The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLVI No. 20 // 2023-05-17

The Nugget

Fire consumes two forest dwellings

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

A fire of undetermined origin consumed two trailers/RVs in the forest just west of Sisters late Saturday night, May 13.

“It involved two RVs,” Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Shift Commander Cody Meredith told The Nugget . “One of them was completely destroyed. When we pulled up, there was pretty good flame-length; a tree was torching between the two RVS.”

The fire, which was called in just before 11 p.m., occurred north of the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge off the 2068-120 forest spur road, less than a quarter-mile from Sisters. The fire was on the east side of Highway 20 and readily visible from the highway.

Meredith said that the occupants of the RVs appeared to have departed the scene; law enforcement informed firefighters that a truck associated with the campsite was not present. It was not clear whether the occupants left before or after the fire started. The shift commander told The Nugget that one of the RVs appeared to be the area of origin for

from Sisters, Oregon

Preparing for emergencies is up to each of us

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

Do you know what to do in case of an emergency in Sisters? How can you prepare ahead of time for an emergency?

At last week’s forum “Emergencies in Sisters: Be Prepared,” sponsored by Citizens4Community (C4C), residents had the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of six agency representatives and one citizen, all of whom deal with emergencies on a regular basis.

the blaze — the fire then spreading to the second one 20 to 30 feet away.”

Sisters Fire Chief Roger Johnson told The Nugget that the state fire marshal responded to investigate.

Due to the level of destruction, the deputy state marshal was unable to pinpoint a cause.

Sheriff’s lieutenant clarifies drug presence

Fentanyl may not be the looming menace for Sisters that it is in many U.S. cities (see “Fentanyl crisis yet to touch Sisters,” The Nugget, May 10, page 1) , but Lt. Chad Davis of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) wants to be clear that it is a presence in the community.

“The Sheriff’s Office has arrested individuals in Sisters with fentanyl and we know it is in our community,” Davis told The Nugget. “We have had a small number of overdoses, but no recent deaths. We know fentanyl comes through Sisters via Highway 20 from the Valley, and also enters Deschutes County by way of Highway 97 from

California.”

A reader noted that “overdoses aren’t the only problem,” referencing Nugget reporting on a November 2022 incident in which the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) arrested a Sisters man for trafficking fentanyl.

At the time, Sgt. Kent Vander Kamp of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reported that an initial investigation alleged that the Sisters man imported fentanyl pills from the Portland area into Central Oregon for distribution.

Detectives from CODE and DCSO gathered and

See FENTANYL on page 20

The fire’s cause is officially ruled “undetermined.”

A number of forest dwellers camp regularly in that area, which has posed concerns over sanitation, fire safety, and personal security for neighbors in the area.

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District; Cloverdale Fire District; Black Butte

Ranch Fire District; and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded Saturday night. Chief Johnson said that the U.S. Forest Service was on scene Sunday morning dealing with a small spot fire near the scene.

There were no injuries to firefighters or other responders.

Sisters resident Jack McGowan, who sits on the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire District Board of Directors, is a private citizen who has spent 38 years deeply involved with emergency preparedness.

McKenzie Valley resident Devin Thompson shared his experience with the 2020 Holiday Farm fire that destroyed 573 homes and

See PREPARE on page 18

Mary Flande selected to Hall of Fame

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Mary Flande, who spent 20 years working for the Sisters School District as a teacher, coach, and athletic director, was inducted into the Oregon Athletic Directors Hall of Fame at the group’s 54th Annual Conference and Banquet held at Sunriver Resort Saturday, April 17.

Flande has spent a lifetime associated with athletics. She was a three-sport athlete at Scio High School, where she graduated in 1975, in a year in which she won the state shot put title and played on the state championship basketball team.

She began her teaching career in the fall of 1978 in Alaska, and after returning to Oregon had stints in Newport

and Madras before coming to Sisters when the new high school opened in 1992. She taught P.E. and health and coached a number of sports, including track, volleyball,

and golf. Her girls golf teams won state titles in 2007 and 2008 resulting in Flande being named state Coach of

See FLANDE on page 19

Mary Flande, flanked by Margaret Sturza and Larry Johnson, was inducted to the Oregon Athletic Directors Hall of Fame last month.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Firefighters responded to a late-night blaze that consumed a pair of trailers in the forest just west of Sisters on Saturday night. (Seerelatedstory,page21.)

PHOTO BY ADAM ST. CLAIR

Letters to the Editor…

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address, and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond, or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is 10 a.m. Monday.

Some love for softball

To the Editor: Did you know that Sisters High School has a girls softball team? You won’t read about them in The Nugget for some reason unknown to me. Every week you can read about girls track, lacrosse, and tennis (which is awesome, I love reading about those girls’ progress in their respective sports), but the hard working Lady Outlaw softball girls get no coverage, week after week. Not a single article since they started league play months ago. By the time this letter is posted, their season will be over.

I’d like to cover them and give them the credit they deserve. As of my writing this, they’re on a three-game winning streak and have won five of their last eight games in a tough league that boasts three teams in the top 10 in state. Just last week, they won an exciting 10-inning game that was one of the more entertaining high school softball games that I’ve seen. After starting the season by forfeiting three games due to a lack of players by injury/other sports, they have fought hard to overcome many obstacles.

The team is young, with the majority of players being freshmen/sophomores. However, they do have three mighty seniors that contribute heavily to the program and have throughout all four years of high school. They include the team’s captain, shortstop Hannah Fendall, that is one home run shy (she’s hit four) of tying the school record for home runs in a single season and has become known for her fierce defensive play, team leadership, and hitting power.

Another senior, Chloe Frazee has perhaps

been the most valuable asset on the team as she was forced into carrying much of the pitching load the second half of the season after a season-ending injury to the team’s top pitcher. She has also been one of the team’s best sluggers, routinely hitting safely multiple times in each game. Anna Landon rounds out the seniors, playing a very solid second base for the Lady Outlaws and is having the best season of her high school career with a stellar batting average, off the charts positivity, and the ability to consistently find a way on base. If I had a dime every time she crossed home plate, I’d be a wealthy man. These ladies, along with the other 10 players, have been an absolute joy to watch play this season.

Who knows, maybe by the time this letter comes out these hardworking girls will get some coverage on Senior Recognition night. Crossing my fingers.

Jeremy Davis

Editor’s note: Look for a wrap-up on Outlaws softball’s season in the May 24 edition.

s s s

Death of a houseless man

To the Editor:

Thank you for posting the piece by guest columnist Bonnie Rose (The Nugget, May 10, page 2). Her memorial for the houseless man on Pine Street was very moving.

Ms. Rose mentioned Russell Crowe in “A Beautiful Mind.” She possesses a lovely heart.

Randall

Raeder

s s s

Sisters Friday May 19 • PM T-storms 85/54

Burning questions

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

Sisters has a lot to be proud of in the agencies that work to protect our community.

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, supported by Cloverdale and Black Butte Ranch fire districts, responded quickly and effectively to a raging inferno that consumed two RVs in the woods just outside Sisters Saturday night. Jason Barber, a fire manager with the U.S. Forest Service, told me that “the fire department crushed that — it was great.”

And it was. Local firefighters attacked the fire, and kept it from spreading into the surrounding woods. There was only a small spot fire caused by some embers, and Forest Service firefighters were right on top of that.

up in Deschutes N.F. Two weeks ago the Forest Service was conducting controlled burns and simply worked around the long-term illegal encampments that were in the way. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”

That sentiment is not out of line, and it poses a question that Sisters — along with many other communities across the West — struggles to answer: What is to be done?

It must be said that forest dwellers are not alone in creating a potential for significant fires. Over the past 30 years, I’ve come across far too many recreational campfires still smoldering in the woods. Also last weekend, an escaped debris fire burned about three acres on private land north of Camp Sherman. All of us need to be mindful and careful with fire.

But we can’t elide the reality that having a lot of folks — many of whom struggle with daily living camped indefinitely in a forest that will soon be tinder-dry poses a clear and present danger. The risk is real — not only for residences on the edge of town, but also for those living in the forest.

Saturday May 20 • Partly Cloudy 84/54 Sunday May 21 • Mostly Sunny 76/45

Monday May 22 • Mostly Sunny 70/43

Tuesday May 23 • Partly Cloudy 68/43

The Nugget Newspaper, LLC

Website: www.nuggetnews.com Thursday May 18 • Partly Cloudy 83/54

Editor in Chief & Co-owner: Jim Cornelius

Production Manager: Leith Easterling

Creative Director: Jess Draper

Community Marketing Partner: Vicki Curlett

Classifieds: Janice Hoffman

Circulation: Lisa May

Proofreader: Kit Tosello

In the wake of the blaze, on Monday morning, a State Fire Marshal’s Office investigator came out to try to determine a cause of the blaze. She interviewed one of the occupants of one of the trailers, and treated this woman who had just lost everything she had in the world with dignity and respect. As did a local sheriff’s deputy and personnel from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District. They did their jobs effectively and professionally, and with empathy and compassion.

The incident showed the best of local professional first responders.

It also raises some serious questions. For a couple of years now, residents near the edges of Sisters have expressed their concerns about the large number of semipermanent campers living in the forest. They raise a number of considerations, from sanitation to personal security in the woods — but the biggest liability is fire danger. Saturday night’s episode illustrated that risk in vivid hues.

If it had broken out on a hot, dry August night with a wind behind it, the fire could have posed a significant threat to other nearby campsites, the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge, and the residences along Pine Street.

One commenter on The Nugget’s Facebook post on the incident said: “Sooner or later one of these encampments is going to cause a fire large enough to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. When will we finally start cracking down on this? We literally have small towns popping

The Forest Service has been resistant to the idea of creating no-camping buffer zones close to town. The concern is that if they create one buffer zone, residents will clamor for others, squeezing down the amount of public land available for camping. And, there is an argument that it’s better to have non-recreational camping sited in areas that have been treated to reduce fuels and are accessible to firefighters, rather than pushing such camps deeper into the woods.

The Forest Service ramps up patrols during the summer, particularly on big holiday weekends, focusing on campfires.

That’s all cold comfort to people who feel like their homes and safety are being placed at risk. Many local folks want to see the Forest Service simply enforce the 14-day camping limit that is on the books. That’s a proposition that is simple on the face of it, but apparently difficult to execute with limited practical authorities and staff capacity. Perhaps when a new law enforcement officer comes on the Sisters Ranger District in June, some creative ideas can percolate to the surface.

What’s certain is that the status quo cannot continue.

Local playwrights, actors featured

By T. Lee Brown Correspondent

What is a one-act play, exactly? Any theater piece with no interruptions, undivided into multiple acts, fits the definition. Some might assume an evening of oneact plays would feature two plays, each around an hour long.

In the case of “Now You’re Talking... One Acts 2023,” presented by Silent Echo Theater Company last weekend, the show’s entertainment featured a whopping seven mini-plays. On Saturday night, a comfortable house of 40 to 50 audience members filled the room.

BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS

Al -Anon

Mon., noon, Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church. 5 41-610 -7383.

Alcoholics A nonymou s

Sisters Garden Club takes on new projects

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

Now that the isolation of COVID-19 is over, the Sisters Garden Club is undertaking several new projects. After a club field trip to the Harmony Farm Sanctuary for animals last November, the club decided to provide volunteers to engage in some gardening activities around the Sanctuary.

“Seeing the rescued animals, many of us knew we wanted to get involved in volunteering to help with some projects that needed to be done,” said Ruth Palmer, communications coordinator for the Club.

Tim Toth agreed to build some planter boxes for the vegetable garden where members will grow a variety of produce to be fed to the animals. Two aspen trees

Lively laughs rose into the air as lighthearted plays unfolded one after another. The scripts were often inventive. In “Dora and the Doctor” by Patricia West-Del Ruth, a patient talked to her doctor, played by an actual doctor, Kim Hapke, N.D. of Sisters. As the patient worked through boundary issues concerning her ex-husband, she and her doctor became romantically involved.

In “Hope for the Best” by Jon Head of Redmond, the action took place inside the brain of Ernie, a plainspoken man in overalls who’d suffered a stroke. The delightful surprise ending of “Best Friends,” written

and directed by Laura Lee Coffman, was pulled off successfully by actors Stephen Saunders and Shawn O’Hern.

Four of the seven playwrights have connections to Central Oregon. Coffman lives in Sunriver; Head and C.J. Wurm are based in Redmond. Patricia West-Del Ruth lived in Bend for many years.

“It matters to me that we have representation for Central Oregon writers,” Manning said.

Her goal is for Silent Echo to produce Oregon premieres for works written locally and beyond.

were recently planted by members Monica Tomosy and Jeff Swanson in the pig pen area to provide them with some shade. Club volunteers will make certain the trees are well watered during their first growing season. Palmer is coordinating a team to clean, prepare, and plant the vegetable and flower garden area.

For more than two decades, the Club has produced the Quilts in the Garden tour on the Thursday of Quilt Show Week. As the event has grown in scope over the years and in numbers of visitors to the gardens, it has required more work and more volunteers (60-70). During COVID, the tour was not held. A decision was made by the board to schedule the tour every other July starting in 2024 to reduce the

SFF announces Americana Project arts showcase

Sister Folk Festival (SFF) will host the Americana Project arts showcase on Sunday, May 21, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters Art Works venue and in the Cindy and Duncan Campbell Gallery. The venue is located at 204 W. Adams Ave. in Sisters. Drinks and light refreshments will be served.

The event will celebrate the accomplishments

SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR

East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wed. (September- June), Stitchin’

Post . A ll are welcome. 5 41-5 49 -6 061.

G o Fish Fishing G roup 3rd Monday

7 p.m., Siste rs C ommunity Church.

541-771-2211

Thursday, 7 p.m., Episc opal Church of the Transf iguration / Satur day, 8 a.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration / M onday, 5 p.m., Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church / Big Book study, Tuesday, noon, Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church / Gen tlemen’s meeting, Wednesday, 7 a.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Sober Sisters Women’s meet ing, Thu rsday, noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fr iday, noon, Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church. 5 41-5 48 -0 440.

Central Oregon F ly Tye rs G uild

For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelef ly@msn.c om

Ci tizens4Communit y Let ’s Talk 3rd Monday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. RSVP at citizens 4c ommunity.c om

Council on Aging of Cent ral O rego n Senior Lunch In- person community dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. G raband- go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs. 12:30 to 1 p.m. Siste rs C ommunity Church.

541- 48 0-18 43

Hear twarmers (f leec e blanketmaker s)

2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Siste rs Communit y Church. M ater ials provided.

541- 408 -8 505.

Hero Q uilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m. 5 41-6 68 -1755

Milita ry Parent s of Sisters M eetings are held quarter ly; please c all for details. 5 41-388 -9 013.

Oregon Band of Brothers Sisters Chapter meets Wednesda ys,

11:3 0 a.m., Takoda’s Rest aurant.

541- 549- 64 69

SAGE (Senior Activities, G athering s & Enrichmen t) M onday- Fr iday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sisters Par k & Recreation District. 5 41-5 49 -2091.

Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4th

Saturday, 10 a.m., meeting by Zoom.

503- 93 0- 6158

Sisters Area Photography Club

2nd Wednesday, 3:3 0 p.m., at Sisters Communit y Church. 5 41-5 49 -6157.

Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPR D. 5 41-5 49 -8 8 46

Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:30 p.m. at Sisters C ommunity Church. Email sister sbridge2021@gmail.com.

Sisters Caregi ver Suppor t G roup 3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., Siste rs Episcopal Church. 5 41-719 -0 031.

Sisters Cribbage C lub M eets 11 a.m. ever y Wed. at S PR D. 5 09 -9 47-574 4.

Sisters Garden C lub For monthly meetings visit: SistersGardenClub.com.

Sisters Habitat for Humanit y Board of D irectors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m. Location infor mation: 5 41-5 49 -1193.

Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to 8:3 0 a.m., Brand 3 3 Rest aurant at Aspen Lakes. 5 41-410 -2870

Sisters Parent Teacher Communit y 2nd Tuesday, 6 p.m. at Sisters Elementary School Commons. 917-219-8298

Sisters Red Hat s 1st Friday. For location infor mation, please c all: 541- 8 48 -1970.

Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Noon, Aspen Lakes. 5 41-760 -5 64 5.

Three Sister s Lions Club 2nd Thursday, 6:3 0 p.m., Spoons Rest aurant. 5 41-419 -1279.

Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. 5 41-9 03 -1123.

Sisters Trails A lliance Board Meetings t ake plac e ever y other month, 5 p.m. In- person or zoom. Contact: info@sisterstrails.org

Three Sister s Irrigation Distric t Board of Direc tors M eets 1st Tuesday 4 p.m., TSI D Of fice. 5 41-5 49 -8 815

VF W Po st 813 8 and A merican Legion Post 8 6 1st Wednesday of the mont h, 6:3 0 p.m., M ain Church Building Sisters Community Church.

8 47-344 -0 49 8

Sisters Area Woodworkers Held the f irst Tuesday of t he month 7 to 9 p.m. Call 5 41-231-18 97

SCHOOLS

Black Bu tt e School Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 3:4 5 p.m., Black Butte School. 5 41-595 -6203

Sisters School District Board of Directors O ne Wednesday m onthly, Sisters School District Administr ation Building. See schedule online at www.ssd 6.org. 5 41-5 49 -8 521 x5 002.

of students in visual and performing arts at Sisters Middle School (SMS) and Sisters High School (SHS). The showcase will highlight the Americana Project high school recording artists, the Sisters High School Jazz Band, the students of the Americana Luthier program (guitar

CIT Y & PARKS

Sisters Ci ty Council 2nd & 4t h Wednesday, 6:3 0 p.m., Siste rs City Hall. 5 41-5 49 -6 022.

Sisters Park & Recreation District

Board of Dire ctor s 2nd & 4th Tues., 4:30 p.m., SPR D bldg. 5 41-5 49 -2091.

Sisters Pl anning Commission

3rd Thursday, 5:3 0 p.m., Siste rs City Hall. 5 41-5 49 -6 022.

FIRE & POLICE

Black Bu tt e Ranch Polic e Dept . Board of Dire ctor s M eets monthly 541- 59 5-2191 for time & date

Black Bu tt e Ranch R FPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m., BB R Fire Station. 5 41-595 -2 28 8 Cloverdale R FPD Board of Directors

3rd Wed., 5:3 0 p.m., 674 33 Cloverdale Rd. 5 41-5 48 -4 815. c loverdalef ire.com.

Sister s- Camp She rman R FPD Board of Dire ctor s 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Siste rs Fire Hall, 5 41-5 49 -0771.

Sister s- Camp She rman R FPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Siste rs Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 5 41-5 49 -0771.

This listing is for regular Sist ers Countr y meetings; email infor mation to nugget@ nuggetnews.com.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Angela Dean and Doug Kaufman act in “Hope For the Best,” a story about having a stroke, meeting with your doctor, and “Hope.”

Gordon qualifies for state golf tourney

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

Trent Gordon finished fifth at the boys 3A/2A/1A Special District 2 Golf Tournament held on Monday and Tuesday, May 8-9, at the Chehalem Glenn Golf Course in Newberg. Gordon’s score as an individual qualified him for the state tournament, which will be Monday and Tuesday, May 15-16 at Tokatee.

Gordon shot an 84 on day one and an 86 on day two for a total of 170. In his first round he shot a 40 on the front nine and a 44 on the back, and finished with nine pars in the round. The back nine was a bit tougher as Gordon had to deal with some tough lies on the par five holes. He did have some great par saves on holes 4, 6, and 10. The 4th hole was especially nice as he hit a shot approximately 35-40 feet out of a sandy bunker to put the ball to within two feet of the cup, and then tapped it in for par.

On day two, Gordon shot a 45 on the front nine, and improved by four strokes for a 41 on the back. He hit a really nice birdie shot on Hole 10 with a putt from 25 yards out.

Gordon said, “On the second day nerves got me a little on the front, but I improved on the back. I felt that I handled the pressure of going into the second day with a pretty tight race for the last spot on the all-conference team. I was just happy that I was able to keep my head on straight and play my round. I felt that I put together two pretty solid rounds overall.”

“I would like to give a huge thank-you to my golf coach, Bill Mitchell, for supporting me in playing both golf and baseball this spring, and just being a great coach,” he added.

Mitchell said, “Trent is just a freshman and didn’t

play that much during the regular season due to baseball. But he learned the game of golf at a younger age from his father, and he could be a really good golfer.”

Devin Coverdale also competed in the tournament, and finished in a tie for 10th place. On day one he shot a 51 and then improved by five strokes for a 46 on the back. The highlight of his round was a birdie on the 16th hole. On day two he finished his round with a 96.

Coverdale said, “I had a very disappointing two days at District, other than the birdie I got on the first day.”

Mitchell said, “Devin was disappointed with his rounds and wanted badly to go to Tokatee for the state events, but as I’ve said, golf is not an easy game! He is certainly capable of doing much better, but he will continue to work on his game and improve. Devin was a true Ironman this season, playing nine competitive rounds during a very short, bad-weather spring season. He played in every event I scheduled.”

Ella Eby was the lone golfer on the girls’ side, and played at McNary Golf Course in the girls district tournament.

On the first day of the

tourney she shot a 60 on the front nine, and bettered her score by four strokes on the back for a 56, for a total of 116. On day two, Eby played much better. She shot a 52 on both the front and back for a round of 104, which included two pars.

Eby said, “My favorite part of the tournament was getting to know the other girls on the other teams. This is my first year competing so I just try and have fun with it. I’m pretty proud of how I did and really created an appreciation of the sport. My second day I performed a lot better, maybe because it was sunny. The end of the front nine holes weren’t my favorite, but thankfully I pulled it together and finished strong. My coach, Bill Mitchell, has really helped coach me through the mindset of the game and has definitely shared his passion with me. And maybe next year Sisters will recruit enough girls to compete as a team.”

Mitchell said, “The common denominator here is obviously (that) it helps if you get started at a younger age. If you’ve never played, have no clubs, and just want to play high school golf, you are in for a steep climb, unless you’re willing to work all year long.”

A prescribed burn raised a significant plume of smoke over Sisters last Friday as firefighters burned near Sisters High School.

PHOTO BY SUE STRATER

Musicians represent community at State

By Olivia Nieto Correspondent

For the first time in 13 years, the Sisters High School Wind Ensemble qualified to attend the OSAA (Oregon State Activities Association) annual state competition for bands. The group left on May 10 with 20 musicians, and first-year band director Kayla Golka.

The band left promptly at 6 a.m. to make it to their destination in Corvallis at 9 a.m. As they set off on their journey, the students conversed in nervous chatter, knowing that being able to participate in this competition was a huge honor.

“I remember being tired on the way over, but couldn’t sleep because I was so excited,” said senior Norma Quero.

There are four seniors in the band this year, including Quero. They all described feeling bittersweet about graduating the same year they went to State.

“My favorite part was playing with the seniors one last time, especially because there’s not a lot of people in my grade who are in the band,” said junior Molly Greaney. “So it was nice to do something really big to end it all out.”

Upon their arrival, the band set up their instruments to warm up before their show time. Golka gave them a

CORRECTION

Re: “Fathom Realty takes up shop in Sisters,”

(The Nugget, May 10): Pam Ossinger helps to manage Fathom Realty, newly located at 311 E. Cascade Ave. at the corner of Spruce Street. Her husband Mark is a broker; she is not a broker herself.

heartwarming pep talk, making sure to let students know how proud their director is of everyone’s hard work and dedication.

“As cheesy as it sounds, my biggest goal was having the band walk away feeling good, and knowing they enjoyed the experience,” said Golka.

Once the ensemble walked on stage, they felt ready to give it their best. They showcased four beautiful music pieces, three of which they’d been practicing since January.

These songs were “La Madre De Los Gatos,”

“Tangents Angular,” “A Hymnsong of Phillip Bliss,” “Tangents Angular,” and “The Winchester Chronicles.”

“My favorite piece was definitely ‘Hymnsong,’ because it’s so beautiful and emotional. I felt like everybody could feel the hard work we put in,” said Greaney.

By the end of their long day, the band placed seventh out of the eight competing bands. Students were not disappointed by the verdict; they were elated to have attended. The group returned to Sisters High School feeling satisfied with their scores, and proud of how far they had come within the year. They were gratified to have represented the Sisters High School community, and to have shared those experiences with their friends around them.

City on course to improve systems

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

Utilizing past usage data and future population forecasts, Anderson Perry and Associates created models that informed the City’s new water and wastewater master plans, which were both recommended for approval to the City Council by the Public Works Advisory Board.

They evaluated the condition, performance, and available capacity of the four existing City wells, the reservoir, infrastructure, the equipment located at the City treatment plant and the city-wide sewer lines and lift stations.

The quality of the Sisters water is good, and the sources are reliable. There is a possibility that within the next 10 to 20 years it may be necessary to increase the source supply. Additional storage is needed to supplement the 1.6-million-gallon reservoir currently online, so a new 2.2 million gallon reservoir will be built. A third transmission line will run from the new reservoir to the west end of town, which will increase the pressure flow to the schools, churches, and subdivisions in that area.

Long-term improvements include drilling Well No. 5 near Edgington Road. The water capital improvement plan is heavily loaded on the front end, and can be

reevaluated in five years.

Public Works Director Paul Bertagna reported that overall water production decreased by 18 percent in 2022 despite the growth in population. There has been a decrease in the maximum demand for water since the data that was used for the modeling. He also cited the water conservation measures being utilized by the City.

The wastewater system overview looked at the condition and capacity of the collection system, which includes lift stations, sewer pipes, and pumps in town. It evaluated the treatment of city wastewater and the disposal of the treated wastewater effluent.

Recommended improvements in the next five years include Rope Street lift station improvements, a new westside lift station, and a new gravity system with one lift station on Creekside Court.

At the treatment facility in the next five to 10 years, there will need to be removal of biosolids from the lagoon and to replace/upsize the lagoon aerators. In 10 to 20 years, there will need to be headworks improvements as well as improvements in the chlorine contact chamber.

Improvements in the recycled water use areas on the former Lazy Z property on the west side of Highway 20 will be done in two phases, one in zero to five years and

the second in 10 to 20 years. Improved distribution will be accomplished with irrigation pivots, which allow for ease of operation. Wetlands will be created in the southeast portion of the property to allow for a park, birdwatching, and wildlife habitat. The water will flow through the wetlands for additional polishing.

The property for the westside pump station has been secured and power is to the property.

The Woodlands development on the former Forest Service property is driving the development of the westside pump station. The developer will soon be paying the system development charges (SDCs) for 127 dwellings.

The rebuilding of the pump and motor for Well No. 1 is almost complete. The design for the new building is underway.

Bertagna reported it will be necessary to issue a bond or secure a loan to fund the multi-million- dollar projects in the two master plans. With long terms of 30 to 40 years, future population will pay some of the cost.

If there is a UGB expansion, it will involve bare land, not developed land. Developers who build on bare land pay with their SDCs for the increased water and wastewater services they will need.

“Growth pays for growth,” Bertagna said.

Activists gathered locally, seeking to ‘rewild’ Oregon

By Katy Yoder Correspondent

There is a movement across the West — indeed, across many parts of the world — to restore ecosystems and bring back the keystone species that used to inhabit them. This movement is called “rewilding.”

A rewilding conference last Saturday at Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman focused on initiatives across the state of Oregon Panels were held on carnivores, native fish, desert ecosystems, forest ecosystems, and a 30x30 panel. (Now referred to as the America the Beautiful Initiative, 30x30 refers to conserving 30 percent of terrestrial and marine habit by 2030.) A group discussion closed out the presentations, and a dinner and social time concluded the full-day conference. Limited to 160 participants, the event sold out quickly. Lake Creek Lodge provided a beautiful venue, delicious food, and Camp Sherman-style hospitality.

The event was sponsored by Western Watershed Project, Wolf Welcome Committee, and Lake Creek Lodge. Cosponsors included Center for Biological Diversity, Rewilding Institute, Project Coyote, Oregon Natural Desert Association, Oregon Wild, Humane Society, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Native Fish Society, Blue

Mountains Biodiversity Project, Water Watch of Oregon, and Greater Hells Canyon Council.

With hot topics in Sisters Country like recent unverified wolf sightings in Lower Bridge, plans for logging by the Forest Service in the Green Ridge Landscape Restoration Project, and proposed land-use regulations to support mule deer winter grazing habitats, the conference hit many of the issues facing Oregonians.

Organizers were clear that all opinions and ideas were welcome. Their hope was to start a dialogue between groups involved in recreating, managing, and utilizing public and private lands in Oregon.

Sisters resident Linda Wolff found the conference informative and the presenters objective and able to provide statistics and data backing up their findings.

“During the presentation on cougars, it was fascinating to learn that coming in and just hunting them isn’t effective,” she said.

Kathy Marshall of Sisters echoed Wolff’s statement. Learning about carnivores and that killing cougars and wolves can increase predation on livestock was valuable information for Marshall.

“A lot of people don’t know that. Maybe if they knew they wouldn’t support killing cougars and wolves. It’s so simple,” she said.

Organizer Adam Bronstein

was excited to see the community and others from across the state coming together around the topic of rewilding.

“They’re learning what rewilding means and how it’s being applied and that there might be a greater movement coming together to protect our public lands and biodiversity in the natural world,” he said.

Lake Creek Lodge’s owner, Gordon Jones, was proud to be a main sponsor of the Rewilding Conference.

“I have an intense interest in the restoration of the landscape and have been doing it here at Lake Creek Lodge for the last twenty years. We’ve restored the creek with help from the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and Forest Service…. Actually there were twelve agencies involved in that. I’ve been learning about re-wilding since my interest in wolves and beavers came together. Re-wilding aligns with our values here at Lake Creek Lodge,” said Jones.

Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) Executive Director Scott Penzarella came to the conference to support the event and represent members concerned about issues around wildlife and as a spectator.

“Our members and donors understand the relationship between recreation and wildlife. Recognizing that we have an impact, we’re attending to learn more from experts providing lots of great insights in our local area and beyond. Any issue related to our public lands, from grazing, reintroduction of wolves, and preservation of animals affects us all. In order for recreation to thrive, especially being recognized as an important economic engine, our area where we recreate must survive and thrive, too. We can’t be absent from that relationship,” said Penzarella.

Jim and Georgia Van Winkle are ranchers from Eastern Oregon who now live in Redmond. They came on behalf of the Farm Bureau. The ranch Georgia grew up on has been in their family for over 100 years.

“Georgia was a Hardie and now we have grandkids that are sixth generation on this place,” said Jim.

“The Hardie ranches began in the 1880s,” said Georgia.

“My husband used to work for the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service,” she said.

With a science background and decades of knowledge in the cattle business, Jim knows the importance of finding common ground.

“The cattlemen and environmentalist have to work together. I’ve really enjoyed the speakers and listening to the presenter about cougars. It was very interesting,” said Jim.

Formerly a wildlife biologist, Van Winkle brought his experience and knowledge to the cattle business and has made huge strides in improving the sustainability of their ranch.

The benefits of collaboration aren’t new for Georgia.

“About 12 years ago, when I was on the board for the soil and water conservation district in Gilliam County, we put something like this on and invited Oregon Natural Desert Association and other environmental groups to come,” she said. “We wanted to work together with them, and it happened. It was the best thing in the world to have everybody get together. Even though we’re on two sides of the fence it opened up conversations and friendships. It was one of the best things we ever did.”

The Arends Realty Group

Lady Outlaws finish off lacrosse season

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The girls lacrosse squad celebrated their two seniors, Tatum Cramer and Faith Gulick, in their last home game of the season on Monday, May 8.

Both Cramer and Gulick were captains on the team, and brought ample amounts of fun and laughter to both practice and games, even when times were hard. They kept team spirits alive, and both will be missed next year.

Assistant coach McKenna Jones noted both players.

Two campgrounds closed for maintenance

Monty and Perry South Campgrounds are closed for preseason maintenance and hazard tree removal in the coming weeks.

Monty and Perry South Campgrounds are closed for day use and camping through Sunday, May 21. Both campgrounds will be gated and closed each evening the week of Monday, May 22 through Friday, May 26. During this time, day use access will be available.

These closures are needed to allow campground concessionaire staff time to safely remove hazard trees, and conduct critical annual maintenance work to ensure

a quality camping experience for visitors this summer.

During the spring and early summer recreation season, the Forest Service reminds visitors that it’s extremely important to “Know Before You Go.” This means confirming that your destination is open for use, checking to see if routes of travel are open, and reviewing predicted weather forecasts. Forest Service roads are not plowed or maintained during winter conditions.

Visit https://www.fs.usda. gov/main/deschutes/home to check on the operational status of recreation sites.

“Tatum has been playing lacrosse since the third grade,” said Jones. “She is an amazing and diverse player you can put anywhere on the field. However, she really shines as our draw specialist, and in the midfield. Faith has been playing for two years and is truly a versatile player as well. She is mostly an attack player, but without hesitation can be moved to midfield and defense. She knows how to go after the ball with all she’s got.”

After seniors had been honored the contest got underway. The Lady Outlaws pushed through very cold weather and pouring rain, but came up short 6-9 against Bend United.

Cramer made four of the six Outlaw’s goals, and Bailey Robertson scored twice.

Jones said, “Tatum is a very well-rounded player, and knows how to place her shots up and above the goalies head, leaving them no time

to defend. Bailey’s height gives her a great advantage as she can also place her shots in the top corners of the goal, giving the goalie little time to react and defend.”

“The girls played with all their hearts,” added Jones. “Even with the gruesome weather you could still hear both teams laughing and having fun on the field.”

Sisters wrapped up their season on the road at Bend for the Lava Bear’s senior night on Wednesday. The Lady Outlaws received a very warm welcome from the Bend coaches, as they were asked specifically to be the team that the Lava Bears played on their senior night.

“Our girls were asked to play on their special night because of the joy and good sportsmanship that the Sisters girls bring to the field,” said Jones.

The Outlaws were defeated 16-7, but did have some amazing goals, one in particular from Cramer on a fast break that finished up and over the goalies head. Cramer finished the night with six of the Outlaws goals as she won draw control and

made fast breaks down to the other end of the field to score. Robertson scored Sisters other goal. Goalie Tania Rebolledo saved 12 of the 28 shots on goal.

Sisters suffered an injury midway through the game, which left them short-handed. Faith Gulick went out of the game with an injury to her knee, but despite the loss, players were persistent, and continued to give it their all without any subs on the sideline.

Peyton Adelt in particular stood out in the contest. As a freshman, she’s relatively new to lacrosse, but, according to Jones, has come a long way this season. Adelt poured her heart out on the field.

“Peyton refused to give up possession of the ball, and ran her feet off in midfield and attack at every opportunity she saw,” said Jones.

Ella Davis on the mound for the Sisters Outlaws softball squad. Look for a wrap-up of the Outlaws’ season in the May 24 edition of The Nugget.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

Delivering the pitch…

Faith Gulick battles for the ball as teammate Tatum Cramer moves into position. Both seniors were honored in their last game of the season last week.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

Outlaws are league champs

Phenomenal pitching helped the Outlaws baseball team close out league play with a 14-4 record and their first title since 2017.

Brody Duey threw his second no-hitter on the season, allowing one unearned run in an 11-1 five-inning game against Harrisburg.

On Friday, the Outlaws traveled to Harrisburg needing to win both games to secure a league title. Brody Fischer threw a completegame shutout in game one, finishing at 7-0. Patrick Silva threw four innings and Landen Scott contributed an inning in a combined fiveinning shutout in game two to secure the league title.

“In game one we had some timely hitting from Thomas Schuff as well as Diego

The Outlaws hit a milestone they last achieved in 2017.

Silva,” said Coach Matt Hilgers. “Austin Dean, Diego Silva, Brody Fischer, Landen Scott, and Thomas Schuff all

Sisters hotel named ‘Property of the Year’

recorded multiple hits.

“In game two we really started hitting the baseball, scoring nine runs across the fourth and fifth inning. Brody Duey, Diego Silva, Kayl Mock, Thomas Schuff, and Brody Fischer all recorded multiple hits in game two. Kayl Mock had the big hit of the day hitting his first high school home run!”

The Outlaws defense has been a mainstay for the team throughout the season, and that continued through the week.

“Defensively we had great plays up the middle from Justin DeSemt and Hudson Beckwith all day on a field that created some challenging hops for us,” Hilgers said.

The Outlaws will host a playoff game on Wednesday, May 24.

“We do not know who we play yet but will find out on Friday, May 19,” Hilgers said.

GrandStay Hospitality, LLC, the franchisor for GrandStay Hotels, held its 2023 Brand Conference event at the Hyatt Regency in Bloomington, Minnesota last month. The GrandStay Hotel & Suites in Sisters received the prestigious 2022 Property of the Year award, which is the highest honor for hotel operations. General Manager Kris Rodgers accepted this recognition for the hotel’s excellence in GrandStay Quality Assurance Evaluation scores, impeccable guest reviews, and a 100 percent Ecolab

Science Certification score. Built in 2019, the hotel is a pioneer for GrandStay Hotels in the Pacific Northwest and represents the brand in the region.

Under the leadership of Trout Creek Lodging and Kris Rodgers, the GrandStay Hotel & Suites in Sisters, also received the brand’s Every Guest-Every Time Customer Service Award, given to those hotels with an average of 4.5 stars and higher for the entire 2022. The GrandStay in Sisters achieved an average review rating of 4.73 in 2022.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Mason Sellers drives one for the Outlaws. Stellar pitching, strong defense, and lively bats put the Outlaws in the lead in league.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

Kris Rodgers, Sisters GrandStay Hotel & Suites general manager (left) accepted the lodging franchiser’s Property of the Year Award last month at an event in Minnesota. Also pictured: Jon Kennedy, president of GrandStay Hospitality, and Steve and Robin Rodgers, hotel owners.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Bringing a patient-centered model to health care

By Katy Yoder Correspondent

Dr. Sing-Wei Ho moved to Central Oregon 10 years ago after residency training in Colorado. She was offered a job with St. Charles in Redmond, so she and her husband headed farther west. She lives with her young family in Tumalo. Along with her children and husband, they’ve created a small farm with livestock and flora. When she’s not taking care of her patients, she and her family enjoy hiking, skating, cooking, dancing, singing, and practicing sustainable living.

“We like the sunshine. My husband and I both came from the Midwest. I’m from Minnesota and he’s from Nebraska. The weather was a huge reason why we left the Midwest. We still visit frequently for family and friends, but don’t miss the harsh winters and humid summers,” said Ho.

After years of experience as a primary care physician, Ho didn’t like how much time she was spending on paper and computer work, and not with her patients or family. She investigated better ways to care for her patients and chose a direct primary care (DPC) model, which offers a full range of primary care

and care coordination services for a low, flat monthly membership fee. DPC doctors do not bill insurance and are not constrained to a corporate structure. The DPC model is patient-centered, giving folks access to a caring doctor who has the time to spend with them. In short, DPC eliminates third-party interference.

“I’m reaching out to people in Sisters because I think there are fewer health care resources available to these folks than in surrounding larger communities,” said Ho from her clinic, Tumalo Family Medicine in Bend. “The ones that are available tend to belong to big health systems. I love giving people another option. I have a more holistic approach and like to push what I call lifestyle medicine.

“So many folks in Sisters want to be healthy and live an active lifestyle. I can help them reach or maintain these goals. Direct primary care is also the perfect model for such goals due to its flexibility, as it takes more time to work on improving lifestyle than it does to take medication. Folks can come see me in person, call or text me, or have a video chat. My patients don’t always have to leave home to get my care. Health care doesn’t have to

be rigid and confined to inperson, 20-minute visits that require all kinds of paperwork; it can be an in-person exam followed by conversations via phone calls or text message. I’m able to manage my patients’ care progressively and gently through all these different modalities,” said Ho.

At her DPC clinic, Ho can have deeper relationships with patients in a more relaxed setting.

“I get to know my patients and they get to know me,” she said. “ We embark on a health care journey together. At Tumalo Family Medicine, I promote health beyond clinicbased care. This is more of an old-style form of medicine where you know the doctor and the staff, and they know you and your family, and big business doesn’t come in between that. Now, it’s often such a fast-paced turnover at most clinics, which has its place. However, I find people are looking for a more personal feel in their health care.”

Ho invites people interested in her practice to have a free, meet-and-greet appointment.

“Come in and talk, ask questions, and tell me what you’re looking for,” she said. “We’ll talk about my practice

and what to expect. Then you can decide if we’re a good fit.”

A big part of what primary care doctors do is manage their patients’ health issues, and keep an eye on what other specialists are doing for them.

“This is so we have the big picture of what’s going on for you. We can help keep track of what kind of ongoing screening and care you should be having, and we’re the gatekeepers for that information. As with any other clinic, specialists are encouraged to send me their progress notes and results, so we can follow along and help with your specialty treatment,” said Ho.

Ho hopes people understand why she chose a DPC model.

“Working in a big-business health care model overloaded me over time. When big businesses are more focused on making money and meeting quotas, it’s not good for anyone. I left to be healthier, give my family more time, and because my patients deserved more. With the direct primary care model, there is less paperwork and button pushing, and more time for direct interactions. This time can then be spent keeping people healthy and helping them achieve their goals. This model gives

me flexibility to do everything I can for my patients. It allows me to get back to the reason I went into medicine, which is to have relationships with people…. In the current health care system, there’s no time for that. Hopefully, this model will also allow people to use health care more because it can take away that hesitation to contact your provider even just to ask questions.”

Tumalo Family Medicine is located in the Jamison Building at 131 NW Hawthorne Ave., Suite 101, in Bend. Information about monthly fees are on the website, https://tumalo familymedicine.com, or call 541-283-0914.

Dr. Sing-Wei Ho has launched Tumalo Family Medicine.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Volunteers Needed

Furr y Friends is looking for volunteers to help with our bottle and can f undraiser drive once a week on Wednesday or Friday. It takes about 45 minutes to put donated bottles and cans in our blue f undraiser bags. e bags are processed at our donation drop-o spot on e Nug get porch, and then taken to the Bottle Drop at Ray ’s . To volunteer please call Kiki at 541797-4023

Americ an Legion and VFW Meeting s are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Sisters Community Church, 130 0 McKenzie Hwy. All members invited to attend . Call Charles Wilson, 847-344-0498.

Sisters Careg iver

Suppor t Group

A f acilitated support group for caregivers of those with chronic or life-shor tening diseases meet s 10 to 11:30 a .m. on the third Tuesday of ever y month at Sisters Episcopal Church of e Transfiguration, 121 Brook s Camp Rd . For more information, cont act Kay at 541-719-0 031.

Weekly Food Pantry

e Wellhouse Church will have a weekly food pantr y on ursdays at 3 p.m. at 222 N Trinit y Way. Both drive-through pick-up and shopping-st yle distribution are available. Call 541-549-4184 for information

Free Lunches for Seniors

For those 60+, the Council on Aging of Central Oregon o ers a f un, no-cost social lunch every Tuesday, 11 a .m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Community Church 1300 McKenzie Hwy. No reser vations needed. No-cost Grab-N- Go lunches take place weekly on Wednesdays and ursday, f rom 12 :30 to 1 p.m. Call 541-797-9367 for more info.

Free Pet Food

Do you need pet food for your dog or cat this month? Call the Furr y Friends pet food bank at 541-797-4023 to schedule your pickup in Sisters

A NNOUNCEMENT S

NAMIWalk s Central Oregon Fundraiser

Saturday, May 20 , 9 to 11 a.m. at Dr y Canyon Trail American Legion Community Park, 850 SW Rimrock Way, Redmond . Proceeds help provide f ree community mental health advocac y for those impacted by mental illness , and training and support presentations for schools, workplaces , f aith communities , and neighborhood groups.

Register at NAMIWalks .org/ CentralOregon . Call 541-3160167 for more information

Spring Inspiration Concert

e Sisters High Deser t Chorale will herald the spring season in song with its annual spring concer t. “Spring Inspiration” will be per formed on June 2 at 7 p.m . and June 4 at 2:30 p.m. at the Sisters Community Church, 130 0 McKenzie Hwy. ese free concerts have become a tradition in Sisters Country Plea se direct any questions to Connie Gunterman at 541-5880362

Free Weekly Meal Service

Family Kitchen hosts weekly togo hot meals on Tuesdays , 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sisters Community Church, 130 0 McKenzie Hwy Visit www.FamilyKitchen .org

Announce Celebrations!

Sisters community birth, engagement, and wedding , notices may run at no charge on this page. Email your milestone to nug get@nug getnews .com

Craf ters Wanted

Quality craf t consigners wanted for the 47th Snowflake Boutique, November 3-4, 2023 . Juries will be held on Saturdays , May 20, August 12, September 9, and October 7, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Highland Baptist Church, Redmond . An evening jur y will be Monday, October 16 at 6 p.m. Info: www.snowflakeboutique org or call Tina 541-4 47-1640 or Kim 541-640 -2536.

Trail Ride at Sisters Cow Camp

e Central Oregon chapter of Oregon Equestrian Trails invites you to a weekend of riding at Sisters Cow Camp. Ride at your own pace on marked trails through the Deschutes National Forest along Pole Creek . Saddle up for St. Jude on Saturday, June 3 , when all donations go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. On Sunday, June 4, proceeds support Oregon Equestrian Trail’s mission. First hand on Sunday is $15, additional hands are $5 each. Registration starts at 9 a .m. both days . Lunch available for purchase each day. For information and registration, contact Pat Marquis at 541-815-9398 or email him at pnrmarquis@gmail.com

Medicinal Herbs in Central Oregon Central Oregon is home to many herbs used by pioneers and Native Americans . Discover the beneficial herbs that could be growing outside your front door with clinical herbalist Holly Hutton. is Deschutes Public Librar y Presentation will be held at the Sisters Firehouse Communit y Hall at 6 p.m. on ursday, May 25.

High School AP Art Show

Come see what nine Advanced Placement Art & Design students f rom Sisters High have been working toward all year! eir work is installed in the Sisters Art Works building in the Campbell Galler y until June 1. Students choose an inquiry question for themselves and follow the investigative cycle through research, experimentation, creation, revision, reflection, and finally display. is show is a representation of what they studied and discovered. Stop by on your own during business hours Monday-Friday, or join the community celebration and open house organized by the Sisters Folk Festival on Sunday, May 21 f rom 3-5:30 p.m. Stop in and talk to the artists and stay to hear music and celebrate other SFF endeavors in the district!

Announce Your Celebr ations! Sisters community birth, engagement, wedding , anniversar y notices may run at no charge Email nug get@ nug getnews .com Deadline is 5 p.m . on Fridays

Bees & Brews

Calling all Sisters Country beekeepers and those intrigued by the beekeeping hobby. Let’s gather to swap tales , share tips, troubleshoot woes, and celebrate successes . ursday, May 25, 5 p.m. at e Barn. Call Clyde 541-549-0998.

PET OF THE WEEK

Humane Societ y of Central Oregon 541-382-3537

A nit y

is sweet 8-year-old Chihuahua was found as a stray looking for home. A nit y has been timid at the shelter, but once t home you e animated, . A nit y is low girl and would m a relaxed h mature ou’re ready nit y with ome, come to d meet her y!

— SPONSORED BY —

SISTER S- ARE A C HURCH ES

Baha’i Faith

Currently Zoom meetings: devotions , course trainings informational firesides. Local contac t Shauna Rocha 541- 647-9826 • www.bahai.org or www.bahai.us

Wellhouse Churc h 442 Trinit y Way • 541-549-4184 ht tps://wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration 121 N Brook s Camp Rd. • 541-549-7087

8:30 a .m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship

10 :15 a .m. Episcopal Sunday Worship www.transfiguration-sister s.org

Sisters Church of the N az arene

67130 Har ring ton Loop Rd . • 541-389-8960 www.sistersnaz .org • info@sistersnaz .org

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Sisters Communit y Church (Nondenominational)

130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201

9:30 a .m. Sunday Worship www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com

Chapel in the Pines

Camp Sherman • 541-549-9971

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA) 386 N . Fir Street • 5 41-549-5831

10 a .m. Sunday Worship www.shepherdof thehillslutheranchurch.com

St . Edward the Mar tyr Roman Catholic Churc h 123 Trinit y Way • 541-549-9391

5:3 0 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass

9 a .m. Sunday Mass • 8 a .m. Monday-Friday Mass

e Church of Jesus Christ of L at ter-Day Saint s 452 Trinit y Way • Branch President, 541-420 -5670;

10 a .m. Sunday Sac rament Meeting

Calvar y Church 484 W. Washing ton St , Ste. C & D • 541-588-6288

10 a .m. Sunday Worship • www.ccsisters.org

Seventh-Day Adventist Church 386 N . Fir St. • 541-595-6770, 541-306 -8303

11 a .m. S aturday Worship

May Market debuts at Pole Creek Ranch

By T. Lee Brown Correspondent

Most folks know the Pole Creek Ranch barn as part of the stellar view from Highway 242 across from the middle school. Last Friday, it became the debut location for the May Market.

Outside, the Three Sisters and Black Crater loomed close, perched above a carpet of bright greenery growing in the fields. Hay bales were stacked high, under cover. Smoke from a prescribed burn billowed over from near Edgington Road.

Inside, Eryn Elbers walked through the iconic barn, winding among flowers, plant starts, and seed packets.

A co-organizer of the market, Elbers is owner and farmer of Roots & Rails Farm. Known for the pretty, rustic bouquets she sells locally, Elbers displayed a wider range of products at the May Market.

Her hand-stenciled wooden signs were up for sale, along with plant starts organized into appealing containers by theme: pollinator packs, deer-resistant flowers, and cool-season plants.

Growing plants for food or ornamental purposes can be difficult in the Sisters area. Multiple microclimates, voracious deer and rodents, short growing season, poor soil, and rough weather gang up on gardens.

Elbers said she enjoys selecting and growing flowers that are cold-hardy, pollinator friendly, and otherwise well suited to Sisters Country.

The May Market also featured booths with vintage linens, local dahlia seeds, locally made soaps, and colorful scarves hand-felted using locally raised wool. The ranch had a freezer on-site for grass-fed beef sales.

“Sweet old lady?” read the words on a handcrafted ceramic mug. “More like battle-tested warrior queen.”

The market was open on the Friday and Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend, but not on Sunday. As Elbers observed, what a mom really wants to do on Mother’s

Sisters-Area Events & Enter tainment

THURSDAY • MAY 18

Paulina Springs Books Book Talk Bend author Joshua Savage presents “100 Things to Do in Bend, Oregon, Before You Die.” 6:30 p.m. Info: PaulinaSpringsBooks.com. Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night

Sign up at 5:30 Starts promptly at 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Dogand family-friendly Free For info call Eurosports at 541-549-2471

FRIDAY • MAY 19

Hardtails Karaoke with KJ Mindy

8 p.m. to 12 a.m. For more information call 541-549-6114. Eurosports Food Cart Garden Car Show

5-7 p.m. Free Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool or vintage car for the car show — or come to see them! For more info call 541-549-2471

SATURDAY • MAY 20

Paulina Springs Books Family Storytime Sisters

artist and author Dennis McGregor will sing his book “You Stole My Name.” 11 a.m. Info: PaulinaSpringsBooks.com.

SUNDAY • MAY 21

Sisters Saloon Live Music: Sugar Sweet String Band

This is all local.

The plants are local!

— Pat Lamoureaux

Day is take a nap, not run a market.

Pat Lamoureaux is mother to Elbers and grandmother to young Avery, who was helping out. Lamoureaux likes the idea of promoting local flower growers. “So many florists drive up to Portland to get wholesale flowers,” she noted.

“This is all local,” she said with a smile. “The plants are local!”

The Lamoureaux family has farmed before. Back in Massachusetts, Pat and her husband, Roger, a woodworker, operated a pick-yourown-blueberry business.

Thirty years ago they moved here “to get away from the snow,” she said with a laugh.

She expressed appreciation

that Pole Creek Ranch offered use of their barn for the May event. “It’s been wonderful,” she said. “We have been so blessed.”

Will the May Market appear again? “We would love to do this next year,” enthused Elbers. She hopes food vendors will participate then.

In the meantime, Elbers offers her plants, flowers, and bouquets through private sales and for retail purchase at two seasonal outlets in town: The Stand and Sisters Farmers Market.

The Stand, on Adams Avenue, opened May 1. This year, the Farmers Market will open the first Sunday in June, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fir Street Park. Elbers’ Roots & Rails bouquets are sold at the Seed to Table produce booth.

Lamoureaux said a portion of the May Market proceeds would be donated to two local charities, Habitat for Humanity and Central

6 to 8 p.m. on the patio All ages Free For more information see facebook.com/SistersSaloonAndRanchGrill.

THURSDAY • MAY 25

Suttle Lodge Fireside Music by Jacob Westfall

6-8 p.m. Reservations required; tickets at bendticket.com. For more information: info@thesuttlelodge.com.

Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night

Sign up at 5:30 Starts promptly at 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Dogand family-friendly Free For info call Eurosports at 541-549-2471

FRIDAY • MAY 26

Sisters Depot Live Music: Brian Odell & Bob Baker

6 to 8:30 p.m. A great evening of music with Sisters violinist Bob Baker and PDX musician Brian Odell. $5 cover. Info: www.sistersdepot.com.

Hardtails Karaoke with KJ Mindy

8 p.m. to 12 a.m. For more information call 541-549-6114.

Eurosports Food Cart Garden Car Show

5-7 p.m. Free Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool or vintage car for the car show — or come to see them! For more info call 541-549-2471

SUNDAY • MAY 28

Sisters Saloon Live Music: Trainwreck Bend

6 to 8 p.m. on the patio All ages Free For more information see facebook.com/SistersSaloonAndRanchGrill.

TUESDAY • MAY 30

Sisters High School Auditorium Live Music: Sisters Middle School & Sisters High School Bands

7 p.m. Community members are invited to enjoy the music and support our students at this free concert. Info: 541-549-4045.

THURSDAY • JUNE 1

Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night

Sign up at 5:30 Starts promptly at 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Dogand family-friendly Free For info call Eurosports at 541-549-2471

FRIDAY • JUNE 2

The Belfr y Live Music: Caleb Caudle and Micah Peterson 7 p.m. Caudle is a master of his craft as a songwriter and musician. Peterson’s country twang sounds authentic and lived-in. Presented by The Whippoorwill Presents. Tickets, $20, at www.bendticket.com.

Hardtails Karaoke with KJ Mindy 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. For more information call 541-549-6114.

SUNDAY • JUNE 4

Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring live music, community booth, vendors, kids activities, and more. For info visit www.sistersfarmersmarket.com.

Sisters Saloon Live Music: Kristi Kinsey & The Whiskey Bandits 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio All ages Free Information at facebook.com/SistersSaloonAndRanchGrill.

WEDNESDAY • JUNE 7

Sisters Rodeo Arena Sisters Rodeo Extreme Bulls 6:30 p.m. Tickets at www.sistersrodeo.com.

Sisters Saloon After Rodeo Party with Live Music by Dr y Canyon Stampede 8:30 p.m. No cover. www.SistersSaloon.net.

Eryn Elbers grows and arranges flowers at her farm, Roots & Rails. She co-organized the May Market, which debuted over Mother’s Day weekend.

PHOTO BY TL BROWN

Daybreak Wellness opens in Sisters

By Ceili Gatley Correspondent

Daybreak Wellness offers unique services to treat injuries and ailments and to promote overall health and wellbeing focused on mind, body, and spirit.

Daybreak Wellness opened in March of 2023 as a partnership between Diane Flowers and Melanie Middlestetter. Flowers has been in the naturopathic medicine/massage therapy field for over 20 years, and it had always been her goal to start a practice with Daybreak Wellness’ services.

“A lot of years ago, when I was in naturopathic medical school, I had a vision for a space that people could come into, to take control of their journey to be well, and that was the initial vision,” she said.

Flowers suffered a traumatic brain injury, and after that, she went on a healing journey.

“That was my introduction to a lot of the science behind saunas, cryotherapy, and red therapy. That’s when I started to see how powerful all that was for healing, and that’s when I contemplated how to make this work,” she said.

When Flowers and Middlestetter met, they realized their brains worked well together, from a treatment/ science perspective combined with a business perspective. This led them to meeting over a couple of years and then to creating the wellness space.

Middlestetter has a background in special education, working in that field for 10 years in the Willamette Valley. She has a health degree that she never used and has always been interested in alternative modalities, and prefers to do healing things naturally.

“I got really into the vibroacoustic mat that was started with the special education field, working with children that were handicapped … and that modality; there is a lot of research in that field,” she said.

According to the National Library of Medicine:

“Vibroacoustic therapy (VAT) is a complementary psychosocial approach in rehabilitation defined as a combination of low-frequency sound vibration, (and) music listening combined with therapeutic interaction.”

Once they acquired the space that used to be Step and Spine Physical Therapy, Flowers and her family, including her husband and sons, completely renovated and got the place up and running in six weeks. Several of Flowers’ friends are artists, and her husband is a photographer, so they filled the space with local art, immediately adding a homey feel to the area.

Daybreak Wellness offers services ranging from massage therapy to cryotherapy. Some of the services include, according to their website:

Cryosauna: whole-body cryotherapy, based on the effects of extremely low temperatures between -110°C and -180°C on the human body. This causes a physiological adaptive response of the body to extreme cold, which rapidly accelerates recovery and healing.

Local cryotherapy is used to reduce pain and inflammation and improve circulation of the blood in targeted areas.

Cryofacial: Tightens and brightens skin, reduces wrinkles, and stimulates collagen production.

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy: emits electromagnetic waves that mimic natural frequencies found in nature, stimulating

and encouraging the body’s natural recovery process.

Daybreak Wellness offers other services in their recovery lounge.

The staff has tested all the various machines and services offered at Daybreak Wellness, and have deeply researched their benefits on the body. Flowers can provide that research material.

There are two licensed massage therapists on staff, and Flowers and Middlestetter work with patients to determine the best treatment for them and assist in setting them up in a service.

“The first thing I want [people] to experience when they walk in is feeling like they’re in a safe place to be heard and validated in whatever their healing journey is,” Flowers said. “They often feel discounted in the struggle to get well. And then I want them to start having tools to take control of their process to be well and whole.”

“I want them to be able to come in and take a deep breath,” said Middlestetter.

Daybreak Wellness’ clients range from teenagers needing athletic recovery to elderly people who need to maintain or enhance mobility.

“We want to make it a space where everybody feels equally valued,” said Flowers.

“We have a lot of different areas, walks of life, personalities, and lifestyles that come in here. We really focus on holistic health, from healthy eating, lifestyle, working out,

and having something for everyone,” said Middlestetter.

Many of the services they offer impact memory, brain function, and mood and can help treat the body and mind.

“One of the things I’ve been the most excited about, besides the athletic recovery and injury recovery and the physical aspect, is that so many of these same modalities are so supportive of mental health, and there are so many people post-COVID dealing with depression and isolation,” said Flowers.

“What distinguishes us from other places is we hardcore practice what we preach, and we are in here using this stuff and sharing

how they work for us and allow people to research and experiment for themselves and empower them to try different things. We are helping them decide on their health,” said Middlestetter.

Many of the offerings are types of therapies commonly used by professional athletes and celebrities, and Daybreak Wellness allows those services to be accessible to anyone and everyone in Sisters.

Daybreak Wellness has an open house scheduled on Saturday, May 20, from 1 to 5 p.m.

To learn more about Daybreak Wellness and its offerings, visit: https://www. daybreaksisters.com/.

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Melanie Middlestetter and Diane Flowers have launched Daybreak Wellness in Sisters. They will host an open house Saturday, May 20.

PHOTO BY CEILI GATLEY

GARDEN CLUB: Garden party is being scheduled for July

Continued from page 3

workload on the members. The amount of work involved required the planning for the next year’s tour to begin as soon as the current tour was concluded.

This year, in place of the tour, the Club will be hosting a garden party in a member’s garden that is open to the public. On Thursday, July 13, the party will be in the garden of Cookie Kutz. It is free of charge with donations welcome. There will be three local craftspeople displaying and selling their creations. Water and lemonade will be available as well as cookies. Visitors will be free to tour the garden and its charming

yellow garden house.

The Garden Club will be selling their 25th anniversary jigsaw puzzle as well as their new garden journals for gardeners to record one year of gardening activity. Proceeds from the journal sales will help replace the income from the garden tour not being held this year. The Club has contributed thousands of dollars to the community since its inception in 1988.

The Club has monthly meetings, some of which include field trips to spots of interest to gardeners, and others with guest speakers.

Every December they have a holiday brunch, and all the members contribute gift cards to be distributed to local families.

For more information on the Sisters Garden Club visit their website at www. sistersgardenclub.com.

Continued from page 3

building) and the Outlaw Fiddle Club from Sisters Middle School, as well as the advanced placement art students and their work being shown in the Campbell Gallery.

The Americana Project class has provided students with an outlet for creative expression through songwriting and guitar playing since 2000 with the support of SFF and under the direction of SHS teacher Rick Johnson. Recently, five students had the opportunity to record original songs at Oxcilliary Studios in Sisters. The recordings by SHS students Blake Parker, Ava O’Neill, Sam Liddell, Kendall Guiney, and Alli Ilmberger will be offered for download at the event.

The Sisters High School jazz band will be performing on the Sisters Art Works stage and will unveil a special collaboration with the Outlaw Fiddle Club. Kayla Golka has been at the helm of the Sisters Jazz Band since fall of 2022. With direction from fiddler and SMS teacher Melissa Stolasz, the Outlaw Fiddle Club will perform throughout the event to share the music they have been working on.

The Americana luthier program led by Jason Chinchen and Tony Cosby will share the guitars created by students in the Woods II class at SHS. This unique program was founded

in 2006 in a partnership between SFF and regional company Breedlove Guitars. In the Woods II class students have the opportunity to build handmade acoustic guitars from start to finish. Many of this year’s students are still in the process of completing their instruments but will share their progress and instruments with the public during the showcase.

Inside the Sisters Art Works building, in the Cindy and Duncan Campbell Gallery, the community is invited to see portfolios from nine AP Art & Design students. Students Abby Christopher, Makenzie French, Araiya Grummer, Devan Hepburn, Addie Kroytz, Zoey Lorusso, Adriana Luna, Kaleb Woods, and Sage Wyland will all have work on display. Each student chose an inquiry question as the premise for their projects and pursued a detailed investigative cycle through research, experimentation,

creation, revision, reflection, and finally display. This show is a representation of what they studied and discovered. Their work is installed in the Campbell Gallery until June 1. Attendees are invited to stop in and talk to the artists, bring low-back chairs or blankets for seating, watch the performances, and celebrate SFF programs in partnership with the Sisters School District. This is a free event. All ages are welcome. Follow @Sisters FolkFestival on Instagram and Facebook for all festival and programming updates and information.

Monica Tomosy and Jeff Swanson, members of the Sisters Garden Club, planted two aspen trees in the pig pen at Harmony Farm Sanctuary to provide shade for the pigs.

PHOTO BY RUTH PALMER

SFF Creative Director Brad Tisdel, with students of the Americana Project, who recently finished recording an album.

PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN

Lady Outlaws crowned district tennis champions

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The Lady Outlaws brought seven players to the 4A/3A/2A/1A Special District 4 Tennis Tournament in Pendleton on Friday and Saturday, May 12-13, and emerged as the champs. The Outlaws took a first, third, and fourth place in singles, and placed a doubles team in the quarterfinals for a total of 17 points, double the closest rival team.

Coach Bruce Fenn said, “At the beginning of the season we wanted to place at least second in our district. (We were third last year.) After the district realignment with 20 teams, mostly Eastern Oregon, I knew we had a chance to win the district championship, and we accomplished that.”

Juhree Kizziar (No. 1 seed) cruised through her opposition and won her first district championship.

Kizziar started with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Leslee RiveraCastro of Umatilla in the first round and then beat Mary Esplen of Nyssa 6-1, 6-4, in round two. She faced teammate Katie Ryan in the semis and earned a 6-1,6-2 win.

The championship match was a bit tougher. Kizziar lost the first set 2-6, but then battled back with a 6-0, 6-2, victory over Jaclyn Albert

of Weston-McEwen High School. At the start of the match, winds were gusting up to 17 miles per hour, and those conditions changed Kizziar’s strategy. The wind blew the ball long most of the day and made it very difficult to control the ball toss on the serve and hit harder.

Fenn said, “After the first set, Juhree went from hitting harder to keeping the ball in play, which proved to be successful. She was exceptional today in the windy conditions with her serve. She did not give her opponent free points by double faulting, and that in itself is remarkable.”

Katie Ryan posted a thirdplace finish at the tourney. She started with a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (TB), win over the No. 1 seed, Vicky de la Torre of Ione Community Charter School, in the first round.

Fenn said, “After losing the first set, we changed the plan, hitting every ball to Torre’s backhand, creating more errors and not allowing Torre to hit her high forcing ground strokes to Katie’s baseline.”

In her next match she defeated Lilian Holden 7-6 (8) 6-4.

In the first set Ryan was down 3-4 and came back and won six straight games. In the tiebreaker Ryan was down and came back from 4-5 and won 7-6.

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Fenn said, “In the second set tiebreaker Katie was behind again 6-4 triple set point and came back again and won four straight points to take the set and match 8-4.”

The match lasted almost three hours in the 80-plus degree weather and gave the Outlaws a chance to take the title.

Ryan lost in two sets to teammate Kizziar in the semis, but bounced back with a win over teammate Brooke Harper for third place. Score was 2-0 (retired).

“Katie has the ability to stay calm under pressure,” said Fenn. “She is a fighter and works with coaches to find winning solutions, and executes the plan agreed on to win. In tennis you are constantly evaluating how things are going and make adjustments as needed.”

Brooke Harper (No. 3 seed) rounded out the Lady Outlaws singles and was also impressive with similar tactics. She beat Judit Gomora of Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School 6-2, 6-2, and then defeated last year’s Ontario state qualifier Laken Herrera 6-4, 6-6, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.

Fenn shared details about Harper’s quarterfinal match against Herrera.

“Brooke was down the

whole set and then at 4-5 deuce point she had a 70-80 shot rally that she won and it was no ad, so that was clutch. The tiebreak was at 5-5 and then she won the last two. The other girl started crushing the ball and hit multiple winners in the tiebreaker, but it didn’t faze Brooke. It was so cool!

“Brooke focused on keeping the ball in play to make minimal unforced errors,” added Fenn. “Her patience and high and deep ground strokes to Herrera baseline made it very difficult. When she gets locked into her style, Brooke is very good. Most players will try to move to the net, but then Brooke will lob them or pass them! When they force her, she never panics.”

Harper then fell 5-7 in the first set to Jacqlyn Albert of Weston-McEwen. Fenn told The Nugget she then withdrew due to injury.

The Wyland sisters, Sage and Shae, defeated Doherty/J. Serrano from Ione Community Charter School 6-1, 6-1 in doubles in the first round.

“They never got in trouble,” said Fenn. “They continued to play good positioning on the court and took

the net.”

In the quarterfinals they lost to Z. Reeser/M. Sharp from Stansfield Secondary School in a score of 1-6, 1-6. Kizziar, Ryan, and Harper all advance to the state championships, which will be held Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, at the Oregon State University campus.

Fenn said, “This year I was looking forward to qualify more state qualifiers. We accomplished that by adding Brooke and Katie to Juhree’s run the last two years! Credit goes to all the team members, coaches, volunteers, and the tennis community that encourage young people to play tennis. Our next goal is to place one of the girls into the semifinals at the state championships. We will enjoy the journey and have fun. These girls are really special in so many ways, and we are all proud of them.”

Our next goal is to place one of the girls into the semifinals at the state championships.

— Coach Bruce Fenn

Grant helps Sisters hire new firefighter

Growth in the area is resulting in increasing 911 call volume and increased demand for prevention services. To help meet that demand, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District will hire one Firefighter/EMT/ Wildfire Risk Reduction employee who will work five days a week during times of peak 911 call demand.

The position is one of 14 in Central Oregon and 53 across the state funded through $13.5 million in Oregon Fire Service Capacity grants announced on May 9.

According to the Fire District, recruitment efforts will begin shortly with the goal of having the new position filled prior to the start of fire season.

Sisters Fire Chief Roger Johnson said, “This grant will greatly increase our capacity to both prevent fires from occurring, and to respond to fires once they start.”

In addition to work as a certified firefighter/EMT, the new employee will also lead community wildfire risk reduction efforts.

The OSFM Capacity Grant is a one-time investment in response capacity across the state. Here in Sisters, it provides funding for three years with the District contributing 10 percent of the employee costs in year one, 25 percent in year two, and 50 percent in the third year of the grant. The District will pay the full cost of the employee after the three-year grant period expires. In total, the amount of the award to the District is $255,000 over the three-year period.

True Wellness + Bodyworks in Sisters

By Ceili Gatley Correspondent

John Seitzinger, LMT, MSN, worked in the medical field as a nurse and anesthesiologist for most of his 20-year career in Portland, but he wanted to branch away from that type of medicine and move somewhere closer to nature.

After nine years as a nurse, he returned to school and pursued anesthesiology.

“I was a nurse anesthetist and did that until nine years ago, and then was a stay-athome dad. My wife is an artist and supported her business and our son,” he said.

He and his family moved to Sisters in 2019, wanting to get out of the hustle of Portland and move somewhere to do their favorite outdoor activities.

“I love hiking, biking, snowboarding, climbing, and anything outdoors,” he said.

Seitzinger returned to school in November of 2022 at Sage School of Massage in Bend, and got his degree in massage therapy, wanting to break away from Western medicine and study massage and pain relief therapies.

He worked in a chiropractic office for a couple of months before focusing on starting his practice. He opened True Wellness + Bodyworks in Sisters in March of 2023.

“The business is massage, but I offer guasha, cupping, more treatment-based as far as specializing in triggerpoint release, and finding the problems,” he said.

As stated on his business website: “I intend to cultivate a nourishing space that feels safe and warm for clients to experience healing and relief. Whether it’s calming your nervous system and/or providing relief from chronic or acute aches, pains, and injuries, I’m passionate about the healing power of therapeutic touch via massage and bodywork.”

Seitzinger believes in treating a person as a whole individual with unique experiences, and getting to the root of their ailment or concern.

Seitzinger has been interested in doing bodywork and health-related nutrition ever since getting out of the medical industry over the last 8-9 years.

“I pull a lot from my knowledge from being a

nurse, and as far as the anatomy and kinesiology. I geek out on the kinesiology, I nerd out on the details,” he said.

He wanted to start his own business to avoid the constraints of another office’s philosophy in treating patients. Having his own business allows for more flexibility and the ability to connect with his patients more one-on-one. He treats 9-12 people weekly and can change or flex that. “I consider it a small-batch massage practice, and the sessions range from an hour to twohour sessions and keep the number low to keep the quality up and give a good quality service,” he said.

The practice offers customized treatments based on people’s specific needs. Patients book with him and show up, depending on what they might need the day-of, and he can help treat them.

The practice’s website states: “Each session is 100 percent customized for your needs. In a collaborative process, we’ll discuss your goals before your treatment. We’ll create a therapeutic plan for you, whether you want relaxation for your nervous system

or more focused treatment for pain and mobility concerns.”

Seitzinger’s passion for this type of work compels him to work on the functional medicine aspect, looking at the person as a whole and having all-encompassing treatment versus treating the symptom.

“It feels more foundational as far as where people should come from and addressing chronic issues,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed service to and for others, and that’s where the passion stems from.”

True Wellness + Bodyworks is in the Sisters Art Works building at 204 W. Adams Ave., Suite 103E. Book a session online by visiting: https://www. truewellnessandbodywork. com/book-now-contact.

John Seitzinger.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Author celebrates publishing deal

Paulina Springs

Books will host a family storytime event with local artist and children’s book author Dennis McGregor on Saturday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m.

The event celebrates the national release of his beloved book “You Stole My Name.”

Dennis McGregor is a longtime Sisters fine artist, and author of three children’s books. He is best known for his Central Oregon event posters, including Sisters Rodeo, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, Sisters Folk Festival, and many others.

In a celebration of a dream come true, McGregor is going to sing his children’s book, “You Stole My Name,” which successfully debuted at Paulina Springs Books five years ago. Its popularity spread to other local stores and eventually found its way into Barnes & Noble. That got the attention of a Bend publishing company, Blue Star Press, who signed McGregor to a distribution deal and in collaboration with Penguin/ Random House are preparing for a worldwide release on August 8.

This is a milestone for a self-published book that was funded through a Kickstarter campaign. “Major distribution for an independent author is difficult,” McGregor said, “but based on local sales I knew it could do well if it just

Spoons’ grand reopening

By Ceili Gatley Correspondent

Spoons Restaurant is relocating in Sisters. After being on Cascade Avenue since opening in 2017, owner Doug Stevens finally had the opportunity to move locations to a bigger space that will complement their increase in sales and business.

the move was the demand.”

That new location is on the south end of town on Hood Avenue, across from Dutch Bros. Coffee stand in the big green building, that has been empty for many years.

got the chance! That chance has come, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

As for singing the book, McGregor recalls, “I was driving over the pass to my first author visit at a Portland bookstore. I thought it would be fun if I could bring my guitar and sing something. But what, I wondered? Then it hit me — I could sing the book!”

McGregor had been writing songs for years and had inadvertently written verses that are singable in a “talking blues” style. A musical chorus with a call and response was added and the song was complete. He sang it in stores and schools around the state until the pandemic shut it down, and he hasn’t played it since. That long silence will be broken this Saturday at Paulina Springs. Kids of all ages are invited to come and sing along.

Deri Frazee encouraged Doug Stevens and his wife, Debbi, to buy the first Spoons location when the Cuppa Yo frozen yogurt shop went up for sale. Stevens and his wife, and their cooking partner, Carrie McGonagle, decided to add lunch, soup, and sandwich options to the restaurant besides just the frozen yogurt.

“Our food sales really grew and became the most important part of the business,” said Stevens.

Spoons was just going strong when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, shutting everything down, and halting any ideas for expansion. Shortly after that, McGonagle’s daughter was killed in an automobile accident in the fall of 2020, and Stevens’ wife passed away one year after that.

That left McGonagle and Stevens running the business on their own.

Stevens stated: “Our sales really expanded then, and we were unable to meet the demand and so we started looking for additional space, and initially this space was not in a competitive price. But this year we came to a deal on renting it. What precipitated

Spoons began the movein process a year ago, coming to a rental agreement with the owners and starting the remodel. One of the reasons it was such a great location, and a relatively easy process, was that it already has a certified kitchen, which meant they didn’t have to rebuild the kitchen entirely for business use.

“It was a little difficult to move away from Cascade Avenue. We did look at some stuff on Main Street, but the time frames were two years out, and this building had a certified kitchen in it, and that meant we were able to accelerate the time frame that it takes to move,” said Stevens.

They had an accelerated move-in time, signing the deal in January, painting and remodeling for two months, and then taking two weeks to officially move in and get operating.

“There have been so many people in the community helping us move, and it’s been amazing,” Stevens said.

Spoons will be offering full-service breakfast and lunch with table side-service. All their menu items are homemade, and they partner with Baked Northwest for all their pastries and baked goods. They plan to continue to expand their menu options to include more sandwiches

and burgers as the summer moves forward. As of right now, they are not offering frozen yogurt because the machines they had been using were 20 years old and unreliable.

They also have a separate area reserved for events for up to 20 people with food service availability.

Spoons has been having a soft opening all week leading up to their grand opening on Saturday, May 13, at the new location. During the weekend of the SALI lacrosse tournament, without being officially open, their numbers far exceeded the prior year’s numbers at the old location.

“So far this week it looks like it’s been a good move,” said Stevens.

“We are excited to continue to expand our menu and do some fun things in collaboration with the Quilt Show, and for the new space,” he said.

See their menu items by visiting https://spoonsrestaurant.business.site/. Business hours are Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Doug Stevens’ Spoons is open at a new location.

PHOTO BY CEILI GATLEY

Paulina Springs Books is located at 252 W. Hood Ave.

Dennis McGregor will sing his book “You Stole My Name” at Paulina Springs Books.

PHOTO BY HEAVEN MCARTHUR

Outlaws send remote-controlled craft into the skies

When Howard Hughes’ giant Spruce Goose took off on November 2, 1947, it stayed in the air for all of 26 seconds. When the Outlaw RC Plane Club at Sisters High School (SHS) sent their model of the Spruce Goose into the air on Thursday, May 11, they had much greater success: The first flight lasted for two minutes, and the second lasted four minutes.

The club of remote-controlled aircraft enthusiasts built a 10-foot-wingspan replica of the legendary plane in a one-day build in the physics classroom at Sisters High School late last month. The wind was too stiff on the day of the build to risk the aircraft, so flight day was pushed out for a couple of weeks.

Club members and advisors held their breath for the first launch on Thursday. The sight and sound of the massive RC plane flying overhead was spectacular

and thrilling. The plane flew twice, decorated with the Outlaw Aviation logo on the tail and name under the wings. Each time, the plane made a perfect soft landing in the grassy field behind the high school.

The students were proud of the success of their accomplishment, and excited to integrate new ideas into the plane in the near future, such as a functional bomb bay to drop various objects — such as flower seeds, as suggested by member Devan Hepburn.

Timber and Tobann Bionda serve as president and vice president of the club, which also includes Andrew Pomering, Devan Hepburn, Max Burks, Weston Dean, and Luxen Morris. Advisors are Dan Oliver, SHS physics and math teacher); Tara Morris (SHS special education teacher); and Amy Bionda, SHS volunteer and school district employee.

“Timber and Tobann have put in an amazing effort to bring this RC Plane Club to life,” Oliver said. “They have created a fun, inclusive atmosphere where students can come to learn, connect with others, and enjoy themselves while at the same time acquiring skills and knowledge that will benefit them in their future endeavors. Kudos to Timber and Tobann for becoming leaders at our school and sharing their passion with others that benefits everyone involved.”

The Outlaw RC Plane Club will be recruiting new high school members for the 2023-24 school year. They are looking for students who: • Are passionate about

aviation and love to learn new things.

• Will participate in the weekly meetings and respect the material (RC plane parts are expensive and construction techniques can be complicated). Meetings are held weekly on Thursday after school in the SHS physics room from 3:20 to 6 p.m.

• Most importantly, students who want to be a part of a really creative and fun team environment.

The Outlaw RC Plane Club received funding support from Sisters High School and the Sisters Schools Foundation. Cascades RC Flyers: $200 donation for AMA student licenses, and provided a variety of RC

plane parts and tools. Bend Aero Modelers provided an RC plane flight simulator and plane parts and tools. John Hayden also provided a variety of RC plane parts and tools.

To make a contribution or for more information, contact Timber Bionda at 2024. bionda.timber@ssd6.org.

Club advisor Tara Morris said, “I am really excited for the opportunity for students to join the RC Plane Club. It is a terrific outlet for students to explore physics and engineering through a handson, creative outlet. The club is extremely organized and really gets things done. It is fun to see what they have created.”

Outlaw RC Plane Club members successfully launched and flew their remote-controlled Spruce Goose last week.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Outlaw RC Plane Club members built a replica of the legendary Spruce Goose in a single day last month.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

Stop by and visit with Shelley Marsh, Krista Palmer, and Sam Pitcher John Seitzinger LMT, MSN LMT#27436

Continued from page 1

burned 173,393 acres centered on the McKenzie River Valley in Lane County. The residents used to call the surrounding hillsides of timber the “Asbestos Forest” – it would never burn. But it did. Out of his experience during and after that fire, Thompson helped establish the McKenzie Valley Long-Term Response Group (MVLTRG), something he urges the citizens of Sisters to organize now — before we have a large emergency come to Sisters. Emergencies include wildfires, floods, earthquakes, toxic hazard spills, or large influxes of people from areas west of the Cascades — anything that requires a community-wide response in times of disaster.

Hopefully, local citizens will want to get such an organization up and running. However, adequate emergency preparedness begins with each individual Sisters resident. In the time of disaster, all the professionals are going to be focusing on infrastructure, the actual emergency, and those people who truly need assistance to get to safety — the elderly and disabled, those with no transportation, and those with specific medical needs.

Sergeant Nathan Garibay, the Deschutes County emergency manager in the Sheriff’s Office, likes to say, “We’re not safe unless all are safe.” As an individual, identify your neighbors who may

need assistance in case of emergency and plan how you can help them.

McGowan urges everyone to have a “go bag” packed and ready to provide 72 hours’ worth of supplies needed to survive. Don’t forget medications and copies of legal documents like driver’s licenses and birth certificates for each member of the household. Thompson said that to begin to apply for assistance from the state or federal government, you must be able to prove your identity.

A list of what to include in a 72-hour go bag is available from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO). The bag doesn’t have to be assembled all at once. McGowan suggests each time you go to Bi-Mart, Hoyt’s, Ace Hardware, and Ray’s, or other stores, pick up a few items on the list until you have everything you need. The important thing is to start today.

Following the recent big lightning storm, McGowan and his wife, Jan, made use of their emergency supplies for about a week after all their circuits were fried by a lightning strike. They used their 55 gallons of stored water for all their water needs because their well pump was inoperable without power.

Steps you can take as an individual include: prepare a home emergency kit or go bag, make a family communications plan, and get to know your neighbors and talk about preparedness together. Many organizations have printed materials available at their offices or on their websites. The American Red Cross has an emergency preparedness brochure. The

DCSO has a family emergency preparedness handbook from their emergency management office that can be downloaded.

Check with your insurance agent to be sure you have adequate coverage. Register for the alert warning system at deschutesalerts.org to receive information about emergency evacuations, severe weather, flooding, gas leaks, police activity, and more.

Other sources for more preparedness information include: the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department, Oregon Department of Emergency Management: Individual Preparedness, Oregon State University extension service, which has materials to help before and during disasters. They also offer a free, award-winning, self-guided, three-part training, Preparing for the Cascadia Subduction Zone Event, available online at beavs.es/cascadiaprepare.

A term often heard around Sisters is “defensible space.” Because so many homes in Sisters Country are built in and around forests, they become part of the wildland urban interface (WUI). Embers and small flames are the main way many homes ignite in wildfires. Embers can be carried by the wind more than a mile and can cause spot fires and ignite homes, debris, and other objects.

To make and keep Sisters Country as safe as possible from the devastating effects of wildfire, it is up to each citizen to do their part of cleaning up their property and

creating defensible space. Neighborhoods and subdivisions can become designated as Firewise by using Firewise principles to protect homes including landscape design and vegetation management. They meet a set of voluntary criteria on an annual basis. For more information, contact the Sisters Ranger District. If your home is surrounded by vegetation close to the house, has bark dust right up to the foundation, bird blocks with no or large gauge screening, a wood shingle roof, or woodpiles next to the house, you are at increased risk of losing your home to wildfire.

Creating correct defensible space around your house gives you an 85 percent chance of the house surviving during a wildfire. That space can be divided into three main zones. The immediate zone is zero to five feet from the house and should be noncombustible. This is the most important zone so start with the house and move into the landscaping zone.

The intermediate zone is five to 30 feet from the house. Landscaping/hardscaping or creating breaks can help decrease the risk of

fire reaching the house. Trees or clumps of tree in this area should have a minimum of 18 feet between treetops. The extended zone runs 30 to 100 feet, out to 200 feet, from the house. The goal here is to interrupt fire’s path and keep flames smaller and on the ground. In the 30-to60-foot zone, trees or clumps of trees should have a minimum of 12 feet between treetops. At 60 to 100 feet out, trees should have a minimum of six feet between treetops. Information explaining the tasks to be completed in each zone is available on a number of online sources.

For all disaster preparedness, be sure to follow the guidelines listed in a variety of materials available locally and online.

Black Butte Ranch Rural Fire Protection District Notice of Budget Hearing

Devin Thompson of the McKenzie Valley Long-Term Recovery Group offers eye-opening insights at a C4C town hall on emergency preparedness last week.

PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD

Proceeds from this SISTERS KIWANIS sale go to many local youth organizations, scholarships for students, awards to career-changing adults, and more.

City Council hears about wildfire

By Ceili Gatley Correspondent

Fire experts presented to the City Council during a workshop in recognition of May as Wildfire Awareness Month.

Roger Johnson, fire chief at Sisters Camp-Sherman Fire District (SCSFD), Ian Reid, Sisters district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, and Heather Miller, rire risk reduction specialist for the Oregon office of State Fire Marshal offered a wildfire preparedness presentation to councilors, covering matters from building hardening to regional wildfire risk, cohesive strategies to coordinated response information.

One of the council’s goals this year is to focus on wildfire mitigation and community resiliency, and to continue partnerships with agencies throughout the region.

Specific to community development, the City set a goal of working toward updating defensible space and structural hardening requirements through the Development Code. Those changes continue to be in draft form as Senate Bill 762 is being discussed, but planners are looking at drafting amendments to the code surrounding building hardening.

Public works crews are treating areas around wells and public works facilities to mitigate risk.

Reid presented the regional wildfire risk to councilors, providing context as to why some of the elements of mitigation are so important. He discussed the last 30 years of fire history in the state, and how each decade fire intensity, size, and frequency has increased.

The cohesive strategy they are all working with is a “three-legged stool” that consists of fire adapted communities, resilient landscapes, and a safe, effective wildfire response. All three of these elements play together in creating a strategy to mitigate fires. Partnering with different agencies allows for these to work well together.

“All of those processes are working together with agencies, individuals, and community leaders,” said Reid.

Having a resilient landscape includes fuel treatments, mowing, thinning, and prescribed burning. Fire managers utilize pile burning and underburning to treat the fuels and undergrowth in the forests around city limits.

“We’ve completed a third of the prescribed fire work for this year,” Reid said.

Heather Miller broke down the elements of what it

takes for a community to be fire adapted. Structure hardening is critical to resisting ember showers that will head toward a community ahead of a fire, getting into structures and potentially burning them down.

“When we are talking about structural hardening, we are really talking about how we can protect from those embers,” she said.

Structure hardening involves use of fire-resistant materials for decking and siding, blocking off areas where embers can get under decks or into roofing materials, and creating defensible space around buildings to reduce fire intensity as it approaches a structure.

Chief Johnson spoke about the coordinated response aspect of the cohesive strategy. He emphasized the many partnerships Sisters Country has within surrounding areas, including with neighboring fire departments, Oregon Department of Forestry, the Forest Service, and other entities.

“There are that many resources in a small area… there are three separate agencies and more throughout the area and I think the neat thing about it is we all work

so closely together,” said Johnson.

He spoke about the interagency coordination happening with regard to structural protection and standardizing equipment agency-wide.

“There is a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work to make sure that all three agencies work as one entity when there is a fire,” he said.

He presented on the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System and the one-time funding Senate Bill 762 provided for resources across the state.

Johnson broke down the response system, starting at the local level, and then through the state and national levels, based on the severity of a fire and whether local resources can handle a fire in the area.

“The three counties in the area work collectively to protect and work together as much as we can,” he said.

Johnson presented an example of the 2020 fires we saw in the Willamette Valley, and how the response system worked from the local to state level as an example of how the interagency and state system functions.

See related story on emergency preparedness, page 1.

FLANDE: Sisters AD earned high honors for career

Continued from page 1

the Year for both years.

Flande became the athletic director in 1994 after serving as a co-athletic director with Chuck DeKay the previous year, and quickly established herself as a leader in the field. Ever an advocate for kids, Flande expanded opportunities for the youth in Sisters by helping create volleyball and basketball tournaments, and an invitational track meet, among other things.

Flande gives credit to two other Hall of Famers, Margaret Sturza of Madras and Larry Johnson of Sweet Home, for being tremendous mentors for her as athletic directors.

A good athletic director has to have a passion for students and athletics, according to Flande.

“One must also be a good leader and listener and work hard toward guiding coaches, parents, and athletes in a way that creates a culture of honesty, integrity, and trust,” she said. “I truly believe that if you commit to these goals one can be successful and be rewarded in so many ways.”

Getting to watch young athletes develop into hardworking competitors and

building relationships with fellow coaches and athletic directors are among Flande’s most cherished memories.

“But most of all I loved being part of the community of Sisters and everyone being part of the Outlaw culture,” she said.

As evidence of her commitment to Sisters High School and the respect she gained over the years from coaches and other athletic directors, Flande was nominated twice as Oregon Athletic Director of the Year. She is also a member of the Outlaw Hall of Fame for her contributions as a teacher, coach, and athletic director.

Flande retired in 2012 from Sisters School District and spent seven years as a substitute teacher and volunteer. She still owns a home in Tollgate, but has become a snowbird, spending about five months a year in the warmer climes of Arizona.

SUDOKU SOLUTION

for puzzle on page 10

FENTANYL: Be alert for fake pills containing drug

Continued from page 1

seized a commercial quantity of fake pharmaceutical tablets made of fentanyl, and a separate package of methamphetamine.

The greater Portland area is a central transshipment hub where illegal drugs from the southwest border are stored in local warehouses, storage units, and residential properties, according to

work

“Almost everything we’ve done hasn’t been previously produced in Oregon,” she added.

“Developing playwrights, local and otherwise, is important to me,” said Manning. “I want to encourage local talent in all forms—acting, directing, writing.”

Silent Echo has presented readings to help develop new works.

Of the seven directors involved in the recent show, three live in the Sisters area: Shawn O’Hern, Cheryl Pellerin, and Aubrey Leigh. Pellerin also acted as an on-book understudy for an actor who could not perform Saturday night.

A number of the actors live in Sisters Country, including Doug Kaufman, who portrayed Ernie.

“Sisters is an interesting community because it has music, the Rodeo, the Quilt Show, the Folk Festival, the Americana Project, and it has galleries,” Kaufman mused. “It’s nice that it actually has a theater company too.”

Kaufman grew up in Tillamook and Salem.

“My grandfather lived here in Sisters, so my mother and I would come over and visit quite often,” he said. “I’ve been coming up here since the mid ‘60s.”

After taking part in school and college plays, he graduated from the University of Oregon.

“I got a wild hair up it, and took off to LA,” he said with a grin. “I spent 13 years there. I took some more acting classes, and I started doing commercial tryouts and voiceovers and things like that.”

His day job involved doing layout and graphic design for a print shop.

“After 13 years I decided to come on home,” he said. “I discovered Silent Echo Theater so I was anxious to try out.”

law enforcement. In addition, law enforcement notes, the Portland area has an international airport, interstate highways, and bus and train lines that make it easy for shipments to be smuggled to other destinations around the Pacific Northwest.

Law enforcement warns that fentanyl often is delivered in fake pills designed to look like real prescription pills based on size, shape, color, and stamping. These fake pills typically replicate real prescription opioid medications.

Silent Echo’s productions provided Kaufman with his first acting opportunities since the early 2000s. Getting back into the theater felt good for Kaufman after such a long break.

“It’s great to exercise your chops,” he said.

For thousands of years, theater artists have used all manner of spaces for their art. Theater runs the gamut, from casual retellings of old tales around fires to the masked productions of the Greeks in their steeply raked amphitheaters.

In Sisters Country last weekend, the show took place in a spacious yet cozy outbuilding off of Cloverdale Road. With wood siding and ceilings, the venue is known for hosting music events and drumming.

“Harmony House is a great space,” said Kaufman. “It’s multi-use, and both (Katie) and Doug Cavanaugh have been so gracious to let us use it. She’s a very creative person herself, a fine musician, and she’s performed in some Silent Echo Theater productions.”

“It’s great to put on shows at Harmony House,” Manning agreed.

Still, she dreams that Silent Echo will someday possess its own theater.

“Once we have a space that’s ours, then we would have the freedom to bring shows in from elsewhere,” she said.

Kaufman hopes that Silent Echo can arrange a venue closer to town as well.

“Maybe with the elementary school being turned into a civic activities center...they have a very fine stage there; maybe we could use that in the future,” he said.

A nonprofit organization, Silent Echo Theater Company was established in 2016. Its stated mission is to “establish, nurture and support a lively local theater arts program that embodies artistic integrity and exceptional production values.”

To submit a one-act play, donate, or learn more, see silentechotheatercompany. org.

PLAYS: Local group produces creative

The aftermath of fire

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

Fire consumed the RV homes of a couple living in the forest just north of Highway 20 less than a quarter-mile from Sisters late Saturday night (see story, page 1)

No one was injured in the fire, but the occupants lost everything they had to the flames. Embers from the blaze that consumed the RVs also sparked a small spot fire that caught in a dry, punky log about 100 yards from the main fire.

A Forest Service firefighting crew was still patrolling the area on foot on Monday morning, making sure nothing was smoldering. Jason Barber, a fire manager with the U.S. Forest Service, told The Nugget , “It was early morning (Sunday) when we found it. It definitely had the potential to get bigger.”

Deputy State Fire Marshal Clara Butler responded to the site to conduct an investigation into the cause of the fire. She interviewed the woman who lived in one of the trailers and asked her permission to inspect the site.

“I’m going to use fire patterns (and) her interview, and figure out how this fire started,” she explained. “It’s in statute that we have to investigate all fires.”

The cause was ultimately ruled “undetermined.”

Butler indicated that the state of the destroyed vehicle gave her a good visual idea of where the fire started, before it torched an adjacent tree and spread to a nearby trailer.

According to law enforcement, it is not yet clear whether the residents were on the scene when the fire started.

Law enforcement personnel will work to connect the couple with services to help them recover from their losses.

The tangled and blackened wreckage of the two RVs has been taped off by yellow police tape. Jeremy Fields of the Sisters Ranger District told The Nugget that he will be contacting private-sector public lands stewards who operate on a nonprofit basis under the umbrella of Discover Your Forest to see if they can help with the removal of the wreckage. The public lands stewards have access to tow trucks, flatbeds, and heavy equipment to help with such actions.

The area where the fire occurred, north of the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge off the 2068-120 forest spur road, was already slated to be part of a Saturday, May 20 National Forest cleanup operation hosted by the Sisters Country Leadership Initiative.

Everyone who participates in the National Forest Cleanup Event scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon is invited to return to Village Green Park for a complementary picnic lunch.

Registration for the event can be made by email to sisterscliteam@gmail.com. Be sure to provide the number of people in your group to ensure enough lunches are ordered.

Participants will meet at Village Green Park before 9 a.m., where sign-up sheets for each cleanup site will be posted. From there, groups will head out to their assigned areas. The sites will be identified with sandwich boards containing a map.

Deputy State Fire Marshal Clara Butler examined the wreckage of an RV that burned down late Saturday night, seeking to determine the cause of the fire. The cause was officially ruled “undetermined.”

PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS

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.

102

484 W. Washington, 1137 sq. ft. available May 1st. $1.25 sq. ft. monthly. South side of the building. Do not bother current tenants. No showings until May 1st. Dave 503-522-6306

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

103 Residential Rentals

PONDEROSA PROPERTIES

–Monthly Rentals Available–Call Debbie at 541-549-2002 Full details, 24 hrs./day, go to: PonderosaProperties.com

Printed list at 221 S. Ash, Sisters Ponderosa Properties LLC

MOVING SALE

More stuff from 25 years, furniture, pool table, more 16715 Bitterbrush Ln. Sisters.

May 20 and 21, Sat & Sun 9-5

TOLLGATE

ANNUAL COMMUNITY

GARAGE SALE

Friday & Saturday, June 2 & 3, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Located just 1.5 miles west of the roundabout on Hwy. 20. A map of participating homes will be available at tollgatepropertyowners.com.

Happy Trails Estate Sales and online auctions!

Selling, Downsizing, or Deaths?

Locally owned & operated by... Daiya 541-480-2806 Sharie 541-771-1150

301 Vehicles

CUSTOM CAR GARAGES

HEATED, INSULATED

541-419-2502

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

403 Pets

Three Rivers Humane Society

SISTERS SATELLITE

TV • PHONE • INTERNET

Your authorized local dealer for DirecTV, ViaSat HS Internet and more! CCB # 191099 541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729

502 Carpet & Upholstery

Cleaning

M & J CARPET CLEANING

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

GORDON’S

LAST TOUCH

Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY

Member Better Business Bureau

• Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon

Since 1980

Call 541-549-3008

504 Handyman

SISTERS HONEYDO

General repairs, paint and trim, deck refurbishing, carpentry, drywall, lighting, and more- just ask. 25+ yrs. Maint. exp./local refs. Scott Dady 541-728-4266

JONES UPGRADES LLC

TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT

TREE SERVICES: tree removal, trimming, stump grinding, brush mowing, Firewise compliance.

— Certified Arborist — Nate Goodwin 541-771-4825

Online at: timberstandimprovement.net

CCB#190496 • ISA #PN7987A

The Nugget is on FACEBOOK!

601 Construction Pat Burke

LOCALLY OWNED

CRAFTSMAN BUILT CCB: 288388 • 541-588-2062

www.sistersfencecompany.com

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792

Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com

104 Vacation Rentals

QUILT SHOW WEEK RENTAL

3 BR, 2 BA home in Pine Meadow Village. 541-977-4488.

~ Sisters Vacation Rentals ~ Private Central OR vac. rentals, Property Management Services 541-977-9898

www.SistersVacation.com

Downtown Vacation Rentals Popular 1 and 2 Bedroom

SistersVacationRentals.net

Great pricing. 503-730-0150

201 For Sale

Refrigerator for Sale

Never used fridge/freezer. 10 cu. ft. 59" high. Originally for tiny house. Sml. dent in front door. $200 firm. 503-819-1972.

202 Firewood

SPRING FIREWOOD SPECIAL!

SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS

DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD

• SINCE 1976

•

Doug Fir – Lodgepole – Juniper

DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES

– 18155 Hwy. 126 East –SistersForestProducts.com

Order Online! 541-410-4509

Seeking a Place in Sisters? Place your ad here!

205 Garage & Estate Sales

HUGE MOVING SALE

May 19-20, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Seven Peaks Tree Farm, 67216 Hwy. 20 W, just east of Rabbitbrush. Furniture, tools, musical, knickknacks, painting, Cabot stain, generator, tractor, brush hog, box scraper & more. Come take a look!

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

Need help with honeybee swarms? Call 541-504-8405.

• DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279

We’ve got your cats covered! Sisters-Tumalo-PetSitting.com

541-306-7551 • Julie

Junk removal, new home, garage & storage clean-out, construction, yard debris. You Call – We Haul!

541-719-8475

SMALL Engine REPAIR

Lawn Mowers, Chainsaws & Trimmers

Sisters Rental

331 W. Barclay Drive

541-549-9631

Authorized service center for Stihl, Honda, Ariens/Gravely, Cub Cadet, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki Engines

GEORGE’S SEPTIC TANK SERVICE

“A Well Maintained Septic System Protects the Environment”

541-549-2871

501 Computers & Communications Technology Problems?

I can fix them for you.

Solving for Business & Home Computers, Tablets, Networking Internet (Starlink), and more!

Jason Williams

Sisters local • 25 yrs. experience

541-719-8329

Oregontechpro.com

Home Repairs & Remodeling

Drywall, Decks, Pole Barns, Fences, Sheds & more.

Mike Jones, 503-428-1281

Local resident • CCB #201650

– C L A S S I F I E D S –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

600 Tree Service & Forestry

Sisters Tree Care, LLC

Tree preservation, Pruning, Removals & Storm Damage

Brad Bartholomew

ISA Cert. Arborist UT-4454A

503-914-8436 • CCB #218444

LOLO TREE WORKS

Tree Services: Tree Removal, Tree Pruning, Stump Grinding, Emergency Tree Services.

ISA Certified Arborist

Owner / Operator: Erin Carpenter lolotreeworks.com

Call / Text: 503-367-5638

Email: erin@lolotreeworks.com

CCB #240912

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

JT’s CONSTRUCTION SERVICES, LLC. Local resident of Sisters, servicing all of Central Oregon. Services provided: Building planning & permits, project management/ project supervision, budgeting/ estimating, subcontractor management, bank subcontractor invoicing. Both commercial & residential construction with over 50 years experience in the construction industry. Contact: jtdconst1@gmail.com 541-310-3133

PERENNIAL BUILDING LLC

Local | Quality | Experienced Currently taking remodel projects for the spring and summer months. Contact info@perennialbuilding.com www.perennialbuilding.com

541-728-3189 | CCB #226794

From Ground to Finish Accurate and Efficient 541-604-5169

CCB#233074

Construction & Renovation

Custom Residential Projects All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448

Custom Homes

Additions - Remodels

Residential Building Projects Becke William Pierce CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com

CENIGA'S MASONRY, INC.

Brick • Block • Stone • Pavers CCB #181448 – 541-350-6068 www.CenigasMasonry.com

Earthwood Timberframes

• Design & shop fabrication

• Recycled fir and pine beams

• Mantels and accent timbers

• Sawmill/woodshop services EWDevCoLLC@gmail.com

Lara’s Construction LLC.

CCB#223701

Offering masonry work, fireplaces, interior & exterior stone/brick-work, build barbecues, and all types of masonry. Give us a call for a free estimate 541-350-3218

ROBINSON & OWEN Heavy Construction, Inc.

All your excavation needs

*General excavation

*Site Preparation

*Sub-Divisions

*Road Building

*Sewer and Water Systems

*Underground Utilities

*Grading

*Sand-Gravel-Rock

Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #124327

541-549-1848 Full Service Excavation

Complete landscape construction, fencing, irrigation installation & design, pavers/outdoor kitchens, debris cleanups, fertility & water conservation management, excavation.

CCB #188594 • LCB #9264 www.vohslandscaping.com 541-515-8462

J&E Landscaping Maintenance

LLC Clean-ups, raking, hauling debris, gutters, thatching, aerating, irrigation.

Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com

All Landscaping Services

Facilities Maintenance Manager

NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Custom Homes • Additions

Residential Building Projects

Serving Sisters area since 1976 Strictly Quality

CCB #16891 • CCB #159020

541-280-9764

John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com

Free On-site Visit & Estimate Tewaltandsonsexcavation@gmail .com

541-549-1472 • CCB #76888

Drainfield

• Minor & Major Septic Repair

• All Septic Needs/Design & Install

General Excavation

• Site Preparation

• Rock & Stump Removal

• Pond & Driveway Construction

Preparation

• Building Demolition

Trucking

• Deliver Top Soil, Sand, Gravel, Boulders, Water

Mowing, Thatching, Hauling and SNOW REMOVAL

Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740

701 Domestic Services

BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING!

Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897

I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC

Specializing in Commercial, Residential & Vacation Rentals.

Licensed, Bonded & Insured. 541-977-1051

House Cleaning Sisters & Black Butte Free Consult 503-750-3033

Sisters Community Church is seeking an energetic, motivated self-starter to join our team as a full-time Property Maintenance Manager. In this role, you will address common maintenance issues across multiple campus buildings, perform repairs and installations as well as recommending subcontractors for serious infrastructural projects. You must be able to address a host of common property issues, such as electrical, plumbing, and heating, as well as manage the care of our outside lawns and landscaping. Our ideal candidate has several years of professional experience in property management and maintenance, along with reliable transportation and a flexible schedule to respond to emergencies as they arise. Please submit resumes to info@sisterschurch.com

901 Wanted Looking for historic photos of Sisters and surrounding area.

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the City of Sisters and the Sisters Urban Renewal Agency, Deschutes County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for fiscal year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, will be held at City Council Chambers, City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters, OR 97759. The first meeting will take place on Tuesday May 23 at 9:00 am via Zoom Meetings online meeting platform. Links to the meeting can be found at the City of Sisters website www.ci.sisters.or.us, The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive public comment on the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee. A copy of the document may be inspected or obtained on or after May 11, 2023 at City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Listed below are times of scheduled Budget Committee Meetings.

541-390-1206

beavercreeklog@yahoo.com

Log repairs, log railing, log accent, log siding, etc.

CCB #235303 Insurance & Bond

CASCADE GARAGE DOORS

Factory Trained Technicians

Since 1983 • CCB #44054

541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553

SPURGE COCHRAN BUILDER, INC.

General Contractor Building Distinctive, Handcrafted Custom Homes, Additions, Remodels, Cabin

Renovations Since ’74

A “Hands-On” Builder

Keeping Your Project on Time & On Budget • CCB #96016

To speak to Spurge personally, call 541-815-0523

602 Plumbing & Electric

Ridgeline Electric, LLC

Serving all of Central Oregon

• Residential • Commercial

• Industrial • Service

541-588-3088 • CCB #234821

SWEENEY PLUMBING, INC.

“Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling

• New Construction

• Water Heaters

541-549-4349

Residential and Commercial

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

CCB #87587

UPLOADED EVERY TUESDAY!

The Nugget Newspaper

are at www.NuggetNews.com

603 Excavation & Trucking BANR Enterprises, LLC

Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls

Residential & Commercial

CCB #165122

• 541-549-6977

www.BANR.net

• Dump Trucks, Transfer Trucks, Belly

• The Whole 9 Yards or 24

Whatever You Want!

604 Heating & Cooling ACTION AIR

Heating & Cooling, LLC

HAVE A SERVICE TO PROVIDE?

Let the public know what you have to offer in The Nugget’s

802 Help Wanted

Retrofit

• New Const • Remodel Consulting, Service & Installs actionairheatingandcooling.com

CCB #195556

541-549-6464

605 Painting DECKS

Same day refinish. 15+ years experience. CCB# 240780 Call 541-706-1490

~ FRONTIER PAINTING ~ Quality Painting, Ext. & Int. Refurbishing Decks

CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620

www.frontier-painting.com

EMPIRE PAINTING

Interior and Exterior Painting and Staining

CCB#180042

541-613-1530 • Geoff Houk

METOLIUS PAINTING LLC

Meticulous, Affordable Interior & Exterior 541-280-7040 • CCB# 238067

606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance

– 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

Are you a student looking for part-time work? I need help with home and garden projects plus light maintenance. Great pay with flexible schedule. 541-549-1601.

HIRING Certified LIFEGUARDS

ONE DAY ONLY

June 6th for the SHS Senior Trip. $300 for the day.

Food and transportation provided Contact Kelly at 541-668-5238.

Pre-1950 photos preferred. Interests are pioneer families, town scenes & buildings, ranching & farming, logging & mills, airport & anything unique to Sisters’ history. Photos remain in your possession. You will receive a courtesy mention in the final publication of the book for the photos you share. Please email aroundsisters@gmail.com for more information.

902 Personals

Need truth? Book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. www.atheycreek.com

999 Public Notice NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING

DATES AND TIMES: Tuesday, May 23, 2023 9:00 AM (if necessary) Wednesday, May 24, 2023 5:00 PM

A copy of this notice is available on the City of Sisters website, www.ci.sisters.or.us. For additional information, please contact: Joseph O’Neill, 541323-5222.

Pulver 6th at Districts

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

• Full-time

• Weekend/evenings

• Can lift 45 lbs.

• At least 18 years old

We offer a positive work environment and flexible time off 110 W Cascade Ave.

We are Hiring!

Join our summer camp culture at Lake Creek Lodge.

Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com

541-549-2345

We're recruiting for: Housekeeping Team. We are proud to offer flexible schedules, excellent compensation & opportunities for onsite housing. www.lakecreeklodge.com

13375 SW Forest Service Rd.  #1419, Camp Sherman.

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Sisters Park & Recreation District, Deschutes County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 will take place on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. with the option of continuing the meeting to Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. if needed. The purpose of this meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberations of the budget committee will take place. Any person may attend the meeting at the Coffield Center located at 1750 W. McKinney Butte, Sisters, Oregon and discuss the proposed programs with the budget committee. A copy of the budget document may be viewed or obtained on or after May 15, 2023, by emailing SPRD@ sistersrecreation.com or calling 541-549-2091. Concurrently posted on the Sisters Park & Recreation District website at www.sistersrecreation.com.

Dominic Pulver was the lone Outlaw on the boys tennis squad who advanced from the subdistrict tournament to the district tournament. All others lost in the first round.

Pulver competed in the district tournament in Hermiston on Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13, and finished in sixth place for boys singles, and is the second alternate for State.

In the first round, Pulver faced Oscar Corria from Irrigon and took the match 6-3, 4-6, 6-0. In the quarterfinals against Matthew Stansbury of Pendleton he played a very close first set but in the end lost in a tiebreak 6-7 (5-7). Stansbury ultimately out-rallied Pulver with his hard forehand stroke and deep balls to the corner. Pulver fell in the second set 2-6.

In the first round of Consolation Dom beat Cameron Carr of Crook County 8-5. In the second round he lost 4-8 to Alex GarciaLourdes from Crook County.

SUPPORTING SUBSCRIPTIONS

What is a supporting subscription?

A supporting subscription is a way for readers who appreciate and enjoy The Nugget each week to directly support our coverage of the news of the Sisters community. The Nugget does not charge for individual copies of the newspaper, which is distributed by mail throughout Sisters Country and through shops and other establishments downtown.

Why are supporting subscriptions important?

The Nugget is an “advertiser supported newspaper,” which means our revenue comes from the ads businesses and individuals run each week. Our costs for printing and distribution (postage and fuel) continue to rise at unprecedented rates, and we cannot — and will not — completely pass those costs on to businesses, who are also feeling the pinch of inflation and rising costs of doing business. By directly supporting the paper, our readers can help us continue to provide Sisters’ weekly paper to tell the important stories of our hometown.

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The Nugget relies on a robust cadre of freelance writers and photographers to cover the news and create the feature stories you read each week. Our freelancers are local folks who love to tell their community’s stories — and they are also professionals who are paid for their work. Funds from supporting subscriptions are allocated directly to paying our freelancers for their stories and photography.

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