News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
The Outlaw Open has become one of Sisters' signature events, bringing the community together for a good time and a good cause. The scramble-format golf event drew 128 golfers to Aspen Lakes last Friday. Aspen Lakes has hosted the tourney for over a decade, not only providing the course for the tournament, but also pitching a big tent to house an evening of food, music and fundraising. Event coordinator Deb Wattenburg told The Nugget that preliminary reports indicate that the... Full story
Having survived a financial crisis and come back into its own as a leading organization in the Sisters community, Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) has turned its focus to longterm sustainability. SPRD's key tool in that effort is a new strategic plan. "A huge step for SPRD," Jeff Campbell, board chair of SPRD said of the plan. "Twelve months in the making." The plan includes an aggressive budget for the next year, and also details policies and action items for the executive director and... Full story
The McKenzie Pass Highway will officially open to all traffic on Thursday, June 21, at 8 a.m. The highway has been closed due to winter snows. ODOT closed the highway on November 14, 2011. The opening on June 21 is well over one month ahead of the latest ever, which occurred on July 29, 1999. Motorists driving on this curvy road need to be aware of bicyclists and pedestrians on the roadway and take proper precautions. Vehicles longer than 35 feet are prohibited from using the highway. The first route over the McKenzie Pass,... Full story
Gary Guttormsen and Erin Borla of Sisters were honored Monday for their contributions to pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environments in Deschutes County. The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) selected them as 2012 Big Chainring Award recipients. Awards were presented at the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, June 18. Gary Guttormsen was presented with the Peter Hanson Memorial Award. The citation notes that "Gary is... Full story
• Deb Wattenburg wrote: Though the final tally is not yet in, the Outlaw Open raised over $10,000 between the auction and raffle alone, thanks to the generous support of our community. Outlaw football, softball, girls basketball, baseball and lacrosse all pulled together as one team; along with Aspen Lakes, our sponsors and volunteers to create an event that was enjoyed by 128 golfers and many guests. Special thanks to our premier sponsor and host venue, Aspen Lakes, our title sponsor, Outlaw Orthodontics, long... Full story
The Gallery at The Lodge at Black Butte Ranch hosted an artist reception on Friday for the 17 artists who contributed the 17 panels that make up the 40-foot art installation, the "Two Rivers Three Sisters" quilt. Four other artists contributed another four panels creating "The Waterfalls of Whychus." The Two Rivers Three Sisters quilt tells the visual story of both how Whychus Creek begins life as a glacier-fed creek from the base of the Three Sisters mountains southwest of... Full story
To the Editor: The Sisters Bookies (Sisters Book Club) thank you for your support in giving the pedestrian flags a chance so far. Although we were a bit disheartened over Rodeo Weekend to have 14 of our initial 24 disappear, even seeing Rodeo clown J.J. Harrison handing them out during a show, we have not given up! You hometown folks have cheered the effort and we have received many grateful comments from out-of-towners, as well as observed the usage by wheelchairs, families and individuals. We hope they will become a... Full story
Sisters High School received one of the highest honors bequeathed upon Oregon schools last week when the Oregon School Activities Association announced the winners of the annual Oregonian Cup, which included Sisters as the top 4A school. The Oregonian Cup, established in 1999, honors overall excellence for academics, activities, and athletics using a point system that includes categories for state qualification and the OSAA Academic All-State Program, sponsored by the Oregon Dairy Farmer's Association. Sisters took the lead... Full story
KZSO 106.5 LPFM "Outlaw Radio," the low-power FM radio station located in Sisters High School, may lose its broadcasting rights in the near future. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) auctioned off the broadcasting rights for the 106.5 FM signal to a new station to be built in Terrebonne. The auction price was reportedly $60,000. "KZSO-LPFM will cause considerable interference within the 60 dBu service contour of the new station (in Terrebonne). So even if the FCC does not explicitly require KZSO-LPFM to cease... Full story
More than 200 cyclists rolled out from Sisters to climb up to Dee Wright Observatory on Highway 242 or to explore east of town on Saturday. The third annual Ride for Two Rivers got under way at FivePine Lodge. The ride, co-sponsored by the National Forest Foundation (NFF) and Cycle Oregon, is an effort to raise money and awareness to benefit two wild and scenic rivers, the Metolius and Whychus Creek. One-hundred percent of ride proceeds will go toward supporting ground... Full story
Sisters teachers spent two days at the end of the school year trying to ensure that students will "get" the key concepts they need to grasp as they move from one grade level to the next. Forty Sisters teachers were selected to attend the district's first "Summer Institute," June 14-15 at Sisters High School (SHS). Each day the teachers were guided through a series of workshops designed to further the "vertical alignment" project that they started in January 2012. To achieve vertical alignment, all the teachers in a given... Full story
In recent months, the Deschutes Land Trust's extensive Camp Polk Meadow restoration has captivated the public interest and grabbed most of the attention. However, late last year, just before the calendar rolled over to 2012, the Land Trust quietly made an important addition to the organization's land holdings in the same area. Sitting right on Whychus Creek and snuggled between Camp Polk Road and the Land Trust's existing Camp Polk Meadow Preserve are six acres of... Full story
Easing into its new weekly home at Barclay Park in downtown Sisters, the expanded version of the "Fresh On Fridays" Sisters Farmers' Market kicked off its 2012 season last week with Caribbean drums and bright sunshine. The market features a new crop of local vendors and some old friends, with more room to stretch its aisles of farm-fresh eggs and produce, an abundance of plants and warm baked goods. Afternoon found the pocket park buzzing with shoppers and tourists packing... Full story
In a refreshing splash of regional wines, beer and spirits, the 3rd annual Sisters Wine & Brew Festival played out with record crowds and a bounty of beverages to satisfy any thirst. New this year was 2 Towns Ciderhouse from Corvallis, dispensing fresh-brewed hard cider and introducing guests to the beauty of cold cider. "Aaron Wood and Lee Larsen were the founders, and I joined them shortly after," said partner David Takush. "There's six of us altogether. We've been... Full story
Scout Miller first saw the musical "1776" when she was a little girl, and has always loved it. So, when she learned that an all-female concert version was to be performed locally, her first thought was: "They're going to do it in Bend! I'll definitely get tickets." Her mother, however, had a different idea and suggested that she audition for a chance to actually be part of the show. And that's how this Sisters-area teen found herself slated to play - and sing - the part of... Full story
Surrounded by her family, Betty (Elizabeth Louise) Roach passed away June 6, from cancer, in her home in Sisters. She was 78 years old. She faced this disease like she did her life, with grace, courage, care for others and a sense of humor. Betty Kerr was born March 3, 1934, in Los Angeles, California. She retired to Sisters in 1996 with husband Ron Roach. She was a loving friend, wife, mom, aunt, and great-grandmother, always helping out and providing support - cooking,... Full story
Paula Fae Morgan, local business owner and devoted mother, grandmother, sister and wife, passed after a 14-month battle with ovarian cancer. She spent her last days with her family at her side, holding hands and sharing memories. Paula was 56. Paula was born in San Jose, California, to William and Barbara McConville. She started her career in the banking industry in Southern Oregon before transitioning to retail, and eventually relocating to Sisters in 1995 to work alongside... Full story
Internationally recognized minister Mike Silva has stepped into the pulpit at Sisters Community Church. The founder of Mike Silva International (MSI) has shared the Gospel with some four million people in 30 countries through evangelical festivals and ministry to some of the most impoverished populations on Earth, largely in Latin America. MSI does well projects, food and clothing distribution and provides medical clinics in addition to its festivals, which draw thousands.... Full story
• Crescent Moon Alpaca Ranch hosted a shearing event June 16. Hundreds of folks turned out for the event, which also included a barbecue, a sale at the boutique, music with CinderBlue and a classic car show. Visitors were welcome to stroll into one of the pastures to get up close to mothers and babies, even petting the calm, gentle South American natives. A portion of the day's proceeds from sales of fleeces, clothing and alpacas went to the Redmond Humane Society.... Full story
Craig Eisenbeis, Sisters writer, hiking columnist, and frequent news contributor to The Nugget, was selected as a finalist in the 2012 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Literary Contest in the mystery/thriller category. His Coast Guard action novel, "Stinger," was selected for the honor from among a total of nearly a thousand contest entries from all over the world. According to PNWA President Pam Binder, the mystery/thriller category was the most competitive... Full story
The Main Avenue renovation will be extended from Larch to Cedar Street. The Sisters City Council approved the extension of the project Thursday after it was determined that the cost will be covered by being under budget on the balance of the Main Avenue work to date. The move was part of a smooth-running meeting that also passed the city's 2012-2013 budget on a 5-0 vote. The $8.98 million budget is essentially flat in major expenditures. It accounts for one water-line upgrade. Street system improvements include some asphalt o... Full story
Karate-chopping and high-kicking their way through their young lives, 14-year-old twins Evan and Grant Gibson are absorbing valuable life lessons through martial arts training. Their mother, Kyle Marie Gibson, pairs their extensive athletic endeavors with the individualized online curriculum of the Oregon Virtual Academy (ORVA), a progressive home-schooling organization of Oregon-licensed teachers and instructors. "We moved to Sisters in 2003 and started them in public school... Full story
Slater Smith is building a music career out of Portland these days, but his musical roots remain in Sisters. An alum of the Sisters Folk Festival's Americana Project, Smith recorded his recent release "Mr. Pelton's Weather Machine" in Sisters. "I recorded all of it in and around Sisters," he said. "Travis Ehrenstrom with the folk festival helped me out a ton." Smith recorded six of the CD's 10 tracks with Ehrenstrom, then recorded four strictly acoustic tracks at Echo Ridge... Full story
Nevada passed away at her home in Portland June 14, 2012 surrounded by her loved ones. She was 96. Nevada was born February 26, 1916 to parents Charles and Clara Belle Montague in the hotel they owned located in Roosevelt, Washington. They next lived in Caldwell, Idaho, moving to Prairie City, Oregon when Nevada was 13. The youngest of three girls, she was an adventurous child, saving her own money at just 14 to fly with a barnstormer. She graduated from Prairie City High... Full story
A Forest Service crew came to nature's aid at Camp Sherman on Thursday, June 14. They planted some 500 seedling larch trees on a Heritage Forest Demonstration plot at the Four Corners. In a project initiated by Friends of the Metolius in 1998, the larch restoration plot had been designed to promote the natural regeneration of the larch species. Observation had suggested that many of the existing larch trees on the site were in an unhealthy condition, with foreshortened... Full story
