The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLIII No. 53 // 2020-12-30 by Nugget Newspaper

The Nugget Vol. XLIII No. 53

Inside...

POSTAL CUSTOMER

News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

www.NuggetNews.com

Weather ................................ 2 Editorial................................ 2

Announcements.................. 10 Virtual Events ......................11

PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Crossword .......................... 19 Classifieds..................... 20-21

Real Estate .................... 21-24 Those We Lost in 2020 ... 22-23

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

Editorial…

Don’t look back

As The Nugget staff compiled this yearin-review edition, it was brought home with force — as though we needed reminding — that Anno 2020 is not the kind of year anyone wants to remember. Yet, remember it we will. It is not only the global coronavirus pandemic that has rocked Sisters. The community was hit hard by the tragic loss of young lives. We suffered through weeks of hideous, choking wildfire smoke — recognizing that our own discomfort was nothing compared to the suffering and loss experienced by our neighbors to the west. We know that huge swaths of the state we love are profoundly damaged and will never be the same in our lifetime. This has been a year of loss. Loss has impacted the staff here at The Nugget too. Personally and professionally, the people who put together this newspaper each week have seen our share of the adversities that this year has doled out in ample helpings. We have been forced to part with valued colleagues, who are sorely missed. Staff members have lost loved ones, and we have shared the pain of friends in our community who are facing hard times. The Nugget staff is taking a few days off here at the end of the year to spend the holiday with family and take a breath before plunging back into the fray in 2021. As editor in chief of The Nugget, it seems an opportune time to offer a tip of the hat to a crew that continually punches above their weight.

We are blessed with a highly dedicated cadre of freelance writers and photographers who share our desire to weave the tapestry of the life of the Sisters community in good times and bad, in celebration and mourning. Their wide-ranging interests, exceptional talent, and their sense of connection to place and community are what make the paper something that people will sit down and read in an era of short attention spans and 140-character expression. They are a pleasure to work with each week, and we thank them. Vicki Curlett takes her title of “Community Marketing Partner” most seriously. During this extraordinary time, she has dug deep into an apparently inexhaustible well of creativity in the effort to find ways that local businesses can connect with customers and stay in the fight. Her commitment to seeing her clients prosper buoys spirits in the face of discouragement. Lisa May keeps the office operating smoothly, manages the classified ads and works directly with the public whether the lobby is ’Rona-open or ’Rona-closed. Her proofreading has spared the editor from embarrassing mistakes and keeps the standard of quality high. She has added writing stories and columns to a nearly endless list of tasks that she handles with exceptional aplomb and good cheer, even when things are dark. Leith Easterling keeps the books in order and creates ads that serve our clients and readers well. She has produced the annual

Sisters Weather Forecast

Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Rain

Partly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

Partly Cloudy

46/32

43/29

46/36

46/35

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Showers

42/32

43/32

39/29

Sisters Oregon Guide for decades, striving each year to find fresh and exciting ways to depict the many wonders of Sisters Country to readers literally across the globe. Jess Draper is responsible for making The Nugget an exceptionally visually appealing publication that jumps right off the newsstand at Ray’s and beckons you from the kitchen table to open it up and spend some time with it. Among myriad other duties, she also manages The Nugget’s online presence — and her IT knowledge has on more than one occasion prevented the editor from pulling an Elvis on his computer. They’ve all earned a few days’ break, and they will come back refreshed and ready to serve the community again when the calendar flips and we enter what we all hope is a much better new year. All of us at The Nugget know that our first duty is to serve our readers, and we appreciate all of you who engage so passionately with our community and with the newspaper. Your support and engagement — from supporting subscriptions to contributing letters to the editor and other content — is most rewarding for all of us. Thank you, Sisters. The Nugget staff most ardently wishes all of you a Happy New Year.

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

The Nugget is closed through Friday, Jan. 1 Don’t worry, you’ll still get your Nugget! EARLY DEADLINES:

Issue of January 6 Display advertising ........... Tues., Dec. 22 at noon Announcements & Events .................................. Thurs., Dec. 24 at noon

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 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.

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, 541-699-7530 (cell) vicki@nuggetnews.com, Classifieds, Subscriptions, Announcements, Events: Lisa May, lisa@nuggetnews.com

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

Searchin’ For A Rainbow

Students big winners in tech competition

PHOTO BY MARVIN INMAN

A stiff windstorm hit Sisters on January 1, with gusts hitting 60 miles per hour. The wind caused a bit of a ruckus.

JANUARY Sisters hit by heavy winds

The year 2020 blew into Sisters like a freight train. A heavy windstorm broke trees, tore up roofs, knocked over signs and buffeted houses throughout the afternoon on January 1. Sisters Eagle Airport recorded sustained winds at 31 mph at 1:55 p.m. with gusts hitting 59 mph. Winds were sustained at 35 mph with a gust at 60 mph at 3:55 p.m. Winds were sustained in the high 20 mph range with gusts to just under 40 mph for about three-and-a-half hours from 1 to 4:30 p.m. The windstorm followed moderate rain on New Year’s Eve.

Supporting youth mental health in Sisters

A heavy emphasis has been placed on mental health among youth nationally, and Sisters School District continues to focus on ways to support students from kindergarten through graduation. In order to best serve students and families, the district’s counselors are working to help define their roles as compared to other counselingrelated resources — including professional therapists, psychologists, and mental-health support programs.

Sisters negotiating law-enforcement contract

With the steady growth of Sisters’ population over the last decade, combined with ever-increasing tourism, crime can be expected to increase proportionately. The City of Sisters and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office are in the midst of negotiating a new contract for law enforcement. Beginning in August 2018, City Manager Cory Misley and his staff undertook studying the contract arrangement between the DCSO and the City for lawenforcement services. Misley said they have done a lot of research and methodically studied different options.

IEE fundamental to Outlaws culture

Sisters Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) has been a fundamental part of the culture of Sisters High School for almost 20 years. It is one of the unique offerings that makes Sisters High School stand out among its peers. And it has shaped the lives of many an Outlaw. Boyd Keyser, then-principal of SHS, believed in integrative programming and assigned three teachers to create an interdisciplinary class around Sisters’ long history of kids being outdoors and learning outside. Those teachers are still in the classroom today: Glen Herron, Rand Runco, and Samra Spear.

Sisters Middle School teacher Jeff Schiedler’s seventh- and eighth-grade technology class is one of two in Oregon to win the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, resulting in a prize worth $15,000 in technology supplies and equipment. The nationwide competition challenges students in sixth through 12th grades to creatively use STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) skills to address real-world issues in their communities.

Homelessness affects students in Sisters

According to a state report released near the end of 2019, homelessness among school-aged children affects families in every school district in Oregon, including Sisters. Oregon has one of the highest rates in the nation for homelessness among students. For the 2018-19 school year, 20 different families accounting for a total of 39 students were counted as homeless in the Sisters School District, which is just over three percent of the District’s student population.

Sisters Rodeo earns award

Sisters Rodeo recently received the prestigious award “Large Rodeo of the Year” chosen by the board of directors of the Columbia River Circuit, which includes 32 of the best PRCA rodeos throughout the Pacific Northwest. When asked what makes the Sisters Rodeo stand out, President Curt Kallberg mentioned not only the outstanding volunteers, stock, competitors, and professional staff including the ever-popular rodeo clown J.J. Harrison, but also that “fans don’t come to see our rodeo, they are a part of our rodeo.”

Sisters rang in the New Year with a bit of wind, a bit of rain — and a rainbow. PHOTO BY CAT CONNOR

Sisters Science Fair off for 2020

The long-running Sisters Science Fair scheduled for March has been canceled as the Sisters Science Club and the Sisters School District work on a plan to carry the event into the next decade. The Sisters Science Club has taken the lead on the event over the past eight years. As Sisters Science Fair Director Carol Packard noted last year, “Usually science fairs depend on teachers and invite the public. In Sisters, the public is inviting the teachers!” Cal Allen, one of the pioneering members of the Sisters Science Club, told The Nugget that they made a proposal to the school district to take the lead.

District to tighten policies on coaching

B r i t t a n y a n d To m Niebergall continue to coach varsity girls basketball at Sisters High School, and the District will revise its hiring protocols and coaching practices and policies in an effort to ensure that all student athletes have a positive experience in their sports. Those were the outcomes of a five-hour hearing before the Sisters School Board on Thursday, January 16, addressing an investigation into concerns of several Sisters parents regarding coaching in the Sisters High School girls basketball program.

Are you a Veteran or supported our Veterans through peacetime or during a conflict? We honor and highly respect our Veterans and appreciate their service.

VETERANS

SPECIAL Limited Time Offer!

Special Move-in BONUS! Studio Apartments ONLY $2,995 a month! Your kind of living. The Lodge In Sisters is a welcoming, supportive, and nurturing community, where seniors and friends can live, relax, and have fun. If you move in by December 31, you can rent a studio apartment for only $2,995 per month!

PHOTO PROVIDED

Outlaws students trek in the Cascade high country as part of the IEE program at Sisters High School.

411 E. Carpenter Lane, Sisters thelodgeinsisters.com

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Remembering Sisters woman at sentencing

Judge Wells Ashby told a packed and solemn courtroom on Tuesday, January 14, that no sentence can “properly honor Jenny Cashwell or square the ledger on her death.” Alan Peter Porciello, 37, shot and killed Cashwell after a date on January 12, 2019, in his apartment in Bend. Porciello pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in the killing, which occurred when, as he told police, he was “being facetious, acting like I was going to shoot her, and accidentally did.” On January 14, the judge sentenced Porciello to nine years in prison with 12 months of post-prison supervision. Any firearms and ammunition that he possessed are to be forfeited and he is to have no weapons of any kind after release.

viewing, seasonal closures or historical notes... I wonder if the residents of Junipine would like to have some kiosks…” He consulted with Gretchen Matos who, in partnership with her husband, Gary, are part of the Common Area Committee of Junipine Acres, and they lit upon an idea to create an informational kiosk, and away they went. Heuberger built and installed three kiosks on Junipine Acres’ common areas for his Eagle Scout project.

Man arrested on child pornography charges

Sisters has a new Eagle Scout

Austen Heuberger, a Sisters High School junior member of Boy Scout Troop 188 was hiking around on the common area of Junipine Acres where he lives when he thought, “Gee whiz, there’s no information about the boundaries of the property, places for wildlife

event-related street closures will be cut back and streets will not be closed for events during the summer — with exceptions for the Rodeo Parade and the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Those are key results of new City Ordinance 500, having to do with public events, and Ordinance 501 regarding transient merchants, passed on a four-one vote at the January 22 Sisters City Council meeting. According to City Manager Cory Misley, staff and Council have undertaken the task of rebuilding the framework of the City’s codes to tighten up the language for better clarity, remove outdated and irrelevant regulations, and make improvements so that the City codes more realistically reflect what the future of Sisters will need.

PHOTO BY ERIC LIDDELL

Austen Heuberger.

City makes changes to event rules

Creekside City Park will be closed to large events, and

Shootout!...

A 44-year-old Sisters man faces 22 child pornographyrelated charges after being arrested on Tuesday, January 21, in the wake of a six–month investigation by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office reported Wednesday, January 22, that the detectives division had acted on a tip from Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) regarding Michael Wills possibly possessing and distributing child pornography. During the investigation detectives reportedly confirmed that Wills was the person involved.

New Habitat home dedicated

The sun came out as Sisters Habitat for Humanity dedicated a home with the Likens family on Tuesday, January 21, in the Village Meadows subdivision. Seth, Kastle, Araya and Malita are the 69th family to benefit from the Sisters Habitat Homeownership Program.

The robust Cub Scout Pack 139 staged a lively Pinewood Derby in the Sisters Community Church fireside room. Board President Chuck Harper welcomed the crowd of about 100 people as everyone celebrated and honored the donors, volunteers, and the family. The home was built by Youth Build students and Habitat volunteers.

FEBRUARY Cub Scouts revel in Pinewood Derby

The racing action was hot Friday night at Sisters Community Church, as Cub Scout Den 139, and friends and family, gathered in the fireside room for their annual Pinewood Derby and potluck. A few weeks prior, each scout had been tasked with designing and building their own derby car — with a few requirements. Each derby car had to weigh less than five ounces and be built mainly by the scout it belonged to.

New planner in place at City Hall

Nicole Mardell, the City’s new principal planner, who

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

joined the staff in December, became familiar with Sisters as a facilitator for the Sisters Country Horizons Vision Project while she was a member of the Deschutes County Project Management Team. “Through that process I found a deep appreciation for the community here, the history that led to the Sisters we see today, and the shared goals for the future,” Mardell said.

Project to require cutting trees

Some 500 trees will need to come down to clear an existing power-line corridor in Camp Sherman. A proposed project in the recreational area west of Sisters will establish a 20-footwide corridor and upgrade 131 poles along 13 miles of Central Electric Cooperative power line right-of-way across National Forest land. The project will, in part, mitigate against the danger of the kind of fire that occurred in November 2018 in Paradise, California, when high winds caused PG&E power lines to malfunction.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Reese Moore drives for Outlaws fifth-grade boys during Sisters Shootout. The annual event offers fun and competition for youth basketball players from across the region.

STAY CONNECTED WITH SPRD THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS!

Visit our virtual recreation center for new and fun ideas that are a safe way to recreate during these cold and blustery months at sistersrecreation.com!

Storewide After-Christmas and Remodeling…

SALE UP TO 75% OFF! Some exclusions apply.

Now Through January 3, 2021

Town Square • 541-549-5648

(Across from Sisters Saloon) Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. • Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m.

SistersRecreation.com 541-549-2091 • 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW The proposed development includes up to 28,000 square feet of commercial building area, up to 28,000 square feet of ground-floor multifamily building area, a public street, and associated site improvements.

Chamber, City negotiate future marketing funding

PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT

A bonfire lit up the slopes during Hoodoo’s annual celebration of the spirit of winter.

Winter Carnival celebrates season

Hoodoo’s premiere annual event kicked off on Saturday, February 8, amid winter’s fury, but that didn’t deter crowds. Festivities began at 9 a.m. where families participated in a number of activities ranging from face-painting, pie-eating contests, axe throwing, tubing, and the famous Dummy Downhill contest. For those seeking the pleasures of the mountain, skiers and boarders enjoyed a fresh powder day after the previous night’s and early morning snowfall.

Jean Wells Keenan honored with award

Jean Wells Keenan is renowned in Sisters as an artist, a quilter, an entrepreneur and savvy businesswoman — and the founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS). At heart, she is a teacher and mentor, wife, mother and grandmother. Last Wednesday night, she added the title Recipient of the Eighth Annual Ben Westlund Memorial Award. Jean believes that ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’ Jean’s leadership has inspired the SOQS to expand its vision from a local event to an international attraction. An author of 30 books, Jean is widely recognized in this country and around the world.

Shooting is major forest recreation activity

Recreational target shooting is an increasingly popular activity on the Deschutes National Forest. That popularity has an impact on local residents who are not happy hearing frequent gunfire. Shooting is allowed across the Sisters Ranger District, except within 150 yards of residences or developed campgrounds and across roads. The Forest Service does not maintain shooting ranges or even recommend specific shooting areas — but it has identified numerous areas as suitable for safe, responsible shooting. A good backstop is the top criteria for a safe shooting environment, District Ranger Ian Reid told The Nugget.

New Sisters development can move forward

The road is cleared for development of a six-acre parcel of land located behind Bi-Mart at the west end of Sisters, though such development has raised concerns among local residents about the impact on Sisters’ character and quality of life. With a unanimous vote of 5-0 following a public hearing last Thursday, February 20, the Sisters Planning Commission approved the 5.911-acre Master Planned Development (MPD) for the proposed Threewind project. Two commissioners were not in attendance.

City of Sisters and Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce are plotting a course into the future for marketing Sisters as a tourist destination. The contract between the City and the Chamber is expiring June 30, 2020. Negotiations have begun to craft a new visitor information and marketing contract with the Chamber serving as the destination marketing organization (DMO) and Sisters Country Visitors Bureau.

Limited wilderness entry starts this spring

Beginning this May, the Deschutes and Willamette national forests will implement the limited-entry permit system for day and overnight use in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses. Permits will be available at www.Recreation. gov beginning April 7.

Outlaws swimmer is state champion

Senior Lydia Bartlett capped a stellar high school career in her final event at the OSAA 4A/3A/2A/1A state swimming championships in record-breaking fashion. Bartlett led wire-to-wire in the 500-yard freestyle and set a new 4A/3A/2A/1A state meet record in the process with a time of 4:58.58, breaking the previous record of 4:59.12 set in 2015 by Lucie Davis of Sweet Home. Making the effort even more impressive is that Bartlett was never challenged and won by nearly 22 seconds.

Attendance in focus for Sisters students

Sisters School District is implementing an initiative called “Strive for 95” this year to encourage students to have no more than two absences a quarter, which equates to eight total in a school year to achieve a 95 percent attendance rate. Work started on the goal from the beginning of the school year, with a number of incentives and initiatives put in place to help encourage good attendance and draw attention to its importance.

Local filmmakers win movie awards

In 2019 Nathan and Emily Woodworth, both awardwinning actors and writers, finished crafting a short film that honored absurd ideas and themes that were hugely influenced by Monty Python. The brother-sister team from Sisters recently won three awards for their surreal comedy, “The Purse: A Dream In Two Acts,” from Maverick Movie Awards, one of the most widely respected film competitions in the world.

MARCH Contract will give Sisters more deputies

More deputies will patrol Sisters under a contract that is currently awaiting approval by Sisters City Council. In a workshop on February 26, council members weighed two contract options — one that would provide for a dedicated Sisters lieutenant and four deputies and one that would provide for a lieutenant and three deputies. The consensus was to go with the threedeputy option for an annual contract cost of $771,200. The current contract costs the City $661,000. Going with four deputies would cost $852,300.

Bring in this coupon for

$2 OFF $1 OFF or

any 16-20 lb. bag of Cat Food

any 30-35-40 lb. bag of Dog Food

102 E. Main Ave.

541-549-4151

Offer good through 1-31-21. Coupon not valid with any other promotion. Limit one coupon per customer per month.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Historical Society announces new museum

PHOTO PROVIDED

Jesse Durham has been honored as Woman of the Year by Bend Chamber.

Durham named Woman of the Year

Jesse Durham, co-owner of Sisters Coffee Co., has earned recognition as Woman of the Year from the Bend Chamber of Commerce. The annual award ceremony was held Friday evening, February 28, at Eagle Mountain Event Center in Bend. Durham described the award as “a huge honor,” placing her among women who have a major impact in the life of Central Oregon. “I think the spirit of the award is just to recognize women who are advancing in leadership and have achievements and are contributing to the Central Oregon community,” she told The Nugget. She said she was taken by surprise by actually winning the award. “They started introducing (the award) bio and I thought, ‘That sounds like me. That’s me!’” It’s the second significant award Durham has received in recent months.

Year-round

FIREWOOD SALES — Kindling —

— —

SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS

541-410-4509

SistersForestProducts.com

Local healthcare providers act on COVID-19

The historic bungalow at 410 E. Cascade Ave. (next to Suttle Tea) will be the new home of the Three Sisters Historical Society. A museum, office and gift shop will open in late spring or early summer in the building most recently occupied by Sisters Dental, which has moved its offices to 491 E. Main Ave. Floyd Leitheiser, president of the Historical Society, made the announcement at the organization’s annual meeting on Thursday, March 5, following a Fireside Talk at FivePine Lodge by Jarold Ramsey of Madras. Ramsey, a longtime board member of the Jefferson County Historical Society, embraced the idea of a museum in Sisters.

In response to the emerging risk associated with the spread of COVID-19, local first responders and healthcare professionals are taking protective steps. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District personnel are preparing for the possibility that infected patients may call 911 and request ambulance transport to the hospital. The Fire District has recently provided enhanced training for its emergency responders on appropriate infection control measures, including personal protective equipment and safe work practices.

Partnerships key to protecting forest

Sisters was caught up during the past week in the floodtide of closures and cancellations accompanying efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Sisters schools closed

As Fred Perl moves on from a 32-year career in law enforcement with the National Parks Service and the U.S. Forest Service, he offers a singular takeaway: partnerships are the critical element in protecting and preserving America’s public lands. Those partnerships are not only between and among agencies tasked with protecting public lands; partnerships with members of the public are equally important. “It’s incumbent upon the community to take care of public lands,” Perl told The Nugget. “There are warriors and guardians in the community, and they do incredible things.”

Sisters facing COVID-19 impacts

as of Friday, March 13, and will remain closed until Monday, April 6 as a mandated statewide closure overlapped with Sisters’ two-week spring break. All activities, including athletic practices, are canceled. Sisters Park & Recreation, as per their policy, is following the lead of the Sisters School District and canceling programming.

City signs off on law enforcement contract

Sisters will have a lot more law enforcement coverage starting this summer, when a new contract between the City of Sisters and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office takes effect. The Sisters City Council signed the contract at its Wednesday, March 11 meeting. It now goes on to the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and Sheriff Shane Nelson for their approval — which is expected to be readily forthcoming. The contract calls for Sisters to have a dedicated force of one lieutenant and three deputies. Consistency of staffing was a critical component of the agreement — as close an approximation to having its own police force as Sisters can realistically afford to come.

February 26 workshop. According to planner Patrick Davenport, current active licenses for short-term or vacation rentals in town stand at 88, down from more than 100 a year ago. Eleven permits were issued in 2019, down from a high of 44 in 2018. Davenport noted that there was “a flurry of activity” in 2018 because property owners were aware that new regulations were coming.

A wildfire campaigner retires

Jinny Reed has been working fire for 32 years. She has been with the Sisters Ranger District for 19 of those years working in wildfire prevention, education and suppression. After a career spanning most of her adult life after high school, Reed hung up her uniform and retired as of Saturday, February 29. Reed’s primary role as assistant fire management officer for Sisters had to do with prescribed burns and fire prevention and education.

Rental regulations having an effect

PHOTO PROVIDED

Fred Perl has retired after serving as the USFS law enforcement officer for the past 17 years.

New rules created in 2019 to regulate short-term rentals (STR) in Sisters are having an impact. The Sisters City Council received an update on those impacts at their Wednesday,

PHOTO PROVIDED

Jinny Reed worked in wildfire management for most of her Forest Service career.

Quality Truck-mounted

CARPET CLEANING

Quality Cleaning 16 years in Reasonable Prices Sisters! — Credit Cards Accepted —

ENVIROTECH 541-771-5048

Licensed • Bonded • Insured • CCB#181062

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL

Sisters Dental

OPEN NEW YEAR’S EVE

for curbside pickup and takeout! 3391 91 W W. C Cascade d A Ave. | 541 541-549-2675 549 2675 Thursday-Saturday, 4 to 7 p.m. www.corkcellarswinebistro.com

“Make” New Friends in the New Y Year… …with Crochet Cri er Kits!

WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! Trevor Frideres, D.M.D. Greg Everson, D.M.D. 541-549-2011

491 E. Main Ave. • Sisters www.sistersdental.com Hours: Mon., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

5 41- 5 49 -6061 • 311 W. C A SC ADE AVE . • SISTERS, OR

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Sisters doctors urge resilience

Dr. Kevin Miller has a message for Sisters: The draconian measures we are taking to battle the COVID-19 virus are necessary — and Sisters can stand up to the test. Dr. Miller, who partners with his wife, Dr. Eden Miller, at High Lakes Health Care in Sisters, says that self-isolation is the most powerful tool available to stave off rapid and destructive spread of the virus. “The power is in the people in this,” he told The Nugget last week. “We’re using ageold technology to combat it. It slows the spread.”

APRIL High schoolers face disrupted end of year

Governor Kate Brown has ordered that schools remain closed until April 28 at the earliest, requesting that schools transfer their classes online. For the students of Sisters High School, where there are so many hands-on classes, many fear they will miss out on what they started early in the year. Allison Mansfield, a senior in Tony Cosby’s woodworking classes says the shutdown “has affected my guitar-building class. I probably will not be able to finish.” Senior Sierra Henneous, a student in Rick Johnson’s Americana Project (a class that teaches students to write and record original music on guitar), fears that “our annual Americana CD will be heavily affected because of the cancellation” as we have had to cancel recording our music for the CD at a local studio until further notice.

Locals rally to support med personnel

Calm during the storm...

A crusade of noble intentions has been underway in Sisters Country. Homebound residents are crafting hundreds of facemasks to help shield healthcare workers and others from the coronavirus. Last week, Sisters resident Pete Shepherd launched a campaign: 5 day/500 Mask Challenge. “We started with just an idea a week ago. Nearly 50 volunteers have contributed... We received assistance from Age Friendly Sisters Country, Citizens4Community (C4C), The Nugget Newspaper, Your Store in Sisters, and many members of the faith and quilting communities of Sisters Country.”

Drug trafficking bust made on Cascade Avenue

Detectives assigned to the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team arrested two Prineville residents in Sisters on Tuesday, March 31, as the result of a long-term investigation by the CODE team into the illegal trafficking of commercial quantities of methamphetamine into Central Oregon.

City discouraging visitors during pandemic

Sisters usually throws out a welcome mat for visitors — but in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic, that welcome mat is being pulled.

The whole of Sisters Country is working to navigate the evolving response to the COVID-19 pandemic. PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT

The City of Sisters is releasing an administrative order strongly discouraging visitors from coming to town — the same kind of order already issued at the Oregon coast, the Columbia Gorge, and in the City of Bend. It will be in effect through May 15. The order will be sent to all short-term rental property permit holders. Most hotels/ motels are already totally closed or only making a few rooms available for essential personnel and workers temporarily here who need lodging.

Sisters students will learn from a distance

Lives” executive order the governor issued in March.

In a school district like Sisters, which is continually striving to keep students feeling engaged, prepared and connected, the “Distance Learning for All” mandate from Governor Kate Brown’s office has local teachers and administrators working hard to make the best of a very difficult situation. The mandate comes out of the “Stay At Home, Save

COVID-19 shuts down Sisters Rodeo

The Biggest Little Show in the World is standing down this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sisters Rodeo President Curt Kallberg told The Nugget on Wednesday, April 8, that the Rodeo Board of Directors made the difficult call to cancel the 2020 rodeo by a unanimous decision at a meeting Tuesday night, April 7.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper

Editorial…

Shoulder to shoulder, six feet apart The battle against the spread of the COVID-19 virus is testing Sisters’ resilience as nothing has before. Wildfire, hard winters, road closures, housing crises — we’ve weathered them all, and yet none of them posed the long-term challenges that the events of Spring 2020 present. The Nugget remains committed to being the voice of the Sisters community. We will continue to provide accurate and reliable information to the community via our print edition and also through www.nuggetnews.com and our Facebook page. Perhaps even more importantly, we will continue to paint the portrait of our community as it strives to overcome these hard times. As a small, independent newspaper, these times pose significant challenges to us as they do to all of you. We rely on advertisers’ and readers’ support, and we understand that those sources of support are under significant pressure and changing rapidly. Readers of The Nugget can support us by supporting our advertisers, as we will continue to do in any way possible through and beyond this crisis. Those readers who have signed on with supporting subscriptions are valued partners. We’re all keeping our distance physically, but we must still stand shoulder to shoulder, and together we will weather this terrible storm. Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

ORDER ONLINE for takeout or delivery at SistersSaloon.net 7 Days a Week 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. 541-549-RIBS | 190 E. Cascade Ave.

Toast To A

Happy New Year! Create your own festive smorgasbord with our meats & cheeses. Make winter something to celebrate!

CLOSING AT 2 P.M. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, C CLOSED NEW YEAR’S DAY Meats • Game • Seafood • Smoked Cheeses & Jerky M Sandwiches • Beer, Wine, Cider

541-719-1186

110 S. SPRUCE ST. OPEN 9AM-6PM EVERY DAY

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Home near Sisters destroyed by fire

A h o m e i n Cas cade Meadow Ranch west of Sisters was destroyed May 7. Firstarriving units found the residence at 15169 Windigo Trail fully engulfed by the blaze. The 3,600 sq. ft. home was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The home is a total loss, the fire department reported.

Redmond woman drowns at Scout Lake

PHOTO BY EMILY GREEN

Audrey Tehan is teaching Sisters how to “grow resilience.”

‘Victory Gardens’ promote resilience

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, people are discovering ways to deal with fear and uncertainty. Many are wondering about food shortages, especially fresh produce. During World War I and World War II, “Victory Garden” campaigns served to boost morale and safeguard against food shortages caused by a breakdown of systems for food distribution. Like tough times in human history, more people are planting vegetables and herbs in containers, repurposed flower gardens, lawns and sunny windowsills.

Action Teams step up to help seniors

Age Friendly Sisters Country “Action Teams” received a $5,000 grant from The Ford Family Foundation to focus on their COVID-19 response. The grant will be split between the STARS Action Team and the newly formed Linked Villages Action Team. Launched March 1, the Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) provides a free, all-volunteer ride-share service for roundtrip transportation for non-emergency medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond.

Quilt Show cancels events, goes virtual

The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) announced Friday, April 24 that the organization will cancel the events for the 2020 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show was scheduled for Saturday, July 11.

Sisters Rhythm & Brews Fest canceled

Sisters Rhythm & Brews Festival, scheduled for July, announced that it is canceling due to the pandemic. Organizers Jennifer and Joe Rambo announced the decision in an update on April 21.

Riding the river into a changed world

A trip of a lifetime rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon ended with the world turned upside down for Sisters Middle School Counselor Brook Jackson and his wife, Marie. The pair left on the trip in late February and departed Lee’s Ferry March 1, just as rumblings of COVID-19 were becoming part of the nightly news. When they stepped ashore to head home on March 24, they came face-to-face with a pandemic-altered world.

MAY Sources of Strength school program takes action

Earlier this year, the Sisters School District implemented a program called Sources of Strength (SOS) to form a foundation for interconnectedness and well-being for students, staff, and community. In light of the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SOS team at Sisters High School has jumped into action, offering a variety of resources and activities designed to help people cope with these challenging circumstances.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Just a few weeks ago, the Sisters Folk Festival was faced with the possibility of losing its My Own Two Hands fundraiser to the coronavirus pandemic. The annual event is critical to supporting the Festival’s music education and outreach programming, so the staff came up with a way to move the auction online. And the response exceeded all expectations. The organization’s stretch goal was $75,000 and the event came in close to $85,000, which will support everything from middle school arts to the Americana Project Luthier Program and $4,000 in scholarships provided through the Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (GRO). It’s also critical support to an organization whose major event will not be able to go forward in its traditional form in September of 2020 due to the pandemic.

Portraits

OF SISTERS

Zemko marks century of joyful living

Being alive for 100 years is a milestone most people would like to experience. Imagine the changes and lessons learned in that time. Dinzel Zemko doesn’t have to: she turned 100 on April 23. She’s seen her share of hardships and challenges, but she learned long ago to keep the faith, stay positive and let go of things you can’t change. Celebrating her 100th birthday didn’t go as planned. Her family made the painful decision to cancel her party to keep everyone safe. Zemko was disheartened, but knew dwelling on it wouldn’t do any good. So, she did what she does best, trust God’s plan and focus on her many blessings.

New Sisters Farmers Market to launch June 7

Sisters Middle School counselor Brook Jackson emerged from a river expedition into a world changed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Valerie Mallory, a 44-yearold teacher from Redmond, drowned at Scout Lake on Sunday, May 10. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported that emergency responders were dispatched at 12:35 p.m. on May 10 to the report of a possible drowning at Scout Lake, near Suttle Lake and Highway 20, about 12 miles west of Sisters. Dispatch was told a female had fallen from her stand-up paddleboard into the lake.

Folk Festival fundraiser marks big success

There’s a lot of change happening at Sisters Farmers Market. Some in response to COVID-19 and safety measures for participants. For the first time, Seed to Table will be running the market and has hired the first paid manager. In keeping with Seed to Table’s mission, there will be expanded outreach and access to locallysourced, fresh products.

PHOTO AND STORY BY

Cody Rheault

Adorning the canvas is a half-centurylong passion for Linda Hanson. She has spent years mastering the art of photorealistic paintings, drawing inspiration from photographs and personal memory of the places she visits. Linda moved to Sisters eight years ago from California where she earned a Master of Art and perfected her style. She says time makes her artwork unique, “It’s really what makes these special. Sometimes these take months and it’s a real adventure to the finish.”

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

Wednesday, June 3, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper

Editorial… We’re all on edge

Sisters moves into Phase I reopening with county

Sisters is cautiously emerging from the COVID19 shutdown after Governor Kate Brown last week gave Deschutes County the green light to enter Phase I of the state’s “reopening” protocol as of Friday, May 15. Matters were thrown into confusion on the afternoon of Monday, May 18, when a Baker County Circuit Court Judge invalidated all of Brown’s restrictions on businesses and social gatherings along with other executive orders around the coronavirus outbreak dating back to Thursday, March 12. On Monday night, the Oregon Supreme Court stayed that ruling, leaving restrictions in place pending an appeal. Many retail businesses and restaurants were back in operation under Oregon Health Authority guidelines over the weekend, while some announced that they were deferring opening into this week to allow them time to conform to those guidelines.

Class of 2020 to have ceremony

A team of dedicated educators and parents have saved the day and created a plan for the Sisters High School class of 2020 to have a commencement ceremony after all, despite the limitations imposed by COVID-19. The one-of-a-kind ceremony will take place at the Sisters Rodeo grounds at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 12. Due to health restrictions, the event will not be open to the general public and will be a drive-in style event.

PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER

The staff at Bedouin is masked up and helping customers.

JUNE Sisters Folk Festival off for 2020

The Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) cannot go forward in 2020, due to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, SFF staff and board remain determined to safely and responsibly provide live music experiences for Sisters locals through the summer and fall, and the festival will return in September 2021. The staff and board of directors of Sisters Folk Festival announced Wednesday that they have made the difficult decision to postpone the 24th annual Sisters Folk Festival — originally scheduled to take place September 11-13 — to September 10-12, 2021.

Planned development will add housing

Sisters could see 250 to 300 new homes in the next couple of years as plans get underway for the development of 31 acres of land along Pine Street and Highway 20. Kevin Eckert of Build LLC is designing the project for Paul Hodge and Paul and Carla Schneider of Sisters, who purchased the property that was formerly part of the U.S. Forest Service administrative site. Eckert said that an application is in process at City Hall and the planning commission should meet on the project in August. The developers hope to be through the planning process by October or November.

Here at the office of The Nugget we consider ourselves among the fortunate ones. The press, like it or not, are deemed essential in times of crisis, so we get to work through this global pandemic. So most of our work these days centers around this crisis, and the pain and disruption that it is causing. All of us have seen friends and loved ones lose jobs over the past two months. One in four Americans have been forced out of their jobs. That’s pretty depressing for the out-of-work, who may struggle to find value in their lives and to pay their bills. And it’s depressing for those of us still employed. But people who work in the media tend to be different from most folks in that we thrive on conflict. This newspaper suffers from the same affliction. And for good reason. It’s not that we relish bad things happening to people, it’s simply that conflict is what makes for good story telling. So we hope you’ll believe us when we state, things are not as bad as you see, read, and hear in the national media, especially in the electronic media. Clickbait is a term that applies to the headlines in electronic media that are specifically designed to get you to click on a link, transporting you (they promise) to a story that will change your life. And with a fourth of us unemployed, and a third of who’s left working from home, we’re all spending more time getting our news from social media. This isn’t a harmless practice. Perhaps you already scroll past all of the nonsense: speculation of what might happen or a story about one person is incensed for what they interpret to be an offense. Well-intended people, masons of the pathway to Hell, use social media as a platform to rise to the defense of someone who wasn’t actually offended. The Internet is well-populated with both amateur-police and amateur-journalists. This has the effect of an Ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail. Anger begets more anger and modern technology spreads conflict virally (excuse the pun), the effects of which are insidious, damaging our souls rather than our flesh. As we emerge from two months of sheltering and begin the inevitable rebuilding of our society, please be kind to the people whom, for whatever reason, aren’t wearing a mask. And be kind to those people who are wearing masks. We’ve all been cooped up for too long, getting our news from sources designed to make us angry. Our real-world social skills are a bit rusty. Please be patient with each other and rather than condemning someone’s actions, try to help those in need. Tom Mullen

Retailers happy to be open for business

The road to recovery has started for local businesses in Sisters. They unlocked their doors on Friday, May 15, the day Deschutes County moved into Phase I of the state’s reopening. For the first time in weeks, many retailers welcomed people in their stores and said it’s giving them a sense of normalcy. Some small business owners in Sisters are still erring on the side of caution, sticking with curbside pickup. A couple are remaining closed.

PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS

Beth Wood got on the bandwagon to offer mobile music to Sisters. The Sisters Folk Festival artist and educator launched what will be an ongoing effort to serve up a little fun and raise awareness of festival programming.

Protect Your Most Valuable Asset Available on the newsstand at Ray’s food place or at The Nugget

Police seize heroin in Sisters traffic stop

A traffic stop on the outskirts of Sisters on the afternoon of Wednesday, May 20, led to the seizure of heroin and other drugs, a set of brass knuckles, and more than $3,000 in cash. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reports that its Street Crimes Unit has been investigating 33-year-old Derek Chamberlain of Bend for the sales of controlled substances in Deschutes County.

or read online! BIT.LY/LETSEATCLOSETOHOME Download to your device or read online.

• Re-Roof & New Construction • Ice Dam & Roof Snow Removal • Rain Gutters • 10-Year Workmanship Guarantee

541-526-5143

ccb#203769 | Family Owned & Operated for 20 Years

Ads are e to clickabl us men access tes! i s b e w and

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Sisters wants more law enforcement presence

While the nation is roiled in a conflict over the proper role and conduct of law enforcement, Sisters is moving into an enhanced contract that is bringing a larger and more focused law enforcement presence to the community. That, City Manager Cory Misley notes, is what the community said it desires.

Residents demonstrate for justice

More than 50 people gathered on the corner of Locust and Highway 20 on Saturday, June 6, in a demonstration advocating for racial justice. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota, hundreds of protests and

demonstrations have been happening across the world. In Sisters, a group of locals decided it was time to show their support in their town.

2020 Sisters grads hit the trail, in rodeo style

Donning a black cowboy hat, Sisters High School Principal Joe Hosang welcomed the crowd celebrating the class of 2020 at the rodeo grounds Friday, June 12 saying, “We’re doing this rodeo style!” With the COVID-19 pandemic altering normal life throughout the world, commencement planners, including Lynne Fendall, Jillian Frankl and Melanie Petterson got to work weeks ago to find a way to honor the class of 2020, culminating with a drive-in ceremony on the east side of the rodeo grounds, complete with horses, a jumbo video screen and a mountain backdrop.

PHOTO BY CEILI CORNELIUS

Some 50 people gathered for a rally at the corner of Locust Street and Highway 20 on Saturday, June 6.

T H I S 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.

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.

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.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Rodeo Queens Hailey Konze and Riann Cornett bore the American flag and Outlaws banner at the SHS Graduation.

Trumpeting a Sisters success story

There’s good news for swan lovers and those who believe in private land-holders helping species at risk. There are now more wild trumpeter swans to go into the breeding pool. Several residents of Aspen Lakes, under the leadership of Robin Gold, have been helping the two trumpeter swans, Eloise and Pete, raise a family. A small group of Aspen Lake neighbors have pitched in to help the breeding swans ever since they arrived. The group also purchased Pete, a new cob (male swan), and paid for his

W E E K ’ S Support Furry Friends

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 pet-food 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

Sponsor an Impoverished Child from Uganda

Hope Africa International, based in Sisters, has many children awaiting sponsorship! Details at www.hopeafricakids.org or call Katie, 541-719-8727.

transport from North Carolina to Oregon. Gold is the main caregiver and Pam Olivier backs her up.

JULY Flags wave in Tollgate Village parade

On the morning of Saturday, July 4, the road in Tollgate was awash with red, white, and blue everywhere — from VFW flagbearer Earl Schroeder leading the parade in his shorts and straw hat, to others’ hats, shirts,

bicycle helmets, face masks, and dozens of flags. Dogs of every size and breed were festooned in colorful scarves and ruffs in the spirit of the day. Some 75 residents participated either as paraders, organizers, or spectators. Every ice cream treat was given out, having been generously donated by a local resident. All public safety recommendations were carefully followed to observe safe social distancing. Tollgate Village team leaders Chris Laing and Jane Killefer were delighted with the turnout. The Tollgate Village is a membership organization

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

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.

Organ Donor Awareness

A new nonprofit is in the planning stages to educate the community on the importance of organ donation. Fundraisers and events will be discussed. If interested in taking part, please call Fifi Bailey at 541-419-2204.

Christmas Tree Pickup

Sisters Cub Scout Pack 139 will be doing their annual Christmas tree pick up Saturday, January 2. If you would like your tree picked up, text or call 541-4190813 to be added to the list. Pickup will occur between noon and 2 p.m. Be sure to place your tree (no decorations left on them) on the curb. There is a suggest donation of $5. (Donations can be placed in an envelope or baggie attached to the tree trunk.) All donations will go toward purchasing “Scout Boxes” to allowing the Cub Scouts to work their way through ranks and earn their badges without the weekly inperson meetings.

PET OF THE WEEK Humane Society of Central Oregon 541-382-3537

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 www.shepherdofthehillslutheranchurch.com Sisters Community Church (Nondenominational) 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201 10 a.m. Sunday Worship (with signing) www.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 | www.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 | www.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 & 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Worship at 442 Trinity Way (Wellhouse building). See www.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

Meet ENZO, a handsome oneyear-old pitty mix who is ready to find his forever family! This dapper dog can be a little slow to trust and needs a loving family that can help him build confidence! Enzo loves to play with other dogs, and he would do best in a home without cats. If you are looking for a young, handsome pup to add to your family then come to the shelter and meet Enzo today!

SPONSORED BY

Broken Top Veterinary Clinic 541-389-0391

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Locals rally in support of first responders

PHOTO BY AL KRAUSE

Trumpeter swans Eloise and Pete and their six cygnets produced this nesting season at Cyrus’s Aspen Lakes Community. founded as part of the Sisters Villages to encourage creating, maintaining, and deepening the sense of community that makes Sisters such a special place. The Villages are an Action Team of Age Friendly Sisters Country.

Cundiff closes out school career

Shirleen Cundiff rolled into Sisters in 1998 with her two daughters, Jamie and Kelly, the day before school started, fulfilling a dream she and her husband, Gary, had kept for many years of residing in Central Oregon. “We researched schools in the area and Sisters quickly rose to the top of our list,” she said. Sisters, with around 800 residents within the city

PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG

Shirleen Cundiff has played a key role in making the Sisters School District work for nearly 20 years.

limits at the time, was quite a change from her hometown of Camarillo, California, just north of Los Angeles. Jamie enrolled at Sisters High School as a freshman while Kelly entered Sisters Middle School, which is where Shirleen’s career with the district first got traction. Her long career with the district drew to a close on Tuesday, June 30 when her retirement became official.

Book celebrates 50 years of Black Butte Ranch

Black Butte Ranch is marking its 50th anniversary this summer — and a key element of celebration is a new book “Black Butte Ranch: There Is A Place,” featuring essays on the history of the Ranch by Katy Yoder. The 88-page volume, rich in historical and landscape photographs, was coordinated by legendary Oregon photographer Rick Schafer. Yoder was a natural choice to create the keepsake collection of essays. She is a professional writer (including freelancing for The Nugget Newspaper) — and she’s got a powerful family connection to the Ranch. Her father, Robert Muir Graves, designed the iconic Big Meadow Golf Course at Black Butte Ranch in 1969, opening it in 1970.

Sisters residents turned out on Saturday morning, June 27, to show appreciation for firefighters and police. The rally was organized by Sisters resident Cort Horner. Horner told The Nugget, “This ‘appreciation gathering’ was a spontaneous idea. Like all of us, I think we’ve been overwhelmed with negative messaging toward police forces across the country and regionally, and it just seemed to me like the negativity was very out of balance with all the positives they provide every day. I floated it on one of our local community pages and there was immediate support, so I thought there was no better time than the present to organize something.”

PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER

Sisters folks turned out on Saturday, June 27, for a rally supporting local first responders, from sheriff’s office personnel to firefighters and EMTs.

The Law Office of

JOHN H. MYERS, LLC — Downtown Sisters —

WILLS & TRUSTS Make it easy for you and your loved ones. Call for a free 30-minute consultation.

Happy New Year & Best Wishes for 2021!

Cold weather shelter a victim of pandemic

The Sisters Cold Weather Shelter is yet another victim of the coronavirus pandemic. Local churches that have offered space for the shelter for the past four winters are unable to open their doors to offer shelter to those in the community who are unhoused. Two of the churches have congregations with a large percentage of older members, one of the high-risk populations. Another may be involved in a remodel project of the space the shelter normally uses.

541-588-2414

Our Promise to Our Community...

…We’re here for your walk-in and urgent care needs every day and after hours with medical care you can count on!

Our gift to you through 1/31/21…

FREE FLU SHOT Ages 4-64. While supplies last.

Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ne and New Year’s Day 541-548-2899 3818 SW 21st Pl. Hwy. Hwy wy 126 126 to Redmond Redmond, two turns, and you’re there! (Near fairgrounds) YourCareMedical.com

New Happyar! Ye

Calendar

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

1 FRI

PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS

Katy Yoder has produced a book of essays celebrating the 50th anniversary of Black Butte Ranch.

JAN

WED

Sign of the times…

JAN

SAT

JAN

Even the horses of the iconic sculpture on the Lazy Z that welcome folks to Sisters are observing their pandemic protocols — although they might need to work on their interval. PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

12 TUE

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/. Deschutes Public Library: Geology of Central Oregon The Crooked River Caldera 6 p.m. Explore the rich geologic history of our landscape with retired Forest Geologist Carrie Gordon. Registration is required at www.deschuteslibrary.org/ calendar/.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Helping businesses Folk festival stays through tough times ‘Close to Home’

Despite several weeks of being shut down or having business severely curtailed, despite seeing major events canceled, Sisters shops and restaurants are hanging in there. Significant tourist traffic, while it brings concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19, brings a welcome infusion of business activity to the downtown core of town. But those businesses are also facing a long haul. The coronavirus pandemic and the associated restrictions on gatherings look to persist into the fall and winter, a prospect that will continue to test the resilience of local shop-owners and restaurateurs.

AUGUST Schools will be online for six weeks

In a letter shared with school district staff and families dated July 30, Superintendent Curtiss Scholl announced that school will be conducted under a Comprehensive Distance Learning (CDL) model for the first six weeks of the 2020-21 school year, based on health metrics in Deschutes County. Scholl’s announcement came just two days after Governor Kate Brown’s press conference which outlined the latest state and county health guidelines that are required to allow in-person education.

New Peterson Ridge Trailhead dedicated

Peterson Ridge Trail, a popular destination for cyclists, hikers and runners across the Pacific Northwest, has a new trailhead. It took a concerted collaborative effort to get the project approved, funded, designed, and to build the new 25-space parking lot with restrooms and a soon-to-be-completed kiosk for trail information and maps. The old trailhead, located on the south side of Sisters off Elm Street and Tyee Drive, has for a long time been inadequate to keep up with the popularity of the PRT.

For Sisters Folk Festival, “Close to Home” meant just that — bringing live music close to home in Sisters Country. Saturday, August 1, Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) put on their first live, in-person music event since the start of the pandemic in March, a small, intimate, concert at the Sisters Art Works building back lawn. The featured musicians for the event were all based in Oregon, so they didn’t have to travel out of state.

Sisters attorney wins landmark case

On January 21, 2017, Andrew K. Myers’ life changed irrevocably. The airline pilot, who had flown for JetBlue Airways since 2002, was in a JetBlue Airways plane on the tarmac in Portland, conducting runups on a plane engine when the cockpit and cabin of the plane filled with fumes. Myers suffered multiple medical complications from his exposure to the toxic chemical fumes — complications that ended his flying career and left him with significant debility. After years of workers’ compensation litigation with JetBlue’s insurer, AIG — Chartis Claims, Inc., Sisters attorney Glen Lasken prevailed on behalf of his client. Administrative Law judge Darren Otto ordered on July 31 that claim denials and closures be set aside or overturned, and awarded attorney’s fees and costs to Lasken. Lasken summed up the immediate result for his client: “It means he has a viable workers’ compensation claim,” Lasken said. That will translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits over a period of years.

Sisters sees more cops on the street

Sisters’ new deputies aren’t on the job yet — but the community is already seeing a greater law enforcement presence. The new law enforcement contract between the City and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

Longtime trails advocate Gary Guttormsen was the symbolic first person across the threshold of the new Peterson Ridge Trailhead.

PHOTO BY JAY MATHER

Beth Wood, Ron Artis II, Haley Johnsen and David Jacobs-Strain shared the stage at the Sisters Folk Festival’s Close to Home concert on Saturday, August 1. Office (DCSO) went into effect July 1, 2020. When fully in force, the contract calls for a permanent supervising lieutenant and three full-time deputies. The DCSO is currently training new replacement deputies to fill the current positions to be vacated by the three more-experienced officers who are being assigned to Sisters.

OSAA: No high school sports before Dec.

The OSAA (Oregon Scholastic Activities Association) announced a big change to the 2020-21 high school sports seasons in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision came following an executive session on Wednesday, August 5. In essence there will be three, seven-week competitive seasons within a 6-1/2-month time period between December 2020 and June 2021. Gary Thorson, athletic director and head football coach for Sisters High School, is hopeful some activities will be possible in the fall.

Plan will shape future growth

Sisters is growing and changing rapidly. Those who want to shape what growth and change look like over the next decades will have a significant opportunity as the City of Sisters updates its comprehensive plan. “It’s the guiding legal document for the City in terms of growth and development,” said City Planner Nicole Mardell. As required by the State of Oregon’s robust land-useplanning laws, the comprehensive plan covers transportation, water/wastewater infrastructure, an economic opportunity analysis, a natural resources inventory and a buildable lands inventory. Development can only occur within an Urban Growth Boundary. The principles outlined in a comprehensive plan are enacted through the City’s Development Code. The last full revision of the comprehensive plan took place in 2005.

Moving new roundabout toward reality

The City of Sisters, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and the Sisters School District (SSD) are working together to make the proposed Highway 20/Locust roundabout a reality. The eventual construction of the roundabout will require a right-of-way acquisition from

the Sisters School District for land that is the current site of two tennis courts. The process has already begun with the review by the City and ODOT of the 30 percent Design Acceptance Plan (DAP) provided by the ODOT Roadway Team. That review will be completed in the next 30-45 days, at which time the project team will have DAP-approvable plans ready to be submitted to the State Transportation Engineer.

OU DAY FOR Y O T L L A C E IN OR

CE N A R U S N I FREE N! O S I R A P M CO COM

541-588-6245

257 S. Pine St., #101 | farmersagent.com/jrybka

AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS

Happy New Year, Sisters!

We’re celebrating 7 years of selling quality pre-owned vehicles & RVs. We couldn’t do it w without you supporting small business and buying local! 541-815-7397 192 W. Barclay Dr., Sisters

Sisters sters Car Connection Connecti

Say Aaahhh... General Cosmetic Implant Family Dentistry We’re here to help you SMILE with confidence!

Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben ~ Serving Sisters Since 1993 ~

541-549-0109

304 W. Adams Ave.

Sisters

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Sisters firefighters help save homes

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

The Christensen family celebrated taking the keys to their new Sisters home on Thursday, August 20.

First Story dedicates Creekside Park new homes to see some Three families in Sisters celebrated new home owner- improvements ship Thursday, August 20 in a physically distanced key dedication ceremony in Hayden Homes McKenzie Meadows development off McKinney Butte Road. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All three families are the first in their families to own their own home,â&#x20AC;? noted Claire Duncan, executive director of the nonprofit First Story. Two of the three families currently live and work in Sisters. First Story, Hayden Homesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nonprofit charitable arm, along with NeighborImpact, reached out to the Sisters community to seek applicants and to help prospective homeowners prepare for the responsibilities of homeownership. The first three families are graduates of Neighborlmpactâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HomeSource Program.

Green Ridge Fire has challenged firefighters

The Green Ridge Fire, sparked by lightning on Sunday, August 16, foiled firefightersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; early efforts to quell it and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; driven by gusty winds and fueled by hot temperatures and dry conditions â&#x20AC;&#x201D; marched eastward. The fire grew to 4,169 acres as of Monday morning, Aug. 24. After several days of chasing the fire, firefighters got a reprieve from high winds and hot temperatures over the weekend and were able to halt the fireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s progress.

Accessibility improvements to the Creekside Park Bridge will be completed by the end of 2020. The bridge improvements include ADA-accessible ramps (Americans with Disabilities Act) on either side leading up to the bridge, with decorative railings and the addition of viewing bump-outs along each side of the bridge.

SEPTEMBER City has a vision for Lazy Z land

Habitat for raptors. Public walking trails. A safe highway viewpoint... Those are elements the City of Sisters hopes to see in a new master plan for a portion of the 230.9-acre Lazy Z Ranch property that the City acquired years ago for effluent disposal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What we know,â&#x20AC;? said Public Works Director Paul Bertagna, â&#x20AC;&#x153;is that the western area of the ranch is not suitable for effluent dispersal.â&#x20AC;? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because years of flood irrigation washed away soil that would absorb the effluent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have some habitat out there; we have water rights,â&#x20AC;? Bertagna said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have some raptors; we have bald eagles nesting out there. We want to protect that and have the public be able to enjoy it through a series of walking trails.â&#x20AC;?

Sisters firefighters David Ward and Emily Spognard were part of Central Oregon Task Force 2 that rolled out Sept. 9 to assist with structure protection in Santiam Canyon, where fire driven by heavy winds out of the east ripped through the Hwy. 22 corridor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our primary goal was just structure protection,â&#x20AC;? Ward explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And then if there were some spot fires...extinguish those.â&#x20AC;? Once they arrived, it was clear that â&#x20AC;&#x153;fire was definitely coming down toward Idanha.â&#x20AC;? The firefighters conducted burnout operations to create firebreaks around structures. Their operations were successful.

New art graces Sisters spaces

Late on the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 4, artist Katie Daisy sat on the lawn between Marigold & True and Nourish (a food cart). She watched her friend and fellow muralist Karen Eland put the finishing touches on a mural on the east side of the structure at the corner of West Hood Avenue and South Pine Street. By the next morning, visitors were already standing in front of the great gray owl at the center of the mural, and photographing themselves or their friends as an angel with outstretched owl wings.

Lionshead Fire shuts down Mt. Jefferson Wilderness

As firefighters gained 100 percent containment on the Green Ridge Fire just north of Sisters, the Lionshead Fire blew up. Fueled by hot temperatures, low-humidity, and gusty winds, the fire on the Warm Springs Reservation grew last week until it hit 18,615 acres by Monday, Sept. 7. Over Labor Day weekend, the smoke from Lionshead and dozens of fires in California created a thick haze across Sisters. Air quality in Sisters was deemed â&#x20AC;&#x153;unhealthyâ&#x20AC;? Sunday night. Camp Sherman residents were placed on Levelâ&#x20AC;Ż1 evacuation notice, urging them to be aware of potential danger from the blaze 10+ miles to the north.

PHOTO COURTESY SISTERS-CAMP SHERMAN RFPD

Central Oregon firefighters, including two from Sisters, deployed to some of the areas hit hardest by last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s catastrophic fires.

Wishing you a safe

NEW YEAR!

DAVIS TIRE Serving Sisters Since 1962

541-549-1026

188 W. SISTERS PARK DR. IN SISTERS INDUSTRIAL PARK

ZAM! IIn a J Jam? m? Call the Super Heroes!

boom!

pow! 541-549-4349 541 5

260 N. Pine St., Sisters Licensed/Bonded/Insured/CCB#87587

BANR ENTERPRISES, LLC

Residential & Commercial Contractor

BANR can help you from clearing to concreteâ&#x20AC;Ś demolition to design. When the going gets tough, even the tough call us!

CCB#165122

541-549-6977

WWW.BANR.NET | SCOTT@BANR.NET

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW AT SISTERS RENTAL? Toro DingosÂŽ â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Walk-Behind Trencher PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT

The Green Ridge Fire was driven by high winds, hot temperatures and dry fuels in tough terrain. Air assets worked the fire all week.

541-549-9631

W Barclay Dr Sisters

Mon-Fri: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

www.sistersrental.com

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

SISTERS OUTLAWS

Thank

Thank you to all the educators that go the extra mile to help students succeed! Superior Service, ASE Master Techs

541-549-0416

www.vanhandelauto.com

Located on the NW side of Sisters, off HWY 20 at 635 N. Arrowleaf Trail Sun - Sat 6:30 AM - 10:00 PM â&#x20AC;˘ (541) 549-2222

WWW.GORAYS.COM

541-549-3574 www.therapeuticassociates.com/Sisters

THANK YOU, U, TEACHERS & STUDENTS! Books, toys, games, maps and more! 252 W. Hood Ave. | 541-549-0866

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to nominate Jeff Schiedler. Mr. Schiedler, like all the teachers at SMS, goes above and beyond to keep students motivated and having fun. He makes an assignment that would usually be boring, fun and entertaining. He is dedicated to his students and is an amazing teacher. That is why I nominate Mr. Schiedler.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Brooke Duey â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am writing as a student that went through the Sisters School District for 13 years of schooling. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I began in Mrs. Kamerathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kindergarten class at Sisters Elementary School and learned the benefit of hands-on learning. I was then taught by Mrs. Stengel, where I first fell in love with writing. Learning from these teachers at such a young age instilled in me a sense of appreciation for learning, and I have loved learning ever since. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In 5th grade, I was taught to appreciate reading by Tiffany Tisdel, something I deeply appreciate to this day. As a student who primarily loved history and English school subjects, I greatly struggled in my math classes. Thanks to Daniel Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill, my high school math teacher, I learned to appreciate mathematics and made it through necessary math classes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Going into college, I was told that lectures would be intense and would move fast, and the workload would increase exponentially. The workload did increase, and lectures

can be intense, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like GET ALL YOUR a fish out of water. I felt as if I could keep up, and that is credited to the HERE experience I had as a student in the Sisters School District. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Taking classes, such as AP 121 W. Cascade Ave. Government with Gail Greaney Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 541-549-2059 and AP English with Samra Spear, shaped the way I take notes, the WAY TO GO, OUTLAWS! way I analyze literature and have From your local Realtor, Suzanne academic discussions and debates. Real Estate, Sisters second-favorite contact sport! My Writing 121 class my senior year Suzanne Carvlin, Broker with Matthew Bradley taught me not 541-595-8707 suzanne@homeinsisters.com only how to write, but why we write and how we can write to make a difference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three years of Spanish with Janis Quiros allowed me to enter into a higher-level class at college. If it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for the schooling Your full-service experience I had in Sisters, tire store! teachers that taught me how Tires â&#x20AC;˘ Wheels â&#x20AC;˘ Brakes & Shocks â&#x20AC;˘ Chains to be a successful student, and Alignment â&#x20AC;˘ Batteries â&#x20AC;˘ Mobile Tire Service 541-549-1560 â&#x20AC;˘ 600 W. Hood Ave. doing projects that required me to conduct myself as an adult, I would not be the successful student in GO, college that I am today. OUTLAWS! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every teacher I had from kindergarten to senior year helped to shape me into someone who loves to learn and helped to prepare Corrie C. Lake 414 W. Washington Ave. me for college life in every way. 541-521-2392 Lic#201218852 As a senior at the University of Oregon now, I have felt that I have been able to get so much out of my educational experience because TO ALL THE AMAZING I went into college willing and SISTERS EDUCATORS! wanting to learn everything I could because of how I was educated in my young life.â&#x20AC;? N E W S PA P E R â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ceili Cornelius NUGGETNEWS COM â&#x20AC;˘ - -

OUTLAW GEAR

HATS OFF, The Nugget

Honor that special educator that has made a difference for you! Write your personalized salute* and email it to leith@nuggetnews.com or drop it off at The Nugget office, 442 E. Main Ave., Sisters. The Educator Honor Roll will appear in the last issue of each month during the 2020/21 school year. *

Please limit to 70 words or less.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW The City has a contract with U of O for 1,700 hours of Shoup’s services over 11 months, for which she will receive a monthly stipend and nine credits toward her master’s degree. She plans to use this opportunity to hone in on a particular area of interest before starting work on her Master of Urban and Regional Planning.

Smoke created dire air quality locally

The hazardous air quality in Sisters — and much of the western U.S. — over the week has been apparent from the permanent haze across town. When the Air Quality Index (AQI) is rated as hazardous or unhealthy, “everybody should be staying indoors as much as possible” said Laura Gleim, spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

The first step in the long process of developing the middle section of the Forest Service property has been taken. On Thursday, September 10, the Sisters Planning Commission approved — with conditions — a request by developers for a rezone from Public Facilities to Multi-Family Residential. Five commissioners voted in favor and one abstained. The area is now called Sisters Woodlands. There are no development plans yet, although the applicants and their representatives offered some possible scenarios they are considering. The applicant’s landuse planner, Tammy Wisco, painted a picture for the commissioners of the possible development, with 25 acres of workforce housing made up of cottages, townhomes, and multi-family units in the interior of the property. She called it a true community that will be walkable and bikeable.

History museum is open to the public

Those who settled Sisters were a hardy bunch who overcame many obstacles to create lives for themselves and their families here in Central Oregon. The same could be said for the board of directors and volunteers at the Sisters Historical Society and Museum who, amidst a pandemic and hazardous smoke conditions, persevered to offer a soft opening of the new museum on the corner of North Larch and East Cascade Avenue. They sent out notices to their members and welcomed

Sisters had the worst air quality in the world at times, according to the Air Quality Index. Air quality was expected to improve through the week. anyone who happened to stop by, of which there were several descendants of early Sisters families who just happened to be in town. “We are very pleased with the reception from the public so far, as well as recent visitors with roots in the past,” said Karen Swank, board member. The museum is now open to the public with winter hours: Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and other days by appointment.

K-3 students return to school

For the first time since midMarch students in kindergarten through third grade will return to Sisters Elementary School (SES) for in-class instruction, thanks to a consistent drop in COVID-19 cases in Deschutes County. The statistical metric of fewer than 30 cases per 100,000 has held for over three consecutive weeks, allowing the return of the youngest members of the Sisters School District to move from “Comprehensive Distance Learning” to “Hybrid Learning.” (Cases did jump again late last week.) Students will attend classes in person Monday through Thursday and continue to take part in Comprehensive Distance Learning on Fridays. Getting students back into the school building requires a comprehensive plan to meet health and safety standards, according to Superintendent Curt Scholl.

Artists demonstrate their work in tour

The Sisters Art Association Artist Studio Tour celebrated four years of offering a unique opportunity for art enthusiasts to visit studio spaces of 36 artists at 26 locations in and around Sisters Country on Saturday and Sunday, September 26-27. The tour offered visitors the special opportunity to visit many of the talented artists as they worked in their studios. Most artists on the tour — whether appearing at their private studios or joined up in small outdoor groups around one home — actively demonstrated their craft. Artist Bill Hunt said, “I think this artists tour is a fantastic opportunity, especially during COVID-19. The people feel secure and safe outside here. We’re not in that closed area. And we’ve got fantastic weather for us, and it’s been going really well.”

In a year marked by canceled events, separation, and loss, it can be difficult to focus on the positives. But one place that positive energy was palpable this summer was in Fir Street Park each Sunday. The success of Sisters Farmers Market (SFM) can be attributed to a few factors — perhaps the most prominent being the community support. In March, the pandemic threatened the possibility of holding markets this summer. It was the community of vendors from past seasons of SFM that advocated for the continuation of the in-person events. The Seed to Table team, in their first year managing SFM, hit the ground running to plan safe infrastructure for opening

Deputies step up to serve Sisters

The three new Deschutes County Sheriff ’s Office deputies who were recently assigned to duty in Sisters appear to be a happy, friendly team who — according to all three — love what they do. Deputy Bryan Morris has a ready smile and quick wit. He likes the idea of communityoriented policing and getting to know the businesspeople and residents in Sisters. Those same sentiments were expressed by Deputies Allie DeMars and Mike Hudson.

OCTOBER PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

‘Creative optimist’ joins City of Sisters staff

With the closure of City Hall to the public due to COVID-19, the residents of Sisters have yet to meet a new addition to the staff in the person of Emelia “Emme” Shoup. Shoup is part of an AmeriCorps program administered through the University of Oregon (U of O), Resource Assistance for Rural Environments.

Brightest comet in years soars over Sisters

With determination and innovation, the Sisters Farmers Market ran through the summer of 2020, a bright spot for patrons.

Made in Sisters, Oregon

We skillfully fabricate your ideas (and ours) in steel, aluminum, copper & other metals. We do repair work, too.

PHOTO BY ALEX JORDAN

Sisters Woodlands wins first approval

PHOTO BY REECY PONTIFF

Celebrating market success through the pandemic

day on June 7. The City of Sisters provided guidance and resources to ensure the safety of the event in the context of the coronavirus. With crucial volunteer support, an online pre-order service was created to provide a contactless pick-up option for vulnerable people. Word spread to shoppers and vendors about the safe and welcoming environment throughout the 16 weeks of the season. By the 17th and final event on Sunday, October 4, the maximum number of vendors was reached at 25, and over 750 shoppers poured in.

“Your Local Welding Shop” CCB# 87640

541-549-9280 | 207 W. Sisters Park Dr. | PonderosaForge.com • Large organic produce selection • Huge organic & natural selection storewide Local is what we are. Local is who we love.

A celestial visitor that hadn’t been around these parts in about 6,800 years put on an impressive display in Sisters’ skies. Comet NEOWISE C/2020 F3, found on March 27 by the Near-Earth Object Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) satellite, turned out to be the brightest comet in years. Local photographer Kris Kristovich caught a fine image of Comet NEOWISE from Dee Wright Observatory in mid-July.

Located in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, Bend Open every day, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Isolated shopping hour: 6 to 7 a.m.

• Meat cut & ground fresh daily • Huge bulk-foods department • All your favorite local brands & items • Only 20 minutes from Sisters • Proud to be 100% locally owned & operated

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Davis to head local sheriff’s detail

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

The Neal family of Sisters celebrated the dedication of their new Sisters Habitat for Humanity home last week.

Sisters Habitat for Humanity dedicates 70th home

Sisters Woodlands wins zoning approval

The Neal family of Sisters has come home. They celebrated that homecoming in a Sisters Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony on Tuesday, October 6, in the Village Meadows neighborhood. The family of five expressed their thanks and appreciation for everyone who made their home a reality. John Neal said, “Thanks to everyone coming together and getting this done (during) this challenging year. It’s one positive thing coming out of 2020. Thanks everybody!”

Following a public hearing, City Council unanimously approved the application to rezone and redesignate the 35.84-acre property located at 201 N. Pine St., formerly owned by the U.S. Forest Service and zoned Public Facilities (27.53 acres), Urban Area Reserve (4.76 acres), and Open Space (3.55 acres). The approved zoning changes now include Residential Multi-Family (25.06 acres), Light Industrial (4.96 acres), Landscape Management (3.85 acres), and Commercial (1.97 acres).

Sisters youths killed in forest crash

BBR woman marks 100 years

Three young women died in a single-vehicle wreck on Forest Road 15 near Sisters. Two 17-year-old Sisters High School students died, along with 18-year-old Amelie Malerva-Locke of Sebastopol, California. According to the Deschutes County Sheriff ’s Office, deputies were dispatched at about 9:17 p.m. on Thursday, October 1, to a single vehicle crash on Forest Road 15 about one mile south of Highway 242. Responding deputies arrived and found the crashed vehicle, a 2008 Mercedes SUV, off the roadway. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department personnel responded and pronounced all three occupants of the vehicle dead at the scene.

As Ruth Peterson sat in her comfortable Black Butte Ranch home one week before her 100th birthday, her second husband, Jim Gibbons, 92, said that when he met her for the first time she was playing tennis at age 72 and “didn’t look a day over 39.” The couple just celebrated their 10th anniversary. Ruth (Anders) Peterson was born October 30, 1920 in Wisconsin, the second of three children, all still living. Longevity certainly runs in the family. She comes from good genes. Peterson’s mother, an immigrant from AustriaHungary, lived to be 100 years old. Her sister Margaret will be 102 in December, and her “younger” brother Robert is 96.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG

Ruth Peterson and her husband, Jim Gibbons. Peterson turned 100 on Friday, October 30.

“This is my dream job.” That is how Lt. Chad Davis of the Deschutes County Sheriff ’s Office (DCSO) described his feelings about being named to head the sheriff’s unit at the Sisters substation. Davis has been a resident of Sisters for 25 years, during which time he first worked for the old Sisters Police Department as a reserve deputy while finishing up his degree in law enforcement at Western Oregon University. In 1996, the Sisters department was disbanded with Davis and some other deputies being absorbed into the DCSO. His experience with Deschutes County has been broad and varied.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

Lt. Chad Davis will lead the Sisters contingent of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office under the City’s new contract with DCSO.

Planner will help shape Sisters’ future

“I’m not here by accident,” Sisters’ new Community Development Director Scott Woodford told The Nugget. A look at his résumé certainly confirms that statement. The Woodfords moved to Bend almost eight years ago when Scott took a job with the City of Redmond, where he worked as the senior planner for over seven years. Over the past year he worked on their comprehensive plan update. An update of Sisters’ plan is one of his first projects here in Sisters. He already knows and

PHOTO BY SUE ANDERSON

Jim A. and Jim C. — old pals and newspaper colleagues for 27 years.

The world’s all right By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

It must have been the haze of wildfire smoke. When I sat down at my desk at The Nugget and opened an email from Jim Anderson, my eyes got a little watery. The message was one I knew was coming, but it was mighty poignant all the same. The message read: “OK, here it is Good People, the Last Story, all 2,700 words of it. I hope you’ll run it, perhaps in two editions...or whatever. It’s going to be a very sad day for me when Sue and I walk out of our home of almost 50 years and leave this land of Central Oregon that I love, but the one constant in Nature is change...” Jim and Sue are heading to the Willamette Valley to be closer to family. It’s the end of an era. Who am I fooling? It wasn’t the smoke. Jim’s message was poignant, sure, but also funny. It’s just like Jim to leave his editor with a massive 2,700word column. He’s known since before I became his editor that columns really should max out at about 800 words. So… the “last story” will have to be three. I don’t think Jim would mind me telling you that he is a bit of a handful for an editor. Word counts, like the Pirate Code, are “more guidelines than actual rules.” And he was never really comfortable with the distinction between a news story and an

opinion column. Keeping his opinion and voice out of a piece wasn’t something that came naturally, and Jim could be mighty set in his ways… But, after all, Jim Anderson has a wonderful and distinctive voice, and strong passions for the things he holds dear: aviation; family; the bounty of Nature. Come right down to it, it’s a voice that shouldn’t be muted. And it’s a voice we’ll miss. Jim is a man of strong principles and a caring heart. I’ve seldom met anyone so genuinely warm-hearted, so thrilled to see others thrive and succeed. He was so proud of his children’s accomplishments — and he was proud of yours, too. About the only thing that could obviate his compassion and love for his fellow man was seeing Man damage and destroy his beloved natural world. For those who would deliberately and wantonly destroy Nature, he reserved a fiery and righteous anger. But even when he had to be a warrior, he was a happy one — and he knew that the best way to combat a destructive mentality is to educate people and imbue in them an understanding and appreciation for its joys and wondrous beauty. Jim is a teacher, perhaps above all else — formally, through his writing and simply through casual conversation. We should all do so well as to fill 92 years of life with real living, as Jim Anderson has.

Sisters got a reprieve from smoky conditions

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE CONNOR

Sisters got a welcome break from hazardous smoke conditions last weekend — including the hopeful sign of a symbolic rainbow.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW has worked with the consultant chosen by Sisters to facilitate the comp plan update. He is fully acquainted with Oregon land-use laws, which differ from most states. Before moving to Oregon, Woodford worked for over a decade, both in the public and private sectors, on land-use planning and managing complex projects. He has extensive experience working in Colorado resort communities like Aspen, Steamboat Springs, and Summit County. He is very well acquainted with the issues now facing Sisters — benefits and challenges of tourism, traffic and transportation, retention of community character, lodging and short-term rentals, affordable housing, preserving history, and responsible growth.

An investigation will help school officials decide how to further intervene on those responsible and to help ensure that similar incidents don’t happen again. The investigation includes work on the part of the technology department to determine the user(s) responsible for the incidents. Further response by the school will include providing counselor and staff support for students affected by the incidents as well as working as a staff to help problem-solve in order to mitigate any such occurrences from happening again.

NOVEMBER

Sisters arts organizations got a significant financial shot in the arm from the Oregon Cultural Trust. Coronavirus Relief Fund Cultural Support (CRFCS) grant awards totaling $25.7 million are being distributed to 621 organizations across Oregon. These funds, approved by the Emergency Board of the Oregon Legislature in July, were allocated to the Oregon Cultural Trust to support cultural organizations facing losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cate O’Hagan, co-chair of the Deschutes Cultural Coalition, a program in partnership with Oregon Cultural Trust, distributed relief fund checks for the arts in Sisters

School grapples with online behavior

The challenge of distance learning took an ugly twist as some seventh- and eighthgraders at Sisters Middle School recently experienced three separate incidents of students using racially and sexually charged language during classes being conducted through Zoom. Families first heard of the incidents through an email letter from principal Alison Haney that was followed later by a second letter that clarified, to some extent, what had taken place.

Arts get a financial shot in the arm in Sisters

outside on the steps of Sisters Art Works. Funding went to the Sisters Folk Festival ($194,998), Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show ($10,205), Sisters Rodeo Association ($32,798) and Silent Echo Theater Company ($4,630).

Andersons honored for stewardship

Jim and Sue Anderson were honored as Deschutes Land Trust 2020 Volunteers of the Year. Each year, the Land Trust recognizes volunteers who have provided outstanding service to the organization and its effort to conserve and care for land in Central Oregon. Though this year has been

unlike any other, and the volunteer landscape has changed considerably, the Land Trust still wanted to recognize the people who dedicate themselves to the land. Jim Anderson has been a Land Trust volunteer since the early 2000s. A lifelong naturalist, Anderson has dedicated a portion of his time to help wildlife thrive at Land Trust Preserves. Whether helping establish initial wildlife lists or building and installing nesting boxes for birds or flying squirrels, Jim’s efforts always enriched habitat for wildlife. Sue Anderson has also been a Land Trust volunteer since the early 2000s. A local butterfly expert, much of Sue’s volunteer time has been spent dazzling children and adults alike on her annual butterfly walks at the Land Trust’s Metolius Preserve.

Protecting the health of those who protect Sisters

BY STEVE PEDERSEN

Sue Anderson is renowned for her butterfly tours on the Metolius Preserve.

Firefighter and emergency responders see a lot of trauma — devastating fires, accidents, illness, injury and death. It takes a toll. Over the past 25 years, there has been a shift in focus on firefighter and emergency responders’ mental health as a more strongly emphasized part of training curriculum. Tim Craig, deputy chief of operations/training at the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District spoke with The Nugget about the shift in firefighter

BY ALAN ST. JOHN

Jim Anderson installs a bird box on Deschutes Land Trust lands. and EMS culture and training in regard to focusing more on the well-being of first responders. Craig spoke about the fact that this year in particular, there has been stress since March when the pandemic began and “it hasn’t really let up since.” Not only has COVID-19 created an extra stressor on first responders, but a string of recent fatal accidents among Sisters youth has also had a significant impact and created a need for looking at the wellbeing of first responders after a critical incident.

Health, wellness and quality of life are top priorities for people in Central Oregon!

Having a healthy, active lifestyle is just the tip of the iceberg. Besides our individual physical health, overall wellbeing depends on other aspects of life as well like mental, oral, ocular, environmental, educational, financial, family, and pet health.

e l p m sa

Advertise in Focus On Health if you offer:

Fitness programs and gear • Beauty treatments Spa and massage services • Chiropractic, acupuncture and physical therapy Healthy food and supplements • Home cleaning services Senior living communities and programs • Veterinary and pet training services Financial and retirement management guidance

FOCUS ON HEALTH is a 2-week promotion in The Nugget Newspaper January 20 & 27, 2021 Each participating business receives a full-color ad both weeks and a 150-word mini-story with photo in one issue. Space and ad content deadline is Friday, January 8, 2021. Ad size: 2.85" wide by 3.52" high.

Space is limited and this popular section sells out! Call Vicki at 541-549-9941 to reserve your space.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Reckless drivers become a community concern

For the past seven months, complaints of roaring engines, squealing tires, and speeding on Highway 242, Edgington Road, McKinney Butte Road and in the Sisters High School parking lot, mainly by young drivers, have poured in to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s dispatch center. Two non-injury accidents by teenage drivers on or near Edgington Road have taken place in the past two weeks, the direct result of speeding. Multiple calls came in to dispatch again as recently as Thursday, November 6. Comments on local social media groups have expressed intense worry in recent weeks as well. Some posts questioned whether parents of the drivers were aware of their kids’ dangerous behavior. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) shares the community’s concerns. Based on the high number of complaints, the DSCO has taken more focused action. The sheriff’s office has assigned deputies to work patrols in areas of concern, and deputies are being randomly assigned to work this area, looking specifically for people racing, speeding, or any other concerning driving behavior, according to Janes.

Voters elect three councilors

Although the results of the race for Sisters City Council won’t be certified until the end of November, the three highest vote-getters appear to be duly elected, with the following vote counts: Andrea Blum 1,087; Jennifer Letz 1,077; and Gary Ross 981. Susan Cobb and Elizabeth Fisher, although not elected, both garnered significant numbers with votes at 701 and 647,

respectively. The two highest vote counts will serve fouryear terms, and the third serves two years.

COVID drops coal in Sisters’ stocking

The coronavirus pandemic just put a big lump of coal in Sisters’ Christmas stocking. In the face of surging caseloads and hospitalizations across Oregon and Deschutes County, Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce has announced that they are canceling their traditional holiday activities in Sisters Country. That means no Community Christmas Tree Lighting, no Christmas Parade, and no visits with Santa. That announcement came as Governor Kate Brown on Friday, November 13, announced a “two-week freeze” enacting renewed restrictions focused on limiting the spread of the coronavirus.

Sisters residents volunteer in record numbers

People living in and around Sisters are showing their care for the community by volunteering in record numbers for a variety of City boards, committees, and the Comprehensive Plan Update Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC had 37 applications submitted for a committee that was slated to have 10 to 12 members. So many wellqualified citizens volunteered that the membership was expanded to 14.

Making the most of limited instruction

The three themes undergirding the work of Sisters School District — Belong, Prepare, Inspire — are harder to accomplish during the battle with COVID-19 and the

resultant distance learning. The teachers of Sisters middle and high schools are doing all they can to safely offer person-to-person interaction through what is known as “limited in-person instruction” (LIPI) under the state’s “Ready School, Safe Learners” guidelines. Limited in-person instruction allows schools to meet in small groups with time restrictions. According to Tim Roth, the assistant principal at Sisters Middle School, teachers have found ways to employ LIPI in most core subject areas such as music, art, various electives, counseling, academic support and co-curricular activities.

DECEMBER GRO welcomes program director

The Graduate Resource Organization (GRO), which facilitates the scholarship program available to Sisters High School graduates, has grown enough in recent years that the all-volunteer GRO board of directors put plans in place last year to hire a part-time program director. The plan came to fruition earlier this month and Laura Kloss is the happy recipient of the position. She will officially begin her duties in mid-December. The board received a healthy number of applicants for the job, but Kloss’s experience and vision stood out.

County responding to surge in COVID-19 cases

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge in the region and across the state, Deschutes County Health Services reports that case investigation and contact-tracing teams are currently not able to contact all residents

Painting the town...

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

The wood shop at Sisters High School remains active as students get some hands-on building experience crafting Adirondack chairs. who test positive for COVID19 within 24 hours. Daily case reports hit a record on Friday, December 4, with 129 reported. Sisters cases stood at 92 on Wednesday December 2, up from 78 a week before (cases are broken out by zip code on a weekly basis). There was a statewide record of 2,176 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases and 30 new deaths reported.

Vision team welcomed new members

Since July 2019, the Vision Implementation Team (VIT) has been meeting to guide progress on the Sisters Country Vision. The VIT welcomes three new members to the team: Hattie Tehan, Dennis Schimidling, and Bob Bryant.

Happy New Year!

From all of us at

Hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 8 to 4, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Sisters Elementary School students turned out for their annual window-painting spree, getting downtown Sisters into the holiday spirit.

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Finding truth of genetic identity

Wendi Babst was staying at her soon-to-be home in Sisters in March 2018 when she made a discovery that changed her life. Retired from law enforcement and now teaching criminal justice at Clackamas Community College, Babst and her husband, Greg, were on the cusp of moving to the Sisters home they purchased in 2012. Wendi wasn’t feeling well, and was looking to pass some time by delving into a DNA test. When she looked at her results, there was an anomaly: She had a whole lot of half-sibling matches that shouldn’t be there. It didn’t take her detective’s intuition long to grasp what was going on. She knew that her mother had seen a fertility doctor — and she knew that that doctor had delivered her; his name was on her birth certificate. And she knew what her DNA test implied. As she investigated her findings, she realized a shocking truth: Her biological father was Dr. Quincy Fortier. Babst’s remarkable journey is recounted in the new HBO documentary film “Baby God,” which premiered on HBO on December 2 and is available for streaming on HBO MAX.

Sisters man killed in Highway 20 wreck

A Sisters man died in a single-vehicle wreck east of town on Saturday, December 12. Oregon State Police reports that at approximately 1:40 p.m., troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single-vehicle crash on Hwy. 20 near milepost 8 in the area of Fryrear Road. Preliminary investigation revealed that a Toyota Highlander operated by Neil Muller, age 35, was eastbound when it went off the roadway and struck a utility pole.

STARS provides essential service

“The service offered by STARS means we can continue to live in Sisters,” Joann Powers told The Nugget. Powers is 87 years old and doesn’t like to drive in Bend traffic, where her husband Bill has regular medical appointments. By calling the dispatch center for Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) on Tuesday or Thursday between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., Bill can arrange for a free ride to Bend and back with a STARS volunteer who has passed a background check and has approved automobile insurance. There is no charge for the rides; drivers don’t accept tips. The STARS program is one of the Action Teams under the umbrella of Age Friendly Sisters Country, which was established in 2019 with a seven-member board of Sisters citizens. The organization has been officially recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the eight age-friendly communities in Oregon.

Elementary school will continue in-person

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

The Nugget Newspaper Crossword

By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune News Service

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. H o w e v e r, s u p e r i n t e n dent 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 January 11 — provided that nothing else significantly changes in the interim regarding coronavirus infection rates.

— Last Week’s Puzzle Solved —

School choirs perform in virtual concerts

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. In lieu of the performances, 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.

Fire destroys home

A fire broke out in the wee hours of Sunday, December 20. Firefighters with the SistersCamp 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. Five fire engines and 20 firefighters responded to the fire. There were no injuries reported.

2021 Sisters Rodeo tickets on sale

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 tickets and purchasers should avoid them.

This Week’s Crossword Sponsors

Wishing You A Healthy & Happy New Year!

Essentials Skincare

Thank you for the past year of business and for embracing ORGANIC LIVING through great skincare products. 492 E. Main Ave. • Open Monday-Saturday, Flexible Hours Karen Keady Esthetician/Owner • 541-480-1412

WELL PUMP SERVICE

SistersEssentials.com Pump & Electrical Contractor

PRESSURE TANKS • CONSTANT-PRESSURE SYSTEMS FREQUENCY DRIVES • MOTOR CONTROLS • PUMPS A Division of

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

Sisters Owned CCB#178543

Zach 541-420-8170

Leaving Your Employer? Understand Your 401(k) Options. At Edward Jones, we can explain options for your 401(k), including leaving the money in your former employer’s plan, moving it to your new employer’s plan, rolling it over to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or cashing out the account subject to tax consequences.

Karen Kassy

Financial Advisor

541-549-1866

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

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

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

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

500 Services

• DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279 GEORGE’S SEPTIC TANK SERVICE “A Well Maintained Septic System Protects the Environment” 541-549-2871 BOOKKEEPING SERVICE ~ Olivia Spencer ~ Expert Local Bookkeeping! Find Hope in God’s Character Phone: (541) 241-4907 Transformed by God’s Nature www.spencerbookkeeping.com Daily readings accompanied by RV repairs, yard cleaning, beautiful illustrations explore the hauling, have references. Call attributes of God as revealed in Andersen’s Almost Anything at Scripture. Readers are 541-728-7253. encouraged to know God more SMALL Engine REPAIR deeply and be spiritually Lawn Mowers, transformed in the midst of trials Chainsaws & Trimmers and suffering. Available at Sisters Rental LogBridgeBooks.com, Amazon, 331 W. Barclay Drive & Paulina Springs Books, Sisters. 541-549-9631 202 Firewood Authorized service center for SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS Stihl, Honda, Ariens/Gravely, Cub Cadet, Briggs & Stratton, DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD Kohler, Kawasaki Engines • SINCE 1976 • Doug Fir – Lodgepole – Juniper DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES – 18155 Hwy. 126 East – SistersForestProducts.com Order Online! 541-410-4509 FIREWOOD, dry or green Lodgepole, juniper, pine. Cut & split. Delivery included. Snow removal, junk removal, eaglecreekfire@yahoo.com garage & storage clean-out, 205 Garage & Estate Sales yard & construction debris. You Call – We Haul! Happy Trails Estate Sales! 541-598-4345. Selling or Downsizing? Locally owned & operated by... SNOW REMOVAL Daiya 541-480-2806 Residential driveways & Sharie 541-771-1150 sidewalks. Commercial snow blower & front loader. 301 Vehicles Guaranteed lowest prices. We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Call 541-678-3332. Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ Black Butte Call Jeff at 541-815-7397 WINDOW CLEANING Sisters Car Connection da#3919 Commercial & Residential. SistersCarConnection.com 18 years experience, references available. Safe, reliable, friendly. 401 Horses Free estimates. 541-241-0426 Certified Weed-Free HAY. 103 Residential Rentals MOVING TRUCK FOR HIRE Orchard Grass or Alfalfa Hay, PONDEROSA PROPERTIES –COMPLETE MOVING, LLC– Sisters. $275 per ton. –Monthly Rentals Available– Sisters' Only Local Moving Co.! Call 541-548-4163 Call Debbie at 541-549-2002 Two exp. men with 25+ years TRITICALE Full details, 24 hrs./day, go to: comm. moving. Refs! ODOT Lic. MEADOW GRASS HAY PonderosaProperties.com Class 1-B • Call 541-678-3332 ORCHARD GRASS HAY Printed list at 221 S. Ash, Sisters ~ WEDDINGS BY KARLY ~ New crop. No rain. Barn stored. Ponderosa Properties LLC Happy to perform virtual or 3-tie bales. $185-$250/ton. Hwy. in-person weddings. 104 Vacation Rentals 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895 Custom Wedding Ceremonies 50% Off Furnished Condo UPLOADED 20+ years • 541-410-4412 2 BR/2 BA. Downtown. EVERY TUESDAY! revkarly@gmail.com Available March thru May, 2021. The Nugget Newspaper THE NUGGET Rent one month or more. C L A S S I F I E D S are at NEWSPAPER Call 503-730-0150. www.NuggetNews.com 442 E. Main Avenue ~ Sisters Vacation Rentals ~ Sisters, Oregon 97759 403 Pets Private Central OR vac. rentals, 541.549.9941 FURRY FRIENDS Property Management Services www.NuggetNews.com helping Sisters families w/pets. 541-977-9898 FREE Dog & Cat Food www.SistersVacation.com 501 Computers & No contact pick-up by appt. CASCADE HOME & Communications 412 E. Main Ave., Ste. 4 VACATION RENTALS SISTERS SATELLITE 541-797-4023 Monthly and Vacation Rentals TV • PHONE • INTERNET Bend Spay & Neuter Project throughout Sisters Country. Your authorized local dealer for Providing Low-Cost Options for (541) 549-0792 DirecTV, ViaSat HS Internet Spay, Neuter and more! Property management and more! CCB # 191099 Go to BendSnip.org for second homes. 541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729 or call 541-617-1010 CascadeVacationRentals.net

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 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 –CLASSIFIEDS– It pays to advertise in The Nugget, your local "Yellow Pages" for Sisters! Deadline to place your ad is Monday before noon... Call 541-549-9941

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 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

GORDON’S LAST TOUCH Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY Member Better Business Bureau • Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008 M & J CARPET CLEANING Area rugs, upholstery, tile & dryer-vent cleaning. Established & family-owned since 1986. 541-549-9090 HAVE A SERVICE TO PROVIDE? Let the public know what you have to offer in The Nugget Newspaper’s C L A S S I F I E D S! Call 541-549-9941. Deadline is noon on Monday for that Wednesday's edition.

504 Handyman

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 Home Customizations, LLC Res. & Commercial Remodeling, Bldg. Maintenance & Painting Chris Patrick, Owner homecustomizations@gmail.com CCB #191760 • 541-588-0083

600 Tree Service & Forestry

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 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

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 SISTERS OREGON

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

C L A S S I F I E D S

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

SWEENEY PLUMBING, INC. “Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling • New Construction • Water Heaters 541-549-4349 Residential and Commercial Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #87587 R&R Plumbing, LLC > Repair & Service > Hot Water Heaters > Remodels & New Const. Servicing Central Oregon Lic. Bond. Ins. • CCB #184660 541-771-7000 CURTS ELECTRIC LLC – SISTERS, OREGON – Quality Electrical Installations Agricultural • Commercial Industrial • Well & Irrigation Pumps, Motor Control, Barns & Shops, Plan Reviews CCB #178543 541-480-1404

603 Excavation & Trucking

TEWALT & SONS INC. Excavation Contractors Sisters’ Oldest Excavation Co. Our experience will make your $ go further – Take advantage of our FREE on-site visit! Hard Rock Removal • Rock Hammering • Hauling Trucking • Top Soil • Fill Dirt Ground-to-finish Site Prep Building Demolition • Ponds & Liners • Creative & Decorative Rock Placement • Clearing, Leveling & Grading Driveways 601 Construction Utilities: Sewer Mains, Laterals Water, Power, TV & Phone Septic System EXPERTS: Complete Design & Permit Approval, Feasibility, Test Holes. Sand, Pressurized & Standard Systems. Repairs, Tank Replacement. CCB #76888 Cellular: 419-2672 or 419-5172 Lara’s Construction LLC. • 541-549-1472 • CCB#223701 TewaltAndSonsExcavation.com Custom Homes Offering masonry work, Residential Building Projects BANR Enterprises, LLC fireplaces, interior & exterior Concrete Foundations Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, stone/brick-work, build Becke William Pierce Hardscape, Rock Walls barbecues & all types of CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 Residential & Commercial masonry. Give us a call for a free Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 estimate. www.BANR.net Earthwood Timberframes 541-350-3218 • Design & construction ROBINSON & OWEN CASCADE GARAGE DOORS • Recycled fir and pine beams Heavy Construction, Inc. Factory Trained Technicians • Mantles and accent timbers All your excavation needs Since 1983 • CCB #44054 Kris@earthwoodhomes.com *General excavation 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553 CCB #174977 *Site Preparation *Sub-Divisions JERRY WILLIS DRYWALL *Road Building & VENETIAN PLASTER *Sewer and Water Systems All Residential, Commercial Jobs *Underground Utilities 541-480-7179 • CCB #69557 *Grading *Snow Removal *Sand-Gravel-Rock Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #124327 SIMON CONSTRUCTION (541) 549-1848 SERVICES Residential Remodel Pat Burke 604 Heating & Cooling Building Projects LOCALLY OWNED ACTION AIR Bruce Simon, Quality craftsman CRAFTSMAN BUILT Heating & Cooling, LLC for 35 years CCB: 288388 • 541-588-2062 Retrofit • New Const • Remodel 541-948-2620 • CCB #184335 www.sistersfencecompany.com Consulting, Service & Installs bsimon@bendbroadband.com It's All About Sisters! actionairheatingandcooling.com SistersOregonGuide.com CCB #195556 541-549-6464 602 Plumbing & Electric Construction & Renovation Custom Residential Projects All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448

MONTE'S ELECTRIC • service • residential • commercial • industrial Serving all of Central Oregon 541-719-1316 lic. bond. insured, CCB #200030

Riverfront Painting LLC Interior/Exterior • Deck Staining SHORT LEAD TIMES Travis Starr, 541-647-0146 License #216081 IN NEED OF A SERVICE PROVIDER? Always check out the Sisters-area advertisers in THE NUGGET NEWSPAPER Classifieds!

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 – 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

701 Domestic Services

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

Complete landscape construction, fencing, irrigation installation & trouble-shooting, general cleanups, turf care maintenance 802 Help Wanted and agronomic recommendations, Home caregiver needed. 2-3 fertility & water conservation shifts per week. 541-598-4527. management, light excavation. Part-time, seasonal receptionist at CCB 188594 • LCB 9264 busy Sisters CPA firm. 541-515-8462 $14-16/hr. Email resume to All Landscaping Services alicia@capstonecpas.com Mowing, Thatching, Hauling... Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740. 803 Work Wanted J&E Landscaping Maintenance Home Health Professional LLC Clean-ups, raking, mowing, Strong medical, domestic, and hauling debris, gutters. personal care experience. Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 Please call 541-420-0501. jandelspcing15@gmail.com

Planning a Home Construction or Renovation Project? Our team believes quality, creativity, and sustainability matter. We want your home to be a work of art worthy of containing your life. — Mike & Jill Dyer, Owners

541-420-8448

dyerconstructionrenovation.com

SUDOKU Level: Hard

CCB#148365

Answer: Page 23

605 Painting

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

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 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Dolores “Lorry” Regina Williams

Marjorie Pithoud Black November 17, 1939 — 2020

December 16, 1949 — January 16, 2020

Russell Beecher Williams

Wayne Alan Christopherson

August 4, 1959 – January 10, 2020

Elmer “Moe” L. Kleinke, Jr.

Sandra Kay Norin June 4, 1942 — April 4, 2020

August 24, 1957 — July 16, 2020

Kathy Jean (Catterson) Levine

Gordon Douglas Halsten

Barbara June (Spiegel) Kennedy October 6, 1932 – July 1, 2020

November 28, 1924 – January 28, 2020

Scott Allen Peterson

November 18, 1929 — April 12, 2020

November 19, 1958 — June 19, 2020

January 19, 1923 – January 21, 2020

William Rich Reed

Those we lost...

Robert L. Wood

Deborah Joan Donnelly Kollodge

March 13, 1935 — September 29, 2020

August 18, 1951 — July 25, 2020

Maisie Franz Duge August 7, 1922 — June 20, 2020

James William Morgan

March 14, 1931 — July 1, 2020

September 4, 1928 – August 2, 2020

David DeWitt Johnson

Terry Gallegly Passed April 18, 2020

Kitty Warner

December 27, 1928 – February 4, 2020

Thomas Kinney Worcester

February 12, 1929 — July 3, 2020

Summer Jean Collins

August 8, 1927 — July 8, 2020

Michael Ray Smith June 21, 1940 — April 20, 2020

Randall “Randy” W. Burdick November 26, 1952 — July 7, 2020

July 30, 1927 – May 18, 2020

September 16, 1995 — August 5, 2020

Bette Jean (Dean) Little

May 16, 1930 – February 21, 2020

Charles Glen Whitman

Beverly Jean Archer

February 24, 1931 — January 13, 2020

Allen Lee Lompa

LaLa Vernon Debari

December 12, 2002 – October 1, 2020

October 4, 1922 – August 4, 2020

Linda Crume

March 23, 1952 — March 25, 2020

Bruce Barker

May 30, 1950 — August 2020

Stephen Ponder

June 30, 1942 — August 8, 2020

Daniel Joseph Appenzeller

July 8, 1956 – August 21, 2020

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW Gretchen Dakin

March 26, 1934 — September 14, 2020

Mason Warren Darling April 7, 1984 — September 10, 2020

Those we lost...

Shirley A. Berray

Jerry D. Wallace

October 15, 1936 — November 16, 2020

August 27, 1942 — November 21, 2020

Frank P. Leithauser

Patricia Ann Kearney

March 8, 1940 — November 4, 2020

May 15, 1943 — November 23, 2020

Michael Guy Duggan May 1, 1942 — November 22, 2020

Fred W. Roniger

January 1, 1948 — December 11, 2020

Full text of obituaries can be read at

www.NuggetNews.com

Geneva Elaine Tallman July 20, 2003 — October 1, 2020

Dallas D. Rollins-Hallingstad

Gale Larson

Passed September 17, 2020

August 13, 1944 — August 9, 2020

Grounded in your community • Superior closing experiences • Strong relationships that last • Services and online resources that are second to none

Cha Rnacircle

June 18, 1944 – September 26, 2020

Stop by and visit with Shelley Marsh & Tiana Van Landuyt. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | westerntitle.com | 541-548-9180

Happy New Year! Patricia Glyde (Schreiber) Stephenson June 30, 1930 — 2020

Frank R. Ziebert, Maj. Army (Ret.)

October 18, 1948 — October 8, 2020

Ross Kennedy Principal Broker

Loan Originator NMLS #1612019 Licensed in the State of Oregon

541-408-1343

Serving Black Butte Ranch & The Greater Sisters Area

SUDOKU SOLUTION for puzzle on page 21

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon

Serving the Sisters, Camp Sherman and Black Butte Ranch Areas

Ponderosa Properties Have a Happy New Year! R E A L T O R S

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

New Listing

COME SEE, COME BUY! Top-quality construction & finish products in this 1,655 sq. ft. single-level home. Vaulted greatroom boasts a cozy woodstove & wall of windows looking out to the fenced backyard. Granite countertops, quiet-close drawers & work island are just a few kitchen highlights. Owner’s bedroom/bath includes French door to patio, six-ft. dual-headed tiled shower & two sinks. Two guest rooms & bath located on other side of living area. Additional fenced side yard provides room for RV or boat. All of this tucked into NE Bend. 2015 construction with easy-care natural scape. $444,000. MLS#220114016

A N D

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

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

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

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

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 YOUR FUTURE STARTS HERE! a 167± acre site of the R&B Ranch, which This 2.5 acre property is waiting for your dream currently is not buildable. Needs well. Owner home. Level land with a nice mix of pines and will consider short terms. $407,500. junipers. Paved access and a community water MLS#201802331 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

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

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

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

Broker

The Locals’ Choice!

ACREAGE & MOUNTAIN VIEWS! Enjoy the mountain views & beautiful setting on 9.3 acres near Sisters. Custom 4-bed./3.5-bath, 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

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

EXCITING NEW TOWNHOME Located in The Peaks at Pine Meadow Village. Two bedrooms, 2 baths and 1,455 sq. ft. Contemporary style and design features upperlevel living for privacy and view from the greatroom. Practical kitchen opens to a large spacious living/dining with vaulted ceilings and lots of windows to let the natural light in. Propane fireplace provides a cozy and warm living space in the cooler months. Ductless heat pump and lower-level radiant floor heating gives yearround efficiency. Master is on the entry level and enjoys a large closet and luxurious bathroom. Guest suite is located off the greatroom, as well as an enjoyable upper-level patio to enjoy the outdoors. An auto courtyard leads to the attached garage. $432,500. MLS#202000020

MOUNTAIN VIEWS! Mountain views from this 83-acre parcel. Tree groves or open skies…choose your estatecaliber homesite. US Forest Service public land borders one-half mile for added privacy. A water hook-up available if desired or drill your own. Horses, hermits or homebodies, a beautiful spot to create your custom dream. Eight miles to the Western town of Sisters. $980,000. MLS#220103712