News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo will not withhold money from the Sisters School District starting in January. Castillo has agreed to a stay of at least 60 days to her order of October 11 to start withholding from the district $1,208,286.15 in state school funds for overpayments for a homeschool program at Sonrise Christian School (now Sisters Christian Academy). An investigation that took more than a year to complete conducted by the Oregon Secretary of State's Audits Division determined that the... Full story
To the Editor: There is probably a reason the deli yapper didn't want to be quoted with the idea of moving downtown Sisters businesses to the Patterson Ranch. He or she obviously is not a main street business owner. One word will sum it up: "Wasco, Oregon." Ok, two words. Google it if you don't understand. How about a split level highway - north bound on top and south bound below. Not so 1800ish. Or a subway tunnel - that would be cool. Thankfully, I don't work for ODOT. A tunnel would seriously be a great idea for... Full story
Measure 37 has been a controversial issue since it was passed about two years ago. The fact that it was passed by the greatest margin of any measure in Oregon's history makes it no less controversial, and because of it numerous battles over land use are being waged in the Sisters area. According to Tim Berg of the Deschutes County Community Development Department, currently there are 32 claims totaling 5,450 acres, with a total claim value of $130,000,000 in the Sisters School District. All the claims are for residential subd... Full story
Jerry and Lois Kaping faced a parent's nightmare on Tuesday, December 19. That morning they could not rouse their 12-year-old son Jared when it was time to get up. He couldn't stand up on his own. The boy was rushed to the hospital and then transported via Air Life to Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor of undetermined nature, according to his father Jerry. He underwent surgery that evening and surgeons were able to remove the... Full story
The Outlaws boys basketball team earned their first win of the season with a 76-71 victory over the Estacada Rangers at home on Tuesday, December 19. Sisters had the advantage over the visiting Rangers most of the first quarter. With under two minutes to play in the first, Estacada pushed ahead and took a 22-16 lead. The Outlaws battled back in the second period. Nate Jackson hit a three-pointer with 25 seconds left on the clock, and Sisters pulled to within two points of the Rangers at 34-36. The Outlaws played a great... Full story
Sisters has a long history of recycling - and none of it has been mandated by the government. Rather, in the unique way that Sisters often moves forward on issues, it has been done by concerned citizens who saw a need. In the early 1990s, Sisters did not have an official recycling center, but Peter and Joey White saw the need and filled the gap. An old camping trailer was donated and converted into a recycle collection site for cardboard and plastic. It was parked on the... Full story
Sisters Elementary School was abustle on Friday as Sisters Kiwanis and other volunteers doled out Holiday Gift Baskets to 137 families in the Sisters area. There were Christmas dinners of turkey and ham with all the trimmings, pet food for the families' "furry friends" and toys from the Sisters fire department's annual toy drive. The school was packed with boxes and bags, but the scene was well-ordered. The Kiwanis have been putting together their food drive for years and... Full story
The Lady Outlaws basketball team fell 57-41 to Estacada on Tuesday, December 19. In the first quarter Sisters stayed within two points of the visiting Rangers until Estacada went on a five-point run to close out the quarter with a 15-10 lead. The Lady Outlaws were flat at the start of the second quarter and scored only one point in the first three minutes of the period. Sisters scored six points in the last 90 seconds of the first half to close the Ranger lead to 30-21. The Lady Outlaws played great the first few minutes of... Full story
Two recent tragedies in Oregon where experienced outdoorsmen perished in winter snows serve as a reminder that you can never be too prepared when heading outdoors for the day. Recreationists flock to Sisters and the rest of the Central Oregon region throughout the year to experience the beauty of the mountains. Whether on skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles, things can go from blissful to disastrous with a change of the weather, a breakdown of equipment or a wrong turn. In recent incidents - a snowmobiler's death near Bend and... Full story
It's that time of year again when we try to clean up our lives and lose weight - give up smoking or correct some other perceived defect. The problem with New Year's resolutions is that because they are generally self-centered, they often end up failing. For a different new year's resolution in 2007, find a cause and volunteer. There is no shortage of good causes, all of which would benefit from your input and time. Your outreach would be a gift to the community and strengthen the bonds we all share. However, for that slight... Full story
Clocks are more than just a way of telling time. They communicate a sense of substance, comfort and regularity to life. They are the perfect illustration of community where a myriad of small parts function for the greater good. The new Sisters City Hall is adorned with just such a work of art - allowing our city to join with cities like Copenhagen, Brisbane and Toronto around the world and smaller towns like Baker City and Salem in Oregon - which feature clocks as the architec... Full story
Sisters Girl Scouts are about 50 members strong. Girls ranging from five- and six-year-old Daisy Scouts through high school girls participate in the Sisters program. Evelyn Brush is the guiding force behind Sisters Girl Scouts activities. Girl Scouts is an organization dedicated solely to girls with the goal of building in girls character and skills for success in an accepting and nurturing environment. Central Oregon's regional girl scouts manager Peggy Munday said, "Sisters... Full story
For their second meet of the season, the Outlaws swimmers returned to Sweet Home December 17 to measure their early training against arch-rivals Philomath, Blanchett, Stayton and the host team. The Outlaws established several new Sisters High School records and swam a number of personal bests, in spite of the storm-interrupted meet and early departure from the competition. Well prepared by daily training of close to 3,000 yards, the girls started the meet with an exciting medley relay swum by Brittany Baldessari, Jessie... Full story
Once upon a time - known by another name - Whychus Creek was a pristine stream running clear and unfettered. Seasonal flooding built riparian habitat, and fish spawned freely well upstream from present day Sisters. Then came the settlers and Western water law. The concept behind Western water law was simple: The only legitimate use of water is for human use, and if there is a drop left in a stream, someone isn't doing their job. This was the prevailing line of thought for... Full story
Invitations went out this week to Sisters area artists who have participated in the My Own Two Hands fund-raising project in the past. "We don't know all the artists out there… but we'd sure like to!" said project organizer Kathy Deggendorfer. The art party and auction runs April 13-14 in Sisters. It is the major fund-raiser for The Americana Project, the educational outreach program of the Sisters Folk Festival. This year's theme of My Own Two Hands is "Gather 'Round." Deggendorfer emphasized that My Own Two Hands is designe... Full story
Saying he was speaking on behalf of a group of concerned citizens who want answers, district resident Mike Morgan challenged the accountability of the Sisters School District's Board of Directors for not providing the public with relevant facts regarding their recent evaluation of superintendent Ted Thonstad's job performance. The board listened as Morgan aired his concerns at their last meeting of the year on December 18. Two weeks before on December 4, the board accepted Thonstad's resignation effective June 30, 2007 (See... Full story
• Kiki Dolson, organizer of the Furry Friends Pet Food Drive offered "a huge thank-you to Steve Mills of American Nutrition for their 5,000-pound donation of dog and cat food and to Sherry Mason of HARTZ® who donated three large boxes containing dog chews, toys and pet treats. "Special thanks to Ray's Food Place and Sisters Feed & Supply for their help; to Sisters Veterinary Clinic and Black Butte Veterinary for their treat-bag samples; to Rod Morris of Sisters Storage... Full story
Two telecommunications companies won approval to improve their cell phone service from the Sisters Urban Area Planning Commission last Thursday. T-Mobile West Corporation applied to construct a 120-foot-tall tower to replace an existing 75-foot light pole which holds football field lights at Reed Stadium. The lights would then be transferred to the new pole. For T-Mobile, the third time was the charm. The October meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum, and commissioners didn't feel prepared to decide at November's... Full story
There's an old tale I've heard around smoking campfires about two buckaroos driving a bunch of cows from Prineville to Silver Lake in the late 1800s who allegedly found a cave full of dazzling quartz crystals. I was so intrigued by this alleged phenomenon back in the '50s that I flew my old Piper Cub out across the desert hundreds of hours searching for it. I never did find it and eventually asked my mentor, Sage of the Desert Phil Brogan what he knew of this so-called... Full story
