News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 205
Sisters in Sisters celebrated its one-year anniversary with food and drinks at The Barn on Thursday, during Pride Month. The monthly meetup offers a casual gathering space for LGBTQIA+ folks and their allies the second Thursday of every month, from 4 to 7 p.m. Its first event, held one year ago, attracted dozens of attendees, many of whom heard about it through Central Oregon-based Pride announcements and social media. It was the first known Pride event ever to occur in... Full story
Managers of Sisters Farmers Market have run the gamut over the years - farmers, a chef, and a registered nurse. Each brought passion and hard work to the position. This year, the Market's parent organization Seed to Table, has hired a farmer and vendor with a deep history in nonprofit markets: Willa Bauman. Market life runs in Bauman's blood. She grew up in the countryside west of Eugene. There her parents baked their own goods and sold them at the long-running, open-air Satur... Full story
What is a one-act play, exactly? Any theater piece with no interruptions, undivided into multiple acts, fits the definition. Some might assume an evening of one-act plays would feature two plays, each around an hour long. In the case of "Now You're Talking... One Acts 2023," presented by Silent Echo Theater Company last weekend, the show's entertainment featured a whopping seven mini-plays. On Saturday night, a comfortable house of 40 to 50 audience members filled the room. Li... Full story
Most folks know the Pole Creek Ranch barn as part of the stellar view from Highway 242 across from the middle school. Last Friday, it became the debut location for the May Market. Outside, the Three Sisters and Black Crater loomed close, perched above a carpet of bright greenery growing in the fields. Hay bales were stacked high, under cover. Smoke from a prescribed burn billowed over from near Edgington Road. Inside, Eryn Elbers walked through the iconic barn, winding among f... Full story
Good weather and a wide variety of activities brought hundreds of locals to Sisters Parks & Recreation District's (SPRD) Kids Carnival last Saturday. Dancing, bicycle safety, face painting, exploring trucks, and planting starts were among the possibilities. "It was such a great day," enthused Nikki Olson, whose role at SPRD includes coordinating special events and the District's care programs. She's been with SPRD since August. "The turnout was about 700 people. We were... Full story
As the City of Sisters ramps up to select our next city manager, I think back to the days before I was an Official Newspaper Columnist™ for The Nugget. I’d lived here about a year when the City announced it’d be hiring a new city manager. Citizens were invited to attend a reception at FivePine, where we could sip wine, snack snacks, and meet candidates. How civilized, I thought, feeling the glow that comes with moving from a bigger city to a smaller town. I grew up out... Full story
Back in the 1980s and ’90s, Nate Turner lived in Camp Sherman, near Lake Creek Lodge. Little did he know that his elementary school experience was unusual compared to that of most young Americans. Now he’s living the dream as a professional outdoorsman. Turner attended Black Butte School (BBS), a tiny, single-school district and schoolhouse that now serves kindergarteners through eighth graders. On Fridays, the kids head up the hill to ski at Hoodoo, just like when Turner was... Full story
Pink balloons, history installations, and delicious snacks awaited guests at the 50th anniversary party for Black Butte School’s Ski & Ride program at Hoodoo Ski Bowl last Friday. Some had to wait in traffic for an hour, as wintry conditions and tow trucks brought vehicles to a standstill on Highway 20. “It’s really about getting people together,” said Delaney Sharp to the crowd. “I appreciate you guys sticking with it.” A round of applause went out for “Gary the bus drive... Full story
The town’s third March for Hope took place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Students and their siblings, accompanied by a handful of adults and dogs, walked down the town’s main sidewalks. They carried hand-painted signs with messages about their dreams: peace, smiles, equality, and homes for everyone. Seven-year-old Ani Orange carried rainbow flags and a handmade sign reading “Equality 4 All.” A second grader at Sisters Elementary School, she learned about Dr. King at school... Full story
As a kid, I spent a lot of time watching people get their vehicles out of ditches. I learned the sticky value of mud, the slick potential of black ice, and the inevitable off-road sliding that would come with snow. Sometimes I was helping. More often I was huddling in my dad’s red truck while he got the job done. There were no cell phones; if you were stuck in a ditch out on Gimpl Hill Road, you were good and stuck. If you wanted help, you’d need to trudge up someone’s snowy... Full story
Enjoy a silent meditation walk with others in your community, celebrating the longest night of the year on December 21. Sisters Community Labyrinth will begin its annual Winter Solstice Labyrinth Walk with a brief gathering, then proceed through the labyrinth in silence toward the boulder at its center. Organizers ask that participants dress warmly, wear appropriate snow boots or traction devices, and bring a flashlight or electric candle. Hot beverages will be provided; parti... Full story
A person can count on traditions in Camp Sherman. In summer, anglers will fly-fish on the Metolius. Newcomers will get lost driving around the Forest Service tracts. Camp Sherman Store will serve up some fine grub. And in winter, residents will flock to Black Butte School’s (BBS) Winter Performance. “I am so excited to bring the show back to the Community Hall!” director Jennie Sharp told The Nugget. “The Community Hall brings everyone literally closer together, which we have... Full story
On Saturday, I met the adorable Gizmo, a yellow lab puppy. He’d brought his humans Jennifer and Doug down to Eurosports for a last-minute gathering of political candidates. I hoped to meet Jamie McLeod-Skinner, running for U.S. Congress for the new Congressional District 5 — that’s us, folks! Some friends and family have been working hard, as volunteers or professionally, to elect her and candidates like Susan Cobb and Morgan Schmidt. Holding Gizmo’s leash was Sisters re... Full story
Whether you bury it in the garage or send it to the landfill, chances are you’ve run into a broken household object recently. Many folks don’t know what else to do with it. “We throw away vast amounts of stuff,” according to the international organization Repair Café. “Even things with almost nothing wrong, and which could get a new lease on life after a simple repair.” Call a local repair shop and you may find it’s more affordable to buy a new gadget than get your old... Full story
Locally grown tomatoes. Green veggies. Berries, peaches, and fragrant flowers. Eggs, meat, baked goods, handcrafts, and artisanal foods. Crops vary from week to week, but Sisters Farmers Market delivers a wide array of local goods every Sunday — until next week. This Sunday, October 2, is closing day—the last chance to shop at the Farmers Market this year. Marketgoers can sip small-batch, wood-fired local coffee as they browse the booths at Fir Street Park and... Full story
At Harmony Farm Sanctuary, rescued animals enjoy each other’s company. They eat good food and receive loving care from human beings. As with people, the effects of neglect and abuse can be profound among non-human animals. Acts of kindness and generosity show profound results. Walking among the rehabilitated or recovering animals inspires a special kind of joy. Harmony Farm used to be located a few blocks from Sisters Elementary—fairly close to Fir Street Park. T... Full story
Folks in Sisters sure love dogs. And cats. Not to mention bunnies, horses, pigs, and wolves. Our fine furry friends will be celebrated Sunday, September 25, at “Fur on Fir,” a special event at Sisters Farmers Market. It’s the second-to-last market of the season, held at Fir Street Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Market-goers can drink coffee, nibble pastries, pose for a photo with their pets, and learn from local nonprofit organizations that serve animals. Evan Mullins will play... Full story
The other day I talked with a young friend about something bad he did a few years ago as a teenager. The crime was never prosecuted, but it hurt someone. Sometimes my young friend has been agonized, even suicidal, over what he did. I thought of him during recent arguments over how Bend’s newspaper, The Bulletin, covered the Safeway shooting. Unhinged young men going on shooting sprees with AR-15-style weapons in America is no longer unusual. But as of last week, the people o... Full story
Sisters Country has just four weeks left to enjoy its local farmers market. The bounty of harvest season brings a rainbow of fresh produce to Sisters Farmers Market. Bright, luscious tomatoes and tempting salad mixes are laid out on the gingham-checked tables. Colorful squashes and beans grown in Sisters soil pile up in baskets. Rich, pungent garlic is available in a variety of types, each with its own flavor profile. Local pastured and grass-fed meats sit alongside fine arts... Full story
It started in 2019. Jennie Sharp, local educator and mom, thought that the kids of Sisters Country should have more access to hands-on theater experience. Local schools offered some programming—including the beloved winter performance by Black Butte School students in Camp Sherman, directed by Sharp herself. Beyond school, though, there didn’t seem to be many options other than driving to Bend. Sharp founded Starshine as a way for kids to create devised theater, using pl... Full story
Young artists from a creativity camp performed original songs, read poetry, and showed their paintings at Sisters Art Works last Friday. But this camp had a special twist: the kids also created songs inspired by local elders. Earlier in the week, campers attended the senior luncheon at Sisters Community Church. They asked questions, listened, and took notes on their elders’ life stories, favorite foods, and more. Back at camp, youth came up with song ideas based on luncheon co... Full story
It’s just before showtime. In blue bat wings and a feather mask, 5-year-old Olive Van Buren gets ready for her circus act with Marley Menasco, who wears a white ensemble with tiara and electric-blue cape. Marley is 5 years old too. Or, as the girls put it, they’re both “five and a half.” They were among a dozen or so kids participating in the Starshine circus camp. In a shady grove of trees near Suttle Lodge, they gathered around a wooden stage last Friday. Asked about t... Full story
Seattle, a young visitor from Utah, and her twin sister Ellie enjoyed Sisters Farmers Market last Sunday. Ellie liked “the music and the dogs” best. The most delicious part of Seattle’s market day? She said it was her popsicle, a strawberry-pineapple iced treat from Rawmona’s Kitchen. The most fun part was making prints, according to Seattle. The nonprofit group Friends and Neighbors of the Deschutes Canyon, a.k.a. FANs, brought synthetic feet made from real animal footpri... Full story
Time is running out to buy tickets for the August raffle at Sisters Farmers Market. The winning tickets will be drawn during the market at Fir Street Park this Sunday, August 14. Purchase tickets online through Saturday at 5 p.m. or in person at the market’s Info Booth. “You do not need to be local or present to win,” said Market Manager Michelle Jiunta. The market is prepared to ship the grand prize if necessary; it has garnered much admiration from locals and out-of-town vis... Full story
Writing workshops are an important phenomenon to writers and culture nerds. We hear about how [insert name of writer here] got their start at [insert name of workshop here]. It’s like reading about Paris in the 1920s. We go: Dang, why couldn’t I have been there? Well, it turns out an amazing workshop did indeed happen near here, from 1984 to 2000 — as a new book explains. I was too young for those early years, but maybe I could’ve joined in a later workshop. It was j... Full story
