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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 29, 2020)
Wednesday, July 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Fire near Tollgate... PHOTO BY JEFF OMODT Walking his dog in the woods near Tollgate on July 24, Sisters resident Jeff Omodt came upon a fire. He called it in to 911 and a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the scene, along with Sisters firefighters and firefighters from the Oregon Department of Forestry. The fire was contained at about an acre. New Peterson Ridge trailhead to open This We d n e s d a y, the Deschutes National Forest, City of Sisters, the Recreational Trails Program and Sisters Trails Alliance will celebrate the opening of a new trailhead to access the popular Peterson Ridge Trail System with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The ribbon cutting will be done the morning of July 29, with a small group of invitees due to COVID-19. Following the ceremony, the trailhead, located just east of Forest Road 16 near the existing trail access point at the intersection of Tyee Drive and Forest Road 16, will be open to the public. The old trailhead will be decommissioned, and users will need to use the new trailhead. The trailhead will pro- vide restroom facilities and a parking area for 25 cars. A new Forest Service trail connects the new trail- head to existing Peterson Ridge trails to the east and west. In coordination with the Forest Service, Sisters Trail Alliance is donat- ing an informational kiosk to be installed at the trail- head later this year to help visitors. <The City of Sisters is extremely pleased to have the new Peterson Ridge trail- head opening this July. This trail system is world class and is a very important part of what Sisters offers regard- ing outdoor activities for our Sisters Country residents, neighboring communities, and tourists. Our local busi- nesses also understand the strong connection between having this outdoor rec- reation capacity and the business that it brings to our downtown corridor,= said Chuck Ryan, mayor of Sisters. The Peterson Ridge Trail is one of the most heav- ily used trail systems in the Sisters area. The trails are easily accessible from the town of Sisters and offer multiple loop options. <The Peterson trail sys- tem has grown in usage and the new trailhead will pro- vide much-needed parking capacity and alleviate con- gestion in nearby neighbor- hoods,= said Mayor Ryan. <This trailhead, along with the recent Whychus Creek Overlook trail enhancement, are simply outdoor gems for our community espe- cially in these challenging times.= <We are so fortunate to have these relationships with the City of Sisters, Sisters Trails Alliance, the Recreational Trails Program and local contractors to col- laboratively help us meet the needs of local residents and visitors,= said Sara Baughman, recreation team leader for the Sisters Ranger District. The new Peterson Ridge trailhead was funded through the Recreational Trails Program, a Federal Highway Administration program administered by Oregon State Parks and Recreation, which funds the development and mainte- nance of recreational trails and facilities. 5