News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
If the U.S. Forest Service property housing the Sisters Ranger District headquarters at the west end of town sells, what will be built on that land? That has been a big question on the minds of Sisters citizens ever since the Forest Service announced the property was for sale. City staff is continuing to explore options to facilitate and support future land-use entitlements on the property. The "middle" portion of the property is approximately 32 acres and zoned Public Facility (PF). The Comprehensive Plan text designation... Full story
Folks in Sisters Country might be forgiven for looking askance at anyone who says "better late than never" when it comes to winter storms. After a relatively mild and dry January and early February - and after several predicted storms fizzled out or skirted the area - Sisters got hit with a mighty wallop Sunday and Monday as a heavy winter storm dumped more than two feet of snow. Massive snowfall in the Cascades caused avalanches that blocked all or part of Highway 20 near San... Full story
"You are growing very fast and changing fast and I know I don't need to tell you that," Brendon Buckley of Johnson Economics told the Sisters Planning Commission at their February 21 meeting. Since 2000, Sisters has grown roughly 185 percent with an increase of nearly 1,800 people, a much greater percentage growth than either Deschutes County or the state. Buckley was explaining the draft results of his firm's Housing Needs Analysis (HNA), which analyzes the 20-year housing ne... Full story
Great tufts of snow wafted to the white ground outside Sisters High School last weekend as audiences made their way inside to "The Snow Queen." Produced by Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT), in partnership with Sisters Folk Festival and Sisters Schools, the show was borne of an interesting premise: that students can learn their lines, blocking, and several short songs in just five days' time, then perform for the public. Many kids arrived at auditions with no prior stage... Full story
To the Editor: In last week's letters to the editor, it was stated that I stepped down from my position at Sisters Folk Festival to pursue other opportunities. Nothing could be further from the truth. I quit in protest of the elimination of Ann Richardson's position at SFF, and what I see as a wrong-headed decision on the part of whoever's making decisions for the organization. Pete Rathbun s s s To the Editor: I started skiing with Oregon Adaptive Sports four years ago. Since then I've been trained to hike and bike with the... Full story
My heart sank as I read contentious letters relating to the book "George." I read the content page, additional pages, and reviews. Many liked it; others did not. Several, teachers included, felt it was inappropriate for fourth-graders. Curiosity led me to seek what the percentage of LBGT persons are in this country. 2012 reported 3.5 percent (Gallup's first report) 2016 reported 4.1 percent May 25, 2018, NBC reported "4.5 percent of US adults identify as LBGT... The increase was driven primarily by millennials, 8.2 percent... Full story
Paul and Jillian Frankl had decisions to make. When should their son get a cell phone? Smartphone or flip? How could they help him use it wisely? After reading articles on the subject, they settled on a contract. When Chase was 13, he was offered the option of using a cell phone that his parents would pay for-if he agreed to their terms of use (see sidebar, page 23). The Frankls establish traditions and rules for the whole family. Mealtime is recommended by experts as a time... Full story
Central Oregon has lost one of its wittiest, fun-loving, and compassionate people! Just two-and-a-half years before the grand plans he had for retirement, Dave Blann died unexpectedly in his sleep. Growing up in Bend, where his parents, Cliff and Louise Blann, managed Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, Dave and his siblings learned to love the outdoors at an early age. Dave worked in construction as well as in the ski industry for 20 years. Working for his father gave him a leg up as a... Full story
Sisters resident Stephen C. Pyke was born on October 3, 1948. He passed February 14, 2019. Steve was father to four boys (Eli, Lee, Casey, and Samuel); husband of 39 years to his wife, Mary; brother to Susan; father-in-law to Kelly, Angie, and Alex; and grandpa to Dakota, Isabelle, Jorah, Winter and Harper. Steve's family was his pride and joy. He was born in Lafayette, Indiana to his parents, Donald and Chay Pyke. The family would later welcome his younger sister, Susie. As... Full story
Youth Career Connect expanded their internship program to the Sisters community late last year. With energy from both the business community and Sisters High School, internship opportunities are quickly being created, with new potential presented each day. "Our school district strives to provide meaningful learning experiences for all of our students," said Joe Hosang, principal at Sisters High School. "In order to accomplish this, a strong internship program is one method that many principals, including myself, dream about.... Full story
Boston-based band Darlingside will be returning to Sisters March 6 for their fifth time, as the second installment of the Winter Concert Series. Darlingside first came to Sisters for the Sisters Folk Festival in 2014. Since, they've returned to play the festival again as well as the Winter Concert Series and other fundraising events. The band has become a favorite within the community, especially among younger audiences. "We always know we are going to be going back to Sisters... Full story
I'm writing this on Sunday morning, during the first real snowstorm we've enjoyed this year-though I almost didn't believe it was going to happen. I stopped believing the weather woman about two months ago. This was a deliberate act of rebellion because riding the prediction roller-coaster was damaging my nerves and upsetting the dogs. Calls for snow this winter have too often dissembled into blue skies, warm chinooks, and mud in the paddocks, and although I have sympathy for... Full story
Tiffany Lee Brown -known to most as "T" - brings a varied background and a deep toolbox of talents to her work as a freelancer with The Nugget Newspaper. Brown's work for The Nugget so far has focused on the arts and on the way in which local families are working to manage their digital lives. She will soon launch a column titled "In the Pines," and will edit a new monthly feature dedicated to content for - and by - children and families. "I am very excited that The Nugget is... Full story
Lie back and relax. Feel gentle hands massage pressure points in your tired feet, tight shoulders and neck. A heated bed, soft music and soothing scenes on the walls all contribute to an hour of worry-free pampering in the heart of Sisters. And that's just the beginning. Central Oregon-raised Tammy Patterson has the gift of healing touch. She's turned that talent into a career that focuses on relaxation, vitality and regaining optimum health. Her business, Graceful Touch... Full story
The Outlaws hosted Klamath Union (KU) in a play-in game on Friday, February 22, and walked off the court with a 48-42 victory. The win advances them to round one of the state playoffs. They will match up against No.2-ranked Seaside on Friday, March 1. This marks the fifth consecutive year the Outlaws have made it to the state playoffs. It was a battle from start to finish in Friday's home win over KU. KU had a talented team, including Jagger Hogan, an excellent post, Darvis... Full story
Throughout the months of January and February the sun has been slowly drifting northward in the sky. At 2:58 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, March 20, it will reach the celestial equator as the season changes from winter to spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The event is known as the vernal equinox and results in roughly equal amounts of daylight and darkness in a 24-hour period. Besides bringing with it the prospect of warmer weather, spring signals changes in the night sky as well, p... Full story
Three Outlaws matmen - Dalton Ford, Ethan Martin, and Chaz Patterson - competed at the state wrestling championships held at Memorial Coliseum in Portland on Friday and Saturday, February 22-23. "The state tournament is what every wrestler wants to qualify for starting in mid-November," said Coach John Downs. "These wrestlers compete and practice very hard for three-and-a-half months in hopes of a chance to wrestle in the state championships." For the three Outlaws, it was a... Full story
Mustelids can be pretty stinky. In addition to the American badger (which I wrote about recently), there are several of its cousins that have the same ability: American marten; ermine aka short-tailed weasel; fisher; long-tailed weasel; mink; northern river otter; striped skunk; Western spotted skunk and wolverine. When I was a kid on the farm back in the 1940s, my dad said to me, "Jimmy, if you ruin this brand-new pair of shoes I got for you like you have all your others,... Full story
A lot of research has been built up around self-awareness - the ability to recognize the self as distinct from the environment. It's having consciousness and knowledge of the self as an individual. Humans have self-awareness and we're able to recognize our body, our feelings, and our thoughts as our own. But an unsettling question has hounded humanity for generations: Are we alone in our self-awareness; do other animals have a sense of self, too? Because you can't ask... Full story
