Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 9, 2016)
Wednesday, November 9, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Sisters Acupuncture marks 20 years in Sisters By Jim Cornelius News Editor “I give you three months,” Jack the barber told Greg Wieland. “You’ll be broke and you’ll be out of here. This conservative community will never support what you do.” Wieland was just establishing his Sisters Acupuncture practice in his new hometown. “Boy, I did not need to hear that then,” he recalled. Twenty years have rolled down the line, and Jack has long since left town. Sisters Acupuncture is still here — and thriving as it serves a community that has come to embrace healing alternatives. Despite naysayers, Wieland always had a cer- tain faith that Sisters would welcome his work in Chinese medicine and alternative methods of supporting health and well-being. “I just felt that people were going to understand what we had to offer,” he told The Nugget last week. That’s not to say it was easy — nor is it for just about anybody trying to establish themselves in Sisters. “I will say, the first few years were scary,” he said. “We counted every penny.” Drawn to Sisters for its natural beauty and small- town ambience, and the opportunity to raise a family in that environment, Wieland gradually built a thriving practice. In a way, his tim- ing couldn’t have been bet- ter. Sisters was growing and changing, and many people moving into the area already had an open attitude toward alternative health practices. And the entire national cul- ture was shifting to embrace the kind of work Wieland was engaged in. The medical profession itself has become more open to alternative care. “Over time, enough people have benefitted that there’s not as much resistance from the medical commu- nity, either,” Wieland noted. “Enough patients went back to their doctor and said, ‘it helped.’” Sisters attracts many people who are devoted to a healthy lifestyle, and who do not want to use a variety of medicines or drugs that carry significant side-effects to manage health conditions if they can find an effective alternative. Wieland also cited the opening of Sisters Athletic Club as a significant mile- stone in shifting people’s outlook. “They’re a piece of this town being more conscious of (people) taking better care of themselves,” he said. In 2016, Sisters has a thriving community of prac- titioners in a range of healing arts. It’s not just patients’ atti- tudes that have shifted over the past two decades. While Wieland still offers a combi- nation of acupuncture, mas- sage and cupping, he has evolved his own approach to accommodate a significant focus on gut health — “and in particular yeast overgrowth.” In recent years, more and more has come to light about the critical nature of gut health in overall well-being. Studies and experience indicate that problems from depression to auto-immune disorders can be traceable to diet and gut health. Adjustments to diet, aggressive efforts to restore healthy flora and shifts in lifestyle can have a signifi- cant positive effect. He notes that he has healed himself through walk- ing his talk, and notes that at 58, he can still hit a basket- ball court with people a frac- tion of his age — and hold his own pretty well. Healing oneself — and making positive changes to stay healthy — is what it’s all about. In a way, Sisters Acupuncture’s business model could be described as a counter-intuitive effort to get rid of customers. “My goal is to make it so you don’t need me, if pos- sible,” Wieland told The Nugget. Wieland sees his practice moving more and more in the direction of tackling issues of gut health. “It’s likely to evolve toward those metabolic issues,” he said. So, far from being run out of town by an indifferent pop- ulation, Sisters Acupuncture has been embraced. For that, 11 Missing mushroom picker found alive in Linn County PHOTO BY JIM CORNELIUS Greg Wieland is grateful for the support of the Sisters community. Wieland is very grateful, and he extended his thanks to the supportive community of Sisters for two decades of health and healing. Sisters Acupuncture is located at 352 E. Hood Ave., Suite E. For more informa- tion call 541-549-1523. ALBANY (AP) — A mushroom picker who went missing near Sweet Home has been found alive and unhurt. Linn County Sheriff Bruce Riley says 58-year-old Oliver Mercer of Lebanon flagged down a fishing boat Thursday morning and got a ride to a dock where he was reunited with friends. Mercer told searchers he walked for miles after getting turned around Monday while picking mushrooms. Mercer said he couldn’t start any fires, but the nights never got too cold. NuggetNews.com is your online source for BREAKING NEWS Brace Yourself for Fall $300 Discount For the month of November when you start a full comprehensive treatment program! New patients only. Not valid with any other offer. & Eva lace! y b P e ile Sm e Brac Th 541-382-0410 410 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters CentralOregonBracePlace.com CentralO