News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
The Lady Outlaws were defeated 56-33 at Woodburn on Tuesday, June 1. Their game at Stayton against the Eagles was cancelled as the Outlaws did not have enough players to make the trip. It was a tough first half for the Outlaws on Tuesday as they were outscored 31-16 in the first half. They did a much better job in the second half but the first-half deficit was too much to overcome. The Bulldogs were a much more experienced team and they shot the ball very well from behind the arc. The Outlaws did get good looks from the... Full story
There is an element that is critical to the success of the National Guard’s mission to maintain units trained and ready to mobilize for war or national emergency — yet it is one that is often hidden. Employers have to make it workable for employees to serve. Jennifer Holland, executive director of Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD), did just that for Business Operations Manager Sarah Hyatt last year, and Hyatt made sure she got a proper acknowledgment for it. L... Full story
Students aged 12-19 can get vaccinated against COVID-19 at a free clinic to be held at Sisters High School on Friday, June 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The clinic is conducted through Mosaic Medical Clinic in cooperation with Deschutes County. The clinic includes first doses and those who need a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Students aged 12-14 must have a parent/guardian present. Ages 15-19 can come unaccompanied with identification. Given that most colleges and universities are requiring incoming students to be... Full story
What’s with the stone blocks along Highway 20 by the Sisters Mobile Home Park? Where does the hay that leaves Sisters farms end up? What brings a new business to Sisters? Lots of folks ask themselves such questions — but Bill Bartlett isn’t satisfied till he gets answers. That’s a quality that makes him a perfect fit for a community newspaper. “I’m curious to a fault,” Bartlett says. Bartlett is putting his curiosity — and his chops as a photographer and a write... Full story
Firearms sales hit record levels in 2020, with approximately 20 million firearms sold, and the pace has not slackened in 2021, with agencies reporting record numbers of background checks for sales being made in the first months of the year. According to a New York Times report, “New preliminary data from Northeastern University and the Harvard Injury Control Research Center show that about a fifth of all Americans who bought guns last year were first-time gun owners. And t... Full story
Sisters Astronomy Club (SAC) is pleased to announce that accomplished amateur astronomer Mel Bartels will be the featured presenter at the club’s virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday June 15, beginning at 7 p.m. His talk is entitled “The Clouds of Andromeda.” Using his own astronomical sketches, Bartels will tell a true story of an obscure little patch of light in the sky and how it came to be the center of one of our greatest astronomical revolutions. Today we know that the Great... Full story
It’s always been curious to me why it’s the City of Sisters and not the Town of Sisters. The same thoughts would apply to most of the incorporated communities in Oregon under 5,000 population. When you ask a friend from say Camp Sherman or Eagle Crest what their plans are with respect to a trip into Sisters you don’t say: “Are you coming to city today?” You say: “Are you coming to town?” You don’t ask the same friend if they’ve tried the new (shop, eatery) in city. You say... Full story
Over coffee, The Editor introduced me to a new word: presentism. We were trying to make sense of current debates about the teaching of racism, and revisions to American history. History is an arena of The Editor’s expertise. He pointed out that “presentism,” the evaluation of “past events in terms of modern values and concepts,” is recognized by historians as fallacy. I’d not encountered the word before, and think it’s an important one. Presentism is a filter through which... Full story
The Sisters School Board at their Wednesday, June 2, meeting honored Ethan Hosang as a double state champion following his wins at the 4A cross country meet and in the 3,000 meters at the 4A track and field meet. The board met at the district office for its regular meeting along with an executive session to review the evaluation of Superintendent Curt Scholl. Members present included Edie Jones, Jeff Smith, Don Hedrick and chair Jay Wilkins who conducted his final meeting as a member of the board. David Thorsett was not able... Full story
First of all, thanks are in order. Y’all out there in Sisters Country have been asking about this column for lo these many months. Thank you for caring. I’ve been dealing with a health problem and the brain-numbing medications that go with it. Figured I’d ease back into the conversation by taking on something easy. Let’s say accountability, bullying, and racism in our community. Accountability means taking responsibility for your actions. Failing that, it means being held to... Full story
The white-crowned sparrow in the accompanying photograph is busy building a nest in the middle of Oregon grape leaves here in my yard in Camp Sherman. The females choose the nest site and handle the nest construction. As spring begins, the bulky five-inch nest is constructed on the ground with grasses, twigs, hairs and feathers. Three to seven pale blue or green-black spotted eggs are laid and hatched in 11 to 15 days. In ten days the nestlings are feeding on their own. Their... Full story
The three outdoor parks – bike, disc golf, and skate – located adjacent to the Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) Coffield Center, are proving extremely popular with the public — residents and tourists alike. According to SPRD Executive Director Jennifer Holland, “While this last year has been a rollercoaster, we have been thrilled with the increased use of our specialty parks… As assets of the park and recreation district, these parks belong t... Full story
Summer with the Library is back. Starting June 1, readers and adventurers of all ages can sign up for the free Summer with the Library program, and open the door to a whole season of possibilities. All Deschutes Public Library locations are open for browsing, but there’s more than one way to ring in Summer with the Library. Individuals and families can enroll via the Beanstack app or website to track reading and activities, or you can go old-school with a paper log available at your Library. The Beanstack app and Summer w... Full story
Following a flurry of meets over the past two weeks, the Sisters Outlaws wrestling squad is headed to the District meet on Saturday, June 12, in La Grande. The Outlaws competed in five meets since May 25 in the run-up to the District meet. The season has continued for the program in a whirlwind of wrestling meets the last two weeks. Sisters hosted a meet against Mountain View’s junior varsity team on May 25, traveled to Sheldon on May 27, Culver on May 29, Ridgeview on June 2... Full story
The Outlaws started their week with a 55-49 loss at Woodburn on Tuesday, June 1, and at home two days later fell 62-53 in a non-league contest against Mountain View. On Saturday, Sisters snapped their losing streak with a 57-53 overtime win at home over Stayton. On Tuesday against the Bulldogs the Outlaws handled a tough Woodburn press fairly well. They started out strong and at the close of the first quarter held a 10-8 lead over the visiting Bulldogs. Teams entered the half... Full story
Three years ago, on a cold and snowy, early spring morning Pete, a 3-year-old trumpeter swan arrived at Aspen Lakes after a cross-country trek from the breeder in Scotland Neck, North Carolina. From the moment Pete stepped out of his travel crate, he and Eloise zeroed in on one another and it was truly love at first sight. They cavorted and trumpeted and the warm feelings were clearly palpable to observers of the encounter. It was the start of a love story for the two swans... Full story
It’s not surprising to report that physically active people have reported less-severe symptoms of COVID-19. Potentially, physical activity can be protective against severe symptoms, giving a better outlook to COVID-19’s unrelenting grip on our countrymen. In fact, it’s reported that inactivity is the biggest predictor of how badly the disease will affect a person. According to data from Kaiser Permanente, hospitalization, ICU admission, and death all doubled when the patient was classified as inactive. In accounting for d... Full story
As summer approaches, and more communities and recreational areas around the state begin reopening amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reminds people heading outdoors to be on the look-out for cyanobacteria blooms that can produce toxins when recreating in Oregon lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Cyanobacteria are beneficial bacteria found in all freshwater, worldwide. Under the right conditions—when weather, sunlight, water temperature, nutrients and water chemistry are ideal—cyanobacteria can... Full story
A few years ago, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) investigated a case at Sisters Middle School, where Black student Natalie Soleim was bullied for months. Oregon Department of Education concluded that discrimination and sexual harassment were involved, with “sufficient evidence of a discriminatory environment.” Since then, Sisters School District (SSD) has been grappling with equity issues. Superintendent Curt Scholl said the district has started equity teams “to... Full story
After months of data-gathering, advisory committee meetings, and writing and re-writing drafts, the Comprehensive Plan update process is nearing completion — but it isn’t too late for city residents to share thoughts with the comp plan team. Between now and June 20, there are several opportunities for the public to make comments and suggestions regarding planning for the next 20 years in Sisters on: housing; transportation; economic development; parks, recreation, and op... Full story
Despite stiff winds last Saturday afternoon, there was an impressive turnout on South Fir Street for the dedication of the heritage mural painted on the side of the Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in honor of Sisters’ 75th anniversary of incorporation. Representatives of the three organizations that collaborated to make the mural project a reality (Three Sisters Historical Society, Sisters Arts Association, and Habitat for Humanity) were in attendance as well as the a... Full story
To my fellow board members, Superintendent Scholl, all the administrators, teachers, and employees – the entire team that makes Sisters School District come to life each day — thank you! You have faced unprecedented circumstances and challenges, and you’ve risen to meet those challenges — and to serve our kids — time and again. By any objective measure, you’ve done a better job than any other district in the state, while also being humble, owning your mistakes and continuously improving. I commend you... Full story
Vaccine check is small price To the Editor: As a recently retired physician, I must respond to the letter from Steven Rudnitzky in the June 2 Nugget. He is distressed that his “beloved” Sisters Athletic Club is requiring proof of vaccination against COVID-19 in order to go without a mask at the gym. He even admits this “makes sense for safety reasons,” but continues to say that this is a “gross overreach of the power of the state,” and that vaccinated people have the same chance of serious illness due to COVID as getting “flu... Full story
Recent incidents remind Sisters residents and visitors that fire is an ever-present danger. A fire broke out in the woods about five miles west of Sisters, about a quarter-mile northwest of Zimmerman Butte on Sunday. Firefighters from the Forest Service and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District (SCSFD) responded quickly and kept it confined to 6/10 of an acre. Fire officials report that the fire was human-caused, but have not determined specifically what sparked the blaze. On Wed... Full story
In 1946, the year of Sisters’ incorporation, economic activity was booming, and with World War II ending in September 1945, soldiers began returning home to their community. It must have been at this point, when the Sisters community was coming back together and reevaluating its assets, that the subject of incorporation became prevalent. Yet, with Sisters being platted by Alex and Robert Smith in 1901, why did it take 45 years to incorporate? The conversation around incorporation had been stirring in the Sisters community as... Full story
