News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 151 - 175 of 371
If you can't keep your horse at home, the next best thing is a boarding arrangement where your equine partner gets consistent care in intimate, settled surroundings. Paul and Alison Weston, of Weston Equine Services, LLC, aim to provide just such a setting at their newly opened boarding facility. Located at the corner of Highway 126 and Holmes Road, the Weston's describe their place as "a nice, quaint boarding facility that is conveniently located." The property has undergone... Full story
A group of seven women from Gee's Bend, Alabama, were honored guests at the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, holding court outside Stitchin' Post during the day. It's a long way from the steamy waters of the Alabama River to the crisp air of Sisters, but a shared love of quilts in all their forms overcame cultural and geographic differences. The quilt show atmosphere and hospitality shown through the week made a big impression. "Y'all are the nicest people we've ever met. You act... Full story
Sending yourself to kayak school hasn't always been an option in Central Oregon. But thanks to the skills and thought processes honed in Sisters High School Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) class, two young couples are setting out to change that. Brandon Overstreet and his wife, Lindsey Warner-Overstreet, who graduated in 2002, and Alex Templar, 2003 graduate and Templar's partner, Maddie Thies, who hails from Hailey, Idaho, recently started Current Experiences... Full story
Sisters Rodeo is as notable for its variable weather as it is for the world-class competitors drawn to the large purse it offers. This year, the 69th for the venerable event, was no different. Friday night found competitors slogging through several inches of mud, after a torrential rain that stopped about five minutes before the grand entry. It may have affected performances but it didn't stop the crowd from appreciating them. Rodeo clown and barrel man JJ Harrison made sure... Full story
Ask Sisters Rodeo Queen Cassie Sanders, 22, what she likes most about her job and the answer, given without hesitation, is: "It's all about the kids." The rodeo parades and grand entries are fun, but there's just something about seeing the look on a child's face when the rodeo queen kneels down to say hello and give a hug that eclipses the rush of giving the queen's wave. When Cassie graduated from high school in Bend, she was a shy bookworm who had never ridden. Her mother... Full story
Rodeo is known for the unpredictable. Team bronc riding, formerly known as The Wild Horse Race, puts eight unbroken two-year-old horses and 24 men all together in an arena. The unpredictability factor goes sky-high with action everywhere. It's not an event most would enter on a whim, but that's just what three young men did at the 2009 Sisters Rodeo. Brothers Cody and Nicholas Koch, 25 and 22, and Stephen Martineau, 25, were sponsored by the R&B Ranch in Sisters. "We'd sit up... Full story
Sisters Elementary School students got a visit from some rodeo personalities at their end-of-year assembly last Friday morning. Barrel man and clown, JJ Harrison, helped give out prizes and taught a few rodeo-style dance moves to the students, parents and teachers present. One stoic non-participant, Carlos Guzman, the school ELL teacher, was observed in the back row. Harrison invited him up front for a private lesson, and Guzman obliged by teaching a few moves in return.... Full story
Sisters resident and rodeo volunteer Frank Getty knows the rodeo life. He took home buckles in saddle bronc riding many times during a 20-some year career that began in 1956. Born on a ranch near Lander, Wyoming, in 1934, Getty started bronc riding on a whim. There were night rodeos held in Lander, and one night he decided he wanted to give the bareback horses a try. So he did an exhibition ride that night and on other nights when there was a gap in the line-up. At a high... Full story
Sisters put the spurs to its Western image and heritage last Saturday. A Ranch Life and Rodeo Celebration centered around Sisters Art Works, while the Sisters Village Association sponsored the Sisters Western Heritage Celebration with activities around Sisters. There were hardy-looking men and women and nostalgic scenes of the West captured on canvas and in photographs. Singers sang about cowboy life and love. Displays of leather art, handmade hats, vintage and modern Western clothing and jewelry filled the meeting room at th... Full story
If slow-cooked, wood-smoked barbecue is your thing, Slick's Que Co. will tend to your hankering. Slick's has opened in downtown Sisters, at 240 E. Cascade Ave., sharing the parking lot with the Shell gas station. Slick's uses top-quality meats - Angus brisket, pork butts, turkey and sausages from Myers Sausage Company in Elgin, Texas. Pork baby back ribs are available on Friday nights. Sides of coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans are made fresh daily. Menu items, which... Full story
When ranch and rodeo life is depicted in art and poetry, it's the cowboys who are usually painted, photographed and written about. But alongside those rugged men were some pretty spunky cowgirls. "Those girls rode the broncs, twirled the ropes, did the tricks (on horseback) and never forgot they were ladies," said Sisters author Jill Charlotte Stanford. Stanford's first book, published last year and selling very well, is titled "The Cowgirls Cookbook; Recipes for Your Home on... Full story
Dyrk Godby, Western artist and singer-songwriter, is content to keep a low profile in Sisters. He's traveled the country as a rodeo competitor, done his time at art shows and sung with luminaries such as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Bob Hope. These days he contends he's happy to muck out stalls at the horse shows his wife, Kanoe Durdan, attends. Godby sings at various times throughout the day at the Sisters Ranch & Rodeo Show on May 30. He'll be at the Sisters Art Works... Full story
Colleen Shultz has a heart for people and access to a big kitchen. She's combined the two into an endeavor to bring encouragement and a great dinner to those in the Sisters community who need one or both. "It's Just Dinner" is held twice a month at Sisters Community Church. The next gathering is Monday, April 20 at 5:30 p.m. Shultz is quick to explain that while it's held at the church, it's not a church activity. This is something she's spearheaded, with help from friends, and it's at the church because they have a licensed... Full story
Elements Boutique, tucked into the back of Barclay Square, is having a grand re-opening on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. Previously, the store was located in what owner Marjorie Brown called "a closet space" on Cascade Avenue. She'd have to step outside if more than two customers came in to browse. No longer. The new space has plenty of room for the dresses, skirts, tops and trousers Brown hand selects from high-end boutiques that are going out of business. She... Full story
Judah Slavkovsky knows firsthand the security of a warm house to call home. His family moved into Sisters' first Habitat for Humanity home when he was 10, and the Slavkovskys' lives changed forever. Judah's mother, Theresa, said that the family was ready to move away from Sisters, and it was the saving grace of the house that kept them here. The family is an abiding source of encouragement and inspiration to many in the community. Judah is all grown up now, and will soon... Full story
Kim McCarrel, a former Black Butte Ranch resident, is a rider and keen explorer of horse trails and camps. She states her philosophy regarding horse activities thus: "If you've got to feed them, you might as well recreate on them." With that in mind, McCarrel wrote two books for fellow explorers. "Riding Central Oregon Horse Trails" was published in 2005 and can be found in nearly every feed and tack store in Central Oregon. Her latest endeavor, just out, is "Oregon Trails... Full story
Men travel into the wilderness for many reasons. Henry David Thoreau said in "Walden," "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Mark Macpherson and Austen Stark, both 21, also wish to live deliberately in the woods. They are embarking on a traverse of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the start near the... Full story
One of the first heralds of spring in Sisters is My Own Two Hands, the annual arts fund-raiser for the Americana Project. Billed as "a fun-filled community arts event in and for the community of Sisters," it is sponsored by the Sisters Folk Festival. This year My Own Two Hands occurs on April 17 and 18, and there's a new component to add to the fun. A community parade will take place on Hood Avenue at 4 p.m., just prior to the Art Stroll. It was suggested by artist Kimry... Full story
Dave Berray decided he liked being an available handyman so much that he quit his long-time job at Eberhard's Dairy and became One Handy Man. That was 18 months ago and he hasn't regretted the decision. An all-around-fix-it guy doesn't really have a specialty, but Berray said that lately many of his jobs have been helping clients with the transition to digital TV. He'll set up converter boxes, install new antennae and has unpacked a few new television sets. Several clients... Full story
The Sisters Urban Forestry Board is taking nominations for the 2008 Urban Forest Awards. Two awards will be given; Tree of the Year and Citizen Forester. Tree of the Year recognizes an outstanding tree within the Sisters City Limits. The Citizen Forester award honors individuals, groups or agencies who actively promote the planting and management of trees within the city by way of a community forest activity. The trees must be inside the city limits, but the person or groups responsible for the planting may reside outside... Full story
Women with a yearning for high fashion, but lacking the budget to match, can find an answer at Shop It Forward, a high-end consignment store opening this month in Sisters, in the Siesta Sunspa on Main Avenue. The store, owned by Theresa and Jeff Robertson - who also own the Hair Cache and Siesta Sunspa - is the result of client demand, said Theresa. She said customers often wished they could either find or pass on beautiful, high quality clothing. Mostly, the clothing worn by... Full story
Emerald Ranch, on Cloverdale Road, provides children with the means to learn basic horse skills, and even though several instructors have come and gone, the ranch continues to offer quality programs. Owner Don Chelew is unwavering in his commitment to safety in a fun environment and fun in a safe environment. He's been fortunate to find staff who value that. The ranch's newest instructor and manager, Jessica Yankey, 29, has a long history of working in an environment of safe... Full story
Sisters Country horsemen spent a cold and foggy Saturday morning holed up at FivePine Conference Center in Sisters, learning about effective wound care and bandaging. Two afternoon sessions at the Bend Equine clinic enabled hands-on practice of common bandaging techniques. Had the day been sunny, many participants might have been enjoying outdoor pursuits, so the dismal weather could end up being a lifesaver for some horses. Bend Equine's Continuing Education classes are in... Full story
The Sisters City Council unanimously voted to endorse the Sisters School District local option tax levy, due to go to voters on March 10. In a resolution read before the council, Mayor Lon Kellstrom stated that the city council values the Sisters schools and the achievements of the students. The resolution also acknowledged that the local option had been in place since 2001 and provides valuable operating funds financing both academic and co-curricular programs. Councilor Sharlene Weed pointed out as examples other... Full story
Sisters dog trainer and dog behavior consultant Anne Geser has taken her training skills to a new level. Geser recently became certified as a Training Partner with the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Behavior and Training, graduating with distinction. "I know people want to do (dog training) in a kinder, gentler way," said Geser. The methods she'll be teaching in her upcoming classes stress that. Geser uses force-free training, utilizing a clicker and food reward to build... Full story
