News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 14 of 14
I loved cakewalks as a kid. Local people in our area of small farms and ranches in Lane County would bake cakes. It was a chance to show off decorating skills or get a favorite recipe out into the community. Cakes stood proudly in the church’s youth chapel or the elementary school’s gym during holidays and school carnivals. Tickets were sold. Each contestant walked around a circle of numbered chairs while music played. When the music stopped, you’d freeze and sit in the neare... Full story
International relations are always something of a puzzle, but none seems so peculiar as the relationship between the United States and Cuba. These two close neighbor nations, with quite a bit in common, have been awkwardly estranged for more than 60 years. When the Trump Administration announced that the Obama-era easing of Cuba restrictions was about to end, my wife, Kathi, and I decided that if we wanted to see Cuba, we had better do something about it. So, before the... Full story
In “The Happiness Advantage” Shawn Achor points out that it is a short-sighted individual who postpones their happiness until a particular marker of career success has been achieved, such as a big promotion. Not only does this person miss out on a lot of happiness along the way, once they achieve their career goal, their brain, which has learned to associate happiness with a future event, simply moves the goalposts so that now they must reach a new goal in order to be happy. A more effective strategy for employees is to fin... Full story
Excitement. Pleasure. Novelty. Anticipation. Reward. The “zest,” the “looking forward to,” and the “passion.” The common denominator? Dopamine. It is the brain chemical we chase in our society and what we have a hard time living without. We must thank dopamine for the gusto it gives us, the inspiration, the drive, and innovation, but in our popular culture so reinforced by a mindset of scarcity where whatever “is” is simply not enough, dopamine has hypnotized so many of us into restlessness, discontentment, and distraction... Full story
I stood waders-deep in an urban stream, running my net back and forth through the water, squinting and studying the sparkling ripples that blinded me. I felt eyes on me; curious park-goers who hoped to interact with me in some way. “Hey, you look like you’d know! Is that a nutria or a muskrat over there?” A man shouted to me and pointed. His granddaughter stared at me blankly and continued to lick her ice cream cone. “Over where?” I looked around. “Over there! What is it,... Full story
Liz Weeks has been volunteering at the Kiwanis Food Bank (KFB) for over six years — and has no plans to stop. “Every one needs help sometimes,” Liz says. “It’s very satisfying to assist our clients in getting the food they need. I want all our clients to feel welcome and understand we can help.” Before the COVID-19 crisis, Liz volunteered at the KFB every Thursday for the five hours they were open. “I enjoyed getting to know our clients, finding ingredients they needed... Full story
The Green-tailed Towhee [pipilo chlorurus], with its distinctive rust crest, is a somewhat secretive ground-nesting bird. On occasion a Towhee uses porcupine hair to line its nest, where it lays four to six pale blue, heavily spotted eggs which hatch in 11 to 14 days. The chicks will begin foraging in 11 to 14 days. This Towhee will protect its nest by raising its tail and skittering off mimicking a ground squirrel to distract predators. As a ground forager, it spends most of... Full story
“The Burd” Randy Burdick passed away July 7, after battling cancer. He was born in Englewood, California. He was preceded in death by his mom and dad, Russell and Joyce Burdick, as well as his brother, Bob Burdick. He grew up in Oakridge, Oregon, which is where his love of sports began. He played baseball, basketball and football. He was an all-star baseball player. He also played basketball at Lane Community College. In 1976, in Oakridge, Randy met the love of his life, Mar... Full story
The City of Sisters continues to support the efforts implemented by the state to curb the spread of COVID-19. We understand the divisiveness some of these efforts have caused through a political lens. The City is apolitical and works to provide the highest-level of service to our community through evidenced-based public policymaking. The City works strategically to balance top priorities and goals like livability, public safety, and economic development, and that balance has taken new forms over the previous four months.... Full story
Summer weather has arrived in earnest in Sisters Country, with temperatures climbing into the 90s and vegetation from lawns to forest groundcover drying out apace. And that means fire danger. Sisters has experienced two decades of major wildfires, and with the local economy in a fragile state due to the coronavirus outbreak, locals fear the impact of another blaze. Firefighters quickly lined a wildfire that broke out Saturday afternoon just east of La Pine on Saturday, and by press time it was 30 percent or more contained. Th... Full story
Sisters Folk Festival will offer two outdoor summer camps for middle school aged students this summer: August 10-14 and August 17-21. The weeklong day camps will explore creativity, musical discovery, art, and creative writing taught by professional artists and educators. The all-day camps will be held outside on the lawn at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave., and will be the first of what SFF staff sees as new educational initiatives at their Sisters Art Works property. The first camp will take place August 10-14 and is... Full story
This is going to be a challenging school year in an unprecedented environment. Each school is creating a “Ready Schools, Safe Learners” plan that will deliver on the social, emotional and educational needs of our students while also honoring the needs of all the members of our educational community. These plans can minimize and mitigate risk, but there is no risk-free option. As with any undertaking in the district, our success relies on the support of the whole community. A robust plan is important, but the plan’s ultim... Full story
Before you publish a slew of letters in support of anonymous federal troops in unmarked vehicles taking prisoner people on the streets of Portland, you might point out the hypocrisy — the whole Malhuer occupation of federal lands in Burns by the Bundy-led group, including destruction of federal property, which was supported by the Proud Boy types who have not uttered a peep about sending federal troops into Portland to take people off the streets in order to protect federal property. John Mapes To the Editor: I love... Full story
Several residents have reported cougar sightings, or sign of cougars present in the local area. Corey Heath, Supervising Fish and Wildlife Biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) office in Bend told The Nugget that there have been reports — some direct and many of them second- or third-hand — of cougar presence in the Panoramic subdivision northeast of town, and on both sides of Whychus Creek in the canyonlands to the north of Sisters. The... Full story
