The Nugget Vol. XLVII No. 28
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Sisters launches 4th of July t radition By Matt Van Slyke Correspondent
It appears Sisters has a new annual Independence Day tradition. Sisters 4th Fest attracted an estimated 1,000plus people to Village Green Park, adding a ton of heart to the heart of town. “It was wonderful seeing the community come together to eat, celebrate, dance, pay tribute to our veterans, and just have a good time,” said Kellen Klein, executive director of Citizens4Community (C4C), which put on the festivities with Rotary Club of Sisters. “The event wholly exceeded our expectations, and we’ve been blown away by the positive feedback we’ve received.” Rotary cooked a pancake breakfast and served hot dogs as the party continued into lunch time. Run Sisters Run’s “Red, White & Blue 5K Fun Run” sold out, with over 200 runners, Klein said. More than 100 children participated in the kids miniparade, with Smokey Bear greeting them at the finish line with popsicles. “I loved the small-town feeling of the gathering. The involvement of our fire department was a very special touch,” commented Lori Wokal on C4C’s Facebook
Editor in Chief
Two small fires serve as a warning to campers as the region heads into dangerous fire weather. Fire crews jumped quickly on a small brush fire southeast of town on July 4. According to Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid, the fire that broke out on Thursday afternoon off the 4606 road between Sisters and the Rodeo Grounds “sounds like it was caused by ashes that were disposed of that were still hot.” The area sees a mix of recreational campers and
Inside...
Fire Chief Prior assumes command By Sue Stafford Correspondent
PHOTO BY MATT VAN SLYKE
Sisters 4th Fest proved a big hit with members of the Sisters community of all ages. page. “I loved seeing the young and old gathering. The band, the music and dancing definitely added a great connection to folks at the festivities.” A definite highlight, Klein said, was watching Carol Ast lead nearly 75 people in jubilant line dancing to the tunes of Dry Canyon Stampede. “I just have to say how impressed I was with the level of participation from the community,” added Kurt Silva, the band’s lead singer. “All the planning and hard work paid off. Great job!”
Small fires are a warning to campers By Jim Cornelius
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
forest dwellers. Reid said that the person responsible for the hot ash disposal was a “non-recreational camper.” Over the weekend, USFS personnel issued a citation to the person responsible. Crews were able to hold the fire to a 10th of an acre. Firefighters contained another small fire at 3/4-acre in the forest southwest of Sisters on Friday afternoon, July 5. The fire was located off the 1514 road north of Chush Falls in the Whychus Creek drainage. According to Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid, the cause of that fire See FIRES on page 17
While the organizers sold at least 450 pancake breakfasts, “one of the things that made this event so special — and successful — is how many different organizations, businesses, and individuals pitched in to make it happen,” Klein said. Fika Coffee, Coco Loco, and High Desert Chocolate sold refreshments; the fire district rolled out their trucks and handed out popcorn; and SFF Presents offered their water station. Additionally, Sisters Parks & Recreation District and Circle of Friends
lent lawn games; veterans groups hosted booths and face painting; Mayor Michael Preedin made an inspiring speech; and Three Sisters Yoga led a pre-run stretch. A classic car show brought enthusiasts from miles around, and dozens of volunteers set up before and cleaned up after the celebration. “It was exactly the locallyoriented, homegrown Fourth of July we were hoping for,” Klein summed up. “Signs definitely point toward a return next year!”
In the late 1970s, when Sisters’ new fire chief, Tony Prior, was a boy of 8, he came to Central Oregon from his home near Philomath to hunt mule deer. He also fished for rainbow trout in the Metolius River. And now, some 40 years later, he and his wife Dianna are calling Sisters home. Chief Prior assumed his new duties as of late June, with the retirement of Chief Roger Johnson. Chief Prior moved to Alaska in 1994, married Dianna, had two children, and became an EMT/firefighter, working up to becoming chief of the Kenai Fire Department. Prior comes from a firefighting family. His mother worked on a wildland fire crew for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington State and both his parents were volunteer firefighters in Philomath. His wife Dianna has a career in incident See FIRE CHIEF on page 7
Beavers say ‘yes’ to invitation By Maret Pajutee Correspondent
When Lake Creek Lodge put a sign out that said “Restaurant Open,” they didn’t expect a large aquatic rodent to be one of the first to dine. But just days before a major restoration planting to benefit beaver habitat began behind the Lodge, a special guest came by to check out the neighborhood eats for one of the few times in a decade. That lone beaver must have felt the love. In April a partnership between Think Wild/Beaver Works Program and Lodge owner Gordon Jones invited the community to learn more about the benefits of the American Beaver on the landscape.
PHOTO COURTESY THINK WILD
Work crews engaged in restoration planting. Surprisingly, 85 people came to a Beaver Believer event at the Lodge featuring a nature movie, popcorn, and a walk around the property. A project to provide more food for
beavers by planting willows, red osier dogwood, and cottonwoods was planned for May. See BEAVERS on page 8
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Bunkhouse Chronicle ........ 4 Entertainment ................. 11 Obituaries .......................14 Classifieds..................21-22 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 High Desert Heroines .. 12-13 Crossword ...................... 20 Poetry Corner ................. 23