News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
Sisters area taxpayers won't get $900,000 taken off their bill for the new Sisters High School as they were promised by the school board. In a letter to patrons of the Sisters School District released this week, the board explained in detail how a misunderstanding about the amount of interest money available from school bonds meant that the $900,000 promise could not be kept. The letter also explains a $202,000 cost overrun on the high school project (see complete text of... Full story
SISTERS, Ore. -- Deschutes County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 28-year-old Leonard Holland Probert of Sisters after he allegedly menaced two people with a .22 caliber rifle. According to sheriff's office reports, the incident began on the evening of Wednesday, March 10, when Tina Archey, 40, and Jeffery Clarke Williams returned to their camp trailer on Probert's property at 67483 Trout Lane in Sisters. Probert allegedly threatened Archey and Williams with the rifle. During the altercation, the rifle was discharged and Probert... Full story
As plans move forward for a downtown couplet on Hood and Main Avenues, a group of citizens is proposing a different fix for Sisters' traffic problems. Brad Boyd, who owns Eurosports on Hood Avenue, is circulating a petition to place before the City of Sisters proposing an option other than a couplet or a bypass. "Instead of a couplet, instead of a bypass, what we are suggesting is an alternate route," Boyd said. According to Boyd, the proposed alternate route is different from... Full story
The Snow Queen was a hit with a Sisters audience. photo by Sue Anderson Sisters provided a large and rapt audience for Brigham Young University Theatre Ballet's production of "The Snow Queen" on Tuesday, March 9. Children in particular were enthralled by the colorful sets and costumes and the evocative dancing in this ballet adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale of a young girl's quest to save a boy, her best friend, from the clutches of the evil Snow Queen. The... Full story
Rikki Glick and Amanda Perry measure financial progress. photo by Rongi Yost In just one month the students at Sisters High School raised $4,687 for their new Sparrow, three-and-a-half-year-old Carl Shelton who has a brain tumor. Rhino Ranch & Realty was the club sponsor and put up $2,560 in seed money. Students put in community service at $10 per hour to earn those funds for Carl. Rhino Ranch & Realty challenged the students and offered to pay $1,000 extra to Carl and his family if students reached their 256 hours within... Full story
Sisters is on the verge of significant and lasting changes as local government develops a plan for a couplet, expands the Urban Growth Boundary and attempts to promote economic development. Developers and civic action groups are also weighing in to shape the future of the town. In early January, the City of Sisters drafted the "Goals, Staff Work Plan 2004" to create "where are we headed" vision statements. At the top of this document it states, "Vision: people of all ages and income levels can live and work in Sisters,"... Full story
Golfers took advantage of great opening day weather at Aspen Lakes. photo by Jim Cornelius Balmy spring weather welcomed golfers who turned out for the opening day of the season at Aspen Lakes on Friday, March 12. The unseasonably warm and sunny weather may not last but while they can, early golfers are dusting off their clubs and working the rust out of their swings. The golf course located at Highway 126 and Camp Polk Road just east of Sisters is making some changes this year. Permanent bathroom facilities are currently und... Full story
Delaying a hefty sewer connection fee payment might turn out to be an advantage for the Sisters School District. After meeting with the school district to ask it to pay up on an overdue invoice, city officials discovered the city might need to reimburse the district some money. Neil Thompson, city planner, said the city might reimburse the district for the money it spent to connect the new high school to the sewer last summer. At the very least, the city will charge the district 40 percent less than the $210,000 Systems... Full story
Frank Fraga, pastor of Trinity Christian Center. photo by Torri Barco High sewer connection fees could force a local church to close its doors. The pastor of Trinity Christian Center told the City of Sisters he would have to close down his church and leave town if city officials require the church to pay thousands of dollars in sewer connection and water fees. Gary Frazee, public works director, estimated the church will have to pay about $18,000 in total water and sewer fees. After evaluating his situation, as well as that... Full story
The two main roads near the entrance to Black Butte Ranch have been torn up the past three weeks for the replacement of underground electrical conduit. "We have about another two weeks to go," said Travis Kinder, foreman with Robinson & Owen, Inc. of Sisters, contractors for the extensive trenching job. "And that is predicting fair weather." The project started at Curly Dock Road and runs along the recently renamed Bishop's Cap (formerly Hawks Beard) on the western side of the ranch. It extends almost two-thirds of a mile... Full story
The U.S. Forest Service is gearing up for prescribed burn season in Sisters. If there is no precipitation early this week, Sisters area residents can expect to see smoke from prescribed burning as early as Wednesday, March 17, and on other days, weather permitting, through the month of May. Prescribed fires are ignited by specialists under specific conditions of temperature, humidity and wind. They burn a small distance before reaching control lines or previously burned areas. Fires are ignited with drip torches. The... Full story
The City of Sisters is encouraging commercial development by changing its parking requirements. The Sisters City Council voted unanimously on Thursday, March 11, to amend the vehicle parking standards in the city's development code. The amendment will allow developers to create more parking spaces off of their property and therefore get more land for their money, said Neil Thompson, city planner. The amendment dropped a commercial developer's onsite parking requirements to 30 percent from 70 percent. So, when a property... Full story
Two people walked away from thi small plane crash on Wednesday, March 17. photo provided A Prineville pilot and his passenger walked away from a plane crash near Black Butte Ranch on Wednesday, March 17. According to Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reports, Larry Dale Goodman, 56, was piloting his 1979 Piper Super Cub on a return trip to Prineville after picking up his 19-year-old son in Corvallis, when his plane suddenly lost power. Goodman attempted an emergency landing at Black Butte Ranch but the aircraft lost power... Full story
Mary Flande with a juniper lectern she crafted for Sisters High School. photo by Rongi Yost Sisters High School's athletic director Mary Flande has enjoyed woodworking since she was a child. She has turned that enjoyment into a full fledged hobby. At age nine, Flande joined 4H with her mother at the helm as troop leader. The troop was involved in several areas of 4H but Mary's favorite was the woodworking group called "Sawdusters." The entire first year of woodworking the troop was not allowed to use power tools on their proj... Full story
The Forest Service ignited a controlled burn west of Tollgate on Friday, March 19. photo by Jim Cornelius Foresters put 85 acres to the torch on Friday, March 19, west of the Tollgate subdivision. The intentional burning was designed to consume grasses, brush and small trees that could feed wildland fires. The controlled burn is part of an effort to reduce flammable fuels this spring near Sisters subdivisions, including Crossroads, Cascade Meadow Ranch and Squaw Back Woods. Fire managers ignited the Tollgate burn Friday,... Full story
As Sisters grows, the local electric utility has to continually upgrade its system to keep up. Jim Crowell, spokesman for Central Electric Cooperative (CEC), explained: "The up-grading projects for each year would take way more than two hands to count on," he said. "I don't mean that we're doing nothing in Redmond, Prineville, and Madras. It's just that the biggest impacts of growth are in the Bend and Sisters area." There are two different transmission lines to Sisters. One line runs north of the Sisters/Redmond highway (Hig... 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: An October 2003... Full story
Kyle Whipps, David King, Kerani Mitchell and Miriam Anderson sang with Suzy Bogguss. photo by Peggey Chesser The good times were rolling -- both on stage and off -- at Saturday's Sisters Starry Nights concert at the Sisters High School auditorium. Singer and songwriter Kim Carnes returned for her fourth appearance at the sold-out concert on March 13. Carnes brought with her Starry Nights veteran Greg Barnhill who returned for the sixth time since the event began in 1997. The crowd loved the two new additions, Suzy Bogguss... Full story
- City Council Meeting 7 p.m., 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, Sisters City Hall. 549-6022. - School Board Meeting 7 p.m., 2nd Monday each month, middle school lecture/drama room. 549-8521. - Black Butte School District Board of Directors meets 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., Black Butte School. 595-6203. - Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month, 8 to 9 a.m. at Sisters Fire Hall, 549-0251. - Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD meets for drill every Monday, 7 p.m. Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St.... Full story
- Deputies cited two Sisters Middle School students in separate incidents -- one for possession of alcohol, another for possession of marijuana. - A deputy located a lost horseback rider. - Two dump trucks and a mobile office at a construction site were damaged by vandals. - Someone shot a BB into the front window of a residence. - Deputies investigated an anonymous claim of abuse that turned out to be an apparent prank call. - Deputies are stepping up patrol on Barclay Drive in the Sisters Industrial Park. Locals have a... Full story
