News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
When Ted Thonstad was hired as superintendent of Sisters schools last month, he knew that his first three months would be devoted to one overriding task: winning voter approval of a new "local option levy." A proposed four-year levy of 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed value will be on the November 2 general election ballot. That is the same rate as the levy that has been in effect in Sisters since 2001-02, which expires at the end of the current fiscal year (2004-05). A local option brings in money over and above what a... Full story
Cornet Chop Suey --one of the featured acts at the Sisters Jazz Festival. photo provided Four bands with four distinct musical styles will provide a simultaneous kick-off in different venues at noon Friday, September 17, to open the 2004 Sisters Jazz Festival (SJF). A mix of Big Band, swing, Cajun-zydeco, traditional and contemporary jazz will continue the remainder of Friday afternoon and evening and on Saturday and Sunday, as eight festival touring bands and five regional groups mount the Sisters stages. Leading off Friday... Full story
Peg Bermel was honored last week. photo by Jim Mitchell In 1979, Sisters had a population under 700, there was no sewer, no talk of a couplet, rooms upstairs at The Palace were $5 a night -- and Sisters had a new librarian. Last week the library and citizens of Sisters celebrated Peg Bermel's 25th anniversary as Sisters Librarian. The 1979 library was located next to the Depot Deli. Bermel remembers, "There was no bathroom. I had to close the library and walk to the gas station or the deli." In 1980 the library was moved to... Full story
Lee Kufchak at work on his scale model Curtiss Jenny. The intricate model will be too nice to risk flying it on Sunday afternoons, so Kufchak will donate it to a museum. photo by Jim Mitchell When Lee and Marti Kufchak built their house in Black Butte Ranch, attic space was finished to provide storage for Marti's sewing needs. But now it is known as "The Hangar." Lee uses the space for many of his model airplanes. Lee Kufchak makes model airplanes -- not the ones some of us made when we were young, not the Revell... Full story
If your street name or street address was changed recently, you probably need to reregister with the Deschutes County Clerk's Office by October 12 if you wish to vote in the November election. That is the advice of a spokesperson from the Elections Division of the County Clerk's Office. Unless you have received a new voter registration card with your new address on it, you should plan to reregister, the spokesperson advised. Changes for a number of street names and street addresses were approved by Deschutes County... Full story
Selection of the 2005 PRCA Sisters Rodeo Queen has been scheduled earlier than in past years, according to John Leavitt, queen selection committee chair. Applications will be accepted until September 24. Tryouts are scheduled for Sunday, September 26, 1 p.m. at the Sisters Rodeo Arena. "We have moved up our queen selection schedule to a time similar to other rodeos and to allow our queen to help us promote our rodeo at more events prior to our June rodeo," Leavitt explained. Applicants must be, as of June 10, 2005, 18 years... Full story
Eric Beckwith. photo by Jim Mitchell In December, 2003, the Juvenile Empowerment Training (JET) program lost its funding and leadership in Sisters. Eric Beckwith, Community Justice Officer for Deschutes County Juvenile Community Justice, has taken over supervision of the JET Program. Beckwith says that it was a challenge to get the Teen Court up and running again between December and the end of the school year. There was a long period of time when there was no teen court. Apparently the kids in the program went through no... Full story
A number of Sisters Folk Festival featured performers spent their pre-performance time on Friday in a different kind of venue. Johnsmith, a traveling songwriter for over 30 years, entertained the third through sixth graders at Sisters Elementary School with an introduction to the life and work of Woody Guthrie. Then he hopped across town to the high school to do guitar work with Americana Project students. Johnsmith said his given name is, in fact, John Smith. Since both names are so common, schoolmates slurred them together... Full story
Champion Scott Little. photo by Peggy Chesser Sisters Senior Scott Little won the 16-17-year- old division of the Central Oregon Junior Golf Association (COJGA) for summer competiton. The finale for this season, the Tournament of Champions, was rained out, so final player standings were based on a combination of rankings of points earned and rankings of season scoring averages. Nine tournaments were held throughout the season and Little participated in seven of them. He told The Nugget he played his best round of the... Full story
Gift baskets from local merchants, jazz festival tickets and a surprise sculpture from local artist J. Chester "Skip" Armstrong all are part of the more than 30 prizes that will be awarded this weekend to winners in the annual Sisters Jazz Festival (SJF) raffle. Proceeds from the raffle support Sisters Jazz Festival scholarships to summer jazz camps and educational outreach program. Raffle prizes that have been assembled include the following: a custom foot stool; gift baskets; an ammonite fossil; wine tool kit; leather bag;... Full story
Willy Porter displays his prowess in guitar. photo by Lynn Woodward By all standards this year's Sisters Folk Festival was a success. The weather held up (only a few raindrops), the performers were spectacular, the spectators were appreciative, the organizers were organized. Not much was heard about the couplet or McDonald's. People were too busy shuttling between the venues of the Folk Festival. The focus was on music. The first performer on Friday, September 10, Chuck Pyle, got the audience in the mood with his mellow,... Full story
Alastair Moock, songwriter. photo by Jim Mitchell After being challenged by 149 other songwriters, then going head-to-head with four other finalists, Alastair Moock emerged as the winner of the Sisters Folk Festival Songwriting Contest on Saturday, September 11. Moock, from Boston, Masachusetts, won out over some tough competition with a wide range of experience. He received a $700 cash prize for his efforts. The other finalists were Jim Faddis (Nine Mile Falls, Washington), Elisa Korenne (Brooklyn, New York), Claudia... Full story
Volunteers sort donated Columbia Sportswear clothing. photo by Jim Mitchell Early Saturday morning a line starting forming outside Sisters Elementary School. They were not waiting for one of the Folk Festival acts. They were waiting for winter clothing. The third annual giveaway of Columbia Sportswear outerwear and footwear was about to begin. Within 40 minutes, over 250 people, including 20 under the age of five, had received a free jacket and/or boots to help them through the winter. This year's giveaway began last fall... Full story
David Banks, Columnist Steelhead water is calling. photo by David Banks Dedicated Central Oregon anglers are going AWOL from home and work, seeking Deschutes, McKenzie, North Umpqua, Santiam and John Day river steelhead. Odds of hooking up with the big fish are good, especially in the renowned water in our backyard: the Deschutes River. The ocean carries no El Niño. The Columbia's waters have cooled. Mt. Hood run-off is not too murky. October caddis pupas are moving. The moon is mostly dark. The weather forecast... Full story
Shannon LaMonica holds her new student, a young golden eagle. photo by Jim Anderson A three-year-old golden eagle that had been struck by a motor vehicle and brought to Gary Landers of Sisters has been sent to school at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. Landers, who operates a raptor rehabilitation facility near Sisters, received the eagle from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) after it was found injured alongside the road. The eagle suffered severe head and wing damage, but in spite of the injuries recovered almost... Full story
Keep the meds away from the cat. photo by Susan Springer Pets in Central Oregon live in a rough-and-tumble environment. From coyotes to raccoons and snakes, they have more to contend with than city pets. But when pets are injured in a fight or have other aches and pains, veterinarians say not to treat them with "people medicine." "Don't give any type of medications without first talking to your veterinarian," says Steve Myrin, DVM, of Black Butte Veterinary Clinic in Sisters. Aspirin and other over-the-counter pain relievers... Full story
Volunteers from around the country trekked into Sisters to help with the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes. photo by Doug Kaufman The Sisters Rodeo Association is hosting a nationally organized group of Habitat for Humanity volunteers on the new camp site at the rodeo grounds for 10 days. The Habitat for Humanity RV Care-A-Vanners are in Sisters to help with local home construction. This is the second year they have parked their RVs or pitched tents at the rodeo grounds while they are here. "We feel that the work... Full story
Benji Nagel, left, works with mentor Chuck Pyle. photo by Jim Mitchell In its third year, the Americana Song Academy is a hands-on school for aspiring song writers. This year Steve Seskin, Eliza Gilkyson, and Chuck Pyle, instructed the program. Held at Cascadia Ranch outside Sisters, the "camp" has grown from 12 to 35 students. Classroom instruction and individual mentoring were combined with free time in which to write and sing new songs. According to Festival Artistic Director Brad Tisdel, "It's a really empowering... Full story
Tom Russell. photo by Lynn Woodward Americana singer-songwriter Tom Russell and guitar ace Andrew Hardin brought their unique stylings to the Sisters Folk Festival last weekend to the delight of hundreds. Russell is a songwriter's songwriter. Each of his story songs mixes the meat and spices of everyday people caught in the simmering complexities of the human condition. He then wraps each one up in a tortilla shell of tasty tunesmithing. Johnny Cash, Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, Ian Tyson, Suzy Bogguss, Iri... 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: It is sad to realiz... 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., 2nd Monday each month, middle 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 RFPD meets for drill every Monday, 7 p.m. Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St. 549-0771. - Sisters Kiwanis Club meets every Thursday, 7:30 a.m., Sisters Fire Hall. 549-1223. - Sisters Habitat for... Full story
In the 1992 election, James Carville gave Bill Clinton the battle cry for his campaign: "It's the economy, stupid!" President Bush had won the Gulf war and thought that would carry him through to re-election. And even though the economy had turned around by the time of the election, Bill Clinton succeeded in pounding home the most important issue to Americans at that time: the economy. Twelve years and numerous terrorist attacks later, the most important issue to Americans is the war on terror. Let's face it, the terrorists... Full story
