The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLIX No. 7 // 2026-02-18

The Nugget

Volunteers rally to build beds for kids

The fifth of six installments where Sisters’ thought leaders share with The Nugget how they imagine Sisters in five years.

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

With growth comes risk. More people put pressure on services and infrastructure. An increase in the number of dwelling units and commercial spaces creates more targets for crime, from simple porch pirating to breaking and entering. More cars likely will result in more congestion and needed traffic management and enforcement.

More building structures, and the new people inside, probably will increase the number of calls in SistersCamp Sherman Fire District. If, as expected, the new arrivals continue to be largely empty nesters and retirees — older folks — then calls for emergency medical aid are bound to increase.

The Nugget asked Sisters public safety heads to draw a possible picture of Sisters in 2031 as change affects their responsibilities. Lt. Chad Davis who manages the Sheriff’s substation in Sisters was first up to bat.

“Law enforcement services are always in demand,” he said. “By 2031, I would expect increased population, increased tourist activity, and increased traffic issues, which will result in higher call loads for our deputies. With all of those increases, I would expect the City of Sisters to examine the need to add more deputies in the contract with the Sheriff’s Office. We currently have a lieutenant and three deputies assigned to the city.

“The decision to increase the contract has financial impacts on the City and the City’s budget will be impacted by the decisions that are made. Public safety is commonly the most expensive service cities provide to their residents.

“By 2031, another consideration will be whether 24-hour coverage by the City of Sisters deputies is needed. At this point, 24-hour coverage is provided by the west deputy; however, as the entire county will likely see growth, will the west deputy coverage be enough or will a fifth or sixth deputy be needed to provide 24-hour coverage in the city? These are questions that will likely have clearer answers as we get closer to 2031.”

How might traffic flow look? Example: Will more drivers use the bypass? Does Davis see more traffic monitoring such as the portable flashing speed monitoring signage?

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

Some 50 volunteers from the Sisters community gathered Saturday at Earthwood Development on Sisters Park Drive who donated their building and lots for use by Sleep In Heavenly Peace (SHP).

Led by Rotary Club of Sisters

Kemp claims district wrestling title

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Tyson Kemp moved one step closer to his goal of vying for the top spot at the state championships with a first-place finish at the 3A Special District Wrestling Championships held at McLoughlin High School on Saturday, February 14.

See DISTRICT CHAMP on page 19

in a joint project with Kiwanis Club of Sisters, the group made 35 beds for the Deschutes County chapter of the nationwide nonprofit dedicated to providing beds for needy children. Their motto is “No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town.”

The group has made and delivered over 375,000 beds since its inception. At SHP, they fully

believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. Previous bed builds have been conducted in Redmond and Bend. This was the first for Sisters. It generally surprises readers to learn that there are families in Sisters Country lacking in basic

Transportation tax referendum could move to May ballot

A bill to reschedule the date for a controversial transportation tax referendum from November to May is headed to the Oregon Senate for a vote.

Senate Bill 1599 is a Democratic-led attempt to move the date that Oregon voters can approve or reject parts of a 2025 transportation law on the day of the May 19 primary. Lawmakers on a joint subcommittee voted 5-3 along party lines to advance the bill at a tense meeting Thursday evening, February 12.

Supporters say moving the date would give voters a say on the measure as soon as possible, and give lawmakers the clarity they need to find a long-term funding solution as the Oregon Department of Transportation’s budget gap grows. Many opponents, however, characterized it as an effort to subvert the will of nearly a quarter-million voters and protect Democrats from appearing on general election ballots next to an unpopular tax hike. Although Democrats in the fall passed a law to raise $4.3 billion for the agency over the next decade,

See TAX REFERENDUM

Letters to the Editor…

Tribalism

To the Editor:

I was dismayed to read both the Editor’s note and the op-ed by Steve Woodside, both of which explicitly or implicitly decried tribalism while promoting it.

With respect to the Editor’s note, no reasonable person is shedding any tears about the fact that Maduro is no longer president of Venezuela. But that “bipartisan priority” was not a blank check to remove him by any means necessary, including the way it happened. There is a big difference between Biden’s correctly labeling Maduro illegitimate, calling for his ouster, and posting a reward for information leading to his arrest

and conviction and Trump’s swooping in to kidnap him and his wife while executing scores of his guards.

Pointing this out and having a bona fide, justifiable objection to the manner of Maduro’s removal from office is not the application of “one more tribal litmus test.”

With respect to Mr. Woodside’s column, I would ask that when the Editor prints such exercises in whataboutism that he require that they be fact-checked. As many have noted, while everyone is entitled to his own opinion, no one is entitled to his own facts.

Mary Chaffin

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. See LETTERS on page 20

Sisters Weather Forecast

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ICE v. the Fourth Amendment

By Cliff Brush Guest Columnist

Consider our Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, the acting ICE director’s May 12, 2025, memo claiming ICE agents are freed from important Fourth Amendment constraints, and why we should care.

Amendment 4 — Search and Seizure. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute website reminds us obtaining a warrant prior to a search is to protect individuals’ “reasonable expectation of privacy” and prevent “unlawful government searches and seizures.”

Judicial warrants require probable cause (reasonable information illegality will be found), particularity (the place to be searched), and the signature of a “neutral and detached” magistrate or judge. Be aware. ICE’s May 2025 memo claims ICE can issue its own search warrants.

being addressed to “All ICE Personnel,” ICE’s memo “has only been distributed to select DHS and ICE personnel.” Also, “one of our clients was allowed to view the memorandum only in the presence of their supervisor.” Other WA “clients are aware of multiple DHS employees who faced retaliation for expressing their concerns about and/or disagreement with the memo’s policy change.” They probably disagreed because the memo allows actions causing real, unnecessary harm.

WA includes a few examples of that harm. In 2025 ICE agents mistakenly raided a home occupied by U.S. citizens. ICE was seeking previous owners who had moved out. After another wrong-house raid, owners returned home from work and found their doors opened. A wrong-house raid in search of the wrong person disturbed a home-alone pregnant woman. Proper judicial warrants showing probable cause and particularity could have prevented those traumatic, unnecessary errors. But DHS and ICE object to such constitutional restraints.

A January 7, 2026, redacted Whistleblower Aid report to Congress includes a copy of the memo. WA explains the memo authorizes ICE agents to forcibly “enter homes without consent to conduct arrests and removals without a warrant issued by a federal judge.” ICE’s memo states agents should rely on DHS’s “Form I-205 Warrant of Removal/Deportation,” also known as an administrative warrant, “drafted and signed by an ICE official.”

WA explains Form I-205 “arrests have always been limited to public places because the Form I-205 has not been considered a warrant issued by a ‘neutral and detached magistrate’.”

ICE is shy about sharing the claim it can validate its own search warrants.

WA reports despite

In a January 22, 2026, Wall Street Journal commentary “How the Deep State Thwarted ICE Administrative Warrants,” DHS’s general counsel complains “Bureaucrats falsely claimed the law didn’t allow officers into illegal aliens’ homes.” Ragebait terms “Deep State” and “Bureaucrats” signal a political argument, not a convincing legal one. In their February 2, 2026, New York Times commentary, six former DHS general counsels or acting general counsels, Democrats and Republicans, agree. No “deep state” restrained ICE. The Fourth Amendment did. Why should we care about any of this? Because secretly-created, unchecked abuses of administrative warrants undermine everyone’s Fourth Amendment protections. Reread the Fourth Amendment and Cornell Law’s reminders. If you like your Fourth Amendment rights, oppose abuses of administrative warrants by any agency of any administration. Start with this one.

“Let’s Dance!”

Friday, February 27

6 to 8:30 p.m. The Belfry

302 E. Main Ave. Sisters

Outlaw Strings to headline dance

Local nonprofits

Citizens4Community (C4C) and SFF Presents are inviting the public to dust off their boots for another community social dance. The third in their “Let’s Dance!” series, the event will take place on Friday, February 27, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at The Belfry, 302 E. Main Ave. in Sisters.

Let’s Dance! will be led by local youth strings dance band Scandalous Chutney — a spinoff from the Outlaw Strings Club, composed entirely of Sisters Middle and High School students. Band members will guide attendees through dance tutorials, then perform lively fiddleand guitar-powered folk tunes.

Following Fremont’s trail in Sisters Country COMMUNITY

All ages are welcome to join in the revelry; past gatherings have seen “kids from 1 to 92” joining hands for contra, square, and line dances. There is no admission fee, but donations are gratefully accepted at the door. Suggested contribution: $10/adult, $5/ child. Drinks, snacks, and band swag will be available for purchase. One hundred percent of donations will benefit the Outlaw Strings Club, supporting musical education and experiences for local youth.

“We are so excited to be bringing our third community dance to Sisters,” said Sisters Middle School teacher and Strings Club leader Melissa Stolasz.

“We said last year that we wanted to build this dance together as a partnership. So we used donations from our first dance last year to get almost every band member to music summer camps. From those experiences, the kids learned some great new tunes and dances, and now we can’t wait to share them with the community!”

No experience is necessary to participate. The first 15 minutes include simple dance instruction — think “do-si-dos” and “promenades” — to help get everyone on the same foot. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, with plenty of room to watch, mingle, and soak up the fun.

Sisters Rodeo installs state-of-art irrigation

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

The Sisters Rodeo Grounds are maintenanceintensive, especially considering that most folks only experience them a couple of days a year. And the experience is often a dusty one. Keeping the 10.5-acre parking fields watered is both expensive and time consuming. No longer.

Thanks to the generosity and know-how of Rodeo board member, Scott Miller, the problem is in the rearview mirror. In neatly trenched rows, two miles of irrigation pipe has been laid meticulously avoiding existing fiber

optic, electric, and other utility infrastructure running though the property.

It will support 220 popup sprinkler heads keeping the grass lush and dust free. Because cars, trucks, and trailers will drive over the heads, unlike your home sprinklers, they have to retract into reinforced pipe that can withstand a trailer with say 10 horses or bulls.

“It will be a better experience for rodeo fans to be sure,” Miller said. “But it will also be very helpful to the Forest Service fire camps that routinely use the grounds in the summer.”

This month’s Fireside Speaker program of the Three Sisters Historical Society features Loren Irving, a well-known historian and professional photographer. Irving is a native Oregonian and a long-time resident of Bend.

Irving is recognized for his extensive research and field work on the Second John C. Fremont Expedition, commissioned by the U.S. Government to survey and map the Oregon Trail in the hope of encouraging westward settlement. They left

SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR

BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS

Al -Anon

Mon., noon, Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church. 5 41-610 -7383.

Alcoholics A nonymou s

Monday, 5 p.m., Shepherd of t he Hills

Lutheran Church • Tuesday, noon, Big Book study, Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church • Wednesday, 7 a.m.,G entlemen’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., Episc opal Church of the Transf iguration • Fr iday, noon, Step & Tradition meeting, Shepherd of t he Hills Lutheran Church. 5 41-5 48 -0 440. Saturday, 8 a.m., Episc opal Church of the Transf iguration • Sunday, 7 p.m Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration Central Oregon F ly Tye rs G uild For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelef ly@msn.c om Central Oregon Trail A lliance (COTA) Sisters Chapter meets monthly for a meeting, group bike ride, or event. Contact sistersrep@cotamtb.com for info.

Ci tizens4Communit y C ommunity

Builders meeting, 3rd Wednesday of ever y mont h, 10 to 11:30 a.m. V isit citizens 4c ommunity.c om for loc ation.

Council on Aging of Cent ral O rego n Senior Lunch In- person community dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grab -and -go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs 12:3 0 to 1 p.m. Sisters C ommunity Church. 5 41-4 8 0-18 43 East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wed. (September- June), Stitchin’ Post . A ll are welcome. 5 41-5 49 -6 061.

G o Fish Fishing G roup 3rd Monday

7 p.m., Siste rs C ommunity Church. 541-771-2211

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

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

Living Well W ith Dementia Sisters Care Par tner Suppor t Group. 2nd & 4th Weds., 1-2:30 p.m. Siste rs Park & Recreation District Communi ty Center. 541- 588 -0547.

Mili tary Parent s of S isters Meetings are held quarter ly; please c all 5 41-388 -9 013.

Oregon Band of Brothers Sisters Chapter meets Wednesda ys, 11:30 a.m., Takoda’s Restaurant. 5 41-5 49 -6 469.

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

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

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

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

Sisters Caregi ver Sup por t G roup 2nd & 4th Weds., 1-2:30 p.m. Siste rs Library Communit y Room. 5 41-588 -0547. (M eets with Living Well With Dementia Sisters)

Sisters Cribbage C lub Wednesdays, 11 a.m. at The Lodge, 411 E. Car penter Lane. 5 09 -9 47-574 4.

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

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

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

Sisters Kiwani s 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 11:3 0 a.m. to 1 p.m., at S PR D in Sisters 541- 632- 3663

Sisters Parent Teacher Communit y 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 SPR D. 541-76 0- 5645

Sisters Veterans no- host lunch, Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Rest aurant. All veterans welcome, 5 41-241-6 56 3.

Sisters Trails A lliance Board

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

Three Sister s Irrigation Distric t Board of Direc tors M eets 2nd Tuesday, 10 a.m., TSI D Of fice 541- 903- 4050

Three Sister s Lions Club 2nd Thursday, 6:3 0 p.m., Spoons Rest aurant. 5 41-419 -1279.

VF W Po st 8138 and A merican Legion Post 8 6 1st Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., The HUB, 2 91 E. M ain Ave. sistersveterans@gmail. com.

The Dalles in 1843 and continued through Oregon into northern Nevada and on to California. In December 1843, the expedition camped outside Sisters along Whychus Creek. The expedition consisted of 25 men and 104 horses and mules. It included famed scout Kit Carson, and young Native American Billy Chinook of the Wasco tribe, which later became part of the Warm Springs Reservation.

In 2009, using Fremont’s

SCHOOLS

Black Bu tt e School Board of Dire ctor s 3rd Tuesday, 9 a.m., Black But te School. 541-

Sisters

CIT Y & PARKS

Sisters Ci ty Council 2nd & 4t h Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters Cit y Hall 541- 549- 6022

Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of

FIRE

Black

&

POLICE

Magner qualifies for state in three events

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

Lola Magner qualified for state in two individual events along with a relay team for next week’s OSAA Swimming Championships following her performance at the 4A/3A/2A/1A Special District 4 meet held February 13-14 at Sweet Home High School.

Magner, a sophomore, placed second in both the 100-yard backstroke (1:05.97) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:19.98) to earn a berth at the state meet. The 200-yard freestyle relay team of Kate Singleton, Haven Heuberger, Rylie Bick, and Magner also placed second to qualify with a time of 1:54.58 to edge third-place Stayton by .3 seconds. Singleton, Bick, and Heuberger are all seniors.

“It’s great that they get to have one more shot at the state meet,” said head coach Alex Bick. “And it will give Lola some company.”

Singleton placed fifth in the 50-yard freestyle (28.00) to earn a spot on the podium and Bick notched a seventhplace finish in the 100-yard free (1:06.11).

Other scorers for the Outlaws included Ryah Nordell in the 500-yard free (10th/7:06.85), Heuberger in the 50-yard free (12th/30.45).

The team finished in eighth place among 11 teams with 93 points. Marist Catholic won the team title with 226 points.

The only points scored by the Outlaws boys came in the 200-yard freestyle relay where Gage Scott, Joseph Derksen, Dakota Smithers, and Tobann Bionda placed ninth in 1:56.07.

“I feel so privileged to coach such wonderful student/athletes and I am going to really miss all of our seniors. They all grew as competitors, but more importantly they all matured into well-balanced young adults,” said Bick.

Stayton won the team title with 200 points to edge out Marist Catholic by five points.

The OSAA State Championships for all classifications are set for Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center on February 20-21.

SFFP executive director to retire

The Board of Directors of SFF Presents (SFFP) has announced the upcoming retirement of Executive Director Crista Munro. After a prolific 30-year career in the nonprofit music and arts sector — a journey that began in Southwest Colorado in 1996 and brought her to Sisters in 2019 — Munro shared her decision to step away to eventually pursue new ventures outside the industry.

She is leaving SFF Presents in a position of incredible strength, both financially and reputationally. While we will miss Crista’s leadership, we celebrate her remarkable career and the solid foundation she has built for her successor.

— Leanne Summers

Munro’s departure from SFFP follows a period of unprecedented growth, rebranding, and modernization under her leadership. By providing significant notice of her retirement, Munro has ensured the organization will remain on a steadfast trajectory during the transition.

“Crista’s decision to retire marks the conclusion of a transformative chapter for us, and she does so with our full support and deepest gratitude,” said SFFP Board Chair Leanne Summers. “She is leaving SFF Presents in a position of incredible strength, both financially and reputationally. While we will miss Crista’s leadership, we celebrate her remarkable career and the solid foundation she has built for her successor.”

Munro leaves the organization in a place of stability. During her tenure, SFF Presents nearly doubled its annual revenue between 2019 and 2025 while expanding its slate of educational programs for youth and adults and launching the annual Big Ponderoo Music + Art Festival in June of 2022.

Operations at SFFP will remain in seasoned and skillful hands, the board asserts.

The current SFFP staff members are experienced and highly knowledgeable. To facilitate a robust transition, Munro will be involved through the Sisters Folk Festival in late September, and available to support the organization as needed through the end of the calendar year. The existing staff is complemented by a Board of Directors dedicated to a seamless transition and the

long-term sustainability of SFFP.

“The retirement of a leader like Crista is never ideal,” Summers said. “But, as Crista has said, a new director will bring a fresh perspective to help us adapt to an ever-changing industry. Thanks to Crista’s leadership, they will inherit a thriving, stable, and highly respected organization.”

The SFFP Board of Directors has launched a nationwide search for a new Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter. This role offers a compelling opportunity for a visionary leader to serve as the chief ambassador for a critical pillar of Central Oregon’s thriving arts economy. The position will remain open until a suitable candidate is hired. Detailed information regarding the position and the application process can be found on the SFFP website at sffpresents.org/careers.

Dine at the restaurants below on Thurs., Feb. 26, and a portion of proceeds will support the Sisters High School Class of 2026 graduation celebration!

Carmelita’s at The Bar n Fika Sisters Cof feehouse

Frankie’s Kitchen & Cocktails

High Camp Taphouse

Luckey’s Woodsman

The McAr thur

The Open Door

R Spot Takeout & Eatery

Sisters Cof fee Company

Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill

Sisters Meat and Smokehouse

Takoda’s Restaurant & Lounge

Three Creeks Brew Pub

Three Finger Jack Taver n

City snapshot — pedestrian safety, park, UGB progress

By Susan Cobb Correspondent

The Sisters City Council advised NW Park master plan designers NV5 last week that a more conservative overall plan for the 2.7acre property is preferred. Council’s recommendations to NV5 to eliminate any major structures and supporting infrastructure, took the estimated construction expense from $9,938,006 to just under $2 million.

In the February 11 Council workshop, NV5 Jon Champlin presented the current preferred option including three phased approaches, estimated expense for each, and associated funding. The funding did not include estimates for maintaining and managing a proposed 120-by-90-foot open air ice sheet. Council thanked NV5 for their thorough work to include past public considerations, and various iterations based on recommendations from Council in two previous workshops.

Council reconsidered limiting the size of the NW Park property and the fact that the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion would include one or more far larger public parks which could support the public’s preferred regulation-sized ice rink. Council determined that the small NW Park should not include any large structures, and should just be a park with various amenities which the public had suggested.

The next iteration of the NW Park master plan for review by Council will include: a naturescape playground; an outdoor court (likely basketball); restroom and covered picnic facilities, tables and benches; about 20 parking spaces; a fire lookout structure; a berm to reduce traffic noise and allow for seasonal sledding; and about a three-mile nature walk (possibly with exercise stations).

Finance and Human Resources Director Joe O’Neill presented the fiscal

year 2025-26 second quarter financial summary. O’Neill reported no red flags, and both revenues and expenses are tracking very close to expectations or better. The minor exception is the transit room tax is down by eight percent compared to the same time last year, which is likely due to the lack of snow this season.

Mayor Jennifer Letz and council members expressed condolences to the Scholl and Green families for their recent loss of family members. Kellie Scholl died in a car crash on Highway 22, and Colleen Greene was killed in a pedestrian vs. vehicle crash on Cascade Avenue in Sisters.

During public comments, Douglas Maines expressed that he continues to be highly concerned about pedestrian safety. Maines proposed the recent death, and the injury of another pedestrian on Cascade Avenue, should now cause Council to insist the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) allow modifications for the safety of pedestrians crossing Highway 20 within the city limits. Council later discussed the city’s pedestrian safety and agreed approaching ODOT again on the topic was needed, and will be included in Council’s 20262027 goal-setting meeting on February 19.

Public commenter Cathy Russell reminded Council that mitigating defensible space is how the City’s community members could reduce the risk of a wildfire spreading throughout the City. Russell appreciated that the home-hardening code is now in place for future development. Russell noted requiring City-wide compliance to mitigate defensible space would be optimal. She added that a critical time to have standards in place is during future annexations and it is a “prime time to set the stage for fire safety.”

Community Planning

Director Scott Woodford reported the UGB expansion map application will

be filed within a few days to Council and to the Board of Deschutes County Commissioners (BOCC). There will be public meetings by the Council and BOCC to review and adopt and Woodford expects adoptions to complete this summer. As of February 11, there had not been any new appeals but once adopted, Woodford

stated another 21-day appeal period follows the UGB expansion map adoption dates by the City and BOCC. After planning staff file the applications, they will proceed to review and improve the City’s annexation process and will begin the “area planning” phase of the UGB expansion process — the latter estimated to take six

months or more.

The City’s monthly newsletter, The Sisters Roundup, contains information about current and future projects, City events, and other municipal news. One can read the newsletter or signup to receive via email here, https://www.ci.sisters. or.us (link at the bottom of homepage).

Obituaries

Robert Bruce Cornelius

January 14, 1928-February 10, 2026

Robert Bruce Cornelius, known to all who loved him as Grampy Bob, died at his eldest son’s home in Van Nuys, California, on February 10. He was 98 years old.

The son of an Irishwoman from Chicago and a Swedish railroad man, he was one of 11 children, and — after considerable Depression-era migration — grew up mostly in Highland Park, Los Angeles, California. He served a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy in between World War II and Korea. He was a printer’s mate, because he knew from the age of 12 that he wanted to be a printer. That became his career, which started as a Linotype operator and ended in sales.

He married Shirley Mae Ginter (Sterling), and adopted her three-yearold daughter Cynthia, who never thought of him as anything other than her daddy. His son John was born in 1954, and, after an 11-1/2-year gap, son James came along, followed by sister Cathleen Ann. Cathie had severe cerebral palsy, and Bob would spend the next 36 years as a caregiver, a role that he stepped up to with love and fortitude.

Despite the demands of his work and of caring for a handicapped child, Bob was exceptionally supportive of his other children, enthusiastically encouraging their passions and endeavors.

One of the qualities that carried Bob through the challenges of life was a bullet-proof optimism. He believed that people and life were good and getting better, and he believed in the best of America. He was a patriot in the most straightforward way, and as an old(er) man you could count on him to dress in red-white-and-blue for almost any occasion.

After Sterling and Cathie died five weeks apart in 2005, Bob bought a red convertible and began to travel, reconnecting with his brothers, and spending summers in Sisters, where he quickly endeared himself to everyone who met him. He got to spend precious time with

his granddaughter Ceili, driving that convertible down to Bend and getting gloriously lost, and taking her out to the driving range where he enjoyed hitting a bucket of balls. He loved nothing more than to enjoy music, from local bands to the Sisters Folk Festival, and to walk, sometimes miles a day, through the neighborhoods of Sisters.

The last few years, Grampy Bob got too frail to make the trip to Sisters. Folks missed him. His last trip to Sisters was for his granddaughter Ceili’s wedding to Jarod Gatley.

He was preceded in death by nine siblings, his wife Sterling, daughters Cathie and Cynthia, and grandson Kenneth. He is survived by his sister Maybelle, son John Cornelius (Roxane), son Jim Cornelius (Marilyn); grandchildren Victoria, Christina, Tiana, Marissa, and Ceili.

Bob’s last years were challenging as his health failed, but he received loving care from John Cornelius and his family, and ultimately passed quietly and peacefully, knowing that he was well-loved.

Fare you well, Fare you well

I love you more than words can tell

Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul...

Johnny Edward Shaw

March 11, 1944-February 2, 2026

The family of Johnny Edward “Kojak” Shaw is saddened to announce his passing on February 2.

Born on March 11, 1944, in Bend, John lived his life with a passion for the outdoors (especially hunting and fishing), woodworking, and spending time with friends & family.

John, a retired professional forester, worked for Weyerhaeuser, Kinzua, and Idaho Timber companies. But for many years he ran his own business Forest Management Services, Inc. — helping many eastern Oregon timber owners market and sell their timber to gain the best financial outcome while simultaneously maintaining and growing a healthy forest.

John grew up in Sisters, and was known for his athletic ability: Quarterback of a state championship football team, basketball point guard, and baseball pitcher/ infielder. He was inducted in the Sisters Outlaws Hall of Fame along with his championship football team. He graduated from Oregon State University and loved watching the Beavers! While growing up in Sisters he met his first wife Linda, with whom he had his only son JJ. They lived and worked in Kinzua & Heppner until 1989.

John found his soulmate — Pat Shaw — and they married on December 30, 1994. Pat and John enjoyed playing golf, camping, visiting the Oregon coast; but their passion was “cruising.” They’ve enjoyed many trips to Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Iceland, Europe, and even a 36-day journey around the southern tip of South America.

John was a consummate

woodworker who had a knack for carving intricate objects and building custom furniture. He loved many types of wood and is known for making beautiful rolltop desks out of black walnut, juniper, and blue pine. The bar and registration desk at Hotel Condon and the large display case at the Condon Elks Club are some of his biggest endeavors.

John is survived by his wife of 31 years, Pat; son JJ (Barb), granddaughter Allie, stepchildren Tami Long (Joe), Amy Coy (Ron), Eric Harrison, and Ryan Harrison; and many other grand- & great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Homer & Norma Shaw, and brother Ralph.

A celebration of life will be held March 7, 2026, with friends and family.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Dementia Society of America.

Sweeney Payton Mortuary has been entrusted with the arrangements. Please leave your condolence messages for the family at www.sweeneypayton mortuary.com.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22 • 2 PM

John C. Fremont Slept Here

Loren Irving, historian and photographer, traversed our state documenting the path of the 2nd John Fremont Expedition as it came through Oregon in 1843. Loren’s stories and photos link present-day landscapes to the expedition’s experiences at 31 campsites, including Whychus Creek and the Metolius River Other members of this party were Kit Carson and young Billy Chinook. Our speaker’s expertise was utilized as Curator for the “Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West” exhibit, which traveled the Northwest for several years. Loren Irving

Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. Tickets are $10 at the Door (Free to TSHS members) 2 p.m. , doors open at 1 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served. Questions? Call 541-610-6323.

Dining out supports SHS graduation

The Sisters High School Class of 2026 is inviting the community to support local high school seniors by dining out on Thursday, February 26. On this day, participating local restaurants will donate a portion of their proceeds to help fund the Class of 2026 graduation celebration.

These students have worked hard to reach their senior year, and the goal of the fundraiser is to give them a safe and fun way to celebrate their accomplishments together. Funds raised will help support a senior class trip to the Washington Family Ranch.

Participating restaurants include: Carmelita’s at The Barn, Fika Sisters Coffeehouse, Frankie’s Kitchen & Cocktails, High Camp Taphouse, Luckey’s Woodsman, R Spot Takeout & Eatery, Sisters Coffee Company, Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill, Sisters Meat and Smokehouse, Takoda’s Restaurant & Lounge, The McArthur, Three Creeks Brew Pub, Three Finger Jack Tavern, and The Open Door. Community members are encouraged to dine out on February 26 and support Sisters High School seniors while enjoying great local food.

Judge blocks Trump election order in Ore.

By Julia Shumway Oregon Capital Chronicle

A federal judge in Washington state permanently blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a 2025 executive order that sought to require voters prove citizenship and that all ballots be received by Election Day.

Oregon and Washington sued over the order last April, separately from 19 other Democratic states that filed their own lawsuit in Massachusetts. The two northwestern states argued that they faced special harm from President Donald Trump’s executive order because they run elections entirely by mail.

The executive order sought to require citizens to provide documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and demanded that all ballots be

Of aAGEcertain

Sue Stafford Columnist

Volunteering

is good for you — and others

In 1975, there were 25 million Americans over 65. Today it has more than doubled to 55 million. In 10 years, the 65-plus will outnumber those under 18 for the first time. The fastest growing group of people who are becoming homeless are now people over the age of 50.

— Angela Thoreson, Clinical Social Worker

What can we as a community do to meet the challenge of ensuring our growing number of seniors can stay in their homes and successfully remain in Sisters, which many have voiced is their desire?

As a community, we do a good job of meeting

emergency needs when they arise — an unfortunate fire or accident, unexpected financial challenges, unexpected death, or disability. We jump in to provide temporary help. As our elder neighbors adjust to changes in their physical, emotional, mental, or financial capabilities, can we as a community work together to provide the needed support required to ease their burdens?

Things as simple as checking on your neighbor, a weekly friendly phone call, an offer to help around the house/yard, picking up some groceries, or providing a ride for errands can make a big difference to someone no longer able to accomplish those tasks or who has little human interaction on a day-to-day basis. Caregiving is a broad topic that covers anything from a weekly check-in to 24/7 inhome care and everything in between.

Sisters is known for our arts and culture, our stunning scenery, our variety of outdoor activities, as well as the Sisters Rodeo, Outdoor Quilt Show, Sisters Folk Festival, great schools, and friendly people. Wouldn’t it be rewarding to also have the reputation as “the little town with the big heart?”

Numerous studies have been done on the benefits of helping people – both for those receiving the help and

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those providing it. There are significant health benefits, especially for older adults. By volunteering, you are engaged in moving and thinking at the same time, lowering the chances of depression and anxiety. Those who receive volunteer help can have their load lightened a little and have the opportunity to interact with others.

By volunteering, stress can be reduced while increasing positive, relaxed feelings due to the release of dopamine. I have found that true for myself. When I spend time in service to others driving for STARS, I always come home feeling happy and fulfilled, having a sense of meaning and appreciation, both given and received.

By reducing stress, the risk is decreased for some physical and mental health problems such as heart disease, stroke, depression, anxiety, and general illness. Studies have shown that people who volunteer have lower mortality rates, even when considering age, gender, and physical health. Volunteering is a win-win for everyone involved. Volunteer efforts are essential for many

services and activities here in Sisters. Giving your time and talent in areas you find meaningful provides a sense of purpose. Greater increase in life satisfaction and selfesteem are especially experienced by older volunteers. Isolation and loneliness have been identified as a growing concern here in Central Oregon as well as elsewhere. By volunteering, you can counter those evil twins with increased social interaction while building a support system based on common interests. Participating in shared activities is a great way to make new friends and fortify existing relationships.

There are many reasons people volunteer, yet most share the desire to improve the health and welfare of their neighbors and community. I believe we have collective responsibility to care about and for each other.

At the Community Forum on Sunday, March 8, 4 to 5:30 p.m., at Sisters Elementary School, we will be exploring a variety of ways to help our seniors age in place, many of which will require volunteer participation. Please join us.

Outlaws fall in double-overtime heartbreaker

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The Outlaws basketball team suffered a heart-breaking 61-65 loss on the road at Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, February 10, but bounced back at home on Friday with a 60-27 win over La Pine.

Sisters knew Tuesday’s game against Pleasant Hill would be a battle as the Billies entered the contest with a perfect 8-0 league record and are ranked No. 2 in the state. On their first matchup of the season the Outlaws were just seconds away from defeating the Billies despite the fact they were only playing with five players. They battled to the very end and only lost by one point.

This time around, the Outlaws scored first when Marshall Durham drove the lane from the top of the key for a contested layup, but soon the Billies scored on four consecutive possessions and took a 10-5 lead. With 2:15 left in the quarter the Outlaws went on a 4-0 run and evened the score at 13-13. Unfortunately, the Billies ended the period on a 7-0 surge and took a 20-17 advantage.

Sisters started the second quarter with three straight turnovers, and didn’t score their first bucket until 4:58 left in the period when Charlie Moen got the rebound off his own miss and put it back for the score. The remainder of the period teams played within three points of each other with the Billies holding the lead throughout the entire period. At the half Sisters trailed 27-31.

Teams played even the first four minutes of the third, both scoring 10 points each. Sisters went on an 8-2 run to close out the quarter with four different players contributing, including Durham, Kieren Labhart, Teegan Schwartz, and Bauer Ellis. The run put Sisters on top 45-43 as teams headed into the final period.

The Billies captured the lead and held onto their advantage in the fourth

quarter, and with two minutes remaining the Outlaws found themselves down by three, 50-53. Sisters ran a set play for Will McDonnell, who hit the triple from the top of the key to knot it up at 53-53. Neither team was able to score from there and the contest headed into overtime.

Ellis scored a layup off a Durham assist to start the overtime period, and then Labhart hit one of two freethrows to give the Outlaws the 56-53 edge. The Billies scored the next four points and went up by one, 57-56, with 1:35 left. With 10 seconds left the Billies converted a free throw to go up by two, 58-56. The clock ticked down and the Outlaws used their final timeout. With 1.8 seconds left on the clock, McDonnell shot a desperation jump shot that didn’t find the rim, but Durham grabbed the rebound and converted for two points to tie the game at 58-58 and send the game to a second overtime period.

Once again, Sisters scored first, but the Billies came back with five unanswered points and took a 63-60 lead with 1:35 left in the overtime period. McDonnell was fouled with 1:17 left and converted one of two at the charity stripe to cut the lead to two points at 61-63. With 44 seconds remaining a layup from the Outlaws failed and the Billies got the ball back. Sisters was forced to foul, and Pleasant Hill converted both free throws with 17 seconds left to make it a four-point game, 61-65. Unfortunately, no shots would fall for the Outlaws and they once again had to take a close loss against the Billies.

McDonnell led the team with 19 points, Ellis scored 14, Durham put up 13, and Schwartz added six.

Coach Chad Rush said, “This was a game that the players put tremendous effort into and laid everything on the line. I am beyond proud of how the team battled and fought all night in a hostile environment and once again gave themselves multiple opportunities to win the

game, but see it slip from their grasp. This one was a hard one for all of us.”

On Friday, prior to their home game against the Hawks, the Outlaws honored their three seniors: Teegan Schwartz, Charlie Moen, and Keegan Dunn, who were gifted with a personalized duffle bag and a candy lei. Coach Rush praised all three players, who have played in the program since their youth, and played as an Outlaw since their freshman year.

Schwartz played a few varsity games late in the season last year when several of the post players were injured and Rush noted he did a great job stepping into that role. He has continued in that role on varsity this entire season.

“As the team’s post player, Teegan always gets matched up with the tallest player for the opponent,” said Rush. “That does not deter Teegan from chasing rebounds on both ends of the floor and being a physical defensive presence. He has a great motor and works extremely hard to help the team be successful. I will miss his tenacity, easy going jump shot and hustle on both ends of the floor.”

This year marked Moen’s first full season at the varsity level after having a very successful JV season the past couple of years.

“Charlie has become the team’s defensive player, almost always guarding the opponent’s toughest player,” said Rush. “Charlie has embraced this challenge and role for us this season. His hustle, energy, and enthusiasm is contagious and has been a big part of the team this year. I appreciate Charlie’s coachability and positive attitude and will miss his presence in the program.”

Dunn is a story of perseverance and determination. After tearing his ACL in the fall of last year, he missed his entire junior season.

“Keegan has worked extremely hard to come back for his senior year,” said Rush. “He works hard in practice and has become

a consistent deep-ball threat behind the three-point line. I love how Keegan is always smiling and encouraging his teammates. He is certainly a team-first player and I have truly enjoyed having him in the program.”

In the last matchup against the Hawks the Outlaws allowed them to score 25 points in the first quarter, and this time around they were determined to not let that happen. They buckled down and did just that, and held them to four points in the period. At the end of one the Outlaws were on top 15-4.

Sisters kept up the pressure in the second quarter. Up by 14 with just over three minutes left in the half, the Outlaws put the game out of reach with a 5-0 run that closed out the period and gave them a 19-point lead.

The Outlaws goal in the third was to keep the pressure on, make sure they won each quarter and prevent the Hawks from mounting a comeback. Labhart provided the play of the game at the 1:50 mark when he drove by his defender at the top of the key and threw down a onehanded dunk in traffic. At the end of the third the Outlaws held a 44-20 lead.

With over six minutes left in the final period, Sisters began to sub out their seniors one-by-one. Dunn was the first to get his curtain call after fouling out. From there, Moen got one last ovation from the crowd, and finally Schwartz came out with applause from the fans.

Three freshmen and two sophomores finished the game, with four seeing their first varsity action of the season. Sisters outscored the Hawks 12-4 in the final 5:31 of the game.

“This was a great night for the Outlaws, especially our three seniors,” said Rush. “The team wanted to take control of the game early and they were able to do that with a very good defensive effort that frustrated the Hawks and did not allow them to have any rhythm offensively.

“If this is our last game of the season, it was a good way to go out, playing as a team, controlling the defensive end of the floor and having fun,” added Rush. “I am sad to see our seniors play their final game at home. It was great to see them go out with a win in their final game. They will all be missed greatly for what they have done for Outlaws basketball.”

The Outlaws did not make the league playoffs, and only have a very small chance they could sneak into the state playoffs as an at-large qualifier. That information will not be available until Saturday, February 21.

Taking his shot…

Outlaws cap perfect week with win

By Rongi Yost Correspondent

The Lady Outlaws earned a 46-37 win on the road at Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, February 10, and on Friday wrapped up league basketball play at home with a 46-15 over the visiting La Pine Hawks.

In Tuesday’s action a home playoff game was on the line for the Outlaws (No. 5 in state) as they faced the Billies (No. 6 in state) on their home court.

Sisters struggled offensively early in the contest and at the end of the first period trailed 6-8. It was a tight second quarter. Verbena Brent scored back-to-back layups to close out the period and trim the Outlaws’ deficit to one at 15-16.

Sisters didn’t shoot particularly well in the first half, but did have some great moments where they executed well and put points on the board.

The Outlaws came out of the break, took control, and outscored the Billies 17-8. Audrey Corcoran scored Sisters first six points in the period, and the team ripped a 12-2 run to close out the period on top 32-24. In the final period, Maddie Durham started the scoring when she knocked down a big three off a Maici Cotner assist. The Billies scored five consecutive points to cut the lead to six, 35-29. The Billies were never able to get to within less than four points the remainder of the game, and Sisters went on to win by nine. Brent led the team with 18 points, and Corcoran and Durham both scored 13. The

Lady Outlaws did an outstanding job at the charity stripe going 15-for-16.

Pleasant Hill doesn’t have any real stand-out players, but they are eight players deep and all eight can score. Coach Kevin Cotner noted that the Outlaws did a great job containing Karyn Stapleton, who is their primary facilitator, and Anna Crawford, who is their inside threat.

Cotner told The Nugget that he felt the Outlaws did a better job of breaking the Billies press compared to the first-round matchup, but still need to get better in their transition game and advancement passes. He stated they can’t rely on scoring in the half-court game night-in and night-out.

“This was a big confidence win for us tonight,” said Cotner. “I think our girls understood the importance of this game. The grit and fortitude of this team is maybe what I am most proud of. There is no give up, there is no head hanging, and they keep fighting even when things aren’t going our way.

“We are continuing to learn how to win in big moments on the road and that is all part of the growth journey,” Cotner added. “Now as we look forward, we have to prepare to play them for the third time this season. It starts on defense for us. If we can bring even more energy, a relentless mindset, and high IQ offensive decisionmaking we will be in good shape.”

Friday night marked senior night for the Lady Outlaws and they honored their lone senior, Norah Thorsett, who was given a

basket full of gifts and an armload of balloons.

Of his senior player, Cotner said, “Norah has been a pillar of the Sisters Outlaws girls basketball team for the last four years. She’s our lone senior and an absolutely integral part of our program. She is a natural leader both on and off the floor and brings a special energy to all team practices and events. She is the epitome of the We-Me Mantra, always putting the team above herself and ensuring a positive team culture. Norah will be missed.”

Sisters crushed the visiting Hawks, held them to five points or less in every quarter, and limited their turnovers to just two in the first half. Eleven players got into the game and eight were in the scoring column.

Cotner told The Nugget that the girls understood the night’s assignment, which was to celebrate Norah and what she’s meant to the program.

“I told Norah when she asked if she was getting a sub, ‘Nope — not unless you pass out,’” he said. “Tonight was all about her and it was a great way to end league play.”

Sisters did a great job with their interior passing, which Cotner stated is a tough but critical part of beating zones and something they’ve been focusing on.

“This was our last league game and I am looking forward to getting three full days of practice before our home playoff game next Thursday,” said Cotner.

The Outlaws will host Pleasant Hill in the first round of league playoffs on Thursday, February 19.

ELECTION: Judge ruled in favor of Oregon and Washington

Continued from page 7

received by Election Day. It threatened to strip funding from states whose election officials didn’t comply.

In his 75-page order in favor of Oregon and Washington, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun found that Trump lacks the authority to unilaterally order such changes. Chun, appointed by former President Joe Biden, echoed similar rulings in the Massachusetts case brought by other Democratic states and a Washington, D.C. case filed by Democratic organizations and civil rights groups.

“This case is not about whether the states, Congress, or the executive offer better or worse ways to run elections,” Chun wrote. “It is also not about whether the current laws governing American elections could benefit from updates or modifications. And the parties do not dispute the importance of fair elections.”

Statewide election officials in Oregon and Washington, both Democrats, celebrated the victory.

“The Trump administration attacked American elections with an illegal executive order,” Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said. “Today, we put a stop to that nonsense. This is a win for the Constitution and the American people. Presidents don’t get to rig elections. Period.”

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the ruling protects his office’s ability to ensure elections are free, fair, and accessible to all voters.

“It draws a firm line between enforcing the law and trying to remake it, and it protects voters and local election officials from political overreach that would have made our elections less fair, not more secure,” Hobbs said.

Oregon and Washington have a long history of pioneering election laws, and advocates for ballot access have long pointed to the northwestern states as a laboratory for modern election administration. Oregon was the first state in the nation to adopt all-mail voting in 2000, while Washington became the second in 2011.

Both states also allow counting ballots postmarked by Election Day, though Oregon election officials in November urged voters to use dropboxes and not mailboxes close to Election Day because of U.S. Postal Service changes that no longer guarantee letters receive postmarks the day they’re mailed.

About 13,500 Oregonians and 120,000 Washingtonians would not have had their

See ELECTION on page 23

COMM UN IT Y AN NOUNCE ME NTS

Craf t & Connec t: The Joy of Photo Book s Satu rd ay, Febru ar y 21, f rom 10 a .m . to 12 p.m . at t he P ine Meadow R anc h Center for Ar t s & A gr ic ultu re, 6 84 67 ree Creek s R d , Sisters

Meet M alek! M

k i s a young short ha i r c at w ho i s fr iend ly w it h people , a nd prev iously l ived w it h other pets . He wou ld love a home where he c a n r un, play, a nd chase toy s to h i s hea rt ’s content . Stop b y t he shelter to meet M alek tod ay a nd see i f he’s t he per fec t m atc h for you!

Free Lu nches for Seniors

For t hose 6 0+, t he Cou nc il

on A ging of C entra l O regon

o er s a f un, no-cost soc ia l lu nc h e ver y Tuesd ay, 11

a.m . to 1 p.m . at Sisters

Commun it y C hu rc h, 130 0 W. McK en zie Hwy. No

reserv at ion s needed . No-cost

Grab-N -G o lunche s t ake pl ace wee kly on Wed ne sd ay and u rsday, f rom 12:3 0 to 1 p. m . Cal l 5 41-797-9367.

Week ly Food Pa nt ry

COR E M arket , loc ated at 22 2 N. Trinit y Way i n Sisters

Ma rket h ou r s a re Mondays , 1 to 2 p.m . I nfo: 5 41-588 -2 332.

Free Week ly Meal Serv ice

Famil y K itchen hos t s a week ly to-go hot mea l on Tuesdays , 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., at

Si sters Com mu nit y C hu rc h, 13 0 0 W. McK en zie Hwy

In fo: www.Fami lyKitc hen. org.

Free Pet Food

Need pet food for you r dog or c at? Cal l t he Furr y Friends

pet food ban k at 5 41-79740 2 3 to s chedule you r pic kup.

Located at 412 E . M ai n Ave., Ste . 4, beh ind e Nug get.

Kiwa nis Food Ba nk

Located at 382 W. M ai n Ave . Weekly d istr ibut ion i s u rsday s f rom 9 a .m . to 2 p.m . I nfo: 5 41-632 -3 663.

Joi n PMRCA A a nd t heir loca l photog raphy c ol lect ive, Li le R ad ic a l Fil m S hop, for a morning ded ic ated to t he joy of photo books . A l l a re welcome to bring one , or m any, of t heir favorite photog rapher’s books to s ha re or s imply come to brow se a nd enjoy. i s e vent i s open to a nyone w ho loves photog raphy, books , a nd t he ac t of sha ring c reat ive wor k, rega rd les s of e xper ienc e or sk il l level . i s e vent i s f ree a nd open to t he public . R eg istrat ion i s requi red at h ps:// roundhou sefoundation .org / events/. For more i nfo c al l 5 4190 4- 070 0 or ema i l i nquiries@ roundhou sefoundation .org

Hang s @ The Hangar

Wednesdays , 3:3 0 to 4 :3 0 p.m., Fr id ay s , 7 to 8:3 0 a .m . a nd 1:15 to 2:3 0 p.m . at e H anga r at Si sters Com mu nit y C hu rc h, 13 0 9 W. McK in ne y Bu e R d. A safe place to h ang for m iddle and h ig h school student s . Two certi ed adu lt volunteers a re present to help w it h homework, etc . Fol lowi ng t he school schedu le for c losu res . Contact jfol in @sisterschurch .com or 541-549-12 01 e xt .208

Fi rst Fr id ay Fa mi ly Fun

Bi ngo Night

Fr id ay, M arc h 6 . L oc al s a nd vi sitor s of a l l age s welcome! i s i s a c ash e vent . D in ner for pu rc has e beg in s at 5:0 0 p.m Ga mes beg i n at 5:3 0 p.m . $20 packet i nc lude s t hree c ard s for each of 10 game s w it h a loc al merc ha nt g i ca rd awa rde d a s a pr ize, plu s an add it iona l ca rd for the 11t h game featuring $10 0 cas h pri ze. 5 0/5 0 R a e opt ion: ticket s a re $ 2 eac h or 6 for $10

Ha l f of r a e sale s w il l bene t

Ci rc le of Friends . Suppor t t hi s va lu able com mu nit y resou rce i n t ribute to K el lie Schol l.

e Epi scopa l C hu rc h of t he

Tran s g urat ion, 121 Brook s

Ca mp R oad , Sisters . Contact: 541-549-70 87

Intergenerationa l Commun it y Connec tions

Su nd ay, Febru ar y 2 2 , people of al l age s a nd f aith s a re i nv ited for Friends , Families , Food, and Fu n act iv it ies . E xplore roundt able conversat ion s on spir it ua l v alues t hat bri ng people toget her i n ou r d iv ided world a nd sha re a f ree mea l. e Epi scopa l C hu rc h of t he

Tran s g urat ion, 121 Brook s

Ca mp R d., e ver y fou rt h Sunday of t he month, 4:3 0– 6 p.m . 5 41549-70 87

Ca lling Al l Submariners Cent ra l O regon SubVet Quar terly Mee ting w il l be

Su nd ay, Febru ar y 2 2 , 1 p.m at e A merica n L eg ion H al l, 70 4 S W 8t h St., R ed mond Loca l due s a re due a nd oat ch ri sten ing w il l h appen on Satu rd ay, M arc h 7, i n B end.

Te x t only 5 41-527-5 48 4.

Livi ng Well With Dement ia Sisters Suppor t Groups Suppor t g roups meet t he 2nd and 4 t h Wed ne sd ay of t he mont h f rom 1 to 2:3 0 p.m at Sisters P ark & R ec reat ion

Dist ric t Com mu nit y Center.

e E arly Stage Suppor t Group

meet s i n t he W hychu s R oom.

e Care Partner G roup meets i n t he Metol iu s R oom . For in form at ion c al l 5 41-588 -0547.

Al ig ni ng Your Invest ment s with Your Va lues Free edu cationa l c lass , u rsday, Febru ar y 19, at 6 to 7 p.m . i n Sisters . A rr ive at 5:45 p. m . for a f ree b u et d in ner, but a endees must R SV P to 541-549-18 66 , E dw ard Jones

o ce . L oc at ion a nd det ai ls wi l l be s ha red once you R SV P. Topics: How to a lig n you r invest ment por tfol io w it h sust ai nable c au ses; w hether sust ai nable i nvesting c an meet you r n ancia l goa ls , a nd more. P resented by K aren Ka ss y, c ha rtered ret irement professiona l cou nselor a nd na nc ia l adv isor w it h E dw ard Jone s

Sisters Muse um Has Reopened e Sisters M useu m (151 N Spruce St.) open hou r s a re Fr id ay s a nd Sat urday s 10 a.m . to 4 p.m . e museu m i s f ree a nd

Stars over Sisters

By Althea Crabtree Correspondent

Now that February has arrived, several constellations are becoming visible once more. Among those is Cancer, also known as the crab. Cancer is one of the twelve zodiac constellations and lies on the ecliptic, the trajectory the sun takes across the sky during the year. February marks the first time we’re able to view Cancer this year, and it will become more apparent as the month goes on. While it is called the crab, the constellation itself looks like an upside down Y and can be spotted between the constellations Gemini and Leo. Next to the constellation of Cancer is a very interesting open star cluster called the Beehive, which contains around 1,000 stars. The Beehive is one of the closest star clusters to Earth, and is one of the youngest, only being around 600 to 700 million years old.

Another interesting star cluster visible in February is the Pleiades star cluster. The Polynesian legend describes it was once the one single brightest star in the sky, and would constantly brag about its brilliance. The god Tane got tired of the star’s vanity so he smashed it, creating the Pleiades star cluster. Besides star clusters there are several other things you should keep your eyes open for this February. The biggest one is the Milky Way, which is entering its season of prominence. The galactic core will be visible from now until September. Jupiter is also important to look out for, and should be easily spotted within the Gemini constellation, standing out with its lovely yellowish hue. Speaking of planets, another one to watch out for is the planet parade on February 28th, where Jupiter, Mercury, Mars, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune will share the sky, a very rare occurrence.

The moon was full on February 2, and the next full moon will be on March 3. That March 3 full moon will be a total lunar eclipse also known as a blood moon. This happens when the moon is completely in the earth’s shadow, causing the moon to appear red.

Another amazing astronomical event in February is the Alpha Centaurids class II meteor shower, which will be active until around February 20. It will peak on

March 8 with the ability to see about six meteors per hour.

To make sure our whole community can continue to enjoy dark skies, we all need to do our part to reduce light pollution. One great way to do this is to use dim and warm-colored outdoor lighting. For more information on the dark sky ordinance, visit https://www.ci. sisters.or.us/communitydevelopment/page/ dark-skies-lighting-review.

Serving Dinner Mondays 5:30-8!

MIC music • poetry • comedy

Mondays 6-8 p.m. Sign up at 5:30 p.m. Bring your talent or just come cheer!

Always a great time at SPOONS RESTAURANT 473 E. Hood Ave., Sisters

WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 18

Suttle Lodge Live Music: Dirty Jazz Come hang and listen to jazz with Wolfe House records 6 to 8 p.m. $15, or free for Suttle guests Info: www thesuttlelodge.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).

Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tom Nechville & Linda Leavitt "Handpicked Series," 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets: frankiesinsisters.com. Upstairs at 250 W. Cascade Ave.

THURSDAY • FEBRUARY 19

Lazy Z Ranch Wines BYO Vinyl Night 5 to 8 p.m. Bring your favorite records — we’ll spin guest picks in a cozy listening-lounge vibe Info:www.lazyzranch.com/events.

Paulina Springs Books Author reading: Jane Hiatt presents "Deep Medicine for Trauma: 5 Powerful Treatments for Healing That Experts Have Overlooked." 6:30 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 20

Spoons Murder Myster y: Murder at Sunset An immersive, interactive theater experience based on unsolved, true Central Oregon crimes presented by Adventure Time Entertainment. Dinner specials available 5:30 p.m. Tickets $20: bit.ly/spoonsmystery2-20 473 E. Hood Ave. Info: 541-719-0572

Hardtails Outlaw Countr y Dive Bar & Grill

Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114.

Lazy Z Ranch Wines Golden Hour Game Night 5 to 8 p.m. Bring your favorite game! Family-friendly evening with all the views Info:www.lazyzranch.com/events. Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tony Lompa

6 to 8 p.m. No cover! Upstairs at 250 W. Cascade Ave.

Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $20 Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

SATURDAY • FEBRUARY 21

Spoons Murder Myster y: High Desert Horror & The Lava Lakes Murders An immersive, interactive theater experience based on unsolved, true, Central Oregon crimes presented by Clark Week Productions. The story of Ray Van Buren Jackson in honor of the 8 victims whose lives he brought to an untimely end. Written by Clint Clark and directed by Raechel Gilland. Dinner specials available 5:30 p.m. Tickets $20: bit.ly/spoonsmystery2-21. 473 E. Hood Ave. Info: 541-719-0572

The Belfr y An Evening of Aloha: Bill Keale & Friends (Bugs, Kurt Silva, Hokulea Ohana Dancers) 7 p.m. Aloha show before Bill Keale returns to Hawaii after 30 years in Bend. Tickets, BendTicket.com.

SATURDAY • FEB. 21 (cont.)

Hardtails Outlaw Countr y Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114.

SUNDAY • FEBRUARY 22

Sisters Fire Hall Fireside Series: "John C. Fremont Slept Here" by Loren Irving, historian and photographer who has traversed our state documenting the path of the 2nd John Fremont Expedition as it came through Oregon in 1843. Presented by Three Sisters Historical Society. 2 p.m., doors open at 1 p.m. $10 at the door Info: 541-610-6323

Lazy Z Ranch Wines Lazy Zunday: Books + Bubbles 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bring a book or just come have a lazy Sunday. Enjoy mead-mosas, ambient music, firepits, and big views Info:www.lazyzranch.com/events.

Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble, socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.

MONDAY • FEBRUARY 23

Frankie's Cooking Class: Fondue & Raclette Fondue and raclette may sound fancy, but at their heart they’re about sharing food, slowing down, and gathering around the table 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets: frankiesinsisters.com. Upstairs at 250 W. Cascade Ave.

Spoons Open Mic: Music, Poetr y, Comedy Bring your talent (or come cheer) and enjoy a night of local music poetry and comedy hosted by Jordan Lewis Lee. 6 to 8 p.m., sign-ups open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner menu available 473 E. Hood Ave. Info: 541-719-0572

TUESDAY • FEBRUARY 24

Sisters Saloon Bingo Night 5:30 p.m., upstairs, BINGO supporting Sisters GRO Foundation. Info: 541-549-7427

Hardtails Outlaw Countr y Dive Bar & Grill Pool Tournament 5:30 p.m. Info: 541-549-6114.

WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 25

Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tom Nechville & Linda Leavitt "Handpicked Series," 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets: 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 • FEBRUARY 26

The Belfr y Live Music: Brothers Reed Their style evokes finger picking folk singers of the 60s and 70s with a contemporary edge. 7 p.m. Tickets: bendticket.com. Suttle Lodge Live Music: Ian George Firesides Music Series inside The Skip Bar & Restaurant, 6 to 8 p.m. Reservations required: www thesuttlelodge.com.

Thurs., Feb 26 • 7 p.m. Brothers Ree d Their style evokes fingerpickingfolk singersofthe60sand70s with a contemporaryandboundlessedge bendticket.com...$2080

Wed., April 1 • 7 p.m. Vanessa Collier Award-winningpowerhouse of modern blues—amagneticblendofsaxophone , soulful vocals,andunstoppableenergy bendticket.com...$28.29

Pub opens 30 minutes prior to shows 302 E. Main | BelfryEvents.com Sat., Feb. 21 • 7 p.m. AN EVENING OF

SISTERS-AREA EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY • FEBRUARY 27

Frankie's in Sisters Live Music: Tony Lompa 6 to 8 p.m. No cover! Upstairs at 250 W. Cascade Ave. The Belfr y Let's Dance! Community Dance + Fiddle Concert featuring the Outlaw Strings Club AKA "Scandalous Chutney." 6 to 8:30 p.m. All ages welcome Suggested donation: $5-10 Presented by Citizens4Community and SFF Presents. Info: www citizens4community.com/events.

Lazy Z Ranch Wines Live Music: Bill Powers, a Bend-based singer-songwriter brings a warm acoustic set blending Americana, blues, folk, and classic covers No cover. 5 to 8 p.m. Info: www.lazyzranch.com/events.

Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $20 Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

Hardtails Outlaw Countr y Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114.

SATURDAY • FEBRUARY 28

Lazy Z Ranch Wines Meet the Meadmaker Facility Tour 4 to 5 p.m. A behind-the-scenes tour of the ranch winery, barrel room, and farm, featuring ranch history and stories from the owner – plus an optional guided flight with a special barrel taste (if available). Info: www.lazyzranch. com/events.

The Belfr y Live Music: Oregon Fr yer with Smoke Drifters Oregon Fryer is a dynamic and eclectic band blending elements of Americana and rock. 7 p.m. Tickets: bendticket.com.

Hardtails Outlaw Countr y Dive Bar & Grill Karaoke 9 p.m. Information call 541-549-6114.

SUNDAY • MARCH 1

Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble, socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.

MONDAY • MARCH 2

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

Spoons Open Mic: Music, Poetr y, Comedy Bring your talent (or come cheer) and enjoy a night of local music poetry and comedy hosted by Jordan Lewis Lee. 6 to 8 p.m., sign-ups open at 5:30 p.m. Dinner menu available 473 E. Hood Ave. Info: 541-719-0572

to jess@nuggetnews.com.

BUILDING BEDS:

Continued from page 1

food, goods and shelter.

Central Oregon Health Data reports that eight percent of households in zip code 97759 are living below the federal poverty level. This is down from a peak of over 10 percent in 2021.

Bob Mickelsen, Deschutes Chapter president on hand for the event, referenced the reward and experience.

“Volunteering with Sleep in Heavenly Peace can provide a number of wonderful benefits while learning how to build bunk beds,” he said. “As a volunteer, you will have a chance to learn how to use woodworking tools such as saws, drills, sanders and many other pieces of equipment. You will learn

how to measure, level, and make true wood cuts; how to sand and stain wood; and even get to see how branding a bed works.”

From existing beds in inventory, a team of Sisters Country volunteers delivered and assembled its first Sisters beds a week ago to a local family with three children. Two shared a single bed and one slept on the floor. Now all three children have their own bed.

In eight years, the Deschutes chapter has provided nearly 3,000 beds in the tri-county area from over 6,000 volunteer hours.

Rotary purchased the lumber, mattresses and bedding totaling $4,000 and Kiwanis made a cash donation of $4,000 to SHP for future use.

In addition, Rotary members and their friends added a first with 27 handmade quilts donated with each bed and more committed.

Hoyt’s Hardware &

Building Supply in Sisters made the lumber available to Rotary at its cost, “… a huge savings enabling us to build more beds with the same amount of money,” according to Rotary President Jim Lanzarotta.

Forecasted rain vanished, making it easier for much of the dusty and noisy work to be accomplished outside. The work estimated to take four hours was completed early, as many of the volunteers had been on previous bed-builds in the county. Likewise, many had woodworking skills that shortened the learning time.

A number of Rotarians and Kiwanians worked the preceding day cutting lumber and generally readying for the event.

Reflecting on the day of the build, Hal Darcey, Rotary team leader and a retired cabinet maker, told The Nugget , “The Sleep In Heavenly Peace bed-build in

Sisters was a resounding success. The SHP team has the process down to a science. This project was exemplary of how a small town will work together in support of its citizens.”

Kiwanis spokesman David Hiller amplified, “It was a great day. The Deschutes Chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace was so well organized the bed-build took an hour less than scheduled. Sleep in Heavenly

Peace provided all the tools, equipment and expertise to guide the workers through the build. Families within Sisters Country with children that are now not sleeping in beds of their own can be assured of having a comfortable, well-made bed.”

The finished beds will for the first time be stored in Sisters. To apply for a no-cost bed, go to https:// sleepinheavelypeace.jotform. com/241007557123953.

Governor, mayors call for pause in immigration enforcement

By Julia Shumway Oregon Capital Chronicle

Governor Tina Kotek and mayors of 31 cities have a message for the federal government: Stop all immigration enforcement in Oregon until recent violent incidents in Minneapolis, Portland, and elsewhere are fully investigated.

Kotek and the mayors sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House border czar Tom Homan on Thursday, February 5, saying they represent communities that are afraid of and morally opposed to federal officers’ tactics.

“The actions of your officers are not making our communities safer,” they wrote. “Parents are afraid to take their children to school. Families are avoiding health care. People are scared to go to work or even go to the store for essentials, let alone support a range of small businesses. The actions of

your officers, especially the use of lethal force, are damaging local economies and hurting the people we are responsible for protecting and serving.”

Most of the 31 mayors who signed onto the letter represent cities in the Portland region and Willamette Valley, but it also includes signers from the coast, Central Oregon, and Rogue Valley. (Editor’s note: The mayors of Bend and Redmond are signatories; the mayor of Sisters is not a signatory to the letter).

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson, both of whom have navigated recent incidents of federal officers using tear gas on protesters outside federal buildings in the state’s largest and thirdlargest cities, signed the letter. Salem Mayor Julie Hoy, who voted in December against declaring a state of emergency over increased immigration enforcement in Oregon’s second-largest city,

did not.

While most of the mayors who signed come from liberal-leaning cities, the list of signers also includes the mayors of the deeply Republican city of Detroit, which President Donald Trump won by 45 points in 2024, and Carlton and Dayton, two small Yamhill County cities he won by

double digits.

The letter included a commitment to the state’s decades-old sanctuary law that prohibits local governments from using their resources to enforce federal immigration law. Oregon voters upheld that law by a 2-to-1 margin in 2018.

“Our message to our immigrant and refugee

communities is unequivocal: We stand with you. You belong here,” it ended. “Our message to your administration is equally clear: Current practices must change immediately.”

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

Fun and Games

SUDOKU Easy Peasy!

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.

Find words forward, backward, horizontally, or diagonally. WINTER W ORDFIND

A most unpopular mammal

By Ander Rhoads Columnist

Until I started studying the North American Porcupine [Erethizon dorsatum] , I thought wolves and coyotes, followed closely by all the other large predators, were likely the most unpopular mammals in rural America. At least large predators have their fan clubs and admirers as well as their enemies, but the ‘lowly’ porcupine has few friends and a shocking history of genocidal persecution and general disdain.

If you search the internet for organizations supporting large predators, you’ll get pages of names. If you search for any club or organization devoted solely to saving and appreciating porcupines, you’ll mostly find references to libertarian clubs that often use the porcupine as their mascot. You can buy teeshirts and stickers with the silhouette of a porcupine with slogans like “live and let live” and “Don’t tread on anyone!” However, I couldn’t find anything on these sites talking about studying or conserving the animal itself.

Despite the “let live” associated with the porcupine image, this nonaggressive animal has been slaughtered in the millions since nonNative people settled porcupine habitats. Even my distant uncle, Samuel Rhoads, a naturalist who wrote one of the first comprehensive books about mammals in the U.S., “The Mammals of Pennsylvania and New Jersey,” described them as the “clumsiest, most stupid, ungainly and untouchable of rodents...” (116). According to a 1950 Bend Bulletin article, the local U.S. Forest Service requested anyone encountering a porcupine “to shoot him on sight.” Many states offered bounties for dead porcupines, and at least one Oregon county still pays a bounty if a resident hunter presents a porcupine nose to the animal control department within ten days of the killing.

While I did not find any porcupine fan clubs in my research, I did come across a 1954 Bend Bulletin article by a woman suggesting that October 11 be “National Protect the Porcupine Day!” If you are interested in early environmental advocacy, I highly recommend reading Ms. Grant’s October 11, 1954, column, “Sage Brushings” (found in University of Oregon’s public online access to Oregon’s Historical Newspapers). As they expanded west,

non-Native settlers found porcupines across the country, used them for food, and exterminated them for various reasons. Bounties were also put in place for porcupines by timber companies who were worried that the large rodents would damage their profits through destruction of trees. A timber company in Washington, for example, would give anyone 25 cents for a porcupine nose. Many state wildlife agencies listed porcupines as unprotected mammals, pests, or predatory animals.

Porcupines have probably been in North America for at least three million years (30 million-year-old fossils were found in South America). Indigenous people of North America have varying histories and attitudes about porcupines. Some tribes included porcupines in their oral histories and science. Frequently, porcupines were killed only for food. Some tribes told settlers it was bad luck to kill a porcupine unless you ate it, in part because porcupines were an important emergency food source in leaner times. Many tribes value porcupine quills to make and decorate objects.

In recent years, Central Oregon’s porcupines have been seen less and less. The species was once so abundant that people say they couldn’t drive down Highway 97 without seeing one dead on the side of the road. Ask many Central Oregon residents if they have seen a porcupine recently, and they will likely tell you it’s been a few years since their last sighting, or that they see far fewer these days even as roadkill. The drop in sightings is one of the reasons ODFW added porcupines to the 2026 species of greatest concern list.

These reports of declining porcupine numbers caused local ODFW biologists to start a study into whether the species has decreased and why. Astonishingly, considering how common they used to be, it turns out there has hardly been any study of our local porcupines and very little is known about them.

Outside people’s stories and incidental observations, researchers do not have sufficient information on basic things like what they eat, how they interact, and where they live. This lack of proper data makes management very difficult.

As a Sisters High School intern with the High Desert Museum, I am fortunate enough to participate in this new study which seeks data on the habits and populations of this fading species. My role is to search for porcupines around Sisters, particularly in wild areas.

Surveying for porcupines is very different from surveying for wolves, something I have been doing for several years now. To get me started,

Jon Nelson, the High Desert Museum Curator of Wildlife, recommended rock outcrops for caves that have porcupine sign, like scat and quills.

For several months now, I’ve spent countless hours scrambling across outcrops and canyons with my flashlight peering into any crevice or hole that looked big enough to hide a porcupine. Despite this intensive searching (including in areas suggested by experts), I’ve only found four caves with clear porcupine scat. At each one, I set up a trail camera and have been waiting for an actual porcupine to appear. Sadly, I do not yet have any porcupine footage! Maybe these animals truly are disappearing from our forests and grasslands.

While I am always disappointed when I don’t get data on the animal I’m studying, I have come to realize that wildlife work can take a lot of patience, and you have to enjoy the search as much as the finding. Because of this project, I have come to love exploring our local canyons and outcrops. For instance, I had no idea how these beautiful rock formations all around Sisters Country are fascinating habitats that support so much of the life around them. I have found many different species and plants that use the rocks for shelter, food, and a source of water.

While I could easily get caught up in all the biodiversity of rocky outcrops, I still really want to help with the effort of looking for porcupines. And you can help that effort, too. If you have any information on the denning or feeding location of Sisters’ porcupines, please consider reporting to ODFW on their Porcupine Reporting Form that can be found on their website. If you were able to get a photograph of the porcupine or its sign, you can also put observations on iNaturalist, which is an online database where you can share observations of any form of nature. If putting an observation of porcupine sign on iNaturalist, it is very helpful

to have some kind of size reference next to the sign, such as a dollar, a coin, or some other common object, so that experts can make a better ID.

As a freshman, I look forward to the years ahead that I have to continue my internship and studies, contributing to meaningful science throughout it.

Parenting in a time of uncertainty

By Edie Jones Columnist

On February 9, OPB aired a show on Nature titled “Parenthood.” Incredible photography revealed how parents of many species raise their children. Scenes showing how parents protect and educate their offspring, so they grow up prepared to manage whatever befalls them, caught my attention, and my thoughts shifted to a job description I have often taught.

In Active Parenting, a program developed by Michael Popkin, an educator on the East Coast, it states, “The job of a parent is to protect and prepare their children to survive and thrive in the world in which they are going to live.”

The show emphasized how animals are adapting to their surroundings due to climate change, and what that means in preparing their

IRRIGATION:

Board member and volunteers lead work

Continued from page 3

There are other events and uses of the grounds, such as the Red Rock Futurity, where bucking bulls show their stuff.

Miller is head of Sistersbased Irrigation Tech. He is used to large scale projects like horse ranches. For installations of this size, he employs a two-wire system. Traditional and two-wire (decoder) irrigation systems use different technologies to control valves. In a traditional system, the controller sends voltage through a dedicated wire to each zone valve, plus a common wire, activating solenoids to release water.

This simple design is widely understood by contractors and easier to install and troubleshoot, but it requires large amounts of copper wire. As systems grow beyond about 30–35 zones, installation costs rise significantly.

In contrast, a two-wire system uses a single wire path to connect all devices. Each valve operates through a decoder with a unique address, allowing the controller to communicate digitally. This design reduces wiring, improves expandability, and offers advanced diagnostics that can detect faults in decoders, solenoids, or wiring. Proper waterproof splices and grounding are critical in two-wire systems, as constant voltage can cause corrosion and lightning damage. While

children to survive (and thrive) in the world in which they are going to live.

The question that came to mind was, how are we doing regarding our human children? There is so much uncertainty right now. Will our kids be prepared? Are parents today up for the task?

Loving their child is generally accepted as an absolute, but what else is needed? How do we prepare them for an uncertain world?

Parents often feel unprepared for the responsibilities that come with the job. It’s not uncommon that soon after the arrival of that bundle of joy, new parents realize they have much to learn. There’s so much to do, and the job is so tiring that they can easily question their ability to do what is needed.

Since kids don’t come with a manual, guidance from trusted sources helps. One source I would go to is Mr. Rogers, whose words of

once common mainly on golf courses, two-wire technology is gaining popularity in residential and commercial settings due to rising copper costs and improved contractor familiarity.

Miller, or any Rodeo employee, can control the whole thing from a mobile phone.

“It’s kind of like Morse Code,” Miller explained.

“Signals are sent down the wire and decoded at the various stations precisely controlling the heads.”

Miller sold the materials at his cost of about $50,000 and he is doing most of the work himself for free, aided by several volunteers. Board President Scott Talerico, and head of Talerico Excavating, did the trenching in a matter

wisdom have raised children for years.

First, Fred Rogers talks about that absolute: love.

“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”

In other words, loving our children takes work, and acceptance.

In all situations, we need to honor and respect the person they are, day by day, with unconditional love. At the same time, our job is to teach, so we protect and keep them safe, while preparing them to survive and thrive.

How does a parent do this?

Watching the show about parenting in the wild, we see that sometimes animal parents work alone, sometimes with a mate, and sometimes with several generations of the same family. In other words, there’s no one cut-and-dry way to do it.

of two days having the necessary equipment to make short work of it.

Miller, who started at the end of January expects to have it operational by the end of this month. The value of the total project would have been well over $125,000 creating a savings of more than half for the Rodeo Association who continue to reinvest in improving the grounds, arena and fan experience.

No matter their age, challenge your child. The more you know about every stage of development, the easier it will be to guide them. Get to know them as an individual so you can help them rise to their potential. Be truthful as you celebrate their strengths and acknowledge their weaknesses. Show interest in who they are, what they are doing, and what they feel is important. Respect them, even when they are being disrespectful to you. Follow through on what you say you’ll do and promise only what you will do.

By paying attention to the tone of your voice and the words that you choose, you increase your chances of success. When you speak softly rather than loudly, it encourages better listening. And know what you WANT to teach, so you are sure to do it.

Boundaries are a necessity so that the environment your kids grow up in feels safe.

Kids really do want you to be in charge. Otherwise, who’s the captain of the ship? At the same time, avoid hovering, allowing mistakes if they aren’t dangerous. Guide with open-ended questions that allow constructive choices, and then step aside and watch. You may be surprised at what emerges.

There’s no question about it, parenting is one of the most difficult and important jobs you will ever have. With so much uncertainty in the world, it’s probably truer today than in days past. It is imperative that we give our kids the tools they need to adapt and think.

Loving parents make an amazing difference in the life of their children, even when they’re not sure what to do. So, relax and enjoy your kids, whether they are still that little bundle of joy or perplexing you with the antics of a teenager. The chances are you will do just fine!

Continued from page 1

“Traffic will increase and I think more education/communication with the trucking industry needs to be done through ODOT to encourage more trucks to use the bypass,” Davis said.

Will the increase in commercial development have any impact on the types or frequency of crimes?

“I believe population increases and the ongoing housing/houseless issues will have more impact on crime than commercial development,” Davis responded.

The Nugget passed the ball to Tony Prior, SCSFD fire chief. He had this to say: “As we look out into the future, we do see the expansion of Sisters, both in commercial and residential properties.

“Five hundred new residents may not sound like dramatic growth in a larger city, but in a community our size, that growth is meaningful. More homes mean more emergency calls. More commercial occupancy means more daytime population. More visitors mean more seasonal fluctuation in demand. And as our population continues to age, emergency medical calls will continue to represent the majority of what public safety responds to.

“Practically speaking, by 2031 public safety in Sisters will look less about new flashing equipment and more about sustainable staffing.

“For the fire district, the most noticeable change may not be a ladder truck or a dramatic new building — it will be people. Maintaining the level of service our community expects will require additional firefighter/paramedics to keep up with increasing call volume and prevent ‘stacked calls,’ where one emergency delays response to another. Growth does not just increase calls — it compresses response capacity if staffing remains static.

“However, as commercial properties grow and new residential properties expand vertically, a ladder truck may be needed. What may seem unnecessary today can quickly become practical as building height, square footage, and density increase. Equipment decisions are always driven by risk — and risk evolves as a community grows.

space, home hardening, and proactive fuel reduction will not be “extra programs,” but standard expectations. Dedicated staffing focused on community risk reduction will be essential to staying ahead of that threat rather than reacting to it.

“Behind the scenes, you may also see expanded support roles that most citizens never think about — such as fleet maintenance capacity to keep emergency vehicles in service and ready, because reliability becomes even more critical as call volume increases.

“Infrastructure improvements around town –enhanced pedestrian crossings, potentially signalized intersections as traffic patterns evolve – would not be surprising. As density increases, safety design typically follows.

“Healthcare access may evolve too. An urgent care presence in town by 2031 would make sense as the population threshold increases, particularly with an aging demographic.

“The reality is this: growth does not automatically erode small-town character — but it does require thoughtful planning to preserve response reliability. By 2031, the community will still expect that when they

The houseless in 2031

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

The issue of the homeless has been of ongoing concern in Sisters. If more “housed” persons make Sisters home, will there be a corresponding increase in the houseless?

Based on recent trends in Oregon, the homeless population has been rising steadily and shows few signs of slowing without major policy shifts. Statewide point-in-time counts show roughly 27,000 people experiencing homelessness in 2025, up significantly from earlier years, with a notable

call 911, someone arrives quickly, professionally, and with the neighbor-helpingneighbor spirit that defines Sisters today.

“The practical future of public safety here is steady, responsible expansion — primarily in people — so that the high level of service residents have come to rely on remains consistent even as our community grows.”

In next week’s final installment, we will hear from leaders in the arts and entertainment community.

increase in unsheltered individuals despite expanded shelter capacity. Historically, Oregon saw 8 to 17 percent year-overyear increases in homelessness in recent counts and nearly an 89 percent rise over the last five years in Central Oregon alone, driven by housing shortages, economic pressure, and limited affordable units.

If these patterns continue without substantial increases in affordable housing supply and prevention programs, it’s reasonable to project ongoing annual growth of 5 to 10 percent in

the overall homeless population statewide through 2031. Persistently high rents, limited housing production, and inflows into homelessness have historically outpaced exits into stable housing. However, aggressive policy interventions such as large-scale production of affordable homes, expanded supportive services, and eviction prevention could slow or stabilize this trend. Without such changes, Oregon is likely to see a moderate but persistent increase in homelessness over the next five years, and Sisters along with it.

“You will likely see expanded investment in wildfire risk reduction as well. By 2031, wildfire mitigation will be a normal part of how our community operates – defensible

DISTRICT CHAMP:

Kemp’s finish is historic for Sisters

Continued from page 1

Kemp, a senior wrestling at 150 pounds, won three of his match-ups decisively.

Kemp pinned Kaleb DeCroo of Burns in just 23 seconds to get things started, then mashed Etienne Armstrong of Vale in just 17 seconds in the second match. Marshall Koch of McLoughlin lasted almost a full minute, but Kemp put him down at the 52-second mark.

In the championship, Kemp faced Jasper Skunkcap of Burns who presented a much stronger challenge than the previous three opponents. Kemp started strong, outscoring Skunkcap 7-0 in the first period. Skunkcap rallied in the second period and outscored Kemp 3-1 to stay alive, but Kemp was not to be thwarted and pulled away in the final period to secure an 11-5 decision to claim the title.

Kemp was named outstanding wrestler of the meet and became the first ever district champion boys wrestler in school history.

Kemp expects to be among the top seeds at state, but has to wait a few more days before final seeding is announced on February 22.

Sophomore Zack Kemp, had a successful tournament, as well, and will join his brother at state after placing third in the 132-pound class. After a first round bye Kemp won against Julian Ortega of Riverside by fall (3:21). In the next round Hayden Cornell of Burns showed why he held the top ranking as he outpointed Kemp 17-2 to earn a technical fall. Knowing that he had to win two more matches to keep his state tournament hopes alive Zack went to work against Henry Barnes of Burns who he took

down in the second round at the 3:47 mark. A rematch with Ortega turned out much like the first as Kemp pinned his opponent (1:21) to keep his season alive.

“Seeing Tyson and Zack both qualify together is special — brothers supporting each other, pushing each other,” said Coach David Kemp. “Tyson’s total control in every match and Zack’s never-say-die attitude in the consolations embody what this Outlaws team is about.”

The Outlaws got a bit of a surprise with another thirdplace finisher in freshman David Jones who worked his way through consolation to nab a state berth in the 120 pound bracket.

After a bye in round one Jones faced the eventual winner Adan De La Fuente of Nyssa who pinned him in 49 seconds. But Jones bounced back after another bye to pin Vinny Sanchez of Riverside (3:25) to set up a shot at state in the third place match against Billy Gomez, also of Riverside. After some intense action in the first two minutes, Jones got the upper hand and pinned Gomez near the end of the first round (2:39) to punch his ticket to state.

Other wrestlers scoring for the Outlaws included Jace Owens (fifth) and Camas Luhning, Jaxxon Saunders,

FIRESIDE: Event will trace explorer through Sisters

Continued from page 3

and Kole Morris, who all placed sixth.

As a team Sisters finished in sixth place among eight teams with 114 points. Nyssa won the team title with 399 points while qualifying 14 individuals for state.

“Placing seven out of 11, with three freshmen, two sophomores, and two seniors stepping up, shows the mix of youth and experience we’re building,” Coach Kemp said.

The Outlaws girls team will head to McLoughlin February 21 for District in hopes of qualifying some athletes for state, which will be held simultaneously with the boys state championship tournament the following week February 26-27 at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Kemp expressed satisfaction at his achievement.

“All the countless hours of practice and relentless effort I’ve poured into wrestling have finally paid off,” he said. “Becoming district champion as a senior is the ultimate reward.”

published journals, and party member Charles Preuss’ diary, along with other data from his own research, Irving set out to locate and photograph the campsites of the expedition’s travels through Oregon. He successfully located and photographed 31 sites, including those on Whychus Creek and the Metolius River. He is looking forward to sharing these adventures and his experiences with the audience.

Irving has been a board member of the Deschutes Historical Society and was the Curator for the “Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West” exhibit. This exhibit was created in conjunction

LET’S DANCE: Event brings community

together

Continued from page 3

“We’re thrilled to be bringing back Let’s Dance! for a third go-around,” said Kellen Klein, C4C’s executive director. “It’s youth-led, intergenerational, inclusive, and feels like a throwback to a bygone era. Building community through joyful experiences like this is what C4C is all about.”

Added SFF Presents’ Executive Director Crista Munro, “SFFP is excited

with the Nevada State Museum, and traveled throughout the Northwest for several years, showing locally at the Deschutes Historical Museum.

This Fireside program will be held on Sunday, February 22, at the Sisters Fire District Community Hall, 301 Elm St. Tickets are $10, or free to TSHS members, and will be sold at the door, which opens at 1 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served.

to support another Outlaw Strings event, and to witness the ever-increasing level of professionalism they bring to these incredibly fun community gatherings.”

To learn more about Let’s Dance, visit www.citizens 4community.com/events.

s s s

Wildfire resilience

To the Editor:

City Council has already taken an important and commendable step by adopting defensible space and structure hardening standards for new development. Those standards focus on how individual homes ignite. What they do not fully address is how fire spreads through neighborhoods.

Wildfire risk is not just a building materials issue — it is also a community design issue. As noted in the Construction Costs for Wildfire Resistant Homes report presented to Council by Headwaters Economics on November 5, 2025, “while this study focused on building materials, it also highlights the broader importance of community-wide mitigation, including managing defensible space and reducing fuel continuity between neighboring properties.”

Community-level wildfire mitigation is best addressed at the time of annexation and subdivision review. Annexation is the city’s best — and sometimes only — chance to shape spacing, layout, and access before development decisions are locked in and become difficult to change. Once those decisions are made, the city’s options narrow, and the long-term impacts on safety, housing, infrastructure, and community resilience are largely set.

Key community-scale design considerations related to wildfire risk include structure spacing, roofline alignment, block configuration, emergency access, and transition or buffer zones where development abuts wetlands, forest land, or conservation areas.

For these reasons, annexation should be viewed not as a procedural step, but as a critical opportunity to plan wisely for our future. I urge Council to direct staff to incorporate community-level wildfire mitigation standards into annexation agreements and the subdivision review process, completing the wildfire resilience strategy the Council has already begun.

Cathy Russell

s s s

Media criticism

To the Editor:

After reading last week’s editorial and the subsequent responses, I want to clarify my earlier letter, which was intended as media criticism rather than a political argument.

My point was not to debate the merits of particular events, but to examine how editorial judgment is exercised. When a paper presents itself as guided by principle rather than partisanship, readers will naturally observe whether those principles appear to be applied consistently in practice. Editorial timing and topic selection inevitably signal

what a publication views as most urgent or relevant.

In a small community paper with limited space, those choices are especially visible. Noticing patterns in those choices is not an accusation. It is engagement with the paper on its own stated standards.

I also want to say that reader scrutiny should not be mistaken for hostility. A local paper occupies a trusted civic role, and thoughtful criticism is part of that relationship. In fact, a newsroom confident in its neutrality and judgment can afford to treat such questions as a normal part of public discourse rather than as personal challenges.

My letter was simply an invitation to reflect on consistency and prioritization. To focus on the same values the editorial page itself has encouraged. That kind of conversation ultimately strengthens, rather than undermines, community trust in local journalism.

Glen Roper

s s s

Be here now

To the Editor:

As I read the seemingly endless column in last week’s Nugget titled, “Where were you?,” the author and his diatribe came as no surprise. It was yet another example of the now irrelevant, blame-game finger pointing perpetuated by the far right. You know, maybe even some of your friends, co-workers, or even family members would use the column’s content as ammunition to maniacally and reprehensibly defend the monster in the White House, and Project 25 through eternity.

I would agree with Mr. Woodside that there is sometimes a need to reflect on and learn from the past. However, the past “issues” in this country pale in comparison — what is happening now is obviously so far beyond the old news, not even in the same league — an unprecedented assault on decency, a rebellion against goodness, and a loss of sanity.

One tiny example: the so-called “President” is the quintessential narcissist who thinks everything should be named after him. Hurl! Well, OK, then probably the Epstein Files should be renamed the “Trump-Epstein Files” since the convicted felon’s name appears over one million times in those (still incompletely released, of course) documents.

So, guest columnists can keep spinning it any way they choose. After all, free speech is still guaranteed in this country... well, sort of. Yes, “We were there.” But please, stop your red-faced, seething, subliminal muttering as you still have to admit (for example) that there was actually a Black man named Obama properly elected as a (real) president. Wake up, look at yourself in the mirror, and be here now.

Steven Blauvelt

Kellie

ByJoanUpshaw

As we mour n, let’s celebr ate

The warrior that we knew

A woman filled with passion

For the c hildren, for her cr ew

She br ought hope to br oken youth

With skills to make them whole

Using all the grit and goodness

Embedded in her soul.

As we mour n, let’s honor her

By following her lead

Her stor y kept alive and str ong

By ser ving those in need

May we comfor t one another

As we strive to r eac h our goal

A community that car ries on

The gifts of Kellie Sc holl.

The Escape

ByGabrielleBöhme

She slides down the mountain.

On her tr ash can lid.

In the dead of night.

It’s w hat she did.

Escaping the r aider s on her tail.

She flees down the mountain.

Blazing a snowy tr ail.

A tr ee her e, a rock ther e.

Snow and ice ever yw here

Wher e will she end up by taking this dar e?

The lights below, a welcoming sight.

Giving her wings to finish her flight !

Why?

ByEdieJones

Why, I pr ay –and cr y.

Why?

Ag ain, I cr y.

Questions linger long

What happened – w hat went wr ong?

Sad – so ver y sad.

And, mad, that I w as blind.

Why didn’t I write or call, with loving words – be kind?

Could I have made a dif fer ence?

Did I unknowingly withhold love?

Why did she feel forsaken?

What caused the final shove, that sent her thr ough that fatal door, that c losed behind – forever more?

Why?

I ask again, and cr y.

a Republican-led campaign paused most of that revenue from flowing into the agency’s maintenance and operation fund until a referendum in November. Democrats are trying to move the vote to an earlier date because rules prohibit them from repealing any law that has been referred to the ballot.

More than 4,500 people submitted written testimony against the bill and more than 200 registered to speak against it at two public hearings this week, arguing it ignores the will of more than 200,000 Oregonians who signed referendum petitions expecting the vote to take place in November. Just 65 people submitted testimony supporting it.

“I oppose this measure, not simply because it changes an election date, but because it fundamentally alters the balance of power between the legislature and the people of Oregon,” said Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Scio, one of the leaders of the campaign to refer the law to the ballot.

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, said he believes the bill will be “in front of the courts.” Starr was also a leader in the campaign.

Several other Republican lawmakers spoke against rescheduling the referendum vote, expressing frustration that Gov. Tina Kotek waited to sign the transportation bill she championed, and limited the time frame they had to collect signatures for the No Tax Oregon campaign. Others shared concerns that primaries historically have lower voter turnout than general elections.

“When the voters of Oregon take their time to weigh in how they did in such a short amount of time, with almost four times as many signatures as needed to cry out to their legislators to say, ‘We don’t like this, we’ve tried to use our voice in so many ways and this is all we have left,’ and we’re saying no… is so disrespectful,” House Minority Leader Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, said.

Elmer said the bill was rushed and sets a poor precedent for the future.

Lawmakers have until February 25 to pass the bill, according to the secretary of state, and it must include Kotek’s signature for it to appear on the ballot on the date of the primary election.

Rep. Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, contested remarks from his Republican colleagues.

“This is in no way unprecedented,” Chotzen said, after

quoting Starr’s House floor remarks in 1999 when he supported similar legislation to move a referendum on a gas tax law to May.

Starr was in the majority when lawmakers over two decades ago passed a bill that raised the gas tax and set the referendum election date for May. In that election, more than 87 percent of voters rejected a gas tax increase.

“To compare what happened in 1999 to 2025 and 2026 is a false comparison,” Starr said, adding that the bill to raise gas taxes that year had support from across the political aisle.

Funding for ODOT operations and maintenance has steadily declined as inflation has jacked up the cost of materials the state uses to maintain its roads, and as the state receives less gas tax revenue as more Oregonians drive electric and fuel-efficient vehicles.

The transportation department is $242 million short for the current two-year budget cycle. Starting next year, it will only be able to afford paving its interstates, meaning Oregon drivers can expect more potholes, rutted roads, faded pavement markings, and higher vehicle repair costs, department chief engineer Tova Peltz previously told lawmakers.

Agency leaders told lawmakers they could close that gap by redirecting funding set aside for bridge and seismic projects in the Portland area, public transit and grant programs meant to improve road safety near schools and pedestrian paths. This would require amending several laws. Other options to fill the gap would require laying off up to 500 workers.

Sen. Khanh Phạm, D-Portland, said legislators are responsible for finding a long-term policy and investment solution that preserves Oregon’s transportation infrastructure.

“Our statewide transportation system is literally on the verge of collapse, and so as legislators we have an enormous responsibility to figure out how to prevent that from happening,” she said.

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

The Nugget Newspaper Crossword

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.

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CATEGORIES:

102 Commercial Rentals

WORKSHOP SPACE

Sisters Industrial Park 1,277 sq. ft., heated, roll-up. Available March 1, $1,550/mo. 541-280-7354.

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

One-bed Apt., kitchenette, 415 sq. ft., 2 miles from Sisters. $850/month includes utilities. Call 541-588-0669.

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792

Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com

104 Vacation Rentals

Downtown Vacation Rentals

Popular 1 and 2 Bedroom SistersVacationRentals.net

Great pricing. 503-730-0150

202 Firewood

NEW DISCOUNT PRICES

SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS

DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD •SINCE 1976 • Fuel Reduction Forestry

Doug Fir – Lodgepole –Hardwood – Juniper – Fir DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES –18155 Hwy. 126 East –SistersForestProducts.com Order Online! 541-410-4509

205 Garage & Estate Sales

Happy Trails Estate Sales and online auctions!

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

301 Vehicles

Mountain High RV & Boat

Storage – Large unit available. 541-410-0458.

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

403 Pets SISTERS WHISKERS Your purr-fect friend is waiting for you at our local nonprofit cat rescue! Apply to adopt at: sisterswhiskers.org –Advertise with The Nugget –541-549-9941

Caring, loving pet care in my home. Daily rates and in town. Cheryl 541-420-7875

500 Services

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 CUSTOM WINDOW COVERINGS

Bend Window Works, LLC is offering a 10% discount on new window coverings. FREE in-home consultation. Same day in-home repair services available. New and repaired blinds make rentals look better! Contact us at 541-383-2455 or andy@bendblinds.com.

Junk Removal, Dumpster Rentals & Demolition Services – Done Right. Remove-Junk.com 541-719-8475 •DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279

501 Computers & Communications

3 Sisters TeleNetworks, LLC Audio/video, data networking, WIFI, security camera, alarms. CCB #191099 541-306-0729

502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning GORDON’S LAST TOUCH Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY Member Better Business Bureau • Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008 M & J CARPET CLEANING Area rugs, upholstery, tile & dryer-vent cleaning. Established & family-owned since 1986. 541-549-9090 504 Handyman AlpenGlow Handyman Services Small & Large Jobs 20+ Years Experience CCB#180099 Call/Text: 541-728-8607 AlpenGlowHandymanServices.

4 Brothers Tree Service Sisters' Premier Tree Experts!

–TREE REMOVAL & CLEANUP –Native / Non-Native Tree Assessments, Pruning, High-Risk Removals, 24 Hr. Emergency Storm Damage Cleanup, Craning & Stump Grinding, Debris Removal.

–FOREST MANAGEMENT –Fire Fuels Reduction - Brush Mowing, Mastication, Tree Thinning, Large & Small Scale Projects!

Serving Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman & Sisters Area since 2003 ** Free Estimates ** Owner James Hatley & Sons 541-815-2342

4brostrees.com

Licensed, Bonded and Insured CCB-215057 Tree Removal • Tree Pruning Good for Trees. Good to People. SparTreeArborist.com (916)619-6317

Pat Burke LOCALLY OWNED CRAFTSMAN BUILT

CCB: 228388 • 541-588-2062

www.sistersfencecompany.com

Custom Homes Additions - Remodels

Residential Building Projects

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

Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com — Serving Sisters Since 2010 —

Construction & Renovation

Custom Residential Projects All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448

Custom Homes • Additions

Residential Building Projects

Serving Sisters area since 1976 Strictly Quality CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-280-9764

•Wildfire Fuels reduction

•Debris Chipping/Mastication

•Forest Health Thinning •Wildfire Cleanup & Restoration • Tree Removal Will Moore, 541-409-5404

ISA Certified Arborist We are the experts you’ve been looking for!

LCB# 100129 & Oregon Professional Logger 71395048

TimberStandImprovement.net

Tree Removal & Pruning TRAQ Arborist/ CCB#190496 541-771-4825 601 Construction

CASCADE GARAGE DOORS

Factory Trained Technicians Since 1983 • CCB #44054 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553

John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com

Uncompromising quality. Local and personal. You can trust me. All projects: From new construction to those little projects you don't seem to get to. My team of local subcontractors and I will get it done right, fair, and pain-free so you can make your spouse happy. Call Jared 503-949-9719 Earthwood Timber

•Recycled fir and pine beams •Mantels and accent timbers •Sawmill/woodshop services EWDevcoLLC@gmail.com

Answer: Page 21

Operator: Erin Carpenter lolotreeworks.com

Call / Text: 503-367-5638

Email: erin@lolotreeworks.com CCB #240912

C L A S S I F I E D S

ACTION AIR

Heating & Cooling, LLC

ACTION AIR

Heating & Cooling, LLC

Retrofit • New Const • Remodel Consulting, Service & Installs actionairheatingandcooling.com CCB #195556 541-549-6464

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

BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING! Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897

CCB #195556 541-549-6464

LOCAL CONSTRUCTION SERVICES & HOME MAINT.

Remodels • Landscaping

Firewise Maintenance

monteselectric@hotmail.com

Decks & Much More!

Pease Co. Contracting Call Tanner at 541-588-0136. Big and small jobs!

CCB# 256258

CASCADE VALLEY CONTRACTING, LLC

CCB#200030 • 541-480-9860 — GEORGE’S — SEPTIC SERVICE 541-419-3148 A 63-year tradition for Sisters www.georges-septic-service.com

General Contractor CCB#180099

Custom Remodels • Additions

603 Excavation

•Decks • Firewise Upgrades 20+ Years Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Call/Text 541-728-8607

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

605 Painting Interior/Exterior Painting Deck Refinishing Jacob deSmet 503-559-9327

for Sisters www.georges-septic-service.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

BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING!

Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897

802 Help Wanted 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

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

Free On-site Visit & Estimate Tewaltandsonsexcavation@gmail .com

541-549-1472 • CCB #76888

Drainfield

•Minor & Major Septic Repair

802 Help Wanted 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

606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance

Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com 541-549-2345

Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com 541-549-2345

•All Septic Needs/Design & Install

General Excavation

•Site Preparation

All Landscaping Services Mowing, Thatching, Hauling Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740

•Rock & Stump Removal

•Pond & Driveway Construction Preparation

•Building Demolition

Trucking

•Deliver Top Soil, Sand, Gravel, Boulders, Water

All Landscaping Services Mowing, Thatching, Hauling Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740

Alpine Landscape Maintenance An All-Electric Landscape Company.

•Dump Trucks, Transfer Trucks, Belly

•The Whole 9 Yards or 24 Whatever You Want!

HIRING Housekeeping and Maintenance Team Members Join the crew at our cozy camp style 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

NOW HIRING

Housekeeping and Maintenance Team Members

Join the crew at our cozy camp style 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

ELECTION

Continued from page 10

ballots counted in the 2024 general election if postmarked ballots weren’t allowed, according to earlier reporting by the Oregon Capital Chronicle and Washington State Standard. Roughly a third of states allow counting of ballots cast on or before Election Day but received after, Chun noted. The practice dates back as far as the Civil War, when some states allowed soldiers to hand their ballots to military officials on Election Day and have them counted by election officials, he wrote.

The lawsuit is one of 52 that Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed against the Trump administration in 2025. Washington Attorney General Nick Brown had filed 49 such lawsuits by late December. Washington State Standard senior reporter Jake Goldstein-Street contributed to this report. Republished courtesy of www.oregoncapital chronicle.com/

Alpine Landscape Maintenance

An All-Electric Landscape Company.

Text/Call Paul 541.485.2837 alpine.landscapes@icloud.com

•The Whole 9 Yards or 24 Whatever You Want!

BANR Enterprises, LLC

BANR Enterprises, LLC

Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls Residential & Commercial

Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls

Residential & Commercial

CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 www.BANR.net BRANCHWATER EXCAVATION & SEPTIC, LLC 541-408-4204 sophia@branchwater excavation.com

Text/Call Paul 541.485.2837 alpine.landscapes@icloud.com

–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

CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 www.BANR.net

BRANCHWATER EXCAVATION & SEPTIC, LLC 541-408-4204 sophia@branchwater excavation.com

Sisters owned and operated

–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

Complete landscape construction, fencing, irrigation installation & design, pavers/outdoor kitchens, debris cleanups, fertility & water conservation management, excavation.

Sisters owned and operated

Josh & Sophia McCarthy

Josh & Sophia McCarthy

Experience you can trust.

All Septic Systems: New Install & Repairs * Driveway Refurb & New * Fire Breaks * Site Prep

*Land Clearing & Clean

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

Experience you can trust. All Septic Systems: New Install & Repairs * Driveway Refurb & New * Fire Breaks * Site Prep *Land Clearing & Clean Up FREE ESTIMATES CCB# 256753

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

STEVE'S HAULING Yard and other debris, landscaping services, chain saw work, etc. 707-328-8370

STEVE'S HAULING

Yard and other debris, landscaping services, chain saw work, etc. 707-328-8370

&

Eastern Cascade Solutions Landscaping & Construction www.easterncascadesolutions. com • 541-233-7195

Eastern Cascade Solutions Landscaping & Construction www.easterncascadesolutions. com • 541-233-7195

LCB #9958 • CCB #222039

LCB #9958 • CCB #222039

701 Domestic Services

701 Domestic Services

I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC

I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC

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

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

DINE OUT TO HELP OUT SHS 2026 GRADS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Dine at the restaurants below on Thurs., Feb. 26, and a portion of proceeds will support the Sisters High School Class of 2026 graduation celebration!

Carmelita’s at The Bar n Fika Sisters Cof feehouse

Frankie’s Kitchen & Cocktails

High Camp Taphouse

Luckey’s Woodsman The McAr thur

The Open Door R Spot Takeout & Eatery

Sisters Cof fee Company

Sisters Saloon & Ranch Grill

Sisters Meat and Smokehouse

Takoda’s Restaurant & Lounge

Three Creeks Brew Pub

Three Finger Jack Taver n

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