News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 16 of 16
The Sisters fire district board of directors has declared a "purported employment contract" with former board president Greg Brown to be invalid. In a resolution adopted Thursday, February 14, the district staff was authorized to "proceed accordingly to obtain refunds of any funds paid as a result of this agreement." The resolution noted that "no district records exist showing approval by the board of directors of an employment agreement between Greg Brown and the... Full story
Whitney Engstrom's gold medal start The Sisters Outlaws boys team landed a team berth at the state championships after a second-place finish in slalom races at Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, February 16. Both the boys and girls teams have battled Mountain View for second place throughout the year. At stake was an automatic berth at the state meet, where the top two teams in the league compete against Oregon's best high school skiers. It all came down to the slalom race held at the Ed's Garden run. When the day was over, the... Full story
Bob Grooney accepted the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year award. Long-time Sisters businessman Bob Grooney was honored as Citizen of the Year by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce at the organization's annual banquet on Friday, February 15. The chamber also saluted Pine Meadow Village as Business of the Year and awarded the Keys to the City to outgoing city administrator Barbara Warren. The dinner, attended by approximately 160 people, was held at Eagle... Full story
Sisters voters will find ballots in their mail boxes next week asking them to decide whether to annex approximately 100 acres of land into the City of Sisters for a new high school site. The land, located just west of the current high school, would provide a site for a new $20 million high school, approved by district voters last year. The current high school is to be converted to a middle school. The site would also house recreational facilities and ball fields under the... Full story
Aubrey Pepperling jumps for heart health. Sisters Elementary school gymnasium was filled with the thunder of little feet on Thursday, February 14, as more than 200 students participated in Jump Rope for Heart, sponsored by the American Heart Association. The educational fund-raiser is held each year in thousands of elementary schools across the nation. Jump Rope for Heart raises funds for medical research and for programs such as HeartPower! that help prevent heart disease and stroke. It also teaches students the benefits of... Full story
Larry Chitwood explained volcanic activity on South Sister to library patrons last week. Lured by recent accounts of possible volcanic activity on the South Sister, a record number of people showed up at the Sisters Library on Monday evening, February 11, for geologist Larry Chitwood's talk about "the bulge." Somewhere between 80 and 90 listeners crammed the library to hear and see details about the phenomenon. "Central Oregon is on the move," said Chitwood, a geologist specializing in volcanology with the Forest Service.... Full story
Last fall, 13 local artists began to transform unplayable guitars into works of art. Few guidelines were given for the "Painted Strings" project, which will benefit the Sisters Folk Festival's Americana Project. Each artist chose his or her own medium and theme The finished products reflect the uniqueness and creativity of the individual artists. Jeff Wester, proprietor of Ponderosa Forge, was surprised when he was asked to take part in the project. Wester is not a painter -- he is a forger of iron. But he accepted the... Full story
Joel and Lynn Premselaar, with one of the ship's bells from the German World War II Battleship, Graf Spee. Joel Premselaar's life has been all about aviation. The Sisters resident has experienced most of the dramatic changes that the 20th century brought to flying. He was born November 7, 1920 in New York City. At the ripe young age of eight, he committed himself to aviation, thanks to his uncle Morris, who enthralled him with stories of aerial dogfights in World War I. Living in New York, he would ride his bicycle six miles... Full story
Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation (SOAR) has received a $100,000 building construction grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Tom Coffield, SOAR Program Director, submitted the grant in mid January. "This is such a great beginning and should be very helpful in creating further grant funding," Coffield said. A new SOAR activities complex will be built entirely from grants, donations and fundraising. Coffield has applied to five foundations for building fund assistance. Because of future changes at... Full story
The Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store is in need of volunteers. The Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store in Sisters has an urgent need for volunteers to run the cash register and sort donations. The store, which is the primary funding source for the very active Sisters Habitat for Humanity chapter, relies on volunteers year-round. The winter is a tough time, because many of the regular volunteers are "snowbirds" who head to warmer climes in winter. Volunteers are sought to work one day each per week. There are plenty of... Full story
Lee Farm's horses have it pretty good in their retirement. Nestled just below snow-topped Black Butte is Lee Farm's retirement ranch for Appaloosa horses. Spanning 60 acres near the Head of the Metolius, the ranch offers plenty of open space for the four geldings to roam on. This is part of Becky Johnson's property and she lets Lee use this portion for Ben (age 16), JJ (25), Skeeter (23) and Spot (30). Johnson likes to keep the area looking pretty and in the summer the horses keep the area grazed down allowing wild flowers... Full story
The Emerald Ranch crew... Left to right: Shayla Courtney, Shana Courtney, Shawnee Mackey, Susie Foote, Jeremy Usher, Don Chelew. Aspiring horsemen in Sisters no longer have to travel far to learn western riding. Five minutes from town on Cloverdale Road, Emerald Ranch offers students of all ages and skill levels an opportunity to improve their riding skills and gain experience around horses. A main focus of Emerald Ranch, says owner Don Chelew, is that it should merge into the unique western theme of Sisters. It is important... Full story
Five students from Sisters High School experienced the highlight of their musical careers when they had the privilege of singing with Sisters Starry Nights headline artist, Amy Grant. Elizabeth Renner, music teacher at Sisters High School, chose Heather Schwarzburg, Patrick Hammons, Ted Hunt and T'halia Rodgers from her choir class to sing back-up with Grant. Renner explained that there is a lengthly process that goes into choosing just the right song. Renner and concert organizer Jeri Fouts start by listening to the... 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: As a city resident... Full story
A sold-out crowd filled Sisters High School cafetorium on Saturday, February 16, for the showpiece of this year's Sisters Starry Nights Concert Series. Comedian Dana Daniels tickled the audience's funny bone with Luigi the Psychic Parrot's magic tricks. But the real magic started when Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Leslie Satcher appeared on stage. The names don't get any bigger and the music careers any brighter than Vince and Amy's. Gill has been honored with 14 Grammy Awards, more than any other country artist. His record... Full story
Vote Yes on Annexation Sisters voters should approve the annexation of 100 acres for school and recreational facilities. This is not a vote on whether a high school should be built. Voters already decided that. Stripped of all the political wrangling, the decision comes down to simple dollars and sense. City residents will probably benefit financially from annexation. School systems development charges will largely fund a back-up water line for the city. Turning down annexation would cost city residents and every other... Full story
