News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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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
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
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
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
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
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
It did this old history nerd’s heart good to watch a classroom full of middle schoolers reenacting some of the high points of the American Revolution earlier this month. I was a Bicentennial child. The spark of my love for history was already burning in my 10-year-old soul by 1975-76, and the Bicentennial observances poured gasoline on the fire. My passion for history has enriched my life in ways I can’t even begin to enumerate. It’s touched everything I am and do. I hope... Full story
Needless to say, I’m very disappointed with the way the election turned out. I think America is about to go into one of the worst eras in its history. This is really going to put us to the test. Not just any test but a biblical Sodom and Gomorrah type test. I think, in the long run, we will be OK, but sometimes you got to go through hell to get to heaven. I think that Kamala Harris did an exceptional job in her campaign considering she had to parachute behind enemy lines, slog up a slippery, muddy hill against the wind and ha... Full story
Despite repeatedly assuring Americans that he would not pardon his son Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden issued a sweeping reprieve for the troubled Biden scion on Sunday. President Biden granted “a full and unconditional pardon for those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” As Politico reporter Betsy Woodruff Swan notes, a blanket pardon that bro... Full story
In aisle 1 at Safeway there are nearly 40 different types of toothpaste and at least two life lessons to be found. When I was in my early 20s, living in Alaska over 2,000 miles away from my parents, I called them. I was in love, again, and said to my dad, “This could be the one.” He stated, “Don’t get caught up on toothpaste issues.” “What are toothpaste issues?” I asked. First, there are several ways to discharge toothpaste from the tube. Just grab and squeeze, push from the bottom, rolling as you go, or perhaps more... Full story
As we approach the day set aside to give thanks and show gratitude, have we given much thought to how this important skill is taught and passed on? There’s so much our kids enjoy without a second thought of how it has come to be. Even when they politely say, “thank you,” does it really register what it would be like to be without their many blessings? When it comes to teaching skills most adults recognize the importance of role modeling to exemplify the characteristic we want to pass on. How are we doing? On Thank... Full story
For most of us, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends for feast and fellowship — maybe with some football thrown in. We’re all kind of vaguely aware of the historical context — Pilgrims and Indians got together to make the First Thanksgiving and all that. Pondering the history behind Thanksgiving isn’t necessary to the holiday — but it can deepen the experience. As Native American Heritage Month winds down, it’s an opportunity to try to see the holiday thr... Full story
Dear Madam Vice President, How could the election have turned out like this? Many people have expressed surprise and dismay at the results of the 2024 election, particularly in our county, Deschutes, where 53 percent of the population voted for you and in our state, Oregon, where over 55 percent of the population voted for you. I have been reflecting on my own personal view of this election and I would like to share it with you because I do not think the thoughts are mine... Full story
I grew up in a newspaper family. Both my parents worked for the San Jose Mercury News. My dad was the art director. My mom sold advertising. My family knew the publishers at the time. Politics and current events were an every night discussion at the dinner table. My mom was a stickler for dinner time – always at the dining room table with proper manners and each of us four girls were expected to participate in the adult conversation my parents were having. Politics was a frequent topic. We discussed the president, the c... Full story
Do you sense it? That all-pervasive fear that seems to be gripping too many. We wonder, ‘Is this the eye of the hurricane? Or has the storm passed?’ We hold our breath, wondering what’s next. It’s true, there are lots of things to fear and we want to protect our people, ourselves. But fear is sneaky and creative. And when we give it free rein, it multiplies: Republicans fear the Democrats; Democrats fear the Republicans. We fear a difference of opinion. Why? We fear running out of toilet paper. Just stop. Breathe. “In the... Full story
I did the math. It’s probably not the math you’re thinking of. Not how many BTU’s (British Thermal Units) from a certain species of wood you could get. Also not a comparison of the cost of a cord of wood versus the electricity you would use for heating on any given winter. The upside is a free wood cutting permit to harvest up to eight cords of wood for personal use. It didn’t used to be that way. My math doesn’t even consider the cost of a saw, trailer, vehicle to tow a couple tons of wood, or the fuel, oil, chains, s... Full story
The day after the election, an acquaintance, who voted differently than I did, patted me on the back and said, “Don’t worry, it’s going to be all right.” I know from talking with family members, the messages we are fed through algorithms, social media, and targeted marketing are not the same messages. Each of us lives in a feed-back-loop world based on past programing, programing that tells us to be afraid. I would like to think I can see a little outside my box, so… Dear America, I hope you chose right. I sincerely... Full story
One of the guiding principles that I try to live by is that I want to be an asset when things go sideways - not the guy who's standing around waiting for someone else to take action. In that spirit, I signed up for a recent, two-day Wilderness First Aid course through Sisters-based Northwest Precision Medical Training. I've taken CPR and basic first aid classes, and read up on wilderness first aid - but I have never buckled down to a full-on, multi-hour course. Founder and... Full story
This op-ed will be published the day after Election Day. Once the results are known — and regardless of who is elected to the White House — there’s a good chance that approximately half of you will be elated with the outcome, while the other half feel despondent. Such is the nature of our current political climate in America. And yet, despite our country’s growing polarization, there’s much that leaves me hopeful about the future – particularly when it comes to life in Sisters Country. So on a day when many are feeling anx... 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
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
(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
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
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
