News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
An abandoned campfire started a blaze near Allingham Guard Station in Camp Sherman last Wednesday. A smoke column from the fire was spotted from the Black Butte Lookout at about 2 p.m. Oregon Department of Forestry and Forest Service firefighters quickly contained the blaze at about one-quarter-acre. Forest Service Assistant Fire Management Officer Vince Grace told The Nugget that there have been several incidents involving abandoned campfires in the Sisters Country in recent weeks. "That's been kind of a problem here... Full story
The neighbors of Ponderosa Cascade community had a scare Saturday when a transformer blew just after 6 p.m. and sent flames flying into the yard of Earl and Bonnie Long at 16913 Ponderosa Cascade. A steady wind was blowing the flames as high as two stories and toward a neighboring yard when Cloverdale volunteer firefighters arrived. "The neighbors were the ones that kept the fire at bay until the firefighters got here," Bonnie Long said of residents who pulled hoses from... Full story
Sisters residents Kara Calmettes and Gregg Geser won the 2011 Race Across Oregon, held on July 23-24. The race is a grueling 515 miles, which the competitors ride non-stop. Calmettes and Geser, or Team Kareezmo, won three of the race's relay team categories: Two-person mixed team, two-person age 50+ team and the overall two-person team with a time of 32 hours, 6 minutes. They qualified for the 50+ category by their average age. Kara is 43 and Gregg's "race age" is 58. Team... Full story
To the Editor: Early homestead acts produced excessive granting of water rights, and Whychus Creek is but one of many suffering the consequence. Piping is intended to restore water to the river, while benefiting a handful of large commercial farms with pressurized water and free power. It also offers government a feel-good project, sold to the public as "environmentally beneficial, for the greater good," yet environmental groups across the country decry piping and it's destruction of historic habitat. Also sacrificed are... Full story
Folks in Sisters Country are working on becoming better prepared for emergencies - from wildfires to severe weather events to a major earthquake. As part of that effort, volunteers from a new grassroots movement called Sisters Country: Prepared & Ready (SCPR) will be going door-to-door in Sisters Country neighborhoods on Saturday, August 20, to distribute free materials for disaster preparedness kits and information on emergency preparedness. As part of the effort, the Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District will... Full story
Cathy Warner is best known in town for the business, Central Bark, she and her partner Sam run in Sisters. It's a common sight to see her and Sam doing a 14-dog walk with their clients. Now she has another canine-related passion: painting. On August 6, Dog Days of Sisters, sponsored by Sisters Art Works and the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, will kick off an art show at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave. For Warner the art show is a premier of her new labor of love. "I'm... Full story
With new board members and a new, licensed preschool teacher, The Little Cloverdale Preschool is looking forward to a successful school year in September. Sue Wessel has taken on the role of teacher, after serving for several years on the board of directors. Wessel has a degree in elementary education and is licensed as a preschool teacher. "When the job became available, I talked to everybody and decided to apply for the job," Wessel said. The board, including chair-elect... Full story
Two Sisters High School softball players were members of a pair of Oregon-select teams that competed in Fastpitch Northwest's Championship Series, held July 25-28 in Centralia, WA. Junior-to-be Taylor Nieri played for the Oregon Elite Gold team, and incoming SHS freshman Haylie Hudson for the Oregon Elite Junior team during the 4-day event. Hudson's team won the tournament, defeating Seattle Metro, 5-3, in the championship game. Hudson's team included a trio of other Central... Full story
Sisters Country women who want to look stylish but aren't trying to look like their daughters have a new resource in downtown Sisters. BellaModa offers a blend of retail clothing and gently-used resale items designed to meet the needs of women: Jeans that fit women with curves; styles that don't look like an attempt to mimic teenaged girls. "My stores are all about ladies, not little girls," said owner Karen Poulson. "Women who still have style and want to look great - in the... Full story
Each summer, members of the Sisters Outlaws cross-country team venture over the mountains to the headwaters of the McKenzie River for a three-day camp. The region is the perfect location for outstanding running trails as well as midsummer whitewater rafting, which combine to give the team a high-quality training and team-building experience, according to head coach Charlie Kanzig. A total of 25 members of the team were able to make the trip, comprising about half of the... Full story
One of the best meteor showers of the year occurs in August. It is called the Perseid meteor shower because the streaks of light seem to emanate from the constellation of Perseus. This year, the maximum number of meteors is expected to peak at about 60 per hour early in the morning on August 13. The shower is caused by the earth moving through material left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle. Although a full moon will wash out many of the meteors, some of the brighter ones can... Full story
Sisters is going to the dogs this weekend in the first-ever Dog Days of Sisters. The event will be held at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave. and the surrounding area on Saturday, August 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dog Days of Sisters includes a combination of art featured at the Sisters Art Works building, pet products, adopt-a-pet, agility demos, games, photos and a raffle basket filled with dog goodies. Kick the day off at 8 a.m. with Sisters Park & Recreation District and their Dog Days 5K Fun Run/Walk. Registration is... Full story
The dog days of summer are upon us, and so is the inaugural Dog Days Fun Run/Walk, which gives local runners a chance to run in a race along with their canine friends. The race, scheduled for Saturday, August 6, is sponsored by Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) and is part of the Dog Days of Summer celebration (see related story, this page). The 5-kilometer course starts and finishes near the SPRD building, located at 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd., and traverses the trails on the land surrounding Sisters High School.... Full story
It may come as a surprise to some that nearby Blue Lake offers a pleasant little hike. For most locals, Blue Lake has faded into a peculiar esoteric status. Twenty years ago, this local miniature Crater Lake was a frequent destination for fishing, hiking, or just a scenic day outing. The curtain was drawn quietly but suddenly. While many such forest resort destinations are operated under Forest Service use permits, Blue Lake Resort had always been sited on private land. As... Full story
Excitement is building for the opening of the Art Show and Sale at the Country Fair at The Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration. The public is invited to the opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 12. In addition to enjoying food and beverages, guests at the reception will be able to appreciate a wide variety of notable artwork including oils, watercolors, pastels, ceramics, wood, carving, photography, glass and metal sculptures and jewelry. Fiber art will be a new feature this year. Approximately 40... Full story
Cousins Trey and Kyle Harbick grew up in the family restaurant business, washing dishes, bussing tables and eventually graduating to waiting tables. Now they are running their own show at Takoda's in the Three Wind Shopping Center. Trey says that Takoda is a Lakota Sioux word meaning "friend to all." His parents picked the name for the restaurant they founded in Rainbow, Oregon, on the McKenzie River, seven years ago. "We started working there when we were 12, 13," Kyle... Full story
A spirited softball tournament to benefit Conrad Kiefer and his family drew more than 100 participants and spectators to the baseball fields of SPRD (Sisters Park & Recreation District) and Sisters High School on Saturday as part of a day-long show of support for their stricken friend and teammate. Kiefer was recently diagnosed with a Stage 3 brain tumor and is presently undergoing treatment and unable to work at his job with the City of Sisters. Eight softball teams from... Full story
You might say that 1999 Sisters High School graduate Aubrey Denzer spent the last ten years jumping, dancing, climbing and fighting her way into a career as a Hollywood stuntwoman. This summer, visitors to Universal Studios theme park in Los Angeles can watch her doing all of those things: Aubrey scored the lead female role of "Helen" in "WaterWorld," an explosive live-action show based on the post- apocolyptic motion picture starring Kevin Costner. And fans of the CBS TV... Full story
Sisters Coffee Company hosted a special "Meet The Grower" night on Saturday evening, welcoming their guest, Aurelio Villatoro, visiting from Central America and his family coffee plantation. Owners Winfield and Joy Durham introduced their friend and presented a slide show and short film directed by Eli Pyke and Zion Pictures, chronicling their relationship with Villatoro and his premium coffee crop. In January of 2010, the Durham family traveled to the mountains of Guatemala,... Full story
Margaret Barber Burnham, longtime resident of Black Butte Ranch, died July 17, 2011 at the age of 95. She was an adventurous woman who was devoted to her family and a very wide circle of friends with whom she kept in touch through many handwritten letters. Her intellectual curiosity and her love of art were hallmarks of her life. Born in Berkeley, California, to Oscar Barber and Ava Earle Barber, Margaret was descended from pioneers who settled in California in the mid-1800s. She attended the University of California at Berke... Full story
One thing is a sure bet for those attending A Starry Summer Night fundraiser on Friday, August 12, at Aspen Lakes Golf Course: they will be entertained. The 10-piece High Street Band is one of the most entertaining outfits around - from their colorful zoot suits to their eclectic mix of jazz, jump blues and pop, they'll keep the dance floor full. In fact, they're a big reason A Starry Summer Night is what it is. Band leader Matt Summers has family ties to the community through teacher and baseball coach Steve Hodges,... Full story
• The sheriff's office took in and disposed of a lot of unwanted prescription drugs during a shredding event last month. • A couple of residents were involved in a dispute over driving speed on a local cul-de-sac. The driver agreed to talk to the complainant after he'd calmed down. • An 81-year-old woman was cited after making a U-turn into another vehicle. • In a separate matter, a deputy responded to pick up a small white dog found by a citizen. The dog was very aggressive and... Full story
For those who haven't had the pleasure of experiencing E. B. White's Charlotte's Web, don't wait a minute longer. There are no less than 20 citations for White's remarkable work in the library catalog - all the way from the original book to tapes, CDs, DVDs and an assortment of take-offs on Wilbur-the-Pig, the main character in the Charlotte's adventure. About two weeks ago, my wife, Sue, called me from tending her seedlings on our back porch deck, "Jim! Come out here, quick!... Full story
Larry Len Peterson loves the West, from the Montana of his youth to his Sisters Country ranch. Over the past decade, Peterson has celebrated the beauty and heritage of the American West in a series of coffee table art books on the likes of the iconic artist Charles M. Russell and classic sporting artist Phillip R. Goodwin. As a doctor, Peterson published numerous papers in the areas of dermatology, biochemistry and medical genetics. Now the Western Heritage Award-winning... Full story
