News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
After 30 years of equine medicine and surgery focusing on young performance horses, reproduction and neonatology, I relocated to Sisters. My practice is now delightfully diverse, including a large number of geriatric horses. Most are well cared-for and many have been long-time members of the family. Few have earnings, buckles, trophies or ribbons to show. All are characters with great stories to tell. Mostly they taught the kids, friends and grandkids to ride. They taught respect, responsibility and humility. They tolerated... Full story
A piece of Sisters Country will soon rise on the grounds of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum Campus in McMinnville. Hoffmann Construction Co. of Portland is building the 5,500-square-foot Evergreen Chapel on the McMinnville campus (home of the Spruce Goose), and the firm tapped Sisters Log Home Co. (SLH) of Sisters to build the log structure. The chapel will be the site of weddings and private events. David Garske of Hoffman Construction Co. told The Nugget that the... Full story
The Pole Creek Fire in September and October struck a body blow to Sisters businesses. Heavy smoke that descended on downtown Sisters deterred visitors and sent many locals packing. That left stores and restaurants throughout Sisters Country empty. U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest working capital federal loans to small businesses economically impacted by the Pole Creek Fire. SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills noted that SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster... Full story
Adapting to the winter's cold, Sisters families, friends and holiday guests celebrated the 400-year-old Hispanic tradition of Las Posadas on Friday night at Sisters Elementary School. With numb fingers and toes a major concern, the hallways and corridors of the school substituted nicely for the neighborhood door-to-door caroling normally performed to reenact the Bethlehem ordeal of Mary and Joseph as they searched for shelter before the birth of Jesus. Being turned down at... Full story
A fire at a dog kennel on Gist Road at 1:30 a.m. Monday, December 17, took the lives of four AKC registered Maltese dogs. According to Deputy Chief John Thomas of the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District, the cause of the fire was likely electrical. Units from Cloverdale hit the scene quickly, backed up by an engine from Sisters, and were able to keep the fire from doing even more damage. One of five kennels was destroyed. "We were able to extinguish it very quickly and prevent the high winds from pushing it into any... Full story
Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) went live with a new registration system on December 17. SPRD Executive Director Anne Heath told The Nugget that SPRD's board and staff have been seeking a better system for several years. Better customer service and user-friendliness were the important goals of the new system, Heath explained. Vermont Systems is the same registration software being used by Bend Parks & Recreation District and is one of the leading registration systems for parks and recreation districts in the... Full story
The Sisters City Council is changing the way it handles the special events that have become a defining characteristic of Sisters, tweaking two ordinances in their Thursday meeting. In an effort to clarify and streamline the application of fee waivers for special events in a fair and equitable manner, the council passed a revised Ordinance 419. The definition of "Large Public Event" was changed from 75 persons to 25 persons. The definition of "Small Public Event" was changed to "up to 24 people. This change will effect how... Full story
Close to 300 friends, family and Sisters folk filled the Sisters High School auditorium Saturday evening to watch the Sisters Dance Academy winter recital titled 'Tis the Season'... to Dance. Excited dancers ages four to 18 performed ballet, jazz, hip hop and contemporary dance. "We feel so lucky for all the support we've gotten from the Sisters community this past year since the opening of our new dance academy building," said Lonnie Liddell, owner and dance instructor at... Full story
Sisters tallied a 58-34 win over Douglas on the hardwood on Saturday, December 15, after falling to Madras and Gladstone earlier in the week. Sisters lost 51-43 to Madras on Tuesday, December 11, and on Friday they lost 53-47 to Gladstone. Sisters' victory over the Trojans was impressive. The Outlaws shot the ball well and did a much better job than they had been doing on defense. At the half, Sisters held a 33-15 lead. Coach Rand Runco was able to sub early and get many playe... Full story
Keeping a shop or a restaurant going in Sisters has always been a challenge, never more so than over the past five years. The pitfalls of a weak economy have put a strain not only on business owners, but on the owners of commercial properties where businesses battle to stay viable. "I see a real tough market out there," said Brad Miller, who owns commercial property at the east end of Hood Avenue. That tough market is evident to anyone who tours the streets of Sisters; there... Full story
Outlaws soccer has been a big success in Sisters, with both boys and girls high school teams regular contenders in the state playoffs. Soccer enthusiasts have been working for years to have a consistent soccer program for Sisters kids to participate in and help them grow into Outlaws athletes. Over the past couple of months, David Tolle, Jerry Kaping, Rob Jensen and Eli Ulvi have been working on ways to give young soccer players more opportunities, structure and resources. Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) and Oregon... Full story
John R. "Jack" Walker passed away at his home in Camp Sherman on November 8 at the age of 73. Jack was born in The Dalles, Oregon to Clark Wilston Walker and Francis Lucille Gilbertson on December 16, 1938. At the age of 6 his family moved to Corvallis, Oregon, where he graduated from Corvallis High School in 1957. He then began work with the Corvallis Fire Department. Jack always remembered the Columbus Day Storm as he was on duty as the dispatcher during the storm. Jack remained with the Fire Department as a volunteer when... Full story
Seven local residents participated in an extraordinary project, as Sisters Habitat for Humanity teamed with Habitat for Humanity International in the second phase of "Everest Big Build." Four hundred international volunteers helped to complete 40 houses in three different village locations for impoverished families in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world. The Sisters group, consisting of MaryAnne and Jack McDonnell, Roy and Garlyn Warren, Anne Magnus, Peggy... Full story
The fourth-grade classes at Sisters Elementary School kicked off the holiday season by painting the windows of several businesses in downtown Sisters. This marked the 12th consecutive year that students, under the leadership of Clay Warburton, have given back to the community in this unique way. Warburton brought the idea with him when he moved from Portland to Sisters in 2001 and has kept the tradition going every year. At the start of the project each class explores winter... Full story
Last Wednesday evening, Camp Sherman's House on Metolius was buzzing with excitement as 100 guests anticipated the arrival of Portland composer Michael Allen Harrison. Back after a successful concert this summer, Harrison greeted a sold-out crowd ready to welcome the holiday season with Christmas classics like "Little Drummer Boy" and "Oh, Christmas Tree," as well as many of his own compositions. Melissa Novotny heard about the event and didn't want to miss it. "My neighbor to... Full story
Based on the recommendations of a selection committee that reviewed each of the four responses to the RFP for the city engineer, the Sisters City Council Thursday night approved entering into final contract negotiations with Century West Engineering Corporation to provide city engineering services for at least the next three years. The council also approved entering into final contract negotiations with Deschutes County to provide "Building Official/Inspection/Plan Review" services for at least the next three years. The city... Full story
If you're a senior citizen in need of physical help around your house, or if you know someone who is, now is a great time to speak up. A group of Sisters High School upperclassmen are at the ready, waiting to take your call. In an undertaking they call "Seniors Helping Seniors," four high school students hope to assist in a variety of practical ways: shoveling snow, yard work, clearing gutters, or heavy lifting. "We're a bunch of able-bodied people and we want to have an impact on our community," says Natasha Pepperling. Pepp... Full story
• Stefan W. Kirshner, Sisters High School Class of 2012, has completed basic training with the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, California. Kirshner said the training was "physically and mentally challenging." He's back home in Central Oregon where he will assist in Marine Corps recruiting in local high schools before returning to Camp Pendleton for advanced infantry training. Stefan is the son of Tami and Richard Kirshner of Sisters.... Full story
Sisters Country third-graders received a personalized paperback dictionary last Friday, compliments of the Rotary Club of Sisters and a nationwide organization called The Dictionary Project. Around 135 of the books were distributed to students at Sisters Elementary School, Sisters Christian Academy and Black Butte School. The Rotary Club has participated in the project for several years and joins many other service clubs across the country seeking to aid students who are... Full story
The Lady Outlaws tallied two wins this past week to log their sixth straight victory in pre-season play. They then fell to Mazama at the Gladstone Holiday Classic on Saturday, December 16, for their first loss of the season. Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, December 11, Sisters defeated the White Buffaloes 45-35 in overtime at Madras. On Friday, the Outlaws defeated Gladstone 39-32 in their first game at the Gladstone Tournament. In Tuesday's action against Madras, the White... Full story
Alchemy is defined as "the process of turning a common substance into something of greater value." Art is like that - a musician turns sound and words into something moving and powerful; a sculptor shapes formless clay into something visually compelling; a jeweler turns stone and bits of metal into something precious. Loraine Albertson's boutique, Blue Alchemy, located in Town Square, celebrates that handcrafted process with a range of artisan-produced clothing, jewelry and... Full story
Stephanie Garcia of SMG Performance Horses is a horse trainer with lofty goals of competing in professional rodeo, and she's willing to share the journey with her clients. While Garcia can take just about any horse from a variety of disciplines and help it become a better citizen, that is no longer her specialty. Focusing these days on the timed events of barrel racing, poles and team sorting, Garcia and her clients enjoy their success by performing well, being nice and having... Full story
Julia and Dan Rickards of Clearwater Gallery hosted a Raku firing party on the patio at their new Hood Avenue location last Friday - and it's set to happen again this week. The contrast between the 1,800 degrees inside the furnace and the freezing 26-degree outside air was exhilarating for those that braved the cold to purchase a pot, glaze it and then have it fired and quenched right before their eyes in the ancient Japanese raku process. Most waited inside The Open... Full story
4 & above Grade 9: Ausman, Elizabeth L; Bachmeier, Bethany J; Bachtold, Jadon J; Baer, Sedona L; Bidasolo, Margaret M; Blakelock, Hunter D; Fisher, Elizabeth H; Flowers, Sianna E; Gates, Rebecca M; Greaney, Tara R; Hummel, Sierra B; Hunt, Daniel K; Larson, Elizabeth G; Lawrence, Chase W; Lund, Peter; Miller, Michaela M; Petterson, Rory M; Shepherd, Chelsey B; Vial, Karly J; Wagner, Danika. Grade 10: Ausman, Emily L; Blumm, Aria R; Boettner, Madison R; Boyle, Molly W; Burquist, Harriet P; Calmettes, Logan R; Christen, Emily... Full story
To the Editor: Rob Meeter's guest editorial, "Marijuana use is more harmful than teens think," made numerous excellent points. It also espoused a couple of fallacies and overlooked the crux of the matter. For context in my following remarks, I don't use marijuana. Despite Mr. Meeter's inference, there is not one documented case of marijuana smoke causing cancer. If marijuana smoke were carcinogenic, it would not be prescribed medically to treat cancer. Besides their well-known palliative effects, the cannabinoids in... Full story
