News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
Fire destroyed a home in Plainview last week. The occupants of the home escaped without injury. The Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and the Cloverdale Fire Department responded to 17835 Plainview Rd. between Bend and Sisters for a report of a structure fire on Tuesday, March 6, at approximately 9:49 p.m. When a deputy and fire personnel arrived on scene, they found that the home was fully engulfed in flames. According to police and fire reports, it appears the fire started from a woodstove near the center of the house and... Full story
A Salem-area woman was seriously injured last Saturday morning after she lost control of her car and crashed with a sport utility vehicle on Highway 20 in the Santiam Pass area. Oregon State Police report that on March 10, at approximately 11:15 a.m., a 2002 Toyota Camry driven by Heather A. MacArthur, 20, from Salem, was eastbound on Highway 20 near milepost 78 when she lost control. The car slid and rotated across the centerline into the path of a westbound 2000 Ford Expedition. The right front corner of the Ford... Full story
Gary Frazee is stepping down from his position as Public Works Director for the City of Sisters. He will continue working for the department in a newly created field operations director position. The city is currently advertising for a new public works director. "I have given a lot of thought to the situation," Frazee said. "Facing the rapid growth that we are, the position has outgrown my expertise." Frazee said it is no longer possible for one person to manage both the... Full story
To the Editor: It seems to me that the city and the Quilt Show organizers may have stumbled upon a brilliant partial fix to our summer traffic problems with their temporary closure plan of Cascade Avenue. Imagine if all the westbound travelers knew about the Barclay relief route? Imagine permanent signage and a new widened intersection that directs the westbound thru traffic on to Camp Polk instead of down Cascade. This intersection would split the westbound traffic in front of the tennis court, directing town traffic down... Full story
Sisters Habitat for Humanity has been awarded a $125,000 challenge grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust. "It's the biggest grant Habitat has ever received," said Sharlene Weed, Executive Director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity. The grant has been given to help pay off the debt Sisters Habitat has incurred from the purchase of the Perit Huntington property at the corner of East Cascade Avenue and Cowboy Place. "It's toward the land purchase that we made about four months ago,... Full story
Darkness to Light, a national, non-profit organization, is confronting sexual abuse head on. The organization has developed a seven-step plan to train adults to protect children from being the victims of sexual abuse. Last Thursday, March 8, concerned area residents participated in a three-hour training session that provided them with tools to prevent, respond and react responsibly to child abuse (see related story, page 31). Current statistics estimate that one in six boys and one in four girls is sexually abused before he... Full story
The crown was awarded to senior Eli Callan, but the standing ovation went to all the contestants, escorts, parents, family members, friends and community supporters who participated in this year's Mr. SHS competition. Over $18,000 was raised to donate to Portland's Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Perhaps the need to contribute hit home this year as Sisters High School graduate Monica Offield will receive a new kidney at Doernbecher. Perhaps some wanted to express... Full story
Bend, Redmond, Madras, Prineville and La Pine all have up-to-the-minute, active senior centers. Sisters has no facility, no regularly planned activities and no long-term plan for a future center. This is about to change. A group of Sisters residents is gathering informally on a regular basis to brainstorm and plot a course of action. This group, which is facilitated by Howard Den Hartog, last met on Friday morning, March 9, at the Sisters Library. Hartog is also president of the Senior Council of Sisters. The Senior Council... Full story
Three players from the boys' basketball team were selected to all-league teams this year. Nate Jackson was named second team all-league, Daniel Ketchum was a third team selection and Zach Lange received honorable mention. Coach Rand Runco said, "Nate was selected for his ability on both offense and defense. He was one of two returning players on our team and stepped into Guy Mount's (player from last season) shooting guard role. Nate had a good season and improved greatly, specifically on defense." Runco told The Nugget he... Full story
Tom Landis of Camp Sherman continues to tear up the record book in Masters' swimming. He smashed two world swimming records in the 65-69 class on March 10 in a long course meet in Victoria, British Columbia. Landis broke an 11-year-old record of 2:21:74 in the 200 meters by more than three seconds with a time of 2:18:54. He also broke the 400-meter record of 5:01:81 with a time of 5:00:26. Landis set records in a meet two weeks before. "I've been on a pretty good roll," Landis said. "One thing that astounded me is that I'm... Full story
Sisters experienced its first red carpet, world film premiere on Thursday night, March 8. The venue was Sisters Movie House. The event was the monthly interactive film discussion series, "Talkies." The movie was "Streetcar Named Perspire." And independent animator Joanna Priestley was the celebrity. The Redmond-based improvisational theater group Triage provided Priestley with a red carpet welcome. "Thank you for being there when I drove up. That was amazing. It took me like... Full story
Prescribed underburning may begin this week just west of Sage Meadow (an area of 99 acres) and in an area that is adjacent to Hwy. 20 and southeast of Tollgate (115 acres). Sisters Ranger District is getting ready to begin its spring burn program. The program consists of conducting numerous controlled underburns aimed at reducing hazardous fuels (mostly brush and woody debris) that can contribute to high intensity wildland fires during the summer caused by either lightning or... Full story
A renowned custom bootmaker has selected Sisters as the location for his new boot boutique. Ryder Gauteraux opened his new custom boot shop in Sisters last week, adding to the Western theme of the city. Now from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, quality custom Western wear is available in the Sisters area. Gauteraux is a native Oregonian who has traveled the rodeo circuit riding bulls initially and then moving to saddle broncs. From the perspective of a man who... Full story
Sisters area residents can use the earth to save up to 60 percent on heating and cooling costs - and be paid to do it. Geothermal power generation is coming to Sisters. It is merely a matter of time. However, it is not necessary for folks to wait to be green and save energy by using the ground beneath our feet. Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) technology is available today, and the State of Oregon and the U.S. Government will help to pay for it. Central Electric Cooperative will even loan area residents the money for its purchase... Full story
The Kiwanis Club of Sisters recently presented the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District with a check for $1,265 earmarked for the purchase of an automated external defibrillator (AED), a lifesaving emergency medical device. The new AED will be placed into service in one of the chief officer command vehicles, which are often present at public functions and first on the scene of an emergency. An AED is used to deliver a "counter shock" to victims of cardiac arrest. The machine is programmed to effectively recognize fatal heart... Full story
Aspen Lakes Golf Course will open its doors for this season on Friday, March 16. The fair weather has brought the opening a little earlier this year, much to the approval of the local golf enthusiasts who enjoy "a good walk spoiled." A number of new programs and events are planned this year to build on the foundation that Aspen Lakes has created over the previous years. The golf club's calendar includes most of the familiar programs from the past with some interesting new additions. Tuesday, March 27 will mark the start of... Full story
Much has been written about the benefits of physical exercise for improving quality of life and staving off some of the physical ravages of aging. Considerably less has appeared in print about the benefits of exercising the mind. It has long been the assumption that it's all downhill, even for those who succeed in avoiding dementia, Alzheimer's and other brain diseases. However, this premise has been demonstrated to be false. The jury is no longer out regarding the benefits of mental exercise. It has become clear that aging... Full story
"Wild Hogs" is another mindless Hollywood film that uses a predictable formula in an attempt to create a cash cow - and as a cash cow it's proving to be a success. However, the plot is paper thin and only exists as a means of hooking a series of gags and skits together. "Wild Hogs" doesn't begin to compare to "American Beauty" or "Sideways" in conveying the middle-aged crisis theme. The only way to enjoy this movie is to relax and view the pure nonsense for what it is. The crews that design movie trailers must fantasize... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival has announced that the annual, community-themed art fund-raiser My Own Two Hands will run April 13-14. This year's theme is "Gather Round." The theme celebrates the creativity of the Central Oregon arts community and the talent of young people in Sisters. The fund-raising event generates money for the educational outreach program of the Sisters Folk Festival, the Americana Project. The event kicks off on Friday, April 13, with a community art stroll from 4:30 to 7 p.m. through Sisters, where the gall... Full story
The freshman boys' basketball team wrapped up its season with an overall record of 7-12. Aaron Simundson, Chris Waters and Jon Standen handled the point guard position for the young Outlaw team. Austin Mitchell, Alex Novonty, Geoff Houk, Nick Saba, Sam Van Diest and Cody Farr-Baenziger played at the wing position. Covering at the post position were Randy Ketchum, Cory Holt, Rodney Warner and Nathan Uttley. Several players stood out during the season. Austin Mitchell hit shots at the end of several games that kept the score... Full story
The return of many key athletes coupled with a turnout of a lot of new faces has head track coach Bob Johnson smiling as he and his staff prepare for the first outing of the year at Marist Thursday. "The roster shows somewhere over 85 boys and girls out here, and the great thing is the number of freshman who have come out," said Johnson. If Johnson's name sounds familiar it is because he coached the Outlaws from 1995 through 2003 before a two-year stint at Redmond High School... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival hosted a launch party for the new Sisters Folk Arts Circle on Thursday, March 8, at Sisters Art Works. The Sisters Folk Arts Circle offers music and art enthusiasts an opportunity to buy their folk festival concert and event tickets for the year while supporting the Americana Project in Sisters. Members receive two tickets to My Own Two Hands, held this year April 13-14, as well as six all-event badges to the folk festival, four tickets to the Sisters Folk Festival Sponsors Dinner and four tickets... Full story
There a nature book in the teenage reader's section at Paulina Springs Books that will knock your socks off. When I saw it, I could not believe it: a three-dimension book on the anatomy, biology and natural history of the hooded cobra, so realistic it is unbelievable. From the front cover with its plastic case encasing a three-dimension miniature of the snake's skull and anatomy to a back cover that shows the animal's skin, it is a marvel of information. In between you can... Full story
The thudding echoes of a pile driver pounding bridge supports into Whychus Creek marked a milestone in Sisters' growth last week. After years of waiting and wrangling, the construction of the bridge that will connect Timber Creek and Creekside subdivisions is now underway. The construction project is operating in a narrow window of time to insure that there is minimal disruption to the stream bed and downstream spawning grounds. The project will require several different entities to work together to complete the span.... Full story
