Couple volunteer at the Tern In 2003, Robin Fritchman returned to Central Oregon from Japan where he lived and taught for 10 years. Robin drove by The Second Tern Thrift Store and stopped in to see what it was all about. He struck up a conversation with Teresa Bowerman, who, along with husband Jay, created the store in order to raise funds for the Sunriver Nature Center and Oregon Observatory. The Bowermans told Robin they needed volunteers to staff the store, and Robin’s been on hand there whenever he gets the chance. “I’m a social animal and I like green activities,” Fritchman said. “The Tern does a lot of recycling, and that doesn’t mean taking things to the transfer station. There’s a lot of life in used goods and the Tern does a beautiful job with them. I also
Nature center, observatory November hours Sunriver Nature Center: Open Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Closed Sunday through Tuesday. Observatory winter hours: The Oregon Observatory is open holiday weekends only. • Nov 29, 8-10 p.m. • Dec. 27, 8-10 p.m. • Jan. 17, 8- 10 p.m. • Feb. 14, 8-10 p.m. Solar viewing is available the same Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The observatory is available for private star parties, call 541-593-4442, 541-5934394 or visit www.sunriver naturecenter.org
Looking ahead, Robin said he’d like to see the Tern make more connections with area businesses that might have excess equipment or inventory to donate and deduct the donation from their taxes. A couple businesses that were closing down sent their entire remaining inventory. Robin also noted the need for the Tern to recruit younger men to do some of the heavier Mandy and Robin Fritchman
like the mission of the nature center and observatory and I like raising funds for them.” Robin’s wife Mandy returned from Japan in 2005 and joined the crew. Mandy said she came to the Tern to make connections, and volunteering at the store got her hooked up with a lot of people in a hurry. “I was working with people who were interesting and fun. It was a good thing to do for the community and for the Tern itself and the nature center,” she said. Two or three times a week Robin takes items over to the La Pine Community Kitchen where folks are always looking for some good used clothing and other items. The kitchen has a small clothes closet available to people who need to find better things to wear for job interviews, court appearances,
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“Adopt-an-Animal” program to find out how individuals can help the red-tailed hawk or any of the other animal ambassadors. As always, nature center staff can be reached by email or by calling 541-593-4394 during business hours. Also, as a reminder, we are a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility and are always happy to help if you discover an injured animal. Have a happy fall.
weddings and other special occasions. “The people who need things out there really need them. I’ve seen women wearing pajamas in winter because that’s all they had,” said Robin. He noted a number of homeless people live in the woods, which gets particularly tough in cold and wet weather. Some are using large 100 and 200 pound empty coffee sacks, donated by the Fritchman’s son, Stewart, who runs Bellatazza Coffee Company. The homeless stuff the sacks with newspapers and cover them with large plastic bags in order to create a kind of mattress to keep them off the wet ground.
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Delaware State Parks. “The depth of his experience is a great asset to Sunriver,” said Harry Hamilton, nature center board president. “We have some very exciting plans for our organization to grow and we are thrilled to have Mr. Little here to lead us.” The Sunriver Nature Center & Oregon Observatory is a community-supported 501c3 nonprofit that relies heavily on the service of volunteers. The organization is open to new board members and volunteers. Please call (541) 593-4442 if you are interested in serving.
work at the shop – wrestling furniture and other large items. “I want to look out for people’s backs” said Robin, noting that senior citizens are liable to hurt themselves trying to do stuff they used to do. The Fritchmans remain connected with the Second Tern and the community in which they live. They find it a productive and rewarding thing to do.
Fall migration: Motorists need to be alert for wildlife crossing roads October and November are the two busiest months for vehicle-wildlife collisions, statewide and nationally. With more wildlife crossing roads all over the state, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation, and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife urge motorists to be on alert. According to statistics from ODOT’s Crash Analysis & Reporting Section, wildlifeinvolved traffic collisions have been on the rise in Oregon. In 2013, ODOT received reports of 1,274 such crashes, similar to the 1,283 crashes reported
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in 2012 and up from 1,199 reported in 2011. Overall, reports are approximately 24 percent higher than in 2008 (974 reported crashes). Officials believe the numbers are actually higher because most collisions involving wildlife result in property damage only to the involved vehicle and do not get reported to police or DMV. Over the last weekend in September, Oregon State Police responded to three vehiclewildlife crashes: On Sept. 27 at approxiTurn to Wildlife, page 11 Over 1000 Jobs Approved by SROA Design Committee
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Wildlife that has been seen in or around Sunriver:
• Do not approach wilDlife Although they may appear tame, they are NOT. Enjoy them from a distance. • leave baby animals alone Fawns, birds, etc. are often left behind while the parent forages. The adult may not return until you have left the area. • Keep Dogs unDer control at all times, and do not allow them to chase wildlife. A dog that tangles with a raccoon, porcupine or doe protecting her fawn could be severely injured. • Don’t leave pet fooD outsiDe Feed pets indoors only.
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Report people or dogs harassing wildlife to the Sunriver Police at (541) 593-1014
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