News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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After a number of close calls this season, the Outlaws boys cross-country team finally got the best of the Philomath Warriors as the two teams battled hammer and tongs at the Oregon West District Cross-Country Championships held on Saturday, November 2 at Stayton. Sisters edged Philomath behind the 1-2 punch of John Peckham and Will Thorsett and a timely season-best by Ethan Hosang. “All seven of our guys ran great, but we really got a boost in particular from Ethan t... Full story
The frost was on the pumpkin in a serious way in October. According to preliminary data received by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Pendleton, temperatures at Sisters averaged much colder than normal during the month just past. The average temperature was 38.8 degrees, which was 7.6 degrees below normal. This made for the coldest October on record. The previous coldest was 41.9 degrees in 2002. High temperatures averaged 54.1 degrees, which was 8.5 degrees below normal. The highest was 71 degrees on October 8. Low t... Full story
Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is vital to the food security of a significant segment of Sisters’ population. As the food bank moves into its busiest season, demand for its services is outpacing its funding. Tom Hespe, who oversees the Food Bank project for the service club, told The Nugget that cash donations as of September were keeping pace with 2018, at just under $32,000. However, food expense is up four percent at $53,576 and the amount of monthly food distribution is up 3 p... Full story
George Sproat’s family invited the community to come to Takoda’s last Friday night to celebrate his 90th birthday with a surprise party. It was standing room only as young and old alike gathered to offer Sproat warm birthday wishes. As Sproat was escorted into the restaurant by his daughter Tana, to be greeted with applause, smiles, and strains of “Happy Birthday,” he turned to Tana, saying, “I told you I didn’t want a party.” But a party he had, complete with birthday cake... Full story
To the Editor: When does freedom of speech become defamatory, partial truth and disrespectful? Craig Rullman harms his credibility by painting every Democrat or maybe every Rebublican with the same brush. Rullman suggests that all Democrats are guilty of fighting tirelessly for slavery and on he goes ad-nauseum to support his generalizations. My great-grandparents, dyed-in-the-wool Southern Democrats, were a historically documented part of the Underground Railroad, helping to shelter, clothe and feed countless slaves seeking... Full story
Local up-and-comer Laird Superfood received an Award of Excellence in Economic Development at the annual convention of the Oregon Economic Development Association (ODEA) in Salem, October 27. Paul Hodge, CEO and president of Laird, accepted the award. “It is great to be recognized for the money and hard work invested in establishing Laird here in Sisters,” Hodge acknowledged. “Our goal is to create jobs that will help balance the economy of Sisters.” The annual awards recogni... Full story
Salem came to Sisters last week with a visit from Representatives Cheri Helt and Jack Zika who came to see two Habitat for Humanity projects, Village Meadows South and ClearPine. The legislators were accompanied by Margaret Salazar, director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), Kenny LaPoint, assistant director of OHCS Public Affairs, Shannon Vilhauer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Oregon, and Nicole Stoenner, legislative and community coordinator.... Full story
Sisters has a tight-knit school community and a good reputation across the state for its programs and staff. Yet in any endeavor, conflicts inevitably arise. The Sisters School District has a protocol laid out for handling grievances and concerns that arise in the classroom or outside of it — and school board chair Jay Wilkins believes in the process. “We are in our best position to do our duty as public officials when the process is followed all the way,” he told The... Full story
The Lady Outlaws hosted Cottage Grove in a play-in game at Sisters High School on Saturday, November 2. They bested the Lions in a three-set sweep with scores of 25-16, 25-22, and 25-20. Sisters will advance to the state tournament, which will be held at Forest Grove High School on Friday and Saturday, November 8-9, where the final eight teams will compete for a championship trophy. The Outlaws first game will be against league foe Philomath at 10 a.m. on Friday. In the first... Full story
The Sisters High School Ski Team is presenting Warren Miller’s new ski film in its traditional annual team fundraiser. The showing is set for Saturday, November 30 at 7 p.m. at Sisters High School auditorium. “Timeless” features ski legends like Glen Plake, alongside newcomers Caite Zeliff, Jaelin Kauf, and Baker Boyd. Viewers will road-trip with rippers from Arlberg to the Matterhorn, be immersed in the hometown hill of Eldora and discover a different side of Jackson Hole,... Full story
The arrival of November is a reminder that autumn is deepening. Deciduous leaves (what’s left of them) are changing color and the spooky season is over. There is a shift toward colder weather, while a similar shift plays out in the sky above as “new” constellations wheel into view. Many people don’t pay much attention to the night sky, which is a shame because there are so many wonderful things going on there! Over the years November has become known for its annual meteor... Full story
One of the most sacred obligations undertaken by Hospice of Redmond is honoring military veterans in their last days. The population of aging veterans is growing, and Hospice Veterans Outreach Coordinator Maureen Krebs notes that “generally, about one-third of our patients are veterans.” Krebs, herself a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has assembled a team of dedicated volunteers who fully appreciate the unique needs and desires of veterans as they enter their twilight. There are... Full story
Way back, when the Sun was a tiny thing and the Big Dipper was a little tin drinkin’ cup, as Reub Long used to say, I was living in the Jones House in Bend with Dean and Lily Hollinshead. One evening, after I had come in from logging with Bob Couch, widening the Brooks-Scanlon logging road between Bend and Sisters, the phone rang. “This Jim Anderson, the wildlife guy?” a gruff voice asked. I said it was and the voice responded, “I’ve got a baby bird. What do I feed it?” Obvi... Full story
Ella Thorsett and Kate Bowen have punched their tickets to run at this Saturday’s OSAA Oregon State Cross-Country Championships. The full Outlaws team fell just short of qualifying after placing third at the Oregon West District meet held November 2 at Stayton. Philomath’s Hannah Hernandez dictated the pace of the race, biding her time to move away from Thorsett and Bowen for the win in 18:54. The victory made it four in a row for the Philomath senior. Thorsett placed sec... Full story
The Sisters High School music and fine arts departments will present the musical rendition of “Freaky Friday,” set for performances November 14-17 at the Sisters High School auditorium. According to choir director Rick Johnson, more than 70 different high school students are involved in the production and have been working since last May to prepare for the stage version of Disney’s Freaky Friday. Film productions of Freaky Friday were released in both 1976 and 2003 and are b... Full story
I’ve got two Scotties in love. Really! It all began when we adopted Piper and Bernie. Piper is a spayed female and Bernie is a neutered male. Even so, they fell in love. At least Piper fell head over heels in love with Bernie when she first arrived. I’d never seen such behavior before. She acted just like a teenage girl. She flirted with him. She rubbed him with her head and her body. She’d ask him to play with her; and she always wanted to be near him. At first Bernie didn’t know what to do with this little girl who wanted... Full story
Since we’re in that “shoulder season” for hiking in our area, when the white “termination dust” is calling an end to mountain access and friendly hiking weather, the typical hiker is thinking about hiking alternatives. For more than a few residents of Sisters Country, those “alternatives” often include forays to warmer and sunnier destinations to the south. One of the most popular such destinations is Arizona; and, for many locals, Sedona is the go-to goal for off-season hi... Full story
Football fans, you need to watch the November 11 Monday Night Football game, the visiting Seattle Seahawks (6-2) playing the undefeated San Francisco 49ers (7-0). National Football League (NFL) Playoff implications? Proof of a fledging legacy? Most likely! Here’s my predicted outcome. (See below for details.) Seattle Seahawks ... 27 points San Francisco 49ers ... 24 points Many fans like picking winners before each game! Perhaps they use statistics (stats) in their “pick pro... Full story
Sandy Dutko doesn’t know a time in her life without art. “I knew I liked it when I was in kindergarten, and my teacher said I had artistic talent,” she said. “I was the one who always made the posters and things for school.” Over the years, her “experimental tool box” has included watercolor, oils, gouache, and collage. Not long ago, Dutko moved from the busy Lake Oswego area to Eagle Crest, where she enjoys the Central Oregon lifestyle. Part of the adventure is getting to kn... Full story