News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 41 of 41
Erik Himbert could have given up when a snowboarding accident in 2009 left both of his legs paralyzed. It happened when he hit an ice block at high speed, shot into the air, and shattered a vertebra on the crash-landing. Himbert spent more than two months in a hospital. "It was bad," he recalled last week. "It was like falling from a two-story building." Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he began working on ways to regain as much movement as possible. That led him to... Full story
A Sisters Country woman will help guide the economic fortunes for the City of Redmond after being named the town's community development department director. Kate Porsche was chosen over more than 30 other applicants from nearly a half-dozen states, said Redmond City Manager Keith Witcosky. "We were all drawn to her energy, her optimistic outlook, and intellectual curiosity," said Witcosky, who offered the job that Porsche began on October 6. Redmond's newest administrator... Full story
The man who is overseeing Sisters School District's bond measure projects has deep roots in Sisters and Central Oregon. Project Manager Brett Hudson and his wife, Cara, moved to Sisters in 1997, and their two children went from kindergarten through graduation in the District. The couple still lives in Sisters and remains active in school activities, including helping operate concession stands at Outlaws athletic contests. They also were founding members of the Outlaw Booster... Full story
Six local residents have been named to Sisters School District's Bond Facilities Oversight Committee. They were announced during the Wednesday, September 5, school board meeting. Members of the panel are Mike Bush, Bill Duerden, Dave Moyer, Regan Roberts, Angela Sitz and Jay Wilkins. "They will help improve the quality of decisions we make to make sure we spend this money wisely, and ensure good two-way communication," said school board chairman Jeff Smith. Originally, the district planned to choose five citizens for the... Full story
Sisters School District is receiving a $250,000 grant from The Roundhouse Foundation to bolster its career technical education programs. The grant was announced during the school board meeting on Wednesday, October 5. It will provide $50,000 annually for five years. "This is a conversation that's been ongoing," said school board chairman Jeff Smith. "It looks to me like a great opportunity for our kids." He added it's good to increase options for students who aren't interested in college, but want post-secondary training.... Full story
Last week's sunny, warm weather gave workers the opportunity to wrap up renovation of the Sisters High School track and tennis courts. "We just finished painting the track today," Brett Hudson, project engineer, said on Thursday, September 29. "The tennis courts were finished yesterday." The two projects are the first to be funded with money from the $10.7 million bond measure voters approved in May. Hudson will oversee all aspects of bond construction, with his salary paid... Full story
Sisters High School senior Sam Lewis knows he wants to go to college and study engineering. The question is, where? Lewis is getting help with that decision from a local resident who has lots of engineering knowledge. Julie Benson, owner of Energyneering Solutions, Inc. at Sisters Eagle Airport, is an ASPIRE volunteer working with Lewis to help him make the best choice. Thirty-five volunteer ASPIRE mentors meet regularly with juniors and seniors to discuss career plans, help... Full story
Enrollment in Sisters School District is falling short of the projected number of students this fall, a decline that would reduce the amount of funding from the state. Superintendent Curt Scholl said during the September 7 school board meeting that projections called for about 1,109 students districtwide. He emphasized that was a preliminary look because records requests had not been received from students who might be attending a different district this fall. However, the picture became more clear in an interview on Wednesda... Full story
The sky is the limit for students in Sheryl Yeager's classes at Sisters High School (SHS). That's because she teaches two sections of Flight Science, and the 50 students who are enrolled could be well on their way to having a pilot's license by next spring. "It's not very common," Yeager said. "I didn't even know anything like this existed." She worked as a substitute teacher at SHS and other Central Oregon schools last year. When Sisters School District advertised for a... Full story
Rob Corrigan pulled off a remarkable feat last week at Sisters High School (SHS). He held 30 students' interest for more than an hour while teaching a physics class that began just minutes after 8 a.m., a time when most teens aren't primed for anything involving math. Engaging his students is an enjoyable test for Corrigan, who said he "loved" math in high school. "Physics, calculus and sailing were resonating with each other," he said with a grin. Now he wants to impart his... Full story
The Sisters School Board has voted unanimously to approve a new two-year contract for the district's teachers. The pact OK'd on Wednesday, September 7, includes a 1.5 percent cost-of-living salary increase this year and another 1.5 percent boost in 2017. The contract becomes effective this month. "It's a fair deal, given the (financial) circumstances," said Shawn Swisher, attorney for the High Desert Education Service District, who helped in negotiations. "Hopefully this will see us through until the economic climate... Full story
The community honored Sisters High School's athletic heritage last week by inducting nine individuals and a team into the Outlaw Hall of Fame. About 125 people attended the banquet Saturday, September 3, at the high school. It was partly a fundraiser for Sisters schools co-curricular activities, but mostly a salute to those who have shaped Outlaw athletic programs. "Tonight is a chance to bring our school system and the public together," said Don Pollard, who joined Kris... Full story
Isabelle Norman broke out in a big grin as she walked into her classroom at Sisters Elementary School last week. "I missed you," she exclaimed upon seeing teacher Gretchen Lane, who taught the 7-year-old girl last year. "I missed you, too," Lane replied, noting Isabelle will be her student again this year as a second-grader. Children reconnected with friends, parents chatted with teachers, and Principal Becky Stoughton roamed the building greeting new children and familiar... Full story
Sisters School District and others across Oregon are bracing for another increase in Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) costs during the 2017-18 biennium. Sisters Superintendent Curt Scholl acknowledged that public employers' contributions to PERS will increase during the next budget cycle. The only question is by how much. Most estimates indicate Oregon's public employers will have to pay an extra $800 million during the next biennium starting July 2017. "It's going to impact us, but we're still not sure how much," Sch... Full story
Sisters High School students will have more freedom to tackle elective courses, spend time on internships or pursue other options under the semester schedule beginning this fall. Those are the benefits of moving to semesters from the previous trimester setup, said school district Superintendent Curt Scholl. For example, he said students will be able to take a year-long series of science or art courses without missing sections, as happened under the trimester plan. "There is no perfect schedule," Scholl said, "but there is... Full story
Sisters High School track and tennis athletes won't be suiting up until next spring, but their sports are already getting a big boost this summer. A new running surface for the track and new tennis courts are under construction. They're the first projects to begin using funding from the $10.7 million bond measure voters approved in May. Superintendent Curt Scholl said trees have been cleared from a site for the tennis courts. Final surfacing is scheduled to be done in the... Full story
