News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
Folks in Sisters know Roberto Cardenas as the proprietor of Rio Restaurant at FivePine. Few know that he is an outstanding competitive racquetball player. A week ago, Cardenas medaled in the International Racquetball Tour tournament in Portland, taking silver in A-division singles and gold in open 35-and-older doubles. The impressive showing is typical of Cardenas' competitive play. He's been a force to be reckoned with at regional and national competitions that draw the best... Full story
The search for a permanent city manager will not get underway until July. Meeting in a workshop last Thursday, the city council agreed unanimously that they will not lay out a detailed plan for a search for a new permanent city manager until after the budgeting cycle is complete at the end of June. Limited-duration city manager Andrew Gorayeb's current employment agreement expires in July. It is expected that the search for a permanent city manager will take a number of weeks or months to complete. In effect, Thursday's... Full story
For the second year in a row three athletes from Sisters have been selected to represent the Pacific Northwest in a national tournament with Team Northwest Baseball, based out of Puyallup, Washington. The USA Baseball Team Nationals (formally the Junior Olympics), are slated for late June and early July near Phoenix, Arizona at the MLB spring training facilities of the Mariners and Padres, the Dodgers and White Sox, and the Reds and Indians. Joey Morgan, a junior at Sisters... Full story
To the Editor: Many generous folks in Sisters use the Oregon Cultural Trust's tax credit when they contribute to Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) programs like the Americana Project. The tax credit is now up for renewal. The possibility of Oregon Cultural Trust loosing the tax credit has dire consequences for the 1,300 arts, heritage and humanities nonprofits who benefit from its existence. As SFF's development director, I see firsthand the correlation between the tax credit and contributions SFF receives. The tax credit shines a... Full story
A limited number of tickets are left for "Starry Nights Presents Keb' Mo'," featuring the three-time Grammy Award-winning artist in a solo acoustic performance at Sisters High School on Saturday, May 18. Opening the concert will be Jena Rickards and Friends. Rickards, a 2008 Sisters High School graduate, is an accomplished singer-songwriter who will be joined by Nashville musicians Cody Fry and Niko Xidas. Lobby doors open at 6 p.m. and theater doors at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7 p.m. The lobby will feature... Full story
A vision to bring the Sisters community together to pray for each other, the community, and the country culminated Thursday morning in the first annual Sisters Community Prayer Breakfast. Led by Peter Storton and Jim Horsley, the event commemorated the National Day of Prayer held the first Thursday in May as designated by President Lincoln's proclamation of a national day of prayer in 1863. In a statement made by President Obama on May 1, the President said, "I join the citizens of our nation in giving thanks, in accordance... Full story
Sisters-area trails have some new additions and improvements this year, and the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) wants everyone to know about them. The STA was founded more than a decade ago to encourage the improvement, creation, and use of trails in the Sisters area. The STA has no way to accurately monitor the growing number of people who use the local trail system. What is apparent, however, is that the 15,000 free trail maps that the local organization printed last year... Full story
Keeping bees is a hot pursuit nowadays, ever since it became known that bee hives were collapsing at an alarming rate. Nature's best pollinators were dying by the millions for reasons unknown and people wanted to save these helpful insects. And having your own backyard honey supply is a bonus. Eric and Peter Liddell of Sisters love local honey and wanted to have enough hives to supply themselves and their extended family (there's a lot of them) with plenty of the liquid gold.... Full story
Black Butte School is tiny - its 24 students about the size of a single class in the Sisters School District. But over decades, with high standards and a strong curriculum with lots of one-on-one engagement between teacher and student, the school has built a fine reputation across the state. Parents and community members are passionate about the two-room school - a passion that is reflected in the interest in this May's school board election. Four of five seats are up for... Full story
Donald Eugene Watson passed away peacefully at Providence St. Vincent Hospital on Friday, May 3, one month after undergoing a successful aortic valve replacement. Don was born in 1924 to Marion Robert and Minnie G Watson, in Royal, Nebraska. He was the third of six children born to the family. The family lived in Nebraska and South Dakota during his childhood. He had many stories of family life farming and raising cattle in the Midwest, of trading with the Sioux Indians - the... Full story
Peter Owen Kelly, born October 6, 1934 in San Francisco, California, passed away on May 2, 3013, in Redmond, Oregon. He was the son of Peter and Norma Evelyn (Richards) Kelly. He graduated in 1953 from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco, CA. Peter had a 50-year career in the insurance industry. He was a member of St. Edward the Martyr Catholic Church in Sisters, and a resident of Black Butte Ranch. Survivors include his wife, Diane; daughter Christie Kelly; son... Full story
Bob lost his extended battle with cancer and went home to be with the Lord. Bob's earlier years were spent caring for thoroughbred race horses on both the East and West Coast. His love for animals showed in the relationship he had with his wonderful dog, "Hun." During his last 20 years, Bob lived in Bend and Sisters. Every time he returned to Sisters, he would say, "I'm home." He loved the Sisters community more than any place he had ever traveled to. He had numerous... Full story
Pickleball, one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., has now become an adult program through Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD). The game is played on a hard surface divided into zones by a net, and uses a plastic ball with holes in it. Players use oversize ping-pong paddles. It is a sport that borrows elements from badminton, table tennis, and tennis. Al Boyette had played tennis for 35 years before getting interested in pickleball. "The game is played on a... Full story
The Outlaws routed their competition this past week to push their league record to 13-0 and clinch the Sky-Em league title. Sisters defeated Elmira 11-1 and took down Junction City 11-0. Sisters started their week on Monday, April 29 with a win over Elmira. The home game only went five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. The Outlaws brought in 11 runs on 13 hits and one error. The Falcons had one run on three hits and three errors. Justin Harrer was the Outlaws' winning... Full story
The Metolius River got a whole lot of loving care last week. Darek Staab, project manager with Trout Unlimited, gathered up a whole bunch of people: young kids, old kids, and complete strangers from all over the country, and put them to work repairing the banks of river. Trout Unlimited, with the help of Nate Dachtler, fishery biologist, and Maret Pajutee, both of the Sisters Ranger District, identified several places on the banks of the Metolius River where people had put too... Full story
Growing up on a small Wisconsin dairy farm, four years in the Marine Corps, and having a father with 28 years of service on the school board has given Position 1 candidate Eric Pronold a strong, clear vision of what service means - and of what he would like to see in the schools. The Forest Service field tech and father of two small boys, two and five, expects his kids to graduate from Sisters schools, so he has a vested interest. "This is the first time of me running for any... Full story
Melvin Herburger has tossed his hat in the ring for school board Position 3, running against Edie Jones. In the 15 years that Herburger and his family have been in Sisters, he and his wife Sandee have owned several businesses including the Harvest Basket (eight years), five coffee kiosks scattered around Sisters, Bend, Redmond and Prineville, and for the last two years, Melvin's Fir Street Market. Their two sons are products of the Sisters school system. Herburger said, "I've... Full story
The art of local artists Jean Wells and Judy Hoiness will be on display through the months of May and June at the Lodge Gallery at Black Butte Ranch. An artist reception will be held for both artists this Saturday, May 11, at the Lodge from 4 to 6 p.m. "I have been a fan of Judy's work for some time," said Gallery Coordinator Katie Williams. "When I asked Judy if she would be interested in having an exhibit she mentioned that she had been doing collaborative work with Jean wells, and if we would consider a joint exhibit. I... Full story
Just a week ago, the Sisters High School varsity softball team was sitting atop the Sky-Em League standings in a quest for the school's second league title. Then the Outlaws came up on the short end of three pitcher's duels and find themselves battling for a post-season berth in the playoffs. The Outlaws' two-game lead over Elmira a week ago vanished with a pair of shutout losses to Junction City, 1-0 and 3-0, and 4-3 to Elmira. The three-straight losses dropped the Outlaws... Full story
Three Sisters-area swimmers, Scott Miller, Kris Calvin, and Tom Landis scored valuable points in helping their team, Central Oregon Masters Aquatics (COMA) win the championship at the Oregon Masters Swimming Association championship meet in Bend last weekend. The Oregon Reign Masters team from Portland came loaded for bear, committed to unseating the locals on their own turf. The meet championship came down in exciting fashion to the final few events, with COMA eventually prevailing in the closest result ever, 2,309 points... Full story
Sisters Habitat for Humanity is now in the home repair/remodel business. Last week, the local chapter dedicated the Adams Avenue home of Lance and Howard Trowbridge, the first existing home that the chapter has remodeled. And an extensive remodel it was. The house got a new roof, new flooring, a handicapped-accessible bathroom, a wheelchair ramp to accommodate the wheelchair-bound Howard, and a new heating system. Lance Trowbridge lives in the home where he is a caregiver for... Full story
After three months of wrangling, including a bid protest that completely overturned the city's "request for proposal" system, the contract to upgrade the Hood Avenue/First Street water line was awarded to JAL Construction from Bend. The winning bid was $243,744. The original competition for the project was settled in early March with Robinson & Owen Heavy Construction selected on a point system as the winning contractor. At the time the R&O bid was $253,702. The original bid award was appealed by the number-three bidder,... Full story
Two of Sisters High School's finest art students took to the stage Friday night, flanking the Portland-based Ezra Weiss Sextet. As the jazz ensemble filled the Sisters High School Auditorium with music, the artists swept paint across canvas in an audio-visual feast for an enthusiastic audience. "I heard a really good reception from the audience," said music teacher Lia Morgan. The event was aptly titled "The Art of Jazz," The Roundhouse Foundation-sponsored evening of art,... Full story
So there you are, birding on Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, or Summer Lake Wildlife Management Area in summer, or hunting during the season in winter - and you see a swan with a large colored and numbered neck-collar. Or you shoot a duck or goose and it is wearing a neck-collar, or has a band on its leg. Then what? You can join the growing number "citizen scientists," who contribute their unexpected finds to the proper organizations, and discover the snow geese you harveste... Full story
The Outlaws lacrosse team started their week with a tough 10-6 loss to Summit on Tuesday, April 30. Sisters came back with heart and determination three days later to defeat Harney 15-2, which secured them a spot in the first round of the state playoffs. The Outlaws face Bend on Wednesday, May 8, at Hal Puddy field. On Tuesday, Sisters went down 3-0 in the first quarter against the Storm. Mitch Keranen fed Drew Corrigan who knocked it in and closed the gap to 3-1. Summit responded and scored the next four goals to go up 7-1.... Full story
