News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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There’s Minnesota nice. And Wisconsin nice. And Canada nice. Maybe some others, probably mostly in the Midwest. I don’t recall Oregon nice. Nor California nice. And then there’s Sisters nice. You know the kind of nice I’m talking about. It mostly just happens, right? It happens so routinely that we don’t need to put it into words. Like many of you, I ride my bike around town. And, much to the chagrin of my adult children, an electric scooter. Not one of those three-whe... Full story
Beware of scams To the Editor: I fell for a scam being operated on FB Marketplace. I was trying to buy firewood and I ended up getting scammed. Luckily it was not for a ton of money. Never give the seller any money up front. Cash on delivery only! I am working with the Deschutes County Sheriff, Facebook, Venmo, and PayPal. Since Monday, August 19, I have located and disabled a dozen different scam pages selling firewood. Once you know what to look for they are easy to spot. The first thing that happens is you will... Full story
As families begin to transition back to school a lot of hubbub starts to take over. After the comparatively schedule-free life of summer, there are many things to think about. What supplies to buy, which clothes still fit, which don’t (how did your child grow so fast in such a short time?), and how to adjust your work schedule for drop-off and pick-up times. What’s top on the minds of the kids? The younger they are, or if they are moving to a new school environment, it’s bound to be anxiety and worry (that includes middl... 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
The night sky is home to bewildering spectacles. I remember the first time I noticed. I was six years old living in Edmonton, Alberta, with my family. My brother and I were awakened one winter night by our parents. "There's something you need to see," they said with glee. They wrapped us in fleece blankets and cradled us out the front door of our Canadian home into a brilliantly cold evening. My parents were shoveling snow from the driveway when it began. My eyes traced my... Full story
How long has it been since you became giddy with joy just watching a bee scoot around a daisies’ pollen-laden center, amazed at how the bee could fill its pollen basket (also known as the corbicula) with so much pollen and still be able to fly? When did you last watch a procession of ants, being filled with wonder, and then try to follow the line to its end? These are just a couple of the wonders my young Scotties have helped me enjoy seeing recently. The Scotties were born in Idaho during the late fall. Cold had already k... Full story
This delightful, easy to moderate outing is occasionally confused by other nearby trails. It is not the Three Fingered Jack trail or even the Jack Lake Trail (there is no Jack Lake trail per se). At the Jack Lake trailhead you are treated to options one of which is Canyon Creek Meadows Loop part of which is on the Old Summit Trail. The loop section is just at five miles with an elevation gain of roughly 600 feet. There are branches that can turn it into a 7.6 mile or longer ex... Full story
Before moving to Sisters in 2004, I researched the medical community in Central Oregon – doctors, clinics, hospitals, emergency services – and was encouraged that quality medical care would be readily available. And it was, in the beginning. When I moved, I had just turned 60 and was not yet eligible for Medicare. My first job at hospice offered me excellent group health insurance coverage. I quickly established relationships with several medical practices where I found it... Full story
This November will not bring a rematch of two candidates vying for president, but rematches of candidates who previously ran against each other turn out to be a big theme in politics in the Northwest this year. And the dynamics of those rematched candidates could have a big effect on politics, both on the legislative level and nationally. In Oregon, one of the closest congressional races from two years ago is being rerun. Democrat Andrea Salinas prevailed in the 6th Congressional District 2022 by 2.4 percent over Republican... Full story
Expand county commission To the Editor: I am writing to express my appreciation to those making the effort to expand the size of the Deschutes County Commission. With a current membership of only three representing the rapidly expanding population of the county, adding to the viewpoints of those representing us is long overdue. Approving this expansion is particularly critical since only one of three current commissioners shows any interest or ability to properly manage the county. The rampant violations of the county code... Full story
Patty Killoran of Tucson, Arizona, wrote: Kudos to first responders in and around Sisters. I had a fall last week on a trail along the Metolius River, breaking several bones in my left leg. The first person on the scene was Kirk, a search and rescue volunteer, who convinced other services that I needed to be carried out. So along came responders from the police, the fire department, search and rescue, and the forestry service. There were so many guys there I didn’t meet them all, but I remember three Brians, a Jack, a M... Full story
Snoop Dogg, it turns out, brought unexpected levity and light to an otherwise smoke-filled summer. His observation that pole vaulters get “high-high” was as prescient as reporting seems to get anymore, and so this space counts it a solid win for the otherwise dismal condition of the fourth estate. Most of the smoke locally is the result of fire, of course, discounting the tropospheric smoke and radiation from the world’s most embarrassing presidential election cycle. With... Full story
My 5.11 Tactical Rush72 2.0 pack — a fabulous piece of gear, BTW — proudly bears a morale patch that proclaims “ I Cannot Live Without Books.” Truer words never rode on nylon and velcro. The forthcoming Sisters Festival of Books (see story) got me thinking about my relationship with books. Reading made me who I am. I’m sitting at my desk at The Nugget banging out this string of words on a keyboard because some time around 12 or 13 years old I read things that made me say to... Full story
Not in my backyard To the Editor: I’m not usually a NIMBY-person but in the question of moving the Community Garden to Clemens Park, I definitely am because I live in Tamarack Village Apartments. The four-foot fence along the park edge allows residents of 24 of these apartments about eight feet of grass beyond our patios so we have a view of the open space and easy access. We all use the park, whether kids at the playground; parents teaching their kids to play baseball, football, soccer; throwing a toy for our dogs to fetch;... Full story
For those of you who have struggled to hook and land a really big bull trout (I am one of you), you might want to not read any further. Okay, I warned you. Here's my tale: One of the coolest things about the Metolius River is that huge, predatory fish - bull trout - lurk in many parts of the river. If you see a log or two sticking out of the water, there's a good chance that a bull trout is lurking under the wood and waiting for a smaller trout or whitefish to make a mistake.... Full story
If you want to restore your faith in the country, spend a little time with ag kids in Sisters. I had the pleasure, once again, in visiting with the more than 40-strong members of Cloverdale Livestock Club, the local 4-H chapter in Sisters Country. 4-H has been around for 122 years and for 76 of those, 4-H has thrived in Sisters Country as Cloverdale Livestock Club. 4-H is the nation's largest youth development organization surpassing Scouting. The 4‑H idea is simple: help y... Full story
Today, while I was swimming, a dad and his three-year-old entered the pool. It took lots of concentration for this devoted father to keep his young one safe. Determined to jump in, climb out, jump in, and climb out again, laughing with joy at the fun, kept that dad on his toes. A toss in the air and a dunk underwater brought the desire for more. All of this had me remembering the years when we introduced our four kids to water. It started with our oldest, at 18 months. Living in Montana, a dryland state, where many babies had... Full story
Last time we checked in with our story of 2017, my family was trying to drive through the pass on Highway 126/20 after watching the solar eclipse, and move into the home we'd bought. Best laid plans of mice and men, as the saying goes. Our new neighborhood west of Sisters had been evacuated so we headed to the Valley for a week or so. Coming back to Sisters proved impossible. In addition to the roaring, smoking Milli Fire very close to Sisters itself, we were stopped at the... Full story
I woke up alone; my hubby was already up feeding chickens and one remaining horse. I’m grateful for the simple routines my family shares. As I write this, Alison Krauss sings a soothing ballad from an adjacent room. Her music is part of a collection featuring Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean. He’s the catalyst for other artists that bring me comfort when I’m anxious… especially after what happened. Yesterday was almost my last. That evening the truth of how near I’d come resounded through tears and a pulsing heart. Re... Full story
When Marilyn and I pulled into Sisters in October of 1993, one of the first things I did was stop in at Paulina Springs Books. There, I picked up a book titled “Legends of the Fall” by Jim Harrison. It’s a collection of three novellas: the title story, about three brothers entwined in tragedy in Montana in the years around World War I; “Revenge,” a tale of love and betrayal in Mexico, and “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” the story of a man who upends his life in search of his... Full story
Perspective on Clemens Park To the Editor: Here’s a perspective from a resident who has lived over the fence from Cliff Clemens Park for over 7 years. This park is used extensively. All of it. It has been a constant joy to witness just how delightfully and consistently it is used. I have often wished Mr. Clemens could watch with me to have the glow of knowing just how much his namesake park has meant to this community over the nearly 20 years since its dedication. He expressed a desire that trees would eventually line the b... Full story
What do we say to our kids when the news brings events unconscionable to most of us adults? Of course, I’m referring to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. That’s just one example. Our kids hear and see much. This is what they are growing up with, what seems to be becoming the norm of our society. How do we explain it? How do we counter it in a way they will understand? Probably the easiest thing to keep in mind is to balance whatever you say with your own values, sharing thoughts about things tha... Full story
Last Thursday, I got a message from a man who had submitted a letter to the editor a couple of weeks ago. He was disappointed that we ran a letter in response to his that — in a negatively personal way — dismissed his substantive argument essentially as “drinking the Koolaide,” referring to the 1979 mass suicide of the Jonestown cult in Guyana. That kind of hyperbole has become so common that we get desensitized to it. It’s over the top — and not much of a contribution to an a... Full story
Food sovereignty To the Editor: In response to commentary on the Sisters Community Garden: Last week Bailey Diemer made an excellent point, one that seems to be forgotten in our current worldview: Food Sovereignty. When considering the best use of a space, how can we seriously be comparing growing our own food with cherishing a lawn? I agree with Bailey’s observation that no one uses that exceptionally large lawn. I have two young children, we play at Cliff Clemens playground. Sometimes, people walk across the lawn to get t... Full story
Despite the afternoon heat a few weeks ago, a demure elderly woman (older than I am but not by much) was knocking on doors in my neighborhood. She held a yellow, lined tablet she had repurposed into a petition to garner signatures. Her cause, she explained, was to stop the Sisters Community Garden from laying claim to a goodly portion of Cliff Clemens Park on Larch Street. I declined to sign it at the time because, well, this was the first I heard about it. Today I now agree with that petitioner. The garden needs to find... Full story
