News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 21 of 21
Sharlene Weed, 45, has been a Sisters City Councilor now for about six years. She's running again this year to retain her council seat. Raised in Yreka, California, Weed spent much of her early years in that Northern California community of about 5,000 people. She's also proud of the fact that the nearby town of Weed was named after her great-great-grandfather, who founded the community. "Having lots of family around was really a 'pioneering' feeling, really grounding for... Full story
Sisters School District turned in an excellent performance on the Oregon State Department of Education (ODE) "Report Card." The annual summary of individual school and district performance across the state rates all three Sisters public schools as "Outstanding." Superintendent Jim Golden said these rating are based on discipline (primarily attendance), state OAKS test scores, and dropout rate. This year the criteria also included the tracking of student growth. Sisters schools "grew" in all areas measured. School board... Full story
An incident last month in Obion County, Tennessee, has thrown a harsh light on what happens when a rural homeowner doesn't pay for fire protection services. A family's home burned to the ground while firefighters watched from their truck (they had been summoned to protect neighboring homes, whose owners had paid a $75 fee). The incident sparked an outcry and became a cause celebre amongst political pundits. But the circumstance in which the Tennessee family found themselves is not that unusual in rural areas - and some... Full story
The cry of "Yo-Ho!" rang out into a steel gray sky during the D.L. Weatherhead Timberworks Lumberjack Show, as a lively crew entertained a damp but energetic crowd on Saturday. Forty-five-foot American-flag-topped climbing poles flanked the main stage and drew curious visitors onto bleachers and soggy haybales. The impromptu logging camp rose out of the barren field at the end of Hood Avenue, as lumberjacks, with axes and saws at the ready, showcased old-fashioned skills that... Full story
To the Editor: David Asson is a friend, neighbor, colleague and a candidate for city council. I met David when he moved into our neighborhood four years ago, and I know David as a man of character and integrity. He is a loving husband, father and grandfather who wants Sisters to be a place where our children can return from college or other training to live, work and support their families. Many of our neighbors know David and appreciate that he cares about their quality of life. He voluntarily leads neighborhood clean-up... Full story
The downtown core represents the jewel of Sisters Country. The foundation of our downtown is built on tourism, recreation, arts and culture. From Hoodoo to FivePine, from Aspen Lakes to Black Butte Ranch the success of the downtown is "hitched" to the success of Sisters Country. When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else. A living example of "hitched" is the union between the lodging properties, golf properties, and Hoodoo. Under the direction of our chamber, competing businesses joined... Full story
The Sisters City Council Candidates Forum is set for Thursday, October 21, at 7 p.m. at the Sisters High School Auditorium. The forum is being hosted by the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce. Sisters Country residents are urged to submit questions for the candidates by Monday, October 18, to [email protected] Submissions will be combined into a set of commonly asked questions which moderator Jim Cornelius will ask each of the candidates during the forum. The forum is an opportunity for Sisters Country residents to listen... Full story
Sisters citizens are now able to pay utility bills automatically. "One of the top customer requests has been, 'can't you just keep my credit card on file and charge it monthly,'" said Lisa Young, director of finance and administration. Beginning on October 13, the finance department is implementing a new automated credit card payment processing option for utility customers. The credit card payment program is designed for customers who choose to have their utility bill paid by credit card on a monthly basis. A customer will... Full story
Seven years ago, self-trained furniture-maker Harijs Stradins sat at his computer in Latvia and started seeking out mentors. He sent e-mails to woodworkers whose work he found on the Internet, seeking advice on how to advance his work and build his skills. Only one woodworker responded: Brent McGregor of Sisters. "Brent is the only one who answered my question," Stradins said. It was the beginning of a seven-year correspondence that culminated this month with a three-week... Full story
Seventeen-year-old Cheng "Angel" Peng stepped off a plane from China last month, on a student foreign exchange program with Sisters High School (SHS), marking another step in a journey which began, in many ways, 35 years ago. She calls herself Angel because it's easier for Americans to pronounce and because her mother calls her "my little Angel" in their native language of Mandarin. Peng first met her host family over the summer, when Joey Hougham and Staci Stabil of Sisters... Full story
The boys soccer team crushed the Falcons 6-0 at Elmira on Monday, October 4, and two days later shut out Junction City (JC) 2-0 in Sisters. The victory gave the Outlaws their fourth consecutive league win and pushed their league record to 4-1. In Monday's game against Elmira, Sebastian Boehm scored a goal on a through ball assist from Tanner Smith midway through the first half to get the Outlaws started. At the 28-minute mark Jake McAllister was fouled in the penalty box.... Full story
When, in 1810, the Crown Prince of Bavaria celebrated his marriage with a festival and horse race, he certainly had no inkling that 200 years later the event would be commemorated in Sisters, Oregon, half a world away. In fact, the event is celebrated as "Oktoberfest" in countless venues throughout the world, including such unlikely places as Hong Kong, Viet Nam, and Pakistan. The first celebration was such a success that Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) reprised the occasi... Full story
The Lady Outlaws volleyball squad tallied two more wins last week to push their league record to a perfect 5-0. Sisters swept the Lions at Cottage Grove with scores of 25-19, 25-14 and 25-17 on Monday, October 4, and two days later easily handled Junction City (JC) with scores of 25-11, 25-8 and 25-15. In Monday's game, the Outlaws maintained control of the match despite some tough serves from the Lions. Sisters' offense was distributed among several players. Lizzy Carhart... Full story
The Lady Outlaws soccer team continued their domination in the Sky-Em league last week with a 9-1 win over Elmira on Monday, October 4, and a 4-1 victory at Junction City (JC) two days later. In Monday's game against Elmira Jodie Reoch and Marin Allen both recorded a hat trick to lead the Outlaws to victory. Haley Carlson scored Sisters' first goal three minutes into the contest, and just minutes later Marin Allen knocked in her first goal of the night to give the Outlaws a 2-0 lead. At the 20-minute mark, Allen took a pass... Full story
Despite scholarship offers from several NAIA and NCAA Division II schools, Outlaws softball standout Dara Kosanke did not get the Division I scholarship call she wanted. But that has not dampened the goal of playing at college's highest level. Kosanke began her college career September 25 at Walla Walla Community College (WWCC), where she will pitch and play outfield. Her goal remains to be playing D-1 within in two years. She picked up where she left off as an Outlaw. In three games, Kosanke was 2-0 on the mound, recording... Full story
After years of counseling, why can't I understand my spouse? Why isn't my child socializing more? Why do I feel so stressed-out at work? Why do I feel so dissatisfied? For counselor Lisa Woodworth, answers to questions like these can be found in "temperament." In more than 20 years of counseling, Woodworth has found assessment of temperament to be the most important tool in her kit for getting to the essence of who and what her clients are. Temperament is distinct from... Full story
Two years ago, from the slopes of Broken Hand, I noticed a little lake at the snout of Bend Glacier on the east side of Broken Top. I decided that it merited a visit. Earlier this month, I finally got around to it. As it turned out, it's a pretty easy hike - but getting to it is another issue altogether. We drove out toward Three Creek Lake and turned onto a gravel road about a mile short of the lake. At about the six-mile point, a roadside sign announced, "Not maintained for... Full story
Stephanie Blakelock of Crossroads, teacher's assistant at Black Butte School started it all. She asked me if I would bring Marly, Wild Wings' great horned owl education bird, to the school. The question immediately brought to my mind Gary Landers (operator of Sisters' Wild Wings raptor rehab facility) and the beautiful turkey vulture (TV) he fixed up after it collided with a car. The TV didn't fare too well with the accident and lost the end of its right wing. Therefore, it... Full story
Reaching its 35-year milestone, the annual Sisters Harvest Faire ignored a few rain showers and drizzle this weekend and presented loyal followers one last chance to sample Western arts and crafts before the snows begin to fall. A healthy crowd flooded Hood Avenue, shopping for early Christmas gifts, unique bargains and artwork to spruce up homes for the upcoming holidays. Tourists and locals alike mingled among the 200-plus vendor booths, toting cornstalks, bags of kettle... Full story
Ted Lynch, DDS, is returning to his original specialty, adding pediatric dentistry to his practice at Outlaw Orthodontics. "I feel there's a need for a pediatric dentist," he told The Nugget. "A lot of general dentists don't feel comfortable working with kids." His practice will serve infants, young children, teens and medically compromised or handicapped youths. He will also treat patients on the Oregon Health Plan. "Right now we're seeing kids from birth through 16," Lynch... Full story
The Outlaws cross country teams came ready to race at the Paul Mariman Invitational held Saturday at Philomath High School in a meet that featured nearly all of the contenders for the state 4A team title. The result of the high quality of competition was the fastest times of the season for most of the Sisters runners. Zoe Falk smashed her own personal best to place 11th in 20:19, a full minute better than her previous top mark. "We needed one of our lead girls to have a... Full story
