News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 24 of 24
Judah Slavkovsky has worked his way into rare company. The 24-year-old Sisters man — who grew up in Sisters’ first Habitat for Humanity home and went through all three Sisters schools — is one of only 165 students accepted to Harvard Medical School this year. His path to Harvard was filled with international travel, unexpected events and an enthusiasm for learning. To complete his biology degree at the University of Portland, Slavkovsky learned how to use a microscope and s... Full story
Janet (Jan) Silberman, a veteran teacher and counselor who has worked in Bend the past four years, is the new principal of Sisters Elementary School. Appointed last week, she started Monday. She succeeds Tim Comfort, principal for the past 10 years, who has moved to the district office as human resources manager and director of special education. “She will be an excellent addition to our administrative team,” Superintendent Ted Thonstad said. Although at first Thonstad fel... Full story
A 93-year-old woman escaped serious injury after she was ejected from the vehicle she was riding in during a single-vehicle wreck on Tuesday, August 2. According to Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office reports, Florence Stuart of Spokane was the backseat passenger in a Toyota Highlander being driven westbound on Highway 126 by her daughter, Bonnie Rae Stuart of Seaside. Bonnie Stuart’s sister Carol Lynne Fletcher was the front seat passenger. Stuart allegedly told investigators t... Full story
To the Editor: Usually I enjoy our little local paper, but this week I was disappointed. How could you think of exposing us, the public, to your private issue with Mark Kershner. How could it possibly be our business, especially when a young child was involved. It would have been correct and compassionate to take care of a situation like that privately. Shame on you, too. Gudrun Kibak Editor’s reply: Mr. Kershner allowed or encouraged his son to submit false information which was published in our newspaper. It was n... Full story
Once again, all three Sisters schools met the adequate yearly progress (AYP) requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. A preliminary report of 2004-05 AYP ratings for Oregon was released Friday, August 5, by the State Department of Education. The ratings will become final in October unless something happens to change them. Sisters officials were afraid the high school might get nicked this year for failing to test a sufficient proportion of its special education students. While that fear proved unfounded, Human... Full story
More people, more stuff — more recycling. As Sisters grows, so does the rate of recycling at the City of Sisters collection center at Ash Street and Washington Avenue. Last week, the catwalks alongside the recycling receptacle were piled with bags of materials someone left behind because the receptacle was too full to take one more can or bottle. That’s not an unusual occurrence, according to Public Works Director Gary Frazee. “We’re up to three times a week having that re... Full story
The halls of Sisters Community Church were alive with the sound of music last week as fiddlers, guitar pickers, piano players and bass thumpers from all around the country gathered for the annual Booher Family Music Camp. They came from Texas, Missouri, California, Washington and Oregon to partake of some hands-on learning from top-notch instructors — including half-a-dozen Boohers. Chris Booher drove 32 hours from his home near Ft. Worth, Texas, to teach piano and his b... Full story
There are still corners of the country where a prize chicken is something to crow about; where a young person who raises a champion pig can wallow in accolades and a good bidding price. The 2005 Deschutes County Fair was such a place last weekend. Sisters youths proved to be outstanding this year in their 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) projects. Sisters Community Critters4-H group had some fine examples of kids who are learning sportsmanship, responsibility and teamwo... Full story
Ron and Peggy Hayes, formerly of Sisters, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kylene, to Nick Wellman. Nick is the son of Gene and Pat Wellman of Black Butte Ranch. Kylene and Nick are graduates of Sisters High School, class of 1998. The couple, who were high school sweethearts, were recently reunited and are planning a spring wedding.... Full story
The City of Sisters is having a tough time figuring out how best to travel from one end of town to another over the next couple of decades. A citizens committee has recommended a couplet running on Hood and Main avenues, leaving Cascade Avenue open for local traffic. The plan has a total cost of about $2 million. But that plan doesn’t please everybody. City Councilor Brad Boyd was elected last spring in part on the strength of his opposition to a couplet. He is proposing an a... Full story
TAWAITHA, Iraq – Staff Sgt. Zak Ingle of Sisters is busy doing what cavalrymen do best. The section sergeant with B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and his fellow soldiers scouted new routes in Tawaitha, Iraq, gaining familiarity with their newly assigned area of operations, July 27. “We’re looking for any suspicious activity in the area, and interviewing people to get a sense of the security situation here,” said Staff Sgt. In... Full story
Sisters area residents may not want to believe that they might become victims of a terrorist anthrax attack through the U. S. Postal Service’s mail system. Neither did residents in the eastern United States in October of 2001 when five of 11 people contaminated with mailed anthrax died. Now, thanks to a new biohazard detection system recently installed in the Bend main post office, any anthrax contamination will be detected. If it is detected, a fast response plan is in place to quickly isolate the contamination and to t... Full story
Children are enjoying a bigger, better school facility at A Joyful Noise after months of expansion. As its fifth year begins this fall, the school will have doubled in both square footage and the number of children who can attend. This Thursday, August 11, owner Evelyn Brush is holding an open house in her newly expanded school. From 4 to 6 p.m. adults and children can tour the new space and enjoy refreshments. Brush will offer the kids a chance to grind grain, use block... Full story
• A deputy cited a 16-year-old driver after a two-vehicle collision at E. Cascade Avenue and Spruce Street. • A citizen reported six cows loose on the highway. Citizens herded the critters off the road and into a pasture before law enforcement action was necessary. The owner of the cattle vowed to check his fences. • A 17-year-old waitress reported being verbally harassed by a 52-year-old man. • Deschutes County deputies assisted Jefferson County deputies in handling a domestic altercation at a Suttle Lake campsite. The hus... Full story
The chance of finding a vintage bakelite button from the 1940s or a Czechoslovakian bead dating back to the 1880s brought bead hunters from all over the country to Sisters on Saturday and Sunday, August 6-7. They braved temperatures in the 90s to explore the wares of 29 vendors who pitched tents on the Village Green. Local beader and jewelry-maker Kate Aspen was a vendor at the show. "People definitely came looking for stuff they wanted and there were a lot of out-of-town people, people from Chicago and Wisconsin, places... Full story
Tollgate residents live under an extreme threat from wildfire. So do folks living in Panoramic View Estates and in Crossroads and Camp Sherman. In fact, there are very few places in the Sisters area that can count themselves safe from wildfire. Now that the City of Sisters, Deschutes County, and local structural and wildland fire agencies have signed the Greater Sisters Community Fire Plan, Sisters area residents have some quantitative evidence about the danger they are in. For the first time 14 local communities were scienti... Full story
A dream has risen out of the dust of the former Sisters Middle School site. The new Sisters Library is taking shape as construction crews labor to make an end-of-October target date for the opening of the 8,000-square-foot facility. According to Sisters Librarian Peg Bermel, the project is on schedule. And a lot of work is going on behind the scenes. Bermel said she has been working with architect Richard Turi to put together a list of furniture requirements to send out for... Full story
Some learned to attack the net as goal-scoring strikers. Some simply learned to kick the ball with the side of the foot instead of the toe. Whatever their age and skill level, Sisters soccer players took to the field at Sisters High School with enthusiasm last week for a UK International Soccer Camp taught by young and talented traveling coaches from England. The coaches worked through the week with their own individual cadre of students. The four-to-six-year-olds enjoyed “Fun... Full story
It looks like a hunting lodge, with a huge river-rock fireplace, knotty pine interior and the pungent smell of roasted coffee. Sisters Coffee Co.’s new facility on Hood Avenue will be on display to all on Friday and Saturday, August 12-13 in a grand opening celebration. The celebration features half-price drinks and door prizes every hour. The Anvil Blasters will perform on Friday evening and Doug and Katie Cavanaugh will perform on Saturday afternoon. The celebration runs noon to 9 p.m. Friday and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on S... Full story
Sisters historically has been well represented at the Deschutes County 4-H horse fair, and this year was no exception. Three Sisters girls, Jennifer Friend, Rachel Pilliod and Annie Hancock, participated in the senior division (ages 15-18) and all will be representing their county at the Oregon State Fair. Friend showed two horses this year: Travis took her through the performance classes and Brick propelled her around the games courses. On Travis, Friend collected senior reserve champion dressage, all-around reserve grand... Full story
When Tony and Mary Allison Meyer began their printing business in the late 1980s, their goal was to be able to afford a telephone. “Our dream at that point was to hire somebody,” said Mary Allison. Today XPress Printing employs eight people plus a bookkeeper and offers state-of-the-art printing capabilities to local businesses and companies around the United States. The Meyers recently moved their growing business into a building they designed to meet the unique needs of the... Full story
• Senior loan consultant Darci Fitzke of Washington Mutual has opened an office in Sisters. The office is located at 160 Oak St., Suite 100, 549-8569. • Coyote Creek Café will host the live music of Fingers & Chilly this Friday and Saturday in the lounge. • A Joyful Noise will hold an open house on August 11 from 4-6 p.m. • Sisters Athletic Club is hosting an open house Friday, August 12 at 5:30 p.m. • Darren Layne has earned the Financial Planning Specialist designation for Smith Barney. The training program for the design... Full story
Most people remember Peter Yates’ 1968 film Bullitt for its famous San Francisco car chase that wrecked two Dodge Chargers and one Mustang, and thoroughly banged up another Mustang. I remember it for shots through things. The film begins with: a reflection in a car’s rearview mirror, a reflection in a light fixture, a shot through the window of a store, a guy peering from behind a TV, a crime happening behind a smoke bomb...You get the (obscured) picture. By shooting much of the movie through obstructions, Yates and wel... Full story
A compromise appears to be taking shape on the controversial question of franchise restaurants in Sisters. If the compromise holds up, a citizens’ initiative to cap the number of formula food restaurants in Sisters could be withdrawn (see story, page 32). Members of “Friends of Sisters,” an activist group that backs the initiative, met last week with representatives of the business and restaurant community in Sisters, including several developers, along with Mayor Dave Ellio... Full story
