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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2017)
Two decades of digging in Sisters page 5 Stars over Sisters page 16 Owls, owls and more owls page 17 The Nugget Vol. XXXX No. 14 P OSTAL CUSTOMER News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon www.NuggetNews.com Long-time U.S. Forest Service biologist Kevin Keown has taken up the reins as Acting District Ranger at Sisters Ranger District as Kristie Miller stepped into retirement at the end of March. Keown has worked for the Forest Service for more than 26 years, beginning his career as a biological technician and advancing as a professional wildlife biologist and dis- trict ecology staffer. He has most recently served as the Forest Wildlife Biologist for the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland. The majority of his career Wednesday, April 5, 2017 Yarn bomb! Keown tapped to lead ranger district Kallberg will be Rodeo grand marshal By Bonnie Malone Correspondent PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK Young artists, reportedly under the direction of Kit Stafford, conducted a guerrilla art operation in downtown Sisters at dawn on April 1. They “yarn bombed” the stallion that guards the east end of Cascade Avenue. Their work remained up through Saturday. See KEOWN on page 25 Inside... Curt Kallberg has been selected as the Grand Marshal of the 2017 Sisters Rodeo Parade. The former wild horse racer, current auto racer and contractor is a man who thrives on action and speed, ready to do what it takes to get something done. I n S i s t e r s , K a l l b e rg became a whirlwind in a town that had stopped shrug- ging its shoulders in accept- ing the inevitable, to become See KALLBERG on page 23 March was warmer and wetter than usual According to preliminary data received by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Pendleton, temperatures at Sisters averaged slightly warmer than usual during the month of March. The average temperature was 40.1 degrees, which was 0.5 degrees above normal. High temperatures averaged 51.5 degrees, which was 0.2 degrees below normal. The highest was 67 degrees on March 15. Low tempera- tures averaged 28.6 degrees, which was 1.2 degrees above normal. The lowest was 18 degrees, on March 5. There were 20 days with the low temperature below 32 degrees. Precipitation totaled 1.70 inches during March, which PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15 was 0.72 inches above nor- mal. Measurable precipita- tion —at least .01 inch — was received on 10 days with the heaviest, 0.60 inches reported on March 24. Precipitation this year has reached 5.97 inches, which is 1.79 inches above normal. Since October, the water year precipitation at Sisters has been 10.92 inches, which is 1.86 inches above normal. Snowfall totaled 1.6 inches, with at least one inch of snow reported on one day. The heaviest snowfall was 1.6 inches reported on March 7. The greatest depth of snow on the ground was two inches on March 7. The highest wind gust was See WEATHER on page 18 DLT secures 130 acres near Sisters The Deschutes Land Trust has purchased and perma- nently protected 130 acres of land along Whychus Creek near Sisters. The new Willow Springs Preserve — located below the Rim at Aspen Lakes — includes nearly one mile of Whychus Creek, creekside meadows, juniper and pine woodlands, and rimrock cliffs. The acquisition is part of the Land Trust’s ongo- ing Campaign for Whychus Creek. “The purchase and cre- ation of Willow Springs Preserve is a great example of how the Campaign for Whychus Creek can lever- age local resources to con- serve the best of Whychus Creek,” said Brad Chalfant, Deschutes Land Trust execu- tive director. “Early donors to the Campaign provided PHOTO COURTESY DESCHUTES LAND TRUST The Willow Springs Preserve is located below the Rim at Aspen Lakes. the essential private funding which allowed us to work with partners to quickly secure the property. The Campaign is now in the final months and we need the com- munity to continue stepping up, donating to the Campaign and helping us achieve this important community vision.” Willow Springs Preserve includes one mile of Whychus Creek and its asso- ciated meadow floodplain. While currently providing See LAND TRUST on page 31 Letters/Weather ................ 2 Obituaries ......................... 9 Movies & Entertainment ....13 Sisters Naturalist ..............17 Classifieds ..................26-28 Meetings ........................... 3 Announcements ................12 Stars Over Sisters ............ 16 Crossword ....................... 25 Real Estate .................29-32
