News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
Community activists and school officials are sifting the results of a recent study to determine the real degree of drug and alcohol use among Sisters youth. Some numbers in the Department of Education-sponsored survey were startling, but may offer a distorted picture of how much drinking and drugging really goes on in Sisters. One statistic that raised eyebrows was the fact that 81 percent of 11th graders in Sisters have tried alcohol, compared with an average of 73 percent across Oregon. However, the figure for Sisters... Full story
Whose water is it, really? Judge Stephen Tiktin has determined that Squaw Creek Irrigation District "converted" or took water from the Keith Cyrus family when SCID refused to deliver Cyrus water in a fee dispute in 1999. The ruling that there was "conversion" sets the stage for a trial on damages, which could allow Cyrus to be reimbursed for legal fees, which could range over $100,000. It is not known if that might be covered by SCID insurance. SCID refused to deliver Cyrus water from April 23-June 4, 1999, according to the... Full story
The new Sisters High School will have a larger commons area and a smaller auditorium after decisions made by the Sisters School Board on Friday, March 8. The board, acting on input from school staff, added 10 feet to the commons area where students will eat lunch and gather for other activities. Staff members and Principal Boyd Keyser argued that the commons space is heavily used and more space and improved traffic flow will be critical as the school grows. "That's the kid's... Full story
There has been a recent outbreak of canine parvovirus in Central Oregon, according to veterinarians at Sisters Veterinary Clinic. The viral disease is highly contagious to dogs of all ages but is especially deadly in puppies. The disease can be carried in the coyote and raccoon population. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and sometimes a fever. Incubation is 2-4 days. Vaccination is the best preventative, according to veterinarians.... Full story
Sisters' youngsters performed in a patriotic Sisters Act. In a tribute to America, the ninth annual Sisters Act produced some great entertainment and raised some money for good causes Saturday, March 9, at Sisters High School. Six months after the attacks of September 11, the audience and performers began the evening with a presentation of the flag to the familiar Johnny Cash recording about loving America. Peggy Tehan followed with a beautiful rendition of "Proud to be an American," accompanied by four young flag wavers.... Full story
A year-long wrangle over sewer hook-up charges between the City of Sisters and the Sisters Ranger District is over. Mayor Steve Wilson and District Ranger Bill Anthony signed an agreement last month under which the U.S. Forest Service will pay the city $47,860 for sewer hook-ups. The bill reflects a charge for 17.86 "equivalent dwelling units" (EDU) in water usage at $1,000 per EDU. The Forest Service will also pay $30,000 for a sewer main line that serves the East Portal Kios... Full story
Applications are now being accepted for the 2002 Sisters PRCA Rodeo Queen. Applications will be accepted until the day of tryouts, March 24, at 1 p.m. at the Sisters Rodeo Arena, according to John Leavitt, queen selection committee chair. Applicants must be 18-23 years of age, as of June 1, 2002; single; have not been married and must not have children. Applicants must supply their own horse, demonstrate their riding abilities and have time available for appearances at the Sisters Rodeo and related events, as well as other... Full story
Elizabeth Mount will become the first Sisters High School student to attend West Point. Mount, daughter of Guy and Diana Mount of Sisters, is one of 192 female plebes accepted among 2,000 applicants. Mount says she is ready for the rigors of life in the U.S. Military Academy. "There were times when I was scared and questioning whether I really wanted to do this because it's going to mean a lot of sacrifice," Mount said. "It will not be like a normal college, but I know it'll be worth it." Mount has passed the physical and... Full story
Zaher Wahab is an American college professor with a message. Like the prophets of old, however, his words aren't necessarily greeted with a great deal of enthusiasm. Wahab, who has been with Lewis and Clark College for more than a quarter of a century, is a native of war-torn Afghanistan. In fact, he plans to travel there this week and, among other things, meet with interim Afghan President Hamid Karzai. He has been invited by the United Nations and the Afghan Ministry of Higher Education to help reshape Afghanistan's... Full story
Shawn Strannigan Gita Plavins, Elmar Plavins, Kristine Namavire, and Sandijs Aizupietis visited Sisters from Latvia. Five citizens of Latvia, a small country bordering the Baltic Sea, recently spent two weeks in Sisters. The visitors wanted to get better acquainted with their American friends and plan for future interaction between the two countries. For the past three years, members of Sisters Community Church traveled to Latvia to work with a church in the small town of Ogre. This was the Latvians' first visit to Sisters. "... Full story
Dr. Val with a Samburu woman. Nearly a month after returning from a journey to visit her sister in Uganda, Deirdre Kanzig is still telling tales of the trip, sharing photographs, and pondering the impact of the experience. Kanzig spent three weeks traveling in Uganda and Kenya with two of her sisters, Holly Akenson of Idaho and Siri Dharma Khalsa of Eugene, to visit their other sister, Dr. Valery Shean, a veterinarian with Christian Veterinary Missions, who is based in Soroti, Uganda. "It was an incredible blessing for the... Full story
Saylor and Luella are celebrating 72 years together. On March 5, Sisters residents Saylor and Luella Ennis celebrated 72 years of marriage. Radio personality Paul Harvey joined in the celebration by announcing the couple's anniversary to millions of listeners across the country on his daily radio program. And now, for the "rest of the story" . . . While Sy and Lou missed the broadcast, they knew who'd tipped off Harvey. "Our oldest son is responsible for this," said Sy. "He'd called Paul Harvey a long time ago and given him... Full story
It is a firefighter's nightmare: A team enters a burning structure, but when they exit, a man is missing. That was the scenario played out by Sisters and Cloverdale firefighters on Monday, March 4, during a burn-to-learn exercise in Crossroads. The fire district's Rapid Intervention Team practiced rescue techniques that would be used if a firefighter was trapped in a burning building by a floor or roof collapse. Additionally, the Sisters and Cloverdale units studied the... Full story
The Americana Project Guitar Art Auction raised just under $20,000 in total proceeds for roots music exploration programs in schools. The auction on Saturday, March 9, at Soda Creek Gallery capped a week of events featuring pawn shop guitars turned into paintings and sculptures by local professional artists and Sisters High School art students. The show was set up on Friday night and lots of folks came through the gallery all day on Saturday to view the guitars. Local artists Loraine Albertson and Cate O'Hagen hung the show.... Full story
Clifton in his younger days. Sisters resident Clifton Clemens celebrated his birthday with a little help from his friends last Wednesday. Clemens turned 96 on March 6. "There were about 15 of us at Ray's Wednesday morning," said Clemens. "Someone in the bakery had made a nice cake for me and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday'." Later that day, Clemens dined with friends at Coyote Creek Café, where yet another cake was presented to him. "They brought out a cake with two number candles on it -- a 9 and a 6," said Clemens. "I... Full story
The Outlaws Boys Ski Team finished in ninth place out of a field of 20 schools at the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Race Association State Championship held March 6-8 at Mount Hood Meadows. More importantly, they gained valuable experience competing against the best high school skiers in Oregon. The boys had qualified to go to state by taking second place in the league this year. Each downhill skier competed in two Slalom races and two Giant Slalom races. The times were compiled to determine individual and team results. Coach... Full story
Sisters residents voted overwhelmingly March 12 to annex approximately 100 acres of land west of town as the site of the new Sisters High School. The 200-120 vote (67.30 percent to 37.38 percent) allows the Sisters School District to move forward with construction of a new high school, expected to open in 2004. The annexation will also allow SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) to carry forward its master plan for developing ball fields and recreational... 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: John Rahm made a... Full story
The blame game Several weeks ago the Bend Chapter of Amnesty International sponsored a program entitled "Why Do They Hate Us?" The speaker was Homer Hepworth, who spent time in Afghanistan some 40 years ago. After his talk, it became obvious that many in the crowd were there to play the "blame game." These were people who weren't there to listen. They were there to fix blame, and they'd already decided where the blame belonged. These were members of the blame-America-first cabal. Their declarations-disguised-as-questions went... Full story
- A man driving a white pickup truck and pulling a horse trailer knocked over a streetlight and left the scene. - Somebody drove into a tree on Cascade Estates Dr. Deputies contacted the owner, who was to have the vehicle removed. - Deputies arrested a couple for mutual domestic assault and harassment. - A man complained that his dog was atttacked by another dog. He wanted the owner warned. - Deputies arrested a Myrtle Creek man for drunk and reckless driving after he nearly collided with a deputy head-on. The driver... Full story
