The Nugget Vol. XLVII No. 9
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, February 28, 2024
Winter Carnival lit up skies over Hoodoo Sisters to
select new fire chief
a tradition at Hoodoo for 40-plus years and includes a number of free events, no lift ticket required,” according to the ski area. CoEnergy
Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District’s Fire Chief Roger Johnson will retire on July 1, after serving 12 years with the District. The Fire District Board of Directors started the process for hiring a new fire chief nearly a year ago when Chief Johnson announced his retirement. “The community has been fortunate to have such a high-quality individual as Chief Johnson in this leadership position for the past twelve years,” said SistersCamp Sherman Fire District Board President Kristie Miller said. “Selecting a new Fire Chief that would continue the good work that Chief Johnson has done is very important to the Board.” The Board of Directors worked with the Special Districts Association of Oregon and the Western Fire Chiefs Association to conduct a national search
See HOODOO on page 16
See FIRE CHIEF on page 17
PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY
Youngsters jump for joy at the firework show after a long day of skiing and snowboarding at Hoodoo Saturday night. By T. Lee Brown Correspondent
It’s nighttime at Hoodoo ski area. Intrepid skiers and snowboarders make their way down lighted runs, their
silhouettes flittering against a white snow backdrop. Music blasts from speakers. Kids who probably should’ve been in bed long ago race across the snow, pelting each other with snowballs. They move
from awesome snow sculpture to awesome snow sculpture, clambering on sphinxes and other shapes until the sculptures are worn down, unrecognizable. “Winter Carnival has been
Cause of house fire determined
Roundabout construction to begin
The February 15 fire that destroyed a house on Old Barn Court northeast of Sisters was caused by spontaneous combustion of oily rags in a garbage can. Jeff Puller, community risk and fire safety manager with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District told The Nugget that two deputy state fire marshals investigated the fire, and determined that this was the accidental cause. The home was undergoing an extensive remodel, and was unoccupied at the time of the blaze. Units from Sisters, Cloverdale and Black Butte Ranch responded to a 2 a.m. call-out, and arrived to find the home heavily involved in fire, with flames venting through the roof of the
The long-awaited project to construct a roundabout at Highway 20 and Locust Street is set to get underway at the beginning of March. The project will start with moving the Sisters Elementary School fence and relocating some utilities, according to Sisters Public Works Director Paul Bertagna. The fence relocation is expected to be completed by the time students return from spring break so that students can use the fields. “All of this is, of course, weather-dependent, too,” Bertagna noted. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will host a drop-in open house on Monday, March 4, between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the Sisters Elementary
Inside...
structure. Part of the roof had already collapsed. Property loss was estimated at $2.5 million. One firefighter suffered a minor injury due to a slip on ice, and was treated on the scene and released by paramedics. Spontaneous combustion of oily rags is a common cause of house fires. Spontaneous combustion occurs when the oily material generates is own heat, reaches its ignition temperature, and bursts into flame without an external flame or heat source. To prevent such fires in the home, fire officials recommend storing oily rags in a non-combustible (e.g. metal) container with lid closed. Prior to disposal, soak in water then spread them out in a safe outdoor area to dry.
By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
North Locust Street will soon be closed for the construction of a new roundabout. Access to Sisters Elementary School will remain open. School gym, 611 E. Cascade Ave. where the public can learn more about the project and the impact of construction. Plans call for the highway to be deviated from its current track for a gentle curve into the roundabout, designed to slow traffic coming into
town from the east. The construction will eat into a portion of property that is now the Sisters Elementary School tennis courts. Much of the old highway will be removed, torn up and seeded to make it look See ROUNDABOUT on page 19
Letters/Weather................ 2 Obituaries......................... 6 Announcements................10 xxx.............................. xx-xx Crossword . ......................21 Meetings........................... 3 The Ranger’s Corner............7 Entertainment.................. 11 xxx.................................. XX Classifieds.................. 22-23