News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
SALEM (AP) — Oregon public land officials have announced visiting and recreational activity costs are expected to increase while new permit systems limit access to large regions of backcountry. The new fees and permits to hike, boat, fish and visit lands target low-paying groups to combat overcrowding amid a statewide population increase, The Statesman Journal reported Tuesday. Anyone operating a non-motorized boat over 10 feet long in any boatable waterway must purchase a waterway access permit or be fined about $115... Full story
The City of Sisters and the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office are in the midst of negotiating a new contract for law enforcement. With the steady growth of Sisters’ population over the last decade, combined with ever-increasing tourism, crime can be expected to increase proportionately. According to DCSO, total cases handled each year fluctuate. That number can be easily impacted depending on several factors. As an example, if there are 10 car break-ins in one or two eve... Full story
To the Editor: On behalf of all the members of the Sisters Schools Foundation, I would like to extend a very sincere “Thank-You” to all of our wonderful Outlaw Country supporters! Throughout the year and especially during our annual giving campaign, we have been gifted with your generous donations. Our Foundation supports great local programs for students, such as purchasing new musical instruments for the band, new technology for code programming in all three schools and the outdoor learning programs ECoS and IEE. Your don... Full story
The Three Wind development is right next to a significant number of The Pines homes, and four of the high-density apartment buildings abut directly behind these homes, with a so-called buffer of two-inch caliper trees which will take many years to grow into an actual buffer. In addition, the parking allotted for the eight-unit, 12-unit, and three 10-unit apartment buildings is wholly insufficient. One stall per unit is not sufficient. Where are all the extra cars going to park? In the open space area? In the businesses... Full story
Megan Ellsworth has been singing and playing guitar since she was a little girl running around the woods of Camp Sherman. Ellsworth, a Sisters High School graduate, class of 2016, is entering her last semester of college at the University of Colorado in Denver. Ellsworth is double-majoring in songwriting and music business. Her majors are working together to further her career in the music business as a self-made singer-songwriter and performer. Ellsworth knew she wanted to... Full story
The man who shot and killed Jenny Cashwell of Sisters a year ago will be sentenced on January 14, after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter last month. Alan Peter Porciello was indicted in January 2019 on charges of first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon after he shot Cashwell in the chest with a 9mm pistol at the Cedar West Apartments in Bend on January 12. The two had met on an online dating site and were on a first date. Court documents filed by prosecutors report that Porciello called 911 on his... Full story
Sisters Folk Festival will host Sisters Songworks: An Intimate Writing Retreat, this spring. Registration for the limited slots is underway. The retreat is a new education initiative for the organization in 2020. Using the successful platform of the Americana Song Academy, SFF is looking to offer a more intimate experience with three songwriter instructors and 24 participants in an immersive songwriting and poetry experience focused on lyric writing and developing songs more... Full story
The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District has promoted Julie Spor to the position of executive assistant. The executive assistant is responsible for office management and advanced-level administrative functions for the Fire District. In addition to the advanced administrative functions, the executive assistant performs some financial management duties for the District. Fire Chief Roger Johnson said, “We are very fortunate to have Julie as part of our administrative team and h... Full story
The Outlaws grapplers were among 13 teams competing at the Bend Invitational last weekend. Ridgeview High School took first place with 256 points, Mazama took second with 170, Bend High earned 3rd with 132.5 with Siuslaw High taking fourth and Willamette High finishing with fifth. The Sisters wrestling team finished in eighth place with only six wrestlers competing. “I was very proud of these six individuals that wrestled,” said Coach John Downs. “Our only JV competitor, freshman Henry Rard, had a good tournament in the 2... Full story
The Lady Outlaws matched up against tough opponents at home at the Sisters Holiday Tournament held Friday through Sunday, December 27-29. They lost all three of their games. They lost 15-64 to Molalla, and then fell 21-50 to Cottage Grove, and finished with a 25-60 loss to Junction City. Sisters first played against the Molalla Indians, a highly ranked and very athletic squad, who were very good shooters. Hallie Schwartz gave the Outlaws solid minutes at the point-guard... Full story
The Outlaws had a hard time on the hardwood at their annual Sisters Holiday Tournament held Friday through Sunday, December 27-29. Sisters lost 54-63 to Junction City, suffered a 26-38 loss against Cottage Grove and finished with a 47-51 loss in a close battle against Mazama. In their first game against the Junction City Tigers, the Outlaws were able to create offensive opportunities in their half-court sets, but the defense struggled to contain the Tigers’ strong shooting. I... Full story
The Outlaw Cheer team continued their winning streak last Saturday, January 4, taking home the first-place trophy from the Cottage Grove Cheer Competition. Unusual for this type of competition, the judges combined divisions, and the girls competed against several teams that aren’t in their usual group. After getting used to their divisional rivals’ strengths and weaknesses over the years, the addition of teams to their pool presented a challenge the girls don’t usually face until they reach the State level. The girls impro... Full story
I bought myself one Christmas-Hanukkah-Solstice-Kwanzaa gift this year, “In Defense of Elitism: Why I’m Better Than You and You’re Better Than Someone Who Didn’t Buy This Book,” by Joel Stein. Being a deep thinker, I naturally based my interest on the book cover, which caught my eye as I wandered through an independent bookstore. The dust jacket offered an illustration of a trophy buck with a big rack — an image that in my childhood meant, “Here’s what we ate a few mon... Full story
Editor’s note: The following recounts the author’s personal experience and beliefs. It is not intended nor should it be taken as medical advice. If you’ve read this column or my Facebook blog you know that my three rescued Scotties deal with allergy problems for which I have used every food, supplement and prescription available to no avail. Until now. I bought a book, “Mind to Matter,” by Dawson Church, and I’m learning how to heal my Scotties. Here’s a little history. About six years ago I was diagnosed with stage-four ca... Full story
How do young people learn to be happy adults, with a positive sense of well-being? Most of our youth will figure this out on their own. By the time they graduate from high school they will possess a firm grasp of both their interests and personal strengths, and will select college majors, start technical careers, or launch their own businesses in fields that capitalize on their abilities. However, some of our youth won’t find it as easy to transition into adulthood. Rather than building their future upon the foundation of t... Full story
American-Chicano band Las Cafeteras has taken the music scene by storm with infectious live performances and music that spans many borders and genres. Las Cafeteras will be returning to Sisters on Wednesday, January 15 in the first installment of the Sisters Folk Festival Winter Concert Series. Born and raised east of the Los Angeles River, Las Cafeteras are mixing roots music and telling modern-day stories. Using traditional Son Jarocho instruments like the jarana, requinto,... Full story
The debate over the relative greatness of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones has been going on ever since they first crossed paths on the charts 54 years ago. The argument at the time, and one that still persists, was that the Beatles were a pop group and the Stones were a rock band: the boys next door vs. the bad boys of rock. So who’s better? These two legendary bands will engage in an on-stage, throwdown — a musical showdown if you will — on Tuesday, February 1... Full story
After decades of printing on The Bulletin’s press in Bend, The Nugget is adapting to changes. The Bulletin’s press shut down operations at the end of November. Plans are to shift to printing at the Central Oregonian in Prineville (which is also now printing The Bulletin). In the interim, The Nugget is printing in Wenatchee, Washington. In order to accommodate earlier press times and a six-hour shipping window, The Nugget is required to be especially strict in adhering to deadlines. “Our goal is to maintain the level of qualit... Full story
A Sisters woman was arrested for DUII and reckless driving after a crash in downtown Redmond that damaged several vehicles. On Friday, January 3, shortly after 3 p.m., Redmond Police officers and Redmond Fire & Rescue personnel responded to a multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of SW 6th Street and SW Cascade Avenue in downtown Redmond. According to Redmond Police reports, a Toyota 4Runner side-swiped a parked Ford pickup on NW 6th Street near NW Greenwood Avenue and then continued driving south. The 4Runner entered... Full story
If you look for it, in time you’ll discover a mystery that will keep you awake nights as you try to unravel what you have stumbled across. That’s where Mary Webster is at this moment. Mary will take off on a trip at the drop of a hat to satisfy that overwhelming curiosity. Thankfully, when she goes off she keeps several of her friends in the loop and we receive photographs of her adventures. Many of her photos will be of birds and other subjects that have poked her cur... Full story
It’s natural to look ahead at the start of a new year so I thought I’d help my fellow runners consider some Oregon-based running events to take part in for the first half of 2020. I have compiled a list of events held from January to June. I tend to favor low-key events in general, races that support good causes, and those that include the opportunity to see a part of Oregon that folks might not already be familiar with. Registration and other information about these rac... Full story
Editor’s note: Becky Aylor is leaving the Sisters School District to accept a temporary position at Mountain View High School as Dean of Students. For me, I’ve said more goodbyes this last month than I’d care to admit. I thought I’d always be an Outlaw. I bleed black. It’s been an amazing ride. My Leadership squad did our “last” back-to-school assembly, our “last” Veterans Celebration, I went on my “last” field trip, read my “last” essay, filmed my “last” Outlaw News, retur... Full story
The Sisters Library Annual Exhibit, sponsored by the Friends of Sisters Library, is now open. Local art lovers can stop in during library hours and vote for their favorite pieces. The People’s Choice awards are a beloved feature of the annual event, and the winners will be announced at a reception on Friday, January 24. This year, there are 139 pieces of art in the non-juried show, which is a community event, open to new and seasoned artists. One of the newcomers is M... Full story
Early in the week of Thanksgiving a slug of cold, moist air in British Columbia was poised to plunge southward, and the Pacific Northwest appeared to be in the crosshairs. While the frigid air was not of arctic-like intensity, it was potent enough to cause potential problems for holiday travelers. And that it did. Snow began falling in Sisters late on November 26 that continued throughout the next day and into Thanksgiving on November 28. Weather records show that a foot-and-a-half of snow fell during the two-day period.... Full story
