News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
The Sisters School District has again outperformed state averages and other Central Oregon school districts on state assessment tests. The results were announced in Salem on September 2 by State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo. The state mandates tests at grades three, four, five, six, seven, eight and ten in a variety of academic areas (the results are available at www.ode.state.or.us). In reading and literature, 87.2 percent of Sisters' third graders scored in the "meets or exceeds" categories. The state average was... Full story
Local drug enforcement officers found a marijuana growing operation in the Jack Creek area west of Sisters last Thursday. According to police, the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team and the United States Forest Service have conducted marijuana eradication flights in the Central Oregon area over the past month. The Jack Creek grow was spotted on one of these flights. On September 4, a joint operation was undertaken to eradicate the grow site. The Central Oregon Emergency Response Team (CERT) assisted with the operation as... Full story
Three city councilors will be elected this November by City of Sisters residents. Mayor Brad Boyd, Lon Kellstrom, and Shawna Bell's terms expire this year. Boyd and Kellstrom are running for re-election while Bell has chosen not to run. Council President Bill Merrill and Councilor Sharlene Weed's terms continue into 2009. Three out of the five Sisters City Councilors face re-election at each general election. The top two vote-getters earn four-year terms; the one receiving the next highest number of votes holds office for... Full story
Want to eat an eight-inch scorpion? No? Well, how about a sea horse, some silk worms, scrumptious centipedes or a slippery eel? Fluid Images Inc. employees had the opportunity to sample all of the above at Beijing, China during the Olympics, but only James Johnson stepped up to sample a scorpion. "It did not taste like chicken," he said, laughing. James and four-man team leader Rob Johnson (not related) just returned from a month of filming in Beijing. Fluid Images is a... Full story
Former Sisters teacher Jon Renner was given the "Best in Sisters" award at the school board meeting on September 3. There was some irony in the presentation. Superintendent Elaine Drakulich said she had learned that Renner was regarded by many students as "the most significant teacher" of their high school days. Principal Bob Macauley said Renner "was the best educator I have been with in 27 years... He challenges kids, and the kids know he loves them." The irony is that Renner resigned from the Sisters School District last m... Full story
To the Editor: I am a 17-year-old high school student. Last week, after the Outlaws football game, I was surprised to find that my car had been vandalized, due to my newly acquired McCain and "NOBAMA" bumper stickers. I guess it was foolish of me to think that I could safely exercise my freedom of speech in our little town of Sisters. I would think that people (or their party members) who have "COEXIST" bumper stickers would at least have the decency to COEXIST. I am a conservative but I respect other people's views. We are... Full story
Folks in Sisters will get a taste of the town's lively arts scene on Saturday, September 20 - literally. Local art galleries and specialty shops are teaming up with an array of Sisters restaurants to present a visual and culinary feast in the first annual "Taste of Sisters" event. Clearwater Gallery will host wildlife photographer David Ohlsen and offer appetizers from the award-winning Jen's Garden. Artist Grace Bishko will be featured at High Desert Gallery along with live... Full story
Rita Hosking, 2008 winner of the Sisters Folk Festival's Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest, grew up in the mountains of Shasta County, California. She would sing into the morning air while she waited for the school bus, no one but the birds listening in. "I sang to keep myself company," she said. One day she thought, hey, this sounds pretty good. She knew then that she had a voice, but wasn't in any hurry to let the world know. At age 14, she was in an old-time band... Full story
Holm and Susan Neumann are used to hosting a variety of visitors. On Thursday, September 4, the crowd around the lunch table wasn't there for a social call, although there was plenty of laughter. The visitors were the crew from the popular Discovery Channel program, MythBusters. In each episode, the presenters explore urban myths and social legends. They demonstrate the myth and then recreate the science and engineering involved back in the studio lab. Their task in Sisters... Full story
• Shibui Spa is offering "Outlaw Fall Specials" for students, parents and fans. The first is a 45-minute "Outlaw Teen Clean Facial" which is 45 minutes. The second is an hour-long "Outlaw Fan Mid-Week Massage or Facial." Call 549-6164 to make an appointment. • Pleiades is now offering an early dining menu at reduced prices, in addition to their new happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. The full menu will also be available to order from at that time. Call 588-6151 for more information. • Cork Cellars is... Full story
Nostalgia for his native Montana put Larry Len Peterson on a trail that has taken him to the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and earned him several major book awards. The author, who won a Western Heritage Award for his 1999 book "Charles M. Russell: Legacy," has just released a new book, "Charles M. Russell: Printed Rarities From Private Collections." A dermatologist who splits his time between his Portland practice and a home just west of Sisters, Peterson has maintained his... Full story
The Outlaws cross country teams broke out of training mode for the annual Mud and Blood cross country race, hosted by Summit High School at Shevlin Park on Thursday, September 4. The race has become a favorite among team members since it features two crossings of Tumalo Creek and a brutal uphill climb. "In my experience the high school runners enjoy the challenge of a rugged course and the feeling of accomplishment they get from getting through it," said Charlie Kanzig, head... Full story
Stonehoney may be a country-rock band, but they found a niche with folk music lovers last weekend. "We love folk music, we really do. We just don't know how to play it," said vocalist and guitarist Phil Hurley during Saturday night's main stage performance at the Sisters Folk Festival. His comment got a big laugh from the capacity crowd, but some of them, especially those sitting near the amplifiers, were unprepared for the band's exuberance. The band was loud, happy, and... Full story
"Beach" volleyball made its Sisters debut over the Labor Day Weekend on Sisters' only sand volleyball court on the campus of Three Sisters Fellowship Church. Tournament Director Janice Harrer wanted to bring an event that was part beach and part grass volleyball before school started. The King and Queen of the Court tournament format allows you to enter by yourself and then you are placed into a pool where you partner with each player in your pool. By the end of the... Full story
• A man used a .22 rifle to shoot out the window of a car and steal goods from the vehicle. • A deputy and a chaplain notified local residents that their nephew had died of a heroin overdose in Multnomah County. • Several drivers in their early 20s were arrested for drunk driving last week. • During a DUII investigation, a passenger got out of the vehicle and damaged a couple of other vehicles. She was cited for criminal mischief. Information in "Sisters sheriff's calls" is taken from log entries of the... Full story
The girls volleyball team notched wins in both their games this week. The Outlaws defeated Madras in three games with scores of 25-22, 25-9 and 25-16 on Tuesday, September 2, and two days later beat Stayton 25-11, 25-9 and 25-20. Fe Pledger led the Outlaws with 13 kills in the match against Madras. Jenny Kaiser had eight kills and three blocks. Shae Kotal was the Outlaws setter in game one. Kaity Douglass, in her varsity debut, took over as setter in games two and three.... Full story
Chuck McCabe, of San Jose, California, is one of the familiar and beloved faces of the Sisters Folk Festival. His first attendance was as a finalist in the 1998 Songwriting Contest. He won that contest and has returned every year. In the early days of McCabe's involvement, there was no late-night venue for artists to wind down and play amongst themselves. A poorly attended jam session was the only thing on offer. McCabe mentioned the lack to festival staff, and found himself... Full story
Central Electric Cooperative willfully and intentionally withheld documents in a dispute with the Cyrus family of Sisters, according to a ruling by Deschutes County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Tiktin. The Cyruses and CEC have long been embroiled in a legal battle over the placement of tall steel towers and heavy power lines across their property east of Sisters. Those towers and lines have been installed as part of an upgrade of the Jordan Road power line. CEC is moving to delivery of 115 kv power and upgrading facilities,... Full story
Search and Rescue personnel found a man who wandered away from his family in a woodcutting area south of Sisters on Sunday. Rolando Juarez-Flores had been with family members cutting wood in the Three Creeks Road area about 13 miles south of Sisters when he wandered away from the rest of the group. Family members searched for Rolando for about 30 minutes, then called Deschutes County 911 dispatch around noon to report Rolando missing. Family members advised that Rolando has a disability that could put him in jeopardy out in... Full story
The boys soccer team started their season with a 5-0 shutout over Cascade at home on Thursday, September 4. Sisters struggled at the start of the game and entered the half with a 0-0 tie. All of the Outlaws' five goals were scored in the final 20 minutes of the contest. Will Newport got the Outlaws on the scoreboard with a direct kick into the goal from just outside the box. The goal sparked the team's spirit and Sisters picked up their intensity. "Once we spread the field we... Full story
The record will remain open through September 16 on Central Electric Cooperative's application to build a new substation in Tollgate on property that houses an existing, smaller facility. CEC needs a new, larger station that can accommodate a mandated transition from 69 kv power to 115 kv power. Neighbors of the proposed project, concerned about diminished property values and quality of life, have raised opposition to the project. Several testified against it at a September 2 planning hearing in Deschutes County. CEC... Full story
Ryder Gauteraux and Dan Wolfe of Outlaw Productions are bringing a rodeo to Sisters this month. The Northwest Pro Rodeo Association (NPRA) Finals, held September 18-21 at the Sisters Rodeo Grounds, brings a weekend of rodeo performances featuring the top 12 qualifying cowboys and cowgirls in each event. They aren't doing it for the glory or the money; they're in it for the pure love of rodeo. "Me and Dan have rodeoed all our life and we're coming to the end of our rodeo... Full story
Patricia Ann Haphey, known as Pat to her friends, passed peacefully away at home on Sunday, August 31, in the arms of her loving husband Bruce. Surrounding her were her cherished son, Bruce Jr.; sister Janis; sister-in-law Allison; and brother and sister-in-law Bob and Kristi. Born in Pelham, Georgia on July 3, 1941, Pat moved with her two brothers and sister to Patrick Air Force Base in Florida, where she completed high school and where she met Bruce. They married on July 5,... Full story
Dorothy Painter went to be with the Lord on August 13. She was born in Olympia, Washington on March 25, 1919 to Oliver and Rebecca Ericson. After graduating from Oregon State College in 1941, she joined the Red Cross for the duration of World War II. Dorothy married Charles Painter in 1949 in San Francisco. She is survived by her brother Donald Ericson of Lacey, Washington; two sons, Robert Painter of Portland and Charles E. Painter, II of Yucaipa, California; three... Full story
Hand-crafting works of practical art from reclaimed coffee sacks, new Sisters manufacturer Ballew Bags is percolating the aroma of a growing, sustainable and thriving business. Ballew Bags (pronounced "ba-loo") founder and owner Tracy Curtis came up against an obstacle earlier this year that sent her into the manufacturing business. "My daughter Laura's friend went to Europe last year and brought her home a bag. My other daughter, Jenna, liked it so much she wanted one too,"... Full story
