News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 18 of 18
What does a 28-year-old solar light technician, a nurse and mother of two children, and a 51-year-old regional healthcare developer all have in common? Each of these individuals live a seemingly standard day-to-day life, but on Sunday, May 31, they clicked into the pedals and lined up at the Sisters Stampede - and came away as first-place finishers. The Sisters Stampede, in it's seventh year, has solidified itself in the community of recreational cyclists as the biggest... Full story
Xtreme Bulls storms the Sisters Rodeo arena Wednesday night with 42 riders hoping for eight seconds on some of the toughest and most athletic bulls in professional rodeo. The gates open at 5:30 for the 7 p.m. all-bulls event. Seth Glause, a former Sisters bull ride champion, is back in action after multiple season-ending injuries in 2013. He will have tremendous competition, including current No. 7 in world standings, Cody Kiser. The action will be fast and wild as these... Full story
With interim City Manager Rick Allen, what you see is what you get. A personable, energetic professional who likes people. Allen says he enjoys a challenge. He has years of experience in the public sector, including being the youngest mayor in the state when serving in Madras at age 29. Allen's broad background as a small-business developer and owner, as well as his collaborative efforts with a variety of entities while serving in the public sector, have equipped him with the... Full story
To the Editor: Please give a big Sisters "Hi, Hello or Howdy" to eight international college students! Having lived for 44 years in Central Oregon we are excited for the opportunity to welcome eight international college students to our community through a work and travel program. We believe there are extraordinary benefits of cultural exchange both personally and in our work place. We were so impressed with each student during their interview and how eager they are to experience the American culture. These students are from... Full story
The Anvil Blasters will host a benefit concert at The Barn on Friday, June 17 at 7 p.m., in support of Sisters-based nonprofit Warfighter Outfitters. Warfighter Outfitters was founded by veterans and is run by veterans to provide fellow veterans with the opportunity to get into the outdoors and pursue activities they love - despite troubled times and injuries. The mission of Warfighter Outfitters is to get combat-wounded veterans out on the land hunting, or on the waters... Full story
Sisters schools will move to a semester schedule in the 2016-17 school year. Superintendent Curt Scholl announced the change from trimesters to semesters in a letter to parents and community members on Friday. "To start this school year, it was evident that our current schedule at the high school was creating various issues with allowing our students being able to have a full schedule," Scholl wrote. "A combination of loss of staff, blocked classes, and scheduling core classes for all three trimesters contributed to this... Full story
Gordon Halsten of Sisters, 93, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1941-45 and was stationed at Sitka and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as San Pedro, California, recently joined with other World War II veterans on an Honor Flight visit to Washington, D.C., where they visited the World War II memorial, the U.S. Capitol, and numerous other memorials including the Iwo Jima Memorial, where they enjoyed a special presentation by the United States Marine Corps Silent Drill... Full story
For the last 13 years Shannon Pollard has worked with Sisters Elementary School students in the school's Garden Club. Once a week for most of the school year, students in kindergarten through fourth grade attend Garden Club either during their lunch recess or immediately after school. They learn about plants, seeds, compost worms and simply enjoy getting their hands dirty. Last Saturday, Pollard, her family and a few dedicated volunteers hosted the 13th Annual Garden Fair at... Full story
Despite tight budgets, Sisters students have some extraordinary opportunities in Sisters schools - thanks to community partnerships and dedicated volunteers. The Sisters School Board heard about two of those programs at their Wednesday, June 1, meeting. Students of "The Dead Programmers Society" (a play on The Dead Poets Society) offered up a presentation on their video game creation, which earned them a "Best Design" award - middle-school level - from the Oregon Games Project... Full story
The staff at Melvin's Fir Street Market - all 26 of them - are happy folks these days. With the completion of a major remodeling project, they now have a whole lot more space to work in. "It's like you can breath now," said Sandee Herburger as she prepped food for the lunch crowd in an expansive new kitchen. "Heaven." The kitchen is 500 square feet bigger than the old, cramped quarters in which the staff had to turn out sandwiches, soups and the other fresh, ready-to-go items... Full story
Not all of the action on rodeo weekend takes place in the arena. There are plenty of opportunities to kick up your heels after watching the broncs and bulls. Sisters Saloon is bringing back classic Sisters after-rodeo party action starting Wednesday night with Dry Canyon Stampede playing after Xtreme Bulls. The local outfit led by Kurt Silva will play in the saloon's courtyard, which features a brand-new stage. For the rest of the weekend, Thursday through Saturday night,... Full story
Your Maine coon cat is napping peacefully on your bed, when suddenly she bolts up, wide awake and is clearly uncomfortable. She extends her neck and hacks and gags in distress. Then, to her relief (and your dismay), she regurgitates something unusual-looking on your coverlet. The scary-looking cylindrical shaped UFO that kitty has disgorged is actually a trichobezoer or commonly referred to as a hairball. The hairball or the damp wad of undigested hair, moistened by your... Full story
Dramatic video of civil unrest incidents in the past few years or police tactical team deployments have once again raised the ugly, and ill-informed, boogeyman specter of the "militarized police." Critics cite the use of armored rescue vehicles - which they almost inevitably and absurdly describe as tanks, the acquisition of military surplus items such as grenade launchers, or MRAP vehicles (an armored anti-mine personnel carrier), or the individual weapons carried by police... Full story
Three weeks ago, the Forest Service opened a new handicapped-accessible trail to a scenic overlook above Whychus Creek south of town. It's a very easy loop trail of about a mile. In the process, however, another trail - in Whychus Draw - was also opened. Although it is less than half a mile in length, it opens up the area to an entirely new hiking opportunity. The trail in Whychus Draw takes off from a spot adjacent to the new overlook. In all the years I've been wandering... Full story
Lawrence "Wendell" Baker of Sisters, Oregon, passed away on May 28, 2016, surrounded by his family at St. Charles Medical Center Bend. He was 82. A Celebration of Life gathering of family and friends will be planned for later this year. When diagnosed with cancer in December 2015, he faced the challenge of chemotherapy and eventually radiation therapy with great courage, optimism and fight. This was typical of how he approached life's challenges. He was going to "do his best"... Full story
Alice was born June 19, 1932 in Rockdale, Illinois to Nicholas and Alexandra Lukasevich. She acquired her bachelor's degree in education at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Alice taught K-3 children in California and Oregon for 30 years, and retired from the Bend-La Pine School District in 1989. She married Ben C. Blake in 1953 and was the mother of three children: Ben C. (deceased); Gloria Calkins; and Nancy Blake. She is also survived by three grandchildren: Megan; Christopher; and Hannah. Alice actively... Full story
Cancer is a powerful motivator for change. Sometimes it takes the realization that death is closer than we think to finally wake up and live. There are parts of my life that I chose to ignore. When I look back, I see myself walking around like a zombie, eyes dull and my body moving without much direction. Sometimes I would wake up and realize I wasn't living my life to its fullest. I'd make a meager attempt at change but soon lapsed back into sleepwalking through my days. Why are our addictions stronger than our will to... Full story
One hundred and twenty-four young men and women formally moved into the next stage of their lives at the 68th commencement of Sisters High School on Friday, June 3, in front of a capacity crowd in the SHS gym. Tradition ruled the evening's ceremony, as high school faculty, dressed in their black gowns and university hoods, led the procession into the gym to "The Imperial March" from Star Wars. The music transitioned to "Pomp and Circumstance" as the graduates filed in to the... Full story
