News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 14 of 14
The Sisters City Council at their first January meeting will choose who will lead the council as mayor. By charter, the mayor is chosen by council, not by direct election of the voters. This makes the mayor "first among equals," rather than a separate City office. Because of this, it is incumbent upon the council to choose a mayor who can best bring the group together, set agendas, keep meetings tightly focused, and move the council collaboratively to decisions on the issues facing the community. That requires a particular... Full story
The Sisters planning commission never saw the Type II site plan review that allows the placement of food carts in the courtyard at Eurosports. The plan was approved by City of Sisters planning staff last month. While planning staff consider food carts a permitted use under City code, some in the community believe that allowing them represents a significant change. In a letter opposing the application, Sisters Bakery owner Melissa Ward said that allowing food carts... Full story
Spending some time in the tropics sounds attractive to many folks in Sisters Country about this time of year. Frank and Kathy Deggendorfer did just that November 20 through December 6, but this was no standard fun-in-the-sun vacation. The Deggendorfers were part of a team bringing critical eyecare to the territory of American Samoa. The Sisters couple accompanied a team led by Dr. Devin Gattey from the Casey Eye Institute of the Oregon Health Sciences University. Dr. Gattey... Full story
Four days before Christmas - the day it was raining cats and dogs - you may have noticed a few very wet people with binoculars and spotting scopes wandering around Sisters Country stealthily looking into forest, field, and people's backyards. They were participants in the annual 2014 Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Tom Crabtree, Teresa Wicks (a graduate student at Oregon State University-Bend), and Courtney Jett - all of East Cascade Audubon Society - were the ring-leaders that... Full story
To ever-increasing numbers of people, losing the darkness of night to light pollution is a growing concern. And, while the cause of the problem has been clearly identified, the reason for their worry is multifaceted. Our ancient ancestors must have had an incredibly transparent view of the night sky. The stars probably shined so brightly that it may have seemed that they could reach out and touch them. And the wealth of information they gleaned from their observations helped... Full story
As one year draws to a close and a new one dawns, many of us pause to reflect on what has been and on what we hope or intend for the coming year. Rather than recycling resolutions about losing weight or de-cluttering my life, I have found it of much greater benefit to reflect on those events, individuals, and things for which I am grateful. What has occurred over the past year, who has been in my life, and what I have learned, provide much for which I have a grateful heart.... Full story
This is the story of a very, very rare occurrence: the chance discovery of a marked bird. Of the millions that have been marked over the years since bird-banding began in the U.S., Canada and England, Russia, not many have ever been heard from again. I've been banding birds-or as it is known in Canada and England, "ringing"- since 1962, when the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service issued my banding permit. Ten years earlier, in 1952, I began looking into great horned owl, golden... Full story
With cats being the mysterious creatures they are, a number of myths have sprung up around them. Some are ridiculous - such as a cat being able to suck the breath from a baby. Cats do not have any mystical ability to suck away a baby's breath; this is nothing more than an old wives tale, stemming from the longtime belief that cats were symbols of evil. During the 13th and 14th century it was believed a cat could suck the soul out of a baby. Their associations with witches and... Full story
Sisters looks considerably different as 2015 dawns than it did a year ago. A major redevelopment of the downtown corridor went off remarkably smoothly, staying on schedule with a minimum of disruption. The result was a Cascade Avenue corridor that features wider sidewalks, rejuvenated storefronts funded through City urban renewal grants, new street lights and landscaping. Many locals appreciated the traffic signal installed during the project to control traffic at Barclay... Full story
David Jacobs-Strain and harmonica player Bob Beach are recording their next album live and wanted to "bring it" to their favorite audience - in Sisters. Doug and Katie Cavanaugh will host a special concert on Wednesday, January 7, at 7 p.m. at HarmonyHouse on Kent Road east of Sisters. Suggested donation for this house concert is $20. Bring your own beverages and any food you would like to share. David Jacobs-Strain is a fierce slide guitar player and song poet from Oregon.... Full story
Eridanus the River is the sixth largest constellation in the sky, but it is also obscure, being comprised of faint stars, save one. The sprawling River originates near Rigel, the bright star that marks the left foot of Orion the Hunter. From here it flows westward then turns south before meandering back toward the east. From our latitude this is about as much of the constellation that we can see. Eridanus continues its journey southward eventually terminating at the bright... Full story
To the Editor: Rumor or not, the unusual circumstances surrounding the new City Council are raising valid concerns regarding the selection for mayor. For instance, there's growing public concern of what seems to be a crony class of well-connected insiders that influence the system to their benefit. Moreover, there's rising concern over a faction that has actively supported crafting more and more rules that many folks consider forceful or unnecessary, such as back-in parking and highway traffic-circles. I understand Eva... Full story
Circle of Friends founder, Duncan Campbell, was surprised after arriving Monday afternoon to what he thought was going to be a meeting at the organization's office on the corner of Hood Avenue and Pine Street. Since 2013, local Central Oregon KTVZ NewsChannel 21, MidOregon Credit Union, and CoEnergy Propane have been giving away $500 every month to individuals who go above and beyond with the campaign "Pay it Forward." Months ago, without telling anyone, Beth Hanson, Circle... Full story
City staff's failure to refer Brad Boyd's application to site food carts on his business property to the planning commission beggars belief. Food carts aren't the issue. The problem is process. City staff informs The Nugget that "it has been our common practice to send all SP (site plan) applications to the PC (planning commission)." Except in this case. This time, there was an "oversight." One would think that everyone at City Hall would by now be hypersensitive to how something like this appears, since critics of city... Full story
