News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) is debt-free. The long-term debt that the district had been carrying since January of 2009 was retired in May. This was a critical part of the reorganization plan put forth by the board and staff in the spring of 2010. SPRD Business Manager Anne Heath noted that the board determined that SPRD must operate debt-free so as to utilize all revenues to provide programs to the community. "During the reorganization, the board and staff spent many hours analyzing every policy of the district,... Full story
An estimated 250 people packed the old Weitech building on Larch Street to get a "Taste of Gutenberg" - along with some Slick's Que Co. barbecue. The crowd was offered nine different tastes of Gutenberg College's program and curriculum in three concurrent breakout sessions. "We want you to know about Gutenberg as it is, rather than some image of it. We think that if you know it as it is, you will have more confidence in your support," said Gutenberg President David... Full story
All jurisdictions in the Sisters Country will enter fire season and no longer allow outdoor burning of debris and agricultural burns as of June 19 at dusk. "By coordinating the date for the close of burning among all fire agencies, there is no confusion across the county regarding the regulation," said Redmond Fire Chief Tim Moor of the Central Oregon Fire Chief's Association (COFCA). "With the days getting warmer, fuels are drying out and the potential for escaped debris burns to become a wildfire hazard is greatly... Full story
To the Editor: Eugene Trahern's letter of June 8 requires a response. Like Eugene, I have two kids that have worked their way through the Sisters school system, my eldest is now embroiled in more college entrance tests than I ever knew existed. We are in agreement that SAT scores are meaningful, and like other evaluative criteria, can play a significant role in admission to a high-end college. And yet, I know for a fact that an average SAT score does NOT in and of itself exclude one from admission to a top-ranked college.... Full story
Boards set policy; staff executes. I've espoused this mantra as a nonprofit manager for decades, yet found how disabling it can be when utilized in the context of my participation in the deliberations of the Sisters School District Budget Committee last month. Each year several citizens are added to the Sisters School Board for the purpose of considering and adopting the annual budget for the district. This well-meaning group signed on this year with the mistaken assumption that they would have some impact on the expenditure... Full story
As the Sisters Rodeo Parade moseyed down Cascade Avenue under the Saturday morning sunshine, Peggy Dorsett stood watching, feeling exceedingly grateful. Thanks to an outpouring of community support, the owner of Sun Buster Video recently underwent hip replacement surgery, and she has ditched her walking cane for good. "I have so many people to thank," says Dorsett. "It was life-changing." Peggy came dangerously close to losing her ability to walk altogether due to a deteriorat... Full story
Sisters Farmer's Market: Fresh on Fridays got off to a small but shining start with a dozen vendors offering local products to an enthusiastic rodeo weekend crowd. Fresh flowers, potted plants, organic produce and artisan-baked goods were all available for sampling and for sale. This was the debut Friday for the market, which is hoping to gain traction with the community throughout the summer every week until mid-September. Bruce Berryhill is one of the four organizers of the... Full story
Sisters-area artist John Bruguier is finding success creating bronze sculptures of the American bison (or buffalo). "These sculptures are a culmination, or a natural progression of my artwork," said Bruguier. "I've always gravitated to landscapes and wildlife, and I've always been intrigued by the American buffalo." His stepfather is Native American, and John grew up on a reservation in northeastern Montana. There he was exposed to Native American culture and Great Plains... Full story
Taking a left off Varco Road to Norma Holmes' place outside of Sisters, visitors get a great example of why folks live here. Pulling into her driveway offers one of the most picturesque views of the Cascade Range. It's no wonder Holmes is one of the most prolific plein-air painters in Central Oregon. All she has to do is walk out her front door to find views people come from all over the world to see. Holmes will be sharing this wonderful place when she hosts an Open Studio an... Full story
"With My Own Two Wheels," a feature-length documentary about the bicycle as a vehicle for change around the world, will play in Sisters on Wednesday, June 22 as part of a cross-country screening tour. The film's producer and co-director, Jacob Seigel-Boettner, will be in Sisters, and there are several ways for people to connect with him, see the film and raise awareness of several local and global bike-related charities. Join Jacob for a road-bike ride from Blazin Saddles at 5:30 p.m. The film begins at 8 p.m. and will... Full story
4: Ambrose, Natalie; Baldessari, Ian; Calvin, Devon; Carlson, Haley; Chandler, Olivia; Clarke, Brenna; Corrigan, Emily; Dumolt, Sarah; Falk, Zoe; Fullhart, Paul; Gilmore, Tyrell; Henson, Claire; Hougham, Wyatt; Johnson, Lindsey; Kaping, Nathan; Knirk, Blake; Lagao, Codie; Lopez, Yasmin; Lund, Sonja; Noone, Shayna; Perry, Breanna; Petterson, Jacobie; Prescott, Landon; Reifschneider, Crystal; Rickards, Evan; Sanders, Kristen; Saunders, Autumn; Spear, Savannah; Valoppi, Zachary; Wattenburg, Kyle; Weems, Jardon; Wren, Erin; Zad... Full story
Some 380 Sisters residents - parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors - piled into the Sisters High School Auditorium to attend the Sisters Dance Academy 2011 Spring Recital on June 6. Each number just about brought down the house. Dance instructor Lonnie Liddell, with the help of her assistants Sharri Bertagna and Poinciana Zelaya, and light and sound technician Jacob Akaka, put on a spectacular dance show involving 83 children of various ages in... Full story
The boys JV baseball team wrapped up a very successful season with a 9-3 record in league and a 12-5 overall finish. Sisters' biggest victory came when they defeated the Huskies at Sweet Home, the toughest team the Outlaws faced in league play. Sisters beat all their league rivals at least once during the season and notched victories in all three games against Mt. View. "This team was very supportive of one another," said Coach Tim Ogilvie. "I believe that's one of the reasons we were so successful this year." Nicky Blumm... Full story
With access to high country trails still limited, it's a challenge to find hiking trails that aren't buried in snow. The Otter Bench Trail System at the north end of Crooked River Ranch is one such find and is accessible pretty much all year. Although the general area has been accessible for years, significant stretches of trail are new. Otter Bench occupies an area on the west rim of the Crooked River Gorge, just upstream of the river's mouth. This stretch of the river has... Full story
Marshmallows, anyone? Big Bear Firepits are taking the night (and day) by storm, with Troy Jenkins and his father, Steve Jenkins, manufacturing these burly, custom-made firepits and burn barrels for home and commercial use out of cold-rolled steel and plenty of old-fashioned ingenuity. The blazing fire rings, many decorated with Western-themed cutouts of horses, stars and horseshoes, are appearing around town and businesses as gathering spots and communal warming zones,... Full story
Brent McGregor - premier juniper wood-worker, cabin-builder, supreme outdoor photographer, mountain-climber, caver, and all around Good Fellow - is also the Chairman of the High Desert Grotto of the National Speological Society (HDG). Last Saturday, Brent and his sidekick Kara Michaleson, along with Mike Scarfini, the newest member of the wildlife biologist team of the Sisters Ranger District, and nine other members of the HDG went out to Charlie-The-Cave, southeast of Bend,... Full story
The Oregon Department of Forestry has long outgrown its 1930s-era facility on Washington Avenue and Elm Street. With the help of a legislative bond passed five years ago and Go Oregon state stimulus money, the agency is now building a 6,000-square-foot facility on Highway 126 just east of Sisters. "Our vehicles don't even fit in the garage anymore," said Ben Duda, assistant fire protection supervisor with the Sisters ODF contingent. He also noted that the location can be probl... Full story
• A local resident discovered a stranger sleeping on the couch. Seems the man had wandered into the wrong house after a night of drinking and... • Deputies responded to a dispute between cab services over curb space. And just for that moment, Sisters felt like NYC. • Two laptops were stolen from an unlocked residence. • A woman was arrested for walking in traffic in a state of intoxication. It was one of several alcohol-related incidents over the weekend. • A man was arre... Full story
• Sisters Christian Academy salutes graduates Danielle Rudinsky, Ethan Schneider and Brandon Bachmier. • Ryley Newport graduated this weekend from Seattle University. He has been working with WISE in Washington while attending the university - an organization that helps young adults with developmental disabilities with supportive employment. He is planning on furthering his education so that he can be involved with public policy for people with... Full story
They don't call it "The Biggest Little Show in the World" for nothing. Rodeo fans packed the Sisters Rodeo Arena stands in the thousands last weekend to watch some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the business ply their skills. Click here for video footage from the rodeo. They weren't disappointed. Working in perfect arena conditions, team ropers Chad Masters and Jade Corkill picked off the aggregate for a $3,152 paycheck and a new arena record of 9.9 seconds, burying the... Full story
The skies over Sisters will not be the same. For the past four decades, folks in the Sisters Country have grown accustomed to the sight - and even more the sound - of Dorro Sokol's Beechcraft Twin Bonanza climbing overhead. On Monday, the venerable plane taxied down the runway at Sisters Eagle Air one last time before soaring up into the wild blue yonder and off to its new home in Nampa, Idaho. Sokol sold the plane to John Paul, president of the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa,... Full story
