News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
Almost all the construction is complete and landscape berms are newly planted. The Central Electric Cooperative's Tollgate substation is set to go on line this fall. CEC is waiting for one last piece of equipment that was delayed in coming from the manufacturer. "We're about a month-and-a-half, two months from completely energizing and basically saying we're done," said CEC spokesman Alan Guggenheim. One major feature of the new substation is completed. The Deschutes County... Full story
Gabriel Todd Ellis, of Sisters, will spend nearly seven years in prison in connection with a drunk-driving crash that killed a close friend. Judge Stephen Tiktin handed down the sentence last Wednesday in a case relating to a crash on a forest road south of Sisters in the early hours of Saturday morning, November 1, 2008. According to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office, Ellis, then 25, was driving a 1987 Chevrolet S10 Blazer with James Robert Stark and Teddy Ian Scot Howell, 32, both of Sisters, as passengers. The vehicle... Full story
Truck traffic and other folks heading through Sisters and over the Santiam Pass will be diverted to an alternate route under the Sisters Transportation System Plan (TSP) presented to the Sisters City Council and planning commission Thursday night. The plan calls for a total of $54 million worth of street and highway improvements over a 20-year period. The majority of the money, $41 million, would be dedicated to creation of an alternate route for westbound traffic. Traffic... Full story
The economy is still in a slump and nobody is expecting a swift and strong recovery in the housing market. But tourists are still coming to Sisters - much more so than to other communities in Central Oregon. According to room tax report data released by the Central Oregon Visitors Association (COVA), Deschutes County's room tax revenue dropped by 9.5 percent over fiscal year 2008/09 from FY 2007/08. (The fiscal year runs July-June.) The City of Bend was down 14.13 percent while Redmond dropped 14.3 percent. The bright... Full story
To the Editor: I don't like taxes any more than anyone else, but I do think that local people know how to spend local taxes better than the state. In light of that fact, we better latch onto a local gas tax. Taxed locally and spent locally. No laundry fee attached like one originated by a state or federal agency's. I really do not like some industry big shot oil baron who does not live inside the city, county, or state telling me, who lives in the city and has for 30 or so years, how I should be living. It seems that those... Full story
It started at age three. For her birthday party, Cammi Benson wanted to ride ponies. She's been horse crazy ever since. Now at age 11, she spent the summer winning at horse shows around the state. As a member of the High Desert Hay Burners 4-H Club, she swept six championship titles in performance and ranch events at the Deschutes County Horse Fair for the junior age division. She showed her thoroughbred paint horse, Travis, in the performance events, and her quarterhorse,... Full story
Sisters Doggie Dash & Stroll romps into town Saturday, August 29. Dogs of every conceivable size, shape and variety are congregating for what is sure to become a legendary happening for years to come. The wild, tail-waving event is a charity fundraiser at Sisters High School to benefit the Bend Spay and Neuter Project, a low- and no-cost pet clinic that services over 4,000 cats and dogs per year. Every year in Deschutes County and throughout the country, thousands of dogs and cats are euthanized due to overpopulation. The... Full story
Every day - except in winter when it's slick going - 92-year-old Ruth Copley hikes from her home, where she's staying with Gaila Noel on Third Avenue in Sun Mountain Estates, to the end of Fryrear Ranch Road, about a mile away. She's rarely alone. A big shaggy dog by the name of Corky comes along to make sure she doesn't get into trouble, and about 18 of her neighbors wave to her as she slowly makes her two-mile, round trip trek. When Ruth reaches the end of the first leg of... Full story
Composting on a large scale requires more than a shovel and pitchfork, but is doable if you have some space, a tractor and a source of water. Willows Ranch, on Indian Ford Road, began composting three years ago. Ranch manager, Allan Godsiff, chose a spot away from the main ranch activity areas and set up a static pile system. He built two bins along a fence line to start the process, but the piles go through six turns on their way to completion. "The most important things to t... Full story
Cascade Horizon Band will finish its summer performance season in the beautiful outdoor environment at Aspen Lakes Sunday, August 30 in a free early evening concert. The program also will conclude the Aspen Lakes Sunset Serenades for this year, where a buffet dinner will be available for purchase following a free golf clinic. Dinner and beverage service starts at 5 p.m., with the band concert at 6 p.m. Cascade Horizon Band, under the direction of Sue Steiger, will begin and end the concert with two popular Sousa selections:... Full story
Jim Giles, a 20-year resident of Sisters, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home on August 21. He was 87. Jim was born in Newark, New Jersey to Theresa and James Giles (U.S. Army) on September 29, 1921, growing up an only child but living with extended family, including his grandmother. His high school days were marked by excellence in athletics as captain of the rifle and swim teams; he also enjoyed tennis and body building. Health and fitness became lifelong... Full story
Ken Ehlers of Sage Meadow and Betty Fadeley of Aspen Lakes live miles apart, but yet have something in common: They have had a non-personal contact with our elusive, feared, loved, hated, and oft-misunderstood cougar, Puma concolor - and it may have been the same animal. The Ehlers contact was on Sunday evening, August 16, after which he wrote this e-mail to The Nugget: "We have had some cougar sightings here in Sage Meadow, and last week several of us heard a noise that was e... Full story
In this week's Nugget, there's a story about cougars that was generated by e-mails from Ken Ehlers of Sage Meadow, and Betty Fadeley of Aspen Lakes. In the exchanges we enjoyed, talking about feeding deer on purpose and reluctantly with our landscaping and kitchen gardens, Ken added: "Come to think of it, Jim, we all feed the deer unintentionally by planting stuff like flowers and such that they eat. We have tried our best to plant only stuff they aren't supposed to eat, but... Full story
You finally pulled the pin and left the work world behind. You threw your spouse and clubs in the car and came to Central Oregon with a big grin on your face. Finally, you could capture all that golf potential and hit those soaring drives and pinpoint approach shots. But wait a minute; there's a kink in the plan. The kink might be in your back, shoulders or legs. Your dreams are shattered as newly found pain curtails or even ends your quest for green glory. It turns out that... Full story
Think Again ParentS (TAPS) and the Sisters Sports Mentoring Alliance (SSMA) will present four Outlaw Sports Culture workshops August 27 and 28 at Sisters High School. The workshops, titled "Outlaw Culture - Because That's Who We Are," will focus on education in enhancing the Outlaws sports culture in the Sisters area from kindergarten through seniors in high school. Guest speakers will include Kathy Toon, a longtime college coach, author, sports psychologist and sports consultant, and Sisters High School principal and... Full story
Thomas Jefferson said in a speech, "Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors." Benjamin Franklin said: "In free governments the rulers are the servants and the people are their superiors and sovereigns." Do the people feel their government is listening to them? Nearly 300 people gathered in Redmond on Sunday, August 23, to address that very question. They were there for a photo shoot choreographed by Sisters photographer Richard Esterman. He... Full story
Allen Alley is walking for office these days. Alley is seeking the Republican Party's nomination for governor and to sound out the electorate he's taking a long walk across Eastern and Central Oregon. He was in Sisters on Monday. One support vehicle and a couple of campaign staffers are accompanying Alley on his trek. He's making five three-mile stages per day, to cover an average of 15 miles per day. "If we don't have people stopping to talk - which we encourage - we... Full story
The Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) board met for the third time this month on Monday night to decide whether to temporarily shut down the financially troubled organization. While the board again delayed choosing a course of action, it appears that a complete shutdown has been taken off the table. The board was to continue its meeting Tuesday night to determine what level of staffing will be required to maintain "critical" programs. While those programs remained... Full story
Andrea Clarke wrote: Through Sparrow Clubs, 117 middle school students volunteered 265 hours of their time and positive energy through community service projects to help one of their friends - my daughter, Florentina. Their contributions were one with compassion, giving and pure heart. I received 117 vouchers with personal messages to our family sharing: "What helping Florentina has meant to me...." I would like to share a few of them: The smallest things make the biggest difference. Hope that Florentina is happy. I love... Full story
Summer is a time for camps: church camps, sports camps, band camps, even yearbook camp. But for a few students from Sisters High School, summer camp looked a little different this year. Earlier this month, eight students and one teacher packed up bags at Sisters Community Church and headed out into the Three Sisters Wilderness Area for seven days in the backcountry. The trip grew to fruition as a joint venture between Sisters Community Church and the Sisters Young Life group... Full story
Sisters resident Susie Longfellow has traveled the road of loss and survived. Longfellow (pen name for Susan Bird) was the author of a humorous column for The Nugget that ran between 1990 and 1995. It was in an Erma Bombeck style of wit covering family and community through the lens of laughter. The laughter ceased for Longfellow in 1995, and her journey of loss began. With all of life weighing heavy on her shoulders and not knowing if her shoulders could bear it all,... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival is selling a limited number of tickets for individual days of the September 11-13 event. Prices are $30 for Saturday or Sunday until 5 p.m.; $45 for Friday or Saturday night or $60 for a Saturday pass from 10 a.m. to close. All Events Passes remain available at $85, giving festival-goers three days of music on six stages. After Wednesday, September 9, all tickets will be on sale only at the Village Green Will Call on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. The festival will continue offering buttons with the... Full story
