News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 102
Ernest Hemingway congratulates Lou Jennings on his catch. Seventy-five years ago, Warner Brothers produced a film that would make motion picture history. "The Jazz Singer," made in 1927, was the first feature-length Hollywood "talkie" film in which spoken dialogue was used as part of the dramatic action. Lou Jennings was the man behind the camera who captured it all on film. "My dad started out as a stunt man in the movie industry," said Pat Farr, the younger of Lou Jenning's two daughters. Both women currently live in Sister... Full story
Aubrey Pepperling jumps for heart health. Sisters Elementary school gymnasium was filled with the thunder of little feet on Thursday, February 14, as more than 200 students participated in Jump Rope for Heart, sponsored by the American Heart Association. The educational fund-raiser is held each year in thousands of elementary schools across the nation. Jump Rope for Heart raises funds for medical research and for programs such as HeartPower! that help prevent heart disease and stroke. It also teaches students the benefits of... Full story
Last fall, 13 local artists began to transform unplayable guitars into works of art. Few guidelines were given for the "Painted Strings" project, which will benefit the Sisters Folk Festival's Americana Project. Each artist chose his or her own medium and theme The finished products reflect the uniqueness and creativity of the individual artists. Jeff Wester, proprietor of Ponderosa Forge, was surprised when he was asked to take part in the project. Wester is not a painter -- he is a forger of iron. But he accepted the... Full story
A sold-out crowd filled Sisters High School cafetorium on Saturday, February 16, for the showpiece of this year's Sisters Starry Nights Concert Series. Comedian Dana Daniels tickled the audience's funny bone with Luigi the Psychic Parrot's magic tricks. But the real magic started when Vince Gill, Amy Grant, and Leslie Satcher appeared on stage. The names don't get any bigger and the music careers any brighter than Vince and Amy's. Gill has been honored with 14 Grammy Awards, more than any other country artist. His record... Full story
Sisters students made art from old guitars. Using guitars as their canvasses, students at Sisters high school have designed and created 11 unique pieces of art. The students' guitars, along with another 13 painted by local artists, will be auctioned off on Saturday, March 9, to raise funds for the ongoing Americana Project. The guitar art will also be featured at local businesses during the Painted Strings Art Stroll on March 1. "The Painted Strings project has been a lot of fun," said Mike Baynes, who teaches art at the... Full story
Amanda Kessel, left, and Laura Leis accept the award for Best Film for their film, "Killer Wail" at the Second Annual Outlaw Film Festival. Movie fans arrived at Sisters High School last Saturday night to find the place transformed. A red carpet, bordered by multicolored lights, was rolled out along the sidewalk. Inside the foyer, tickets to the Second Annual Outlaw Film Festival could be purchased at a box office, created and assembled by SHS students. "There's a lot more to it this year," said the event's creator, senior Pa... Full story
Allan Godsiff shearing Jumping Bean, a Suffolk ewe owned by PJ Gates. Allan Godsiff was born and raised on the South Island of New Zealand, where the sheep easily outnumber the human inhabitants. His father was a sheep and cattle farmer, and Allan was drawn to the art of shearing from his boyhood. "I would watch the shearers when they came each year to shear our sheep," said Godsiff. "It seemed a decent, if hard, way to earn a living." When Godsiff turned 17, he got a job as a learner-shearer and gradually mastered all the... Full story
Jean and Fergy Ferguson. On February 14, 1942, Jean and Fergy Ferguson gazed into each other's eyes and said, "I do." Sixty years later, their vows remain unbroken and their love steadfast. "We are best friends, buddies, and sweethearts," said Jean, as she reflected on their years together. Jean was born in Kansas where her daddy farmed wheat. After several crop failures during the Dust Bowl, the family moved to Payette, Idaho, to make a living. Jean was in high school when she first met the man she was to marry. Jean is... Full story
Paul Head (right) founded the Outlaw Film Festival. Matt Igoe (left) was one of last year's honorees. As the Golden Globes and Oscar nominees are announced, Sisters is gearing up for its own salute to film in the second annual Outlaw Film Festival. "Last year's festival was good," said Sisters High School senior Paul Head, creator of the Outlaw Film Festival, "but this year's event will be even better." The Outlaw Film Festival will take place on Saturday, February 9, at Sisters High School. At 1 p.m., the public is invited... Full story
Sisters students are manufacturing flags. The Sisters Alternative School (now called the Sisters Education Workplace) is "an ever-changing beast," according to director Dan Saraceno. The alternative school began the same year the high school opened its doors. Initially, the alternative school, then called Flex, offered high school credit classes taught in a less-structured environment. Saraceno joined the program full-time in 1999 and immediately began to implement his vision of providing job training for the students. When... Full story
Students presented quilts to the St. Charles NICU staff. On December 19, students from the Sisters Educational Work Place (formerly known as Sisters Alternative school) presented 30 unique, hand-made quilts to the neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) of St. Charles hospital. It was a memorable moment for students, hospital staff, and parents of the tiny babies who will draw warmth and comfort from the miniature quilts. Dr. Allen Merritt, director of the NICU, thanked the students for their offering of love. "I really apprecia... Full story
Adam Hillis and Nathan Harpham presented Dana Massopust with a guitar at an Americana Project/U-Turn Lounge event. It wasn't even December yet, the traditional month of gift-giving. But on November 29, the spirit of good will and generosity prevailed in a musical gathering in Sisters. Youth pastor Paul Stone and Americana Project director Brad Tisdel worked together to host an open mike night at Epicure Exchange. The event, sponsored by U-Turn Lounge, was offered to provide a constructive alternative activity for students... Full story
The ever-popular Sisters Act is now taking applications for performances for the 2002 show. The theme of next year's talent show is Sisters Act Celebrates America. "We are looking for acts that celebrate America, both past and present," said Sisters Act coordinator, Theresa Slavkovsky. "It doesn't necessarily have to be patriotic. We have a committee that previews all acts to make sure they are family appropriate." The show doesn't go on until March 9, but it is so popular that performing slots book up early. Sisters Act got... Full story
Volunteers show off their nattily dressed dolls. Each Christmas for the past eight years, Bob and Lorena Bliven turn their modest home into Bob and Lorena's Toyshop. Their efforts have brightened the holidays for needy children all over Central Oregon. From Teddy Bears to handmade doll quilts, the couple gathers -- or makes -- toys to be distributed to children in our area. From the Warm Springs Indian Reservation to Christmas Valley, the toys are distributed by Fire Departments, Kiwanis Clubs, and other organizations. "Since... Full story
Captain Steven Henderson spoke at Sisters' Veterans Day observances. The Third Annual Veterans Day Celebration kicked off at Sisters High school last Thursday with "The Star Spangled Banner" and ended with "God Bless America." The hour-and-a-half long assembly brought laughter, tears, and applause as veterans were honored for their sacrifice and service. "In these times of pain, we look to you as an example," said senior Lindsey Warner as she welcomed the veterans in the auditorium. Band teacher Jody Henderson then led the... Full story
John Turner and his wife sat in the second row of folding chairs in the cafetorium, waiting for the November 8 Veterans Day Celebration to begin. "I was just a kid of 18 when I joined the air force. I saw it as a great adventure for me," said Turner, his eyes twinkling at the memory of his youthful enthusiasm. "But all that changed after two or three flights over Germany..." Turner enlisted with the Army Air Corps during World War Two, stayed with the Army after the war and served there for twenty-five more years. He deeply... Full story
Black Butte resident Paula Reents has found a way to pursue her interest in helping children through The Boys and Girls Aid Society of Oregon. The organization has been in existence since the days of the Oregon Trail. Established in 1885, the organization looked for suitable homes for orphaned children. While the agency has widened its scope of services, offering programs such as crisis intervention and pregnancy prevention, it still functions mainly as a child welfare agency. Reents has been working with The Boys and Girls... Full story
Former P.O.W. David Carey speaks to Sisters students. On August 31, 1967, Dave Carey's fighter plane was shot down over a rice paddy in Viet Nam. The 24-year-old Captain in the United States Air Force spent the next six years in prison. On October 26, 2001, Carey spoke to the students and staff at Sisters High School, sharing his fascinating story and offering practical advice on surviving tough times. "It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in a high school auditorium listening to an old guy like me," Carey told... Full story
Now that's a field trip. Sisters High School students traverse a glacial wilderness. Sisters students headed for the hills earlier this month for a unique educational experience in a magnificent outdoor classroom. The trek into the Three Sisters Wilderness was part of the Sisters High School I.E.E. (Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition) program. This program, under the tutelage of Rob Phelps, Samra Spear, Glen Herron, and Rand Runco, was created to integrate several different subjects into an exciting learning... Full story
Middle schoolers enjoyed their annual retreat. The Sisters Middle School Eighth Grade Retreat has evolved into an educational experience that enriches the lives of both campers and counselors. "The retreat was fantastic this year," said retreat coordinator Tricia Biesman. The program has been running for five years. This year's retreat was held at the Suttle Lake Methodist Camp. From September 19-21, 82 eighth graders, eight adults, and 14 high school counselors took to the woods to learn about themselves and the environment.... Full story
Peggy Dorsett (right), Christopher Dorsett, and neighbor Cody Knowles enjoy Dorsett's new home. It has been a long and often arduous journey, but Peggy Dorsett has finally found herself a home. In September, Dorsett and her 11 year-old son, Christopher, moved into the newest Habitat dwelling, located at the corner of Cedar and Ash Streets. "I love it! This place is just incredible," said Dorsett, referring to her new two story, three bedroom townhouse. "I still can't believe it's mine and I don't have to move again." Since... Full story
David Jacobs-Strain Sisters High School auditorium reverbrated with the haunting tones of slide guitar and the anguished cries of the Delta blues on Thursday, September 6, as 18-year-old David Jacobs-Strain launched this year's Americana Project. During an assembly that kicked off the program's second year, he delighted his listeners with his soulful voice and skillful picking. "I didn't think high school kids liked country blues these days," commented Jacobs-Strain after his first song elicited enthusiastic applause. "I... Full story
Sisters High School junior Kristin Lamoreaux experienced Nashville from an insider's perspective this summer. Not only did she tour the city with Nashville songwriters Tim and Angela Lauer, she spent several hours recording songs with Tim in his studio. "I got to know Tim and Angela when I worked with them at one of the Starry Nights concerts last winter," said Lamoreaux, who dazzled the crowd with her own performance during Leann Womack's concert. "We really hit it off and Tim encouraged me to come and visit them in... Full story
Bill Mintiens has made a remarkable recovery from a serious horse accident. Bill Mintiens, who was seriously injured in a horse accident on June 17, is well on the road to recovery. "I got a face-lift for Father's Day," said Mintiens, referring to the nine-hour long surgery he underwent after being kicked in the face by his horse. Mintiens received his injuries while trying to restrain his horse, Tonto. Six-year-old Mackenzie Ehr was sitting in the saddle when the animal bolted, and Mintiens instinctively held tight to the... Full story
Kyle Rickards shows his prize pig. Even though it was the first year for most of the students to raise and show pigs, the newly-formed 4H pig club, Porky in the Pines, made an impressive start at the Deschutes County Fair earlier this month. "The kids were great," said their 4-H leader, Julie Rickards. "They were so supportive of each other and worked so hard. They did really well for their first year." Although Rickards had no previous pig experience, she decided to become a 4-H leader because there were no pig clubs in... Full story
