The Nugget Vol. XLVIII No. 4
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Citizens can weigh in on City goals
Bombing down the slopes…
Tallis Grummer in the Giant Slalom as the Outlaws dominated the slopes in Alpine action at Hoodoo last week. See story, page 4. PHOTO BY JACK TURPEN
More drought, less snowfall in report By Alex Baumghardt Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregonians born today are likely to experience a future of more drought, more rain, and less snow under warming average global temperatures due to humancaused climate change. That’s one conclusion in the 314-page Seventh Oregon Climate Assessment, which
was published Wednesday and authored by more than 65 scientists, experts, and engineers, including from Oregon State University, the Oregon Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Two engineers from Portland General Electric and Principle Power, a floating offshore wind See REPORT on page 17
High Desert Heroines:
Tender tragedies By Maret Pajutee Correspondent
In the maze of juniper, sage, and tombstones at Camp Polk Cemetery there is a grove of silent children. Little ones who left their families much too soon with familiar names from the earliest days of Sisters, like Allingham and South. Among the earliest burials
Inside...
are two small graves, nestled under the trees with the name of Claypool, some of the first pioneers to search for a new life east of the Cascades. The Claypools were one of the many pioneer families who arrived in the Willamette Valley of See TRAGEDIES on page 14
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
The City of Sisters City Council is inviting members of the public to participate in an upcoming Open House to provide input and feedback on the Council’s proposed goals for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which will begin on July 1. This is an opportunity for residents, business owners, and other stakeholders to have their voices heard as the City Council shapes its priorities for the coming year. City Council considers goals from the following categories: Environmental Sustainability; Essential Infrastructure; Economic Development; Good See CITY on page 20
Sisters earns Dark Skies designation By Sue Stafford Correspondent
Sisters was certified as an International DarkSky Community this month by DarkSky International, making the city the second community in Oregon to be so designated (Antelope announced their designation several weeks ago). Sisters is the sixth International DarkSky Place in Oregon, joining such places as the Oregon Outback to the east and Oregon Caves National Monument. The designation is the culmination of many years of dark sky advocacy by the Sisters community to help bring about awareness of the importance of preserving our nighttime skies for current and future generations to experience its wonder and to protect the wildlife that depend on darkness. It is also an opportunity to further that education and to retrofit poor lighting, ensure responsible lighting going forward, and market the related tourism benefits the designation brings to a largely touristdependent community.
PHOTO BY BRIAN JENNINGS
Comet Atlas over North Sister. Preserving such spectacular sights is the goal of Dark Skies advocates. Bill Kowalik, PhD, chairperson of DarkSky Oregon, issued the following statement: “The City of Sisters has now set a community standard for responsible outdoor lighting in Oregon. It’s a standard that benefits residents, visitors, and the surrounding wild environment. This international certification brings recognition to Sisters, known to visitors for culture and arts, and now
globally, for environmental protection of dark skies, too.” The effort to protect the night skies over Sisters began over 20 years ago, started by members of the Sisters Astronomy Club and the students in the astronomy program at Sisters High School, led by science teacher Rima Givot. Efforts included: • Education through city See DARK SKIES on page 9
Letters/Weather ............... 2 The Ranger’s Corner...........7 Bull by Bull ......................10 Consider This ...................16 Crossword .......................21 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............10 Entertainment ................. 11 Obituaries ....................... 17 Classifieds................. 22-23