Sisters salutes...

• Hats off to the City of Sisters Public Works Department. A major snowstorm such as the one that blanketed Sisters Country earlier this month puts a heavy strain on a small crew of plow operators. They worked long hours, starting early and ending late, to try to keep up with the rapid pace of the snowfall, then continued to work for days and nights after the storm to get as much of the snow removed as possible.

It's an imperfect system that leaves berms in front of driveways and piles of snow on corners, but the crews have done the best they can to be careful and responsive to citizens' situations. They've earned a well-deserved holiday break so that they're ready to do it all again.

• The Sisters Schools Foundation would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Matraca Berg, Suzy Bogguss, Gretchen Peters, The Sisters Starry Nights Committee, community sponsors, and concertgoers who attended Wine, Women, and Song, a fundraiser for the Sisters School District.  Thank you for bringing art, music, books, and technology to Sisters students. "The secret of life" may be the generosity and kindness of all the individuals who help give kids "room enough to fly."

• Natalie Ambrose, a freshman at Columbia University and a recent Sisters High School grad, was named second-team All Ivy League for women's soccer.

• During a recent visit by Lions District Governor Gerald Hopkins, Sonia Claussen and Jason Green were recognized for their random acts of kindness. Hopkins said the two individuals went out of the way with assistance and obtaining information on the Internet to help Hopkins during his stay at Sisters Inn & Suites.

Upon the presentation, Sonia shared a story that when she was 19 years old, she and her family went to check into a motel but were told there were no rooms available. "We were really dirty from camping, and were treated very badly when we went into the motel. After we were told there were no rooms, the next customer that came in without reservations got a room. I made up my mind then to treat others with kindness."

Sonia and Jason both expressed appreciation for the special recognition by the Lions.