News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 29
The countdown has begun. Sisters is just days away from the Sisters Science Fair. Scheduled for Saturday, February 20 at Sisters High School from noon to 4 p.m., this popular Sisters community event is sponsored by the Sisters Science Club and is free for everyone. Science enthusiasts and science neophytes wander through the high school commons area to discover the treasures of science. This year's theme, "The Science of Nature," will be evident in the SciArt Contest display. Sisters students have been busy photographing... Full story
One of the best preventive measures when it comes to concussions in student athletes is appropriate ongoing education for the athletes themselves, their parents, coaches, trainers, and teachers. As part of the spring sports registration night at Sisters High School, Wednesday, February 24, the athletic department, in collaboration with the Sisters Science Club, will host an informational meeting on concussions in youth sports. Retired neurologist Dr. Robert Collins, former... Full story
Work crews are wrapping up a lighting and irrigation project on Hood Avenue. That project is just the latest in a slate of projects that have transformed the look and function of much of the city of Sisters. The project is designed to get the street lighting and irrigation for landscaping on the city grid. Most of that "had been fed off the adjacent businesses," according to City of Sisters Public Works Director Paul Bertagna. Eventually the same work will be done on Adams... Full story
The 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is over. It's going to take a while for Oregon to heal up. Damage to the Refuge will need fixing; damage to relationships in Burns and the surrounding countryside may leave some permanent scars. From any perspective, the shooting death of Robert LaVoy Finicum is a tragic episode that will leave an indelible mark on his family, his friends - and the officers who pulled the triggers. And the quixotic, futile gesture of the Bundy outfit has done lasting damage to the... Full story
News clips of happenings around town • Clarification on last week's Snapshot regarding the Transient Room Tax (TRT): The current TRT on overnight lodging is eight percent, which is split 50-50 between the City and the Chamber of Commerce. Council is considering increasing the overall TRT to 9.99 percent, with one percent going to the State. The remaining .99 percent increase would be split, as required by law, with 70 percent going to the Chamber and 30 percent to the... Full story
Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District has announced the availability of the PulsePoint mobile application in Sisters Country. Once the free application is downloaded, users will be notified if there is someone suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest within a half-mile of their location. The application will also notify the public where the nearest automatic external defibrillator is located. The hope is that people will begin CPR more quickly prior to the arrival of paramedics. Fire Chief Roger Johnson said,... Full story
If you enjoy the sounds of the Sisters High Desert Chorale, you may want to mark April 29 and May 1 on your calendar. Those are the dates of the first 2016 performance of the chorale at Sisters Community Church. Rehearsals for the chorale are held each Monday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, 386 N. Fir St., and if you enjoy singing and want to give yourself and the chorale a boost, come on down. There are singers who have missed a... Full story
The boys basketball team split their games on the hardwood last week, and currently hold the third-place spot in the Sky-Em League standings. Sisters lost 55-35 on the road to fifth-ranked Cottage Grove (CG) on Tuesday, February 9, and three days later buckled down and notched a 55-51 home win over the Huskies. In Tuesday's action, the Outlaws struggled to score in the first half, but played tough enough defense to only trail by eight at the half. The third quarter proved to be a disaster, as the Outlaws had their worst... Full story
"This organization has never been as strong as it is today!" Chuck Humphreys proclaimed as he kicked off last week's annual meeting of the Sisters Trails Alliance. Established 15 years ago, the Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) has grown to become a principal advocate and facilitator of outdoor recreation in the Sisters area. An all-volunteer organization, it is dedicated to the planning, construction and maintenance of non-motorized trails in Sisters Country. Asked to comment on the organization's overall perspective, Humphreys... Full story
Dave Smith, a former youth softball coach and retired California deputy sheriff, has been named Sisters High School's varsity softball coach. "I am excited and honored to be back in the coaching ring and to be coaching at the high-school level," said Smith. "It will be a challenging one that I am looking forward to." Smith replaces Cierra Jones, who guided the Outlaws to a two-year record of 7-36 in 2014 (2-20) and 2015 (5-16). The Outlaws won their final two games of the... Full story
Brooke Robillard and Hawley Harrer both turned in tremendous performances at the district swim meet held in Albany last weekend, Friday and Saturday, February 12-13. The dynamic duo led the Outlaws girls team to a sixth-place finish. Robillard broke the 100-yard breaststroke record that hadn't been touched since Sisters first had a swim team over 18 years ago. Brooke crushed the rest of the competition in her heat. Three girls came into the finals with just hundredths of seconds separating them, and Brooke pulled ahead for... Full story
Sisters grapplers celebrated on Tuesday night, February 9, when they recorded their first dual meet win in four years. The Outlaws defeated the visiting Junction City Tigers 45-36. The Outlaws honored seniors Clayton Darst, Ty Martin, Zach Reid, and Dyut Fetrow before the start of the meet, and then hit the mats, and forged ahead to the sweet victory. Parker Ford (106 pounds) earned another pin as a varsity wrestler as a freshman. Coach John Downs said, "This match was a tough win, and I was proud to see him fight off his... Full story
On my honor, I will never betray my profession, my integrity, character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the laws of my country, my community, and the agency I serve. - Law Enforcement Oath of Honor I was very disturbed to read that Seaside Police Sgt. Jason Gooding, age 39, was shot and killed recently. He was executing an arrest warrant on a felon, Phillip Ferry, who had a record of assaults on police officers. Jason Gooding had... Full story
The girls basketball team earned a 38-21 win at home over the Sweet Home Huskies on Friday, February 12. Sisters got off to a slow start, but at the close of the first quarter managed to hold a 10-5 advantage. The Outlaws were not very aggressive in their offensive execution but headed into the half with a 16-8 lead. In the second half of the contest, the Outlaws picked up the tempo, drove the lanes, and pushed the pace more, and that combination paid off. Sisters held onto the lead and beat the Huskies by 17 points. "We had... Full story
The spotted towhee [Piplio Maculatus] is a common bird of the thickets and blackberry brambles. Often seen under bird feeders eating seeds off the ground but never far from cover. They feed mostly on insects, berries, and seeds scratched from leaf litter. In April the female builds the nest using soft grasses, twigs, and animal hair. While she finishes the nest the male spotted towhee spends up to 90 percent of his mornings singing territorial songs. Three to six pale creamy... Full story
Lots of folks play the guitar. You might even say they're a dime a dozen, and they all come in novice and expert forms as well as anything in between. Such is especially the case in a place like Sisters where we readily celebrate music and have wonderful things like The Americana Project and the Sisters Folk Festival. Me? I say the more musicians the better. I truly believe that music is perhaps the only universal medium the world over. But that's getting slightly off-topic... My journey as a musician began in the fifth... Full story
Every once in a while - and often enough that it leaves me feeling like a dunce - I meet up with something in the world of nature I didn't even have a clue existed. Like that click beetle with headlights. It came about it in the late '70s thanks to a high school kid in Sierra Vista High School in southeast Arizona, when I was manager of Ramsey Canyon Preserve. The Preserve was then the "Hummingbird Capitol of the World," nestled in the Huachuca (Wah-choo-kah) Mountains just... Full story
The Brothers Comatose will perform at The Belfry in Sisters on February 27. Showtime is 8 p.m. The band, which has played the Sisters Folk Festival, is currently touring in support of their new CD, "City Painted Gold." Described as "expansive, uplifting, and just downright beautiful," City Painted Gold has been one of the most anticipated records of the coming year - at least amongst the loyal fans The Brothers Comatose won while touring across the country in support of their... Full story
The resurgence of the State of Jefferson movement in northern California, where residents of 20 rural counties have forwarded declarations expressing their desire to secede from the rest of the state, raises some interesting questions for those of us in the hybrid borderlands of Central Oregon. The sentiment driving secessionist movements, from Scotland to Quebec, from Puerto Rico to eastern Oregon, are largely centered on perceptions of disenfranchisement. Closer to home,... Full story
Though it's kept a low profile since its big launch last month, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes with the Speak Your Peace Civility Project (SYP). It has been a month since the community met with Rob Karwath, national representative for SYP, to discuss the nine tenets of civility. From over 300 attendees, more than 100 surveys were completed at the various meetings with Karwath. Members of the community clearly showed their support for an effort to encourage civil discourse. Of those surveyed, no one stated t... Full story
In some cultures, those who reach a certain age quietly walk way from their villages and go off to die so they won't be a burden to their family. I'd like to think we've risen above that in this day and age, but here I find myself approaching that certain age living in Sisters, where it seems, though unspoken, that's pretty much what's expected. We have developers here who only think on the large scale and argue over pittances instead of asking people what they want and making it happen. When I talk to my senior friends and... Full story
Her work as an artist and arts educator kept her on the road, helping to preserve and enhance arts education in public schools - in the face of daunting odds. Now Annie is at a point in her life where she can put down roots - and continue her life's calling in her hometown. To that end, she has opened "The Studio" at 392 E. Main Ave., Ste. 2 A & B. Here she will continue to teach other teachers - and provide structured, satisfying artistic experiences for children and other... Full story
I have been acting kind of OCD since I ended cancer treatment. I have to check and recheck if I put my keys in my purse after I turn off the car. I have to lock and relock the car before I walk away from it. I take the keys out of the ignition and put them in my purse then by the time I'm out of the car and ready to lock the car I'm not sure if I have my keys. I do things without thinking, then forget I did them. It feels like there's a tiny hole in my memory that little things can fall through. Part is from chemo brain, a... Full story
One of the advantages of running is that you are typically going at a speed that allows you to regard things you would not notice when biking or driving. There is a sign that I have driven past hundreds of times along Highway 20. It's just beyond the edge of town, on the north side, where cars pick up speed as they head out toward the Santiam Pass. There is a pull-out there, but nothing else to attract one's attention. I stopped at this spot to stretch a number of years ago... Full story
Bill passed away after a long struggle with strokes, surrounded by family and friends. Bill was born in Greeley, Colorado, to Charles and Gladys Hughes. He is a graduate of Franklin High School in Portland and Portland State University obtaining a bachelor's degree in science from the School of Business. He served with the Oregon Army National Guard. Bill was employed by the City of Portland as an operations supervisor, in charge of planning, design, construction, operation... Full story
