News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
In an effort to attract new business to Sisters and to retain businesses already established here, Sisters City Council has been working on the establishment of a forgivable-loan program. The City of Bend established such a program with the original intention of stabilizing companies and retaining businesses, and thus local jobs, during difficult economic periods. As the economy has strengthened, the focus has shifted to attracting new business to Bend. Sisters' program is... Full story
"It's always better to get a plaque than a headstone," said Bob Grooney at Friday night's Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce Awards dinner. Longtime members of the Chamber have come to expect that kind of dry humor out of Grooney, who served 26 years as a member of the Chamber's board of directors. That service, along with his work on the school board; early economic development efforts; his work as the owner and operator with his wife, Claudia, of The Gallimaufry; and as a... Full story
To the Editor: What a great editorial ("Saving the West," The Nugget, February 17, pg. 2). I was born and raised in Burns and my grandparents were cattle ranchers. I spent many days at the refuge because my grandparents were good friends of the first manager of the refuge. His name was John Scharff. Also the fishing was good at the Blitzen River. Every year (first of April) there is the John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival and people come from all over the US. All kinds of workshops and birding trips. Two years ago, within... Full story
Bumper Jacksons fold sounds of jazz, early blues, old-time music, and country swing into an exhilarating repertoire of modern American roots music. On Saturday, February 27, the Washington, D.C.-based band will bring their swinging party energy to Sisters in the season's second Sisters Folk Festival Winter Concert. With three recent Washington Area Music Awards and many dozens of jubilant live shows under their collective belt, they've produced their second album, "Too Big... Full story
The children being mentored through Sisters Circle of Friends were gifted with more than just warm hats last Thanksgiving. They received the work of loving hands that created those hats especially for them. And so it is with every single item handcrafted by the members of the three Heartwarmers groups in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. What started as a small seed of an idea in the heart of Fryrear resident Mary Tomjack three years ago this month has become a full-blown garden of... Full story
Sisters brought 21 grapplers to compete at the Regional Championships held at Elmira on Friday and Saturday, February 19 and 20, and earned a 10th-place finish. Sweet Home wrestlers dominated the mat and took first place with a team total of 376 points. North Marion was runner-up with 304 and Cascade took third with 249. Two Outlaws, seniors Dyut Fetrow and Zach Reid, finished third and fourth respectively, which earned them both a berth to the state championships. Fetrow... Full story
The Parks Advisory Board heard from Patrick Davenport, community development director, that staff is considering the need to increase the parks system development charges (SDCs). SDCs are fees paid by builders per unit built to cover certain expenses to the City created by new dwelling units. For example, with a new subdivision going in, there will be impacts on the existing sewer and water systems as well as increased use of City parks by new residents. SDCs pass the cost of... Full story
Matthew Riehle, a fifthgrade student at Sisters Middle School, won the school competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 29 and a chance at a $50,000 college scholarship. The school bee was the first round in the 28th annual National Geographic Bee. Thousands of schools around the United States and in the five U.S. territories are participating in the 2016 bee. The school champions, including Matthew Riehle, took a qualifying test on February 5, from which up to... Full story
Icy winds and snow blowing sideways didn't dissuade the Sisters equestrian team from their mission at the first Central District OHSET (Oregon High School Equestrian Team) meet, held over the weekend at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center. Friday's weather tested the mettle of all the athletes from the 14 schools in the district. They had to compete in the outdoor arena for several events until they were able to move inside. "They were positive and gave it their best effort," said team advisor Yvette Chandler. There... Full story
The Outlaws hosted the No. 6-ranked Junction City Tigers on Tuesday, February 16, and walked off the court with a 52-37 victory. Two days later, the Outlaws defeated the Falcons in a 50-44 road win. On Tuesday, the Outlaws honored seniors Hayes Moore, Steen Johnson, Connor Lake, Scott Waddell and Andrew Aljets (manager) prior to the game, and also paid special tribute to Randy Burdick for his long-time service to Sisters basketball and athletics. Sisters came into the game against the Tigers ready to play, and played hard... Full story
The girls basketball squad split their games last week and wrapped up league play with a 4-6 record. Sisters defeated Junction City (JC) 51-45 at home on Tuesday, February 16, and two days later fell 50-34 to the Falcons at Elmira. Sisters honored seniors Olivia Stewart, Nina Horner, and Bethany Bachmeier prior to tip-off in the Outlaws' last home game of the season. The Outlaws played a consistent game in terms of control and poise against the visiting Tigers - areas they have been working hard on all season. Sisters jumped... Full story
Next month I have the distinct privilege of traveling to Arizona with Sisters-based Warfighter Outfitters, and the occasion has caused me to think deeply about my service, and some of the larger characters who inhabited that world. I was a Marine, with Bravo Company 1/1, deployed twice to the Persian Gulf, and those men are among the greatest friends I will ever know. I am in touch with many of them, but it is some of the others I am thinking about now, those characters who... Full story
A decade ago, Benji Nagel was a student learning to play music through Sisters Folk Festival's Ameicana Project. Now the student has become the teacher, providing guitar instruction for students K-7 at Black Butte School (BBS) in Camp Sherman. It's a complete, unbroken circle of music in Sisters Country. "I instruct all of the kids in Black Butte School Tuesday and Thursday afternoons," Nagel said. "I rotate my classes for the 17 students, K through 8th grade. It's usually... Full story
Special-needs cats seem to seek out Sisters resident Robyn Holdman, president of Citizens4Community. Holdman and her husband, John, have been pet parents to three special-needs cats since 1990. Two years ago, Holdman and her husband found an emaciated male cat lying on their property on Harrington Loop in Sisters just days before a big snowstorm that dumped over three feet in February 2014. "I had a hunch that this was not a stray cat, as it was too beautiful to be on its... Full story
World Spay Day began in 1995 as Spay Day USA, a project of the Doris Day Animal League. The event was renamed World Spay Day and is now an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Humane Society International and the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. On the last Tuesday of every February, World Spay Day shines a spotlight on the power of affordable, accessible spay/neuter to save the lives of pets, community feral and stray cats, and... Full story
Fourth-graders in Clay Warburton's class got a big surprise on Thursday, February 18, when Wendy Henderson and Sarah Hagan from Central Oregon Herpetology showed up with a variety of snakes and lizards. Clay Warburton, fourth-grade teacher at Sisters Elementary School (SES), told The Nugget that kids have a lot of experience with mammals as pets, but having an experience with a large group of reptiles is a very special experience, so he contacted Henderson and Hagan from... Full story
Earlier this month, an incident in Central Oregon highlighted one of the lesser-known hazards of snow country travel: the danger posed by tree wells. Tree wells form around the bases of evergreen trees when overhanging limbs interfere with the natural deposition of falling snow, and the resulting cavities can be deadly. This month's accident had a happy ending; but, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue (SAR) team that performed the rescue, some of the credit goes to the telemark skier who was... Full story
The Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank and its volunteers work hard every month to support Sisters families that have fallen on hard times. Kerry Bott, the Kiwanis Board Member who oversees the food bank, hosted a volunteer appreciation party last week to honor all those who served at the food bank. Bott noted in the February Kiwanis newsletter "It (The food bank) runs so well that it's easy for the rest of us to lose sight of the significant efforts and dedication from these folks... Full story
The highest price ever paid for a piece of Olympic memorabilia occurred in December 2013, a medal belonging to Jesse Owens that sold at an online auction for $1.47 million. News of the sale brought to mind a story I was told by my dad - and it comes to mind again as the movie "Race" premiers. My grandfather was a fire marshal in Munich, Germany before and during World War II. His work took him to Berlin in 1936 and he took his 8-year-old son with him; this man, Karl Eichner, was my father. It was a time when kids could r... Full story
The Sisters High School commons buzzed with excitement on Saturday for the fifth annual Sisters Science Fair. Students from all three Sisters schools showed off their educational experiments, displays, and demonstrations. Hundreds of folks expressed interest by watching or getting involved through hands-on challenges. The fair was sponsored by the Sisters Science Club and free to all. "The Science of Nature" was this year's theme and was evident throughout the fair with studen... Full story
