News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 23 of 23
Chuck Ryan has only lived in Sisters for three years, but he has already firmly established himself as a willing volunteer in a number of community endeavors. He has now volunteered to run for a position on the Sisters City Council. The New Haven, Connecticut native has used his comprehensive background in finance to provide valuable expertise as chairman of the City's budget committee for two years, as a committee member for the Economic Development of Central Oregon (EDCO)... Full story
Cheryl Waldron of Bend was sentenced to four years in prison for embezzling $430,000 from her Sisters employer. Waldron pleaded guilty in August to stealing from Robinson & Owen Heavy Construction, of Sisters. At that time, Waldron was given two months to pay $200,000 toward restitution. The agreement between the defense and the prosecution was that if the money was paid prior to sentencing, the state would recommend a reduced sentence of two years in prison. The agreement included Waldron assigning title of her property to... Full story
Six local residents have been named to Sisters School District's Bond Facilities Oversight Committee. They were announced during the Wednesday, September 5, school board meeting. Members of the panel are Mike Bush, Bill Duerden, Dave Moyer, Regan Roberts, Angela Sitz and Jay Wilkins. "They will help improve the quality of decisions we make to make sure we spend this money wisely, and ensure good two-way communication," said school board chairman Jeff Smith. Originally, the district planned to choose five citizens for the... Full story
Thousands of folks from all over the Pacific Northwest rolled into town for the 41st annual Sisters Harvest Faire hosted by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce last weekend on Main Avenue. Fairgoers browsed through 170 juried artisan vendors that showcased quality handmade items from textiles and wood-carvings to pottery and glasswork. There were novelties for everyone's taste. Scott Pieper from Sisters Country and owner of Panorama Ranch brought along a few alpaca, and it wa... Full story
On Monday, September 19, 46-year-old Sisters resident Rhonda Funk suddenly began stumbling over her words during a lunch meeting with a client. She found herself putting the back of the words to the front of the words, saying things out of order, and had words coming out that she didn't even want to say. Frustrated, she stopped and look at her client and asked, "Am I even making sense?" Little did she know, Funk was suffering a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which according... Full story
Culturally, we in the U.S. seem to automatically equate advancing age with declining health and loss of former abilities. Those losses do happen for many at some point in the aging process. It has been shown, however, in study after study, that an active lifestyle promotes both physical and mental health as well as a meaningful quality of life. Fortunately, for those who do need care of some type, there are people like Dr. Bill Thomas, the geriatrician who has approached... Full story
To the Editor: The Second Amendment of the Constitution states "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." So why is it that Democrats continue to make every effort to infringe on law-abiding citizens' rights under the Constitution? I'm completely baffled why Democrats think conservatives (deplorables) are violent because we own guns. When was the last time you saw a group of conservatives block a freeway, turn over cop cars, riot, loot, throw Molotov cocktails, and burn buildings? So far this... Full story
The Friends of the Sisters Library have two colorful exhibits hanging in the library this month - weaving and waterfowl photography. In the community room and lobby display case are eye-catching displays of woven, fabric, and felted art pieces from the members of the 42-year-old Central Oregon Spinners and Weavers Guild (COSWG). On the walls are 24 original pieces, among them scarves, shawls, wall hangings and table runners, some of which are for sale. One piece - already... Full story
The squall of the bagpipes made the rafters ring at The Belfry on Saturday night, as piper Steve Allely led the Grand March that kicked off an evening of Scottish country dancing. The evening was sponsored by the High Desert Celtic Society, which preserves and celebrates the culture of the Celtic peoples, many of whom emigrated to North America in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ann Marland of Sisters is of Scottish heritage. "My great-grandparents emigrated to the area around... Full story
Fall is in the air, there's new snow on the Cascades - which means winter's right around the corner and with it comes the beautiful High Desert Chorale Holiday Season performance. This year, singing right along with the adults in the chorale will be the Sisters Children's Choir, under the direction of Lola Knox of Sisters. The children's choir is usually a stand-alone group of young music-lovers from kindergarten to fourth grade. They rehearse every Monday evening starting at... Full story
There is an old red barn just south of Lakeview on the verge of collapse. I've been watching this barn for the last 10 years, gauging its precarious buckle and lean, keeping a private book on its chances for surviving yet another round of hard winter. By whatever law of physics, it's going down one knee at a time, stubbornly, like an old prizefighter who carries our hopes on his shoulders and whose ultimate fall will mark the end of something we can't articulate so much as... Full story
The Lady Outlaws tied with Crook County for a third-place finish at the Clearwater Classic on Saturday, October 8. Eleven of the top 4A, 5A, and 6A teams from around the state were in attendance and fans enjoyed high-caliber play throughout the tourney. Sisters started out slow against St. Mary's in the first game of pool play, but rallied to win both games. They also won both their games against South Medford. The Outlaws finished pool play with split games against 6A No.... Full story
Fourth-graders at Sisters Elementary School in Mrs. Parsons' and Mr. Warburton's classes ended their four-week study of energy with a tasty project. Students in each class attempted to harness the energy of the sun by creating solar ovens and making s'mores. "I loved it," said Kaden Crabb. "It was so much fun. I want to do that kind of stuff for a job." Students used items from the recycle bin to create their ovens. They were creative and used things like cardboard boxes,... Full story
Sisters School District is receiving a $250,000 grant from The Roundhouse Foundation to bolster its career technical education programs. The grant was announced during the school board meeting on Wednesday, October 5. It will provide $50,000 annually for five years. "This is a conversation that's been ongoing," said school board chairman Jeff Smith. "It looks to me like a great opportunity for our kids." He added it's good to increase options for students who aren't interested in college, but want post-secondary training.... Full story
• Quay and Dawn Richerson, of Sisters, announce with great pride the graduation of their daughter, Jordan Jean Richerson, from The University of Texas School of Nursing. Jordan was the SHS Class of 2011 valedictorian and graduated Magna Cum Laude from UT with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). She passed the National Council (of State Boards of Nursing) Licensure Examination on August 17. Prior to attending UT, Jordan completed her undergraduate studies at... Full story
The Outlaws blanked the Sutherlin Bulldogs 10-0 at home in Sisters on Thursday, October 6. Sisters continued their domination of league opponents and remains undefeated on the season. Sisters started their scoring in the first minute of the game when Keaton Green received a cross in the air from Sean Willitts and volleyed it over the keeper for the goal. In the sixth minute, the Outlaws struck again when Green hit a low hard cross from the right side to Jude Kokesh-Carhart,... Full story
"Run like a team and go after Philomath," was the battle cry that Coach Josh Nordell gave to the girls' cross-country team in preparation for the Paul Mariman Invitational. The team delivered as the Outlaws placed second in the meet, just nine points behind the host Warriors, among 28 teams, mostly from the 4A ranks. Philomath and Sisters were ranked second and third in the most recent 4A coaches' poll and the meet was the first head-to-head encounter of the two teams. Most of... Full story
The Outlaws tallied a big victory with their 27-3 win at Elmira on Friday, October 7. Field conditions were muddy and sloppy, but that didn't deter the Outlaws as they handed Elmira their first league loss of the season, and spoiled homecoming for the Falcons. Elmira opened the scoring when Devin Vestal kicked a 33-yard field goal after a long play-action pass on their second possession. That was the only time the Falcons would threaten. Sisters' defense was always a step... Full story
Most people understand that good posture is critical to their health and well-being, but many don't know the why or how to improve posture. One's posture is a system of integrated joints, muscles, and fascia all working in relation to each other. This relationship determines many problems people face as imperfections manifest themselves over time into discomfort, pain, and, sometimes, injury. When working on posture, be mindful of the interconnected system, and this relationship. It is a give-and-take that often provides... Full story
Former President Bill Clinton startled a lot of folks last week when he noted the frustrations of working people "caught in the middle" by the Affordable Care Act: "So you've got this crazy system where all of a sudden, 25 million more people have healthcare and then the people that are out there busting it - sometimes 60 hours a week - wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half," he said. "It's the craziest thing in the world." In Sisters... Full story
This time of year is all about aging - the decaying leaves of fall, released from the trees in their brilliant flame of color; the turn of seasons from summer to winter. It's the cycle of life, which we all must accept. Once the sands of time start to fall, the cascade is perpetual. As long as humans have been alive, defying age has been a topic of great interest. With the technology available today, new frontiers of age-related medicine are being pioneered - with some surprising findings. Aging is a biological process that... Full story
Recently my precious eight-year-old cat Jasmine was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease after having a blood test. I was totally blindsided and didn't have a clue she was critically ill. She hid her illness tactfully, and by the time I noticed she had lost over a pound the disease had nearly destroyed her kidneys. I missed the warning signs that something was wrong with my cat. Jasmine had also been diagnosed with chronic colitis when she was a year old and had always been... Full story
Skylight Cave is a relatively large and fairly accessible lava tube about 10 miles west of town. I suppose I will get some complaints for publicizing it, but I have confidence that my readers are responsible stewards of the natural wonders that make Sisters Country the wonderful place it is. Lava tubes form during a volcanic eruption when the outer surface of a lava flow cools and hardens, but the molten rock below the surface remains liquid and flowing. Sometimes, the lava... Full story
