News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 371
Jeff Minke, a 2006 Sisters High School graduate, is creating a new normal for his life. He lives with Crohn's Disease, an incurable inflammatory disease affecting the intestines and colon. Since being diagnosed in 2002, Jeff has had multiple surgeries resulting in the loss of portions of his intestines. Undaunted, he set off for university last fall, majoring in business at Linfield College in McMinnville. In February, however, Jeff ended up in the hospital yet again and... Full story
Sisters resident Anne Geser is one of two people suing SilverLite Trailers of Springfield for $37,000. The suit says that a horse was able to kick its way out of a defective trailer, falling into Portland rush-hour traffic and breaking both front legs. (See The Nugget, September 12, 2006.) Geser is the owner of the three-horse SilverLite trailer, which she no longer uses. On the morning of September 8, 2006, Geser's trailer was being used to transport three horses to a horse show in Washington. According to the complaint... Full story
Mimi Ausland, 11, has a heart for a cause and a head for entrepreneurial thinking. Her cause is feeding the dogs at the Humane Society of Central Oregon (HSOC) shelter. Her thought: creating a Web site where visitors answer a dog trivia question. Each time the question is answered, 10 pieces of dog kibble are redirected into those pooch's food bowls. At the end of each month, Mimi takes a tally and delivers the kibble to the shelter. As of April 20, over 115,000 pieces of kibble from www.freekibble.com had been earmarked.... Full story
The wind howled, snowflakes flew intermittently, but the hardy folks who attended the Small Farmers Journal Horsedrawn Auction & Swap Meet last weekend walked around the Sisters Rodeo grounds with smiling faces. Many of these folks face the weather daily as they work their farms and ranches and welcomed a chance to make some pleasant conversation in the midst of their discomfort. This year marked the 30th anniversary of the event, and SFJ publisher Lynn Miller was cautiously... Full story
The Sisters High School equestrian team wrapped up the district competition at the third meet held April 10-12, at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center. The team ran second to rival Redmond, but several members will be representing Sisters at the state meet, also held at the Fair and Expo Center, on May 15-18. Equestrian team is technically a club sport at the school, with practices beginning in the depths of winter and continuing into the heat of late spring. The school doesn't officially recognize the team, though the... Full story
The 30th Annual Small Farmers Journal Horsedrawn Auction & Swap Meet will be in full swing at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds this weekend, April 18-20. This is the place to be if you want horsedrawn farm machinery, a carriage, harness, a horse to put in the harness and pull the carriage or simply a bit of yard art. Founded by Small Farmers Journal publisher Lynn Miller, the auction is reminiscent of an old-time country market day. People walk around with bidder's numbers peeking ou... Full story
Sisters Olive and Nut Company's new owners, Mitch and Julie Mansfield, had a list of criteria when they looked for a business to buy: It had to be in a small town with good quality of life. They wanted to live close to work, and they wanted to be able to run the business together. Their three daughters, age six, four and three, needed to be able to spend time with them at work. Sisters Olive and Nut Co. beckoned and caught their attention. Within a few months, the Mansfields... Full story
David Uttley of Sisters found a way to combine an artistic touch with his camera and his compassion for the people in drought-stricken Uganda. He traveled to Africa last July as the unofficial photographer of a short-term mission trip from Sisters Community Church. When he wasn't wielding a hammer on a construction project, he was taking photographs of the people, the vibrancy and the despair that is Africa. The collection of photographs is now in a book titled "Thirst."... Full story
The Sisters High School equestrian team started the season in fine form. At the first district meet held February 22-24, at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center, the team was leading in the large school division going into the third day. The meet ended with Redmond High School squeaking into the winning spot by one point. Points for the three district meets are cumulative over the season, so Sisters is by no means out of the picture. Competitors in the performance classes carried the flag for Sisters. Courtney Acarregui... Full story
High Lakes Pony Club, based in Sisters, is racing to a great start with 31 members in its first year. Yvette Chandler, the area district commissioner, is certain this is one of the largest clubs in the U.S. The members range in age from five to 17 years old, with most in the 10- to 14-year-old bracket. "We felt there was a need, but I had no idea we would have so many kids interested," said Chandler. "We're so pleased to be able to offer such a great program." Pony Club's... Full story
Sisters High School equestrian team members will soon see if months of practice in freezing weather has a payoff. The first Central District meet is taking place February 22-24, at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center in Redmond. The 19 members of the Sisters team are competing in the large team category. There are 14 schools in the Central District which covers a large geographic area from The Dalles/Wahtonka in the north, Pendleton to the east and Lakeview to the south. All Central Oregon high schools except Madras are... Full story
Kellie Landers is no stranger to dog grooming, and her latest endeavor is a sudsy step up for Sisters dogs. Landers recently moved her business -formerly Grooming by Kellie -to the Sisters Industrial Park and renamed it Groomingdales. The space is in a large building with concrete floors and includes self-serve dog washing. Customers are welcome to bring their dogs in any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and use the washing area. Landers supplies... Full story
Sending a son or daughter off to life in the military puts a parent in a conflicting emotional quandary of pride and fear, especially during a war when "active duty" truly is a time of action. Your correspondent's son is a sergeant in an Army unit, and he doesn't want his name or where he is stationed printed - for security reasons. That's scary. When he is deployed twice a year, his parents don't know what day he'll go, where he is or when he'll be back. Fear lurks at the edge of our minds. But we know that other military pa... Full story
Ten equestrians from Sisters area training barns made a splash in the Area VII eventing region this year. The year-end awards dinner held in January revealed three champions, four reserve champions, two third- and one fourth-place getters. An administrative glitch prevented another rider from claiming her fifth-place award. Area VII consists of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska, which translates to a lot of traveling for serious competitors. Riders compete at an average of six to eight events during a season that... Full story
If getting organized is one of those things on the "to-do" list, La Cresa Scherrer is ready to help. The Cloverdale resident recently started Creatively Organized, a business Scherrer says is an extension of a natural talent. "I was the kid with the clean side of the bedroom," she said. She's been helping family and friends with organizational ordeals for years and has a genuine interest in helping others find balance and order in their personal spaces. Scherrer is offering a... Full story
Daisy the chicken is one lucky hen. She's discovered that survival at the bottom of the pecking order is possible when someone looks out for you. In Daisy's case, that someone was her 11-year-old owner Hannah Sharp and the caring members of Hannah's family. Hannah's parents, Greg and Becky Sharp, bought a dozen chicks to raise so the family can enjoy fresh eggs and the children, Hannah and Samuel, nine, would have animals to care for. Becky had grown up on a farm where meat ch... Full story
Sisters' reputation as a focal point for fiber arts has expanded yet again with the opening of Desert Charm. The store is co-owned by sisters Bobbi and Tami Merritt and carries locally produced wool, alpaca and llama fiber for spinning, weaving or felting. Imported fibers are also available, including Australian Merino wool, camel, silk, cotton, bamboo and hemp. Bobbi owns a "spinners flock" of sheep, comprised of Border Leicester and California Red ewes. Tami is a jewelry... Full story
Tucked away in a corner of Sisters shopping area just off Cascade Avenue is a wonderland of winter woolies, very luxurious woolies. Alpaca by Design is a small shop that carries only garments made of alpaca fiber. Owner Steve Segal is a former alpaca breeder, a designer and weaver who knows his products. Nearly all are sourced from South America, where the alpaca industry has been established for hundreds of years. The garments in Segal's store aren't like the South American... Full story
Sisters barrel racer Shorty Hurtley brought home a buckle and a fancy halter from the finals at the Cantastic Summer Barrel Racing Series. She wears the buckle with pride; her horse, Diggen Diamond or Diggens, as she fondly calls him, won't have anything to do with his halter. It's a lovely leather creation with a cowhide noseband. The words "Cantastic 2007" are burned into the hide, and Hurtley figures the smell of the burned hide spooks Diggens. So for now, the halter hangs... Full story
Young Central Oregon equestrians interested in English riding disciplines will shortly have a new option to explore. The High Desert U.S. Pony Club is set to begin in Sisters on September 13 with an information and sign-up meeting. The get together is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at O'Neal Farms, on Perit Huntington Road in Sisters. Potential members and their parents can meet each other and the club instructors at the meeting, and questions such as "Just what is Pony Club?" will get... Full story
The stables at Black Butte Ranch were extra busy last Saturday and Sunday, June 16-17, when 17 SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation) kids arrived for horse camp. Amid the happy chaos that happens when trail rides are getting organized, the kids learned how to groom, saddle and control their mounts. The horse camp was a family affair for the Herman family, who own Equine Management, the concessionaire at the stables. Parents David and Sandra and a few close... Full story
The Small Farmer's Journal Horsedrawn Auction and Swap Meet, held April 20-22 at the rodeo grounds, fits right in with the rest of Sisters signature events.It puts its own quirky twist on the elements of those events. It can't exactly be called artsy, but there is plenty of art to be seen and purchased. The paintings tend to have work horses and mules as their subjects, but the appeal is obvious. Yard art abounds at many of the swap meet vendor booths. Many of the carriages an... Full story
It is fitting that the signature consignment in this year's Small Farmer's Journal Horsedrawn Auction and Swap Meet is an antique circus cage wagon. When the auction is in full swing, it feels somewhat like a circus event, with action happening in several areas at once. Now in its 29th year, the auction, to be held this weekend April 20-22 at Sisters Rodeo Grounds, is the highlight of the year for the Small Farmer's Journal. Founded by Lynn Miller of Sisters, the Journal... Full story
Lovers of the fiber arts whose inner wool gatherers are ar4h bnm longing for expression have an outlet in Sisters at Baabaabara's Wild and Wooly. The store, located on South Oak Street, stocks: hand-spun fiber from sheep, alpaca and angora rabbit; mohair, silk and cotton; rovings (fiber ready to spin); and a variety of knitted and felted goods. Consignment sales are offered, as long as the products are produced from hand-spun fiber. Owners Pam Moss and Barbara Peters chose... Full story
The Sisters High School equestrian team is back in the saddle with a solid group of 25 riders. Of those, 12 are new to the team, and together the riders represent a diverse range of skill and experience. The equestrian team season runs through the spring with three district meets and a state meet. In a fortunate turn of events for Central Oregon teams, each district meet as well as the state meet are being held this year at the Deschutes Fair and Expo Center. Equestrian team... Full story
