News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 31
Dry fuels and high winds contributed to two fires near Sisters last week, according to Dave Wheeler, fire marshal for the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District. “On March 16, we had a quarter acre between Sisters High School and Tollgate. There also was a one-acre fire off Harrington Loop east of town. Both fires were escaped debris burning fires,” he added. District crews responded to knock the blazes down. A winter with far below normal snowfall and what looks like an early spring means that residents of the... Full story
A wind storm with gusts well over 50 miles per hour uprooted trees from Cloverdale to Black Butte Ranch (BBR) and knocked out electrical power in parts of the Sisters area for about six hours on Wednesday, March 16. Trees toppled onto roofs of homes and cars at the Ranch. Shortly after 4 p.m., Black Butte Ranch fire and police units were dispatched on a report of a tree that had fallen on a condominium with renters still inside. A BBR fire district student firefighter was... Full story
A couple traveling eastbound toward Sisters on Highway 20 on Wednesday, March 16, escaped serious injury when a rock smashed through the windshield of their sedan as they passed the Mt. Washington Viewpoint near Suttle Lake. According to Black Butte Ranch Police reports, the incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. Sisters-Camp Sherman emergency personnel, Black Butte Ranch Fire District, Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Transportation and Black Butte Ranch police... Full story
The Lady Outlaws came up one run short in each of two tough softball games last week. Sisters lost 8-7 on Tuesday, March 15 at home against La Pine and then fell 3-2 on Friday against 4A Summit in a contest that carried into extra innings. Cindy Harp scored Sisters’ first run of the game in the second inning in Tuesday’s game against La Pine. Harp got a base hit, advanced to third on two passed balls and scored on a ground ball by Courtney Overstreet. In the fourth Samantha Stoneback walked, stole two bases and scored on a pa... Full story
The Sisters High School varsity baseball team lost 10-1 at home to La Pine in their season opener on Tuesday, March 15. Sisters’ lone run came in the first inning from Carter Davenport. Davenport drew a walk to get on base and was able to advance two bases on wild pitches. Carter scored on a ground ball hit by Austin Stark. Six of La Pine’s batters were hit by a pitch at the plate and three drew walks, which were the key to La Pine’svictory. Three days later Sisters faced... Full story
Sisters’ Kayla Miller took individual honors with a score of 83 in the Lady Outlaws’ first golf match of the season at Crooked River Ranch on March 17. Sisters, Redmond, Madras and Estacada participated in the tournament. Redmond finished in first place and Sisters was runner-up. Krystal Fitter carded a 96 followed by Jennifer Friend at 120. Torie Smith finished with a 126 and Maureen Broadbent at 128. Miller hit her tee shots and iron shots very well but struggled with her... Full story
The battle between Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) and the Cyrus family of Sisters over a power line upgrade has taken a new twist. On Thursday, March 17, CEC filed a Measure 37 claim with Deschutes County demanding compensation for the loss of fair market value for their utility easements and improvements along the so-called Jordan Road Line. The line runs across the property of Keith Cyrus, who has successfully fought efforts by CEC to install more and taller towers as... Full story
Ben Thornes can fight forest fires, cut down trees, design landscaping for golf courses, and create websites. No wonder SisterScapes, Inc. owner Bob Aitken snapped him up to fill his job opening. In his new position, Thornes will be designing landscapes for customers from Sisters to Bend. Thornes has a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Idaho. However, he wasn’t sure exact-ly how he would use hiseducation. At one time in his career, Thornes worked for h... Full story
• Easter brunch specials abound in Sisters this week: Coyote Creek Café is serving Easter Brunch from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended for this full course meal. • Black Butte Ranch is hosting an Easter Brunch from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. this Sunday. Special menuprovided. • Angeline’s Bakery is featuring a special Easter Brunch Fare served to the sounds of Dennis McGregor performing solo. Unique holiday goodies will also be available throughout the weekend. • Rexford Holly Stationers, a premier stationery... Full story
The City of Sisters will ask voters for approval to annex 4.34 acres located north of Barclay Drive just west of Conklin’s Guest House Bed & Breakfast. The property is currently owned by Richard Carpenter. Approval of the measure on the May 17 ballot would not assure automatic annexation. According to the Explanatory Statement for the County Voter’s Pamphlet, “Before annexation could occur, the property would also need to receive approval through a separate land use planning process for inclusion in the Sisters Urban Growt... Full story
Seven Black Butte School District students turned success at the regional History Day competition in Madras, March 12, into a berth at state level competition at Willamette University in April. The national history competition engages students in grades 6-12 in a discovery and interpretation of historical topics. Students have to connect their project to this year’s theme “Communication in History: Keys to Understanding.” Sixth grader Lauren White explored the topic of Ameri... Full story
There will be a Sisters School Board contest in the May 17 election after all. A last-minute filing by Sisters business owner Jeff Haken will pit him against former high-tech executive RobCorrigan. The contested seat, Position 2, is being vacated byveteran Sisters Realtor Bill Reed, who is retiring after 13 years on the board. Two other seats on the five-member board will be on the ballot but uncontested. Position 5 is occupied by Board Chairman Glen Lasken, who is running for re-election, and Position 1 is held by Nugget pub... Full story
Since the Americana Project began in 2001 at Sisters High School, Director Brad Tisdel has looked for opportunities to expand the project throughout the Sisters school system. That goal became reality this year with the first Sisters Elementary School program for the Americana Project. The effort was a success, with the students showing their stuff in a stage performance last month. The Americana Project began as an outgrowth of the Sisters Folk Festival, whose board of... Full story
At least one Sisters school is likely to participate in a new program intended to make the Deschutes Public Library System (DPLS) more accessible to students. One purpose is to improve students’ research skills. DPLS Director Michael Gaston is making the rounds of Deschutes County school boards to explain the project. He spoke briefly to the Sisters School Board at its March 7 meeting. Three of the 28 schools in the county will be selected for the first year, 2005-06. Schools must apply for the program and must meet c... Full story
Easter films are like “Rashomon” (1950). Akira Kurosawa’s classic film features four people who tell the same story differently. Most people know the basic story of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. But versions of exactly how and why these events happened are different. The devil is in the details. Sometimes literally. Director Martin Scorcese (“The Aviator,” 2004) is a deeply religious man who entered a seminary in 1956 with the intention of becoming a priest. His excellent film “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988... Full story
You know how it is when you open your P.O. Box; inside are things you just don’t want to drag out — bills, junk mail and stuff you really don’t need. Yesterday, however, I spotted a return address as I was pulling mail out of my box that always brings on a big smile and a sense of anticipation: the logo of the Reno Championship Air Racing Association (RARA). If your life is as busy as mine, there are some things that I just have to schedule way ahead of time to make sure... Full story
Pearl Ida Rutschow of Sisters died on March 9. She was 85. She was born March 25, 1919, in Winona, Minnesota, to parents Frederick and Jesse (Gaeble) Bauer She married Charles Rutschow on May 17, 1941, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She worked for Mondovi Lutheran Home in Mondovia, Wisconsin, as a nurse administrator. She moved to Sisters in 1997. She enjoyed reading, knitting and traveling. She is survived by her daughter Jane Kirkpatrick of Moro, Oregon; son Craig Rutschow of Redwing, Minnesota; brother Stanley Bauer of... Full story
Marty Hayden of Sisters died on March 19 of a brain aneurism. He was 38. He was born in Lebanon, Oregon. His parents are Jim and Mary Hayden and Bonnie Jacobs-Halousek and Neal Halousek. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 24, at Eagle Crest Conference Center west of Redmond. The self-employed retailer spent two years in college and four years in the military. He enjoyed spending time with his family, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, camping and... Full story
The Sisters Community Garden is getting closer to existence. I’ve set up a web site at www.sisterscommunitygarden.org. If interested, please e-mail [email protected] or call me at 420-3730 so I can find out how many people would want to rent a plot in the garden. Bruce Berryhill To the Editor: The best part about McDonald’s coming to town is getting rid of that Chevron gas station on the corner of Oak Street and Cascade Avenue. What an eyesore. Judy Bull... Full story
It’s easy to sit on the couch, thumb the remote control and complain about the way “they” are running the state, the city, the country, the schools. Sure, big money, special interests and slick lobbyists have way too much influence on our government. It’s easy to think that the people we send to Salem and Washington aren’t listening to people like you and me. We won’t change that by staying home and complaining. The only way we can take back control of our own government... Full story
Sisters citizens gave their state representatives an earful on topics ranging from land use to studded tires to rights for gays and lesbians at a Town Hall meeting at Ponderosa Lodge on Saturday, March 19. Despite being scheduled at 5 p.m. on a Saturday evening, the forum drew some 42 participants, who asked questions and offered comments to Senator Ben Westlund and to Representatives Gene Whisnant and Chuck Burley. The trio had spent the day ranging the region seeking public... Full story
Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation (SOAR) will ask Sisters voters to approve a five-year local option levy in the May 17 election. SOAR will ask for 35 cents per $1,000 value property tax rate, with 24 cents needed to maintain programs and 11 cents targeted for capital improvements. SOAR directors say the need to provide a permanent funding source for SOAR has become apparent as grant income sources have|diminished. In 1998 SOAR went to the voters seeking stable funding to continue and expand operations.... Full story
A dozen hikers hit the trail last weekend on a section of the Santiam Wagon Road (SWR) that is open to off-road vehicles. The McKenzie Ranger District has proposed to open 39 miles of existing forest system roads to ATVs, including parts of the Santiam Wagon Road in the Santiam Pass area (see The Nugget, March 2, page 9). The hikers trekked the section between Fish Lake and Eno Road (Road 2676). The six-mile round trip meandered through lush Douglas fir, hemlock and white fir... Full story
Sisters Community Theatre is preparing for “He Said, She Said,” an evening of one-act plays that explore human relationships from a comic perspective. “Amicable Parting,” written by George S. Kaufman and directed by Diana Kelleher, presents a wry look at the different ways a man and woman perceive the events of their life together as they split up their possessions in preparation for divorce. The two roles are played by Michael and Leslie Valoppi. “Sure Thing,” by David Ives,... Full story
Organizers of this year’s “My Own Two Hands” winter fund-raiser for the Americana Project are asking people in Sisters to “Make Time.” Artists and craftsmen made time by creating a clock-based piece of art for the auction; musicians are making time to play some music during the art stroll on April 8. Now they are asking Sisters residents to “Make Time” to attend the art stroll on April 8 and the art auction on April 9 and see what the artists in Sisters have made time to... Full story
