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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 12, 2021)
The Nugget Vol. XLIV No. 19 P OSTAL CUSTOMER News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon www.NuggetNews.com Wednesday, May 12, 2021 Cattle country... Sisters votes on May 18 Many folks in Sisters have doubtless already turned in their ballots for the May 18 election. If not, it9s probably best to drop off ballots at the secure drop-off in front of Sisters City Hall (520 E. Cascade Ave.). Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted; postmarks do not count. For Sisters Country, the election will decide some sig- nificant issues. Voters in the Cloverdale Fire District will decide whether to approve a five-year local option levy to PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15 Grappling with homeless issues By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT Sisters Country is cattle country, with a number of boutique cattle operations using innovative management techniques that are good for cattle, the land, and humans. See “Roundabout Sisters,” page 6. See ELECTION on page 14 Like communities across the nation, Sisters is grappling with the complex issues sur- rounding homelessness. Because of where it9s situated, Sisters9 homeless population largely camps on public lands in the Deschutes National Forest. Colleen Thomas is Deschutes County9s Homeless Services Coordinator. She and See HOMELESS on page 21 Target is on Sisters poachers Quilt Show planning to move ahead By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief Hunters outraged by wan- ton slaughter of elk want to see poachers in the cross- hairs of the law. The reward for information on a poach- ing case near Sisters has hit $10,000. In early April, the Oregon Hunters Association Bend, Redmond, Capitol, Josephine, and Mid-Columbia chapters, along with several private donors, pooled resources to increase the initial reward amount to $6,500. Additional private donations and an infusion of $1,000 from the OHA State Board last week raised the total to $10,000. Several thousand dollars of the reward was donated to OHA by nonhunters who are equally outraged. OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers located the cow elk carcass on October 30 after a hunter scouting the Dry Canyon area east of Sisters reported it to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line. Troopers then discovered a large bull elk carcass nearby. The bull elk9s head had been removed as a trophy. Although bull elk were in season at the time, it is a crime to leave carcasses to waste. Two days later, on November 1, a hunter Inside... reported the carcass of a one- year-old male spike elk about 40 yards from where the cow had been found. Based on decomposition, all three ani- mals were shot at or near the same time, and certainly the same day according to OSP F&W Senior Trooper Creed Cummings, who processed the scene. OHA Vice President Steve Hagan, who oversees the TIP rewards program for the orga- nization, describes the case as upsetting. <This case has generated outrage in Central Oregon,= he said. <This happened a while back, but we haven9t forgotten about it. Hopefully, this increased reward will help generate leads towards a resolution to this case.= Oregon9s Stop Poaching campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw agrees. <This is a blatant waste of Oregonians9 natural resources,= she said, <Not only have these animals been removed from legal hunting in season, but they have also been removed from chance encounters with hikers, pho- tographers, and others who appreciate the opportunity to experience wildlife. Poachers take from all of us.= The path isn9t com- pletely clear yet, but Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) Executive Director Dawn Boyd reports the outlook is positive for a modified show Saturday, July 10. SOQS has submitted a health and safety plan for the outdoor event, and Boyd said that the City of Sisters has indicated that it is satis- fied with it. The Deschutes County Health Department has to sign off, but that is not expected to be a major hurdle, Boyd told The Nugget. <We9ve had very, very positive feedback on the pro- cess,= Boyd said. <I believe it9s going to be two or three weeks before we get that final stamp of approval, but we9re going to move forward with plans as though we9re going to get that stamp of approval.= Sisters City Manager Cory Misely confirmed that, while the sign-off is in the hands of the County Health Department, the City of Sisters is happy with the Quilt We’re excited. We want it to happen. — Cory Misely PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show is planning to return this July, with a modified event that can meet safety protocols. Show9s plans. <We9re excited,= he said. <We want it to happen.= He also noted that every- one anticipates that the state will be <in a much better place= regarding COVID-19 by July, which contributes to the sense of optimism. While the event isn9t happening for another eight weeks, it takes a lot of time and work to ramp up for the event, even at a modified scale. The organization could not delay a decision on mov- ing ahead any longer. Plans currently call for about 50 percent of the usual amount of quilts to be on dis- play, more widely separated than they ordinarily would be to promote physical distanc- ing. That means there will be some 500 to 600 quilts. There won9t be any on Main Avenue, and a limited num- ber on Cascade Avenue, with most of the show being dis- played on Hood Avenue. <Probably just over half of the quilts will be part of spe- cial exhibits,= Boyd said. The annual educational component of the program, Quilters Affair, will be held virtually this year, as will the international Tentmakers of Cairo special fundrais- ing event on the Wednesday before the show. Boyd noted that virtual See QUILT SHOW on page 23 Letters/Weather ............... 2 Stars over Sisters ............. 4 Entertainment ................. 11 Obituaries .......................15 Classifieds ................. 18-20 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements ...............10 Fun and Games ................12 Crossword ....................... 17 Real Estate .................21-24