News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 33
Joshua Smith knaps an arrowhead at the Harvest Faire. Most local residents think this time of year is about the prettiest season in Sisters. It's hard to argue when the days are as perfect as the last few have been. Warm sunshine makes the days sparkle with a sharp light. The crackling cold that descends at evening merely brings forth a riot of color in deciduous trees and puts the pungent smell of woodsmoke into the air. Hundreds of visitors came to town last weekend to... Full story
Click map for larger version. Plans for new public restrooms on Ash Street are moving ahead -- despite uncertainty over grant funding. City Administrator Eileen Stein thought the city had landed some $30,000 in left-over Central Oregon Community Investment Board grant funding, but the money evaporated in the face of the statewide budget crisis. However, the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce has committed $25,000 to the project from a restroom fund and the city council has indic... Full story
Mike Abegg, formerly of Sisters, was sentenced on October 14 for molesting a 12-year-old girl. Abegg has been in Deschutes County Jail since Tuesday, October 8, when he pleaded guilty to the felony of Attempted Sex Abuse I and the Class A misdemeanor of Sex Abuse III. The guilty pleas came as the result of negotiations between Abegg and the family of the Sisters victim. This substantially reduced the number of counts against Abegg, decreasing the counts below a "Measure 11" threshold that would have sent him to prison for yea... Full story
Sheriff Les Stiles is hoping that voters in Oregon will approve Ballot Measure 18, which would stabilize funding for the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and other districts. The measure is not a new tax -- although Stiles and others report some voter confusion on that score. The measure simply allows the sheriff to ask voters to form a permanent "split rate" tax district. Dechutes County residents currently pay for sheriff's services through a property tax levy -- at 78... Full story
The Squaw Creek Irrigation District (SCID) has won county approval to mine dirt from its Watson Reservoir east of Sisters and sell the dirt to fund conservation projects. SCID proposes to remove between 5,000 and 20,000 cubic yards per year. However, the district must complete a "geologic investigation plan" to separate native materials from sediment built up in the reservoir. SCID cannot remove native materials without receiving a separate conditional use permit. In order to... Full story
Candidates for the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners expressed their views on a range of issues in Camp Sherman. The four Jefferson County commissioner candidates visited Camp Sherman's Community Hall last Thursday evening, October 10, to present themselves to a small but interested group of residents. Realtor and former small business owner Mike Ahern squares off against challenger Mary Zemke, a medical transcriptionist. He is chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners and the only incumbent running this year.... Full story
The tax levy for Sisters schools will drop by 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for fiscal year 2002-2003. According to financial officer Diane Shelly, the savings comes in large part from refinancing bonds from the original Sisters High School. The savings translates to $46 on a $200,000 home. The district's current permanent tax rate is $4.0997 per $1,000 with a 75 cents per $1,000 local option levy.... Full story
The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce will search statewide for a new executive director. "We're stretching out beyond Sisters to find an executive director," chamber president Ed Fitzjarrel told the Sisters City Council on Thursday, October 10. The chamber also plans to offer a significantly higher salary for the position in order to attract higher quality candidates. "We're going to bump everything up because we need to build a bigger machine and grow into it," Fitzjarrel... Full story
The Sisters Schools Foundation has distributed $49,750 to programs in Sisters' three schools. The foundation funded requests for elementary school programs and equipment including computer software; the fourth grade Oregon Trail field trip; a kindergarten/special education play center and art history slides and supplies. Sisters Elementary School programs received a total of $17,300. The foundation funded music and science supplies at the middle school, as well as books for... Full story
The Oregon Department of Transportation has installed three more cameras on Central Oregon highways to provide motorists with travel and weather information prior to leaving home. The new cameras are located west of Sisters on Highway 20, just north of Chemult on Highway 97 and near Arlington on Interstate 84. All cameras will be on line in the coming months. The public can see the images on ODOT's travel website at www.tripcheck.com. The camera west of Sisters is located near the ODOT maintenance station and will provide... Full story
The Sisters Folk Festival contributed $2,000 to the financing of the Sisters community tent. The tent was purchased mainly through grants by Cycle Oregon and the Nike Foundation. The festival used the tent for its September 6-8 event and the tent remained in place on the Village Green for the Sisters Jazz Festival and Sisters in Sisters. The donation was made to the Community Action Team of Sisters, which will administer rentals of the tent. CATS director Lorri Craig noted that CATS contributed $3,600 to the tent purchase... Full story
Jim Smith talks to Charlie Naffziger about math. Three dozen Lunch and Learn students were treated to Charlie Naffziger's math magic during last Thursday's class at Sisters COCC Center. Naffziger, professor of math at Central Oregon Community College, held the group spellbound with his math wizardry and "mind reading" abilities. Many adults have a math phobia, but Charlie's brand of humor puts this to rest pretty quickly. Passing out calculators to students to start class seemed ominous at first. "This is math for fun and... Full story
The Sisters Outlaws cross country team faced some of the strongest competition available in the Northwest at the Summit Invitational on Saturday, October 12. The race featured some of the finest 4A teams in Oregon and two prestigious programs from Washington state. Lindsay Chick overcame blinding dust and crowded conditions to place 27th (20:44) among 150 varsity finishers to lead Sisters to a ninth place team finish among 20 complete teams. "When we hit the dirt trail and the dust kicked up, I couldn't even see," said... Full story
A prescribed burn north of Camp Sherman burst out of its control lines last week, consuming 190 acres before firefighters put a ring of fire lines around it over the weekend. "The unit was burned Wednesday (October 9) and it slopped over out of the control area Thursday afternoon," said Lorri Heath of the Sisters Ranger District. High winds on Thursday afternoon appear to be cause of the escape, though the exact details aren't clear. "We don't know exactly if it was a snag... Full story
Melissa Clark recently moved from Seattle to Sisters -- and brought 20 years of experience in the insurance business with her. "We moved to this area because my husband, Wayne, got hired as the golf pro out at Aspen Lakes," said Clark "He's been in the golf business for 25 years and we've been coming to Central Oregon all that time for golf vacations. When this job opened up, we jumped at the chance to live in Sisters." An agent for State Farm Insurance for 12 years before working as a independent, Clark is now offering her... Full story
Lewis & Clark College students pitch in on a Sisters Habitat for Humanity project on Locust Street. Seven students from Lewis & Clark College in Portland took a break -- of sorts -- in Sisters last week and pitched in on a Habitat for Humanity project on Locust Street. The students stayed with the Little family at their Cloverdale home and worked Thursday through Saturday, October 10-12, refurbishing donated homes for Sisters Habitat for Humanity. "It's a pleasure to have these guys here," said Habitat volunteer Lee Kupchak.... Full story
Charlotte Owens leads her class at Black Butte Ranch. Artist Charlotte Owens is again holding forth at Black Butte Ranch's recreation center. Every fall the BBR resident has a weeklong class for her students and a different project in American folk art painted carvings. This year's project is 'Angels' and there are several types of old angels, patriotic angels and other carvings being worked on by the class of eight women. Some of the women live at BBR; others come from Sisters or the Portland area. Those from out of town sha... Full story
The Sisters Elementary School Scholastic Book Fair kicks off this week at the school library. This year's Fair is being sponsored by the fourth grade classes. Proceeds will help fund their annual overnight field trip, an event which caps their yearlong study of Oregon state history. Every student will have an opportunity to visit the Fair. It will be located in the elementary school library. Parents and community members are invited to donate a book as a special gift to a classroom library. Teachers have previewed the Book... Full story
Kathie Helser and Jan Reed had a great time walking the Portland Marathon. Several Sisters athletes took on the 26-mile Portland Marathon on Saturday, October 5. Jason Kremer, a trainer at Cascade Fitness, ran the marathon in a time of 3:47:05. Will Carson also ran, completing his run in 3:38:06. Rhonda Deeds ran the race in 5:12, after intensive training through Sisters Athletic Club. "She did a fast-and-furious three months condensed version to train for it," said club... Full story
The Lady Outlaws soccer team won two league games this week, defeating both Stayton and Molalla. With a final score of 6-0 the Outlaws shut out the Stayton Eagles on Wednesday, October 9. Krista Pagano got the scoring started in the 10th minute of play off an assist from teammate Minique Yost, with a soft, easy shot into the right corner of the net. Just three minutes later Yost scored with a shot that came off a series of great passes, with the assist coming from Beth Shuler. Sisters continued to find the net and score... Full story
The Sisters boys varsity soccer team played new league foe Pleasant Hill to a draw last week, then defeated Stayton at home for the team's first league win. The Outlaws hit the road to Pleasant Hill on Tuesday, October 8, and came away with a 2-2 tie. "It was a hard-fought, physical game," said Coach Mark Keel. The Billies drew first blood with a goal just before the half to take a 1-0 lead. Sisters rallied in the second half with two goals of their own to go up 2-1. First, Rod Helwig scored an unassisted goal in the 49th... Full story
Cross country runner Lindsay Chick of Sisters broke out of a training pace to take the win at the La Pine Invitational on Wednesday, October 9. Coach Charlie Kanzig had the Outlaws running at "goal pace" since the course was only two miles instead of the usual five kilometers (3.1 miles). Chick moved from sixth place at the mile mark to second place with 100 meters to go. With a furious kick she got past Redmond's Bonnie Pelham to claim first place in 12:58. Anna Morton finished a strong third (13:12) and was followed by... Full story
The Sisters girls volleyball team spent an exhausting week on the road, visiting league opponents Stayton and Molalla and then traveling to the Seaside Tournament over the weekend. On Monday, October 7, the Outlaws took on perennial powerhouse Stayton and lost in four games. "We just got outplayed," said Coach Chris Crosby. "That is one tough gym to play in -- it's dark and unfriendly. Plus, Stayton is big and strong. We had balls coming at us from everywhere." The Eagles came out strong and dominated the first game, 25-12.... Full story
Gary Frazee helped his daughter Deri load up a $12,000 espresso machine, a canopy and other fixtures last Friday, October 11, in preparation for the Harvest Faire, where Bright Spot Espresso was to have a booth. That night, Frazee left the 16-foot trailer parked near the espresso stand at the corner of Main Avenue and Pine Street. Overnight, someone hitched up the trailer and drove away, making off with the entire set-up. Frazee speculates that the thief may have simply been after the trailer itself. Total value of the goods... Full story
Jeff VanBlaricum watches his putt in the Sonrise Christian School golf tourney. The first annual golf tournament to benefit Sonrise Christian School basked in perfect fall weather -- and featured some good golf. The tournament was held Saturday, Oct. 12 at the Glaze Meadow Course at Black Butte Ranch. The tournament netted approximately $7,000. The winning team was Sisters Landscaping -- Mike and Pat Jones and Dan Lynch. Todd Williams scored a hole-in-one on Number 8 and won a $250 pro- shop gift certificate for his effort.... Full story
