is published online, with printed copies sent to residents countywide. Extra copies often can be found at the Sherman County Senior/Community Center in Moro, Oregon.

Read about school options on the County’s Public Education page. Sherman County also has an active home-schooling population, with a variety of resources included on that page.

Sherman County recently won the National Association of Counties’ Innovation Award and the Oregon Connections Technology Award for its Wireless Internet Network Development (WIND), a fiber optic project intended to dramatically increase available Internet speed within the county! (A fiber optic line now runs from Grass Valley to Wasco, with a Wasco-to-Rufus line expected summer 2018.)

WIND works with Frontier TeleNet to lease out Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) to high-demand residents, businesses, and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties. Call (541) 306-1202 for rates and availability; visit FrontierTeleNet.com, when available, for details on DIA and Fixed Wireless coverage.

Other Internet or phone providers include:

• CenturyLink — Phone and DSL Internet service to locations within three miles of each of its central offices (Moro, Wasco, Rufus/Biggs, and Grass Valley/Kent). Call (855) 919-2245 or sign up online. (CenturyLink rates)
• Gorge Net — Phone and broadband/ethernet service in 15 Columbia Gorge communities, including Rufus and Biggs in Sherman County. Call (888) 508-2363. (Gorge Net home prices,  business prices)
• Rural Technology Group (RTG) — “Fixed Wireless” service to residents and businesses via the Frontier TeleNet fiber optic backbone. Services include farm and ranch wifi systems and solar off-grid connections and relays. Call (877) 656-3532 or submit a contact form. (RTG rates)

GorgeBroadBand.org also maintains a list of other ISPs reportedly serving Sherman County, Oregon.

Read the full list on the Recycling & Trash Collection page.

Sherman County offers four separate ways to receive housing incentives:

• Rental Housing Development Grant – This grants offers a $10,000-per-unit incentive to people who build new rental units for others in Sherman County to rent. Fill out the Rental Housing Development Application and return to Mid Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD), 802 Chenowith Loop rd, The Dalles, OR 97058; or contact Michelle Colby:  (541) 296-2266 ext 1006, email: michelle@mcedd.org
• Housing Rehabilitation Grant – This grant offers 20% of projects costs up to $20,000 for the rehabilitation on existing non-owner occupied homes in Sherman County.  Fill out the Housing Rehabilitation Application and return to Mid Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD), 802 Chenowith Loop rd, The Dalles, OR 97058 or contact Michelle Colby:  (541) 296-2266 ext 1006, email: michelle@mcedd.org
• New Housing Construction Grant –  This grant offers up to $10,000 per newly constructed dwelling unit in Sherman County to support increased housing production in the County. Fill out the New Housing Construction Application and return to Mid Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD), 802 Chenowith Loop Rd., The Dalles, OR 97058 or contact Michelle Colby: (541) 296-2266 ext 1006, email: michelle@mcedd.org
• Housing Property Preparation Grant – This grant offers up to 50% of project cost up to $20,000 for demolition or abatement of dilapidated buildings or lots to prepare for sale or new construction.  Fill out the Housing Property Preparation Application and  return to Mid Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD), 802 Chenowith Loop Rd., The Dalles, OR 97058 or contact Michelle Colby: (541) 296-2266 ext 1006, email: michelle@mcedd.org

Postal address change forms are online. If you’re not yet in town, but your mail is, sign up for https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action to receive scanned images of the mail being delivered to your new address.

Simply visit Sherman County’s online Business page to view and print our listings of businesses in Biggs, Grass Valley, Kent, Moro, Rufus, and Wasco. (Note: Businesses can be added to this list upon submission to the County Court Administrative Assistant.)

Yes, you would still qualify for Sherman County’s residency incentive as a renter. You must have lived in the county for one year and be 18 years or older. For further details, see our “Residency Checklist” page.

Our “Available Real Estate” page has a handy map link for exploring both rental or for-sale properties. Landlords also may post availability in the local newspapers or at local meeting places.

Our “Available Real Estate” page has a handy map link for exploring and posting for-sale residential, agricultural, or commercial properties.

Once you’ve settled your business in Sherman County, notify the County Court Assistant with the business name you’ve registered with Oregon’s Secretary of State Office, your type of business, and your contact information. Nearly immediately we can add those details to our online Business Directory.

See Sherman County’s online Business Directory, organized by municipality.

If you have recently relocated to Sherman County, or would like to change your political party or official name, you can change your voter registration address at http://sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/updatevoterregistration.aspx.

Visit Sherman County’s “About the County” section of its website for details.

Find the checklist for residency standards on the Sherman County Residency Checklist page.

Every household that moves to Sherman County and stays for a year is eligible for the county’s annual Resident Incentive Program; this program offers cash payments of around $600 per year. Anyone opening a non-retail business in the county’s Enterprise Zone is also eligible for a property tax credit of up to five years’ taxes. And contractors looking to build Rental Housing can receive financing and a $5,000 cash incentive to help with building costs.

Sign up for the Ever Bridge alert system at https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736724035#/login to receive alerts whenever a public emergency happens. Messages can be sent to individuals using a variety of contact mechanisms, including cell phones, landlines, emails, and text messaging in minutes. Citizens listed in the 9-1-1 database (phone books) are automatically subscribed by landline. However, we strongly encourage everyone to “opt in” and self-register to ensure you receive the notifications you want.

Contact Sherman County School at (541) 565-3500.

Challenge yourself to world-class windsurfing on the Columbia, bass fishing on the John Day River, whitewater rafting on the Deschutes, and upland game hunting in our wide-open spaces! Listen to the sound of rushing waters, the rustling of ripe winter wheat, the squeal of 4-H project pigs at the Sherman County Fair, and cheering fans at school events! Round up some history at the Courthouse and the Museum! Check out our schools, shops, and services! We’re definitely open for business! Let’s talk! Explore your recreation options now.

There are at least three child care centers in Sherman County. In Moro there’s Sherman County Preschool, (541) 565-3320, and Little Wheats,  (541) 565-3152. In Wasco, there’s ABC Huskies Child Care (run by the Sherman County Child Care Foundation), (541) 442-5024.

The Sherman Public/School Library is adjacent to the Sherman Junior/Senior High School, 65912 High School Loop in Moro. This library provides information resources and services to the public and to students and faculty of the Sherman County School District. The library houses a collection of nearly 12,000 books as well as audio books, CDs, DVDs, video, magazines, and newspapers. Search titles online at http://sherman.sage.eou.edu/eg/opac/browse?locg=216 (searches include inter-library-loan options); call (541) 565-3279 if research help is needed.

There is also a volunteer-staffed public library at the Wasco School Event Center, 903 Barnett Street in Wasco.

After a year of residency, those who move to (or remain in) Sherman County are eligible for payments through the Sherman County Resident Incentive Program, established in 2009. The current payment is $590 per household per year and must be applied for each year.