News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 17 of 17
Sisters school officials are scrambling to find the full answer to an embarrassing question: Why is the district winding up with nearly $800,000 less than it expected in interest on the invested proceeds from bonds used to build the new high school? Part of the answer seems clear: About $180,000 of the shortfall stemmed from the sale of some investments before maturity to pay contractors who got ahead of schedule because of mild winter weather. Another $610,926.87 represented the premiums paid for premium bonds the district... Full story
Architects' proposals to design Sisters' new City Hall flooded in to City Manager Eileen Stein's office last week. Stein reported receiving 16 responses to the city's Request for Proposals (RFP) advertisement for design services. Proposals came from firms in Bend, Portland and Eugene and elsewhere in Oregon. Scott Steele Associates, the designer of the new Sisters High School, submitted a proposal, as did HGE, Inc. of Coos Bay. HGE, Inc. was the city's engineer on Sisters' sew... Full story
Wood and electricity are the two common choices for heating in Sisters. photo by Jeff McCaulou As winter arrives and the air cools, Sisters residents brace themselves for a season of heating bills and wood to split. In a Fuel Cost Comparison analysis by Central Electric Co-op, electricity was the cheapest -- and the most expensive -- source of heat, depending on what kind of heating unit is being used. The efficiency is highest with an electric heat pump and lowest with baseboard electric heaters. Most residents in the... Full story
Sisters residents who are scrambling to get a flu shot have found themselves out of luck in the past week. The supply of vaccine has run out and is not likely be renewed any time in the near future, according to Dr. May Fan of Bend Memorial Clinic's Sisters office. The situation arose out of an abundant oversupply last year. "There was so much that went to waste last year that we ordered less for this year," said Dr. Fan. Doctors had no way of predicting the doozy of a flu season that has hit this year. "We have ordered 500 m... Full story
After several weeks of concern about the future of the Sisters Jazz Festival, good news came last week when the sponsors reached the threshold of contributions to match a $10,000 grant. A donor who wished to remain anonymous put up the money three months ago to insure a continuation of the Sisters event. "We are very pleased at the support we received from individuals and business leaders in our community to complete our funding efforts so that we can go ahead for next year," said Kent Thie, who serves as festival... Full story
Deputies are keeping an eye on the new McKinney Butte Road. photo by Jim Cornelius Speeding has been a concern on the newly built McKinney Butte Road, which is used by cars traveling to Sisters' middle school and high school and various churches. Sergeant Marvin Combs told the Sisters City Council on Thursday, December 11, that the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office gave out five citations in November for speeding during only one hour of monitoring the road before and after school. He said most of the citations went not to... Full story
Three large electrical woodworking tools donated to Sisters High School by Central Oregon Community College have flunked safety tests and, for the time being at least, cannot be used. But High School Principal Bob Macauley is not complaining; he said last week that the total donation involved about $40,000 worth of equipment. The unusable machines are valued at about $18,000. So the school can still make use of a lot of hardware it would not otherwise have. "We're still way ahead," Macauley said. The donation came after... Full story
The Sisters Community Choir will perform two free Christmas concerts here on Saturday and Sunday, December 20-21, at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. The 14-member choir will do a program primarily of Christmas music with several popular sing-along carols at the end in which the audience will become part of the choir, according to George Larson, choir director. The program will include: "When Christ was Born of Mary Free," by Edwin Fissinger, and "The Wexford Carol," by Linda Spevacek. A highlight will be several... Full story
Gary Frazee shows off his Outlaw Daze prototype. The new event, scheduled for May 29, is one of several new Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce events. photo by Jeff McCaulou The Sisters Village Green will see new action this summer when the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce presents its seasonal events. "After 25 years of doing the same events it's nice to try something different," said events coordinator Jeri Buckmann. The June craft show has been eliminated in part because there's already a big event in town then -- the... Full story
Electronic signs and a new information number keep motorists informed of road conditions. photo by Jim Cornelius The order for which traction devices are required to get over the Santiam Pass out of Sisters starts from on high. Literally. One of the dozen or so members of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) maintenance crew who work out of the Santiam Station on top of the pass can start the process. ODOT personnel will observe cars or trucks sliding or spinning on the snow or icy road surface and telephone... Full story
Marla Runyan signs a copy of her book "No Finish Line" at Sisters Athletic Club. photo by Charlie Kanzig Marla Runyan, one of America's fastest distance runners, visited Sisters Athletic Club on Friday, December 12, to promote her book and talk about her life as an elite athlete. Runyan, who lives and trains in Eugene, treated an audience of about 75 to over an hour of stories, training strategies, and philosophy. Her accomplishments include an eighth-place finish in the Olympic 1,500 meters in Sydney, track and road race... Full story
Lorna Wright, window painter, at work at the Sisters Post Office. photo by Tom Chace Lorna Wright is an unusual painter in an area known as a haven for artists. She paints windows. A long-time Sisters resident with a home on Cloverdale Road, Wright is responsible for the colorful art seen around town this holiday season on such places as The Pony Express, Sisters Auto Supply, the Ski Inn and Soba Noodles & Rice. Her most-often-viewed work is on the windows of the Sisters Post Office where she did a panel of twin snowmen,... Full story
In the face of plugged dry wells and dirty catch basins, the City of Sisters is purchasing a long-awaited sewer truck. The truck will speed up many tasks, including flushing sewer lines and cleaning dirt, cinders, leaves and pine needles out of the city's catch basins and dry wells. The City of Sisters has over 200 catch basins and dry wells in the streets and most of them have never been cleaned, Gary Frazee, public works director, said in a staff report for the City Council in its meeting on Thursday, December 11. The publi... Full story
Residents of Black Butte Ranch hosted a special guest at their monthly property owners dinner on Tuesday night, December 9. Carol Woosley, 16-year veteran waitress at the Lodge restaurant, has served dozens of these kinds of meals to the 150 homeowners. She was a guest that night. She received hugs and kisses and well wishes from virtually everyone there as she readied herself and her family to travel to Portland Friday, December 12, to begin the 100-day treatment program for a bone marrow transplant. Last month, after six... 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: Every Christmas... Full story
- A man walked into a local store wearing a jacket that had the legend "INMATE" blazoned across the back. A citizen though it prudent to notify the sheriff's office. A deputy contacted the man, who was not an inmate, and advised him that wearing such a jacket might bring him unwanted attention. - A man reported that his neighbor grabbed him and threw snow in his face after the neighbor plowed snow near the man's property. Each man said he didn't want any more contact with the other, except in writing. So there. - A deputy... Full story
Capture offers a moment of hope Saddam Hussein has been snared. Decades of vicious oppression and terror are truly at an end. What a wonderful day for the people of Iraq, who may now begin to choose their future. What a wonderful day for the American military. The capture was the result of hard, yet delicate and persistent effort. This is more than armored battle and proves the honed effectiveness of our armed forces. We can be proud, but should avoid euphoria. The future of Iraq is not certain. Success is not assured.... Full story
