News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
The prolonged cold snap that descended over Sisters Country for the much of the first half of January took its toll on Sisters Elementary School. Last week, two pipes froze and burst, flooding classrooms. "We had a water pipe burst in C Wing and we had a water pipe break in B Wing," said Sisters School District Facilities Manager Leland Bliss. "Most of the damage was in C Wing; the other one thawed and broke while we were there, so we knew what was going on." The C Wing pipe... Full story
In the wake of the shootings in Aurora, Colorado, and more recently in Newtown, Connecticut, the focus of most Americans moved away from political gridlock in Washington, and the presidential election, to questioning the ease at which someone can acquire a gun, questioning how the mentally ill among us can get ahold of a gun, to whether the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, and what cost we as a country can endure for this "right."... Full story
Sisters will have its first stoplight - albeit a temporary one - for the duration of the Cascade Avenue construction closure in 2014. At the first Sisters City Council workshop of the new year Thursday, the newly seated council wasted no time in tasking Department of Public Works director Paul Bertagna to develop a working agreement with ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) and the freight commission that will put a temporary, demand-controlled traffic signal at the... Full story
To the Editor: Sometimes life can be so strange. Fifty-eight years ago when we were 17 years old, my friend Janet and I used to sing. We had a manager that had a recording studio. We cut one record with him (both sides). The songs were written by him, and he (John) was kind enough to introduce us to Porter Wagoner and Marty Robbins, which led to our touring the summer of 1954 with Marty. First stop was the carrier USS Wasp. Then to the Marine base, Camp Pendleton, then the TV show "California Hayride" with Cottonseed Clark.... Full story
Property that served as the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters in Sisters for over 75 years has been sold. Bill and Zoe Willitts of Sisters have purchased the quarter-block of land and buildings at the intersection of West Jefferson Avenue and South Elm Street. The property came on the market a year ago when the department relocated its facility to a 2.5-acre tract of land two miles east of Sisters on Highway 126. In 2011, a new building was constructed there housing... Full story
Sisters' economic development manager will report to EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon). That was the conclusion reached in a workshop session of the new Sisters City Council last week. The city will pay EDCO the $30,000 per year currently budgeted for a half-time economic development manager (an interim contract position currently held by Patty Cordoni). In turn, EDCO will recruit and hire a part-time salaried employee of EDCO with responsibility for Sisters economic development efforts. Earlier discussions,... Full story
Outlaws swimmer Mary Stewart stole the show Saturday at the White Buffalo Classic in Madras. Stewart started the day by setting a new meet record in the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 26.25. Then, later in finals, she reset the record with a time of 26.00 and placed first in the event. Stewart also took second place in the 100-yard freestyle. Six swimmers in addition to Stewart advanced to the finals in the evening including Ian Baldessari, Brennan Miller, Tyler Berg, Codie... Full story
Sisters residents can explore the physical and mental benefits of the practice of qigong through a new Sisters Park & Recreation District program. "Sisters residents have been asking for a class like tai chi for a while," says SPRD adult program manager, Kelly Sheets. "This term we will have qigong (pronounced chi gong) which is an older form of tai chi." A six-week class will run from January 28 through March 11. Joyce Burk Brown is the instructor; she has been teaching for 10 years in Sisters and Bend. "Both tai chi and qig... Full story
Hoodoo ski area kicked off it's 75th birthday celebration on Saturday greeting skiers with prize giveaways, deals for skiers through the Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, and a late afternoon bonfire with s'mores and a hot cider toast. Hoodoo's official lodging sponsor, Black Butte Ranch, was also on-hand offering discounted lodging that included two lift tickets, or four Autobahn tubing passes, free pizzas and free passes to Sisters Movie House. As a part of the 75th anniversary celebration, Black Butte Ranch provided a $75... Full story
Guitar players looking to hone their craft will have a special opportunity over the next few weeks. Thompson Guitars is presenting a series of workshops with local musician, composer, performer and teacher Bill Hayes, at Sisters Coffee Co. on Saturday evenings, January 26, February 2, and February 9. Each workshop begins at 7 p.m. and there is a $20 suggested donation. "You can stop, start, come to any of them," said Dan Stewart, representing Thompson Guitars. The company is a one-man custom-guitar-making operation out of... Full story
The Outlaws suffered a tough 49-57 loss at Sweet Home on Tuesday, January 15, but bounced back three days later to take down the Junction City Tigers at home in a final score of 42-27. Sisters dropped their first league game of the season to the Huskies in Tuesday's action. The Outlaws had a good first quarter and closed out the period on top 14-7. Sisters played well throughout the game but had some mental lapses that cost them down the stretch. The Huskies boasted five... Full story
Sisters split their games on the court last week. The Outlaws easily handled the Huskies at Sweet Home with a score of 61-36 on Tuesday, January 15, but three days later suffered a 42-26 home loss to Junction City. In Tuesday's action, Sisters executed the press well in the first quarter and ran their offense effectively but just could not get their shots to fall. The Outlaws hit only three of their 13 attempts from the field, but on the flipside hit their free throws. At the... Full story
Students in Sisters Elementary School will soon be strumming on ukeleles, thanks to the Sisters Folk Festival's Americana Project and The Roundhouse Foundation. At the close of last year, the Americana Project received a grant from The Roundhouse Foundation to purchase 28 ukuleles for the Sisters Elementary School music program. "We are thrilled to provide the Sisters Elementary School students the opportunity to learn to play ukulele," said Tisdel. "It is exciting and a... Full story
Just because the high-country trails are buried in snow doesn't mean that the high country is closed. In fact, the Deschutes National Forest Trails office continues to publish trail updates designed for winter outdoor enthusiasts. The recent plentiful snow and sunshine have made this January a great time to get out and explore the woods. Although I'm more likely to be found on the alpine slopes, my skiing buddy has been trying to gradually expand my horizons a little further... Full story
Outlaw Martial Arts held a huge belt-testing event last month at Sisters Middle School. Outlaw Martial Arts, founded and run by tae kwon do Master Marty Kaczmarek, tested about half of their 70 students on a Saturday in the middle school gym. Martial artists are tested periodically on their progression in skill and knowledge. Students are tested on their knowledge of tae kwon do, Korean terminology and their practice of the five tenets of tae kwon do: courtesy, integrity,... Full story
Diane Goble, MSCC, and Maureen (Mo) Bidasolo, RN, BSN, will present a workshop "Having "The Conversation,'" on Sunday, January 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Sisters Library Community Room. Goble is a transitions and end-of-life educator, author of several books including "How to Die Consciously" (e-book), and offers workshops and groups about end-of-life matters. She was a hospice volunteer with Partners in Care in Bend for several years, and off and on over two decades at... Full story
Sisters, Oregon is not so far removed from Lance Armstrong as most people think. He competed in the Cascade Cycling Classic years ago, which has a stage that passes through town. He may have ridden some of the same roads that local bicyclists use regularly. He has been sponsored and promoted by Nike, an Oregon-based company. Everyone knows Lance Armstrong. Armstrong has been in the top of the sports news the past two weeks, "confessing" to Oprah in a two-part interview aired recently about unparalleled deception related to... Full story
Louise Christine Senneville Van Vactor of Sisters passed away on December 30, 2012, after a valiant eight-year fight with cancer. She was 64. A private celebration of life will take place at a later date. Louise was born September 2, 1948, in Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec, to Claremont and Mary (Gauthier) Senneville. She met her husband, Samuel A. Van Vactor in Paris, France, and on August 14, 1976, they were married in Quebec. Louise, along with her husband, lived in the Portland area for 23 years, before moving to Sisters in... Full story
Sisters activist Mike Morgan lacks standing to sue the Sisters School District over its issuance of full faith and credit obligations without a vote of the local electorate, according to a ruling released last Thursday by the Oregon Supreme Court. Morgan sued in 2008 to stop the district from making any further payments on $2.1 million in full faith and credit obligations the district issued in 2007 to fund replacement of the elementary school roof and other facilities needs.... Full story
