News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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In the lead-up to the election, Sisters area residents are even more vigorous in expressing their opinions than usual. This I believe to be a good thing. Publications such as newspapers balance a variety of agendas and necessities. The editor acts as a filter and gatekeeper, helping writers understand the larger context and audience for their work. The editor typically influences their community and is influenced heavily by it. In a geographically based publication, the... Full story
Those who are looking forward to a “return to normal” post-election may be in for disappointment. If it ends up as close as the pollsters and prognosticators think it is, the presidential election may not be called for a few days after November 5. And our national political culture will likely be roiled for a long time after that. Anxiety is running high as voters are continually confronted with the assertion that this election is the most consequential of our lifetime. In... Full story
It is a delightful day indeed when an angry reader writes in — exercising the First Amendment — to attack a column or, more to the point given the nature of the language, the columnist, written in defense of the First Amendment. It’s delightful for several reasons — not least of which is that when you are taking flak from a sandbagged position on the ground it is a certain indication that you are flying over the target. Lawyers and judges, though they are often slow to admi... Full story
In my email queue, I get lots of emails from Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the politician representing our oddly shaped, wiggly District 5 in U.S. Congress. In my physical mailbox I receive a boatload of shiny flyers from her campaign and supporters. Chavez-DeRemer appears to be as wiggly as our newly shaped district itself. In debates, Chavez-DeRemer positions herself as a bipartisan, non-extreme centrist in an attempt to gain the votes of District 5 NAVs like me, the non-affiliated... Full story
Editor’s note: The Nugget received an exceptionally heavy volume of letters to the editor this week. We are running as many letters as space allows in the print edition this week, with first priority given to letters regarding local matters. All of the letters may be accessed at www.nuggetnews.com. Recognizing the keen interest in issues surrounding the November 5 election, we will endeavor to place as many of those letters as possible in the October 30 print edition as well, space permitting. Jim Cornelius, Editor in C... Full story
More than 40 years ago, The Nugget Newspaper started putting a newspaper in every mail box in Sisters Country — for free — creating a universal community connection that everyone in Sisters had easy access to. A common source of celebrations, grieving, and being “in the know” of what’s happening in Sisters. The newspaper’s revenue came solely from advertising — a business model that has been successful over a couple of generations. But things are changing. For one, there ar... Full story
We’ve all heard that “you don’t know what you have until you lose it,” which I know from experience to be true. But in recent years I’ve personally discovered another truth. You don’t know what you have until you really, really need it. We’ve lived in Sisters for almost 30 years now, but when we first came, I remember how “old-timers” (Sisters residents who’d lived here their whole lives) would offer sage advice (or maybe it was warnings). I frequently heard two things: 1. Most newcomers won’t remain here more than a coup... Full story
The October Community Builders meeting was held at the U.S. Forest Service Sisters Ranger District garage. Attendees were welcomed by Lauren DuRocher, acting district ranger while Ian Reid is on a four-month temporary assignment on the Modoc National Forest. He will be back in Sisters in early December. (A separate article on the Sisters Ranger District activities will appear in the October 23 Nugget.) • Kellen Klein, C4C executive director, announced that their first ann... Full story
Something in the American mind has been hacked, and while the meat of the case rests on the erosion of barriers between citizens and government, one excellent lead to follow might be burgeoning threats to the First Amendment by the very people charged with preserving it. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is a good example. By suggesting, during his debate with Senator JD Vance, that it is illegal to shout “fire” in a crowded theater he did two things. First, he lied. It is not illeg... Full story
• Deputy Wyatt Hernandez was presented with a challenge coin and a letter of appreciation from Earl C. Schroeder (U.S. Air Force) with the VFW. Schroeder wanted to express his sincere gratitude to Deputy Hernandez for his representation as a Deputy Sheriff during the funeral service of Colonel John Turner (U.S. Army). Schroeder is a Sisters resident and Dep. Hernandez is a graduate of Sisters schools. • Brad Boyd wrote: A big thanks to those who turned out to help clean u... Full story
In which the writer continues to contemplate and blather upon the subject of joy, inspired by a writing prompt in musician and writer Nick Cave’s column “The Red Hand Files.” Mr. Cave seemed to advocate seeking out joy, treating joy as a decision that one makes. Here’s where we left off last column (Click here to see previous column.): We can court joy and look for it. We can imagine it is within our control. Or we can turn our back and wait for it to tap us on the shoulde... Full story
(Editor’s note: Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp is a candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff. Both Vander Kamp and candidate Captain William Bailey were offered an opportunity to submit an op-ed detailing their vision prior to the November 5 election. Captain Bailey’s op-ed ran in the October 2 edition). I began my career as a deputy in Sisters, witnessing its rapid growth firsthand. During those five years, I built strong relationships within the Sisters community and gained a deep understanding of their most pressing con... Full story
Vote! To the Editor: Citizens of Sisters — please vote. It is our right; our privilege; our duty! Thank you. All for America. Jenny Denzer God and freedom To the Editor: Our grandson Cruz M. Bryan went over to Ukraine in July to fight for their freedom and independence. On July 15 he was killed saving six other soldiers’ lives. Many foreign soldiers are fighting to save Ukraine’s freedom also. I don’t understand why in this country millions vote for socialism and collapse of the United States every four years. I challen... Full story
We will soon have another election. At my age I have seen a lot of them, some decidedly more important than others. But one common factor in most elections is concern about the economy. A growing economy is usually seen as good. We currently have a strong, growing economy, so it is a bit surprising many consider it to be poor. The reason is “inflation.” This is not the first time that inflation was heatedly argued in a past election. If you remember the economy in the 1980s, that was serious inflation. The surprising thi... Full story
A dark, postpunk musician I’ve admired for decades, a man beloved of Goths and Johnny Cash fans, has somehow become both a mainstream rock star and a religiously inspired advice columnist. Yes, I’m talking about the inimitable Nick Cave. On his beguiling blog “The Red Hand Files,” Mr. Cave usually answers questions. Recently he turned the tables. He asked us, his readers and fans, to answer his question: “I have a full life. A privileged life. An unendangered life. But somet... Full story
We wrote about this trail four years ago, but it bears repeating given its proximity and beauty. A near perfect trail for families or hikers simply looking for an easier outing full of scenery. It's mapped as a 2.6 mile out and back undertaking, longer if you take an extension. Plan on a bit more than an hour. It's well maintained and easy to navigate with new trail markers to guide you at the junctions. It's a great trail for dogs, especially those fond of water. Why go: The... Full story
Lights out! (Do it for the birds.) To the Editor: Two reasons we are so lucky to live in Central Oregon are for our potentially dark night skies, and because we live along the Pacific Bird Flyway. With a few simple choices, we can preserve these attributes and lessen our unintended consequences. Eight out of 10 bird species in North America migrate at night, relying on the stars and moon to navigate. Our electric lights reduce visibility of starry night skies for birds (and us). Artificial light can attract night-migrating... Full story
On November 5, we will learn who the next elected Sheriff will be for the next four years. Our choices : Candidate Kent Vander Kamp – Endorsed by the Deschutes County Sheriff Employee’s Association — reduce violent crimes, property crimes, and traffic issues in Deschutes County; address the homelessness, mental health, and drugs crisis; restore public trust and accountability in the Sheriff’s Office; connect with the community and collaborate with other public safety partners, improve deputy and employee wellness. Candida... Full story
Well, now we know — at least in general — the nature of Deschutes County Sheriff’s candidate Kent Vander Kamp’s transgressions in La Mesa, California, nearly three decades ago. On Friday, Vander Kamp announced that he had obtained confidential personnel documents from La Mesa that he’d never seen before. Vander Kamp served as an unpaid reserve cadet in a program that grew out of a Boy Scouts Explorer program. “After high school, the explorer program pointed me toward coll... Full story
Use that turn signal To the Editor: What do you do when driving down the road and wish to turn off to the right? You signal your intent for the car behind you as a courtesy so they are safely warned you are turning. It is also telling a person who may be waiting to turn into the traffic that they may turn out. Now, the roundabout is a good mover of traffic if that logic is the same as before. When you wish to enter the roundabout you look to see where the oncoming car is going, whether it is going to continue around or is... Full story
Editor’s note: Each candidate for Deschutes County Sheriff has been offered an opportunity to submit an op-ed detailing their vision prior to the November 5 election. Every day each summer, thousands of Central Oregonians in and around Sisters live under constant threat of catastrophic wildfire caused by illegal homeless camping. The threat became reality at least twice so far this summer elsewhere in Deschutes County. The Darlene III fire near La Pine and the Milepost 132 fire just north of Bend this summer led to mass eva... Full story
I was sitting in the Outlaw Women Saloon in Augusta, Montana, enjoying an interesting conversation with the bartender - a young lady from southern Florida who came to Montana because she wanted to learn to be a cowgirl, and a fellow named Log Man, who was finishing up his adventure on the Continental Divide Trail -when a loud chorus of boos and hisses suddenly erupted from the other side of the bar. We all swiveled in that direction, expecting a good, cow-town sort of bar... Full story
• I can’t sing a lick, but when the Gary Gruner “Made in America” song comes on with their TV ad, I sing every word about as loud as I can. That ad looks, feels, and sounds so Central Oregon. Thank you, Gary Gruner. • When Hazel called the other morning and asked if I’d like to make a Costco run, I jumped at the chance to ride along. I gulped down my breakfast, threw on some clothes and quickly did what I could with my hair, including spraying it with Endust, which was sitting right next to the can of Suave Max Hold. • Sec... Full story
Mistaken identity To the Editor: Bruce Carpenter — I’m sorry you were bothered by people who thought they were addressing me. I’ve had packages I was waiting for delivered to other Bruce Campbells before which is very inconvenient, but being mistaken for someone writing a possibly controversial letter to the editor would be really annoying. I hope you weren’t hassled too bad. I used to live in Colorado ranch country and would get into friendly discussions with some of the old ranchers in the area about politics and such. M... Full story
When Captain William Bailey and Sergeant Kent Vander Kamp squared off to run for Deschutes County Sheriff after Shane Nelson announced his retirement, my initial reaction was that voters would have a choice between two capable men with different but impressive backgrounds and skillsets, either of whom are well-positioned to lead their agency into a demanding future. Vander Kamp has done stellar work as the leader of field operations for the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement... Full story
