News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 25
For the last year, a contractor friend near my home in Oregon has been unable to hire carpenters. Three months ago, a mechanic couldn’t find a new muffler to install on my old truck. Last month, stranded in Canada on a boat, I was told it could take three weeks to get a repair. Two days ago, the owner of one of my favorite coffee shops announced he’s going to close because he can’t hire a barista. Something is going on. It’s as if a whole generation of workers have disappe... Full story
The Cyrus family is no stranger to opposition to development plans. The family, headed by patriarch Keith, bought 1,100 acres of forest land in the 1980s adjacent to their Cloverdale hay and potato farm and turned it into Aspen Lakes Golf Course, with a cluster of around 115 homesites, since built upon as Aspen Lakes Estates, where homes routinely sell in the range of $1.5 to $2.5 million. The Cyruses have never been opaque about their intentions to fill out the acres as a... Full story
Deputies from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to several 911 calls on Saturday, September 24, at 10:30 p.m., regarding five to seven gunshots being heard in the area of Lucky Lady in Tollgate. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived in the area of 69287 Lucky Lady, where they located a woman waving at them. The adult woman told deputies she and her boyfriend had gotten into an argument after they had both been drinking alcohol. The boyfriend, identified as Greg McCarthy of Sisters, began esc... Full story
The last remnants of proposed development in Camp Sherman is slowly — and tentatively — moving forward. The Ponderosa Land and Cattle Company is the holder of 17,000 acres located north of Highway 20 and several miles east of Camp Sherman and the Metolius River. The property was purchased by the Colson family in about 2007 from Weyerhaeuser when they were divesting themselves of holdings in Central Oregon. About the same time, Dutch Pacific Resources purchased 647... Full story
Autumn has begun and constellations of the season are becoming visible. The more familiar of them include Andromeda, Aquarius, Cassiopeia, Pegasus, and Perseus. This month, however, we are featuring a lesser-known stellar grouping — namely, Lacerta, the Lizard. Although Lacerta is relatively faint and small (only 19 of the 88 constellations take up less space on the celestial sphere), it will not escape the detection of a diligent observer on a clear, moonless October... Full story
A search and rescue team came to the aid of a lone hiker who got lost descending South Sisters last Friday. Deputy Donny Patterson, assistant search and rescue coordinator, reported that on September 30, at 4:18 p.m., the Deschutes County 911 Dispatch Center received a 911 call from a lost hiker who was descending South Sister. The caller, a 61-year-old woman from Springfield, Oregon, was hiking alone at the time with her dog when she inadvertently left the climbers trail and soon became disoriented. The 911 call was broken... Full story
The Lady Outlaws soccer squad posted a 5-0 shutout at home against Creswell on Wednesday, September 28 — their sixth shutout in conference play this year. Two days earlier they finished in a 1-1 tie at home against Central Linn (CL), the No. 2 team in the state. Izzy Schiller opened Sisters’ scoring against Creswell with an unassisted goal at the 25-minute mark, and at the half the Outlaws held a 1-0 lead. Just a couple minutes into the second half, Juhree Kizziar s... Full story
Some mighty trees have fallen in Sisters’ cultural forest in the past couple of weeks. Jim Anderson “went out among the stars” last month, and the same week saw the passing of Joe Leonardi, one of the pillars of Sisters arts scene for decades (see obituary, page 8). On Sunday, we got word that pioneering Sisters businessman and community servant Bob Grooney has died. For folks who knew these men, there is a sudden, palpable sense of absence in Sisters. It was strange to take... Full story
“Eh Ah? What the hell? Don’t be sad, I didn’t fear dying, and I believe in reincarnation. “I had a beautiful last supper at The Dome with La Familia. Great seafood and lots of music. It’s what we do.” Joe Leonardi passed away peacefully on Tuesday, September 20, surrounded by the deep love of his family. Joe is survived by his five children: Dean Leonardi, Anastacia Armstrong, Jennifer Bishop, Joey Leonardi, and Jesaca Hatcher. He was a cherished father-in-law to Skip Armstr... Full story
Ken Knox passed away Saturday, September 17. Since retirement in 1986 he enjoyed his time at residences at Black Butte Ranch, Rancho Mirage, California, and Salem. He worked at Tektronix, Inc. in Beaverton from 1960 until his retirement in 1986. He was in finance and served as treasurer of the company. He was also president of Tektronix Export Corporation and director of Tektronix International A.G. Ken was a member of the Society of International Treasurers, National... Full story
After more than three years as the program manager for the City’s Public Works Department, Troy Rayburn left Sisters as of September 30 for a position as city administrator in White Salmon, Washington. Rayburn grew up in The Dalles, and has family in Hood River, so he will be returning to his home turf in the Columbia Gorge. While in college, he served as a summer intern for the city manager in The Dalles, which influenced his educational choices. He graduated from Oregon S... Full story
Berries and insects are being gleaned around Sisters right now - by Cedar Waxwings [bombycilla cedrorum]. They occur in medium to large flocks that will be seen on almost any tree that has berries. Serviceberry, dogwood, honeysuckle, juniper, and mistletoe are just a few fruiting plants that provide food. In winter, they consume cedar berries, hence their name. Waxwing refers to the red waxy secretions that appears on their secondary feathers, which may help in attracting a... Full story
The Lady Outlaws volleyball squad posted two more wins last week, with sweeps at home over La Pine and Elmira. On Monday, September 26, the Outlaws posted scores of 25-14, 25-4, 25-7 against the Hawks and two days later took down the Falcons with scores of 25-12, 25-13, and 25-7. In Tuesday’s matchup, the Hawks jumped out to a quick lead due to numerous unforced errors by the Outlaws. Sisters found themselves down 10-14. Most coaches would have called a time out, but Coach R... Full story
The Sisters High cross- country team used the Oxford Classic at Drake Park in Bend on Saturday, October 1, as a training run, and to get the younger members of the team a chance to compete near the front of the pack by running in the junior varsity level. Freshman Brooke Duey took full advantage of the opportunity, cruising to a decisive victory in the girls’ junior varsity race in a time of 21:59. Duey, who has run varsity in the Outlaws’ previous meets this season as the... Full story
Across the U.S., 60 percent of firearm deaths are suicides. In Oregon, 81 percent of firearm deaths are from suicide. More than half of the individuals in Oregon who take their lives use a firearm (with a 10 percent survival rate, firearms are extremely lethal). - In 2019, there were 466 firearm suicide deaths in Oregon, including 19 children and teens. - A disproportionate number of firearm suicide deaths occur in rural communities. - Among male military veterans, three of four who died used a firearm to take their lives. -... Full story
Our VAERS adverse effects reporting system in the U.S. has failed us miserably. The CDC, by their own admission, recognizes under-reporting as a significant problem. The Rair Foundation, USA, July 28, 2022 reports the German Hospital Federation has demanded withdrawal of vaccination mandates after massive side effects were revealed: “It is not wise to continue with it.” One in 500 injections cause “serious side effects,” yet they continue to mandate COVID vaccinations. A serious side effect is defined as hospita... Full story
Editor’s note: In the September 28 edition, Brent Irwin mistakenly attributed the content from a September 21 letter regarding “pity” for Donald Trump’s adherents to another letter-writer, Richard Lyons. The content Mr. Irwin found objectionable was actually in a letter penned by John Apres. District 53 To the Editor: This election in November is profoundly important. As a young person who is deeply concerned for the future of our planet, I need to emphasize how crucial it is to elect Emerson Levy for HD53. With an opponen... Full story
Colleen Thomas seeks to “demystify” the people who are experiencing homelessness in Sisters Country. She is hoping that a “Houseless in Sisters” Town Hall event set for Thursday, October 20, at the Sisters Fire District Community Hall will go a long way toward doing that. Thomas, Deschutes County’s homeless services coordinator, is one of five panelists who will participate in the forum, sponsored by Citizens4Community (C4C) and The Nugget Newspaper. “All individuals... Full story
When Cary Kiefer was in high school, she heard a speaker address the perils of substance abuse in a way that was so compelling she remembers it to this day. “That had a big impact on me,” the Sisters woman said. With family in Sisters schools, she wanted that impact to affect them and their peers, so she spearheaded bringing one of the nation’s most renowned public speakers on the subjects of mental health and substance abuse to Sisters. Tony Hoffman will offer two prese... Full story
Reaching 100 years of age is something to be celebrated — and that is exactly what Doris Johnson, a resident of The Lodge senior living facility in Sisters, will be doing this October. Two parties are planned for Doris, one for family and friends on Sunday, October 9, will see close to 50 people gathering to celebrate the centenarian. On Monday, October 10, her actual birthday, at 2 p.m., the residents and staff at The Lodge will gather to honor Doris as she turns 100.... Full story
The Outlaws boys soccer squad proved they are one of the stronger teams in the league with two more wins this past week: a 4-0 shut-out at Creswell on Monday, September 26, and two days later a 3-0 shutout at home against East Linn. In Tuesday’s battle at Creswell, the Outlaws adjusted quickly to Creswell’s new turf field. Sisters controlled the ball early on and created several scoring opportunities. Austin Dean drew a foul 20 minutes into the contest, which resulted in a penalty kick. Coach Jeff Husmann noted that Dean is... Full story
After 17 years of trying to build an “eco-resort” somewhere in Oregon, Camp Sherman resident Shane Lundgren and his partner Jim Kean, of Dutch Pacific Resources, are suing the state of Oregon for $30 million. They claim the state has not lived up to their agreement that the partners had pre-approved development rights to build their eco-resort elsewhere in the state, outside the Metolius Basin. The case was filed in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, which originally app... Full story
Plans to market the Aspen Lakes development east of Sisters as an NFT resort accelerated in the past week — and so did opposition to the idea. The property remains in the hands of the Cyrus family of Sisters; at the same time, a South Dakota-listed corporation ramped up its promotion of an entirely reformatted Aspen Lakes called Rhue Resorts. Cindy Wyant is listed as CEO. Wyant and her husband, Don, both in their 60s, and/or their adult children, have nearly two dozen... Full story
“Ridiculously excited.” That was how Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser described his feelings to the Sisters Folk Festival (SFF) audience Saturday at Sisters Art Works. He and partner, cellist Natalie Haas, last performed at the Festival in 2016. He was describing the joy he felt at being back in Sisters before a wildly enthusiastic crowd. That excitement was shared by audiences all weekend, as 31 acts from across the land and oceans filled eight venues starting Friday nig... Full story
The last week of summer ended with a string of calls to Search and Rescue (SAR). Most calls and the resulting rescues could have been avoided with a little forethought and always taking the 10 essentials. In the past three years, Deschutes County Search and Rescue has averaged 118 missions per year. (See related story.) Many of the calls that come in to Deschutes County Search and Rescue are not from those needing to be rescued, but from concerned friends or family members... Full story
