Structure protection praised in fire fight
Literary event will engage fans of storytelling
By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
Some firefighting forces began demobilizing from the Flat Fire on Monday, as the fire stood at 52 percent containment.
Department of Forestry (ODF) and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department (SCSFD) arrived at City Hall to share findings with Council.
Liaison Officer Mark Prince, from ODF Incident Management Team 3 (IMT3),
See FIRE FIGHT on page 12
During the August 27 regular council meeting, representatives from the Oregon
noted that neighborhoods like Whychus Canyon Estates that have adopted Firewise protocols made a
chance. Valori Wells’ home was one of those saved. See
Long time Sisters resident loses home
By Lilli Worona Correspondent
On Friday evening, August 22, many in the Sisters community were at home, checking their devices for notifications about the rapidly growing Flat Fire that started near Lake Billy Chinook the day before. Others decided to brave the high AQI to attend the Sisters Fourth Friday Art Walk, where locals and tourists perused art galleries in town and doors were quickly closed behind each roving guest to keep the smoke from getting inside.
Braxton Holly, 81, was one of the locals who chose to stay home on the evening of August 22. It was approaching nightfall when he got the alert that his home was on “Level 3-“Go Now”
evacuation orders. Holly describes what happened next as a whirlwind:
“It was Friday night, and I had heard that it was a get ready to go deal, and then the electricity, shortly thereafter, went out … and that’s not good because you can’t see a darned thing,” Holly said matter of factly.
Within minutes of losing power, Holly heard the crunch of a firetruck’s wheels on his driveway, followed by the voices of firefighters outside telling him to “get out now.” Holly, who is disabled due to a debilitating spinal cord injury, found his way to the driveway in the darkness, while firefighters rapidly spread out around his property in an effort to protect his home from the incoming
the
Many of the authors who are headed to the Sisters Festival of Books, September 12-14, are grappling with fundamental questions that have always troubled our minds. What does it mean to be human. What is it that connects us to others and to nature? One thing that surely forges connection is gathering together to talk Story. The Sisters Festival of Books offers people the opportunity to delve deeply into Story with some of the best storytellers in the country — and you don’t have to have read their books (yet) to get down to the marrow. Maxim Loskutoff feels a strong connection to Sisters
See EVENT on page 6
Native Bird Care hit by Flat Fire
By Katy Yoder Correspondent
Talking on the phone with Elise Wolf, a Sisters songbird rehabilitation expert and Native Bird Care and Rescue founder, we heard her shoes crunching on charred bits of plants and outbuildings. The roar of airplanes and helicopters working to extinguish lingering hotspots near her home was a reminder that the Flat Fire wasn’t over.
Surveying her property, including her home, the Native Bird Care facility and carefully conserved land that supported all kinds of wildlife, was devastating. Most of the facility she built over 15 years was gone. All but one aviary, and most of their outdoor facility equipment housed in a large outdoor storage building and a few pools for waterfowl were lost or damaged by smoke. Even with all that loss, there
was some good news. That’s what Wolf is focusing on; how to rebuild and continue providing wild bird care and restoring the center and lands it is housed on.
“If a fire could have good timing, this one did. It hit
just as the baby bird season finished in late July to mid-August. We only had a handful of birds still in care. None of the animals were harmed and those that could
Elise Wolf’s native bird rehabilitation facility was devastated by the Flat Fire — but Wolf says, “We’re not done.”
PHOTO COURTESY ELISE WOLF
Hundreds of Sisters area homes were saved by structure protection crews and air drops of retardant during
Flat Fire. Sisters Fire Chief Tony Prior
big difference in giving firefighters a fighting
video story by Cody Rheault on TheNugget Facebook page.
PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT
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.
Roundabout art
To the Editor:
Perhaps the difference of opinion over the Roundabout Art could be solved with the creation of a firefighter statue.
Wouldn’t everyone agree that honoring these heroes is appropriate?
Dennis McGregor
s s s
To the Editor:
As a new resident of Sisters (and new to Oregon), the recent wildfires that plagued our area have been terrifying on one hand, and an important learning experience on the other.
The one thing that is crystal clear is this community has dedicated, professional super
heroes as firefighters! While the rest of us are running away from danger, these brave souls are running toward it. This is a career that not just any person can do and these folks are the best among us.
Upon observing the firefighters’ performance during this time, may I make a suggestion to the community? It seems evident that a worthy round about sculpture would be that of a depiction of firefighters. Wildlife could be included in the scene, as they are protected by firefighters as well, but as heroes go, these brave people deserve appreciation and gratitude from the community they serve. Would this be a sculpture idea everyone could agree on?
Laura Allers-Lowry
See LETTERS on page 17
Sisters Weather Forecast
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Ashes, flames, and common ground
By Lisa Cohen Guest Columnist
You would think an enormous wildfire — a blaze that erupted in hours and quickly consumed thousands of acres — would stir only anger, despair, helplessness, and fear. Instead, the terrible Flat Fire here in Central Oregon has, in a strange way, offered a respite from the relentless polarization in our country.
We are all well aware the Flat Fire, which ignited last Thursday, exploded to nearly 23,000 acres in just two days. More than 1,400 personnel working to contain a 67-mile perimeter in extremely challenging terrain. That’s more than half the town’s official population. Remarkably, there have been no reported injuries, and firefighters have managed to save all but five homes out of more than 1,000 threatened in the general area.
For me, my husband Tom, our three horses and cat, who evacuated our home a week ago while these brave folks fight to save our neighborhood a couple of miles northeast of town, it’s been a disorienting and worrying time. But we’re not directly facing the conflagration, and what’s perhaps even more remarkable, few people in this picture seems to be quarreling with anyone else.
Moments like this often invite blame. Federal, state, and local agencies must coordinate under pressure, and frightened residents can be quick to find fault. Yet what’s happening here is clearly different.
for the community’s support.
I left that meeting with an unexpected sense of relief. For the first time in far too long, we had found something to coalesce around, rather than squabble about politics, homeless campers, or even whether we should feature the wildlife and mountains versus a bull rider as a new sculpture at the entrance to town.
Like many rural places, Sisters is home to a complex mix of perspectives. Ranchers and environmentalists. Newcomers bringing city sensibilities and longtime farmers whose families go back generations. Artsy boutiques, a biker bar, breweries, and the annual Sisters rodeo.
But for that night, and throughout this event, all that dissolved into a single, shared purpose: enthusiastically and gratefully supporting the people protecting our community.
We were evacuated for nearly a week, living in our trailer with our horses at generous friends’ property. We’ve been blanketed with acts of kindness — meals delivered, pastures offered, calls and texts pouring in from people near and far. These gestures, small and large, have been a profound comfort in the uncertainty of what’s next. Though the fire was less than a mile away, our house is, blessedly, still fine.
At the community meeting held by fire officials five days into the fire, more than a thousand people gathered. Instead of the frustration and finger-pointing I feared, there was an outpouring of gratitude. More than a dozen leaders gave updates on various aspects of the situation. They shared more than facts. They each carefully emphasized what a truly cohesive interdepartmental effort this has been. No grandstanding. No taking singular credit.
This fire, like all wildfires, will leave scars. And, more broadly, I fully expect we will soon enough return to our respective corners on many political issues, both national and local. We’ll argue once again – perhaps with more tolerance this time, even humor — about whether a statue of rodeo legend Lane Frost atop the epically ornery bull Red Rock is the appropriate welcoming image for our beloved town.
neighborhood.
Even better, they were repeatedly interrupted with applause and standing ovations. The officials were visibly moved, and in turn emphasized not only their reliance on each other but also their deep appreciation
But, for a few days, in the midst of an inferno, it’s been a relief to focus on what aligns us. The noise of political chaos has faded into the background, irrelevant against the urgency of saving our animals, our homes, and our community. Who would have imagined it would take a real fire — and not our endless civic flare-ups — to make us appreciate our common ground?
Pink retardant marks the rim of Whychus Canyon, where firefighters kept fire from rolling upslope into a
PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT
COMMUNITY
Ode to a Ranger Station
As the Sisters community recovers from the turmoil of the Flat Fire, many have not had a chance to notice the changes at the corner of Highway 20 and Pine Street. After 60 years, the old Forest Service Ranger Station is a pile of rubble, soon to be gone.
The footprint of the office is being transformed. This creates space to benefit the Sisters community as well as employees. The new Ranger Station next door, has community meeting spaces and can provide overflow parking for local events. It has modern technical features and brings staff, previously spread between three
buildings, together under one roof. But for those of us who worked in Sisters for many years, it’s still sad to see the old office go.
Since the National Forests began over a century ago, the Forest Service has been a part of the Sisters community. The first Ranger Stations were built on our two rivers, the Metolius and Whychus in 1906 and 1908. The Sisters Ranger Station on the north bank of Whychus Creek, was abandoned in 1918 and headquarters moved into the George Aitken store in town. That office, most of its property, and half of town, were destroyed by fire in 1923.
Although he didn’t save the store and his office, Ranger Perry South is
credited for saving the Sisters Hotel in that wildfire, by directing ladies to hang damp sheets out the hotel windows. In 1925, he built the next Ranger Station himself with two assistants, on the corner of Washington and Elm Street, near today’s Village Green.
When Ranger Larry Chapman arrived in 1938, town had electricity from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., provided by the lumber mill power station. He learned that intermittent power did not work well with his first ever refrigerator.
A 1957 photo shows men with hardhats in front of an office on the corner of the highway and Pine Street.
Who was Red Rock?
Most folks in Sisters Country describe the controversial proposed art project for the new Locust Street roundabout as “a rodeo bull.” But for hundreds of locals, Red Rock is far more than that. For them the bull is a legend in the same revered category as Babe Ruth, or Muhammad Ali, or Secretariat.
Movies were made about all three. So, too, Red Rock, in the 1994 film “8 Seconds,” starring Luke Perry as Lane Frost.
Frost was the only cowboy ever to stay on Red Rock for the mandatory eight seconds to be scored. That was later, however, following Red Rock’s retirement after
bucking every one of the 309 riders who got on his back. Red Rock’s legacy in Oregon and Sisters runs deep. The bull who reached 1,750 pounds at his prime was born in 1976 at the Burnt River Ranch in Burns. He was a small calf when his mother died. Red Rock was introduced to the family milk cow along with another orphan calf. She raised them together in the backyard of the family’s home.
He was a red, tigerstriped brindle BrahmanHereford crossbred. He was as gentle and playful as you could imagine, according to Mert Hunking, a local rodeo stock contractor from Sisters who bought him when he was two years old. Hunking
Succeeding at growing tomatoes in Sisters
Cultivating tomatoes in Central Oregon can be fraught with frustration, and frozen plants. Anyone who’s tried growing tomatoes outside, or in a greenhouse, has stories of failures due to unexpected frosts, pests, and mold leaving shriveled, lifeless plants in their wake.
There’s a reason tomatoes don’t do well in Central Oregon. They’re a long way from their warm and tropical native habitat. The
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR
BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS
Al -Anon
Mon., noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 541- 610-73 83
Alcoholics Anonymous
Monday, 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Tuesday, noon, Big Book study, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Wednesday, 7 a.m.,G entlemen’s meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Thursday, noon, Sober Sisters Women’s meet ing, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church
Thursday, 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the Transf iguration • Fr iday, noon, Step & Tradition meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 541- 54 8- 04 40 Saturday, 8 a.m., Episcopal Church of the Transf iguration
Central Oregon Fly Tyer s Guild
For Saturday meeting dates and location, email: steelef ly@msn.c om Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA) Sisters Chapter meets monthly for a meeting, group bike ride, or event.
Contact sistersrep@c otamtb.c om for info
Ci tizens4Communit y Communit y Builders meeting, 3rd Wednesday of ever y mont h, 10 to 11:3 0 a.m. Visit citizens 4c ommunity.c om for location
Council on Aging of Central Oregon
Senior Lunch In -person communit y dining, Tues. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Grab -and -go lunch Tues., Wed., Thurs. 12:3 0 to 1 p.m. Sisters Communit y Church 541- 48 0-18 43
East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th Wed. (September-June), Stitchin’ Post All are welc ome. 541- 549- 60 61
Go Fi sh Fishing Group 3rd Monday 7 p.m., Sisters Communit y Church 541-771-2211
Hear twarmers (f leec e blanketmaker s)
2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Sisters Communit y Church Materials provided 541- 40 8- 8505
Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m. 541- 668 -1755
Living Well With Dementia Sister s Care Partner Suppor t Group. 2nd & 4th Weds 1-2:30 p.m. Sisters Librar y Communit y Room. 541- 58 8- 05 47
Mili tary Parent s of Sister s Meetings are held quarterly; please call 541-38 8- 9013
Oregon Band of Brothers Sisters Chapter meets Wednesda ys, 11:3 0 a.m., Takoda’s Rest aurant. 541- 549- 6469
Sisters Aglow Lighthouse 4t h Saturday, 10 a.m., meet ing by Zoom. 503- 93 0- 6158
Sisters Area Photography Club 2nd Wednesday, 3:30 p.m., at Sisters Communit y Church 541- 549- 6157
Sisters Area Woodworker s First Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-231-18 97
Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:3 0 p.m. at Sisters Communit y Church Email sister sbridge2021@gmail.com.
Sisters Caregi ver Support Group 2nd & 4th Weds., 1-2:30 p.m. Sisters Librar y Communit y Room. 541- 58 8- 05 47 (M eets with Living Well With Dementia Sisters)
Sisters Garden Club For mont hly meetings visit: SistersGardenClu b.com.
Sisters Habitat for Humani ty Board of Director s 4t h Tuesday, 4:30 p.m.
Location information: 541- 549-1193
Sisters Kiwani s 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 11:3 0 a.m. to 1 p.m., at SPRD in Sisters. 541- 632- 3663
Sisters Parent Teacher Communit y 2nd Tuesday, 6 p.m. at Sister s Elementary School Commons. 917-219- 8298
Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Noon, Aspen Lakes. 541-76 0- 5645
Sisters Veterans no -host lunch, Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Rest aurant. All veterans welc ome, 541-241- 6563
Sisters Trails Alliance Board Meetings take place ever y other month, 5 p.m. In -person or zoom. Cont act: info@sisterstrails.org
Three Sister s Irrigation District Board of Director s Meets 2nd Tuesday, 10 a.m., TSID Of fice 541- 903- 4050
Three Sister s Lions Club 2nd Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Spoons Rest aurant. 541- 419-1279
VF W Post 8138 and American Legion Po st 86 1st Wednesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Pine Meadow Village Clubhouse, 59 6 W Jefferson Ave. 541-241- 6563
SCHOOLS
Black Bu tt e School
Board of Director s 3rd Tuesday, 9 a.m. Black Butte School. 541- 59 5- 6203
Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wednesday mont hly, Sisters School District Administration Building. See schedule at www.ssd 6. org. 541- 549- 8521 x5 002. CITY & PARKS
tomato is part of the nightshade family and originated in western South America. Archaeologists have found evidence that it was domesticated as far back as 500 BC. Skilled agrarians, the Aztecs raised a variety of tomatoes. As explorers and colonizers encountered tomatoes, they were spread around the world, becoming a popular food wherever they were introduced. A fruit not a vegetable, tomatoes are nutritious with a good source of
Sisters Ci ty Council 2nd & 4t h Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall 541- 549- 6022
Sisters Park & Recreation District
Board of Director s 2nd & 4t h Tues., 4 p.m., Coff ield Center 541- 549-20 91
Sisters Planning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall 541- 549- 6022
FIRE & POLICE
Black Bu tt e Ranch Po lice Dept
Board of Director s Meets mont hly. 541- 59 5-2191 for time & date
Black Bu tt e Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thurs., 9 a.m., BB R Fire Station. 541- 59 5-2288 Cloverdale RFPD
Board of Director s 3rd Wed., 5:30 p.m., 6743 3 Cloverdale Rd. 541- 54 8- 4815 cloverdalefire.c om
Sister s- Camp Sherman RFPD
Board of Director s 3rd Tuesday, 9 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541- 549- 0771
Sister s- Camp Sherman RFPD Drills Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall 301 S. Elm St. 541- 549- 0771
PHOTO PROVIDED
A Sisters Ranger District Crew from the 1950s.
See RED ROCK on page 15
See TOMATO on page 14
Maret Pajutee Correspondent
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
By Katy Yoder Correspondent
Sheriff’s office updates on fire investigation
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement last week emphasizing that the Flat Fire started on private property and that “there is no indication that this fire was caused by homeless individuals or transient encampments.”
There has been active rumor and speculation in the community as to the cause of the fire, which is still under investigation. Gert Zoutendijk, public information officer for the Incident Management Team that had command of the fire after its start on August 21, confirmed that the fire was considered to be human-caused, but no specific cause had been determined.
JCSO reported that at approximately 5 p.m. on August 21, deputies were dispatched to the report of a fire in the area west of Lake Billy Chinook.
“During the course of the incident, deputies contacted two individuals associated with the property where the fire is believed to have started,” the release stated.
“Those individuals provided statements regarding their activities earlier in the day.
The following day, investigators with the Oregon Department of State Fire Marshal’s (ODSFM) and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) began formal interviews and scene investigation.
“The property connected to the incident has been confirmed through Jefferson County records, and all witness statements and related evidence have been preserved for the ongoing
investigation. Final investigative reports will be completed by ODSFM, OSP and ODF.”
The release specifically addressed public concern and speculation that the fire had been caused by homeless people in the area.
“The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office also wishes to address community speculation regarding the cause of the Flat Fire,” the release stated.
“At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that this fire was caused by homeless individuals or transient encampments. The fire originated on private property and is being investigated in coordination with state fire investigators.”
The Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s patience as the investigation is carried out methodically.
“During an active investigation, it is important that specific information gathered is not disclosed to the public” the release stated.
“This ensures that the process remains impartial and focused on facts rather than speculation. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office further cautions the public against spreading misinformation, rumors, or details not released by the OSP, ODSFM, or ODF.”
Fight fires with gratitude
By Phil Chang Columnist
When fire fighters started the Flat Fire Community Meeting on Monday, August 25, their tone was almost defensive. They had to clarify for the community how fast and how forcefully fire agencies had responded to protect lives and property.
Sadly, some community leaders have unfairly criticized the response to the Flat Fire, saying too few had responded too slowly.
I’ve heard complaints about engine crews idly standing by when they should have been attacking the fire and about how long it took to get a Conflagration declaration.
The reality is that in less than three hours there were 17 engines, five dozers, three helicopters, seven sin gle-engine air tankers, and hundreds of firefighters on the scene, attacking a fastmoving fire driven by strong winds, high temperatures, low humidity, and challeng ing terrain. Recognizing that this fire exceeded the capacity of local agencies to contain, the state declared a Conflagration less than 12 hours after the fire was reported, drawing in resources from across the state.
gratitude and encouragement, not disrespect and accusations. By Monday night they had constructed 67 miles of fire line around the entire perimeter of the Flat Fire. They were fighting spot fires and end runs that had escaped containment lines. They had protected 827 homes within the fire area, fighting the fire house by house.
At the Community Meeting, firefighters expressed gratitude to the property owners that had created defensible space and reduced fuel loads on their properties, making it easier and safer to protect homes. The firefighters also encouraged more property owners to do that home hardening
work in preparation for future fires.
While some community leaders complained about firefighting response, some social media influencers have spread the false rumor that the fire was ignited in a public land homeless camp. The reality is that many people in the Jefferson County neighborhood where the fire started live in RVs on private property, without water and power utilities. That is not a homeless camp, that is rural poverty.
Rather than seeking someone to blame or be angry at during stressful times, let’s follow the example of the firefighters and fight fire with gratitude and encouragement.
Firefighters deserve our
SOLICITUDES DE VIVIENDA DISPONIBLES
HOUSING APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE
Las solicitudes estarán disponibles a par tir del 2 de Septiembre de 2025 para SEIS viviendas de Habitat ubic adas en Sisters.
Descargue la solicitud en www.sistershabitate. org/apply-for-housing o recoja una copia impresa en la O cina Administrativa de Sisters Habitat (221 S. Ash St). Para más información, visite www.sistershabitat.org.
Applic ations are available starting September 2, 2025, for SIX Habitat homes loc ated in Sisters.
Download the application at www.sistershabitat.org/apply-for-housing or pick up a paper copy at the Sisters Habitat Administrative O ce (221 S. Ash St). Visit www.sistershabitat.org for complete details
APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SEPT. 26, AT 3 PM
Jumping over a dollar to reach for a dime
By Maret Pajutee Columnist
I took Lorelei, my favorite Forest Service front desk person, out for lunch because she got fired. Again. And so it’s been the last days for that smiling face at the Sisters Ranger District, as she was terminated effective August 27. Lorelei Mariana is one of the hardy few that loved the challenges of the Frontliner job: answering the many strange questions, selling books and permits, handing out maps and advice, always with a few jokes and a smile. And she is a dedicated public servant caught in the political crossfire to downsize the Federal government. Lorelei was part of the first Forest Service “Valentine’s Day Massacre” this spring when she, like other probationary employees, received an email stating she was being fired for “performance,” despite having received exemplary performance reviews leading to an offer of a permanent seasonal job with a two-year probation period.
After legal challenges over how federal employees were dismissed, she was asked to return and has worked the busy summer season until July 24, when she received a letter from Thomas Schultz, forest service chief, with the title “Termination Notice.” The reason given for why the Forest Service had decided not to certify her employment during her trial period was government efficiency. Her final day was set one day before the end of her probation period. Thus, she was denied the Career Conditional Employee process which would require her to be fired based on conduct or performance, after a documented plan for improvement. She would have had recourse and access to that process if her end date had occurred one day later.
Lorelei came to the Forest Service as a third career after years in graphic and kitchen design work. During a break exploring National Parks with her husband and grandsons, she found she loved becoming a “Junior Ranger” and realized how much she enjoyed learning about nature from frontliners, thinking “I could do that.” She started at the Sisters Ranger District eight years ago.
She says her favorite part of the job was the people, “both the people I work with and the people that come in the front lobby.” She took pride in educating herself on the latest questions about insect outbreaks,
including Tent Caterpillars, Pandora moths, or California Tortoiseshell butterflies.
“I know all about Tent Caterpillars” she said with a smile. Living in La Pine and at first unfamiliar with Sisters, she often went out after work by herself to learn more about various trails and popular features. One of her favorite parts of the job was advising people on what to do in Sisters, saying “I’m very good with maps,” and talking about what they like, how long they have, how to be safe, and how to protect the forest. She loved it when people came back in, letting her know how they liked her suggestions or saying they had a great hike.
There have been some pretty interesting people that called or have come in over the years, including some abusive phone calls where someone would yell at her nonstop about a prescribed fire. She said the hardest calls were talking to families who had lost a loved one in the forest or on the mountains, inquiring about installing a memorial, which is not allowed. She also fielded hard conversations when people complained about homeless/houseless camps in the Forest, trying to explain the issue and ways the agency and many partners are working towards solutions and better enforcement of the 14-day camping limit.
Lorelei served eight years at the Front Desk of the Sisters Ranger District and received a GS-5 salary of $19.97 per hour, one of the lowest salaries on the District. She was a very inexpensive and valuable investment for the
American taxpayer and the Government. With a hiring freeze since last fall, there is no way to rehire her position. The tentative plan for replacing her is to rotate others from various departments, many “-ologists” and other specialists and technicians, at much higher salary rates and with spotty fiscal and Recreation Information training. These folks are good at what they do, but not every skill set is transferable, and the same is true for customer service, which is so important as people come in to visit and learn about their National Forest. The Forest Service chief has issued directives for five emphasis areas, one includes a goal of “providing excellent customer service.”
Lorelei is still reeling from her latest firing, and said, “My husband thinks he’s got a new fishing buddy, and I’ll fish with him” but she said she will also probably work on her bird houses. She designs and builds elaborate themed bird houses for small birds like chickadees and nuthatches that she sells at the La Pine Chamber of Commerce. The themes include fishing, biking, gardening, sewing, cowboys, and, of course, forests.
Asked if she was angry about being fired twice in six months from a job she loved, she said “I’m frustrated, but I’m really sad, more sad than anything. I hoped to work three more years in the new office and train my replacement. This is a job I really like to do and as much as I like being out in the Forest, I think there needs to be someone at the front desk that helps people get out to
the Forest and understand how to be out in the Forest.”
She wrote a short email pleading her case to the Chief and Deputy Chief of the Forest Service and the Regional Forester, but she did not receive a reply.
Lorelei was a welcoming and patient person, coworker, and friend, and her loss leaves a big hole in the Sisters Ranger District. Sadly, her last job was moving the workings of the front office where she had worked for many years into the new District Office, knowing that she wouldn’t get to work in the spacious new digs. As a
farewell tribute, her Forest Service family, her coworkers and friends, hustled to open the office two days ahead of schedule, so she could feel a sense of closure on her final days in Sisters. She wanted to put on her uniform again and open the doors — “so that I could kind of come full circle, setting up the front desk, and just greeting the public like I’ve always done.”
Because she’s Lorelei, doing her best to set things up for success, for those who follow in her footsteps, and for the Ranger District and public she loves to serve.
Lorelei Mariana with her favorite bear. PHOTO
EVENT: Authors enjoy engaging directly with readers and public
Continued from page 1
— “a community that truly cares about the arts in all their forms.”
Loskutoff recalled, “I came to Sisters the first time for a residency at Caldera [Arts]. It was a really special thing for me to spend a month there working on what would become my first book.”
Loskutoff’s current novel, “Old King,” is set in Montana in 1976, described as “a haunting novel about the end of the frontier dream, a man tries to reinvent himself in one of America’s last wild territories, while his neighbor begins a crime spree that will tremble the nation.”
Like most writers, Loskutoff’s path was blazed by a love for reading. His first memory of writing is from kindergarten, and by high school it was apparent that his destiny was to follow the Muse.
He looks forward to connecting with readers — and prospective readers — at the festival.
“They’re absolutely my favorite kind of event to do,” he said. “I always leave both feeling happy to have reached so many readers, and also come away with so much to think about and [to] inspire my own work.”
Loskutoff will read a bit from “Old King,” in a session from 12:05 to 12:55 p.m. at Sisters Movie House on Saturday, September 13 — but he likes to spend a lot of his session time on questions and answers.
“I usually like a lot of conversation,” he said, “being surprised by what people are taking away from the book if they’ve read it, or wrestling with in the world at large.”
Daniel H. Wilson is a New York Times bestselling author known for “Robopocalypse,” and his most recent novel, “Hole in the Sky” — a sweeping first-contact novel in the tradition of extraterrestrial fiction. Drawing on Wilson’s unique background as both a threat forecaster for the United States Air Force and a Cherokee Nation citizen, the novel asks probing questions about nonhuman intelligence, the Western mindset, and humans’ understanding of reality.
Wilson and Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr. will offer an author keynote address on Saturday, September 13, at 3:30 p.m. at Sisters Movie House and it’s free and open to all. No ticket is required.
While Wilson’s work is squarely in the science
fiction genre, the work is fundamentally about humans, nature,s and connection.
“I don’t care about scifi spectacle,” he told The Nugget. “I care about heart.”
Wilson’s path is unusual for a writer.
“I wanted to write science fiction always, but it turned out that was a hard way to make a living when I was 18,” he said wryly.
So, he earned a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as Masters degrees in Machine Learning and Robotics.
His background provides a solid underpinning for his creative work — and fuels skepticism about an AI-driven future. He told The Nugget that he is less concerned about the dystopia potential of tools such as AI than he is about those who wield them in an ever more intense effort to mine us for data.
“If we end up in a dystopia — which it looks like we’re going to, it’ll be to increase wealth of a few billionaires,” he said.
In that type of dystopia, a connection to nature is tantamount to an act of resistance.
“A walk in the woods, fishing, hunting — that’s the last thing our society is going to want us to be doing, because it doesn’t produce any data.”
“Hole in the Sky is a Native American first contact story, described as “a gripping thriller.” It takes
place not far from where Wilson grew up in southeast Oklahoma.
On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA’s headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highestranking military brass: “First contact imminent.”
Though he has deep expertise in robotics, Wilson loves the personal interaction with actual humans in book festival environments.
“I much prefer to talk to people face-to-face,” he said. “My favorite thing is the Q&A.”
The Sisters public is invited to engage with these and many other authors in the Sisters Festival of Books, which kicks off with a Story Slam set for The Belfry in Sisters on Friday, September 12.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.sistersfob.org/.
Authors will hold forth at literary banquet
Sisters Festival of Books is inviting members of the community to an evening where books meet the table at the Literary Banquet Author Dinner. This one-of-a-kind dining experience will take place on Saturday, September 13, at 6 p.m. at Paulina Springs Books.
Guests will embark on an eight-course culinary journey, with each dish whimsically inspired by a featured author’s book. From Mountain Nachos (inspired by Maxim Loskutoff’s “Old King”) to Cosmic Salmon (inspired by Daniel H. Wilson’s “Hole in the Sky”), the menu reflects playful and creative collaboration between authors and chefs. While the names of the dishes are delightfully eccentric, the food is crafted with care by the talented team at
$59,900
Luckey’s Woodsman.
In true festival spirit, the dinner is more than a meal — it’s a conversation. Between each course, authors will rotate tables, giving every guest the chance to share stories and connect directly with the writers behind the books.
“This is a fan favorite and one of our most joyful and interactive events,” said festival organizers. “It’s casual, it’s fun, and it’s the perfect way to celebrate the power of storytelling—over a good meal and great company.”
Tickets are $175, which includes an eight-course dinner: choice of beer, wine, or non-alcoholic beverage; $30 credit toward purchasing a featured author’s book.
Seats are limited for this gathering. Tickets are available at sistersfob.org.
4x4
Countr
Insurer firefighting outfit deployed
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Hundreds of Sisters property owners were surprised and mostly grateful for the unexpected layer of fire protection afforded by their insurance carrier, Wildfire Defense Systems (WDS) based in Bozeman, Montana.
WDS is a leading North American provider in insurer wildfire services, combining professional wildfire consulting with Qualified Insurance Resources (QIR) wildfire risk mitigation/loss intervention services.
Founded in 2001 to fulfill initial-attack assignments for the U.S. Forest Service, the company added professional services support in 2005 and launched comprehensive wildfire loss-prevention programs for insurers in 2008.
WDS provides services to the insurance industry at a wildfire agency-level scale. They cover 22 states and two Western Canadian Provinces (Alberta and British Columbia) with trained, experienced field personnel, supported by a comprehensive, proprietary wildfire monitoring service.
They have 28 personnel dispatched in Sisters manning 12 firefighting-equipped rigs.
The crews work in coordination with and under the command of the Incident Management Team. They respond to properties designated by the insurance company to identify fire vulnerabilities, and to mitigate those vulnerabilities. They are also equipped to fight fire.
Their wildfire reporting dashboard provides a realtime visualization for their insurance clients of insured property exposure during an active wildfire event.
Economic losses from natural disasters in the first quarter of 2025 reached $83 billion globally, and insured losses are projected to reach $53 billion in the quarter, with California wildfires the main driver behind both figures, according to an analysis of global catastrophes by Aon.
The economic impact of natural disasters in the first quarter of 2025 significantly exceeded historical averages, with total economic losses 36 percent higher than the 21stcentury mean of $61 billion. Insured losses are more than triple the 21st-century average of $17 billion, marking the second-highest Q1 figure on record after 2011, according to the report.
Insurers engage
companies like WDS to mitigate their losses by positioning them to high risk areas in hopes of preventing a structure loss. Sisters is no exception.
The Flat Fire (see related story, page 1) has gained national attention, including from the New York Times. The Oregon State Fire Marshall says 3,848 homes are threatened. Potential losses in a worst case, catastrophic scenario could exceed $461 million, based on insurance data.
The Nugget spent part of Sunday morning with Jason Thompson, engine boss for
the Sisters crew and his number two, Walt Mendoza, as they briefed team members in the parking lot at Ray’s Food Place where the group was stocking up.
The Nugget asked what the response was to their presence.
“Oh, we get lots of attaboys,” Mendoza said. “Most everybody is glad to see us even if most are surprised.”
Thompson said, “Most people don’t know that their insurer has such services.”
Occasionally — rarely — Mendoza says his crews are
asked to get off the property.
“Some people are just opposed to any kind of intervention even if it can help save their properties,” he said. “I was once told there’s a red spot on your back. We politely left the scene.” They routinely find all sorts of hazards around homes they visit. Once pointed out, homeowners usually get to work immediately to make their properties more fire resilient.
“It’s a team effort between the homeowners, the insurance company, and us,” said Thompson.
A Wildfire Defense Systems crew deployed on the Flat Fire in Sisters Country.
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
Flat Fire recovery — how you can help
Sisters Country is still reeling from the Flat Fire. But as often happens in times of tragedy and disaster, immense goodwill and support is also emerging from our community and beyond.
Citizens4Community put together a resource guide with a variety of ways locals can help victims, responders, nonprofits, businesses, and the broader community recover from the Flat Fire. For those impacted by the fire, check out www. wildfire.oregon.gov/recovery for guidance on how to get support, safely return home, and more.
“We’ve heard from many folks eager to assist those impacted by the fire and show gratitude to those who came to our community’s aid,” said C4C Executive Director Kellen Klein. “Thank you for your generosity!”
Support fire victims
• Donate to regional nonprofit NeighborImpact’s Flat Fire Relief Fund at neighborimpact.org/flatfire.
Contributions are tax-deductible, and will go toward financial and resource aid for fire victims, including those who lost homes or otherwise need help getting back on their feet.
• Donate to the GoFundMe set up for community member Braxton Holly – gofundme.com/f/ help-him-rebuild-after-flatfire. Similar campaigns may emerge for other fire victims in the days ahead. Be wary of fake accounts and opportunists; only donate to funds shared by trusted sources.
Support emergency responders
• If you see emergency responders around town, treat them with respect and show your appreciation. Better yet, pay for their meal!
• Post signs in your yard or business expressing gratitude to those who protected our community.
• Donate to our local fire associations. They were some of the first responders to the Flat Fire, and provide an array of programs to help the community better prepare for and respond to fires. Checks can be mailed to:
• Sisters-Camp Sherman Volunteer Firefighters Association | PO Box 1509, Sisters, OR 97759
• Cloverdale Volunteer Firefighters Association, 67433 Cloverdale Rd., Sisters, OR 97759.
• Black Butte Volunteer Firefighters Association | PMB 8190, PO Box 8000, Sisters, OR 97759.
• Central Oregon Public Safety Chaplaincy, PO Box 1898, Redmond, OR 97756. Donate to other organizations supporting emergency response efforts:
• Red Cross of Central and Eastern Oregon, which has been hosting a shelter in Redmond for evacuees and providing immediate support for fire victims.
• Watch Duty, the nonprofit, volunteer-run app that many community members relied on to inform them of fire updates and firefighting efforts in real-time.
• Oregon Volunteer Firefighters Association, which provides support and representation for Oregon’s Volunteer Emergency
Responders.
• Wildland Firefighter Foundation, which supports firefighters and their families through financial aid, physical and emotional support, advocacy, and community.
Continue to make your property more resilient to wildfire by investing in home hardening and creating defensible space. Learn more about what you can do at wildfireprepared.org, and request a wildfire home assessment from SistersCamp Sherman Fire District. Support local nonprofits
Many local and regional nonprofits are engaged in relief efforts or developing resources to assist victims; others were impacted directly by the fire. Your support — whether through donations or volunteering helps them rebuild and continue their important community work.
• 3 Sisters Equine Refuge: Assisting with pet evacuation, care, and broader support.
• Citizens4Community: Helping to coordinate local nonprofit relief and recovery work, and connecting those in need with regional resources and information.
• CORE: Providing rapid relief services and resources to victims who lost their homes.
• Deschutes Land Trust: Two nature preserves were burned in the Flat Fire. Restoration will require significant support in the months to come.
• Family Access Network (FAN): Provides basic needs
for at-risk youth and their families, and may soon see an uptick in need from families who evacuated.
• Furry Friends Foundation: Assisting with pet evacuation, managing a local pet food bank, and broader support for pets of impacted families.
• Harmony Farm Sanctuary: Assisting with pet evacuation, care, and broader support.
• Native Bird Care: Rehabilitation for local wild birds who lost all their external structures and apiaries, and will need significant help rebuilding.
• NeighborImpact: Support services and financial aid for fire victims through their Flat Fire Relief Fund.
• Pet Evacuation Team: Assisting with pet evacuation, care, and broader support.
• Seed to Table: Giving away free produce to evacuees.
• Sisters Food Bank (Kiwanis): May prove to be a critical food source for longer-term evacuees.
• Sisters Park & Recreation District: Hosting firefighters for day-sleeping in the Community Center and offering showers for evacuees at the Coffield Center. Support local businesses Tourism often drastically decreases after a local disaster. Heading into what’s typically a major holiday weekend for local businesses, many are fearing the worst. You can support our local economy by:
• Telling friends and family that Sisters remains “open for business.”
• “Shopping like a tourist.” Make an extra effort to patronize local businesses in the coming days. Prioritize shopping local before online, booking services in town, and dining out when you can.
• Buying gift cards. Even if you don’t need something today, gift cards put cash in the register now.
• Taking a stroll downtown. A busy sidewalk shows energy and encourages others to stop, shop, and enjoy.
• Tipping generously. Extra tips help offset reduced hours and unexpected expenses.
• Attending local events. Farmers markets, Sisters Business Association’s First Fridays and Sisters Arts Association’s Fourth Fridays, and live music all drive energy downtown.
• Offering rides, sharing resources, or lending a hand so impacted employees can still get to work.
“The Flat Fire was devastating for many. But beautiful things — including a more tightknit, resilient community — can come from trying times like these” Klein said. “The smoke may be receding, but the connections and lessons learned don’t have to. Let’s work together to make sure Sisters Country comes out of this experience stronger than ever.”
To access links to the organizations listed in this story, visit https:// citizens4community.com/ news-posts/flat-fire-help.
SISTERS LIBRARY EVENTS
Ar t Supply and Puzzle
Swap: Bring puz zles or art supplies and swap them for s omething new-to-you. Free. Fun way to give old supplies or puz zles a new home. Librar y Community
Ro om, Sat ., S ept . 6, 1-4 p.m
e Ar t of Journalism
Stor y telling
Get an inside look at what it takes to b ecome a journalist and how to create and pitch a news story
During the presentation, Aaron R asheed, a l ocal journalist , will highlight steps to b ecome a freelance journalist , how AI has changed the journalism environment , and more.
S aturday, S ept . 6, 5-6 p.m
Snail Mail Society: Learn how to write a letter and get your own p en pal.
Tuesday, S ept . 9, 4-5 p.m e Nonfic tion Book Club at Suttle Tea
Discuss "You Are Here: Po etr y in the Natural World" by Ada Limon.
Tuesday, S ept . 9, 1-2 p.m.
420 E . Cascade Ave, Sisters College & Career
Readiness: Researching Colleges Learn strategies to create a list of potential scho ols that meet your needs. Match s chools to your academic goals and intere sts , understand acceptance r ates and admission requirements, plus much more. Wed.
S eptemb er 10, 6-7 p.m
Sisters High Deser t Chorale Welcomes New Singers
Come sing with us this f all as we prepare for our holiday concerts in December. We are a f unloving community mixed chorus that meets at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Sisters weekly on Monday evenings f rom 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Our first rehearsal is September 8 . No audition is required . For more information, contact C arol Lisek at carolshdc@gmail.com
Auditions for Silent Echo eater Auditions for Silent Echo eater Company ’s Holiday One-Acts will take place September 7 at e 1687 Foundation, 260 E Sun Ranch Dr. and September 8 at Sisters Communit y Church , 130 0 McKenzie Hw y f rom 7 to 9 p.m . Actors 14 and older are encour aged to audition . No preparation is required . Sides will be provided the night of auditions . Per formances will take place November 1316 at Sisters Middle School. For more information email silentechotheatercompany@ gmail.com or call Marla at 310710-2874
A NNOUNCEMENT S
Calling All Submariners
Our fundraising yard sale will be happening Saturday, Sept. 13 , 8 a .m. - 2 p.m. and will be held at the home of Lonnie Powers, 61551 E astlake Dr. in Bend . All usable items are welcome: books , clothing , camping gear, kitchen items , tools , etc For further information and directions , call: Commanding O cer, Rick Neault 530 -4341102, Financial O cer, Lonnie Powers 541-419-3545, Master Chief Yeoman, Fran Davis 541527-5484
Historic al Walking Tours
Learn about Sisters’ fascinating histor y during an easy-going morning walking tour. ree Sisters Histori cal Societ y o ers two di erent docent-led w alks: the Downtown L andmark s Tour and the Heritage Home Tour. Tours are free, start at 10 a .m., distance is less than a mile. and they last approximately one hour. Pre-registration required at least 24 hours prior through Eventbrite.com, or call 541549-14 03 . L andmark Tours are on Sunday 9/7, and u. 9/25. Heritage Home Tour takes place Saturday 9/6 . Learn about the histor y of some of our buildings and hear f un stories about the businesses and the interesting people who occupied them. 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 www.sistershabitat.org/ volunteer or call 541-549-1193.
Weekly Community Meditation: Mondays
5:30 -6:30 p.m.; no charge. Ten minutes of stretching and breathwork , followed by a 20 -minute guided meditation session and a 20-minute silent meditation session. Inspire Dance and Fitness Studio, 592 N . Sisters Park Ct., Ste. B . Info: Bonnie Rose, 541-306 -3320.
New community work space
Citizens4Community (C4C) has opened a community work space at 291 E. Main Ave (next to Fir Street Park). " e Hub" o ers donation-based coworking , meeting space, a shared kitchen, nonprofit resources , rotating art displays, and more. Operating hours are Monday–Friday, 10 a .m.–4 p.m . Information: https:// citizens4community.com/hub.
Transfigure Yourself New free chair fitnes s class for mature adult s and individuals with limited mobilit y. Increase balance flexibilit y and strength all set to lively fun music
Tuesdays - 9:45 am to 10:15 am. All are welcomed . Episcopal Church of Transfiguration, 121 N Books C amp Road 541-549-7087
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
Family Fun Bingo Night
You are invited to the First Friday Family Fun Bingo Night on Friday, Sept. 5, held at e Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, Sisters Participation supports the local communit y and is a f un way to meet new friends . Our menu features Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Veg gie Wrap Meal Deal options beginning at 5:0 0 p.m. Marionberry Cobbler ala mode for dessert in Sept. and Oct ree sizes of f rozen cobblers will be available for purchase, plus a limited number of Marionberry Jam. 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 gif t cards awarded at the end of each game. Win-Win Ra e option ticket s $2 each or 6 for $10 . is month the Ra e proceeds will be split half for the winner and half for Bethlehem Inn, ser ving the local community for 25 years
Your Announcement Here Schools , churches , nonprofit, recreational and community groups: this is your page to announce your free gatherings and event s! Regularly occur ring Sisters Countr y meetings are listed on the Sisters Area Meeting Calendar on page 3 and special event s or featured meeting s can be listed on this page. All submissions are subject to editing and run only as space allows . Email nug get@ nug getnews .com or drop o at 442 E . Main Ave. Your text must include a “ for more information” phone number. Deadline is 5 p.m . on Fridays
Save the Rubberbands
Business owners: If you receive a bundle of Nug gets each week, those f at rubberbands are highly valued by e Nug geteers that bundle your papers each week . If you can save them, we’d love to use them again
Sisters Community Garden
Recycle your plastic plant pots! Sisters Community Garden needs your empty 2–20 gallon pots to begin moving their garden plants . Drop them o at 15860 Barclay before Sept. 15.
10 0+ Women Who Care–Sisters Having topped 100 memberships , the group is actively recruiting women to join and support that beautif ul “+ ” 100WWC pools donations to f und local nonprofits nominated by its members More than $51, 00 0 has been donated since the group’s founding in March 2024. ere is no membership fee, but one must be a member to attend the quarterly meetings. For more information or a membership application, email 10 0w wc.Sisters@gmail.com or call/text 541-912-0750.
Open Studio at PMRCA A ursday, September 18 , 4–6 p.m . It's the eighth Open Studio of the 2025 residency season at Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture! Presenters for this event include writer Beth Alvarado, multidisciplinary artist Ebenezer Galluzzo, and interdisciplinar y artist Mychelle Moritz . is event is f ree and open to the public . For ages 16 and older. ose under age 16 may attend accompanied by an adult. Registration is required . at https://roundhousefoundation org/events/. For info call 5419 04- 070 0 or email inquiries@ roundhousefoundation.org. e address for this event is: 684 67 ree Creek s Rd., Sisters C4C launches online volunteer dashboard Citizens4Community (C4C) has developed a new online dashboard for local volunteer roles . Nonprofits can post Sisters Country-based volunteer needs for f ree, and community members c an search for oppor tunities aligned with their interests and availabilit y. Learn more at volunteerinsisters.org.
Free Pet Food
Budget tight this month, but you still need pet food for your dog or cat? Call the Furr y Friends pet food bank at 541-797-4 023 to schedule your pickup. Pickups available ursdays , beginning at 12 p.m. (Must live within the Sisters School District to receive services ) Located at 412 E . Main Ave., Ste. 4, behind e Nug get
PET OF THE WEEK
Humane Societ y of Central Oregon 541-382-3537
VERNON
Meet Vernon! is boy is looking for his forever home after coming to HSCO as a stray. Vernon loves a game of fetch and will enjoy an active adopter who enjoys playing and going for walk s and even hikes . With some time and patience, Vernon will become a loved member of the family. Stop by the shelter to meet Vernon today! S isters
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 St. • 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 Community Church (nondenominational)
130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy. • 541-549-1201 www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com
7:30 a .m. Daybreak S er 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
e Wednesday Bible Study Home Church (nondenominational) Call for time and location • 541-728-2717 Wellhouse Churc h 442 Trinit y Way • 541-549-4184 ht tps://wellhousechurch.churchcenter.com 10 a .m. Sunday Worship
HOME: 81-year-old man was left with nothing in wake of fire
conflagration. Holly took nothing with him except for the clothes on his back.
“I just had my walker and a walking stick, and I just went out there.” he said, remembering the scene. “It was hard to do, but I got in [my car] and got out of there… I just stayed in my car at the Little Cloverdale School next to the fire station [overnight].”
The next morning, Holly had high hopes as he drove back to his property; he had seen other homes along the way that appeared to have been saved. As he approached his driveway, he quickly discovered that he had not been so lucky. Photos of the scene show a few of the vehicles on the property melted down to their frames, paint and rubber tires incinerated in the fire. All wooden structures on the property were rendered to piles of ash, with other artifacts from his home strewn around the property in various states of melt or disintegration. The fire that swept through this area was clearly a monster that firefighters were unable to tame, despite their swift and concerted efforts.
One of the factors that makes this tragedy even more devastating is the fact that Holly’s log home off of Holmes Road was one that he proudly built himself over 35 years ago. Holly called Sisters home during his 20-plus years of construction work and supervising, despite the fact that he was often traveling all over the Pacific Northwest for building projects. He has stayed at the same property throughout his retirement — until now.
“I bought the 10 acres when there was nothing out there, not even a driveway,” Holly explained. “I lived in a teepee for a while, one of those nomadic tepees, then a trailer for a while, and then built a little log cabin.”
Holly worked with Dan Porter, a well-known Oregon builder specializing in handcrafted Scandinavian fullscribe log structures. Porter designed the cabin and then taught Holly to assemble it himself.
“There was this saying that you could fit a $1 bill [in between the logs] ... they scribe each one so that they fit totally together,” Holly boasted.
After the logs were set, Holly laid the floor, constructed the roof, and added the interior elements himself.
In addition to the loss of his carefully constructed log home, Holly laments the loss of his instruments including a Martin D12 and a 1957 Fender that was in perfect condition. Holly also had a prized collection of Native American pieces including authentic beaded jackets, drums, and bows that are irreplaceable.
“Oh my gosh” he said, seemingly still in disbelief. “That stuff, you can’t replace it, no matter what… you can have a zillion bucks and you can’t replace it.”
Holly admits that he has little time to think about what he has lost, though.
“I’ve been dealing with insurance for four or five days solid from sun-up to sundown everyday,” he said.
He divulged that this new stress has been taking a toll on him; the past few years had been stressful enough already, and that was well before the Flat Fire swept through his property. Holly explained that since the pandemic, he had to drill a new
well on his property, take out a reverse mortgage to help pay for it, and has struggled to pay rising insurance costs. All of this has been going on in the background, in addition to his ongoing medical issues including a recent cancer diagnosis.
Some of this burden has been shouldered by Holly’s good friend of over 50 years, Erik Dolson, a well-known member of the Sisters community, and former publisher of (and still a contributor to) The Nugget Newspaper. Dolson has helped Holly with insurance calls and logistics, and was able to secure ADA compliant accommodation for Holly at The Lodge in Sisters for the time being. Holly will also be receiving a new industrial strength walker from the Red Cross and Pacific Source has authorized a new wheelchair.
Despite these small successes, Holly’s fight is far from over. He still has big decisions to make regarding rebuilding efforts, and whether they will be possible given his financial situation and health struggles. In an effort to help his friend through these major challenges, Dolson has put together a GoFundMe campaign that is off to a great start, raising over $15,000 in
less than a week to help Holly recover after the Flat Fire.
In the face of all of this struggle, Holly is still able to maintain his humor and wit, a trait that will surely serve him over the coming months as he moves towards an uncertain future. For example, when asked if there was anything in addition to the fundraiser that the Sisters community could get for him, Holly said without missing a beat, “a supermodel and a Lamborghini?”
Overall, Holly is taking each day as it comes, and is
appreciative of the Sisters community and his friend.
“It’s very, very overwhelming all of the things that have to be done and all the phone calls that have to be made and received and finding a place to go,” he said. “Erik is helping me out a lot.”
The GoFundMe campaign for Braxton Holly is still active and accepting donations. If you would like to contribute, you can do so at https://www.gofundme. com/f/help-him-recoverafter-flat-fire.
Braxton Holly’s home and several vehicles were destroyed in the Flat Fire.
PHOTO PROVIDED
FIRE FIGHT: Local firefighters are the first line of defense
introduced himself and Operations Section Chief Dave Brown, from ODF IMT3 reporting on wildlands and Steve Chapman from the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s Office (SFMO) reporting on structures.
SFMO Chapman expressed his gratitude for the “unbelievable” support during the evening community meeting held at Sisters High School the night before. It was his first community event, “and to set the bar that high, I think I am going to be disappointed every time after this.” He added it is the firefighters out there doing all the physical work who deserve the accolades and he would share the community meeting video “to make sure they get those standing ovations that they deserve.” Brown was also thankful for the use of the Sisters Community Center, as a comfortable place “for the night shift to actually get some sleep . . . especially, during these hot days.”
Chapman noted that the collaboration between ODF wildlands and SFMO structure teams allowed expedited sharing of resources. The ODF has more chainsaws and big equipment while the SFMO has more horsepower, water, and hoses.
Chapman reported that, as
vents & Ent er tainment Events
of last week, there were about 80 homes in the fire perimeter that needed to be checked hourly for mop-up activity. He said this kind of work takes a lot of resources and time and the firemen return all covered in soot.
Prince recognized the heroes from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District. Prince stated that the way the conflagration system works in Oregon starts with local firefighters who, “fight the hard fight for the first 24 to 48 hours.” If they see a risk of their not containing the incident, they make a request to the state for more resources, which requires the Governor’s signature. After that, it takes about two hours to mobilize and approximately 12 hours for teams and equipment to arrive. Within 24 hours the state takes control of the incident. SCSFD had made a timely request for support.
Prince appreciated the emergency management services of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO). DCSO had put together a repopulation document which
Prince said was the first one he had ever seen in 17 years of service. The firefighters provided the document to returning evacuees giving guidance on how to address water problems, septic tank issues, burning trees, rinsing off of retardant, etc.
SCSFD Chief Tony Prior noted that early mobilization was key and only happened because a local communications plan was already in place. Chief Prior added that another recent improvement was having a regional SFMO contact located in Central Oregon which expedited the ramping up of teams from across the state. Prior thanked the Council and City of Sisters for completing their defensible space development code and for already working on adding references to the Oregon’s recently completed R 327 code into City development code which requires building hardening.
Prior also made note of areas in Whychus Creek being Firewise and how it made a big difference and saved properties. He said that having the City push these
efforts forward (development code changes, 327 updates, public education on defensible space, and encouraging Firewise neighborhoods or communities) will make the City of Sisters, “a leader in Central Oregon and really, in all of Oregon”.
Chief Prior added that Sisters Country now has 30 communities that are registered as Firewise and two more are in progress in Sisters. Prior shared that SCSFD will be seeking funding to give Fire Fighter EMT and Fire Specialist Steven Lord an additional resource to help with the growing local interest in seeking Firewise status.
Chief Prior sought Council support of an SCSFD effort to seek State funding for a new Type 3 engine which will be needed, is very expensive, and can take years from time of ordering to receive.
SCSFD Fire Marshall Jeff Puller shared that both he and
Fire Specialist Lord have been educating the public on clearing defensible space for the past two years and that they had recently provided wildfire mitigation advice to several property owners in Whychus Creek. They both had the unique experience, while protecting the same properties in the Flat Fire (which the owners had cleared), of noticing less heat around these homes — making those structures easier to protect. Contrarily, homes having nearby fire fuels had elevated surrounding heat making them more difficult to protect.
Fire Specialist Lord shared that SCSFD completed 30 defensible space home inspections (which are free) in 2023, did 140 in 2024, and thus far in 2025 have completed 230 with seven pending.
It makes a difference.
Lord added, “We need all home owners to do their part, so we can do our parts.”
WEDNESDAY
The Barn Live Music: Or 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stag Info: www thebarninsisters
Sisters Saloon Poker Night 5:30 p.m. to close upstairs. (add'l $5 when bounty chip is play
THURSDAY • SEPT.
Food Cart Garden at Eur 12th annual family-friendly trivia. 6:30 p.m. Sign up at 5:30 Faith Hope & Charity Vine Kurt Silva 5 to 8 p.m. Adv faithhopeandcharityevents.
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Circus 7 p.m. Broadway-style under the big top. Tickets: www FRIDAY • SEPT.
Episcopal Church of Trans Bingo Night 5 p.m. 10 games/3 car $20, prizes, $10 dinner, plus Marionberry cobbler and jam available for purchase, Bethlehem Inn. 121 N. Brooks Camp R
Eurosports Food Cart Gar Gypsy Travellers 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.
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 7 p.m. Broadway-style, animal-free circus under the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
SATURDAY • SEPT. 6
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Karissa & The Loose Screws 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/ event-center
Events & Enter tainment
SATURDAY • SEPT. 6 (cont.)
The Barn Live Music: The Takes 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free Info: 541-549-2471
Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114. Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 2 p.m., 5 p.m. Broadway-style, animal-free circus in the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com.
SUNDAY • SEPT. 7
Sisters Community Church Live Music: An Evening of Worship with Refuge part of Summer Concert Series on the lawn. 6 p.m. Free (donation to local nonprofits who provide assistance for those in need in our community, is appreciated). Bring chairs or blanket. More info at www.sisterschurch.com.
Sisters Depot Courtyard Live Music: Bob Baker & Haute Melange 5 to 7 p.m. A skillfull gypsy jazz quartet ala Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli. Tickets $5 at sistersdepot.com/our-events. House Concert Sisters in Sisters , Song Sharing in the Round with Kathy Marshall, Lilli Worona, and Sue Moore 5:30 to 8 p.m. Bring a chair, and snack or drink to share. Enjoy an evening of music surrounded by trees, plants, and flowers 69287 Lariat, Sisters Park out front; car pooling suggested.
Sisters Saloon Live Music: Skillethead 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio Free and open to all ages
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 2 p.m., 5 p.m. Broadway-style, animal-free circus in the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com.
SUNDAY • SEPT. 7 (cont.)
Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors, music, community booth, kids activities. Info: www.sistersfarmersmarket.com. Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble, socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.
WEDNESDAY • SEPT. 10
The Barn Live Music: Larkspur Stand 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 7 p.m. Broadway-style animal-free circus under the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.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 • SEPT. 11
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Jonathon Foster 5 to 8 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center
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 Info: call 541-549-2471
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 7 p.m. Broadway-style, animal-free circus under the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com.
FRIDAY • SEPT. 12
Sisters Community Church baseball field Outdoor Movie: "The Sandlot" Free Gates at 6:30 p.m.,
Obituaries
February 14, 1936 – August 14, 2025
James Wallace Knapp was born in Corvallis, Oregon, on February 14, 1936. He passed away on August 14, at age 89 surrounded by the love of his family.
Jim’s parents were Gardner and Lucile Knapp of Salem. He graduated from Salem High School in 1954 where he ran track and played basketball. In 1958, he graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology where he studied printing technology and business management.
Not long after Jim returned home from college his father had health issues that resulted in Jim assuming management of his father’s Salem print shop. Before long Jim purchased another printing company, and then another until by the late 1960s he had commercial printing businesses in more than a dozen West Coast cities. Over the decades the footprint of the business and its services varied and adapted to the changing times. But the core values of the business never changed: a company made up of people who would fully accept responsibility; would be honest with themselves and others; and would develop a love for one another as they worked together. Those
values never wavered in Jim’s long business career or in his personal life.
Over the years Jim lived in Salem, the Bay Area in California, and for the past 39 years near Sisters. He was active in national commercial printing organizations but was especially drawn to organizations that helped young people, and after semi-retiring to Tucson in winters he enjoyed volunteering with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his son John, and his brother Edward. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Judi, and his children Leanne, Michael, Linda, Maria (Lori), Jeffrey, and Allison as well as 18 grand- and great-grandchildren.
At Jim’s request services were private. Remembrances can be made to the Deschutes Land Trust.
FRIDAY • SEPT. 12 (cont.)
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 7 p.m. Broadway-style, animal-free circus under the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com.
Paulina Springs Books, et. al. Sisters Festival of Books A celebration of literature and storytelling — from workshops to poetry & story slams to author events and meet & greets. Tickets and information: www.sistersfob.org.
Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
SATURDAY • SEPT.
13
Paulina Springs Books, et al. Sisters Festival of Books A celebration of literature and storytelling — from workshops to poetry & story slams to author events and meet & greets. Tickets and information: www.sistersfob.org.
The Barn Live Music: Double Jump 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
Paulina Springs Books Knitting Circle Bring your own project and supplies. This is not a workshop but there are experienced knitters in the group who are happy to help those just starting out. (Second Saturday.) Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.
Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 11 a.m., 2 p.m. 5 p.m. Broadway-style animal-free circus. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com.
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Station Camp 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/event-center
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free Info: 541-549-2471
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
Frank Sandor Buehler
March 29, 1943 – August 19, 2025
Frank S. Buehler died on August 19 at Kaiser Hillsboro from complications of Parkinson’s Disease.
He was born and raised in Whiting, Indiana, preceded in death by his parents, Frank A. and Ethel (Fagyas) Buehler. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Joellyn Loehr; his son Evan, daughter-inlaw Jessica Emerson, and grandsons Oscar and Arlo; sisters Nancy (Bill Steiner), Margaret Phillips; friends Linda and David, and his caregivers Etsegenet Liben and family.
Frank graduated from the University of Illinois in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a lifelong interest in computers. His first job was with Central Illinois Public Service where he designed the network study computer program that replaced their manual study system. After moving to Portland he joined the City of Portland Environmental Services Bureau where he was able to put his environmental ideals into action as a construction project manager. He oversaw stage one of the Big Pipe project which helped clean up the Columbia Slough. He also
SUNDAY • SEPT. 14
Sisters Saloon Live Music: ABluestics
managed the construction of Glaze Meadow Recreation Center at Black Butte Ranch.
As a boy, Frank had helped his uncles and aunts build houses for their families, and he continued the tradition with his own. Starting in the 70s after moving to Oregon, he built houses for his family in Hood River, Portland, and at Black Butte Ranch. Frank loved the outdoors — sailing the San Juans, skiing, hiking, canoeing, and van camping, and he loved to sing. When he retired he and Jo realized a dream by moving to Black Butte Ranch where they lived for 16 years before moving to Forest Grove in 2018.
Memorial contributions may be made to Sisters Habitat for Humanity, the Deschutes Land Trust, or a charity of your choosing.
Endangered list grows
By Mia Maldonado Oregon Capital Chronicle
More than 320 species of plants and animals living in Oregon are in need of greater protection, according to the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, up from 294 about a decade ago, the last time the agency updated its State Wildlife Action Plan. The 2026 plan, adopted by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission on Aug. 15, outlines what the state’s conservation priorities should be to maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations. The last time it was updated was in 2016. Since then, 27 species were added, including porcupines, Western grebe, California condors and sea otters.
States must update their wildlife action plans every 10 years to qualify for federal and tribal wildlife grants. Oregon’s fish and wildlife agency has until October to submit their updated plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approval.
Despite being billed as an action plan, the state fish and wildlife department does not get consistent, dedicating funding to undertake conservation and species protection work.
FRIDAY • SEPT. 19
6 to 8 p.m. on the patio Free and open to all ages Deschutes County Fair & Expo Venardos Circus 2 p.m. 5 p.m. Broadway-style animal-free circus in the big top. Tickets: www.venardoscircus.com. Fir Street Park Sisters Farmers Market
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Vendors, music community booth, kids activities. Info: www.sistersfarmersmarket.com.
Paulina Springs Books, et al. Sisters Festival of Books A celebration of literature and storytelling — from workshops to poetry & story slams to author events and meet & greets. Tickets and information: www.sistersfob.org.
Paulina Springs Books Sunday Scrabble 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Play Scrabble socialize, and drink coffee. Info: www.paulinaspringsbooks.com.
WEDNESDAY • SEPT. 17
The Barn Live Music: Jeshua Marshall & the Flood 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 • SEPT. 18
Sisters Depot Courtyard Live Music: Open Mic Music lovers can enjoy a variety of local talent, 6 to 8 p.m. Sign ups, 5 :30 Info: sistersdepot.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 Info: call 541-549-2471
The Lodge Retirement Community Western-style BBQ & "Seniors for Senior Dogs" Pet Adoption (Silver Linings Rescue Ranch) with live Americana mucic by Jim Cornelius 5 to 7 p.m. RSVP required at 541-549-5634 by Tuesday, September 16 $12 check or cash. 411 E. Carpenter Ln., Sisters
Sisters Depot Courtyard Live Music: Stevie V. Album release concert with special guests Jenner Fox Band, Benji Nagel, Beth Wood, Brent Alan, Dennis McGregor, Steph & Co., Sue & Rick Moore, Scott Crabtree 6 p.m. Tickets: sistersdepot.com/our-events.
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Heller Highwater Trio 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/eventcenter
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Live Music: Mortal Soulstice 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.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
SATURDAY • SEPT. 20
Sisters Eagle Airport Outdoor Movie: "Top Gun" Free Gates at 6:15 p.m., movie at 7:15 Bring low-back chair or blanket. Presented by C4C and Kendall Auto. Info: www citizens4community.com/events.
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Dr y Canyon Stampede 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/eventcenter
The Barn Live Music: Chiggi Momo 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Spontaneous Car Show 5-7 p.m. Family- and dog-friendly Bring your cool car to display, or just come look — different every week. Free Info: 541-549-2471
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
SUNDAY • SEPT. 21
Sisters Saloon Live Music: Bobby Lindstrom Band 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio Free; open to all ages
James Wallace Knapp
from page 3
vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, fiber, and folate.
This season, Seed to Table’s heaviest weekly yield was 1,500 pounds of juicy, delicious, fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes. Each week they average around 900 pounds of tomatoes. Through careful cultivating, grafting, temperature, and lighting, Seed to Table’s Produce Distribution Manager Jenn Gardner works with a skilled team who know how to overcome the odds and produce a bumper crop of tomatoes that will keep producing from mid-July through the end of October.
To understand how Seed to Table farmers do it, here’s an insider’s view of what happens on the farm long before the snow has melted off Black Butte and it’s safe to plant outdoors:
One question Seed to Table founder Audrey Tehan hears a lot is “what tomatoes perform the best on the farm?” Choosing plants is an on-going process that evolves over time. In 2021, to improve chances for success, Seed to Table staff began grafting two plants together to create stronger, more resilient plants. The Seed to Table tomato team chose tomato varieties that add extra disease resistance and look and taste delicious. At the end of last season the team assessed what worked and what didn’t then created their 2025 crop plan. In November, they chose varieties based on last year’s successes and challenges, and which tomatoes customers liked the most. Tomato varieties available this year are CubaLibre, Marnero, Rebelski, Estiva, Hot Streak, Lemon Boy, and Beorange. They are the tomatoes available at the Sisters
Farmers Market through Seed to Table’s Produce Share and in local restaurants, grocery stores, and food banks.
“Our tomatoes are chosen for their productivity,” said Gardner. “No divas are allowed. We need a lot of tomatoes to satisfy customer demand. All our tomatoes are grown in greenhouses. The crazy temperature swings in the High Desert don’t provide the consistent temperatures tomatoes need. Growing inside there’s limited space so we maximize the space to grow as many tomatoes as we can.”
On March 11, Gardner’s team grafted tiny, threeweek-old tomato plants to produce heartier plants able to fight off pests, endure temperature changes, and provide an abundance of fruit. The grafting process requires teamwork with well-choreographed steps from planting seeds to choosing good tops called scions, and bottoms called root stock. The intricate grafting procedure requires steady hands, sharp eyes, careful observation, and patience. Small plastic clips join the two plants together. Once stable, they’re transferred from the Grow Room to a Healing Chamber in the farm’s storage cooler. Used to store veggies during the growing season, when the cooler’s empty, it’s a good place to control temperature, humidity, and light for the newly grafted plants.
Two varieties, called Dr. Ox and Estamino, were chosen for the root stock. They’re less about beauty and taste and more about good root systems and disease resistance. The tops and roots were seeded on February 17th, in hopes they’d grow at the same rate and be easier to graft together. This year, the roots’ width was slightly larger and required real finesse to achieve a successful graft.
“We try to line them up
the best we can but they’re very tiny,” said Gardner. “We have some little razors we use to cut at a 60-to-70-degree angle. We use tiny plastic clips that help them fuse into a new plant. It’s very meticulous. You must work quickly, or they’ll die.”
The first 24 hours after grafting are critical for the plant’s survival. Staff follow a strict day-by-day schedule for the first eight days. Inside the warmed-up cooler, it’s humid and dark with the temperature set between 80 - 85°, and humidity close to 95%. Little plastic domes cover the trays; staff spray the inside with water, to provide even more humidity. The plants don’t get any light for two days, so they’ll concentrate on fusing together and not growing. On the third day, grow lights are on for two hours and the temperature slowly decreased. By the fourth day, they get four hours of light. Staff check them through little windows in the plastic dome which also give a bit of oxygen. When they take the domes off, they hope everything works and they’ll have a high success rate. Even with diligent care there’s an average 20-30% death rate.
The plants that make it through the first week are transferred to the Propagation House. After they’ve grown beyond their trays, they’re transferred to four-inch pots in about three weeks. Once they’re the size of tomatostarts, they move to their final location, a 100-by-30-foot greenhouse called Bertha which can fit 720 plants. The cherry tomatoes go into a 60-by-20-foot greenhouse called the Tom House which
can fit 340 plants. Gardner chuckled remembering her first season with Seed to Table when the plants were started and grafted in Tehan’s spare bedroom.
“We took over her house and plopped tomato trays everywhere and grafted them in her kitchen. We made a healing chamber and made it dark with plastic. It’s nice to finally have a dedicated location at the farm. We have more space and it’s nicer for her roommates,” said Gardner.
The new Seed to Table Associate Director Julie Forbes has a background in agriculture but hadn’t seen tomato grafting up close. She said it was fascinating to see such delicate plants precisely grafted together.
“They’ve thrived and have become delicious food for the community,” said Forbes. “The science used to graft them successfully and the skills the farm team have is impressive to witness!”
Audrey Tehan and a young helper harvest some beauties.
PHOTO COURTESY SEED TO TABLE
Continued from page 3
entered the bull into rodeos in 1982 and 1983.
When he contracted terminal cancer in 1984, Hunking reached out to John Growney of Growney Brothers Rodeo Company in Red Bluff, California. Hunking received many offers for the bull but wanted someone special to take over Red Rock’s career. He even financed the sale so that Growney and his partner Don Kish could afford to buy him.
The Nugget interviewed Growney (77) at length. Growney spoke in emotional tones about the recordsetting bull, stopping three times to choke back tears.
“Everybody talks about how strong he was, but it was how smart he was,” he said. “He could tell the difference between a left-handed and right-handed rider and adjust his moves.
“Every bull rider wanted a chance to try Red Rock because he was a great bucking bull and because they knew he wouldn’t come after them,” Growney often said. “He won’t step on bull riders or hook them once they’re off, like most bulls. He has so much character in him. He has all the character of a well-mannered person. At the ranch, we put kids on his back. He’s a friend, a good soul.”
From 1984 to 1987, Red Rock, old by bucking bull standards, tossed the top riders at the finals every year. At the 1984 NFR, he bucked off 1982 World Champion Charlie Sampson and 1983 World Champion Cody Snyder. During the 1985 NFR he bucked off both Gary Toole and 1987 World Champion Lane Frost. In the 1986 finals he bucked off 1985 World Champion Ted Nuce.
And also Frost, who would have been the first
Thankyou,
Sat., Sept. 20 • 7 p.m.
Tomm y Castro and the P ainkiller s with Ben Ric e Internationallybeloved soul-blues rocker TommyCastrobringsa dynamicmixofguitar-fueled blues testifyingMemphis-soaked blueeyedsoul,andEastSanJosefunk. BendTicket.com $30
cowboy to ride all 10 of his finals bulls keeping Frost from winning the 1986 World Championship. At the 1987 NFR, Red Rock bucked off Gary Toole again and for his last competitive ride, he ejected Cody Custer.
In 1987, now 11, Red Rock became the Bucking Bull of the Year, voted by riders. Frost was named the 1987 World Champion Bull Rider. Red Rock went into retirement with a perfect record.
“Despite his gentle nature with humans — those not on his back — he never got along with other bulls and had his own one-acre pasture,” Growney said.
The Match
In 1988, Growney envisioned a special matchup between the two 1987 champions. Reunited, Frost and Red Rock would have showdowns at seven rodeos across the West.
Titled the “Challenge of the Champions” it was billed as “a publicity match made in heaven.” The series was heralded in national media with match by match reporting in USA Today and coverage by Sports Illustrated and NBC among many.
Frost and Red Rock were both celebrities in the sports world. Frost was characterized as extroverted and playful, “quick with a smile and truly enjoyed meeting the fans.” Red Rock “instinctively knew to take a victory lap” around the arena whenever he bucked off a rider to the roaring approval of fans and grudging respect of riders.
The first match took place at the Red Bluff Round-Up on April 17, 1988. The crowd cheered louder for Red Rock than for Frost, who was bucked off after two seconds. The second match took place in Clovis, California, and Red Rock took that one also. The third match was in Redding, May 20, 1988. Frost hung on, the first time anyone stayed on Red Rock for a qualifying ride.
The fourth match in Livermore, California, went to Frost, making the score 2-2.
Both bull rider and bull then traveled by road all night to Sisters. On June 12, 1988, at the Sisters Rodeo, the fifth matchup was the last bull ride of that night. The electrified crowd watched as Frost made it to eight seconds. Growney blames himself for the loss, not giving the bull enough rest.
The match now at 3-2 in Frost’s favor moved on July 4, 1988, to their sixth matchup at the St. Paul rodeo. Red Rock dumped Frost, and tied the matches three apiece.
Spanish Fork, Utah, July 25, 1988, was the seventh and final matchup. Frost rode Red Rock 9.63 seconds to win the Challenge of the Champions.
Frost was competing in Cheyenne Frontier Days in July of 1989, the oldest and biggest outdoor rodeo in the world. He had just dismounted after a successful ride on the bull Takin’ Care of Business. He landed on his hands and knees in the mud. The bull turned and knocked him prone, then hit him with his right horn in the back as he lay on the ground. It broke some ribs, one of which severed a main artery. Frost died in the arena. He was 25.
Following Frost’s death, Growney decided that no other rider would ever sit astride Red Rock.
“I took Red Rock to Lane’s memorial service at the Las Vegas finals in ’89,” Growney said, pausing for breath.
The Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame simultaneously inducted both Lane and Red Rock in 1990. Red Rock was brought to the induction ceremonies.
Red Rock died June 8, 1994, at age 18 and is buried under an oak tree the bull would use for shade and to scratch himself. To this day visitors come to pay their respects.
Sisters Country birds
By Douglas Beall Correspondent
Whistling overhead the Tundra Swan [cygnus columbianus], is a large, stunning bird as they migrate back and forth between California, Oregon and the Northern Arctic.
They were named whistling swans by Meriwether Lewis in 1806. With a wingspan of 66 inches they may travel up to several hundred miles a day and reach speeds of 100 miles per hour at altitudes of up to 26,000 feet.
Tundra Swans form strong pair bonds that may last for years. They have one brood per year that ranges between three and seven eggs. If the temperature is warmer, they will have more eggs. Eggs are laid in a large nest on the ground, and both male and female incubate the eggs as well as help with rearing the cygnets. Shortly after hatching, cygnets
are mobile, however they remain with both their parents most of their first year. These swans are very social and interact often with other swans within their populations. They have a social structure within their groups, and families of swans form a unit including both the male, female, and their cygnets. Unpaired swans are ranked lower in the hierarchy.
Tundra Swans are herbivores and consume many different types of wild grasses. They will use their beaks to dig up tubers and roots underwater. They will consume the occasional aquatic invertebrate and clams.
A group of swans are referred to as a “bevy,” a “wedge,” a “ bank,” a “lamentation,” or a “flight” of swans.
To view more Tundra Swan images visit https:// abirdsingsbecauseithasa song.com/recent-journeys/.
Sat., Oct. 4 • 7 p.m. Hillst omp’s “Last Hurr ah” Portland’sjunkbox blues duo is here for their final Central Oregon show — send them off in style! BendTicket.com $25
RED ROCK: Rodeo bull was a legendary, elite athlete
Tundra Swans.
PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL
Housing Works visits Sisters City Council
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
The August 27 Sisters City Council workshop included a presentation on Housing Works, by the recently hired (end of 2024) Executive Director Lynne McConnell. She was previously, the Housing Director for the City of Bend and before that, Deputy Director of Community Services for Neighbor Impact in the City of Redmond.
McConnell gave an overview of Housing Works, which has been a state-funded organization through Oregon Statute 456 since 1977. It is a quasi-governmental regional housing authority that serves Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook Counties assisting
just over two percent of their combined populations, and is the largest provider of housing in the region. Its local offices are in Bend.
McConnell shared that Housing Works offers a housing voucher program (formerly, known as Section 8), conducts real estate development and portfolio management which includes 1,400 rental units, and offers many family services including Families Forward (a nonprofit controlled by HW) which assists over 2,000 families.
The focus of Housing Works is to increase affordable housing options from middle to end of “the housing needs spectrum.” That is, Housing Works attends to supportive housing, community or social housing,
renting, or developing and assisting people to buy market rate homes. HousingWorks does not offer the three services at the beginning of the spectrum; homelessness services, shelters, or transitional housing options.
McConnell shared that HousingWorks uses what a family of four (F4) can afford as the reference point for affordability. She explained, that to qualify to buy a home through Housing Works, the F4 income needs to be at 60 percent or less of area median income (AMI). McConnell stated that, currently to qualify in Deschutes County, a F4 income cannot be greater than $68,580. She added that affordability requires that monthly expenses (rent or home loan) cannot exceed 30
percent of a F4’s gross income – as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Few in the workforce can afford rental rates or entry level home purchases in Deschutes County, let alone in Sisters. Over half of the people on the Housing Works’ housing voucher program are elderly or disabled with fixed incomes. Since 2015, Housing Works has graduated 79 people from their housing voucher programs into home ownership including 12 homes in Sisters.
Housing Works rentals and homes in Sisters:
• Ponderosa Heights (located in northwest Sisters) has 48 rental units with 94 residents, of which 14 are seniors or disabled,
Gas prices lowest since 2020 — except Sisters
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
This weekend, gas prices are the lowest they’ve been since 2020. According to GasBuddy, the national average for Labor Day 2025 is $3.15 a gallon. Compared to Labor Day 2022, when drivers were paying an average of $3.83 — a 68-cent difference. The U.S. is now producing nearly 13.5 million barrels of oil a day, the highest level in record keeping. The United States is the largest oil-producing country in the world, out-producing even Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Sisters drivers had to pay an average of $4.15 per gallon for regular unleaded last weekend. In Salem the average, according to GasBuddy, was $3.80; $3.86 in Eugene, $3.98 in Medford, and $4.08 in Portland. The statewide average is $3.99. Sisters is very close to the top of the list.
AAA says the national average is $3.188, ranging from $2.76 in Arkansas to $4.60 in California.
These are averages. Gas in Redmond is as low as $3.36 and in Bend it’s as low as $3.29.
In Oregon it’s about to get higher by 6 cents a gallon if Governor Kotek has her way.
Oregon’s transportation crisis special legislative session failed its start on Friday.
Lawmakers arrived at the Capitol to take up a contentious bill. Kotek is asking them to pass a package of tax hikes that will infuse some $5.8 billion into road upkeep and public transit over the next decade averting hundreds of ODOT workers from being laid off next month.
Late Friday morning, it was clear that the Oregon House didn’t have a 40-member quorum needed to conduct business, but by Monday the legislature was
at work, producing competint bills to address the funding ciris.
But is ODOT actually running out of money? The Nugget written that part of the problem is the increased fuel efficiency of modern cars and the expanse of EVs (electric vehicles) that pay no gas taxes, ODOT’s only funding mechanism.
According to the Cascade Policy Institute in Portland, the Governor’s Transportation Budget Framework defines the problem as an ODOT “budget gap” that needs to be addressed with a “funding solution.” She says that the cause is a lack of revenue for ODOT, often repeated by legislators, lobbyists, and journalists who describe the problem as “declining revenue,” or a “dwindling gas tax.” These statements are simply not supported by ODOT’s financials showing that net revenue grew by 30 percent since 2018
and reached record highs in 2024.
A spending problem, not a funding problem, is the reason ODOT is about to eliminate 900 positions.
The real problem is twopronged: first, too many statutory restrictions on existing revenue; second, too much debt service on $4 billion in highway bonds, which have grown at a much faster rate than ODOT’s revenue, the Institute says.
Oregon’s gas prices consistently hover above the national average. It shares regional supply routes with California and Washington, which can affect local prices when supply is tight. The state has no refineries, depending on imports to meet demand.
Contrary to popular belief, Oregon does not get its gas from California. Oregon relies on refined liquid fuels from refineries in Washington state. Washington is a major oil
• Tamarack Village (North Sisters) has 33 rental units with 55 residents of which 23 are seniors or disabled).
• Skygate (northeast Sisters) has seven homes which are under a Land Trust purchase arrangement, with 16 residents of which three are seniors or disabled).
The other 125 people in the total of the above, include 57 children with the largest group (68 residents) being of workforce age.
McConnell encouraged Council to inform the public, of rental availability in Sisters.
If interested, go to housing-works.org, click on Cascade Management, and fill out an application. The application includes a fee to cover a credit check.
refining center, with the fifth-largest crude oil refining capacity in the nation. Washington’s refineries receive crude oil supplies by pipeline, marine vessel, and rail.
The state’s five refineries process domestic and foreign crude oils, primarily from Canada, North Dakota, and Alaska.
The complex Olympic pipeline system terminates in Eugene, but dangers in transporting volatile fuels over the Cascades keeps suppliers off US20/OR126 roads. Instead they generally come to Central Oregon via US26/97, a somewhat less risky drive.
It is the added mileage from Redmond to Sisters, about 40 miles and one hour roundtrip, that adds so many pennies to our cost, not refining costs or world oil prices. Prices are expected to go lower across Oregon and the region once Labor Day passes.
s s s
To the Editor:
The great stories continue. The fire fighters continue to help.
Dennis McGregor has a great idea. A firefighters statue, something honoring our great and dedicated firefighters, mounted in the roundabout. Who can argue that they are not critical and should be honored.
Remember, it is not just the brave men and women that are fighting our wildfires, it is also our local firefighters and EMTs that are here every day, 24 hours a day. These are the folks that provide help when there is a fire and help when there is a medical emergency. They also provide service to monitor your houses to make them Firewise. So many services at no cost to us.
I think the memorial to our firefighters is, by far, the best for the roundabout.
Doug Wills
s s s
To the Editor:
Locals and visitors alike comment that the west end roundabout (Barclay Drive/Highway 20) is the best they’ve ever seen, and I agree!
Why not contact that sculptor and follow the same theme: bison, raptors, bighorn sheep, bear, mountain goats, wolf.
The Red Rock bull would be great at the Rodeo Grounds entrance.
Kathy Miller
s s s
As it should be
To the Editor:
The community meeting with fire personnel was heartening and emotional. It was also a lesson in how government should operate and serve citizens.
All of the different entities from federal, state, and county agencies worked together and complimented everyone’s efforts in bringing the fire under control. No grandstanding—just cooperation.
How novel and needed in these times.
Stella Dean
s s s
Invasive species
To the Editor:
You’ve most likely heard the term “invasive species.” A species that arrives from another place, takes root, spreads its seeds to grow, and eventually pushes out and overtakes what preceded it. Erasing the existence of what came before it.
Hmmm. Western history — that which built this Sisters Country we hold so dear. Does this history no longer matter to you? The tough spirit and grit, determination of the pioneers, ranchers, cowhands,s and families that scrabbled against capricious weather and uncertainty to grow their crops, that lived
2ND
with the land? They celebrated as they knew how. With barn raisings and dances, rodeos, quilting bees. That is, with community.
I encourage folks to investigate the history of Red Rock the bull (a local) and bull rider Lane Frost. History was made when they had their “Match” at the Sisters Rodeo.
All this roundabout artwork natter is becoming chaff-like chatter. Why don’t we just plant the entire roundabout with another invasive species — cheat grass and knapweed? I assure you if anyone tries a selfie in that stuff they will soon be regretful. Indeed, “dangerous art.” It will represent the “invasive species” who seem to be here to stay. Rita MacDonald
s s s
Democracy or autocracy
To the Editor:
Democracy or Autocracy: It’s your choice. Consider the following questions:
• Do government policies give everyone an equal chance to be successful?
• Do all citizens feel that their government will treat them fairly?
• Does the government give citizens the freedom to speak out against policies they consider harmful?
• Are the people in charge of government agencies chosen on the basis of their competences to do the jobs they are appointed to?
• Do government policies give citizens control over their own lives?
• Are policies in place that set fair and equitable boundaries and consequences for citizen’s actions and are those policies followed?
• Do government leaders respect diverse preferences and beliefs of all citizens?
• Do government policies avoid actions that erode freedom such as militarization of police and surveillance of citizens?
• Does the government avoid singling out certain groups or persons for perceived violations of governmental policies?
• Does the government avoid passing laws or interpretations of laws that allow one political group to gain unfair advantage over other political groups?
• Does the government avoid weaponizing government agencies to attack their political rivals?
• Do government policies and practices serve to avoid unfair regressive taxes and tariffs?
• Does the government avoid deploying the military to quell civil unrest?
These are some of the questions that could be asked and I’m sure there are more. Is it our goal to build a society which treats all of its citizens fairly and gives all of them equal opportunities to succeed or is it the goal to encourage a privileged and entitled few to destroy our democratic institutions and trample on the rights and freedoms of everyone else?
Daniel Ramberg
s s s
Legislature works on transportation funding
By Alex Baumhardt Oregon Capital Chronicle
A bill to stave off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation, pay for road infrastructure projects and temporarily boost funding to public transit agencies moved forward Sunday after a rocky start.
Republican lawmakers who were absent and upset Friday about the Democrats’ proposal to pay for it — by raising gas and payroll taxes, increasing vehicle license and registration fees, and charging electric vehicle owners per-mile road use fees — showed up Sunday, following negotiations on several provisions of the bill. One key change would end the proposed payroll tax increase after two years.
Lawmakers introduced more than a dozen amendments, but only two passed. One would allow the Department of Administrative Services to tweak gas taxes on everyone, and weight mile fees on
trucks, to meet the Oregon Constitution’s requirement that light- and heavy-duty vehicles equitably pay for roads — two-thirds of costs paid for by light vehicle owners, and one-third paid by heavy vehicle owners — but it specifies that the agency can only adjust these taxes and fees to go down, not up. This is a change from earlier versions of the bill that would have allowed the agency to get to an equity ratio by raising those taxes and fees on light or heavy vehicles.
The second amendment sunsets the payroll tax increase — from .1 percent to .2 percent on Oregonians and employers — on January 1, 2028.
Dozens of people came to testify on the bill, many of whom expressed frustration that so much had been pared back from the original House Bill 2025. Others expressed frustration that the tax and fee increases proposed by Democrats will burden already struggling Oregonians.
NATIVE BIRD: Wolf’s home was saved from fire
Continued from page 1
be released were safely away before the fire got to us,” said Wolf.
Wolf returned to her home to pick up a few items and check on her watering stations and bird feeders. She’s feeling immensely grateful for the firefighters who saved her home. Along with her bird rehabilitation facility, Wolf had land that she’d worked on for years to restore it and create a wildlife corridor and mecca for everything from songbirds to mountain lions. Some of it is charred with old growth ponderosa pines standing like solitary blackened monuments to the fire’s power and speed. Thankfully, Wolf found substantial sections untouched and recently saw a deer feeding in one of the areas. A conservationist for decades, Wolf sees the world through the eyes of wildlife. That’s what has made her such a dedicated bird rehabilitation expert.
Long before the fire hit
Sisters Country, Wolf was an advocate and ambassador for animals that are often misunderstood and underappreciated. She believes that songbirds are often the most misunderstood.
“Most people don’t know the species of birds that are in their yard,” she said. “Due to large-scale habitat loss, human-caused losses (like windows and cats), and climate change, the songbird population in North America and globally is declining at an alarming rate. My concern is by the time people understand what they’re losing with these birds, a lot will have already been lost. Songbirds are incredibly diverse in the ways they develop from babies. There’s a lot of misunderstandings about what baby birds need when they wind up in trouble or on the ground out of their nest. That’s what we specialize in because we work with them on a species-by-species basis,” said Wolf. “Native Bird Care doesn’t make broad rules about what to do when a bird is found. Each situation is unique.”
Still not back in her home, and at Level 3 Evacuation
status, Wolf is dealing with the trauma of the event and the undoing of 15 years of caring for songbirds and waterfowl. Some of the songbirds she’s nurtured back to health have returned to her property and are feeding at the stations she’s keeping full. Seeing them return helps her heal and stay strong.
“We’ve seen lesser gold finches that we released over the years come back this morning at the bird feeders. We put food and various types of water sources out for the birds. Ash and smoke are deadly to birds. Smoke impacts their breathing and lungs, and ash is caustic and damages their feathers. If ingested through preening, it can kill them. Seeing the gold finches was a relief and a sign of hope. When you can access your property, everyone should be putting out water and food for their feeders,” suggested Wolf. “Get the water out, sprinklers on, and bird baths going so they can bathe and get the ash off their feathers. Put flat plant trays for bunnies with rocks so lizards can get a drink. Help quench the thirst of all the wildlife that
Portraits O F SISTERS
Overlooking a bustling Cascade Avenue from his small commercial kitchen, Jeff Stratman procures and fabricates fine ingredients into medicine. But this medicine comes in the shape of a bread loaf, and tastes like one too. “Food is so much more than just something you consume, it guides how you feel and function,” he says Jeff’s 20-year love affair with all things health and food has blossomed into the Leaven & Love Organic Bakehouse, a gluten-free oasis in the heart of Sisters. There were a few twists and turns along the way, though. With a degree in Marketing from University of Oregon his journey into baking was a little unorthodox. From Marketing for a local BMW dealership, to owning a chocolate company in Bend, to now a booming bakery Jeff says the community’s appreciation for organic, gluten-free foods inspired him to switch gears. His two daughters, who both have gluten allergies, drove him to find a solution. Jeff and his family moved to Sisters in Spring of 2024, and quickly fell in love with the small-town feel. “I can commute to work on foot and I meet people I know almost everywhere I go,” he says. “It’s a great place to work and live.” Battling the heat of the day and an oven full of baking organic bread, Jeff cultivates wholesome bread for customers near and far with a mindset of healthy eating and healthy living. Or as he aptly puts it, “faith, friends, and a quad shot latte keep me going.”
have been impacted.”
Wolf sees two ways to look at devastation after a forest fire: One can choose to dwell on the heartbreak and sadness or try to focus on the new life that will grow back and even what new species might come in.
“There will be a rebirth,” she said. “We must look at our landscape and think how we can help it survive and nurture it. Like cleaning out the cheatgrass that might come in and replacing it with native seeds and plants. There are a lot of birds that use burned forests like woodpeckers.
“We’re going to rehabilitate our facility like we rehabilitate our birds with love and thought and an eye for the future. We appreciate the outpouring of support. Right now, the best way to help is to donate through our website. We’re not done. We’ll come back, maybe a little bit different, but that’s our goal. We’ll be having work parties on the property in a couple of
We’ve seen lesser gold finches that we released over the years come back this morning at the bird feeders.
— Elise Wolf, Native Bird Care
months to rebuild and we’ll need funds to do that.”
With a recent donation and the use of her remaining aviary and pools, Wolf is optimistic that she’ll be open midwinter on a limited basis. She’s still assessing smoke damage of her indoor facility and won’t know for a while what can be salvaged. To learn more about Native Bird Care and Rescue in Central Oregon or to make a donation, visit their website: nativebirdcare.org.
Central Electric Cooperative exits fire relatively unscathed
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) was on high alert as the Flat Fire gained in intensity. Equipment and power lines in Sisters Country were already on enhanced safety settings as part of the Cooperative’s wildfire mitigation plan weeks before the Flat Fire ignited late Thursday afternoon. Enhanced safety settings prevent a power line from reenergizing should a foreign object come into contact.
According to Brent Ten Pas, Vice President of Member & Public Relations, “CEC staff utilized several online resources to monitor the fire’s progress throughout Thursday night and also deployed crews to the ‘Lower Bridge area’ and to areas north of Sisters to monitor the wildfire, weather, and wind speeds, continually assessing the potential risk to its infrastructure as the Flat Fire pushed south.
“Crews also checked in with fire officials in both areas to establish contact and communication channels and were on hand to de-energize power lines in the area and to address any concerns or questions.”
The potential threat to the Lower Bridge area didn’t materialize, and as the Flat Fire pushed further south and west, the areas north of Sisters, including
infrastructure on Wilt Road and Mountain View Road, became the focal point.
“By Saturday afternoon, over 600 members were without power. Lines were de-energized due to damage or at the request of fire officials for the purpose of public safety,” he explained.
After crews received permission to inspect the equipment and patrol lines in the affected areas, they spent Sunday replacing power poles and distribution lines, restoring power to all but approximately 36 members. By 3 p.m. on Monday, CEC crews had made repairs to bring everyone back online, except for six as their properties were difficult to access due to terrain, or they had equipment in need of repairs or replacement, before they could be re-energized.
“For almost all members, the length of outages ranged from under an hour to 20.5 hours, except for the six, who had power restored by Tuesday and late Wednesday.
“The overall effort to date required replacing 12 power poles and 660 feet of overhead wire. No transformers were destroyed in the fire,”
Cause still under investigation
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported last week that the fire started on private property: “During the course of the incident, deputies contacted two individuals associated with the property where the fire is believed
to have started,” the Sheriff’s Office reported in a media release. “Those individuals provided statements regarding their activities earlier in the day. At this stage of the investigation, there is no indication that this fire was caused by homeless individuals or transient encampments. The fire originated on private property and is being investigated in coordination with state fire investigators.”
As of 2023, the 10-year average of human-caused fires account for 88 percent of all wildfires nationally. Human-caused wildfires are classified for statistical purposes into general categories, according to the National Interagency Fire Center: Arson, debris and open burning, equipment and vehicle use, firearms and explosives use, fireworks, misuse of fire by minors, power generation/ transmission/distribution
and railroad operations and maintenance.
Containment
As of the weekend the fire was reported to have been 32 percent contained at over 23,000 acres.
Readers have expressed confusion as to the term “contained.”
According to Western Fire Chiefs Association, “Wildfire containment refers to suppression efforts made by fire crews. An active fire is contained through various firefighting strategies to stop the fire from moving in that area.
“Containment does not mean safety, it means a control line has been placed around that portion of the fire and fire should not be
…if a fire is 100 percent contained, that does not mean the fire has stopped burning… — Western Fire Chiefs Association
able to cross. However, if a fire is 100 percent contained, that does not mean the fire has stopped burning and no longer poses a threat.
“Wind and other factors can sometimes cause spot fires to jump these lines. This is why containment percentages can sometimes decrease in media releases.”
That Spiri t is reflected in an adventurous way of life. Some of that adventure is found out in the landscape, on the trails and rivers. But adventure is also found in the creative and entrepreneurial Spiri t that shows up in local businesses, philanthropic efforts, the work of artists and musicians — even in the ood and drink we enjoy. It’s a can-do Spiri t, a Spiri t of exploration that isn’t found just anywhere. We take inspiration from the magnificence of nature — and also from the dedicated work that so many of Central Oregon’s people are involved in, from nonprofits to arts and entertainment to specialty manufacturing and unique dining. That’s the Spiri t of Central Oregon.
Young squad to take field for Outlaws
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Lady Outlaws are down players this season, and will only be able to field a varsity squad, including three seniors and one junior. The bulk of the squad will come from seven sophomores and six freshmen.
New coach Ken Polachek told The Nugget that the lineup this year will be different from last year, and all positions are up in the air.
Zoee Bafford and Mia Rosas are both seniors and return as veteran players.
Bafford will bring two big assets to the team; a first step that is very quick and a natural ability to cross the ball to feed other players.
“Zoee is feisty in a good way” said Polachek. “She is ornery on the field, and not afraid to get in there and scrap.”
Rosas is a very technical and savvy player, and very good with the ball at her feet.
“Mia is calm under pressure and can place the ball anywhere you need it,” said Polachek. “She brings a calmness and encouragement to the rest of the girls.”
Polachek told The Nugget that both Bafford and Rosas have put in a lot of work over the summer and will be key players on the squad.
Senior Rylie Bick is also back for her final year. She is strong, works hard, and Polachek said she will most likely play defense.
Devon Eastwood is the team’s lone junior. She is physically strong and will be a big asset on defense.
“Devon is not afraid to knock heads,” said Polachek. “I love how she plays defense.”
Sophomore Verbena Brent and Kennedy Davis are also back for another year.
Polachek described Brent as ‘a beast’ and noted that she
is very strong and has the natural ability to be in the right position.
Davis was the Lady Outlaws goal keeper last year and coaches are hoping she’ll fill that position again this year. Polachek stated that Davis brings a ‘yes coach’ attitude and has a pretty good foot for clearing the ball.
Other sophomores include Tanner Gibney, Mary Roberts, Nona Smith, Maddie Kirkpatrick, and Mackenzie Frutos.
Gibney is very fast and physically fit and Polachek stated that at this point she doesn’t shy away from any challenges. Roberts surprised the coach with her aggressive defensive play and her tenacious drive. Smith is strong, aggressive, fast, and brings a calm to the middle of the field.
Polachek stated that Kirkpatrick has the natural ability to make the right run to the goal in the right place at the right time and always has a great attitude. Frutos was described as athletic, a strong offensive prowess, and is always willing to learn.
Joining the team this year are freshmen Jaylynn Dunivin, Ashlynn Taylor, Aubrey Taylor, Scarlet (Olivia) Lakota, Jade Barlow, and Caroline Dean.
“I’m excited to see the incoming freshmen talent progress and excel,” said Polachek. “They seem to have a strong work ethic and they all have a great attitude that they are bringing to the team.”
Polachek shared his personal goal for the team this year: “I’d love to bring all the girls up to a technical savvy repertoire, which means they can pass, they can receive, they can direct traffic, and shoot with intention.”
The Lady Outlaws first match of the preseason was set for Tuesday, September 2, at Madras.
This Week’s Crossword Sponsors
Mike Hernandez
STATION:
The next iteration around 1962 had two wings, reflecting the consolidation of the Metolius and Sisters Ranger Districts. The Rangers’ office had a decorative wall of dried ferns and cedar glued on particle board.
When I arrived in 1990 for my 25-year tenure, there were about 20 individual offices of various sizes with doors and more women. I joined a flood of new specialists in wildlife, fish, and archaeology. As the Forest Service expanded its mission beyond timber to ecosystems, we worked together in a bullpen with a couple of primitive computers. Massive wooden desks had old phone lists taped to the drawers and our records were paper rather than electronic.
Sisters’ first woman Ranger Karen Shimamoto arrived in 1990 and led an office expansion that added a third wing to the building.
She reflected, “I always felt comfortable in our old office and so grateful when we made a few updates to the front, adding a conference room, and landscaping with native plants. I know the fire folks liked their own separate building, but I always wished we were housed together.”
As a botanist, my first project was to remove the lawn in the courtyard and work with volunteers to create a demonstration wildlife garden called a “Naturescape.” We gathered local plants and planted aspen outside Karen’s window.
As the building aged, heating, cooling, and phone systems were sometimes erratic. Mice and other small critters were also a problem. Working late at night you might see those little travelers running down the long central hallway in search of a snack. The cedar shingled roof was a worry when wildfires headed for town.
When Ranger Bill Anthony took the helm in 1997, he appreciated the setting, the office sheltered by large ponderosa pine and near downtown Sisters. “I loved going to work there, but for me it was more about the skilled and dedicated professionals I was surrounded by in that building. And of course there are many memories, both joyful and stressful.” He also knew it was time for another change. “I recognized early on in my tenure as District Ranger that the office and compound, while serving its purpose for many decades, were no longer a functional workspace for many reasons.” He initiated the process to sell a portion of the 80-acre site to fund the construction of a new Ranger Station.
But the economy and timing were off in 2008, the land didn’t sell, and plans were put on hold. Two other locations were considered and a decade passed before the Government was successful in selling a portion of the land for residential development and building a Ranger Station for the next generation.
A few of us were able to make a final visit to our old haunts before demolition started. The long hallway was uncharacteristically quiet, the scent was musty with a top note of old paper and forgotten reports.
Anthony remarked “I think the new office and compound will address many, if not all, of the short comings for a long time to come. Aside from work and meeting spaces with modern technology, almost all employees will report to work under one roof. This will be a big improvement and allow employees more opportunities to connect on a day-today basis. This should benefit the mission of “Caring for the Land and Serving People.”
I watched the junipers in the Naturescape get cut down, but they saved a big pine. Old chairs and cabinets sat strangely outside. I thought about the past 60 years and the hundreds of people who walked in and out of those doors, working to protect and manage the forest and serve the public; the many all-night wildfire
emergencies, team meetings, lawsuits, potlucks, friends, babies, coworkers who died too soon, mentors, and the wildlife biologist who liked to sing to the Ranger. A few days later, the office was a mountain of debris. Goodbye old Ranger Station, see you only in our memories now. (Maret Pajutee served as a biologist with the Sisters Ranger District until her retirement.)
The Nugget is committed to partnering with the Sisters business community so we all can succeed. This campaign includes expanded Sisters business verage in August and September issues of The Nugget, opportunities for print and online advertising packages at discounted rates, and an exciting new social media feed on NuggetNews.com.
r some of this work, we’re partnering with the Small Business Association here in town, which is orking to help local businesses find resources, networking and educational opportunities to help them succeed and thrive. You can connect with Sisters Business Association and support their mission at www.sistersba.com.
orking together, we can build prosperity and vibrancy in our community. Keep it local, and keep it strong.
A crew from the early 2000s. PHOTO PROVIDED
The long-time Ranger Station in Sisters has been demolished. PHOTO PROVIDED
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102 Commercial Rentals
473 W. Hood Ave., Suite 102 Office Suite, 512 Sf. High Traffic Exposure 503-730-0150
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
The Grove at Sunset Meadows
Apartments in Sisters, OR Lease today and claim your move-in-special!
1- and 2-bedroom homes, available for immediate move-in
210 North Woodson, Sisters 844-804-1684
CASCADE HOME & PROPERTY RENTALS
Monthly Rentals throughout Sisters Country. 541-549-0792
Property management for second homes. CascadeHomeRentals.com
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
Cowboy Court Apartments
2 bedroom 2 bath. Rent is $1,600 a month, RSD is $1,600, some pets considered (dogs & cats OK with add'l $350 RSD per pet).
This has a lease thru 9/30/2026.
Current tenants vacate 9/30/2025.
Unit is 1st floor unit in the front building. W/S/Garbage is paid. #104, 154 W Adams Ave. Dishwasher, microwave, washer & dryer, patio, garbage disposal, granite countertops, energy efficient windows, storage, plank flooring throughout, electric heat w/air conditioning, off-street parking, one reserved space, 50% off your first full month's rent, owner pays landscaping, approx. 1,000 sq. ft., NO SMOKING.
202 Firewood
• SUMMER 2025 • NEW DISCOUNT PRICES
SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS
DAVE ELPI – FIREWOOD
• SINCE 1976 •
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Doug Fir – Lodgepole –Hardwood – Juniper – Fir DRIVE-IN WOOD SALES
– 18155 Hwy. 126 East –SistersForestProducts.com
Order Online! 541-410-4509 541-699-7740
LODGEPOLE FIREWOOD
BEST DEAL IN YEARS SistersForestProducts.com 541-410-4509
LODGEPOLE PINE Very Seasoned Firewood Logs
Delivery avail. • Call for quote 541-306-8675
205 Garage & Estate Sales
Fundraising sale for Continue Love, Continue Life. The Organ Donor Awareness Project is on for one more weekend through September 7. Lots of things for everyone. All money goes to the nonprofit. 572 S. Fir Street, Sisters. 541-419-2204
Happy Trails Estate Sales and online auctions! Selling, Downsizing, or Deaths? Locally owned & operated by... Daiya 541-480-2806
Sharie 541-771-1150
SISTERS WHISKERS
Your purr-fect friend is waiting for you at our local nonprofit cat rescue! Apply to adopt at: sisterswhiskers.org
500 Services
I AM A CAREGIVER Looking for work in Sisters, Part-Time
Please call Lynn 503-274-0214.
CUSTOM WINDOW COVERINGS
Bend Window Works, LLC is offering a 10% discount on new window coverings. FREE in-home consultation. Same day in-home repair services available. New and repaired blinds make rentals look better! Contact us at 541-383-2455 or andy@bendblinds.com.
Junk removal, new home, garage & storage clean-out, construction, yard debris. You Call – We Haul! 541-719-8475
• DERI’s HAIR SALON • Call 541-419-1279
SMALL Engine REPAIR Lawn Mowers, Chainsaws & Trimmers Sisters Rental 331 W. Barclay Drive 541-549-9631
Authorized service center for Stihl, Honda, Ariens/Gravely, Cub Cadet, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Kawasaki Engines
501 Computers & Communications
3 Sisters TeleNetworks, LLC
600 Tree Service & Forestry
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
• Wildfire Fuels reduction
• Debris Chipping/Mastication
• Forest Health Thinning
• Wild fire clean up & restoration
• Tree Removal
Will Moore, 541-409-5404
ISA Certified Arborist
We are the experts you’ve been looking for!
LCB# 100129 & Oregon Professional Logger 71395048
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.
104 Vacation Rentals
Downtown Vacation Rentals
Popular 1 and 2 Bedroom SistersVacationRentals.net Great pricing. 503-730-0150
201 For Sale
For sale: Bushman Elite BBQ with side burner and extra propane tank. Used very little. $150 cash. 541-549-4113
Vehicles CLASSIC CAR STORAGE! Oversized, lights/power, $275/m • 541-419-2502
We Buy, Sell, Consign Quality Cars, Trucks, SUVs & RVs ~ Call Jeff at 541-815-7397 Sisters Car Connection da#3919 SistersCarConnection.com
Horses ORCHARD GRASS HAY
New 2025 crop. Barn stored. 3-tie bales. $240-$340/ton. Hwy. 126 & Cline Falls. 541-280-1895
403 Pets
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppies. Available Sept. 10. 541-413-0912
Caring, loving pet care in my home. Daily rates and in town. Cheryl 541-420-7875
I’ve got your cats covered! Sisters-Tumalo-PetSitting.com Home of Brando's Natural Dog Biscuits • 541-306-7551 • Julie
Audio/video, data networking, WIFI, security camera, alarms. 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
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 VIEW OUR Current Classifieds every Tuesday afternoon! Go to NuggetNews.com
– 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
for
601 Construction
Custom Homes • Additions
Residential Building Projects
Serving Sisters area since 1976
Pat Burke LOCALLY OWNED
CRAFTSMAN BUILT
CCB: 228388 • 541-588-2062
www.sistersfencecompany.com
Custom Homes
Additions - Remodels
Residential Building Projects
Becke William Pierce
CCB# 190689 • 541-647-0384
Beckewpcontracting@gmail.com
— Serving Sisters Since 2010 — CASCADE GARAGE DOORS
Factory Trained Technicians
Since 1983 • CCB #44054 541-548-2215 • 541-382-4553
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
Construction & Renovation
Custom Residential Projects
All Phases • CCB #148365 541-420-8448
INSPIRED CUSTOM HOMES
www.teeharborconstruction.com 541-213-8736 • CCB#75388
SERVICES & HOME MAINT.
Remodels • Landscaping
Firewise Maintenance
Decks & Much More!
Pease Co. Contracting Call Tanner at 541-588-0136. Big and small jobs! CCB# 256258
SPURGE COCHRAN BUILDER, INC.
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
Strictly Quality
CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-280-9764
John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com
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
Earthwood Timber
• Recycled fir and pine beams
• Mantels and accent timbers
• Sawmill/woodshop services EWDevCoLLC@gmail.com
602 Plumbing & Electric
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
SWEENEY PLUMBING, INC.
“Quality and Reliability” Repairs • Remodeling
• New Construction • Water Heaters 541-549-4349
Residential and Commercial
Licensed • Bonded • Insured CCB #87587
A 63-year tradition for Sisters www.georges-septic-service.com
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 www.NuggetNews.com
Y O U R S O U R C E for news up-to-date!
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!
604 Heating & Cooling
ACTION AIR
Heating & Cooling, LLC
Retrofit • New Const • Remodel Consulting, Service & Installs actionairheatingandcooling.com
CCB #195556 541-549-6464
Sisters, Oregon's Exclusive HVAC Service
Residential & Commercial Heating • Ductless Air Conditioning • Maintenance Installation • Repair 541-588-5667
SistersHeatingAir.com
605 Painting
~ FRONTIER PAINTING ~ Quality Painting, Ext. & Int. Refurbishing Decks CCB #131560 • 541-771-5620 www.frontier-painting.com
Interior/Exterior Painting
Deck Refinishing Jacob deSmet 503-559-9327
peakperformancepainting1@ gmail.com • CCB#243491
EMPIRE PAINTING
Interior and Exterior Painting and Staining
CCB#180042 541-613-1530 • Geoff Houk
606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance
Eastern Cascade Solutions
Landscaping & Construction www.easterncascadesolutions. com • 541-233-7195
LCB #9958 • CCB #222039
J&E Landscaping Maintenance
LLC Clean-ups, raking, hauling debris, thatching, aerating, irrigation, mowing. Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com
– 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
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
Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com 541-549-2345
STEVE'S HAULING
Yard and other debris, landscaping services, chain saw work, etc. 707-328-8370
All Landscaping Services Mowing, Thatching, Hauling Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740
Alpine Landscape Maintenance An All-Electric Landscape Company.
Text/Call Paul 541.485.2837 alpine.landscapes@icloud.com
701 Domestic Services
I & I Crystal Cleaning, LLC
Specializing in Commercial, Residential & Vacation Rentals. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. 541-977-1051
BLAKE & SON – Commercial, Home & Rentals Cleaning WINDOW CLEANING! Lic. & Bonded • 541-549-0897
802 Help Wanted
Hiring for full-time and part-time housekeeping. Please call with questions. 541-280-8769
999 Public Notice
CITY OF SISTERS
Sisters US20/Locust Roundabout Landscape Project Bids due 2:00 p.m., September 10, 2025
INVITATION TO BID
Sealed bids for the construction of the City of Sisters, Sisters US20/Locust Roundabout Landscape Project, addressed to the City Recorder, City of Sisters, OR, will be received until 2:00 p.m. local time at City Hall, 520 E. Cascade Avenue, P.O. Box 39, Sisters, OR, on September 10, 2025, and then publicly opened and read at 2:00 p.m. at City Hall, in Sisters, OR. Bids shall be clearly labeled: Sisters US20/Locust Roundabout Landscape Project. Improvements generally consist of furnishing all labor, equipment and materials necessary to complete the landscaping improvements at the newly constructed US20/Locust Roundabout. Major elements of work include, but are not limited to, site preparation, irrigation system installation, planting of trees, shrubs, and groundcover, placement of mulch/rock and establishment of landscaping through the one-year warranty period.
There will be no Pre-Bid Conference for the Sisters US20/Locust Roundabout Landscape Project. The invitation to bid, plans, specifications, addenda, and notification of bid results for this project may be viewed at www.ci.sisters.or.us or printed or ordered at http://www.plansonfile.com.
SUDOKU Level: Easy Answer: Page 22
