14
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Tales from a
Sisters
Naturalist
by Jim Anderson
Wolves in the
classroom
Last week, I got a note
from Sisters Middle School
Teacher Susie Werts invit-
ing me to a presentation by
two biologists, one of whom
worked in Yellowstone dur-
ing the reintroduction of the
wolves.
Well, of course I went,
and I9m glad I did. The biolo-
gists did a wonderful job of
presenting what9s going on
with wolves and the pub-
lic since the Yellowstone
reintroduction, focusing on
herbivore overgrazing, bal-
ance-of-nature and habitat
considerations, and citing the
impact of the wolves of Isle
Royal as an example.
They also presented a
clear picture of how wolves
have wandered through the
Northwest, discussing the
famous 4 or infamous,
depending on your point of
view 4 Wolf OR-7.
Again and again student
hands shot up for questions,
and after each answer every-
one began to see the scope of
ecological events that took
place for the good of the
land and all the species that
lived in it with wolves back
in the Yellowstone ecosystem
again.
Susie told me, <We stud-
ied the wolf in context of dif-
ferent habitats (arctic, tem-
perate forest) and expanded
our study to literature (<Julie
of the Wolves=), art, science,
and music (our choir teacher
weaved in a song about
wolves). We also approached
this particular study with
a balanced lens 3 discuss-
ing different perspectives
on wolves (ranchers, hunt-
ers, and scientists) 3 but all
the while keeping in mind
the ecological story 3 that
the wolf is a keystone spe-
cies, an apex predator, and is
critical in preserving nature9s
balance.=
One of her students,
Josiah, wrote, <I was really
surprised to learn that wolves
do not howl at the moon, but
are more active when there
is a full moon. Coming from
Idaho, I felt sympathetic
about the wolves killing
their livestock, but I did not
know that the reintroduction
of wolves was that impor-
tant to Yellowstone Park.
Compromise has been key in
supporting both sides.=
Another student, Hunter,
had this to say: <Without
wolves, coyotes overpopu-
late and that means that the
elk overpopulate because
coyotes are not predators of
the elk. Aspen/willow trees
become overgrazed and then
beavers have no materials to
build their dams, and then
dragonflies don9t have pud-
dles to lay their eggs. Wolves
primarily hunt the elk, but
only eat 20 pounds of meat
at a feeding. There are a lot
of animals that benefit from
a wolf kill and who scavenge
on the leftovers 4 magpies,
grizzly bears, wolverines,
Low-income housing project filled up
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
Ponderosa Heights apart-
ments, located on the cor-
ner of Brooks Camp and
McKinney Butte Roads,
is built out and fully occu-
pied, with 30 percent of the
48 units awarded to Sisters
residents.
The City had a large stake
in the apartments, having
provided $300,000 toward
the project.
According to Mayor
Chuck Ryan, <The City is
very pleased to see the final
completion and full occu-
pancy of the new Ponderosa
Heights affordable hous-
ing apartment complex in
Sisters, in cooperation with
HousingWorks.=
Of 125 applicants who
applied for one of the 48
units, 46 were from Bend,
15 from Redmond, 28 from
Sisters, 12 from other Oregon
cities, three from out-of-
state, and 21 were previously
unhoused.
541-549-9388
SISTERS
Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben
~ Your Dentist in Sisters Since 1993 ~
We are here to help you smile with confi dence!
Brown Diamond &
Fancy Sapphire Wedding Ring
COLUMBIA
that the next affordable hous-
ing need for Sisters will be in
the category of 8workforce
housing9 or those families
or individuals who cannot
afford most market-rate hous-
ing but cannot qualify for 60
percent MFI-type housing.
In other words, the need for
more apartment-type housing
and/or subsidized housing
such as Habitat for Humanity
units,= Ryan concluded.
Ryan offered that per-
haps some of the out-of-
town residents (mostly Bend
and Redmond) <that were
awarded the balance of the
units may, in fact, be current
workers in Sisters who had
to previously commute to
Sisters and can now live and
work here.=
Ryan is hopeful that some
of the apartment residents can
try to find permanent jobs in
Sisters, <bringing more work-
force availability to Sisters.=
<The City is very proud of
this project and its favorable
impact on the community,=
said the mayor.
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See WOLVES on page 17
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The residents were deter-
mined by a lottery system of
the 125 applications. Despite
the fact that 36.8 percent of
the applicants were from
Bend and 22.4 percent from
Sisters, Sisters residents
ended up with the largest
number at 29.2 percent of
the units and Bend only one-
quarter of the units.
<I was encouraged that
a significant portion of the
final residents were young,
single-parent families along
with the homeless (seven or
14.6 percent) who now have
permanent homes,= Ryan
added.
Mayor Ryan expressed
surprise that only 28 of the
125 applicants were Sisters
residents. He surmised one
reason could be the require-
ment that the apartment resi-
dents cannot earn over 60
percent of the median family
income (MFI) for Deschutes
County, which amounts to a
family income of less than
$35,000 a year.
<I think this may indicate
541-549-0109
|
304 W. Adams Ave.
|
Sisters
Bottle & Can Drive!
Furry Friends Foundation can use
your redeemable bottles and cans!
mackenziecreekmercantile.com
290 W. Cascade Ave. • 541-549-8424
Help us raise funds by picking some of our blue bags to oll and
return to Ray9s Food Place. It9s easy to do, you just scan the tag on
the bag, open the door in the bottle drop and leave the bag. The
empty blue bags can be picked up at 204 W. Adams, Ste. 109.
You can still drop off bottles & cans (closed plastic bags please)
in the blue bins at 442 E. Main Ave.
FURRY FRIEND S
Interior
Painting
Small projects or the entire house!
Quality Work • Competitive Rates
Staining • Refi nishing • Trim • Cabinets, too.
Call 541-588-0083
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scheduling!
Call today!
501 ( c )( 3 )
541-797-4023
FOUNDATION
Open Tues. & Thurs., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
204 W. Adams, Ste. 109, Sisters Art Works Bldg.
Next to the Sisters Habitat Restore parking lot.
www.FurryFriendsFoundation.org
Sisters Pet Food Bank " Spay/Neuter Sponsorships " Emergency Medical Assistance