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Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Schools will be nearly finished by opening
By Jim Cornelius

Ready to open... photo by Jim Cornelius

Sisters' new high school and middle school will both be ready for students when school opens on Monday, September 15.

Community members can get a look at their $21-million investment at a ribbon cutting ceremony starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 11.

According to school district facilities manager Bob Martin, the new high school is nearly finished off, with the major exceptions being the gymnasium and auditorium.

Those who tour the facility will still be able to view those areas, Martin said.

Martin expects the gym to be ready for sports competition about two weeks after the September 15 opening. Volleyball competition has been scheduled at the former high school (now middle school) site.

Playing fields will be left alone for a year.

"All of the playing fields are off limits this year," Martin said. "We need a full growing season to get the grass truly established."

Sports teams will use the same fields they have been using for 10 years for one more season.

The 742-seat auditorium is not quite ready yet.

"We're still about 30 days out from completion on that," Martin said.

None of the uncompleted work is behind schedule. In fact, with favorable weather and Kirby Nagelhout Construction's speedy work, the school is opening some four months ahead of the originally projected date.

That's a big advantage for staff and students who will be starting the new school year in their new facilities instead of moving during the winter.

Martin said the classroom wing and art wing are complete and will provide an interesting tour for visitors on Thursday. Locker rooms are still getting finishing touches, but will be ready by September 15, he said.

The grounds are already landscaped.

"When people show up, they're going to see a nicely completed exterior," Martin said.

The ribbon cutting ceremony and tours will turn into a big party Thursday evening. The Sisters Jazz Festival band Gator Beat will entertain both at the 5 p.m. dedication ceremony and at a free community program and dance in the high school commons beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The "new" middle school is also ready to go, despite being used as a fire command headquarters for almost three weeks.

"The majority of carpet is down," Martin said. "We got delayed, obviously, with the fire camp being in there."

The presence of the fire camp "hampered completion of phone and data cabling," Martin said. "However, they're out now and we'll get finished on time."

The Forest Service provided professional cleaning services after they left the facility, Martin noted.

Sisters Middle School will host an open house on Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m.

Sisters Elementary School, which served as a Red Cross Emergency Shelter in the first weeks of the B&B Fire, will host its own open house and ice cream social on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

Martin was emphatic in his praise of the people who worked hard to make the early opening possible -- contractor, staff and the moving crew that hauled equipment and fixtures from the old middle school to the new one and from the former high school to the brand new Sisters High School.

He noted that the project not only came in early, but also is well under the construction budget. According to school officials, the overall budget, including "owner costs" is currently very close to being right on the mark.

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