News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 27
At least five reports of cougar tracks in the past week in Crossroads west of Sisters have residents on alert to protect themselves and their pets. On Bluegrass Loop, Harold Jacobs found tracks a week ago Saturday and again a few days later. “Last Tuesday, I was walking my dog after a new snowfall and I found more tracks on the east side of Crossroads,” Jacobs reported. At least three other Crossroads residents have found tracks near their home. “There were two sets of track... Full story
The wrangling over a plan to pipe the Black Butte and Association irrigation canals in McKenzie Canyon has flared up into an official ethics investigation of two of the proponents of the project. Canyon residents Tisha Mann and Jan Daggett filed a complaint last fall with the state Government Standards and Practices Commission alleging that Three Sisters Irrigation Manager Marc Thalacker and Board Vice President Glenn Cooper failed to disclose a conflict of interest in their conduct of the project. The commission decided on... Full story
The forests around Sisters may have been soaked by a month of rain and snow, but so far damage has been relatively light. A landslide damaged a maintenance shop and some vehicles at Camp Davidson and a portion of the Jack Lake Road has washed away, but no other major damage has been reported, according to Sisters Ranger District Road Manager Dale Putman. However, Forest Service officials are keeping a close eye on the situation, particularly in areas burned by the B&B and... Full story
To the Editor: I would like to take the time to comment on a few things. I have read the letters, articles in the paper and seen the news. I understand how some of you might be feeling. I have to admit though that I am also very disappointed with how some people are so quick to judge and say such cruel things. My name is Kenna Hall. Shane Hall was my husband for 10 years. He was and still is my best friend. He is one of the most loving and caring individuals that I have ever known. Yes we have made some mistakes along the... Full story
With the New Year began the new Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage program — the biggest change in Medicare since the program began 40 years ago. Across the nation, seniors and pharmacies experienced problems with the new program. In the Sisters area, there was confusion — but those involved have high hopes for improvement. “We had kind of a rocky start but it’s really smoothing out,” said Tim Muir, pharmacist and owner of Sisters Drug & Gift. Muir said that on the first day of the program, he could not process claims be... Full story
Editor’s note: Susan Springer was one of many who waited in the cold for a shot at Lyle Lovett Starry Nights tickets. I always thought the people who camped in long lines to buy concert tickets were crazy — until I became one. It’s Lyle Lovett’s fault. I love his unique mix of music. His strong base of country music mixed with jazz and his witty lyrics are sounds I’ve enjoyed for years but have never heard live. Lovett has not chosen good dates for me when he performed... Full story
Friends, family and colleagues will honor Sisters Habitat for Humanity founder Hort Hammond with a celebration on Friday, February 3, at 1:30 p.m. at Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. The celebration gives the Sisters community the opportunity to acknowledge and thank Hammond for his community service. Hammond, now 83, organized Sisters Habitat for Humanity in 1989 and it became an affiliate of the international organization in 1991. Sisters Habitat has since built 36 homes for Sisters families. Hammond has... Full story
Despite giving up points in several weight classes because they don’t have enough wrestlers on the team, Coach Tony Cosby has been very pleased with his wrestlers’ individual results. The Outlaw wrestlers lost 60-19 at home to the Stayton Eagles on Thursday, January 19, but several wrestlers turned in winning efforts. Kody Johns (103 pounds), Riley Gilmore (112 pounds), Nick Head (130 pounds) and Logan Chandler (135 pounds) all recorded individual wins for the Outlaws. Sisters lost the first three matches (171, 190 and 215 po... Full story
After 14 years of helping Sisters residents acquire their own homes, Sisters Habitat for Humanity has stopped accepting applications. The reason? When construction starts next month on a Habitat house on North Locust Lane the organization will have no more land available for building, according to Sharlene Weed, executive director of Sisters Habitat for Humanity. “For the past four years, we have enjoyed having available land on which to build houses, about 14 properties in a... Full story
In the Oregon Legislature, ESDs are like Mark Twain’s weather: Everybody talks about them but nobody does anything about them. It happened again last year. The 2005 Legislature was all geared up to adopt substantial “reform” of the state’s Education Service Districts. Meaty bills were ready to go in both houses. Then, almost literally at the last minute, those bills were dumped in favor of a four-year pilot project that changes the way board members are chosen in three of the state’s 20 districts. For reasons not entirely... Full story
For many Sisters area residents, Shibui Spa at Five Pine is the place they turn to to make stress melt away. For some Sisters residents, a visit to this calming place is only possible thanks to Community Day. For the past five years, owner Zoe Willitts has offered several days each year when folks who might have a hard time affording the usual rates can enjoy a massage. They make a donation of $10 rather than the usual $85 cost for a one-hour massage. Last Sunday, almost 20 residents took the opportunity to de-stress in the... Full story
The Outlaws basketball team won its league opener 67-51 over North Marion (NM) at home on Tuesday, January 17. Andy Burke downed a three-pointer at the start of the game and on the next possession laid it in for two off a great feed from Guy Mount to give the Outlaws an early 5-0 lead. With 1:32 left in the first quarter Carter Davenport rolled the ball up and off his fingertips for the lay-in to push the Outlaws to a 14-6 advantage. Jeff Fitter added two more off a fast... Full story
When public safety personnel roll out to a highway accident, their primary focus is on saving lives and protecting property. They also need to be careful not to cause another accident or destroy important evidence of the accident to which they are responding. Safety and scene preservation was the topic of an evening session last week when some 80 personnel from local fire districts, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), and Oregon State Police (OSP) gathered at the Sisters Fire Hall. Fire districts represented were the... Full story
Sisters Jazz Band students performed at the Oregon Jazz Festival held on the campuses of the University of Oregon and Lane Community College on January 20-21. The two-day event started with a Friday concert featuring two 18-member college jazz bands, the Lane Jazz Ensemble and the Oregon Jazz Ensemble. Both are groups that continually receive top recognition through Downbeat Magazine, the Reno International Jazz Festival and the International Association of Jazz Educators. On... Full story
A celebration of the life of Marianne Schrader of Sisters will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 28, at Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, 68825 Brooks Camp Rd. She died after a long and courageous battle with cancer on January 4, at the age of 73. Marianne was born November 15, 1932, in Bozeman, Montana, to Lawrence and Helen Landrith. She moved with her family to North Bend, Oregon, in 1943 and graduated as valedictorian at North Bend High School in 1950.... Full story
Ronald Burton Barnes of Sisters died on January 18 of natural causes. He was 72. He was born on January 27, 1933, in Omaha, Nebraska, to parents Jack and Frances Allan (Collins) Barnes. Mr. Barnes served as a U.S. Air Force air traffic controller. In addition to work as an aircraft controller, he worked on local ranches. He loved horses and rodeos and was a pilot for many years. He married Kay Barnes in Reno, Nevada, on October 23, 1965. He was affiliated with the Elks Lodge, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He... Full story
Oregon hopes to become one of 10 states that will be allowed to try to demonstrate that a basic part of the infamous No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act can be improved. Although he has been critical of some of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susan Castillo’s recent actions — including her essential abandonment of the high school CIMs and CAMs — Sisters Superintendent Ted Thonstad applauds her initiative relative to the federal school accountability law. Currently, the NCLB determines a school’s “Adequate Yearly Pr... Full story
Deanna Robinson, Chair of the Sisters Library Art Committee, saluted those who made the maginificent Sisters Library Grand Opening Art Show a success: “The first Sisters Art Exhibit showing at the Sisters Library from January 21 to March 1, is an historic event. Not only did its opening coincide with the Grand Opening of the new library building, the exhibit also is the first comprehensive representation of local artists under one roof. “The 2006 Sisters Art Exhibit encompasses over 150 works created in a wide variety of med... Full story
Former Sisters resident Becky Coffield has announced the publication of two books in 2006. “Life Was A Cabaret,” a finalist in the 2005 Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Contest, will debut exclusively in Oregon this summer. The book, an adventure/travel memoir, details Coffield’s six years traveling aboard her Cal 2-34 Cabaret sailboat. The book, written over 25 years ago, was revived only last year. “The book is a Northwest book,” Coffield said. “It is filled with Northwest people and places. My hope is tha... Full story
With half of the regular season complete and only three races remaining, the Sisters High School Alpine Racers continue to struggle for an invitation to the State Championship. The short-handed team performed well in Saturday’s race, but the girls found themselves in third place for the second consecutive week. They slipped to third overall, two points behind the second-place Summit High School girls. The Outlaws had outstanding individual performances. Sisters star Liz D... Full story
Katie Hughes scored 22 points to lead the Lady Outlaws to a 49-31 victory over the North Marion Huskies in their league opener on Tuesday, January 17. Hughes got Sisters off to a quick start when she scored the first of her five three-point shots for the night just 10 seconds into the game. A quick lay-up from Jenny Boswell gave the Outlaws a 5-0 lead. By the end of the first quarter Sisters held a 17-6 advantage over the Lady Huskies. The Outlaws continued to attack the... Full story
Brian Holden and Rich Hummell of Sisters came back winners from a weekend in Vegas, but the green they played on wasn’t the felt of a blackjack or craps table. It was the grass of a soccer pitch. The two Sisters men were part of a men’s over-30 soccer team that took on teams from all around the United States in the 2006 Friendship Tournament on January 14-16. The Central Oregon team won six games to take home the trophy in their class. The last two games came down to penalty kicks. Holden, a forward, scored the sem... Full story
The boys Nordic ski team posted its first-ever meet victory Saturday, January 21, beating three Northern Division rivals in a classic-style race at Mt. Bachelor. The Outlaws placed six racers in the top 10 to score 19 points to overwhelm Corvallis (33), Redmond (40), and Cleveland (66). Kelly Crowther was the runner-up (13:45) behind Max Foster of Redmond, who won the individual title in 12:50. Jeremy Evan (14:38) and Stefan Redfield (14:42) placed fifth and sixth respectively to score for the Sisters squad, and Kyle... Full story
In their last meet before District Championships February 10-11 in Albany, a reduced group of Outlaw swimmers got a taste of the strength and depth that Cascade, North Marion, Stayton and Mollala bring to the pool. The Cascade Cougars won 10 of 22 events; North Marion racked up winning times for six races. The rest of the teams split the remaining competitions. Brittany Baldessari was again victorious in the 100-meter backstroke and touched the wall behind North Marion’s Jessica Garinger in the 100-meter freestyle to take s... Full story
A fawn showed up at a home in Tumalo earlier this month and started following the homeowners around like a puppy. That, according to wildlife rehabilitation specialist Tracy Leonhardy, is not a good sign. The nine-month-old fawn “was obviously tame,” she said. “He’s obviously been raised by people.” The fawn sought petting and displayed behavior that indicated he’d likely been bottle fed. Leonhardy said someone may have found him alone in the woods and taken him home to “he... Full story
