News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
The closure of Sisters Charter Academy of Fine Arts (SCAFA) last week leaves the Sisters School District holding the bag for at least $18,000. That's the amount of state school funding district administrators distributed to the charter school before the beginning of the 2009-10 school year, based on SCAFA's projection of enrollment. That projection turned out to be over-optimistic. "I think that was corrected as soon as the real numbers came in," said school board chair Christ... Full story
Nothing feels worse than getting bucked off of a bronc in the rodeo arena and landing on a rock. That's why volunteers spend seemingly endless hours picking rocks out of the Sisters Rodeo arena each year, for the protection of both livestock and competitors. And each year, it seems like the arena has grown a whole new crop of rocks. Their work is going to be a lot easier this year. The arena at Sisters Rodeo grounds is being reconditioned in a nearly $20,000 construction proje... Full story
"Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting over." Its an old saying in the American West, but it's as true now as it was 150 years ago. The fighting is now done - mostly - by lawyers in a courtroom instead of gunmen on the range, but passions rise as high as they ever did. Jan Daggett and her McKenzie Canyon neighbor Doris Kozlovic have filed suit to stop the Three Sisters Irrigation District's $5.8 million McKenzie Canyon Piping Project. There are three properties in... Full story
To the Editor: Last week there was a really nice article published about our Sparrow, Holly Davis ("Schools give to Sisters Sparrow," The Nugget, March 24, page 20). Becca Pelham did a fine job describing Holly, her family and what our club has been doing to help the Davis family. Our student body has enjoyed completing their community service hours for Holly. In fact, they have completed well over the minimum 256 hours that Sparrow Club USA will pay toward Holly's project. However, in order for Holly to get those dollars, a... Full story
The financial woes and various contretemps and controversies in the Sisters School District haven't discouraged applicants for the position of superintendent. School board vice chairman Glen Lasken reported Friday afternoon, hours before the application deadline, that Sisters has received 31 applicants for the job - 23 of them from Oregon, eight coming from out of state. "The previous times we've had 20 to 22," Lasken said. A screening committee will conduct a training session on Wednesday, March 31, and begin screening the... Full story
Entry forms for the 2010 Sisters Rodeo Parade are now available. The parade will be held on Saturday, June 12 at 9:30 a.m. in Sisters as part of the 70th anniversary celebration of "The Biggest Little Show in the World." Entry deadline is May 15. Parade position numbers will be sent out after that date, according to the parade committee. "The number of entries is limited, so interested persons should apply as soon as possible before the registration deadline," said Jeri Buckmann, parade co-chairman. Entry forms can be... Full story
Stars Over Sisters has established its star watch schedule for 2010 (see page 20). Set to begin its third year of activity, this group of local stargazers is dedicated to bringing a heightened awareness of astronomy, as well as an appreciation of the beauty of the night sky, to the Sisters community. In cooperation with the Sisters School District and Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD), eight events are planned for this year. Amateur astronomers from the Sisters... Full story
There are a dozen regular volunteers, retired men who live in Sisters, who have built Habitat for Humanity homes in Sisters. "I like to work with the guys and help those that need homes. It's a good organization," said retired business owner George Sproat, who has volunteered for 14 years. Bob Harris of Sisters has volunteered for over 10 years. "It seemed like a nice thing to do," he said. "I have helped build at least 25 houses. For a long time I used my own spray outfit to... Full story
Camp Sherman residents, along with much of Sisters Country were severely impacted by last December's extended power outage. Central Electric Cooperative representatives spoke with folks in Camp Sherman Tuesday, March 23, at the request of the Camp Sherman Community Association. Residents asked CEC to discuss the outage and any planned upgrades for the Camp Sherman area. The outage affected 400 customers in Camp Sherman and about 3,000 customers overall, according to CEC. Doug Ertner, senior account executive and Don Lang,... Full story
The City of Sisters Urban Forestry Board is seeking to recognize the individuals, groups, and trees that make our city unique. The 2010 Sisters Urban Forest Awards recognize an outstanding tree within the Sisters urban growth boundary and individuals, groups, or agencies that have been leaders in the efforts to enhance and maintain Sisters' community forest (trees and related vegetation growing within the city's urban growth boundary) during the past year. There are two categories of awards: Citizen Forester and Tree of the... Full story
Four Outlaws were all-league selections this year, including Drew Harrison, John Erickson, Rodney Warner and Jalen Miller. Senior Drew Harrison was a first-team all-league selection and was the glue that held the young Sisters squad together. Harrison wrapped up his fourth year as a varsity player as the third all-time leading scorer. "Drew played every quarter in his four years of varsity basketball," said Coach Rand Runco. "Drew was incredibly consistent, a great defender... Full story
Members of the Sisters High School varsity softball team had a little bit of everything last week, winning three games and losing two games. They battled Canby, one of the state's top-ranked 6A teams, for 11 innings before losing 8-7; they handily defeated three 4A teams in their own tournament and were shut out by another 6A powerhouse squad in losing to Tigard. And if there wasn't enough excitement on the fields, the Outlaws played in weather that ranged from the mid-70s in... Full story
The boys lacrosse team players haven't let their inexperience slow them down. In fact, the young squad, with many new starters at the varsity level, is off to a great start. The Outlaws started off the season with a 21-0 shutout over Redmond. Next up was the Table Rock Tournament in Boise, Idaho, March 12-14. Inclement weather put a damper on the three-day tourney and all games had to be modified and didn't count as full games played. Most recently, Saturday, March 20, the... Full story
Girls lacrosse began in Sisters just three years ago as a middle school team, joined by a couple of high school players. For two years players have worked on basic skills, scrimmaged with local teams and this year for the first time will compete as a JV team as members of the Girls Lacrosse Association. Michele Hammer is the girls' head coach and has been with the program since its inception. Eight girls return from last year, including six seniors: Lauren Clymens, Loryn Cummi... Full story
Dear friends and family gathered at Sisters Coffee Company on Monday, March 22, to observe and honor the 100th birthday of Lt. Col. Robert (Bob) Taggart. Taggart passed away quietly in December 2008, just 18 months shy of the milestone century mark. He was a smiling force in Sisters, often regaling his "veteran buddy" coffee group with remembrances of a distinguished career in the armed forces, serving in both World War II and Korea, and earning two silver and two bronze... Full story
Austin Erlandson, one of Sisters' outstanding young musicians who has impressed audiences with his electrifying guitar work, original compositions and his infectious voice, is set to play at Slick's Que Co. on Friday, April 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. Erlandson, a senior at Sisters High School, has already recorded his first CD, entitled "Three Days." Slick's Que Co. is featuring Erlandson on its new stage so folks in Sisters have the opportunity to see the musician in a small and... Full story
Paul Romain, of the Oregon Petroleum Association, says that the City of Sisters cannot collect the three-cents-per-gallon gas tax that voters approved in the March 9 election. "The tax vote is meaningless and the tax is void," Romain told The Nugget. "It cannot be collected based upon this ordinance. The city can pass a local tax after January 2, 2014, if the voters approve after that date." A lawsuit was filed in Deschutes County on March 12 on behalf of American Energy, which operates the Mainline Station Chevron... Full story
Ron Jeffers presented a pictorial retrospective of his work: photographs he has taken across our state, called "Oregon Moments," last weekend at Black Butte Ranch. They are the exhibit at the Gallery at the Lodge at the Ranch through this weekend. Jeffers brought several close-ups of leaves and trees showing off nature's bright hues. Photography started for him as a hobby. Jeffers described his process: "The thing is to go to the places where pictures can find you," Jeffers... Full story
Law enforcement officers from Bend Police, the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and Oregon State Police tracked down a pair of Montana men in connection with a stolen car and a high-speed chase last week. Police located 20-year-old Zachary Bergman, of Montana, last Friday after he eluded police on Thursday in multiple chases involving a stolen vehicle. Police found him hiding in a duplex on S.E. Wilson Ave. in the city of Bend. Bergman was located based on information obtained from an anonymous source stating Bergman was... Full story
The forecast called for a flurry of snowflakes and woodchips in the Rockies when Sisters' celebrity lumberjack, David Green, took up his axe to vie for a return as champion at the 2010 Stihl Timbersports Western Collegiate Challenge, held March 19 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. ESPN's university channel, ESPNU, captured the event for a future telecast. Green triumphed for a second year in a row amid solid competition and the ire of Old Man Winter. The... Full story
Ask Christine Cole of Sisters Feed & Supply any question on animal health, nutrition or breeding and she'll return with a wealth of accurate, illuminating answers. She's like our own private Wikipedia for pet care and advice. From birds to lizards, aquarium fish to horses, Cole's knowledge spans the spectrum of the animal kingdom. But her pride and passion is her rare breed roosters and chickens. Cole is a hobby-breeder of what are known as dual-purpose "Heritage Breed"... Full story
Spring is definitely here, with sunny warm days followed by snowstorms the next morning. Regardless, most of the local running trails are in excellent condition, ready for all those runners who are anxious for the spring and summer running season. The Peterson Ridge Rumble 30k and 50k trail run will cover most of those paths on Sunday, April 11. Race director Sean Meissner is expecting a record field, with 345 runners pre-registered. That number bodes well for the Sisters... Full story
Dave Wood wrote: Because of health issues of my wife, Linda, we have sold our Sisters home and are relocating to the Portland area to be closer to family. We enjoyed our years in Sisters and want to acknowledge some folks who we saw as "heads above" in terms of service to the Sisters community. One of our favorites is Gary Frazee. He represented the City of Sisters well; always there to help...no matter what the issue was. Thanks Gary. Another city employee, Carol Jenkins, is a special person; always greeting us with a... Full story
Most of the holidays and observances we celebrate here in America are pretty easy to remember and can be classified, somewhat arbitrarily, into two groups. First, there are the events that occur on the same date of the same month, but on different days of the week, every year. Examples are New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Veterans Day and Christmas. There's another set of holidays that fall on the same day of the week of a particular month, but the dates are different from year to year. You are fa... Full story
