News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
The Sisters School District took another financial hit with the failure of Ballot Measure 13 in the May 21 election. Without the additional $220 million in statewide funds provided in that measure, Sisters schools face another $432,000 in cuts, according to Superintendent Steve Swisher. That comes on top of some $420,000 cut this year and in the 2002-03 budget. The cuts may not go so deep if the state legislature restores some school funding in the special session that is... Full story
The charred remains of a house burned in a training exercise by the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District. A recent fire training exercise in Sisters has raised concerns about environmental hazards. Sisters firefighters intentionally burned a house at 461 S. Elm Street on May 6. According to the Department of Environmental Quality, there was aesbestos in the cement siding on one wall of the small structure. Asbestos fibers pose a cancer risk if inhaled or... Full story
Squaw Creek looks summer time dry to Sisters residents who live along its banks. Yet stream flows are actually considered normal in the watershed. Squaw Creek is at 103 percent of average according to data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The creek is expected to have normal flows through the summer. Normal flows are not enough to cover the irrigation rights on the stream, according to Deschutes County Watermaster Kyle Gorman. "No matter if it's 80 percent of... Full story
Up in smoke on Highway 20. Summer traffic heated up -- literally -- with two vehicle fires calling for response from Sisters fire crews. A traveler heading east toward John Day overheated his brakes on Highway 20, six miles west of Sisters, causing a fire that consumed his old model pickup truck and fifth wheel on Saturday, May 25. Bystander Ed Garcia of Sisters said it took just minutes for the fire to gut the truck and trailer. The driver managed to pull off on the shoulder and escaped the vehicle without injury. The... Full story
Some folks in Sisters are having second thoughts about the building boom sparked by the creation of smaller city lots. The city council and the planning commission are debating whether the city should raise the minimum lot size -- recently established at 6,000 square feet -- to alleviate the "culture shock" of partitioned lots and duplexes built close together. "A lot of people move to Central Oregon or to Sisters because they like the culture and feel of elbow room," Mayor St... Full story
Sisters' new fire truck is a custom built Pierce structural fire engine. Sisters firefighters now have a state-of-the-art weapon to take on structural fires in the growing Sisters community. Last week, Fire Chief Don Rowe, Assistant Chief Ken Enoch and volunteer firefighter Jeff Liming rolled into town with the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District's brand new Pierce fire engine. The three firefighters took the $350,000 fire engine off the assembly line in... Full story
The Sisters Kiwanis Club will hold its annual rummage sale at Mountain Shadow RV park, 68915 W. Highway 20, on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. "The quality and variety of donations for this year's sale have been impressive -- perhaps the best ever," said volunteer Leart Jett. There will be a selection of clothing, small electrical appliances, tools, toys and household goods. There will also be antiques and collectibles available for perusal. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to programs for... Full story
Melissa Macy and her mom Chablis. Sisters Middle School students showed their stuff in the second annual Talent Showcase held Tuesday, May 21. The program, sponsored by the middle school student council and the school's Sparrow Club, was a benefit for "sparrow" Melissa Macy. Barbara Haynes organized and served as faculty advisor for the event. The Sparrow Foundation, which sponsors the Sparrow Clubs, is a "youth-based charity organization of kids helping kids." The non-profit organization's mission is to promote compassion by... Full story
Brad Chalfant, Deschutes Basin Land Trust (DBLT) head, explained his group's plans to acquire 1,240 acres in the Lake Creek area to a meeting of Friends of the Metolius (FOM) at Camp Sherman on Saturday, May 25. The land is presently owned by Weyerhauser -Willamette Industries and DBLT has a binding option to purchase it for $3.2 million. "This is the most at-risk land for development as a destination resort, golf course or other types of development. We would like to work with the local community and keep it open for uses... Full story
Garrison Dinsmore is a champion speller. Garrison Dinsmore, a Sisters Elementary School fifth grader, won his division in the Crook and Deschutes County Spelling Bee on Wednesday, May 22. The victory qualifies Dinsmore to compete in the state spelling bee next fall. The spelling contest was done in a written format, with judges verbally stating 30 words and the contestants writing them out. Dinsmore noted that he was never informed of his score, only that he'd won. "They... Full story
Black Butte School students celebrated graduation. Family and friends of Black Butte School students held their graduation and honors ceremony on Thursday evening, May 23, at the Camp Sherman Community Hall. After dinner on the outside lawn, the overflow crowd moved into the hall and was treated to a wonderful series of musical numbers by the elementary students. Paula Lovegren directs music at BBS and Lynn Watson accompanied the children on piano. Teacher Toni Turner introduced each of her K-3 students before their... Full story
Local summer craft shows draw plenty of people to Sisters. This year, organizers are encouraging those folks to stroll the streets and visit Sisters retailers. Annette Hayden, events coordinator for the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, is asking retailers to put some of their wares outside to create a festive, open-air market feel. "You don't have to reduce prices," Hayden said. "Just put something outside. This is a sidewalk market, not a 'sidewalk sale.'" The first craft... Full story
Rachel Eady rides to victory on Brandy. Rachel Eady, a 16-year-old sophomore at Sisters High School, and her four-year-old quarter horse Dunnit By Chex (Brandy) turned in a winning performance at the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, earlier this month. The NRHA Derby is limited to the world's finest four- and five-year-old reining horses, vying for nearly $200,000 in prizes and cash. Eady won the limited non pro championship. The win was worth a pay check for $2,384, a saddlesmith tr... Full story
Tom Landis has plenty to smile about. He keeps racking up records. Tom Landis of Camp Sherman set two national records at the U.S. National Masters weeklong swim meet held at the University of Hawaii on Oahu May 14-18. Competing in the 60-64 age category, Landis swam the 1,650-yard race in 19:18:93, a new record. In the same race he was clocked at 11:34:34 for the 1,000-yard distance -- also record time. The '1650' takes 65 turns in a 25-yard pool to complete. "A friend of mine gave good advice on turns that helped in this... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival is sponsoring an intensive songwriting academy September 3-5 at Camp Caldera on Blue Lake west of Sisters. The comprehensive songwriting workshop features an emphasis on guitar technique. Topics will include: The craft of songwriting; performance; an historical perspective of Americana music; guitar playing and accompaniment; and the business of songwriting. Classes will be one to two hours long, and there will be five classes total over three days. Each teacher will provide instruction on... Full story
Matt Harp drives one for the Outlaws. The Sisters boys' baseball team is making the most of its opportunity in the state playoffs. After dropping the last regular season game to Central to finish in second place in the Capital Conference, the Outlaws did not have the luxury of a bye in the schedule. Sisters hosted Baker City on Monday, May 20, and survived a scare to win 5-3. The win meant that Sisters had survived to play another day. On Wednesday, May 22, they advanced to Klamath Falls to take on Henley. The Outlaws... Full story
Diane Campbell and Dick Sandvik launched Paulina Springs Book Company 10 years ago. Dick Sandvik and Diane Campbell, owners of Paulina Springs Book Company, invited the public to come celebrate their 10 years of business in Sisters last Sunday evening, May 26. "They add so much to this community," said Carolyn Gabrielson, who has shopped at Paulina Springs for the past four years. "They give us author talks, book recommendations, and entertainment!" Susan Tank, who has worked at Paulina Springs for the past nine-and-a-half... Full story
Amy Cretsinger took the state title in long jump. Amy Cretsinger won one event and was second in three others to lead the Outlaw girls to second place at the OSAA 3A Track and Field Championships. The meet was held Friday May 24 and Saturday May 25 at Hayward Field in Eugene. Henley won the team title with 65.5 points, followed by Sisters with 58 and The Dalles with 47. Cretsinger leaped 18-feet-4-1/2-inches in Friday's long jump competition to claim the state title by nearly a foot and get the scoring started for the... Full story
(Left-right): Gene Shaggaby, Bill Willitts, Jerry Norquist, Cooper Boston and Dave Marlow worked on timber framing for trail kiosks. Mallets beat on chisels making wood chips fly while chain mortise tools buzzed and eight people from as far away as Portland and Eugene worked in a timber frame workshop held in Sisters on May 18 and 19. Kris Calvin of Earthwood Homes of Oregon hosted the workshop. Calvin donated his time and the use of Earthwood's shop facilities to the project, which was used to raise money to help pay 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: The more you look i... Full story
- Patrol units enforced pedestrian safety in Sisters on Friday, May 24, warning or citing drivers who blew through crosswalks. - A Sisters woman was arrested for domestic assault and criminal mistreatment after an altercation with her paramour. - Deputies were notified after a youth attempted to buy beer on a license with an altered date of birth. A fancy new scanner caught the culprit. - Juveniles were cited for reckless burning for starting a small blaze east of Tollgate. - A man reported that a fellow he hired to do some s... Full story
Members of the Sisters community gathered at Camp Polk Cemetery on Monday, May 27, to pay tribute to the men and women who have fallen in the service of their country. This year's service was particularly poignant given that the country is again at war in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11. Pastor Larry Harrelson, who offered the opening prayer, remembered the victims of those attacks, along with the personnel who have been killed in subsequent anti-terrorist... Full story
