The Nugget Vol. XLVI No. 29
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Sisters gets a lot of bull
Diversification provides options for farmers By Sue Stafford Correspondent
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Ninety bulls came to Sisters Rodeo Grounds Saturday, none too happy about it. Who could blame them? It was 100 degrees. Upon arrival they were herded not onto a grassy pasture but a dirt pen. By the time they were checkerboarded to the bucking chutes, they’d worked up a head of steam. They were not about having a cowboy get on their back. Such was the scene of the inaugural Red Rock Bucking
Bulls Futurity. This was not a contest of cowboys but of the bulls themselves. And between breeders and stock contractors, the latter who supply bulls to the professional rodeo circuits. There are 650 pro rodeos each year in 38 states and three Canadian provinces. That takes a whole lot of bulls. The competing bulls ranged from yearlings to 4-year-olds. The one-year-old boys were bucked with a 15-pound dummy. See BULLS on page 21 PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK
“Steak in my Pocket” a yearling bull sponsored by Bovico/Patti Cordoni & Suzanne Carvlin scored an 80.5 in the inaugural Red Rock Futurity, which gauged the potential of bucking bulls.
Planning Commission denies expansion By Sue Stafford Correspondent
With a unanimous vote at their July 13 public hearing, all seven members of the Sisters Planning Commission agreed to deny the Space Age application to redevelop their gas station at 411 W. Cascade Ave. The commissioners agreed with City staff, who had recommended denial of the application based on the incompatibility of the proposed station with the surrounding businesses and neighborhoods. They cited the size of the convenience store at 3,500 square feet, and the size and height of the
Inside...
canopy, plus the amount of asphalt surrounding the proposed station. In his condensed staff report, Principal Planner Matthew Martin stated he had originally miscalculated the canopy square footage at 4,300 sq. ft., believing a dotted line on the canopy drawing indicated an overhang, which it did not. The actual canopy size for 16 fueling points is 3,240 square feet. Mike Conner, attorney for Pliska Investments, owner of the current Space Age gas station, mentioned in his remarks that they might consider reducing the number See GAS STATION on page 18
Two buzz words increasingly used when talking about present-day farming and ranching operations are “agritourism” and “regenerative agriculture.” Both are departures from traditional farming practices. By diversifying their operations to offer opportunities for the public to experience what goes on at a working ranch or farm, farmers and ranchers can create additional income. Agritourism allows people to connect with the products, practices, and places that produce our food, commodities, and the way of life experienced in agricultural areas. The types of agritourism activities allowed in exclusive farm use (EFU) zones for properties with an existing farm use in Oregon were established by statute (SB 960) by the state legislature in 2011. Individual counties adopt ordinances in compliance with the state criteria and may add local requirements. See FARMERS on page 12
Three Creeks Road opening pushed back By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
If all goes to plan, Forest Road 16, which has been closed above Upper Three Creeks Sno-Park for refurbishing, will reopen July 28 — to the relief of hundreds of
recreation users. The rescheduled opening is two weeks later than planned due to this year’s deep snow and the degree of degradation discovered as work began. Work on the rutted and deep-pocked road is long overdue users say, as they
bumped and gritted their way to popular Three Creek Lake and the Tam McArthur Rim Trail. The road serves favorite destinations for horse camping and backcountry trekking. The road was never See FS ROAD 16 on page 18
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Roundabout Sisters .......... 8 Entertainment ................. 11 Tight Lines (fly-fishing) ...16 Crossword .......................21 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Obituaries .......................14 Fun & Games ....................19 Classifieds................. 22-23