News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 87
A ponderosa is removed from its home... in a house. When Chris and Kara Jensen bought their house, it came with some unusual baggage. The problem wasn't with water rights or septic systems or termites. The house had been built around a large Ponderosa pine tree. While the scenic pines are common to the Tollgate neighborhood in which they live, most homes are built amid the trees, not around them. The sight of the tall Ponderosa sticking through the A-frame roof was somewhat of a landmark, but the Jensen's decided that it had... Full story
Outlaws bats are producing in a big way. The Sisters varsity baseball dismantled Cascade last week, then came from behind to beat Central in a crucial Capital Conference match-up. Last Tuesday, April 16, the Outlaws traveled to Cascade and prevailed by a score that was more suitable for football, 21-8. "For people who enjoy good, clean baseball it was not the game to see," said Coach Ray Garrettson. Played in wet, sloppy conditions, the boys from Central Oregon played a little sloppy themselves. "It was encouraging for us to... Full story
You can almost see the light bulbs coming on in John Renner's class -- literally. Renner, who teaches the OutlawNet computer class at Sisters High School, has introduced a Sterling Cycle engine to his students. "We wanted to get the kids to do some engineering," he said. Renner also teaches Social Studies, and that is part of his interest in this project as well. "I also want to examine the social issues raised by an engine that has been pretty much ignored. The Sterling Cycle engine was originally sold commercially in 1895... Full story
Mike Greene delivers against Stayton. The Sisters boys varsity baseball team remained unbeaten in the second week of league action, prevailing in some tough games. The Outlaws visited traditional powerhouse North Marion on Tuesday, April 9, and came away with an 8-4 victory. Evan Livsey pitched 6-1/3 innings for the win, and Seth Teague closed for the save. Offensively, Teague and Matt Harp had three hits apiece, while Ryan Harper and Lucas Denzer each hit safely twice. Sisters took a 3-0 lead after four innings and appeared... Full story
The Sisters boys golf team continues to make winning look easy. They took on some of the best 3A teams in the state last Monday, April 8, at the Aspen Lakes home course and won by an impressive 23 strokes. "We played well against some quality teams," said Coach Jeff Barton. "They will probably be our competition at the state tournament." The top four varsity scores for the Outlaws combined for a team score of 303. Second place Sherwood ended the day with 326, followed closely by Wilsonville and Scappoose, each with 327.... Full story
Jeremy Deboard tees off at Aspen Lakes. The Sisters boys varsity golf team finished the first week of play winning two tournaments outright and providing tough competition for the local heavyweights in the other tournament. On Tuesday, April 2, the Outlaws squared off against the Capital Conference at the Arrowhead course in Molalla. When the dust had settled, Sisters had won by a whopping 49 strokes, shooting 306 in the process. Molalla, whose home course is Arrowhead, was second with a 355 score. The dominating performance... Full story
The boys varsity baseball ended their first week of league play the same way they tore through the preseason. The boys won both games in impressive fashion under the 10 run mercy rule. The Outlaws crushed the Molalla Indians 12-2 on Tuesday, April 2. The game was called after six innings. Evan Livsey fired a two-hitter and went the distance. "Evan was sharp in the first three innings, but he walked the bases loaded in the fourth," Coach Ray Garrettson said. "He worked out of the jam, and settled down again in the fifth and... Full story
The Sisters boys varsity golf team knows there's only one way to improve upon last year's state championship run: They'll have to repeat their performance. The team has all the ingredients for a successful defense of the crown. "We have five kids returning who have varsity experience," said Coach Jeff Barton. "We should be one of the top teams in the state." The core of last year's team returns intact. That would be the Green brothers -- Jonathan (a junior) and twins David and Christian (sophomores.) Justin Little will provid... Full story
While everybody else was vacationing, the Sisters boys varsity baseball team stayed plenty busy during spring break. The Outlaws took full advantage of the full schedule by going 10-1. Their dominating performance included eight games that ended prematurely because the 10 run rule went into effect. On Tuesday, March 19, the boys hosted Lakeview and won 8-4. Evan Livsey pitched five innings for the win. He gave up all four runs and allowed four hits, striking out three. Seth Teague closed out the game and faced the minimum... Full story
Is Sisters the drinking and drugging capital of Central Oregon? Or is substance use among students no big deal? There are at least three ways of looking at drinking and drugs that reflect prevailing attitudes within the community. The first attitude is denial: Drug and alcohol use among Sisters students is no big deal. Some parents rationalize and say, "Hey, I drank when I was in high school, and I turned out okay. What's the problem?" High school counselor Debbie Newport spoke of the need to be aware of the problem. "One of... Full story
Students from Minnesota State University in Moorhead donated a week of their spring break to help with the Habitat House under construction in Sisters. For many college students, spring break means a week-long vacation at a warm, sunny beach. But last week, 10 students from Minnesota spent their spring break doing something entirely different from the stereotype. They donated their time to come to Sisters and work on the Habitat for Humanity house currently under construction. The collegians were from Minnesota State... Full story
New manufactured homes are making a residential area out of the Circle Five Mobile Home and RV Park on the outskirts of Sisters on Highway 20. New owners Scott and Jane McCleery have hired new managers Cory and Denise Smith and have changed the name to Sisters Mobile Home and RV Park. "We bought five double wides from Fuqua Homes in Bend," McCleery said. "Each is a two bedroom, two bath with about 900 square feet of living space. They'll look like a stick-built house once we put on siding and dormers -- they're real nice.... Full story
Community activists and school officials are sifting the results of a recent study to determine the real degree of drug and alcohol use among Sisters youth. Some numbers in the Department of Education-sponsored survey were startling, but may offer a distorted picture of how much drinking and drugging really goes on in Sisters. One statistic that raised eyebrows was the fact that 81 percent of 11th graders in Sisters have tried alcohol, compared with an average of 73 percent across Oregon. However, the figure for Sisters... Full story
The Outlaws Boys Ski Team finished in ninth place out of a field of 20 schools at the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Race Association State Championship held March 6-8 at Mount Hood Meadows. More importantly, they gained valuable experience competing against the best high school skiers in Oregon. The boys had qualified to go to state by taking second place in the league this year. Each downhill skier competed in two Slalom races and two Giant Slalom races. The times were compiled to determine individual and team results. Coach... Full story
Whitney Engstrom's gold medal start The Sisters Outlaws boys team landed a team berth at the state championships after a second-place finish in slalom races at Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, February 16. Both the boys and girls teams have battled Mountain View for second place throughout the year. At stake was an automatic berth at the state meet, where the top two teams in the league compete against Oregon's best high school skiers. It all came down to the slalom race held at the Ed's Garden run. When the day was over, the... Full story
Joel and Lynn Premselaar, with one of the ship's bells from the German World War II Battleship, Graf Spee. Joel Premselaar's life has been all about aviation. The Sisters resident has experienced most of the dramatic changes that the 20th century brought to flying. He was born November 7, 1920 in New York City. At the ripe young age of eight, he committed himself to aviation, thanks to his uncle Morris, who enthralled him with stories of aerial dogfights in World War I. Living in New York, he would ride his bicycle six miles... Full story
Members of the high school Key Club who helped work on the new Habitat for Humanity house in Sisters. Left to right: Jacquelien Mansker, Andy Neary, Jamie Cundiff, Anna Evered, Tess Durdan-Shaw and Tara Redfield. File it under the principle of catching people doing things right. On January 26, several members from the high school Key Club donated their Saturday to lend a hand in the construction of the newest Habitat for Humanity house in Sisters. The students got up early on a cold, windy morning and gave of their free time... Full story
Normally, the fire department doesn't advocate burning down houses. But on Saturday, January 19, the Sisters/Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District held a "Burn to Learn" exercise in which they deliberately set a building on fire -- so they could train on how to more effectively and safely do their job. While the fire department has conducted this exercise in the past, this one was for the added purpose of testing a variety of thermal imaging cameras. "Normally, when a fire crew goes into a building that's on fire, they... Full story
Ken Ruettgers, Players Transitioning Inc. Ken Ruettgers understands the trauma that an athlete faces after he leaves professional sports, and he is determined to do something to help. Ruettgers, a Sisters-area resident and former left tackle for the Green Bay Packers, knows what he is talking about. "Tom Neville was a teammate of mine on the Packers," he said. "When he got out of football, he settled down in Alaska. His wife got a job as a teacher, but he couldn't find work, and he stayed at home with the kids. "I don't know... Full story
Gil Martin, writer and director of "Murder at Henry Cabot's Lodge." Gil Martin has lived in Sisters for almost one year now, and he intends to pick up where he left off in his previous digs. As the proprietor of the Trout Lake Country Inn in Trout Lake, Washington, he was able to indulge his passion -- writing and directing plays. "I came to Trout Lake with the Forest Service, but when the Inn came up for sale, I bought it," he recalled. "We made a bed and breakfast out of it, but because it had a big stage, we also had a... Full story
Marion Harrison has a lot to smile about these days. Marion Harrison had a year that she doesn't ever want to repeat, but the experience has given her a new appreciation for Thanksgiving. One year ago last September, she was teaching business at Sisters High School. She admits, "I was ill when school started, but I didn't know it." Her mother was then diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in October, and in November, she learned the bad news about herself. She had non-Hodgkins lymphoma. It was Stage Four -- the most seriou... Full story
The Sisters varsity volleyball season got underway last week, with the girls splitting two league matches. The defending Capital Conference champions first went to Molalla, where they lost in three games. The game had been scheduled for Tuesday, September 11, but was rescheduled for Wednesday due to the tragic events of last week. "We opened up pretty good and won the first contest, 15-13," said Coach Chris Crosby. "But we lost the next two, 8-15 and 9-15. "We played tough, we played hard, but just made too many errors," he... Full story
The 2001 Sisters Outlaws varsity girls volleyball team with Coach Chris Crosby. Sisters volleyball has an unparalleled tradition of excellence. In the nine years of competition since the school's opening, the Outlaws girls have captured the league title every year. At the 3A level, Sisters has won the Capital Conference the past seven years running. Last year, the girls continued their dominance by going undefeated in league play. This is a new season. Gone are five of the six starters from last year's squad, including... Full story
Amateur football is alive and well in the state of Oregon, thanks to the OFL -- the Oregon Football League. Beginning it's second season, Central Oregon has a team in the conference that goes by the moniker The Central Oregon Stampede. This season, they will make Sisters their home field. Justin Kubler and his wife Kebbra are the primary organizers and catalysts for the team. "We're not really semi-pro, because we're strictly amateur," Justin said. "It's a league for anyone 18 years and older (out of high school) who wants... Full story
Sisters area residents can help school kids start the year fully supplied for class through the region-wide Tools for Schools donation drive. The drop site in Sisters is at Les Schwab Taylor Tire Center. Throughout Central Oregon, many needy children face each new school year without the resources to buy many basic school supplies. It was this realization that prompted John Gross, owner of Gross Communications Corporation (103 KSJJ and Magic 100.7 in Bend), to come up with the Tools For Schools program. Brian Canady, regional... Full story
