News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 76 - 100 of 102
Krista Pagano with Frankie the sheep. Local 4-H youth had an outstanding run at the Deschutes County Fair last week. "The kids have done incredibly well at the fair this year," said Pinky Pagano, mother of one of the 4-H club members. "Out of the 17 kids in this club, seven returned with their sheep into the championship round of the Market Class. "Three took first place, with four returning in second place." The competition is divided into several categories: Novice (which can be any age, as long as it is the first year of... Full story
The lengthy debate over building a cell tower in Sisters may soon be resolved, according to Ladd Wiles, a telecommunications and legal consultant working on behalf of Spectrasite, a tower locating company. After apologizing for Spectrasite's delay in responding to the City of Sisters' lease agreement on Thursday, July 26, Wiles asked for a two week extension, which the city granted. "Spectrasite is eager to get the lease signed," said Wiles, "but there are a few issues they aren't sure of yet. They have a few modifications th... Full story
Horses and kids work together at Crystal Peaks Ranch. Visit Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, located on Innes Market Rd., and ask Kim Meeder to tell you a story. And make sure your tissues are handy. "Everything at this ranch has a story," said Meeder, who owns and operates the ranch with her husband, Troy. "See those two little trees whose trunks wrap around each other? We planted them in memory of Mercy, our only rescued horse that didn't make it. She was too far gone for help, and died along with her unborn foal." Crystal Peaks... Full story
Deschutes Public Library officials hope to salvage the chance to purchase the land the Sisters Library sits on from the City of Sisters. The Sisters City Council rescinded a $175,000 sale offer at its July 19 meeting, citing lack of response from the library district. "I am very disappointed that no one from the library was asked to be at the city council meeting," said Sisters Librarian Peg Bermel. "We would have liked the opportunity to respond to the things that were said that night. "It was quite a shock to find out that... Full story
Wrapped in quilts and sporting its most pleasant summer weather, Sisters made quite an impression on the throngs of visitors to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on Saturday, July 14. "Sisters is like a little taste of Paradise," quipped Marie Hettenhouse of Walla Walla, Washington, as she admired the colorful quilts hanging outside the Garden of Eden. From Anchorage, Alaska, to Jacksonville, Florida, hard-core quilters were drawn to Sisters like bees to honey. Gayden and Leslie Nelson, from Logan, Utah, were here for their... Full story
Sisters Fire Chief Don Rowe wants the Sisters City Council to adopt a new fire safety ordinance. "Deschutes County has been developing a wildfire hazard map," Rowe told the council at its Thursday, July 12, meeting. "The county recently passed an ordinance which adopted the map. "The ordinance will change building codes to better promote fire safety, mainly specifying what roofing materials will be allowed," Rowe said. The ordinance allows for existing shake roofs to remain; it only prohibits the building of new ones. Rowe... Full story
The city will just keep it... The City of Sisters has rescinded its offer to sell the Sisters Library facility to the Deschutes Public Library System (DPLS). The offer, which had been made to the DPLS back in April, has received no response, according to Mayor Steve Wilson. "To say I'm steamed would be an understatement," Wilson said. "We've bent over backwards to be fair to DPLS, while I certainly can't say the same about the other party." This recent conflict reflects the growing tension between the City of Sisters and the... Full story
Fans of Western music can enjoy live performances this weekend at Tumbleweed Country Store, located at 200 W. Cascade Ave. in Sisters. The performances on Saturday and Sunday will coincide with on-going Centennial celebrations in Sisters. "Joni Harms will be performing on Saturday (June 21), beginning about 2 p.m., after the wagon train is finished," said store co-owner Diana Cretsinger. Harms describes her music as traditional, with a western feel. Her newest CD project, "After All," is a follow up to her highly acclaimed... Full story
He is soft-spoken and articulate. His attitude and outlook are positive. He speaks well of the community of Sisters and the treatment he's received here. His name is Christopher. He's homeless. Christopher Pastore has been here since March and finds Sisters to his liking. "I like the way this town is laid out," he said. "It is very beautiful with the mountains all around. The western look is nice, too. "It gets pretty cold at night though," he admitted. Pastore grew up on the East Coast and still has family in New Jersey. He... Full story
Kevin Carlsmith and Danielle Strannigan performed at Epicure Exchange earlier this month as part of an Americana Project showcase. The roots music education program wrapped up its first full year this week. Students, teachers, and supporters of the Americana Project gathered at Sisters High School on Friday, June 15, to eat pizza and celebrate the completion of the first year of the roots music education program. "In just two trimesters, over 35 students have learned to play, write, and perform with guitars," said Brad... Full story
The Sisters High School Jazz Band took first place in its division on its first trip to the Reno International Jazz Festival. Over 200 high school jazz bands participate in the festival, which has been held for the past 30 years. It is the biggest festival of its kind in the United States and is sponsored by the University of Nevada Reno in conjunction with their Jazz Study program. Of the eight high school divisions represented, Sisters High is in the smallest division, based on enrollment. There were 18 other bands represen... Full story
Lisa and Avonlea Jacobson. The Sparrow Club will host a dinner on May 16 at the high school cafetorium. The purpose of the dinner is to raise money for the medical care of Avonlea Jacobson (see related story, page 4). "We've been working on this for months now, and it's finally come together," said freshman Kyle Crawford. The Sparrow Club meets weekly under the direction of vice-principal Bob McCauley to help with Avonlea's rising medical bills. "It's going to be a really nice chicken dinner," said sophomore Jessie Kinney,... Full story
For just $10 a person on Friday, April 20, 140 folks from Sisters ate a delicious soup dinner, received a hand-crafted ceramic bowl and enjoyed first class entertainment. And they added around $3,000 to the Family Access Network's emergency fund. As patrons arrived, they each had the opportunity to choose their bowls. One hundred and forty bowls of different sizes, shapes, and colors had been created specifically for this event, many by local potters such as Mitch Deaderick and Cheryl Guggenheim. Others had been crafted by... Full story
After earning second place at the Capital Conference Band Festival for the last four years, the SHS Concert Band outdid themselves on Wednesday, April 11, and took first place. The annual event was staged in Mollala this year, where each of the seven Capital Conference bands performed their best work. The bands played before a panel of three state-certified adjudicators. This year's judges were university band directors from Portland State University, the University of Portland, and Willamette University. Each judge... Full story
The second annual Empty Bowls Soup Dinner fund-raiser will be on Friday, April 20, at 6 p.m. held at the Sisters High School cafetorium. While the local event was the idea of art teacher Mike Baynes, the concept actually came from an international project to fight hunger launched by art teachers in Michigan. The school wanted to use the proceeds locally, however, so Empty Bowls hooked up with the Family Access Network (FAN). At last year's event, $1,575 was raised for distribution to local families in need. "Empty Bowls is... Full story
Students from Stanford came to Sisters to work on the next Habitat for Humanity home. Sisters' latest Habitat for Humanity home is going up at a fast pace -- thanks in part to some help from California. A group of Stanford University students headed north over spring break to take part in a "Collegiate Challenge" effort for the charitable organization. "This group of students from Stanford is coming in even harder than previous groups," commented construction supervisor, Kristin Gibeau. "They set goals for each day, and... Full story
Kim Carnes, one of the first artists to perform for the Starry Nights concert series, dazzled her audience yet again last Saturday night. The accomplished singer/songwriter returned for a fourth time to raise money for Sisters schools. "We've known Dan and Jeri Fouts for years," explained Carnes, her trademark raspy voice surprisingly absent during conversation. "I'd done benefits for Jeri for 10 or 12 years in Santa Fe New Mexico, so we were excited when she asked us to come to Sisters." Kim Carnes' first show in Sisters... Full story
Sitka students atop the Habitat House One of them had never driven a nail before. Another really liked the idea of getting out of Alaska for spring break. All seven young ladies visiting Sisters from Sitka, Alaska, agreed on one thing: working with Habitat for Humanity is a great way to provide community service and learn new skills. The five high school students with their two college-age leaders arrived in Sisters on Sunday, March 18. They started work on the two-story, three-bedroom duplex on Monday. "They are all... Full story
"Blood is definitely flowing around the gym," said junior Joel Meyer, as his peers sat with tubes in their arms. Meyer is part of the student leadership team that hosted the Red Cross Blood drive at the high school last week. The gymnasium had been temporarily converted into a medical unit with every station occupied by blood donors. "Our goal is to raise 55 pints of blood," said Meyer, "so we tried to recruit about 80 people." "We've had 77 sign up so far," added Brittany Burnside, another student organizer of the event,... Full story
In between the Grammy awards and a gig at the White House, award-winning country performer Lee Ann Womack brightened the Starry Nights Concert Series on Saturday evening, February 24. Casually dressed in a red sweater and black skirt, the petite Womack related to her audience as if they were guests in her own house, inviting them into her heart and her music. At one point in the show, Womack's two-year-old daughter toddled on to the stage and was swept up into her mother's arms as she finished her rendition of Willie... Full story
Over 150 student leaders from eight schools around the state met at Sisters High School earlier this month to sharpen their leadership skills. The all-day assembly was sponsored by the OASC --the Oregon Association of Student Councils -- a non-profit group that is dedicated to providing leadership training for both students and advisors. "Students have come from as far away as Lakeview," said Nancy Moen, OASC Program Director. "And we have a mix of both middle school and high school students here today." For their winter... Full story
Grace and Homer "Willy" Williamston were married September 8, 1984. They'd both lost their previous mates to cancer. In fact, Grace had provided hospice care for Willy's first wife during the final days of her life. From the very beginning of their relationship, Grace and Willy had known they were soulmates. The couple enjoyed traveling together, and to celebrate Valentine's Day back in 1987, Grace and Willy relaxed at the coast for a few days. The morning of Valentine's Day, Grace got up and dressed, ready to go out for a sp... Full story
Grace and Homer "Willy" Williamston were married September 8, 1984. They'd both lost their previous mates to cancer. In fact, Grace had provided hospice care for Willy's first wife during the final days of her life. From the very beginning of their relationship, Grace and Willy had known they were soulmates. The couple enjoyed traveling together, and to celebrate Valentine's Day back in 1987, Grace and Willy relaxed at the coast for a few days. The morning of zValentine's Day, Grace got up and dressed, ready to go out for a... Full story
On the afternoon of December 28, Karen Relei received the news that would turn her world upside down: The house she'd been renting at 246 W. Jefferson in Sisters had just gone up in flames, destroying virtually all of her family's earthly possessions. "I'd spent most of that day at the Redmond airport, waiting for my two daughters to arrive," said Karen. "Fog had forced their plane to land in Portland and they were being shuttled to Redmond." Sixteen-year-old Amber and her seven-year-old sister, Dominique were returning from... Full story
While Sisters High School students work on their birdhouses and hat racks during their wood shop class, Colin Hedren tackles a community-minded project: he's building benches for Central Oregon kindergartens. "Dennis Dempsey, who is the Educational Service District superintendent, called me and asked if my class could build three small benches for kindergartens in Deschutes County," said Bob Martin, who teaches wood shop and construction at Sisters High School. "He showed me photos of what he had in mind, and I knew I had... Full story
