The Nugget Newspaper // Vol. XLVIII No. 26 // 2025-06-25

The Nugget

News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Big Ponderoo rolls into town this weekend

A weekend of roots music kicks off with a free community concert and a special 4th Friday Art Walk on Friday, June 27 — a spirited kickoff to the third annual Big Ponderoo Music & Art Festival at Village Green Park.

The family-friendly evening will include performances by three festival artists on the main stage, delicious food and drinks from local vendors, and hands-on art activities for all ages.

The festivities will begin with a musical 4th Friday Art Walk from 4 to 6 p.m. Strollers can enjoy live music at 11 participating businesses around town: Alicia Viani and Mark Karwan at Stitchin’ Post, Amanda Wrenn & Patrick Leonard at Rickards Gallery, Erin Cole-Baker at Toriizaka, Jim Cornelius and Mike Biggers at the Cindy and Duncan Campbell Gallery (Sisters Art Works), Lane Norberg at the Sisters Gallery, Richard Taelour at Hood Avenue Art, Pete Kartsounes at Flying Horse Gallery, Seth Acquarolo at Wildflower Studio, and Stacie Lynn Johnson and

Mystic at Makin’ it Local. There will also be live music at the other official stroll locations, Nechville West and Thompson Guitars. Canyon Creek Pottery is a participating art walk location but will not host live music.

Patrons can enhance their art walk experience

Forest Service plans restoration project

The Sisters Ranger District is planning a restoration project in the fenlands of Upper Black Butte Swamp. The Forest Service is inviting Sisters Country folks to review and comment on the Upper Black Butte Swamp Restoration project proposal.

Upper Black Butte Swamp is located on the Sisters Ranger District, southwest of Black Butte. It is a 34-acre wetland within a larger complex of wetlands and surrounding aspen stands. Though named a “swamp” it is actually a unique type of groundwater-dependent wetland called a fen. Indian Ford Creek originates nearby at Paulina Springs and flows year-round through Upper Black Butte Swamp.

The Forest Service proposes to restore the shallow water table and native

wetland vegetation of Upper Black Butte Swamp by filling in existing stream channels, replanting native plants, thinning conifers around aspen stands, and managing invasive weeds.

A fen is a type of wetland that has a shallow groundwater table year-round and peat forming soils. As sedges and other wetland plants die back annually, mats of dead organic matter build up. The fen’s shallow water table makes for a low-oxygen soil environment with little decomposition. This organic matter builds up over thousands of years as peat. Peat is important for maintaining water quality, regulating water flows, and storing carbon. The Deschutes National Forest is home to 460 acres

See RESTORATION on page 11

by picking up a “Ponderoo Passport” and map from any one of the participating locations and getting a stamp at each of the businesses they visit. Completed passports can be redeemed for this year’s Little Ponderoo art token, a JoyBot, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Village

Green Park. These unique, small robots are hand-painted on the back of dominoes by local artists and community members, each designed to spread hope, courage, love, and joy. Quantities are limited, so early redemption is

PONDEROO on page 16

Sisters man killed in motorcycle accident

A 36-year-old Sisters man was killed and his passenger seriously injured in a single-vehicle motorcycle wreck near Mt. Bachelor on Tuesday, June 17. Oregon State Police responded at about 6:35 p.m. to the report of the accident. According to OSP, preliminary investigation indicated a black Husqvarna motorcycle, operated by Beau Douglas Gibney, 36, of Sisters, was traveling southbound on Forest Service Road 46 (also known as Century Drive and Cascade Lakes Highway) when it drove off the west shoulder roadway near milepost 24 and struck a tree stump. Both the operator and a passenger, Joeana Erica Spackman,

Drivers adjust to new traffic pattern

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

Just a few days past schedule, the long-awaited road improvement to the Barclay Avenue bypass between North Locust and North Larch streets, opened to traffic June 19. It is a major change in driving pattern and some motorists are struggling with the new scheme.

The Nugget observed dozens of northbound Locust Avenue cars, confused by the flow barriers, drive on the bike lane, with half their vehicle off road.

As shown in the photo, the northbound Locust traffic encounters a dozen white traffic delineators (pylons) guiding them to the curved left onto Barclay Drive. That appears to be safe, smooth, and obvious, but for drivers wishing to continue northbound, where the road

changes to Camp Polk Road, it’s a sharp right and a left back onto the road.

A number of drivers apparently cannot distinguish the pattern and stay right, entering the bike lane.

Eastbound drivers on Barclay wishing to turn right onto Locust are loving

the new radius-curved turn allowing them to round the corner without stopping. However, eastbound Barclay motorists wanting to turn left onto Camp Polk are hesitant, not quite sure of the pattern.

The biggest change by

See TRAFFIC on page 20

Some drivers are finding the new traffic pattern at Locust Street and Barclay Avenue challenging to navigate.

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

Big Ponderoo celebrates music and art next weekend in Sisters Village Green Park.

PHOTO COURTESY STARK PHOTOGRAPY

Letters to the Editor…

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address, and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond, or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is 10 a.m. Monday.

To the Editor:

No bull

I share the view that the bull riding sculpture proposed for the new roundabout may not be the best image we want to evoke when visitors enter Sisters. While I agree that our city is well-known for the rodeo, it seems equally well-recognized for our music, quilting, biking, hiking, art, food and friendly

folks.

The contorted figure of a bucking bull with its (traditionally male) rider is not natural; we engender this behavior in the animal for our entertainment. It is accomplished by tightening a strap around a sensitive area in the bull’s flank area, just in front of its hind legs, before the chute opens and the bull

Sisters Weather Forecast

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A chilly solstice…

a thoughtful moment, just as the sun warmed their faces and the crisp breeze faded. The labyrinth is located at the intersection of Highways 20 and 242.

We need a smarter approach to wildfire

By Derek Johnson & Lorelei Juntunen Oregon Capital Chronicle

Each year, Oregon braces for wildfire season. And each year, we spend tens of millions (sometimes hundreds of millions) trying to put those fires out. But despite our best efforts, the fires keep getting worse — more dangerous and more destructive.

Science tells us that suppression alone isn’t enough. To meaningfully reduce risk, we must invest in proactive mitigation, restoring the health and resilience of fire-prone landscapes, and helping communities prepare for wildfire and smoke.

This legislative session, Oregon lawmakers have a chance to make an important initial investment to protect our forests, our homes, and our public health in the long run.

A package of bills now under consideration would provide $280 million per biennium for a comprehensive wildfire response. These bills reflect recommendations from the Wildfire Funding Work Group, convened by the State Fire Marshal, Oregon Department of Forestry, Governor Tina Kotek, Tribal Nations, and shaped by a wide array of stakeholders.

This legislation balances the ongoing need for firefighting with a long-term strategy, durable funding to reduce the risk of extreme wildfires before they start, and investments for communities and public health agencies to mitigate the impacts on people when wildfires do occur. That includes support for ecological thinning and prescribed fire — tools backed by science and proven to reduce the risk of severe wildfire in dry forest by up to 72 percent when used together.

The problem we face isn’t a mystery. More than a century of fire suppression left some of Oregon’s forests dangerously overgrown. In our dry forest regions, more than six million acres are now dense with small trees and brush — fuel for the next catastrophic fire. These ecosystems evolved with frequent, low- and moderate-intensity fires, such as from lightning and Indigenous fire

use. Without fire, we’re left with unhealthy forests and increasing risk that the next lightning strike or unattended campfire becomes a megafire.

Landscape-scale forest restoration, when applied strategically to high-risk and high-priority areas, can reduce fire severity, protect nearby communities, and improve forest health. But it is a long-term strategy that requires sustained funding. Fortunately, it pays off: A recent benefit-cost analysis of landscape resilience and risk reduction treatments in the Western U.S. found that for every dollar invested, seven dollars of benefits are returned, a nearly 600 percent return on investment. Meanwhile, suppression costs are soaring. Oregon’s gross suppression costs topped $350 million in 2024. The National Interagency Fire Center reports that annual federal wildfire suppression costs in the U.S. have exceeded $3 billion in recent years, with total economic damage (including property losses and recovery efforts) often surpassing $100 billion per year. Continuing to invest only in suppression is like mopping up water while the tap keeps running.

We must break the cycle. That means funding the firefighters and fire agencies that respond to wildfire and the foresters, prescribed fire professionals, scientists, public health experts and planners who work to make our forests and communities safer and healthier in the first place. Taken together, these investments are a meaningful step toward building more resilient, fireadapted communities and landscapes in Oregon.

If we fail to act, we’ll be back here in a few years — only with more acres burned in extreme wildfire, more communities and landscapes at risk, and even higher costs.

Derek Johnson is the State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Oregon. Lorelei Juntunen is the chair of The Nature Conservancy’s Board of Trustees and the president and CEO of ECONorthwest. Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 courtesy https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/.

About a dozen or so folks donned winter jackets for the summer solstice gathering at the Sisters Community Labyrinth on the longest day of the year, Friday, June 20. They paused for

PHOTO BY HELEN SCHMIDLING

BBR lawn filled with music

Phalarope Lake. This was the fourth year in a row for the performance.

“Classical Music in the Wild” is the outdoor concert series where America’s most stunning landscapes replace the traditional concert hall. A nine-foot Steinway grand piano, built in 1912, travels on a flatbed trailer to State and National Parks, urban green spaces, working ranches, and historical sites for classical music concerts that connect people with each landscape.

One such stop for the series known as “In A Landscape” is Black Butte Ranch where, over three nights, nearly 1,000 music lovers gathered on the lawn nestled among stands of Aspens and alongside

In the background are the iconic Three Sisters, Mt. Washington, Broken Top,and Black Crater, all still carrying some amount of snow.

To meet the acoustic challenges of performing in the wild — and the nights were somewhat windy — music is transmitted via wireless headphones. The professional quality headphones allowed concert goers to explore the landscape and gently wander and wonder through the setting with the music as a soundtrack to their outdoor experience.

“It’s concert hall quality in the midst of nature,”

said a delighted Susan Tillis from Portland who like most, but not of all her fellow attendees, summer at the Ranch. “Imagine putting the Cascades into Carnegie Hall.”

The lawn was filled with classical music lovers from Central Oregon and a bit beyond. Donned in fleece and their otherworldly headphones, many dined on a gourmet charcuterie box or barbecue ranch buffet.

Founded in 2016 by classical pianist Hunter Noack, “In A Landscape” has presented 320 concerts in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, California, New York, and Canada to over

Sisters in Sisters marks third anniversary

In June 2022, a small group of LGBTQ+ women started Sisters in Sisters. The idea was to provide a place where friends, family, allies, and community members could have a casual gettogether. The first Sisters in Sisters gathering was also the very first publicly announced Pride event ever to occur in Sisters.

Last week, Sisters in Sisters gathered at Luckey’s Woodsman to celebrate Pride here in town; other Pride events took place in Bend and throughout Central Oregon.

Early on in the event, women chatted on the restaurant’s lawn or sat at picnic tables laden with hamburgers, fries, and special sandwiches. Pitchers and pints of beer flowed. Participants, enjoying laughter and conversation, said they came from Sisters, Redmond, and Bend.

Stefanie Siebold looked back on all that has happened since that first Sisters in Sisters.

“Three years later, we haven’t missed a day,” she said proudly. “Rain or snow; one time we had a blizzard.” Her reason for co-founding

Sisters grads make grade in military

in New London, Connecticut.

To many there is no more honorable act than serving their country. To others there is no more desirable life than one where you know what you want and achieve it. As the classes of 2025 graduate all around the world, there are three local students who have reached both of these goals.

Holly Davis is a 2025 Sisters High School graduate and valedictorian. She has been accepted into the United States Coast Guard Academy

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

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 Library Communit y Room. 5 41-588 -0547.

Mili tary Parent s of Sisters 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 3rd Wednesday., 10:30 a.m., Siste rs Episcopal Church. 503 -616 -8712.

Sisters Cribbage C lub M eets 11 a.m. ever y Wed. at S PR D. 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, Aspen Lakes. 5 41-760 -5 64 5.

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 813 8 and A merican Legion Post 8 6 1st Wednesday of the month, 6:3 0 p.m., Pine Meadow V illage Clubhouse, 596 W Jef ferson Ave. 541-241- 6563

SCHOOLS

Black Bu tt e School

Board of Direc tors 2nd Tuesday, 9 a.m., Black But te School. 541- 59 5- 6203

Sisters School District Board of Directors O ne Wednesday m onthly, Sisters School District Administr ation Building. See schedule at www.ssd 6. org. 5 41-5 49 -8 521 x5 002.

“I’ve always been kind of a nerd, so I started my aspiration of being in an academy in sixth grade when I talked with one of my sister’s boyfriends who was attending West Point,” Davis said. “I’ve always loved the idea of giving back and public service because my dad’s a police officer and my mom’s in education. Since then I’ve prioritized academics and being an involved community member…It’s so crazy to look back and see how far

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 Dire ctor s 2nd & 4th Tues., 4 p.m., C of f ield Center. 5 41-5 49 -2091. Sisters Pl anning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:3 0 p.m., Siste rs City Hall. 5 41-5 49 -6 022.

FIRE & POLICE

Black Bu tt e Ranch Polic e Dept. Board of Dire ctor s M eets monthly 541- 59 5-2191 for time & date

Black Bu tt e Ranch R FPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m., BB R Fire Station. 5 41-595 -2 28 8 Cloverdale R FPD

Board of Dire ctor s 3rd Wed., 5:3 0 p.m., 6743 3 Cloverdale Rd. 5 41-5 48 -4 815. c loverdalef ire.com.

Sister s- Camp She rman R FPD Board of Dire ctor s 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Siste rs Fire Hall, 5 41-5 49 -0771. Sister s- Camp She rman R FPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Siste rs Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 5 41-5 49 -0771.

PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT

Classical music came to Black Butte Ranch in an outdoor concert last week.

See EVENT on page 14

See GRADS on page 18

By Bill Bartlett Correspondent

MUSIC on page 21

By T. Lee Brown Correspondent

By Olivia Nieto Correspondent

Sisters gets set for old-fashioned 4th

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

Sisters 4th Fest is back for a second year — by the mandate of We the People.

The event runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, July 4, at Sisters Village Green Park. The fest includes a pancake breakfast, a classic car show, a fun run, a “Kids On Wheels” parade, a slate to veterans, live music and line dancing, and more.

The event came together last year, as the long-running Rumble on the Runway at Sisters Eagle Airport came to an end. Citizens4Community (C4C) and Sisters Rotary sought to create a traditional hometown 4th of July event that would bring locals and visitors out to enjoy festivities before dispersing off to barbecues and fireworks displays.

“The goal was to capture the people who would normally be going to the Rumble on the Runway and bring them downtown,” said Rotarian Bill Kelly. “It was something we were really passionate about doing and bringing people downtown for an event.”

The inaugural event was a tremendous success.

“We had a great turnout last year — more than 1,000 people by our estimates,” said C4C Executive Director Kellen Klein. “It had all the good hometown vibes we were hoping for.”

Organizers are not changing a winning formula — but they are adding to it a bit. A pie-eating contest will entertain participants and spectators alike. The kids’ parade will be more expansive. The Classic Car Show and the Red, White, & Blue 3 Miler require registration, and the pie-eating contest requires a ticket.

The list of sponsors this year is also more expansive. A full list, links for event registration, and more information on activities is available at https://sisters4thfest.com.

“Our hope is that people will come for the entire morning,” Klein said.

Organizers were very intentional in hosting the event in the middle of town, with the idea that people will spend time visiting local merchants.

Klein hopes that participants will “go downtown and patronize the local businesses. We want them to feel supported on the 4th of July, too.”

LOCAL & ORGANIC

Sisters 4th Fest will feature music, food, kids’ activities, and more in a traditional hometown celebration at Sisters Village Green.

PHOTO PROVIDED

SAA’s Artwalk welcomes the Big Ponderoo

By Helen Schmidling Correspondent

This Friday, the Sisters Arts Association teams up with SFF Presents for a community celebration to kick off the third annual Big Ponderoo Music & Art Festival. The 4th Friday Artwalk through the galleries of Sisters takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. and includes music from 4:30 to 6 p.m. That’s when a family-friendly event begins, with three artists performing on the festival stage at Village Green Park, along with food carts and interactive arts experiences for all ages.

Folks can enhance their Artwalk experience by picking up a “Ponderoo Passport” and map from any one of the 12 participating locations and getting a stamp at each place they visit. Completed passports can be redeemed for this year’s Little Ponderoo art token, a JoyBot, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Village Green Park. These unique, small robots are hand-painted on the back of dominoes by local artists and community members, each designed to spread hope, courage, love, and joy. Quantities are limited, so redeem your passport early.

The Rickards Gallery presents “Traveling Through Time,” new work by Mare Schelz. Mosaics are influenced by specific locations and abstract interpretations of nature and include a collection of transformed pieces such as a car door and a vintage television acquired in her travels. Live music will be by Amanda Wrenn and Patrick Leonard.

Flying Horse Gallery’s new exhibit is “Tarot & Kismet,” with spotlight artists Cassandra Kim, whose whimsical paintings pair an animal with an image from past societies to create regal critters with attitude; and Mary Jean Runke, whose colorful forest animals stand out against a black-and-white inked background. Singer songwriter Pete Kartsounes will entertain.

The Campbell Gallery hosts “Expressions in Fabric: Color, Pattern, Play, and Passion” by artist Judith

Beaver. Often starting with a single inspirational piece of fabric, she builds a color palette, using contrast and value as key design considerations and working intuitively as the piece evolves. Jim Cornelius and Mike Biggers are the featured musicians.

Hood Avenue Art features watercolors by Winnie Givot and mixed media by Sandy Dutko. Givot’s sensitive images combine the unseen natural beauty with the deeper beauty of the subject. Dutko’s experimental landscapes are a product of spontaneity using acrylics, mixed media, oil and cold wax medium. Michalis Patterson is the featured musician.

Makin’ it Local welcomes Taylor Manoles’ artist showcase, “Of Faith and the Human Experience,” contemporary landscapes including original paintings and fine art prints. Her art is both a cathartic practice and how she celebrates and remembers the goodness in the world around her. Stacie Lynn Johnson and Mystic are the featured musicians.

Stitchin’ Post Fiber Arts Gallery shows artists Jean and Valori Wells in “Seasons and Wisdom.” Valori’s display includes some crow paintings that have inspired a wisdom collection of block printed art, and Jean explores color and texture in her signature piecing and embellishment. Alicia Vianni and Mark Karwan are the musical guests.

Toriizaka Art spotlights contemporary Vietnamese artist Vu Thang, whose primitive figures are influenced by cave drawings and traditional sculptures. Figurative pieces are created using

wood, hemp, canvas, fabric, and clay, including scraps of traditionally patterned clothing from the Red and Black Dao hill tribe.

Singer/songwriter Erin Cole Baker will perform.

Snow,” Mike Sasko’s suite of

ethereal light of late

Sisters Gallery & Frame features “The Spring Snow,” Mike Sasko’s suite of mixed media landscapes that captures the dramatic and ethereal light of late spring snowfall on Southeast Oregon’s high desert. Wood sculptor J. Chester “Skip” Armstrong will stage a show around the Three Eagles sculpture that took first place in the Sisters Rodeo Parade. Music is by Lane Norberg. Wildflower Studio has new original watercolors and prints by Kathy Deggendorfer. This includes a group of framed florals and landscapes. Also, gift items and cards by several local artists. Seth Acquarolo is the featured musician. There will also be live music at two other Ponderoo Passport locations, Nechville West and Thompson Guitars.

Canyon Creek Pottery is on the Ponderoo Passport as well, but will not be hosting live music.

The Village Green Big Ponderoo venue opens at 5:30 p.m. with interactive art activities including a community weaving project, puppet theater, and painting stations. The free concert offers a sneak peek of the festival’s talent, Yarn and The Wilder Flower, along with a special appearance by the Sisters Middle School Outlaw Strings Club, and a set from the dynamic Kota Dosa.

“Southwest Mystique” by Judith Beaver at the Campbell Gallery.

PHOTO PROVIDED

“Lord of the Prairie” by Cassandra Kim at Flying Horse Gallery.

PHOTO PROVIDED

New original watercolor art by Kathy Deggendorfer at Wildflower Studio.

PHOTO PROVIDED

PHOTO PROVIDED

“Three Eagles” seven-foot tall wood sculpture by J. Chester Armstrong at Sisters Gallery & Frame.

Quilters to enjoy garden party

By Sue Stafford Correspondent

For 27 years, quilts in gardens have been an integral part of the Quilt Show Week, the second week of July in Sisters.

This year, on Thursday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Quilter’s Affair attendees and locals can view and purchase quilts and handmade crafts in the stunning garden of local realtor Carol Zosel at the Sisters Garden Club’s (SGC) third annual Garden Party. Zosel’s home, located at 69331 Deer Ridge Lane off Camp Polk Road, sits on a four-acre knoll with an unobstructed view of the Three Sisters.

Approach to the house is up a winding driveway which brings you to a striking two-story log home nestled among towering ponderosa pine trees, lush gardens, and sweeping green lawns.

The surrounding deck holds luxuriant groupings of pots full of pink, green, and white annuals and perennials. Stately blue delphiniums peak over the deck railing. A lovely stone patio holds comfortable furniture for relaxing and enjoying the view. Beyond the well-manicured lawn and gardens, Zosel’s beloved horses graze in their fenced pasture, visible from the deck and through the home’s large picture windows.

The property was purchased by Zosel and her late husband, Chuck Harper, 13 years ago when they moved from Portland to Sisters and opened the local Keller Williams real estate office. They both loved gardening, which is evident in the grounds surrounding the house. With help from a trusted friend and gardener, Carol maintains the yard herself, which is truly a labor of love. Carol and Chuck made many improvements in the house.

The interior of the house will not be included in the tour, but visitors are welcome to wander through the yard, visit the horses, enjoy the deck and patio, and peruse a variety of wares for sale by local artisans, including those from Cline Farms offering homemade soaps, candles, and room sprays, Rustic Garden metal garden art, watercolors by Karen Mueller Art, Edie Shelton’s fused glass, and quilts made by 3 Friends Quilters.

Also for sale will be the Garden Club’s jigsaw puzzles and garden journals, which, organizers note, make great gifts as well as personal use. Also available for purchase will be raffle tickets for a chance to win a glass art piece by local glass artist Susie Zietner or a watercolor painting by artist Joyce Ward. There is no admission fee for the tour, but donations are welcome.

In its 37-year history, the SGC has made invaluable contributions to the community through their labors, their knowledge, and their generous financial support, all of which have helped beautify our town while enhancing our natural surroundings and educating our children about the importance of the

natural world. They have given money in support of the Sisters Elementary School Garden Club and greenhouse, middle and high school greenhouses and garden programs, Sisters Community Garden, Sisters Library landscaping, City parks, Deschutes Land Trust, Camp Caldera, Sisters Rotary Club, Upper Deschutes Watershed Council for work with Sisters students, Barclay Memorial Park, Central Oregon Veterans Ranch, and Seed to Table. Now club members volunteer at Harmony Farms Animal Sanctuary, last year planting and watering aspen trees to provide shade for the animals. Every Christmas at their holiday brunch, members 1donate gift cards for local businesses to the Family Access Network for distribution to local residents in need.

The SGC had its beginning in 1988 when 12 local citizens joined with City Manager Barbara Warren and Michael Woosley to formally establish the organization. The original garden tour was the brainchild of Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show founder Jean Wells in 1998, when she approached the garden club about offering garden tours to the participants enrolled

in her Quilter’s Affair classes during Quilt Show Week. Thus was born the original Annual Quilt Show Garden Tour. The initial effort raised $4,000 for the garden club which promptly returned it to the community. Wells was made a Lifetime Member of the garden club in appreciation of her help and encouragement with the tour. Her own garden was part of the tour several times.

In 2006-2008, the club marched in the Sisters Rodeo Parade performing as a “drill team” with their rakes-andshovels routine, winning a ribbon for their efforts.

At their peak, they had 100 members in 2013, when the club celebrated its 25th anniversary. What began as a private tour of SGC members gardens, grew to feature local residents gardens and in

2000 evolved to include several homes. Over time, other features were incorporated such as raffles for quilts and the sale of garden art by local artists. A stop at the Sisters Community Garden, which was festooned with quilts on the fences, was added where lunches prepared by garden members were available for purchase to help fundraise for the garden. Due to a smaller membership, three years ago the tour was discontinued because of the monumental effort and number of required volunteers to offer the tour. In its place, the SGC now sponsors a free Garden Party in one special local garden where visitors can tour the garden and purchase local wares. The Garden Party is for the enjoyment of both locals and visiting quilters.

Quilters will enjoy the spectacular grounds at Carol Zosel’s home.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Sisters artist creates unique jewelry

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

Laura Minor has been crafting custom jewelry for 50 years.

She uses mostly silver — some gold — and natural stones to craft unique pieces that capture her own imagination as well as that of her clients.

“I see it in my head first, and then I make it,” she said. “I like to find unusual pieces and then build a necklace around it.”

Minor sold her jewelry for many years at a day spa in New York. The Minors moved from New York to Sisters, then returned briefly to New York before moving to Sisters permanently in 2020. A trip to the Tucson Gem and Bead Show reignited her interest in putting her jewelry out to the public.

“It fills the entire town,” she said. “It’s a huge deal, and I’d heard about it and finally got to go — and I started selling jewelry again.”

Minor comes by her artistic touch naturally. One of three sisters, she grew up in Brooks, Oregon, in a family that valued the ability to do for themselves.

The ethos was: “You want something? Why don’t you try to make it.”

Her grandmother taught her to sew and crochet. Eventually she discovered jewelry-making and was hooked.

One of her specialties is incorporating “secret boxes” into a necklace. Her work often has asymmetrical elements.

“It’s like nature,” she said. “Not everything is the same and symmetrical. There’s a balance, but it’s not the same.”

Her work is striking and unique. She also crafts earrings and bracelets, and is happy to do commission work and will also take on simple jewelry repair.

Featuring her work at the Dyrk Godby Art Gallery was a natural thing for her — she counts Kanye as her best friend in Sisters. She works steadily at her creations, but, she said with a smile, “not every day. We have horses. But when I start a piece, I will come back to it often.”

Her motivation in her work is the same as it was 50 years ago: “It’s just a joy to make something and have people like it and wear it.”

The Dyrk Godby Art Gallery is located at 123 E. Hood Ave. For more information, email laurapony dogs@gmail.com or call/text 541-699-8166.

City accepting grant applications

The City of Sisters is seeking to award community grants to non profit community groups and other entities that meet the grant criteria for the 2025/26 fiscal year. The City will award up to $30,000 in grants this year for Sisters community projects. The average grant award is approximately $1,500, and the City has awarded over $350,000 in grants to over 70 local groups over more than 20 years.

Organizations that serve the Sisters community, but are not designated non profits will need to meet at least one of the following criteria to be eligible for a grant:

• Provides assistance for essential utilities, food, medical needs, clothing, or shelter.

• Provides educational or recreational opportunities for children or seniors.

• The requesting organization’s history of success.

• The organizational and financial stability of the requesting organization.

• The number and types of community members served by the request.

• The ability to measure and track the effectiveness of the project or service.

• Community grant funds will not be used for travel, budget deficits, or routine operating expenses. Interested organizations should submit a Community Grant application by Thursday, July 31, 2025, attention Rebecca Green, City Recorder at recorder@ci.sisters.or.us.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the Sisters City Council in late August. Applications are available on our website: www.ci.sisters.or.us/ administration/page/ community-grants.

For more information, contact Rebecca Green at 541-323-5206 or recorder@ ci.sisters.or.us.

• Generates/supports economic activity in Sisters. In evaluating requests from nonprofits and forprofit organizations, the City will consider the following:

Laura Minor Jewelry is featured at the Dyrk Godby Art Gallery in Sisters.

PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS

Girls Lib! In the PINES

By T. Lee Brown

Guessing game! Pick the writer from this lineup and you could win big.

Is she the tall gal in the middle with the winning smile? Or the California beach girl on the left?

Does our writer have long, feminine hair? Is she wearing high-cut shorts to show off her tanned legs?

Maybe she’s the short girl on the right, wearing blue jeans on a hot day, her short hair fading out of a bad perm (“permanent wave,” for those unfamiliar with the era).

Hailing from the beclouded territory of Western Oregon, the girl squints painfully against an onslaught of Southern California sunshine. She’s wearing scruffy blue Nikes with white swooshes, which are, alas, out of frame.

Her T-shirt is pink. On it, there’s a cartoon of another early ’80s girl, smiling, wearing a softball uniform and holding a bat. The cartoon girl tosses the cartoon softball, white and round,

upward into puffy, early ‘80s lettering, where the ball dots the i.

The shirt reads: GIRLS LIB!

Naturally, the exclamation point is also dotted with a softball. Because that’s what the era was like: Subtle. Nuanced. Classy.

If you chose that girl, you win a free K-Tel record. But wait, there’s more; you’ll also take home this handsome set of Ginsu knives! Seriously, though: if you chose that girl, you have found the writer in the picture. Which is to say, you have found me.

I still miss that shirt. I miss my grandma, who took the photo on the grounds of her retirement condo in Orange County, California. I don’t really miss my softball team, the Twin Oaks Poison Oaks, for which I pitched the championship game in sixth grade. (We lost.)

I miss “Free to Be You and Me,” which explained that “it’s all right to cry,” that boys can care for dolls and are even allowed to become good, nurturing dads. Girls who act like demanding, prissy little princesses, we learned, are likely to be eaten by tigers in the depths of the deep and beastly jungle (“and mighty tasty, too”).

Despite these inroads to equality from the ’70s, it was men, mostly white ones, who occupied nearly all positions of strength and authority when I was growing up, from presidents to scientists, firemen to mechanics. Later, all my college professors would be white men.

Storytellers and mediamakers sometimes tried to show women as strong and interesting. I kind of miss those ladies: Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, catching the bad guys in their bodyhugging superhero suits and high heels.

“Kate & Allie,” a mediocre sitcom, showed us how women could be divorced, single, working moms — and housemates to boot.

Princess Leia, the smartass with a blaster, was definitely an inspiration. But even she had to bare her body in a gold bikini and get rescued by dudes. (Little did we know she’d later become General Leia or that the Last Jedi would arguably be a woman.)

With a small batch of female protagonists to choose from, I was fascinated by Marion, the lead male’s love interest in “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” Guess I could see myself growing up to be an unpredictable, wise-cracking, world-traveling woman who could drink men under the table.

And heck, if you have to get rescued, why not get rescued by Harrison Ford?

Not unlike those clunky attempts to represent girls and women in pop culture, we GenX kids were new. We were young. Nobody knew exactly what we were growing up to become.

There was hope in the air; that I remember. Liberation, after all, is a jubilant word. It means freedom.

Did I understand how revolutionary this stuff was? Sort of. My mom— my Christian, Republican,

cookie-baking, stay-at-home mom — tried to contextualize it for me.

Still fuming, she’d tell the story of how she wore pants to grade school one day. The teacher sent her home; girls had to wear dresses or skirts. Mom got in trouble for playing ball, too, with her brother and the neighborhood boys.

My generation had it better in many ways. I recall another picture of young me in that same T-shirt, a photo lost to time: big smile, confident, strong, perm still curly, hanging fearlessly from a dangerous piece of playground equipment,

undaunted by the asphalt below.

That girl looked unstoppable. I miss her, too.

Young me in the pink T-shirt absorbed some cool ideas about what people could be, do, and say. The Girls Lib era expanded what she/her could accomplish, what he/him could encompass, if only they were given the chance.

Maybe someday, the old prejudices and definitions might expand so far you wouldn’t be defined by your genitalia (or your pronouns, for that matter).

You’d just be free. Free to be. You and me.

PHOTO BY CHRISTINE E. BROWN, A.K.A. GRAGGY

Family Fun Bingo Night

Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration Family Fun Bingo Night on Saturday, June 28. Participation supports the local communit y and is a f un way to get to know your neighbors and welcome Saturday night tourists!

New summer menu features Meal Deal options beginning at 5 p.m. Games begin at 5:30 p.m. $20 packet includes three cards for each of 10 games and one additional card for the blackout game. Great Bingo prizes of cash and local merchant gift cards awarded at the end of each game. 50/50 Ra e option tickets $2 each or 6 for $10 is month the Ra e proceeds will be split half for the winner and half for Sisters Food Bank, serving the local community for 42 years! is is not your grandma’s Bingo! Fun for all ages! Locals and visitors welcome!

Sisters Downtown Walking Tours are back!

ree Sisters Historical Societ y is happy to announce the return of these f ree, family-friendly, and docent-led tours. Set for 22, tickets are required and available exclusively on the Eventbrite website. Go to Eventbrite.com, for location choose “Sisters”, for event choose “ ree Sisters Historical Society ” Scroll down, and click on July 6 to view options for any of the other dates as well. Donations are always welcome. Learn about the histor y of the buildings , and the businesses and people that inhabited them.

Community Grants

Prog ram Accepting Applications e Cit y of Sisters is seeking to award grants to non-profit communit y groups and other entities that meet the grant criteria for the 2025/26 fiscal year. e cit y will award up to $30, 00 0 in grants for Sisters community project s. Interested organiz ations should submit a Communit y Grant application and letter of interest by July 31, 2025 , attention Rebecca Green, Cit y Recorder. Applications are available on our website: https://www ci sisters.or.us/administration/ page/community-grants. For information contact Rebecca Green at 541-323-520 6 or recorder@ci.sisters.or.us

Free Lunches for Seniors

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

Volunteer at Sisters Habitat for Humanity

Help us build hope and homes in Sisters , connect with new people, make f riends, and make a di erence in our community Volunteer today! Learn more at sistershabit at.org/volunteer or call 541-549-1193

A NNOUNCEMENT S

Mobile Employment Resource Van (MERV) coming to Sisters COIC - WorkSource Oregon is providing job and career ser vices in Sisters to any job-seeking individual (help with a résumé, interview skills, connecting with employers). e MERV will be stationed at Sisters Parks & Recreation District Communit y Center parking lot, 611 E . Cascade Ave., July 2. Info: contact Matt Olsen mobile employment counselor molsen@coic.org.

Camp Polk Pioneer Cemeter y Tour

One-hour tour begins with a brief histor y and focuses on key ancestors who helped bridge pioneer travel bet ween the Willamet te Valley and Prineville, settling in the Sisters area. Join a tour online at www Eventbrite com , Camp Polk Cemeter y Tour, leave phone number in case of cancellation, ursdays , July 17, August 21, 10:30 a .m. Free. Pancake Breakfast Benefit for Historic Camp Sherman Community Hall Sunday, July 6, 8 to 11 a .m. at Camp Sherman Community Hall. Adult s $12; ages 6 –12, $8; 5 & under, f ree. Info: 541-595-6 458.

PET OF THE WEEK

SA MMY

Sammy is a playful young dog who is reported to do great with other dogs and is crate trained and housetrained! S ammy loves to chew on his toys and would be a great companion for all of your adventures. Giving him his own space and plent y of time to adjust to his new life will help him come out of his shell. Sammy has been incredibly social with people and has stolen the hearts of many of the sta and volunteers. If you’re looking for an active pup to run and play with , look no further! Sammy is ready to meet you today at HSCO!

Honey Bees & Brews

Plea se join us for our monthly social gathering at e Barn on ursday, June 26 at 5 p.m. All beekeepers and wanabees welcome. Contact Clyde for information at 458-206 -8470.

Living Well With Dementia Sisters Suppor t Groups

Living Well now o ers t wo support groups. A support group for the care partners and f amily of those diagnosed with some form of dementia meet s on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month f rom 1 to 2:30 p.m. at Sisters Library Communit y Room. A support group for the person diagnosed with some form of dementia in the early stages meets the same days and times , also at Sisters Librar y. Info: 541-588-0547.

Weekly Food Pantry

CORE Market , located at 222 N . Trinit y Way in Sisters Market hours are Mondays , 1 to 2 p.m. Info: 541-588-2332.

Free papers at e Nug get If you need old newspapers to mulch your garden, pack to move, etc., stop by e Nug get

Friends of the Metolius Interpretive Walks: In-Depth Fish Walk

On Saturday, July 5, 9 to 11 a.m. Retired fish biologist Mike Riehle will share his many years of experience studying and managing the native fish that depend on this river for spawning and sur vival. While walking f rom the Camp Sherman Bridge Fish Viewing Plat form to the Allingham Bridge and back, Mike will discuss the diverse aquati c life, the unique fish habit at and the variet y of native fish. Leader: Mike Riehle. For information call 541-318-8389.. Children are welcome, but dogs are not appropriate. Wear sturdy foot wear and bring water

Free Weekly Meal Service

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

Announce Celebrations! Share birth, engagement, wedding , and milestone anniversaries at no charge on this Announcements page.

SISTERS LIBRARY

Family Story Time Stories , songs , and rhymes designed to support early literacy skill development, social emotional awareness , and f amily engagement. You and your child will hear great stories while also becoming more f amiliar with letter sounds , rhyming , vocabulary, and print. Plus, there will be directions to follow, which will help prepare for kindergarten. is 30 -minute program is on Wednesdays , at 10:30 a .m. in the Community Room.

Online for Kids - Find dozens of stor y times and other f un programs for kids available 24/7 on the library YouTube channel: dpl.pub/stor ytime.

Online Library Book Clubs Discuss “ Tom L ake” by Ann Patchett. Online only, registration required. Wednesday, June 25, at 5:30 p.m. (for adults)

SISTER S- ARE A C HURCH ES

Baha’i Faith

For information, devotions, study groups , etc., cont ac t Shauna Rocha 541-6 47-9826 • www.bahai org www.bahai.us • www.bahaiteaching s.org

Chapel in the Pines

Camp Sherman • 541-815-9153

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

e Church of Jesus Christ of L at ter-Day Saint s 452 Trinit y Way • Branch President, 541-977-5559; 10 a .m. Sunday Sac rament Meeting

e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration 121 N Brook s Camp Rd. • 541-549-7087 www.transfiguration-sisters.org

8:30 a .m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship

10 :15 a .m. Episcopal Sunday Worship

e Resting Place meeting at Sisters Communit y Church, 130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy www.restingplace.us • hello@restingplace.us

5 p.m. Sunday Worship

Seventh-Day Adventist Church 541-815-98 48 11 a .m. S aturday Worship

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church (ELCA) 386 N . Fir Street • 541-549-5831 www.shepherdof thehillsluther anchurch.com

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Sisters Church of the N az arene 67130 Har ring ton Loop Rd . • 541-389-8960 www.sistersna z.org • info@sistersnaz .org

10 a .m. Sunday Worship

Sisters Communit y Church (Nondenominational)

130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201

www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com

7:30 a .m. Daybreak Ser vice • 9:30 a .m. Sunday Worship

St . Edward the Mar tyr Roman Catholic Churc h 123 Trinit y Way • 541-549-9391

5:3 0 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass • 9

.m. Tuesday-Friday Mass Wellhouse Churc h 442 Trinit y Way • 541-549-4184 ht tps://wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com 10 a .m. Sunday Worship

POLICY: Nonprofits, schools , churches , birth, engagement, wedding , and anniversar y notices may run at no charge. Business items do not run on this page. All submissions subject to editing and run as space allows . Email nugget@nuggetnews com or drop o at 4 42 E . Main Ave. Deadline is 5 p.m. on Fridays

ACCIDENT: Passenger suffered serious injuries

Continued from page 1

age 34, of Bend, were thrown from the motorcycle.

Gibney was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts. Spackman was transported by air ambulance to a local hospital with serious injuries.

Speed and impairment are believed to be contributing factors in the crash, OSP reports.

The highway was closed for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation.

OSP was assisted by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Bend Fire and Rescue.

RESTORATION:

Public input sought on BB Swamp project

Continued from page 1

of fens (just 0.03 percent of the forest), yet fens host 15 to 20 percent of the rare or uncommon plant species on the forest, according to USFS.

In a “scoping letter” for the project, the Forest Service notes that:

“Observations of the fen in 2020 found degraded and drying conditions including native riparian and wetland vegetation dying and the establishment of several invasive plant species including reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). The stream channels through the fen are incised and the water table too low to support fen hydrology.

“As groundwater dominated ecosystems, fens are not typically characterized by individual stream channels bisecting them as currently found with Indian Ford Creek bisecting Upper Black Butte Swamp. Recent monitoring suggests that the current condition of the incised stream is preventing shallow groundwater from flowing into a large portion of the fen, leading to dry soil and water table decline especially in the western half of the fen....

“Restoring the groundwater levels in Upper Black Butte Swamp to a shallow state will rehabilitate this unique fen, improving special habitat for native wetland plants and a host of wildlife species.”

A scoping newsletter with instructions on how to comment is is available online at: http://bit.ly/4kTBRZm.

For more information, contact Lauren DuRocher, Environmental Coordinator, on the Sisters Ranger District by email at lauren.durocher@ usda.gov.

SISTERS-AREA Events & Enter tainment

WEDNESDAY • JUNE 25

Sisters Saloon Poker Night Texas Hold’em 5:30 p.m. to close upstairs. 21+. $50 buy-in, freezeout.

The Barn Live Music: Two Trick Pony 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.

THURSDAY • JUNE 26

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Kota Dosa 5 to 8 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center

Paulina Springs Books Author reading: Gar y Lark presents "Coming Down the Mountain," poems 6:30 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 12th annual family-friendly trivia. Free 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.

Sign up at 5:30 For information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471 Luckey's Woodsman Trivia: Megan's Terrific Trivia 5:30 p.m. Info: luckeyswoodsman.com.

FRIDAY • JUNE 27

Village Green Park Big Ponderoo Community Celebration Art activities for all ages 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free concert (no ticket required) 6 to 8:30 p.m. including The Wilder Flower with Outlaw Strings, Kota Dosa , and Yarn. Presented by SFF Presents. More information at www.bigponderoo.com.

Downtown Sisters 4th Friday Artwalk 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Galleries and shops feature art and demonstrations. For additional information go to www.sistersarts.org.

Makin’ it Local “Big Ponderoo” Art Walk & Live Music

Artist reception with Taylor Manoles 4 to 7 p.m. Enjoy Oregon wine and beer sampling gingersnap cookies, and live music by Stacie Lynn Johnson and Mystic Info: www.makinitlocal.com.

Flying Horse Gallery Art Workshop: Figure Drawing 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fun, relaxed open-studio atmosphere. Suitable for adults of all skill levels. Tickets: www.flyinghorsegallery.com/events.

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Karissa & The Loose Screws 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center

Sisters Coffee Co Live Music: Danilson Duo on the patio 3 to 5 p.m. Info: instagram.com/sisterscoffee/ Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

The Barn Live Music: Double Jump 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.

Eurosports Food Cart Garden Live Music: Switchback 5-7 p.m. Free Family- and dog-friendly Info: 541-549-2471

SATURDAY • JUNE 28

Village Green Park Big Ponderoo 12 to 11 p.m. Music festival featuring Americana, bluegrass, and alt-country, presented by SFF Presents. Tickets at www.bigponderoo.com.

The Yard at Hardtails Live Music: Sagebrush Rock 3 to 6 p.m. No cover. Info: hardtailsoregon.com/events.

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Emily Stanton Jazz 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center

Paulina Springs Books Local Authors' Book Fair and Signing Event including Valarie Anderson, Linda Jones Weber, Chuck Lesowske, Dawn Jackson, Melody Carlson, and Kit Tosello, 12 to 7 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show

5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free Info: 541-549-2471

The Belfr y Kota Dosa After Pa rty Jam

11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Kota Dosa is a cr eative collective with roots in New York, New Orleans, and Oregon, known for their eclectic sound that seamlessly blends blues, funk, psychedelic rock, and jazz. Tickets $10 at bendticket.com.

SUNDAY • JUNE 29

Village Green Park Big Ponderoo 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Music festival featuring Americana, bluegrass, and alt-country presented by SFF Presents. Tickets at www.bigponderoo.com.

Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring live music, community booth, vendors, kids activities, and more. For info visit www.sistersfarmersmarket.com.

Sisters Saloon Live Music: Crosscut

6 to 8 p.m. on the patio Free and open to all ages

Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble

11 a.m to 12:30 p.m. Come to play Scrabble socialize, and drink coffee. Open to all. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

TUESDAY • JULY 1

Ski Inn Taphouse Hotel Live Music: Bill Keale Hawaiian music slack key guitar pop and folk. 6 to 8 p.m. Free admission. Info: www.sisterstaphousehotel.com.

WEDNESDAY • JULY 2

The Barn Live Music: Skillethead 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.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).

THURSDAY • JULY 3

The Barn Live Music: In the Rounds 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.

Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 12th annual family-friendly trivia. Free 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up at 5:30 For information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471

FRIDAY • JULY 4

Village Green Park Sisters 4th Fest Second annual community festival presented by Rotary Club of Sisters and Citizens4Community. Pancake breakfast, car show, fun run, presentation of colors, mini-parade and music 7:30 a.m. to noon. Free For schedule, car show and run registration, and more information see www.sisters4thfest.com.

Sisters Coffee Co Live Music on the patio 3 to 5 p.m. Info: instagram.com/sisterscoffee/.

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Summit Jazz Band 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center

Eurosports Food Cart Garden Music: Five Pint Mar y 5-7 p.m. Free Family- and dog-friendly Info: 541-549-2471 Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

SATURDAY • JULY 5

Sisters Depot Live Music: Bob Baker & Haute Melange playing “Gypsy Swing Jazz” 6 to 8 p.m. Call 541-904-4660 for reservations.

Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: The Substitutes 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center

The Barn Live Music: Jackrat 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.

The Yard at Hardtails Live Music: Status Fear 7 to 10 p .m. No cover. Info: hardtailsoregon.com/events.

Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free Info: 541-549-2471

SUNDAY • JULY 6

Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featuring live music community booth, vendors, kids activities, and more. For info visit www.sistersfarmersmarket.com.

Sisters Saloon Live Music: Silvertone Devils 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio Free and open to all ages Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Come to play Scrabble socialize, and drink coffee. Open to all. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.

MONDAY • JULY 7

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

WEDNESDAY • JULY 9

Sisters Fire Hall Frontiers in Science Lecture Series: “Whispers Across the Mountains — Probing the Cosmos in Gravitational Waves" with Dr. Shane Larson presented by Sisters Science Club Doors open at 6:30 p.m., lecture at 7 p.m. Adults $5 at the door; teachers and students free Info: sistersscienceclub.org Sisters Fire Hall is located at 301 S. Elm St.

Makin’ It Local Artist Reception: Susan Porteous of Green Bird Press. Susan creates quilt-inspired letterpress prints, maps, and Central Oregon themed art. 3 to 6 p.m. Refreshments served. 281 W. Cascade Ave.

The Barn Live Music: Leadbetter Band 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.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).

THURSDAY • JULY 10

Makin’ It Local Artist Reception: Cher yl Chapman of Silly Dog Art Glass. Cheryl creates whimsical reverse enamel painted fused glass in assorted designs. 3 to 6 p.m. Refreshments served. 281 W. Cascade Ave.

Luckey's Woodsman Trivia: Megan's Terrific Trivia

5:30 p.m. Info: luckeyswoodsman.com.

Food Cart Garden at Eurosports Trivia Night 12th annual family-friendly trivia. Free 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. Sign up at 5:30 For information call Eurosports at 541-549-2471

FRIDAY • JULY 11

Black Butte Ranch Art at the Ranch

3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Lodge event space. Featuring plein air painters, silent auction, and appetizers. Presented by Black Butte Ranch Art Guild. Purchase tickets, $20 at bbr-or.com/aatr

Running for the red, white, and blue

By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent

The second annual Red, White and Blue 3 Miler Fun Run and Walk is set for an early start as part of the Sisters 4th Fest organized by the Rotary Club of Sisters (see related story, page 4).

The event, organized by Run Sisters Run, starts and finishes at Village Green Park and follows a course through the adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Kelly Bither, race director for RunSistersRun, is excited to give locals and visitors of all ages a way to kick off the 4th of July celebrations.

“What a great way to start the day with some exercise, a pancake breakfast, and the many attractions the Rotary Club has planned,” she said. “The early start allows us to beat the heat and traffic.”

The entry fee includes the pancake and sausage breakfast hosted by Rotary. Participants are encouraged to sport their best 4th of July themed outfits for a costume contest.

Last year’s race, in its first

year, attracted over 200 runners and with a 300 person limit this year it’s important to register early at runsisters run.org, according to Bither.

Proceeds from the race help support the Sisters High School cross country team and local scholarship.

Things get started at 7 a.m. with check in, followed by group stretching at 7:20. Costume contest winners will be announced before the race starts at 7:45 a.m.

After exercise and breakfast, participants can enjoy the other events Rotary has planned that include a classic car show, a “kids on wheels” mini-parade, live music by Dry Canyon Stampede, guided line dancing, lawn games, activities for kids, fire truck tours, and a livestock demonstration. There’s even a pie-eating contest.

“Last year was such a success that we are excited to do it again,” said Bither. “This is a low-key, untimed event, so everyone is welcome, including families with strollers, and wellbehaved dogs on leashes,” said Bither.

Probing the cosmos

Virtually everything we know about the universe has been discovered from using light in all its myriad forms, from radio waves, to visible light, to x-rays, and beyond.

At the dawn of the 21st century, advanced technology is providing access to the cosmos through detection of ripples in the fabric of spacetime itself. These ripples in spacetime, called gravitational waves, carry information not in the form of light or particles, but in the form of gravity itself. Over the past decade, the first gravitational wave signals from the cosmos have been detected here on Earth, revealing a dynamic and energetic universe that has previously only been speculated about.

Gravitational wave observations have revealed black holes dancing a death spiral billions of light-years from Earth, and neutron stars ripping themselves apart in a titanic burst of light and gravitational energy. A discussion on July 9 (at the Sisters Fire Hall) will explore what gravitational waves are and how we measure them, and what we are learning from their detection. Shane

Larson will talk about the twin LIGO facilities (one of which is located here in the Pacific Northwest), searching for gravitational waves using pulsars, and upcoming LISA Observatory in space. Gravity has a story to tell, and in this talk with Larson, the Sisters Science Club will explore some of discoveries scientists are making by listening. Larson is a professor of Physics at Clarkson University and the Director of Integrated Engineering and Applied Science Projects in the Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in studies of compact stars, binaries, and the galaxy with both the ground-based LIGO project, and the forthcoming space-based observatory LISA. He is currently a member of the board of the international LISA Consortium, and is the co-chair of the LISA Astrophysics Working Group. He grew up in Eastern Oregon. He received his BS in physics from Oregon State, and his MS and PhD from Montana State. His postdoctoral work was at JPL,

waves.

Caltech, and at the Physics Frontier Center at Penn State. He is an award-winning teacher, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He contributes regularly to a public science blog at writescience.wordpress.com, and posts at Bluesky with the handle @sciencejedi. This event is part of the Frontiers in Science lecture series sponsored by the Sisters Science Club. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., lecture begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door; teachers and students are admitted free. The Sisters Fire Hall is located at 301 S. Elm St. in Sisters. For more information, visit http://www. sistersscienceclub.org/.

Shane Larson will talk about gravitational

PHOTO BY PROVIDED

The Red, White and Blue 3 Miler Run and Walk is an integral part of the Sisters 4th Fest festivities set for Friday, July 4.

PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG

Sisters Country birds

By Douglas Beall Correspondent

The Olive-Sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) can be distinguished from other flycatchers by its grayish-brown upper breast divided by a narrow, white centerline, giving it the appearance of wearing a vest. The white sides of the rump can be distinctive when perched, but this feature is often hidden by folded wings. They range within coniferous forests in the northern United States and Canada, and the Rocky Mountains south nearly to the Mexican border.

This medium-sized flycatcher is slightly larger than a house sparrow. It has a dull grayish-brown head and upperparts and a whitish throat and belly.

Most Olive-Sided Flycatchers winter in the mountains of South America. One of many bird species known as neotropical migrants, Olive-Sided Flycatchers migrate through the United States in spring

and fall. They favor forest edges or other areas with sparse trees and snags or other suitable perches. The edges of clear-cuts with standing dead trees can also provide habitat for Olive-Sided Flycatchers, particularly when lowland coniferous forest remains nearby. Their characteristic song consists of three emphatic, slurred notes — often described as a “quickthree-beers.” The first two notes rise in pitch, ending with a longer, down-slurred note.This flycatcher also makes a series of rapid pippi p calls, all on the same pitch. They are often heard calling when we are walking through the Pondo woods. Status-Olive-Sided Flycatchers’ population has declined by 50 percent in the last 30 years.

Groups of flycatchers are referred to as a “zapper,” a “swatting,” a “swarm,” a “court,” or an “outfield.” To view more flycatcher images, visit https:// abirdsingsbecauseithas asong.com/recent-journeys/.

Art event on tap at Black Butte Ranch

The Sisters community is invited to an inspiring afternoon filled with creativity and community on Friday, July 11, at the annual Black Butte Art Guild fundraiser, Art at the Ranch.

The event is held in support of the Sisters High School Arts department, including providing college scholarships for students pursuing art degrees. Auction items were donated by local Sisters shops and restaurants. There will be unique experiences, high-quality goods, and extraordinary artwork. Light appetizers and a nohost bar will be available. There will be an informative

art show.

the Firewise Art and Wildfire committee, a nonprofit dedicated to education and risk reduction for wildfires.

Local artists will be selling their work, and just outside the Black Butte Ranch Lodge, Plein Air painters will be capturing the beauty of the day on the lawn by the lake.

Tickets may be purchased for $20 through July 1 at https://www.eventbrite. com/e/art-at-the-ranchtickets-1369122796139?aff= ebdssbdestsearch.

Plein Air artists set up their easels by the lake around noon. At 3 p.m. the local artists will be displaying their work, the silent auction opens, and food and beverages are available. Attendees will have the opportunity to vote for (and perhaps purchase) their favorite piece of Plein Air art at 4:30 p.m. The silent auction closes at 5 p.m., with the event finishing by 5:30. For more information, contact Stacie Abraham, 510299-0729, or Marty Layton,

Art at the Ranch raises funds to support Sisters High School Arts department, including providing college scholarships for students pursuing art degrees.

12 p.m. Plein Air artists set up their easels by the lake around noon.

3 p.m. Artists will be displaying work for sale, silent auction opens, and food and beverages are available.

4:30 p.m. Attendees can vote for (and perhaps purchase) their favorite Plein Air art. Immerse yourself in creativity and community while supporting the arts! Questions? Contact Stacie Abraham, 510-299-0729, or Marty Layton, 503-819-4769.

Olive-Sided Flycatcher.

PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL

Black Butte Ranch makes a picturesque setting for an

PHOTO COURTESY BLACK BUTTE RANCH

EVENT: Meet-ups

the monthly meetup “was because I wanted community. Sisters has embraced that.”

Terms such as LGBTQ+ or LGBTQIA+ are used to indicate a range of people that experience and express sexuality and gender differently from those in the mainstream. The initials stand for lesbian, gay, queer, and transgender, among others.

People within that large swath sometimes jokingly refer to it as “alphabet soup” in a friendly way; outsiders sometimes use that as a derisive term. The owner of Luckey’s Woodsman collaborated with organizers to create a sandwich based on the initials, as a fundraiser (see related article, page 15).

“What I love about Sisters, it embraces the idea of community,” said Siebold, who is vice president of the advocacy organization Out Central Oregon.

“I know we’ve got folks that don’t understand, that don’t know how to live outside their own experience, to expand their own awareness or ideas. But for the most part, we keep coming back together.”

When she asks locals, “Have you heard of Sisters in Sisters?” Siebold reports hearing positive feedback. “Even when it’s outside of our queer community. A lot of folks that live here, business owners, folks that are prominent in the community—they are so excited to hear that we have something like this here in Sisters, something that shows our inclusivity.”

“Because we’re here!” Siebold exclaimed. “We’re neighbors, we’re co-workers, we’re family.”

Recent political moves and rhetoric on the national level threaten a wide variety

of populations that have been historically excluded, oppressed, and marginalized, including the LGBTQ+ community.

In response, Siebold said, “We get stronger. We come together. We bring our voices together. We make sure that we’re seen.”

The LGBTQ+ community could be described as hyper-aware, Siebold said, given the current situation. While concerned about “the slippery slope of hate and exclusion” prominent in the U.S., she has not personally received any pushback in Sisters Country.

“I’ve never had a queer community member that lives here in Sisters say that they’ve had somebody that’s not been welcoming. It’s great,” she said.

Locals who have questions about LGBTQ+ should learn more about the people, the movement, and the issues, she said. Siebold suggested that they educate themselves through research and by talking with people who have personal experience.

A Central Oregon mom, for example, met with Siebold this month to talk about her nonbinary child (who uses they/them pronouns). The mom described years of fearing for her child’s mental health, the child not thriving and not wanting to go to school.

“This mom really fiercely advocated for her child, who got them the care they needed,” said Siebold. Now the child is a young adult who is excited to go to school, engage with friends, and be part of their community.

Talking with Siebold, the mom got teary-eyed, explaining, “I’m not afraid any more, that they are going to do something where I won’t see them tomorrow.”

“That’s how important this is,” said Siebold. “If you’ve never experienced that personally or encouraged somebody as they’re going through this? You don’t know what this experience is like.”

How can such discussions begin?

“You expand your circle,” Siebold said. “You go to those places where there might be answers, like Out Central Oregon. Email us at info@outcentraloregon.com or go to our website. Tell us, ‘I have these questions.’”

“Go to a Pride event,” she advised. “Come to a Sisters in Sisters and find somebody that you feel comfortable with, and just ask some questions.”

Sisters in Sisters is held the second Thursday of each month from 4 to 7 p.m. The meetup formerly took place at The Barn and currently meets at Luckey’s Woodsman.

Regardless of each person’s gender or sexuality, Siebold finished, “we have to reach across the street,

the neighborhood, wherever we’re having coffee — just be open, stay curious, be brave.”

Stefanie Siebold, who helped initiate the LGBTQ+ gathering Sisters in Sisters celebrated Pride last Thursday with members of the community.

PHOTO BY T. LEE BROWN

One sandwich at a time

By T. Lee Brown Correspondent

Locals and tourists alike know Luckey’s Woodsman as a spot for big hamburgers made with locally ranched beef, for breakfast burritos and truffle fries. It’s where campers go for hot and cold kits to take on the road.

It’s also the place to grab an LGBTQ+ Sando, at least for the month of June. The Pride Month sandwich is a take on the BLT featuring lettuce, guacamole, bacon, tomato, and quinoa. For each one purchased, the restaurant donates $1 to the organization Out Central Oregon.

The restaurant hosts the homegrown LGBTQ+ monthly gathering Sisters in Sisters, which just celebrated its third anniversary (see related article page 3).

Owner and chef Jackson Higdon said, “They approached us about having a meeting here and I got all excited. Community is a big part of why I do what I do.”

Since the meetups started, Higdon said, “I’ve been met with profound joy to start understanding the things I don’t understand. I’m a heterosexual man. I’m okay with saying I’m naive to all the challenges [LGBTQ+ people] deal with, and some of the political correctness around it.”

Allies have shown up, said Stefanie Siebold, a founder of Sisters in Sisters and vice president of advocacy group Out Central Oregon.

“Allyship is so important, but it has to be in collaboration with the folks allies are trying to represent. This is one of the things I love about Jackson,” she said. “We have conversations all the time. He gets to share his views, I get to share my views, we learn from each other. We grow together.”

Higdon was born and raised in Central Oregon, and has “a mixed opinion” on how things are today compared to years past. Now 35 years old, he described his adolescence as a time of the gay rights movement.

“I’m a Christian man,” he said. “My sister is queer, and she had a lot of gay friends. I didn’t see them as anything else other than people.”

Their family attended a church that condemned what some today refer to as queerness: being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or otherwise different.

“Part of my growing up was growing into the reality that this is nonsense,” Higdon said.

When he graduated from high school in 2008, Higdon felt like Central Oregon was open and accepting.

“I felt like as a society we

were going places... In this world today, I don’t know. I see a lot of hatred. I see a lot of judgment. It’s such a core challenge right now in the world.”

Though there’s still plenty of acceptance and good intentions throughout the region, “I’ve also learned indirectly how very unaccepting it can be, and how much hardship people deal with on a daily basis that I as a white heterosexual male have the privilege to not deal with.”

For Higdon, religion is an important factor in the conversation.

“As a Christian man, I don’t believe that Jesus was here to judge people and tell people that they’re wrong and they’re sinners,” he stated. “I believe that he was here to accept people for who they are and love them, and that’s the perspective that I walk in.”

Opening a restaurant is a kind of community service for Higdon.

“We’re here to make people happy. My whole passion behind culinary is because I get to create happiness through the food that I make... restaurant spaces are also about creating happiness, a place that makes you feel warm and safe and comfortable.”

Extending that feeling to people who may feel unsafe

elsewhere feels good. “We believe that everybody should be loved, that everyone’s equal, everyone has a right to be heard and understood,” he said. “We don’t look at this as choosing sides as much as saying that everyone deserves to have support.”

Business owners may feel what Siebold calls “a little bit of trepidation” when showing support. She believes it is key to collaborate, “not alienate, not shame somebody because they said the wrong thing,” she said.

“I will say first of all, we’re humans, and we will say the wrong thing at some point. I say the wrong thing at some points. We just do,

we’re just humans.”

Being inclusive means being in a place of belonging, Siebold explained.

“We might not have the same view on everything, but we learn together and support each other. As long as we’re showing up in love and community support, that’s what it’s all about.”

There is some trepidation. “It’s scary, as a restaurant owner, to represent something I could get some ill will upon, or have judgment upon me,” Higdon declared. “But at the end of the day I believe you have to stand up for what’s right. We’re a place that believes that everyone’s welcome.”

START FROM SCRATCH OR UPGRADE YOUR OLD CABIN

Luckey’s Woodsman hosts Sisters in Sisters on a regular basis.

PHOTO BY T. LEE BROWN

encouraged.

The Village Green Big Ponderoo venue opens at 5:30 p.m. and attendees of all ages can immerse themselves in interactive art activities including a community weaving project, puppet theater, and painting stations before settling in for delicious food and drinks from local vendors. In line with SFF Presents’ commitment to sustainability, attendees are reminded to bring their reusable Silipint or stainless steel pint cups from previous events for beverage service. For those who need one, vintage Silipints will be available for purchase at the box office tent for just $5 and can be used at all future SFF Presents events. Weekend ticket holders can also pick up their festival wristbands and 2025 Silipints at the box office tent beginning at 5:00 p.m.

The free concert at Village Green Park will run from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. and offer a sneak peek of the festival’s talent. Enjoy performances from Yarn and The Wilder Flower, along with a special appearance by the Sisters Middle School Outlaw Strings Club and a set from the dynamic Kota Dosa.

Formed in 2006, Yarn spent two years honing their chops during a Monday night residency at the famed Kenny’s Castaway in New York’s Greenwich Village, allowing them to rehearse onstage, mostly in front of audiences that often ranged in size from five to a hundred people on any given night. Ten studio albums followed and the band took to the road, playing upwards of 170 shows a year and sharing stages with such superstars as Railroad Earth, Marty Stuart, Allison

Krauss, Leon Russell, Jim Lauderdale, Leftover Salmon, Amos Lee, The Lumineers, and many more. They have landed on the Grammy ballot four times, garnered nods from the Americana Music Association, placed top five on both Radio and Records and the AMA album charts, and been streamed millions of times. When audiences expressed their admiration, it brought the band a populist cult following of diehard devotees, popularly known as “the Yarmy.”

The Wilder Flower offers a fresh take on rural Appalachian music featuring Danielle Yother on guitar, Molly Johnson on banjo, and Madeline Dierauf on fiddle. Together they blend modern influences with their deep roots of old time & bluegrass. Their songs are filled with three-part harmonies, tight instrumental blends, and storytelling. Their relatable humor engages audiences in a personable way, bringing a meaningful, shared experience to each show and their original songs are thoughtfully arranged yet full of spur of the moment improvisation.

Kota Dosa is known for their eclectic sound that seamlessly blends blues, funk, psychedelic rock, and jazz, the band has established a vibrant presence in the local New York and New Orleans music scene. Drawing from legends like The Doors, Marcus King, and Chris Cain, the band blends their roots to craft an experience that’s as gritty as New York, as soulful as New Orleans, and as laidback as Oregon. Fronted by brothers Jesse Jake & Cody Luke, the band rips through powerful vocals, fiery guitar solos, and an unstoppable stage presence. Their horn section hits hard with bold, brass-driven grooves that amp up every track. Known for their original music, Kota Dosa mixes their own songs

with their favorite influences from across genres.

The pre-festival celebration sets the stage for the Big Ponderoo Music & Art Festival, which continues on June 28 -29 at Village Green Park. The weekend will feature performances from 15 Americana and bluegrass artists, including Shovels & Rope, Sierra Hull, ALO, John Craigie, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Tophouse, Lindsay Lou, Yarn, Cat Clyde, the Coffis Brothers, Fireside Collective,

Clay Street Unit, The Wilder Flower, Skybound Blue, and Quattlebaum.

The last chance to purchase advance tickets before prices increase will be on Friday, June 27. Weekend passes are available for $205 for adults and $90 for youth (ages 17 and under), Saturday-only tickets are $120 for adults and $60 for youth, and Sunday-only tickets are $100 for adults and $50 for youth. Children under six attend for free. All fees are included in the ticket prices.

Purchase tickets online at www.aftontickets.com/ BigPonderoo.

Ticket prices will increase beginning on Saturday, June 28, at midnight to $225 for adults and $100 for youth (ages 17 and under). Saturday-only tickets will be $130 for adults and $65 for youth, and Sunday-only tickets will be $110 for adults and $55 for youth. Follow @BigPonderoo on Instagram and Facebook and visit BigPonderoo.com for complete event details.

Sierra Hull will be one of the highlights of Big Ponderoo.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Sisters walks for caregivers

By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief

Living with dementia is hard — and caring for a loved one with dementia can be even harder.

Sisters has built a strong support community for care partners through the nonprofit Living Well With Dementia Sisters. The organization provides resources and support for families who are dealing with the tough diagnosis of dementia, and those who have been grappling with the condition for a long time.

Last Saturday morning, the organization, with assistance from Sisters Rotary Club, gathered local residents for a one-mile summer solstice walk to raise awareness and show solidarity in the face of this lifechanging condition, and then hosted a resource fair where

people could gather information from a range of service providers.

At the beginning of the walk, participants announced who they were walking for.

It was often a loved one, but several people simply said they were walking for the community.

“This is the second time doing the walk,” said Debbi McCune, executive director of Living Well With Dementia Sisters.

McCune is the care partner for her husband.

She explained the primary mission of the event:

“The first thing is that they [care partners] know that they are not alone,” she said.

McCune said that most everyone knows someone who has dementia. In Sisters, the support group serves 35 families. There are a variety of types of dementia, and the

symptoms are manifested in a variety of ways.

“Different types of dementia affect different parts of the brain,” McCune said.

Alzheimer’s disease is the easiest to diagnose, and makes up about 60 percent of diagnoses.

“Dementia is an umbrella tern,” she said. “It’s really a collection of symptoms that come out as behaviors.”

Signs of dementia include asking the same question repeatedly; repetition of the same story as though it hasn’t been told before; mood and personality changes.

McCune noted that, “the biggest issue that we have to help people overcome is denial.”

Once those diagnosed and their families get to a level of acceptance, the path to managing the condition can

become easier.

The Living Well With Dementia Care Partners support group meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 1 to 2:30

p.m. at Sisters Library. The group shares insights and experiences and emotional support. For information visit https://www.facebook. com/LWWDSisters/.

PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS

Several Sisters grads attend academies

Continued from page 3

I’ve come and that I’ve made it to the same goal I had back then.”

Davis is planning on majoring in Government and minoring in Spanish during her time at the academy before serving for five years.

“After serving I’m planning on becoming either a politician or lawyer. I think my time with the Coast Guard will be super beneficial because they have great opportunities and a reputation of building good leaders,” said Davis.

In a similar trajectory, Evan Eby graduated Sisters High School in 2022, and describes wanting to be a part of the Coast Guard since middle school.

“I read a random book that I found at a book fair called “A Storm Too Soon,” which was about three guys who got caught in a hurricane that sank their boat, but were rescued by Coast Guard helicopter pilots. After that I was like, ‘well that’s what I want to do’, so junior year I applied to AIM, a one week summer program that I attended online

because of COVID,” Eby recalled.

Eby applied his senior year but was wait-listed, and ended up not being accepted. In the meantime, he served a two-year mission where he applied another time but was again rejected. However, on his return from the mission he applied for a third time after improving his SAT scores and essays, and was accepted.

Eby will be graduating alongside Davis in the United States Coast Guard class of 2029, and plans to attend flight school in Pensacola, Florida, after graduation.

Both students are excited to begin their journey, one that Sisters High School graduate of 2016, Mary Root, can speak to.

Root recently graduated with honors as a part of the United States Naval Academy class of 2025, with a Bachelor of Science degree and a major in Political Science.

“It’s been a goal of mine to attend the Naval Academy since freshman year. I originally wanted to attend the Coast Guard because of my dad who was part of it, but I pivoted during COVID,” said Root.

Root describes her experiences at the academy as challenging, but full of growth. As a part of the USNA Parachute

DAVIS TIRE

Team, Root cites the space as where she found her community and made some of her favorite memories.

“Over the course of the four years I think I mellowed out, it helped me realize what’s important in the moment and not to get caught up in the weeds,” said Root.

Root is heading to Navy Flight School later this summer for three to four years before beginning her time serving for the Navy for seven years.

The aspirations, work, and achievements that these three students have gained in such a short span of time is admirable. The average acceptance for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy is 24 percent, while the U.S. Naval Academy is even more selective at nine percent. All three are at different stages of their journeys, but every single one of them has created a role model for a younger Sisters High School student behind them to look up to.

Holly Davis.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Mary Root.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Obituaries

Karen Elizabeth Anderson

March 3, 1941 – May 7, 2025

Karen was the first child born to Richard and Elizabeth Matthews of the Irvington neighborhood in Northeast Portland.

In 1954, Karen moved with her family to the Burlingame neighborhood in SW Portland. Karen graduated from Wilson High School in 1959. She attended Westmont College, University of Hawaii, Lewis and Clark College, and finished her degree at Portland State University.

In the summer of 1962, Karen met Jim Anderson when they were both part of the same wedding party. They were married on June 20, 1964, at Moreland Presbyterian Church in Portland. After a few years in Milwaukie, they moved to Pleasant Valley, where they lived and raised two children, Doug and Melissa. In 1994, Jim and Karen retired to Sisters, where they lived together until Karen’s passing this last May.

In 1964, Karen started her teaching career in a fifth grade classroom at Ardenwald Elementary in Milwaukie. In 1966, she left teaching to focus on being a full-time mom and did not return until 1983 when she started teaching 2nd grade, first at West Hills Christian and then Happy Valley Elementary.

In the late 1970s, Karen started what turned into a life-long pursuit of ways to make healthier lifestyle choices and seek natural alternatives to modern

Beau Douglas Gibney

January 13, 1989 – June 17, 2025

Beau Douglas Gibney was born on January 13, 1989, in Clackamas County, Oregon. He spent his early years in Gladstone before moving to Sisters in 2001, where he fell in love with the freedom and adventure the outdoors had to offer. Whether it was swimming, fishing, camping, hunting, or riding anything with a throttle — Beau was always chasing the next thrill with a grin on his face.

For nearly two decades, Beau worked as a roofer and was respected for his craftsmanship and work ethic. He could build or fix just about anything, but his real talent was connecting with people. Beau’s charisma, humor, and that unforgettable smile made him the kind of person who could talk to anyone

medicine. She willingly shared the results of her investigations with family and friends, and offered help and support to those who were interested.

Karen was a born-again Christian and a lifelong follower of Jesus Christ. She was a long-term member of Sisters Community Church and enjoyed witnessing its’ recent revitalization. Karen was quick to share her faith and always attempted to exemplify Christ’s love. Karen sought to live her life by I Chronicles 16:11, which encourages us to “seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.”

Karen is survived by her husband Jim, children Cyndi (Steve), Doug (Staci) and Melissa (David), siblings Doug (Joyce), Jo Ellen, Jeff, and Duk Kyu, grandchildren Quinn, Megan (Nick), Mandi, Joshua, and Abbi. In addition, there are many others who will miss her presence in their lives.

A memorial celebrating the life of Karen will be held at 2 p.m. on June 28, at Sisters Community Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be sent to Sisters Community Church Memorial Fund.

— and make a friend for life in the process.

Beau passed away on Tuesday evening, June 17, 2025, doing what he loved: riding his motorcycle — likely with the throttle wide open and the front wheel in the air, just the way he’d want to be remembered.

James Bradford Kennedy 1932-2025

James Bradford Kennedy known as “Mike” to his early family, Brad to his young school mates, and Jim to everyone that has known him since High School graduation, passed away on June 10.

He was known as a storyteller and for his many shenanigans. Raised in Atlanta Georgia, and New Orleans, he had a southern perspective. But a taste of California in his teen years and Washington in his military years, led him to migrate to the West Coast in his young adult years, living in both Washington and Oregon. He lived in Seattle Washington, then in Eugene, Corvallis, La Grande, Salem, Portland, and ending in Camp Sherman.

During a stint in the Army, he lived on Hokkaido, Japan.

Jim was driven to get an education, saying that to him, his life couldn’t start until he got a college degree. So he attended a series of colleges in that pursuit and finding his niche. Tulane ( too many frat parties),(a 3 year break in the Army),Montana School of Mines ( not his cup of tea), University of Washington—success finally for a BA in Geography and a BS in Geology. Later he went the U of O for continuing education, then OSU for a Masters in Geology and a PhD in Natural Resource Management.

These degrees were applied to his career which consisted of geologic

He is survived by his father, Douglas Gibney; his mother, Julie Woodall; his grandparents, Lori and Ed; his sisters, Logan and Sydney; his brothers, Tyler, Chad, Mitch, and Sal; his children, Alexis, Tanner, and Ryker; his wife, Madison; his aunt, Mari; uncles Robert, John, and Pat; and a large extended family of cousins, nieces, nephews, inlaws, and countless friends.

support to road building for local government in King Co. Washington and Lane Co. Oregon, but then on to Environmental Services at ODOT in La Grande, Oregon, then as a Regional Land Use Planner for DLCD in La Grande, then as the Statewide Floodplain Manager, DLCD in Salem. When he retired from the State, he joined FEMA as a Reservist, and was called to many floods and hurricanes in the south and midwest. He retired at the age of 80. His passions in life were first his daughters, Lisa Stone and Allison Clair, and their families Ken Stone and Fred Clair and grandchildren Lauren and Nick Clair and his life companions (wives), Diane Anderson (deceased), and Donna Kilber (still around to talk about it!)

But close behind was his love of archaeology, ignited in him when he was just a boy finding artifacts along Peachtree Creek in Atlanta. The interest produced a substantial library of Native American literature — his babies!

He also loved the mountains, expressed in a long

career of climbing — South and Middle Sisters, Mt. Washington, Three Finger Jack, and Mt. Adams — and hiking into many of the wilderness areas and various parks. Eventually, this resulted in a move to Camp Sherman, nestled in the Cascade Mountains.

Jim was born in 1932, living for 92 years. He is survived by his wife, Donna, his daughters Lisa (Colorado) and Allison (Bend), and their husbands Ken and Fred, grandchildren Lauren (Portland) and Nick (Bend), and nieces Shawn and Laura, and nephew Steven all of Texas. Special recognition and thanks goes to son-in-law Fred Clair for serving as a caregiver for Jim for three years.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 12 p.m. on Saturday, June 28, at the Village Green in Sisters. All who knew and loved Beau are invited to come share stories, memories, and laughter in his honor.

Ride free, Beau. You were one of a kind, and your spirit will live on in every story told and every throttle twisted.

TRAFFIC: Route is to take traffic pressure off Cascade Avenue

Continued from page 1

far is for southbound Camp Polk drivers who must observe a stop sign, whereas they previously had right of way. Now they are forced to yield to bypass traffic. This is all to speed drivers around Sisters, reducing congestion on Cascade Avenue.

It’s hoped by planners that as word circulates, more through drivers will use the bypass. Sophisticated driving navigation apps, particularly those used by trucks, generally showed no benefit to skipping Cascade, keeping the street, a U.S. Highway, running at about 10,000 vehicles a day.

Some drivers have expressed concern about the pattern. One Sisters area resident noted that she is concerned about navigating the traffic pattern northbound past Barclay with her 36-foot trailer. She also wonders about the potential impact on evacuation for residents who live in Sage Meadow and other areas north of Barclay in the event of wildfire or other emergencies.

Other locals have observed motorists having difficulty figuring out the traffic pattern.

Bruce Williams who lives at the top of Camp Polk Road said, “Hope they have a good supply of spare white barrier posts, ’cause they’re gonna need them.”

Proposal would allow sale of public lands

By Kyle Dunphey Utah News Dispatch via Oregon Capital Chronicle

Utah Sen. Mike Lee is bringing back a proposal that would allow the federal government to sell off several million acres of public land in Utah and other Western states.

Lee says it will open up “underused” federal land for housing and help communities manage growth — opponents, including a number of Democrats in Congress and environmental groups, say it’s an attempt to pay for tax cuts and warn it will jeopardize access to public lands.

Introduced Wednesday evening, June 11, Lee’s amendment to congressional Republicans’ budget bill, nicknamed the “big, beautiful bill,” renews an effort initially spearheaded by Rep. Celeste Maloy,

R-Utah, and Mark Amodei, R-Nevada, that sought to dispose of 11,500 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in southwestern Utah and some 450,000 acres of federal land in Nevada.

But Lee’s proposal is much broader — rather than earmark specific parcels of land for disposal like Maloy and Amodei’s amendment, Lee wants to require the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture to sell off a percentage of land managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

According to the amendment, both agencies would be required to dispose of between 0.5 percent to 0.75 percent of land they manage, which amounts to about 2.2 million to 3.3 million acres. State and local governments would be allowed to nominate parcels of land, and

would be granted priority to purchase.

Eleven states would be eligible — Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Notably, Montana is exempt, and Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke was instrumental in sinking Maloy and Amodei’s original proposal, stating that selling public lands is a line he would not cross.

Though the scope is much bigger, Lee’s reasoning behind the proposal is the same as Maloy and Amodei’s — identify parcels of federal land near high-growth areas, and sell them at market value to local governments to use for housing, water infrastructure, roads, and other development.

The amendment prohibits the sale of land that’s already

designated, like national parks, national monuments, wilderness areas, or national recreation areas. Land that has an existing right, like a mining claim, grazing permit, mineral lease, or right of way is also off limits.

If it passes, the secretaries of the departments of interior and agriculture would have to prioritize nominating land that’s next to already developed areas, has access to existing infrastructure, or is “suitable for residential housing.” The amendment also directs the secretaries to nominate land that’s isolated and “inefficient to manage,” and to reduce the checkerboard land pattern, the result of railroad grants in the 1800s that left small plots of private land scattered within swaths of federal land and vice-versa. Republished courtesy www.oregoncapitalchronicle. com.

Portraits OF SISTERS

The mother of Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is Jean Wells-Keenan, daughter of World War II veteran and POW Cal Butler, and she’s a teacher at heart. She was born in Sacramento, California but grew up on the high desert of Central Oregon. She followed her father and family to Redmond as he launched his own crop-dusting and later aerial firefighting business. For Jean, a passion in teaching began to develop and she attained degrees in education from OSU and Portland State. When she moved to Sisters in 1974 she realized supplies for her passion in quilting were nonexistent. So she opened Stitchin’ Post in 1975. That year, at The Cubby Hole Boutique, she hung a few quilts for their summer festival. The array of colors and designs drifting in the summer breeze sparked the idea for an outdoor quilt show. People wanted more. And now, 50 years later, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show has grown beyond her wildest dreams. But despite its monumental growth, Jean still holds dear the heart of it: “The show means to me the same thing it meant in the beginning. Anyone can hang their work and it’s special. More than anything, what drives this is curiosity. ‘What if?’ I’ll never stop being that way.”

LETTERS

Continued from page 2

exits. This flank strap encourages the bull to kick and buck in a fight-or-flight move to try and dislodge it.

While rodeos are proud of their care for animals, animal welfare organizations point to cases of serious injuries to bulls, including broken bones, muscle tears, internal bleeding, and in rare cases, death. They also assert that bulls suffer stress caused by transportation, isolation, forced movements, and loud noise. Rigorous data to support this is hard to find, but the exploitation of the animal for sport is more than plausible.

The peaceful horse figures that greet visitors entering Sisters from Bend are a welcome nod to our Western history and downtown theme. Perhaps we could consider alternative art in the roundabout that would celebrate our welcoming spirit, and the many activities that we are proud to offer here.

Tom Clasen

s s s

Trump has to go

To the Editor:

Because of the rodeo, our family demonstrated in Redmond on Saturday against Trump and his criminal syndicate. The crowd on hand at a major intersection was vocal and huge. It was probably the largest demonstration ever held in Redmond. And hundreds of vehicles passed us honking support and giving thumbs up. It was very gratifying. I saw only one person, an angry old woman, roll down her window and give us the finger. Poor thing. Sad. My hope is that we can build on this and have a massive unprecedented demonstration in Washington against Trump.

All together now, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”

Gary Leiser

MUSIC: “In A Landscape” events tour rural communities

Continued from page 3

75,000 people.

“Our mission is to connect people to nature and classical music through concerts that are accessible to all,” says Noack, whose charm includes allowing attendees, especially children, to sit directly under the piano as he performs.

He speaks between pieces — around 20 — and talks about the music or interesting history. He praises the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Music and Theatre Projects, which presented thousands of free concerts and plays in theaters, public spaces, and parks across the country during the Great Depression.

“It was a lovely evening,” said Sheryl Rudolph from Sisters attending Wednesday

evening’s performance. “The weather was perfect and the setting divine. The pianist provided interesting and sometimes humorous facts about the pieces he played. And offered the most unusual opportunity to lay on the stage with your hands on the piano to experience the sound vibrations in a surprising way.”

“In A Landscape” events are also offered in rural communities for free or on a subsidized basis. Over $100,000 in free tickets are given away each year.

Next stop on the tour is the Alvord Desert in Eastern Oregon. Performances have been held in some of the most legendary National Parks and monuments in the U.S.

Noack is supported by a crew of eight and the 501(c) (3) organization has an eight member board. “In A Landscape” has been featured nationally in several media including CBS and The Los Angeles Times.

The Nugget Newspaper Crossword

Hernandez

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

CLASSIFIED RATES

COST:

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

DEADLINE: MONDAY, noon preceding WED. publication. PLACEMENT & PAYMENT: Office, 442 E. Main Ave. Phone, 541-549-9941 or place online at NuggetNews.com. Payment is due upon placement. VISA & MasterCard accepted. Billing available for continuously run classified ads, after prepayment of first four (4) weeks and upon approval of account application.

102 Commercial Rentals

STORAGE WITH BENEFITS

8 x 20 dry box

Fenced yard, RV & trailers

In-town, gated, 24-7

EWDevcoLLC@gmail.com

MINI STORAGE

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

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

103 Residential Rentals

PONDEROSA PROPERTIES

–Monthly Rentals Available–Call Debbie at 541-549-2002

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

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

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792

Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com

CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS

Unique upstairs 3 bedroom, 2 bath with all appliances. Private entrance. Move-in special: 1st month free with 18-month lease. $2,600 monthly. — 541-549-0792 —

3 bedroom, 2 bath house with attached garage. Near old grade school. Refrigerator, stove/oven, washer/dryer, A/C. Fenced yard. Small pets allowed. Owner pays all utilities including internet. $2,500 first/last month's rent plus $300 cleaning deposit ($500 with pets). No smoking. Call 541-639-2875.

104 Vacation Rentals

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

www.SistersVacation.com

Downtown Vacation Rentals

Popular 1 and 2 Bedroom SistersVacationRentals.net

Great pricing. 503-730-0150

201 For Sale

GAMMILL LONGARM

Classic Plus 2005 Machine 12' Table & Light Bar

Call for details 541-815-6853

Exercise bike - $20: back rest, folds to 22"X19".

Heated massage chair - $45: reclines, folds to 12"X26". Marianne 541-904-4683

REI Wilderness kayaks

Pungo 120 and Tsunami 120 excellent condition, straps and gear included. $450 each, less than half of cost.

John: 503-522-6636

TOO MUCH STUFF?

202 Firewood

• SPRING 2025 • 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 541-699-7740

203 Recreation Equipment

Inflatable, frameless pontoon boat. Search Dave Scadden's 2025 Raptor Lite Speed X5. Hardly used, length 9', width 54", diameter 16", easy to put together, take apart and put in the back of a car. $650. Bob 541-401-0723

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

Trucks For Sale

Two pickups (disabled), minor repairs - cheap, priced to go Camp Sherman 541-595-2003

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

Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com

CLASSIC CAR STORAGE!

Oversized, lights/power, $275/m • 541-419-2502

401 Horses

ORCHARD GRASS HAY ALFALFA TRITICALE

New 2025 crop. Barn stored. 3-tie bales. $240-$340/ton. Hwy. 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895

403 Pets

I’ve got your cats covered! Sisters-Tumalo-PetSitting.com Home of Brando's Natural Dog Biscuits • 541-306-7551 • Julie Caring, loving pet care in my home. Daily rates and in town. Cheryl 541-420-7875

SISTERS WHISKERS

Your purr-fect friend is waiting for you at our local nonprofit cat rescue! Apply to adopt at: sisterswhiskers.org

500 Services

SMALL Engine REPAIR

• DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279

I am Dan the Mobile Barber and I will come to you with 35 years experience barbering. I serve Sisters, Redmond, and Terrebonne. Give me a call at 541-233-6395.

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

Junk removal, new home, garage & storage clean-out, construction, yard debris. You Call – We Haul! 541-719-8475

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 541-383-3455 or andy@bendblinds.com.

501 Computers & Communications

3 Sisters TeleNetworks, LLC Extend internet to shop, security cameras, Starlink. CCB #191099 541-306-0729

502 Carpet & Upholstery

Cleaning

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

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

504 Handyman

3 Sisters Handyman Services 20+ years experience No job too large or small. Snow removal services available. Licensed, Bonded, and Insured Call Nate 907-748-4100 sistershandyman@gmail.com CCB# 253556

SUDOKU

for puzzle on page 23

600 Tree Service & Forestry

• Wildfire Fuels reduction

• Debris Chipping/Mastication

• Forest Health Thinning

• Land & Lot Clearing

• 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

LOLO TREE WORKS

Tree Services: Tree Removal, Tree Pruning, Stump Grinding, Emergency Tree Services. ISA Certified Arborist

Owner / Operator: Erin Carpenter lolotreeworks.com Call / Text: 503-367-5638

Email: erin@lolotreeworks.com CCB #240912

TimberStandImprovement.net Tree Removal & Pruning TRAQ Arborist/ CCB#190496 541-771-4825

– All You Need Maintenance –Tree removal, property thinning & clearing, forestry mastication & mulching, stump grinding. Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122

4 Brothers Tree Service Sisters' Premier Tree Experts! – TREE REMOVAL & CLEANUP –Native / Non-Native Tree Assessments, Pruning, High-Risk Removals, 24 Hr. Emergency Storm Damage Cleanup, Craning & Stump Grinding, Debris Removal.

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

Serving Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman & Sisters Area since 2003

** Free Estimates ** Owner James Hatley & Sons 541-815-2342

4brostrees.com Licensed, Bonded and Insured CCB-215057

601 Construction

Construction & Renovation

Custom Residential Projects

All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448

SPURGE COCHRAN

BUILDER, INC.

Advertise your excess with an ad in The Nugget!

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

General Contractor

Building Distinctive, Handcrafted Custom Homes, Additions, Remodels, Cabin Renovations Since ’74 A “Hands-On” Builder Keeping Your Project on Time & On Budget • CCB #96016 To speak to Spurge personally, call 541-815-0523

CASCADE GARAGE DOORS

Factory Trained Technicians

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

Pat Burke LOCALLY OWNED CRAFTSMAN BUILT

CCB: 228388 • 541-588-2062

www.sistersfencecompany.com

Earthwood Timber

• Recycled fir and pine beams

• Mantels and accent timbers

• Sawmill/woodshop services EWDevCoLLC@gmail.com

Custom Homes Additions - Remodels

Residential Building Projects

Becke William Pierce

CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384

Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com

— Serving Sisters Since 2010 —

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

Lara’s Construction LLC. CCB#223701

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

Custom Homes • Additions

Residential Building Projects

Serving Sisters area since 1976

Strictly Quality

CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-280-9764

John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com

INSPIRED CUSTOM HOMES

www.teeharborconstruction.com 541-213-8736 • CCB#75388 HAVE A SERVICE TO PROVIDE?

Place your ad in The Nugget

602 Plumbing & Electric SWEENEY PLUMBING, INC.

“Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling

• New Construction

• Water Heaters

541-549-4349

Residential and Commercial

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

CCB #87587 — GEORGE’S — SEPTIC SERVICE

541-419-3148

A 63-year tradition for Sisters www.georges-septic-service.com

Ridgeline Electric, LLC

Serving all of Central Oregon

• Residential • Commercial

• Industrial • Service

541-588-3088 • CCB #234821

Commercial • Residential • Industrial • Remodels • Generators • Hot tubs/Saunas monteselectric@hotmail.com

CCB#200030 • 541-480-9860

603 Excavation & Trucking

ROBINSON & OWEN

Heavy Construction, Inc.

All your excavation needs

*General excavation

*Site Preparation

*Sub-Divisions

*Road Building

*Sewer and Water Systems

*Underground Utilities

*Grading

*Sand-Gravel-Rock

Licensed • Bonded • Insured

CCB #124327

541-549-1848

BANR Enterprises, LLC

Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls

Residential & Commercial

CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977

www.BANR.net

Full Service Excavation

Free On-site Visit & Estimate

Tewaltandsonsexcavation@gmail .com

541-549-1472

• CCB #76888

Drainfield

• Minor & Major Septic Repair

• All Septic Needs/Design & Install

General Excavation

• Site Preparation

• Rock & Stump Removal

• Pond & Driveway Construction Preparation

• Building Demolition Trucking

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

• Dump Trucks, Transfer Trucks, Belly

• The Whole 9 Yards or 24

Whatever You Want!

– Advertise with The Nugget –541-549-9941

604 Heating & Cooling

ACTION AIR

Heating & Cooling, LLC

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

CCB #195556

541-549-6464

605 Painting

EMPIRE PAINTING

Interior and Exterior Painting and Staining

CCB#180042

541-613-1530 • Geoff Houk

Interior/Exterior Painting

Deck Refinishing Jacob deSmet 503-559-9327

peakperformancepainting1@ gmail.com • CCB#243491

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

CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620

www.frontier-painting.com

606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance

– All You Need Maintenance –Pine needle removal, hauling, mowing, moss removal, edging, raking, weeding, pruning, roofs, gutters, pressure washing. Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122

Alpine Landscape Maintenance

An All-Electric Landscape Company.

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

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

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

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

Eastern Cascade Solutions

Landscaping & Construction

www.easterncascadesolutions. com • 541-233-7195

LCB #9958 • CCB #222039

STEVE'S HAULING

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

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

J&E Landscaping Maintenance

LLC Clean-ups, raking, hauling debris, thatching, aerating, irrigation, mowing. Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com

701 Domestic Services

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

I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC

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

802 Help Wanted

Part Time Sales Associate

We are looking for a friendly, reliable, team player who enjoys working with the public in a retail environment. You must be willing to work some weekend days. Applications available at Stitchin' Post, 311 W. Cascade Ave. in Sisters or by email diane.j@stitchinpost.com. Questions? Contact diane.j@stitchinpost.com

Work with Vacasa this summer in Sisters and Black Butte as a Piecework Housekeeper cleaning vacation homes. Employment dates 5/11-9/26. Piece rate pay ranging $40-$225 per unit with average $110 per unit. $22/hour for paid training, required meetings, and non-post reservation cleans. $1,000 sign-on bonus paid $500 after 30 days and $500 after 90 days of employment. Apply online at www.vacasa.com/careers.

SEEKING EMPLOYMENT?

Check out the Help Wanted ads NEED ASSISTANCE? Advertise in the Classifieds Call 541-549-9941

Now Hiring Housekeeping Team Member

Join the crew at our cozy camp-style retreat nestled in the forest!

We're looking for friendly, dependable individuals to join our housekeeping team at Lake Creek Lodge. PT/FT. We offer flexible schedules & excellent compensation. www.lakecreeklodge.com

13375 SW FS Rd. 1419 Camp Sherman

999 Public Notice

Notice of Preliminary Determination for Water Right Transfer T-14524 T-14524 filed by Roland Johnson, PO Box E Enterprise, OR 97828, proposes additional points of diversion under Certificate 8433. The right allows the use of 0.59 cubic foot per second from Prairie Creek in Sec. 5, T2S, R45E, WM for irrigation and supplemental irrigation in Sects. 5 and 8, T2S, R45E, WM. The applicant proposes additional points of diversion in Sec. 5 and 8, T2S, R45E, WM. The Water Resources Department proposes to approve the transfer, based on the requirements of ORS Chapter 540 and OAR 690-380-5000. Any person may file, jointly or severally, a protest or standing statement within 30 days after the last date of newspaper publication of this notice, 06/25/2025. Call (503) 986-0935 to obtain additional information. If no protests are filed, the Department will issue a final order consistent with the preliminary determination. INFORMATION on LICENSING for Construction Contractors

An active license means your contractor is bonded and insured. Additional details are online at the Oregon CCB site: www.oregon.gov/CCB

SUDOKU Level: Moderate Answer:

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