News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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The arrival of Coast Guard Day this week set me to reminiscing about my years in the U.S. Coast Guard. My personal connection with the Coast Guard actually began early in World War II, before I was even born. In the weeks following the Pearl Harbor attack, my father joined the Coast Guard under what I like to call the “BYOB” program — that’s Bring Your Own Boat. At that time, the Coast Guard had no resources for maritime security patrols; and a program was created for p... Full story
Pat Addabbo, Executive Director of Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS), will make a presentation this week as part of the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) speaker series on local outdoor recreation and natural resource issues. The event will be held on Thursday, November 15, 7 p.m. in the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Station Community Hall in at 301 South Elm St. Oregon Adaptive Sports provides outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities, in order to enhance and improve their lives through enjoyment of activities that other... Full story
Maret Pajutee, district ecologist for the Sisters Ranger District, will bring her lengthy Forest Service career to a conclusion with a final address at the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) speakers forum next week. For the past 25 years, Pajutee has been a fixture in the ecological world of Sisters Country. While she has no plans for that to change, her official role with the Forest Service is coming to an end. For her Forest Service curtain call, she says she will "pull out the crystal ball to discuss the future of Whychus Cree... Full story
The Central Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (COYCC) is currently accepting applications for nearly 100 summer jobs, and one of the crews will be based here in Sisters. Amy Racki, the Forest Service's recreation team leader for the Sisters Ranger District, made the local announcement and said that applicants must be 16 to 18 years of age. "These programs offer youth a great opportunity to be employed, work in and learn about the management of their national forests, and provide a sense of accomplishment and confidence," said... Full story
Just how does a lumberyard owner come to be the proprietor of an art gallery? "Well, it just sort of fell together," said proprietor Kevin Langdon. "Dave Elpi of Sisters Forest Products is someone I've known and worked with for years. He came to me one day and said: 'Hey, I know this guy who carves totem poles and stuff. Maybe you could stick some out here and sell them.'" The "guy" Elpi was referring to was Sisters sculptor, Dayton Lanphear - and that's how Dry Canyon Lumber... Full story
Jeff Wester. file photo He started out shoeing horses out of the back of a pickup truck. Now, he runs a 14,000-square-foot forge, welding, and iron works business in the Sisters Industrial Park. Along the way, he created some of the niftiest iron artwork to be found anywhere. Jeff Wester has made Ponderosa Forge and Ironworks into the premier blacksmith shop in Central Oregon. In one of two showrooms, drop-in customers can choose from decorative iron pine trees, cattail arrangements, candlesticks, coffee tables, bar stools,... Full story
Tyrone Wells. Photo provided California folk singer Tyrone Wells is in Central Oregon this week for a family reunion. While he's here he will present a free public musical performance in Sisters. The outdoor concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 28 at Bronco Billy's Saloon and Ranch Grill in downtown Sisters. Although traveling without his band, Wells says that a friend or two will probably perform with him. Certain to join him on stage is musical associate Erin Chang, whose brother heads up the popular Hawaiian... Full story
Opponents of Forest Service trail fees are citing a General Accounting Office (GAO) report that they say proves the agency is padding the numbers in an effort to make its fee program look like a success. In a recently released joint statement, Oregon-based Wild Wilderness and the Colorado-based Western Slope No-fee Coalition reported: "The U.S. Forest Service has been secretly subsidizing the management of its Fee Demo program with (in 2001) $10 million of appropriated tax dollars." According to Scott Silver, Bend resident... Full story
It wasn't televised, but it sure was dramatic... Photo by Jeff Sperber As always, the Sisters Rodeo was a big success, and big cowboy names made the annual pilgrimage to town. However, one of the rodeo's more recent claims to fame disappeared almost as quickly as it came. Two years ago, the Sisters Rodeo was picked as part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) tour. With that, came the spotlight of ESPN television coverage and a legitimate claim to the big time. All that's gone now. The big ESPN van, with its... Full story
Kaila Mussell. Photo by Craig Eisenbeis Rodeo fans are used to seeing lots of pretty girls at the rodeo. They're the rodeo queens, the barrel racers, the flag girls. What people don't expect, however, is to see the girls riding the rough stock. But that's because they haven't met Kaila Mussell. The saddle bronc rider from Chilliwack, British Columbia, was in Sisters last week and had a successful ride in the Saturday night performance. Mussell, who started riding junior steers at the age of 10, comes from a rodeo family. Her... Full story
Troy Lerwill and Rebecca Rigal. Photo by Craig Eisenbeis Faster than a wild bronc, more powerful than his sleek Dodge truck, able to leap a tall Sundowner trailer in a single bound. Superman? Nope, even better. It's The Wild Child, also known as Troy Lerwill. As the featured entertainment act for this year's Sisters Rodeo, Lerwill brought something a little out of the ordinary to the rodeo arena. Although raised in a rodeo family, Lerwill favored motorcycle racing and was a Utah State motocross champion at the age of 16.... Full story
A sea of cowboy hats, traffic at a standstill on Highway 20, and funny brown stuff on your boots. It must be rodeo weekend in Sisters! The 63rd annual Sisters Rodeo drew big crowds and some top-drawer performances -- including a phenomenal 90-point bull ride on Sunday. Clint Cassell of Texas topped Porkchop for the second-highest score ever in the Sisters arena. Despite early predictions of possible rain over the weekend, sunscreen was more in order. Formal festivities opened on Friday night, but cowboys and spectators... Full story
Although the Forest Service's tree thinning program is primarily designed to help prevent wildfires and enhance forest health there are additional benefits, as well. One such beneficial side effect is an abundance of (almost) free firewood -- but the windfall has a catch. The problem comes when all that freshly downed firewood also becomes a feast for the pine engraver bark beetle. A normal population of the pest doesn't usually pose a threat to healthy trees, but a beetle population artificially boosted by a supply of downed... Full story
With last year's loss of two homes at Black Butte Ranch still fresh in everyone's mind, the Forest Service's wildfire prevention program is in full swing. "Our thinning program for Highway 20 and Black Butte Ranch is going real well this year," said Dave Moyer, Supervisory Forestry Technician for the Sisters Ranger District. Moyer specializes in what the Forest Service calls "Timber Stand Improvement." In an effort to reduce dangerous buildups of forest fuels, the Forest Service is continuing its aggressive program of fuels... Full story
Colleen Roba (left), and Olivia Wallulatum are at work on renaming Squaw Creek. Photo by Craig Eisenbeis Since Oregon Senate Bill 488 passed nearly two years ago, the name "Squaw Creek" has been living on borrowed time. The name-change bill was passed in recognition of a nationwide movement to end the use of place names bearing the word "squaw." According to most sources, the word "squaw" -- in one Native American language -- is a vulgar anatomical reference and derogatory term for a native woman. Although the word is... Full story
After deciding just last week that debris burning could continue a while longer, Central Oregon fire authorities reversed themselves and closed all burning last weekend. Interim Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Chief Ken Enoch said, "We had another brush fire during (last week's) rain, so it's definitely drying out." Enoch said he consulted with the Cloverdale and Black Butte fire chiefs and they all agreed that it was time to put a stop to debris burning. About that time, emails from other chiefs began circulating and the decision... Full story
Construction crews at work on the kitchen. Photo by Craig Eisenbeis The much-anticipated new lodge at Suttle Lake Resort is one step closer to reality. "We hope to be clearing ground by the first part of July," said John Bingham, new Resort and Marina manager at Suttle Lake. "The infrastructure has to be installed before we go too far on the project," he said. Specifically, electrical lines, water and septic systems are next on the list. Richter Brothers Construction is the general contractor for the project and activity is... Full story
The new bridge at Suttle Lake Resort has wooden facing. Photo by Craig Eisenbeis One of Central Oregon's more dangerous intersections has finally been eliminated. Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, the partially blind entrance to Suttle Lake Resort and Cinder Beach was permanently closed. The closure was made possible by the completion of a new single-lane bridge across Lake Creek to link the resort area with the Forest Service Road that accesses the rest of the Suttle Lake area. "This was a really important safety... Full story
Keeping water flowing in Squaw Creek requires constant diligence. Photo by Jim Cornelius About a mile-long stretch of Squaw Creek went dry last week when competing irrigation interests siphoned off the entire stream flow. Like the recent lunar eclipse, water officials say that a series of events had to line up just right -- or wrong -- to cause the incident. According to Assistant Watermaster Ed Lavelle, "miscommunication" between the Squaw Creek Irrigation District and the Sokol ranch led to the mishap, which killed some 200... Full story
Kristin Bail was recently appointed as the new District Ranger for the Crooked River National Grassland, which is located about eight miles northeast of Sisters. Bail brings 15 years of wildland administration experience with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to her new position. Her most recent assignment was as Acting District Ranger in the Paulina Ranger District of the Ochoco National Forest. Before that, she spent two years as Hydrologist for the BLM's Oregon Office and 10 years with the BLM in... Full story
Young models displayed fashions at St. Edward's annual Mother's Day Tea. Photo by John Hartsfield Last Saturday, St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church hosted its third annual Mother's Day weekend tea and fashion show for more than 100 participants. Proceeds went to benefit St. Winefride's Guild, which is associated with the St. Winefride's Garden recently established at the church. The highlight of the tea was a fashion show coordinated by Marcia Rietmann, Tara O'Keefe Broadbent and Nancy Uppendahl. With a theme of "current t... Full story
Annie Painter. Photo provided Sisters artist and educator Annie Painter will receive the 2003 Sunburst Award for her "exemplary commitment to young people, the arts, and education." The award is sponsored by Young Audiences, a national organization that works to provide access to art for young people throughout the country. The announcement was made by Sarah Avery Johnson, Executive Director of Young Audiences of Oregon. In making the announcement, Johnson praised Painter's "expertise as an artist and an educator, and (her)... Full story
The highly sought-after Morel. Photo by Alan Heath Despite the downturn in Oregon's economy, one industry in the Sisters area is, well, mushrooming. According to Alan Heath, Special Forest Products Manager for the Sisters Ranger District, last year's forest wildfires are almost certain to produce a bumper crop of morel mushrooms this year. Although the scientific mechanism has not been established, Heath says it's commonly known that abundant quantities of mushrooms start popping in the wake of forest fires. The morel... Full story
Maret Pajutee, center, led a Stewardship Commitee field trip along Squaw Creek. Photo provided The Squaw Creek Stewardship Committee held its third meeting last week and looks to be gaining momentum in its bid to become a factor in the region's watershed planning process. The group is a subcommittee formed under the auspices of the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council and meets in Sisters on the fourth Wednesday of each month. According to Council Director Ryan Houston, its purpose is to "raise community interest in the... Full story
A new Sisters event for this year's Riverfest celebration is something called the "Secrets of Squaw Creek Charrette." Maret Pajutee and the U.S. Forest Service will host the event, unofficially billed as "Maret's Charrette," on Monday, May 5, at the Sisters Ranger District Conference Room. The open house will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. and feature free river walk maps, a photo display and snacks. Webster's unabridged dictionary defines charrette as "a final intensive effort to finish a project." In this case, the "project" has... Full story
