Wednesday, December 6, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Scholarship program
helps dreams come true
For the past 10 years,
Sisters Graduate Resource
Organization (Sisters GRO)
has been helping Sisters grad-
uates realize their post-high-
school plans and dreams.
Sisters GRO was founded
as a 501(c)(3) organization in
2008 to offer assistance and
administrative support in the
scholarship process to Sisters
High School graduates. There
has been a long history of
support for higher education
in the Sisters community,
but prior to 2008, no central
entity to facilitate coordina-
tion of the student scholarship
application and donor selec-
tion, award and disbursement
process existed.
Over the last 10 years,
GRO has established the
Endowment for Dreams fund
with the Oregon Community
Foundation; developed a fair,
streamlined scholarship appli-
cation process meeting IRS
requirements; and worked
with donors to establish last-
ing relationships to help them
support our graduates in pur-
suing whatever path they
choose post-high-school:
two-and four-year college
scholarships, career techni-
cal education, “real-life” job
internships, military and other
areas of endeavor.
Sisters GRO is the only
See SISTERS GRO on page 12
Warmer, dryer than
usual for November
November was a little
warmer and drier than usual
in Sisters, and December
looks to be the same.
According to preliminary
data received by NOAA’s
National Weather Service
in Pendleton, temperatures
at Sisters averaged slightly
warmer than normal during
the month of November.
The average temperature
was 37.4 degrees which was
0.4 degrees above normal.
High temperatures averaged
48.2 degrees, which was 0.8
degrees above normal. The
highest was 69 degrees on
November 24. Low tempera-
tures averaged 26.5 degrees,
which was normal. The
lowest was 18 degrees, on
November 4.
There were 25 days with
the low temperature below
32 degrees. There was one
day when the high tempera-
ture stayed below 32 degrees.
Precipitation totaled 0.42
inches during November,
See WEATHER on page 12
PHOTO BY CAROL PACKARD
Sisters Middle School sixth-grader Miliani Spencer presented an elephant in origami that she made for Don and
Linda Miller.
Elephants take center stage
By Jim Anderson
Correspondent
Fifth- and sixth-graders at
Sisters Middle School were
treated to a program about
the elephants of the Namibia
Desert of Africa on Monday,
November 27.
Don and Linda Miller,
elephant researchers from
Whidbey Island, were in
town to deliver a similar mes-
sage to the folks of the Sisters
Country the next day in a
Sisters Science Club/Friends
of the Sisters Library event at
The Belfry.
Don Miller is a great
believer in getting people
involved in his talks, and true
to form, he asked for a student
in the audience to come down
and help him as he began
to tell the story of elephant
genetics. Jake Buetler came
forward and did a superb job
of assisting Don as he went
through a detailed discussion
regarding the genetics of ele-
phants and how that aspect of
their biology, combined with
the social order of elephants,
has made them what they are
today.
Don asked for questions
toward the end of his talk,
and was rewarded with sev-
eral students asking well-
thought-out questions about
elephant society and indi-
viduals. All the time Jake had
his hand in the air, but Don
was caught up with other stu-
dents’ questions and the pro-
gram ended before Jake could
get an answer to his.
He wanted to know if the
stories about the accuracy
and longevity of an elephant’s
memory were true.
“Yes, Jake, it is,” Miller
replied.
He recalled several
instances when he discovered
elephants he knew personally
returning again and again to
watering holes and feeding
areas they remembered, as
well as meeting other ele-
phants they knew over the
years. Even baby elephants
can remember places to
avoid because of some type
of danger.
In the 1960s, Miller and
his parents regularly traveled
See ELEPHANTS on page 9
SISTERS AREA MEETING CALENDAR
BOARDS, GROUPS, CLUBS
Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild
4th Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For
location information: 541-549-2072.
Al-Anon Mon., noon, Shepherd of the
Hills Lutheran Church / Wed., 6 p.m.,
Central OR Spinners and Weavers
Episcopal Church of the Transfi guration. Guild 4th Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m. Sisters
541-549-8737 or 541-549-1527.
Library (Jan.-Oct.). 541-639-3217.
Alateen Thursday, 7 p.m., Episcopal
Church of the Transfi guration.
541-549-1527.
Central Oregon Woodworkers
Guild 2nd Tuesday. 541-639-6216.
Sisters Area SketchUp Users Group
2nd Wednesday, 7 p.m., Earthwood
Timber Frame Homes. 541-549-0924.
Sisters Astronomy Club 3rd
Tuesday, 7 p.m., SPRD. 541-549-8846.
Sisters Bridge Club Thursdays,
12:30 p.m., The Pines Clubhouse.
Novices welcomed. 541-549-9419.
East of the Cascades Quilt Guild 4th
Wednesday (September-June), Stitchin’
Post. All are welcome. 541-549-6061.
Sisters Veterans Thursdays, noon,
Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-903-1123.
Three Sisters Irrigation District
Board of Directors 1st Tuesday,
4 p.m., Three Sisters Irrigation District
Offi ce. 541-549-8815.
CITY & PARKS
Three Sisters Lions Club 1st
Thursday, noon, Ray’s Food Place
community room. 541-419-1279.
Sisters City Council 2nd & 4th
Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Sisters City Hall.
541-549-6022.
Sisters Caregiver Support Group
VFW Post 8138 and American Legion
3rd Tuesday, 10 a.m., Ray’s Food Place Post 86 1st Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.,
community room. 541-771-3258.
Sisters City Hall. 541-903-1123 or
Friends of the Sisters Library Board
541-549-1132.
Sisters Cribbage Club Tuesdays,
of Directors 2nd Tuesday, 9 to 11 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Ray’s Food Place
Weight Watchers
Sisters Library. 541-977-8285.
community room. 541-923-1632.
Thursdays, 9 a.m. (weigh-in is at
8:30 a.m.), Sisters Community Church.,
Heartwarmers (fl eece blanketmakers)
Sisters Habitat for Humanity Board
541-602-2654.
1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 1 p.m., Sisters City
of Directors 4th Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Hall. Materials provided. 541-408-8505.
Location information: 541-549-1193.
Hero Quilters of Sisters Thursday, 1 to
SCHOOLS
4 p.m. 541-549-1028 or 541-719-1230. Sisters Kiwanis Thursdays, 7 to
8:30 a.m., Brand 33 Restaurant at
Military Parents of Sisters Meetings
Aspen Lakes. 541-410-2870.
Black Butte School Board of
are held quarterly; please call for details.
Directors 2nd Tuesday, 5 p.m.,
Sisters
Parent
Teacher
Community
541-388-9013.
Black Butte School. 541-595-6203.
3rd Wednesday, 3 p.m., Sisters
Black Butte Macintosh Users Group
Oregon
Band
of
Brothers
–
Sisters
Elementary
C-wing.
971-570-2405.
Sisters Christian Academy Board
3rd Thursday, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., Sisters
of Directors 2nd Thursday, 8 a.m.,
Library community room. 541-549-1471. Chapter Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.,
Sisters Red Hats 1st Friday.
Takoda’s Restaurant. 541-408-5594.
RE/MAX Out West Realty offi ce at
Location
information:
541-279-1977.
Outlaw Station. 541-549-4133.
Black Butte Ranch Bridge Club
SAGE (Senior Activities, Gatherings
Tuesdays, 12:30 p.m., BBR community & Enrichment) Wednesdays, 1 to
Sisters Rotary Tuesdays, noon,
room. Partner required. 541-595-6236.
Aspen Lakes Lodge. 541-977-6545. .
4 p.m. at SPRD. 541-549-2091.
Alcoholics Anonymous Thurs. &
Sun., 7 p.m., Episcopal Church of the
Transfi guration / Sat., 8 a.m., Episcopal
Church of the Transfi guration / Mon.,
5 p.m., Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church / Big Book study, Tues., noon,
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church /
Gentlemen’s meeting, Wed., 7 a.m.,
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church /
Sober Sisters Women’s meeting, Thurs.,
noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church / Step & Tradition meeting, Fri.,
noon, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran
Church. 541-548-0440.
Central Oregon Council on Aging
Senior Lunch Tuesdays, noon, Sisters
Community Church. 541-678-5483.
Sisters Area Photography Club
2nd Wednesday, 4 p.m., Sisters Library
community room. 541-549-6157.
Sisters Trails Alliance Board
1st Wednesday, 5 p.m. Sisters Art
822.
Works. Public welcome. 541-719-8822.
Sisters School District Board of
Directors One Wednesday per month,
SSD Admin Bldg. See schedule online
at www.ssd6.org. 541-549-8521 x5002.
This listing is for
scheduled meeti regularly
ng
teresa@nuggetn s; email
ews.com
Sisters Park & Recreation District
Board of Directors 2nd & 4th Tuesdays,
6 p.m., SPRD building. 541-549-2091.
Sisters Planning Commission
3rd Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Sisters
City Hall. 541-549-6022.
FIRE & POLICE
Black Butte Ranch Police Dept.
Board of Directors Meets monthly.
541-595-2191 for time & date.
Black Butte Ranch RFPD Board of
Directors 4th Thursday, 9 a.m., Black
Butte Ranch Fire Station. 541-595-2288.
Cloverdale RFPD Board of Directors
3rd Wednesday, 7 p.m., Station 602,
67433 Cloverdale Rd. 541-548-4815.
See the agenda at cloverdalefi re.com.
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD
Board of Directors 3rd Tuesday,
5 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall, 541-549-0771.
Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD Drills
Mondays, 7 p.m., Sisters Fire Hall,
301 S. Elm St. 541-549-0771.