News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 32
Despite general consensus on providing incentives to encourage Three Creeks Brewing Co. to site a new "export" brewing facility on industrial land in Sisters, the city council was divided 3-2 on the actual vote on an agreement. The sticking point for councilors Wendy Holzman and Sharlene Weed was the absence of a sunset clause on a subsidy for sewer rates. The agreement includes a 30 percent reduction in sewer fees up to a maximum of $10,000. The incentive has no end date. The incentive was created to bring the costs of estab... Full story
The combination of a fourth straight year of significant budget cuts and the fifth straight year of decreasing enrollment has created a $1.3-million deficit in the Sisters School District budget. "The two major reasons for this reduction are a drop in enrollment and increased operating costs ... due to (increased) retirement system liability (PERS)," said Superintendent Jim Golden. Golden's address to the kick-off meeting of the budget committee Wednesday included four primary recommendations to reduce costs: 1) a reduction... Full story
Last Friday was a day off for Sisters students, but you wouldn't have known it by visiting Reed Stadium. More than 100 lacrosse players, parents, coaches and Sisters School District volunteers were hard at work on a major spring cleanup. "This is about the lacrosse program trying to lead by example and honor a sponsor that's been very generous to us," said junior varsity coach and school board member Andrew Gorayeb. Equipment manufacturer Warrior Lacrosse has donated thousands... Full story
Approximately one in every five children will develop a problem with vision as they grow up - but how would parents and teachers discover this? What are the causes? What are the treatments? And what are the consequences if ignored? On Friday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Allison Summers from the Casey Eye Institute in Portland will give a public lecture that addresses these questions. The lecture will be at the FivePine Conference Center and is free to the public. Dr. Summers is a member of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator G... Full story
To the Editor: Looking out my patio door, watching orange flags wave in the breeze, I have some questions concerning the proposed 14-foot-path (10-foot paved road with two feet of gravel on either side) behind the Tollgate neighborhood. Why weren't all of the Tollgate residents advised of this pathway's route and its proximity to homes? Deschutes County does an excellent job of informing neighborhoods of building which affects their property. If it hadn't been for a letter to The Nugget, I would have had no idea that comments... Full story
My lawsuit against the Sisters School District (SSD) challenges the legality of issuing the 2007 Full Faith and Credit Obligations (FF&COs) without voter approval. The SSD is represented by the law firm Mersereau & Shannon LLP. This firm has done hundreds of FF&COs that are identical in form and substance to the obligations issued by the SSD. If I prevail, the district's lawyers could be in serious trouble for giving negligent advice to their other clients and for not declaring their conflict of interest to the SSD. When I... Full story
My lawsuit against the Sisters School District (SSD) challenges the legality of issuing the 2007 Full Faith and Credit Obligations (FF&COs) without voter approval. The SSD is represented by the law firm Mersereau & Shannon LLP. This firm has done hundreds of FF&COs that are identical in form and substance to the obligations issued by the SSD. If I prevail, the district's lawyers could be in serious trouble for giving negligent advice to their other clients and for not declaring their conflict of interest to the SSD. When I... Full story
As the departure date for their July, 2012 trip to China approaches, Sisters High School Mandarin language students are redoubling their efforts to help fund the journey. "The kids have been working hard raking pine needles this spring to raise money, and I'm very proud of them," said David Perkins, a former resident of Taiwan, who is in his fourth year of teaching Mandarin in Sisters. The students are now gearing up for the busiest two weeks of their fundraising. A round-robin table tennis tournament and raffle/silent... Full story
Two busloads of Sisters High School biology and IEE (Interdisciplinary Environmental Education) students traveled to Janet Zuelke and Forrest Babcock's place overlooking the Wolftree Whychus Creek Discovery Outpost downstream of Deschutes Land Trust's Polk Creek Meadow. One group went off to watch a golden eagle mom feeding young in the nest while another group released steelhead fry into the creek. All morning, students from Rima Givot's biology class - with the assistance... Full story
The Outlaws baseball team locked up the league title as they tallied three more wins against league foes this past week. Sisters defeated the Falcons 6-1 at Elmira on Monday, April 30. The Outlaws finished up the week at home with a 10-0 shutout in six innings against Junction City (JC) on Wednesday and a 12-0 shutout over Sweet Home two days later. On Monday, Sisters got their first run against the Falcons in the second inning. Sam Calarco led off with a base hit, and two... Full story
If Mrs. Susie Werts, English teacher at Sisters Middle School, has her way, she will be unleashing nine fifth-graders, nine sixth-graders, five seventh-graders and seven eighth-graders loose into the world of writers. All 30 of them are writing animal stories that will be published and for sale on Amazon by June 8 of this year. The students have an enthusiastic teacher who knows how to help them write clear sentences, where to dot the i's, put the commas in the right places... Full story
The boys lacrosse team beat Mt. View 9-1 on Wednesday, May 2, to mark their 10th consecutive win of the season. In the Outlaws' first meeting with the Cougars, they crushed their opponent 16-3. On Wednesday, the Outlaws faced Mt. View for the second time and took the field with confidence, ready to challenge the Cougars. Sisters' confidence was shaken when Mt. View quickly gained possession of the ball and scored the first goal of the game. "For a moment, it appeared as if the... Full story
Rob Corrigan has been involved in Sisters schools for many years, including a stint on the school board. Now he's taken his passion for education where it has direct impact: Into the classroom, teaching physics. Corrigan finished his master's degree in education at George Fox in Redmond at the end of the last school year, and after a trimester teaching middle school science in Redmond he joined the staff at SHS in the second trimester of this year teaching chemistry and physic... Full story
Camp Sherman resident Tom Landis took first place in all six of his events at the United States Masters short-course swimming championships in Greensboro, North Carolina last week. He won five freestyle events ranging from 50 yards to 1,650, an almost-unheard-of demonstration of versatility, and also took top honors in the 100-yard individual medley. Landis, 70, has been training hard in anticipation of his entry into a new age group (70-74). His training paid off with a national record swim in the 200-yard freestyle... Full story
Thursday night's sold-out festivities at the Hispanic Coalition of Sisters' annual Tres De Mayo Fiesta at FivePine Lodge & Conference Center shined with South of the Border charm, spicy home-made cuisine and a blinding rainbow of folk dancers to celebrate our diverse community. The event coincided with Saturday's national Cinco De Mayo celebrations - marking Mexico's decisive victory over the French at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. With the room decked out and decorated... Full story
Sara Small has been dreaming of playing soccer at the Division 1 level since she was a little girl, and that dream has finally become reality. Small officially signed to play soccer and also run track for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest (WF) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Small received a letter from Wake Forest last fall at the start of her junior year, and was asked to come to Wake Forest and run track. Sara looked into it and filled out the athletic application form... Full story
It's a long way from realization, but the first steps are underway for a proposed paved multi-use path from Sisters to Camp Sherman. The path would run across National Forest land, so the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) commissioned an environmental analysis from the Forest Service on the project. Chuck Humphries, president of STA, told The Nugget that the idea behind the paved trail is to provide an amenity that will benefit forest users and the Sisters community. "There isn't anything like that in Central Oregon," he said.... Full story
Gardening in Sisters Country can be hard, hard, hard! In Sunset's "Western Garden Book," one of the definitive go-to manuals for the West, there's no section that adequately addresses long cold springs, crazy night-and-day temperature fluctuations, and freezes in July. So, whenever something comes along that I believe can improve my odds of actually harvesting fresh vegetables, I jump on it. Aside from protecting from the elements and extending the season, which will be... Full story
Think of it as a return to our rural roots. Lately, lots of folks in Sisters Country have been getting into raising chickens in their backyard. Christine Cole of Sisters Feed & Supply has raised many an award-winning chicken. She says backyard chickens are "a good source of food, where you know what they've been eating - much safer, much fresher food." Fresh eggs are the golden nuggets of chicken-raising, but there are other benefits as well. "Most are doing it for the... Full story
"Bugs" are often regarded as the enemy to gardeners. However, there are some insects that are beneficial to your plants. To start with, there is no "good" or "bad" in the world of nature; it just "is." But in your garden you have to make choices, so it's best to take the time to understand the results of your "good" and "bad" choices before taking those actions. The most important arthropods in your garden are the pollinators, insects that flit (some crawl) from flower to... Full story
Having that gorgeous green lawn is a bit of a challenge in Sisters Country. What lies dormant through a lengthy winter and slow transition into spring is then hit with what is usually a hot, dry summer. Gilbert Porraz of Sisters Rental has long experience in lawn care, and he offers some basic tips to ensure a healthy and attractive swath of the green stuff for your family's enjoyment. "You probably want to start with dethatching," he told The Nugget. Dethatching combs out... Full story
Firefighters credit quick action by a homeowner who spotted smoke in the kitchen and called 9-1-1 for keeping damage to a minimum in a house fire on Monday. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District was dispatched to a structure fire at 11:33 a.m. on Monday, May 7. The fire was located at a residence on the 600 block of South Redwood Street in Pine Meadow Village. The two-story home had visible smoke within the structure and all occupants had evacuated. The homeowner reported that the dishwasher appliance was smoking, and an... Full story
Buddene Eva Crandall Painter died peacefully April 1 at the Hummingbird Glen Adult Foster Home, Bend. Buddene was born in Glenns Ferry, ID, February 11, 1918, to Bud Whitcomb Crandall and Eva Eugene Hubbard Crandall. As a small child she moved with her parents to Bend. She graduated from Bend High School in 1937. She married Fred Lewis Painter October 27, 1939. She was predeceased by her husband, Fred, long-time Chief of Police in Sisters, and two stepsons, Donnie Painter and... Full story
Sandy resident Jack Lepper died at his daughter and son-in-law's home on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. He was 91. A memorial service will be held in the chapel of Sandy Funeral Home on Friday, May 11, at 2 p.m. A private burial was held at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. Jack DeVere Lepper was born on October 22, 1920, in Bellingham, Washington, to Earle and Lila (Strong) Lepper. He was raised and received his schooling in Blaine, Washington. Shortly after graduating from high school, he moved to Mason City, Washington... Full story
Almost 19 years ago - way back in 1984 - Sisters resident Norma Funai, a retired school teacher and long-time quilter, decided she wanted to quilt with others of the same ilk and formed "Casual Quilters" of Sisters. The group is still going strong, with a membership of 14 and a lot of community-service quilts behind them. Casual Quilters meet once a month for a snack at a member's home and discuss their families, drink a lot of tea, have a noon snack and talk quilting. In... Full story
