News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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It's a warm afternoon as smoke from a distant fire settles into the tree canopy. Black Butte's faded silhouette overlooks the 50-acre Black Butte Lower Swamp, which is experiencing renewed life. Willows and waist-high, vibrant-green blades of sedge drift in the caustic breeze. Birds whisper among the treetops. Indian Ford Creek, once subtle, now ripples through the meadow. This once-barren landscape harbors abundant life, once again. The faint aroma of native mint fills the... Full story
The Lady Outlaws volleyball team traveled to Klamath Falls on Saturday, September 2, and walked away as the tournament champs of the Basin Invitational. Sisters cruised through the morning pool play unscathed while showcasing their team depth. In the afternoon they were pitted against a scrappy Bonanza team in the opening of bracket play. The Outlaws’ steady defensive effort and strategic serves were key in their two straight set wins against the Antlers, 25-18 and 25-9. In the championship game the Outlaws faced Mazama, a v... Full story
Our first winter in Sisters in 1993-94 was rough. My wife, Marilyn, and I were newly married and broke. We had plowed all of our sparse funds into moving to Sisters so that Marilyn could take a job working with Phil Arends at Desert Wings Travel. I didn’t have a gig. We moved into a double-wide trailer across East Cascade Avenue from Sisters Elementary School. Through Christmas, it was all new and beautiful and magical. By February, we were thinking maybe we’d made a big mis... Full story
Sisters edged out Burns 19-13 last Friday night, with a touchdown that came in the final minute of play. The Outlaws had a rough start, and at the end of the first quarter trailed 0-7. They turned it around in the second quarter, buckled down and scored twice, with both touchdowns by Tony Gonzalez, the first on a three-yard run and the second on a one-yard run. Burns also managed to get a TD and teams entered the half with the score knotted up 13-13. Neither team scored in... Full story
The Lady Outlaws opened their soccer season with a 5-0 shutout against the Cowgirls on Tuesday, August 29, in a non-league contest that was moved to Crook County due to the smoky conditions in Sisters. Katy Ryan scored Sisters’ first goal. She dribbled the ball and beat her opponent and sent the ball into the lower corner for the goal. Zoee Bafford scored with a finish from a nice cross from Lilly Sundstrom. Marley Holden scored twice for the Outlaws, the first on a penalty kick into the upper left corner. Her second goal c... Full story
Oregon writer David Stevenson will present his latest collection of mountaineering short stories at Paulina Springs Books, on Thursday, September 7, at 6:30 p.m. In the new and previously uncollected stories that make up "Points of Astonishment," Stevenson follows through on the promise of his "Letters from Chamonix", winner of the Banff Mountain Book Award for Fiction and Poetry. These eight short stories describe the fates of their fictional climbers on stages as intimate... Full story
Living in Sisters makes you want to dance. Line dancing for beginners will happen over four Wednesday night sessions starting September 13, sponsored by Sisters Park & Recreation District. Participants are invited to have some fun learning basic line dancing. The instructor is Carol Ast-Milchen, who makes learning fun, fast, and easy. You don’t need a partner. Cost is $45 for all four classes, including a free makeup class, Friday, October 6. Dancers then can show their stuff at the Harvest Faire on October 7, at Fir S... Full story
Amy Bennette, owner of Cake Lab in Sisters, won the first-ever "Claw-some" Crab Cake Bake-Off, a cake-baking contest hosted by the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor & Convention Bureau, also known as Oregon's Adventure Coast. The organization invited amateur and professional bakers to bake and decorate a crab-inspired cake for a chance to win a complimentary two-night stay in the region, complete with lodging, activities, and dining options. Bakers were asked to craft a... Full story
The anticipation of a new school year colored my August for years. First, as an eager student, the beginning of school meant a few new clothes and a new pair of shoes, after my shorts, T-shirts, and bare feet of summer. In high school, it meant the return to seeing friends every day and the excitement of new experiences and more freedom. As a mother of two boys (and four stepchildren for a decade), August meant shopping the back-to-school sales for clothes, shoes, and school... Full story
The Outlaws kicked off their soccer season with a 2-0 loss to Madras on Tuesday, August 29, and two days later fell 6-3 to Redmond. Due to the smoky conditions, Tuesday’s game was moved to Prineville. The smoke has been a challenge for the Outlaws, as they were only able to practice twice outside, and the rest of the time share gym space with other teams. Coach Jeff Husmann told The Nugget that the Outlaws were more nervous at the start of the match than what usually characterizes the team, and for most of the first half t... Full story
The Central Oregon Chapter of OSU Master Gardeners will present a free class by OSU Master Gardeners on seed saving and storing. Participants will see successful ways to save and store seeds from your vegetable garden and landscape. Learn the tricks and techniques from experienced Master Gardeners. Bring a small white envelope if you would like to take home some of the seeds from the demonstration. The class will be held Saturday, September 9, 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Oregon State... Full story
On a course that included a gnarly mud pit and two river crossings, a group of nine Outlaw runners experienced true cross-country at the Ultimook Race held at the Hydrangea Ranch outside Tillamook on Saturday, September 2. Ultimook has become a favorite early season meet for teams throughout Oregon for its uniquely challenging course. Over the span of the day over 2,000 runners splashed, slid, and ran through the 5,000-meter course. Sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s... Full story
This is a new, regular feature The Nugget will run periodically. If you have a favorite hike or trail, send it along in about 500 words to editor@nuggetnews.com using the following format, including a photo. Hawk's Flight-Eagle Rock Loop is a fun and easy loop trail within five miles of town that offers superb views with diverse scenery. It's part of the wondrous Peterson Ridge section of the impressive Sisters Trails Alliance system. Why go? For one thing it's only a... Full story
Even as the leaves begin to change, and the first taste of cooler autumnal winds are in the air, there are changes afoot at Sisters Movie House & Café starting after Labor Day. For the second straight year, the cinema and café will be reducing “normal” operating days and hours to Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the rest of September and most of October. The theater will be closed completely on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with special events occurring on Thursdays beginning on September 14. “Due to the ongoing... Full story
Andrea Blum has been involved in Sisters Country life for many years. Blum moved to Sisters in 1988 and purchased 20 acres of land in the triangle between Bend, Redmond, and Sisters. Blum worked for the Bureau of Labor and the Oregon Public Employees Union in the Willamette Valley before moving to Sisters, and had always been interested in public service work. "I worked my way up to the office manager position and learned about workers' rights. I worked behind the scenes on... Full story
A new school year is upon us and with it brings great opportunity. It’s a chance to reflect upon our past and also dream up new visions for our future. I’ve been fortunate to have been involved in SPTC (Sisters Parent-Teacher Community) for the last several years, supporting the kids of our learning community through a variety of avenues. As a mom and a teacher, I know that our kids benefit most from a collaborative community and an “all hands on deck” mentality. This year, there are again many opportunities to lend your ta... Full story
The Belfry is hosting a “Concert for Maui” with songwriter, artist, and multi-instrumentalist Dayan Kai. The event is a fundraiser in support of the Maui community and residents impacted by recent wildfires. Special guests include Brad Tisdel, Beth Wood, and Dennis McGregor. The concert will be held Saturday, September 16. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show is at 7 p.m. Dayan Kai is a true force of musical nature. An artist whose musical abilities and style know few bounds, Dayan is known for his soulful voice, powerful songwr... Full story
High Desert Chorale conductor Connie Gunterman has retired and moved to Portland for reasons of family health. Gunterman took the reins of the Sisters singing group in 2016. Gunterman's first directing experience began early. As a junior in high school she was student conductor for both the school chorus and pep band. She sang in the Kentucky All-State Chorus during her junior and senior years and fell in love with big chorus sound. After high school, she attended the... Full story
In 2001, I saw Oregonians make a difference in hundreds of lives. Their courage and compassion made history, but sadly, it's history that even Oregonians don't know about these days. It was called the Flight for Freedom and it's who we are at our best, when we come together across all the things that are supposed to divide us and we let our hearts take the lead. Prepare to be inspired. The Flight for Freedom took place just three weeks after the September 11 terrorist... Full story
Truck stop? To the Editor: The furor over the proposed mega gas station and the new big apartment complex in back of Takoda’s made me think wistfully about my first of many visits, starting many years ago (1997 maybe?), to the little town of Sisters. A friend and I lived over by Ontario and we came over with our horses to camp and ride in the Cascades. It was usually hot, so we looked for a cool spot (for the animals) to park our rigs and were delighted to park under the big ponderosas back of Takoda’s, where there was foo... Full story
The new Sisters Elementary School will (SES) open on time, and come in on budget - despite the pressures of inflation. Curt Scholl and the Sisters School District (SSD) team offered a tour of the construction of the new elementary school located across McKinney Butte Road from the high school. The new elementary will be 80,000 square feet, including the mechanical areas, with an additional 7,000 square feet, including the ball fields. Scholl offered a tour to elementary... Full story
Local realtors say the market for single family homes in Sisters has cooled dramatically but a look at the numbers tells a slightly different story. On August 15, a 14,666-square-foot, eight-bedroom, nine-bath home on Jordan Road sold for $15 million. Stripping that one-of- kind sale from the totals, August 2023 showed signs of resiliency compared to August of 2022. Last year in August saw 35 single- family homes sell in Sisters Country for $31.7 million. This August saw a... Full story
Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) is the recipient of a $45,000 grant from The Oregon Trails Fund (OTF), a Travel Oregon program, developed and funded in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, that aims to bolster Oregon's competitive advantage as a world-class outdoor recreation destination and provide exceptional trail experiences. In 2023, Travel Oregon awarded $438,977 in Oregon Trails Funds to increase capacity of Oregon trail organizations to support stewardship projects... Full story