News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 20 of 20
The Sisters Ranger District has gained a national reputation for innovative partnerships and projects that enhance the health of Sisters Country forests. Those efforts earned prestigious recognition this year: the district earned the 2011 Chief's Award for Sustaining Forests and Grasslands from Forest Service Chief Thomas L. Tidwell. Sisters Ranger District silviculturalist Brian Tandy will fly to Washington, D.C. for the December 5 awards ceremony. Tandy expressed both pride... Full story
More than 70 people crowded city hall last Wednesday night to listen to a presentation on traffic control alternatives at the Barclay/Highway 20 intersection, given by ODOT and the city's consultants, Kittelson and Associates. Attendees were encouraged to ask questions and voice their opinion on the potential of a roundabout for the Barclay/Highway 20 intersection. At the conclusion of the meeting, attendees were asked to fill out a "feedback survey' indicating their preference between the two roundabout options or a traffic... Full story
Three years after signing a letter of intent, Benny and Julie Benson of ENERGYneering Solutions, Inc. (ESI) are the new owners of the historic Sisters Eagle Airport, whose first runway was built on the original Sisters Rodeo grounds by George Wakefield in 1935. The Bensons moved their family to Sisters in 2006 and started ENERGYneering at the Sisters Eagle airport in 2007. In California, Benny learned to fly to avoid the freeway traffic jams. Owning an airport was not... Full story
David Uttley has a talent for portraying the real faces behind some staggering geopolitical crises. While on assignment last week with one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations, his passion for photographing Third-world peoples nearly placed Uttley in harm's way. On Thursday, November 10, four bombs were dropped on a refugee camp at Yida, in the newly established country of South Sudan. The government of Sudan has denied responsibility for the bombing, but... Full story
To the Editor: After reading the comments by Mayor Kellstrom and City Manager Stein regarding Councilor Weed's recap of the 18-month "Water Rate Saga," you might be left with the impression that it was simply misunderstandings and differences of opinion. That would be a mistake. As a member of the TAC, and someone who has been engaged in this fight (and it has been a fight) for one full year, I feel qualified to dispute Eileen Stein's attempt at spinning away from reality. There has been a continuous and deliberate effort on... Full story
As members of the majority view during the TAC, we feel it is only warranted to refute the inaccuracies state by Councilor Weed in her letter titled "Water Final Comments." "Misinformation was continually presented by staff to Council as well as to the TAC." During the TAC meetings staff were very open and presented information clearly. When staff did not have immediate answers to some of our questions, they sought to find the needed information and to present it openly. More than once, staff stepped out of the room to... Full story
In July, fourth-grader Colton Seymour lit a spark of compassion that spread beyond Sisters when he issued a heartfelt plea on behalf of multitudes of starving children in the Horn of Africa. To his surprise, not only did he raise over $600 for famine relief, he learned a great deal in the process. Colton learned that, even at the tender age of nine, he had the power to do something about a distant humanitarian crisis. He learned to give media interviews. And he learned that... Full story
Snow is finally accumulating in the mountains, but local ski patrol preparations for the season began months ago. Sisters-area resident Tom Egan is the professional ski patrol director at Hoodoo Ski Area and says that "training is ongoing, systematic, and documented." Last week, more than 30 ski patrollers hit the snow-dusted slopes at Hoodoo to conduct their annual emergency chair lift evacuation drill. While area residents were still enjoying summer sports and activities,... Full story
The Sisters Church of the Nazarene pulled out all the stops last Friday night to honor long-time congregant Pat Stephenson. The church was decorated in a Western theme and members wore Western hats, boots, silver buckles and bolo ties to pay tribute to a real woman of the West. The evening was part of the church's annual honoring of a woman in the congregation. This year's event was called "Interview with a Cowgirl Pat Stephenson: Born to Ride." Stephenson brought in three of... Full story
Senior Sydney Stoneback's amazing athletic digs all season long earned her top honors as she was selected the Sky-Em's Player of the Year and a first-team pick. Stoneback is a four-year varsity player for the Outlaws and played at libero the past two years. Stoneback is a team captain, the back-court leader, and she logged an amazing 151 digs in league and finished the season with 372 digs overall. She is also a full-time server who can change up her serve to effectively throw... Full story
The Lady Outlaws' incredible winning streak came to a heartbreaking finish when they lost 1-0 to Gladstone in the 4A state championship game on Saturday, November 19, at Liberty High School in Hillsboro. Sisters managed to hold the tough Gladiator team at bay during regulation play to force the game into overtime knotted at 0-0. With three minutes remaining in the first overtime, Gladstone's Brita Kintz was issued a red card and the Gladiators were forced to play down a player... Full story
Tradition is the name of the game when it comes to the Sisters cross-country team traveling to the Seaside Three Course Challenge every September. Established by legendary Seagull coach Cornelius Branson over two decades ago, the event now draws more than 2,000 runners from throughout the Northwest. The Outlaws have attended every year since 1994. The Three Course Challenge is named for the unique format: Varsity runners draw from a tin can a white, blue, or red poker chip to determine which of the three courses they will... Full story
The Sisters High School (SHS) Commons was transformed into an art gallery for the 15th Annual Sisters Coffee House on November 16. In addition to pieces of art, students offered hands-on demonstrations; and Americana Project musicians, the jazz choir and the jazz combo performed six sets of music under the direction of Rick Johnson and Bryan Summers with help from Brad Tisdel. Demonstrations included drawing, sculpting, painting, jewelry, throwing pottery on the wheel, and... Full story
The sun didn't shine as brightly as hoped for Wesley Ford's Stanford Solar Car Team at last month's Veolia World Solar Challenge in Australia. Ford and his crew battled bushfires, torrential rains, chronic repairs and an incredibly competitive field in their quest to win the difficult cross-continental race, held October 16-21. When the final results were signed by the Chief Timekeeper on November 4, Stanford's Xenith solar car came in 11th place, logging 2,547 total miles, just short of the finish in Adelaide. The overall... Full story
Students at Black Butte School (BBS) recently completed a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) bicycle and pedestrian safety program. The six-session course was organized through Commute Options by way of a grant from Oregon Department of Transportation. The school was one of only three in the state to receive the grant, and by far the smallest and most remote. The grant allows for the initial course and for the school to formulate an action plan that may allow the SRTS program to... Full story
Brian Henson, a senior at Sisters High School, has earned the highest level in scouting: Eagle Scout. Henson has been a scout at Troop 21 in Bend for 10 years. According to the Boy Scouts of America website only five percent of all Boy Scouts earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2010. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout, a Boy Scout must progress through all the ranks, beginning with Tenderfoot, earn at least 21 merit badges, serve in a troop leadership position, develop and lead a... Full story
I've been known to do some crazy things in the pursuit of a perfect turkey. Even in college, where I majored in mathematics, my thesis revolved around roasting meat. I examined and modeled the heat flow of a cooking turducken - that marvel of meat created when a chicken is stuffed into a duck, which is then stuffed into a turkey. I felt the study offered insights that might help all Americans overindulge in a poultry protein fest, and I considered myself a budding "gastronomathematician." In preparations for the Thanksgiving... Full story
It's been a year since I moved to Sisters from Bend. Reflecting on all that I have learned, I realize how grateful I feel that this small town I now call "home" offers so much. What follows is part of my experience. The inclusiveness of the community: anyone who wants can participate in the parades, the events, in helping and volunteering. I can walk to nearly everything I need (especially now that Melvin's Market has opened). And, speaking of places to go, I'm now on a first-name basis with most of the people at places I... Full story
Sisters Country has a new resource for quality resale items -and shopping there helps people in need of medical help around the world. CardioStart Resale, located in the Three Wind Shopping Center in Sisters is operated by Shari Maguire, who conceived of the idea as a means of supporting the non-profit medical charity CardioStart. CardioStart is operated by cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Aubyn Marath, whom Maguire met through a mutual interest in aviation. CardioStart, which... Full story
If there's one thing Sisters Country isn't short on, it's turkeys. There are so many of them climbing on cars, wandering through backyards and competing with the mule deer around and in town, it's a wonder someone doesn't come up with the bright idea to change the name of Sisters to Turkeyville. Just the other day a rafter of turkeys came wandering out of the Deschutes Land Trust's Camp Polk holdings and actually stopped traffic on the road - from both directions. Next thing... Full story
