The Nugget Vol. XLVII No. 19
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Sisters lodger receives national award
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Arrest made in assault in Sisters
Remembering an old growth warrior...
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
For a number of years, FivePine Lodge has received some kind of national award from Tripadvisor, but this year they hit it out of the park. They were named number three in the country for the Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title. Numbers one and two were in San Diego and New York City. The award celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel based on a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of their eight million listings, fewer than 1 percent achieve this milestone. FivePine’s first award came only a few years after opening with being named Best Place for Romance
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
PHOTO PROVIDED
Tim Lillebo and Brian Tandy during a 2010 field review. See commentary, “Ode to an old growth warrior,” page 12.
See FIVEPINE on page 11
A 21-year-old Bend man is under arrest for allegedly assaulting a ride share driver and stealing his vehicle in Sisters. According to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to a report of an assault and theft of a vehicle in Sisters on May 3, at 2:48 a.m. Deschutes County 911 Dispatch advised a male subject had assaulted a ride share driver and subsequently stole the vehicle. During the course of the investigation, it was determined Joshua Buck, a 21-year-old transient was at the Deschutes County Stabilization Center and had requested a ride share service to Sisters. Once in Sisters Buck asked to be dropped off in the vicinity of the Sisters Inn and Suites. When the vehicle came to a stop, Buck allegedly assaulted the 77-year-old See ASSAULT on page 15
Deputies arrest wanted Seeking solutions to housing challenges person near Sisters By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
A deputy with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office was conducting routine patrol in the area of Forest Road 4606 near Sisters on May 5 when the deputy discovered a camp believed to be occupied by a Leah Marie Sharp, a 37-year-old transient who was wanted for three counts of custodial interference and three counts of kidnapping out of Caldwell, Idaho. According to DCSO, the deputy learned that Sharp was likely with her three children, the victims of the custodial interference and kidnapping, listed as missing and endangered. While the deputy maintained constant surveillance on the camp, several other
Inside...
deputies converged on the scene, contacted Sharp, and took her into custody without incident. The three minor children were located in the custody of Sharp at the camp. They appeared to be unharmed. Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division, responded and took custody of the missing children and made arrangements for transport back to Idaho. Sharp was transported to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Adult Jail and lodged on an out-of state-warrant for Custodial Interference in the First Degree (three counts), Kidnapping in the First Degree (three counts).
Housing is a real challenge for many folks in Sisters. There’s not a lot available, especially for rent, and prices are very high for people who work for Central Oregon wages. Housing challenges are not unique to Sisters — it’s a problem across the nation and particularly in the desirable towns of the American West. Sisters is seeking ways to address a challenge that for many rises to a crisis — and a full-house gathering at Sisters Fire District’s Community Hall dug into the problem at a Sunday afternoon forum co-sponsored by Citizens4Community (C4C) and The Nugget Newspaper. The audience was well aware of the gap between
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
A panel of developers and government officials assembled by Citizens4Community (C4C) led a discussion of the complex challenges facing Sisters in providing housing for a wide range of people. local incomes and the $700,000-plus median price of a home in Sisters. Other statistics drew a startled response — particularly Sisters City Councilor
Jennifer Letz’s note that Sisters has a 20 percent vacancy rate (most cities have a five to seven percent See FORUM on page 6
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Obituaries ........................ 8 Entertainment ................. 11 Your story matters .......... 20 Classifieds..................21-23 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Bull by Bull ......................15 Crossword ...................... 20 Property Guy................... 23