Sunriver’s next chief of police was expected to start his role with the Sunriver Police Department by end of April.
Pete Rasic accepted a conditional job offer following an executive session held by the Sunriver Service District Managing Board in February. Rasic was selected from 15 applicants that was narrowed to five, then down to two finalists who were interviewed by the SSD board and management staff.
Rasic, 55, comes from the El Monte Police Department in Southern California. He served with the department for 28 years and as lieutenant for the past nine years.
Rasic and his family have strong ties to Sunriver and vacationed here for years. The Rasic’s also have a daughter in Eugene, and are expecting their first grandchild which, admittedly, lended itself to moving to Oregon and staying.
“We love everything about this community,” Rasic said. “I’ve kept my eye on Sunriver for years and it is the perfect scenario and situation to bring my experiences. I look forward to being a larger part of the community.”
When asked about goals within the department Rasic wants to continue to build and ensure a collaborative regional emergency plan, foster a healthy work environment and increase recruitment and retention.
“Pete Rasic is a win for Central Oregon law enforcement. His experience will benefit all of Central Oregon, and his leadership will be a tremendous asset to Sunriver for public safety," said Jim Fister, the SSD Managing Board chair, speaking for the board. “We're excited to have him join our community as a police chief and as a community member. Sunriver welcomes chief Rasic, and we're looking forward to his tenure as police chief.”
SROA board candidates announced
SROA NEWS – Five candidates are running for three available seats on the Sunriver Owners Association Board of Directors.
The slate of candidates was presented to the SROA Board of Directors during the board’s April 19 meeting. Nominating Committee chair Debbie Baker presented the roster of candidates.
The candidates are, listed alphabetically:
• Linda Beard
What did you learn from the Level 2 evacuation notice in Sunriver last year? Did your evacuation plan go as expected? As this year’s fire season approaches, be prepared by following the Ready, Set, Go guidelines.
Level 1: READY
In the READY stage you are prepared for evacuation. There is a fire or other emergency in your local area. Treat every day of fire season in Sunriver as if it is a Level 1. Fire season generally runs May through November.
During this time prepare your 72hour go kit, keep the gas tank in your vehicle at least half full at all times, and know your household’s evacuation plan. Establish an out-of-area contact person, as well as an alternative shelter like a friend’s house or reliable hotel. Know what and where your 5 Ps are (people, pets, prescriptions, important papers and photos or other memorabilia). Having emergency notifications on your phone is an essential part of the READY stage. Sign up for Deschutes County notifications through OR-Alert (oralert.gov or Deschutes.org/911/ alerts). This is the official notification service for the state of Oregon and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
For Sunriver-specific notifications text SRALERTS to the number 888777.
If you are travelling frequently around the state you might download the Everbridge App, which will provide local notifications for the county you are in
• Gregg Henton
• Dale Harrison
• Pam Hays
• Sharon Martin
Short bios of each candidate will be printed in the June Scene and posted on the SROA website. A Zoom candidate forum, hosted by Sunriver You, is planned for June 24 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Owners can sign up to receive the Zoom link at www.sunriveryou.com under “Classes.”
ATTENTION
This year’s voting process will be conducted electronically via email. Voter information materials and an e-ballot will be sent to owners by mid-July with the election closing Aug. 9 at noon.
For those who require a paper ballot, you must fill out an opt-in form at www.sunriverowners.org/ ballot by May 23.
at the time.
Level 2: SET
At the SET stage, there is significant danger in your area. You must be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Put your 72-hour go kit and 5 Ps in your vehicle. You might choose to relocate to your safe shelter at this time, especially if you have family members with special care needs.
This may be the only evacuation notice you receive. If you can leave, leave early.
Level 3: GO
When it’s GO time, leave immediately. There is no time to prepare. There is no time to pack. You must go now. By staying you put yourself in danger. This
The view from Cardinal Landing bridge during the September 2024 Little Lava Fire west of Sunriver and which prompted a Level 2 evacuation.
As Sunriver’s premier brokerage, our visionary approach is redefining the brokerage model with property management, vacation rentals, marketing, and real estate all under one roof. We leverage our direct access and knowledge to serve clients in ways no other brokerage can. Whether you're seeking a primary residence, a vacation home, or investing in a rental property, Sunriver Realty has the expertise and resources to support you every step of the way.
SROA Compliance Corner: Steps for starting an exterior home project
SUNRIVER SCENE
May 2025
Volume XLVIII, No. 5
57455 Abbot Drive PO Box 3278
Sunriver, OR 97707
OWNER/PUBLISHER
Sunriver Owners Association
The SUNRIVER SCENE is the o cial monthly publication of the Sunriver Owners Association, a not-for-pro t Oregon corporation dedicated to:
“Maintaining Sunriver as a premier residential and resort community, protecting its natural environment, vibrant quality of life, property values and overall economic vitality."
The Scene is mailed to Sunriver property owners anywhere in the U.S. and available at locations throughout Sunriver and through a paid subscription by mail.
Publication of advertising copy or individuals’ opinions in the Scene does not constitute endorsement by the newspaper, the Sunriver Owners Association or any of its members or board of directors. Each advertiser bears responsibility for claims made on their behalf.
All Scene content including stories, advertising and images are copyrighted and cannot be re-published without permission.
CONTACT THE SCENE
Editor | Communications Director
Susan Berger | 541.585.2937 susanb@srowners.org
Communications Specialist
Shae Callewaert | 541.593.6068 shaec@srowners.org
Communications Specialist Kristine Thomas | 541.585.2939 kristinet@srowners.org
SROA NEWS – With spring beginning to show its glorious face, construction season is getting ready to shift into high gear. With that said, here are some things to keep in mind as a property owner getting ready to begin a project or as a property owner with a neighbor having work performed on their property.
Prior to commencing development or other alterations to real property, except those otherwise expressly permitted by the Design Committee Manual of Rules and Procedures, property owners are required to submit proposed changes to their property to the SROA Design Committee for review and written approval.
The Community Develop-
ment section of the Sunriver Owners Association website (www.sunriverowners.org/ communitydevelopment) provides the forms necessary to submit for a project.
Owners are encouraged to visit the site to become familiar with design processes and procedures. Community Development staff are also available to assist owners with navigating the project application process as well.
If you are an owner that received Design Committee approval for a project and are getting ready to commence work, please review the following:
1. Per Section 6.09 of the design manual, issuance of a SROA Building Permit prior
to commencement of any construction or demolition/ preparation activity is required.
2. Any contractor or subcontractor working on a Design Committee approved project must have current contractor parking passes.
3. Section 2.05 of the design manual states that owners are responsible for all aspects of the construction or other work being performed on their prop-
’Tis the season for road work in Sunriver
SROA NEWS – Warmer weather signals it’s now time for paving and other road work projects in Sunriver.
SROA’s administration public and staff parking lots will undergo a full depth rebuild, paving and other work to fulfill ADA standards. Both parking lots will be closed from May 19 to May 23, weather dependent.
Owners, contractors and anyone needing to visit the administration offices during this time will be detoured to an alternate parking location.
Canoe Takeout Road work
Between May 12 and May 14, SROA Public Works crews will regrade and apply dust abatement to the Canoe Takeout Road (Road 600).
If utilizing this road, please
drive with caution and be aware of heavy equipment in the area.
June slurry seal treatments
More than a dozen Sunriver lanes will be receiving slurry seal treatment June 3-5, weather dependent. For a map showing lanes to be treated go to www.sunriverowners.org/ roadwork.
Owners and visitors should expect traffic delays during the slurry application process and will be notified the week prior about alternative parking locations until work is complete and the lane can be reopened. Please do not drive, bike, walk the dog, etc. on the lane as the slurry will stick to whatever it touches until it has adequately dried.
Lanes with slurry work will
erty, including the actions of a general contractor.
For those owners who live next to or in proximity to properties with construction projects occurring please be aware of the following:
1. No construction work will begin before 7:30 a.m. or continue after 7 p.m. Exterior construction work is not permitted on Sunday.
2. Roadside parking is permitted by contractors in Sunriver.
Owners are encouraged to contact the SROA Community Development Department with questions pertaining to construction projects in Sunriver. Staff can be reached at 541-593-6645.
take place on the following dates:
June 3
• Coyote Lane
• Deer Lane
• Raccoon Lane
• Juniper Lane
• Butternut Lane
• Killdeer Lane
• Fox Lane
• Awbrey Lane
June 4
• Quelah Lane
• Muir Lane & Muir Court
• Lofty Lane
• Jackpine Lane
• Pine Bough Lane
June 5
• East Cascade/Circle 10
• Kinglet Lane
• Gosling Lane
• Lake Road
Sunriver
sroa president’s message OWNERS ASSOCIATION
Last May, my wife and I decided we would try out the life of snowbirds. For those unfamiliar with the term “snowbird,” this is used to describe people who live in the northern United States but “migrate” south in the winter.
We bought a home near Tucson, Arizona in a community like Sunriver called Sun City Oro Valley (SCOV).
Our reason for buying a home in Arizona was motivated by a desire to spend more time outdoors during the winter months. Neither of us are winter sport enthusiasts. Both of us have experienced broken bones due to poor coordination on ice.
Last October, we packed up our car and drove down to our new home in Arizona. While we returned to Sunriver for three weeks during the Christmas holidays and again for a week in February, we spent the rest of the winter in Arizona.
Readers may be thinking: Good for you but what does this have to do with Sunriver?
Living part-time in a HOAmanaged community similar to Sunriver has made me aware of what is similar and what is different.
Recently, I sent a copy of the SCOV board agenda to SROA general manager James Lewis with nearly identical
topics to those on the SROA board agenda. Both HOAs have similar financial challenges, such as funding a capital/reserve account, unexpected maintenance costs, increases in utility costs, state regulations impacting HOAs, etc.
Like Sunriver, SCOV offers outdoor pools, pickleball, tennis and a fitness center. Both employ a professional general manager and a dedicated staff, supported by multiple resident volunteers. Both homeowner associations have community design standards and compliance challenges. Like Sunriver, utilities are provided by independent service providers, not owned or managed by SCOV. Annual maintenance dues are comparable to those assessed by SROA.
While the similarities are interesting, the differences are perhaps more instructive.
Unlike Sunriver, SCOV does not have an extensive pathway system, a forested natural environment, a local village with restaurants and stores, or an anchor resort. They also do not operate their own police and fire services. Streets are owned and maintained by the city of Oro Valley. SCOV has a bulk agreement with their local trash/recycling hauler, but
Online Voting Reminder
If we have your email you will be receiving an e-ballot this year for SROA's summer election. Owners who wish to receive a paper ballot MUST OPT IN by filling out an online form at www.sunriverowners.org/ballot by May 23.
not with their telecommunications provider (no fiber-to-thehome).
The SCOV community primarily differs from Sunriver in that short-term home rentals, less than 30-night stays, are not allowed. Nearly 98% of the 2,488 homes in SCOV are solely occupied by owners, 61% are occupied year-round.
A more permanent community allows for diverse types of services and benefits. For example, SCOV has dedicated facilities used by owners to pursue various crafts and hobbies.
Examples include woodworking, pottery, jewelry, sewing, stained glass and model building. Likewise, there are more than 100 clubs residents participate in. Lectures, entertainment, social events and educational classes are available nearly every week. SCOV owns and runs an 18-hole golf course and restaurant, both which require subsidies to break even.
While sunshine, dry weather and warmer temperatures in Arizona during the winter months help facilitate an active outdoor lifestyle for those of us who have not mastered winter
sports, a more notable asset is the expanded social and educational opportunities. While SCOV supports these activities with facilities and promotion, volunteers are what make these social opportunities possible.
Sunriver has a beautiful yearround setting that should be attractive to more permanent residents. Could an expanded social calendar help attract more permanent residents? I want to commend the Owners Enrichment Committee and SROA staff for an expanded list of activities this spring. In addition to our normal Owner Happy Hour and Arbor Day Celebration, they added a Lunar Breathwork class and the Spring Fling Dance last month. This coming fall, in conjunction with The Village at Sunriver, Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce and Sunriver Business Park, an Oktoberfest event is being organized.
I encourage owners to suggest new ideas for social interaction and let SROA and/or your board know what we can do to help facilitate more social activities in our community.
Highlights of the SROA Board of Directors monthly meeting
The Sunriver Owners Association (SROA) Board of Directors meeting was held Saturday, April 19, 2025.
Board members present: Gerhard Beenen, Bill Burke, Keith Mobley, Clark Pederson, Linda Beard, Randy Schneider. Via Zoom, Roni Jacknow and Brad Banta.
Staff present: James Lewis, Susan Berger and Richie Villagrana.
Owners forums (summarized)
From April 18 work session
• Letter read into record from Dean Richard who is concerned with snow berms. He does not use a snow removal company and suggests SROA purchase snow gates that can be attached to plow to prevent driveway berms.
• Letter read into record from Michelle Walsh about the
changes to Sunriver Resort golf and believes the changes create a monopoly by requiring visitors to stay at Resort-managed properties if they want to play golf and hurt the rental income for those owners who rent their property. She also requested SROA collect data and report how services provided by SROA to see if the Resort is covering the costs their guests create in Sunriver.
• Sunriver Police Captain Jason Van Meter addressed an owner request to create a firearms discharge restricted law for all of Sunriver and that such a law under Deschutes County Code would add to the ability of the department to address firearm violations.
• Bill Hepburn and Barbara Siudy discussed what they believe is a need for a firearms discharge law. They explained the process and requested as-
SROA Financial Report
Year to date through March 31, 2025 (unaudited)
Total Operating Revenue...................................$3,322,018
Total Operating Expenses*................................$3,445,572
Operating Surplus / (De cit).............................($123,554)
*Reserve Fund Contribution: $659,518
sistance from SROA in some administrative aspects of the process (maps, messaging to owners, signature forms). They noted that the process necessitates 60% of Deschutes County registered voters residing within Sunriver to sign a petition that then must be verified by the Deschutes County Clerk and then subsequently be presented to the County Board of Commissioners for consideration and go to a formal county vote.
• Valerie Tomasi spoke in support of the proposed firearms discharge law and stated that her home lies partially in/ out of the small area within
By Clark Pederson
While the use of Sunriver pathways are open to Sunriver owners, guests, vacationing renters and visitors, the use of many recreational facilities requires a Member Preference Program (MPP) card or Recreational Plus Program (RPP) card available at an additional charge.
MPP cards are available for $85 per property owner, spouse/partner and dependents/children between the ages 4 and 23. Children under 3 years of age have free access. The cards are good for 13 months – the current calendar year and the following January. If a property is held by a trust or businesses, special rules apply about who is eligible for an MPP card.
Extended household members of owners of record or those in the member's household can also purchase an MPP card for $200 per person. Extended household members include people related to a member of record such as adult children 24 and older, siblings, parents, grandchildren and inlaws. Up to six such passes are available per property. What is the benefit of having an MPP card?
The card provides access to SHARC aquatics, Hosmer Living room, morning coffee service, Member Pool, tennis and pickleball courts, the boat launch and river shuttle, summer disc golf and SHARC’s fitness center. There are also discounts to various SROAoffered programs and events, Sunriver Nature Center programs and at some local businesses. Just ask if the business offers a discount to Sunriver residents with an MPP card.
All this for a once-a-year fee, currently $85, that’s $6.50 per month.
A great bargain!
Sunriver that currently has the firearms restriction. She believes the designation for all of Sunriver would make the community safer.
From April 19 regular meeting
• Jeff Mengis spoke in opposition to the recent action by the Sunriver Resort regarding access to the golf courses. He believes the Resort’s long-term vision does not align with the rest of the community and that they are not contributing to the family-friendly community that drew people to Sunriver. He believes that the
Additionally, the first card purchase/renewal per property receives 20 guest passes to admit family, friends or guests to SHARC aquatics, tennis and pickleball courts, seasonal disc golf and boat launch access.
The guest passes grant access to the fitness center and the Member Pool for guests accompanied during use by a member with a valid MPP card. The fitness center allows up to four guests with the owner using one guest pass per guest or a per guest fee of $10 (off season) or $15 (Memorial Day to Labor Day).
Gerhard Beenen
Treasurer
Why charge owners an extra fee when they paid for the building of SHARC and other facilities and pay annual maintenance fees for upkeep, repair and replacement of facilities?
Part of it is philosophical.
Those using facilities should contribute to the cost of operating those facilities if the collection of funds can be done in an efficient manner.
There are considerable costs to operate facilities. For example, operating costs for
Highlights
Resort broke a social contract with owners. He stated that if it were not for the fees paid by all owners for infrastructure and amenities in Sunriver that the Resort would not be able to exist. He referred to examples of corporate greed and believes that SROA should engage the Resort legally on this issue.
Board actions
• Approved minutes of the March 14, 2025 SROA board work session.
• Approved minutes of the March 15, 2025 SROA board regular meeting.
• Approved the SROA unaudited financial statement for the month ending March 31, 2025.
• Approved the transfer of $350,841.43 from the Reserve Fund to the Operating Fund for 2025 first quarter acquisitions.
• Approved revisions to Sections III, IV and IX of the Sunriver Bylaws to provide clarification on the procedures and role of the Election Committee for both online and vote-by-mail ballots in both regular and/or special elections of the association.
• Approved the appointment of John Vogel as an alternate to the Finance Committee.
• Approved to accelerate the expenditure of the administration building’s carpet replacement reserve funds from 2027 to 2025 to coincide with the administration building interior remodel. The requested reserve funds are not to exceed $39,946 out of the $49,431 allocated in this line item within SROA’s current replacement reserve schedule.
Committee actions
• The Nominating Committee announced the candidates running for the summer election of the SROA Board of
the swimming pools include lifeguards, chemicals, heating and other utilities, cleaning and insurance. And while less, other SROA facilities also have costs of operation. Part of those costs are paid from maintenance fees, but the card is a way for those owners who use those facilities to make an extra contribution to those costs.
By having the card fee, owners who do not use those facilities do not have to pay the full costs of running them. Funds raised are substantial.
In 2024, the owner MPP card revenue was $624,500.
Directors. Listed alphabetically, the candidates are Linda Beard, Gregg Henton, Dale Harrison, Pam Hays and Sharon Martin.
This year’s election will be conducted electronically. Owners will receive electronic voter information and an e-ballot in July with an election closing date of noon on Aug. 9.
Association operations
• Administration: Continue to participate in ongoing meetings of the Sunriver-La Pine Economic Development board and the Newberry Regional Partnership. Met with Sunriver Nature Center executive director Shannon Ries regarding contractual matters and general coordination between our organizations. Conducted a third Pathway Safety Task Force meeting with three sub-groups hosting additional meetings. Met with Sunriver Police community service officer to discuss bike patrol plans for 2025. Provided Scott Larson of Visit Central Oregon a tour of Sunriver.
• Accounting: Controller
Joe Healy attended the CMIA conference in South Carolina.
Worked with SROA’s attorneys on collection files. Accounting moved into its newly remodeled space.
• Communications: Moved into temporary office space in the new Public Works facility during the admin remodel. Created new external signage for admin and Community Development. Created marketing materials to begin promoting the community September Oktoberfest event. Designed a four-page pullout of home hardening/ladder fuels reduction information for owners in the April Scene.
• Community Development: There are currently 179 active projects/building permits. There are now eight homes remaining on the 2023 paint survey that have not been painted, and citations continue
Without this revenue we would have to raise maintenance fees for all owners.
Rental homes in Sunriver can provide recreational facility access to renters with the purchase of Recreation Plus Program (RPP) cards. RPP cards DO NOT provide access to member-only areas at SHARC such as the fitness center and Hosmer Living room or the Member Pool.
RPP cards and payment rates are based on the number of bedrooms in a rental property. Properties receive two cards per bedroom plus an extra two.
to be issued. Staff moved into their new and expanded office spaces.
• Natural Resources: Mailed LFR notice of deficiency and courtesy letters. Mailed outreach postcards to properties about removal of juniper and/ or arborvitae. Moved offices into the old Public Works offices during admin remodel. Started Oregon spotted frog monitoring and egg mass surveys. Coordinated with the Communications Department regarding wildfire mitigation education and outreach.
• IT: Assembled a network rack for the newly remodeled spaces (former police side). Tested all data ports and helped staff move into their new offices. Testing Jonas POS at SHARC and inventory uploaded into the system. Testing GIS/database improvements to simplify processes for Community Development staff.
• Public Works: Several full plows were done in March due to late winter storms. Started spring cleanup for spring break. Contracts in place for spring road/pathway work. Wildflower tunnel replacement on schedule with June 15 completion. Repairing potholes and roadside edges. A windstorm brought down numerous trees,
Costs are based on the number of bedrooms ranging from one bedroom at $1,363 per year to eight bedrooms at $6,132. RPP revenue generated in 2024 was $2,562,800. If you are a new owner, you need to purchase your membership card at the Member Services desk at SHARC. This needs to be done in person the first time, as you need to have your picture taken. Existing card holders renewing their card can do so online through the SROA website www.sunriverowners. org/renew. You can also renew
some on paths and roads. Debris will be cleaned up as schedules allow. Purchased several capital reserved items including a striping buggy, trailer, snow blower and plate compactor. Additional spring landscaping and gates planned for the PW campus. Slide repairs at the Member Pool were scheduled for May.
• Recreation/SHARC: Thanks to great weather, SHARC’s outdoor pools were open for all of Oregon spring break. The Home Expo saw about 100 attendees and vendors enjoyed the networking opportunity. Outdoor pool leak repairs completed April 12. Indoor pool lighting repairs are scheduled for May. Part-time hiring has begun. Participated in job fairs at Caldera and La Pine high schools and at COCC. Two aquatic supervisor positions are open and scheduled to be filled as soon as possible.
Other business
• Board director Mark Murray has resigned from the SROA board following his move out of the Sunriver community. With only four months left in his term the board decided not to fill the position and will wait until new board members are voted in this summer.
in person at Member Services or by phone at 541-585-3147. Don’t delay purchasing or renewing your cards as it may take up to 48 business hours to become active and open access gates at the boat launch, tennis/pickleball courts and Mary McCallum Park.
For further details about MPP and RPP programs, check out the Owner Benefit section on our website at www. sunriverowners.org/benefits –Clark Pederson is the treasurer of the SROA Board of Directors & Finance Committee chair. pederson@srowners.org
• Discussed the firearm discharge/no shooting zone designation for Sunriver and directed the general manager to use his discretion on what SROA can/can’t do. It is important that it cannot appear that SROA is endorsing this proposal.
• Discussed the Resort’s change in golf and that there is little the SROA board can do. While the board may not agree with what the Resort has done, they do understand the Resort’s perspective that going private was a business decision and there is still a golf membership option for owners. Ultimately, the Resort is an owner within the association and SROA’s legal counsel strongly recommends not getting into any sort of battle.
The meeting adjourned at 11:14 a.m.
The next SROA board work session will take place at 9 a.m. May 16 followed by the regular board meeting at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 17.
To watch the recorded meeting, visit the meeting date on SROA website calendar for the YouTube link. Meeting minutes, once approved, are available on the SROA website at www.sunriverowners.org
FireFree dates are set to help prepare your property for wild re season
Is your property adequately protected from wildfire?
Residents are encouraged to get prepared for the upcoming fire season by cleaning up their yard and creating defensible space around their home.
Each May, FireFree allows property owners throughout Central Oregon an opportunity to recycle yard waste and debris at no charge at landfills and transfer stations.
In addition to cleaning up yard waste and removing flammable vegetation, Sunriver property owners are encouraged to prune trees that present a hazard and clear flammable vegetation that encroaches within the five foot buffer zone around your home and other structures.
It is also required that firewood be moved away from structures during wildfire season (a minimum 20 feet away from structures or to your Sunriver property line but also remaining 20 feet from neighboring homes).
Take a look around your property’s “home ignition zone” where glowing embers can ignite spot fires and vulnerable areas like decks, patios and privacy walls and spread flames to the home. Where are the most vulnerable places for embers to ignite your home?
• Are your gutters and roof valleys free from debris like pine needles and leaves?
Clean them out. Despite a
metal or asphalt shingle roof, the buildup of gutter debris provides necessary fuel for embers to ignite adjacent fascia boards or siding – most often made of wood.
• Do your shrubs and weeds provide a path of fuel for fire to reach your trees or home?
Reduce shrubs and other ladder fuels around your home to reduce the threat of ground fires igniting nearby trees, or your home. Juniper and arborvitae are highly flammable and should be removed.
• What can catch fire on your
deck, patio or near a carport or privacy fence?
Remove weeds, shrubs or any combustible materials from around, under or on top of your deck, patio or fence. This includes toys, planters, construction materials, patio furniture and cushions along with pine needles or leaves.
• Is your woodpile near your home or other combustible vegetation?
In Sunriver, woodpiles should be at least 20 feet away from your home or other combustibles.
Visit the FireFree website at www.firefree.org for information about how you can prepare your property for wildfire season.
For information on regulations specific to Sunriver, visit www.sunriverowners.org/ propertypreparedness
FireFree dates
Acceptable materials for free disposal include grass clippings, brush and other vegetative prunings, pine needles, pinecones, weeds, branches and small stumps or trees no larger
than 12 inches diameter. Materials that are not accepted include sod, dirt, rocks, lumber, trash or plastics of any kind, including plastic bags and stumps or trees larger than 12 inches diameter.
Drop-off locations and dates:
• Sunriver Environmental (aka Lake Penhollow): FridaySaturday, May 2-3, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• La Pine Transfer Station: Monday-Saturday, May 16-24, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed May 18)
• Knott Landfill: Daily, May 2-11, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Pine needles, leaves, grass and tree trimmings can be disposed of for free at several area locations during FireFree Days in May.
Sunriver Music Festival selects poster artwork
Sunriver Music Festival has selected David YoungWolff’s “River Dreaming” as its featured artwork for its 2025 poster.
Each year, the festival selects an artist local to Central Oregon for the season’s poster. Artists were invited to submit their artwork for consideration and a jury of professional artists from the Artists’ Gallery Sunriver assisted in making the final selection.
Young-Wolff’s digitally enhanced photograph, which has been printed onto 20x30 inch metal and custom-framed by Eastlake Framing, will be auctioned at the Raise the Baton fundraising party on June 21. Details and tickets at sunrivermusic.org.
The art will also grace the cover of the festival brochure and program magazine for the 48th season of Sunriver Music Festival. Posters are available for $35. Framed posters are $85. Notecards are $25 for a pack of 10. All merchandise is available at the Sunriver Music Festival office. Call 541.593.1084 or email information@sunrivermusic. org to purchase posters.
About David Young-Wolff “I was honored to have my
work, ‘River Dreaming,’ chosen for the 48th season of Sunriver Music Festival,” Young-Wolff said. “The intention of “River Dreaming” is to illustrate how experiencing outside can alter your perception of being in nature. You can open up to nature in many different ways, from realistic to surrealistic and beyond.”
Young-Wolff's journey through the world of photography has always been guided by one constant: light. As a child, he was captivated by the way light danced through the leaves, wrapped around mountains and over every object in its path. He couldn’t resist following its journey as it traveled across people, faces and shapes. This early fascination with light has defined his nearly 45-year career as a professional photographer in Los Angeles.
Young-Wolff became one of the top producers of stock photography, before shifting his focus to creating powerful, evocative images for clients and embarking on his own personal photography projects.
One of the defining moments of his career was working on the book “Navajo Mothers and Daughters: Portraits of Beauty.” Over the course of
five years, Young-Wolff and his wife, Pam, traveled more than 14,000 miles between Santa Monica and Flagstaff where they spent time on the Navajo reservation capturing intimate portraits of Navajo women for a project that was both technically demanding and personally fulfilling. It was an extraordinary opportunity for David, made even more meaningful by the close friendship with the book’s author, Kathy Eckles Hooker, a longtime friend of his and his wife.
Young-Wolff deeply appreciates a lifetime in photography, which has given him the opportunity to meet and collaborate with incredible people, learning from each interaction. Working on numerous creative projects has allowed him to experience the power of teamwork. At the same time, photography has also given him the freedom to create powerful images on his own, capturing moments through his unique perspective.
David and Pam now reside in Sunriver, where his photography continues to evolve, shaped by a lifelong love of light. To see more of Young-Wolff’s photography, visit www.davidyoungwolff.com
The Sunriver Music Festival’s
2025 summer season will be held in Bend and Sunriver from Aug. 2 to Aug. 13. Events are held at the iconic Tower Theatre in downtown Bend and the historic Great Hall at Sunriver Resort. For details and tickets, visit sunrivermusic.org.
'River Dreaming' by David Young-Wolff.
Spring into spring – with art
By Deni Porter
Everyone is excited for spring. Time to plant beautiful flowers and appreciate mothers everywhere.
The best place to begin is with your own incredible mom or grandmom, aunt, inspirational friend or other significant women in your life.
The Saturday before Mother’s Day just happens to be a wonderful celebration at Artists’ Gallery in The Village at Sunriver. Bring the entire family on Saturday, May 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. to enjoy wonderful food, drink, art and mingling with the artists. A special event for special women.
Also, mark your calendar for the May 17 “Art Meets Wine” event at SHARC. This
annual event is co-sponsored by Sunriver Women’s Club, Artists’ Gallery Sunriver and an assemblage of fine wineries. The gallery will present a pop up mini gallery.
In May, featured artists at the gallery include mosaic artist Jesica Carleton. Talent, desire for constant learning and growth, and apparently unending energy fuels Carleton’s work. The artist always has new ideas for art pieces. It is really fortunate that her work is so popular, so she always has room to bring in new art pieces. The variety in her mosaic art pieces is so broad that one must visit the gallery to really appreciate them.
Painter Lori Orlando’s work highlights her love of color, crisp lines and detail. Orlando
works in multiple mediums including pastels, colored pencils and oil. She utilizes a realistic style of painting that focuses on wildlife, landscapes and still life. Like all passionate artists, Orlando said, “If something calls me to paint, then it must be!” Her excitement for the act of painting is reflected in her work.
Felted wool fiber artist Stacey Colgan works in the technique of Nuno felting. The process employs the use of wool fiber, fabric and other lustrous fibers, soap and water. The artist then applies copious amounts of agitation by hand to create one-of-a-kind fabrics. Materials are sourced from upcycling and from exotic locations like silk from Uzbekistan. Colgan creates a variety of items from scarves, hats, bags and tapestries that highlight the luster and textures of her pieces.
The Artists’ Gallery is in building 19 in The Village at Sunriver. Call 541-593-4382 or visit www.artistsgallerysunriver. com for information.
BE FIRE SAFE
Fiber art by Stacey Colgan. Mosaic by Jessica Carleton.
Painting by Lori Orlando.
Sunriver Style
Late snow and higher water levels may bring abundance of mosquitoes
By Susan Berger, Sunriver Scene
If winter itself wasn’t bad enough, all that snow melt has resulted in an accumulation of water in areas that are normally dry and could lead to a higher hatching of eggs and mosquito breeding.
Although mosquitoes generally emerge in force in late May or early June, just a week of warmer temperatures could give the larvae a boost and hatch them early.
Completely eliminating mosquitoes would be like trying to keep the deer from eating your plants (virtually impossible), but measures are taken to decrease some larvae and adult insects.
Thankfully, the greater Sunriver area has Four Rivers Vector Control District (FRVCD) on our side to battle the pesky insects. Formed in 1986, Four Rivers’ district is about 20 square miles – stretching from La Pine State Park, through the greater Three Rivers and Sunriver area to Benham Falls.
The Sunriver Owners Association annually contracts with FRVCD to spray throughout Sunriver and on Forest Service lands along the Deschutes
MOSQUITO REPORTING
For more information or to report mosquito activity or to request a “no spray zone” for those who have beehives, visit www.fourriversvectorcontroldistrict. com and click on Report Mosquito Activity in the main menu bar.
River. “If we weren’t doing what we’re doing, it would be much worse,” said Patti Gentiluomo, SROA Natural Resources Department.
FRVCD began its control work throughout the district as soon as the snows receded.
“We started in April with hand crews inspecting and treating standing water for mosquito larvae,” Myles Bowlin, FRVC manager said.
When temperatures warm up this summer, fog trucks will be used. Spraying is only effective on calm evenings between dusk and dawn when temperatures remain above 60 degrees. Spraying is not done during the day to avoid impacting beneficial insects such as bees. Fogging runs kill flying adult mosquitoes and help intercept insects flying in from
surrounding areas.
As the river and snowmelt water levels increase, FRVCD is planning to utilize helicopters to treat larger areas as well as boat crews to spread granules that specifically kill off larvae. Remember that mosquitoes are part of the natural environment and only so much can be done. Even if Four Rivers Vector Control was in Sunriver every day there would still be mosquitoes, but it would certainly be much worse if they weren't battling the pesky insects.
“Mosquito season” is usually over in mid-September.
Help in the mosquito battle: drain, defend, dress
• Drain: Mosquitoes can lay eggs in as little as a ¼ inch of water. Drain standing water from buckets, tires, birdbaths and any containers that hold water. Keep gutters clean so that they drain quickly. Circulate the water in water features.
• Defend yourself: Use a repellent containing Deet or Picaridin. Oil of lemon and eucalyptus are good natural alternatives. Keep mosquitoes out of homes by maintaining window and door screens.
• Dress: Wear long loose,
light colored clothing. Don’t give them a place to bite.
Mosquito facts
• The average life span of a female mosquito is three to 100 days. Males live 10 to 20 days.
• A female mosquito may lay 100 to 300 eggs at a time and may average 1,000 to 3,000 offspring during her life span.
• Most mosquitoes remain within a one-mile radius of their breeding site.
• Mosquitoes do not feed on blood. The female mosquito requires a blood meal for development of her eggs, but most adults feed on flower nectar, juices, and decaying matter for flight energy.
• A mosquito develops from egg to adulthood in four to seven days.
Endless Ways to Adventure
Longer days. Sunlit trails. Evenings by the firepit. At Caldera Springs, warmer days bring endless ways to play—paddle across glassy water, tee off beneath the pines, share stories with friends over dinner at Lake House, race down water slides at Forest House or rally through a family pickleball tournament. Explore, unwind and make the most of every moment at the Pacific Northwest’s premier residential community.
Mosquito larvae.
owner enrichment activities
Upcoming classes hosted by Sunriver You
According to Henry Ford, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
He also said, “The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”
With summer approaching, it’s a great time to also be young at heart.
Do you think of the Sunriver Library as only a place to check out a book?
If so, register for the Explore All Your Library Has to Offer class to discover how your library card provides access to numerous other resources.
Or is this the year you finally intend to learn how to play pétanque?
With registration limited to 12 per class, make it a priority to register for a class offered in May, June or July before they fill up.
Do you feel as though you need to reduce stress and anxiety, long to feel calmer, more present of mind and sleep better? Put on some comfy clothes and head over to SHARC to attend an ongoing Silent Meditation Drop-In Gathering and
All Sunriver You classes require registration, which closes 24 hours before the class start time.
Please visit sunriveryou.com to register.
Teaching offered monthly on the first and third Friday each month.
Read below for class descriptions and presenter information. All classes require registration through www. sunriveryou.com. NOTE: Registration closes 24 hours prior to the class start time except for SROA forums, for which registration doesn’t close until well after the forum has begun.
The Sunriver You website also includes an option to view recorded forums and select classes on YouTube. Check out what you may have missed and watch for future additions
www.sunriveryou.com/videos.
Explore All Your Library Has to Offer
Wednesday, May 14, 2 p.m. at the Sunriver Library.
Our library cards provide access to books, but did you know that it also gives us access to a world of other resources?
Learn about library history and how a library runs. Explore the resources, databases, apps, kits, and other services your library card gives you access to in this 45-minute presentation. Bring your questions to share. Registration is limited to 50.
Graham Fox is a dedicated community librarian at Deschutes Public Library (DPL), where he has been serving the community for 10 years. Over the course of his career, he has held various roles, including managing the Redmond Library and serving as a librarian there. Currently, Fox focuses on community outreach, teaching technology, resume assistance and supporting nonprofits with research and technology needs.
You can find him across all
six libraries in the DPL system throughout the week, meeting with patrons and running valuable programs.
Learn to Play the Game of Pétanque
Tuesdays, May 20, June 10 or July 22, 10 a.m. at Mary McCallum pétanque courts just west of the parking lot.
What are those balls people throw at Mary McCallum Park? What is that word, pétanque? What does it mean? Well, all those questions and more can be answered if you take a pétanque (pronounced puh-tonk) class this spring or summer. In the meantime,
Petanque is a fun game for all ages and skill levels. Join us at Mary McCallum park to learn how to play!
Spring is here and it’s time to move those woodpiles
By SROA Natural Resources Department
SROA NEWS – It’s May and that means if you have not already done so, it’s time to move your woodpile to either a fully enclosed space such as a garage or to a location within your property boundaries that is 20 feet away from all structures including neighboring ones. In some cases, the adequate location is in the front of the property. If 20 feet is not possible within your property boundaries you are to store the wood at the furthest point from all structures. Under no circumstances are any owners allowed to store their firewood on SROA commons.
Fires produce embers that can travel upwards of a mile or more ahead of the actual flame front. Most home ignitions that happen during a wildfire event are typically due to these ember showers according to the
Did you know?
Oregon’s statewide fire season is established annually by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The start of fire season varies depending on drought assessments, local climatology indicators, and historic and current season trends. In recent years, fire season has started earlier and expanded in duration. Information about fire season can be found by contacting the Oregon Department of Forestry at 541-549-2731 or visiting their website at www. oregon.gov/odf/fire.
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Stacks of firewood are very inviting places for those embers to come to rest and then ignite the wood inside the dry nooks and pockets. Once burning, the firewood
can ignite anything flammable around it. If the wood is close to the home, it can provide a flaming exposure to windows and break the glass or climb to the eave and possibly enter an attic.
Firewood stacked near structures can also be a hazardous barrier between a home and any firefighters trying to defend it. Water hoses may get stuck between pieces of wood, stacks may collapse and cause injury, or first responders may be forced to make the hard decision that with limited time and resources, a home with a stack of firewood nearby is less defensible than one without.
A highly effective way to prevent homes from being destroyed in a wildfire is by owners reducing flammable material on their properties, which includes moving woodpiles between May and November.
Additional info, tips and
checklists to help owners reduce fire risk on their properties are on SROA’s website at www.sunriverowners.org/ propertypreparedness.
Feel free to contact SROA Natural Resources Department at 541-593-1522 or at naturalresources@srowners. org with any question you may have regarding firewood and/or ladder fuel reduction on private property.
Silent Meditation: Ongoing drop-in gathering and teaching class
•First and third Friday, 10–11 a.m. in the Crescent Room at SHARC.
•Drop-in class – no registration required.
•All are welcome as is any silent meditation practice.
pétanque is a game similar to bocce ball and the word is French for “feet planted.” Stay after class and practice with each other. Each class is limited to 12 participants.
Sunriver has an active pétanque club of approximately 35 members. Players of all abilities are welcome. No prior experience or equipment needed. Instructor Gary Bigham started playing pétanque in Seattle at French American Chamber of Commerce picnics around 1995. In 2016, Gary and his wife moved from Kirkland to Sunriver. After two summers of no pétanque, Gary got together with a small group interested in learning the game in 2019 and it has taken off.
2025 SROA Board of Directors Candidate Forum
Tuesday, June 24, 4 p.m., via Zoom.
The annual SROA Board of Directors election is coming up, and there are three open seats on the board. Don’t miss this chance to meet the five candidates. This forum is intended to get to know the candidates and their priorities regarding Sunriver, so that you can make an informed decision when you vote.
Each candidate will briefly introduce themselves and their reason for running for the board. Then the session will be open for questions from the Zoom audience. A moderator will field the questions, and
each candidate will have an opportunity to answer. We can’t promise that every question will be addressed, but we will ask as many as possible.
The election is being conducted electronically this year. Voter information and electronic ballot will be sent to owners in July.
Ongoing
Silent Meditation Drop-In Gathering and Teaching
First and third Friday, 1011:00 a.m. Crescent Room at SHARC.
All are welcome and no registration is required for this drop-in class. Sessions include a 20-minute silent sit. Teaching
and introduction to companion practices will be offered in addition to the silent sit. Please arrive 5 minutes early so the class can begin and end on time.
Bette Butler has been commissioned by Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. as a presenter of the centering and welcoming practices. A silent meditation practitioner since 2018, Butler leads a centering practice group and is co-coordinator of Contemplative Outreach of Central Oregon, which offers periodic contemplative events throughout the area. Contact Butler at butlerbdewitt@gmail. com for more information or if you have a question.
• Sessions include a 20-minute silent sit. Teaching and introduction to companion practices will be offered in addition to the silent sit.
•Chairs will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring a cushion and other items for your comfort.
• Those new to silent meditation are welcome. Instruction will be provided.
• Please arrive 5 minutes early so class can start and end on time.
Bette Butler has been commissioned by Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. as a presenter of the Centering and Welcoming practices. A silent meditation practitioner since 2018, Butler leads a centering practice group on Zoom and is cocoordinator of Contemplative Outreach of Central Oregon, which offers periodic contemplative events throughout the area. Contact Butler at butlerbdewitt@gmail.com for more information or if you have a question.
By Victoria Willson, Sunriver Nature Center and Observatory Wildlife Manager
When you think of Central Oregon, you probably picture sagebrush, ponderosa pines and vast high desert views.
Tucked between those landscapes are pockets of rich, life-giving riparian habitats –wetlands, ponds and marshes that support an incredible variety of life, including some of the region’s most sensitive and fascinating creatures.
Among them are Western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs, two standout species from the 22 reptiles and amphibians listed as Oregon Conservation Strategy Species. These are animals that are either at risk, have declining populations, or are of special management concern.
You can read about these species and others at www. oregonconservationstrategy. org/ocs-strategy-species. Let’s meet a few of the locals: Western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata)
Federal status: Under review (potentially threatened)
These mellow reptiles are semi-aquatic, often spotted basking on sunny logs in ponds, rivers or marshes. They sport a smooth olive-brown shell and depend on sunshine to regulate their body temperature. Land is just as important to them as water. Nesting takes place near wetlands, and it can take seven to 12 years for a pond turtle to reach maturity. That means even small threats to their survival can have long-term consequences for the entire population.
When they’re not sunbath-
ing, pond turtles are foraging in the water, nibbling on aquatic plants, insects and crayfish. Ju-
veniles need high-protein diets to grow strong, just another reason habitat health is critical.
Oregon spotted frog (Rana pretiosa)
Federal status: Threatened
Known as the most aquatic frog in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon spotted frog is rarely found more than a few feet from water. True to its name, its skin is marked with scallop-edged dark spots over a brown to reddish-brown body – distinctive and beautiful.
This species is heavily reliant on clean, connected wetlands for everything: breeding, feeding and hiding from predators. Sadly, it has vanished from more than 76% of its historic
range, but populations still hang on in Central Oregon, including here in Sunriver. Major threats?
Habitat loss, pollution and the spread of invasive species –especially bullfrogs –which eat young frogs and compete for food and space.
e bullfrog problem
Originally from the eastern U.S., bullfrogs have made a splash in the wrong way throughout the Pacific Northwest. These large, aggressive amphibians are bad news for Sunriver’s native species, preying on eggs, tadpoles and even adult frogs and turtles. Their
The Oregon spotted frog, a threatened species, is the most aquatic frog in the Pacific Northwest.
Second Tern Tool Department
“Tern Tool Department” does not begin to describe all that is sold from the east side of the Tern, but the “ToolAutomotive-Garden-PetHousehold-Medical-ElectricalPlumbing Department” would be a bit too long to fit on the sign.
However, even with that amazing variety of items, typically one volunteer, sometimes two, keep up with sorting, pricing, and selling.
Dan Westcott, Zach Westcott, Cindi Stawicki, Stacia Brown Meahan, Gregg Wagner and Dave Drescher cover the department at any given time but usually one at a time.
Cindi Stawicki is a relative newcomer to Tools, and the Tern. A native Oregonian, Cindi has worked in police and fire departments as an EMT. She moved from Newberg to La Pine in 2022, is a general contractor, has owned her business since 1993 and specializes in painting, wallpaper and interior design. She came to the Tern as a shopper and soon became the Saturday Tool volunteer. Happy customers and happy volunteers fit with Cindi’s “let’s fix the world” mentality.
The Wescott duo, Zach and Dan, came from Portland
many years ago, looking for more room, more nature and a quieter life. Zach, an Australian shepherd, shares the following information about his life with his best bud, Dan.
“I lived in the Portland area for the first third of my life.
Dan and I moved to Central Oregon in search of four seasons of quiet trails less traveled. We started volunteering to help our new neighborhood and were inspired by the Tern’s focus on community. I spend most of my time at the Tern in my crate, but many customers say Hello to me. We like to make smiles.” When asked about odd donations he has seen come in, Zach barked, “The oddest donation was something Dan called a cat tree. It was covered with ugly carpet, not a tree at all! Cats can be strange.”
Gregg Wagner, and his wife Meena who also volunteers at the Tern, moved to Central Oregon eight years ago after retiring. He spent his entire career doing environmental work, starting in Pittsburgh, then Seattle, Boron, California, Salt Lake City, and Denver.
“We moved here to live and play on the Deschutes River, fly fishing and kayaking,” Gregg shared. “We both spent a
couple years volunteering at the Sunriver Nature Center before coming to volunteer at the Second Tern for the past five years. I enjoy working in the tools area because of the huge assortment of items that come through. Everything from hand and power tools to medical and gardening supplies, and pet products,” Gregg said, “as well as the wide variety of customers.”
Stacia Brown Meahan was born in Ajo, Arizona, spent time in California, moved to Central Oregon in 1980, retired from Jeld-Wen in 2010, has been snow birding since 2016, and has volunteered at the Tern since 2024, spending time in tools as well as the linens department.
Staci has been a Tern customer for many years, enjoys the socializing aspect of volunteering as well as visiting with the neighborhood customers. In the winters down south, she visits with her sister in Arizona, and more family in Texas, exploring new places, yard sales, and, of course, second-hand stores.
Last but not least is Dave Drescher, a retired geographer/ cartographer.
Well sort of “least” since he, and his wife Alyce, also a Tern volunteer, moved to Vancou-
ver, Washington on May 1. Dave was a veritable “Tern Renaissance Man.” He worked in tools, subbed in sporting goods, removed all the paper recycling each week, mowed the grass in the patio area, shoveled snow, and fixed the art cart.
“I've volunteered at the Tern for about seven years,” Dave said. “It's a great way to learn about the folks in south Deschutes County. Awesome people with super fun stories.
presence throws local ecosystems off balance, and both the spotted frog and pond turtle suffer for it.
Want to learn more?
If you're curious about how
these animals interact and what’s being done to protect them, plan on attending the Twilight Talk with Jesse Short at Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory on Thursday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Pozzi building. This talk will dive deeper into the dynamics of our waterways and the creatures
I'm
that call them home.
Visit the Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory, 57245 River Road, Sunriver off Circle 3, enroute to the airport and marina. Additional information, volunteer opportunities, hours and events can be found at www.snco.org or by calling 541-593-4394.
Dave Drescher Stacia Brown Meahan
I moved to Oregon in 1981 and love living here. There is so much access to public lands where you can fish, hunt, camp, rockhound, raft, and we have amazing night skies. The Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory is so important for people to learn more about this place where we live, and the Second Tern is an important part of that effort. The Tern is full of fun people doing important work.”
“We could use some help,” Zach added. “The Tern is a great place to lend a paw and greet new friends. And my bud, Dan, brings delicious homebaked treats on Fridays for the volunteers! Join us.”
The Second Tern is located at 17377 Spring River Road, just west of Harper Bridge, and is open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. year-round; donations accepted 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The Second Tern benefits Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory. Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory is located at 57245 River Road, off circle 3, on the way to the airport and marina. Check www.
Meet Sammy: Sunriver’s coolest Labrador
By David Young-Wolff
You’ve probably seen Sammy around the bike paths and hiking trails in Sunriver, looking cool as ever in his goggles.
While many people notice his laid-back style, not everyone knows that Sammy wears his goggles for an important reason. Sammy has an autoimmune condition called pannus,
which affects his eyes and can cause painful inflammation and damage. The higher altitude in Sunriver makes this a more serious matter.
We noticed when Sammy was looking into the sun that his eyes looked a little cloudy, so we took him into his regular veterinarian who referred him to Dr. Heather Kaese, a veteri-
nary ophthalmologist in Bend. It turns out that a lot of dogs in Central Oregon have this disease. The goggles help protect his eyes from the sun’s UV rays and other environmental factors that can trigger his condition. Sammy still loves getting out and about, and his goggles are part of what makes him unique – and why he’s so memorable to all who meet him.
We appreciate your understanding and love for Sammy as he continues to enjoy the great outdoors with his signature style.
If you think your dog may have pannus, it’s important
snco.org for current hours and programs. For volunteering, more information, or questions: 541-593-3367 (Tern), 541-593-4394 (Nature
or www.snco.org
to take them to an animal ophthalmologist for a checkup. If left untreated, pannus can progress into a serious and painful condition, but with proper treatment – including
medicated drops and protective goggles – many dogs can continue to live a happy, active life. Thank you for supporting Sammy, and for helping spread awareness about this condition.
Zach Westcott Cindi Stawicki Gregg Wagner
SROA Committees
Contact the chair if you have questions about a committee or the projects they are currently working on
days get warmer, buyers are actively searching and inventory is on the move. Whether you're ready to sell or just starting your home search, now is the perfect time to make your move in this
The Door at Three Rivers 10am Sunday 86885 Enterprise Drive (Bus. Park) 541-550-3088 www.thedoor3r.org Pastor: Brent Maxwell
Sunriver Women’s Club cyclists embrace founders’ vision
The “Healthiest New Town in America”– so declared “American Home” magazine in its January 1971 article extolling the futuristic vision of Sunriver’s founders. That same year, Sunriver’s president proclaimed Sunriver the “Bicycle Capital of the World” in “The Oregonian,” Aug. 29, 1971, noting that “the community is dedicated to maintaining an unpolluted environment where mankind and nature can live harmoniously side by side. Encouraging the use of bicycles rather than automobiles is part of this effort.”
Reflecting on that vision, “American Home” mused, “Do you suppose it can happen?
That a sophisticated Oregon real-estate development can survive on the premise that what’s good for the red-shafted flickers and the Deschutes River otters is also good for Sunriver residents?”
More than 50 years later, it’s clear that Sunriver has done much more than survive.
Sunriver thrives on its resi-
dents’ passion for the outdoors and their affection for its trails and wild spaces. This is evident by the growth of the Sunriver Women’s Club (SRWC) cycling group.
The SRWC cycling group was the brainchild of member Mechelle Griffin and started as a Mountain Biking Club in the fall of 2023. It was soon apparent, however, that Sunriver women were enthusiastic road, gravel and paved-trail bikers as well as mountain bikers. So, in the fall of 2024, the Mountain Biking Club voted to transition to a more broadly focused Cycling Club. Its mission: “to provide a safe, supportive and social environment in which to enjoy cycling.”
The reimagined Cycling Club is currently gearing up for the 2025 cycling season. Any member of the Sunriver Women’s Club may join the group, from experienced cyclists to those who haven’t ridden in years. The club is currently 70 members strong, encompassing riders of all in-
terests and abilities.
Rides are planned for spring through late fall. Ride location, duration and difficulty level will vary throughout the season. Group members seek to provide a balanced array of rides from short rides on the paved Sunriver paths to longer gravel rides on area forest roads to more advanced single-track rides for experienced mountain bikers and those seeking to improve their skills. The group will gather each week during the cycling season, with most rides scheduled for Fridays. However, members may volunteer to lead a ride at any point during the season. Thus, many weeks will offer more than one ride, as different members schedule “pop-up” rides on their favorite trails.
Joining the SRWC Cycling Club is a wonderful way for cyclists to meet new friends, improve their abilities and expand their knowledge of local trails while building fitness and making the most of all Sunriver offers. See www.
sunriverwomensclub.org to join the club. Include cycling on your member profile and you will be informed of club rides.
Fifty-plus years ago, “The
Sunday Oregonian Outdoors,” May 13, 1973, enthused, “For sheer joy, nothing in the wonderful world of wheels com-
At Touchmark at Pilot Butte, we’re redefining retirement entirely. Discover The Full Life with maintenance-free living in a vibrant and friendly community.
•Choice Dining Program with restaurant-style dining and chef-prepared meals
•Health & Fitness Club with pool, classes, and personal training
•Outdoor spaces, including a dining rooftop deck with firepits and sunset views
•Full-service salon, barbershop, theater, art studio, game room, and more ...
Cycle in Sunriver with friends! Join the SRWC Cycling Club to meet new people and explore the surrounding trails.
Prepare now to successfully control noxious weeds in 2025
By SROA Natural Resources Department
SROA NEWS – Noxious weed season is just around the corner. As temperatures increase and sunny days persist, non-native invasive plants will begin to emerge in Sunriver. Now is an excellent time to make a plan to control noxious weeds on your property this summer.
With their lack of natural predators, rapid lifecycles and well-developed reproductive strategies, noxious weeds compete with our native vegetation for resources like water, nutrients and space, and can spread quickly. They also reduce food and habitat sources for wildlife and can be toxic if ingested by wildlife and humans.
While eliminating noxious
weeds can be challenging, controlling them every season as they emerge will lessen their effect on our landscapes. Pinpointing an exact time in Sunriver when noxious weeds appear is difficult (as it greatly depends on weather, soil conditions and other factors), but they typically emerge midMay to early June and mature throughout the summer months. Taking early action to control noxious weeds is ideal… before they go to seed usually in late August and become a bigger problem in the following years.
Here are some steps you can take now:
• Become a noxious weed wizard: Familiarize yourself with and learn to identify the most common noxious weeds
in Sunriver. Control of spotted knapweed; bull, Canada and Russian thistles; Dalmatian toadflax; and Scotch broom is mandatory in Sunriver. Learn what noxious weeds look like during different phases of growth. Visit www.sunriverowners.org/noxiousweeds for photos and identification tips. • Walk your property. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat: Begin walking your property now to look for noxious weeds and continue this practice throughout the summer. Be sure to revisit areas where weeds have been present in the past. Seeds can remain viable in the soil for years and the extensive, lateral root systems of some noxious weeds can take time to choke off. Remember that noxious
That’s quite a bouquet… of spotted knapweed!
is one of the more prolific noxious weeds found in
If you see it, pull it and put it in a garbage can.
pares with Sunriver … (those who conceived) Sunriver felt the bicycle was the key to living at peace with nature.”
All these years later, SRWC cyclists couldn’t agree more.
President’s Message
The women’s club held its annual meeting and luncheon in April. A new slate of officers was approved. I have the privilege of serving one more
year as president. The other board members are a dynamic team, bringing their hearts and talents to the organization and community.
The luncheon was a special time to learn about the impact of our community grant program. The consistent focus of our grants year after year inspired other nonprofits to bring services to south Deschutes County. It is impressive how we have stimulated outside investments to improve our
community.
Check out Art Meets Wine in the High Desert on May 17 from 3 to 7 p.m. at SHARC. Tickets are available at artmeetswine.org. Spring and summer activities are gearing up for a season of fun and camaraderie. All activities are listed on the website calendar, www.sunriverwomensclub.org.
Hook: Curved Daiichi Alec Jackson Crystal Chironomid hook in sizes 11-13, Daiichi 1260 or similar in sizes 12-16, or any scud hook like a Tiemco 2457 in sizes 12-18
Bead: White, sized to match hook size. Also try slate, silver and gold colored beads, or glass beads in various colors like red, amber, gunmetal, etc.
Thread: Red, black, olive, gray, brown, amber or tan in 140 or 210 denier
Tag: Wire, Krystal Flash in olive or red, holographic red tinsel
Ribbing: Fine wire in gold, silver or copper. Flashabou, Krystal Flash, or similar flash materials in red, olive, rust and clear.
Coating: Solerez Bone Dry UV resin
Tying Instructions:
Tying instructions and steps are published in video form, and can be found on the Sunriver Anglers Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SunriverAnglers/, or on YouTube at https://youtu.be/KLPE5J0E6nc
By Phil Fischer
It is late March as I sit in my fly tying studio. Peering out my window I see snowflakes falling in what has seemed like an endless winter.
The good news, the snowpack is registering 126% of normal for this season to date. That is a welcome sign for the upcoming trout season after too many dry years recently. With the opening of some of our key lakes about a month away, by far the most important early season hatch are chironomids. These hatch profusely during the first 6-8 weeks of the season and are an important fly to carry during this time.
The early season features very limited bug activity. About the only active insects are midges, or chironomids. In the mid-day sun these insects are active, and a mild weather day can even bring some surface activity. But, for the most part, it is a subsurface game this time of year. In the past few weeks, I have been tying up a variety of chironomid patterns. For this month’s fly article, I tied four
of my favorite chironomid patterns: Black and silver, black and red, olive and red, and the chromie. The YouTube link at the end of the materials list contains the video demonstrating how to tie each of these patterns.
Chironomids are amongst the easiest of patterns to tie and are a great starter pattern for beginners. I recently bought some Alec Jackson Crystal Chronomid hooks. They are a curved hook and are a good option. But any curved hook, like a scud hook or similar will suffice. I look for a wide gape and very sharp point, which translates to better hooking qualities. I generally use painted white brass beads. But in shallower water situations I will use glass beads and in deeper water tungsten beads. For the abdomen of the fly, I like to use thread that is heavier than we typically use for tying small trout flies. It helps save a lot of time in layering the hook and building up the body of the fly.
I generally target 140 to 210 denier for the base layer, and 70 denier for ribbing or top layers on the fly. For hook sizes I will go as large as size 10s and as small as size 18s.
My eyes are not quite as strong as they once were, so I very rarely tie tiny flies anymore! I have also been using Solerez Bone Dry UV resin on almost all of my chironomid patterns. It makes the fly realistic and very durable.
Learn to tie these chironomid fly patterns and fish them early in the season on our Central Oregon waters. Experiment and develop your own favorite chironomid color combination.
If you have questions or would like additional information about Chironomid patterns, please don’t hesitate to email me or, if you have suggestions on future patterns to feature in this column, I welcome your input. I can be reached at Philfischer@sbcglobal.net.
May Anglers meeting explores the magic of Christmas Island
By Rynie Miyashiro
Join the Sunriver Anglers for a presentation of the far-away Christmas Island, a dream destination for many flyfishing anglers, and now quite possibly a future destination trip for some of our members.
Christmas Island is also known as Kiritimati Island.
The name “Kiritimati” is a rather straightforward respelling of the English word “Christmas.” In the Kiribati language the combination “ti” is pronounced “s” … the name is thus pronounced / kә'rIsmәs/.
The island has the greatest land area of any coral atoll in the world at about 388 square kilometers (150 square miles), and its lagoon is roughly the same size. The atoll is about 150 km (93 miles) in perimeter, while the lagoon shoreline extends for more 48 km (30 miles). Kiritimati comprises more than 70 percent of the total land area of Kiribati, a country encompassing 33 Pacific atolls and islands.
It lies 232 km (144 miles) north of the equator, 2,160 km (1,340 miles) south of Honolulu, 5,360 km (3,330 miles) from San Francisco and 7,658 miles from Sunriver.
The entire island is a wildlife sanctuary with access restricted to five particularly sensitive areas.
Club member Phil Fischer
has visited the island multiple times. As a keen-eyed photographer, he has taken many photos of the flora and fauna as well as the world-renowned fishing. Join us as we virtually leave the slush and snow of our false spring to spend an hour in a tropical paradise.
Members and the public are cordially invited to what will be an alluring presentation on Wednesday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. Doors will open at 5:15 for a few minutes of fish story time. Admission is free.
Fischer is an avid fly tier, fly fisherman, photographer and author. He lives in Sunriver, and he spends time fly fishing the fabulous still waters in Central Oregon. He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has fly fished extensively throughout the western United States and numerous international destinations. He has been a regular demonstrator at several West Coast fly shows and often speaks at fly clubs in the Pacific Northwest and California.
Phil Fischer
Exclusive Membership benefits include:
• Preferred tee times and reservations available 14 days in advance
The Sunriver Golf Club features two membership types offering exclusive and unlimited access to two award-winning golf courses, Meadows and Woodlands
Now offering Young Executive Membership All the same great golf access and benefits as a Sunriver Golf Membership, but at a lower one-time initiation fee available to anyone under the age of 40.
JOIN THE CLUB AT SUNRIVERRESORT.COM
weeds can blend in with native vegetation, and growth is staggered throughout the season. It is not unusual to inspect a property in the morning and locate no noxious weeds, only to re-inspect in the afternoon to discover several have become visible.
• Gather your tools: Learn
the best methods for controlling each type of noxious weed at www.sunriverowners.org/ noxiousweeds. Arm yourself with gloves, and a small spade or a large shovel to pull or dig noxious weeds with a taproot (like spotted knapweed, bull and Russian thistle and Scotch broom), or locate the appropriate herbicide (or work with a licensed applicator) to spray Dalmatian toadflax, Canada
thistle or Scotch broom (whose root system gets more expansive as the plant matures). All noxious weeds must be bagged and disposed of in the trash to prevent spread.
• Build your team: Owners who wish to work with a landscape contractor to control noxious weed should contact them early in the season to ensure their property is scheduled for treatment before noxious weeds go to seed.
• Know your responsibilities and be a good neighbor: Owners adopted the Sunriver Noxious Weeds Management Plan more than 20 years ago which requires private owners and SROA alike to remove and prevent the spread of noxious weeds in Sunriver. Noxious weeds spread where they like, regardless of property ownership… we’re all in this together!
SROA’s Natural Resources department staff assist owners with meeting their obligation to control weeds by performing inspections on private properties throughout the month of June, and notify owners if weeds are present on their properties in mid-July. If you see noxious weeds on your
property before that time (or if you see them and we don’t) do not wait to hear from SROA to start controlling them.
SROA also inspects for noxious weeds on commons and undertakes both targeted spraying and pulling activities
throughout the summer. Sign up to be a volunteer in SROA’s annual “War on Weeds” (Aug. 1-14, as your schedule allows) to help pull spotted knapweed on commons at www.sunirverowners.org/ noxiousweeds.
A War on Weeds volunteer works to remove a large bull thistle on commons.
will be the last notification you receive, and it is possible you don’t receive this notification at all before a fire or other danger approaches your property.
Listen to law enforcement officials and stay calm throughout the evacuation process.
Turn your radio to 1110AM, 100.1FM or 101.7FM for emergency updates.
Once you are safe, notify friends, family and officials of your whereabouts. Do not
attempt to re-renter any danger area until it is declared safe by law enforcement.
“In a scary time like a wildfire evacuation, being prepared is the best thing you can do. By staying informed during fire season, and following the READY, SET, GO guidelines,
For more information, contact the Sunriver Police Department 541-5931014 or the Sunriver Fire Department 541-5938622
you will be equipped to keep your family and loved ones safe,” interim Sunriver Police chief Cory Darling said.
Shown at right is the Sunriver evacuation map. Becoming familiar with Sunriver’s evacuation routes is essential for your safety in the event of an emergency.
Find this map at www. sunriveremergencyinfo. com/evacuation
Emergency Evacuation Checklist
A wild re event or any other disaster may make it necessary for you and your family, friends, and neighbors to evacuate. Plan, prepare and practice emergency evacuation together.
Before Disaster Strikes
Sign up to receive local emergency alerts and warnings on all home phones, cellphones, and other devices
Know your community’s emergency noti cation and evacuation plans
Plan an evacuation route away from your home and other alternate routes in case the rst route is closed, threatened or unsafe
Establish and inform a designated contact of your plan and communicate with them during an emergency
Know the evacuation plans for locations where household members regularly are such as workplaces, schools, and commuter routes
Perform any necessary Ladder Fuel Reduction and home hardening to help increase survivability of the home when you are gone
Prepack emergency supply kits for each household member (minimum of 72-Hour supply of food and water)
Back vehicles into your garage or park them in an open space facing the direction of escape
Keep the gas tank in vehicles at least half full
Practice evacuation procedures often with everyone in your household, using at least 2 ways out of the community
Practice evacuating animals and pets. Know what resources are needed for their care in case of evacuation
72-Hour Emergency Supply Kit
Food and water for all household members including infants and pets for at least 72 hours
Cell phone charger and fully charged power bank
Battery powered or hand crank radio that can get National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather station notices
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit
Whistle
N95 or other respirator/mask capable of ltering wild re smoke or other harmful air particulates
Plastic sheeting and duct tape for sheltering in place and/or a tent
Non sparking wrench or pliers to shut o utilities
Can opener if food is in cans
Local maps
Medications/Prescriptions
Extra eyeglasses/contacts
Copies of insurance policies, ID, bank account info etc. in waterproof container and/or laminated
Sleeping bag/warm blankets for each member of the household
Complete change of clothes including sturdy shoes and layers for each household member
Fire extinguisher
Matches in a waterproof container, lighters, and/or int striker
Cash and change if card readers don’t work
Mess kit (cup, plate, utensils, napkins etc.)
Simple activities for kids (if applicable)
Emergency reference materials such as rst aid book
List of important contact numbers/information in case your phone runs out of battery
Moist towlettes
Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes
Garbage bags
Baby wipes/diapers (if applicable)
Personal hygiene items
Feminine hygiene products (if applicable)
Candidates sought for SSD Managing Board
The Sunriver Service District (SSD) is seeking dedicated individuals to serve on its managing board.
This board provides oversight for both the Sunriver Police and Fire departments, ensuring the safety and security of the Sunriver community.
About the Sunriver Service District Managing Board:
• Composed of five members responsible for overseeing operations of Sunriver’s public safety departments.
• Operates under the authority of the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners.
• Guided by the district’s mission statement: “Protecting life and property, while fostering a sense of safety and security in our community.”
SSD board member time commitments:
• Term length: Three years (maximum of two consecutive terms).
• Regular board meetings: Held monthly on the third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m.
If you are passionate about public safety and community service, consider applying to serve on the Sunriver Service District Managing Board.
The deadline to submit an application is Friday, May 10. For application forms or more information, visit www.sunriversdor.gov/ ssd-nominating-commitee; email ssdadmin@sunriversd. org or call 541-585-1400.
Join us this May for a month-long culinary and vinous celebration showcasing the diversity of foods, local ingredients, and wines from across the region. Savor unforgettable dining experiences crafted by the talented chefs of Sunriver Resort’s four signature restaurants.
Tasty Highlights
Sunriver Wine & Cuisine Stroll — May 3 at Lodge Kitchen
Surf & Turf Saturday — Saturdays in May at The Grille at Crosswater
Cookie Decorating and Mimosas — May 4 & 18 at the Hearth Room at Lodge Kitchen
Roco Wine Dinner — May 8 at the Hearth Room at Lodge Kitchen
Mother's Day Bites & Flights — May 10 at Lake House
Blind Tasting with King Estate Winery — May 18 at Lake House
Backyard BBQ — May 25 at The Backyard at The Lodge at Sunriver Resort
View more Food & Wine Festival events, details and book online
Make the most of the Food & Wine Festival with one of our Dine & Unwind lodging offers.
$100 Resort Credit Package or Vacation Rental Package Book online at: sunriverresort.com/offers-add-ons
PRESENTED BY SUNRIVER REALTY
The young and young at heart alike can now enjoy an entirely new outdoor play experience at the High Desert Museum. Years in the making, the E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape opened April 19.
The E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape is made possible by the E. L. Wiegand Foundation with support from the Bend Sustainability Fund, a Visit Bend project.
This new, permanent addition to the museum engages children’s playful side while encouraging them to learn about the lifecycle of a ponderosa pine tree.
At every stage of the tree’s life – from cone to seed to adult – it plays an important role in the forest’s ecosystem.
Even after the tree’s death, the pine tree remains in the forest as a snag or log and provides critical habitat for plants and animals.
A significant aspect of the Ponderosa Playscape is its impressive scale, evoking a “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” feel for visitors amid features like 12-foot-tall pine needle bundles and a 12-foot-tall pinecone.
“The Ponderosa Playscape firmly fits into the museum’s educational approach through immersive experiences, we evoke wonder and awe to spark curiosity about the High Desert region,” Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw said. “We’re excited to see the joy of even the littlest kiddos playing
and learning in this new, dynamic experience.”
The signature piece in the playscape is the wood Pinecone Portal, a pinecone large enough for an adult to walk through carved by Sisters artist J. Chester Armstrong.
He is known for his detailed wood carvings and created the cone from logs sourced from the museum’s 135 acres and donated by the Central Oregon Irrigation District.
Armstrong also carved a dozen different forest creatures into another feature, the Discovery
Snag. Visitors will be able to search for species ranging from raccoons to bats to mushrooms.
The giant Log Jam Jumble, also made of wood, will provide climbers an outlet.
And there are four Pine Needle Climbers, each one in bunches of three just like ponderosa pine needles themselves.
The Seed Pod Stage and benches in the playscape’s center will offer visitors as well as Museum Kids Camps, school field trips and other programs a place for activities and play.
The Ponderosa Playscape has
been several years in the making. It replaces the Dig, Crawl, Climb area and is the first significant renovation project at the High Desert Museum
since the update of the Autzen Otter Exhibit in 2016. It’s located near the former Dig, Crawl, Climb location above the Autzen Otter Exhibit.
The signature piece of the E. L. Wiegand Ponderosa Playscape is the Pinecone Portal, a 12-foot-tall pinecone large enough for an adult to walk through. Macro-sized pine needle bundles challenge children to climb and explore.
PHOTOS COURTESY JOE KLINE PHOTOGRAPHY
Sunriver Area Chamber seeks board members, welcomes newest members
The Sunriver Area Chamber of Commerce seeks two board members to fill vacant roles on the nine member board of directors.
The board meets at 9 a.m. the second Thursday of the month at Sunriver Resort’s Hearth Room.
If you are interested in being a board member, please send an email to exec@sunrivercham ber.com.
Sunriver Saturday Market
The third annual Sunriver Saturday Market kicks off from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 31 with more than 40 vendors.
Follow the Sunriver Saturday Market on Instagram or visit www.sunriverchamber.com to learn more about the market and vendors.
Thank you to the gold sponsors: Sunriver Brewing, Dream Decks & Remodeling, Bleu Bite Catering, The Credicott
Agency, and Michele Sciaraffo and Temple Raney of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Northwest Real Estate.
Welcome new members
High Desert Food & Farm Alliance
The High Desert Food and Farm Alliance believes everyone deserves good food. They serve this belief everyday with
programming in increasing access to healthy, locally grown food for Central Oregonians experiencing food insecurity; providing support for farmers and ranchers; and educating consumers to source from local producers.
In 2024, HDFFA served 80,000 Central Oregonians through its food access work, educational programs, and services for the agricultural community.
Their food access programs not only benefit their most vulnerable neighbors, but are structured to directly support farmers who supply the nutritious produce for this work. Visit hdffa.org for information.
Hometown Heating & Cooling
Greg Logan is the owner of Hometown Heating & Cooling in Sunriver.
can cuisine and craft cocktails.
As a spin-off of the former Hola restaurant, Rio Sol brings a new menu of exciting flavors, food and drink in the same picturesque location.
Gather friends and family to enjoy a meal at Rio Sol.
Reservations are recommended by calling 541-5938880 or visiting riosollatin kitchen.com.
Village Properties
Village Properties at Sunriver, in business since 1985, offers a unique vacation rental experience in Sunriver.
Their team of local experts ensures your stay is memorable, whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast or seeking a family getaway.
their clients using sophisticated procedures and programs, executed by top-notch, local employees and family, with honesty, integrity, and a sense of community.
Visit www.village-properties. com for more information.
Gwen Shoemaker
Photography
Gwen Shoemaker Photography is Bend’s lifestyle photographer for families and personal brands.
With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, she has captured legacy images for couples, families, and businesses alike.
Born and raised in Colorado, Shoemaker pursued her dream of being a photographer from film school in Maine to working dirty jobs in Antarctica.
Hometown Heating & Cooling specializes in system repair services for heating and cooling systems; maintaining systems to make sure they are ready to go for winter and summer seasons; installing or upgrading heating and cooling systems in both new construction and homes and air quality systems.
Enjoy their guest perk program, seamless check-in system, and a variety of accommodations, including pet-friendly options.
Long-term tenants also get top-notch customer service with rental listing options that include homes, condominiums, apartments, seasonal leases and furnished rentals.
To arrange an appointment, call 458-292-8996 or visit www.hhc-co.com.
With more than 1,700 5-star reviews, they are committed to cleanliness, comfort, and stellar customer service for those staying with them.
She began her career as a wedding photographer, traveling around the world to document love, connection, and forever chasing images that last forever.
Mention the Sunriver Scene and receive the locals discount, even if you’re local just for the weekend.
To book your session, call 303-596-6325 or visit www.gwenshoemaker.com.
John Teters, Owner 541.640.0343 mydreamdecks.com john@dreamdecksremodeling.com
Rio Sol Latin Kitchen
Located in the heart of Central Oregon on the banks of the Deschutes River, Rio Sol delivers exquisite Latin Ameri-
For the owners that they partner with, they want to make owning a short or longterm rental a vacation
They give their homes superior home care and maximum exposure and bookings/leases through their full-service property management service.
For those looking to buy or sell in the Sunriver area, their Real Estate Team is excited to help you reach your home goals.
As a local, family-run business, it’s their priority to provide a quality experience for all
Bowtie Catering
Bowtie Catering tantalizes taste buds with diverse menus inspired by regional flavors and global influences, catering to modern dietary preferences with flair.
Every dish is a masterpiece with meticulous attention to detail, enhancing celebrations across Central Oregon with a touch of culinary magic that keeps guests coming back for more.
Visit www.bowtiecatering bend.com for information or to book for your event.
‘Know Magic’ in May with programs at area Deschutes Public Libraries
The Deschutes Public Library invites you to explore “Know Magic” this May by dabbling in whimsical watercolor techniques to learning about the history of foods once believed to hold magical powers. Programs marked with an asterisk (*) require registration.
In Lucid Color: Exploring Psilocybin erapy
Hear about treatment outcomes and legal considerations of psilocybin therapy. Author Jeanette Small details her experiences as a licensed psilocybin facilitator.
• Friday, May 2, 1 p.m. Sunriver Library, 56855 Venture Lane
• Wednesday, May 7, 6:30 p.m. Downtown Bend Library, 601 NW Wall Street
e Magic of Mocktails*
Up your mocktail game with selections that offer unique flavors and a healthier choice.
Bon Esprits Bottles is dedicated to providing health-conscious ingredients to make non-alcoholic libations. Registration required.
• Sunday, May 4, 3 p.m. Downtown Bend Library
• Thursday, May 22, 6 p.m. Redmond Library, 827 SW Deschutes Avenue, Redmond Plays Out Loud: ‘ e Princess Bride’ Participate in a reader’s theatre tale of true love and adventure. Take on characters from the movie and read the script together from start to finish in under two hours.
• Tuesday, May 6, 5:30 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
Magical Storytelling
Matthew Friday shares inspiring spring stories about magic and wonder. Intended for elementary school-aged children, but open to all; children must be accompanied by a caregiver.
• Tuesday, May 6, 5:30 p.m.
East Bend Library, 62080 Dean Swift Road
Children’s Museum of Central Oregon Pop-Up Exhibits
Have a blast exploring handson, open-ended play exhibits that are surprising, imaginative and mysterious. Intended for children ages 0–11; children must be accompanied by a caregiver.
• Wednesday, May 7, 1:30-3 p.m. Sunriver Library
Stories in the Garden at e Environmental Center*
Enjoy a nature-based story time followed by the chance to get your hands dirty in the gardens. Intended for kindergarten-aged children and younger; children must be accompanied by a caregiver. Registration required.
• Friday, May 9, 10:30 a.m.
The Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Avenue
Oregon Wildflower Hikes
Author and hiking guru
William L. Sullivan presents a slideshow tour of hikes to explore wildflowers in Oregon.
• Friday, May 9, 4 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
• Saturday, May 10,11 a.m.
Redmond Library
Page-to-Screen Family Movie Night
Join us for a magical evening full of music, dance and fantastical fun for the family as we watch “Mary Poppins Returns” (2018). No tickets necessary; first come, first served.
• Friday, May 9, 6 p.m. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall Street
Magical Foods*
Enjoy a historical overview of the foods once believed to hold magical powers by ancient civilizations. Learn how food was incorporated into the Aztec religion and make a traditional dish to enjoy. Registration required.
By uncovering and studying the evidence of past lives, archaeologists discover many things about their culture –from what they ate and how they lived, to the environment in which they made their homes.
Discover the mysteries of ancient cultures with The Archaeological Society of Central Oregon.
• Friday, May 16, 1 p.m.
Downtown Bend Library
e Magic of Spring: Poetry Workshop*
Writers of all ages and levels are invited to join Matthew Friday as he uses the inspiring magic of spring to create a brand new shared poem. Registration required.
• Tuesday, May 20, 5 p.m. Downtown Bend Library Self-Care Strategies for Reducing Stress
Explore six self-care habits designed to help reduce stress and strengthen resilience to navigate life’s ups and downs with confidence.
• Tuesday, May 20, 5:30 p.m. Redmond Library Goat Curious*
Dreaming of fresh goat milk, cozy goat fiber or just the joy of having quirky, loveable goats in your life? This workshop can help you understand the essentials of goat care with a personalized plan. Registration required.
• Wednesday, May 21, 11 a.m. Redmond Library
Watercolor Magic*
Watercolor is a wily character, doing what it wants more often than what you want. This class explores watercolor techniques and control, perfect for all experience levels. Registration required.
• Thursday, May 22, 10:30 a.m. Sisters Library, 110 North Cedar Street Cinema: A Language of Magic
Local film critic Jared Rasic shares how filmmakers innovate and shape the evolution of cinema’s language.
• Tuesday, May 27, 6 p.m. Downtown Bend Library Kids’ Math Night with Mathnasium
Discover the magic of math with fun and games to get your kid excited about STEM. Intended for elementary and middle-school-aged children; all children must be accompanied by a caregiver.
• Friday, May 30, 3 p.m. Downtown Bend Library Garden Fair: Make Your Garden Magical
Learn from local experts how to help pollinators, compost, grow vegetables in our climate, conserve water and more.
• Saturday, May 31, 11 a.m.1 p.m. Redmond Library
Register for programs
Visit www.deschutesli brary.org. People with disabilities needing accommodations (alternative formats or auxiliary aides) should contact Liz Goodrich at lizg@deschuteslibrary. org or 541-312-1032.
Author Craig Johnson presents his latest novel ‘Return to Sender’
By Deon Stonehouse
Craig Johnson is a loyal friend to Sunriver and returns on Thursday, May 29 at 5 p.m. for the latest in his Sheriff Walt Longmire series, “Return to Sender.”
This internationally bestselling series has garnered many awards and inspired a hit TV drama.
Johnson is in demand in far larger venues, yet he continues to be such a good friend to Sunriver, and we are grateful for his excellent presentations. Johnson is the star of our lineup.
We eagerly anticipate his books, and each one is a pleasure to read. Pre-purchase “Return to Sender” from Sunriver Books to attend (available at the bookstore or via phone – not on website).
There will be refreshments and drawings for prizes.
Wyoming has lots of wideopen spaces.
The Red Desert is such a place with 9,320 square miles of lonely that includes the Killpecker Sand Dunes – the
largest sand dunes in the United States.
It is not a good place to be lost or hurt.
No one is around for miles or, perhaps worse, someone sketchy and dangerous is around.
Cell reception is spotty and there is no CCTV around. It is a place where help may not be coming if you are in trouble – at least not in time.
Blair McGowan reliably delivers the mail over her 307mile route through the Red Desert.
She knows the country, the few people who call it home and is respectful of the place and its inhabitants.
One day her vehicle arrives back at the post office, but she does not.
Blair has vanished.
Her supervisor, Mike Thurman, doesn’t believe she would leave without a word.
His opinion is that she is a middle-aged, responsible and trustworthy employee. He wants to find out what happened and, if there is still time,
help if she needs help.
Mike has a valuable connection. Mike is Sheriff Walt Longmire’s late wife’s cousin. Walt considers him family.
When Mike calls asking for a favor, the legendary sheriff of Absaroka County, of course, says yes.
Walt agrees to go undercover to find out what has become of Blair McGowan.
Walt will be out of his jurisdiction, alone in a vast desert, looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
The last time that Walt went undercover was in “Dark
Horse.”
Complications are inevitable.
Those complications get off to a bang up start from the get-go when Walt tries to interview Blair’s boyfriend, leaving Walt with the opinion that Blair’s taste in men could use improvement.
Next up is delivering the mail. Mike arranged for Walt to take over Blair’s route, pretend to be a new mailman and hopefully discover clues to the whereabouts of the missing woman.
As time goes by, there is a smaller possibility that she will be found alive and a greater possibility that someone caused her harm.
The search takes Walt through dangerous territory
with searing heat and populated with venomous snakes – certainly a place that requires careful attention.
Adding to the list of new things Walt is trying, in addition to being a mailman, is that he has also purchased a cell phone.
The intricacies of its operation are giving him some frustration, such as ensuring the cell phone is charged.
“Return to Sender” is an edge of your seat story that will keep you turning pages until you find out what happened.
Sunriver Books & Music is in building 25 in The Village at Sunriver.
Call 541-593-2525 or visit www.sunriverbooks.com for more information.
Craig Johnson will visit Sunriver on Thursday, May 29
May Book Club discussion at Sunriver Books & Music
By Deon Stonehouse
Days are getting longer and warmer, yay. We are in that sweet spot where the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold, the mosquitos haven’t taken over, a little early for hikes at high elevations, but perfect weather for long walks, bike rides and all sorts of outdoor activities.
In the evening, relax from a day well spent enjoying the outdoors with a good book. It is fun getting together to discuss books.
Our Book Clubs meet Mondays via Zoom and in person, register to attend a discussion by emailing sunriverbooks@ sunriverbooks.com. Discussion notes are sent the weekend prior to the Book Club meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Mystery Book Club
The Mystery Book Club will discuss “Secret Hours” by Mick Herron at 6 p.m. Monday, May 5 via Zoom and at 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 12 at the bookstore in The Village at Sunriver.
The “Slow Horses” series by Herron is a hit on Apple TV as viewers discover what readers have known for some time, the series is a blast to read or view. Gary Oldham plays Jackson Lamb in the Apple series and perfectly nails the character of the crafty, unkept old spy. If you enjoy reading spy novels, Herron provides intricate plots that are liberally infused with humor.
“Secret Hours” delves into one of the nastier operations back in the day when national security meant the gloves came off on foreign ops. It starts
with a prime minister nursing a grudge against MI5. He launched an investigation to look under every rock to find any past misdeeds perpetrated by MI5. So, operatives that long ago risked life and limb for God and country could find themselves in hot water.
Griselda Fleet and Malcom Kyle, two civil servants, are chosen to lead the investigation designated “Monochrome.”
They are to be given unfettered access to all of MI5 files and told to get to work uncovering wrongdoing.
What the aforementioned affronted prime minister and his new hirings haven’t considered is the cunning and take no prisoners attitude of MI5’s First Desk. She is not a woman to be crossed.
Within two years, the prime minister is gone, tossed out by his own party (note to revenge seeking, chaos causing heads of state, it doesn’t usually end well). No wrongdoing whatsoever has been uncovered, Monochrome hasn’t found any files to delve into the shadier actions of MI5 in the good old days and is about to be shuttered. Until a case file mysteriously appears, it harks back to a troublesome op in Berlin. Game on!
But will Monochrome be able to outwit the formidable First Desk of MI5, or is she holding all the cards? Read “Secret Hours” and find out.
Fiction Book Club
The Fiction Book Club will meet at 6 p.m. Monday, May 19 via Zoom and at 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 26 at the book-
store to discuss “Fraud” by Zadie Smith.
In 1873 England, the fate of vast estates rested with the male heirs, so it is a bit of a problem that the Tichborne male heir, Sir Roger, is believed to be “dead at sea.” A man arrives from Australia, claiming to be Sir Roger and is ready to accept the mantle of the title, the lands and the fortune. Clearly, the whole “dead at sea” issue was just a misunderstanding, and he is alive and well.
However, it isn’t clear at all. There are rumors he fled England for Australia to escape his debts and is not an aristocrat at all. Witnesses are sought to attest to either his con job or his veracity. The strongest witness in his favor is Andrew Bogle, a slave from Jamaica who made his way to England becoming a servant on the Tichborne estate when Sir Roger was a wee lad and later knew the claimant in Australia.
England is captivated by the trial. People who believe in Sir Roger’s claim that he escaped his fate in Davy Jones’ locker and has a legitimate claim to the title and riches are of the opinion that the wealthy aristocratic ruling class is denying Sir Roger his rightful inheritance
because he doesn’t talk like a toff, swills beer and doesn’t act like the rest of the landed gentry.
The main character is Mrs. Eliza Touchet, a Scot who was taken in as housekeeper by author William Ainsworth, her husband’s cousin, when her husband left her in dire financial straits. Ainsworth was quite the literary star, but his popularity has fallen, his pal Charles Dickens now has the mantle of literary star while Ainsworth keeps writing stories hoping to regain some of his former glory all the while slipping further into obscurity.
Eliza is an abolitionist; she is interested in Andrew Bogle’s
views on the trial captivating the nation. An intelligent woman, she is aware of the weakness of Sir Roger’s claim of avoiding a watery grave, but she is also swayed by Andrew Bogle’s quiet dignity. Eliza becomes obsessed with Bogle. All the while trying to keep chaos in the Ainsworth household at bay, an ambition often thwarted by Ainsworth’s sometimes impulsive actions. This story is filled with quite a bit of humor. Eliza is a force of nature and an interesting character. Author Smith uses real instances from history and real people, making “Fraud” a fascinating read. Call 541593-2525 or visit www.sunri verbooks.com for information.
SSD Managing Board meeting highlights
The Sunriver Service District Managing Board held its regular meeting on April 17, 2025.
Board members present: Jim Fister, John Shoemaker, Bill Hepburn, John Ralston, Denney Kelley and SROA board representative/ex-officio Randy Schneider.
public safety classifieds
SSD staff present: Acting in capacity chief/Capt. Jason Van Meter, Fire Chief Bill Boos, district administrator Mindy Holliday, new district administrative assistant Brittany Fobi, new police chief executive assistant Michelle Mertins and new officer Stephanie Allen.
Public input
–Letter read into record from owner Debbie Baker with continued concerns that the district’s budget does not pencil and will continue if the board does not follow sound, fiscal management. Baker posed several ideas for cost savings that included cutting some police and firefighter positions.
Consent Agenda
–Approved SROA monthly invoice in the amount of $5,313.18.
Old business
Public Safety Facility update
–Project manager Doug Nelson reported that they were trying to close out the Kirby construction team, but some issues have popped up with systems not quite operational or having issues. There were also some furniture items that are yet to be delivered.
–Approved March 2025 new
facility funding requests in the amount of $78,990.37.
–Approved contract Addendum No. 2 to move Nelson and his project management services to an hourly rate through July.
–Heard an update on the district’s Reserve Study. Still waiting on finalized numbers for the public safety facility to hopefully complete the document in late April, early May.
–Received an update on the district’s Strategic Plan. Due to a delay in receiving some needed data, it will be approved by the board at the May meeting.
–Heard an update on appointments to the SSD’s Nominating Committee. This committee is responsible for finding and vetting potential candidates to serve on the SSD Managing Board. There are minor language changes needed to the committee’s charter.
New business
–Approved FY 2025-004 to appoint Ron Schmid to the SSD Nominating Committee.
–Approved FY 2025-005 to appoint John Ralston to the SSD Nominating Committee.
–Approved FY 2025-006 to appoint Bill Hepburn to the SSD Nominating Committee.
–Approved FY 2025-007 to appoint Randy Schneider to the SSD Nominating Committee.
–Approved the March 2025 unaudited financials..
Chief
reports Fire
–In March, there were 24 calls for the Sunriver Fire Department, which included 12 EMS calls, 6 mutual aid calls, 2
fire calls and 10 public service assistance calls.
–Working on FY 2025-2026 budget.
–Applied and received a $13,000 grant from the Oregon State Fire Marshal to pay for upsizing staff for the summer season.
–Gearing up for CO wildfire school; working on EMS and wildfire recertifications and training on new SCBA gear.
–Holding a fire expo, along with the Oregon State Fire Marshal and other emergency preparedness entities, at SHARC on April 29, 1-3 p.m.
–Attended the Oregon State Fire Marshal Incident Management Team conference held in Sunriver.
–Union negotiations are underway.
Police
–In March, the Sunriver Police Department received 546 calls for service, 50 of which were emergencies. Officers investigated 28 cases, conducted 179 traffic stops, provided 46 community-policing responses, conducted 56 security checks, responded to 7 parking and 5 animal complaints. There were 9 DUII traffic offenses.
–Lateral officer Stephanie Allen has started with the department.
–Another lateral officer is awaiting medical clearance, and two others are in background checks.
–Department accreditation is being reviewed now that they have moved into the new facility.
–Five bike patrol officers are
SSD monthly board meetings
SSD board meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. The next SSD board meeting is May 15 and will be held in the new public safety facility conference room.
also in background checks. Once cleared training will be in May and likely will be patrolling the pathways starting Memorial Day weekend.
–Formed a wellness committee with the fire department.
–Trainings included firearms handling, use of force and ethics in law enforcement.
Administration
–Working with both chiefs to develop and finalize the FY 2025-2026 budget.
–Coordinated the SSD budget meeting and collaborated with Deschutes County and Oregon Department of Revenue to clarify the role of the SSD Budget Committee, leading to the formation of the SSD Finance Committee
–Continued to work on a payroll issue.
–Participated in labor contract negotiations for both fire and police departments.
–Met with WHA to discuss the upcoming year’s worker compensation renewal and developed a plan to improve district policies and procedures to mitigate risks.
–Finalized SSD Nominating Committee documents, updated the district website and submitted an article to the Scene. Also planning social media outreach campaign to find candidates to the SSD’s Managing Board.
–Joined the Central Oregon Procurement Group and Central Oregon Human Resources Group to support continued professional development and regional collaboration.
Other business
–The next regular meeting of the Sunriver Service District Managing Board is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, May 15. The meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m.
Approved meeting minutes are posted, as available, at www. sunriversd.org.
Prescribed burn season underway
By Jim Bennett
It’s warming up, and we are nearing summer when the roads will fill up with cars from all over the West Coast, pathways will see plenty of bicycles, golfers will be traversing the greens, the horses will have riders, and the river will be teaming with kayaks.
It’s a great time of year and exciting to see our friends who are “snowbirds” returning; visitors and those looking to take advantage of all the great recreation activities.
During this time of year, usually starting in April, we have a season of prescribed burns, mostly managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The location of each of these important burns are in need of thinning after years of excessive growth and forest debris build up.
These planned fires help to reduce catastrophic fires that can quickly spread through forests that have not burned in decades.
Fire managers use great caution prior to beginning a “burn” by taking into consideration many factors, including weather, available personnel, fuel moisture (amount of moisture contained in plants within the forest), natural fire breaks, temperature, wind, air quality impacts and more.
Depending on weather conditions, and the location of the fire, smoke can easily make its way into Sunriver, so it’s important to stay tuned to messaging about burns which may indicate that air quality has been compromised.
This also occurs with unplanned local and sometimes
long distance fires when the smoke is blown into our area.
Go to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality site at www.oregon.gov/deq/aq/ pages/aqi.aspx to get daily air quality reports.
If there is smoke and you are sensitive to it, or at an extreme level, consider staying inside and keep doors and windows closed to help keep the smoke out. If outside, keep in mind that smoke can make exercise difficult so pace yourself.
Fire prep your property
With it being May, you are hopefully fully into or even done with getting your yard and home fire safe for the season. As we discussed last month, now is the time to clean out all of that winter forest debris.
Whether it is the pine needles in the gutters or valleys of your roof or the firewood pile next to the house, it’s time to get it done.
Visit the SROA page www. sunriverowners.org/proper typreparedness for specifics on
what steps you are permitted and encouraged to take in keeping your home safe during wildfire season.
Disposal of yard waste is free on select days and locations during the month of May. The FireFree annual event provides free yard debris disposal throughout the county.
On May 2-3 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Sunriver Compost Site, 18305 Cottonwood Road, will be accepting the debris. If you can’t make it on those days, check the firefree.org website for additional days and locations.
Also, SROA provides a monthly curbside yard debris
Editor’s note: Due to software changes, log data previously created by Sunriver o cers is no longer available in-house. The Scene is looking into alternative ways to access police log data, if possible. Stay tuned.
Sunriver Police Log
Select log entries collected by the Sunriver Scene
BAC = Blood Alcohol Content
DCJ = Deschutes County
DCSO = Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office
DUII
=
FTA = Failure to Appear
GOA = Gone On Arrival
LPR = License Plate Reader
3-10 Sunriver Police Department took a report on lost property in Fremont Crossing.
3-18 O cer responded to and investigated a motor vehicle crash on Highway 97.
3-21 Responded to a report of criminal mischief at the Sunriver Nature Center.
3-25 O cers assisted a resident with questions regarding safe gun storage.
3-27 Took a subject into custody in the Sunriver Business Park for DUII.
3-30 O cer received a report of found property.
Newberry Regional Partnership honored at La Pine Chamber dinner
The La Pine Community Center buzzed with celebratory energy on April 1 as the La Pine Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner, the Newberry Nibble.
One of the many highlights of the event was the presentation of the 2024 Outstanding Organization Award to the Newberry Regional Partnership.
The award recognized the nonprofit organization’s significant contributions to the south Deschutes County region in its first three years of operation. Formed to address the challenges and opportunities arising from growth and change in Newberry Country, the organization was lauded for its proactive efforts in convening key stakeholders, organizations and entities to collaboratively tackle community issues.
Geoff Wullschlager, board chair and city manager of La Pine, said the Newberry Regional Partnership was created to meet the demand for increased local participation, and representation by and for the residents of Newberry Country.
CONSTRUCTION
“The result of the work to date has not only achieved these milestones but created a new sense of community and opportunism for the future of the region,” Wullschlager said. “The participation by our constituency clearly demonstrates this, and we are inspired and humbled by the significant Newberry citizen contributions.”
In accepting the award, representatives from the Newberry Regional Partnership highlighted their deep engagement with the community.
types and aspects of roofing, including custom Handyman Service www.oldtownroofingandconstruction.com
Through a comprehensive process that included a community-wide survey, a series of insightful civic engagement sessions, focus groups, in-depth stakeholder interviews and a revealing community poll, the committee members diligently gathered input from the diverse residents of the 97707 and 97739 Zip codes.
This extensive outreach, representing the voices of about 20,935 permanent residents from La Pine, Sunriver, Three Rivers and surrounding rural ar-
eas, culminated in the creation of a comprehensive Strategic Action Plan.
“There is a huge benefit to a community driven organization with community action taking place. Having served this community for over 52 years, I’m incredibly grateful for the widespread support Newberry Regional Partnership has received, both from our community members and partner organizations,” Vicki Russell, a local business owner and partnership member, said.
The plan at www.newberryregionalpartner ship.org/2025-strategic-ac tion-plan, reflects the community’s deeply held values – a respect for their rural history and independent spirit, appreciation for their diverse communities and lifestyles, the cherished small-town atmosphere, access to Central Oregon’s natural wonders, a thriving regional economy, expanding healthcare and education, diverse housing options, and the dedication of their safety personnel.
The Partnership’s work has
train derailment, severe storms, earthquakes and more.
pickup for owners April to October. For more information go to www.sunriverowners.org/lfr.
The debris is limited to ladder fuels and some restrictions apply
Community emergencies can come in any form from fire to
been guided by a clear vision for Newberry Country: to become Central Oregon’s most livable place, celebrated for its stunning landscapes, recreational abundance, and blend of rural, small-town and resort living.
Their vision emphasizes a network of interconnected communities, where La Pine thrives with lively downtown and affordable housing, Sunriver shines as a vacation, recreational and cultural hub, and the rural areas offer tranquil, fire-wise living.
The 2024 Outstanding Organization Award serves as a testament to the Newberry Regional Partnership’s dedication to fostering a unique regional identity, a culture of engagement and belonging, and a future that is healthy, prosperous, sustainable and resilient for all of Newberry Country.
Their collaborative approach and community-driven strategic plan offer a promising roadmap for navigating the region’s continued growth and change. Visit newberryregionalpar tnership.org to learn more.
instructions will be provided at that time.
Depending on the emergency, the response for the community could range from shelter-in-place to evacuation or simply to monitor conditions.
To respond, you need to be aware. If you have not signed up for Sunriver and Deschutes County alerts, do it today.
Go to www.sunriveremergencyinfo.com to find the registration links as well as specific information about emergency response and evacuations.
In the event of a large-scale incident, notifications will go out through text and phone alerts as well as social media and local news stations. Further
In the event of an emergency the best advice is to follow the directions of emergency responders and Sunriver officials.
Start May with finishing the preparations for your yard and getting set up for emergency alerts should they be needed this summer or anytime.
Help us have a safe, fire free summer by following the rules set in place to limit the potential for fire and don’t forget to remind your guests and visitors so they can also enjoy the community for years to come.
–Jim Bennett is the public information officer for the Sunriver Fire Department.
Newberry Regional Partnership was presented with the 2024 Outstanding Organization Award by the La Pine Chamber.
Sunriver Women’s Club awards to $52,000 to local nonpro ts
The Sunriver Women’s Club (SRWC) gave a record amount of spring grants to south Deschutes County nonprofits totaling $52,000.
At a time when nonprofits are scrambling to plan budgets with impending federal cuts, the Sunriver community increased its generosity.
Of the 12 awards, six focus on education, three on hunger prevention and one each for child abuse prevention, health and safe housing.
Community members can socialize, have fun and contribute to the Sunriver Women’s Club community grant program by attending the Art Meets Wine in the High Desert on May 17.
Tickets are available at artmeetswine.org.
Or donate directly at sunriv erwomensclub.org.
Education and youth development
• The $6,000 grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon supports the Big Futures Program, which targets low-income middle and high school students for academic and mentorship help.
These youth may be at risk of dropping out, chronically absent or disengaged or performing significantly below grade level in reading and math.
• Another $7,000 was awarded for scholarships for kindergarten through fifth-grade students to attend Camp Fire out-of-school programs on-site at Three Rivers School and La Pine Elementary from June 2025 to May 2026.
Rosland Elementary students will be bused to La Pine Elementary.
• Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), via its partner fiscal agent East
Cascade Works, was given $3,500 to help low-income youth attend driver's education, get a driver's license, and therefore improve school attendance.
The COIC Youth Compass Program is an alternative education system that provides employment that earns high school credits while a student works toward a GED or high school diploma.
• Friends of the Children Central Oregon provides young children facing several “adverse childhood experiences,” such as parental divorce or domestic violence, with a professional mentor for at least 12 years.
The $3,000 award supports one-on-one activities with La Pine youth.
These activities focus on the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, perseverance, problem-solving and self-determination.
• Heart of Oregon Corps oversees the Central Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, which provides an eight-week summer jobs program for youth 16-18 who are disconnected from school and work but are ready to thrive with support in a “work, earn, learn” model.
The $5,000 grant helps fund five south Deschutes County youths to serve on environmental conservation crews this summer.
• The $3,000 award to
SMART Reading allows all kindergartners at La Pine, Rosland Elementary and Three Rivers School to receive weekly one-on-one reading support with volunteers and books to keep.
The aim is to give more than 1,800 books to 132 kindergartners.
Hunger prevention
• Meals on Wheels is a south Deschutes County staple: hot meals three times a week in La Pine and two times a week in Sunriver.
With the addition of frozen meals with fresh salads, fruits, desserts and beverages, this equates to five full meals a week. The $4,500 grant helps serve a minimum of 145 community members.
• The La Pine Activity Center (LPAC) received $5,000 to help provide 1,000 nutritious meals for low-income and disabled seniors through communal dining or a drive-through option.
LPAC partners with Meals on Wheels and St. Charles Health Systems.
• About 9% of La Pine students struggle with food insecurity.
La Pine Middle School was awarded $3,000 to distribute 120 weekend food backpacks for students in the five La Pine schools for the remaining weeks of the 2024-25 school year.
Child abuse prevention and intervention
•A $5,000 award helps recruit, train and support Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA ), who advocate for abused and neglected foster children in the court system.
In 2024, there were 36 children in foster care in southern Deschutes County.
Each had a CASA, compared to only 50% across Oregon.
Physical and mental health
• Girls on the Run teams blend physical activity with social-emotional skill development as they work towards a 5K run.
A $3,000 grant helps with program supplies and coaching
support. One team is at La Pine Middle School, and a second team will serve third through eighth-grade girls at Three Rivers School.
Safe housing
• Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Repair Program is a model for preventing homelessness.
With $4,000 from SRWC, it plans to make unsafe, uninhabitable homes livable by repairing plumbing, electrical wiring, roofs, insulation, access ramps and heating.
Typically costing $200$1,500 per repair, the grant helps four to eight households across south Deschutes County become safe.
Uncorked wine event returns this summer with a new date
Wine lovers rejoice!
Uncorked, Sunriver Style returns after last year’s cancellation due to the threat of a nearby wildfire.
The event is also moving from September to July 18-19 with the hope of avoiding what has become Oregon’s “smoke season.”
Benham Hall at SHARC welcomes renowned vineyards from Southern Oregon, the Willamette Valley and Colum-
Uncorked, Sunriver Style
When: Friday, July 18 and Saturday, July 19
Where: Benham Hall at SHARC
Event includes : Wine tasting, music, food and vendors
Note: Guests must be 21 years and older
Tickets: Early bird tickets are $20 from May 15 to June 1. Tickets are $25 at the door.
To order tickets: Visit www.bendticket.com
bia River Valley.
Participating wineries include Merrill Cellars, J. Wrigley Vine-
yards, Elixir Cellars, Lava Terra Cellars, Faith Hope and Charity, J. Scott Cellars, Garibaldi
Cellars, Catman Cellars, Maragas Winery and Willamette Valley Vineyards
Uncorked also will feature vendors and live music each day.
On Friday evening, enjoy local favorite Heller Highwater Band from 5 to 7 p.m. in the John Gray Amphitheater. Music continues Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. with rock/blues/ soul music by DMM (Derek Michael Marc).
Early bird $20 tickets are
available May 15 through June 1 at www.bendticket.com.
For last minute planners, weekend admission will be available at the door for $25.
Ticket holders receive a souvenir wine tasting glass, two drink sampling tokens and admission for both days. Additional taste samplings and bottles of wine will be for sale through each winery. There will also be beers on tap from Sunriver Brewing.
Last chance to see the Sunriver Stars performance of ‘ e Man Who Shot Liberty Valance’
The Sunriver Stars production of “ The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” written by Jethro Compton and directed by Antony Sparrow, opened in April to rave reviews.
If you missed it, or want to see it again, you still have two chances on May 2 and May 3.
The riveting and powerful, yet at times humorous, twohour show will play at Legend
Cider Company, 16481 Bluewood Place in La Pine at 7 p.m.
The play is a classic tale of law and order versus intimidation and violence in the Old West.
It’s the Wild West in 1890
Let Neil Kelly help you create the perfect space. Now is great time to schedule a complimentary consultation with an awardwinning designer. We’ll discuss your inspiration, vision, and goals for your project, answer all your questions, share ideas, and discuss schedule and budget ranges. Whether you’re in the early planning stage or ready to remodel, this is a great way to get started!
To schedule and learn more, visit: neilkelly.com/consultation, or call 541.382.7580.
when Ransome Foster, a scholar from New York City, first arrives to the town of Twotrees bloody, beaten and left for dead. Yet after a quick recovery and a promise to a young woman to help her learn to read, Foster begins to change the small town through love and education, eventually calling it home.
This catches the attention of Liberty Valance, an outlaw who seeks to restore his view of “the norms of society” through terror and bloodshed.
Rick Worthington plays ‘Marshal Johnson,’ left, and Donovan Kelley is ‘Ransome Foster.’
Foster finds himself on a collision course with the experienced gunman forcing him to make a choice: to run or to stand up for what he believes in, to live or to fight for what is right.
Tickets are available at www. sunriverstars.org.
Doyouowna
Did you know that if you have an active short-term rental, you are required to register your rental with the County, collect an 8% tax from occupants, and pay that 8% tax to Deschutes County? Owners contracting with a property management company are still required to register. If you use a third-party booking service, such as Airbnb or VRBO, you are still required to submit reports to the County, even though they are collecting and
Flex + Flow Fitness Studio creates a ‘sense of community’
By Andrea Hine
When Leah Spezza and Heather Sainsbury met on a Hike It Baby excursion in Bend – both of them pregnant with a toddler in tow – neither woman could have foreseen that years later, after becoming friends, moving to Sunriver, and forming a Girl Scout Troop together, they would also join forces in making Spezza’s “big dream” of opening a fitness studio come true.
“Leah’s long-time goal aligned with my own, which was to add ‘fitness instructor’ to my list of accomplishments,” Sainsbury said. “And, given that we both like to stay busy all the time, we decided to fill an empty niche in Sunriver for exercise options geared toward those of all ages and ability levels where everyone is welcome.”
Flex + Flow Fitness Studio, the endeavor Spezza founded, has already attracted a mix of people from all walks of life – just a few months after its February grand opening.
With Spezza “at the wheel and me in the back seat as her personal cheerleader and support system partner,” the two women – who Sainsbury described as “complementing each other,” have always prioritized fitness. Spezza taught Jazzercise for three years, and despite developing a loyal following, was eager to create her own classes.
Sainsbury grew up dancing and cheerleading competitively, taught dancing to children and at a Fred Astaire Dance Studio, and has years of experience in taking yoga, Pilates and barre classes.
Not surprisingly, she admits she always had a passion for keeping moving.
In addition to that compatibility, both Spezza and Sainsbury are dedicated entrepreneurs. Spezza started Mysa Massage Therapy, with two locations in Bend and Sunriver, and also owns Crimson & Clover, which is known for its permanent jewelry designs.
Sainsbury and her husband
Flex + Flow owners Leah
founded a company called Peaceful Pet Supplements, which hand-formulates a line of six oil blends for felines and canines that are sold online, and at pet stores in Oregon, Washington, California and Idaho.
The two officially began their professional collaboration after Spezza found a space on Venture Lane behind Jodie K’s Deli and Kitchen.
“It looked like a mechanic shop, complete with roll-up door and a cement floor,” Sainsbury said. “At one point we asked: ‘What have we gotten
and
ourselves into?’ ”
But agreeing that “we can’t stop, and won’t stop,” they found there’s a lot you can do with white paint and soon transformed the floors and walls, installed high-end cushioned floors and enhanced the interior with “amazing” mirrors.
The upstairs will feature a stretch lounge, an office and space for childcare (which they term “child watch”) while mothers are working out, starting this summer.
Flex + Fitness offers daily classes ranging from 30 to 75
minutes in duration and based on stretching, Zumba, barre, strength training, yoga and cardio in various combinations.
Classes are taught for all fitness levels – from those who have never exercised before to those who exercise everyday –with teachers trained to provide modifications so everyone can be “moving while doing.”
“We want less experienced patrons to be able to walk in and not feel they’re getting their butts kicked,” Sainsbury said.
“Leah and I are trying to build local connections and create a sense of community,” Sainsbury added. “In addition to our core clientele, we love to have tourists and encourage them to enjoy Flex + Flow either on their own or as part of a group of people coming to Sunriver for gatherings such as bachelorette parties or family reunions. We’re also totally open to having men in the classes who, for example, might get stiff from their weight work.”
Class participants range from teenagers to a woman in her 80s who “goes and flows as she can,”
Sainsbury said. “Feedback has been uniformly positive, with moms, for example, telling Leah and me that they are very excited, and find the experience to be really a treat. In their words, ‘I can finally do something for myself, and not have to drive 30 minutes into Bend to get a workout.’”
She and Spezza, with the seemingly boundless energy that has marked their relationship from that first hike together, also want to expand on what they already have and are exploring other options such as workshops to help clientele get ready for hiking and biking.
“We’re bursting at the seams with ideas,” Sainsbury said.
One of them – to give the uninitiated an overview of Flex + Flow Fitness Studio – is a special Mother’s Day event from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 10 with free classes, during which participants can jump right in or simply observe.
As Sainsbury reiterated, “We want people to understand that no matter where you are on your fitness journey, you are welcome here.”
Spezza
Heather Sainsbury
Still
time to register for the Play On! Pickleball Bash coming in May
Registration is open for the second annual “Play On!” Pickleball Bash, a benefit for Sunriver Music Festival.
Sunriver Scene readers can get a $10 discount by using the discount code: SUN2025 when registering.
New this year is a scramble. For those players not interested in being in a team tournament but still want to support the festival and just have some fun playing pickleball, it will feature an Individual Round Robin Scramble.
There also will be an amateur team tournament for those that like to compete in tournaments.
The “Play On!” Pickleball Bash will be held at the Fort
Rock Park Pickleball complex in Sunriver on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1.
Players interested in registering for the “funds and friends” event can go to www. sunrivermusic.org/pickleball for information.
Participants must create an account with pickleballtournaments.com to sign up for the events.
On May 31, the tournament will begin at 9 a.m. with men’s individual scramble and team events. Women’s individual scramble and team events will begin at 1 p.m. On June 1, mixed individual scramble and team events will begin at 9 a.m. There will be skill levels
for teams: recreational up to 3.5, intermediate 3.5 – 4.0 and competitive at 4.0 and up. Individual round robin scrambles will be divided by skill. When possible both the individual and team events will be pooled by age and skill level. Individual round robin (scramble) events allow for players to sign up individually. You can be in men’s or women’s, and mixed events since they are on separate days. The system will create a club-style competition where players are partnered randomly with others in their skill group. Depending on the number of players signed up, they will play three, four or six games. Skill level and age
pools will be formed if there is a large sign up. The top three players for each scramble will be recognized.
Team competition will be in a round robin format, with final play-offs to crown the top three teams in each bracket. Scoring will be standard. Play-offs will be scored in typical tournament style. Every effort will be made to organize play for all three skill levels and all brackets, using age pooling when possible. The tournament director reserves the right to make changes to the brackets and schedule based on registrations, weather, and timing.
Play On! would like to thank Selkirk Sport for being a premier
sponsor of the event. Selkirk has been a fantastic partner, helping to promote pickleball education and competitive pickleball play. Thanks to Selkirk for all they do for the pickleball community. They have provided the Selkirk PRO S1 pickleballs for the tournament as well as some great merchandise for the event’s raffles and awards.
Plans are in the works for a social hour after play ends each day. Complimentary beverages accompanied by classical music, and a chance to nosh and chat will be on the agenda. Awards will be made at these events as well.
Contact pickleball@sunriver music.org for information.
2025 summer tennis scene; don’t miss Sunriver Solstice tournament
By Tom Wimberly
Temperatures are warming and the nets are back up. Get ready for another summer of tennis in Sunriver.
The Sunriver Tennis Club is your place to start. Go to www. sunrivertennis.com and click on the Tennis Club link to learn
about all the club activities.
Looking for a game? Try the players list. Or sign-up for one of the many weekly group play sessions. Groups are organized by ability level and gender (e.g. women’s 3.0 - 3.5 doubles).
They’re open to everyone, but advance sign-up is generally
required. Find out more information about each group, including days, times and sign-up instructions, by following the links under “Scheduled Group Play.” Other club activities and tennis news in general is found under the “Tennis Club News and Events” link. Check it out.
Tennis tournament
The 16th Sunriver Solstice Tennis Tournament is June 27–29.
There are events in singles, doubles and mixed doubles for intermediate through expert level players.
Competition participants are treated to a complimentary lunch every day and will take home a Solstice 2025 T-shirt.
Trophies are awarded to champion and runner-up in
both main and consolation brackets. The tournament was at max capacity last year with more than 250 players.
Entries will be limited to 250 this year, and draws are capped at 16, so if you are interested in playing be sure to register early. Registration deadline is June 15. Go to www.sunrivertennis. com and click on the Sunriver Solstice link.
Happy hitting and hope to see you on the courts.
Betty Gray Gallery spring exhibit showcases High Desert Art League work
By Jim Fister, Helen Brown and Vivian Olsen
Twenty-five years ago, a small group of Central Oregon artists got together to critique their work, discuss the art market, and merely bask in the presence of other creative people.
The artists enjoyed the company and the feedback so much they decided to meet every month to share their portfolios, provide encouragement and show their work together locally.
One of their first exhibits
‘Enduring’ and Vivian
was at the Mirror Pond Gallery in downtown Bend, now the Commons Cafe. Over the next 10 years, they had exhibitions in Portland, Salem, Boise,
Ketchum, Anacortes and the Oregon coast.
These 25 years later, the High Desert Art League (HDAL) is still going strong.
All the types of art created by HDAL artists are exciting, highly professional and always varied, ranging from paintings created with oils, pastels, watercolor and acrylics, to encaustics, printmaking and photography. Their wide array of subjects captures both beautiful sights, and the unique aura of life in the high desert.
The artists display their art in various exhibits and other venues, as well as with art galleries throughout the region.
Their latest display will be at
Rotary Club fundraiser ‘Passport to Italy’ on Sunday, June 1
By Lee Haroun
The Sunriver-La Pine Rotary Club fundraiser takes place this year on June 1 at 5 p.m. in Sunriver Resort’s Great Hall.
Please join us to enjoy a fun Italian-themed evening while helping support nonprofits and students in south Deschutes County.
This year’s theme is “Passport to Italy” and will include entertainment and games, live and silent auctions and a wine wall.
A three-course Italian dinner will feature a mozzarella and heirloom tomato salad and choice of the following entrées complemented by a hosted wine:
• Roasted garlic and thyme salmon, tomato lemon orzo pasta, buttered broccolini, with a lemon-lime reduction.
• Italian spiced flat iron steak,
Passport to Italy
When: 5 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 1
Where: Sunriver Resort’s Great Hall
Cost: $125 per person
Tickets: Purchase tickets at www.sunriver-lapinerotary. org, from a Rotary Club member or at First Interstate Bank in The Village at Sunriver
roasted fingerling potatoes tossed in a basil pesto, caramelized peppers, garlic butter broccolini and an oregano cream sauce.
• Eggplant parmesan with sweet tomato jam and mozzarella cheese served with a side of roasted garlic risotto and
roasted broccoli.
Dessert is a lemon cheesecake.
Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self,” and we hope you will help us continue to support local organizations such as CASA, Rising Stars Preschool,
the Betty Gray Gallery of Art at the Sunriver Lodge through the end of June. The show will cover both floors of the gallery and will highlight the variety of art that HDAL produces.
The gallery will be hosting an artists’ reception Friday, May 30 from 4 to 6 p.m. to highlight the work of these accomplished artists.
Light snacks and refreshments will be served. Please mark your calendars to view this wonderful display of Central Oregon art.
La Pine Senior Activity Center, and Habitat for Humanity that work to assist seniors, families and children in our community.
The club is accepting donations for the silent auction.
Please drop off donations at First Interstate Bank. This is a great way to promote your business while giving back to the community.
Please visit www.sunriver-lap inerotary.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Pam Beaverson’s
Olsen’s ‘Foxy’s Gang.’
Smile, you might be on camera
By Susan Berger, Sunriver Scene
Last summer, the Sunriver Police Department added a new tool to their crime fighting toolbox – a license plate reader (LPR) system.
Purchased from Flock Safety, the solar-powered cameras are located at the Cottonwood Road and South Century Drive entrances into Sunriver.
Now, don’t get yourself in a lather thinking these cameras are tipping off police that your vehicle’s tags are expired, or a headlight is out.
That’s not what this system is used for. What an LPR does is scan a vehicle’s
Letters to the Editor
license plate and cross reference that information against the National Crime Information Center database. The plate on a vehicle has to be reported as stolen, involved in or somehow connected to a crime or to an Amber or Silver alert.
If there’s a match, a notification is immediately sent to local law enforcement to be on the lookout.
If needed, the system can be filtered to look for a particular make/model/color of a vehicle should a plate be missing or unreadable.
This is not an easy find if you think about how many silver colored Subaru
Chorus of One: Resort lacks concern for Sunriver community
By Aaron Coldiron
The amenities of Sunriver are crucial to its appeal as a vacation destination.
The Resort’s decision to remove access to the golf courses for Sunriver owners and guests is unacceptable, as it will decrease property values and the guest experience.
Sunriver is known for its collegiality and friendliness, but the Resort is playing hard ball. It is possible to be firm and powerful while being civil, and
we need the SROA to push back strongly, as the Resort believes there are no repercussions for its decisions to remove access, damage the Sunriver experience, and lower property values. And, they are right so far. We need to play hard ball as well.
First, there is no reason the Resort should have it easy in Sunriver.
The SROA should make operating the hotel and golf courses difficult until the Resort changes its policy. We should
Why does the phrase ‘no golf for you’ come to mind?
By Carol Schaaf
We are homeowners for more than 20 years who occasionally play golf.
We rent our home when we are not in Sunriver. We have had guests book our home for tennis and golf tournaments over many years.
Our amazing guests come to Sunriver for all of the amenities
that have been consistently offered for nearly 50 years.
Last year, the Sunriver Resort management made it more expensive and more difficult to book tee times, but the public still had the freedom to book either Woodland or Meadows golf courses.
But this year, our guests will be denied access unless we cave
Resort exerting a monopoly to increase pro ts
By Jim Francesconi
My family has been coming to Sunriver for 40 years, 20 years as renters, the last 20 as owners.
Golf has been as an important part of our Sunriver family experience as it has for thousands of families.
Foresters are out there. It would be easier to find a needle in haystack.
Having an LPR system within a community acts as a “force multiplier” for law enforcement, and just the presence of cameras has shown to deter crime.
Since the cameras were installed 10 months ago there have been 363,257 plates scanned.
Sunriver’s LPR system has already proven beneficial to not only Sunriver Police, but to other Central Oregon law enforcement as well.
This past fall the cameras pinged law enforcement that the vehicle of a
use every legal avenue and SROA regulations to make this choice painful and unprofitable for the Resort.
Secondly, we should secure golfing as an asset for all Sunriver owners and guests in perpetuity.
The SROA could purchase a golf course or pay a one-time license fee to secure the right to play. Golf courses are expensive to buy, but recent sales show most sell in the $5M to $10M range.
to Sunriver Resort management letting them book our guests with their extremely high fees.
The lack of communication is alarming.
In January and April, I called the Sunriver Resort to make sure my advertising to incoming guests was accurate.
They clearly stated, “No change from 2024.”
possible homicide suspect had entered Sunriver.
Thanks to the LPR system, it resulted in locating the subject in Sunriver and a subsequent arrest.
Under today’s technological era, everyone should know by now that cameras are installed almost everywhere – from fast food joints and supermarkets to retail stores, schools and along highways. If you have nothing to worry about… you really have nothing to worry about. So be sure to smile and wave (with all FIVE fingers, please) – you just might be on camera.
We could use an optional fee similar to the SHARC pass to fund this without an assessment on owners
The 2024 survey shows that 58% of owners play golf, and many rentals would want access for their guests. Even at a $10M purchase price, an optional Sunriver Golf Pass would cost only $360 a year and only need to be paid by the owners who would like to play or offer golf to their renters. The cost might even be lower after factoring
Our SROA never indicated to owners a huge change was occurring until after our summer bookings were in place and three days after the April Scene article.
As I speak to other owners, many still don’t know Meadows and Woodland are private golf courses, effectively immediately. I am extremely disappointed
in golfing revenue. Owners could recapture this optional fee from rental guests. Maybe the SROA would even throw in a free round of golf every year for owners.
I do not blame the Resort for maximizing their own self-interest, but the sheer audacity and lack of concern for Sunriver is shocking.
It is time for a tougher plan –with teeth and civility – to secur e the future of golf in Sunriver.
that SROA wasn’t proactive with all the owners who rent their homes or just want to play golf once in a while when at their homes.
Our guests expect the amenities of the last 50 years to be the same.
Central Oregon deserves to have the Resort’s courses available but they too, are banned.
The Resort adds insult to injury by providing discounts on dining and other amenities.
The Resort assumes that owners and other renters will continue to dine and drink at the lodge and continue to pay for other Resort amenities, es-
By turning the golf courses to private resort member only, Sunriver Resort is exerting its monopoly power to increase profits.
Sunriver
Resort golf change hurts owners
By Clark Norske
I am totally shocked and disgusted by the actions of Sunriver Resort to totally exclude Sunriver owners from golfing at Meadows and Woodland courses unless we join for a ridiculous sum of $15,000.
Wasn’t it the owners who “stayed local” during COVID. Every time, we were in Sunriver we would go to the lodge for dinner. NOT ANYMORE.
All owners should boycott Sunriver Resort, marina, stables and Sunriver Realty, and
pecially from October to April, when no golf will be played.
We will miss the lodge dining and the Owl’s Nest, but we have plenty of other great dining options in and near Sunriver all year round.
We prefer to support local businesses, anyway. We are tired of adding to the bottom line of large organizations who have
not spend a dime there.
no idea, nor do they care, about how their actions impact the communities they serve.
This policy, implemented suddenly without warning to people coming to Sunriver thinking they can play golf, proves that Sunriver Resort is unworthy of the legacy that John and Betty Gray began and so many have continued. Their
picture greets visitors to the lodge and Betty’s name graces the gallery.
I knew John Gray.
John and Betty would be as appalled with Sunriver Resort as many of us are. Above all, John and Betty cared about building community connected to our land, values Sunriver Resort has abandoned.
Wait till the next economic downturn and when the lodge tries to ask the locals to come back.
What a slap in the face to every Sunriver owner.
I have, in the past, sent countless numbers of our renters looking for homes to buy in Sunriver to Sunriver Realty. Recently, I have noticed a number of long-term realtors from Sunriver Realty moving to other real estate companies. Now, I can only imagine why.
LOLO TREE WORKS
Tree Services: Tree Removal, Tree Pruning, Stump Grinding, Fire Fuel Reduction, & Emergency Tree Services. ISA-Certified Arborist
K2 Business Services, LLC has been cleaning inside Sunriver and the outlying areas since 1989. We specialize in cleaning of residential private homes for year-round residents and in privately owned family vacation homes that are used by family and extended family. Licensed and insured. Email KKBendOregon@yahoo.com or text/call Kathy at 541-419-9248
SNOW REMOVAL
Driveway snow plowing and snow blowing. No contracts; on call work only. General contracting, licensed, bonded, insured since 1992.
CCB# 97643, Tubs Alive, Inc.
541-593-5163
PAINT, STAIN & PRESSURE WASH
10% off Interior paint or stain if you mention this ad. Call Earth & Sky Construction and Paint today 541-815-7469
LIGHTS ON ELECTRIC, LLC
Everything electrical and appliances! No job is too small!! New customer discount of 15%! Call today at 541-815-3734
ARE YOU HAVING INTERNET PROBLEMS?
Need help with TVs, Audio, Internet and Smart Devices? Loud & Clear A/V Systems has 20+ years of experience. 541-241-6262
CCB#231436
DEPENDABLE 5 STAR
QUALITY VACATION
RENTAL CLEANING
Specializing in owner-operated vacation rentals. I will be your eyes and ears for everything your rental needs. Convenient monthly invoicing. I have excellent references, long-time employees, quality products too. www.vacationrentalcleans.com
Donna James 541-410-1770
Girl Friday Cleaning
JILL OF ALL TRADES HOUSE CLEANING
We clean private and rental homes. Also vacation and RVs in Sunriver and La Pine area. We’re celebrating our 39th year! Better business accredited and insured. 541-815-1701
NEED DECK WORK?
Deck refinishing, Deck rebuilding, Enclosures, General contracting, licensed, bonded, insured since 1992 Tubs Alive, Inc. CCB #97643, 541-593-5163
CARING HOMES OF BEND
SIMPLY THE BEST since 2006
CARING HOMES OF BEND offers full senior care in a beautiful private home. Lauren Dovolis
Bend Window Works is offering a 10% off move in special for Sunriver area homeowners. Mention this ad to receive a 10% discount on new window coverings. FREE in home consultation always included. We also offer same day in home repair services. No waiting weeks for them to get done. New and repaired blinds help rental homes rent faster!
BendWindowWorks.com.
541-593-8372
PET SITTING
In your home while you are away, or will walk/feed daily, etc. For information, call Bonnie Rogers at 541-419-4647
Sunriver references available.
NEED A RELIABLE PERSON FOR:
• Security home checks
• Take care of mail and plants
• Sewing projects
Serving the Sunriver area for over 45 years. Call me, Grace Phillips. It’s a matter of trust!
541-788-0199
REMODEL & ADDITIONS
Decks, windows, tile, miscellaneous carpentry and roof repair. Ryan Carroll 541-420-0675 ryancarrollconstruction.com
CCB #193727
KT PETCARE
Reliable pet care you can trust! Bonded and insured. Services include: overnight care, drop-in visits, exercising, farm/house sitting and more! (608) 921-4765
Attend
BRIDGEPORT CONSTRUCTION
Honest, reliable small remodeling contractor. 40 years experience. Call Will at 503-309-0790 Many references available. Licensed/Bonded/Insured.
ccb#76152
CLEANING BY HEIDI
Hi there! I am taking on more Houses, Rentals, and Office buildings for cleaning in the Sunriver area. I’ve been cleaning for 8 years and I gave great references. I am licensed and insured. Please call or text 458-206-8855
Kitchen, bath and living space. Custom railings, gates and metalwork. Affordable, custom craftsmanship. Call Ken Olson Building and Design, LLC. Licensed/Insured CCB #205419 541-213-8861
PROFESSIONAL HOT TUB CLEANING
Individual dump, scrub, fill & balance for $150. Recurring maintenance plans start at $75/month and include regularly refilling the spa. Call Better Spa Services at 541-678-1335
Hot tub, deck repair and refinishing, sales, installation, inspections and maintenance in Sunriver since1992! 541-593-5163
www.tubsalive.com
License #97643, bonded, insured. AUTO TUBS
PROJECT ORGANIZATION
In business in SR since 1989, offering professional organizing for pantries, closets, garages and more. Licensed and insured. $45/hr with a 4 hour minimum. Call Kathy at 541-419-9248
HIGH QUALITY CLEANING SERVICES
New client slots recently came available. Residential and Commercial. Bonded and Insured. Call for a free onsite estimate. M. K. Haines Services 541-977-3051
Haines
ALL FAZE CONSTRUCTION, LLC
We will take the worry out of your life knowing your home is secure while you are away. We offer freeze checks and security checks. We can stock your fridge and cupboards before you arrive. We also take care of maintenance should the need arise and snow removal, housekeeping services are available. We have been serving Sunriver for over 30 years! With us you won't have many people traipsing through your home. We offer the extra personal experience. We can take care of all the Misc care your home needs. Licensed and bonded.
