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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 2020)
The Nugget Vol. XLIII No. 47 P OSTAL CUSTOMER News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon www.NuggetNews.com COVID drops coal in Sisters’ stocking PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15 Wednesday, November 18, 2020 Watching Sisters grow Carving a new trail... By Sue Stafford Correspondent By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief The coronavirus pan- demic just put a big lump of coal in Sisters9 Christmas stocking. In the face of surging case- loads and hospitalizations across Oregon and Deschutes County, Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce has announced that they are canceling their traditional holiday activi- ties in Sisters Country. That means no Community Christmas Tree Lighting, no Christmas Parade, and no vis- its with Santa. That announcement came PHOTO BY MAY FAN Sisters Trails Alliance volunteers have completed construction of a new trail to the top of Peterson Ridge. See related story, page 19. See CANCELED on page 16 See GROWTH on page 17 Students find a new way to honor veterans By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent For over two decades the schools in the Sisters School District have made special efforts to honor veterans during the week of Veterans Day, but with the pandemic closing down the middle and high schools, they had to get creative to keep the tradition alive. The result is a student- leadership-produced video made available last week that includes music, commentary, and educational information related to veterans. The video is available on The Nugget9s Facebook page as well as via a link available at the end of this story. Eighth grader Jack Turpen took a lead role in the production including a video featuring the nonprofit Mission 22, now based in Sisters, that provides com- prehensive care for veter- ans and their families with an underlying mission of preventing veteran suicide, Inside... If you haven9t been out and about lately in Sisters, other than a trip to the gro- cery store or post office, take a tour to areas you don9t regularly visit. Drive, ride, or walk to all four corners of the city limits and down the side streets. You will discover many new homes under construc- tion in all parts of town. Warehouses and live/work buildings are filling up the northern light industrial area. A new Mid Oregon Credit Union building has taken shape on Arrowleaf Trail. The new Ski Inn Tap Room which averages 22 a day in the United States. Mission 22 programs include equine therapy, a <recovery and resilience= program, distance counsel- ing, a <vets feeding vets= grocery program and much more. The Mission 22 web- site is www.mission22.com. Additionally, the presen- tation included a Zoom ren- dition of the <Star-Spangled Banner= by the Sisters High School jazz choir, an expla- nation of the <missing man= table ceremony narrated by senior Shelby Larson, the playing of taps, a read- ing of a 2016 letter deliv- ered to Sisters High School from John McCain by Joe Hosang, dozens of thank- yous from students and staff and a closing musical piece, <American Patrol= by the Sisters High School wind ensemble. <We weren9t going to let the pandemic keep us from honoring our veterans,= said Hosang. The link to the video is https://bit.ly/SistersVeterans. Andersons honored for stewardship Jim and Sue Anderson were honored as Deschutes Land Trust 2020 Volunteers of the Year. Each year, the Land Trust recognizes volunteers who have provided outstanding service to the organization and its effort to conserve and care for land in Central Oregon. Though this year has been unlike any other, and the volunteer landscape has changed considerably, the Land Trust still wanted to recognize the people who dedicate themselves to the land. Jim Anderson has been a Land Trust volunteer since the early 2000s. A lifelong naturalist, Anderson has dedi- cated a portion of his time to help wildlife thrive at Land Trust Preserves. Whether helping establish initial wildlife lists or building and installing nesting boxes for birds or flying squirrels, Jim9s efforts always enriched habitat for wildlife. Those who have met Jim Anderson also know that he is a lifelong storyteller. Combine stories and the nat- ural world and visitors get an amazing natural history tour. BY ALAN ST. JOHN Jim Anderson installs a bird box on Deschutes Land Trust lands. Jim led tours for the Land Trust for many years at many of our protected lands. His tales of the forest and vast knowledge of the natural world have delighted many hike participants over the years. See ANDERSONS on page 8 Letters/Weather ............... 2 Your Story Matters ............ 6 Events ............................. 11 Fit for Sisters ...................15 Classifieds ................. 20-22 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements ...............10 Happy Thanksgiving .... 12-13 Crossword .......................19 Real Estate ................ 22-24