The Nugget Vol. XLVI No. 3
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Still a ways to go to bust drought
Director takes reins at Explore Sisters
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Looking around Sisters Country and seeing standing water in many places might lead one to conclude that we’re inundated with water. Not really. While recent rains and snows are a welcome sign, and indeed there is some slight improvement to our years-long drought, the numbers say we have a long road ahead. Sisters Country is still clocking in at D2 (Severe Drought) as compared to a year ago on this date when we were recording D3 (Extreme). Just a few miles away, Bend remains at D3 and our friends in Prineville are at D4 (Exceptional). Over the pass is still rated as Abnormally High. Some 547,078 persons in Oregon are affected by drought; 23 of our 36 counties are in water distress. The year 2022 was the 32nd driest year in 128 years of record keeping. There are encouraging signs, albeit slight. Sisters Country is in the Upper Deschutes River Basin, where reservoir storage
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
See DROUGHT on page 17
See HUMPERT on page 17
PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY
capacities are at 46 percent compared to 43 percent a year ago. Our precipitation storage is at 89 percent of median average versus 96 percent last January 15. The most critical number
is SWE (snow water equivalent), the amount of water the snow is holding, the melt of which we will live off next summer. There, we are at 100 percent of normal, whereas last year on this date we were
Forest thinning reveals forest dwellings
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
Inside...
at 108 percent. At Three Creeks Meadow we are sitting on 26 inches of snow. OK, but not great, hydrologists worry. That is
The first executive director of Explore Sisters, Scott Humpert, told The Nugget that the primary goal for the new destination management organization (DMO) is to sustain Sisters’ quality of livability by managing tourism to insure they attract “the right person at the right time in the right place.” Rather than simply promoting general tourism through broad marketing, the DMO’s messaging will work to attract certain kinds of tourist who value the small-town atmosphere and surrounding nature that local citizens prize. The philosophy is that it’s not the quantity of tourists but rather the quality of tourists that will have a higher economic
Sisters’ water situation has improved, but we’re not close to being out of drought conditions.
New councilors sworn in Three City councilors were sworn in at the January 11 Council workshop. Returning councilors Michael Preedin and Gary Ross were elected to four-year terms and Susan Cobb to a two-year term. Following the oath of office, all five councilors received training on roles, protocols on public meetings, and records and ethics from the City attorneys of Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis. City councilors reelected Michael Preedin to serve as mayor for the next two years, and Andrea Blum was elected Council president. In other business, Interim City Manager Joe O’Neill reported that Creekside Campground reservations went live online on January 3. All spaces were
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD
Susan Cobb, Michael Preedin, and Gary Ross were sworn in to new terms as Sisters City Councilors last week. immediately reserved for Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters Rodeo, and the Quilt Show, plus many other reservations throughout the summer. The City has already taken in $62,000 in reservation fees, compared to $56,000 last year at this same time.
The City has been awarded $500,000 in American Rescue Plan funds by the Deschutes County Board of County Commissioners. The City made a request for the funds See CITY on page 14
If you have driven on North Pine Street, or the adjacent FS 100 Road spur, or along Highway 20 just west of the city limits, and the forest looks like somebody came in and mowed it one day — they did. Not in one day of course, but over a period of weeks. Suddenly the forest appears wide open, manicured even. The trees seem taller, more stately. The intent is to reduce fuels — dense underbrush — and is part of an ongoing, multi-year, forest-wide strategy to mitigate fire risk. The section closest to Sisters just happened to come up this January in the schedule. Dan Gordon, driving in from Camp Sherman, had
only one complaint: “You sure can see the homeless encampments more clearly now. This is starting to look more like Bend or Salem.” The clearing made it possible for his wife, Geri, to see the new fencing going up on the forest side of Best Western Ponderosa Lodge. “Is this to keep the homeless from camping on their property?” she asked, as their car was being refueled at Mainline Station. In fact, it is, partly. Staff told The Nugget that guests were complaining about the unsightliness of the half dozen camps within view of their windows, one of which features a sizable makeshift tent homestead for a pair of houseless campers who See CAMPS on page 23
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Obituaries ........................ 9 Entertainment ................. 11 Fun & Games ....................18 Classifieds..................21-22 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Flashback ........................16 Crossword ...................... 20 Real Estate ................ 23-24