News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 1025
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
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
A drug overdose. A suicide attempt. Patients in cardiac arrest and not breathing. Two calls in February 2023, only three days apart - and two lives saved through professional care, quick thinking, and intervention including advanced life support provided by paramedics of the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District. April 2023: Using CPR and rapid intubation, paramedics got a patient with a self-inflicted gunshot transferred to a waiting air ambulance, to be taken to the hospital. T... 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
Chief Tony Prior of Kenai, Alaska rose to the top of the candidate pool following interviews with the five semi-finalists to replace retiring fire chief Roger Johnson. Following background and reference checks, a medical physical, and successful contract negotiations, an official public announcement will be made by the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District board. In a phone conversation last week with Chief Prior, he told The Nugget, "My wife Diane and I were amazed at the... Full story
The Ski Inn Taphouse was full of community members and fire staff who gathered last Sunday evening to meet the five semi-final candidates for Sisters fire chief, one of whom will replace Chief Roger Johnson as he retires this summer. George Dunkel, who provides consulting services for Special Districts Association of Oregon, introduced each of the candidates who made brief statements. The assembled citizens and staff had almost two hours to meet, question, and listen to the... Full story
Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) volunteers Mark and Bunny Thompson, who live in Tollgate, came to Sisters in 2001, after traveling seven years over 40,000 miles on their sailboat, sailing from South America to Newfoundland. Prior to that they both worked with NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. As an engineer and Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) specialist, Bunny helped design the original space station and worked with the astronauts. Mark, also an engineer, had a second...
Amidst the quiet of winter among the pines, something exciting is building at Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman. Workers have been busy for months making upgrades and creating new spaces using very special local materials. The public will be able to see the changes to the dining room and bar as of Wednesday, March 6, with the bar opening at 4 p.m. and the dining room at 5 p.m. Reservations are encouraged. Operating days will be Wednesday through Sunday, through early November.... Full story
The long-awaited website for the Sisters’ Destination Management Organization (DMO), Explore Sisters, went live last week at www.exploresisters.com. Now being winter, the introductory photograph is of the Three Sisters mountains and a snow-covered landscape overlaid with the new Sisters logo. Plans include prioritizing the information and artwork by season to keep the website current and fresh. The headline says, “The Old West. All Grown Up.” The introductory paragraph provide... Full story
The raindrops form tidy concentric circles in the puddles they are forming on the ice-crusted snow covering my back deck this morning. The branches above are coated with a thin layer of ice. Icicles long and short hang from gutters and deck rails. The sky is leaden gray. The outside world is painted in black and white and gray, with the only relief provided by the green of the sentinel ponderosas down on the creekbank. The view out my bedroom window hasn’t changed a great d... Full story
