News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Deschutes County Sheriff's Office detectives are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest for an attempted arson of a vehicle on Wednesday, March 12. The owner of a black Nissan Xterra passenger vehicle contacted police at about 4:30 a.m., from the Adams Roost Apartments, located at 173 E. Adams Ave., in Sisters. The owner of the vehicle is a resident of these apartments. He reported that he had located a section of rope that had been placed into his gas tank and lit on fire in an attempt to burn his... Full story
Organizers of the first ever Green & Gold Gala fund-raiser set a realistic goal of raising $5,000 to benefit Sisters Elementary School. Then they blew that goal sky high with a celebratory evening at FivePine Conference Center that took in $17,000 before expenses. The concept for last Saturday's semi-formal dinner/auction was first laid on the table by former elementary school parent Judy Vial. A group of elementary school parents ran with Vial's inspiration. Their purpose: to provide a means of raising funds for the school o... Full story
Editor's note: The school district was to make an announcement regarding the football program Tuesday night. See www.nuggetnews.com for details. When Sisters folks want answers from their elected officials, they come out enmass to ask for them. Such was the scene at the Tuesday, March 11 meeting of the Sisters School Board. One citizen after another asked why Sisters High School principal Bob Macauley resigned as the school's football coach. The school district was to Concern about Macauley's resignation has been simmering... Full story
The success of Sisters football has been accomplished through the program that Coach Bob Macauley has built up over the years. It's a program that may soon be gone with the wind. Larry Benson and I have known Bob for more than 20 years, and though we live in Forest Grove more than three hours from Sisters, we videotape most of his opponents on this side of the Cascades for Bob and the team. The Aspen Lakes Golf Course donates their course for the Outlaw Open every year. Countless other people in the community volunteer many... Full story
To the Editor: If you've ever thought you'd like to help maintain the trails we enjoy in Central Oregon, there will be two free trainings this May at which you can learn the needed skills. Details can be found at the Web link here: www.fs.fed.us/r6/willamette/admin/volunteer/training/index.html. Registration has begun and the Central Oregon session at Allingham Fire Camp near Camp Sherman is likely to fill, so best not to wait to register. Registration closes April 15. Volunteers from local trail clubs are working with the Fo... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival's annual community-themed art fund-raiser My Own Two Hands will be held Friday and Saturday, April 11-12. The event supports the Sisters Americana Project, which provides roots music education in Sisters schools. Tickets are still available for this community celebration of arts and music. This year's theme is "Reflection" and celebrates the creativity of the Central Oregon arts community and the talent of young people in Sisters. On April 11, the Community Art Stroll, from 4:30 to 7 p.m., will... Full story
Sisters' episode of "flags of fury" came to a head and then receded at last Thursday's city council meeting on March 13. The city became embroiled in a heated controversy after declining to fund and place a 25-foot flagpole overlooking a stone monument honoring Sisters veterans in the Village Green. The city cited as its reason the prior existence of a Veterans Memorial Park funded and maintained by volunteers. A parade of locals addressed the mayor and city council members, often emotionally and sometimes with accusations... Full story
Candidates and their escorts raised more than $25,000 through donations and ticket sales during this year's Mr. SHS campaign. The amount towers over the record $18,000 raised during last year's drive. Maybe this is why Riley Gilmore was so proud when he was crowned Mr. SHS 2008 to cheers of support and hardy applause at the high school auditorium last Saturday night. Ten seniors, with the help of their escorts, vied for the title. Raising anywhere from $1,000 to more than... Full story
After eight months on the job, Sisters School District superintendent Elaine Drakulich grades her job performance a "C." School Board chairman Mike Gould agrees with this rating; other board members give her higher marks. Board members reviewed superintendent Drakulich's performance at their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 11. For the most part the board responded to the self-evaluation that Drakulich crafted about herself. "I am putting more weight on my observations versus Elaine's observations," said board member Tom... Full story
The Outlaws track teams didn't let wind, cold and rain dampen efforts at the first meet of the season, a triangular against Marist and Junction City on Thursday, March 13. The non-scored meet, held at Junction City, was a perfect opportunity for athletes to put the first month of training to the test, according to head coach Bob Johnson. "Although the weather made it tough to get great marks, the effort put out by the kids was phenomenal," he said. Some bright spots among the sprinters included two wins by foreign exchange... Full story
A little natural litter can be a good thing. The Forest Service is launching a project to deliberately place trees into the Metolius River. The project will restore fish habitat to the wild and scenic river, which has steadily lost habitat from five decades of instream wood removal. With the introduction of the fish passage program at the Pelton Round Butte Dam, chinook salmon will at last have access to the Metolius after a 40-year absence. Studies have shown that habitat for the salmon juveniles on the Metolius River is onl... Full story
Sisters dominated from end line to end line from the opening whistle to the last in their 10-2 win over Thurston on Tuesday, March 11. The victory was sweet for the Outlaws who vividly remember last season when Thurston came out on top 14-3. Senior Nate Emberton led the offense in goals, putting five in the net. Emberton broke the ice for the Outlaws with an amazing shot to score the first goal of the game. "Nate had his back to the goal when he picked up a loose ball and shot it between his legs," said Coach Bill Rexford. "I... Full story
Playing with heavy hearts, the Sisters High School varsity softball team lost to visiting Crook County High School, 11-3, on March 12. The Lady Outlaws, playing only hours after learning that head coach Tom Mauldin's mother passed away, gave a determined effort against their 5A foe. The girls cheered "Maggie" as part of their pre-game warmup and honored Margaret Mauldin with an "M" behind home plate. "What can you say about girls like this. They helped me get through this,"... Full story
The yelping sounds of a pack dogs approaching a target, the pop of a slamming door, the crackling voice of a frightened child captivated both students and their teachers at Sisters Elementary School last Friday. The audience sat enraptured as master storyteller Diane Ferlatte carried her listeners by dialogue and song through one tale after another. Accompanied by Erik Pearson on banjo, Ferlatte, who resides in Oakland, California, tells stories as she remembers them being tol... Full story
The eco-destination resort known as the Metolian is back on the rails after the latest Land Use Board Of Appeals (LUBA) hearing last month. The resort is the brainchild of the Sisters-based Dutch Pacific Resources, that hopes it will be a model for future eco-destination resorts in America. Many attempts have been made to derail the resort planning, and new appeals opposing it are in the works. Opponents are concerned that new resorts in the area will have a negative impact on traffic, water and other resources and detract... Full story
•A woman reported her vehicle stolen. A deputy found it where she had left it. Now... where are those keys? •A retail clerk confiscated a fake ID from a minor who had tried to use it to buy cigarettes. •Deputies arrested a man on a parole violation. •Someone stole a bike belonging to a little boy who has cancer. •A resident complained about illegal dumping by contractors along Wilt Road. •A deputy investigating a noise complaint found a drunk man sitting in his car in front of his house... Full story
Pahlisch Homes and RE/MAX Town & Country Realty have joined forces to market the SaddleStone development in Sisters. The new subdivision in northeast Sisters will offer housing with many green features and the concept of a community within a community. With an already substantial home inventory in a slow market, Pahlisch Homes doesn't want to add to the problem. "We are not going to build just to add to the existing inventory. We will be very cautious with our speculative... Full story
After more workshops and numerous field trips, workable solutions still have not been found that speak to the concerns of all interest groups that use the Forest Service trail system. The biggest obstacle continues to be communication among the system's different users. "I actually think the biggest problem is that communication has not been as good as it could have been," said Jeff Sims of the Sisters Ranger District, who is overseeing the Peterson Ridge Trail extension project. Concerns have been expressed by spokesmen for... Full story
The Outlaws baseball team came out strong in their first game of the season and notched a 13-2 victory over Crook County at home on Wednesday, March 12. The game ended after just five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Sisters had an explosive second inning, pounding in 10 runs. The inning was highlighted by consecutive doubles by Nate Jackson, Tanner Hodges and Jarred Hasskamp. The Outlaws added two runs in the third inning, and Crook County scored their first run in the... Full story
Sculptor Dayton Lanphear has big plans for a big log. Containing enough board feet to build a three-bedroom house, the log could also produce more than 1,700 square feet of redwood decking or 50 million toothpicks. Or one really large bear. To no one's surprise, Lanphear is about to embark on the creation of the last of these options. Six years ago Lanphear was commissioned by an Alaskan shipping magnate to sculpt a nine-foot-tall Alaskan brown bear that sold for $30,000. To the delight of local art patrons, that bear was... Full story
Sisters Middle School band and choir members recently showed off their talents to families and friends during two separate performances at the Sisters Middle School commons. Late in February, fifth and sixth graders performed to a standing room only crowd, and the next week on Tuesday, March 4, seventh and eighth graders entertained a full house of supporters. Parents and grandparents flocked to the fifth and sixth grade performance. "The first band and choir performance is such an important one for students and families,"... Full story
For a decade-and-a-half jazz fans flocked to Sisters to enjoy the music of The Chicago Six. The swing jazz band was a perennial favorite at the Sisters Jazz Festival, contributing to the festival's signature tradition. In a sense it is fitting that the Sisters Jazz Festival passed into history at the same time the leader of The Chicago Six, Bob Finch, died at 82, in January. "Anyone who attended the Jazz Festival in Sisters will remember Bob Finch," said longtime Sisters resid... Full story
With the recent closure of Fotos in a Flash on Hood Avenue, the need quickly surfaced for photo printing and developing services in Sisters. Gordon and Renee Wilson, owners of Sisters Harvest Basket, jumped in and filled the vacuum and now offer full photo services at Sisters Harvest Basket. Although a few minor changes are in the works, the overall transition should be seamless for folks who have come to depend upon the local photo shop service. "We purchased some of the... Full story
The boys tennis team defeated Madras (5A) 5-3 in their first match of the season on Friday, March 14, despite the fact they were short five varsity players due to ineligibility and illness. The team had to play in nasty, cold and windy weather. The conditions didn't stop Sisters from sweeping the White Buffs in singles competition. Number one singles player Evan Sims defeated Jonathan Hutchins 7-5, 6-0. Sims started out cold and struggled to take the first set. From there, he picked it up and closed Hutchins out fast in the... Full story
South of the border cuisine was the fare at a fund-raising dinner to provide travel expenses for a mission group who will go to Mexico in a few weeks.Three Sisters Fellowship has sent a group to Mexico several times over the last few years to assist at an orphanage located near Tijuana. This year's trip will be the first time in two years that the church has sent a group to the orphanage; last year they were not able to make the trip. "Two years ago we had 36 who went, and there were 25 students and 11 adults," said Reverend... Full story
