News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
The Central Oregon Fire Chiefs Association (COFCA) is closing open debris burning for residential and private lands across the tri-county region in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson Counties. Burning debris piles on many private lands will not be allowed after sunset on May 31,, as the area is still in extreme drought and heading into the summer wildland fire season.... Full story
Sisters schools responded to support students the day following the school massacre in Texas last week. Staff met at Sisters Middle School and Sisters High School prior to the arrival of students, to check in with one another and to form an action plan for the day. “No teachers are unaffected by news of school shootings,” said Tim Roth. “We needed to support one another and then take care of the kids during the day.” As the day began, teachers spoke to their first period classes about the incident in three ways, according to... Full story
I really, really want to believe a mass shooting can’t happen in our sweet small town… but I know it can. Incomprehensibly, we are averaging more than one mass shooting per day. There are so many mass shootings in America that most don’t even make the headlines anymore. Our 20-year debate over gun control has been fruitless and divisive. Other countries, which have just as many guns per capita as we do, do not have the mass shootings. This is a uniquely American illness. Do I think teenagers should have access to AR-... Full story
America, the melting pot of the world! A phrase I’ve grown up with that said all are welcome here. That this is a place where dreams come true. If you work hard enough and stick with it, anything is possible, for all people. Listening to the news, I am struck by how wrong that concept can be. Yes, for a white, middle-class woman, it has been true, as it was for my parents, my brothers and sister, and my children. From all observations, it will be true for their children too. Instead, I am beginning to see that this melting p... Full story
A 56-year-old mountain biker from Switzerland ran into a mountain lion while out cycling in the mountains and woods near Broken Top south of Sisters, and got lost while trying to evade the forest feline. A Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) Search and Rescue team retrieved him. Deputy Donny Patterson, DCSO assistant search and rescue coordinator, reported that at 5:06 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, Deschutes County 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a lost mountain... Full story
When people hear the name Perry South they often think of a remote and scenic campground on the shores of Lake Billy Chinook with boating, eagles, and a few rattlesnakes. Some even ask, “Where is Perry North?” But the name honors a special ranger who began his work on the banks of the Metolius River in the old Allingham Ranch house in 1906, in the earliest days of the Forest Service. He went on to serve in Sisters for over 20 years, longer than any other ranger to this day... Full story
Being a runner can be a fairly solitary experience, in part because it can be tough to find the right running partner. About five years ago I met a potential candidate. He had just moved here from Hawaii and, as a beach bum, had limited experience running in the forest where I always go. But his enthusiasm gave me no choice other than to give him a shot. Perhaps it helped that, like me, he was a little “chunky,” which made us comfortable with one another. His speed sur... Full story
Scott Penzarella moved to Sisters in January of 2021 after purchasing Sisters Motor Lodge. He jumped in with both feet, getting involved with the Sisters High School Transitions Program and becoming acquainted with the trail systems and Forest Service land surrounding Sisters. An avid outdoorsman, he spends time in the backcountry hiking, biking, mountaineering, and climbing. Several times a week he hikes the Whychus Creek trail with his dog, Louie. Just two weeks ago he... Full story
June brings with it the beginning of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, a good news/bad news proposition for evening stargazers. The likelihood of clearer skies and warmer temperatures than spring delivered is the upside, but the later-setting sun delays nighttime observing. When it does get dark enough to see stars, look for our featured constellation. No other stellar grouping is less dependent on the season of the year to be seen than Ursa Minor, also known as the Litt... Full story
Five hundred mountain bikers of all ages and skill levels converged on Sisters Sunday for the 13th Sisters Stampede, a nationally recognized race. The race is capped at 500 by Forest Service permit restrictions. Otherwise hundreds more would have registered according to promoters Mudslinger Events, a Monroe, Oregon-based outfit that manages a dozen biking events around the state. Nine states sent riders, some making a 2,000-mile plus journey, given the growing reputation of... Full story
I’m not an alarmist, but I am a naturalist who has been a guest in this world we call home for nigh into 94 years. When I was a kid on the farm in West Haven, Connecticut, my grandfather swore by a chemical named Black Leaf 40, a so-called “safe,” biodegradable agricultural insecticide used around the world since the 1800s. It’s 40 percent nicotine sulfate and classified as little hazard to birds, fish, and beneficial insects. Hah! There was no information on what happene... Full story
“Californians Go Home!” That’s a sentence I heard and saw directed at me growing up. In 1969, my father had a job at Black Butte Ranch. He would be designing the new resort’s first golf course, Big Meadow, and helping with other features around the Ranch. When he first told my mom, she wasn’t happy. “Oh no! They can’t develop that beautiful place,” was her first reaction. But once she heard the design concept, she realized if a stunning place like it was going to be developed, the people in charge were going to do all they... Full story
Mary Olney from Warm Springs is Sisters Rodeo Queen. She is the granddaughter of Chief Delvis Heath Sr. Olney grew up on the Warm Springs reservation, where she learned about her Native culture and where she developed a love for horses and rodeo. She is a 2019 graduate of Madras High School (with honors), where she participated in soccer, cheer, softball, National Honor Society, and student council. She was also active in the Lyle Gap 4-H Club showing market goats and swine, a... Full story
Sisters Farmers Market opens a new season starting Sunday, June 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoppers can browse fresh Oregon strawberries, locally ranched meats and eggs, produce from local farms, and a variety of artisanal foods and handcrafts. The music of Derek Reynolds promises to get people’s toes tapping. A relaxed, friendly feeling surrounds the Sisters community’s outdoor market, which runs from June through early October. “I just love the vibes of this market,” said Aa... Full story
An emotional Tyler Cranor directed his final big show for Sisters School District at the Spring Band Concert Thursday, May 26, at the Sisters High School auditorium. Cranor, who is leaving after eight years in the district to take a job in Fort Myers, Florida, sprinkled in thank-yous and appreciations throughout the evening that included students from grades 6-12. Cranor’s colleagues Steven Livingston (middle school music), Melissa Stolasz (fiddle club), Julie Cash (music a... Full story
Bob Grooney helped to make Sisters what it is today. He pioneered one of its signature businesses, known as the Gallimaufry, which was Sisters’ liquor store (now operated by his grandson Spud Shaw. He served on the Sisters School Board and the board of the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce. Grooney is now in his 90s. As a teenager, Grooney was a United States Marine who fought in one of the most savage and well-remembered battles of World War II — the Battle of Iwo J... Full story
Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) is hosting community focus groups on June 2-3 to hear from district residents about recreation needs. With a focus on programming, the District is seeking feedback specifically on programs and services that are important to the community and what is currently missing from the SPRD lineup. 3J Consulting has been hired by SPRD to conduct this needs assessment, which allows for a more efficient and impartial process. In addition to conducting a recreation programming needs assessment,... Full story
Last Thursday, Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) took time to recognize the approximately 30 members who serve as trail adopters and the eight who are sawyers. The former adopt a section of the 200-plus miles of STA trails, committing to walk them every month or so as observers. They are looking for damaged trail beds, possibly washed out from rain or snow, downed trees, dangerous limbs, or any manner of obstacles that otherwise impede safe enjoyment of the popular hiking trail... Full story
While out delivering The Nugget recently, I listened to an episode of the American Spy Museum’s Spycast podcast, featuring Ric Prado. Enrique Prado was a covert CIA operative in Central America in the 1980s, as the Reagan Administration sought to build an insurgency to overthrow the Communist Sandinista regime, which had come to power in a revolution against the brutal Somoza government of Nicaragua in 1979. Prado worked directly with the “Contras” as the count... Full story
Gun violence To the Editor: I’ve been a longtime member of a local ukulele group led by Peggy Tehan here in Sisters. Last Thursday we performed at Sisters Elementary School for three classes of first-graders. We were seated in the gym in a half circle facing the bleachers. The children were led into the gym by their teachers and sat on the bleacher benches in front of us. A Rotary Club member came out and talked about the importance of reading. A children’s book was read to them. During this time the ukulele group sat pat... Full story
Sisters High School science students launched multiple experiments into the stratosphere on Wednesday, May 25, in what has become an annual rite of spring for the Outlaws.... Full story
There was anguish in the voice of Sylvester Van Oort, the keynote speaker at Sisters’ Memorial Day service, held at the Village Green on Monday. He described the terrible fate of Don Bullock, a 17-year-old who lied about his age to join the United States Marine Corps to serve his country in Vietnam. Just a handful of days after arriving in Saigon, he was killed by a satchel charge flung through the window of his living quarters. “We’re sorry, Don, that you had to die so young,... Full story
Some folks in Sisters have gotten upset recently at fees charged to local organizations for public facilities used during events. Such an occurrence happened last week when a citizen posted on social media that the City of Sisters was “robbing the veterans” by charging them a fee for use of the Village Green Park for the annual Memorial Day observance. Earl Schroeder, the senior vice commander of the Sisters VFW Post 8138, was the person who dealt directly with the City regard... Full story
The Sisters Rodeo, billed as the Biggest Little Show in the World, has a cast of hundreds: 11 board members, 200-plus association members, and a small army of volunteers. Given that it generally comes off without a hitch, it is easy to assume that it just magically happens, year after year. As in 80 years. It doesn’t. The whole kit and kaboodle is run as an all-volunteer organization, with the exception of a paid part-time ticket agent. It’s about as much community eng... Full story
