News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 32
Wrangling over which developer’s parcel of land to include inside Sisters Urban Growth Boundary won’t derail long-awaited efforts to finish the Sisters Comprehensive Plan. After seemingly endless rounds of writing and revising, city officials believe that the adoption of the plan is close at hand. The plan is used to guide city officials on how Sisters grows and develops over a 20-year period. The plan outlines population growth, an inventory of commercial and industrial land while assessing future needs for housing, tra... Full story
Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, spent last Friday morning in Sisters schools. Most of his time was devoted to answering questions from an assortment of students, teachers and administrators. Many of the questions revolved around a central theme: Why doesn’t the state provide more money for the schools? Whisnant made a variety of points in response: • While he sympathized with the notion that schools need more money, he emphasized that for the next biennium the Legislature mus... Full story
Thanks to a below average snowfall this winter, hard work by Oregon Department of Transportation crews this spring, and new snowplowing equipment, the McKenzie Pass Scenic Highway 242 may open earlier than usual this year, according to David Neys, transportation supervisor with ODOT in Bend. “We are about a month ahead of the normal schedule on plowing,” Neys said last week. “Our crews have been plowing snow for several weeks now. While there is still some snow on the road... Full story
Black Butte Ranch (BBR) General Manager Loy Helmly has met with the Friends of BBR to discuss potential changes at the Ranch. Three major areas were outlined by Helmly: The most costly proposal would be to expand the Glaze Meadow recreation area to add more pool facilities for residents and guests. The suggestion is to build a new enclosed 25-yard pool that would complement a new outdoor swimming pool replacing the single existing (and aging) pool. The existing pool is tent-covered in the winter and is considered not large... Full story
Heavy rain dampened more than the ground at the Small Farmer’s Journal Auction and Swap Meet, held on April 22-24. Though the atmosphere was good natured, the numbers of bidders and browsers declined with the rain. Those who attended were relieved to find more tent space available, though it quickly filled up with those escaping the downpour. Umbrellas quickly sold out in the bookstore area, and the sales office staff had a ready supply of rags to wipe up drips falling from an assortment of raingear and hats. Saturday’s sal... Full story
• Lutton’s Greenhouse is now open offering perennials, annuals, planting soil, decorative bark and other gardening supplies. More plants are arriving weekly at the 373 E. Hood Ave. location. Lutton’s Ace Hardware is open from 7 to 7 Monday through Saturday and 8 to 6 on Sunday. • Café Wired, an Internet cafe offering high-speed Internet connection, coffee and treats is opening at 431 W. Hood Ave., Ste. C. Owner Harry Pollard is inviting computer user groups to use Café Wired for their meetings. For more information, call 549-... Full story
Amendments are being drafted to Senate Bill 413 that would allow electrical companies to bypass county land use regulations, according to the office of Rep. Gene Whisnant, who represents Central Oregon’s District 53 in the House of Representatives. SB 413 was introduced in January at the request of Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) following their unsuccessful effort to upgrade power lines to the Sisters area across the Cyrus property east of town. CEC wanted to install taller steel for the new lines, action that the C... Full story
Vernon Smith may have shod more horses than any man alive. Now he paints them — along with portraits, nudes, landscapes and anything else that touches his fancy. Smith’s work will be featured through the month of May at the Sagebrushers Art Gallery in Bend. An artist’s reception is scheduled for May 6, 5 to 7 p.m. at the gallery, located at 117 S.W. Roosevelt off Truman St. or Hill St. above the Old Mill District. Retiring to Sisters in 1986 after a career as perhaps the b... Full story
Karen Bandy Design Jeweler, Ltd. in association with High Desert Gallery is featuring Sister artist and singer-songwriter Dennis McGregor in May. McGregor’s original paintings, limited edition prints and music CDs will be available at the Bend gallery from Friday, May 6 through Monday, May 30. An Artist in Attendance Opening on Friday, May 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. will coincide with the Bend Gallery Walk. McGregor will perform and original songs from his most recent CD “Most People are Good” will be highlighted. The recep... Full story
The Sisters girls golf team took second place with a team score of 392 at the nine-team golf tournament held at Awbrey Glen in Bend on Tuesday, April 19. Kayla Miller led the Lady Outlaws with a 91. Krystal Fitter scored a 95 and MacKinzie McClain a 99. Brittany Reed carded a 107, Stephanie Pledger 118 and Kelsey Gillespie 134. Bend was the tournament winner at 348. Miller finished fourth overall and Fitter finished sixth. Other team scores were: Redmond (412), Hermiston (442), La Pine (550), Hood River (441), Pendleton... Full story
The boys golf team took first place at the Capital Conference golf match at Mallard Creek Golf Course in Sweet Home on Tuesday, April 19. The team finished with a score of 331, six strokes ahead of runner-up Molalla. Stayton took third (339), Sweet Home fourth (359), Cascade fifth (375) and North Marion finished with 386. Scott Barton took medalist honors with a two under par 70. Scott Little carded an 81 and Richard Aimee an 86. Miles Johnston finished with a 94 and Evan Mitchell a 97. Aimee surprised everyone with his... Full story
The Outlaws defeated Stayton 5-3 at home on Monday, April 18. The game was slated for last week in Stayton but canceled because of rain. Fields were still soggy due to all the rain so the Eagles traveled to Sisters so the game could be played. Cody Ramsey pitched the winning game for the Outlaws, recorded five strike-outs and gave up three runs on four hits. After the first three innings Ramsey held the Eagles hitless. Stayton scored all their runs in the first inning to take an early 3-0 lead. Sisters scored their first run... Full story
Sisters pounded out a season high 13 hits in a victory over the North Marion Huskies on Thursday, April 21. Scoring for the Outlaws started in the second inning. Camille Pederson led off with a double and Sammy Stoneback singled to move Pederson to third. Courtney Overstreet reached first base on an error and then Katie Hughes hit an RBI single up the middle. Crystal Jewell got on base with a fielder’s choice to knock in another run. Becky Bremer hit in the last run of the inning on a fielder’s choice. By the end of the inn... Full story
The state released CIM (Certificate of Initial Mastery) scores for the class of 2004 last week and, as usual, Sisters stood out in the crowd. Some 67 percent of Sisters High School graduates earned a CIM compared with only 30 percent of graduates across Oregon. The Sisters number represented an increase of three percentage points from 2003. The statewide number was up one point. Since 2001, when it first became possible for students to obtain a CIM, the annual proportion of Sisters graduates doing so has risen from 30... Full story
The Sisters High School yearbook staff continues to maintain its reputation for excellence and as a result keeps winning top awards from publishing companies and universities across the nation. Yearbook advisor Diana Prichard recently received notice from Northwest Scholastic Press, sponsor of Yearbook Olympics, that three of her 2004 yearbook staff members had won awards for design and photography. Ashlee Francis won Best of Category for a feature page entitled “In the Hot Zone.” The judge’s comment was, “It is a must-se... Full story
Excitement is rampant at the Rob and Marsha Phelps residence as the couple, residents of Sisters for the last 13 years, prepare to leave August 4 for a two-year odyssey to Kazakhstan. They will teach school for International School Services at the Dostyk American International School in Atyrau, located at the north end of the Caspian Sea on the Ural River. Rob, a Social Studies teacher and former basketball and football coach at Sisters High School, will be teaching middle... Full story
The Sisters High School Sparrow Club raised $500 for their local sparrow, Michaela Madsen, on Friday night, April 15. Ten student performances provided entertainment for the evening. The performances were judged and the top three winners qualified to compete in the Regional Sparrow Foundation Talent Show in Bend on April 21. Amanda Sarles took first-place honors. Sarles accompanied herself on the guitar and sang, “Traveling Soldier.” Second place went to a great juggling act by Matt Bryan and Andrew Jenkins who juggled rin... Full story
Tollgate residents will soon be walking and biking through their neighborhood on a new three-mile long path. This spring the trail was cleared. Then last week Robinson & Owen Heavy Construction laid down 2,500 cubic yards of gravel to serve as a base for paving. This week crews are preparing to pave. The path will be completed in early May. Tollgate property owners voted to build a new pedestrian/bike path last October. The paved six-foot wide path costs $122,000 for which... Full story
To the Editor: Jeff Haken’s ad in last week’s Nugget inspired me to respond. Jeff apparently thinks that the fundamental purpose of elementary and secondary education is to teach business principles. I’ve been involved in education in one form or another for over fifty years, and I’ve never heard anyone suggest that our schools should have so limited an agenda. I want my children to learn about the arts and history and science that may have nothing to do with running a business like Jeff does. We need school board members... Full story
Christine (McCully) Littledeer of Bend died Wednesday, April 20. She was 60. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Sisters. Mrs. Littledeer was born Nov. 12, 1944, in Pueblo, Colorado, to Phillip and Wilma (Bachelor) McCully. She graduated from Sisters High School in 1963. She married Roy Littledeer on August 12, 1962, in Bend. Mrs. Littledeer was affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day S... Full story
James Richard Mitchell passed away of cancer on April 16, 2005. He was 64. James was born on April 9, 1941 in Morton, Washington to Richard and Martha Mitchell. He graduated from the University of Washington as an aeronautical engineer. Jim lived in the Pacific Northwest his entire life. As a young man, he climbed all the mountains in the Northwest, including Mt. McKinley, and was involved in mountain rescue. He loved the mountains, hiking and climbing, birds and wildlife,... Full story
There was no showdown over the design of the new City Hall Monday night. In fact, only a handful of people turned out to hear a presentation from architect Scott Steele — and they didn’t come for a shootout, just some critique. Mayor David Elliott attributed the relatively muted response to the fact city officials had opted to design the facility in the vein of the 1880s Western theme. “If we changed it from a Western them, we’d have 30 people in here complaining that we didn’t follow the rules. That’s all I’ve heard is make... Full story
She was at the first Sisters Rodeo parade in 1941 and next June she will be honored as grand marshal for the 65th Sisters Rodeo parade. Edith Leithauser, 86, will ride at the head of the rodeo parade on June 11 probably still in a state of shock that the Sisters Rodeo Association has named her grand marshal. “When Bonnie Malone called me with the news, I couldn’t believe it,” Edith said. “I never ever thought I would be asked. I didn’t know what to say except ‘Can I call my c... Full story
“Carpe Diem” — literally “Seize the Day” — best describes Mike Burke’s philosophy of life. Never known for doing things half way, Burke is a man of mirth, vision, and a monumental love of life. Burke positively resonates with energy. No matter the project, he can be found with his sleeves rolled up, neck deep in the middle of things. Burke, his wife DeeDee and their two sons, Pat and Andy, moved to the Sisters area in 1995 from Holbrook, California. “We were simply ready for a... Full story
Panoramic View Estates subdivision residents can qualify for a financial incentive to fireproof their properties, according to Cloverdale Fire Chief Chuck Cable. The 111-lot subdivision is located east of Sisters north of Aspen Lakes Golf Course. Up to $400 will be paid to each property that qualifies by having a site inspection, agreeing to do specified fuels reduction work, and completing the project, Cable explained. Each property owner has received a letter explaining this incentive signed by Chief Cable and Stuart Otto,... Full story
