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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 2018)
10 Wednesday, April 11, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Planning afoot for volunteer fair PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS The Garden Angel crew is ready for the season. Kalin Emrich now owns and operates the business. Kalin Emrich picks up the torch By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief When he was 12 years old, Kalin Emrich scam- pered up a tree with a saw clenched between his teeth to cut some limbs off of a tree at a dentist’s office for his mom, Katie — known across Sisters as The Garden Angel. “ To t a l l y n o t O S H A approved,” Emrich said last week as he recalled his start in the family business. Kalin has been the crew foreman for The Garden Angel since he was 18 years old. Now he’s in his early 30s, and as of January 1, he’s the owner and operator. “It’s definitely carrying on the family legacy and trying to extend the kind of service that my mother delivered — which was personal,” Emrich told The Nugget. In addition, Emrich is add- ing “another layer of profes- sionalism and skill and the licensing.” The Garden Angel is qualified to provide land- scape maintenance, irrigation repair, small additions and planting. While Emrich can pro- vide whatever plantings a WHY Aveda? client desires, he has a par- ticular focus on native plants. Landscaping with native plants is catching on more and more in Sisters Country as homeowners seek to lighten their footprint and create a home landscape envi- ronment that blends in well. Emrich notes that “Black Butte Ranch now requires residents to choose from a list of approved native plants.” From his point of view, this is nothing but a good thing. “If I can get people to have a beautiful landscape with things that come from here, it uses less water and it takes to the soil better,” Emrich said. Similarly, more and more people in Sisters Country are recognizing the benefits of a natural approach to their landscape — eschewing or at least minimizing the use of chemicals and synthetic compounds. While synthetics have a powerful, immediate effect — which is gratifying to see overnight — they deplete the soil and, as with any addict, it requires more and more of the same compound to have the desired effect. Emrich is a firm believer in building a healthy landscape through building or rebuilding the soil ecology — getting beneficial fungi and bacteria back into the soil. And that can take some time and commitment. Sometimes there’s resis- tance to going the natural route. “Usually people think: Ineffective, expensive, and I’m not trying to save the whales here,” Emrich said. But more and more peo- ple are increasingly open to investing in the long-term health of their landscape — not least because it’s safer and healthier for the people who work in it and for pets and children. And Emrich notes that it’s not necessary to switch wholesale from one approach to the other. There are “bridge products” that can be used to “wean” a landscape off chemicals. Kalin just wants his clients to know that there are alternatives and they are effective — and that The Garden Angel is committed to working with clients to create a healthy and beautiful landscape on their property. For more information, contact The Garden Angel at 541-549-2882. Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) in partner- ship with Sisters Habitat announced that the inaugural Sisters Volunteer Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 19 at the Coffield Center next to the high school. The sponsors hope to bring together 20 to 30 local groups seeking volunteers with as many as 100 commu- nity members interested in learning about opportunities to volunteer. A planning meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 12, at SPRD headquarters. H a b i t a t Vo l u n t e e r Coordinator Jen Binks said, “Volunteers are such an important part of so many organizations serving this community, we decided that it was time to coordinate our recruiting efforts because working together we are bet- ter. We want to make it as easy as possible for folks to get involved.” SPRD Board Chair Bob Keefer added, “At the crux of building community and providing outstanding pubic services is the development of strong partnerships among the public and nonprofit agencies. The May Volunteer Fair is a great opportunity to showcase these part- nerships and engage even more residents in these endeavors.” Over a dozen groups have already agreed to par- ticipate in the Fair including Harmony Farm Sanctuary, Seed to Table Oregon, SMART, Camp Tamarack, Youth Build and Circle of Friends. Acco r d i n g t o S P R D Interim Director Kris Harwell, “Groups providing a wide array of services will be in attendance. Whether you’re interested in youth development or animal wel- fare or building hiking trails, the fair will have opportuni- ties for you.” Groups seeking volun- teers who wish to participate in the planning meeting and/ or the Fair should contact Jen Binks at 541-848-9192 or jen@sistershabitat.org. Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben General, Cosmetic, Implant and Family Dentistry ~ Your Dentist in Sisters Since 1993 ~ We are here to help you smile with confi dence! 541-549-0109 | 304 W. Adams Ave. | Sisters Adult Tai Chi ™ Organically derived plant-based for a healthier you and healthier hair. er y gs t s l pho rea Ru & U et • ut • A ranite p r Ca Gro • G ng • ood ishi e l i T ardw e Pol H Til 5-week series running April 18-May 16 Class will be Wednesday mornings 11-11:45 a.m. at SPRD. Cost is $60. Register now – class is limited to the fi rst 30 people. View activities & classes, and register at SistersRecreation.com 541-549-2091 • 1750 W. Mckinney Butte Rd. Look for us on the Web at BendCarpetCare.com SNO CAP MINI STORAGE Thank you for your business! hair | massage | nails | facials | makeup 541-549-1784 161-C N. Elm St. LOCAL FOR 24 YEARS! Licensed, Bonded & Insured 541-549-1175 541-815-1208 Sisters Industrial Park 157 Sisters Park Dr. • 541-549-3575 www.SistersStorage.com • State-of-the-art Security Technology • Sizes from 5x5 to 12x40 • Individual Gate Codes • Long-term Discounts • On-site Manager
