Spirit of Central Oregon – 2020

OF CENTRAL OREGON

Fall 2020 | NuggetNews.com

Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020 • 1

. . . u o Y Thank …to the community as we celebrate serving you for 7 years.

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2 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

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Contents...

ON THE COVER:

Cate Havstad and Sarahlee Lawrence (with falcon) at Rainshadow Organics, a full-diet farm located on 200 acres between Sisters and Terrebonne.

Photo by Amanda Leigh Smith | aleighsmith.com

The noble art of falconry ...........................6 Artistry in baking ................ 12 Sip and swirl in Central Oregon ................... 18

6

There’s art out on the streets ..................... 24 Music is the heartbeat of Central Oregon ............... 32 34

The flavor of life in an outdoor playground ........ 34

12

My heart is home ................ 36 40

Called to serve in the Central Oregon outback ....... 38 Les Joslin: A life defined by trail and pen .......40 Film to capture life and legacy of buckaroo artist ..... 46

38

Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius | Advertising: Vicki Curlett Graphic Design: Jess Draper & Leith Easterling

The Nugget N E W S PA P E R

18

442 E. Main Ave. | P.O. Box 698 | Sisters, OR 97759 541-549-9941 | www.NuggetNews.com

©2020 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC, for Spirit of Central Oregon. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All advertising which appears in Spirit of Central Oregon is the property of The Nugget Newspaper, LLC, and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, LLC, Spirit of Central Oregon assumes no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements, stories, etc. within this publication. All submissions to Spirit of Central Oregon will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and that all rights are currently available.

4 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

The Heart ’s home

Everyone who visits or moves to Central Oregon knows it’s a special place. The natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities attract the adventurous and inspire the artistic.

A vibrant community has grown up in this region — diverse in background and outlook; entrepreneurial in spirit.

That community has shown remarkable resilience in tough times.

Why do people choose to build their lives in Central Oregon? What makes so many people who come here say to themselves, as writer Sue Stafford did, “My heart is home”?

The answers are as varied as the people themselves — yet there is consistency, too.

Here people find ways to let talent and passion soar in an entrepreneurial small business. Many of us revel in the bounty of locally grown fresh food and artisanal beverages — and we build a way of life around them. The four-season climate, proximity and access (without the traffic) to other larger cities like Portland, Seattle, Boise and northern California is a major draw.

Our neighbors all seem to have interesting life stories.

spir·it (noun) A personal attitude and energy for life or to other people... enthusiastic, adventurous, determined…creating a powerful independent community spirit.

PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK

There are endless philanthropic opportunities.

Central Oregon offers a spirited quality of life, which is exhibited in the lifeways of the people profiled in these pages. Connection to the natural world and the bounty it provides comes through in their stories, as does their creativity and passion for their work.

Central Oregon has called to people from ancient times and it calls us still — urging us to pursue our true calling in a spirit of adventure and of gratitude for all the land and its people provide.

— Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

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The noble art of

Falconry

By Jim Cornelius | Photos by Amanda Leigh Smith

There is nothing more majestic than watching a hawk on the wing, swooping down to take its prey. To be intimately connected to that primal moment is exhilarating. It strums ancient chords that resonate back to riders on the steppe, the wind in their hair and an eagle perched on their fist.

The connection to the majesty of raptors has drawn some Central Oregon folks down the challenging, but profoundly rewarding, path of falconry.

“There’s something about raptors, birds of prey, that is enthralling,” said Master Falconer Hank Minor, who recently relocated permanently to Central Oregon from western New York.

Like most falconers, Minor had nurtured a fascination with raptors since his youth. Fifteen years ago, on his 30-minute commute to work in rural New York, his path was set.

6 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

“There was a pale-looking bird sitting right in the middle of the road,” he recalled.

It was an albino red-tailed hawk, injured by a passing car.

“I took off my jacket and covered it up from behind,” Minor said. “And it was all intuitive. I had no idea what I was doing.”

He contacted New York’s wildlife agency, which took the injured bird, which was rehabilitated and eventually ended up in an education program. It was a seminal moment.

“I thought, ‘you know, maybe it’s a sign,’” he said.

Continues on page 8

“It’s such a pleasure to have a relationship with a bird of prey. I don’t think I’ve ever been seen the way my bird saw me.”

— Sarahlee Lawrence (photographed above)

FALCONRY Cont. from page 6 For Central Oregon Master Falconer Brian Kellogg, his entry into working with birds of prey came with an injured screech owl he rescued when he was a youth in Issaquah, Washington.

Falconry is a lifeway, not a hobby to be taken up on a whim.

“It’s the most highly regulated field sport in the country,” Kellogg notes.

Sarahlee Lawrence of Rainshadow Organics in Lower Bridge apprenticed under Kellogg, and she can testify to the demand placed on a novice just to begin the endeavor.

“It’s an epic test that’s given by ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife),” she said.

“It’s something you really have to work at and learn at,” Kellogg said.

“You have to wear a lot of hats.”

The hunter can’t simply come in from the field, oil up the shotgun, hang it on the wall and crack a beer. Hunting birds must be kept appropriately, and the standards are regulated. The falconer must care for the bird, including dealing with medical issues.

“You’ve got to recognize problems when they come up and learn how to handle them,” Kellogg said.

There are two ways to acquire a hunting bird. To start out, falconers trap a bird, a project that is undertaken in the fall.

“The main bird that falconers get as a first bird is a red-tail (hawk),” Minor said.

Once a falconer finishes an apprenticeship and reaches “general class” ranking, they can purchase captive birds.

“There’s lots of choices,” Minor said.

Minor continues to work with hawks — and his current bird is a magnificent female red-tail named Dex. Kellogg has flown a wide variety of birds over a long career in the field.

“In all those years, I’ve flown every 8 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

species of hawks, great horned owls, several species of eagles,” he said.

Currently, he is working with Harris hawks, highly intelligent birds that work in tandem with his hunting dogs to hunt rabbits. He also flies a golden eagle, but he has to take that bird farther afield into wilder terrain to hunt.

The birds remain wild, despite their close partnership with a human.

“There’s a bond that happens,” Minor said. “They’re not pets. They’re not even like horses. They can be tamed a little bit, but they’re never domesticated.”

The birds can and usually are eventually sent back to the wild. That is an attractive feature to Lawrence.

“It’s one of the only things you can take from the wild and return to the wild,” she said.

Trapping a bird greatly enhances its chances of surviving its first year.

There is a 70 percent mortality rate for birds of prey in the wild in their first year.

“At the end of that first year, that hawk is a bona fide hunter,” Minor said. “When we turn it back to the wild,

Sarahlee Lawrence of Rainshadow Organics in Lower Bridge apprenticed under Master Falconer Brian Kellogg, and hopes to trap a new bird this fall. it’s going back as a professional. It’s beaten the odds, and we’ve helped it.”

Unlike trapped birds, captive bred birds cannot be released.

Some hunters trap and release a bird each year. Minor said he generally keeps a bird two to three years.

“I’ve often kept birds three to five years and then release it back into the wild,” he said.

Each time a falconer hunts, there is a possibility that the bird can be injured or that she won’t return. That is, of course heartbreaking.

Continues on page 10

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FALCONRY Continued from page 8 “There’s no consolation,” Minor said.

The rewards of a day in the field are profound.

“It’s the most aesthetic form of hunting,” Kellogg said.

When the falconer moved from Washington to Central Oregon, he found the hunting here challenging.

“It’s much harder to hunt desert cottontails than it is to hunt eastern cottontails that we had up there (in Washington),” he said. “They’re trying to survive and they’re good it.”

Jackrabbits are an entirely different matter; they’re big, fast, and very strong.

“They are a formidable quarry,” Kellogg said.

Respect for the quarry and a strong conservation ethic are a key part of falconry, Kellogg observed.

“It’s not about the people,” he said.

“It’s dedication to the bird; dedication to the wildlife that you hunt.”

The richness of the experience has kept Kellogg engaged from more than five decades.

“My birds teach me something every time I go out in the field with them,” he said.

Over the years, Kellogg has taken on many apprentices, passing on the ancient traditions, skills and ethics of falconry.

Lawrence became one of those apprentices after Kellogg approached her about hunting on her farm.

She is now eligible to graduate to general class as a falconer, and hopes to trap a new bird this fall.

She finds the hunt enjoyable and satisfying, but the fundamental appeal is the relationship with the raptor.

“It’s such a pleasure to have a relationship with a bird of prey,” she said.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been seen the way my bird saw me.”

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10 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Minor is a horseman as well as a falconer, and he finds Central Oregon the perfect place to pursue both passions. Perhaps someday he will combine them, hearkening back to the steppe horsemen of Central Asia who developed falconry to a pinnacle of practical art.

“If I had one item left on my bucket list, it would be to be on horseback hunting rabbits with a bird on the fist,” he said.

The connection with an ancient tradition, the connection with the land and the wildlife and most of all the connection with a magnificent bird of prey makes falconry a profound experience, worth every bit of the labor and love poured into it.

“It’s a primal dance that happens out there,” Minor said. “The fact that we get to do it with them is a privilege.”

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Salon Owner Karen Keady is a nationally certified master esthetician, as well as an international award winner in skin care in 2017.

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Artistry in

Baking

By Lisa May

The smell of bread baking brings an emotional response to most people.

There may be a flood of childhood memories of a parent baking in a home kitchen. There could be an association with favorite friends lingering in conversation at a neighborhood bakery. At a bare minimum, a physical response of hunger is triggered in the human body by the aroma of food.

For many Central Oregon baking professionals, there is a far deeper connection to the production of that loaf of bread. Decisions are carefully considered as to ingredients, processes and even the community that participates in the creation and enjoyment of the product.

There is artistry to baking.

Marda Stoliar is a bakery consultant and educator who founded the International School of Baking in Bend in 1985. Students from all over the world come to Central Oregon to 12 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

train under her. But her artistry did she closed the bakery to open the not begin with baking. She started her International School of Baking, which career as a shoe designer. While still she operates out of a 14- by 25-foot in her 20s, as a rising star in fashion commercial kitchen attached to her design, she took extended professional home. U.S. Wheat Associates soon trips to Europe. On one of those trips identified her as a yeast specialist and an Italian friend introduced her to a contracted with her to travel to China bread loaf unlike anything she had and other Asian countries to teach the ever tasted and Stoliar insisted that baking craft abroad.

Having now established personal she must learn how to bake the loaf.

Stoliar was introduced to the baker connections throughout Europe and responsible for creating the loaf and Asia, Stoliar’s baking school was an informal apprenticeship was borne. flooded with requests for training from Over the next 10 years, she continued a worldwide audience wanting to learn her trips to Europe, working as a shoe the art of baking and the skills needed designer by day and learning the craft to run a successful bakery. Stoliar’s of baking by night. Stoliar mastered school is grounded in hands-on, oneartisan breads in Venice and pastries on-one training, often developing into in Paris. an extended apprenticeship with her In 1979, Stoliar and her husband settled in Central Oregon, where Marda Stoliar in her commercial she opened a European-style bakkitchen that doubles as a ery, Breads of France, on Minnesota classroom for aspiring bakers Avenue in downtown Bend. In 1984

from around the world.

Foxtail Bakeshop & Kitchen in Bend presents gorgeous baked goods... including these orchard rolls. visiting students’ bakeries over years, continuing to teach them about new products and business opportunities.

For Stoliar, the artistry in baking starts with quality ingredients.

She describes her process as “taking something natural and turning it into something wonderful.” Bakers should be aware that many ingredients found in grocery stores have chemicals added to increase their shelf life. Even when the best ingredients cost significantly more, she teaches her students to pass that cost on to the customers because they will taste the difference in the end product. World-class baked products demand the very best ingredients.

The best bakers will also be aware of variations in flours. For example, Stoliar points out that the “all-purpose flour” that we purchase in grocery stores varies across regions in the U.S. Manufacturers try to anticipate how

Continues on page 14

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ARTISTRY IN BAKING Continued from page 13 the flour is most likely to be used as they combine all-purpose flour mixes.

Southern all-purpose flour favors biscuits, while Western all-purpose flour targets the zucchini bread crowd.

Professional bakers with an eye on artisan quality will choose flours appropriate for the individual products they create. Stoliar has identified wheat growers that recognize attention to the soil provides a richer grain, yielding the best flour for taste and texture. The highest yield per acre does not translate to the best-tasting flour.

Once the best ingredients are identified, the process of baking continues the art. One example is Stoliar’s process of baking with formulas rather than recipes. In the U.S. we are used to baking with recipes that give volume measures such as cups and tablespoons. Stoliar sticks with formulas that provide weight measures such as grams. There is accuracy achieved in weight measurements that allow a formula to be multiplied many times over to achieve commercial quantities and maintain accuracy. The formulas Stoliar uses have been tested to ingredient quantities up to 50 pounds or more.

Stoliar understands baking from

both a science and artisanal standpoint.

Thus, she is not only a professional, but an artist. As she puts it, “I love what I do and it rubs off” on her students.

Nikol Hayden-Cady and her mother, Laura Hayden opened Foxtail Bakeshop & Kitchen in Bend in April 2018. Nikol was trained as a pastry chef at Culinary Institute of America in New York. At one point in her life, Hayden-Cady dreamed of a career as a pastry chef in New York City, but having a family changed her goals and she and her husband landed in Bend in 2002. Before opening Foxtail, HaydenCady baked for weddings and tea parties in Central Oregon.

When Nikol and Laura opened Foxtail, they recognized the community-driven nature of Bend and wanted to be a part of maintaining that culture. Hayden-Cady works through Agriculture Connections in Bend to source high-quality, locally grown food such as freshly milled flour and farm fresh eggs for her daily plates and baked goods. She develops a recipe from scratch and then continues to adapt the creation and make it her own, presenting it with visual appeal leading her customers to, in her words, “sit down and savor and enjoy.”

She focuses on small quantities produced each morning, ensuring delicious products for her customers.

Foxtail also offers a small selection of gluten-free options.

The Foxtail website (foxtailbakeshop.com) states: “We value quality and beauty, both of which shine through in the products we make and the space we make them in.”

At the International School of Baking, students use world-class ingredients for the finest baked goods.

14 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

There is no mistaking this spirit as soon as one walks into the Foxtail Bakeshop, where you are surrounded by the beauty and aroma of baked goods and the visual delight of wall murals. Foxtail provides a platform for local visual artists to show and sell their work and Hayden-Cady hires locally for everything from designing flyers to wall murals. As she said, “I consider myself an artist,” and that is reflected in her ingredients, the presentation of the products and the space in which she works and her customers enjoy her food.

Hayden-Cady believes that artistry in baking means that baking shouldn’t be rushed. Ingredients shouldn’t be compromised. Careful thought goes into every decision at Foxtail. She believes the attitude the Foxtail staff brings allows their passion for what they do to be tasted in the food they serve.

The Foxtail community spirit is family camaraderie as well. Not only is the restaurant owned by mother and daughter, but Nikol’s father pitches in, both working at the Bakeshop and caring for Nikol’s children at times to allow the women the time they need at their business.

“Joshua gives me the ability to really keep creating... without Joshua, Foxtail wouldn’t be possible,” Nicole says.

Nikol Hayden-Cady arrives at Foxtail Bakeshop & Kitchen very early every morning to create a mouth-watering assortment of fresh baked goods. Get there early for the best selection!

PORTRAIT BY CHARLOTTE DUPONT PHOTOGRAPHY

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted Foxtail. Canceled weddings and a closure through April and May caused deeper losses than the Paycheck Protection Program could overcome. The business was scheduled to prepare cakes or dessert bars for 110 large weddings this summer and that has been reduced to

only 12 very small weddings. Ingredient costs are increasing due to short supplies. The regular local traffic that the shop relies on has been significantly reduced so they have not seen the soaring summer sales that help Central Oregon businesses sustain through the slower winter months.

Still, Nikol and Laura are remaining optimistic that the community that they have supported will get behind them so they can continue as an integral part of the Central Oregon community.

Amy’s Cake Lab is run by Amy Bennette out of her licensed kitchen at her home in Sisters. Bennette has a long history of working in food services and started out creating cakes with a friend in Seattle. The two ladies began training in cake classes at a local craft

store and by shadowing the owner of a designer bakery. Bennette comes from an artistic family and she considers the cake a canvas that she is connected to more than paint on paper.

Ten years ago Bennette and her husband moved their growing family to Sisters and she pursued her cake artistry initially as a hobby, with her friends as customers. She continued to learn her craft through trial and error, as well as picking up new techniques on YouTube. Word of mouth expanded her hobby into a business and she now creates 20-25 cakes in a typical month.

Fresh quality ingredients like real butter and whole milk are important to Bennette’s cakes, but so is creativity.

Continues on page 16

Protect the things you love.

We all cherish life in Sisters, at work and at play.

Linda Alldredge, 541-549-6946 178 S. Elm St., Ste. 100, Sisters linda.alldredge@countryfinancial.com countryfinancial.com/linda.alldredge

0720-160

Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020 • 15

ARTISTRY IN BAKING Continued from page 15 For Bennette, the artistry of her baking extends beyond her own personal creative vision to connect with the vision of her customers.

She called her creations “the intertwining of my own view of the world with my client’s perspective.”

A child may come to her with a request for a cake that pictures an imaginary friend and Bennette couples that child’s description with the image she has in her own mind. She loves the challenge of conveying that combined image in the cake she creates. She also enjoys baking cakes for the same child over a period of years and seeing how the child’s choices and personality change over the course of 5-10 years.

The pandemic has actually grown Amy’s Cake Lab. The scale of the orders has gone down but the number of orders has gone up. Instead of holding large parties for occasions, more customers seem to be focusing on unique cakes.

worship One congregation, two worship styles.

Friendly, caring, active & welcoming!

One of Bennette’s more memorable cakes was a request for a man who was involved with a pack-mule association in Central Oregon. She created a cake shaped like a pack mule that was carrying 6-packs of Corona beer. She also baked a Porsche cake with headlights that lit up and flashed.

In Bennette’s words, her cakes are “a way of doing art that represents a community.” She is passionate about being part of her Central Oregon community and representing their personalities in the unique art medium of cake. She described her art as a “small thing I can do that makes people happy.”

Customers can request a quote on her website, www.amyscakelab.com.

Bennette said that, along with cake baking, her hobby is running. She shared with a laugh, “I have to run since I eat cake every day!”

Given the wonderful products that these professionals create, we may all have to join Amy on her next run.

Amy Bennette enjoys creating both cakes and community from her kitchen in Sisters.

16 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration

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will w iill be back the 2nd weekend in August, Aug 2021 wit th our o famous with m arionb ber cobbler! marionberry

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In 2020, donations from supporters provided over $18,000 to local agencies for their work in the Sisters community.

In 25 years, Transfiguration Church has given back over $290,000 to local community organizations!

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Sip & Swirl in Central Oregon

By Jodi Schneider

All across Central Oregon you’ll find pioneers of American craft beer brewing. You will also discover that this region has one of the best climates for grape growers.

Why do winegrowers in Central Oregon love this area, saying, “Yes, you can harvest a great wine here”?

For Doug Maragas, winemaker and co-owner of the Maragas Winery, winemaking is his passion and it’s in his blood. Maragas comes from a family of Greek winemakers.

“We still have the same vineyard we’ve had since the 13th century in Crete, Greece,” Maragas said. “My grandparents came over to the United States and started making wine commercially in 1941.”

Maragas noted that the vineyards in Crete, Greece and the soils at Maragas Winery in Culver near Smith Rock State Park are well-draining soils.

He said, “Mineral-rich volcanic soils like this are virtually identical to our family vineyard in Crete.”

The winemaker recounted that, “Long ago my grandparents broke all kinds of fruit up and down in the west because during World War II they had a rail pass for produce. This is where a lot of the fruit came 18 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

from, so they would be up in this territory frequently.”

That inspired Maragas to look for an area to live where he could grow great grapes.

“We started looking on the east side of Bend but found this farm in Culver,” he said. “The farm has a south-facing slope, it has volcanic sandy-loam soils, and it’s dry and sunny in the summer. Then moisture comes in the winter. That is the definition of a Mediterranean climate.”

Maragas has concentrated on planting vinifera grapes and said that the Central to Northern European varietals are ideal for conditions at his location.

Even after 21 years, winemaking is time consuming.

Maragas is not just a vintner, he’s a farmer, with many days spent in physical labor, digging holes for trellises.

He noted, “Oregon, in general, is amazing. The different topography — even in Central Oregon

— it covers a large territory. Sisters is different from Bend. Bend is different from Redmond. The Crooked River wraps around this farm and it creates a microclimate. This is a really good gray area to grow grapes because of the south-facing slope, because of the weather. It’s just figuring out which way, which grapes to grow, and how to grow them.

“It took me a decade of making wine to get established. We can successfully grow all the Northern French and German varietals,” said Maragas.

He noted how the scenery from his vineyard is amazing for people who come for wine tasting.

“There are the mountains right here, I can see the Three Sisters mountains, Mount Bachelor, Mount Jefferson and Broken Top. Then there’s Smith Rock.

This is an amazing place. We’re very appreciative of it.”

Inside the winery are more than 250 barrels, each full of wine made in a style that dates back generations to the Greek island of Crete.

• • •

Doug Maragas has turned his passion and heritage into a thriving enterprise in Central Oregon.

PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER

Continues on page 20

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SIP & SWIRL Continued from page 19 When it came time to open a tasting room and wine bar in a new market, it made sense that football-starturned-winery-owner Drew Bledsoe would choose Bend.

Central Oregon is his chosen home. Bledsoe and Josh McDaniels, president and director of winemaking for Doubleback and Bledsoe Family Winery in the Walla Walla Valley, saw an opportunity to establish more of a presence for wine in a booming community better known for its craft breweries than cabernets.

“We feel that the timing is right to pair great wine with the area’s beloved outdoor-oriented culture, and to do so in a way that is both unique and fun,” Bledsoe said. “This has long been a dream for us.”

Bledsoe Family Winery was born in 2017 in Walla Walla, Washington. The Bledsoes grow and make their wine. The original winery, Doubleback, was started in 2007 also in Walla Walla.

McDaniels said, “Co-Founders Drew and Maura Bledsoe live in Bend and, when looking to having a second location, Bend was an obvious first choice since they have great connections and love for the community. They raised three children here and wanted to be more a part of the community in a new way and introduce high-end wine through our Walla

From a vineyard in Walla Walla, Washington, to a tasting room in Bend, the Bledsoe Family Winery has demonstrated the potential for the region as a wine powerhouse.

20 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Walla project, Bledsoe Family Winery.”

He added, “Living in Bend, we thought it was time to have an alternative to craft beer. The Northwest grows and produces world-class wine, but it was time for Bend to have that presence and to be able to enjoy it on a regular and in-person basis.

“All of our vineyards are certified sustainable and are in the Walla Walla Valley. Recently we expanded into another winery called Bledsoe-McDaniels that will be focused on pinot noir from the Willamette Valley.”

The community has been receptive.

“We love the local crowd in Bend and have been so grateful for the welcoming reception we have had here,” McDaniesl said.

• • • Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards, located in the scenic ranchlands of the Lower Bridge area east of Sisters Country, is a working vineyard with a tasting room, a venue for music events and farm-to-table dinners, and a romantic setting for weddings.

Owners Cindy and Roger Grossmann fell in love with the 312 acres of rolling farmland in Terrebonne

20 years ago after retiring from the Midwest.

“This property was a rough piece of farm ground and we took off learning about all that it entailed,” Cindy Grossman said.

From her resort and property-development background, Cindy knew it had good farmland and water rights. She dove into the Oregon land-use laws and developed the present concept of a group of homesites on acreage surrounding two picturesque farms that were to be rooted in agritourism — ability to bring visitors to a farm or ranch.

The Grossmanns had no previous winemaking or vineyard experience so their first mission was to educate themselves.

She noted, “This was not a task for the faint of heart. Proposing the first vineyard/winery on agricultural land in Central Oregon did not come without opposition and skepticism.”

After planting 15 acres of cold-hardy vines developed in Cindy’s home state of Minnesota, they needed to find a winemaker and learn everything about making award-winning wines to validate their adventure.

“Having grown up in tourism in northern Minnesota, and having a passion for beauty and romance, we were not going to let this project fail,” she said. “It took faith, it took hope, and it took charity.”

The Grossmanns developed several complementary facets to their enterprise.

“The vineyard and winery was the perfect fit for agritourism in Sisters and Lower Valley, known as a little banana belt,” Cindy added.

“Award-winning wine, education, wood-fired pizza and music events, along with private parties, weddings, wine-paired dinners and nonprofit events keep our locals, as well as our tourists, returning to experience the beauty and the local bounty.”

COVID-19 challenged the Grossmanns for events, but they adapted.

“With our large acreage we can distance our guests’ tables outside by 10 feet, so our music, weddings, and events have been able to flourish,” Grossman said.

“With the winter months on the way we’ll be coming inside and introducing our intimate wine tastings and

Continues on page 22

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To all the wonderful angels working at Hospice of Redmond, I can’t express enough, a most sincere feeling of deep gratitude and appreciation for all the wonderful care you gave my sister ... it has been so hard, but your support has meant so much. You have all been such a blessing. Thank you for all the wonderful work you do for others.

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SIP & SWIRL Continued from page 21 education by appointment, as well as small-plate pairings, wine-paired dinners, and intimate parties.”

The Grossmanns will be breaking ground soon for their new event center with a winery tasting bar, which will open more options.

• • •

While Central Oregon is best known for its top-tier breweries and wineries, craft distilling has also been underway.

If you were to ask one of the Central Oregon distilleries what makes their business thrive in this area, you might hear “It’s the water.” That’s what Crater Lake Spirits will tell you. They’ve been one of the pioneers of the craft distilling revolution since its birth in 1996.

“The Cascade mountain water is special here,” said marketing assistant Hanna Monchamp. “We have real quality water that’s naturally filtered through lava rock.

And so that’s a really big boon for distilleries out here.

Also, it’s such an agricultural area. A lot of the distilleries around here, including us, try and use a lot of local ingredients to bring out homegrown flavor.”

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards works with cold-hardy grapes to create impressive wines — and a center for events in Central Oregon.

22 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Oregon Spirit Distillers makes the Spirit of Central Oregon literal. It’s about that water...

Oregon Spirit Distillers in Bend said the some of the best water runs straight out of the Cascade mountains. Their Oregon Spirit Vodka is six times distilled, charcoal filtered, and balanced with Cascadian water.

Brad Irwin and his wife, Kathy, owners of Oregon Spirit Distillers in Bend, have both lived in Central Oregon for nearly their entire lives. Brad has always had a passion for craft cocktails as spirits, developing them working as a bartender in Bend.

He realized that Central Oregon had everything that he needed to begin distilling artisan spirits: amazing agriculture and some of the best water in the United States.

In 2009 Oregon Spirit Distillers was born.

Irwin said, “We started out doing a variety of spirits, and our catalog has remained diverse to this day, but our standout spirit has always been our American whiskey.”

Shelly Hopson, operations manager, said, “The key

to our distillery’s success in Central Oregon is Brad’s passion and how contagious it is. You can see it in our facility, hear it in the excited voices of our staff. I think that’s what makes people recommend this to their friends, as well as keep coming back. They know they can always get a great cocktail, no matter how complicated or simple, have a conversation with a friendly host, and maybe even get the VIP tour from Brad if he happens to be walking through.”

In outlook and in product, all of these producers reflect the spirit of Central Oregon.

Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020 • 23

Art Streets

There’s out on the

Photos and story by Lisa May

Residents and visitors in Central Oregon are aware of their spectacular surroundings.

Many are drawn to visit or live here because we experience the beauty of nature all around us. So it is no surprise that this is a crowd that cares about the visual arts. Beauty — both natural and man-made — matters to us.

Passion for public art in Central Oregon dates back to at least the early 1970s. A small group of moms in Bend wanted to educate their own young children in visual art at a time when there were few, if any, art galleries in the area. The group called themselves Art Now and Sue Hollern was one of the founding members. Hollern recalls that they brought artists, especially potters, from all over the state to discuss their art. As Bend grew, galleries began to open and there were more

Kim Chavez’s “Rock Chuck” is perched at the entry to Centennial Park, part of Redmond’s permanent art collection.

local opportunities to engage with the arts so the activities of Art Now paused.

The hiatus did not last long. Brooks Scanlon Lumber Company, which at one time ran one of the largest lumber mills in the world in Bend, and its subsidiary, Brooks Resources, established The Bend Foundation. The Foundation was seeking ways to contribute to livability in Bend and throughout Central Oregon. The chairman of the board of Brooks Resources was (and continues

to be) Mike Hollern, Sue’s husband.

Mike approached Sue and her friends with an idea to involve the community in the arts and Art in Public Places (AiPP) was the result.

Fast forward to 2020 and AiPP remains a nonprofit funded by The Bend Foundation, committed to growing a collection of public art that makes the city of Bend and Central Oregon a magnet for art appreciators from around the world. Sue Hollern continues to be a board member of AiPP. Central Oregon has seen the number of traffic roundabouts grow in recent decades and nearly every one is

Continues on page 26

24 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

“Mt. Bachelor Compass”

by Steve Jensen was installed in 2002 in the roundabout at Mt. Washington and Century drives.

The “S” has required repositioning since installation to protect it from unfamiliar drivers approaching too quickly from Cascade Lakes Highway.

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THERE’S ART OUT ON THE STREETS Continued from page 24 a potential location for featuring public art. AiPP’s website, artinpublicplaces. org, features a downloadable map to tour the roundabout art in Bend. But roundabouts are not the only locations that feature public art. AiPP has also placed some indoor art in public locations and the gentleman resting on the bench at the corner of Wall Street and Franklin Avenue remains one of the public favorites in the AiPP collection.

Once a location is identified for public art, AiPP puts out a request for proposals, describing what the committee wants and the location.

They often receive 100 entries initially, which they narrow down to three to five choices to be made into scale models to receive public input.

This input is weighed as the committee chooses the final art to be created.

Hollern described that decision as always needing a lot of conversation but they have “never disagreed on the final selection; there is never anyone unhappy with the final decision.”

Although the committee has always found agreement, the public has been known to push back. In 2002 “Phoenix Rising” was installed in the roundabout at Galveston Avenue and 14th Street and was disparaged as “The Flaming Chicken” by those who did not agree with the committee’s choice.

The name has stuck and is now a term of endearment that locals use to direct visitors to the neighborhood surrounding it. The community has grown more sophisticated as the placement of art has increased and now most people receive enthusiastically the broad selection of styles in AiPP-placed art.

Hollern refers to the public discussion around the art as a “spirited conversation that makes life more interesting.”

She reminds the public that, if you don’t enjoy a specific piece, “keep driving and find one that you do like!”

26 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Frank Boyden named his creation “Phoenix All of this pubRising” when it was installed in 2002. lic art can connect the community in Disagreeable citizens renamed it “The some interactive Flaming Chicken,” a name that continues to ways. The benchbe fondly used by locals and visitors alike. sitter in downtown Bend may be dressed in someone’s winter wear in Washington Drive.

Bend is not the only Central Oregon the cold months and he has sported a face mask on and off during the pan- city whose culture has benefitted demic. The deer in the roundabout at from Art in Public Places. The orgaSimpson Ave. and 14th St. have been nization’s efforts have spilled over to decorated for Christmas. Some of the neighboring cities such as Redmond public art can be utilitarian. More than and Sisters. AiPP in Bend has proone roundabout-challenged visitor has vided advice to other cities seeking to likely given thanks for the compass establish public art so all of the area art installed on Century Drive at Mt. communities could learn from their

decades of experience.

Redmond Committee for Art in Public Places (RCAPP) is operated under the guidance of the City of Redmond. Jackie Abslag is the city staff liaison that works with the committee of dedicated volunteers. As Abslag describes it, “the committee comes up with the ideas and I help make it happen.”

RCAPP was formed in 2006 in response to two significant art donations to the city. Prior to those donations there were no policies in place for installing public art on city-owned property. RCAPP adopted a vision to install public art to encourage cultural appreciation in the community and that vision has grown in the years since, with RCAPP currently maintaining 45 permanent art pieces, funded mostly by donations.

Art Around the Clock (AATC) is a program innovated by RCAPP in 2010 in which artists loan outdoor sculptures to the City for two years.

The art is displayed and the public is invited to vote for their favorite piece, which is then purchased by RCAPP and installed as part of the permanent art collection. There are currently 18

pieces on loan to Redmond, with the People’s Choice voting scheduled for spring 2021.

There are currently 18 pieces on loan to Redmond, scheduled to be rotated out in spring 2021.

Abslag said, “The public response is typically very strong as everyone has an opinion about art and does not hesitate to share. Despite the variety of opinions on what ‘good’ art is, the winning AATC pieces often times receive an overwhelming majority of the votes.”

More information about Redmond public art can be found at www.redmondoregon.gov/government/commissions-committees/redmond-committee-for-art-in-public-places-rcapp/ public-art.

Locations for all of the Redmond public art can be viewed at www. re d m o n d o re g o n . g ov/ h ow - d o - i / find-a-city-location/find-public-art.

RCAPP will occasionally seek public input for some of the larger pieces being placed in Redmond. “Thoughts of Flight” located on Highway 97 at Highland Avenue is one such piece that was chosen in part based on public input.

“Living Water” by Sharon Agnor, located near the intersection of 9th Street and SW Highland Avenue in Redmond, is one of the Art Around the Clock pieces currently being displayed.

The Redmond committee has also been very creative in their process by incorporating students in the creation of public art. An ongoing project is Out

Continues on page 28

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THERE’S ART OUT ON THE STREETS Continued from page 27 of the Box, in which Redmond students work under an artist-in-residence to paint city-owned electrical boxes.

Students have also painted murals and tiles at various parks in town.

“It’s fantastic for the students,” Abslag said. “It gives them a chance to work with an experienced artist to design and create their artwork from start to finish.”

The Old Mill District in Bend brings a slightly different twist to the discussion of public art. All of the art has been privately funded but it is displayed for the public to enjoy. The Old Mill is a blend of shopping, Deschutes River play, concert venue, movie theater and more.

Carrie Ramoz, media contact for the Old Mill District, noted, “Art enhances each of these experiences... The OMD is nestled between the river, mountains, and the iconic smokestacks; art complements this wonderful setting.”

The Old Mill opened in 2000 and the first art was added quickly in 2001. The first piece was “No Caulks Allowed,” a 30-foot high piece created out of salvaged steel wheels that once ran the Brooks Scanlon sawmill at that site. Many more pieces have been added to the Old Mill art collection.

Ramoz explained, “Some pieces are in very visible, obvious places. Others are tucked away and offer a more intimate experience.”

The most visible pieces at the Old Mill tend to become the most shared on social media as well.

“Instagram is full of selfies in front of the muraled steps behind Regal and the dragon mural on the Gap building,” said Ramoz. And, though they are

Continues on page 30 28 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

“Thoughts of Flight” by Jerry Werner displays thoughts and emotions on blades that change with the winds.

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THERE’S ART OUT ON THE STREETS Continued from page 28

tucked away on a less-visible sidewalk, Dennis McGregor’s “You Stole My Name” murals also pop up on social media as visitors to the Old Mill interact with the artist’s lifelike depictions of creatures native to Central Oregon.

McGregor was contacted by the Old Mill after the release of his book by the same name. He had just completed the installation of a mural in Sisters, so he was well-prepared to bring his art to life on a larger scale to beautify a mechanical area in the shopping center.

McGregor explained, “After looking at the location in the Old Mill... I realized that people would be able to stand right next to them and perhaps want to take pictures of themselves. Turns out to be the case.”

McGregor shared the story of one fan who contacted him after seeing the chicken in his “Chicken Hawk” piece. The man asked for permission to take a photo of the chicken and get it made into a tattoo. McGregor gave Roger Fox’s sculpture, and its permission but requested a photo of the tattoo. By name, look back to a day when the end of the day, the the Old Mill District was the home fan shared a photo of his arm displaying his brandof an actual lumber mill. The new chicken tattoo. spiked boots (caulks) worn by From an artist’s perspective, McGregor sees area loggers prompted businesses the importance of public to adopt a “No Caulks Allowed” art.

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He enjoys the occasional comments and feedback he receives from the public.

Connection over public art is a spirit shared among Central Oregonians. Visitors and residents alike can be thankful for the efforts of all these organizations to enhance the arts culture in the area. The committees all seem to share the vision described by Ramoz at the Old Mill: “The desire to create beautiful, unexpected surprises for all to enjoy while supporting the arts community.”

Tyler and Jaden, visitors from Clackamas, enjoyed interacting with Dennis McGregor’s “Chicken Hawk” while exploring the Old Mill District this summer.

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Music is the

By Jodi Schneider

Heartbeat of Central Oregon

With soul-filled songs of love, courage, and gratitude, award-winning singer-songwriter Pete Kartsounes was one of the first Central Oregon musicians to begin livestreaming shows last spring. He then moved his summertime songwriting retreat over to Zoom and decided to record a whole new album — by himself — in quarantine.

Kartsounes grew up in the Midwest, living in Wisconsin through most of elementary school.

He said, “I sang in a traveling choir called The Appleton Boys Choir between the ages of 8 and 11 years old.”

From a young age Kartsounes knew what his niche in life was going to be, and at the age of 19 he moved west and started his journey as a fulltime singer-songwriter and traveling troubadour.

“I was based out of Colorado and after 19 years of connecting with the bluegrass scene there, I traveled the world and explored eight countries with a small backpack and traveling guitar,” he explained. “It was an incredible journey and lasted two years!”

But eventually he had to find a place to build a new nest and chose Oregon because of its beauty, his fan base, friends and history of performing here.

“I guess you could say that I was searching for some more ‘change’ and new views and this was a great place to call home. I started my Northwest living with a year and a half in Portland from September 2015 to February 2017, playing random pickup gigs, running a weekly Bluegrass Tuesday.”

He said, “I’ve always loved when I 32 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Based out of Bend, Pete Kartsounes is an award-winning singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso who has been bringing his eclectic style and smokey soulful voice to stages around the world for over two decades.

would come through the Bend/ Sisters area to perform.”

In 2017 Kartsounes made the move to Bend after realizing that he was not a city person.

“I was finally back amongst nature, mountains, rivers, ski areas and absolute beauty,” he said. “I feel alive and inspired here. I write a lot here, stay very productive, and have plenty of nature to fill my outdoor cravings inbetween my music, photography, and videography life. There’s something about the serenity here that brings the ink out of the pen and onto the paper for me here. Melodies and songs are in the air here!

“Since moving here, I have performed at Sisters Folk Festival two years, as well as performing at 4 Peaks Music Festival. I have also been fortunate enough to teach and take part at Sisters Folk Festivals’ Song Camp the past three years as well as the Americana Song Camp for youth in Sisters and surrounding areas. The

song camps are something I really love to do and am always grateful for those opportunities.”

Kartsounes’ new album “Out Here on My Own Vol. 1” was just released in August; the songs connect with folks by pulling on the heartstrings in these uncertain times.

• • • Hawaiian native and singer-songwriter Bill Keale, a local favorite, was raised on the windward side of Oahu, where he grew up listening to all kinds of music.

Keale noted, “Mom would always sing to us when we were growing up.

I was 9 years old when she put a ukulele in my hands to play. At the age of 13 I picked up an old guitar from my uncle Mac and the rest was history.”

“I was introduced to Hawaiian

music later in life by my uncle Moe Keale and encouraged by cousins Skippy & IZ Kamakawiwo’ole. It was IZ who said with a big smile after hearing me sing for the first time, ‘Eh cuz, the music is in our bones ya?’ ‘Forever,’ I said, with a big smile back.”

From his early introduction into Hawaiian music, slack-key guitar, pop and folk, Keale’s smooth vocal style makes for memorable performances for audiences everywhere.

Keale found that he feels right at home living in Central Oregon, and has appeared at venues in Bend, Sisters, and throughout the region.

“I enjoy the strong sense of community and diversity living in Central Oregon with a homestyle feeling all its own,” said Keale. “There’s an aura here, a stream of continuous positive energy I’ve felt from family, friends, and our surrounding communities

Hawaiian native Bill Keale has found home and “ohana” (family) in Central Oregon.

from then until now. With their help, I was able to record my first album and later land the Best of Central Oregon [best] musician and [best] singer/ songwriter.”

He added, “Their kindness and generosity through the years inspires me, allowing my spirit to soar and realize that most of all I love to sing my songs for you.”

Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020 • 33

The

flavor of life in an outdoor playground

Linda Ly, bestselling cookbook author and the creative force behind gardenbetty.com, a leading garden site, grew up in a family that always cooked at home and where special occasions were celebrated around good-tasting meals.

Ly said, “Food was considered medicine and a house that was abundant in fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats was also abundant in health and happiness.”

Ly believes that growing your own food is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself.

She noted, “It’s highly therapeutic for the body and mind, it brings back those old-timey skills that tend to get lost in our modern world, and it really makes you appreciate where our food comes from.”

The gardening came first when Ly started gardenbetty.com in 2010 as a personal project. She was a freelance web designer at the time, but after 12 years of hustling for work, she needed a change.

“I was looking to phase out of client work and wanted a new creative outlet where I could go back to my roots as an artist and work with my hands again,” she recalled. “The blog was the perfect balance of getting outside and experiencing a tangible joy of growing things while still doing something I loved — designing and storytelling.”

In 2012, she was tapped as a gardening expert by HGTV Magazine for a story on fall gardening.

Ly’s blog eventually took off to the point where it became her full-time job in 2013. The same year Ly’s first book deal, “The CSA Cookbook,” was based on

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“All the skills from my previous career (coding, online marketing, and creative writing) helped make it a smooth transition, and my time is now equally divided between maintaining my site and playing outside.”

When she’s not in her garden or cooking up tasty recipes in her kitchen, Ly is out camping, checking out the roads less traveled or hiking off the beaten path.

“When I started camping with my husband and our friends many years ago, naturally the home-cooked meals were a big part of our trips,” she said.

Ly is a firm believer in sharing good food around a fire under the stars, and thought it made for a great book topic.

“A lot of people don’t think it’s possible to make a delicious camp meal from scratch,” explained Ly. “When they think of camp food, they think hot dogs and canned beans. Not that there’s anything wrong with hot dogs and canned beans, but once you learn how to prep and cook a meal in the wild, it opens up a whole new world of backcountry gourmet.

“Away from home and under the open sky, cooking is stripped down to the

When I started camping with my husband ... many years ago, naturally the home-cooked meals were a big part of our trips.

— Linda Ly bare essentials, so food becomes its own adventure. Cooking in camp can be as easy or extravagant as you want it to be, but the experience in itself triggers all the senses, making you feel alive and free.”

Ly and her family relocated from Los Angeles to Bend in 2017, a move prompted by their desire to settle in a place that felt like a better fit for their lifestyle: hiking, climbing, backpacking, fishing, skiing and kayaking.

“The outdoors is such a great, giant playground for me because it’s an endless opportunity to recreate and to spend quality time with your family, friends, and learn about a given place where you are,” she said. “After my daughter Gemma’s birth, we reprioritized what we wanted for our future, and that was a slower pace, a safer community, better public schools and being only minutes away from all the things we loved to do, such as hiking, camping, and snowboarding.

“Bend beat out several other places on our short list. We wanted a good mix of small-town living and big-city amenities, a large enough network of open

and like-minded people for making new friends, an entrepreneurial and creative environment that kept us stimulated, quick access to the outdoors and ease of travel. I find myself looking forward to the start of every season because it always means new activities, and our lives are very much centered around outdoor recreation like camping.”

Ly’s joy is helping people become a little more self-sufficient at home and experience the beauty of the outdoors, from growing their own food and raising backyard chickens to discovering new trails and cooking in the wild.

She wrote the highly acclaimed “The New Camp Cookbook,”as well as “The Backyard Fire Cookbook” and “The No-Waste Vegetable Cookbook.”

“I’m in the process of building out a new garden this year (on our new property in Bend) and I have a long list of things to incorporate into the design,” she said. “A greenhouse, a deer fence, mesh on the bottom of my raised beds to deter gophers, a low fence around the vegetable garden to keep rabbits out and frost protection.”

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My heart is

Home

By Sue Stafford The refreshing fragrance of sage mingled with pine that fills the air after a summer shower in Central Oregon instantly transports me to a special time and place in my childhood.

During the decade of the 1950s, I spent many summer days under the intensely blue skies of Camp Sherman, frolicking in the bracing waters of Lake Creek and the Metolius River. We fished for crawdads with a string and a piece of bacon on an open safety pin from the creek running through the ranch that is now Metolius Meadows.

We splashed and swam in the ranch pool filled by the chilly water of the creek.

Long unhurried days were spent playing as children do when left to their own imaginations. It was the large ranch barn, still standing at Metolius Meadows, that was my favorite place to spend time surrounded by the pungent smell of the ranch horses 36 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

we often rode. I didn’t only want to ride the horses or have a horse of my own at home in Portland. I liked to imagine I was a horse, free to run and buck and shake my mane; free to roam the forests and fields of Camp Sherman.

Those carefree childhood days were deeply etched in my young soul and I always knew that my heart belonged to Camp Sherman and Sisters. Despite growing up in Portland and spending 33 years as an adult in Bellevue/Kirkland, Washington, my memories of those summer days never faded.

As my 60th birthday approached, the memory of that enchanted place on the eastside of the Cascades, in the center of my state of birth, stirred my soul and I knew it was time to return to my special heart place. Once the decision was made in January, everything evolved seamlessly, and by the end of May 2004 I was ensconced in my Sisters home on the creek, surrounded by sagebrush and pine trees.

“As the saying goes, ‘Home is where the heart is,’ and my heart lives beside Whychus Creek, under the shadow of the mountains.”

— Sue Stafford Over the past 16 years my life has been filled with meaningful work, good friends, and a deep contentment that comes from living where my soul is at peace and my heart is full of gratitude that I have come home to live out my days in Sisters.

Each time I gaze at those glorious Three Sisters standing watch over my little corner of the world, I can sense the exhilaration my grandfather must have felt when, at the age of 20, he tramped and camped along the spine of those towering beauties from Diamond Lake to Sisters, basking in the spirit that is Central Oregon.

As the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is,” and my heart lives beside Whychus Creek, under the shadow of the mountains.

There’s no place like

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Called to Serve in the

By Jodi Schneider

Adventure constantly beckons in the forests, deserts, and mountains of Central Oregon. Camping, hiking, swimming and skiing are just a few of the activities for which the region is famous across the globe.

We don’t often think about what happens if our outdoor adventure goes bad, but local search-and-rescue volunteers do. The region is served by Deschutes County Search and Rescue (DCSAR) and the Jefferson County Camp Sherman Hasty Team. Both units are made up of caring volunteers who give countless hours to training and responding to incidents each year.

There are over 120 dedicated volunteers who answer the call any time of day or night. The ability to save a life or effect a successful rescue is often dependent on how quickly a person can be found or reached.

The unit consists of general volunteers and trained specialty crews including the Mountain Rescue Unit, the Search and Recovery Horse Team, the Dive and Swift Water Team, and The Winter Teams.

These local heroes have a variety of reasons for doing what they do, but it all boils down to helping people.

Sue Grediagin has been a volunteer with a search-and-rescue (SAR) team for 26 years and has been utilizing her skills on rescue missions with DCSAR since 2003.

“I can’t remember when my sisters and I weren’t following our dad around the woods exploring the outdoors and learning survival skills from him,” Grediagin said. “I was able to put those skills to use when I joined the Camp Sherman Hasty Team 25 years ago, honored to be part of the well-trained closely knit group of volunteers.”

38 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

Central Oregon

Outback

Sue Grediagin has served for decades with searchand-rescue outfits that aid the lost and injured in Central Oregon’s beautiful, but rugged, backcountry.

Grediagin learned that search and rescue is all about collaborating as a team.

She added, “It’s joining forces with people with the same attitude of service to the community. That is what drew me in to this area and continues to be why I am still a SAR member.

And when you are at the right place at the right time and find someone who is lost, it is profoundly rewarding.

“There are a lot of ways for people to get in difficult situations from water to mountains to desert so we have members with special gifts of knowledge that join the different specialty teams. But the nearest and dearest to my heart is the horse team.

Having my equine partner to share in my mission’s efforts makes a wonderful, strong bond between us. After two decades of search-and-rescue missions I still have a deep sense of accomplishment when I am on a mission using my skills as searcher and team member.”

The Camp Sherman Hasty Team made up of search and rescue volunteers was founded in 1995 by former Jefferson County deputy, Mark Foster, and is now managed under Sergeant David Pond, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office emergency services manager.

Pond said they are primarily based in the Camp Sherman area, a relatively remote area against the east slope of the Cascades.

Nathan Bennette, a volunteer for the Hasty Team, grew up in the mountains of Oregon and moved to Sisters 10 years ago. He’s passionate about the outdoors and loves to hike, fish, backpack and hunt.

“I love spending time in the mountains and in the woods,” Bennette said.

“I’m strongly motivated to help people and to learn new things.”

In 2012, Bennette began to look for ways to engage in the community, lend a hand, and connect with neighbors to learn more.

He noted, “I heard about the Camp

Sherman Hasty Team through a small article in The Nugget (Newspaper) and thought it would be a great fit — but at that time my kids were very young and I was unable to spare the time.

The thought stuck in the back of my mind and early in 2016, as my youngest child’s first birthday approached, my wife encouraged me to pursue the four-year thread and see what it was all about. The Team welcomed me, brought me in, and I’ve been learning from them ever since.”

Incidents in the forests and mountains can be serious.

“We have rescued people who were severely injured — life threatening in many cases — many miles back in the wilderness who were unable to return to the trailhead on their own, bringing them back to civilization and advanced medical care,” Bennette said.

A private medical provider also serves and protects the public in their outdoor adventures.

From back-country racing to events and festivals, Adventure Medics provides trained medical staffing to emergencies on-site. The team was founded by Matt Sabelman because he wanted to combine two passions in his life: Emergency medical services and a lifestyle filled with adventure.

The medics employed by Adventure Medics also share this life passion. Kat Dougherty, operations assistant and paramedic, has worked in almost every aspect of the company from wildland fires, events, teaching classes and interfacility ambulance transport.

“I got involved with emergency medicine when I was 17. I was already an avid backpacker and wanted to take a wilderness first responder course so I would know what to do if one of my friends got hurt on the trail,” she said.

Just the idea of being powerless in an emergency setting has always been terrifying to Dougherty.

“After a 10-day course, I was hooked. I went on to get my Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license in 2009 and paramedic training in 2011 and spent several years working as a 911 paramedic and structure firefighter.”

After a serious back injury, Dougherty moved to Bend while she was recovering.

“That’s when I heard about Adventure Medics,” she said. “I was so excited to be able to marry my love of the outdoors with my passion for emergency medicine. Working at Adventure Medics allows for so much independence and creativity with how I practice as a paramedic. Instead of working on an ambulance where you drive to the same hospital 20 times a day and are always a phone call away from a physician, I find myself on remote ridgelines — far from cell phone reception or radio communications. When something goes wrong out there, you need to have the ability to problem-solve without asking for help.”

As an adventure medic, Dougherty gets experience with a different kind of medicine.

“So often in the pre-hospital care world, you arrive to a patient, treat their symptoms, and then transport them to a hospital,” she said. “Especially with our athletes, we are constantly coming up with solutions to keep them in the race, rather than just putting them in an ambulance. It’s a completely different kind of thinking and it’s been such a fun and creative challenge.”

With adventure — and risk — part of the spirit of Central Oregon, it is good to know that there are people who combine that spirit with the desire to help others. That knowledge offers peace of mind for those entering the great outdoors. If trouble strikes, skilled and capable help is at hand.

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Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020 • 39

A life defined by

Trail & Pen

By Jim Cornelius

Les Joslin’s passions revolve around forest and mountain trails and the written word. Over the span of a dozen books, the Bend author has combined those passions to present histories of the early Forest Service, the Deschutes National Forest, and many of the unique characters who define the spirit of Central Oregon.

Joslin was shaped by a stint as a summer employee of the U.S. Forest Service. While studying geography and natural resources conservation at San Jose College, Joslin spent the summers of 1962-66 working as a seasonal firefighter and fire prevention officer in the Toiyabe National Forest’s Bridgeport Ranger District on the state line between California and Nevada.

The Forest Service compound featured a tiny headquarters office, a 40 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

bunkhouse and a horse corral.

“It was like a ranch, but it was a ranger station,” Joslin recalled. “We had a few people who worked hard. It was almost a kind of a template for a way of life for me.”

He might have followed that way of life indefinitely, but the call of duty intervened. Coming from a line of naval officers, Joslin was called to serve and in 1967, after completing Aviation Officer Candidate School in Pensacola,

Florida, he was commissioned as a United States Navy officer.

Poor eyesight meant that the Navy wouldn’t let him drive a ship or pilot a plane — so he was tracked into a career in Naval Intelligence.

“It sounded right up my alley,” Joslin said — and it was.

In addition to being interesting work and valuable service to country, the

Continues on page 42

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JOSLIN Continued from page 40 work honed Joslin’s writing chops, as he was required to distill complex and detailed intelligence into clear, concise briefs.

When it came time to retire, Joslin had a well-developed skill with the written word — and a longing to return to forest and mountain.

“I spent the most interesting times of my early life on the east side of the Sierra Nevada and I got used to the leeward side of western mountain ranges,” he said.

His English wife, Patricia, thought the dry side of the Sierras too remote, so, upon a friend’s recommendation, they decided to check out Central Oregon. In 1988, Les and Patricia moved to Sunriver, and eventually to Bend.

Joslin’s “retirement” didn’t mean kicking back with a fishing pole.

“In 1989, at the invitation of Professor Ray Hatton, I began teaching geography courses at Central Oregon Community College, where I soon

Les Joslin spent formative years working out of a tiny headquarters office in the Toiyabe National Forest on the border of California and Nevada. taught political science courses as well,” he recalled. “In 2001, I became an adjunct instructor for the College of Forestry, Oregon State University, developing and teaching a wildernessmanagement course online as well as at OSU’s evolving Central Oregon

Les Joslin has 12 books to his credit, with a 13th scheduled for publication in 2021.

42 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

campus. I taught at COCC until 2005, and continued teaching the OSU course through 2011.”

He also returned to the Forest Service.

“In 1990, I began serving as a U.S. Forest Service seasonal wilderness ranger in the Three Sisters Wilderness

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Much of Joslin’s writing has focused on historic buildings of the U.S. Forest Service in Central Oregon, such as the Paulina Lake Guard Station pictured here. and worked in visitor information and education capacities for the Deschutes National Forest for 14 summers,” he said.

“I was appointed to a full-time position leading the recreation, heritage, and wilderness resources team for the forest’s Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District from 2003 to 2005.”

The work allowed him to be out in his beloved forests and mountains — and he connected the work with his interest in history and his love for writing. He’s been exceptionally prolific, and his works can be found in any bookstore selection that features Central Oregon history, and on the bookshelves of many a local resident.

“As of 2020, I have written or edited a dozen books and completed a 13th scheduled to be published in 2021,” Joslin said.

The forthcoming 2021 publication is “Three Sisters Wilderness: A History.” Other titles include “Images of America: Deschutes National Forest”; “Uncle Sam’s Cabins: A Visitor’s Guide to Historic U.S. Forest Service Ranger Stations of the West”; “Walt Perry: An Early-Day Forest Ranger in New Mexico and Oregon”; Legendary Locals of Bend”; and a memoir of his early days, “Toiyabe Patrol: Five U.S. Forest Service Summers.”

Joslin describes his creative process simply: “I write what I know, research what I don’t know and factcheck what I think I know,” he said.

His background in Naval Intelligence shaped his writing

Continues on page 44

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JOSLIN Continued from page 43 technique and his prose style, which is clean and unadorned.

“I’m more a technician than an artist, I guess,” he said. “I’m more interpretive and analytical than inspirational.”

He does, however, carry a deep appreciation for beautiful, lyrical writing, especially about the natural world.

He advances his appreciation for artistic writing in his service on the board of directors for the Waterston Desert Writing Prize, which was recently adopted by the High Desert Museum.

The Prize honors creative nonfiction that illustrates artistic excellence, sensitivity to place, and desert literacy, with the desert as both subject and setting.

Joslin’s connections with the High Desert Museum are deep.

“Working with Bob Boyd, then Curator of Western History at the High Desert Museum, I helped develop the Forest Service centennial exhibit that ran at that museum from 2005 to 2007,” Joslin noted.

That collaboration gave him an exceptional opportunity to bring his service in the forest and his life’s journey full circle.

The Bridgeport Ranger Station office building where Joslin spent his first Forest Service summer in 1962 became available to the High Desert Museum in 2008 — and Boyd and Joslin jumped at the opportunity to take it on a long-term loan which, Joslin said, “we interpreted to mean they don’t want to see it again.”

Boyd and Joslin got the building transported to the Museum grounds, reassembled and restored and opened it as a permanent interpretive exhibit in 2009. Joslin was thrilled “to use it to tell the story of the role the National 44 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

The Bridgeport Ranger Station office building (where Les Joslin worked in 1962), has been given second life as an interpretive exhibit at The High Desert Museum in Bend.

Forests played in the lifeways and economies of the West. I’m really happy that the little building that I and a few others worked out of in the early ’60s is now telling its story here. It’s a really emotional thing for me. Those were formative years for me.”

That story is one of adapting to change.

“The Forest Service has changed so much it’s difficult for people to imagine it,” Joslin said.

The story of the National Forest in Central Oregon is changing, as are

the communities that abide within it.

When Les and Patricia moved to Bend, 19,000 people called it home. Now, the population is around 100,000. Central Oregon is swiftly becoming urbanized — yet people still want to experience the beauty and freedom of the wild.

Outdoor recreation now drives tourism and people relocate to Central Oregon seeking an active outdoor lifestyle. Millions of people hike the trails and paddle the lakes and rivers of the Deschutes National Forest. Explosive growth has brought tremendous challenges, as the forest — especially the wilderness areas — must be managed more tightly in order to preserve the very qualities that draw people there in the first place.

For Joslin, that means the role he has always played in the forest is ever more critical.

Joslin’s philosophy is that, “to manage wilderness, you need to be visible, but not imposing.”

Regulation may be necessary, but the key component in preserving the values that attract people here is providing them with understanding and a sense of connection — a sense of responsibility for how they go on the land.

“The impact is much greater,” he said. “That means that the need for appreciation and education... (is) increasingly important.”

In a very real sense, Joslin has spent his life in education, whether it was providing intelligence briefings to decision-makers in his Navy career, as teacher in a classroom, or as an author and editor of nonfiction histories of his beloved wilderness — the leeward side of western mountain ranges that shaped him.

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Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020 • 45

Film to capture life & legacy of

Buckaroo Artist

By Jim Cornelius

“I learned to draw as soon as I could hold a pencil,” Len Babb said.

“My father taught me how to paint a horse when I was about 6 or 7.”

Len Babb’s life as a Western artist and buckaroo will be turned into a documentary film — at the hands of a crew of Central Oregon artists.

Craig Rullman conceived of the project, which carries the working title, “Running Iron: The Len Babb Story.”

Rullman is writer and director; Sam Pyke of Hill Shadow Pictures is filming the piece, which will have a soundtrack created largely by local musicians.

Rullman and Pyke have been filming through the summer on ranches around Paisley, Oregon.

“I’m trying to put out a culturally significant documentary film that reflects the life of a big-outfit cowboy who’s also an accomplished artist,” Rullman said.

Rullman worked for several years as a buckaroo on big horseback outfits in northern Nevada, and he feels a strong connection with Babb and his art. “(Babb is) just a good man, whose life is very quiet, very calm and very productive on a lot of fronts,” Rullman said. “I think it has value, especially in

I think it has value, especially in an era that is so partisan, so divided.

Len’s work transcends all of that.

— Craig Rullman 46 • Spirit of Central Oregon | Fall 2020

an era that is so partisan, so divided.

Len’s work transcends all of that.”

He believes that Babb’s story “fits beautifully in the tradition of Teddy Blue Abbott and Charlie Russell.”

Babb’s work is featured regularly in one-man art shows in the region, organized by his nephew, Lance Richardson, and Lance’s wife, Rebecca.

Rebecca told The Nugget that she and the whole family are very excited about the project.

“Craig is a gift to Len in so many ways,” she said.

The two men have a strong camaraderie and share a passion for the landscape and the buckaroo life.

“There’s nobody I’ve ever known that would be more perfect for doing this for and about (Len),” Richardson said. “I just think he’s the perfect man for the job — and I think he’ll take so much pleasure out of it, too, which makes it even more special…. The season of Len’s life is also timing-perfect for a project such as this.”

Rullman and his team are actively raising funds for the project. A GoFundMe campaign can be accessed at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ len-babb-movie-project.

The Richardsons are providing a Len Babb print for donors of $100 and are working on a special reward for contributions of $500 or more.

“You can’t make a movie of any quality on the cheap,” Rullman acknowledged.

And quality is what he’s after.

“I want to debut this thing at the Western Folklife Center in Elko, NV,” he said. “That’s its true home.”

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