News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 16 of 16
The Sisters High School Jazz Band has set itself apart from the other jazz bands in the Capital Conference. For the fourth year in a row it received the "Outstanding Band Award" at the Capital Conference Jazz Festival which was held in Sweet Home this past week. The trumpet section and the rhythm sections claimed two of the four outstanding section awards that were issued. Four of the eight outstanding soloist awards issued went to members of the Sisters Jazz Band: - Outstanding Trumpet Soloist -- Pat Hammons. - Outstanding... Full story
Bill Willitts presented the Key to the City to School Superintendent Steve Swisher. Photo by Jim Cornelius A stunned Bonnie Malone accepted the honor of being named Citizen of the Year by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, February 20. Malone is a founding board member of the Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation (SOAR). She shared the honor with SOAR Director Tom Coffield, who was unable to attend the chamber awards dinner held at the Clubhouse at... Full story
The public seems to have confidence in the Forest Service to make the right choices to manage and protect the Metolius Basin. Last week, the comment period closed for the Forest Service's draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), and the Metolius Basin Forest Management Project shifted into a new phase. "Most of the feedback has been positive," said project leader Kris Martinson, who noted that more than 150 comments were received. Now, the Forest Service faces the task of reviewing the comments, a process that the agency... Full story
A few final sites are in the running for the new Sisters Library and now the Deschutes Public Library System (DPLS) Board must make a decision. A four-member management team has been gathering input suggestions from hundreds of local area residents concerning possible library sites. Board members are now making on-site observations before their final decision, which may come as early as Wednesday, March 19, their next scheduled meeting in Bend. Four or five final potential sites are currently under consideration, but they... Full story
Mental health services in this region have always been strapped for cash. With a statewide budget crunch, that situation is getting worse. The Deschutes County Mental Health Department receives only about $900,000 a year from property taxes and other local sources, according to Director Gary Smith. The bulk of its $14 million budget comes from the state and federal governments. That's why the state revenue shortage hurts locally. Smith explained that the funding problem is aggravated by the fact that in modern times... Full story
Only a handful of Sisters students were held out of classes during "Exclusion Day" on Wednesday, February 19. Ten Sisters Middle School students either stayed home from school or were held out due to not having all their immunizations. About 550 students were excluded in Central Oregon. "There just seems to be a certain number of people who wait till the last minute," said school nurse Holly Lange. The students have to go out and get their shots before they can come back to... Full story
Bo Hill and the tree he saved. Photo by Conrad Weiler Today there is a tree standing at Black Butte Ranch, saved by the efforts of Bob Hill, a 10-year resident at the Ranch. Hill sought to save a ponderosa pine injured in a wind storm a few seasons back. A nearby ponderosa came down during the storm, so he quickly obtained a sign, put it on the standing tree, and spared it from being cut down. The sign read: "Wildlife Tree. Help us protect it. This tree has been saved to provide wildlife cover and habitat. Please do not cut... Full story
The Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS) is launching a spring community awareness and education campaign with the goal of preventing youth drug and alcohol abuse. The campaign is aimed at adults in the Sisters area and encourages them to have a positive influence on the area's youth. "All of us -- not just the parents and the teachers -- can help the kids in our area resist abusing drugs and alcohol," said CATS advocate Lorri Craig. "If we all realize the power we can have, it creates a community-wide support system for... Full story
Parents are already planning for the "Class of 2003 Drug and Alcohol Free Graduation Party" -- and they need some help. A planning committee meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, March 5 at 5 p.m. in the Sisters High School Library. Anyone interested is invited to attend. The party is an annual event enjoyed by the seniors the evening of graduation. This year the party will be at the Sun Mountain Fun Center in Bend. The party is not funded by the school district and is only made possible through the generous support of... Full story
The Sisters Branch Library has announced openings on the Sisters Library Advisory Council. The Council meets bi-monthly to advise the Deschutes Public Library District Board on issues related to library services and the community. Appointments are made by the Deschutes Public Library District Board. To serve on the Sisters Library Advisory Council, a person must reside in the Sisters service area, have an interest in public libraries and an interest in the improvement of library services for the people of Sisters and... Full story
Mr. SHS Josh Rodriguez and Lindsay Whent. Photo by Rongi Yost Josh Rodriguez earned the crown as Mr. SHS 2003 in the annual pageant held at the Sisters High School Cafetorium last weekend. A choreographed "lip sync" kicked off the fourth annual event. The three-hour-plus pageant was full of fun and entertainment as the audience enjoyed 12 of Sisters High School's finest young men showcase their special talents. Entertainment varied from contestants singing original songs or playing original pieces on the piano and saxophone.... Full story
Charley Thomas. Photo by Sue Anderson Sisters resident Charley Thomas has learned the easy way how it feels to get $50,000 -- at center court at the Sunday, February 9, NBA All Star game. Thomas had been pretty depressed after the new year. "My peer group has passed me by," he said, "and here I am struggling hand-to-mouth. I have a degree in Business Marketing and I can't pay my bills; 2002 wasn't a productive year for me." Then one day at work, Charley saw an ad in USA Today about taking a half court shot during half time... 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: In response to... Full story
Black History Month in Sisters? It's almost an oxymoron. Oregon is a state with a history of intolerance and limited diversity. Sisters is far less diverse than the state as a whole. Some might consider Black History Month to be something of a non-issue in Sisters. If anything, just the opposite is true. Those of us grew up in rural or suburban Oregon might have cause to wonder what all the fuss is about, and that's exactly why something like Black History Month is necessary. In today's world, we're learning that the history... Full story
- A woman was cited for an unsafe load after she lost two 55-gallon drums of diesel fuel off her truck. One drum leaked a little and Sisters firefighters cleaned up the mess. - Speaking of unsafe loads, deputies and paramedics responded to a Sisters area home to a report of alcohol poisoning. A 33-year old man had apparently consumed a 1.75 liter bottle of vodka and was unconscious, unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. Paramedics transported the man to the hospital. He is expected to recover despite a lethally high blood... Full story
Drivers had a hard time staying on the pavement last week. Deputies arrested a Sisters man for drunk driving on Saturday evening, February 22, after a wreck on Holmes Road. According to sheriff's office reports, the man rolled his 1971 Ford Thunderbird at about 5:30 p.m., leaving it on its roof in the ditch and the roadside littered with splintered pieces of a juniper tree. The man suffered only minor injuries. According to sheriff's office reports, he had a blood alcohol count of .21 percent when he was booked. Two drivers... Full story
