News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
It took just about one minute on Thursday for the Sisters City Council to determine that it will not intervene on a staff decision allowing food carts at a downtown business. Brad Boyd applied and won staff approval to site food carts on his property at Eurosports. The food-cart operators will pay Boyd an annual lease. He hopes to establish whatever number is viable as permanent fixtures - though he acknowledges that there may be turnover among the individual carts. The approval proved controversial, with critics questioning... Full story
Over the past several weeks, re-elected city councilor David Asson has released to the public communications that were supposed to be internal city council communications. At a council workshop Thursday, Mayor Chris Frye expressed his concerns about Asson's actions. "My hope is that some of these were done in the goal of being transparent," said Frye. "It's a big focus for us going forward. But I think there's a line that you can go too far ... where the respect of your other... Full story
On a 7-0 vote, the Sisters planning commission approved the master plan and site plan review for an 82-room assisted living facility (ALF) to be built on 7.2 acres of the "Carpenter property" just south of the post office, between Locust and Larch streets. Community Development Director Pauline Hardie presented staff findings to the commissioners with a recommendation to approve application. As a Type III application, the decision was not a recommendation to the Sisters City Council. The approved decision by the planning... Full story
With the exception of a little rain, Sisters Country enjoyed some lovely weather last week. Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-to-high 50s made it feel like spring and enabled hikers and cyclists to get out and enjoy sports that they might have thought retired for the season. But all Sisters Country folks know that a warm, dry January is not really good news. The Cascades' snow pack is far lower than it should be at this time of year, and backcountry recreation and the businesses that supply it have taken a hit. Hoodoo... Full story
To the Editor: With the latest controversy from City Hall it appears that Mr. Transparency, A.K.A. Ex-Mayor Brad Boyd, has once again slid in under the radar. It certainly appears to me that he took advantage of his relationship with Eric Porter, the City of Sisters senior planner, by having Mr. Porter not submit the request to the planning commission. Mr. Porter was quoted in the December 23 issue of the Nugget Newspaper in an article by Jim Cornelius: "We collectively (the community development department staff) didn't... Full story
In the short five years from its inception under the guidance of a handful of volunteers, the Sisters Science Club has become one of those organizations that has a profound impact on lives in Sisters Country, and especially in the schools. Co-founder Bob Collins notes that the action has shifted from being driven by initiatives of himself and other volunteers. "The creativity and energy has really shifted to the teachers themselves," Collins said. "They're coming up with the... Full story
The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) will be holding their annual meeting next Thursday on January 29, at 7 p.m. in The Pines Clubhouse at the west end of Sisters. Even though this is the club's annual meeting, the public is welcome. In addition to the meeting agenda, the STA will be having Marv Lang of the U.S. Forest Service as the guest speaker for the event. Although Lang's official title with the Forest Service is Recreation Forester for the Deschutes National Forest, he... Full story
Fat-tired bicycles have cropped up all over Sisters Country. Where did these all-weather, all-terrain bikes come from? Reports of bicycles traveling over the surface of frozen rivers during the gold rush in Alaska date back to the late 1800s, but when bicycles were invited to race on trails groomed for the Iditarod sled dog race, a revolution in fat-tire bicycle design took off. The trail for the Iditarod sled-dog race covers a distance of over 1,000 miles from Anchorage to No... Full story
For two decades now, Sisters Bakery on Cascade Avenue has been a destination stop for locals and visitors alike. Whether it's an over-the-pass traveler looking for a pastry and a cup of coffee for the road or a local in need of a cake for a birthday, Melissa Ward and her staff at Sisters Bakery have been meeting their needs for 20 years. Owning and operating an iconic Sisters business wasn't part of a plan for Ward - she sort of backed into it, pushed by life's circumstances.... Full story
Sisters Folk Festival continues its tradition of brightening up cold winter nights with a variety of music - this year ranging from an old-timey band to an innovative guitarist. The Sisters community is invited to turn out on Fridays in February for the Sisters Folk Festival's 2015 Winter Concert Series. On Friday, February 6, The Foghorn Stringband will bring their old-timey brand of music to Sisters. The Foghorn Stringband is the present-day shining gold-standard for American string-band music, with seven albums, thousands... Full story
The Outlaws turned in an outstanding performance at the White Buffalo Classic held at the Madras Aquatic Center on Saturday, January 17. Sisters competed against Madras, The Dalles and Corbett and the girls team walked away with a first-place finish overall. The boys finished runner-up. The girls A 200-yard medley relay (Madelyn Zadow, Anna Bartlett, Mary Stewart and Emily Christen) finished first ahead of The Dalles with a time of 2:06.10. The girls B relay team (Hannah... Full story
The first slalom race for the Sisters High School Alpine race team was held last Saturday, January 17, at Mt. Bachelor ski area. The weather proved to be a challenging factor, with freezing rain, high winds, and over eight inches of heavy, wet new snow. Normally two runs are completed, but due to the weather, the second race was cancelled. The Outlaws teams showed true grit, and performed well in spite of the nasty conditions. Yasha Saldi, a senior, lead the men's team placing... Full story
In his first outing at a collegiate runner, Brandon Pollard entered the record books for Gonzaga University when he ran 4:10.6 in the indoor mile to become the fastest frosh of all-time for the Bulldogs. His time was the second-fastest ever for a Bulldog miler indoors. Running in the University of Washington Preview Meet in Seattle, Pollard surprised even himself with how good he felt as the race progressed. "I just kind of hung on with the lead pack of my heat and with a lap to go (300 meters) I felt really good and went... Full story
The Outlaws opened league play with a 42-32 win over the Lions at Cottage Grove (CG) on Friday, January 16. Sisters was a little nervous and a bit tense in their first league game of the season. The Lions packed in their defense early in the game and the Outlaws had trouble getting their shots to fall. The Outlaws counted on their defense to keep them in the contest. At the half Sisters was down 19-14. The Outlaws came out in the third with intensity and purpose and out-scored the Lions 15-5. Sisters held the lead in the... Full story
The Lady Outlaws opened league play with a 57-50 loss at Cottage Grove on Friday, January 16. The Lady Lions jumped out quickly and tallied 12 points in the first three minutes of play. Sisters had to play catch-up and scored 11 points in the last four minutes of the quarter, while holding the Lions to three to finish the quarter trailing 15-11. Sisters allowed Borrigio, the Lions' big post, 10 of her 20 points in the first four minutes of the game. The Outlaws rallied, gathered their composure and contained the big post... Full story
Unlike many pets, cats arrive in your home with few requirements. Cats crave a high-quality food, seek a safe, stimulating environment, and will cuddle up when given lots of love. And, of course, they need veterinary care and a few sunlit window perches. But there is one very important thing that every indoor cat or kitten needs: a litter box and suitable litter. Inappropriate elimination is the most common reason cats are given up to shelters and one of the most common... Full story
Cancer is telling us something. Each person's message is different. For some, their bodies hold a genetic predisposition to getting cancer. For others it is environmental. The question is what do we have power over and what is out of our control? I was genetically tested and know that my breast cancer was not due to genetics. That being said, cancer has been the cause of death for quite a few of my family members. My father, grandparents, cousin and uncle all died because of cancer. I reassured myself by the fact that my... Full story
The recent coyote slaughter over in the Burns Country is another example of some sportsmen's desires gone haywire. Over the past 100-plus years, stories of coyotes being the worst nemesis of ranchers and farmers have been so blown out of proportion that the minute shooters need a bigger target than ground squirrels, they pick the coyote - all in the name of livestock protection and sport. Sure, coyotes will kill and eat livestock (so will wolves and feral dogs). That's been... Full story
Another New Year has passed; another set of resolutions made and now, a few weeks into January, those lofty goals of eating better and getting healthy are already starting to slip. How does one stay motivated for the long game? That's the question of the ages. The traditional methods include gutting it out, self-verbal-flagellation, logging countless treadmill miles, and gagging down a broccoli smoothie. Yikes. How's that working for you? This weight loss/wellness game is really a tortoise-and-hare kind of race. Wouldn't you... Full story
The recent approval of the siting of food carts at Eurosports in downtown Sisters has pulled the scab off of an ongoing and sometimes contentious debate over the types of business that should be allowed and encouraged in Sisters. There is longstanding tension between some proprietors of "brick-and-mortar" businesses and low-overhead non-brick-and-mortar businesses operating out of tents or stands - or carts. Some see such businesses bringing more people into town to shop, to... Full story
