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News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Vol. XLVI No. 44
www.NuggetNews.com
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Library reopens to delighted crowds
Involvement, gratitude counter loneliness By Sue Stafford Correspondent
Todd Dunkelberg, “include a vibrant, all-new children’s discovery space designed to engage young learners and spark the imagination. Two new meeting and study rooms provide a place for the public to meet, something that was repeatedly requested
Two points emerged from an exploration of the loneliness and isolation epidemic now impacting people across the nation, and here in Sisters and elsewhere: The most effective ways to counter these negative feelings are to get engaged in your community, and start your day with gratitude. There seems to be general agreement, both locally and nationally, that loneliness and isolation are on the rise, particularly in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic. The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory warning of the devastating impact of loneliness and isolation. At the biannual community forum presented
See LIBRARY on page 18
See LONELINESS on page 22
On hand to help Zoe Schumacher (center) cut the ribbon were Bunny Thompson, Kathryn Godsiff, Marilyn Stinnett, and MacKenzie Frutos, all long-time devotees of the library. By Bill Bartlett Correspondent The long wait is over. Readers and library users of all ages gathered Saturday in brisk temperatures at the doors of the Sisters Library for its grand reopening celebration. By noon, when the dedication began, more than 100 were on hand. Throughout the
afternoon hundreds more streamed in to see firsthand the significant upgrades to the 8,300-square-foot, 18-year-old structure. The renovated library was six years in planning and nine months under construction. Among the upgrades to the renovated facility according to Deschutes County Library Director
Homeschooling in Sisters hard to quantify By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Homeschooling is on the rise nationally and in Oregon, and thus one might assume that to be true for Sisters Country children. In fact, the numbers of homeschooled kids within the Sisters School District has been nearly impossible to determine, according to those with a vested interest in knowing the number. Curt Scholl, Sisters schools superintendent, is frustrated, as his team is currently trying to count the number. Homeschooling in Sisters is regulated by High Desert Education Service District (HDESD) in Redmond, headed by Paul Andrews, superintendent. The HDESD is a regional support system that links
Inside...
school districts in Central Oregon to state and national education resources. Their programs help districts minimize duplication of services, preserve their local budgets, and receive special programs that might otherwise be unavailable to them. One of 19 ESDs in the state, HDESD is tasked by the State to track homeschooling in Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties. The Nugget spoke with Andrews and Scholl. Despite being the place homeschooling parents must go to register their children, HDESD has no official census of how many kids are homeschooled. Andrews says that in general terms the number in Sisters could be around 100 with the highest See STUDENTS on page 16
PHOTO BY BILL BARTLETT
Sisters Fire honors longtime volunteers
PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT
Fire Chief Roger Johnson and Fire District Board Secretary/Treasurer Jack McGowan unveiled a new installation honoring long-serving volunteers. By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District was built by volunteers — people who stepped up to fill needs from fighting fires to building fire stations. The Fire District is honoring those
who helped make the Fire District what it is today with a permanent plaque honoring long-time volunteer service. The plaque, mounted at the entrance to the Fire Hall at 302 S. Elm St., was See VOLUNTEERS on page 21
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Announcements...............10 Stars over Sisters ............ 11 Obituaries .................. 14-15 Crossword ...................... 25 Meetings .......................... 3 Entertainment .................12 In the Pines......................13 Fun & Games ................... 24 Classifieds................. 26-27