News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
Not enough, not enough... too much. Old Man Winter must have been feeling guilty about the dearth of snow in Sisters Country through December and January, for winter descended with a vengeance last week, with more than two feet of the white stuff falling over three days. The heavy snow started on Friday and it continued with almost no letup all day and all night and through most of Saturday. The continuous heavy snowfall outstripped the ability of local and state agencies to k... Full story
Faced with community meeting audiences that were clearly skeptical of or opposed to an amphitheater in Sisters, Mayor Brad Boyd asked a question: "If you don't believe that the amphitheater is the right project, what are your ideas for addressing the challenge that we face?" That challenge, as the mayor defines it, is how to promote economic vitality in Sisters while remaining true to local values and maintain quality of life. Now he's asking those who responded so passionately to the amphitheater proposal to participate in... Full story
Ashley and John Neal of Sisters joyfully announce the arrival of their son, Henry Robert, born January 19 at 12:54 p.m., weighing 8 pounds, 1 ounce and measuring 19 inches. Henry was also welcomed by his grandparents, Bo and Jill Neal, and great-grandmother Marjory Haney.... Full story
The controversy over a proposed amphitheater in Sisters has created some rocky relations among city councilors. On Thursday, February 6, Councilor David Asson circulated an email memo detailing concerns with the process surrounding the amphitheater. "(February 4) Sisters Country learned that the drive to open an amphitheater will be delayed to 2016. It could be later or maybe not at all," Asson wrote. "More telling is that I, as a city councilor, learned of the timeline... Full story
The Sisters Middle School greenhouse just couldn't take the heavy load of snow that fell across the region last week. It collapsed Sunday morning, burying thousands of dollars and hours of volunteer effort. Firefighters responded to the scene and donned safety gear to deal with a propane leak caused by the collapse. They shut off the propane and ventilated the building to eliminate any chance of ignition. Sisters Science Club member Mark Thompson, who has worked on the... Full story
The recent letters to the editor about roundabouts came as a surprise, until I realized that it has been five years since the city proposed, and the community came behind, the most recent transportation plan (TSP). The TSP was a long process involving input from all parts of the community and took many months to develop, and then years to implement. The comments expressed in this paper may be due to the amount of time that has passed since we went through the TSP revision back in 2009. People new to Sisters are wondering why... Full story
To the Editor: I applaud the City of Sisters for having the courage to think big and to also think outside the purview of normal municipal efforts. I am encouraged by the bold and creative thinking that brought about the suggested Sisters amphitheater. This is a longterm project of massive proportions and it is incumbent on all of our City leaders to engage in detailed analysis and microscopic due diligence to make sure that we are utilizing taxpayer funds in a reasonable and sound manner. While some might have felt my... Full story
Walls painted in bright primary colors, a puppet theater, an Imagination Station, a large hollow tree, and a colorful alphabet rug are not the trappings of the libraries of old, where silence was the rule and card files directed users to the books. The Sisters Library bears little resemblance to old-school institutions. The Kids Corner is an open, exciting, and inviting space where the voices of happy, engaged children can be heard, especially during Thursday-morning story... Full story
Acclaimed country singer and songwriter Suzy Bogguss will take the stage at The Belfry on Friday, February 21. The Sisters show is a stop on a national tour of Bogguss' new CD "Lucky," a stunning collection of Merle Haggard songs. Bogguss is adamant that she did not create a tribute album, but an interpretation of songs that remain as vital and relevant as ever. "His songs are so important," she told The Nugget. "We tend to take some of our most iconic people for granted."... Full story
Most times when a couple of friends get together to solve the world's problems over a cup of coffee, the conversation just drifts off into the ether and nothing actually happens. But when Cal Allen and Bob Collins met for coffee some three years ago, it led to something that has profoundly impacted many lives in Sisters Country - including their own. The problem they were trying to solve was the lamentable state of science education in the United States, which has fallen well... Full story
Brett Miller's Jeep Cherokee will soon be better than new. Miller is to be the recipient of a Freedom Wheelers Jeep build, a program for disabled veterans. Miller, a Sisters resident, was severely wounded in an IED attack in Iraq while serving with the Army National Guard. His injuries ended his wildland firefighting career, and left him with memory loss and weakness in his left limbs. The Sisters veteran is used to being on the other side of the equation when it comes to... Full story
The City of Sisters has plans to renovate the Creekside Campground RV park near Whychus Creek at the east end of town. There are two phases to the proposed project. Phase I includes removing 18 non-hookup sites and replacing them with 26 full-hookup sites, for a total of 76 sites. Phase II calls for removing 25 non-hookup sites and replacing them with 24 full-hookup sites for a total of 75 sites. The city plans to add a concession stand, an office building and a restroom, and... Full story
Central Oregon visitors find many interesting gift stores and specialty shops in Sisters, but there is one unique shop here that has a reputation far beyond Oregon. The Jewel, located at 221 W. Cascade Ave. next to Barclay Park, is starting its 23rd year as a contemporary jewelry store offering custom jewelry made from silver, gold, minerals, rocks and fossils, all displayed in a spectacular setting. Owner and designer Jan Daggett has guided this enterprise through more than... Full story
The Outlaws hosted their last dual meet of the year on Tuesday, February 4, against Redmond JV. Sisters was down to just seven wrestlers due to both illness and injury and Sisters' Athletic Director Tim Roth reached out to many of the Central Oregon schools in hopes they could combine with the Outlaws and fill the empty weight classes. Culver's coach, J.D. Alley, contacted Roth and said he had a few JV wrestlers who could use some extra matches and so the Sisters/Culver team w... Full story
When Tim Lillebo collapsed and died while shoveling snow at his home in Bend on Saturday afternoon, the Sisters Country felt an immediate and powerful sense of loss. In a sense, the forests of Sisters Country were home to Lillebo, and the site of work that will stand as a living testament to his commitment to the health of Oregon's wildlands - and to his ability to work with diverse groups of people to achieve common goals. "I just always considered him a great diplomat for... Full story
The biggest snowstorm in years just transformed your yard into a winter wonderland, and your furry friend can't wait to get out there and play in the white stuff. Most dogs can't resist rolling in fresh snow or running through tunnels you're shoveling to get to the street. Refereeing a good snow ball fight is fun for Fido, too. Just like a kid, your pooch might not know when it's time to come in from the cold, so it's up to you as a good pet parent to bring him in before... Full story
The long-awaited Cascade Avenue Street Improvement Project is set to begin next month. The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the City of Sisters, Oregon Department of Transportation and Knife River, will host a groundbreaking celebration on Saturday, March 1. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on the corner of Fir and Cascade Avenue (directly in front of Bronco Billy's Ranch Grill and Saloon). The celebration will last all day. Knife River will have big rigs parked along Main Avenue from Fir to Larch from 10 a.m.... Full story
If anyone says to you, "Sisters is for the birds!" you can believe it. Every time there's ice and/or snow on the sidewalks around City Hall there is a sudden influx of seed-eating birds. Why? Because the city doesn't believe in using salt, sand, or environmentally unfriendly anti-skid/snow melt stuff on the sidewalks. The public works people use just plain old black sunflower birdseed. Now I know there may be those people in Sisters Country right at this moment who are exclaim... Full story
Donors assembled for a hosted reception last week to listen to the Sisters High School leadership class present their Community 101 charity "pitches." Dressed for business, the teams of two to four students delivered their best PowerPoint-supported pitch on why the charity they selected and researched should be one of the final recipients of a portion of the $5,000 collected by the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) from local donors. The charities presented were the Family... Full story
The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, along with several downtown merchants, is reminding businesses of the opportunity to be a part of upcoming Stroll Sisters events. The next Stroll is scheduled on Friday, February 28, from 4 to 7 p.m. and there is still time to get a business on the map for this event. The Stroll Sisters events are funded in part by a grant from The Roundhouse Foundation and are a part of the Cascade Avenue Street Improvement Project Marketing Program. This program has been designed to help encourage shopp... Full story
Travelers to Sisters Country consider FivePine Lodge as one of the top hotels in the United States. The lodging establishment on Highway 20 at the east end of town has earned high marks through TripAdvisor.com, a travel website providing directory information and reviews of travel-related content. The website also includes interactive travel forums. Every year TripAdvisor.com recognizes the top hotels in the United States based on user reviews. FivePine Lodge & Spa is ranked fifth in TripAdvisor.com's Top Hotels of 2014 list... Full story
Keep the restrictions on "formula food" outlets in the highway commercial zone - and extend the restrictions to downtown Sisters. That was the consensus that emerged from a town hall meeting hosted by the Sisters planning commission last Wednesday. Based on an inquiry from Cibelli's Pizza, the Sisters planning commission initiated a discussion about expanding the current city code to allow regional restaurants "chains" into the "highway commercial" zoning areas (Ray's, FivePine). The city was proposing that the number three... Full story
It took well over 40 days and 40 nights for a team of crafty Sisters women to complete a Noah's Ark-themed series of quilts, but it brought them a boatload of joy. The trio of quilts are now destined for Sisters Christian Academy's fundraising dinner and auction at FivePine Lodge on February 28. Kristi Bobbitt said the idea germinated after she attended the SCA auction last spring. "I love children's art," she says. She also drew inspiration from American history. Harriet... Full story
