News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
At the touch of a flare, the flames whooshed into the air -- six feet high and roaring. The air marbled with heat mirage as the ranks of firefighters lined up shoulder to shoulder and flipped the levers on the nozzles of their hoses. Behind a wide, misty fan of water, the firefighters marched forward slowly, pushing back the flames. Steadily, keeping behind their watery shield, they approached the rust-red pipe apparatus. Flames were sucked into the vortex of the hose... Full story
As the nation watches vast sections of Western forests engulfed in firestorms, fire professionals are urging caution in the use of legal fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday. Fireworks are banned in National Forests and in most rural subdivisions around Sisters. Residents and visitors should check with their homeowners' associations before using any fireworks. Fireworks are still legal in the City of Sisters, but Sisters Fire Chief Don Rowe warns users to be extremely... Full story
The Sisters City Council has weighed in against a proposed exchange of Squaw Creek lands for property in the Steens Mountain Wilderness. Landowner George Stroemple pulled the controversial exchange proposal off the table the day before the council meeting on Thursday, June 27. However, the council decided to take an official stand responding to strong public sentiment against the exchange expressed at a public hearing on June 18 (see "Residents speak out against land swap... Full story
Phyllis and Frank Dickenson display Phyllis' spectacular "Smokechaser" quilt. Phyllis Dickenson's most recent quilt is a good example of why she was chosen to be the featured quilter at this year's Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. "Smokechaser" is a stunning piece of work -- vivid in color and intricate in design, using embroidery and transferred photographs to great effect. And the quilt tells a story, honoring the youthful experiences of her husband Frank, who served as a... Full story
Congressman Greg Walden wants to see more timber harvested off of public lands -- to preserve timber jobs and to avert catastrophic wildfires such as those in Arizona and Colorado. Forest management was one of several topics the congressman addressed at a forum sponsored by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce on Monday, July 1. Walden said he hopes the devastating wildfires in Arizona and Colorado can be used as "a lever" to convince Congress that thinning must be done in... Full story
Marked for the ax. A student survey of trees in Sisters' parks has sparked a thinning project by the City of Sisters. The city council agreed Thursday, June 27, to spend $1,600 to remove a dozen diseased trees from the Sisters Village Green. The trees were identified by a team of Sisters High School students conducting an urban forestry project (see "Students inventory park trees," The Nugget, June 19, page 1). "We confirmed that they were accurate in their assessment," noted... Full story
The Sisters School Board will seek a price to purchase some 36 acres of water rights for irrigation of fields at the new high school and at the current school. While the district has budgeted $125,000 for a well and a pump, no money was budgeted for water rights. At current rates, those rights could cost the district as much as $175,000. The district has made numerous cuts to the new high school project to stay under budget and there is no indication of where the $175,000 for... Full story
Some 195 golfers turned out on Saturday, June 22, at Aspen Lakes Golf Course, to raise $20,000 for Doernbecher Children's Hospital, SOAR and other programs benefiting children. Weather started out picture-perfect before turning blustery and rainy for the Ray's Food Place/ Sisters Kiwanis Commmity Services Foundation's seventh annual golf tournament. In the past seven years this major fund-raiser has contributed a total of $108,000 to programs benefiting children. This year players came from as far away as the Oregon coast,... Full story
Corey Lounsbury has earned an appointment to the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He left for the Naval Academy on Thursday, June 27. His appointment came from Congressman Greg Walden. Lynn, Corey's father, said, "I always thought you had to be politically connected to get a nomination and that was not the case at all." Corey's parents, Lynn and Trudy, are very proud of their son's accomplishment. "Corey's always worked hard and set high standards for himself, including being a good student with very high... Full story
The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will visit Sisters on Thursday, July 18, as part of the organization's continuing campaign to maintain regional blood supplies. The bloodmobile will be stationed at Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Donors may also schedule a Red Cross appointment to give blood. For more information call 382-4630.... Full story
Visitors to Camp Sunrise light candles in honor of those they have lost. Last weekend 35 campers ages 7-14 attended Camp Sunrise, a camp for bereaved youth created by Hospice of Redmond & Sisters and conducted at the United Methodist Church Camp on Suttle Lake. Campers from Redmond, Prineville, Bend, Madras, and John Day were immersed in structured games, music, art, stories, and other therapies that teach about grief and loss and how to understand their feelings. Music before, during, and after most activities was provided... Full story
Cyclists took a well-earned break in Sisters. Picture-perfect weather greeted 67 California bicyclists as they rolled into Sisters to camp on the night of Tuesday, June 25. The Sacramento Wheelmen of Sacramento, California, had just completed the toughest leg of a five-day Oregon tour, climbing over the McKenzie Summit from Blue River. The riders gained about 5,000 feet of elevation in the climb, before indulging in the nice, long downhill run to the welcoming grass lawn at... Full story
Only the shaded areas are closed. Everything else is open range. A couple of cattle were wandering along Camp Polk road again on Sunday, and after a few calls, 911 again alerted Deschutes County Sheriff's office. This time, though, something different happened. Nothing. The area is part of the open range, and the owner of the cattle reportedly gets upset if deputies put the cattle back inside the fenced area. A map of the open range shows the boundary going right to the Sisters Urban Area boundary. It extends north and takes... Full story
Mario Hanel, Saddlemaker. The great American tradition of working art is alive and well in the hands of Sisters craftsman Mario Hanel. In his shop east of town, Hanel builds top-quality custom stock saddles -- the kind that any Western horseman longs for all his life. Hanel's saddles are built over rawhide-covered wood trees hand-built to order from Canada. He builds saddles in a way that would be immediately recognized and appreciated by the old-time buckaroos of the... Full story
Sisters artist Richard Esterman wants to stage a Sisters Arts & Crafts Show on a closed-off Oak Street during Rodeo Weekend and the Quilt Show next year (2003). Esterman believes the show would benefit surrounding business and clean up a problem the city has with vendors -- legal and illegal -- scattered around Sisters by giving them a specified location. The council expressed some concerns about the proposal at a workshop on Thursday, June 27. "I don't think we need to close... Full story
The fire district has purchased the site of the city shops. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District now owns the entire city block where the fire hall now sits. The district purchased the area where the city maintenance shops now sit for $200,000. The city has three years to vacate the site, though it is expected that the city will move out as soon as shops near the sewer plant are built. The fire district won't be ready to do much on the property for a couple... Full story
Sisters Ranger District Ecologist Hikers studied Metolius area wildflowers. Wildflowers, fire and forest management were the topic of a Forest Service field tour in Allingham Meadow along the Metolius River on Saturday, June 29. A group of flower enthusiasts took to the trail to identify plants in the meadow and view two rare wildflowers of the Sisters area in bloom -- Peck's penstemon and the tall agoseris. Displays of blue flax, cinquefoil, broad-leaved lupine, and scarlet gila tinted the meadow and participants enjoyed... Full story
Hank Fegette is hanging up his spurs. Chief Hank Fegette of the Black Butte Police Department retired last Friday, June 28. His 23 years of service to the Sisters Community were honored Friday evening at a ceremony at the BBR lodge. The position will be filled by Chief Gil Zaccaro, who served for 14 years in North Bend before coming to Sisters. "This is a great job and Hank's made it that way," said Zaccaro, who added that he's known of Fegette's reputation longer than he's known the man. "He's very well regarded throughout... Full story
Dr. Carl Berg is the new veterinarian/owner of the Sisters Veterinary Clinic. A native of small-town Kansas, he graduated from the Kansas State University vet school in 1998. His first job was at a mixed practice clinic in Arizona, where a co-worker extolled the virtues of Central Oregon. Berg moved in 1999, and soon he had a dream to own his own clinic. Passing through Sisters, Berg and his wife, Steph, would drive by the Sisters Veterinary Clinic, wondering if it would ever come up for sale. One day he took a chance and... Full story
Ted Napier poured setting sand while Gerry Tewalt, Fred Pelkey and Daryl Tewalt straightened Sisters' new flag pole. Just in time for Independence Day, Old Glory is flapping proudly from a community flag pole at the east end of town. Volunteers set the flag pole last week. Gerry Tewalt and his son Daryl led the effort, with engineering help from Ted Napier, landscaping expertise from Fred Pelkey and equipment from Joel Aylor's Sisters Tree. "It's a Cadillac flag pole," Tewalt observed.... Full story
The Central Oregon Track Club is inviting track athletes of all ages from the region to a series of track meets during the month of July. The meets, which began Tuesday, July 2 and run each Tuesday for four weeks, are open to participants four years old and older. Each meet will include a "Feature Race" designed to showcase a particular event and will attract some of the best high school athletes from Central Oregon as well as master athletes (30 and older) from the area and from around the state. Meets will begin at 5:30... Full story
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday. To the Editor: Residents of... Full story
- A low-flying helicopter circling local neighborhoods created some concern among Sisters area residents. A deputy investigated and found that the pilot is taking aerial photos for sale to homeowners. The deputy said he would contact the pilot and remind him of airspace restrictions and pass along the concerns of citizens. - A dog owner was cited after his pooch killed a neighbor's chicken. Bad dog. - A dog owner was not cited after her German shepherd bit a transient who was trespassing on her property. Good dog. - A... Full story
Oh, for God's sake! There's a small pile of confetti on my desk. I took an x-acto knife to all the money in my wallet to get rid of the offensive "In God We Trust." I don't know who we are supposed to trust -- certainly not Martha Stewart, Arthur Andersen, Merrill Lynch or WorldCom -- but I don't want to offend anyone when I fork over my cash. I bought a bottle of white-out so I can get rid of that embarrassing "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights" bit in the Declaration of Independence. Okay, I... Full story
