News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
Sisters schools have dodged $150,000 in cuts as Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 19 on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The measure converts Oregon's education endowment fund to an "education stability fund" and allows the legislature to tap the fund for $150 million to shore up badly depleted school budgets. Sisters schools included the Measure 19 funds in the budget last spring. If the measure had not passed, the district would have had to make cuts. "It's good news that it passed,"... Full story
Kevin Wilson and Jill the donkey. Perhaps you've noticed them around town. They make an odd couple, the middle-aged man and his burro. Yet for sojourner Kevin Wilson, Jill the donkey makes the perfect traveling companion. Wilson should know--he's been on the road since he headed out of Colorado Springs, Colo. at the tender age of fourteen. "We're just wanderin' around looking for greener grass," explains Wilson, who looks more like a 19th century mountain man than a citizen of the new millennium. "You gotta feed a burro. I... Full story
On Monday, Sept. 16 the Outlaws soccer team made a trip to Molalla with every intention of playing soccer. Coach Mark Keel acknowledged that "Molalla is historically a very difficult place to play. We had some trouble there last year." The Sisters team has a player who is black. On the Molalla side, there was a group of about 20 or 30 people crowding the sideline, mostly adults according to Coach Keel. They were shouting things such as "Lynch the nigger" and "Kill 'em," and "Boy, I'd make you my slave," according to Keel.... Full story
Deputy Tim Hernandez is ready to tackle the job as the Sisters School District resource officer. Hernandez replaces Scott Shelton, who was promoted to detective. "I've had a warm reception as his replacement--although everybody asks about Scott," Hernandez said. Hernandez, who moved his family to Sisters from the Willamette Valley ten years ago, started as a reserve officer with the Sisters Police Department. "When the county took over the Sisters contract," he explained, "I was offered a marine patrol position. I did that... Full story
One of the new Habitat homes moved from Deschutes River Ranch. Sisters Habitat for Humanity will provide homes for four more Sisters families in the coming months. The chapter recently broke ground on two cottages at St. Helens and Larch streets that will be purchased by Linn Watson and Carole Goodman. According to Habitat Director Sharlene Weed, this marks the first time the chapter has built homes for single people. That is not an uncommon practice for Habitat for Humanity,... Full story
The City of Sisters has been awarded a $350,000 grant from the USDA Rural Utility Service to complete construction of its new sewer system. Representatives from the Rural Utility Service will present a ceremonial check to Mayor Deborah Kollodge on Tuesday, September 24, at 10:45 a.m. at Sisters City Hall, 150 N. Fir St. "Completion of the sewer system is a significant event in the City's history," said Mayor Kollodge. "(Former) Mayor Wilson and (former) City Administrator Barbara Warren's unyielding determination gave us the... Full story
Public restrooms on Ash Street may be a reality by next summer after all, if a tentative grant approval holds up. The Central Oregon Community Investment Board (COCIB) has announced a tentative grant of $34,600 to the City of Sisters for the proposed Ash Street Park in Sisters. According to city officials, those funds, with a match from the city and $25,000 from the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce's restroom fund, will be used for construction of eight public restrooms.... Full story
Father Jim Logan Although new to Sisters and St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church, Father Jim Logan is a native of Central Oregon. Most recently from Prineville, Logan grew up in Bend and is descended from Central Oregon ranchers on both sides of the family. "Both of my parents are from big Catholic families and grew up on ranches in the area," said Logan in explaining his roots. "My dad was one of seven kids and my mom one of nine." Logan himself is the fourth of eight children, all of whom still live in Oregon and most in... Full story
SOAR staff and volunteers at the rest station on Highway 20 and Camp Sherman Road. The First Annual Sisters Bike Festival, held on September 21 and 22, was deemed a success by participants and organizers. Saturday's activities in-cluded three rides of differing lengths and a children's bicycle safety program. A barbecue and prize giving were held in the evening at the completion of the day's events. Each of the rides were poker rides, where riders obtain cards at each of the rest stops and at the finish, with the top poker... Full story
The living and the dead. Several trees have died along city streets over the past couple of years and it's the city's job to get rid of them. "Any of them in the public right-of-way, I'm having removed," said city Public Works Director Gary Frazee. Currently there are four dead trees on North Pine Street and one on Fir and St. Helens Streets. Frazee said he will try to have multiple trees removed at one time to save on costs. There are other trees dead or dying in Sisters --... Full story
Cathy Williams from the Sisters Rotary Club presents Elson Strahan, from the Vancouver, Washington Rotary Club a "Service Above Self" certificate. Rotary Club members are supposed to help folks out -- especially fellow Rotarians. Elson Strahan of Vancouver, Wash., helped out a young Rotarian who was a long way from home last month, earning the gratitude of Sisters Rotary Club members. Ivo Gervasi flew in from Switzerland late last month to join his American host family, Jeff and Heather Wester of Sisters as an exchange... Full story
The Sisters Urban Area Planning Commission tabled an application by developer William Willitts to subdivide a 15-acre parcel of land into 11 lots, ranging in size from almost half an acre to about three acres. The commission met on Wednesday night, September 18 and held a public hearing on the application. Willitts wants to develop the land into a health campus. The plan is to have The Sisters Athletic Club and Therapeutic Associates (Sisters office) relocate there. In addition, there would be restaurants, cabins, and a... Full story
A vibrating plow used to lay conduit in the ground. Crews working for Qwest are laying fiber optic cable between Sisters and Black Butte along Highway 20. Eventually, the new cable will be used to upgrade service between the ranch and the rest of the world. New options will include digital subscriber lines and improved broadband. Qwest has 3,393 accounts out of the Sisters call center, and 1,744 out of the Black Butte call center, according Erin Dunn, Director of Public Relations for Qwest. Camp Sherman will not have the new... Full story
Joyce Osika, Butch Parker of Jefferson County and Tom Landis of the LAC. A Local Advisory Committee (LAC) meeting was held September 20 in the Camp Sherman fire hall. Almost moribund for a number of years, the five-member committee from Camp Sherman is seeking new associations with Madras and the Jefferson County Commissioners. Camp Sherman's portion of the comprehensive plan has called for more restrictions and larger lot sizing somewhat different from the rest of Jefferson County. "We've been a thorn in their side,"... Full story
One year ago, Tom Coffield, Managing Director of Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation, began writing grant proposals for a new SOAR activities building. His passion for SOAR has resulted in $485,000 to date in dedicated funds from five foundations. This is about half of the funding required for construction of the new SOAR facility, which will be built west of the new Sisters High School. The new building will combine all of the district's housing needs in one location, including after-school latch-key and... Full story
Tara and Michael Broadbent with their product. Pharmacist Tara Broadbent developed her healing skin crème in 1994, while living in Bend. "My father was a rancher near Klamath Falls," said Tara. "Being of Irish descent, his skin was more suited for a climate where it rained every day. He wasn't cut out for the heat. Over the years, Dad developed cracks and splits in his hands and feet--some which didn't heal for thirty years." Broadbent's father, Bill O'Keeffe, tried a variety of creams and salves, but was unable to find... Full story
Deputy Beard playing pedestrian. Sisters drivers have an increased awareness about pedestrian-related traffic laws. From 8 to 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 23, Sheriff's Deputy Scott Beard strolled back and forth across Highway 20, using the crosswalk in front of The Pump House. Casually attired with cup of coffee in hand, he played the part of the typical Sisters pedestrian. "I've been yelled at, flipped off, and cussed at," grinned Deputy Beard after a successful crossing. "And I've had to jump out of the way a few times... Full story
Ground-breaking for the new addition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Sisters. On Sunday afternoon, Gordon Sage, president of the Sisters Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, located on Trinity Way, broke ground with a golden shovel to symbolically launch the construction of a new addition to the church meetinghouse. With an unusually warm September sun pushing the temperature into the 80s, the congregation sat comfortably indoors for the opening talks then moved outside to observe t... Full story
Officers from the U.S.S. Philip hold a drawing of the Fletcher-class destroyer. Front row, (left to right): Fr. Ned Kellogg (San Diego, CA), Bob McKitrick (Oxon Hill, MD), Jim Dunn (Corvallis, OR), Hap Gladstone (Lafayette, CA). Back row, (left to right): Roger Rowe (Rancho Santa Fe, CA), Dick Portwood (Sisters), Jan Wetzel (South Pasadena, CA), and Jack Arthur (Corvallis, OR). Officers who served in the Korean War on board the destroyer U.S.S. Philip got together last week at Black Butte Ranch for a reunion of brothers in... 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: We found Mr. Booher... Full story
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has completed the extension of Barclay Drive, giving motorists an alternate route through Sisters. Barclay Drive, which is the main thoroughfare for the industrial park, originally connected Camp Polk Road on the east and ended at Pine Street on the west. The new extension now dead-ends at Highway 20. "It connects the east side of Sisters to the west side and provides an alternate way for people to get across town," said Eileen Stein, the city's administrator. The project... Full story
