The Nugget Vol. XLVI No. 6
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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
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Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Removing trees to promote forest health Man
arrested, threats assessed
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
The removal of 177 juniper trees from 18 lots in the High Meadow neighborhood off Indian Ford Road is creating what participants in the project consider a winwin situation for everyone involved. The homeowners are improving the resiliency of their Firewise community and improving the environment for their ponderosa pines. The junipers are all being removed as intact trees, branches and all. They will be taken up to Deschutes Land Trust’s (DLT) Rimrock Ranch, where the Upper D e s c h u t e s Wa t e r s h e d Council (UDWC) is coordinating another Whychus Creek restoration project along 1.5 miles of the valley floor. High Meadow resident Martha Lussenhop provided the impetus for the project after attending a DLT training last year with Mathias Perle, restoration program manager for UDWC, where he explained a variety of environmental restoration procedures. As he talked about the role of trees in creek restoration to raise the water level, slow the flow, and provide
PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD
A project to remove junipers in a Sisters Country neighborhood will improve fire safety and ponderosa pine health — and provide instream habitat material. shade and hiding places for each year the residents focus organized her neighbors and fish, Lussenhop thought of on projects that contribute to secured the contractor, Four all the juniper trees in High fire resiliency. Brothers Tree Service. Perle Meadow and the potential fire Lussenhop mentioned the was able to provide the grant risk they presented. As a des- trees to Perle, and a partnerignated Firewise community, ship developed. Lussenhop See TREES on page 8
Sisters man works toward recovery By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
Life took a hard turn for Steve Rollins on December 2, 2022. The longtime Sisters mechanic took a bad fall at his home shop that left him with spinal cord injuries and facing a long road to recovery. “He slipped on ice,” his son Jeremy Rollins told The Nugget. “He said the last thing he remembered was the ground coming up at him.” What happened, though, was worse than hitting the ground. Rollins fell face-first into the hydraulic arm of a floor hoist used for lifting car engines. The steel cut into
Inside...
Rollin’s forehead, leaving a nasty gash. But the most serious injury was to his neck. The impact whipped his head back and caused his cervical vertebrae to compress his spinal cord. He lay on the ground for an estimated hour before his dog found him and alerted another person living on the property, who summoned help. The fall left Rollins in a state of “incomplete quadriplegia,” meaning that he has some movement, but not with complete control, of his arms and legs. A surgeon operated to relieve pressure on his spinal See RECOVERY on page 4
Deputies with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) arrested a 27-year-old Sisters man in an incident at Takoda’s restaurant in Sisters on Tuesday, January 31. According to DCSO reports, an allegedly intoxicated Christopher Seekell was refusing to leave the restaurant, and being aggressive with the staff. At one point, Seekell allegedly made a threat about doing a school shooting. Seekell did not specify any school in this statement, according to police. Seekell also allegedly threatened to return and shoot up Takoda’s. When staff asked Seekell to leave, he pushed a staff member and appeared he was going to assault the staff member, DCSO reports Seekell eventually left the restaurant, and the staff locked all of their doors to deny Seekell reentry Seekell then went into See THREAT on page 18
Habitat officers pick up hammer Sisters Habitat for Humanity welcomed their new board of directors on Tuesday, January 24. The gavel (a hammer) was passed from outgoing President Bob Buchholz to the new board president, Joe Rambo. Buchholz said, “It was an honor to serve! Sisters Habitat is such a great organization that serves the community by bringing affordable homes to Sisters. I am always awed at the dedication of volunteers and staff to the organization and to the community. During my six years on the board, a lot transpired, including COVID and the purchase of the Thrift Store building; and through it all, we continued to build homes.” The new vice-president is John Adamson; treasurer is Bruce Kemp; secretary is
PHOTO PROVIDED
Outgoing Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board President Bob Buchholz passed the gavel to Joe Rambo. Kristi Amsberry. New board members Annie Andreson and Shauna Zobrist will join continuing members Marybeth Beall, Jan Bottcher, Elana Mansfield, Jacki
Shepardson, and Rope Chew. Sisters Habitat thanked outgoing board members Bob Buchholz and Ellie Hammond for their dedication to Habitat homeowners.
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Announcements...............10 Entertainment ................. 11 Crossword .......................19 Obituaries ...................... 22 Meetings .......................... 3 Bunkhouse Chronicle ....... 11 February Poetry ...............14 Classifieds................. 20-21 Real Estate ................ 22-24