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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 2015)
Wednesday, February 11, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Vandals strike on Whychus Creek Recent vandalism to an area near Whychus Creek is causing erosion into the creek and impacting stream banks and the scenic beauty of the area, according to Forest Service officials. About a week ago, a volun- teer River Steward reported to the Forest Service that vandals had destroyed a scenic area near the Whychus Creek trail. Eleven large boulders had been dug out of a steep bank below the trail and pushed down an embankment creat- ing unstable soil, which is vul- nerable to erosion from winter rains. Since the first report of the damage, Sisters Ranger District employees have worked to assess and repair some of the damage. The trail was built in 2011 and has been a key part of managing recreation use and building community stew- ardship of Whychus Creek, which is a designated Wild and Scenic River. “We have received great community support through our volunteer River Stewards as well as major fundraising efforts such as the Quilt for Two Rivers, Ride for Two Rivers and the annual Plein Air Paint Out. The River Stewards help maintain the area and the fundraising efforts helped to restore Whychus Creek and oregon K-12 enrollment up slightly this school year PORTLAND (AP) — The state Department of Education reports that 570,857 stu- dents enrolled in K-12 pub- lic schools last fall, a gain of less than one percent from 2013-14. Of Oregon’s 197 school districts, 58 percent had an enrollment increase, 41 per- cent saw a decrease and 1 per- cent had no change. Portland remains the larg- est district with 47,647 stu- dents, followed by Salem- Kei zer, B eav ert o n an d Hillsboro. North Clackamas edged Bend-La Pine and Eugene for the fifth spot. Hispanic students now represent 22 percent of the overall student population. Deputy Superintendent Rob Saxton said in a news release Wednesday that educators must adapt to the demographic changes because the state’s future depends on closing the achievement gap. its stream banks. It is so dis- heartening to see this sense- less damage, particularly for those who have contributed to this important stewardship effort,” said Kristie Miller, Sisters District Ranger. To get involved with trail stewardship or become a River Steward on Whychus Creek or the Metolius River, contact vicechair@sisterstrails.com. Or contact Amy Racki, recre- ation team lead for the Sisters Ranger District, at 541-549- 7730 to find out more infor- mation on how you can help in land stewardship. “We’re so grateful for the help we receive because we can’t do it alone. We depend on volunteers and observant recreationists who treasure these places to help us watch over them. If you see some- thing happening that doesn’t seem right, please say some- thing and call us,” said Miller. Damaging a natural fea- ture is a violation of Federal law. If anyone has informa- tion about the incident or observes other illegal activi- ties on the National Forest, call the Sisters Ranger District at 541-549-7700. 7 Business at a glance • Sisters City Council has asked staff to start send- ing the Sisters Area Cham- ber of Commerce land-use notices so that the Cham- ber can forward them on to members. The move is part of an effort to improve pub- lic outreach and let as many people as possible know about land-use applications.
