News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
Thunder rumbled and the white flare of lightning pierced the skies over Sisters Tuesday night, June 17. It was a spectacular show, but it wracked the nerves of those charged with protecting Sisters from fire. Lightning slammed into the ground in about 100 places across the Sisters Ranger District, according to Forest Service fire specialist Jinny Pitman. There were 80 strikes on Green Ridge alone. Two strikes ignited fires near the extreme northern tip of Green Ridge. The... Full story
The gate is still down to block cars from going over McKenzie Pass, but the road is clear and open, on the Sisters side only, for bicycle and foot traffic. Photo by Tom Chace The scenic route over the McKenzie Pass (Highway 242) should be open this weekend, June 28-29, according to Dan Knolls, public information officer for the Central Oregon division of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). "The surest way to find out before starting up the pass is to call my office (388-6224) or check our web site (www.ODOT.state.... Full story
Power outages are not unusual in the Sisters area, but one on Monday, June 16, coincided with a rash of residential telephone failures. That caused consternation not only for the residents of Black Butte Ranch, where the dual problem occurred, but for Qwest Telephone Company officials, Central Electric Co-op engineers, and even the management and emergency service personnel at Black Butte Ranch. Why did the phones go out when the power went off? Stacey Dahl, public information officer for Qwest, said that the phone company... Full story
Local golfers turned out for a day on the links at Aspen Lakes Golf Course on Friday, June 20, and raised $16,000, primarily for Sisters school football programs. The Cyrus family donates the use of the course for the tournament, which drew 120 golfers this year. The foursome of Chuck Gibson, Denny Bennett and David and Christian Green won the tournament with a scramble score of 58. Sisters High School football coach Bob Macauley chuckled as he noted that the Green brothers (o... Full story
John Lindeberg, landscape engineer, examines the new solar panels at Metolius Meadows. Photo by Conrad Weiler The swimming pool at Metolius Meadows, a Camp Sherman residential area, has opened the summer season with a new passive solar heating system for warming the pool water. MM Systems Manager Ed Young and assistant Sean Croson assembled the 11-panel system in one week. Five panels sit atop the recreation building adjacent to the pool; another six panels are placed on a wooden ground structure, with all panels facing... Full story
Camp Sunrise participants launch "memory boats." Photo by Jim Mitchell Nearly everyone has experienced the difficulty of recovering from grief. It's difficult enough as an adult. But as a child of seven? Or 10? Or even 14? Tough. Hospice of Sisters/Redmond hosted a camp last weekend, June 27 through June 29, at Suttle Lake for young people who are working through the process of grief. It was the fifth year such a session has been held, according to Janet Whitney, LCSW, organizer of the community session. "We have 40 children... Full story
What do a gas pump jockey, a social service worker, an athlete advocate and a poet/teacher have in common? They are the cast of the Sisters Community Theatre production of "The Last Rehearsal," playing this weekend in Sisters and next week in Bend. Diana Redfield Kelleher, director of the local community acting group and one who has "loved theater all my life," said that this cast of characters has come together "remarkably well to perform a very good, professional play." The actors in the current play are all local talent.... Full story
While some Oregon schools are cutting summer programs because of the statewide budget crunch, Sisters will conduct a small summer school as usual. Sisters High School Counselor Charlie Kanzig, who directs the program, said four weeks of classes will be offered, beginning July 8. They will be held from 8 to 11 a.m. weekdays at Sisters Middle School on Cascade Avenue. Classes will be offered in English and history, primarily for students who have failed a course or "have gotten behind for some reason such as illness or moving... Full story
Nicolas Yopp. Photo provided Freshly graduated from Sisters High School, Nicolas Yopp is ready to see the world. The parts he hasn't already seen from the back of his bicycle or from ski slopes across the planet, that is. Actually, the bicycling gets done here in Oregon. Yopp plans a full schedule of Oregon Bike Racing Association (OBRA) sanctioned races during the summer. Currently riding in first place in his age group (Sport Junior Men 15-18 years), Yopp finished the high school race season as state champion. The sport... Full story
Tyrone Wells. Photo provided California folk singer Tyrone Wells is in Central Oregon this week for a family reunion. While he's here he will present a free public musical performance in Sisters. The outdoor concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 at Bronco Billy's Saloon and Ranch Grill in downtown Sisters. Although traveling without his band, Wells says that a friend or two will probably perform with him. Certain to join him on stage is musical associate Erin Chang, whose brother heads up the popular Hawaiian... Full story
If you are on the Internet, you probably get "spam" -- and lots of it. Black Butte Computer Club members learned last Thursday, June 19, about ways to stop those annoying, unwanted junk e-mails. Cindy Hovey, a representative of Bend Cable, said that her solution required using a Bend Cable modem, requiring a subscription to Bend Cable as the local server. For those not on cable, other suggestions were given by club members to alleviate the problem. AOL (America Online) and MSN (Microsoft Network) offer a spam protection... Full story
Willie Carl Tindal Four generations of Dorothy Gridley's family have fought for freedom. Her father, William Carl Tindal, served in World War I. In 1917 he was a private in Company L, 144th Infantry, in the United States Army. Elmer Dale Gridley, the love of her life, swept her off her feet at a cowboy dance in Culver City. The year was 1945. She confides that they have been dancing ever since, even though he passed away in 1980. Private First Class Elmer Dale Gridley fought in World War II. Elmer Dale Gridley Vietnam, 1974:... Full story
Sisters Coffee Company has been an institution since 1989. Now three drive-through coffee kiosks in town have changed the tradition of going out for a cup of coffee. "Yes, our business is changing," said Winfield Durham, founder and owner of Sisters Coffee on Hood Avenue, "but the change is not in our sales, as we sell everything we can roast, but in our relationship with our growers and wholesalers." The local coffee company buys from all over the world: "Africa, Indonesia, Kona, with much of our import coming from... Full story
The Oregon Community Foundation presented SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) a check for $35,000 on Tuesday, June 18. The grant is dedicated to construction of SOAR's Community Activities Center. With $901,300 in construction assets raised through grants, donations and fundraisers, SOAR can now begin construction. Linda Moore, Chair of the Central Oregon Leadership Council and board member of the OCF, said the board had no difficulty in making the decision to aid in SOAR's construction project. "Every... Full story
Jerry Bogen and Charlotte Milam. Photo by Tom Chace After three years of planning, design and building, the new Community Hall at the Episcopal Church in Sisters in now ready for public and church use. One of the most dramatic of many innovative ideas incorporated into the new building is the cross immediately inside the double entrance doors. It is suspended in air, extending a foot from the back wall and hanging three feet from the ceiling. A number of direct spotlights create interesting shadows on the hand-made,... Full story
The Berry's (L. - R.): Mindy, Micah, Isaac, Cole, and Marty at the Lakeside Bistro. Photo by Conrad Weiler Marty and Mindy Berry are the new owners of the Lakeside Bistro at Black Butte Ranch (BBR). The bistro is located overlooking Lake Phalarope and adjacent to the Lodge swimming pool. The Berrys offer a wide variety of reasonable food choices including burgers, pizza and salads. "Our signature food is our barbecue offerings," said Marty. "Whether it's burgers, chicken, hot dogs, ribs or salmon -- our four barbecues put... Full story
Nicole Nathan. Photo by Jim Cornelius Nicole Nathan is taking a snapshot in time -- literally. Nathan is working for the Deschutes County Community Development Department (DCCDD) under a federal grant to inventory pre-1960s homes in Sisters before many of those homes disappear in the face of redevelopment. According to Pat Kliewer of DCCDD, Nathan has been walking the neighborhoods of Sisters, taking black-and-white, archive-quality photographs of homes to preserve a... 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: I take issue with y... Full story
- A man allegedly pistol-whipped another man in the face during an altercation in the stands at a semi-pro football game at Sisters High School. Both the alleged victim and the suspect had left the scene when deputies arrived. - A deputy found a switchblade and a small amount of marijuana during a traffic stop. The suspect was cited. - A woman allegedly smacked a couple of cars with a bat. It had something to do with a break-up. No one wanted to file charges. - Several youths were caught swimming in the Tollgate pool after... Full story
In the 1890s, Sisters was a charming little Western town. It still is today. And if all goes according to plan, it still will be in 2025. The City of Sisters has proposed an Urban Renewal Plan for the downtown commercial area. A public workshop Thursday, June 19 at City Hall provided visuals, information and time for comments and questions on what this plan would make the town look like in the future. The plan is intended to develop downtown as the commercial and cultural center of the Sisters community. Specific elements of... Full story
