News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 30
The Deschutes Land Trust is the steward of several important sites in our region. While many people are familiar with the Land Trust’s role in preserving key ecological features in Central Oregon, it is easy to forget that Trust lands also provide some excellent recreational opportunities. At this time of the year, many hikers put their trail aspirations to rest or turn to other interests; but that needn’t be the case when there are fine trail options readily available at such... Full story
Jeremiah Joseph Geary III, 78, lovingly known as Jerry, Joe and Papa Bear, passed away at his home in Sisters on Saturday, October 26. Joe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 5, 1941 to J. Joseph Geary Jr. and Rose V. Geary (McSheffrey). Joe joined the Air Force in 1960, serving for four years as a photo lithographer. With ink now in his blood, he moved to the West Coast, settling in Portland, where he continued his printing career and met Lorraine, his wife and... Full story
William “Bill” MacDonald passed away on November 2, at the age of 75, in his Sisters home with family and friends at his side. A devoted father and loving husband, he will be remembered for his perceptive forethought, generosity, and witty sense of humor. Bill’s greatest passion was opening the door to music and personal accomplishment for his students at Sisters High School, teaching them the art of lutherie; the refined hand-crafting of stringed instruments. Bill was born... Full story
Barry “Jim” Hurt was born in Wichita, Kansas to Robert and Bonnie Hurt and was the second of three sons. The family moved to San Diego and purchased a home on Sunset Cliffs where all three boys grew up. Jim graduated from Point Loma High in 1965 and went on to San Diego State where he earned a degree in biology in 1972. He married Patricia Walmsley and they had four children: Michelle, Kathleen, Ian, and Danielle. The marriage ended in 1987. Jim worked for 30 years as a lab... Full story
Connor Jeffery Lake was born October 9, 1997, to Jeff and Tina Lake in Eugene, Oregon. He was big brother to Austin (19) and Jenna (13) and step brother Jordan Foss (22), and friend to countless others. Connor had the incredible gift of making others feel comfortable and easily connected with people of all ages. He had a warm spirit and giving nature that was undeniable. Kids of all ages flocked to Connor. With joy, silliness, and fun, he played with and protected them with... Full story
St. Charles Health System recently provided a big boost to Sisters Cold Weather Shelter with a $5,000 donation to help support the shelter’s mission of providing a safe, warm place for unhoused people in Sisters to get out of the winter weather. The shelter was originally scheduled to open December 1, but due to the recent cold temperatures and the forecast for snow, the shelter opened on Monday, November 25, at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church. Doors open at 6 p.m. e... Full story
The Sisters School District Board appointed David Thorsett to fill Position No. 2 after interviewing five applicants for the open board seat on Wednesday, November 20. “We had a very difficult decision to make because each candidate was incredibly qualified. Each spoke of wanting to give back to their community, and I hope each candidate will consider future openings,” said board chair Jay Wilkins. Thorsett had registered to run for a board seat in the May elections, but withdrew his candidacy after learning he would be run... Full story
To the Editor: Guest columnist Josh Groves makes important points about reasons to oppose development pressure in his “Expansion of Sisters Benefits Few” piece last week. Growth benefits a handful of developers in the short term, but it does not benefit most citizens or tourists who are attracted to Sisters as a small community with a special connection to nature and who marvel in its clean water, air and pristine habitat. He’s right to point to lessons from Bend, where unchecked growth is causing worse congestion and putti... Full story
A Sisters contractor just completed some work for my house and we were talking about the benefits of electric cars and the real cost of gasoline. I was shocked when he told me that his workforce used 25 percent of the companies fuel up just idling the work trucks unnecessarily. He hopes to eliminate this behavior because it’s an avoidable expense. He had devices installed in his trucks to monitor fuel usage. Idling is not as inexpensive as you think because the cost of gasoline is not what you see on the pump. There are a l... Full story
A hundred years ago, pioneers planted a maple tree in the heart of West Linn. It grew tall and strong for a century, but this year, it had to be cut down. The maple tree will “live on” thanks to the generosity of Sally Bany, co-founder of the Youth Music Project in West Linn, and the talents of master carver J. Chester “Skip” Armstrong of Sisters. Armstrong turned the tree into a 15-foot tall sculpture that he’s calling “Many Voices – Universal Language – Mus... Full story
Football fans, the Seahawks are bringing Seattle’s best. With the Vikings’ tenacity, they will not be Minnesota nice. The December 2 Monday Night Football (MNF) could be very entertaining. These intraconference contenders are well-matched, with the score being: Seattle Seahawks ... 27 points Minnesota Vikings ... 20 points This is how this prediction came about. The 2013-2018 seasons for each team were analyzed. During these years, the Seahawks have been consistently win... Full story
Sisters High School senior Lydia Bartlett has signed a letter of intent to swim for the NCAA Division 1 California Baptist Lancers. California Baptist University, located in Riverside, has an undergraduate population of about 7,000 students. Bartlett has had an accomplished career through three seasons of swimming for the Outlaws and is considered one of the top 4A/3A/2A/1A swimmers returning for the 2019-20 high school season. Bartlett placed second in last year’s OSAA S... Full story
In some circumstances, women may have no place to turn for help: no friends, no family close by, no mentors, no job, and no resources. In Bend, Saving Grace, a women’s emergency shelter and support center, is often the proverbial “last straw.” To drive home the message, 25 Central Oregon artists have created collages around a phrase starting with or focused on the word “SHE …” that will be sold to benefit Saving Grace. For the past two months, the artists have work... Full story
Seattle-based musician Tekla Waterfield will be performing her original songs Monday, December 2, at 6 p.m., at The Open Door Restaurant and Wine Bar. Waterfield is originally from Alaska and grew up surrounded by music. Her mother used to play folk festivals around Alaska. From a young age, Waterfield was getting on stage with her mother and sister to perform harmonies and sing. In the 1990s, her family moved to California, near Sacramento, where Waterfield discovered many ot... Full story
Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) is renewing the Lieutenant Salisbury Scholarship Program. This scholarship was created in honor of Lieutenant Chris Salisbury to assist children who may not otherwise be able to participate in outdoor recreation programs. For the winter season, this scholarship is available for qualifying youth to help cover part of their registration fee for SPRD Hoodoo night skiing. The Lieutenant Salisbury Scholarship program will remain available during summer for the Jim Anderson Camp for... Full story
Seven Outlaw Cheer and Stunt Team members competed in the OCCA All-State individuals competition on Saturday, November 9. Two out of the seven were selected for the All-State team including seniors AriAnne Griffy and Victoria Shelswell-White. Griffy, in her fourth year of Outlaw Cheer, placed ninth in the individuals for the 4A division. Shelswell-White, in her second year of Outlaw Cheer, was state champion of the 4A division, winning a $1,000 scholarship for her second year... Full story
The Outlaws don’t return a single starter to their squad this year, but will fill the roster with talented players who saw limited varsity action last year. Seniors Sam Nicklous, Brogan Petterson, and Joe Scholl; juniors Nate Weber, Connor Linn, and Hudson Jones all got in some playing time on the court last year, but this year will be the backbone of the team. Junior Hayden Sharp is new to the squad, and coaches expect him to be an added bonus. Coach Rob Jensen told The N... Full story
Seven players return for another year of Outlaws hoops, including seniors Gracen Sundstrom, RylieReece Morgan, Hallie Schwartz, Josie Aylor, and sophomores Payden Petterson, Oly Thorson, and Emma Lutz. Sundstrom, who missed the last half of the season last year due to an ACL injury, is back at full strength and ready for a solid senior season. Her height and skill level on the inside and on the perimeter will allow her to play several positions. Morgan will be a strong... Full story
With significant snow forecasted for the week in Central Oregon, the Deschutes National Forest closed the gate on Forest Road 16 outside of Sisters near Three Creek Sno-Park for the season on Tuesday, November 26. Beginning December 1, winter wildlife closures will take effect across the forest. There are four winter wildlife closure areas on the Deschutes National Forest — Cabin/Silver Lake, Metolius Winter Range, Opine Travel Management Area and Tumalo Winter Range. Motorized vehicles (including snowmobiles and... Full story
Dr. Little Liedblad of Broken Top Veterinarian Clinic has been involved with competitive dog training for over 15 years. She’s traveled the country with her dogs, Suture, Kanga, and Kiva to American Kennel Club (AKC) shows. Liedblad got excited about obedience and agility training when Suture, a female Australian cattle dog, came into her life nearly two decades ago. It took time, commitment and TLC to understand what it took to train a dog for AKC competitions. Liedblad said,... Full story
Donations for the critical fourth quarter are down significantly at the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank. Tom Hespe, who oversees the Food Bank project for the service club, explained that October, November and December are the most critical months in donations for the Food Bank. That’s when the bulk of donations come?in. “That’s when we have to make it or break it — in the fourth quarter, in the giving season, if you will,” Hespe said. So far, the Food Bank is not making... Full story
As part of its Cowboy Christmas events, the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce will host its yearly Christmas Tree lighting on Friday, November 29, at Fir Street Park, and Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 30 at 2 p.m. on Hood Avenue sponsored by Hayden Homes. The annual tree lighting will take place on Friday, November 29, at 5:30 p.m. Cowboy Christmas continues on Saturday, November 30, with the annual Sisters Christmas Parade. This year’s parade theme is “A Sisters Country Christmas.” “This is such a fun event, always... Full story
The wild turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo) is not a native species in Oregon. Introduced in 1961 by ODFW, they are now well established in the pine forests around the Metolius Basin. The subspecies Rio Grande has had the most successful natural expansion, although the Merriam’s also has a steady population. Females lay 10-14 beige mottled eggs which hatch in approximately 28 days, and within 24 hours of hatching the poults have left the nest. Insects, berries, seeds and all v... Full story
Giving the gift of chocolate while at the same time helping your community sounds like a delicious win-win. The Kiwanis Club of Sisters is holding their annual See’s Candy Sales fundraiser out of an RV trailer parked in Ray’s Food Place parking lot through Tuesday, December 24 (sooner if all the candy is sold). Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day, Monday-Sunday, with the exception of a half-day on Thanksgiving. Sales are conducted by Kiwanis members and sales support Kiwanis in their efforts to provide scholarships and car... Full story
“No one knows for sure what happened at the original Thanksgiving, but I am fairly confident that it did not involve a group of people hunched around a table posting turkey photos to Instagram,” wrote Catherine Price this week. In her free Screen/Life Balance newsletter, Price wrote that she’s “pretty sure whoever invited you to join them for Thanksgiving” doesn’t want to be rewarded with a “table of guests with their noses in their phones.” Thanksgiving today, for many Americ... Full story
