News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
The question of whether Sisters schools will have to pay the state $1.2 million collected through a controversial home schooling program will be asked in the highest reaches of Oregon's education bureaucracy this week. Representatives from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) are meeting this week with the Oregon State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo and attorneys from the Oregon Department of Justice. They hope to plot a road map for the ODE to follow in collecting all or a portion of the $1,200,000... Full story
Sisters Habitat for Humanity celebrated 15 years of pounding nails last week - and got a big birthday present from Hayden Homes. The Redmond-based company, which is starting a 400-home subdivision in Sisters, donated $30,000 to the local chapter - the largest private cash contribution in the history of Sisters Habitat. "We are and always have been focused on affordable housing," said Hayden Homes representative Dennis Murphy, who presented the donation at a barbecue at the... Full story
Like the legendary phoenix rising from the ashes, the Home Rule Charter is once again being presented on the Deschutes County ballot. It has gone down in the flames of defeat the three previous times it has faced the voters; the last time was in 1998. The Home Rule Charter is a guiding document that allows residents of the county to tailor government to their particular needs and attain a degree of independence from the Oregon State Legislature. Passing of this proposal means that local voters can decide how to set up their... Full story
To the Editor: Help stop ODOT's Highway 20 passing lane widening plans just west of Sisters. Attend the Sisters City Council Meeting on Thursday evening, October 12, 7 p.m. at 150 N. Fir St. The council's official opposition can help prevent this unwanted and unnecessary project. ODOT's passing lane plans would: Devalue the scenic quality of the area; increase dangerous speeding; increase severe accidents and serious injuries; result in more collisions with deer and wildlife; kill old growth ponderosa pine trees; harm wild... Full story
Bill A. Smith, Democratic Party candidate for State Representative, will host a discussion on education issues at Sisters Athletic Club on Friday, October 6 at 6 p.m. Refreshments will be served, and "I'll take some time to visit... and take questions," Smith said. While the focus will be on education issues, "other questions will come up, I'm sure," Smith said. Smith, who is running against incumbent Republican Gene Whisnant for the District 53 seat, said he hopes anyone interested in education or other state matters will... Full story
Taurus Homes is ready to construct more homes in the Timber Creek neighborhood east of Sisters Elementary School. However, the ongoing battle over Whychus Creek Bridge has them stalled. In 2001, developer Bruce Forbes signed an agreement with the City of Sisters to construct a bridge over Whychus Creek connecting Timber Creek to the Creekside neighborhood, then out to Highway 126. But Forbes has not built the bridge, and the city will not allow more homes to be built in the growing area until he builds the bridge to provide... Full story
Three women wearing sparkling tiaras and black tee shirts decorated with the exclamations "SWEET," "WONDERFUL," "FABULOUS" set the mood for the ninth annual Sisters in Sisters conference Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 29 through October 1. The event is sponsored by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce with the goal of celebrating womanhood while bringing tourists to Sisters and promoting Sisters businesses. A portion of proceeds from the event are donated to Central Or... Full story
Ande Phillips scored a hat trick for the boys' soccer team in their league opener against Junction City (JC) on Tuesday, September 26. The Outlaws crushed JC with a final score of 5-1. Phillips scored his first goal eight minutes into the game, thanks to an assist from Ryley Newport. Eli Callan scored Sisters' second goal, and then Phillips scored again to give the Outlaws a 3-0 lead at the half. Ande scored his third goal 65 minutes into the contest. With 11 minutes... Full story
The Outlaws held the Stayton Eagles to just 13 points in Sisters' final non-league game of the season at Stayton on Friday, September 29. The Outlaws crushed the Eagles 55-13. Sisters started out quickly and never looked back. Nate Jackson caught a 62-yard pass from Jarred Hasskamp to score on the first play of the game and give the Outlaws a 6-0 lead. Sisters got the ball back, and Cory McCaffrey ran 37 yards for the TD and pushed Sisters to a 12-0 advantage. Within minutes McCaffrey ran 65 yards for another touchdown.... Full story
As William Sullivan rode toward a huge, crescent-shaped mass of rock rising above the desert floor of Central Oregon, he said to a companion wrangler: "Them walls must be 400 foot high. She looks like a big ol' rock fort! Bet there's been a lot of battles here. Don't know what others call her, but I'm namin' 'er Fort Rock. That's what she looks like, and that's what she'll be. That there's Fort Rock." The name stuck, though Sullivan made the same mistake more than a century ago that many modern-day visitors do when they drive... Full story
She's back! Madeleine Landis has returned from her 470-mile trek starting at Donner Summit and finishing at Cottonwood Pass in California. Starting last July 1, her trip took 49 days - plus some rest days at Ebbet Pass, Lake Tahoe and a massage at Mammoth Lakes. "The first three weeks had fantastic flowers up to my knees to walk through," said Landis. "Mosquitos were pretty bad, but I covered with clothing and a head net. You could drink through the head net but eating - you... Full story
Sisters residents who have a talent for music and a desire to share are welcome to spend some time at the Powell House, an adult care home in Sisters. The house is tucked away in a neighborhood beyond Sisters Elementary School and has been there for many years. Sisters resident Susan Bird found out about the home when her daughter, now a senior at Sisters High School, was a Brownie. The girls would visit the residents at Christmas time and sing to them. Several years later, a friend went to visit the home, hoping it would... Full story
Alex Scagliotti rides a wakeboard better than just about anybody else in the country. The 16-year-old Sisters athlete recently returned from Fort Worth, Texas where he finished second in his division at the World Wakeboard Championships. The event was held September 20-24. Scagliotti, along with 40 other competitors, vied for a top place finish in the Junior Men's Division (14-18 years old). Competitors from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan and... Full story
After Sisters' summer of fires, the forests in the area will burn once again in coming weeks - this time on purpose. Fire specialists will begin fall controlled burns on the Sisters Ranger District in early- to mid-October to reduce brush and woody debris that can contribute to high-intensity fires during the summer fire season. According to Sisters Ranger District fire specialist Jinny Pitman, the controlled burns are part of a series of strategic treatments intended to... Full story
"Three out of four ain't bad," said coach Charlie Kanzig after his Outlaws runners took home most of the hardware at the Silver Falls Invitational, held Thursday, September 28 at Silver Falls State Park. The junior varsity boys and girls, as well as the varsity girls, won team titles, and the ninth-ranked boys' varsity were a competitive second place to fourth-ranked Estacada. The team ran in the absence of Coach Kanzig who stayed in Sisters for family needs. He was proud of t... Full story
The girls' volleyball team swept the courts on Tuesday, September 26 defeating La Pine with scores of 25-12, 25-23 and 25-17. Sam Stoneback started the serving for the Lady Outlaws in the third game and pushed the Outlaws to a quick 10-0 lead. La Pine finally got the board, but Sisters continued to control the game and easily won the match in three. Lanie Milroy led the offensive attack with seven kills, and libero Becky Bremer finished with 16 digs. "The kids did a really... Full story
• Deputies have been dealing with ongoing incidents involving a woman described as having long, blonde hair and a raspy voice, who repeatedly tries to scam local merchants out of cash or merchandise. She claims either to have left an item at the store or tries to return items from inventory for cash. Deputies have identified a suspect and believe they have enough information to interview her. • A deputy advised Party #1 in a dispute not to call Party #2 or to go on Party #2's property. Party #1 was not very... Full story
"Old Joy" sees much of Oregon the way we do most of the time: through a car window, sliding by on the highway. This quiet, melancholy road movie - some of which was shot off the McKenzie Highway west of Sisters- screens Friday night, October 6, at Sisters Movie House. It follows the journey of two old friends into the forests in search of a special hot spring - and for the connection that once bound them. While most of the film is set in the lush green forests, a key shot is a long one of the St. John's bridge over the... Full story
Caldera drew a diversified crowd to their last summer event held at Blue Lake on Saturday, September 30. Styled as a community arts day, events embraced the arts at all levels, from nature hikes through print making, with dream boat building thrown in for good measure. The event was free and open to the public. Caldera is a nonprofit arts education organization whose facility at Blue Lake is a dynamic asset to the area. Caldera's stated mission is "to foster creativity among... Full story
Bethanne Kronick and Kelsey White teamed up for a second-place finish in last month's "Race for the Cure" rowing event held in Portland. Competing in the two-person Open category, the pair covered the three-mile course in 24:56. The race started in downtown Portland and ran on the Willamette River to the Freemont Bridge and back on an overcast day. "The water was calm, and that's the more important factor for rowers," said Kronick. "This was an awesome rowing time for 16-year-... Full story
The Lady Outlaws are proving a force with whom to be reckoned on the soccer pitch, knocking over opponents one after another. The girls' soccer team notched another win on Monday, September 24 when they defeated Cottage Grove (CG) 3-1 at home. The Outlaws started out slow, which resulted in CG scoring in the first five minutes of the game. "They (CG) definitely worked hard and challenged and frustrated our girls for a few minutes," said Coach Brian Holden. Katie Taylor, with an assist from Kelly Morton, scored Sisters' first... Full story
The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual dinner and auction at Cliff Clemens Park on Thursday evening, September 28. Chamber board member Kathi Johnson said, "This is our largest fundraiser of the year." She said that the board hopes to raise between $15,000 and $20,000 from this year's event. With red and white checkered cloths draping the tables and flickering candles in wax- dribbled Chianti bottles serving as centerpieces, the stage was perfectly set for this year's event's theme "Flavors of Italy." Dinner... Full story
The wait is over. Last Thursday after school, kids crowded outside the doors to SOAR's Teen Center to see what the $30,000 redesign looked like. They poured in and described the new room as "awesome!" Sisters Organization for Activities & Recreation upgraded the space used by teens before and after school with design expertise from Let's Make a Space and dozens of other donors. Gone is the dingy old room. The new space has bright striped walls, space to display students' art and cubbies for backpacks. Now kids can enjoy a poo... Full story
• Jen's Garden and Cork Cellars have teamed up again to offer an evening of fine dining and wines from Methuen Winery on October 12. Call 549-2699 for more information. • It's soup season. As temperatures fall, the soup heats up at Sisters Harvest Basket and Sisters Coffee Co. • Cascade Fitness is offering classes in Kenpo Karate. Call 549-1729 for more information. • Smith Rock Riverboats now owns Fishcraft, the Sisters manufacturer of drift boats. • Tramondo's Trattoria is hosting a canned food... Full story
Ninety Kiwanis members and guests enjoyed a potluck on a beautiful, sunny Sunday, September 24. After the meal, the service club celebrated the installation of its 2006-2007 officers and board members. They are: Jerry Taylor, President; Travis Browning, Vice-President; Linda Bafford, Secretary; Jack McGilvary, Treasurer; and Tay Robertson, Past-President. Board members are: Jeff McDonald; Katie Powers; Jim Smith; Jeanne Nolander; Garth Tosello; Bob Walter; and Rick Davidson.... Full story
