News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 32
The Sisters school administration building on Highway 20 at the east end of town is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The formal listing action was taken on March 2, according to Christine Curran, nominations coordinator for the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office. She said her office will be sending out official notification letters by the end of March. The honor comes to a structure that opened in 1939 as the Sisters High School. It was built to relieve overcrowding in a building across Highway 2... Full story
Shane Hall, a former Sisters pastor accused of sexual abuse of a minor, was released on Thursday, March 9, after spending three weeks in jail on allegations that he drank alcohol in violation of his conditions of release. Witnesses who said they saw Hall drinking beer at Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon in Sisters on February 11 reportedly changed their minds after seeing Hall led into the courtroom for a hearing on revocation of his original release. According to Assistant District Attorney Victoria Roe, “Apparently the... Full story
Winter returned to Sisters with a strong storm last week that dropped several inches of snow across the area and made traveling treacherous. Snow accumulations were relatively slight in Sisters — a couple of inches that never required street plowing. Further west, in Black Butte Ranch and Camp Sherman, snowfalls were heavier. Suttle Lake lay under a sheet of ice. The major impact of the late-season snowfall was on the roads. It seems that drivers had gotten used to dry p... Full story
Donovan A. Ryan, 36, of Sisters, was rescued from a fiery wreck on Cline Falls Road on Friday, March 10, after his 1994 Jeep Wrangler allegedly crossed the center line and struck an oncoming vehicle. Ryan escaped serious injury and the other driver suffered only minor injuries. According to a Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office release, deputies responded around 10:40 p.m. to a 911 call regarding a possible DUII driver northbound on Cline Falls Road from Tumalo. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputies and a trooper from the Oregon... Full story
To the Editor: How many times have you gazed at the Three Sisters and Broken Top as you drive along Highway 20 between Bend and Sisters? Driving east or west, the view of the foothills and the peaks changes with the seasons and the time of day. The foothills are usually a deep green representing the coniferous forests, the peaks often white with snow as now in wintertime. Now imagine those same green foothills dotted with large homes or destination resorts. If the latter image is not to your liking you need to find out more a... Full story
Spring break is in the air — at the University of Portland anyway — and four keen students and a staff member trekked over the Cascades to toil for a week on the latest Habitat for Humanity homes. The crew, taking part in Habitat’s Collegiate Challenge, arrived in Sisters on Sunday, March 12. First port of call was the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, where a potluck spread and a group of volunteers greeted the young women. Bob Harris, Sisters Habitat for Human... Full story
“Keep what’s hot away from what’s not.” That’s the advice of Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Marshal Dave Wheeler on how to prevent home heating fires. “We’ve had seven structural fires in the past 14 months and that’s more than average,” Wheeler said. “Most of these fires were caused by some combustible objects coming too close to a heat source in the home.” Wheeler pointed out that last week’s garage fire in Crossroads is the second fire in recent months started by a baseboard heater. “That fire was started by combustible ma... Full story
The forest thinning operation underway north of Sisters High School may be small by Weyerhaeuser standards (see a description in The Nugget, Jan. 11). But the company conducting it is not just a bunch of roughnecks in red suspenders. Melcher Logging Co. of Sweet Home was started 50 years ago by Scott Melcher’s grandfather. As Scott told the story in a brief interview last week, “My dad took it over in the 60s right out of high school. He was determined that his kids were going to college. And we did, but we ended up back in... Full story
Volunteers of the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District and their families and friends honored their own on Saturday night, March 11. Some 50 people gathered at the Sisters Rodeo clubhouse for the district’s 2005 annual awards banquet. Lt. John Brown received the Officer of the Year award as chosen by the membership of the Cloverdale Volunteers Firefighters Association. Lt. Matt Cyrus, president of the association and the 2004 recipient of the award, presented the 2005 a... Full story
Dozens of Sisters Elementary School students have been developing a green thumb through the Sisters Elementary School Garden Club and its greenhouse program. The program is so popular that it has outgrown its greenhouse space. According to club representative Vonda Soliz, Central Oregon Pole Structures has offered to build the club a new pole barn valued at $20,000 that will accommodate the club’s activities. The club will pay $5,000. However, the City of Sisters is requiring a building permit application fee totaling $... Full story
The Sisters High School girls softball team will return eight players to the varsity squad, including three seniors, Cindy Harp, Cortney Metcalf and Michaela Bennett. Harp (catcher and Team Captain) will return as the Lady Outlaws’ leading hitter and will hit clean-up. Last season Harp had a batting average of .285. Metcalf will play second base. “Cortney is a smooth fielding second basemen and should hit high up in our batting order this year,” said McDonald. “ Bennett will hold the back-up pitching position. Other returni... Full story
Approximately 250 Sisters residents attended the free screenings of the independent film documentary Invisible Children over the weekend at Sisters Movie House. The film, created by three college-aged students to increase American awareness regarding the plight of children terrorized by a rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda, is the centerpiece of the group’s campaign. The film documents how the three young American men Jason Russell, Lar... Full story
Alexis Wainwright is the only returning varsity player on the Sisters High School girls golf team this year. The team lost six seniors to graduation last spring so competition will be wide open for the open varsity positions. Sixteen girls are out for golf this year. According to Coach Mary Flande, that’s the most that have ever turned out for the girls golf program. Several golfers have had experience at the junior varsity level, including Carolyn Bird, Maureen Broadbent, Meghan Crowder, Mac Gould, Jessica Little and C... Full story
Sisters’ My Own Two Hands art celebration received the Best Philanthropic Event from the Oregon Festivals and Events Association (OFEA) at its annual conference on March 4. The two-day celebration of the arts in Sisters, now in its fifth year, is the annual fundraiser for the Americana Project, the educational outreach program of the Sisters Folk Festival. The OFEA “Ovation Awards” are presented annually to the “best of the best” of special events in the state of Oregon. C... Full story
Karen Withrow is a triple-threat science teacher. In fact, more than triple. At Sisters High School, she teaches physics and chemistry. Her master’s degree was in biology. And she admits to having “a strong background” in geology. Part of that multifaceted base of knowledge will be enhanced in an unusual way this summer: She has been accepted for a volunteer position with the Yellowstone Association and will be living at Lamar Buffalo Ranch, a collection of log struc... Full story
• Leavitt’s is stocking up with new spring-oriented items. • Coyote Creek Café will host live music with Fingers ’n Chilly this Friday, March 17, and Saturday, March 18. • Silli Chili is for sale. The Southwestern-themed business is located in Town Square. Call 549-1549. • Free Soup Nite at Sisters Coffee Co. will feature a live performance by The Anvil Blasters this Friday, March 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. Music and soup are free. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Fresh Rosin will entertain with traditional Irish music in the same locatio... Full story
The Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation District will provide a variety of recreation and daycare programs for kids of all ages during the coming spring school vacation. Sisters School District’s spring break runs March 20-31. The SOAR Community Center will be open weekdays during the two-week vacation from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Clubhouse program for kids pre-kindergarten through fifth grade is a fun enrichment and recreation program that incorporates creative play, arts and craft, games and music. The p... Full story
Take a magical horse, a troll, and a courageous little girl, and you have the ingredients for the Tears of Joy Theater Sisters debut of “Ride the Red Mare.” It all happens at 7 p.m., Friday, April 21, at Sisters Community Church. Adapted from “A Ride on the Red Mare’s Back” by Portland author Ursula K. Le Guin, the play tell the story of 10-year-old Sophie and her journey to free her young brother who has been kidnapped by trolls. A small wooden horse Sophia takes to show the way is transformed into a magnificent red mare... Full story
A long and arduous application process was worth all the time and effort for Rose Slavkovsky when she received the news she’d been chosen for a Sullivan Leadership Award at Seattle University (SU). The award, which is renewable for up to three additional years, includes $27,300 in tuition and board and a $4,818 room grant. Rose will be required to complete 15 credits per quarter, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and participate as a leader on campus and in t... Full story
Deschutes River Ranch at Tumalo produces premium quality, grass-finished beef direct to consumers. Not many ranches do that, though more and more are looking for niche markets. What sets this working ranch apart from others, besides the beef product, is the upscale homes that overlook the cattle pastures. It’s a setting that graces many a real estate advertisement in Central Oregon — unobstructed mountain views, access to the Deschutes River winding clear and sparkling below t... Full story
With the move to the new facility, the number of items checked out and returned to the Sisters Library has substantially increased, according to librarian Peg Bermel. The number of items requested from other branches, and by locals using computers outside the building, has also increased. Increased demand for, and return of, library materials translates into lots more items that need to be pulled from, and returned to, the shelves. Library volunteers play a pivotal role in putting away returned materials, organizing the... Full story
Lloyd and Hazel Swaim of Sisters celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary at Sisters Church of the Nazarene on Sunday, March 5, with 100 of their family and friends. Lloyd and Hazel met in Wheatland, Wyoming, and were married in nearby Scottsbluff County, Nebraska. They were soon to be parted when Lloyd served in the Army during World War II, on the island of Guam. In 1954 Lloyd graduated with honors from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. Subsequently he served v... Full story
Three volunteer firefighters of the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District completed separate fire training courses at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland in early March, according to Fire Chief Chuck Cable. Cory Stengel completed a class on advanced safety operations and management, Deanne Dement attended a course on community education leadership and Matt Cyrus completed a course on fire cause determination. "We had other individuals attend the National... Full story
Three volunteer firefighters of the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District completed separate fire training courses at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland in early March, according to Fire Chief Chuck Cable. Cory Stengel completed a class on advanced safety operations and management, Deanne Dement attended a course on community education leadership and Matt Cyrus completed a course on fire cause determination. “We had other individuals attend the National Fire Academy in the past, but this is the first t... Full story
Sisters area trailmakers are waiting for a break in the weather to get back to work on projects needed to complete the Tollgate-to-Sisters High School trail. Discussion of those projects and plans for a committee retreat highlighted the March 10 meeting of the Sisters Community Trails Committee. As soon as weather conditions improve, sprinklers damaged by initial trail construction alongside the high school practice field will be replaced and the sprinkler line moved off the trail route, Chairman Jeff Sims announced. “We w... Full story
