News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 177
Last week, wood smoke from several large fires wafted through Sisters. Everyone seemed to know that the Forest Service was burning again, but many people were unsure as to exactly where the smoke was coming from. According to Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters Ranger District, the most dramatic of the burns took place on forest land adjacent to Glaze Meadow, just east of Black Butte Ranch. "I saw someone in town who told me that it looked like a bomb went off out there," said Rapp, referring to the h... Full story
Last week, approximately 80 Sisters area residents packed into the Sisters Fire Hall to find out if they are living on a volcanic powder keg. The answer: not necessarily. Since the discovery of a volcanic "bulge" three miles west of the South Sister, geologists have been flocking to the area to learn more about the phenomenon. Local residents, in turn, were given the opportunity to hear what the U.S. Geological Service has to say about the hints of renewed volcanic activity in the area. The presentation was extremely... Full story
Brenda Gates Smith talks of the writing trade. Sisters author Brenda Gates Smith was tapped to lead Barnes & Noble's second annual writing workshop at the Bend store last week. The national bookstore chain bills the event as the "World's Largest Writing Workshop." "These workshops are going on at all our stores at the same time all over the country," said Lindsey Brock, Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble in Bend. Since the company counts 585 stores nationwide, that makes for a pretty big workshop -- maybe even,... Full story
If the current moisture and weather situation continues to prevail, the Forest Service's prescribed burn program could commence in this area as early as this week. The areas under consideration for the prescribed burning are among the latest portions of a major forest fuels treatment project along the Santiam Highway corridor. According to Mark Rapp, Assistant Fire Management Officer for the Sisters Ranger District, forest conditions are suitable for a planned burn that has faced some unusual constraints. The Forest Service... Full story
Some tent... Tucked away from the confusion of a tumultuous world, an unusual organization is taking root on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains near Sisters. Formerly the site of Blue Lake Resort and more recently known as Camp Caldera, now, it's simply called "Caldera." For the last five years, Caldera has been providing nature, life skills, and art opportunities for inner city youth who would not normally have the chance to take part in such activities. That aspect of Camp Caldera will continue, but Caldera now... Full story
Hoodoo's massive new lodge is taking shape. Last week, the first flakes of a new snow season began to appear in the Central Oregon mountains. At the same time, something new and quite different was also making an appearance at the top of Santiam Pass. To say that Hoodoo Ski Area is building a new ski lodge is something of an understatement. The new lodge is so big that it looks like it could contain a dozen or so of the old lodges. In fact, it's so big that it's difficult to take in from one spot. Approaching from the usual... Full story
Most folks usually think of archaeologists searching the globe for a worthy site to excavate. However, Forest Service archaeologists and members of the Archaeological Society of Central Oregon (ASCO) spent last week digging up a front yard in Camp Sherman. Students from Black Butte School, Sisters Middle School and St. Francis School of Bend stopped by the riverside cabin to find out what the fuss was all about. According to Don Zettel, Forest Service Archaeologist for the Sisters Ranger District, the potential of the site... Full story
An early starting date, a full moon, and tinder dry conditions are among the obstacles facing deer hunters when the deer rifle season opens at the end of this week. On Saturday, September 29, hunters will head into the woods around Sisters in pursuit of Central Oregon's mule deer. Not only do dry conditions make it difficult to stalk deer, but those same conditions can make the woods downright dangerous, too. Jinny Pittman is part of the Forest Service's fire prevention team in Sisters, and she wants to make sure that... Full story
Next Tuesday evening, October 2, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Forest Service will host a public meeting to provide local residents with information on recent developments related to volcanic activity in the nearby Three Sisters mountains. The recent discovery of a ground uplift centered about three miles west of the South Sister has geologists scrambling to discover the cause. The "bulge" measures only up to about four inches in height but covers hundreds of square miles in a swath that sweeps across McKenzie... Full story
???? Creek, Sisters, Oregon. When Oregon Senate Bill 488 became law, a significant local geographic entity was left without a name. Well, not exactly; but the name of Squaw Creek is on its way out -- along with those of any other geographic sites with "squaw" in the name. In fact, according to information prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Office, there are approximately 175 Oregon geographic features that include the term "squaw." The bill does not affect non-public uses of the name; for example, a business name would not... Full story
It happens when the motorist least expects it, and that's the problem. Too few drivers anticipate the suicidal antics of Central Oregon's deer. Highway 20 and Highway 97 see their share of dead deer, but the bucolic Camp Polk Road is also claiming deer in great droves. More deer and more vehicles -- a deadly combination. In terms of dead deer per mile, few stretches of road can rival the deer slaughter along the one mile of roadway between the Sisters Airport and Indian Ford Creek. In 1996, after the wooded avenue claimed at... Full story
If Sisters seemed to have more than the usual number of cowboys and cowgirls on hand this past June -- it did. According to Sisters Rodeo Association President, Glenn Miller, the "Numbers were up considerably" at this year's 61st edition of the Sisters Rodeo. He said that attendance figures were higher, not only for Sunday's final performance, but also for the rodeo as a whole. This was the first year that the rodeo's top scorers were offered the chance to qualify for a "short go" true final on Sunday -- with additional... Full story
Since 1988, the Sisters Garden Club has been making Sisters a more beautiful place to live. Actually, beautifying the community is only one of its goals. Promoting public interest and education in Central Oregon gardening are among the Garden Club's top priorities, along with fostering a general understanding of land stewardship. Garden Club members (l-r) Nancy Uppendahl, Lorena Bliven, Mickey Duehren, Juanita Rice and Cathy Ehlers work on the welcoming portal to Sisters. The group's major public event and fund-raiser, the Qu... Full story
Community-minded Camp Sherman citizens are taking the law into their own hands. Weed law, that is. Several species of exotic weeds, classified as "noxious" have shown up locally. Camp Sherman residents are doing their best to see that the undesirable plants do not gain a foothold in their area. These "weed vigilantes" got their start last year and call themselves the Camp Sherman Noxious Weed Work Party. According to spokesman Beth Van Campen, the group has about 20 members on a call list and six to 10 workers who are... Full story
Casual quilters (from left): Pat Burger, Laura Hiller, Karen Shadley, Peggy Benton, Judy Johnson, Norma Funai. A local group of women who call themselves the "Casual Quilters" will be featured at the 26th Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on July 14. The 18-member group, which hails largely from the Indian Ford area, was "loosely organized" in 1994. Their projects have included a 1996 quilt that was auctioned off to help fund the new Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store. Last Christmas, in another venture, the women made doll quilts... Full story
A barrel racer makes the turn at Sisters Rodeo. Trevor Brazile drew All-Around Cowboy honors with high scores in both the calf roping and team roping at the Sisters Rodeo June 8-10. He was one of many elite rodeo performers who traveled to Sisters for the 61st edition of "The Biggest Little Show in the World." Part of the draw to Sisters this year was the fact that the Sisters Rodeo was picked up as part of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) summer tour. As a result, more of the top cowboys saw Sisters as a... Full story
Billy Layne Shoemaker of Terrebonne hauled in a lunker at Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery. Everyone in the state was invited to enjoy free fishing day last Saturday, June 9 -- no license required. At Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery, however, some lucky youngsters had a chance for something even more special. As water circulates through the hatchery's rearing tanks, inevitably, a few tiny fish are washed out in the discharge and into the hatchery settling pond. Having thus escaped, these fish sometimes linger there for years and grow... Full story
Sisters rider Johnny Hammack in the chutes at the Calgary Stampede. The Sisters Rodeo remains the saddle bronc rider's favorite. The last time The Nugget caught up with Sisters native Johnny Hammack, he was getting ready for the saddle bronc competition at the Calgary Stampede. This weekend, however, rodeo fans will find him a little closer to home. "Sisters is my favorite rodeo," said Hammack. "I grew up in Sisters. It's really great to compete in your hometown." In fact, this will be the eighth time he's competed here, but... Full story
More than 100 people braved cold, strong winds last Friday, June 1, to show their support for one of the Deschutes Basin Land Trust's biggest successes. The Trust, which works to protect key land areas in Central Oregon, formally dedicated its new Camp Polk site before an enthusiastic crowd of community-minded citizens. The Trust's action capped a nearly three year effort to protect the historic site -- and its enormous habitat potential -- with a ceremony that recognized numerous community members and volunteers. Brad... Full story
Gil Ticoulat has seen 57 years of the cattle business. Come June each year, cowboy hats and boots pop up all over Sisters like tumbleweeds on the prairie. But it wasn't that many years ago that cowboy fashion was just the way most people dressed around these parts. Some still do. The Sisters cowboys aren't as numerous as they once were, and they're getting older, too; but the cattle business is still a part of life here. Just ask Gil Ticoulat how long he's been in the cattle business. "Well, I got into the cattle business... Full story
Gil Ticoulat has been in the cattle business for 57 years -- many of them in Sisters. Come June each year, cowboy hats and boots pop up all over Sisters like tumbleweeds on the prairie. But it wasn't that many years ago that cowboy fashion was just the way most people dressed around these parts. Some still do. The Sisters cowboys aren't as numerous as they once were, and they're getting older, too; but the cattle business is still a part of life here. Just ask Gil Ticoulat how long he's been in the cattle business. "Well, I g... Full story
The Forest Service is gearing up for another fire season. Although careful not to sound alarmist, fire officials are clearly concerned about this year's potential for fire danger in the region. The Deschutes-Ochoco Forest Supervisor's Office in Bend recently staged a briefing and fire safety training session for news media representatives. With a 120-acre wildfire near LaPine already in the books for this season, the presentation was designed to provide the media with background information and safety guidelines for covering... Full story
Digging for scholarly gold in Central Oregon. Central Oregon has long been a crossroads for human visitors. While recreation seems to be the chief draw in the 21st Century, visitors from a much earlier time sometimes depended on the region's resources for their survival. To help explore and understand the phenomenon of Central Oregon's early visitors, the Forest Service sponsored an archaeological dig on the grounds adjacent to Lava River Cave, south of Bend. The site, and an interpretative staff, were made available to visit... Full story
Just in time for what promises to be a particularly dangerous fire season, Black Butte Ranch has added some of the best new fire fighting equipment available. Black Butte Ranch Fire Chief Ed Sherrell and his crew showed off the new equipment at an open house last week. The five new pieces of fire fighting equipment showcased at the event included a 75 foot ladder truck, an ambulance, a rescue ambulance, a "wildland interface" engine and a utility truck. Putting on the most impressive show was the new ladder truck. Firemen... Full story
The proposed Suttle Lake Resort Lodge. The proposed Suttle Lake Resort renovation -- if approved -- would attempt to bring back Central Oregon recreational experiences of yesteryear. "One of the goals of the Master Plan is to restore a sense of nostalgia that honors what this place has been to people for many years," said Maret Pajutee. "Keeping that 'sense of place' has been a key theme of our planning discussions with the resort." Pajutee, who has her own long-time ties to the Sisters region, is a Forest Service ecologist... Full story
