News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1453 - 1477 of 29656
The Deschutes County Commissioners voted last week to impose public-use restrictions on unprotected lands within the county and on all county-owned land, to help prevent human-caused wildfires. The restrictions mirror restrictions on Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands in Deschutes County. Unprotected lands are defined as unincorporated lands that are not a part of a rural fire protection district or protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Landowners can visit https://maps.deschutes.org/c... Full story
Deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a single-vehicle rollover crash involving a downed power line on Cline Falls Highway near the Tumalo Cemetery. The wreck took place Tuesday afternoon, June 28. Responding deputies arrived to find a 2021 silver Subaru Forester resting on the driver’s side on the southbound shoulder. The initial investigation determined the Subaru Forester was being driven by a 34-year-old woman. While the Subaru was hea... Full story
Along with fresh local produce, handcrafted goods, and locally pastured meats and eggs, Sisters Farmers Market will feature something different this Sunday: quilts for display and raffle. “We are big fans of the quilt show here at Sisters Farmers Market,” manager Michelle Jiunta told The Nugget. “In addition to the beautiful quilt donated by Katy Yoder for our raffle, Seed To Table will be displaying their beautiful farm quilt by Janet MacConnell.” Sisters Outdoor Quilt S... Full story
When imagining the creation of contemporary art, a working ranch is usually not the first thing that comes to mind. But far from universities, gallery spaces, and artists’ studios, Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture (PMRCAA) is fostering the creation of new work by artists, ecological scientists, and scholars. An exhibit of work by PMRCAA residents will be on view at the Pendleton Center for the Arts July 7-30 in the East Oregonian Gallery. Pine Meadow Ranch C... Full story
The Oregon Wildfire Risk Explorer was released online Wednesday, June 29. Given the intense interest by property owners to learn about their land’s or building’s risk rating, the system’s server was clunky and struggling to keep up with demand. It improved the next day, but it may not be up to full speed for a few more days, as it is a statewide tool (bit.ly/WildfireRiskExplorer). It appears to be intuitive and fairly easy to use for everyday Internet users. The Nugget picke... Full story
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, about 30 percent of water usage for the average American family occurs outdoors, such as watering lawns and gardens. The same agency says that in the West, where water is lost almost instantaneously to either the blazing sun or thirsty vegetation, outdoor water usage increases to about 60 percent of total household use. John Berggren, a water policy analyst with the conservation organization Western Resource Advocates... Full story
I’ve been waxing nostalgic about Los Angeles lately. I know. Weird. I was born and raised in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles — a town called La Crescenta to be specific. My wife, Marilyn, and I left Southern California for Oregon in 1993 — 29 years ago. So I’ve spent more of my life in Oregon than I did in LA. Yet part of me still thinks of LA as “home,” which is probably the way most of us think of the place where we grew up. Folks are sometimes taken aback w... Full story
The Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia, Mississippi (pop 400), is the oldest surviving juke joint in Mississippi and a key stop on the Mississippi Blues Trail. Its proprietor, 74-year-old Jimmy “ Duck” Holmes, is known as the last of the Bentonia Bluesmen. One of 10 children, Holmes took over running the cafe in 1970 shortly after his father passed away and continued to operate it as an informal, down-home blues venue that gained international fame among blues enthusiasts. Along the... Full story
Sisters’ new code compliance officer (CCO), Jacob Smith, has been busy monitoring the city’s overgrown grass and weeds which can create a fire risk as they dry out. Our wet spring provided extra moisture, which promoted healthy growth of a variety of vegetation. Hot summer temperatures will soon dry out a good share of that vegetation, which should be cut down now to a maximum height of four inches. The Code Compliance Chart and Timeline provides information on how the pro... Full story
Firefighters were called to the Zimmerman Butte cinder pit last week to extinguish a brush fire caused by a bullet that ricocheted into the nearby sage, igniting it. The area, close to Sisters, is popular with target shooters. The flames were doused quickly, nobody was injured, and no citations were issued, officials deciding it was a one-off, unintended event. The Nugget asked Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid to discuss forest safety in general. He started by saying, “This i... Full story
A throng of celebrants 2,000 strong turned out to Sisters Eagle Airport on Monday for the annual Fourth of July Fly-In that has become one of Sisters’ signature events. The Independence Day celebration was about more than just airplanes. There was a 5k run, a vintage car show, demonstrations by Cascade RC (remote control) Flyers Club and a pancake breakfast served by Rotary Club of Sisters. Spectators lined up before 7 a.m. Rotary servers were concerned they would run out o... Full story
Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) and Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) have partnered to bring the OAS community cycling series to Sisters. On Friday, July 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., OAS and SPRD will offer a free event at SPRD at the Sisters High School parking lot (1750 McKinney Butte Rd.). Adaptive handcycles, recumbents, electric assist, and tandem bikes, along with helmets and adaptive gear, will be on hand for anyone to try, from kids to adults, to experience and to learn about adaptive cycling. With the help... Full story
When the Spotted Towhee [Piplio Maculatus] is seen, often on low branches or on the ground, its colors are a stunning contrast to all the surroundings. It is a common bird of the thickets and blackberry brambles, seen under bird feeders eating seeds off the ground but never far from cover. They feed mostly on insects, berries, and seeds scratched from leaf litter. In April the female builds the nest using soft grasses, twigs, and animal hair. While she finishes the nest, the... Full story
The night’s bustin’ open on Saturday, July 2, and the hemi-powered drones will scream down the boulevard to the promised land of Hardtails Bar & Grill in Sisters to catch the final local performance of Lucky Town, Portland’s legendary Bruce Springsteen tribute band. Tickets are still available at https://www.bendticket.com/events/119604834/lucky-town-incredible-bruce-springsteen-tribute. The show starts at 8 p.m., giving patrons plenty of time to ride down to the river and s... Full story
Walking through the sliding glass door of the once-abandoned mall, I felt guilty. The massive structure, formerly a shopping center in northern Krakow, Poland became a refugee center at the outbreak of the Russia and Ukraine war in late February 2022. A barrier of cardboard and rusted shopping carts directed me down a poorly lit hall. A few flickering bulbs lit the way to a stairwell stinking of cigarettes. I came out on the second floor balcony. Old storefronts were... Full story
Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) has released the official performance schedule for the 25th annual Sisters Folk Festival taking place September 30 to October 2 and will release a limited number of single-day tickets on Wednesday, June 29. Thirty-one acts representing many strands of roots music including folk, jazz, bluegrass, and blues are slated to perform at multiple venues around downtown Sisters, with performances and workshops from Friday, September 30 through Sunday, October 2. The full schedule can be found at... Full story
The first time I tasted grass-fed beef, it came from an animal that I’d raised myself. Back then, “grass-fed beef” wasn’t a thing, as far as teenage-me knew. I bought a calf to raise. I worked with my dad to build fences, shovel manure, and castrate the young bull (ah yes, that’s a column for another day). Sure, our cattle ate grass. Ours was a hobby farm, not a large-scale ranch. Dad was a heavy equipment parts salesman by day. We could never earn a living on our couple do... Full story
Translucent tubing and medical bands protrude from the wrist as Micheal Alayon grips the handrail of his hospital bed in the fight of his life. In his fifth-floor room, he sifts through his foggy memory to recount the moments leading up to this. Now seven surgeries deep, they’ve begun to blur together as the days slowly tick by. Better known as “Hawaiian Mike,” he manages to smile through the battle, keeping an ever-positive spin on a tragic turn of circumstances. He uses... Full story
The 25th Annual Quilts in the Garden Tour on Thursday, July 7, opens five very different and lovely gardens and two houses with stunning views, one nestled in the trees, to the public. Ticket holders can take a self-guided tour through the properties and stop for lunch at the Sisters Community Garden. Lee and Jodi Krohn built their house four years ago on a lovely wooded lot on Wapato Loop, with Whychus Creek forming their rear property line. Jodi’s love of gardening is e... Full story
The Sisters School Board selected Asa Sarver to fill the vacancy created by Don Hedrick’s resignation, at a special meeting held Thursday, June 23. The result came a week after the Board deadlocked on the initial vote due to board member David Thorsett’s absence. At the initial meeting last week Sarver and Josette Johnson each received two votes. The third applicant, Rodney Cooper, received no votes. At the outset of the meeting, Hedrick asked to say a few words for the rec... Full story
The initial six board members for the Explore Sisters destination management organization were announced at last week’s June 22 Sisters City Council meeting. All voting members of the board must either live in the City of Sisters or be affiliated with a business or organization located within Sisters. The board will be made up of the executive director, two members-at-large, who may be, but need not be, tourism industry representatives, a minimum of three tourist i... Full story
The weather on the first day of summer, June 21, was perfect for the Community Celebration sponsored by Citizens4Community (C4C) and the City of Sisters at Creekside Park. After a very soggy spring, the sun was out, there was no wind, and the temperature was just right. A popular spot in the sun where people gathered offered an assortment of cookies, slices of juicy watermelon, and fresh lemonade. Over in the shade were tables with materials and project information from the... Full story
Now that the Supreme Court has, as expected, overturned Roe v. Wade, anti-abortion activists have a choice to take their movement in one of two directions: from pro-birth to forced birth, or to pro-life. Where exceptions for incest and rape are removed, pro-birth will transition to forced-birth. Enforcement could require extreme electronic and other monitoring of individuals, as happens in China. Prosecutions could target not only abortion providers, but also friends, family members, or anyone else who gave aid or comfort to... Full story
Thank you To the Editor: On June 23, I experienced a serious laceration to my hand at the Sisters Recycle Center. Several people stepped up to assist staunch the bleeding until the paramedics arrived; they were all selfless, compassionate, and very helpful. The paramedic team was equally helpful. I ended up driving myself to the Redmond hospital. Eight stitches later I’m as good as new. Thank you all. Art Samson Stop watering lawns To the Editor: I currently reside in the Hayden Homes project off of [McKinney] Butte Road, a... Full story
Wildland firefighting is dangerous and dirty work, with every imaginable hazard beyond the fire — falling limbs, toppling trees, smoke inhalation, fall, and poisonous snake bites, to name a few. While most firefighting is done on the ground at close range, it’s the support of aircraft that is often the deciding factor of controlling the fire. Sisters Country residents are no strangers to wildland fires or the sight of aerial tankers and helicopters dropping retardant o... Full story
