News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
Windy conditions on several days this past week challenged firefighters trying to get a handle on the Summit Springs Complex fires. Despite cool, relatively wet conditions last Wednesday, the Summit Springs fire in particular kept pushing across containment lines, driven by gusty winds that accompanied the cold front. Air attack by helicopters and retardant-dropping tankers provided critical support to ground forces, keeping the fire from running away. Usually, hot and dry weather is bad news for firefighters. However, the... Full story
Teachers are back in their classrooms, sports teams are on the field and on the court, and parent volunteers are sprucing up campuses as Sisters gets ready for the annual rite of fall. It's time to go back to school. Classes start at all Sisters schools on Tuesday, September 2, the day after Labor Day (see page 22 for schedules). Sisters families have a chance to get themselves oriented this week. Sisters Elementary School students will attend their annual Open House on... Full story
Overnight on September 16-17, Sisters will go dark as Central Electrical Cooperative (CEC) shuts down its system in the area to make a conversion to higher voltage. The utility will explain its plans to the public in an informational meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, September 3, at Sisters Public Library. CEC plans to convert electric power transmission to Sisters from 69,000 volts to 115,000 volts. The conversion requires a six-hour, planned power outage, affecting... Full story
Before coming to Sisters this past week, the Bell Huey helicopter was lifting buckets and dropping water on fires out of Klamath Falls, Prineville, John Day and now Sisters, all during the months of June, July and August. Working from a 75-day State of Oregon contract, the nearly 2.5-ton workhorse assisted the crews on the ground in the battle of the blazes during the Summit Springs Complex Fire. The red-and-white painted helicopter is owned by Troy and Genevieve Woydziak,... Full story
To the Editor: The proposed massive development at the corner of Barclay and Locust Street (Camp Polk Road) is definitely not in Sisters' best interest. We don't want to lose our small-town atmosphere, and this proposed development seems like it belongs in impersonal Salem or Eugene instead of Sisters. The very large number of proposed apartments will overwhelm the already limited sewer capacity. The large planned retail space will suck customers away from our quaint downtown, thus hurting the merchants. Worst of all, it... Full story
Ken Aitken claims to be "the oldest person to be born in Sisters and still be alive." He is 90, born on December 19, 1917, a little over a month after the end of World War I. Aitken, who now lives in Bakersfield, California, was in Sisters last week and discussed his early days in Sisters with family and friends at a function at the new Three Creeks Brewing Company. His parents, George and Grace, were both people with many talents who had a major role in Sisters society during... Full story
Most people in Sisters tout economic development. Most consider good-paying jobs and a thriving business community a goal to aspire to. But it's far from clear how such a goal might be accomplished. Who's responsible for economic development in Sisters? The City, Chamber of Commerce, EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon)? Some other group or individual? What is "economic development?" Lane County, Oregon, defines economic development as "a program, a group of policies, and/or activity that seeks to improve the econom... Full story
Robert and May Gammon had eight children back in the early part of the 20th Century. Six of them were sisters - known as The Gammon Girls - and they started several branches of a family tree that winds its way through Sisters history. The Gammon Girls were founders of several prominent Sisters families: the Tewalts, the Hitchcocks, the Bushes, the Days, the Roaches, the Dennises and others. Descendants of the Gammon Girls gathered in Sisters last weekend at Ponderosa... Full story
When last week's lightning storm pummeled the area around Sisters, a new tool helped the lookout on Black Butte locate fires after dark. For decades, the primary mechanism to establish the position of a fire has been the Osborne Fire Finder. In the past, information from the Osborne has been plotted on two-dimensional maps, with the lookout using landmarks to pinpoint distance. Normally, once it is dark and landmarks not visible, it is impossible to set location. The... Full story
With gas prices high, more people are looking for alternative forms of transportation - from carpooling to riding a bike. Now bus transportation is becoming a viable option for some in Sisters. Cascades East Transit (CET), operated by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC), now offers daily (Monday through Friday) bus trips between Sisters and Bend. A CET 10-12 passenger bus transports passengers from the "Sisters Park & Ride" behind Sisters Pumphouse gas station to Hawthorne Station, Bend Area Transit's (BAT)... Full story
The Sisters School District has allayed some concerns that there isn't enough money set aside if enrollment drops more than expected. Last June during budget discussions, board member Chris Jones (now chair of the board) asked if there was "sufficient cushion" with $0 set as the ending fund balance and $112,000 in contingency. Jones suggested that five percent or more than $600,000 is considered prudent in some quarters. Since then, additional information and some savings have resulted in a swing of about $113,547 to the... Full story
Chuck Perry has just been installed as pastor of Sisters Church of the Nazarene. Chuck and his wife, Valerie, are busy unpacking their belongings and getting settled in Sisters. They have three children. One will attend middle school, while their two older ones are off to college. Lindsay, 20, attends college in San Diego at Point Loma Nazarene University; Zach, 18, is enrolled at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa; and Breanna, 12, will enter the seventh grade in... Full story
After graduating 22 seniors last spring, only three players will return to the Outlaws football squad this season. Seniors Tyler Miller, Thomas Arends and Andrew Enger will be the foundation that Sisters' new coach, Dusty Macauley, will rely upon. Miller (6-feet-2-inches, 250 pounds) will start at left tackle and will be the foundation for the offense. According to Macauley, he is the Outlaws' best player. Arends is a hard worker, knows his assignments and will bring maturity to the offensive line at center, Macauley says.... Full story
The Lady Outlaws volleyball team returns for the 2008 season deep and versatile, with powerful hitters and a quick and accurate backrow. With team chemistry coming together at a quick pace the Outlaws have high hopes to repeat as Sky-Em Champs. The team's enthusiasm is running high on the heels of winning the 2007 State Championship. Several key players return to the Outlaws squad and at the top of the list is dominating outside hitter Fe Pledger. "Fe is polished in every aspect of her game," said second year coach Diane... Full story
• Pleiades is hosting a new happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. The restaurant is located at the FivePine Campus. • Silli Chili celebrates fall with a "Bring a Friend Sale," Saturday, September 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, September 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Common Threads is having their annual " End of Summer Sale," now until Monday, September 1. • The self-serve dog wash at Groomingdales has new hours on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 549-8836 for more information. • Join Leavitt's... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival is selling a limited number of individual tickets for Friday, September 5, Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7. Prices are $30 for Saturday or Sunday until 5 p.m.; $45 for a Friday or Saturday night ticket; or $60 for a Saturday pass from 10 a.m. to close. All-events badges are available at $85, providing festival-goers three days of music on several stages. Performers include The Waifs, Tim O'Brien, The Wailin' Jennys, Jesse Winchester, Keith Greeninger Band with Dayan Kai, 3 Leg Torso,... Full story
The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce held its monthly Mix-n-Mingle on Thursday, August 21. The turnout was higher than expected, despite cool temperatures and breezy weather, which surprised and pleased host and Klondike Mortgage owner Bob Buckmann. The community event featured performances by Americana Project musicians Laura Curtis, Austin Erlandson and Slater Smith. The Mix-n-Mingle is a monthly event sponsored by the Chamber and is hosted by a different business each... Full story
• A kid kicked another in the face by accident during horseplay. There were no injuries, no crime. • Three young men were found up on the roof of Barclay Square at night - not doing anything. They were cited for criminal mischief and trespassing. Two got minor-in-possession citations for alcohol and the other, over 21, was cited for furnishing. • Someone stole 16 five-gallon containers of fire retardant foam concentrate from the fire camp at Sisters Middle School. The foam was valued at $890. • A... Full story
Sisters High School is offering a course in Mandarin Chinese starting this fall. About 20 students have signed up for the course, according to teacher David Perkins. "Mandarin is the common language of China," Perkins said. It has been since the Communists took over the country in 1949 and dictated that all people in every precinct speak Mandarin, the dialect of Beijing. It is the dialect to learn "if you want to be universally understood in China," said Perkins. Perkins and his wife Paula have had a house at Black Butte... Full story
Brad Tisdel's name pops up all over the roots music scene in Sisters. He is the founder and director of the Americana Project, a music education program in Sisters Middle and High Schools. He has been the artistic director of the Sisters Folk Festival for several years, runs a successful business called Creative Educational Resources, and regularly croons his original tunes to appreciative audiences around town and across Oregon. This unique set of talents, and his passion... Full story
The Outlaws cross country team made one of its best showings ever in the annual Portland to Coast Relay, August 22-23, finishing fourth among co-ed teams and 11th overall. Kirsten Clarke started things off from Portland's Hawthorne bridge at 6 p.m. and crossed the Willamette River and on toward Highway 30. Exactly 16 hours later she and her teammates crossed the finish line on the sandy beach at Seaside. It was the second-fastest finish (16:01:30) put together by a team from... Full story
The recent attempt of a cougar to kill and eat the Antilla family's horses out at Crossroads is a powerful reminder of what YOU can do to help prevent a cougar attack. Cougar eat deer. Get it? STOP FEEDING DEER NEAR YOUR HOME! Do not put out salt and mineral blocks for those cute little Bambies. Do just the opposite, drive them away from your home. Your garden will be happier. Encourage the deer to leave Sisters and forage where their ancestors were doing long before you and I appeared in the picture. People who love nature... Full story
Nine players return to the boys soccer team, and will anchor the solid Outlaws squad this season. David Liming (second team all-league), Scott Everson and Will Newport are all very solid players who will control the midfield. All three pass the ball well and are able to win 50/50 balls. "If balls are passed to them, they're going to get it," said Coach Rob Jensen. "They are all very good athletes." Outlaws fans will once again see Max Quinn and Lee Elder at the forward position. Quinn made several goals last year for Sisters... Full story
The Lady Outlaws soccer team will return 10 experienced players to the varsity squad this season. Second-year coach Nik Goertzen told The Nugget that this year fans will see more team play, more attack from the back and more consistency in execution. Seniors Jenna Sneva (second team all-league) and Hattie Tehan will play a key role in the Outlaws defense. Sneva will be the Outlaws' primary goalie but will also see action at the sweeper position. Jenna's presence on defense will be critical because of her aggressiveness, said... Full story
A group from Three Sisters Fellowship invited me to tag along on their recent hike to Park Meadow, Golden Lake...and beyond. A visit to Park Meadow is a pleasant round trip of 7.6 miles. However, the ambitious hiker can easily turn it into a more difficult 14-mile trek - and you might find that the effort is worth it! Nestled on the eastern side of the Three Sisters Wilderness Area, Park Meadow is one of those lush mountain meadows that most people only see in coffee table boo... Full story
