News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
Family and friends of Sisters resident Kristy Cosden are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Kristy’s ALS. Kristy received a Power 3 wheelchair May 22, which she was able to drive downtown Sisters and back home, providing a new freedom and level of comfort as she now has to spend most of her day in a wheelchair. But now Kristy is in need of a vehicle that she can drive the wheelchair into and lock into place without requiring her to transfer to another seat — and s... Full story
Happy spring! We hope folks enjoyed the recent Sisters Rodeo, an event the Forest Service is proud to partner with by way of a special use permit and employee participation in the wonderful Rodeo Parade. As daytime temperatures continue to increase, we will likely pause our prescribed fire program until the fall. This was a very successful spring for under-burning on the Sisters Ranger District, burning over two square miles (1,430 acres), including many long standing... Full story
Jarod Gatley can pinpoint the moment when he started down the path that took him into a career behind the camera. He was hiking up South Sister at night with his brother-in-law, freelance photographer and videographer Cody Rheault. Cody was taking shots of the landscape under the night sky. "I saw the photos he was getting and I thought, 'I want to capture that myself,'" he said. From that day, "I spent every minute that I could outside, doing landscape photography. That kind... Full story
Short-term rentals (STR) may fall under tighter restrictions in Sisters. The Sisters Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on June 20 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall on text amendments to city Development Code that would: • Expand the STR concentration limit from 250 feet to 500 feet. • Apply STR concentration limit to dwelling units within a condominium. • Apply STR concentration limit to dwelling units in the Downtown Commercial District that are part of a residential-only development. This is not applicable to dwelling... Full story
Portland-based writer, editor, and educator Elizabeth Mehren will present her book "I Lived to Tell the World: Stories from Survivors of Holocaust, Genocide, and the Atrocities of War," at Paulina Springs Books on Thursday, June 13, at 6:30 p.m. A co-publication with The Immigrant Story, "I Lived to Tell the World" is a collection of thirteen inspiring profiles of refugees who have settled in Oregon. They come from Rwanda, Myanmar, Bosnia, Syria, and more-different stories,... Full story
This level of ugliness has to be the result of some sort of system failure. How is it that Americans have to choose between Joe Biden and Donald Trump as the next president of the United States? The whole situation is overwhelmingly putrid, a pot of stew that started with bad meat and then sat on the stove for far too long. It’s not just rot-at-the-top. The vegetables in Congress are utterly dysfunctional. Stonewalling has become a game where “we won’t work to benefit Ameri... Full story
One of my first patients was a pastor. He was esteemed and well-respected — a pillar in the community. I was a newbie in the small town where his roots ran deep. He was a man of conviction and compassion. He spoke with authority. And he was also sometimes hopeless — and desperate. At 26 years old, I sat at my desk sporting my newly printed diploma. I was trying my best to hide my imposter syndrome. Still shaky in my confidence, I kept questioning how could a man who has gui... Full story
December 31, 2023, was the day I lost my best friend, my wonderful husband, the love of my life, Kenny Miller. For four years Kenny had many threatening illnesses. In the last five months, tongue cancer was discovered. There was no hope of beating the cruel and painful disease. He was 93 and he has said he was "grateful to have lived this long." Kenny wanted to live his last years in the wonderful home he built for the two of us that he loved so much, overlooking a beautiful... Full story
Robert "Rand" Houk was born February 5, 1948, in Seattle, Washington, to Robert and Bette Houk. After his birth, the family moved to Milwaukie, Oregon, where he attended school. Many lifelong friends were made and continued throughout his lifetime. Rand spent every summer at McKee's Beach on Puget Sound, a special place to be with his grandparents. He and his older brother had many adventures there. In his early years, he began his rodeo career as a bull rider in the Pacific... Full story
It is a truly sad state of affairs here in the Beaver State: Our salmon stocks are struggling mightily, biodiversity is crashing under the weight of human activities, climate change is accelerating, drought is greatly affecting regional agriculture and wildfires threaten our communities every summer. But there is a nature-based solution that could help. Protecting our state animal could greatly assist human and wildlife communities adapt to the many challenges we face. The wetlands and habitats that beavers create work all... Full story
In A Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild brings its outdoor concert series to Black Butte Ranch this week, June 18–19. Founder, artistic director, and performer Hunter Noack will play a 1912 Steinway grand piano in a meadow, attended by casually dressed concertgoers on picnic blankets rather than the formal, expensive venues where classical music is often played live. With vast backdrops of lakes, deserts, and skies, the unusual concert settings of In a Landscape might t... Full story
Partners In Care is now a Level 5 Partner with We Honor Veterans (WHV), a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). Level 5 is the highest level WHV partners can attain and includes various mandatory activities and educational requirements, with recertification needed annually. As a WHV partner, Partners In Care provides specialized care to veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness and need support through various services such as the... Full story
A good day on the Metolius River is one trout hooked, landed, and released. A great day is two trout hooked, landed, and released. Anything more than that is a spectacular day. Why am I happy with such modest results from the most beautiful trout stream in the Northwest? Well, the Metolius is a very tough river to fly fish. First, the water in this big spring creek is very clear, so the trout can see everything, including the little details of every fly. Second, there are a lo... Full story
The November 5 election holds high stakes and high interest across the nation. In Sisters, the election will determine the makeup of the City Council. The terms of Council President Andrea Blum, Councilor Jennifer Letz, and Councilor Susan Cobb will end on December 31. All three are eligible to apply for re-election. Candidates may now file for a City Council position. To be eligible one must be a qualified elector in Oregon, a current registered voter in the City of Sisters, and must have been a resident of the City for 12... Full story
Like the many before it, the 2024 Sisters Rodeo left spectators thrilled and delighted. Despite an alarming situation Saturday night when a bull jumped out of the arena and ran through the Rodeo grounds (Click here to see related story. ), the crowds lucky enough to get a ticket for the sold out performances were treated to world class entertainment. "I don't think most people see rodeo as being in the entertainment business," said legendary announcer Wayne Brooks. Until 2000... Full story
Eric Benedon, the Volunteer and Events Coordinator for the Sisters Trails Alliance, describes himself as a "forest person through and through." Benedon grew up in Southern California, spending time snowboarding at Big Bear, in the San Bernardino Mountains, an alpine region of pines and snow, not dissimilar to Sisters' high desert. With a degree in art history, Benedon graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver BC. While there, he worked as an assistant to t... Full story
Sisters Trail Alliance (STA) is currently recruiting high school students for the Youth Ambassador program which started last summer with three high school students and will be active again this summer. This part-time summer position is perfect for young people with a strong interest in environmental conservation, outdoor recreation, the Forest Service, or related fields. STA encourages Youth Trail Ambassadors to tailor the role according to their passions, empowering them to... Full story
Housing crisis is real To the Editor: I’m writing to comment on Gary Leiser’s letter to the editor in the May 22, Nugget. It took a bit to write this to you, Mr. Leiser, because I was so shocked at your opinion. There are other people in Sisters that are retired and many wealthy. What do you define as wealthy? You should have gone to the forum on housing as you may have learned something about living in Sisters. Yes, there is a “housing crisis” for those that serve you in all businesses here. Yes, Sisters is a very desirable... Full story
The history of Sisters is newly on display in a hot-off-the-press addition to the prestigious Arcadia Publishing Images of America Series. Author Sharon Karr will present "Around Sisters" at an event at Paulina Springs Books on Thursday, June 20, at 6:30 p.m. Karr credits Central Oregon historian Steve Lent, former official historian of the Bowman Museum in Prineville, with providing the impetus for the book. Lent has written several regional titles for the series. "We talked... Full story
The public is invited to the first annual Black and White Spring flag football games slated for Wednesday, June 12, at Reed Stadium. Girls will play a “powderpuff” game starting at 6 p.m. followed by a boys flag football game featuring members of the Outlaws tackle football team at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $3 per person and additional donations will also be accepted. Girls’ teams from each grade level will square off to get things started. The first game will be freshmen versus juniors followed by the sophomores versus the s... Full story
Some 3,000 spectators lined Cascade Avenue Saturday morning, treated to the annual Sisters Rodeo Parade. The event started promptly at 9:30 a.m. with a one hour window to get 80 entrants a half dozen blocks before the city had to reopen the avenue, a section of the longest federal highway in the U.S. Eighty may seem like a small number until you realize that most entries comprised multiple vehicles, horses, or marchers. At least 500 persons or animals were on parade. As... Full story
In a recent magazine, an advertisement appeared with a young man wearing a sling across his chest, carrying an infant. The purpose of the ad was to send the message that it was “cool” to be a dad. Yes! To be a dad is cool. Where would we be without them (beyond replenishing our species)? Where are we when they are absent? It’s easy to think of the many practical things dads do — fixing things, earning an income, transporting to and from events, teaching a firm handshake, helping with chores, and giving strong, bear hugs to... Full story
Sisters' new $33.8 million elementary school is substantially completed. There's a lot of finish work yet to be done, but the Sisters School District has a scheduled move-in date of June 24, with keys handed over July 15. The project is on time and on budget, though there have been some alterations due to increased construction costs. The gym is a little smaller than originally planned, and a planned roll-up door to the outside of the library was scrapped in favor of a large... Full story
In two terrifying minutes, a bull in the range of 1,900 pounds eluded wranglers on the Sisters Rodeo arena floor and like a deer, running at full speed, jumped the fence in the red section at the arena’s southern end. The bull catapulted its bulk over the six-foot metal fence before exiting the red section entry way and into the food court. This was the conclusion to Saturday night’s sellout event, the fourth of the five scheduled presentations of the 84th Sisters Rodeo. Fan... Full story
Construction crews are hard at work on the east side of McKenzie Pass and plan to have Highway 242 above the gate paved and open by the morning of July 4. Last week, crews began paving preparation work beyond the gate of the seasonally closed pass. Only the east side of the pass is under construction, but the west side will also remain closed at the gate just beyond Linton Lake until July 4. Limited space for vehicles to turn around on the west side makes it unsafe to open any further towards the summit, according to the... Full story
