News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 49 of 49
Sisters resident Gordon Petrie looks at a modern map of the Pacific Crest Trail that he first traveled 67 years ago. photo by Jim Fisher Several long-distance hikers have stopped at Sisters for supplies this summer on their way from Mexico to Canada on the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. For one Sisters resident, stories of these visits have made him look back some 67 years to when, as a young boy, he participated in a four-year-long event promoting the building of the trail. Gordon Petrie was a 15-year-old me... Full story
Log Springs: Intense, but short-lived work for firefighters. photo by Dave Vitelle When fall rains came last month, Central Oregon residents breathed a sigh of relief for surviving another summer wildfire season. But for two Sisters area companies that provide fire fighting crews and equipment to state and federal agencies, the rains marked the end of a long and painfully slow period. GFP Enterprises and Bear Mountain Fire are two of only a few Central Oregon private companies that hire, train, and equip firefighting crews... Full story
Thia Tewalt and her daughter Breezy admire Thia's antelope. photo provided There was a time not too long ago when women were invited to join their husbands or male friends on a hunting trip for only one of two reasons -- either the male hunters needed a good cook in camp or they wanted to have an extra game tag with them in case they got lucky. In 2004, that is no longer the case. More and more women are taking up hunting as an outdoor sport and doing very well at it. A great example of women hunting is the experience of Thia... Full story
Local fire districts preparing a Greater Sisters Community Wildfire Protection Plan have announced four community meetings to present an overview of the project plan and to receive suggestions from local residents. Meeting dates and times are: - October 28, 6 to 8 p.m., Sisters and Environs Community Meeting, Sisters Fire Station, 301 S. Elm St., Sisters. - November 3, 2 to 4 p.m., Black Butte Ranch Community Meeting, Black Butte Ranch Fire Station, 13511 Hawks Beard, Back Butte Ranch. - November 3, 6 to 8 p.m., Cloverdale... Full story
Off-road vehicle use has caused resourse damage statewide at an increased rate. photo by Jim Fisher Off-road vehicles are tearing up forest land around Sisters. The Sisters Ranger District has a growing concern with the increased use of the forest by off-highway vehicles (OHV) causing resource damage, according to Kevin Foss, lead field ranger for the district. Foss works with all recreation activities outside of wilderness. While the greatest increase has been with the four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATV), visits by dirt... Full story
The Eyerly Fire Salvage Sale lost its emergency status on September 10 when the designation was withdrawn by the Deschutes National Forest. The action means that even if the Forest Service does find a willing buyer for the fire-killed timber, it cannot be logged before November 15 following a 105-day appeals period required for non-emergency salvage sales. Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony said that the value of the timber had declined enough in the two years since the fire that it did not justify continuing the emergency... Full story
If your street name or street address was changed recently, you probably need to reregister with the Deschutes County Clerk's Office by October 12 if you wish to vote in the November election. That is the advice of a spokesperson from the Elections Division of the County Clerk's Office. Unless you have received a new voter registration card with your new address on it, you should plan to reregister, the spokesperson advised. Changes for a number of street names and street addresses were approved by Deschutes County... Full story
Sisters area residents will feel the effect of new wildfire risk standards approved by Deschutes County and the State of Oregon on August 24. The county and state approved detailed fire-risk standards and a map showing locations of three levels of risk of wildfire for homes in the urban-wildland interface of the county. This is the latest step in implementing the Forestland-Urban Interface Act of 1997 passed by the Oregon Legislature. The growing number of homes in the interface during the past three decades and their impact... Full story
Frank and Carol Crail visited the Crail family homestead, which has become a Montana historic site. Crail, a long-time Sisters resident, is a descendant of Montana homesteaders. Last May, Sisters resident Frank Crail took a long distance phone call that brought memories rushing back and made him a celebrity in Montana. "Are you Frank Crail?" a woman on the phone asked. When Frank answered yes, the woman said "we have been looking for you for the past two years." It's a story that began more than 100 years ago and culminated... Full story
Tony Lompa takes a sighting through his fire finder at the look-out on Henkle Butte. Lompa spotted the start of the Booth and Bear fires last summer. This year has been less dramatic for the veteran fire spotter. photo by Jim Fisher Robert "Tony" Lompa has a job many would envy. He protects the country he loves from devastating wildfires from a front row seat to some of the best scenery in Oregon. Since 1997, Lompa has spent summers as the forest lookout on Henkle Butte, three miles northeast of Sisters. From this small... Full story
Take fast action in salvaging fire-killed and fire-damaged timber and streamline the federal review process. That was the message given by speakers at an August 18 congressional hearing held by Rep. Greg Walden at Sisters High School. Walden conducted the hearing of the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, which he chairs. About 100 people packed the SHS Lecture/Drama Room to hear testimony from seven speakers from the Forest Service, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Oregon State University... Full story
A lightning storm on Friday, August 13, was probably the cause of some trouble for Sisters High School's electrical system, according to Jim Golden, assistant principal. Engineers checking the school's system last week speculate that a lightning strike on or near the school's athletic field entered the field's watering system, moved into the pumps and then followed the conduit back to the main school building. "At least two of our micro zones were toasted," Golden explained, "and that shut down our main computer that runs... Full story
Fire Chief Tay Robertson of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District has received confirmation that a $50,400 federal grant has been awarded the fire district to help fund the purchase of new fire equipment. Announcement of the grant came from Rep. Greg Walden's office last week. The source of the grant is the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. The program is designed to help local fire agencies to be better prepared and equipped for both normal emergency services and... Full story
No bids were received by the Sisters Ranger District in an auction held August 10 for the purchase of fire-killed and fire-damaged timber on the 2002 Eyerly Fire. About 6.4 million board feet of timber were offered for salvage with a starting price of $28.50 per 1,000 board feet. Most potential bidders apparently believed the timber to be salvaged has little value two years after the fire. Following most wildfires, rot, insects, and a blue stain quickly attack dead and dying trees leaving little economic value in the salvage... Full story
Take fast action in salvaging fire-killed and fire-damaged timber and streamline the federal review process. That was the message given by speakers at an August 18 congressional hearing held by Rep. Greg Walden at Sisters High School. Rep. Walden conducted the hearing of the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, which he chairs. About 100 people packed the Sisters High School Lecture/Drama Room to hear testimony from seven speakers from the Forest Service, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, Oregon... Full story
Acres of burned forest land are awaiting restoration. photo by Jim Cornelius Local activists, foresters and citizens are taking a close look at the B&B Fire Recovery proposal recently released by Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony. In a letter mailed in late July to interested individuals and organizations, Anthony invited public involvement to identify issues and concerns with the proposed actions. The plan proposes salvage logging of fire-killed and fire-damaged timber on from 10,000 to 14,000 acres of the total project a... Full story
The Forest Service plans to get started on salvage logging of some of the area burned in 2002 Eyerly Fire before the appeals period runs out. Deschutes Forest Supervisor Leslie Weldon announced Monday, August 2, that she will sign an order allowing the salvage to move forward. That decision has created controversy among opponents of the salvage plan since it is the first time in Central Oregon that the Forest Service has used provisions of the Bush administration's Healthy Forests Act to permit such activity to start during t... Full story
If the B&B Complex and Link fires of 2003 which, together, burned over 95,000 acres had occurred in an isolated region of Oregon with little diversity of trees, few recreational visitors and few rivers and streams, the Forest Service would still have had a tough job to rehabilitate the area. But these fires burned over half of the Metolius Basin watershed, a highly diverse forest in a popular recreational area near one of the fastest growing regions of the west. Now, the Sisters Ranger District is facing enormous challenges w... Full story
After the 92,000-acre B&B Complex and the 3,600-acre Link fires were controlled last year, Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony and his staff faced a monumental rehabilitation job. These fires, when combined with the 23,573-acre Eyerly Fire and the 3,894-acre Cache Mountain Fire of 2002, had burned about 125,000 acres -- one-fourth of the district. With work just being completed on recovery plans for the 2002 fires, new challenges must now be confronted. Last week Sisters Ranger District publicized proposed actions to... Full story
Dave Clemens watches a crew seal the Sisters Airport runway. photo by Jim Fisher The Sisters Airport runway got a facelift on July 23 thanks to a cost-share grant from the Oregon Department of Aviation, according to David Clemens, secretary-treasurer of Eagle Air, Inc., which operates the airport. A work crew patched cracks and sealed the entire 3,200-foot runway surface with an asphalt-based emulsion. The treatment will extend the life of the runway for about seven years, according to James A. Kirby, Jr. engineer with W & H... Full story
Gary Lovegren surveys salvage logging site. photo by Jim Fisher Travelers driving into Central Oregon on Highway 20 can look down over Blue Lake at the eastern base of the Cascades and see the first signs of forest restoration after the devastating B&B Complex Fire of 2003. The Lovegren Estate, which owns 117 acres in the area, is completing salvage operations of fire-killed timber on their lands. Some 300,000 board feet of timber have been removed this summer with logs transported to mills in Gilchrist, Sweet Home and... Full story
Bud Beechwood films and Leo Wilson narrates during the Tollgate fire. photo by Jim Fisher It was a hot, summer morning July 26, 1979 -- 25 years ago. Waiting at the Sisters airport with Fire Prevention Director Leo Wilson for the Oregon Department of Forestry plane to arrive, I visited with two Sisters residents, logging contractor Harold Barclay and airport owner Cliff Clemens. I introduced myself as Public Affairs Director with the department and told them, "We drove from Salem this morning to meet Bud Beechwood, a... Full story
Dave Clemens watches as a crew paves the 3,200-foot Sisters Airport runway. photo by Jim Fisher The Sisters Airport runway got a facelift on July 23 thanks to a cost-share grant from the Oregon Department of Aviation, according to David Clemens, secretary-treasurer of Eagle Air, Inc. who operates the airport. A work crew patched cracks and sealed the entire 3,200-foot runway surface with an asphalt-based emulsion. The treatment will extend the life of the runway for about seven years, according to James A. Kirby, Jr.... Full story
Becki and Jim Neal are the grand marshals for the 59th Sisters Rodeo. Both of the Neals have been active in the Sisters Rodeo Association for the past 20 years. Becki's primary role was serving as parade chairperson for 15 of those years, ending with the 1997 parade. Jim was part of the work crew that helped build the present--day rodeo grounds. He has led the parade for most of those years on his horse, Cricket, carrying the American flag . However, his big job has been working the "out gate" and "stripping chute" at the... Full story
