Wednesday, March 18, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon C O M M U N I T 3 Y Forestry board gets down to work By Sue Stafford Correspondent The Urban Forestry Board (UFB) began their work of caring for Sisters trees in ear- nest at their March 11 meet- ing, reviewing tree-removal requests, approving the docu- ment advertising for a city forester, and getting updates on current projects. They reviewed the Request for Proposal (RFP) drawn up by City staff for contract- ing a city forester to provide urban forestry advisory ser- vices for staff and the UFB. RFP proposals are due April 1, 2015, interviews and the See ForeStry on page 30 Sheriff’s office takes on panhandler complaints The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Sisters received a spate of complaints recently about the aggressive behavior of a homeless man who was apparently panhandling along McKinney Butte Road where it runs between the Bi-Mart and the Ray’s Food Place shopping centers. Captain Erik Utter of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office told The Nugget that law enforcement has limited options in dealing with such complaints. If a person is on private property, “it’s kind of incum- bent on the property owner to draw the line” regarding the behavior of a person occupy- ing their property. A deputy can contact a person and advise them that they are being disruptive and ask them to move on, but that tends to just relocate a problem. “You end up following a bouncing ball,” Capt. Utter said. One of the citizens who lodged a complaint told The Nugget that she has seen a number of homeless men in that vicinity and never had any issues, but felt intimi- dated when the man located there now approached her car aggressively with a sign. “We understand that it’s a quality-of-life issue,” Capt. Utter said. Actually coming out into traffic or acting in a threaten- ing matter are actionable vio- lations, Utter noted. If a citi- zen feels concerned or threat- ened, it is helpful if they are willing to be a named com- plainant, which will allow the sheriff’s office more leeway to take substantive action. “It puts people out of their comfort zone, but that’s very helpful to us,” Capt. Utter said. photo proviDeD Local firefighters battled cancer through a grueling fitness test in Seattle. Firefighters conquer tower climb You may have noticed firefighters out in the com- munity over the last couple of weeks soliciting donations for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Firefighters sang at Sisters Coffee, ran on a stair- climber at Ray’s Food Place, and threw an open house at Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Station No. 701. All of these events led up to the assault on the Columbia Center Tower in Seattle by five local firefighters, in an effort to raise funds for research into leukemia and lymphoma. On Sunday, March 8, two Sisters firefighters, Dave Keller and Travis Bootes, and three Cloverdale firefight- ers, Damon Frutos, Spencer Cashwell, and Clinton Weaver, joined over 1,700 other firefighters who com- pleted the stairway climb at the Columbia Center Tower wearing their fire gear. At the event, firefighters line up outside the building starting at 8 a.m. A firefighter enters the stairwell every 12 seconds. The grueling climb is a test of endurance and mental toughness. The stairwell is hot and unventilated. Firefighters are wearing about 60 pounds of gear as they make their way up 69 floors, 1,311 steps, more than 700 feet into the sky. Air tanks, which hold a limited amount of air, con- nect to masks strapped to their faces. Controlling their breathing is a must. There is a single opportunity on the 40th floor to pause and change air tanks if the need arises. There are pictures at every turn of cancer survivors and those who lost their battle with the disease. All five local firefighters completed the climb in less than 30 minutes. The fastest, Dave Keller (winner of this year’s Sisters Fire District Fire Fitness Award), finished in just over 16 minutes. The firefighters would like to thank all of the people who have donated to this fundrais- ing effort this year. Cloverdale firefighters are currently about $600 short of their $7,500 fundraising goal for this year. Sisters firefighters are approx- imately $1,500 short of their goal. Donations are being accepted until March 31. To donate visit www.llswa. org/goto/sistersfire or www. llswa.org/goto/cloverdalefire. Checks or cash donations can be dropped off at the Sisters- Camp Sherman main fire sta- tion on S. Elm St., or at the new Cloverdale fire adminis- trative offices on Cloverdale Road. SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild 4th Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For location information: 541-549-2072. ALANON Monday, noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • Central Oregon Spinners and Wednesday, 6 p.m., The Episcopal Weavers Guild 4th Saturday, 1 to Church of the Transfi guration. 3 p.m. Sisters Library. 541-639-3217. 541-549-8737 or 541-549-1527. Central Oregon Woodworkers Alcoholics Anonymous Thursday & Guild 1st Monday. 541-610-9022. Sunday, 7 p.m., The Episcopal Church East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th of the Transfi guration • Saturday, Wednesday, September-June, Stitchin’ 8 a.m., The Episcopal Church of the Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061. Transfi guration • Monday, 5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Friends of the Sisters Library • Tuesday, noon, Big Book study, Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church • 9 to 11 a.m., Sisters Library. Public is Thursday, noon, Sober Sisters Women welcome. 541-977-8285. Meeting, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Heartwarmers (fl eece blanketmakers) Church. 541-548-0440. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Sisters City Authors Support Group 2nd Friday, Hall. Just bring scissors! 503-880-5832. 10 a.m., Sisters Area Chamber of Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to Commerce. 541-588-0081. 4 p.m. 541-549-1028 or 541-548-3304. Black Butte Macintosh Users Group 3rd Thursday, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Sisters Military Parents of Sisters 2nd Library community room. 541-549-1471. Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Ray’s Food Place community room. 541-647-7483. Black Butte Ranch Bridge Club Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m., Black Butte Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m., Ranch community room. All welcome; Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-408-5594. partner required. 541-595-6236. SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings Central Oregon Council on Aging Senior Lunch Tuesdays, noon, Sisters & Enrichment) Wednesdays, 1 to 4 p.m. at SPRD. 541-549-2091. Community Church. 541-678-5483. BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS Sisters Area Photography Club 2nd Wednesday, 4 p.m., Sisters Library community room. 541-549-6157. Sisters Area SketchUp Users Group 2nd Wednesday, 7 p.m., Earthwood Timber Frame Homes. 541-549-0924. Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846. Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays, 12:30 p.m., The Pines Clubhouse. Novices welcomed. 541-549-9419. Sisters Cribbage Club Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ray’s Food Place community room. All are welcome. 541-923-1632. Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m. Location information: 541-549-1193. Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870. Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday. Location information: 541-389-9554. Sisters Rotary Tuesdays, noon, Aspen Lakes Lodge. 541-977-6545. Sisters Trails Alliance Board Meeting 2nd Thursday, 8 to 9:30 a.m., The Pines Clubhouse. 541-719-8822. Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon, Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123. Three Sisters Irrigation District Board of Directors 1st Tuesday, 4 p.m., TSID Offi ce. 541-549-8815. Three Sisters Lions Club 2nd Tuesday, noon, Ray’s Food Place community room. 541-595-6967. VFW 8138 & American Legion 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. Service offi cer available. 541-903-1123 or 541-549-1132. CITY & PARKS Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th Thursday, 7 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022. Sisters Park & Recreation District Board of Directors 1st Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., SPRD building. The public is welcome. 541-549-2091. Sisters Planning Commission 3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall. 541-549-6022. FIRE & POLICE Black Butte Ranch Police Dept. Board of Directors Meets monthly. 541-595-2191 for time & date. Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of Directors 4th Thursday, 9 a.m., Black Butte Ranch Fire Station. 541-595-2288. Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Wednesday, 7 p.m., Main Station, George Cyrus Rd. 541-548-4815. See the agenda at www.cloverdalefi re.com. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771. Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills Mondays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771. SCHOOLS Black Butte School Board of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 5 p.m., Black Butte School. 541-595-6203. Sisters Christian Academy Board of Directors 2nd Thursday, 8 a.m., RE/MAX Revolution offi ce at Outlaw Station. 541-549-4133. Sisters School District Board of Directors One Wednesday per month, SSD Admin Bldg. See schedule at www. sisters.k12.or.us. 541-549-8521 x4011. This calendar is for reg scheduled meetings; ularly em teresa@nuggetnews.c ail to om