News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 268
Potholders were a big hit at the Pine Needlers Quilt Show. photo by Jim Cornelius Quilt shows put on by Camp Sherman's Pine Needlers are always special events. Friends from around the globe exchange good wishes and friendship, in person, through shared quilts, written messages or music. "There are always surprises," said master quilter Andrea Balosky. This year it was Staff Infection, a seven-piece folk band entertaining the morning crowd at the Camp Sherman Community Hall. People danced, sang and enjoyed browsing the quilts... Full story
Voting 6-0 the Jefferson County Planning Commission last week approved Gordon Jones' proposed expansion at Camp Sherman's Lake Creek Lodge. The new owner plans to add 24 cabins and a new meeting hall on the 42-acre historic site located on Road 1419. Presently, there are 17 cabins and the lodge on the property and these will be refurbished along with improvements to the present swimming pool and tennis courts. Phase 1 of the project calls for construction of two new cabins on the north portion of the property across from... Full story
Tim Hogue installing a DSL box in Camp Sherman. photo by Conrad Weiler Later this month, Qwest communications will begin offering DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) to Camp Sherman residents for Internet connections. The Camp Sherman area, long plagued by older copper telephone line Internet connections peaking at a slow 24K, will find the new service offering increased speed and other benefits. Presently, Internet cable and DSL high speed Internet connection services end at Black Butte Ranch, about seven miles from Camp Sherman.... Full story
Don and Lee Kappelman were chosen as this year's "Family-of-the-Year" at the annual Friends of the Library (FOL) potluck dinner held at St. Edward's Catholic Church. Library staff, Friends and guests warmly applauded this popular choice. Lee has been treasurer for five years with FOL and became vice-chairperson this year. Don has taken on many tasks at the library as needed. He helps with the library's outside lighting at Christmas season. Both he and Lee have helped in the leaf rake-up in the library garden and walks during... Full story
John Lindeberg, landscape engineer, examines the new solar panels at Metolius Meadows. Photo by Conrad Weiler The swimming pool at Metolius Meadows, a Camp Sherman residential area, has opened the summer season with a new passive solar heating system for warming the pool water. MM Systems Manager Ed Young and assistant Sean Croson assembled the 11-panel system in one week. Five panels sit atop the recreation building adjacent to the pool; another six panels are placed on a wooden ground structure, with all panels facing... Full story
The Berry's (L. - R.): Mindy, Micah, Isaac, Cole, and Marty at the Lakeside Bistro. Photo by Conrad Weiler Marty and Mindy Berry are the new owners of the Lakeside Bistro at Black Butte Ranch (BBR). The bistro is located overlooking Lake Phalarope and adjacent to the Lodge swimming pool. The Berrys offer a wide variety of reasonable food choices including burgers, pizza and salads. "Our signature food is our barbecue offerings," said Marty. "Whether it's burgers, chicken, hot dogs, ribs or salmon -- our four barbecues put... Full story
Gordon Jones defends his Lake Creek Lodge proposal before the Jefferson County Planning Commission. Photo by Conrad Weiler After receiving a flurry of letters and email comments on the proposed expansion of Lake Creek Lodge at Camp Sherman, the six Jefferson County planning commissioners postponed a decision on the project proposal until their July 10 meeting. The project proposed by Gordon and Jeff Jones increases the number of cabins at the historic site from 17 to 41 and adds a meeting hall and a new sewage treatment... Full story
Karen Allen leads hikers through the Metolius Preserve. Photo by Conrad Weiler Most folks in the Sisters country have heard about the Metolius Preserve project of the Deschutes Basin Land Trust (DBLT). The Trust has secured an option to purchase 1,240 acres of forestland in Jefferson County between Suttle Lake and Camp Sherman from Weyerhaeuser and manage it as a nature preserve. Fewer people have actually walked in this wild forestland. On a clear, sunny morning last week, a group of 20 people had the opportunity to visit... Full story
Officer Mitch Elliott in front of Dumpster #5, where a man nearly lost $50,000 in heirloom jewlery. Photo by Conrad Weiler Officer Mitch Elliott of the Black Butte Ranch Police was on duty when the phone call came in. It was about 9:40 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, following Memorial Day weekend. Valuables had been lost at the Ranch garbage transfer station. A couple had left for Portland when they realized that a garbage bag, containing over $50,000 in jewelry, had been accidentally tossed in the dumpster at BBR along with two... Full story
Gordon Jones explains his plans for the historic Lake Creek Lodge. Photo by Conrad Weiler Lake Creek Lodge would grow substantially under a proposal by owner Gordon Jones. A large group of Camp Sherman residents turned out to hear the proposal at a three-hour Local Area Council (LAC) meeting at the Community Hall on Friday, June 6. Jones introduced his project proposal for historic Lake Creek Lodge that increases the number of cabins from 17 to 41, plus adding a meeting hall and new sewer system on the 41.9-acre site. Lake... Full story
Because of budget constraints, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) closes its Sisters Center on June 12. The closure will last for the foreseeable future. The Sisters Center is one of four regional centers being closed, with programs consolidated into the Bend and Redmond campuses for financial reasons. "Community Education classes will still be offered in the Sisters area," said Celeste Douville, local administrator. "We just won't have the office open anymore." Indeed, there are 39 classes already on the Sisters... Full story
Tanner Nielsen and his dad Paul admire a 30-inch, 12.5 pound lunker believed to be the biggest catch of the day. Photo provided Over 600 people enjoyed the sparkling "Kids' Day" weather at Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery last Saturday, June 7. Parents, grandparents, friends, volunteers and the hatchery staff all turned out for the annual event. Kids, age 10 and under, may catch one hatchery fish as their "catch-of-the-day" at this event. Many brought their own fishing poles, power bait, lures and boxes of equipment. The hatchery i... Full story
The barbecue shift at the Black Butte School celebration kept busy preparing dinner for the event, which marked the end of another school year at the one-room school house. The cooks (from left): Les Schull, Jarrett Miller, Gregory McLarren, Gary Lovegren. Photo by Conrad Weiler Parents, grandparents, friends and former students gathered at the Camp Sherman Community Hall Thursday evening, May 29, for an end-of-school celebration for Black Butte School (BBS). Barbecues were warmed up outside the hall and a long table of... Full story
Ken Ehlers set up his laptop with a new wireless Internet connection at Sisters Library. Photo by Conrad Weiler Sisters Library now offers free wireless Internet service for users at the library. Patrons may now use their own computer rather than the desktop models available at the library. Bring a laptop with a wireless (wi-fi) card to the library, turn it on, and you have an Internet connection with your own machine. There is nothing to plug in, no wires to trip over, just a fast Internet connection. Users may sit on the... Full story
Got a question? Ask a librarian. Get an answer. That's a scenario Heather McNeill described to the Sisters Library Advisory Council last week. Deschutes Public Library System (DPLS) -- including the Sisters branch -- is one of 20 libraries in Oregon using the Oregon-based program "Answerland." Users are connected via the Internet with a librarian somewhere in the State of Oregon. This may be at an academic, law, medical, general or other library depending on the question. "Answerland" offers a one-on-one conversation.... Full story
Camp Sherman residents and visitors turned out for a big holiday barbecue. Photo by Conrad Weiler A trio of community events highlighted Memorial Day weekend in Camp Sherman. Saturday morning brought a large turnout to the Community Hall for updates on local programs. Sponsored by the Friends of the Metolius (FOM), the two-hour meeting featured Bill Anthony, Sisters District Ranger, describing this as "a most challenging weekend" because of the influx of young people partying throughout the vast area. He also assessed local... Full story
Tom Landis has conquered swims in Oregon, Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. Photo courtesy The Photo Guy, Hawaii Camp Sherman's record-holding swimmer Tom Landis won the 200-yard freestyle event at the U.S. Masters National Championships, held at the Arizona State University aquatic center in Tempe earlier this month. Landis was timed in just over two minutes (2:01:49), winning in the age 60-64 category. Some 2,900 Master swimmers, from ages 19 to 92, competed in various events with desert temperatures reaching between 90... Full story
Jack Walker displays his dive computer. Photo by Conrad Weiler For the past 12 years Jack Walker has been scuba diving in the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexican waters. "I enjoy warm water diving," said the Camp Sherman resident. "I became certified in Maui during 1991. "This teaches the basic skills of diving and later, on Kona, I got my advanced certification which covers more specialty dives such as night diving, navigation and deep dives." Scuba stands for self contained underwater breathing apparatus. Walker has explored the... Full story
Lee Kufchak shows off the engine of his Austin-Healey. Photo by Conrad Weiler Lee Kufchak spends sunny spring days riding around Black Butte Ranch in his "new" Austin-Healey touring car. Just over 72,000 Austin-Healey vehicles were produced between 1953 and the final year of production, 1967. Kufchak has one of the later models -- a 1966-67 six-cylinder, three-liter, 148 horsepower engine and frame weighing 2,500 pounds. The original models had a four-cylinder engine and were lower to the ground. "It can do 125 mph easily,"... Full story
John Sheldahl. Photo by Conrad Weiler The 224 registered voters in Camp Sherman will have opportunity to vote on four issues in the May 20 elections. First, are two Director positions for Black Butte School (BBS) District Board. Eight-year veteran, Marti Dale, is running unopposed for Position 3. Challenger Doug Curtis is running against 12-year veteran Jon Sheldahl for Position 4. "I feel that my understanding of this school district, coupled with my desire for scholastic excellence, I can be an excellent addition to the... Full story
John Holmes, right, points out old ranch locations to Fred Fost. Photo by Conrad Weiler There are still a few cattle to be found in the Sisters area, but not so very long ago this was real cattle country. John Holmes presented an overview of the last 100 years of ranching and livestock drives in the local area to a large group attending the Friends of Black Butte Ranch (BBR) meeting last Thursday, May 8. Using maps, old photos and other items, the grandson of rancher A.S. Holmes related the heyday of the Black Butte Land and... Full story
Daryl Davis and Dave Moyer of the Forest Service survey the Glaze Meadow project area. Photo by Conrad Weiler Forest Service crews are clearing land of brush and small trees in Glaze Meadow in order to lower fire risk and maintain the meadow. The clearing area is adjacent to Black Butte Ranch (BBR) on the eastern boundry near the Sisters gate. The BBR area thinning project has been ongoing since 1995 and helps provide fire prevention and lines of defense for the local area. "We're thinning small trees, nine inches or less,"... Full story
Chef Jerry Phaisavath in his kitchen at the Black Butte Ranch Lodge. Photo by Conrad Weiler Laotian-born Chef Silisak "Jerry" Phaisavath is the new Executive Chef at the Black Butte Ranch (BBR) Lodge restaurant. Phaisavath immigrated to California in 1972 and has an impressive list of work credits including Executive Chef positions in California at Diablo Private Golf Club, Marin Country Club and Le Boue French Restaurant. His food preparation training was at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco and he feels comfortable with... Full story
Ric Nowack discusses antiques with a Lunch & Learn participant. Photo by Conrad Weiler Ric Nowak, Sisters Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, has a separate career as an antiques dealer. Nowak gave Sisters residents an overview of selling antiques on eBay via the Internet at Sisters Lunch and Learn COCC program last Wednesday, April 16. The lifelong antiques dealer became interested in Internet selling about four years ago and has since sold over 6,000 items on eBay. Tips from this successful seller covered most of the... Full story
A legend stopped by Black Butte Ranch last week. Former golf pro "Bunny" Mason spoke to a large, enthusiastic Friends of Black Butte Ranch (BBR) audience. The visit kindled many old memories as the designer of the Glaze Meadow golf course met with his friends and former colleagues. Hired by Brooks Resources in 1969 in the early planning stages of BBR, Bunny remained at the Ranch until 1992. He reminisced about many of the managers and employees he had worked with and told the crowd that the original plans were for a tennis re... Full story
