Glory Daze gets Sisters
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
At least 1,000 people showed up Saturday for Glory Daze, the annual fall car show put on by Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). Once again it was held in the best of conditions — pure blue skies lit by a bright sun giving off mellow vibes.
East Main Avenue was blocked off from Larch Street to Elm Street to handle the 109 cars that registered for the event — a record. There are 112 parking spaces. A few couldn’t make it, like Gary Patterson’s 1967 El Camino lost in the Flat Fire.
And as usual another 15 or so came, unregistered, feigning ignorance of the month’s long sign up period. Or they were classic or vintage cars passing through Sisters and thought they’d just join in. They were accommodated in the First Interstate Parking lot but were not eligible for judging.
First through the gates was a pristine Chevy Nova from the early 1960s driven by a woman who was all smiles,
Writers and readers celebrated at local festival
By T. Lee Brown Correspondent
especially knowing she was in a male-dominated hobby.
Fewer than 10 percent of cars entered in shows like this are owned by women.
And to show the boys just who was boss, Cynthia Noyes took first place in the Modified Class and then topped it with Best in Show with her 1957 Studebaker
Progress on a new park in Sisters
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
An expansive new park is in the works for Sisters.
In a September 10 workshop, Sisters City Council provided feedback on three preliminary park design concepts for the Northwest Park situated near the Barclay roundabout and adjacent to the Sisters Woodlands properties.
The City of Sisters contracted the engineering consultancy firm NV5 early this year with the goal of having an approved preferred Northwest Park master plan by early 2026.
During workshop, Principal Planner Mathew Martin shared that NV5’s project team is currently seeking Council’s direction and preferences on three
preliminary concepts and introduced NV5’s Project Manager Jon Champlin to present the concepts, and field any questions from Council.
The meeting package provided to Council included a progress report, three concepts (see graphic, page 16) and details from several outreach efforts. The outreach results were from two stakeholder interviews in April, which included several district and community representatives, an open house held in May had 30 participants and three emailed entries, and a communitywide survey during June included in 586 respondents. Champlin noted that NV5 completed an analysis of the property and site location. He
See PARK on page 16
Hawk
Jennifer Singer took first place in Stock Unrestored for her 1938 Packard Twelve.
In all there were nine classes and something for every enthusiast or just casual observer. Forest Gibson drove all the way from Paco, Washington, to enter his
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
More than 40 people— some in their customary Western attire visited Sisters City Council on September 10 to speak about the Red Rock sculpture they feel rightfully belongs in the Locust/ Highway 20 roundabout.
Before opening the meeting to visitor communications, Mayor Jennifer Letz stated that she wanted to address “a couple of rumors are flying around in the community over the past two weeks having to do with the Locust roundabout.” She stated that, “Nothing has changed in this process since August 13 [when] Council decided to create an arts council to help with the public arts placement program.”
Letz advised this will take several months as staff have other projects and work they must also do. The timeline for
Classics of all kinds — including Sam Alaimo’s Mack truck — lined the streets of Sisters.
car. The streets were a solid mass of humans and canines for nearly three hours. Folks came by bike, by scooter, on foot, and in walkers or wheelchairs.
Nobody was in a rush; there was nothing that might sell out or the best seats
Writers and their readers swarmed the town for Sisters Festival of Books (SFOB) last weekend. Highlights included live storytelling, workshops, author readings, book signings, and a splendid feast (see related story, page 21).
Sisters resident Shawn More loved the presentation she attended at Sisters Movie House on Saturday. A Central Oregon resident for a decade, she appreciates SFOB’s offerings.
“I think that the town of Sisters and the book festival match in vibe,” she said. “Everything I’ve gotten in Sisters is very community-themed, and I know
See BOOKS on page 20
Citizens offer comment on bull
the work on completing the Locust roundabout remains unchanged.
Mayor Letz continued, “There was some talk that the money that was earmarked for [the Locust roundabout art] has been allocated to
something else. That is not true.” Letz added that the funding for the Locust roundabout art comes from the Urban Renewal Agency (URA) which is paid for by
See ROUNDABOUT on page 11
Judy Kell, Marna Griffin, Gail Little, Darline Johnston, Bonnie Knox, and Linda Stenstadvold attended the Sisters City Council meeting in support of placing a sculpture of a bull and rider in the Locust Street/Highway 20 Roundabout.
PHOTO BY SUSAN COBB
Golden
with its trademark fins.
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
OPINION
Editorial…
The blood-dimmed tide
Last Thursday night, my wife looked at me across the dinner table and said, “I just feel so fatigued.”
She wasn’t tired from a long work day. She was worn down by a near-constant stream of unsettling events, from the Flat Fire to wars and rumors of war, to the specter of random, brutal murders of innocents, and a gruesome and shocking political assassination. More than the events themselves, we were both feeling the weight of getting a glimpse into the souls of so many of our fellow Americans, and finding them dark, ghoulish, and full of terrors.
Social media gives us a window into the unfiltered id of our fellow man — and it ain’t pretty. It can grind you down.
Marilyn decided to tip over early, and I told her I was going to listen to a podcast on World War One for comfort. It was a joke … sort of. I actually do find comfort in history, in the recognition that conflict is a constant and that peace is rare — and precious. I turned to a William Butler Yeats poem, “The Second Coming,” written in 1919 in the shadow of the Great War:
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity…
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
There is no doubt that we are in a dark time; a blood-dimmed tide has been loosed again upon the world — from Ukraine to Sudan, to Syria, to Israel and Gaza, and in our own schools and neighborhoods. Yet, we have endured such tides before, and will do so again. Our weariness carries dread and foreboding of that rough beast slouching toward Bethlehem — but many a rough beast has reared its head before, and we have vanquished them all.
A friend sent me a series of distressed texts on Thursday, deeply shaken by events. My only counsel was “Hold tight to each other and find your joy. Hold up your light against darkness.”
That is, in the end, what we can do. We must steel ourselves to navigate the blooddimmed tide and to give battle to the rough beast that seeks to consume us — but we must also hold on to moments of light, beauty, and goodness. Those are the moments that make life worth living, and they are worth fighting for.
Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
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.
Civil discourse
To the Editor:
I fear we have lost our ability as a society to engage in civil discourse. For those of you who have forgotten what that even means, I googled “civil discourse.” I sincerely hope we can find our way back from name calling, hatred toward those with whom we disagree, and killing the messengers:
“Civil discourse is the deliberative exchange of ideas on public matters with the goal of expanding knowledge, promoting mutual understanding, and building civic trust, even when participants disagree. It emphasizes respect, open-mindedness, and a constructive mindset to find common ground
and identify solutions, rather than focusing on personal attacks or advancing narrow interests. Key components include active listening, speaking for oneself, a commitment to truth, and a willingness to be challenged and learn from others.”
Terry Hardin
s s s
A challenge to our community
To the Editor:
So much has been written the past few weeks about the many thoughtful ways our community came together to help one another
See LETTERS on page 12
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You can’t kill an idea
By Steve Woodside Columnist
I find myself not wanting to write, and for a writer, that is a difficult position. I find myself not wanting to write because I fear what I might put down on paper when anger is what drives my thoughts. More recently, I find myself not wanting to write because there are unstable people and extremists amongst us here in Central Oregon, that makes every word championing the Grace of God, or the superiority of the conservative position a possible justification for harmful action.
Almost weekly, the Letters to the Editor in The Nugget Newspaper feature rants demanding our current president be “forced” from office or accusing him of “threatening democracy.”
Just recently, one writer refused to call President Trump by his title, citing some virtue-signaling rationale. How do they imagine ousting him without violence from a like-minded soul? I asked Jim Cornelius why these letters continue to get published as they do not facilitate a community conversation, and they are certainly not going to change opinions, and he responded that these comments “represent a widespread outlook in the community.”
When writing fails me, I turn to masters like C.S. Lewis for solace. “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear,” he wrote in “A Grief Observed.” “I am not afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.” That’s precisely how I felt upon hearing Charlie Kirk had been assassinated: stomach churning, pacing my home aimlessly. And I’m no acolyte. I’m outside his core demographic, steering clear of TikTok where he thrived. But I was deeply troubled.
My grief transcended Kirk himself, spilling into a broader lament for humanity. On other social media platforms, popular voices erupted in celebration of his death, gunned down mid-sentence. Conventional media outlets and their pundits piled on, some implying Kirk’s rhetoric invited violence, as if words justify a bullet.
Honestly, I grieved
for our country, and as a Christian I felt what can only be described as a demonic power that was driving much of this dialogue. While I realize that this type of comment will suddenly disrupt the trajectory of this column, if you are of any religious persuasion, you absolutely must recognize that there is evil on this planet – and it was on full display in the celebratory mood of the murder of a husband and father. People were willing to get fired from their jobs, or ostracized from friends to post their hateful rhetoric. That is evil.
I also was aware of the anger that was stirred up by the conservative movement, first by the killing, and more radically by the reaction to it. The general sense was, if you are going to kill one of the peacemakers, someone who wore his faith out in the open, and one of the few people who would bravely engage in conversations in hostile environments, you are not going to like what comes next.
The words that Charlie Kirk spoke were not violence. His life is almost entirely online, so it is easy to find videos of him engaging with every type of person in a respectful and honest manner. He was a man grounded in his Christian faith, and it served as the foundation for the things he believed, and passionately argued in favor of — with almost a photographic memory for facts.
It is telling that the last person Charlie Kirk engaged with was trying to convince him that the left is peaceful, just as the shot rang out and took his life. We all know and can see, that it is the left that wants to censor speech. Look at Europe, where people are arrested for social media posts, as the type of country they would like to see here in the United States.
Christians and conservatives of Central Oregon, we’ve abdicated our duty. Out of love, I urge you: Engage. Write to The Nugget , chat with neighbors, guide your kids. Your silence lets venom fester unchallenged. Charlie Kirk didn’t die for us to retreat; he died proving ideas endure. His voice is gone, but the call to truth? Immortal. Let’s answer it—before the next act of hate.
Views expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.
Sisters Middle School welcomes new principal
One of the many things that Sisters is known for is its small, tight-knit community. The Sisters School District is no different; often, teachers have been with the district for decades and sent their kids through the school system, only to have them return to live and work in the area.
Justin Nicklous, the new principal at Sisters Middle School (SMS), fits this story line to a T.
Although Nicklous started his career in Sherwood, Oregon, as a fifth grade teacher, he moved with his family to Sisters in 2006, where he taught at Sisters Elementary School (SES) and SMS for more than a decade. Nicklous also served as the Dean of students at Sisters Middle School before getting his administrator’s license and moving to the
Redmond School District.
His first principalship was at Tumalo Community School, followed most recently by Elton Gregory Middle School in Redmond.
During this time, Nicklous continued to live in Sisters, his family enmeshed in the Sisters community.
New interim sheriff comes to town COMMUNITY
His wife, Misty, also taught at SMS and has been at SES for the past 10 years, where she currently works as a kindergarten teacher. Both of Nicklous’ children, Emma and Sam, are Sisters High School graduates.
Now, after 31 years in education, Nicklous found himself wanting to return to his roots and serve the Sisters community once again.
“As Misty likes to say, I’m in the twilight of my career,” Nicklous said with a laugh.
“After being at Tumalo for nine years, I was ready for a change and to challenge myself… I wanted to go to Elton Gregory, knowing it was a bigger school. After being [at Elton Gregory Middle School] for four years, I found myself missing the smaller school environment and the ability to connect with more kids and families drew me back,” he said.
Nicklous continued, “... my connection to my roots of teaching here, and my kids going to school here, and Misty teaching here, all those things pulled me back.”
When asked what his goals are for SMS in the coming years, he insists that much of his work has already been laid out for him
See PRINCIPAL on page 17
Colorful new art finds home in Sisters Library
The Sisters Library is home to a newly installed tile art piece by Kathy Deggendorfer, a Central Oregonian whose work is inspired by the colors and textures of her surrounding landscape. Entitled “Mountain Homes,” Deggendorfer’s 48-by-48-inch piece is an ode to the region she happily calls home.
“I fell in love with Central Oregon because of the mountains, fresh running streams and big ponderosa pines— and it’s all included in this image,” Deggendorfer said.
Deggendorfer first designed her piece as a painting and then worked with Kibak Tile in Sisters to translate it into a tile format. Each
tile was hand glazed and fired in the Kibak facility.
“I did this originally as a painting,” she said. “Working with the Kibak team allows me to design and create using my usual medium—watercolor — and translate it into a medium that works well for an art installation.”
“As a local, Kathy Deggendorfer is well known for her advocacy and support of the arts in Sisters Country,” said Cate O’Hagan, who co-chairs the art committee responsible for selecting art for each Deschutes Public Library location. “As an artist, many of her pieces colorfully reflect the activities and
By Susan Cobb Correspondent
Deschutes County
Interim Sheriff Ty Rupert introduced himself to Sisters City Council during their September 10 workshop, stating that he was going to assure that going forward, there will be good, rather than bad, headlines about the Sheriff’s Office (DCSO).
Sheriff Rupert shared how very proud he is to be serving Deschutes County. He has worked with 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
DCSO the past 20 years, serving in positions from reserve deputy, to deputy, to sergeant, and captain on up to his current appointment. He has also been part of Sisters Rodeo during that period. In all those years he feels he has great people to work with and feels they deserve a good leader. He hopes to be that Sheriff they want and the people want to keep.
Prior to working with
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
Justin Nicklous and his wife Misty, who is a kindergarten teacher at Sisters Elementary School, enjoying time together on the coast.
See SHERIFF on page 17
Wednesday
September 17 • Sunny 84/50
Thursday
September 18 • Mostly Sunny 83/52
Friday
September 19 • Partly Cloudy 84/49
Saturday
September 20 • Partly Cloudy 82/49
Sunday
September 21 • Mostly Sunny 78/47
Monday
September 22 • Sunny 84/50
Tuesday
September 23 • Mostly Sunny 79/52
Outlaws roll over Taft on gridiron
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Sisters Outlaws came ready to play on their road trip to Taft on Friday, September 12, and walked off the field with a 20-6 victory, powered by a dominant defense and timely offensive strikes.
On Taft’s opening drive, the Outlaws forced a fumble, which gave Sisters a short field. Ethan Eby sparked the drive with an eight-yard run up the right side, and Spencer Davis and quarterback Hunter Bronson added short runs to get the Outlaws further downfield. Bronson connected with Eby on a swing route for an 11-yard touchdown (TD) to cap the drive.
The defense came up big again on Taft’s next series, and stopped the Tigers on a fourth-and-one at their own 38-yard line. Sisters took possession and took only one play to score. Bronson rolled out and found Cinch Chew in the corner of the end zone for a 38-yard strike, which put the Outlaws on top 14-0.
The rest of the first half was a defensive battle. Taft took a shot at the end zone but Chew was right there, knocked the ball away from the receiver, and forced the fourth down. Taft was unable to convert and Sisters took possession on their 25-yard line.
Sisters went three-and-out
and then Taft blocked the Sisters punt which set them up in great field position. The Tigers fumbled a pitch, and Sean Moffet recovered the ball for the turnover to keep the shutout intact at halftime.
Sisters’ only second half scoring drive showed balance and grit. Eby, Bronson and Atom Fetteroff picked up chunks on the ground before Bronson hit Tabor Garcia over the middle for a 15-yard gain. Eby then ripped a 22-yard run up the middle to set up first and goal, and he finished the drive with a twoyard run for the TD.
and two TDs. Eby had one reception for 11 yards and a TD, and 15 carries for 50 yards and a TD. Davis had four receptions for 19 yards, Chew had two receptions for 48 yards and a TD, and Garcia had two receptions for 35 yards.
On defense, Morris led the team with six tackles and an interception, and Garcia was right behind with five tackles. Davis also recorded five tackles and had an interception. Moffet had three tackles and a fumble recovery, and Fetteroff, Chew, Eby, and Trent Gordon added two tackles each.
Coach Hayden Hudson praised his team’s effort.
Hayden Hudson
The Outlaws defense continued to shine and stopped Taft’s offense on multiple occasions, highlighted by an interception by Kayden Morris.
Taft scored their lone TD late in the game, and their two-point conversion attempt failed. On the ensuring onside kick, Tyler Johnson secured the ball and raced 30 yards up the right sideline. Sisters ran down the clock and recorded the win.
On offense, Bronson was 11-for-20 for 115 yards,
“I was very proud of the way the defense played,” said Hudson. “Coach Gurney put together a great game plan for them and they executed it perfectly. The energy on the sidelines was amazing, and the offense took that and converted it into scores.
“We definitely still have a lot to improve on moving forward, but it was awesome to see the boys play like this,” added Hudson. “The growth we had as a team from week one to week two was great and if we continue to build in the same manner, I am very excited to see what the team will be able to accomplish once league play starts.”
The Outlaws will host Mazama on Friday, September 19, in another non-league contest.
Pump station work underway on Pine Street
As part of the Westside Pump Station and Force Main Project, crews will be conducting street-boring work on Pine Street beginning September 15. Work will occur on the north and south sides of Highway 20 in the southbound travel lane. Intermittent lane shifts and restrictions will be in place.
Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are advised to use caution in the area and expect brief delays during working hours. Access to homes and businesses will be maintained.
A new regional pump station is needed to divert the west side flows away from the Rope Street station. The project includes a complete triplex station, back-up generator, and a new 4,500-foot pressure main.
According to the City of Sisters, the new pump station will decrease operation and maintenance costs, decrease the difficulty with pump maintenance, and improve reliability by the use of smaller pump sizes associated with a triplex system. The project will provide additional capacity and eliminate the need to enlarge the Rope Street station.
Studio tour creates bond with artists
By Helen Schmidling Correspondent
The Sisters Arts Association’s (SAA) 2025 Artist Studio Tour takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 20–21, in and around Sisters. Tucked neatly in between Sisters Festival of Books and Sisters Folk Festival, is SAA’s ninth annual Studio Tour.
Twenty-five artists will show their work at 16 locations in and around Sisters. Participating artists are well known local and international painters, potters, glass artists, photographers, mixed media artists, and sculptors. Studios and hosting galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
The tour offers the opportunity to form deeper relationships with artists in the community by going into their workspaces and experiencing their process in a way that’s much different than seeing art in a gallery. You can also buy art directly from the artist.
Printed Studio Tour Guides are available in local galleries and coffee houses, online, or by linking to the QR code on posters to navigate to online maps. A PDF version of the Tour Guide is available at www.sistersarts association.org/tour-guide. Roadside signs will direct you to studio and gallery locations on the days of the tour.
Last week, we looked at what’s happening in the artists’ own studios. Here’s what you can see in the hosting art galleries in Sisters.
At Flying Horse Gallery:
Father and daughter, Brad Earl and Sloane Earl will present their unique styles. What started for Brad as an extension of his love for architecture has evolved into a full-time painting career. He
takes his cues from old diners, theaters, and vintage objects (check out his typewriters!) that evoke a sense of nostalgia. His popular series of fish riders reflects his sense of whimsy.
Sloane first memories of painting were sitting next to her father in his art studio, playing with his castoff materials. Now she spends her free time using oil paints to create fantasy scenes and sci-fi dreams. Her recent paintings depict quiet moments through time where a single onlooker sees a UFO in the distance.
At Toriizaka Art:
Fluid artist Henriette Heiny pours acrylics paints on canvas, manipulating the paint’s opacity and transparency, viscosity and flow to create beautiful color expressions that delight the senses. German born Henriette holds multiple degrees including a doctorate in art history. During most of her adult life, she worked in higher education, first in Germany and later at the University of Oregon. In the last decade, she has dedicated herself to painting with acrylics, investigating and experimenting with fluid techniques.
Lim Khim Katy will be painting at Toriizaka art from September 17–23. She is celebrated for her figurative works that capture the resilience of everyday life, as well as her vibrant landscapes that radiate tranquility and imagination. Her early portraits chronicled the struggles of the rural and urban poor in Vietnam, but in recent years, her focus has shifted to warm family scenes and colorful landscapes inspired by her life in Asia and the United States. Gallery visitors will have an intimate opportunity to get to know her, see her painting techniques, ask questions,
and experience her quiet inner beauty and inspiration.
Don Zylius’ transparent watercolor paintings are noted for their soft washes, strong colors, and exquisite details. They are mystical, enchanting, and moody. Born in 1934, he lives an active and creative life in Sisters, where his loves include his wife Carla, painting, fishing, hiking, and music.
At Rickards Gallery:
Dan Rickards paints realistic landscapes and images of wildlife inspired by the natural beauty of the Northwest. His love and care for his family and for the environment influences his work and challenges him to return to his roots in order to move forward.
At Sisters Gallery and Frame:
Kathleen Branch’s abstract paintings boldly reimagine the Mid-Century Modern Movement while infusing it with a twist. She pairs vintage hues, recreates woven textiles, and blends geometric and organic shapes with fluid strokes of acrylic paint. Her inspiration is the design trends of the 1950s and ’60s, a time marked by optimism and positive post-war change, where vibrant pops of color symbolized hope. It was a time of revolution in interior design, urban planning, architecture, and graphic design. Captivated by color, she balances vivid lines and shapes in a visual symphony. New to Sisters Gallery, Kathleen is an accomplished scenic artist whose work includes backdrops for film, opera, and ballet. She will be painting in the gallery.
Mike Stasko has a formal art history and fine arts education, but as a colored pencil artist, is completely self-taught. His latest mixedmedia landscapes capture the
dramatic and ethereal light of late spring snowfall on Southeast Oregon’s high desert. The Deschutes Plateau Suite depicts how the weather can change on a single day between the Columbia River and Central Oregon Cascades. The Sunset Series explores the changing effect of light at sunset at selected spots along the Lower Deschutes River. He’s shown in Sisters Gallery for 15 years. Mike will have his art boards, pencils, and easel set up in the gallery. Lynn Brush paints with oils on fine linen canvas. Her style is impressionist, depicting scenes of cities where she’s traveled, moods of the seasons, and her surroundings in Central Oregon. She recently painted (and sold!) her first portrait in oil. Lynn entered a life of painting after a 40-year career in finance and investment management. Weather
permitting, Lynn will be painting outside of Sisters Gallery.
The other artists on the tour can be seen in their personal galleries. They are Gary Anderson, J. Chester “Skip” Armstrong, Belinda and Terry Batchelder, Paul Alan Bennett, Karen Z. Ellis, Kimry Jelen, Steve Mathews, Danae Bennett Miller, Taylor Manoles, Ken Merrill, Mary Moore, Caroline Stratton Crow, Randall Tillery, Raina Verhey, and Susie Zeitner. Look for blue and white road signs with red arrows that mark the way to all Artist Studio Tour locations. More information is available at https://www.sistersartsassoc iation.org/studio-tour-map. Studio Tour Guides will be available online, at gallery and Artwall locations, Explore Sisters, Paulina Springs Books, Fika, Sisters Coffee, and Sisters Movie House.
Kathleen Branch will be part of the ninth annual Artist Studio Tour September 20 and 21.
PHOTO BY HELEN SCHMIDLING
Outlaws race at Silver Falls
The second competition of the young cross country season, at Silver Falls on September 10, provided the Outlaws with a chance to test their training on a 5,000meter course that included a challenging hill at the twomile mark, along with magnificent trails among the old growth fir trees.
Brooke Duey once again led the Outlaws girls with an eighth-place finish among 95 finishers in a time of 20:35, a minute faster than her performance on the same course last year.
The shorthanded Outlaws did not run a full varsity team. Althea Crabtree placed 32nd, Naomi Bennette 40th, and Sofia Clark 43rd for the girls.
Similarly, the boys team entered just three varsity runners with freshman Caden Warner crossing the line in 31st place to lead the Outlaws in 18:35 among 145 finishers. Ben Hayner came through next in 38th (19:00), followed by Zachary Kemp in 57th (19:42).
Keegan McShane led the junior varsity boys team, finishing 13th in the 3,400-meter race that featured 144 runners, clocking 13:21.
“Our young team continues to develop and is working hard at every practice,” said coach Charlie Kanzig. “Everyone competed well at this meet, showing they are getting race-ready. Some sickness has hit us, which is typical each year once school starts and germs get shared.”
The team faces the most competitive meet of the early season on Saturday, September 20, at the Northwest Classic, held at Lane Community College.
Girls soccer team posts two wins
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Lady Outlaws girls soccer team earned a hardfought 3-2 home victory over Santiam Christian on Tuesday, September 9. At home two days later the Outlaws shut out La Pine 7-0.
In Tuesday’s match, the Eagles came out flying, catching the Outlaws off guard with a relentless pace in the opening minutes. Their early pressure paid off with a goal inside the first 10 minutes, a close-range shot from just inside the 18-yard box.
Sisters regrouped quickly, and answered back when Caroline Dean weaved her way through the middle and slotted the ball into the corner to even the score. Momentum swung further in the Outlaws’ favor when Zoee Bafford unleashed a strike from nearly 25 yards out, lofting the ball over the keeper to give Sisters a 2-1 advantage heading into halftime.
The Outlaws extended their lead early in the second half with a goal from defender Nona Smith. Smith went on an impressive run from the left defensive
position, beat several defenders before going one-on-one with the Eagles’ goalkeeper. She kept her composure and tucked the ball into the corner, to make it 3-1.
Santiam Christian refused to fold, and cut the deficit after converting a penalty kick midway through the half. But that would be as close as they came, thanks in large part to the outstanding play of Outlaws’ goalkeeper Olivia Lajko, who came up with multiple clutch saves to preserve the win.
Coach Ken Polachek praised his players, singling out the defensive efforts of Mackenzie Frutos and Smith for their exceptional play that helped solidify the Outlaws’ defense. “Mackenzie had a breakout game, and Nona proved I can put her anywhere with confidence,” Polachek said.
On Thursday, the Outlaws dominated the pitch in a wellrounded performance against the visiting La Pine Hawks. Sisters started out slow, but about 15 minutes in, they found their rhythm. Devon Stevens broke the ice with a quick strike from the middle of the 18-yard box. Moments
later, Maddie Kirkpatrick scored back-to-back goals to give Sisters a comfortable lead. Bafford closed out the first half with a longrange shot from 35 yards out that slipped through the goalkeeper’s hands, which sent the Outlaws into the half up 4-0.
The second half mirrored the first, with the Outlaws taking time to settle in before turning up the pressure. Twenty minutes in, Smith made a run up the left side, dribbled through the La Pine defense and finished one-onone against the keeper. Mia Rosas followed with a perfectly placed shot just outside the 18, and Kirkpatrick capped the scoring with her third goal of the match, completing her hat trick.
Polachek praised the defensive unit, noting that goalkeeper Kennedy Davis only touched the ball a handful of times under minimal pressure.
The Outlaws will look to continue their strong play with back-to-back road games at Elmira on Tuesday, September 16, and at Central Linn on Thursday, September 18.
Brooke Duey led the Outlaws in a forest-country race at Silver Falls.
PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG
Fundraising wine dinner set for World’s Children
World’s Children and The Open Door Restaurant are hosting a special four-course fundraising dinner with wine pairings on Thursday, September 18, at The Open Door Restaurant. The evening will feature World’s Children’s Rwandan Director Patrick Niyitugize who will share inspiring stories about his program, Rwanda Future Builders, and the children whose lives it transforms.
Rwogo is a remote mudhut village in Rwanda where most families have never had the opportunity to send a child to school — until now.
Rwanda Future Builders is changing that by sending 105 children to school. These children are gaining an education and hope for a brighter future, while building a stronger, more empowered community.
Guests at the fundraising dinner will enjoy a thoughtfully curated four-course meal with wine pairings while learning about the program’s impact. Patrick will also bring handwoven baskets and handsewn napkins created by children in the Rwanda Future Builders program. These unique items will be available for purchase, with proceeds supporting education and empowerment initiatives in Rwanda.
to Sisters, Patrick will speak at Sisters Middle School and The Commonplace Homeschool Co-op, strengthening the bond between local students and children in Rwanda. Earlier this year, students from Sisters Middle School Art Club and the Commonplace Co-op created friendship bracelets that World’s Children staff delivered to the Rwandan children in May. Patrick will share photos and stories of the Rwandan children proudly wearing the bracelets — a touching example of how children across the globe can inspire and connect with each other.
Niyitugize’s visit will also include various meetand-greet events throughout Sisters, offering multiple opportunities for the community to engage, learn, and support World’s Children’s mission. Event details and updates can be found on the
During his two-week visit
World’s Children Facebook page.
“We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to Sisters and to give our community the chance to hear directly from him,” said Shannon Miller, executive director of World’s Children. “His program is changing lives, and this dinner is a beautiful way to connect over good food, good wine, and a great cause.”
Seating for the fundraising dinner is limited, and advance reservations are encouraged. To reserve your spot, scan the QR code or contact shannon@worldschildren.org.
Sisters
Boys soccer fall in hard-fought battle
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Sisters Outlaws boys soccer team fell 2-1 at home on Saturday, September 13, in a tight contest against the Salem Academy Crusaders.
The Outlaws opened the first half a bit sluggish, but quickly settled into their rhythm, establishing control of the midfield and linking passes with patience. They also identified Salem Academy’s key players early and marked them well defensively.
Midway through the half, a foul against the Outlaws’ center back gave the Crusaders a set piece and they capitalized to take a 1-0 lead.
Despite the setback, Sisters didn’t panic and stuck to their game plan — small-ball play through the middle, smart off-the-ball runs, and finding open space. At the break, they trailed 0-1.
Husmann told The Nugget he could tell the Crusaders weren’t as fit, and encouraged his players to lift the tempo in the second half.
The Outlaws did create chances to score. Sophomore JB Greenwood took a shot right in front of the goal, but unfortunately it sailed high, and another opportunity at point-blank slipped away.
“One takeaway is that we need to improve our finishing,” Husmann noted.
Midway through the second half, Sisters suffered a costly miscue. Their left back was caught slightly out of position, and a slip-up
allowed Salem’s striker to convert, stretching the lead to 2-0.
Still, the Outlaws didn’t fold.
“What impressed me most about the team was that their composure remained intact,” said Husmann. “They knew we were getting chances, and honestly, we were playing the better brand of soccer.”
The Outlaws’ persistence paid off midway through the second half when senior midfielder Nick Palmer delivered a sharp assist to fellow senior Mason Dahl on the left wing. Dahl buried the shot, and cut the deficit to 1-2 with plenty of time remaining. Sisters pressed hard the rest of the way, but couldn’t quite find the equalizer.
Husmann highlighted strong performances from wing Felix Montanez and midfielder Alex Nieto.
“Felix really stepped up his physical play and tenacity,” said Husmann. “Alex
has really been figuring out how to play that holding midfield spot, and his work rate is impressive.”
Though the match ended in a tough 1-2 loss, Husmann remains encouraged.
“What I like about this at this point in the season is that it will hopefully humble us and make us hungry,” stated Husmann. “Our work rate in the second half needs to be the way we play the full game. I’m very optimistic about this group and they are coming together as a crew. They are gradually believing in each other and their coaches.”
Obituary
Jeremy Edward Bates
September 20, 1973 – August 5, 2025
Jeremy Edward Bates was born in Springfield on September 20, 1973. He died on August 5 of a heart attack.
In 1978, his family moved to Central Oregon. Jeremy began his schooling at the little two-room Cloverdale Elementary School, later attending schools in Sisters and Redmond.
He worked in food service for several years in Portland. In the nineties, he returned to Sisters and began working with Melissa Ward at Sisters Bakery, where he would be employed for 20 years. He became the lead baker and brought many creative recipes to the people of Sisters. He also assisted Melissa with management duties, training many of the high school kids who worked at the bakery over the years. He was especially beloved by these younger co-workers, endearing them with his generous heart, keen sense of humor, and incredible depth of knowledge pertaining to various topics including music, cinema, literature, and postmodern art. Many of his co-workers remained close friends
throughout his life.
After Melissa retired in 2015 and sold the bakery, Jeremy held several other service jobs before finding deep purpose in work that allowed him to help others. He worked with the Bend nonprofit Family Kitchen, which provides free meals to those in need, and was instrumental in establishing the weekly Family Kitchen dinners in Sisters, which still take place every Tuesday. At the time of his death, Jeremy was employed as a caregiver with Essential Services in Bend.
Those who knew Jeremy will remember his big heart and willingness to help anyone in need. He lived with quiet kindness and generosity, showing care in ways that often spoke louder than words.
He is survived by his parents, Larry and Flora Bates, and two brothers Travis (wife Rachel) and Jessie. His passing leaves a profound void in the lives of those who loved him. He will be deeply missed. No formal service will be held. Memorial donations can be made to Family Kitchen, PO Box 982, Bend, OR 97709.
The Outlaws put up a strong fight against the Crusaders before falling 2-1.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Lady Outlaws host annual Sisters Invitational
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
The Lady Outlaws hosted their annual Sisters Invitational volleyball tourney on Saturday, September 13. They welcomed 24 teams from the 3A, 4A, and 5A divisions. It was a marathon day of volleyball that began at 8 a.m., and didn’t wrap up until after 6:30 p.m., with Sisters battling their way all the way to the championship match in the silver bracket.
Sisters opened pool play against the Dayton Pirates and came away with a solid two-set sweep (25-21, 25-21). Audrey Sybesma set the tone early, leading the attack at the net, while freshman Maici Cotner delivered a clutch six-point serving run that included three aces. The Outlaws carried that momentum into their next match, crushing Lakeview 25-9, 25-14, highlighted by Sybesma’s numerous kills and three aces from libero Alli Fogerty.
In their final pool play match, the Outlaws stumbled against Vale, falling 21-25, 16-25, but still earned a spot in the silver bracket.
Sisters opened bracket play against Mazama and came out strong. Paityn Cotner sparked the team
with a four-point serving run, while several kills from Malia Hernandez, and Maici Cotner helped in the 25-21 win. The Outlaws dominated the second set as Hernandez ripped off an 11-point serving run with four aces paired with more strong swings from Sybesma, Maici Cotner, and Shanitah Few to clinch the match.
In the semi-finals, Sisters faced The Dalles Riverhawks in a thrilling three-set battle. After dropping the opening set 11-25, the Outlaws dug deep. Balanced contributions across the roster fueled a 25-20 victory to even the match. The deciding set was a nail-biter, tied at 11, 12, and 13 before Sybesma hammered down a kill for the lead and Maici Cotner sealed it with a gutsy swing through the block, giving Sisters the 15-13 win.
“That was an epic comeback!” said Coach Mahryahna Callegari. “What gave us the win was the girls’ want to win and the confidence that they are capable of beating high-level teams.”
That victory punched the Outlaws’ ticket to the championship match against the Henley Hornets. Sisters came out blazing, and jumped to a 9-1 lead thanks to a seven-point serving
run from Paityn Cotner, that included big kills from Sybesma and Hernandez, and two key blocks from Few. But Henley rallied back to tie it at 14-14, and eventually pulled away for the win. The second set was just as tight, featuring seven ties before ending in heartbreak for Sisters as Henley closed it out 27-25 to claim the title.
Coach Callegari praised her team’s resilience after a long day.
“The girls started at 8 a.m. and didn’t finish until 6:30 p.m.,” said Callegari. “It’s hard to keep that high energy, but they really want it for each other and embody one family. Even though they were tired, they put everything they had on the floor.”
Callegari also highlighted key performances.
“Audrey (Sybesma) was an important leader for us, both hitting and blocking at crucial moments,” said Callegari. “And, Alli’s (Fogerty) defense was incredible. She gets balls up that are almost unbelievable. Her reaction time is so fast, and her love for passing brings a level of intensity to our defense that helps us win games.”
Callegari also praised her setter Paityn Cotner.
“Paityn has been working really hard to be dynamic and be precise to help the team to the success we saw today,” noted Callegari. “Most people don’t realize she plays every game, every point, and her position is the only position that touches the ball every sequence. It is an exhausting position but she’s amazing! You’ll never hear her complain. She loves this team and cares so much that she has continued playing though a hurt ankle all season with a smile on her face. We are so appreciative of her and I’m so proud of her.” Despite falling just short in the final, the Outlaws proved they can compete with some of the best programs in the state, showing grit, growth, and unity every step of the way.
Lady Outlaws top Trinity Lutheran on the road
By Rongi Yost Correspondent
Sisters Lady Outlaws volleyball team battled their way to a 3-1 victory over Trinity Lutheran on the road on Wednesday, September 10. The opening set saw Sisters take control early after an ace from Alli Fogarty that tied the score 4-4. From that point on, the Outlaws never trailed, riding strong net play from Audrey Sybesma and Malia Hernandez, who each tallied five kills in the set.
Due to space limits, read full story on NuggetNews.com.
SISTERS LIBRARY EVENTS
Music Together
Work shop: Grow your child into a confident music maker. Registration required. is workshop is intended for children ages 0-5, and all children must be accompanied by a car egiver Friday, S eptemb er 19, 10:30 a.m.
Outdoor Movie Night at Sisters Eagle Airpor t: Enjoy a s creening of Top Gun (1986, rated PG). Friday, S eptemb er 20, 6:15 p.m. Bring: Low-back chairs or a blanket to keep you cozy! No outside alcohol or dogs allowed. Snacks and lawn games at 6:15. At suns et (approximately 7:15 PM), the movie starts. 600 Barclay Dr., Sisters Let's Talk About It with KIDS Center : is two-hour training program provides education and insight on the ages and stages of a child's development , examining each through a s ocial, physi cal, and developmental lens . e training also provides guidance on how to talk to children about their bodies. Registration required. Tuesday, S eptemb er 23, 5:30 p.m
Family Stor y Time: Interactive stor y time with books, s ongs, and rhymes! 0-5 yrs. Wednesday, September 24, 10:30 a .m.
You and your child will hear great stories while als o becoming more familiar with letter s ounds, rhyming , vo cabulary, and print
Historic al Walking Tours
Learn about Sisters’ fascinating histor y during an easy-going morning walking tour. ree Sisters Historical Societ y o ers docent-led walks . Enjoy the Landmark Tour on ursday, September 25. 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.. Tours are f ree, start at 10 a .m., distance is less than a mile, and they last approximately one hour. Pre-registration is required at least 24 hours prior at 541-549-14 03
A NNOUNCEMENT S
Dark Sk y Part y
Celebrate Sisters being certified as an International Dark Sky
Communit y. Join E xplore Sisters and friends for a free communit y Stargazing Tour at Cli Clemens Park , during which you'll enjoy the brilliance of Central Oregon's incredible night sky together with a guide. Stay after the tour for a glimpse into the deep sky through telescopes shared by Sisters Astronomy Club volunteers and Starshine. September 18, 7:30 –8:30 p.m. Register at https://www.starshine-theater com/dark-sky-par ty
Sisters High Desert 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 6:30 –8:30 p.m. First rehearsal was Sep tember 8 . No audition is required . For more information, contact C arol Lisek at carolshdc@gmail.com
Fundraiser for Horses:
Join Equine Community Resources September 20–21 to raise f unds for their Get ' Em Gelded Program and Dental assistance program. Saturday: obstacle trail ride, judged and non-judged, ride-it-for-f un 10 -mile horseback ride. Sunday is the poker ride on the same route. First riders out at 9 and last riders out at 11:30 a .m. Prizes , food, a ra e and the beautiful Sisters forest. Go to equinecommunit yresources org for prices, maps , and photos from the past. is equal oppor tunity event is per mitted by the U.S . Forrest Ser vice 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 Weekly Meal Se rvice
Family Kitchen hosts a weekly to-go hot meal on Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., at Sisters Communit y Church, 130 0 W. McKenzie Hwy For more information visit www.FamilyKitchen .org
Celebrating THE LIFE OF
Loretta Jean Kriege Sat., Sept. 20 • 2 to 5 pm Pleasant Ridge Community Hall 7067 SW Canal Blvd. Redmond
Please join us with your f avorite appetizer
Urgent need for volunteer drivers. STAR S gives non-emergenc y medical rides to those unable to drive themselves . For more information and to apply to drive, visit www.starsride org/drive-for-us . Mileage reimbursement is available and the gratitude of passengers is rewarding. Contact Rennie at executivedirector@starsride.org if you have questions
Open Studio at PMRCAA 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 541-9 04- 070 0 or email inquiries@roundhouse foundation.org. Addres s is: 68467 ree Creek s Rd., Sisters
Weekly Communit y Meditation: Mondays 5:306:30 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.
Camp Polk Cemetery Tour Sunday, September 28, 1–2 p.m. is historic pioneer cemeter y has 325 gravesites including 70 veterans . It sits atop a beautiful t wo-acre hilltop three miles north of Sisters 69875 Camp Polk Rd., Sisters . Register at Eventbrite: Camp Polk Cemeter y Tours . Learn more at: www camppolkpioneercemetery.org
Sisters Sno-Go -Fers First meeting of the Snowmobile season at 6 p.m. on Octob er 8, at Upper ree Creeks Sno Park . A p otluck will be at the warming shelter with the club providing the main dish. Pleas e bring a side or des sert. Dinner starts at 5:30. Come earlier to visit with other club members . Take S . Elm St. out of Sisters all the way to the park. Meetings are held ever y s econd Wednes day of the month through Snowmobile seaso n. All are welcome
Craf t Consignors Wanted Qualit y craf t-consignors wanted for the 49th Snowflake Boutique, November 7 & 8 , 2025 . e next jur y will be Saturday, September 20 , beginning at 9 a.m. at the Redmond Senior Center. Additional juries will be held through October Info on website http://www snow flakeboutique.org or c Brenda 541-350 -4120 or Pat 541-383-1821.
Transfigure Yourself
New f ree chair fitnes s class for mature adult s and individuals with limited mobilit y. Increase balance flexibilit y and strengt all set to lively fun music Tuesdays , f rom 9:45 am to 1 am. All are welcome. Episcopal Church of Transfiguration, 121 N Books Camp Rd. Questions? Call 541-549-7087.
New Community
Work space
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
y of
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. Info: https://citizens4communit y. com/hub.
Otis is a high-energ y German Shepherd. He thrives on ac tivity, loves to be around people, and prefers slow introduc tions to new dogs . Once he's comfor table, he's a loyal and play ful companion.
TOP Veterinar y Clinic 541-389-0391
SISTER S- AR EA C HURCH ES
Baha’i Faith
For information, devotion s, study groups , etc. , cont ac t Shauna Rocha 541- 647-9826 • www.bahai.org www.bahai.us • www.bahaiteaching s.org
Chapel in the Pine s Camp Sher man • 541-815-9153
10 a.m. Sunday Worship
e Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
452 Trinit y Way • Branch President, 541-977-5559; 10 a.m. Sunday Sacrament Meeting
e Episcopal Church of the Tr ansfiguration 121 N Brooks Camp Rd . • 541-549-7087 www.transfiguration-sisters.org
8:30 a.m. Ecumenical Sunday Worship
10 :15 a.m. Episcopal Sund ay Worship
e Resting Place meeting at Sisters Communit y Church, 1300 W. McKenzie Hw y. www.restingplace.us • hello@restingplace.us
5 p.m. Sunday Worship
Seventh-Day Adventist Church 541-241- 6086
11 a.m. Saturday Worship
Shepherd of the Hills Luther an Church (ELCA)
386 N. Fir St. • 541-549-5831
www.shepherdof thehillsluther anchurch.com
10 a.m. Sunday Worship
Sisters Church of the Nazarene 67130 Harrington Loop Rd . • 541-389-8960
www.sistersna z.org • info @sistersna z.org
10 a.m. Sunday Worship
Sisters Communit y Church (nondenominational)
1300 W. McKenzie Hw y. • 541-549-1201
www.sisterschurch.com • info@sisterschurch.com
8 a.m. Daybreak Service • 10 a.m. Sunday Worship
St . Edward the Mart yr Roman Catholic Church 123 Trinit y Way • 541-549-9391
5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass • 9 a.m. Sunday Mass
12 p.m.
ROUNDABOUT:
Citizens appreciate Councilors’ service
the citizens of Sisters from their property taxes. More details on Sisters URA are here www.ci.sisters.or.us/ urban-renewal-agency.
Public comments in support of the Red Rock art included:
• There is a Western culture here in 80 years of rodeos, and “there used to be cattle ranches here and we still have hay ranches.”
• Sisters is in a cultural divide over this art, and to solve it, the matter should be to a vote of the people. Many are tired of this debate and bringing it to a vote would solve that.
• Potentially locate the sculpture on a property near the roundabout.
• Some on council have said that the Red Rock sculpture in the roundabout is a safety hazard; perhaps a staff safety study could determine that.
The other related public comments included:
• The public engagement on the roundabout art has been interesting to read in the local paper, including learning about the City process and the history of Red Rock and Lane Frost.
• Citizens are dismayed to learn that several councilors received threatening emails from the public. Councilors and public alike are “fundamentally good people trying to do the right things for all the right reasons.” Adding, “despite strong feelings...we can disagree and not attack each other.”
• Citizens grateful to Council for their service
and regardless the derogatory comments on Facebook, appreciate Council is working to have art that “represents all of us.”
City Manager Jordan Wheeler closed the staff reporting section with a couple of clarifications to public comments. He noted that during the call for artists process they followed the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) safety directives. All 50 submissions had qualified under ODOT’s directives, “including life safety issues.” As to individual pieces of art, staff does not produce a safety report. Additionally, Wheeler stated that changes to the URA budget would go to the URA board or if staff recommends moving funds from one project to another within the URA it would need URA board approval. In either case, these are public meetings to review and later approve budget changes.
Councilor Michael Preedin asked Council members to reconsider the Red Rock art. Councilor Preedin noted that the Council were the ones that called for a Western theme and “it feels like [that theme] is being ignored.” He proposed that the Red Rock funding, engineering concerns, and safety issues had been resolved and that the art is obviously popular. Preedin offered to be the intermediary between Council and the public for the Red Rock sculpture.
Councilor Cheryl Pellerin appreciated the public comment about civil discourse and said, “We all have the right in the freedom of speech, thank goodness, in this country. But I also know that we have a mental-health crisis, ...A post that you may make on social media...that you may think is innocuous...
someone, that might be having a bad mental-health day, could interpret that [post] as a call to action that we would all regret. So please, post responsibly, ...being concerned about our own safety is something we should not have to be doing in this community. Some of these threats and names being called could be from people that don’t even live here. That’s the danger of social media.”
Councilor Pellerin thanked Councilor Preedin for his offer of an intermediary role, but felt Council members are in equal balance and need to speak freely with the public, adding she needed time to consider. She ended, with controlled emotion, saying, “I pray for our country.”
Other councilors voiced support of Pellerin’s statement. Councilor Preedin asked the public to “tone it down,” and thanked Pellerin for her comments.
Few of the public ever remain for an entire Council meeting — some extend past 9 p.m. Nonetheless, a few citizens remained and approached the bench to talk with Council members. Some thanked Council and some apologized for others bad behavior toward Council members.
LIBRARY ART: Renowned Sisters artist featured with tile piece
Continued from page 3
character of the community, be it a farmer with his dog taking a harvest to market, or the energy of the mountains, streams, forest, and fields.”
Deggendorfer says she loves that her piece was selected to be part of the Sisters Library. “Libraries are open doors to anyone,” she said. “It’s rare in this day and age. Libraries have no barrier to access; they offer us opportunities to learn in so many ways.”
“Mountain Home” was purchased with funds donated in memory of Peg Bermel, who worked at the Sisters Library for more than 30 years. Bermel was instrumental in establishing two libraries in Sisters, including the library in its current location on Cedar Street. People interested in contributing toward art in the libraries
can donate to the Deschutes Public Library Foundation (www.dplfoundation.org).
Deggendorfer’s piece joins other art works in the Sisters Library, including a large-scale fiber-art mural by Kristy Kún in the building’s community room, as well as an acrylic-on-panel piece by Randy Redfield above the fireplace, and framed monoprints by Carolyn Platt and Janet Brockway.
Unique art installations are planned for every library in Deschutes County; works from local and regional artists are both traditional and nontraditional, possess a lasting endurance, and are diverse in both concept and material.
“Mountain Home” by Kathy Deggendorfer will be on permanent display in Sisters.
PHOTO PROVIDED
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during the Flat Fire. We were kind, generous, respectful, and listened to find out how to help one another — even with those we did not know.
As time passes and the crisis subsides, I challenge each of us to continue with those same behaviors even when topics arise that may trigger us to respond differently. How will we continue being kind, generous, respectful, and good listeners when we disagree on a community or political issue? I am going to trust we can. And, when we slip back into old behaviors, why not ask one another why we aren’t putting our best self first like we did during the fire when so much was at stake — because it still is.
Linda Wolff
To the Editor:
s s s
Water problems
I’m writing to bring attention to ongoing utility failures affecting residents in Whychus Canyon Estates. This problem has been going on much longer than the five years I’ve lived here — I’m just among many unhappy residents experiencing these repeated failures.
Most recently, during the Flat Fire evacuation from August 23–27, we had no water — not even water that could be boiled. Tonight, the power went out for two hours and now we cannot use water without boiling until further notice. This keeps happening over and over.
The pattern is always the same: power outages at the water utility facility result in complete water shutdowns, followed by days of testing and boil water notices before service is restored.
This is a basic infrastructure problem that other utilities have solved. Why can’t ours maintain service continuity during power outages?
My patience is gone.
Craig Stelle
s s s
Fire investigation
To the Editor:
to protect our homes, our memories, and our lives. Now, as I reflect on the losses—both immediate and long-term—the toll on our community is substantial. What stands in the way of healing and moving forward is the need for clarity: the fire’s cause must be determined, and accountability must be established. I do not want to see speculation or rumor drive the narrative. Facts matter, and the investigation must be done thoroughly and beyond doubt.
My homeowner’s insurance should not be the safety net for someone else’s reckless decisions or actions.
Chris Nygren
s s s
From the superintendent
To the Editor:
The Sisters School District is off to a fantastic start to the new school year, filled with energy, growth, and momentum. Across all three schools, students, staff, and families are coming together to build a strong sense of community. From a packed Back-to-School Night at Sisters Elementary, to the welcoming barbecue at Sisters Middle School, to the Connect Crew and leadership team welcoming in the new class of ninth graders at Sisters High School, the excitement for learning and sense of connection is clear.
There is also much to celebrate in student support. This summer, both Sisters Elementary and Sisters Middle School were honored with the prestigious RAMP Award (Recognized ASCA Model Program) from the American School Counselor Association, following their certification last spring. This national recognition highlights excellence in counseling programs that help students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. With only a small number of schools in Oregon holding this distinction, the achievement reflects the dedication of the district’s counselors and staff. Work is already underway to pursue certification at Sisters High School, ensuring strong, consistent support for students at every level.
Roadless
Many of our favorite nearby landscapes are under serious threat from the Trump administration as it seeks to rescind the 25-year-old Roadless Rule. Here are some of my favorite threatened places: Scott Lake, Hand Lake, Three Creeks Lake, Little Three Creeks Lake, Paulina Lakes, Cultus Lake, Sparks Lake, Alder Springs, Deschutes Canyon, Lookout Mountain in the Ochocos, Iron Mountain in the Willamette National Forest.
These comprise a portion of the two million currently protected acres of Oregon’s most iconic landscapes. Nationwide, almost many more millions of acres are on the chopping block. These roadless areas are some of the last intact landscapes in America, providing clean water, critical wildlife habitat, and world-class recreation opportunities.
Adopted in 2001, the Roadless Rule had the most extensive public involvement process in federal rulemaking history. Approximately 95% of the 1.6 million public comments received by the U.S. Forest Service supported the 2001 Roadless Rule, which was enacted after 600 public meetings and an 18-month review period, receiving the most public comments of any rule in U.S. history at the time.
In an attempt to limit our input, the public has been given an unusually short comment period of only 21 days from the announcement on August 29, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture published its notice of intent to repeal the rule.
We have until 8:59 p.m. on Friday, September 19, to rise to the defense of the Roadless Rule. Go to “regulations.gov” and click on the “dockets” tab. Select “Roadless Rule Recission” or docket ID “FS2025-0001” to find the correct submission portal. Click “Open for Comments” then click “comment.” Or go to the website of Oregon Wild or Central Oregon Landwatch or Cascadia Wildlands to use their “take action” form.
Susanna DeFazio
s s s
Roundabout art
Events & Enter tainment
As life begins to settle back into a new sense of normalcy here on the rim of Whychus Creek Canyon, I feel both blessed and deeply fortunate post the Flat Fire catastrophe.
Leading up to Friday evening, August 22, many of our neighbors and us faced the fear and uncertainty of a fire tearing through our community, leaving little behind but ash and sorrow.
Words cannot fully capture the gratitude I feel for the firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way
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
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 district also completed several facility improvements over the summer, including a newly seeded field at the elementary school, expanded sidewalks and fencing for student safety, and a greenhouse project built with the help of dedicated volunteers. With these enhancements, along with the commitment of staff and support from families, the district is looking ahead to what promises to be one of the best school years yet in Sisters.
Stay informed by visiting https://district.ssd6.org and subscribing to the weekly district newsletter.
Curt Scholl, Superintendent
FRIDAY • SEPT. 19 (cont.)
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
To the Editor:
As our community debates the proposed bull sculpture for the Highway 20 roundabout, we must remember that our elected officials are volunteers serving Sisters out of civic duty, not targets for harassment if you disagree with them.
While passionate disagreement on public art is expected in a vibrant democracy, threatening emails and online vitriol cross the line from advocacy to intimidation. When we resort to cyber-bullying, bullying, and personal attacks, we undermine the very democratic process we claim to defend.
SAT. • SEPT. 20 (cont.)
The Barn Live Music: Chiggi Momo 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
Frankie's (formerly Sisters Depot) Live Music: Open Mic Music lovers can enjoy a variety of local talent, 7 to 9 p.m. Sign ups, 6:30 Info: sistersdepot.com.
The Open Door Live Music: Mark Barringer and Bob Baker 6 to 8 p.m. Dinner reservations at www opendoorwinebar.com.
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
FRIDAY • SEPT. 19
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
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. The Belfr y Live Music: Tommy Castro and the Painkillers with Ben Rice, 7 p.m. Internationally beloved soul-blues rocker Tommy Castro brings a dynamic mix of guitar-fueled blues, testifying Memphis-soaked blue-eyed soul, and East San Jose funk. Tickets, $30 BendTicket.com.
Various Artists’ Studios & Galleries Artist Studio Tour presented by Sisters Arts Association. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Maps at local galleries or online at www.sistersartsassociation.org/studio-tour-map
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Dr y Canyon Stampede 6 to 9 p.m. Advanced tickets required: www.faithhopeandcharityevents.com/eventcenter
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
Various Artists’ Studios & Galleries Artist Studio Tour presented by Sisters Arts Association. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Maps at local galleries or online at www.sistersartsassociation.org/studio-tour-map
Sisters Saloon Live Music: Bobby Lindstrom Band 6 to 8 p.m. on the patio Free; open to all ages 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.
See LETTERS on page 13
Continued from page 12
Our city council members — regardless of their position on The Bull — deserve respect for their service. They volunteer their time to make difficult decisions on complex issues, weighing safety, process, budget, and community input. We can disagree with their conclusions without questioning their character or intentions.
The upcoming Public Art Advisory Committee represents a proper path forward — a structured process that ensures community input while maintaining professional standards for public art selection. This is how civic processes should work.
I believe the proposed bull sculpture would make a wonderful addition to one of our public parks, or to the Rodeo grounds, where visitors could fully appreciate its story and craftsmanship in a more intimate manner. While the roundabout might be better served by a more inclusive design reflecting our natural surroundings — honoring not just our Western heritage, but the deeper history of this land in the West that stretches back far beyond recent settlement.
Let’s elevate this conversation. Attend meetings, write thoughtful letters, engage in civil discourse. But let’s stop the threatening behavior that drives good people away from public service and diminishes our community’s character.
Sisters is better than this. Our disagreements, however passionate, should reflect the Sisters Way, and the values of respect and neighborliness that make our town special.
Eli Madrone
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
To the Editor:
s s s
Houselessness
The Partnership on Houselessness is an ongoing collaboration between local government agencies, service providers, and nonprofits, committed to addressing houselessness in the Sisters area.
Based on input from the June 24 Community Conversation on Houselessness the group is working to update the Community Action Plan and develop a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) resource to help inform the community. The FAQ is expected to be available in October.
Below is a list of recent actions the group has been working on:
CORE (Community Outreach Resources & Emergency Shelter) shared several exciting developments:
• Industrial equipment was generously donated to support laundry services.
• The food bank is serving approximately 90 individuals each week.
• The Mobile Employment Resource Van (MERV) will begin visiting the food bank soon.
• The community room will open on Thursdays starting in October.
• With help from the community CORE has helped four individuals move from the forest into safer living situations.
Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District has provided fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and first aid kits to those camping on Deschutes
National Forest, increasing safety and emergency preparedness.
Sisters Ranger District staff and additional federal resources have increased their patrol efforts, focusing on fire prevention, fire suppression, and enforcement of code of federal regulations resulting in some long-term campers leaving the national forest. Deschutes National Forest staff, SCLI, and volunteers have worked to remove over 20 abandoned vehicles and trailers from the forest surrounding Sisters this summer.
City of Sisters recently opened a new RV dump station and potable water faucet at Sisters Gateway Park, improving access to essential services.
Citizens4Community (C4C) has launched a new tool to support community engagement.
Visit www.volunteerinsisters.org to find or post local volunteer needs.
We are grateful for the many individuals and organizations working together to support the houseless in the Sisters area. Information and updates can be found at: https://tinyurl. com/3bbunuxh.
Kerry Prosser, on behalf of Sisters Ranger District, SSD6, City of Sisters, SPRD, Sisters Library, Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, DCSO, Deschutes County Behavioral Health, Sisters Community Leadership Initiative, Sisters Community Church, CORE, C4C, and Sisters EDCO. s s s
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
WEDNESDAY • SEPT. 24
Sisters Movie House Autumn Arts & Adventure: "It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley" 6:45 p.m. Information and tickets at www sistersmoviehouse.com.
Sisters Saloon Poker Night Texas Hold’em, 21+, 5:30 p.m.–close, upstairs. $50 buy-in, freezeout. The Barn Live Music: Silvertone Devils 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
THURSDAY • SEPT. 25
Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards Live Music: Eric Leadbetter Duo 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
FRIDAY • SEPT. 26
Downtown Sisters 4th Friday Artwalk 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Galleries and shops feature art and demonstrations. Information: www.sistersarts.org.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
FRIDAY • SEPT. 26 (cont.)
Makin’ it Local Art Walk & Live Music
Artist reception with Susan Luckey Higdon 4–7 p.m. Enjoy Oregon wine and beer sampling, gingersnaps, and live music by Erin Cole-Baker Info: www.makinitlocal. com.
Downtown Venues Sisters Folk Festival
An intimate, multi-genre festival that puts 33 great artists on seven stages! Information and tickets at www.sistersfolkfest.org.
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Live Music: Toothpick Shaker 4-6 p.m. Free Family- and dog-friendly Info: 541-549-2471
Paulina Springs Books Magic: The Gathering nights Booster Draft at 5 p.m. $15. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
SATURDAY • SEPT. 27
Downtown Venues Sisters Folk Festival
An intimate, multi-genre festival that puts 33 great artists on seven stages! Information and tickets at www.sistersfolkfest.org.
The Barn Live Music: Ky Burt — The Feel Goods 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
Eurosports Food Cart Garden Live Music: NTT 4-6 p.m. Free Family- and dog-friendly Info: 541-549-2471
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
SUNDAY • SEPT. 28
Downtown Venues Sisters Folk Festival
An intimate, multi-genre festival that puts 33 great artists on seven stages! Information and tickets at www.sistersfolkfest.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 • OCTOBER 1
Sisters Movie House Autumn Arts & Adventure: "RITUAL Mountain Bike Film Tour 2025" 6:45 p.m. Information and tickets at www.sistersmoviehouse.com.
The Barn Live Music: Mama's Boy 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor stage. Info: www thebarninsisters.com.
FRIDAY • OCTOBER 3
Paulina Springs Books Author reading: Thor Hanson presents "Close to Home: The Wonders of Nature just Outside Your Door," 6:30 p.m. Info: paulinaspringsbooks.com.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Karaoke with Gaby 8 p.m. to midnight. Information call 541-549-6114.
SATURDAY • OCTOBER 4
The Belfr y Live Music: Hillstomp’s “Last Hurrah,” 7 p.m. Portland’s junkbox blues duo is here for their final Central Oregon show — send them off in style! Tickets, $25, BendTicket.com.
GLORY DAZE:
Car event drew big crowds to town Continued from page 1
taken. It was very up-close and personal. Noses were inches from pristine paint, blinding chrome, and engines that would be at home in a surgical suite.
“This was a drool fest,” Steph Moran from Bend chortled, as she and two of her pals quizzed owners on the history and restoration techniques. Like nearly everybody, their admiration for the arduous and intricate work of making these vehicles, some 90 plus years old, look like they just rolled off the factory floor was palpable.
“I was terrified my kids would get fingerprints or drop their ice cream cones on a car,” said Kristi Garner from Redmond.
SPRD had a Kids Zone to help moms and dads with the chore. In the background it was the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Ronny & The Daytonas, The Kinks, and many others of the all-time hits of songs about cars, played over speakers.
The music set a nostalgic mood and a lively rhythm which led to some occasional dancing in the streets.
“This is wild,” said Curt Phelan from Prineville. “We just came over for the day thinking that since school’s back in session things would be pretty calm. Does Sisters ever have a weekend when something’s not going on?”
For sure shopkeepers, watering holes, and eateries were packed from the turnout. Many of the show cars could still be spotted around town up until the dinner hour. A group of 13 cars from Eagle Crest found their way to stores and restaurants boosting sales.
Jennifer Holland, SPRD executive director, told The Nugget, “On behalf of Sisters Park & Recreation District and our Board of Directors, thank you to everyone who
participated in or attended this year’s Glory Daze Car Show.
With 109 cars officially registered and another 15 joining in on the side lines, East Main Street was a spectacular sight for car enthusiasts.
“This event would not be possible without the support of our volunteers and sponsors. Special thanks to the Rotary Club of Sisters, our title sponsor, for both their support and parking assistance. We are also grateful to committee members Steve
2025 Daze Car Show Winners
MODIFIED
1st Place: Cynthia Noyes, 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
2nd Place: Phillip Hale, 1972 Chevrolet El Camino SS
MUSCLE CAR
1st Place: Mike Callon, 1967 Ford Galaxy
2nd Place: Everett Melton, 1967 Pontiac GTO
PICKUP/OFF ROAD- 1956 & OLDER
Auerbach and Jay Bergevin for their countless hours, and to our dedicated car judges.”
She added thanks go to Mid Oregon Credit Union for sponsoring the Award Ceremony, and to Les Schwab Tire Center and Three Creeks Towing & OffRoad Recovery for sponsoring car categories.
“Glory Daze continues to be a fun and wonderful way to bring our community together. We look forward to next year,” she concluded.
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.
1st Place: Brian Bohrer, 1953 Jeep Willys 3B
2nd Place: Paul Pence, 1956 Ford F100
PICKUP/OFF ROAD – 1957 & NEWER
1st Place: Bruce Hannah, 1965 Chevy C-10
2nd Place: Lucas Marciniak, 1983 Toyota FJ 60
SPORTS CAR
1st Place: Rodger Dwight, 1956 Corvette
2nd Place: Julio Gogas, 1966 Corvette
STOCK RESTORED- 1959 & OLDER
1st Place: Allan Elliott, 1930 Model A (Egg Truck)
2nd Place: Gary Rawlings, 1959 Desoto
STOCK RESTORED- 1960 & NEWER
1st Place: Todd Hollis, 1962 VW Ragtop
2nd Place: Tracey Spear, 1966 Ford Mustang GT
STOCK UNRESTORED
1st Place: Jennifer Singer, 1938 Packard Twelve
2nd Place: Sam Alaimo, 1960 Cadillac Coupe Deville
STREET ROD
1st Place: Jerry Kjensrud, 1934 Ford Tudor
2nd Place: Rod Robbel, 1936 Desota Airflow
BEST IN SHOW
Cynthia Noyes, 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk
P EOPLE’S CHOICE
Bob Ritso, 2019 Hellcat Redeye Wide-Body Challenger
SOLICITUDES DE VIVIENDA DISPONIBLES
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.
LAS SOLICITUDES DEBEN SER ENTREGADAS A MÁS TARDAR EL 26 DE SEPTIEMBRE A LAS 3 PM
Cynthia Noyes took Best in Show at the annual Glory Daze car show with her 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk with its trademark fins.
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
Good Press Small Biz
T. Lee Brown Columnist
Laura Stanfill had a colicky baby in 2012. The poor thing screamed and cried, as colicky babies do. Stanfill lost sleep and slid into a strange state of consciousness, as many new mothers do. Somehow, her response was to start her own publishing house.
“I’m not sure I would’ve done that if I’d been in my right mind,” she told an engaged audience at The Slow Down State coffeehouse. The workshop was part of Sisters Festival of Books (SFOB), held last weekend.
She admitted that Forest Avenue Press was born out of no experience whatsoever. But this led to Stanfill doing things her own way, while she also researched how small publishing functioned — and how the big, New York publishing businesses operate.
If you’ve read my Small Biz column before (it’s new, so hey, maybe you haven’t yet) you might’ve gotten the impression that I’m all about moving carefully, doing lots of market research and hiring professionals. OK, I am often about those things, having watched so many businesses tank or struggle unnecessarily.
But wandering into the uncharted territory of small business, or a segment thereof, can be fascinating. I enjoyed that as a teenager, working alongside my dad at
our shiitake mushroom farm, back when any mushrooms beyond white buttons were very unusual agricultural products in the U.S.
Did we end up with a super-successful small business? No, but it was fun (and delicious) while it lasted. Our family already had an existing, multigenerational, successful small business, so we weren’t sinking all our time and money into the various side schemes my dad started up.
We did get a mushroom growers’ collective off the ground, so that shiitake farms in the Pacific Northwest could better get out outdoor-grown, finicky, dark, high-end, Japanesestyle mushrooms to market.
Shiitake took off as “gourmet” ingredients, back when “gourmet” was still a compliment to higher-end foods. Businesses figured out how to manufacture shiitake as pale-looking, less flavorful, Americanized, factory-farmed products in warehouses. Darn.
The growing techniques my family used, before the warehouses, were what we’d likely now call smallbatch and wildcrafted. Who knows? Perhaps we were ahead of our time.
In any case, working on that tiny business gave me a taste not only for special foods but also for the untidy world of wild and possibly unrealistic start-up projects. In Stanfill’s case, the project has gone well.
“I got to choose,” she said of her path. “It was just an incredible gift from the universe.”
She chose how to start a press, rather than already knowing how to “do it right,” and chose how she wanted to run a business: respectfully and inclusively.
“I meant to start a press for Oregon writers,” she explained, not for her authors to gain national recognition and distribution—though
that has happened over time. Originally, she didn’t intend to publish authors from far beyond Oregon’s borders, but that evolved naturally, too. She also wanted to develop community “about the rest of us.”
In Portland, where Stanfill is based, there’s been a small cadre of famous and/or cult favorite authors for decades. Stanfill wanted to provide community and publication “for the not-famous.”
She wanted everyone to feel heard, not just her own authors. Now her hard work and research have provided her with a day job and her authors with small-press visibility and legitimate distribution.
“Imagine a Door” has bubbled up from her experience, too. Stanfill has applied her research, knowledge and insider perspective to this book, which “intersperses craft insights, case studies, and checklists with personal stories about publishing and the emotional complexities of sending your work into the world.”
Attendees of the workshop were clearly interested in the breadth of Stanfill’s experience as a writer and small publisher, and her frank approach to personal issues surrounding the business. Those assembled asked a wide range of questions about how to navigate publication.
The SFOB audience received more of Stanfill’s perspective throughout the festival, from her storytelling at the StorySlam event at The Belfry to a panel on fiction writing at Paulina Springs Books.
Doing it “the right way” or making it up as you go along: small press, like small business in general, can evolve in a multitude of ways. It’s exciting to follow along as businesses like Forest Avenue Press provide not just a sustainable business model and a living for their founders, but committed service to the communities they passionately embrace.
“Imagine a Door” is available at Paulina Springs Books here in town. If you must eschew local
businesses in favor of online sources, consider using Booksource.org, which supports independent bookstores.
Disclosure: I have a friendly relationship with Laura Stanfill, and was the first editor to ever publish her work, back in the day! Which I didn’t realize until running into her at last year’s SFOB. Anyhoo: if you’d like to get in touch with me about this or small business issues, please email tiffanyleebrown@berkeley. edu.
advised that a small wedge of land closest to the roundabout was privately owned. Councilor Sarah McDougall inquired whether that land might be developed in the future. Champlin replied that because it has several easements across it, and serves as a storm water basin, it is not developable property.
Champlin discussed the key takeaways from each of the outreach efforts which were summarized into three guiding themes: Option A. Recreate, Option B. Congregate, and Option C. Interpret. These themes resulted in three conceptualized park plans. Each of the three concepts were further represented in two views; one for summer and shoulder season and the other for winter.
All three options include ice rink/roller rink possibilities and basketball, tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts in the main structure, pedestrian and bicycle access, onsite parking, and a children’s nature-scape playground. NV5’s entire presentation can be viewed from page 11 of the meeting package, https://www.ci.sisters. or.us/media/31651.
One of the written com ments during the open house was jotted down by a father to capture an idea from his nineyear-old son. The son sug gested using the Three Sisters mountains as a theme for a bouldering/rock climbing designed playground. This is referred to as a “Three Sisters bouldering zone” in Options B and C.
The ice rink would be smaller than regulation hockey size. Option B also shows outdoor basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts — the latter, a sand court. In this option, the children’s playground is centrally located on the property and there is an outdoor dining amenity.
Gary Ross observed that since the site is by the Sisters Woodlands housing development, the likelihood of family cats enjoying the “sandbox,” might be an issue.
Option C represents a 17,500 square foot structure with fewer ball courts, and a smaller ice/roller rink. Champlin made note however, an ice rink that is 120-by-90-feet is not small. This option retained more of the existing trees than options A or B. Option C uniquely included an elevated platform, modeled after a fire watchtower, which might accommodate a variety of climbing challenges for varying age groups. This option has an interpretive nature and/
or local history signage along a walkway, an outdoor pavilion with tables for dining, and the largest lawn area of the three options. Additionally, it included an outdoor bocce ball court.
Councilor Cheryl Pellerin felt that since only one individual during outreach requested a bocce ball amenity, other more popular uses should be considered.
Mayor Letz was concerned about the liability risks of an elevated amenity, access for those in wheelchairs would be limited if not impossible,
and wondered if the height required for sightseer enjoyment might be too tall.
The Council provided other considerations to NV5:
• Since the site has only 2.6 developable acres, a smaller development footprint is recommended.
• There was concern for street noise impacting outdoor music events on the site.
• The restrooms should be situated in the main structure — unlike Option C.
• Councilor Pellerin asked if NV5 would include estimates for operations and
Option A includes a 38,000-square-foot timber structure to accommodate the ball courts. The court outlines are layered on the structure’s floor to allow alternating uses throughout a day or week. This floor space is converted to a regulation-sized hockey rink with viewer stands added in the winter. This option also includes a climbing wall within the structure and an outside picnic area.
Council was concerned that the amount of parking, small locker room size, and limited audience seating were insufficient for a hockey or other large ice event. Mayor Jennifer Letz sited the children’s playground as being located too close to West Barclay Drive. Councilor Michael Preedin wondered if the climbing wall could be relocated to double as a sound barrier.
Option B displayed a 32,700 square foot structure for ball court activities albeit fewer in number and included a stage for events instead of a climbing wall.
maintenance expenses and other Councilors wondered if park usage fees would cover such expenses.
• Recommend NV5 err on the side of more parking spaces to avoid parking off-site.
Champlin was pleased with the guidance from Council, and noted that after review of feedback on the three options, NV5 will create the preferred conceptual design, cost estimate, funding options and, if needed, a phased approach by end of October and present to Council in early November.
SHERIFF:
Rupert is a Marine Corps veteran and leader
Continued from page 3
DCSO, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years to 1991. It was in this role, Rupert notes, that he learned “moral and ethical team work which holds true [for him] to this day.”
On his first day at the DCSO in 2005, under the direction of former Sheriff Les Styles, Rupert was told that if he were to “lie, cheat, or steal,” he would no longer be part of the DCSO. Rupert continues to value that warning.
Rupert considers himself fiscally responsible, and is currently holding a deep review of the DCSO’s $68,000,000 budget to identify and reduce expenditures.
Rupert replaced Kent Van Der Kamp, who was elected in November, and retired after revelations that he had lied repeatedly about his educational background. He emphasized that he works for the people of the county, and wants to hear from the public if there is a problem. He plans to start having “Coffee with the Sheriff,” in locations throughout the county and to host town halls each year.
thanks to the hard work of former principal Tim Roth and SMS’s amazing staff.
“I want to give credit to Tim Roth and all his hard work with ‘belong, prepare, inspire’… the staff has done a lot of work around belonging and…making sure that students feel welcome, feel safe, feel a sense of belonging every day. I want to continue that work,” he said.
The first way in which Nicklous aims to continue that work is by building a “champions team” at SMS. “Champions” is a program where struggling students are identified by staff and then given extra support and one-on-one attention to help them with academics or lend emotional support if a student is having trouble outside of school.
“Support staff will be checking in with kids that might be struggling to give them a champion or a cheerleader that can support them with academics,” Nicklous explained.
Nicklous also discussed the importance of reaching out to families to do some community education around social media and smart phones; a
nationwide issue that is being grappled with in school districts across the country. At Elton Gregory, Nicklous and staff started a monthly book club where Redmond families read “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt and discussed its implications. Nicklous aims to start this conversation in Sisters with a similar book study group at the middle school.
In Haidt’s book, he asserts that one of the most effective ways to combat the pull of social media for teens is to get them involved in more hands-on passion projects. In public education, this type of project-based learning is found in CTE programming, also known as Career and Technical Education. CTE is something that Nicklous aims to expand at SMS.
“We want to inspire kids into areas that they may have an interest in or a passion for in the future…really wanting to look at our schedule and look at our elective classes [and how we can] expand opportunities for kids. Examples may be connected to the trades or maybe connected to… skills that they can use as they move on into high school and out into the workforce,” Nicklous said.
Nicklous is excited about reconnecting with the Sisters
community, supporting kids with their academics and expanding programming that encourages students to become well rounded citizens. He’s also grateful for the warm welcome back, and the dedication and enthusiasm of his staff.
“I’m just excited to return in the sense of all the connections... from parents stopping by, to texts and emails just welcoming me back… that’s been super fun and super
positive,” he said.
Nicklous also added that his excitement was largely due to the inspiring teachers he has been getting to know over the past few weeks.
“Working with staff during inservice… their commitment to kids and doing what it takes to create a great learning environment for kids has been impressive… it’s been wonderful to see in coming back as an administrator,” he said.
Justin Nicklous and family — Emma Keeton (daughter), David Keeton (son-in-law), Misty Nicklous (wife), and Sam Nicklous (son).
Signs of Life
By Leanne Summers Columnist
Rage was part of a discussion I had this Sunday morning — rage, frustration, grief, fear. Each are powerful enough to knock us and those about us flat; co-mingled, they can do lasting damage. In our culture, those of us of a certain age — say older than 10 — are rarely taught how to use these emotions to our benefit. Unmanaged and untrained they can undermine what we and others want and need. The results can be tragic.
Spring of my fourth grade year, my mother fell asleep on the couch with a lit cigarette. Our house in Redmond, Washington, burned to the ground. Everything gone — clothes, furniture, toys, pictures, bicycles ... You get the picture. We just lived it with the Flat Fire. I didn’t see the rebuilt version of that house again until late in my 40s. Until the insurance company agreed to pay for temporary housing, my mom, my stepfather, my three brothers, and I stayed with my dad and stepmother. Four adults, four children in 1,000 feet with one bathroom. We then moved into an apartment in Bellevue, Washington, for the rest of the school year, then into a rented farmhouse in Carnation, Washington, where we kids started our next school year. After that is a whole other story I don’t really need to get into, but I will tell you rage, frustration, grief, and fear played significant parts, and still do. Because those were, and are, often not welcome emotions, they often take up residence in our bodies, with effects hidden until the proverbial “hits the fan.”
Why am I sharing this? I am hardly alone or special in having this kind of story. Some of us are living stories like this that are still being written. Some of us had their houses burned to the ground in the last week. Some of us left their houses scrambling to grab what they thought was important and head for a safe haven. Some of us didn’t have a safe haven. Some of us stayed behind to help save their houses and those of their neighbors. Some of us lived outside of the evacuation zone, but didn’t know when and if it would reach them. Some of us wanted to help, but didn’t know how. The proverbial hit the fan, and it affected all of us in one way or another.
After evacuating on Friday, I woke up on
Saturday wishing I had brought my favorite coffee cup. Stupid, right? I also cursed myself for not grabbing the box of photos my brothers had assembled for me when cleaning out my Mom’s apartment a couple weeks before. It was right there, in the garage. Sure, I had pictures on my computer, but it would have been amazing to have one in my hand — along with that cup my daughter picked out when I moved to Tumalo from Alaska. Again, why am I sharing this?
This is the answer: There are a whole lot of us in need right now. In some cases, that need is readily recognizable — a home gone, a pet lost, a story with a jarring plot twist. I would guess, though, that whether or not you evacuated or watched the levels go from Level 1 to Level 2 to ... rage, frustration, fear, and/or grief are part of your story. Those emotions are there, regardless of whether your expression is graceful or compassionate, helpful or harmful. I will be the last one who will tell you not to be rageful, not to look for the villain in our story, not to look for someone to blame. I will ask, though, that you use, equally and with whatever skill you possess, the other emotional tools you have available — compassion, kindness, empathy, patience, curiosity, reason, love.
Sisters is my home of choice. It is where I’ve landed after a long life journey, where I hope to range out of until I die, a beautiful community I want to share with my grandchildren, where I want to dance and tell stories until I can’t dance or write no more. There is so much to be angry about and to fear. I walk down the sidewalks of the little town I chose, the one that has taken me in, and I see a place of hope and community. Let’s be that. Let’s let that be our ripple effect. Not perfect, not Pollyanna. Genuine, generous, and willing.
Nugget Poetry Corner
And It’s only Wednesday
ByKendra Hamerly
It’s only Wednesday and a Par liament building has been burned
It’s only Wednesday and a quar ter million people took to the str eets in pr otest
It’s only Wednesday and a husband, a father w as shot dead
It’s only Wednesday and high sc hool students wer e r unning for their lives, again
It’s only Wednesday and bombs landed in an enemy’s ter ritor y
It’s only Wednesday and Ar tic le 4 has been invoked, one step c loser to the sir en of a 5
It’s only Wednesday and the planet kept spinning
A little mor e of f kilter this time, but it kept spinning nonetheles s
Mother s once again weeping in their mor ning coffee
They weep for their c hildren, they we ep for your c hildren, they we ep for all boys
Athens fell in 404 BC to Spar ta
Socr ates w as executed in 399 BC
I r emind you only to forewarn you
Socr ates w as executed for cor rupting the youth of Athens
Asking questions he himself had no answer s too
Challenging the status quo
I pr ay for peace, As do you
I pr ay for justice, As do you
I pr ay for calm, As do you
Human histor y tells me my pr ayer s ar e unavailing
Human histor y only knows war, violence, slain masses
Human histor y is not kind, not forgiving, not calm
We ar e a species br ed for war
We ar e a species of men who cr eate battles
War is another game they must always win
They must conque r, or become the conquered
We witness time and time again “Man’s Inhumanity to Man”
I pr ay for my c hildren, As do you
I pr ay for your c hildren, As do you
In These Changing Times
ByJackie Page
Why do we get so comfor table with mise ry?
Why do we demean ourselves by snuggling up to disaster? Why don’t we do something that we ar e f amous for anyway, and just change our minds?
Why don’t we get to gether and tell the boys how it’s going to be fr om now on?
We can still be wives and mother s, and still go to c hur ch
We can still do the dishes and have the babies; what do we have to pr ove?
Nothing r eally, just that we have a foot to put down and a finger to put to our lips (like we do with the babies w hen they’ re tir ed or fussy and becoming intoler able) and say, “Shhhh. It’s going to be ok…this wo n’ t hur t.”
Let’s go on rocking the cr adle and being the lady-w ar rior s and pioneer women we ar e. We can do both.
The Years Between
ByEdieJones
The beauty of six-month skills
Legs and ar ms, pushed against their will.
Soon, this little one will lear n to stand
And the ninety one will lend a hand
Scooting, cr eeping, cr awling, sit.
Her br ain gr owing to be str ong and fit.
Smiles between this dainty miss
And one aw ar e of movements’ bliss.
Whose stor y of life is ric h and long
Knows her year s may soon be gone.
Living ninety year s, str ong and tall.
Wishing she still could do it all.
Skis er ect, with downhill flow
What a thrill as we w atc hed her go
Those year s, so many miles apar t,
Cr eate smiles in our hear ts
Then, Ninety will sit and watc h the flow
As down that hill, the babe will go Fall, she will, as in the pas t
Working hard, ne w skills to gr asp.
The year s of life bring lots of change
Not alw ays welcome – cursed, and blamed.
The lesson for this little one,
As ups and downs and falls do come,
Embr ace it with an open hear t.
Choice is your s, it’s in your cart.
In later year s, when str ong you stand, Smile, and r eac h out with a helping hand.
Local beats odds in Oregon Mustang Training Competition
By Lilli Worona Correspondent
Megan Rheeder was devastated when she had to put her horse down last year. Rheeder, a Physical Therapist at Green Ridge Physical Therapy in Sisters, had finally decided to get her own horse after taking a break from showing during her college years.
“I got him with all these plans to get back into showing and then there was, like, one issue after another after another, and then he had that bad injury, and we ended up having to put him down… it wasn’t really the jump back into horse ownership that I thought it was going to be,” Rheeder lamented.
Disheartened, Rheeder wasn’t quite sure what would come next.
Rheeder has been riding horses since she was five years old, a passion which eventually grew into threeday eventing, an equestrian event where riders compete across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. Although Rheeder still rode for pleasure after moving to Sisters five years ago, she felt like something was missing, especially after having to put her horse down.
Rheeder turned her sorrow into action when she heard about the Oregon Mustang Adoption challenge, an all ages competition where entrants are given a wild Mustang to train over the course of four months.
“I remember seeing some people doing this Mustang competition online, and that had kind of piqued my interest in Mustangs. So I just decided… what the heck? I’ll just apply for it,” Rheeder said.
It took me a month to even be able to
training progress accelerated rapidly once she was able to mount her. She explained that after Lainy allowed herself to be touched, Rheeder moved step by step to build trust over a four-month period; a sequence of training she learned through YouTube videos and trial and error that eventually allowed her to ride Lainy without fear.
“You have to really break it down into the most basic steps...you have to make sure you don’t skip anything. A lot of people, you know, they see the old Western movies… [cowboys] just get on, and then just go for it. Just hold on for dear life. It’s not like that,” she said.
“By the time it got to me, I only had like eight horses to choose from, and they started with 200,” Rheeder explained.
“I have friends that have [trained] Mustangs before, so I had one of my friends come over in the beginning and help me a lot with her…she’s worked with like, 14 Mustangs and she was like ‘she is the most difficult horse I’ve ever worked with!’” Rheeder said, laughing.
At the beginning of the training process, it seemed as if the odds were stacked against Rheeder and her new Mustang, Lainy.
“It took me a month to even be able to touch her, really… and some people [in the competition] were touching their horses on the first day. It took a really long time with her… in the beginning she was very guarded, very untrusting,” Rheeder said.
Despite Lainy’s initial trepidation, Rheeder stayed committed and her slow
This year’s entries filled up a lot faster than expected, so Rheeder had to rush to get in her application. Rheeder explained that entrants were allowed to select their wild horse from the Oregon Wild Horse Corrals in Burns based on their entry time and date. Since Rheeder was one of the last to submit her application, she was one of the last to choose her horse.
Rheeder divulged that she didn’t feel ready until right before the competition, which took place over Labor Day weekend. She didn’t think she would do well, but Rheeder figured she would go anyway, just for the experience.
“When I decided that we were good enough to go, I was like, well, we’re just gonna do our best, you know not expecting to place at all… so when they called my name, honestly, I was like, wait what?”
Of the 30 trainers in her division, Rheeder and Lainy took third place in body conditioning and handling, and fourth place in riding.
“I was super happy with how she handled everything. There were a lot of firsts for her, even… through the training process, you try to get them as ready for handling a competition as you can, but
there’s only so much you can do in that amount of time,” Rheeder said.
The competition results proved that Rheeder had clearly used the time she had wisely.
After the competition, Rheeder decided to keep Lainy instead of putting her up for auction like many other competitors do at the end of the competition. She even decided to purchase a second Mustang, Twain, to keep Lainy company.
“[Twain] and Lainy are
best friends,” Rheeder said. When asked if she will enter again next year, she said she is taking her time to make a decision.
“I will definitely do it again in the future, but I have not decided if I will do it again next year. Part of me wants to just focus on my two horses and part of me wants to do it again. The next time though, I think I would do it with the plan to sell the horse at the auction, because I really don’t need three for myself,” Rheeder said.
Megan Rheeder and her mustang Lainy at the Oregon Mustang Training Competition that took place over Labor Day weekend (August 29-31).
PHOTO PROVIDED
Paulina Springs Books is very community-oriented.”
The bookstore and its owner, Lane Jacobson, were responsible for founding SFOB and have been instrumental in evolving it into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
More had just finished watching a presentation from Peter Cavanagh, author of “How Birds Fly: The Science & Art of Avian Flight.”
“Honestly it was very ” she said. “I went into it thinking, ‘That might be fun.’ I came out of it thinking, ‘Man, I want to go take a science class.’ The passion that the author has for his work really spoke to me.”
A baker by trade, she loves her job at Sisters Coffee Co., and finds it important to do things with her hands, like baking, crochet, and crafting. Still, she left the presentation thinking, “Wow. What’s my passion?”
Laura Stanfill also inspired her. Stanfill’s latest book goes into the details of writing and publishing (see Small Biz column, page 15). “Being able to see what your finished product is going to be was very inspiring, even though I’m not a writer,” said More.
“I’m a terrible writer,” she clarified.
The StorySlam event was sold out and popular as ever, packing The Belfry to the rafters. A host of locals could be seen, buzzing amongst outof-town festival-goers. Local music and stories mingled with those of visiting authors.
This year’s storytelling winner was Ted Ford — or Teddy, as Michelle Obama apparently calls him. Author
R. G. Shore enthused about the event, “It was a lot of fun! It was welcoming. I would recommend it for anyone, just to feel like feeling encouraged, to have a good laugh and a good time.”
It was Shore’s first time at the festival, attending as an author, workshop leader, and promoter of the nonprofit organization Northwest Wisdom.
His spiritual memoir “The Ocean Inside Me” won the Gold Award from Nautilus Book Awards. It delves into “healing racial trauma as a person of color incarcerated in an almost all-white prison.”
Shore describes himself as a spiritual teacher, past life regression therapist, energy healer, spiritual counselor, and founder of Northwest Wisdom. He holds a master’s degree in education and several certifications in healing modalities.
Starting with a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and moving through a personal journey of hardships and marginalization, Shore “has begun to shape and cultivate his spirituality through lived experience.”
Bringing his work and voice to Sisters, Shore said “the community is great... we’ve
felt nothing but support.”
“God and Sex” author Jon Raymond, an influential Portland-based author and screenwriter, brought his seemingly laid-back, casual vibe and classic Gen X sense of irony to his author reading.
His new book is quintessentially Oregonian, with dives into forest fires, hot springs, environmental activism, and the trend of loving trees (and writing books about them). Perhaps less specific to Oregon are his inquiries into the nature of spirituality and miracles, writers and librarians, not to mention the dynamics of a love triangle.
Around 2020, Raymond realized that current pop culture and books are too often about dystopian themes: plague, climate collapse, maybe a meteor hitting Earth. He became disenchanted by dystopian books, including many cli-fi (climate-oriented fiction) stories. Cli-fi is a subgenre he has written in before; his novel “Denial” features a journalist of the future, whose story is somehow both wrenching and detached.
Raymond’s laughter counterbalanced his stark views as he talked about the current Internet age: “We live in a depraved, terrible situation
and we take the scraps we can get.”
He called the explosion of the Internet the irony of his lifetime. He mused on “the fantasy of the ’90s, that the Internet was going to usher in a renaissance, when in fact, it’s sent us into a cultural Dark Age.”
He went on to say he loves art from the Dark Ages and throughout the medieval era. According to Raymond, the current Dark Age “doesn’t mean people are creating bad art, literature, movies, and music.”
But for writers and others who create for a living, “it is a
blighted landscape.”
Intelligent, curated, edited criticism is missed by many writers and artists.
“We’ve replaced it with GoodReads,” he fumed.
“What a stupid thing. And! I do read it! Because it’s the only thing there is.”
Not the only thing, really:
“God and Sex” received a rave review from the New York Times.
Featuring a host of other writers and events, SFOB offered a dense slate of offerings over three days’ time, marking another successful festival for the relatively new organization.
Sisters Festival of Books featured a keynote session with Daniel H. Wilson and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., focusing on survival, identity, and storytelling.
PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN
The Great Feast
By T. Lee Brown Correspondent
What happens when you pair a distinctive, passionate local chef with a distinctive, passionate local book festival? You get an extraordinary feast of seven courses, each inspired by a particular book and its author.
Last Saturday, Sisters Festival of Books (SFOB) featured its Literary Banquet Author Dinner with chef Jackson Higdon, owner of Luckey’s Woodsman restaurant here in Sisters. On-site at Paulina Springs Books, Higdon and his crew presented dish after dish with aplomb and storytelling—and good eats.
How, exactly, does a stack of books become a meal? Well, each course went through a process of inspiration. First came the books: the most recent tomes written by seven selected authors, each of whom was featured at the festival.
The authors riffed on food ideas from their own books, and sent the comments to SFOB and Chef Jackson. He then riffed further, sometimes delving into additional research, sometimes modifying existing recipes. The results were meaty and satisfying.
A straightforward example: “The El” is named after the well-known elevated trains in Chicago (think subways in the sky). Its author, Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr., asked for pigs in a blanket, with Chicago hot dogs. Higdon got it done, as an appetizer.
Now picture an author raised in the Central Oregon of not-so-long-ago. His beat for The Oregonian is housing and commercial real estate. He investigates the crazy real estate and housing situation in his hometown, Bend, and uses this work as a way to explore Western housing issues in general.
The author? Jonathan Bach. The book? “High Desert, Higher Costs: Bend and the Housing Crisis in the American West.”
The dish? Central Oregonian, sustainably farmraised pork with apple bourbon chutney and delicious braised greens, the kind of dinner you’d spend your paycheck on if you didn’t have such high rent to pay.
As guests made their way through a course, they were joined by one of the authors. Chitchat and questions ensued. At the end of each course, authors stood up and moved to another table. In this way, various guests and authors all dined with each other as the evening went along.
The sixth course won the unofficial contest for Wildest Dish Name: called Cordon
Avian Wing Depressor, it was Higdon’s take on chicken cordon bleu. It was inspired by Peter Cavanagh’s book “How Birds Fly: The Science & Art of Avian Flight.”
Close second in the naming department was Cosmic Salmon, inspired by Cherokee author Daniel H. Wilson and his book “Hole in the Sky.” While salmon is a regional Native traditional food, other elements of the dish can be found in Native cooking throughout the continent, including traditionally Cherokee areas.
The Three Sisters or Tres Hermanas are not just our local mountains; they are climbing beans, maize a.k.a. corn, and squash, grown together in symbiotic harmony. This type of companion planting helps each of the plants grow and fruit better than they would on their own. Higdon opted for traditional tepary beans, corn cakes, and butternut romesco.
Alison Jean Cole’s “A Rockhound’s Guide to Oregon & Washington” inspired a stone soup riff and Maxim Loskutoff’s “Old King” brought forth irresistible mountain nachos (carnitas, beans, quest, pico, arugula pesto, and more).
A compelling montage of savory, sweet and bitter — the charred stone fruit and arugula salad—showcased local Broadus Bees honey infused with grand fir needles from Whychus Creek, topped by bee pollen. The inspiration was “Wildfire Days: A Woman, a Hotshot Crew, and the Burning American West,” by Kelly Ramsey.
No decadent feast would be complete without dessert.
For inspiration, Higdon and his team looked to “The Girls of Good Fortune,” partly set in the Shanghai tunnels of 1880s Portland — a fascinating time and place historically, and a prime era for ambitious American cooking.
For this course, Higdon’s sous chef prepared a “Dreamsicle Cake,” riffing on the silver cake trend among Victorian Americans.
As author Kristina McMorris explained, in the 19th century American angel food-style cakes made with the whites of eggs were called silver cakes, while yolks-only treats were called gold cakes, echoing the gold and silver rushes that brought miners to the West.
Was the evening a collection of short stories or a showcase of local talent and food? The literary feast managed to be both at once.
Diners staggered out in a stuffed stupor, some clutching to-go boxes, and got some sleep before the next morning’s workshops. It was another success for SFOB and Luckey’s Woodsman.
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• 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
Audio/video, data networking, WIFI, security camera, alarms. CCB #191099 541-306-0729
502 Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning
GORDON’S LAST TOUCH
Cleaning Specialists for CARPETS, WINDOWS & UPHOLSTERY
Member Better Business Bureau
• Bonded & Insured • Serving Central Oregon Since 1980 Call 541-549-3008
M & J CARPET CLEANING
Area rugs, upholstery, tile & dryer-vent cleaning. Established & family-owned since 1986. 541-549-9090
UPLOADED EVERY TUESDAY! The Nugget Newspaper — C L A S S I F I E D S — are online at www.NuggetNews.com
504 Handyman
3 Sisters Handyman Services 20+ years experience No job too large or small. Snow removal services available. Licensed, Bonded, and Insured Call Nate 907-748-4100
sistershandyman@gmail.com
CCB# 253556
AlpenGlow Handyman Services
Small & Large Jobs (1hr–2wks) 20+ Years Experience CCB#180099 Call/Text: 541-728-8607
AlpenGlowHandymanServices. com
600 Tree Service & Forestry
Tree Removal • Tree Pruning Good for Trees. Good to People. SparTreeArborist.com (916) 619-6317
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
• Wildfire Fuels reduction
• Debris Chipping/Mastication
• Forest Health Thinning
• Wildfire Cleanup & Restoration • Tree Removal Will Moore, 541-409-5404
ISA Certified Arborist We are the experts you’ve been looking for! LCB# 100129 & Oregon Professional Logger 71395048
4 Brothers Tree Service
Sisters' Premier Tree Experts!
– TREE REMOVAL & CLEANUP –Native / Non-Native Tree Assessments, Pruning, High-Risk Removals, 24 Hr. Emergency Storm Damage Cleanup, Craning & Stump Grinding, Debris Removal.
– FOREST MANAGEMENT –Fire Fuels Reduction - Brush Mowing, Mastication, Tree Thinning, Large & Small Scale Projects!
Serving Black Butte Ranch, Camp Sherman & Sisters Area since 2003
** Free Estimates ** Owner James Hatley & Sons 541-815-2342 4brostrees.com
Licensed, Bonded and Insured CCB-215057
– All You Need Maintenance –Tree removal, property thinning & clearing, forestry mastication & mulching, stump grinding. Lic/Bonded/Ins. CCB# 218169 Austin • 541-419-5122
601 Construction
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
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
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
Custom Homes • Additions
Residential Building Projects
Serving Sisters area since 1976
Strictly Quality
CCB #16891 • CCB #159020 541-280-9764
John Pierce jpierce@bendbroadband.com
LOCAL CONSTRUCTION
SERVICES & HOME MAINT.
Remodels • Landscaping
Firewise Maintenance
Decks & Much More! Pease Co. Contracting Call Tanner at 541-588-0136. Big and small jobs! CCB# 256258
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
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
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
606 Landscaping & Yard Maintenance
J&E Landscaping Maintenance LLC Clean-ups, raking, hauling debris, thatching, aerating, irrigation, mowing. Edgar Cortez 541-610-8982 jandelspcing15@gmail.com
Complete landscape construction, fencing, irrigation installation & design, pavers/outdoor kitchens, debris cleanups, fertility & water conservation management, excavation. CCB #188594 • LCB #9264 www.vohslandscaping.com 541-515-8462
All Landscaping Services
Mowing, Thatching, Hauling Call Abel Ortega, 541-815-6740
Alpine Landscape Maintenance An All-Electric Landscape Company.
Text/Call Paul 541.485.2837 alpine.landscapes@icloud.com
STEVE'S HAULING
Yard and other debris, landscaping services, chain saw work, etc. 707-328-8370
Keeping Sisters Country Beautiful Since 2006 candcnursery@gmail.com 541-549-2345
– 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
Eastern Cascade Solutions Landscaping & Construction www.easterncascadesolutions. com • 541-233-7195 LCB #9958 • CCB #222039
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
Seeking a caregiver. Are you passionate about making a positive impact in the life of my Mother? I am seeking a dedicated & compassionate caregiver to take care & provide exceptional care for my mother. As a caregiver, you will play a crucial role in supporting my mother who is Elderly. Schedule is 5 days a week & 5 hours per day. Salary is $30/hr. Apply by contacting me via email at George (gwssheets@gmail.com) for more details.
– Sisters Oregon Guide –Pick one up throughout town!
BANR Enterprises, LLC Earthwork, Utilities, Grading, Hardscape, Rock Walls
& Commercial CCB #165122 • 541-549-6977 www.BANR.net
CCB#180042 541-613-1530 • Geoff Houk NEED SOME WORK done on your home? Check out the 504 HANDYMAN advertisers in The Nugget!
Lilli Worona is The et’s newest team member, a freelance writer telling the stories of the vibrant, interesting, and remarkable people that make up the community that The Nugget serves.
Favorite part of the job: Inter viewing the amazing people in our community and getting to be creative.
Favorite activities: All things Central Oregon: backpacking, hiking, camping, skiing, mushroom hunting, biking, and playing music.
Working together, we can build prosperity and vibrancy in our community. Keep it local, and keep it strong.
Farthest traveled from Central Oregon: Australia and New Zealand
Your suppor t of The Nugget helps us suppor t local businesses. While our costs continue to rise, we have held steady on our adver tising rates because we know we can’t simply pass those cost burdens on to our adver tisers, who are facing rising costs across the board. Direct suppor t from readers in the form of Suppor ting Contributions is vital to continuing the work of the newspaper, h is, itself, a long-time par t of Sisters’ small business community eaders who value the paper and ting contributions er the cost of repor ting the news and serving as an opinion or the community
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