News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
The Sisters Science Club wants to enlighten the community about the science being taught in Sisters schools and promote science and engineering as a career choice. As part of that effort, the club is sponsoring the first Sisters Science Symposium (S3) on February 25, from noon to 5 p.m. at Sisters High School. The interactive S3 event includes a student project showcase, demonstrations in science, a SciArt contest, a competition called Design-Construct-Compete, and a world-renowned keynote speaker. Attendees are encouraged... Full story
Steve Ward was named Firefighter of the Year and Bill Hayes was honored as Volunteer of the Year as the Sisters fire department recognized outstanding performance during its annual awards dinner Saturday evening. It was a swan song for Fire Chief Tay Robertson, who is retiring in June. In his remarks, Robertson offered a list of wishes for the department's future, which included continuing the strong volunteer presence in the department, maintaining the high level of service... Full story
In his presentation to the school board Wednesday night, board member Andrew Gorayeb detailed a facilities maintenance plan totaling $583,000 in facilities improvements around the district. This was a 'needs-only' plan - wants and wishes were noted, but not included in the cost numbers. Included in the detailed comprehensive plan were two volunteer proposals including a "Celebrate Sisters Schools" volunteer event that would involve over 350 volunteers taking a single day to spruce up the local school sites, and culminating... Full story
To the Editor: For the past five years, every fall I have been reading articles in this newspaper about how well the volleyball team is doing. Things like "Volleyball team takes first in tournament," "Volleyball first in league." I even remember reading "Volleyball team state champions," TWICE. Sounds like those athletes are lucky to have such a great coach. According to the school statistics, this coach has the winningest record for the Sisters High School volleyball program, ever. For the past two years, every fall I have b... Full story
Sisters cowgirl Shelby Ross will be officially crowned, 2012 Miss Rodeo Oregon on March 3 at FivePine Conference Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. for an evening of dining, entertainment, and fundraising. Family friend and Columbia Sportswear matriarch Gert Boyle will crown Ross. Rodeo queens and courts from around the Northwest will attend the kick-off of Ross' year of travel. In addition to the official crowning, silent and live auctions will help raise funds for travel... Full story
Face painting, musical chairs, a pie-eating contest, and the ever-popular Dummy Downhill ski race: it was all on display last Saturday at Hoodoo Ski Area. The 31st annual Hoodoo Winter Carnival attracted a large crowd of skiers, snowboarders, and people interested in a day of family fun which also included live music, a torchlight descent, and a fireworks finale. Evelyn Bellotti-Busch and husband Kevin made the trek up to Hoodoo from Sisters for some snowshoeing, and came... Full story
When dentists from across the region gathered in Sisters, they hit town with a bang - literally. The Oregon Coalition for Minimally Invasive Dentistry held their annual conference at FivePine Lodge & Conference Center in Sisters last week. It was the conference's 11th year; usually held in Baker City, conference organizer Dr. V. Kim Kutsch decided this year to move the conference to Sisters. The event isn't just your usual menu of lectures and award presentations... Full story
Mike Abrams took over the reins as the Sisters Elementary School's new special education teacher just after the holiday break. Abrams has always enjoyed recreating in and around the Sisters area and he told The Nugget that the idea of moving here wasn't a hard sell. "When I saw the job opening, I applied immediately," said Abrams. "Outside of the rain we've been getting lately, the sun has been nice. I'm very glad I'm here." Abrams originally hails from Reynoldsburg, a small... Full story
The Outlaws' 46-26 win at Cottage Grove on Friday, February 10, pushed them to a perfect 8-0 record in the Sky-Em and also tallied their 12th consecutive win. Cottage Grove came out with an impressive delay game to shorten the game and cut down the number of possessions. The Outlaws responded with discipline and composure and worked hard to combat the Lions' strategy. Sisters won the tip but turned it over in an attempt to get the ball inside. Cottage Grove proceeded to run ov... Full story
So what do we do about tumbling tumbleweeds? What we call tumbleweeds are Russian thistle, Salsola tragus. It's known to the Oregon Department of Agriculture as a non-native invasive species. In the beginning, it was a summer annual native plant confined to southeastern Russia and western Siberia. But thanks to Russian immigrants, it was imported into the United States in 1873 in Russian flax seed planted by the immigrants in South Dakota. Like most noxious weeds, after the in... Full story
The Lady Outlaws earned a big 46-44 win on Friday, February 10, at Cottage Grove (CG), taking down the No. 2-ranked Lions in an exciting contest that came right down to the wire. Sisters started the game a bit nervous and fouled Caldwell, the Lions' best scorer, under the basket and sent her to the line four times. Sisters also allowed two offensive put-back baskets and at the close of the first quarter CG held a six-point lead. The Outlaws pulled it together and were much... Full story
A decline in school enrollment is never good, since state funding comes in on a per-student basis. But the current decline - an estimated 6.9 percent from 2010-11 to 2011-12, according to the Oregon Department of Education - was expected and is not setting off alarm bells in the Sisters School District. In actual numbers, Sisters dropped from 1,302 to 1,211 between 2010-2012. The district accounted for the decline in its budgeting, and its numbers have proved solid. The decline is attributed to the down economy and lack of... Full story
The producer of the musical "1776" is looking to make a revolutionary contribution to the performing arts in Central Oregon. David Simpson, president of Shore Thing Productions, is presenting "1776" in concert this summer. Simpson explained that the plot line for the musical focuses on the American Revolutionary War period and the heated debates among the members of the Second Continental Congress that led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The cast of characters for the show includes all the usual... Full story
School sports are a big deal in Sisters. Recently, there have been rumors circulating through the community that those beloved programs are in jeopardy. "I've heard from several people around the community that there is a concern that we will not have sports next year," said board member Cheryl Stewart during the February 8 board meeting. "More specifically, (rumors that) we will not have football. There is concern and it keeps bubbling up from a lot of places." Superintendent Jim Golden was quick to quash those rumors. "We... Full story
Marty and Tate Kaczmarek of Sisters competed in the Washington State Poomsae Championship and National Qualifier tournament in Seattle last month. Marty, or "Master K" as his students refer to him, is the founder and head instructor of Outlaw Martial Arts, the taekwondo school at SPRD. Tate is his 6-year-old son and a first-grader at Sisters Elementary School. Tate was awarded the highest score of all color belt competitors aged 14 and younger. In the process he also... Full story
• A citizen reported a wrong-way driver on Highway 20. A deputy responded, observed numerous violations and took a 44-year-old man into custody on charges of drunk driving, reckless driving and reckless endangering. • Dog owners were cited after two separate incidents where their dogs got loose and attacked passersby. • A 46-year-old man was arrested on domestic assault charges. • Two Sisters High School students were cited for possession of marijuana. • A deputy had to... Full story
Renowned artist and architect Myra Burg, who has been designing and producing site-specific works of art since 1976, will speak about her art to the Black Butte Ranch Art Guild on Monday, February 20, at 10 a.m., at the Black Butte Ranch Community Center. The artist talk is free to attend, and the public is invited. Burg took her love of music and the oboe and turned it into a work of art, wrapping the instrument in fiber of varying sheen and texture. "Wanting a change from... Full story
A focused, prepared and determined Outlaws Swim Team represented Sisters High School at the 2012 District 3 Championships in Albany. The girls finished second overall, and the boys came in fourth. Setting the tone for the entire competition was a win by the girls' medley relay with Emily Christen (backstroke 31.4), Katie Stewart (breaststroke 36.3), Michelle Young (butterfly 28.8) and Samantha Williamson (freestyle 27.4) for a combined time of 2:03.9, less than a second away... Full story
A few youth baseball players in Sisters got a surprise visit from a former major-leaguer. Wally Backman of the New York Mets organization stopped by for a mini clinic on Tuesday, February 7. Backman is a former Major League Baseball second-baseman. He is best known for his time with the New York Mets from 1980-1988, and was a member of their 1986 World Series-winning team. Backman currently is the manager for the Buffalo Bisons, the New York Mets' AAA minor league team.... Full story
Those wanting a challenge last weekend made their way over to Sisters High School to take part in OMSI's Brain Teasers: a traveling science exhibit that was brought to Sisters by Bob Collins of Sisters Science Club and Anne Heath of SPRD. Bob Collins, one of the founding members of the Sisters Science Club, saw the OMSI Brain Teaser exhibit two years ago in Portland, and "saw its potential to stimulate kids in the basic curiosities of science, idea generation, and logical... Full story
Retired neurologist Bob Collins of the newly formed Sisters Science Club shared an hour-long discussion about memory loss and Alzheimer's disease with more than 80 residents of Sisters Country in the Community Room of the Sisters Fire Hall last Monday. Collins shared recent evidence on how concussions can eventually lead to dementia, as well as new ideas about Alzheimer's causes and treatments. Continued physical punishment to the brain in various sporting events may eventually lead to serious memory loss, and eventually to d... Full story
• A big crew of helpers hoisted a couple of car bodies through the window of a new business in Sisters last Friday. They will be part of the décor for Weekend Trunk Show and Vixen Tanning, which also has a shop in Bend. Weekend Trunk Show is a wholesale showroom dedicated to bringing unique ideas, inspirations and a fun experience to women's accessory shopping. They are located between The Hair Caché and Sisters Feed & Supply in the former Siesta Suntan... Full story
Families have flocked to Sisters this winter for tournaments hosted by Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) and the Sisters School District. Tournaments like the Outlaw Volleyball Winter Classic and the Sisters Shootout bring hundreds of visitors to Sisters Country, providing a much-needed economic stimulus during the winter season. "Sports tourism has a great future in the Sisters community," said Anne Heath, executive director of SPRD. "We have everything a family could want to make a sports tournament into a mini-vaca... Full story
Bill Mitchell has been named the new boys and girls varsity golf coach. Mitchell will take over the reins from former boys' head coach Jeff Barton, who led the Outlaws golf team for 19 years. Mitchell will also assume the role as the girls' head coach, a position which Mary Flande held for 18 years. Mitchell is very familiar with the sport and brings with him a thorough knowledge of the game and years of experience. Mitchell first golfed at Middletown High School in Ohio and... Full story
