The Nugget Vol. XLVII No. 45
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Seasonal closure raises questions
Inductees added to Outlaw Hall of Fame
By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
As has happened every year for decades, the historic McKenzie Highway (Highway 242) closed on the Sisters side last week. A week earlier, the western side closed. The November 1 close is about average, and just in time as a series of minor storms dropped as much as 10 inches of snow above 5,000 feet. The top of Highway 242, at the Dee Wright Observatory — the halfway point — sits at 5,187 feet. In making its annual announcement of the closures, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) hit a nerve with recreationalists who thought the agency had changed its position and verbiage from largely one of “go past the snow gates at your own risk” to “do not go past the snow gates.” Two Valley newspapers – The Eugene Register Guard and The Salem Statesman Journal — jumped on the announcement, setting off a maelstrom of criticism and dismay. The latter reported: “But over the past few years, the Oregon Department of Transportation quietly decided that once the
By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent
Correspondent
Curious motorists and pedestrians observed heavy machinery in action as trees were cleared and earth moved in preparation for Phase One of the Sisters East Portal Transportation Master Plan. The hub is located on recently purchased City property between West Hood Avenue, Highway 20, and OR 242 (McKenzie Highway). The overall plan calls for a dedicated transit patron parking area and drop-off lane. The site layout allows for patrons to park or be dropped off to access transit facilities onsite. Pull-through
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cell coverage up there.” “We are asking people to make the right choice and the safe choice and not go into a closed area,” ODOT spokeswoman Mindy McCartt said. “The road is not plowed. There’s no cell service. There’s no resources and it’s extremely difficult for search and rescue to reach anybody that needs help. In the spring
The Sisters High School Hall of Fame inducted a total of six individuals and one group at an afternoon ceremony held Sunday, November 3 at Sisters High School (SHS). Don Pollard, co-chair of the Hall of Fame committee, helped welcome the attendees and thanked the numerous sponsors for supporting the Hall of Fame for the tenth year celebration. Dennis Dempsey emceed the evening. The ceremony included guest speaker Pat Tyson, currently the head crosscountry coach at Gonzaga University where one of the ceremony’s inductees, Brandon Pollard competed collegiately. Tyson, a runner for the University of Oregon during the Steve Prefontaine era in the early
See HIGHWAY 242 on page 20
See HALL OF FAME on page 15
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
The gate on the Sisters end of the McKenzie Highway is closed for the season. highway is closed to cars, it’s closed to everyone else as well. Officials cited safety concerns and said that anybody who went beyond the closure gates was doing so ‘at their own risk.’” ODOT denies any change in policy. When reached by The Nugget, ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey said, “It’s basically the same press release we’ve put out for five years. There is no rule, no
Work underway at Sisters’ East Portal By Bill Bartlett
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
regulation, no law. It’s a common-sense advisory.” Davey is ODOT’s public information officer for Central Oregon. She added, “There are no enforcement measures. OSP (Oregon State Police) isn’t going to arrest anybody. But it is a potential risk, especially in the spring when wind is downing trees and the road is spotty with ice, snow and debris. And there’s no
Checking the well-being of youth By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
at the new Sisters Elementary School. “I think there’s a lot of strengths in our community — and there’s just a lot of universal challenges for kids
right now.” Connection with adults is a marker for the well-being and success of youth, and
See EAST PORTAL on page 18
Growing up in Sisters has many benefits for youth. It’s still a tight-knit community that looks out for its people; schools are strong and staff works hard to build beneficial relationships with students. Yet it’s still challenging to be a 21st-century kid, no matter where you are. Lindsey Overstreet is a licensed clinical social worker working in pediatric behavioral health at Mosaic Community Health’s schoolbased health clinic in Sisters. She works with youth who may be struggling with a variety of issues. She will be one of the featured speakers at the upcoming C4C forum titled “Are the Kids Alright?” set for November 17, 4 p.m.,
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Meetings .......................... 3
Announcements...............10 Stars over Sisters ............ 11
Entertainment .................12 Crossword .......................21
Classifieds................. 22-23 Sudoku ........................... 23
bus lanes will utilize “sawtooth” bays for loading and unloading, and limit vehicle/ bus interactions. According to planners and the city, this design is efficient for transit vehicles and minimizes conflicts. Walking trails along the edge of the site are consistent with the Sisters Transportation System Plan (TSP). Additional trails will be added during the design phase to increase onsite mobility, align with the Parks Master Plan, and limit impacts to trees. Additional parking along the southern border will facilitate recreational uses,
PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS
Mosaic Community Health’s school-based clinic in Sisters works with local families, including helping with behavioral and mental health concerns. Pictured left to right: Sarah Leet, PA-C, Danielle Varner, Jackie Muñoz, and Lindsey Overstreet, LCSW.
See FORUM on page 13