News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
City Manager Eileen Stein announced that the city and ODOT will hold the long-planned open community meeting to review the Cascade Avenue street project the first or second week in October. "It is really important to convey (to the public) that the window to make changes to the project is shutting down," said Stein. "There are elements of the project for which this is the final meeting. Some of the construction staging decisions need to made sooner rather than later so that some of that (detail) can get into the bid... Full story
A dark pillar of smoke looming ominously over Sisters Country did not deter folks from turning out for the second annual Preparedness Fair staged by the grassroots community group Sisters Country: Prepared & Ready (SCPR). In fact, with precautionary evacuation notices in effect for some Sisters residents, the Pole Creek Fire lent urgency to the message of self-reliance and preparedness. "It's not hard to convince people today that they may have an emergency," said Carla... Full story
Sisters does not need an elaborate plan for economic development. The most cost-effective and realistic way to promote economic vitality is simply to promote Sisters Country as a destination. Most folks who have established businesses here came here first as visitors, drawn by recreation opportunities like cycling, golf and camping and/or events like the Rodeo, the Quilt Show and the Sisters Folk Festival. The lure of Sisters is not a business opportunity per se; there are more "sensible" places to site a business. It's the... Full story
To the Editor: The editorial in the September 12 issue of The Nugget explaining the town of Leavenworth, Washington, was absolutely on target. Having lived in Washington all my life, I have felt these same sentiments myself. For the past 11 years, we have lived in Sisters and know the potential of this town. Everything last week's letter mentioned is absolutely true. To go to the most important steps forward, I would like to mention a few more items that should be considered: The merchants in Leavenworth DO NOT close their... Full story
The sun coming in our dining room window casts a bright orange light on the floor, and when I look up the sun is round and sharp through the smoke that hangs heavy over Sisters. It's eerie, and I think about the men and women fighting the Pole Creek Fire and wonder how much sunlight they see through the billowing smoke that surrounds them. Walking and cycling have been out of the question for days because the smoke makes our eyes burn and our throats ache. The firefighters we see around town, or heading up the pass in green... Full story
The 2011-2012 OAKS test scores arrived on the eve of Wednesday's board meeting, leaving no time for detailed analysis. However, Superintendent Jim Golden did have time to get an overview of the district's performance relative to the state average. "In general, we scored higher than any of the other Central Oregon schools, and higher than the state average," said Golden, "Overall I feel very happy with the work that we have done. The changing of the score targets for both math and reading make if difficult to interpret the res... Full story
Folks in Sisters have an opportunity to meet the four candidates vying for seats on the Sisters City Council on Friday, September 21, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Village Green. Each candidate will give a brief introduction and explain why they are running. The rest of the time will be dedicated to allowing citizens to get to know each of the candidates. Current mayor Lon Kellstrom, former mayor Brad Boyd and newcomers McKibben Womack and Catherine Childress will compete for the three open seats on the council. Councilors Pat... Full story
Parents of students at Sisters Middle School (SMS)will find out what their children are expected to learn and how they will be graded this year at a special "curriculum night" on Wednesday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m. "We're moving towards a standards-based grading system," SMS Principal Mark Stewart explained. That means "extracting behavior out of the student's grade and really trying to show what they know and what they can do." Through the online "School Loop," parents will be able to see progress reports that show how... Full story
As part of its belt-tightening efforts, the Sisters School District has reduced the number of stops its buses make. "To use time wisely and resources smartly, we decided that we needed go with fewer stops," said Angie Gardinier, Sisters School District Transportation Supervisor. With more than 28 years in the transportation department, Gardinier has seen a lot of changes. When district budgets were flush and pavement shoulders and sidewalks were few and far between, the yellow school buses ran a nearly door-to-door service... Full story
Sisters dominated play and crushed the White Buffaloes at Madras in a final score of 39-6 on Friday night, September 14, and recorded their second win of the season. The Outlaws got on the scoreboard halfway through the first quarter. Quarterback Tristen Lewis threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Jackson, who broke through several tackles for the score. Sisters went for two, but the run failed. A strong Outlaws defense forced Madras into a three-and-out and Sisters... Full story
The wildfire that started on Sunday morning, September 9, near the Pole Creek Trailhead southwest of Sisters tripled in size from Friday afternoon, September 14, to late Saturday evening. By press time the area of burn was estimated to have grown to approximately 17,500 acres. Fire officials blame "active weather" Friday afternoon into early Saturday for the fire's rapid spread. Pole Creek Fire Incident Meteorologist Jon Bonk explained that lower relative humidity and gusty winds associated with a passing heat low Friday... Full story
The Lady Outlaws volleyball team recorded one of the most satisfying wins in the program's history last week, taking down their fiercest rival in a three-way match with Crook County and Madras on Tuesday, September 11. The Outlaws took down six-time consecutive state champion, Crook County. Sisters defeated the Cowgirls in a five game marathon with scores of 22-25, 25-23, 16-25, 25-20 and 15-10. The Outlaws lost by three in a tight first set but bounced right back to win the... Full story
The Wolftree Challenge will test teams of Sisters folks' knowledge of the great outdoors - and raise funds for the program's educational outreach programs that make science and conservation come alive for Sisters students. Here's the way Wolftree has the day set up: Up-and-at-'em at least by 8 a.m., have a hardy breakfast (lunch is provided, but you'll be in the field until 4 p.m.), gas up your vehicle and be at Sisters Creekside Park by 9 a.m. Sisters Park & Recreation... Full story
Despite the obvious orange haze hanging in the air, weekend shoppers came out in force to enjoy the annual Sisters Fall Street Festival off Cascade Avenue on Saturday and Sunday. A colorful blend of nearly 60 arts and crafts vendors lined the streets and sidewalks, offering glazed nature mugs, sequined sunglasses, hand-tooled leatherwork, bamboo paddleboards, stone-based picture frames, laser-cut metal sculpture and artisan jewelry temporarily took people's minds off the... Full story
The boys soccer team started their week with a bang, tallying a 6-0 shutout over Madras at home on Tuesday, September 11, and two days later blanking Redmond 5-0. On Saturday, the Outlaws lost 4-1 in a tough battle against the Hornets at Henley. In Tuesday's action, the Outlaws got off to a quick start against Madras. In the first minute of play Eli Boettner broke away and crossed the ball low from the left side across the middle to a running Evan Rickards, who put it in for... Full story
Local thespians and lovers of theater are invited to join a theater performance class that begins Tuesday, October 2 at Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). Polishing your Performance will jump-start the new Sisters Community Theatre program, a joint effort between SPRD, the Community Schools Foundation and the Sisters School District. Local residents Angela Lund, program manager, and Lisa Fetrow, artistic director, have been hired to lead the program. Fetrow and Lund... Full story
• Carey Tosello wrote: Miki McFadden, the new high school volleyball coach, has done what many thought was nearly impossible: She coached the girls to a win over Crook County on Tuesday, September 11. For those that don't follow volleyball, Crook County has won the state title six years in a row, and most locals cannot remember when (or if) the Outlaws have ever beaten them. With a mixture of returning seniors and younger players, Coach McFadden has the girls playing with enthusiasm and, well, Outlaw pride. This is one v... Full story
In the tradition of the art form, every quilt tells a story. In the case of the Quilt for Two Rivers project, sponsored by Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, it's more like an entire book. After debuting at the Sisters Quilt Show, the "Two Rivers, Three Sisters" quilt exhibit is now traveling the Pacific Northwest. It will be on display at the Northwest Quilting Expo, September 20-22. The show is held at the Portland Expo Center. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. A partnership... Full story
The Nugget is often asked to cover an event that brings happiness to residents of the Sisters Country. Last Tuesday was one of those events: a birthday party for Chris Dalton, 99, going on 100. All you could hear as you walked into the Sisters Community Church hall, where about 60 members of the Central Oregon Council on Aging were assembled, was gales of laughter. Standing out was Chris' lively and joyful voice: "Sweet sixteen, and never been kissed," she was saying to one... Full story
With much of our local hiking area in flames yet again - and considering a steady deluge of news reports about air quality and health concerns, it's easy to be discouraged about outdoor opportunities. This past weekend, though, we selected a nice quiet forest walk along Jack Creek where there was no smoke. Although overshadowed by the larger and better-known Headwaters of the Metolius, the birthplace of Jack Creek possesses the same kind of mystique. At Jack Creek, however, it... Full story
The girls soccer team posted a dominating 3-0 win over Redmond on Tuesday, September 11. They tallied 24 shots on goal in the shutout, compared to the Panthers' two. Smoky conditions sent the girls to Henley on Saturday for a match with the Hornets. The Outlaws raised their level of play and notched a 5-4 victory. Coach Audrey Tehan told The Nugget she made some adjustments in Sisters' formation prior to Tuesday's game. "We changed our formation to have a sweeper and a... Full story
The second season of the "Fresh On Fridays" Sisters Farmer's Market came to a close on Friday with a lavish, mouth-watering "Farm to Table" community supper supplied by the attending food vendors. This year the market moved to a more central downtown location in Barclay Park, and the refreshing spot in the shady pocket-park seemed to reinvigorate the weekly event to new heights of success. Following the regular market, organizer and board member Janet Zuelke and a team of... Full story
The Sisters Outlaws cross-country team swept its first full-fledged invitational of the year, winning both the boys and girls team titles among a field of 21 teams ranging from 1A to 6A at the Molalla Invitational held Saturday, September 15 at the Highland Tree Farm. Going into the meet, the girls team expected the biggest challenge to be from the host Indians and the results bore that out to be true as Sisters beat Molalla 46 to 63 for the crown. Yamhill Carlton placed... Full story
Mikayla Duvenick is no stranger to adventure. The 16-year-old Sisters High School student and her 20-year-old brother Charles Duvenick have done a lot of trekking in the Sisters backcountry. But they've never experienced anything like the race for survival they experienced on Sunday, September nine, as they hiked - then ran - to escape the raging Pole Creek Fire. The siblings set out Saturday afternoon with Charles' friend Greg McVickers, 36, from the Pole Creek Trailhead to... Full story
