Articles written by Bill Bartlett
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 414
Sisters plows through much of snow budget
Public Works Director Paul Bertagna will be happy when spring arrives. Nearly all of Sisters was under a blanket of snow for 10 weeks. Bertagna and his crews have found themselves at all... — Updated 3/12/2024 Full story
Snow-trackers find Sisters playground
What a difference a few weeks make. Ski Hoodoo waited until January to open for lack of snow. Now they are sitting atop 80 inches plus, with more coming in. At the nearby Sno Parks, and... — Updated 3/12/2024 Full story
Managing the forest in deep snow
What does the Sisters Ranger District do when the ground is buried under five to 10 feet of snow, or the roads are closed? They do much of the same work they do any other time of the year.... — Updated 3/12/2024 Full story
Home sales regaining life
A comparison of homes sold in Sisters Country the last two months compared to 2023, shows change in the direction of the market. In January median and average prices came into near parity at... — Updated 3/5/2024 Full story
Watching the meter spin
By now you will have received your first electric bill of the year, the one with the 5–7 percent rate increase announced by CEC (Central Electric Cooperative) at the end of last year. That... — Updated 3/5/2024 Full story
Sisters Country rancher seeks compensation for wolf depredation
Long Hollow Ranch sits on 12,000 acres across two counties. Its main entrance is on Holmes Road in the heart of Sisters Country. The most visible part of the operation is its wedding and... — Updated 3/5/2024 Full story
Rumble on the Runway in jeopardy
The annual July 4th fly-in, car show, and drag-racing event at Sisters Eagle Airport, known as Rumble On The Runway, is in danger of disappearing from the Sisters event scene, a victim of... — Updated 3/5/2024 Full story
Making the call to cancel school
Sisters School District #6 canceled school last Thursday and Friday due to weather, the first back to back closures since "snowmageddon" - the crushing snow event in 2016-2017. Even with a br... — Updated 2/20/2024 Full story
Drones buzzing Sisters Country
A local resident recently raised concerns about drone traffic over private property - and what the law allows. She told The Nugget that she has "repeatedly seen drones (daytime and... — Updated 2/20/2024 Full story
Library re-opens after serious damage
The Sisters Library re-opened last week after a month-long closure following extensive water damage from a broken pipe. The children’s area and the community meeting rooms remain out of... — Updated 2/13/2024 Full story
How to engage City in code compliance
Readers often ask The Nugget either how to get something done at City Hall or simply register a thought about various and sundry things. We usually suggest taking issues directly to City of... — Updated 2/13/2024 Full story
Conservationists react to wolf plan
Recently the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced its findings for gray wolves in the Western United States, and its launch of a national "path to support a long term and... — Updated 2/13/2024 Full story
County declares fentanyl emergency
Deschutes County declared a state of emergency February 7 over the growing fentanyl crisis in Central Oregon that is following the statewide trend of lethal drug overdoses and associated... — Updated 2/13/2024 Full story
Community invited to pancake supper
Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent in much of the Christian world, fall on the same day this year. Valentine’s Day is always February 14 regardless of the day and Ash... — Updated 2/6/2024 Full story
Tesla leaves mark on Sisters
Within weeks Tesla will have seven of its Superchargers operational at Three Wind Shopping Center on North Arrowleaf Trail at the north end of the parking lot. Incorporating its Magic Dock... — Updated 2/6/2024 Full story
Historic Conklin Guest House may have a future
It all began in 1911 as a schoolhouse followed by a stint as the Hitchcock family residence and later to be occupied by the Barclay family. The old white house just north of East Barclay... — Updated 2/6/2024 Full story
Sisters' vulnerability to cyber threat
In testimony to Congress last week - described as chilling - FBI Director Christopher Wray said that China's hackers are targeting American critical infrastructure, including water treatment... — Updated 2/6/2024 Full story
Ice hampers pedestrians, drivers
It's been a rough couple of weeks with the snow, rain on snow, and icing cycles that have befallen Sisters Country folk needing to get about. Getting to work, school, the grocery store, or... — Updated 1/30/2024 Full story
Snow, rain make small impression on key tables
While every drop off water and every inch of snow is critical for our summer needs, recent snows and rain have barely budged the critical SWE (snow water equivalent) readings at the Three... — Updated 1/30/2024 Full story
City to introduce speed tables to slow traffic
Traffic-calming devices will be installed on West McKinney Butte Road between North Trinity Way and the new Sisters Elementary School. Cities employ a number of barriers to reduce speed:... — Updated 1/30/2024 Full story
Art installation moved for roundabout
Drivers leaving and entering Sisters Friday afternoon at the east gateway were momentarily stunned to see some 200 feet of art removed from the fence at the Sisters Elementary School. The... — Updated 1/30/2024 Full story
Storms create troubles, trials in Sisters
The snow that dumped on Sisters Country ranging from 18 to 30-plus inches was challenging enough, especially as it was accompanied by bitter cold and hazardous winds. When the snow subsided,... — Updated 1/23/2024 Full story
Commuters navigate roundabouts
Now that the four new roundabouts on Highway 20 between Sisters and Bend have been completed and are in full use, numerous regular users tell of their frustration experienced when drivers... — Updated 1/23/2024 Full story
New leadership at Sisters church
Following a lengthy search process, Reverend Liliana Stahlberg has been called to fill the position of Rector at the Episcopal Church of The Transfiguration in Sisters. She will begin her... — Updated 1/23/2024 Full story
Getting Sisters into code compliance
In April of 2022, the City of Sisters hired its first ever code compliance officer whose job is fairly straight forward - obtain compliance of the municipal and development codes. This... — Updated 1/23/2024 Full story