Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 2019)
14 Wednesday, September 11, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Feeding hungry cyclists... Eagle Creek Trail to reopen PORTLAND (AP) 4 Two years after a fire consumed trails and forests in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, the popular Eagle Creek Trail is in the final phases of reopen- ing to the public. The 13-mile (21-kilo- meter) trail could open as early as this fall or as late as next summer, depend- ing on weather and assess- ments from forest officials, Stan Hinatsu, recreation staff officer with the U.S. Forest Service in the Columbia Gorge, told The Oregonian. Crews still need to install replacements for two bridges that were destroyed in the fire, and those materials could be airlifted to the trail in late September. Once that9s complete, officials will need to determine whether to open the trail right away or wait until weather improves next summer, Hinatsu said. <Do we think it will be ready to open then? That9s something we9ll have to sort through and make a call,= he said. <There9s no guar- antee that it will actually open when the bridges are installed.= The region is known for seasonal landslides and rockfalls, which means the trail work already completed could be damaged by a par- ticularly wet season. If offi- cials don9t feel comfortable opening the trail this fall, it could be opened next spring or summer, depending on if the winter weather caused any damage. The hiking trail is known for its views of several water- falls, including Punchbowl Falls and Tunnel Falls. The fire that forced the trail closure started on Sept. 2, 2017, after a teenager tossed fireworks into a can- yon along the trial. The boy was eventually ordered by the court to pay over $36 million in restitution and to work more than 1,900 hours of community service. He also was ordered to serve five years of probation. The trail is now a mosaic of severe burns and untouched forest, Roberta Cobb, a crew lead with the Pacific Crest Trail Association, said. Cobb has been working with the Forest Service on restoring the trail. <The biggest thing that everyone should know is that it is lush regrowth happen- ing,= Cobb said. <There9s still a lot of green trees, there9s a lot of ferns coming back, and there9s a lot of spots that haven9t been touched at all.= Of course, there are plenty of burned trees as well, she said. Though it can be dis- heartening to see the charred trunks, the fresh growth is a sign that the forest is recov- ering, Cobb said. <I would say that it9s a lot more hopeful than it used to be,= she said. <Some of the trails are in better shape now than they were before the fire, just because we9ve had a chance to get in there and work on them.= Electronic court records in Sisters The Deschutes County Access to Justice Committee, Deschutes Public Library, and Oregon Judicial Department are extending their pilot proj- ect allowing access to elec- tronic state court records to Sisters Library. The Oregon Judicial Case Information Network (OJCIN) is now available at Redmond, La Pine, Sisters and Sunriver libraries. The pilot project, which launched at Redmond Library in March, makes OJCIN accessible for free on public Internet computers. OJCIN OnLine includes the Oregon eCourt Case Information Network (OECI). It is a valuable resource for court case information from all 36 of Oregon9s circuit courts, the Oregon Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Tax Court. It allows people to search for civil, small claims, tax, domestic and criminal (including misdemeanor and felony) cases. <While there are sound legal and policy reasons for not publishing case file docu- ments directly to the Internet, in a large, rural county such as Deschutes County, it makes sense for people with a need for this information to have access closer to home, rather than having to drive 30 miles or more to get to the county courthouse in Bend,= said Jeff Hall, trial court administrator for the Deschutes County Circuit Court. Case file documents are available electronically for most cases filed after January 1, 2015. Documents can be printed through the library9s print system, but certified copies can only be acquired at the courthouse. Some cases are confidential and protected statutorily and therefore not available to the public, including juvenile cases and protective orders. PHOTO BY PATTI JO BEAL Sisters Kiwanis set up a feeding station for Cycle Oregon riders who swung by Sisters on Monday. Boys soccer falls in season opener By Rongi Yost Correspondent The Outlaws opened their pre-league season with an 8-1 loss to Madras on Tuesday, September 3. The White Buffaloes are a highly skilled team with depth, skill, and speed, and the young Outlaw squad had a rough time keeping up. Sisters scored their lone goal midway through the sec- ond half when Aidan Eckert won the ball in the midfield and had a great through-ball to a speedy Ricky Huffman, who9s shot rang true. Coach Jeff Husmann noted that although Sisters suffered the loss there were many positives for the young Outlaws. <Commendable perfor- mances include Connor Martin and Nathaniel Alvarez splitting the goal-keeping duties,= said Husmann. Ethan Eckert had a very solid game as the holding midfielder, and Nate Pittman played a solid game and is gaining more confidence in his defending duties. Simon Rhett had an excellent performance as cen- tral defender.= The Outlaws are a young team, with only one senior, and Coach Husmann has been impressed with the work ethic and positive outlook the team brings. Two days later Sisters was scheduled to play Marist but the contest was canceled due to weather, and has not been rescheduled. Sisters was to play Newport at home on Tuesday, September 10. They will travel to Cascade on Thursday. SISTERS LANDSCAPE CO. ALL PHASE LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE NOW TO HAVE YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM WINTERIZED & BLOWN OUT G R EAT CO F F E E G R E AT C CAU A U SE Call us for any and all of your landscaping needs Free consultation & estimates Servicing Sisters & Black Butte Ranch since 1995 Live Life Better! 55 & Over • Pets warmly welcomed • Independent living Chef-prepared meals included • Transportation services No long-term commitment Come For Learn more: Free gift & chef-created lunch A Tour And for you and your family when you mention this ad. Free Lunch! Entirely & wholeheartedly humanitarian-based. Now available in Sisters at MELVIN’S 541-318-0450 | 1460 NE 27th Street, Bend | stonelodgeretirement.com tomers s u c w e N lcome! we for 2020! Plan now 541-549-3001 sisterslandscape@gmail.com Lic. & Bonded LCB #6708