Boys hoops tally third
straight win page 7
Illustration workshop
encourages students page 14
The Nugget
Vol. XXXVIII No. 4
Sisters grad to intern in
German parliament page 26
P OSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion
from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Major
shakeup
in City
planning
PRE-SORTED STANDARD
ECRWSS
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Sisters, OR
Permit No. 15
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Protecting land and public access...
Smith
returns
to school
board
By Jim Cornelius
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
News Editor
A major shakeup is under-
way in the City of Sisters’
planning department, which
has been the focus of intense
scrutiny and criticism over
several issues in recent
months.
Sisters Community
Development Director
Pauline Hardie resigned
Friday afternoon. The res-
ignation will take effect
March 20; she will remain
on staff until then to wrap
up her duties and orient a
replacement.
“She has accepted a posi-
tion with the City of Bend,”
He’s back and ready to
work.
The Sisters School Board
last Wednesday tapped a
former longtime member to
fill the vacant seat of Justin
Durham, who has stepped
down due to business com-
mitments. Jeff Smith will
serve as an interim member
until the May election, and he
told The Nugget that he plans
to stand for the position in
that election.
Smith held a seat on the
school board from 1999 to
2011.
“Originally I thought 12
photo by Russ mcmillan
deschutes land trust is in the midst of a capital campaign for Whychus Creek. See story, page 8.
See plaNNINg dept. on page 25
See SmItH on page 24
Awards announced at Sisters Library
Sisters woman to
help kids in Guatemala
By Helen Schmidling
Correspondent
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
Each year for the past five
years, Amy Abramson of Blue
Burro Imports has traveled
to Guatemala and returned
with colorful clothing, acces-
sories, and jewelry that she
sells in her Sisters boutique.
This year, she’s taking things
with her that she’ll leave in
Guatemala: Donated school
supplies for the children of
the village of Panajachel.
“This is where I stay
every year, so I’ve become
very fond of the commu-
nity,” Abramson explained.
“I’ve wanted to volunteer and
donate every year, and it’s
never worked out. For some
reason the doors opened for
me this year to be able to do
Inside...
that.”
Through February 4,
Abramson is collecting new
and used school supplies —
backpacks, markers, paper,
crayons, pencils, sharpen-
ers — to take with her when
she travels to Guatemala next
month. Donations may be
brought to Blue Burro Imports
at 161 N. Elm St., Unit B (in
the big yellow building next
to Sisters Market). Cash
donations are also welcome.
Abramson is working
through MayanFamilies.org.
The charity identifies numer-
ous needs among the rural
indigenous population, and
school supplies stood out to
Abramson as a doable thing.
“I thought that would be
See guatemala on page 18
More than 250 art lov-
ers visited the Friends of the
Sisters Library 10th Annual
Art Exhibit artists’ recep-
tion on Friday evening. They
came to see and vote on their
favorites from approximately
130 pieces by 60 artists.
The evening ended
with the long-anticipated
announcement of three win-
ners of this year’s People’s
Choice Awards. They are:
Dennis Schmidling for his
photograph “Smith Rock at
Dawn,” Randall Tillery for
his oil painting “Morning
Light,” and Fred Kimmell for
his wooden “Rocking Harley
Davidson.” All three artists
are from Sisters.
Dennis Schmidling shot
his winning photograph
“Dawn on Smith Rock” on
photo by Dennis schmiDling
dennis Schmidling’s photograph, “Smith rock at dawn,” garnered a
people’s choice award.
October 9, 2014. He planned
for this shot using an app on
his iPhone to plot the time
and location of the setting
“super moon” and rising
sun. Arriving at the park in
darkness, he picked a spot
where he could capture the
reflection of the setting moon
on the Crooked River, set his
Canon D5 on a tripod, and
waited for the sunrise to do
its magic on the rock’s orange
tuff surface.
See aWardS on page 31
Letters/Weather ................ 2 Announcements ................12 Sisters Salutes ................ 14 Crossword ....................... 26 Real Estate .................29-32
Meetings ........................... 3 Movies & Entertainment ....13 Obituaries ........................17 Classifieds .................. 27-29 Paw Prints .......................30