News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 36
John Shepherd, who filed a complaint about Sisters High School’s program for Talented and Gifted (TAG) students, is happy with the response from the Oregon Department of Education. And he is guardedly hopeful that the state’s criticism will “compel Sisters to put their program in gear.” Superintendent Ted Thonstad received a letter from ODE officials October 31 laying out “initial findings” to the effect that the district’s TAG program was deficient. High School Principal Bob Macauley said most of the problems cited can be... Full story
State Senator Ben Westlund has been on the road a lot lately. He’s criss-crossing Oregon seeking what he calls “a plausible path to victory” in a race for the governor’s office in November 2006. If he sees that path open ahead of him, he may run for the state’s highest office as an independent candidate. “I won’t get into this unless there’s a path to victory,” he told The Nugget last week. “I won’t play the spoiler role.” The path seems increasingly clear for Westlund, a Tumalo resident whose district includes most of the Si... Full story
With the first dusting of snow on the Three Sisters after November 1 the rush is on for Sisters drivers to have snow tires installed. “We may mount snow tires on up to 125 vehicles a day,” said Jeff Taylor of Taylor Tire Center, the local Les Schwab outlet. “It all depends on the severity of the weather, but our busy season with snow tires may stretch out to six weeks.” Taylor sees a slight increase in the use of studless snow tires each winter, but studs remain the most popul... Full story
To the Editor: What is a typical day at Sonrise Christian School? In response to the November 2 charter school article (“Parents seek charter school,” page 1), let me share with you a day in my fourth/fifth classroom. Our day begins as an elementary community with announcements, singing, and prayer. In class, I employ flexible grouping driven by students’ needs and monitored by student, teacher and parent. In language arts we engage in grammar songs/chants, reading groups, process writing, and spelling activities. Some stude... Full story
In the 1980s, Sisters had five full-time police officers; Black Butte Ranch had six. Youth vandalism was rampant and uncontrollable, from Sisters to Tollgate to Black Butte Ranch. Burglary was common in Sisters’ businesses. Mine was struck three times. Two events changed this picture: Building a high school in Sisters and initiating SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation). With the high school more teenagers could be involved in extra-curricular activities. SOAR became the center of fulfilling the L... Full story
Five outstanding musicians from Sisters took the stage with dozens of their peers from around Central Oregon on November 9 as part of the Central Oregon Middle School and High School Honors Orchestra. The students were all recommended by Sisters music director Jody Henderson for their talent and dedication. The students had to demonstrate that dedication in two grueling days of rehearsal. The students rehearsed for six hours on Tuesday, November 8, then worked another six... Full story
The Black Butte Ranch police levy passed handily 187 votes to 43 in the Tuesday, November 8, election. The funds produced will pay for continued full-time police services at BBR. “It was real good news to us,” said BBR Police Chief Gil Zaccaro. “We kinda thought it would pass, but we didn’t think it would be so overwhelming.” The measure required a 50 percent voter turnout, which was easily surpassed. The Black Butte Ranch Police Department asked property owners in the resort community west of Sisters to approve a local opt... Full story
There were strange sightings around Sisters last Saturday morning before most people woke up. First, there was a lot of traffic on the frosty roads in the still-dark early morning hour of 6:30 a.m. Then, parking spaces filled up at the west end of town. Later, women began showing up at The Gallery and other breakfast spots in their pajamas. The fun was all caused by The Stitchin’ Post’s annual pajama sale. Shoppers were motivated to be early birds and stick with the dress cod... Full story
Five of the Sisters High School varsity volleyball players were Capital Conference all-league selections. Kayla Krumveida, Claire Rerat, Heather Schaab and Kali Ulmer were all named first-team all-league and Jaci Armstrong was named second team. Coach Chris Crosby had words of praise for all. Senior Kayla Krumveida was the setter for the Lady Outlaws this year and a team leader. “Kayla worked hard every day in practice and deserved to get this great recognition from the other coaches in the league,” Crosby said. “She has a... Full story
Sisters area residents and lovers of outdoor art know Dan Rickards for his award-winning depictions of wildlife and the landscapes of Central Oregon. Now the artist will reach an even broader audience with a segment on the cable TV Outdoor Channel show, “Wildlife Art Gallery.” A film crew with two high-definition cameras met Rickards last month in Sisters and filmed at Clearwater Gallery and all around Sisters. According to a letter from the show’s producers, the focus of th... Full story
Now that Sisters School District has a new contract with its teachers’ union, bargaining attention has turned to those who perform other jobs for the district. They are known as classified employees and they are represented by Chapter 92 of the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA). Negotiations with this group have been on hold for several weeks until a settlement could be reached with the teachers. This suited both management and labor leaders, who were aware that traditionally Sisters gives classified employees the s... Full story
The Outlaws had a stellar football season — and it was evident when coaches from around the league gathered to name all-league selections. The first-team, second-team and honorable mention honors that are awarded are performance-based. Two offensive and defensive players of the year are also chosen. This year Andy Burke and Cory McCaffrey were named Co-Offensive Players of the Year and Sam Pyke was named as one of the Defensive Players of the Year. Seven Outlaws were named to the offensive first-team all-league and i... Full story
Luck just didn’t follow the Outlaws into the postseason. Tuesday, November 8, offered a perfect day for soccer in Sisters. The skies were blue and the field was in good shape. None of that mattered in the end when the Outlaws suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to Seaside. Seaside scored just under the two-minute mark at the start of the game, which immediately forced the Outlaws into a catch-up situation. Sisters responded well and controlled the ball most of the first half. R... Full story
The Lady Outlaws ended their soccer season on Saturday, November 12, when they lost 5-0 to Wilsonville. Wilsonville scored three of their goals in the first half of the game and added two more in the second. Sisters only had one shot on goal the entire game. Despite the loss, Coach Lee Bellahdid was proud of his girls and their successful season. “We started our season early and worked hard every practice and that’s all I can ask for,” said Bellahdid. “I’m very proud of the gi... Full story
The Small Farmer’s Journal, published in Sisters, has been nominated for a 2005 Utne Independent Press Award by Utne Magazine in the category of Environmental Coverage. Utne Magazine is the nation’s leading digest of alternative ideas and has itself been nominated three times for the National Magazine Award for General Excellence. Small Farmer’s Journal, an international agrarian quarterly, is now entering its 30th year of publication. Small Farmer’s Journal features articles related to farming on small acreage and follows... Full story
Sisters resident Paul Lipscomb is challenging Measure 37 and his neighbor’s plans to develop a subdivision under the provisions of the new law. Measure 37 was passed by Oregon voters last fall. It requires that property owners who have lost value because of land use regulation changes must either be granted waivers by the regulating government or be compensated for lost value. The law was ruled unconstitutional by a Marion County circuit court judge last month. That decision will be reviewed by the Oregon Supreme Court next m... Full story
Sue Anderson’s audience left her Lunch & Learn presentation ready to brave even the nastiest Central Oregon weather to go butterfly hunting. The lepidopterist guided her listeners through the natural history of Central Oregon butterflies and finished with an assortment of colorful slides of different species. “We do yearly counts of butterflies in the Green Ridge area and the Ochocos,” Anderson told the group. Another beautiful area to visit is Mary’s Peak, located outside... Full story
In a sure sign that the holiday season is upon us, Camp Sherman is set to host the annual Holiday Bazaar in the Pines at the Camp Sherman Community Center on Friday and Saturday, November 25 and 26. The Friday evening event is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. with Thai cuisine featured on the menu. On Saturday, November 26, the event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoppers will find artists’ works and individually-crafted gifts and scrumptious foods. They can take home the scents of the Metolius Basin in a freshly-made evergreen w... Full story
Eight Sisters girls earned all-league honors in soccer this season. Liz Dale (center midfield) was voted the Capital Conference MVP and was also a first-team all-league selection. “Liz’s dribbling and mobility at center midfield helped in assisting on many goals throughout the season,” said Coach Lee Bellahdid. “All the coaches agreed she was the most valuable player for those reasons.” Annie Hancock (stopper) and Katy Taylor (forward) were also first-team selections. Bellahdid said, “Annie is a good ball distributor... Full story
Wilson Wewa, a Northern Paiute from Warm Springs, thrilled a packed house at Black Butte Ranch (BBR) with descriptions of early times in the area. Meeting with the Friends of BBR, Wewa described Indian foods, medicines, hunting camps and winter use of local caves. “I’m now into cultural protection of my ancestors’ materials and records,” said Wewa. He spends a lot of time working in the area of traditional foods and medicine. “Our collecting areas for native foods has becom... Full story
Sisters area residents can make this holiday season a happy one for folks in need through the Sisters Kiwanis Holiday Food Drive. The program provides Christmas dinner for needy and low-income families in the Sisters School District. In addition, The Nugget’s Furry Friends Pet Food Drive provides food for pets, and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District will distribute toys (see related story, page 28). Applications for the program may be picked up at the Kiwanis House on the corner of Main Avenue and Oak S... Full story
Sisters area residents can weigh in on plans to protect their homes from wildfire at two informal open houses on the proposed Sisters Area Fuels Reduction (SAFR) Project hosted this week by the Sisters Ranger District. The forums are a response to concerns and questions from many residents and local fire agencies about how to protect homes from wildfires spreading from nearby national forest lands. Plans for reducing hazardous forest fuels and restoring forest health will be presented for public comment Wednesday, November... Full story
A planned brief outage at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, November 17, will allow Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) technicians to adjust their Sisters substation to increase voltage in the Sisters area. The adjustment will increase capacity by 2.5 percent. According to CEC spokesman Jim Crowell, the move gives the system “a little better margin just in case we do get an Arctic express and a very cold winter.... Full story
Will seeds sprout faster under a heat lamp? Will wheat seeds sprouted in food coloring change the color of the plant? Or will a little pineapple juice speed up germination? These are the questions seventh graders at Sisters Middle School answered in a two-week, hands-on project led by life science teacher Carol Packard. Sisters Middle School was one of 10 U.S. schools participating in the fall project sponsored by the Botanical Society of America. The program, titled Scientific Inquiry through Plants (SIP), teaches... Full story
Travis J. Elpi of Sisters died on Tuesday, November 8. He was 26. Travis was born and raised in Sisters. Over the years he enjoyed and excelled at many creative and constructive activities, including ceramics, music, snowboarding, flyfishing, rock climbing and woodworking. He was well-known and greatly loved by many members of the community, who note that they will carry him in their heart always. Travis is survived by his parents, David and Kathleen Elpi of Sisters; his... Full story
