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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2017)
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 2017 was a year of fire, smoke and snow By Jim Cornelius Editor Mother Nature kicked Sisters Country around pretty hard in 2017. The year started in the midst of a winter of deep snows and frigid tempera- tures, with many residents dealing with damage from ice dams, water intrusion and broken pipes. Sisters schools were forced to close repeat- edly due to snow and cold conditions. In the face of the frigid conditions, volunteers opened a cold weather shelter for homeless people, which is now in its second winter of operation. The winter that persisted into March was replaced by a particularly nasty fire sea- son. Sisters, along with much of the Pacific Northwest, was inundated, starting at the beginning of August with smoke from wildfires in British Columbia. Then we got hit with fires of our own. The biggest of these, the Milli Fire, was sparked by lightning on Black Crater on Friday, August 11. It blew up to ultimately cover more than 24,000 acres. The blaze forced evacua- tions in Crossroads and along Forest Road 16 south of town, PHOTO BY GARY MILLER The Milli Fire had tremendous impact on Sisters — economically and also in terms of people’s health. but by far the biggest impact on the community was the persistent, heavy smoke — from the Milli Fire and from a host of other fires across the region — that inundated Sisters for weeks, produc- ing unhealthy air quality and visibility levels resembling a London fog. The conditions had a seri- ous impact on the local tour- ist economy, and forced the cancellation of events from Cycle Oregon to Sisters Folk Festival. PHOTO BY MARLENE LEE MCCORMACK The winter of 2016-17 was the Big Story at the beginning of the year. New Year’s Eve Dinner Come and share a delightful meal with your family, and let us do all the work! Chicken Apple Slider Smoked SGlmon CGke Gnd Filet Mignon with Spicy CGyenne Demi GlGze PineGpple Cole SlGw RoGsted GGrlic PGrmesGn MGshed PotGtoes Brownie Trifl e Dinner will be served at 6 p.m. | $33 Kids 4 and under eat - ee, kids 5212 are $15 Th is does sell out, make your reservations now... Call 541.516.3030 | www.lakecreeklodge.com Possibly due to fire condi- tions, the expected massive influx of visitors to view a total solar eclipse on August 21 did not materialize. In fact, Sisters was very quiet for the eerie event. While the year was domi- nated by weather and fire phe- nomena, there were plenty of human achievements to cel- ebrate in the community. The Sisters Outlaws volleyball team repeated as state cham- pions, and individual Sisters artists, authors, and athletes continued to excel in a wide variety of endeavors. New leaders emerged in the community. Chuck Ryan was appointed mayor by his fellow city councilors, and that council hired Brant Kucera as Sisters’ new city manager. Sisters District Ranger Kristie Miller retired, and Ian Reid was named last month the new Sisters District Ranger. Other changes were afoot, as Kiki Dolson sold The Nugget Newspaper after 34 years of ownership. Longtime newspapermen Tom and Louie Mullen are the new owners, and the staff remains intact. Sisters marked the pass- ing of two of its leading lights in Dorro Sokol and Georgia Gallagher, who both passed on in 2017 after lives full of accomplishment and honors — and significant impact on the community of Sisters that was their home. Travelers and locals have adapted to navigating Sisters’ new roundabout at Highway 20 and Barclay Drive — one of the first roundabouts to be sited on a state highway in Oregon. Planners are looking ahead to another at the east end of town, as traffic only continues to increase through Sisters. The Sisters School District continues to work to increase enrollment as it completes multiple projects funded by a bond passed in 2016. Through what was a chal- lenging and difficult year in many respects, Sisters remains a beloved place to visit for thousands of people — and it remains home to an active, giving and resilient community. Smile, Sisters! We’re committed to your dental health! Exceptional Health, Prevention & Aesthetics Ben Crockett, D.D.S. p 541-549-9486 f 541-549-9110 410 E. Cascade Ave. • P.O. Box 1027 • Sisters, Oregon 97759 Hours: Mon., 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Tues.-Wed., 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thurs., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 17
