News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
“One of Mom’s famous ‘Gertisms’ was, ‘It is better to give with a warm hand than a cold one,’” Kathy Deggendorfer, founder of the Roundhouse Foundation, remembers. In that spirit, Gert Boyle, the “one tough mother” of Columbia Sportswear fame, funded the Roundhouse Foundation in 2002. According to the Foundation website, “Gert was no stranger to challenges as she immigrated from Nazi Germany in 1937, took over Columbia Hat Company with her husband, Neal, and then quickly ha... Full story
The Sisters Outlaws boys’ cross country team was ranked sixth among 4A schools following a late September coaches’ poll. They lived up to the ranking at the Paul Mariman Invitational held Saturday, October 9 at Philomath High School. Of the 19 complete teams, Sisters placed fifth, behind top-ranked Siuslaw, second-ranked Philomath, and fifth-ranked Cottage Grove, along with Bandon, the number-one 3A team in Oregon. “We needed this test to show we are very competitive at the 4A level,” said head coach Charlie Kanzig. “No one... Full story
The last nonstop flight to Portland, the 7 a.m. Alaska Airlines jump, will make its final flight November 3, due to lack of sufficient passenger traffic. The loss of commercial air service between Central Oregon and PDX (Portland International) is more symbolic than meaningful. Rarely would anybody from Sisters or Deschutes County fly to the Rose City unless they were connecting. It was much easier just to jump in your car or truck and arrive in under three hours, weather... Full story
Imagine walking in a grove of pine trees on a summer evening. There’s a large meadow nearby and you are drawn toward it and the sunset colors. As you walk, you hear the soft crunch of fallen pine needles under your feet. But suddenly you hear something else. A sweet thread of violin music, sending an old tune soaring across the grasses and wildflowers of Glaze Meadow. In front of you is an old split-rail fence; as you step over it and walk toward the shadow of Black Butte, y... Full story
The girls soccer squad traveled to Woodburn on Tuesday, October 5, and came away with a score deadlocked 0-0. To date, the Lady Outlaws are 3-1-2 in league and 4-2-2 overall. Sisters played well against the talented and well-coached Bulldogs. The Lady Outlaws defense played a physical and well-organized game and kept Woodburn from scoring. The midfield players also did a great job as they stayed compacted and forced the Bulldogs to attack wide and from outside the 18-yard box. The Outlaws did have a few counterattacks, but... Full story
The Sisters School Board met for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 6 via Zoom. Board members present included Edie Jones, David Thorsett, Jenica Cogdill, and Jeff Smith. Vice-chair Thorsett conducted the meeting in Don Hedrick’s absence. •?Thorsett opened the meeting and the evening’s agenda was amended to move community comments to the end of the meeting. •?Building administrators Steve Stancliff, Tim Roth, and Joan Warburg reported through powerpoint and video on each school’s building-based goals regar... Full story
Coldwell Banker Bain has merged with Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty of Sisters. Owner Mike Mansker will continue with Coldwell Banker Bain of Sisters as a broker, mentor, and local advisor. Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty has served the Central Oregon area since 1974, establishing the longest-serving real estate firm in Sisters. The merger expands Coldwell Banker Bain’s brand in Oregon to five total offices (the company has two offices in Portland, one in Lake Oswego, and one in Bend). This newest office serves clients i... Full story
The Lady Outlaws volleyball team won their division and finished ninth out of 24 teams in the Bend Clearwater Classic on Saturday, October 9. The teams were divided into gold, silver, and bronze divisions. Sisters played three tough matches to win the silver division. The Outlaws were one of two 4A teams in the tournament, which was filled with tough 5A and 6A teams from all over the state. Sisters faced Summit in the first round of bracket play in the silver division, and lost a close first set. It was tied up 22-22, but... Full story
The Outlaws played hard against a very verbal and physical Riverside squad on Saturday, October 9, but came up short and lost the game 2-1. Sisters has been working hard all season to be the team that sets the tone of the game early with a physical style of play, and they did just that against the Pirates. In the first 12 to 15 minutes the Outlaws did what they set out to do, and worked as a cohesive unit both on defense and in the midfield. The Outlaws started the game with... Full story
There is something about the fall season that encourages me to become active. Change in temperature, angle of sunlight, return of rain — I have no clue why, but it’s been constant over the years. I start to prepare the cave for winter. I would hike South Sister in September or early October, jokingly calling the climb to 10,300 feet my annual cardiac stress test. Exercise-induced asthma made that a challenge a couple of times, but inhalers allowed me to get to the t... Full story
Noted Central Oregon musician Lilli Worona has released her debut album of original songs, “Between the Lines,” on all streaming platforms. Worona is a violinist and seasoned vocalist and has performed in a number of local bands in Central Oregon — most notably, Sisters-area favorite Dry Canyon Stampede. Worona has been playing music since she was six years old. Her father being a classical musician, she picked up the violin and also grew up singing and touring with voca... Full story
Noted amateur astronomer Mel Bartels will be the featured presenter at the Sisters Astronomy Club’s virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, October 19, beginning at 7 p.m. His talk is entitled “Killer Asteroids: When will the next one hit?” Asteroid impacts are the stuff of movies and screaming headlines. But what are scientists saying about the chances of an asteroid colliding with the earth? What should you do if you find yourself, warning or no warning, in an impact zone? What... Full story
I was entering Sisters’ Bi-Mart, holding the door open for a young man to enter. When he noticed that everyone else was masked, he grumbled that he would never shop at Bi-Mart again, and left. He is among a minority of Sisters Country residents who view mask mandates as an assault on their personal liberties and an usurpation of power by state and local officials. On an international level, some countries have fared better during the pandemic than others. Michele Gelfand of the University of Maryland observes that nations w... Full story
Award-winning author and poet Ellen Waterston has joined the faculty of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Oregon State University – Cascades. “We’re thrilled to bring Ellen’s literary voice and passion for writing and writers to the MFA in Creative Writing,” said Jennifer Reimer Recio, director of the MFA program and an assistant professor of American studies at OSU-Cascades. “She is a wonderful addition to our talented faculty authors and will be an inspiration to MFA students and alumni.... Full story
The Outlaws football team’s hard work and dedication finally paid off this past week with a big win over Pleasant Hill. Sisters snapped their four-game losing streak with a final score of 28-26 in their road win over the Billies. Sisters started off strong and in the first quarter, with Wyatt Maffey scoring on a one-yard run. The TD was set up by blocks on the right side of the line, which allowed Wyatt to walk into the end zone. The PAT failed, but at the close of the p... Full story
After a year-and-a-half pause brought on by the pandemic, the Sisters Bridge Club is up and running again. Organizers want to get the word out and are interested in recruiting — and mentoring — new players. The local organization has been playing bridge in Sisters for more than 40 years. Some of the people who have played in the past have migrated out of the area, and snowbird lifestyles are also creating plenty of room for newcomers. To help players who are out... Full story
Sisters is home to a unique private family foundation that began in 2002 with a focus on supporting a creative economy in Sisters. Today, almost 20 years later, that same Roundhouse Foundation has grown — in assets, in programs and partners, in staff, and in geographic reach.... Full story
For two generations, the Sisters Harvest Faire has offered a celebration of the season, a celebration of handcrafted excellence in a plastic world, and a celebration of the community of Sisters. This year’s Faire felt especially celebratory as the crowds of market-goers returned after a year hiatus forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shoppers strolled among the stalls of dozens of vendors — many of whom have been regulars at the Faire for as long as 20 years. Judging from t... Full story
A couple of weeks ago, The Nugget published a very sad letter from a man mourning the death of his oldest friend, a loss made more painful because the friends had become estranged. Over politics. It’s hard to understand blowing up a relationship like that. My nature is to bring people together. Lately, that’s been harder and harder to do, and I’ll tell you, I grow weary of the effort. So many people have lost all perspective. I doubt whether conciliation is even possi... Full story
Coping with COVID Editor’s Note: The Nugget will pause letters to the editor on COVID-19-related subjects for a couple of weeks, after this edition. The community needs a cooling-off period. Letters we have been receiving in recent weeks are becoming increasingly personal and hostile, and generate more heat than light. The subject has been thoroughly addressed from a variety of points of view, and it seems unlikely at this point that the discourse will provide new information or perspectives for readers. We will revisit t... Full story
Two separate incidents last week left homes in Sisters damaged by fire. Working smoke alarms alerted a homeowner Tuesday afternoon, October 5, of smoke and sparks shooting out of the exterior of his home on Fox Ridge Circle north of town. Law enforcement and the homeowner attempted to extinguish the fire while the fire department responded. When firefighters arrived on scene, smoke and flames were visible from under the house, on the first floor near an electrical meter, on... Full story
Starting next week, all visitors to St. Charles Health System hospitals or clinics will have to be be fully vaccinated. Effective October 18, visitors will only be allowed if they provide acceptable proof that they are fully vaccinated. On October 18, health care workers are also required to be fully vaccinated by the state of Oregon. “We know what an important role visitors and support persons play in a patient’s healing process,” said Dr. Jeff Absalon, the health system’s chief physician executive. “However, throughou... Full story
It’s a year of change at Sisters High School (SHS), with the addition of six new certified staff members along with a new principal. Steve Stancliff, most recently the principal at Pilot Butte Middle School in Bend, took over the helm at SHS this fall, replacing longtime principal Joe Hosang who is doing administrative work at the District office. Stancliff welcomes six new teachers to the building for the 2021-22 school year. Liz DeFranco is working as one of two c... Full story
Last summer’s record-setting heat was adversely impactful here in the western U.S., leading to numerous wildfires that burned well into the fall. The heat worsened already severe drought conditions in our region. Many residents are hoping for the upcoming winter season to produce generous amounts of precipitation and cool temperatures. Is this likely to happen? Is it even in the cards? The winter of 2021-22 is forecasted to feature the second of back-to-back La Niñas (t... Full story
