The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLVII No. 09 // 2024-02-28

The Nugget

Winter Carnival lit up skies over Hoodoo

By T. Lee Brown Correspondent

It’s nighttime at Hoodoo ski area. Intrepid skiers and snowboarders make their way down lighted runs, their

silhouettes flittering against a white snow backdrop. Music blasts from speakers. Kids who probably should’ve been in bed long ago race across the snow, pelting each other with snowballs. They move

Cause of house fire determined

The February 15 fire that destroyed a house on Old Barn Court northeast of Sisters was caused by spontaneous combustion of oily rags in a garbage can.

Jeff Puller, community risk and fire safety manager with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District told The Nugget that two deputy state fire marshals investigated the fire, and determined that this was the accidental cause.

The home was undergoing an extensive remodel, and was unoccupied at the time of the blaze.

Units from Sisters, Cloverdale and Black Butte Ranch responded to a 2 a.m. call-out, and arrived to find the home heavily involved in fire, with flames venting through the roof of the

structure. Part of the roof had already collapsed.

Property loss was estimated at $2.5 million. One firefighter suffered a minor injury due to a slip on ice, and was treated on the scene and released by paramedics.

Spontaneous combustion of oily rags is a common cause of house fires. Spontaneous combustion occurs when the oily material generates is own heat, reaches its ignition temperature, and bursts into flame without an external flame or heat source. To prevent such fires in the home, fire officials recommend storing oily rags in a non-combustible (e.g. metal) container with lid closed. Prior to disposal, soak in water then spread them out in a safe outdoor area to dry.

from awesome snow sculpture to awesome snow sculpture, clambering on sphinxes and other shapes until the sculptures are worn down, unrecognizable.

“Winter Carnival has been

a tradition at Hoodoo for 40-plus years and includes a number of free events, no lift ticket required,” according to the ski area. CoEnergy

Sisters to select new fire chief

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District’s Fire Chief Roger Johnson will retire on July 1, after serving 12 years with the District.

The Fire District Board of Directors started the process for hiring a new fire chief nearly a year ago when Chief Johnson announced his retirement.

“The community has been fortunate to have such a high-quality individual as Chief Johnson in this leadership position for the past twelve years,” said SistersCamp Sherman Fire District Board President Kristie Miller said. “Selecting a new Fire Chief that would continue the good work that Chief Johnson has done is very important to the Board.”

The Board of Directors worked with the Special Districts Association of Oregon and the Western Fire Chiefs Association to conduct a national search

See

Roundabout construction to begin

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

The long-awaited project to construct a roundabout at Highway 20 and Locust Street is set to get underway at the beginning of March.

The project will start with moving the Sisters Elementary School fence and relocating some utilities, according to Sisters Public Works Director Paul Bertagna. The fence relocation is expected to be completed by the time students return from spring break so that students can use the fields.

“All of this is, of course, weather-dependent, too,” Bertagna noted.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will host a drop-in open house on Monday, March 4, between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters Elementary

School gym, 611 E. Cascade Ave. where the public can learn more about the project and the impact of construction.

Plans call for the highway to be deviated from its current track for a gentle curve into the roundabout, designed to slow traffic coming into

town from the east. The construction will eat into a portion of property that is now the Sisters Elementary School tennis courts.

Much of the old highway will be removed, torn up and seeded to make it look

Youngsters jump for joy at the firework show after a long day of skiing and snowboarding at Hoodoo Saturday night.

PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY

Editor’s note:

Attentive readers noticed that the dateline of last week’s Nugget Newspaper was incorrect, reading January 21, 2024. Contrary to small town rumor, this was not the result of a glitch in the space-time continuum, nor was it a subtle weigh-in on Oregon’s move to stick with standard time through the year. Computer forensics and surveillance cameras MAY indicate that a groundhog hacked into our production computers. Or, it may have been a simple production error. In any case, this wrinkle in time will be smoothed out for the February 28, 2024, edition.

—TheNuggetStaff

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.

Build it and they will come

To the Editor:

There are many topics I could address as February draws to a close, but I have selected the homeless and housing issues in Sisters and in Deschutes County.

I begin with a question: Why so many homeless in our communities and families that can’t afford the price of a rental? When

Wednesday xx xx xx/xx

I moved to Sisters 30 years ago there was a smattering of small homes scattered throughout our town. The same was true for Bend and Redmond. Small dwellings were left over from the mill and logging days. In Sisters, there was the “Pines” out on Brooks Camp Rd. Here sat small houses on train cars that had been parked there as logging dried up and

See LETTERS on page 11

Sisters Weather Forecast

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The Nugget Newspaper, LLC

Website: www.nuggetnews.com

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

Tel: 541-549-9941 | Email: editor@nuggetnews.com

Postmaster: Send address changes to The Nugget Newspaper,

Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759.

Moon walkers…

One of several groups from Sisters with an annual tradition of trekking from Three Creek Sno Park to Jefferson View Shelter during a full moon, starting at twilight and returning in the dark, about a three mile round-trip undertaking. The shelter is stocked with firewood.

Editor in Chief & Co-owner: Jim Cornelius

Production Manager: Leith Easterling

Creative Director: Jess Draper

Community Marketing

Partner: Vicki Curlett

Classifieds & Circulation: Lisa May

Proofreader: Kema Clark

Co-owner: J. Louis Mullen

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

The Three Sisters Historical Society packed the Sisters Fire Hall Community Room last Sunday for a presentation by Larry Len Peterson on the legendary photographer of Native Americans, Edward S. Curtis. Peterson, a Sisters resident, is the author of a magnificent study of Curtis, titled “Printing the Legends: Looking At Shadows In A West Lit Only By Fire.”

Last week, we published Maret Pajutee’s wonderful account of the wild times and violent demise of Sisters pioneer Tillman Glaze — and lots of folks have contacted us to let us know how much they enjoyed the tale. This week, we follow the trail of the Hitchcock family, pioneers in the lumber trade in Sisters Country. And we turn the Education Spotlight on Sisters Middle School teacher Deb Riehle, who is introducing eighth graders to the story of how their country came to be what it is today. All of this warms the cockles of a history-lover’s heart.

I have been besotted by history for as long as I can remember. Early on, history was just a repository of tales of grand adventures for me. And it still is that. It’s also a means of navigating the world — both map and compass, a way of determining where we are, how we got here, and where we may be headed.

In recent weeks, I have been following the trail of the elusive and deadly terrorist Imad Mughniyeh. A senior man in Hezbollah, he was a deadly enemy of the U.S. and Israel.

Filling this trail has kicked up insight into the evolution of the conditions that have the Middle East embroiled in the worst spasm of violence it has seen in decades. And, as always, it reminds us that history — life — is complicated.

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 to run the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) out of their haven. The invasion threw Lebanon — already embroiled in a terrible civil war — into even deeper crisis. One might assume that thenPresident Ronald Reagan was an unabashed cheerleader for Israel — but he was not. He wanted Israel out of Lebanon. When, in a private phone call, he told Israeli Prime Minister Menachim Begin that Israel

was creating a “holocaust” in its siege of the city of Beirut, Begin went ballistic. Relations between the U.S. and Israel were as strained as they have ever been.

Reagan sent in the Marines, hoping they could act as peacekeepers and settle the situation down. But Americans were not perceived as peacemakers by the growing Shia Muslim resistance movement in Lebanon — backed by the new Iranian revolutionary government. Enter Imad Mughniyeh — an angry young man with exceptional ability and ambition to hurt the Israelis and Americans. He made it his life’s work.

Mughniyeh planned and executed operations in Lebanon that included the suicide bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 that killed 241 American military personnel, 58 French military personnel, and six civilians. Likewise the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Lebanon, and the kidnapping and torture death of CIA station chief William Buckley.

As Politico reported: “His hand touched Hezbollah plots from Germany to Kuwait and from Argentina to Thailand.”

In Argentina, his fingerprints were on the bombings of the Israeli Embassy (1992) and a 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center –an especially nasty piece of work.

The Times of Israel notes that: “Before 9/11, Imad Mughniyeh was responsible for killing more Americans than anyone else in the world.”

He had a hand in killing Americans after 9/11, too. He facilitated the campaign of IED attacks on American troops in the darkest days of the Iraq War, when Iran was providing explosively formed projectile (EFP) devices to its proxy militias in Iraq.

U.S. intelligence cooperated with Mossad to take him out with a shaped charge in a vehicle in Damascus, Syria, in 2008.

Understanding this fascinating — and troubling — story helps us understand what is happening now. This tale is very well told in “Ghosts of Beirut,” a four-part limited series that weaves a tapestry out of dramatic storytelling, archival footage, news broadcasts, and interviews with a range of Middle East experts. Track it down. It’ll help you map the territory in which we must move.

Local ‘mama bear’ rebuilds Sisters Cub Scouts pack

By Matt Van Slyke Correspondent

Sisters Cub Scouts are emerging from hibernation, happy to have their own den again.

“I’m so excited to announce that the Sisters Cub Scout Pack 139 is officially back up and running!” said Jennifer Hooson, drumming up support on Facebook community pages. “Boys and girls K-5th grade welcome, all faiths welcome, LGBTQ+ friendly, neurodivergent friendly. We really do welcome all and we are a safe place to learn and grow.”

Hooson rallied former scouts and sponsors to resurrect Pack 139 after the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This was an

Tuesday,

Wednesday,

Thursday, noon, Sober Sisters

Women’s

Thursday,

Fr iday, noon, Step & Tradition meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541- 54 8-0 440.

Saturday, 8 a.m., Episc opal Church of the Transf iguration

Central Oregon F ly Tye rs G uild

For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelef ly@msn.c om Ci tizens4Communit y C ommunity Builders meeting, 3rd Wednesday of ever y mont h, 10 to 11:30 a.m. V isit citizens 4c ommunity.c om for loc ation.

active, thriving pack, up until covid, and it basically folded,” explained Clif Weldon, cubmaster for the newest iteration of the pack, and Hooson’s stepfather. “We have their flag, a little bit of money, and some equipment that was in a storage unit, and we just got to the point where we’re official as a pack again.”

The pack will celebrate its new beginning and the birthday of scouting on Wednesday, February 28, at 6 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, 121 Brooks Camp Rd., off of Highway 242 just west of Highway 20.

Families of 5- to 11-yearolds are invited for a taste of the fun and adventure awaiting the Cub Scouts this spring and summer.

Council on Aging of Cent ral O rego n Senior Lunch In- person community dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Grab -and -go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs 12:3 0 to 1 p.m. Sisters C ommunity Church. 5 41-4 8 0-18 43

East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wed. (September- June), Stitchin’ Post . A ll are welcome. 5 41-5 49 -6 061.

G o Fish Fishing G roup 3rd Monday 7 p.m., Siste rs C ommunity Church.

541-771-2211

Hear twarmers (f leec e blanketmaker s) 2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Siste rs Communit y Church. M ater ials provided. 541- 408 -8 505.

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

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

Oregon Band of Brothers Sisters Chapter meets Wednesda ys, 11:3 0 a.m., Takoda’s Rest aurant. 541- 549- 64 69

Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4th Saturday, 10 a.m., meeting by Zoom. 503- 93 0- 6158

Foundation brings rural voices to Washington

By Olivia Nieto Correspondent

The term ‘art’ is a word used to encompass a wide range of activities, but can often fail to convey the power it has on people’s lives.

On January 30 the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) partnered with the White House Domestic Policy Council to host a Healing, Bridging, and Thriving Summit on Arts and Culture in Communities.

This event spanned throughout the entire day, with over 30 speakers from all over the country. The Sisters-based Roundhouse

“We do small, age-appropriate activities, and then we have our big outings,” said Wayne Williamson, a Cub Scout dad and member of the pack’s committee. “We’re going to make a fire station visit, where they learn about fire safety. We’re going to go on a hike, and then the big event is in August: we’ll go to a camp down by Klamath Falls. You spend three days – a lot of fun, and kind of a highlight of the year,” Williamson said.

“We are the Sisters Pack 139, no longer just a den out of Redmond. So I’m really excited about that,” Hooson said.

How it (re)started Hooson, a true “mama bear” determined to bring

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

Sisters Area Woodworke rs First Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 5 41-231-18 97

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

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

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

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

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

Sisters Habitat for Humanit y Board of D irectors 4th Tuesday, 4:3 0 p.m.

Location infor mation: 5 41-5 49 -1193.

Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to 8:3 0 a.m., at Aspen Lakes Golf Cours e. 541- 410-2870

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

Foundation was one of the organizations invited, and acknowledged for their significant work in supporting communities all over Oregon.

“To be invited to the summit was an incredible honor. I am still in disbelief that Roundhouse Foundation was asked to participate in this project alongside larger organizations that fund across a larger footprint. To be included, and encouraged to bring representatives of organizations that we work with — so they could experience this event — was a real honor,” said Roundhouse

Suttle Lodge hosts Winter Beer Fest

By Ceili Gatley Correspondent

Beer- and winter-lovers came together for the annual Suttle Lodge Winter Beer Fest last weekend at Suttle Lake. Unlike last year’s blizzard conditions, this year’s beer fest featured plentiful sunshine, and spring-like conditions.

Beer lovers, from Central Oregon locals to folks from Portland and Washington, gathered at the Suttle Lodge to try samples of beers from more than 25 craft breweries.

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

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

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

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

Three Sister s Irrigation Distric t Board of Direc tors M eets 1st Tuesday 10 a.m., TSI D Of fice. 5 41-5 49 -8 815

Three Sister s Lions Club 2nd

Thursday, 6:3 0 p.m., Spoons Rest aurant. 5 41-419 -1279.

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

Sisters Communit y Church 541- 549-14 62 (John).

SCHOOLS

Black Bu tt e School Board of Direc tors 2nd Tuesday, 3:45 p.m., Black But te School. 541- 59 5- 6203

The event’s setting is outside in the forest air, with the sampling spots in the cabins surrounded by bonfires and a music tent.

The beer fest is kid- and dog-friendly, so it becomes an event for the whole family.

“It’s a great family event, actually, and a fun part of a vacation from the valley in the mountains, and the sampling beers is a bonus,” said one event patron.

The Suttle Lodge puts on the event, but is mainly run

Sisters School District Board of Directors O ne Wednesday m onthly, Sisters School District Administr ation Building. See schedule online at www ssd6.org. 5 41-5 49 -8 521 x5 002.

CITY

PHOTO BY MATT VAN SLYKE

Clif Weldon, cubmaster and Jennifer Hooson, den leader, with three young scouts.

Lady Outlaws win state playoff game for first time

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

For the first time in school history, the Lady Outlaws basketball squad came out on top in the first round of the state playoffs. They travelled all the way to the coast on Wednesday, February 21, and took on No. 13-ranked Warrenton Warriors. Sisters (No. 20) stayed composed, played their game, and walked off the court with a 60-48 victory.

The first quarter was chaotic with the score going back and forth between the teams.

Warrenton’s Emma Smith was their big, strong post and the Warriors were determined to get the ball inside to her. She finished the quarter with eight of their 14 points. Sisters scored several of their points from the outside, two long balls from Jenna Lake and a three-pointer from Norah Thorsett, which kept the score close. At the close of the period Sisters trailed 12-14.

Warrenton posted 16 points in the second period, but in a more balanced fashion, with five different players contributing in the scoring effort. At one point they stretched their lead to 10 points. In the meantime, the Outlaws had two of their players get into foul trouble, including Lake, who had to sit early in the period. Shae Wyland and Ila Reid also picked up fouls trying to defend their physical, post players.

Coach Paul Patton said, “Our girls didn’t get discouraged. We’d been in this situation before and knew we could battle back.”

The Outlaws buckled down, and battled back to cut the Warriors lead to four at the half. Reid was a big part of the comeback, as she attacked the basket and scored nine points in the quarter. At the half the Outlaws were down by four, 26-30.

“At halftime we talked about how we felt we weathered the storm and were confident we could eventually take the lead if we tightened our defense and chose our shots wisely in the second half,” said Patton.

Sisters was able to both tighten their defense and get good shots off in the third. The Outlaws put up 21 points in the period and held the Warriors to 10.

Six different players put up points for the Outlaws, including five additional points from Lake. Sisters turned their four point halftime deficit into a seven point lead with a score of 47-40 as teams headed into the final quarter.

Lake stayed hot from behind the arc in the fourth, and hit two more triples for the Outlaws. Sisters took care of the ball, and made just enough free-throws to extend their lead to the final 12-point margin.

Patton told The Nugget they played their best defense of the game in the closing

minutes of the game and held Warrenton to just eight points in the period.

Lake led the Outlaws scoring spree with 17 points, followed by Reid who put up 15 points, and in addition pulled down 10 boards. Audrey Corcoran dud a good job at the point guard position and tallied nine points in the contest. Wyland played a steady game throughout, battled the big post players in the paint and finished with seven points and 10 rebounds. Maggie Lutz was impressive on the defensive end and also scored five points. Jorja Christianson’s four points and Norah Thorsett’s three-pointer came when the Outlaws really needed a score.

Lutz had four steals in the contest, Corcoran had three.

The Lady Outlaws three seniors all commented on the win.

Lake said, “We went into the game with fire, and trusting each other was key for us. It was a team effort. We definitely earned the win for how much we fought the whole game and didn’t give up until the final buzzer.”

“Winning the game was such an amazing feeling because we all play for each other and it is truly a gift that we get to continue on as a team,” Reid said. “It is also very exciting because we are in a position that Sisters girls

We went into the game with fire, and trusting each other was key for us.

— Jenna Lake

basketball hasn’t been in, in a very long time, which makes me feel so proud of the girls. As we look forward to Vale, the most important thing is that we all trust each other and play together as a team.”

Lutz said, “I am so proud of how our team came out and competed from the jump. Even though we were down at the half we knew what we had to do on offense and defense to get the win. Now, it’s time to turn our focus to Vale and hope for the same outcome. We need to work hard in practice the same way we would in a game.”

Patton said, “This was obviously a huge win for the team and the program. I can’t recall the last time a Sisters girls basketball team made the state playoffs, let alone win a playoff game. It would have been easy for us to just be satisfied to be there, but these girls were determined to compete for the win.”

“Our seniors stood out for us, with Jenna (Lake) knocking down five three-pointers

and leading us in scoring,” added Patton. “Ila (Reid) asserted herself in the middle quarter for 14 of her 15 points and steady leadership, and Maggie (Lutz) put shut-down defense on their top perimeter player.”

On Saturday, three days later, the Outlaws trekked four-and-a-half hours on the bus and took on Vale, the No. 4 ranked team in the state, who entered the game with a 10-0 record as the Eastern Oregon League Champs. The Vikings were too much for the Outlaws to handle and they lost the contest 29-57.

Patton said, “We can’t let this last result, against one of the top teams in the state, take away from a tremendous season for the team. The 15 wins overall was a huge lead from our recent season records. We made the state playoffs for the first time since 2006, which was remarkable, and winning a state playoff game earlier in the week was a historic first for the girls basketball program.

“I am grateful to our three seniors, Ila Reid, Maggie Lutz, and Jenna Lake for leading the team to such lofty accomplishments,” added Patton. “I am also excited about the future success of the team with the returning players having gotten a taste of playoff basketball and hungry for more.”

DeSmet to play football for George Fox University

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

Senior Justin DeSmet signed an official letter of intent on Thursday, February 22, to play football for George Fox University (GFU) Bruins this coming fall. DeSmet was a key player for the Outlaws and will be an asset to the Bruins football squad.

DeSmet grew up in Dayton and lived there until he moved to Sisters as a junior. He told The Nugget he was a little apprehensive about how he’d fit in to a new environment, and a new school.

“Football was my main in,” said DeSmet. “Everyone was great, welcomed me in, and made the change moving here easy.”

Justin played running back on offense, and safety on defense during his two years as an Outlaw. In his senior year, DeSmet recorded 56 rushes for 478 yards, an average of 8.5, with three touchdowns in the five league games he played. (He missed one game due to injury), He also tallied 39 tackles, 13 assists, and had three interceptions.

DeSmet shared his thoughts of playing as an Outlaw. “As players, we

I would describe Justin as ‘all in-every play’ in both games and practice.

— Coach Gary Thorson

played for each other and everybody brought a high work ethic at practice,” said DeSmet. “Coach Gary Thorson did a great job of setting high goals for the team and made it clear we were here to be the best team we could be and not slack off.”

Thorson said, “As a player, I would describe Justin as ‘all in-every play’ in both games and practice. He is also a student of the game and it shows on the field. He’s a good example of hard work paying off. He had a big impact not only on our football program, but our school. His positive attitude and his tremendous work ethic rubs off on other people. He’s going to a great school with a great football program and he’ll fit right in.”

DeSmet has always wanted to play at the next level, and checked out

several colleges including Linfield, George Fox, Whitworth, Southern Oregon, and Eastern Oregon, and narrowed down his choices to George Fox and Linfield.

In January, DeSmet made an overnight visit to GFU. Even before his visit, the Bruins told him they’d saved a spot for him on the roster, so he knew they were interested in him joining the team. He stayed with players in the dorm and had a very positive experience.

He was able to attend a morning workout with the team and was impressed with what he saw.

“Players were running everywhere, working on speed and agility, and lifting and resistance work,” said DeSmet. “You could see that their workouts would translate to practice. Everyone worked hard the whole time and no one slacked off.”

“I really loved how organized the program was at George Fox,” said DeSmet. “And the coaches made it apparent that their goal was to create good men with good morals, as well as good football players.

“Their team motto is TAPE (togetherness, attitude, perseverance, and effort) and that holds the team together,” added DeSmet. “Those are

all things I feel a person should live by and that made me even more interested in attending there.”

The GFU Coach called DeSmet weekly after his visit, but he’d already had a Linfield visit arranged, and wanted to visit there before he made a final decision.

“They both have great programs, and it was hard for me to make a decision, but I felt like the culture at George Fox suited me better,” said

DeSmet. “I took a few days to really think about it and then called the George Fox coach and told him I wanted to commit.”

DeSmet has been recruited as a defensive back, and is looking forward to the opportunity that lies ahead.

“I’m really excited,” said DeSmet. “I love the sport and am excited to grow as a person, play at a higher level, and see what God has planned for me.”

Outlaws football standout Justin DeSmet signed with George Fox University last week.

PHOTO BY RONGI YOST

Obituaries

Barbara “Barb” Thorne

October 30, 1949-December 24, 2023

Our beloved mother, Barbara “Barb” Thorne, passed away on December 24, 2023, at the age of 74, in her hometown of Sisters. She was surrounded by the love of her close-knit family. Her battle with cancer over the last 8 years showed her courage in facing life’s challenges, and her unwavering faith in God. She left a legacy of faith and love to her family and friends.

Barbara was born on October 30, 1949, in Everett, Washington, to parents Bill and Mildred Dady, and was raised with brother Bruce Dady. As a child, Barb enjoyed summer camping trips with her family, playing the accordion, and her family’s many traditions. In high school she enjoyed being a part of her school’s drill team. After high school she went to college at Western Washington University and graduated with her teaching degree. Soon after she accepted her first teaching job at Mukilteo School District in Mukilteo, Washington. Barb continued her career in education for the next 31 years.

In 1983 Barb became the mother of Sarah and shortly after of Elise. She raised her daughters in Selah, Washington, as she

Agenda…

Notice of special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District March 4, 7 a.m.

• Special Meeting

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors will meet for an Executive Session on March 4, beginning at 7 a.m. to conduct interviews for the position of Fire Chief of the District. Executive sessions are closed to the public. This executive session is under ORS 192.660(2)(a) and 192.660(7) to consider the employment of an officer, employee, staff member, or agent.

There will be five candidate interviews. After the interviews, the Board will discuss the qualifications of the candidates and may enter into an open session following the conclusion of the process.

The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for the hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Call 541-549-0771.

continued her career in education until she retired.

In 2017, she moved to Sisters, so that she could be surrounded by her family. She enjoyed spending a lot of time with her grandchildren, attending many women’s bible studies, volunteering at Habitat for Humanity Restore, writing cards of encouragement to those she loved, and staying in touch with her prayer group from Washington.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents Bill and Mildred Dady, and her brother Bruce Dady. She is survived by her daughters Sarah (Jeff) and Elise (David), and by her 6 grandchildren Auryn, Kadence, Ozzy, Zander, Willa, and Luca.

Barb will be honored in a small church celebration of life on March 9, 2024, at 10:30 a.m., at Sisters Community Church in Sisters. All are welcome.

Grace takes reins as tennis coach

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

Vince Grace, a longtime resident of Sisters, has taken over the reins as the new head coach for the boys’ tennis team.

Grace recently retired from the U.S. Forest Service, but still actively contributes in the summer months. Last year he volunteered to help Bruce Fenn with the girls’ tennis program. He helped develop the girls’ team to be more competitive with hitting practice, repetition, and consistency. He also helped attract other girls to the program and hopes to do the same with the boys program this year.

When the opening for the coaching position came up, Fenn asked Grace if he’d be interested in applying. In January Grace applied and was immediately accepted.

Grace claims he’s a selftaught player who enjoys the game, both for fun and for the exercise. He currently has a tennis hitting partner Robert Springer, who he’s played consistently with for the past five years. Grace did play three years of tennis at North Eugene High School, for the most part as a No. 3 singles player, and occasionally as a No. 1 doubles player.

His main goal this year is to grow the team.

“We currently are at nine

players and would like to be at 11, which is a full team,” said Grace. “I’d also like to grow the younger players at both the elementary and middle school levels, just like Bruce is currently doing. I would also like to involve the community by having them come

out and hit with the kids.” The high school varsity team is a young squad this year and it will be a building year for the team. Grace plans to stick with the program for many years to come and is excited about the season ahead.

want to share my GOOD NEWS with the many friends and clients that I have met, made, and kept in my 34 years of working as a Real Estate Broker in Sisters Country.

I AM RETIRING!

and learned the ropes at Sisters Real Estate with Dave, Jim, and Sam Goodwin. I was taught to find property corners on a large acreage (before GPS) by Bob Larson, then moved to work with the Dyer family at Ponderosa Properties

Vince Grace will lead the Outlaws boys tennis program this spring.

PHOTO BY RONGI YOST

walking tour to see the final site plan, which includes a new warehouse and fire engine bay, new ranger station, employee housing, and increased visitor parking—a benefit to the Sisters downtown core. If you are interested in attending the open house or the campus tour on the evening of April 9 please contact 541-549-7700 or kylan.carlson@usda.gov.

People often ask me if winter is a slow season for the Forest Service. The days are often less urgent, without wildfire response, but there is always much to be done. Winter is when the bulk of our planning work typically gets accomplished: hiring employees, writing reports, preparing contracts and agreements, executing budgets, and developing and authorizing projects to implement when the shadows grow longer. This year has been different because the relatively mild winter has allowed some important project implementation to occur.

One of the most visible projects is the new ranger station construction, being implemented by our skilled general contractor DSL Builders LLC. Early winter saw the well-coordinated demolition of two buildings that needed to be removed to make room for the new station. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District used these demolitions as valuable training opportunities for structural firefighters. Since the old buildings were removed, the contractor has been diligently preparing the site for utilities and concrete pouring. We expect walls and trusses to start going up this spring, with a move-in date scheduled for January 2025. We plan on keeping the current station open while construction is ongoing but realize there may be some disruptions in visitor parking or other services as well as noise and potential dust.

Coinciding with pouring the foundation for the new ranger station, we will be hosting our annual open house on the evening of April 9. The open house is a popular event where the community can learn about upcoming projects, including prescribed fires, ask questions and give feedback to district employees, and visit with their public servants. New this year, we plan on hosting the event on the ranger station campus and offering an optional

Another common question I have been asked lately is, “what is going on with the green tractors in the woods?” The low snow year combined with funds from the Forest Service Wildfire Crisis Strategy has allowed us to accomplish some important brush mowing along private land boundaries and strategic road systems using both contractors and Forest Service employees. Mowing brush is a delicate balancing act between conserving wildlife habitat — antelope bitterbrush is an important food for wintering mule deer — and reducing wildfire risk. Our local brush species burn readily, and bitterbrush with sustained wind will produce flame lengths greater than the fourfeet safe for firefighters to engage. Mowing has some drawbacks compared to prescribed fire, but it does allow brush species to recover by sprouting within one year after mowing and is an important management tool when ecological or social conditions warrant.

Along some forest roads, we have recently used a track-mounted excavator to reduce brush to improve responder access, enhance public safety by extending sight distances, and promote

fuels modification in case of a fire. We know one of the drawbacks from mowing and masticating can be visual impacts and we have heard from the public about how rough some of this work looks. Like disruptions from the construction at the ranger station campus, we expect these “messes” to be transitory and for visuals to improve within the next year or so. If you are interested in learning more about the complex science behind bitterbrush management, check out Busse and Riegel (2009) in the Journal of Forestry Ecology and Management (free online).

In preparing for the coming field and fire seasons, we have hired many new permanent employees since last fall: Noel Goodpasture, Patrick Brewer, Aaron Funk, Alex Reasoner, Kendra Lesmeister, Sara Burns, Olga von Ehrenstein, Hayley Johnston, Wesley Johnson, Ethan Niyangoda, Isaiah Salsky, Leah Beebe, Kimberly Fiscus, Makenzie Fong, Molly Johnson, Kaito Lopez, Ellie McNairy, Jodi Miller, Shane Palmer, Dan Peterson, Savannah Remmich, Anna Saphier, and Melinda Walker.

Finally, if you are between 16-18 and looking for outside work this summer with many benefits, please consider applying for the Sisters Youth Conservation Corps crew. We are also looking for older crew leaders and providing housing for rent in Sisters. More information is available at https://heartoforegon. org/programs/coycc.html.

We hope to see you at the April open house!

Sisters High School seniors participating in the annual SHS Pageant hosted a pasta feed and dessert auction as a fundraiser last week. The pageant benefits Sisters Family Access Network (FAN), which provides resources to local families in need.

PHOTO

By T. Lee Brown

When I was a little girl, I watched my older brother trudge up our driveway in black of night. My mom was making breakfast; my brother carried a flashlight. Peering up over the kitchen sink, through the orange and green drapes, I watched his glowing light bob through the trees, up the steep hill to the bus stop.

I was excited that some day I, too, would get to go to real school. I, too, would get to carry a flashlight and wander off into the dark ness! That must be what life felt like for a Big Kid.

Back then in Oregon, kindergarten was a halfday affair. When I finally started, my mom walked me up to the bus stop around noon. As first grade wore into second, I walked up the driveway for the early bus, just like my brother — but for some reason it was never all that dark.

to bake, dogs to feed, horse stalls to clean out. It was many years before I started to wonder about that memory of my brother in the driveway. Was it even real?

As an adult, I asked my mom. Why did he carry a flashlight? Why didn’t I?

That memory was real, my mom said. It had only happened for one year. As now, most Americans back then moved their clocks back and forth twice a year, from Daylight Savings Time (DST) to Standard Time (ST).

The USA tried permanent DST for one year, 1974. The argument for this experiment: it would save fuel during the oil crisis. Yearround, “permanent” DST had helped save fuel during World War II.

Around the time my brother made his journey up the hill, several children in Eastern cities were struck by cars while walking to school in the dark. This made for sad, dramatic news; politi -

was a bit more complicated,” according to the Washingtonian. The National Safety Council reported that pre-sunrise fatalities had only risen to 20 from 18 the year before — small consolation to the families whose children were killed or injured.

The Federal Energy Administration noted that the 1 percent energy saving achieved by year-round DST equated to 20,000-30,000 tons of coal not being burned each day. Afternoon car accidents decreased as well. But permanent DST was on its way out, along with President Nixon.

These days the idea of permanent Standard time — not DST — has gained popularity. Morning walks would be blessed with more sunshine, and we’d end the back-and-forth clock-setting dance.

Abruptly changing schedules is difficult for many people, including those with insomnia or

on a consistent schedule. Health experts, especially sleep researchers, aren’t keen on it.

Interestingly, switching to full-time DST would reduce some people’s freedom to practice their religion. State Senator and medical doctor Elizabeth Steiner of Portland noted that switching to yearround, permanent Standard Time — not DST — would promote public health and religious freedom, according to the Oregon Capital Insider . Some adherents of Judaism and other religions are required to recite morning prayers after sunrise.

Sen. Lynn Findley of Vale represents great stretches of Eastern Oregon, including areas on Mountain time rather than Pacific time. He also supported a draft of the bill to go on permanent Standard time. Other legislators opposed the bill, worrying that it would be too difficult for Oregonians to sync up with people in California and Washington if we switched and those states did not.

I didn’t think about it much. I had other things to contemplate: trying to climb as high in the poplar tree as my brother. Wading in the stream, in my red rubber boots. A new friend down the road who liked to roller-skate and make intricate rooms in her beautiful, hand-hewn dollhouse.

There were Brownie badges to earn, piano lessons to practice for, Bible

As of this moment, the Oregon Senate is looking at a compromise: rather than switching right away and hoping other states catch up, we could add a “trigger clause.” Oregon would only end the DST switcheroo when Washington and California finally get on board.

Yes, please. Better a compromise than a big nothing.

Will I ever get to trudge up the driveway in the pitch dark, carrying a clunky 1970s flashlight, to catch the school bus? Doubtful. I am willing to part with that dream if it means we can be done with the twice-yearly nonsense of changing clocks and disrupting our lives.

I have other things to do: helping out my older parents with my brother. Baking sourdough bread. Sharing original songs with Sisters women, our guitars resting while we eat delicious soup. Watching the herd of deer outside my window as they nudge aside the snow, nibbling on the first signs of spring.

Award-winning athlete speaking at SAC

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Lauren Fleshman, well known for her highly decorated running career, will visit Sisters Athletic Club on Wednesday, March 6, to discuss her recent book “Good for a Girl: A Woman Running in a Man’s World,” published last year.

The memoir became a New York Times best-seller, and won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award. The Washington Post described the book as “A close-up look at the uncertain and often unhealthy climb toward stardom for women in organized sports.”

As a runner Fleshman, who resides in Bend, won three consecutive NCAA 5000 meter titles in track at Stanford from 2001-2003, along with two U.S. Nationals Championships at the distance after turning pro. In 2011, she placed seventh in the World Championships which at the time was the highest finish ever by an American for 5000 meters.

Her college career included a total of five NCAA titles and 15 times All-American honors. She is considered the best American distance runner to never make an Olympic team. Throughout her running career to the present, Fleshman has been an advocate for athletes’ rights, as well as supporting ways to foster safe environments for girls and women in sports, with a particular focus on track and field.

While still competing, Fleshman co-founded the nature food company Picky Bars in 2009, which she sold to Laird Superfood in May 2021. She took up coaching along the way as well, and some of her athletes competed at the Olympic Trial in 2020. Her memoir, published in 2023, will be the focus of her visit to Sisters Athletic Club according to owner Tate Metcalf.

“Lauren and I had talked about her doing a book signing since before her book was even published and then, after the book’s popularity blew up and she was in high demand, I knew it would be a while before she could come here,” said Metcalf. “I am incredibly honored to have Lauren back to speak at the club.”

A reception starts at 5 p.m., followed by the presentation at 5:30 p.m. The public is welcome and copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

Wrestlers place at state tourney

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

The long road to the OSAA State Wrestling Championships concluded with two Outlaws placing in the top six, and one narrowly missing a medal.

Junior Carter Van Meter, who brought a 38-16 record to the tournament picked up three more wins for the season on his way to fifth place in the 3A 126-pound class.

Following a first-round bye, Van Meter faced Benjamin Dinan of Banks (30-8) who got the best of Van Meter at the 1:52 mark with a pin. This sent Van Meter into the consolation round where he picked up two wins by pin, first over Rowyn Miller of Glide (2:15) and next against James Anderson of Rogue River (0:52).

In the consolation semifinal, Caden Cox of Glide beat Van Meter by technical fall, setting up a fifth-place match against Jonny Rice of Rainier. Van Meter had the upper hand and pinned Rice

at 1:15 to secure the fifthplace medal.

“Carter did a great job in a tough weight class and I am so thrilled to have him coming back next year to see how much higher he can climb,” said Coach David Kemp.

Senior Scott Henderson, 24-17, scored a win in round one over Leland Beem of Santiam Christian (1:37) before taking on Jacob Logan of South Umpqua in the quarterfinal round. The pair battled evenly for the first two minutes before Logan took Henderson down at the 2:47 mark. Henderson stormed back with two wins in the consolation round. He pinned Calvin Longoni of Vale (1:19) and then scored a 7-6 decision over Max Smith of Warrenton.

Henderson then faced one of the top seeds in the tournament, Dayne Muller of Siuslaw, who had suffered only four losses in 41 matches during the regular season. Muller sent Henderson to the sixthplace match with a quick

pin (0:49). Henderson’s final match was nearly identical as Adrian Stubbs of Lakeview pinned Henderson at the 0:49 second mark.

“I am so proud of Scotty for how he handled himself throughout his career. To think that he didn’t win a wrestling match until his junior season makes his performance a huge accomplishment,” said Kemp. “Also even though he was wrestling in the 190-pound class, he weighed in at 178 this week, which is giving up a lot of weight.”

Tyson Kemp, a sophomore with a 32-18 record in the regular season, faced off in the first round against Philemon Mauck of Banks (34-7) and came up short, losing by pin (1:02). Kemp received a bye in the first round of consolation and picked up a 3-0 decision over Luke Baker of Nyssa. In the do or die consolation round three, Kemp faced off against Boone Marquess of Pleasant Hill and it was anybody’s

match through four minutes before Marquess secured a pin at the 4:30 mark.

“I think Tyson will come back hungrier than ever,” said Kemp about his son. “Of course he’s bummed to not place, but he came as close as he could have.”

Kemp, who is in his second year at the helm of the team, sees progress in the program.

“With Carter and Tyson back, along with some other underclassmen, I am looking forward to next season already,” he said.

Senior Scott Henderson (with coach David Kemp) took sixth place in the 190-pound weight class at the OSAA State Wrestling Championships.

PHOTO BY KIMBERLY HENDERSON

Junior Carter Van Meter placed fifth in the 3A 126-pound class.

PHOTO BY TRICIA VAN METER

Krista Palmer,

Sing Your Hearts Out , Sisters!

Sing your hearts out with the Low Bar Chorale at e Belfr y on Saturday, March 2. Hosted by Age Friendly Sisters Country, it’s a night of community, music, and pure energy. ese professional musicians will back us on pop/rock hits f rom Elvis to Elton John. AFSC invites all voices and is asking for any contribution at the door to support their mission to enhance livabilit y and combat isolation in Sisters Country Embrace the harmony, make new connections , and let Sisters’ musical tradition unite us. Doors open at 6 p.m., singing starts at 7

Sisters Schools

Music Events

Sisters Middle School will host a band , choir, guitar, and fiddle concer t featuring middle school musicians on Tuesday, March 5 at 7 p.m. e Sisters High School bands and choirs will per form in the high school auditorium on ursday, March 7 at 7. p.m. Both concerts are f ree to the public

Together For Children

Playlab

Together For Children is o ering a weekly Playlab on Wednesdays from 11:30 a .m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation. Children ages 3 and under along with their caregivers will engage in an interactive playtime with our Early Childhood Educator. Registration is available for $10 per f amily per week. Scholarships are available. Contact abbie@ together-for-children.org for more information

Sisters Museum is Open

Af ter a few weeks o for an exhibit changeover, the reopening was postponed, due to snow, f rom Februar y 16 to the 23rd . ere is a f ull timeline of Sisters’ histor y to share with you including many wonderf ul pictures and stories of our local pioneers . Regular hours are 10 -4 on Fridays and Saturdays e Museum is located at 151 N . Spruce St. Stop by to learn something new about Sisters’ histor y!

Sisters Rodeo Parade

Want to participate in the parade? ere are limited entries , so don’t wait. Deadline is May 15 . Visit sistersrodeo.com and fill out the registration.

Sisters Habitat

Volunteers Needed

Are you looking for something fun to do with your free time?

Volunteer with Sisters Habit at for Humanity! Call 541-549-1193 to get connected

Sunday School for Children

Church of the Transfiguration is now o ering Sunday School for children, ages 5 to 12, regardless of church a liation, during both Sunday worship ser vices. Protestant/ecumenical ser vice is at 8:30 a .m. and Episcopal service begins at 10:15 a .m. e church address is 121 Brook s Camp Rd . Sisters . For info call Margaret Doke at 541-588-2784.

A NNOUNCEMENT S

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Saturday, March 2

Sing Your Hearts Out, Sisters! The Belfry

Sunday, March 3

Backcountry Film Festival

Sisters Movie House

Tuesday, March 5

Sisters Middle School Concert Sisters Middle School

Tuesday, March 5

Let’s Talk: Death, Dying, & Grief Paulina Springs Books

19th Annual Backcountry Film Festival

Calling all skiers , backcountry adventurers , thrill seekers , and winter enthusiasts! Get ready for the annual celebration of winter wildland s through this collection of short films . All proceeds will go to support the e orts of the local nonprofit

Discover Your Forest. e Sisters screening will be on Sunday, March 3, f rom 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Sisters Movie House. Admission is $25 per person, and tickets can be purchased at www discover your forest .org/events/ backcountr y-film-festival/

Circle of Friends Mentors

Circle of Friends will host a Mentor Open House on Wednesday, March 13 . Drop in any time 10-11 a .m. or 5- 6 p.m. at 16 4 N . Elm St. to learn more about volunteering with Circle of Friends

STAR S Seeks Dispatch Volunteers

While working from home, help STAR S transport Sisters Country resident s to nonemergenc y medical appointments . Needed: A computer, the abilit y to use online apps, and a telephone. Call 541-9 04-5545 . STAR S is an AFSC Action Team.

STAR S Seek s Volunteers to Transpor t Patients

Help Sisters Countr y residents get to nonemergenc y medical appointments in Sisters Redmond , and Bend . Attend a free t wo-hour training. Emails from STAR S dispatchers allow you to accept dates and times that work for your schedule, and a mileage reimbursement is included . Learn more at www starsride.org. STAR S is an AFSC Action Team.

Free Lunches for Seniors

For those 60+, the Council on Aging of Central Oregon o ers a f un, no-cost social lunch every Tuesday, 11 a .m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Community Church , 130 0 McKenzie Hwy. No reser vations needed. No-cost Grab-N- Go lunches take place weekly on Wed . and urs ., f rom 12:30 to 1 p.m. Call 541-797-9367.

Weekly Food Pantry

e Wellhouse Church hosts a weekly food pantr y ursdays at 3 p.m. at 222 N . Trinit y Way Both drive-through pick-up and shopping-st yle distribution are available. Info: 541-549-4184.

Let’s Talk:

Death, Dying , & Grief

Let’s Talk meets Tuesday, March

5, f rom 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Paulina Springs Books , 252 W. Hood Ave. We’re all going to die; why don’t we ever talk about it? Join C4C, plus several local caregivers and “ death doulas,” to discuss one of society’s most taboo topics . Dig into stigmas and fears surrounding death, with space provide d for folk s to share their own experiences with grief, and explore ways to more healthily navigate these topics . Learn more at citizens4communit y. com/our-events

Luck y Leprechaun

Run & Walk

e third annual Lucky Leprechaun Run and Walk is slated for Saturday, March 9, in Sisters . e event will once again feature 10k and 5k distances , as well as a kids’ m ini run. Registration information can be found at https://www runsistersrun.com/

Sisters Civic Leadership Academy is spring , C4C is partnering with the Cit y of Sisters to launch the Sisters Civic Leadership Academy. e 6 -week program will o er participants a crash course in local government operations , leadership skills development, and a chance to tackle a real-world community challenge. If you’ve ever thought , “I wonder if community engagement is for me,” now is a per fect time to test the waters! e Academy is open to residents of Sisters Countr y age 16+. Dinner, childcare, and other accessibilit y ser vices will be provided . Applications are due March 8 . Learn more and apply at ci.sisters.or.us/administration

Free Weekly Meal Service

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

Furr y Friends Volunteers

Needed

Furr y Friends is looking for volunteers to help with the bottle and can f undraiser drive once a week ever y Friday. It takes about 45 minutes to put donated bottles and cans in the blue f undraiser bags. e bags are processed at the donation drop-o spot on e Nug get porch, and then taken to the bottle drop at Ray ’s . To volunteer please call or text Kiki at 541-797-4 023.

Meet the Candidates for Fire Chief

Join Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Sunday, March 3, 4–6 p.m. at Ski Inn Taphouse Hotel, 310 E . Cascade Ave., for a meet and greet with the semi-finalists for the position of fire chief. Appetizers provided . All are welcome. For more information call 541-549-0771.

Central Oregon Federated Republican Meeting COFRW (Central Oregon Federated Republican Women) meet s the first ursday of every month f rom 10:30 a.m. (registration) to 1 p.m. at Brand 33 at Aspen Lakes Golf Club in Sisters. Come learn f rom quality speakers, and hear and question local and state candidates. Meetings include lunch for $27 RSVP required. Learn more about upcoming meetings and RSVP at www.COFRW.net

Sisters Garden Club Journal

Sisters Garden Club has a Garden Journal that is available for $15 at Paulina Springs Books , e Gallimauf ry, ree Sisters Floral, Home Styled , & Metamorphosis, all in Sisters e multiyear journal includes pages for notes on weather, monthly garden activities , plant details , and more. Sales support the Club and other local nonprofits . Get your copy now

ey make great gif ts . Please call 971-24 6-040 4 for questions

Americ an Legion and VFW

American Legion Post 86 and VF W Post 8138 meet the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at Spoons Restaurant, 473 E . Hood Ave. Sisters . Call John at 541-549-1462 for info.

JOJO

is gentle 13-year-old terrier mix is looking for a new friend to spend his sunset years with. Jojo is full of love and snuggles and is ready to share them with you. In his new home, he would enjoy being the only furry f riend, as he hasn’t had much exposure to housemates. If Jojo has captured your attention, come to HSCO to meet him today

S- ARE A C HURCH ES

Baha’i Faith

For information, devotions, study groups , etc., contac t Shauna Rocha 541-6 47-9826 • www.bahai.org www.bahai.us • www.bahaiteachings .org

Calvar y Church

484 W. Washington St. , Ste. C & D • 541-588-6288 10 a .m. Sunday Worship • www.ccsisters.org

Chapel in the Pines

Camp Sherman • 541-815-9153

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

e Church of Jesus Christ of L at ter-Day Saint s 452 Trinit y Way • Branch President, 5 41-420 -5670;

10 a .m. Sunday Sac rament Meeting

e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration

Seventh-Day Adventist Church

386 N . Fir St. • 541-815-9848

11 a .m. S aturday Worship

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA)

386 N . Fir Street • 541-549-5831

www.shepherdof thehillsluther anchurch.com

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Sisters Church of the N az arene

67130 Har rington 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

www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com

9:30 a .m. Sunday Worship

St . Edward the Mar tyr Roman Catholic Churc h

123 Trinit y Way • 541-549-9391

5:3 0 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass • 9 a .m. Sunday Mass

12 p.m. Monday Mass • 8 a .m. Tuesday-Friday Mass

Wellhouse Churc h

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

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Blues artists set to rock The Belfry

Sisters is in for an unforgettable night of soul-blues rock as Tommy Castro and the Painkillers make a highly anticipated return to The Belfry on Friday, March 1. This rare Friday night performance promises to be an exceptional treat for fans, with the show kicking off at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available for purchase at bendticket.com.

Tommy Castro is an icon in the world of soul-blues. Known for his dynamic mix of 1960s-influenced guitarfueled blues, Memphissoaked blue-eyed soul, and Latin-tinged East San Jose funk, Castro has consistently delivered electrifying shows throughout his career.

“The hardest thing to do,” says Castro, “is be yourself, take some chances and bring your fans along with you.”

And that’s exactly what he’s done, releasing 16 albums, with the last seven on Alligator Records. Blues Revue declared, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.” Tommy and his loyal band

LETTERS

Continued from page 2

these were soon occupied by low-income families, retired loggers and mill workers. These houses/homes are gone. Urban renewal, expansion of the growth boundaries, real estate speculation?

All have contributed to the loss of domiciles for lowincome or beginning families. Additionally, the Fed has tried to keep inflation at around 2 percent. This has not happened in the 30 years

promise to have The Belfry crowd up and dancing right out of the gates. Opening the night is the fiercely original Ben Rice, whose music is deeply rooted in traditional blues. With a

I have lived here in Sisters. Using Bureau of Labor statistics, what cost $500 back in 1990 today costs $1,210.

That’s just calculating inflation. With the accelerated growth in the tri-counties and the desire to live in communities like Bend or Sisters, you can add thousands of dollars more to the price of homes and rentals.

Everyone, rich or poor, is looking for “The Big Rock Candy Mountain.” Providing that here in Sisters may be a goal too difficult to realize

guitar-playing style described as “fearless,” “inventive,” and “powerful,” Rice captivates audiences with his emotionally honest vocal delivery.

The Belfry is located at 302. E. Main Ave. in Sisters.

for some in our community. It reminds of a common comment circulating around town, when the first new middle-high school was built: “If you build it, they will come.” Well folks, they are here.

Rob Phelps

THURSDAY • FEBRUARY 29

Suttle Lodge Fireside Concert Series: Love, Dean 6 to 8 p.m. Doors at 5:30 Tickets $10 at www.bendticket.com.

FRIDAY • MARCH 1

The Belfr y Live Music: Tommy Castro and the Painkillers Internationally acclaimed soul-blues rock. Ra re Friday-night performance promises to be an exceptional treat. Ben Rice opens the evening at 7 p.m. with his powerful and compelling music deeply rooted in traditional blues. Tickets at bendticket.com.

Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture

Felt Telescoping Hat Workshop 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $85; info & advance registration (required): roundhousefoundation.org/events. Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby & Annie 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.

Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights 5 to 8 p.m. Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15

More information at www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.

Hoodoo Ski Area Friday Night Lights 4 to 9 p.m. Night lights, live music and more. Info at www.skihoodoo.com.

SATURDAY • MARCH 2

Frankie’s Upstairs Live Music: David Jacobs-Strain

All By Himself — Oregon’s own embarks on national tour 7 to 9:30 p.m. Location is upstairs at Sisters Depot, 250 W. Cascade Ave. Tickets, $30, at www.sistersdepot.com/our-events.

The Belfr y Sing Along featuring Portland’s Low Bar Chorale presented by Age Friendly Sisters Country Lyrics on the walls, and the band keeps the beat and harmonies going No admission, but donations accepted at the door Doors open at 6 p.m.; singing at 7. More info: www.agefriendlysisters.com

Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture

Lightweight Nunofelt Scarf Workshop 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $85; info and advance registration (required): roundhousefoundation.org/events.

Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby & Annie 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.

Hoodoo Ski Area Viking Fest 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Lessons, stories, and Nordic culture. Race course with arrow shooting and ax throwing Info at www.skihoodoo.com.

SUNDAY • MARCH 3

Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come to play Scrabble socialize, and drink coffee. Open to all. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

Sisters Community Church Discussion: Reliability & Historicity of the Bible with Pastor Steve Stratos

6 to 7:30 p.m. 1300 McKenzie Hwy For more info: 541-549-1201.

TUESDAY, MARCH 5

Sisters Middle School Middle School Concert 7 p.m.

SMS band, choir, guitar, and fiddle groups will perform. Free Ski Inn Taphouse Hotel Live Music: Bob Baker & Mark Barringer 6-8 p.m. Free entry

Info: www.sisterstaphousehotel.com.

WEDNESDAY • MARCH 6

Sisters Athletic Club Book Signing Lauren Fleshman presents NYTimes bestseller "Good For A Girl: A Woman Running in a Man's World." 5 p.m. reception, 5:30 presentation. Free and open to the public Info: 541-549-6878.

Suttle Lodge Live Music: Dirty Jazz with Wolfe House Records 6 to 8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, $15, at www.bendticket.com.

THURSDAY • MARCH 7

Frankie’s Upstairs Live Music: Dean Mueller with Pete Kar tsounes Nashville comes to Sisters! A Bend notable lights it up 7 to 9:30 p.m. Location is upstairs at Sisters Depot, 250 W. Cascade Ave. Tickets, $20 at www.sistersdepot.com/our-events.

Sisters High School High School Festival Concert 7 p.m. SHS jazz and concert bands and choirs will perform in the high school auditorium. Free; donations to band/choir programs happily accepted. Info: kayla.golka@ssd6.org

FRIDAY • MARCH 8

Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights 5 to 8 p.m. Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15 More information at www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.

Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby & Annie 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.

SATURDAY • MARCH 9

Sisters Depot Open Mic Night 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monthly open mic gives local musicians a place to hear each other and build musical community. For music lovers it’s a chance to see a variety of local talent in a lively atmosphere. Info: https://sistersdepot.com/our-events.

Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby & Annie 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers will return to The Belfry stage March 1.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Memories of a favorite place

By Jim Cornelius | Editor in Chief

When Adora Hitchcock looks out her window in her quarters at The Lodge in Sisters, she can just make out the roof of CONKLIN’S GUEST HOUSE across Barclay Drive to the north. When she sits in The Lodge’s library, she has an even better view.

AND THAT VIEW TAKES HER BACK IN TIME AND BRINGS HER 82 YEARS OF LIFE FULL CIRCLE.

Hitchcock was born in 1941 in Bend and adopted by Philip and Sally Wyatt Hitchcock. The Hitchcocks were pioneering lumbermen in Sisters Country, and Philip’s brother Maurice would become known as the Flying Lumberjack, as he flew to visit multiple operations as a leader in the timber industry in

The Hitchcock family was located in Pomeroy, Washington, when Maurice and Philip were born. In the 1920s, Maurice moved to La Pine, Oregon, and began cutting and milling timber. Eventually, they came to Sisters. Philip came from Lewiston, Idaho, in 1934 to join the family operation.

Adora told The Nugget of her parents’ early days.

“When they were married, they

Adora Hitchcock was born in 1941 and adopted into the Hitchcock family, pioneers in the timber industry in the area. She has early childhood memories of Sisters and has lived here on and off over a long, well-traveled life. Sisters is her favorite place in the world, and she has returned to live at The Lodge.

were living out at Indian Ford in their log houses,” she said. “And there was a small mill out there… Dad and Maurice were working in the woods.”

In her book “Maurice G. Hitchcock: The Flying Lumberjack,” Margaret Elley Felt writes: “In 1934

when the Hitchcocks moved to Sisters, they purchased the guest ranch known as the Sundown Ranch. This ranch lay in a wide meadow (Indian Ford Meadow) with a stream running through it and was originally established as a family guest ranch by the Corbett family in Portland. At one time there was a polo field in the meadow. Log cabins were scattered about and each guest had a horse available…

“The Hitchcocks, strong-fibered western-bred people that they were, appreciated living and working in the ruggedly beautiful area around central Oregon. The Sisters area, in which they lived in the log cabins scattered throughout the pine treedotted meadow of the Sundown Ranch, was filled with a variety of things to do, such as horseback riding, hiking, hunting, mountain climbing, fishing, and packing in to the Jefferson National Park (sic). A neighbor, Joe Talbott, had a pack of bear-hunting hounds and would take Maurice with him hunting bear

Dressed up for a dance...

Adora and her brother at home in a cabin near Sisters.

occasionally.”

The Hithcocks eventually moved into what was known as the Nixon house — which would become known in later days as the Conklin house.

and Dorothy Barclay.

In the 1970s and ’80s, she had a sewing business in one of the small offices behind The Nugget Newspaper.

“I also had worked at Bedouin,” she recalled.

“It was across the road from the Nixon house that Maurice built an airfield when he took up flying in 1938,” Felt writes.

Adora has fond memories of her early childhood at that house. She says she wants to tell the owners of Cascade Street Distillery, which operates in the barn building next to the Conklin house “I got my first dog bite in that barn!”

She recalls that “our love was riding horseback and the whole wonderful thing of being in Sisters — just a small town.”

The Hitchcocks lived and worked in Sisters for 16 years, and contributed significantly to the economy and social life of the community.

Maurice and his wife Kathleen would remain lifelong friends with Sisters’ legendary pioneers Harold

But the Hitchcocks’ time in Sisters would come to an end. Phil and his family, including Adora, moved to Klamath Falls in 1946, where Phil got into the heavy equipment business. He would serve as an Oregon Senator from 1949 to 1953. Maurice would leave for White Swan, Washington in 1950, seeking bigger prospects in the timber industry.

Adora’s family, now living in Lake Oswego, would follow.

“I’d just been elected student body secretary in Lake Oswego and the folks said, ‘We’re moving to White Swan.’”

Adora’s first thought was that she couldn’t go — but it all turned out well.

“It was my favorite year in high school,” she said. “I loved it in White Swan, Washington, there on the (Yakama) Indian reservation.”

Adora’s adult family life took her all over the world, including stints in Israel and in Montreal, Canada. But somehow she always found herself coming back to Sisters, at least for a time.

Another Perspective

By Pastor Steve Stratos

Over the last five weeks, we have been talking about w orldview A w orldview is a b elief system e xpresse d in our behavior as an operating system. A worldv iew attempts to answe r four important questions These questions revolve a round origin, meaning, m orality, a nd destin y. Ou r answers n eed to be c ohesive with each other an d l ogically c onsistent. They n eed to s how up w ith r eliable evidence a nd e xperiential r elevance for life to produce both freedom an d confidence.

Simon Greenleaf (1783–1 853), the former r oya l professor of law at Harvard University, was c onsidered by many to be the greates t legal e xpert on the laws of evidence that ever lived He s aid there was one

unchanging a nd abidin g principle that he taught to his law students, a nd that was to “never make up your mind a bout a ny significant matter without first considering all the evidence.” He was certain that in examining the internal w itnes s of the Bible, Christianity w ould be s een as nothing more than myth and legend. He was w rong. He c oncluded that the w itnesse s were reliable, and the resurrection did indeed happen.

Many w ho refer to th e Bible as a book of myths, legends, a nd f airy tales w ould f it into the category of never c onsidering all the evidence. Many have r ejected a biblical w orldv iew b ecause of hypocris y in the c hurch. How man y of us stop s eeking medical h elp b ecause there are ba d

The house she recalled so fondly became a bed and breakfast operated by Frank and Marie Conklin. As time passed, the Conklins ended their run, and the building and grounds went into decline. In 2006 Dutch Pacific Partners planned to revive it as an 85-seat restaurant with panoramic views to be surrounded by 25 rental bungalows.

Shane Lundgren of Dutch Pacific hired Adora to be hostess in the house where she had so many childhood memories. However, the plan never came to fruition and Adora moved on.

She lived for a time in Palouse, Washington, where she had friends.

“That’s my other favorite place,” she said. “I worked in a grocery store. I was a clerk. It’s equally beautiful as here. I bought a house there in 2012.”

Adora’s children were living in Portland, and they wanted her to

live there, so for a while she moved back and forth between Portland and Palouse.

Eventually, she stayed there, living with her daughter.

“Then one morning, I woke up and I said, ‘I’ve got to move to Sisters again,’” she said. “I felt like it was my last opportunity. I feel like I’ve come full circle.”

favorite place

It was just happenstance that when she and her daughter visited The Lodge last July, looking for a place for Adora to live, that the room they looked at had a view of the Conklin (Hitchcock) house.

“I would see it and I thought, ‘I have to be here. I have to be here.’”

The old Hitchcock place is run down now. Developers plan to turn the 4.6-acre property into a boutique RV park, and it is doubtful that much, if any, of the house can be salvaged.

That’s a little sad for Adora, but she is most content to be back in Sisters again.

As she looks back on a long life and the history that she was a part of here, she says, “It really has been my favorite place all my life.”

www.sisterschurch

doctors? Some maybe have purposely never looked for evidence in fear of having to surrender to a higher power Some have even denied the evidence. As Aldous Huxley once said, “I didn’t want the Bible to be t rue because it w ould interfere w ith my erotic lifestyle.”

I have discovered ove r the years that there are many roads but not always do they lead to a better world. While I have lived the mantra of “experience,” e xperience needs a grid for interpretation. The Bible is a reliable grid. It helps to shape one’s ethics.

While our country is not perfect, I would not want to live anywhere else. I believe we have flourished because our c ountry was built on a biblical w orldview As we m ove farther away from the biblical w orldview our answers to origin, meaning,

m orality , a nd destin y

b ecome less c ohesive an d more inconsistent. We think we should live by the golden rule but don’t know wh y. Our lives are being built on a foundation of opinions. I believe a biblical worldview is reasonable, plausible, and p rovides a f oundation fo r emotional health. It is not a book of myths and legends

It has been said the Bible is a r eliable collection of historical documents written

down by eyewitnesses duri ng the lifetime of othe r eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events, such as a resurrection, that fulfilled specific promises, and they claimed the writings to be divine rather than human in origin.

I invite you to a discussion on the RE LIABILIT Y & HISTORICIT Y OF THE BIBLE

Sunday, March 3 • 6–7:30 p. m. at Sisters Community Church 1300 McKenzie Hw y.

We will have a discussion with Q & A around a biblical worldview. Don’t stop seeking!

Phil and Sally Wyatt Hitchcock lived a very Western lifestyle.

Adora loved riding horses as a young child.

ROUNDHOUSE:

Advocates went to Washington D.C.

Continued from page 3

Foundation Executive Director Erin Borla.

With speakers like Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, and Academy Award-winning actor Troy Kotsur, this conference brought together dozens of unique minds, ideas, and stories.

The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy succinctly described the goal of the summit: “Joy is good for your health, and art brings people joy…healing is not something that happens solely in hospitals, it’s something we have the power to create.”

The conversation regarding how art physically and mentally heals society extended to the process of taking steps that will lead to viable actions. This included NEA’s partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water in launching an artist-in-residence program. Each of the artists is receiving $200,000 to support their craft and advocate water restoration and climate resilience in Boston, Seattle, New Mexico, Philadelphia, Puerto Rico, and New York.

“This is a model for other

federal and state agencies to adapt, that will help to see a better connection between federal resources and the realities, priorities, and interests of communities,” said NEA Senior Deputy Chair Ascala Tsegaye Sisk.

Outside of the summit, the Roundhouse Foundation delegates spoke with the Department of Interior, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and multiple Oregon representatives about issues facing rural citizens.

“I was grateful to be able to spend time with the leaders of many of the cultural organizations that do such great work in Oregon. Deepening the connection with our partners was very important to me… I also felt it was empowering for each of our partners to voice their opinions on a national scale, I hope they felt heard,” said founder and trustee of the Roundhouse Foundation, Kathy Deggendorfer.

The chance for typically unheard voices to arise in such a major way was one of the main goals of this trip. Roundhouse achieved this by bringing 25 different indigenous, rural, and culture-bearing individuals from all over Oregon together. In a society where nonurban perspectives aren’t always heard, this trip served as an example of the work being done in opposition to that culture. All the attendees had the chance to talk about their programs and the needs of the

underrepresented percentage of Oregon’s population.

“I walked away feeling like the current administration truly values art and its role in a healthy society, to the point that the Surgeon General gave a beautiful speech about the power of art to connect people and help with feelings of social isolation,” said Crista Munro, executive director of SFF Presents, “I left with a renewed commitment to the work SFF Presents does in the Central Oregon community.”

“Rural voices aren’t heard, which usually means indigenous voices aren’t either,” said Mersaedy Atkins, ‘Tyusmakt,’ an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation in Washington. “But it made

The feature articles in Spiri t of Central Oregon magazine reflect an adventurous way of life.

•

me happy when a bunch of native ladies came up to me because I was wearing my

ribbon skirt…I felt a sense of pride in sharing the same space and power.”

The Roundhouse Foundation contingent met with Senator Ron Wyden at the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

PHOTO BY PROVIDED

Representative Val Hoyle joined the Roundhouse Foundation visitors in her office at the Longworth House Office Building.

PHOTO PROVIDED

CUB

Continued from page 3

back the pack for her own “cubs,” is the driving force behind the program in Sisters

“I really, really wanted it for my kids,” said the den leader and mother of Declan Jamie and Adreano, 4, a cub scout-in-training. “I just kept pushing and pushing, ‘Let’s just set a date. Let’s start having meetings.’ We’re doing a Join Night at the end of this month, so now we’re trying to get more people in, but we needed to first get established as a pack.”

The effort required a sponsor, which she found in Dell and Lee at the Episcopal Church. Hooson brought in Roger Detweiler to fill another key position.

“We’ve set up a committee to help facilitate the path, and I’m the chair of that,” said Detweiler, who became an Eagle Scout, then took a little time off – about 65 years. “I was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as a kid. I attended the national and international Jamborees. I was 14 at the time. That was a great experience for me. I’m 81 now, so I’m just going to do what I can to help.”

Roger answered Hooson’s Nextdoor Neighbor post seeking a volunteer.

“He showed up ready to go, and it’s been fantastic.

He’s taken control of awesome committee stuff that I don’t even know what to do with,” Hooson said.

Weldon, also a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Eagle Scout, brought up his sons in scouting.

“I was Cubmaster for several years, Scoutmaster for several years. Both my sons became Eagle Scouts. Yeah, I’ve been doing this for a long time,” he said.

Now he’s back, ushering in a third generation: his grandchildren.

“We also needed another committee member. Wayne and Destiny Williamson stepped in on that, and then I’m under them as Den Leader,” Hooson said. “That whole committee had to come together for us to be able to become official.”

The Williamsons are new to the area and to scouting. They’re helping their kindergartner, Anthony, build a circle of friends.

“We don’t know anyone. We like the activities the Scouts do. We like the way that Jennifer is inclusive, so we joined, and we like it. She posted something on Facebook, to the community site that my wife looks at to see what’s going on, and we went to the meeting and joined up. Now we’re committee members,” Wayne said.

“We’re new here, so it’s nice to meet people,” said Destiny. “I love the sense of community.”

How it’s going

A core of four are hoping to bring in more. The families have kids under six.

“It’s educational, it’s active, it’s social,” Weldon explains. “It’s structured in a way that every kid who tries can earn badges, rise in rank, and move on. It’s a real contrast, for me, between that and sports, where not everybody gets to win. In scouting, everybody gets to succeed.

“We just finished the Pinewood Derby. We made cars and we entered four cars. They all got a medal. It was pretty cool,” said Weldon, noting the support Sisters has received from derby hosts Redmond Cub Scouts Pack 27.

Last week, as a community service project, the scouts cleared snow and helped clean up the Sisters Habitat ReStore, where Weldon works.

“We do these fun activities and they vary. It might be games that are designed to have children interact and get some social skills while having fun. It might encourage some physical activity that keeps them fit and teaches them good life habits. But it’s all fun-oriented; a fun way to teach them values,” Wayne said. “You can come midprogram and just do what’s next, and everything’s cool.”

Families can register any time, but the sooner they join, the more likely new Cub Scouts will be able to participate in spring hikes and the

three-day summer camp.

The Sisters pack is now accepting boys and girls in kindergarten through 5th grade. All volunteers undergo Youth Protection training and follow a strict and robust incidentreporting system. There are more than a million Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts in America.

The group meets every other Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Episcopal Church. The cost to join and cost of uniforms are each less than $150.

To learn more, enroll, or volunteer, call 541-617-5336 or email Jennifer Hooson at sisters cubscouts@gmail.com.

Scout

Scout Mission: The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people

HOODOO: Event came off in spectacular fashion on Saturday

Continued from page 1

Propane sponsored this year’s event.

During the day, activities ranged from ax throwing to musical chairs and a threelegged race. For the Dummy Downhill contest, sleds were loaded up with dummies that raced down the hill. Archery, ski javelin, bingo games, and musical chairs rounded out the daytime fun.

Winter Carnival is extra special this year because Hoodoo’s annual New Year’s Eve party was canceled. The season’s El Niño weather pattern dropped very little snow on Central Oregon. Sisters Country’s “steep, deep, and cheap” ski bowl couldn’t open until after winter vacation.

Tonight, people are ready for some Hoodoo fun. Inside the lodge, LeRoy and Sidekicks entertain the crowd with classics and covers, filling the upstairs space with fiddle, banjo, guitar, and harmonizing voices. Kids dance and clap. Some adults get moving, too.

Wild decorations and glam costumes make for a cheerful lodge, along with some special food and drinks for the occasion. Boys and girls dash around wearing frilly tutus, some of which sport glowing lights. Several young adults look like big stuffed animals, wearing furry onesies.

One young kid appears to be entirely enveloped in shiny gift-wrap, even his eyes covered. Other kids gather to marvel at the sparkle-mummy he’s become. They shout the hysterical shouts of kids who had a few too many cups of hot chocolate. Soon they are following the mummy down the stairs (what could possibly go wrong?).

A Hoodoo employee in a full beard, long magenta dress, and squirrel tail ensemble explains his costuming choices: he is Barbie Squirrel. It’s a fetching look, to be sure. Hoodoo employees worked hard to create a Barbiethemed area around the ski school area for the kids.

Why a squirrel Barbie outfit? It’s like the meme going around social media: replace the word “girl” in any given pop song with the word “squirrel.” His well-executed costume is a play on the popular dance hit from years back, “Barbie Girl.”

The Barbie theme gives way to a Día de los Muertos theme (despite the time of year) in the adult areas. Bartenders wear gorgeous Día-style makeup; the bar itself is a splendid work of art, bursting with festive decorations.

A strong feeling of community pervades the proceedings.

There are Valley people here, Hoodoo regulars, along with plenty of folks from Sisters and Camp Sherman.

“It’s like a neighborhood,” says a man in neon-orange coat, trying to peel his preschooler out of an egg-shaped twirly chair.

“It’s part of my sexy lifestyle,” proclaims a tall man in a glimmering tunic and sequin pants, swaying on his silverglitter platform shoes.

A dad cradles a blondehaired baby to his chest, rocking gently, walking back and forth.

Soon it’s time to head back outside for the annual torchlight descent. Fires burn: one in a sculpted sphere right next to the lodge, and one in a big fire pit. The fire pit has grown so hot, everyone moves their camp chairs back.

“I ate s--- three times today,” a snowboarder tells his friends. “But I kept on going.”

“Can’t let the fear win,”

his friend responds. A young woman in a wedding dress laughs giddily.

A full Virgo moon sways over the lodge. The lifts stop. The skiers and snowboarders are off the mountain now— except those silhouetted up high on the hill.

The lights go out and everyone cheers. Down the

mountain bobs a beautiful, snakelike line of red lights. The leader sends out lines of yellow fire with an implement.

“Is it a blowtorch?” asks an onlooker. “No,” says another, “that’s a flamethrower.”

As the red dots get closer, the audience can see that each is a torch held high by a person, some by folks skiing adaptive-style. The audience hollers and claps. As one, the torch bearers plunge their

torches into the snow and the light disappears.

At the same moment, boom! The first fireworks go off.

An impressive, artistic display of pyrotechnics follows, marred only by the voice of Lionel Richie blaring out at far too many decibels.

When it’s all over, Hoodoo fans cuddle up for the night in their camper vans or drive back down the hill toward home.

Lifts stopped and lights went out for the fireworks show as Ski Patrolers and kids of all ages enjoy the show.

PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY

The torch light decent is a Winter Carnival tradition with participants from Oregon Adaptive Sports carrying down torches to start the firework show.

PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY

FIRE CHIEF: Selection

will be made soon after public meeting

Continued from page 1

for qualified candidates. Ultimately, 10 candidates applied for the position and the Board of Directors narrowed the list down to the five most qualified applicants.

The five remaining applicants will participate in an extensive interview process with local stakeholders and technical experts on Monday, March 4. The Board of Directors will make a final determination after the interview process is complete.

The Sisters community is invited to meet the five semifinalists at a social gathering at the Ski Inn on March 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. The community will have the opportunity to visit with candidates and learn more about them.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity for the community to be engaged in the process and have the ability to provide feedback if they wanted to,” Miller said. “Sisters is a closeknit community and we are looking for a great leader who will be responsive to the needs of the community and be a good partner with other emergency response agencies.”

The five semi-finalists for the position are:

• Timothy Craig — Deputy Chief of Operations and Training for Sisters Camp Sherman Fire District.

• Erik Holt — Former Fire Chief, Florissant Fire District, Colorado.

• Kyle Nelson — Former Fire Chief Oregon Air National Guard, Portland, Oregon.

• Anthony Prior — current Fire Chief City of Kenai Alaska.

• Peter Tehila — Division Chief of Logistics, City of Austin Fire Department, Texas.

Continued from page 3

by volunteers pouring the beer, keeping fires going, checking in ticket holders, and serving snacks.

Volunteer Leah Scaf came over from Portland for the event for the first time.

“My friend Emily is the event producer, so I came to see her and participate; we love doing fun things together. It’s a great event, and I am having a great time being a part of it as a volunteer,” she said.

In its 5th year, the event’s proceeds go towards a nonprofit. This year, the event again benefits CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates). As their website notes, “The National CASA/GAL Association for Children supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy for children and youth who have experienced abuse or neglect. We believe every child should be allowed to thrive in a safe and loving home.”

Bend local Jill Deckman Cooper volunteered for the event last year and wanted to return and be a part of it again.

“I love this event, and I love that it benefits CASA. I work with local high school kids in Bend and know some CASA advocates, and I love seeing an event like this benefitting kids. It’s such a great way to support the organization. Suttle Lake is one of my favorite places on earth, so I love coming out here and being a part of an amazing event,” she said.

Her partner, John Bravard, also volunteered.

“She talked me into volunteering and being a part of the event instead of just attending, and so far, it’s been great; it’s such a great venue and setting for something like this,” he said.

The three assisted in the ticket booth, checking in ticket holders and directing people around the grounds.

Donald Kenney, one of the owners of the management company The Mighty Union — a group from The Ace Hotel based in Portland that owns Suttle Lodge, purchased the property in 2015. Kenney comes over every year for the beer fest.

“It’s been a great time this year; the weather’s been great, and we are in our fifth year,” said Kenney. “I have a close friend who is an advocate for CASA, and I asked her how they get funded, and

she said it’s all fundraising and donations. I realized not enough people know about it. So I wanted to spread the word and support this great cause,” he said.

“It’s a great way to support our local community with a chapter right here in Central Oregon and a way to meet the needs for them.”

Kenney plans to continue with the beer fest in the future.

“It’s kind of an ideal thing, and honestly, it’s hard to mess this up; you’ve got people drinking beer outside with their dogs, friends, and even kids running around. It’s the perfect Central Oregon event.”

The event also showcases the property at a different time than most people visit Suttle Lake.

“We want people to know that they can rent year-round, and the winter is a great season,” said Kenney.

The Suttle Lodge is open year-round for stays in the Lodge, cabin rentals, and a full restaurant and bar. The lodge is eight minutes from Hoodoo Ski Area and 17 miles from Sisters. The owners and operators of the lodge encourage locals to come out for events like the beer fest, concerts on the lawn in the summer, and stay in the lodge’s cabins.

Fine beer in a beautiful setting makes for a good time at Suttle Lake.

PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY

Oregonians cynical about state government

By Julia Shumway Oregon Capital

Oregonians are cynical about state politics and open to government reforms including campaign finance limits and open primaries, a new report from the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center found.

The report, compiled by the nonprofit and nonpartisan center from two surveys it conducted in late 2023, includes responses from more than 5,400 Oregonians. It comes as lawmakers and voters consider adopting proposals for new limits on campaign finance and changes to state elections, and as voters in Portland prepare for their first election with a new form of city government.

It found that 49 percent of respondents feel their community is on the wrong track, compared to 44 percent who said it was headed in the right direction. Democrats and respondents with college degrees were most likely to approve of the state’s direction, while Republicans and voters with only some college experience were more negative.

A majority of respondents – 59 percent – said they would prefer a bigger government that provides more services. But almost as many – 58 percent – said the government is almost always wasteful and inefficient. That distrust carried over into questions about elections, with 75 percent of respondents saying the most politically popular candidate, not the most qualified candidate wins, and 58 percent saying that the current electoral system produces outcomes that reflect the values and beliefs of a small group of political Oregonians, not the values and beliefs of typical Oregonians from around the state.

Pollsters also asked about support for various government reforms, finding that respondents largely supported campaign finance limits and open party primaries. Respondents remained skeptical of other ideas, including different ways of calculating an election’s winner and electing multiple candidates to represent a single district.

Campaign finance reform

After years of legislative

stalemates on campaign finance reform, Oregon voters are facing the possibility of seeing two competing measures on the ballot in November: one backed by labor unions who typically support Democratic candidates and one supported by nonpartisan groups including the League of Women Voters. Oregon lawmakers are also considering a proposal crafted by labor groups and business organizations, House Bill 4024, with a hearing scheduled Friday afternoon.

Oregon is one of only a handful of states that don’t limit campaign contributions, leading to massive spending from a few individuals and groups. Nike co-founder Phil Knight, for instance, spent nearly $7 million in the 2022 election cycle, while the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, spent more than $3 million just on the governor’s race.

The Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, which is based in Portland, found that 75 percent of respondents agreed that the state should regulate money in political campaigns, with support growing with age. People who had lived in Oregon for longer than five years were more supportive of campaign finance limits than newcomers.

“Our top priority is to get

money out of politics. It’s the only way to make things truly fair. Currently, politicians can be bought, which puts all the power in the hands of just the rich,” a nonaffiliated Wheeler County woman in her 40s or 50s told surveyors.

Open primaries

The majority of Oregon legislative races are decided in primaries that only registered Republicans and Democrats can vote in, even though nonaffiliated voters are the largest voting bloc in the state, five of its six congressional districts, and many legislative districts.

Supporters of opening up Oregon’s primaries started in spring 2023 to get a measure onto the ballot in 2024 after they disagreed with a ballot title written by the attorney general’s office. But they say they’ve since paused their efforts, instead looking for “more promising strategies to enfranchise voters in Oregon.”

The survey found that 63 percent of respondents, including a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, believe the two major parties should open their primaries. Older respondents were more likely to favor keeping the current system than young voters, who are more likely to register without a party.

The least popular alternative to the current system was

a form of “top two” primary like those held in California and Washington, in which all candidates appear on a primary ballot and the two highest vote-getters move on to the general election. That can result in having both general election candidates come from the same party.

Other reforms

The majority of Oregonians surveyed said the current election system, in which the person with the most votes wins even if they don’t win over a majority of voters, should be changed. But they weren’t sure about how best to do that.

Voters will see one option for changing the electoral system on their ballots in November, following a legislative referral for rankedchoice voting. Under rankedchoice voting, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate doesn’t initially receive more than 50 percent of the first-place rankings, the lowest-scoring candidate is removed and the voters who ranked that candidate highest will have their

votes reallocated to their second choice candidate. That continues until one candidate gets a majority.

More than a third of respondents said they supported switching to rankedchoice voting, while slightly less than a third said they would prefer a traditional runoff election, in which the top two finishers move to a second election if no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote.

“We need rank-choice voting,” said a Democratic woman from Washington County between 65 and 74 years old. “I’m a bleedingheart liberal but I don’t want anyone as liberal as me in charge. I want moderate centrists to be the decisionmakers, compromising for the good of all. Rank-choice voting pushes candidates to the middle – it eliminates the need to pander to the fringes (on either side).”

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

ROUNDABOUT:

Construction begins in March

Continued from page 1

natural, according to ODOT officials. ODOT will retain the right-of-way, but they have indicated that they are open to a land-swap if the City of Sisters had use for any of the land.

The project will require the closure of North Locust Street until Memorial Day weekend. Three legs of the roundabout are expected to be functional by that holiday weekend, with the project fully completed in September 2024.

Access to Sisters Elementary School off East

Cascade Avenue will remain open.

ODOT Public Information Officer Julie Denney told The Nugget , “The contractor, Marcum and Sons, will break ground on the project

Monday, March 4. North Locust Street will be closed between US 20 and Cascade Avenue from Tuesday, March 5 through the end of May.

The entrance of the school at Cascade Avenue will remain open (the closure on Locust will be just to the south of Cascade). Traffic needing to access North Locust Street will be detoured to North Larch Street. Detour routes will be signed to help people find their way.”

ODOT is contributing $5 million in state transportation improvement funds, which

will combine with $1.425 million from the City of Sisters, and $1 million from Deschutes County to fund the project.

Bertagna said that the construction bid came in under the original cost estimate.

“We’re working with ODOT on that right now,” he said.

Portraits OF SISTERS

When Crista Munro founded the Four Corners Folk Festival under the banner of the San Juan Mountains in southern Colorado, she never imagined her love for music would lead her to Sisters. A Pennsylvania native, she moved to Colorado in 1991 and started the acclaimed festival with her late husband, Dan. Creating an outdoor musical experience was born from her love of providing joy to the masses. “When the world beats you down good music fills you back up,” she says. But after 24 hard and tenuous years at the helm of a fickle industry she moved to Oregon, left the festival, and took a job with Sisters Folk Festival as executive director in 2019. The world — testing her theory on the prowess of music — proceeded to beat her down. Eight months after relocating to Sisters her husband died of cancer The COVID-19 pandemic raged. And Sisters Folk Festival was canceled her first year in 2020. But Crista knows that adaptability is key to surviving the fluctuations that come with the music industry, so she pressed on with a purpose. It’s all about bringing the community and artists together, she says. “We’re not saving lives, but when people leave a concert they’re floating a little bit. It’s rewarding work. ” She compares the work to farming — a lot of year-round effort for short, blissful, and rewarding moments. It’s all worth it, she says. “I like bringing joy to people.”

Cody Rheault

Felt workshops on tap

Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture (PMRCAA) is hosting two workshops in March with artist Flóra Carlile-Kovács, an alumnus from the 2023 season at PMRCAA: Felt Telescoping Hats on Friday, March 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Lightweight Nunofelt Scarf on Saturday, March 2, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On Friday, explore the fascinating world of felt telescoping hats. This in-person event is a unique opportunity to learn about the art of hat making and discover the versatility of felt telescoping hats. During the event, attendees will learn techniques for designing and enlarging a 2-D pattern to obtain a 3-D shape with several options in the shaping. The final hat can have a spiral, telescope or rosette form.

On Saturday, guests will learn the art of nunofelting, a technique that combines wool fibers with lightweight

fabrics to create beautiful and unique scarves. The experienced instructor will guide you through the process, teaching the basics and sharing tips and tricks to help create stunning designs. Each workshop registration is $85. Guests may take one or both workshops but are required to register separately for each at RoundhouseFoundation.org/ events. Artists from beginner to advanced are encouraged to participate. Lunch is not provided.

Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture (PMRCAA) is located on the historic Pine Meadow Ranch, a 260-acre working ranch in Sisters, Oregon at the base of the Cascade Mountains. The vision of PMRCAA is to connect sustainable agriculture, conservation arts and sciences, with traditional and contemporary crafts and skills, integral to ranching life.

PHOTO AND STORY BY

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS OF HISTORY ON

In her 25th year as an educator, Deb Riehle is having a blas t. She’s teaching four classes of social studies to eighth graders at Sisters Middle School.

“I’ve taught middle school math for all of my career, and social studies on the side,” she said. “I’ve always had six th graders and I love si x th graders because they ’re just star ting to become the person they are. I’d forgotten how rich relationships are with eighth graders.”

Riehle’s students are taking in a big chunk of formative American histor y. The curriculum extends f rom the pre -Revolutionar y War era to the early 20th Centur y, bu t Riehle notes that that ’s more ground than they can realistically cove r.

“If I can get through Reconstruc tion, I call that a good year,” she said.

For most student s, all of this is new territor y, and it ’s impor tant that they be engaged.

“We really focus on the stor y,” Riehle said. “At an eighth grade level, I’m really just pu tting in the foundations.”

Riehle believes that building in that foundation benefits students when the material comes around again in a more sophisticated form in high school and college

“It takes a cycle,” she said. “Each time they get it , they get it a little bit deeper, they get it a little bit richer.”

The students spend a lot of time understanding the roles of the three branches of government and the fundamentals of the institu tions of the countr y.

The subject has resonance when student s discover that the kind of par tisanship that divides us today existed in the Early Republic er a, too — in fact , it had its root s there.

Social Studies can be fraught in a time of ideological and political contentiousness . Riehle recognizes that it ’s impor tant to avoid pu tting a thumb on the scale of political ou tlook or belie fs

“My goal is that they have no idea what my politic s are,” she said.

Riehle want s her students to gain a solid understanding and appreciation for the institu tions that have proved solid and resilient through more than two centuries of change and upheaval.

She says, “Let ’s learn about how our country became the great countr y that it is.”

Submissions open for writing prize

What do bestselling author Tucker Malarkey, Emmy award-winning actor Sam Waterston, and one winning writer have in common?

All will take part in the High Desert Museum’s 10th annual Waterston Desert Writing Prize which honors excellence in literary nonfiction about deserts. The Prize is now accepting submissions until May 1, 2024.

This year the Waterston Desert Writing Prize will recognize the winner with a $3,000 cash award and a reception and reading at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, on September 26. The winner and finalists will be selected by the 2024 guest judge Sam Waterston –renowned actor and brother of Prize founder Ellen Waterston.

Known for his work in theater, television, and film, Sam Waterston gained stardom portraying DA Jack McCoy on the NBC crime series “Law & Order” (1994–2010, 2022-), for which he has received a Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe Award, and Emmy Award.

Sam Waterston will announce the 2024 winner and address attendees during the Waterston Desert Writing Prize ceremonies alongside the 2024 Prize winner and the 2024 keynote speaker, Tucker Malarkey, who will attend in person.

Nationally bestselling author of the critically acclaimed and national bestselling novels “An Obvious Enchantment,” and “Resurrection,” Malarkey’s first major work of nonfiction, “Stronghold,” describes one man’s journey to save salmon habitat in the U.S. and Russia. Stronghold was an editor’s pick for The New York Times , National Book Review, Outside and Forbes With a career that began at The Washington Post , Malarkey’s love of human culture and wilderness have since taken her all over the world.

The Prize was established in 2014, inspired by author and poet Ellen Waterston’s love of the High Desert — a region that has been her muse for more than 40 years. The Waterston Desert Writing

Prize celebrates writers whose work reflects a similar connection to a desert, recognizing the vital role deserts play in ecosystems and the human narrative.

“To see how the Waterston Desert Writing Prize has grown in 10 years is exciting,” said Ellen Waterston. “Tucker Malarkey and my brother Sam Waterston will help us reach new audiences and promote the literary arts as the High Desert Museum has done since the Prize became a Museum program four years ago.”

The winner of the 2023 Waterston Desert Writing Prize was Anna Welch. Her submission, “Momentum: A Trans-Continental Bicycle Journey,” details her 2019 adventure 3,700 miles across the continental United States. During that substantial bicycling trip, Welch encountered her first desert. Her work has been published in Wilderness Magazine and was most recently featured in the anthology “True Travel Tales” by Fine Line Press.

“The many gifted writers who submit their work for the Waterston Desert Writing Prize expand how we think about desert ecosystems,” said Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We look forward to how our perspectives will grow in 2024.”

Emerging, mid-career, and established nonfiction writers who illustrate artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy with the desert as both subject and setting are invited to apply. The award supports literary nonfiction writers who are completing, proposing, or considering the creation of a book-length manuscript. It is recommended that the writing sample submitted is part of the proposed project or closely represents it in content and style.

The Waterston Desert Writing Prize Ceremony will take place at the High Desert Museum on September 26, 2024. To RSVP, visit www. highdesertmuseum.org/2024waterston-ceremony.

For more information visit highdesertmuseum.org/ waterston-prize. Submissions are due by May 1.

gated, 24-7

EWDevcoLLC@gmail.com

MINI STORAGE

Sisters Rental 331 W.

Sizes

103 Residential Rentals

TENANT PLACEMENT

“nothing’s

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792

Property management for second homes.

CascadeHomeRentals.com

PONDEROSA PROPERTIES

–

Monthly Rentals Available–Call Debbie at 541-549-2002

Full details, 24 hrs./day, go to: PonderosaProperties.com

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

104 Vacation Rentals

Downtown Vacation Rentals

Popular 1 and 2 Bedroom

SistersVacationRentals.net

Great pricing. 503-730-0150

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

www.SistersVacation.com

201 For Sale

Sisters Carports & Metal Buildings start at $1,295 for 12'x 21'x 6' (WxLxH)

Free Installation. Contact Matt 541-728-3507 for price sheets.

202 Firewood

Dry, split, seasoned, old-growth pine. Call Brad 541-306-9963.

•SPRING SPECIAL • SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS

DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD

•SINCE 1976 • KINDLING

Doug Fir – Lodgepole –Hardwood – Juniper – Fir

DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES

–18155 Hwy. 126 East –

SistersForestProducts.com

Order Online! 541-410-4509

205 Garage & Estate Sales

Estate Sale Fri. Sat. & Sun., 9-3. 14763 Bluegrass Loop, Sisters. Furniture & household items, indoor and outdoor.

HERITAGE USA

Open daily 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 253 E. Hood Ave., Sisters. Happy Trails Estate Sales and online auctions!

Selling, Downsizing, or Deaths?

Locally owned & operated by... Daiya 541-480-2806

Sharie 541-771-1150

206 Lost & Found

FOUND: well-worn softball at gas station parking lot in Sisters. Handwriting on the ball suggests it is a memento from an Oregon regional fastpitch tournament. Stop by TheNugget office to claim.

301 Vehicles

CUSTOM CAR GARAGES HEATED, 110 POWER

$275 • 541-419-2502

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

Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com

401 Horses

ORCHARD GRASS HAY

New crop. No rain. Barn stored. 3-tie bales. $300-$360/ton. Hwy. 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895

403 Pets

Rottweiler puppies, 8 weeks old. 4 males. Available now. From the Timit-Tor/Silver Fild KG bloodline. Mom is onsite in Crossroads. $2,500.

503-884-6105

Chihuahua puppies

8 weeks. Call 530-905-2250. No texts. $500 each.

Rose is a sweet cat with a gentle soul. She was an excellent mother, but she is now spayed and ready to be the center of attention in her new home. Rose may be initially shy but her personality shines with those she trusts. Rose is approximately 1-2 years old. Apply to adopt her at: sisterswhiskers.org www.nuggetnews.com

500 Services

GEORGE’S SEPTIC

TANK SERVICE

“A Well Maintained Septic System Protects the Environment” 541-549-2871

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

Junk removal, new home, garage & storage clean-out, construction, yard debris. You Call – We Haul! 541-719-8475

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

501 Computers & Communications

3 Sisters TeleNetworks, LLC Cable jobs, security cameras, WAPs. CCB #191099

541-318-7000 • 541-306-0729

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

502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

M & J CARPET CLEANING

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

GORDON’S LAST TOUCH

Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY

Member Better Business Bureau

• Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008

–Advertise with The Nugget –541-549-9941

504 Handyman

JONES UPGRADES LLC

Home Repairs & Remodeling

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

Mike Jones, 503-428-1281

Local resident • CCB #201650

600 Tree Service & Forestry

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

TimberStandImprovement.net Tree Removal & Pruning TRAQ Arborist/ CCB#190496 541-771-4825

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

THE NUGGET NEWSPAPER

601 Construction

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

SUDOKU Level: Easy Answer: Page 23

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