The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLVIII No. 5 // 2025-1-29

Citation issued on three-car wreck

An 18-year-old Sisters man was cited for failure to obey a traffic control device after he collided with two vehicles in an accident at Locust Street and East Cascade Avenue on the afternoon of Friday, January 24.

The driver’s Mercedes vehicle was headed eastbound out of the parking lot thru-way between Sisters City Hall and the Sisters School District offices when it collided with a vehicle headed north on Locust, then slid into a vehicle stopped at the stop sign on East Cascade Avenue.

According to a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputy, the driver didn’t run the stop sign; he made a stop but then failed to yield to the northbound vehicle. While

air

deployed in

of the

there were no serious injuries reported.

Insurance dominates conversation in Sisters

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

Even though it’s the heart of winter, wildfire risk is at top-of-mind in Sisters.

Several readers have contacted The Nugget to express their frustration with the recently released wildfire hazard map produced by Oregon State University and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

“It makes no sense at all,” said Paula Berry. “Fires come from the west. I live on the east side of town and I’m in a higher risk category than Tollgate.”

She knows this because she looked up her property on Tamarack using the state’s online map (https:// tools.oregonexplorer.info/ viewer/wildfire). The online tool has frustrated many in Sisters Country, some of whom also received a certified letter from ODF alerting them their property is in a high hazard zone and/or the wildland-urban interface.

Many homeowners are in a mild panic, worried that they will not have their insurance renewed or worse,

cancelled. “I’m praying my insurance company doesn’t quit Oregon like they did California,” said Danielle Robard.

“My insurance went up 25 percent last year and if it does the same again this year we will literally be forced to sell. It’s just more than we can afford in retirement,” said Duff Crenshaw.

“Good luck with that,” Crenshaw’s neighbor Milt Ward said. “Who’s gonna buy a house that may not be insurable like so many will be in Sisters.”

Indeed, realtors report that some home sales have fallen out of escrow as the purchaser cannot obtain coverage.

Risk Strategies, formerly Bisnett Insurance, agent Tammy Taylor says her phone is ringing off the hook with worried policy holders.

“It’s been frustrating trying to help customers through their fears,” she said.

She advises that they not panic, and do all they can to mitigate their fire risk.

Misperceptions abound

City Council grapples with SDCs, housing

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

Current development projects are in progress or near completion in Sisters and are expected to move the needle somewhat on housing affordability — but deficits remain, especially in workforce housing.

In the Sisters City Council’s workshop meeting of January 22, Regional Economist Nicole Ramos, reporting on Sisters’ demographics, suggested the

See CITY COUNCIL on page 7

SSD board member’s roots run deep

By Matt Van Slyke Correspondent

The newest member of Sisters’ school board has strong local and educational ties, plus two more good reasons to see schools succeed: his son, a freshman, and daughter in kindergarten.

Sisters is Erik Benton’s hometown. His parents moved here in 1978, when he was 12 weeks old.

“My dad started teaching at the elementary school and my mom was a high school nurse. I grew up through the school system,” said Benton. “I was part of the educational community, so I’ve known a lot of the staff and teachers throughout the years. I have a lot of close connections.”

After graduating from Sisters High, Benton earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, where he lived for 25 years.

He helped found a parentteacher association (PTA) at his son’s elementary school, and valued the engagement he was able to create as a member, vice president, and then president.

Working in education, for Oregon Health & Sciences

University, as a biomedical informatics developer, Benton returned to Sisters in 2021.

“One of the big reasons we decided to come back was because of the schools,” he said. “We’d been in the Portland system for a long time, and there are good schools, but it’s a lot of work for folks to put it all together.”

Benton enrolled his son in Sisters Middle School and began looking for new ways to get involved.

“I had staff and parent friends tell me, ‘Erik, you should consider applying for the school board. We think

you’d be a really good fit.’ When the opportunity came up, I sort of took a moment, then decided that I wanted to give it a shot.”

The Sisters School District appointed Benton to the board earlier this month. He was one of six people considered to fill a vacancy left by David Thorsett, who resigned after five years.

Benton will serve through the May 20 Special District Election, for which he will file to run for his current position in hopes of being the voters’ choice, too. If so, his

See BENTON on page 7

Erik Benton is a father of two who values involvement in our education community, and Sisters School District’s newest school board member.

PHOTO BY MATT VAN SLYKE

bags

two

vehicles,

Davis Towing responded to remove the disabled vehicles from the intersection. Locust

Street was closed for the better part of an hour while the wreckage was cleared.

A driver was cited after causing a three-car wreck at the corner of Locust Street and East Cascade Avenue on Friday. (The vehicle that caused the wreck is not pictured.)

PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS

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.

Opposed to rezoning

To the Editor:

There is an application filed with Deschutes County to rezone a 58 acre parcel from Forest to Urban Reserve, located north and east of Sisters High School.

The city of Sisters is already invested in extensive studies with citizen input in planning a massive expansion of its UGB on the northeast side of Sisters.

Rezoning this 58 acres on the other end is not only redundant and competes with the Sisters UGB work, but it also removes precious forest. In addition, it blocks the Tollgate southwest emergency escape route.

Because Sisters is planning a 250 acre UGB expansion (that lines the pockets of a few investors and developers while destroying forest) this 58 acre rezone is totally unnecessary at this time.

As residents, we have already witnessed thousands of trees being cut down in our various neighborhoods. There will be plenty of land for future development for years to come by expanding the city’s UGB to the east of town, much of which will be earmarked for affordable housing.

As a homeowner near the high school, I

object to the rezoning of this precious 58 acre forest parcel at this time.

Any other Sisters residents who are concerned about this most recent Sisters expansion that destroys forest should contact haleigh.king@deschutes.org and request they schedule a public hearing on this matter.

William Carmichael s s s

How can families thrive here?

To the Editor:

I truly appreciated the thoughtful commentary on the urban growth boundary in Sisters featured in the January 8, edition. Bill Willitts’ perspective in “Prioritize Workforce Housing with UGB,” The Nugget, page 2 , effectively highlights the stark contrast between the doubling of median incomes and the quadrupling of home prices. He points out the difficulties this creates for our service industry workers, and while I didn’t fact-check his figure of a median income of $84,000, it resonates with me. As someone who serves the Sisters community, I

See LETTERS on page 19

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Atmospheric beauty...

Sisters needs to understand Trump

By Steve Woodside Guest Columnist

Sisters plunged into a cold snap last week, but the atmosphere compensated with beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

to

It surprises me that after almost 10 years of Donald Trump’s political career, people, including our illustrious Editor in Chief, Jim Cornelius, still have not figured him out. Trump is not a classical conservative, or even a Republican, he is a populist. We would likely have seen more of his ideology in 2017 through 2020 but he was in a constant battle between members of his own party, the Democrats, and the media, so that much of the policy work he wished to accomplish was derailed. In 2025, Trump has apparently learned from his first term and has hired people who will advance the agenda and policies that he ran on to win the electoral and popular vote. To suggest that the political environment in the United States is anything like The Troubles in Ireland is a hard stretch in storytelling to find a comparison. There is no tit for tat violence taking place between opposing sides in America, as political organizations form para-militaries. Jim Cornelius lists off a few of the violent actions that have occurred, but let me list some more, with most happening right here in Oregon as well as nationally, all with the explicit or tacit support of leading members of the Democratic party: The 2016 Trump riots, George Floyd riots, BLM riots, and the Anti-Israel/Pro Hamas riots. These were not simply an event like an assassination attempt, but on-going violent protests that continue today to destabilize our country. Now I will list the violent actions, other than January 6, from conservatives. Nothing. People on the left must mention January 6 as frequently as possible because this is all they have when they throw up the false equivalence of violence from the right. Four years of Biden and not a single act of para-military violence from the right.

Forget Trump the personality for a minute and focus on the policies that Trump ran on. This is not a case of a country split down the middle 50/50. Immigration. Americans overwhelmingly support deporting illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes,

especially violent crimes. Small government, bureaucracy, and the economy. Most Americans favor a smaller government and fewer restrictions to conduct business in the USA. Justice. Most Americans want the law applied equally regardless of political affiliation or social standing. Voting. A vast majority believe identification must be presented to vote. DEI. Americans overwhelmingly support removing identity-based hiring practices to focus on qualifications and merit. Globalism. Most Americans insofar as they understand the various organizations, have real concerns about the politicization of groups like the UN and WHO. Transgenderism. Americans overwhelmingly support not medically or chemically castrating children, and not having boys participate in girls’ sports. They also do not support men in women’s prisons. Abortion. The majority of Americans believe that abortion should be illegal in the second and third trimesters with some exceptions. I suspect that these polling numbers of support for these various policies would be even larger if the media would report fairly on them and not focus on whether a rich guy gave a sieg heil salute.

Living in Sisters for a few years now I have come to understand that the progressive left is going to dominate the content of The Nugget, and I believe most conservatives in town have chosen to just read the articles and letters, shake their heads, and move on. The last time I wrote a letter to the editor, filled with references and facts to support my points, a writer responded by suggesting that I was in some death cult drinking the poisoned Kool-Aid, and who wants to live in a small town where your neighbors are suggesting this type of violence upon you? But people should understand that when they see the next progressive letter to the editor highlighting the “accomplishments” from the previous administration, or their concerns for Trump’s policies, that those writers are in the tiny minority, that will get smaller once the tell-all books are written pulling back the veil on just how corrupt and incompetent the Biden/Harris administration really was.

PHOTO BY ERIK DOLSON

COMMUNITY

By

Explore Sisters is tasked with promoting Sisters

Sisters City Council approved entering into an agreement with Explore Sisters, a destination management organization (DMO) on September 14, 2022. Now that it’s 2025, it appears to some that the group is three years old, and several merchants and curious citizens are questioning what exactly it is that the DMO is doing to promote Sisters.

Scott Humpert, the DMO’s executive director, explains that their work is not quite two years in the making.

“We spent the first several months putting together the brand and getting ourselves

organized,” he said. He compared it to any new store or shop that takes months or weeks to put up shelves, stock them, hire staff, and hang up a sign before opening its doors. Explore Sisters is funded by the city’s TLT (Transient Lodging Tax), approximately $1 million annually collected from hotels, motels, campgrounds, and vacation rentals. Explore Sisters, per its threeyear contract, is awarded $350,000 annually from the tax. In addition, Explore Sisters received a $100,000 start-up fund around July of 2022.

Prior to Explore Sisters, tourism promotion was carried out for the city by Sisters Area Chamber of

Commerce, which still actively promotes tourism to Sisters Country, as does Travel Oregon, the statewide tourism agency, Visit Central Oregon, and Sisters Business Association (SBA). It is this apparent overlap that causes concern among some merchants.

Todd Dow who owns Makin’ It Local on West Cascade is one such shopkeeper who is a member of both the Chamber, where he has been a board member, and SBA.

“I don’t have enough information or know exactly what their mission is,” Dow said. “There’s so much overlap, and I’m not sure we are getting the most for

‘Romantasy’ on the rise in Sisters

By

Local fans of the smashhit “Empyrean” books celebrated the release of the third installment, “Onyx Storm,” with a theme party in Sisters.

The first two books in the series by Rebecca Yarros, “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame,” each topped The New York Times Best Sellers list, where they have remained for more than a year.

A local book club last Tuesday transformed Paulina Springs Books into Basgiath War College.

“It’s a dragon rider school where, when you’re a teenager and you get to go to

college, you get to choose between four quadrants,” said fan Nela Deutmeyer. “The book is about the ones who choose to be a Rider, and a girl who everyone thinks is not going to make it – kind of like that underdog type of story. Her name is Violet. She goes from being a fragile little girl to becoming a Rider. She trains, gets stronger, and gets one of the biggest, more badass dragons.”

More than 1,000 midnight release parties – like those organized for the “Harry Potter,” “Twilight,” and “The Hunger Games” series sequels – were held across

100 Women donate to help families, pets

Have you checked the price of a small can of cat food lately? How about kibble for your active pup? Or special medications for your aging furry friend?

More than three decades ago, Kiki Dolson recognized that low-income families, families experiencing financial hardship, and seniors on fixed incomes needed a little extra help to keep their beloved pets happy and healthy. What began as a yearly pet food drive in 1992, supported by the Sisters Kiwanis Club, the

SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR

BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS

Al -Anon

Mon., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 541- 610-73 83

Alcoholics Anonymous

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

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

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 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

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

Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, and The Nugget Newspaper , soon became a year-round pet food bank.

In March of 2012, Dolson’s enterprise became a 501(c)(3) organization known formally as Furry Friends Foundation, Inc.

Last week, 100 Women Who Care-Sisters donated $8,500 to help keep puppy tails wagging and fluffy kitties purring as they provide companionship, comfort and cheer for their families.

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 BILL BARTLETT

Scott Humpert, executive director of Explore Sisters, and Katera Woodbridge, freelance marketing consultant. The Destination Management Organization is clarifying its roll in the Sisters tourism landscape.

See ROMANTACY on page 18

See DONATION on page 19

Bill Bartlett Correspondent

See DMO on page 20

Matt Van Slyke Correspondent

Terry Kay Byrum

August 19, 1944 – November 22, 2024

Terry was born in Eugene to Stan and Carol (Smith) Jensen. She graduated from Coburg High School in 1962.

She married her high school sweetheart, David (Dave) in 1961. After graduating high school, she moved to the Bay Area for a short time while Dave served in the Navy. The family moved to Central Oregon in 1974, settling in Tumalo. Not long after, Terry began her employment at Brooks Resources (formerly Brooks Scanlon) where she worked until her retirement in 2005.

Terry loved horses and was an accomplished horsewoman. She owned them almost her entire life. She was one of the founding members of the Central Oregon Mounted Equestrian Team in the mid to late 1980s and they performed at many events throughout central Oregon. She eventually started competing in the sport of Reining even making it to Las Vegas on her Paint Horse “Bubba.”

She and her husband, Dave, found a home with their friends in Sisters and were big supporters of the Sisters Rodeo and were members of the Association for many years. She volunteered countless hours as the “money runner” during the rodeo performances.

Terry was a huge fan of the Oregon Ducks and traveled to Eugene every year to watch football games at Autzen Stadium.

After retirement, she and Dave moved back to Coburg, and enjoyed their winters following the sun to Arizona and Palm Springs and spending time with

good friends there. In 2014, they relocated to Redmond. She was an avid traveler and got out and explored as often as she could.

Terry is survived by her sons David (Morrisa) & Mark, and daughter, Jodi; three granddaughters, Rylee (Ty), Shelby (Travis) & Skylar and her beloved dog Benson.

Terry was a friend to everyone and maintained a positive attitude her entire life. She was grateful for her family and her many long-time friends, and will be extremely missed.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David.

A celebration of life is planned for a later date.

Don Boyd

August 26, 1944 – January 17, 2025

Don Boyd passed away peacefully on Friday, January 17, at his home with his wife, Joyce, by his side. He was 80.

Born on August 26, 1944, in Los Angeles, California, to Donald and Evelyn Boyd, he was the youngest of two siblings. He had fond memories of growing up in LA, from sneaking through the fence to play in the back lot of MGM Studios to crabbing in the Marina Del Rey area before there was a marina.

He met the love of his life, Joyce Lopez, during a flag football game at Culver City High School. After dating for two years, they married on June 5, 1965.

When he was a teenager in the 1950s, his family vacationed in Bend, Oregon, and he was charmed by the little town of just over 11,000 people. He was able to make Central Oregon his home beginning in 1972, finally settling in Sisters with his family in 1978.

With the desire to live in this beautiful area, Don was motivated to earn a living through a variety of jobs, from being a U.S. Bank “repo” man to being a wine

steward, most recently at Ray’s Food Place. With his wife, they fulfilled a dream and opened Seasons Café and Wine Shop, which they operated for five years. Don was known for never quite having the tomatoes sliced by the 11 a.m. opening, and for educating and introducing customers to wines from around the world.

Don served on many Sisters School District Budget committees, and on the Sisters Fire District Board from 2002 to 2017. His retirement plans took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with ALS in 2015. Fortunately, his positive attitude and sense of humor seldom wavered, and his life was full, cooking, reading, watching sports (including his beloved L.A. Rams), and visiting with a dedicated and caring circle of friends.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce Boyd of Sisters; his sister, Sue (Russ) Weir of Sisters; daughters Donna

and one great-grandson, Parker Layne.

At Don’s request, no service will be held. Because quality of life was so important to Don, he found peace in being able to use Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Bend Partners in Care, or ALS Northwest.

(Darren) Layne of Sisters, and Heidi (Craig) Fong of La Canada, California; grandsons Brennan (Megan) Layne, Enzo and Zander Fong,

Obituaries

Dale Raymond Waddell

May 2, 1954 – November 17, 2024

Dale Raymond Waddell passed away at home, in Sisters, on November 17, 2024, with his wife Karen and loved ones by his side. Dale struggled with early-onset Alzheimer’s for many years and finally succumbed to the disease at the age of 70.

Dale is survived by Karen, his wife of 48 years; brother Greg Waddell; sister-in-law Ellen (Steve) Furbacher; sister Anne Rodman; niece Jackie; nephews Chris, Stephen, Jason, Andrew and Ryland; members of the Wolftree ‘pack’; and friends and family far and wide.

Dale met Karen on a warm sunny afternoon in California, in 1974. It didn’t take long before they knew they were right for each other, and married a few years later. Together, they pursued Forestry degrees at Humboldt State University in the redwoods of northern California. Dale earned a BS and MS degree in Forest Science, and went on to work as a Research Forester with the Forest Service, at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Portland.

After 10 years, Dale decided to make a change, and co-founded a nonprofit company called ‘Wolftree’, which he ran for over 20 years. He had offices in Portland and here in Sisters.

Wolftree’s mission was to take elementary, middle, and high school students out of the classroom and into the outdoors to explore science and math using a hands-on education curriculum that Dale helped develop. His goal and hope was that students would be inspired and motivated to choose a career in science. He was proud of his staff, hundreds of volunteer mentors, and the many awards

Wolftree received over the years.

Dale and Karen retired and moved to Sisters in 2015. He loved being active and enjoyed hiking, biking, kayaking, and camping until he was no longer able to manage them.

Dale entered Hospice during his last few months and received compassionate care from the Partners in Care team, for which we were very grateful. As many of you know, Alzheimer’s is a difficult disease for a single caregiver to handle. Karen appreciated significant help from family, friends, trained caregivers, and support groups.

Karen’s goal is to hold a small celebration of life in spring or summer at the outdoor education facility that Dale helped establish called Cascade Streamwatch, at the Wildwood Recreation Site, near Mt. Hood.

Belfry to host powerhouse acoustic duo

The Belfry will welcome powerhouse acoustic duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley on Monday, February 24. Known for lighting-fast picking and rich vocals, the two offer a dynamic performance complete with original songs and recognizable numbers from the country and blues canon.

A legendary dobro player, Rob Ickes has been steeped in the Nashville country and bluegrass scene for three decades. He boasts an impressive list of credits, including Vince Gill, Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, and Alison Krauss.

As a young guitar prodigy, Hensley made his Grand Ol’ Opry debut at age 11 and has since pushed the boundaries of the instrument with unfathomable speed and virtuosity. His rich baritone voice channels George Jones and Merle Haggard, rounding out the hot picking.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with showtime at 7 p.m. Bend songster Vern Johnson will open, with Benji Nagel accompanying. Tickets are available at belfryevents.com.

Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley will perform at The Belfry in February.

PHOTO

Volunteer woodcutters warm homes and hearts

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

The number of homes in Sisters Country that heat with wood is significant. Likewise, upwards of 50 houseless persons living in the forest use firewood to cook and heat. Roughly half of the houseless rely on propane.

Quietly and without drawing any attention to themselves, a group of volunteers routinely provide free split wood to several dozen who otherwise would be without. About one in 22 Oregon homes use wood for heating.

For several years, Jeff Konen who resides in Black Butte Ranch has scrounged wood from neighbors thinning their lands or removing dangerous trees. He’s a retired wholesale plumbing contractor. Working mostly solo, he cuts and splits donated logs and delivers in his pickup truck to those referred to him.

The wood is processed and stored in the parking lot of Sisters Community Church. Konen is shown above managing the pile.

Most referrals come from FAN (Family Access Network). In a season he can provide about 15 cords single-handedly. Most of his recipients are older, single women.

Konen is a member of Sisters Community Church who have launched Firewood Ministry. Every Tuesday at 10 a.m. a group of volunteers, some 8 to 10 in number, gather and add substantially to Konen’s pile.

It’s part of the church’s Get Strong Sisters mission, one of whose disciple leaders is Ryan Hudson who owns several fitness businesses in Sisters. He started his career as a financial advisor in Portland before he began a fitness ministry in Central Oregon 20 years ago. He is a personal trainer, gym owner, CrossFit coach, and world

Students urged to look into scholarships

By Olivia Nieto Correspondent

SistersGRO is an independent nonprofit organization that aims to support Sisters High School graduates in their journeys to higher education. The financial aid stems from local donors and organizations who provide an array of scholarships for SHS seniors to apply to.

This year there are 65 available scholarships, each with the goal of supporting a certain type of student or students. The 2025 senior class is made up of 107 students, all who are encouraged to apply, even if they have a lower GPA or are applying to a trade or art specific school.

champion weightlifter.

Cameron Brown is a Get Strong member who has donated many hours in firewood ministry. Newer to the ministry is Chandelle Poole, and he, Brown, and Hudson are among the many Konen gives thanks for.

The ministry works closely with CORE (Community Outreach Resources and Emergency) Shelter, formerly Sisters Cold Weather Shelter, in coordinating need.

Last year SistersGRO distributed 121 total scholarships to a group of 71 graduating seniors, everyone who applied received something.

“Our goal each year is to award scholarships to every student who completes a full application,” said SistersGRO Executive Director Regan Roberts. “But it’s not just financial support, it’s community recognition. We love this town and all of these students and donors do as well.”

This year there are six new scholarships being awarded: the Carl Rosier Scholarship, the Alexander MacCleur Scholarship, the Randy Burdick Memorial Basketball Scholarship, the (SFF Presents) Curt Kennedy Memorial Visual Art Scholarship, the SOQS Freddy Moran Memorial Scholarship, and the Bill and Judi Medical Scholarship. All of these scholarships were introduced by caring and passionate community members. Brent MacCleur is one of these citizens. After his brother Alexander passed away at 16, his family started a scholarship at Myrtle Point High School in Eugene in his honor. After moving to Sisters

Jeff Konen of Black Butte Ranch “managing the pile” for the Firewood Ministry at Sisters Community Church.

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

lack of workforce housing is likely why two-thirds of Sisters’ 1,945 workers commute.

When developers assess affordable or low-income housing projects, their estimates find the projects are not financially viable. Because of this and housing deficits, there are incentive programs available from federal, state, and county to make housing both affordable to buyers and profitable to developers. There are also incentives which cities can offer to attract development of low-income, affordable, or workforce housing.

In recent years, the City of Sisters has been asked by developers if the City’s Development Code allows for a deferral of System Development Charges (SDCs). The answer has been no. SDCs are what developers pay to cover their portion of a city’s expense to expand public facilities into formerly undeveloped properties.

Sisters Associate Planner, Emelia Shoup, presented background on the advantages and disadvantages of deferring SDCs, gave

examples of other cities’ deferral programs, a list of recommended strategies, and a draft of applicable changes to Development Code, Chapter 13.25 SDCs. Shoup’s documentation may be found at www.ci.sisters. or.us; click Agendas & Minutes-Recent MeetingsJan. 22 Agenda Packets or click on video (Shoup starts 40 minutes into the video).

Councilors Michael Preedin and Gary Ross suggested opening the deferral incentive to include workforce housing to fill that deficit. The draft by staff was incentivizing development of “affordable housing,” which means selling at a price affordable to those earning 80 percent or lower of Average Median Income (AMI) in the local area. “Workforce Housing” widens the developer’s price

range of homes built to those earning 150 percent of AMI or lower. After some discussion, the Council gave a nod to this change.

Mayor Jennifer Letz asked what developers might pay in SDCs. Shoup noted it could cost from $13,000 for single family projects to $300,000 or more for large efforts such as multi-family housing projects. Council will need to decide if what the SDCs developers will pay is to be calculated based on rates at the time of signing the agreement, or the rates when the deferred payment comes due, which could be higher. Staff will present council these two alternative changes to Chapter 13.25, to expedite their final decision, perhaps in February.

BENTON: New board member has roots in Sisters

Continued from page 1

four-month appointment will turn into a four-year commitment as an elected official.

First, though, he will be tasked with getting a budget approved for the next school year, and evaluating Superintendent Curt Scholl, “ensuring that he has been doing his work and that the school district is satisfied,” Benton said. “We’ll be interviewing folks within the schools to understand what their perspective is and use that to help form our judgment.”

Benton is learning that a lot of homework comes with the position.

“The very first meeting I attended, I had a 121-page packet that was a review of the audit that the school district has to do every year,” he said.

As part of the board, Benton will also determine how to implement policy from the State of Oregon in terms of how local curriculum is developed and administered.

“Education is one of those fundamental opportunities that I have a lot of strong feelings about. I feel like it’s

one of the best tools that you can give young people to help inspire them to do great things and also have some self-efficacy – learning how to navigate these systems and gain skills that can be useful once they leave the school system,” Benton said. He calls Sisters a special place, and the district unique.

“It’s pretty rare to have a community that is so invested in its schools, and to continue to step up and support them, both through the local option as well as materially with the parent-teacher organization and all the fundraisers that happen,” Benton said. “My goal is to help reflect those values of community engagement and to be a voice from the community, representing parents.”

Another goal is to keep aiming higher and pushing forward.

“I want to make sure that we continue to build on the great successes that we’ve had but also not be complacent, because there’s a lot of hard work to do to ensure that our schools are successful, that our kids are successful, and that these are schools that our community can be proud of.”

To get in touch with Erik or contact the school board, visit https://district.ssd6.org/ school-board/.

The Grove is a multi-family housing development that is designed to ease the workforce housing crunch in Sisters.

PHOTO BY SUSAN COBB

Classifieds | Weather

Habitat rif t Store

Temporar y Closure

Sisters Habitat for Humanity will temporarily close the rif t Store at 211 E . Cascade Ave 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 www.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

Sisters Garden Club Monthly Meeting

Sisters Garden Club invites the Public to our monthly meeting on Saturday, Februar y 8 . Join us for a presentation by Mimi Schaefer, President of the Sisters Communit y Garden. She will share with us the benefits of communit y gardening. e meeting is at Sisters Community Church, 130 0 W. Mckenzie Hwy e meeting starts at 10 a .m. with doors opening at 9:30.

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 to 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.

e Peaceful Presence

Free Weekly Meal Service

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

Sisters Habitat

Volunteers Needed New Year! New You! Sisters Habitat for Humanity is seeking volunteers! Go to www sistershabitat.org and click on the green Volunteer Hub to start your volunteer journey today

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.

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 www.happy trailshr.org

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

Gathering of Voices

Indivisible Sisters invites you to the first general meeting of 2025 . Join with others, build communit y, spread hope, learn how to take care of ourselves & take e ective action. ursday, January 30, 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Communit y Room, Sisters Library, 110 N . Cedar St. Plea se R SVP: www.mobilize. us/indivisible/event/750172. Free public event . For more information call 541-4 00 -8312.

SISTERS LIBRARY COMING EVENTS

“Know Romance” this February with Deschutes Public

Librar y Music of the Romantic Era: Learn about Romantic Era music f rom the 19th century with a local conductor and professor. is interactive lecture will explore why the term “Romantic” has been consistentl y applied to this music . Saturday, Februar y 8 at 2 p.m.

Self-Love Intention

Setting Workshop How do you show yourself love? Reignite your passion for taking care of you by joining Kaija Marshall for a special intention setting and candle-making workshop. Registration required. Sunday, Februar y 9 at 10:30

a.m.

Both lectures held at the Sisters Library, 110 N Cedar Street

Projec t Connection Cafés Communit y members will come together at weekly “Connection Cafés” for supportive dialogue around personal experiences with illness , death, and grief ese gathering spaces provide compassionate human contact and ensure that people’s healthrelated social needs are being addressed proactively. e

Sisters Connection Cafés will meet Wednesdays, January 29 to February 26, f rom 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Sisters Library. Participants may attend one café or all ere is no charge, and all are welcome. Info: 541-293-8636.

Americ an Legion and VFW VF W Post 8138 and American Legion Post 86 meet the first Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at Spoons Restaurant, 473 E . Hood Ave. Sisters . Email SistersVeterans@gmail.com for information.

Weekly Food Pantry Changes

Wellhouse Food Pantr y has a new name: CORE Market . It is still located at 222 N . Trinity Way in Sisters . Open ursday, Januar y 30, f rom 3 to 4 p.m. Starting February 3 , market hours switch to Mondays , f rom 1 to 2 p.m. Info: 541-588-2332.

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

Free Pet Food

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. Located at 412 E . Main Ave., Ste. 4, behind e Nug get

Dennis is not a menace, but a lovely little lad looking for his new home. Dennis came into us as a str ay, so we are not sure of his background. What he’s proven so f ar is that he’s a f riendly, eager to please boy looking for a friend or family to take him on all of their adventures. He’s met other dogs at the shelter and while he’s a bit unsure of himself he’s friendly and with the right energ y match is sure to make best f riends!

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

HELPING PATIENTS GET MOVING!

Physical Therapy • Aquatic Therapy

Post-Surgical • Sports-Specific Training

Strengthening & Conditioning

541-549-3574

2022 Desperado Trail, Ste 201 at Sisters Athletic Club www.therapeuticassociates.com/Sisters

Therapeutic Associates

Therapeutic Associates has added two new therapists to the team, which means there are plenty of highly trained physical therapists on staff to help you recover from injury, enhance performance, and keep going with all the Sisters Country activities you love to do.

Sarah Consiglio comes to Therapeutic Associates as a graduate of the OSUCascades Doctor of Physical Therapy program. She is passionate about providing innovative, research-based, patientcentered physical therapy interventions to empower people of all ages and abilities to achieve their rehab goals.

Natalie Zadeh comes to the clinic after working with Bend Athletic Club. She has a particular interest in injured worker recovery, and working with equestrian injuries — not an uncommon phenomenon in Sisters Country.

Therapeutic Associates offers a unique step-down program with Sisters Athletic Club, and access to the Sisters Athletic Club pool makes working through your program easy and effective.

Therapeutic Associates is also committed to educating clients on how to stay active. They are staffed to see patients quickly — and get them back into action.

FOCUS on Health

Somatré

We’re lucky to live in Sisters, where the air and water are so much cleaner than they are in many other places. Yet, we are still exposed to environmental toxins every day, from food packaging to household cleaners. And we breathe car exhaust — and sometimes are inundated with smoke.

Erika Swinth of Somatré offers help in releasing the load of toxicity. She has four ionic foot baths that can help release toxicity, and offers Young Living Essential Oils. She notes that substituting essential oils for candles can eliminate impacts from candle fragrances. Essential oils can also offer emotional support, reducing anxiety and trauma responses.

Inquire about air purifiers that can make your indoor environment safer and more healthy even when it’s not great outside.

Erika is planning educational programs to help people in Sisters avoid toxicity by finding alternatives for cleaning products and avoiding chemical exposure.

Toxicity can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, low energy, general malaise, and fuzzy thinking. Finding ways to avoid toxicity, and eliminate or minimize the effects of chemicals and toxins, is a key element in developing the healthy way of life we all prize in Sisters Country.

Whychus Health

When we find ourselves grappling with a condition that is difficult to diagnose — or are blown off when we seek help, told that there’s nothing wrong or that it’s “just anxiety” or “in our head” — it can be hard to know where to turn.

Robyn Lopez, DNP, FNP-BC, has created that place with Whychus Health. With a deep background as an ER and trauma nurse, she went on to become a boardcertified family nurse practitioner.

Her goal is to help people in Sisters optimize their health. She takes time to understand what is going on with her patients, listening without judging, and establishing a relationship of trust. Whychus Health uses evidence-based practice, so Robyn’s clinical decision making is always supported by current research and her top priority is safety. With that, she also believes in thinking outside the box and supports a holistic, integrative approach to medicine.

Whychus Health can provide services including bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, anti-aging therapies, and wellness-promoting services like nutrition planning and prescription weight-loss aids.

Robyn can also refer patients to her husband, Alex, a former Navy SEAL and firefighter who offers life-coaching services.

As someone who grew up eating well and had a mom who had dietary restrictions from the time I was 12, food preparation was a massive part of my routine. I enjoy the creative aspect of cooking, putting ingredients together to make something that looks good and tastes good, and is suitable to dietary needs. Cooking a meal is therapeutic and relaxing after a long day’s work. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” I tend to let my creative juices flow when I come up with a meal to cook.

I have researched many recipes to make healthy meals at home to accommodate a busy 9-to-5 work schedule and a 35-minute commute home. I discovered an Instagrammer, Kalena (handle: @kalenainthekitchen), and subscribed to her recipe blog, which included many 20-minute meals with budget-friendly ingredients. Immediately, I started to add many of her recipes to my weekly meal lineup. It was also important to me to find recipes with budgetfriendly ingredients accessible at most grocery stores, and that’s her recipe. It’s important that ingredients can be found in an easy stop on the way home from work — and are easy on the wallet. Finding a set of recipes or an influencer you enjoy can help inspire and motivate you to make healthier meals while staying on a budget, and even during a time crunch.

Planning meals and preparing ahead of time can also lessen stress during the week and provide a sense of convenience. Having concise recipes at my fingertips allows me to follow through on making the meal. It is so easy to fall into a pattern of blowing off a meal that has to

HEALTHY EATING eat the rainbow on a schedule and a budget

By Ceili Gatley

As we enter a new year, everyone has goals of eating better and working out more. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start. If you work full time, five days a week, with a commute, cooking a wholesome and healthy meal can feel overwhelming.

be prepared when you’re tired and burnt out from a work day. But then you aren’t eating the healthiest meals most likely, as most easy premade meals are packed with artificial flavors and stripped of nutrients. Dr. Mark Hyman, an American physician and author, often speaks about the lack of nutrients in America’s food industry and what we can do as consumers to eat more nutrient-dense foods. You can listen to his podcast (one that I frequent often). One of his mantras, and something I’ve tried to incorporate, is to “eat the rainbow.” This means eating varied, colorful foods and a variety of meats, vegetables, and grains to get wellrounded meals every time. This can be tough, especially on a budget, as many “superfood” items can be pricey at natural food stores. I’ve found adding these ingredients to meals is made possible by buying produce as fresh as possible from the grocery store and, during the summer, from local farms in Sisters such as Seed to Table or Mahonia Farms.

There are many ways to adapt a recipe to your dietary needs and/or goals. The options are endless; whether you want less carbs, more protein, or gluten-free, there’s something out there for everyone. I begin a recipe by considering my goals and restrictions and figuring out how to adapt it while creating something tasty and pretty.

I invested in a magnetic dry-erase board menu to write out the meals for the week, see them right on the fridge, and know what kind of meal or how much time it might take each evening. There is such a benefit to eating a healthy meal as early in the evening as possible, but it’s hard to make that happen if you’re not getting home till after 6 p.m. But if you know what you’re making ahead of time, you can budget the time to make what you want and how you want it, which benefits your sleep health. According to the National Library of Medicine study: “Limiting and/or avoiding food before nighttime sleep has been proposed as both a weight-loss strategy and approach to improve health and body composition. Indeed, negative outcomes have been demonstrated in response to large mixed meals in populations that consume most of their daily food intake at night.”

Eating at a reasonable time is essential to allow your body to properly digest the food and get into a proper circadian rhythm and good rest.

Keeping up with your goals for a new year can be challenging, but planning and inspiration from influencers/ authors help me keep up with my goals and unwind after a workday — by being creative in the kitchen.

FOCUS on Health

Inspire Dance & Fitness Studio

Exercise and strength training are vital to health and well-being, especially as we age. Benefits include maintaining muscle mass, improving mobility, and increasing the healthy years of life. To stick with a program to build strength and fitness, it’s important to do something you enjoy and want to do consistently. For many people, nothing is more delightful than dance.

Inspire Dance & Fitness Studio is dedicated to bringing quality, affordable dance and fitness instruction to the community of Sisters. The studio is a comfortable space where everyone can have fun, learn to dance, improve their fitness and health, meet new people, and freely express themselves. Cindy Miskowiec established IDFS to inspire and motivate members to take control of their health, and have a blast doing it.

Inspire offers various barre, dance, and yoga classes designed to boost your physical fitness while having fun. The goal is a strong, toned body with full range of motion. Dance can improve posture, flexibility, and strength, and relieve stress and make you feel energized .

Drop-ins are welcome; first class is free.

Prayer’s Dog Biscuits

Motivate & reward your dog Biscuits are homemade and preservative-free AVAILABLE AT... Oliver Lemon’s Sisters Feed Sisters Groomery

Prayer’s Dog Biscuits

Prayer’s Dog Biscuits is a small Sisters business that specializes in happy pets — and happy people. Prayer’s Dog Biscuits makes handmade, preservative-, filler-, and additive-free dog biscuits and training treats. Products are made with minimal ingredients to promote good health digestion. You can find all sizes, including halfpound, at www.prayersdogbiscuits.com.

Prayer’s Dog Biscuits now offers free delivery to your home or business within Sisters, Redmond, Bend, and Terrebonne. They can also set you up with a subscription that automatically refills the quantity you need at the frequency best for you. Happy customers, pets and their people, tell the story. Shelly and Roger said, “We happened across Prayer’s several years ago and our fur babies immediately loved them. Since then we have continued to make our fur babies happy and satisfy their love of these treats. We can’t thank Missy and George enough for their support, responsive service and great product.”

Purchase products locally at Sisters Feed Store, Oliver Lemon’s, and Sisters Groomery. Any questions can be emailed to prayersdogbiscuits@gmail.com.

Prayer’s Dog Biscuits says “thank you” to their customers and vendors for the support.

STARS

Health and well-being have been cornerstones of STARS’ mission since its beginning in 2019. Their tagline, “Keeping Sisters healthy, one ride at a time,” is about knowing every ride matters and understanding proper medical care for seniors, disabled, and underserved residents makes Sisters a more livable community.

STARS rides increased by 33 percent in 2024, and committed volunteer dispatchers and drivers met the demand professionally and with kindness.

Passenger Gary expresses why the organization has such a great reputation, “I’ve gotten to know many of their drivers. They’re really nice people who donate their time and I respect them highly.”

STARS would not exist without caring volunteers who believe getting people to medical appointments is essential for a strong community.

STARS driver Melanie explained why she volunteers, “I’m helping people who need that help. It’s satisfying and I feel I’m doing something worthwhile.”

STARS is grateful for community support and asks volunteers interested in making a difference in people’s lives in as little as a few hours a month to join the team.

THE VITAL ROLE OF IN OUR LIVESsleep

By Ashlee Francis

We all know sleep is important. Kids should be getting 10-12 hours every night, and most adults need at least seven. But let’s be honest; winding down can be a real challenge, especially when we don’t feel tired. Understanding what happens during sleep can help us appreciate its vital role in our overall health and motivate us to prioritize it.

Imagine life split evenly into three parts: sleep, work, and play or social time. Unfortunately, in today’s fast-paced world, that balance has tilted. Many find their sleep window shrinking, overshadowed by work and social obligations. This neglect of sleep inhibits our ability to manage emotions, absorb new information, and maintain focus throughout the day.

WHY SLEEP MATTERS

1. Energy Recharge: Sleep is nature’s way of allowing our bodies to “recharge.” While we rest, our energy consumption decreases, enabling us to wake up refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the day throws our way. A good night’s sleep not only boosts our mood but also enhances our interactions with others, helping us manage stress more effectively.

2. Healing and Growth: Sleep is a critical time for our bodies to repair and regenerate. It aids in healing wounds, promoting growth, and repairing essential tissues and organs. For children and teens, adequate sleep is especially vital for normal growth and development, while adults benefit through the repair of the heart and blood vessels, ultimately contributing to lower blood pressure.

3. Immune Boost and Metabolism: Our immune system flourishes during sleep, fortifying our defenses against infections. Plus, sleep regulates hormones that control hunger and fullness, making it a crucial element in weight management.

4. Brain Processing: During sleep, our brains do heavy lifting. They clear out toxins, consolidate memories, and organize information learned throughout the day. This process is essential for cognitive function and problem-solving, leading to clearer thinking and better decision-making come morning.

Now that we understand why sleep is so important, let’s prepare to dive deeper! In the upcoming weeks, we’ll explore how to curate a bedtime routine that promotes better sleep, examine how sleep needs change as we age, discuss the effects of supplements on our sleep patterns, tune into our circadian rhythms, and reveal what happens to our bodies when we consistently cut our sleep short.

Stay tuned! Pick up a copy of The Nugget next week to learn more, and let’s prioritize sleep together!

Health & wellness GOAL SETTING

Being a gym owner and enthusiast, I am all about goal setting. I like to make crazy goals, like climbing 3,200 feet every single day for a year, or running the amount of miles in years I’m turning on my birthday each year. I’ve realized my insane goals are easy for me to attain because they are so out of the ordinary that I put a lot of focus on achieving them.

Last year, I made a goal to drink 80 ounces or more of water every day. Did I knock this goal out of the park? Absolutely not. I struggle with hydration, even though I know the importance of adequate water intake for my health. I bought water bottles with times of day printed along the side to keep me chugging throughout the day. I paid for an app where I could track my intake for accountability. Nothing was working and by February 1, I had forgotten my goal and moved on.

When I asked my gym clients if they were setting goals this year, the majority answered with a firm no. They claimed they could never keep their goals, and it made them feel poorly about themselves. We should be able to set goals and feel good about that decision. How do we set health goals and keep them in 2025?

KEY STRATEGIES FOR REALISTIC HEALTH RESOLUTIONS:

• Start small: Instead of aiming to exercise for an hour every day, begin with 20 minutes of walking three days each week.

• Be specific: Clearly define your goals, like “walk for 30 minutes, three times a week” instead of just “exercise more.”

• Focus on habits, not just results: Instead of saying “lose 20 pounds,” focus on “eat a serving of vegetables at every meal” or “park further away from the grocery store entrance.”

• Make it enjoyable: Choose activities you genuinely enjoy, whether it’s dancing, biking, or hiking, to increase your likelihood of sticking with it.

• Find an accountability partner: Share your

By Ashlee Francis

goals with a friend, online community, or join a fitness class to stay motivated.

• Track your progress: Use a fitness tracker, journal, or app to monitor your progress and see your achievements.

• Reward yourself: Celebrate small wins with non-food rewards to reinforce positive behavior. Buy yourself that pair of shoes you’ve been wanting if you can hit your step goal every week for a month!

If you are looking for some motivation for 2025, here are some examples of realistic health resolutions:

STRESS MANAGEMENT:

• Practice mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes daily.

• Engage in relaxation techniques like deep breathing for 15 minutes daily.

NUTRITION:

• Add one extra serving of vegetables to each meal.

• Plan healthy meals ahead of time.

EXERCISE:

• Take a 20-minute walk four days per week.

• Do bodyweight exercises at home for 15 minutes three days a week.

SLEEP:

• Establish a consistent bedtime routine.

• Avoid screens an hour before you plan to go to bed.

• Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep per night.

To make realistic approaches to New Year’s health resolutions, focus on setting small, achievable goals, starting with habits you can easily incorporate into your daily routine, and prioritize process over outcome, rather than aiming for drastic changes overnight. Even a little bit of progress is better than not starting. Consider finding an accountability partner, tracking progress, and rewarding yourself for small wins. These small things can help you accomplish big results.

FOCUS on Health

BREATHE • MOVE • RECOVER SMALL GROUP & PERSONALIZED TRAINING

• Blend of mobility, strength, Pilates

• New routines every day

• Fascial stretch therapy

• Clinics for run, ski, stretch, pickleball & more 541-390-8983 • www.sweatpnw.com

392 W. Main Ave., Sisters

Sweat PNW

Sweat PNW offers group classes and clinics designed to restore strength and mobility and encourage the body to lock in the benefits of breathwork and movement. Classes are designed to build strength from the stabilizing core muscles, increase mobility, teach the body to relearn healthy movement patterns, and improve breath rate and recovery. Classes begin with breathwork to prepare the mind and lungs, then a blend of cardio and strength training, transitioning into a guided stretch.

Classes and clinics focus on exercises for strength, balance, stabilization, and flexibility. A blend of Pilates and weight training complements proper form and awareness of your body and its unique design. The primary objective is to help each member meet their own health and fitness goals in a fun, safe way supported by a like-minded community.

Sweat PNW offers personal training, fascial stretch therapy, and clinics to improve skills in pull ups, pelvic floor strength, skiing, pickleball, mobility, and more. Upcoming clinics include: Beginner to Strength Training, the 30-Day Lifestyle Challenge, 6-week Running and Nutrition, Biking Strength, Triathlon Training, Backpacking/ Hiking Clinic, and Pickleball Agility.

LARGEST SELECTION OF NEW & USED FITNESS EQUIPMENT IN CENTRAL OREGON!

Residential and Commercial Reasonable delivery and installation rates! backinactionfitnessequipment.com

Estate Planning Attorneys

541-420-5985

Back In Action

Fitness Equipment

To get and stay in shape, Back In Action Fitness Equipment Sales & Service can provide you with anything you may want or need. From a foam roller to a treadmill; from dumbbells to a rowing machine.

Whether you’re setting up a small gym at home or have a commercial facility, Back In Action offers full delivery and installation to set up your equipment for you.

Since 2008, Back In Action Fitness Equipment Sales & Service has been supplying equipment for home users and commercial facilities alike. Owner Kevin Roll says that the most popular pieces of equipment are treadmills, with bikes and ellipticals coming in second, followed by free weights and functional items.

Quality cardio equipment has become increasingly affordable — and it is adapting to the needs of the population. Recumbent elliptical machines are popular among an aging population. Staying fit is more important now than ever. Back In Action Fitness Equipment Sales & Service is your local dealer and service provider and is always there for you!

Evashevski Ellio PC

Estate planning is an important step for anyone with assets. That’s not just the wealthy. Anyone with real property or a healthy bank account has something they will leave behind. Planning for that eventuality offers real benefits.

Estate planning ensures that your wishes will be carried out. Knowing that your wishes are documented and legally binding offers peace of mind. Planning also removes a burden for your heirs, relieving them from potentially complicated court processes.

While it is not always easy to take on the subject, Ashley Tuttle and John H. Myers of Evashevski Elliott PC make things comfortable, welcoming, and unintimidating. It’s akin to talking with a financial advisor.

They offer a free 30-minute phone consultation to get to know your circumstances and goals, and to educate the client on wills, trusts, and probate.

Once you determine what path is best for you, Ashley or John will guide you through the process that takes just a few weeks to complete — a process that ends with true peace of mind.

Give Evashevski Elliott PC a call at 541588-2414 to schedule your consultation.

The POWER of being

By Matt Van Slyke

I have three kids. They are LOUD. Sometimes I can’t hear myself think. Even when I can hear myself think, I usually drown it out with a device. I turn on the TV or my phone: social media, music, podcasts — anything.

Recently, I found myself in the lobby of a care center during a family member’s appointment. I was holding my infant daughter as she slept. There, in a rocking chair, with a sleeping baby, I reached for my phone.

But why? I had a golden opportunity to savor some sweet silence. I kept the phone holstered and held my little one cheek-to-cheek. I closed my eyes and rode a moment of Zen for the better part of an hour. When it came time to snap back to reality, I thought, “Wow, I feel great!”

What was that? Why don’t I do it more often? Why don’t we do it more often? I asked Erin Fourier, a Sisters-based therapist and licensed clinical social worker.

“What you’ve not only described the action of, but then the result of, is a mindfulness practice or a meditative practice,” said Fourier. “Science tells us that it is exceptionally beneficial to the brain.”

Fourier talks to her clients about working some sort of meditative practice into their day,

still

If you’re kicking yourself for not kicking your new year into gear, don’t. One of the best things you can do for yourself is next to nothing at all.

though she finds that they often misunderstand what that entails.

“People get really afraid when they think of meditation. They think of sitting in the Lotus position, but it doesn’t have to be that. It can be five minutes of just sitting in a quiet room, or even 30 seconds of keeping your mind clear — or trying to keep your mind clear — but not using that as an exercise to judge yourself,” she said.

Simply put, “it’s using intention to quiet the mind,” Fourier says.

There’s something about screens, social media, scrolling, and swiping that makes it infinitely more difficult to put down and walk away from digital devices.

“We’ve become a society of instant gratification,” Fourier said. “We shop online; we can have it in a day. We buy a book online; we can have it accessible immediately. Music, movies... you don’t have to wait for anything anymore. We’ve kind of trained our brains that we should be able to entertain ourselves right away, and that we shouldn’t have to wait or quiet our minds.”

Experts are finding it to be a detriment to youth, Fourier says, adding that adults are not modeling good digital behavior, either. Kids are

complaining about parents on their screens.

“I have heard kids speak to their parents, asking for changes in behavior that they are not also exhibiting, like ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ I think the word that I’ve heard the most from teenagers is ‘hypocrisy’ when parents are asking children to make changes, absolutely. They are watching you like a hawk, and the best thing you can do is make those changes yourself,” Fourier advises.

She says making small changes, like walking, driving, vacuuming, or folding laundry sans digital distraction, goes a long way.

“Anytime you make a change, it doesn’t necessarily have to be something that happens for the rest of your life. The important piece is that you’re doing it with intention. That’s how new habits are made. That’s how we kind of take back control over what electronics have taken from us.”

We often go into the new year making big resolutions, but if they’re too big, they’re easy to put to the side.

“Making small, achievable changes for yourself will help you maintain and then keep those habits in the long run, and I think that applies to using your electronics and screen time as well,” Fourier said.

FOCUS on Health

Living Well With Dementia Sisters

With a population that skews older, Sisters has a significant number of residents facing dementia. Living Well With Dementia Sisters offers one-on-one guidance to help families “get down this path as gracefully as possible,” in the words of co-founder Debbi McCune. They offer hands-on tools to help with difficult conversations and understanding the challenges of what can be a long and difficult journey. The founders of the group have first-hand experience as care partners, so they understand the challenges inherent in the role.

Caring for care partners is as critical as caring for the person experiencing dementia, and Living Well With Dementia Sisters offers support and resources toward that end. It helps to know you’re not alone. The Living Well With Dementia Sisters support group is for caregivers, adults supporting parents or siblings, and those living with dementia to come together and discuss challenges and successes. It is helpful to recognize and work to alleviate the cumulative stresses that come with caregiving. The group meets the second and fourth Wednesdays at Sisters Senior Living.

Inscape Plant Co.

Folks in Sisters Country understand the healing powers of nature; we love to get outdoors amongst the trees. Our indoor environment, where we inevitably spend most of our time, can be just as healthy and healing. Indoor plants enhance aesthetics, providing a soothing touch of green to our lives — and provide air filtration and various other significant health benefits.

“Positive effects can be felt from having just one plant in your space,” says Danielle Durham of Inscape Plant Co. in Sisters.

Plants can improve mood and memory, reduce stress and anxiety, and enhance creativity and productivity.

Inscape Plant Co. can provide that one plant — and many more — along with the expertise to make sure the plants in your indoor environment thrive. Durham says that a lot of people come in and believe that they’re not good at keeping plants alive, but she wants to encourage everyone to try. She can point to a number of plants that are very easy to care for and can tolerate different conditions. There are many varieties and sizes available so you can find what works best for your home or work environment.

Stop by the shop at 161 E. Cascade Ave., Ste. E, to find you next (or first) plant.

Sisters Physical Therapy

Sisters Physical Therapy offers a holistic approach to rehabilitation and human performance, providing physical therapy, personal training, and small group classes. Led by Paul Erlebach, who blends his expertise in physical therapy and strength and conditioning, the clinic creates personalized programs tailored to each individual’s needs. With experience as the strength and conditioning coach for Outlaw Football and as the inhouse physical therapist for Sisters Senior Living, Paul has the skill to work with clients of all ages and abilities.

Sisters Physical Therapy specializes in functional movements and fascia-based training to help clients return to their preferred activities, whether it’s playing sports or enjoying time with family. Sisters Physical Therapy focuses on restoring mobility and strength while ensuring a safe, effective path to recovery. With the flexibility of appointments available within 48 hours, patients can quickly get the care they need. Visit Sisters Physical Therapy today to start achieving your goals with personalized, expert support.

By Jim Cornelius

Being a caregiver for a loved one dealing with a longterm, chronic health crisis is as tough a road to walk as any you could find. The burdens are acute — physically, emotionally and spiritually. And they’re cumulative. The pileup along a long and often dark road of a health crisis.

The Mayo Clinic identifies a syndrome of “caregiver strain.” Signs include:

• Feeling burdened or worrying all the time.

• Feeling tired often.

• Sleeping too much or not enough.

• Gaining or losing weight.

• Becoming easily irked or angry.

• Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy.

• Feeling sad.

• Having frequent headaches or other pains or health problems.

• Misusing alcohol or drugs, including prescription medicines.

• Missing your own medical appointments.

Because those burdens become part of the day-to-day, caregivers often aren’t fully aware of the toll the work is taking on them.

“They oftentimes don’t know how to recognize it,” said Debbi McCune, one of the founders of Living Well With Dementia Sisters. “They don’t often know how to identify it, much less manage it.”

This is not a theoretical problem for McCune; she’s living it as the caregiver for her husband.

A key element of Living Well With Dementia Sisters’ mission is helping care partners, as the group calls them, recognize what they are going through, and learn to care for themselves as well as their loved one.

“That’s a big chunk of what we do,” McCune said. {We recognize the challenges, and we’re here to provide guidance, hope and support for them.”

Living Well With Dementia Sisters hosts a support group each Wednesday at Sisters Senior Living. For information visit www. livingwellwithdementiasisters. com.

Kay Grady has been caring for her husband, David, since

his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2017. She regularly participates in the support group, and is eager to share any aspect of her story that can help others. She advises people who are just starting out on their journey as a caregiver to talk with others.

“Take all the opportunities that you can to hear from people who have walked the walk,” she said.

She strongly advises caregivers to develop a network of people in similar circumstances as early as possible. Such a network can help provide support and mutual respite coverage that can be prohibitively expensive if sought from a professional agency.

Before moving to Sisters, Kay was a teacher and David was an Apple executive living in the Bay Area. They had a very active life together, and remembering that is important. She remembers a passion for cycling.

“We did the (100-kilometer) Marin Metric; we did the whole Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge,” she recalled. “We bicycled all the time. I try to remember that. We did have a life before this. Remembering that is one of the things that brings me the most relief or comfort.”

CARING FOR THE caregiver

“I am so fortunate,” she said. “He is still kind. He is still loving.” Grady said that she has had to learn to not over-explain things, and to recognize that David is very repetitive.

The couple always loved music, and David still enjoys going out to see live music in Sisters — which is a vital tonic for Kay. He can also still go to the movies. Once a week, Jeff Smith and Don Hedrick take David to Sisters Saloon for lunch.

She also craves connecting with friends who are able to carry on a full conversation.

Once very involved in the community, she continues to serve where she can.

“I am serving on the Sisters Schools Foundation board, which keeps my finger in just a little bit,” she said. “I so miss working with the mentorship program ASPIRE, and I would in a heartbeat be one of the Circle of Friends mentors.”

“We’re not always nice. When you’ve had it, or heard the same thing 50 times in a day, then it’s time to put on music and dance around the living room.”

— Kay Grady

“It’s good for him to be with guys, I think,” Kay said.

She has had to give many things up. Travel to visit family; hikes on the Metolius; a night out with the girls. She knows she needs to access whatever she can for herself.

“I’m interviewing someone to come and give me a break,” she said. “A little freedom would be good.”

Kay emphasizes small elements of self-care.

One of the most difficult things to grapple with as the caregiver for a person with a long-term and ultimately terminal diagnosis is grieving the loss of a loved one before they are physically gone. There are feelings of guilt for wishing the ordeal was over, or for losing patience with someone who can’t help being slow or not remembering things. Sometimes the person being cared for can be ill-tempered or even mean — which is often not a choice but a symptom of their condition. Grady is very grateful that that is not her situation.

She strives for patience, but she acknowledges that it can get to be a strain.

“We’re not always nice,” she said. “When you’ve had it, or heard the same thing 50 times in a day, then it’s time to put on music and dance around the living room.”

She said her current go-to tunes are from a Sisters Folk Festival band, Fantastic Cat.

Kay seeks time to herself and connection with others.

“I call our nieces and nephews, because I crave younger people,” she said.

“I play all the New York Times word games and try to finish them all before I go to bed,” she said.

She once got advice to read or view something funny before going to sleep as a means of easing a troubled mind — so she hunts up amusing cat videos to share with her granddaughter.

“So…” she said. “Silly things.” Those small or even silly things are a way of maintaining equilibrium on a long and trying journey with little respite and no prospect for improvement. It’s a hard road — but Sisters is rallying around its population of caregivers, and there is no shortage of advice and support for those who seek it.

Kay Grady has been caring for her husband, David, since his 2017 diagnosis with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Learning to skate-ski…

Twenty-five members of the Sisters Nordic Wanderlust Club (SNOW) took part in their first skate clinic at Hoodoo on Sunday. Attendees ranged in age from 10 to 73. Volunteer instructors included Jeff Husmann, Jeff Wester, Tom Blust, and Molly Blust. Temperatures were on the cool side but snow was fast and grooming was perfect. All proceeds from the highly successful clinic will be used to support the Sisters High School Nordic Team.

CLARIFICATION

The Nugget’s January 22 page 1 story, “Shelter food pantry makes changes,” contained incorrect information regarding some operating hours of the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter and food pantry at 222 N. Trinity Way.

When the library is closed on Mondays, The CORE Center is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for drop-ins, persons needing to get warm, charge phones, get a hot meal and generally seek respite. The food pantry then opens at 1 p.m. for one hour.

SCHOLARSHIPS:

Continued from page 6

three years ago he wants to give back to the community and hopes this scholarship provides aid to a student who may not be typically recognized in other scholarships.

“The idea is that this scholarship isn’t just for the straight-A, sport-oriented kids, but for some of those kids who may have fallen through the cracks. I realize that a lot of kids don’t have the support they need and our hope is that this scholarship will provide the help needed,” said MacCleur.

Justin Durham, president of Sisters Coffee Company, organized the Randy Burdick Memorial Basketball Scholarship, honoring his legacy as a SHS junior varsity basketball coach for over 20 years.

“Ryan Moffat, Chad Rush, Rand Runco, and myself began Outlaw basketball as a nonprofit to help and support youth basketball in Sisters,” Durham said.

“Randy Burdick coached for over 20 years, beginning when SHS started in the early 90s and was an assistant coach with Runco before retiring in the mid 2010s. He passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer. He was an incredibly hard worker, loved people and loved basketball. He cared about teaching, especially young men, the importance of work ethic and toughness.”

This scholarship is aimed towards students who have played varsity basketball their senior year of high school and display the kind of mental toughness Burdick was known for.

“I would urge students to take some time to think about what they’ve done in high school and who they are. Don’t be afraid to show us who you are, it’s a super safe space where everyone just wants to support you,” said Roberts.

SistersGRO is holding an informational meeting and pizza night at Sisters High School February 5 at 6 p.m., and all graduating seniors are encouraged to attend. For more information visit www. sistersgro.org.

David Hiller has chant Marines with time rds to a 16-year career ships, his mechanical acumen wasn’t maintaining vessels ed to fish the Central with Sisters and bought property with impeccable views with a drive to serve with the Cloverdale Fire ving at the rank of captain. He helped writing funding grants, esident. He helped start ed with Sisters Folk s a local greenhouse, he has hand in its success. In all, he and e. He says, “The Sisters ver it takes — labor .”

North America on January 21. The Sisters party reflected the community: smaller, more tight-knit, and not up so late.

Two dozen women clad in black (the color of the massive, powerful dragon Tairn), some sporting the protagonist’s leather and braids, walked the Parapet into a “Fourth Wing”-themed room. They scanned QR codes to

unveil their quadrant, bond a dragon, and discover their signet, or unique power.

“Party planning has always been my thing,” said Michelle Aune, pointing to tables full of activities, raffle tickets, and prizes. “It was my college capstone. I like doing the crafts and putting the stuff together. We created the QR codes. The bookstore got an event package from the book company, and I just kind of put them together.

“I found information packets from a podcast by two sisters who have all these guides to the book,

explaining in depth what things are, and in detail who the characters are, their different abilities, and the different types of dragons.”

“The Empyrean” contains aspects similar to the titles above but the content is a bit more spicy. It’s fantasy in more than one sense of the word. Following the quizzes, fans played a “Marry Kiss Kill” game to rate the heartthrob characters.

“We call ourselves the Not-So-Serious Book Club because we refuse to read anything serious. Not self help, not parenting, just nonsense,” joked Julia Sarver, who helped organize the party.

“Onyx Storm” slayed Target’s servers, causing the store’s website and app to crash around the time it was released. The “romantasy” is almost certain to be a No. 1 bestseller for weeks to come, and a Prime Video series is in the works, set to span “The Empyrean” collection of what will be five books.

skier

first place.

• Sisters ski team shines on the Slopes

• Nordic skiers compete under the stars

• Girls jam at the Golden Yam wrestling tourney

• Lady Outlaws edge out Elmira on the hardwood

• Outlaws basketball winning streak comes to an end

Local fantasy fans turned out for a nation-wide book release party for the hit “Empyrean”series.

PHOTO BY MATT VAN SLYKE

Outlaws

Styopa Myagkov shows great focus in navigating the gates in a slalom race at Hoodoo last week. He took

PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN

Continued from page 2

make about $58,000 a year, and I struggle with the cost of living.

Now, some may argue that this is my personal issue — and in a sense, they’re right. But the reality is that I and many others like me contribute greatly to this community. We work hard, and provide essential services, and we are proud to be here. I hold a somewhat idealistic belief that when people are secure, they can lift up others. When people are doing well, their families are healthier, and they can contribute more fully to the community. And while this problem isn’t unique to Sisters, one of the things that makes our community so special is our ability to come together and find solutions to these kinds of challenges.

To truly address this issue, we need more than just the occasional raffle for a home here and there. We need a longterm solution that allows hardworking families to thrive. Everyone who works and contributes to this community deserves to be able to support their families — feed them, keep them warm, and have the possibility of owning a home.

As a single parent and educator, I work every day to support students and families, embracing the ideals of “prepare, belong, and inspire.” But where is my sense of belonging when I can’t afford to live here? How am I able to prepare my children for their future when I struggle to provide for their basic needs like warm clothing or extracurricular activities? And “inspire” feels out of reach when there’s no room in the budget for a vacation or opportunities beyond the essentials.

So, Sisters, I ask: how can we create a growth plan that ensures hardworking families have the chance not just to live here, but to thrive here?

Judy Fuentes

To the Editor:

s s s Polarization

I was grateful to read Jim Cornelius’ editorial “Playing With Explosives.” It was a relief to read that someone else saw how dangerous our political polarization is becoming. I, too, am concerned that if we, as individuals, don’t reduce our tribalism, it could easily end up in violence against each other, as happened in Ireland during “The Troubles”. It will not matter that inflation or our immigration issues are solved if extreme political polarization disunites our country. Seems like it would be wise to keep in mind the old adage “United we stand, divided we fall” and think of ways we, as individuals, can reduce our political polarization.

Donna Tewksbury

DONATION: Organization makes quarterly donations

Continued from page 3

At their first quarterly meeting of 2025, the group gathered at Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Community Hall to hear presentations from three nonprofits nominated by their members: Sisters Trails Alliance, Furry Friends Foundation, and Sisters Community Foundation. After the presentations, members voted to fund Furry Friends Foundation with their individual donations of $100.

“It would take 85,000 recycled cans and bottles to match this grant!” noted a beaming Kiki Dolson as she accepted the donation on Friday, January 24.

In her presentation, Dolson explained that the mission of Furry Friends Foundation has always been to improve the welfare of families and their pets in Sisters Country. The all-volunteer organization helps pets remain well fed and healthy in their homes.

In a typical month, Furry Friends distributes more than 5,000 pounds of pet food.

The physical and emotional health benefits for people sharing a home with a pet are well documented. “Approximately 40 percent of our clients are seniors,” Dolson told the group, adding that pets are proven to be a great antidote to loneliness.

During the one-hour meeting, members of 100 Women Who

SUDOKU SOLUTION

for puzzle on page 22

Care-Sisters also listened intently to presentations from the Sisters Trails Alliance and the Sisters Community Foundation.

STA executive director Stephanie Presley made the presentation for the Trails Alliance, which is working on increasing its educational programs, expanding the Youth Ambassador program, supporting the Trail Host program, and funding their community forums. All of these educational programs are in addition to and supplement the trail stewardship and maintenance programs of multi-user, non-motorized trails and their adjacent wild places.

From Judy Trego, founder and board president of Sisters Community Foundation, the women learned how this non-profit positively impacts the lives of our neighbors. Its funds are used to meet a variety of immediate community relief needs, such as child-care assistance for

low-income families, rental assistance, utility assistance, medical assistance, and assistance to veterans/military services. In addition, the Sisters Community Foundation can react quickly to meet emergency needs, such as families suddenly left homeless after a devastating house fire, replacing stolen funds meant for a rent payment, or cover an insurance deductible for a single-parent household while a claim is being processed.

100 Women Who CareSisters welcomes new members. There are no membership fees; members simply pledge to donate $100 to a nonprofit selected by the group at quarterly meetings. Nominations for nonprofit funding may be made by any member of 100 Women Who Care-Sisters. The next nomination deadline is Friday, April 4, with the quarterly meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 24. Email 100wwc.sisters@gmail.com for more information.

Furry Friends Foundation volunteers gathered with members of 100 Women Who Care-Sisters to celebrate receipt of their $8,500 donation.

PHOTO PROVIDED

What is a DMO?

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

In Oregon state law, a “visitor” is defined as someone who travels more than 50 miles from their residence or stays overnight away from home. Oregon’s tourism industry exceeds $14 billion dollars in visitor spending yearly and provides just under 120,000 jobs.

Marketing efforts to attract visitors to Oregon regions and cities are conducted by destination marketing organizations (DMOs). DMOs promote and coordinate tourism in their respective area. DMOs typically operate the visitor information center in their municipality.

Visitor centers assist tourists in knowing what events are on, where to eat, shop and stay, and sightseeing opportunities.

The statewide tourism DMO is Travel Oregon that works to increase tourism for the entire state. The state of Oregon is split into seven regions for tourism, with each region having a regional DMO (RDMO). Each RDMO works to promote tourism in their region, and DMOs work to bring visitors to their specific county or city. Travel Oregon works closely with local DMOs and RDMOs across the state.

DMOs differ from chambers of commerce. A chamber of commerce focuses on advancing local businesses and the economic growth of an area, that includes all businesses including tourism businesses, while a DMO focuses on specifically promoting tourism by marketing the destination to visitors.

DMOs are funded by the Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) a specific tax levied on overnight accommodations primarily on hotels, motels, camp sites, vacation rentals, and other lodging establishments. In Sisters the TLT is 8.99% of the entire stay.

For the six months ended June 30, 2024, the city collected $498,693, as compared to $482,340 for the same period in 2023. On the surface that looks like a 3 percent gain but as room rates have increased by nearly 10 percent, it’s actually a decline.

Explore Sisters operates under Section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code that provides for the exemption of business leagues, chambers of commerce, real estate boards, boards of trade, and professional football leagues.

DMO: Some are concerned about mission overlap

Continued from page 3

our dollar among so many organizations with the same purpose.”

Dow includes EDCO (Economic Development of Central Oregon) who also promote Sisters but not from the tourism angle. They are devoted to bringing or expanding businesses to Sisters, Bend, La Pine, Prineville, Sunriver and Redmond.

Dow is trying to bring all the players to the table to create more synergy. It hasn’t been as easy in practice as on paper. “We need to be smarter about this, and eliminate any duplication,” Dow said.

He wants Explore Sisters to be more specific and intentional in their marketing and spending.

Humpert said, “Per our contract with the City we must make periodic reports of our business plans. Our next report and budget will be presented in February. This is a public meeting and a good time for anybody interested to come and take part in the discussion.”

Humpert further explains that, “…per Oregon law we must spend the bulk of our

money more than 50 miles from town, so it’s not easy to see our work.”

Explore Sisters hopes to expand its promotion and publicity into Seattle, but for now it concentrates on Portland and the Willamette Valley.

However, Explore Sisters does do some local promotion such as its new in-town lamp post banners, sponsorships of local events like 4th Fest, and some area advertising in publications owned by The Nugget including Sisters Oregon Guide and Spirit of Central Oregon.

“These publications get distribution well beyond Sisters,” Humpert said.

Humpert is the only Explore Sisters employee at the moment. They have retained a freelance marketing consultant, Katera Woodbridge. Woodbridge commutes from Bend.

There has been vocal criticism that Explore Sisters does not use local talent for branding, website development, and social media on which the DMO relies heavily to get out its message. In response, Humpert said, “I know that there is a good talent pool in Sisters and Central Oregon, but to get up and running efficiently I chose to work with vendors I worked with before who are experts specifically in tourism marketing.”

The Explore Sisters website has been up since January of 2024.

Humpert says that any criticism of Explore Sisters not being available to explain its mission or to court collaboration is unfounded.

“I meet regularly with as many businesses and groups as I can to explain our roll and get their feedback,” he said.

Josh Smith who owns The Paper Place on East Hood Avenue agrees. He is president of SBA and says Explore Sisters is an active member.

“We hope to do joint media promotions with Explore Sisters and collaborate on other projects,” Smith said. “One of our goals is to direct more tourist traffic to

Hood and Main, as so many limit themselves to Cascade.”

Another occasional criticism has been the lack of a tourist information center. That was remedied last August when Explore Sisters rented the city owned property at 291 E. Main Ave. previously occupied for years by the Chamber.

Humpert has been asked why the visitor center isn’t staffed more frequently. It’s a question of budget he says, and points out with pride that the center has state of the art electronics whereby visitors can scan a QR code and learn about area businesses and activities.

The center is also loaded with printed material for visitors to take with them.

INSURANCE:

Fire losses have impacted market across West

on social media and arguments occur over the rights of property owners and state protections. The biggest question seems to center around what the state can or will do to keep insurers from leaving the Oregon market or raising rates too quickly.

Insurance broker Mark Allen in Bend says his firm writes about 100 Sisters policies.

“Just because your home is in a high-risk area does not necessarily mean that your home is high risk,” he explained. “Insurance underwriters look at hundreds of parameters in assessing risk. Age of the home. Building materials. Distance to a fire hydrant. Distance to a fire station. Fencing. Landscape density. And of course, maps. But carriers have their own maps and have had them for years. The state maps are more useful to homeowners than

carriers and city planners.”

Common sense appears to back him up. A home, even one literally on the edge of the forest, with a steel roof and Hardie plank siding (concrete infused), and aluminum clad windows will be far lower risk (and premium) than a house, miles from the forest with a shake roof, cedar siding, and wood clad windows contractors and insurance brokers tell us.

Others in Sisters object to the state having any influence over how they manage their properties.

“What gives them the right to take satellite photos of my home and tell me how to prune my trees,” said Ed Farley. “That’s an invasion of my privacy. It’s between me and the insurance company, and the state should butt out.”

Insurance companies routinely use drones to inspect homes they insure in Sisters.

The entire subject will be the focus of an upcoming community forum initiated by Rotary Club of Sisters and sponsored by Rotary, Kiwanis, The Nugget, and C4C (Citizens4Community).

Yes, an insurance company in Oregon can cancel a homeowner’s policy for fire risk, but they must provide notice and explain their reasoning.

Fire coverage

Oregon law requires homeowners insurance policies to include fire coverage.

Insurance Cancellation

Companies can cancel a policy for a few reasons, including nonpayment of premiums, fraud, or material misrepresentation.

Wildfire risk

Insurance companies can decide not to renew a policy or insure a property if they consider it too risky.

Notice Insurance

Companies must provide a 30-day notice of cancellation, unless the reason is nonpayment of premiums or fraud, in which case they must provide a 10-day notice.

Explanation

Insurance companies must explain their reasoning for canceling or not renewing a policy due to wildfire risk.

Statewide wildfire risk map

Insurance companies cannot use the state wildfire risk map to increase premiums, cancel policies, or refuse to renew policies. If your policy is canceled, you can shop around for coverage from other insurance companies or through the Oregon FAIR plan. The OFPA (FAIR) is a nonprofit

viding

in Oregon. They make

cants

they are

ALL advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777. The toll-free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1-800-927-9275.

CLASSIFIED RATES

COST: $3.50 per line for first insertion, $2.50 per line for each additional insertion to 9th week, $1.50 per line 10th week and beyond (identical ad/consecutive weeks). Also included in The Nugget online classifieds at no additional charge. There is a minimum $5 charge for any classified. First line = approx. 20-25 characters, each additional line = approx. 25-30 characters. Letters, spaces, numbers and punctuation = 1 character. Any ad copy changes will be charged at the first-time insertion rate of $3.50 per line. Standard abbreviations allowed with the approval of The Nugget classified department. NOTE: Legal notices placed in the Public Notice section are charged at the display advertising rate.

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CATEGORIES:

102 Commercial Rentals

STORAGE WITH BENEFITS

8 x 20 dry box

• Fenced yard, RV & trailers

In-town, gated, 24-7

EWDevcoLLC@gmail.com

Roughly 900 sq. ft. at 392 E. Main Ave., bottom SW unit. Beautiful sunlight, with a mountain view.

3 rooms: staff room & reception. Call or text 925-588-5956

MINI STORAGE

Sisters Rental 331 W. Barclay Drive 541-549-9631

Sizes 5x5 to 15x30 and outdoor RV parking. 7-day access. Computerized security gate. Moving boxes & supplies.

Executive Office Space

Very nice executive office space for rent in Sisters light industrial park. 224 sq. ft. private office. Shared restrooms with shower. Shared conference/kitchen room. Easy parking. All utilities included. Starting at $750 per month. Call 541-549-9631

OFFICE/RETAIL

SPACE FOR RENT

Great location across from Ace Hardware. Several space types available. Call owner Jim Peterson/RE Broker. 503-238-1478

103 Residential Rentals

PONDEROSA PROPERTIES

–Monthly Rentals Available–

Call Debbie at 541-549-2002

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

Printed list at 178 S. Elm, Sisters Ponderosa Properties LLC

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792

Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com

104 Vacation Rentals

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

Downtown Vacation Rentals Popular 1 and 2 Bedroom SistersVacationRentals.net Great pricing. 503-730-0150

201 For Sale

GREENWORKS 20" 13 AMP

CORDED SNOWTHROWER

As new, unused gift, $150. 541-549-6067

WANT a FURRY FRIEND?

Check out the "Pet of the Week" highlighted on The Nugget's Announcements page!

LOST, FOUND or FREE Pet? You may run a free notice in the "Pet Place" box on The Nugget's Announcements page. Email: nugget@nuggetnews.com

18155 Hwy. 126 East –SistersForestProducts.com Order Online! 541-410-4509 541-699-7740

205 Garage & Estate Sales

Happy Trails Estate Sales and online auctions!

Selling, Downsizing, or Deaths? Locally owned & operated by... Daiya 541-480-2806 Sharie 541-771-1150 301 Vehicles

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

Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com

Horses

New crop. No rain. Barn stored. 3-tie bales. $220-$360/ton. Hwy. 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895

Services

- 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

GORDON’S LAST TOUCH Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY

Member Better Business Bureau • Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008

M & J CARPET CLEANING

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

504 Handyman

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

– All You Need Maintenance –Tree removal, property thinning & clearing, forestry mastication & mulching, stump grinding.

Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122

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

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

HAVE A PROPERTY TO SELL? Advertise it in The Nugget

SUDOKU Level: Moderate Answer: Page 19

Keep up-to-date! Check us out for breaking news at www.nuggetnews.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

Custom Homes Additions - Remodels

Residential Building Projects

Becke William Pierce CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384

Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com

Lara’s Construction LLC. CCB#223701

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

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 T

They're on the Web at www.nuggetnews.com

Uploaded every Tuesday afternoon at no extra charge! Call 541-549-9941

Deadline for classified is Monday by noon

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!

604 Heating & Cooling

ACTION AIR

Heating & Cooling, LLC

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

CCB #195556 541-549-6464

605 Painting

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

CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620

www.frontier-painting.com

EMPIRE PAINTING

Interior and Exterior Painting and Staining CCB#180042

541-613-1530 • Geoff Houk Interior/Exterior Painting

Deck Refinishing Jacob deSmet 503-559-9327

peakperformancepainting1@ gmail.com • CCB#243491

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, excavation.

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

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 – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING!

Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897

I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC Specializing in Commercial, Residential & Vacation Rentals. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. 541-977-1051

802 Help Wanted

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 803 Work Wanted

I AM A CAREGIVER Looking for work in Sisters, Part-Time Please call Lynn 503-274-0214.

999 Public Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that the City of Sisters City Council will conduct a public hearing at Sisters City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue, Sisters, on Feb. 12, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. regarding the application listed below. The hearing will be held in accordance with Sisters Development Code (SDC) Chapter 4.1 and the rules of procedure adopted by the Council and available at City Hall.

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

Comments should be directed toward the criteria that apply to this request and must reference the file number For additional information, contact Jacob Smith, Code Compliance Officer at 541-323-5214 or jsmith@ci. sisters.or.us.

The staff report and recommendation to the hearings body will be available for review at least seven (7) days before the hearing.

All submitted evidence and materials related to the application are available for inspection at City Hall. Copies of all materials will be available on request at a reasonable cost. The City Council meeting is accessible to the public either in person or via Zoom online meeting. Meeting information, including the Zoom link, can be found online at https://www.ci. sisters.or.us/meetings.

PUBLIC HEARING: Feb. 12, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. FILE #: TA 24-04

APPLICANT: City of Sisters REQUEST: Text Amendments to the Sisters Development Code Section 3.2.500, Existing Trees, including:

• Add an increased fine based on a tree’s diameter for the unpermitted removal of significant trees.

APPLICABLE CRITERIA: SDC Chapter 2.15 – Special Provisions, Chapter 4.1 – Types of Applications and Review Procedures, Chapter 4.7 – Land Use District Map and Text Amendments; City of Sisters Urban Area Comprehensive Plan; and Oregon’s Statewide Land Use Goals

SISTERS-AREA EVENTS & Enter tainment

WEDNESDAY • JANUARY 29

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 30

Luckey's Woodsman Trivia: "Tap Takeover Trivia" with Oblivion Brewing and Legends Cider on site pouring samples and providing swag and prizes for winners. 5:30 p.m. Info: www.luckeyswoodsman.com.

FRIDAY • JANUARY 31

Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

SATURDAY • FEBRUARY 1

The Belfr y Live Music: Steve Poltz playing the greatest show of his life! The alt-folk singer/songwriter and comedy savant takes the stage 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets and info: www.belfryevents.com.

SUNDAY • FEBRUARY 2

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.

MONDAY • FEBRUARY 3

Paulina Springs Books Poetr y Gathering "The Pause Button," an informal monthly gathering for poets and poetry enthusiasts Bring a poem or two to share. Listen, discuss, and write. Free 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. More info at www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.

WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 5

Sisters Saloon Poker Night Texas Hold’em 5:30 p.m. to close upstairs. 21+. $20 (add'l $5 when bounty chip is played).

FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 7

Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

SUNDAY • FEBRUARY 9

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.

WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 12

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, FEBRUARY 13

Luckey's Woodsman Trivia: Megan's Terrific Trivia — Valentines Themed, 5:30 p.m. Info: luckeyswoodsman.com.

BBR & CAMP SHERMAN:

• Black Butte Ranch General Store

• Black Butte Ranch Post Off ice

• Black Butte Ranch Welcome Center

• Camp Sherman Post Off ice • Metolius River Lodges

• Bi-Mart • Oliver Lemon’s Terrebonne • M&W Market

The Ranch Market • Sisters Meat and Smokehouse

• Pisano’s Pizza • Shell Station • T umalo Coffeehouse

Tumalo Farmstand • T umalo Feed Co.

If

SISTERS LOCATIONS:

• Angeline’s Baker y • Bedouin

•Best Western Ponderosa Lodge • Bi-Mart

• 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 • Eurosports

• Fika Sisters Coffeehouse • First Interstate Bank

• FivePine Lodge • GrandStay Hotel & Suites

• Habitat Thrif t Store • Hardtails Bar & Grill

• High Camp Taphouse • High Desert Chocolates

• Hoyt’s Hardware & Building Supply

• Lef t Coast Lodge • Les Schwab Tire Center

• Luckey’s Woodsman • Makin’ it Local

• Martolli’s of Sisters • Mid Oregon Credit Union

• Oliver Lemon’s • Paulina Springs Books

• Philadelphia’s Steak & Hoagies

• Ponderosa Properties • Rancho Viejo

• Ray’s Food Place • Sinclair Gas Station

• Sisters Ace Hardware • Sisters Apothecar y

• Sisters Art 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 Ranger Station • Sisters Rental

• Sisters Saloon & Ranch 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