News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Deschutes County Community Development is creating a new mule deer combining zone and a corresponding new code chapter to address uses in that zone. Three public information sessions will be held in April in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. For rural properties under 20 acres with an existing home, generally no changes are being considered, according to the County. The purpose of the project is to conserve mule deer winter range habitat in Deschutes County; to protect an important... Full story
Every year, members, staff, and partners of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District (SCSFD) spend an evening gathered together at FivePine Lodge and Conference Center for an awards banquet honoring those who serve others. From recognizing board members to presenting lifesaving awards, the evening gives the SCSFD an opportunity to honor their own in service to our community. Fire Chief Roger Johnson hosted the event from the podium with guest speaker, new Board... Full story
The Deschutes and Willamette National Forests kicked off sales of overnight permit reservations for the Central Cascades Wilderness Permit System this week. Central Cascades Wilderness Permits are required for all overnight use within the Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Washington, and Three Sisters wilderness areas June 15 through October 15. As of Tuesday, April 4, 40 percent of Central Cascades Wilderness Overnight Permit reservations will be available for advanced reservation on Recreation.gov. The remaining 60 percent of overnight... Full story
The Sisters City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to offer the City Manager position to Jordan Wheeler, pending contract negotiations. The rigorous interview process occurred over four days, including staff, community receptions, and panel interviews by community leaders, peer public administrators, City department heads, and the City Council. Mayor Michael Preedin said, “The City is excited for Jordan’s future here with us and appreciate him going through the process. He is eminently qualified!” Wheeler also expre... Full story
Bumblebee technician needed. That’s one of nearly 300 advertised jobs in Sisters. Dozens of other jobs are not advertised but are needed by nearly every business in town. Almost every store window has a “help wanted” sign. The bee technician job consists mainly of conducting field work near Santiam Pass. The work requires long days in the field, travel over uneven terrain while maintaining focus, and close attention to detail. The pay? $22/hour. Exotic jobs like this will like... Full story
A ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court last December that a requirement for unanimous verdict in serious criminal cases applies to older criminal cases as well as those still on appeal has had a significant impact in Deschutes County. According to District Attorney Steve Gunnels, a number of cases have or are expected to be returned to Deschutes County for review and potential retrial. That includes the case of Jeremy Shane Hall. Hall, who had been the pastor of a Sisters church, was convicted on February 2, 2007, on five count... Full story
Sisters Country has seen a decline in real single-family home sales this quarter as compared to last, as has the entire U.S. home market. However, the unit slowdown in Sisters is considerably less than nationally, and values are still strong. January In 2022, 32 homes sold in January with a total value of $20.57 million. The average home price was $842,156 (eight were over $1 million) and the median price, a truer gauge of the market, was $749,500. Sold homes averaged $287... Full story
Having served the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District for a dozen years, Fire Chief Roger Johnson has announced that he plans to retire in spring of 2024. The year-long off-ramp gives the District time to do a thorough search for a successor to the highly regarded chief. The District Board of Directors met on Monday, March 27, to begin a recruitment and onboarding process that they expect to be “time consuming and complex.” The Board agreed to work with both the Western Fire Chiefs Association and the Special Districts Ass... Full story
The brightly colored Yellow Warbler [Dendroica petechia] spends the winter in Central America, and will soon be migrating 2,000 to 4,000 miles to breed in shrubby streamside areas around Sisters. The migration route is very treacherous, as the Yellow Warbler flies over the Gulf of Mexico from Yucatan to Texas and Louisiana. Soon after arrival on their breeding grounds, the males begin to select their territories and defend them, singing their bright songs from perches around t... Full story
Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts & Agriculture, a project of the Roundhouse Foundation, will host the first installment of the 2023 Food & Agriculture Lecture Series at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 13, at the Sisters School District office (525 E. Cascade Ave.). Speakers will share transformative, regenerative, collaborative forces and cultural traditions at play in today’s environment, specifically surrounding the American food system. This event titled: “Exploring Regenerative Agricultural Practices, Traditional Knowledge & S... Full story
The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a statement last December explaining how a ruling that is now kicking old cases back to local jurisdictions like Deschutes County came about. “(The) Oregon Supreme Court in Watkins v. Ackley held that the requirement of unanimous jury verdicts in serious criminal cases applies to older criminal cases as well as those still on appeal. In doing so, the Court acknowledged that Oregon law had not been clear on this important issue of retroactivity… “In 1934, Oregon voters enact... Full story
The boys tennis team faced tough competition against 4A and 5A teams this past week, and despite the losses are improving with each match and looking forward to league play. Sisters was short four of their players in their first match of the week held on Monday, March 20 at Crook County. No. 2 singles Dominic Pulver was the lone winner with a 6-3, 6-4 win over William Schultz. Coach David Rowell noted that Pulver was very comfortable on the court, even against his stronger and bigger opponent, and it was great for him to get... Full story
Laurence Alan Dyer, a lifelong resident of Central Oregon, passed away peacefully at the age of 94, surrounded by many members of his beloved family. Laurence was a truly kind and caring person, who, in his own words, “led an honest and productive life.” Laurence was born on August 30, 1928, alongside his identical twin brother, Loren Dyer, in Bend, Oregon, to Hooper and Irene Dyer. Laurence’s grandfather Howard Dyer homesteaded in Millican in 1912, later moving into Bend.... Full story
Allan was born in Oregon City on June 14, 1955, and moved to Lebanon, Oregon at the age of one. Allan grew up in Lebanon and met his future wife when he was 16 and she was 15. He graduated there in 1973. Allan went on to work odd jobs and hitchhike around the country as far away as Ohio. Allan became a security guard in 1982 in Lebanon. After 10 years of friendship Allan and Roxanne married in 1983. After a few years they moved to Mesa, Arizona, and then back to Bend around... Full story
Ed was born on August 11, 1942, to Jacob and Susie Derksen in Chilliwack, British Columbia. He was the second of four children: Jack, Ed, Caroline, and Susan. They grew up working in the family raspberry business. He spent many happy years playing football, basketball, and baseball. He had a wonderful sense of humor, and a quick, sarcastic mind. He was a loving husband to Dianna, a father to Greg and Kristina, and grandfather to Joseph. He was the mainstay in our lives, a... Full story
The Lady Outlaws started their week on the road with a 3-5 loss to Ridgeview. Their match that was to be held at Redmond on Thursday, March 23, was cancelled due to inclement weather conditions. In Tuesday’s match against the Ravens, the Outlaws were missing five of their varsity players due to spring break, and as a result had to default on No. 4 doubles. It proved to be a great opportunity for the team’s less experienced payers to compete at a higher level, and Coach Bruce Fenn stated that they all stepped up to the cha... Full story
In information provided to The Nugget by a local realtor, a Sisters Country landowner on Foothill Loop, three miles northeast of town, answered a phone call from the president of his homeowners association asking if it was true that he was selling his lot. He wasn’t, but it was listed as “For Sale” by a legitimate, licensed real estate broker in the Willamette Valley. It is customary in property transactions for HOAs to be called verifying the seller’s standing with respect... Full story
As the City of Sisters ramps up to select our next city manager, I think back to the days before I was an Official Newspaper Columnist™ for The Nugget. I’d lived here about a year when the City announced it’d be hiring a new city manager. Citizens were invited to attend a reception at FivePine, where we could sip wine, snack snacks, and meet candidates. How civilized, I thought, feeling the glow that comes with moving from a bigger city to a smaller town. I grew up out... Full story
Fire season is quickly approaching, and now is the time for Central Oregonians to plan to reduce their risk by creating defensible space and taking advantage of upcoming spring FireFree events. Now is the time to clean up yards around homes and drop off that debris at FireFree collection sites for free. Knott Landfill will take yard debris in a FireFree event May 6 through May 21. Knott Landfill is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Northwest (Fryrear) Transfer Station near Sisters will participate Saturday, June... Full story
A growing group of individuals and organizations engaged in addressing emerging issues and needs in Sisters Country gathered at the new Wakefield Inn on March 15. The monthly meeting of Community Builders, facilitated by Citizens4Community (C4C), offered a bird’s-eye view of the myriad community-supporting projects underway, along with ways residents can get involved. This month’s presenters included: The Roundhouse Foundation. Grants Program Specialist Dawn Cooper shared that the Foundation received 115 grant requests for... Full story
Karissa Bilderback is running for one of two open spots on the Sisters School Board that will be on the May election ballot this year. Bilderback graduated from Sisters High School (SHS) in 2000, and now is raising four kids who are in and entering the Sisters schools. Bilderback grew up in the Willamette Valley, and her family vacationed in Black Butte Ranch when she was young. Her family relocated to Sisters, partially because of the schools. “I loved high school and I f... Full story
Hamburg, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark contrast markedly from tiny Sisters, Oregon, but for the two 16-year-old exchange students at Sisters High School who hail from these famous European cities, the experience of living in our rural mountain town has been rich and satisfying. Rebecca “Becca” Clausen and Freja Pedersen arrived in Sisters in late August as participants in the Pan Atlantic Foundation student exchange program. Within the first week both had joined fall spo... Full story
It’s great to see much community interest about the future of Sisters, which is demonstrated by the letters to the editor and comments at public meetings. It is important that these conversations are civil and based in fact, so I wanted to clarify several issues raised in the “Choosing Sisters’ Path” guest column in last week’s Nugget. A package of amendments to the Sisters Development Code were considered and adopted by City Council on July 24, 2019 (Ordinance 497). Amendments to the code are a fairly common practice.... Full story
Longtime Sisters resident Bill Willitts is on a mission to reach as many men as he can to educate them about the value of proton therapy in the treatment of prostate cancer — a treatment which has a cure rate of 85-90 percent. Last fall, Willitts was told by his urologist that his PSA (prostate specific antigen), which was first found to be high 10 years ago, had gone higher. With a biopsy, it was determined that he had developed prostate cancer. His urologist told him... Full story
Along with construction and maintenance, Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) also faces challenges like vandalism — and dog poop. The number one mythic question in the woods is not “Is there a Sasquatch?” Rather “Is there a Poop Fairy?” Many seem to believe so, based on their own words. Rick Retzman, a Sisters Trails Alliance board member, has talked to some of these “believers,” who think that it is the responsibility of someone else, “fairies” who must flit about the woods a... Full story
