News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
This past year of living through a worldwide pandemic has restructured our way of living. Some people used the time in lockdown to improve health through cleaning their homes, making time to meditate, and creating fitness routines to help them lose weight or tone their bodies. On the other hand, many people took advantage of the time to create comfort foods, with popular new hobbies consisting of making banana bread and sourdough. Depending on how one views this pandemic, the high risk of leaving your house could either be a... Full story
Do you notice you have to turn up the volume on your TV in order to hear the dialog in your favorite show? When your son calls on the phone, do you find yourself asking him to repeat what he just said because you didn’t catch it all? These can be indications of early hearing loss and mean it’s time to schedule a hearing test. Hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities in elderly people, affecting about one-third of people over the age of 65, according to the Ame... Full story
With gym closures, colder weather, and the rise in COVID-19 cases, it may be more challenging to motivate yourself to exercise. There are many people who welcome the gym closures, thinking they will pick up where they left off once local businesses are allowed to resume normal operations. These individuals are forgetting that muscle shrinks after four days of not using it. So if you’ve taken a four-week — or for some of us — a four-month break, we shouldn’t expect to have the same strength we worked for bef... Full story
Exercise and diet are the two key components to a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to exercise, current circumstances are making it harder for people to stay fit. Local gyms are offering online workouts and one-on-one training, but many people still don’t feel safe going out and meeting in person. Creating a home gym or a space where workouts can be accomplished is an important aspect of staying healthy at home. With limited space, limited or no access to equipment, and lack of privacy, it is easy to make excuses for p... Full story
Pain happens. Sometimes it starts in the mind, sometimes from an injury. As we live with the discomfort, the true origins of that limp or lower back pain or headache or stiff knee are hard to pin down. We get used to it. We accommodate it; and quite often, our mood is affected by it. Stoicism, finances and, these days, fear of COVID-19 can stop us from seeking help. The mind-body connection can be described as a person’s feelings, thoughts, or behaviors and how they physically manifest in the body. Thoughts, feelings, b... Full story
Successful aging requires intention and planning, and perhaps a modicum of luck. Here in Central Oregon, we are fortunate to have many well-qualified professionals and organizations to help navigate the path to and through the aging process. Financial planning, regardless of the amount of assets involved, can help you make well-informed decisions regarding how and where you will live as you age. BlueStone Retirement in Sisters provides services that help one maximize Social... Full story
Sisters may be a small town, but big ideas and innovative products are produced here. Some highly respected nutraceutical and supplement manufacturers have chosen Sisters as their home base. Long-time community partner and neighbor, Metabolic Maintenance (MM), has been manufacturing professional-grade supplements for over 35 years, and locally in Sisters for 28. According to Karla Cross-Green, MM’s director of marketing, what sets Metabolic Maintenance apart is its dedication to reliability, preservative- and e... Full story
When it comes to health and well-being nothing is more important than sleep. Consistent, sufficient quality sleep is critical to our mental and physical health; in fact, it’s literally a matter of life and death. In a society that prizes productivity, the “down time” that sleep represents has not been held in very high esteem. “Historically, we’ve been pretty callous about it,” said Dr. David Dedrick, medical director for St. Charles Health System’s Sleep Center. For m... Full story
This winter in Sisters Country the temperatures have been above normal, but we may finally be headed into colder weather. It’s your job as a pet parent to keep your furry friend warm and safe. After all, Rover can’t quite put on a coat and scarf for his morning walk or tell you when he wants to go indoors on a blustery day. Frigid weather can be hard on pets, just like people. It is important to prepare your furry friend for the cold weeks ahead. It’s a misconception that... Full story
Jim McWilliams of Bend passed away from COVID complications with underlying conditions on December 13 at the age of 80. Jim is survived by his loving wife, Sue; two sons, Tim McWilliams and wife Erica Chambers, Kevin McWilliams and wife Alyson Evans; three siblings, Pat Jussila, John McWilliams, Sally McWilliams and partner Beth Hutchison. He also leaves behind cousins, Ed Lindsay and wife Peggy, Susan Walker and husband Bob; nephew, Tony McWilliams and wife Stephanie; and... Full story
The third Monday in January is not only a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Day) but is also a day designated as a national day of service. With the slogan of “a day on, not a day off,” it hopes to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. Heart of Oregon students headed to Sisters Habitat for Humanity to help out in the spirit of MLK Day of Service. Twelve students helped organize the sporting goods bin, clean up the shelving units, and take car... Full story
COVID-fatigue is setting in at the same time vaccines are starting to be distributed. Airlines are hemorrhaging and hotels are largely empty so extraordinary travel deals stare you in the face. It is now a game of chicken. Who will blink first: the travel industry or travelers starved for the good old days? The good news for the most part is airlines have waived change fees to give more incentive to book even if the pandemic forces you to cancel or rebook down the road. They... Full story
In January of 2001, a new shingle was hung outside a small office space located behind the dental practice of Dr. Mark Francis. Zadow Physical Therapy was officially open for business and Greg Zadow was looking forward to bringing his specialized manual therapy skills to the community of Sisters. What started as a one-man operation with limited hours grew to include another part-time therapist, billing specialist and eventually a front office assistant. In those early days,... Full story
Sisters continues to ride a rollercoaster of ups and downs in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Sisters students returned to in-person education at local schools as Governor Kate Brown adjusted the rules under which students could return to class. The surge in cases that has battered Oregon since the fall appears to have been abated, with daily case reports in Deschutes County declining from peak levels — though they continue to add up. The Sisters 97759 zip code has seen 161 total cases as of January 20. The... Full story
Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture (PMRCAA) in Sisters is seeking proposals for a signature garden space that is inspired by a quilt design. Proposals are sought from local Central Oregon quilt makers, artists and/or designers experienced with quilt patterns. Proposals for the 2021 growing season are due February 12 and selection will be made by February 28. The garden, located at Pine Meadow Ranch, will be a 20-by-20-foot bed with ‘quilt-blocks’ no smaller than 12 inches to be designed out of plants and flo... Full story
After more than two decades of practice at Broken Top Veterinary Clinic, Dr. Little Liedblad is transitioning (slowly) into retirement. Liedblad is a 1985 graduate of Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine and has had patients from raptors to elephants and everything in between. On January 1, 2000 Liedblad bought the building at 67293 W. Highway 20 in Bend and had it modified into a veterinary clinic. Liedblad remembers when her husband, Craig, had seen an... Full story
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc for high school sports teams, but due to the nature of the sport, the Sisters High School alpine ski team has developed a plan with other schools to begin competitions this week with a meet at Hoodoo scheduled for Wednesday, January 27. Coach Gabe Chladek reported that the boys and girls comprising the team have been doing dryland training since November and have been up “on the hill” once or twice a week since mid-December. “All of th... Full story
5 brings renewed hope for many residents of Sisters Country, even as some of our friends and neighbors continue to feel the compounding effects of the coronavirus on livelihoods and local business, food security, housing, and, of course, health. It may all feel overwhelming at times, but each of us can do something to continue to make Sisters Country a community where all can thrive. The Sisters Country Vision was originally undertaken in 2018 and facilitated a community conversation that helped identify clear, positive... Full story
Now working in a grocery store environment, I have a serious plea to everyone. Please only send one member of your family to the grocery store. There is absolutely no reason to bring your entire family. Couples, only one person needs to shop. People with children, one parent stay home with the kids. This is not your opportunity to, “Get out of the house for a while.” I have to be there. You can shop alone. I promise, you’ll be OK. Don’t know what to buy? Make a list. Call your partner for advice if necessary. But get in and... Full story
The starting gun has sounded and the race is underway here in Sisters to raise $100,000 toward an overall goal of $6 million donated for construction of a new 12-bed Hospice House on the Partners In Care campus in Bend to serve all of Central Oregon. The project already has local donations of $10,500 and they hope to have the total amount by June 30, 2021. Six million dollars will come from donations and $6 million from reserve funds at Partners In Care. Sisters resident Bill... Full story
