Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
19
Connecting with real life for one week Local astronomers to
host telescope workshop
By T. Lee Brown
Correspondent
See SCREEN-FREE on page 28
The Sisters Astronomy
Club kicks off its 2019
observing season with a
telescope workshop on
Saturday, April 27. Do you
have a little-used telescope
that9s currently gathering
dust in an attic or garage?
If it9s there because you9ve
lost interest in observa-
tional astronomy, that9s one
thing.
But if it has fallen into
disuse because you9ve for-
gotten how to use it, or
doesn9t work quite as well as
it once did because of dam-
aged or missing parts, con-
sider bringing it to the work-
shop. Experienced amateur
astronomers will be there
PHOTO BY TL BROWN
In Clay Warburton’s fourth-grade classroom a chart motivates students to
stay off video games, TV, and other unnecessary screens.
to help troubleshoot your
instrument.
You will learn about the
designs of the most com-
mon types of telescopes
and how to determine mag-
nification when using eye-
pieces of various focal
lengths. A few tools will be
on hand to make necessary
adjustments.
The meeting will be held
at the SPRD building, 1750
W. McKinney Butte Rd., at
the west end of the Sisters
High School parking lot. It
will start at 8 p.m. regardless
of weather. If the sky is clear
enough, observing opportu-
nities may arise later in the
evening.
PREPARE
FOR
SISTERS CHECKLIST ✔
In Sisters Country, wildfires aren’t a question of if, but only a question of when. If you choose to live near a natural area, you are
at risk for wildfires and it’s your responsibility to prepare yourself, your family and your home. And that preparation starts with
three simple steps: READY, SET, GO! Please use this checklist and review our tips and tricks in The Nugget Newspaper, online at
www.sistersfire.com and our Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @SCSRFPD) for preparing for wildfire
over the next few weeks and be a part of the movement #WildfirePreparedSisters.
WILDFIRE PREPARED
What would happen if you
turned off all your distracting
screens for seven days? For
years, teacher and artist Clay
Warburton has challenged his
fourth-grade students at Sisters
Elementary School (SES) to
give it a try. This year, the
whole school is invited to take
part. So is the whole town.
Screen-Free Week is
a national, annual effort.
Organizers encourage people
of all ages to <play, explore,
and rediscover the joys of life
beyond ad-supported screens,=
this year April 29 to May 5.
Adults, families, work-
places, and schools participate,
limiting unnecessary screen
time and encouraging hands-
on learning and play. People
turn off their phones, comput-
ers, and TVs whenever pos-
sible and connect with each
other in real life.
<Pets love it,= Warburton
said. Pet-owners take more
time to walk dogs and play
with kittens when their screens
are off.
Principal Joan Warburg
hopes that this year every SES
student and family will give it
a go.
<We want our students and
families outside enjoying our
beautiful community& engag-
ing in fun outdoor activities
such as hiking and biking,=
she said.
Warburg says families can
strengthen their connections
during the week by <play-
ing games together, building
puzzles, and enjoying a good
book. We are striving for 100
percent participation from our
staff, students, and families
this year.=
She admits it is <a lofty
goal.=
In Warburton9s classroom,
a small cluster of SES teach-
ers gathered to learn more
about Screen-Free Week. He
showed hand-drawn signs and
progress charts on his wall that
encourage kids to keep trying.
It9s not always easy.
He described students com-
ing to class after their first
screen-free day. One child
realized that every person in
their family was absorbed in
a screen for long stretches of
time.
<No one was even looking
at each other,= the child said,
sounding amazed and sad.
During a normal week, that
student would be on a screen,
too, distracted from even
noticing that the family wasn9t
connecting together.
<If we have a family who9s
very tech-centric, likely the
kids are being ignored or
neglected to some degree,=
said Cris Rowan in a recent
webinar.
Property Preparedness
Yes
No
Has vegeta on been removed and modifi ed in the recommended zones around your home?
Are the rain gu ers and roof free of leaves, needles and branches?
Are all vent openings screened with 1/8 inch mesh metal screen?
Does your home have a metal, composi on, or le (or other Class A) roof?
Does the house have noncombus ble or igni on-resistant siding material?
Are the eaves “boxed-in” using noncombus ble materials?
Has the 0-5 foot noncombus ble zone been developed and maintained?
Is the underdeck area free of combus ble material?
Is all fi rewood at least 30 feet from the house?
Get Ready
Is your Wildland Fire Ac on Plan Completed?
Have you registered for Deschutes County Emergency Alerts?
Have you prepared your 72-hour kit for your family?
Have you made a list of your 5 “P”s – People, Pets, Pills, Photos, and Important Papers?
Do you have several diff erent evacua on routes planned?
Get Set
Are you able to monitor fi re weather condi ons and fi re status?
Are you ready to evacuate as soon as you are aware of a possible threat to your home or route?
Have you loaded your 5 “P” s and 72-hour kit into your car?
Have you closed all windows and doors?
Have you removed all combus bles from within 30 feet of your home?
Have you shut off natural gas and propane?
Are you able to stay close to your house, drink plenty of water and keep an eye on family/pets un l
it is me to leave?
Go
Are you prepared to leave early enough to avoid being caught in fi re, smoke or road conges on?
Do you have your predetermined loca on set when you evacuate?
Do you have several travel routes in case one route is blocked by the fi re or emergency vehicles?
Do you have your families/pets emergency supply kit with all your necessary items?
Enter for your chance to win a set of engraved camper mugs. Review our daily messages via your favorite social media platform (Facebook, Twitter or
Instagram) and tag us in your photos as you work through our Wildfire Prepared Sisters checklist preparing for the upcoming wildfire season. Simply enter
via your public Instagram or Twitter account, or post your photo directly to the District’s Facebook timeline (@SCSRFPD) using #WildfirePreparedSisters for
a chance to win! Winners will be announced on Monday, May 20!
