The Nugget Vol. XLV No. 18
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Celebrating the arts in Sisters
City approves purchase of East Portal
By Ceili Cornelius Correspondent
The Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) brought the arts community back together in person for a celebration of local artists and a fundraiser for art programs in Sisters schools last weekend. On Friday, April 29, the Community Arts Celebration held at the Sisters Artworks Building celebrated and honored students’ work and kicked off the weekend’s My Own Two Hands (MOTH) auction event. Bidding for the auction items began online on April 22 and went on for a week, ending at the auction party event Saturday evening. Due to the pandemic, the My Own Two Hands auction event was held virtually for two years, but this year, they decided on a hybrid event format — bidding online, with a celebration of the arts in person. This was the first time the My Own Two Hands weekend festivities were held at the Folk Festival’s headquarters building. “It’s special to have the event held at our building this year. Now that we own it, there is no cap on attendance, so we can really reach
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
By Sue Stafford Correspondent
safe manner in person in this space.” The art pieces up for auction were on display throughout art galleries in town as well as inside the Art Works Building on both Friday and Saturday
The East Portal in Sisters is one big step closer to being in City hands. The Sisters City Council and its Urban Renewal Agency (URA) approved a purchase and sale agreement (PSA) with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) last week. The 14.61-acre property is located at 460 West US 20, the eastern terminus of Highway 242, the McKenzie Highway. The parcel of land is bordered by Highway 20 to the northeast, West Hood Avenue to the west, and Highway 242 to the south. All those streets are located on the property by easement comprising approximately 7.5 acres of the total acreage. The remaining acreage consists of parking, restroom facilities, a
See MOTH on page 16
See EAST PORTAL on page 23
PHOTO BY JAROD GATLEY
Youngsters enjoyed hands-on art projects at the My Own Two Hands community celebration on Friday evening. out to the entire community for at the free Friday event,” said SFF Executive Director Crista Munro. Holding the event at the Sisters Art Works building also provided a sense of excitement at being fully back after the pandemic and seeing everyone in person,
without masks. “This is what people need, and it’s great to see everyone’s smiling faces together in this space,” Munro said. “We can really emphasize the connection with SFF, and the schools, and the programs we help facilitate within them, in a
Funding for Cloverdale RFPD in voters’ hands
Senator Merkley visits Circle of Friends
Amid the primary battles for party nominations for positions from Deschutes County Commissioner to Governor on the May 17 ballot is a measure that will affect the safety of residents living in the eastern area of Sisters country covered by the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District. The Fire District is going back to voters to seek funding to provide a sustainable level of 24/7 staffing. The District is seeking a 69-cents-per-$1,000 (assessed valuation) levy to fund 24/7 staffing by fire officers/EMTs. Cloverdale Fire District voters in May 2021 said a vehement “no” to a levy that
Circle of Friends (COF) hosted a special guest on Friday, April 29, as U.S. S e n a t o r J e ff M e r k l e y stopped by to acknowledge the $93,000 federal grant awarded to the nonprofit. Merkley, who has served in the Senate since 2009, spent most of the visit asking staff members and adult mentors about the program and the impact it has on the youth of Sisters. His wife, Mary Sorteberg, and Outreach Director Stacey Jochimsen were also in attendance. At the outset of the gathering, Merkley asked to learn more about the nuts and bolts of the mentoring program operation. Kelly Scholl,
Inside...
carried a tax rate of $1.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Voters rejected it by a 70 percent to 30 percent margin. This time around, the stripped-down request seems to be garnering widespread support, including support from people who opposed the 2021 effort. Some of those who have revised their position for the new measure say that it is financially responsible and retains the District’s autonomy. The District board of directors, staff, and members of the volunteer association worked together over the past months to come See CLOVERDALE on page 20
By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent
PHOTO BY CHARLIE KANZIG
Senator Jeff Merkley visited Sisters Circle of Friends during a visit to the community last week. youth program coordinator for COF answered thoroughly, explaining that mentors, once they have been
through an extensive screening process, spend about an See MERKLEY on page 20
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Sisters Salutes ................. 6 Entertainment .................13 Crossword ...................... 25 Real Estate ................ 29-32 Meetings .......................... 3 Announcements...............12 Fun & Games ................... 24 Classifieds................. 26-28 Roundabout Sisters ........ 30