News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
Elizabeth Affatati (Betty) went home to be with her Lord and Savior on July 8, surrounded by her husband, son, daughter, and other members of her family. Born Elizabeth Anne Wilson in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1951, she moved with her parents to the United States when she was six years old. Her chosen career field was advertising and she stayed in that business until she married the love of her life, Ralph Affatati. Together they loved and shared six children, several... Full story
"A well-rounded man should be a warrior, an artist, and a philosopher." - Benvenuto Cellini Cruz Michael Bryan, an American soldier, 34, of Salem, was killed in action in the vicinity of Katerynivka, Ukraine, supporting combat operations against the Russian Federation. Cruz was born on July 13, 1990, in Salem. His fascination with the profession of arms was lifelong. He adored martial arts-Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo Karate, Muay Thai, wrestling, and MMA, but none so deeply as B... Full story
Author Dede Montgomery will present her new memoir, "From First Breath to Last: A Story About Love, Womanhood and Aging" at Paulina Springs Books on Thursday, August 8, at 6:30 p.m. Montgomery meshes passages from her mother's memoir, journals, published book, and dissertation with her own memories and how her mother's journey influenced her own in a celebration of womanhood. Patty Montgomery was born between the World Wars and was reborn in the 1960s and 1970s during the... Full story
The City of Sisters is conducting a survey to gather residents’ opinions on various aspects of public safety, including traffic, crime, and concerns or suggestions you have for improving public safety in Sisters. The survey will be open until August 25. The survey can be completed online or on paper. Online submissions can be made at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/7QDLHkV, or on the City of Sisters website, while paper surveys are available at City Hall. Responses are confidential and individual responses will not b... Full story
For those of you who have struggled to hook and land a really big bull trout (I am one of you), you might want to not read any further. Okay, I warned you. Here's my tale: One of the coolest things about the Metolius River is that huge, predatory fish - bull trout - lurk in many parts of the river. If you see a log or two sticking out of the water, there's a good chance that a bull trout is lurking under the wood and waiting for a smaller trout or whitefish to make a mistake.... Full story
Oregon Health & Science researchers say they have a promising new approach to developing a universal influenza vaccine — potentially within five years. Such a vaccine — a “one and done” dose — would provide a person with lifetime immunity against a rapidly evolving influenza virus and help safeguard against a pandemic like the recent one that also caused a respiratory illness. Flu strains have triggered six major epidemics in the past century and a half, with the worst in 1918 when millions of people died worldwide... Full story
If you want to restore your faith in the country, spend a little time with ag kids in Sisters. I had the pleasure, once again, in visiting with the more than 40-strong members of Cloverdale Livestock Club, the local 4-H chapter in Sisters Country. 4-H has been around for 122 years and for 76 of those, 4-H has thrived in Sisters Country as Cloverdale Livestock Club. 4-H is the nation's largest youth development organization surpassing Scouting. The 4‑H idea is simple: help y... Full story
Forty-six Cloverdale Livestock Club kids showed at the Deschutes County Fair - 29 in the sheep barn, eight in the beef barn, two in goat barn, one in swine, and in Cloverbuds (poultry). Notable exhibitors included: • Conner Cyrus - High Point Senior Beef exhibitor. • Clover Keyes - Maddie Griffith Memorial Scholarship. • Teagan Wyland - Maddie Griffith Memorial Scholarship. • Mason Phliiger - Grafton Market Lamb Scholarship. • Jade Barlow - Reserve Grand Champion Market G... Full story
Today, while I was swimming, a dad and his three-year-old entered the pool. It took lots of concentration for this devoted father to keep his young one safe. Determined to jump in, climb out, jump in, and climb out again, laughing with joy at the fun, kept that dad on his toes. A toss in the air and a dunk underwater brought the desire for more. All of this had me remembering the years when we introduced our four kids to water. It started with our oldest, at 18 months. Living in Montana, a dryland state, where many babies had... Full story
Citizens and public officials are continuing to determine where and how Sisters will grow in the future. The second meeting of the UGB Steering Committee was held on Thursday, July 25, to discuss the Draft UGB Study Area Map. The draft land need report, which was discussed in June, determined that the City needs to add about 250 acres to the new UGB. During this meeting, the Steering Committee reviewed the preliminary study area and discussed the characteristics of various parts. Early in the meeting Scott Woodford, Community... Full story
The town of Sisters, established in the late 1800s where two wagon roads met, continues to serve as a haven for cross-Cascade explorers drawn by the spirit of the Old West. Thousands of backpackers, with trail names like Forest and Sasquatch, arrive to rest and replenish as they walk through the wilderness. On a recent day, Chief Frodo, fresh from a stay at the Best Western Ponderosa Lodge, crossed the street in search of Neosporin and instant coffee for his trek along the... Full story
Last time we checked in with our story of 2017, my family was trying to drive through the pass on Highway 126/20 after watching the solar eclipse, and move into the home we'd bought. Best laid plans of mice and men, as the saying goes. Our new neighborhood west of Sisters had been evacuated so we headed to the Valley for a week or so. Coming back to Sisters proved impossible. In addition to the roaring, smoking Milli Fire very close to Sisters itself, we were stopped at the... Full story
It's easy to think of the Air Show of the Cascades as just that - an air show. But that would be selling it short. Way short. Extravaganza? Yes. Festival? Yes. Spectacle? Yes. In the good sense. Above all, it's three fun packed, adrenaline pumping days formulated for families of all sizes, and all ages and all locales near and far. Indeed, attendees will come to the August 22-24 event in Madras from a dozen states, as many as a hundred flying into the event. There will be... Full story
I woke up alone; my hubby was already up feeding chickens and one remaining horse. I’m grateful for the simple routines my family shares. As I write this, Alison Krauss sings a soothing ballad from an adjacent room. Her music is part of a collection featuring Scottish folk singer Dougie MacLean. He’s the catalyst for other artists that bring me comfort when I’m anxious… especially after what happened. Yesterday was almost my last. That evening the truth of how near I’d come resounded through tears and a pulsing heart. Re... Full story
This summer, local nonprofit Citizens4Community (C4C) wants residents of Sisters Country to get outside and connect with their neighbors. To encourage such community bonding, the organization is launching a new micro-grant program offering stipends to help fund neighborhood gatherings. Launching this week, “Land of 1,000 Picnics” offers community members and organizations up to $150 toward expenses for neighborhood picnics, potlucks, block parties, and related activities. Funds can go towards food, permit fees, pro... Full story
Sisters will kick off its rejuvenated Sisters Festival of Books on Friday, September 13, with a StorySlam event at The Belfry from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Organizers promise an evening of storytelling, poetry, and music. True five-minute stories based on the theme “Stranger than Fiction” will be shared by authors visiting for the festival — and by the members of the Sisters community. The public is invited to sign up to share a story. Interludes from local poets and musicians will be interspersed throughout the evening. You can purch... Full story
The final SFF Presents Summer Concert of the year kicks off on Thursday, August 8, with the second annual Hometown Hang at Sisters Art Works. This free event celebrates the powerful regional talent in Central Oregon, putting Dennis McGregor and the Spoilers, Alicia Viani, and Joel Chadd center stage for a night of music and community. Dennis McGregor and the Spoilers' songs are often wryly twisted, making them pretty much impossible to call normal - that's what people like... Full story
When Marilyn and I pulled into Sisters in October of 1993, one of the first things I did was stop in at Paulina Springs Books. There, I picked up a book titled “Legends of the Fall” by Jim Harrison. It’s a collection of three novellas: the title story, about three brothers entwined in tragedy in Montana in the years around World War I; “Revenge,” a tale of love and betrayal in Mexico, and “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” the story of a man who upends his life in search of his... Full story
Perspective on Clemens Park To the Editor: Here’s a perspective from a resident who has lived over the fence from Cliff Clemens Park for over 7 years. This park is used extensively. All of it. It has been a constant joy to witness just how delightfully and consistently it is used. I have often wished Mr. Clemens could watch with me to have the glow of knowing just how much his namesake park has meant to this community over the nearly 20 years since its dedication. He expressed a desire that trees would eventually line the b... Full story
Within the confines of the 2.1, acres known to most locals as Camp Polk Cemetery, lie hundreds of clues regarding the history of Sisters and its inhabitants. There are no well-manicured lawns, paved walking paths, or orderly rows of gravestones. Rather, there are bird houses, horseshoes and other cowboy paraphernalia, a variety of personal memorabilia, and more than a little humor as well as sentimental pathos on display. The land the cemetery inhabits was originally part of... Full story
Firefighters as of last week had harnessed a temporary break of cooler weather and no new lightning fires to add miles and miles of new containment lines across large wildfires on national forests in Oregon and Washington. But after just a short 72-hour reprieve, wildfire conditions across much of the Pacific Northwest came roaring back. “August is showing us nothing but hot, dry, windy conditions and dry lightning all in the first week,” said Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations. “Ex... Full story
Some 300 Sisters-area households north of Sisters Eagle Airport experienced a power outage for approximately three hours on Wednesday, July 31. According to Central Electric Cooperative (CEC), the outage was impacted by safety precautions in place during the height of fire season. The majority of CEC members in Sisters area north of the airport had their power restored at approximately 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. “Due to CEC’s system being set to sensitive settings because of wildfire season, line crews had to visually inspect ove... Full story
The Forest Service plans to issue permits to allow recreation shuttle outfitter and guide services to bring hikers and cyclists to Sisters trails for a year. Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid announced the decision in a letter to stakeholders on August 2. The permits will include some mitigations to address concerns raised by the public about the proposals. “We used public comments received to build in appropriate mitigations where possible and will make those mitigation terms and conditions of the permit,” Reid told The Nug... Full story
