News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 518
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, weather related problems were not abated. In some cases they got worse. Most tragically two children, including an infant, were among the five people killed in a crash on Highway 97 near Crescent last Wednesday, January 17, after colliding with a semi-truck. Another child was injured. The... Full story
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 enter and exit the dual lane circles. "Yee gads!," exclaims Todd Robbins who lives in Sisters and works in Bend, making the drive at least five times a week. "It's not that hard. These people need to stay off the road if they can't manage it." Les Collins from Sisters is a bit more forgiving... Full story
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 new ministry as pastor to the congregation on February 1. Transfiguration is a somewhat unique configuration of two separate worship styles under one authority. The 8:30 a.m. service is comprised of mainline Protestants who plan and lead the service. The 10:15 a.m. worshippers are... Full story
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 includes complaints of properties with overgrown vegetation or having an accumulation of debris, garbage, and junk. Other areas of concentration include compliance with Dark Skies standards, noise, dust, dangerous trees, weeds and signage. Complaints of animal nuisances, noise, illegal parking,... Full story
A poop-filled diaper and nowhere to change it has led to an initiative to make bathrooms in Sisters businesses more family-friendly. For small business owners, installing a diaper changing table might not always be affordable or top-of-mind. A new program by Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC) has created an action team to make it easy to add changing tables. The action team's aim is to help them out by offering free sourcing and installation of changing tables and other kid-o... Full story
Winter came hard and fast this year. All over Sisters, folks bundled up and fired up their snow blowers - those who have them - while most of us relied on the centuries old method of shoveling by hand; a risk for many health experts warn Click here to see related story. Snow blower sales are expected to grow at an annual rate of 6.74 percent in the U.S. and Canada from $639 million in 2021 to $935 million in 2027. More than one million of the snow tamers are sold each year.... Full story
Old man winter came late this year, but when he arrived he packed a wallop on Sisters Country. At Black Butte Ranch, there was two feet on the ground by noon on Friday. Throughout the weekend temperatures plummeted and the white stuff kept piling up. For many, like skiers and snow boarders, the long wait for snow materialized and Ski Hoodoo opened last Wednesday to excited crowds. Although only two of four lifts operated as the job of grooming trails and readying all the... Full story
In the five years between 2017 and 2021, 721 elk and mule deer were killed in collisions with vehicles on the Highway 20 Bend to Suttle Lake corridor. The heaviest concentration was east of Sisters, and in the Black Butte Ranch stretch there were higher numbers. Numbers for 2022 and 2023 are not yet available. The removal of dead animals on state roadways is undertaken by Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). "ODOT is responsible for removing road hazards on state... Full story
It was 0 degrees Fahrenheit Friday night, -5 at 8 p.m. Saturday, and -3 Sunday morning before the skies cleared after the biggest snow storm to hit Sisters in several years. Concern started rising at the start of the week as City staff looked at the forecast, and worried that some families in Sisters could be at grave risk, especially the homeless living in the nearby woods. On Wednesday night, at its regularly scheduled meeting, the Sisters City Council approved a... Full story
The snow that fell in Sisters Country much of last week causing some havoc and disruption was not a record - not even close - but it was nonetheless the main topic of conversation. What made it the talk of the town were the winds and temperatures that tagged along. Sustained winds in the 20 mph range kept some folks up at night and consistent gusts in the 30s rattled windows and nerves. The wind brought down a 30-plus foot ponderosa pine Friday on Steve Allely's property in th... Full story
Drivers passing by the Sisters District Ranger Station on Saturday, December 30 felt a certain amount of anxiety as thick smoke and fire arose from one of the several buildings on the District's campus. The obsolete building, once used as a dormitory, was in the way of the new 14,000-square-foot headquarters building to be constructed this year. Rather than demolish it, the Forest Service donated it to Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD) for a live fire training... Full story
As the population grows in Sisters Country that question comes up more frequently I find. And with our older population – median age in Sisters is just under 50, whereas Oregon as a whole it is just under 40 – it seems to be a pertinent question. We have a cemetery, in fact. Two to be precise. One most everybody knows about - the Camp Polk Cemetery - is also known as Pioneer Cemetery and has been around since 1880. Turns out, nobody owns the place. At least no person or ent... Full story
Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has alerted The Nugget of abuse to several trails within their system by one or more motor bikers. They provided photo evidence of the damage. There is no way of knowing if this was wanton disregard for the rules or carelessness. Either way the injury to the trailbed will require hours of volunteer work to repair. “Nearly two-hundred STA trail volunteers and trail adopters work tirelessly throughout the entire year to steward nearly 200 miles o... Full story
Concerned citizens routinely notify the Sisters Ranger District of abandoned vehicles in the woods around town. Just as routinely, the Forest Service begins the somewhat arduous task of removing them. In 2023 there were 25 cases in all, including a trailer at the rodeo grounds, a Ford Ranger on Forest Road 15, a motorhome near the high school, three RV trailers at 970/4606, five vehicles in all at Eagle Rock Road, two burned out RVs on Road 100 (the spur road), and the list go... Full story
Almost everybody in town has or had or knows someone who has or had “the crud.” Workers are out — as are some masks. Stores are having a run on tissues and Tylenol. Home remedies and self-isolation may be keeping reported numbers low in spite of people hacking and coughing their way through life in Sisters Country. St. Charles Health System spokesperson Alandra Johnson said, “We are starting to see an increase in COVID-19 statewide but that has not yet reached Central Oregon... Full story
Maybe you are one of the estimated 7.5 million air passengers traveling for the Christmas holidays. Or maybe you are expecting family traveling to you. Good luck. You will probably need it. In addition to the anticipated record number of travelers - up by 200,000 from the previous high in 2019 - you may encounter uncommon delays at RDM – Redmond airport - in the form of fog. A couple from Camp Sherman arose at 3 a.m. last week for a 6 a.m. am flight that would take them to S... Full story
Most folks in Sisters Country know that there's public bus service to Bend and Redmond. They're often surprised to learn that it's free, until further notice. Even at no charge, ridership remains flat. There are three buses a day, Monday through Friday, between Sisters and Redmond (Route 28) and three between Sisters and Bend (Route 29). Both routes are timed to coincide with common work schedules. The two morning buses from Redmond, where many Sisters workers live, arrive in... Full story
The BBC in London, often criticized for perceived pro-Hamas leanings, ran a story last week headlined: “Israel Gaza: Hamas raped and mutilated women on 7 October, BBC hears” The subhead ran as follows: “The BBC has seen and heard evidence of rape, sexual violence and mutilation of women during the 7 October Hamas attacks.” Meanwhile on college campuses across the U.S. and the world, thousands of students, many carrying Palestinian flags or wearing a keffiyeh (Arab headgea... Full story
Under new conductor Irene Liden's leadership, 48 singers took the stage last Friday and Sunday for the High Desert Chorale's annual choral concert held at Sisters Community Church. They were joined by the Octave, eight bellringers led by Lola Knox, who also was the percussionist for the songfest. They put up five pieces before intermission and seven after. The opening work, "Exultate Justi," an enthusiastic song by John Williams, showed that Liden and her ensemble were going... Full story
Does your dog really need a coat just because it's winter? Sisters routinely gets overnight lows in the single digits and commonly sees temps in the teens much of November through March. With the change in the seasons, out come the canine jackets, some quite stylish and color coordinated to match the dog's coat. But are they necessary? It depends, say the experts. It has little to do with the temperature and much to do with your dog's coat. The AKC (American Kennel Club) has... Full story
This year more than 2,000 tree permits will be issued by the Forest Service's District Ranger office in Sisters. Add to that another 1,000-plus for permits purchased online at recreation.gov, and Sisters will benefit by more than 10,000 persons hunting trees in our nearby woods. Each permit generally has four persons attached to it; usually families with young children. The permits, only $5, are a drop in the bucket to the agency's annual revenue budget, which includes permits... Full story
Thirty-three films were released in U.S. theaters December 1. The number may surprise you with all the talk of the Hollywood writer's strike that went on for months. But these films, like nearly all, had been in the works for years. It takes that long from concept to financing to production to release for a movie to make it to the screen. One of the 33 is "Eileen," which had its limited release in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles on December 1 and which will open "wide" Frida... Full story
Cutting trees in the forest turned out to be more of an adventure than four Sisters Country families imagined. A group of about 20 headed toward Round Lake last week in search of the perfect Christmas tree, an annual tradition. After completing the mission and bagging four handsome specimens, the families gathered around a bonfire. From out of the shadows, at first cowering, appeared a dog, not one of the five belonging to the tree hunters. The dog, a bit worse for wear, was... Full story
Mother Nature filled every wish Saturday for the first Holiday Palooza put on by Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). Under sun-drenched, crystal blue skies, around 3,000 turned out for the first half of the double-feature event - a parade with 29 entries. The long-held holiday parade, which in years past traveled eastbound on Hood Avenue, switched up and moved westbound on Main Avenue. The sun warmed paradegoers in their mittens, parkas, and knit caps, as temperatures h... Full story
If you have put off winterizing, you might be on borrowed time, experts say. With nearly 25 days of sub-freezing temperatures already under Sisters' belt, those pesky winterizing chores are calling, and you must go. And it's not just the yard and garden. There are the crawl space vents, screen removal, animal feeders, hose removal, chimney sweeping, and perhaps more. Of course not removing screens will have no bearing on your heating bills; it's mostly a cosmetic ritual. But... Full story
