News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
There were few sharp divisions between the five city council candidates at Wednesday night's forum held at Sisters fire hall, but the 50-plus audience for the two-hour question-and-answer session did hear some distinct differences of opinion and approach. The candidates each fielded 11 questions. One recurring theme was the issue of citizen involvement - or the lack thereof - in the city's decision-making process. A second frequent issue was the city manager's role. One observation was that the city was running "upside... Full story
The taxpayers of Sisters Country have consistently shown that they are willing to open their checkbook to support a school district that has performed well and forms a vital part of the local community. Voters overwhelmingly approved a renewal of a local option tax in 2013. The request for $14.5 million in bond funding on the November ballot - put together by a citizen committee - is garnering vocal support. However, there are also many questions in the community, including among those inclined to support the schools. Perhaps... Full story
Sisters schools scored well overall on the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) report cards, which were mailed to students' homes last week. Sisters Elementary School scored a 92.5 percent for a "Level 5" (out of 5) rating, earning a perfect score in academic achievement. Sisters High School scored an 87.0 percent overall, also earning a "Level 5" rating. Sisters Middle School came at 76.7 percent to gain a "Level 4" rating. The middle school continues to be challenged by low test scores and growth rates among students with... Full story
A lot has changed in the firefighting service in the past three decades. For one thing, fire apparatus has gotten more automated - and a lot bigger. For the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District, that poses some very evident problems. Their firefighting vehicles - bought second-hand- barely fit into the bays at the late-'60s-vintage firehouse on George Cyrus Road. Newer equipment, which the district will have to purchase as their old rigs are retired, won't fit at all.... Full story
It is with some surprise that I read Roger Detweiler's guest column in the October 8 printing of this newspaper and saw my name included. As I read the article fully, I felt the need to respond. To imply that citizens who volunteer their time to something they care about have ulterior motives is speculative, and, quite frankly, offensive. I find it interesting that there were only two people other than our city manager mentioned by name by Mr. Detweiler, both of us identified as having "moneyed interests." I will leave Mr. La... Full story
Sisters voters will, in the November 4 election, select three city councilors to serve them for the next two to four years. Voters must choose a council configuration that can work effectively together and with their constituents to preserve and enhance the quality of life that is vital to Sisters' well-being. Five candidates are running for three positions - David Asson; Brad Boyd; Nancy Connolly; Wendy Holzman; and Bob Wright. All of the candidates are to be commended for their willingness to step as volunteers into an... Full story
Dark clouds hanging over Sisters couldn't stop the thousands of treasure-loving folks that came out to celebrate the fall harvest through the 39th annual Sisters Harvest Faire hosted by Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce on Saturday. Folks from all over the Pacific Northwest browsed through 150 juried artisan vendors that lined Hood Avenue with their quality handcrafted items from flowers made from juniper wood chips to metal art jewelry. There were novelties for everyone's... Full story
When the City of Sisters decided to include a fire pit in Fir Street Park, they might have known they were going to get a piece of public art in the bargain. Jeff Wester and Alex Cretsinger of Ponderosa Forge have a reputation for getting creative with their work, and their current piece exceeded all expectations. The fire pit is a steel cauldron with a screen lid, which is designed to appear as though it is hanging by rope from a structure of wood. Except it's all steel. "I... Full story
To the Editor: In my 32-plus years living in Sisters (70% of my life), I find myself writing to The Nugget for only the fifth time. Unfortunately, it is not on a positive note. In last week's guest editorial, Mr. Detweiler portrayed the years of volunteer hours I have donated to this community in a very defamatory light, suggesting that my commitment to our community has been due to "moneyed interests" and cronyism. All I can say is that I am very, very sad for the current community climate. This is a perfect example of one... Full story
Carol Ann Yankey's goal with her practice is "to help others achieve mental and emotional wellness." With that mission in mind, she has launched Common Ground Counseling Services in Sisters. While she works with all kinds of people, her particular specialty and favorite form of work is with children. That often ends up involving the whole family. "What will usually happen," she says, "is someone will bring their child and want me to 'fix' their child. I drag the whole family i... Full story
On the afternoon of September 27, Sisters High School freshman Evan Kolar and his neighbor Bill Hull had a close encounter with a U(F)FO (an Unidentified Formerly Flying Object). The two were in the forest near Pole Creek southwest of Sisters gathering spruce trees for replanting (carrying the required permit) when they came upon the crash site. Before them was an odd entanglement of latex rubber, a piece of orange cloth and several lengths of cord attached to a white... Full story
The Outlaws worked together as a unit, made big plays, and defeated the Junction City (JC) Tigers 21-14 at home on Friday, October 10. Sisters took the lead on their second possession of the first quarter on a long drive that was capped off by a 10-yard run off the left side by Mitch Gibney. Josh Andrade added the PAT. The Outlaws scored their second TD off a long drive in the second quarter on a three-yard run by Logan Schutte. Andrade's kick for the PAT was good and Sisters... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival will host An Evening with Caravan Of Thieves on Sunday, November 2, at 7 p.m. at The Belfry in Sisters. Caravan delighted audiences at the 2014 festival with their gypsy-flavored songwriting and audience-engaging, high-intensity show. Caravan of Thieves performs driving, gypsy jazz rhythms, with acoustic guitars, upright bass and violin that lay the foundation for mesmerizing vocal harmonies and fantastic stories. It's theatrical and humorous. It's... Full story
The Lady Outlaws shut down Sweet Home 6-0 on Tuesday, October 7, and pushed their league record to 6-0. Sisters has been relentless in their play all season, and have easily handled every league opponent they've faced. Five minutes into the contest against the Huskies, Cassandra Arruda dribbled down the side and crossed the ball in to Olivia Stewart, who volleyed it in for the score. Olivia Stewart scored again 13 minutes later off an Arruda corner kick and the Outlaws went up 2-0. Liz Stewart punched in two goals for... Full story
Going to Camp Tamarack at Dark Lake when Outdoor School is running is like going back in time. The squeals of happy kids fill the air, the silly sounds and antics of college-age instructors goad them on to keep the spirit of learning about the nature of our Earth in the out-of-doors fun. This is Outdoor School 2014 - very much like it was when it first appeared in the mid-'60s. Last Monday morning, 31 fifth-grade students from Seven Peaks School in Bend - along with Principal... Full story
Sisters Habitat for Humanity ReStore manager Robin Tawney recently adopted a young cat from BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond. The store's previous mascot, Miss Jenni, a 17-year-old cat that everyone loved, passed away peacefully this past June; she had been a fixture in the store for over six years. She was so popular with the locals that the Habitat for Humanity ReStore held a celebration of life for her on June 12. "We didn't adopt her to replace Miss Jenni, but so many... Full story
Sisters High School Interact Club students will compete to plan an international project that could help kids fight diabetes on a global level. The Sisters High School Interact Club members carry out two service projects a year, seeking to make a difference in the world. "Interact" is a service club sponsored by Sisters Rotary Club. It is made up of highly motivated students who desire to help people on a community and international level for a lasting impact on society. On... Full story
We humans are living longer, yet poor diet choices plus environmental changes are negatively affecting our bodies and our skin health. The skin is usually the first organ to show dramatic changes due to stress, hormonal fluctuations, poor nutrition, lack of hydration, and/or excess alcohol or caffeine consumption. An imbalance in thyroid hormones can cause skin changes such as flushing, uneven skin tone, redness, dry, cracking skin, fine lines and wrinkles. The skin can become coarse, thick, or puffy from fluid retention.... Full story
Superfoods - a great buzzword, but are they really worth buzzing about? What does "superfood" actually mean? Do they really exist and are they something everyone should be consuming? The Macmillan dictionary defines "superfood" as "a food that is considered to be very good for your health and that may even help some medical conditions." I personally defined it as a food, or spice, which packs a bigger nutritional punch per bite than another food. You get more bang per nutritional buck. Just because this term is not... Full story
Ever since Ben Franklin warned us, "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail," we've been diligently planning for everything - college, career path, marriage, children, home buying, vacations, retirement - everything, that is, except our inevitable end of life. We don't want to think about that so we tend to ignore it or postpone dealing with it, often until it's too late. We live in the state of denial that keeps us oblivious to the unthinkable fact that this day could be our last on earth. At some point, we are all... Full story
Ebola is only a plane ride away as recently demonstrated by an infected person who flew into Dallas from Liberia, was turned away from a hospital, interacted with 20-some people before he was finally diagnosed, isolated and subsequently succumbed to the virus. Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said in an interview with NPR last week that airlines leaving West Africa are now taking the temperature of passengers before they can board a plane and if they have a fever, they will not be allowed to f... Full story
The Lady Outlaws came face-to-face against their toughest competition of the season at the Clearwater Classic, hosted by Bend High School, on Saturday, October 11. Teams played at three different venues; Bend High, Summit and Mountain View. Jesuit, the top ranked team at the 6A level, was in attendance, as well as No. 2 ranked Central Catholic (6A) Many other top 5A and 6A teams from around the state were in attendance. The only two 4A teams that competed were Sisters and Crook County. Jesuit was crowned tournament champions,... Full story
The Sisters High School boys soccer team cruised to a 9-0 shutout at Elmira on Tuesday, October 6, which marked their third consecutive shutout of the season. The Outlaws kept up their intensity the entire game and moved the ball quickly up and down the field. Sisters jumped out in the first minute of play with an easy goal to the right side from Andreas Pederson thanks to a Connor Schaab assist. Nine minutes later, Jadon Bachtold passed a 45 over to Malachy Sundstrom who drove a hard shot past the keeper for the goal. Sister... Full story
From Doo Wop to Lady Gaga and Motown to Jason Mraz, reVoiced is pure a cappella, and the group has been redefining the way people think about the genre. Starring five talented young men, several of which appeared on NBC's hit show The Sing Off, reVoiced is a vocal quintet that will keep your "ears on their toes." ReVoiced will be coming to Sisters on October 27, as part of their Music In Schools Tour. The group will conduct clinics and workshops with high school music... Full story
Olivia Chandler, a recent graduate of Sisters High School, has been selected as the 2015 Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo Queen. There are four categories to be judged in the competition: Application, Horsemanship, Speech and Interview. There are three judges for each category with a total of 12 judge's scores to find the winner. Horsemanship was performed in the Juniper Arena at the fairgrounds, where the contestants rode the AQHA Reining Pattern #7, a queen run-in and a flag... Full story
