Sisters casts wary eye on fire danger
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Raging fires in Los Angeles are set to be the most catastrophic natural disaster in the state’s history surpassing the 2018 Camp Fire in the town of Paradise that scorched more than 150,000 acres and was the deadliest wildfire in California’s history. Ninety-five percent of the town burned in that fire. The fire killed 85 people and destroyed almost 19,000 buildings in November 2018. The fire was active for
Off to a strong start...
story,page9)
New Sisters city councilors sworn in
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
As of January 8, Sisters has a new mayor, Jennifer Letz, who won re-election to the Council, and new president, Sarah McDougall, who is new on Council. The fivemember body also includes newly elected Councilor Cheryl Pellerin and Councilors Michael Preedin and Gary Ross who continue the remaining two years of four-year terms. The three recently elected councilors were each sworn in by City Manager Jordan Wheeler.
Every two years, the newly elected and returning councilors determine who amongst them will be appointed mayor and president. A councilor nominates another councilor for the position, another seconds the nomination, and if there are no other nominations, they all vote yea or nay. Both the new mayor and president were uncontested nominations and appointed by unanimous vote of Council. A couple of the visitor comments
acknowledged appreciation for seeing this peaceful transfer of power.
After being appointed by Council, Mayor Letz immediately thanked former mayor, now councilor, Preedin, expressing her respect and admiration for his four years as mayor. Throughout the meeting, Preedin was complimented and sincerely thanked by his peers.
At the tail end of this three-hour council meeting, Preedin suggested that the process of appointing a mayor needed review. There followed a brief discussion of term limits, clarifying the appointment process, and maybe making it a charter change rather than an addition to council rules. Preedin stated this will be revisited when Council works on goals.
Preedin next noted that he had spent a couple of long nights to create an assessment of effort expended as mayor to share particularly with Mayor Letz, to give her
In an effort to get a snapshot of the number of people living in vehicles and tents in Sisters Country, the Homeless Leadership Coalition and Sisters Community Leadership Initiative will conduct their annual Point In Time (PIT) Count in Sisters Country January 28–February 3. Surveys will be conducted on where individuals resided on the night of January 27. The PIT Count collects data used for funding requests and to build awareness and engagement within
HOMELESS on page 23
Metabolic Maintenance has sold
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent & Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
One of Sisters’ largest employers, founded in 1984 in San Diego and operating locally since 1993 under the ownership of Ed Fitzjarrell, has been acquired by WM Partners, LP, of Aventura, Florida, a suburb of Miami Beach.
Metabolic Maintenance produces pure, preservativefree nutraceuticals without added excipients, fillers, or binders. Their products,
created, formulated, and packaged in Sisters, are sold nationwide. The company with sales of around $10 million, according to industry estimates, has a workforce of approximately 48 and has been trending up. They have one of the largest building footprints in Sisters occupying a 29,000-square-foot office and production facility at 601 N. Larch St., opposite the Post Office. The building is principally owned by Fitzjarrell, and is not included in the sale.
WM Partners lists eight brands in its current portfolio, all in the health and wellness field. They have spun off another six brands in the same sectors. The brand building enterprise’s fund has $1.1 billion invested in companies like Metabolic Maintenance. They grew one of their acquisitions, Nutranext, and sold it to The Clorox Company for $700 million.
SALE on page 10
Metabolic Maintenance has been acquired by a Florida company. Operations in Sisters will be wound up over the
a
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
The Outlaws girls team placed second out of 22 teams to kick off the Alpine ski season (see
. Pictured left to right: Grace Hudson, Mary Rogers, Brooke Duey, Ella Eby, Tallis Grummer, Ava Riehle, Lauren Sitz, Payten Adelt, and Sydney Welbourn.
PHOTO PROVIDED
OPINION
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.
Correcting the record
To the Editor:
Dear Bill Bartlett — I enjoyed our discussions regarding the UGB and I appreciated how accurately you quoted my comments (“Sisters growth plans spark pushback,” The Nugget January 8, page 1) . However, you missed the boat on my information.
Bjarne and I moved to Sisters 2013 (not 1978) and we live on Bradley Road (my horse lives on Cloverdale). After 43 years in Alaska we just wanted to escape the very long winters. I did work at Camp Tamarack 1969–1970 and Sisters was a quiet village at that time. Of course, I do not expect those times to return but I also don’t want Sisters to look and feel like Bend. I understand progress and growth but there comes a time when the best thing to do is nothing
Robin Holm s s s
The Sisters Way
To the Editor:
As some of you already know, a new mayor was appointed at last week’s Sisters City Council meeting (see story, page 1)
My last four years as mayor was an absolute blast; even as it was often difficult, insanely time consuming, and went by way too fast. I am proud of the work that was accomplished on your behalf, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
Thank you, Sisters, for making this part of my life’s journey something that I will never forget and always look back on fondly. I’m especially grateful to all the new people I met during my tenure. Some of you are now people that I call friends. A special thank you to
my wife who was so encouraging and the early morning coffee klatch I needed to kickstart my days. Also, I’d like to offer high praise to city staff and city management who have had to put up with me and will continue to do so as I still have two more years on City Council. Hopefully, with the help of the rest of Council, we will continue to create policy to keep Sisters vibrant with the small-town feel, even as we grow. As always, I will be out and about visiting businesses and meeting with people to talk about their concerns — that’s just what I do and how I do it. I love Sisters as so many of you do and I look forward to keeping it as charming as possible, safe for our kids, and always looking for ways to improve livability while keeping business thriving. Let’s work together, everyone!
This is the Sisters Way — and if I’ve done things properly, it should continue long after I’m gone.
Michael Preedin, former mayor of Sisters s s s
U.S. expansionism
To the Editor: Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal… President-elect Trump is suggesting We the People acquire these sovereign nations or portions of their lands by using any means — including force.
I’m wondering who among you Trump voters feels that expanding U.S. territory by any means is a paramount issue? I am also wondering how Trump’s expansionist agenda will address the high cost of housing or the high prices in grocery stores, or will lower your taxes, or will minimize U.S. involvement in military conflicts far from our shores?
Nancy Bright
Sisters Weather Forecast
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Watching it burn
By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
Last week I had coffee with an old friend — the first person I knew in Sisters. We both moved here from the same area in the foothills at the northern rim of the Los Angeles basin more than 30 years ago. We both noted how hard it hits, watching the apocalyptic destruction wrought by the wildfires that have ripped across our old stompin’ grounds. We’ve both lived in Sisters longer than we lived in L.A. — but you never quite lose your sense of connection to the place where you were young.
I never thought much about it at the time, but I got a sampling of just about every town and neighborhood in Greater Los Angeles, driving truck for a commercial glass company. From East L.A. to Santa Monica, from barrios to Beverly Hills. I bumped up against the stereotypical L.A. — swimming pools and movie stars — but that wasn’t my L.A. I grew up right up against the foothills of the Angeles National Forest. My folks had a cabin in a little mountain town at the end of the Angeles Crest Highway called Wrightwood, so I grew up running around in the woods. And when I wanted more of that, my wife Marilyn and I looked north and wound up in Sisters.
Last summer, a good portion of Wrightwood was burned over in a wildfire. This month, the Palisades Fire took out Will Rogers State Park, including the Will Rogers Ranch House, which I loved — the home of Cherokee Cowboy, vaudevillian and humorist Will Rogers, doubtless the most beloved man in America during the 1930s. And, of course, that is a paltry loss in a catastrophe that has cost at least two dozen lives and left incalculable destruction of homes and businesses.
This is hard to watch. My friend told me he had had a hard time sleeping because this disaster was preying on his spirit.
Part of it, no doubt, is that we both have a strange sensation of watching the world of our youth burn away. Of course, it was already gone — that’s why we moved — but the heart and spirit don’t operate on strictly rational premises. We were both experiencing a deep, unsettled feeling. That unsettled feeling is
heightened by the realization of just how vulnerable we are here in our beautiful enclave among the ponderosa pines. We know damn well that the destruction we have seen in Los Angeles, or in Paradise, California, or closer to home in the McKenzie and Santiam canyons could happen here. The insurance market is a marker of the risk.
It’s hard to imagine it now, but it doesn’t seem that we worried too much about fire in the first years we were here. There just wasn’t that much fire activity. Then, in 2002, lightning struck on Cache Mountain and wind-driven wildfire marched down to consume two houses at the western edge of Black Butte Ranch. The next year, a massive conflagration known as the B&B Complex burned more than 90,000 acres and forced evacuations at BBR and Camp Sherman. And virtually every year since has seen a significant wildfire in our neighborhood, and/or significant smoke impacts from fires across the West. My family has evacuated twice. No longer are we complacent about fire.
Local agencies and local government are paying attention to the potential (see story, page 6), and local neighborhoods are taking responsibility for creating defensible space. Individual residents can do a lot to mitigate danger by creating defensible space, “hardening” homes and, above all, being careful with fire. Most of our wildfires have given us time to get ready to get out, but that can create a false sense of security. We all need to be ready to evacuate in a hurry if the worst-case scenario develops in a hurry. And we know that can happen.
We cannot be complacent, but we shouldn’t panic, either. — Fire Chief Tony Prior
Fire Chief Tony Prior says that, “we cannot be complacent, but we shouldn’t panic, either.” That’s right on the mark. We live in fire country. We are in danger. But there’s a lot we can do to mitigate that danger, and a lot we can do to protect ourselves when it manifests itself. Action is the antidote to anxiety.
Sisters grad found her path to University of Oregon
By Olivia Nieto Correspondent
Being a high school student is no easy feat.
Transitioning from middle school to freshman year feels like you’re living in a whole new world and by the time you finally start to settle in you need to start thinking about moving on.
Anxiety about the future is natural, especially when transitioning from high school to something like college or a full-time job.
BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS
Al -Anon
Mon., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 541- 610-73 83
Alcoholics Anonymous
In a survey done by Appily among over 6,000 high school students, almost half of the students reported that they have increased anxiety, nerves, and worry when thinking about college planning.
However, looking at success stories of past graduates can help both create a vision and deeper knowledge of what you might want to pursue.
Sydney Linn, a 2023 graduate of Sisters High School is an example of a
student whose path is both inspirational and educational. A lifelong dancer and exemplary student, Linn was offered a Presidential Scholarship from the University of Oregon. She auditioned for their cheer team and was soon accepted into the squad.
She’s currently a sophomore in the School of Journalism and Communications and plans to work in public relations
Music evenings set at intimate Sisters venue
Singer-songwriter Dennis McGregor will play a solo concert in the intimate listening room above Sisters Depot called Frankie’s on Friday, January 24, at 7 p.m, This “previously secret” upstairs space has been transformed into a dedicated venue for acoustic music. While McGregor has played in Sisters for years with The Spoilers, this rare solo show will feature many songs not featured with the band.
“I’ll be playing new songs, old songs, and newold songs,” he says.
McGregor grew up in the ”coffee house” era of the 1960s and ’70s where the emphasis was on a “pin
drop” listening experience. There was no dining, dancing, or talking, just folks listening intently to acoustic music.
In addition to his musical activity Dennis is widely known for his poster art and children’s books. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at www.sisters depot.com or at the door. Seating is limited.
Sisters band The Gypsy Travellers will play an evening of music at Frankie’s on Friday, February 7. The show will be mostly quiet originals, along with a few well-known covers, such as
Sisters Country Vision has new website
Visitors to Sisters Country Vision (www. sistersvision.org) will now find an independent, redesigned website showcasing the Vision, its history, reports, news, and more.
The website was developed by Citizens4 Community (C4C) with support from the Vision Implementation Team (VIT) — a group of local agency representatives, organizational leaders, and community volunteers. The website offers more details about the VIT, its membership, and
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR
Council on Aging of Central Oregon Senior Lunch In -person communit y dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grab -and -go lunch Tues Wed. Thurs. 12:3 0 to 1 p.m. Sisters Communit y Church 541- 48 0-18 43
Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4t h Saturday, 10 a.m., meet ing by Zoom. 503- 93 0- 6158
Sisters Area Photography Club 2nd Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., at Sisters Communit y Church 541- 549- 6157
Monday, 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Tuesday, noon, Big Book study, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Wednesday, 7 a.m.,G entlemen’s meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Thursday, noon, Sober Sisters Women’s meet ing, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Thursday, 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transf iguration • Fr iday, noon, Step & Tradition meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 541- 54 8- 04 40
Saturday, 8 a.m., Episcopal Church of the Transf iguration
Central Oregon Fly Tyer s Guild
For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelef ly@msn.c om Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) Sisters Chapter meets 4th Thur sday 6 p.m. at Blazin Saddles Bike S hop sistersrep@c ot amtb.c om
Ci tizens4Communit y Communit y Builders meeting, 3rd Wednesday of ever y mont h, 10 to 11:3 0 a.m. Visit citizens 4c ommunity.c om for location
East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wed. (September-June), Stitchin’ Post All are welc ome. 541- 549- 60 61
Go Fi sh Fishing Group 3rd Monday 7 p.m., Sisters Communit y Church 541-771-2211
Hear twarmers (f leec e blanketmaker s)
2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Sisters Communit y Church Materials provided 541- 40 8- 8505
Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday 1 to 4 p.m. 541- 668 -1755
Living Well With D ementia Sister s Care Partner suppor t group. 2nd & 4th Weds ., 1-2:30 p.m. The Lodge in Sisters. 541- 647- 00 52
Milita ry Parent s of Sister s Meetings are held quar terly; please call for details. 541- 38 8- 9013
Oregon Band of Brothers Sisters Chapter meets Wednesda ys, 11:3 0 a.m., Takoda’s Rest aurant. 541- 549- 64 69
Sisters Area Woodworker s First Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-231-18 97
Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:3 0 p.m. at Sisters Communit y Church Email sister sbridge2021@gmail.com.
Sisters Caregi ver Support Group
3rd Wednesday., 10:3 0 a.m., Sisters Episcopal Church. 503- 616- 8712
Sisters Cribbage Club Meets 11 a.m. ever y Wed. at SPRD 50 9- 947- 5744
Sisters Garden Club For mont hly meetings visit: SistersGardenClu b.com.
Sisters Habitat for Humani ty Board of Director s 4t h Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.
Location information: 541- 549-1193
Sisters Kiwani s 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 11:3 0 a.m. to 1 p.m., at The Lodge in Sisters. 541- 632- 3663
Sisters Parent Teacher Communit y 2nd Tuesday, 6 p.m. at Sister s Elementary School Commons. 917-219- 8298
Sisters Red Ha ts 1st Fr iday. For location information, please call: 541- 84 8-1970
Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Noon, Aspen Lakes. 541-76 0- 5645
Sisters Veterans no -host lunch, Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Rest aurant. All veterans welc ome, 541-241- 6563
Sisters Trails Alliance Board Meetings take plac e ever y other month, 5 p.m. In -person or zoom. Cont act: info@sisterstrails.org
Three Sister s Irrigation District
Board of Director s Meets 1st Tuesday, 10 a.m., TSID Of fice 541- 903- 4050
Three Sister s Lions Club 2nd Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Spoons Rest aurant. 541- 419-1279
VF W Post 8138 and American Legion Po st 86 1st Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Spoons Rest aurant. 541-241- 6563
SCHOOLS
Black Bu tt e School
Board of Director s 2nd Tuesday, 3:45 p.m., Black Butte School. 541- 59 5- 6203
opportunities for community members to share their ideas and feedback with local leaders.
“The Vision is an excellent roadmap to guide long-term community planning,” said Assistant City Manager and VIT member Kerry Prosser. “But with so much recent growth in Sisters Country, we felt that a website refresh would help both new and old community members better understand the Vision and its relevance to local life.”
Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wednesday mont hly, Sisters School District Administration Building. See schedule online at www ssd6.org 541- 549- 8521 x5 002.
CITY & PARKS
Sisters Ci ty Council 2nd & 4t h Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall 541- 549- 6022
Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of Director s 2nd & 4t h Tues 4 p.m., Coff ield Center 541- 549-20 91
Sisters Planning Commission
3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall 541- 549- 6022
FIRE & POLICE
Black Bu tt e Ranch Po lice Dept Board of Director s Meets mont hly. 541- 59 5-2191 for time & date
Black Bu tt e Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m. BB R Fire Station. 541- 59 5-2288 Cloverdale RFPD Board of Director s 3rd Wed., 5:30 p.m., 6743 3 Cloverdale Rd. 541- 54 8- 4815 cloverdalefire.c om
Sister s- Camp Sherman RFPD Board of Director s 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541- 549- 0771
PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN
Sydney Linn is attending the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications and has a spot on the cheer squad. See MUSIC on page 9 See VISION on page 23
Lady Outlaws split preseason games
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Lady Outlaws overpowered the Douglas Trojans in a 58-18 win on Tuesday, January 7. At home on Saturday, they suffered a tough 47-65 loss to the Burns Hilanders.
The Outlaws were in control throughout in Tuesday’s action against Douglas. The 3A team entered the game 1-10, at the bottom of all 3A teams.
At the close of the first period the Outlaws held a 20-2 lead. Audrey Corcoran had several steals which she converted into baskets on the other end and had 10 of the Outlaws’ 20 points. Jorja Christianson hit a three and Verbena Brent also had a couple of buckets.
Sisters let up a bit in the second quarter and the Trojans got some points on the scoreboard. At the half the Outlaws were on top 31-13. Emma Sahlberg scored four of the Outlaws points and Maddie Durham hit a three.
The Outlaws held the Trojans to just five points in the third. Sisters headed into the final period up by 31, and the running clock came into effect due to the mercy rule. The Outlaws JV finished the game, and the Trojans were held scoreless in the quarter.
Ten of the 12 Outlaws that played scored points for the team. Sisters played without senior Shae Wyland, their top post player, who was out with a sprained thumb.
Coach Paul Patton said, “Emma and Althea (Crabtree) picked up the slack and took advantage of the increased minutes to get better themselves.”
On Saturday, the Outlaws faced Burns, a traditionally strong program, currently ranked No. 10 in the state.
Sisters was only able to put four points on the scoreboard in the first seven minutes of play in the first quarter. With under one minute left, Christianson hit back-to-back threes from the baseline and at the close of the period the Outlaws trailed 10-20. The majority of the Hilanders’ points all came in the paint, and 14 of their 20 points came from their dominant post player, Akylah Kaino. (Kaino went on to score 40 points in the contest.)
Patton said, “We had a hard time finding our stride and didn’t execute our zone actions very well against their defense.”
Corcoran hit a three from the top of the key for Sisters’ first points in the second quarter, and Paityn Cotner followed with a three from the baseline to close the gap to 16-24. The Hilanders went on an 8-0 run, and then Cotner grabbed a rebound and scored a layup to break the streak. Corcoran hit back-to-back threes in the final 40 seconds to make it a 24-36 game at the break.
Patton said, “Trailing by 12 we felt like we could claw back into this one. We’ve been in situations like
this before and have been able to go on a run to even the score out. We talked abut adjusting defensively in the second half to bring double team onto Kaino and trust our offensive actions more to move the ball for better shots.”
That offensive surge didn’t materialize in the third quarter. Cotner scored a layup for Sisters’ first third-quarter points, after the Outlaws were held scoreless for the first four minutes of the period. The only other points came off a Wyland steal and layup and a long ball from Corcoran. The Hilanders kept up their scoring spree and Sisters found themselves down 31-52 at the end of three. Sixteen of Burns’ 18 points came from Kaino.
Burns played a lot of their bench in the final quarter, and held on for a 18-point win.
Corcoran finished with 25 points, Cotner scored seven, and Christianson added six.
“Burns is obviously a good team, and they presented us with some problems that we hadn’t seen before, like a dominant post player, and we struggled to solve them,” Patton said. “But we now know what we need to work on more and we will be better the next time we face a similar opponent.”
Sisters was to play on the road on Tuesday, January 14, at No. 13-ranked Harrisburg, currently 10-4. They will play at home against Creswell on Friday.
Sisters firefighters deployed to Los Angeles
Fifteen Oregon strike teams mobilized to help with the wildfires in the Los Angeles area arrived Thursday, January 9.
These 300 firefighters and 75 engines are assigned to the Palisades Fire burning north of the Los Angeles area. The firefighters will be deployed for up to 14 days and are protecting homes and other buildings. The teams will be patrolling for hotspots and working alongside CAL Fire and other state and federal agencies.
Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District contributed one engine and three personnel to the effort.
“We are in contact with our teams, and they are in good spirits,” Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) Mariana Ruiz-Temple reported. “They’ve received their assignments and have started their work. I am honored to work alongside the Oregon fire service who raised their hands to say they will go without question. This shows
their commitment to jump into action no matter what, embodying the Oregon spirit.”
Before arriving in Southern California, the teams completed a routine safety check with CAL Fire in Sacramento. These inspections ensure all engines on an emergency scene are equipped, mechanically sound, and able to respond.
“The vehicle safety check process was critical for our teams. With moving this amount of equipment and firefighters, safety has to be our highest priority,” OSFM Agency Administrator Ian Yocum said. “Our Oregon strike teams are motivated, committed to what they do, and excited to get out to the line and help where they are needed.”
This deployment is one of the largest out-of-state responses the Oregon fire service has supported, similar to the 2017 response to Santa Monica and Napa.
Lecture will discuss how climate affects birds
Birds have incredible adaptations for coping with environmental challenges such as wildfire and storms, but these strategies have evolved alongside historical climate patterns. Rapid shifts in climate can alter the consequences for birds that use different coping strategies. In this era of rapid climate change, many birds are exposed to more extreme conditions, and resilience will be key to maintaining populations and biodiversity.
What are the strategies that birds use to deal with stressors? How do things like ice storms and thick plumes of wildfire smoke impact birds? The news surrounding climate change can bring a sense of doom to those of us who love and appreciate the diverse world we live in, but we have discovered some incredible strategies that they use to survive when the going gets tough.
In a talk titled “Amazing Adaptations: Can Birds Reduce the Stress of Climate Change?” on Tuesday, January 28, Dr. Jamie M. Cornelius will discuss the unique challenges facing birds of Central Oregon and describe how some birds listen to their neighbors, digest their intestines, and create more heat to help survive challenging conditions.
Dr. Cornelius is an Associate Professor of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University
Dr. Jamie M. Cornelius will talk about birds and climate in a Sisters Science Club talk on January 28.
and is head of the Little Bird Lab. She is a 2023 National Geographic Society Explorer, a National Science Foundation CAREER fellow, and recently completed a residency at The Roundhouse Foundation’s PMR investigating the role of art in scientific creative-thinking.
She is also a singersongwriter and will share a few songs about her life as a field biologist during her presentation.
This event is part of the Frontiers in Science lecture series sponsored by the Sisters Science Club. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. with light fare, beer and wine available for purchase. Admission is $5 at the door; teachers and students are admitted free.
The Belfry is located at 302 E. Main Ave. in Sisters. For more information, email scienceinsisters@gmail.com.
Artists explore their work in Sisters
Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Art and Agriculture (PMRCAA) will host its seventh annual residency program this year, which brings accomplished artists to Sisters from March through November. Through a juried application process, 36 writers, culture bearers, and artists from around the U.S. were selected. Writers and visual artists will pursue their craft, and bring workshops, lectures, and Open Studio events to the community.
The residency program, hosted on a working ranch, provides a space where artists can immerse themselves in their work through access to studios, open spaces, and a natural setting. Applicants were invited to focus on the theme of Care & Stewardship.
“At the heart of the 2025 program is the idea that care and stewardship transcends human boundaries and acknowledges our interconnected existence in the world,” says Arts Program Manager Ana Varas.
Care & Stewardship connects the residency program with the work of umbrella organization, The Roundhouse Foundation, which focuses on supporting rural and Indigenous spaces. Land stewardship and caring for community are some of the core ethos that guide the work of the Foundation and helped to inspire this year’s theme at PMRCAA.
All participants selected developed work around
Sean Whalen of Lawrence, Kansas, is an artist focused on sustainable architecture and will join the PMRCAA residency program in 2025.
this year’s central idea and will engage with the local region through different events. Events PMRCAA hosts throughout the year include workshops, lectures, and open studios. The first event of the season is a felting workshop that takes place March 7–9 led by visiting artist Flóra Carlile-Kovács. Event information and registration is available at www. roundhousefoundation.org/ events.
PHOTO PROVIDED
PHOTO PROVIDED
Deschutes Land Trust announces Nature Nights
The Deschutes Land Trust will host a winter Nature Nights series at the Tower Theatre in Bend. From wolves to gardening for wildlife, the Land Trust is offering free, monthly presentations on nature-related topics given by experts in their field. Nature Nights are free, but a ticket is required.
The presentations include:
• Wednesday, January 29, 7–8:30 p.m., “Wolves in Central Oregon”
Wolves are one of North America’s most iconic animals, occupying a unique and complex role in the natural world. Join Deschutes Land Trust and Aaron Bott, wildlife biologist, to take a closer look at wolves and how they interact with the landscape of Central Oregon.
In the last few decades, Oregon has experienced the gradual recolonization of wolves, representing a notable shift in natural systems. These top predators are deeply connected to the lands they inhabit and the other animals that sustain them, exerting influences that are both small and farreaching. Aaron will explore wolf biology and ecology, focusing on their natural history, adaptations, and roles and behaviors in the natural world within the context of Oregon’s recovering wolf population.
• Monday, February 24, 7–8:30 p.m., “Gardening for a Home Wildlife Haven”
Have you ever wanted to help wildlife in your own yard, but don’t know where to start? What plants are the most beneficial?
Join Deschutes Land Trust and naturalist Yvonne Babb to learn more about creating a wildlife haven at your own home, regardless of the size. Yvonne will share design principles, soil health, microclimates, key native plants, and more. Get inspired to create a yard that local wildlife — both large and small — will thrive in.
• Wednesday, March 12, 7–8:30 p.m., “Sailing the Sagebrush Sea”
Stretching hundreds of miles east from Central Oregon, this expanse of sagebrush desert is home to thousands of species of plants and animals, stores vast amounts of belowground carbon, and intertwines deeply with multiple cultures and economies.
Join the Deschutes Land Trust and Anya Tyson for a talk on the unsung majesty and magic found in sagebrush desert. Anya will also dive into the trends, challenges, and opportunities that shape this region’s future.
Register for your free ticket online at www. deschuteslandtrust.org. Ticket sales open one month prior to the event.
City code to get tighter for fire safety
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
The threat of wildfire hitting Sisters is at the forefront of people’s minds as they watch the destruction underway in Southern California (see story, page 1).
Coincidentally, Sisters City Council got a look at the latest iteration by staff of the changes to the Sisters Development Code (SDC) regarding defensible space at the January 8, regular council meeting. The proposed changes focus on enhancing and improving fire mitigation and safety codes for all new development in Sisters. This includes development to add new structures or buildings on existing properties.
The process to change code is lengthy, yet Council had previously determined, regardless the hazard maps that split our city between high and medium risk, that Sisters would make code changes soon and require the same fire-mitigating codes for the entire city to assure the safety of all residents and businesses.
Since spring last year, staff has moved to add such code enhancements. Council had provided changes and
considerations for each draft, so this was a review of the third draft. Council’s latest changes were few, with one to incorporate, as staff deemed appropriate, the recommendations from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), a group on the leading edge of best practices in this area. Principal Planner, Matthew Martin, noted that his research included IBHS’s publication “Wildland Fire Embers and Flames: Home Mitigations That Matter.”
Martin shared the most recent updates to the code which include:
• IBHS’s stricter standard of no vegetation within five feet of a building/structure. There is room for exceptions via a review process.
• IBHS’s higher standards of spacing and trimming for shrubs and trees located beyond five feet of a building or structure and large trees trimmed up 10 feet.
• Council to consider adding, or not, the removal of tandem fencing where flammable debris can accumulate between the two parallel fences that are within three
feet or less of each other.
• City of Ashland code for accessory structures/ buildings on a property, a threshold of 200 square feet or more if within 30 feet of the main structure/building, that for such additions all fire mitigation codes would apply.
• Recently updated list of fire-resistant plants (https:// extension.oregonstate.edu/ catalog/pub/pnw-590-fireresistant-plants-homelandscapes) and the City’s prohibited flammable plants. Staff recommended Council approve the latter list per resolution rather than as a code update, to expedite future updates.
Council discussed including the maintenance of the plant lists and particularly, focused on the thresholds for additions on existing properties. Councilors Michael Preedin and Gary Ross suggested having a percentage of the property, rather than the square footage of the addition, would be a usable threshold in the code. They suggested looking at other city examples. This effort will be continued.
Dr. Jamie M. Cornelius
How do warming winters, extreme weather and growing plumes of wildfire smoke impact birds? Might they have strategies to help them survive such conditions and are there ways to help them in these times of rapid change? Dr Jamie Cornelius, an ecophysiologist at Oregon State University, will discuss the challenges that climate change imposes on birds and some unique strategies they may have for coping when the
Rhonda Lynn Perry
November 1, 1951-December 27, 2024
Rhonda Lynn Perry of Brooking, Oregon, passed away surrounded by loved ones on December 27, 2024.
Rhonda grew up in Southern California. She moved to Oregon in the early 1990s, and lived in Sisters for over 20 years, where she worked with the public at Christmas Mountain Magic, the Gallimaufry, and Bi-Mart. She enjoyed crafting, sewing, painting, traveling with her husband, tending her flower garden, and spending time with her family and friends. She had a passion for animals and loved watching cat videos. She had an infectious laugh as well as a gift for making others smile and laugh, leaving a lasting impact on all who crossed her path.
Rhonda is survived by her husband, Tony Perry, her daughter Jennifer Clemens (spouse Dave), sons Thomas Grandmaison II, and Travis Myrick (spouse Katie), stepsons, Jacob Perry (spouse Ashlyn), and Jordan Perry as well as several grandchildren, siblings, and many other family and friends who will sadly miss her.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 8, at 2 p.m., at the Dee Bar Ranch located at 6402 SW Powell Butte Hwy., Powell Butte.
Patricia (Pat) Louise Riddle
March 24, 1947-December 14, 2024
Pat lost her years’ long battle with cancer Saturday, December 14, 2024. She passed peacefully in her home with her husband, Rich, by her side.
Pat was born March 24, 1947, in Regina, Saskatchewan, to William and Wilma Kirrie. She was the third of four children, Christopher, Margot, Pat, and Joclyn.
In 1952 the family moved to Portland. Pat graduated from Wilson High School in 1965. She then attended Portland State, the University School of Nursing, and later Marylhurst University.
Pat loved being around children, often babysitting for neighbors for free.
She was very ‘crafty,’ learning to knit in 4-H. She could often be seen in the dental chair knitting while the dentist was working on her teeth during one of her appointments! She had a talent for tole painting, china painting, and ceramics. She even had her own kiln to complete her projects. Later, she also mastered quilting, creating beautiful gifts for family and friends.
Pat worked at Tektronix for years. After retiring from that job, she worked in the customer service community, mainly medical supplies.
Pat married in 1968 and had two children, Angela Marie and Trevis Wade. The marriage did not last. While on a blind date in 1992, Pat met Rich Riddle who became the love of her life. They married six months later. In 2005 they moved to Sisters into a home they designed and built.
Pat and Rich enjoyed travel. They made several cruises, a riverboat trip, and visited six of the AnheuserBusch Breweries. Pat
especially enjoyed seeing the beautiful Clydesdales.
Pat was a very active volunteer for many organizations. Camp Sunrise, a grief camp for kids and teens, was especially close to her heart. She volunteered with their summer camp program for over 15 years. She felt especially close to the kids and had a unique understanding of what many of them were going through. She was also a hospice volunteer for over 17 years and participated in the yearly Festival of Trees fund raiser for 15 years.
Pat never met a stranger. She had a cheerful, outgoing personality that made everyone a friend. Many hearts will hold a void that Pat had filled. Her smile and contagious laugh will be missed.
Pat is preceded in death by her parents, Wilma and William Kirrie, her sister Margot, and her daughter Angela.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Camp Sunrise with Hospice of Redmond in memory of Pat, at HospiceofRedmond.org/ camp-sunrise/. Services will be held at the Sisters Community Church at 1 p.m. on February 1.
A celebration of life will be held at Bend Elks Lodge, date and time to be determined.
Irene Eleanor Liden
January 11, 1941-January 3, 2025
Irene Eleanor Liden passed away at her home in Sisters January 3, 2025. She was born in Valley Stream Long Island, New York, January 11, 1941, to Harold and Mildred Liden, who preceded her in death, as well as her brother Donald Liden, her partner of 20 years Jennings McLean, and Bertol, Quartz, Freischutz, and Rheingold, some of her beloved pets.
Irene is survived by her sister-in-law Jane Liden, three nephews Lance, Lars, and Leigh Liden, their wives and children, her partner of 30 years Lola Knox, beloved dog Bjorling, and a host of loving friends in Central Oregon (and Texas) who will dearly miss her, as well as many in the community who so appreciated her sharing her love of music.
A graduate of USC, Irene’s field was Opera. She continued her studies not only at Eastman School of Music, but with famous opera singers such as dramatic soprano Eileen Farrell and even Wagner’s granddaughter Friedelind Wagner in Bayreuth, Germany.
She sang with many opera companies during her career including Louisiana, San Antonio, Santa Fe, Chautauqua, and Bayreuth. She was just shy of obtaining her Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Texas Austin when she decided she needed money, so got a job teaching voice at San Antonio College, where she taught for 40 years.
Upon retiring and moving to Sisters in 1995, Irene soon founded the Sisters High Desert Chorale which she has directed for a total of 12 years, accepting no compensation. She wanted to bring a higher level of choral music to this
community. She gave this gift freely to the choir and the community because she wanted to share her love of music with the joy she had in her heart. Even though her disease had progressed rapidly, it was her goal to see this Christmas concert through and she certainly did that!
Irene was also an active member of the Sisters bell choir, The Twelve Tones, as well as percussionist in the early music group Renaissance Sisters, both directed by her partner Lola. But, as much as Irene loved music, it was her love of nature that brought her to Oregon and she never regretted moving here. She has hiked every trail and also loved kayaking in the beautiful lakes.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date. If so desired, in lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to Seed to Table; Sisters Gro; Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church; and San Antonio Philharmonic.
By Kema Clark
C.J. Box started the Joe Pickett book series with “Open Season” in 2001. Now, 24 books later, the series latest book is “ThreeInch Teeth,” published in 2024. Joe Pickett is a Wyoming game warden who, in this current book, is fighting to survive against two lethal enemies — one a monstrous grizzly bear and the other a monstrous human who is out for revenge.
If you are a person who loves to hunt, fish, and enjoy life in the woods and wilderness, then you will live your love of life in the Pickett series. Each one has details of fishing
and hunting that you know come from a true outdoorsman, and the descriptions of the country Joe is traveling through will tell you the author has walked those same trails in real life, not just in his books.
“Three-Inch Teeth” is the story of a huge grizzly who attacks and kills Clay Hutmacher, Jr., a close family friend of the Picketts. Clay was fishing when the bear came tearing through the bushes after a deer. When it sees Clay standing in the water, it immediately changes direction and charges. There is no getting away from the bear.
Clay’s father goes looking for his son after not getting answers to his calls and finds evidence of the gruesome attack. He calls Joe for help and, once Joe sees what the bear has done, he calls in reinforcements from the sheriff’s department and more. The bear is on the loose and they have no idea where it will strike next.
Unfortunately, the bear is only a piece of the pain and destruction coming soon. Dallas Cates, a former champion bull rider and now a recently released felon, has a list of people
The cover story behind a game of thrones
Flying Horse Gallery will exhibit the original five linograph prints along with process images that resulted in the final production for the new Penguin Books’ book covers for “A Song of Ice and Fire,” the basis for the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
The exhibit will run January 17–February 16.
Tim Green of Faceout Studio in Sisters designed the new boxed set of George R.R. Martin’s megabestselling “A Song of Ice and Fire” saga.
The concepts and linograph prints were created by local artist Mark Seekins and Tim Green, art director at Faceout Studio book design. In Sisters. Green worked directly with legendary author George R.R. Martin’s team on the covers.
On Friday, January 17, from 4 to 6 p.m., both Seekins and Green will be at Flying Horse Gallery to answer questions and share their knowledge about the process and their “Game of Thrones” experience.
available for sale. Seekins will also be showing and selling his original print work.
A limited quantity of linograph prints, using the original linocut block, signed by George R.R. Martin, will be
Flying Horse Gallery is located at 161 S. Elm St. in Sisters. For information visit www.flyinghorsegallery.com.
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
MUSIC: Venue has created old-school listening room Continued from page 3
songs by Fleetwood Mac and Ray Charles.
The band was formed in Sisters in 2022 by local residents and founded by a real Gypsy. Band founder and lead singer Tamra Asbell is descended from Roma Traveller people. Tamra went to Sisters High School and now lives with her husband and bass player, Cruz, in Central Oregon. The band is made up of Sisters residents Ty Beatty (lead guitar, vocals), Leif Anderson (acoustic guitar), and Scott Crabtree (drums, vocals), and Redmond resident Brooke Miracle (vocals, percussion). Tamra, Ty, Leif, and Scott all contribute original songs.
“While we typically rock out with a full drum set, we’re excited for this quieter, more acoustic, intimate show at Frankie’s,” said Tamra.
Singer-songwriter Dennis McGregor is set to share his songs at Frankie’s in Sisters on January 24.
“The Gypsy Travellers have brought in good crowds who’ve thoroughly enjoyed their rocking shows on our outdoor patio. We’re excited to hear a different approach in our listening venue, Frankie’s,” said Eryn Ross, Sisters Depot founder.
Learn more about The Gypsy Travellers — and listen to songs — at www. thegypsytravellers.com.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at https://bit. ly/GT7Feb25. Only 45 tickets are available for this and most Frankie’s shows.
Kelsey’s Memorial Race kicked off ski season
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Kelsey’s Memorial Race at Mt. Hood Meadows on Sunday, January 5, kicked off the ski race season for the Outlaws.
This year marked the seventh annual Kelsey’s Memorial Race, which is the largest alpine ski race in the nation. It hosts upwards of 500 racers who participate in this unique state-wide opener with all seven of the Oregon Leagues coming together for a non-scored race. Racers donned costumes and won fun prizes, including new skis, and shared homemade cookies on the slopes.
The Lady Outlaws finished in second place out of 22 teams. Combined times from Tallis Grummer, Ella Eby, Mary Roberts, and
Ava Riehle placed the girls on the podium just behind Grant High School who finished first. Caldera High School finished third. Sisters boys finished sixth out of 24 teams with combined times from Spencer Tisdel, Cooper Merril, Emerson Backus, and Ben Hayner.
Coach Natalie Grummer said, “The Outlaws showed they can bring both skill and entertainment to the slopes, claiming second place in the costume contest with their creative ‘Jerry of the Day’ performance. The team choreographed a perfectly timed domino-style wipeout, demonstrating that even elite racers can poke fun at skiing’s universal moments of misadventure, also highlighting the strong team camaraderie that makes Sisters Ski racing special.”
The Gypsy Travellers will play an intimate acoustic set at Frankie’s in Sisters next month.
PHOTO PROVIDED
PHOTO BY HEAVEN MCARTHUR
A NNOUNCEMENT S
Habitat rif t Store
Temporar y Closure
Sisters Habitat for Humanity will temporarily close the rif t Store at 211 E . Cascade Ave. f rom Sunday, January 26 until Monday, Februar y 10, to make store improvement s. Storewide inventory-reduction sale is happening now Donation intake is halted now until Tuesday, Februar y 11. Sisters Habit at appreciates the community’s support and regrets the interruption to the public
Hunter Education Class Starts Februar y 11, 2025 . Register online at odf w.com . For more information call Rick Cole at 541-420- 6934
A Course in Miracles Study Group
Interested in exploring the principles of love, forgiveness , and inner peace? “A Course in Miracles” study group has formed near Sisters , meeting the first Sunday of each month Cont act Steven at 541-6 68-3834 or srudnit@gmail.com
Free Lunches for Seniors For those 60+, the Council on Aging of Central Oregon o ers a f un, no-cost social lunch every Tuesday, 11 a .m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Community Church, 1300 McKenzie Hwy. No reser vations needed. No-cost Grab-N- Go lunches take place weekly on Wed . and urs ., f rom 12:30 to 1 p.m. Call 541-797-9367.
SISTERS LIBRARY COMING EVENTS
A Change in Perspective: Rethinking Dementia Care
Join Living Well with Dementia Sisters for a transformative presentation designed to shift how we approach dementia care. Whether you’re a caregiver, healthcare professional, or simply want to underst and more about supporting those with dementia or Alzheimer’s , this session will o er valuable insight s on innovative, compassionate care strategies . ursday, Januar y 23 , f rom 10:30 to 11:30 a .m. at Sisters Library For more information or to register go to www deschuteslibrary.org/ calendar/adult
Family Story Time
Interactive story time with books , songs , and rhymes for children ages 0-5 years ese stories and songs are designed to support early literacy skill development, social-emotional awareness , and f amily engagement. is 30 -minute program is on Wednesdays , January 15, 22, and 29, at 10:30 a .m. in the Communit y Room at Sisters Librar y. Go to https://www deschuteslibrary.org/kids/ programs for more info.
10
0 Women Who Care – Sisters
10 0 Women Who Care – Sisters is accepting membership applications in advance of its Januar y meeting. Applications must be received by Monday, Januar y 20 , for those who wish to attend the meeting on ursday, January 23 . “10 0 Women Who Care-Sisters” is a newly organized group that pools donations to fund local nonprofits nominated by its members . More than $33 , 000 has been donated since the group’s founding. ere is no membership fee; the group meet s quarterly. For more information, email 100wwc. Sisters@gmail.com or call/text 541-912- 0750
Living Well With Dementia Sisters Suppor t Groups
Living Well now o ers t wo support groups . A support group for the care partners and family of those diagnosed with some form of dementia meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month f rom 1-2:30 p.m. at Sisters Senior Living , 411 E Carpenter Ln. A support group for the person diagnosed with some form of dementia in the early stages meets the same days and times , also at e Lodge Info: 541-6 47-0 052.
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.
Happy Trails Horse Rescue Seek s Volunteers
Calling all horse lovers! Happy Trails Horse Rescue needs volunteers! Can you help them help horses? New Volunteer Orientation the first and third Sundays at 10 a .m. or call 541-241-0783 to schedule! Learn more at https://www happytrailshr.org.
STARS Seeks Volunteers to Transpor t Patients
Help Sisters Countr y residents get to nonemergency medical appointments in Sisters , Redmond, and Bend . Attend a free t wo-hour training. Emails from STARS 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 and volunteer to keep Sisters healthy one ride at a time.
Free Pet Food
Budget tight this month, but you still need pet food for your dog or cat? Call the Furr y Friends pet food bank at 541-797-4 023 to schedule your pickup. Pickups available ursdays , beginning at 12:30 p.m . Located at 412 E . Main Ave., Ste. 4, behind e Nug get
Sisters Careg iver Support
A f acilitated support group for caregivers of those with chronic or life-shor tening diseases meets 10 :30 to 11:30 a .m. on the third Wednesday of ever y month at Sisters Episcopal Church of e Transfiguration, 121 Brook s Camp Rd . For more information, please call 503-616 -8712.
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
Sisters Garden Journal
Sisters Garden Club has Garden Journals that are availabl e for $15 at Paulina Springs Book s & e Gallimauf r y here in Sisters e multiyear journal includes pages for notes on weather, monthly garden activities , plant details , and more. Sale s support the Garden Club and other lo cal nonprofits . Get your copy now ey make great gif ts Plea se call 971-24 6-040 4 to ask questions and find more information
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
PET OF TH E WEEK
Humane Societ y of Central Oregon 541-382-3537
JIMI
is happy guy is ready to steal your heart with his big smile and charming personalit y! Jimi is reported to be housetrained and crate trained, making the transition into his new home a breeze. Jimi will thrive in a home with structure and plent y of physical and mental activities . If Jimi sounds like the pal for you, come meet him at HSCO!
— SPONSORED BY —
BROKEN TOP Veterinar y Clinic 541-389-0391
SISTER 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 41-977-5559; 10 a .m. Sunday Sac rament Meeting
e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration
121 N Brook s Camp Rd. • 541-549-7087 www.transfiguration-sisters.org
8:30 a .m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship
10 :15 a .m. Episcopal Sunday Worship
e Resting Place meeting at Sisters Communit y Church, 130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy www.restingplace.us • hello@restingplace.us
5 p.m. Sunday Worship
Seventh-Day Adventist Church
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
7:30 a .m. Daybreak Ser vice • 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
POLICY: Nonprofits, schools , churches , birth, engagement, wedding , and anniversar y notices may run at no charge. Business items do not run on this page. All submissions subject to editing and run as space allows . Email lisa@nug getnews .com or drop o at 4 42 E . Main Ave. Deadline is 5 p.m. on Fridays
SALE:
Production will be moved over coming months
Continued from page 1
Fitzjarrell, 76, told The Nugget that the sale developed quickly after word filtered through the industry that he was ready to retire.
“It happened pretty fast,” he said.
Employees were notified last week that the company had sold. Operations in Sisters will continue for a while, but will ultimately be wound up and production moved to a facility in California.
“Unfortunately, they’re going to move the production,” Fitzjarrell said. “They said minimum six months, maximum, 12 months.”
Fitzjarrell said that 10 employees will go with the company, including the chief operations officer and people who work in research and development, IT, sales and marketing, and customer service. Other employees have been offered retention packages to encourage them to stay on as the company transitions.
Fitzjarrell was a pioneer in developing quality nutraceuticals that did not include excipients (coloring agents, preservatives, fillers) and in the development of nutraceuticals that support cognitive function.
“I designed 90 percent of the products and all of a sudden I have to buy ’em!” he joked.
“Been a helluva ride,” he said. “The good news is, we’re hitting on more cylinders than we ever had. Last couple of years have been the best we’ve had.”
Fitzjarrell said the future of the building on Larch Street isn’t clear yet.
“There’s been some chatter about people wanting to continue using it as a contract manufacturing facility,” he said. “If that doesn’t work out, I’ll sell the equipment, sell the building.”
Fitzjarrell, who lives in the San Diego, California, area, said he plans to golf a little more, travel, and focus on writing music. He expressed appreciation for all those who helped build the company over the past four decades.
“I’ve got great employees,” he said. “Couldn’t have done it without them, that’s for sure.”
Unfortunately, they’re going to move the production. They said minimum six months, maximum, 12 months.
— Ed Fitzjarrell
JOE
PICKET: Author appeals to outdoor enthusiasts
he plans to kill now that he is free. He blames all those people for destroying his family and for having him spend years in prison, so he comes up with a scheme to kill the people on his list by making the murders look like more bear attacks. Joe, his family, and friends are on the list.
There are many great repeat characters in the Pickett series, including Joe’s wife Marybeth, his daughter Sheridan, and his best friend Nate Romanowski. Side stories throughout the book add more to the adventure. Clay Jr. was getting ready to ask Sheridan to marry him, so after his death she takes on a job in Colorado to get away for a while. Sheridan is a master falconer who works for Nate and is hired by a rancher to help get rid of problem birds. Her ‘welcome’ at the ranch is not quite what she expected.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Box opened up about his life and journey as an author. One of the major changes he made is to join podcasts of all kinds, including shows on rodeos, fly fishing, hunting, and many other outdoor subjects. At recent book signings, young men in fishing caps and long beards showed up, saying they hadn’t been in a bookstore in years.
Box said, “It helped me build a male readership. Often this was the first book signing they’d been to.”
His participation in these podcasts has helped many new readers find out that he knows what he’s talking about — from bear attacks to government entities putting their noses where ranchers and others think they shouldn’t be.
Box’s next book “Battle Mountain” will be released on February 25, so jump in and try any of the books in the Pickett series. You’ll feel like you’re right there in the middle of it all.
Re-do of wildfire hazard map released
By Alex Baumhardt Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon fire experts have finalized their redo of state maps of wildfire hazard areas, showing that about 106,000 tax lots are in highrisk spots that could be subject to new building and landscape codes.
Those property owners, who hold nearly six percent of the nearly two million tax lots in the state, could be subject to new building codes and landscape regulations designed to protect properties from fire. State officials said they would get a “hefty packet of information” in the mail explaining what happens next. The notices include information about how owners can appeal the hazard designation if they feel it’s without merit.
Officials at the Oregon Department of Forestry and scientists at Oregon State University, who collaborated on the new maps, announced Tuesday, January 7, they had finalized them after a yearlong overhaul that included a public comment period. The maps put all tax lots into a low, medium, or high hazard level. Drafts of the maps were shared publicly in July, and the forestry department received nearly 2,000 comments. The researchers and agencies involved in the mapping also held joint public meetings in Grants Pass, The Dalles, Medford, La Grande and Redmond and shared the draft maps with county commissions and county planners.
“The wildfire hazard map is informed by decades of research on the nature of wildfire, where it begins,
why it exists, and what the challenges are,” Andy McEvoy, a wildfire scientist at Oregon State University, said in a news release from the university. “The wildfire hazard map is intended to provide property owners and policymakers with an objective foundation for making decisions.”
The new maps are built on ones that originally debuted in 2022. Those were quickly taken offline just months after being released following public backlash over many areas classified as highrisk. Property owners saw the map as a state attempt to regulate their properties, and it
coincided with some insurers raising premiums and choosing not to renew or write new wildfire policies.
In the new maps, some grass and ranch lands are no longer considered at high-risk depending on what they’re used for and on whether, and how often, they’re irrigated.
The maps are not to be used by insurers in Oregon for property coverage or rate determinations, according to Oregon Senate Bill 82, which passed in 2023.
Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, courtesy https://oregoncapital chronicle.com.
SISTERS-AREA EVENTS & Enter tainment
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 15
Sisters Saloon Poker Night Texas Hold’em 5:30 p.m. to close upstairs. 21+. $20 (add'l $5 when bounty chip is played).
THURSDAY • JANUARY 16
The Belfr y Live Music: Handmade Moments a duo of multi-instrumentalists with Jet Black Pearl opening, 7 to 10 p .m. Tickets and information: www.belfryevents.com. Luckey's Woodsman Trivia: Megan's Terrific Trivia 5:30 p.m. Located at 352 E. Hood Ave., Ste. B.
FRIDAY • JANUARY 17
Flying Horse Gallery Game of Thrones Art Event 4 to 6 p.m. featuring the original art for the new Penguin release of the "Game of Thrones" book series. Meet the artists ! Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
SATURDAY • JANUARY 18
The Belfr y Live Music: Shook Twins bring indie folk/pop; Glitterfox opens with an indie/rock cocktail. 7 p.m. SOLDOUT! Sisters Depot Live Music: Open Mic Music lovers can enjoy a variety of local talent in a lively atmosphere. 7 to 9 p.m. Info: sistersdepot.com/our-events.
SUNDAY • JANUARY 19
The Belfr y Live Music: Shook Twins bring indie folk/pop; Glitterfox opens with an indie/rock cocktail. NEWmatinee showat1p.m.Tickets and information: www.belfryevents.com. 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.
TUESDAY • JANUARY 21
Paulina Springs Books Book Release Party 6:30 p.m.
Celebrate the release of "Onyx Storm" by Rebecca Yarros (Fourth Wing #3). Costumes encouraged. Games, trivia, light snacks.
WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 22
Sisters Saloon Poker Night Texas Hold’em 5:30 p.m. to close upstairs. 21+. $20 (add'l $5 when bounty chip is played).
THURSDAY • JANUARY 23
Paulina Springs Books Poetr y Open Mic & William Stafford Birthday Celebration, 6:30 p.m., sign up at 6 p.m. Celebrate by sharing your favorite William Stafford poems. Bring a poem or two to share — Stafford’s or your own.
FRIDAY • JANUARY 24
The Belfr y Live Music: Hillstomp PDX junkbox blues duo bring a memorable live performance tapping into a magic that cannot be rehearsed. Colin Trio opens with a cavalcade of rock, soul, jazz, funk, and blues. 7 to 10 p .m. Tickets: www.belfryevents.com.
Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
SATURDAY • JANUARY 25
Sisters Librar y Live Music: Lumina Flute Trio Enjoy an hour of music courtesy of Central Oregon Symphony. 2 to 3 p.m. Free Info: dpl.libnet.info/event/12202725
C.J. Box appeals to those who love the outdoors in his Joe Pickett crime novels.
Outlaws wrap up pre-season hoops with overtime win
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Outlaws fell 53-56 on the road in a tough contest at Douglas on Tuesday, January 7, but bounced back at home on Saturday with a 53-45 overtime win.
On Tuesday, Douglas came out in a 1-3-1 zone and it took the Outlaws a while to adjust. The Trojans scored their first four points of the contest on Outlaws’ turnovers, but then Kale Gardner hit a three-pointer from the baseline to close the gap to 3-4. Very soon the Outlaws found themselves down 5-15. After a timeout Sisters held the Trojans scoreless for the last four minutes of the quarter and went on a 12-0 run, which ended with a long ball from Kieren Labhart with 28 seconds left. At the close of the quarter the Outlaws were on top 17-15.
Sisters had a tough time in the second quarter, with a lot of contested shots in the paint. The Outlaws were held scoreless until Landen Scott scored on a transition layup with 2:30 left in the period. On the flip side, Douglas attacked the board, had seven offensive rebounds, and scored seven of their 11 points off those rebounds. With 1:17 left in the period, Gardner hit a three-pointer off a Garrett Sager assist to knot it up 22-22. The Trojans put up four more points and at the half the Outlaws trailed 22-26.
Sisters would see themselves down by 10 on two different occasions during the final quarter, 43-53, and 45-55. With three minutes left in the game, the Outlaws made a push using an eightpoint run to get within two points at 53-55, which took the clock down to 1:04.
Sisters fouled with four seconds left, the Trojans missed both free throws, and the Outlaws had one final chance. After a final timeout,
the team got the ball to Scott on the wing for a game-tying three-pointer that unfortunately missed the mark, and the Trojans recorded the three-point victory.
Scott finished with 18 points and six rebounds, Labhart had 12 points and six rebounds, and Gardner finished with 10 points and five assists. William McDonnell added seven points, and Bodie Schar chipped in four.
Coach Chad Rush said, “We knew this was going to be a tough test for us with the travel time, the quality opponent, and the fact that we knew they would play a zone. I thought we were once again able to come back and get into the game after a slow start. This is something that we will need to improve as we head into league play. To give ourselves a chance at the end after trailing the entire second half shows the grittiness of this team.”
On Saturday, the Outlaws battled in a very physical and tight contest against the Burns Hilanders in the final nonleague game of the season. Gardner started the scoring when he grabbed his own rebound for an easy putback basket. The Outlaws were down 3-9 with 3:40 left in the period when Scott found a cutting Sager for a tough contested left-handed lay-up. After another Hilander bucket the Outlaws once again found themselves down by six when Gardner went on a five-point scoring run of his own and cut the Hilander’s lead to one. With 45 seconds left Labhart
grabbed an offensive rebound off his own miss for a putback and gave the Outlaws a onepoint edge. Unfortunately, Burns was fouled and converted two free throws to take a one point lead, 12-13, to close out the quarter.
Sisters got their first score of the quarter when McDonnell found a cutting Oliver Bernhardt for an easy uncontested layup at the 5:25 mark. The Outlaws ended the quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 22-18 lead at the half. Sisters got points from Scott on an up-and-under move for an easy layup, Labhart on a transition layup, Gardner on an offensive rebound off his of his own miss and then a putback layup, and Scott with two shots from the foul line.
The Outlaws went up 26-20 in the third, and then the Hilanders went on a run to tie it up 26-26. At the end of the third, Sisters was down by three, 30-33.
It was a wild fourth quarter. Early in the period, Scott hit a nice turn-around jumper in the middle of the key, followed by an offensive rebound and putback from Levi Szesze, which closed the gap to 34-35. Neither team held more than a twopoint lead from then on. With just under three minutes left, McDonnell got a great pass from Sager, made the shot and put the Outlaws up by one, 40-39. Sisters regained possession, and Gardner made a spin move, pivoted, and scored the layup to give the Outlaws a three-point edge.
With 53 seconds left the score was tied at 42-42, and the Outlaws had the ball underneath for a baseline out of bounds play. Scott got the ball and took his man off the dribble for the score and a two-point lead. Unfortunately, the Hilanders drove down the lane, made a fake spin move and banked it off the glass for a contested layup to tie the game at 44-44. Neither team was able to score before time expired, and the game went into a four-minute overtime.
Two minutes ticked off the clock before McDonnell hit a long ball from the baseline to give the Outlaws a 47-44 lead. Sager stole the ball on the Highlanders next possession, and dished the ball to Gardner, who dribbled into the key, and passed off to McDonnell, who made a reverse layup under the basket and put the Outlaws on top 49-44.
With just over one minute left, Burns made one of two
free throws. The Hilanders were forced to foul, and Scott was perfect from the foul line, going four-for-four, giving Sisters the 53-45 win.
“This was a great way to end our non-league schedule,” said Rush. “We knew this was going to be a tough battle as Burns had just cruised to a home victory over a top 10 league opponent the night before and had only lost two games previously. The team once again showed its grit and determination in overcoming various runs from the Hilanders throughout the game.
“Coming out and dominating the overtime period was great to see that the team had learned from the previous experience where we did not make some crucial plays and saw the victory slip away.”
The Outlaws finished their preseason 7-6 and are ranked No. 20 in 3A as they head into Mountain Valley Conference play. They have a tough league schedule ahead.
Strong Outlaws wrestling squad gets busy in the New Year
By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent
The boys and girls wrestling teams have seen a lot of competition already in 2025 after hosting a home tournament in late December. The action doesn’t let up any time soon, as the squad moves into the heart of the season.
Wrestling on their home turf, the Outlaws turned in strong performances on Saturday, December 21.
Freshman Zack Kemp won the 126-pound weight class under the lights at home.
“Zack stepped up huge at our home tournament,” said his coach and father Dave Kemp. “Getting two first round pins and making his first finals was a fine accomplishment for him.”
In the finals Kemp was up 16-0, earning a technical fall, then continued to get the pin.
Perhaps the most telling statistic underlying his strong performance was that Kemp was not scored on throughout the entire tournament.
“That’s rare,” said Coach Kemp.
Zack’s older brother Tyson made the finals in the 150-pound class as did Jace Owens at 165. Brennan Frutos wrestled well and placed third, according to Kemp.
The girls team continued their strong performances finishing just two points out of winning the team title.
Tallis Grummer, a senior in her first year in the sport, won four straight matches to win her weight class.
Two freshman girls, Tanner Gibney and Sofia Clark, along with senior Brooklyn Cooper, all took second place in their respective weight classes.
At the Pac Coast tournament in Ridgeview, Washington, on December 27–28, five girls placed in the top six, led by Gibney, who took third at 100 pounds.
“Tanner had an incredible performance,” said Coach Kemp. “After losing her opening match to the eventual champion she pinned her next five opponents in a row.”
Brooklyn Cooper took fourth place at 125 pounds and Kisten Elbek matched her at 155 pounds. Sierra Jaschke placed sixth at 190.
With 44 girls teams in the tournament — Sisters placed 13th — it was by far the
biggest event the girls have been part of in school history. Sisters did not have any boys place in the top eight, but Coach Kemp said that the trip was well worth it.
“This was an amazing opportunity for the girls and boys to go up against competition from all classifications
from both Washington and Oregon,” said Coach Kemp.
The girls team traveled to Madras on January 2 to start 2025 at the 12-team Lady White Buffalo Invitational, placing fifth.
Sierra Jaschke won both of her matches on her way to first place, while Gibney
and Cooper placed second in their respective weight classes. Elbek worked her way through the consolation round that included six total matches on her way to third place.
On Saturday, January 4, the boys competed at the King of the Hill Invitational
at Pleasant Hill High School with 25 other teams from throughout the state.
Zack Kemp continued his impressive freshman season with a second-place finish in the 126-pound class, falling to Trayton Forbes of Marshfield in the final. To get to the final Kemp beat Tyler Wingfield of Junction City, Braedon Crawford of 5A Willamette, and Victor Olivera-Ruiz of 5A North Eugene.
“Zack was not intimidated by his opponents despite them being from larger schools,” said Coach Kemp. In the 132-pound competition, senior Carter Van Meter placed fourth in what Coach Kemp described as a “super tough” bracket. Junior Tyson Kemp placed fourth after having to forfeit the thirdplace match due to injury.
The Outlaws finished mid-pack in the team race in 13th place, with 64.5 points. Lowell High School, perennial power, won the team trophy with 215 points.
Next on tap is the Oregon Wrestling Classic January 16–18 at Deschutes County Fairgrounds, which is the largest wrestling event in the state featuring nearly 90 teams from throughout Oregon in all classifications.
Zack Kemp lifts his hand in victory on the way to first place at the Outlaws’ home wrestling tournament last month.
PHOTO PROVIDED
17 days. Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday predicted that the Los Angeles fires would become the largest natural disaster in U.S. history exceeding the $200 billion damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
As Sisters Country residents watch in horror at the unfolding disaster, they recognize a frightening reality: Sisters lives with the destructive threat, too.
Several hundred homeowners in Sisters received a certified letter last Tuesday from Oregon Department of Forestry warning them of their high-risk classification. It was also the same day that the new statewide wildfire hazard map was released (see story, page 11). And on Wednesday at its regularly scheduled meeting, Sisters City Council included in its agenda Defensible Space Regulations. Suddenly, wildfire was the primary topic of conversation throughout Sisters Country and remains so today.
The threat of wildfire in Sisters is exacerbated for homeowners by the continuing issue of finding adequate or affordable fire insurance.
Dave Isbell wrote to The Nugget : “We live in Crossroads. We got our homeowners insurance renewal last week and discovered our premium had
doubled. We decided to ‘shop around’ for a better deal and discovered that we can’t find anyone that will insure our home at any price! If it’s happening to us, it’s happening to others (think Tollgate, Camp Sherman). This has the potential to be way more destructive to our community than any wildfire!”
Insurers, some leaving the Oregon markets altogether, are probably the best gauge of risk, with their rates rising on average 25-30 percent for Sisters.
Fire Chief Tony Prior says preparedness is imperative. Creating defensible space around your property is your best insurance. Defensible space is the buffer you create between your business or home and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surrounds it. Proper defensible space can slow or stop the spread of wildfire and help protect your home or business.
At City Hall, planners are preparing a set of new or modified codes that seek to harden properties, especially those that will preserve historic structures.
They asked Prior how many structure fires his department could fight simultaneously.
“Two, possibly three, with auto aid,” he replied. Auto aid is the cooperative agreement with neighboring agencies Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District and Black Butte Ranch Fire Department. The next tier of support is Mutual Aid, which includes nearly all Central
Oregon fire agencies from La Pine to Sunriver, to Bend to Redmond and beyond. The nearest support would be about 20 minutes out from the time of the call.
Prior cites the importance of Oregon Department of Forestry and the firefighting units of the Forest Service as vital in protecting Sisters.
Prior urges property owners to get “fire wise,” both in the literal sense and the practical sense. The Firewise USA program provides simple, effective steps to help communities reduce the risk of destruction from wildfire. The District offers free consultations for local homeowners to review their home and look for ways to make their property more defendable during a wildfire and to help prevent the spread of wildfire.
Deschutes County has various fuels reduction and mitigation grants on its books and the state is continually incentivizing homeowners to mitigate loss from wildfire. The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Defensible Space Assessment Incentive Reimbursement Pilot Program provides eligible participants in selected highwildfire hazard and socially vulnerable communities with $250 to help offset
firefighters are acutely aware of the vulnerability of Sisters Country communities to the impact of fire.
defensible space improvement costs. This program incentivizes proactive wildfire prevention and empowers Oregonians to create defensible space around their homes and properties, supported by limited, one-time funding.
However, Sisters, due to its “affluence” does not qualify, while Eagle Crest and Black Butte Ranch do. And that has several people scratching their head.
Unlike the woodlands surrounding Los Angeles where thinning and prescribed burns have been neglected, according to observers, the forest surrounding Sisters
has been aggressively thinned with major reductions to ladder fuels.
Much of the devastating Los Angeles fires are occurring in steep terrain and hard-to-reach structures. Sisters by comparison sits on mostly flat lands and generally its residents have more than one means of egress with a few stark exceptions. So, Sisters and the surrounding forest subdivisions are vulnerable — but much work has been done to protect from and prepare for fire danger.
“We cannot be complacent,” Prior warns. “But we shouldn’t panic, either.”
Firefighters from several local agencies trained last year in a burn-tolearn scenario. Both structural and woodland
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
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Hwy. 20 the most dangerous highway in Oregon for deer, elk
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
The length of Highway 20 between Bend and Suttle Lake is the most dangerous highway in Oregon for deer and elk. According to studies conducted by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the 35 miles of single and double laned highway experiences between 350 to 600 mule deer and elk vehicular kills annually. The assessed expense associated with one killed mule deer is $17,000, and for elk it is $57,000. This expense in Oregon accrues into the tens of millions of dollars every year. In 2022, the expense was $91.7 million statewide.
In Sisters City Council’s regular meeting, Jeremy Austin of Central Oregon Land Watch, member of the Bend 2 Suttle Lake (B2S) coalition, presented status updates on an active project. Austin shared that the project B2S Wildlife Passage Initiative will construct four priority wildlife overcrossings (out of 11 sites identified on this corridor) to be completed by 2030. Further
details about this effort which began a few years ago, including 20 coalition partners (NPOs, Tribes, federal, state, and county agencies), and supporting information are available at www. bend2suttlelakepassage.org (also a source for statistics in this report).
Councilor Michael Preedin suggested, and Councilor Gary Ross agreed, that with the Warm Springs Tribes and Black Butte Ranch being listed as coalition partners, the City of Sisters may also like to join that coalition of support. It was decided to have a further conversation about the possibility.
The four wildlife bridges will be west of Sisters: seven miles west at Mile Point 94; 7.6 miles at MP 94.6; nine miles at MP 92; and 11 miles west at MP 90. These four miles consistently have had the highest number of collisions with mule deer and elk, and Austin noted that having several crossings close together provides greater success in reducing collisions.
The total estimated expense to complete the four bridges over the next five
years is $16 million (this includes $150,000 expended to complete feasibility and bridge location assessments). In 2019, $12 million was made available from Oregon through passage of HB 2834 and more recently, $350 million in allocation of funds from the U.S. Congress was dedicated to wildlife crossings. In order to qualify for such state and federal funds B2S will need to collect matching funds from local agencies and private contributors. Those interested may donate online at bit.ly/Donate2Bend2Suttle.
A Pew Charitable Trusts poll found that 86 percent of Oregon voters favor more wildlife crossings. Additionally, the estimated financial benefit of such crossings is a yield between $250,000 to $443,000 annually. This project when completed on Oregon’s most dangerous road, will likely yield high financial benefits. Austin highlighted a local successful wildlife crossing on Highway 97 south of Bend. This is an undercrossing which reduced collisions with mule deer by 90 percent and with elk 88 percent.
Sisters Country birds
By Douglas Beall Correspondent
That raucous chatter heard often in neighborhoods across Oregon is what I refer to as the Western Blue-Jay [Aphelocoma californica] Originally referred to as a “scrub” jay, they now have a larger population within forests and towns. This blue-with-a-gray-back jay inhabits residential areas in large numbers, gleaning food from backyard feeders and trees. Insects, nuts, snails, berries, and bees make up their main diet.
A six-inch nest is built within tree branches, where two to seven pale green splotched eggs are hatched in 15-17 days. Another 19 days are required before the chicks leave the nest. They are fed by the parents for another month as the real squawking begins when the young beg for food.
These jays will plan for the colder months and cache thousands of acorns, peanuts, and other seeds secretly around their ter ritories. When the Steller’s Jays are about they defer to the Scrub Jay. Only 30 percent of the buried food
WORD OF THE DAY… cavalcade
/ka vuhl kayd noun
a formal procession of people walking, on horseback, or riding in vehicles.
Nordic skiers showing improvement
By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent
The New Year found the Nordic ski team busy competing with races on consecutive weekends at Diamond Lake.
Saturday, January 4 at the Diamond Lake Jamboree the Outlaws squared off against most of the teams from the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association Nordic’s southern league. The event featured a variety of races divided by age groups, skill levels, and ski styles.
Ben Hayner took top honors in the freshman/sophomore skate race in a time of 18:39, a minute and a half ahead of his nearest rival.
Spencer Tisdel took second (19:09) by a 10th of a second, and Jack Turpen fourth (23:42) in the junior/senior skate race.
Seniors Ava Riehle and Kiara Martin took the top two spots in the junior/senior girls classic race, but times were not confirmed after the race due to some technical issues.
Tisdel, Backus, and Turpen took fifth place.
is used during the winter, so in spring many of these seeds will sprout and beget new plants. A group of jays are known as a “party,” a “scold,” a “band,” or a “cast” of jays.
To view more images of the Western Blue-Jay, visit http://abirdsings becauseithasasong.com.
A week later, Tisdel led the way in a 5k classic, finishing sixth overall in 15:21.
Emerson Backus finished 21st in 17:45, followed by Turpen in 29th (19:11), and Finnigan Clark in 37th (22:02).
Eli Shockey of Mountain View High School topped the field of 43 racers in a time of 13:22.
The boys relay team of
Martin (20:53) was the lone female competing for the Outlaws. She finished 15 among a field of 26. Olivia Tranby of Mountain View won the race in 17:15.
Though the team was missing some athletes due to illness and injury, Coach Tiffany Tisdel had much to say about the ones who did compete.
“Kiara skied well in her first skate race of the season
and Emerson did fabulous in his first-ever ski race,” she said. “He showed good ‘on-snow’ talent and looks to become a key member of the boys relay.”
The Outlaws will help host the Hoodoo Night Sprints on Monday, January 20, beginning at 5:45 p.m.
“This is a great spectating event right behind the lodge at Hoodoo,” said Tisdel. “Everyone is welcome to come and watch. There is no charge.”
Pick up your complimentar y copy of Direct ions: T he Resource Guide Fo r Older Adults in Central Oregon at locations throughout Central Oregon including these in Sisters :
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• St . Charles Family Ca re Clinic – Sisters
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Spencer Tisdel digs in in Outlaws Nordic ski action.
PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG
Western Blue-Jay.
PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL
FUN AND GAMES
UNDER THE SEA W ORDFIND
J H D W R L K R A H S D A O
W E F I A D R G H S P O P D
O G L R U F U C E T Y L X R
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Y E Z L C U C S S S T J N Q
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Stars over Sisters
On a clear winter evening in January, look to the southeastern sky to behold the brightest, most recognizable constellation in the entire sky. Orion the Hunter straddles the celestial equator, making it visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Hunter’s shape is easy to identify because of the arrangement of its brightest stars. His belt is marked by three equally spaced stars of about the same magnitude that lie in a nearly straight line. It is tilted at an angle to his body due to the weight of a sword that hangs from the right side of his belt.
The constellation’s form is further enhanced by its two brightest stars. Rigel, a blue supergiant star, is the most luminous of these and represents Orion’s left foot. Only slightly dimmer is the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, which denotes his right shoulder.
Besides the myriad of beautiful stars that populate this constellation, there are other fascinating objects to see here as well. Chief among these is the famous Great Orion Nebula. Also known as M42, this bright diffuse nebula is probably the most storied and observed deepsky object in the sky. Located just 1,500 light-years away, it is a hotbed of ongoing star formation and can be seen by the naked eye. Look for a fuzzy star-like patch of light in Orion’s sword. Other very fine objects found in Orion include De Mairan’s Nebula, the Flame Nebula, Monkey Head Nebula, and the Dark Horsehead Nebula.
There are quite a few myths related to Orion. In several of them, he is known as the son of Poseidon. In one of the most bizarre of these stories it is said that he was born of the earth, from a bull hide urinated on by three gods. Nonetheless, he’s known to be associated with Chios, the island he rid
of all beasts, and where he fell in love with the daughter of King Oenopion, Merope. One night Orion tried to force himself on her. This enraged the king, who put out Orion’s eyes and banished him from Chios. Later Orion’s sight was restored by the rising sun. There are many endings to the Hunter’s story, ranging from being executed by Artemis’ hand after he tried to rape her, to succumbing to the sting of a scorpion.
Four of the five visible planets are evening objects this month. Venus, shining incredibly brightly at about -4.5 magnitude, and Saturn will reside in the southwestern sky at nightfall. On January 17 the two planets come into conjunction and will be separated by just 2.2 degrees of arc. Brilliant Jupiter, currently in Taurus, will ride high in the southern sky. But the highlight of the evening parade of planets will be Mars as it reaches opposition on January 15. At that time the Red Planet will be visible all night, emitting a vivid orange hue. Only Mercury occupies the morning sky, best viewed early in the month just before sunrise.
The Quadrantids meteor shower, which runs annually from January 1-5, peaked on the evening of January 3 and early morning of January 4. Up to 40 meteors per hour were expected to shoot across the sky. A waxing crescent moon set early on the evening of the third, ensuring dark skies during the event. The shooting stars radiate from the constellation of Bootes. To ensure that these meteors, as well as every other aspect of our beautiful night sky, will continue to be visible here in Sisters, please turn all outdoor lights off when you are not using them; ideally by 10 p.m. at the latest. The early hour at which the sun sets allows for countless astronomical opportunities, but many of these celestial wonders won’t be visible if lights are on. So, douse those lights and get out there to enjoy the view!
By Althea Crabtree & Keelan Doyle Columnists The Great Orion Nebula is a hotbed of star formation in the constellation of Orion.
NASA, ESA, M. ROBBERTO , THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE ORION TREASURY PROJECT TEAM.
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403 Pets
Mini sheepadoodle - 12 wks, Blue Merle female. Quiet, friendly, affectionate. Good start on potty training, crate and loves car rides. $1,500 firm. Call or text 503-550-3637
SISTERS WHISKERS
Your purr-fect friend is waiting for you at our local nonprofit cat rescue! Apply to adopt at: sisterswhiskers.org
500 Services
NOTARY PUBLIC - LOCAL
– Call Cheryl 541-420-7875 –
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
SMALL Engine REPAIR
Lawn Mowers, Chainsaws & Trimmers
Sisters Rental 331 W. Barclay Drive 541-549-9631
Authorized service center for Stihl, Honda, Ariens/Gravely, Cub Cadet, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki Engines
GEORGE’S SEPTIC TANK SERVICE
“A Well Maintained Septic System Protects the Environment” 541-549-2871
501 Computers & Communications
3 Sisters TeleNetworks, LLC
Extend internet to shop, security cameras, Starlink. CCB #191099 541-306-0729
502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
M & J CARPET CLEANING
Area rugs, upholstery, tile & dryer-vent cleaning. Established & family-owned since 1986. 541-549-9090
GORDON’S LAST TOUCH
Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY
Member Better Business Bureau • Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008
504 Handyman
3 Sisters Handyman Services 20+ years experience No job too large or small. Snow removal services available. Licensed, Bonded, and Insured Call Nate 907-748-4100
sistershandyman@gmail.com CCB# 253556
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
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
TimberStandImprovement.net
Tree Removal & Pruning TRAQ Arborist/ CCB#190496 541-771-4825
JS Mulching LLC Forestry mulching, Land clearing. Free estimates. Licensed & Insured 541-401-9589
– All You Need Maintenance –Tree removal, property thinning & clearing, forestry mastication & mulching, stump grinding. Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122
THE NUGGET NEWSPAPER
601 Construction
New construction, addition, remodel. Large and small projects. Contact for estimate. Excavation: septic system, site prep, demolition, road and driveway construction. 541-325-3020 sales@gardnercontractingllc.com
CASCADE GARAGE DOORS
Factory Trained Technicians Since 1983 • CCB #44054 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553
Custom Homes • Additions Residential Building Projects Serving Sisters area since 1976 Strictly Quality CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-280-9764 John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com
Pat Burke LOCALLY OWNED CRAFTSMAN BUILT CCB: 228388 • 541-588-2062 www.sistersfencecompany.com SPURGE COCHRAN BUILDER, INC. General Contractor Building Distinctive, Handcrafted Custom Homes, Additions, Remodels, Cabin Renovations Since ’74
A “Hands-On” Builder Keeping Your Project on Time & On Budget • CCB #96016
To speak to Spurge personally, call 541-815-0523
Lara’s Construction LLC. CCB#223701
Offering masonry work, fireplaces, interior & exterior stone/brick-work, build barbecues, and all types of masonry. Give us a call for a free estimate 541-350-3218
Custom Homes Additions - Remodels
Residential Building Projects
Becke William Pierce
CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com
Uncompromising quality. Local and personal. You can trust me. All projects: From new construction to those little projects you don't seem to get to. My team of local subcontractors and I will get it done right, fair, and pain-free so you can make your spouse happy. Call Jared 503-949-9719
INSPIRED CUSTOM HOMES
www.teeharborconstruction.com
541-213-8736 • CCB#75388
Construction & Renovation
Custom Residential Projects
All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448
Earthwood Timberframes
• Design & shop fabrication
• Recycled fir and pine beams
• Mantels and accent timbers
• Sawmill/woodshop services
EWDevCoLLC@gmail.com
INFORMATION on LICENSING for Construction Contractors
An active license means your contractor is bonded and insured. Additional details are online at the Oregon CCB site: www.oregon.gov/CCB
602 Plumbing & Electric
SWEENEY
PLUMBING, INC.
“Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling
• New Construction
• Water Heaters 541-549-4349
Residential and Commercial
Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #87587
Commercial • Residential •
Industrial • Remodels • Generators • Hot tubs/Saunas monteselectric@hotmail.com
CCB#200030 • 541-480-9860
Ridgeline Electric, LLC
Serving all of Central Oregon
• Residential • Commercial
• Industrial • Service
541-588-3088 • CCB #234821
603 Excavation & Trucking
ROBINSON & OWEN
Heavy Construction, Inc.
All your excavation needs
*General excavation
*Site Preparation
*Sub-Divisions
*Road Building
*Sewer and Water Systems
*Underground Utilities
*Grading
*Sand-Gravel-Rock
Licensed • Bonded • Insured
CCB #124327
541-549-1848
BANR Enterprises, LLC
Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls
Residential & Commercial
CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977
www.BANR.net
Full Service Excavation
Free On-site Visit & Estimate
Tewaltandsonsexcavation@gmail .com
541-549-1472 • CCB #76888
Drainfield
• Minor & Major Septic Repair
• All Septic Needs/Design & Install
General Excavation
• Site Preparation
• Rock & Stump Removal
• Pond & Driveway Construction Preparation
• Building Demolition
Trucking
• Deliver Top Soil, Sand, Gravel, Boulders, Water
• Dump Trucks, Transfer Trucks, Belly
• The Whole 9 Yards or 24 Whatever You Want!
Keep up-to-date! Check us out for breaking news at www.nuggetnews.com
Heating & Cooling ACTION AIR
Heating & Cooling, LLC Retrofit • New Const • Remodel Consulting, Service & Installs actionairheatingandcooling.com CCB #195556 541-549-6464
PINE PAINTING
606
Landscaping & Yard Maintenance
Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com 541-549-2345
Complete landscape construction, fencing, irrigation installation & design, pavers/outdoor kitchens, debris cleanups, fertility & water conservation management,
CCB #188594 • LCB #9264 www.vohslandscaping.com
All Landscaping Services Mowing, Thatching, Hauling Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740
– All You Need Maintenance –Pine needle removal, hauling, mowing, moss removal, edging, raking, weeding, pruning, roofs, gutters, pressure washing. Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122
701 Domestic Services BLAKE & SON –Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING! Lic. & Bonded • I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC Specializing in Commercial, Residential & Vacation Rentals. Licensed, Bonded & Insured.
802 Help Wanted We are Hiring! Join our summer camp culture at Lake Creek Lodge. We're recruiting for: Housekeeping. PT/FT. We are proud to offer flexible schedules and excellent compensation. www.lakecreeklodge.com 13375 SW Forest Service Rd. 1419, Camp Sherman SEEKING EMPLOYMENT?
999 Public Notice NOTICE OF ELECTION OF DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS
Sisters School District 6 Notice is hereby given that on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, an election will be held for the purpose of electing three board members to fill the following positions and terms, including any vacancy which may exist, on the board of the Sisters School District 6.
One Director, Position No. 1, 4-year term
One Director, Position No. 2,
One Director, Position No. 5, 4-year term
Each candidate for an office listed above must file a declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination for office with the County Clerk of Deschutes County, Oregon, not later than the 61st day before the date of the regular district election. The filing deadline is 5 p.m. on March 20, 2025. Filing forms are available at the Deschutes County Clerk’s office, 1300 NW Wall Street, Suite 202, Bend, OR 97703 and online at www.deschutescounty.gov/clerk Steve Dennison
1. A Sisters tourist went closer to a mule deer buck to get a great selfie with him since he’s so friendly. He wasn’t.
2. A pedestrian patted a strange dog on the head to see if it was friendly. It wasn’t.
3. A driver sped up to see if she could beat the train to the crossing. She couldn’t.
& Exterior Painting Staining & Deck Restoration 541-588-2144 • CCB# 252954 Interior/Exterior Painting Deck Refinishing Jacob deSmet 503-559-9327 peakperformancepainting1@ gmail.com • CCB#243491 EMPIRE PAINTING
Interior and Exterior Painting and Staining CCB#180042 541-613-1530 • Geoff Houk ~ FRONTIER PAINTING ~ Quality Painting, Ext. & Int. Refurbishing Decks CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620 www.frontier-painting.com
Check out the Help Wanted ads NEED ASSISTANCE? Advertise in the Classifieds Call 541-549-9941
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Client needs change, creating
call
4. A man peed on an electric wire to see if it was hot. It was.
5. A business owner cut their advertising to see if they could save money. They didn’t.
or advertising after graduation with a focus on communications and community engagement. Linn is also a member of the University of Oregon Dance Team and member of the Alpha Phi sorority.
“The University of Oregon was the only school I applied to in Oregon,” she told The Nugget . “I had initially planned to go to a school in California… However, after earning the Presidential Scholarship and making the cheer team everything fell into place. I’m so grateful I chose UO because it’s given me the chance to explore different majors and programs while connecting with people from diverse backgrounds”.
Linn acknowledges that she held her own doubts about the future when she was a high schooler.
“If I had to give advice to my high school self, I would have said it’s okay not to have everything figured out,” she said. “In high school I always felt like I needed to be prepared and have everything perfectly planned out. When things didn’t go as planned, I’d feel stressed and anxious. But I’ve learned that you don’t need to have your entire life mapped out at 18. College is a time to explore, make mistakes, and figure things out as you go.”
Although Linn’s journey isn’t the typical route of a high school student, her journey provides insight into what could happen if you care deeply enough about your community to become involved and make a difference.
“There are lots of folks in our community who have never heard of the Sisters Country Vision, or visioning processes in general,” added C4C Executive Director Kellen Klein. “The new Vision website aims to more clearly and transparently explain what it’s about, while giving residents of Sisters Country a new way to share their input with local leaders.”
The “What’s YOUR Vision?” button on the Vision website leads visitors to a form where they can submit community planning concerns, ideas, and feedback. Submissions will be shared with all VIT members at their bi-monthly meetings.
Website visitors can view all Vision planning documents and annual reports, and learn more about the community engagement process that led to the development of the Vision in 2018.
The VIT added several new members to its roster in an effort to expand community involvement and ensure inclusion of key local stakeholders. Members meet every other month to share updates, review Vision focus areas, and explore opportunities for collaboration to address local challenges and priorities.
New Vision members
— Kellen Klein, C4C
include Chad Davis, lieutenant for the Sisters branch of Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office; Zoe Schumacher, supervisor at Sisters Library; Chief Tony Prior, replacing retired Chief Roger Johnson as the representative from Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District; and three new atlarge community members: Spencer Hamiga, owner of Sisters Bakery; Hannah Joseph, programs director at Seed to Table; and Molly Schultz, family-community engagement coordinator for Black Butte School.
“This is an incredible group of individuals and organizations, all deeply committed to working together for the future of Sisters Country,” said VIT member Curt Scholl, superintendent of Sisters School District. “With new members and a new website, we’re looking forward to expanding our engagement with the community and making progress toward the Vision’s bold goals.”
HOMELESS:
Count provides snapshot in time
Continued from page 1
the community. The count will seek data on those living in the woods outside of Sisters and those living in vehicles inside the city limits. The count is part of the wider Central Oregon Point In Time Count for 2025.
For more information contact sisterscli23@gmail.com.
Last year’s count indicated a nine percent increase yearover-year in homelessness in Central Oregon, reporting that “1,799 people experienced literal homelessness in Central Oregon on January 23, 2024.”
According to the Homeless Leadership Coalition, 68 percent of respondents had been homeless for more than 12 months; 35 percent of the chronically homeless were 55 or older (10 percent over 65); 18 percent were under the age of 25.
CITY COUNCIL: New members sworn in to take their role
Continued from page 1
an idea of what she is facing. Preedin noted that in the past four years he attended 548 meetings for approximately 800 hours. Preedin owns an active business and has a family, and his assessment did not include attendance at parades or events.
After the meeting, Letz, said, “I am very flattered and excited to be appointed as mayor for the next two years, also excited to help move the City along in all the projects that we are already working on and to keep the ball rolling. Michael Preedin did a fantastic job as mayor the last four years, and has left big shoes to fill. Thankfully, he is not leaving us and so he will continue to be part of our team. And (I am) very excited to work with our new councilors.”
BBR & CAMP SHERMAN:
• Black Butte R anch General Store
• Black Butte R anch Post Off ice
• Black Butte R anch Welcome Center
• Camp Sherman Post Off ice
• Metolius River Lodges
REDMOND & TERREBONNE:
• Bi-Mar t
• Oliver Lemon’s Terrebonne
• M&W Market • The R anch Market
• Sisters Meat & Smokehouse
TUMALO:
• Pisano’s Pizza T umalo
• Shell Station T umalo • T umalo Coffeehouse
Tumalo Farmstand
• T umalo Feed Co.
SISTERS LOCATIONS:
• Angeline’s Baker y • Bedouin
•Best Western Ponderosa Lodge • Bi-Mar t
• Black Butte Realty Group
• Cabin Creek Home & Style • Cascade Fitness
• Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s
• Central Oregon Eyecare
•Chevron/McDonald’s • Countr y Coffee
• Dair y Queen • Dixie’s • Eurospor ts
• Fika Sisters Coffeehouse • First Interstate Bank
• FivePine Lodge • GrandStay Hotel & Suites
• Habitat Thrif t Store • Hardtails Bar & Grill
• High Camp Taphouse • High Deser t Chocolates
• Hoyt’s Hardware & Building Supply
• Lef t Coast Lodge • Les Schwab Tire Center
• Luckey’s Woodsman • Makin’ it Local
• Mar tolli’s of Sisters • Mid Oregon Credit Union
• Oliver Lemon’s • Paulina Springs Books
• Philadelphia’s Steak & Hoagies
• Ponderosa Proper ties • R ancho Viejo
• R ay’s Food Place • Sinclair Gas Station
• Sisters Ace Hardware • Sisters Apothecar y
• Sisters Ar t Works • Sisters Athletic Club
• Sisters Baker y • Sisters Bunkhouse
• Sisters City Hall • Sisters Coffee Co.
• Sisters Creekside Campg round
• Sisters Dino Market •Sisters Depot
• Sisters Elementar y School
•Sisters Feed & Supply
• Sisters Galler y & Frame Shop
• Sisters High School • Sisters Inn & Suites
• Sisters Librar y • Sisters Liquor Store
• Sisters Meat and Smokehouse
• Sisters Middle School • Sisters Moto
• Sisters Movie House & Café
• Sisters Nails & Spa • Sisters Post Off ice
•Sisters Pumphouse & Countr y Store
• Sisters R anger Station • Sisters Rental
• Sisters Saloon & R anch Grill
• Sisters School Administration Building
• Sisters Senior Living • Sisters Veterinar y Clinic
• Ski Inn Taphouse & Motel
•Sno Cap Drive In • Space A ge F uel
• Spoons Restaurant
• Sisters Park & Recreation District
• St. Charles Family Care • Suttle Tea
• Takoda’s Restaurant & Lounge
• The Barn in Sisters • The Galler y Restaurant
• The Gallimaufr y • The Nugget Front Porch
• The Pony Express • Three Creeks Brew Pub
• Three Sisters Floral
• Western Title & Escrow Company
• Your Store