Arts festival fills Creekside City Park

The Sisters Arts & Crafts Festival was the spot to find rustic metal cowboys for the yard, an alpaca sweater, a beautifully handcrafted flute, or just a good book to read.

The grounds sported several wet dogs who found the creek in Creekside City Park. People took time to relax in the shade where a light breeze made it pleasantly cool.

Longtime Sisters exhibitor Molly Kubista has added ledger art to her offerings after attending a juried artist-in-residency program with D.A. Davidson & Company, and her new product shot to success from there. The Cree Indian artist applies pictograph to ledger paper, creating a new art form.

"There is great satisfaction that people from all over the world purchase my art," said the artist, whose ledger art was featured in Cowboys & Indians magazine.

Kubista does months of shows to get ready for a month of hunting in the wilderness with her family. They also grow much of their own food.

Just in from winning a gold medal in games and toys at Inpex's inventor's convention in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania last month, Tony Aceti made the grade showing off his new word game on the "Tonight Show" with Jay Leno.

Played on a roulette wheel, "Vanna" is not only fun, it's an educational tool, helpful for all those spelling bee champs.

"It was my mom's idea to motivate me as a young boy to get into spelling," Aceti said. "Scrabble was too boring, so she got a roulette wheel."

Winning Best of Show for SkyMall, his game will be featured in airline magazines in October. With the millions of people who fly every day, Aceti expects to be busy filling orders this fall.

Sisters resident Danny Little served in Vietnam. He is generally found at local shows raising funds to send care packages to all deployed servicemen. The American Legion is also a presence.

"Our main purpose is to hand out information to veterans," American Legion Post Commander Gene Hellickson explained. To fill a much-needed gap, they just started bringing in a service officer to Sisters two times a month.

Part of their fundraising will go to buy replacement flags for Cascade Avenue in Sisters.

An author with a horse tale to tell, Barbara Knight has published her sixth "Penny the Mustang Pony" book. Each of her books has a theme and this one, "The Forest Fire," teaches children about danger. Mother Sassy and father Apache rescue Penny from a tight spot. Knight plans one more book before ending her series.

The arts festival was promoted by Richard Esterman, who launched an independent campaign for governor last spring.