The Nugget Vol. XLIX No. 32
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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Wildhaven destroyed by Akawa Butte Fire By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
The Akawa Butte Fire took two homes as it raged down Stevens Canyon in July. One of those homes was a unique and storied stone house built by Gil and Vivien Staender on the 160acre Wildhaven Preserve. The beloved spot was originally purchased as a private conservation area by Vivien and Gil Staender in 1970. The land included a unique ecosystem of native grasses, ponderosa pines, and ancient junipers. It was also a haven for wildlife. The extremely high intensity fire that burned through the area on July 21-23 completely destroyed the stone house and the surrounding vegetation. Caretakers Mark and Leslyn Grape, who had lived on the site for 28 years, evacuated with only the clothes they were wearing. The Staenders dedicated the property to The Nature Conservancy in 1982, and the Conservancy turned over ownership to the Sisters School District in 2022. SSD
PHOTO PROVIDED
The stone house at Wildhaven Preserve could not withstand a high-intensity firestorm that melted metal and cracked stone as it ravaged the ecosystem. had planned to use the site as an outdoor classroom, including a nature trail. “We lost a piece of history,” said Schools
Superintendent Curt Scholl. “That’s the shame of it.” He noted that the site encompassed both pine forest and grasslands, making
it an especially good spot for studying the landscape and ecosystem. All of that is gone. “Not sure there’s much
that anybody could have done,” Scholl said of efforts to save the property. “It See WILDHAVEN on page 12
Busy weekend for emergency response
Beware of rabid bats in Sisters
Firefighters and first responders had a busy weekend in Sisters. Two fires required fast response to contain them before they spread significantly. In the very early hours of Monday morning, August 10, a call came in reporting a blaze southeast of the Sisters municipal effluent treatment
As the state of Oregon is poised to surpass its record for the number of bats that test positive for rabies in a single year, a Sisters woman reports that she has encountered rabid bats in Crossroads. Shawnie Bailey, who lives with her family in the subdivision west of Sisters, told The Nugget, “last month we had a bat flying around two days in a row, and acting not right, acting erratically.” She described the bat as “dive-bombing” family members. Ultimately, four bats were found dead on their property. They carefully recovered two of them and, on their own initiative, took bat carcasses to the lab at Oregon State University. “We drove two of them
ponds, which could be seen from the highway. Firefighters from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District responded, along with wildland units from the Sisters Ranger District. The fire was kept to a perimeter of 100- by See EMERGENCIES on page 12
Voters will decide on a fivedistrict map in November By Susan Cobb Correspondent
The politically fraught effort to split Deschutes County into five districts will be a measure on the November 3 election ballot. Voters registered in the County will be asked to vote for or against having five designated county
commissioner districts as of 2028, and to thereafter vote for a commissioner from within the district in which the voter resides every four years (or earlier if the commissioner district seat is otherwise vacated). To determine the proposed district in which you reside, See DISTRICTS on page 16
By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
INSIDE: Letters/Weather................. 2 Meetings............................3
ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/JASONONDREICKA
Oregon is on pace for a record number of rabid bat cases — and a Sisters resident has encountered them. to Corvallis and had them tested,” Bailey said. Both came back positive for rabies. Bailey noted that her family members did not have direct contact with the bats. She reported that a neighbor also found a dead bat. So far, 22 bats have tested
positive for rabies in 2026, according to Oregon Health Authority (OHA) data. OHA and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (OSFW) note that bats have carried the rabies virus in their populations for thousands of
Obituaries..........................4 Announcements................ 10 Entertainment...................11
North of the Noise............. 14 Crossword........................ 21 Classifieds...................22-23
See RABID BATS on page 8
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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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.
Dishwasher fire
To the Editor: On June 29, while we were both in town, our dishwasher caught fire and destroyed our kitchen and filled our home with black smoke. We have hesitated to respond here, while our community faced another fire threat of homes and lives recently. First, we want to thank the Cloverdale Fire District, Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, and Redmond Fire Department for their quick response to our 911 call, and their ability to put out the fire and limit the damage. We were told by the fire chief the house was only minutes from being fully engulfed by the fire. Second, although the fire was contained
within the kitchen, the smoke damage has required an enormous cleaning response of the entire house, and all contents that will take months to complete. Thirdly, we have heard from many of our friends and neighbors, our experience has taught them to never fill and start the dishwasher or dryer and go to bed or leave. We are grateful everything we lost can be replaced. Except our elderly dog, Maddy, who was left sleeping, but was found hiding in our closet as the house filled with smoke. Today, thankfully Maddy is okay and so are we. Ron and Tamara Faris See LETTERS on page 13
Sisters Weather Forecast Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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August 12 Sunny
August 13 Sunny
August 14 Mostly Sunny
August 15 Partly Cloudy
August 16 Partly Cloudy
August 17 Mostly Cloudy
August 18 Few Showers
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Swingin’ into the school year
Kiwanis Club of Sisters, The Roundhouse Foundation and community members funded a new swing set at Sisters Elementary School. Kiwanians put in the labor to make it happen. PHOTO BY JIM BARNETT
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Ranked choice voting makes sense for Oregon By Blair Bobier Oregon Capital Chronicle
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where ranked choice voting — or, more to the point, the lack of ranked choice voting — won’t have an impact on this year’s race for governor. Ranked choice voting eliminates concerns about “spoiler” candidates and ensures that the winner has broad support among voters. Right now, we’re teeing up a close gubernatorial election with at least one minor party candidate in the mix — with the potential for more to join the fray. Any time you have an election with more than two candidates in our current winner-take-all, first-pastthe post system, you run the risk of the winning candidate being elected with far less than a majority of the vote. Although ranked choice voting is used in Corvallis, Portland, Benton County, and Multnomah County, it has yet to be used at the statewide level where winner-take-all reigns supreme. Under the current statewide system, a candidate only needs to secure a plurality of the vote — meaning more votes than anyone else. At first blush, this sounds both sensible and fair, until you consider what elections look like with multiple candidates in the race. If, for example, you have a threeway election, a plurality of the vote could translate to a candidate winning with just 34 percent. That means that 66 percent of the voters would have preferred that someone else won. We don’t have to look far back in Oregon’s history to see examples of this. In the recent May primary, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate won that election with less than 30 percent of the vote. On the Democratic side of the equation, Chris Beck emerged victoriously from the 2nd Congressional District race with a mere 34 percent of the vote. One of the many beautiful things about ranked choice voting is how it eliminates the need for needless runoff elections. Ranked choice voting — which is also known as “instant runoff voting” — essentially combines two rounds of elections into one. As voters in a number of Oregon jurisdictions have
discovered, voters get to rank candidates in order of preference — 1, 2, 3, and so on — and if their preferred candidate can’t initially muster enough support to win a majority, the voters’ backup choices come into play. Votes are counted in rounds until a candidate secures a majority and is declared the winner. Both Washington and Clackamas County will have runoff elections in November between the top two candidates for two seats on their Boards of Commissioners because no candidate secured a majority of the vote in the May primary. That means eight candidates will have to campaign in two separate elections, just months apart. That seems like an incredible waste of time, money, and resources when a ranked choice/instant runoff election can produce a winner with candidates only having to run once. So, while using ranked choice voting has many benefits — more choices for voters and elections which produce winners with broader public support among them — adopting its use might just come down to a matter of dollars and sense. Combining two elections into one, and the savings that would generate, could provide local jurisdictions with sufficient motivation to make the switch. Oregon’s use of ranked choice voting, for now, is limited to a handful of cities and counties. Rolling out ranked choice voting at the local level, where voters will have more opportunities to get familiar with it, is a likely path for its continued adoption. Another route could be adopting it in bite-sized pieces and using it for specific elections — such as the governor’s race — where multi-candidate races are common and the risk of electing a candidate without the support of a majority of voters is high. There are many threats to the democratic process; some more overt than others. Winner-take-all elections may not seem nefarious, but elections which thwart the will of the majority are incompatible with the basic principles of democracy. Ranked choice voting is a simple and elegant solution to this problem.
Views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Local couple supports firefighters with spices
PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY
Leslie and Dru Pade have been showing their appreciation for the work firefighters have done across Oregon by creating spice boxes and having them dropped off at firehouses. By Jarod and Ceili Gatley Correspondents
Dru and Leslie Pade’s home in Whychus Canyon was threatened in the 2025 Flat Fire in Sisters and spared thanks to the efforts of fire personnel. They were impressed by all the work that the firefighters did with coordinated effort across the whole state. “We’re just blown away by how they kept our neighborhood from burning up, literally making it fireproof,” said Dru. Lately, they have been giving back through a business that was inspired by fire.
The Pades have always wanted to start a business that gives back to their community. They have worked in healthcare with Dru as a registered nurse and Leslie working for St. Charles for over 20 years in the Central Oregon area. Leslie said, “We decided that starting a small business might be the best way to find work in Sisters for us. Many people we talked to asked, how can we give back? How can we thank these teams that have come in? And we couldn’t find a good resource. A lot of our neighbors also didn’t know because we didn’t want to just show up at the fire
station and interrupt their work, but we also wanted to give back in some way.” The Pade’s smoked seasoning salt business, Fire Proof Salt and Seasoning Co. was born out of respect for the men and women that defended the Sisters community. Their mission statement: “Fire Proof Salt and Seasoning crafts bold, fiery blends inspired by the heat of the job... Every purchase helps support local firehouses, wildland firefighters, donating lifesaving gear, or fuel firefighter wellness programs.” They smoke their See FIRE PROOF on page 13
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Home sales nearly double, but prices tell a mixed story 33 — a 94 percent increase for that month alone. Sales are being led by new construction with strong performances by Sisters Woodlands and Sunset Meadows. But more sales didn’t necessarily mean higher prices, at least not on average. The average sale price across the three-month period dipped slightly, from $857,900 in 2025 to $847,758 in 2026, a decline of about 1.2 percent. The pattern varied month to month: average prices fell 12.3 percent in May and 0.5 percent in June, then rebounded with a 4.7 percent increase in July, when the average sale climbed to $940,941. The median sale price, however, told a more
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Home sales in ZIP code 97759, which covers Sisters and surrounding communities except Camp Sherman, climbed sharply this peak selling season of May, June, and July, with 89 homes changing hands between May and July 2026, compared with 53 during the same three months a year earlier. That’s a 68 percent jump in sales volume, according to Zillow soldhome data covering all residential sales in the ZIP code. Despite continuing high interest rates hovering near 7 percent, the increase held steady across all three months. May sales rose from 17 to 23 homes, June nearly doubled from 19 to 33, and July also jumped from 17 to
See HOME SALES on page 4
Box fans free to fire and smoke victims Disaster Response Fund. The monies are earmarked for box fans, air purifiers, and N95 masks to mitigate dangerous air quality levels. These supplies will reach Central Oregon in Madras, Warm Spring, Prineville, and Sisters. “While the fires have subsided, the smoke hasn’t,” said
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Rotary Club of Sisters is giving 50 Lasko three-speed, 20-inch box fans to anybody in need, no charge, no questions asked. It’s part of a 500-fan giveaway by Rotary Clubs in Central Oregon. It’s a district-wide effort made possible by $21,120 from The Rotary Foundation
See SMOKE RELIEF on page 12
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS Al-Anon Mon., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541-610-7383. 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.,Gentlemen’s meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Thursday, noon, Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Thursday, 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration • Friday, noon, Step & Tradition meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. 541-548-0440. Saturday, 8 a.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration • Sunday, 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration Bible Study for All Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. at The Lodge. 541-233-6189. Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelefly@msn.com. Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) Sisters Chapter meets monthly for a meeting, group bike ride, or event. Contact sistersrep@cotamtb.com for info.
Citizens4Community Community Builders meeting, 3rd Wednesday of every month, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Visit citizens4community.com for location. Council on Aging of Central Oregon Senior Lunch In-person community dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grab-and-go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs. 12:30 to 1 p.m. Sisters Community Church. 541-480-1843. East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wed. (September-June), Stitchin’ Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061. Go Fish Fishing Group 3rd Monday, 7 p.m., Sisters Community Church. 541-771-2211. Heartwarmers (fleece blanketmakers) 2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Sisters Community Church. Materials provided. 541-408-8505. Living Well With Dementia Sisters Care Partner Support Group. 2nd & 4th Weds., 1-2:30 p.m. Sisters Community Recreation Center. 541-588-0547. Military Parents of Sisters Meetings are held quarterly; please call 541-388-9013. Oregon Band of Brothers Sisters Chapter meets Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-549-6469. Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4th Saturday, 10 a.m., meeting by Zoom. 503-930-6158.
Sisters Area Photography Club 2nd Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., at Sisters Community Church. 541-549-6157. Sisters Area Woodworkers First Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-231-1897. Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:30 p.m. at Sisters Community Church. Email sistersbridge2021@gmail.com. Sisters Caregiver Support Group 2nd & 4th Weds., 1-2:30 p.m. Sisters Rec. Community Center. 541-588-0547. (Meets with Living Well With Dementia Sisters). Sisters Cribbage Club Wednesdays, 11 a.m. at The Lodge, 411 E. Carpenter Lane. 509-947-5744. Sisters Garden Club For monthly meetings visit: SistersGardenClub.com. Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors 4th Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. Location information: 541-549-1193. Sisters Kiwanis 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at SPRD in Sisters. 541-632-3663. Sisters Parent Teacher Community 2nd Tuesday, 6 p.m. at Sisters Elementary School Commons. 917-219-8298. Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Noon to 1 p.m., at SPRD. 541-760-5645.
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Sisters Veterans no-host lunch, Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. All veterans welcome, 541-241-6563. Sisters Trails Alliance Board Meetings take place every other month, 5 p.m. In-person or zoom. Contact: info@ sisterstrails.org. Songwriters Sharing Circle All ages welcome. 2nd Wednesday, 6 p.m., at The Hub, 541-977-8494. Three Sisters Irrigation District Board of Directors Meets 2nd Tuesday, 10 a.m., TSID Office. 541-903-4050. Three Sisters Lions Club 3rd Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Spoons Restaurant. 541-410-7390. VFW Post 8138 and American Legion Post 86 1st Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., The Hub, 291 E. Main Ave. sistersveterans@gmail.com.
SCHOOLS Black Butte School Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 3:30 p.m. 541-595-6203. See schedule www.blackbutte.k12.or.us/ Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wednesday monthly, Sisters School District Administration Building. See schedule at www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.
CITY & PARKS
Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022. Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of Directors 2nd Tues., 4 p.m., Sisters Community Recreation Center. 541-549-2091. Sisters Planning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022.
FIRE & POLICE Black Butte Ranch Police Dept. Board of Directors Meets monthly. 541-595-2191 for time & date. Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m., BBR Fire Station. 541-595-2288. Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Wed., 5:30 p.m., 67433 Cloverdale Rd. 541-548-4815. cloverdalefire.com. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday, 9 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771.
This listing is for regular Sisters Country meetings; email information to nugget@nuggetnews.com.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
HOME SALES: Data points to notably busier market Continued from page 3
consistently upward story. The three-month median rose from $700,000 to $787,000, a 12.4 percent increase, with June showing the sharpest jump, up 29.2 percent, from $650,000 to $840,000. May and July medians rose more modestly, at 2.3 percent and 3.1 percent respectively. The gap between the average and median figures suggests the market wasn’t shifting uniformly. A relatively flat average alongside a rising median, points to more sales concentrated in the middle price range, with fewer of the very high-end transactions that can pull an average upward in a smaller sample. Home size, meanwhile, held essentially steady. Average structure square footage across the period was 1,950 square feet in 2025 and 1,952 in 2026, a change of less than one-tenth of one percent. Individual months varied more: average square footage dropped nearly 11 percent in May but rose more than 10 percent in June, before nearly leveling off in July. Taken together, the data points to a notably busier market in Sisters Country this summer, without a corresponding across-the-board rise in what buyers paid on average. Whether the increased volume reflects more inventory coming to market, shifting buyer demand, or other local factors isn’t captured in the sales figures themselves. The figures are drawn from Zillow’s sold-home data and reflect all residential transactions in ZIP code 97759, not limited to any single housing type. Landonly and fractional-ownership sales are excluded, and square footage reflects structure size only.
Obituaries
Funding Oregon transportation needs
Douglas Ray Hunt April 11, 1948 - July 24, 2026
On July 24, 2026, Doug passed away at the Junction City Assisted Living Facility in Junction City, Oregon. Doug was born April 11, 1948, to Rarold Hunt and Patricia Saling in Portland Oregon. Following the death of his father at a young age, he was raised by his grandparents Edmund “Ted” and Georgia Saling in Estacada. His mother remarried and raised his four siblings in Montana. Doug was very active in the school musically, excelling at the saxophone, accordion, and any other instrument he decided to pick up. He was also a member of the choir and other vocal groups alongside his future wife Diane Valerie Jones. After graduating high school, Doug married Diane, and enlisted in the Air Force which saw him stationed in Alaska and South Carolina predominantly. After leaving the military, Doug and Diane returned to Oregon and settled in Albany. They had three sons whom they raised first in Albany before moving to Klamath Falls and eventually Sisters.
By Mia Maldonado Oregon Capital Chronicle
Doug was a coach and vocal supporter of his sons’ sports teams, an avid fly-fisherman, and always ready to add his quick wit and humor to any conversation. Doug was preceded in death by his parents Rarold and Patricia, his wife Diane and his sisters Marcia Hagenbuch and Sherry Miller. He is survived by his three sons; Aric Hunt of Klamath Falls, Rory and Cyndi Hunt of Junction City and Ted and Taylor Hunt of Bend, brothers Mike and Terry Miller as well as many grandchildren. A celebration of life will take place August 29 at 2 p.m. at Bend Church of the Nazarene, 1270 NE 27th St., Bend OR 97701. He will be greatly missed.
The transportation group charged with vetting and recommending ideas to solve the state’s $200 million 2027-29 budget gap spent its fourth meeting examining how other states fund their transportation systems. A p p o i n t e d b y G o v. Tina Kotek, the 12-member “Rebuilding our Transportation Vision” workgroup has until the end of the year to deliver funding recommendations to Kotek, though lawmakers asked to receive recommendations earlier. During the virtual session, experts from Minnesota, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Utah shared insights into their funding models. “We’re really looking to hear from other states as to how they approach transportation funding, major projects, accountability, and long-term system needs,” said Travis Brouwer, deputy director of Oregon’s transportation agency. Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n funding insights from Massachusetts, Minnesota,
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Colorado, and Utah Like Oregon, all four states receive a large portion of transportation funding from gas taxes and vehicle registration fees. Unlike Oregon, Minnesota and Massachusetts leverage a motor vehicle sales tax to cover transportation costs. Massachusetts also brings in revenue from tolls and a 4 percent surtax on personal income above $1 million, which is split between statewide education and transportation needs. That tax generated $3.4 billion in 2026. Additionally, Massachusetts dedicates a portion of its sales tax revenue to pay for the cost of public transit services in the Greater Boston area. In Minnesota, residents across the seven counties comprising the MinneapolisSaint Paul region pay a sales tax dedicated to funding public transit, maintenance, capital projects, and walking and biking infrastructure. In Colorado, the state gas tax has remained the same since 1991 because of a law mandating that the
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Author explores humananimal encounters in Bible Bend-based author and rabbi Yossi Feintuch will present his new book, “Taming the Beast: HumanAnimal Encounters in the Bible,” at Paulina Springs Books on Thursday, August 20 at 6:30 p.m. With innovative perspectives and fresh interpretations, “Taming the Beast” invites readers to reconsider iconic biblical stories through a new lens to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible’s animal world. Discover a compelling exploration of humanity’s role as the Bible’s supreme predator—the only species God describes as “prone to evil from youth,” and notably not as “the Crown of Creation.” Yet humans continue—today as in biblical times—to project their own unparalleled capacity for violence onto predatory animals. “Taming the Beast” illustrates how the Bible seeks to restrain and redirect these human destructive tendencies, even as it highlights the collateral suffering biblical animals endure because of human corruption. At the same time, the book uncovers the Bible’s view of a fundamental kinship between humans and animals, showing how animal motherhood mirrors human experience and how animals often serve as moral and spiritual role models. It also examines humanity’s irrational fear of wild animals and probes God’s controversial postflood permission to eat meat despite the Bible’s broader discouragement of making meat a dietary staple.
Yossi Feintuch.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Yo s s i F e i n t u c h w a s ordained a rabbi by the Hebrew Union CollegeJewish Institute of Religion in 1994 and received the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa, from the same institution in 2019. Over the course of his rabbinic career, Rabbi Feintuch has served congregations on Curacao; in Columbia, Missouri; in Bend, Oregon; and Yuma, Arizona. He holds academic degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (B.A. in International Relations and History), New York University (M.A. in History), and Emory University (Ph.D. in U.S. History). Dr. Feintuch is also the author of U.S. Policy on Jerusalem (Greenwood Press) and numerous articles on biblical themes in print and digital publications. Paulina Springs Books is located at 252 W. Hood Ave.
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Anna’s Hummingbird.
Sisters Country birds By Douglas Beall Correspondent
You may hear the “buzzwhistle-chip” before you see a Anna’s Hummingbird [calypte anna]. They talk from perches often inside dense shrubbery where insects are caught enabling this hummer to winter over in Oregon. It was named in the 19th century for the Italian duchess Anna De Belle Massena. The female does all the nest building, using willow,
thistle, and small feathers which are bound together by spider webs. They then begin incubating two white eggs for 16 days and feed the nestlings for 20 days before they leave the nest. Anna’s Hummingbird internal temperature is steamy 107 degrees, and when the external temperature turns cold the hummer enters a state of torpor where the heart and breathing rate slows and their internal temperature may fall to as low as 48 degrees. They have a
wide variety of predators, including snakes, kestrels, and jays. Hummingbirds held a unique place in Native American lore, some legends had the hummers piercing the sky to bring rain and then become stars. A flock of hummingbirds is known as a “glittering,” a “bouquet,” a “shimmer,” or a “tune.” For more Anna’s Hummingbird photos visit http://abirdsings becauseithasasong.com/ recent-journeys.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Blood drive set in Sisters The American Red Cross continues to urge donors of all blood types to act now and make an appointment to give blood or platelets amid the ongoing national blood crisis. According to the Red Cross, three additional donors at every blood drive could help further stabilize the blood supply and ensure patients continue receiving lifesaving care. Since issuing only the second blood crisis in Red Cross history in late July, thousands of generous donors have stepped up to help save lives. At the same time, the blood supply remains under severe pressure, just as many communities transition to back-toschool schedules and people enjoy final summer plans. When fewer donors are available to give, the impact on available life-saving blood products can be significant — especially when the blood supply is already facing a four-year summer low. Local residents can book an appointment to give blood by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Those who are unable to donate can still make an impact by encouraging eligible friends, family members and colleagues to give blood. As a thank-you, all who come to give August 1-31, 2026, will receive a $20 Amazon gift card by email. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/ August. A local blood drive is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of Transfiguration, 121 Brooks Camp Rd., in Sisters.
D O G G IE DAYC A R E!
Commentary...
Horses get right-of-way By Dani Nichols Columnist
A friend and I were out for a horseback ride recently, on a multi-use trail. We’re both experienced horsewomen, she rides endurance (for fun! Imagine that!) and we’ve both worked in the equine industry for years. As such, we’ve had more than our fair share of scrapes and scares, but still had a close call. We were riding single-file on the trail, myself in front, when a mountain biker came right up behind us, quiet as can be. With him was a unleashed dog, who seemed inexperienced and therefore willing to take his chances with the back hooves of our horses. The cyclist did not tell us he was there. He did not call his dog or control the animal in any way. He did not seem apologetic at all or slow his roll once he realized the situation was going sideways. Both of our flighty prey animals in that moment became absolutely certain they were about to be eaten by a wheeled predator and a wolf. They practically jumped onto each other’s backs to escape what they thought was certain death, and my friend and I had to use all of the tricks we know to not end up in the back of an ambulance. It was a close call, and is
an example of one of many reasons why equestrians are wary of busy shared trails. Reading Bill Bartlett’s piece “Know your local trails, The Nugget, July 22, reminded me of this event, and how important it is to yield on trails. But many people, like our neighbor on the bicycle with his dog, simply don’t know how to yield to horses. They don’t understand the risks, or realize that a simple greeting can be quite helpful. So here are a few tips for you, should you find yourself on a trail with equines and their people: Always announce yourself to horse and rider. Horses are prey animals and assume anything they don’t immediately recognize is a predator. So — especially if have your eyes or face covered, are riding a bike or carrying a backpack — tell the horse that you are a person with just a simple “hello!” Shockingly, this is often all you have to do to keep yourself, the horse, and the rider safe. Keep dogs leashed up, preferably sitting off-trail until horses have passed by. Sometimes, even the best dogs can’t resist a little nip at a horse’s heels or bark at the wrong time. And as much as it may feel like an inconvenience, keeping your dogs
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Control your dogs and announce yourself to avoid causing a horse wreck on the trail. in-hand around horses is for everyone’s safety. Despite the fact that most horses are scaredy-cats, they will strike out to defend themselves, and your dog can get hurt if he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. Passing is OK! If you are behind an equestrian, it’s totally OK to pass, but please don’t sneak by — just let us know and we’re happy to make room for you. Again, this should be common sense, but one thing that predators have in common is that they don’t often tell their prey that they are coming in for a bite. The
more obvious you are, the more the horse will assume you are not a threat. Teach kids to stay safe. Youngsters love to see horses on the trail, and who can blame them? But remind your kids to be quiet and kind around horses and ask before giving pets. Most horses love children but even dead-broke, big-hearted horses can get spooked now and then, and it’s important that we keep the trail safe for everyone. If we are smart about yielding to each other and sharing the many trails we have, there’s plenty of room for us all.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Three Creek lakes — a naming problem By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Somewhere in the Sisters Ranger District, a mapmaker from decades past is owed an apology — or maybe a trophy for Most Misleading Name in Central Oregon. Three Creek Lake, that popular alpine basin south of Sisters, sits at the center of a small but persistent case of mistaken identity. Visitors could be forgiven for assuming three named creeks pour into the lake, given the name practically begs for the math to check out. It doesn’t. Not one named stream flows in. Several unnamed trickles do the honors instead, sliding down from the surrounding slopes without ever earning a name of their own. The real story happens on the lake’s way out, not its way in. Just below the outlet, three separate headwater channels converge and, in that act of convergence, finally become something with a name: Three Creek. There’s the lake’s own outlet stream, plus two modest, unnamed tributaries, one sneaking in from the west, one from the east. Three little nobodies meet up, shake hands, and collectively graduate into creekhood. Federal recreation and forest descriptions back this up, consistently noting that the outlet stream is “joined by two other streams to form Three Creek” which is a very polite, bureaucratic way of saying the name refers to a merger, not a delivery service. From there, the newly christened Three Creek flows onward into Whychus Creek, which eventually joins the
Deschutes River, at which point it becomes somebody else’s naming puzzle to sort out. But there’s a subplot, and its name is Little Three Creek Lake. Perched about a mile and a half southwest of its bigger sibling, and sitting at slightly higher elevation, Little Three Creek Lake plays its part in the drainage quietly. A short outlet stream tumbles downhill out of it, feeding directly
into Three Creek Lake. So, while Little Three Creek Lake doesn’t get a starring credit in the “three headwater streams” lineup, its water isn’t exactly a bystander. It joins the lake, exits through the same outlet, meets those same two unnamed tributaries, and becomes Three Creek right along with everything else. Every drop gets there eventually. It just takes the scenic route.
DAVIS TIRE
Hikers making the popular trek between the two lakes are, whether they realize it or not, walking a live demonstration of all this. The trail crosses or hugs that connecting outlet stream in several spots, meaning anyone with wet boots by the end of the hike has technically been introduced to the whole drainage system firsthand. Old-time mapping, it turns out, wasn’t naming three grand tributaries feeding a
lake. It was naming three humble headwater channels uniting just downstream of one. It’s a small distinction, but it’s the kind that turns a routine hydrology lesson into a decent bar trivia question next time someone insists they know exactly where their drinking water comes from. Moral of the story: in Sisters Country, sometimes the water does the math before the name does.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
RABID BATS: Sisters family had bats tested for rabies Continued from page 1
years and are well known to carry rabies today, but generally at a very low level. They account for the largest number of human exposures to the virus more than any other species in the U.S. Bats are protected wildlife, which makes it illegal to harm or keep them. OHA and ODFW offer guidelines for dealing with bats that may carry rabies. If you see a bat that appears to be sick: • Stay calm, do not touch it, and keep people and pets away. • When the sick or dead bat is indoors, do not release the bat. It may have exposed someone or a pet to rabies. If it is safe to do so, place a container or box over the bat. • When the sick or dead bat is outdoors and may have exposed someone to rabies, cover it with a box or bucket to keep it in place, if safe to do so. Finding a dead bat does not require any action unless someone was bitten or scratched before the bat died. • Contact your local health authority or veterinarian for your area right away to discuss potential exposures to humans or pets. • If there are multiple sick or dead bats observed in an area, report it to ODFW. • When a person or pet has been bitten or scratched by an animal that may have rabies, report this exposure immediately to your local animal regulation services or local public health authority. Seek medical care immediately from a medical provider or veterinarian. • Teach children to avoid all contact with bats and other wildlife. • Avoid bats seen in the wild, such as while hiking. • Make sure your dog or cat’s vaccinations are up to date, whether they are indoor or outdoor pets. • Unvaccinated pets that come into contact with a bat may be quarantined for up to four months, or euthanized. • Protect your home from bats by covering vents, chimneys, and other entry points with screens.
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ODFW introduces youth to bird hunting ODFW will host a series of free upland game bird hunts for youth hunters starting in September. The hunts will take place around the state and youth hunters (age 17 and under) who have completed hunter education by the time of the event can sign up now for a hunt at https://myodfw.com/work shops-and-events/youthupland-game-bird-hunts. ODFW and partners release pen-raised pheasants for each special hunt, giving youth a unique hands-on hunt opportunity. Some hunt events include safety presentations, shotgun skills clinics, a hunter safety field day prior to the hunt, volunteer mentors, and trained dogs. All youth hunt events are free, but registration is required for some. Yo u t h h u n t e r s a g e s 12-17 must have a valid hunting license ($10), an upland game bird validation ($4), and carry a valid hunter safety education card (orange temporary or permanent card). Children ages 11 and under do not need a license but are required to have a hunter education certificate. Purchase the necessary documents before the event, online or at a license sales agent. Licenses and validations will not be sold at the events. “Youth pheasant hunts are a great opportunity for young hunters to experience early success and put the lessons
learned in hunter safety education to work in the field,” said Jered Goodwin, ODFW hunter education coordinator. Youth upland game bird hunt dates and locations: • September 12–13 — Fern Ridge Wildlife Area, Lane County. No advanced registration required. East and West Coyote and Fisher Butte units open to hunting. Only federally approved nontoxic shot allowed. 7 a.m. check-in, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hunt each day. Contact 541-935-2591. • September 19–20 — Denman Wildlife Area, Jackson County. Registration required online. Only federally approved nontoxic shot allowed. 7 a.m. check-in, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hunt each day Contact: 541-826-8774. • September 19–20 — John Day Area — private lands, Grant County. Registration required online. The hunt will take place on private land in the John Day Valley. 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. hunt each day. Contact: 541-575-1167. • September 19–20 — K l a m a t h Wi l d l i f e Area, Klamath County. No advanced registration required. Only federally approved nontoxic shot allowed. 7 a.m. check-in, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hunt each day. Contact: 541- 883-5732. • September 19–20 — Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, Multnomah County. Registration required online.
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Mentored youth hunter program will apply to this hunt; it is within season dates. Only federally approved nontoxic shot allowed. More information is available on pages 26–27 of the Oregon Game Bird Hunting Regulations. This is a partial listing of opportunities. For more information visit https:// myodfw.com/workshopsand-events/youth-uplandgame-bird-hunts.
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Hunting will occur only on Eastside hunt units. Only federally approved nontoxic shot allowed. 7 a.m. checkin, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hunt each day. Contact: 503-621-3488, opt 2. • October 24–25 — Youth Chukar Hun, Lower Klamath Hills regulated hunt area. Contact Klamath Chapter OHA at 541-883-8326 to register, spots are limited. The bag limit is two chukar.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Commentary...
Akawa Butte Fire closure area reduced
Sisters fire Fathers who district embrace virtue earns kudos for budget By McKibben Womack Columnist
Government Finance Officers Association announced last week that Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District, Oregon received GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget. The award reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as: • A policy document • A financial plan • An operations guide • A communications device. Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. There are over 1,900 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.
The biggest need in our culture right now is fathers who embrace virtue. Here’s what I believe, and I’ll tell you why. Vi r t u o u s , e n g a g e d fathers are the answer for our young males to become stronger, healthier men. It starts at home. With a father who is present, committed to his wife and family, and who will not give way or become overbearing when things get hard. Virtue is who you are when no one is around. It’s the character you have when no one sees and no one will know. That’s exactly what our young males need more than ever, and exactly what’s missing in so many adult males today! Here’s what I keep seeing…the trend. Studies show men whose fathers were present, emotionally engaged handle the stresses of life and crisis better than men whose fathers were rigid, stoic, and lived by a tough, white knuckle, lone wolf attitude, or whose fathers were passive, avoidant, emotionally absent, and fall into group think. Our boys want to become mature men of virtue. Men with mission, purpose, and identity. Without engaged, virtuous fathers, boys don’t mature into men. They become adult males with no idea
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The Deschutes National Forest is reducing the Akawa Butte Fire Temporary Emergency Closure to the fire footprint, which will reopen many popular recreation opportunities and access routes. The reduced closure will remain in place temporarily for public safety while firefighters assess the burn area and mitigate hazards. Several hazards including fire-weakened trees, rolling debris due to destabilized soil, and hidden ash pits with lingering heat from burnedout stumps and roots can be found within recently burned areas. “ We a p p r e c i a t e t h e public’s patience with the temporary closure” said Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid. “It’s our priority to lift the closure and restore access as soon as it’s safe to do so.” During fire suppression operations, shaded fuel breaks were established
what their mission or purpose is, and an identity crisis they can’t handle because there’s no base, no foundation, no father who laid a foundation under them. I’d bet most of you have seen this trend too, whether in your own home, your community, local church, or your own story. What are you seeing? And here’s the question I really want answered: what does it look like to be an engaged, virtuous father? Not a definition. A story. Tell me about the man, real or fictional, who showed you what virtue looks like up close. What did he do, in a specific moment, that made you say, “That’s it, that’s the kind of man I want to be?” I’ll write more soon on how virtuous fathers connect to mission, purpose, and identity. But I want to hear your stories first. Contact McKibben Womack at Mckibben@ mission22.com.
along Forest Service Road (FSR) 11 and Indian Ford Road to prepare the roads as control lines ahead of the fire in case they were needed. A shaded fuel break is constructed by thinning trees, removing brush and pruning the branches of the remaining trees to reduce ladder fuels. The public can expect to see wider tree spacing, reduced ladder fuels, and log decks along FSR 11 and Indian Ford Road. The log decks are not available for firewood at this time, and chainsaw use is currently prohibited across the Deschutes National Forest because Stage 2 Public Use Restrictions are in effect. For information regarding the Akawa Butte Fire Te m p o r a r y E m e rg e n c y Closure, visit the Deschutes National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda. gov/r06/deschutes/alerts/ akawa-butte-fire-closure.
THE HEAT IS ON! STAY COOL…
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Books • Games • Events Community & Fun For Everyone!
TUESDAY, AUGUST 18 • 6:308:30 PM
Jimmy McDonough in conversation with Josh Lewellen, presents Gary Stewart: I Am From The Honky Tonks. Plus special musical performance
by Margaret Doll Rod, singing the songs of Gary Stewart. McDonough has been hailed as our greatest living biographer and finest chronicler of American pop culture
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20 • 6:307:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 • 6:307:30 PM
Joe Wilkins presents Every Sky at Home: Essays on Landscape and Family. Each essay endeavors to more intimately understand the loves and landscapes that have made, and are making, Wilkins and his family.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 • 5:306:30 PM
The Pause Button: A Monthly Poetry Gathering
Yossi Feintuch presents Taming the Beast: Human-Animal Encounters in the Bible.
around the big table for poetry exploration. Bring a poem or two to share. Listen, discuss, and do a little writing. First Monday of every month.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26 • 6:307:30 PM
Join Partners In Care for our Community Book Club! This book club is free and open to anyone in the community and will be held the second Wednesday of each month
Discover a compelling exploration of humanity’s role as the Bible’s supreme predator
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 • 1011:30 AM
Alisha Hamel presents When Duty Called: An Oral History of Oregon’s World War II Veterans, a SATSUN, SEPTEMBER 1213 • 9 AM7 PM series of engaging personal stories from Oregon veterans. Voices of Central Oregon! A Sisters Festival of MONDAY, AUGUST 31 • 5:306:30 PM Books Event celebrates the writers who call this place Between the Realms: A SciFi Fantasy Book home. Keep an eye out on our website (sistersfob.org) for a full lineup, schedule, and ticket info! Club. Last Monday of every month.
SECOND SATURDAY AT 10 AM
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OPEN 9 9:30 30 am–7 7 pm M Mon-Sat, S 9 9:30 30 am–5 5 pm S Sun • 541 541-549-0866 549 0866 252 W. Hood Ave., Sisters • www.PaulinaSpringsBooks.com
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS PET OF THE WEEK
Humane Society of Central Oregon
541-382-3537
New Sisters 4-H Club
The Cascade Cowpokes, a new Sisters-based 4-H club, just participated in the Deschutes County Fair and the club is growing! They are excited to welcome new members. Watch for their September kickoff meeting. For info. contact Club Leader Cindy Crowder ccrowder6789@gmail.com.
Interpretive Walks: Summer 2026
Lottie Lott ie is a sweet 6-monthold mixed breed puppy. She is affectionate but a bit shy. She is house-trained and working on crate-training. Lott ie is great with children and likes to play with other dogs. If you’re ready to help a sweet puppy reach her full potential, come meet Lott ie today!
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Free Saturday morning walks offered by Friends of the Metolius. Kids are welcome, but please no dogs. Wear sturdy footwear and bring water. August 15, 9 to 11 a.m. In-Depth Fish Walk. USFS fi sh biologist Nate Dachtler will share his many years of experience studying and managing the native fi sh that depend on this river for spawning and survival. While walking from the Camp Sherman Bridge to the Allingham Bridge and back, Nate will discuss the diverse aquatic life, the unique fi sh habitat and the variety of native fi sh. Leader: Nate Dachtler. For information, call 541-8158546.
Notice of Election for Sisters City Council
541-549-2275 • 541-549-8836
SISTERS COMMUNITY
FOOD RESOURCES Free Lunches for Seniors
COACO offers no-cost social lunch every Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sisters Community Church, 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. No reservations needed. No-cost Grab-N-Go lunches weekly on Wednesday and Thursday, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. Call 541-797-9367.
Weekly Food Pantry
CORE Market, located at 222 N. Trinity Way in Sisters. Mondays, 1 to 2 p.m. Info: 541-588-2332.
Free Weekly Meal Service
Family Kitchen hosts a weekly to-go hot meal on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Sisters Community Church, 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. Info: www. FamilyKitchen.org.
Free Pet Food
Need pet food for your dog or cat? Call the Furry Friends pet food bank at 541-797-4023 to schedule your pickup. Located at 412 E. Main Ave., Ste. 4, behind The Nugget.
Kiwanis Food Bank
Located at 382 W. Main Ave. Weekly distribution is Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Info: 541-632-3663.
Notice is hereby given that a General Election will be held on November 3, 2026, for three positions on the Sisters City Council. The fi rst day to fi le for a City Council position was Wednesday, June 3, 2026. To be eligible one must be a qualified elector in Oregon, a current registered voter in the City of Sisters, and must have been a resident of the City for 12 months preceding the election. City Council positions are nonpartisan. Election materials can be found on the City website at: www.ci.sisters.or.us. The terms of Councilor Michael Preedin, Councilor Gary Ross, and Councilor Cheryl Pellerin will end on December 31, 2026. All three are eligible to apply for reelection. Candidates are encouraged to obtain election materials by August 4, 2026. All fi ling requirements for incumbents must be completed by 5 p.m. on August 18, 2026, and new candidates by 5 p.m. on August 25, 2026. For questions about the process, email Monica Burmeister at mburmeister@ ci.sisters.or.us, or stop by City Hall at 520 E. Cascade Ave.
Summer Concert Series at Sisters Community Church
Saturday, August 15, at Sisters Community Church, 1300 McKenzie Hwy. Line dancing lessons at 5 p.m., then enjoy Jeff Miller Band at 6 p.m. Food trucks available. Donations support CORE. For information go to sisterschurch. com/events or email info@ sisterschurch.com.
Honey Bees & Brews
Monthly social gathering at Lazy Z Ranch every 4th Thursday at 5 p.m. All beekeepers and wanna-bees welcome. For more info: Clyde, 458-206-8470.
Free Longevity Lab Talk
Join PeakMD Health & Daybreak Recovery Spa for a free Longevity Lab Talk, “Strong Enough to Catch Yourself,” on Wednesday, August 12, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Learn why strength is one of the most important predictors of longevity and independence. Bring a friend. RSVP: peakmdhealth.com/event-list.
The Sisters High Desert Chorale Welcomes New Singers
Come sing this fall and get ready for their holiday concerts, “Holiday Traditions,” December 11 and 13. Th is is a fun-loving community mixed chorus that meets at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Sisters every Monday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The fi rst rehearsal is September 14. No audition is required. For more information, please contact Carol Lisek at carolSHDC@gmail.com.
Monthly Songwriters’ Sharing Circle
Second Wednesday of the month (August 12), 6 to 8 p.m., at The Hub, 291 E. Main Ave. Be in creative community and be inspired while sharing songs, being a great listener, and providing feedback. All ages and skill levels welcome. Free. Info: call or text Jess at 541-977-8494.
Living Well With Dementia Sisters Support Groups
Support groups meet the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Sisters Community Recreation Center. The Early Stage Support Group meets in the Whychus Room. The Care Partner Group meets in the Metolius Room. For information call 541-5880547.
2026 Historical Walking Tours of the Camp Polk Historical Cemetery
Guided walks start at 10:30 a.m. at 6985 Cemetery Road, Sisters. The cemetery is not handicap accessible and walks include uneven ground. The next journey through Sisters’ history starts September 19! Register at www. camppolkpioneercemetery.org.
Neighbors Need Medical Rides. You Can Help
Aging, disabled, and underserved passengers depend on STARS volunteer drivers to reach medical appointments and the demand is growing. JOIN STARS NOW to help. You choose when you drive. It’s flexible, meaningful, and directly supports neighbors who urgently depend on STARS to get to care. Training and mileage reimbursement provided. Learn more and apply: htt ps://www.starsride. org/drive-for-us.
Volunteer to Help Horses
Calling all horse lovers! Happy Trails Horse Rescue in Tumalo needs volunteers! Can you help them help horses? New Volunteer Orientation is the fi rst and third Sundays of the month at 10 a.m. or call to schedule! Learn more at www. happytrailshr.org.
Three Sisters Historical Society Walking Tours
Free guided Walking Tours: Heritage Homes or Historic Buildings Downtown. Explore the charm and some of the rich stories of Sisters’ past. Each tour is about one mile long and takes one hour. For dates, times, and reservations, go to www. threesistershistoricalsociety.org under the “Walking Tours” tab. 541-610-6323.
Widows’ Support Group
Widows of all ages are invited to join this supportive group of local women to share experiences, stories, and friendship in a safe environment. Share a potluck of salads, connect with others who truly understand, and fi nd hope together. Monthly gatherings are the fi rst Friday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Fireside Room at Sisters Community Church, 1300 McKenzie Hwy, Sisters. For questions, contact Cindy Vice (513-226-1222) or Melody Carlson (541-815-3540).
Free papers at The Nugget
If you need papers, there is a wooden box on the porch with past-date papers for your recycling use.
Save the Rubberbands
Business owners: If you receive a bundle of Nuggets each week, those fat rubberbands are highly valued by Th e Nuggeteers that bundle your papers each week. If you will save them, we’d love to use them again. Bring them by the Nugget office, or call for a Rubberband pick-up at 541549-9941. Thanks!
Announce Your Celebrations!
Birth, engagement, wedding, and milestone anniversary notices from the Sisters community may run at no charge on this Announcements page. Email nugget@ nuggetnews.com or drop off at 442 E. Main Ave. Deadline is 5 p.m. on Fridays.
SISTERS LIBRA RY
EVENTS
Family Story Time
Wednesday, August 12, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Community Room. Interactive story time with books, songs, and rhymes! 0–5 years.
Story Time Craft
Wednesday, August 12, 11 to 11:40 a.m. Community Room. Color, cut, glue, paint, and more!
Sisters Summer Dungeons & Dragons Club
Wednesday, August 12, 1 to 4 p.m. Community Room. Join us for a weekly teen Dungeons & Dragons club!
Get Ready for College
Wednesday, August 12, 6 to 7 p.m. Community Room. College planning made clear and organized.
Thrive Central Oregon Drop-In Consultations Friday, August 14, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Study Room. Drop-in social services assistance that connects you with resources.
SISTERS-AR EA CHURCHES
Baha’i Faith For information, devotions, study groups, etc., contact Shauna Rocha 541-647-9826 • www.bahai.org www.bahai.us • www.bahaiteachings.org
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA) 386 N. Fir St. • 541-549-5831 www.shepherdoft hehillslutheranchurch.com 10 a.m. Sunday Worship
Chapel in the Pines Camp Sherman • 541-815-9153 10 a.m. Sunday Worship
Sisters Church of the Nazarene 67130 Harrington Loop Rd. • 541-588-3065 www.sistersnaz.org • info@sistersnaz.org 10 a.m. Sunday Worship
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 452 Trinity Way • Branch President, 541-977-5559; 10 a.m. Sunday Sacrament Meeting The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration 121 N Brooks Camp Rd. • 541-549-7087 www.transfiguration-sisters.org 9:00 a.m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Episcopal Eucharist Worship The Resting Place meeting at Sisters Community Church, 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. www.restingplace.us • hello@restingplace.us 5 p.m. Sunday Worship
Sisters Community Church (nondenominational) 1300 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201 www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com 8 a.m. Daybreak Service • 10 a.m. Sunday Worship St. Edward the Martyr Roman Catholic Church 123 Trinity Way • 541-549-9391 5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass • 7 and 9 a.m. Sunday Mass 5:30 p.m. Tuesday Mass • 8 a.m. Wednesday-Friday Mass Wellhouse Church 442 Trinity Way • 541-549-4184 htt ps://wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com 10 a.m. Sunday Worship
POLICY: Nonprofits, schools, churches, birth, engagement, wedding, and anniversary notices may run at no charge. Business items do not run on this page. All submissions subject to editing and run as space allows. Email nugget@nuggetnews.com or drop off at 442 E. Main Ave. Deadline is 5 p.m. on Fridays.
SISTERS-AREA WEDNESDAY • AUGUST 12
Paulina Springs Books Author Event-: Molly Tinsley presents “A Modest Trumpet Fanfare,” the story of a family defined by duty and undone by truth. 6:30 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com. Sisters Saloon Poker Night Texas Hold’em 5:30 p.m. to close upstairs. 21+. $20 (add'l $5 when bounty chip is played).
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Events & Entertainment
THURSDAY • AUGUST 13
Lazy Z Ranch Wines Live Music: Dumpster Joe 6 to 8 p.m. Portland-based duo play jazz, country blues, and jugband tunes on res-o-phonic guitar and cello. No cover. Info: www.lazyzranch.com/events. Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Grits 'N Gravy 6 to 8 p.m. $8. Tickets and info: frankiesinsisters.com. Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 13th annual family-friendly trivia. Free. 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up at 5:30. Info: call 541-549-2471. The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Silvertone Devils 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages.
FRIDAY • AUGUST 14
Spoons Comedy: The Roundabouts Improv Group is back in Sisters! Tickets are $20 at the door or prepurchase at bendticket.com — all proceeds donated to SistersCamp Sherman Fire District. Doors open at 6 p.m. with dinner available for purchase; comedy show at 7:30. Info: 541-719-0572. The Barn Live Music: Vibe Shiftas 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www.thebarninsisters.com. Eurosports Food Cart Garden Music: Lilli Worona and Mike Biggers 5 to 7 p.m. Free. Family- and dog-friendly. Info: 541-549-2471. Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114. Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft 5 p.m. $20. paulinaspringsbooks.com.
SATURDAY • AUGUST 15
Luckey's Woodsman Anniversary Party! Pig roast and live music from Carson Hackbart, Brent Alan & His Funky Friends, and Johnny Bourbon. Celebrating a 70-year legacy, sixth anniversary, and three years in Sisters. 3 to 8 p.m. Pay what you can. 352 E. Hood Ave. Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture "Cattail Hats Workshop" Discover the craft of weaving using cattails. In this hands-on, two-day workshop, Aug. 15-16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., participants weave wild-harvested cattail leaves into a beautiful, functional hat. $230. Registration and more info: roundhousefoundation.org/events. Lazy Z Ranch Wines World Honey Bee Day with live music by Lickety Split 6 to 8 p.m. Celebrate the bees who make our honey with educational activities and honey-based drinks for kids and adults. Noon to 9 p.m. No cover. Info: www.lazyzranch.com/events. FivePine Destination Dinner Series: Indian Treat your taste buds! Benefiting Seed To Table, this community event features ingredients and provisions sourced locally from Seed to Table, Mahonia Gardens, and Cascade Mountain Pastures prepared by our in-house chef and served creekside at the Elda Teresa Event Center. Tickets and info: https://bit.ly/fivepine. The Barn Live Music: Eric Leadbetter 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www.thebarninsisters.com. Hardtails Live Music: Cover City brings timeless hits. 7:30 to 10 p.m. in The Yard; low back chairs welcomed. Accepting donations at the door for “Operation Get Nikki Back on Her Feet” plus fundraiser silent auction 5 to 6 p.m. Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly. Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free. Info: 541-549-2471. Sisters Community Church Live Music: Jeff Miller and the Congregation on the lawn at 1300 Old McKenzie Hwy. Doors at 5:30 p.m., concert 6 to 8 p.m. Free, with donations welcomed to support CORE. All are welcome for an evening of music, dancing, and fellowship. Info: sisterschurch.com/events.
SUNDAY • AUGUST 16
Sisters Saloon Live Music: Double Wide 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio. Free and open to all ages. Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring live music, community booth, vendors, kids activities, and more. For info visit www.sistersfarmersmarket.com. Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble, socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.
MONDAY • AUGUST 17
The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Forest Ray 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages.
EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
TUESDAY • AUGUST 18
Paulina Springs Books Author Event: Jimmy McDonough presents “Gary Stewart: I Am From The Honky Tonks" 6:30 p.m. Detroit garage rock heroine Margaret Doll Rod will deliver Gary Stewart songs at the event. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com. Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Trivia 6 to 8 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114. TUESDAY • AUGUST 18 (cont.) Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture"Writing as Nature Workshop" with Author Maxim Loskutoff. Each participant will choose an aspect of the natural world around Pine Meadow Ranch and embody it in a writing exercise. This class is appropriate for writers of all levels who are ready to rigorously consider their place in the natural world. 4 to 6 p.m. $30. Price of the workshop includes a copy of "Environmental and Nature Writing" by Sean Prentiss and Joe Wilkins. Registration and more info: www,roundhousefoundation. org/events.
WEDNESDAY • AUGUST 19
Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tom Nechville & Linda Leavitt "Handpicked Series," 6 to 8 p.m. $10 Info: frankiesinsisters.com. Upstairs at 250 W. Cascade Ave. 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 • AUGUST 20
Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture Lecture: "Adaptation: Wildfires and Agricultural Systems" Presenters Rika Ayotte and John Selker will share insights from their work with Deschutes Land Trust and OPEnS Lab. Together they will explore the impacts of wildfires and innovative approaches to understanding agricultural systems through environmental sensing and community-based research. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Free to attend. Registration is required at https:// roundhousefoundation.org/events/. For more info call 541-9040700 or email inquiries@roundhousefoundation.org. Frankie's in Sisters Open Mic Music lovers can enjoy a variety of local talent, 6 to 8 p.m. Sign ups, 5:30. No cover; outside in the courtyard. Info: frankiesinsisters.com. Paulina Springs Books Author Event: Yossi Feintuch presents “Taming the Beast: Human-Animal Encounters in the Bible," 6:30 p.m. Feintuch is a rabbi, and has a Ph.D. in U.S. History. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com. The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Use'ta Do 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages. Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 13th annual family-friendly trivia. Free. 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up at 5:30. Info: call 541-549-2471.
FRIDAY • AUGUST 21
Aspen Lakes Golf Course "Let's Watch: Happy Gilmore" Free outdoor movie screening, presented by Citizens4Community. Doors at 7 p.m., movie at 8. BYO chair or blanket; concessions for sale. Info: www.citizens4community. com/events. The Barn Live Music: Old Growth 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www.thebarninsisters.com. Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tony Lompa 6 to 8 p.m. No cover! Courtyard at 250 W. Cascade Ave. Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114. Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft 5 p.m. $20. paulinaspringsbooks.com. Lazy Z Ranch Wines Live Music: Evan Mullins 6 to 8 p.m. Bend-based keyboardist and vocalist. No cover. Info: www.lazyzranch.com/events. Eurosports Food Cart Garden Music: Haystack Jack 5 to 7 p.m. Free. Family- and dog-friendly. Info: 541-549-2471.
SATURDAY • AUGUST 22
Village Green Park Luau Hawaiian dinner with island music. Sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Sisters, benefiting Sisters School District elementary swing sets. 5 to 7:30 p.m. $25/adult, $10/kid 6–12. Tickets: www.sisterskiwanis.org/luau. FivePine Destination Dinner Series: Mediterranean Benefiting Seed To Table, this community event features ingredients and provisions sourced locally from Seed to Table, Mahonia Gardens, and Cascade Mountain Pastures prepared by our in-house chef and served creekside at the Elda Teresa Event Center. Tickets and info: https://bit.ly/fivepine. Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Bob Baker and Mark Barringer 6 to 8 p.m. $10. Tickets and more information: www.frankiesinsisters.com/our-events/. Hardtails Live Music: Pendleton Highway 7 to 10 p.m. in The Yard. $10 cover; low-back chairs OK. The Barn Live Music: Larkspur Stand 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www.thebarninsisters.com. Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly. Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free. Info: 541-549-2471.
Event listings are $40. Submit items by 5 p.m. Fridays to jess@nuggetnews.com.
SUNDAY • AUGUST 23
Sisters Saloon Live Music: Thomas T and the Blue Chips 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio. Free and open to all. Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring live music, community booth, vendors, kids activities, and more. For info visit www.sistersfarmersmarket.com. Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble, socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.
MONDAY • AUGUST 24
The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Megan Diana 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages.
TUESDAY • AUGUST 25
Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Pool Tournament 5:30 p.m. Info: 541-549-6114.
WEDNESDAY • AUGUST 26
Paulina Springs Books Author reading: Alisha Hamel presents “When Duty Called: An Oral History of Oregon's World War II Veterans," 6:30 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com. The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Lickety Split 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tom Nechville & Linda Leavitt "Handpicked Series," 6 to 8 p.m. $10 Info: frankiesinsisters.com. Upstairs at 250 W. Cascade Ave. 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 • AUGUST 27
The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Skillethead 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages. Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 13th annual family-friendly trivia. Free. 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up at 5:30. Info: call 541-549-2471.
FRIDAY • AUGUST 28
Downtown Sisters 4th Friday Artwalk 4 to 7 p.m. Galleries and shops feature art and demonstrations. Information: www.sistersarts.org. Sisters High School "Let's Watch: Clueless" Free outdoor movie screening, presented by Citizens4Community. Doors at 6:45 p.m., movie at 7:45. BYO chair or blanket; concessions for sale. Info: www.citizens4community.com/events. Lazy Z Ranch Wines Live Music: Sidney Joseph 6 to 8 p.m. Smokey-voiced multi-instrumentalist. No cover. Info: www.lazyzranch.com/events. Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114. Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Jimmy & Dee Fretwell 6 to 8 p.m. $10. Tickets and more information: www.frankiesinsisters.com/our-events/. Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft 5 p.m. $20. paulinaspringsbooks.com. Eurosports Food Cart Garden Music: Mortal Soulstice 5 to 7 p.m. Free. Family- and dog-friendly. Info: 541-549-2471.
SATURDAY • AUGUST 29
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly. Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free. Info: 541-549-2471. Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114. The Barn Live Music: Lickety Split 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www.thebarninsisters.com.
SUNDAY • AUGUST 30
Sisters Saloon Live Music: Silvertone Devils 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio. Free and open to all. Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring live music, community booth, vendors, kids activities, and more. For info visit www.sistersfarmersmarket.com. Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble, socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.
MONDAY • AUGUST 31
The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Blu Miller 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages.
TUESDAY • SEPTEMBER 1 Hardtails Outlaw Country Dive Bar & Grill Trivia 6 to 8 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114.
WEDNESDAY • SEPTEMBER 2
The Suttle Lodge Live Music: Eric Leadbetter 6 to 8 p.m. "Big Lawn Series," Free; all ages. Paulina Springs Books Author reading: Joe Wilkins presents “Every Sky at Home: Essays on Landscape and Family" at 6:30 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
WILDHAVEN: Site belongs to Sisters School District
SMOKE RELIEF: Donations can help local residents
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 3
pooled the metal — the fire was that hot.” Scholl went out to the site on Friday, August 7, to post no-trespassing signs and to survey the damage done. The school district will be responsible for cleanup on the site. Scholl said they will likely knock down the shell of the stone house to remove the falling hazard, and remove the twisted metal of the roof. The District is looking into what insurance will cover. “More to come on that,” he said. “We’ll see what that looks like.” Scholl noted that the value of the place can’t really be calculated in monetary
Rotary Club President Judy Corwin. “Not everybody has air conditioning or perhaps their a/c is a small window unit or inadequate,” she added. “Especially in these 90 plus degree days.” The lightweight and portable fans come with Merv filters to help clean the air. To obtain a free fan, while supplies last, call SPRD at 541-549-2091 or use the accompanying QR code. Use your fans correctly. If the outdoor air is filled with smoke, opening windows will draw more pollution inside. Instead, use the fan as a DIY indoor air purifier. Place the filter against the back (intake) side of the fan. Ensure the airflow arrow printed on the filter points towards the fan blades. Seal the edges. Secure the filter tightly to the fan housing using painter’s tape, duct
EMERGENCIES: Two fires posed threat of spread into forest Continued from page 1
200-feet, and was doused. Fire Chief Tony Prior said the fire was human caused, but exact cause is undetermined. That incident followed a Saturday night trailer fire off Indian Ford Road near Forest Road 11. A camp trailer caught fire, likely due to a fire in a generator that was next to the trailer. A couple
PHOTO PROVIDED
Gil and Vivian Staender built a stone house by hand on the Wildhaven Preserve in Stevens Canyon north of Sisters in 1970. The house and the surrounding preserve, now owned by Sisters School District, were completely destroyed by the Akawa Butte Fire. terms. “It was a cool structure in the way that it was handbuilt — but not a lot of actual (dollar) value,” he said. And the natural environment was, of course, priceless. Scholl referred to the
was sleeping in the trailer when the blaze occurred. Another couple was returning from a grocery run in Sisters and saw the back of the trailer on fire. “They were able to wake the people who were inside the trailer sleeping and get them out,” Chief Prior reported. The fire spread slightly into the surrounding forest, but responding units got it out quickly. The trailer was a total loss. On Friday, paramedics responded to a vehicle vs. pedestrian accident at the
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preserve as “a gift that had yet to be realized.” He said the district won’t just give up on the property. Longterm, he expects some opportunities to use the property to study fire recovery. “We’ll keep working on it,” he said.
They were able to wake the people who were inside the trailer sleeping and get them out. — Chief Tony Prior intersection of McKinney Butte Road and Brooks Camp Road. A patient was transported to the hospital. Further details were not available at press time.
tape, or bungee cords around all four sides. A tight seal prevents dirty air from bypassing the filter. Operate the fan in a clean room. Close all exterior doors and windows. Place the unit on a stable surface near the center of the room with plenty of clearance behind it so air can circulate freely. If the outdoor air is clear, use the box fan to push the smoky indoor air outside directly. Set up the exhaust fan. Open one window in the smoky room and place the box fan on the sill, facing outward. Seal the gaps. Close the rest of the window around the fan frame (or use cardboard/ towels) so air isn’t just recirculating back inside around the fan’s edges. Create cross-ventilation. Open a single window or door on the far side of the house where the air is clean. This allows fresh outdoor air to sweep through the home and replace the exhaust. Run on high. Turn the fan to high speed to quickly pull smoke out of the room.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
13
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
Angels
To the Editor, Janet Schwartz, thank you for your letter in the August 5, Nugget relaying your deep gratitude and appreciation for all the caring angels around us who reached out to help you and those of us evacuated from our homes on July 22. I write to add another angel. My husband and I evacuated to Cottage Grove and checked into the Best Western. We mentioned to the desk clerk that we evacuated from the fire in Sisters. He immediately told us that it’s their policy to discount the room rate for evacuees of fires and other disasters to ease our burden. We stayed there three nights, each at the discounted rate. The staff was kind, caring, and supportive. With deep appreciation and gratitude to these angels. Wendy Birnbaum
s PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY
Local firefighters are part of a coordinated statewide effort when it comes to saving homes during a major wildfire crisis like the Flat Fire or the Akawa Butte Fire.
FIRE PROOF: Couple hopes to raise awareness Continued from page 3
seasoning blends in-house creating small-batches of each variety of seasoning and salt blends for steaks, pork, seafood, and salads. One of their popular items is a smoked sea salt which is a flaky sea salt with an added smoke flavor that is not artificially added. Dru thought about how firefighters cook and eat with each other, working all hours at the fire station day in and day out, and wanted to figure out a way to give back to that effort of keeping them fed and the camaraderie surrounding firefighter cookouts. “One of the things we hope to do with this company is raising awareness in a tangible way,” said Dru. Dru and Leslie decided to create a barbecue box that includes helpful items for the kitchen and bottles of their signature seasoning blends. “This is the beginning of going around the fire stations and so obviously it will be based on what we can afford to do, but we wanted to start by doing several,” they said. When people order from their website, they can specify which station they want a bottle of seasoning to go to. Dru and Leslie also have a booth at the Sisters Farmers Market where people can try the seasonings and purchase them and learn more about
their mission of donating items to fire stations as their way to give back. “It’s been fun as we’re at the table at the Farmers Market to hear where firefighters are from, because people coming into Sisters are from all over,” said Dru. They tell them what the concept of the company is, and oftentimes they find out that they are a firefighter or volunteer, or came and fought the Flat Fire, from a different town. During their drop off at the Sisters Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD), Steven Lord, community risk specialist for SCSFD, spoke about the interagency coordination efforts during the Flat Fire and what it took to protect the homes (including the Pades’ home) during that time. Lord spoke about the coordinated efforts between different stations and volunteer firefighters as well as SCSFD. “That’s been kind of the funnest part is just to see volunteer firefighters can be anybody, and you just never know who you’re talking to until you have this connection point of selling seasoning and then they tell you they’re a firefighter, so we get to say thank you which is great,” said Dru. “ We ’ r e h o p i n g o u r website can be kind of an encouragement for people to know what fire stations are available and just learn more about it. We didn’t know anything about how they coordinated together. How many agencies come together to fight a fire? We
had no clue just how it all worked. We just assumed there’s the fire station, that’s who comes. And then we saw all this,” said Dru. To learn more about Fire Proof visit www.fireproof salt.com or find them on Instagram.
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Grateful for protectors
To the Editor: As our community moves forward from the Akawa Butte Fire, I want to take a moment to say thank you. To the firefighters, first responders, law enforcement, emergency personnel, and everyone who worked tirelessly to protect Sisters and the surrounding area, thank you. Your professionalism, courage, and commitment to keeping our community safe are deeply appreciated. I’m also incredibly grateful for the way the Sisters community responded. Once again, we saw what makes this place so special. Neighbors helped neighbors, people looked out for one another, and our local businesses and their employees See LETTERS on page 19
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
North of the
NOISE Siobhan Gray, MD Columnist
Why the same workout doesn’t work for everyone “How much should I exercise?’ It’s one of the most common questions I hear in clinic, and I’ve stopped answering it with a number. Fitness isn’t one thing. It’s strength, power, mobility, balance, stability, two kinds of cardio, and the movement that happens without deciding to move at all. Most people have built up two or three of these without ever deciding to. The rest go untrained the same way, by default, not by choice. Here are four patients. See if you recognize yourself. 1. She’s been active her whole life, gardening, walking, always outside, never a gym person. Her days are steady effort, the kind that would count as textbook cardio if anyone ever wrote it down. But ask her to sprint 30 feet to catch a bus, and she has nothing left to give it. Decades of steady work, and nobody ever asked her body
for a burst. 2. He wants to lose the weight. He wants to be who he was in his 20s. He wants to keep up with his kids without being the one who has to stop. He’s not lazy, he’s just busy, deep in work most of the day, no real routine around movement outside of it. It’s never occurred to him that the gym three times a week and the rest of his hours are two different questions. The gym is exercise. What’s missing is the movement that happens without deciding to move at all, the walk to a colleague’s desk instead of a chat message, the stairs instead of the elevator. None of it feels like training. All of it adds up. 3. He runs 15 miles at a time. On a hike together, we came to a stream crossed by a scatter of rocks. He couldn’t do it, stood at the edge recalculating, while I hopped across. “Need to work on that,” he said. He’s said it every time since. It wasn’t one thing. His ankle doesn’t have the range to angle onto a tilted rock, and his balance isn’t quick enough to correct once he’s committed. Running in a straight line trained neither. So the rocks stay a story he tells, not a problem he fixes. 4. A mother of two young children, up before sunrise for the one workout class she’s kept for herself. All day she’s asymmetric, a toddler on one hip, a basket carried sideways because both arms were already full. She wonders if the ache in her back is just this stage of life. It might be. But nobody ever trained that trunk to hold steady. It’s only ever had to react. Four patients, four different gaps: aerobic peak effort, daily movement, mobility and balance, and core stability under an uneven load. None of them needed the same prescription. That’s the part guidelines can’t tell you, because they were never written for the specific person
in front of you. I understand the resistance, because I’ve lived it. For years I didn’t want anything to do with lifting weights. Moving metal around a room felt boring next to being outside. What changed my mind wasn’t a study, it was noticing what strength actually bought me: my knees don’t complain on the way down from a hike anymore, and when I go down hard snowboarding, I get back up without a production. Mobility is still mine to work on. I bring this up not because I’ve solved it, but because I haven’t. So here’s the actual prescription: find the capacity your life isn’t asking of you, and go ask your body for it on purpose. Why it matters isn’t complicated. Each of these capacities fails on its own timeline. Lose strength and you notice it at the suitcase, the jar lid, the stairs. Lose power and you notice at the curb you didn’t quite clear. Lose mobility and stability slowly enough that you adjust around them without ever naming what changed, until the day you can’t. The gap doesn’t announce itself. It just narrows what you’re willing to attempt. You don’t need to train everything at once. You need to know what you’re already getting for free, and stop assuming the rest will follow along. And none of it works longterm as another item on a list. The people who keep it up find some version of it they actually enjoy, not just tolerate— the hike over the treadmill, the pickup game over the reps. If you can’t find joy in any of it yet, that’s worth solving before you solve the rest. Dr. Siobhan Gray is the owner of PEAKMD, a longevity-focused practice in Sisters. Her work focuses on healthy aging, metabolic health, and peak performance.
Beware of wildfire recovery scams By Shaanth Nanguneri Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregonians should exercise significant caution to avoid potential scams when they seek contractors for help to rebuild their homes after a wildfire or support an online fundraising campaign for those who have been affected by the fires, according to state emergency officials. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management in a press release urged Oregonians to make donations through secure websites and research a contractor’s history before paying for debris removal or home repairs. People should also consider using credit cards instead of cash to ensure transactions are documented, be mindful of door-to-door schemes and verify government workers by requesting their identification, the agency said. “When disasters strike, Oregonians come together to support neighbors and communities,” the news release reads. “Unfortunately, scammers may try to exploit that generosity by creating fake fundraising campaigns or misrepresenting their intentions. Fraud attempts may come via phone calls, mail, email, text messages, or even in‑person visits.” Emergency department officials referred to the Oregon Department of Justice’s Charitable Activities website, where Oregonians can verify the authenticity of a nonprofit or professional fundraising firm. The Oregon Department of Justice also operates a scam alert system that state officials encourage people to use. Although it has yet to put out
an alert related to the ongoing wildfires, the agency has previously used the alerts to warn about scams related to food stamp card readers, gold bars, fake Oregon attorneys and phone number transfers. People who believe a fundraising campaign or donation request is fraudulent can call the Oregon Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1‑877‑877‑9392 or go to OregonConsumer.gov. Here are some other tips and resources state officials have offered: • Call 211 or visit 211info. org to review trusted organizations currently involved in wildfire response, such as the Oregon Community F o u n d a t i o n , Wi l d l a n d Firefighter Foundation, and United Way Pacific Northwest Disaster Recovery Fund. • Never share your Social Security number or financial data with groups you have not verified and review your credit report for any new activity. • Verify a contractor’s identity through state licensing boards such as the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, courtesy of https://oregoncapital chronicle.com.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Outdoor movies return to Sisters in August Free outdoor movie nights are returning to Sisters Country this summ e r. L o c a l n o n p r o f i t Citizens4Community (C4C), in partnership with Kendall Auto Group of Central Oregon and additional local sponsors, is bringing back Let’s Watch! – a fournight outdoor movie series designed to create free and fun opportunities for neighbors to gather in some of the community’s most iconic locations. “Let’s Watch!” will combine classic films with unique venues, themed activities, concessions, and opportunities to support the local community. The entire series is literally powered by Kendall Auto Group, with one of their Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks supplying electricity for a 16-foot inflatable movie screen, speakers, and projector. Four local business sponsors have also signed on to help bring the events to life. Each screening will begin at sundown, with doors opening one hour prior for familyfriendly activities, refreshments, and time to connect with friends and neighbors. T h i s y e a r ’s l i n e u p includes: • Friday, August 21 – “Happy Gilmore” at Aspen Lakes Golf Course, with support from Arends Realty Group. Doors at 7 p.m., movie at 8 p.m. Attendees can enjoy pre-film golf competitions and purchase concessions from the Aspen Lakes drink cart.
• Friday, August 28 – “Clueless” at Sisters High School, with support from St. Charles Health System. Doors at 6:45 p.m., movie at 7:45 p.m. Dress your best for the ’90s costume contest, arrive early for Travis Birkenstock-inspired skating at the nearby SPRD skate park, and purchase concessions benefiting Outlaws Athletics. • Saturday, September 12 – “A Bug’s Life” at Lazy Z Ranch, with support from Sisters Dental. Doors at 6:20 p.m., movie at 7:20 p.m. Attendees can meet live insects at the Think Wild interpretive booth, purchase snacks and award-winning mead in the Lazy Z tasting room, and learn about the ranch’s commitment to supporting local pollinators. • Saturday, September 19 – “Up” at Sisters Eagle Airport, with support from Deschutes Public Library. Doors open at 6 p.m., movie at 7 p.m. The series concludes with free balloon animals for kids, lawn games, concessions supporting Sisters Little League, and epic mountain views alongside the tarmac. “We love finding new and creative ways for community members to connect with one another,” said Kellen Klein, executive director of Citizens4Community. “But sometimes, we accidentally stumble onto a new tradition. Let’s Watch! was so fun last year, we felt we had no choice but to team up with Kendall Auto Group again
PHOTO PROVIDED
C4C and Kendall Auto Group are hosting outdoor movie screenings again in August and September. for four more nights under the stars. We’re thrilled to be returning to Sisters Eagle Airport, while also expanding to some new local venues. It’s not every day you get to catch a flick on a driving range!” “Kendall Auto Group of Central Oregon is committed to making local communities happier, healthier, and
safer places to live,” added Megan Cornett, Kendall’s community relations specialist. “We’re thrilled to once again be partnering with C4C to bring these joyful summer evenings back to Sisters.” Admission is free for all four film screenings. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lowback chairs. Outside alcohol
and dogs are not permitted. Concessions will be available for purchase at all venues. For complete event details, visit www.citizens 4community.com/events or follow Citizens4Community on social media. In the event of inclement weather or smoke events, C4C will post updates to its website and social pages.
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Conlan onllan Archer Arc r her andd hi hhiss mo mother, oth ther, Sarah, heade headed dedd down to the Land of th the Kiwi last month to celebrate Conlan’s high school graduation. They are pictured here — with their Nugget Newspaper — in Fiordland National Park, Southland, New Zealand. Good on ya mate!
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
DISTRICTS: Voters will decide on districting plan Continued from page 1
PHOTO PROVIDED
Diane Goble.
Mother/daughter artists share space at The Hub Diane Goble found her way to Sisters in 2010 via New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Mammoth Lakes in the High Sierras of California. She has been a creative all her life — art and writing have played a part in everything during her business and professional career and continues to this day into her mid-80s. Diane drowned in a whitewater river rafting accident at age 30, a mother of three children, and had an extensive Near-Death Experience (NDE). In 1971, no one knew what that was about nor did she, but she became obsessed with finding out. She subsequently earned master’s degrees in community psychology and clinical hypnotherapy, specializing in past life regression, wrote seven books, was a spiritual counselor and teacher; and a hospice volunteer for 25 years. During the COVID lockdown, Diane decided to try describing her NDE through art, because words are so inadequate, and discovered acrylic pouring. To date she has 103 paintings that express the ineffable in beautiful color palettes and otherworldly designs that turn out to be incredible meditation/ relaxation/stress management and consciousness expanding tools. The names of her works range from spiritual to quantum physics. You can also visit Diane’s Gallery on her website, www.dianegoble.com. Diane will offer a free class to people who purchase a painting and want to learn her meditation technique while focusing on their painting. With every purchase from The Hub through September 30, Diane will donate 25 percent to Sisters Wildland Firefighters. Diane’s daughter Cat Connor has loved photography since childhood and has always been inspired by the beauty of nature. After
years as a nature photographer, she discovered a passion for night photography, spending countless nights beneath the incredibly dark skies of California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada capturing the Milky Way and star-filled landscapes. A restaurant in Bishop covered their walls with her photography. About 10 years ago, Cat moved to Sisters to be closer to family. A lifelong dream of seeing the aurora borealis became reality, and today she has the rare joy of watching the northern lights from her own backyard, taking some amazing photos and sharing them with the world. Inspired to display her images in a unique way, Cat created illuminated canvas prints that transform her photographs into warm, glowing works of art. Also available through her Etsy shop, these lighted canvases bring a sense of warmth and wonder to any space. She has recently begun exploring AI-generated artwork, adding another creative dimension as her artistic journey continues to evolve. Meet and greet Cat and Diane for her 85th birthday on September 25, 4 to 7 p.m.
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visit deschutescounty.gov/ districtmap. Currently, County electors have the same voting options on their ballots for open seats/positions in the County, including county commissioner seats. That is, all county commissioner candidates are currently elected at-large. Due to the rotation of the BOCC members’ terms the at-large elections occur every two years. Deschutes County Board of Commissioners (BOCC), under pressure of election deadlines, held extra meetings on August 3 and 5. They made a few more changes and approved the final verbiage of the ballot title, question, and text (referred to as the title) which must be published by August 14. The BOCC also finalized and approved the explanatory statement for the Voters’ Pamphlet due to the Deschutes County Clerk no later than September 1. The three BOCC members voted 2-1 relative the five-district County Commissioner map effort that started mid-2025. The BOCC agreed on August 5 to send the title to the County Clerk Steve Dennison who will place the title on the County website and immediately send for publication to local papers. The appeal period for the title is seven work-days from the filing date (it had not been filed as of this writing). If there is no appeal, the finalized title is filed with the County Clerk Dennison no later than September 7 — 61 days before the election. Dennison assigns the ballot measure number. In July 29, the BOCC had made last minute changes to the title such that the word limits were exceeded, which required the additional BOCC meetings to fix. During the August 5
BOCC meeting, the tension between the Commissioners was palpable. In all BOCC meetings on this topic, Vice Chair Tony Debone and Commissioner Patty Adair resisted Chair Phil Chang’s suggestion to defer creating districts in the county until after the new five-member BOCC is in office in 2027. Debone reiterated, ”This is the time to get it done,” and Adair agreed. Chair Chang requested that the five-district map be printed large in the Voters’ Pamphlet and open to two pages so the County overall is at one hand while each district is detailed to the other hand. This will enable voters to identify in which of the five districts they will be voting – if the measure were to pass. Chang also wondered if additional information on those two pages could be added. Debone noted that to do that they would need more time and the deadlines do not allow it. In the discussion about the Explanatory Statement, Chang took umbrage with the opening: “In response to Ballot Measure 9-173, which was approved by the electors in November 2024,and which expanded the Board of County Commissioners
from the to five members, the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners ...” Chair Chang noted that there could have been numerous responses to 9-173 but because, “. . . a couple of commissioners were afraid that their party would not keep a majority [on the BOCC], they approved a gerrymandered map.” Commissioner Adair noted that, “a friend of hers looked at it and said that the map was fair.” Chang reminded the other commissioners that a districting application was run to create districts based on the criteria provided by Deschutes County, which produced over 2,000 possibilities. He asserts that only 8 percent resulted in similar partisan biasing as the five-district map now being promoted. Regardless these findings, the District Map Advisory Board voted 4-3 to recommend to the BOCC the five-district map for the public to accept or deny. Chang emphasized that the districting application had indicated over 1,800 less partisan five-district solutions for Deschutes County. The BOCC passed Order Number 2026-030 to submit the title (as described above) for publication.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Enjoying sunshine and blue sky...
PHOTO BY JESS DRAPER
ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS:
August is a great time to plan the remainder of your 2026 marketing!
Monday morning in Sisters a covey of California quail sunned themselves on a background of Black Butte and blue sky.
FUNDING: Oregon is facing budget shortfall for ODOT Continued from page 4
government receive voter approval before raising tax rates or creating any new taxes, Colorado Department of Transportation legislative affairs liaison Emily Haddaway said. To bypass those limitations, the Colorado Legislature in 2021 passed a $5.4 billion package that created several new transportation funding streams. The law created a retail delivery fee, taxing people each time they make an order requiring a motor delivery. It created a rideshare tax, taxing people who use rideshare services by 15 cents per ride in zero emission vehicles and 30 cents per ride for standard vehicles. It also established a road usage fee for gas and diesel vehicles, a bridge and tunnel fee levied on diesel vehicles and an annual road usage equalization fee for electric vehicles. In recent years, Colorado also implemented a $3 daily fee on rental vehicles and levied fees on oil and gas producers. To maintain transparency, the state publishes quarterly updates to an online dashboard showing the funding status and delivery progress of every project in its 10-year plan. Utah Department of Transportation Commissioner Carlos Braceras focused his presentation on the state’s emphasis on accountability. “Utah is a very conservative state,” Braceras said. “We believe in limited government, but ever since going back to 1995… we have believed that the role of government is to build infrastructure, to essentially create the foundation for private industry to innovate and to grow.” Every year, the agency publishes a report on its innovations and efficiencies.
You can’t ask for more money until you’ve proven that you’re efficient and effective, and you have to demonstrate that continually. — Carlos Braceras “You can’t ask for more money until you’ve proven that you’re efficient and effective, and you have to demonstrate that continually,” he said. How Oregon funds its transportation needs Oregon receives most of its transportation funding from vehicle registration and title fees, driver’s license fees, its 40-cent-per-gallon gas tax, and a weight-mile tax on heavy vehicles. Oregon also receives federal funding, 30 percent of which goes to local governments. The state also receives about $700 million each year for construction projects on the state’s roads and about $150 million to support public transit. The state also levies a 0.1 percent tax on every Oregonian’s paycheck to support public transportation services in rural and urban areas, a 0.5 percent tax on car dealers selling new cars to fund rebates for electric vehicles, and a $15 tax on the sale of new bikes with tires over 26 inches that cost at least $200 to support off-road bike and pedestrian paths. Using a sales tax or highway tolling aren’t the ideal option for Oregon. Oregon doesn’t have a sales tax, and tolling is extremely unpopular — so much that Kotek in 2023 issued a pause on tolling until this year after receiving intense backlash on a proposed tolling project on Interstate 5 and 205 to help pay for replacing the I-5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
How should Oregon look to other states for economic prosperity? By Shaanth Nanguneri Correspondent
For months, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s prosperity council has made headlines with a key focus: How best to jumpstart Oregon’s economy and what practices from other states may make that possible. The governor’s top economic advisers answered that question in late June with a litany of recommendations including cutting taxes, replacing a key state climate program, and allocating a quarter of a billion state dollars for business infrastructure needs every two years. The findings are based on what the council describes as practices from other states that could deliver results for Oregonians as well, according to council leaders. “Every single one of these recommendations is in the context of ‘What do other people do? How are we different? Are we better? Are we worse?’” Renée James, founder of semiconductor company Ampere Computing and council co-chair, previously told the Capital Chronicle. But new questions in the debate over Oregon’s economic future are emerging over whether the Beaver State should instead have a unique vision of success and whom policy changes for economic development should most benefit. The dispute has taken on urgency following the release of the prosperity council’s wide-ranging recommendations that could reduce significant revenue streams for the state, which is staring down hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts due to cuts and federal tax changes from the GOP’s 2025 tax and spending law. It’s a preview of the pressure on lawmakers and Kotek that could be forthcoming in the Legislature should she win reelection. “When politicians, academic journals, and business
leaders talk about ‘the economy,’ they usually mean (gross domestic product) numbers and business rankings,” a coalition of progressive advocates and union groups wrote to Kotek in a May letter first reported by the Oregonian/OregonLive. “We think the real question is simpler: Can a person working in Oregon pay their rent? Do they have health insurance? Can they retire with some dignity?” The prosperity council’s recommendations referred to states such as Arizona, Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. In a scathing recent analysis, however, the left-leaning Oregon economic observer Joe Cortright noted that those states lag behind Oregon’s performance for measures such as median household wealth, per capita income, GDP growth, and the percentage of self-employed people. “The way businesses flourish, they figure out what they’re good at, they try to be as innovative as they can, they try to develop new and better projects. They try to offer what business folks call a unique value proposition, something that somebody can’t duplicate,” he told the Capital Chronicle. “They don’t simply say, ‘I’m going to cut prices as much as I can and hope good things happen.’” Kotek, meanwhile, has already acknowledged differences among some of the state’s top political forces. In a response letter to progressive advocates, she wrote that she is committed to “protecting working families, defending essential services, advancing basic freedoms, strengthening public education, and ensuring Oregon remains a place where everyone can build a stable and dignified life. “The choice before us is very straightforward,” she said at a press conference in June. “We can allow economic uncertainty and
external pressures to define Oregon’s future, or we can take deliberate action to shape that future ourselves.” Differences among economic observers At a Friday Portland City Club event where some of the state’s top economic observers offered their insights on the prosperity council’s report, differences in views over whom Oregon’s economic recommendations should serve were on full display. Panelists represented perspectives from progressive economic analysts to traditional business groups and corporations. They acknowledged that there was a clash between two economic narratives in Oregon politics: One view arguing that Oregonspecific policies have contributed to state statistics such as higher-than-average unemployment rates, and another suggesting that federal headwinds such as trade wars and tax cuts have contributed to cost of living and affordability struggles in the state. “The notion that this has stopped being a state or a country where you can start a business and build a business and benefit from that, and then be able to share that with the community, and that somehow that’s to be something that you’re ashamed of, I guess I’m confused by that notion,” said Richelle Luther, a chief administrative officer and general counsel for the Portland-based Columbia Sportswear and a member of the prosperity council. John Tapogna, president of the nonpartisan Oregon Business Council, agreed that Oregon economic development has been hampered by federal trade policies. But he said Oregon’s economy could be more reliant on consumption-based taxes, such as a sales tax, in a manner that mitigates impacts on lowincome households. He pointed to a statistic showing Oregon was 49th in job growth nationwide from
May 2025 to May 2026, a figure cited in the prosperity council’s final report. He rejected a common talking point from economic observers such as Cortright who say that most of Oregon’s job losses over the last year are from large companies such as Intel and Nike which have ordered layoffs. “Year after year after year, we had a higher, growing share of U.S. manufacturing that stopped in 2021, 2022, and it started to decline,” he said. “Intel’s part of that story, but it is not all of that story.” Alejandro Queral, executive director at the Oregon Center for Public Policy, said the prosperity council missed a chance to combat income inequality. He said lawmakers should invest in access to universal preschool and reform the state’s kicker law, which returns excess state revenue to taxpayers whenever income tax payments are at least 2% higher than forecasted in a two-year budget period. The state has paid out
kickers every two years for more than a decade, including a record-setting $5.6 billion in 2024. Because it is based on the amount of taxes paid, wealthier Oregonians with a higher tax liability receive bigger refunds. Colorado is the only other state with a similar tax refund program, and at least four states as well as the District of Columbia have universal prekindergarten programs. “We’re thinking about the solutions to these economic challenges, as if they could be resolved by just focusing on providing the best environment for businesses and corporations to thrive,” Queral told attendees. “But hey, they’re doing pretty well. So the question is, how can we expand that vision of prosperity so that we can have really shared growth, economic growth for all Oregonians?” Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, courtesy of https://oregoncapital chronicle.com.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
LETTERS
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR:
Continued from page 13
worked hard to stay open, adapt and continue serving residents and visitors during a difficult and uncertain time. The timing of this fire has been especially challenging. July and August are some of the most important months of the year for our local economy. For many businesses, a strong summer helps sustain them through the quieter months ahead. When wildfire, smoke and uncertainty cause visitors to change their plans, the impacts are felt throughout our community, from lodging and restaurants to shops, galleries, recreation providers and their employees. As conditions continue to improve, we can all help. Shop locally. Grab a meal or a cup of coffee. Attend an event. Invite friends and family to visit. Every dollar spent locally makes a difference. Wildfire reminds us how vulnerable our community can be. It also reminds us how resilient Sisters is. On behalf of Explore Sisters, thank you to everyone who protected, supported and continues to show up for our community. Scott Humpert Explore Sisters Executive Director
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“I hope you keep going forever.”
Fire thanks
To the Editor: As we watch wildfires threaten our community once again, I’d like to express gratitude that extends beyond our own backyard and our own pockets. First, thank you to the firefighters and emergency crews protecting Central and Eastern Oregon. Whether they came from Sisters, Redmond, Bend, Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford, or countless other Oregon communities, they left their own homes to help protect ours. We owe them our sincere thanks. I’d also like to broaden a bit further and thank our fellow Oregonians, the taxpayers. Wildfires of this scale simply cannot be fought by the resources of a small rural community alone. As federal support becomes less certain, statewide resources matter even more. Most of Oregon’s tax and lottery revenue is generated in the state’s larger population centers, the economic engines helping make it possible to send crews and equipment wherever they’re needed. We take pride in living in a small town, and we should. But let’s not allow that pride to become isolation. When Sisters is in danger, Oregon shows up, Oregonians show up. That’s something worth remembering and something worth being grateful for. The next time I drive over the pass into the Valley, I’ll do so with a little more appreciation. I’ll know the people I pass on the sidewalks of Portland, Salem, Eugene, and the other communities of our state aren’t just fellow Oregonians, they’re partners. They helped protect my home. If the day ever comes when they need us, I hope we’ll be there without hesitation. Thank you, fellow Oregonians. Glen Roper
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On a recent Tuesday evening as I was loading up The Nugget for delivery, a woman came up on the porch and grabbed a handful of papers. She told me it is a weekly ritual for her to pick up papers for her neighbors, who all enjoy reading the paper “cover-to-cover.” She’s been doing this for years, and she said:
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Volunteers
To the Editor: My eyes teared up as I read the article in the August 5 issue of The Nugget about 4-H and FFA, which highlighted the accomplishments of Sisters’ young participants. How fitting that they had a front-page picture and article. In the story, we learned of the many things kids learn that go far beyond animal husbandry, such as budgeting, managing a checking account, marketing, responsibility, and leadership. My cheers were not only for the kids who walked away with impressive prizes. They were just as much for all the volunteers who make that program happen. The paper reported that nationally they number 611,800! Reading about the many hours these dedicated individuals spent reminded me of the joy of working with girls and leaders in Girl Scouts, and of my husband’s tireless efforts as a referee in competitive swimming. We often hear moaning about “what’s happening to society” when we reflect on the state of the world, without acknowledging the many young people are doing exceptionally well. My guess is that in nearly 100 percent of those examples, a volunteer was unselfishly championing them on. I recognize this in my own kids, and now grandkids, as they contribute to society. If you have just a few minutes a week to spare and want to add amazing joy to your life, connect with a youth See LETTERS on page 20
We hear from readers like that on a regular basis, and it’s the most gratifying aspect of our work. Our goal is to keep going forever — and to do that, support from our readers has become vital. It’s no secret that print media is in trouble across the nation. Costs continue to rise, and can’t simply be passed on to advertisers who are already stressed by their own higher costs of doing business. Readership declines as people’s habits change, and in many places, people don’t read at all, to a point where many think we’re entering a ‘post-literate’ society. That’s the bad news. The good news is that Sisters is still home to readers — and writers, too. We know that the community values their newspaper, because you tell us so — and many want to support their newspaper so that it does stay vital for years to come. And we continue to seek to find new ways to provide value for their support. There are now multiple ways that readers can directly support The Nugget that are easy and aren’t expensive but have a big impact: Supporting Contributions: Direct contributions to The Nugget are allocated to support our outstanding stable of freelance reporters, columnists, and photographers. You can make a supporting contribution online at www.nuggetnews.com (hit the “Donate” button); or you can mail a check to P.O. Box 698, Sisters OR 97759; or (best of all) stop by the office at 442 E. Main Ave. We love to talk with our readers. Subscribe to the “Nuggets From A Small Town” Substack: Substack is an online subscription platform for creators. “Nuggets From A Small Town” offers longer-form essays from Editor in Chief Jim Cornelius, for readers who like to engage with thoughtful writing on topics ranging from identity to the power of empathy, what we learn — or don’t — from history. This week’s essay looks at the importance of reading what it might mean to be a “post-literate society.” You can access “Nuggets From A Small Town” at https://jimcornelius609. substack.com. All subscriptions directly support The Nugget Newspaper. Online subscription: The content published on Substack and other subscriber-only content is available with an online subscription to nuggetnews.com. Click the subscribe button to sign up or call the office and we can assist you. Print subscriptions cover only the cost of delivery; the paper continues to be “free.” Directly paying for our content is the best way readers can help us continue to provide it. It’s also vital to shop local and support the businesses that advertise in The Nugget — and provide Sisters with so much of its character. Change is inevitable, and more rapid than ever — but, with your help, we can preserve good things that “make Sisters Sisters.” With your support, we can ensure that The Nugget is there for you each week to read “cover-to cover,” with more content for readers online. And maybe we will just go on forever. Thank you, Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
LETTERS
Continued from page 19
organization and volunteer. Even if you think you’ve nothing to share, you do. Guaranteed! There’s always a way you can help. Not only will you be helping to change the life of a young person, but you will also be strengthening society and finding joy you never imagined. Edie Jones
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Wildfire
PHOTO PROVIDED
Bluesman Tommy Castro is a favorite performer in Sisters.
Tommy Castro to return to Sisters
To the Editor: Four coordinated priorities: 1. Create a shared Sisters Landscape Wildfire Resilience GIS map, quickly. Bring together fire perimeters and burn severity, existing and planned treatments, untreated corridors, ownership boundaries, evacuation routes, community fuel breaks, and potential grant projects. A common operating picture would help partners identify gaps, sequence work, and coordinate maintenance. Complete this by the fall of 2026. 2. Expand a connected treatment network across ownership boundaries. Link thinned ponderosa stands, reduced juniper and ladder fuels, treated grass and brush, prescribed-fire units, recent burn scars, roads and defensible control lines. Close untreated gaps and
A w a r d - w i n n i n g , songs originally performed by California-based blues and many of Castro’s friends and rock sensation Tommy Castro, heroes. Artists and their songs along with his band The include Johnny Nitro (“One Painkillers — bassist Randy More Night,” on which Castro McDonald, keyboardist Dave plays his treasured 1966 Fleschner and drummer black Fender Stratocaster, a Stewart Burr — will perform guitar once owned by Nitro live at The Belfry in Sisters himself), Magic Slim, Ron on Wednesday, September Thompson, and Mike Duke. 16. With Tommy Castro’s lat- Castro additionally chose est Alligator Records album obscure songs by Wynonie “Closer To The Bone,” Castro Harris (“Bloodshot Eyes”), — the four-time Blues Music Eddie Taylor (“Stroll Out Award-winner for B.B. King West”), Jimmy Nolen (“The Entertainer of the Year — Way You Do”), and Johnny delivers what he calls, “a “Guitar” Watson (“She Moves record I’ve always wanted to Me”). According to Castro, make.” “Closer To The Bone” “These are not the obvious is the most unvarnished, artists people generally cover, straight-ahead blues release and that was most definitely of Castro’s career, one that on purpose.” bristles with every ounce of Tommy Castro & The his dynamic energy and raw Painkillers’ deceptively Ranch Areas emotion. Recently, Castro simple approach utte“Closer ck Bon la B & an m er Sh p ters, Cam To The Bone” delivers one won the S 2026 the SisMusic ervingBlues Award for Song of the Year thrilling performance after for “Can’t Catch A Break,” another. Says Castro, “Here, co-written with Christoffer I’m not the contemporary LLC “Kid” Andersen (of Rick guy, not the rock guy, not the Estrin & The Nightcats). He soul guy. Thisenis the deeper em t, Manag tyside er op Pr s, also won the 2026 BMA for blues of me. I know, with le Sa for Real Estate als ntsongs, Re n tio ca Contemporary Blues Album these I am at my most Va d an of the Year Award for “Closer authentic.” To The Bone.” The album Show is set for Wednesday, placed #1 on The Big Blues September 16, 7 p.m., at The Chart’s Top 100 chart for Belfry, 302 E. Main Ave. most played albums of 2025. Tickets are $33.65Ph(including as Arends il Arends ThomBroker cipal Broker Prin in Castro & The Painkillers fees) and may be purchased at am Te te 541-285-1535 oducing Real Esta 541-420-9997 The Top Prwith h nc Ra tte mix new Castro originals www.belfryevents.com. Bu k ac h s Country & Bl s – Black Butte
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extend the proven canyon-rim treatment where terrain, ownership, and firefighter safety make it most valuable. Perform this during the 2026-2027 fall, winter, and spring period. 3. Maintain treatments over time. Pair mechanical thinning with slash removal and prescribed fire, then maintain grass, brush, and regrowth. A project that is not maintained provides only temporary success. We need a team to find annual funding for this. 4. Support suppression and community resilience. Design strategic treatments around engine and dozer access, turnaround points, water locations, and preplanned control lines. At the same time, continue home hardening, defensible space, and evacuation-readiness work because embers can cross even excellent landscape treatments. I respectfully encourage the Oregon Governor, USFS, BLM, ODF, Deschutes County, local fire districts, and community partners to convene around the shared GIS map and identify the highest-priority gaps in the treatment network. A focused planning session could establish common priorities, responsible partners, and practical next steps before the next fire season. I welcome the opportunity to support the planning effort in any way I can. Toby Weiss Whychus Canyon Estates resident
s, OR 102/103, Sister
e r u t n ! e s v r d e t s A u to Si o y
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Ranches, resorts, tree farms sit inside forest By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Drive toward Black Butte Ranch or Sunriver, and at some point, the highway slips beneath a canopy of ponderosa pine that belongs, at least on paper, to the federal government. Then, almost without warning, the trees give way to golf fairways, vacation homes, or a private lodge. For newcomers, it can look like someone carved a resort out of the Deschutes National Forest itself. In reality, the opposite happened: the National Forest was drawn around land that was already private, decades before the Forest Service existed. Across the American West, this pattern is often explained by the railroad “checkerboard” — the nineteenth-century practice of granting alternating one-mile squares of land to railroad companies in exchange for building track. But in Deschutes County, the story is different. Central Oregon’s private inholdings trace back mostly to homesteaders, cattle ranchers, and timber companies, not railroad financiers. Black Butte Ranch The best-known example sits about eight miles northwest of Sisters. Black Butte Ranch covers roughly 1,800 privately owned acres that began as a cattle and sheep operation in the early 1900s, part of the old Black Butte Land and Livestock Company holdings. Brooks Resources purchased the property in 1969 and turned it into the destination resort familiar today. The Deschutes National Forest nearly encircles it; not because the government sold forest land to developers, but because the ranch predated the forest boundary entirely. Sunriver Sunriver tells a related but distinct story. Its land passed through the former Camp Abbot military reservation before returning to private hands after World War II, when it was developed into one of Oregon’s signature resort communities. Nearly every road into Sunriver today crosses National Forest land first, giving it the feel of an island surrounded by public forest, a military and ranching legacy rather than a railroad one. Skyline Forest West of Bend and east of Sisters, roughly 33,000 acres of privately held timberland make up what’s commonly called Skyline Forest, or the
Bull Springs Tree Farm. It isn’t fully surrounded by the National Forest, but it borders public land extensively. Its origins as commercial timber ground, rather than a onetime piece of the forest system, make it another piece of the same puzzle. Its location between Bend and Sisters has made it a focal point in recent years for conversations about recreation access and conservation. Older Ranches, Scattered Inholdings Ranches such as Long Hollow and Swamp Ranch predate the forest system altogether, part of Central Oregon’s early livestock economy. Smaller private tracts persist throughout western Deschutes County as well: along Forest Road 4606 northwest of Bend, west of Sisters, and near Tu m a l o a n d W h y c h u s creeks. Many are rooted in homestead patents or early timber purchases. Some have become flashpoints over easements and access, since Forest Service roads frequently cross private property before reaching public land beyond. Not the Classic Checkerboard It’s tempting to assume this is all leftover railroad grant land, the way it plays out along the old Oregon and California Railroad corridor in western Oregon or the Northern Pacific grants farther north. But Deschutes County didn’t see that pattern to nearly the same degree. Here, the mosaic came together through the Homestead Act, early ranching operations, timber company purchases, and much later, resort development. Why the Land Stays Private The Forest Service does occasionally buy inholdings from willing sellers when a purchase would improve recreation, wildlife habitat, or watershed protection, and land exchanges have periodically reshaped boundaries to simplify management. But with millions of acres of private inholdings across the West, and acquisition entirely dependent on funding and voluntary sales, most owners retain full rights to sell, develop, ranch or farm their land within the bounds of local zoning law. The result, visible on any public land ownership map of Deschutes County, is a patchwork nearly a century and a half in the making. Today’s forest boundaries were drawn around yesterday’s property lines, not the other way around.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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. DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 5 PM preceding Wednesday publication. PLACEMENT & PAYMENT: Office, 442 E. Main Ave. Phone, 541-549-9941 or place online at NuggetNews.com. Payment is due upon placement. Major credit cards accepted with a 3% processing fee. Billing available for continuously run classified ads, after prepayment of first four weeks. CATEGORIES: 101 Real Estate 102 Commercial Rentals 103 Residential Rentals 104 Vacation Rentals 106 Real Estate Wanted 107 Rentals Wanted 200 Business Opportunities 201 For Sale 202 Firewood 203 Recreation Equipment 204 Arts & Antiques 205 Garage & Estate Sales 206 Lost & Found 207 The Holidays 301 Vehicles 302 Recreational Vehicles 401 Horses 402 Livestock 403 Pets 500 Services 501 Computer Services 502 Carpet Upholstery Cleaning 503 Appliance Repair & Refinish 504 Handyman 505 Auto Repair 600 Tree Service & Forestry 601 Construction 602 Plumbing & Electric 603 Excavations & Trucking 604 Heating & Cooling 605 Painting 606 Landscaping & Yard Maint. 607 Irrigation 701 Domestic Services 702 Sewing 703 Child Care 704 Events & Event Services 801 Classes & Training 802 Help Wanted 803 Work Wanted 901 Wanted 902 Personals 999 Public Notice
C L A S S I F I E D S 102 Commercial Rentals
STORAGE WITH BENEFITS • 8 x 20 dry box • Fenced yard, RV & trailers • In-town, gated, 24-7 EWDevcoLLC@gmail.com 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.
103 Residential Rentals
301 Vehicles
2009 F-250 Super Duty 4x4 XLT Crew Cab, 350HP 6.4L diesel, 157,000 miles, Royal Red exterior, gray interior, integrated trailer brakes, 2" level lift, 156" wheelbase, $15,500. Call or text 541-420-6091 HEATED GARAGE power, lights, security. $275/mo. Jack 541-419-2502
We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ Call Jeff at 541-815-7397 Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com
302 Recreational Vehicles
CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792 Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com
2021 Tiffin Open Road Allegro 34PA, $105,000, 43,300 miles, Ford 7.3 liter gas engine, new tires, many upgrades. Shown by appointment. Mark 541-668-1524 or Deb 402-496-9579.
401 Horses
Orchard Grass Hay For Sale $250/ton, 541-408-6258
ALFALFA Cowboy Court Apartments TRITICALE 2 bedroom 2 bath. $1,695/month, ORCHARD GRASS HAY RSD $1,650. 1 year lease. New 2026 crop. Barn stored. Vacates 8/12/26. Some pets 3-tie bales. $250-$350/ton. Hwy. considered (dogs & cats OK with 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895 add'l $350 RSD per pet). 2nd floor unit in the back building. 403 Pets W/S/Garbage/ SISTERS WHISKERS landscaping is paid. Approx. Your purr-fect friend is waiting 1,000 sq. ft. NO SMOKING. for you at our local nonprofit cat 154 W Adams Ave. #225 rescue! Apply to adopt at: Dishwasher, microwave, washer sisterswhiskers.org & dryer, deck, garbage disposal, I’ve got your cats covered! granite countertops, energySisters-Tumalo-PetSitting.com efficient windows, storage, plank Julie 541-306-7551 flooring throughout, electric heat Caring, loving pet care in my w/air conditioning, off-street home. Daily rates and in town. parking - one reserved space Cheryl 541-420-7875 (covered space $20/Month).
201 For Sale
Used E-Bike. Small frame. $250, 541-420-8955
502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
M & J CARPET CLEANING Area rugs, upholstery, tile & dryer-vent cleaning. Established & family-owned since 1986. 541-549-9090
• Wildfire Fuels reduction • Debris Chipping/Mastication • Forest Health Thinning 600 Tree Service & • Wildfire Cleanup & Restoration Forestry • Tree Removal Will Moore, 541-409-5404 4 Brothers Tree Service ISA Certified Arborist Sisters' Premier Tree Experts! We are the experts you’ve – TREE REMOVAL & been looking for! CLEANUP – LCB# 100129 & Oregon Native / Non-Native Tree Professional Logger 71395048 Assessments, Pruning, High-Risk Removals, 24 Hr. Emergency 601 Construction Storm Damage Cleanup, Craning & Stump Grinding, Debris Removal. – FOREST MANAGEMENT – Fire Fuels Reduction - Brush Mowing, Mastication, Tree Construction & Renovation Thinning, Large & Small Scale Custom Residential Projects Projects! All Phases • CCB #148365 Serving Black Butte Ranch, 541-420-8448 Camp Sherman & Sisters Area since 2003 ** Free Estimates ** Owner James Hatley & Sons 541-815-2342 4brostrees.com • Commercial & Light Licensed, Bonded and Insured Industrial CCB-215057 • Custom homes • Residential Remodels LOLO TREE WORKS Tree Services: Tree Removal, • Tenant Improvements WHY CHOOSE US? Tree Pruning, Stump Grinding, • No job too big or small Emergency Tree Services. • Driven by quality, skill & ISA Certified Arborist Owner / Operator: Erin Carpenter craftsmanship • Friendly, neighborly lolotreeworks.com professionalism Call / Text: 503-367-5638 Email: erin@lolotreeworks.com • Reliable, dedicated & trustful • Licensed, Bonded, Insured CCB #240912 Contact us today! www.nuggetnews.com Curt: 541-480-7494 Brandon: 541-647-0586 kallbergconstruction.com
500 Services
• DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279
CUSTOM WINDOW 202 Firewood COVERINGS Bend Window Works, LLC DRY SPLIT CORDS $250 is offering a 10% discount on CUT OFFS $100 • COMPOST new window coverings. FREE SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS in-home consultation. Same day DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD in-home repair services available. • SINCE 1976 • New and repaired blinds make Fuel Reduction Forestry rentals look better! Contact us at Doug Fir – Lodgepole – 541-383-2455 or Hardwood – Juniper – Fir andy@bendblinds.com. DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES – 18155 Hwy. 126 East – SistersForestProducts.com Order Online! 541-410-4509
Tree Removal • Tree Pruning Good for Trees. Good to People. SparTreeArborist.com (916) 619-6317 TimberStandImprovement.net Tree Removal & Pruning TRAQ Arborist/ CCB#190496 541-771-4825
• Foundations: All sizes & types • Slabs & Flatwork: SOG's, Driveways, patios & walkways • Custom Finishes: Tailored to Your style and vision. Contact us today! Brandon: 541-647-0586 Jeff: 541-419-7199 kallbergconstruction.com
SUDOKU Level: Moderate Answer: Page 23
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
206 Lost & Found
Man's Gold Wedding Band. Lost between Sisters, Camp Sherman, Lower Bridge CG #9. 50th Anniversary Aug. 7th! HELP! 541-728-4660. LOST AN ITEM? FOUND SOMETHING VALUABLE? Advertise in The Nugget's Lost & Found classifieds
Junk Removal, Dumpster Rentals & Demolition Services – Done Right. Remove-Junk.com 541-719-8475
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
Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down, and each small nine-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
23
C L A S S I F I E D S 603 Excavation & Trucking Landscape & Construction LLC LCB#8874 CCB#224224 Serving Oregon since 1991 503-849-6090 Creating beautiful outdoor living spaces * custom patios & decks *water & fire features * outdoor kitchens * pavilions * barns everythingoutdoors@ymail.com Rooted in family, Built with pride
Lara’s Construction LLC. CCB#223701 Offering masonry work, fireplaces, interior & exterior stone/brick-work, build barbecues, and all types of masonry. Give us a call for a free estimate 541-350-3218
Custom Homes • Additions Residential Building Projects Serving Sisters area since 1976 Strictly Quality CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-280-9764 John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com
Full Service Excavation
Pat Burke LOCALLY OWNED CRAFTSMAN BUILT CCB: 228388 • 541-588-2062 www.sistersfencecompany.com
Free On-site Visit & Estimate Tewaltandsonsexcavation@gmail .com 541-549-1472 • CCB #76888 Drainfield • Minor & Major Septic Repair • All Septic Needs/Design & Install Home Hardening Services / General Excavation Assessments / Ember Defense • Site Preparation Retrofits / Vulcan Vent Certified • Rock & Stump Removal / Gain Defensible Space • Pond & Driveway Construction CCB# 218954 Preparation www.cascadiadesignbuildllc.com • Building Demolition Call Adam 541-974-2282 Trucking Earthwood Timber • Deliver Top Soil, Sand, Gravel, • Recycled fir and pine beams Boulders, Water • Mantels and accent timbers • Dump Trucks, Transfer Trucks, • Sawmill/woodshop services Belly EWDevcoLLC@gmail.com • The Whole 9 Yards or 24 Whatever You Want!
602 Plumbing & Electric — GEORGE’S — SEPTIC SERVICE 541-419-3148
A 63-year tradition for Sisters www.georges-septic-service.com
604 Heating & Cooling
Electrical Service & Repair Est. 1947, CCB#54572 Local in Sisters 503-357-2146 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
LOCAL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES & HOME MAINT. Remodels • Landscaping Firewise Maintenance Decks & Much More! Pease Co. Contracting Call Tanner at 541-588-0136. Big and small jobs! CCB# 256258 CASCADE GARAGE DOORS Factory Trained Technicians Since 1983 • CCB #44054 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553
SWEENEY PLUMBING, INC. “Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling • New Construction • Water Heaters 541-549-4349 Residential and Commercial Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #87587
Sisters Owned and Operated Serving all of Central Oregon • Residential • Commercial • Industrial • Service Hot tubs/Saunas • Generators Car Chargers • Panel Upgrades Light upgrades 541-588-3088 • CCB #234821
SUDOKU SOLUTION for puzzle on page 22
Custom Homes Additions - Remodels Residential Building Projects Becke William Pierce CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384 Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com — Serving Sisters Since 2010 —
Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls Residential & Commercial CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 www.BANR.net ACTION AIR Heating & Cooling, LLC Retrofit • New Const • Remodel Consulting, Service & Installs actionairheatingandcooling.com CCB #195556 541-549-6464
Sisters, Oregon's Exclusive HVAC Service Residential & Commercial Heating • Ductless Air Conditioning • Maintenance Installation • Repair 541-588-5667 SistersHeatingAir.com
605 Painting
Interior/Exterior Painting Deck Refinishing Jacob deSmet 503-559-9327 peakperformancepainting1@ gmail.com • CCB#243491
~ FRONTIER PAINTING ~ Quality Painting, Ext. & Int. Refurbishing Decks CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620 www.frontier-painting.com
606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance
Eastern Cascade Solutions Landscaping & Construction www.easterncascadesolutions. com • 541-233-7195 LCB #9958 • CCB #222039
– All You Need Maintenance – Pine needle removal, hauling, snow removal, moss removal, lawn care, weeding, pruning, roofs, gutters, pressure washing. Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122
Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com 541-549-2345
STEVE'S HAULING Yard and other debris, landscaping services, chain saw work, etc. 707-328-8370
Alpine Landscape Maintenance An All-Electric Landscape Company. Text/Call Paul 541.485.2837 alpine.landscapes@icloud.com
J&E Landscaping Maintenance LLC Clean-ups, irrigation, aerating, raking, mowing, thatching, hauling debris. Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com
All Landscaping Services Mowing, Thatching, Hauling Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740
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
701 Domestic Services
I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC Specializing in Commercial, Residential & Vacation Rentals. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. 541-977-1051
BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING! Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897
802 Help Wanted
WORK WHERE CREATIVITY BLOOMS! Join our team at Caldera Our mission is to inspire and support youth from underserved communities by awakening their creative voices through a unique fusion of art, environment, and mentorship. The Role: Facilities Maintenance Technician Help maintain buildings and land use to ensure Caldera remains a safe, inspiring, and impeccably kept environment for guests and campers. • Multi-Trade Skills, including plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and carpentry. • A Team Player • Mission-Driven Apply Today: caldera.org/careers
NOW HIRING Housekeeping Team Members and Front of House: Barista, Concierge Join the crew at our cozy campstyle retreat nestled in the forest! We're looking for friendly, dependable individuals to join our team at Lake Creek Lodge. PT/FT. We offer flexible schedules & excellent compensation. www.lakecreeklodge.com 13375 SW FS Rd. 1419, Camp Sherman
THE GARDEN ANGEL LANDSCAPING is filling crew lead and crew member positions. We want YOU to join us for an awesome season this year! thegardenangel@gmail.com 541 549 2882
803 Work Wanted
Companion Caregiver available for Sisters area. Light housekeeping, errands, appts, and meal prep. 20 years exp. Great references. Registered with DHS. Jodi: 707-357-5047
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Wednesday, August 12, 2026 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
OREGONPROPERTYFINDERS.COM
69307 SCABBARD | SISTERS
Private .65-acre setting offering quiet serenity. Relax on huge back deck where you’re hidden from the world except for birds and wildlife. After your respite, cozy up to the woodburning fire or enjoy Tollgate community amenities: saltwater swim pool, pickleball/tennis, hiking/biking path easily accessible to U.S. forest land. Furnished; can sleep 6. $515,000 MLS#220219264 | Catherine Black
67422 TROUT LANE | BEND
Set on 9.92 fully fenced and gated acres with breathtaking Cascade mountain views, this beautifully maintained home is the perfect blend of comfort and adventure. The incredible ‘’Party Barn’’ includes an extra bedroom, half bath, game room, and workshop, making it ideal for guests or multi-generational living. $865,000 MLS#220226321 | Ross Kennedy
16664 PINE TREE LANE | SISTERS
Nestled on 2.26 acres, this charming 2-bedroom, onebath home offers privacy, functionality, and room to enjoy the outdoors. Living room features a wood stove, while the covered front porch is the perfect place to relax and take in the peaceful surroundings. Attached garage, covered carport/shed, and a versatile 18x20 woodframed studio. $629,000 MLS#220225706 | Connie Mitchell
SUSAN BIRD
CATHERINE BLACK
541-410-5644
541-480-1929
susan@susanbirdrealestate.com
CARY KIEFER
carysellsrealestate@gmail.com
541-306-8391
MARINA MCCURDY
McCurdy.properties@gmail.com
541-610-9867
black@sistersoregon.com
ROSS KENNEDY
rosskennedyrealty@gmail.com
541-408-1343
SHERI MESA
sherimesa@gmail.com
541-410-5999
1713 STETSON COURT | LA PINE
69435 GREEN RIDGE LOOP | SISTERS
Immaculate, turnkey stick-built home with 3-car attached garage, RV shop, and rental income potential! Backs to BLM. Located in Klamath County so the property taxes are lower! Seller completed ALL recommendations from recent home inspection. Shop has set up (power, plumbing, framing) for studio apartment. Finish and use as ADU. $634,900 MLS#220221466 | Leslie Cutler
Stunning handcrafted log home offers a serene retreat. As you step inside, you’re greeted by the captivating sight of a log slab spiral staircase, artfully crafted around a majestic tree trunk, leading up to a mezzanine that overlooks the spacious grandroom. Perfect for entertaining or simply unwinding in the ambiance of nature’s embrace. $949,000 MLS#220218327 | Winfield Durham
16921 LADY CAROLINE DRIVE | SISTERS
26256 SW METOLIUS MEADOWS DRIVE CAMP SHERMAN
4,258 sq.ft. luxury home on nearly an acre at Aspen Lakes golf course with mountain views. Vaulted ceilings and expansive windows that showcase the stunning scenery. 3 en suite bedrooms on main; large en suite bonus room with wet bar upstairs. Wood beams, hickory floors. Teak deck, hot tub, heated garage, workshop. $1,699,000 MLS#220220342 | Jennifer McCrystal
20007 BEAVER LANE | BEND
Expansive windows frame the water and surrounding landscape filling the home with natural light and yearround scenery. Kitchen features quartz countertops and an open floorplan. This 2-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,467 sq. ft. home is a rare opportunity to enjoy a riverfront lifestyle with access to all that Central Oregon has to offer.
$797,000 MLS#220225351 | Joel Much
LESLIE CUTLER
WINFIELD DURHAM
503-881-9606
541-420-9801
lesliecutleragent@gmail.com
CORRIE LAKE
corrielake.realtor@gmail.com
541-521-2392
CONNIE MITCHELL
connie@teamstellarnw.com
541-610-8011
winfield@stellarnw.com
DONNA MARSHALL
donna@7peaksproperties.com
541-647-9682
JOEL MUCH
joel@muchproperties.com
541-639-9366
Beautiful 2,529 sq. ft. craftsman home with vaulted ceiling, oak floors, radiant floor heating. ADA accessible with master on main and an ADA bathroom/shower. 3rd bedroom/office has custom shelving and a Murphy bed. Garage with EV hookup, workshop area. Community amenities. $895,000 MLS#220219001 | Marina McCurdy
69741 OLD WAGON ROAD | SISTERS
Enchanting mountain retreat in Sage Woods is thoughtfully designed, featuring 2 bedrooms, 4 baths, beamed ceilings, spacious kitchen, sunroom/library, fireplace, flexible office or studio space, laundry/pantry room, and abundant storage. The property also features a deerproof garden, greenhouse, playhouse, fenced dog area, and workshop. $950,000 MLS#220224218 | Tina Perin
HANNAH HARRER
homes@hannahharrer.com
619-847-3891
JENNIFER MCCRYSTAL
CHERYL HEITZHAUSEN
cherylheitzhausen@stellarnw.com
541-420-7875
DEBBI MCCUNE
jennifermccrystal@stellarnw.com
DebbiMcCuneBroker@gmail.com
TINA PERIN
BRIAN SHANNON
541-480-0208
541-788-7609
541-420-4347
tinaperin@icloud.com
541-647-0052
brian@stellarnw.com
Stellar Realty Northwest | 382 E Hood Ave, Suite A-East, Sisters | 541-508-3148