The Nugget Vol. XLIII No. 24
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Sisters enters Phase 2 of reopening plan Deschutes County has been approved to enter Phase 2 of the State’s reopening plan for Oregon on Saturday, June 6. County officials announced the approval on Friday afternoon. By entering Phase 2, Deschutes County will be able to continue with the reopening process, following updated health and safety guidance: • Gathering limits will be raised to 50 people indoors, and 100 people outdoors. • Indoor and outdoor venues, including churches, faith-based organizations, and theaters, with six feet of physical distancing and other
Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Schools looking toward future
Cleaning up the backyard...
By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent
PHOTO BY PROVIDED
Gavin Schultz and his dad, Brian, cleaned up dispersed camping sites at Round Lake as part of a Black Butte School Parent Teacher Organization program. The program made a fun engagement project out of cleaning up after campers who hit the area when campgrounds were closed. See story, page 3.
See REOPENING on page 29
Editor in Chief
Sisters could see 250 to 300 new homes in the next couple of years as plans get underway for the development of 31 acres of land along Pine Street and Highway 20. Kevin Eckert of Build LLC is designing the project for Paul Hodge and Paul and Carla Schneider of Sisters, who purchased the property that was formerly part of the U.S. Forest Service administrative site because, as Eckert says, “they just saw an opportunity for positive growth.” Hodge, who is CEO of Laird Superfood, has long been an advocate for workforce housing that will allow people who work for a paycheck in Sisters to live in Sisters. Eckert said that the Sisters Woodlands development, bounded by Pine Street, West
Inside...
Sisters schools are wrapping up a very challenging school year and the school board is digging into what the budget will look like for next year, given the economic disruption of COVID-19. Steve Swisher, the chair of the school district budget committee spoke during the public comment portion of last week’s Zoom school board meeting to highlight some of the “what-ifs” regarding funding from the state next year. The committee approved a budget, but Swisher made clear that adjustments by the school board may become necessary due to the See SCHOOLS on page 29
Planned development will add housing By Jim Cornelius
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
Barclay Drive and Highway 20 (see map) will feature “cottage development” of approximately 1,500-square feet each utilizing shared open space; townhomes and home-over-garage units; and apartment or condominiumstyle units along Highway 20 with a significant setback from the road. “We’ve almost ruled out doing true single-family (housing),” Eckert told The Nugget. It’s just not affordable. It’s the most expensive housing you can build.” Eckert said that the cottage development plan will allow the preservation of somewhere around 200 trees. Eckert said that an application is in process at City Hall and the planning commission should meet on the project in August and the developers hope to be through the planning process by October or November. See DEVELOPMENT on page 28
Residents demonstrate for justice By Ceili Cornelius Correspondent
More than 50 people gathered on the corner of Locust and Highway 20 last Saturday in a demonstration advocating for racial justice. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota, hundreds of protests and demonstrations have been happening across the world. In Sisters, a group of locals decided it was time to show their support in their town. Katie (who requested that her last name not be published due to professional security concerns) helped organize the event on Saturday. She put out on her social media that she wanted to create a gathering of demonstrators. “I think it is important, especially here in a predominately white town, to show our support and make everyone feel welcome here, especially kids and young people, and for them to know that they matter,” she said. Katie reached out to
PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS
Some 50 people gathered for a rally at the corner of Locust Street and Highway 20 on Saturday. friends and family who then reached out to others and word spread, creating a gathering of over 50 demonstrators holding signs and waving at passing cars. Passing drivers would often honk and wave back in support. “I hope that people driving by really start to think critically about why they wouldn’t be able to agree with the statement ʻBlack Lives Matter.’ I hope that we
can be examples for others as well,” Katie said. Sisters High School art teacher Bethany Gunnarson brought sign-making materials to the event Saturday. “I think it is awesome that the city of Sisters is getting their voices out there,” said Gunnarson. “Words are usually not really my thing, I more create things See DEMONSTRATION on page 30
Letters/Weather ................2 Sisters Country Naturalist..5 Property Guy.................... 12 Crossword .......................25 Sudoku ............................28 Meetings ...........................3 Announcements............... 10 At Your Service.............14-19 Classifieds..................26-27 Real Estate ................ 30-32
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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COVID-19 and friendship By Rosemary Vasquez Guest Columnist
PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS
Justin Veloso engaged in a solitary demonstration Wednesday. He was joined later by several Sisters youth and by the weekend, many in Sisters had taken up his efforts.
Letters to the Editor…
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is 10 a.m. Monday.
To the Editor: We went with masks to the Redmond Vigil, May 31. There might have been 100 of us, including children. The sun was setting. It began with statements by the organizer and then locals were encouraged to speak and some (whites mostly and a few of color) stepped up and took the sterilized megaphone. The evening was lovely, peaceful and yet emotionally charged by moving stories that were deeply heart wrenching. They had families that included members who are black and saw the misery of what their black children suffered that their white children did not. They were old enough to watch the live broadcast of the Rodney King beating in L.A. and were sick and tired of the killings by police happening to other black men and women over and over again. Our black speakers shared their outright fear in these times and thanked whites for being with them this evening. Seniors to teens voiced their shock and anguish. One woman noted it was time for whites (as she was) to figure it out and be willing to be uncomfortable. Two whites came from the event in Prineville to share they were frightened for their lives. MAGA hats came out (some were
armed) to protest the vigil and they outnumbered those honoring the death of George Floyd. We were taken aback; it CAN happen here. A preacher shared a prayer. After which, we were silent for eight minutes in solemn sadness for the loss of yet one more innocent being whose only crime was the color of his skin. Eight minutes is a long time to know you are being killed. Lastly, we chanted “BLACK LIVES MATTER” eight times and went home to try to figure out how to help people in our towns, states and nation to finally stop hating those who differ. It is so hard to fathom the reason for the hate because humans’ similarities are far greater in number than any one physical difference. On the up side, at least this vigil occurred. There is hope. Susan Cobb
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To the Editor: Returning to Sisters on Sunday from our desert lockdown, we discovered a protest on the corner of Locust and Cascade in front of See LETTERS on page 23
Sisters Weather Forecast
Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon
Wednesday
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Mostly Sunny
AM Showers
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Partly Cloudy
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“I made extra spaghetti sauce, so here is a jar for you,” says my friend Melinda. “With COVID-19 I am spending more time at home and cooking as if I am Julia Child!” “I brought you Kung Pao chicken,” says another friend, Paula, when she arrives at my house for our noon day walk. “If you put it in the micro, it will kill any COVID germs.” She hands it to me with gloved hands. This sharing of food did not happen before COVID. According to an NIH study of 2009, “…acts of kindness flood the brain with dopamine, a chemical that creates a natural high.” A benefit spurred by COVID. We are trying to take care of each other. Now when I go to the grocery store, I ask my friends if they need anything to minimize the time they must spend inside a grocery store full of shoppers. With highlighted blonde hair, hazel eyes that change color like a chameleon, Maria is attractive, and energetic. Before COVID, we met monthly in a writing group and, on occasion, socialized. With the arrival of COVID, the distance between us has shortened. She lives in Sage Meadow, and I in High Meadow, making it easy to see each other often, and we do. We have walked on the meadow between our homes, one in front of the other six feet apart. The one in the front yelling over her shoulder to the other. It is hard to hear with the six-foot distancing. At the top of the meadow there are two benches providing a panoramic vista with a captivating view of the Cascades. We each brought a little backpack with wine and snacks, a picnic at sunset. Wine seems to have the capacity to strengthen bonds of friendship, kind of a superglue. We decided since we live
alone and are in our 70s, it would be good to check in with each other each day. We text, “I’m OK. Are you OK?” We have time on our hands, so we talk about many things when we check in with each other by phone. We are more than writing buddies now. We open ourselves to each other in a different way than we did before COVID. It is a deeper friendship. Pamela and I were connected through our political affiliation and volunteer work. Yet, we are as different as the keys on a piano. She has fair skin, a winning smile, short blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a willingness to help others — as in making masks for St. Charles and hiding the holes the moths made in my sweaters. I am the oncebrown-haired, olive-skinned friend who does not sew. She is a very bright lady with computer skills that never fail to impress me. Her concern for the environment is foremost. PreCovid, she would say, “Let’s take my car. I get great mileage.” Now if we venture to a trail out of town, we take separate cars. Before Covid, we sporadically walked together. Now, we meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at noon for an hour walk. She organizes a couple of other friends to meet for coffee to support local businesses and to socialize. You can see us in town on a patch of grass across from Fika, in our lawn chairs, telling stories about our lives in the 1960s and ’70s. Hours of walking and sharing champagne on our decks opens the door to family histories, relationship struggles, and career accomplishments. COVID has given us time to nurture our relationships and to deepen the bonds of friendship. I am now closer friends with these extraordinary women. Like the support beams in a house, they have become my SP’s (support persons), and I am grateful.
Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Camp Sherman residents clean up the forest
PHOTO PROVIDED
Joel van der Loon will be featured on the History Channel show “Alone,” premiering Thursday.
Survival show features local resident By T. Lee Brown Correspondent
Joel van der Loon of Sisters Country has faced survival challenges before: in Africa, in the Americas, and at sea. He recently documented his struggles and triumphs in the Canadian Arctic for show “Alone.” It premieres Thursday, June 11 on the History Channel. The premise: Ten participants are challenged to spend up to 100 days in the Arctic, all by themselves, selecting just 10 items of survival gear to bring along. Winners receive a cool one million dollars. “Over six seasons,” the History Channel noted, “no one has ever lasted this long.”
Originally from South Africa, van der Loon spent significant time with the indigenous Masai people in his younger years, which inspired his passion in primitive skills (see related story, page 31). “The Hadzabe bushmen, in Northern Tanzania, they were a huge influence later on in my life,” he said. “They are some of the last true hunter-gatherers on the planet.” “They’ve been a huge influence because I’m an avid hunter, and these guys are sensational,” said van der Loon, who speaks Swahili. “They build their own bows and arrows—they hunt everything, up to large game, with things that they
make, from nature.” He also learned jungle survival skills from the Rama people in Nicaragua. A Discovery Channel show called Bushcraft Buildoff first featured van der Loon, in episode three. Later he was selected for the seventh season of “Alone.” “You get dropped off in the Arctic on your own with your ten items, your clothing, and a whole bunch of camera equipment,” said van der Loon. “You have to document your whole experience while you try to subsist off the land.” Shows like “Survivor” pit competitors against each other in a social setting, See VAN DER LOON on page 30
As reported in The Nugget last week, there is concern about the increase in dispersed camping throughout the National Forest. Camp Sherman residents have seen firsthand the negative effects in the Metolius Basin: trash, human waste, and fire hazards. Community members have taken action. The Metolius Basin Clean Up Contest, a communitywide project spearheaded by Jennie Sharp and sponsored by the Black Butte School Parent Teacher Organization, took place May 26-31. Individuals and families set off with a mission to clean up
their beloved forests, competing in the following four categories: 1. Most pounds of trash collected. 2. Greatest number of hours logged. 3. Greatest number of campsites cleaned up. 4. Greatest number of illegal campfire rings decommissioned. Those who scored highest in a category won a $25 gift card to a local business, including Paulina Springs Books, Spoons, Hike-nPeaks, and The Paper Place. Others who participated See CLEAN UP on page 25
Dance academy keeps in step during COVID-19 By Jodi Schneider Correspondent
The dance goes on. Sisters Dance Academy has been adapting while being closed since March 21 because of COVID-19 precautions. How do you teach a live performance art when you can’t gather to practice live performance? Lonnie Liddell, owner of Sisters Dance Academy, and the other teachers quickly got to work creating class and choreography
videos for their students to follow from home. “We knew we needed to be able to somehow keep offering classes — not only to keep the dance academy alive as a business, but to give our students a way to stay connected and a sense of normalcy in a very difficult and uncertain time of life,” said Liddell. The dance studio has taken classes that traditionally would be conducted in person See VIRTUAL DANCE on page 24
As the COVID-19 crisis affects gatherings, please contact individual organizations for their current meeting status or alternate arrangements. See Announcements on page 10 for more information.
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’ Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061. Al-Anon Mon., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. / Thurs., 10 a.m., Friends of the Sisters Library Board Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 11 a.m., 541-549-1527. Sisters Library.www.sistersfol.com. Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs. & Go Fish Fishing Group 3rd Monday, Sun., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the 7 p.m. Sisters Community Church. All Transfiguration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal ages welcome. 541-771-2211. Church of the Transfiguration / Mon., Heartwarmers (fleece blanketmakers) 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Sisters City Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Hall. Materials provided. 541-408-8505. Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m., Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / 4 p.m. 541-549-1028 or 541-719-1230. Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs., Citizens4Community, Let’s Talk noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri., 3rd Monday, 5:30 to 8 p.m. RSVP at citizens4community.com noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541-548-0440. Military Parents of Sisters Meetings are held quarterly; please call for details. Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver 541-388-9013. Support Group 1st Tuesday, noon, SPRD bldg. 800-272-3900. Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., Black Butte Ranch Bridge Club Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m., BBR community Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-549-6469. room. Partner required. 541-595-6236. SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings & Enrichment) Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild to 4 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation For Saturday meeting dates and District. 541-549-2091. location, email: steelefly@msn.com. Sisters Aglow Lighthouse Central OR Spinners and Weavers 4th Saturday, 10 a.m., Ponderosa Lodge Guild One Saturday per month, Jan. Meeting Room. 503-930-6158. thru Oct. For schedule: 541-639-3217. Sisters Area Photography Club Council on Aging of Central Oregon Senior Lunch Tuesdays, noon, Sisters 2nd Wednesday, 4 p.m., Sisters Library Community Church. 541-480-1843. community room. 541-549-6157.
BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS
Sisters Area Woodworkers 1st Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-639-6216. Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846. Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:30 p.m., The Pines Clubhouse. Novices welcomed. 541-549-9419. Sisters Caregiver Support Group 3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., The Lodge in Sisters. 541-771-3258. Sisters Cribbage Club Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ray’s Food Place community room. 541-923-1632. Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m. Location information: 541-549-1193. Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870.
Sisters Trails Alliance Board 1st Monday, 5 p.m. Sisters Library. Public welcome. 808-281-2681. Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123. Three Sisters Irrigation District Board of Directors 1st Tuesday, 4 p.m., TSID Office. 541-549-8815. Three Sisters Lions Club 2nd Tuesday, noon, Ray’s Food Place community room. 541-419-1279. VFW Post 8138 and American Legion Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-903-1123. Weight Watchers Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. weigh-in, Sisters Community Church. 541-602-2654.
SCHOOLS
Sisters Parent Teacher Community 2nd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at Sisters Saloon. 541-480-5994.
Black Butte School Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 3:30 p.m., Black Butte School. 541-595-6203.
Sisters Parkinson’s Support Group 2nd Tuesday, 2 p.m., The Lodge. 541-668-6599.
Sisters Christian Academy Board of Directors Monthly on a Friday. Call 541-549-4133 for date & time.
Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday. Location information: 541-279-1977. Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 5:30 p.m., Takoda’s. 541-760-5645.
Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wed. monthly, SSD Admin Bldg. See schedule online at www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.
Sisters Speak Life Cancer Support Group 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 1 p.m. Suttle Tea. 503-819-1723.
Sisters Middle School Parent Collaboration Team 1st Tuesday, 2 p.m., SMS. 541-610-9513.
CITY & PARKS Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022. Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of Directors 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m., SPRD bldg. 541-549-2091. Sisters Planning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022.
FIRE & POLICE Black Butte Ranch Police Dept. Board of Directors Meets monthly. 541-595-2191 for time & date. Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thursday, 9 a.m., Black Butte Ranch Fire Station. 541-595-2288. Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Wed., 7 p.m., 67433 Cloverdale Rd. 541-548-4815. cloverdalefire.com. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771. This listing is for regular Sisters Country meetings; email information to lisa@nuggetnews.com
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
In the
PINES By T. Lee Brown
Mama is cry In last week’s episode, I shared the story of one Friday in May several years back. My husband headed off on his bicycle to work; our 19-month-old son and I embarked on our weekly routine of taking the city bus to a certain diner. Along the way, we encountered an aggressive, aggravated guy who willfully chucked a big ol’ plank of wood on the sidewalk as we walked by, nearly hitting us. Instead of confronting Plank Dude, I decided to mentally give him an “Aggro Pass.” Normally, I should probably be ashamed to admit, I was the kind of person who leapt straight to judgment and anger when provoked. OK, maybe I still am, sometimes — mostly harmless, but often annoying, like a chatty gray squirrel with an Irish temper. On that day, for some reason, I felt acutely aware that Plank Dude could be going through grief, trauma, withdrawal, or pain. I invented the pass just for this occasion — an imaginary Get Out of Jail Free card that would get me safely past my anger into something resembling compassion, and let the incident go. My son and I took the bus to the diner, singing all the way. The familiar servers and hosts greeted us, always delighted to interact with the radiant, smiling child. We ate our eggs and bacon and scones, played with plastic dinosaurs. Paid our bill. Our weekly routine continued: I held him up to touch the thrillingly spiky, dangerous-looking posts of the wrought-iron fence. Then he gestured across the street to the apartment building with motorbikes out front. “Motorcycle,” he announced in his baby-toddler voice. I glanced at my flip-phone to check the time. We had a good fifteen minutes to kill before our bus came. I noticed a voicemail was waiting, too, but didn’t recognize the number. Probably a sales call. We played in the thin May leaves, leftover from winter, that mounded around parked cars on a quiet side street. With the child thoroughly occupied, I went ahead and listened to the voicemail.
“Mrs. Berger, this is _____,” a female voice began. Like many a salesrobot, they got my name wrong. My husband was Berger. When we married I kept my maiden name. “I’m calling from Oregon Health Sciences University hospital,” the voice continued. This was not a sales call. From this point on, I listened as though from a great distance. Obviously something bad had happened. Why would my husband be taken across the river to big, fancy OHSU instead of a hospital close to our home or to his office? The bad thing must be really, really bad. These thoughts sailed overhead in bursts while I slowed my breathing and kept an eye on Gusty. Panic must not take over. I thought of recent dreams I’d had, dreams in which my husband lay in a hospital bed in our bedroom, comatose, while I measured the bathroom to figure out whether a wheelchair would fit. The phone call seemed to be following some kind of etheric script, a script my sleeping mind had somehow got hold of and begun to read in the wrong order. My husband, the woman said, had been in a bicycle accident and sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. He was in the brain trauma ward in the intensive care unit. I called the number provided; her voicemail picked up. I left a message and returned to the leaves. Then I took our son in my arms. Did I tell him Dada was in the hospital? Did he notice Mama was in shock? I don’t
remember. I know we walked to the bus stop. I know we ran back and forth beneath the telephone pole archway nearby, just like every Friday. We settled down on the bench next to an older man. After exchanging the brief hellos of bus stops, I told him about the phone call I’d just received. The old man grunted. “It happens,” he said. The bus was late and crowded. I stood in the aisle, hanging onto a pole, holding my son’s hand. Near us sat a woman around my age with her 4-year-old child. A motorized wheelchair with many straps and gadgets held him upright. His eyes seemed kind and curious. She said his name was Angel. She said it with such tenderness, I could see he really was her angel, her light from above. We said goodbye to Angel and his mother. My son remembered to thank the driver as we exited the bus. We walked one block, and then I sat down on the sidewalk. He sat down next to me and twirled a leaf, very concerned. “Is Mama cry?” he asked. Yes, Mama is cry. I methodically called all our car-owning friends who lived nearby, asking for a ride to the hospital. I left four messages. Mama and child walked home handin-hand, avoiding the house where a few hours previous I’d mentally handed out the Aggro Pass. After all, the guy might’ve just lost his mother, might be kicking a drug habit… might’ve just gotten a call from a hospital.
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City of Sisters COVID-19 Situation Report By Cory Misley City Manager
Last Saturday, June 6, Deschutes County was approved by the state to move into Phase 2 of reopening and will be in this phase for a minimum of 21 days. Some key changes include an increase to gathering limits of 50 people indoors 100 people outdoors, up to 250 people in venues with six-feet of physical distance and other measures in place, restaurant and bar curfews extended to midnight, and increased travel will be allowed throughout Oregon although staying local is still recommended. Current state information on re-opening can be found at govstatus.egov.com/ or-covid-19. The City of Sisters is still providing some services in an adjusted way. The Creekside Campground opened in early June and has been operating under a contingency plan allowing only one-third of campsites to be open (as well as other measures). All city playgrounds have been closed and will likely remain so under state restrictions in Phase 2. City operations and customer service never ceased, although City Hall has been
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and remains closed to the public until Phase 3. City Council and committee meetings have resumed in person for June, subject to social distancing and with the public participating via conference call (specific meeting information available on the front page of the City website). For temporary policies the City wants to extend beyond its emergency declaration (currently until June 24) it must convert administrative orders into Council resolutions and has been preparing to do so leading up to that date. One key administrative order (enabled by the emergency declaration) was the right-of-way pilot Parklet Program that has been implemented by a handful of businesses. The feedback has been very positive and it is anticipated that this program will continue for the rest of this summer, subject to refinements. The City continues to stay informed and active with the phased re-opening. Balancing health and the economy has and continues to be the focus. Resources as well as updates from the City of Sisters can be found at ci.sisters.or.us/administra tion/page/coronavirusinformation-and-resources.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Black leadership group active in region By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
Riccardo Waites was moved to act by the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minnesota at the hands of police officer Derek Chauvin. The incident, which was captured on phone footage by bystanders, sparked protests across the nation and now across the globe. Some of those protests were marred by rioting and looting. Waites is seeking constructive action for constructive change through the founding of the Central Oregon Black Leadership Assembly. The Assembly has figured prominently in rallies in Bend and Redmond, and has been included on the citizens advisory committee that will seek a replacement for Bend Police Chief Jim Porter, who is retiring. “I started this Assembly the day I saw the video of George Floyd,” said Waites, who is the father of two daughters and a 20-year resident of Bend. “I literally cried as I watched the video. It made me think, what generation is this going to stop so they (his children) don’t feel the pain I’m feeling.” Waites has significant goals for the organization beyond the activism of the moment. He hopes “to unite every black person in America” and help build black-owned business as a foundation for genuine equality in American society. Waites, a U.S. Navy submariner veteran lived in major metropolitan areas and came to Bend from Las Vegas at the suggestion of his brother. Like so many who have come here, he was seeking a place to be rooted, a safe and welcoming place to raise a family. “I took a trip out here for a week to see what’s going on, and I just fell in love with the place,” he said. “When I got here in 2000, people waved at me and they didn’t even know me.”
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The experience of living in Central Oregon and starting his own business here has been positive — yet he acknowledges that he is living in a place with very few people of color, and that does have an impact. “My daughters are definitely a lot safer in Bend, Oregon,” he said. “It’s hard for them not to see people who look like them.” Waites told The Nugget that he has been “pulled over for driving” when people in Bend neighborhoods called police. He wanted to convey a message to Central Oregon. “Don’t be afraid of the Assembly… we’re a peaceful organization.” He said that “the Asse3mbly is for black people because we’re the most oppressed right now.” However, he noted, support memberships are available to anyone. Waites said he is currently focused on Bend, Redmond and Prineville, but, he said, I will eventually get out to Sisters.” He foresees a role in Sisters schools. “I’m definitely going to get with all the local school systems and try to get them to understand more black history, beyond slavery and Martin Luther King, Jr., so they understand how important black people were to creating this country and how we contributed,” he said. For more information visit https://mycobla.com.
Tales from a
Sisters Naturalist by Jim Anderson
Pandora moths are back When I rolled into Bend on my Harley in 1951 I didn’t know a Pandora moth from a monarch butterfly. It wasn’t until 1986 that they both entered my life, but the first to arrive was the moth; the monarchs came later when my wife, Sue, started monitoring the butterflies at Lava Beds National Monument south of Klamath Falls. During the summer of that year the state highway department had to begin sanding Highway 97 south of Bend because of motor vehicles smashing big, fat Pandora moth caterpillars trying to cross the highway, causing the pavement to get as slick as snot on a doorknob. Right this minute — based on the phone calls and emails I’ve received — there’s a whole bunch of these moths wandering all over the forests of our area. They’ve reached their maximum size as caterpillars, quietly pigging out on pine tree needles the last year, and are now down from their forest café looking for a place to bury themselves in the earth where
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they will undergo what I call the “Miracle of Nature,” aka metamorphosis. Just think, that fat and juicy slug-like animal will bury itself in the soil, weave a silken nightshirt (cocoon) and change into another animal. What gets me is the caterpillar doesn’t die. The life that’s in it is transferred to the new animal that will emerge from the cocoon. But unlike it’s predecessor, the caterpillar, the new animal has three body parts: head, thorax and abdomen, plus sex organs to reproduce, wings to fly, a different breathing mechanism, but no chewing mouth. Anyway, if things go as the moth planned, next summer (or the one after, depending on weather) there will be adult Pandora moths all over the place, flying around the night lights and roosting on the walls of our buildings during the day.
Pandora moth caterpillar.
The beneficiaries of this bounty are the predators that eat them, such as squirrels, martens, and a number of birds. However, there’s just enough yellow on the caterpillar to warn birds they may not taste very good, and might even make them sick. Then there’s the parasites. If you don’t like the idea of caterpillars eating your pine tree needles, please don’t go out and buy a bunch of chemicals. There are a host of parasites that just love to lay their eggs in the caterpillars and they take a pretty good toll, and using chemicals will kill the predators and parasites as well. Bats will think they have died and gone to heaven with all those delicious moths flying all over the place, and you’ll have something to entertain you if you have your supper out on the back deck.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
The church is not a building — but we need to gather
By Lisa May Columnist
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted nearly all of our life routines and the weekly rhythms of the church have not been exempted. Leaders at every church location have been forced to make decisions about how to continue worship, teaching, and fellowship in light of concerns over spreading the virus. Here in Sisters we have seen YouTube services, Zoom meetings, Facebook livestreams, church at the rodeo grounds, parking lot services, and backyard church gatherings. Because we are being forced to innovate, I would like to invite others to reflect on defining church, not just in the midst of a pandemic, but in the best sense going forward. A dictionary definition of church would indicate it is: “a building used for public Christian worship.” But if this discussion is about the Christian church, the source of the definition should not be cultural — but instead the source for defining all of the Christian faith, the Bible. The word church appears 111 times in the New Testament. All of those occurrences are translated from the original Greek word ekklesia. The New Testament never uses the word ekklesia to refer to a building. Ekklesia is defined as “a calling out, especially a religious congregation; assembly.” Church, or ekklesia, is a group of people. Sometimes the word is used in Scripture to refer to all believers in Jesus, for all time. For example, Jesus said to Peter, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” In this sense, the church explodes beyond the confines of the walls of any building and stretches across the globe. As I discussed this
topic with other Christians in Sisters, Katie Keranen shared that, when her husband was killed in an accident while they were living as missionaries in Malawi, “friends of friends of friends reached out to do things for us and help us.” The help was not limited to those who worshiped with them in Malawi or in Oregon, but the wider church around the world. Sometimes the word church is used to refer to a specific group gathering in one place at one time: “Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.” In this sense, the church can be a small group of people with a common goal of encouraging one another and growing in their faith. Karen Williams of Sisters said that meeting in a Bible study group for the last 5 or 6 years has “changed the course of my life.” Regardless of where or when they are meeting, the Bible uses church to refer to the people that are meeting and not the place where they meet. This is not a minor discussion of semantics, but a crucial point in Christian doctrine. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel worshiped God at the temple. God’s presence was encountered in the holiest chamber of the temple, but only the high priest could enter there. In contrast, the New Testament teaches that those who place faith in Jesus Christ are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in them. In the same way, Jesus promised, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Believers in Jesus do not need a large gathering in a building to find the presence of God. He is present among them wherever they are.
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Along with the definition of church, we might consider the goals for the church gathering together. Again, we should turn to the Bible for answers. Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Many turn to this verse to point out the importance of meeting together, and this is true. But notice that the end goal of the passage is not meeting together. The gathering is a vehicle to accomplish other goals, namely, stirring up one another to love and good works, as well as encouraging one another to hold fast the confession of our hope. Another goal of gathering mentioned often in Scripture is instruction in the Word of God, the Bible. Everyone interviewed agreed that love, encouragement and instruction can take place in smaller groups outside of the church building. In many cases smaller groups are more effective for these goals. There is value added when small group members are able to interact on the teaching. Rebeccah and Andrew DeKeyser are worship leaders at Vast Church in Sisters. Rebeccah pointed out that Jesus provided a model for small groups in His ministry. She said, “Jesus had His
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Sisters Community Church has been conducting parking lot services for several weeks, with Pastor Steve Stratos addressing people in their cars through a limited-range radio broadcast. group of disciples that he did life with — caring for each other, sharing joys, hopes, and hurts.” So why do we need church buildings at all?
Can’t we accomplish all the goals of gathering together through Zoom meetings and small groups? Look for more in Part 2 of this column next week.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Commentary...
Hanoi, a half century later
By Craig F. Eisenbeis Columnist
On our coronavirustruncated Asian cruise tour, the final stop in Vietnam was at Halong Bay, gateway to Hanoi and home to the giant, picturesque, monolithic rocks frequently seen in travel photos and more recently made famous in the filming of the movie “Kong: Skull Island.” I never imagined myself visiting Hanoi, much less on a tourist bus; but there I was, bound for Hanoi on a sixlane freeway. As we passed through the busy port of Haiphong, I clearly remembered the U.S. mining of Haiphong Harbor in 1972. The Coast Guard Cutter, to which I was assigned at that time, was in the middle of the Pacific; and I recalled wondering if the war’s escalation would place us in any direct peril. My concern was unfounded, but we had no way to know that at the time. As we entered Hanoi from the east, it was hard to conceive that, 50 years ago, the U.S. was raining bombs down on this city of 7 million. We saw the lake over which John McCain was shot down on his way to bomb a nearby power plant. We saw the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” where the future senator and presidential candidate was imprisoned for more than five years. Our guide reverently explained that the Vietnamese hold John McCain’s memory in very high esteem for his courage, his refusal to accept early release unless his fellows were also released, and for his later return and role in ending U.S. sanctions against the country. It was interesting to note that the guides always referred to war and bombings “by the U.S. government” rather than by “the Americans.” Ha Noi, like Viet Nam, is two words in their language and has been the country’s capital since the year 1010. It’s another large Asian city with impressive architecture
and an excellent lager beer called “Bia Ha Noi.” There has been much rebuilding since the war, which now includes an actual Hilton Hotel. We toured the site of Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and memorial grounds, along with Ho’s house and Presidential Palace which are across the street from Parliament. In Vietnamese history, “Uncle Ho” is their equivalent of George Washington. We visited Hanoi on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year celebration and stumbled into a huge festival attended by hordes of people, including a large prayer-for-peace assembly of sky-blue, silken-clad worshippers at the Temple of Literature, which was built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius. The celebrants also prayed for success and health in the new year. Downtown Hanoi was teeming with people, noise, and motorbikes, as our guide led us through narrow back alleys and markets of the city. There is an interesting blend of Asian and French architecture, a legacy of the French colonial period. At the end of our guided tour, we were turned loose to wander the city’s waterfront for about an hour before our departure. Shops in this area were neat but old, crowded, and utilitarian; and they accepted credit cards. Exploring on our own, we discovered a small park with an impressive monument dedicated as a memorial to the men and women
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who lost their lives in the struggle for Vietnamese independence. The sculpted figures depicted were in the robust proletarian style similar to monuments we have seen in Russia and the former East Germany. When the bus finally arrived to pick us up for the return to the ship, it had been a long 12-hour day; but the cooler temperatures of the north made it more pleasant compared to the heat of the south. It was amusing to see that thermometer readings in the 50s caused many of the Vietnamese to bundle up in Eskimo-style parkas. By the time the bus hit the road, many of the passengers were asleep and missed the spectacular night lights of Hanoi. The beautiful new buildings were gloriously lit at night, not nearly rivaling, but reminiscent of Las Vegas. Arriving back at our moorage in Ha Long Bay, we were greeted
PHOTO BY CRAIG EISENBEIS
The Hanoi mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, who is considered to be the Vietnamese equivalent of George Washington. by the brilliantly lit suspension bridge and amusement park adjacent to the pier. This was late January, and most of the intelligent world was already taking steps to control the novel coronavirus that would soon result in our subsequent two-week cruise to nowhere. Although our next port of call, Hong Kong, would never achieve status as a high danger area for the virus, the cruise line canceled an overnight stay there. We stayed an extra night in Vietnam and stopped in Hong Kong
PHOTO BY CRAIG EISENBEIS
Celebrants in Hanoi gather at a thousand-year-old temple, dedicated to Confucius, to pray for peace and prosperity in the new year.
only long enough to pick up and discharge scheduled passengers. All organized tours in Hong Kong were canceled, but we were given the opportunity to take city bus tours and the ferry to Kowloon on our own. One of the most densely populated places on Earth was not exactly a ghost town, but traffic and outdoor activity in Hong Kong was extremely light. Residents were already practicing sanitization and social distancing measures, and everyone — except the tourists — wore masks. Stopping in Hong Kong was a strategic error because, since we had touched port in China, no other nation would take us in. So, for the next two weeks, we wandered the South China Sea. Rejected by all our future ports in The Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, our cruise — originally scheduled to terminate in Shanghai, China – finally ended with a return to Cambodia, which agreed to grant us refuge. Accounts of the Westerdam’s “Ghost Ship” cruise to nowhere can be viewed in past articles at www.nuggetnews.com.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon much red tape, burnout, and patients not feeling heard. This can result in the very place that should be making you feel “well” resulting in disempowerment and even trauma. I do prescribe pharmaceuticals. Yes, medication can sometimes be a worthwhile tool. And yes, I often feel like I am medicating societal shortcomings rather than actual pathology. In the era of COVID and the horrific circumstances of George Floyd’s murder, the realities of inequities and gross discrimination that continue in both subtle and overt ways to pollute our Constitution and cause division, have been ushered to the forefront of our national conversation. While I like to think I am a proponent of social justice and advocacy, in recent days, I have been convinced of the gravity of my own privilege and how it has veiled me in many ways from confronting the hardships and injustice impacting so many. My tendency is to want to compartmentalize the hate, to escape to the luxury of denial, to tear up and express brief bouts of anger without lasting action, to voice opposition to discrimination, but rest easy in my white, upper middle-class comforts. The wounds of our country will never heal with the thin Band-aids representing short-lived motivations from a rally, supportive sentiments
Your Story MATTERS
Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist
Our health depends on justice and equality Working in functional medicine, a form of medicine that examines root causes and dedicated to a holistic vision of wellness, it is not enough to talk about nutrition, exercise, meditation, and gut health. I would be negligent as a practitioner to dismiss the broader forces inequity, discrimination, and socioeconomic status have upon the wellness of individuals and communities. Mainstream medicine continues to be driven by insurance and pharmaceutical companies forging a narrow path by which “healthcare” must take place. This forces healthcare institutions to play the game of profit and economic stability, which results in rushed office visits, unending paperwork, too
without action, and promises not upheld. Change must come with a national reckoning of our failures to uphold the Constitution, apologies married with sustained, systemic action, and the emotionally charged work of confronting our personal narratives that uphold the often quiet and subconscious, but oh-so-powerful schemas that allow for discrimination, inequity, and hate to exist too often without penalty. True, restorative justice has become more and more elusive. My best definition of justice is that it is the intersection between grace and accountability. Under this definition, justice allows grace for the complexities behind certain actions and behaviors, while also making clear how certain actions harm ourselves and others. Locking a man up in a cell without addressing roots of trauma, fractured self-worth, and missed opportunities is “justice” without grace. This breeds resentment and mistrust. In our broken criminal justice system, wealth and power have too often allowed for criminal acts to be baptized free without regard to accountability. This allows for entitlement and reinforces perceived superiority. While we may reminisce about the pre-COVID days when things were “normal,” in my home state of Oregon alone, suicide had
become the greatest killer among youth ages 10-24, over 500,000 residents had food insecurity, we placed No. 44 out of 50 among national public school rankings, had one of the nation’s leading rates of homelessness — over two times the national average, and despite stereotypes of progressivism, Oregon’s history has deep roots of racism that continue to haunt the present day. Native Americans and African Americans have the highest rates of poverty by race (25.4 percent and 20.8 percent respectively) followed by Hispanics, Whites, and Asians. The emotional stigma and burden of poverty is significant on its own. Poverty often comes with limitations to accessing quality healthcare and implement healthy behaviors. Accessing healthy food, finding reliable transportation, funding medical care, finding a safe place to exercise, taking time away from work for appointments, social and geographical isolation, and facing stereotypes and bias within the healthcare system are all potential barriers. With the time demands on mainstream medicine, healthcare providers rarely have the time to address or even acknowledge such complexities and they are pushed further downstream from the driving factors of illness. It has created a flood of chronic illness and a scourge of mistrust and hopelessness.
We keep throwing down sandbags when we really need to turn off the hose. We must look towards a model of care that reinforces healthy communities, thereby acknowledging individual wellness is intimately intertwined with the wellness of a community. To untangle the roots, we must take time to come together, listen, share stories, allow for vulnerability, hold each other accountable, and support one another. Especially in mental health where privacy is understandably a mandate, we must also recognize how keeping our struggles in isolation from one another may be reinforcing stigma, stress, and fear. In some ways, a culture of too much privacy can limit the healing that can take place when we allow for connection. For our individual and collective wellness, we must continue to mobilize, to innovate, to advocate. The mass protests and desperation of COVID is not simply what is now, but a buildup of what has been for far too long. Ultimately, as isolated as we may find ourselves these days, we continue to be interconnected. Your struggle has a ripple effect beyond yourself. Your neighbor’s struggle has a ripple effect that may impact you. True wellness will never be solved in your 15-minute doctor visit, but by the security of human-human connection.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Sisters salutes...
Humility in nature
By Scout Ehr Columnist
The City of Fairview spent $2.4 million turning 13 acres of land into a Water Quality Facility. The plan was to create a simple and elegant system to filter and clean stormwater for 965 acres of industrial neighborhood, and what they pulled off was a wonderfully complex system of narrow, winding canals that looped back and forth and drained slowly through tiny barriers into one another, cleverly mimicking natural filtration systems found in wetlands. The city was thrilled. This facility was a masterpiece of human engineering. At last, man had mitigated his effect on nature by mimicking nature. Then the beavers moved into the facility. A family of beavers arrived all at once in the dead of night and began constructing dams. The water stopped flowing through the barriers altogether, and it stopped meandering back and forth through the narrow canals. It began pooling and changing the landscape. Facility maintenance workers got busy removing the dams hoping the beavers would move along. The beavers did anything but move along and began rebuilding with what seemed like twice the resolve. To justify more drastic measures, the city needed to prove that the beavers were harming the water quality (E. Coli sprang to everyone’s mind), but what they found was far less damning. The beavers were treating the water. Studies showed the dams were filtering twice as much mercury, copper, lead, zinc and pesticides than the human constructed filtration system. Further study revealed that the water temperature was cooler and
suitable once again for long absent salmonids. The beaver (Castor canadensis) is the largest rodent in North America and is easily recognized by its aquatic lifestyle, disproportionately large, orange incisors, and broad, flat waffleiron tail. He can voluntarily seal his nostrils and ears shut and slide a transparent membrane over his eyes rendering himself a plush, airtight submarine. The beauty of the beaver is its precise dam construction: beavers take such care in their repairs and maintenance that water passage through the dam is slowed to a mere trickle. And that water is filtered through rich, peaty soils, the leaflets of aspen bark, the gummedup foliage of native shrubs and the fibrous heartwoods of local pine ultimately rendering it pure and clean. And, to keep the pressure of water from crumbling the dam, beavers see to it that somehow the water filters through many different levels in accordance with the flow of the original stream. Mild flows can be stemmed with straight dams and heavy flows with curved dams. Humility is always forcibly earned, but never more so in nature. All the efforts of civil engineers and understanding of ecologists is severed with the gnawing of a few beaver teeth. I might have argued that it would have been more effective to cash 2.4 million in single bills and have the beavers use it to pack mud between the willow branches. When I was 15 and working at a camp in Corbett, we used to while away our bright summer evenings with a game we called “canoe wrestling.” Two competitors would sit inside an aluminum canoe and push off from the dock into the network
Sisters Habitat for Humanity says thank-you Washington Federal (WaFd) Bank for the $2,000 grant that will help them finish the Neal family’s home within the next couple of months. It’s partners like WaFd Bank who make it possible for Sisters Habitat to build homes, community, and hope. Many thanks! PHOTO BY SCOUT EHR
A beaver dam in Fairview, Oregon. of shallow ponds that were there only by the productivity of beavers. The goal was simply to stand and throw the other girl out of the canoe while you remain inside. I was magnificently sturdy due to my disproportionately stout legs and I had yet to be matched. Then one evening my successor came. She was a skinny and quiet girl. We pushed off from the dock and drifted into the deeper waters. The other girls watched from the shore and began to cheer and chant, some for and some against me. We stood, took a moment to adjust our footing, wide in a deep squat. I thought I would sink her easily. But no sooner had our hands clasped than I could feel my face hit the water and my shin scrape along the aluminum edge of the canoe. It was over. I hung there for a moment, suspended in cold green water, humiliated. I opened my eyes. The stagnant water stung and clouded my vision. I saw a shadow float past me. Its smooth back shone murky gray streaks of light from the surface before it disappeared between sunken logs. I came up to the surface. “Guys! I saw a beaver!” Skepticism was the reply. I was accused of inventing means to distract from my failure.
Hope for a child. Change for a nation.
So, I often think how large aquatic rodents don’t discern between humbling civil engineers and humbling self-conscious teenage girls. Had the beaver surfaced when I wanted him to or moved along when he was unwanted, there would be no great cause to sit quietly in awe of nature, to respect her ecology, and to stem the tide of human endeavors.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Marie Clasen of Sisters Habitat for Humanity (SHH); Christina Schultz, WaFd manager; Sharlene Weed, executive director of SHH. Rochelle Johnson and Jackie Bradley of WaFd.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
A N N O U N C E M E N T S Sisters High School Graduation
Due to Covid-19 restrictions the class of 2020 will have a unique commencement ceremony Friday, June 12 at the Sisters Rodeo grounds. The one-of-a-kind ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. Graduates and their guests will remain in their cars. Unlike normal years, the live event will be limited to seniors and their guests — just two cars per graduate, but audio will be broadcast on FM radio 104.9 and the event will be posted online following the ceremony.
Let’s Talk! Explores Mental Wellness in Stressful Times
Weekly Food Pantry
Westside Sisters Church has a weekly food pantry on Thursdays. For the next several weeks, food will be distributed drive-through style from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the New Hope building, 222 N. Trinity Way. People in need of food may drive through the parking lot and pick up a bag of food for their household. Other Sistersarea churches are joining with Westside Sisters to contribute financially to help sustain the program. Call 541-549-4184 for more information.
Habitat Stores Are Open!
Sisters Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store and ReStore are now open. The hours for both stores are: Monday thru Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon is reserved for vulnerable groups and noon to 3 p.m. is open to the general public. Shoppers are required to sanitize their hands and wear a face mask before entering. A maximum of 10 shoppers are allowed in the store at any one time. Donations for the Thrift Store are only being accepted off-site at the old Thrift Store at 141 W Main Ave. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m. Parking spaces are reserved on Main Ave. in front of the building for those donating items. ReStore donations are not being accepted at this time. For more information please contact the Habitat Office at 541-549-1193 or email info@ sistershabitat.org.
Citizens4Community invites area residents to Let’s Talk, Sisters! — a discussion series where attendees learn about and exchange views on local topics of interest. On Monday, June 15, Let’s Talk! (held via Zoom videoconference) will focus on the mental and emotional impacts of living through difficult times. The talk will run from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Several guests with mental health expertise will be on hand to answer questions and discuss ways to adjust and stay well and AA Meetings help others. To RSVP and receive As a result of COVID-19 mandates the Zoom link for the meeting, Sisters Community Church on meeting size and locations, Do you need help with running email: citizens4community@ Alcoholics Anonymous meetings gmail.com. Read more at errands or deliveries or more? in Sisters are currently continuing Citizens4Community.com/events. Sisters Community Church in creative ways. Some meeting has volunteers available and is times have moved to an online AARP Driver’s Safety cultivating a caring community. Zoom platform. Others are not AARP’s Smart Driver, a classroom Call Wendy at 541-389-6859. Visit meeting at this time. To talk refresher for motorists 50 and the church website at to an alcoholic, find out about older, is currently available online www.sisterschurch.com. Zoom meetings in Sisters, or any at 25% off the normal price. Tollgate Chair Chats Circle of Friends other questions about Alcoholics Register at aarpdriversafety. Tollgate residents are invited to Circle of Friends, a mentoring Anonymous you can call one of org and use the promo code “Chair Chats” this week to learn program in Sisters, is continuing the numbers below or go online “DRIVINGSKILLS.”. more about the new Tollgate to find innovative ways to reach at coigaa.org. Call Anne Z: 503Village project. Bring your chair Kiwanis Food Bank out and assist their mentors, 516-7650 or Jan: 541-647-8859 or to a nearby cul-de-sac today Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is children and families. Current Agnes: 541-588-6778. (Wednesday, June 10) at the returning to a weekly operating needs include childcare to allow following times: 11 a.m. on Easy Sisters Library Schedule schedule. The next open date is parents to continue to work, Street; 2 p.m. on Conestoga; and Online Events June 11 and the food bank will be internet/computer access for and 4:30 p.m. on Silver Spur. On The Deschutes Public Libraries open every Thursday. from 9 a.m. online learning, supplies for atSaturday, June 13, the “Chair Chat” are reopening in three steps, to 2 p.m. Questions? Email info@ home learning and activity kits, will be 11 a.m. on the Tollgate or “chapters,” with each sisterskiwanis.org. and even basic needs, such as Commons. For more information, chapter being implemented in food and medical access. Circle email tollgate@agefriendlysisters. Furry Friends Pet Food consultation with government of Friends has also established com or call Jane, (458) 206-0169. The Furry Friends (FF) office is and public health officials. an emergency fund to provide closed but is still offering free Book drops are now open at immediate response for the most Community Assistance dog or cat food to those in need. pressing needs. Contact Kellie at all libraries, so you can return During COVID-19 Pandemic Pet food can be left outside the your library materials at a time VAST church is eager to help, 503-396-2572 to help. Sisters Art Works building where that’s convenient for you. Due picking up prescriptions, delivering the FF office is located. It will Sponsor an Impoverished dates are extended until June groceries or food, helping however be marked with your first name Child from Uganda 15 on all materials that were they can. People in need can call only. Pick-ups are available at an Hope Africa International, circulating before the March 541-719-0587 and press 1 to be agreed upon time. (It can’t be based in Sisters, has many closure. Customers who had connected to Mikee Stutzman, left outside for very long as other children awaiting sponsorship! materials on hold before the Ministry Coordinator or email her critters may get into it.) Please For more information go to March closure may pick their at admin@vastchurch.com. VAST call or text Furry Friends at hopeafricakids.org or call Katie materials now at the Sisters Church is willing to help as long as 541-797-4023. at 541-719-8727. Library, Tuesday thru Saturday, resources and volunteers allow. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Sundays and Mondays). Items can only be picked up at the location where the hold was originally placed. All staff will be wearing masks … is for FREE pets seeking homes and LOST & FOUND animals. and following social distancing The information is published free by The Nugget Newspaper. protocols; we encourage the public to wear masks as well. You CAT FOUND NEAR GIST RD. can place new holds on library This beautiful cat has been hanging around a house on materials starting June 10. You Gist Road for a week now. She is estimated to be about can still access and place holds on 2-3 years old, with calico coloring, very sweet, purrs a eBooks and digital audiobooks lot and talks a lot too! Do you recognize this kitty? If so, through OverDrive and Libby. call 541-788-4818 There is no waiting/holds when accessing eBooks and digital Lost pets? Call Humane Society of Central Oregon, 541-382-3537; BrightSide audiobooks on Hoopla. Meeting Animal Center, 541-923-0882; Des. Co. Animal Control, 541-388-6596; Sisters Vet rooms and tutoring spaces will Clinic, 541-549-6961; Black Butte Vet Clinic, 541-549-1837; Broken Top Vet Clinic, remain closed and unavailable for 541-389-0391. And go to: Facebook.com/FurryFriendFinderBend?fref=ts reservations until further notice. Call or text questions to 541-617Please call the church before attending to verify schedules as buildings begin to reopen. 0776 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Notice of Election for Sisters City Council
Notice is hereby given that a general election will be held on November 3, 2020, for three positions on the Sisters City Council. The first day to file for a City Council position is Wednesday, June 3, 2020. To be eligible one must be registered to vote in Oregon and must have been a resident of the City of Sisters for 12 months preceding the election. Election materials can be found on the City website at: www. ci.sisters.or.us or picked up from the City Recorder at City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue. The terms of City Councilors Andrea Blum, Chuck Ryan, and Richard Esterman will expire on December 31, 2020. All three are eligible to apply for re-election. Candidates are encouraged to obtain election materials by August 10, 2020 and must submit perfected petitions by August 25, 2020 at 5 p.m. to qualify for the ballot. For questions about the application process, please contact City Recorder Kerry Prosser at 541-323-5213, by e-mail at kprosser@ci.sisters.or.us, or stop by City Hall at 520 E. Cascade Avenue.
Organ Donor Awareness
A new nonprofit is in the planning stages to educate the community on the importance of organ donation. Fundraisers and events will be discussed. If interested in taking part, please call Fifi Bailey at 541-419-2204.
PET OF THE WEEK Humane Society of Central Oregon 541-382-3537
PET PLACE...
A library of Story Time Online videos in both English and Spanish is available for kids at www.deschuteslibrary.org/kids/ storytime-online. A schedule of other online programs is also available at the library website: www.deschuteslibrary.org
Save the Rubberbands
Business owners: Are you the recipient of a bundle (or more) of Nuggets each week? Those huge, fat rubberbands are nice and stretched out, and highly valued by the Nuggeteers that bundle your papers each week. If you can save them, we’d love to use them again. Questions? Call Lisa at 541549-9941.
SISTERS-AREA CHURCHES
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA) 386 N. Fir Street • 541-549-5831 10 a.m. Sunday Worship shepherdofthehillslutheranchurch.com Sisters Community Church (Nondenominational) 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201 10 a.m. Sunday Worship (with signing) sisterschurch.com | info@sisterschurch.com St. Edward the Martyr Roman Catholic Church 123 Trinity Way • 541-549-9391 5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass 9 a.m. Sunday Mass 8 a.m. Monday-Friday Mass Calvary Church (NW Baptist Convention) 484 W. Washington St., Ste. C & D • 541-588-6288 10 a.m. Sunday Worship | ccsisters.org The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration 68825 Brooks Camp Road • 541-549-7087 8:30 a.m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship (Sunday school, childcare) 10:15 a.m. Episcopal Sunday Worship (Sunday school, childcare)
Chapel in the Pines Camp Sherman • 541-549-9971 10 a.m. Sunday Worship Sisters Church of the Nazarene 67130 Harrington Loop Road • 541-389-8960 | sistersnaz.org 10:45 a.m. Sunday Worship | 2sistersnaz@gmail.com Westside Sisters 442 Trinity Way • 541-549-4184 | westsidesisters.org 10 a.m. Sunday Worship 6 p.m. Worship the 3rd Tuesday of each month Vast Church (Nondenominational) 541-719-0587 • 9:37 a.m. Sunday Worship Temporarily meeting virtually. See vastchurch.com for details. Seventh-Day Adventist Church 386 N. Fir Street • 541-595-6770, 541-306-8303 11 a.m. Saturday Worship The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 452 Trinity Way • Branch President, 541-420-5670; 10 a.m. Sunday Sacrament Meeting Baha’i Faith Meetings Devotional Gatherings, Study Classes and Discussion Groups. Call for location and times • 541-549-6586
Meet MELLISA, a sweet senior kitty who is eager to find her retirement home! Mellisa is looking for a wonderful family that will continue to spoil her silly! This gorgeous tabby loves to spend her time basking in sunny windows and cuddling with her favorite humans! If you are looking for a friendly kitty with a great personality then Mellisa is the cat for you! Call the Humane Society of Central Oregon and schedule an appointment to meet her today! Sponsored by
Sisters Veterinary Clinic 541-549-6961
POLICY: Business items do not run on this page. Nonprofits, schools, churches, birth, engagement, wedding and anniversary notices may run at no charge. All submissions are subject to editing and run only as space allows. Email lisa@nuggetnews.com or drop off at 442 E. Main Ave. Your text must include a “for more information” phone number. Deadline is 5 p.m. on Fridays.
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Summer camp looks different for 2020 due to COVID-19 By Jodi Schneider Correspondent
Many camps are canceled across the region, some are moving to a virtual-only format, and others are opening with limited capacity and guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19 spread. Outdoor arts and crafts, washing hands and social distancing — Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) summer camps must adjust for coronavirus. Executive Director Jennifer Holland told The Nugget, “We are looking forward to offering both our very own day camps as well as specialty camps that we contract out with other agencies to bring fun and exciting opportunities to Sisters youth.” SPRD’s day camps, Camp Juniper and Camp Ponderosa, had to be redesigned to State summer program guidance in relation to COVID-19. Changes for this summer included reduction in hours, dividing campers into stable groups of no more than 10, increasing disinfection of equipment, eliminating shared supplies, etc. “We are reworking our drop off and pick up of campers,” Holland said. “This will now take place outside of the Coffield Center. Each camper will be screened daily including a temperature check prior to entering the building. Additionally, campers will need to wash their hands thoroughly before coming into the building. For now, the Coffield Center will be designated for day-camp kids and SPRD staff only. Parents will not be allowed to enter the building and the center will remained closed to other walk-in patrons.” Camps are slated to begin the week of June 22, assuming no major changes in circumstances. COVID-19 has pushed
SPRD staff to think outside the box and find creative solutions to the ever-changing requirements. Holland said, “We felt, if given the go-ahead from the State to run summer camps this year, it was our duty to provide this service for our families. We are so excited to have kids in the building again. Even though camp will be different than in the past, I know we will have a fun and exciting program for kids this summer.” Staff is reworking the planned curriculum to meet new requirements. In addition to trying to spend more time outside, the day camps will also be working with Sisters Elementary School to see what fun learning activities they can embed into the program this year to support summer learning. “We want to support our schools as much as possible and make sure kiddos are prepared for this new year,” Holland said. There is scientific data to support that camp experiences right now are important to help create a sense of normalcy for kids during COVID-19. Carissa Gascon, day-camp site coordinator said, “We are extremely excited to be able to help families during these uncertain times. We know that everyone has been faced with different challenges.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Last year’s SPRD summer camps are a distant, pre-COVID-19 memory. The structure of camps has to be adapted for this summer. Some families are needing care to allow for parents to get some work time, others are looking for safe opportunities for their children to socialize. SPRD has always focused on the community’s needs when making our programming decisions.” The day camps will be focusing their activities on nature. Each week will be a different theme such as plants, insects, birds, and animals. They will also be learning about other aspects of nature such as life cycle, water cycle, importance of diversity in our forest, animal, and plant adaptations. All camps, day or specialty, will divide kids into stable groups of 10.
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Holland said, “We are asking our parents to make sure their kiddos understand new expectations that will be in place including social distancing, increased hand washing, not sharing of supplies, etc. prior to the first day of camp. Staff will teach and reteach this to campers as it can always still be a struggle to remember six feet distance.” She added, “Per state guidelines, campers will not be required to wear masks, but it will be highly encouraged. As for day camps, we will be setting up the rooms with a designated area for individual campers. This will be where they eat lunch, do their crafts, etc. Each camper
will be assigned a basket that they will use for the week to store their personal items in. Each camper will also have a supply bag that they keep in their basket. In this bag will be all the items they need for the week. This will aid us in making sure there is not sharing of supplies. We will use additional signage throughout the building and on the floor, so campers remember what six feet looks like. When outside, we will use items like cones, hula-hoops or pool noodles to ensure proper spacing. “Safety will remain the number one priority for summer camps and all programs as we move into this new territory.”
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Want to talk to or pray with someone or need a delivery or other help? Call Wendy at 541-389-6859.
Need an encouraging word every day? www.sisterschurch.com
Looking for a spiritual activity for kids of all ages?
www.sisterschurch.com/what-we-do/ministries
SISTERS COMMUNITY CHURCH Committed to serving Sisters in word and deed
12
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Top Five Real Estate Trends 2020 — COVID / Riots Edition
Dear Property Guy By Mike Zoormajian
We once again interrupt our regularly scheduled Dear Property Guy fun to take some time to assess what’s going on in the real estate world. Last time we looked at how the economic shutdown is affecting members of our community as both renters and property owners. Since then we’ve added riots to the mix as well. So let’s take some time to address the questions blowing up my inbox: “What’s going on?” and “When will this madness be over?” To those questions, I have no answers, but let’s talk about some definite real estate trends that may point to answers. 1. Supply and Demand: Residential values are holding. Commercial values not so much. People haven’t been trying to sell houses during lockdown (reduced supply). The thought of allowing icky strangers to tour one’s home in recent weeks has been too much. Listings are way down across the local area, across the state, and across the country. As the country reopens, we are seeing more listings. Coincidentally, people
haven’t been lining up to buy either (reduced demand). So values are holding steady as we presently have market equilibrium. More than we can say for our stock investments. That said, nobody knows what spring will bring and my crystal ball is pretty cloudy… 2. Geographic Shifts: Call it the “suburbanization of America.” Nationally, we’re seeing a significant shift away from big cities, and towards suburbs and smaller cities. On the West Coast, this means a shift from places like: San Francisco, L.A., and Seattle (not coincidentally COVID and riot hot spots), to places like: Bend, Boise, and Kirkland. This whole COVID deal is only serving to accelerate a shift already in motion. Riots in major cities are going to accelerate this trend. Retail establishments that were burned or looted will have a tough business case for rebuilding. Expect excess commercial space. 3. Work From Home: This genie is out of the bottle and it is not going back in. People like working from home, and recent studies
are showing improved productivity. Companies like Twitter have made work from home a permanent feature. And working in one’s jammies has a certain appeal all its own. This feeds into the geographic shift referenced above, and allows people to live where they want, instead of where they work. And where do people want to live? That’s right, Central Oregon. There is already quite the subculture of people living in Bend and work in Silicon Valley. 4. Retiree Geographic Shifts: COVID is hastening the exit of many seniors from both cities and hightax states. In addition to health and crime concerns, many retirees are experience economic fear as their stock investments have fallen. So what do they do? They sell their $3 million, 1,500-square-foot casita in the Bay Area. They buy a nicer place up here for 25 percent of the cost and live off the rest of the money. This is another See PROPERTY GUY on page 20
Top health official: No virus surge since state reopening PORTLAND (AP) — Oregon hasn’t seen a coronavirus resurgence in the weeks since most counties began to slowly reopen businesses, the state’s top health official said Wednesday, June 3. Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen spoke of declining hospitalizations and infection rates as evidence that the spread of COVID-19 remains mild, even as new reported cases increased slightly in recent d a y s , T h e O re g o n i a n / OregonLive reported. He credited Oregonians for taking steps to reduce their risk of infection, such as wearing face coverings in public and continuing to practice social distancing. “I think it’s safe to say our situation is stable,” Allen said in a news conference with Gov. Kate Brown. “As stores, salons, and restaurants have reopened across the state, COVID-19 has not reemerged with renewed ferocity.” The official assessment comes as other states throughout the U.S. — such
as Texas, North Carolina, and Wisconsin — have seen steady increases in coronavirus infections and deaths after lifting stay-home orders imposed at the beginning of the outbreak. Brown allowed most counties to gradually resume public and economic activity on May 15. Throughout the pandemic, Oregon has had one of the lowest infection and death rates in the country among known cases. While nearly 4,400 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since late February, recent projections estimate more than 20,000 — almost five times the number of identified cases — have been infected.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Sisters ‘Prevent Diabetes’ class hits halfway mark Agenda By Katy Yoder Correspondent
What does it take to change your life and improve your health? Classmates in Sisters are finding answers as they seek ways to avoid Type 2 diabetes. Most of the adult students either have prediabetes or are teetering on the edge of a diagnosis. It’s Kylie Loving’s job to guide students who either have prediabetes or are concerned about getting the potentially debilitating disease. A collaboration with Prevent Diabetes Central Oregon, the Sisters program began in January with a dozen participants. Together they’re navigating the challenges and rewards of getting active, losing weight and feeling better. Loving is a Health Educator with the Crook County Health Department and has been teaching a yearlong class in Sisters for the past two years. She’s dedicated to providing the tools necessary to make behavioral changes that promote overall health and decrease the possibility of adverse health risks associated with being overweight or an unhealthy lifestyle. Students learned that avoiding diabetes takes more than just shunning sugary food and drinks. Fats, both saturated and unsaturated, can play an important role in becoming diabetic. Some fat is beneficial. To find a healthy balance of fat in their diets, students learned that saturated and trans-fats (often solid at room temperature) and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (often more liquid) have different effects on the body. To gain insights into their eating habits and how it may be affecting their health, students began tracking the total fat and calories they ate daily. They began reading packaging and investigated the fat and calories in animal products and plant-based foods. For many the realization of how much fat and calories were in certain foods was shocking. That knowledge helped them decide to control and balance how much, and what, they were eating. At the beginning of the class, each student had a sixmonth weight-loss goal that was approximately seven percent of their starting weight. With a daily target for exercise and total grams of fat and calories, students could expect to lose one to two pounds per week. Then COVID-19 entered the picture, adding a level of stress and challenges to everything from having weekly meetings to managing foodrelated triggers. The pandemic took a toll on the class with some
students deciding to stop and possibly start again next year. “Zoom meetings were tough for some of the students,” said Loving from her home in Redmond. “Overall, there was more engagement this year and many of the people have made steady progress with the class.” Facilitating online meetings and a weekly curriculum, Loving guides her students as they explore the inevitability of stress and how to manage it. “We talk about alternative strategies when deeply ingrained, unhelpful choices tend to show up. With what we’re going through now it’s super understandable. People are more home-bound and are using food to cope,” said Loving. “We talk about finding strategies for specific situations to stay healthy and maintain beneficial goals during stressful circumstances.” Loving has heard students in the virtual meetings say they appreciate the interaction and materials. “They tell me if they hadn’t joined this program, they’d be so much worse off. At least they’re able to maintain and not completely spiral. They are more aware now and realize when they’re turning to food. There’s a greater awareness and they were healthier before entering this stressful time.” At the halfway point, Loving finds that some people decide they’re not committed and choose to step away. A second group is finally feeling ready to fully commit to some of the
changes they’ve learned but weren’t completely following yet. “Six months is a good landmark,” she said. “Some may drop off while others commit to the whole year. Then there’s the third group who just plugs along, has done a lot of the work and are ready to solidify it. The first six months are about checking in and helping people not slide into old habits. It’s not realistic to think you won’t have moments of backsliding.” To keep people moving in the right direction, principles are reinforced to solidify those changes. It’s all designed to change each person’s status quo as they shift habits and continue to get healthier. Age, family history, and being overweight are all factors for those concerned about Type 2 diabetes. By losing five to seven percent of their weight students can reduce the possibility of getting diabetes. There are other benefits, too. “I hear about people who go to see the doctor and are happy to find they lowered their blood sugars. Studies have shown that losing that weight is effective and reduces the risk of getting diabetes by half. The goal is to get there by six months,” said Loving. “The second six months is either maintenance or setting another goal of 5 to 7 percent. It’s about making changes that are sustainable and not just something you stop after a few months.”
Other benefits to following the program can make exercising easier. “Every person who takes the class and is successful in following the program, always reports health benefits whether it’s less joint pain, better sleep, lower blood pressure medication or feeling more in control. The positive results are usually attached to weight loss. There’s a real sense of accomplishment when they’re able to lose weight and make their goals. It’s a fun class and the year-long program provides interactions and relationships with classmates that often continue when it’s over.” Takeaways for success are consistent. A big key is tracking what you eat. “The people who track are more successful. They can see in black-and-white what their habits are and where they could make changes. Just the act of writing down what you eat is a key component in managing weight and weight loss. People are often unaware of how much they’re eating and how often. That awareness piece is vital,” said Loving. For more information contact Sarah Worthington with Deschutes County Health Department at 541-322-7446.
Sisters City Council Wednesday, June 10, 2020 520 E. Cascade Ave. The meeting will be accessible to the public via teleconference. Use the following phone number to listen to the meeting: 1-844-802-5555 Access Code: 399434 5:30 p.m. workshop: 1. Republic Services request for rate increase. 2. COVID-19 City operations update. 3. Update on East Portal acquisition and concept. 6:30 p.m. regular meeting: Written comments will be accepted for the public comment section of the hearing via drop-off to the utility payment box at City Hall or emailed to nmardell@ ci.sisters.or.us by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. A. Continuation of a public hearing: Modification to the MP 15-01/SUB 15-01 (Master Plan and Tentative Plat for the ClearPine Subdivision). The modification would alter the conditions of approval related to the timeline for delivery and type of affordable housing units. B. Personal services agreement with Becon, LLC. for Well #4 Phase B design.
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At Your Service Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Sisters’ small business community is coming out of lockdown more ready than ever to serve the customers and the community where they strive to thrive. The travails and turmoil of recent months has reinforced the value and importance of a strong, resilient local economy. Spending your dollars locally ensures that the community itself stays healthy and robust. Each dollar you spend circulates again and again through the Sisters economy. Local business-owners care about their hometown — they support the schools, employ local folks and help keep the community vibrant. Sisters is full of quality, professional people operating all sorts of businesses that help enhance the quality of our life in Sisters Country. Spring is the season to improve and enhance our homes and landscape, and Sisters businesses offer the products and expertise to get those jobs done right. Other businesses help us take care of ourselves — another endeavor that has taken on a new urgency in these times. Sisters businesses are invested in their hometown — and when the quality of their products and their work is this good and their service is this neighborly, there’s no reason to look anywhere else!
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon At Your Service
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Massage and spa treatments are more than an indulgence — they are a critical part of a holistic approach to health and wellness. Now, make no mistake — you will feel indulged on your retreat from the world at Shibui Spa, and that is a very good thing. You deserve it. But you’re getting more than a relaxing break. Replenish your body with massage; bring forth a glowing complexion with a customized facial, or rejuvenate your senses with an Ayurvedic Shirodhara treatment. Experience the healing power of massage through a variety of available techniques and treatments that offer relaxation, detoxification and profound rejuvenation. All of the treatments at Shibui will not only make you feel good, they’ll help you be fitter and healthier inside and out — ready to fully enjoy all the pleasures that Sisters Country has to offer.
Mahonia Gardens
Through eight growing seasons, Mahonia Gardens in Sisters has produced quality vegetables and greens for the local Central Oregon market. Now, local buyers can access their produce at a farm stand located downtown near the corner of Adams Avenue and Spruce Street. Carys Wilkins and Benji Nagel opened the stand in May. “We’re going to have our own food, but we’re also going to bring in a little food from other farms,” Carys says. The stand is offering salad, arugula, spinach, various kinds of radishes, salad turnips — all on a self-serve basis. Recent events have brought into sharp focus the value of locally-grown foodstuffs. “It seems that now, more than ever, people are realizing how important it is to support their friends and neighbors and the local business people,” Benji said.
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At Your Service Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Each year, deer,, elk and antelope shed their antlers, littering the floor of field and forest with one of nature’s most striking renewable resources. “Shed-hunters,” like mushroom-pickers, ers, love to be out in the woods, driven to find that perfect specimen from a buck or a bull that can then be turned into exquisite quisite art. And you’ll find an outstanding array of such crafts at Antler Arts in Sisters. The people who collect those beautiful shed antlers know that they can trust Jaimi and James Warren arren to give them a fair price for their treasures, based on a true scale weight. That’ss why people from across the Pacific acific Northwest send their product to Antler Arts in Sisters. And crafters in Sisters Country and across the region turn them into everything from knife-handles to magnificent elk-antler -antler chandeliers. Antler Arts products grace homes from rustic cabins to grand lodge-style homes, all across Sisters Country.
Your Care Y
These times have shown us that nothing is more important than maintaining our health. Y Your our Care stands ready to help the Sisters community do just that, with urgent care available every day. Your Y our Care also has the vision to be proactive. They are currently looking toward fall, when they will provide community flu shot clinics and on-site business stops for flu shots — all with an eye to protecting Sisters folks from the possibility of contracting flu and COVID-19 at the same time. “We’re e’re going to go out and protect as many people as possible from the flu,”” said Y Your our Care’s Operations Director Deb Wattenburg. Your Care is committed to helping local businesses keep their Y employees healthy.. Y Your our Care is welcoming occupational health specialist Sallye Stauber, DNP,, to the team as Y Your our Care continues to offer exceptional ceptional occupational medicine services for employers and workers across Central Oregon.
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Tammy T ammy T Taylor aylor wants folks in Sisters to know that whether they’re in the office or working from home due to the COVID-19 VID-19 pandemic, Bisnett Insurance continues to stand ready to serve the local community. “We’re e’re still here, we’re still serving our clients,” clients, she said. “We’ve e’ve made steps to still provide the same service you had before, whether we’re working from home or working at the office.” Bisnett Insurance has 11 locations in Arizona, Idaho and Oregon, giving them outstanding resources in the market et while still maintaining the small town sense of connection that is so important both to clients and to the agents at Bisnett. Taylor T aylor urges clients to call with any questions, particularly in the climate of uncertainty created by current events. Bisnett Insurance agents thoroughly review your needs and objectively analyze options from dozens of top insurance providers, ensuring you get the right insurance at a competitive price. price
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon At Your Service
GOOD EATS • HOT TUBS • ANTIQUES LOG HOMES • KIWANIS • FIREARM SAFETY Helping Hands To Feed Your Family
The Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is Open and We Welcome your Visit! Our next food pickup dates are: Thursday, June 11 & June 18 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We are located at 328 W. Main Ave., Sisters
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Sisters Kiwanis
Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank serves 50 to 60 families per week. One out of five clients are homeless. The Food Bank is returning to a weekly schedule this month to better serve the community. If you qualify under federal income guidelines and/or have been recently laid off due to COVID-19, Kiwanis wants to help. The next open dates are June 11 and June 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Food Bank delivers over 120,000 pounds of food annually. The Food Bank has no paid employees, only volunteers. Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank purchases over 50 percent of the food distributed from local markets with generous financial support from the Sisters community that ensures the Food Bank’s services through 2021. The Food Bank is just one of several programs of the Sisters Kiwanis Club that supports and enhances the local community. Every year Kiwanis Club contributes over $30,000 to scholarships, grants and other community needs.
Lady Gets a Gun
Women are purchasing firearms for personal protection at unprecedented rates. Good training is essential to safe, effective firearms use — and that training is offered in a safe, comfortable, and friendly environment through Lady Gets A Gun. Maureen Rogers is passionate about helping women familiarize themselves with firearms and developing a mindset that is about protection of self, loved ones, and refusing to become a victim. She offers private sessions and classes for men, women, and co-ed. Her women-only classes are often the most comfortable for women, especially first-time gun owners. It’s hands-on training, suitable for people of all ages and all walks of life. Her youngest client was 18; her oldest was 84. Live fire training is conducted at Redmond Rod and Gun Club. Classes are engaging, safe, comfortable — and empowering — especially for women to gain more confidence in the protection of self and loved ones.
Painted Lady Antiques
Marla and Kent Stevens opened Painted Lady Antiques last summer with the goal to be an uncluttered, reasonably priced shop that people want to return to again and again. They’ve succeeded. Painted Lady Antiques is celebrating their one-year anniversary in a space that has grown from 1,200 to 2,300-square-feet, with open architecture that allows easy perusal of an eclectic array of goods from carefully-selected vendors. Kent is skilled at making tables, entryway benches and hall tables, and Marla is a whiz at refinishing pieces that come in looking a bit worse for wear or are dated. From painted furniture to iron work to Western wear to tools, there’s something for everyone — and it turns over swiftly, rewarding return visits. The one-of-a-kind inventory changes daily and sells quickly, so if you find a treasure you can’t live without, buy it today. Chances are it will be gone tomorrow.
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At Your Service Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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TREE SERVICE • GARAG E DOORS • EXCAVATION HEARING • COMMERCIAL PAINTING
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4 Brothers Tree Services
Trees are the pride and joy of many a property owner in Sisters Country. When winter rolls around, they can be a problem when they break and fall and crash to the ground — or on your deck, your house or your car. Caring for your trees — or dealing with a problem — requires a wide range of knowledge and experience; the right equipment for the job; and a commitment to safety and reliability. That’s what 4 Brothers Tree Service brings to bear, with a full range of services — tree removal; pruning; stump grinding; fire fuel reduction; lot cleaning; commercial thinning. In winter, they provide snowremoval services. 4 Brothers is well-equipped to handle any tree service job. That helps ensure that work is done in the most efficient and costeffective manner possible. Now is the time to assess the condition of your trees. 4 Brothers Tree Service is ready to help.
Environmental Center
Food waste is costly — to your grocery budget and to the environment. A whopping 26 percent of Knott Landfill’s capacity is taken up with wasted food. The Environmental Center in Bend has created an online challenge through Rethink Waste Deschutes County at www.RethinkWasteProject.org/FoodWaste to help folks in Sisters Country reduce their food waste. The challenge offers all kinds of tips and resources — including simple ones like reorganizing the refrigerator and meal-planning — to backyard composting. Anyone can turn food into nutrients for plants through composting, even without a yard. Just paying attention goes a long way toward reduction of food waste. Ani Kasch offers free in-person and online presentations on reducing food waste tailored to the particular needs and interests of any local group.
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Riverfront Painting offers custom interior and exterior painting and staining with all the commitment of craftsmen with deep, multigenerational roots in Central Oregon. “We use the best products that are out there,” says Travis Starr. And the use of one small, core crew means your job gets full attention. “We stay on the job till it’s finished the way we want it and the way the customer wants it,” says Starr. The same level of quality and attention to detail and service is brought to bear on a multi-million dollar home or a starter home. That level of commitment to excellence means that Riverfront Painting is consistently one of the top-rated Central Oregon companies on Home Advisor. Riverfront Painting also does full remodels and can construct or repair and refinish decks. The season is getting busy — call now to line up your project with Riverfront Painting.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon At Your Service
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EQUIPMENT RENTALS, SALES & SERVICE • STORAGE UNITS
Sisters Rental opens expansive new facility When Pat Thompson and his partners purchased Sisters Rental in 2007, they also purchased a lot along Barclay Drive at the corner of Pine Street in the Sisters Industrial Park. The plan was to build a purposefully designed new shop and showroom to replace the small facility the business had operated out of since the early 1990s. The economic downturn that struck hard shortly thereafter put those plans on hold for more than a decade — but now they’ve come to fruition. Sisters Rental opened its new 6,400-square-foot steel facility built by Kevin Spencer last week, and Thompson — though very busy — is a happy man. “We’re really happy to be here; happy to reinvest back in the community of Sisters,” he said. “The whole idea was to build a space that works for the kind of business that we do — both retail and service.” The project was originally designed by the late Jerry
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Efficiency is the name of the game at Sisters Rental’s brand-new 6,400-square-foot facility at the corner of Barclay Drive and Pine Street . The new steel building and expansive lot will allow the team to offer more rental equipment, in addition to more yard and home-improvement products and equipment — good news as Sisters County heads into the busy home-improvement season. The space is also much more efficient for mechanics and technicians, which will allow for quicker turnaround times for equipment maintenance and repair operations. Sisters Rental is a regional headquarters for contractors and homeowners alike, who need quality, well-maintained equipment at fair prices with excellent service to back it all up. The new facility will allow the team to improve on that reputation. Sisters Rental has also launched a new website at www.sistersrental.com showcasing the product lines they carry and rental offerings. Check it out! Sisters Rental is observing COVID-safe protocols to provide service to the community.
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That includes a lot of deliveries of equipment and “no contact” rentals. The building is also set up for 2,000 square feet of build-to-suit office space upstairs. The new Sisters Rental facility represents a longterm commitment to serving the greater Sisters community — and the fulfillment of a vision.
•
FORMER SISTERS RENTAL OFFICE
yard work “has kept us going,” Thompson said. “We’ve definitely seen an uptick in people working on their homes and yards.” Thompson said that he plans to host a grand opening at the new location as soon as the level of restriction allows for it. “ We ’ r e p r a c t i c i n g COVID-19-safe protocols right now,” Thompson said.
CONSTRUCTION
331 W. Barclay Dr.
and a booming economy over the past few years revived them. Thompson noted that the current economic crisis around the COVID-19 pandemic is different. In 2007-2008, the building industry was hit first and hardest. In the current crisis, building has continued — and the quarantine has put people to work on their homes. Home repair and
•
NEW SISTERS RENTAL OFFICE
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Sisters Rental’s new facility on the corner of Barclay Drive and Pine Street will offer a venue for expanded services and quicker turnaround times on service.
MASONRY
BARC WEST
FORKLIFTS • MANLIFTS • JACKS, HOISTS & LIFTS • MOVING • PAINTING • PARTY • LADDERS
Editor in Chief
Bogart, and updated and completed by Chris Mayes of Design Strategies. The parking lot was designed to coordinate with the neighbors to provide for safe one-way flow of trucks and trailers. The improvements that the new facility brings are evident. First of all, it’s highly visible. “People aren’t having a hard time finding us,” Thompson said with a grin. The purpose-built facility is “a lot more user-friendly space for the mechanics and technicians,” Thompson said. “We hope to carry more product, have quicker turnaround of repairs, have more rental equipment. Efficiency is the name of the game.” The old office, showroom, and shop space at the original location will be converted to storage space. Decomissioning the old space is the most burdensome aspect of the project right now. “We’ve got two decades of stuff to move over,” Thompson said. The economic crash of 2008 put the brakes on the original plans for the move,
HAND TOOLS • SAWS • GENERATORS • HEATERS & FANS • LAWN & GARDEN •
By Jim Cornelius
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Strategies for teaching gratitude By Mitchell Luftig Columnist
Parents attempt to provide every one of their children with equal portions of love, affection, kindness, and support. Logically, children growing up in the same family, treated the same way, should be quite similar in their ability to experience positive emotions, such as joy, interest, energized, alert, enthusiastic, contentment, pride, cheerfulness, optimism, and happiness. However research tells us that children inherit very different built-in limits to their capacity to experience positive emotions —determined by their set point. Some children — let’s call them “Eeyores” — inherit a very low set point. Such children appear downin-the-dumps, bemoaning their fate, and seeing little to look forward to in life. When the child with a low set point experiences a manifestly positive event—they are invited to the birthday party of the most popular student in their class—they will experience a surge in positive emotions and the child’s usual negativity seems to lift. Eventually, the “tyranny” of the set point kicks in and the child returns to their gloomy self. The good news is that a child’s set point for positive emotions accounts for only 50 percent of what makes them happy. So there is hope, even for those children who are more akin to Eeyore than to Winnie the Pooh. Beyond the set point for positive emotions, the environment a child grows up in accounts for another ten percent of their happiness. Children with a high set point for positive emotions will likely adapt successfully to a challenging environment, whereas children with a low set point for positive emotions are more likely to remain unhappy, even in ideal circumstances. The remaining 40 percent of what determines a child’s happiness depends upon the lens the child uses
to view their world. When children can see that the conditions they need to be happy already exist, they may rise above their set point and their environment to become happier people. Practicing gratitude is a skill that enables children to rise above their set point for positive emotions. Andrea Hussong defines it this way: “Gratitude is how you make sense of what you’ve been given — your feelings and thoughts about those gifts. And then how you act on that to show appreciation.” Grateful children are happier and more satisfied with their lives and with their friends, family, neighborhood and selves. Grateful children report more hope, engagement with their hobbies, higher GPAs, and less envy, depression, and materialism: The Gratitude Project. When children look at their world through the lens of gratitude, they see a world where people care about one another and treat each other with kindness. Ungrateful children see a world in which people are indifferent to one another. Children with relatively low set points for positive emotions benefit the most from strategies to increase gratitude; however, most children will receive some benefit. Three strategies to increase a child’s gratitude: • Parental modeling of gratitude is one of the most powerful ways to teach children how to count their blessings. The more often children observe their parents express sincere gratitude to others, the more likely they are to internalize gratitude as an important value. The threat of the coronavirus has provided everyone with a shocking reminder that life is fragile and life is precious. Parents, if you haven’t already done so, consider taking this opportunity to model gratitude by telling the people you love how grateful you are that they are healthy and a part of your life. When the pandemic passes, continue to
count your blessings—out loud so your children can hear you (e.g., thank children for completing their chores or sharing possessions, thank a family member for preparing a meal). • Parents can also teach gratitude through daily interactions and conversations with their children. When a sibling or peer treats a child in a friendly manner, remind the child that a sincere thank you makes the other child feel good, too. • When children feel they are owed kindness (feel entitled), point out that if the child does not show their appreciation, others may no longer be kind to them. • Volunteering as a family at a homeless shelter can provide a valuable lesson in humility and gratitude. Parents can also encourage their children to play with grateful peers and discourage them for hanging out with peers who feel entitled. Additional innovative strategies to teach children gratitude, offered by Sarah Conway: • Develop a dinner ritual where each family member names one thing they are grateful for. • Draw slips from a gratitude jar and read them aloud, so family members learn what the author of the slip is grateful for. • Teach children the importance of expressing appreciation. • Take a family gratitude walk, appreciating the beauty of the natural world. • Encourage random acts of kindness, ensuring that each act of kindness is acknowledged by other family members. • Invite older children to keep a gratitude journal, writing down three things a day (or every few days) for which they are grateful. Mitchell L. Luftig, Ph.D. is a semi-retired clinical psychologist living in Sisters. He is the author of the Kindle book, “Six Keys to Mastering Chronic LowGrade Depression.” Visit his website at: www.master chronicdepression.com.
PROPERTY GUY: Situation will remain dynamic Continued from page 12
trend that is supporting residential prices in Central Oregon. 5. Rents, Renters and Investors: This shutdown has tossed tens of thousands of people across the economic spectrum out of work. Riots are only going to make this worse, as many of the destroyed businesses and jobs aren’t coming back. And unfortunately, renters (who trend toward the lower end of the income scale) are taking the brunt of it. That said, most landlords realize that mass evictions for non-payment are selfdefeating. And most tenants realize that not paying rent and all but destroying their credit and rental history is
equally self-defeating. So most have reached some sort of “pay what you can” scenario and are dealing with it. My advice to clients with unemployed tenants has been: “Be kind, be patient, and be realistic.” In short, we have a very dynamic situation that is impossible to predict. That said, we have some strong trends that should support the Central Oregon market in both the short and long-term. But to answer the question of: “When will this madness be over?” Nobody knows, only: “This too shall pass.” Mike Zoormajian is principal at WetDog Properties in Sisters. Providing local property management and investor services. Questions, comments to: letters@ wetdogpnw.com. Free legal advice is worth what you pay for it. Consult a real attorney before doing anything crazy. © C o p y r i g h t We t D o g Properties 2021.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The Guide Is Here!
Sisters O r e g o n G u i d e 2020 -2021
te rs Co un try A Co mp re he ns ive Gu ide to Sis New spa per — get — Brou ght to you by The Nug
Pick up your complimentary copy of the guide from these local merchants, and thank them by patronizing their businesses.
Thank you to all the advertisers who made it possible! Alpaca Country Estates Antler Arts Beacham’s Clock Co. Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort
Best Western Ponderosa Lodge Black Butte Ranch Black Butte Realty Group Blazin Saddles
Camp Sherman Store Cascade Sotheby’s / Suzanne Carvlin Cascade Home & Vacation Rentals
Cold Springs Resort Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty / Kimberly Gorayeb EDCO Eurosports Faith Hope & Charity Vineyard FivePine Lodge GrandStay Hotel
Hayden Homes High Desert Museum Hoodoo Keller Williams Luxury International / Jodi & Courteney Satko Keller Williams / Carol Zosel & Chuck Harper Les Schwab/Taylor Tire Center
Metolius River Association Metolius River Lodges Norma Holmes Oliver Lemon’s Paulina Springs Books Philadelphia Steaks & Hoagies Ponderosa Properties R-Spot Rainshadow Organics Shibui Shuttle Oregon Sisters Bakery
Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce
Sisters Coffee Sisters Farmers Market Sisters Folk Festival Sisters Habitat For Humanity Sisters Meat & Smokehouse Sisters Movie House Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Sisters Rodeo Sisters Vacation Rentals Sno Cap Drive In Sisters Park & Recreation District Stitchin’ Post The Alexander The Jewel The Pony Express Three Sisters Historical Society Web Steel Buildings Your Store
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
A visit to historic Glaze Meadow By Craig F. Eisenbeis Columnist
In keeping with our current emphasis on shorter, close-to-home hikes, my hiking buddy suggested that we visit the trails along the eastern edge of Glaze Meadow. I checked my files to see when I last wrote about this trail and was surprised to discover that I never have. So, here’s an easy walk in the woods that you may not be familiar with. Historic Glaze Meadow and the adjacent, more recently dubbed Glaze Forest, have been the subjects of various Forest Service land swaps and rehabilitation projects in an area immediately east of Black Butte Ranch. The site is named for Tillman H. Glaze, who established a small ranch there in 1881. Glaze himself is an interesting story. He was born in Missouri in 1843 and, as a child, came West in 1852 to Oregon’s Polk County, from which arose the volunteer soldier contingent that established Camp Polk here in 1865 — although I can find no record that he was a participant. Regardless, one way or another, he found his way to Central Oregon by 1877, apparently after being involved in some “trouble” over in the valley. According to historical bits and pieces, he became a saloon and dance hall owner
in Prineville, and founded a popular local band not very imaginatively called The Prineville Band. Historic photos show him playing a fiddle. One source even suggests that he did some sheriffing for a time. In a somewhat complicated and shady scenario, he also apparently sheltered — at his meadow ranch near Sisters — a vigilante killer who figured in Crook County’s wild west era of the 1880s. His affinity for courting trouble ended in 1894, when he was killed in gunfight over a horse-racing dispute in Burns; his widow survived him by 45 years. In another historical footnote, the access road to the meadow takes off from near the old railroad grade crossing west of town. Most of today’s local residents postdate the removal of that railroad overpass, which provided logging access to the lands on and around Black Butte. For years, it provided a convenient landmark for eastbound travelers. “Just turn left immediately after the railroad overpass,” we could tell visitors headed to my parents’ place at the north end of Indian Ford Road. So, it was against a rather historical backdrop that we decided to re-explore Glaze Meadow area on a bright sunny day last week. There is some ecological sensitivity in the important
riparian and forest lands that surround this area. Among the special plant species found here is the rare Peck’s penstemon, an unusual wildflower found almost nowhere outside the Sisters Ranger District. It is for this reason that the Forest Service has taken special measures over the last couple of decades to preserve and restore the area. Much of the Glaze Forest project area was clearcut in the 1930s and contains second growth ponderosa pines that are being groomed toward a pre-logging era old growth forest outcome. Toward that end, quite a bit of the smaller new growth timber has been removed, which, combined with other measures — including mosaic thinning — has reduced wildfire danger to the area and to Black Butte Ranch. Mosaic thinning results in a diverse habitat of finished forest which resembles historic forests with gaps, clumps, snags, atypical “character trees,” and patches of trees of different ages. The end result is a forest of varied appearance, rather than one with a homogenous parklike setting. In conjunction with the historically marshy meadow, the principal riparian feature of the area is an upper portion of Indian Ford Creek, where we began our exploration of the area. The principal
PHOTO BY CRAIG F. EISENBEIS
The trail along the edge of historic Glaze Meadow follows the MetoliusWindigo Trail across Indian Ford Creek through a dense aspen grove. trail along Glaze Meadow is part of the 100-mile Metolius-Windigo Trail that runs from the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness to the Diamond Peak Wilderness south of Crescent Lake. Our outing began on the “Met-Win” Trail from the end of the short road off Highway 20 and, almost immediately, crossed Indian Ford Creek on an excellent bridge in a beautiful, dense aspen grove. The last time we were here was in the fall, and the aspens were decked out in their golden autumn finery. This whole area is absolutely flat, with a network of old trails and logging roads, so there is plenty of room to wander and explore — and socially distance. We were there on a weekend and saw only two other people, and they were at quite a distance. It should be noted, however, that this is also a popular
equestrian area, so horse traffic is to be expected. We took a couple of hours wandering through the woods and stopped for a short break near a Forest Service restoration project along the southeast edge of the meadow. We returned by roughly the same route; but alternates abound, making for unlimited options of hiking distances. Since the area is bounded by Black Butte Ranch and the highway, it’s very difficult to get lost here, unless you have absolutely no sense of direction — in which case, a compass is recommended. To reach this interesting local historic area, simply travel west from the Sisters roundabout on Highway 20 for about 5 miles. The gravel and dirt road to the edge of Glaze Meadow is on the left, immediately opposite the entrance to Indian Ford Campground.
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LETTERS
Continued from page 2
the Elementary School. It was a young man in Levis and a T-shirt with a sign: “Stop Racism.” I went back there this evening and found there were now three, sitting under a popup awning. Two are Sisters High School students, the other a Sisters graduate working at U of O on a masters. Out of respect, I did not ask their names. Out of admiration, I gave them an American flag. All across America, in satellite cities around the world, people are saying out loud “Enough. We must change.” During the Vietnam War a reporter driving down the New York Thruway saw Pete Seeger standing on the side of the road in the rain with a sign: “Peace.” The reporter stopped, went back, and asked him why he was doing this. “It’s just something I had to do.” That gut feeling perhaps inspired the civil disobedience of Thoreau, Gandhi, Martin Luther King — “something I felt I had to do.” Today the situation is different. Did George Floyd’s behavior warrant such brutal aggression? Did the peaceful protest in Lafayette Park warrant gas, horses, rubber bullets, and helicopters? The protesters today are not exercising civil disobedience, rather they are calling for a rule of law that treats and protects everyone as a valuable human being, and they are protesting on behalf of the First Amendment. …Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government. We have lost our way. We must change. At George Floyd’s funeral service Thursday, the Reverend Al Sharpton quoted from Ecclesiastes 3, Time for Everything. “There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.” It seems that Sisters students have spoken loudly: “This is something I had to do.” They say they will continue to be protesting there daily from 12 to 6 p.m. I have invited my friends to go join them if they choose. Robert Collins
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To the Editor: Years ago when I published a small town weekly newspaper, on occasion we covered controversial issues. There were differences of opinion, and sometimes bitterness. Letters to the Editor were occasionally “difficult.” We strove to publish every letter, though at times we had to give writers a second chance to moderate their language. On very rare occasions, we fulfilled our responsibility to the community and refused to spread pure bile. Importantly, when doing so we acted mindful of responsibilities conferred by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Of course, not everyone agreed with our interpretation. But there was one rule that was not bent, let alone broken: Opinions had to be signed. Our philosophy was that if one wanted to speak up, one had to own their speech. I personally believe that guideline would greatly benefit social media, and in fact, American politics. Each post on Facebook and Twitter and every other platform should be linked to its author, which must be a verified individual. Every political contribution should be linked to its contributor. If the Supreme Court wants to grant “personhood” to corporations (a decision I disagree with, by the way) then that corporate “person” should be identified when entering into the political area with vast sums of money. No more hiding behind PACs or other loopholes. Free markets, to the extent they exist, depend on transparency. The “marketplace of ideas,” in the words of Jefferson, is no different. Eliminating anonymity in the American conversation would go a long way toward improving our dialogue. Erik Dolson
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To the Editor: One of my memories of the Sisters Rodeo was a Sunday after the Rodeo, when the cowboys and locals were gathered at the B Bar B. A group of bikers arrived and entered the bar. Soon, a brawl began that spilled out into Cascade Avenue, punches being thrown, noses broken, blood being shed. I was watching from across the street, back when there was a hotel and gas station. At the time I was
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
12 or 13, a third generation Sisters local. The police arrived and couldn’t break up the fight, themselves being punched and kicked. The Sisters Volunteer Fire Department showed up with a fire truck and started hosing people off the streets, breaking up the fight and protecting our community establishment. I would hope that if violent protests and riots showed up to our town, we would follow in the footsteps of the Sisters Volunteer Fire Department and band together to protect our local businesses. Jack W. Hammack
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To the Editor: I would like to thank The Nugget Newspaper, the Sisters community, and our Rodeo sponsors. This would have been the week of the 80th Anniversary for the Sisters Rodeo. The town would have been full of rodeo fans, the bands would be getting ready, the beer would have been stocked in the coolers, and the cowboy boots and hats would be coming out of the closets. But this year, we had to deal with something that none of us had ever expected or experienced. With social distancing and Stay Home/Stay Safe, we had to cancel our event. The Board of Directors, volunteers, and members of the Rodeo Association know how hard this hit our entire community. The good news is that The Biggest Little Show in the World cannot be stopped and will return in 12 months on June 9-14, 2021. We will again have the 80th Annual Rodeo. We want to thank all those who participated in the many Rodeo pages in The Nugget this week with a big thank you to The Nugget staff for all their work. Let’s look forward to next year and remain the strong community that we are. Curt Kallerg President Sisters Rodeo Association
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To the Editor, What can we do to help each other during this time of crisis? Let me tell you a story that I heard recently: There was a young woman at high school who thought she was invisible, unimportant, forgettable. She was so depressed that one day she had decided to kill herself. That afternoon as she closed her locker, she looked up and caught sight of a girl down the hallway smiling at her. The smile said, “I see you.” She stood there stunned. Quickly she looked away, and glanced back to see the same sweet smile beaming for her. That night she did not take her own life but wanted to see if that girl would smile at her again. “Was that real?” she thought to herself, “Did this really happen?” At the end of the next day, she peered down the hallway and the girl smiled just for her. Each day for an entire week this young woman hoped and searched for that precious smile and it was there as daily comfort and gentle reminder that she was not invisible. She began to realize that she was noticed, beautiful, maybe even important— someone special. I tell you this story because your smiles are so important to others and to me. I was raised in a place where strangers didn’t smile at you. But here in Sisters, we smile and we chat sometimes. It is our culture and our way of caring. I miss that camaraderie. So, I will wear a mask where it is requested for all our safety; but when I step outside, I will doff my mask and smile at anyone who meets my eye. I miss “Sisters Smiles.” Blessings to you during this time and many, many smiles too. Paula Lovegren
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To the Editor: I just want to take a minute to applaud the young man who has been standing at the corner of Locust and Highway 20 practicing his right to protest in peace over the death of George Floyd and countless other acts of police brutality. I write this from a standpoint of supporting our well-behaved police and standing with the peaceful protesters. We are all in this together. This is a trying time and these are sensitive and extremely polarizing subjects that we are currently addressing, and seem to be continuously addressing in modern American times. To see this young man standing alone in a politically divided county such as ours really made me proud.
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As a local Central Oregonian who left in 1998, spent my 20s and 30s in Portland, and just recently relocated back to this gorgeous part of Oregon, it can be extremely unsettling to see some of the misguided bigotry around me in Deschutes County, and the yelling I heard hurled at this kid today left me sick to my stomach. As I waited to turn off of Locust, a pickup truck slowed in front of our solo protester and by the time I got my window down to listen, what I believe I heard him angrily yelling was “blacks are killing white people every damn day” and “f--- that n-----“ before he sped off. Our lone protester stood strong, nodded his head and kept a chin up. I honked and gave him a thumbs-up and wished I could be there with him. I am hopeful that the number of honks for solidarity and support greatly outnumbered the reactions like I witnessed. Here’s to you young sir, I commend you and I tip my hat. Adam Payne
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To the Editor: I am a white, 60-something person married to the same white, 60-something person for the past 39 years. We are in the top 10 percent of earners, retired, and of opposite political parties. Compromise is part of our daily experience. What has been on the news, both Fox and NPR, has disturbed my comfortable situation and prompted this letter. What the world currently sees in the United States is violence, prejudice, and partisanship. What the world could see is: • Equal treatment by those in authority of people, regardless of any individual’s education, economic status, living situation, or skin color. • Laws and regulations that will preserve this country for the next generation and beyond, in all areas: economics, climate, environment, education, and healthcare. • An acceptance that this is a global economy, that the ultimate goal is survival of the planet and humanity, and that unity is what allows survival. • Government that puts the needs of the 80 percent above the needs of the upper and lower 10 percent. How this can happen is for each elected official, at every level, to act according to the following: • Keep the needs of the center 80 percent of those you represent at the forefront of all policy decisions. • Accept that you will never, and should never, get 100 percent of what you want because you cannot know everything about every situation. Compromise should be a given. • Act as if others, especially those of opposite political persuasion, have the same ultimate goals for the city, county/parish, state, and country as you do, unless you are aware of actual malfeasance or corruption. • Recognize there are multiple ways to get to the ultimate goal. • Know your job is done when the center 80 percent of the people you represent get the best resolution possible. This is a lot, but not too much, for the people of the United States to expect of their government at all levels. Please challenge your own partisanship, analyze your level of commitment to bettering the lives of those you represent, and examine how you have been conducting the business of government in light of the above bullet points. We won’t agree on everything, but this is a start. Victoria E. Tennant
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To the Editor: What a nice tribute to Sisters Rodeo presented in The Nugget. This was such a generous thing to do for a tradition of Sisters Country, which established the town’s Western theme. There were actually three high school students tapped for rodeo scholarships. The rodeo has been extremely proud of our support of students since the first graduating class, and have granted, as of this year, over $150,000 in scholarships. Thank you, Nugget staff, for thinking of such a kind thing to do. Bonnie Malone Former Sisters Rodeo Board Member Editor’s note: Bonnie Malone is correct — there were a total of three students awarded the Sisters Rodeo Scholarship for 2020. The recipients are Gracen Sundstrom, Amanda Erlich, and Charmayne Owens.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
VIRTUAL DANCE: Summer session is planned in July Continued from page 3
and reshaped them for an online audience. Liddell explained, “I set it up so that all of our classes would be offered on the Zoom platform and remain on their normal schedule. There was a big learning curve for me and the other teachers, and it took many hours to get it all set up, to communicate to our families how we would be continuing, and to help them understand how to access their child’s classes. “We started our online schedule April 6, and are so grateful and amazed at the adaptability of our dancers and families and the continued support to make it all work.” She added, “The kids have been dancing in their homes — anywhere from bedrooms to living rooms, to kitchens, to hallways, outside in their backyard, you name it, we’ve pretty much seen it!” One benefit of virtual classes is an opportunity for more parental engagement. Instead of waiting in the car for their kid’s class to finish, mom, dad, and the rest of the family can join in. Dance mom Tara Shafer was moved after watching her daughter dance during a
We started our online schedule April 6, and are so grateful and amazed at the adaptability of our dancers and families and the continued support to make it all work. — Lonnie Liddell
PHOTO PROVIDED
A young dancer works on her moves with virtual tutoring from Lonnie Liddell. Zoom class. Shafer said, “I wasn’t expecting to get emotional during Autumn’s first COVID-19 quarantine dance class, but it hit me hard how strong the human spirit is and I couldn’t stop the tears!” As with any new platform, there are always struggles and learning and teaching online is very different than being physically there. “Some of our students just couldn’t continue with the online format for varying reasons and over 30 percent of our students chose to end their dance season early,” Liddell said. “Not only financially was this a big loss to the studio, but with each student’s farewell, our hearts ached to not to be able to continue teaching and connecting with them.” This is the first time in 11 years that Sisters Dance Academy did not present a live show in June. Liddell said, “It has been a difficult thing to accept — not only for myself as the artistic director, but for our teachers and students. The spring show
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is something we all look forward to and train for all year long. The June performance also brings in revenue that helps support and maintain the studio through its slower summer months.” Then something unforeseen took place. Candy Williams, parent to teacher and choreographer Kayla Wi l l i a m s , a n d A n d r e a McAffrey, sister to Kayla Williams and a parent of a dance student, recognized the hardship the dance studio would be facing with the effects of losing students, not having a spring performance and on the business as a whole. They organized a
I wanted to be able to make decisions that gave our families flexibility and choices for students returning to our physical dance space. I decided for a slow open starting in June.” Sisters Dance Academy will gradually bring dancers back in person with all of the COVID-19 protocols in place and continue to offer all of their classes online through Zoom, so if families still feel uncomfortable to return, they can still dance online. They plan for the Spring 2020 season to conclude the fourth week of June. Liddell noted, “We have also decided we will be doing recordings of each of our classes the fourth week of June. Students who choose not to return to the physical studio have been asked to record themselves performing their choreography at home and submit them to us. We will then be editing together all of the footage for a special recorded showcase that will be available to our dance families as a free digital download.” Going forward the dance academy will be having a sixweek summer session from July 13 through August 21, which will include a combination of small in-person classes and online offerings. Once the summer schedule is finalized it will be available to view and enroll online through their website, www. danceinsisters.com.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The Nugget Newspaper Crossword
By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service
— Last Week’s Puzzle Solved —
PHOTO PROVIDED
Black Butte School’s Parent Teacher Organization made an engaging project out of cleaning up dispersed campsites in the Metolius Basin at the end of May.
CLEAN UP: Effort rallied children, parents, and staff from school Continued from page 3
earned gift certificates to the Camp Sherman Store, which donated $55 of prizes. A $100 cash grand prize was awarded to the contestant with the highest totals across all categories. Special recognition went to the weirdest item (a 1990s flip phone) and most useful item collected (fly fishing reel). The contest’s successes were announced to students during a daily school meeting via Zoom: 25 people spent 95 total hours cleaning up 64 dispersed campsites and decommissioning 22 illegal fire rings. This resulted in a whopping 262 total pounds of
garbage collected. One family even collected a mattress. Stewardship is an important aspect to students’ education at Black Butte School, and the contest provided an opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment and community. As a part of their schoolwork, they created signs to promote the contest and “Leave No Trace” ethics, which were set out in Camp Sherman before the holiday weekend. Many worked alongside their parents picking up trash during the contest; the grand prize winner logging over 12 hours of work. For more information, visit www.blackbutte.k12. or.us/stewardship and watch a video, “How to Rehabilitate a Campsite,” created in partnership with Pete Blau of the Metolius Basin Institute.
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First graders Zoe and Eden Gonzalez made signs urging leave-no-trace camping.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
C L A S S I F I E D S
ALL advertising in this newspaper is 101 Real Estate subject to the Fair Housing Act Charming A-Frame Cedar which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or Cabin on Big Lake Road. discrimination based on race, color, Willamette National Forest religion, sex, handicap, familial Service Land Lease, quarter mile status or national origin, or an intention to make any such from Hoodoo Ski Area. 600 sq. preference, limitation or discrim- ft. main floor, 270 sq. ft. sleeping ination.” Familial status includes loft. Full kitchen, wood-burning children under the age of 18 living stove, electric lights. Fully with parents or legal custodians, furnished. Cabin updates pregnant women and people securing completed in summer of 2018 custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly with new double-pane windows, accept any advertising for real estate skylight, new outdoor stairs and which is in violation of the law. Our metal fire skirt. Price: $160,000. readers are hereby informed that all 503-358-4421 or dwellings advertised in this vabreen@gmail.com newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of HAVE A discrimination call HUD toll-free at PROPERTY TO SELL? 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free Advertise it in The Nugget telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. 102 Commercial Rentals CLASSIFIED RATES COST: $2 per line for first insertion, CASCADE STORAGE $1.50 per line for each additional (541) 549-1086 • (877) 540-1086 insertion to 9th week, $1 per line 581 N. Larch – 7-Day Access 10th week and beyond (identical 5x5 to 12x30 Units Available ad/consecutive weeks). Also included in The Nugget online classifieds at no 5x5 - 8x15 Climate Control Units additional charge. There is a On-site Management minimum $5 charge for any Ground-floor suite, 290 sq. ft. classified. First line = approx. 20-25 581 N Larch St. Available now, characters, each additional line = approx. 25-30 characters. Letters, $325/month. Call 541-549-1086. spaces, numbers and punctuation = 1 SNO CAP MINI STORAGE character. Any ad copy changes will www.SistersStorage.com be charged at the first-time insertion rate of $2 per line. Standard LONG-TERM DISCOUNTS! abbreviations allowed with the Secure, Automated Facility approval of The Nugget classified • • • department. NOTE: Legal notices 541-549-3575 placed in the Public Notice section are charged at the display advertising Office Suite on Main Ave. rate. 1,170 sq. ft., street frontage with DEADLINE: MONDAY, noon private entrance, reception area, preceding WED. publication. two private offices, file room, PLACEMENT & PAYMENT: Office, 442 E. Main Ave. Phone, kitchenette, ADA bathroom. 541-549-9941 or place online at $1,400/month. 541-549-0829 NuggetNews.com. Payment is due MINI STORAGE upon placement. VISA & MasterCard accepted. Billing Sisters Storage & Rental available for continuously run 506 North Pine Street classified ads, after prepayment of 541-549-9631 first four (4) weeks and upon Sizes 5x5 to 15x30. 7-day access. approval of account application. CATEGORIES: 101 Real Estate 102 Commercial Rentals 103 Residential Rentals 104 Vacation Rentals 106 Real Estate Wanted 107 Rentals Wanted 200 Business Opportunities 201 For Sale 202 Firewood 203 Recreation Equipment 204 Arts & Antiques 205 Garage & Estate Sales 206 Lost & Found 207 The Holidays 301 Vehicles 302 Recreational Vehicles 401 Horses 402 Livestock 403 Pets 500 Services 501 Computer Services 502 Carpet Upholstery Cleaning 503 Appliance Repair & Refinish 504 Handyman 505 Auto Repair 600 Tree Service & Forestry 601 Construction 602 Plumbing & Electric 603 Excavations & Trucking 604 Heating & Cooling 605 Painting 606 Landscaping & Yard Maint. 701 Domestic Services 702 Sewing 703 Child Care 704 Events & Event Services 801 Classes & Training 802 Help Wanted 803 Work Wanted 901 Wanted 902 Personals 999 Public Notice
Computerized security gate. On-site management. U-Haul trucks, trailers, moving boxes & supplies. STORAGE STEEL CONTAINERS FOR RENT OR SALE Delivered to your business or property site Call 541-678-3332 STORAGE WITH BENEFITS • 8 x 20 dry box • Fenced yard, RV & trailers • In-town, gated, 24-7 Kris@earthwoodhomes.com HEATED GARAGES Leases, Private, 24-hr. Access, Hot-wash Room, Bath, Lounge. Jack At 541-419-2502. Studio/Office/Workspace 470 sf, $425/mo. Well-lit bsmt., In-town Kris@earthwoodhomes.com Prime Downtown Retail Space Call Lori at 541-549-7132 Cold Springs Commercial
103 Residential Rentals
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104 Vacation Rentals
~ Sisters Vacation Rentals ~ Private Central OR vac. rentals, Property Management Services 541-977-9898 www.SistersVacation.com CASCADE HOME & VACATION RENTALS Monthly and Vacation Rentals throughout Sisters Country. (541) 549-0792 Property management for second homes. CascadeVacationRentals.net In the Heart of Sisters 3 Vac. Rentals – Quiet 1-2 Bdrm Sleep 2-6, start at $145 per nt. vrbo.com/442970 or /180950 or /337593 • 503-730-0150
201 For Sale
New leather sewing machines. One is Cowboy Outlaw, $1,295. Cowboy 797 with table $1,500. Call 503-843-2806, text for pics.
Certified Weed-Free HAY. Orchard Grass or Alfalfa Hay, Sisters. $275 per ton. Call 541-548-4163
403 Pets
FURRY FRIENDS helping Sisters families w/pets. FREE Dog & Cat Food No contact pick-up by appt. 204 W. Adams Ave. 541-797-4023 Bend Spay & Neuter Project Providing Low-Cost Options for Spay, Neuter and more! Go to BendSnip.org or call 541-617-1010 Three Rivers Humane Society Where love finds a home! See the doggies at 1694 SE McTaggart in Madras • A No-kill Shelter Go to ThreeRiversHS.org or call 541-475-6889 SISTERS OREGON GUIDE Published by The Nugget www.sistersoregonguide.com
500 Services
Residential Power Washing Sidewalks, homes, decks, driveways. Quality results for reasonable prices. 971-219-8300 202 Firewood GEORGE’S SEPTIC FIREWOOD, dry or green TANK SERVICE Lodgepole, juniper, pine. “A Well Maintained Cut & split. Delivery included. Septic System Protects eaglecreekfire@yahoo.com the Environment” SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS 541-549-2871 DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD BOOKKEEPING SERVICE • SINCE 1976 • ~ Olivia Spencer ~ Doug Fir – Lodgepole – Juniper Expert Local Bookkeeping! DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES Phone: (541) 241-4907 – 18155 Hwy. 126 East – www.spencerbookkeeping.com SistersForestProducts.com FIFI'S HAULING SERVICE Order Online! 541-410-4509 Dump Trailers available! Call 541-419-2204 204 Arts & Antiques Black Butte WINDOW CLEANING Shop On-line! Commercial & Residential. Materials for craftsman, 18 years experience, references fossil walrus ivory available. Safe, reliable, friendly. and bone... Trade beads Free estimates. 541-241-0426 chaforthefinest.com Private Showings by Appt. ~ WEDDINGS BY KARLY ~ Call Cha at 541-549-1140 Happy to perform virtual or in-person weddings. 205 Garage & Estate Sales Custom Wedding Ceremonies Happy Trails Estate Sales! 20+ years • 541-410-4412 Selling or Downsizing? revkarly@gmail.com Locally owned & operated by... • DERI’s HAIR SALON • Daiya 541-480-2806 Call 541-419-1279 Sharie 541-771-1150 SMALL Engine REPAIR Lawn Mowers, 301 Vehicles Chainsaws & Trimmers We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Sisters Rental Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ 506 North Pine Street Call Jeff at 541-815-7397 541-549-9631 Sisters Car Connection da#3919 Authorized service center for SistersCarConnection.com Stihl, Briggs & Stratton, CAR TO SELL? Honda, Tecumseh Place your ad in The Nugget
302 Recreational Vehicles
Pickup Truck SnugTop Camper. Shell used for a very short time on 2001 Longbed Dodge 2500. Sliding windows. Burgundy. $300. Call 541-549-6337.
34-ft. RV trailer with slide-outs, full hook-up water, electric and septic. $700/month plus deposit. Call Steve Rollins at 401 Horses 541-549-6213 for more info. I am hoping to lease or partially Craftsman home for rent in lease a horse in Camp Sherman town. Available July 6. 2-year or at Black Butte. I am an lease preferred. $1,800/month. experienced rider and grew up 3 BR, 2 BA, large kitchen/dining. riding in Camp Sherman and I Detached double garage. Small am looking for a good trail horse. care-free yard. No pets. Thanks. Linda, 503-704-1241. No smoking. 971-404-5534.
501 Computers & Communications
SISTERS SATELLITE TV • PHONE • INTERNET Your authorized local dealer for DirecTV, ViaSat HS Internet and more! CCB # 191099 541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729 Technology Problems? I can fix them for you. Solving for business, home & A/V needs. All tech supported. Jason Williams Sisters local • 25 yrs. experience 541-719-8329
502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
BULLSEYE CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING New owner of Circuit Rider Carpet Cleaning Over 30 years experience, specialize in rugs & pet stains. Licensed & Insured – Sisters owned & operated – bullseyecarpetcleaning.net • 541-238-7700 • GORDON’S LAST TOUCH Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY Member Better Business Bureau • Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008 M & J CARPET CLEANING Area rugs, upholstery & tile cleaning. Steam cleaning sanitizes & kills germs. 541-549-9090 www.NuggetNews.com YOUR SOURCE for news up-to-date!
504 Handyman
Home Customizations, LLC Res. & Commercial Remodeling, Bldg. Maintenance & Painting Chris Patrick, Owner homecustomizations@gmail.com CCB #191760 • 541-588-0083 JONES UPGRADES LLC Home Repairs & Remodeling Drywall, Decks, Pole Barns, Fences, Sheds & more. Mike Jones, 503-428-1281 Local resident • CCB #201650 LAREDO CONSTRUCTION 541-549-1575 Maintenance / Repairs Insurance Work CCB #194489
600 Tree Service & Forestry
Sisters Tree Care, LLC Preservation, Pruning, Removals & Storm Damage Serving All of Central Oregon Brad Bartholomew ISA Cert. Arborist UT-4454A 503-914-8436 • CCB #218444 TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT Tree care and vegetation management Pruning, hazard tree removal, stump grinding, brush mowing, certified arborist consultation, tree risk assessment qualified, wildfire fuels assessment and treatment, grant acquisition, lot clearing, crane services. Nate Goodwin ISA-Cert. Arborist PN-7987A CCB #190496 * 541.771.4825 Online at: www.tsi.services SISTERS' OLDEST & BEST TREE SERVICE! (Formerly Bear Mountain since 1997) Providing high risk removals, trims/prunes on native/non-native trees, stump grinding, forestry thinning/mowing, light excavation. Firewood. Free estimates gladly! 10% lower than your lowest bid! Your satisfaction is our guarantee! EagleCreekFire@yahoo.com CCB #227275 - 541-420-3254
4 Brothers Tree Service Sisters' Premier Tree Experts! – TREE REMOVAL & CLEANUP – Native / Non-Native Tree Assessments, Pruning, High-Risk Removals, 24 Hr. Emergency Storm Damage Cleanup, Craning & Stump Grinding, Debris Removal. – FOREST MANAGEMENT – Fire Fuels Reduction - Brush Mowing, Mastication, Tree Thinning, Large & Small Scale Projects! Serving Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman & Sisters Area since 2003 ** Free Estimates ** Owner James Hatley & Sons 541-815-2342 4brostrees.com Licensed, Bonded and Insured CCB-215057 Top Knot Tree Care can handle all of your tree needs, from trims to removals. Specializing in tree assessment, hazard tree removal, crown reduction, ladder fuel reduction, lot clearing, ornamental and fruit tree trimming and care. • Locally owned and operated • • Senior and military discounts • • Free assessments • • Great cleanups • • Licensed, Insured and Bonded • Contact Bello @ 541-419-9655, Find us on Facebook and Google CCB#227009
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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C L A S S I F I E D S Pat Burke LOCALLY OWNED CRAFTSMAN BUILT CCB: 288388 • 541-588-2062 www.sistersfencecompany.com
SWEENEY PLUMBING, INC. “Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling • New Construction • Water Heaters 541-549-4349 Residential and Commercial Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #87587 R&R Plumbing, LLC > Repair & Service > Hot Water Heaters > Remodels & New Const. Servicing Central Oregon Lic. Bond. Ins. • CCB #184660 541-771-7000 CURTS ELECTRIC LLC – SISTERS, OREGON – Quality Electrical Installations Agricultural • Commercial Industrial • Well & Irrigation Pumps, Motor Control, Barns & Shops, Plan Reviews CCB #178543 541-480-1404 Your Local Online Source! NuggetNews.com
604 Heating & Cooling
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605 Painting
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704 Events & Event Services
Venardos Circus LIVESTREAM SHOW ON FATHER'S DAY, JUNE 21st! Tickets on sale at www.VenardosCircus.com for $10 per person. 2 p.m. on Father's Day for English-language show, 4 p.m. for Spanish-language show.
802 Help Wanted
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN Tollgate Property Owners Association and the Tollgate SIMON CONSTRUCTION Water Company are looking for SERVICES an experienced maintenance Residential Remodel person to take over the Building Projects maintenance management of a Bruce Simon, Quality craftsman 606 Landscaping & Yard 440 home community located for 35 years Maintenance near Sisters, Oregon. For a 541-948-2620 • CCB #184335 detailed description of this job J&E Landscaping Maintenance bsimon@bendbroadband.com please go to https://tollgate LLC Clean-ups, raking, mowing, propertyowners.com/employment hauling debris, gutters. -opportunities/. Resumes may be Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 sent to manager@ jandelspcing15@gmail.com tollgatepropertyowners.com All Landscaping Services 603 Excavation & Trucking TAKING APPLICATIONS for Mowing, Thatching, Hauling... Construction & Renovation TEWALT & SONS INC. Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740. energetic, dependable persons Custom Residential Projects Excavation Contractors or couples to clean Black Butte All Phases • CCB #148365 Sisters’ Oldest Excavation Co. Ranch homes and condos now 541-420-8448 Our experience will make your through September. $ go further – Take advantage Experience preferred but will of our FREE on-site visit! train; excellent pay. Year-round Complete landscape construction, Hard Rock Removal • Rock at part time is possible for the fencing, irrigation installation & Hammering • Hauling right person(s). Must be able to trouble-shooting, general Trucking • Top Soil • Fill Dirt Residential Building Projects work weekends and provide your cleanups, turf care maintenance Ground-to-finish Site Prep Serving Sisters area since 1976 own transportation. Call Darcy Building Demolition • Ponds & and agronomic recommendations, Strictly Quality 601 Construction or Brenda at 541-549-5555 ext 2. fertility & water conservation Liners • Creative & Decorative CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 Carl Perry Construction LLC Wanted: Property Manager management, light excavation. Rock Placement • Clearing, 541-549-9764 Residential & Commercial Assistant. Assist in management CCB 188594 • LCB 9264 Leveling & Grading Driveways John Pierce Restoration • Repair of several vacation homes at 541-515-8462 Utilities: Sewer Mains, Laterals jpierce@bendbroadband.com – DECKS & FENCES – Black Butte Ranch. Must be able Water, Power, TV & Phone CCB #201709 • 541-419-3991 work weekends and holidays. Septic System EXPERTS: Schedule is somewhat flexible, CASCADE GARAGE DOORS Complete Design & Permit especially between October – Factory Trained Technicians Approval, Feasibility, Test Holes. From design to installation we May. Starts at $15/hr. Call Since 1983 • CCB #44054 Sand, Pressurized & Standard can do it all! Pavers, water Brenda or Darcy at 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553 Systems. Repairs, Tank features, irrigation systems, sod, 541-549-5555 ext. 2. Replacement. CCB #76888 CENIGA'S MASONRY, INC. plants, trees etc. Part time secretarial, small Sisters Cellular: 419-2672 or 419-5172 Brick • Block • Stone • Pavers 541-771-9441 LCB #8906 business. Send resume to Davila, • 541-549-1472 • CCB #181448 – 541-350-6068 SISTERS OREGON GUIDE Lara’s Construction LLC. PO Box 1627, Sisters, OR 97759. TewaltAndSonsExcavation.com www.CenigasMasonry.com Pick up your copy CCB#223701 ROBINSON & OWEN SPURGE COCHRAN around town today! Offering masonry work, 999 Public Notice Heavy Construction, Inc. BUILDER, INC. fireplaces, interior & exterior – All You Need Maintenance – Have you received someone All your excavation needs General Contractor stone/brick-work, build Pine needle removal, hauling, else's mail in your PO Box or *General excavation Building Distinctive, barbecues & all types of mowing, moss removal, edging, street address? Our letter carriers *Site Preparation Handcrafted Custom Homes, masonry. Give us a call for a free raking, weeding, pruning, roofs, do their best, but sometimes *Sub-Divisions Additions, Remodels Since ’74 estimate. gutters, pressure washing... mistakes are made. Our office *Road Building A “Hands-On” Builder 541-350-3218 Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 represents some Sisters-area *Sewer and Water Systems Keeping Your Project on Time Austin • 541-419-5122 McCARTHY & SONS individuals who have lost *Underground Utilities & On Budget • CCB #96016 CONSTRUCTION important PERS benefits because 701 Domestic Services *Grading *Snow Removal To speak to Spurge personally, New Construction, Remodels, notices from PERS never reached *Sand-Gravel-Rock call 541-815-0523 BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Fine Finish Carpentry them. If you have received Licensed • Bonded • Insured Home & Rentals Cleaning 541-420-0487 • CCB #130561 misdirected mail, please contact CCB #124327 WINDOW CLEANING! JERRY WILLIS DRYWALL our office at kim@wiserlaw.com (541) 549-1848 Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897 & VENETIAN PLASTER or 503-620-5577. Thank you. Custom Homes All Residential, Commercial Jobs Residential Building Projects 541-480-7179 • CCB #69557 Concrete Foundations LAREDO CONSTRUCTION Becke William Pierce 541-549-1575 CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 For ALL Your Residential Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com Construction Needs Cascade Bobcat Service is now JOHN NITCHER CCB #194489 SCHERRER EXCAVATION CONSTRUCTION www.laredoconstruction.com Lic. & Bonded – CCB #225286 General Contractor – Sisters Oregon Guide – scherrerexcavation.com Home repair, remodeling and Pick one up throughout town! Mike • 541-420-4072 additions. CCB #101744 Logan • 541-420-0330 541-549-2206 602 Plumbing & Electric BANR Enterprises, LLC Earthwood Timberframes MONTE'S ELECTRIC Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, • Design & construction • service • residential Hardscape, Rock Walls • Recycled fir and pine beams • commercial • industrial Residential & Commercial • Mantles and accent timbers Serving all of Central Oregon CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 Kris@earthwoodhomes.com 541-719-1316 PHOTO BY PAUL LIPSCOMB www.BANR.net CCB #174977 lic. bond. insured, CCB #200030 Sisters resident Paul Lipscomb caught a beautiful moment at
Moonset over the Sisters...
5:25 a.m. on Saturday.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
DEVELOPMENT: Project may start in late summer 2021 Continued from page 1
Actual development is a ways off. Eckert said the fastest possible timeline to put shovels in the ground is late summer 2021. The Forest Service Sisters Ranger District Headquarters will remain where it is now located, but new facilities will be built. According to Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid, that project, too, will begin at the earliest in 2021. Maintaining its longtime Sisters location marks a change of plans for the Forest Service, who originally intended to sell the entire 80-acre administrative site and move its headquarters to a parcel of land on the west end of Sisters just
beyond the GrandStay Hotel. “We’re not going to move,” Reid told The Nugget. “We’re retaining 12 acres of what we call Parcel 2.” He said the costs and logistics of a move proved not to be viable. “The site development was going to be pretty expensive, with highway improvements that were going to be required and utilities out there,” he said. Instead, the USFS is in the process of contracting out a site plan that will feature a warehouse and vehicle garage and a new headquarters building on the current site. Staff will continue working at the existing office until the new one is built. The warehouse will likely be built first, Reid said. Eckert described the cottage development as “a much more challenging kind of construction” than a
conventional housing development, because it is not just a matter of clearing the site and laying in a grid. Though 250 to 300 housing units is a lot in a Sisters development, Eckert said, “it will feel very loose because of the open space and the trees. It’s hard to describe. Our goal is, before the planning commission (hearing) we can have some sort of representation so people can wrap their brains around that.” The architect and designer said that the project will also feature some commercial development. The exact nature of that has not been determined, but Eckert envisions a kind of “commercial village” that would interact with the residential development. “I don’t think the town needs a lot more commercial,” he said.
A forestful...
PHOTO BY BRENDA JAROS
Caterpillars are camped out across Sisters Country.
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Much of the Forest Service administrative site will become housing in the next couple of years.
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SCHOOLS: District uncertain of pandemic impact on budget Continued from page 1
yet-to-be-revealed impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Swisher expressed some potential pros and cons as consequences of the virus. Most school funding is based on enrollment, and Swisher speculated that it is possible that families seeking to move to less populated areas after experiencing the virus may choose to come to Sisters. He also spoke of work being done at the county level with the Deschutes County Planning Commission, of which he is a member, regarding vacation rentals, noting that many family homes in the area have been converted to short term rentals. If some restrictions on these dwellings are put into place, some could revert to full time residences for families, which could bolster enrollment in the school district. A tremendous amount of construction of family dwellings, though slowed in recent months, continues as well. A concern raised by Swisher included whether families might choose to move to online charter schools in light of the virus, which would impact enrollment, unless families chose to engage with the Sisters Educational Options (SEO) for online homeschooling. He said, “I think this pandemic will have some permanent long-lasting effects and I think for the board and the administration will need to take a look down the road as to how might the changes that we have gone through (doing distance learning) affect how we do business as normal while keeping robust that personal connection.” Following Swisher ’s comments, board chair Jay Wilkins underscored that budget issues have “certainly changed a lot” in the last few months and that everyone is anxiously awaiting word from the governor’s office in the upcoming weeks regarding guidance for schools. Business manager Sherri Joseph reported that enrollment in the district stands at 1,134 and that the district has seen an overall decrease in expenditures since the lockdown of schools, but didn’t have a specific estimate, though she estimated as much as $100,000, mostly due to savings in substitute teaching, travel, and athletic costs. Curt Scholl estimated the savings could be as much as $200,000, but it is hard to know without fuller analysis. Scholl began his report by thanking the teachers, including the union leadership, for their work with him on navigating decision making that included calendar issues for this year and next year. He
said he doesn’t anticipate needing to consider furlough days for next school year in the district and anticipates being able to keep staffing levels intact. Financial questions remain until schools hear more from Salem, including whether the Legislature is called for a special session to grapple with the state budget. “Once we get some real numbers (from the state) about the percentage of cut, we will be able to start sharing that and make the appropriate operational reductions,” he said. As to how school will look when fall rolls around, Scholl said, “The devil’s in the details” in regard to health and safety precautions related to COVID-19. “There will be challenges I am sure along the way, but we have a good team so we will keep maneuvering as we get guidance,” he said. Wilkins, acknowledging that in-person education is the best model, asked for Scholl’s opinion of how well-prepared the district is to provide quality distance learning education if it is required. Scholl explained that he believes our elementary school has adequate materials for core subjects, but the challenge becomes greater in the upper grades and that the district would need to access more comprehensive online options for students. “Our staff has been doing a good job in the current circumstance, but my concern is the inequity for some of our students when it comes to distance learning,” he said. “Because we had the technology and staff we were able to pivot fairly quickly to distance learning.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Scholl believes enrollment will remain steady and likely grow in part due to the closure of Sisters Christian Academy, the influx of students from Tumalo after the Redmond School District ended grades 6-8 there, and continued construction of family homes in the district. Joan Warburg, Sisters Elementary Principal, reported that Kindergarten Round-Up is underway with about 30 students signed up thus far and that the grant submitted for the Pre-School Promise has been put on hold by the state for the time being. Sisters Middle School Principal Alison Haney shared her thoughts on how much better it would be for her students to be in regular classrooms during these troubling times to help comprehend and process what is happening. She announced virtual celebrations June 10 and June 15 for middle school awards and eighth grade promotion. Sisters High School Principal Joe Hosang explained plans for remediation and completion of unfinished courses for high school students during the summer, stating that the goal is for all students to be finished up so as to not start next year in a deficit. Scholl praised the staff, building leaders, the community and board for their work and support. “It’s a lot of moving parts as we go and I think everyone has kept the kids as their focus and I am very impressed with the response,” he said. An organizational board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 at 6 p.m. likely to be conducted once again via Zoom.
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REOPENING: Phase 2 may last for a considerable time Continued from page 1
measures in place, can reach a COVID-19 occupancy limit of up to 250 people. • Offices can begin reopening and employees can return to workplaces with physical distancing and other measures in place, although remote work is still strongly recommended whenever possible. • Increased travel is allowed throughout Oregon, though staying local is still recommended to prevent overloading county health systems. • Restaurants and bars will have curfews extended to midnight. • Pools and sports courts will be allowed to reopen under new guidance. • Indoor and outdoor activities such as bowling, batting cages, and mini golf, will be allowed to reopen under guidance. • Recreational sports can resume in a limited form, under strict physical distancing guidance. “Approval for Phase 2 is a positive indicator of our collective efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Deschutes County,” said Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Henderson. “We heard during the State’s press conference on Wednesday that our state has stabilized and Phase I reopening has not led to a resurgence in cases. While moving into Phase 2 is good news, we still need our community to continue being
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smart about maintaining physical distance, practicing good hygiene and wearing masks so that we can keep our communities healthy and help Central Oregon’s businesses stay open.” On Saturday, Oregon Health Authority confirmed 146 new and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as, bringing the state total to 4,808. Saturday’s COVID19 case count marked the highest daily count since the onset of the pandemic in Oregon. Deschutes has reported 135 cases. The case count in the 97759 zip code remains at zero. Counties approved to enter Phase 2 must continue to meet Phase 1 metrics, including: • Declining disease prevalence. • Having an adequate number of contact tracers (trained and available), including people reflective of the communities they serve. • Establishing and maintaining adequate testing, isolation and quarantine facilities, sufficient hospital surge capacity, and sufficient personal protective equipment supply. The State is also monitoring the following public health indicators to inform recommendations on reopening: • Counties need to demonstrate that they are able to trace new cases within 24 hours. • As counties see new cases, they must be able to identify where they are coming from at least 70 percent of the time. • Counties cannot be experiencing a significant increase in cases.
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30
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
DEMONSTRATION: Gathering was orderly and peaceful
VAN DER LOON: Sisters man lives outdoor lifestyle
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 3
but I wanted to stand with my friends here and help out and be a voice for the community.” Community member Pete Shepherd was one of the many demonstrators out on Saturday. He said he was out in support to memorialize George Floyd. “I hope also to stimulate my own thinking about what I and we can do to make this situation better,” he said. He hopes that this can be an occasion for everyone to think about what they can actively do to help. It was the first time in 50-plus years that Shepherd has held up a sign. “The last time I held up a sign at a demonstration was 50 years ago since the Vietnam War,” he said Sisters High School graduate Margo Bruguier was also amongst demonstrators and she was there in hopes to represent the Sisters community to marginalized groups. “I want to let the marginalized groups of people know that our community supports them and that their voices will no longer remain unheard,” said Bruguier. Bruguier thought the location was a good place to reach a broad audience as it is heavily traveled. “It will hopefully start the conversation with family members as they see us when they drive by,” she said. One of Bruguier’s biggest hopes from these demonstrations is that more education will come out of it. “I think we need to be more proactive in teaching about racism within the schools and with each other. It is a privilege to be able to learn about it and I think it’s important to teach about it and understand that it is real and present, everyone has to talk about it,” she said. Two Sisters High School graduates — sisters Mary and Liz Stewart — were also out. Mary was out there “because I want to stand in solidarity with our black brothers and sisters and demonstrate against the unfair treatment of them in our country,” she
where cooperation is required to avoid getting voted off the island. The History Channel’s offering places each contestant in solitude. With no camera crews and fellow contestants to distract them, they grapple not only with surviving the elements but facing their own selves. “It’s unusual in that you’re alone for a long period of time,” said van der Loon. “The psychological aspect of being alone, which brings challenges. Being away from family.” He described himself as more solitary and introverted naturally. Being away from his two-year-old son was his psychological challenge. “Otherwise I enjoyed the time alone,” he said. He appreciated “the deep level of connection that you form with the natural world when you don’t have any distraction, where all you have to worry about is the essentials: staying warm, feeding yourself, staying creative.” The physical challenge was considerable as well. He listed the obstacles: dealing with not eating very much, weight loss, and lack of nutrients, “with a sort of high workload.” He noted, “It takes a lot of work to feed yourself and build a shelter and pick berries and keep warm.” The van der Loon family moved to Sisters Country about two years ago. Joel and his wife Leah first met when they were both employed on yachts, out at sea. “I was a chief engineer, and she was a
PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS
Art teacher Bethany Gunnarson made signs for demonstrators in Sisters. said. Liz said, “I want to help normalize people changing their views and that it is totally OK to learn and change your views on something, especially in this time.” Mary Stewart also said that she hopes that at least, it will get families and community members talking about racism in the United States, no matter what you believe. “I hope at least doing this will get people starting those important conversations with their kids,” she said. Cheryl Stewart, Mary and Liz’s mother, was among demonstrators. “I am here because my Christian faith calls upon me to do this,” said Stewart. She believes that the Black Lives Matter movement is not a political, partisan or religious issue, but a humanity issue. “I hope that this time is a watershed moment for our
I want to let the marginalized groups of people know that our community supports them and that their voices will no longer remain unheard. — Margo Bruguier
country to get this right; it isn’t about Christian views versus non-Christian, it is an issue of humanity,” she said. She hopes that the audience of drivers see this as a necessary movement. “We are not here to dilute the message of Black Lives Matter and make it about something else. In order for all lives to matter, black lives have to matter too,” she said. Sisters High School teacher, Gail Greaney and her family held signs. “I think the time of not doing anything is well passed — it is important that people that were silent now step up,” she said. She expressed that every car honk is another ally in the fight for justice. Greaney also hopes that since it is 2020, and racism is still in communities and around the world, that people can acknowledge the problem and speak up. “I hope all of this at least starts the conversation again, keeping the issue an actual problem, opposed to just focusing on one part of it when something happens; it all becomes cyclical,” she said. Greaney strongly believes in the community figuring out their own role in actually doing something, whether it be demonstrating, documenting, or just having the tough conversations. “Pick one thing or way and do something,” she said.
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hostess,” he explained. They settled in California for a few years, where van der Loon started his Bush Survival Training school. In addition to direct bushcraft experience, van der Loon’s bio states that his certifications and education include STSC survival instructor, WMA wilderness first responder, ASHI wilderness first aid, and MCA advanced fire fighting. He is a kick boxer, hunter, fisherman and diver, and is qualified in advanced sea survival under the British Coastguard. After having a baby, the couple wanted a more rural lifestyle. “We sought out a place that would provide a compromise for myself, what I desire, and my family,” van der Loon said. “My wife wanted a sense of community whereas I’m more introverted. Sisters, we felt, was the perfect size.” Since moving here, he too has become fond of the community. The van der Loons live north of city limits, bordering public lands. “We have everything we need in town,” van der Loon enthused. “It’s a great lifestyle. The access to the outdoor activities is what does it for me. I’m not as off-grid as I’d like — but it’s all on our doorstep.” He enjoys mushroom foraging, hunting, the mountains and getting his son out in nature (see story, page 31). Learn more about Joel van der Loon at www.bushsurvival training.com. Info about Alone is available at www. history.com/shows/alone. “It’s going to be a great season,” said his wife, Leah van der Loon. “We hope our community will be stoked to see one of its locals out there!”
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“We loved working with Sheila Reifschneider as our realtor in the recent sale of our property in Sisters. Ivan and I were impressed with her friendliness, professionalism, honesty and knowledge of the local market. Sheila’s ideas as to what would successfully sell our house were spot on! One of her ideas was to provide a video, thinking our home would video well. It worked! Our house sold in one day without the buyer seeing the house in person. Sheila was always one step ahead of what needed to be done and so organized. She made it easy for us to put our faith, confidence, and trust in her ability to sell our beloved Sisters home. We highly recommend Sheila for any realtor needs. She truly had our best interests at heart throughout the process. Highest regards Sheila!” — Ivan and Gena B. WE HAVE BUYERS, NOT ENOUGH INVENTORY! Call me to list your home today!
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
31
Survival show competitor raises his son in Sisters Country By T. Lee Brown Correspondent
Survival skills educator and television show contestant Joel van der Loon moved to Sisters Country with his family a couple years back. Access to the outdoors combined with a sense of community drew them here to raise their son, Talon, now three years old. Though Sisters School District offers little outdoor or nature-based education for younger children, the van der Loons found area schools “very attractive, especially with their outdoor programs,” such as the high school’s Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition course. The formative years of childhood are ideal for connecting with nature and learning survival skills. Van der Loon wants that for his son. His own youth in Africa was full of such adventures. His father was a fishing boat captain in Tanzania, in East Africa. He bought a “patch of wild land” with the village chief’s blessing, then employed indigenous Masai people, traditional nomadic herders, to “keep an eye out for wildlife and illegal trappers on the property,” said van der Loon. “We had lions, hyenas, dangerous snakes, baboons.” They built a house and dug a well, then mostly used solar and wind power. Van der Loon, who lived parttime in South Africa with his mother, moved to his father’s land full-time when he turned 18. “It was unbelievable,” he said. “Rural African coast, remote bush, lions, hyena, all the different wildlife.” He relished catching snakes, hunting wild boar, growing fruit trees, and raising chickens. “It was kind of like a homestead,” he explained. “We learned how to be resourceful. Something’s broken out there, you learn to fix it. There’s no Home Depot.” The Masai “were very, very in tune with the natural world,” said van der Loon. “To have them overseeing it
made sense. As a kid I was fascinated with the Masai. They would take me hunting, tracking with them, tell me stories about their culture. It really influenced my passion in the primitive skills, native skills. I was lucky, very lucky.” Note: the complexity of African colonial and racial history is beyond the scope of this article. A recent solo survival adventure brought van der Loon to the Arctic for many days, as a participant in the History Channel TV show “Alone” (see related story, page 3). He said of his time there, “I had such a big realization into how we should be living as human beings. I feel we have strayed very, very far from how we want to be subconsciously. I had a personal revelation. More simplicity, less distraction, maintaining a connection with the plants and animals, being a good steward for them, is really important for me to do.” He felt stimulated by living off the land, providing for himself, and “having the time to really get introspectively deep, not having any distraction to pull me out of it.” Similar trips he’s taken in the past only involved 2–10 days of solo time. “It takes a couple weeks to break through to that different state of consciousness,” van der Loon said. “My senses were heightened.” He felt strongly that modern life is filled with too much distraction. “I don’t believe our human brains are built for that,” he said. Researchers would agree. Studies in recent years have found that pervasive technology and distraction are having harmful effects on brain development, physical health, and mental wellbeing — especially those of young people. Three-year-old Talon “walks barefoot, shoots a bow-and-arrow, hunts, eats food at times with dirty soil hands so he gets microbes into him.” Van der Loon explained, “He’s a happy child, extremely engaged in
the outdoors. I’m trying to influence him but not pressure him. I feel like so many kids [at that age] gravitate towards running around, digging in the dirt.” Unfortunately, they’re often corralled indoors by well-intentioned parents and teachers. Some are worried about lawsuits. Others focus on germs. However, current research shows that children exposed to more microbes — such as those found in soil and on farms and even in daycare socializing — grow up healthier, with fewer serious autoimmune disorders and everyday allergies. Some parents and educators avoid nature education because they themselves lack experience. They might not have outdoor skills or feel comfortable around insects. Talon van der Loon won’t have to worry about that. “Talon can identify rabbit tracks, deer tracks, elk tracks, a handful of different medicinal plants in the area,” his father said proudly. “I’m trying to keep old skills alive because I feel like that’s what strengthens our connection to our natural world,” he said. Van der Loon believes this connection affects how humans treat our environment. “A person that can step out into nature and feel at home, as opposed to feeling home within concrete walls, will definitely feel inclined to protect it — protect the wildlife, protect the natural resources,” said van der Loon. Research supports this stewardship idea. Spending time in nature as a child has been linked to higher environmental awareness and activism as an adult. Research also shows consistently that time spent in nature and the outdoors improves outcomes for all age groups. It is especially important for children and teens, who are currently battling an epidemic of increased anxiety, depression, and suicide. “Hiking, gazing to the outdoors, making a deeper level of connection… understanding tracking, bird language, the plants, what they offer us
PHOTO PROVIDED
Three-year-old Talon van der Loon learns archery and gets his recommended daily allowance of muddy microbes in Sisters Country. for food and medicine,” van der Loon said. “How to make fire by picking up sticks and rubbing them together… These things inspire connection with our ancestors, with
the earth.” Such a strong connection goes beyond merely surviving. Alone in the Arctic, said van der Loon, “I felt more alive than I have ever felt.”
RESIDENTIAL FARM & RANCH PATTY CORDONI
541.771.0931 patty.cordoni@cascadesir.com Principal Broker Residential Sales, Farm and Ranch Division CascadeSothebysRealty.com | Each office independently owned and operated.
GLAZE MEADOW 417 • $1,500,000 • mls 220101513 Ultimate entertainer’s home with custom kitchen and mountain views.
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GLAZE MEADOW 412 • $750,000 • mls 220101523 Large private corner lot with filtered views of Black Butte.
Exclusive Onsite Realtor for the Ranch Don Bowler, President and Broker 971-244-3012 Gary Yoder, Managing Principal Broker 541-420-6708 Ross Kennedy, Principal Broker 541-408-1343 Carol Dye, Broker 541-480-0923 | Joe Dye, Broker 541-595-2604 Corrie Lake, Broker 541-521-2392 PHOTO PROVIDED
Joel van der Loon learned survival skills from indigenous peoples in Africa during his youth. He continued as an adult, learning from Masai, Hadzabe, and Rama tribespeople.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Greg Davidge 808-281-2676 Broker
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