News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1751 - 1775 of 29663
Sisters Ranger District fire management specialists plan to treat up to 1,100 acres with prescribed fire during 2022. Prescribed fire units are dispersed throughout three project areas, including adjacent to Highway 20, within the Sisters Area Fuels Reduction (SAFR) area, and in the Metolius Basin. Given favorable conditions, Sisters Ranger District firefighters expected to begin spring prescribed fire operations this week. All prescribed burn units are scheduled to take advantage of spring weather and residual moisture that... Full story
Spring in Sisters means the return of the cone pickers and cone lickers. The former are semi-nomadic forest workers harvesting dry pinecones by hand for decorative markets. The latter are the local vernacular for tourists stopping in town to shop, or possibly grab an ice cream cone. Both symbolize an economy tied to recreation, tourism, and natural resources; a socioeconomic web vulnerable to unravelling by wildfire. The Forest Service has recently released its 10-year... Full story
The Outlaws lacrosse squad were defeated 1-14 by Mountain View on Wednesday, March 30, but two days later they bounced back with a 12-7 win at Century. Sisters came out strong in their game against Century on Friday, and were up 5-2 at the close of the first quarter. One highlight of the quarter was a goal from Kyle Pilarski, a long-pole player who primarily plays on the defensive end of the field. Players at that position rarely score, so the team was stoked when he put the ball in the net. Four other players also scored in... Full story
The pandemic has revealed a growing rift in Sisters Country between those who trust government institutions and view state mandates as necessary to combat COVID-19, and those who generally distrust government and believe mandates only serve to restrict their personal freedom. This rift has led to a decline in local social capital, which requires trust in social institutions and reflects a community’s sense of solidarity and willingness to engage in collective action. Social capital is always built upon the strength of the r... Full story
A collaboration between third-graders from Sisters Elementary School and ninth-graders from Rima Givot’s Sisters High School biology class is the first of many science-related projects designed bring together different age groups in the school district. Each of the three third-grade classes took outings to the Trout Creek Conservation area behind the high school on Friday, April 1, to meet up with Givot and her students to identify birds in the area. The collaboration was o... Full story
The Lady Outlaws tennis team played an outstanding match against Mt. View on Thursday, March 31. The final score was 4-4 and so the winner came down to most sets won, with Sisters coming out on top 10 sets to 8 sets. The following day the Outlaws fell 3-5 in a match at Redmond. In Tuesday’s match, No. 1 singles player Juhree Kizziar continued her winning ways. Her new topspin serve and her consistent play were too much for her opponent to handle and she easily won the match 6... Full story
I called Ian Reid, Sisters District Ranger for the Deschutes National Forest, to turn myself in. By Uncle Sam’s rules I am a scofflaw. Apparently I am in large company as more and more of us old e-bikers are cruising the Deschutes NF trails blissfully ignoring the 2015 rules that establish that bikes with a battery (hence a motor) are only allowed on Forest Service roads designated for motorized vehicles, and not the more scenic and quieter single-track trails used by h... Full story
Ronald “Ronnie” Barton left the world unexpectedly in his sleep February 26. He is survived by his mother, Jan; wife, Debi (Baer) Barton; his two sons, Cameron and Kale; his stepchildren, Britni and Kayla; and six grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his father, Bart; sister, Shelley; and Uncle Fish. Ronnie was born in Southern California October 10, 1968, to Janis and Bart Barton. He was raised in a small ski town called Wrightwood in the San Gabriel Mountains of Cal... Full story
A longtime resident of Sisters, James Leroy McGregor (Jim or Mac to family friends) was born in a midwife house on Main Street in Sisters before the family moved to the Plainview area. When he was 4, the family moved back to North Pine Street. He attended the last high school class in Sisters before it was disbanded. Over the years, he worked for various mills, including Brooks-Scanlon, Brightwood, and Diamond out of Sisters and Redmond. He also worked for the City of Sisters... Full story
Janice “Jann” Girt, 78, of Wilsonville passed away peacefully February 24, of natural causes. A lifetime resident of Oregon, Jann and family were well-loved and impacted many in the Portland, Pacific City, and Central Oregon communities. Jann married her grade-school sweetheart, Dick Girt, in 1962. They were blessed with three children: son Steve, born in 1963, son Tod, born in 1965, and daughter Julianne, born in 1969. She was very proud of her and Dick’s membership in the f... Full story
Being on the brink of the latter part of living has left me at times with massive regrets that I’ve done some of the dumb things I shouldn’t have (“sins” in some people’s opinions), and passed up others I should have acted on… But one of the biggest surprises I’ve received as my life here on this, our “home away from home” passes on, is how close I am to those (in Australian terminology) who were once my chums. When I worked with OMSI back in the 1960s, one of my most... Full story
Sisters hosted its only high school track and field meet of the season Wednesday, March 30, a 10-team affair held in cool, windy conditions with temperatures in the low 40s, and which finished under the lights. The meet included teams from Summit, Grant Union, Culver, Pleasant Hill, Sherman County, Santiam, La Pine, Madras, and Burns. According to head coach Cailen McNair, coming out of spring break the team is still in the midst of foundational conditioning and technique... Full story
St. Charles’ hospitals will no longer require visitors to show proof of vaccination, though wearing a mask will still be mandatory. Signage posted at hospital entrances will encourage some visitors to leave, including those who have respiratory symptoms, have a pending COVID-19 test, or who have been in contact with a known or suspected COVID-19 case in the last 14 days. Visitor screening does not apply to those seeking medical treatment or COVID-19 testing. Additionally, all patients — including those who are p... Full story
The 21st annual My Own Two Hands (MOTH) fundraiser for Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) kicks off on Friday, April 22, during the Fourth Friday Art Stroll in Sisters. This year’s event will include an art stroll, raffle, public art reveal, free concert, and an in-person art auction with a virtual bidding component as part of the community celebration of the arts. Events are scheduled for April 29, with the free Community Arts Celebration for all ages and for April 30 with the A... Full story
Rock climbing in Central Oregon has always been a popular sport because of our unique terrain and stellar climbing areas. However, in the last five to 10 years there’s been an influx of rock-climbing enthusiasts due to social media and the “trend” of the sport, especially in Central Oregon, which has some of the best climbing routes and opportunities in the state. The importance of stewardship also shines through as a hugely important aspect of keeping the areas of Centr... Full story
There’s a good case to be made that America would not exist as the nation we know without Benjamin Franklin. In 1778, France concluded a formal alliance with the newly declared United States of America — and it was Franklin who almost single-handedly engineered that geopolitical coup. The alliance provided America with critical arms and financing and, eventually, troops and naval power that cornered General Lord Charles Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown in October 1... Full story
Water demand is unsustainable To the Editor: The Western United States is being populated beyond what its resources and water availability can handle — let’s face it! It’s unsustainable and state and city officials need to assess our environmental needs more responsibly instead of caving to all the incessant building programs going on and pretending tourism is the answer to everything. Jeanne Brooks Power greater than ourselves To the Editor: Jeff Mackey (Letters to the Editor, March 29) references Genesis 2:1 as he... Full story
Oh to be 50 miles north. That’s all the farther you would have to go to cross the line into normal. In terms of snowpack, that is. The Hood, Sandy, and Lower Deschutes water basin is at 99 percent of normal snowpack with two of their nine stations at 104 percent. Not so when you measure the Upper Deschutes and Crooked River basins, where Sisters lies: 82 percent total with one station at 70 percent and six others of the 14 stations under 80 percent. Closest to home it is d... Full story
Sisters youth can learn about the American system of government through a mock government program conducted by the American Legion. The American Legion’s Boys State and Girls State programs offer practical training in city, county, and state government as they are tasked to operate such governments as elected officials. Activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, chorus, and recreational programs. The program is conducted at Western Oregon State University i... Full story
Erin Lane has always had a passion for horses, ever since she was a young girl. Five years ago, she shifted her career path to combine her passion for horses with her expertise in the production and media industry. Lane grew up in Sisters and graduated from Sisters High School in 2006. She attended all three Sisters schools and continued riding horses throughout all her schooling, in the English discipline, mostly hunter-jumper. “It is hard to think of where the inspiration t... Full story
As our world hits pause in just a few short weeks on Sunday, April 17 to celebrate Easter, there might not be a more important moment in our lifetime to consider the deepest questions of the human experience than right now. War, tragedy, and pain have a way of letting the issues of “first importance” rise to the surface while the silly rhetoric dissipates. My guess is nobody is debating masking strategies in Kyiv right now; there are far more urgent matters. As C. S. Lewis said: “We can ignore pleasure. But pain insis... Full story
For the last two years, it has been impossible to play chess in person with social distancing restrictions. Arms are just not long enough. Many have been practicing online, but miss the connection and competition. At last, organizers were able to restart the Sisters Chess Club, meeting at Sisters High School on Friday afternoons for grades K-12. The chess program is run by volunteers with the support of the schools and has had great success over the years. Since 2018 it has be... Full story
During the week of March 14-17 Black Butte School Parent Teacher Organization (BBS PTO) and Paulina Springs Books hosted the first-ever book fair at the school. The hope was to inspire the students to get excited about reading. Head Teacher Delaney Sharp reported, “On the first day there was still the typical hesitancy from my older students. The attitude that books aren’t cool still permeated a lot of their conversations. But on the second day of the book fair, there was a r... Full story
Children from infants to 11 years of age are invited to participate in the annual Easter Egg Hunt co-sponsored by the Sisters-Camp Sherman and Cloverdale Fire Departments. The event will take place on Easter Sunday, April 17, at 1 p.m. at the adjoining Creekside Park and Three Sisters Overnight Park, regardless of weather. The Easter Bunny will be present. Parking is limited so plan to be a little early. Children wishing to participate are asked to be at the parks 20 minutes prior to 1 p.m. so they can be divided into the... Full story
Doodlers, painters, digital artists, and photographers are invited to jump into a Deschutes Public Library (DPL) art design contest for our printed bimonthly Events guide. Show your creative side for the chance to have your original artwork or design featured. “Central Oregon attracts a wide range of creative talent and shares a strong sense of community,” says Community Relations Manager Chantal Strobel. “From doodlers to graphic artists, the Library aims to feature local creatives for a chance to have their artwork front... Full story
