News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
Deputy Brent Crosswhite has been in law enforcement with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office for 16 years, as a patrolman and as a detective. Now for the first time, he's serving as a school resource officer in Sisters schools. Deputy Crosswhite is finding the experience to be "an entirely different facet of law enforcement." Law enforcement work in the schools is the essence of community policing. Crosswhite is building relationships of trust with students and staff to... Full story
A demolition crew took down the old Barclay Barn along Locust Street/Camp Polk Road on Saturday. The site will be the new home of Cascade Street Distillery, which also has a tasting room on Cascade Avenue. Contractor Steve Keeton said that the barn was structurally unsound and could not be retrofitted for use. However, much of the barn materials will be reused. "We saved a bunch of stuff to make trim out of," he said. There are also a couple of larger pieces that could be inco... Full story
Sisters resident and Rotarian Gayla Nelson spends a lot of her time outdoors on her 10-acre ranch, caring for her four horses. Her two dogs - Louie, a 22-pound mini poodle, and Zoe, a tiny Yorkshire terrier - enjoy tagging along. Last month, a routine morning of tending to a horse in need turned into a terrifying ordeal for Nelson and her two furry friends. "Suddenly I heard Louie start barking like crazy and then I heard Zoe, she was yelping loudly. Then Louie's bark turned... Full story
"The past is not dead. It's not even past." - William Faulkner We have seen the truth of Faulkner's aphorism demonstrated starkly of late. From battles over the display of the Confederate flag to efforts to supplant Eurocentric commemorations of history with ones that recognize the plight and contributions of indigenous peoples, the past continues to be powerfully present in our contemporary cultural debates. History and heritage rub up against personal identity. When people p... Full story
To the Editor: Your October 13 article on the two emergency air transport services in our area was informative, and I am truly grateful to have these professional emergency services available to us in Sisters Country. I have great respect and admiration for the medical and aircrew personnel and for the lifesaving work done by both Life Flight and AirLink. I am, however, less enthusiastic about the membership arrangements needed for these two services. As discussed in the article, one must buy full membership in both services... Full story
Sisters' three public schools will honor veterans at several events on Tuesday, November 10. The Sisters High School Leadership Committee is inviting veterans and their spouses to breakfast at the high school at 8 a.m.; then the community is invited to an assembly at 9:30 a.m. Sisters Elementary School will host students' grandparents who are veterans at an assembly at 12:25 p.m., and Sisters Middle School invites veterans and their spouses to an assembly at 2 p.m. For more information contact Lance Trowbridge at 541-903-1123... Full story
The musical "Urinetown" is coming to Sisters High School. The high school musical theater class is putting on a performance of the Broadway musical. "Urinetown" takes place in a post-apocalyptic world focusing on the relationship between the poor and the rich. The poor must pay a fee to get into the public amenity in order to use the bathroom. The money from the amenity goes to the rich folks. The musical contains complex musical numbers and a whole lot of laughs. There will be performances at the Sisters High School... Full story
Most people would tell you that Sisters does not have a senior center, but that's not exactly true. For one day each week, there is a place where seniors gather for socialization, lunch, entertainment, games and a host of other activities. To help provide Sisters seniors with some of the benefits of a senior center, the Central Oregon Council On Aging (COCOA) provides seniors with a variety of services every Tuesday. Events always center around an excellent lunch, but other... Full story
The Sisters Middle School cross-country teams wrapped up a successful and fun season with the championship meet held in Bend on Tuesday, October 20, according to Coach Tiffany Tisdel. The 32-member team made its mark with some top finishes among individuals and teams. The eighth-grade team placed second overall in the championships, led by Josh Liddell, who won the individual title over the 2,800-meter course in 9:53. His teammates Sam Thorsett (sixth) and Aspen Geisen (16th)... Full story
Textile artist Leotie Richards finds great joy in her creative process with textiles. Her November art exhibit in the Sisters Library community room is a visual feast of color and texture. It is almost impossible to believe that Richards took up quilting only four years ago, after she and her husband, Michael, retired to Sisters from the Bay Area. Being a life-long seamstress definitely gave her a leg up, as did her 35-year career as an art director and graphic designer for... Full story
In 2011 when Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson, who was killed in Afghanistan, lay in a coffin, draped in an American flag, his loyal Labrador, Hawkeye remained by his casket with his head down for the entire funeral. Hawkeye was in mourning for his beloved companion. Pets, just like humans, can experience feelings of grief and go through a mourning period when they lose a close companion, whether it's their pet parent or another furry friend in the household. According to Dr. Sophia Yin... Full story
The Sisters Halloween trick-or-treat parade is an annual tradition. Last Friday the festivities took place at Fir Street Park due to construction at Village Green. The grassy area between the park and the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce was used as the gathering place for all the little trick-or-treaters, from Ninja Turtles to Cinderella and Spiderman. The annual Halloween parade is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sistes and the Sisters branch of the Deschutes Public Library.... Full story
For many years Central Oregon has been the destination of many Oregonians who live on the west side of the Cascade mountains (and from elsewhere, too) seeking to recreate in an area with clear skies, less rain, and abundant natural beauty. And it's cleaner today than it used to be. Before the Oregon bottle bill, passed in 1971 that required cans, bottles, and other containers of soft drinks, beer and water sold in Oregon to be returnable with a minimum refund value, roadside... Full story
A nightmare for any writer is to not be able to find the right word you're looking for, and I seem to be experiencing that more often lately. I don't even have to be writing to forget my words. I'm in Bi-Mart last week on a mission to find a nine-inch disposable deep-dish pie pan in which to bake a zucchini pie. First of all, they've changed the store all around - much to the consternation of us seniors - so the first thing is to locate the new housewares section. A cursory look down several aisles doesn't reveal anything... Full story
Sisters defeated Corbett in four sets in the first round of the state playoffs held at home in Sisters on Friday, October 30. The Outlaws won the match with scores of 15-25, 25-14, 25-12 and 25-19. The win will once again send Sisters to the final dance at Forest Grove High School this weekend, Friday and Saturday, November 6 and 7, where they will once again compete for the state title. The match against Corbett wasn't the way the Outlaws had hoped to start their playoff... Full story
Last February, I reflected on the challenges of a woman walking around with a bald head and no eyelashes or eyebrows. Back then, I told myself, I too would soon grow back a thick cover of hair, hopefully not completely gray! Since that time, I've become way less particular ... any color will do, just give me a full head of hair! As the weeks and months passed it was painfully clear that my hair was not growing in like most of my fellow chemo-warriors. I compared myself to cancer survivors recovering in the same time period an... Full story
A 60- to 70-foot-tall ponderosa pine snapped in half under the strain of high winds on Saturday, October 31. The top of the tree plummeted down, a portion of it landing in a vacant lot - and part of it plunging through the roof of Deborah and Don Olson's home in the Hayden Homes subdivision on the west side of town. A portion of the tree broke through the ceiling and ended up in a shower stall. Fortunately, it was 4:30 p.m. and there was nobody in the shower. There were no inj... Full story
The Lady Outlaws had a devastating week, with a 4-0 loss to Cottage Grove on Tuesday, October 27, followed by a 5-1 loss at home to Klamath Union (KU) on Saturday, October 31. On Tuesday, Sisters faced Cottage Grove in a head-to-head battle to determine who would be the No. 1 seed. Unfortunately, the Outlaws lost the battle and had to play against KU four days later in a play-in game. Saturday's game against KU was played under adverse weather conditions, to say the least.... Full story
"Jim, I have lived near Sisters for 10 years and just saw my first short-tailed weasel," Jolynn Lambert told me in an email. "I was sitting at my table looking out my sliding glass door when he stood on his hind legs and peeked in. I watched him scurry away. I hope he comes back." Talk about luck! It isn't every day that someone comes face-to-face with this little sneak of the sagebrush and juniper country. Weasels in general are just not that friendly with anyone. They make a... Full story
Central Oregon singer-songwriter Victor Johnson has released a new CD titled "Beautiful Things," and it's inspired by the many beautiful things that surround us in the region. "When I lived in Atlanta, I had written about seven songs in seven years," Johnson told The Nugget. "Once I moved to Bend, I wrote 10 songs in just over two months. I think largely, a lot of my inspiration was due to being surrounded by mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and forests instead of so... Full story
The concept of a paved path connecting local communities is going back to the trailhead. Sisters District Ranger Kristie Miller took the community conversation back several steps in a letter to Deschutes County Commissioner Alan Unger last week (see the full text with the online version of this story at www.nuggetnews.com). After gathering public input, Unger submitted a letter to Miller urging her to consider restarting the process to evaluate a paved trail from Sisters to... Full story
They are the first school employees to see children of Sisters Country in the morning and the last to see them in the afternoon: The unsung heroes of the Sisters School District - the bus drivers. Of the 10 full-time bus drivers employed by the Sisters School District, three have been there over 20 years. All Sisters School District bus drivers are committed to the safety of Sisters Country children, but for these drivers, the job is much more. The students and fellow drivers are like a second family. "We do this for the... Full story
For the third time in school history the Sisters girls cross-country team placed second at the OSAA State Championships held Saturday, October 31, at Lane Community College in Eugene. The Outlaws gave champion Siuslaw a bit of a scare, but could not overcome the Vikings' speed up front, as junior Celie Mans earned the individual title to give her team 89 points. Sisters totaled 105 for second with Molalla right behind with 112. South Umpqua snagged the fourth-place trophy... Full story
John (Jack) Lincoln Baxter, Jr., age 95, passed peacefully October 8, in Loveland, Colorado. Jack, an Oregon resident for almost 50 years, was born on March 11, 1920, the sixth generation of Baxters in Brunswick, Maine. The Baxters were known for their philanthropy and public service in political office as governors and mayors in the 1920s, and were pioneers in the food processing business in the 19th and 20th centuries. He is survived by his son, John (Randy) Baxter, of Lovel... Full story
Arlene Marie Zerbe went home to be with her Savior on October 8, 2015, after a brief stay in a Bend hospital. She was born on May 28, 1926, in Wallowa, Oregon, the only child of Frank and Hazel Masengil. She lived her early years in Wallowa and La Grande before moving to Eugene where she graduated from Eugene High School in 1944. She married Wayne Hunter on July 2, 1947, and their daughter Sherry was born a year later. After her daughter was in high school Arlene went to work... Full story