News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 201 - 225 of 1025
The initial six board members for the Explore Sisters destination management organization were announced at last week’s June 22 Sisters City Council meeting. All voting members of the board must either live in the City of Sisters or be affiliated with a business or organization located within Sisters. The board will be made up of the executive director, two members-at-large, who may be, but need not be, tourism industry representatives, a minimum of three tourist i... Full story
The weather on the first day of summer, June 21, was perfect for the Community Celebration sponsored by Citizens4Community (C4C) and the City of Sisters at Creekside Park. After a very soggy spring, the sun was out, there was no wind, and the temperature was just right. A popular spot in the sun where people gathered offered an assortment of cookies, slices of juicy watermelon, and fresh lemonade. Over in the shade were tables with materials and project information from the... Full story
Sisters will soon have a new organization in charge of tourism. The Sisters City Council voted last week to approve the organizational documents (articles of incorporation and bylaws) for Explore Sisters, a new destination management organization (DMO), that will strive to balance community needs with fostering the evolution of the local tourism economy. Sisters is often referred to as the gateway to Central Oregon. However, Sisters is no longer a place to just stop for gas... Full story
Josie Newport, who became the new executive director of Citizens4Community (C4C) as of May 4, wants to assure that all sectors of the community will avail themselves of the platform provided by C4C. Newport views the role of C4C as being to “provide the platform for the community to discuss interesting and important topics. I enjoy working with all personalities and weaving conversations together.” “Josie is a real people person, with lots of energy. She is great at conne... Full story
Two of the properties on this year’s Quilts in the Garden Tour are located in Sage Meadow, next door to each other. Both have beautiful unobstructed views from house and backyard, of cattle grazing in the bucolic Indian Ford Meadow, with Mount Jefferson standing in the distance. When Marti Ayers and Al Scheidigger bought their home on 1.6 acres nine years ago, there was a fence between their yard and the neighbors, so they created an opening in the fence to be more n... Full story
After a two-year absence due to COVID-19, the 25th Annual Quilts in the Garden Tour, sponsored by the Sisters Garden Club, will be held on the Thursday of Quilt Show Week, July 7, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year’s theme is “Living with Pollinators.” Tickets are available locally at The Gallimaufry and online at www.sistersgardenclub.com for $20. For the first time ever, due to the popularity of the tour, the number of tickets available is limited and must be purchased ahead of ti... Full story
The city of Sisters currently has enough water rights for the next 20 years, according to Public Works Director Paul Bertagna in his report to the joint workshop of the City Council and the Planning Commission on June 15. Sisters’ water supply is 100 percent groundwater from wells drilled in 1975, 1992, 2007, and 2021. Well No. 4 was drilled ahead of schedule because of the water rights gifted to the City by Dorro Sokol’s daughter, Cris Converse. The pump in well No. 4 sit... Full story
Some serious decisions are ahead for Sisters’ volunteer city councilors and planning commissioners. At last week’s joint meeting of the City Council and Planning Commission, members of City staff and consultants from APG-MIG provided the latest draft reports on “efficiency measures” and housing plan updates. These projects attempt to address continuing growth in Sisters, as well as the need to meet state-mandated planning requirements. The consultants and staff were looking... Full story
On Tuesday, June 21, the summer solstice, residents of Sisters Country are invited by Citizens4Community (C4C) to a Community Celebration from 4 to 6 p.m. at Creekside Park. The community is invited to help celebrate the progress in Sisters Country through the hard work and focus of fellow community members. The City and the Vision Implementation Team (VIT) will be sharing the progress made on a variety of local projects. Over the last several years, a great deal of work has... Full story
The Whychus Creek watershed has undergone an amazing amount of restoration and stream improvement over more than a decade. The riparian areas have been improved and replanted. Old dams and barriers have been removed to encourage fish passage. More water runs in the creek year-round. Millions of dollars have gone into these projects. Local citizens and visitors are enjoying these improvements. However, there have been recent incidences of dumped trash, graffiti, and vandalism... Full story
The rubber is meeting the road, literally, here in Sisters. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced last week that Sisters has been selected to receive $5 million from the “Enhance” portion of the 2024-27 Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP), to build a roundabout at Highway 20 and Locust Street. Projects in this category are aimed at improving safety and reducing congestion on some of Oregon’s busiest roadways. Highway 20 at North Locust Stree... Full story
After a winter of low snowpack and rainfall, with dire warnings regarding continuing drought and high wildfire risk, Mother Nature has let loose a lot of moisture of late. But she just might be toying with us. For making yearly comparisons, the water year begins on October 1. Sisters is located in the Upper Deschutes and Crooked River basins. On June 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Services issued their Oregon Basin Outlook Report, the... Full story
Despite above-normal precipitation levels and below-normal temperatures in April, state climatology experts predict it will be warmer and drier than normal in the coming summer months. Snowpack and reservoir levels are currently below average for this time of year, and ongoing drought conditions are affecting both the local community and natural resources. With that prediction, the City of Sisters is encouraging community members to conserve water and reduce water waste. The... Full story
A pickleball round robin tournament is scheduled for Saturday, June 18, as a way of saying thank you to the Sisters Country Pickleball Club (SCPC) members for all their support with the club’s mission to spread the joy of pickleball in the Sisters community through clinics, tournaments, and providing places to play. Two tournaments are being offered for two different levels of players. Levels 2.4 – 3.4 will play from 9-11 a.m. and levels 3.5 – 4.5 will play 11 a... Full story
The history of the Sisters Rodeo – The Biggest Little Show in the World – provides a window into the history of Sisters. From an informal bucking contest on wild horses held in 1910 on Fir and Adams Streets at the old baseball diamond, to the multiday event beginning with an evening of bull riding, three full rodeo performances, a Saturday morning parade, and a Sunday morning Buckaroo Breakfast, the Sisters Rodeo has been enthusiastically supported by the town and... Full story
Some folks in Sisters have gotten upset recently at fees charged to local organizations for public facilities used during events. Such an occurrence happened last week when a citizen posted on social media that the City of Sisters was “robbing the veterans” by charging them a fee for use of the Village Green Park for the annual Memorial Day observance. Earl Schroeder, the senior vice commander of the Sisters VFW Post 8138, was the person who dealt directly with the City regard... Full story
The glaciers located in the Three Sisters area of the Cascade Range have become a physical statement on our current climate, according to Anders Eskil Carlson, PhD, president of the Oregon Glaciers Institute in Corvallis. Carlson was one of the presenters during the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council’s Whychus Watershed Speaker Series this winter. His presentation dealt with the pending deglaciation of the Whychus Creek drainage, a subject of great importance to those who l... Full story
At City Hall, staff is busy working on a number of projects involving creating, streamlining, or updating master plans, memorandums of understanding, municipal codes, and development codes, all designed to help the City function more smoothly and in line with changing times. Code Compliance Municipal Code updates are currently underway now that Code Compliance Officer (CCO) Jacob Smith has joined the City staff. He is busy drafting amendments to the Municipal Code related to... Full story
The Urban Forestry Board (UFB) had to make some tough decisions at their May 9 meeting regarding removal of a number of large trees located on City property. A portion of East Cascade Avenue, east of the elementary school, will soon have a different look due to the removal of ponderosa pine trees on the north side of the street. Those trees have been over-pruned due to the Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) power lines that run right through them, creating a fire hazard if... Full story
People are concerned that the recent rapid growth occurring in Sisters might change the character of our town. The current population is about 3,286. Portland State University projects that by 2041 there could be 6,700 within the city limits. How do we provide for that kind of increase while maintaining the quality of life and ambiance for which Sisters is known? Those were questions the community wrestled with Thursday night as residents packed the Sisters Fire Hall... Full story
The Three Sisters Historical Society is celebrating National Historic Preservation Month this May with three tours of Camp Polk Meadow and the Camp Polk Cemetery in collaboration with the Deschutes Land Trust, which manages the Meadow. The three tours are each limited to 10 people, and reservations may be made by calling Historical Society president Jan Hodgers, who will be leading the tours, at 541-788-0274. On the day of the tour, meet at the Deschutes Land Trust kiosk... Full story
In preparation for the warm weather and tourist and special event season, two of Sisters’ finest took part in a day-long bicycle training held at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sisters substation. Deputies Mike Hudson and Josh Westfall, along with officers from Bend, Sunriver, and Black Butte Ranch, spent the morning weaving around cones in the parking lot, riding through the forest on multi-use dirt trails, and on paved and graveled roads. The afternoon was spent wor... Full story
It is no secret that housing in Sisters is at a premium as more people have discovered the pleasures of living in a small mountain town with beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, four distinct seasons, and friendly residents. Sisters Country has been discovered. The big question that keeps surfacing is how we accommodate growth while keeping Sisters — well, Sisters — the place we were drawn to in the first place. Thursday evening, May 12, doors will open at the... Full story
“My goal is basically to die out here,” a man living in the forest outside Sisters told David Fox, the new Deschutes County case manager working with people who are experiencing houselessness in Sisters and La Pine, the first time they met. Because of Fox’s continuing efforts to engage the man in conversation, eventually establishing a relationship with him, they are now working together on hopes and goals for the future. They meet once a week in Fox’s office in the Deschut... Full story
On a hill above the lush Camp Polk Meadow, where Whychus Creek has been restored to its original meander, is the historic Camp Polk Cemetery, final resting place for many of Sisters’ early residents and some more recent citizens. On Sunday, May 14, at 2 p.m., Jan Hodgers, president of the Three Sisters Historical Society and Museum, will lead a guided tour through the cemetery in celebration of National Historical Preservation Month, which occurs every May. The tour will e... Full story
