News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
Even in a community as small as Sisters, it sometimes seems that the right hand doesn't know what the left had is doing. Duplication of effort, miscommunication and misunderstanding can impede or even derail good ideas. The Sisters Leadership Group is designed to avert that sort of problem, putting shot-callers into the same room so that those who are trying to do good work in the community can support each other. "The whole idea behind this ... is to make sure we have... Full story
Gayla Nelson, owner of Dark Horse Ranch in Sisters, received a very special blessing on Thanksgiving Day over two years ago: A four-month-old mustang foal that was rescued from the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Oregon. The refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, is noted for its population of wild horses. A mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American West that descended from horses brought to America by the Spanish. Mustangs are often... Full story
Whychus Creek has had enough water flowing through Sisters to classify as a flood - not once, but several times over the years. Many old-time Sisters residents still recall the flood of the 1960s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers turned the creek into a fire hose to get it out of town. Most hydrologists thought it was a bit of overkill, and fishery biologists saw the action as the death knell of the once-healthy fishery in the creek. Since those dual-purpose days of... Full story
To the Editor: Volunteers in Medicine recently presented their program at an EDCO staff meeting and I wanted to share the information with the Sisters community. This organization cares for working adults in Deschutes County who do not make enough money to afford medical insurance or services. They use a community approach to provide healthcare to patients 19 to 64, without charge. Their goal is to keep uninsured, low-income adults in Deschutes County as healthy as possible so that they can work, care for their families... Full story
Sisters will celebrate the newest addition to its public art collection on Saturday, December 8, at 2 p.m. The 10-foot-tall sculpture shows a bronze heron ready to lift off from a basalt column. The sculpture was created by local artist Danae Bennett Miller in honor of Elizabeth Dasch, who died in 2009. Dasch was an artist and an original homebuilder at Black Butte Ranch, who later moved to Sisters. Dasch's three grown children donated $25,000 toward the sculpture and are traveling from three states to attend the dedication.... Full story
Members of Sisters Boy Scout Troop 139 spent Saturday, December 1, learning about aviation and space at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville. The museum is home to Howard Hughes' flying boat HK-1, or "Hercules," more commonly known as the Spruce Goose. The centerpiece fixture of the museum is the largest wooden plane ever constructed, with a wingspan of nearly 320 feet, and was designed to carry 750 troops during World War II. Surprisingly, the plane is made... Full story
The Gallery at Black Butte Ranch will host the artwork of Sisters Middle School students through the month of December. Kit Stafford's seventh- and eighth-grade art students were asked to provide a "Magic of the Holidays"-themed exhibit for viewing at the Ranch through the holiday season. "Every year I choose a theme for Christmas, and we decorate around that theme at the Gallery," said gallery coordinator Katie Williams. "And I try to find artwork that represents that theme.... Full story
The weather was chilly but feelings were warm on Saturday, December 1 as Sisters Cohort 3 of the Ford Family Foundation dedicated a labyrinth at the Forest Service East Portal. Cohort 3 member Leanne Smith explained that walking a labyrinth represents a symbolic journey. "This is a pilgrimage you would take toward enlightenment, toward your spirituality," she said. The Sisters labyrinth is a medieval seven-circuit design like those found on the floors of European churches and... Full story
The Sisters High Desert Chorale will be presenting free holiday concerts on Friday, December 14, and Sunday, December 16. For more than 20 years, Sisters' talented singers have celebrated the holiday season by staging these free Christmas concerts. Under the direction of Irene Liden, the chorale, a community chorus of 60 singers, will perform a mix of classical, contemporary, gospel, and traditional Christmas music. This year, the program will begin with a medley of flute... Full story
The girls basketball team stepped all over the Crook County Cowgirls and recorded a 57-33 win on Saturday, December 1, to kick off their season. Sisters knew they were up against a big, physical team and made sure they set the tone and pace of the game right from the start. The Outlaws came out strong right from the tip-off and took control. Coach Julianne Horner told The Nugget that their goal in the first quarter was to keep Crook County from scoring. The Outlaws did a... Full story
Sometimes changing a career path takes thinking out of the box, finding a way around the traditional path to a brick-and-mortar school during fixed hours that just can't be managed with your current job. With the help of a recently awarded Career Endowment from the Sisters Kiwanis Club, Corrie Ortner of Sisters is getting this opportunity and will start her journey toward obtaining a certification as a medical coding specialist. Previously, Corrie was employed in retail... Full story
Dr. Lawrence R. Simonson, 87, of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and later of Sisters, died on Sunday, November 25, 2012 in Brainerd, Minnesota. The son of Maghilde Hedberg and Herman Simonson (deceased), Lawrence R. Simonson was born November 7, 1925 in Albert Lea, MN. He is preceded in death by his wife of 45 years, Nancy Alsterberg; second wife Vivian Lewis; sister Phyllis Morreim; brother Bob; and his uncle Fred Hedberg, who had a large part in his upbringing after the passing... Full story
The Outlaws lost 45-35 at Crook County on Saturday, December 1, in a tough first game of the season. Crook County boasted a 6-foot-8-inch post that challenged the Outlaws' shots. Sisters also missed a lot of open looks and struggled on their shots. The Outlaws went 9/39 from the field and were 14/24 from the free-throw line. Although the Outlaws lost the contest, Coach Rand Runco said there were some positive pieces to the game. Sisters held the Cowboys' two best scorers to 12 combined points, and several players stepped up... Full story
The Lady Outlaws had a tremendous volleyball season and to cap it off had two of their players selected to all-state teams. Senior Shannon Fouts was named first-team all-state and Megan Minke was a second-team all-state selection. Fouts was also the Sky-Em league Most Valuable Player and was co-captain of the varsity squad. Shannon finished the season with 422 assists, 71 digs, 49 kills and 16 blocks and was successful on 94 percent of her serves. "Shannon was our setter and leader of our team," stated Coach Miki McFadden.... Full story
Good conditioning is critical to young athletes, not only for peak performance in their sport, but also to prevent injuries. Cascade Fitness is looking to keep Outlaws athletes fit, strong and on the playing field with a new program offering free year-long memberships to students who participate in a sport. "The idea is that the athletes will get, hopefully, more time to build themselves up," said new owner Mike Sundvall. "The thing that started it was we started seeing a lot... Full story
Sisters High School sophomore Ben Johnson is laying the groundwork to bring sand volleyball to Sisters. The Sisters Boy Scout formed a committee, is working with Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) and Sisters High School and has obtained city approval to build two sand volleyball courts near the high school. Now he needs some help from the community. Johnson, an Eagle Scout candidate, has been in scouting since he was 8 years old, starting as a Cub Scout. He has taken on this project benefitting the community as one... Full story
Cooking up fragrant batches of hot gingerbread waffles, Janet Zuelke and her fresh Christmas greens tables lured a festive crowd and their salivating pups to the annual Sisters Art Works Holiday Open House on Saturday. A round, red-furred Santa greeted guests from the porch of the Sisters Art Works building, pausing to deliver the crowd some yuletide cheer and pose for Christmas snapshots with a colorful assortment of dogs, all to benefit the Furry Friends Foundation Pet Food Drive. Inside, 19 vendors and artists opened up... Full story
The lights are strung, the stockings are hung and storefronts are bedecked in yuletide red and green, setting the downtown stage for what Sisters Country merchants hope will be a merrily uplifting holiday. With the Thanksgiving feast in the rear view mirror and the Barclay Park town tree resplendent in white lights, it's full steam ahead for local shoppers and vacation travelers patronizing specialty shops Sisters has to offer. Whether registers will be loudly ringing in the... Full story
The holiday season got underway at Black Butte Ranch Lodge last Friday with the ceremonial lighting of the Black Butte Ranch Christmas Tree, and the first night of a four-week Friday night Live Music at the Lodge concert series at Aspen Lounge. Homeowners and guests alike started arriving at the Lodge just after five for the 5:30 p.m. lighting. With a roaring fire outside in the Ranch's outdoor fire pit, and the Lodge adorned with Christmas decorations, the scene was set for the first lighting of the Ranch's Christmas tree.... Full story
The 16th annual Magical Voices of Christmas concert went off without a hitch on Sunday, December 2. The Rotary Club of Sisters presents and organizes the event, capping the evening with a donation to the choir and band programs at Sisters High School and the music program at Sisters Elementary School. A beloved feature of the concert is performances by the children and youth of Sisters, and this year's program featured plenty. The elementary school choir was back after a... Full story
Outlaws athletic director Tim Roth is rolling out his first comprehensive fundraising program this week with the formation of the Outlaw Black and White Club (OBWC). "The athletic department mission statement is to teach, compete with honor and dignity, serve community, and pursue excellence," said Roth. "The Outlaw Black and White Club is designed to help fulfill that mission." The program is new, innovative and a work in progress. In many ways, OBWC represents a significant departure from how funds have been raised for spor... Full story
In a school system beset by deep budget cuts, the Sisters Schools Foundation plays a vital role in shoring up the quality of education in Sisters. The foundation distributed $35,457 to Sisters school programs this fall. The funds come from fundraising efforts and contributions from donors. "We have a policy that we distribute funds from the prior fiscal year," said outgoing treasurer Rod Morris. Teachers submit requests and principals vet them before submitting them to the foundation for review. "We ask them to prioritize,"... Full story
