News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
People are concerned that the recent rapid growth occurring in Sisters might change the character of our town. The current population is about 3,286. Portland State University projects that by 2041 there could be 6,700 within the city limits. How do we provide for that kind of increase while maintaining the quality of life and ambiance for which Sisters is known? Those were questions the community wrestled with Thursday night as residents packed the Sisters Fire Hall... Full story
Abuse of recycling center To the Editor: Every single time I go to the Sisters Recycle Center to drop off recyclables I find that most all of the bins contain junk, trash, and other wayward items. The other day it was one of the most common items: huge pieces of styrofoam. But along with that were two mops and multiple paper bags full of garbage. And that’s just what I could see in the one bin I used. I have found yard waste, metallic wrapping paper, and almost anything you can imagine except legitimate recyclables. It’s not... Full story
Jimmy Ralph Willard, born in Le Flore, Oklahoma, to Ebb and Della Willard, passed away May 7, 2022, at his home in Sisters surrounded by his family. He was 86. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ida Mae (Davis); brother Phillip; daughters Rhonda Bellinger (Patrick) and Tina Brown; son Larry (Dana); six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Jim was an avid fisherman. He enjoyed lake fishing on the high lakes of Central Oregon and catfishing on Hugo Lake in... Full story
Pam was born to Francis and Alice Harvey on May 16, 1953, in Dallas, Oregon. She was raised and attended Dallas schools, graduating high school in 1971. On August 6, 1971, Pam married Tim Bookey. They had two children, Tamera and Jason. After that marriage ended, Pam married Wallace Kundert on November 24, 1984, gaining two step-children, Barry and Jeffrey. Pam worked in insurance from 1971 to 1987 at Stan Malo/Wall Insurance in Dallas, until moving to Monterrey, Mexico, where... Full story
From the first day I set foot in Oregon — literally — rattlesnakes came into my life. I was leaving the old Hampton Station, out east of Bend on Highway 20, having stopped there for a cold Pepsi. It was the last week in September and a huge line of thunderstorms was ahead of me on and above that glorious snowcapped Cascade skyline, and I was wondering what Bend would be like. As my old 1947 Harley 74 OHV carried me past the Millican store, I spotted a snake... Full story
Eight Sisters High School equestrian team members got to face off with riders and horses from all over Oregon in the 2022 Oregon High School Equestrian Team State Championships held May 12-15 at Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. Oregon High School Equestrian Team is separated into eight regions during the regular season. The best from each region compete at the state meet, featuring competitors from over two dozen schools. The four-day competition features 26 different even... Full story
Sisters Farmers Market will launch a new season of microlocal food, artisanal goods, and live entertainment on June 5. While many slots are already filled, the market is still seeking volunteers, vendors, nonprofit organizations, and musicians to participate. Volunteering can take many forms. At age 11, Sisters Middle School student Molly Fredland volunteered throughout last season. “It was very fun and it was a great learning experience,” she said. Helping vendors set up boo... Full story
The Black Butte Ranch Women’s Golf Club (BBRWGC) launched its season on May 17, with a two-person scramble and get-together. There’s still room for more women to join the group. Members encourage anyone interested in joining to contact steering committee member Jane Slingsby at [email protected] Even with the first event taking place, it’s still a great time to join. “I have been a member of the BBRWGC for several years, and I have so enjoyed all the women I have met and played with over the years. The Tuesday game da... Full story
The Three Sisters Historical Society is celebrating National Historic Preservation Month this May with three tours of Camp Polk Meadow and the Camp Polk Cemetery in collaboration with the Deschutes Land Trust, which manages the Meadow. The three tours are each limited to 10 people, and reservations may be made by calling Historical Society president Jan Hodgers, who will be leading the tours, at 541-788-0274. On the day of the tour, meet at the Deschutes Land Trust kiosk... Full story
The man who allegedly made a threat to a Sisters school on May 5, leading to an early dismissal of students and a couple of days of heightened alert, has been taken into custody by law enforcement. Charles Matthew Schmiel, 41, faces one charge of first-degree disorderly conduct. According to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, detectives learned the location of Schmiel on May 16. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office detectives contacted the Beaverton Police Department and relayed the information regarding Schmiel’s locat... Full story
Sisters resident Dale Holub is an esteemed master woodworker. His creations are in homes and buildings around the globe, with collectors from Kuwait to Canada, the Hawaiian Islands, Japan, and throughout the U.S. Holub describes his work as contemporary Craftsman style. Signature appointments include handles and pulls in solid ebony, rosewood, birds-eye maple, and inlay detailing only he makes. Holub’s creative side is fed by design challenges and multifaceted projects that i... Full story
Who are these guys? That was the question being asked all weekend as Sisters area campgrounds filled to overflowing and hotels put out No Vacancy signs. Some 443 cyclists entered the Cascade Gravel Grinder, the second stage in a four-stage gravel bike extravaganza that began with The Gorge Gravel Grinder April 24, in Dufor, Oregon. The next leg, and a barn-burner, promoters promise, is the Oregon Trail Gravel Grinder that brings it all back to Sisters June 22-26, with five... Full story
As did many organizations, the parent/child program Together For Children (TFC) took an imposed hiatus during the pandemic. They are now returning to Sisters, reconnecting at SPRD with a weekly program for families with young children. No matter how resourceful parents have been during the pandemic, socialization and interaction with others has been limited, making it hard to introduce those important skills to their toddlers. TFC is a proven antidote to that problem. The same is true if parenting a two-year-old seems... Full story
Most of the Sisters Outlaws track athletes saved their best performances of the season for when it mattered most, at the Oregon West District Championships held May 13-14 at Husky Field in Sweet Home. There are three ways for athletes to qualify for the state meet, which will return to Hayward Field in Eugene for the first time in three years. The top two finishers in each event automatically qualify, along with one “wild card” from each event based on being the best thi... Full story
Every year entering the spring season, Sisters High School Choir Director Rick Johnson asks his group of students if they would like to compete in state choir competition, or if they’d rather visit an Oregon university and work with faculty and tour the music programs at Oregon colleges. This year, students were eager to compete. “We had just come out of the musical and students said they wanted to compete at the district level,” said Johnson. The Sisters High School concert c... Full story
Been doing a little work for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in, one of the most significant events in modern American political history. The aftershocks of the botched political espionage operation that ultimately brought down the Nixon presidency continue to reverberate today, as evidenced by the persistent tendency to attach the suffix “gate” to any political scandal, large or small, that captures our attention (i.e., “Russiagate”). Even for people... Full story
In preparation for the warm weather and tourist and special event season, two of Sisters’ finest took part in a day-long bicycle training held at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Sisters substation. Deputies Mike Hudson and Josh Westfall, along with officers from Bend, Sunriver, and Black Butte Ranch, spent the morning weaving around cones in the parking lot, riding through the forest on multi-use dirt trails, and on paved and graveled roads. The afternoon was spent wor... Full story
The nationwide infant formula shortage has reached crisis proportions. Mothers in some locales are driving as much as four hours to find the product. Others are paying online profiteers three to four times its normal price. And, most desperately and dangerously, some moms are diluting the mix to ration what they have. Doctors warn that this is harmful, with any number of potential detriments to a child’s development. Given that Sisters skews toward an older population and i... Full story
The Sisters Ranger District plans to ignite a prescribed fire on up to 177 acres roughly five miles south of Sisters along the FS 1505 road on Tuesday, May 17. Operations will begin as early as 9 a.m. and will continue until ignitions are complete, or conditions become unfavorable. This treatment is part of the Sisters Area Fuels Reduction Project and is intended to reduce hazardous fuels in the wildland-urban interface and return forest stands to historic conditions by reintroducing fire on the landscape. This unit is a... Full story
