News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
The Sisters Planning Commission will get back to work on possible revisions to the way Sisters handles "formula food" establishments in a workshop Thursday evening. At a town hall meeting last April, a small group of local citizens reinforced their view that they would like to see formula food establishments restricted in both the highway commercial and downtown commercial areas. Current restrictions apply only to the highway commercial zones at either end of town. The citizens that spoke were also unanimous in their support... Full story
Celia Hung and Richard Esterman have an approved temporary-use permit (TUP) for multi-vendor events on a lot at the corner of Cascade Avenue and Oak Street - but nobody got what they wanted. Last Thursday, the Sisters City Council adopted an amended version of the planning commission's recommendation to grant the TUP. That's a disappointment to those who wanted to see the TUP denied, but the approval comes with conditions that don't please Hung and Esterman. The key provisions of the approval are: The TUP will be valid from... Full story
A town hall meeting held at Sisters Middle School in the wake of heightened citizen interest over a proposed Sisters amphitheater earlier this year resulted in the formation of the Community Assets Committee. Mayor Brad Boyd has appointed 10 members to the committee, charging them with vetting the top four ideas developed on by attendees at the town hall and presenting their best plan for a successful project at a follow-up meeting. Further feedback and suggestions are to be gathered from attendees, then discussed further in... Full story
It may not be popular, but back-in parking is here to stay for a while yet. The reverse parking was established on Main Avenue in an effort to improve bicycle safety, as part of a 2012 Main Avenue upgrade project. Grant funding for the Main Avenue renovation project came from ODOT's Bicycle and Pedestrian Grant Program. The ODOT grant included a clause requiring the back-in parking to remain in place for at least 24 months. That timeframe has passed - but the city still can't... Full story
The campaign season for the November election is off and running, with several local issues that will engage the interest of Sisters Country: The composition of the city council; a bond measure for the school district; and a referendum on medical marijuana facilities. In addition, there is a county commission race, a statewide U.S. Senate race and a variety of statewide initiatives. Letters to the Editor on any of these subjects are welcome. The Nugget will run letters on a space-available basis, with local issues taking... Full story
To the Editor: A couple of weeks ago, after helping to conduct a public viewing of the stars at the high school, another member of the Sisters Astronomy Club and I drove through town to see how the new street lights looked on Cascade Avenue. We were shocked at how much glare they put out. They are much worse in that regard than the previous lights. When the citizens of Sisters were invited to weigh in how they wanted a refurbished Cascade Avenue to look with regard to what kinds of trees they wanted to see, the type of... Full story
Deschutes Public Library's Know Wilderness series came to Sisters Library with a program about some unique places in Oregon's high desert. Gena Goodman-Campbell from the Oregon National Desert Association (ONDA) led the discussion. ONDA is a grassroots organization committed to protecting, defending and restoring the health of Oregon's native deserts for present and future generations. The subject is in honor of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Wilderness Act by President Lyndon Johnson on September 3, 1964.... Full story
Sisters has a tradition of celebrating the fall season with a nod to seasonal beer-making. The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce and Ray's Food Place will present the fifth annual Sisters Fresh Hop Festival, Saturday, September 27, from noon to 8 p.m. at the Village Green Park in Sisters. The event will include two-dozen Oregon breweries featuring their best "fresh hop" brew and some crowd favorites, along with free live music, food, and more. "We are so pleased to welcome 24 breweries from across our state to this annual... Full story
Summer is the time to be working in the garden, and no one knows that better than Audrey Tehan of the Sisters Seed-to-Table project. Perhaps the most important production she and her crew achieved was the 150 pounds of squash, salads, kale, snap peas and the like that they delivered to the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank. Then there was the 3,000-plus student-hours she helped get going, and the four-days a week she was teaching Sisters High School interns, who were busy helping elementary school kids learn the art and science of... Full story
• There are two more Fridays to shop locally at the Sisters Farmers Market before the 2014 market season ends: September 19 and September 26 from 3 to 6 p.m. in Barclay Park. Shoppers will find the best of what Sisters Country has to offer in organic and locally grown and locally made products. Organic gardens are producing an abundance of tomatoes, greens, carrots, beans, peppers and many other vegetables. There will be organic grass-fed beef and pork, fresh-roasted coffee beans, cheeses, and bakery items. Grab a... Full story
Crafters in Sisters have a new place to congregate, learn, share ideas and access materials and equipment. Alpenhimmel Creative Arts Emporium is the creation of Charity Alva, a mixed-media artist. Since mid-May, she's been at work transforming Suite #3 at 392 W. Main Ave. into a bright, cheery arts and crafts environment. Alpenhimmel opened on the weekend of the Sisters Folk Festival. Alpenhimmel means "alpine heaven" in German, and that's what Alva and her husband John have... Full story
Two weeks into the cross-country season, the Sisters Outlaws are adjusting to competition against a variety of quality Oregon teams. On Saturday, September 6 at the Jere Breese Memorial Ranch Stampede hosted by Crook County High School, the Outlaws faced a tough course and even tougher competition as the girls placed fifth out of six teams, and the boys placed sixth. Summit placed five runners among the top 11 finishers to cruise to the team title despite the 1-2 finish by... Full story
A temporary recreational shooting closure for the Zimmerman Cinder Pit on the Sisters Ranger District began on September 14 and will end on December 1. The closure of the pit has been put in place to protect contractors who will be clearing trees in several areas of the pit for future cinder mining by the Oregon Department of Transportation. The popular recreational shooting area is located approximately 3.5 miles west of Sisters off Forest Road 2059-500. Shooters interested in alternatives are encouraged to visit Garrison... Full story
On September 10, the state released the OAKS (Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) achievement test results, broken down by district and school, and further detailed by performance in math, reading, science and writing. A second set of benchmarks, the individual school "report cards," will be made public and mailed to all parents on October 9. The report cards go far beyond the OAKS data and include detailed performance data including the ranking against the state Academic Achievement (accountability) rating system.... Full story
The Outlaws swept both Bend and Summit in volleyball action last week. Sisters defeated Bend 25-19, 25-10, and 25-22 on Tuesday, September 9, and two days later beat Summit in three, with scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-18. On Tuesday, the Outlaws and the Lava Bears played a very tough match, filled with long, hard-fought rallies. Both teams were at the top of their game on both offense and defense. The Outlaws did an outstanding job at the net, especially in the first two... Full story
The Outlaws football team came out on top in a 13-12 decision at Madras on Friday, September 12, to record their first victory of the season. Sisters turned the ball over early in the first quarter, and the White Buffs drove from deep in Outlaws' territory to score and take a 6-0 lead. Mitch Gibney scored on a five-yard run in the second quarter, and Josh Andrade added the PAT to give Sisters a 7-6 lead to close out the first half. The Outlaws got a break late in the first half, when Josh Andrade picked off a pass to keep... Full story
One of the really neat things about living in Sisters Country is we have two wild bird rehabbers who work from both ends of the size-of-birds spectrum. Gary Landers works with eagles, the biggest of our birds, while Elise Wolf works with hummingbirds, the smallest of our birds. Both are authorized by the the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which takes a lot of bookwork and studying to make sure they're doing it right. Gone are the days when someone would find an... Full story
Cancer can strike a person right out of the blue and come at a very inconvenient time, too. That is what happened to author Jean Nave two weeks ago. Just as she finished up last-minute details for the launch of her newest book, "The Lost Filly" (juvenile fiction), she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her plans for a fall promotional roll-out were suddenly replaced with a fight for her very life, beginning with a scheduled double-mastectomy on September 15. As with all the... Full story
Betsy Leighty-Johnson has stepped into the position of president (chairperson) of Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO) effective September 1. Sisters GRO raises and administers scholarships for graduating seniors. Leighty-Johnson brings a wide range of private and public service experience in the fields of education, human services and military service to her new role in leading Sisters GRO. She has a doctorate in human services from Capella University's... Full story
I've only been here for five years, and during this entire time Sisters has been a community in transition, but it seems lately to have stalled and lost its compass. It seems to me, a community psychologist, that it lacks a sense of community and the visionary leadership to carry the town forward into the 21st century. Since I'm retired and have the time to volunteer, I've gotten involved in city politics a bit over this past year. I've been involved before, on city, state and national levels, although I'm not passionate... Full story
The girls soccer team recorded their first win of the season at home against Henley on Saturday, September 13. Two days earlier, the Outlaws lost to Molalla, one of the top 10 teams in the state. Sisters worked hard for their 2-1 win over Henley. The Hornets scored on a long shot outside of the 18-yard box 15 minutes into the game and took a 1-0 lead. Fifteen minutes later, Liz Stewart tied it up 1-1, scoring off a free kick outside the 18-yard box. "This is a really strong... Full story
Kim Luckini of Sisters is the proud owner of the Furry Friends Foundation Raffle quilt. Kim bought 25 tickets at The Dog Show on August 22. The drawing was held on Monday, September 8. "We're absolutely thrilled," Luckini said. "Riley's had his paws crossed that we'd win." Luckini said she "likes helping those who can't help themselves (and don't) have opposable thumbs." Her own furry friend falls into that category. "He's a rescue," Luckini said. "We got him from Prineville,... Full story
It was billed as "The Great Frog Hunt," notwithstanding the fact that the little critters were mostly toads. Regardless, these youngsters were equal-opportunity amphibian hunters, and there was excitement in the air. The idea of a "hike" was definitely secondary; and, to be accurate, we should probably call this an "entry-level" hike. So, if you're looking for a walk in the woods that's a little more challenging than a sidewalk but still suitable for toddlers, Little Three... Full story
