News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 16 of 16
A decline in COVID-19 cases in Oregon may mean good news for reopening Sisters schools. The Oregon Health Authority reported an update to the media on Thursday, August 27 regarding the latest metrics related to the reopening of schools in Oregon. OHA Director Patrick Allen led the teleconference with input offered also by Dr. Dean Sidelinger, an Oregon State Health Officer. Much of the news indicated that cases of COVID-19 are slowing in most of the state, including in Deschutes County. The measurement most important to... Full story
A heartfelt thank you and goodbye to Jim and Sue Anderson. Folks and critters of Sisters Country are going to miss you, something fierce. Judy Bull ••• To the Editor: I read the column that Jim Anderson is moving. Tears began to stream as I have so enjoyed reading Jim’s articles about our beautiful wildlife, his wonderful family, and our precious world. I want to thank Jim for his life’s work and all he has brought to us. The education, beautiful prose, and wonderful insight. I will miss your sage wisdom and... Full story
Habitat for raptors. Public walking trails. A safe highway viewpoint. Those are elements the City of Sisters hopes to see in a new master plan for a portion of the 230.9-acre Lazy Z Ranch property that the City acquired years ago for effluent disposal. “What we know,” said Public Works Director Paul Bertagna, “is that the western area of the ranch is not suitable for effluent dispersal.” That’s because years of flood irrigation washed away soil that would absorb the effluent.... Full story
Alcohol and pills, its a cryin’ shame You think they might have been happy with the glory and the fame But fame doesn’t take away the pain, it just pays the bills And you wind up on alcohol and pills — Fred Eaglesmith Amid the litany of travails, disasters and mishaps that have made up the first half of the year 2020, the word came late last month that Justin Townes Earle died of an apparent drug overdose in Nashville. He was 38. Earle was a phenomenally talented son... Full story
How does a 2018 graduate of Sisters High School manage to have an upcoming meeting scheduled with a member of the British Parliament? The answer to that is easy for those who know Alana Lukens, who seems to have a knack for immersing herself in issues that she finds important. Lukens, who will be starting her third and final year at the Warrington campus at the University of Chester in the United Kingdom, is remembered not only as the lead in two musicals while at Sisters... Full story
Editor’s note: In 2020 America, Internet connectivity is as vital a piece of infrastructure for many folks as roads and electricity. This is the first in a series of articles about Internet services in Sisters. The current COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the public consciousness a number of inequities that exist in the America of today. One of those is the “digital divide” that exists between large urban areas of the U.S. and smaller rural towns, farms and ranches, India... Full story
Sisters City Council distributed $38,185 among 23 nonprofits and other entities that provide programs and services in the Sisters area. Community Grants are awarded for the purpose of meeting essential needs, educational enrichment, recreational opportunities and other miscellaneous community needs. There were 25 applicants requesting $94,000. Two were deemed not to meet the award criteria. The City had budgeted $40,000 for FY2020-21 grant funds. The unallocated $1,815 will... Full story
•?Five Sisters residents have filed as candidates to be on the November general election ballot for three positions on the Sisters City Council. Councilors whose terms expire this year include Chuck Ryan, Andrea Blum, and Richard Esterman. The five candidates for three positions are: Gary Ross; Elizabeth Fisher; incumbent Andrea Blum; Susan Cobb; and Jennifer Letz. •?City councilors approved a purchase agreement between Sisters School District and the City of... Full story
Quickly moving rivers and streams are home to the Common Merganser (Mergus merganser). Cruising jet-like up and down waterways, only a few inches above the ripples, landing and then diving for fish and crustaceans with their serrated bills, this Merganser sports either a vivid rust-colored crest (female) or a iridescent green head (male) that is a joy to behold. The Common Merganser nests in hollowed-out trees, on cliffs or on the ground, normally on the banks of rivers.... Full story
I must tell you about my marvelous mentor Pat Gibson, flight instructor, airplane doctor, and Fixed Base Operator (FBO) of the Bend Airport. There isn’t room enough in this paper for me to share all the events in my life he helped me get through, from purchasing my first Cub to getting me to my FAA commercial, single-engine pilot rating. He went with me on my first cross-country flight. We had gassed up my old Korean War-surplus Piper Cub, and Pat had settled in the canvas back seat to watch. I was up front preparing to do a... Full story
Beverly Jean Archer of Bend passed away July 1, due to complications from a fall. She was born March 14, 1931 in Periora, Illinois. She lived at Black Butte Ranch for 38 years, where she enjoyed playing golf and bridge with friends and family. She is survived by her daughter, Terri Brittingham and son, Brad Combs; along with her grandchildren, Aria Garau-Brittingham, Ashlee Garau-Brittingham, Jennifer Bontecou, Justin Combs; and one great-granddaughter, Elena Saunders. A... Full story
David DeWitt Johnson of Washington, DC, died peacefully on May 18, due to COVID-19. David was born July 30, 1927 in Moscow, Idaho to Blanche and Lauren Johnson of Orofino. He met the love of his life, Anne, while they were both teaching in Sisters, two among the district’s four teachers. They were married in June, 1956 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Bend. They raised two children, Shelley and Phillip. David served in the Navy at the end of World War II, attended Oregon S... Full story
Daniel Joseph Appenzeller, age 64, died peacefully at home from complications of cancer on Friday, August 21 in Sisters. Dan was born on July 8, 1956, in Oxnard, California to Mitch (Mildred) and Bill Appenzeller. He married the love of his life, Crista Munro, on October 5, 1996. One of his biggest joys in life was their son, Elias Appenzeller, 23 of Eugene. Dan was the kind of person who could pick up any instrument and play it well, but his passion was the guitar. Not many... Full story
A man was murdered. His name was Aaron Danielson, but he also went by the name Jay Bishop. From what we know as I write this, he was from Vancouver, Washington, and belonged to the group Patriot Prayer. He had a bright, warm smile, a smile his loved ones will never see again. I don’t know much else about Aaron-Jay, except that he was shot and killed in Portland this weekend. I learned about the incident from a Twitter post with cell phone video, posted by a controversial, cons... Full story
We don’t have a wildfire problem. We have a human-made structure problem. The war on fire is the longest continuous war in the United States. After the devastating fires of 1910 that claimed many lives and many millions of acres, the Forest Service fought any suggestion that fire may be beneficial to our forest; they went so far as to adopt adorable fire-ravaged mascots like Bambi and Smokey Bear to place the guilt on society for something which happens naturally. After 1... Full story
If you ever saw the movie “Braveheart” you may remember how William Wallace yelled out “Freedom!” during the scene at the end when they executed him. Freedom is the Scotsman’s mantra. My Scotties, being like their name, become transformed when they get to take a free off-leash walk in the woods. Of course, a founding principle of America is that all people want to be free. Ask yourself this question: How free are you? Ask it from a spiritual sense. Are you as free as you want to be? I believe butterflies were put on this eart... Full story
