News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 406 - 430 of 1025
In last Saturday morning’s chilly temperatures and bright sunshine, eight local Sisters men — all members of both Sisters Area Woodworkers (SAW) and Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) — gathered at the Peterson Ridge (PRT) trailhead to install a handsome new informational kiosk they constructed last week. Kris Calvin, owner of Earthwood Timber Frame Homes, was the foreman on the project and provided his homebuilding workshop and equipment for construction and installati... Full story
As the Oregon Live banner headline ran across my phone’s screen, I instantly felt like I’d been kicked in the gut. As I clicked on it and went to the story and photos online, tears began to collect in the corners of my eyes. What could elicit such an immediate emotional response? Who had died? To anyone else, it was just another story of an historic statue being toppled. But to me it was the statue of my great-grandfather, Portland pioneer, historian, and editor of The Ore... Full story
“I’m not here by accident,” Sisters’ new Community Development Director Scott Woodford told The Nugget. A look at his resume certainly confirms that statement. Woodford was born in the Midwest but grew up in Summit County, Colorado, home to Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, and Keystone ski resorts. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Environmental Design with an emphasis in Urban Planning. He and his family like to ski, mountain bike, river raft, a... Full story
Following a public hearing at last week’s meeting, City Council unanimously approved the application to rezone and redesignate the 35.84-acre property located at 201 N. Pine St., formerly owned by the U.S. Forest Service and zoned Public Facilities (27.53 acres), Urban Area Reserve (4.76 acres), and Open Space (3.55 acres). The approval by Council came after the recommendation for approval, with conditions, from staff and from the Sisters Planning Commission. As part of the a... Full story
“This is my dream job.” That is how Lt. Chad Davis of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) described his feelings about being named to head the sheriff’s unit at the Sisters substation. Davis has been a resident of Sisters for 25 years, during which time he first worked for the Monmouth Police Department as a reserve officer while finishing up his degree in law enforcement at Western Oregon University. His experience with Deschutes County has been broad and varied. In... Full story
Much has been written lately about the City’s plan to update its Comprehensive Plan, a task last done in 2005. Public engagement with this process is crucial if the completed document is to be of use to the City. The comp plan is like a master plan that lays out how Sisters will grow over the next 20 years based on State goals and the desires of the community. If residents want to have a say in that growth, the comprehensive planning process is a major opportunity to be i... Full story
Gary Ross believes that the concern about growth in Sisters is a legitimate one. He also acknowledges that, due to a lack of affordable housing, service workers in Sisters, of necessity, often have to drive from Bend, Redmond and beyond to work here. He suggests that as Sisters grows, there isn’t so much a need for more monolithic neighborhoods, but rather a diverse mix of housing, with a variety of price points, so workers can afford to live in Sisters. Ross reported he w... Full story
City Councilor Andrea Blum’s current term is expiring, and she is hoping to be re-elected. “We are in the middle of a huge transition here in Sisters. We have just scratched the surface of our Sisters Vision Plan and I want to be sure those goals and objectives are implemented. This is an exciting, energizing time for the city,” Blum said. Blum began her Council career in 2014 when she was tapped to fill an open seat left vacant due to a resignation. In 2015 she was elected to... Full story
A proponent for social justice, 22-year old Elizabeth Fisher was born and raised in Central Oregon, living first in Redmond and then moving with her family to Sisters, where she spent nine years in Sisters schools. Fisher received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 2020 from Oregon State University. She followed the bioengineering track in college and is currently sending out job applications in the biotech and pharmaceutical fields. For enjoyment she likes... Full story
Jennifer Letz is no stranger to issues of importance to Central Oregon in general, and specifically to Sisters. Her work as a sustainability specialist with the U.S. Forest Service has heightened her interest in and knowledge of creatively managing growth while enhancing sustainability. Letz believes that running for public office is a good way to give back to the community where she lives. She said she would bring to City Council a wide variety of skill sets, including experi... Full story
Susan Cobb decided to run for Sisters City Council when she realized that, instead of encouraging others to run, she would walk her talk. She indicated that even if she doesn’t garner a Council seat, she will find other ways to be involved. If she is elected, Cobb has identified a number of issues she would like to address including working with the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce to amplify the businesses already in Sisters and what new ones could be brought in to sustain a... Full story
The latest addition to the vernacular of the “wired world” is an example of onomatopia — a word that sounds like the noise or action designated: hiss, buzz, bang. In this age of pandemic restrictions for gatherings, up pops “zoom.” As in, “We can set up a Zoom meeting to discuss the contract.” Face-to-face conversations via computer or phone screens can be Zoomed, which brings to mind fast or instantaneous transmission (zoom like a fast car) and up close (as zooming in)... Full story
The three new Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies who were recently assigned to duty in Sisters appear to be a happy, friendly team who — according to all three — love what they do. Deputy Bryan Morris has a ready smile and quick wit. He is an Oregon native who spent four years in the Marine Corps, serving in Iraq in 2003. He is a family man who earned his bachelor’s degree from Portland State University and a masters from University of Connecticut. He ori... Full story
With the closure of City Hall to the public due to COVID-19, the residents of Sisters have yet to meet a new addition to the staff in the person of Emelia “Emme” Shoup. Shoup is part of an AmeriCorps program administered through the University of Oregon, Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE). The City has a contract with the U of O for 1,700 hours of Shoup’s services over 11 months, for which she will receive a monthly stipend and nine credits toward her maste... Full story
When Jennifer Holland accepted her job a year ago as the executive director for Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD), little did she imagine she would have to cancel programs, lay off most the staff, and restructure the budget and the organization to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It has kept me on my toes! I have learned so much this last year,” Holland said. Holland wants the community to know how grateful she is that the local option levy was app... Full story
Those who settled Sisters were a hardy bunch who overcame many obstacles to create lives for themselves and their families here in Central Oregon. The same could be said for the board of directors and volunteers at the Sisters History Museum who, amidst a pandemic and hazardous smoke conditions, persevered to offer a soft opening of the new museum on the corner of North Larch and East Cascade Avenue last week. They sent out notices to their members and welcomed anyone who... Full story
• The City of Sisters has announced the hiring of Scott Woodford as the new community development director. Woodford comes to Sisters after seven years in Redmond as their senior planner. He has more than 20 years of land-use planning work and management of complex projects, including experience working in Colorado resort communities tackling unique issues they contend with, such as retention of community character, affordable housing, traffic, lodging and managing... Full story
The first step in the long process of developing the middle section of the Forest Service property has been taken. On Thursday, the Sisters Planning Commission approved — with conditions — a request by developers for a rezone from Public Facilities to Multi-Family Residential. Five commissioners voted in favor and one abstained. The area is now called Sisters Woodlands. There are no development plans yet, although the applicants and their representatives offered so... Full story
For those of us of a certain age, we may be addressing questions like: Should I downsize or can I stay in my current home? Where am I going to live if I move? If I become incapacitated or need help with some activities of daily living, who will help? How do I find help and how will I pay for it? There are numerous resources out there to help make these decisions. Educate yourself about what’s available before you need it. Some housing choices may require getting yourself on a... Full story
More and more of us are living longer. People celebrating their century mark are no longer an oddity and those living to 85 and beyond are much more common. These changing demographics give rise to the question: “Where are all these people going to live and be cared for? Perhaps you are facing that question for yourself or for a senior loved one. How do you know when it’s time for in-home care, or a move to a senior community, or assisted living, or memory care? Before ini... Full story
On May 7, Sisters lost a 130-year-old healthy ponderosa pine tree, measuring 100 feet tall with a diameter of 39 inches. It had been here since before Sisters was settled. The tree stood in the City-owned right-of-way on South Larch Street and, therefore, was the property of the City of Sisters. The adjacent property owner had previously approached the City about removing the tree because the needles were dropping into his yard. The permission from the City was denied. The... Full story
The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a bright and broad light on how much the average American relies on the internet. The gap between who has access to the internet and who doesn’t has been highlighted. “The COVID-19 crisis has revealed that Americans everywhere need universal, reliable, affordable, and high-speed internet to do their jobs and participate equally in remote school learning,” said Sally Jewell, former Interior Secretary under President Obama. “Thirty-nine percent... Full story
Editor’s note: In 2020 America, Internet connectivity is as vital a piece of infrastructure for many folks as roads and electricity. This is the first in a series of articles about Internet services in Sisters. The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the public consciousness a number of inequities that exist in the America of today. One of those is the “digital divide” that exists between large urban areas of the U.S. and smaller rural towns, farms and ranches, India... Full story
•?Five Sisters residents have filed as candidates to be on the November general election ballot for three positions on the Sisters City Council. Councilors whose terms expire this year include Chuck Ryan, Andrea Blum, and Richard Esterman. The five candidates for three positions are: Gary Ross; Elizabeth Fisher; incumbent Andrea Blum; Susan Cobb; and Jennifer Letz. •?City councilors approved a purchase agreement between Sisters School District and the City of... Full story
Time was — and not that many years ago — that everyone in Sisters knew everyone else. Many of them were related by birth and/or marriage, making early family trees sometimes difficult to follow. Many shared common first names like George, Sarah, and John, providing more confusion. One of the goals of the Three Sisters Historical Society and the new Sisters History Museum, is to bring those relationships off the paper and to life through stories, photos, family... Full story
