The Nugget Vol. XLV No. 40
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
‘One big party’ at Sisters Folk Festival By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
“Ridiculously excited.” That was how Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser described his feelings to the Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) audience Saturday at Sisters Art Works. He and partner, cellist Natalie Haas, last performed at the Festival in 2016. He was describing the joy he felt at being back in Sisters before a wildly enthusiastic crowd. That excitement was shared by audiences all weekend, as 31 acts from across the land and oceans filled eight venues starting Friday night and ending Sunday afternoon. The music was matched by the weather, both spectacular according to everybody The Nugget asked. The mood was mellow, the most commonly used word festivalgoers gave. If not that word, then joyful. It was evident, not only among ticket holders, but also the artists and volunteers. The 25th Festival was a sellout every day thanks to a strong last-minute showing of purchasers at the event ticket window. All over
Correspondent
After 17 years of trying to build an “eco-resort” somewhere in Oregon, Camp Sherman resident Shane Lundgren and his partner Jim Kean, of Dutch Pacific Resources, are suing the state of Oregon for $30 million. They claim the state has not lived up to their agreement that the partners had preapproved development rights to build their eco-resort elsewhere in the state, outside the Metolius Basin. The case was filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, which originally approved the resort. They had originally planned to build The Metolian on 647 acres of
Inside...
Aspen Lakes resort plans go nationwide By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
sidewalks, many unaware of the annual event, just making a visit to Sisters in traditional Indian Summer fashion. Merchants were generally thrilled with the influx of shoppers, and reported strong sales.
Plans to market the Aspen Lakes development east of Sisters as an NFT resort accelerated in the past week — and so did opposition to the idea. The property remains in the hands of the Cyrus family of Sisters; at the same time, a South Dakota-listed corporation ramped up its promotion of an entirely reformatted Aspen Lakes called Rhue Resorts. Cindy Wyant is listed as CEO. Wyant and her husband, Don, both in their 60s, and/ or their adult children, have nearly two dozen business filings registered with the Oregon Secretary of State, ranging from an AM Radio Station (KSLM) to a string of construction and
See FESTIVAL on page 29
See ASPEN LAKES on page 22
PHOTO BY LYNN WOODWARD
French Canadian artists Le Vent du Nord thrilled the crowd at the Sisters Folk Festival last weekend. town The Nugget encountered knotholers — those not able to get tickets but who strained and craned to get a peak through tent slits or fence openings. Hundreds literally just sat nearby taking in the sound, content not to see the stage. No fewer than 50 perched at
Local developer sues state for $30 million By Sue Stafford
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
forest land off Jack Lake Road (see related story on page 19). Thirteen years ago, their plans were derailed by legislative action overturning the land-use approval given by Jefferson County. Because the state realized the Dutch Pacific investors had already spent a great deal of time and money on their plans for The Metolian, they were given “transferable development opportunities” (TDO), basically granting state preapproval for an eco-resort somewhere else in Oregon. The TDO deal was the first — and last — of its kind. Every three years since 2009, Lundgren has had to appear in Salem to request a See LAWSUIT on page 25
Eurosports Food Cart Garden each day, where they could pick up nearly all the sounds from the Oliver Lemon’s tent. Village Green saw dozens and dozens of listeners leaning against trees taking in the melodies. Pedestrians, not just festivalgoers, filled the
Search and Rescue in Sisters Country By Stuart Ehr Correspondent
The last week of summer ended with a string of calls to Search and Rescue (SAR). Most calls and the resulting rescues could have been avoided with a little forethought and always taking the 10 essentials. In the past three years, Deschutes County Search and Rescue has averaged 118 missions per year. (See related story, page 13.) Many of the calls that come in to Deschutes County Search and Rescue are not from those needing to be rescued, but from concerned friends or family members who were expecting the return of a loved one from a hike. Other calls come in from hikers who have gotten separated or were supposed to rendezvous at a specific spot
PHOTO PROVIDED
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue had a busy summer in Sisters Country. and their companions never showed up. Deputy Donny Patterson, assistant SAR coordinator, says, “More recently people are going out in the woods
by themselves without a way to get a hold of us (SAR) or family. We try to encourage people to go in groups See RESCUE on page 12
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Sisters Country Birds ........ 6 Announcements...............10 Fire Preparedness ...... 15-18 Classifieds................. 26-28 Meetings .......................... 3 Obituaries ........................ 8 Entertainment ................. 11 Crossword ...................... 25 Real Estate ................ 28-32