News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
Larry "Smitty" Smith surveyed the top of Cache Mountain as mop-up operations got underway. Firefighters worked as diligently to mop up the Cache Mountain fire as they did to contain the blaze as it rolled into Black Butte Ranch. The mop-up is hard, dirty, tedious work -- but it is critical to keeping the fire from rekindling itself and raging again. "It's got the potential for re-burn in the center of this (area) because there are still unburned fuels," said Division... Full story
Sisters visitors and residents will partake of Sisters' annual Country Fair on Saturday, August 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. The church is located an eighth of a mile west of town on the McKenzie Highway. Members of the church work year-round to plan and organize this event. The fair offers a unique blend of arts, live music, children's games, animal rides, a petting zoo, face painting, story telling, gift shopping and a medley of delicious foods. There will be live music... Full story
Clay Maier puts the Knapp Friesians through their paces. Jim and Judi Knapp hosted an afternoon of free equine entertainment on Saturday, August 3, at the Willows Ranch, home of the Knapp Friesian Horses. The display of horsemanship thrilled the audience of several hundred. The event was an opportunity to show locals the magical entertainment routines which the Knapp Friesians perform around the country. It also served as a benefit for Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center. The Knapp Friesians rarely appear in the West as... Full story
Remains found by hikers on Broken Top on July 26 have been identified as those of Daniel Curran, a 24-year-old hiker from Pennsylvania. Curran had been reported missing by his brother on November 9, 2001, after leaving his campsite at Green Lakes to climb Broken Top. The State Medical Examiner, identified the remains found near the west base of the peak through clothing and dental records. The State Medical Examiner determined that Curran died of hypothermia.... Full story
Krista Pagano earned a championship ribbon at the Deschutes County Fair. The Cloverdale Livestock Club had a successful run at last week's Deschutes County Fair. The 19 members, who are in grades 4-12, all show sheep in the 4-H fair, with member Aubyn Geser also showing her dog. Preparing and showing their animals in classes for market lambs, breeding ewes, and in showmanship kept the members busy. Saturday was auction day, where the market lambs are sold to the highest bidder. Many 4-H kids have paid their way through... Full story
Local fire departments responded directly into the heart of the firestorm on Sunday, July 28, when the Cache Mountain fire hit the northwest corner of Black Butte Ranch. Two houses were destroyed, but firefighters saved others that could easily have met the same fate. Engines were on patrol in that sector because firefighters feared the blaze would spot in the direction of the Ranch. Initial responders for Black Butte Ranch were: Captain Tim Demers; Lt. Justin Waalkes; Brandon Ladd; Ryan Ahrendt; Sean Hurtley; Cory... Full story
Sparked by the recent Cache Mountain fire, Camp Sherman residents turned out in record numbers for a fire evacuation update at the Community Hall on Monday, July 29. Crowd estimates were as high as 200 people attending to hear updates from the various agencies involved in fire fighting, forestry and other areas of expertise. Camp Sherman contains between 400 and 500 lots for building. About 280 to 300 of these contain residences. There are 108 Forest Service cabins -- many on or near the Metolius River. The land is rented... Full story
Pavers are now featured on the Fir Street and Main Avenue crosswalk. Pedestrian crosswalks in Sisters are often ignored by drivers impatient to get through town. The City of Sisters is experimenting with methods to make the crosswalks themselves more visible, with the hope that drivers will take them more seriously. A construction crew is installing pavers inside the crosswalk on Fir Street at the corner of Main Avenue in front of City Hall. The crosswalk on Main Avenue at... Full story
Individual performance tickets are now on sale for the Sisters Folk Festival scheduled for September 6-8, in Sisters. Tickets for the Friday evening performance featuring blues artist Chris Smither and American string band The Waybacks are $20. Smither combines his stunning guitar playing, poetic songwriting, bluesy vocals and wry stage presence into a memorable live performance. Smither has achieved legendary status by infusing the blues with his own unique songwriting vision to create a style that has the feel and soul of... Full story
Fr. Adrian Morrin and Fr. Tom Faucher in Penrith, England, on their way to Scotland. Although the Diocese of Idaho has invoked its prior claim on former Sisters priest Fr. Tom Faucher, it will still have to wait a while before getting him back. Instead of Boise, Faucher is currently preaching his message in Scotland as part of a well-earned sabbatical. Faucher arrived in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, on July 12, where he is filling in for Scottish priest Fr. Neil O'Donnell, who himself is on sabbatical in the southwestern United... Full story
Local firefighters with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service are used to folks in Sisters asking why they're not out fighting a fire in the nearby forests. Usually, the answer is that their job on that fire is done. Wayne Rowe of the Sisters office of ODF notes that his agency is tasked with initial attack. That period covers from the time a fire is reported to when the fire is either controlled or more resources are needed to get it under control. "The fire danger for a particular day and the... Full story
A dozer did some repair work on a safety zone scraped out of the brush on Cache Mountain. Fighting fire can scar the landscape every bit as much as the blaze itself. Bulldozers plow rings of fire breaks through the woods, scraping up topsoil and leaving a cross-hatch of dusty wounds on the forest floor. They push over trees, roll away huge boulders and rip out brush. Safety zones are scraped out of the brush for 50 square yards -- utterly bare places where firefighters can... Full story
Jennifer Lake Miller collaborates with her husband Les on art furniture. The latest addition to Sisters' stable of art galleries is the Jennifer Lake Miller Gallery in the new retail space on Cascade Avenue adjacent to Coldwell Banker Reed Bros. Realty. The gallery is an exclusive outlet for Miller's work. Paintings, tiles, note cards, lamps and vases adorn the walls and floor displays of this fresh, new space. Also included are limited edition pieces of furniture made by her husband Les and decorated with Miller's art. A... Full story
John Pierce (left), Tom Roerick, Sara Erickson and Eric Korman survey the slopes of Cache Mountain for snags. The woods on the steep northern face of Cache Mountain echoed on Thursday, August 1, with the roar of chainsaws, the warning cries of sawyers and the rending crash of toppling snags. The work is a vital part of the mop-up operation on the Cache Mountain fire. "Pretty much all we're doing here is snagging, cutting out dead trees so they don't fall on the rest of the cre... Full story
Earl Richards, Hospice volunteer. Sisters resident Earl Richards has become a vital member of Hospice of Redmond, Sisters & Grant County. Richards' calling to Hospice came three and a half years ago in the form of an announcement at his church. "Our pastor was a hospice chaplain and he said they needed volunteers," Richards said. "I made a phone call that very next day. They were in such need for volunteers for respite care (being a companion to a dying person) I also was assigned a patient that same day. I was unknowing and... Full story
Firefighters got cards -- and toiletries and treats -- from a grateful Sisters community. It was community appreciation night last Friday at the fire camp set up around Sisters High School. Small tents were pitched on the grass in all directions as far as one could see. About 40 local citizens gathered with toiletries, baked goodies, clothing, and other treats for firefighters fighting the Cache Mountain fire. Tables were set up in front of the High School welcoming the firefighters and displaying many needed items for their... Full story
Caterers Alan Maldonado (left), Linda Butler, Dustin Makowski, Mandi Maldonado, Phil Butler and Anthony Embesi live and work throughout the West. Gary and Ronda Sneva have been catering to firefighters across the West for years. Last week, they did their work close to home -- at the Cache Mountain fire camp at Sisters High School. The Snevas started Port-a-Pit Catering 13 years ago. The company, based out of Tucson, Arizona, travels with fire crews to serve them as they fight fires throughout the West. The company was... Full story
Diners made reservations at the Black Butte Ranch Lodge restaurant for the weekend, golfers teed up on the courses and visitors came to enjoy their holiday as Black Butte Ranch returned to normal last week. Residents returned on Wednesday afternoon, lining up in a string of cars along Highway 20 to turn into the main gates. The Ranch entrance was adorned with a banner welcoming residents and thanking firefighters and police services for their efforts in saving homes and evacuating the Ranch safely on Sunday, July 28. The... Full story
The Luckiamute River String Band will perform at Angeline's Bakery on Friday, August 9, at 7 p.m. The old-time music group performs a wide range of traditional tunes from the pre-Civil War period to 1940s cowboy songs, hoe-downs, ballads, and harmonies. The band has opened for Waddie Mitchell and Don Edwards. Coyote Creek Café will feature the duo of Paul Lemoine and Dan Mahoney at 8:30 p.m. on Friday night, August 9. The Sisters Country Fair will host live music at the Sisters Episcopal Church on Saturday, August 10.... 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 want to thank... Full story
- City Council Meeting 7 p.m., 2nd and 4th Thursday each month, Sisters City Hall. 549-6022. - School Board Meeting 7 p.m., 1st Monday each month, high school lecture/drama room. 549-8521. - Black Butte School District Board of Directors meets 2nd Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., Black Butte School. 595-6203. - Sisters - Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets the 2nd Monday each month, 8 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 549-0771. - Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD meets for drill every Monday, 7... Full story
- A merchant reported the theft of some cash from his business. - A window was broken at a shop in the Industrial Park. - A man tried to flee on foot after a traffic stop. A police K-9 put a stop to that in a big hurry. The man was taken into custody on multiple warrants. - A man reported being buzzed by a low-flying plane, which landed on a roadway, then took off again. A deputy made inquiries at all the local airports, but was unable to locate the plane. - A Sisters woman was arrested for violating a restraining order. - A... Full story
The "Y" intersection of Highway 20 and Highway 242 at the west end of Sisters has been a thorn in the side of motorists and traffic planners for years. Now, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has budgeted $540,000 to decommission that intersection. "What we propose to do is make Hood (Avenue) our new connection," ODOT spokeswoman Stephanie Popp told audience members at a sparsely-attended public meeting on Wednesday, July 31. ODOT's preferred plan is to upgrade... Full story
