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POSTAL CUSTOMER PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Vol. XLVI No. 25
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
Morning Visitors...
Going along with city code By Ceili Gatley Correspondent
Every sunrise brings reminders of the things we value in Sisters Country. PHOTO BY ERIK DOLSON
City staff urges denial of gas station plan By Sue Stafford Correspondent
City staff has recommended denial of the application for the owner of the Space Age gas station to rebuild the current facility. The recommendation is based on one development standard: compatibility. A much-anticipated Planning Commission public
hearing was held on the application on Thursday, June 15. There was no final decision — the hearing was continued to next month. Based on the information in the record as of June 1, staff concluded the proposal has not satisfied the conditional-use criteria in Sisters Development Code See STATION on page 7
Forest Service starts work on Road 16 The Sisters Ranger District and the Deschutes National Forest road crew are mobilizing equipment to begin reconstruction work on the non-paved portion of Forest Service Road 16. Starting Tuesday, June 13, and lasting through the duration of the construction work, Forest Service
Inside...
Road 16 will be closed to all access, including vehicle, pedestrian, biking, and equestrian use, between the gate at Upper Three Creek Lake SnoPark south to Three Creek Lake to provide for public and operator safety due to heavy See ROAD 16 on page 21
The City of Sisters is working within a code compliance program initially started to help with fire mitigation and safety through enforcement of code violations regarding vegetation overgrowth. According to the presentation at last week’s City Council meeting on the program by Community Development Director Scott Woodford and City Code Compliance Agent, Jacob Smith: “The program encourages citizens to report any concerns or observations regarding fire safety, hazardous conditions, and See CODE on page 4
Neighboring fire units train in Sisters By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Dozens of Sisters Country folk were startled Friday when driving past Metabolic Maintenance at North Larch Street and East Barclay Drive. Fire crews from Redmond, Jefferson County, and Black Butte Ranch were assembled in the firm’s parking lot. Not just any fire trucks. The big ones. The ones with aerial ladders. The ladders were extended, and towered over the structure. Firefighters were ascending the ladders, step by step, methodically and intently. No. smoke. No fire. What then? Training and certification. The units were in Sisters about a week ago at the invitation and coordination of Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District. They returned Friday under the auspices of the Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Fire Department. BBR and Redmond have trucks with a 75-foot reach. Jefferson County’s rig has a whopping 105-foot reach. As
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
A firefighter aerial certification training session caught the eye of folks in Sisters, as ladder trucks deployed at Metabolic Maintenance. no building in Sisters comes remotely close to requiring that height, why do a certification class here? “It’s not how high the ladder can go,” said Training Captain Mark Johnson from Jefferson County Fire and EMS, “it’s how far it can reach.” A building like Bi-Mart or Ray’s, or in this case Metabolic Maintenance, has a big footprint with roofs as wide or long as 200 feet. “We need to be able to get over the fire, on top of it, to pour water down when a fire is centered in a structure,” Johnson explained.
Oregon is strict in its certification process for fire and police, with layers of accreditation. Just because you are a firefighter doesn’t mean you get to drive the truck. If you are certified to drive a tanker truck, you have to get further certified to drive a ladder truck. Even if you have been certified to drive a ladder truck, you still need accreditation to work the ladder. It may sound cumbersome until you think of the lifeand-death nature of the work, Johnson told The Nugget. Johnson has been fighting See FIRE TRAINING on page 9
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Obituaries ....................... 11 Entertainment .................13 Bunkhouse Chronicle .......21 Crossword ...................... 25 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............12 The Ranger’s Corner.........14 Fun & Games ................... 24 Classifieds................. 26-27