Wednesday, February 17, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Learning history in real time
By Charlie Kanzig
Correspondent
PHOTO BY NORM EDER
Beth Wood will introduce her new book of poetry in a virtual event
on Friday.
Local poet
celebrates book
A six-week class dur-
ing the presidential elec-
tion, and the tumult and
upheaval that followed, gave
Sisters High School teacher
Gail Greaney9s Advanced
Placement Government
Politics and Policy students
a chance to study history in
the making.
A January 21 article pub-
lished by the state9s largest
paper, The Oregonian, fea-
tured her class and focused
on the challenge and strate-
gies of teaching a course of
this nature during an eventful
political period.
The Nugget followed up
with Greaney and two of her
students to uncover more of
what she and her classroom
experienced during and after
the presidential election.
Greaney was approached
by a reporter from The
Oregonian due to her
involvement in the
Classroom Law Project
(CLP) which promotes the
teaching of Constitutional
law through programs such
as We the People and Mock
Trial. According to the
group9s website, CLP9s mis-
sion is <working to equip
students with the knowledge,
essential skills, and motiva-
tion to participate in our
democracy.=
Greaney, a long-time par-
ticipant of CLP, takes that
mission quite seriously and
found it hard to stay abreast
as an educator with the fast-
evolving events surrounding
the elections and leading up
to the January 6 uprising at
the nation9s Capitol.
<I would literally check
my phone when I got up in
the morning to catch the
news and think about it on
my way to work, then look
again at 9 a.m. and change
what I was going to talk
about,= she told The Nugget.
<Kids would arrive at 9:35
for class and ask a ques-
tion about something that
had happened between 9
and 9:30. There were days I
could not keep up.=
Often, a history or gov-
ernment class focuses on
happenings of the past, but
Greaney9s group had a front-
row seat as election results
were challenged, a riot took
place inside the nation9s
Capitol building, and calls
for presidential impeachment
began to rumble.
Policies, laws and the
Constitution became part
of every news cycle, in a
See HISTORY on page 20
with virtual event
Sisters poet and singer-
songwriter Beth Wood will
celebrate the release of her
latest poetry book, <Believe
The Bird,= with a virtual
reading hosted by Paulina
Springs Books on Friday,
February 19.
Wood will be joined by
Kim Stafford, Oregon9s
poet laureate from 2018 to
2020, and author of a dozen
books of poetry and prose.
Wood and Stafford will
share poems, conversation,
and even a song or two. The
event is free and open to all.
Wood follows up her
award-winning poetry
book, <Ladder To The
Light= (2019 Oregon Book
Awards Readers9 Choice
Award and 2019 finalist for
the Stafford/Hall prize for
poetry), with a collection
of forthright, shimmering
poems that examine the sto-
ries we tell ourselves. Some
stories are true, some may
no longer be true. Some are
based on history, cultural
messages, direct experience.
Wood asks, <What if
we examine the stories we
tell ourselves to see if they
resonate with who we are
now? What if we allow our
inherent wisdom to override
See WOOD on page 21
Retirement… Central Oregon style
By Katy Yoder
Correspondent
Oscar and Gabrielle Pena
decided to begin retirement
in Sisters in 2017. But slow-
ing down hasn9t been on
their agenda. Their love of
the outdoors, sports, and pre-
paring great food has kept
them busy and moving fast.
Choosing Sisters as their for-
ever home is a true testament
to Central Oregon9s allure.
They had the whole world
to choose from and settled in
Sisters Country.
The Penas have lived
around the world, start-
ing with their homeland of
Mexico. Oscar9s work as an
electrical engineer with sev-
eral technology firms, like
Hewlett Packard, took their
family of four to a variety of
places, including Brazil and
Miami. After a successful
career, he was ready to retire
and travel. In 2016, the cou-
ple took eight months and
traveled to 15 countries.
<By traveling around,
we looked for the best place
to start our new life,= said
Oscar.
The couple included a
few rests at home before
starting out again.
<With COVID, I9m
so glad we did it,= said
Gabrielle.
After completing their
global travels, and while
Oscar was still working,
they intensified their search
to find the best place to live.
The couple was invited
to a wedding in Montana.
See PENA on page 23
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to affect gatherings, please contact individual organizations for current meeting status
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR
Council on Aging of Central Oregon
Senior Lunch Tuesdays, noon, Sisters
Al-Anon Mon., noon, by Zoom. / Thurs., Community Church. 541-480-1843.
10 a.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th
Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’
Church. 541-610-7383.
Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061.
Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs. &
Friends of the Sisters Library Board
Sun., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the
of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 11 a.m.,
Transfi guration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal Sisters Library.www.sistersfol.com.
Church of the Transfi guration / Mon.,
Go Fish Fishing Group 3rd Monday,
5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
7 p.m. Sisters Community Church. All
Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon,
ages welcome. 541-771-2211.
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church /
Heartwarmers (fl eece blanketmakers)
Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m.,
2nd & 4th Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Sisters City
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church / Hall. Materials provided. 541-408-8505.
Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs.,
Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to
noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
4 p.m. 541-549-1028 or 541-719-1230.
Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri.,
Citizens4Community, Let’s Talk
noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
3rd Monday, 5:30 to 8 p.m. RSVP at
Church. 541-548-0440.
citizens4community.com
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Caregiver
Military Parents of Sisters Meetings
Support Group 1st Tuesday, noon,
are held quarterly; please call for details.
SPRD bldg. 800-272-3900.
541-388-9013.
Black Butte Ranch Bridge Club
Oregon Band of Brothers – Sisters
Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m., BBR community Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.,
room. Partner required. 541-595-6236. Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-549-6469.
SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings
Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild
& Enrichment) Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.
For Saturday meeting dates and
to 4 p.m. at Sisters Park & Recreation
location, email: steelefl y@msn.com.
District. 541-549-2091.
BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS
Central OR Spinners and Weavers
Guild One Saturday per month, Jan.
thru Oct. For schedule: 541-639-3217.
Sisters Aglow Lighthouse
4th Saturday, 10 a.m., meeting by
Zoom. 503-930-6158.
Sisters Area Photography Club
2nd Wednesday, 4 p.m., meeting by
Zoom. 541-549-6157.
Sisters Speak Life Cancer Support
Group 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 1 p.m.
Suttle Tea. 503-819-1723.
Sisters Area Woodworkers
1st Tuesday, 7 to 9 p.m. 541-639-6216.
Sisters Trails Alliance Board 1st
Monday, 5 p.m. Sisters Library.
Public welcome. 808-281-2681.
Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd
Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846.
Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon,
Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123.
Sisters Bridge Club In-person
gathering suspended until further notice. Three Sisters Irrigation District
For free online bridge info,
Board of Directors 1st Tuesday,
call Barbara 541-914-6322.
4 p.m., TSID Offi ce. 541-549-8815.
Sisters Caregiver Support Group
3rd Tues., 10:30 a.m., The Lodge in
Sisters. 541-771-3258.
Three Sisters Lions Club 2nd
Tuesday, noon, Ray’s Food Place
community room. 541-419-1279.
Sisters Cribbage Club Please call for
details. 541-923-1632.
VFW Post 8138 and American Legion
Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.,
Sisters City Hall. 541-903-1123.
Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board
of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Location information: 541-549-1193.
Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to
8:30 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at
Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870.
Weight Watchers
Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. weigh-in, Sisters
Community Church. 541-602-2654.
SCHOOLS
Sisters Parent Teacher Community
2nd Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. at Sisters
Saloon. 541-480-5994.
Black Butte School Board of
Directors 2nd Tuesday, 3:45 p.m.,
Black Butte School. 541-595-6203.
Sisters Parkinson’s Support Group
Meeting by Zoom.
541-668-6599.
Sisters School District Board of
Directors One Wed. monthly, SSD
Admin Bldg. See schedule online at
www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.
Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday.
Location information: 541-279-1977.
Sisters Rotary 1st and 3rd Thursdays,
Noon, Aspen Lakes. 541-760-5645.
Sisters Middle School Parent
Collaboration Team 1st Tuesday,
2 p.m., SMS. 541-610-9513.
CITY & PARKS
Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th
Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall.
541-549-6022.
Sisters Park & Recreation District
Board of Directors 2nd & 4th Tuesdays,
4:30 p.m., SPRD bldg. 541-549-2091.
Sisters Planning Commission
3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters
City Hall. 541-549-6022.
FIRE & POLICE
Black Butte Ranch Police Dept.
Board of Directors Meets monthly.
541-595-2191 for time & date.
Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of
Directors 4th Thursday, 9 a.m., Black
Butte Ranch Fire Station. 541-595-2288.
Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors
3rd Wed., 7 p.m., 67433 Cloverdale Rd.
541-548-4815. cloverdalefi re.com.
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD
Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday,
5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771.
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills
Tuesdays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall,
301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771.
This listing is for regular
Sisters Country meetings;
email information to
lisa@nuggetnews.com