News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Central Electric Cooperative did not have proper county permits to erect at least some of the power poles they have put up in the Sisters area, according to a county code enforcement technician. A lawyer for CEC disagrees, saying that because of Measure 37, no permits were required. Deschutes County Code Enforcement opened a case on the matter last week. The case involves "a parcel of CEC land within Deschutes County that is zoned F1 (forest)," said code enforcement technician John Griley. The exact location of the parcel was... Full story
Christ’s Church of New Beginnings in Sisters is suffering a crisis in the wake of allegations against its pastor, Shane Hall, who faces charges of sex abuse. All of the roiling human emotions such a crisis arouses were present on Sunday when parishioners learned that the organization may actually have been incorporated as a non-profit evangelical business by Hall’s family, rather than a church. There was anger. There was fear. Yet there was also something much more powerful present. There was a deep and abiding desire to pre... Full story
“King Kong” is one of the better two-hour movies of the season. Unfortunately, it is about three hours long. The cast is superb, the acting quite good. And as you would expect of a movie by Peter Jackson, creator of the three-movie, luxurious rendition of “Lord of the Rings,” the filmography is excellent. There is just too much of it, Peter. This happens to artists who achieve the kind of power that Jackson now wields in the cinematic universe after the incredible commercial and artistic achievement of “Rings.” They have t... Full story
Today a letter from Ed Gillespe was in the mail. For a contribution, he wants to send me a Republican Party Platinum Card so George Bush can "do what what's right for America by cutting taxes, reforming education, strengthening our energy supply, controlling unnecessary spending and bolstering our national security." I don't know. George has so far failed miserably on all those counts. Why should he have another four years? Taxes? George gave tax cuts to the top few percent of Americans, not the rest of us. Bush could have... Full story
There is great furor over Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of The Christ." Furor that the movie is anti-Semitic, that it falsely portrays the last 12 hours of Christ's life, that it's "message" will reopen old wounds over who is responsible for the Death of Jesus. To some, Gibson's movie is true to the text of the Christian Bible. To others, it is "Lethal Weapon meets the New Testament." There are moments of great filmmaking. There are also long stretches of inhumane brutality, and more than human forbearance. But religious... Full story
Roads in the Metolius Basin that were burned over by the B&B Complex Fires will be opened as the Forest Service can remove hazard trees. Some of these roads access popular camps and recreation areas. Even then, the public will have to be aware that burned trees can fall and pose a hazard. According to Kris Martinson, Community Relations Team Leader with the U.S. Forest Service in Sisters, there are about 300 miles of roads in total that are affected. The agency is first focusing on about 120 miles of the most traveled roads.... Full story
The Forest Service plans to fast track two salvage operations in the area of last summer's B & B Complex Fire in the Metolius Basin near Suttle Lake and Jack Creek. Both projects are in areas of existing timber sales and had been partially logged before last summer's devastating fires. According to Marcy Boehme of the Forest Service, each sale had been previously approved under Environmental Assessments "over the last 10 years or so." The B & B Fire burned up all markings on the trees yet to be logged, Boehme said.... Full story
The Colson family of Salem has purchased another large chunk of land near Sisters. On July 23, 2003, Sisters Land Company, LLC purchased about 4,220 acres of land just west of Crossroads from the Weyerhaeuser Company of Federal Way, Washington. Weyerhaeuser acquired the land when it took over Willamette Industries in 2002. The parcel lies adjacent to the gravel pit owned by Hap Taylor and Sons. It is about one mile west of Crossroads off of the McKenzie Highway 242. The purchase price of the 4,220 acres was $4,780,000,... Full story
Our team got hammered. It was the last game of the season, the sort-of playoffs you have when your soccer team is made up of eight- and nine-year-olds. We had a couple good runs down the field, a few chances to score on corner kicks, but couldn't put the ball in the net. We were outplayed. Daughter Sabrina was bummed out. Her sister K.C. was not nearly as devastated. Sabrina sat in the hallway, her back against the wall, more than an hour after the game was over. At first, she wanted to say that it was unfair, that whenever w... Full story
It's been said, the bigger the lie, the more likely the lie is to be believed. Sounds like something right out of Texas. Now we learn from the British Broadcasting Corporation that the made-for-TV rescue of Private Jessica Lynch really was ... made for TV. The night vision cameras showing special forces storming the hospital by helicopter? The firing of guns? Not necessary. Oh, Jessica was captured, no doubt about that. But her captors fled, and Iraqi hospital workers attempted to take Lynch to the Americans by ambulance two... Full story
Molalla High School has banned a young man from school athletic events after he was identified as having yelled racial slurs directed at a black Sisters player during a September 16 soccer game. Coach Mark Keel and his players left the field with a few minutes remaining on the clock, feeling that the atmosphere was threatening. Some witnesses indicated that more than one adult spectator was involved. However, an investigation by Molalla Principal Roy Reynolds found that only the one young man was responsible for shouting the... Full story
This '33 Ford (Vicky) with a 350 Chevy crate motor was featured at Sisters Airport. About 15 hot rods showed up for the Third Annual Showdown, Chowdown and Hoe-down at the Sisters Airport on Sunday, September 29. Sisters-area car lovers showed up in a variety beautiful hot rods, from Steve McGhehey's '56 Chevy Bel Air to event organizer Ed Johnson's '67 supercharged Ford Fairlane, a '72 DeTomaso Pantera with a "far from stock" 351 Cleveland and a '40 Chevrolet with a new 350 cubic inch motor that purred like a kitten until... Full story
On Monday, Sept. 16 the Outlaws soccer team made a trip to Molalla with every intention of playing soccer. Coach Mark Keel acknowledged that "Molalla is historically a very difficult place to play. We had some trouble there last year." The Sisters team has a player who is black. On the Molalla side, there was a group of about 20 or 30 people crowding the sideline, mostly adults according to Coach Keel. They were shouting things such as "Lynch the nigger" and "Kill 'em," and "Boy, I'd make you my slave," according to Keel.... Full story
One of the pitfalls of being from the good ole U.S. of A. is that we are not supposed to be bigots. We are not supposed to hate Blacks because they are black, Jews cuz they're smarter than we are, Piautes cuz they're Native Americans (my grandfather's favorite), Japs cuz they bombed us without our expecting it, or Chinese cuz there are so damn MANY of them. Nope, we here in the "Melting Pot" aren't supposed to hate people cuz of who they happen to be and we are not supposed to blame races or nations for the acts of... Full story
Firefighters mop up near Golf Home 97, which was destroyed in the fire. Homes saved at Black Butte Ranch were very close to homes that burned. Only great effort on the part of Black Butte Ranch firefighters, standing in "defensible space," saved them. The fire scorched the ground and torched 30 foot trees into charred sticks all the way to their tops. The edges of Fiddleneck, an 18 foot wide one-way street, melted. "This was a regular wall of fire," said Black Butte Ranch Fire Chief Ed Sherrell. Sherell said firefighters... Full story
In another recent wreck near Sisters, a driver drifted off the road to the right, overcorrected and crossed back over the roadway and into a tree. Most people do exactly the wrong thing when a car leaves the pavement, according to professional drivers. Carl Lopez is an instructor with Skip Barber Racing Schools. Lopez points out that if the wheels on the right side of the car are in gravel, and those on the left are on the pavement, "traction on the left is greater than traction on the right. "If you then jump on the brake... Full story
State Farm Insurance has stopped writing new homeowner, renter, and condominium insurance policies in at least six western states, including Oregon. State Farm has more than one in five of these policies in the region or 20 percent of the market, so the decision, announced June 20, has had an impact throughout the industry. "The more competitors there are out there, it keeps downward pressure on the rates. If you have a player with that big a piece of the pie say they are not writing anymore, it puts (upward) pressure on the... Full story
Sisters, 6:30 p.m. July 28 -- At least two homes have been lost at Black Butte Ranch, and the Ranch has been 80 percent evacuated. Two others thought to have been burning were saved. The State Conflagration Act was invoked by the governor at 4:37 p.m. and as a result, firefighters and equipment were headed to Sisters from the Willamette Valley. Those being evacuated are asked to check in with the Red Cross at 541-382-2142, even if they do not plan to stay at the shelter. This allows friends and family to be assured of the... Full story
Sisters, 7:30 p.m., July 28 -- Both homes lost to fire at Black Butte Ranch were on the northwest corner of the property, probably on Fiddleneck, as the fire exploded in the early afternoon on Sunday. There are another 84 structures "at risk" from flames that surged onto the Ranch. Sometime between 1:30 and 2 p.m. the fire "blew up" very fast. "It advanced like a fire storm. There was no time to do anything," said Black Butte Police Chief Gil Zaccaro. Deschutes County Sheriff Les Stiles said "what was a spot fire was... Full story
Sisters--8:30 a.m. July 29-- The Cache Fire that has destroyed two houses at Black Butte Ranch is still a threat, despite "lying down" over night. The forecast on Monday is for hot and dry 86 degree temperatures and 20 percent humidity, according to the Forest Service. Winds were expected to be 10 to 15 miles per hour later in the afternoon. These conditions are very similar to those on Sunday when the fire exploded past lines and into Black Butte Ranch. The Forest Service expects the fire to spread east and southeast,... Full story
Sisters, 9:45 a.m. July 29 -- Homes saved at Black Butte Ranch were very close to homes that burned. Only great effort on the part of Black Butte Ranch firefighters, standing in "defensible space," saved them. The fire scorched the ground and torched 30-foot trees into charred sticks all the way to their tops. The edges of Fiddleneck, an 18 foot wide one-way street, melted. "This was a regular wall of fire," said Black Butte Ranch Fire Chief Ed Sherrell. Sherrell said firefighters "really thought we had a handle on this... Full story
Only the shaded areas are closed. Everything else is open range. A couple of cattle were wandering along Camp Polk road again on Sunday, and after a few calls, 911 again alerted Deschutes County Sheriff's office. This time, though, something different happened. Nothing. The area is part of the open range, and the owner of the cattle reportedly gets upset if deputies put the cattle back inside the fenced area. A map of the open range shows the boundary going right to the Sisters Urban Area boundary. It extends north and takes... Full story
David Herman's plans to build a guest ranch on 155 acres he purchased along Indian Ford Road is being opposed by neighbors. A public hearing on the request concluded May 7 before county hearings officer Lori Kliewer. The proposal includes 10 proposed cabins from 800 to 1,000 square feet, a lodge/kitchen building, an ice rink, tennis courts and swimming pool, according to county staff. Neighbors claim that commercial use will "ruin the neighborhood," which is currently made up of expensive homes and hobby ranches. Last year... Full story
The reservoir on the shoulder of the Oregon Cascades is nearly full from the North Santiam River boiling down its channel brown with mud cut from the mountains above. Only a few days before, stumps were visible in mud flats off the point of the town of Detroit but now they are covered, only the top branches of Aspens that grew tall over the last few years of drought poke above the water, young trees that found a place to grow in fertile earth long covered by shallows. Stumps and new growth together form an ebb and flow of... Full story
Legislation may be soon be introduced in Congress that would allow a Sisters man to exchange 1,240 acres he owns in the Steens Mountains for 690 acres bordered by Squaw Creek in Sisters. George Stroemple bought the Blair Ranch in the Steens in 2001, according to Paul Dewey, a lawyer in Bend who is one of Stroemple's representatives in the exchange. Dewey said the Blair parcels in the Steens are "in the middle of a cow-free wilderness, and is amazing habitat at 7,000 feet to 8,000 feet with a wild and scenic river as part of i... Full story
