News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1046 - 1070 of 29656
A large turnout of parents and other community members attended the monthly Superintendent Coffee Chat last Wednesday morning. These Coffee Chats give the community a chance to discuss concerns and have an open roundtable discussion with each other, and with Schools Superintendent Curt Scholl. Scholl is entering his eighth year as superintendent at the Sisters School District (SSD), and only twice has he seen a group this large turnout. And that was twice online and once in... Full story
Four Sisters students were awarded for their hard work in completing the English Learners Program, last Wednesday evening at Sisters Elementary School (SES). The four students, two from the elementary school, one from the middle school, and one from the high school, all completed their benchmark levels in learning English through the program in the Sisters School District. This is the program’s third year and second ceremony honoring students with the Avanza Award, Spanish f... Full story
No matter how the midterm election turns out, some folks are going to be mad. And sometimes when people get vexed, they lash out. I just hope that won’t happen in Sisters. I’d like to think that whether or not we agree on all things political (and who does?) we could still get along. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could live up to the name of our town? After all, Sisters is named after the pristine white-capped mountains we all admire and enjoy, and their names are Faith, Hope, and Charity. These are attributes the whole world... Full story
A vibrant, inclusive society To the Editor: Hey Sisters! My daughter is gay and nonbinary! (She/her pronouns, and prefers the term “daughter.”) She is a product of Sisters High School, Middlebury College, and OHSU Medical School. She is currently working on the front lines saving lives in New Mexico. Her parents could not be more proud of their perfect child. It may come as a surprise to some that none of her patients have turned to stone despite their “intimate” interactions with a queer physician. Equally surpris... Full story
There are more than 200 grave sites at Camp Polk Cemetery, five miles north and east of Sisters. Some 40 are the final resting spots of U.S. military veterans. The historic cemetery is not professionally nor civically maintained. It’s not even clear who owns it. When it starts to get overrun with weeds or debris, somebody always steps up unofficially, and freshens it up. This year the grassroots task fell to young people from YouthBuild, part of Heart of Oregon Corps, a C... Full story
There is considerable conversation and consternation about the lack of affordable housing in Sisters. This was never more evident than three weeks ago when close to 200 citizens gathered at three overlapping meetings in town. One, a Planning Commission public hearing, was somewhat vocal. Opposition was front and center toward a planned 13-acre housing development at Highway 242 known as Sunset Meadows that could have in excess of 200 dwelling units. A deputy sheriff was... Full story
Early returns show Gary Ross (27 percent); incumbent Michael Preedin (25 percent) and Susan Cobb (24 percent) leading the race for Sisters City Council, with Sarah McDougall trailing slightly at 22 percent. The top three vote-getters will fill the three open positions on the council. A measure to update the City Charter was on its way to passing with more than 76 percent approval.... Full story
After yet another long hot, dry summer that has extended well into fall here in Central Oregon, a major shift in the weather pattern has finally brought cooler temperatures and much-needed moisture to help quell the wildfires and clear the smoky skies. Is it just a short-term anomaly or a harbinger of a much more active winter season that may lie ahead? For the past several weeks, forecasters have been sifting through meteorological data seeking clues to answer that very... Full story
The show must go on. That famous saying can be heard backstage at many theaters when an actor gets injured or sick, stage props break, or the sound equipment fails. Of course, in 2020 that wasn’t the case when Silent Echo Theater Company’s (SETC) evening of one-acts had to be shut down after two performances. Now, after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, the producers, cast, and crew are excited to present “Now You’re Talking” Holiday Edition One-Acts beginning Thursday night at... Full story
I agree with Mr. Mackey’s opinion that our country is going through spiritual tribulations. This truly is a time in our country’s history when we have to decide where we are going from here and whether we are doing the right thing or even the righteous thing. I worry, however, about Mr. Mackey’s soul given that he seems to prefer to cherry-pick the Bible and find vague quotes that suit his own desires. That’s the thing about the Bible; you can find just about anything to suit your personal desires and thereby justify... Full story
The Outlaws are shining the spotlight on two student-athletes, football player Justin DeSmet and volleyball player Gracelyn Myhre. Football Coach Clayton Hall said: “Since Justin has joined our football team, I have been very impressed with his work ethic and leadership in the weight room, on the football field, and in the classroom. In the month of September, Justin has played great at running back on offense and corner on defense, leading our team to two great wins over Burn... Full story
The holiday season is upon us and we all know what that means: holiday events! Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) continues the Sisters community tradition of hosting the holiday tree lighting and parade on Thanksgiving weekend. Gather up your family and friends and head down to Fir Street Park on Friday, November 25, from 5:30 to 6 p.m. for the Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony. Don’t go far because the very next day, November 26, the Holiday Parade will go down Hood Avenue from 2 to 3 p.m. Jennifer Holland, e... Full story
Beginning as soon as this week, firefighters on the Deschutes National Forest will start pile burning operations. Fire specialists will select pile-burning units based on favorable conditions. On the Sisters Ranger District, firefighters are planning potential pile burning ignitions on Green Ridge along Forest Service Road 1130. No road or trail closures are anticipated. Smoke impacts are expected to be minimal. Once ignited, piles are monitored by firefighters until declared out. Piles may smolder, burn, and produce smoke... Full story
Every year, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. For several years, Sisters artists organized by Kit Stafford have created artwork that is sold to raise money for Saving Grace of Central Oregon, which helps survivors of domestic and sexual violence to find safety and healing in their women’s shelter and support center in Bend. This year’s art, called the SHE Project, will be exhibited at Sisters Art Works in the Cindy and Duncan Campbell Gallery, 204 W. Adams Ave., be... Full story
The City of Sisters has the reputation of having a highly skilled, motivated paid staff that keeps things humming at City Hall and around town. Another asset in running the City is provided by volunteer boards, commissions, and committees who provide advice and review for, and collaboration with, the staff. Those entities include the five-member City Council made up of city residents who are elected by the citizens for either four- or two-year terms. The mayor is elected by... Full story
On Saturday, I met the adorable Gizmo, a yellow lab puppy. He’d brought his humans Jennifer and Doug down to Eurosports for a last-minute gathering of political candidates. I hoped to meet Jamie McLeod-Skinner, running for U.S. Congress for the new Congressional District 5 — that’s us, folks! Some friends and family have been working hard, as volunteers or professionally, to elect her and candidates like Susan Cobb and Morgan Schmidt. Holding Gizmo’s leash was Sisters re... Full story
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” is the common, heartfelt sentiment voiced by Sisters residents who receive free rides to nonemergency medical appointments in Sisters, Redmond, and Bend courtesy of Sisters Transportation and Ride Share (STARS). Volunteers drivers, dispatchers, and action team members for STARS were honored last Thursday at the first-ever STARS Volunteer Appreciation gathering. The organization is an “action team” under the umbrella of Age Friendly Si... Full story
Sisters residents may have noted The Nugget article a few weeks ago titled “Voters may amend City Charter” by Sue Stafford that appeared in the Wednesday, October 12 edition. As your serving Mayor and a member of the City Council, I would like to explain why we made these proposed amendments to the City Charter and ask you to review the amendments to the Charter carefully before casting your vote. It is easy to say “no” to governmentally suggested changes to important documents. Although we describe these proposed amendme... Full story
Editor’s note: The issues raised in the recent controversy over Outdoor School at Camp Tamarack near Sisters are fraught (see related story). They touch on profound matters of identity and personal values, and passions tend to run high. The Nugget welcomes letters to the editor on this matter. We ask that writers remember that everybody involved here is your neighbor. Strive to cast light rather than simply generating heat. Refrain from innuendo and name-calling, and engage in a community discourse that generates something p... Full story
While there has already been tree clearing over the last few months, on a frosty, sunny morning last Thursday, October 27, Sisters School Board members, architects, builders, and Superintendent Curt Scholl made Sisters Elementary School construction official with a groundbreaking ceremony, using gold shovels to commemorate work that will create a full K-12 campus. Steve Buettner and Julie Hyer from SunWest Builders were in attendance along with architects Heidi Slaybaugh,... Full story
There’s a real estate boom in Sisters — but it’s not residential. That’s cooled a bit. Commercial real estate, on the other hand, is on fire. Drive all over town and excavators are leveling dirt, concrete is being poured, walls are going up. What’s driving it? Speculation mostly, and with the economy in flux and many economists predicting a recession soon (some saying that we are already in it), such investments may not pay off quickly. You can’t say that developer... Full story
Sisters-area military veterans and their friends and families are invited to Sisters High School on Wednesday, November 9, for the annual Veterans Appreciation Assembly organized by the student leadership and the local VFW Post to mark Veterans Day, which is celebrated November 11. Sisters High School has held Veterans Day celebrations for two decades. This year’s event will include a social time hosted by the student leadership students, with coffee and donuts from 8 to 9:15 before the assembly begins at 9:40 a.m. The S... Full story
Sisters’ football squad defeated Harrisburg on the road in a final score of 42-14 on Friday, October 28, in their final league game of the season. With the win the Outlaws (No. 13) are playoff bound; they will compete in the first round against Banks (No. 4) on Friday, November 4 at Banks High School. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Outlaws took control of the game from the start. After an opening defensive stand, Adam Maddox-Castle sprinted down the left sideline for a 29-yard touchdown that was set up by some great blocks b... Full story
As the fall season advances into the eleventh month of the year, the constellation of Pisces becomes well placed for patient observers of the night sky to find. By mid-month at about 9 p.m. local time, the two fishes will be bisected by the meridian. While Pisces is a big constellation (fourteenth largest by area), it is quite inconspicuous. Choose a clear, moonless evening away from interfering bright lights and look to the south. The western fish is depicted by a circlet of... Full story
Sisters boys soccer squad defeated Blanchet Catholic (BC) 3-2 in a nail-biter in the first round of the state playoffs held in Sisters on Saturday, October 29. The Outlaws advance to the second round and will play on the road against Oregon Episcopal on Tuesday, November 1. The Outlaws took the field on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon in their game against BC, and came with energy and determination. Coach Jeff Husmann told The Nugget that he told his boys, “Every m... Full story
