News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 8 of 8
The race for Deschutes County Sheriff may hinge on what kind of leadership voters want. The two candidates offer a stark contrast in styles. Incumbent Sheriff Greg Brown campaigns on his long-range vision and his skills as an executive and a budget manager. Challenger Les Stiles promises to implement hands-on, day-to-day leadership and morale-building among deputies. "Leadership and management is the heart of this campaign," Stiles told The Nugget. Stiles argues that staffing... Full story
The Forest Service has labeled last week's controlled burn of Black Butte Swamp a success. Meadow burning is relatively new to the Sisters Ranger District, and this burn, conducted Friday, October 6, had a few surprises. The burn started out as planned, with "blacklining" conducted along the meadow border. Blacklining is the process of burning a ring around the blaze to keep the subsequent primary fire inside the prescribed limits. Smoke warning signs were placed along Highway 20, just east of Black Butte Ranch, but the... Full story
The festering feud between the family of Keith Cyrus and the Squaw Creek Irrigation District continued at the SCID meeting on October 3. Kay Knott, Keith Cyrus' sister, wrote a letter dated September 9, 2000, requesting that SCID justify the expense of fighting Cyrus in court over less than a thousand yards of topsoil (the actual amount, like nearly everything else, is a matter of dispute). SCID spent more than $5,500 defending the lawsuit. Cyrus had a contract in 1988 to do work on a SCID irrigation impoundment pond. Cyrus... Full story
Sisters School District Superintendent Steve Swisher remains at St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, recovering from serious injuries sustained in an accident on Friday morning, September 22 when his pickup collided with a semi-truck loaded with hay just outside Sisters. Swisher has been moved from the Critical Care Unit at the hospital to a private room but he is still unable to have visitors other than family. Swisher's family asks that people contact the school district office at 549-8521 for updates on Steve's condition... Full story
The recent approval by the state of a proposed city road project could spell relief for local drivers frustrated by traffic congestion on Cascade Avenue. It may also help the area's largest employer with its expansion plans. On September 20, the Oregon Department of Transportation awarded $700,000 to the city for the Barclay Road Extension project. According to the plan, the new road will cut through the 80-acre tract of US Forest Service land within the city's Urban Growth Boundary. It is projected to connect Pine Street to... Full story
Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District residents should all be able to take advantage of lower fire insurance rates, according to Fire Chief, Chuck Cable. Cable reports that the entire Cloverdale district now qualifies for a "Level 6" rating from the Insurance Services Office (ISO). "We've done all the work to meet the conditions," said Cable. "The problem is that insurance companies are slow to change rates." He also pointed out that the ISO is an independent office, but insurance companies use the ISO evaluation. An ISO... Full story
"Yes" on school levies Local option levy: Sisters schools desperately need the money from the four-year local option levy on the November 7 ballot. The funds -- about $500,000 in the first two years, half that in the next two -- will make up for cuts in staff and programs, reduce class sizes, purchase textbooks and provide for long-deferred building maintenance. That money may save the schools from bone-deep cuts if predictions of a $780 million statewide shortfall come true in the next biennium. Voting "yes" on the local... 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: Are we about to... Full story
