News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 518
It's not yet December and there have already been more than a dozen nights of sub-freezing temperatures. A handful of nights dropped into the teens. Failing to obtain approval of its application to operate an emergency shelter, the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter (SCWS) is redirecting its resources and partnering with other community groups and volunteers to prevent those living in the forest or their vehicles from injury or death. They are at the center of a confederation of hom... Full story
As we hit the peak holiday travel season, and with more and more fliers taking their pets along whenever they travel, frustration mounts with navigating airline policies. Veterinarians are generally not enthusiastic about pets on airplanes. Nor are professional trainers. "Traveling with your pet seems like a dream come true," said Sabrina Kong, a veterinarian and contributor to the site WeLoveDoodles. "But often, it's more of a human dream - and a pet nightmare." She said,... Full story
The highly popular Whychus Creek Scenic Overlook Trail, just 5.5 miles from town, is getting a new look thanks to a grant of $37,152 from Visit Central Oregon. Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) is adding cash and in-kind donations of $16,104 for a project total of $53,256. The work, originally hoped for completion by fall, is now anticipated to be finished this winter in time for the busy spring and summer tourist season. The one-mile circular trek to the viewpoint is renowned for... Full story
Timing is always tricky with a weekly publication. Take Halloween this year, on a Tuesday, literally the day when The Nugget is rolling off the press on its way to Sisters. So, no way to capture freshly the excitement of the annual children's parade put on by Sisters Park & Recreation District and Rotary Club of Sisters. Reporting on it would be eight days later, by then old news. Veteran's Day is always November 11, but local observances fell during the week, so they would... Full story
Funding has fallen short for improvements to Barclay Drive where it runs through the Sisters Industrial Park. In its 156-page Transportation System Plan (TSP) adopted by City Council in December of 2021, the Public Works Department planned to improve Barclay Drive from Locust Street on the east to Pine Street on the west. The improvements between Pine and Locust streets were to include a three-lane cross section, curb and gutter, 10-foot concrete sidewalks, stormwater... Full story
Mushrooms - fungi to the enthusiast - are all around us. Aficionados of all ages delight in hunting the sometimes otherworldly looking organisms, many of which are edible for humans (some are deadly). A few are prized delicacies served in the world's finest eateries. A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. Toadstools are generally poisonous to humans. In Central Oregon,...
"No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!" That's the slogan for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a 10-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 330 chapters in 45 states including one in Bend, helping children in need sleep better. SHP is a Platinum-Level GuideStar charity. They believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads, SHP says. Across the U.S. too many...
Hank Minor is a master falconer. While he understands the mythical lore and occasional romanticism of falconry, he is very clear what the sport is all about - capturing and training a bird to hunt and kill other animals. Falconry has been practiced for 3-4,000 years - maybe longer - and was, and is, often the sport of nobility especially in the Middle East. Originally, a falconer only flew a falcon, primarily the peregrine falcon, and those flying hawks were "hawking" or...
A look at the price board at area firewood sellers is not for the faint of heart. Your basic cord of pine is going to cost you $260 to $295 plus a delivery and/or stacking fee depending on your location and quantity ordered. Fancy some juniper? That’ll run you upwards of $360. It’s no wonder then that many a log burner will head to the Deschutes National Forest to save a bundle. The vast majority in Sisters Country will stop by the Sisters Ranger District headquarters and obt... Full story
The market for single family homes in Sisters Country remains depressed as compared to the heady 2021 sales picture. Sales for September and October of this year are eerily similar to the same months for 2022 – a stagnation of sorts as buyers retreat in light of 30-year fixed mortgage rates that sat Friday at a breathtaking 8.09% having exceeded 8.5% two weeks earlier. These are the highest rates since November of 2000. The table to the right gives an overview of t... Full story
Several users of the Sisters Recycling Center are raising objection to the seeming lack of good housekeeping in recent weeks and months at the facility on Sisters Park Drive. "Recent?" scoffed Emmy Burnham, when The Nugget stopped to ask users their impressions. "It's almost always like this." The Recycling Center was a scene of overflowing bins, blowing debris, and rickety stacks of discarded petroleum products, mostly motor oil. The area of greatest concern is not in plain... Full story
Citing concerns related to patient care, access, and affordability, St. Charles Health System is evaluating its participation in all Medicare Advantage plans, including those from Humana, PacificSource, HealthNet, and WellCare, the regional health care provider said in a notice to its patients and caregivers in August. However, the news is now coming as a surprise to many. St. Charles continues to accept original (or traditional) Medicare, which is funded and operated by the... Full story
The long wait is over. Readers and library users of all ages gathered Saturday in brisk temperatures at the doors of the Sisters Library for its grand reopening celebration. By noon, when the dedication began, more than 100 were on hand. Throughout the afternoon hundreds more streamed in to see firsthand the significant upgrades to the 8,300-square-foot, 18-year-old structure. The renovated library was six years in planning and nine months under construction. Among the... Full story
Homeschooling is on the rise nationally and in Oregon, and thus one might assume that to be true for Sisters Country children. In fact, the numbers of homeschooled kids within the Sisters School District has been nearly impossible to determine, according to those with a vested interest in knowing the number. Curt Scholl, Sisters schools superintendent, is frustrated, as his team is currently trying to count the number. Homeschooling in Sisters is regulated by High Desert... Full story
Peter Hoover has been appointed permanent executive director for Habitat for Humanity, having served as its local interim director for the past several months. At the same time, the Sisters affiliate of the international organization, which works in all 50 states and more than 70 countries and has helped over 46 million persons with affordable shelter, is seeking to reshape its purpose. Habitat is best known for building homes with volunteer labor and donated supplies or... Full story
In a scene resembling "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome," members of the Gambler 500 roared into Sisters Sunday and weeded out no fewer than eight abandoned cars and two burnt-out RVs, the latter within sight of Ponderosa Lodge and residents on North Pine Street. It was a herculean effort that took dozens of volunteers with some heavy equipment and a twenty-yard dumpster thrown in. A convoy of eccentric and wild-looking cars cruised onto the Deschutes National Forest immediately wes... Full story
After both Wyoming and Montana gave an emphatic no, Oregon has agreed to allow the capture and transport of 10 wolves to Colorado in December. A year-end date was set for Colorado's wolf reintroduction program created by Proposition 114, which Colorado voters passed in 2020 in a hotly contested vote - 50.91 percent to 49.09 percent. Colorado initially thought it could reestablish its wolf population with wolves from populous habitat in the Greater Yellowstone region, which is... Full story
“The bottom line is, we’re out of money,” said Oregon Transportation Commissioner Julie Brown following a meeting this summer. The Commission reviewed an updated finance plan draft for the projects slated for funding by tolls. The current plan includes the possibility of dipping into funds set aside for projects scheduled for the next three years. The Locust Street roundabout will not be affected by the funding crisis as the monies have been allocated and secured by prior... Full story
Julia Huni, also known to readers as Lia Huni, came to Sisters in 2008 with her husband, following retirement from the military. They drove 8,000 miles in their RV, exploring where they might put down roots - and then settled on Sisters. It was 10 years later that Huni published her first book following a lifelong love of reading and a lot of prodding from her sister. The Nugget met Huni at her home where she works. Her schedule, which she mostly keeps, has her writing... Full story
It’s flu season and Oregonians, healthier on average than the U.S. as a whole, usually shrug it off as a fact of life. However the season is more complicated when factoring in RSV and COVID, which often look and act like flu. The flu, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are all highly contagious respiratory infections caused by viruses: The flu by influenza virus, COVID-19 by SARS-CoV-2 virus, and RSV by respiratory syncytial virus. It is possible for a person t... Full story
"Mom, come look at this," said Tess Sidwell, age 9, from Bend. "No, mom, come over here," pleaded her brother Evan, 7. Moms and dads, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, along with best friends, daters, dancers, buskers, and curiosity seekers of all stripes packed East Main Avenue between Elm and Larch streets Saturday and Sunday. Tess and Evan were captivated by animal wood carvings at one of 150-plus tents that lined the avenue for the annual Harvest Faire, always the... Full story
Signs of autumn are everywhere - cooler days, turning leaves, seasonal rain, and thankfully, snow returning to our mountains. And there are hunters, archery and rifle, taking to the woods in search of game. Central Oregon has a rich and deep hunting tradition, often running multiple generations. As more hunters are visible from late September into November, so too are those charged with keeping them safe and in compliance. That duty falls upon the Oregon State Police. Oregon... Full story
It's hard to miss the large, colorful banner adorning St. Charles Family Care Clinic on N. Arrowleaf Trail in the Outlaw Station shopping center. Neon-yellow all-capital letters on a fluorescent-red background say "now open." The clinic has been open for years of course. The reference is to the outpatient laboratory that until September 1 had been irregularly staffed. No longer. You can get lab work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. by order of your health provider.... Full story
The 2023 Sisters Folk Festival - the 26th - opened Friday under Portland-like weather, with a steady mist under overcast skies, the temperature just barely reaching 50. Appearing on seven stages scattered around town, artists did their best to boost the mood and stay warm. Attendees warmed to their sounds and musicianship. Beer sales dipped and coffee and cocoa sales soared. Folks huddled under well-placed, patio-style propane heaters, but none were complaining. Being serious... Full story
On any given summer Saturday or Sunday some 500 to 1,000 tourists make their way to Sisters. Last weekend that number swelled to 2,000-3,000 as visitors feasted on four events. Precise estimates are not available but even an untrained observer could see packed streets, galleries, studios, and tents. Saturday began with the Giddy Up 5k/5Miler Ranch Run through picturesque Pole Creek Ranch. About 150 ran or walked, with another hundred or so cheering them on. The event included... Full story
