News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 31
A structural fire destroyed one condominium unit and heavily damaged another at Black Butte Ranch late Friday afternoon. The units were the first units located just west of the Lakeside Bistro near the Black Butte Ranch Lodge. Agencies received the call shortly before 5 p.m. All available units of the Black Butte Rural Fire Protection District responded to the call and were soon supported by firefighters from the Sisters and Camp Sherman stations of the Sisters-Camp Sherman... Full story
One Sisters City Councilor quipped that it was the shortest public hearing they had ever held. At last Thursday evening’s Sisters City Council meeting, developer Bruce Forbes tried to persuade the city to assess the developer of the nine-home Cottage Grove subdivision a higher contribution toward the Whychus Creek bridge fund. The argument didn’t get far. Under an agreement with the city, Forbes is to build the bridge at the east end of town, with contributions from other developments that will need the bridge. Forbes fil... Full story
The lack of clarity in the Sisters Development Code has created a lot of headaches for the city — including fueling the debate over whether “formula food” restaurants should be permitted in the city. The Development and Code Update Advisory Committee was created earlier this year to help clarify and update the code. The committee, which met last week, includes 12 citizens who have a broad range of vested interests in the city. The committee members are: Sandy Affonso, Paul Bennett, Brad Boyd, Jeff England, Charles Humphreys,... Full story
After a decade of waiting, wrangling and hunting for the right spot and the right equipment, skaters finally have a place in Sisters to hone their skills — without annoying downtown merchants. Last week, SOAR opened up a street park with ramps, jumps and rails next to its community center near Sisters High School. It was immediately swarmed with skaters. “It was installed by about 6 p.m. (Wednesday, July 12) and the kids were here first thing in the morning,” said SOAR direc... Full story
To the Editor: Last week’s recycle bin article in The Nugget should have been titled “Not keeping pace with recycling” because that’s what it’s become of late. They can’t keep up with the volume of recyclables anymore. I’ve said this before but it bears repeating that the City of Sisters has created a huge mess that they need to resolve ASAP. The bins being open 24 hours is a really bad idea. Glass dumping at 2 a.m. by inconsiderate jerks isn’t exactly conducive to a good night’s rest nor does seeing all the illegal junk... Full story
Where should off-road vehicles (OHVs) be allowed to operate on public lands in Central Oregon and where should they not be permitted? Sisters area residents have the opportunity to respond to those questions at a clinic to be held on July 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Sisters High School. During the workshops, Sisters area residents will be asked what they value about visiting public lands for recreation. In addition, they may be questioned on how satisfied they are with current roads and trails and how should these transportation r... Full story
Three years ago the B&B Complex Fire ripped through the forests just west of Sisters. Yet many local residents have seen the aftermath only from the highway. Now they have an opportunity to learn more about why the B&B Complex Fire burned, how it spread over 90,000 acres and how the area is recovering with the help of nature and forest managers. People can make reservations now for an all-day tour on any one of three days late this summer: September 13, 14 or 15. The Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) is arranging the... Full story
Sisters Ranger District personnel and others conducted a major cleanup of five local dumpsites on July 13, their way of observing last spring’s Earth Day, according to Ryan Peterson, field ranger with the local Forest Service district. Earth Day is recognized around the world as a time to celebrate gains made and to create new visions to accelerate environmental progress and a time to protect the planet. “Officially, national Earth Day was observed on April 22,” Peter... Full story
Scott Sackett is the Director of Instruction for the PGA Tour Golf Academy and a regular guest on the Golf Channel. He’s spending the summer in the Sisters area, teaching golf at Black Butte Ranch. Sackett’s journey to Black Butte Ranch began in 1996 when he met Jeff Fought, the current Director of Golf at Black Butte Ranch. The two became acquainted in Nevada when Scott was teaching at the Angel Park Golf Club in Las Vegas for Resort Golf Group, a company that he founded wit... Full story
The Sisters Blaze traveling soccer team recorded its first top finish of the season July 8-9, in its third summer tourney. Last weekend was the final tournament to play in before the qualifying tournament, which determines divisional placement for fall soccer. “I wanted our team to come out strong and play hard before QTs,” said Coach Doug Early. The Blaze played the Lake Oswego Rangers the first game on Saturday and won 4-0. Goals were scored by Amity Calvin and Jake McA... Full story
The deadline for registration for Sisters Soccer Club’s fall season has been extended to Monday, July 31. “Online registration wasn’t ready quite when we wanted,” club volunteer Rob Corrigan explained. Online registration is avail-able at www.sisterssoccer.com. Mail-in forms are available at SOAR, Miss Sew-It-All and at Sisters Library, he said. The fall season kicks off on Saturday, September 9. Corrigan invited those interested in volunteering to a planning meeting on Thursday, July 20, at the Ponderosa Room at the Best We... Full story
A rabid bat found dead at Bend’s Pioneer Park last Thursday caught the attention of pet-owners, worried about the chance of infection in dogs and cats — and thereby infecting humans. Dogs are curious animals, and if one running through the forest without a leash discovered a bat or any other wild animal on the ground it would sniff it out. If the wild animal happened to be a rabid bat and the dog mouthed it, there’s a more than incidental chance of passing rabies from bat to dog. Most cats — house or feral — are very aggr... Full story
The Deschutes Public Library will offer a series of free computer classes next month through OSU Extension’s BIT Mobile at the Sisters Library. The BIT Mobile is OSU Extension’s mobile technology classroom. Instructors offer classes to help students of all ages build their ability and confidence in using computers and other technology. Since class sizes are limited, early sign-up is recommended. The class schedule is as follows: Thursday, August 3: • Advanced Internet and E-mail, 2 to 4 p.m. Participants will learn tips... Full story
An illegal debris fire on Paladin Drive east of Sisters rekindled Thursday afternoon, July 13, and burned three-quarters of an acre before being controlled by the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District and others, according to Captain John Thomas. “The fire burned only sagebrush and cheat grass and did no property damage,” Thomas said. “There were no injuries to firefighters.” A resident had burned a pile of shingles around 6 a.m. without checking to find out that his bur... Full story
This summer during the busy weekends, the Camp Sherman fire substation is being manned by volunteer Captain Jeff May. Technically filling the job of building and ground maintenance at the station, May provides first-responder service as firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician. May lives at the station in the tiny meeting room offering kitchen facilities, cot and sleeping bag, from Thursday, 1 p.m. until Tuesday, 8 a.m. “Our chief, Tay Robertson, has set the goal of ... Full story
Pat Green has commuted to her position as Sisters Post Master through rain, sleet and snow. But the high price of gas has proven too much. This month the Crooked River Ranch resident will leave her position for the same title in the Terrebonne Post Office. Green is trading an hour-and-a-half daily commute for one she could manage on her bike. The folks who work with her would do just about anything to keep her. “I even offered to buy her gas,” joked contract carrier Tracie Cla... Full story
Modern American folk artist Jennifer Lake has once again hung her shingle in Sisters. Her new gallery, the Jennifer Lake Gallery, at 370 E. Cascade Ave. opened in May. Lake says that the opening of this new gallery represents the commencement of the second chapter in her more than 20-year career as a professional artist. Lake has long had a presence in Sisters. From 2000-2003 Lake owned and operated the Jennifer Lake Miller Gallery in Sisters; the gallery was located where... Full story
Local residents were treated to an ever-so-brief look at the elite men and women riders of the 27th annual Cascade Cycling Classic as the tour finished its second stage with an 81-mile road course that ended atop the McKenzie Pass on Thursday, July 13. The Classic was sponsored this year by Bend Memorial Clinic and is part of the National Cycle Racing Calendar. The race attracts some of the finest American cyclists as well as competitors from around the world. Thursday’s r... Full story
Sisters Athletic Club (SAC) will host its first annual triathlon on Saturday, July 29. The event will be a combination of an indoor swim, a road bike ride and a trail run. “It is the perfect event for a first time triathlete and challenging enough for a seasoned veteran,” said organizer Rich Hummel. The swim will be 425 yards indoors. The bike ride will go six miles up Elm Street towards Three Creek Lake and back for a total of 12 miles. The run will be three miles, mostly on double track. “We have several age categ... Full story
Seven forest recreation sites in the Sisters Ranger District are among those proposed for reduced maintenance and removal of improvements, according to Mark Christiansen, recreation program manager with the Deschutes National Forest. The Forest Service is considering this proposal to cut costs to meet budget reductions for their 2007 fiscal year beginning October 1. “It is important that the public understands that we are not proposing closing any of these affected sites, but only reducing the amenities they have offered i... Full story
• Zeta Seiple, Friends of the Sisters Library Book Sale organizer, saluted booksale volunteers: “On behalf of the Friends of the Sisters Library, I would like to thank all of the volunteers who gave their time and energies to make this July’s book sale a record fundraising event. “Thanks to the volunteers, the Sisters community and the many visitors to the area this week, we made a total of $5,101, which also included new and renewed memberships to the Friends of the Sisters Library. The funds will be used to support and enh... Full story
Scott Pillar takes over the presidency of the Rotary Club of Sisters at a time when he says there is “a lot of momentum going on.” Pillar, who became president July 1, said part of that momentum is the Veterans Memorial Park the club dedicated last May. The park on Highway 20 welcomes people to the west entrance of town. It required coordination by several government agencies and several years worth of volunteer work to complete. Outgoing Rotary president Mike Bidasolo said that was the highlight of the past year. “The way t... Full story
Hot weather and gusty winds have dried out Sisters forests, increasing wildfire danger. Fire officials tightened fire regulations up a notch as of last Saturday on forestlands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties. Forest landowners and visitors to these lands now are prohibited from having any open fires, including campfires, charcoal fires, and cooking fires except at designated campgrounds. Fires using stoves burning liquefied or bottled fuels are permitted. Smokin... Full story
Becoming a strong team of runners requires some vigorous physical training — but that’s just the beginning. The Outlaws cross country teams have learned that recreating together can be the glue that holds a squad together and makes it strong. For this reason, the teams have made a tradition of having a mid-summer running camp on the McKenzie River that features miles of trail running as well as plenty of time rafting down the scenic waterway and hanging around the cam... Full story
Tickets are still available to see singer/songwriter Craig Carothers on Thursday, July 27, in a Sisters Folk Festival Benefit Show. The show will begin at 7 p.m. at the Americana Studies Center in the new Sisters Art Works Building at 204 W. Adams Ave. Local singer/songwriters Allan Byer with Dean Prescott will open the show. The venue holds 80 people and a sell-out is likely. Advance tickets are $10 and are available at Paulina Springs Books. For more information on the Craig Carothers Show contact Allan Byer at... Full story
