News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
Terry L. Taylor of Sisters has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex abuse and violating a restraining order. According to Deschutes County District Attorney Mike Dugan, a trial on 37 counts of sex abuse, including nine felonies, has been set for July 9. Dugan said that a separate trial on violating a restraining order is scheduled for July 23. Dugan said those alleged violations were for calls to his wife and sending her roses. In the meantime, prosecutors and defense attorneys will continue to negotiate. Dugan said the... Full story
The new Sisters High School will come in just under the $21 million budget set by the school board. Kirby Nagelhout agreed on Monday, April 22, to a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) of $17,997,265 for the project. The district also has just under $3 million in "owners costs" such as professional fees, systems development charges, studies and inspections. The price guarantee means that if bids come in higher than expected, the contractor still must meet the GMP. "If he goes over... Full story
Bryon Burleigh, with his sister Amber, is recovering from a snowboarding accident. Bryon Burleigh knew as soon as he landed wrong after his snowboard jump that his life had changed. The 22-year-old Sisters resident was on his lunch break at Hoodoo Ski Area on February 28 when he made a jump that didn't work out quite right. He overshot his landing, fell on his back -- and couldn't get up. "I sat there, lying on the mountain and I thought, 'I know I broke something.'" He was... Full story
Kathryn Godsiff looking at a silent auction item. The third annual Empty Bowls fund-raiser on Friday, April 19, helped replenish the Family Access Network (FAN) emergency fund. The event raised almost $4,000 for FAN, which spent $5,000 over the past three months to help families in need. "Oregon has the highest unemployment rate in the country," said Theresa Slavkovsky, the director of FAN. "Since September 11, there have been a lot more layoffs, a lot more need in this community. "The FAN emergency fund is used to help... Full story
A ponderosa is removed from its home... in a house. When Chris and Kara Jensen bought their house, it came with some unusual baggage. The problem wasn't with water rights or septic systems or termites. The house had been built around a large Ponderosa pine tree. While the scenic pines are common to the Tollgate neighborhood in which they live, most homes are built amid the trees, not around them. The sight of the tall Ponderosa sticking through the A-frame roof was somewhat of a landmark, but the Jensen's decided that it had... Full story
Residents are no longer required to sort their tin, plastic, paper, colored glass and clear glass into different compartments when recycling. As of last month they need only sort their glass from other recyclable items in a process termed "comingling." According to Public Works Director Gary Frazee, Deschutes County ships the items to Portland where the paper, plastic and tin are then sorted using various levels of air pressure. "It's easier and more efficient because nobody really sorted it anyway," said Frazee. The change... Full story
The High Desert Forum is known for bringing top-notch speakers to Central Oregon, but Sisters' reputation for quilting may have an influence, too. Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Oman, David J. Dunford, was in Central Oregon last week to address the Forum, but most of his time was spent in Sisters. "My wife, Sandy, is a quilter," Dunford explained, "so we've been to Sisters before." The Forum's Executive Director, Bruce Bishop, confirmed that staying in Sisters was part of the deal for getting the Dunfords to... Full story
Mark Rapp has been promoted ... away from Sisters. For years, The Nugget has reported on the fire suppression work led by Assistant Fire Management Officer, Mark Rapp. No more. Starting this week, the "assistant" will be dropped from Rapp's title; but, from Sisters' point of view, there's a downside. Rapp is leaving the Sisters Ranger District to report as Fire Management Officer to the Fort Rock and Crescent Ranger Districts. For the 15 years that he's been in the Sisters Ranger District, Rapp has been closely identified... Full story
Sheriff's deputies issued 35 traffic citations in March and 28 in February. A deputy reporting to the Sisters City Council on Thursday, April 11 gave incorrect numbers that led councilors to question whether there has been enough traffic enforcement in Sisters. The deputy reported one citation in March and none in February. It turned out that those numbers were for criminal citations, not standard violations. According to Mayor Steve Wilson, the sheriff's office will revise its report format to clarify the statistics. Wilson... Full story
Laurent Vermeulen was born and raised in Belgium. As a small child, he watched gypsy caravans come and go and quickly became captivated by their nomadic lifestyle. He recently followed a gypsy's path to Sisters for the Small Farmer's Journal auction at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. In 1996, Laurent began to build a gypsy wagon of his own. Vermeulen's custom-made wagon was greatly superior to the gypsy wagons he'd seen in his youth--his only weighed 3,550 pounds, had hydraulic brakes and good insulation. He even installed a small... Full story
Although David J. Dunford, the former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Oman, spent much of last week in Sisters, his real purpose for being in Central Oregon was to speak to the High Desert Forum on the Middle East. On Wednesday night, April 17, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bend, that's exactly what he did. Dunford started with the premise that "I don't need to remind anyone how important the Middle East is to U.S. interests." He asked how many people walked to the Forum; the answer: none. The answer was the same... Full story
Randy King and his wife Stephanie in Boston. Local marathoner Randy King realized one of his highest running goals when he finished the 106th Boston Marathon on April 15. The Boston Marathon, considered the most prestigious foot race in America, has been run since April, 1897, after leaders of the Boston Athletic Association were inspired by the marathon that took place as part of the 1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Boston Marathon has grown from 19 starters in the inaugural race to over 16,000 this year. King qualified... Full story
Sisters kids attended Life 101 to get set for life beyond high school. Sisters' Life 101 isn't a typical youth retreat. Participants learn about basic car care... and what to look for in a mate. They put together a meal from scratch... and discover the very different ways that men and women communicate. It's not sponsored by the school or any particular church. This life-skills enhancing weekend evolved three years ago from a basic parental concern: Do my kids have all the skills necessary to survive life after high school?... Full story
Outlaws bats are producing in a big way. The Sisters varsity baseball dismantled Cascade last week, then came from behind to beat Central in a crucial Capital Conference match-up. Last Tuesday, April 16, the Outlaws traveled to Cascade and prevailed by a score that was more suitable for football, 21-8. "For people who enjoy good, clean baseball it was not the game to see," said Coach Ray Garrettson. Played in wet, sloppy conditions, the boys from Central Oregon played a little sloppy themselves. "It was encouraging for us to... Full story
You can almost see the light bulbs coming on in John Renner's class -- literally. Renner, who teaches the OutlawNet computer class at Sisters High School, has introduced a Sterling Cycle engine to his students. "We wanted to get the kids to do some engineering," he said. Renner also teaches Social Studies, and that is part of his interest in this project as well. "I also want to examine the social issues raised by an engine that has been pretty much ignored. The Sterling Cycle engine was originally sold commercially in 1895... 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: We are writing to... 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., 1st Monday each month, high 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 - Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets the 2nd Monday each month, 8 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 549-0771. - Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD meets for drill every Monday, 7... Full story
Your article on the proposed Squaw Creek land exchange legislation was timely and thoughtful. The Sisters community should appreciate you bringing this proposal out into the light, as it is likely the only public scrutiny that this exchange will receive. No one in the community, not the Forest Service, nor those who use and love this area have a seat at the table where this deal is being made. It is not my intent to question efforts to protect lands on Steens Mountain. The exchange is simply a bad bargain for Sisters resident... Full story
- A man reached under his car to retrieve something, forgetting the car was in reverse. The inevitable happened. Medics drove the man to the hospital. - A woman was arrested for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after deputies were summoned to her home by a report of a domestic squabble. The woman was apparently drunk and foul mouthed and flailed around considerably while deputies tried to question her boyfriend and her son about the alleged domestic incident. After her arrest, she continued to be foul mouthed and... Full story
In modern American culture, computer chips rule and technology reigns. But there is a growing sub-culture of folks who reject the fast-paced rush of modern ways and choose the model of simpler days. This movement is world-wide and represents people from every walk of life. This past week, several thousand of these folk convened in Sisters for the Small Farmer's Journal Draft Horse Auction and Swap Meet. Lynn Miller, founder of the SFJ and organizer of the auction, was pleased with this year's event. "We don't know if we made... Full story
