News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1134 - 1158 of 29656
Hearing from three of the four candidates running for Sisters City Council at last week’s candidate forum, it is evident there is considerable agreement among them as to what the important issues are on Council’s radar. There are four candidates running for three positions: incumbents Michael Preedin and Gary Ross, and two new candidates, Sarah McDougall and Susan Cobb. The two top vote getters will serve four years, the third will serve two. Mayor Preedin was unable to par... Full story
The Outlaws football squad defeated the Creswell Bulldogs 26-21 at home on Friday, October 14. It was a perfect night for football, and the stands were packed with fans. Sisters was short three starters on both sides of the ball, but players rose to the occasion, and worked together for an outstanding team win. Coach Clayton Hall told The Nugget that coaches had preached all week the “next man up mentality,” and told players it was going to be an all-hands-on-deck type of game. Many of the underclassmen stepped in and fil... Full story
The boys soccer squad had another big week, which included a 2-0 shut on the road against Pleasant Hill on Monday, October 3, and, two days later, a 5-0 win on the road against Crosshill Christian. Tuesday’s match-up was a critical one, as both Sisters and Pleasant Hill entered the contest undefeated in league play. Coach Jeff Husmann said, “Some of the keys for the game were a unified defensive effort, tight marks on their target players, and players going forward as part of the attack.” It was a very physical game, parti... Full story
The Paul Mariman Invitational hosted by Philomath High School included many of the top 4A and 3A teams in Oregon on Saturday, October 8. The competition was top-notch, but an unseasonably hot day combined with a long course made it impossible for personal records to be set. The varsity girls race featured three of the four top-ranked 4A runners and two of the top six 3A/2A/1A girls. Second ranked Adele Beckstead of Philomath led from start to finish, but was challenged throughout the race by Molalla’s Anika Jenson, ranked thi... Full story
Robert Ernest Grooney passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by friends and family, at his home in Sisters. He grew up tough, with five brothers during the Great Depression in Hollywood, California. Even though his father was a musical conductor who always wore a top hat, they had to be innovative to get by, trading a dozen “alligator pears” (avocados) that grew in their back yard for a dozen eggs from the neighbor. He and his brothers even earned enough nickels to buy... Full story
The Sisters High School Hall of Fame inducted four individuals, one team, and an organization on Saturday, October 8, at the high school. The Hall of Fame is supported by the Outlaw Booster Club, which also raises funds annually for cocurricular activities associated with the school district. Following introductions by emcee Tim Roth and athletic director Gary Thorson, the Sisters High jazz choir sang the national anthem. Miki McFadden, former Olympian and past volleyball... Full story
In interviews with The Nugget strong differences between candidates Patti Adair and Morgan Schmidt become evident. Adair, the incumbent running for Deschutes County Commissioner Position 3, speaks animatedly with a focus on tasks — those she’s accomplished, and those she wants to do. Schmidt, her opponent, is making her first run for public office. She speaks in measured tones with a focus on policy. It’s Adair’s and current commissioner Terry DeBone’s decisions while s... Full story
In the race for Deschutes County Commissioner Position 1, three-term incumbent Tony DeBone is opposed by Oliver Tatom, making his first run. Tatom’s previous elected experience is as a board member of Central Oregon Community College (COCC) and Deschutes Rural Fire Protection District. He is a paramedic and registered nurse who, until two weeks ago, was employed by St. Charles Health System. He resigned to pursue his quest for the Board of Commissioners. He and his wife, A... Full story
Students from the University of Oregon Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) visited Sisters on Friday, October 7, to meet with City staff and personnel from the Sisters School District (SSD) and Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). They toured the school district administration building and the elementary school with Superintendent Curtis Scholl to get an initial overview of the facilities. They also walked around town to observe traffic, sidewalks, parks, paths,... Full story
Sisters residents in Precinct 30 will see a City-referred measure on their November 8 general election ballot asking if voters approve several proposed amendments to the municipal Charter. The individual proposed Charter amendments will not be listed on the ballot, but a description of them is available on the City of Sisters website (www.ci.sisters.or.us) and at City Hall. Reviewing and updating the City Charter was listed under Good Governance in the FY 2021/22 City Council... Full story
What a difference a year makes. Last year’s Harvest Faire, sponsored by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, was a cool, wet affair that dampened spirits and sales. Not so 2022, when some 200 vendors — nearly a fourth making their first Sisters appearance — took over three blocks of Main Avenue on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to postcard-perfect weather both days, attendees were treated to a festival setting with numerous food options, music at the Fir S... Full story
For anyone paying attention, these are unsettling times. Downright scary, in fact. For the first time in decades, the specter of a nuclear strike looms as a real possibility as Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine falters and is rolled back. Even as I write this, Russian missile strikes are targeting Ukrainian cities — deliberately killing civilians — in retaliation for an apparent Ukrainian operation that damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge in Crimea. The knock on e... Full story
Supporting Morgan Schmidt To the Editor: We support Morgan Schmidt for County Commissioner. County commissioners oversee services, policies, and public funds for our people, lands, and waters. Tragically, our county has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the state. Morgan will collaborate with the experienced professionals and make behavioral health a priority, and forge partnerships with local organizations and mental health care providers so our whole community can be well. Morgan supports women of all professions an... Full story
Buddy Blair, 66, works at Sno-Cap. He does food prep and maintenance. His wife, Adrian, 38, is the kitchen manager at the iconic eatery on Cascade Avenue. That’s where they met three years ago. They raise two children, 17 and 4, to whom Buddy is the step-father. They all live together in the forest. Not by choice, by necessity. It’s not important for the rest of us to know the circumstances that cause them to be forest dwellers. The bottom line is that they cannot afford to... Full story
The Sisters School District is seeing an increase in enrollment numbers to start the 2022-23 school year. One of the most notable statistics is the number of students attending Sisters Elementary School. As of October 3, the numbers were the highest at the elementary school, totaling 398 students. There are 90 second graders, the highest grade level numbers in the elementary school. Sisters Middle School came out at 356 and Sisters High School at 393, with high numbers in the... Full story
Mike Riehle stands knee-deep in life returning. “Not long ago this whole area was dry,” he says, gesturing over weeds and decaying willows. “We’re hoping these efforts will fix that.” That area, the Lower Black Butte Swamp, is a 50-acre parcel that was once parched land, and is now by design — flooded with water. The gradual decline in this regional ecosystem was set in motion by the void left from one of nature’s finest eco-engineers — the beaver. Beyond its... Full story
The Outlaws football squad had a bye last week, but they didn’t lay back. The team scheduled a contest against 5A Thurston JV. Sisters defeated the Colts 48-20 on Saturday, October 1, on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The Outlaws hit the field ready to play, and quickly marched down the field. They scored on their first possession of the game on a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Justin DeSmet. The Outlaws defense held the Colts on the next series and the Outlaws offense got back to... Full story
For the last year, a contractor friend near my home in Oregon has been unable to hire carpenters. Three months ago, a mechanic couldn’t find a new muffler to install on my old truck. Last month, stranded in Canada on a boat, I was told it could take three weeks to get a repair. Two days ago, the owner of one of my favorite coffee shops announced he’s going to close because he can’t hire a barista. Something is going on. It’s as if a whole generation of workers have disappe... Full story
The Cyrus family is no stranger to opposition to development plans. The family, headed by patriarch Keith, bought 1,100 acres of forest land in the 1980s adjacent to their Cloverdale hay and potato farm and turned it into Aspen Lakes Golf Course, with a cluster of around 115 homesites, since built upon as Aspen Lakes Estates, where homes routinely sell in the range of $1.5 to $2.5 million. The Cyruses have never been opaque about their intentions to fill out the acres as a... Full story
Deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to several 911 calls on Saturday, September 24, at 10:30 p.m., regarding five to seven gunshots being heard in the area of Lucky Lady in Tollgate. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived in the area of 69287 Lucky Lady, where they located a woman waving at them. The adult woman told deputies she and her boyfriend had gotten into an argument after they had both been drinking alcohol. The boyfriend, identified as Greg McCarthy of Sisters, began esc... Full story
The last remnants of proposed development in Camp Sherman is slowly — and tentatively — moving forward. The Ponderosa Land and Cattle Company is the holder of 17,000 acres located north of Highway 20 and several miles east of Camp Sherman and the Metolius River. The property was purchased by the Colson family in about 2007 from Weyerhaeuser when they were divesting themselves of holdings in Central Oregon. About the same time, Dutch Pacific Resources purchased 647... Full story
Autumn has begun and constellations of the season are becoming visible. The more familiar of them include Andromeda, Aquarius, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, and Perseus. This month, however, we are featuring a lesser-known stellar grouping — namely, Lacerta, the Lizard. Although Lacerta is relatively faint and small (only 19 of the 88 constellations take up less space on the celestial sphere), it will not escape the detection of a diligent observer on a clear, moonless October... Full story
A search and rescue team came to the aid of a lone hiker who got lost descending South Sisters last Friday. Deputy Donny Patterson, assistant search and rescue coordinator, reported that on September 30, at 4:18 p.m., the Deschutes County 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a lost hiker who was descending South Sister. The caller, a 61-year-old woman from Springfield, Oregon, was hiking alone at the time with her dog when she inadvertently left the climbers trail and soon became disoriented. The 911 call was broken... Full story
The Lady Outlaws soccer squad posted a 5-0 shutout at home against Creswell on Wednesday, September 28 — their sixth shutout in conference play this year. Two days earlier they finished in a 1-1 tie at home against Central Linn (CL), the No. 2 team in the state. Izzy Schiller opened Sisters’ scoring against Creswell with an unassisted goal at the 25-minute mark, and at the half the Outlaws held a 1-0 lead. Just a couple minutes into the second half, Juhree Kizziar s... Full story
Some mighty trees have fallen in Sisters’ cultural forest in the past couple of weeks. Jim Anderson “went out among the stars” last month, and the same week saw the passing of Joe Leonardi, one of the pillars of Sisters arts scene for decades (see obituary, page 8). On Sunday, we got word that pioneering Sisters businessman and community servant Bob Grooney has died. For folks who knew these men, there is a sudden, palpable sense of absence in Sisters. It was strange to take... Full story
