News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
By now, most of us realize that the pandemic is not going away anytime soon and that we aren’t past working and schooling kids from home. Within our own lives there is much to be stressed about and when we turn on the news, it’s all doom and gloom. All this uncertainty is a recipe for relationship disaster. If you feel like you’ve been walking on eggshells around your partner, you’re not alone. It doesn’t have to be this way, though. You can even use this time to put your relationship first again. I know, you have little time... Full story
Hats off to Sisters High School Athletic Director Gary Thorson, who has shown grace under pressure in navigating the confusing, conflicting path through COVID-19. The experience of high school athletics is an important one for many students, and ensuring that they get the best possible opportunity to have that experience — while keeping them safe and adhering to health and safety requirements — is a big challenge.... Full story
A teenage runner from South Medford High School — motivated to have the chance to race some of the other top distance runners in Oregon after track was canceled and the cross-country season moved to February — has taken matters into his own hand. He organized a 5,000-meter race that was held Saturday, October 3, at Sheldon High School’s track in Eugene. The beneficiaries of the race being made available included John Peckham, Will Thorsett, and Sam Mays, of Sisters High School. The trio, along with some other t... Full story
As soon as the calendar flips over to October, I start thinking about a visit to Clear Lake. Just over Santiam Pass, and only about a half hour away, there’s no better place to see fall colors in our area. This is always my favorite local fall hike. As far as that goes, it’s probably everyone’s favorite fall hike around here — and the long range weather forecast suggests that there will be many remaining opportunities in October. My hiking buddy and I do this hike almos... Full story
As the seasons turn into the waning of the year, October is the month for exploring the uncanny. Through this month, The Nugget will explore some spooky folk mythology from various cultures that make up the American quilt… An evil spirit of the Great North Woods, an eater of human flesh, a stealer of souls: The Wendigo. Whisper that name in the autumn twilight woods. “Weennndigooo…” The word is enough all by itself to send shivers down the spine. The Wendigo is... Full story
“There are two things that I believe to be true. First, that America has a long history of brutal and shameful mistreatment of racial minorities — with black Americans its chief victims. And second, that America is a great nation, and that American citizens (and citizens of the world) should be grateful for its founding. Perhaps no nation has done more good for more people than the United States. It was and is a beacon of liberty and prosperity in a world long awash i... Full story
Right now I should be playing Annie Oakley in the Rocky Mountains, or a bawdy wench in a Renaissance village — but instead of planning a future of the past, the pandemic has presently plunked me down in Sisters. I’m a professional vagabond who migrates between Jeep tours in Colorado and working on the Renaissance faire circuit in the eternal project that is my vintage Airstream. COVID has clipped my wings. I was born with wanderlust. At 18 I scored a photojournalism gig at a local paper in the D.C. area, but the next ye... Full story
Following the tragic deaths on two consecutive weeks involving Sisters teens, support for young people grappling with the losses is vital. In the midst of COVID-19, access to resources is a bit more challenging, but help is available. In a letter sent out Friday, high school principal Joe Hosang said, “The primary reason for this message is to let you know that we are here to support our students, staff and families through the grieving process.” Counselors from all three schools in Sisters, along with administrators and oth... Full story
Charles Glen Whitman, 85, passed away on Tuesday, September 29. Charles, known as Glen, was born in Bend to Minnie Louise (Hanneman) Whitman and Charles Henry Whitman on March 13, 1935. Glen was the second child of six siblings and had two half-siblings. While he attended Bend High School, he worked for Trailway Buses. After graduating, he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Bend and developed a passion for forestry that would be the focus of his professional career. His... Full story
With overwhelming grief and sadness we share that our darling, darling sparkling light of a daughter Lala, was killed in a traffic incident on October 1. She was in the car with two other girls, one of whom was her best friend from California, Amelie Shae Locke, who also died at the scene. All the girls were wearing seat belts but the driver lost control of the car and all three girls died at the scene. Lala was born on December 12, 2002 at 12:02 p.m. in Santa Rosa,... Full story
The City of Sisters is responsible for a variety of infrastructure systems and services that support our community. To ensure we reflect and align with who we serve, boards and committees that provide a direct link with community members are critical to maintaining dialogue. These groups inform and advise the City Council and City staff on several topics. Whether it is wastewater and water infrastructure, streets, parks, land use and community development, tourism and economic development, or law enforcement, we rely on... Full story
January 26, 1700, approximately 9 p.m. — the earth ruptures, coming unzipped along 600 miles of coastline from what is now British Columbia into what is now northern California. The whole world shakes, and it seems like it will never end. Massive sections of forested coastline nearly instantly drop three to six feet, leaving giant trees embedded in salt water to die and leave ghost forests that will stand sentinel in the sand three centuries later. A tsunami will roll across the ocean, taking nine hours to reach Japan.... Full story
The latest addition to the vernacular of the “wired world” is an example of onomatopia — a word that sounds like the noise or action designated: hiss, buzz, bang. In this age of pandemic restrictions for gatherings, up pops “zoom.” As in, “We can set up a Zoom meeting to discuss the contract.” Face-to-face conversations via computer or phone screens can be Zoomed, which brings to mind fast or instantaneous transmission (zoom like a fast car) and up close (as zooming in)... Full story
The fall ushers in the season of home-cooked meals with family — which means more time in the kitchen. And that’s the most vulnerable place in the house to fire. “Nationally, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries, with unattended cooking being the leading cause of fires in the kitchen,” said Assistant Chief Deputy Claire McGrew of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office. “In Oregon, cooking was the leading known cause of residential structure fires over the past five years, through 2019.” Ac... Full story
Athletic contests, non-existent in the area for months due to COVID-19, are slowly returning, allowing Sisters High School track-and-field program to host an informal, abbreviated competition against Ridgeview High on Wednesday, September 30. Events are being handled carefully. The non-scored meet featured just five running events, along with all the field events other than triple jump, in the first meet for most of the athletes since the spring of 2019. Sisters, along with... Full story
Henry David Thoreau wrote of the bird that “carries the sky on his back.” The Western bluebird has a sky-blue back and russet chest and flanks. They’re birds of open spaces, so look and listen for them year-round near fields, parks, pastures, and open woodlands — any place with junipers is a good bet. You can find them in rural areas around Sisters in places like Camp Polk Meadow, Camp Sherman — and in and around the open area where local quilter Diane Tolzm... Full story
Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie made his fortune in steel, but used his wealth to build libraries. Beginning in 1880, he gave away $60 million to build 1,689 libraries across the United States. Many still exist as libraries, and others as community centers, museums, art galleries or other uses. In 1889, he said, “In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those who help themselves.” As a poor, uneducated young man who wanted to improve his lot in life, Carnegie sought adm... Full story
I certainly agree with all the readers that wrote regarding the CEO of Laird Superfoods’ proposed invasive (development) of the prime Forest Service properties in the middle of Sisters to house employees of their once-small operation, which is now being expanded to 500 people. This is presumptuous and arrogant on their part with absolutely no consideration for the effect it will have on our community. We need to petition City Hall to stop this debacle. This is exactly what Governor McCall warned against many years ago if w... Full story
The three new Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies who were recently assigned to duty in Sisters appear to be a happy, friendly team who — according to all three — love what they do. Deputy Bryan Morris has a ready smile and quick wit. He is an Oregon native who spent four years in the Marine Corps, serving in Iraq in 2003. He is a family man who earned his bachelor’s degree from Portland State University and a masters from University of Connecticut. He ori... Full story
Over the course of the next year, the City of Sisters will seek input from community members on what they want Sisters to be like in 2040. The City is launching an update of the Sisters Comprehensive Plan, a document that will guide how Sisters grows over the next 20 years. Based on community input and studies on housing needs and economic opportunities, the update will result in a set of goals, policies, and implementation measures that will guide decisions about future growth and development in Sisters. Citizens will be... Full story
With the closure of City Hall to the public due to COVID-19, the residents of Sisters have yet to meet a new addition to the staff in the person of Emelia “Emme” Shoup. Shoup is part of an AmeriCorps program administered through the University of Oregon, Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE). The City has a contract with the U of O for 1,700 hours of Shoup’s services over 11 months, for which she will receive a monthly stipend and nine credits toward her maste... Full story
