News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
The Sisters School District and the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office are acting to enhance security at the three local public schools. Some of the funding from a bond that failed to pass in November was designated to improve entrance security in the schools, which have poor sight-lines and were not designed with security considerations at the forefront. While the current actions do not directly tackle those issues through remodeling, they would mitigate them. Schools superintendent Jim Golden told The Nugget that the distric... Full story
Mark and Sheila Reifschneider of Sisters are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Chelsea Reifschneider, to Bryce Petersen. The couple met at Corban University and plan to be married in Sisters on July 25, 2015.... Full story
A group of local citizens wants to overturn a staff decision allowing food carts at a downtown Sisters business owned by former mayor Brad Boyd. Critics say that the approval was flawed because former senior planner Eric Porter approved Boyd's application with no notification to the Sisters Planning Commission, which would have allowed them to call it up for review if they thought it necessary. It was supposed to be a standard practice to inform the planning commission of a... Full story
Lynn Baker, representing the residents of the Buck Run and Coyote Springs neighborhoods, closed his testimony at the February 12 joint workshop of the Parks Advisory Board (PAB) and the Sisters City Council with a reminder: "The character of a city is reflected by the ways in which the city protects the quality of life of its residents," he concluded. The neighborhoods, adjacent to the Creekside Campground, have been actively involved in organizing, testifying, and petitioning... Full story
Erin Borla is taking a chair on the Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) Board of Directors. The SPRD board appointed her to fill an interim position on an open seat until June 30. Election for the seat will take place in May, and Borla said she plans to run. The lifelong Sisters resident served as executive director of the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce 2009-2014. She has three children, ages 15, 5, and 3, and that led her to SPRD for the next phase of her community... Full story
To the Editor: There are some basic reasons why I am engaged with this paved trail discussion. I see alignment here with all levels of government. Senator Wyden has called out his interest to invest in recreational assets on public lands. He has convened a recreational assets committee in the past and out of it are some new biking connections between communities. Building on Senator Wyden's vision, the Forest Service is exploring how to improve non-motorized access to the Deschutes National Forest, and this trail from... Full story
Tracy Alexander and Karen Koppel have joined the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) to help professionally manage the world's largest outdoor quilt show - now in its 40th year. Tracy Alexander joins SOQS as the administrative manager, a part-time position. Alexander, who was born in Hawaii, worked on the Hawaiian Quilt Research Project and exhibition from 1994-96. She moved to Central Oregon more than a decade ago. From 1996-2005, Alexander served as Education and Family Progra... Full story
The offices and visitors center of the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce are considerably brighter, airier and more welcoming in the wake of a remodel by the Chamber's landlord - the City of Sisters. A public works crew ripped out carpet that had been in the building for at least 20 years, since the building housed the Sisters Library. "We tore out all the existing carpet and there was a ton of floor plugs for the library. Gutted all those," said public works director Paul... Full story
This Saturday, Sisters High School will turn into a giant science lab as the fourth annual Sisters Science Fair gets underway. The free, entertaining interactive family event runs from noon to 4 p.m. on February 21, at Sisters High School. The science fair features student projects from all three local schools as well as community exhibitors, medical science, and environmental and ecology experiments and displays. The Design, Construct, Compete (DCC) contest challenges contestants to build and run a Mouse Trap Car and it... Full story
The Outlaws topped the Huskies 45-32 in a road game on Tuesday, February 10, and three days later fell 51-34 to the Tigers at Junction City. Tuesday's match-up against the Huskies was a very good game. Both teams battled hard early and at the close of the first quarter the score was even at 8-8. Coach Rand Runco told The Nugget that the defensive match-up was tough, and neither team shot the ball well. Sisters' defense held and the Outlaws took the lead in the second quarter.... Full story
The Outlaws took 15 wrestlers to the 4A Regional Wrestling Tournament on Friday and Saturday, February 13-14, at Cascade High School. Twelve teams were represented, and after the two-day battle Sweet Home earned the top spot with 359 points. Cascade finished second at 311, and North Marion was third at 217. Sisters finished 10th. The top four placers in each weight class qualified to compete in the Oregon Wrestling State Championships on February 27 and 28. Mitch Gibney (195... Full story
Sisters swimmers recorded numerous personal bests at the Special 4A Districts, which were held in Albany on Friday and Saturday, February 13-14. At the end of the two-day event, Sweet Home was crowned district champs and Sisters finished fourth. Swimmers who place first in their event get an automatic berth to state. The only Outlaw swimmer to do this was Mary Stewart, who won both the 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle. Mary took first place in the 50 freestyle for... Full story
Sisters athletes have an opportunity to get a whole lot stronger - and to make themselves more injury-resistant - with help from an elite coach. Ryan Hudson is a record-breaking weightlifter and the trainer and operator of Level 5 Fitness in Sisters. Starting in March, he will be the strength coach for the Sisters Outlaws. And his coaching is available for all Outlaws, not just members of sports teams. "Ryan will conduct five to six workouts a week at Sisters High School,"... Full story
The caller is convincing - and cunning. He'll convince you that he's a relative in trouble with the law perhaps in another state or even a foreign country, skillfully drawing information out of you and feeding it back, luring you into sending money to "save" your imperiled loved one. It's a fraud, usually referred to as the "grandparent scam," and it was tried on a Sisters man recently. A caller claimed to be the man's grandson, who had been caught up in a drug bust and was... Full story
Mustang horses Duncan and Otter helped clean up the highways and byways between Sisters and Redmond. A volunteer crew from Mustangs to the Rescue (MTTR) filled yellow trash-bags along Highway 126 last weekend, which Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) trucks will pick up during the week. Kate Beardsley, executive director of the local non-profit located on Cloverdale Road, said this is one of the many service projects her volunteers participate in as their way of... Full story
Absolute Serenity, an adult foster care provider in Sisters, is expanding its capacity to serve seniors in Sisters Country. David and Leah Tolle broke ground last week on a new adult foster care facility at the corner of Adams Avenue and Fir Street. This new facility will enable Absolute Serenity to continue its mission to provide seniors with a quality home environment and a smooth transition into a new phase of life. The new facility will include studio apartments for... Full story
Although her official title is "Recreation Team Leader for the Sisters Ranger District," Amy Racki is the Forest Service's new face for public trails and recreation in the National Forest for the Sisters area. As sort of the "new kid on the block," Racki is anxious to meet community members and partners who want to work with the Forest Service on trails, in wilderness, and in all forms of forest recreation. She also plans to be around for quite some time and wants to get to kn... Full story
A very tiny brown and black female puppy was surrendered at BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond a couple of weeks ago after a man had found the little rottweiler mix for sale in an ad on Craigslist. He purchased the four-week-old puppy for his girlfriend, but she decided against it. The puppy had a severe eye infection upon arrival and was looked at by a veterinarian. She would need special drops in her left eye every three hours and needed to be fostered by a volunteer. Brigh... Full story
Senior Molly Boyle has officially committed to play soccer for the University of Redlands, in Southern California. Boyle has played soccer since she was 4 years old, and this marks her 13th year. In addition to being a four-year varsity starter for Sisters High School, Molly has played for some pretty elite teams: three years for the Bend FC Timbers and three years for the Olympic Development Program (ODP). Soccer has always been a big part of Boyle's life, and it was only... Full story
Editor's note: Bob Larson, longtime Camp Sherman resident, died on February 12 at the age of 92. See his obituary. On September 9, 1942 a rare Japanese pontoon plane dropped an incendiary bomb on the Siskiyou National Forest east of Brookings, Oregon. This bomb, and another dropped by the same plane, was the only direct attack to the continental United States by an enemy plane during World War II. The second bomb was never found. The following is my account of what happened on this day. I entered Oregon State College in 1942,... Full story
This past Sunday, Sisters Coffee Company was filled with the sounds of live music as two small firefighter hopefuls asked patrons to help fight blood cancer. Brennan and Mackenzie Frutos donned their fire helmets and held up their fire boots in an effort to raise money for the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb, which benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The music was performed by Damon Frutos, their father and volunteer lieutenant for the Cloverdale Fire District, as... Full story
Robert (Bob) L. Larson passed away February 12 at the age of 92. Bob was born in Jamestown, North Dakota on August 21, 1922, to Gilbert and Bernice Larson who owned a grocery store-restaurant in Sarles, ND. The family moved to the Los Angeles area when Bob was 8 years old. He told his family that Boy Scouting, the Lutheran Youth League and singing in the Los Angeles Boys Choir greatly influenced his youth. He also sang solo in the choir's weekly radio show, sang for Hollywood... Full story
Janet Lee (Wood) Barbour died February 4, 2015 at age 68 from breast cancer. Jan was born April 7, 1946 in Corvallis to Harold and Helen Wood. Most of her life was spent living in Toledo and Newport. The past 20 years were blissfully happy for her with her husband, Jack Kaylor Barbour. Jan lived each day to the fullest and found great joy in her two daughters and six grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her dad, Harold Wood; mom, Helen Wood; and brother, Dennis Wood.... Full story
Arnold Funai was born in Santa Barbara to Arnold Martin Funai and his wife, Patricia. He was a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara campus, where he met his future wife, Norma. Arnold was an active outdoorsman who loved to hike and explore nature. While still in college he worked during the summer breaks at Yosemite National Park. After graduating from college, Arnold worked for the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory in Port Hueneme and married Norma on... Full story
Seniors in Sisters are engaged with each other and the riches the region has to offer to a greater degree than ever before - thanks to programs offered through Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). SPRD is usually associated, aptly enough, with programs for youth - from its skate park to its basketball tournaments. But the organization increasingly caters to a broad demographic - including older citizens like Sharon Ling. "I'm a widow, by myself," Ling told The Nugget. "I... Full story
