News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 18 of 18
The McKenzie Highway, which usually sees 300 cars a day, is now closed for the winter. photo by Susan Springer The highest pass in Oregon closed for the winter last week. The scenic McKenzie Highway (Hwy. 242) closed from nine miles west of Sisters to its junction with joins Highway 126 near McKenzie Bridge. The pass, at 5,325 feet, is one of the few roads in Oregon that is routinely closed for the winter. The highway has numerous sharp switchbacks making it difficult to operate snowplows on the blind corners, according to Or... Full story
Sisters area residents should expect smoke in the air as Forest Service fire specialists touch off piles of wood debris along Highway 20 in the coming weeks. According to the Forest Service, precipitation that arrived this month has permitted the agency to begin burning hand piles made last summer on the forest's Bend/Ft. Rock, Crescent and Sisters Ranger Districts by Oregon Department of Corrections, Oregon Youth Challenge and Youth Conservation Corps crew members. The burns will continue through December. Fire specialists... Full story
The driver is recovering. photo by Penny Martin A Sisters woman is recovering from injuries suffered in a near-head-on collision on Highway 20 last Tuesday, October 19. The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reported that Jacquie Zanck, 43, of Sisters, was driving westbound on Highway 20 near the Lazy Z Ranch on Tuesday morning when an oncoming Honda Accord veered into her lane, missing another vehicle and striking Zanck's 1999 Ford Expedition. The Expedition then rolled, coming to rest on the driver's side. The airbag did... Full story
In front of a packed house on Thursday, October 21, the Sisters Planning Commission approved the application by Cache Mountain Development for a new building containing a restaurant (McDonald's), a convenience market and a gas station in the Highway Commercial Zone west of town. Because of expected opposition to the project, Chairman Dave Marlowe emphasized that any failure to raise issues at this meeting would invalidate an appeal. Any appeals from this meeting will be directed to the Sisters City Council. Further appeals... Full story
Leslie Satcher made some new friends at Sisters Elementary School last week. From left: fifth grader Samantha Malone, Satcher, music teacher Debi Schlatter, Leslie's husband David Allen and fifth grader Landon Andresen. photo provided Acclaimed singer-songwriter Leslie Satcher made a detour from a concert stop in Santa Barbara last weekend to head north and introduce her new husband, David Allen, to the town of Sisters. "I figured that since we were already out West, we should just take a few extra days and come back to one... Full story
Thia Tewalt and her daughter Breezy admire Thia's antelope. photo provided There was a time not too long ago when women were invited to join their husbands or male friends on a hunting trip for only one of two reasons -- either the male hunters needed a good cook in camp or they wanted to have an extra game tag with them in case they got lucky. In 2004, that is no longer the case. More and more women are taking up hunting as an outdoor sport and doing very well at it. A great example of women hunting is the experience of Thia... Full story
Local fire districts preparing a Greater Sisters Community Wildfire Protection Plan have announced four community meetings to present an overview of the project plan and to receive suggestions from local residents. Meeting dates and times are: - October 28, 6 to 8 p.m., Sisters and Environs Community Meeting, Sisters Fire Station, 301 S. Elm St., Sisters. - November 3, 2 to 4 p.m., Black Butte Ranch Community Meeting, Black Butte Ranch Fire Station, 13511 Hawks Beard, Back Butte Ranch. - November 3, 6 to 8 p.m., Cloverdale... Full story
Brad Boyd at his forum. photo by Jim Mitchell Brad Boyd began his pre-election forum last Wednesday by offering his vision of Sisters. "A McDonald's out on the edge of town is okay. I don't get real upset about it. But, to be honest with you, that's not my vision of Sisters." The candidate said, "My vision of Sisters is a small town that has great parks, good schools, easy for pedestrians and bicyclists to get around in, has a vibrant downtown core and that maintains it's small-town feel and minimal sprawl at either end."... Full story
Dennis Tooley repairs downed signs. photo by Jim Mitchell Dennis Tooley spent Thursday afternoon resurrecting political campaign signs at the intersection of Highway 20 and Cloverdale Road. Tooley is a member of the Deschutes County GOP Executive Committee. The damaged signs were reported by a citizen irate that the small American flag attached to the signs was now lying on the ground. Campaign signs have been lifted from both sides of the political fence. Several Sisters area residents have reported that their... Full story
Healthy Beginnings screenings help identify children's needs. photo by Jim Mitchell Once a year, Healthy Beginnings offers Sisters families free health screenings for their children. Last Thursday, October 21, 25 Sisters families had appointments to go through the screening. Holly Remer, Executive Director, said, "Deschutes County is one of the only counties that has a community screening program for children. The service is offered to families free-of-charge because of the donation of time and services by volunteers and by... Full story
Runners hit the trail in the 35-mile poker run held last weekend. The run promotes trail awareness. photo by Charlie Kanzig Most card players enjoy the comfort of a comfortable chair, some refreshments and a leisurely atmosphere. Imagine a card game that required traversing 35 miles on foot, picking up a new card every five miles or so to determine the winning combination for a single hand of five card stud. That's what the entrants faced in the first annual Sisters Poker Run, held Sunday, October 24, starting near the Sister... Full story
Local visitors prepare to enter a sweat lodge. The event was organized by local health practitioner Sweet Medicine Nation. photo by Jim Mitchell The use of sweat lodges for purifying the body and the spirit probably dates to prehistoric times. East of Sisters, amid the scattered junipers, Sweet Medicine Nation draws up to 40 people per session to take part in the sweat lodge experience. Professional people, doctors, lay people, mothers at home, psychologists, and others are drawn to the ceremony. "I've had Buddhist monks, Cat... Full story
Cliff Clemens will be honored at the dedication of the newest city park, named in his honor. Cliff Clemens Park is located on Larch Street on the south side of Tamarack Village. The ceremony, which Clemens is expected to attend, will be at 1 p.m. on November 2 (Election Day) at Cliff Clemens Park. Clemens and his family settled in Sisters in 1966. In 1978 he became the founding president of the Kiwanis Club of Sisters and is one of only three charter members still living. In 1981 he began running the Sisters Airport. Clemens... Full story
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday. To the Editor: Very few people... Full story
- City Council Meeting 7 p.m., 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, Sisters City Hall. 549-6022. - School Board Meeting 7 p.m., 2nd Monday each month, middle school lecture/drama room. 549-8521. - Black Butte School District Board of Directors meets 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., Black Butte School. 595-6203. - Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD meets for drill every Monday, 7 p.m. Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 549-0771. - Sisters Kiwanis Club meets every Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall. 549-1223. - Sisters Habitat for... Full story
Eugene and Barbara Prete, Guest Columnists We are two of the chief petitioners for Ballot Measure 37. In addition to being chief petitioners, we are also victims of Oregon's land use system. We have been married for 42 years. Gene is a retired Lieutenant Colonel having served 21 years in the United States Army. Barbara's grandfather immigrated from Norway to Oregon as a logger. In 1989, we decided to travel Oregon and visit the areas logged by Barbara's grandfather. While traveling through Sisters, we decided to retire here.... Full story
- A motel manager complained about yelling from one of the rooms. A deputy told the parties involved to quiet down. - A deputy found some 35 video cassette cases from a well-known "adult establishment" in Bend. The cases were lying in a roadway. The deputy contacted Bend Police, who checked on the establishment to see if it had been burglarized. There was no burglar; the deputy concluded the video cases were likely lifted from a dumpster, making them dirty videos indeed. - A deputy responded to the theft of a hot dog at... Full story
How we vote Federal and State candidates: President of the United States: Sen. John F. Kerry. U.S. Senate: Ron Wyden. U.S. House of Representatives, 2nd District: Greg Walden. Oregon Attorney General: Hardy Myers. Oregon Secretary of State: Bill Bradbury. Oregon Treasurer: Randall Edwards. Oregon Senate, 27th District: Ben Westlund Oregon House District 53: Gene Whisnant Local candidates and measures: Sisters City Council: Dave Elliott, John Rahm, Judy Trego. (see The Nugget, October 20). Measure 9-30 -- Local Option for... Full story
