News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
After a year of controversy, plans for a proposed paved trail between Sisters and Black Butte Ranch have been nixed - at least in their current form. Sisters District Ranger Kristie Miller told The Nugget on Tuesday morning, "I am pulling my draft decision" on the paved path. A draft environmental analysis on the project had been under review. Last month, the community went through a process that gave members of the public who had participated in the debate over the... Full story
Convicted murderer Conrad Engweiler was released from prison early Thursday morning. The Oregon Department of Corrections initially told The Nugget that he was released into the custody of his father, Glenn Engweiler, but then reported that that information was not verified and they could only confirm that he had been released to Deschutes County. Engweiler, now 40, was convicted at age 15 of raping and murdering a high school classmate in suburban Portland. The Associated... Full story
A lone cougar came wandering though the Sisters Country, found one of Kathryn Godsiff's small goats to her liking - more so than a mule deer or turkey - killed it and carried it off earlier this month. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) policy says a cougar that kills a domestic animal - no matter what for and where - must be killed. Godsiff called ODFW, and they instructed her to call a USDA Wildlife Services biologist/hunter who hunted down a female cougar. In an... Full story
Three people from one family lost their lives in a wreck on the Santiam Pass on Saturday. Oregon State Police (OSP) reports that on October 18, at approximately 9:57 a.m., a 2010 Dodge Caliber was traveling eastbound on Highway 20 near milepost 78 when it lost control on the wet roadway, crossed into the westbound lane, and collided with a westbound 2001 Chevrolet Suburban towing a 32-foot travel trailer. The operator of the Dodge Caliber, Tiffany Fefelov, 27, her husband... Full story
Schools are an investment. We invest in the education of our youth in order to keep the fabric of the nation and our communities strong. Sisters' schools are vital to the social and economic well-being of the community. Voters should support the $14.5 million request for bond funding for Sisters schools because it is a good investment in the future of Sisters. Those buildings and facilities our ours, and we must maintain them in good repair. The timing is right to act. The... Full story
The Cloverdale fire department does not need to be a state-of-the-art fire department, but it does need to be brought into this century. Residents of the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District should support the fire district's request for $2.47 million in bond funding. The district has patched itself together with duct tape and baling twine for years. A tour of their facilities readily reveals that the fire department is below a reasonable standard in terms of equipment and facilities for a 21st century fire department... Full story
Great schools need many things. They need teachers passionate about what they teach, highly qualified to teach their subjects and who know how to open up new worlds for their students. They encourage dialogue and exploration, offer positive reinforcement and teach kids how to think and digest facts. Great schools know what they want to accomplish and how to get there. They prepare kids from early childhood to graduation to accept challenges and reach for high expectations. They offer extensive, high-level academic courses... Full story
Sisters is best known for its affinity for roots and Americana music. There are, however, students of classical music around town, and the discipline it takes to excel in their chosen genre paid off for two of them recently. Lindsey Williams, 16, plays the piano and Alessandra Wentworth, 10, is a vocalist. Both came away from the recent eighth annual Cascades Classical Music Foundation Young Artist Competition with high placings in their respective divisions. Lindsey was... Full story
The Roundhouse Foundation has awarded Sisters Graduate Resource Organization (Sisters GRO) a grant of $10,000 for Sisters High School (SHS) Enrichment Experience Scholarships. Betsy Leighty-Johnson, Sisters GRO Chairperson, said that Sisters GRO board of directors is honored to receive this generous contribution because of the life-changing opportunities it offers our youth. Leighty-Johnson said that the Sisters GRO board of directors will continue its promotion of The... Full story
Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) is in its fifth year partnering with the Sisters School District to run the Community Schools program. SPRD organizes and runs the after-school programs at the elementary and middle schools as part of this program. The goal of the after-school program is to improve the academic achievement among Sisters youth by offering after-school academic and enrichment opportunities for youth. The program provides homework assistance, tutoring, and SMART reading. The homework portion of the... Full story
Douglas Beall has been looking for a second pileated woodpecker nest ever since he first saw the first one in 1970. This year, he found it - populated by mom, pop and three babies - and its photograph is the cover image for Beall's "Oregon Wings & Feathers: Central Oregon 2015" calendar. This is the fourth year that Beall has produced Oregon Wings & Feathers calendars, and the first one he's created specifically for Central Oregon. All photos were taken in Oregon, and all proc... Full story
Fall is in the air. The leaves are turning yellow, orange, bright red. They are letting go of their branches and flying around with the winds; rising, falling then littering the ground. Pine needles are dropping by the ton from the tall pines, covering the ground in a sea of tan and brown, piled high by those with rakes. The air is crisp during my morning walks, with temperatures going from the 30s into the 70s by mid afternoon. Dress in layers; peel them off as the day warms up. But now the days grow short, I'm in the autumn... Full story
Earlier this year, the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) committed to the idea of offering a quarterly speaker series focusing on outdoor recreation, and they have really delivered. On tap for this month is equestrian trails author Kim McCarrel. No stranger to the Sisters area, McCarrel is a past STA board member and is currently vice president of the Deschutes Land Trust Board of Directors. She is also the current and past co-chair of the Central Oregon Chapter of Oregon... Full story
To the Editor: My ballot arrived this week, and once again I am reminded that I am not allowed to vote for those running for Sisters City Council, as I live out of the city limits. Every election, I imagine there might be a possibility that someday this will change because a large portion of our town does not live in the core. This year, if I were allowed to vote in city elections, I would cast my ballot for Wendy Holzman. She's smart; she listens; she cares tremendously about Sisters. She understands that implementing good... Full story
The Lady Outlaws posted two league wins to push their league record to 9-0 this past week. Sisters defeated No. 2 league rival Sutherlin on Tuesday, October 14, and two days later tallied an easy victory at home against Cottage Grove. In Tuesday's match against Sutherlin, the Outlaws' serves were more than the Bulldogs could handle. Sisters served tough the entire contest, and Sutherlin couldn't get a good pass. They had to constantly set from the back row, which made it... Full story
The FivePine Lodge's request to add 14 cabins and a laundry facility to lots 10 and 11 on their existing campus won unanimous approval from the planning commission last Thursday. FivePine will also be adding 20 parking spaces, connecting/moving the existing trailhead to the eastern portal, and improving the public alley connecting Desperado Trail to Desperado Court. There was no public testimony against the plan, and staff reported no objections by the county or, with modifications, by the fire marshal. A traffic study... Full story
When Sisters of the Heart raffled a quilt made by two women in Uganda, Anthony pitched in - and to her delight, she won the quilt. The Sisters resident is happy to support Sisters of the Heart, which has in recent years developed an arts-based vocational training center in Kapchorwa, Uganda, with continual assistance from Janet Storton of Sisters. "It's an organization that I think is doing a wonderful job," Anthony said. "That connection with people in need and helping them... Full story
The girls soccer team came from behind and pulled off a 3-1 victory at home against Elmira on Tuesday, October 14, and two days later defeated Junction City 4-1, again at home in Sisters. On Tuesday, Elmira scored five minutes into the contest off a free kick from approximately 30 yards out to go up 1-0. The shot by the Falcons took the Outlaws off-guard. "It was a good lesson for us about coming out strong and really needing to push hard to play the game in the other team's h... Full story
Black Butte School's seven eighth-graders and two seventh-graders are working hard to raise funds for their spring trip to Washington, D.C., May 2-9. This is the first school trip to D.C. in many years, and upper-grade teacher Ethan Barrons wants it to be more than special. Their focus this year is American history, and Mr. B. says "this is not just about rewarding the kids, this is to create a lasting firsthand experience of our nation's history, and of course to have fun."... Full story
Sisters suffered a hard 47-14 loss to a very physical Falcon squad at Elmira on Friday, October 17. The Outlaws got off to a bad start, and everything spiraled downward from that point on. Sisters went three-and-out on their first possession, and then had a bad snap that went over the punter's head, which gave the Falcons the ball at the one-yard line. Elmira scored and went up 7-0. Sisters went three-and-out on their next possession and then gave up a field goal. On the Outlaws' third possession of the night, they turned it... Full story
The Oregon Art Education Association has awarded Steve Mathews of Sisters with the 2014 Outstanding Service Outside the Profession Award. He was nominated by Sisters High School art educator Bethany Gunnarson, member of OAEA. Mathews received the award as a volunteer. Mathews started out as a professional illustrator before embarking on a long career as an educator - first as an art teacher, then as an administrator. Now in retirement, he's a studio artist, a community art org... Full story
Twigs, located inside Stitchin' Post, is changing its style, shifting its identity. "We are turning into a fiber arts gallery," explained store manager Jillian Zepeda. "Fiber arts" encompasses a wide range of media and styles - as long as there's a fiber element. It can be fabric, wools, felting, and it can include everything from weaving to painting to silk-screening. "Right now I'm doing a drawing on linen," said Zepeda, an artist in her own right. "It has a fiber component.... Full story
The boys soccer team won both their games on the road this past week to clinch the league title for the fifth consecutive year. Sisters shut out Elmira 3-0 on Tuesday, October 14, and two days later earned a 7-2 victory over Junction City. In Thursday's action against the Tigers, Andreas Pederson scored in the first minute of play to get the Outlaws started. Malachy Sundstrom rounded the right corner and had his shot deflected by the keeper, and Pederson recovered the ball and placed it to the left side of the net from 14... Full story
Motor vehicles might dominate today's roads, but thousands of drivers choose single horsepower. One of the fastest growing equestrian disciplines, the sport of carriage driving is attracting a wide variety of people to this nostalgic pastime. Driving Enthusiasts of Central Oregon (DECO) presented a four-hour clinic, "An Intro to Carriage Driving," on Saturday at the SGF Sporthorse Arena, hosted by SGF Sporthorse on Cloverdale Road in Sisters. DECO is composed of both... Full story
Beads have been a means of adornment, self-expression and economic exchange for millennia. Now, two Sisters artists have brought the best of an ancient tradition to Sisters with The Bead Keepers. The shop, located at 161 N. Elm St. in Sisters, offers a wide selection of select, quality beads from all over the world, custom jewelry - and workshops and classes to help aspiring artists develop their skills and techniques in beading and jewelry-making. The Bead Keepers is a... Full story
