News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
Andrew Gorayeb will serve as Sisters' "limited duration" city manager. The city council selected Gorayeb after a three-hour interview session with three interested parties on a 3-2 vote. Mayor Brad Boyd, council president McKibben Womack and councilor Wendy Holzman voted for Gorayeb. Councilors Catherine Childress and David Asson cast the dissenting votes. Gorayeb will sign a four-month contract beginning April 10. If needed, the contract can be extended until a permanent city manager is hired. As a "limited-duration" city... Full story
Following the advice of City Attorney Steve Bryant, the Sisters City Council voted 4-1 to throw out all bids on the city's $250,000 Hood Avenue/Fir Street waterline upgrade. Public Works Director Paul Bertagna will modify the bid criteria to meet a timeline that seeks to get the work done in the face of Sisters Rodeo, and propose a new weighting process giving more weight to the bid price. The city missed a requirement of the bid process, leaving them open to a potential lawsuit. Bryant will add a checklist to ensure that... Full story
An Oregon Senate committee heard testimony on Tuesday, April 2, on Senate Bill 721, known as "Jenna's Law," from Sisters resident Jenna Sneva (for whom the bill is named), her mother, Ronda Sneva, and Joey Harrington, former University of Oregon and NFL quarterback. The bill, which secures protection for youth in sports who have suffered concussions or head injuries, extends protection to youth who play in non-school athletic programs. The bill includes requirements for... Full story
"If it isn't cows eating young aspen, it's elk," said Tim Lillebo of Oregon Wild, early in 2013, pointing to damage to cloning aspen, as he, Maret Pajutee, forest ecologist for the Sisters District, and Darin Stringer, forester and owner of Pacific Stewardship, looked at the sad condition of aspen in Glaze Meadow. Stringer also noted that young conifers were crowding the aspen. Between elk damage and infiltration by other trees, foresters worry that they may lose the... Full story
The departure of longtime city manager Eileen Stein has been a messy - and expensive - affair. Two city councilors are outraged at their effective exclusion from an important decision, and they have been out in the community making their dissatisfaction amply clear. At the same time, the three councilors who voted to accept Stein's resignation believe themselves constrained by the legal terms of the separation agreement with the former city manager from explaining to the citizens of Sisters why they believe it was worth... Full story
To the Editor: Reverse back-in parking has been here for almost nine months. It was touted by its few proponents as a change for the better that we would all get used to. I remain unconvinced, after having parked along Main Avenue weekly since June of 2012. After taking considerable care and delaying traffic in the street while backing in, I discover about 50 percent of the time that I'm over one of the lines. This requires pulling out into the traffic lane and trying again, or risking a ticket. It doesn't seem to get better... Full story
For Paul Drake, the decision was "really a no-brainer." His wife's lifelong friend needed a kidney. He had two and there was a working match. He'd give her one. Paul, his wife Diane Tolzman, and her friend Ena Johannson told their story on Sunday at a Donate Life Northwest gathering at the American Red Cross Pacific Northwest Blood Services Center in Bend to mark Donate Life Month. Diane and Ena are lifelong friends. Diane recalls: "Ena Johannson and I met when she was in the... Full story
National Astronomy Day is Saturday, April 20 and Sisters is planning a celebration. The event will take place at the Sisters Park & Recreation District's (SPRD) Coffield Community Center and will be the collaborative effort of the Sisters Astronomy Club (SAC), SPRD, and the Sisters School District. Representatives from the Pine Mountain Observatory and the Oregon Observatory at Sunriver, as well as an accomplished astrophotographer from right here in Central Oregon, have graciously accepted invitations to come share their... Full story
The 11th annual Peterson Ridge Rumble will be staged Sunday, April 14. The event will include a field of nearly 500 runners choosing between the 20- and 40-mile courses on the trails and dirt roads surrounding Sisters. Race director Sean Meissner, formerly of Sisters and now living in Durango, Colorado, reports that 470 runners had registered as of April 3. "It's another good field of runners," he said. "Local runner Gene Trahern is the only entrant to have run in all of the... Full story
John F. Ferguson, Vice-Commander American Legion Sisters Post 86 wrote: Saturday, April 6, we held our annual chili-feed fundraiser. It was very successful thanks to the following groups, local businesses and individuals. The Sisters American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts would like to thank the following: • Mim Burke and her crew consisting of Barbara Ferguson, Steve Olson, Terry Burke, Valerie and Michaela Hester • Murl Holm • The... Full story
Have you ever met a person who instantly changed your life forever? When I first met Jim Anderson in 1984, my love and enthusiasm for the natural world tripled. I had just begun my 15-year career with the U.S. Forest Service in Bend, and my assignment was to capture live mice, which would be carried (in a coffee can with holes in the lid) out to one of five SOMA (Spotted Owl Management Areas) to entice the (always-hungry) owls. "You need to contact Jim Anderson, he will help... Full story
The Outlaws baseball team swung into league action last week, posting three consecutive wins. Sisters beat Cottage Grove 11-0 in five innings at home in Sisters on April 3, and a day later earned an 18-11 victory at Sweet Home. The Outlaws wrapped up their week with a 10-1 victory at home on Friday against Elmira. Sisters jumped out early on Tuesday in their game against Cottage Grove. In the first inning the Outlaws loaded the bases with no outs. Joey Morgan singled for two... Full story
A group of 17 German students, teachers, and parents returned just before the end of Spring Break from their brief but adventure-filled EF (Education First) trip to London, Paris, and the Alps. Organized by German teacher Isolde Hedemark, supervised by Sisters Middle School principal Mark Stewart and financially supported by a philanthropic Sisters community group led by Marlin Ard and parents, all tour participants thoroughly enjoyed EF's approach to international education i... Full story
Sisters High School softball Coach Ben Miller is feeling pretty good these days. And why shouldn't he? Nearing the 2013 season's midway point, Miller finds his squad 8-2 overall, tied with three other teams for the Sky-Em League lead, and is seeing success from both his older players and his younger players. "I feel real good about our chances and potential success," said first-year head Coach Miller. "As for the standings, I'm not focusing too much energy on it because I... Full story
Most Sundays, Mike Silva is in the pulpit at Sisters Community Church. Last month, from March 20-28, he was in La Chorrera, Panama, providing services to the impoverished of the community and preaching to some 70,000 in an evangelical festival. That's the work Mike Silva International has done since 1994, in countries around the globe. Silva is Portuguese and Spanish-speaking, so the ministry focuses on countries where one of those is the common language. The ministry offers... Full story
Xtreme Bulls, a bull-riding-only event, will return to Sisters Rodeo on Wednesday, June 5. The PRCA event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Sisters Rodeo grounds and close after the last bullride around 9 p.m. "We had great competition our first year of Xtreme Bulls," said Sisters Rodeo President G.J. Miller. "The bulls were on their game, and beat some world-champion bull riders. We expect to have the same excitement this year, with the riders determined to take the night." Xtreme Bull ticket are $15 for general admission open... Full story
The Outlaws lacrosse team faced three tough teams last week, which started with a 14-2 loss to the Thurston Colts in Eugene on Tuesday, April 2. The Outlaws bounced back two days later with a 6-3 win over Hellgate High School, Montana, in a great match-up that was played in Burns. The Outlaws wrapped up their week with an 11-3 loss at home to Sherwood. In Tuesday's game, the Thurston Colts jumped out early and took a five-goal lead in the first quarter of play. Sisters put... Full story
There aren't many ways the average person can enjoy watching a pair of golden eagles raise their babies without going to a lot of hard work, or posing a threat to the eagles. Not anymore. All one has to do is turn on the television (or laptop, or any other electronic equipment that will access the Internet) go to www.goldeneaglecam.com, and you're there. In 2003, Forrest Babcock and Janet Zuelke, who have a home overlooking the Wolftree Discovery Outpost on Whychus Creek,... Full story
Imagine the energy and electric intensity of "Dark Side of the Moon"-era Pink Floyd in an intimate theater or rock club environment. Hailing from Portland, Pigs on the Wing (POTW) has been delivering that spellbinding experience to audiences throughout the Northwest since 2006. Far from an attempt at Floyd-impersonation, POTW specializes in 70's-era Floyd but is unapologetic in the interpretation and improvisation of the music in ways that the band believes any Pink Floyd fan... Full story
Sometimes, I get the notion we're closer to Nature than is good for anyone. I recall all too well back in the '50s when I had the crazy idea of wanting to pet a wild female northern spotted skunk on my birthday. I did, and got away without getting blasted, but the incident led me down a path I'm not proud of: I got greedy, captured her babies, then de-scented and sold them for "pets." I also caught momma the next night. Yeah, the sweet little gal who trusted me and allowed me... Full story
The wagons, sleighs, buggies, harness and old farm equipment are returning to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, in Madras, Oregon for the 34th annual Small Farmer's Journal (SFJ) Horsedrawn Auction and Swap. Thousands of people are once again expected from all across North America (and beyond) to compete against one another at auction and swap meet for thousands of horse-drawn items and related country antiques. Picture a couple of hundred old wagons and carriages, mixed in with thousands of items including sleigh bells,... Full story
Blustery and wet spring weather greeted the Outlaws in a three-way Sky-Em League meet at Junction City Thursday, April 4. Despite some season-best efforts, Sisters could not overcome Cottage Grove's overall depth and Junction City's speed in the sprint events. Official team scores turned out to be inaccurate, but it was confirmed that Sisters placed third among the three schools. The boys team scored the bulk of its points at distances of 800 meters and above, and from Jake... Full story
While many families were hunting for eggs over Easter weekend, Sisters High School equestrian athletes were competing at the second Oregon High School Equestrian Team (OHSET) meet for the Central District. All the 2013 Central District meets are held at the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center, and the horse barns hummed over the weekend. Athletes, families and horses worked in both the indoor and outdoor arenas, kept busy with a multitude of classes to compete in. Co-advisors and coaches Beth Jacobsen and Ann Gates were ple... Full story
Caldera has received a $15,000 grant from The Roundhouse Foundation. Noting the importance of Caldera as a strong partner in the region and an impressive statewide model, The Roundhouse Foundation awarded Caldera the grant to support expanded teacher training activities in Central Oregon and Portland. In this collaborative project with The Roundhouse Foundation, Caldera will offer teachers at its partner schools access to Caldera arts curriculum training, more integration into Caldera's programming, and direct support from... Full story
The Belfry Kickstarter campaign will close April 14. The online fundraising effort is still $15,000 short of its $34,500 goal. Owner Angeline Rhett has been hit with significant unexpected requirements from the City of Sisters and the state fire marshal's office, and some of the funds raised will be used to bring The Belfry into compliance so that it can be used for its intended purpose. It's currently operating under restricted conditions on a temporary-use permit. Rhett also wants to install a house sound system, lighting... Full story
