The Nugget
Vol. XLIV No. 42
P OSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion
from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Autumn magnificence...
Elementary
school
plans on
schedule
Forest
restoration
plans in
the works
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
According to the latest
timeline published by the
Sisters School District, the
new elementary school build-
ing will be completed for the
opening of the 2023-24 school
year.
Last May, voters approved
a $33.8 million bond for the
construction of the new school
and other district projects.
The current elementary
school is pressed to capac-
ity, and remodeling the facil-
ity was not a viable option,
according to Superintendent
Curt Scholl. Additionally,
PHOTO BY CAROL STATTON
The Metolius River put on its fall colors in an annual reminder of why this place is special to everyone
who lives and visits Sisters Country.
See SCHOOL on page 9
Correspondent
Visitors enjoy Sisters, but
several key areas 4 traffic,
and the availability of din-
ing options and overnight
accommodations 4 could be
improved.
Those are conclusions
drawn from a series of sur-
veys conducted in order to
create data for the destina-
tion tourism management
work going on in the City of
Sisters (see related story on
page 15).
ECONorthwest of Bend
conducted surveys for Sisters
from August 12 to September
8, via emails and social
media, to people who had
previously visited Sisters.
Lists came from Creekside
Campground, Sisters Folk
Festival, Sisters Outdoor
Quilt Show, and other public
events. They also conducted
in-person tourist surveys
from Friday, August 13 to
Monday, August 16.
The intercept sites in town
included local restaurants
Inside...
The Sisters Ranger
District released a draft envi-
ronmental assessment of
the Green Ridge Landscape
Restoration Project for a
30-day public comment
period last Friday.
The 25,000-acre project
area is located about nine
miles north of Sisters. The
goal of the project is to pro-
mote ecosystem sustainabil-
ity, resilience, and health
under current and future con-
ditions in the Green Ridge
project area. The assessment
addresses both land and
water issues.
<After significant inter-
disciplinary teamwork
See PLANS on page 21
Tourists satisfied, but
room for improvement
By Sue Stafford
PRE-SORTED STANDARD
ECRWSS
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Sisters, OR
Permit No. 15
and shops, trailheads and
trails, recreation sites, and
Black Butte Ranch and Camp
Sherman. Between both
types of surveys, the largest
number of respondents came
from Oregon (721), fol-
lowed by Washington (171),
California (140), other west-
ern states (90), Midwest (34),
South (26), and East (24).
The data collected
revealed that visitors to
Sisters are in general highly
satisfied with their expe-
rience, but several key
areas could be improved to
enhance visitor experience
and encourage repeat vis-
its. They complained about
the traffic, lack of available
restaurants and accommo-
dations, and affordability.
Distance, cost, crowding, and
other preferred destinations
are among the main reasons
people would choose to not
visit again.
The visitors in the surveys
tend to be older, traveling
without children, on three- or
See TOURISM on page 14
Habitat celebrates home ownership
By Jim Cornelius
Editor In Cheif
Habitat for Humanity
homeowners must always
take a long road toward the
moment when they cut the
ribbon on their new abode.
For Terri Gookin and Patrick
and Diane Yates, who cel-
ebrated the dedication of their
new homes on Bluebird Street
in the ClearPine subdivision
on Friday, October 22, the
road was longer 4 and more
filled with rocks and potholes
4 than most.
Volunteers and families
spent the past two years work-
ing in pandemic conditions,
with growing supply interrup-
tions. Construction Manager
Darleen Snider acknowledged
all the local suppliers who
help provide materials, and
the volunteer <cast of char-
acters it takes to build one of
these houses.= The threat of
COVID-19 reduced that cast
of characters from around 20
to <six hardcore guys who
have finished these houses.=
Snider said that <With
COVID, it has become a defi-
nite challenge.=
But Habitat for Humanity
PHOTO BY ANGELA LUND
Terri Gookin cut the ribbon on her new townhome on Friday, October 22.
is accustomed to challenges.
Its entire model 4 securing
land, building with volunteers
and often donated materi-
als, with the <sweat equity=
of homeowners poured in
and a zero-interest mortgage
to make it all viable 4 is a
challenge.
Sisters Habitat for
Humanity Executive Director
Sharlene Weed acknowledged
this in her remarks at Friday9s
dedication ceremony.
<It9s truly a miracle,= she
said. <These houses are a
miracle. These houses are
impossible.=
And yet, there they were,
newly minted homeowners,
their family partners and a
host of volunteers and com-
munity members, watching
ribbons taped across entry-
ways as they were sliced
through and fluttering to the
See HABITAT on page 23
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Announcements ................ 8 Sisters Salutes ................. 9 Crossword .......................18 Classifieds ................. 20-22
Meetings .......................... 3 Entertainment .................. 9 At Your Service............ 12-13 Sudoku ........................... 20 Real Estate ................ 22-24