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THURSDAY • February 25, 2021 Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $3 HOLDING IT TOG TOGETHER GETHER » IN GO! INSIDE THIS EDITION » Tales of the (duct) tape: Cassettes, projects, films about sticking by each other SPORTS PULLOUT, A5-8 HIGH DESERT MUSEUM CONGRESS $6M donation is a ‘game-changer’ Senate bill could unlock millions to fix Warm Springs water woes Largest gift in 4 decades; money to go to permanent art gallery, other upgrades BY DAVID JASPER The Bulletin The Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation is donating $6 million to the High Desert Museum, the largest single donation of its nearly 40-year history, according to Dana Whitelaw, executive director of the Bend mu- seum. “This gift is a game-changer for us,” Whitelaw said, noting it will help the museum as it enters its next 40 years. Plans for the money include the ad- dition of a permanent art gallery, an immersive tree canopy experience on its forested 135-acre campus, and a re- vamp of a 22-year-old permanent ex- hibit on the Indigenous people of the Columbia Plateau. The museum’s collection of about 29,000 objects includes a growing array of artwork, including pieces by noted Indigenous artists such as James Lava- dour. At any given time, most of that artwork is stored away from the pub- lic eye. Further, “a dedicated art gallery … is something that this side of the moun- tains doesn’t really have,” Whitelaw said, noting that the nearest is located 120 miles away in Eugene. “Providing world-class art experiences to the Cen- tral Oregon community, or the High Desert, is truly significant.” She’s also enthused about the plan for an immersive forest experience in the treetops. “Part of our vision is a canopy walk out on the grounds,” Whitelaw said. “That is a catalyzing experience. One of the things I think the museum does well is to put our visitors in a specific time and place, and use those mo- ments of awe and wonder to catalyze learning.” BY MICHAEL KOHN The Bulletin A bill that would help Ore- gon tribes access federal dol- lars to rebuild outdated water infrastructure systems has been reintroduced to the U.S. Senate. The Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act was reintro- duced on Wednesday by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, and Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, ac- cording to a news release. The bill was initially intro- duced in December 2019, and in July 2020 it was passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. That was as far as the legislation went — it failed to gain further traction under the previous Republi- can-controlled senate. If passed, and signed into law by President Biden, the act could help the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs re- build an outdated water system that has been plagued in recent years by failing pumps and cracked pipes. “Boil water notices and crumbling pipes are not ac- ceptable,” said Wyden in the press release. “Congress must do more to bring urgently needed resources to build sus- tainable tribal water infrastruc- ture that has been neglected for far too long.” See Museum / A4 SOUTHEAST BEND New park breaks ground, gets ready to make a splash See Warm Springs / A13 Alleged threat to deport legal resident gets Bend man in legal trouble BY GARRETT ANDREWS The Bulletin An employee of Rickabaugh Construction moves soil at Alpenglow Community Park in Bend on Wednesday. Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin A Bend man has been charged with extortion for threatening to report a legal U.S. resident to federal immi- gration authorities. Thomas Schlossmacher, 61, was sent a letter Wednesday in- forming him of the charge now pending in Deschutes County Circuit Court, according to Deschutes County District At- torney John Hummel. In summer 2020, Schloss- macher got into a business dis- pute with a Redmond man, Cuauhtemoc Cardona, who had performed landscape work for Schlossmacher, Hummel told The Bulletin. As partial payment for the landscaping, Schlossmacher gave Cardona his pickup . The two differed over the details of the final payment, leading Schlossmacher to al- legedly send the following text to Cardona, according to a press release sent by Hummel. City’s 86th park, set to open in summer 2022, will feature sprayground, pavilion, off-leash dog area BY KYLE SPURR The Bulletin I t will have solar panels to power lights and irrigation systems, but the most anticipated feature at the new, 37-acre Alpenglow Com- munity Park, will likely be the first splash pad in Bend. Construction of the park at 61049 SE 15th St. north of Knott Road began Monday. When finished, it will offer a space for recreation and community gatherings in one of the fastest-growing parts of the city. The park, which is expected to open by summer 2022, will feature an open lawn, garden, playground, pavilion and area for off-leash dogs. And the splash pad, or sprayground. The splash pad is designed to shoot water up- ward out of the ground for about 20 to 30 seconds at a time. The water feature is popular in parks around the country including locally in Sisters and Redmond, said Ian Isaacson, project manager and landscape architect for the Bend Park & Rec- “A lot of pedestrian connections have gone in already in that part of town, and as Alpenglow (Community Park) continues to get developed, there will be even more.” — Ian Isaacson, project manager and landscape architect for the Bend Park & Recreation District reation District. “Regardless of the project, it’s always something the public brings to our attention as something they would like to see in our parks,” Isaacson said. The park district bought the property for Alpen- glow Community Park in 2014, using $3.77 million from a 2012 bond measure. Development of the park will cost an additional $9.53 million, which is being covered by system development charges on new de- velopments in Bend, according to the park district. A public outreach campaign and a contest with Jewell Elementary School students led to the park’s name, which is a term for the glow of a mountain range at sunset. As the park was being planned, Isaacson said, the park district worked with nearby property owners, the city and Bend-La Pine Schools, to develop better pedestrian access to the park. Alpenglow Park is bordered by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and is just south of the Central Oregon Irrigation District canal. In January, a pedestrian bridge was installed over the irrigation canal near the park. Another foot- bridge will be built over the railroad tracks to con- nect the park with the neighborhood and Caldera High School, which is under construction. Isaacson said he sees the park as becoming a hub for all to access, whether they are walking, biking or driving. See Park / A4 TODAY’S WEATHER Snow possible High 47, Low 34 Page A12 INDEX Business Classifieds Comics A11-12 A13 A9-10 Dear Abby Editorial Events A7 A8 GO! Horoscope Local/State Lottery A7 A2-3 A6 Obituaries Puzzles Sports A4 A10 A5-7 The Bulletin ù An Independent Newspaper We use recycled newsprint Vol. 119, No. 48, 38 pages, 2 sections SUN/THU See Threat / A4 U|xaIICGHy02330rzu