News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 131
Rural America feeds the nation, provides space for infrastructure, and outdoor recreational opportunities for the masses of the cities. Rural communities are often under stress - yet they receive few philanthropic dollars compared to urban centers. The Sisters-based Roundhouse Foundation (RHF) is addressing those challenges in "Funding Rural," a new podcast launched on March 12. "Funding Rural" explores how philanthropy can better serve rural communities and spark systemic... Full story
Mark Clemens and Lisa Barber supposedly retired to Sisters about two years ago, but decided to turn their shared passion for wine into one of Sisters newest businesses - Friends & Vine Wine Shop and Bar at 152 E. Main Ave., Suite 2. Mark's wine expertise comes from years as a wine buyer for Whole Foods, as well as a distributor, wine instructor, and a certified sommelier. He and Lisa have their own 800 bottle wine cellar at home. "We will especially focus on small producers... Full story
For Andrew Dyer, construction is a family affair. Sometimes this means sharing coffee and breakfast with a client. Once, it meant a client happily giving Dyer the keys to their Portland home, where he stayed for two weeks while remodeling their kitchen. Dyer runs A.B. Dyer Construction, serving the Sisters area by rebuilding decks and remodeling kitchens and bathrooms. Through his work, Dyer carries on the legacy of his grandfather. Dyer's grandfather was in charge of... Full story
Opening day for Sisters Farmers Market is Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, the market will open with a bigger footprint: in addition to operating in Fir Street Park, Sisters Farmers Market will also include a new area across Main Avenue and indoors, at the Sisters Makers building adjacent to Fir Street Park. Over 55 farmers, ranchers, makers, and food producers will bring their goods to Sisters Farmers Market this season, offering fresh veggies, mushrooms, berries, locally raised meat, seafood, value-added food... Full story
Fortified by a collaboration with Sisters Makers and a Citizens4Community grant, Sisters Farmers Market will launch its new Mornings at the Market program June 2. Mornings at the Market will engage the Sisters community with programs for kids and adults alike. Some will take place indoors, which is new for the market. According to market manager Willa Bauman, a Fill Your Garden event on Opening Day will feature plant starts and garden-related activities (Click here to see... Full story
Elise Payne can see through walls. When she walks into a new space, she renovates it in her head. While most people "have a really hard time seeing through walls," she says, "I have this innate ability to see through walls. I'm constantly taking them down in my head and putting them back up." Though some of us might be disoriented by this way of seeing the world, Payne puts her vision to good use as an interior designer. Last fall she brought her interior design practice,... Full story
With new programs, new spaces, and more market days, Sisters Farmers Market will kick off an exciting new season on Sunday, June 2. Locals looking for garden starts-ornamental or edible-will find many plants to choose from on Opening Day. Thanks to partners, including Central Oregon Flower Collective and Sisters Community Garden, "there will be a wide variety of veggie and flower starts available," according to market manager Willa Bauman. New programs and spaces will enliven... Full story
Darlene Zettergren recently relocated to Sisters to be closer to family - and she has brought Newport Aesthetics with her. Zettergren had a full practice in Newport, Rhode Island, where she lived and worked for many years, after transitioning from nursing into the field of aesthetics. "I was always a cardio-intensive nurse," she said with a smile. "It's nice because my clients talk to me now." Newport Aesthetics offers Botox and other treatments beneficial to both men and... Full story
EDCO (Economic Development of Central Oregon) has released their 2024 employer survey showing the 12 largest employers in Sisters Country. Black Butte Ranch remained at the top of the list with 390 employees, a mix of full and part-time, down from 400 the prior year. Sisters School District was again number two with 170 employees, down from 175 in 2023. The Forest Service had the largest gain adding 34 employees in 2024 over 2023, recording 114 in its headcount and ranking... Full story
For a number of years, FivePine Lodge has received some kind of national award from Tripadvisor, but this year they hit it out of the park. They were named number three in the country for the Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best title. Numbers one and two were in San Diego and New York City. The award celebrates the highest level of excellence in travel based on a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month p... Full story
With smoke from last week's controlled burns lingering above Sisters Country, it's clear fire season is on the horizon. The Sisters Rangers District conducted the first of several controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in January of 2022 the Forest Service launched a 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis where it poses the most immediate threats to communities. With an infusion of federal funds to support local effo... Full story
Cody Meredith, Captain with Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District, has successfully completed the process that awards the professional designation of "Fire Officer" (FO). The Commission on Professional Credentialing met on April 15th, 2024, to confer the designation. Captain Meredith becomes one of only 760 FOs worldwide. The designation program is a voluntary program designed to recognize individuals who demonstrate their excellence in seven measured components including experie... Full story
Richard’s Produce, more popularly known as Sisters Farmstand, and C&C Nursery are reopening after reaching an agreement with the current owners of Space Age Fuel on West Cascade Avenue and the prospective purchaser. Space Age was engaged in a lengthy and contentious planning application as it sought to modernize the aging store and increase the number of fuel pumps. The application was denied by the City after citizens strongly objected to the expansion. Following denial of t... Full story
Mia Bradley has an extensive background teaching children from preschool to teens. After having children of her own, she wanted to find work part-time that didn't require childcare for her daughters, Journey and Sequoia. With the cost of daycare too high, working didn't make much sense, so she got creative and came up with a business integrating her three loves – children, horses, and art. That's how Sisters Farm School began in 2019. When Sisters Farm School opened, at first... Full story
In the 11 years Shannon Rackowski and her husband Joseph have lived in Sisters, Shannon has touched hundreds of lives with one, if not more, of her gifts. Looking at Rackowski, it is impossible to believe she is 70 years old. Her youthful, fit appearance belies her three near-death experiences and 13 surgeries. She is a walking (and dancing and exercising and decorating) testimonial to the benefits of regular exercise. A mother of three grown daughters and grandmother of... Full story
Sisters Park & Recreation District (SPRD) will host an open house on Tuesday, April 16, to gather input on the district’s conversion of the existing elementary school playground into a community park. The event will be held in the elementary school gym on Cascade Avenue, 5–6:30 p.m. SPRD has entered into a longterm contract with Sisters School District to lease the elementary school campus on East Cascade Avenue. The lease commences in July, coinciding with the move of the elementary school into its new facility located on th... Full story
As it seeks to add workforce housing to its primary mission of affordable housing, Sisters Habitat for Humanity is eagerly awaiting a decision from the State of Oregon for its grant application. Beginning in 2017 Oregon launched its statewide housing plan in response to the critical shortage of affordable homes, especially for lower income earners. The same plan included efforts to ease homelessness. (OHCS) Oregon Housing and Community Services was formed and, over the years... Full story
On March 14, Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) Executive Director Scott Penzarella announced his resignation. “I’ve made the difficult decision to leave the Sisters Trails Alliance to refocus my efforts on my own businesses,” he stated. Penzarella is an owner of Left Coast Lodge, an 11-unit motel in Sisters, and, according to his Linkedin page he serves as managing partner of The Golden Gate Market in Sausalito, California. He joined STA in June of 2022 and in his short tenur... Full story
More than 70 Sisters women gathered last week with open hearts - and open checkbooks - to provide $7,500 to Harmony Farm Sanctuary which provides rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption of abused, neglected, medically compromised, and senior farm animals. They also strive to build a kinder and more inclusive community, and advocate for a food system free from harm. 100 Women Who Care – Sisters (100WWC-Sisters) came together at the instigation of Chris Laing and Kathy Campbell, b... Full story
The Sisters Ranger District of the Deschutes National Forest will host a public open house in early April. On Tuesday, April 9, the Sisters Ranger District will provide interested public the opportunity to review and discuss a range of activities planned for the next year with Sisters District Ranger, Ian Reid, and program specialists. The event will kick off at 4:45 p.m. with an optional walking tour of the new ranger station site. The open house will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7:30 p.m. at the Sisters Ranger District loc... Full story
Twenty years ago, your living room shelves and closets may have been filled with VHS tapes and DVDs of favorite movies. Finding enough room to store the growing collection was problematic. Perhaps a few readers still insist on storing some of these old favorites today, even without the devices needed to play them back. But now that we are more than two decades into the 21st century, most of us watch digital movies by streaming them from Netflix, Amazon Prime, or another... Full story
Nick Sundstrom's favorite client to work with is someone willing to explore and be curious about their thoughts, emotions, and history. He has worked with adults, teens, couples, and families in a number of different settings. A licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), who has been in practice for 31 years, Sundstrom is now seeing clients in Sisters at 220 South Pine Street, Suite 102. He spends one-to-two days a week in an office in Redmond as well. Sundstrom says he is wired... Full story
A group of businesses, mostly but not exclusively centered downtown, has launched a new Sisters Business Association (SBA). The group, some two dozen in number, was the inspiration of Shaunette White, owner of High Desert Chocolates at the corner of Cascade and Pine. She serves as SBA’s first president. Josh Smith of Paper Place is Vice President, and Eryn Ross at Sisters Depot is CFO. Leslie Cutler (Homestar), Casey Boyd (Rescued Living), Sheree Vance (Sisters Apothecary), S... Full story
Elizabeth Kirby and her daughter Cora sat in a coffeehouse on a sunny day this week, coloring pictures and talking about veggies. Which were their favorites from Seed to Table farm in recent years? Mom remembered "green kale and purplish-red kale. We made kale chips out of them." Cucumbers with rice vinegar were the winner for Cora, a four-year-old who recently started attending SPRD preschool. "I think she likes those because when I was pregnant with her, I ate tons of... Full story
Over the past several months the Sisters District of the Deschutes National Forest has seen its head count grow from 80 to 114. It’s part of a larger national effort for the agency which has a workforce of over 31,000 managing 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands, more than the entire stare of Texas. In 2022, Chief Randy Moore called on the Forest Service to build its workforce for the future: “Forest Service hiring had not kept pace with attrition, and we nee... Full story
