News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
The 14th edition of the Peterson Ridge Rumble 20- and 40-mile trail race started Sunday, April 10, with a crisp clear morning that turned into one of the warmer race days in the history of the event. Nonetheless, a total of 452 runners completed their respective courses, making it the largest overall finish number since the race began back in 2003. Race director Sean Meissner could not recall temperatures climbing into the mid-70s in previous years. "That made it a little toug... Full story
Maret Pajutee, district ecologist for the Sisters Ranger District, will bring her lengthy Forest Service career to a conclusion with a final address at the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) speakers forum next week. For the past 25 years, Pajutee has been a fixture in the ecological world of Sisters Country. While she has no plans for that to change, her official role with the Forest Service is coming to an end. For her Forest Service curtain call, she says she will "pull out the crystal ball to discuss the future of Whychus Cree... Full story
The Deschutes Land Trust announced Monday that it has finalized an agreement to purchase 1,120 acres of land along Whychus Creek northeast of Sisters. The agreement allows the Land Trust to raise the funds necessary to purchase Rimrock Ranch. This iconic property includes rugged canyons, pine forests, and almost two miles of Whychus Creek. Rimrock is home to a variety of wildlife species including salmon and steelhead, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, golden eagles, and numerous bats, raptors, and songbirds. The ranch is a corn... Full story
To the Editor: I have been following The Nugget's articles about assisted-living settings in Sisters, most recently Sue Stafford's in the March 30 issue. As she so aptly stated, "The saga of Pinnacle Alliance Group of Yakima versus McKenzie Meadow Village continues." The barriers that Pinnacle Alliance Group has, and continues, to put forth against McKenzie Meadows are reminiscent of a 6-year-old bully in the community park sandbox who kicks and throws sand at anyone else who attempts to bring his/her bucket and shovel in.... Full story
Protecting children is a sacred duty for every adult, and this duty is highlighted in Child Abuse Prevention Month. Leveraging off the heightened awareness of the issue, Sisters Park & Recreation District, Circle of Friends and KIDS Center are co-sponsoring "Darkness to Light - Stewards of Children" training at SPRD on Saturday, April 16. The training is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is requested. Contact Kelly Davis-Martin at 541-588-6445 or email... Full story
• Last week, one of the oldest ponderosa pines in the city had to be removed due to disease and bug infestation. A large crowd gathered in Creekside Park to bid farewell to this forest giant. A "cookie" section of the tree has been saved and will be displayed by cutting a V-shape in the remaining stump and setting the section up on its side. It will be varnished to protect it from the weather. Visitors to the park will be able to count the rings (well over 400) to... Full story
Sisters Habitat for Humanity is seeking women volunteers for its 5th annual National Women Build Week, May 3-7. Sisters Habitat is one of more than 300 Habitat organizations nationwide hosting Women Build projects with support from Lowe's, a longtime partner in the event. Women of Sisters will gather to help build the homes for Alexandra and Jessica Lantaler and Selah Broderick. The future homeowners will both be working at the jobsite during the week. Interested volunteers... Full story
Getting back to competition after a long spring break did not faze the Outlaws. They opened the Sky-Em season with strong early season performances at a four-way meet that included league rivals Sweet Home and Elmira, as well as 3A Creswell in a contest held Thursday, April 7, at Elmira. "It was good to have our first meet in three weeks," said Head Coach Jeff Larson. "The wonderful weather and solid level of competition brought out the best in the Outlaws." The girls took top... Full story
The boys lacrosse team fell 11-2 to Churchill on Saturday, April 9. Sisters started their season with a close win over Burns and have since lost three straight games. The young squad hopes to turn that around as they improve their skills each week. In the game against Churchill, the Outlaws were held scoreless the first two quarters of the contest and trailed 7-0 at the half. Sisters was able to get a goal in the third to get on the scoreboard. The goal came from Ethan... Full story
A $1.27-million portion of the Sisters School District's $10.7-million bond funding request that goes to a vote May 17 is dedicated to paying off a full faith and credit obligation undertaken by the school district in 2007. The district has six annual payments of $240,000 still remaining on the original $2.1 million obligation. The funds for those payments come out of the district's general fund, and district staff and board members note that eliminating the debt will free up... Full story
Sisters School District will host a screening of "Paper Tigers," a film that captures the pain, danger, beauty, and hopes of struggling teens and teachers armed with new science and fresh approaches that are changing lives for the betters. The documentary, directed by James Redford and produced by Karen Pritzker, will be shown at Sisters High School auditorium on Friday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. This is a free event open to the public. (The film is not recommended for younger audiences.) Doors will open at 6 p.m.; light... Full story
It's dangerous to write about baseball. The topic is too loaded, has been done badly too many times, and almost everyone is an expert. But it is spring, after all, the loathsome caterwauling of the election primaries is getting worse, the season is underway, and this is Vin Scully's final year - or so he says. There is an old saw that goes something like this: Football is brothers beating each other up in the backyard, baseball is fathers and sons (or daughters) playing... Full story
The Lady Outlaws played two lacrosse matches at home on Saturday, April 9. Sisters defeated West Salem 11-7 and went on to beat West Albany 13-12 in overtime. Sisters started out strong in their match against West Salem, with a great draw control (essentially a face-off) from Sydney Head, who had a quick goal in the first two minutes. West Salem snuck in two goals in the next 10 minutes, but the Outlaws responded with a goal from Marissa Young to tie it up 2-2. Once the... Full story
Volunteers have been moving equipment out of the Cloverdale Road fire station in preparation for the start of construction of a new fire station apparatus building. Financed by bond funding, the new building will allow for a larger training room, and the ability to park all trucks side-by-side behind individual doors. This will allow for a faster response by the water tenders, which have been parked behind other apparatus in the old building for years. It also creates a safer... Full story
A quilt pieced by local quilter Valerie Fercho-Tillery is getting a second chance to raise funds to support Furry Friends Foundation in Sisters. The quilt was originally won by Sandy Layne, who then donated the quilt back again. "We were delighted when Sandy Layne came to our booth at the 2014 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show," said Furry Friends Foundation founder and director Kiki Dolson. "A quilter herself, she had been showing the quilt she won from Furry Friends at other quilt... Full story
When Sisters resident Kelly Sheets is asked to talk about her Curiosity Experiment endeavor, her eyes light up as she leans into the conversation, full of energy and enthusiasm. "All of my experiences - travel, recreation therapy, business, yoga, meditation - have provided the groundwork for this project. I have learned that I do my best work when I am immersed in what I am doing, instead of seeing a client for one hour once a week. I get energized instead of tired. I am... Full story
Art has been a part of Carly Gascon's life since she was very young. "As long as I can remember, I have always loved to draw and paint," said the Sisters High School senior and 2016 Scholastic Art and Writing Award winner. Her parents, Scott and Carissa Gascon, saw her talent and have encouraged her to pursue her interests in the arts. "I admit I am biased," said Scott, "but I've always felt like she's had a special gift." And now, more than just mom and dad are in agreement.... Full story
On the morning of April 8, four Sisters Middle School students prepared themselves to go head-to-head against the best middle-school-aged chess competitors in the state at this year's Chess for Success state tournament. Held annually, the competition is a friendly way for the students that excel at chess to meet and play games both as a team and individually. In winning first place in the regional tournament last January, the SMS Chess Club earned a spot at the state... Full story
When Sisters resident Susan Prince began hearing about oil spills in the pristine rainforests of the Ecuadorian Amazon, she decided to investigate for herself. And on March 8, 2016, International Women's Day, Prince took action by joining 300 indigenous women from across the Ecuadorian Amazon in a historic march in defense of the Amazon against oil drilling. "I had first gone on a month-long trip to Ecuador over four years ago with a friend," she recalled. "Global exchange... Full story
Sisters' Fly Fisher's Place has a new guide - Mary Ann Dozer, a woman who radiates with infectious energy and whose enthusiasm for fly fishing is boundless. When she starts talking about fly fishing, her eyes get wide and she smiles a lot and her vocabulary fills up with words like "adrenaline" and "passion." Dozer, a graduate of Purdue University and for many years employed as an engineer by Hewlett Packard, started fly fishing in 1995 in Yellowstone National Park. She... Full story
A swarm of bees can mean many things to many people. To the uninitiated they can be sheer terror. "What!" Screams Auntie Em, "We have a swarm of bees in the backyard! Call the police!" I actually heard that statement from a terror-stricken person in Portland years back. The fear of "The Swarm" is perhaps one of the most overblown old wive's tales still going around today. Springtime is the season for swarms to appear. Please think of them as FreeBees for the taking, and no threat to life or limb. That said, climate change... Full story
The initial lineup for the 2016 Sisters Folk Festival, September 9-11, was announced last week. Sisters welcomes festival patrons for three days of world-class performances by artists including: Legendary British guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson; Texas gospel-folksinger Ruthie Foster; Canadian powerhouse Whitehorse; San Francisco-based band Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express; bluegrass luminary Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum with Nina Gerber; the soulful blues-rock of Th... Full story
There are two reasons I want to tell you about one of the most remarkable people I have ever met - Yuri Schmidt. One reason is his story needs to be told and remembered, and the other is I made a promise to him in 2006 and am keeping that promise. Yuri was a human rights lawyer in the Soviet Union and after the fall of the Soviet state. There are few places more challenging to be a human rights attorney than what was the Soviet Union and now Russia. Many of his colleagues were killed (and are being killed) speaking out as he... Full story
The Anvil Blasters will play at Hood Avenue Art on Thursday, April 21, in the second of the gallery's Salon Series of fundraising events for Circle of Friends. The music runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the intimate gallery setting. A $10 suggested donation will benefit Circle of Friends, Sisters' local youth mentoring program. Circle of Friends uplifts young folks in need of a hand by providing mentors with a long-term commitment to provide positive experiences for youth in... Full story
For eons, men and women have pondered the question: Do animals have souls? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the definitions of "soul" is: The ability of a person to feel kindness and sympathy for others. And: A person's deeply felt moral and emotional nature. Any dog or cat pet parent will tell you that animals have a sixth sense when it comes to understanding human emotional needs. For instance, when you are feeling down, an animal can often act as a better confidant than another human. Animals possess a... Full story
