News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
A 1,400-square-foot house on Larch Street went up in flames on Saturday morning as Sisters firefighters touched off the latest in a series of live fire training exercises. Some 23 firefighters participated in the drill. The exercise "went very smoothly, without any problems whatsoever," said Assistant Fire Chief Ken Enoch. "The house took about two hours to burn down." For the past several weeks, firefighters have been using the site - which is being cleared for future... Full story
It's getting tougher for students to earn a high school diploma in Oregon. In fact, under new graduation requirements being phased in between now and 2014, Sisters students who fall behind may have trouble graduating. Students who are ninth graders now will have to pass an additional English/Language Arts class and learn more science to earn a State of Oregon Diploma. Current seventh graders will have to pass all their state testing and take math classes at Algebra I or higher to earn a state diploma. Students will also have... Full story
An irrigation piping project currently underway by the Three Sisters Irrigation District (TSID) promises to be the final piece in a decades-old puzzle of how to restore salmon and steelhead runs to Whychus Creek. The project will transform nearly four miles of the open and leaky principal irrigation diversion into a sealed, watertight pipeline. Since the 19th century, local farms and ranches have diverted irrigation water from Whychus Creek (formerly Squaw Creek). At times,... Full story
To the Editor: We can all identify with Mike Morgan's worries about back-in diagonal parking. Learning new things is always hard. Imagine if we didn't allow parallel parking and someone proposed it. Imagine trying to wiggle a vehicle sideways into the space, maybe smacking both the car in front and in back and ruining tires on the curb, all the while holding up traffic. As a reward, drivers get to open their door directly into the travel lane. Drivers would scream at such a proposal. Imagine if we didn't allow head-in... Full story
This is the 70th anniversary of the Sisters Rodeo, and organizers are exploring the history of "The Biggest Little Show in the World." A committee has been designated to write and publish a book on the history of the rodeo since it began in the early 1940s. This committee is seeking information and pictures and any artifacts relating to the rodeo, especially in its early days. This information will be held in a locked file for about two weeks until it can be properly photographed or copied, and then promptly returned to the... Full story
Sisters High School's Mock Trial Team advanced from regional competition last month to claim a spot at the upcoming state championship. Sisters competed in regional competition Saturday, February 27 at the Deschutes County Courthouse in Bend. State competition is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 12-13, at the Mark Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland. The students argued a criminal case that deals with religious expression and freedom-of-speech issues. Classroom... Full story
Sisters Folk Festival's Winter Concert Series wraps up on March 16 with Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. The band will appear at Sisters High School Auditorium; the show starts at 7 p.m. In 2010, 24-year-old New Orleans singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical powerhouse, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, signed with Verve Forecast Records and performed on Good Morning America and ESPN's Sports Center in the run-up to the Super Bowl. He has seen... Full story
Tanner Smith can call nearly every room in Sisters High School's arts and music departments home. As both a visual artist and musician, Smith is involved in many activities at the high school, but music and visual arts are central to his experience. Smith plays three instruments: the drums, piano and guitar. He has competed in local and regional jazz competitions and has even played at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival. The Monterey Jazz Festival selects a dozen youth... Full story
The City of Sisters has received a "Distinguished Budget Presentation Award" for its budget document. The award comes from Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are... Full story
Sisters Country artist and arts advocate Kathy Deggendorfer will serve for the next four years on the board of directors of the Oregon Cultural Trust. The trust is dedicated to increasing public and private support for the arts and for Oregon's heritage, with the goal of creating a permanent $200 million endowment for culture. Deggendorfer will join Pamela Hulse Andrews as the two east-of-the-Cascades residents serving on the 12-member board. She considers representation criti... Full story
The Outlaws (No. 4) defeated Cottage Grove (No. 5) in the first round of league playoffs at home on Thursday, February 25, in a game that came down to a nail-biter. Two days later Sisters suffered a 48-44 loss at Elmira, which brought their hopes of a berth to the state playoffs to an end. The previous week, Friday, February 19, the Outlaws wrapped up league play with a 70-63 victory at Cottage Grove. Sisters notched a 56-53 win in the final seconds of the game at home... Full story
The 16-and-under Sisters Club Volleyball season ended with a victorious weekend as Trevors team won the consolation bracket play and Sisters' Team Brad won the championship's bracket. Sisters' Team Trevor really turned it on in bracket play. After struggling in pool play, they went undefeated in bracket play, winning the consolation division. "We held each team to under 17 points. It was great to see our team get some wins as we are a much-improved team," said Trevor... Full story
What could Hercules, teen dances, elaborate cakes, a skateboard musical, and formal wear possibly have in common with the St. Charles Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)? Sisters High School's 11th annual Mr. SHS pageant. Last November, the high school staff picked 14 senior boys to compete for the title of 2010 Mr. SHS. This program has made raising money for neonatal emergency care enjoyable and beneficial to the whole student body. The contestants and their escorts have been hard at work to fundraise for the NICU for... Full story
Ruth Hedreen, 98, passed away peacefully of natural causes at Emerald Heights, Redmond, Washington. Her children, Carol, John, Ruthie and Andy were often at her side near the end. Ruth was born and raised on the family farm in East Wenatchee, Washington. Her brother Charles often drove her and her sister, Lydia, to school in a buckboard, and later in the sidecar of a motorcycle. The family believed strongly in the arts and education. After high school, Ruth attended the University of Washington, graduating with a degree in... Full story
Peggy Click Taylor was born May 1, 1935 in Seattle, Washington, to Denton and Frances Keller. She died on March 1, 2010 at her home in Vancouver, Washington, after a courageous six-year battle with ovarian cancer. She was the eldest of four children (Nancy, David, Dennis). She attended Lincoln High School and was a cheerleader. At Whitman College she was a Tri Delta sorority member. There she met and married William "Bill" Click, who died in 1993. They made their home in... Full story
Twice a week, on Monday and Friday afternoons, the studio at Cascade Fitness is transformed into a dojo, where John Sanders teaches Nick Cerio's Kenpo Karate. DSanders, a lifelong educator, took up martial arts in his mid-30s while working as a teacher, administrator and coach in Rhode Island public schools. "I think I always had an interest," he said, "but was never really able to set aside or make the time to do it." When he made the commitment to become a martial artist, Sanders spent some time exploring different styles... Full story
• Bryce Paige, of Orcutt, California: My name is Bryce. I am a fifth grader living in California. I recently had a state report due in our class. I chose to do my report on Oregon, because my aunt and uncle live in Sisters now (Kerry and Henry Zenich). When I told her about my report, she gathered two boxes of items with help from her friends and sent them to me. She told me that so many people helped her gather up things that she had to use more boxes than she expected and the shipping was very expensive! Mary Jo... Full story
Sisters Art Works was filled with song all weekend as 27 young musicians from across Central Oregon gathered for the third annual Sisters Folk Festival Song Academy for Youth. The program places young songwriters with local mentors to delve into various aspects of the craft, from guitar accompaniment to how to give and receive constructive critiques. "I thought it was very inspirational," said Melody Youngblood, a student in the Sisters Americana Project. "My spirits have... Full story
The Lady Outlaws defeated the defending state champions twice during the regular season but were unable to get the win they needed to advance to the state play-offs. Sisters (No. 3) hosted La Pine (No. 4) on Friday, February 26, in its first home playoff game in several years, but came up short in a disappointing 31-29 loss. It was a close game with several lead changes, but in the end La Pine came out on top. Coach Kevin Cotner told The Nugget that the Outlaws just had too... Full story
Sisters Country sportsmen can test their outdoor skills in a benefit fundraiser for local 4-H programs Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21 in the first-ever 4-H Sportsmen's Pentathlon. The event includes sporting clays; 3-D archery; a chukkar hunt and a GPS orienteering course, followed by a banquet at Brand 33 at Aspen Lakes. On Sunday participants can join a two-person best ball golf scramble at Aspen Lakes. The grand prize for the pentathlon winner is a Fishcraft Stillwater Lake Boat. The event will help sustain scholarships... Full story
The thundering din of sled dogs racing across the frozen tundra echoed through Three Creeks Brewing Co. last Monday as OSU professor and veterinarian, Dr. Erica McKenzie, delivered a stimulating presentation on "The Toughest Race on Earth - The Science Behind The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race." A collaboration between OSU Cascades campus and the OSU Alumni Association, the "Science Pub" educational series is meant to take science out of the lab and into your local saloon and... Full story
Ben Westlund, local rancher, dynamic legislative representative of Central Oregon and Oregon Treasurer, died Sunday night after battling recurrent lung cancer. He was 60. Westlund, who lived in Tumalo with his wife Libby, son BJ and daughter Taylor, had many friends in the Sisters Country. He was known here not only as a legislator, but also as an advocate for families and as a patron of the arts. (See "Remembering Ben Westlund," page 2). A friend convinced him to run for the... Full story
Have fun. No diving. You're a guest. Come in quietly, leave quietly. Those are the first rules Sisters Elementary School third grade students learn about swimming at Sisters Athletic Club as part of the swim program. Sisters Rotary has sponsored the third grade swim program for the past six years. Two years ago they added fifth grade instruction to the program at the suggestion of Marti Dale, Health and Physical Education Specialist for Sisters Middle School. The purpose,... Full story
Kit Stafford, art instructor for the Sisters Americana Project and her art students are preparing for the My Own Two Hands arts fundraiser and the community parade on April 9. They are building a quilt with their own two hands, along with other art projects. This Saturday, March 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sisters Middle School there will be a Common Canvas Community Arts Day. My Own Two Hands is giving folks in Sisters the opportunity to be the artist, working with their own... Full story
Forty boys came out to fill the Outlaws boys lacrosse squad this year, making it the fastest-growing sport at Sisters High School. The high school varsity team will carry a final roster of 20. Coach Bill Rexford, who is back for his fifth year as head coach, expects this to be the team's best spring ever. Rexford noted that only three of the players on the roster are new to the sport. He said that this year's squad has more lacrosse knowledge than any team he's had while coaching at Sisters. Some of the new freshman players... Full story
