News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
Matthew Devin Burns, 36, of Bend, died Wednesday evening when his 1991 Toyota 4Runner went off the road on Highway 20 and struck a tree. According to Deschutes County Sheriff's Office reports, emergency personnel responded to a report of a crash on Highway 20 3.5 miles west of Sisters at 5:34 p.m. The driver of the vehicle, Matthew Devin Burns, was trapped in the vehicle and needed to be extricated by fire personnel. Fire personnel immediately began treating Burns for his... Full story
In a marathon four-hour hearing last Wednesday, the Cyrus family of Sisters made their case to the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners that the county should change its code to make it easier for the family to create a destination resort at Aspen Lakes. The Cyruses are seeking a simple avenue to convert the existing "cluster" subdivision into a destination resort. Destination resorts must include overnight lodging and amenities designed for visitors. As a destination... Full story
Trash collection has become a hot topic in Sisters, with city councilors and citizens lining up on opposite sides in a debate over whether to franchise out the city's services. Approximately 30 residents attended a public forum on September 8 regarding the potential franchise agreement between the city and High Country Disposal. Every Sisters city councilor was present as well as a number of key staff members from High Country Disposal. The city council designed the forum for two purposes. First, to provide information about... Full story
To the Editor: Should we renew the Local Option tax when enrollment is declining? Yes! Here's why. When enrollment declines we lose state funding, about $6,500 per student. We eliminated several teaching positions this year, but we cannot reduce fixed - and rising - costs such as heat and transport. Funding levels are pretty flat: since 2001, state funding per student grew by less than one percent per year, adjusted for inflation. Times are tough for school districts as well. When enrollment declines, Local Option funding... Full story
The city's recent discussion of garbage service has inspired a lot of discussion around town and in The Nugget. It has even been suggested that our current garbage service is a good source of city revenue. Others are worried that we aren't really going to save money at all. As a guy who has run a successful business in Sisters for 20 years, I am very familiar with making decisions to maximize revenue and save costs. But as Mayor, my job is to provide the best possible city services for the lowest possible price. Or put... Full story
If you're a rodeo fan, the Sisters Rodeo Grounds was the place to be September 18-21. Attending the Northwest Pro Rodeo Association finals felt like a big family party all weekend. This rodeo has more than the usual rodeo events. There's additional roping and barrel racing competitions and a chopper motorcycle race. Concerts, breakfast and a banquet round out the program. It's a place for families, friends and fun. On Friday night, it was also a place for drama when one of... Full story
The City of Sisters expects to have a new Transportation System Plan (TSP) to put before the public in a few weeks. A TSP committee made up of citizens and city officials has been meeting for months and in the September 16 meeting, a clear direction emerged. Although the concept of a Hood/Main "couplet" has not been entirely dismissed by the committee, the group favors an "alternate route" using Locust Street and Barclay Drive around the north side of town. Eric Porter, Community Development Director for the City of Sisters... Full story
Saws roared, hammers banged and clanged as country music blared from a pickup truck. Such a scene is familiar at any job site in Deschutes County - except that this one was played out in the lot behind the wood shop at Sisters High School. The students in Tony Cosby's construction class are framing a 1,000-square-foot home which will be donated by Hayden Homes to a family in need. The donation will be made through the Hayden Giving Fund and the home will be sited at the... Full story
A 2002 Honda CRV crashed into the front of Bank of the Cascades on Friday afternoon. Deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and paramedics from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department were dispatched to the crash at 3:45 p.m. Investigating deputies found that a 2002 Honda CRV, operated by Sharon Sharpnack, 66, of Sisters, had crashed through an eight-inch pillar and ran into the front of the bank. Further investigation revealed that as Sharpnack pulled into a... Full story
The Outlaws boys soccer team had a rough week with a 4-1 loss at Madras on Tuesday, September 16, and then a 2-0 loss at Henley four days later. At Madras, Sam Orwig scored an unassisted goal with five minutes remaining in the game to avoid the shutout. Madras' keeper came out of the box and blocked Orwig's first attempt. The ball came loose and Sam punched it in to score. "They (Madras) played more inspired than us and beat us to the ball," said Coach Rob Jensen. "We didn't play up to our potential." On Saturday, the... Full story
The Lady Outlaws soccer team lost 1-0 in their toe-to-toe battle against Marist on Tuesday, September 16, and bounced back two days later with a 7-1 win over Elmira. In Tuesday's game, the Spartans of Marist scored with nine minutes left in the contest to earn the win. "We made a small error in judgment and they (Marist) were able to score," said Coach Nik Goertzen. "But, that didn't take the wind out of our sails. We battled hard and played our hearts out. I was very... Full story
Black Butte School students in the fourth through sixth grades spent two days last week at Camp Caldera studying the environment. Kindergarten to third grade students joined them the afternoon of the second day. Head teacher Toni Coleman and K-3 teacher Ethan Barrons, along with teacher Carol Dixon and several volunteers strove to make Environmental School a success. Before the event, local resident and volunteer Kent Gill led the students on a trail walk to learn about the... Full story
For the first time in the tournament's history, the Lady Outlaws took first place at the annual Sisters Invitational last weekend Sixteen teams from around the state attended the event, including Banks, Cascade, Vale, Yamhill-Carlton, Burns, LaSalle, Pleasant Hill, Marist, Estacada, Seaside, Sweet Home, Central, Henley, Tillamook, Stayton and Sisters. Sisters went undefeated in pool play against Banks, Cascade and Vale and advanced to the quarterfinals against Cascade. The Out... Full story
Black Butte Ranch resident Paula Perkins loves the freedom of owning her own business. "It's so nice to have my own place, with my own hours and my own style," she said. While opening Bezalel Interiors this summer at Sisters Art Works she's also opening a new stage of her life. Perkins returned to the United States in 2007 with her husband, Sisters High School Mandarin Chinese Language teacher, Dave Perkins. The couple has spent the last 23 years living in Taiwan and Hong Kong... Full story
Fun, food, fantastic music and art were feature fare at the first "Taste of Sisters" last Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m. "Something is going on in Sisters," Amber Blanchard, Sage Meadows resident said. "We should have this once a month." Strollers visited 10 different sites, sampling food from local restaurants, meeting artists and viewing their work. Gary Tripp, owner of Out West Designs with wife Nancy, said the turnout was, "Fabulous, better than expected with locals and... Full story
The Outlaws boys and girls cross country teams ran with some of the best prep distance runners around at the biggest meet in the Northwest and came away with trophies at the 19th Annual Seaside 3 Course Challenge held Saturday, September 20, at Camp Rilea. Over 100 schools from throughout Oregon and Washington took part in the meet. The boys team in particular showed its talent, blowing away the competition in Division Four at the meet in which runners randomly draw to... Full story
Three dozen volunteers gathered Saturday morning at the Allingham Guard Station to restore trail heads in Camp Sherman on behalf of Friends of the Forest (FOF). FOF representative Mary Vasse, the NW Director for National Forest Foundation said the foundation tries to connect people to the land. It's a way for people of all ages to take part in the forest and be productive. The FOF planned restoration of three sites: the Head of the Metolius, the Head of Jack Creek Trail, and... Full story
The Peterson Ridge Trail is in the midst of a major expansion that will benefit Sisters residents and eventually attract visitors from all over the region. The trail was originally created in 1989 by a coalition of local mountain bike groups in cooperation with the Forest Service. Local notables involved in that process include current mayor and Eurosports owner Brad Boyd, and Phil Meglasson, whose name graces the renowned Phil's Trail system in Bend. The original trail system was a pair of "lollipop" loops sharing a common... Full story
• Beginning October 1, the Enhancement Center at High Desert Hair will be offering botox and skin fillers the first Wednesday of each month. They will also be offering non-surgical face lift, laser skin rejuvenation and laser skin removal. Call 541-317-4894 for more information. • Cascade Storage of Sisters has 27 new storage units available now at 581 N. Larch St. (across from the new post office). They are offering specials for new customers. For more information, call 549-1086. • A Joyful Noise... Full story
• Several alarms went off as the CEC planned power outage took effect. • A woman reported that a man followed her after a road rage incident. Deputies were unable to locate the suspect vehicle. • A woman was detained after she tried to break a window on a car entering the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. She was trespassed from the facility and decided she'd walk to Redmond. • A man was arrested for drunk driving after a dispute at an apartment complex. He admitted he'd been drinking and... Full story
It's not particularly black, and there's not much in the way of a crater; but Black Crater provides plenty of challenge for the hiker. The four-mile trail (in each direction) is in great condition; but if this were a highway, there would be all sorts of yellow signs warning about steep grades. There are no complicated directions, no spur trails, no trail junctions. Just one direction: up. If you have a hankering for a taste of mountaineering but would rather not complicate... Full story
Buddy L. Ramsey died peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, September 14. He was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He grew up in the Portland-Clackamas area and went to school there. After high school he started his own excavation company. He retired from business, moving to Sisters in 1979. He and his wife became RVers and enjoyed traveling to many areas and wintering in Palm Desert. His other activities included fishing and hunting, but mostly his love was his family and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Lillian; sons John... Full story
This has been the "week of the beetle." Several people have called and e-mailed, asking about "giant beetles" on their tree, fence or house, while others have delivered them to my door in jars. The beetle in the photo is almost three inches long, and as such, it is the largest native beetle in the Northwest. If you know anything about beetles, then you also know that the larva (grub) is even bigger! In many places throughout the Northwest the larvae are known as a... Full story
Plans for a housewarming party scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday went up in flames Saturday night as fire engulfed a brand new home at 70197 Sorrel in Squaw Creek Canyon Estates. Returning from a dinner party with friends around 11:30 p.m., Ralph and Linda Hamond pulled into their driveway to find the interior of their house an inferno of flames. After calling 911 they raced to the garage, which was not yet involved, saving their dog Laguna. They could not find their black cat... Full story
