News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 26
Sisters Habitat for Humanity marked a major milestone last Sunday, with the dedication of the chapter's 50th home in Sisters. The dedication capped an active weekend, which featured the organization's second Women Build, which was part of a nationwide project over the weekend. About 45 women participated, according to chapter Executive Director Sharlene Weed. "We had four shifts of about 10," she said. The workers had a choice of serving on a framing crew at the future home... Full story
The Sisters Annual Lacrosse Invitational (SALI) Tournament held Friday through Sunday, May 10-12, drew 78 teams from all over the Northwest, including Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada. Ten fields were needed for the 120-plus games that were played over the weekend by players 5 years of age through high school. Last year 52 teams attended the SALI tourney, so this year's event marked significant growth. Coach Bill Rexford stated, "This year's tournament was our biggest, and... Full story
Rev. Richard Schmidtke is certain his dog Snowball was the victim of a distracted driver. The purebred Brittany was killed before his eyes on April 16, as he walked her on Larch Street at the north end of Sisters. The dog was on an electronic collar and was leaving the roadway when she was struck. According to Schmidtke, the driver did not attempt to avoid the dog and drove on, stopping briefly to look back before leaving the scene. The sheriff's office reports no leads on... Full story
The City of Sisters began work on a waterline improvement project on Hood Avenue and Fir Street in downtown Sisters on Monday, May 6. The project contract was awarded to JAL Construction, Inc. and is anticipated to be complete by June 30. The project will include new upsized water mainlines. The larger mainlines will allow the city to provide better water quality, increased fire flows and a higher level of service to businesses and residents. They will replace smaller lines that were installed in the 1960s and '70s that... Full story
Serving on the Sisters School Board is a significant commitment. In many ways, the schools are the centerpiece of the community, and stewardship of their future is a profound trust. The community is fortunate to have multiple candidates willing to step up and volunteer the time and energy to do that vital work. Kay Grady is running unopposed and Justin Durham's opponent has withdrawn from the race, leaving only two of the open seats contested. Voters should return current chair Don Hedrick to the board in Position 1. Hedrick... Full story
To the Editor: Edie Jones is a passionate proponent of education for those of all ages. We have known her for many years and highly recommend her for Position 3 on the Sisters School Board. Edie has had a lifetime of leadership roles in her community, with an emphasis on early childhood education. Edie and her family owned Camp Tamarack for a number of years, with many of the same campers returning year after year. In our Central Oregon community she served as executive director of Together For Children for many years, a... Full story
The Board of Directors of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show has named Jeanette Pilak as the in-coming executive director. Pilak will replace current executive director Ann Richardson, who announced her intention last fall to step down from the position following the 2013 show. Pilak will join the staff as in-coming director on May 28, participate in this year's show, and assume her new role around August 1. Pilak is a recognized cultural non-profit organization professional who has worked extensively in Oregon and other states.... Full story
Ever since the Deschutes Land Trust (DLT) took last year's historic step of returning Whychus Creek to its original meandering path at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, anxious eyes have watched to see how the fish would adapt. Last week, longtime DLT board member Rod Bonacker led a group of local residents on a fish-oriented tour of the new Whychus Creek channel to discuss just that. Bonacker began his tour with a brief history of the historic salmon and steelhead runs of the... Full story
Ronni Duff and Lois Worcester have helped a lot of people get to know Sisters better over the years. It's the thing they like best about their job. That job is volunteering at the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center. Worcester has been at it for 16 years. "I've worked in five different buildings," she said. Lois is a people person, and she gets to meet all kinds when they come in for information. "I just find meeting people so rewarding," she said. "And you meet... Full story
Jena Rickards' life was changed one night on the stage at Sisters High School (SHS) Auditorium. Now she's come full-circle, to open for Keb' Mo' in the sold-out 2013 Starry Nights concert on Saturday, May 18. Rickards was a junior at SHS that night back in 2007, an Americana Project student who had developed a passion for songwriting. She was part of a student performance opening for country music superstar Vince Gill. At the time, her ambition was to become a physical... Full story
Sisters Elementary School students got a clear look at life in tide pools on Tuesday, May 7. Oregon Coast Aquarium educators brought a little bit of marine science to Sisters. Students were totally engaged in the video presentation, viewed and touched hands-on exhibits, and some were chosen to dress up as animals that live in the tide pools. The kids learned how each animal moved, ate, and survived in their unique environment. And, to let the kids release a little of their... Full story
Dave Marlow was born and raised in the Portland metro area, and after 30 years working in the engineering department for the Port of Portland, Marlow retired to Sisters 13 years ago. A frequent visitor to Sunriver for family vacations, on one visit they came through Sisters instead of going back over Mt. Hood, and they fell in love with the area. Marlow is running against newcomer Eric Pronold and current board chair Don Hedrick for the four-year Position 1 on the school... Full story
Local youth camp owner and early childhood education activist Edie Jones is running for Position 3 on the Sisters School Board. This election is for a two-year term to finish out the term of Christine Jones. Melvin Herburger is the other candidate for this position. Edie Jones has actually written "the book" on the importance of early childhood education. The working title is "Raising Kids with Love, Honor and Respect," and the book is a direct result of her 20 years with the... Full story
The SALI (Sisters Annual Lacrosse Invitational) tournament held last weekend for the first time included a girls high school division, with Sisters, Thurston, Bend United and Boise River in attendance. The Lady Outlaws defeated all three of their competitors for a 3-0 top tournament finish. Sisters beat Boise River 5-1 on Saturday and on Sunday defeated Bend United 7-5 and went on to crush Thurston 13-0. Sisters matched up against Boise River (BR) on Saturday in a very physica... Full story
Swimmer Tom Landis returned from the masters nationals in Indianapolis last weekend with a fistful of championship medals in hand. His only blemish on a perfect record was a second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle, which he narrowly lost to Jim Elder of Minnesota, who was one of the meet's other stars. Otherwise, all the medals were gold. Landis earned national championship honors in 1,000-yard freestyle (12:20.51), 500 free (6:02.35), 200 free (2:10.48), 400 individual medley (5:37.35) and 200 IM (2:34.62). Landis, of... Full story
It's been said that life isn't so much about the destination but the journey. The same thing could be said for a mountain bike race. The grueling events test strength, endurance, and the mental fortitude to finish when the mind starts to write a check the body can't quite cash. Created by Coach Brett Miller and assistant coach Warren Rice, Outlaw Cycling participated in its first mountain bike race of the season last Saturday at the long-running Cascade Chainbreaker west of Be... Full story
Tucked away in an off-the-beaten-path corner inside Sisters' city limits lies Mahonia Gardens. Located on property owned by the Tehan family, Mahonia Gardens is a productive experimental garden that will expand the understanding of the challenge of gardening in the High Desert. Benji Nagel and Carys Wilkins launched Mahonia Gardens this spring after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Kickstarter is an online crowd-source fundraising device that has helped several local... Full story
Trees are a major part of our landscape in Sisters Country - the forests that surround us and our own little forests on our private land. The health of our forests is under threat. Drought, wildfire and insect infestation can kill the beauties we hold dear - and the problem may be getting worse. "With this drought we're sliding into, the stress on trees is going to be phenomenal," says Dave Vitelle of Bear Mountain Fire. Drought can make trees more vulnerable to attack by... Full story
Investing in your home is a financially sound - and very satisfying - way to enhance your quality of life. Relatively simple and straightforward projects can help you turn your existing home into your dream home, and you can often recoup almost all of your costs in enhanced value. Doors & Windows The entryway is the focal point of your home's exterior. It's a statement about what lies beyond that door. "It's the entryway to the way (you) live," says Brad King, owner of Lakeview Millworks in Sisters. A beautiful custom... Full story
The Outlaws held La Pine scoreless in their final two games of league to push their consecutive league wins to 33, breaking the Sky-Em record. Sisters shut out the Hawks 9-0 at home on Tuesday, and three days later they crushed the Hawks at La Pine 20-0, in a game that was stopped after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Joey Morgan was the winning pitcher in Tuesday's matchup. Sisters got 15 hits in the game and committed one error. The Hawks had six errors in the con... Full story
The girls tennis team upset the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 tournament seeds to earn a second-place finish at the Special District 3 Girls' Tennis Tournament held at Black Butte Ranch on Thursday and Friday, May 9 and 10. North Bend took top honors with a team score of 35 and Sisters finished second with 23 points. Klamath Union was third with 22 points and Henley took fourth with 18. Two of Sisters' doubles teams qualified for state and will play at the University of Oregon next... Full story
The Wally Ciochetti Invitational has become a premier track and field event, attracting some of the very best 4A teams and providing outstanding competition for teams entering the championship part of the season. A total of 17 teams took part in the meet held at Cottage Grove High School under balmy conditions. One after another, Outlaws athletes improved season and career bests as the twilight meet moved from afternoon to evening, according to Coach Josh Nordell. On... Full story
Sisters High School's varsity softball team swept La Pine, but didn't get enough help from other teams and finished second in the Sky-Em League. They will host a play-in game on Thursday against an opponent yet to be determined. In order to win the league title, the Outlaws needed for Cottage Grove (2-13 in league and 4-18 overall) to win one of two final season games against Elmira last week, but the Falcons won twice (9-1, 7-2) to capture league with a 12-3 record, one... Full story
The boys tennis team tied for a second-place finish with Henley (both with 22 points) at the Sky-Em 4A District Tournament held at South Medford High School on Monday and Tuesday, May 6 and 7. Powerhouse North Bend took first-place honors with a team total of 28 points. Cascade Christian tallied 16 points and St. Mary's posted 14. Paul Fullhart was the lone Outlaw to make it to the semifinals and secure a berth to the state tournament in Eugene next week. Fullhart beat Jack O'Hara of Cascade Christian 6-2, 6-1 in the first... Full story
The boys golf team has worked all year with hopes of making it to the state tournament, and this past week their dreams came true. Sisters took second place at the district tournament, held at Tokatee on Monday and Tuesday, May 6 and 7, which earned them a berth to state. Sisters finished with a two-day team total of 725, behind Cottage Grove, who took top honors with a score of 714. Third place went to Sweet Home (751), Junction City was fourth (773) and La Pine rounded out the scores at 792. Nate Pajutee and Tyler Berg both... Full story
