News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
Cutting down trees in Sisters is a big deal - even when all the appropriate rules and regulations are observed. When they're not - when someone prunes or cuts down a tree that's on public property without permission, it's illegal. Sisters Development Code states that: "Written authorization by the Community Development Director or designee is required for the removal, major pruning, or planting of public trees or the attachment of seasonal holiday lights to public trees." The... Full story
Robert William "Bob" Boyd died September 1, 2017. He was born February 12, 1936 in Long Beach, California. His mother, Louise "Dodi" Kean Boyd raised him and his older brother, Gilbert. His grandfather was the famous Canadian cowboy, filmmaker and writer A.D. Kean, whom Bob spoke of proudly but never met. Bob started his first business when he was about 10 and continued to be entrepreneurial throughout his life, including starting a successful commodities firm. Bob... Full story
Liam Hughes, executive director at Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) for the past four years, will depart as of January 26 to take a position in Pendleton. The SPRD Board of Directors was to discuss next steps, including the hiring of an interim or a new director, at their monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 9. "It saddens me to leave Sisters and SPRD behind, especially at such a busy time, but it is a great professional opportunity that I cannot pass up," Hughes... Full story
A federal judge has ruled in favor of the City of Sisters and several current and former City officials in a lawsuit stemming from a business dispute that roiled the City in 2012-13. On January 2, United States District Judge Ann Aiken upheld another judge's findings and recommendations granting a motion for summary judgment and denied the plaintiff's sanctions in a civil rights lawsuit filed by Ky Karnecki, former proprietor of the Wild Mountain food stand in Sisters. Judge... Full story
The owners of one of Sisters' ranches have filed an application with Deschutes County to create a guest ranch with 10 guest cottages on the Cole Ranch. The ranch, formerly known as the Patterson Ranch, is one of Sisters' iconic properties, with a much-photographed view of the Three Sisters across the pastures from Highway 242. The proposed guest ranch would be sited on the southwest portion of the 345-acre property, back toward the mountains. Jennifer and Glenn Cole purchased... Full story
In early January, "America's Favorite Flies" hit the presses. It is a thick volume full of flyfishing flies and the personal stories of the anglers who have used them. Featured among the cadre of contributors is Sisters' own Sherry Steele, a flyfisher, tyer and teacher, and a familiar face to anyone who knows the fishing scene in the Northwest. Steele's involvement with the book started with an email. "It was from John Bryan, the chief editor. I'd never met him, but he was... Full story
Did you know... The blue building located at 101 E. Cascade Ave., which currently houses Drawstrings of Malibu clothing store, is officially known as the Aitken Building and designated as an historic building. At other times it was home to Sisters Olive and Nut Company and The Palace Hotel. George Aitken was born in 1867, on a farm near Sublimity in the Willamette Valley. After attending business college in Portland, he returned to Salem to work in his father's grocery store.... Full story
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a federalist who believes in states' rights and local control. Except when he doesn't. Last week, as reported in the New York Times, AG Sessions "rescinded an Obama-era policy that had discouraged federal prosecutors from bringing charges of marijuana-related crimes in states that have legalized sales of the drug." Attorney General Sessions is a proponent of states' rights and an opponent of federal overreach. Except, apparently, when states take action that he doesn't like. Sessions has a... Full story
To the Editor: We are so grateful for the respect, kindness and generosity that the Sisters community has shown for our service men and women who are serving throughout the world. Just yesterday I saw a woman approach a soldier and thank him for his service. As he was buying some tea, I offered to treat him and another customer had already stepped up to purchase him his beverage. As I went to the grocery store, I noticed that he was there buying some lunch. So I offered to buy his lunch and the storekeeper said that someone... Full story
The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) is off to a quick start in 2018 with their first public speaking presentation of the new year on Thursday, January 18. The speaker will be the Deschutes National Forest's new ranger for the Sisters Ranger District, Ian Reid. Although new to the Sisters area, Reid has deep roots in Oregon and with the National Forest Service. He will be discussing future plans for the Sisters Ranger District, impacts of the recent fire season, the role of... Full story
Sisters High School's Alpine Ski Team fields 14 racers this season: 12 boys and two girls. Four boys return for another season: junior John Banks, and sophomores Evan Palmer, George Chladek, and Mitchell Griffin. New additions are freshmen Ian Cash, Corbin Johnson, Christopher Lundgren, Conner Petke, Simon Rhett; junior Kincaid Smelzer; and seniors Ethan Morgan and Spencer Kemp. Only two girls will be racing this year: senior Holland Hartman, and freshman Skylar Wilkins.... Full story
The boys basketball squad has been battling injury and sickness, and to date they have yet to play one game with all seven of their top players. That has made it difficult for them to play consistently well. They hope to have everyone back at full strength when league play begins next week. Sisters dropped their game at Redmond against the Panthers on Wednesday, January 3, in a final score of 56-38, but bounced back two days later with a 38-28 win at Burns. In Tuesday's... Full story
The girls basketball squad, which has only one senior player this year, continues to struggle as they face much more experienced teams. Sisters lost both their games last week: a 45-22 loss to Redmond on Wednesday, January 3, followed by a 57-33 road loss to Burns. In Wednesday's action, height was a factor for the Outlaws. Redmond's Ada Kitchin, who stands at 6 feet 1 inch, scored 21 points in the game. Sisters' tallest player, Gracie Sundstrom, is just 5 feet 9 inches. The... Full story
"OMG moments?" Sam Pyke laughed at the question. "Plenty of them. Last year, in Azerbaijan, I was filming a hunt for Dagestan Tur sheep, incredible animals that live at about 10,000 feet. To get up that high, you have to use pack horses. Well, I was filming while riding my horse and seeing the 80-degree cliffs on both sides, I realized that one wrong step by the horse and I would be dead. Crazy dangerous. I was basically terrified..." "Terrified" is not a word one would... Full story
There's something growing in my refrigerator. I see it when I open the door...rising, bubbling and needing my attention. All kinds of things are changing right now. It's a new year, full of possibilities and transformation. But nothing will happen if I don't take a few risks. Once I made the decision to leave my long-time and rewarding job, I began trying new things. Even though I was leaving on the best of terms I still felt a sense of freedom and relief. A big door was closing, giving me a gentle nudge to keep moving away... Full story
The Outlaws wrestling team finished third (124 points) out of 11 teams who competed at the Bend Invitational held Saturday, January 6. The third-place finish was the most successful showing in Outlaws history. Mt. View, which boasts 30 wrestlers, took first with a score of 446.5, and Bend (24 wrestlers) was runner-up at 252. Also in attendance were: Summit, Madras, Ridgeview, Siuslaw, Ontario, Thurston, Sunnyslope out of Arizona, and Homedale out of Idaho. Seventeen Outlaws... Full story
I admit to a conservative streak in my nature. One problem with that is a tendency to paint the past in golden hues and promote a world that never really existed. And it's probably accurate that if we are ever to learn anything, and carry that knowledge forward, we can't do it by living too long in the rearview mirror. This was brought home to me recently on a visit to Bruno's Country Club, in Gerlach, Nevada. I was by turns outraged and appalled to find it had undergone a... Full story
If you or someone you know suffers from severe anxiety, you know how difficult it can be to get through the day. And just like people, dogs can experience anxiety, which can be provoked by fear, separation, and environmental changes. Anxiety affects all breeds of dogs and can lead to serious behavioral problems if left untreated. Dogs are individuals, and each manifests anxiety differently. The anxiety can range from mild (crouching, hiding, tail-tucking) or moderate... Full story
On a blustery day in early December 2013, at about 2:20 p.m., a heavy gust of wind uprooted a towering ponderosa pine that stood next to the Ski Inn on Cascade Avenue in Sisters, sending the trunk crashing through the front of the restaurant. Mike Smith of Sisters was eating at the counter when the tree came through the roof. He said, "Just boom! Like a bomb went off. (Stuff) just flew everywhere, blew me off my stool." Smith reported that there were about a dozen staff and... Full story
I wasn't planning for our first hike of 2018 to be in January, and I certainly didn't expect it to be at higher elevations. At least, that was the case until the new Sisters District Ranger, Ian Reid, told me about his family's New Year's Eve climb of Black Butte. "I will say one of the few benefits of this low-snow year is being to able to access some hikes we normally wouldn't get to this time of year," Reid said, as he told me about his family's Black Butte outing last week... Full story
Fitness is tricky, even for the most ambitious and energetic. Often it is the first thing to go when life gets "busy." Fitness shouldn't be a chore, but a daily activity sought after for an escape from the wear and tear of everyday life. A daily workout can be an opportunity, not a punishment. People often approach creating this habit in a manner that is the opposite of a sustainable approach. Too much effort all at once leads to burnout and the "busy monster" eats all ambition to continue past March. Start with one thing.... Full story
Dead snags become large drums for the pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus). Whether proclaiming territory, communicating, or chipping out a nest, decaying trees are essential for a healthy population of the largest species of woodpecker in North America. With a body length of 15-19 inches and a 29-inch wingspan, they have a home territory of 320-600 acres. Both parents excavate the 10- to 24-inch-deep nest, which requires 3 to 6 weeks, with wood chips providing the only... Full story
