Wednesday, October 10, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Metolius fishing pond
closes for winter
Metolius Pond, which is
open to fishing for youth and
disabled anglers only, will be
closed to public entry from
now until May 1, 2019.
The pond on ODFW
property in Camp Sherman
opened this summer and was
last stocked with trout on
Labor Day. It will be stocked
again in time for the May 1
opening next year.
“The pond has been a
great success the last few
months, with many families
visiting and children catch-
ing their first fish,” said
Jen Luke, ODFW STEP
biologist in the Deschutes
Watershed.
Local residents in
the community of Camp
Sherman had expressed con-
cerns about the new fishing
destination increasing traffic
and causing a nuisance dur-
ing the planning process for
the pond. The winter closure
will help avoid any nuisance
problems, at a time when
fishing opportunities will be
limited anyway due to cold
temperatures and lack of trout
stocking.
PHOTO BY RON THORKILDSON
Snow-starved mountains get their first taste of winter.
Will winter restore snowpack?
By Ron Thorkildson
Project creating a
roadmap into future
would like to be in the long-
term future — 15 to 20
years from now. That vision
and the strategies identi-
fied to support it were pre-
sented to the community at
the Vision Summit held on
October 4.
A 32-member Vision
Action Team (VAT) has been
assembled, reflective of the
wider community, charged
with developing a five-year
action plan to give legs to
the top strategies identified
in the visioning process. The
members have interest or
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
After months of online
surveys, community forums
and small gatherings, com-
munity leader interviews, a
variety of presentations to
community groups, and a
values and visioning quilt
project, the draft vision has
been crafted. The vision
reflects the results of all the
data and community input
gathered.
The vision represents the
community’s preferred des-
tination, the shared image
of where the community
See FUTURE on page 29
Correspondent
After a hot, dry, and
smoky summer here in
Central Oregon, autumn
finally arrived at 6:54 p.m.
PDT on Saturday, September
22, bringing with it the pros-
pect of cooler temperatures
and cleaner air as firefighters
continue to battle the numer-
ous wildfires still burning in
the western U.S.
While summers here in the
Pacific Northwest are nor-
mally warm and dry, condi-
tions this year have bordered
on the extreme.
For the five-month period
May through September, both
Sisters and Bend totaled just
over a third of their normal
precipitation. Neither sta-
tion recorded any rain in July
and September. Redmond
received about half of its
normal moisture.
And the period May
through August here in
Sisters was very warm. The
maximum daily tempera-
tures in May averaged more
than 6 degrees F above nor-
mal. Although no rain fell
in September, temperatures
dipped below normal levels.
The prolonged spell of dry
weather was primarily the
result of a persistent quasi-
stationary bubble of very
warm air aloft that circulated
over the western states. In
the northern hemisphere, the
clockwise rotation of an upper
level ridge causes air to sink,
promoting further warming
and drying. Because these
conditions were so wide-
spread, nearly every west-
ern state, including British
Columbia and Alberta in
Canada, were forced to deal
with multiple wildfires, some
of them severe.
In Central Oregon, current
water resources are a bit of a
mixed bag. According to the
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation,
Wickiup reservoir near La
Pine is nearly empty, standing
at just one percent of capacity
on October 2.
“We haven’t seen this level
in Wickiup Reservoir in about
50 years,” said Deschutes
Basin Watermaster Jeremy
Giffin. The Ochoco Reservoir
east of Prineville is 13 per-
cent full, while the Prineville
Reservoir is fairing somewhat
better at 39 percent of capac-
ity. Crane Prairie and Crescent
Lake are more than half full.
The wide disparity in water
levels at these sites has more
to do with how the resource is
managed and less to do with
the amount of moisture each
See WEATHER on page 30
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR
BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS
Al-Anon Mon., noon, Shepherd of the
Hills Lutheran Church / Wed., 6 p.m.,
Episcopal Church of the Transfi guration.
541-549-8737 or 541-549-1527.
Alateen Thursday, 7 p.m., Episcopal
Church of the Transfi guration.
541-549-1527.
Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs. &
Sun., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the
Transfi guration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal
Church of the Transfi guration / Mon.,
5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon,
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church /
Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m.,
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church /
Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs.,
noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri.,
noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church. 541-548-0440.
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver
Support Group 1st Tuesday, 11 a.m.,
Sisters City Hall. 800-272-3900.
Black Butte Ranch Bridge Club
Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m., BBR community
room. Partner required. 541-595-6236.
Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild
For Saturday meeting dates and
location, email: steelefl y@msn.com.
Central OR Spinners and Weavers
Guild One Saturday per month, Jan.
thru Oct. For schedule: 541-639-3217.
Council on Aging of Central Oregon
Senior Lunch Tuesdays, noon, Sisters
Community Church. 541-480-1843.
East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th
Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’
Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061.
Friends of the Sisters Library Board
of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 11 a.m.,
Sisters Library.www.sistersfol.com.
Go Fish Fishing Group 2nd Monday,
7 p.m. Sisters Community Church. All
ages welcome. 541-771-2211.
Heartwarmers (fl eece blanketmakers)
1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Sisters City
Hall. Materials provided. 541-408-8505.
Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to
4 p.m. 541-549-1028 or 541-719-1230.
Military Parents of Sisters Meetings
are held quarterly; please call for details.
541-388-9013.
Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters
Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.,
Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-408-5594.
SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings
& Enrichment) Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.
to 4 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation
District. 541-549-2091.
Sisters Family Aglow Lighthouse
4th Saturday, 10 a.m., Ponderosa Lodge
Meeting Room. 503-930-6158.
Sisters Area Photography Club
2nd Wednesday, 4 p.m., Sisters Library
community room. 541-549-6157.
Sisters Area Woodworkers
1st Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-639-6216.
Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd
Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846.
Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays,
12:30 p.m., The Pines Clubhouse.
Novices welcomed. 541-549-9419.
Sisters Caregiver Support Group
3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., Shepherd of the
Hills Lutheran Church. 541-771-3258.
Sisters Cribbage Club Wednesdays,
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ray’s Food Place
community room. 541-923-1632.
Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board
of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Location information: 541-549-1193.
Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to
8:30 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at
Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870.
Sisters Meditation Group Mondays,
5:30 p.m., Tuesdays, 4 p.m. 420 N
Tamarack St. Text only (no voice) to
541-207-7266.
Sisters Parent Teacher Community
2nd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at Sisters
Saloon. 541-480-5994.
Sisters Parkinson’s Support Group
2nd Tuesday, 1 p.m., Sisters Community
Church. 907-687-8101 or 541-668-6599.
Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday.
Location information: 541-279-1977.
Sisters Rotary Tuesdays, noon,
Aspen Lakes Lodge. 541-760-5645.
Sisters Trails Alliance Board
1st Wednesday, 5 p.m. Sisters Art
Works. Public welcome. 541-719-8822.
Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon,
Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123.
Three Sisters Irrigation District
Board of Directors 1st Tuesday,
4 p.m., TSID Offi ce. 541-549-8815.
Three Sisters Lions Club 1st
Thursday, noon, Ray’s Food Place
community room. 541-419-1279.
VFW Post 8138 and American Legion
Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.,
Sisters City Hall. 541-903-1123.
Weight Watchers
Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. weigh-in, Sisters
Community Church. 541-602-2654.
SCHOOLS
Black Butte School Board of
Directors 2nd Tuesday, 5 p.m.,
Black Butte School. 541-595-6203.
Sisters Christian Academy Board
of Directors 2nd Thursday, 8 a.m.,
RE/MAX offi ce. 541-549-4133.
Sisters School District Board of
Directors One Wed. monthly, SSD
Admin Bldg. See schedule online at
www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.
CITY & PARKS
Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th
Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall.
541-549-6022.
Sisters Park & Recreation District
Board of Directors 2nd & 4th Tuesdays,
5:30 p.m., SPRD bldg. 541-549-2091.
Sisters Planning Commission
3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters
City Hall. 541-549-6022.
FIRE & POLICE
Black Butte Ranch Police Dept.
Board of Directors Meets monthly.
541-595-2191 for time & date.
Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of
Directors 4th Thursday, 9 a.m., Black
Butte Ranch Fire Station. 541-595-2288.
Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors
3rd Wed., 7 p.m., 67433 Cloverdale Rd.
541-548-4815. cloverdalefi re.com.
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD
Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday,
5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771.
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills
Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall,
301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771.
This listing is for regular
Sisters Country meetings;
email information to
lisa@nuggetnews.com