G/S U M SPRIN
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The Nugget
IDE S N I E GUID LL OUT P U AV E &S
POSTAL CUSTOMER PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Vol. XLVI No. 12
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Citizens group demanding answers
Sign of spring...
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Outlaws No. 1 Jude Parzybok strikes a forehand in tennis action. For tennis coverage, visit www.nuggetnews.com. PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
An ad hoc assembly of activists calling themselves CATS — Community Action Team of Sisters — is becoming more vocal in its efforts to call attention to what it perceives as misguided decisions by City officials. At the March 8 regularly scheduled City Council meeting, CATS’ self-described “unofficial leader,” Mark Dickens, addressed the councilors, and began by telling them he had “unfortunate harsh words” for them. “This board has lost the trust of this community,” Dickens said. “I personally See ANSWERS on page 18
Four candidates vie for city manager job
Firefighters climb for a cause
The City of Sisters has designated four finalists for the position of City Manager. The community will have an opportunity to participate in small roundtable group conversations with Lynne Casey, Nathan George, Dave Nelson, and Jordan Wheeler on the evening of Monday, March 27, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Sisters City Hall.
Each year in March, a team of firefighter-athletes from Sisters Country joins a couple thousand of their peers for a grueling climb up the stairway of a skyscraper in Seattle, Washington. It’s a great way to build and test fitness for a physically demanding job — but more than that, it is an opportunity to serve a cause that is meaningful — sometimes very personally — to those first responders. A cadre of Sisters and Cloverdale firefighters loaded with more than 60 pounds of gear, and operating breathing apparatus, climbed 69 flights of stairs in Seattle’s Columbia Tower, taking 1,356 steps to cover 788 vertical feet of climb in the 32nd Leukemia & Ly m p h o m a Society Firefighter Stairclimb. The event is the world’s largest “on-air” stairclimb competition for career, volunteer, or retired firefighters. Competitors commit to raising a minimum of $300 per
Correspondent
The Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Lodge has always been the centerpiece for the resort. Built with Black Butte’s pyramid-shaped mountain overhead and Phalarope Lake reflecting the Cascade Range to
Inside...
Editor in Chief
Lynne Casey presently serves as business operations manager for the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. She has 15 years of experience in local government management positions with both city and county agencies. Her previous positions include: communication lead, See MANAGER on page 6
New lodge opening at Black Butte Ranch By Katy Yoder
By Jim Cornelius
the west, the setting has always been awe-inspiring. Keeping the iconic location in mind, architects, designers, and builders worked to surpass the magnificence of the original Lodge by creating a building that is a culmination of design and See LODGEon page 7
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Meetings .......................... 3
Obituaries ........................ 8 Announcements...............10
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Sisters and Cloverdale firefighters trained hard to get in shape for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Firefighter Stairclimb challenge. person for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District Deputy Chief Tim Craig told The Nugget, “So far our team has raised a little over $16,000. Our goal was $10,000, so we’ve blown way past that.” In aggregate, the event has raised millions of dollars into research around blood cancers and to support those who have been
diagnosed and their families. That impact is a motivator for the participants, according to Cloverdale firefighter and Sisters volunteer Travis Bootes, who serves as team captain. “Some of us have had close encounters with people with cancer, so it hits close to home,” he said. The event poses a real
Entertainment ................. 11 Fun & Games ....................18
Crossword .......................19 Classifieds................. 20-23
See CLIMBING on page 23