The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLVI No. 5 // 2023-02-01

on Health

The Nugget

from Sisters, Oregon

Breaking ground…

Affordable housing project slated

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

A City Council goal for 2022/23 is to identify land in the city and find a development partner(s) for a future multi-family workforce housing rental project. By December 2026 Sisters hopes to meet that goal.

The City received a proposal in August 2022 from NW Housing Alternatives (NHA) headquartered in Milwaukie, Oregon. Founded in 1982, NHA is a leading not-for-profit developer of affordable and workforce housing throughout Oregon. Their mission is to create individual opportunity through housing. The organization develops,

See HOUSING on page 31

Wildfire

risk map put on hold

A wildfire risk map that was rolled out last year, and quickly withdrawn in the face of significant backlash over concerns about insurance coverage, has been placed on hold again.

According to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), the Oregon

Changes coming to Cascade Avenue

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

Legislature will be considering a number of recommendations for changes to the statewide wildfire risk map during the 2023 session, some of which would substantively change the map itself. In a news release, ODF

See RISK MAP on page 23

Young drivers have license restrictions

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

It’s often overlooked or ignored, but new young drivers operate with restrictions on their license. Those restrictions are designed to minimize distractions while new drivers learn how to drive on their own.

Under Oregon law, new drivers are provided with a

provisional license, which restricts the number of passengers allowed in a vehicle — no passengers under 20 (unless family members) or driving between 12 a.m. and 5 a.m. for the first six months; no more than three passengers under 20 years old (unless family) or midnight to 5 a.m. driving

See LICENSE on page 31

The face of a portion of West Cascade Avenue is in for a big change. The current Space Age gas station at 411 W. Cascade Ave. is slated to be replaced by a much larger station and convenience store.

The Community Development Department has received an application from Stephen Williams for a site plan review and minor conditional use permit to replace the existing Space Age station with an approximately 3,500sq.-ft. convenience store, a canopied fuel island with 16 gas pumps (eight towers), and related site improvements.

Pliska Investments LLC owns the subject property, which sits between West Cascade and West Hood Avenues and South Pine Street and a vacant lot. Pliska Investments in Clackamas, Oregon, owns or has owned numerous gas stations, a golf course, and a hotel.

Currently occupying the back portion of the property

are the two summer businesses, Richard’s Produce and C & C Nursery. From the site plan, it appears that they would no longer be in their current locations.

The 16-pump fuel island will sit on the front one-quarter of the property adjacent to Cascade, with the convenience store and parking areas covering the remaining three-quarters of the property.

The decision issued will be a Type II administrative decision, made by the Community Development staff. There will be no public hearing unless the Planning Commission or City Council decides to call it up.

For more information, contact Matthew Martin, principal planner, at 541-3235208 or mmartin@ci.sisters. or.us.

Space Age Gas will see a major expansion if approved by city planners.

PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS

Three families will break ground on their future Sisters Habitat for Humanity homes in the Village Meadows neighborhood on Monday, January 23. Molly McShane and her children (pictured); Elia and Holly Mapusaga; and Julie Glanz completed hours of sweat equity to achieve this milestone. Construction will begin in February with completion anticipated in late-summer 2023.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

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.

Prospects for affordable housing

To the Editor:

Wow. Astonishment of astonishments! Imagine that! The new home developments (i.e. Sisters Woodlands) in Sisters are not panning out as originally planned.

Well, congratulations once again, our planners and council people have not listened to the actual people who live here, and this is what we get. More homes for out-of-towners to buy, rent, and continue to bog down a once comfortable place to live.

Welcome to Bend, Scottsdale, Vail, Jackson, Bozeman, etc.

Well done!

Brian Chugg

s s s

Learning about Oregon

To the Editor:

Greetings! My name is Adolfo Gradilla and I am a fifth-grade student at Salida Elementary School in Salida, California. We live in the Central Valley, located east of San Francisco. This year we are going to complete a state project. I picked Oregon.

I am asking for any and all information from you about your great state to be sent to me. If you would please send me any postcards, articles, maps, pictures, pins, pencils,

Confrontation essential to accountability

stickers, or pamphlets from Oregon.

I really appreciate your help in making my project a success! I am lucky to have and learn about an awesome state like Oregon. My school address:

Adolfo Gradilla

c/o Ms. Montgomery’s 5th-Grade Class

Salida Elementary School

4518 Finney Rd. Salida, CA 95368

s s s

Less is more

To the Editor:

Attention Sisters community! Last night I had a dream I was in a small town with people who greeted each other with a smile. They were quick to work together when something needed to get done or someone was in need of help. This little place was surrounded by beautiful natural beauty, and it was a wonderful place for children to grow up and thrive. Neighbors knew each other and gathered for potlucks and to celebrate each other. No one in this community thought of profiting at the expense of their local people, or anyone for that matter. Everyone was equal and deserved a fair share and an opportunity.

Values in this community were not based on money and profit. The bottom line was the

See LETTERS on page 22

Sisters Weather Forecast

The Nugget Newspaper, LLC

www.nuggetnews.com

E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759

editor@nuggetnews.com

Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius

Production Manager: Leith Easterling

Creative Director: Jess Draper

Community Marketing

Partner: Vicki Curlett

Classifieds & Circulation: Janice Hoffman

Proofreader: Kit Tosello

Owner: J. Louis Mullen

By Jim Cunningham Guest Columnist

In a recent editorial, Jim Cornelius offered up his views concerning our reluctance to hold to account those in powerful positions, as opposed to our willingness to take decisive action against those in positions of lessor status or importance. This phenomenon exists in the private sector as well as in a public forum.

Holding to account requires confrontation, and I have come to believe the failure to demand an accounting at any level, on a myriad of issues, rests more with our reluctance to confront, rather than our desire to stay a course to resolution. Yeah, confrontation. It can be intimidating, it puts us, often alone, in a position that may require us to defend a position, and it can take a big dose of intestinal fortitude to see it through. But why do we draw a pretty broad line of demarcation between the powerful elite and those we perceive to be, well, “like us,” those of lesser importance, when we choose to confront? And why do we use those “like us” to set an example? Yeah, really “throw the book at ’em,” when they need to be held to account. Why do we continuously employ a double standard?

Side-stepping the powerful elite vs. people “like us” should force a rational person into a pretty deep dive into their feelings about confrontation in order to determine why they routinely accept an irrational distinction between what is morally correct and what we know to be fundamentally wrong.

For many of us, the act of confronting is “uncomfortable” at best. We worry more about a negative reaction to our attempt to confront rather than focusing on our need to draw attention to a legitimate concern; that’s a natural concern. We think it’s somehow easier taking to task someone in our own peer group rather than taking on the elite. It’s easier for us to stay in our lane, where we perceive we have control, rather than risk confronting the larger foe. We suffer from what I call a David vs. Goliath illusion when facing the powerful. By that I mean we think we aren’t capable or powerful

enough to confront, hold to account, and carry the day against an overwhelming power or system. So we let the opportunity pass.

Referring again to Jim Cornelius’ concerns visà-vis the powerful political elite vs. the rest of us; I don’t think the state of political affairs in this country is likely to change until we, the electorate in toto, are willing to accept the responsibility to confront and hold to account those in powerful positions who, through incompetence, the arrogance of hubris, or both, fail in protecting the health of our democracy. They exist because we are apathetic in our approach to managing accountability. From their point of view, we continue to give them carte blanche to govern in our stead as they see fit. We tend to vote our pocketbooks, and they deliver. A chicken in every pot! But who questions, Where did that chicken come from and who paid for it?

The 18th-century Scottish judge Lord Alexander Tytler, professor of Universal History at the University of Edinburgh, remarked that the life span of a democracy is about 200 years. One can argue that our true democratic government emerged in 1787, when we hammered out our Constitution. Well, do the math; looks to me like we are pressing pretty hard against its life span envelope.

Ultimately it takes a well-informed electorate, standing together willing to confront the powerful political elite, and vote the bastards out, demanding an accounting for an ethically managed government. We can’t achieve it through riots or insurrections. Oh yeah, we’ve tried that at least seven times in the past, from Shays’ Rebellion in 1787 to January 6, 2021; it didn’t work.

Pogo, the late Walt Kelly’s opossum cartoon character, insightfully put it, “We have met the enemy and they is us!”Or, more to the point, upon leaving the Constitutional Convention in 1787 one Mrs. Powell approached Ben Franklin and asked, “What have you given us, Dr. Franklin?” “A republic,” he replied, “if you can keep it.”

Well…can we?

COMMUNITY

Emergency preparedness is a year-round job

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

While the general public often only hears about the activities of Sgt. Nathan Garibay’s Deschutes County Emergency Management and Preparedness office during an emergency, his twoperson staff is fully engaged year-round with local and statewide partners to ensure that programs, protocols, and personnel are in place and trained to respond to any kind of an emergency.

Sisters on the radar for employers

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

Last October, The Nugget reported on the commercial construction boom in Sisters, with close to 100,000 square feet of new development rising out of the ground.

Some of these projects have spring delivery dates. Might they soon stand empty, glass-and-steel white elephants? When Laird’s 50,000 square feet of empty mixed-use space is included in the mix, one could wonder just who will come to fill them with workers, goods, or services.

Kevin Eckert knows something about development. He is the founder of Build LLC, architects and designers of Sisters

BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS

Al-Anon Mon., noon., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church.

541-610-7383.

Woodlands, a large-scale residential project that is readying the first six of 390 units. His resumé includes dozens of commercial and municipal projects.

Eckert said: “Bend is almost completely built out for the kinds of light industrial and commercial buildings going up in Sisters. Redmond is tight too. Sisters is a natural for employers, like pharmaceutical… clean, green businesses that look at Sisters as the ideal place to grow their business.”

He sees our schools as a major draw, along with a quality of life that is harder to find in Bend as it has grown, some say, to the breaking point.

Eric Strobel, associate director of EDCO-Sisters (Economic Development

Central Oregon) has the fulltime job of selling Sisters to businesses already in Central Oregon looking to expand or enterprises from a long distance seeking to lay down roots in Deschutes or Crook County.

Strobel says there is quite a bit of interest in Sisters, including some genuine prospects for the Laird complex on Lundgren Mill Road. Like Eckert, he counts Sisters schools as key to recruiting businesses.

That’s a bit of a double-edged sword, as our schools are already becoming comfortably full. A large-scale infusion of new families could put strains on the system. Curt Scholl, Sisters School District 6

See COMMERCIAL on page 22

SISTERS AREA MEETING

Go Fish Fishing Group 3rd Monday, 7 p.m. Sisters Community Church. All ages welcome. 541-771-2211.

Heartwarmers (fleece blanketmakers)

Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration / Mon., 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541-548-0440.

Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild

For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelefly@msn.com.

Council on Aging of Central Oregon Senior Lunch In-person community dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Grab-and-go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs. 12:30 to 1 p.m. Sisters Community Church. 541-480-1843.

East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’ Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061.

2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Sisters Community Church. Materials provided. 541-408-8505.

Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m. 541-668-1755.

Citizens4Community, Let’s Talk

3rd Monday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. RSVP at citizens4community.com

Military Parents of Sisters Meetings are held quarterly; please call for details. 541-388-9013.

Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-549-6469.

SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings & Enrichment) Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation District. 541-549-2091.

Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4th Saturday, 10 a.m., meeting by Zoom. 503-930-6158.

Sisters Area Photography Club

2nd Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., at Sisters Community Church. 541-549-6157.

Sisters Area Woodworkers 1st Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-231-1897.

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

Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:30 p.m. at Sisters Community Church. Email sistersbridge2021@gmail.com.

Sisters Caregiver Support Group

3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., Sisters Episcopal Church. 541-771-3258.

Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m. Location information: 541-549-1193.

Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to 8:30 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870.

Sisters Parent Teacher Community

2nd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at Sisters Saloon. 541-480-5994.

Sisters Parkinson’s Support Group

2nd Thurs.,1 p.m. Sisters Library 541-668-6599

Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday. Location information: 541-848-1970.

Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Noon, Aspen Lakes. 541-760-5645.

Sisters Trails Alliance Board every other month, 5 p.m. varies from in-person to zoom. Info: info@sisterstrails.org

Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123.

Sgt. Garibay, the Deschutes County emergency manager in the Sheriff’s Office, provided an update to the Sisters City Council at

their January 21 workshop. He explained the types of potential hazards to which they can respond, including wildfires and smoke events, severe weather conditions, earthquakes, bioterrorism threats, and volcanic eruptions.

According to the 60-page Deschutes County Family Emergency Preparedness Handbook, available at sheriff.deschutes.org/preparedness_handbook.pdf, “Local emergency services have developed an effective and cooperative emergency response system. Throughout the county, agencies work

See PREPAREDNESS on page 12

Sisters pushing back against dire fitness data

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

If you get in about 20 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a day, and do some lifting a couple of times a week — congratulations. You’re meeting the minimum recommended standards for good health. And you’re ahead of nearly 75 percent of Americans.

In a study that may dismay fitness professionals, but certainly doesn’t surprise them, the Department of Health and Human Services reported last

CALENDAR

Three Sisters Irrigation District Board of Directors 1st Tuesday, 4 p.m., TSID Office. 541-549-8815.

Three Sisters Lions Club 2nd Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Spoons Restaurant. 541-419-1279.

VFW Post 8138 and American Legion Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., The Hanger, Sisters Community Church. 847-344-0498.

Weight Watchers Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. weigh-in, Sisters Community Church. 541-602-2654.

SCHOOLS

Black Butte School Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 3:45 p.m., Black Butte School. 541-595-6203

Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wednesday monthly, Sisters School District Administration Building. See schedule online at www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.

week that only 28 percent of Americans are meeting basic physical activity guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The lack of activity tracks with rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and depression — all of which can be mitigated by getting a healthy amount of exercise. So how do we motivate the vast majority of Americans who get very little to no exercise at all?

“That’s the question of the century when it comes to

See FITNESS on page 12

CITY & PARKS

Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022.

Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of Directors 2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 4:30 p.m., SPRD bldg. 541-549-2091.

Sisters Planning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022.

FIRE & POLICE

Black Butte Ranch Police Dept. Board of Directors Meets monthly. 541-595-2191 for time & date.

Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m., BBR Fire Station. 541-595-2288. Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Wed., 5:30 p.m., 67433 Cloverdale Rd. 541-548-4815. cloverdalefire.com.

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771.

Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771.

This listing is for regular Sisters Country meetings; email information to nugget@nuggetnews.com

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

Commercial construction is transforming parts of Sisters.

Good paying jobs go begging in Sisters

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

Job boards, those online recruiting engines, are chock-full of well-paying jobs in Sisters. Jobs like a bank branch manager with an annual salary as high as $82,000 DOE (depending on experience). The Sisters School District apparently needs an accounting specialist for $42,000 to $45,000 per annum or a data and student information specialist that pays $4,000 to $4,667 per month.

The District is also looking for a permanent, fulltime custodian with a pay scale of $31,000 to $42,000. One job board shows the District needing a transportation operations manager for a range of $75,000 to $80,000.

US Bank is looking for a client relationship consultant for as much as $46,000 depending on experience (DOE). Dollar General needs an assistant store manager. Roth Heating & Cooling will pay up to $54,000 for a dispatch service rep.

Summit Health needs a phlebotomist. Such jobs can fetch $60,000 per year.

Virtually every eatery in town needs kitchen staff, with openings for cooks that can earn $55,000 to $60,000 per year DOE.

Worker shortages have been particularly hard on restaurants in Sisters, with most not able to be open as many hours or days as they’d like. McDonald’s will pay up to $42,640 for workers who can work opening or closing

See JOBS on page 11

Obituaries

Ruth Lois Lovegren

July 1, 1932 — January 27, 2023

Ruth Lois Lovegren was born on July 1, 1932, along with her twin brother, Reuben Lowell Prinzing, in Faribault, Minnesota, to Raymond Edward Prinzing and Pearl Dorothy Louise Prinzing. Ruth passed ahead peacefully, steadfast in her faith in God, on January 27, at the age of 90.

Ruth was the peacemaker in the middle of three girls and three boys. Her family moved to Idaho when she was nine, where her father bought a farm to raise Jersey dairy cows and also became a gypo logger. Ruth began working at 16 for Goody’s Bakery. Then she worked the fountain at Van’s Creamery (which bought milk from her father).

Moving on from waitressing, she obtained a job as a bank teller. By the time she turned 19, Ruth decided it was time to leave home. Her older sister and two brothers lived in Eugene, Oregon, so she followed them.

Ruth said her world changed from black and white to technicolor when she met Ken Lovegren, one of Eugene’s most eligible bachelors. The owner of Lovegren Lumber Company, he bought and sold trainloads of wholesale lumber. They married on Christmas day 1954, so that brothers in the Coast Guard and Army could be in the wedding.

Soon after, Ken began a five-year search for property suitable for a youth camp. Through a series of connections, he developed a friendship with John Bigelow. By 1959, Johnny needed cash and sold 25 acres on Link Creek to the Oregon District Assemblies of God for the camp. The following year, Bigelow contacted Ken when he was in a financial bind due to divorce. Ken and Ruth decided this was a “chance in a lifetime to purchase a private piece of land on a unique lake.”

To buy the property, Ken and Ruth traded out their two warehouse properties and basically hawked anything they could sell. They signed acquisition papers on November 30, 1960. This marked the day they became owners of beautiful property on Blue Lake, along with the two log cabins built by Johnny, two handcrafted tin boats, and a few campsites powered by electricity from a small dam. And they were now deeply in debt.

Over the next 40 years, Ruth liked to say, “We shared our backyard.” They focused on developing a family-oriented resort targeting hardworking middleclass families. During those years, the kids of guests grew up and then brought their children to Blue Lake.

When Ken and Ruth retired in 1996, they sold half their property to Dan Wieden. Dan converted the resort into Camp Caldera, a camp

for underprivileged kids and artists-in-residence.

In 2015, Ruth published her autobiography, “Life, Love & the Pursuit of Dreams.” The copy donated to Deschutes Public Library is found by searching “Blue Lake Resort.” The library describes her biography as follows, “This story is of a successful Eugene, Oregon businessman who marries a shy farm girl from northern Idaho. In 1960, Ken, age 35, and Ruth, age 28, risked everything they had to purchase a fledgling resort and 203 acres in Central Oregon. Will they make it?”

During those years of hard work, Ruth wore many hats as an employer, businesswoman, chef, housekeeper, marketer, and more. On top of excelling in all these roles, her top prayer was to be an excellent wife and greatest mother possible. She succeeded! Her husband, Ken, loved her

more each day until he passed away at the age of 70. Her four children all grew up to be her best friends. Her nine grandkids called her Grams, and every single one basked in her love and devotion to them. The littles (great-grandkids) called her Gigi and loved to run and hug her. Known for her kindness, love of life, and selfless giving, her legacy of love carries on into the next generations.

Mother to four, but “Mom” to many others, Ruth is survived by her children: Pamela and husband Peter, Gary and wife Paula, Carol and husband Kyle, Ann and husband Mike; grandchildren: Chadbourne, Shirree, Sierra, Rebeccah, Michelle, Chet, Rachel, Jeffrey, Danielle; 13 greatgrandkids; and countless friends.

Ruth’s celebration of life will be a private affair for the family at Ruth’s request. She trusts that all who hold her dear will cherish the memories created during their times shared over the years.

Sylvester “Van” Van Oort

Sylvester resided in Sisters in 2022. He enjoyed friends and activities at The Lodge, attended Shepherd of the Hills Church, and gave the Memorial Day ceremony address.

Sylvester Van Oort was born on the family farm in Iowa in 1925, the second son of Henry and Nellie Van Oort. His life is the story of America for the past 100 years. He was born on an Iowa farm in the boom years of the 1920s, grew up farming with horses during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, served in the Pacific in WWII, went to college on the GI Bill, moved east, became a minister in the Reformed Church of America, and raised a family.

Like his generation, he was honest, thrifty, hard working, and could build or fix anything. He believed in and preached a loving God and worked for the betterment of all, especially those who were discriminated against due to race or gender orientation. He loved his work, his family, softball, games, fishing, skiing, and hiking. Life was to be enjoyed, and family members were all involved with games and sports.

One of his great pleasures was taking the church youth groups on hikes and overnight backpacks in the Catskill Mountains. Later, he worked at Manhattan Community College and took New York City students on skiing and camping trips. He skied every winter with family until he was 94.

Of his many achievements, the ones he was proudest of were when he helped a young person get his life on track. Sports were usually involved, of course. He was also proud of his education, earning a master’s in divinity and a master’s in education.

He was a gifted and dedicated speaker. Very few slept through his sermons At 97 years old, he gave a stirring address for the Memorial Day ceremony in Sisters, Oregon. As always, he spoke without notes.

He told the best stories This one is actually 100 percent true.

“One day, Riley and I were skiing powder. On the lift, Riley said, ‘I’m going to be like you and ski black diamond slopes when I’m 60.’

“I said, Riley, you don’t have a chance. I saw how you were huffing and puffing when we walked uphill. If you keep smoking, you’ll have emphysema by 50 and be dead by 65.”

“Then I hit him with it: I know, because I’ve buried a lot of them.’

“He was silent. The discussion was over. Two weeks later, he came up to me and said ‘I’ve quit.’ Riley not only quit, but became a youth counselor and tells this story in his presentations.”

Sylvester will be remembered by family, friends, church members, and all who experienced his exuberant passion for life.

His request is for memorial to be made to American Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) at ASPCA Gift Processing Center, PO Box 9628, Washington, D.C. 20077 or Sandford Health Foundation, 1305 W. 18th St., Sioux Falls, SD, 57117.

Obituaries Policy: The Nugget Newspaper does not charge a fee to publish obituaries. Obituaries may be up to 400 words and include one photo. Obituaries outside these guidelines are handled by The Nugget Newspaper advertising department. Obituary submissions must be received by 10 a.m. on Monday.

Virginia Rhett

June 20, 1931 — January 10, 2023

Virginia Rhett left us peacefully on January 10. She was surrounded and cared for in her final days at home by her family and friends and her sweet kitty. She was able to eat ice cream for breakfast and hot cocoa for dinner. It is exactly what she wished. She was 91.

Virginia was born on the summer solstice, June 20, 1931, to Howard and Katy Cooper in Watertown, New York. She embodied summer and the carefree memories made during the longest days of the year. She shared stories of her childhood spent with her two sisters, Mary and Sandy, and her big St. Bernard Caesar, swimming and diving off the docks of Lake Ontario and enjoying endless outdoor activities.

In her 20s, Virginia chased her dreams to New York City, where she lived a cosmopolitan life working for Harper’s Bazaar. It was an iconic time, living in New York City in the 1950s. There she met the love of her life, Leigh Rhett, an athletic, handsome, intellectual man who was a great swimmer and could dance too! Together they had three children: Leigh, Haskell, and Henry.

Always believing that children grow up in the fabric of your life, Virginia shared her love of sailing, swimming, skiing, and travel with her sons. From the beaches of Chappaquiddick to the ski slopes of Vermont, Virginia was quick to pack up her boys and head out on new adventures.

Virginia went on to get her master’s degree in teaching, where she shared the gift of learning with over a thousand students throughout her 33-year career. She was passionate and dedicated to all her students and never tired of spending her days in the classroom. It wasn’t uncommon for Virginia to be stopped on the street by a former student who recognized her as their favorite teacher from many years before.

In 2002 Virginia retired and moved to Sisters, where she quickly became known as “Grandma Ginny.” As she settled into retirement, she volunteered with the SMART reading program and Circle of Friends. She could often be found after school helping her grandchildren and their friends navigate their homework. Forever a lover of exercise and the outdoors,

she enjoyed camping trips, swimming in the local lakes, hiking Black Butte (on her 80th birthday!), skiing Hoodoo, epic 22-mile bike rides (three or four days a week) and, in later years, long walks to the post office with her pink-flowered cane.

Ginny is greatly missed and adored by her children, Leigh Rhett, Haskell Rhett, Henry and Angeline Rhett; her grandchildren, Felix Rhett, Zoe Rhett, and Simon and Oscar Rhett; and all the friends and community she touched along the way. A Celebration of Life will be held in the summer to take advantage of the warm, sunny weather.

In lieu of flowers please feel free to donate to Circle of Friends in her honor.

Jean Nelson-Dean retiring from Forest Service

By Ceili Gatley Correspondent

Jean Nelson-Dean has been working with federal natural resource agencies for close to 20 years. Her journey started in archaeology and quickly evolved into combining her love for the forest and natural lands with her communications experience. She’s now retiring from her position as Deschutes National Forest public information officer.

Nelson-Dean grew up in Helena, Montana and attended the University of Oregon for college. She started studying archeology, something she had always been interested in pursuing, and experiencing growing up in the rich landscape of Montana. During her sophomore year of study, she was enlightened by her professor that there weren’t many archeology jobs.

Always having an affinity for writing and communication, Nelson-Dean applied to the School of Journalism and Communications at the U of O and pursued a degree in public relations and English.

“When I graduated with that journalism degree, all the jobs were in archeology, so my first job with the Forest Service was with the Fremont-Winema National Forest as an archeological technician, as I had studied that,” said Nelson-Dean.

Doing various types of jobs there as a technician, she eventually graduated to a writer/editor position in Klamath Falls, working on the Klamath River Wild and Scenic River plan, which involved getting public comments on things happening in the forest. Nelson-Dean also learned content analysis, looking at where comments apply on big projects and making sure the agency answers community comments.

“In doing that [job] … walking across the parking lot… [I] met the public affairs officer for the Eugene BLM (Bureau of Land Management) [who] asked me what I wanted to do, and I told him I had a degree in journalism and basically wanted to do that job. He said

he could bring me on in sort of a special position category,” Nelson-Dean recalled.

She received her master’s degree in public policy and planning working for the Eugene BLM office. From there she went up to Montana and worked as a legislative liaison and the public affairs officer for the BLM in western Montana.

Nelson-Dean and her husband, Bill Dean, who also works in public land management, both got offered positions with the BLM in Prineville, and moved to Central Oregon in June 2001.

Shortly after starting her time in Prineville, the Deschutes National Forest asked her to detail in as the public affairs officer.

“That was the time that (President George W.) Bush came to visit, so I very quickly jumped into that job during the B&B Fire for four months,” she said.

The B&B Complex Fire was a massive wildfire that burned 90,769 acres west of Sisters in 2003.

She then went back to the BLM, and Deschutes NF yet again needed a detail in for another few months, so Nelson-Dean stepped in again.

From there, the Forest Service leader at the time asked Nelson-Dean to head up the volunteer and partnerships coordinator position on the Deschutes National Forest. In that job, she worked closely with the inmate work program, and seniors being employed, and various other workforce development roles with volunteers.

The public affairs officer position for the Deschutes National Forest opened, and she applied and got the job officially —and has been in that position for 12 years.

“Through really weird circumstances, if I had made a plan, it would’ve never happened, and I really loved my job on the Deschutes,” said Nelson-Dean. “For me it’s important to try to be that liaison between the media and intelligent specialists, or it’s the public, to help people understand the work we do

on the ground. And to be surrounded by scientists in my daily work and connecting to the public is the ultimate dream job.”

The public affairs officer serves as part of the leadership team. Their role is to connect with the media and the press on what is happening on the ground within the forests.

“We work on community engagement and events as well as dealing with legislative officials, and a conduit for them to get the information on what we are doing on the ground as well,” said Nelson-Dean.

During her time with the Deschutes National Forest, Nelson-Dean worked with many collaborative organizations on water projects, forest projects, fire management, and more.

“We really highlight what work is happening on different things where, and help relay that to partners, the public, and the media,” she said. “When looking at my career, Central Oregon is so great because we have, so many partners that are so invested in protecting the lands we have and that’s been a huge highlight of my time here.”

She also highlighted the benefit of such a large amount of volunteer support from Sisters in working with those collaborative partners.

“It makes it really special to have the community be such good stewards and care so much for the land,” she said.

Her decision to retire comes after losing a family member and a member of the fire family for the Forest Service, and wanting to do things that she hadn’t been able to do during her career.

“The spring, summer, and early fall months are our busiest times at the Forest Service; therefore, we can’t get out as much ourselves in that time of year. We get into these careers because we love to be outside, but we often are too busy to enjoy that time of year,” said Nelson-Dean.

She and her husband felt they could retire at this time and start doing some of the things they never could before.

“We both still have firefighting qualifications if we wanted to get back into working,” she said.

Nelson-Dean plans on volunteering for different organizations, as well as traveling and spending time outdoors.

She plans to officially retire in the next month or so, after being delayed due an injury during a visit in Montana and getting surgery.

“This injury has bogged

down the process a bit, but I am wrapping things up,” she said.

Nelson-Dean spoke about the future of the natural lands of Central Oregon and the challenges she sees future generations and Forest Service members might face.

“It is a wonderful time of collaboration and change, with writing and seeing the history of the West, but the future holds complex issues,” she said.

Nelson-Dean sees the threat of natural resource reduction, houselessness in Central Oregon, and extreme wildfires as some of the biggest challenges the Forest Service will face in the future.

“Another big thing we see is the Deschutes National Forest is one of the most popular recreated and used forests in the nation. That poses a challenge of how we deal with increased tourism in preserving the natural land and keeping it at a high quality. I think it will be up to the community to decide what is enough on our lands and what it looks like,” said Nelson-Dean.

“I would like to think that Central Oregon is well-poised to be successful long-term, as long as people communicate.”

Jean Nelson-Dean has been the voice of the Forest Service in Sisters Country. She’s now retiring.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Skiers continue winning streak

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

Sisters Outlaws Alpine Ski Team finished first in a giant slalom race on Saturday, January 28 at Willamette Pass. Conditions were mostly sunny and calm and the snow was fast. Both the boys and the girls team finished first to maintain their winning streak this season.

On the boys side, Colby Maupassant of Marist High was the first-place winner with a combined first- and second-run time of 1:34.76. Outlaws’ Bela Chladek was the second-place finisher with a combined run time of 1:35.44. Corbin Fredland finished third (1:35.49), Styopa Myagkov was fifth (1:36.03), Brody Duey seventh (1:42.97), Cooper Merrill 11th (1:46.07), and Spencer Tisdale 12th (1:47.45).

Coach Gabe Chladek noted Duey and Merrill for their performance.

“Brody (Duey) and Cooper (Merrill) are both

racers who have recently moved up from the JV and are skiing exceptionally smooth lines through the course,” said Chladek. “Both these boys have made big breakthroughs recently!”

The JV boys’ finish order was: Gus Patton, John Berg, Jack Turpen, Hudson Hayes, Joseph Dirksen, Kellen Petke, and Emerson Backus.

Morgan Shaw of Ridgeview High was the first-place winner on the girls side, with a combined time of 1:36.75. German exchange student Rebecca Clausen logged the fastest time for the Outlaws with a combined time of 1:44.02 for a fourth place overall finish.

Ella Eby was the second-fastest Outlaw and finished fifth with a time of 1:44.05.

Of Clausen’s race Chladek said, “Rebecca’s fourth-place finish is really amazing. She’s a first-year ski racer with only a little bit of previous skiing experience in Germany. She’s got a lot of natural athletic talent, and is applying it

really well to ski racing.”

Rounding out scores for the Lady Outlaws were Charlotte Seymour sixth (1:44.87); Ava Riehle, eighth (1:46. 99); Tatum Cramer, 10th (1:48.55); and Presley Adelt, 11th (1:48.96).

Chladek shared details of Tallis Grummer’s race.

“Tallis’ first run was only one-tenth of a second behind the first-place finisher, and she was pushing hard for a win on her second run in an attempt take the first-place spot for the day when she

had a small crash late in course, and cost her the finish she was looking for,” said Chladek. “I think Tallis has a real shot at grabbing a firstplace finish this season.”

Chladek noted that with so many of the JV and lower seed varsity racers on the varsity team advancing so quickly, it will be exciting to see where the team ends up at the state championships.

Next up for the Outlaw skiers is a slalom race, which

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has temporarily closed certain areas of the Maston Trail System in the Cline Buttes Recreation Area south of Eagle Crest. Central Electric Cooperative will be installing underground electrical line on the Smith Access and Deschutes River Ranch roads.

The construction could take several months to complete. Users should plan for traffic from the access road that runs east from the Juniper Trailhead and closures or delays on Wrangler Road, the Fat Rabbit Loop, Rustler Road Trail, and the River Access Trail. Directional signage will direct users around the closure areas.

Becca Clausen makes a turn.

PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN

Presley Adelt heads downslope.

PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN

Oregon facing a water crisis

By Alex Baumhardt Oregon Capital Chronicle

Across Oregon, the future of water quality and quantity is in jeopardy, a state report said.

The 70-page advisory report released Thursday, January 26, is a call to action for Gov. Tina Kotek, the state Legislature and state agencies, according to Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. She said they all need to agree about water conservation priorities, roles, and responsibilities.

“We need a damn water plan,” she said at a news conference Thursday. “Far too many families lack access to clean water today, and many communities in Oregon are at high risk of becoming water insecure in the very near future. So I’ll say it again, this is a crisis.”

Oregon’s water issues affect hundreds of thousands of people. About 40% of the state is currently in a severe drought. In central, southern, and eastern Oregon, the drought has been the longest, and overuse and contaminated water are pronounced, the report found. The situation is expected to get worse.

Oregonians on both sides of the Cascades should be concerned, Fagan said.

“The findings in this audit report are truly shocking,” she said. “It’s only going to get worse with ongoing risks such as climate change, growing populations, and aging infrastructure.”

The office’s Audits Division had been hoping to investigate how state agencies were handling water issues in 2021, following years of drought, a news release said. But without a lead agency in charge of water regulations and oversight that proved difficult. The report advises the state Legislature and the governor’s office to do something

about the uncoordinated regulatory environment and the lack of a statewide water conservation plan.

Oregon’s primary water issues include persistent drought due to climate change and depletion and contamination of ground and surface water from industrial and agricultural use, according to the report. The audit found that Oregon agencies are not well prepared to address these issues and that regulation and action is fragmented among agencies, with too many gaps.

The Water Resources Department, Department of Environmental Quality, and the Oregon Health Authority are involved in water planning, regulation, and safety. The report found all of them lack sustained funding and staff to carry out the work needed, and that they are not effectively coordinating their efforts.

Unlike many other states, Oregon lacks a central natural resources department or a formal interagency system to identify and solve water issues or guide water policy, the auditors found.

There is no formal board or committee tasked with overseeing water governance in the state.

“Oregon’s natural resource agencies lack the breadth of knowledge, capacity, and authority to take on such an enormous task,” the auditors wrote.

The lack of coordination has further complicated data collection and data integrity among the agencies and local stakeholders, auditors found, and it has left agencies competing with one another for limited state funding.

“Having multiple separate agencies responsible for isolated pieces of water management complicates efforts to coordinate across agency lines,” they wrote.

Auditors called for more state and local collaboration, more money for water-related staff at the departments of environmental quality, water and health, and sustained funding for water initiatives. They also called on the departments and state leaders to work with local groups and inform residents about water issues, especially in areas where drinking water is unsafe.

An appendix to the report contains dozens of pages of testimony from residents of Boardman in Morrow County who cannot drink the water from their household wells due to nitrate contamination from agriculture, industrial dairies, and wastewater from industrial food processors and the Port of Morrow. Despite a voluntary groundwater committee of state and local stakeholders meeting for the past 30 years to drum up solutions to the water contamination in the area, it’s gotten worse.

The audit did not explore the efficacy of local groundwater management committees.

Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, courtesy of https://oregoncapital chronicle.com.

Swimmers compete at White Buffalo Classic

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Clayten Heuberger and Joseph Souza shined for the Outlaws at the nine-team White Buffalo Classic hosted by Madras High School on Saturday, January 28. The meet included teams from Redmond, Klamath Union, La Grande, Henley, Ridgeview, The Dalles, Cove, Sisters, and the host White Buffaloes.

The boys finished seventh as a team with 98 points. The La Grande Tigers won the meet in dominant fashion with a total of 338 points.

The girls team scored 44 points, and placed ninth. Redmond took the team title with 300 points.

Heuberger showed he was the class of the field in the 100-yard backstroke, winning by nearly 10 seconds in a time of 57.26. He placed second in a tight race in the 200-yard individual medley as he finished just 0.2 second behind Zane Ricker of La Grande. The pair were 12 seconds ahead of the next swimmer.

Joseph Souza also picked up a runner-up finish as he placed second in the 50-yard freestyle in 24.14, and teammate Ted Stolasz finished

fourth in 25.04.

Souza later placed third in the 100-yard breaststroke, with a time of 1:10.69. Stolasz raced in the 100-yard freestyle, and finished in 58:47, which was a personal best.

The Outlaw girls had a busy day and continue to show improvement, according to second-year head coach Alex Bick.

In the 50-yard freestyle Rylie Bick clocked 31.60, followed by Makenzie French (36.00), and Tania Rebolledo (39.13). The same trio raced in the 100-yard freestyle along with Elizabeth Bates and Stella Parzybok. Bick led the way for the Outlaws once again in 1:14.34. Bates (1:19:04), Parzybok (1:22.52), French (1:25.99), and Rebolledo (1:31.12) followed. Bates was timed in 1:35.91 in the 100-yard backstroke.

The team of Parzybok, French, Bick, and Rebolledo took seventh in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 2:22.49. Parzybok also competed in the 100-yard breaststroke, finishing in 1:42.05.

State qualifications will be on the line when the Outlaws return to the pool February 10-11 at the district meet hosted by Sweet Home.

1. Pick up a specially labeled BLUE BAG from the porch of Furr y Friends or The Nugget.

2. Fill the bag with Oregonredeemable bottles and cans. (Max 20 lbs. per bag.)

3. Drop off at any BottleDrop location including Ray’s in Sisters (scan code on bag to open door), or on The Nugget’s porch (now on the right side).

Boys basketball extends winning streak

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The Outlaws packed in three games this past week — and tallied wins in all three.

Sisters started their week with a 51-47 win at La Pine on Monday, January 23, followed by a 46-24 home victory against Elmira on Wednesday. They wrapped up the week on the road with a 51-37 victory against the Falcons of Siuslaw.

The Outlaws currently are in second place in the Mountain Valley Conference.

On Monday the Outlaws traveled to La Pine and took on the Hawks. The scoring went back and forth in the first period, with both teams taking no more than a twopoint lead. Adam MaddoxCastle hit a short jumper on a sideline out-of-bounds play from Landon Scott with one second left on the clock, and the Outlaws went up by three, 14-11, to close out the period.

Sisters got a slow start in the second quarter, and the Hawks quickly put four points on the scoreboard and took a one-point lead. The game continued to go back and forth with neither the Outlaws or the Hawks going up by more than three. At the half Sisters trailed by one, 21-22.

The Hawks connected on two quick three-point shots at the start of the third and the Outlaws quickly switched back to their man-to-man defense. Sisters went on a 6-0 run to close out the quarter, including a long ball from Scott as the buzzer sounded to take a seven point advantage, 39-32. Unfortunately, Jessey Murillo went down with an ankle injury and was unable to play the remainder of the contest. Kale Gardner scored five points in the quarter, including a three-pointer early in the period that put the Outlaws back on top 26-25.

It was a grinding, physical, final quarter, and both teams got to the charity stripe several times; the Outlaws 6-11 and LaPine 6-8. Sisters held the lead the entire period, and only allowed the Hawks to get within two. Taine Martin and Brody Fischer did a great job of replacing injured Murillo and kept the Hawk’s big post from scoring any field goal baskets. Froehlich, Maddox-Castle and Gardner each scored four points in the period.

Maddox-Castle led the team with 12 points and five rebounds, and Gardner followed with 10 points and five rebounds. Scott tallied seven points and six assists, and Froehlich, Martin, and Murillo all finished with seven.

“This was a good win for our team,” said Coach Chad

Rush. “La Pine had not lost a league game at home yet this season so we knew it was going to be a tough test for us.

I was proud of how the boys followed up Friday’s OT win against Creswell with good effort and focus tonight. This was once again a very physical and rough-played game, and I am extremely pleased with how our team handled the physicality and kept their composure the entire game.”

Two days later the Outlaws posted a big win at home over Elmira to kick off the second half of league play.

The Falcons jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Froehlich hit a mid-range jumper three minutes into the quarter to get the Outlaws’ scoring started. Froehlich posted seven points in the quarter, including a wide open layup out of a baseline out-of-bounds play and a three-pointer at the buzzer off a Gardner assist. At the end of the first quarter, Sisters was on top by one, 9-8.

Elmira started the second quarter with a 4-0 run and took a three-point lead, but that was the last lead the Falcons had in the period as the Outlaws outscored them 12-2 for the remainder of the quarter. Froehlich and Hudson Beckwith both knocked down threes and Froehlich once again led the Outlaws with seven points in the period.

Sisters entered the third quarter with a seven-point lead, and jumped out with intensity and determination.

The Outlaws came out in an aggressive, trapping 2-3 zone that caused confusion and chaos for the Falcons, who committed six turnovers in the period. The Outlaws also held the Falcons scoreless for the first five minutes, and at the close of the period held a 32-18 advantage.

The Outlaws didn’t let up with their 14-point lead, but kept the pressure on and

started the final period with an 8-0 run, while holding the Falcons scoreless until there was 3:18 left on the clock. Sisters’ starters handed the ball off to the reserves, who got extended playing time in the quarter. Levi Szesze took advantage of the opportunity, scored four points off the bench, and the Outlaws recorded the win.

Rush said, “I was proud of the team and the complete performance they put together. I was especially proud of Taine Martin, Garrett Sager, and Brody Fischer for stepping up their game in the absence of Murillo. Going up against Elmira’s big man was no easy task, but those three battled hard and held him to just four points on the night.

“Hudson Beckwith came off the bench tonight and lit a spark for us in the second quarter with five points in just under a minute of play, and that was important for us to maintain our momentum.”

Sisters wrapped up their busy week with a fourhour bus ride to Siuslaw on Friday. Martin hit a jumper from the free-throw line, and Froehlich followed with a layup to give the Outlaws a 4-0 start. Sisters extended their lead to 10-2 before the Vikings closed out the quarter on a 6-0 run.

Siuslaw struck first in the second period and tied the game 10-10, but the Outlaws responded with a 5-0 run to regain the lead at 15-10. Sisters held a 19-16 advantage near the end of the period, and then Fischer hit back-to-back long balls to help the Outlaws take a 25-20 lead at the half.

The Outlaws have been coming out with great thirdquarter performances during their recent winning streak, and this time around was no different, as Sisters outscored Siuslaw 10-7 in the period. The Vikings cut Sisters’ lead to two points at 27-25, but

the Outlaws responded with an 8-2 run and closed out the quarter on top with a score of 35-27. Diego Silva hit two back-to-back jumpers to lead the Outlaws with four points in the quarter.

an 8-2 run and closed out the took

Sisters started the final period on an 11-4 run, went up 46-31, took complete control of the game, and recorded the win.

Rush said, “This was a true road-warrior game for us tonight. Not only was it our third game this week, and fifth game in nine days, but we also had to travel almost four hours to play the game where Siuslaw had not lost a home game yet. The odds were certainly stacked against us. But that is what I love about this team; they don’t worry about all the outside noise and are just really learning how to play the game that we need to play each and every night to be successful. It’s fun to see them maturing in this way.

“It was great to see Brody (Fischer) and Diego (Silva)

hit those big baskets for us tonight that helped stop the Vikings’ momentum at such key times,” added Rush. “We’re excited to get back in front of our home crowd and try to continue this momentum we are carrying right now.”

Sisters will play at home against Harrisburg on Thursday, February 2.

The Outlaws are in a hot streak on the hardwood.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

A NNOUNCEMENT S

Americ an Legion and VFW Meeting will be held on Wednesday, Februar y 1, 6:30 p.m. at Sisters Communit y Church. Members are invited to attend . For more information call Charles Wilson at 847-34 4-0498

Hunter Education Class

Starts Februar y 7. For details , call Rick Cole at 541-420 -6934

Sisters Careg iver Support Group

A f acilitated support group for caregivers of those with chronic or life-shor tening diseases meets the third Tuesday of ever y month at Sisters Episcopal Church , 10 to 11:30 a .m. For information, call 541-719-0 031, ask for Kay

Parkinson’s Support Group

Are you experiencing Parkinson’s disease (PD) or a care partner wishing to support for your loved one with PD? Join us the second ursday of the month, 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Sisters Library, 110 N . Cedar St. For more information contact Carol Pfeil, program coordinator for Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon, 541-6 68-6599.

Alzheimer’s and Dementia Family Caregiver Support Group

elma’s Place Adult Day Respite Program in Redmond hosts a monthly support group for those caring for someone with Alzheimer ’s or other dementia-related disease. e support group is held monthly ever y third Wednesday f rom 4:30-5:30 p.m . is is a f ree f amilycaregiver support group featuring local organizations Call 541-548-3049.

Sisters Garden Club

Monthly Meeting on Februar y 11

Our Garden Club would like to invite the public to come & hear their guest speaker, Er yn Elbers with Roots and Rails Farm. Eryn will talk about the farm, organic practices, and what flowers & vegetables grow well in our climate. e meeting will start at 9:30 a .m., doors open at 9 a.m. It will be held at Sisters Communit y Church , 130 0 W Mckenzie Hwy. Contact Ruth Palmer 971-246-0404.

Weekly Food Pantry Starts at New Time

e Wellhouse Church has a weekly food pantr y on ursdays , now beginning at 3 p.m. Both drive-through pick-up and shopping-st yle distribution available. Call 541549-4184

Free Weekly Meal Service

Family Kitchen is hosting a weekly to-go hot meal ser vice on Tuesdays , 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Sisters Communit y Church Visit www.FamilyKitchen.org.

Free Lunches for Seniors

For those 60 and older, the Council on Aging of Central Oregon o ers a fun, no-cost social lunch ever y Tuesday, 11 a .m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Communit y Church . No reservations needed . No-cost Grab-N-Go lunches take place weekly Wednesdays and ursdays at Sisters Communit y Church 12:30 to 1 p.m. For information, please call 541-797-9367.

Furr y Friends Volunteers

Seeking two persons for pet food distribution ursdays

10 :30 a .m. to 12:30 p.m., t wo to four weeks per month. Call 541-797-4023

Free Pet Food Budget tight this month, but you still need pet food?

Call the Furr y Friends pet food bank at 541-797-4023 to schedule your pickup. Pickups available ursdays , beginning 12:30 p.m. Located at 412 E . Main Ave., Ste. 4, behind e Nug get

PET OF THE WEEK

Humane Societ y of Central Oregon 541-382-3537

Lady Outlaws snap losing streak

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The Lady Outlaws struggled on the hardwood in their first two of three games this past week, a 59-45 loss at La Pine on Monday, January 23, and a 30-20 home loss to Elmira on Wednesday.

Two days later, however, the Outlaws snapped their five-game losing streak with a 34-19 win on the road at Siuslaw.

Sheba has a passion for delicious treats and going for long walks in beautiful Central Oregon! is f riendly pooch is also quite an athlete and is skilled at the art of playing fetch! If you are looking for a sensitive yet goof y and playf ul little pooch with a lot of love to give, then Sheba Louise is the pup for you!

— SPONSORED BY — S isters Ve ter inar y Clinic 541-549-6961

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 Church

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

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration

68825 Bro ok 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 Naz 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 Church

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

POLICY: Nonprofits, schools, churches , birth, engagement, wedding , and anniversar y notices may run at no charge. Business items do not run on this page. All submissions are subject to editing and run only as space allows . Email nug get@nuggetnews .com or drop o at 4 42 E . Main Ave

On Monday against the Hawks, the Outlaws again found themselves shorthanded, with Josie Patton and Jenna Lake both out with concussions, and Shae Wyland unable to play due to illness. Patton, Lake, and Wyland are three of the Outlaws’ biggest contributors on the court, and all play a similar role on the team, which was hard to replace with other girls who haven’t practiced at that position.

Sisters struggled to find their rhythm on offense and to work as a cohesive unit on defense.

La Pine boasts two great players, Kaydance Gunther and Bailee Spencer, who each scored 26 points in the game.

Ashlynn Moffat stood out for the Outlaws as their leading scorer with 17 points. Coach Paul Patton noted that Moffat put forth a tireless effort all over the court and was positive and encouraging to her teammates throughout the contest.

Haleigh Froehlich also gave a valiant effort and filled a role on the court she doesn’t normally play, finishing the night with 13 points. Delaney McAfee recorded seven points and Hadley Schar added four.

Patton said, “I look forward to a rematch with La Pine in our final game of the season with hopefully our full roster. I think it’s a game we can win.”

Two days later the Outlaws fell at home to Elmira. Sisters did have a couple players back, including Lake and Shae Wyland, who’d missed the previous game, but Patton (concussion) and Mayes (sprained ankle), both starters, were still unable to play.

The Outlaws played better defense this time around against the Falcons, but they struggled on offense. Sisters held the Falcons’ leading scorer, Layla Burgess, to just five points, compared to the previous game where she scored 22.

Patton said, “The main reason for our low score was simply a slow shooting percentage, making just 24 percent on two-pointers, and 18 percent from three-point

range. We also got to the freethrow line just six times, and made only two. To our credit we did hustle and win most of the 50/50 loose balls and we rebounded the ball well on both ends of the court.”

On Friday the Outlaws took the long bus ride to Florence and took on the Siuslaw Vikings. The Lady Outlaws were still not to full strength, as they were missing Patton, who was still out with a concussion, and Mayes with her sprained ankle.

Lake carried the Outlaws in the first quarter of play with three baskets from behind the arc, and at the end of the first quarter Sisters held a 12-2 lead.

Siuslaw played a zone with their tall player, Gillian Norton, protecting the rim, which made it difficult for the Outlaws to get good looks on their inside shots. Moffat hit a couple of three-pointers in the second quarter that allowed Sisters to build their lead to 20-13 at the half.

The Outlaws got balanced scoring in the third period; four points from Froehlich, and two points each from McAfee and Wyland. In the final quarter, Froehlich got two more buckets and Dax Martinez scored her first varsity basket.

Sisters was able to play some of their reserves for the last four minutes of the contest, including Norah Thorsett, Holly Madron, Savi Davisson, Dax Martinez, and Emma Sahlberg, who closed out the night with the win.

These same five girls also got more playing time, as the Outlaws were able to play two quarters of JV action. With just 14 girls on the roster the Outlaws have not been able to play any JV games this season, so they were very happy to get in some extra competitive minutes.

The Lady Outlaws will host Harrisburg on Thursday, February 2.

The Lady Outlaws are working hard on court.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA KENNEDY

Wrestlers place well in Valley meet

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Carter Van Meter pushed his season record to 6-8 on his way to fifth place at 120 pounds in the Tod Surmon Mid-Valley Classic wrestling tournament hosted by West Albany High School last week. After losing by fall (5:25) to Joey Evanston of Mountainside, Van Meter took down Sam Calderon of McNary in under a minute and then beat Rodney Cheever of South Albany by fall (2:23).

The 132-pound Tyson Kemp lost a 5-2 decision in his initial match to Taylor Gauntlett of West Albany, and after a bye in the next round lost to David Ramirez Sierra of McNary by fall (0:52).

Hayden Kunz followed a bye in round one with a win by fall over Kenneth Farnsworth of West Albany (1:52), but lost to the eventual champion Seth Carp of Sprague by fall (1:12).

The 152-pound weight class featured some

top-ranked wrestlers, including Sisters’ own Ben Cooper, who entered the tournament with a 21-7 record. After a first-round bye, Cooper took out Corvallis wrestler Gavin Hale (22-5) by fall (1:54) before facing off with Central’s undefeated Ethan Dunigan (28-0). Cooper survived all three rounds but was outpointed 10-0. Owen Oliver of Sheldon (23-5) ended Cooper’s day with a win by fall (4:55) in the thirdplace match.

Jace Owens also wrestled in the 152-pound class, where he went 0-2. He lost to Sheldon’s Oliver (0:58) and to Robbie Johnston of South Albany (2:59).

Scott Henderson rounded out the scoring for Sisters in the 170-pound class that included a long day of wrestling. He earned an 8-4 decision over James Larkins of Sprague, who came into the meet with a record of 17-8. Henderson then grappled with David Griffith (15-4) of Philomath, but lost by fall (1:34). Henderson bounced

Word of the Day Funambulism

fyoo-NAM-byə-lizm

The art of walking on a tightrope or a slack-rope.

Do you know your agent?

Do you understand your polic y?

Are you overpaying?

back with wins in the consolation bracket over Carson Hunsaker of Sprague (fall, 5:51) and Trevor Temple of Corvallis (fall, 5:50) only to meet Larkins again with a chance at fifth place. Larkins had the upper hand in the rematch and pinned Henderson at the 4:58 mark.

The Outlaws scored 50 points in total to place 10th among 13 teams, most of which were from the 5A and 6A ranks. Host West Albany won the team title with 173.5 points to edge Sprague (173).

“I felt the boys competed extremely well against some very good competition,” said coach David Kemp. “Four of our six boys placed in the top six.”

Three girls competed for the Outlaws as well, according to Kemp.

Brooklyn Cooper lost her first-round match to Janie Parker of Sheldon, but stormed back to win her next two on her way to fifth place. She took down Shirley

JOBS: There are lots of openings in Sisters’ economy

WASHINGTON CASINOS

MARCH 29-31 | $589 PPDO

2 nights at Emerald Queen,visit to Lucky Eagle, Nisqually Red Wind, Muckleshoot, and Little Creek Casinos

BRANSON, MO MUSIC FEST

APRIL 17-24 | $2,699 PPDO

Includes air, taxes, transfers, many shows/entertainment, Silver Dollar City, Dogwood Canyon Nature Park and more!

SPIRIT MTN. & CHINOOK WINDS

MAY 15-16 | $399 PPDO

1 night at Ashley Suites in Lincoln City with breakfast. Receive food coupons and free slot play!

RIVER CRUISE

NASHVILLE TO MEMPHIS

JULY 1-11 | STARTING AT $4,899 PPDO

Includes air, transfers, taxes, 2 pre-nights in Nashville, 7 night cruise, 1 post-night in Memphis. Complimentary shore excursions.

Connie Boyle 541-508-1500 Box 615 Sisters, OR 97759

Moralez of Corvallis (fall, 1:05) and made even quicker work of Hilda Garcia of Newport (fall, 0:55).

Addie Laird notched first place in her division by beating Lisa Fujiwara of West Albany twice, both by fall. Kistin Elbek had to go a step further by beating Ivy Nicolas three times, all falls, to secure her first-place title.

“I am proud of how our Outlaws competed against top-quality teams,” the coach said. “It was our last tournament before District and was a great proving ground for where we are individually and as a team.”

The girls team will compete at the OSAA 4A/3A/2A/1A Regional tournament February 3-4 at Cottage Grove, which serves as the qualifier for the state tournament. The boys have a dual meet at La Pine on Wednesday, February 1, and will compete at the district tournament February 10 and 11.

Continued from page 4

shifts, $20.50 per hour.

Sisters is still hurting for its most needed workers, which are retail and personal services. Therapeutic Associates is seeking a physical therapist assistant up to $58,000 per year plus a $2,500 signing bonus.

An assistant golf pro is sought for $46,000 to $49,000. That mixes work with pleasure. Black Butte Ranch posted an opening for a vice president of finance, such jobs typically paying more than $80,000 per year. Cognito, a virtual work company with headquarters in Sisters, whose workforce is spread around the county, is advertising for a senior software engineer, a job that consistently garners more than $80,000 annually.

In all, there are nearly 300 job openings for work in Sisters.

Sisters-Area Events & Enter tainment

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

Suttle Lodge Fireside Music by Erin Cole-Baker

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

FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 3

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9

Suttle Lodge Fireside Music by Kar yn Ann 6-8 p.m. Reservations required; tickets at bendticket.com. For more information: info@thesuttlelodge.com.

Paulina Springs Books Book Talk Drew Kaza presents “High Contrast: A Story of Basketball, Race and Politics in Oregon 1972.” 6:30 p.m. Info: PaulinaSpringsBooks.com.

FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 10

The Belfr y Live Music by Reb and the Good News Doors open at 7, music at 7:30 Funk, world, and soul music bring a cathartic release to the dance floor Soulful songwriting with trumpet and sax. Tickets: belfryevents.com/events/.

Hardtails Karaoke with KJ Mindy

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

SATURDAY • FEBRARY 11

Chops Bistro Live Music: Mark Barringer & Bob Baker Playing 6 to 8 p.m. in the lounge at 370 E. Cascade Ave. Information: 541-549-6015

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

Suttle Lodge Fireside Music by Jenner Fox 6-8 p.m. Reservations required; tickets at bendticket.com. For more information: info@thesuttlelodge.com.

FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 17

The Belfr y Live Music by Jenner Fox Band with special guest Skybound Blue opening Doors open at 7, music at 7:30. A recent favorite at Sisters Folk Festival, Jenner Fox evokes tears and laughter with his thoughtful and poignant songwriting Seated show with full band. Tickets: belfryevents.com/events/.

Hardtails Karaoke with KJ Mindy 8 p.m. to

For

PREPAREDNESS:

Individual effort key to public safety

Continued from page 3

together closely to prepare for any emergencies that come our way.”

Locally, those partnerships include the City of Sisters, police and fire districts in and adjacent to Sisters, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Transportation, Deschutes County Road Department, Central Oregon Fire Management, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal, American Red Cross, and Project Wildlife/ County Forester.

Deschutes Country has tested their relationships with their partners on incidents like the Grandview Fire (2021), the Milli Fire (2017), and the total solar eclipse (2017).

Partners also work closely on emergency planning for the Community Wildfire Protection Plan, Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, evacuation planning, alerts and warnings, responses to the additional needs population (those who might need extra help to evacuate), and traffic management.

Despite all the work being done by public agencies to prepare for emergencies, there is no substitute for personal, individual preparedness. Deschutes County Emergency Management recommends people plan to be on their own for a minimum of 72 hours, and preferably one month. The above-mentioned handbook has all the information necessary to create a plan and includes lists for 72-hour kits and one-month kits.

Garibay highlighted emergency management tools available to residents of Deschutes County.

“About 20-25 percent of community residents have signed up for Deschutes Alerts, which is considered a high percentage,” he said. He encourages everyone to sign up.

By registering at deschutesalerts.org, a citizen will receive emergency notifications based on their address. More than one way to be contacted can be indicated. Messages are geographically targeted with detailed information. Profiles should be updated every year to be sure information is current and correct. A good time to do that would be when clocks move forward for daylight savings time or when the yard waste cleanup happens each spring. Other online resources include sheriff.deschutes. org, projectwildfire.org, and oralert.gov.

Central Oregon Emergency Information Network has a Facebook page where relevant, timely information is also available.

Everbridge is a free, downloadable application available in both Apple and Google app stores. It is a mass notification, public warning communication platform that helps authorities protect their citizens. Thirty-five of 36 Oregon counties, including Deschutes, are using Everbridge to send out notifications of law enforcement activity, emergencies, and evacuation routes. Notifications can be sent to cell phones and tablets via text, email, or cell phone call. A Spanish language version is also available.

Visitors to Central Oregon can access community engagement modules for temporary text alerts. In Black Butte Ranch and Sunriver, those are already available, and Garibay hopes to work with Explore Sisters to make it available locally for out-of-town visitors. Locals can temporarily access the platform when visiting other areas that have the service.

Analog “old-fashioned” alerts can also be utilized, with public address announcements by officers driving through town or going house-to-house and knocking on doors.

Anyone needing assistance with accessing or setting up the alert system can call the nonemergency DCSO number at 541-603-6911.

fitness in this generation,” said Ryan Hudson, who operates Cascade Fitness and Level 5 Crossfit in Sisters. Both he and Tate Metcalf, who operates Sisters Athletic Club, note that, while most people used to have some level of physical activity in their day-to-day lives, technology has allowed people to eliminate most of the “work” of everyday living.

“ Our society is set up right now for unconscious living,” Metcalf said. “It’s just been detrimental to us — the ease of everything in our society.”

“Basically, we can operate our whole life without moving our body,” Hudson said.

That easy, unconscious living means that most folks have to be intentional about getting enough physical activity — and most people just don’t want to do it.

“I think a lot of people view exercise as non-pleasurable, and not fun, so they don’t do it,” Metcalf said.

Hudson concurs.

“A lot of people have a negative connection with working out — it hurts, it’s hard… it’s going to be miserable,” he said.

People tend to treat exercise as a kind of penance.

“They go to the gym to punish themselves for eating poorly,” Hudson said.

Discipline and frustration with yourself might get you into the gym for a while, but it doesn’t sustain a routine of activity. It doesn’t have to be that way. Trainers know it can be an uphill battle, but people can discover that, as Hudson puts it, fitness is fun.

“Bottom line is, you’ve got to make it fun for people,” Hudson said.

Metcalf thinks it’s helpful to stop thinking about “exercise” and focus on “activity.” Go for a walk with a friend. Then it’s not about the “work,” it’s social.

Just a couple of 10 minute walks in a day, and you’ve hit that minimum standard for aerobic activity — without really trying.

“We just need to make activity routine,” Metcalf said.

Sisters and Central Oregon in general likely outperform the average across the nation — but even if we’re beating the average by 10 percentage points, that still means that well more than half of us aren’t getting the minimum level of activity each week.

Gyms are more vital than ever in providing a place to get physical activity, since it’s not a big presence in everyday life. Hudson says that once people get into a routine of going to the gym, it can become an activity to look forward to.

“It can be a fun, positive experience and [they] can actively enjoy the hour that they’re there,” he said. “They look forward to it; it’s the best part of their day… they all have certain movements and workouts that they love doing.”

That’s the key: finding movements that you enjoy for their own sake.

Take the time to explore a variety of activities, and Hudson says you’ll surely find things that you like doing. And if you like doing them, you’ll keep doing them. Time at the gym can also be time with friends.

“Anybody who does 20 workouts with a buddy in the gym is pretty much hooked,” Hudson said.

As a coach, Hudson prefers to focus on performance rather than on appearance or weight loss (or gain). Getting stronger, fitter, and more capable is the most important thing, and when you’re doing that, everything else falls into place.

Weight and body composition? “That’s just a side effect of chasing performance,” Hudson said.

Once activity becomes routine, the benefits become pretty apparent — and it’s easier to stay motivated.

“They understand —‘man, I feel better when I move,’” Metcalf said.

FOCUS on Health

Getting and staying healthy in Sisters

It’s an unfortunate fact that most Americans aren’t very healthy. A large percentage are overweight, and many suffer from chronic ailments associated with eating poorly and not getting enough exercise (see related story on page 3).

Sisters tends to do better than the national average. The natural beauty that surrounds us encourages us to get out and be active, and there are many folks who provide quality food, right from the farm to our table.

There are a great many health care providers and practitioners of the healing arts who stand ready to enhance our capabilities and our quality of life. Whether we need good dental care, care for the soul and psyche, or rehab after an injury, there are top-notch providers who give us quality care with the small-town touch we know and appreciate.

Want to get in shape? There are so many options for programs and modalities that we’re sure to find one (or more) that we enjoy doing and will stick with consistently.

Focusing on health is a challenge for our countrymen. We have it good here in Sisters — and we should be proud of it.

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jaw ailment disrupts quality of life

By Bill Bartlett | Correspondent

It is generally called TMJ — in error. We all have TMJ — the joint itself. Temporomandibular joints are located on each side of your face, just in front of your ears. The TMJs connect your lower jawbone to your skull and assist in everyday movements like chewing and speaking.

TMJ dysfunction (TMD) occurs when the muscles and ligaments around your jaw joints become inflamed or irritated. The condition may be chronic or acute, and the resulting pain may be mild or severe. Studies show that younger patients 18-24 and women experience TMD at higher rates.

There are many causes for TMD, among them bruxism (teeth grinding/clenching); dislocation of the disc between the ball and socket joint; arthritis in the TMJ; stress; acute trauma; or an improper bite.

The Cleveland Clinic says the most common symptoms are jaw pain, headaches, earaches, pain in the neck or shoulders, difficulty opening your mouth wide, or jaws that “lock” in the open- or closed-mouth position. Many experience clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing their mouth.

Others report a tired feeling in their face, difficulty chewing, ringing in the ears, swelling on the side of their face, or tooth pain. Too many patients just live with the pain or discomfort when help is available.

In Sisters Country, dentists and other health professionals encounter TMD frequently. Dr. Trevor Frideres of Sisters Dental estimates that 10 to 20 percent of his patients have some level of TMD, and as many as 80 percent had some TMD symptoms in their lifetime. Frideres says diagnosis and treatment is a passion of his.

Indeed, he can talk at length about the condition, which in basic terms is generally overworked muscles or misalignment. Depending on the root cause, and when it is not something that is necessarily oral in nature, he may refer patients for physical therapy or even a mental health professional skilled at stress disorders, a common cause of the discomfort.

His goal is to do whatever can be done non-invasively to correct the problem.

Dr. Richard Gilmore, a dentist in Redmond with a wide patient following in Sisters, uses a doppler device to listen to the joint and does a physical examination of the jaw joint. He looks for other signs, such as irregular tooth wear, to determine if treatment is necessary to keep the disorder from damaging teeth and restorations.

“I’m continuously discussing the connection between the oral cavity and the rest of the body,” Gilmore said. He added; “Many dental carriers do not have benefits for TMD. Patients should prepare to pay out of pocket for treatment. Not treating TMD could result in pain or more expensive treatment.”

TMD is a burden on the economy. Those who suffer from TMJ disorders may find it impossible to maintain full- or part-time work. Some symptoms connected to TMJ disorders, such as vertigo, light sensitivity, and pain in the neck, head, and ears, can make it impossible to perform job duties. The resulting lack of income can lead to significant financial stress. It may be possible in some cases to receive Social Security Disability benefits to help alleviate some of the financial strain.

Treatment can run from a few hundred dollars to thousands depending on severity.

Dentists will often start with splints (worn during the day) or occlusal (night) guards, mouthpieces that fit over your upper or lower teeth. When worn, the device provides stable tooth contacts during closure. Occlusal guards also correct your bite by placing your jaw in a more favorable position.

“It’s not uncommon for a splint or night guard to exacerbate the problem,” Frideres said, but “it’s immediately helpful in learning precisely where the problem lies and finding the best solution.”

Dr. Zachary Sunitsch of Pine Desert Dental in Sisters said: “A lot of patients just live with popping jaws or minor symptoms, and until it affects their quality of life they tend to leave it untreated, kind of like lower back pain. Patients should not minimize any discomfort and let their dentist know as there are remedies.”

Some orthodontists treat TMD and generally follow the treatment routes as dentists do. If TMD is due to misalignment, orthodontic braces at any age can be a lasting solution.

Physical therapists frequently deal with TMD where posture may be the source of the problem. Therapeutic Associates in Sisters is no stranger to TMD, and within their world, when you sit with your head in an increased forward position, you are placing greater strain on the muscles beneath your chin, causing the lower jaw to pull back and the mouth to be in an open position even when resting, increasing stress on the TMJ.

You also might be overworking the jaw muscles to force the jaw closed so your mouth isn’t open all the time, physical therapists say.

The good news is that Sisters Country has a range of beneficial options in alleviating TMD.

After back pain, TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) is the second most common musculoskeletal pain. Some 33 percent of the population has at least one TMD symptom, and studies show 3.6 to 7 percent of the population has TMD with sufficient severity that they desire treatment.

TMJ dysfunction (TMD) occurs when the muscles and ligaments around your jaw joints become inflamed or irritated.

FOCUS on Health

We know people are far more than their medical conditions. Our palliative care is focused on quality of life and comfort for people.

Heart ’n Home Hospice

Hospice work is a calling for the staff of Heart ’n Home Hospice. It is a small, close-knit organization —a real team — that prides itself on the quality of communication amongst team members as they provide vital emotional, physical, and spiritual support to patients, loved ones, and caregivers.

“Our team members have a heart for hospice,” says Executive Director Mandy Putzier. “It’s more than a job.”

Hospice focuses on quality of life and comfort, providing care from registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, licensed social workers, certified nursing assistants, spiritual care providers and volunteers.

The staff consider it a gift and an honor to be with families on their hospice journey, and they go to great lengths to ensure that family members know what to expect so that they are empowered to care for their loved ones. They have worked to fulfill final wishes — including sourcing a special memorabilia package for an Atlanta Braves superfan — and they provide 13 months of grief support to the loved ones of those who pass away.

Heart ’n Home Hospice is a Level 5 — We Honor Veterans agency.

Core Connection Pilates

For Ivy Castellana, Pilates is not “just exercise” — it’s a way to enhance our capabilities and quality of life.

As the only Pilates studio in Sisters that uses mats and equipment to provide a full experience, Core Connections Pilates offers a complete body movement system, which focuses on movement from the core. Those participating in Pilates gain strength, stretch, and build the mindbody connection and awareness of how the body is moving.

Pilates practitioners strengthen the pelvic floor, the core, the shoulders — and integrate breath into activity to make it more efficient and effective. Pilates also emphasizes balance and alignment.

“It’s the whole body working together,” Castellana says.

A wide range of people get benefits from Pilates — and enjoy themselves doing it. Castellana can scale workouts to meet students where they are.

“It can be tailored toward anyone,” she says.

Some use it to heal and recover from injury and many simply prefer exercising this way. The benefits are many, they carry over into every day movement — and they’re accessible to everyone.

Pine Desert Dental

What drew Dr. Zach Sunitsch to dentistry was the opportunity to connect with people and build personal relationships while assisting with their dental needs. When he decided it was time to establish his own practice, he was looking for a small town where he and his wife could really become a part of the community.

He found Sisters, and has taken on the long-established practice of Dr. Thomas Rheuben (Rheuben is retiring but still seeing some patients).

Dr. Sunitsch brings a wide array of experience to his practice, including working in emergent dentistry — getting people out of pain. Having worked in a hospital setting, he has worked with some of the most challenging types of dental cases, and has experience from pediatric dentistry to surgery.

He practices family dentistry in the truest sense of the term — family members from children to grandparents. He truly enjoys all aspects of his calling, and enjoys the mix of work he is able to engage in through family dentistry.

Pine Desert Dental is off to a great start.

“Everybody’s been awesome,” says Dr. Sunitsch. “All my patients have been great.”

Dr. Zachary Sunitsch, DMD

Serving Central Oregon |

745 NW Mt. Washington Dr., Ste. 205, Bend lhcgroup.com/locations/heart-n-homehospice-and palliative-care-bend/

throughExercisingchronic conditions

By Ashlee Francis | Columnist

“Chronic” is typically something that lasts more than three months or occurs often for long periods of time. Examples of chronic injuries and illnesses may include, but are not limited to: cancer, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, depression, multiple sclerosis, back pain, and more.

Sometimes the pain can be so intense that exercise exacerbates the condition. Despite what it may seem like in the moment, exercise can actually be one of the most effective treatments for chronic injury and illness.

Some benefits of exercise are obvious, such as better sleep, increased energy, and an improvement in endorphin levels (i.e. better mood), but when someone is in pain, those benefits may not seem worth the added pain in their day.

The benefits that are not as obvious, but are important to recognize, are the ones that can be life-changing. When moving the body, the nerves and discs are delivered nutrients that help strengthen and make them more efficient. When moving through range of motion, joints are lubricated to keep their current range of motion and develop more range. Inflammation in the joints and the fascia decreases as toxins are cleared from the body. Maintaining a healthy weight through exercise can help with pain management because of decreased pressure on the joints.

If starting a new workout program, it is important to approach it with caution. Start slowly and choose the type of exercise that works best for your body. Stretching is a great place to start, working through different ranges of motion with the joints to discover their limits and areas that need improvement. For instance, if, when performing a swooping circle with the shoulder,

one notices the greatest amount of pain in the overhead movement, they should not be lifting weights overhead that day. Developing a stretching and mobility routine to improve your joints’ current capabilities can expand reasonable options when you begin looking for a new routine.

Swimming and aqua aerobics are great options to work the cardiovascular system without the added stress on the joints. Walking is a lowimpact exercise that can be done daily to increase circulation, in turn decreasing inflammation. Flexibility routines, such as Pilates and yoga, can help strengthen the muscles, improve joint range of motion, and lengthen the body. A quick chat with one’s trusted health care provider can help determine a good option for the individual in pain. Once an activity is decided upon, start slow. It can be humbling to work out for five minutes two times a week, but if one starts too quickly, it can lead to the dreaded DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). DOMS will lead to intense soreness, typically two days after the workout, and can discourage further activity or motivation. It can lead to injury, excess fatigue, and even upper respiratory infections. Be realistic with goal-setting, and remember that each step is one step closer to the desired outcome, even on days when it seems like progress is stagnant. Create small goals, such as adding another two minutes, when the body feels good, to encourage small wins. This will help motivate the individual to keep going and will decrease the likelihood of injury.

Listening to the body during activity is important. If the pain gets worse during or directly following the workout, it is okay to take a break. Hiring a trainer may be helpful if listening to the body is a challenge. The accountability alone in hiring a trainer is a huge motivator, but find someone who is knowledgeable about your condition and pain management. If they have done their research and have experience working with others who have been through similar situations, they can guide you to move correctly and heal your body.

Post exercise, a warm shower can help relax the joints and muscles while relieving pain.

In summary, find a type of exercise you enjoy that your doctor agrees is a good choice for your condition. Start slowly and build when ready, listening to the body and knowing when to rest or pause your routine. Find a friend or trainer to help keep you accountable. Lastly, celebrate your small wins.

Exercise is crucial for mental, physical, and emotional health — but what happens when you are diagnosed with a chronic illness or injury that has changed the way your body responds to activity?

can help strengthen the muscles, improve joint range of motion, and lengthen the body.

FOCUS on Health

Classic Yoga from India

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar® Yoga, as developed by Yoga Master B.K.S. Iyengar, is a long-established and proven method of teaching yoga as a progressive learning experience. Certified Iyengar Teachers have undergone extensive training and mentorships with senior teachers for at least six years in order to apply to take the qualifying examination. This ensures a high-quality experience for students of all levels.

Attention to correct alignment of the entire body in each yoga posture is a hallmark of Iyengar Yoga. It results in strengthening what is weak, increasing flexibility, which improves both posture and breathing and developing awareness for a more balanced body and mind.

Virtually everybody can do Iyengar Yoga — no matter how old, out of shape, or stiff — thanks to the skillful use of yoga props.

Nadine Sims owned and operated Iyengar Yoga of Bend for over 20 years before recently moving to Sisters. As a Certified Iyengar Teacher, her dedication to the subject of yoga means you are guaranteed to have a caring, highly qualified teacher able to work safely with each student and their individual needs.

Partners In Care

A serious, life-threatening diagnosis comes with a bewildering array of questions about care, which all have to be addressed under the strain of emotional stress. Partners In Care believes that a palliative care team should be involved from the very outset of a serious diagnosis, rather than waiting for the illness to progress.

Palliative care is specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses — and it’s not reserved for end-of-life scenarios. Palliative care specialists focus on improving quality of life and alleviating suffering for patients and families. This is done by expertly treating pain and other distressing symptoms. In addition, palliative care specialists listen to patients and align treatment with what is important to the patient.

Partners In Care is partnering with Summit Health and palliative care specialist Dr. Jennifer Blechman to ensure that quality palliative care is activated early to deal with both symptoms of illness and side effects of treatment. The focus is always on what matters to the patient and their loved ones, and creating the best possible quality of life under difficult circumstances.

Gilmore Dental

Good oral health means a lot more than a nice smile. The condition of our teeth is critical to our overall well-being. Studies are increasingly showing connections between oral health and serious health concerns like heart disease. And what’s going on in the rest of the body can also be reflected in our oral health.

And yet most of us don’t make that connection — and we tend to put off going to the dentist. That can be a costly mistake on several levels.

Gilmore Dental urges folks in Sisters not to let cost or insurance coverage dictate our health. Listen to dentists like Dr. Richard Gilmore, and trust that what he’s telling you is what is best for your wellbeing and functionality.

Earning trust is not just about skill in dentistry. The staff at Gilmore Dental is constantly working to communicate effectively with patients, build relationships, and improve outcomes.

Don’t wait and “fix it when it’s broken.” In the long run, you’ll save time, money, pain — and most importantly, the overall condition of your teeth and gums — by being proactive and keeping the entry point of your whole body as healthy and functional as possible.

Taught by Nadine Sims, CIYT, in her fully equipped home studio .

Ladies and yourgentlemen, a ention please

clown who juggles bowling pins while riding a unicycle.

Most of us are skilled neither in clowning nor multitasking. In everyday situations, what people call multitasking usually consists of switching back and forth between different activities, not actually doing both at once.

Imagine you’re cooking spaghetti while keeping an eye on your toddler. With each switch, from cooking to kiddo, you lose a little bit of time. Your brain, according to research, has to catch up with the activity you abandoned a few seconds before.

This is how the spaghetti sauce gets burned, the pasta ends up mushy, and the toddler proudly shows off his new Batman drawing. Which he drew with mommy’s lipstick. On a sofa cushion.

This is also how a brain gets worn out. Attention switching comes with a “switch cost,” according to Dr. Gloria Mark, author of “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity” (HarperCollins, 2023). As a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, Marks studies the effects of digital media on people’s lives.

By T. Lee Brown | Columnist

Digital technology such as phones, computers, and tablets can be useful and entertaining. These devices have been linked, however, with anxiety, depression, relationship problems, civic conflict, and lowered attention span.

That lower attention span — sticking to one task or subject only for a short time — often arises from a combination of too much screen time and increased multitasking.

The word multitasking suggests that someone is doing several things at once: Picture an expert

Switch cost is the time it takes to reorient back to your original task. Whether consciously or unconsciously, some part of your brain is doing extra work as you run from the toddler in the living room back to the kitchen stove. Where did I leave off with the ingredients for my sauce? Did I remember to change Junior’s diaper?

“That additional effort can also lead to errors and stress,” Mark told an interviewer recently. Delving into research for “Attention Span,” she found a serious decline in people’s ability to focus over the decades.

Some researchers now study our on-screen attention, our capacity to stick with a single item within a screen device. Even there, within the screen experience itself, attention spans have dived.

According to Mark, in 2004 a person’s attention on a single subject on a computer screen averaged two minutes before they felt the need to flit to something different. That’s without being interrupted by an external stimulus: phone call, notification buzz, or knock on the door.

By 2012, after the advent of the smartphone and contemporary social media, it had narrowed down to 75 seconds. Today, people on average can only pay attention to one screen for an average of 47 seconds.

That is a mighty short span of time for anyone who hopes to finish a spreadsheet, delve deeply into any subject matter, or, say, write a newspaper column. Less than a minute before we find ourselves wanting to check email or TikTok or Mastodon or YouTube or hey! Look at that squirrel!

As any hands-on parent, first responder, dispatcher, doctor on call, teacher, or receptionist can attest, constant interruptions frazzle our capacity to engage in profound, sustained thinking. Doing two things sort of simultaneously usually means doing one, or both, with less care and quality.

This principle does not necessarily apply when doing repetitive physical action, which drops people into a positive state called parallel processing. Uninterrupted driving, painting, knitting, or folding socks can increase the depth and originality of people’s ideas.

Author Nicholas Carr lamented our devolution into Homer Simpson-level attention spans in “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains” (Norton, 2010). When I interviewed him for Plazm magazine, Carr noted, “The ability to multitask is one of the essential strengths of our amazing brains.... But as neurobiologists and psychologists have shown, we pay a price when we multitask.”

Because our attention span governs the depth of thought and memory, Carr explained, when we multitask we sacrifice understanding and learning. “We do more but know less,” Carr said. “And the more tasks we juggle and the more quickly we switch between them, the higher the cognitive price we pay.”

The problem today is not that we multitask, according to Carr. “We’ve always multitasked. The problem is that we never stop multitasking...The data barrage never lets up.”

and the effect of digital media on our everyday lives.

Tips and tricks to improve our attention spans

It doesn’t take a researcher to tell most folks: We’re often fragmented, interrupted, overwhelmed, glued to items on our phones and TVs that provide only a momentary flash of pleasure. We’re frazzled by the technology in our busy lives.

When we do consult the researchers, we find that the average person’s on-screen attention span has withered to a pathetic 47 seconds. The results on our lives and minds? Not so great (see story above)

The good news is, we can boost our attention just like we can exercise muscles to regain strength. With the following tips and tricks, we can tame the tech frazzle and add attention-boosting habits into our days.

Turn off notifications

Do you really need your leg to buzz every

CONTINUES ON PAGE 20

Ladies and gentlemen and nonbinary folks — your attention please! Care to boost your mood and productivity?

Care about the quality of your work, personal projects, and relationships?

Try beefing up your attention span.

Dr. Gloria Mark studies attention span

PHOTO PROVIDED

PHOTO BY TL BROWNN

Some researchers now study our

multitask we sacrifice understanding and learning. “We do more but know less,” Carr said. “And that according to Carr. “We’ve always multitasked.

FOCUS on Health

Focused on travel for health & wellness?

Waymire Travel Store

The new year has arrived, and it’s time to make 2023 your best year ever!

If you are focusing on health and wellness, why not make travel a part of your new routine?

Travel is good for us — invigorating mind, body, and spirit.

There are many options for organized hiking and biking tours as well as many luxury hotels that focus on health and wellness. These properties include a variety of wellness programs, including daily hiking tours, yoga, spiritual meditation, and other wholesome activities. Daily menus offer healthy dining options at these resorts. Additionally, spa treatments and other fitness programs are available.

If you are interested in exploring a healthy travel option, sit down with your local travel advisor, Susan Waymire, CTC, who has 35 years of industry experience and has explored many active travel adventures herself. Waymire’s travels have included helicopter hiking and via ferrata in Canada, exploring Egypt and Saudi Arabia, snorkeling the Galapagos, and a safari in Kenya.

Your next adventure awaits! For a small fee, broaden your horizon and enlist the assistance of your local professional.

Redbird Physio

Redbird Physio originated in Bend and has since opened clinics in Redmond and, most recently, Sisters. They are thrilled to bring a team of expert physical therapists to the Sisters community and get to know patients as they help to restore their physical health.

The name Redbird is derived from the phoenix, the bird that rose from the ashes. The physical therapists at Redbird Physio are committed to helping people rise up and get their adventure back. They create a fun, relaxed environment — with a serious, science-based approach to rehab.

Redbird welcomes Ida Kolodziejczyk to their team. Ida has a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience from Westminster College and earned a doctorate of physical therapy from the University of Michigan-Flint.

She enjoys treating a variety of conditions, with special interests in pain science and vestibular rehabilitation. She aspires to provide people with the education, tools, and empowerment to return to what they love doing.

As a native to Central Oregon, Kolodziejczyk enjoys any activity where she can immerse herself in nature’s wonders.

Woods Ortho

Everybody wants to have a dazzling smile. At first glance, it seems that orthodontics is simply about looks.

In fact, correcting problems with bite and tooth alignment is vital to good health. A misaligned bite or crooked teeth can mean a lifetime of damaged teeth, and even problems chewing food and breathing.

And we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of appearance. It’s not mere vanity. Bad teeth can affect both the way you carry yourself and the way others perceive you. Your smile has a big impact on how you walk in the world.

Getting to that great smile can be a daunting prospect, and for some folks it’s an anxiety trigger. Dr. Shannon Woods has made putting patients at ease at the very heart of her practice. Creating a fun environment is important to building a successful, ongoing doctor-patient relationship. That’s particularly important with orthodontics, as you’re going to be working with your doctor for a while.

You don’t have to drive to Bend to access Woods Ortho’s services. Through a partnership with Sisters Dental, Dr. Shannon Woods is available right here in Sisters.

Kolodziejczyk

time someone posts something on Instagram? Is every text message urgent? For most people the answer is no. Go into your phone’s settings and turn off all notifications except incoming phone calls; you might set up filters on those too. Tell your boss, family, and friends to voice-call you in case of emergency.

Take healthy breaks

With our shortened attention spans, we may find it harder to sit still and take in information, or to work efficiently. If you’re flitting from item to item, rereading sentences... step away from the screen for 20 to 30 minutes.

The nature walk

The best break is a walk outside, preferably in nature. Pay attention to the sky, clouds, and treetops. Stand barefoot for a while. If you’re in town, notice the street trees, the interesting weeds poking up through sidewalk cracks.

Quality time with your dog or child may be valuable, but consider taking short solo walks where your attention is all yours. As you relax, a phenomenon called divergent thinking may emerge, where original ideas arise in your mind.

For those with limited mobility, try observing nature at a window. Have someone bring you potted plants, rocks, pine cones, and leaves. Hold these in your hands to connect with the earth. Fill a large tray with sand and sink your bare feet into it.

Hide your tech—and your kids’ tech too

Taking a walk? Turn your phone off and bury it in the bottom of your backpack. Having lunch with a friend, but need to keep your phone on? Set it to urgent notifications only, and keep it buried in your bag, not on the table.

If helping your household enact tech limits, unplug your wifi router and/or modem, wrap them in a pillowcase, and hide them on a closet shelf. Consider buying a lockbox where small gaming consoles, phones, and modem cables rest after 9 p.m. An ammo case from Bi-Mart with a padlock will do just fine for many.

This is especially essential for kids, teens, and young adults, who need far more sleep than most are getting. Depression, anxiety, and suicide are on the rise among this age group. Help them sleep and set tech limits.

Hide the time-suckers

Out of sight, out of mind. You’ve turned off notifications. Now get the most tempting, time-sucking apps pushed deeper into your device. Bury the icon for that one game, nested in a folder inside a folder. Make it difficult to get at your social media app.

Or delete it altogether. Decide when and where you’ll use that problem app. At that time of day, download it again, enter your login credentials, and set a timer. Use it, then delete app and data again.

Establish boundaries

Ask friends or family to plan for tech-free

STAYING HEALTHY WORDFIND

gatherings. “Let’s have a phone-free lunch!” is not an unreasonable request. Alternately, try allowing a five-minute window for taking photos and showing each other existing photos on your phones. Then put them away.

Those of us who’ve used Zoom and similar technology for online meetings since long before Covid know the truth: Multitasking during meetings is rude and tends to produce mediocre thinking. Managers: For higher-level results, set expectations that meetings are not multitasking zones.

Read Dr. Gloria Mark, author of “Attention Span: A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity” (HarperCollins, 2023) recommends reading from printed materials, like newspapers and books, 20 minutes a day to rebuild your attention skills.

Block with apps

Apps and trackers such as Freedom, SelfControl, and Screen Time help users demarcate periods of time when their most distracting sites or apps simply won’t work.

Digital Day Off (DDO):

Taking a day off from all digital tech can feel fantastic. Doing it once a week allows people to reconnect with different aspects of their lives. Also called Digital Sabbath or Digital Shabbat, getting into the DDO groove can take some practice and planning. We’ll cover the specifics in a later issue of The Nugget.

MATH SQUARE

Use the numbers 1 through 16 to complete the equations. Each number is only used once. Each row is a math equation. Each column is a math equation. Remember that multiplication and division are performed before addition and subtraction.

SUDOKU EASY PEASY!

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down, and each small nine-box square contains all of the numbers from 1 to 9.

Find words forward, backward, horizontally, or diagonally.

Analise Backus

Analise Backus came to Sisters High School in her freshman year Her family was seeking a smalle r, more intimate school communit y than what she would ha ve found in Bend. And Analise found her place in that communit y.

“I’m just close to a lot of my teachers and a lot of my peers,” she said. “I think being close to the people around you makes dayto-day life much more enjoyable.”

She is ce rtain that the atmosphere of Sisters High School has made such connections possible

“You know ever ybody,” she said. “It’s much more of a close community.”

Backus plays soccer, but her main focus is in the classroom , where she excels in math and science classes

“I like to learn and understand, so I work hard,” she said

Her math classes combined with experience working in a doctor’s of fice to spark a love for neuroscience, which she intends to pursue in college. She says she has a lo t of ideas about where she might

go to school af ter graduation, but has not settled on a particular option yet. Wherever she goes, she plans to explore the interest she has developed in the brain-body connection

I am so excited that Analise is student of the month. It was pure joy building a guitar with her She is not only mature, smart, but also fun to be around. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future. —

Tony Cosby

Analise has all the important stuff She’s smart, gritty, funny, caring, insightful... She made every class she was in better Seeing Analise put a smile on my face every day I can’t wait to see what she does with her life in the next few years. I’d bet she will fill those years with adventure, growth, and dedication to those fortunate enough to be her people. Good times!

— Dan O’Neill

Analise excels in the classroom and beyond, and she has a positive and friendly presence in our school community! — Steve

Stancliff

Analise is a strong thinker Her humor brightens those around her, and her disciplined work ethic elevates our learning community. We are lucky Analise is an Outlaw! — Rima Givot

Analise is an exemplary student, and thoughtful, insightful human being. —

Charlie Kanzig

COMMERCIAL: Area expected to become hub of activity

Continued from page 3

superintendent, is already fretting about staffing, and told a recent gathering that he expects a severe teachershortage crisis in five years.

“If anything holds businesses back in signing off on Sisters, it’s the workforce,” Strobel told The Nugget.

Unless the job is managerial or professional in nature, those who can afford Sisters’ home prices, workers will still have to come from Redmond or Bend, a commute that is not currently feasible for lower-wage earners, Strobel elaborated.

He also sees more space in Sisters being taken up by the services industry — plumbers, electricians, cabinet makers, and the like, many already here and growing out of their current location.

Indeed, Ponderosa Plumbing will occupy two of six bays in the 41,000-squarefoot Lot 5 building underway in Three Peaks Industrial Park and will build out 3,798 square feet of warehouse space and 3,056 square feet of showroom and office on the first floor, plus 2,972 square feet of office on the second floor.

Eckert says he knows of at least two major employers in Sisters who are at maximum capacity and will have no choice but to expand into new space. Those two are joined by another large employer at Eagle Airport, ENERGYneering, experiencing rapid growth and bulging at the seams.

Rob Moneyhan, a developer in Lake Oswego, is not put off by a slowing national economy. He purchased the three lots to the east of Laird from the maker of specialty foods who recently moved its production to Utah for logistical reasons.

Moneyhan doesn’t expect

to have units built out until 2024. Some of the space will be demised to as little as 900 square feet, just the kind of commercial rental property suited for one-tofour-employee operations like insurance agents, mortgage brokers, or medical practitioners.

As Sisters inevitably grows, it will need more of these kinds of businesses to cater to the new arrivals, Strobel explains. He sees the whole of northeast Sisters being the commercial hub of Sisters Country.

The area is already thriving with the additions in the last few years of Fika Sisters Coffeehouse, the Sisters Coffee Co. roastery, Holy Kakow, Funky Fauna, HomeStyle Furnishings, The Kitchen Table, Gallacher Plumbing, and The 1687 Foundation. Several artists have studios in the quadrant.

Jed and Layne Cook Johnson, post-retiree artists, are keen on Sisters’ potential. They are about halfway finished for 2,666 square feet being built as a two-story, live-work structure next door to Bird Gard. The Johnsons will occupy the space, living upstairs with their studio and workshop downstairs. They will sell the remaining three lots in the parcel to similar users.

EDCO is the primary clearing house for businesses looking to make a footprint in Sisters. Both Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Sisters occasionally get the first inquiry, but eventually it winds up at EDCO.

“It’s a team effort,” Strobel said.

LETTERS

Continued from page 2

well-being of families and nature and contentment. The love of life was truly evident in the lives of these people. Then one day some people came to town and saw how they could buy land, build more houses, develop the town. Not in the name of community, but for profit and greed. Slowly at first, the town began to change. It got harder and harder to buy smaller and more cheaply built houses. There were people camping in the woods. People started to lock their doors. People didn’t smile as much. This untethered growth grew faster and faster. There was trash in the streets. Theft in the stores, and more and more people coming to make a profit.

It was no longer the town the longtime residents had loved.

Sadly, this is the nightmare our amazing little town is facing. We need to get involved with local government and make sure we our community. Less is more, and we need to let our planners know this in no uncertain terms.

Debra Lajko

s s s

Can Sisters be affordable again?

To the Editor:

Jan and I sold our home in Redmond in 2020 and moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania — primarily to live next door to my son, Chris, and his young family (four under the age of 10). It’s been a little over two years and we’re now ready to come back to Central Oregon.

Having lived in Sisters for 20 years (19922012) we’d love to come back and have been searching for an affordable home that we, now in our late 60s and partly retired, could afford. But that clearly doesn’t exist.

It reminds me of an article I wrote for The Nugget way back in August 2008. Granted, this was during the Great Recession, but it appears that conditions have not changed:

https://nuggetnews.com/Content/ Business/Business/Article/Sisters-continuesto-wrestle-with-affordable-housing/7/88/14772?s=1.

The fear I heard from people back in those days was that “Sisters would become the

Aspen of Oregon.”

I certainly hope the City Council and economic development are actively working toward making Sisters Country affordable again.

Bill Mintiens

Bill Mintiens is a freelance journalist who wrote many articles for The Nugget. s s s

Wrestling with language

To the Editor:

Your editorial of January 25 nailed a challenging subject (“What’s in a name? A lot, it turns out,” The Nugget, page 2)

We are all wrestling with language use today.

I propose that the challenge isn’t really about words. It’s about love and respect. When we finally all learn how to love and respect each and every man, woman, and child walking this earth, accepting each person as a whole, valuable being, we will no longer be so sensitive about language. That’s just an excuse for some to demean and others to take offense.

I spent years leading programs with groups of people working through the process of uncovering their core values. During those countless programs people were amazed to find that we all, regardless of outer differences, value basically the same things. This is a key to building mutual respect.

Bless Brian David Owens for his service to this great country. Let’s remember that we are all beautiful, valuable, loving souls under many varied surfaces.

Jean Nave s s s

When is enough enough?

To the Editor:

I was just hand-delivered a notice of a proposed zone-code change for the area framed by Trinity Way, North Desert Loop, and McKinney Butte Road which takes in the three churches that front Highway 242. This code change would add yet another high-density residential area. Really?

(See related story, “Affordable housing

See LETTERS on page 27

If anything holds businesses back in signing off on Sisters, it’s the workforce.

— Eric Strobel

RISK MAP: Legislative action could alter wildfire work

Continued from page 1

stated that “following conversations last week with the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Programs Advisory Council, the State has decided to postpone the release of an updated draft of the map, which was planned for March 2023.”

“As we’ve been working with Oregon State University (OSU) on technical adjustments to the map and planning for community outreach and engagement, we’ve also been keeping a close eye on the policy conversations happening in different venues,” said Cal Mukumoto, Oregon state forester and director of the Oregon Department of Forestry. “There were some great recommendations that came out of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council’s first annual report and opportunities identified by Wildfire Programs Director Doug Grafe related to the map that I hope the Legislature gets the opportunity to explore during this session.”

Those recommendations are in addition to several bills proposing a variety of changes, ranging from which areas are assigned a risk classification to abolishing the map entirely.

“We want to avoid expending resources on work that may not align with new direction that may come from the Legislature this session,” Mukumoto said.

Without knowing what decisions will be made by the Legislature, the Department does not yet know how long it will take to implement that direction.

Members of both the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council have expressed support for continued mapping of wildfire hazards to identify where to direct investments in wildfire mitigation activities including fuels reduction and building defensible space.

“Our goal this session is to get resources and expertise to Oregonians already doing good work on the ground to protect their properties and neighborhoods,” said Sen. Jeff Golden (D), Ashland. Golden chairs the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and was the chief sponsor of SB 762, which allocated more than $220 million to help Oregon modernize and improve wildfire preparedness.

“It’s important to get that done and to do all we can to ease the homeowner insurance challenges that the era of megafires has brought us before moving forward with any map.”

There is also broad

recognition of the need for increased outreach, education, and engagement with communities. “We need an integrated, coordinated and robust communications and outreach effort across all Senate Bill 762 programs to help property owners understand what their classification means, how they can better protect their homes, and what resources are available to help them with that work,” said Mark Bennett, chair of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council.

Oregon State University, ODF’s partner in the development of the map, will lend technical expertise to upcoming educational efforts related to wildfire risk and hazard.

“We are prepared to support state agencies in education plans and will help develop and implement an operational plan as needed,” said Tom DeLuca, dean of OSU’s College of Forestry.

Other state agencies with SB 762 responsibilities that have a nexus to the map are Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Consumer and Business Services — Building Codes Division, and the Department of Land Conservation and Development.

“The success of this whole program depends on strong collaboration between state government, local leaders, and property owners in wildfire-prone areas. Building that partnership has to be job number one over the coming months,” Golden explained. “When we feel like we’re pulling in the same direction, we’ll be ready for a much better conversation about the map.”

While the Legislature is in session, the Department will:

• Continue to work with OSU on exploring technical adjustments in response to feedback received on the initial map.

• Follow the progress of bills related to the risk map to plan for any rulemaking actions or other activities required to implement new or changed legislative direction.

• Work with the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council to identify community needs and with partner agencies on outreach, education, and engagement.

Watch out for tax season scams

It’s that time of year when we do our taxes — but it’s also the same time that tax scammers go to work. What scams should you watch for — and how can you avoid being victimized?

Sadly, the list of scams is pretty long, including demands for payment or requests for “additional information” pertaining to your tax refund, in which the sender asks for your Social Security number and other personal information. These scam emails can look quite official, often incorporating the IRS logo. You might also receive scam text messages containing bogus links claiming to be the IRS website or an online “tool” that can help process your refund faster.

But keep these points in mind:

• The IRS generally won’t contact you by phone and won’t contact you by email, text messages or social media channels to ask for personal or financial information. The IRS begins most correspondence to taxpayers through regular mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

• The IRS won’t call to demand you make an immediate payment through a prepaid debit card or wire transfer. If you owe taxes, the IRS generally will mail you a bill. And the IRS won’t threaten to bring in the police or another law enforcement group to arrest you for not paying your taxes.

In general, be extremely skeptical about any type of communication purporting to be from the IRS that sounds bullying or overinquisitive — and certainly don’t give out any personal or financial information. But these fake messages aren’t the only tax-season scams out there. You might even receive a direct deposit from what appears to be the U.S. Treasury Department — but if you weren’t expecting it, something’s likely not right. This payment could be a sign that a fraudulent

• Large organic produce selection

• Huge organic & natural selection storewide

• Meat cut & ground fresh daily

• Huge bulk-foods depar tment

• All your favorite local brands & items

• Only 20 minutes from Sisters

• Proud to

tax return was filed in your name, and it might be followed by a communication from a supposed IRS agent requesting this overpayment be sent to them. If this happens to you, you’ll want to contact the IRS right away, and you could also ask your bank to return the deposit to the government.

Other scams don’t claim to originate directly from the IRS, as scammers pretend to be from real or imaginary tax organizations. For example, you could get a message from the Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS, but this agency won’t contact you without a legitimate reason. Or you could receive a message from the nonexistent “Bureau of Tax Enforcement.” Your best bet is to delete these messages immediately or send them to your spam folder.

Not all tax season scams

originate from fraudulent IRS representatives or fake agencies. You also need to be careful about whom you hire to prepare your taxes. If possible, get a recommendation from a trusted friend or family member. And keep in mind that a legitimate tax preparer must have a valid Preparer Tax Identification Number and must sign your tax return. If someone doesn’t have this number or is reluctant to sign your return, it may well be a sign that this individual is a “ghost preparer” who only wants to pocket your fee.

Tax scammers are, unfortunately, here to stay — but remaining vigilant can help you keep them from causing problems for you in this tax season and all the ones in the future.

This article was written by Edward Jones and provided by local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Karen Kassy, CRPC

Cultivating Community IN SISTERS

Steve Stratos Columnist

It might be said that I grew up in community. My parents divorced before my first birthday, and Dad and I went to live with my grandparents. My dad was the youngest of their 11 children, and we all lived together in a big three-story house. Aunts and uncles and cousins lived on the first floor. Dad and I and my grandparents and an uncle lived on the second floor. On the third floor were more aunts, uncle, and cousins.

It seemed like the original big fat Greek family. While I was an only child, I was never alone.

The joy of family and relational flourishing was a great environment for growth. It seemed right. There was no time for alienation or loneliness. Everyone watched out for you. It was community at its finest.

As a pastor at Sisters Community Church, I am grateful that a part of our purpose is to cultivate community. A church doesn’t exist without community. As believers we understand we are made “in the image of God” and “it is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 1:27, 2:18).

The recognition of unity with diversity is at the heart of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Spirit — each are uniquely different but bonded together as One. Being created in the image of God, we are irreducibly relational. We’re born with a need to unite with others. This is the good news, and where we find meaning. This is unity in the midst of diversity.

However, we live in a culture of rugged individualism, where ultimate authority is given to the psychological self. Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am.” My truth supersedes our truth. Our differences separate us, and we struggle to come together. Community is lost. Self reigns! We look across our country and see alienation and loneliness. There seems to be no attempt to create understanding, cross

the aisle, build trust. There is a loss of community. There is a loss of incentive to create a better world for all of us. But unless we unite — as community — we won’t be able to fix this.

As a church we celebrate the individual. We recognize everyone’s unique gifts, skills, and abilities. At the same time, we know we’re all part of a larger family, a community that gives each of us a greater purpose. We realize that our individuality is necessary to flourish within community. Like the human body, each separate part — whether hand, foot, ears, or eyes — is vital to good health and functionality.

In a world without community, isolation, fear, mistrust, and judgmentalism take over. Relationships suffer. Ancient philosophers believed community was essential for human flourishing. They understood the value of each person’s contribution created a better world. King Solomon said, “Two are better than one.”

According to a 2018 national survey by Cigna, loneliness levels have reached an all-time high, with nearly half of 20,000 U.S. adults reporting they sometimes or always feel alone. Forty percent of survey participants also reported they sometimes or always feel that their relationships are not meaningful and that they feel isolated. This survey, taken before Covid pandemic shutdowns, was a warning that community was at risk and on the decline.

As our church plans for 2023, cultivating community is one of our top priorities. We want to be a solution to these statistics. That means asking ourselves: How do we use our facility to meet needs in our community? How do we continue to care for those who have lost loved ones? How do we help those in need of the necessities most take for granted?

We can’t do it alone. Joining together with the larger community, we can help Sisters become a place where people feel a part of something bigger. Together we can flourish and enjoy the fulfillment of helping and needing one another. If you need help, or want to help, check out our community care page at www.sisterschurch.com.

We offer services like free firewood delivery, snow removal, yard work, moving help, meal delivery... and prayer. Our goal is to help and bless our town.

Our 2023 resolution continues to be: Connect with God, Care for People, Cultivate our Community.

...local

The Nugget is also the place to find interesting stories of people in our community living intentionally and helping to make our community special. And let’s not forget the opinions of our diverse community members: The Nugget is a place to discover what others are thinking about issues (and a place for you to express your views as well).

• Got thoughtful opinions you’d like to share? Submit a letter to the editor (300 words or less) to editor@nuggetnews.com. Have more to say than that? Discuss a guest editorial with Jim Cornelius.

• Support the businesses that advertise in The Nugget

• Read your Nugget — and discuss the articles that garnered your attention with a friend or neighbor

Each week The Nugget delivers hyper-local news coverage of what matters to you and your neighbors...

government, land use, forestry, schools, environment, art & music scene, high school sports, business, and more.

Nugget staff (left to right): Leith Easterling, Vicki Curlett, Janice Hoffman, Jess Draper, Jim Cornelius, and Kit Tosello.

Stars over Sisters

By Molly Greaney &

Despite February’s propensity for clouds and cold temperatures, there are many fine spectacles to behold in Central Oregon’s starry realm when skies are clear. This month’s constellation of focus is Canis Major. It is a medium-sized constellation, 43rd largest, and is situated southeast of Orion.

Canis Major is unique among the constellations in that it contains the brightest star in the sky, namely Sirius, which shines with a blazing apparent magnitude of -1.42. This brilliant luminary stands about 25 degrees above the southern horizon at 9 p.m. local time.

Sirius has yet another claim to fame, in that it is a binary star whose companion, Sirius B, is the brightest and nearest white dwarf star. White dwarfs are tiny, dim,very dense dying stars that have spent all their nuclear fuel, the ultimate fate of all medium- to lowmass stars, including our sun. A spoonful of material from Sirius B would weigh (on Earth) two metric tons!

The constellation’s most notable deep-sky object is Messier 41, an open cluster containing around 100 stars, found about 4 degrees south of Sirius. Other deepsky items worthy of mention include the Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, emission nebula NGC 2359 (Thor’s Helmet), and two galaxies in the process of colliding.

NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are a pair of spiral galaxies

February Poetry

Something New

ByRhondaMoss

Snow keeps falling, falling, falling

Tears keep falling, too

Will they ever stop?

Sometimes, I don’t know what to do

The pain is so deep

Will I make it through?

The snow is so heavy now

Perching on the branches

Some trees are buckling under the pressure

The weak ones are falling over

Am I strong enough to hold the heaviness of my grief?

Or will it weigh me down so much

That I fall too?

Can I hold on long enough

For the sun to melt the snow?

Or until the wind blows it away?

Will the sun shine again

that are so close together in space that they are gravitationally interacting with each other. The larger galaxy NGC 2207 (at left in photo) is pulling vast amounts of gas and dust from its smaller neighbor, which will eventually increase the rate of star formation in both galaxies. They are expected to merge into a single elliptical galaxy in approximately one billion years.

According to Greek mythology, Canis Major, or the “greater dog,” follows Orion the hunter across the sky. The canine appears to be standing on its hind legs chasing a hare, representing the constellation Lepus.

First-century Roman poet Marcus Manilius described Canis Major as “the dog with the blazing face” because brilliant Sirius is located within its jaws. He is associated with the Laelaps, the fastest hound in the world. Zeus put the speedy dog in the sky after he was stuck in an unending race with a fox.

On February 1, the sun will rise at 7:24 a.m. and set at 5:16 p.m. from our location here in Sisters. But as our life-sustaining star continues its slow ascent into the sky, sunrise will occur 39 minutes earlier and sunset 37 minutes later by the end of the month.

Discovered in March 2022, the green-colored comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) is

currently cruising through the inner solar system. It reached perihelion (closest point to the sun) on January 12 and will pass within 27 million miles of Earth on February 2. So far, the comet has only been seen/imaged through telescopes, but by late January into February it might become visible through a pair of ordinary binoculars or possibly the naked eye. Unless the comet brightens dramatically, the best chance of finding it might be on February 10 when it will pass very close to the planet Mars in Taurus. Take your best shot at this comet because it may turn out to be the brightest one in 2023.

The full moon on February 5 and an advanced waxing trend toward the end of the month will result in bright evening skies. Plan your stargazing activities for the darker conditions that will prevail near mid-month, such as searching for comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF).

February’s dark-sky tip is to turn off lights when not in use. Whenever possible, use electrical timers to turn your outdoor lights on and off at the same time every night. Otherwise, shut off porch and property lights when you go inside or go to bed for the night. This will conserve electricity, save you money, and help reduce our community’s growing light dome.

POETRY IN FEBRUARY

The Nugget is going to print some poetry; Works of written word that are yours solely. Haiku, couplet, limerick ...to name a few; Send to jess@nuggetnews.com for

And melt the heaviness of my pain?

The snow melts

Spring comes

And flowers bloom again

I, too, will have new life

If I let the son of God shine through

His love can take away all my pain and sadness

And make something new.

Ode to Busy

ByAlissaCowan

When life is spinning all around

“Just one second,” is the phrase that is found

We find that in life people don’t want to slow down

Fast food, self checkout, automated teller, texting and takeout

The world is speeding up, forgetting what the important things are about

Alarms go off, we speed to work,

There is a slow car in front of us, “What a complete jerk”

Our day is overwhelming, overburdened and stressed

There’s just not enough time to clean up the mess

We get home tired and just want to relax

To veg with a movie, a video game and some snacks

The children keep wanting attention and whine

You give them a computer or cell phone, so you have some time

Back to work the next morning, full force, at the grind

You’re late, rushing, running, without enough time

It’s too much to handle, always trying to pass ‘Go’

Why are we always in such a hurry? Most of us don’t know.

What happened to the days of stillness, the summer porch swings

Reading a book, playing board games, talking in person, about all that life brings

Sharing memories with family, making Grandma’s recipe

Life’s gotten too busy, now there’s not enough time for me

How much are we missing, life is passing us by

Are we afraid if we slow down, we might want to cry?

To feel the feelings, one by one

Acknowledging them, not judging when they come

We have been so busy avoiding, stuffing, and numbing our feelings

We get embarrassed or ashamed as we wipe our eyes,

Hiding our problems and struggles, feeling unrelatable inside

Isolated and alone, pretending we are ‘good’

“How are you?”

“Good. How are you?”

“Good.”

Why are we living in a lie?

What would happen if we shared our grief, stresses, struggles and pain?

Would we be judged, or lose friends, or share tears in the rain?

We all have feelings, some may even feel the same

But in a world where no one talks about them, we may all feel alone in our pain

Spend real time with family, have them over or call

Share with a trusted friend, being vulnerable helps when you fall

We all live and breathe, have feelings and cares

Can we be compassionate, without judgment as we begin to share?

Let the world in its orbit keep spinning round

As for us, let’s share life while we’re here on the ground

Through thick and thin, let love abound

Don’t do it alone, let’s all slow down

Devan Hepburn

Columnists

Two spiral galaxies, located approximately 80 million light-years away in the constellation of Canis Major, are colliding with each other.

PHOTO COURTESY NASA/HST

Continued

project slated for Sisters,” page 1.)

I find it ironic that when you open Sisters’ 2040 Comprehensive Plan, on the very introduction page you have a beautiful photo of a deer with fawns.

Then you scroll down to “Environment Goals” and read Goal 6.1:

Protect, conserve, and enhance the quality of the City’s natural and scenic resources; maintain the quality of its air, land, water wildlife habitat; and improve community health.

I must have missed something here, but how can you protect and conserve our natural resources when you continue to bulldoze good trees, add more cars, stir up dust with heavy equipment, and then drive our wildlife (literally) from their homes?

Now you’re proposing to add high density with this code change?

I hope you plan to increase along with it double the open space for people to be people and wildlife to survive, but then we need a magician for that.

This is crazy. We need to ask ourselves, When is enough, enough?

Linda Warnholtz

Measure 114

To the Editor:

Thank you, Dr. Steven Blauvelt, for your letter to the editor in last week’s Nugget regarding Oregon’s Ballot Measure 114.

This past summer, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The last major gun legislation passed by Congress was almost 30 years ago, the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban. Among other provisions, this new law will incentivize states to create red-flag laws and give states more funding for school safety and mental health resources. Even so, in order to get enough Republican support, Democrats had to remove a ban on assault weapons, a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, and could not even keep assault weapons out of the hands of teenagers by raising the age to purchase from 18 to 21.

Even with all these major concessions, negotiations almost broke down over the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” The bill expands an existing law that prevents people convicted of domestic abuse from owning a gun to also include dating partners, rather than just people who are married. Republicans argued over the definition of the word “boyfriend.”

Federal crime data for 2020 shows that out of all murder victims among intimate partners, girlfriends accounted for 37 percent, wives accounted for 34 percent. Six hundred women a year die at the hands of a domestic abuser with a gun. That equals one woman being murdered every 14 hours.

Trying to justify allowing any domestic violence abusers to purchase a gun shows you just how craven these people are, but elected Republicans know that if they do what’s right their lunatic fringe will kick them out of office. So they’ll continue to whine and complain about those poor gun owners’ rights being taken away and will offer not one meaningful, common sense solution. Measure 114 is an important first step in restoring some sanity to the gun violence discussion.

Terry Weygandt

To the Editor:

s s

Overpopulation

I agree completely with Ms. Prince’s letter of January 25. There is one cause of all of the world’s problems: overpopulation. There are too many of us. Too many houses, too many cars, too much everything.

We consume, we devour, we destroy everything in our path, with no mercy on the environment. We encroach on wildlife habitat with reckless abandon.

When aliens visit our planet hundreds years of years from now, they will say, “What have you ignorant, stupid people done to your planet?”

James Petray

Have mercy

To the Editor:

Cynicism, irony, and depravation in one sentence. What will eventually solve the burgeoning Sisters community homeless-in-the-forest conundrum will be a drop in the property value of homes closest to the encampments, perhaps even entire neighborhoods or the whole town itself. Whether good and proper or poor and unseemly, a solution will then materialize. Have mercy on us all.

Chris Morin

By Jacqueline E. Mathews, Tribune

Service

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.

202 Firewood

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

205 Garage & Estate Sales

Online Jewelry Auction!

A mixture of designers from "home shopping": Jay King, Carolyn Pollock, Kenneth J Lane & Honora Pearls, plus a few local Central Oregon artists. To view & register go to HiBid.com.

Hosted by Happy Trails!!!

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

We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ Call Jeff at 541-815-7397

Sisters Car Connection da#3919

MOVING TRUCK FOR HIRE

–COMPLETE MOVING, LLC–

Sisters' Only Local Moving Co.!

Two exp. men with 25+ years

comm. moving. Refs! ODOT Lic.

Class 1-B • Call 541-678-3332

BOOKKEEPING SERVICE

~ Olivia Spencer ~

Expert Local Bookkeeping!

Phone: 541-241-4907

www.spencerbookkeeping.com

~ WEDDINGS BY KARLY ~

Happy to perform virtual or in-person weddings.

Custom Wedding Ceremonies

20+ years • 541-410-4412

revkarly@gmail.com

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

SISTERS SATELLITE

TV • PHONE • INTERNET

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

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792

Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com

104 Vacation Rentals

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

www.SistersVacation.com

Downtown Vacation Rental

Five star. 1 and 2 bedroom. SistersVacationRentals.net

Great pricing. 503-730-0150

200 Business Opportunities

ATTENTION CRAFTERS !

SPRING FAIR March 24-26 at Douglas County Fairgrounds. Our 46th Year! Booths available for quality crafts. For info send SASE to: Spring Fair 2023

P.O. BOX 22, Dillard, OR 97432 Or email: innerspacefamily@gmail.com

201 For Sale

QUALITY HAY FOR SALE

1st and 2nd cutting available. Barn stored, no rain. Call 541-279-5252 or 541-420-1764.

Power Reclining Love Seat w/ adjustable headrest. Tan leather color, almost new $1,000. Call 541-241-0420.

SistersCarConnection.com

401 Horses

HORSE BOARDING

Minutes from Sisters

www.LazyZRanch.com Call 541-588-5299

403 Pets

Three Rivers Humane Society

Where love finds a home!

See the doggies at 1694 SE McTaggart in Madras • A no-kill shelter. Go to ThreeRiversHS.org or call 541-475-6889

FURRY FRIENDS

helping Sisters families w/pets. FREE Dog & Cat Food No contact pick-up by appt. 412 E. Main Ave., Ste. 4 541-797-4023

500 Services

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

Your authorized local dealer for DirecTV, ViaSat HS Internet and more! CCB # 191099

541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729

502 Carpet & Upholstery

Cleaning

GORDON’S

LAST TOUCH

Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY

Member Better Business Bureau

• Bonded & Insured •

Serving Central Oregon

Since 1980

Call 541-549-3008

M & J CARPET CLEANING

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

504 Handyman

SISTERS HONEYDO

General repairs, interior painting and trim, carpentry, drywall, lighting, and much more-just ask.

25+ yrs. Maint. exp./local refs.

Scott Dady 541-728-4266

JONES UPGRADES LLC

Home Repairs & Remodeling

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

TIMBER STAND IMPROVEMENT

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

— Certified Arborist — Nate Goodwin 541-771-4825

Online at: www.tsi.services

CCB#190496 • ISA #PN7987A

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

601 Construction CENIGA'S MASONRY, INC.

Brick • Block • Stone • Pavers CCB #181448 – 541-350-6068

www.CenigasMasonry.com

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

Earthwood Timberframes

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

The Nugget is on FACEBOOK!

Mike Jones, 503-428-1281

Local resident • CCB #201650

600 Tree Service & Forestry

– Sisters Oregon Guide –Pick one up throughout town!

Top Knot Tree Care can handle all of your tree needs, from trims to removals.

Specializing in tree assessment, hazard tree removal, crown reduction, ladder fuel reduction, lot clearing, ornamental and fruit tree trimming and care.

• Locally owned and operated •

• Senior and military discounts •

• Free

Contact Bello Winter @ 541-419-9655, Find us on Google CCB#238380

• Design & shop fabrication

• Recycled fir and pine beams

• Mantels and accent timbers

• Sawmill/woodshop services www.earthwoodhomes.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

Pat Burke

LOCALLY OWNED

CRAFTSMAN BUILT

CCB: 288388 • 541-588-2062 www.sistersfencecompany.com

Custom Homes

Residential Building Projects

Concrete Foundations

Becke William Pierce

CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com

603 Excavation & Trucking

ROBINSON & OWEN

Heavy Construction, Inc.

All your excavation needs

*General excavation

*Site Preparation

*Sub-Divisions

*Road Building

*Sewer and Water Systems

*Underground Utilities

*Grading

*Sand-Gravel-Rock

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

CCB #124327

541-549-1848

BANR Enterprises, LLC

Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls

Residential & Commercial

CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977

www.BANR.net

Full Service Excavation

J&E Landscaping Maintenance

LLC Clean-ups, raking, hauling debris, gutters.

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

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

Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com

999 Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the City of Sisters City Council will conduct a public hearing at Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters, on February 22, 2023 at 5:30 PM regarding the application listed below. The hearing will be held according to SDC Chapter 4.1 and the rules of procedure adopted by the City Council and available at City Hall.

Prior to the public hearing, written comments may be provided to Sisters City Hall at 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters (mailing address PO Box 39, Sisters, OR 97759) or emailed to swoodford@ci.sisters.or.us.

Chapter 4.1 – Types of Applications and Review Procedures; Chapter 4.7 – Land Use District Map and Text Amendments; Oregon Statewide Land Use Goals; and City of Sisters Urban Area Comprehensive Plan.

BEST WESTERN WATERLINE EXTENSION PROJECT

Bids due 2 p.m., February 9, 2023

INVITATION TO BID

Construction & Renovation

Custom Residential Projects

All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448

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

541-390-1206 beavercreeklog@yahoo.com

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

CCB #235303 Insurance & Bond

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

602 Plumbing & Electric

Ridgeline Electric, LLC

Serving all of Central Oregon

• Residential • Commercial

• Industrial • Service 541-588-3088 • CCB #234821

NORTHERN LIGHTS

Electrical Installations LLC

Residential & Light Commercial • Service No job too small. 503-509-9353

CCB# 235868

R&R PLUMBING, LLC

•

• •

SPECIALIZING IN WATER

HEATERS & SERVICE

Lic. Bond. Ins. • CCB #184660

Servicing Central Oregon

––– 541-771-7000 –––

SWEENEY

PLUMBING, INC.

“Quality and Reliability”

Repairs • Remodeling

• New Construction

• Water Heaters

541-549-4349

Residential and Commercial

Licensed

• Bonded • Insured

CCB #87587

Preparation

• Building Demolition

Trucking

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

• Dump Trucks, Transfer Trucks, Belly

• The Whole 9 Yards or 24

Whatever You Want!

604 Heating & Cooling

ACTION AIR

Heating & Cooling, LLC

Retrofit • New Const • Remodel

Consulting, Service & Installs actionairheatingandcooling.com

CCB #195556

541-549-6464

605 Painting

METOLIUS PAINTING LLC

Meticulous, Affordable

Interior & Exterior

541-280-7040 • CCB# 238067

~ 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

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

All Landscaping Services

Mowing, Thatching, Hauling and SNOW REMOVAL

Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740

541-549-2345

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

802 Help Wanted

is opening a new store in Sisters. Seeking experienced salesperson that absolutely loves hats! Please inquire if you meet the following: Outgoing, retail experience, ability to multitask, and eye for detail. Commission offered based on experience. Flexible sched., $15 hr. stacey@sistershatsandco.com

C4C Administrative Assistant Citizens4Community is looking for an organized, self-directed person to join our office. Tasks will include data entry, mailing list upkeep, digital file organization, and assisting with advertising campaigns. Flexible work schedule, 20 hours/month.

Call or email 541-306-9797. director@citizens4community

Conversational German tutor wanted. Call Gail 541-350-5115

Reliable and Professional Housekeeper wanted to take care of general cleaning, and am willing to pay $535 per week. Contact me for more info at: pricericky05@gmail.com

803 Work Wanted Available in Sisters

COMPANION CAREGIVER

Please call or text 503-274-0214 for more information.

SEEKING AFFORDABLE ADVERTISING?

Do You Have A BUSINESS TO PROMOTE?

PRODUCTS TO SELL?

SERVICE TO PROVIDE?

Place your ad in The Nugget! DEADLINE for classifieds is MONDAYS before NOON

Call 541-549-9941 or submit online at NuggetNews.com

Comments should be directed toward the criteria that apply to this request and must reference the file number. For additional information, please contact Scott Woodford, Community Development Director at (541) 323-5211 or swoodford@ci.sisters.or.us.

The staff report and recommendation to the hearings body will be available for review at least seven (7) days before the hearing. All submitted evidence and materials related to the application are available for inspection at City Hall. Copies of all materials will be available on request at a reasonable cost. The City Council meeting is accessible to the public either in person or via Zoom online meeting. Meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found on https://www.ci.sisters.or.us/ meetings.

PUBLIC HEARING: February 22, 2023 at 5:30 pm

FILE #: CP 22-03

APPLICANT: City of Sisters

REQUEST: Comprehensive Plan Amendment to the Sisters Comprehensive Plan to update the Sisters Parks Master Plan.

APPLICABLE CRITERIA:

Sealed bids for the construction of the City of Sisters, Best Western Waterline Extension Project, addressed to the City Recorder, City of Sisters, Oregon will be received until 2 p.m. local time at City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue, P.O. Box 39, Sisters, Oregon 97759, on February 9, 2023 and then publicly opened and read at 2 p.m. at Sisters City Hall. Bids shall be labeled: Best Western Waterline Extension Project.

Improvements generally include the construction of 12-inch water main, 8-inch water main and a hydrant at Best Western in Sisters, Oregon. This project is required to comply with FHWA Buy America guidelines which stipulate that steel, iron, and manufactured products used in the project are produced in the United States. Contractors will be required to submit Certificates of Materials Origin prior to delivery of such products.

The invitation to bid, plans, specifications, addenda, and notification of bid results for this project may be viewed on line from Premier Builders Exchange at http://www.plansonfile.com. There will be no Pre-Bid Conference for the Best Western Waterline Extension Project. This project is subject to the provisions of ORS 279C.800 through 279C.870 regarding payment of prevailing wages. Bidders must be registered with the Construction Contractors Board (ORS 701.055).

www.NuggetNews.com

SUDOKU Level: Difficult Answer: Page 26

C L A S S I F I E D S

C L A S S I F I E D S

NOTICE OF ELECTION OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Black Butte School District #41

Notice is hereby given that on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, an election will be held for the purpose of electing Four Directors to the Board of Directors to fill the following positions and terms, including vacancy which may exist on board of the Black Butte School District #41.

Position #1 Term Expires June 2025 (*unexpired term)

Position #2 Term Expires June 2025 (*unexpired term)

Notice is hereby given that the City of Sisters Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing regarding the applications listed below. The hearing will be held according to SDC Chapter 4.1 and the rules of procedure adopted by the Council and available at City Hall. Prior to the public hearing, written comments may be provided to Sisters City Hall at 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters (mailing address PO Box 39, Sisters, OR 97759) or emailed to swoodford@ci.sisters.or.us.

Position #3 Term Expires June 2027

Position #4 Term Expires June 2027

This election will be conducted

mail. Each candidate for a position listed above must file a declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination for office with the Elections Department of Jefferson County, Oregon, no later than the 61st day before the date of the regular district election. The first day for filing is February 4, 2023. The filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on March 2023. Filing forms are available at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office, 66 SE D Street, Suite C, Madras, OR 97741, on Jefferson County website: www.jeffco.net/cc or the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/do cuments/SEL190.pdf.

Comments should be directed toward the criteria that apply to this request and must reference the file numbers. For additional information, please contact Scott Woodford, Community Development Director at (541) 323-5211 or swoodford@ ci.sisters.or.us. The staff report and recommendation to the hearings body will be available for review at least seven (7) days before the hearing. All submitted evidence and materials related to the application are available for inspection at City Hall. Copies of all materials will be available on request at a reasonable cost. The Planning Commission meeting is accessible to the public either in person or via Zoom online meeting. Meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found on https://www.ci.sisters. or.us/meetings.

Public Hearing: February 16, 2023 at 5:30 pm

File #s: CP 22-04 / ZM 22-01 / TA 22-05

Applicant: City of Sisters

Site Location: Address/Tax Map and Lot: 442 N Trinity Way/ 15-10-5CD 200; 322 N Trinity Way/15-10-5CD 300; 222 N Trinity Way/15-10-5CD 400; 121 N Brooks Camp Rd/15-10-5CD 500; 123 N Trinity Way/ 15-10-5CD 700; 452 N Trinity Way/15-10-5CD 800; 1307 W McKinney Butte Rd/15-10-5CD 900

Request: Comprehensive Plan Map and Zoning Map

Amendment to redesignate and rezone the “Heavenly Acres“ subdivision from Urban Area Reserve (UAR) to Public Facility and Multi-Family Residential. The request also includes associated Text Amendments to Sisters Development Code (SDC) Chapter 1.3 (Definitions), Chapter 2.3 (Multi-Family Residential District). Chapter 2.7 (Public Facility District), Chapter 4.7 (Land Use District Map and Text Amendments), Chapter 5.2 (Non-Conforming Use), and Chapter 5.3 (Subsequently Allowed Uses). No specific development plans are proposed at this time.

Applicable Criteria: SDC

Chapter 1.3, Chapter 2.3, Chapter 2.7, Chapter 4.7, Chapter 4.1 (Types of Applications and Review), Chapter 5.2, Chapter 5.3, Statewide Land Use Goals, City of Sisters Comprehensive Plan, Oregon Revised Statutes, and Oregon Administrative

NOTICE OF ELECTION OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS

Black Butte School District #41

Notice is hereby given that on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, an election will be held for the purpose of electing Four Directors to the Board of Directors to fill the following positions and terms, including any vacancy which may exist on the board of the Black Butte School District #41.

Position #1 Term Expires June 30, 2025 (*unexpired term)

Position #2 Term Expires June 30, 2025 (*unexpired term)

Position #3 Term Expires June 30, 2027

Position #4 Term Expires June 30, 2027

This election will be conducted by mail. Each candidate for a position listed above must file a declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination for office with the Elections Department of Jefferson County, Oregon, no later than the 61st day before the date of the regular district election. The first day for filing is February 4, 2023. The filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on March 16, 2023. Filing forms are available at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office, 66 SE D Street, Suite C, Madras, OR 97741, on the Jefferson County website: www.jeffco.net/cc or the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.oregon.gov/elections/do cuments/SEL190.pdf.

Nordic girls compete at XC Oregon

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

A pair of Outlaw girls competed in the XC Oregon skate ski race at Mount Bachelor on Saturday, January 28.

The 4.7-kilometer freestyle race attracted teams from all three of the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association–Nordic (OISRAN) divisions, Northern, Southern. and Mt. Hood. Ten teams in all took part in the race.

Ella Bartlett placed 28th (18:26) and Nevaeh McAfee 58th (21:42) among 85 racers.

Piper Widmer of Bend High, one of the top agegroup skiers in Oregon, won the race in 14:04.

The Outlaw Nordic team was missing many of its members who also compete for the Alpine ski team, which also had a meet on January 28.

“I am proud of Neveah and Ella,” said Jeff Husmann, head coach. “Such huge improvements this season, so committed, and most importantly having fun.”

The team returns to action on Saturday, February 11 at the Meadows Skiathlon Relay at Mt. Hood Meadows.

LICENSE: New drivers have restrictions on passengers

Continued from page 1

(unless with a licensed adult) for the next six months.

According to Chad Davis Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) lieutenant, Sisters deputies run across drivers who are not obeying their provisional license.

“We commonly encounter new drivers on traffic stops for a variety of reasons, speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, using a cell phone while driving, etc.,” Davis reported. “When we make contact with the driver, we then notice passengers in their vehicle. Oftentimes, these traffic stops occur during the lunch hour or after school hours.

“When we see passengers in vehicles, we then look at the issuance date of the provisional driver’s license and determine if the driver was issued their license less than six months ago,” Lt. Davis continued. “At that point, we ask the driver who their passengers are and have found their passengers to be friends and not immediate family members. Most of the time, the drivers know they are violating their restrictions. Sometimes, drivers act like

HOUSING: Zone change needed for project to go ahead

Continued from page 1

builds, and asset manages rental housing designed for Oregonians in diverse populations, including families, workforce, seniors, veterans, and individuals experiencing disabilities.

What NHA proposes for Sisters is a minimum-40-unit apartment building with one-, two-, and three-bedroom units (and possibly some studio apartments) and amenities, including a community space and outdoor play area. A funding source has been secured to support the housing. American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds of $500,000 were disbursed to the City by the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners on January 11, 2023. NHA will also

CORRECTION

they don’t know what we are talking about.”

The restrictions of a provisional license are in place to protect the safety of young drivers, their friends, and the public.

“Getting a license is an exciting time and a new phase in all of our lives,” Lt. Davis acknowledged. “Our children are excited and their friends are excited, because they envision newfound freedom. That excitement can lead to driving faster than they should, distractions, and possibly end in a crash.”

In keeping with the DCSO preference for obtaining voluntary compliance with the law, deputies don’t come down hard on new drivers —but there can be consequences, especially if there is an accident.

“We use these traffic stops as an opportunity to educate the driver about their restrictions, and we have either called parents to come get their children or call a legal driver to come get the passenger(s) or allow the passengers to walk,” Lt. Davis said. “In two of the traffic stops where I have encountered this situation, one passenger was about a block from their home, so they decided to walk home. In another instance, the traffic stop occurred in the high

school parking lot, so they decided to call a parent to come pick them up.

“We commonly issue warnings for these drivers violating their restrictions and often call parents to make sure they know their child has been driving outside their restrictions. We have issued citations as well, usually for repeat offenders.”

Lt. Davis wants parents to be involved and keep an eye on the new drivers in their household.

“Know who your kids are hanging out with,” he said. “Parents need to ask questions: Where did you go to lunch today? Did anyone ride with you? Know if your kids are riding with another young driver who is within their first six months of having their license.

“Set a calendar reminder for six months and a day from the issuance date of their child’s license, and then decide if it’s time for their child to take on the responsibility of having passengers. Ultimately, when their child transports others in their vehicle they could be civilly liable if their child is violating the restrictions on their license and their passengers get hurt or killed in a crash.”

For more information visit https://dmvconnect.com/ oregon-provisional-license/.

Driving restrictions under Oregon provisional license

According to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, after you get your provisional driver license, your driving is restricted as follows:

Until 18 years of age:

• You cannot operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile communication device, including talking on a cell phone and texting. Hands-free accessories are not allowed.

First 6 months:

• You cannot drive with a passenger under age 20 who is not a member of your immediate family.

• You cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless you are:

Driving between home and work.

Driving between home and a school event for which there is no other transportation available.

Driving for employment purposes.

Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.

Second 6 months:

• You cannot drive with more than three (3) passengers who are under age 20 who are not members of your immediate family*; and

• You cannot drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless you are:

Driving between home and work.

Driving between home and a school event for which there is no other transportation available.

Driving for employment purposes.

Accompanied by a licensed driver who is at least 25 years old.

*Passenger restrictions do not apply while driving with an instructor as part of a certified traffic safety education course or with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who has valid driving privileges. Note: The passenger and night driving restrictions only apply until you are 18 or you have had your provisional license for one year, whichever comes first.

secure grants to cover portions of the expense.

The tentative housing location is a portion of a vacant lot at 322 N. Trinity Way in Sisters, currently owned by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel (Wellhouse Church). Negotiations are currently underway between NHA and the property owner for a purchase-sale agreement for a portion of the property (oneand-a-half acres).

Rezoning of the subject property from urban area reserve to multi-family residential and several development code amendments are needed to facilitate the project. This is scheduled to go before the Planning Commission for review on February 2, for a work session where planning commissioners will learn more about the proposal from staff, and to ask clarifying questions in preparation for hearing the proposal at the February 16

PROVEN

Planning Commission public hearing.

At that hearing, the commissioners will be asked to render a decision on its merits after a staff report and public testimony. The City Council will consider it on March 8, 2023 (work session) and March 23, 2023 (public hearing). Partition and site plan review will also be required.

The draft agreement between the City and NHA states that a minimum of four months prior to issuance of certificates of occupancy and advertising of the general availability of units, a waitlist will be established in conjunction with local social services and providers to give local residents priority for the units.

The draft agreement for the project is still being negotiated and will be brought by staff to the City Council for approval when all matters are agreed upon.

buying search!

ML S# 220142 810

81.0 2 Acres 81 ACRE S AL ON G INDI AN FORD ROAD

$1,5 00,000 Rural Acreage

ro ad fronta ge, lo ca te d just minute s from Sister s an d within 35 minute s of th e Redmon d Airpor t. Adja cent parc els are also for sale

ML

3

0

AG E, VI EW S & PRIVAC Y

Proper ty adjoins thousands of acre s of National Forest , lo ca te d be tw ee n Sister s & Be nd, Sister s Sc hool

ML

S#

ML S# 22015504 0 3 bed / 2.5 bath / 2,28 3 sf VI EW S OF TH E MOUN TA IN S

$1,115,000 Squaw Cr ee k Canyon / 2.56 Ac Va ulte d living room, prop an e fplc, wall of window s, built-in s, ex pose d beam s. Dinin g w/ access to covere d pa tio w/ Sundowne r shad es Cook ’s kitchen, double wall ovens, prop an e JennAi r cook to p, Bosch dishwashe r, pant ry, quar tz counte rtops. Primar y bdrm main level, hot tub access , tile d shower, dual sink s, 2 closets. Upst airs, 2 bdrms w/ walk-in closets. Over size d garage, f enced bk yd stor ag e sheds.

ML S# 220157 73 8 .8 6 Acre / Zoned L SISTER S INDU STRIAL PA RK $4 99,000 Ligh t Indu st rial Light in dustrial lot in th e original Sister s Indu strial Park Corner .8 6 acre site with good viabilit y on th e corner of We st Sister s Park Drive an d Nort h Sister s Park Cour t. Almost square shap e provid es multipl e layout alternatives de sign or building, driveway an d parkin g.