News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
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Actor and singer Christie Capucci has lived in Terrebonne for many years, but her story began in Los Angeles where her dad, Joe Ramirez, recently passed, worked as a professional musician. He toured the world and played the house band in Caesars Palace in the 1970s. "I don't remember ever not wanting to be on the stage," Capucci says. Yet she left the West Coast's hotspot of acting in 1992 and moved to a small city called Bend, Oregon, which was then unknown to most people...
In Central Oregon, a quiet but life-changing movement is taking place through organ donation, particularly living kidney donation. For many, these selfless acts offer hope and the chance for extra years of life. Through the experiences of local women, we can see the profound impact of becoming a donor. A Gift from Mother – and Another from Brother Elise Michaels, a long-time resident of Bend, knows the value of organ donation deeply. Diagnosed with renal failure at 25, her fut...
The world of the 21st century is driven by high technology. It pervades almost every aspect of our lives, from shopping and banking, to communication, to operating our cars and appliances. From cell phones and social media apps to work computers, we spend an increasingly large part of each day interacting with a screen. Sometimes it feels like technology runs us, instead of us running technology. And that leaves many people craving simpler, more grounded life-ways. Those...
Steve and Bev Oberg's Powell Butte neighbors like to gather for a little libation at the Bison Bar, where they share camaraderie while looking out over the pastures which are home to the bar's namesakes. And the bison often cooperate by coming up to feed on the other side of the fence. The Obergs have been breeding and raising bison for 18 years on their Powell Butte Bison Ranch. At one point they had close to 100 head, but that proved too large for their acreage to sustain...
From prehistoric times when the earliest archers hunted for meat, to Greek and medieval times when archers fought wars, to today when archery is a worldwide passion, the lure of archery is almost irresistible. Central Oregon is prime ground for 3D archery, a fast-growing sport. 3D archery targets are in the shape of animals, birds, or even dinosaurs. The targets are often quite whimsical. Like field archery, 3D archery is set out on a course of 24 targets in similar settings....
A Central Oregon resident is Oregon's 11th Poet Laureate. Governor Tina Kotek made the final decision after a 20-person committee narrowed the field to three finalists. When previous Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani's term ended last May, hopeful poets waited for several months, and wondered who would be next. Ellen Waterston was one of them. When Kotek made the announcement in August, Waterston was her choice. She's the second poet from Central Oregon to receive the two-year...
Most people traveling over Santiam Pass on Highway 20 are probably unaware of the historic architectural gem hidden in the trees. It sat abandoned and neglected for almost 40 years. Just to the west of Hoodoo Ski Area and across the highway, a group of dedicated volunteers and donors - Friends of Santiam Pass Ski Lodge - are meticulously bringing back to life the rustic lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in just seven months, from July 1939 to February 2,...
RC piloting in Central Oregon is reaching new heights. RC airplanes in simplest terms are model planes that a pilot controls by radio signals. The RC stands for radio control. Alternatively, you might see the term remote control. Technically speaking, radio control is the correct term, but remote control is widely used, and it is not incorrect. Model planes have been around for nearly 100 years, and all forms of model planes and other aircraft fall under the hobby name of...
Madras-based silversmith Jill Latno-Yamate has some advice for people interested in pursuing the fine, and difficult, art of engraving: "Start now, where you are and with what you have. I've had students who went on to have careers. But if you have the desire, you have to do it every day. I engrave something every single day." Originally from Napa, California, Latno-Yamate grew up horseback, with a strong interest in the sciences, which led to an early career as a Vet Tech....
Out of the shadow of the Paris Summer Olympics, locally trained Winter Olympics hopefuls are breaking out as rays of hope vying for a chance to represent Central Oregon on the world stage. At 19 years old, Bend native Elijah Pyle has made significant strides in the competitive snowboarding world. Specializing in halfpipe, Pyle's journey from local slopes to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team exemplifies our rich regional winter sports talent and culture. "I first started off...
There are at least a dozen labyrinths in Central Oregon from Prineville to Bend to Sisters to Black Butte Ranch. They range from a portable canvas version to a 140-foot-diameter medieval 11th-circuit installation, and everything in between. A few are in private gardens, but most are publicly accessible. Even some of those in private ownership are available by appointment and a requisite meditative practice, not just curiosity seekers. In all of Oregon there are 145 listed on...
Central Oregon has a deep and rich music tradition centered mostly around folk, blues, and country genres. Big name headliners from a range of musical tastes fill local amphitheaters, festivals, and stages throughout the year, primarily in the warmer months. Often overlooked in Central Oregon - but certainly appreciated - is classical music, as exemplified by Michael Gesme, professor of music at Central Oregon Community College (COCC). Now in his 28th year in his expansive...
In 1913 a ranger in California reported his top choice for a fire lookout post was "no gentleman." He hoped his supervisor's heart could stand the shock of the novel idea of hiring a woman. Hallie Daggett knew the country, was good with a horse and rifle, and unafraid of anything that walked, crept, or flew. She got the job and served admirably for 15 years as the first woman lookout in the country. For decades working in the forest was seen as a man's world. After the Forest...
The word came in from a local rancher: Wolves had killed his livestock. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) investigated the claim and confirmed it. Reactions to the incidents ranged from outright anger and fear to tempered excitement that wolves were finally back in Central Oregon, where they once lived until being eradicated 50 years ago. According to ODFW Wildlife Biologist Aaron Bott and Range Specialist Mike Ensley, the initial responses that included...
Donna Sanders is a neighborly sort with a big smile and bigger heart. She has taught thousands of new skiers of all ages how to get into a sport that typically lasts a lifetime. This includes kids who have gone on to competition. Even two knee replacements can't keep her from suiting up. She has piled up a slew of recognitions including the coveted Skiing Legends Award from Professional Ski Instructors of America. This award led Ski Hoodoo to create its slogan: "Hoodoo – Where...
Ask the average passerby to define "forest bathing," and if the first reaction isn't a blank stare, the offered definition is apt to miss the mark by a fair distance. Missie Wikler, owner of r'oming yoga in Bend, is a certified forest therapy guide and RYT Yoga Instructor. She explains forest bathing as, "A practice where participants bathe themselves in the forest atmosphere. There is no water involved in this practice and the bathing refers to immersing oneself in the phyton...
Celebrity chef and restaurateur Brian Malarkey, who grew up on a ranch in Tumalo, and went on to create over 15 successful restaurant concepts in various cities, is returning to Central Oregon this spring, with his brother James, to open his latest vision, Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend. Malarkey's roots run deep in Oregon, with his father's ancestors arriving on the Oregon Trail in the 1850s. Brian grew up on the Tumalo ranch where his mom, Lesley Day, founded the...
Hank Moss grew up working cattle in the sagebrush of southern Utah and northern Arizona. There's a haze of romance around that life - and Hank will tell you it was a fine life for a youngster. "That was a pretty magical growing up. I was horseback all the time," he recalled. "It was super cool." That doesn't mean it was easy. Moss' family moved from San Antonio, Texas, to a spread under the rim of Bryce Canyon without much in the way of worldly goods. "We were in really rough...
We take our senses for granted. It's hard for most of us to contemplate being deaf or blind. We just don't want to imagine it. We're amazed when we see somebody who has lost their sight do amazing things. Making music, for example - like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Ronnie Milsap. Or we admire James Thurber, the blind cartoonist for The New Yorker; Claude Monet, French painter; James Joyce, Irish writer. How about a blind photographer? How's that possible? Well, it is. Meet Gar...
When Sanoma Blakeley and her horse Goober crossed the finish line in the grueling Tevis Cup Ride endurance race in 2019, she fulfilled a dream she'd held since childhood. Recounting the dramatic tale of that exceptional victory has opened up other trails and other adventures to the Terrebonne equestrienne. Blakeley was 18 years old when she won the 100-mile Western States Trail Ride endurance race that starts in Tahoe and climbs over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to end in...
Central Oregon is well-known for its multitude of outdoor activities - hiking, camping, snow sports, fishing, river rafting, biking, horseback riding. A newer, less-well-known attraction is agritourism, with local farmers and ranchers opening their properties to visitors and offering a wide variety of locally grown products and crafted wares. The High Desert Food Trail is a year-round self-guided adventure designed to be taken at your own pace through the awe-inspiring landsca...
The Metolius River is a wild and scenic place that holds many memories for many people. The river that runs through Camp Sherman is the centerpiece to an area filled with rich history and no shortage of places to escape into the forest. Camp Sherman, 14 miles west of Sisters, got its name from Sherman County farmers who trekked to the area to relax, hunt, and fish after a long season's harvest. It was settled between 1917-1918. For many families, it has been a fishing and...
"No kid sleeps on the floor in our town!" That's the slogan for Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a 10-year-old 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 330 chapters in 45 states including one in Bend, helping children in need sleep better. SHP is a Platinum-Level GuideStar charity. They believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads, SHP says. Across the U.S. too many...
"Blessed beyond what I deserve," is the way retired KTVZ meteorologist Bob Shaw describes it. After 24 years in front of the camera, 21 as the "Most Popular TV Personality in Central Oregon," Shaw plans to do some traveling with his wife, Cheryl, and some teaching. His is an engaging story that began in Anchorage, Alaska, expanded across the U.S., and came to rest here in Bend, Oregon in 1983. Weather wasn't always Shaw's forte, and his worklife has been full of variety. Born...
Hank Minor is a master falconer. While he understands the mythical lore and occasional romanticism of falconry, he is very clear what the sport is all about - capturing and training a bird to hunt and kill other animals. Falconry has been practiced for 3-4,000 years - maybe longer - and was, and is, often the sport of nobility especially in the Middle East. Originally, a falconer only flew a falcon, primarily the peregrine falcon, and those flying hawks were "hawking" or...
