The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

• Sisters High School Volleyball Coach Chris Crosby thanked the community for a successful tournament: "Sisters High School Volleyball and the Sisters community hosted a great sporting event this weekend."

The volleyball program held its annual invitational tournament that brought 24 teams from across the state to our great town. The tournament has grown from eight to 16 to 25 teams in the last three years.

"We estimate that we had 500 to 600 players and parents in town on Saturday, many of which stayed over the night before the tournament.

"To host a 25-team event and use the high school and middle school gyms all day on Saturday is no small feat. Numerous parents and local businesses chipped in time and resources to make sure that this tournament was a great experience for all of the players, referees, coaches and parents that participated.

"We especially want to thank a couple families that went the extra mile preparing and running the tournament concessions, hospitality and admissions: The Pledgers, Tennesons, Brittinghams, Crowders, Thompsons, Schaabs, Milroys, Douglass, Webers, Stonebacks and all of the players that stayed all day to help out.

"Special thanks also goes to local businesses: Lutton's Hardware, Outlaw Coffee, Figaro's Pizza, Ray's Food Place and Sisters Harvest Basket.

"We also want to thank our Athletic Director, Mary Flande, for putting in a full day of fighting fires and solving problems to make sure things ran smoothly. Plus, volleyball coaches Diane Bremer and Don Minson who spent a full day administrating and coaching and serving as a 'catch all' during the day.

"We were lucky to have two ladies serve as site coordinators during the tournament who did all of our tournament scoring and posting of pool play results and bracket play results. Just so others understand, we are taking about 124 individual games played in a 13-hour period on six courts in three different gyms. It is a lot to stay on top of! Penny Snow was our coordinator at Sisters Middle School, and she did a great job taking the ball and running with it. Special thanks to her and her family for the countless hours spent on the event and planning for it.

"We also want to thank Heather Crosby, who served in her sixth year as the official tournament scorer and high school site coordinator. Heather does a great job keeping all of the information organized and presented in a professional way.

"An attempt to thank everyone might be a tall order, but so was dreaming up this huge event in the first place. Our apologies to anyone that we neglected to thank by name. It is not intentional. Many thanks to all that helped make this a great tournament."

• Fran Greer, a redheaded Southern woman who flew from New Orleans to cook shrimp creole for SOAR to serve at the Sisters Jazz Festival. Her friend, Kim Leese, the chair of the SOAR Foundation, was supported by all the volunteers in her praise of Fran's Southern cookin', humor and enthusiasm.

• Mike Kumvieda saluted the Taylor family, saying "they deserve so much credit for the fantastic customer appreciation day they hosted (on Friday, September 22).

"I am pushing 80 years old and have seen many, many get-togethers, but I can't remember when I've (seen) more friendliness and good times for everyone as this was.

"The excellent food, drinks and service by Bronco Billy's; the music and the great welcoming committee by the Les Schwab crew was great.

"Thanks to Jerry and Jeff; you have certainly proved a point: that this area needed a service that you have provided."