February 2026 Sunriver Scene - Flipbook - Page 35
Raise funds to plant happy little trees in Bob Ross themed virtual 5K race
Inspired by American painter
and PBS television personality
Bob Ross’ love of the outdoors,
Oregon Parks Forever is sponsoring a virtual 5K race to help
plant trees in Oregon’s parks
and forests.
You must register by April 1
in order to get your shirt and
medal before the event.
Participants can walk, run,
paddle or roll to complete their
5K anywhere outdoors anytime
between Earth Day on April
18 and Arbor Day on April 26.
Participants are encouraged to
register by April 1 to ensure
that their swag arrives before the
event week. Last year, registration closed early due to higher
than anticipated participation,
so register as soon as possible.
If you register after April 1, you
may not receive your swag before race week. Registration will
close on April 15, or earlier if
more participants sign up than
we have available swag.
For $36 per person, each
participant will receive a keepsake Happy Little T-shirt, a
commemorative bib number
and a finisher’s medal. All Oregon race proceeds support tree
planting and forest protection
efforts in Oregon parks. Ten
trees will be planted in Oregon
for each registration. This year’s
tree plantings will be placed in
the Santiam Canyon.
Initially, the “Happy Little
Trees” program began with a
partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Bob Ross Inc., with
hundreds of volunteers helping
to plant “happy little trees” at
locations hard-hit by invasive
pests and tree diseases. The
partnership quickly expanded
to include the Run for the Trees/
Happy Little (Virtual) 5K.
As the Happy Little 5K
gained popularity, more states
have joined the effort. Now in
its sixth year, the Happy Little
5K has expanded its reach to
include 15 other states. To-
Locates
continued from page 33
service is quick, easy and costs
nothing to use. The Oregon
811 system uses no tax dollars
and is funded by more than
1,000 utilities statewide.
Starting this month, a new
change is being implemented
that could impact those working on large and long-term
excavation projects.
The life of an excavation ticket in Oregon has been reduced
from 45 days to 30 days. This
new deadline is noted on the
dig tickets, and excavators are
encouraged to consider this in
their project planning.
“By reducing the ticket life
from 45 days to 30 days, we’re
ensuring that excavation projects are supported by the most
accurate and up-to-date information,” Melanie Lewis,
chairperson of the Oregon
Utility Notification Center
Promoted
continued from page 31
individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership,
integrity and dedication to
the profession. The academy
provides advanced instruction
in leadership, organizational
management and contemporary policing strategies.
Since joining the Sunriver
Police Department, Van Meter
has quickly distinguished himself through his professionalism
and leadership. He has served in
key supervisory roles overseeing
patrol operations, crisis response and community policing
initiatives, and assisted with the
transition to Sunriver’s newly
established police department.
Van Meter brings more
than two decades of prior law
enforcement experience to
Sunriver Police Department.
Before his arrival, he served at
Black Butte Ranch Police Department and previously as a
lieutenant with the Salem Police
Department, where he worked
This is the Bob Ross swag that participants will receive.
gether, all 16 states will help
raise awareness and funding
for stewardship efforts in each
state’s parks.
“We are thrilled to honor Bob
Ross and continue our efforts
to plant at least One Million
Trees in Oregon,” Seth Miller,
Turn to Bob Ross, page 37
Protect utility infrastructure by doing locates before a project.
Board of Directors, said. “This
enhances safety, minimizes risk,
encourages communication,
and helps protect underground
infrastructure and the communities we serve.”
Oregon’s previous 45-day
ticket life deviated from industry best practices as an outlier
compared to most other states.
Especially in the winter and
spring, rainy weather can cause
locate paint marks to fade or
wash away.
The board approved the
change after two years of meetings, testimony, and deliberations, which amended OAR
952-001-0010 (23).
For details on the status of related rule changes, visit www.dig
safelyoregon.com/rulemaking
in specialized assignments including SWAT and the Mobile
Crisis Response Team. During
his tenure in Salem, he earned
multiple honors, including the
Medal of Valor (2012) and the
Distinguished Service Award
(2015).
Van Meter’s promotion reflects both his proven leadership
and the confidence placed in
him to help guide the department into the future. His experience, training and dedication
to service will continue to be a
strong asset to the community.
Do you own a
vacation rental?
All properties operating as a short-term rental are required
to register annually with Deschutes County for a Certificate
of Authority. Owners are also required to collect and pay the
8% tax from the occupants to the County and file quarterly or
monthly reports. Owners in contract with a property
management company are still required to register directly
with the County. Owners using a third-party booking service
such as Airbnb, are still required to complete reporting
forms.
Effective Sept. 1, 2025, per Deschutes County Code 4.08,
there will be a fee assessed for the issuance of the
Certificate of Authority - new registrations $300; annual
renewals $150.
Learn more by scanning the QR code or visiting this link:
www.deschutes.org/vacationrentals
To request this information in an alternate
format, please call (541) 388-6540 or send an
email to roomtax@deschutes.org.
FEBRUARY 2026 SUNRIVER SCENE
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