The Nugget Vol. XLVI No. 43
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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Outdoor School combines learning and fun Rallying
to clean up Sisters’ forest
By Jim Cornelius Correspondent
“I found an invertebrate!” a sixth-grade girl cried out, bringing her net dipper to the lake-shore at Camp Tamarack, west of Sisters near Suttle Lake. She dropped her find into an ice cube tray where specimens from the water were collected. Meanwhile, on the ridge above the camp, other students were gathering pine cones and observing their state of decomposition, learning how forest materials live, die, and cycle back into the soil. This was Outdoor School (ODS) 2023, the latest iteration in a long-standing Oregon tradition dating back to 1957. Each year, in districts across the state, fifth and sixth graders get out of their brick-and-mortar classroom and into an outdoor classroom, where they study plants, animals, soil, and water. In Sisters, Outdoor School has been a milestone for sixth graders. Friends of Outdoor School, an advocacy group that seeks to support and sustain Outdoor School programs across the state, describes the value of outdoor learning:
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Correspondent
Friday night’s football game switched from Homecoming to heartwarming as longtime track-andfield coach Jim Anderson was honored in a surprise ceremony for his dedication to youth. The unveiling of the Jim Anderson Vertical Jumping Area showcased brand-new, state-of-the-art high jump and pole vault pits and standards made by UCS. The equipment acquisition is entirely provided by private donations at no cost to the Sisters School District. Anderson, who began coaching in Sisters in 1994 after retiring from a long
Inside...
See SCHOOL on page 11
See RALLYING on page 27
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Sisters Middle School students enjoyed glorious autumn conditions at sixth-grade Outdoor School at Camp Tamarack last week. Science observation mixed with fun is a long-standing Oregon tradition. “An inquiry-based program, ODS is a unique chance for kids to experience the connections among living things and biological systems, such as watersheds or riparian forests. Instead of learning these concepts from a book, students develop critical thinking skills by asking
Beloved track coach honored in ceremony by Charlie Kanzig
there is a lot of fun and bonding, too. Students canoe and shoot bows and arrows. According to staff, gaga ball — a kinder-gentler form of dodgeball — “is a huge favorite.” Getting together in the dining hall and having a
In a scene resembling “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome,” members of the Gambler 500 roared into Sisters Sunday and weeded out no fewer than eight abandoned cars and two burnt-out RVs, the latter within sight of Ponderosa Lodge and residents on North Pine Street. It was a herculean effort that took dozens of volunteers with some heavy equipment and a twenty-yard dumpster thrown in. A convoy of eccentric and wild-looking cars cruised onto the Deschutes National Forest immediately west and south of Sisters — not for one of their funky and legendary car rallies, but to lend a hand to Public Land Stewards (PLS), a Bendbased independent organization that is fiscally sponsored by Discover Your Forests and Discover Northwest,
career of teaching and coaching in Clackamas County, had no idea beforehand what he was about to experience. “This was better than any surprise party, ever,” said one onlooker. Dennis Dempsey, Sarah Thorsett, and Jim Reiss, who all help coach the high school track team, had heard Anderson talk frequently about how much the old pits needed to be replaced for safety reasons. Soon the idea was hatched to not only find a way to acquire the pits, but to honor a man who has become a legend in Oregon track-and-field. Dempsey began pricing See COACH on page 19
questions in the field then working together to investigate, measure and report their discoveries. Students simply can’t get the same natural science experience inside a classroom.” Science exploration is a big part of the Outdoor School experience — but
Sisters Habitat expands services By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Peter Hoover has been appointed permanent executive director for Habitat for Humanity, having served as its local interim director for the past several months. At the same time, the Sisters affiliate of the international organization, which works in all 50 states and more than 70 countries and has helped over 46 million persons with affordable shelter, is seeking to reshape its purpose. Habitat is best known for building homes with volunteer labor and donated supplies or reduced-cost materials. Its Thrift Store and ReStore in Sisters are also highly visible entities in the community. Hoover and Habitat’s board are now
PHOTO PROVIDED
Edward Jones employees staged a landscaping day in support of Sisters Habitat for Humanity last week. looking at programs and services to round out the primary mission of providing affordable housing.
“We already have an active program to repair and See HABITAT on page 9
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Tight Lines........................ 8 Entertainment .................12 At Your Service............ 15-17 Crossword ...................... 28 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Flashback ........................14 Fun & Games ................... 22 Classifieds..................29-31