News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 519
To better assist those in Sisters Country struggling with food insecurity, the food pantry, previously run by Wellhouse Church and since January 1 operated by Sisters Cold Weather Shelter (SCWS), will change its schedule from Thursdays to Mondays starting Monday, February 3. Both the pantry and the Kiwanis Food Bank operated on the same day for years. By switching to Monday, volunteers hope to offer needy users more nutrition balance, and convenience in scheduling food... Full story
Raging fires in Los Angeles are set to be the most catastrophic natural disaster in the state's history surpassing the 2018 Camp Fire in the town of Paradise that scorched more than 150,000 acres and was the deadliest wildfire in California's history. Ninety-five percent of the town burned in that fire. The fire killed 85 people and destroyed almost 19,000 buildings in November 2018. The fire was active for 17 days. Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday predicted that the Los... Full story
One of Sisters' largest employers, founded in 1984 in San Diego and operating locally since 1993 under the ownership of Ed Fitzjarrell, has been acquired by WM Partners, LP, of Aventura, Florida, a suburb of Miami Beach. Metabolic Maintenance produces pure, preservative-free nutraceuticals without added excipients, fillers, or binders. Their products, created, formulated, and packaged in Sisters, are sold nationwide. The company with sales of around $10 million, according to i... Full story
Selection of art for Sisters’ new roundabout has hit a speed bump. Assistant City Manager Kerry Prosser told The Nugget, “The initial call for artist proposals for the roundabout art did not result in a clear group of finalists, as the submitted proposals varied widely in scope and quality. “To ensure that the project received a broader range of high-quality submissions, and that the selection criteria were met, the city republished a second Call for Artists in early Novem... Full story
The City of Sisters has an ambitious menu of projects for 2025 with a price tag of around $8 million. The largest, at $2.2 million, is known as the Westside Pump Station and Force Main Improvements Project which will take until spring of 2026 to complete. While this project will be largely invisible to the public once finished, it will cause some traffic disruption on Pine Street and Jefferson Avenue during construction. The majority of spending surrounds sewer and water... Full story
The City of Sisters is well into its state-mandated, process of periodically evaluating its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to see if there will be enough land to meet population projections. In Sisters currently, the UGB essentially corresponds to the city limits. As Sisters' population steadily increases, with projections indicating that there will not be adequate housing inventory within the existing 1.88 square miles area, the City has invited its citizens to participate in... Full story
There is a small number of businesses in Sisters that have operated continuously for 50 years. Hair Caché is one of them. On January 1 they will hit that milestone. When opened for business on January 1, 1975, by Mary Norseen, she set up in the back corner of a dentist's office on the southwest corner of North Elm Street and West Main Avenue. There was barely room for her one chair, and not by design but by space limitation, she named it Hair Caché (as in stash). Some 10 y... Full story
Wild turkeys are high on the list of things folks in Sisters Country would like to see less of. "They're a menace, and a safety issue," said Chester Wilcox, who is a regular driver on Camp Polk Road, a hotspot of consternation over the birds. "We get regular complaints about that flock," said Andrew Walch, district biologist for Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) in Bend. The flock in question numbers over 100, and is easily found when visiting the Camp Polk Cemetery... Full story
Sisters woke up to less than an inch of snow last Thursday, but it sat on top of ice for much of the day. The scene repeated itself throughout the weekend. Even seasoned drivers were surprised at how slick the roads were. For several days temperatures barely climbed to a point where the roads completely dried out. Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) sanded and sprayed, yet drivers remained frustrated with numerous fender benders, and vehicles sliding into ditches.... Full story
Readers continue to share their favorite celebrations and activities surrounding the holidays and a clear favorite has emerged - baking. Take Mayor Michael Preedin for example. "My favorite holiday tradition is making my grandma's clam dip that is best with wavy potato chips – perfect addition on either Thanksgiving or Christmas Day where grazing on food is encouraged and counting calories is discouraged," he said. City Manager Jordan Wheeler weighed in: "Christmas for me i... Full story
A woman in Cannon Beach was caught by a massive sneaker wave a few weeks ago and nearly washed to sea. The drama was captured on a phone camera by a passerby who coaxed her back to shore as she appeared dazed and disoriented. The video has been viewed some 600,000 times. Such happenings do not stop thousands of Oregonians, many from Sisters Country, from flocking to the coast to witness powerful king tides. The first king tides of the season occurred November 15-17. The next... Full story
Last week's Nugget profiled four children, ranging in age from eight to 15, all in attendance at Sisters schools. Each lives on farmland and raises livestock. Each talked about how they could benefit if the Sisters School District offered an agribusiness or agriscience curriculum, as every other district in central Oregon does. The Nugget talked at length about the possibilities of such a program with Sisters Schools Superintendent Curt Scholl. Scholl appreciated the longing... Full story
BASX Solutions, a leading national manufacturer of modular structures and cleanroom solutions, has leased 27,190 square feet of light industrial space in Three Peaks Industrial Park. The 15.59-acre park sits on the northern section of former Forest Service property, located on the north side of West Barclay Drive and bordered by North Pine Street on the east and the Ponderosa Best Western property on the west side. To the north is Forest Service land, and across Barclay to... Full story
Always a favorite with Sisters Country holiday merrymakers, Sisters High Desert Chorale and Bell Choir will present their winter concert this month. The first of two will be performed Friday, December 13, at 7 p.m. The second will sound off at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 15. Both concerts take place at Sisters Community Church located at 1300 McKenzie Highway in Sisters, where there is plenty of free parking. The concerts themselves are free, but patrons are asked to make a... Full story
Sociologists say that traditions are important to good mental and emotional health, especially related to holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. The Nugget asked around to get a flavor of those rituals important to various readers. Here's what some had to say. About one in three had the same sentiment as Bree Miller: "My favorite Christmas tradition is baking! From traditional sugar cookies to my mom's families' Sandbakkels. Now, with my own children it is something they also... Full story
Owen Christianson is an eighth grader at Sisters Middle School. He's also in business for himself. He breeds sheep - a dozen-plus - only two of which he will enter for show. The rest is agribusiness in microcosm. He comes by it naturally. Both of his parents are self-employed entrepreneurs. They reside on an 80-acre spread spanning both sides of Highway 126 about halfway to Redmond. Christianson wishes there was a vocational agriculture program at Sisters High School, as... Full story
Sisters' signature stallion sculpture will hopefully be back where it belongs in the coming days. The iconic metal art sculpture of a rearing wild stallion near the entrance to downtown on the corner of Cascade and Larch was damaged when a vehicle crashed into it on the night of October 30. It was the second collision involving the beloved art. An 18-year-old driver escaped injury when he fell asleep at the wheel early on the morning of July 7, 2017, and crashed his pickup... Full story
Google "deer caught in Christmas lights" and you will get not hundreds, but thousands of articles, photos, and social media threads discussing the phenomenon. Elk are not immune to the problem either, although deer seem to be the most vulnerable. Given that we share Sisters Country so freely with thousands of mule deer, it has no doubt occurred here and readers will probably let us know. It sounds humorous upon first reading and images and memes can be highly entertaining -... Full story
Snow started piling up above 4,500 feet two weeks ago, to the point where Mt. Bachelor opened to pass holders 12 days ahead of its November 29 plan. There were about 200 skiers Saturday and Sunday at Ski Hoodoo even though the resort is not yet open. With a solid two feet of snow, skiers - primarily from the Valley - trekked the 30-40 minutes to the summit and skied down. Around the bend at Ray Benson Sno-Park, dozens of sledders blasted off in their snowmobiles careful to... Full story
With so many of us newbies, me included, I'm always delighted when I learn a tidbit of Sisters history. Of course, The Nugget is chock full of much of what you might be curious about. You may not know how much of a historical library The Nugget is. Heck, many of you may not even know that The Nugget has an online edition - nuggetnews.com - where in addition to getting the latest news about Sisters Country you can go to that amazing little magnifying glass icon to the right,... Full story
The agency that keeps our highways operating is facing a structural revenue crisis. This is due to three main causes, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT): Oregonians are driving increasingly fuel-efficient vehicles, and switching to electric vehicles (EV) at a high rate. With increased fuel efficiency and more EVs, Oregon sees lower tax revenues and less money available to maintain the transportation system. Inflation has made maintaining the... Full story
Curious motorists and pedestrians observed heavy machinery in action as trees were cleared and earth moved in preparation for Phase One of the Sisters East Portal Transportation Master Plan. The hub is located on recently purchased City property between West Hood Avenue, Highway 20, and OR 242 (McKenzie Highway). The overall plan calls for a dedicated transit patron parking area and drop-off lane. The site layout allows for patrons to park or be dropped off to access transit... Full story
As has happened every year for decades, the historic McKenzie Highway (Highway 242) closed on the Sisters side last week. A week earlier, the western side closed. The November 1 close is about average, and just in time as a series of minor storms dropped as much as 10 inches of snow above 5,000 feet. The top of Highway 242, at the Dee Wright Observatory - the halfway point - sits at 5,187 feet. In making its annual announcement of the closures, Oregon Department of... Full story
Steve Amsberry, a retired veterinarian living in Black Butte, asked The Nugget to remind readers of the danger of some candies to dogs. His brother, Mike, also a vet still practicing in Sisters, says that chocolate is the highest candy risk to canines. “Chocolate contains several active chemicals, including theobromine and caffeine. They are far more powerful in dogs. Signs of chocolate toxicity vary by size of dog and the amount of chocolate eaten. Symptoms may take s... Full story
Sisters tourism is increasingly built around health and wellness and a culture of artisanship. Last week, a group of industry professionals gathered in Sisters to explore what that means for a tourism-based economy. Representing myriad stakeholders in Oregon tourism, a group of 45 convened at FivePine Conference Center last Wednesday. Another 15 who had registered were unable to attend due to last-minute scheduling conflicts. The day-long conference was titled “Heritage, A... Full story
