The Nugget Vol. XLVII No. 44
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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
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Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Magnificent Metolius...
The Metolius River is displaying its fall palette. PHOTO BY KRIS KRISTOVICH
Forum takes on youth well-being in Sisters Youths in today’s society face challenges and have opportunities that were barely conceivable to even their parents’ generation. The pervasiveness of technology opens a world of connection, while simultaneously — and counter-intuitively — creating a sense of isolation. Sisters is widely considered a great community for kids — but youth here are subject to challenging national and international trends. The next in Citizens For Community’s (C4C) biannual series of community forums will focus on youth well-being in Sisters Country. According to C4C
Executive Director Kellen Klein, the forum — entitled “Are The Kids Alright?” — will explore “what’s working and what isn’t for local youth.” Nationwide, young people are faced with challenges to their mental health, navigating social media, and school safety, among other issues. The forum will explore “how these systemic challenges are affecting our local kids,” Kline said. Kline noted that many people consider Sisters a great place to raise kids, and there are a lot of things about See FORUM on page 13
Travel and tourism pros gathered in Sisters By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Sisters tourism is increasingly built around health and wellness and a culture of artisanship. Last week, a group of industry professionals gathered in Sisters to explore what that means for a tourism-based economy. Representing myriad
Inside...
stakeholders in Oregon tourism, a group of 45 convened at FivePine Conference Center last Wednesday. Another 15 who had registered were unable to attend due to last-minute scheduling conflicts. The day-long conference was titled “Heritage, Arts, See TOURISM on page 21
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Meetings .......................... 2
SES turns bat hangout Open into learning opportunity debris burning season set By Matt Van Slyke Correspondent
As the temperatures cool and with the potential for additional rainfall in the coming week, open burning within the Black Butte Ranch, Cloverdale, and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Districts opened on Monday, October 28. The Sisters-Camp Sherman and Cloverdale Fire District burn permit system was updated over the summer. If you previously accessed the system via a phone app, the app has been rebranded as “Before You Burn,” offering the same functionality you’re familiar with, but with enhanced features and new tools. The new phone app will be available in late October. The new system which can be accessed via each District’s website, includes weather information for your area, agency boundary maps to indicate if your property is protected by other agencies in addition to your local Fire District, and includes any restrictions those agencies have in place for burning. The old “Burn Permits” app has been removed from See BURNING on page 19
In the Pines....................... 9 Announcements...............10
Sisters Elementary School (SES) is becoming a Halloween haunt, not only for kids in costume, but for a cauldron of bats. The bats had called home the ponderosa pines that stood tall at McKenzie Highway and McKinney Butte Road, then the trees were cut down so the school building could go up. “They lost their part of the forest, their habitat. There must have been some big holes way up in the trees where the bats were living. Every year, they come back after they hibernate. This time, they came back to find their trees, but what was there
instead?” STEM teacher Jocelyn Blevins asked a handful of students last week. “A school!” they replied. “And the bats really love warmth, so they went up on the side of the school that is made of rocks that absorb a ton of heat. All those bats are soaking up the heat on the walls,” Blevins said. “Now they’re just hanging from the building.” Concern about bats recently spread with a community Facebook post. It pictured a bat discovered in a Sisters backyard. The post – like the bat – went viral. “A family tested the bat and found it to have rabies,” Blevins said. “I found out a See BAT BOXES on page 19
PHOTO BY MATT VAN SLYKE
Sisters Area Woodworkers (SAW) volunteer Jim Naibert volunteers with STEM teacher Jocelyn Blevins, working on bat boxes. Bunkhouse Chronicle ....... 11 Entertainment .................12
Crossword .......................21 Classifieds................. 22-23