The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Riverfest, Central Oregon's annual celebration of the Deschutes River Basin, is set to begin on Friday, May 2. Sponsored by the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, Riverfest events are designed to heighten public interest and broaden understa... — Updated 4/29/2003 Full story

Less than two weeks into the Iraq campaign, war commentators proclaimed that the war was stalled and not going according to plan. Theater Commander Gen. Tommy Franks responded, "We have the power to be patient." By the time the ink dried on... — Updated 4/15/2003 Full story

For the last several years, the Forest Service has devoted considerable resources to wildfire prevention and forest health programs. Sisters has been one of the areas to benefit. According to Jinny Pitman, Fire Prevention Specialist with... — Updated 4/8/2003 Full story

Spring has officially arrived and, with it, the Forest Service is studying its options for the season's prescribed burns. "As soon as conditions allow, we'll start going," said Daryl Davis, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters... — Updated 3/25/2003 Full story

The Squaw Creek Stewardship Committee is looking for a few good men and women. The group, which was recently established under the auspices of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council, established a primary role of developing connections betwee... — Updated 3/18/2003 Full story

Because of my background, people sometimes ask what I think about the prospect of war in Iraq. Some are surprised when I say that I'm not very enthusiastic; as a rule, most military people don't "want" war any more than firefighters want... — Updated 3/18/2003 Full story

For the second year in a row, an Oregon State University biologist has planted thousands of Chinook salmon fry in the Metolius River and its tributaries. With a name that sounds as if it could belong to the hero of a romance novel, Jens... — Updated 3/11/2003 Full story

Jeremy Fields (left), Brian See and Nate Goodwin have returned from shuttle recovery work in Texas. Photo by Dave Priest Last month's loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia affected us all, but some local Forest Service employees were impacted... — Updated 3/11/2003 Full story

For more than a hundred abused horses, an existence of torment and uncertainty finally came to an end last Saturday, March 1. Nearly all of the horses seized by the Deschutes County Sheriff last December were auctioned off to a gathering of... — Updated 3/4/2003 Full story

The public seems to have confidence in the Forest Service to make the right choices to manage and protect the Metolius Basin. Last week, the comment period closed for the Forest Service's draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and the... — Updated 2/25/2003 Full story

Black History Month in Sisters? It's almost an oxymoron. Oregon is a state with a history of intolerance and limited diversity. Sisters is far less diverse than the state as a whole. Some might consider Black History Month to be something... — Updated 2/25/2003 Full story

While Central Oregon's non-winter is raising the specter of summer water shortages, Hoodoo Ski Area is suffering right now. The local ski area's tough year got a lot tougher when the resort was forced to shut down for two weeks due to a... — Updated 2/11/2003 Full story

On June 19, 1903, Pope Leo the XIII issued a papal decree that continues to affect life in Oregon east of the Cascades. Prior to that time, there was only one Catholic diocese covering all of Oregon. Pope Leo's decree recognized the need... — Updated 2/11/2003 Full story

Mere weeks ago in Bend, Sierra Club activists and others rallied with Governor John Kitzhaber in support of Ted Kulongoski's gubernatorial campaign. That was then. Now, some of those same people are indignant over Kulongoski's selection of... — Updated 2/4/2003 Full story

Stream protection will include using boulders like these to keep traffic back from stream edges. Photo provided Bull trout habitat in the Metolius Basin is another of our local treasures that people are loving to death. The same cold, clear... — Updated 1/28/2003 Full story

Fishermen have occasionally been known to curse underwater snags when a fishing line becomes tangled on one. However, such snags -- "large wood" to biologists -- produce benefits to the fish that are far greater than the annoyance of... — Updated 1/21/2003 Full story

As the result of a 1999 congressional mandate, the Forest Service was granted a new tool in forest management -- common sense -- and it's being used in the Metolius region. Under a stewardship program called "multi-party monitoring,"... — Updated 1/14/2003 Full story

Last month, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office seized 128 mistreated horses from a ranch near Brothers, and the story made the national news. "It was the worst case of animal abuse I've ever seen,"said Sheriff Les Stiles. What followed,... — Updated 1/14/2003 Full story

It's not often that a monumental blunder is actually a potential blessing in disguise; and, of course, it remains to be seen whether the opportunity will come to fruition. Regardless, we have a "Lott" to be thankful for. When former Senate... — Updated 1/14/2003 Full story

The Forest Service hopes to create open stands that are resistant to catastrophic wildfire. Photo provided News reports seem to conjure up an image of vast destruction: the Forest Service plans to "log and burn 17,000 acres of National Fores... — Updated 12/17/2002 Full story

Two of the many horses helped by volunteer efforts. Photo provided By now, most of Central Oregon and much of the country has learned about the plight of 129 mistreated horses discovered east of Bend last week. The story was picked by most... — Updated 12/10/2002 Full story

The new lodge at Hoodoo is ready to welcome skiers. Photo provided It's like being ready for the prom but not having a date. That's where it stands right now for Hoodoo Ski Area at the summit of Santiam Pass. The popular local family ski are... — Updated 12/10/2002 Full story

A restoration crew downs a tree for use as an erosion barrier. Photo by Mike Riehle Although an unusually dry fall kept firefighters looking uneasily over their shoulders, the Forest Service was still able to move ahead with rehabilitation... — Updated 11/26/2002 Full story

Despite receiving only a trickle of funding, the Forest Service is moving forward with rehabilitation of Trout Creek Swamp west of Sisters. The swamp is an old grazing site that was established back in the 1930s when ditches were dug to... — Updated 11/26/2002 Full story

Waiting for the torch... Photo by Jim Cornelius Littering the road's edge like so much roadkill are brown heaps of forest debris. Local residents are wondering how much longer the piles will persist. Jinny Pitman, Fire Prevention and... — Updated 11/19/2002 Full story