News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1032
For the last four years, the popular Sisters Ride Share and Transportation (STARS) program has been meeting the needs of residents who aren't able to provide their own transportation to non-emergency medical appointments in Sisters, Bend, and Redmond. In 2018, the need for that service was identified in a community study, and STARS, powered by volunteers, was created as a grassroots initiative to fill the need. Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC), a newly formed 501(c)(3)... Full story
Within the confines of the 2.1, acres known to most locals as Camp Polk Cemetery, lie hundreds of clues regarding the history of Sisters and its inhabitants. There are no well-manicured lawns, paved walking paths, or orderly rows of gravestones. Rather, there are bird houses, horseshoes and other cowboy paraphernalia, a variety of personal memorabilia, and more than a little humor as well as sentimental pathos on display. The land the cemetery inhabits was originally part of... Full story
The Lodge in Sisters was recently the scene of smiles, excitement, and good feelings as 15 residents received an interactive animatronic dog, cat, or bird from members of the Sisters Middle School fifth-grade Sunshine Club. Romeo's Joy, headed by Sisters resident Cheryl Pellerin, is an Action Team of Age Friendly Sisters Country, and provides Sisters-area residents who are at risk of social isolation, living with dementia, and/or unable to have the companionship of a live... Full story
In the late 1970s, when Sisters' new fire chief, Tony Prior, was a boy of 8, he came to Central Oregon from his home near Philomath to hunt mule deer. He also fished for rainbow trout in the Metolius River. And now, some 40 years later, he and his wife Dianna are calling Sisters home. Chief Prior assumed his new duties as of late June, with the retirement of Chief Roger Johnson. Chief Prior moved to Alaska in 1994, married Dianna, had two children, and became an... Full story
1 Women Who Care-Sisters recently raised $8,400 for Age Friendly Sisters Country/Sisters Transportation and Ride Share, the ride share services staffed by volunteers in our community. The fundraising was conducted at the group's June 27 quarterly meeting; the checks were presented to STARS on Saturday, June 29. Members of 100 WWC-Sisters, which now numbers over 100 members, chose STARS after presentations by the three nominated nonprofits, all of which represent Sisters'... Full story
Each month, Citizens4Community facilitates a Community Builders meeting. Each meeting is hosted by a different Sisters Country organization or business and is designed to help local leaders and community volunteers connect with fellow change makers in Sisters, share current individual or organizational priorities, needs, and opportunities, discuss timely local topics and community challenges, and explore opportunities for collaboration and problem solving. All Community Builde... Full story
Eric Benedon, the Volunteer and Events Coordinator for the Sisters Trails Alliance, describes himself as a "forest person through and through." Benedon grew up in Southern California, spending time snowboarding at Big Bear, in the San Bernardino Mountains, an alpine region of pines and snow, not dissimilar to Sisters' high desert. With a degree in art history, Benedon graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver BC. While there, he worked as an assistant to t... Full story
Sisters Trail Alliance (STA) is currently recruiting high school students for the Youth Ambassador program which started last summer with three high school students and will be active again this summer. This part-time summer position is perfect for young people with a strong interest in environmental conservation, outdoor recreation, the Forest Service, or related fields. STA encourages Youth Trail Ambassadors to tailor the role according to their passions, empowering them to... Full story
Mark Clemens and Lisa Barber supposedly retired to Sisters about two years ago, but decided to turn their shared passion for wine into one of Sisters newest businesses - Friends & Vine Wine Shop and Bar at 152 E. Main Ave., Suite 2. Mark's wine expertise comes from years as a wine buyer for Whole Foods, as well as a distributor, wine instructor, and a certified sommelier. He and Lisa have their own 800 bottle wine cellar at home. "We will especially focus on small producers... Full story
Over the years, I have often said if I were to lose one of my abilities as I age, I hope it isn’t my mind. I have always really enjoyed using my mental capacity to create, write, imagine, problem solve, make connections, learn, teach, observe, and remember. My long-time school friends can’t believe I remember the first and last names of everyone in our first grade class as well as all eight of my grade school teachers. In 2019, when I slammed my head into the asphalt dur... Full story
The area surrounding Scout Lake was abuzz with girl power last Saturday as 34 girls, ages 7–14, learned and practiced fire safety and outdoor skills they need for adventuring outside. The U.S. Forest Service and SheJumps Wild Skills co-sponsored the Junior Firefighter day camp combining the skills and expertise of their organizations with mentoring provided by female members of the Forest Service (four from Sisters Ranger District) and SheJumps. According to the program's curr... Full story
Once a month, there is a gathering of Sisters residents who are known as Community Builders to share with each other news of what they, their nonprofits, businesses, startups, and interest groups are doing to add to the community spirit of Sisters. The meetings are fun to attend because there is generally good, upbeat news of projects being undertaken, changes being made, partnerships working together, and other ways in which something is being done to sustain and improve the... Full story
There was enough good news emanating from the May 15 Community Builders meeting that two articles were required, one last week (May 22) and another this week. • As president of Sisters Rotary, Bill Kelly announced the plans for the Fourth of July celebration, Sisters 4th Fest, scheduled for Village Green Park, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is being sponsored by Sisters Rotary Club, Citizens4Community, St. Charles Health System, and Next Phase Realty, with support from Run Sist... Full story
Sisters Trails Alliance has selected a new executive director. Stephanie Presley came on board as of May 6. Presley brings years of experience leading volunteer organizations and community coalitions, working with boards of directors and collaborating with local, state, and federal stakeholders on a wide range of projects and programs. "The board is delighted to welcome Stephanie as our new executive director," said STA board chair Forest Tancer. "We are fortunate to have... Full story
Margaret Helen Fine, tagged "June Bug" at an early age by her father because she never lit for very long, has been known for all her adult life as June Phillips, after marrying her husband Bill in 1944. On May 15, June will be celebrating her 100th birthday at The Lodge in Sisters, where she has resided for the past year-and-a-half. She was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, May 15, 1924, to Goldie and Luther Fine, who ran a grocery store six days a week where June worked in her youth.... Full story
The loss of a loved one is never easy, but for a child the trauma can create feelings of confusion, overwhelming sadness, loss of control, anger, guilt, and abandonment. Most children, especially the younger ones, lack the vocabulary to express what they are feeling. Since 1999, Camp Sunrise - a place for grieving children - has held a weekend camp that provides a safe, nurturing place for children ages 7-14 to gather with others who have lost a loved one and explore their... Full story
For a number of years, FivePine Lodge has received some kind of national award from Tripadvisor, but this year they hit it out of the park. They were named number three in the country for the Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title. Numbers one and two were in San Diego and New York City. The award celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel based on a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month p... Full story
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Brian Malarkey, who grew up on a ranch in Tumalo, and went on to create over 15 successful restaurant concepts in various cities, is returning to Central Oregon this spring, with his brother James, to open his latest vision, Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend. Malarkey's roots run deep in Oregon, with his father's ancestors arriving on the Oregon Trail in the 1850s. Brian grew up on the Tumalo ranch where his mom, Lesley Day, founded the...
"While most holidays celebrate something that has already happened and is worth remembering, Arbor Day represents a hope for the future. The simple act of planting a tree represents a belief that the tree will grow to provide us with clean air and water, cooling shade, habitat for wildlife, healthier communities, and endless natural beauty – all for a better tomorrow." - Arbor Day Foundation In celebration of Arbor Day 2024 on April 26, the excited voices and enthusiasm of s... Full story
This year's high school graduating seniors who live in Sisters Country are being recognized and celebrated with individual photo banners hanging on lamp posts along all of Cascade Avenue and parts of Main and Hood Avenues from April 22 through May 13. According to Citizens4Community (C4C) executive director Kellen Klein, "The Banner Project was initially launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a way to acknowledge and honor graduating students when in-person... Full story
The songs of Elton John, Rod Stewart, and John Lennon filled The Belfry on Saturday night, April 13, as more than 125 singers gathered to be entertained and to participate in Sing Your Heart Out, Sisters, a free event sponsored by Age Friendly Sisters Country (AFSC). "By bringing the community together at the end of winter, and after COVID, AFSC hoped to help reimagine what Community can look like in person," explained Mike Deal, AFSC board president. "The community-wide... Full story
If all goes according to schedule, the new 13,342 square foot headquarters building for the Sisters Ranger District will open to the public in January 2025. This according to Ian Reid, Sisters District Ranger, as he led a tour of the 12-acre construction site prior to the District annual open house last week. The new warehouse, which has three engine bays, is where the annual meeting was held. It has an area for working on equipment, a storage room for field gear, and a... Full story
In the 11 years Shannon Rackowski and her husband Joseph have lived in Sisters, Shannon has touched hundreds of lives with one, if not more, of her gifts. Looking at Rackowski, it is impossible to believe she is 70 years old. Her youthful, fit appearance belies her three near-death experiences and 13 surgeries. She is a walking (and dancing and exercising and decorating) testimonial to the benefits of regular exercise. A mother of three grown daughters and grandmother of... Full story
More than 70 Sisters women gathered last week with open hearts - and open checkbooks - to provide $7,500 to Harmony Farm Sanctuary which provides rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of abused, neglected, medically compromised, and senior farm animals. They also strive to build a kinder and more inclusive community, and advocate for a food system free from harm. 100 Women Who Care – Sisters (100WWC-Sisters) came together at the instigation of Chris Laing and Kathy Campbell, b... Full story
Nick Sundstrom's favorite client to work with is someone willing to explore and be curious about their thoughts, emotions, and history. He has worked with adults, teens, couples, and families in a number of different settings. A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), who has been in practice for 31 years, Sundstrom is now seeing clients in Sisters at 220 South Pine Street, Suite 102. He spends one-to-two days a week in an office in Redmond as well. Sundstrom says he is wired... Full story
