News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 102
Students at work in the Americana Project Songwriting Academy. The Americana Song Academy hosted a week-long songwriting retreat at Camp Caldera in the week leading up to the Sisters Folk Festival. Based on the response of the registrants, the newest Americana Project offering will likely become a regular feature of the festival. "It's hard to put into words," said songwriter/musician Emily Kurns, who came from Santa Rosa, CA, to attend the Academy. "It was very inspiring to just spend a couple of days devoted to... Full story
It was the musicians who kept feet stomping and hands clapping at the Sisters Folk Festival, but there was a small army of folks working behind the scenes to bring it all together. "It's amazing that just seven people get the job done," said Renee Perin, one of the seven members of the Sisters Folk Festival Board. A devoted fan of folk music, Perin has been a loyal festival attendee. When she learned several years ago that help was needed behind the scenes, Perin volunteered her services. "I started out just coordinating... Full story
"Long Claw" (Ronn Wilson) offered insight into the lives of Northwest Coastal Indians. Sisters' first Western and Native American Arts Festival offered a vivid glimpse of western pioneer and Native American cultures. "We want to showcase the best of both worlds," said Jan Nichols, event coordinator for the Sisters Area Chamber Of Commerce, which sponsored the event. "We have cowboy music, tribal dances, Native American flutists, and even mounted bandits. We've tried to offer a venue for vendors to display their western and... Full story
Working in Brazil is like pulling teeth... Sisters dentist Dr. Mark Francis and a team of 25 American doctors, dentists, nurses and support personnel flew to Belem, the port city of the Amazon River basin, last July. They joined 27 Brazilian doctors, dentists, missionaries and support staff on a mission to bring medical and dental care to the remote regions of Brazil. Francis and his co-workers spent the next six days floating down the Amazon River on two specially designed hospital boats, each outfitted with an infirmary,... Full story
Debra Pearson and her cover. Country Woman, a lifestyle magazine with a readership spread throughout the U.S. and Canada, recently featured Sisters area resident, Debra Pearson, on its cover. The periodical also ran a story highlighting Pearson's pine needle basketry and her instructional video. Pearson, who moved to the Sisters area in the 1980s, says she "fell in love" with the pine needle baskets she saw in several galleries around town. "They were really expensive," Pearson said. "So I bought a how-to book and taught... Full story
Mark Kershner. Local recording artist Mark Kershner describes himself as versatile. He started singing in high school and toured with a rock band in the '80s. He even has his own MTV video. The six CDs Kershner has recorded also reflect his versatility -- from lullabies (recorded with the help of his children, Lauren and Trenton), to country, to the big band sound, he's crooned his way through a wide variety of musical styles. His latest project, "The Girl From Ipanema," leans more towards jazz and began as a musical tribute... Full story
Sam Davis, center, installs a rail on his Eagle Scout fencing project in Sisters. Sam Davis, a junior at Sisters High School, will achieve the rank of Eagle Scout this summer. He recently completed a community service project that made his promotion possible. "You have to do a service project to become an Eagle Scout," said Davis. "And you need to put 100 hours into the project -- the planning, organizing, and then doing it." Davis selected his project with the help of the Sisters City Council. "I went to City Hall and... Full story
Slater Dixon and his prize ride. Slater Dixon has been a fan of the television game show "The Price is Right" since his childhood. Last fall, the 19-year-old Dixon became a contestant on the program -- and walked away with the grand prize: a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. "I go to Chapman University in Orange County," Dixon said. "Last fall, a group of 25 of my friends -- known as the 'Mathletes,' went to Burbank Studios to watch The Price Is Right. Everyone in the audience has the chance to be a contestant and everyone was intervi... Full story
Diane Campbell and Dick Sandvik launched Paulina Springs Book Company 10 years ago. Dick Sandvik and Diane Campbell, owners of Paulina Springs Book Company, invited the public to come celebrate their 10 years of business in Sisters last Sunday evening, May 26. "They add so much to this community," said Carolyn Gabrielson, who has shopped at Paulina Springs for the past four years. "They give us author talks, book recommendations, and entertainment!" Susan Tank, who has worked at Paulina Springs for the past nine-and-a-half... Full story
Lori and Mark Francis. This summer, Sisters dentist Dr. Mark Francis will forsake the comforts of home and brave the wilds of the Amazon region. His two-week long trip will not be some exotic vacation, but rather a labor of love. Francis will be providing dental care -- mostly in the form of extractions -- to native people living along the vast river. "I heard about this opportunity about six months ago," said Francis. "There is a church in Montana that has been sponsoring medical/dental missions trips for a project called... Full story
Carl Perry operates Trail's End BBQ with his wife Avril and daughter Amanda. Sisters folks with a hankering for good barbecue can get their fill with Trail's End BBQ Co. "Our specialty is Memphis-style pulled pork," said Carl Perry, who launched his portable barbecue business last year. According to Perry, the secret to pulled pork is to cook a pork shoulder for about 16 hours, after rubbing it down with his special blend of ingredients (all top secret, of course). Then it is shredded and mixed with one of his original... Full story
When Winnie Givot paints, she pours her heart into her creations. And she hopes that the 24 paintings she intends to present to Congress next week will communicate her heart's desire to the men and women who govern the nation. "I want the paintings to speak to the congressmen and women," said Givot, who leaves this Friday to drive to Washington D.C. "I want their hearts to be touched, to be inspired to search deeper and reach higher. Most of us miss out on living life at a deeper level." Givot offered a special showing of... Full story
Kathryn Godsiff looking at a silent auction item. The third annual Empty Bowls fund-raiser on Friday, April 19, helped replenish the Family Access Network (FAN) emergency fund. The event raised almost $4,000 for FAN, which spent $5,000 over the past three months to help families in need. "Oregon has the highest unemployment rate in the country," said Theresa Slavkovsky, the director of FAN. "Since September 11, there have been a lot more layoffs, a lot more need in this community. "The FAN emergency fund is used to help... Full story
Laurent Vermeulen was born and raised in Belgium. As a small child, he watched gypsy caravans come and go and quickly became captivated by their nomadic lifestyle. He recently followed a gypsy's path to Sisters for the Small Farmer's Journal auction at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds. In 1996, Laurent began to build a gypsy wagon of his own. Vermeulen's custom-made wagon was greatly superior to the gypsy wagons he'd seen in his youth--his only weighed 3,550 pounds, had hydraulic brakes and good insulation. He even installed a small... Full story
Sisters kids attended Life 101 to get set for life beyond high school. Sisters' Life 101 isn't a typical youth retreat. Participants learn about basic car care... and what to look for in a mate. They put together a meal from scratch... and discover the very different ways that men and women communicate. It's not sponsored by the school or any particular church. This life-skills enhancing weekend evolved three years ago from a basic parental concern: Do my kids have all the skills necessary to survive life after high school?... Full story
In modern American culture, computer chips rule and technology reigns. But there is a growing sub-culture of folks who reject the fast-paced rush of modern ways and choose the model of simpler days. This movement is world-wide and represents people from every walk of life. This past week, several thousand of these folk convened in Sisters for the Small Farmer's Journal Draft Horse Auction and Swap Meet. Lynn Miller, founder of the SFJ and organizer of the auction, was pleased with this year's event. "We don't know if we made... Full story
The Threads of Life Quilt was unveiled in Sisters last week. Tears flowed freely as the fourth Threads of Life Quilt was unveiled at The Stitchin' Post Friday night, April 12. The 57 hand-crafted squares represented precious lives, some who donated organs, others who were recipients of the life-giving gifts. Sisters was the third stop of six on the quilt's tour of Oregon. Recipients and donor's families traveled all the way from Washington and Idaho to view the quilt they helped create. "Our goal is to help educate... Full story
Author Ellie Waterston worked with Sisters Middle School students. Sisters students are exploring the arts and the great outdoors in the new Discovery Year-Round program. Discovery Year-Round is a pilot program launched by Camp Caldera at Sisters Middle School. The program's ultimate goal is to help the students discover themselves, according to Kit Stafford, Central Oregon Project coordinator for Caldera. "The aim of Caldera Discovery is to have kids be excited about arts and self-expression," said Stafford. "We want to help... Full story
Jeff Sims of the Sisters Ranger District discusses trails with a visitor to a CATS trails forum. Sisters community members "hiked" around the Sisters High School cafetorium last Wednesday night, munching on trail mix as they followed trails to various workstations where they learned about efforts to develop a trail network for Sisters. The event was designed to further the exchange of ideas and information between the proponents of the Sisters Trail system and the community. "It went very well," said Jerry Norquist, who... Full story
Organizers are looking for donations for the 2002 SHS Graduation All-Night Celebration. The event is organized and chaperoned by parents of juniors and seniors at the high school. This "safe and sane" celebration is made possible by donations made by generous supporters and parents. "We need donations of merchandise, services, gift certificates, or cash," said organizing committee member Pattie Little. "Ray's Food Place, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Eberhards have been generous donors in the past, providing us with food for the... Full story
After two glorious weeks of freedom and sunshine, the students at both Sisters Elementary School and Middle School were ready to hit the books again. For the most part, anyway. "I thought break was too short," said fifth grader Benny Urquhart. "We did a lot of fun stuff, like go to the skate park in Redmond. We watched 'Ice Age' twice." Urquhart's second grade brother, Seth, disagreed. "I liked going back to school," he said. "They built a new Wall Ball court and I got to play today. And we didn't have any homework." "As far... Full story
Saylor and Luella are celebrating 72 years together. On March 5, Sisters residents Saylor and Luella Ennis celebrated 72 years of marriage. Radio personality Paul Harvey joined in the celebration by announcing the couple's anniversary to millions of listeners across the country on his daily radio program. And now, for the "rest of the story" . . . While Sy and Lou missed the broadcast, they knew who'd tipped off Harvey. "Our oldest son is responsible for this," said Sy. "He'd called Paul Harvey a long time ago and given him... Full story
Clifton in his younger days. Sisters resident Clifton Clemens celebrated his birthday with a little help from his friends last Wednesday. Clemens turned 96 on March 6. "There were about 15 of us at Ray's Wednesday morning," said Clemens. "Someone in the bakery had made a nice cake for me and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday'." Later that day, Clemens dined with friends at Coyote Creek Café, where yet another cake was presented to him. "They brought out a cake with two number candles on it -- a 9 and a 6," said Clemens. "I... Full story
Hikers, bikers, riders and walkers trooped to the Sisters Athletic Club on Wednesday, February 27, to learn about a proposed trail network system in Sisters. The Community Action Team of Sisters (CATS) hosted an open house at the club to exchange ideas with community members about developing a trail system. "We were only expecting about 50 people," said Jerry Norquist, who facilitated the event. (Norquist is the chairman of the CATS Outreach committee). "At last count, 89 people showed up," he said. "We were happy with how... Full story
Jeremy Hansen concentrates on fly-tying. With the winter holidays behind them, and spring break still several weeks away, most students are dealing with the mid-winter blues. At Sisters Middle School this past week, however, kids got to learn about subjects they were actually excited about. Textbooks were temporarily shelved and imaginations refueled by a plethora of creative subjects: Fly-tying, snow-shoeing, quilting, and drumming were just a few of the classes the students could choose from. Most of the classes were a half... Full story
