News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
Five candidates will vie for three open seats on the Sisters City Council in the November 4 election. Three incumbents are throwing their hat into the ring for reelection: David Asson, current mayor Brad Boyd, and Wendy Holzman. Nancy Connolly and Robert (Bob) Wright are running for the first time. Wright is a retired consultant in the power and petrochemical fields, and serves on the Sisters Planning Commission. Connolly has recently been a paraprofessional in Sisters schools and was a community-relations specialist with... Full story
The town of Sisters itself takes center stage in the annual Sisters Folk Festival. Venues are scattered across town, from the Village Green to Sisters Art Works, from FivePine to The Belfry. Several venues are tucked into intimate settings at local eateries, such as Angeline's Bakery, The Open Door, and The Depot Café. It's an unusual configuration for a music festival. More commonly, stages are set up in a field somewhere on the outskirts of a town. The walkable,... Full story
A consortium of local nonprofits, public agencies, and representatives from Pine Meadow Ranch will initiate the removal of the last remaining concrete dam on Whychus Creek on September 8. According to Sisters Ranger District fish biologist Mike Riehle, dam removal will begin on the afternoon of September 8. A small ceremony will mark the start of the dam removal process. The dam removal project will re-open 13 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for Chinook salmon, steelhead and resident trout, supporting a long-term effort... Full story
Fisherman, skier, writer... and above all, teacher. In a career spanning four decades, John Judy has taught untold hundreds of people how to fish the rivers and ski the slopes of Sisters Country. Folks in Camp Sherman gathered last Saturday as part of the annual Labor Day barbecue to celebrate Judy's legacy, as the beloved fishing guide and ski instructor moves into a new phase of life with his new wife, Sheila. Judy sat at a picnic table on the deck of the Camp Sherman... Full story
I want to thank Bill Willitts for taking a Saturday morning to pen last week's guest editorial in The Nugget. He expressed the sentiment that many of us in this community feel about our town. My wife felt it important enough to read it to me as I was driving our son back to college. As I drove the back roads of Eastern Oregon for six hours, passing through many small towns, I had a chance to reflect on what separates our town from some of these other small, less-vibrant towns. What makes Sisters a desirable place to visit,... Full story
To the Editor: Cascade Avenue improvements are looking beautiful. Unfortunately, the traffic flow is bad as or worse than ever. Take a look at the downtown streets in Philomath. When they made improvements and created two one-way streets that are two lanes wide, they improved the flow for traffic that is just passing through town. Sisters would be wise to look into that possibility as well as the roundabouts at each end of town. On a more positive note, the new park and water feature are beautiful and look to be quite... Full story
There is nothing hazy about the exact measure that Sisters citizens will vote on in November regarding medical marijuana. The Sisters City Council has approved ballot language for a measure that, if approved by voters, would allow a medical marijuana facility in Sisters under approval by city staff. There would be a number of conditions: A facility could not be located on or within 100 feet of Cascade Avenue. Signage would have to comply with code and could not display a marijuana leaf or any other depiction of product. The... Full story
Fall is in the air, frost is on the tomatoes, and changes are coming for the 2014-2015 school year at Black Butte School (BBS) in Camp Sherman: New teachers, new books, new students, new ideas to make learning fun while staying on task. Head teacher Carol Dixon has been back at work preparing for the new year during the week before Labor Day. At her side, except for the time she had to run out the back door to fetch him, was Truman, her one-year-old white Whoodle (Wheaton Terr... Full story
Relocating to Sisters from Tulare County, California, in April was a last-minute deal for Hal and Jennifer Boley and their four dogs. "We lived in Three Rivers, which is near the entrance to Sequoia National Park, for 30 years, but just couldn't take the heat during the summer anymore. So we were on our way to check out a home in Washington, when my son called and said he was moving to Bend, Oregon, with the grandkids, so we changed direction," said Jennifer Boley. "Since we... Full story
Nearly overhead by nightfall in September, Vulpecula, the celestial fox, can be found directly south of Cygnus the swan. But because there are no bright stars in this constellation, locating it will be no easy feat. The arrangement of dim stars that give Vulpecula its shape have an east-west orientation and, perhaps not surprisingly, bears absolutely no resemblance to the animal it's supposed to represent. The constellation's brightest star, Alpha Vulpeculae, is located about... Full story
The hallmarks of a successful athletic program include "going the extra mile" in ways the average teams simply don't do. The Outlaws cross-country program has been a perennial power over the past 20 years, earning numerous district championships, appearances at the state meet and state-level trophies. The team often has members numbering over 50. What is the key to this success? "Consistency of coaching and giving kids a well-rounded experience," says Coach Rima Givot, who has been part of the program for the past 14 years.... Full story
The Lady Outlaws return several experienced players to their squad this fall season and add newcomers who will lend depth to the team. Molly Boyle, Cassandra Arruda, Jenny O'Conner, Dani Rundinsky and Liz Stewart return as seniors and hope to make their final year a memorable one. Stewart returns as a first-team all-league selection. Liz has both speed and endurance, and will be an indispensable player again this year. She worked extremely hard in the off-season to improve... Full story
The Sisters volleyball program returns seven experienced varsity players, and adds only two new additions to their squad to start off the season. Seniors Nila Lukens and Brenna Weems return as four-year varsity players. Lukens has played at middle for the past three years, but this year will also see some time at outside hitter. Lukens, at just five-feet-eight-inches, has always had an extraordinary vertical jump, but this summer increased it even more: from 29 inches to 32 in... Full story
When one thinks of therapy animals, it's usually dogs or horses that come to mind. Donkeys, goats, ducks and chickens ... not so much. Robine Bots, a Sisters-based licensed marriage and family therapist, uses all these species in her practice - and finds them to be valued assistants. The animals help clients define boundaries, and are a safe and comforting presence. "Horses especially can help facilitate healing, change and growth in humans. When a person is congruent... Full story
The weather forecast called for rain and wind with high temperatures in the 80s to go along with the regular humidity of August in South Korea, but I went on a 30-mile bike ride anyway. As I headed up and over the hill toward the Gapcheon River bike path, the familiar excitement of being "one of the few" to brave the outdoors despite the wet and wind caused me to smile. I may have even let out a whoop of joy. There is something deeply satisfying about embracing challenges that are totally optional. Who would know or care if... Full story
The boys soccer team returns more all-league- and all-state-caliber players than ever, looking to be a formidable squad. Sisters returns 13 varsity players that hope to lead their team to another league championship. Nine seniors are back for their final year, and include Justin Harrer, Gabe Willitts, Connor Schaab, Billy Biggers, Ben Larson, Christian Hunt, Ethan Stengel, Andrew Stengel and Casey Lane. Harrer was a first-team all-league and all-state selection last year, and... Full story
A climb of Belknap Crater had been on my to-do list for quite a while, partly just "because it's there," but also because it's perhaps the only easily recognizable local geographic feature that I hadn't previously summited. This is clearly not a technical climb by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a lot tougher than it looks. From the road, scaling Belknap Crater looks like a quick little scramble up a modest hill. Once there, however, it's much longer and steeper than... Full story
You've got everything together for sewing your new quilt, with the fabric pieces spread out on the rug in front of you. Along comes your newly adopted year-old Siamese cat to help you out. You've had cats before and know that they love to get involved with what you're doing out of curiosity. Kitty decides that, not only does she want to play with a small piece of your fabric, she wants to eat it for a snack. Pica is the term used when cats eat non-food items. It sometimes is... Full story
Last spring, City Manager Andrew Gorayeb and Public Works Project Coordinator Nicole Montalvo came up with a wonderful idea: Put up a bluebird trail throughout the City of Sisters. With that in mind, Nicole got John Gerke, one of Sisters' premier birders, and yours truly to help pick out the habitat for bluebirds - both Western and mountain - that would use nesting boxes. The project will also provide the opportunity for willing residents of Sisters to help monitor and clean... Full story
