The Nugget Vol. XLIII No. 39 www.NuggetNews.com P OSTAL CUSTOMER News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15 Wednesday, September 23, 2020 Sisters got a reprieve from smoky conditions History museum is open to the public By Sue Stafford Correspondent and rain is in the forecast for Wednesday night, with showers persisting through Friday. The impact from the mas- sive, destructive wildfires on the west side of the Cascades will be felt for some time. Both Highway 22 and Highway 126 are expected Those who settled Sisters were a hardy bunch who over- came many obstacles to cre- ate lives for themselves and their families here in Central Oregon. The same could be said for the board of directors and volunteers at the Sisters History Museum who, amidst a pandemic and hazardous smoke conditions, persevered to offer a soft opening of the new museum on the corner of North Larch and East Cascade Avenue last week. They sent out notices to their members and welcomed anyone who happened to stop by, of which there were several descendants of early Sisters families who just hap- pened to be in town. <We are very pleased with the reception from the public so far, as well as recent visitors with roots in the past,= said Karen Swank, board member. The museum is now open to the public with winter hours: Fridays and Saturdays See CLOSURES on page 9 See MUSEUM on page 22 PHOTO BY STEPHANIE CONNOR Sisters got a welcome break from hazardous smoke conditions last weekend — including the hopeful sign of a symbolic rainbow. Rainfall across much of Sisters Country helped to scour away smoke for the first time in many days last Friday, and Sisters enjoyed a couple of days of good air quality. The return of blue skies and breathable air was wel- comed by local folks, who took advantage of the change to get out for walks and bike rides that had been impos- sible while air quality across the region was so hazardous that it ranked worst in the United States. The smoke impact from fires across the western United States is not over, however. While rainfall helped firefighters make progress against wildfires that have burned a million City snapshot — new planner hired By Sue Stafford Correspondent " The City of Sisters has announced the hiring of Scott Woodford as the new community development director. Woodford comes to Sisters after seven years in Redmond as their senior planner. He has more than 20 years of land-use plan- ning work and management of complex projects, includ- ing experience working in Colorado resort communi- ties tackling unique issues they contend with, such as retention of community char- acter, affordable housing, Inside... traffic, lodging and manag- ing growth 4 issues familiar to Sisters. Woodford9s first major project as director is an update to the Comprehensive Plan that will begin this fall. His first day on the job was Monday, September 21. He can be reached at swoodford@co.sisters.or.us. " The City Hall ballot col- lection box next to the door will be open to accept bal- lots from October 14 through election day, November 3. Each day, the ballots depos- ited in the box are transferred See CITY on page 21 acres in Oregon and mil- lions more in California, Washington, and other west- ern states, fires continue to burn. By late Sunday, a smoky haze had crept back into Sisters Country and on Monday air quality was rated unhealthy for sensitive groups. Conditions are expected to improve through the week, Protecting conservation area By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent Sisters residents new and old may be unaware of the Trout Creek Conservation Area (TCCA), a special parcel of land adjacent to Tollgate and Sisters High School, which is owned and overseen by Sisters School District in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and the Deschutes Land Trust. The TCCA encompasses 160 acres of juniper and pine forest directly behind the athletic fields at Sisters High School (SHS), a con- servation easement that was formally established in 2003. The acreage pro- vides a venue for hands-on PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG The Trout Creek Conservation Area is biologically sensitive and valuable for education. It is off limits to vehicles. fieldwork for SHS students and is home to a variety of plant and animal species, according to SHS biology teacher Rima Givot. Recent incidents and See TROUT CREEK on page 8 Letters/Weather ............... 2 Artists Studio Tour ............ 5 Fit for Sisters .................... 8 Entertainment ................. 11 Classifieds .................. 19-21 Meetings .......................... 3 Obituaries .........................7 Announcements ...............10 Crossword .......................18 Real Estate ................ 22-24