News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 28
Two quarter horses belonging to rodeo contestants were killed when they got loose on Highway 20 and were struck by a semi-truck in the early hours of Friday, June 9. According to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reports, deputies responded to the area of the Sisters Rodeo grounds at about 4:40 a.m. to a report of an accident involving a vehicle and two horses. The sheriff’s office reported that an investigation concluded that an eastbound Pepsi Cola truck from the Mt. Angel Bottling Company stuck and killed two quarter hor... Full story
The long-simmering battle over the upgrade of Central Electric Cooperative’s Jordan Road power line heated up on Monday, June 12. CEC is trying to install metal towers up to 83 feet high to carry new transmission lines to Sisters. As a construction crew started to dig holes for the new steel power poles on an easement running over land belonging to the Cyrus family of Sisters, the Cyruses moved in heavy equipment to block access. “This morning (CEC) showed up in force with all... Full story
Just when salvage operations on the site of the 2003 B & B Complex Fire west of Sisters were moving at full speed, legal action has put the brakes on the felling of dead trees over 18 inches in diameter. A compromise worked out between advocates of salvage operations, (including salvage contractor Intrerior Pacific of Gilchrist and others supporting that company) and opponents of the salvage, is allowing the continued removal of trees already felled and decked, plus standing snags less than 18 inches in diameter, according... Full story
To the Editor: Once again I had to read an article of another being losing its life because we as a species cannot tolerate the presence of a life that we either do not understand and/or cannot control. What a barren place Sisters would be if all we saw were people and all we heard were the voices of people. Somehow, we, as a species, must come to terms with the simple fact that we are not alone on this planet and we have to share this small piece of space with other life forms. And, please, spare me the speech about the... Full story
The Oregon Department of Transportation’s current passing lane Highway 20 widening plans would exacerbate existing safety problems. The passing lane widening would create additional unsafe conditions. While area growth may be at this time unavoidable, decisions resulting from that growth should be neither unduly harmful nor irresponsible. Public involvement was virtually non-existent in ODOT’s Highway 20 plans, due to their failure to adequately notify the community. ODOT must re-open this process and engage the area com... Full story
Happy faces were seen all around Wizard Falls for last Saturday’s Kid’s Fishing Day. Since 1989, this annual event has allowed children 10 years old and under the chance to catch a big one at the fish hatchery’s ponds. Children, parents, grandparents, volunteers and friends join together for a wonderful time. Mike and Sue Johnson, from Cocoa Beach, Florida, were there with their son, Dylan. “We’ve come for the last three years to this outstanding event,” said Mike. “Our... Full story
No member of the school board wants to close the Sisters Elementary School building and sell the site to a developer. A strong consensus opposing that option emerged from a 90-minute board workshop on the elementary school Tuesday, June 6. Although no votes were taken as it was not a formal meeting, the board also appeared to agree that it was worth doing some expensive work on the elementary building recommended by energy consultant Bill Clumpner of Portland. The board was expected to approve an initial phase of of the work... Full story
SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) District has a variety of activities planned for teens grades 6-12 this summer. Weekly activities will be held at the SOAR Teen Center. This summer SOAR has three AmeriCorps volunteers who will be working in the Teen Center to organize all kinds of great programs. The AmeriCorps volunteers are Kate Pazdan, Brian Lann and Alisha Tolstoy. The SOAR Teen Center is designed to be a safe, supervised environment where teens are allowed to drop in between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.... Full story
Michael Keown is the new person on the management team for the Sisters Ranger District — and he already has a full schedule of projects. Keown is the new district environmental coordinator. “This job had been vacant for two years with other district people filling in,” Keown said. “Then, the district determined that the workload made filling the position necessary.” Keown’s duties will be reviewing all district projects to make sure they comply with requirements of the Nati... Full story
Contemporary watercolor artist Kathy Deggendorfer of Sisters and master quilter Tonye Belinda Phillips from Camp Sherman have been busy this spring working on a unique series of collaborative works entitled “Miss Dotty and Yello Dog Summer in Sisters.” Those works will be on display July 1-8 at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave. and artists will be on hand during the Around the Block Fiber Arts Stroll on Saturday, July 1. Deggendorfer’s watercolors are often referred to as “a painter’s quilt” — lots of pattern and f... Full story
A Deschutes County road crew is in Sisters this week filling cracks and chip sealing streets. The county crew is contracted by the City of Sisters for a regular cycle of street maintenance, according to city Public Works Director Gary Frazee. Frazee said the current round of repairs is expected to cost $75,000, though the project will be billed based on actual cost.... Full story
Little girls’ dreams come true at Ballet iZ Fun Dance Studio in Sisters, where they learn one of the most vibrant of all classical art forms. The dream fulfillment was captured in a performance on Saturday by 14 young ballerinas from the studio, climaxing months of disciplined practice and skill development. The girls, ranging in age from four to eight, performed classical movements in bright-colored tutus, with faces brightened by smiles and make-up. Teacher Wendy Gabbert (... Full story
An ambitious nine-day, two-state trip climaxed the school year at Camp Sherman’s Black Butte School. “The kids have seen so much in recent years,” said Roger White, whose daughter Lauren was on the trip. Previous trips to Washington, DC, Salem, and other activities led to the choice to try something different at the end of the school year. Fourteen students and nine adults traveled to southern Oregon and northern California in the “banana slug,” the familiar yellow bus gener... Full story
While the Bend-LaPine School District has stopped visits from local youth pastors, Sisters School District has continued to welcome them. The Bend visits were stopped after parental complaints, which just haven’t cropped up in Sisters, according to School Superintendent Ted Thonstad. “We have not had an issue; we have not had a complaint,” Thonstad told The Nugget. “We’re glad they come... we think they’re a positive force in the school.” Sisters has no formal policy about... Full story
A local development company is turning trees into fish habitat in Whychus Creek. Trees are being cleared from what used to be called the Lundgren Mill property cleared at the north end of Sisters to make way for the new Three Sisters Business Park. The trees will eventually find their way into Whychus Creek on the Rimrock Ranch north of Sisters. Early last Friday morning, June 9, Darst Atherly and John Hunt of Atherly Contracting, LLC of Bend began falling the trees. Peter Hal... Full story
Many independent pharmacists across the nation have had to wait months to be paid by insurers participating in the Medicare Part D program. Locally, Sisters Drug & Gift has experienced the same problem. “Most of us are looking at anywhere from three to four months float time,” said Sisters Drug & Gift pharmacist and owner Tim Muir. Muir said he has not been paid for some prescriptions he filled in January when the program began. “We’re just playing a waiting game,” said Muir. Muir said the shortfall has created a real hard... Full story
Sisters’ athletic programs will be among those changed under the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) reorganization and reclassification recently upheld by State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. While some schools fought the plan, Sisters High School decided early on to make the best of it. “Sisters High School is going to take the high road and we’re going to make this work,” Athletic Director Mary Flande told The Nugget last fall. “It’s not a terrible thing.” The changes take effect next fall for the 287 h... Full story
Team ropers Steve Keeton of Sisters and Rick Foss of Redmond entered their first rodeo as a team on June 3-4. The National Senior Pro Rodeo circuit event was held at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond. Aiming to have a good time, Keeton and Foss achieved their goal — and more. They brought home the champion’s buckle with a time of 7.2 seconds in the Sunday rodeo. The National Senior Pro Rodeo Association has around 1,000 members, all over the age of 40. Rodeos take place all over the country, with a fin... Full story
It appears that Sisters is going to the bears. Another black bear was spotted in the Land Trust Metolius Preserve last week. A group of birders conducting a survey on the preserve ran head-on into a small black bear that was not out birding, as such, but perhaps searching for a tasty nest of roughed grouse eggs to start the day. Unlike the unfortunate encounter with the young black bear that visited the Sisters area a week back, the Metolius Preserve bear hightailed it as soon as he/she encountered the birders. Under normal... Full story
As Jim and Marion Harrison enter the retirement phase of their lives after long careers in teaching, their youngest daughter Crista, a 1999 Sisters High School graduate, is embarking on her own career as an educator. Making the story more compelling is the fact that Crista landed her first job at the same school, Memorial Middle School, in Albany, where her mother began her own teaching career back in 1978. “Talk about things coming full circle,” said Marion Harrison. “We’re so happy for Crista and can’t quite believe s... Full story
Sisters School District puts about 64 percent of its money into “teaching and learning” according to data compiled by the Chalkboard Project in its “Open Books” program. That’s less than the state average of 69 percent and lower that comparable districts such as Siulslaw (68 percent) and Umatilla (65 percent). Sisters spends more than average on “buses, buildings and food” (20 percent compared to 17 percent statewide, 18 percent for Siuslaw and 19 percent for Umatilla). Si... Full story
Their performance at last weekend’s PRCA Sisters Rodeo won the admiration and applause of rodeo fans at all four performances of this 66th annual event. Just as impressive is the fact that the fans’ response overwhelmed Susie and Shane Karson. Entertaining as Team Karson, Shane and Susie Karson from Seiverville, Tennessee, performed trick riding feats the likes of which have seldom been seen in Sister. Reminiscent of stunts from “B” Western movies and rodeos of the 1950s and 1... Full story
• An intoxicated young Sisters man got his wish after belligerently insisting that deputies take him to jail. They had taken his buddy to jail (for drunk driving) and he insisted they were going to take him, too. Deputies tried to persuade him otherwise, but finally gave in after the young man got physical. The charge was second-degree disorderly conduct. • There was a variety of other disorderly conduct during rodeo weekend, including several drunk driving incidents, several citations for minors in possession of alcohol and... Full story
Sheriff’s deputies cited a man for menacing on Saturday night, after a tense moment when the man allegedly came at them with a shovel. According to sheriff’s office reports, deputies were on foot patrol in the campground area behind Sisters Rodeo Grounds when they came upon the man who had apparently been using a shovel to douse a fire. He allegedly came at the deputies with a “fierce” look on his face. Deputies drew their sidearms while yelling “police officers.” The man, who was apparently intoxicated, complied with orders... Full story
Neal K. Grimstad, formerly of Sisters, died recently of a heart attack. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, June 16, at Jenkins Estate, 8005 S.W. Grabhorn Road, Aloha. Mr. Grimstad was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on February 26, 1926. He and his wife Madeline Grimstad were married for 25 years. He retired from Consolidated Freight Lines. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Survivors include Neal’s three children Karen Grimstad, Paul Grimstad, Jay Grimstad; his two step-children Bob Knudsen, B... Full story
