News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Ted Hunt knew something wasn't right that summer day in 2008. The desk clerk at Best Western Ponderosa Lodge in Sisters checked 67-year-old Rodney Pelling into the lodge with a girl in tow aged about 12 years. "Immediately everything didn't seem right," Hunt said. "They actually acted more as a couple than as a father/daughter or - as I thought - a grandfather/granddaughter." The girl later appeared in what seemed a way-too-skimpy bikini and another red flag fluttered in... Full story
Mayor Lon Kellstrom believes he acted appropriately when he asked EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon) to lead the search for an economic development manager for Sisters. The process, which led to the hiring of Mac Hay earlier this month, has become controversial in the run-up to the November 2 city council election. "The budget committee put the money in (the budget) and the council approved the budget," Kellstrom said. "We were originally going to try to work... Full story
John Gerke is no stranger to the trials and tragedies that emergency responders deal with every day. He joined the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District as a firefighter in October of 1999. A year later he trained as an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic, and then five years after that he took on the added duty of being chaplain with the district and for local police agencies. Last year Gerke stepped down as a firefighter/EMT and focused on his role as... Full story
Approximately 75 residents attended the Sisters City Council Candidate Forum last Thursday evening at Sisters High School auditorium. Moderator Jim Cornelius, citing a smaller-than-anticipated audience, thanked those in attendance for choosing the forum over the evening's numerous sports offerings. Cornelius was also quick to thank the candidates for their willingness to serve the community in a volunteer capacity. City councilors receive no salary or benefits. "It takes a lot of courage and commitment to run for local... Full story
All six candidates for Sisters City Council - David Asson, Jerry Bogart, Wendy Holzman, Virginia Lindsey, Jacki Shepardson and Sharlene Weed - are to be commended for stepping forward to serve when that service means hard work, long volunteer hours and, increasingly, harsh criticism from peers and public. A city council functions best when it contains a range of viewpoints, backgrounds and temperaments. To that end, The Nugget endorses David Asson, Sharlene Weed, and Wendy Holzman for city council. We do not always... Full story
Volunteering your time to serve your community is a thankless job. You are never going to be able to do anything right and someone is always going to armchair quarterback you. There will always be someone who wants to stir the pot and will never step up and sit in the fire. They will complain, file lawsuits, write letters, and post to blogs but never seem to want to put themselves "out there" to make the tough decisions, or risk their own livelihoods or friends for their community. Good for them, they make boards and... Full story
Sisters' volleyball squad went 3-0 this past week to secure the league title for 2010. Sisters swept La Pine, Cottage Grove and Junction City (JC), all in three-game matches. Coach Diane Bremer is very proud of her players and their accomplishment. "I am really proud of this group of young ladies," said Bremer. "They have a great chemistry and are very selfless players and very team-oriented. We are really looking forward to the post-season which was one of our goals we set... Full story
To the Editor: This is my personal opinion and may not be the opinions of the Chamber or SBART members. As out-going president for the chamber of commerce at the end of this year and incoming chairperson for Sisters Business Attraction and Retention Team, a committee under the chamber, I am witnessing the controversy on the hiring process by EDCO to fill the part-time position for Sisters economic development director. I understand the hiring board for the position, of which I was not a part of, was... Full story
The Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS) Board of Directors announced this month that it will dissolve its non-profit status and transfer its remaining assets to a community grant fund to be managed by the City of Sisters. The funds will be dedicated to support community efforts in line with the CATS mission: leadership development, community visioning, and collaboration between community leaders in the greater Sisters area. CATS was formed in 1998 with assistance from a U.S. Forest Service grant for rural development.... Full story
Parents and teachers of Sisters Elementary School students are hosting the fourth-annual fundraising Green & Gold Gala on November 6 in the Aspen Lake Lodge. "This is always a great deal of fun, and a wonderful way for the community to get together and raise money for our school programs," said SES secretary Veronda McConville. The fun begins at 6 p.m. with a "no host" cocktail hour, followed by a "Taste of Italy" dinner at 6:30 p.m. Then further fun begins with dancing and... Full story
"As we are declining in revenue we are raising the bar (expectations of student performance). That is a disconnect," said Sisters School Superintendent Jim Golden at a school board workshop last week. "We need leadership with vision to leverage our reduced resources." Led by High Country Educational Services District (ESD) Deputy Superintendent Kathy Emerson and the Sisters School Board, the three school principals and the superintendent tackled the always-tricky task of crafting revised mission and vision statements for the... Full story
There were only a handful of used books left in the Friends Book Corner after last summer's sale during the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. Participants and local residents gobbled up just about everything on the shelves. Consequently, Vicky Hughes, Friends of the Sisters Library Board member who runs the Book Corner, was wringing her hands. The obvious solution was to write a story for The Nugget, asking for help getting used-book donations, and a story appeared the week after the Quilt Show. Just three days after The Nugget art... Full story
The Sisters High School Drama Department is making "Much Ado About Nothing" - Shakespeare that is. This romantic comedy is directed by performing arts instructor Gary Bowne. The Outlaw Players include advanced acting students enrolled in the fall drama class. The play is being produced during Bowne's third and fourth period classes to accommodate the after-school schedules of many student athletes this fall. The cast is led by seniors Seth Flanders and Bryant Lasken. Juniors R... Full story
• A semi-truck hit a Suburban and slid off the road. No one was hurt, but the truck driver was cited for a length violation and careless driving. • There were several non-injury single vehicle accidents, possibly related to road conditions. • A 26-year-old man was arrested after admitting that he punched his girlfriend in the mouth. She sustained no visible injuries from the punch or from banging her head on his windshield of her own volition. • A deputy responded to a report of... Full story
Sharp Entertainment, out of New York City, was in town back in August to film a special segment for Animal Planet at Central Bark Dog Boarding and Daycare. The program highlights the doggie hotel's twin fleet of dog powered scooters seen zipping around the byways of downtown Sisters. It's for a one-hour show on Animal Planet called "Your Pet Wants This Too," showcasing innovative, wacky and interesting new pet products and is set to air sometime in November (check listings).... Full story
Last January, Sisters photographer Lynn Woodward found examples of nature's fleeting show of splendor on a dirt road near her home in Sisters. As Woodward took her two dogs for their morning walk, she saw crystallized ice gleaming in the morning sun. She turned around, went back to her house and grabbed her camera. The result is a breathtaking, close-up view of beauty found in the ruts of a country road. Woodward's photography exhibit, "Ice Gazing," is an innovative display... Full story
The Outlaws football team recorded its first win in league of the season, defeating La Pine 47-30 at home on Friday, October 22. The win couldn't have been more timely, as it came on Homecoming week. Sisters' solid defensensive efforts were key in the Outlaws win. The Outlaws scored on their first drive in a no-huddle offense. Quarterback Erik Carlson handed the ball off to Jalen Miller who crossed over the goal from the two-yard line to score. Marteen Jiminez kicked the... Full story
The boys soccer team trounced Sweet Home 9-0 at home on Thursday, October 21. The Outlaws improved their league record to 5-1-1 and 7-3-1 overall. If the Outlaws can record a victory at Elmira on Wednesday, October 27, they will be crowned Sky-Em champs. Seven players contributed in the Outlaws' shutout at home against the Huskies of Sweet Home. Colby Gilmore got Sisters off to a quick start with a goal just 30 seconds into the game. Jake McAllister followed with a header off... Full story
The training is largely complete, the times have dropped week after week, and the Sisters Outlaws cross country team now faces the district meet Thursday, October 28, at which two teams from the Sky-Em league will advance to the OSAA State Championships set for Saturday, November 6. As a final test before district, the Outlaws traveled to Elmira, where many team members ran to their best times of the season in the 16-team Country Fair Invitational. Taylor Steele... Full story
The girls' soccer team recorded their eighth shut-out in league play with their 6-0 win at Sweet Home on Thursday, October 21. Sisters has dominated league play all season, and Thursday's game was no exception. Even the horrible wet condition of the field didn't seem to affect the Outlaws' play. Jodie Reoch led Sisters with a hat trick (three goals) and scored her first goal of the night 12 minutes into the game. Kelly Cole passed the ball over to the middle to Reoch, who punched in a goal with a powerful shot straight into... Full story
Joyce Pauline Osika was born on January 16, 1929, in Nottingham, England. She was the oldest daughter of William and Alexandra Kirkbride. Joyce grew up primarily in Lancaster and close to her favorite place, the Lake District. At 15, Joyce left home to study nursing, where she earned her degree at the Liverpool Radium Institute of Nursing. Joyce was working in the Lancaster Infectious Disease Hospital in England, when she met and married Nick G. Osika in 1951. By October of... Full story
These are heady times for anyone interested in saving water and bringing back salmon fisheries to the streams and rivers of the Northwest. In Central Oregon their are so many water conservation groups they might step all over each other; but the best part is, they're coordinated, and instead of competing, it's like a beautiful dance, and the winners are salmon and us. Take Salmon Watch, for example... Salmon Watch is an educational project funded by The Freshwater Trust, but r... Full story
Doug and Katie Cavanaugh's rustic musical haven, HarmonyHouse, hosted their first concert of the season and welcomed acclaimed bluegrass singer Rita Hosking and her band on a damp and rainy Saturday night. Hosking was the winner of the 2008 Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest and part of the Sisters Folk Festival lineup for 2009. With blue Christmas lights aglow and family dogs roaming the aisles, guests enjoyed the infectious folk tunes of a singer hitting full stride in her musical career. The treasury of songs are... Full story
Last Monday, a class of first graders from Sisters Elementary School enjoyed a chilly Camp Sherman morning of cocoa and tree planting along the Metolius River at Robert McLean's Cold Springs Resort. The project, in cooperation with the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and the U.S. Forest Service, aims to get local schools partnered with activities to create and sustain disappearing riparian zones along the river and help build habitat to assist the salmon reintroduction... Full story
