News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
Kathryn "Kate" was born to Lora and F. Engles Wiquest on October 7, 1937, in Barre, Vermont. Her father was a vice president at the Rock of Ages granite quarry and her mother was the nurse at the school where Kate and her younger sister, Gail, attended. Kate's parents nurtured her early love of music, even working a concession at the local fair to buy her first French horn, which she soon mastered. Although her family moved to California seeking better opportunities when Kate... Full story
Mary Agnes Poncy, 96, passed away at her home in Surprise, Arizona, on October 5. Mary was a resident of Sisters for over 50 years until she moved to Arizona to be with her two sisters that were living there at the time. Mary was born on October 3, 1927, in Redondo Beach, California. She was one of 9 children born to Louis and Anna Bahner. Mary is the last survivor out of all the siblings. She would share this with others many times, and she was sad because she missed her fami... Full story
"The Garbage Brothers" will roll into Sisters at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 19, when award-winning Oregon journalist Paul Neville reads from his critically acclaimed debut novel at Paulina Springs Books. Set in Chicago's suburbs in the summer of 1969, "The Garbage Brothers" is a poignant and funny novel about an 18-year-old named Jesse Wheeler, whose comfortable existence crumbles after his father dies, leaving Jesse adrift and without prospects. He finds a summer job... Full story
The Sisters Ranger District plans to implement approximately 3,600 acres of mowing operations across Sisters Country. Mowing operations are strategically located in areas critical to reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires to communities. Project areas slated for mowing include the Sisters Area Fuels Reduction (SAFR) Project Area, Highway 20 Project Area, and the Metolius Basin Project Area. Work is already completed or underway in some units and will continue during the fall and winter. Mowing work will be ongoing... Full story
“Every man, whatsoever his condition, desires to be happy.” — Saint Augustine The pursuit of happiness is the unavoidable hardwired disposition of every human heart. We were designed to desire true happiness. We can pretend we’ve moved beyond such “selfish, juvenile” behavior, but the fact remains that everyone is driven to achieve maximum happiness. Blaise Pascal put it this way: “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war... Full story
When Sisters' resident Cheryl Pellerin was a young girl she used to put on shows in her garage because she loved being on stage. In adulthood, she moved on up to community theater, performing in numerous productions in Orange County, Calif. Although she and her husband retired to Sisters in 2020, she won't be retiring from the stage anytime soon. Beginning October 19, she can be seen in her first local play, Silent Echo Theater Company's (SETC) production of "Steel... Full story
The Great Oregon ShakeOut is set for 10:19 a.m. on October 19. The ShakeOut is a self-led earthquake drill taking place worldwide. Nearly 500,000 Ore-gonians have registered, pledging to Drop, Cover, and Hold On for at least 60 seconds as if a major earthquake was occurring at that moment. Oregon is vulnerable to a potentially massive subduction zone earthquake on the coast. That is the protocol emergency management experts say is the best response to an earthquake. When the ground starts to shake, or you receive an... Full story
The Pole Creek Ranch provided a perfect setting for the Sisters Outlaws' home cross-country meet held Wednesday, October 11. Dramatic skies that included long-lasting rainbows added extra beauty to the course set at the iconic ranch. As the inaugural contest at the site, the event was limited to five local teams in order to keep the field of runners more manageable. The Outlaw girls won the team title 25-32 over Bend High, while the boys lost to Bend High on the sixth runner... Full story
Last Thursday, October 10, the bar at Three Creeks Brew Pub was full of good food, good friends, and good feelings as the Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS) organization gathered for their second annual volunteer appreciation event. STARS provides free rides to nonemergency medical appointments (physicians, dental, vision, physical therapy, hearing, lab work, and testing) in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond for residents of Sisters Country who can't drive themselves. Ride... Full story
When my cell phone rang one morning a while ago, the caller ID said, “unknown caller.” Usually I simply ignore calls like that, and delete them. I hadn’t heard from my younger son in another town for a while and he had been on my mind, so I answered the call, figuring maybe he had lost his phone again. Over the years, I have received many distressing phone calls regarding my youngest, who is often living on the edge. The voice on the other end confirmed my worst fears. Thoug... Full story
Shaunette White of High Desert Chocolates in Sisters was one of 20 award winners for the 2023 Accomplished Under 40 by Cascade Business News’ 17th annual year of honoring young achievers in Central Oregon in their October 4 edition.... Full story
When Sanoma Blakeley and her horse Goober crossed the finish line in the grueling Tevis Cup Endurance race in 2019, she fulfilled a dream she'd held since childhood. Recounting the dramatic tale of that exceptional victory has opened up other trails and other adventures to the Terrebonne equestrienne. Blakeley recounted her journey to the pinnacle of endurance racing in "Chasing Dreams: The True Story of the Youngest Female Tevis Cup Champion." The book has become a big hit... Full story
As a community we have much to be proud of in Sisters. By most traditional measures, we have one of the strongest school districts in the state. We believe that a comprehensive education grounded in the community’s core values is key to the success of all students in Sisters Country. Prior to the pandemic, the Sisters School District started to engage the community around creating a new mission and vision for our schools. This process included a dozen meetings with diverse stakeholder groups to get feedback on the c... Full story
The Sisters High School (SHS) has been without a functioning library for over 10 years, making it the only facility in the Sisters School District without this resource. While elementary and middle school students enjoy having a library at their disposal, many high schoolers wondered why there wasn't such a resource available for them. Seniors Presley Adelt and Molly Greaney recognized this absent space and brought forth the idea in their AP Government class led by Gail Greane... Full story
After both Wyoming and Montana gave an emphatic no, Oregon has agreed to allow the capture and transport of 10 wolves to Colorado in December. A year-end date was set for Colorado's wolf reintroduction program created by Proposition 114, which Colorado voters passed in 2020 in a hotly contested vote - 50.91 percent to 49.09 percent. Colorado initially thought it could reestablish its wolf population with wolves from populous habitat in the Greater Yellowstone region, which is... Full story
Construction of a new roundabout at Locust Street and Highway 20 is still set to get underway in March 2024, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Central Oregon Region Manager Bob Townsend told the Sisters City Council in a workshop on Wednesday, October 11. ODOT's $5 million in state transportation improvement funds - which will combine with $1.425 million from the City of Sisters, and $1 million from Deschutes County - are secure, despite ODOT's current funding crisis... Full story
“The bottom line is, we’re out of money,” said Oregon Transportation Commissioner Julie Brown following a meeting this summer. The Commission reviewed an updated finance plan draft for the projects slated for funding by tolls. The current plan includes the possibility of dipping into funds set aside for projects scheduled for the next three years. The Locust Street roundabout will not be affected by the funding crisis as the monies have been allocated and secured by prior... Full story
In volleyball The Lady Outlaws matched up against a tough Pleasant Hill (PH) squad at home on Monday, October 9. The Billies gave the Outlaws their biggest challenge in league so far, with tight matches that included several long rallies. Sisters, who for the past several matches have easily swept their opponents, and in less than an hour of play, were challenged by the Billies, who made them work hard for the four-set win with scores of 25-23, 20-25, 26-24, and 25-21. At the... Full story
Julia Huni, also known to readers as Lia Huni, came to Sisters in 2008 with her husband, following retirement from the military. They drove 8,000 miles in their RV, exploring where they might put down roots - and then settled on Sisters. It was 10 years later that Huni published her first book following a lifelong love of reading and a lot of prodding from her sister. The Nugget met Huni at her home where she works. Her schedule, which she mostly keeps, has her writing... Full story
When MJ and Evan Schulte were watching the local news last January, they were horrified to see a story about a two-month-old puppy whose owner caused a head-on collision near the Bend Factory Outlets on Highway 97. The puppy named Diligence (Dill) had a broken femur, lung contusions, a dislocated pelvis, and a small fracture in his nasal bone. His former owner was jailed on multiple charges including animal abuse. To have a chance at survival, Dill needed extensive veterinary... Full story
Have you ever looked up into the starry night sky and wondered what’s out there — and how it all works? Former Sisters resident Dr. Bob Collins moved to a desert town near the Mexican border five years ago. After a successful career in neuroscience and neurology at various institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, Harvard University, and UCLA, he has finally found the time and the ideal location to pursue his interest in astronomy. Armed with two telescopes, a camera, and his background in research, he too... Full story
The explosion of intense violence in Israel is a savage spasm in a long-standing frontier conflict. It is often said that “they’ve been fighting each other there for thousands of years,” but that’s not really an accurate depiction of the conflict between Jews and Palestinian Arabs in the land that is now the state of Israel. The current conflict has its roots in the 19th century, in the Zionist movement, which sought to establish a Jewish homeland in a Middle East then un... Full story
Crossroad or crosshairs To the Editor: The lights blinking on my dashboard go dead. I barely make it to Les Schwab. Of course there’s a two hour wait. Years ago I would have been devastated, embroiled in victimized mind chatter. “What? I just spent a fortune on crawlspace insulation. Where am I going to get the money for this? Instead I think, “I’ve got time. Why not hike to the store, stock up on a few things from Bi-Mart?” After shopping, I return the way I came with an armful of unwieldly bags. Two cars approach the inter... Full story
Across the nation, there is rising concern about the negative impacts of loneliness and social isolation. Loneliness and isolation affect older people whose connections to community have withered, and young people who struggle to find their place in the world. Studies have shown that working-age men in particular have a difficult time forming friendships. Some have observed that habits fallen into during COVID-19 lockdowns have persisted, making it harder for people to engage... Full story
The Sisters City Council affirmed a commitment to preserving Sisters’ dark skies during their workshop on Wednesday, October 11. City of Sisters planning staff is working on a revised dark skies ordinance, and sought input from the Council on some key courses of action. A draft ordinance is expected to come before the City Council for approval soon. Councilors agreed that public lighting — street lights and lights on public buildings — should not be exempt in the ordin... Full story
