Wednesday, December 30, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 5 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW The proposed development includes up to 28,000 square feet of commercial build- ing area, up to 28,000 square feet of ground-floor multi- family building area, a pub- lic street, and associated site improvements. Chamber, City negotiate future marketing funding PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT A bonfire lit up the slopes during Hoodoo’s annual celebration of the spirit of winter. Winter Carnival celebrates season Hoodoo9s premiere annual event kicked off on Saturday, February 8, amid winter9s fury, but that didn9t deter crowds. Festivities began at 9 a.m. where families participated in a number of activities ranging from face-painting, pie-eating contests, axe throwing, tub- ing, and the famous Dummy Downhill contest. For those seeking the plea- sures of the mountain, skiers and boarders enjoyed a fresh powder day after the previ- ous night9s and early morning snowfall. Jean Wells Keenan honored with award Jean Wells Keenan is renowned in Sisters as an art- ist, a quilter, an entrepreneur and savvy businesswoman 4 and the founder of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS). At heart, she is a teacher and mentor, wife, mother and grandmother. Last Wednesday night, she added the title Recipient of the Eighth Annual Ben Westlund Memorial Award. Jean believes that 8If you can dream it, you can do it.9 Jean9s leadership has inspired the SOQS to expand its vision from a local event to an inter- national attraction. An author of 30 books, Jean is widely recognized in this country and around the world. Shooting is major forest recreation activity Recreational target shoot- ing is an increasingly popu- lar activity on the Deschutes National Forest. That popular- ity has an impact on local resi- dents who are not happy hear- ing frequent gunfire. Shooting is allowed across the Sisters Ranger District, except within 150 yards of residences or developed camp- grounds and across roads. The Forest Service does not main- tain shooting ranges or even recommend specific shooting areas 4 but it has identified numerous areas as suitable for safe, responsible shooting. A good backstop is the top criteria for a safe shooting environment, District Ranger Ian Reid told The Nugget. New Sisters development can move forward The road is cleared for development of a six-acre parcel of land located behind Bi-Mart at the west end of Sisters, though such devel- opment has raised concerns among local residents about the impact on Sisters9 character and quality of life. With a unanimous vote of 5-0 following a public hear- ing last Thursday, February 20, the Sisters Planning Commission approved the 5.911-acre Master Planned Development (MPD) for the proposed Threewind project. Two commissioners were not in attendance. City of Sisters and Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce are plotting a course into the future for marketing Sisters as a tourist destination. The contract between the City and the Chamber is expir- ing June 30, 2020. Negotiations have begun to craft a new visi- tor information and marketing contract with the Chamber serving as the destination mar- keting organization (DMO) and Sisters Country Visitors Bureau. Limited wilderness entry starts this spring Beginning this May, the Deschutes and Willamette national forests will imple- ment the limited-entry permit system for day and overnight use in the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wildernesses. Permits will be available at www.Recreation. gov beginning April 7. Outlaws swimmer is state champion Senior Lydia Bartlett capped a stellar high school career in her final event at the OSAA 4A/3A/2A/1A state swimming championships in record-breaking fashion. Bartlett led wire-to-wire in the 500-yard freestyle and set a new 4A/3A/2A/1A state meet record in the process with a time of 4:58.58, breaking the previous record of 4:59.12 set in 2015 by Lucie Davis of Sweet Home. Making the effort even more impressive is that Bartlett was never challenged and won by nearly 22 seconds. Attendance in focus for Sisters students Sisters School District is implementing an initiative called