News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
An 18-year-old hiker who got separated from his companions was found safe after wandering for several hours in the Pole Creek drainage. Broek Dyer of Woodburn, Washington, called 911 and reported that he had been wandering for four hours after having lost the trail. Dyer had spent the night camping with two companions, then on their way back had become separated. Dyer had been making contact with his companions via text messages, but they had not been able to locate him. Dyer's GPS coordinates were obtained from the 911 call... Full story
Last year Sisters Country residents made it clear that they did not want an amphitheater as a "community asset" - a project that would have encouraged more people who drive through town to stop and shop in Sisters. At a subsequent town-hall meeting, other ideas were suggested for consideration, and a majority of the 200-plus attendees voted for the following four projects: Art/Science/History Center; Convention Center; Field House; Winter Sports Park. Then-mayor Brad Boyd appointed 11 volunteers to a Community Assets... Full story
Many Sisters-area residents noticed the bright blue Life Flight helicopter hovering over downtown Sisters last Wednesday morning before finally settling down in the parking lot of the Sisters-Camp Sherman fire station. The helicopter and Life Flight paramedics were all part of the recertification training for EMTs and paramedics with the Sisters-Camp Sherman and Cloverdale Fire Districts. Fire district physician advisor Dr. Peter Vraniak also provided instruction during the... Full story
To the Editor: In connection with Jim Anderson's column and the article about Deschutes Land Trust's recent acquisition of Aspen Hollow Preserve along Whychus Creek, I would like to remind readers about the live camera feed at www.goldeneaglecam.com. The telescope and camera observe the nest activity from about a quarter-mile away across the canyon. The chicks are getting quite active now and are great fun to watch (see photo page 29). The female is Petra, and the two chicks have been named Fluffy and Goldy by the children... Full story
With the continued discussion regarding a paved trail connecting Black Butte Ranch and Sisters, it is instructive to look at how such trails have affected other communities in the U.S. Headwaters Economics, an independent, nonpartisan research organization, maintains a trail library that contains 90 professional studies on the impact of trails, especially in small or medium-sized towns like Sisters: http://headwaterseconomics.org/trail. These studies overwhelmingly find that trails connecting communities bring many benefits... Full story
At the beginning of spring break the Project Uganda team checked 28 suitcases - donated by members of the Sisters community - at the Redmond airport on their way to Uganda. Weighing in at 50 pounds each, the suitcases were filled with 250 brand-new athletic shoes, donated by Sisters Middle School (SMS) social studies teacher Casey Pallister, and 451 menstrual kits handmade and donated by volunteers from Days for Girls Organization. The bags also included clothing, hygiene... Full story
Sisters' annual spring celebration of the arts kicks off next month with a parade, art stroll, and art auction fundraiser. My Own Two Hands (MOTH), the annual fundraiser for Sisters Folk Festival's educational outreach programs, begins on May 8 with a parade at 4 p.m. on Main Avenue, an art stroll at 22 local businesses from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., and a Community Arts Celebration at 6:30 p.m. at The Belfry. On Saturday, May 9 at 6 p.m. Ponderosa Forge and Ironworks will be transformed into an auction and party venue for the... Full story
You might have wondered what the story is behind that dental clinic on wheels you may see parked occasionally in front of the Kiwanis building on Main Avenue. The idea grew from the dream of Celia Grayson, who wanted to help break the cycle of poverty in Sisters. She recognized that bad teeth can make a bad impression on employers during the hiring process and, because gum disease can lead to serious illnesses when regular cleanings are delayed for financial reasons, it may... Full story
Sisters won all three games they played this past week. The Outlaws squeaked out a 9-8 win in the bottom of the seventh at home against Elmira on Monday, April 13, and at home two days later, they beat Junction City 10-3. On Friday, they crushed the Bulldogs at Sutherlin 19-2. Sisters' defense had a very rough first inning in their game against Elmira on Monday. The Outlaws hit two batters, walked one, and committed three infield errors to give the Falcons six base runners.... Full story
The boys tennis team won by the slimmest of margins against Blanchet at Black Butte Ranch on Wednesday, April 15. Sisters tied 4-4 in matches played, but won 10-8 in sets. Colin Reinert pulled out the only single win at the No. 1 spot. Reinert dominated play, and his big serves were key in his 6-2, 6-4 victory over Kimmitoshi Nakano. Sisters won three of the four doubles matches played. Ben Johnson and Gabe Willitts (No. 2 doubles) beat Spencer Schibig and Dakota Juring 6-2,... Full story
The boys lacrosse team started their week with a very tough game against fifth-ranked Bend on Wednesday, April 15, and fell short in a final score of 19-9. Three days later, the Outlaws bounced back with a 10-7 victory at home against Churchill. On Wednesday, the Outlaws scored their first goal in the first two minutes of the contest. They played hard, and never quit until the final whistle blew. Joe Jones led the Outlaws with four goals, Mark Fish recorded two, and Chance Hal... Full story
The girls tennis team won their match against Blanchet under sunny skies on Wednesday, April 15. Sisters won the match 10-8 on sets, as they split the matches 4-4. Two days later they tied 2-2 at home against Henley, and a day later attended the Madras Invitational. On Wednesday, the Outlaws won three of their doubles matches. Brenna Weems and Jesse Farr-Baenziger (No. 1 doubles) grabbed an easy 6-2, 6-1 victory over Sophie Poole and Tessa Sullivan. "Although Brenna and Jesse... Full story
The Lady Outlaws lacrosse players had three big games this past week. The squad started with a 15-10 loss against Corvallis on Tuesday, April 14. Four days later, Sisters played at home in a double-header. The Outlaws fell 17-6 in their first game against West Salem and then lost 17-9 against Crescent Valley. Sisters played a great game against Corvallis on Tuesday. The Spartans scored two quick goals at the onset and took a 2-0 lead. With just over two and a half minutes off... Full story
Erynn Ricker and Michaela Miller each won three events as the Outlaws came within a whisker of winning the three-way Sky-Em meet at Junction City on Thursday, April 16. The host Tigers won the meet with 92 points, followed by Sisters (86) and Sweet Home (68). Ricker swept the 100-meter (13.37), 200 (27.69), and pole vault (8 feet 6 inches), while Miller nabbed firsts in the 100 hurdles (16.68), the 300 hurdles (48.55), and the long jump (15 feet 3 inches). Miller and Ricker... Full story
The third and final meet for the Central District Oregon High School Equestrian Teams (OHSET) was held last weekend at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds. The Sisters team rode in fine form, collecting more than their fair share of medals and buckles. Junior Cammi Benson claimed five gold medals, a feat never before accomplished in the Central District. She also won the Individual Performance High Point buckle for the season. She qualified for state competition in all five of her events: Hunt Seat English Equitation,... Full story
Hardtails Bar & Grill will host a memorial fundraiser to benefit the family of Shemiah Gillan all day on Saturday, May 9. Shemiah Gillan was killed April 12 in a motorcycle accident, leaving a 3-year-old daughter Delaynie and his fiancé Aubrey Pepperling. "His little family, his parents, as well as the rest the Gillans are in need of help for the funeral costs and other expenses along the way," Hardtails noted in a prepared release. "Your support will help Aubrey an... Full story
Sisters' new carwash is up and running at Outlaw Station. The new, automated $450,000 facility is located at the west end of the plaza, around the corner from Ray's Food Place and next to the Pacific Pride cardlock gas station. That location was deliberate, according to Outlaw Station developer Todd Taylor. "It was to complement everything that we've done out here," Taylor said. After much research, Taylor decided to go with a brush system instead of a "touchless" chemical... Full story
The Sisters High School jazz choir regularly share their talents with the residents of Sisters, but once a year they travel out of town for their annual trip to share their music with a new audience. This year the jazz choir took a four-day trip to Newport. The trip was chaperoned by director Rick Johnson and pianist Julie Cash. Every year the jazz choir president and vice president plan a handful of trips which are then presented to the choir and voted upon in the first couple months of the school year. The rest of the year... Full story
The Sisters City Council is planning to change the way it handles public-records requests and fees. As proposed, a fee of $40 per hour will apply to all public-records requests to cover staff time for locating, researching, scanning and sending documents. Staff may waive inspection or research fees for not more than five requests that require half-an-hour or less of staff time, from the same requester in a calendar year. All requests will be prorated to 15-minute increments. I... Full story
City staff has asked for direction from the Sisters City Council regarding upcoming public-service contract expirations and whether they wanted to extend several of them or initiate new requests for proposal (RFPs). The City attorney, insurance agent of record, and audit services require three-year contracts with the option for one two-year extension. The City engineer contract for two years does not have an option for extension. The building inspection services contract is fo... Full story
•Dixie Eckford, Earth Day event coordinator wrote: Three cheers and a big Sisters thank-you to all the volunteers who made the Earth Day Spring Clean event a huge success. Your enthusiastic hard work on Saturday resulted in over 80 bags of trash and hundreds of cigarette butts being removed from the high school grounds and disc golf area, local roadways, parks and city streets. Let's continue our commitment to care for our beautiful Sisters home by keeping it clean and... Full story
It's a delicate business, taking on an iconic business in Sisters. Folks want to revisit the treasures they have become accustomed to seeing - and customers also want something fresh and new. Virginia Patskowski has been walking that line for three years now, as the owner of Sisters Cascade of Gifts. One thing that hasn't changed at Sisters Cascade of Gifts is the fudge counter. "That's our mainstay," Patskowski said. In fact, Virginia was making the legendary fudge for the... Full story
It may not be a "done deal," but the Oregon Department of Transportation has a clear preference for installing a roundabout at the intersection of Highway 20 and Barclay Drive at the west end of Sisters. ODOT is seeking "concurrence" from the City of Sisters in moving forward with a design for the roundabout, which the City indicated in 2011 was the preferred control mechanism for that intersection. In the intervening years, ODOT worked with the freight industry to ensure... Full story
•The new construction behind Hop N Bean will be new residences, by Legacy Builders. •Rio Restaurant is planning to "pack the house" for Geoff Pepperling, a life-long Sisters resident, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November 2014. Geoff's cancer is Stage 4. His dying wish is to go to Yellowstone and Salt Lake City as well as his mother's homestead in Colorado, with his daughter and family by his side. On Tuesday May 5, Rio will be donating 15 percent of... Full story
Gov. Kate Brown has declared a drought emergency in five counties - Crook, Harney and Klamath Counties, Lake, and Malheur - and others may not be far behind. The five are the driest in a state that's facing record dry conditions, having experienced the warmest winter since 1895, low snowpack, and lack of rain. "As you know, we cannot talk about prosperity and economic recovery without acknowledging the crucial role water plays in our quality of life and our livelihoods," the governor said in her State of the State message... Full story
