News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 101 - 125 of 125
The Sisters Rodeo will offer its usual drama and excitement June 13-15. Photo by Jeff Sperber Before the buckin' and ropin,' before the bulls and dogies, before the flags and banners, there's a whole passel of work to be done to get the Sisters Rodeo underway. The 63rd annual Sisters Rodeo will run this weekend, June 13-15. "We've got over 200 volunteers in our rodeo association who do all the work," said Bob "Bucky" Buckmann, head of grounds and maintenance. "We are probably the only rodeo in America that puts on a show... Full story
Smokejumper Sara Brown lands safely and right on target. Photo by Meredith McKittrick The twin-propeller driven airplane, with its red and white twin tail fins and matching body, circled 20 or 30 times. From a door two-thirds of the way back came two blue and white striped parachutes, dangling two neophyte smokejumpers practicing their craft last week near Glaze Meadow at Black Butte Ranch. The jumpers were part of six trainees from the Redmond firefighting school. Their target: a meadow about the size of a football field... Full story
It's been a couple of years since a bear was caught marauding around Black Butte Ranch, but last Thursday, June 5, one was spotted running across the highway just outside the Ranch gate. Jean Miller, wife of the late Ralph Miller, 1980s-90s basketball coach at Oregon State University, had just turned onto Highway 20 toward Sisters from the Black Butte Ranch entrance when a "medium-sized black bear ran right out in front of my car," she said. "I had to jam on the brakes to keep from hitting it. I was so shook up that I pulled... Full story
Stone masons Mel Smith and Steve Oakley laid the last few pavers at Barclay Park. Photo by Tom Chace The new downtown Barclay Park is virtually finished and will be in use this weekend for the Rodeo crowd and especially for the Saturday Rodeo Parade. "We've still got a bit of sodding to do around back near the alleyways, but everything else is done and ready to go," said Gary Frazee, City of Sisters Public Works Director. The dedication will not be until "after the Quilt Show weekend," he said. "as there's just too much else... Full story
The Texaco Service Station on Hwy. 20, at the western end of Sisters, closed indefinitely last week. Photo by Tom Chace The Texaco service station, west of town on Highway 20, operated by Pam Neves and her husband Bill Westphal, has closed. The Westphals quit the lease. "A new operator will be found as soon as the legal work has been completed," said Dudley Wolford, owner of the choice piece of property. Speculation has been running rampant for several years about a fast-food restaurant going into that location. Neil... Full story
Ownership of water has always been a critical issue in Central Oregon, as evidenced by the recent House passage of House Bill 3298. The text of HB 3298 states that the person who has title to the property described by the water right owns that right. However, the overall water question in the Deschutes Basin is not simply a matter of who owns the water rights; it is compounded by issues not addressed in the bill. "The crux of the water problem in the greater Central Oregon area has to do with a minimum flow level of water int... Full story
Kevin McCormack picks up a load in Tollgate. Photo by Tom Chace Once a week, almost every business and resident in the Sisters area hauls trash carts to the curb or street edge to rid themselves of the accumulated waste and garbage. Soon, a truck with a long arm and pincers at the end comes along and dumps the stuff into its insides. With the exception of the area within the city limits of Sisters, trash collection in this area -- and for all of Deschutes County -- is handled by H.C.D., High Country Disposal, out of Redmond.... Full story
Volunteers from Friends of Black Butte Ranch picked up litter along four miles of Highway 20 last week, doing their quarterly clearing of rubbish and trash. Preparing for work are Jim Gibbons (left), Harry and Susan Sprang and Lee Kufchak. Photo by Tom Chace "A Litter Bit Hurts" was one of the best of the public service announcements used several years ago to remind drivers and others not to throw trash from automobiles. It may have been catchy and it may have helped to reduce litter on our highways and byways. But once the... Full story
Next Monday during the Memorial Day holiday celebration, an F-15D jet airplane from the 173rd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard, stationed at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, will do a "flyover" above Sisters honoring those who have died in the service of their country. The flyover and special observance of Memorial Day will start at 11 a.m. at the Camp Polk Cemetery, according to Frank J. Jackson, commander of Post 8138 of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars. George Winterfeld, the adjutant of the Sisters Post of... Full story
He is a convicted and imprisoned embezzler and has lost his voting privileges, but Greg Brown of Sisters is still entitled to full retirement benefits -- though incarcerated at an out-of-state federal prison at Nellis Camp in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The only criteria for benefits, according to a representative from PERS (Public Employees Retirement System), is "that the person serve 20 years as a public employee and reach the age of 50." Former Sheriff Greg Brown will be 50 this summer. He served in the Sheriff's Department... Full story
The corner "garden" in front of Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill and Saloon is as changeable as the season. This month it features a horse with a "Don't Fence Me In." corral facing one way and a "John McGee boot-grave" facing the other. Photo by Tom Chace Among the wonderful things about Sisters are the downtown corner "gardens," many maintained year-long by the Sisters Garden Club. Most have living flowers and shrubs during the spring and summer months adding color and warmth to the business area. One of the most unique fronts at... Full story
Bags of pine cones await pickup after recent harvest along local highways and byways. Photo by Tom Chace Ten to 12 semi-truck loads of local pinecones are shipped from here each year to wholesale warehouses for sorting and re-shipment to floral shops and other outlets throughout the United States. Now is the heart of the harvest season. "We get 25 cents a bushel for the cones, about 10 percent of the wholesale price" said Alan Heath, special forest products manager for the Sisters Ranger Station. "We usually figure that the... Full story
Former Sheriff and Sisters resident Greg Brown reported this week to Nellis Prison in North Las Vegas to start serving his 33-month sentence for embezzling $575,000 from the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department and from the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District. Brown made restitution of 98 percent of that sum before his sentencing 45 days ago. He turned himself in this weekend and spent time in a local Oregon jail before being transported to Nellis. The warden at the minimum security male prison facility is... Full story
"Play Ball!" When those words -- awaited all winter by youngsters, coaches, umpires and fans alike -- come from the mouth of Brian Witt this Saturday morning, April 26, baseball Sisters style will be underway again. Witt is vice president of the local Little League franchise and will introduce all the local ball teams and coaches at the opening ceremonies at 10 a.m. Saturday at the two baseball diamonds behind Sisters Community Church, 15220 McKenzie Highway, one mile west of town. "The public is invited and encouraged to... Full story
John Bingham (left), recently appointed general manager of Suttle Lake Resort and Marina is shown here with Ronda Sneva, partner, and Robert Morf, newly hired chef for the lakeside restaurant. Photo by Tom Chace A double "dream-come-true" unveiled itself here this past week with the announcement that the long-awaited permit to build new lodge facilities at Suttle Lake was issued by the Forest Service. Also, the original lakefront restaurant is re-opening this weekend under new management. John Bingham has been appointed... Full story
The program credits Rosalie Van Ness as Assistant Director of "Final Reunion," the highly successful play currently running at the 2nd Street Theater in Bend. It also calls her a "domestic engineer." It was the latter that got a reporter's attention and brought about a meeting "backstage" and a subsequent telephone conversation. Van Ness (Assistant Director/Stage Manager), resident of Sisters, worked as a dramaturge on "The Lion in Winter," a previous play at this intimate theater. A dramaturge is one who knows the time perio... Full story
Sue and Marlin Ard are ready to join with two dozen others to start a restoration project in the burned out area at the western edge of Black Butte Ranch. Photo provided The Friends of Black Butte Ranch began planting trees two weeks ago, starting a reforestation project on part of the burned-out area along McAllister Road at the western edge of the Ranch. That's where the Cache Mountain fire last summer blackened thousands of acres and destroyed two homes within the Ranch. "We were able to plant about 2,000 trees covering... Full story
Black Butte Ranch began metering its water to all residents this month. A note in the most recent issue of Tollgate's Homeowners newsletter raised concerns about exceeding the subdivision's water permit. Does all this indicate the area is running out of water? Not really, according to Lynn Lounsbury, Distribution Water Manager for Tollgate. Lounsbury is also Utilities Manager at Black Butte Ranch and the Distribution Manager of the Indian Meadow Water Company and he is considered to know as much about underground water in... Full story
It isn't contagious, but whatever's flying around is "catching." Nature's own dust and pollen has brought about a double whammy to those caught up in the smoke from the controlled burning all around this area this year. Coughing and wheezing, crying and sneezing are commonplace in and around Sisters this week. We tend to forget from one year to another, but if you had it last year, you've probably got it again this year. We also forget that it is not forever but lasts only a few weeks at the most. For those with a bronchial... Full story
Members of the Sisters High School Concert Band unpack their instruments and prepare to rehearse for Sunday's joint free concert here with the Portland Youth Philharmonic. Photo by Tom Chace Justin Thomas and Caitlin Partridge of Sisters do not know Sam Aquino from Portland. Ashley Owen and Patrick Hammons, also from Sisters, do not know Lucas Sokol who lives in Hillsboro. They, along with about 100 other musicians, will get together Sunday at Sisters High School to meet each other, have a pizza supper and make beautiful... Full story
The Episcopal Church is growing... Photo by Jim Cornelius Two years in the planning. A year and a half in construction. And now, waiting. Waiting for the city sewer line running along McKinney Butte Road to be finished to permit a coalition of four property owners along "church row" to hook onto it. They call themselves, "The Trinity Way Sewer Consortium." Among those is The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, where the new 5,000-square-foot Community Hall is waiting. Others in the group are St. Edward's Catholic... Full story
Lynne Conrad, assistant librarian of the Sisters Library, re-fills the "revolving book racks," of paperback volumes which may be "checked out" and kept indefinitely, without a library card. Photo by Tom Chace A revolving book rack, literally, is in use at the Sisters Library for those who want to take one or more books out and keep them indefinitely. "This is not a particularly new service," said Sandy McDonald, assistant librarian. "But not too many people know about it. We do have four large carousels or rotary book racks... Full story
Jimmy Dean (poster), Roger and Carolyn Gabrielson, in her for-real wedding dress, welcome Lou Ann Gibbs and Bruce Gibbs aboard Gabrielson's copy 1929 roadster for a ride to the Senior Prom Night dinner-dance at Black Butte Ranch. Photo by Tom Chace We've barely gotten beyond Spring Break and already it's time for The Prom. "In The Mood" -- Glenn Miller. "Take the A Train" -- Duke Ellington. "Sentimental Journey" -- Les Brown. "Moon River" -- Henry Mancini. "Fly Me To the Moon" -- Joe Harnell. "Night and Day" -- Cole Porter.... Full story
Helen "Seth" Sether sits on one of the new log benches in front of her home. The benches were placed throughout Tollgate last week for walkers and hikers. Photo by Tom Chace An informal poll of one suggests that among the residential areas in and around Sisters, Tollgate has more walkers per 100 residents than any other. TPOA (Tollgate Property Owners Association) last week started placing log benches along Lariat, the main loop around the community, and Wagon Wheel, an extension off Lariat, also used as an emergency fire... Full story
Richard Greene and his assistant, Jayne Simmons, remove the winter locks on Richard's Produce Stand. Photo by Tom Chace With the opening of his produce stand next Monday, Richard Greene has officially proclaimed that, "Winter is over. Spring is upon us and it's time to get the fresh produce out once again." "I'm glad he's back," said one onlooker who thought the photo-op last weekend was the real thing. "I hate to go by this building and see it boarded up. You can't miss it from the highway and it looks so desolate, like... Full story
