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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2017)
18 Wednesday, September 27, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon CUTTING: Verbal agreement had been reached earlier Continued from page 1 PHOTO PROVIDED Camp Polk will “Remember, Honor, Teach” through the Wreaths Across America program this winter. Camp Polk Cemetery will be wreath site N a t i o n a l n o n p r o f i t Wreaths Across America (WAA) has announced that historic Camp Polk Cemetery outside of Sisters has once again joined in the effort to support the mission to “Remember, Honor, Teach,” as an official location for 2017. Since 1992, WAA founder Morrill Worcester has always asked volunteers placing remembrance wreaths to take time to read the name on the headstone aloud. “Without the thousands of local volunteers across the country who give their time and energy to support the mission, Wreaths Across America would not exist,” said Karen Worcester. “All our supporters understand the value of remembering the fallen, honoring those who currently serve, and the need to teach the next generation about the sacrifices made for Year-round FIREWOOD SALES our freedom.” The goal for Camp Polk Cemetery is to raise enough funds to place 39 remem- brance wreaths on the head- stones and say the names of all the local heroes laid to rest there, to ensure that the indi- viduals who served to protect the freedoms of our country are not, and never will be, forgotten. Those interested in vol- unteering for Wreaths Across America, either locally or at Arlington National Cemetery, are invited to visit the WAA website at www. Wr e a t h s A c r o s s A m e r i c a . org to learn more. National Wreaths Across America Day is a free community event open to all. Community members and businesses can spon- sor wreaths at Camp Polk Cemetery for $15 on the WAA website. CLE E A SA R LE A O N N C NO E W ! BIK — Kindling — — — SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS 541-410-4509 SistersForestProducts.com P! TA CRAFT BEERS ON Breakfast & Fun Events are Back! Enjoy a fresh breakfast while watching the NFL games on Sundays Tuesdays Sisters Trivia night at 6:15 p.m. with free prizes! Family friendly. Live music Saturday nights! 541-549-RIBS | SistersSaloon.net 190 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters UFB, per SDD 1.4.700, we are ordering any further removal of Significant Trees on School District property to stop immediately. No tree removal related activity or work shall commence until further notice.” The stop-work order was initiated by City Manager Brant Kucera after being notified by UFB member Gerry Bertagna that the tree removal at the middle school allegedly exceeded the agreed-upon protocol by the UFB, the District, contractor Dave Vitelle of Bear Mountain Fire, and City Forester Dan Galecki. Kucera consulted with the Community Development Department after talking with Bertagna. The stop-work order was authored by Community D e v e l o p m e n t D i r e c t o r Patrick Davenport and Senior Planner BreAnne McConkie and went out over Davenport’s signa- ture. Kucera indicated that no other contact, by phone or in person, was made with either the District or Vitelle prior to issuance of the stop-work order, which was both emailed and hand- delivered to Superintendent Curt Scholl, Director of Operations Ryan Stock, and Bond Project Manager Brett Hudson. As reported in the August 30 edition of The Nugget (“City and schools Reach compromise”), a tour of all three school campuses was scheduled after the District’s removal of large ponderosas in the City’s right-of-way along East Cascade Avenue in front of the elementary school. The City has author- ity over trees in public rights-of-way. Permission f o r r e m o v a l s h o u l d have been sought by the District. The tour visited all loca- tions where trees were slated for removal, with Galecki and Vitelle explaining their differing rationale for which trees should be removed and which saved. Galecki took a much more conservative approach, leaving more juni- per trees in place and more trees overall. Following the tour, a UFB meeting of all the tour attendees was held back at City Hall. Following discus- sion, motions were passed regarding tree removal on each of the three campuses. There appeared to be gen- eral agreement among all parties involved that Vitelle would use a “light thinning approach” of mainly diseased and hazard trees and those in close proximity to paved areas like sidewalks, paths, and parking lots. The most attention was focused on the area in front of the middle school, between the parking lot and Highway 242. Vitelle had marked all junipers for removal and the UFB and Galecki thought that was too aggressive. Calling it a “dual entry” approach, Vitelle would do a light treatment first, leaving those junipers not in close proximity to healthy ponder- osas, especially over toward the property line with the Sisters Community Church. UFB chairman Dave Moyer said, “Leave junipers that have space around them. They aren’t going to hurt anything.” Vitelle said that he would leave some of the junipers. There are currently two left standing toward the front of the middle school property. The result was a “gentle- men’s agreement” with no clear, measurable standards — and now there is disagree- ment as to whether the thin- ning was done according to the agreement. See TREE REMOVAL on page 19
