News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 119
An appeals hearing on a proposed McDonald's drive-through will go forward as scheduled despite the fact that the city planning department missed a local deadline for publication of public notice. The December 9 meeting of the Sisters City Council is an appeal hearing regarding the Planning Commission's ruling to allow Cache Mountain Development LLC to construct a new building containing a restaurant (McDonald's), a convenience market, and a gas station in the Highway Commercial Zone northwest of town. The appeal filed by... Full story
In this holiday season, local organizations and businesses are busy with programs to benefit the needy of Sisters. The Kiwanis Club of Sisters is preparing for as many as 160 families in its annual Christmas Food Basket program. Food Basket applicants must meet the same income criteria as for the Food Bank but do not need to be Food Bank recipients. Deadline for returning applications is December 13. They can be returned to the Kiwanis House or mailed to Sisters Kiwanis, P.O. Box 1296, Sisters, OR 97759. Each family will... Full story
Ronni Duff at work at COCC's space in the SOAR facility. photo by Jim Mitchell Central Oregon Commmunity College (COCC) is alive and well in Sisters. Despite the closing of the college's Sisters Center in June 2003, COCC continues to serve the community in new classroom space at the Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation (SOAR). COCC is currently offering 27 classes in Sisters for winter term. Ronni Duff, Sisters coordinator, says the classes are well attended because, "We are really listening to what the... Full story
Carolers from the Episcopal Church entertained the crowd. photo by Jim Mitchell Despite near freezing temperatures, several hundred people turned out at Barclay Park for the lighting of the town Christmas Tree. Rick Dancer, newsman for KEZI 9 television in Eugene, welcomed the crowd with a brief resume of happenings to follow in the event staged by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce. Caroline Lucas, chamber president, introduced the event as the Second Annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. She invited all to... Full story
Santa and Mrs. Claus got the run-down on dozens of children's wish lists. photo by Jim Mitchell Snow flurries changed to clear skies just in time for the Sisters Holiday Parade. Children of all ages (adults are included in this category for parades) waved and cheered friends in the parade. Thirty entrants, led by Honorary Marshal Cliff Clemens, followed the five blocks of Hood Avenue from Pine Street to Spruce Street. The parade officially crossed over to Washington Avenue and made its way back to the beginning. Most... Full story
Many locals don't want a couplet at all and there is still some disagreement as to how one should be implemented, but the Sisters City Council now has a couplet plan to review. The council got a review of a couplet at its Thursday, November 17, worskshop meeting. Matt Hastie of Cogan Owen Cogan, design consultants for the couplet plan, presented the results of eight meetings of the Couplet Advisory Committee, three ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) meetings, other ODOT input, two public meetings and innumerable... Full story
Not anymore. Now it's 1,490. photo by Jim Mitchell Sisters appears to be the second fastest growing city in Oregon. Population surveys since the 2000 census indicate that Sisters has a whopping growth rate of 55 percent. On April 1, 2000, Sisters had a population of 959. The entry signs to the city now read Population 1,080. And the accepted figure, as of July 1, 2004, is 1,490. The census count is the door-to-door count of the population conducted every 10 years. Cities, counties and states need relatively accurate numbers... Full story
A video shoot for a TAPS ad. photo by Jim Mitchell A Sisters-based activist group dedicated to reducing substance abuse among teens is getting attention from schools and cities across Oregon. Think Again ParentS (TAPS) was founded in 2002. Members developed a plan to increase parent and community awareness and to provide alternative youth activities. Now they're taking their message beyond Sisters. The Beaverton Mayor's Youth Advisory Council has asked Judy Trego (TAPS member, Director of the Community Action Team of Sisters... Full story
Cold sufferers will have to ask to get a little relief. New rules have restricted access to cold medications often used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. However, cold sufferers are only minimally inconvenienced -- so far. When Oregon Governor Kulongoski looked for a solution to the rapidly rising methamphetamine (meth) production and use problem in Oregon he asked for restrictions on the sale of products that contain pseudoephedrine -- including many over-the-counter cold remedies. Pseudoephedrine, a common ingredient... Full story
Sisters area residents and officials from local fire agencies are developing a community fire plan to help head off catastrophic wildfires around local subdivisions. photo by Marcus Kauffman With snow dusting the peaks, the threat of wildfire seems far away. Yet more than 40 Sisters area residents attended the last of four community fire plan meetings on November 16 at the Sisters Fire Hall. They received a briefing on a proposed greater Sisters community fire plan and offered their suggestions in the drafting of the plan.... Full story
The proposed development will be located at the western end of Sisters. Graphic provided by Jim Mitchell Click map for larger image. Hayden Homes of Redmond has revealed plans for development of a 40-acre, 400-unit community of mixed housing types in the northwest corner of the City of Sisters, south of the Three Wind Shopping Center. The site, known as the Village at Cold Springs, is bounded on the south by McKinney Butte Road and on the west by McKinney Ranch Road. A collector street will connect on the east with Railway... Full story
Harold O'Hara looks back to World War II. photo by Jim Mitchell Sisters veteran Harold O'Hara was a little young for World War II, but he didn't miss it. He was already in the Navy -- at the age of 15. Born July 1, 1925, in a Brooklyn, New York, hospital, O'Hara was attending Brooklyn Tech when he decided, "I wanted to go into the Navy." He wanted to be a translator and go to "The Academy." He celebrated his 16th birthday in U.S. Navy boot camp at Newport, Rhode Island. "And that," he says, "Was the beginning of it." But to... Full story
Veterans Lynn Johnston, Betsy Leighty-Johnson and Jim Newman salute the flag as students sing. photo by Jim Cornelius A large crowd filled the auditorium at Sisters High School in honor of veterans of the United States armed services on Thursday, November 11. The evening started with the high school choir and band paying tribute to those who had served and honoring those serving now, especially those in Iraq. The program has become a tradition in Sisters. This was the fifth year for this observance, created by the Sisters... Full story
Americana Project students at Sisters Middle School work on "ghost pots" in an expanded curriculum that includes folk art as well as roots music. photo by Jim Mitchell Previously devoted to exploring grassroots American music, Kit Stafford is taking the Americana Project beyond music to expose students to other aspects of Americana -- history, folklore, art, and geography. Sisters Middle School students recently created "ghost pots" as part of an expanded curriculum within the Americana Project. Local potter Ken Merrill,... Full story
Brad Boyd is finishing ahead of John Rahm to earn a seat on the Sisters City Council, along with incumbent councilors Judy Trego and Dave Elliott. As of press time, the race was still not officially over. According to the Deschutes County Clerk's office there are about 300 countywide "challenge ballots" still to be examined. These are ballots with possible conflicts that for some reason were rejected in the first ballot count. It is unknown how many of those ballots apply to the Sisters City Council race, but an accurate... Full story
Black Butte School students will enjoy their new piano for years to come. photo by Jim Mitchell Black Butte School has a new piano, thanks to a donation from a Dutch foundation with a local connection. Eight years ago Shane Lundgren and Wendela van Beuningen met on the ski slopes in Austria. Three years ago Shane and Wendela married and a year ago moved from Holland to Camp Sherman. Wendela's great-great-grandparents had 12 children. The twelfth was a girl they named Elise Mathilde. Elise Mathilde left her money in a... Full story
Toni Del Guidice works with a student. photo by Jim Mitchell Toni Del Guidice remembers sitting on the beach as a little girl, engrossed in painting with water colors. Now a Sisters resident, she has carried on with an art career that developed into a parallel calling as a teacher. Del Guidice currently works with home school kids in the Sisters area, finding an outlet for talents she has developed over years of interesting and adventurous art and teaching endeavors. She started teaching kids when in her early twenties and fe... Full story
Hayden Homes of Redmond has revealed plans for development of a 40-acre, 400-unit community of mixed housing types in the northwest corner of the City of Sisters, northwest of Three Wind Shopping Center. The site, known as Village at Cold Springs, is bounded on the south by McKinney Butte Road and on the west by McKinney Ranch Road. A street will connect on the east with Railway Street, through the adjoining Relco development, and on to Highway 20. The development plan calls for three lot sizes: estate lots, standard lots, an... Full story
Mayor Dave Elliott presents a plaque commemorating the dedication of Cliff Clemens Park to Cliff Clemens on November 2, as Sisters Kiwanis President Jeff McDonald looks on. photo by Jim Mitchell A crowd of about 75 Sisters citizens, past and present, gathered in blustery, rainy weather on Election Day to honor Sisters' most venerable citizen and to dedicate Cliff Clemens Park. Mayor Dave Elliott welcomed the group, talked about Clifton Clemens' contributions and commitment to the community, and turned the platform over to... Full story
Mark Peterson, representing a Sisters citizens group, has filed an appeal of the planning commission's approval of the application by Cache Mountain Development for a combination restaurant (McDonald's), convenience store and gas station. The written appeal states that the applicant 1) does not meet the Development Code prohibiting more than one drive-in/drive-up/drive-through facility within 400 linear feet along the same street frontage and 2) exceeds the traffic impact as dictated by Oregon Department of Transportation... Full story
In front of a packed house on Thursday, October 21, the Sisters Planning Commission approved the application by Cache Mountain Development for a new building containing a restaurant (McDonald's), a convenience market and a gas station in the Highway Commercial Zone west of town. Because of expected opposition to the project, Chairman Dave Marlowe emphasized that any failure to raise issues at this meeting would invalidate an appeal. Any appeals from this meeting will be directed to the Sisters City Council. Further appeals... Full story
Brad Boyd at his forum. photo by Jim Mitchell Brad Boyd began his pre-election forum last Wednesday by offering his vision of Sisters. "A McDonald's out on the edge of town is okay. I don't get real upset about it. But, to be honest with you, that's not my vision of Sisters." The candidate said, "My vision of Sisters is a small town that has great parks, good schools, easy for pedestrians and bicyclists to get around in, has a vibrant downtown core and that maintains it's small-town feel and minimal sprawl at either end."... Full story
Dennis Tooley repairs downed signs. photo by Jim Mitchell Dennis Tooley spent Thursday afternoon resurrecting political campaign signs at the intersection of Highway 20 and Cloverdale Road. Tooley is a member of the Deschutes County GOP Executive Committee. The damaged signs were reported by a citizen irate that the small American flag attached to the signs was now lying on the ground. Campaign signs have been lifted from both sides of the political fence. Several Sisters area residents have reported that their... Full story
Healthy Beginnings screenings help identify children's needs. photo by Jim Mitchell Once a year, Healthy Beginnings offers Sisters families free health screenings for their children. Last Thursday, October 21, 25 Sisters families had appointments to go through the screening. Holly Remer, Executive Director, said, "Deschutes County is one of the only counties that has a community screening program for children. The service is offered to families free-of-charge because of the donation of time and services by volunteers and by... Full story
Local visitors prepare to enter a sweat lodge. The event was organized by local health practitioner Sweet Medicine Nation. photo by Jim Mitchell The use of sweat lodges for purifying the body and the spirit probably dates to prehistoric times. East of Sisters, amid the scattered junipers, Sweet Medicine Nation draws up to 40 people per session to take part in the sweat lodge experience. Professional people, doctors, lay people, mothers at home, psychologists, and others are drawn to the ceremony. "I've had Buddhist monks, Cat... Full story
