News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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It surprises me that after almost 10 years of Donald Trump’s political career, people, including our illustrious Editor in Chief, Jim Cornelius, still have not figured him out. Trump is not a classical conservative, or even a Republican, he is a populist. We would likely have seen more of his ideology in 2017 through 2020 but he was in a constant battle between members of his own party, the Democrats, and the media, so that much of the policy work he wished to accomplish was derailed. In 2025, Trump has apparently learned f... Full story
Opposed to rezoning To the Editor: There is an application filed with Deschutes County to rezone a 58 acre parcel from Forest to Urban Reserve, located north and east of Sisters High School. The city of Sisters is already invested in extensive studies with citizen input in planning a massive expansion of its UGB on the northeast side of Sisters. Rezoning this 58 acres on the other end is not only redundant and competes with the Sisters UGB work, but it also removes precious forest. In addition, it blocks the Tollgate... Full story
Letters to the Editor should be 300 words or less. The deadline for submission is Monday at 10 a.m. for publication in that week's Nugget. Please submit your letter by emailing to Jim Cornelius at [email protected] with "letter to the editor" in the subject line.... Full story
I’m writing with my eyes closed. I won’t know if my words are right or jumbled. If fingers are just one key off, it’ll be nothing but indistinguishable gibberish. Writing blind isn’t something new. I started years ago during writing meditations as I asked my inner voice and Christ connection to answer questions I couldn’t answer. It worked, and despite a few pages of gobbledygook, the words still bring peace, calm, and faith in my connection to my Higher Power…. whether found inside or beyond. My eyes are closed for a diffe... Full story
Those who struggle with depression may approach everyday decisions differently from others, believing that the outcome of each decision they make, each action they take, demonstrates something fundamental about their character. The person susceptible to depression relies upon feedback from their environment to gauge their self-worth. Positive feedback validates their worth as an individual, but negative feedback can just as quickly strip them of self-worth. Good outcomes say that they are competent and intelligent, they are... Full story
• I backed my brand new Bronco into a telephone pole in Sisters the very first day I drove it. No problem to get the dent out. Now, though, it seems there’s no such thing as repairing a dented fender. When one fender meets another fender, or worse, the cars involved are often totaled by insurance companies because body parts comprised of “composite material” just can’t withstand a good, old fashion fender bender. • It never fails: I’ve kept certain statements for years and years and finally and at last got rid of ‘em last J... Full story
A former boss told me once, as we were dodging a boulder garden in a raft on the North Umpqua River, “humans are like houseplants; after a couple of years, both need repotted.” So, after almost seven years here as the district ranger in Sisters, last fall I voluntarily and temporarily repotted as the forest supervisor on the Modoc National Forest in northern California. Part of the reason was curiosity, part of it was the timing, part of it just could have been a wan... Full story
Sisters is truly one of a kind. Underneath the Western decor, pine trees, vibrant mountains, and the neighborly environment, lies a home. As a 19-year-old who has lived in Sisters all 19 years of my life, it took me going to college to truly appreciate the town. I have seen the good and the bad parts of Sisters. My little eyes watched the Dairy Queen, Dollar General, and the housing developments get built. In fourth grade my art teacher laid a giant wooden fish in front of me and told me to paint it however I pleased. I paint... Full story
Every other Wednesday, I get together with a small group of men in what I guess you’d call a book club. We grapple with tough moral questions, and matters of purpose and meaning, conflict and division. Our current selection is Patrick Radden Keefe’s “Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland.” There is a current dramatic adaptation in the FX/Hulu limited series “Say Nothing.” The book pivots on the December 1972 abduction of Jean McConville,... Full story
From the superintendant To the Editor, The recent school board meeting brought moments of reflection, gratitude, and optimism as the district celebrated its accomplishments and looked ahead to the future. The board began by honoring David Thorsett for his dedicated years of service as a school board member. In recognition of his impactful contributions, Thorsett was presented with a commemorative plaque, and board members expressed their heartfelt appreciation for his leadership. The meeting also welcomed Erik Benton as the... Full story
C.J. Box started the Joe Pickett book series with "Open Season" in 2001. Now, 24 books later, the series latest book is "Three-Inch Teeth," published in 2024. Joe Pickett is a Wyoming game warden who, in this current book, is fighting to survive against two lethal enemies - one a monstrous grizzly bear and the other a monstrous human who is out for revenge. If you are a person who loves to hunt, fish, and enjoy life in the woods and wilderness, then you will live your love of... Full story
On a clear winter evening in January, look to the southeastern sky to behold the brightest, most recognizable constellation in the entire sky. Orion the Hunter straddles the celestial equator, making it visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Hunter's shape is easy to identify because of the arrangement of its brightest stars. His belt is marked by three equally spaced stars of about the same magnitude that lie in a nearly straight line. It is tilted at... Full story
That raucous chatter heard often in neighborhoods across Oregon is what I refer to as the Western Blue-Jay [Aphelocoma californica]. Originally referred to as a "scrub" jay, they now have a larger population within forests and towns. This blue-with-a-gray-back jay inhabits residential areas in large numbers, gleaning food from backyard feeders and trees. Insects, nuts, snails, berries, and bees make up their main diet. A six-inch nest is built within tree branches, where two... Full story
Last week I had coffee with an old friend — the first person I knew in Sisters. We both moved here from the same area in the foothills at the northern rim of the Los Angeles basin more than 30 years ago. We both noted how hard it hits, watching the apocalyptic destruction wrought by the wildfires that have ripped across our old stompin’ grounds. We’ve both lived in Sisters longer than we lived in L.A. — but you never quite lose your sense of connection to the place where y... Full story
Correcting the record To the Editor: Dear Bill Bartlett — I enjoyed our discussions regarding the UGB and I appreciated how accurately you quoted my comments (“Sisters growth plans spark pushback,” See related story.). However, you missed the boat on my information. Bjarne and I moved to Sisters 2013 (not 1978) and we live on Bradley Road (my horse lives on Cloverdale). After 43 years in Alaska we just wanted to escape the very long winters. I did work at Camp Tamarack 1969–1970 and Sisters was a quiet village at that ti... Full story
Wanting to be up to date on information, I Googled Early Childhood Podcasts and was blown away. The number of choices was amazing. I perused the list, and opened “The Everything ECE Podcast.” The interviewer, Carla West of the Early Childhood Academy was leading a discussion with Cheryl Lundy Swift, about kindergarten readiness. I highly recommend it for all parents and grandparents of young children. Dr. Swift is the Director of the Professional Learning and Academic Partnership for Learning Without Peers, a program add... Full story
We made special Christmas boxes for the Scotties to open on Christmas morning. Each box was wrapped in holiday paper and filled with some of the dogs’ favorite treats. It took them more than 20 minutes to reach the treats. Scotties are tenacious and never give up. For nearly half an hour the pack was fully alive. They pushed, pulled, bit, dug, tore, jumped on, and danced around their prey. We laughed at their antics more than we ever had before. It was the best morning we h... Full story
It’s that time of year again – shopping, parties, decking the halls, gathering with friends and families, exchanging presents, and singing carols. If all is copacetic in life, the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa season can create wonderful memories to last a lifetime. If you are alone, ill, fallen on hard times, or grieving, all the festive airs can seem like a cruel hoax, magnifying the difficult circumstances. If I’ve learned nothing else about holidays, it is to ackno... Full story
No growth option To the Editor: I attended the UGB open house and I was disappointed that the city is not pursuing, or even considering, a no-growth option by challenging the state’s mandate that we destroy the nature of Sisters with continuous expansion and density. Why can’t the city “lawyer up” and fight the state’s requirement? Susanna DeFazio... Full story
A few weeks ago I read an article in The Nugget about Sisters author Melody Carlson. Since she’s written over 250 books, and I’m a former bookstore owner, you’d think I’d have read all of her books — but I haven’t. Over the last few weeks, I’ve made up for lost time. I just finished number nine! A few of them were “short stories” or “novellas” but great to read in one day. Many of them are set in the northwest — Oregon, Washington, Idaho — and that makes them even better. The one I just finished is “Christmas in Winter Hill... Full story
I was away for the Thanksgiving holiday, so it was this weekend that I got caught up with reading back issues of The Nugget. I couldn’t help but compare the open and broad-minded editorial by Julia Fugate (November 20) and the illiberal sentiment of William David (December 4) referring to a piece by Lisa May. The First Amendment to the Constitution protects free speech in this country.Regardless of what you may think of Lisa’s beliefs, she has every right to have them published in a town newspaper like this. It would put Jim... Full story
In August of 2024, when a developer was requesting code changes to allow variances from current code for a plot of land in north Sisters, the Three Sisters Historical Society (TSHS) wrote and submitted a plea to preserve and protect the remnants of Sisters' oldest homestead and what we now call the Conklin House. An excerpt from the 'brief history' which TSHS sent to the city with their plea: "JJ Smith's 1886 homestead went from Pine St. (east) to Locust St. and Cascade to... Full story
Sometimes, when the gods are being generous, we cross paths with incredible people whose accomplishments stand apart, and whose ability to reflect the lessons of great physical and spiritual challenge encourage us to examine our own lives. So it is with Ruby Gates, 60, who is on a quest to circumnavigate the globe in her sailboat, single-handed. I met Ruby at Black Butte Ranch, where she gave a presentation after completing the first leg of her adventure - sailing her 39-foot... Full story
The vibrant economy of Sisters is at risk. Essential members of our workforce have been priced out of the housing market. Our teachers, firefighters, grocery clerks, and small business employees can no longer afford to live here and own a home. As a result, our community is experiencing disruption. There is a way to change course. Our City and its leaders can take the bold action required to build housing for our workforce in Sisters. The current Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion process presents a real opportunity to bui... Full story
Roundabout To the Editor: Sometimes I think people who haven’t been here for over a year should be wearing some kind of an arm band. I went through the roundabout, minding my own business, when someone was laying on their horn throughout, until I pulled over to let them pass. Then I realized they were from California. I’m sorry if I ruined their day. Happy New Year. Craig Cathcart Free speech To the Editor: I believe in free speech. For the individual and the press as stated in the First Amendment. Is there any res... Full story
