News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 481 - 505 of 1025
Owners Ed and Kathi Beacham moved to Sisters and opened their business in 1978 and have been here ever since. Together they have created a world of precision, beauty, and whimsy that is overseen by their 23-pound ginger cat Buddy, who accompanies them to work every day. Buddy can be found lounging in his fleece cat bed, waiting to greet his “groupies” who come in specifically to visit him. As one of Sisters’ landmarks, the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce named the clock... Full story
Chamber Executive Director Judy Trego announced the Chamber is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. What began as the Sisters Organization of Businesses (SOBs), with meetings held at a local bar, has grown into one of the largest institutional organizations in Sisters with 280 members representing 1,500 employees. A volunteer nine-member board of directors oversees the Chamber activities. The Business of the Year award went to Beacham’s Clock Company, and Citizen of t... Full story
Residents of Sisters Country can rightfully take pride in the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District that their tax dollars support. The numbers in the 2018 Annual Report paint the picture of a well-run, professional, financially stable community asset, meeting the various fire prevention services and protection needs of the community, as well as playing a major role as a community healthcare provider. Fire Chief Roger Johnson can often be seen at any number of... Full story
Last week’s public meeting on the next two years for Sisters Park & Recreation District was modest in size (12 people), but rich with insightful, thoughtful input from those in attendance. “It is exciting to see community members taking the time to share with us their thoughts and opinions on how Sisters Park & Recreation District can continue to positively impact Sisters Country. There were so many insightful comments made at the public input session that will help us as we... Full story
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office motto is “Proudly Serving Our Community,” and the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District puts the residents of the district at the top of their organization chart. Both agencies are charged with providing for the public safety of the communities they serve with police and fire protection as well as medical response and transport. In earlier times, Sisters had its own police department with a chief and patrol officers with... Full story
Many newer residents, and even some old-timers, may not know much about what the Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) does, how it is funded, and where it came from. SPRD is a special taxing district funded primarily by property taxes and program fees. Their service area spans the city of Sisters and surrounding Sisters Country. Their mission is to provide Sisters Country with exceptional, highly valued, community-focused park, recreational, and cultural enrichment experi... Full story
Growing up in the southwest hills of Portland, in an area that used to be the country, I was a child of nature. Animals, flower and vegetable gardens, and the “Hundred Acre Wood” behind our house provided hours of outdoor adventure to engage my vivid imagination. We were never without cats and dogs, and I even raised a baby raccoon to his full adult size. Once I mastered riding a bike, I rode for miles on two-lane roads with little traffic. I also spent many happy days wit... Full story
St. Charles Health System recently provided a big boost to Sisters Cold Weather Shelter with a $5,000 donation to help support the shelter’s mission of providing a safe, warm place for unhoused people in Sisters to get out of the winter weather. The shelter was originally scheduled to open December 1, but due to the recent cold temperatures and the forecast for snow, the shelter opened on Monday, November 25, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Doors open at 6 p.m. e... Full story
The Belfry was full of laughter, good feelings, and singing last Friday night as about 200 community members gathered for “Let’s Sing, Sisters!” The free event featured the Low Bar Chorale band from Portland and their dynamic director, Ben Landsverk, who fully engaged the assembled crowd in renditions of pop hits like “Hey Jude,” “Shadow,” and “Maggie May.” The crowd contained every age and stage, from school-aged kids and their parents, to the whole range of middle-agers,... Full story
A complete application for a Master Planned Development (MP#19-01) has been received by the City from Threewind Partners regarding property located behind and beside Bi-Mart, between McKinney Butte Road and West Hood Avenue. The development, on 7.48 acres, will include approximately 50 multi-family units, 28,000 square feet of commercial area, and supporting site infrastructure. The application has been forwarded to appropriate agencies for their review: City Public Works,... Full story
•?Due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, there won’t be Sisters City Council meetings on the fourth Wednesday of November and December. The only Council meeting left in 2019 will be Wednesday, December 11. There will be an Urban Renewal meeting at the conclusion of the regular Council meeting. The tentative URA agenda item is continued discussion around updating the Urban Renewal Plan first adopted in 2003, including the project list, duration of plan, and p... Full story
The City of Sisters is putting forth its first opportunity to access grant/loan funds to eligible agencies and private developers to aid in the construction of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income residents. In addition to providing $300,000 of City funds to aid in the construction of the Ponderosa Heights apartments on Brooks Camp Road, the City established its affordable housing program to help ease the shortage of affordable housing within the city. Funds for... Full story
Several programs are available for lower-income homebuyers in Sisters. With the median home price here hovering around $450,000, opportunities have been very limited for those in the lower income brackets to even consider purchasing a home. First Story, the nonprofit organization associated with Hayden Homes, will be building homes next year in McKenzie Village Meadow that are meant for those with lower/modest incomes. The application will be made available by the end of... Full story
Earth’s climate has changed in the past, and it will continue to change in the future. Some of these changes occurred slowly over long periods of time, but other changes happened over relatively short periods of time with catastrophic consequences. What can these periods of catastrophic change tell us about current climate changes and about the ability of Earth systems to adapt? “Climate Change: A Geologic Perspective” will be the topic when Dr. Daniele McKay speaks at The B... Full story
Bob and Claudia Grooney were enjoying a quiet afternoon at home last Saturday, November 9, when about 15 people trooped into their house with a special gift. The 90-year-old Grooney is healing from a leg fracture that occurred in September. The Heartwarmers, who make cut-and-tie fleece blankets to be given to those who may need a little comfort and support, received a donation of fleece from the Assistance League of Bend. Among a variety of patterns was some red, white, and... Full story
When you hear the term “healthcare” what comes to mind? Does the term mean services provided by doctors and dentists, medical response by the fire department, air ambulance service, hospitals, urgent care, mobile medical vans, mental-health services, substance abuse treatment, support groups, or perhaps some other service or provider? For the group that gathered in Sisters last week to discuss improving local healthcare options, the concept grew over the course of three hou... Full story
Do you belt out songs in the shower, your car, or out on the trail? Or do you never sing because your fourth-grade teacher said you couldn’t carry a tune? Maybe you are a very experienced singer and/or musician looking for other voices. Whatever label you have put on yourself, remove it and come to The Belfry on Friday night, November 22, to join in a community sing, where your voice will join with others to create beautiful spirited music. Eight local organizations have c... Full story
As the long winter nights set in, it is time again for the popular Fireside Stories Evenings sponsored by Three Sisters Historical Society, beginning Wednesday, November 20, with the return of award-winning Western author and storyteller Rick Steber. Thanks to a community grant from the City of Sisters, and the support of their membership, TSHS will host four Fireside Stories Evenings at the FivePine Conference Center over the next five months, bringing to town four popular... Full story
George Sproat’s family invited the community to come to Takoda’s last Friday night to celebrate his 90th birthday with a surprise party. It was standing room only as young and old alike gathered to offer Sproat warm birthday wishes. As Sproat was escorted into the restaurant by his daughter Tana, to be greeted with applause, smiles, and strains of “Happy Birthday,” he turned to Tana, saying, “I told you I didn’t want a party.” But a party he had, complete with birthday cake... Full story
Local up-and-comer Laird Superfood received an Award of Excellence in Economic Development at the annual convention of the Oregon Economic Development Association (ODEA) in Salem, October 27. Paul Hodge, CEO and president of Laird, accepted the award. “It is great to be recognized for the money and hard work invested in establishing Laird here in Sisters,” Hodge acknowledged. “Our goal is to create jobs that will help balance the economy of Sisters.” The annual awards recogni... Full story
Salem came to Sisters last week with a visit from Representatives Cheri Helt and Jack Zika who came to see two Habitat for Humanity projects, Village Meadows South and ClearPine. The legislators were accompanied by Margaret Salazar, director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), Kenny LaPoint, assistant director of OHCS Public Affairs, Shannon Vilhauer, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Oregon, and Nicole Stoenner, legislative and community coordinator.... Full story
Over a hundred local citizens gathered last Thursday evening for a panel presentation and group discussion about the significance of the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The moderator for the eve... Full story
Sunday, December 1 marks the beginning of the fourth year the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter will open its doors to those members of the community who find themselves without stable housing during the winter months. This year four local churches are sharing their facilities to provide temporary housing each evening during December, January, and February: •?December 1-15 Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. •?December 16-January 12 Sisters Community Church, The... Full story
The expanding national popularity of pickleball has created a 650 percent increase in the number of players over the last six years, according to the USA Pickleball Association. Currently that number stands at 3.1 million and is growing rapidly year-over-year. The game of pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong. It is played on a court the size of a badminton court, with a low net similar to tennis. The paddle looks like an oversized ping pong paddle... Full story
Traffic is the biggest public safety concern of local residents, and they’re willing to pay more to enhance local law enforcement services. That’s according to results of a survey conducted last summer by the City of Sisters. City Manager Cory Misley recently released an executive summary, in which he presented the compilation of the results of a public safety survey conducted in August and September 2019. The intent of the survey was to reach residents and bus... Full story
