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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 2017)
Justin Townes Earle hits Sisters page 10 SPRD classes touch the nature of art page 14 Sisters woman made epic voyages through Northwest Passage page 24 The Nugget Vol. XL No. 36 P OSTAL CUSTOMER News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon www.NuggetNews.com Wednesday, September 6, 2017 Smoke chokes up Sisters economy By Cody Rheault Correspondent Many Sisters businesses approached the profitable month of August on schedule to see steady business and revenue increases. But the smoke from the Milli Fire — as well as other surround- ing wildfires — has obscured what many predicted to be a good season. Of the many businesses affected by the smoke, the ones focused on outdoor recreation have suffered the most. Rob Malone, director of golf at the Aspen Lakes Golf Course, described how the smoke and air quality has hurt business. “People have to decide whether to play or not, depending on the smoke and air quality,” he said. “It’s all about the time of day.” In a sport where morn- ings are sought after for their cool temperatures and sun- rise views, the night-time PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15 PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT Smoke has impacted everything from outdoor recreation to lodging and dining during the heart of Sisters’ busiest time of year. last year ’s golf season, inversions have created a smoke has lifted. Revenue at the Aspen Malone reported. With July morning tee-time deterrent. Afternoons have become the Lakes golf course has See ECONOMY on page 29 best time to play, after the declined 30 percent from Sisters Folk Festival keeps an eye on smoke Usually when people use the term “smoking” in con- nection with the Sisters Folk Festival, they’re talking about a particularly hot flatpicker or a set from a lively band like this year’s encore artist The East Pointers. This year, with some- thing like 500 square miles of Oregon on fire, the term has taken on the unpleasant con- notations of poor air quality that threaten the character of the 21st annual event. As of press time, festival board and staff were closely monitoring conditions and See FOLK FESTIVAL on page 22 Evacuation levels lowered for residents Road guards inform and protect While Sisters Country continued to live under a pall of smoke over Labor Day Weekend, some residents got a welcome piece of fire- related news. Level 2 evacu- ation notices were lowered to Level 1 Sunday afternoon, affecting the subdivisions of Crossroads, Edgington/ R e m u n d a , Wi l d w i n g , Peterson Burn Road area, and along both sides of Three Creek Lake Road south of the Brooks Scanlon Logging Road (FS 4606). All areas between Highway 20 and Highway 242 west of the city of Sisters, which includes the subdivision of Tollgate and Black Butte Ranch, remain under Level 1 notice. This area does not include the city As the Milli Fire grew over the past couple weeks, so has the number of road closures. With an increase in closures comes the need to provide security, protection, and information for locals and visitors. And road guards play a key role in this process. A road closure is put in place when a wildfire poses a threat to residents. And it helps prevent them from accidentally stumbling into firefighting operations. To provide protection and safety, authorities will post people at key points leading to a haz- ardous area. Law enforce- ment, ODOT, county road department, or U.S. Forest Service personnel are among those tasked with guarding these roads. Inside... of Sisters. Level 1 means that resi- dents should be aware of fire conditions in their area and be prepared for evacuation should conditions deteriorate. While it’s hard to tell from Sisters, firefighters have made progress on the 22,527- acre Milli Fire, which is now 60 percent contained. In fact, much of the smoke inundat- ing Sisters has been from other fires; there are dozens burning across hundreds of square miles of the Pacific Northwest. The east, southeast, and south flanks of the fire are in patrol status with firefighters mopping up any detected heat to further secure containment See EVACUATION on page 28 By Cody Rheault Correspondent PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT Susan Skakel mans her post on Forest Road 15, part of the Milli Fire closure area. During Level 3 evacu- ations, law enforcement is staffed at roads leading to neighborhoods, ensuring the security of people’s evacuated homes and properties. The role of a road guard is one of protection and informing the public. Often times, they are a fire man- agement team’s first level of interaction with the public, and a first line of defense between them and firefighting See ROAD GUARDS on page 9 Letters/Weather ................ 2 Announcements ................12 Obituaries ....................... 16 Bunkhouse Chronicle ....... 19 Classifieds ..................26-28 Meetings ........................... 3 Movies & Entertainment ....13 Sisters Naturalist ............. 18 Crossword ....................... 25 Real Estate .................28-32