In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🤔 Local Trivia

🌄 Bend, OR Weather

📰 Local News - What’s a Happening?

🔥700 acres in 5 hours: Trout Creek Fire near Madras is in area that burns repeatedly - Central Oregon Daily 🎦

🍽️The Phoenix Restaurant Announces Closure After 15 Years

⛺🏛️Madras Establishes Oak Street Authorized Camping Area and New Unclaimed Property Storage Procedure

🏛️ City Considers Revisions to Short-Term Rental Policy

🔥Central Oregon Fire Info

🔥 Trout Creek Fire update

🔥 New - Cow Canyon Fire

🚧 Road Closures

📰 Community News

🚘Summer Drive-In at Eurosports Brings Car Enthusiasts Together in Sisters

📻Field Day for Amateur Radio Enthusiasts This Weekend

🫴 Local Cause of the Month

🧒 "Building Brighter Futures: The Inspiring Work of Kids Inspired Non-Profit"

😁 MEME of the Day

📅 Lots and LOTS of Events

🐎🐂 Crooked River Roundup | Rodeo

🎸🎹🎶Bend’s 4 Peaks Music Festival Announces their 2024 Schedule

🎉New Event Calendar! Central Oregon Local Live!

 What year was Prineville officially incorporated?

A) 1877

B) 1880

C) 1910

D) 1920

👉Find the Answer in Tomorrow’s Newsletter👉

BEND

PRINEVILLE, OR

700 acres in 5 hours: Trout Creek Fire near Madras is in area that burns repeatedly

Brooke Snavely, Reporter Central Oregon Daily

The first significant wildfire of the season was reported Saturday afternoon in the hills north of Madras. It's an area that’s burned many times. 

The Trout Creek Fire was reported around 2:30 Saturday afternoon about 20 miles north of Madras. Within five hours, the fire grew to 700 acres despite the cool weather.

"We were fortunate to have some air resources available," said James Purswell, Assistant Fire Management Officer with the Bureau of Land Management in Prineville. "We had a type one helicopter dropping water on it as well as three retardant air tankers dropping retardant around the far east reaches of this thing."

Thanks to the quick response by BLM, the U.S. Forest Service and Jefferson County firefighters, the fire is effectively contained.

"It’s pretty well held in check. Most of the smoke we’ve seen has been within our fire perimeter. Just cleaning up islands of unburned fuels," Purswell said.

There are thousands of dead junipers in the fire area, killed by previous fires. This plateau north of Madras burns repeatedly because of cheat grass and other flashy, fire-prone fuels. It grows each spring and is ready to burn come early summer.

"Those invasive grasses grow. They cure out in our dry desert climate and they can carry fire readily. A year from now this could be another Trout Creek incident for us," Purswell said.

The cause of the latest Trout Creek fire has yet to be determined.

Land managers caution that more than half of all fires are human-caused.

The Phoenix Restaurant Announces Closure After 15 Years

In a heartfelt announcement on Facebook, The Phoenix Restaurant has shared the sad news of its impending closure after nearly 15 years of service in Bend. The owners cited several reasons for the difficult decision, including rising costs, challenging lease negotiations, and new business ventures. However, they emphasized that community support was never in question.

"We were humbled and grateful every day to unlock our doors to a waiting crowd," the post read. "The community in Bend never wavered in coming through our doors, through all the economic ups and downs, through COVID, you were all there every single day and we can’t thank you enough."

The owners also extended their gratitude to the dedicated staff, many of whom have been with The Phoenix for over a decade. "You are all the reason we kept on thriving as long as we did. I have no doubt we will have lifelong friendships and I know you will all find incredible opportunities out there in the coming months."

They encouraged local restaurant owners to reach out for staff recommendations, highlighting the talented team that has contributed to the restaurant's success.

As they prepare for the final days, The Phoenix Restaurant invites the community to visit, support the staff, and say their goodbyes. The exact closing date has yet to be announced, but patrons are welcome to drop by in the coming weeks and months.

The announcement concludes with a heartfelt thank you to the community: "Love you all! Thank you!"

Madras Establishes Oak Street Authorized Camping Area and New Unclaimed Property Storage Procedure

Madras, Oregon – The City of Madras has announced the establishment of the Oak Street Authorized Camping Area, also referred to as the 3rd Street Camping Area in Ordinance No. 976. Located at 99 NW Oak Street, this new designated camping zone is positioned at the intersection of Oak and 3rd Street, adjacent to the Homeless Shelter on Oak Street. The initiative aims to provide a safe and regulated space for overnight stays for those in need.

Effective immediately, the Oak Street Authorized Camping Area will operate under specific rules and regulations as outlined in Madras Municipal Code (MMC) Chapter 9.30. These regulations include restrictions such as allowing camping only in tents and tarps within defined areas, prohibiting obstructions of sidewalks, limiting the amount of personal property, banning open flames, and enforcing fines for any violations. Overnight camping is permitted from one hour before sunset until one hour after sunrise each day. The area will be closely monitored to ensure compliance and maintain a secure environment for all occupants.

In conjunction with this new camping area, the Northwest Willow Creek Camping Area will be permanently closed as of June 11, 2024, at 7:00 a.m. Personal belongings left at this location will be securely stored by the City of Madras in accordance with Resolution No. 09-2024. Individuals wishing to retrieve their property must schedule an appointment in advance, as drop-in visits will not be accommodated.

City staff will facilitate appointments for property retrieval at the City Storage Facility located next to the Oak Street Authorized Camping Area. To claim their belongings, individuals are required to contact the City Storage Facility at (541) 475-2344 Ext. 3 or via call/text at (541) 647-8957 during business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments must be arranged at least 24 hours in advance.

Unclaimed personal property will be held for a period of 30 days. After this period, any unclaimed items will be disposed of or donated. Individuals needing an extended storage option are encouraged to contact the City’s Storage Facility to discuss available arrangements.

For more information or to schedule an appointment for property retrieval, please contact the City of Madras at the provided phone numbers.

City Considers Revisions to Short-Term Rental Policy

Sisters, OR - Short-term rentals (STR) may fall under tighter restrictions in Sisters. The Sisters Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on June 20 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall on text amendments to city Development Code that would:

• Expand the STR concentration limit from 250 feet to 500 feet.

• Apply STR concentration limit to dwelling units within a condominium.

• Apply STR concentration limit to dwelling units in the Downtown Commercial District that are part of a residential-only development. This is not applicable to dwelling units in commercial or mixed-use buildings.

• Prohibit STRs in Urban Growth Boundary expansion/annexation areas.

Existing STRs would not fall under these changes, according to City of Sisters Community Development Director Scott Woodford.

“As long as they get their license renewed every year and meet all other requirements… they would be grandfathered in.”

The planning commission will make a recommendation on the code changes to the Sisters City Council, which is tentatively scheduled to take up the issue on August 4.

“It started from a city council goal to reevaluate the short-term rental program,” Woodford said.

New

The 100 acre Cow Canyon is burning near Hwy 97 a few miles E of the Trout Creek Fire, approx 2 mi N of the Hwy 293 jnct. 3 air tankers are assisting engines on the ground with cooperation from the Ashwood Rural Fire Protection District. The cause is under investigation.

UPDATE: The Trout Creek Fire is 100% contained.

The Trout Creek Fire is approximately 700 acres. The fire started on Bureau of Land Management land and is burning in grass, brush, and juniper. The cause remains under investigation.

Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and Jefferson County resources have been responding to the fire throughout the afternoon. Five engines, one hotshot crew, one helicopter, three air tankers, and various other resources have been working on the fire.

Firefighters will remain on scene overnight.

Smoke may be visible from Madras, Highway 97, and surrounding areas.

For current wildland fire information, the public can visit centraloregonfire.org or follow fire information on X (Twitter) @CentralORfire. Call 9-1-1 to report a wildfire.

Link to: Northwest Large Fire Interactive Web Map

Bear Creek and 27th Street Improvements Project

ONLINE INFORMATIONAL OPEN HOUSE
JUNE 14 - 28, 2024

Summer Drive-In at Eurosports Brings Car Enthusiasts Together in Sisters

Every summer Friday evening, car enthusiasts gather at Eurosports Food Cart Garden on East Hood Avenue and Fir Street in Sisters. Organized by Mondo Aguilera, this informal drive-in is a haven for gearheads to share their passion for cars and showcase their prized vehicles.

Aguilera, an avid car enthusiast himself, drives a 1966 F-100 with manual steering and brakes. He enjoys recounting the story of his truck, just as others enjoy sharing tales of their own cars. "We lie to each other about how fast it is and how much power it has," he jokes.

The drive-in began as a casual idea between Aguilera and Brad Boyd, owner of Eurosports. Boyd's antique Mercedes sparked the conversation that led to the creation of this gathering. The event isn't a formal car show; it's an organic meet-up where unique cars, old and new, are welcome.

Over the past four or five years, this drive-in has become a popular summer event in Sisters, drawing a tight-knit community of car lovers. "On some of the summer nights, we have not enough parking spaces. We would have as many as 20 cars or so," Aguilera notes.

Participants start arriving around 4:30 or 5 p.m., parking their cars and often popping open the hoods to display their engines. Spectators admire the array of vehicles, from beautifully painted and chromed cars to rugged, unique rigs. The event fosters a sense of community, as people chat, share stories, and connect with neighbors who share a love for cars.

"I've met a lot of new people," Aguilera says. "I've met neighbors who had old cars that I didn't know they had. So it's been pretty cool."

Eurosports is located at 223 E. Hood Ave. in Sisters.

This story first appeared in The Nugget Newspaper

Field Day for Amateur Radio Enthusiasts This Weekend

Amateur Radio, a.k.a. Ham Radio, is a worldwide, licensed communications service. There are over 750,000 licensed ham operators in the United States (including over 20,000 in Oregon), and over 3 million worldwide. Ham radio operators use their skills and equipment to talk to other hams, near and far, over the airwaves. Ham Radio does not rely upon commercial infrastructure, instead relying upon operator training, talent, and ingenuity for its reliability and resilience.

On Field Day, Amateur Radio operators and clubs throughout the U.S. and Canada assemble temporary stations with computers, radios, antennas, batteries, and generators.

Most Field Day station locations aren’t “typical” locations from which to operate, and include parks, parking lots, and mountaintops.  These stations are built, used, and torn down.

Emergency communication is a primary purpose for the existence of Amateur Radio. It’s actually written into the FCC rules!

Amateur radio is considered a valuable resource by emergency management at all levels of government. Through participation in practice events like Field Day, hams become proficient at gearing up for and operating in emergencies (earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, etc.), and being prepared to serve the public (marathons, trail runs, parades, etc.).

Field Day gives the public a first-hand opportunity to experience – and even participate in – Amateur Radio.

Amateur radio has, for more than 100 years, been the original DIY hobby, providing learning opportunities in computers, electronics, geography, math, and physics, with no age limits. The public is encouraged to visit, learn, and participate.

For information about where to find a publicly-accessible Field Day operation near you, check out ARRL’s Field Day Locator.

arrl.org/field-day-locator

Building Brighter Futures: The Inspiring Work of Kids Inspired Non-Profit

Learn More

Do you have a Local Cause you’d like us to Spotlight? Click the link to submit your information ⬇️

Events Sponsored By Enjoy Bend Life Real Estate

What’s Up Central Oregon

Crooked River Roundup | Rodeo

Crooked River Roundup is an innovator in rodeo, bringing something new to fans and contestants every year. CRR has become well known among the contestants competing in roping and steer wrestling events, as they will be running from a lane rather than a traditional roping chute, creating major excitement and high speeds. CRR was one of the first rodeos in the Columbia River Circuit to include women’s breakaway roping. The fun and fresh ideas don’t stop there! During the rodeo performance, hundreds of kids come down from their seats for a chance to win prizes by pulling a ribbon off calves’ tails in the famous calf scramble that has been a staple event since the inception of the Roundup. Along with world-class contestants, CRR welcomes back fan-favorite Young Guns, Unique to Oregon Pro Rodeo, Young Guns showcases the next generation of rodeo competitors from ages six to 18. These contestants will compete alongside world champions during CRR’s PRCA performances held nightly from Thursday through Saturday. CRR is also an NFR Playoff Series rodeo attracting the best of the best among rodeo competitors.  The fun doesn’t stop when the last bull bucks. Free concerts to follow the Friday and Saturday night rodeo performances.

Produced by a dedicated Board of Directors and over 500 volunteers, Prineville’s CRR brings together community members and visitors to witness the athleticism of the nation’s top rodeo stock, cowboys, and cowgirls. Started by local ranchers in 1945 to celebrate the cultural heritage of the “Cowboy Capital of Oregon,” the CRR has evolved into one of the oldest family-friendly events in Oregon and the largest in Crook County. CRR consists of a PRCA-sanctioned rodeo in June and four days of Oregon’s largest parimutuel horse racing in July.

For a full schedule of Roundup Week’s events and Buy Your Tickets visit: www.crookedriverroundup.com

Bend’s 4 Peaks Music Festival Announces their 2024 Schedule

4 Peaks Music Festival brings its musical summer solstice celebration back to Bend for their 16th family-friendly event June 20-23. 4 Peaks proudly announces their daily schedule on two stages from Thursday through Sunday. Each day includes having fun with your friends & family, shopping the vendors, access to reasonably-priced food and drinks. Full weekend passes and single day tickets are on sale now.

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