Outlawspcontinuep winningpstreakp page 15 Roboticspteamp conquersptourneyp page 20 ChinesepNewpYearp isponpthepway!p page 25 The Nugget Vol. XXXX No. 5 P OSTAL CUSTOMER News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon www.NuggetNews.com Wednesday, February 1, 2017 Winter’spnotpthroughpwithpSisterspCountry By Ron Thorkildson Correspondent Somewhat more moderate temperatures over the past two weeks have aided Central Oregon residents in digging out from one of the heaviest snowfalls in recent memory. But there’s still a lot of snow piled up that may take weeks to clear, and weather forecasters call for more cold and precipitation through February. Longtime inhabitants of Sisters say they can’t remem- ber such a protracted spell of cold, snowy weather in at least 24 years, going back to the winter of 1992-93. Don Rowe has been a resi- dent of Sisters since 1957. “This winter is only the third time I’ve had to shovel snow from my roof in 38 years,” said Rowe. He remembers the 1992- 93 winter, but thinks we probably got a little more ODOTplinespoutpp Sistersproadpprojects By Sue Stafford Correspondent The Sisters roundabout is just one of several road projects on the books in coming months. ODOT per- sonnel were on hand at an open house held last week with exhibits explaining four highway projects sched- uled for the Sisters area, from February 2017 through October 2018. The largest project, set to begin this month, is the construction of a round- about at the intersection of Highway 20 and Barclay Drive/McKinney Butte Road. Knife River Corporation will be doing the work, which is expected to be complete by Memorial Day 2017. Inside... was three or four feet. I also remember seeing a thermom- eter that showed the tempera- ture was 36 degrees below zero,” he said. This season, early winter See WINTER on page 25 See KIDNAPPING on page 30 PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG During the period of con- struction, there will be a variety of detours for motor- ists around the construction area so that access to and from Sisters to the west will never be completely shut down. Installation of the art- work and landscaping for the roundabout will occur after the construction is complete. Other exhibits provided maps and explanations for three additional upcoming projects. Once the roundabout is done, and the 2017 Sisters Rodeo is in the history books, a 15-mile paving project will begin on Highway 20 between Sisters and Tumalo. Highway 20 is a critical part See ROAD WORK on page 31 who lives about half-way between Sisters and Bend on Highway 20, recalls a very early start to a winter in the late 1950s. “It started snowing on Halloween and by mid- December the snow depth Twop arrestedpinp kidnappingp case Two people were arrested on Friday in a kidnapping case that started with an incident at Sisters Mainline Station and ultimately spanned Deschutes and Jefferson counties. According to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Chad Davis, depu- ties were dispatched to the Sisters Mainline Station for a report of a kidnapping at 3:40 p.m. on January 27. Kiteara Westover, 23, and Damian Patteeuw, 23, both of Crooked River Ranch, reported they were victims of a kidnapping and had just been released by the suspects. Two Sisters adventurers found a way to get in some skiing as Sisters Country is still thoroughly covered with snow. snow this time around. “From the late 1950s through the 1970s it seems like two-foot snowfalls occurred more often than they do now, and began earlier in the season,” Rowe added. Naturalist Jim Anderson, PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15 Sisterspsayspgoodbyeptopappioneer By Bonnie Malone / Jim Cornelius Correspondent / News Editor Dorro Sokol, Sisters rancher, aviator, planning commissioner, Rotarian and rodeo stalwart, died last week at her home on Pine Meadow Ranch, at the age of 90. “She died with four gen- erations in the room,” her daughter Cris Converse told The Nugget. Sokol, who moved to Sisters in 1971, was an influ- ential community-member who watched a town of about 400 residents grow into the thriving, diversified small city it has become. “People ask me if I’m not disappointed in the growth of this once-quiet little town,” Sokol told The Nugget in 2014, when she was named Grand Marshal of the Sisters Rodeo Parade, “but the PHOTO PROVIDED Longtime Sisters resident — and legend — Dorro Sokol died last week. caliber of people who have moved in is quite extraordi- nary. I have enjoyed them coming here.” As owner of Pine Meadow Ranch, Sokol tried See DORRO SOKOL on page 24 Letters/Weatherp................ 2 Announcementsp................12 SisterspSalutesp.................13 SharepYourpLove.................17 Classifiedsp.................. 27-29 Meetingsp........................... 3 Moviesp&pEntertainmentp....13 SisterspNaturalistp............. 16 Crosswordpp....................... 26 RealpEstatep.................29-32