Articles written by Bill Bartlett
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 421
Candidates seek to serve Sisters
The primary election is May 21 and ballots will be mailed May 1. There are only two races. One for County Commissioner Position #2, and the other for Deschutes County Sheriff. Both are... — Updated 3/26/2024 Full story
Habitat for Humanity hunts for land
As it seeks to add workforce housing to its primary mission of affordable housing, Sisters Habitat for Humanity is eagerly awaiting a decision from the State of Oregon for its grant... — Updated 3/26/2024 Full story
Highway 242 work gets underway
In a sure sign of spring, "Construction Ahead" signs are popping up around Sisters Country. One that is likely pleasing to area residents is the improvement project to the popular and... — Updated 3/26/2024 Full story
Sunshine Club brings brightness to Lodge
Amy Guthrie's Sunshine Club, consisting of 17 Sisters Elementary School fifth-graders, were on hand at The Lodge in Sisters last Wednesday evening as part of their regular holiday visits.... — Updated 3/26/2024 Full story
Sisters merchants form new alliance
A group of businesses, mostly but not exclusively centered downtown, has launched a new Sisters Business Association (SBA). The group, some two dozen in number, was the inspiration of... — Updated 3/26/2024 Full story
Airport drops holiday attraction
After conferring with its attorneys and insurance advisor, Sisters Eagle Airport has decided against continuing its annual July 4th event known as Rumble on the Runway. As The Nugget... — Updated 3/26/2024 Full story
Sisters Ranger District increases staff
Over the past several months the Sisters District of the Deschutes National Forest has seen its head count grow from 80 to 114. It’s part of a larger national effort for the agency which h... — Updated 3/19/2024 Full story
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 w... — 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 c... — 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 durable... — 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 Wed... — 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
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