News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
The darkest day of the year sounds like a gloomy proposition. No wonder people around the world brighten it with traditional fires and candles. In Sisters, all are invited to a winter solstice gathering, silent meditation, and labyrinth walk at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, at Sisters Community Labyrinth. The “Labyrinth Ladies” will bring a new element to this year’s gathering: fire. Bonfires have been a traditional element in solstice celebrations the world over since... Full story
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office motto is “Proudly Serving Our Community,” and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District puts the residents of the district at the top of their organization chart. Both agencies are charged with providing for the public safety of the communities they serve with police and fire protection as well as medical response and transport. In earlier times, Sisters had its own police department with a chief and patrol officers with... Full story
It will take a generation for the landscape to recover from the devastating Milli Fire that scorched over 24,000 acres in Sisters Country in the late summer of 2017. Some local youth are giving the forest a jumpstart with a plan to plant 10,000 trees in the Trout Creek area this spring. Representatives from the Waldorf School of Bend will have a table at Sisters Coffee Co. on Saturday, December 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where they will share information on the project and... Full story
To the Editor: One of the reasons I purchased property in Sisters in the fall of 2005 was because of the fresh, crisp air. It was great to be able to walk outside and breath. My wife and I used to like to get up on the weekend with a blanket and nice cup of “Joe” and sit outside on the porch on winter mornings. Pine-needle burning appeared to be an accepted practice in spring and fall, and for the most part, folks burned small controllable piles that didn’t give rise to much smoke. I have noticed a huge change in the way p... Full story
A friend told me the other day that her daughter was complaining that none of her teachers or classes inspired her. My friend and I were both a little bemused; we couldn’t recall that we ever thought we were supposed to be inspired in high school. Inspiration... Full story
The Sisters High School Jazz Choir presents the fifth annual Holiday Showcase on Friday, December 13. The choir invites the Sisters community to celebrate the holidays at a variety show featuring favorite performers from across Central Oregon. Performers this year include many school groups, featuring the SHS Jazz Choir and SHS Jazz Band. A combined middle and high school concert band will perform carols during intermission in the school commons. Guest artists from throughout Central Oregon include Irish rock band Five Pint M... Full story
The boys and girls basketball squads both dropped their games in the pre-season opener. The boys fell in a tight game on the road at Dallas that ended in a 44-40 loss, and the girls were defeated with a score of 50-32 on the road against Valley Catholic (VC). At Dallas, the boys team started off well and led for most of the first half against the physical 5A Dragons. Dallas went hard to the rim and the Outlaws did a great job defending. As the clock ticked down in the final quarter, mental mistakes and some unforced... Full story
Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank is facing continually increased demand as Sisters enters the winter season. A Sisters market is stepping in to help. Melvin’s by Newport Ave. Market has launched its Food for February campaign. Melvin’s will match community food donations dollar for dollar up to $5,000 through December, with the food to be available in the depths of winter in February. “We’re red hot and rolling all month long,” Newport Market/Melvin’s CEO Lauren Johnson told The Nugget. One hundred percent of proceeds go to whole... Full story
As weather conditions allow the Sisters Ranger District plans to begin igniting landing piles along a 16 mile stretch on both sides of Hwy. 20 from Sisters Rodeo Grounds west to Forest Road 12.... Full story
Blake Parker, an eighth-grade student at Sisters Middle School, won the Patriot’s Pen essay contest hosted by VFW Post 8138. The essay, on the topic “What makes America great,” was selected among a number of entries. The award to this student included a formal letter, a patriot medal, and a check for $400 for her efforts. Her essay now qualifies for regional competition. Parker told The Nugget that it felt good winning the competition, which she entered as a way of build... Full story
Geoff Harding passed away on November 26, at the age of 89 at his home in Sisters, with family by his side. Geoff was a loving husband and father and he will be greatly missed by his wife, Fay, and his son, Keith. Geoff was born in Margate, England, and moved to the United States in 1966. He worked as a design engineer for Rohr, an aerospace company, until retirement at the age of 62. Geoff and Fay enjoyed 27 years of retired life in Sisters, moving from San Diego after his... Full story
• Becky Aylor, who has been a sparkplug in leadership in Sisters School District, has resigned to take a temporary position at Mountain View High School as their Dean of Students. Local veterans honored her with their Arts Award for her support of patriotic programs in the schools during a Patriot’s Pen presentation last Friday. VFW Post 8138 proclaimed: “Her dedication to Sisters Country veterans during her tenure at Sisters School District has been unwavering. Her org... Full story
According to preliminary data received by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Pendleton, temperatures at Sisters averaged near normal during the month of November. The average temperature was 37.2 degrees, which was 0.3 degrees above normal. High temperatures averaged 52.3 degrees, which was 4.9 degrees above normal. The highest was 69 degrees on the ninth. Low temperatures averaged 22.1 degrees, which was 4.4 degrees below normal. The lowest was 8 degrees, on November 29. There were 27 days with the low temperature below 3... Full story
Gallery. Museum. Public park. Those are the places we expect to find art. Malia Jensen’s “Nearer Nature: Worth Your Salt” defies expectation and brings art down to earth, among the people — and animals, too. Through the end of December, the project is on display at a feed store in Redmond and a bar in Maupin, among other locations. The video installations form one component of an unusual, clever, and downright funny piece. The first step involved sculpting parts of th... Full story
“I wanted to get to know the state.” That was one of Malia Jensen’s motivations when she first proposed her art project “Nearer Nature,” now on view in Central Oregon (see story, page 8). The Portland-based artist was inspired by “driving around the state, meeting people, having conversations,” as she explored Oregon in search of locations to record and install her new video work. It gave her “an excuse to go into some place and have a conversation. I could say, ‘Hey I’m worki... Full story
Sisters High School junior Jack Ogan has dedicated hours to his musical craft as a tuba player, resulting in many opportunities, including honor band selection. Recently his stock rose further when he was invited to travel to Australia in the summer of 2020 for the Pacific Honours Ensemble Program (PHEB). Ogan, who has been involved in the Sisters School District music program since middle school, is the band president. Ogan attended the Western International Band Clinic... Full story
Outlaws wrestlers competed at the Perry Burlison Invitational at Cascade High School last weekend, in a one-day tournament that also featured JV and girls divisions. “I really enjoy starting the season off with tough competition,” said Head Coach John Downs. “This type of tournament helps the team realize at what level they need to train at to compete. Come Monday’s practice, I am sure the whole team will be wanting to try harder and be better partners for each other. I am always impressed how they come back and don’t h... Full story
The year was 2001. I had been immersed in an online community — a predecessor to social media — for nearly 10 years. One of the wittiest women there came into my real-life orbit. Let’s call her Rose. People argued about politics and media online, of course, but many delved into our personal stories. We shared expertise and resources. When someone got sick or their house burned down, we put on virtual barn-raisings to help out. The conversations bubbled with b... Full story
With the rise of global temperatures and concern about climate change, the common forestry practice of slash burning is questioned by some citizens and organizations. Slash consists of branches and other debris left behind after a logging or clearing operation. “The reality is, we live in the woods,” U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Fire Management Officer James Osbourne told The Nugget. “We’re in a fire-adapted ecosystem.” For millennia, fire burned through what is now Deschutes... Full story
Are you thinking about moving to London, performing in a famous rock band or visiting family in Maine? If your answer is “Yes!” to any of the above, you’ve traveled into one of my favorite 2019 books. Every December, I review all of the books I’ve read; remembering my favorite characters, settings and sentences. These reads make great presents or are great for your own bookshelf. This year was an exceptional year for new books by my favorite authors, including “All This Could Be Yours,” by Jami Attenberg; “The Nickel Boys,... Full story
Even though Santa has been busy in Sisters this holiday season, he still had time to pull up his sleigh at Sisters Art Works last Saturday to put in a special appearance for Pet Photos with Santa that benefits Furry Friends Foundation. Loads of folks brought their beloved dogs inside Sisters Art Works building to get a special portrait with St. Nick. Local artist Kathy Deggendorfer hosted the annual Holiday Open House Celebration with fundraisers benefitting Furry Friends... Full story
Here goes the 2019 holiday season. For many folks this means family visitation, traveling — and inconsistency of exercise and healthy eating. What does this mean for the fitness you’ve been working so hard for? Will the body turn into the mashed potatoes and cinnamon rolls it’s been indulging on? Thankfully, exercise science has some answers, and the situation is not nearly as dire as one might believe. Someone who’s taken up part-time residence in the gym will likely boast some fitness to prove their dedication. When... Full story
People commonly refer to winter solstice as “the shortest day of the year,” but is that factual? Pat Leiser told The Nugget it’s just one of several “shortest days.” “For us in the Northern Hemisphere, (solstice) marks the fourth of eight days when the sun appears at its lowest point in the sky,” she said. These eight days are the shortest days of the year. Leiser said each day tops out at “8 hours and 53 minutes of sunlight, with nights lasting 15 hours and 7 minutes.” Leise... Full story
This is always a very busy time of year to be a mental health provider. Amid the twinkling lights, snowflakes, and seasonal cheer, feelings of loss and loneliness often can permeate and subdue holiday merriment. Loneliness is pervasive anyway, and its grasp can tighten on too many hearts this time of year. And despite ever-growing, media-driven platforms offering fleeting hits of validation and connection, it seems the feelings of loneliness are only on the rise. Depression, anxiety, and trauma can all be both perpetuated by... Full story
When I rolled into Bend on a late afternoon in September of 1951 on my trusty 1947 Harley 74, Bend looked like a little backwater town about to die. The two big sawmills that made Bend a Big Town in Central Oregon were about to throw in the towel. Shevlin-Hixon, one of the two sawmills that came rolling into Central Oregon from Minnesota on the railroad, had cut all their timber the homesteaders put aside for them at the turn of the century, and Brooks-Scanlon was about to do... Full story
