News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 268
Sisters scholars test probability. Photo by Conrad Weiler Sisters' lunch time scholars got to play the odds last week. Central Oregon Community College Math Professor Monte Cheney presented three problems in probability to a Lunch and Learn class at Sisters COCC on Thursday, October 31. First was the "Monty Hall' three-door problem. "There's a big prize behind one of the doors," said Cheney. "You pick one, but before you see what is behind it, you are shown that the good prize is not behind one of the other doors. The... Full story
Sisters resident "pins" the location of her home for a library study. Photo by Conrad Weiler Sisters should have a new, $1.4 million library by 2008. Where that library will be has yet to be decided. The Deschutes Public Library District board approved a timeline for library development at a Wednesday, October 23, meeting held at the Sisters Fire Hall. The approved timeline calls for purchase of property during the current fiscal year with March 3, 2003 as the proposed deadline for this transaction. The new library is... Full story
Top (left-right): Artists Nancy Watterson Scharf, Barbara Berry, Karen Ellis. Bottom (left-right): Artists Pam Jersey Bird, Abigail Merickel, Katherine Taylor, Vivian Olsen. Photo provided A local art show titled "Shades of Autumn" is currently on exhibit at Sisters COCC. Nature is the theme for this collection from ArtWise, a group of seven local artists displaying their diverse techniques. The artists are a collective of Central Oregon friends that formed last year. "Forest Walk Impressions" is a hand-pulled Intaglio print... Full story
John M. Schwartz, poet. Photo by Conrad Weiler John M. Schwartz has been awarded first place in the Non-rhyming Poem category of the 71st annual Writer's Digest writing competition based on his poem "Bank of China." The Camp Sherman poet competed with over 4,300 entrants in this category. "The writer effectively clangs the vocabulary for organic, natural things (trees, birds, sky, wings, sea) against the iron and concrete. This play of opposites dramatizes the 'straining,'" said final-round judge Robert Pinsky. John and his... Full story
Sisters students play with a canilever. Photo by Conrad Weiler Using meter sticks, Central Oregon Community College Professors Jack McCown and Doug Nelson offered a mathematical balancing act at the Thursday, October 24, Lunch and Learn class at Sisters COCC. Forty community education students, in teams of four or five, were given several meter sticks and asked to stack them on tables, one on top of another, yet extending each successive meter stick to see how far off the table the final stick would extend. With classroom noi... Full story
Susan Fullhart and Debbie Williams were among the many volunteers who helped out at the book fair. Photo by Conrad Weiler The Sisters Elementary School Book Fair with Scholastic Books raised $2,200 for next spring's fourth grade field trip. Held in the school library during parent conference week, the fair displayed award winning children's books, art kits, software, posters and adult books on cooking and gardening topics. Almost 800 sale items were attractively displayed for friends, parents, students and teachers to make... Full story
Kevin Blueback describes his work at Warm Springs fish hatchery to a rapt audience. Photo by Conrad Weiler Yellow school busses rolled into Smith Rock State Park last Tuesday morning for the fourth annual Career and Culture Day for Central Oregon fourth graders. Brad Tisdel and his musicians played a lively beat while event organizer Cindy Glick, with Deschutes National Forest Headquarters in Bend, danced and welcomed the youngsters off the busses. Career and Culture Day helps focus on various environmental and outdoor jobs t... Full story
Bill Boyer displays his winnings. Photo by Conrad Weiler Sisters badminton player Bill Boyer competed in the World Masters Games held in Melbourne, Australia, earlier this month. Boyer came home with silver medals in singles and doubles competition for 70-80- year-old players. He also had a bronze medal for a team game with New Zealanders. Some 25,000 people from around the world attended the various sporting events at the games and Boyer was among the 1,200 badminton players of various ages who participated. Over two dozen... Full story
Jean Nave has captured for history the tense days of last summer when the Cache Mountain fire swept down and took two homes at Black Butte Ranch. Her book, "Wildfire Hits Black Butte Ranch," is due out Friday, October 25. Familiar names abound as the events of that last week of July are recounted: Fred Fost, fire lookout, photographer and BBR resident; Dale Larsen, BBR Maintenance Manager; BBR Fire Chief Ed Sherrell and all his brave firefighters; Loy Helmly, BBR Manager; Bill Burkart, BBR Fire Board Chairman; BBR Police... Full story
Candidates for the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners expressed their views on a range of issues in Camp Sherman. The four Jefferson County commissioner candidates visited Camp Sherman's Community Hall last Thursday evening, October 10, to present themselves to a small but interested group of residents. Realtor and former small business owner Mike Ahern squares off against challenger Mary Zemke, a medical transcriptionist. He is chairperson of the Board of County Commissioners and the only incumbent running this year.... Full story
Jim Smith talks to Charlie Naffziger about math. Three dozen Lunch and Learn students were treated to Charlie Naffziger's math magic during last Thursday's class at Sisters COCC Center. Naffziger, professor of math at Central Oregon Community College, held the group spellbound with his math wizardry and "mind reading" abilities. Many adults have a math phobia, but Charlie's brand of humor puts this to rest pretty quickly. Passing out calculators to students to start class seemed ominous at first. "This is math for fun and... Full story
Charlotte Owens leads her class at Black Butte Ranch. Artist Charlotte Owens is again holding forth at Black Butte Ranch's recreation center. Every fall the BBR resident has a weeklong class for her students and a different project in American folk art painted carvings. This year's project is 'Angels' and there are several types of old angels, patriotic angels and other carvings being worked on by the class of eight women. Some of the women live at BBR; others come from Sisters or the Portland area. Those from out of town sha... Full story
Jack Barringer discusses trees and forest health. Forester and Black Butte Ranch resident Jack Barringer gave the Friends of Black Butte Ranch an armchair examination of forest health at their meeting Thursday, October 10. He reviewed basic plant anatomy and physiology with the attentive group, discussed local forest ecology and offered some suggestions for future planning in the area. With the recent Cache Mountain fire and loss of two homes at BBR fresh in everybody's mind, Barringer reminded his group of the three main... Full story
Phil Blatt (L.) chats with Mike Sequeira (R.), COCC math department chairperson at Lunch and Learn class. Bill Handy and Neal Wineman are in background (L.-R.). A jam-packed Lunch and Learn class was treated to Mike Sequeira's masterful presentation "Pictures of Numbers" at the Thursday, October 3, opening of the Central Oregon Community College local education series. Sequeira, who chairs COCC's math department, presented visual displays of graphic materials used in books, newspapers and popular media that sometime distort... Full story
Pleasant autumn weather greeted Mountain View High School students for an outdoor laboratory at Riverside campground last month. They were part of biology teacher Ken Johnson's watershed ecology field trip sponsored by Oregon Trout as part of their Salmon Watch program. "We wanted students to have the experience of seeing first hand the interaction between plants, aquatic insects, fish, forest and Metolius River," said Johnson. "Our focus on the fish is because they are spawning at this time and highlight a biological... Full story
Gary Albertson (L.) says farewell to Carl and Dorothy Rossetti at Sisters Gallery and Frame Shop. Camp Sherman resident and international photographer Gary Albertson has become the new owner of Sisters Gallery and Frame Shop on Hood Avenue. Former owners Carl and Dorothy Rossetti have owned the business four years and are now planning some vacation travel time around the United States. "We've met a lot of nice people and had fun," said Carl. New owner Albertson commented, "These are two of the sweetest people you'll ever... Full story
Mike Riehle (second from left) answers a question for Norma Funai. Fish biologist Mike Riehle led a group of hikers to some of his favorite spots in and around the Metolius River under sunny skies on Saturday, September 28. Riehle displayed Kokanee salmon spawning spots near Lake Creek as it enters Metolius waters. "This is the best of two worlds as warmer water from Lake Creek mixes with colder river water," said Riehle. "It promotes diversity and health of river life and can be seen in the variety of aquatic insects and... Full story
Joyce Osika, Butch Parker of Jefferson County and Tom Landis of the LAC. A Local Advisory Committee (LAC) meeting was held September 20 in the Camp Sherman fire hall. Almost moribund for a number of years, the five-member committee from Camp Sherman is seeking new associations with Madras and the Jefferson County Commissioners. Camp Sherman's portion of the comprehensive plan has called for more restrictions and larger lot sizing somewhat different from the rest of Jefferson County. "We've been a thorn in their side,"... Full story
Brian Tandy (left) and Rob Schantz describe forest treatment options in the forests near Camp Sherman. Visiting the Metolius Basin forest near Camp Sherman last Saturday, September 14, silviculturists Rob Schantz and Brian Tandy along with ecologist Maret Pajutee explained plans for forest management in the area to local citizens. Recent fires have generated renewed concerns about local forest issues. The current draft plans cover about 17,000 forest acres near Camp Sherman (14,000 of which are public lands) and include five... Full story
Kayakers enjoy exploring Hosmer Lake. A deceptively pretty lake for fishing, nature study and photography lies along the Cascade Lakes Highway just about an hour's drive from Sisters. There's still a month or so to visit Hosmer Lake before the winter season's snow closes the highway. Canoes, kayaks, electric motor craft and tube fishing allow exploration through the curving channels of this reed-lined lake. Giant Atlantic salmon (introduced in 1958) can be seen in crystal clear water -- and offer a challenge for the fly... Full story
Mary Beth Pearl. Her territory runs from Brothers to Sisters and keeps Mary Beth Pearl quite busy serving on the Deschutes Public Library Board as one of five publicly elected members. Pearl retired last June from High Desert Middle School in Bend where she had been librarian. She has spent 25 years in education as teacher, librarian, network administrator and network supervisor. She was a member of the Sisters Library Advisory Council from October 1995 to July 1999, and first Board President when voters approved the new... Full story
Fire Chief Ed Sherrell (right) introduced firefighters to an appreciative crowd at Black Butte Ranch. A picnic celebration on Saturday honored local fire, police and Forest Service personnel and staff members who fought the Cache Mt. fire that threatened Black Butte Ranch. Several hundred people gathered on the BBR athletic field, adjacent to Big Meadow golf course, for a meal of ribs, corn and trimmings -- along with messages of gratitude. "They made a stop (of the fire) you can't do," BBR Fire Chief Ed Sherrell told the... Full story
Mark Foster discusses Hasty Team operations with guests at a fund-raising pancake breakfast. Several hundred people turned out for the annual Labor Day weekend Sunday pancake breakfast, supporting Camp Sherman's Hasty Search and Rescue Team. The breakfast, held at the historic Camp Sherman Community Hall, served a hearty menu of pancakes, ham, eggs, juice and coffee. A beautiful morning in the 70s allowed breakfast-goers to eat inside the hall or on picnic tables outside on the grass. Jefferson County Sheriff Jack Jones was... Full story
A mellow, end-of-summer crowd, enjoyed chicken, hamburgers, wursts and jazz and blues music at last Saturday's barbecue at the Camp Sherman Store. Owner Roger White was busy grilling burgers while exchanging pleasantries with several hundred evening guests. People spread out at tables and the grassy area outside the store under a clear and warm evening sky to enjoy their meal and exchange greetings with friends. Ted Brainard, Gary Flaherty and Blaise Wilk of Gasoline Alley played in the background. Author and photographer... Full story
Barbara and Lloyd Gust keep the McKenzie Highway clean. Barbara and Lloyd Gust have been keeping Highway 242 clean for years. During the summer season they have contracted with ODOT to do litter patrol between mileage markers 79 and 81 on the Old McKenzie Highway. Motorists may have seen their names on the small ODOT signs placed near their highway pickup area. The couple, now in their 70s, usually get up on the highway four or five times per summer for litter pickup. "We find old tin, rusted nails, cans, cigarette butts,... Full story
