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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 2020)
4 Wednesday, May 6, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Firewood cutting opens in Sisters Beginning May 1 and continuing through May 31, the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grass- land will offer free personal- use firewood cutting, without the normal requirement to obtain a permit from a For- est Service office or vendor. This interim change to the firewood permitting process is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and an effort to maximize social distancing measures to the extent possi- ble. After May 31, the Forest Service plans to return to the regular process of issuing fire- wood permits and load tags at offices and vendor loca- tions, but this timeline may be extended depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. Firewood cutters can take up to four cords of firewood for personal use only. Inquire by phone or email with your local district office regarding commercial firewood permits. Firewood cutters taking advantage of this opportunity will be required to follow the same rules and regulations that are in effect during the regular firewood cutting sea- son. These rules and regula- tions are found in the <2020 Central Oregon Personal Use Firewood Synopsis= and on individual firewood cutting area maps. Free personal-use fire- wood cutters will be required to have the following in their possession while cutting, loading, and transporting firewood: 1. A completed and signed hard-copy version of the Free Personal-Use Firewood Authorization. 2. A digital or hard- copy version of the 2020 Central Oregon Personal Use Firewood Synopsis. 3. A digital or hard-copy version of the appropriate firewood cutting area map. T h e A u t h o r i z a t i o n , Synopsis, and maps can be acquired for Deschutes National Forest at https:// go.usa.gov/xd4xV, at Forest Service offices, and local participating vendors starting May 1. Firewood cutting area maps can be downloaded onto your electronic devices with the Avenza maps app avail- able from Avenza.com. Woodcutters should use caution while driving on Forest Service roads. Many may remain snow covered and icy at higher elevations. Roads at lower elevations are wet and muddy and the soft roadbed can easily be dam- aged by vehicle traffic. Commentary... Helping those hit hard by crisis By Janel Ruehl Columnist Sisters Country has come together to address those affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus. Tom Hespe, along with a team of dedicated vol- unteers, coordinates the Kiwanis Food Bank in Sisters. One of two local Food Banks, Kiwanis and Westside Church are both open and experiencing a major increase in demand. Fortunately, Hespe says they have also seen a boost in donations and new volunteers. <When I was working out in front of the food bank on April 2, people were driving up in their cars and waving a check out the window. That happened six to seven times that day!= said Hespe. He9s confident that the food bank is funded through the end of year, and will be able to continue to deliver consistent service to their cli- ents. They9ve also received generous donations of other kinds from community mem- bers, including 100 bandanas from the Sisters Community Church to use as face cover- ings for their clients, a gift of classic children9s books, and lunch for their volunteers. However, they9ve had to undertake a major restructur- ing of their delivery model to adapt to CDC guidelines and social distancing require- ments, moving from an effi- cient <shopping cart= model to a menu and box program that requires more volunteers to deliver successfully. T h i s h a s t e m p o r a r- ily forced the food bank to reduce their service from once a week to once every other week (the Westside Church Food Bank is still open once a week). Hespe says they hope to get back to their old model as soon as possible, but in the mean- time are in need of a few additional volunteers 4 particularly younger com- munity members. Most vet- eran volunteers are over 60 and at higher risk from the virus. If you9re interested in volunteering, Hespe encour- ages community members reach out to him directly at hgang68@aol.com. Fully 20 percent of the Food Bank9s clients are experiencing homelessness, Hespe estimates. George Myers, Sisters Country resi- dent and local homeless advocate, says he is grate- ful that the City of Sisters elected to keep local public restrooms and showers open during the crisis, providing critical access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Sisters Cold Weather Shelter closed on schedule at the end of February, and Myers says a big challenge now is outreach. He is working with the Homeless Leadership Coalition to distribute <out- reach cards= to local camps and individuals, containing information on COVID-19 symptoms and available resources. For those looking to plug in, Myers encourages dona- tions to local partners like the Family Access Network (FAN) and the Food Banks. <They know what people need, and are doing their very best to provide it,= said Myers. To support local busi- nesses impacted by the cri- sis, the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce and EDCO- Sisters have been working hard to understand needs, connect business owners to available resources, and provide marketing sup- port. In collaboration with The Nugget, the Chamber of Commerce has offered advertising support to local businesses. EDCO has helped local traded sector businesses pivot their busi- ness model and distribution methods to meet emerging needs. Both encourage busi- ness owners to reach out for additional support. Janel Ruehl is Program Administrator for Community & Economic Development with the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC). She is working on the implementation of the Sisters Country Vision Project. For more informa- tion, visit www.sistersvision. org. Serving Sisters Since 1976 g on n i o g t e g Need to jects? We’ve o spring pr ing you need! th y r e v e t o FREE g Helping Hands To Feed Your Family Local Delivery Lumber • Hardware • Paint Fencing & Decking • Doors & Windows ows Hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 8 to 4:30, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net We’re In This Together Want to talk to or pray with someone or need a delivery or other help? Call Wendy at 541-389-6859. The Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is open and we welcome your visit! If you qualify by meeting the federal standard of poverty income level, we provide a wide variety of food choices tailored to your family’s tastes and geared for healthy meals. The Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is open every other week and you are encouraged to anticipate your food needs for two weeks at a time between visits to the food bank. Need an encouraging word every day? www.sisterschurch.com www.sisterschurch.com/what-we-do/ministries The next pick up date is Thursday, May 14, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. SISTERS COMMUNITY CHURCH We are located at 328 W. Main Ave. in Sisters Looking for a spiritual activity for kids of all ages? Committed to serving Sisters in word and deed