News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 33
The Sisters School Board learned last week that the remodel of the building in which it was meeting will cost the district 42 percent more than originally estimated. Superintendent Ted Thonstad reported that remodeling the historic former high school to house administration offices will cost about $698,000 when completed. The original estimate was $492,000. Thonstad also discussed overruns on two other 2005-06 capital projects, the purchase and setup of a two-classroom... Full story
A home at 530 N. Cowboy in Sisters burned to the ground in the early hours of Wednesday, November 30. The fire was reported at 1:45 a.m. Homeowners Scott Redfield, 83, and Juliette Angel, 74, escaped the blaze. The fire caused an estimated loss of over $250,000, according to Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Marshal Dave Wheeler. The house owned by Redfield was a total loss. He also lost family photos, clothing, auto racing trophies and an extensive auto racing magazine collection.... Full story
The snow moved into Sisters fast and stayed for several days. The first major snowstorm of winter impacted almost every resident and activity in the Sisters area. A fairly light snowfall came at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend followed by two days of rest. On Wednesday, November 30, the snows came again, this time quickly dumping between four and seven inches of the snow, depending on where you were. That night, the snows fell again, bringing another four to seven inches... Full story
Drivers on Highway 20 west of Sisters will have a little more freedom of movement by the middle of next summer. Engineers with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are putting the finishing touches on the design of westbound and eastbound passing lanes between Tollgate and Graham Corral Road west of Sisters (Milepost 95.8 and Milepost 97.47). According to ODOT spokesperson Heidi Hiaasen, there will also be a left turn refuge for westbound traffic turn-ing onto Cold S... Full story
To the Editor, I would like to respond to comments made in the “School board rejects grievance” article (The Nugget, November 30, page 1). I was a little thrown back when I read (a quote from school board member Glen Lasken) “saving enough money to pay for an entire teacher.” As an employee of the school district for 10 years I felt a little hurt; he might of well have said, “look classified staff... you are all just fill-ins until we can replace you with something a little cheaper.” I know a large majority of the staff a... Full story
The Sisters Starry Nights Benefit Concert Series returns for its ninth season with a pair of shows. Lyle Lovett will kick off the series on either Saturday, February 25 or Saturday, March 4. Lovett, whose 20-year career has led to 12 albums, four Grammys, widespread critical praise and a fiercely loyal fan base, is currently finalizing the date of his performance. “We’re sorry it’s taken longer than usual to announce our line-up, but it’s definitely been worth the wait,” said... Full story
The problem of finding future space for the Little Outlaw Learning Center has turned upside down in recent weeks. Originally it was thought that the child care center, which operates in the Sisters Middle School building, would have to move out in June because fifth graders will be moving into the school in the fall, taking space now used by the center. This prospect caused advocates of the center in October to ask the school board to consider letting it use the district-owned building on Highway 126 that now houses The Littl... Full story
A crowd of about 100 Sisters area residents and business people braved a frosty morning on Tuesday, December 6, to celebrate the grand opening of Sisters McDonald’s and Mainline Station. Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce President Donna Kightlinger introduced the ceremony as “a celebration of community.” She noted that “It’s also a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit. We honor that entrepreneurial spirit today.” That spirit brings with it risk and adversity and the pro... Full story
Sisters area residents are snapping up ornaments on the Giving Tree at Ray’s Food Place as part of a Kiwanis and Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department toy drive for families in need. “People are really picking up the ornaments,” said Ray’s manager and Kiwanian Jeff McDonald. However, there are still some ornaments remaining, listing the wants and needs of teenagers. McDonald said that givers tend to select younger children’s ornaments, leaving teens behind. Ray’s staff somet... Full story
A routine traffic stop in Sisters led to the arrest of two people for alleged possession of a controlled substance on Sunday night, December 4. According to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reports, a deputy stopped a car traveling through Sisters for a traffic violation. The driver was driving on a suspended license. During the stop, the deputy determined he had probable cause to search the vehicle. He saw “a large amount of drug paraphernalia” in the car, according to sheriff’s office reports. The materials include... Full story
The Community Choir of Sisters will present its Christmas concert on Saturday, December 17, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 18, at 2 p.m. Performances are at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, at 121 Brooks Camp Rd. The program includes a variety of seasonal and sacred choral music, together with piano accompaniment by Jane Moore. Selections include austerely beautiful Renaissance motets sung in Latin, rousing Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and Gospel and other contemporary versions of familiar carols by Alice Parker and... Full story
There may have been a foot or more of snow on the ground last week, but the Sisters Community Trails Committee was still at work — indoors — on a community trails network for the area. The trail makers noted their major start on the Sisters High School to Tollgate trail, posting of signs on over 58 miles of trail and a series of 10 workdays on trails at their meeting on December 2. “We are still needing more volunteers than just the trails committee members to work on our trail projects,” said Committee Chair Jeff Sims. ... Full story
Cindy Murray didn’t set out to publish a book. She didn’t set out to be a poet. But poetry has a way of finding a person when she needs it — and Murray needed it this summer. Like many, Cindy Murray was devastated when her good friend Jan Reed was killed in a plane crash. Somehow, her grief translated itself into words and then into meter and rhyme. She wrote a poem she calls “Remembering Jan.” “This was kind of a cathartic effort to deal with the grief of Jan and Bill Reed’s... Full story
The Sisters community turned out in force on Saturday, December 3, to celebrate the grand opening of Sisters Art Works. The arts center hosts the 5 Elements Healing Arts Center, offices for Sisters’ music festivals, a performance venue and work space for several Sisters artists. Many artists had their wares on display and for sale at the event. “We offered tables for people who don’t have a station in the building to sell their work,” said Erin Deggendorfer, arts center manage... Full story
Rodeo fans (or those looking for a Christmas gift for someone who is a rodeo fan) might want to pick up a copy of “Oregon Cowboy Country.” The book is an oral history collection of 29 interviews telling the personal stories of rodeo cowboys and their families over the past 50 years, including several from Sisters and Central Oregon. The Sisters Rodeo is mentioned throughout the collection with one whole chapter devoted to an interview of Rich Rollins, 2004 Sisters Rodeo Par... Full story
Hayden Homes of Redmond has nearly completed the clean-up of a former industrial dump on the 40-acre site where the company plans to build 400 homes in west Sisters. The company discovered the dump site, containing logging camp trash and about 50 barrels of “Bunker C” oil, and reported it to authorities in May. Clean-up work has been underway since. Toby Scott, with the Bend office of the state Department of Environmental Quality, said last week that “the majority of the c... Full story
The “Christmas Blessings to New Orleans” gift drive to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina continues through December 13. Unwrapped, small gifts for people of all ages are being collected at three locations in Sisters. Gifts can be dropped off at Sisters Coffee Company (273 W. Hood Ave.) and Sisters Video (413 W. Hood Ave.) during regular business hours and at Three Sisters Fellowship (442 Trinity Way), Tuesday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. According to coordinator Kim Barry, gifts from Central Oregon will be del... Full story
The “Christmas Blessings to New Orleans” gift drive to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina continues through December 13. Unwrapped, small gifts for people of all ages are being collected at three locations in Sisters. Gifts can be dropped off at Sisters Coffee Company (273 W. Hood Ave.) and Sisters Video (413 W. Hood Ave.) during regular business hours and at Three Sisters Fellowship (442 Trinity Way), Tuesday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. According to coordinator Kim Barry, gifts from Central Oregon will be del... Full story
Sue Leek is a late-comer to the world of ballroom dancing — but she’s quickly made up for lost time. The 62-year-old Sisters woman started dancing 2-1/2 years ago and is already a prize winner. She competed last month at the Pacific Dancesport Championships in Universal City, California, and took 48 first-place awards in her 12 American dance categories and finished third out of 52 entries in an open showcase that included all levels of dancers. It was a remarkable com... Full story
Sisters artist Paul Alan Bennett will be featured in an Oregon Public Broadcasting edition of Oregon Art Beat. The program profiles outstanding artists from around the state. The broadcast will air on Thursday, December 15, at 8 p.m. and will be re-broadcast on Sunday, December 18, at 2 a.m. and 6 p.m. An award winning professional artist, educator and art advocate, Bennett has garnered national attention for his work, much of which explores Central Oregon themes. An honors graduate of Maryland Institute of Art with a Master... Full story
Donations are running behind for the Furry Friends Pet Food Drive sponsored by The Nugget. While donations have been trickling in, “we’re shy at least 2,000 pounds,” said drive organizer Kiki Dolson. Donated pet food will be distributed to families in need along with food baskets provided by Sisters Kiwanis in their Holiday Food share program. According to Dolson, donations must be received by December 15 so that the food can be divided up and categorized for individual donation. Donations of food may be dropped off at The N... Full story
When George Van Ry started having intense headaches, it took doctors some time to figure out why. Finally the 19-year-old Sisters man was diagnosed with a large, slow-growing tumor in the right temporal lobe of his brain. With that diagnosis, Van Ry was quickly scheduled for surgery last October at St. Charles Medical Center in an attempt to remove the tumor. He went back to work as a Sandwich Artist at Sisters Subway and hoped his medical troubles were behind him. “I was d... Full story
A structural fire in Tollgate on Monday morning, December 5, caused a total loss to a garage and minor damage to the attic of the house, according to Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Marshal Dave Wheeler. Fire personnel responded to the fire just after 8 a.m. at the home of Gene and Amber Carlson at 69175 Lariat on the west side of Tollgate. Exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. “9-1-1 received a call from Mrs. Carlson reporting the fire about five minutes before the Carlson’s private alarm system at the res... Full story
• Erin Gough placed in the top 10 in the Miss Oregon Teen USA Pageant. These competitors go on to compete for the title of Miss Teen Oregon USA. The pageant is an official preliminary for the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Gough is a senior at Sisters High School. She thanked her sponsors: Pronghorn; Figaro’s Pizza; Glen Lasken, Attorney; and RE/MAX Town & Country Realty. • Sisters resident Daniel Gillogley is one of 10 nominees selected to represent Central Oregon Community Colle... Full story
Recording artist Victor Johnson has been awarded a 2005 Parents’ Choice Silver Award for his children’s music CD “Kid at Heart.” Johnson debuted his award-winning CD at the Sisters Folk Festival last September. Johnson played to a full crowd at the folk festival’s Children’s Stage. His roots music had kids, parents and grandparents tapping their toes. “Kid at Heart” features 16 tracks including a country blues rendition of the kids’ classic, “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” Johnson’s version of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and the son... Full story
