News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
Work crews are making swift work of paving a new right-turn lane on Highway 20 at the east end of Sisters. Working at night in chilly temperatures, paving crews have ground away existing pavement and laid fresh as the preliminary work on a major renovation of the highway through Sisters gets underway. "They had to do a grind-out to match into existing pavement on that corner," said Oregon Department of Transportation Community Liaison Ann Fisher. The new right-turn lane was... Full story
School performance scores released in September and Oregon Report Cards mailed to district homes on Thursday shine a light on Sisters School District's outstanding performance - as well as on areas where work is still needed. For students that met or exceeded state standards in reading, for grades 3-5 Sisters was 16 percent above the state average; for grades 6-8 the district was 15 percent above the state average; and for grade 11 Sisters was nearly 8 percent higher than the state average. In math, 3-5 was 18 percent... Full story
A dedicated cadre of Sisters Country volunteers is helping local teens define and chase their dreams. The mentors of the Sisters High School ASPIRE program help students figure out their best course for post-high-school education, whether it's admittance to the university of their dreams or a path to a vocation. And the volunteers will tell you that they get as much out of the work as the students do. "Being around young people is very energizing," says ASPIRE mentor Susan Par... Full story
To the Editor: John Griffith's article about the Young Eagles day last Sunday at the Sisters Airport was very welcome and all of us involved in aviation at Sisters are very enthusiastic about this welcome addition to our flying community. I'd just like to offer one small correction and only because I think it's important to all our students and their parents. While the article said that a person must be 17 years old in order to solo an airplane and 18 years old before being eligible for a pilot certificate, that is... Full story
After several months of crunching numbers and analyzing budgets, the Sisters City Council on Thursday acted to reorganize how it handles the city's reserve funds. "We've had a reserve ... and it's just been sitting in the reserve fund and wasn't earmarked for anything," Mayor Brad Boyd explained. The council's actions transferred those funds into the general fund and "created specific reserves in each fund" such as water, sewer, streets, etc. City staff identified assets that... Full story
When Rick Johnson, vocal music director for Sisters schools, found out that a production of "Les Misérables" was in the works for Central Oregon, he knew right away that he would be auditioning; and he's encouraging others to do so, as well. "'Les Misérables' was the first professional musical production that I ever saw," said Johnson. "I was 14 at the time and sitting in the fifth row of the London Palace Theatre; and, after the second act, I turned to my parents and said, 'This is what I want to do for the rest... Full story
The early morning rain misted down Hood Avenue as folks flocked to the 38th annual Sisters Harvest Faire with umbrellas in hand on Saturday. Cold, wet weather couldn't keep local folks and visitors away as they searched for that one unique gift while strolling through an eclectic array of hand-crafted items. This year featured 168 artisans and craftsmen from all over the Pacific Northwest. Many first-time vendors lined the streets with their original handmade goods.... Full story
Video surveillance cameras at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore and at the city's recycling center are making things hard on illegal dumpers and would-be thieves. Both are targets for people who decide to get rid of unwanted trash after hours, and for people who think they can snag a treasure with no one the wiser. Recently, a Sisters man was cited for second-degree theft after he was caught on camera stealing doors from Habitat's ReStore yard after hours. The Class A... Full story
In the event you missed the Sisters Science Club's Seed to Table Fall Harvest Dinner last week, not to worry - you'll have the opportunity to hear the father of the Seed to Table program, Paul Hudak, on Thursday evening, October 24 at The Belfry. Hudak began the Seed to Table project in Muse Schools in Los Angeles County, California. He has since worked on organic farms in Finland, Belgium, France and Italy. In 2008, Hudak founded the Terra Nova Community Farm program in... Full story
Students in the Sisters High School Americana Project performed last week in the program's annual fall assembly. The program is a partnership between Sisters schools and the Sisters Folk Festival. Students in the program learn to play musical instruments and write songs - and also learn event production and social studies through their exploration of the roots of American music. The annual fall assembly featured 10 separate performances by advanced students. In introducing... Full story
The boys soccer team seems invincible. The Outlaws continue to knock off league foes one by one. Sisters defeated Elmira 11-0 at home on Tuesday, October 8, and posted their ninth straight victory of the season. Sisters scored four of their 11 goals in the first half of the contest. Jadon Bachtold started off the scoring at the 13-minute mark. Bachtold trapped a cross from Jake McAllister and volleyed it into the goal. Four minutes later, McAllister broke free from outside... Full story
Sisters eighth-grade volleyball teams are having an outstanding season and hope to close out their final two matches with wins. The two teams, Batman and Robin, have already won five and six matches respectively, and each has three remaining. Only 14 players came out for volleyball this year, which is quite a difference from previous years. Last season the Outlaws had 23 girls participate and they have had as high as 30, which is over half of the total number of eighth-grade girls. Coach Clay Warburton said, "This group is so... Full story
The idea of wildlife rehabilitation has been with us for many years in Central Oregon. This old writer rehabbed bobcats, turkey vultures, raptors and other wildlife decades ago; Jane and Bill Stevens conducted their operation in Bend for 40 years; and Jane kept her hand in it when she moved into Sisters Country 20 or so years back. Gary Landers rehabilitates raptors, from eagles to vultures to the smallest falcon we have in this area, the American kestrel. Elise Wolf is doing... Full story
Every once in a while, Gary Landers, owner and operator of Wild Wings Raptor Rehab, has a raptor come to his facility that really gets him excited. In this case it's a rare peregrine falcon, so busted up from tangling with a PGE main transmission line carrying around 30,000 volts of electricity, Landers thought it might not make it. Sometimes the raptor that makes contact with electricity is held fast to the charge and is killed immediately. Other times, a bird will make... Full story
The HarmonyHouse concert season kicks off on Saturday, October 26, with Misner & Smith. Misner & Smith's music is a search for meaning. The songs yearn for connection, ache for understanding, relish mystery, and rejoice in creation. With their brand-new release, "Seven Hour Storm," Misner & Smith have created an album of vivid, poetic songwriting, filled with some of the finest harmony singing around. "Seven Hour Storm" has the same timeless quality as some of the classic... Full story
The girls volleyball team recorded a sweep at home over the Sweet Home Huskies on Tuesday, October 8, to push their league record to 7-0. Sisters started off the match very fast and won the first set 25-8. The Outlaws backed up their hitters and recovered quickly off the block. Allie Spear contributed a highlight in the match. "Isabel (Tara) hit the ball hard and it was blocked," said Coach Miki McFadden. "Since she (Tara) hits so hard it comes back hard and Allie (Spear)... Full story
If there is a story in the Outlaws girls JV soccer season so far, it's the story of doing a lot with a little. This is a little group of athletes with a little soccer experience, and they have a little trouble avoiding injury. Yet, still they have managed to score a lot of goals and win a lot of games, putting themselves in good position to win first place in their league. It starts with a solid defensive line, made up of speedy and aggressive players. Sophomore Bethany Bachmeier has been a revelation at the center of the... Full story
The girls soccer team put another win in the record books with a 6-0 shutout at Elmira, Tuesday, October 8. A muddy field filled with potholes caused the Outlaws to constantly slip, which made for a very tough start. Sisters kept pushing forward, kept their composure and finally got into a rhythm. Haley Carlson got the Outlaws on the scoreboard in the fifth minute. Carlson shot from the right outside midfield position from 25 yards out and sent a perfect ball over the keeper's... Full story
It's been a long time since the Outlaw girls have had two runners under the 20-minute mark in the same race in the same season. Zoe Falk and Aria Blumm pulled off that feat at the George Fox Adidas Classic held at Mission Bottom State Park Saturday, October 12. The meet featured one of the deepest, fastest fields of runners of the 2013 season in Oregon. Falk finished in 19:37, while Blumm annihilated her personal record by some 30 seconds on her way to crossing the line in 19:52. The high quality of the runners in the race... Full story
Your house is a source of many dangers to cats. Since cats crave warmth, you might find your furry feline snuggled in your sock drawer that you inadvertently left open. But what if you didn't notice your black shorthaired cat snoozing next to those socks of the same color and you shut the drawer? Cats have fewer heat receptors on their bodies than humans. This allows them to detect the cozy and warm spots in your home even if they are only warmer than the rest of the house by... Full story
