News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
School is back in session on Tuesday, September 2, for lower grades and on Wednesday for high-schoolers. That means it's time for drivers to be especially alert. There will be kids walking to school, especially in the vicinity of Sisters Elementary School and the intersection of Cascade Avenue and Locust Street. Watch for the crossing guard in the morning hours before 8 a.m. and in the afternoon from about 2:30 p.m. on. The entrances to Sisters Middle School and Sisters High... Full story
Celia Hung and Richard Esterman won planning commission approval for their temporary-use permit (TUP) for a lot on the corner of Cascade Avenue and Oak Street. Following up Thursday on the July 17 appeals hearing on the Hung/Esterman TUP, the Sisters Planning Commission voted 5-0 to allow a previous staff approval to stand - but with several amendments. The original application was approved earlier this year by city staff, granting a TUP to Hung/Esterman for the 180-day use of the vacant lot next to Sno Cap Drive In to host... Full story
Thomas Arends didn't watch cartoons when he was a little kid; he watched ESPN's Sports Center. He helped his grandpa, Toby Poole, make his football picks. The kid - the son of Phil and Susan Arends - was always "a football guy." Now the Sisters High School alum and former Outlaws football player is at the heart of one of college football's most prestigious programs, as the Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Oregon Ducks. "I'm going into my sixth football... Full story
To the Editor: Re: "Veterans 'Walk Off The War' on the trail," The Nugget, August 20, page 3: Kudos to all, especially those trail angels that so often go unnamed. My brother and I were going to do something like this when we ended our duty in the late '60s. It wasn't to be; he was killed in action in Vietnam. He was my kid brother and the promise to hike the Appalachian Trail with him haunted me for years. In 2007, my wonderful wife, Jane, convinced me that I should go do it in his honor, so I did. I put his Purple Heart... Full story
What a child believes about his or her ability to learn can have a tremendous impact on success in school and in life. Research shows that children who believe that they can "get" something if they work at it and keep trying tend to have more success than kids who think their talents and abilities are "fixed" - that perhaps they just aren't "smart at math," for instance. The difference is in their mindset. What educators call a "fixed mindset" believes that intelligence,... Full story
This morning I requested to be deleted from a citizen activist mailing list. While I appreciated their effort and depth of research, it was difficult to read through the character assaults. For me, the definition of community is working cooperatively with common purpose. To achieve this we must be willing to join together as citizens and focus on the kind of future we want. Above all we need to keep talking and listening to each other. The listening part is tough. It got me thinking about how much I appreciate this outpost... Full story
The annual Labor Day barbecue at the Camp Sherman Store on the Saturday of Labor Day Weekend is always a big deal. For many folks, it is the last hurrah of summer, with good food, good music and good company in a beautiful setting. This year, it takes on even more meaning. The barbecue will also serve as a going-away party for longtime fly-fishing guide and ski instructor John Judy. "To have a 300-plus-person going-away party can't be a bad thing," said Camp Sherman Store owner Roger White. White reported that Judy recently... Full story
Volunteers are the "heart-and-hammer" of Sisters Habitat for Humanity. To show how much they are appreciated, the Habitat board and staff honor their contributions with an annual volunteer appreciation barbecue. Late afternoon thundershowers last week forced this year's event from Village Green Park indoors to the fire station community hall. Kevin Neary, board president, welcomed the volunteers and thanked them for their service in the Thrift Store, the ReStore, and on the... Full story
When 2011 Sisters High School graduate Amy Yoder was heading to Iceland for a study abroad in geo-hydrology, she never imagined she'd end up being an extra in a movie. But in between treks around the country studying geological formations and measuring steam emissions she found herself in that role. Yoder's semester in Reykjavík in the winter of 2013 was full of freezing and windy adventures. In her junior year at Montana State University, she wanted to go to a country wi... Full story
For the sixth annual Dog Show, "A Fetching Display of Canine Imagery," over 15 artists honored man's best friend with their artistic depiction of canines on Friday evening at Sisters Art Works. "The concept for The Dog Show is that it's cross-generational. This year we have young artists displaying their work from Sisters Middle School," said Sisters artist and show organizer, Kathy Deggendorfer. "We have an eclectic group of talented artists here tonight, from exceptional... Full story
The Old West and a good old-fashioned gun fight went hand-in-hand for the second-annual Wild West Show at Sisters' Creekside Park last Saturday and Sunday. The park lawn was transformed back to a time when the Old West was alive and well, during the days when folks looked each other in the eye as they met and weren't afraid to say "Howdy," or when you might find yourself blasting away at a few "bad guys," trying to save the stagecoach. The 60 feet of Western town façade... Full story
In the middle of the worst recession since the Great Depression, Brad King doubled down on Sisters. Construction was hit hard by the economy's freefall in 2008-09, but King's company, Lakeview Millworks, held on through the dark times, opening and then expanding a showroom for its custom doors and windows in downtown Sisters (upstairs in the Town Square, across from Bronco Billy's). As the economic picture brightened, King's plans turned to establishing his manufacturing in... Full story
My children hardly remembered when their grandmother had hair. Her body was ravaged by five years of chemotherapy, and her spirit waned with each round of treatments. Her doctor finally uttered the words we had long dreaded: "There's nothing more we can do." So she contacted Compassion & Choices. My mother did not want to die in the manner of many ovarian-cancer victims, suffering from complications of bowel obstruction. She dreaded the indignities of an invalid: bedpans and dependence, and drugs that rendered her sharp mind... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival is a sell-out, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy some cool and fantastic music over the weekend. Organizers have some great options for those who couldn't get tickets this year. Alumni of the Americana Project, the educational outreach arm of Sisters Folk Festival, will perform on the new stage at Fir Street Park. "We're thrilled to host the inaugural performance on that stage," said Ann Richardson, managing director for the Festival. Former and current Sisters students will not only take the... Full story
I am writing to you from Uttaradit, Thailand, the land of torrential downpours, smelly durian fruit and cheerful Thai smiles. I will be here for 10 months and have just found the time to finally get my thoughts down on paper. I have been having the time of my life here made up of delicious food, beautiful places, and kind people. I arrived roughly two months ago as part of an organization called Teach Thailand Corps (TTC). This organization advertises as a foundation, where it "places American graduates in underserved Thai... Full story
The High Lakes Aquatic Alliance Research Foundation (HLAAF) received a $5,000 award last weekend from the president of Kokanee Powers of Oregon, Debbie Jahn. This money will be used in the Suttle Lake aquatic biological research that HLAAF will be conducting on the growth and development of kokanee trout and young sockeye salmon. The presentation was made on the lawn of Shelter Cove Resort at Odell Lake on Saturday, August 16, following the Kokanee Derby Tournament that took... Full story
Passing the torch of American roots music to the next generation is an important part of the mission of Sisters Folk Festival (SFF). That effort will fill Sisters High School with music on Friday, September 5, as the 19th annual festival gets underway. Up to five of the festival's artists and bands will perform in a dual-school assembly on that Friday. For the first time, the festival is bringing middle school students to the high school for the 75-minute music assembly.... Full story
As the Outlaws gear up for the fall football season, they are looking to a new leader. Selected after an extensive search, Gary Thorson brings with him years of experience, both as a player and a coach. Thorson played at running back for Toledo High School and, after graduation in 1986, went on to play for Linfield. Gary was part of the 1986 National Championship team his freshman year and was named All-Conference his senior year. Thorson says that playing football was a rich... Full story
Peg Bermel and Keddith Wickware, members of the Sage Meadow Pickleball Club, won the bronze medal at the Big Country RV Pickleball Tournament in Bend on Sunday, August 17. Both Bermel and Wickware have been playing pickleball for some time, but this was the first time they had ever teamed up and played together in a large tournament. The annual tournament attracts over 500 players from Oregon, Washington, California and other Western states. Bermel and Wickware started their first game at 8 a.m. and finished after 4 p.m.,... Full story
There has been a voluntary recall of certain kinds of almond butter and peanut butter that may be contaminated with salmonella. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified the potential contamination during routine testing at the manufacturing facility and notified nSPIRED Natural Foods, Inc. about the affected products. The company announced the voluntary recall of certain lots of Arrowhead Mills peanut butters, MaraNatha almond butters and peanut butters, and specific label nut butters packaged for Safeway, Kroge... Full story
New Head Coach Gary Thorson has been hard at work with almost 40 players who came out for football this year. Several athletes are expected to be impact varsity players this season. Senior Tristan Lewis brings several years of varsity experience as a starter to the team and will be solid at quarterback for the Outlaws. Thorson noted that Tristan has shown a great work ethic, and desire to lead the team. Sophomore Tanner Head showed promise at camp, and in daily doubles as well. One of the Outlaws' strengths will be at running... Full story
My deadline for this column was looming and I was flat out of inspiration and ideas. I spent a good 48 hours casting about for an appropriate topic. Oftentimes, at the 11th hour, I will hear a random comment, have a conversation with someone, or read a passage that speaks to me. Sometimes, like my trip to the beach last month, an occurrence in my life provides the perfect segue into a column. But not this time - until I found myself staring at a quote that has been on my... Full story
