The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLIII No. 52 // 2020-12-23 by Nugget Newspaper

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The Nugget Vol. XLIII No. 52

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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon Wednesday, December 23, 2020 Wednesday

s y a d i l o H Happy aper —

TLETT

PHOTO BY BILL BAR

p s w e N t e g g u N e h T — from

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

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Editorial…

Follow the science The arrival of COVID-19 vaccine in Central Oregon marks a historic moment in a public health crisis that has roiled the world, killing more than 317,000 Americans and disrupting the lives and livelihoods of millions more. The swift development of a vaccine that is considered to be extraordinarily effective against the notoriously elusive coronavirus is a triumph of science — but it doesn’t get us out of the woods just yet. It’s going to take a while for vaccines to get far enough out into communities to quell the pandemic. To steal a phrase from Winston Churchill, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” We still have months to go to navigate this pandemic. Throughout, we have often been exhorted to “follow the science” in our response. It’s a snappy hashtag, but things aren’t quite so simple. Science doesn’t tell us how to balance tradeoffs between public health protection and economic damage, between safety and liberty. That balance is up to policy-makers to achieve — and it’s a tough job. As the science evolves — as we learn more about how COVID-19 spreads — policymakers must adapt if their policies are to be effective rather than merely symbolic or performative. Ideally, policies would be modified so that they attack the spread surgically, with a scalpel instead of a cleaver. Solid studies and the reporting of public health agencies make it clear that gyms that observe strict protocols for physical distancing,

masking, ventilation, and sanitation are not a significant vector for COVID-19 spread. Gym owners are right to urge Governor Kate Brown to reassess the restrictions that have shuttered clubs. They are right to note that there are very significant negative impacts to the health and well-being of the public when people are constrained from accessing beneficial exercise. They are right to argue that their model could point the way for maintaining activity while responsibly managing COVID-19 safety. Following the science should mean taking a hard look at whether shuttering gyms, entirely prohibiting indoor dining and keeping schools closed is actually effective and necessary. Good policy-making should question whether the discernible safety benefits outweigh the substantial social and economic costs. Following the science also puts the burden of slowing the spread of COVID-19 squarely upon our own shoulders. The data shows clearly that the main source of COVID-19 spread in this deadly fall-winter wave of the pandemic is from small, indoor gatherings — from family-and-friends get-togethers. The government should not be regulating who we have in our homes — and trying to do so is likely to generate reflexive resistance, making such efforts counterproductive. As always, though, demanding respect for our liberties also entails taking individual responsibility and self-governing without threat of law. We know how this disease spreads and we each are responsible for acting accordingly. Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

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.

Editor’s note: There will be no letters to the Editor in the forthcoming December 30 “Year in Review” edition. Letters to the Editor will resume in the January 6 edition. Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

To the Editor: I have had the pleasure of living next to the Peterson Trail for 15 years, and walk those trails with my dogs many times a week. However, I have seen it transition into a haven for homeless camps in the last five years or so. Currently within a one-mile range of

Sisters, there are at least four camps, and two camps are within 20 feet of the trail along Tin Can Alley, and the other just south of the new 5A junction. The Sisters Trail Alliance has worked hard to develop these trails for the residents of Sisters, hikers as well as bicyclists. Many from out of town use these trails when they visit Sisters. I have tried repeatedly to get the Sisters Forest Service involved in trying to get these people to relocate their camps. I feel the Deschutes Forest is big enough, that we do not need to trash our trail systems. Nor should we risk the safety of the young women that love to run on these trails. See LETTERS on page 14

The Nugget Newspaper, LLC Website: www.nuggetnews.com 442 E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, Oregon 97759 Tel: 541-549-9941 | Email: editor@nuggetnews.com Postmaster: Send address changes to The Nugget Newspaper, P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759. Third Class Postage Paid at Sisters, Oregon.

Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius Production Manager: Leith Easterling Creative Director: Jess Draper

Vaccine is critical to ending pandemic By Mitchell Luftig Columnist

Like everyone else, early in the pandemic I was terrified of the “novel corona virus” as it hopscotched across the U.S. leaving bodies in its wake. The fact that so little was known at that time about how the virus was spread helped to fuel my panic. Someone emailed me what was reported to be the minutes of a Stanford University board of directors meeting in which facts and recommendations about the novel coronavirus were shared. I learned from these minutes that by simply holding my breath for 10 seconds and observing any tightening in my chest I could tell whether I had been infected with COVID- 19. However, after sharing this information with friends I learned that the Stanford University “minutes” were entirely fake. According to an expert on the spread of misinformation who was interviewed on NPR, one reason that people like me unwittingly spread misinformation is that in our desire to allay others’ fears about something like the novel coronavirus we fail to take the critical step of checking the reliability of information before we pass it along. In JK Wells letter to the editor of December 16, I believe that he made the same mistake that I did by passing along information without first checking out its reliability. For instance, in his letter Mr. Wells made the following statement: “What if former Pfizer vice-president and chief scientific advisor Michael Yeadon, Ph.D., said ‘there is absolutely no need for vaccines to extinguish the pandemic. I’ve never heard such nonsense, you

don’t vaccinate people who aren’t at risk from a disease and you don’t set about planning to vaccinate millions of fit and healthy people with a vaccine that hasn’t been extensively tested on human subjects.’” As recently as November 30, the Associated Press weighed in on the accuracy of this information. CLAIM: The COVID-19 pandemic is ‘effectively over’ and there’s no need for vaccines. AP’S ASSESSMENT: false. The “claim, made in an article by a former employee at the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, ignores that large numbers of people continue to fall ill and die from the coronavirus in many parts of the world. The United Kingdom, which is the subject of the article, saw a surge in coronavirus cases this fall and exceeded 50,000 coronavirus-related deaths earlier this month. Experts say coronavirus vaccines will be powerful tools to help prevent millions of people from contracting the virus.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Immunization with a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is a critical component of the United States strategy to reduce COVID19-related illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths and to help restore societal functioning. The goal of the U.S. government is to have enough COVID-19 vaccine for all people in the United States who wish to be vaccinated.” The takeaway is that we all bear the responsibility to check the reliability of information before we pass it along, especially in regards to the COVID-19 vaccine, a critical component to ending the pandemic, according to the CDC.

Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.

Sisters Weather Forecast

Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Mostly Sunny

Showers

41/24

44/28

41/32

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Rain/Snow Showers

Partly Cloudy

42/25

40/24

37/24

Community Marketing Partner: Vicki Curlett Classifieds & Circulation: Lisa May Owner: J. Louis Mullen

The Nugget is mailed to residents within the Sisters School District; subscriptions are available outside delivery area. Third-class postage: one year, $55; six months (or less), $30. First-class postage: one year, $95; six months, $65. Published Weekly. ©2020 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All advertising which appears in The Nugget is the property of The Nugget and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. assumes no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements, articles, stories, lists, calendar etc. within this publication. All submissions to The Nugget Newspaper will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and subject to The Nugget Newspaper’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially, that all rights are currently available, and that the material in no way infringes upon the rights of any person. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photos, or manuscripts.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

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OAS opens registration for WINTER SPORTS

SHS graduate honored by university By Ceili Cornelius Correspondent

PHOTO COURTESY OAS

Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) will be in action at Hoodoo this winter. Registration is now open for winter sports at Bendbased nonprofit organization, Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS). Offering individually tailored lessons for each athlete, OAS has winter-sports programs at Mt. Bachelor, Hoodoo and throughout Central Oregon. These programs are open for youth, veterans and community members with disabilities. Mt. Bachelor programs open December 21, and run through March 28, 2021. Hoodoo programs open Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays starting January 14, 2021 and will run through March 14, 2021. In

addition to downhill alpine skiing, OAS is also offering cross-country skiing and snowshoeing Wednesdays through Mondays in Central Oregon and at Hoodoo on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Registration forms and more information, including OAS specific operating adjustments due to COVID19, are available on the OAS website at www.oregon adaptivesports.org. Each lesson includes all necessary equipment (rentals or adaptive equipment), a lift ticket and a trained instructor. The OAS staff of certified adaptive instructors provide lessons for monoskiers, bi-skiers, 2-track,

3-track, 4-track skiers, alpine, Nordic skiing, snowboarding and guiding skiers with visual impairments. Each lesson is individually crafted to fit the needs and goals of the participant. This year, fees have been dramatically reduced and all athletes will benefit from a universal scholarship program. New athletes, who have not participated in winter sports with OAS previously, are eligible for a “First Turns” scholarship covering the cost for the first three days of experiences with OAS during the 2020/21 winter season. Individual scholarships for See SPORTS on page 16

Michaela Tucker (formerly Miller) graduated from Sisters High School in 2016. Since then, she has completed her Bachelor of Health Science’s Degree at California Baptist University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude in the spring of 2020, not only with a health science degree, but also an Outstanding Student Award recognition. California Baptist University awards this outstanding student based on GPA, as well as involvement in the university and community and, as a Christian university, demonstrating

Christ-like principles. Tucker received the award at the end of her tenure at university this past spring. “It was nice to get the recognition from the faculty and staff of the university because I respect them, it was nice to know that they thought highly of me,” said Tucker. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was unable to receive the award at an inperson graduation, so she was presented the award during the Thanksgiving weekend. Tucker is now in an accelerated nursing program to get her license to practice as a registered nurse. She is one semester into the program See GRADUATE on page 23

Elementary school will continue in-person By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Sisters Elementary School will be allowed to remain open for “hybrid” learning under the state’s “Safe Harbor” clause, which was extended following an announcement late December 16 from the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority. The “Safe Harbor” status had been set to expire January 4, 2021. ODE expects to

publish updated information in the “Safe Schools, Ready Learners” program, including regarding “Safe Harbor” in the next two weeks. However, superintendent Curt Scholl emphasized that students at Sisters Elementary will take a week of Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) the week of January 4, with a plan to return to the “in-person hybrid” model beginning See ELEMENTARY on page 21

As the pandemic continues to affect gatherings, please contact individual organizations for current meeting status

SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR Council on Aging of Central Oregon Senior Lunch Tuesdays, noon, Sisters Community Church. 541-480-1843. Al-Anon Mon., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. / Thurs., 10 a.m., East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’ Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061. 541-610-7383. Friends of the Sisters Library Board Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs. & of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 11 a.m., Sun., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Sisters Library.www.sistersfol.com. Transfiguration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal Go Fish Fishing Group 3rd Monday, Church of the Transfiguration / Mon., 7 p.m. Sisters Community Church. All 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran ages welcome. 541-771-2211. Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Heartwarmers (fleece blanketmakers) 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Sisters City Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Hall. Materials provided. 541-408-8505. Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs., Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran 4 p.m. 541-549-1028 or 541-719-1230. Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri., Citizens4Community, Let’s Talk noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran 3rd Monday, 5:30 to 8 p.m. RSVP at Church. 541-548-0440. citizens4community.com Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver Military Parents of Sisters Meetings Support Group 1st Tuesday, noon, are held quarterly; please call for details. 541-388-9013. SPRD bldg. 800-272-3900. Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters Black Butte Ranch Bridge Club Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m., BBR community Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., room. Partner required. 541-595-6236. Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-549-6469. SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild & Enrichment) Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. For Saturday meeting dates and to 4 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation location, email: steelefly@msn.com. District. 541-549-2091. Central OR Spinners and Weavers Sisters Aglow Lighthouse Guild One Saturday per month, Jan. 4th Saturday, 10 a.m., Ponderosa Lodge thru Oct. For schedule: 541-639-3217. Meeting Room. 503-930-6158.

BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS

Sisters Area Photography Club 2nd Wednesday, 4 p.m., meeting by Zoom. 541-549-6157.

Sisters Speak Life Cancer Support Group 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 1 p.m. Suttle Tea. 503-819-1723.

Sisters Area Woodworkers 1st Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-639-6216.

Sisters Trails Alliance Board 1st Monday, 5 p.m. Sisters Library. Public welcome. 808-281-2681.

Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846.

Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123. Sisters Bridge Club In-person gathering suspended until further notice. Three Sisters Irrigation District For free online bridge info, Board of Directors 1st Tuesday, call Barbara 541-914-6322. 4 p.m., TSID Office. 541-549-8815. Sisters Caregiver Support Group 3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., The Lodge in Sisters. 541-771-3258.

Three Sisters Lions Club 2nd Tuesday, noon, Ray’s Food Place community room. 541-419-1279.

Sisters Cribbage Club Please call for details. 541-923-1632.

VFW Post 8138 and American Legion Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-903-1123.

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.

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, 3:45 p.m., Black Butte School. 541-595-6203.

Sisters Parkinson’s Support Group Meeting by Zoom. 541-668-6599.

Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wed. monthly, SSD Admin Bldg. See schedule online at www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.

Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday. Location information: 541-279-1977. Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Thursdays, Noon, Aspen Lakes. 541-760-5645.

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

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

School choirs perform in virtual concerts

Vision team welcomed new members By Janel Ruehl and Emme Shupe Correspondents

The Sisters Middle and High School Choirs wish Sisters a happy holiday season — and they want to be a part of it. This year due to COVID19, the choirs aren’t able to get together and perform the Holiday Showcase or Holiday Singing Grams for the community. “We are really going to miss performing in-person for you, but as everyone else has done during this troublesome year, we are going to adapt,” said Choir Director Rick Johnson. In place of the holiday performances this season, the choirs offer a three-song Virtual Holiday Concert through the following links: 7th and 8th Grade Choir: The Christmas Song https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8BVvq4b4ZvQ. Concert Choir: I’ll Be Home for Christmas https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UcBio6juK8c. Jazz Choir: Silent Night https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ZxUs9Thfrbg. “This concert is our gift to you,” Johnson said. “If, however, you would like to make a donation to the Sisters Middle School and High School Choir programs, then you may send cash or check (made out to “Sisters High School Choir” or “Sisters Middle School Choir”) to the school office: Sisters Choir Program, Sisters High School, 1700 McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters, OR 97759.

We are really going to miss performing in-person for you, but as everyone else has done...we are going to adapt. — Rick Johnson.

Celebrate the

Since July 2019, the Vision Implementation Team (VIT) has been meeting regularly to guide progress on the Sisters Country Vision. The VIT is thrilled to welcome three new community members to the team: Hattie Tehan, Dennis Schimidling, and Bob Bryant. Each brings a different background, skill set, and passion to the Vision project. The VIT is also excited to announce the funding of their first Community Partner Grant, awarded to AFSC (Age Friendly Sisters Country) to support volunteer capacity for their Tollgate Village and STARS Transportation projects. Funding is still available, and the application is simple! Visit www.sistersvision. org to learn more and apply. Hattie Tehan has deep roots in Sisters Country, recently returning to her hometown from a short stint in Idaho. Trained as a teacher, with a dual major in Social Justice Education and Spanish, Hattie has worked in PK-12 school settings, and spent nearly a decade working in outdoor leadership — all before turning 30! Hattie will serve in the Youth Seat on the VIT this year. She describes herself as a “forever optimist” and is passionate about engaging more community members, particularly youth and young adults in Sisters Country, in the Vision project this year. “I believe that I can

retiree from a long career in public service. Following 35 years at ODOT, Bob has spent the past two years as a volunteer on the Habitat for Humanity construction team, helping to build affordable housing in Sisters Country. He also serves on the Regional Public Transportation Advisory Committee. While at ODOT, Bob was responsible for the public input processes for two seminal transportation projects in Sisters: the Barclay Roundabout and the Cascade Avenue Improvement Project. “I’m a strong advocate for an open public process, engaging stakeholders in planning and decision making that affects their community,” says Bryant. As a member of the VIT this year, he is passionate about many of the Livable Sisters strategies, including improved walkability and alternative transportation options. The VIT is also thrilled to announce the award of their first Community Partner Grant. Up to $1,500 is available for organizations, businesses, or individuals in Sisters Country who are actively working toward

completion of a Vision Strategy, or who would like to start work on a Vision Strategy. The application is simple and can be found at www.sistersvision.org. If you have questions, use the “contact us” link on the website to easily email the vision coordinator. In November, the VIT awarded $1,350 to AFSC to cover the costs of background checks for their volunteers. The Sisters Transportation and Ride Share Service (STARS) was formed by AFSC in 2019 to offer free transportation to non-emergency medical appointments for those who can’t drive. The Tollgate Village project is designed to address the health risks posed by social isolation. Both of these services rely exclusively on a network of dedicated volunteers. Providing free background checks to new and existing volunteers will ensure the safety of the vulnerable populations who access these services. To learn more about the Sisters Country Vision, visit www.sistersvision.org. To learn more about the work of AFSC, visit www. agefriendlysisters.com.

HOLIDAY DEADLINES

The Nugget will be closed Fri., Dec. 25 through Fri., Jan. 1 (Don’t worry, you’ll still get your Nugget!)

Merry Christmas! Thank you for making 2020 bright. Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-4 p.m.

541-588-0311

201 E. Sun Ranch Dr.

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connect with and represent not only the young adults of Sisters, many of whom have recently rejoined our community after living in other states and countries, but all community members no matter their beliefs and visions. Young energy, dedication, and vision are paramount to any team,” Tehan shared. Dennis Schmidling is also a longtime Sisters Country resident, and the cofounder of the Sisters Arts Association (SAA) and the Hood Avenue Arts District. Dennis and the SAA members have already been working with the City of Sisters on an expanded public art program, one of the original projects included in the Vision Action Plan. Dennis will serve as the first Arts & Culture Seat on the VIT this year. He is passionate about connecting more artists and arts organizations to the Vision, and he brings a wealth of skills in grant-writing, business development, and arts and cultural education. He’s looking forward to lending his “expertise, skill, experience and time to help advance the Vision.” Bob Bryant, the new Community at-large member of the VIT, is a fairly recent

Traditional 4 & 6 p.m.

541-548-4161 | www.hbcredmond.org

EARLY DEADLINES: Issue of December 30 Display advertising ............................................Tues., Dec. 22 at noon Announcements & Events ............................Thurs., Dec. 24 at noon Classifieds...............................................................Thurs., Dec. 24 at noon Letters to the Editor & Obituaries ............Not running this issue Issue of January 6 Display advertising ............................................Tues., Dec. 22 at noon Announcements & Events ............................Thurs., Dec. 24 at noon Classifieds...............................................................Mon., Jan. 4 at noon Letters to the Editor & Obituaries ............Mon., Jan. 4 at 10 a.m.

OFFICE PHONE 541-549-9941 News & Letters to the Editor: Jim Cornelius, 541-390-6973 (cell), editor@nuggetnews.com Display Advertising: Vicki Curlett, vicki@nuggetnews.com, 541-699-7530 (cell) Classifieds, Subscriptions, Announcements, Events: Lisa May, lisa@nuggetnews.com

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Stars over Sisters by three vertically spaced dimmer stars. Upon closer inspection though, the middle star doesn’t look quite right, appearing kind of fuzzy. That’s because it isn’t a star at all but a diffuse nebula, the brightest such object visible to the unaided eye in the entire sky. A diffuse nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium, and other ionized gases that serves as a nursery where new stars are born. While the Orion Nebula is the most stunning example of this class of celestial object, many other such nebulae are found in this part of the sky, including the Horsehead and Flame Nebulae, Barnard’s Loop, and M78, all part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. To find Orion, venture out into a clear, moonless night away from nearby lights, fortified, perhaps by a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and look southeastward in the early evening. By about 10 p.m. he stands directly above the southern horizon. According to a Greek myth, Orion boasted that he was the greatest hunter in the world. This angered Hera, Zeus’ wife, so she had a scorpion kill him. In pity, Zeus put Orion into the sky, along with his faithful hunting dogs Canis Major and

By Olivia Newton Columnist

On New Year’s Eve the world will bid goodbye (and good riddance) to a very difficult year that saw a pandemic sicken and kill millions of people across the globe. And here in this country, extreme civil and political unrest made things even worse. But we will also ring in a brandnew year, one in which we all hope events will unfold that will bring COVID under control, restoring a greater sense of normalcy to our lives. To symbolize this earnest optimism, the featured constellation for the first month of 2021 is none other than majestic Orion. When it comes to brilliance and beauty, the celestial Hunter tops nearly everyone’s constellation list. Seven highly luminous stars form a distinct hourglass shape that simply can’t be overlooked. Rigel, a bluish-white supergiant which marks Orion’s left knee, and Betelgeuse, a red giant that denotes his right shoulder, are the brightest of these stellar beacons. One of the most eyecatching features of the constellation is the Hunter’s belt, comprised of three evenly spaced second magnitude stars arranged in nearly a straight line. Below the belt hangs his sword, symbolized

Canis Minor. The scorpion (Scorpius) was also placed in the sky, but well away from Orion. The Quadrantids meteor shower is forecasted to peak at around 6:30 a.m. on January 3. This shower is sometimes capable of producing up to 120 meteors per hour on a dark night. Unfortunately, this year light from a waning gibbous moon will likely keep the count much lower. For those willing to brave the cold temperatures of clear predawn January morning, the meteors will appear to radiate from a point in the sky north of the kite-shaped constellation of Boötes (nearly overhead). The source of the meteors is debris shed from Comet 96P/ Machholz. Since their conjunction on December 21, the fastermoving Jupiter has passed up Saturn as both planets plod their way eastward across the sky. They are still visible low in the southwest about half an hour after sunset. On January 13 they will be joined by Mercury, leaving Venus as the only visible planet in the morning sky. Mars is still an evening object, standing high in the southern sky at dusk all month. On its continuing trek eastward, the Red Planet will move against the background stars from Pisces into Aries. On January 13, the moon

PHOTO COURTESY NASA

The Great Orion Nebula is the brightest diffuse nebula in the sky, easily visible to the unaided eye. and sun will be located on the same side of the sky from Earth, resulting in a new moon which will not be visible in the night sky. Fifteen

days later the moon will position itself on the opposite side of the sky from the sun giving rise to the Full Wolf Moon.

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Debbie Dyer 541-480-1650 GRI, Broker

Greg Davidge 808-281-2676 Broker

Jackie Herring 541-480-3157 Broker

Guy Lauziere 541-410-9241 Broker

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Tandy featured in 2020 photo book By: Ceili Cornelius Correspondent

Grant Tandy, formerly of Sisters and now living in Bend, is the manager at the Worthy Brewing Company “Hopservatory” in Bend. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hopservatory has not been able to run as usual, so Tandy has been honing his astrophotography and nature photography skills. Tandy is one of many local photographers featured in a new coffee table book, titled “Ineffable.” Ineffable is a community photo book for 2020 – ineffable meaning “not expressible; incapable of being uttered or described in words.” All proceeds go to Pledge for the Wild and the Deschutes Trails Coalition, organizations working to preserve the wild places around Central Oregon. The organization Visit Bend made the book possible. The contents of the book were chosen by a photo selection jury of eight locals, prominent in the community. The project was managed by professional photographer Rich Bacon. After graduating from

PHOTO PROVIDED

Grant Tandy’s photographs are featured in the new book “Ineffable.” Proceeds benefit Pledge for the Wild and the Deschutes Trails Coalition.

Sisters High School in 2011, Tandy attended Central Oregon Community College, where his fascination with the night sky and stargazing began. Tandy took classes with Bob Grossfeld, who got him a job at the Oregon Observatory where he learned about telescopes and began shooting astrophotographs of stars and the night sky. “I try to capture and share views that people don’t normally see,” said Tandy. Tandy found a niche — dark sky photography — that is unique and stands out. “I want to see how far I can go with it,” said Tandy. Tandy’s big goal is to capture night sky views around the world and travel with his photography. The pandemic made that difficult this year, but Tandy still plans to travel. “I want to capture different communities under night skies and show the world different views,” he said. Over the summer, Tandy was able to run the telescope up in the Hopservatory with groups of five or fewer from June until November when tighter restrictions were put into place. Therefore, his creative drives shifted, and he went out and decided to capture everything that was going on this year. “I wanted to capture the important things of this year, the fires, the pandemic, protests, etc.,” he said. Tandy’s creative process for shooting astrophotos entails a drive out to the woods to spots that he has known since growing up in Central Oregon. “I drive out and scout out cool spots and take note and come back and shoot it,” he said. Tandy usually photographs east of Bend and out near Sisters where the skies are the clearest and there isn’t any light pollution. Rich Bacon, the

manager of the creation of the “Ineffable” book, reached out to Tandy personally to submit 12 interesting images for the book that captured aspects of 2020. Tandy is amongst 30 other local photographers that submitted photos for the book. Tandy’s photos include images of the C/2020 F3 (Neowise) comet that was prominent in the Central Oregon sky this summer, as well as images of the devastation of wildfires and also images of the pandemic in the Central Oregon area. “I was happy to be a part of a larger group of photographers. Everyone involved in the book focused on presenting this year in a captivating way,” said Tandy. “It is sort of a time capsule for everyone to remember 2020 and look back at the photos and remember all that happened.” Tandy plans to continue his photography and astronomy work. He strives to do more work in the Northern regions of the world, especially the regions that are most affected by climate change. “I think capturing those areas is important given how much those glaciers and areas are changing,” he said. Tandy is also working with

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Grant Tandy has been emphasizing his photography work during the pandemic. the International Dark Sky Star Organization — Oregon Chapter, putting light meters around Central Oregon to measure where the light pollution is high, in order to find out how each area compares. “We hope to eventually expand the network to all of Oregon and get a better idea of what light pollution is and make things more dark-sky approved. Light pollution is the easiest form of pollution to fix, but it has to be thought about at the start and be smarter with city building in the first place,” said Tandy.

Tandy is selling his own photography prints through his Instagram, tandytimes. “Ineffable” is available at a number of Bend businesses including Cascade Cottons, Outside In, Gear Fix, Mountain Supply, Old Mill Ticket Mill, Crows Feet, Latitude 44, Hub Cyclery, Tumalo Kayak, Spoken Moto, Wanderlust Tours, Thump Coffee (both locations) and Backporch Coffee Roasters. There is a $15 suggested donation for the book. Donate at www.visitbend. com/ineffable/.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Economist: Impacts of COVID-19 create ‘Bizarro World’ By Sue Stafford Correspondent

The recession accompanying the current COVID19 pandemic here in Central Oregon is unusual in a number of ways, according to Damon Runberg, regional economist for the Oregon Employment Department. Runberg offered a presentation entitled “Into Bizarro World” at the December 9 City Council workshop. Runberg’s comparison of the 2008-09 Great Recession and the 2020 recession, which he calls the Great Lockdown, highlighted two totally different patterns, with the Great Recession including the bursting of the housing bubble in Central Oregon. There were two years of job losses, staying at the bottom for months, with essentially two years of recovery. According to Runberg, most recessions don’t look or feel like the last nine or 10 months as experienced here in Central Oregon. Instead of sitting at the bottom of a U-shaped curve for a long time, the economy this time has resembled a V-shape, with Deschutes County registering a 17.7 percent job loss in the one month of April 2020, rapidly recovering starting in June, and leveling off some in October. “A COVID surge and public-health restrictions will likely lead to a moderate W-shaped recovery,” said Runberg. “We’re going to see losses again, but the backsliding won’t be down to what we saw before, not even close.” He estimated roughly 50,000 jobs would be susceptible to temporary layoff due to another freeze and “extreme risk” public health designations. In the Great Recession, the most impacted industry was construction, because of the deflated housing bubble. In 2020, construction is the least impacted industry. In 200809, the least impacted sector

was leisure and hospitality and in 2020 it is the most impacted. In most recessions, male employees are more impacted by unemployment, but in 2020 the heaviest impact has been on women. There is a high concentration of women in fields hard hit by shutdowns, including healthcare and food prep. School closures have necessitated more women stay home to care for and teach children. The burden has fallen on more women to care for those who are sick at home as well. Runberg pointed out that preceding the Great Lockdown here in Central Oregon there was no structural weakness in our economy. People wanted to live here. Businesses were thriving. “The rapid drop in the economy was simply a result of the pandemic shock, not a reflection of an underlying weakness in our local economy or even our national economy. That lack of prior weakness explains the robustness of the recovery,” he said. Because of heavy reliance on tourism, Sunriver and Sisters were the hardest-hit towns in Deschutes County. Sunriver led the decline in jobs with a loss of 35.6 percent, followed by Sisters at 17.2 percent, Bend 13.0 percent, La Pine 8.7 percent, and Redmond with the least at 6.6 percent. In Sisters that equates to 390 jobs lost in April 2020, or one-in-five jobs shed through June, compared to last year. After June and into the fall there has been good recovery, with jobs down by only 10 percent year over year. Sisters unemployment numbers are generally one percent higher than the county. Of the 390 jobs lost in Sisters, the vast majority, or 175, were in the accommodations/food services sector, 59 in retail, and 57 in arts and entertainment. Those areas were specifically targeted

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The rapid drop in the economy was simply a result of the pandemic shock, not a reflection of an underlying weakness in our local economy or even our national economy. — Damon Runberg in the stay-at-home orders. Non-essential healthcare and social assistance lost 38 jobs, but have mostly rebounded while other services lost 26 jobs. Several sectors actually showed growth including manufacturing, which is becoming increasingly important in Sisters. The number of construction jobs also grew. The technical/professional sector grew due to those who have the ability to work from home. Businesses in Sisters were more impacted than the individual employees who live in Sisters and work here or elsewhere. In April, 223 residents of Sisters were unemployed, but 390 Sisters jobs disappeared. People commute into Sisters to work, so those 390 jobs lost reflect employees both from Sisters and outside of Sisters. Through October 2020, only 84 Sisters residents were unemployed. People who can least afford to be laid off have been the hardest hit by the Great Lockdown. As of October 2020, layoffs due to the freeze have disproportionately impacted lower-wage workers. “The trajectory of the recovery has been impressive,” Runberg opined, “but the rise in permanent layoffs is concerning.” The more permanent job losses there are, the longer the recovery will take. If someone is only temporarily laid off, they can immediately return to work when called. If a person is permanently

laid off, it takes time to apply and interview to find another job, do background checks, and actually begin receiving a paycheck. The Deschutes County housing market in the third quarter of 2020 reflected the skyrocketing sales prices of the few homes on the market. According to Runberg, recently there were only 18 houses in Deschutes County listed for sale below a halfmillion dollars. Sales prices rose 9.9 percent in the third quarter over the second quarter. The home value index only rose 5.2 percent, which is a modest amount for Central Oregon. The low supply/high demand for housing is due not only to the influx of people into Central Oregon, but also people are not leaving Central Oregon at the same

rate as in the past. Normally, some older people retire to the desert southwest, and people leave Central Oregon for work in the big city in order to find better job opportunities. “Because of the Zoom effect, we don’t have people leaving Central Oregon for job opportunities. People aren’t uprooting during the pandemic,” Runberg explained. Runberg’s forecast is for housing to loosen up, with more homes on the market by summer 2021. The economic recovery is closely tied to the course of the public health crisis and the rapid availability of the vaccines. Runberg thinks we are in the worst part of the pandemic right now. “We are sitting on the precipice of turning the corner pretty aggressively,” he said.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

School district waives athletic fees

Volunteers named to city committees

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

In a gesture to help families and to promote participation, the Sisters School District has announced that the pay-to-play fees for middle school and high school sports is being waived for the school year. Superintendent Curt Scholl and high school athletic director Gary Thorson made the announcement last week. Any families who have already paid for upcoming sports seasons will be reimbursed, according to Thorson. “Our ‘Season One’ that took place with limited activity was no charge, so this decision is focused completely on the upcoming seasons,” he said. Thorson said, “We have seen positive results from other school districts that have done the same and Superintendent Scholl made this a priority for our district. The benefits of cocurricular activities are crucial to the development of our students, and this removes a barrier for more participation from both the middle and high schools.” Being able to offer families a financial break during the pandemic also played a part in the decision. “Obviously this year in particular has been hard financially on many families, and the timing of this could not be any better,” said Thorson. “I am very appreciative of Superintendent Scholl and the SSD School Board making this commitment

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG

Cross-country runners like Hayden Roth and Kaleb Briggs will be running “free” this season thanks to pay-to-play fees being waived this year. that will benefit so many in the community. They have shown great leadership during difficult times and we are lucky to have them in the positions they are in.” The move is financially possible for the school district due to the fact that athletic spending has been almost completely nonexistent since virtually no teams have been competing since last March, resulting in budget savings on transportation, facility maintenance, officials and other expenses normally associated with athletics. The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) announced a new athletic calendar that begins in January in the hope that many, if not all, sports will at least be able to have an abbreviated six-week season. The traditional “fall” sports are scheduled to begin February 22, 2021. “Spring” sports will begin April 5, and “winter” sports are set to start May 3.

Middle school sports seasons have not yet been updated, but information and details should be forthcoming in January. Even though the seasons are now topsy-turvy, Thorson hopes that a record number of students will sign up and get involved. “We all know that these kids have been isolated for months, so anything we can do to help them be able to access activities is 100% worth it,” he said. Families can register students for sports via an online portal at www.familyid.com/ sisters-school-district.

Large numbers of local volunteers will help guide Sisters into the future. A record number of volunteers turned out in November to fill positions on City boards and commissions, with terms beginning on January 1, 2021. The interested residents all filled out City applications and participated in Zoom interviews with several City councilors and City staff before the final selections were made. Council President Nancy Connolly told The Nugget, “I believe the people we selected are a fair representation of the community.” She indicated that the large number of applicants was a validation for the council and staff for being open and inclusive. At the December 9 City Council meeting, Mayor C h u c k Ry a n f o r m a l l y appointed the following people to committees and boards:

• Planning Commission: Jeff Seymour, Scot Davidson, and Tom Reis for four-year terms. • Public Works Advisory Board: Dave Moyer, Robert Hatfield, John Herman, Bill Kelly, and Jenn Rambo. Term lengths will be determined at the first meeting. • City Parks Advisory Board: Dixie Eckford and Sarah McDougall to one-year terms; Eli Madrone for threeyear term. • Urban Forestry Board: John Myers, three-year term. • Budget Committee: Susan Cobb, Briana Metzler, and Robin Smith to threeyear terms. One position still open. Going forward, new board members will be appointed every year in January and members whose terms are expiring will go off the board as of December 31. All new appointees will receive training for their positions in board protocols, City requirements, and particular expectations for each board.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

A N N O U N C E M E N T S Christmas Dinner

On Christmas Day, the SistersCamp Sherman RFPD and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Association invite the public to the Annual Sisters Community Christmas Dinner. This year, meals will be available for takeout only and can be collected from the Sisters Fire Station Community Hall located at 301 S. Elm St. between 1 and 3 p.m. Everyone in the community is welcome. For further information and to reserve meals, contact Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD at 541-549-0771, info@sistersfire.com or via the Sisters Fire Facebook page.

Weekly Food Pantry

Wellhouse Church has a weekly food pantry on Thursdays. Food is currently being distributed drive-through style from 12:30 until all food is distributed at the Wellhouse Market 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 Sisters-area churches are joining with Wellhouse Church to contribute both financially and with volunteers to help sustain the program. Info: 541-549-4184.

Deschutes Public Library Curbside Pickup

Sisters Library is offering a new curbside pickup service. Place your books on hold through the library’s website at www. deschuteslibrary.org. When the items are ready for pickup, park in one of the designated parking spaces at the library and text “hold” to the number on the sign. Staff will text back, then deliver your items to your car.

Free Weekly Grab-N-Go Lunches For Seniors

The Council on Aging of Central Oregon is serving seniors (60+) free Grab-N-Go lunches on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays each week. The lunches are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis drivethrough style from 12 to 12:30 p.m. at the Sisters Community Church, 1300 W. Mckenzie Hwy. Seniors may drive through the parking lot and pick up a meal each day of service. Come on by, no need to make a reservation. Info: 541-678-5483.

Antiques & Jewelry Donations Needed

Furry Friends Needs Your Help

Furry Friends Foundation (FFF) needs your support in this time of crisis. During the holiday season, please consider a donation to this vital Sisters-area program. FFF operates two petfood banks, a coat and pet-supply bank and sponsors free spay/ neuters/vaccinations. For more info call 541-797-4023. Mail your donation to PO Box 1175, Sisters, OR 97759 or donate online at www.furryfriendsfoundation.org

Career Funds Available

Applications are available for the Sisters Kiwanis Career Opportunity Fund to help adult residents of Sisters establish an occupational path. Pick up forms at the Kiwanis House, corner of Oak and Main, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays, and during regular hours from the Sisters Habitat for Humanity office. For more information, call 541-410-2870.

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Sisters Kiwanis takes donations of antiques, collectibles and jewelry throughout the year for its annual Antiques, Collections & Jewelry Sponsor an Impoverished Sale, held on Saturday every Child from Uganda Hope Africa International, based in Memorial Day weekend. Your Sisters, has many children awaiting donation is tax-deductible! For sponsorship! For more information more information and to arrange for pickup of large or small items, go to hopeafricakids.org or call please call Pam at 541-719-1049. Katie at 541-719-8727.

Services Christmas Church in in Sisters Sisters Country Country

Christmas Service at Christmas Eve at Sisters Sisters Community Church Church of the Nazarene

All are invited to Sisters Community Church Thursday, December 24 for a Christmas Eve candlelight service at 6 p.m. Please register at www. sisterschurch.com/events. For info call 541-549-1201.

Christmas Services at St. Edward the Martyr

Mass at St. Edward the Martyr Roman Catholic Church for Christmas Eve will be held at 5:30 and 8 p.m.; Christmas Day Mass is scheduled for 9 and 11 a.m. Solemnity of Mary Mass will be at 5:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve and at 10 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Please call 541-549-9391 for reservations. Following all COVID safety requirements.

Join a candlelight Christmas Eve gathering in person or online at sistersnaz.org on Thursday, December 24 at 3 and 5 p.m. All measures will be followed to ensure a safe yet joyful setting. The church is located at 67130 Harrington Loop Rd, off Gist Road. For more info call 541-3898960 or visit sistersnaz.org.

Highland Baptist Church

Both contemporary and traditional Christmas Eve Services will be held at Highland Baptist Church, 3100 SW Highland Ave. in Redmond, on Thursday, December 24 at 4 and 6 p.m. For more information, call 541-548-4161 or go to hbcredmond.org.

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Please call the church before attending to verify current status of services as restrictions are adjusted.

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 Rd. • 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 Rd. • 541-389-8960 | sistersnaz.org 10:45 a.m. Sunday Worship | 2sistersnaz@gmail.com Wellhouse Church 442 Trinity Way • 541-549-4184 | wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com 10 a.m. Sunday Worship (Indoor & Outdoor Venues available) Vast Church (Nondenominational) 541-719-0587 • 5 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Worship at 442 Trinity Way (Wellhouse building). See vastchurch.com for details. Seventh-Day Adventist Church 386 N. Fir St. • 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 • 541-647-9826

‘Know Place’ this January with DPL You are here. Place can be a physical space, but it can also hold cultural significance tied to the past. Gain insight on important places in Oregon’s African American history and our local landscape’s geological past. Get answers on buying your first home and use feng shui principles to create your perfect space. All these Deschutes Public Library (DPL) programs are presented online; follow the links to access. Oregon Battle of the Books: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street — Wednesday, January 6, 3 p.m. As they look forward to the New York City Marathon in which their friend Mr. B. will run, the Vanderbeeker children learn that one of their good friends is homeless. This three-part program includes a live reading of the book, a DIY craft, and chance to discuss the book with others. Suited for grades 2-5. This is a live Zoom event. Preserving Central Oregon’s Dark Skies — Wednesday, January 6, 6 p.m. Learn the importance of dark skies and how to decrease light pollution, and discover Oregon’s first certified Dark Sky Place with the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver. Registration required for this live Zoom event. First-Time Homebuyers Webinar — Wednesday, January 6, 6:30 p.m. Start planning for your dream home as a first-time buyer. Hear from a licensed real estate agent covering the ins-and-outs of home buying, commonly asked questions, home loan options, and more. This is a live Zoom event. Feng Shui: Placement and Balance — Saturday, January 9, 4 p.m. Join Vibrant Spaces designers to create your perfect place incorporating feng shui principles for uplifting energy in your home to make it feel more inviting, peaceful and happy. Registration required for this live Zoom

event. Geology of Central Oregon: The Crooked River Caldera — Tuesday, January 12, 6 p.m. Explore the rich geologic history of our landscape with retired Forest Geologist Carrie Gordon. Rocks tell stories of time passing and climate change, and it is our job to listen. Registration required for this live Zoom event. Botany Meets Biology: The Plight of the Sage Grouse — Thursday, January 14, 6 p.m. Discover the unusual biology of the sage grouse and explore historical events that have led to the deteriorated conditions of plant communities on the High Desert. Join Dr. Stu Garrett as he discusses the decreasing grouse population and threats to its changing vegetation. Registration required for this live Zoom event. Writing about Home with Elizabeth Wetmore — Tuesday, January 19, 6:30 p.m. Native Texan and author of “Valentine,” the bestselling debut set in the oil fields of Texas in the 1970s, discusses the influence of place in her work. This is a live Zoom event. “Placed: An Encyclopedia of Central Oregon” — Saturday, January 23, 2 p.m. Editors Irene Cooper and Ellen Santasiero discuss Placed, a composition of writings based on place and phenomena unique to Central Oregon. Registration required for this live Zoom event. O r e g o n ’s A f r i c a n American History – Monday, January 25, 5 p.m. Delve into the history of African Americans in Oregon with a special emphasis on historic places. Kim Moreland is the vice president of Oregon Black Pioneers, and has over 25 years’ experience in community development and urban planning. For more information visit www.deschuteslibrary.org.

Nature’s paint brush...

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Sisters Country continues to serve up spectacular sunrises and sunsets as the air grows chill.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Fire destroys Sisters home A fire broke out in the wee hours of Sunday, December 20. Firefighters with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District (RFPD) responded to a structure fire early Sunday morning in Sisters. The fire was reported at 2:14 a.m. at 925 E. Ranch Ave. The home is owned and occupied by Janet Pray of Sisters. According to the SistersCamp Sherman RFPD, Pray told firefighters that she was awakened by her dog and found a fire burning on the exterior of her home near the garbage can. “It just shot straight up,” Pray told The Nugget. The fire was extending to the garage and eaves of the home. Pray went next door

and called 911. First arriving firefighters found the garage to be fully engulfed in flames, and the fire had spread to the attic of the home. Firefighters extinguished the fire in the garage and attic, and personnel entered the structure to prevent the flames from extending into the living area. The living area of the home sustained extensive damage from smoke and extreme heat. Twenty firefighters and five fire engines responded to the fire, including firefighters from Cloverdale and Black Butte Ranch Fire Districts. Deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s office and Central Electric also responded to the fire. Firefighters remained on the

scene for three hours. According to the SistersCamp Sherman Fire Department, the cause of the fire appears to be hot ashes discarded into the garbage can. There were no injuries reported. The home is not habitable after the fire, fire officials reported. Pray told The Nugget that she is staying with family. “I’m getting a lot of help right now,” she said. She said she planned to reenter the home soon to “see what is retrievable.” “My immediate needs — I’m pretty darn good right now.” She noted that her dog has five-month-old puppies that need a home.

PHOTO COURTESY SISTERS-CAMP SHERMAN RFPD

Fire destroyed a Sisters home over the weekend.

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Chinook salmon spawn in Columbia River SPOKANE (AP) — For the first time in more than a generation, chinook salmon have spawned in the upper Columbia River system. Colville Tribal biologists counted 36 redds, a gravely nest where female salmon lay eggs, along an 8-mile (12-kilometer) stretch of the Sanpoil River, a tributary of the Columbia, in September, the Spokesman ReviewJournal reported. “I was shocked at first, then I was just overcome with complete joy,” said Crystal Conant, a Colville Tribal member from the Arrow Lakes and SanPoil bands. “I don’t know that I have the right words to even explain the happiness and the healing.” The news is a step toward full reintroduction of the migratory fish and another watershed cultural moment for the region’s tribes. Since the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams were built in the 1950s and 1930s, respectively, salmon have been blocked from returning to spawning beds in the upper Columbia River. For decades, tribal leaders and scientists have dreamed of bringing the fish back to their native beds. Since 2014, the Columbia River tribes have worked on a plan that examines habitat, fish passage and survival among other things. “It’s an exciting project. It’s been rewarding to work on,” said Casey Baldwin, a research scientist for the Colville Tribe. “The longterm process of reintroducing salmon above Chief Joe and Grand Coulee is going to take a long time.” In 2019, about 60 salmon were released above the

Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams in a cultural event. As a continuation of that project, tribal biologists released 100 fish 35 miles up the Sanpoil River in August to see how well they survived. Each fish was outfitted with a PIT tag, a type of passive tracking device. Biologists checked on the hatchery-bred fish

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throughout the summer and in October started noticing that the fish were spreading out and spawning. “Considering they weren’t from the Sanpoil, we were pleasantly surprised with the high rate of survival and the amount of spawning we were able to observe,” Baldwin said. “You never know if the fish are just going to turn around and swim away.”

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Calendar

Things to participate in online while staying safely at home. DEC

28 MON JAN

STAY CONNECTED

1 FRI

JAN

WED

WITH SPRD THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS!

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Deschutes Public Library: Mexican New Year — Traditions and Rituals 4 p.m. Anna (Mendez) Johnson shares some humorous and practical Mexican traditions. Go to www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar/. LifeLoveYoga Zoom class 10 a.m. A sweet-flow yoga class to welcome in the New Year and new intentions. All levels welcome. Go to www.lifeloveyoga.com. Deschutes Public Library: Oregon Battle of the Books 3 p.m. “The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street” will be read live and there will be a DIY craft and discussion of the book for grades 2-5. Three-part program continuing on Wednesdays, January 13 and 20. Go to www.deschuteslibrary.org/kids/programs. Deschutes Public Library: Preserving Central Oregon’s Dark Skies 6 p.m. Learn the importance of dark skies and how to decrease light pollution in this live Zoom presentation. Go to www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar/ to register. Deschutes Public Library: First-Time Homebuyers Webinar 6:30 p.m. Hear from a licensed real estate agent covering the ins-and-outs of home buying in this live Zoom event. Go to www.deschuteslibrary.org/calendar/. Deschutes Public Library: Feng Shui Placement and Balance 4 p.m. Join Vibrant Spaces designers to create your perfect place with feng shui principles in this live Zoom presentation. Registration is required at www. deschuteslibrary.org/calendar/.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

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Paw Prints Jodi Schneider Columnist

Your pet’s DNA Doggie looks can be deceiving. More and more people are turning to DNA tests to learn more about the breed, behavior, and health of their dogs and cats. If your furry friend’s parentage is perplexing, a dog DNA test could reveal its ancestry. DNA testing or profiling came to fame in the 1980s when it was first used to help solve crimes. While DNA testing as we know it was refined between the 1950s and 1980s, there were forms of genetic testing done as early as 1886. As recently as 2017, there was a boom in personalized DNA testing, where it has been used to uncover the ancestry of humans, dogs, and cats. Nine years ago I adopted a 9-month-old white-andtan puppy, Ollie, from

Brightside Animal Center and when I take him out walking or for a visit to Sisters Feed, some people would say he looked like a Jack Russell or maybe he was part bulldog, or he looked like a large Chihuahua. I decided to try to find out more about Ollie’s ancestry. I went online, ordered a DNA kit, swabbed his mouth for saliva, put it in a tube, and mailed it off. A couple of weeks later I received the results. I found out that Ollie is 50 percent rat terrier and that on one side of his family were pure rat terriers and the other side was 25 percent Chihuahua mixed in with another type of large water dog. It all made perfect sense — why he had that “terrier” personality and why he was always chasing the squirrels off the property! If you’re one of the millions of Americans who owns a rescue dog, you may be curious about what breed your best furry friend is. Pet parents across the nation are buying DNA-testing kits to try to figure out their dog’s ancestry. The appeal of these tests is finding out more about the breed that could give owners insights into how to handle their dog’s quirks. It’s about understanding your dog’s behavior: “What makes them tick? Why do they look the way they do? Why do

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon they act the way they do?” The Wisdom Panel, the DNA test made by Mars Petcare, tests for over 350 breeds going back to the great-grandparent level. It examines the DNA from the dog’s cells for thousands of genetic markers and compares it to the company’s large breed database to calculate the “best match” in terms of breed. The test can analyze over 20 genetic traits, and as evidence of its accuracy it can often precisely predict coat color patterns and body traits like ear erectness, leg length and weight. Though it makes a great conversationstarter in the dog park, some experts warn these tests should be taken with a grain of salt, because it’s hard to know how accurate they are. However, the Wisdom Panel claims a 93 percent accuracy rate. They also test for 152 different genetic diseases. Just like with DNA tests for people, you can learn from what region of the world your pet’s ancestors evolved. Many of the DNA tests offer to provide information about genetic risks for potential health problems. This could be helpful for dog owners because some breeds are more susceptible to certain conditions. They might have an increased risk of a bleeding disorder, hip dysplasia, a heart condition or cancer.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

LETTERS

Continued from page 2

As a women, I don’t think you ever get over the nervousness you get when encountering a man while you are alone in the woods. While I have volunteered with the Shepherd’s House in Bend and interacted with many homeless, I have come to know that, while for the most part some of them are ordinary people going through a hard time, there are others I did not feel comfortable with even in a controlled environment. I urge you to contact the Sisters Forest Service 541-549-7700 if this concerns you also. Michelle Baldessari

To the Editor: I want to talk about false liberty. False liberty is when a person thinks that their individual rights take precedent over the rights of everybody else. An example might be smoking cigarettes. Some people thought that they had a right to smoke anywhere they want. It turned out that the facts were that second-hand smoke turned out to be just as dangerous as direct smoke. Did smokers realize that it wasn’t fair to endanger the server at the bar or the other passengers on the plane with their exhalations and hold off on their habit until they could smoke somewhere better? Some did, but many very vocal and persistent people would refuse claiming that their rights were being infringed on. We’ve all seen those people. The same thing was true about seat belts. Some people felt that it was their right to get their head stuffed into the windshield leaving a mess for somebody else to clean up. The same thing was true for wearing motorcycle helmets. Was the right to have the wind blowing through your hair more important then the rights of the emergency responders to not have to clean up your brains off the highway and for your children to not have a daddy anymore? You could say the same thing about guns but I’m not talking about guns today. I’m talking about masks. I promise you that nobody likes dealing with

wearing a mask. Some of us, however, understand that the facts say that wearing one lowers the case rate and deaths considerably. That should be good enough for everyone. Instead the mask wearers are called “sheep.” Don’t forget that sheep are the ones that follow their leader off the cliff, not the ones who take the safe route. Your right to not wear a (God knows) annoying mask is not more important than everybody else’s right to health. That’s a fact. If all the folks who don’t wear masks just hung out together and never went out in public then I think we’d see Darwinism at it’s finest. But those of us that are wearing masks are trying to keep everybody else safe because that’s what human beings do for each other. The greatest strength of our species and the reason that we dominate on this planet is the fact that we cooperate, otherwise we would still be looking fearfully out of a cave somewhere watching some other species building their first pyramids. Take care of each other, people. Bruce Campbell

To the Editor: This is in response to the Letters to the Editor on December 16 from JK Wells. Although this missive was chock full of lies and conspiracy theory rhetoric (what if this, what if that), I want to focus on the reference involving Johns Hopkins that “U.S. deaths, from all causes, is on track to be average for 2020.” The article they reference was published by the John Hopkins student newspaper on November 22 and was not endorsed by the University or Medical Center. In fact, when Johns Hopkins discovered it, they forced the student newspaper to retract the article on November 26 and apologize for spreading misinformation. They admitted that there has been “almost 300,000 excess deaths due to COVID-19,” compared to previous years. I want to make two points. First, people who spread these lies and conspiracy theories have no common sense. Obviously, any serious person would realize that there is no way you could have zero excess deaths while the pandemic is ravaging

our country and the world. Unless, of course, you believe the pandemic is a hoax and then I submit you have much larger problems than misrepresenting a source such as John Hopkins. Second, I believe The Nugget editorial staff has an obligation to check references involving such a prestigious institution as Johns Hopkins University. The “zero excess deaths” reference shocked me so much that I spent 45 seconds to discover that they had quickly published a retraction and apologized. You certainly could have verified that information before publishing it. You cannot hide behind your belief that “letters to the editor are the opinions of the writer” as stated by the editor in chief in response to another letter in the same Nugget. This reference to Johns Hopkins is not an opinion and is from a source that could be easily verified, which is the bedrock of newsreporting, fact-checking responsibilities. Jay Juhrend

To the Editor: It no longer suffices that the education system from university to kindergarten is the domain of the anti-American left and the mainstream media is the propaganda arm of the government party. It now comes down to the proposed censoring of conversation in our local community. We should now be required to embrace leftist orthodoxy or be brought to heel. Mr. Mackey, myself, and millions of like-minded Americans should be relegated to a re-education gulag. Larry Benson

To the Editor: Well, it’s post-election time here in America, and our divisions are more acute than ever. I’m an American, believe in democracy and the Constitution. So my question to everyone is: Are you an American? If you answered yes, then now you must accept that Joe Biden is the next president, See LETTERS on page 16

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Obituary

Sisters Rodeo tickets on sale

Fred W. Roniger

January 1, 1948 — December 11, 2020

Fred Roniger of Sisters, passed away on Friday, December 11, peacefully at home, from an aggressive form of brain cancer. Fred was born in Highland, Illinois, on January 1, 1948, to Raymond and Marjorie (Landolt) Roniger. He grew up on a small farm outside of Highland, where he graduated from high school in 1966. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1970. It was at SIUE where he met and married Donna Nischwitz in 1969. Their son Tad was born in 1973 and son Joshua, in 1975. Fred worked at the Wall Street Journal in Highland, Illinois, while attending University. After graduating, he continued to work at the St. Louis Post Dispatch/ Globe Democrat in St. Louis, Missouri. He continued to work there until 1986, when he and Donna decided to move their family to Maui, Hawaii. It was here where he made a career change and became a journeyman carpenter. Their final move was to the state of Oregon, in 1991. Fred and Donna bought enough acreage in Sweet Home for him to raise sheep and have room for a house that he designed and built. During this time he worked as a ‘clean room’ carpenter and foreman, for Andersen Construction in Corvallis, on the Hewlett-Packard campus. He retired from there in 2011. His wife, Donna, passed away in 1999. He met Betsy Heid Prideaux contra dancing in Portland. They were married in the summer of 2002. For five years they traveled from Albany, for many weekends and vacations, to property they had purchased in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon. Fred was building another house he designed, for their retirement years. They enjoyed living in this beautiful place for almost six years. Wanting to be closer to family in the valley and the advantages of being closer to Bend, they chose to move to Sisters in January of 2017. Fred was an avid collector of train memorabilia and baseball cards and memorabilia. He was a true collector at heart and had many various collections. He and Betsy enjoyed taking their travel trailer to southern Arizona in the spring for many years. Fred was preceded in death by his parents, brother Sam and first wife, Donna. He is survived by his wife Betsy Roniger of Sisters; brother Tom Roniger (Kim) of Greenville, Illinois; sons Tad Roniger (Kari)

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

of Seminole, Florida, and Joshua Roniger of Bend; step children Sofie Prideaux (Matt Peterson) of Eugene, and Zander Prideaux (Molly) of West Linn; and grandchildren who will miss their Papa Fred: Jonathon Tyler, Lydia, Kurt, Isaiah, Milo, Kai, Lilly, and Olive. Fred will be best remembered for his unique sense of humor and great generosity. He had a very strong work ethic and enjoyed working on every project until it was done to his standard of perfection! One of his many gifts was to leave a place more beautiful than when he arrived. He was a special man, who will be missed by the many, many people whose lives he touched. Yo u m a y m a k e a donation to Save the Redwoods League, www. SaveTheRedwoods.org. If not, Fred would love to have you plant trees whenever you can!

Sisters Rodeo is looking to make a comeback in June 2021. Tickets are now on sale for “The Biggest Little Show in the World.” Rodeo officials caution that ticket purchasers should only get their tickets through the official outlet at https:// tickets.sistersrodeo.com/p/ tickets. Scam sites have been advertising Rodeo ticket sales and purchasers should avoid them. “We’re going to add a couple of things [including]

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Station, which was moved to the site several years ago. It has been re-sided to look like the rest of the Rodeo facilities and is expected to be a nice amenity for people who want to show up early or take their ease during performances. Dwight also told The Nugget that the all-volunteer Association could use some more volunteers. Contact the Rodeo at www.sistersrodeo. com/contact. The Sisters Rodeo is set for June 9-13, 2021.

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breakaway roping for women, which will be a cool event,” Sisters Rodeo Association Board Member Rodger Dwight told The Nugget. The Rodeo has built a new facility outside the arena named after the legendary bull Red Rock, which will feature a stage for live music and a bar area with TV screens so that people can enjoy rodeo action while having a drink. The facility is built around the old Cloverdale Fire

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

LETTERS

Continued from page 14

and Donald Trump lost his bid for a second term. We don’t have to like it, but we have to accept it if we call ourselves Americans. This country is of the people, by the people, for the people. And the people have spoken. True, more than 74 million voted for President Trump, but more than 81 million voted for Joe Biden, so President Trump lost the popular vote. True, President Trump got 232 electoral votes, but Joe Biden got 306 electoral votes, so President Trump lost the electoral vote. Being a country of laws, Donald Trump has every right to contest the election results, ask for recounts and take his election fraud cases to court. He asked for recounts, all of which made little difference to the outcomes. He filed more than 50 lawsuits across the country; Texas filed a suit that went to the Supreme Court; all were lost or thrown out of court for lack of evidence or precedent. Accusations of conspiracy are not evidence. Without evidence, there is no legal case. Attorney General Bill Barr, a loyal Trump ally, said the Department of Justice found no evidence of election fraud. Also, Mitch McConnell recognized Biden as president-elect. So I ask people to step back and objectively look at the facts. If you still believe Donald Trump really won the election, despite overwhelming factual evidence against it, then there is an equal chance he lost. The more plausible answer is, Joe Biden won the election. We are not living in a Jason Bourne movie with some evil nationwide conspiracy encompassing thousands of people and government and judicial employees. Make no mistake: Donald Trump’s continued efforts to overturn the election results based on allegations of election fraud, despite overwhelming facts against it, is undoubtedly an authoritarian attack on democracy and the Constitution. By definition and action, he is currently trying to steal the election away from the people by enlisting political

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allies to challenge the certified electoral vote in Congress January 6. In America, the people grant our leaders the power to govern; leaders are not permitted to take power. So I ask again: Are you an American, or not? If you are, let’s be united, move forward and fix things that need to be fixed by participating in our democracy, intelligently voting, and running for office. If you are not, then I ask you: What do you call yourself? Christ Cusimano

To the Editor: I enjoyed reading yet another of Jim Anderson’s delightful articles about local natural history, this one about carrion beetles (December 16, “The clean-up crew”). The restless taxonomist in me, however, feels obliged to clarify that carrion, dermestid, and buffalo beetles each represent very distinct families. Carrion (a.k.a. burying) beetles, like the one in Kris Kristovich’s wonderful photo, comprise a relatively small family (Silphidae) of around 200 species, many of which, as adults, bury themselves along with their food to feed on while raising their young; while carrion is on their menu, so is dung, fungi, and other organic matter. To my knowledge, however, carrion beetles are not used to clean skulls or skeletons for taxidermy or museum specimen preparation. “Buffalo beetles” is a name used for several species in the family Tenebrionidae (darkling beetles) sold in the pet trade, where they are also referred to as lesser mealworm, litter, or black cleaner beetles (among other names). In stark contrast to Silphidae, there are over 20,000 species of tenebrionids (triple the number of known mammal species!), but like silphids, they do feed on carrion and a wide range of organic materials. And while they are occasionally used to clean dead flesh from bones, the true workhorses in this regard are dermestid beetles in the family Dermestidae. With somewhere between 500 and

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Continued from page 3

CUT • COLOR • HIGHLIGHTS

anyone in financial need are also available. “We believe that sustaining access to the mountains in the months ahead will be critical to the mental and physical health of our community and are thrilled to be able to continue to remove barriers to the outdoors for individuals with disabilities,” said Pat Addabbo, OAS executive director. “Thanks to those who support our mission, and in effort to create as much access as possible, we have reduced our list-rate program fees by at least 50 percent and opened up numerous avenues for youth, veterans, and new-toOAS athletes to participate at no cost.” Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) provides year-round life-changing outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities. Founded in 1996 by volunteers who wanted to make Central Oregon’s ski slopes accessible to individuals with disabilities, OAS now serves over 450 individuals each year, providing nearly 2,000 u n i q u e o u t d o o r- a t h l e t e experiences.

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700 (or, in all likelihood, many more) species, dermestids, which go by many common names, including carpet and larder beetles, have become widely used by museums worldwide, where they represent both a boon to specimen preparation and a bane to specimen preservation. The adults are relatively benign (and, like the terminal adult stage of many insects, exist mainly to procreate), but the larvae are voracious consumers, with smaller developmental stages (instars) able to insert themselves into impossibly tight spaces. Left to their own devices, they eat just about anything organic and can subsist on dust bunnies or even drywall, or priceless artifacts co-housed in museums with the very bones they’re conscripted to clean. For that reason, dermestid colonies are often maintained in a separate building to prevent infestations. Their sheer ubiquity is hard to exaggerate: most of you, without realizing it, have found the dried, shed larval exoskeletons curled up in the back of a drawer, the dark corner of a pantry, or inside an opened or even unopened box of rice. A bet against me finding one or two in your house is one you’re likely to lose. But fear not: They’re harmless to the living, and you can take comfort in the fact that you’ve been happily, if unknowingly, eating bits and pieces of them, — along with their feces — for years. Ladies and gentlemen —the beetles! Link Olson

To the Editor: I first met Jim Whitney when he was the resident deputy sheriff in Sisters. Jim was a great police officer and was a positive influence. One of the first things Jim taught me was that “the role of a police officer is to be a positive example, not an exception.” I am saddened to hear of his passing. Allan Borland

s See LETTERS on page 17

DOES YOUR STUDENT HAVE A TEACHER THAT HELPS THEM BETTER UNDERSTAND MATH? OR ONE THAT TAKES AN INTEREST IN THEIR UNIQUE ABILITIES? HAVE YOU SAT IN ON A ZOOM CLASS AND BEEN AMAZED AT HOW THE TEACHER CONNECTED WITH THE STUDENTS?

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Students or parents can write personalized thank-you messages* and send them to leith@nuggetnews.com or drop them off at The Nugget office, 442 E. Main Ave., Sisters. They may appear in our monthly full-page salute in The Nugget! * Please Limit to 55 words. Messages will run on a space-available basis.

LETTERS

Continued from page 16

To the Editor: The letter of Jeff Mackey of December 9 in The Nugget, in my opinion and the facts I know was 100 percent correct. Jeff is a Vietnam veteran patriot and wellrespected in all of the Sisters Country. The commentary by Mary Chaffin and letter to the editor by Brian Wilson sound like Marxist socialism, which unknown numbers live in Sisters. Patriot Jeff Mackey has seen socialism and Marxism first-hand. He fought against it in Vietnam. Sixty percent of Republicans, libertarians, and 15 to 30 percent of Democrats will agree with Jeff Mackey and other patriots. In my observations, some of the law enforcement branches of government, police, some military commanders, state and federal courts, lawyers, judges and some in the Supreme courts (sic) are pushing the country into Marxist socialism. Most of the Democratic Party, some Republicans and libertarians are pushing hard toward socialism. How do we stop this as a nation? I would like to hear the opinions and ideas from the citizens of Sisters; we’re open to hear these. Chet Davis

To the Editor: Singing the Holiday Blues. The tree is trimmed, carols are streaming through the airwaves and the holiday treats are being baked and nibbled. This year has been like no other and while the Christmas lights are a welcome reminder of “normal,” the feeling still isn’t right. I just keep hearing Elvis sing “I’ll Have A Blue Christmas Without You,” and I know I’m not alone! In “normal” times the holidays can be a challenge for many people; for people who have lost family and friends, for singles, for folks struggling

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

financially, or — fill in the blank! This year we may get a sense that we are not so alone in our pain because all of us are being impacted, to some degree, by the pandemic. Does that bring us relief? Not really! Some good friends told me that they were experiencing “gratitude fatigue” because for the last nine months they’ve prefaced their complaints with all that they’re grateful for despite the pandemic. I am always coaching kids and adults, alike, that there aren’t “good” or “bad” feelings but rather that we are simply more comfortable and/or more familiar with some emotions. It is my hope that we can all be real with whatever is coming up for us, that we learn how to talk about it, manage our emotions in healthy ways and then come back to this reality: What we focus on grows, so while this holiday may be filled with many disappointments we ultimately get to choose how to respond. Please choose love and kindness towards yourself and others. It really does matter! Ho ho ho! Phoenix Ries

To the Editor: Deschutes County veterans are strongly encouraged to enroll and follow the Veterans Administration COVID-19 updates to include vaccination opportunities. To date the VA Medical System in Oregon is projecting vaccination opportunities around the state will begin this spring. We have a very high trans-generational veteran population — you can discover the percentage of veterans living in your zip code using this site, www.centraloregonhealthdata.org/indicators/index/ view?indicatorId=5329&localeId=32990. The VA is looking to offer vaccinations to the most vulnerable of our veterans, with age the critical factor, as well as co-occurring illnesses or diagnosis. Our population is a high-risk population due to age, service-connected illnesses and disabilities, and co-occurring conditions that can be exacerbated by

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the virus. Vaccination is critical to protecting the health of our fraternity of war fighters and their families. Check in with the VA — get enrolled — and follow the guidelines provided. “COVID-19 vaccines: Stay informed and help us prepare. We’re working to get COVID-19 vaccines to veterans as quickly and safely as possible based on CDC guidelines and available supply. We need your help to prepare. And we want to keep you informed at every step. “Sign up (at www.va.gov/health-care/covid19-vaccine/stay-informed) to help us understand your interest in getting a vaccine. We’ll send you updates on how we’re providing vaccines across the country — and when you can get your vaccine if you want one. We’ll also offer information and answers to your questions along the way.” The Sisters veteran population, as of 2018 data, is 12 percent of the overall census. Sisters veterans who have not yet signed up and are using MyHealthyVet are encouraged to do so upon enrollment in the VA medical healthcare system. It is an excellent website to manage our appointments, prescriptions, communicate directly with our providers via secure email, and more. www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/home Greg Walker (ret)

To the Editor: Kudos to the “editorial board” at The Nugget for resisting Brian Wilson’s call for editing (read censoring) opinion pieces. If Mr. Wilson is offended by the opinions of his fellow citizens, he should either counter those opinions with his own, or avoid the free speech section of The Nugget. To quote Benjamin Franklin: “Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” Carey Tosello

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Your Story MATTERS

Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist

Hope — despite it all It’s been a tough year. Tough for individuals, tough for families, tough for communities, and tough for the greater world. Layers of “tough,” so to speak. As 2020 comes to a close, I think most of us have been up close and personal with the “tough.” Many of us have taken inventory of the hardships, which weigh heavier for some more than others. What may be more elusive, yet some days the only force that keeps us going, is hope. Hope is personal. It is subjective. My concept of hope and how I go about seeking it is likely to be different than yours. We all hope in our own ways. Hope can be specific … I hope I have a good day at work, or more abstract … I hope for something better. Regardless, hope allows us to temporarily transcend the “tough” by envisioning moments that evoke feelings of happiness, peace, and/or excitement. Hope can define us, inform us, and inspire us to take action. We are a society that loves to focus on outcomes. The outcome of our investments, our looks, our grades, our performance. When hope is too closely tied to such outcomes, it can become conditional and too often backfire. When outcomes do not come to fruition or are not as expected, hope can leave a bitter taste and for some of us, can be harder to grasp. Associating hope too closely with failed outcomes can expedite feelings of hopelessness, resentment, and despair. Whereas conditional hope can be limiting and depleting, wholehearted hope is much more transcendent. Wholehearted hope acknowledges the tragedies as well as the triumphs. Hope is not idealism and idealism is ultimately denial. Our world has some brutal realities right now. Being able to absorb tragedy and pain

without sugarcoating and still believing that something better will come is wholehearted hope. Suffering and hope are intimately connected as when we can comprehend the darkness, the light in turn can become more clear. Wholehearted hope acknowledges the inevitabilities of life. The trials, the heartbreak, the grief, and the valleys. Implicit in wholehearted hope is the art of “letting go,” recognizing that the motions of life are all ultimately acts of hope in themselves as life itself is unpredictable, sometimes painful, sometimes joyful, and full of surprises. Wholehearted hope makes room for perspective, growth, and openness. Our greatest struggles can often be our greatest teachers. Wholehearted hope allows us to seek comfort in the small moments of beauty and kindness amid otherwise despair. Finally, wholehearted hope recognizes that while we cannot always control the circumstances that frighten, oppress, or limit us, we can still choose our response … our inner sanctum — and that is the basis of freedom. 10 ways to cultivate hope: • Develop a spiritual practice. Find ways to explore meaning in your life. • Start a gratitude practice. Find three things to be thankful for each day. • Seek out support from others. This is a great way to gain perspective. • Be gentle with your emotions. Stay curious about how you are feeling. • Recognize that most everything is fleeting. This too shall pass. • Share your story — you never know who you will inspire. • Find ways to serve others. • Move your body. Nourish your body. Health makes hope easier to grasp. • Find reasons to laugh. • Stay open to growth, even in tough times. With all the layers of “tough,” it can be easy to be consumed by suffering. Hope is not an antidote to pain and cannot erase traumas that may continue to haunt us. Hope however does allow for the possibility of beauty born from pain and inspires our imagination to envision better days ahead. Perhaps this is best said from Holocaust survivor and psychologist, Edith Egar, Ph. D.: “Hope tells us that life is full of darkness and suffering — and yet if we survive today, tomorrow we will be free.” Wishing you a hopeful holiday season and New Year.

The Nugget Newspaper Crossword

By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service

— Last Week’s Puzzle Solved —

This Week’s Crossword Sponsors

Greg Wieland L.Ac. Practicing since 1989 352 E. Hood Ave., Ste. E

Sisters Acupuncture Center

CCB#220624

D ESIGNERS & B UILDERS of D ISTINCTION

541-549-1523

Residential Remodels New Construction Water & Fire Damage Repairs Commercial Tenant Improvements Handyman Services

www.laredoconstruction.com • 541-549-1575

ALL advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275. CLASSIFIED RATES COST: $2 per line for first insertion, $1.50 per line for each additional insertion to 9th week, $1 per line 10th week and beyond (identical ad/consecutive weeks). Also included in The Nugget online classifieds at no additional charge. There is a minimum $5 charge for any classified. First line = approx. 20-25 characters, each additional line = approx. 25-30 characters. Letters, spaces, numbers and punctuation = 1 character. Any ad copy changes will be charged at the first-time insertion rate of $2 per line. Standard abbreviations allowed with the approval of The Nugget classified department. NOTE: Legal notices placed in the Public Notice section are charged at the display advertising rate. DEADLINE: MONDAY, noon preceding WED. publication. PLACEMENT & PAYMENT: Office, 442 E. Main Ave. Phone, 541-549-9941 or place online at NuggetNews.com. Payment is due upon placement. VISA & MasterCard accepted. Billing available for continuously run classified ads, after prepayment of first four (4) weeks and upon 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

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

C L A S S I F I E D S 101 Real Estate

FSBO 10 acres next to Sisters Rodeo grounds. Large 5 BR, 3 BA home, barn, and shop. $595K. 541-419-0272. Please no agents.

102 Commercial Rentals

CASCADE STORAGE (541) 549-1086 • (877) 540-1086 581 N. Larch – 7-Day Access 5x5 to 12x30 Units Available 5x5 - 8x15 Climate Control Units On-site Management Ground-floor suite, 290 sq. ft. 581 N Larch St. Available now, $325/month. Call 541-549-1086. MINI STORAGE Sisters Rental 331 W. Barclay Drive 541-549-9631 Sizes 5x5 to 15x30 and outdoor RV parking. 7-day access. Computerized security gate. Moving boxes & supplies. STORAGE WITH BENEFITS • 8 x 20 dry box • Fenced yard, RV & trailers • In-town, gated, 24-7 Kris@earthwoodhomes.com Prime Downtown Retail Space Call Lori at 541-549-7132 Cold Springs Commercial Office space for lease. The Place on Main. 101 Main Ave. in Sisters. Three spaces available. $575/month and up. Call Ralph 541-390-5187 Prime retail space available in the Gallery Annex building (Sage Antiques location). Call Jim at 541-419-0210 for more info. FOR LEASE – Approx. 420 sq. ft. office suite available at 220 S. Pine St. building. Suite is light & bright, with views of Hood Ave. Email: lorna@nolteproperties.com or phone – 541-419-8380. Lorna Nolte, Principal Broker Lic. #200105010 THE NUGGET NEWSPAPER Your Local News Source! www.nuggetnews.com Breaking News / Road Reports Weather / Letters / Blog

103 Residential Rentals

PONDEROSA PROPERTIES –Monthly Rentals Available– Call Debbie at 541-549-2002 Full details, 24 hrs./day, go to: PonderosaProperties.com Printed list at 221 S. Ash, Sisters Ponderosa Properties LLC

104 Vacation Rentals

CASCADE HOME & VACATION RENTALS Monthly and Vacation Rentals throughout Sisters Country. (541) 549-0792 Property management for second homes. CascadeVacationRentals.net 50% Off Furnished Condo 2 BR/2 BA. Downtown. Available March thru May, 2021. Rent one month or more. Call 503-730-0150. ~ Sisters Vacation Rentals ~ Private Central OR vac. rentals, Property Management Services 541-977-9898 www.SistersVacation.com

201 For Sale

Holiday shopping from the comforts of home. Shop www.youravon.com/ joannacooley Or call/text Joanna ~ 541-588-0886 ~ Shop local!

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 VIEW OUR Current Classifieds every Tuesday afternoon! Go to NuggetNews.com

500 Services

~ WEDDINGS BY KARLY ~ Happy to perform virtual or in-person weddings. Custom Wedding Ceremonies 20+ years • 541-410-4412 revkarly@gmail.com • DERI’s HAIR SALON • Find Hope in God’s Character Call 541-419-1279 Transformed by God’s Nature GEORGE’S SEPTIC Daily readings accompanied by TANK SERVICE beautiful illustrations explore the “A Well Maintained attributes of God as revealed in Septic System Protects Scripture. Readers are the Environment” encouraged to know God more 541-549-2871 deeply and be spiritually BOOKKEEPING SERVICE transformed in the midst of trials ~ Olivia Spencer ~ and suffering. Available at Expert Local Bookkeeping! LogBridgeBooks.com, Amazon, Phone: (541) 241-4907 & Paulina Springs Books, Sisters. www.spencerbookkeeping.com 202 Firewood RV repairs, yard cleaning, FIREWOOD, dry or green hauling, have references. Call Lodgepole, juniper, pine. Andersen’s Almost Anything at Cut & split. Delivery included. 541-728-7253. eaglecreekfire@yahoo.com SMALL Engine REPAIR SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS Lawn Mowers, DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD Chainsaws & Trimmers • SINCE 1976 • Sisters Rental Doug Fir – Lodgepole – Juniper 331 W. Barclay Drive DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES 541-549-9631 – 18155 Hwy. 126 East – Authorized service center for SistersForestProducts.com Stihl, Honda, Ariens/Gravely, Order Online! 541-410-4509 Cub Cadet, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki Engines

205 Garage & Estate Sales Happy Trails Estate Sales! Selling or Downsizing? Locally owned & operated by... Daiya 541-480-2806 Sharie 541-771-1150

301 Vehicles

We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ Call Jeff at 541-815-7397 Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com

401 Horses

TRITICALE MEADOW GRASS HAY ORCHARD GRASS HAY New crop. No rain. Barn stored. 3-tie bales. $185-$250/ton. Hwy. 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895 Certified Weed-Free HAY. Orchard Grass or Alfalfa Hay, Sisters. $275 per ton. Call 541-548-4163 THE NUGGET NEWSPAPER 541 - 549 - 9941 www.NuggetNews.com

403 Pets

FURRY FRIENDS helping Sisters families w/pets. FREE Dog & Cat Food No contact pick-up by appt. 412 E. Main Ave., Ste. 4 541-797-4023 Bend Spay & Neuter Project Providing Low-Cost Options for Spay, Neuter and more! Go to BendSnip.org or call 541-617-1010

Snow removal, junk removal, garage & storage clean-out, yard & construction debris. You Call – We Haul! 541-598-4345. SNOW REMOVAL Residential driveways & sidewalks. Commercial snow blower & front loader. Guaranteed lowest prices. Call 541-678-3332. Black Butte WINDOW CLEANING Commercial & Residential. 18 years experience, references available. Safe, reliable, friendly. Free estimates. 541-241-0426 MOVING TRUCK FOR HIRE –COMPLETE MOVING, LLC– Sisters' Only Local Moving Co.! Two exp. men with 25+ years comm. moving. Refs! ODOT Lic. Class 1-B • Call 541-678-3332

501 Computers & Communications

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

SISTERS SATELLITE TV • PHONE • INTERNET Your authorized local dealer for DirecTV, ViaSat HS Internet and more! CCB # 191099 541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729 FREE LASERJET PRINTER HP LaserJet 5200 (black and white laser printer), plus two 16A cartridges. Stop by The Nugget to look at or pick up.

502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

M & J CARPET CLEANING Area rugs, upholstery, tile & dryer-vent cleaning. Established & family-owned since 1986. 541-549-9090 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

504 Handyman

Home Customizations, LLC Res. & Commercial Remodeling, Bldg. Maintenance & Painting Chris Patrick, Owner homecustomizations@gmail.com CCB #191760 • 541-588-0083 No job too small. $15-25/hour. 40 years in the trade. References available. 541-549-4563. 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 Information on Licensing for CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS ~ An active license means your contractor is bonded and insured. The state of Oregon provides detail at the Oregon Construction Contractors Board online. More information is at www.oregon.gov/CCB

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 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, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

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 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 –THE NUGGET–

C L A S S I F I E D S Construction & Renovation Custom Residential Projects All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448 LAREDO CONSTRUCTION 541-549-1575 For ALL Your Residential Construction Needs CCB #194489 www.laredoconstruction.com

Custom Homes • Additions Residential Building Projects Serving Sisters area since 1976 Strictly Quality CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-549-9764 John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com CENIGA'S MASONRY, INC. Brick • Block • Stone • Pavers CCB #181448 – 541-350-6068 www.CenigasMasonry.com Carl Perry Construction LLC Construction • Remodel Repair CCB #201709 • 541-419-3991 JOHN NITCHER CONSTRUCTION General Contractor Home repair, remodeling and additions. CCB #101744 541-549-2206 SPURGE COCHRAN BUILDER, INC. General Contractor Building Distinctive, Handcrafted Custom Homes, Additions, Remodels Since ’74 A “Hands-On” Builder Keeping Your Project on Time & On Budget • CCB #96016 To speak to Spurge personally, call 541-815-0523 McCARTHY & SONS CONSTRUCTION New Construction, Remodels, Fine Finish Carpentry 541-420-0487 • CCB #130561

MONTE'S ELECTRIC • service • residential • commercial • industrial Serving all of Central Oregon 541-719-1316 lic. bond. insured, CCB #200030 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 – Sisters Oregon Guide – Pick up a copy at the Nugget!

603 Excavation & Trucking

ROBINSON & OWEN Heavy Construction, Inc. All your excavation needs *General excavation *Site Preparation *Sub-Divisions *Road Building *Sewer and Water Systems *Underground Utilities *Grading *Snow Removal *Sand-Gravel-Rock Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #124327 (541) 549-1848 601 Construction TEWALT & SONS INC. Excavation Contractors Sisters’ Oldest Excavation Co. Our experience will make your $ go further – Take advantage of our FREE on-site visit! Pat Burke Hard Rock Removal • Rock LOCALLY OWNED Hammering • Hauling CRAFTSMAN BUILT Trucking • Top Soil • Fill Dirt CCB: 288388 • 541-588-2062 Ground-to-finish Site Prep www.sistersfencecompany.com Building Demolition • Ponds & Liners • Creative & Decorative Rock Placement • Clearing, Leveling & Grading Driveways Utilities: Sewer Mains, Laterals Water, Power, TV & Phone Septic System EXPERTS: Complete Design & Permit Approval, Feasibility, Test Holes. Lara’s Construction LLC. Sand, Pressurized & Standard CCB#223701 Custom Homes Systems. Repairs, Tank Offering masonry work, Residential Building Projects Replacement. CCB #76888 fireplaces, interior & exterior Concrete Foundations Cellular: 419-2672 or 419-5172 stone/brick-work, build Becke William Pierce • 541-549-1472 • barbecues & all types of CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 TewaltAndSonsExcavation.com masonry. Give us a call for a free Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com BANR Enterprises, LLC estimate. Earthwood Timberframes Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, 541-350-3218 • Design & construction Hardscape, Rock Walls CASCADE GARAGE DOORS • Recycled fir and pine beams Residential & Commercial Factory Trained Technicians • Mantles and accent timbers CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 Since 1983 • CCB #44054 Kris@earthwoodhomes.com www.BANR.net 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553 CCB #174977 604 Heating & Cooling JERRY WILLIS DRYWALL ACTION AIR & VENETIAN PLASTER Heating & Cooling, LLC All Residential, Commercial Jobs Retrofit • New Const • Remodel 541-480-7179 • CCB #69557 Consulting, Service & Installs 602 Plumbing & Electric actionairheatingandcooling.com CCB #195556 CURTS ELECTRIC LLC 541-549-6464 – SISTERS, OREGON – SIMON CONSTRUCTION Quality Electrical Installations SERVICES 605 Painting Agricultural • Commercial Residential Remodel Riverfront Painting LLC Industrial • Well & Irrigation Building Projects Interior/Exterior • Deck Staining Pumps, Motor Control, Bruce Simon, Quality craftsman SHORT LEAD TIMES Barns & Shops, Plan Reviews for 35 years Travis Starr, 541-647-0146 CCB #178543 541-948-2620 • CCB #184335 License #216081 541-480-1404 bsimon@bendbroadband.com

~ FRONTIER PAINTING ~ Quality Painting, Ext. & Int. Refurbishing Decks CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620 www.frontier-painting.com

606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance

From design to installation we can do it all! Pavers, water features, irrigation systems, sod, plants, trees etc. 541-771-9441 LCB #8906 bendorganiclandscaping.com

J&E Landscaping Maintenance LLC Clean-ups, raking, mowing, hauling debris, gutters. Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com – All You Need Maintenance – Pine needle removal, hauling, mowing, moss removal, edging, raking, weeding, pruning, roofs, gutters, pressure washing... Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122 NuggetNews.com

701 Domestic Services

BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING! Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897

802 Help Wanted

Complete landscape construction, Part-time, seasonal receptionist at busy Sisters CPA firm. fencing, irrigation installation & $14-16/hr. Email resume to trouble-shooting, general alicia@capstonecpas.com cleanups, turf care maintenance and agronomic recommendations, Home caregiver needed. 2-3 fertility & water conservation shifts per week. 541-598-4527. management, light excavation. 803 Work Wanted CCB 188594 • LCB 9264 541-515-8462 Home Health Professional Strong medical, domestic, and All Landscaping Services personal care experience. Mowing, Thatching, Hauling... Please call 541-420-0501. Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740.

Holiday cheer on the go...

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Council on Aging of Central Oregon served up a festive meal in bags decorated by kids, and provided seniors with a holiday gift and good cheer last week at Sisters Community Church. The COVID-19-safe event featured local ukulele players offering music of the season. The volunteer-operated grab-n-go meal program is at capacity in Sisters. For more information or to donate to assist the program, visit www.councilonaging.org.

SUDOKU Level: Easy

Answer: Page 23

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down, and each small nine-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Fatten up for winter

ELEMENTARY: One week of CDL is planned after January 4

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

I put my bike away last week and brought out the snowshoes. It wasn’t snow or temperature that shelved the bike. I simply don’t have the right bike. Hopefully all Sisters bikers are heeding the recent posting of signs by the Sisters Trail Alliance to stay off the trails when muddy. No further explanation required. Bikes and horses, even pedestrians, can do a fair amount of harm to the trail bed. As I was tromping along a few days ago around Melvin Butte, after an overnight drop of nearly four inches of new snow down to 4,000 feet, I encountered Rick Nordquist and his buddies merrily dashing though the snow on — you guessed it — fat bikes. My goofball sidekick, Robbie, a snow-obsessed Golden was in their way so they had to dismount. It gave us a little time to chat and for me to get the appeal of snow biking. A “fat” bike and a fat-tire bike are not necessarily the same thing. A true fat bike will come standard with tires at least 3.5 inches wide, up to five inches. Some standard mountain bikes, especially if produced in the last year or two often can accommodate a “fat” tire, one that is 2.8 inches to as much as 3.5 inches. Like all bikes, frame size and wheel size are not the same thing either. “Fat” bikes have traditionally been on 26-inch wheels, but it’s now possible to get 27.5 inches; even 29 inches. The bigger wheel does give the tire more contact, therefore traction and more roll. Basic physics here. My takeaway after talking with Rick is that you don’t try this at home. Get on down to Blazin Saddles or Eurosports and get properly fitted. Especially if you’re dreaming of riding the snow or beach. After a proper fitting,

Continued from page 3

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

Fat tires can get riders out into winter terrain. the key to it all is tire pressure and clothing. Normally a 26-by-4-inch tire would be inflated to 20-25 psi for pavement, 12-15 for dirt trails, and only 8-10 for snow. Rick and his gang were actually running at 3-4 psi, in pursuit of better traction. The day I saw them, they had already inflated or deflated four times as the terrain changed from packed Forest Service roads to open meadow to running on snow-covered horse trails. They are careful on trails to not get under the snow and into the muddy dirt. Fat bikes are heavy, starting with a beefier frame and just the sheer weight of the bigger wheel and tire. Fiveinch-wide tires will run better in the snow but are more stamina-sapping. It’s like skiing, or in my case snowshoeing today. Uphill builds heat and you start to wonder just how many layers you really

needed. Downhill, on a bike, at 15 mph in a 10-mph wind and suddenly you’re wondering where the other fleece is. Another reason to see a pro are gear options. Rick assures me that the most experienced riders will fall often in the snow. At least it’s a soft landing for the most part. A dropper seat post will facilitate the frequent times you’ll have to dismount. And for sure, do not use clipless pedals. Flat pedals are a safer bet for snow. As they take off hooting and hollering, I’m thinking: how much is this going to cost me? Both shops in town can get you into a fat bike for around $1,700. You can also spend three times as much but you don’t need to fork out nearly that much to ride pretty much anywhere at any time. Did I mention beach? Won’t that sound sweet come February?

January 11 — provided that nothing else significantly changes in the interim regarding coronavirus infection rates. Under the in-person hybrid model, students have been attending class on site at Sisters Elementary School Monday-Thursday and take part in distance learning on Fridays. Sisters Elementary School remains the only public school in Deschutes County conducting in-person learning under the hybrid model. The extension of the “Safe Harbor” clause also included the opportunity for Sisters middle and high schools to be able to continue Limited In Person Instruction (LIPI) beginning January 11, which allows a measured number of students to be on site under particular guidelines during the school day. Scholl is very pleased Sisters Elementary will have the opportunity to continue in-person instruction and acknowledged that elementary students returning to CDL for the first week of January is challenging, but has good reasoning behind it. In his letter to parents, Scholl said, “I understand that comprehensive distance learning is no one’s first choice in an educational model. The Oregon Health Authority and Deschutes County Public Health have predicted and seen increased case counts after every holiday throughout the pandemic.

Our return to CDL for the week is to help protect our school community and to allow us to get back to and stay in our hybrid model.” He added, “We are very excited about this extension and our ability to continue to serve our youngest learners in-person on January 11.” Scholl also explained in the letter why the district is continuing to proceed with caution. “While students appear to be less affected by COVID,” he wrote, “our schools are an ecosystem consisting of a wide range of hard-working people from our community. Although we know that schools are not ‘spreaders,’ the continued high case count creates concern. The safety of the entire ecosystem must be considered in any plans moving forward.” Scholl pointed out that in neighboring Crook County, schools returned to CDL before the holiday break, not because students were becoming infected, but because spread in the Prineville community required staff to be quarantined, leaving schools unable to conduct in-person instruction. As in all of his communications with the community, Scholl encouraged everyone in Sisters Country to continue being diligent about minimizing the spread of the virus. He said, “I continue to ask that our community follow COVID-safety protocol: wear a mask, socially distance, and wash your hands. Although the COVID case count dropped slightly in Deschutes County, we still need a significant reduction to get all students back into our hybrid model.”

With gratitude & joy, we wish you

Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year! From Shelley Marsh & Tiana Van Landuyt

220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180

935 E. Creek View Drive | Sisters, OR | MLS#220113815

Mark Ossinger Ossinger, Broker — 206-713-1045 —

Licensed in the State of Oregon #201236356 and State of Washington #25554 61651 Gemini Way, Bend, Oregon 97701 Mark@fathomrealtywa.com www.fathomrealtywa.com

Whychus Creek View Frontage! 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2,848 sq. ft. on 1/4-acre lot, vaulted ceilings, master bedroom with fireplace on main level, office or 4th bedroom, gourmet kitchen with 6-burner range, double oven, microwave and warming drawer, media room upstairs. www.CreekViewSisters.com. $899,500.

PENDING

PATTY CORDONI Principal Broker 541.771.0931

SUZANNE CARVLIN Broker 818.216.8542

RealEstate@PattyandSuzanne.com | www.PattyandSuzanne.com Sotheby’s International Realty© is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated. All associates are licensed in the State of Oregon.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Commentary...

Joy to the world By Lisa May Columnist

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” So begins one of the most popular Christmas hymns of all time. And joy is certainly an appropriate response to God coming to earth. The angel who announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds said, “Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The angel announced joy, so it is no wonder those celebrating the birth of Christ have an expectation of joy as Christmas approaches each year. But what of those for whom the hymn rings hollow when it describes all people singing, leading the earth itself to “repeat the sounding joy”? Can there be Christmas joy for those who are mourning? Exactly 30 years ago I was anticipating my first Christmas as a parent. My son had been born that June and the joy I felt in looking forward to that Christmas was entirely new to me. Early in the season, I carefully selected materials to handcraft a beautiful Christmas stocking to hang for Jacob his first Christmas Eve. I made sure to buy enough fabric, ribbons, and appliqués to make matching stockings in future years for the brothers and sisters I hoped he would have. There were more stockings made in future years — four stockings in all, for four children. And there was much joy in many years of Christmas celebrations. This year, however, will be the 10th Christmas for Jacob’s stocking to rest unused at the bottom of its storage bin. This will be the 10th Christmas since Jacob died. Every year I am painfully aware of the empty place on the fireplace mantel where his stocking should hang. Every year the grief resurfaces. To whatever extent a Christmas celebration involves family gathering together, a family that has lost a loved one is left with a hole in their hearts. In fact, nearly all of us are feeling some sense of loss this Christmas. How can we experience joy at Christmas — or any other time of year — when we continue to mourn our losses? For me, the answer is found right in the Christmas story. As much as we would all like to have the angel’s announcement of joy mean

A doggy drive-by...

that there would be no more pain or suffering once the Christ child was born, the reality is that Jesus Christ was born for pain and suffering. He was born so that He could die. The eternal Son of God who, as God, could not possibly die, wrapped Himself with human flesh so that He could die and rise again to overcome death. Even a relatively unknown biblical character named Simeon knew that Jesus would suffer. Just days after their baby was born, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to present the child and make sacrifices according to the Law of Moses. Simeon, led by the Holy Spirit, recognized this baby as the Christ. As Simeon thanked the Lord for seeing this salvation, he also warned Mary, “and a sword will pierce through your own soul also.” From the time of Jesus’ birth, mourning was already built into Christmas. This truth forces us to rethink what the Bible means by “joy.” Biblical joy is not happiness that is based in present circumstances. The joy that God calls us to is much deeper than that. Biblical joy coexists with suffering. In fact, there is evidence that biblical joy is actually enriched by suffering. God designed us to be in a relationship with Him. As we lift our pain to Him, He shares His love and comfort with us. It is both my experience and a Scriptural promise that God’s presence is most clearly perceived by the brokenhearted who seek Him. The call of Scripture is neither to ignore our pain nor to force a happy attitude. Instead, believers are encouraged to endure suffering with hope for the future. Since our hope is placed in the promises of a faithful God who loves us,

we will not be disappointed. This hope for the future is the solid foundation for joy that transcends grief. But what exactly is our future hope? What has God promised us? Just as Jesus’ suffering and death gave way to the joy of His resurrection, God promises that believers’ mourning will be overcome by resurrection and eternal life. We are called to endure the difficulties of this life, looking to the example of Jesus, who endured the cross “for the joy set before him” — the joy of the resurrection and all it would accomplish. The ultimate joy of Christmas is not just in the fact that God has come to earth. The joy of Christmas also includes all that Jesus accomplished in His life, death and resurrection. It extends to knowing that the Son ascended to the right hand of God, where He intercedes for believers to experience the same victory in our own resurrection at the end this age. The joy that the angel announced to the shepherds was never just about a birth, but about the entire plan of redemption that God was beginning to reveal in that birth. The joy of Christmas is not only coupled with mourning, but it has victory over mourning. This joy climbs onto mourning’s back to rise even higher after enduring suffering. Scripture promises that there will come a time when, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Although the shadow of mourning cast across the birth of Christ, His birth also anticipates everlasting joy and the end of all mourning.

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

Residents at The Lodge in Sisters were treated last week to a demonstration of dry-land sled dog running.

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Sisters, Oregon… WHERE DREAMS BECOME HOME!

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Reed Bros. Realty 291 W. Cascade Ave. Sisters, OR 97759 541-549-6000 www.reedbros.com Each office is independently owned and operated.

Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

GRADUATE: Sisters woman earned high honor as student

Sisters writer launches history podcast

Continued from page 3

A new podcast is exploring frontier history across three centuries and several continents. Jim Cornelius, editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans,” recently launched The Frontier Partisans Podcast. “Podcasting is a medium I have come to love and I consume history shows like a trapper guzzling busthead whiskey at rendezvous,” Cornelius said. “It is, in many ways, the ideal medium for delivering historical frontier storytelling.” The first series in the podcast explores the controversial life and legacy of Kit Carson — Mountain Man, explorer and guide, Indian agent and soldier. “Carson seemed like a good place to start because he is such a representative — and polarizing — figure,” Cornelius said. “In the 19th and early 20th century, he was regarded as a kind of knight in buckskin, who opened the West and made it safe for civilization. When revisionist history flipped the coin, he came to be widely regarded as an agent of genocide, particularly for the harsh campaign he led against the Navajo people of the New Mexico Territory in the 1860s. “As always, the truth is more complicated — and much more interesting — than ideologically shaped and driven narratives.” Subsequent podcast series

at Concordia University in Irvine, California. The accelerated program means nurses can get certified in just 16 months of schooling versus two years. “It is definitely hard and is accelerated learning. It is nice to go from book learning to hands-on learning now,” said Tucker. Tucker chose nursing because of the philosophy of care that nurses embody. Initially, she was opposed to going into medicine because both her parents are doctors and everyone assumed she would practice medicine. However, she loved the idea of being challenged by medicine. She considered general and public-health and physician-assistant programs, but ultimately decided on nursing. “I decided to go the nursing route because I had always been drawn to caring for people. It is really a lot more one-on-one patient care and I chose it for how nurses approach their patients, to care for the person as a whole, not just the biological-medical need,” she said. Tucker ’s experience in her nursing program has been nothing short of unique. She began the program during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, the curriculum and practice of learning has shifted. The professors within her program had to get creative in figuring out how to teach in-person whilst in the middle of a pandemic where physical distance is priority. One of her classes had the students practicing physical exams on mannequins instead of a real person. “We are a class of nurses that are starting the learning process in a unique and hard time and overcoming hurdles; we are wearing PPE all the time, and even the professors are changing the material that we are studying based on what’s happening,” she said. Tucker plans to finish

PHOTO PROVIDED

Michaela (Miller) Tucker earned special honors from her university prior to entering an intensive nursing program. out her program in Southern California and wait to see where she will go next. “My husband is in the military so that will kind of dictate where we end up and I can really work anywhere as a nurse,” she said. Tucker hopes to eventually get a doctorate degree and become a nurse practitioner and work in public health and wellness. One of the reasons Tucker was chosen as Outstanding Student at her university was due to her involvement outside of her studies. Tucker played on the soccer team and was involved with university life. Tucker, while attending Sisters High School, was also quite involved in her school and community life. Tucker’s involvement

at Sisters High School and in her community carried over to her college life and community. “I think one of the unique things about Sisters was the teachers really taught us to be good students, but also more on being well-rounded people and that there was more than academics,” she said. “I am so thankful for growing up there and having the unique opportunities that we had to do fun extracurricular activities that were outside of just academics.”

will focus on the Scottish Highlanders as a frontier people and on the Loyalist Frontier Partisans of the American Revolution. “The Scots were a frontier people from the time the Romans built Hadrian’s Wall. The English often described Scottish Highlanders, the ‘wild Irish’ and the first peoples of North America in almost identical language. They regarded them as savages and impediments to ‘civilization.’ As for the Loyalist Rangers of the American Revolution era, these were people — white and Indian — whom traditional American history has demonized as renegades. But they all had their reasons for choosing their side in what was really America’s first civil war,” Cornelius said. The Frontier Partisans Podcast is hosted at Podbean at https://frontierpartisans. podbean.com or on Spotify or Google Podcasts. For more information, visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

as we enjoy the beauty of the ranch... All A ll o of fu uss a att B Black lack B Butte utte R Realty ealty G Group roup

Wish you a very Merry Christmas!

SUDOKU SOLUTION for puzzle on page 20

There’s no place like home for the holidays!

Don Bowler President Broker

Gary Yoder Ross Kennedy

Managing Principal Broker Principal Broker

Carol Dye Broker

Joe Dye Broker

Corrie Lake Broker

Emerald Whitlatch Broker

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Serving the Sisters, Camp Sherman and Black Butte Ranch Areas

Ponderosa Properties Happy Holidays ... from our family to yours!

R E A L T O R S

A N D

P R O P E R T Y

M A N A G E M E N T

At Ponderosa Properties… …It’s About th e People LAKE CREEK LODGE, #18-U2 Turnkey in every sense of the word! 1/4 interest in this 3-bedroom, 3-bath cabin at historic Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman. Set on a small rise overlooking the creek basin, this vacationready cabin offers quality throughout. Knotty-pine paneling, plank fir floors, stone/gas fireplace, butcher-block countertops, stainless appliances, farm kitchen sink, tile bathroom & showers, cedar decks, stone exterior accents & locked owner storage. Enjoy the common area, tennis, pool, creek & open spaces. Nearby trails lead to the Metolius River and U.S. National Forest. $224,500. MLS#220103280

NEW TOWNHOME! Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths. Ultra-modern interior design features upper-level living. Light and bright greatroom with south-facing windows, cozy propane fireplace and high vaulted ceilings. Sunny patio with mountain view and feeling of openness. Comfortable upper-level master suite with high ceilings, plenty of closet space and spacious bathroom. Also, a half-bath plus utility room upstairs for convenience. Lower level has 2 bedrooms plus guest bathroom. Heat pump on upper and efficient in-floor radiant heating on lower level. Single attached garage. $449,000. MLS#202000015

Kevin R. Dyer 541-480-7552

Rad Dyer 541-480-8853

Debbie Dyer 541-480-1650

Shane Lundgren 541-588-9226

CRS, GRI, Principal Broker

GRI, Broker

ABR, CCIM, CRB, CRS, GRI, Principal Broker

Broker

Carol Davis 541-410-1556 ABR, GRI, Broker

Greg Davidge 808-281-2676 Broker

Catherine Black 541-480-1929

CRS, Broker, Realtor Emeritus - 40+ years

Jackie Herring 541-480-3157 Broker

541-549-2002 1-800-650-6766 RIVER FRONT PROPERTY In the City of Sisters with water, power & sewer to the property, storage shed, & approval for 2,500 sq. ft. home. Distance of building setback from river is difficult to obtain, making this a rare property. Large ponderosa & cottonwood trees plus 200± ft. of river frontage, accessible at multiple points. Peterson Ridge Trail system less than a block away. Miles of walking, jogging & mountain bike trails through the USFS just down the road with additional access to river on public land. So private, yet walking distance to Sisters. $479,900. MLS #202002392

1087 E. CREEKSIDE COURT Premier building lot in one of Sisters' finest neighborhoods. 12,320 square feet of level land with city utilities available. Nicely treed with native pines. Whychus Creek access. A quiet corner of Sisters, yet easy access to town. $255,000. MLS#220102860

BE A PART OF IT... Sisters’ Only Custom Mixed-Use Community INNOVATIVE NEW CONCEPT • Light Industrial/Commercial • Live/Work Loft Apartments • Opportunity for Economic Diversity • Small Condo-type Spaces • Perfect for Start-ups and Entrepreneurs Lot 5 MLS#201803205 ..........$240,000 Lot 4 MLS#201803206 ......... $250,000 Lot 7 MLS#201803202 ......... $260,000

ACREAGE & MOUNTAIN VIEWS! Enjoy the mountain views & beautiful setting on 9.3 acres near Sisters. Custom 4-bed./3.5bath, 3,330 sq. ft. home with family room, separate office & double garage. Three separate outbuildings offer incredible possibilities to protect your RVs, indulge hobbies & house overflow guests. There is a 36x40 shop with 2nd level guest suite, 48x60 RV barn with 1,650 sq. ft. finished studio, 12x12 greenhouse & gardening area plus high-fenced landscaped grounds for the master gardener. So many amenities and possibilities. Only minutes to town in a secluded, quiet neighborhood off of Barclay Drive. $1,950,000. MLS#220113206

16676 JORDAN ROAD Mountain views! Part of the original Lazy Z Ranch. Fenced on two sides with Kentucky black fencing. Power close by. Septic feasibility in place, may need new evaluation. Close to town, yet off the beaten path, overlooking a 167± acre site of the R&B Ranch, which currently is not buildable. Needs well. Owner will consider short terms. $407,500. MLS#201802331

YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE! This 2.5 acre property is waiting for your dream home. Level land with a nice mix of pines and junipers. Paved access and a community water hookup available. A separate shop or RV building is allowed. Just minutes to Sisters. Bring your builder and let’s walk the property corners. $299,000. MLS#220112822

www. P onderosa P roperties.com 221 S. Ash St. | PO Box 1779 | Sisters Guy Lauziere 541-410-9241

Broker

The Locals’ Choice!

ON TOP OF MCKINNEY BUTTE Overlooking the Cascade mountains and Sisters, this property has a combination of special features not often found. Main house has a rustic yet modern interior with knotty pine & accented by juniper logs. Exciting 3-level floor plan, high vaulted ceilings & spaces filled with Cascade view windows providing natural light. The 9.9-acre rural lot features detached guest accommodations w/garage & long-term cell site camouflaged into the charming architecture. End-of-the-road privacy – forested with ample sunlight – dramatic setting with Cascade views – private guest accommodations – income stream – what more could you want! $999,000. MLS#220110633

GOLF COURSE FRONTAGE A beautiful setting overlooking Aspen Lakes' 16th Fairway with tee-to-green fairway views. The vista includes fairway ponds and a forested ridge/open space as the backdrop. Ponderosa pines and open skies highlight this large homesite ideal for your custom-home dreams. Underground utilities and water available, septic approval and close to Aspen Lakes Recreational Center. $299,500. MLS#220106225

LIKE-NEW TOWNHOME! Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths. Ultra-modern interior design features upper-level living. Light and bright greatroom with south-facing windows, cozy propane fireplace and high vaulted ceilings. Sunny patio with mountain view and feeling of openness. Comfortable upper-level master suite with high ceilings, plenty of closet space and spacious bathroom. Also, a half-bath plus utility room upstairs for convenience. Lower level has 2 bedrooms plus guest bathroom. Heat pump on upper and efficient in-floor radiant heating on lower level. Single attached garage. $449,000. MLS#202000010

BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN VIEW Beautiful mountain view acreage located in the secluded Lower Bridge Basin near the Deschutes River. Views of all mountains from Mt. Jefferson to Broken Top. There is a very private elevated building site in the NE corner of the lot with huge mountain views and southern exposure. Lower Bridge Estates offers paved streets, electric power and phone. The lot is approved for a standard septic system. There is abundant BLM land in the area and the nearby Deschutes River corridor is great for hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. $229,000. MLS#201702313