News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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The Sisters High School equestrian team rode home triumphant from the recent OHSET state meet, held May 13-17 at Central Point. The drill team is state champion, and freshman Bobbi Jo Rosauer brought home a silver medal in dressage. Ten of the 14 team members qualified for the state competition, which drill coach Ann Gates counted as "phenomenal." Head coach Beth Jacobsen said, "We've had a really good year. I'm so proud of all our team." The drill team certainly had a Cinderella story, according to Jacobsen and Gates. At... Full story
Sisters Country has its share of famous residents. There are sports people, artists, writers and entrepreneurs who choose Sisters to practice, or retire from, their professions. The latest celebrity - complete with his own Facebook fan page - is Porter. Now, Porter isn't your usual famous personage, but he does have an entourage to prepare his food, make his bed and ensure he turns up on time to appointments looking spiffy. And while Porter is not yet at the top of his game,... Full story
The Sisters High School equestrian team finished the regular season on a high note, with ten riders heading to the state meet. Central Point is the venue for that meet, which takes place May 13-16. Sisters is part of the Central District, made up of 14 schools in a district stretching from Hood River in the north to Lakeview in the south, Pendleton in the east and Sisters in the west. The schools are classed mini (1-3 riders), small (4-7 riders), medium (8-13 riders) and... Full story
Running an animal rescue is a balancing act, a tightrope of meeting the animals' needs and fiscal security. Doing so in a time of national recession magnifies the challenges. Equine Outreach Inc. is Central Oregon's largest horse rescue organization, and the cold spring is stretching resources. Joan Steelhammer, founder of the non-profit, says their most critical need at present is for hay, with cash for vet bills running a close second. "We feed three-quarters of a ton of hay each day," she said. That's 25-30 bales daily,... Full story
Cars aren't the only things slowing down when the 35 mph speed-limit sign appears on the road into Camp Sherman. Visitors and residents alike begin to feel the serenity of this beloved area soon after they turn off Highway 20. Those headed to Lake Creek Lodge continue the wind-down as they pull into the parking area adjacent to the main lodge. The staff at the resort are happy to encourage that sort of attitude as they show guests to their accommodations and conduct tours of... Full story
Sisters photographer David Uttley recently returned from five weeks in Haiti, where he worked with Christian relief agency Samaritan's Purse, documenting the work being done in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake. His assignment, originally planned as a one-week stint with the agency, stretched into the entire five weeks. He worked to show the plight of ordinary Haitians, to capture the emotion, heartache and resiliency of people who live in the poorest and arguably... Full story
The equestrian sport of three-day-eventing has a healthy following in Central Oregon, and one Sisters barn came away with champion riders at the recent United States Eventing Association Area 7 awards banquet. (Area 7 covers Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.) Karen O'Neal, owner and instructor at O'Neal Farms, was one of the champions, bringing home top honors in Open Preliminary. She also picked up the Northwest Rider of the Year award, and her horse, True... Full story
Getting teens to read for pleasure can be a challenge. Thankfully, young adult/teen fiction is a burgeoning field, and the Sisters Library is poised to capture readers' attention with a new teen services librarian and a fresh round of youth programs. Mercedes Hubbard, 34, has been working the past six months as the librarian in charge of the young adult section. She divides her time between Sisters and Redmond, spending time in Sisters on Tuesdays and Fridays. Her work is... Full story
When natural disasters strike, compassionate adventurers are the first to make ready to assist. Sometimes though, the situation strikes a chord that runs deeper than compassion. Such was the case for Sisters resident David Uttley, who was on a plane making his way to the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, the morning after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the city. Uttley was raised in Haiti, the son of missionary parents. He lived there until age 14, one of four siblings and,... Full story
Sisters residents can be part of a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) endeavor, thanks to Rainshadow Organics at the Lawrence Family Farm, located between Sisters and Terrebonne. The farm sits at the corner of Holmes Road and Lower Bridge Way. Sarahlee Lawrence, 27, is the enthusiastic force behind Rainshadow Organics. She and her parents, Chris and David Lawrence, produced hay on the property for many years, and Chris plants a garden each year. Sarahlee is... Full story
Scoots Bar and Grill has new owners. It'll be a family affair, with Jim and Sharon Ramsey, their daughter Julia, and Sharon's brother, Jack Rhodes, taking over from previous owner, Dave Lentz. There won't be any noticeable changes to start with; the famous Scoots Burger still tops the menu, live music, regular DJs and karaoke will provide entertainment, and the atmosphere is staying friendly and small-town. Current staff members are all staying on, so regulars will still see... Full story
Jean VanGeest, 54, is ready to fight poverty with passion, as an AmeriCorps-VISTA volunteer working with Sisters Habitat for Humanity. She works as the resource development manager; her main task is to deepen the well of resources available to the chapter. Those resources are defined as in-kind donations, cash and volunteers. Using the graphic design skills gained at the Art Institute of Seattle, VanGeest is set to redesign the Web site for Sisters Habitat and create printed... Full story
It's not too late to saddle up and join the Sisters High School equestrian team, according to advisor and head coach, Heather Wester. The team held its first meeting last week, but won't start mounted practices until December 1. Team members don't actually have to have a horse; Wester is making positions available for non-mounted members. They will have a support role, essential in any team sport. This year Wester is implementing more business-type meetings. "They'll include fundraising, planning, team bonding and goal... Full story
Sisters art lovers are soon to have another gallery to browse through when Blue Skies Gallery opens. Located in an upper suite at the Sisters Town Square on Cascade Avenue, the gallery features a blend of landscape art and photography. Owner Shawnice Betsinger is inspired by the work of four Oregon artists. Curtis Phillips and Taylor Blackwell are painters from Portland who specialize in landscapes. Jim Smith, from Bend, is a landscape photographer and Ben Bailey, from... Full story
It's an elegant equestrian moment when the tempo of a horse's hoofbeats matches the music he's being ridden to and the fluid movements of the horse mirror the transitions within the music. The magic of freestyle dressage is in being there when those moments occur. Sisters dressage trainer Koby Robson experienced this recently with Piloto Do Top, a Lusitano stallion owned by Stan and Linda Stenstadvold. The pair won the Region 6 Championship in 4th Level Freestyle and the NW Dr... Full story
Intarsia with wood is described by local artist Marvin Benson as woodworking that doesn't involve making birdhouses or furniture. Instead, intarsia artists create pictures with wood, often using exotic hardwoods with unusual colors and grain patterns. Benson is an accomplished intarsia artist who loves teaching others about this uncommon art form. He branched out this year to start an intarsia 4-H club, the Sisters Sawdusters, and the club is working at capacity with eight... Full story
Sisters Charter Academy of Fine Arts (SCAFA) is starting the new school year with a new curriculum and focus in the K-2 classroom. The two teachers, Michael Connolly, 27, and Nicole Brewer, 25, are set to team-teach using a method coined "whole-child philosophy." This is an integrated approach to education that emphasizes the importance of early learning through first-hand experience and collaboration between the children. The teacher facilitates that collaboration, allowing... Full story
Sage Meadow Herbs, which produces pure organic herbal formulas for horses and dogs, is owned by herbalist Louie Bartlett and her husband. The supplements address a host of health issues for equines and canines, including joint care, skin and coat, pain relief and digestive balance. Bartlett comes to her trade by genetics and experience rather than formal training. Her mother was an herbalist, and Bartlett learned from her and has applied that knowledge to her own horses and... Full story
We all know we should eat our greens, right? But let's face it, good dietary intentions all too easily end up on the compost pile of life. What if there was a palatable way to consume volumes of green leafys that didn't involve a major change of lifestyle? Sisters acupuncturist and healer, Greg Wieland, is an advocate of the green smoothie, a blended drink of raw green leafy vegetables and fruit, with herbs and spices such as ginger root added. There is science behind all this whirring of blenders and Vita-Mix machines,... Full story
The annual Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration Country Fair and Art Show went off without a hitch under clear, calm skies on Saturday. A constant stream of visitors ambled through the church parking lot where the booths were set up. Strains of old-time music wafted through the air all around the event. The youngsters were kept happy with a bubble blowing pool, face painting, a bouncy castle and the petting zoo. A cake walk welcomed participants of all ages, including a... Full story
First-year 4-H member Lindsay Soliz, 14, came home from the Deschutes County Fair with more than a passel of ribbons. She was the recipient of a Ralph McNulty Production Animal Scholarship, an award that puts her $800 closer to finding an ideal registered heifer. The scholarship, based on the applicant's 4-H record book and an interview, consists of $600 from the Ralph McNulty Scholarship, and $200 from a group called "Ralph's Angels," a group of donors. Terry Burgess, of... Full story
Deschutes County Fair is a busy week for many Sisters families. For some, it's the big week of the year. Jodi Ford is the leader of Hog Wash, a 4-H swine club with members scattered over a wide area. "We have members in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Crooked River Ranch," she said. "This is definitely the highlight of our year." The long established club uses pigs to teach young people discipline, responsibility and animal care. Ford was particularly pleased with the swine... Full story
While many in Sisters Country were aiming to keep cool over the weekend, members of the High Lakes Pony Club were taking aim at shooting targets with an air pistol. They also swam lengths in the Sisters Athletic Club pool, ran around the cross-country course at O'Neal Farms and rode their horses around a course of jumps in the indoor arena there. Thirteen members were participating in a unique Pony Club activity called tetrathlon. It's a junior version of modern pentathalon,... Full story
Sisters High School senior Jeff Wilder, 17, has a long history with Boy Scouts of America. A Tiger Cub at age six, he's held leadership positions through the years, including Senior Patrol Leader and Troop Guide. Wilder recently reached the pinnacle of Boy Scout achievement, that of Eagle Scout, and the Sisters community will reap the benefits for many years. Wilder's Eagle Service Project involved design and placement of 22 directional and mileage post signs on the Peterson... Full story
The Lariat Ranch Ecological Services goats are back in Sisters Country. A herd of 30 of the weed-eaters recently worked part of the Sun Ranch Business Park on the corner of Barclay Drive and Camp Polk Road. A portion of the area was mowed mechanically; the goats worked adjacent to that. In stark contrast, the mowed area is recovering, its load of weeds returning to plague land managers while the goat-grazed area is clear of vegetation, with the soil worked up and ready for res... Full story
