Sisters Needs a Retirement Community - Letters to the Nugget

The current discussion about the annexation of new land into Sisters' UGB (Urban Growth Boundary) has generated lots of comments from both supporters and opponents. If you read my last post (dated Aug. 1st) then you know I am an avid supporter of a retirement community based in Sisters.

To me, the discussion about land is very simple. If existing UGB land owners understood the need (and bought into the vision) for a retirement community they would make attempts to match (or beat) the land price being offered by the Kallberg/Willitts/Reed owners. To my knowledge no existing land owner has contacted Mark Adolf, the developer, to "make a deal."

Opponents have stated that there is no "need" in Sisters for a retirement community comprised of both Independent and Assisted Living apartments. I disagree.

As I stated in my previous post, I am the Marketing Director at the Aspen Ridge Retirement Community (Independent, Assisted, & Memory Care living) in Bend. Just recently I helped two Sisters-based families place their mothers (who both happen to live in California) in apartments at Aspen Ridge. Had there been a retirement community in Sisters neither family would have chosen Aspen Ridge.

So, from a purely competitive standpoint, NOT building a retirement community in Sisters will continue to benefit Bend and Redmond-based retirement communities. And by not having new retirement community residents move to Sisters our community will lose all the "associated" dollars these new residents would bring (family visits, family moving to Sisters to be closer to their seniors, etc.)

On a more positive note, just today I spoke with a longtime Sisters senior (who I have been recruiting for Aspen Ridge) who stated that she is "going to wait and see what happens with the Sisters retirement community before making a decision."

But back to the "need" for a Sisters-based retirement community. The developer, Mark Adolf, and his team have in-hand approximately 60 "letters of intent" from seniors who have stated they are interested in moving into a Sisters-based retirement community. And I know, from my own recruiting efforts, that number is low. 60 seniors expressing a desire and need - pretty convincing market research.

Seniors, however, are only part of the decision-making equation. The children of seniors, baby boomers for the most part, are expressing the same desire and need.

Here are letters that Sisters Country residents sent to the Nugget Newspaper in support of a retirement community:

When my elderly mom left her home of 45 years to move here in 2001, one deciding factor was the possibility of assisted/senior housing right here in Sisters. To consider a facility in Bend would be way too isolated from grandchildren dropping in and the like. I urge the entire city council of Sisters to seize the current opportunity before them to keep our valued seniors here in the Sisters community. They enrich our community in many ways; have you ever noticed the large number who volunteer around town?
-Cindy Uttley
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1) As citizens, shouldn’t we demand the truth from our City Government? Well put in last weeks editor article as the city and her citizens deserve. Seems to me this annexation of McKenzie Meadows passed by a large margin(over 60% I believe a few years back) WHAT’S THE PROBLEM??
2) Focusing on threshold issues, Is it right for the city at this time when I would assume the city could use the money from the permit fees in this so called recession or in these economic hard times. (really would like to
Know approximately how much that would be for senior center alone) Maybe that could be printed in the paper for the citizens to see. Possibly, the two other projects mentioned cant afford it where the other developers as far as I can tell have followed through and appear to be financially stable with no undue hardships to the City except pay them their over priced fees.
3) This project is only good for the community, beautifully aging senior citizens and veterans alike.
-Mike Osborne
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The proposed McKenzie Meadow Village will be located on 30 acres adjacent to Sisters High School. The plan is to provide 5 acres for the Lodge (the assisted care facility), 7 acres of open space that will include a 1.8 acre public park, 7 acres will be roads, 3.1 acres will be set aside for a future medical facility and senior center, and the balance of 8 acres is for cottages and housing for the 50+ senior living (1/2 rented, 1/2 owned, and 1 in 10 homes to be designated as affordable housing units).
The land owners, Reed, Kallberg and Willitts, of the current designated location for MMV have discounted the value of their 30 acres to accommodate the investors with a financially workable property.
Currently, Sisters has an inventory of available land within the UGB. The investors of MMV did make an effort to acquire property within the UGB. However, due to the minimal size of available acreage and the much higher purchase prices, it was not feasible to purchase land within the UGB.
SBART and real estate brokers within Sisters are working diligently to attract investors and businesses to purchase and/or lease vacant land and commercial buildings within the existing city limits. There are presently a dozen opportunities on the table for potential local employment from expanding businesses and new businesses locating to Sisters…all of which will provide needed employment for our citizens. As we progress with these potential prospects, the buildings, land and housing inventory will decrease and jobs will be created.
MMV is not a band-aid for Sisters. It not only provides a facility for our present and future senior citizens, it is a step in the right direction to recover from this recession. We need to start now. Sisters is an attractive place for private sector employers to live, invest and do business. Let’s join together Thursday, November 12th, 7:00 pm at City Hall and ask our City Councilors to approve the annexation of this much needed project at McKenzie Meadow Village.
-Patty Vandiver
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In regard to the proposed construction of the assisted-care center here in Sisters I have a view to offer that may reach some readers who can identify with this softer approach. How many here in the community have family members in assisted-care facilities around the country?
Wouldn't it be grand to have them a little closer to home in their golden years. How much time, effort and funds are spent traveling and communicating? Not to mention the obvious issue like disruption of families' daily lives to care for the elderly.
We live here because we enjoy the sweet air, the sky that's a little bluer and the breathtaking scenery. I'd sure like to have these amenities in my closing years. As observed in previous publications, it's apparent that the project would spur activity in several fields here in Sisters. It undoubtedly would give the local economy a shot in the arm that it deserves. The beauty of it is that the tradesmen and women in the community are craftsmen. They have the ability to construct a facility through a unilateral effort that many would take pride in.
My confidence level is high that the community can come together and "pull on the same end of the rope " so to speak and move forward with a project that could keep good folks from having to walk away from their dream of living in this fine area.
-Wayne Cornick
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I have been reading the paper about the possible annexation of McKenzie Meadows for quite some time. It is hard to believe there are any objections to the project. The voters approved the annexation many years ago; if not the "hold up" at city hall, the project would have gone forward as proposed.
The construction phase alone for the senior living center would create many family wage jobs immediately and, once completed, would generate many permanent jobs. Giving a boost to the overall Sisters economy should be our primary concern in these trying times - keeping people from leaving the area, not having their homes repossessed, and/or drawing unemployment.
Look at all the successful projects that have made a positive impact on our community: Buck Run, Coyote Springs, FivePine, The Pines, Rolling Horse, Timber Creek, Spring Meadow, Edge of the Pines, Sisters Industrial Park, Mountain View Industrial Park, Tamarack Village, Pine Meadow, Three Wind Shopping Center, and many others. The property tax revenue of any one project alone far exceeds the additional expense created. So, to say that "growth never pays for itself" is shortsighted.
It is true that there are many available lands within the current city limits, but either the current owners are not willing or financially able to do a project of this magnitude with current stipulations, or parcels are not large enough to accommodate such a facility.
As an aging baby boomer, I fully support the idea of having a Senior Living Center in our community. Being realistic and sooner than I may wish, I love the idea of being able to stay in Sisters and not having to move to a Bend facility when I need it. Let's get this started so that we can start seeing employment benefits throughout the city when we most need it, not years later.
-Gary D. Frazee
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As the daughter of a 90-year-old mother living here in Sisters, I would like extend my strong support of the proposed senior retirement center on the McKenzie Meadows property.
When I first heard of this facility last summer and saw the beautiful architectural drawings, I was ecstatic that there would be a quality, local solution for our mom. She loves Sisters, our family is in Sisters and it's where she wants to live. Being forced to move to Redmond or Bend would not only break her heart, but make her feel isolated from the family.
The fact that the property is outside the hustle and bustle of the downtown tourist area is even more appealing to our family, but the property is still close enough to schools, churches, Bi-Mart and Ray's.
A senior facility is long, long overdue for our town and I think the current economic climate is offering a very small window of opportunity to purchase a quality piece of land that is finally affordable enough to make retirement living financially feasible to seniors in our town.
If there is other land available within the city limits that equals the quality and affordability of this piece of property, then I encourage the owners to come forth quickly and make it known.
Our seniors deserve a local option for retirement, and in our situation, time is truly of the essence. Our family needs a solution, as do many others in our community; and time is running out.
I strongly encourage the council to consider the many benefits of this project and the solution it provides for local family members and their beloved parents.
-Debbie Bucher
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In regards to the McKenzie Meadows Project, it surely will not make an instant impact to the economic health of our community. It will probably be years before the single-family lots are built upon. What it will do is provide a need for our community with a retirement/assisted living center. Many of our friends have to travel to Bend or Redmond to visit their elderly parents, who had lived their final independent years in our community. Wouldn't it be nice for these folks to have their parents local where they want to be, and be able to stop by frequently for a quick visit or outing?
This project will also provide many long-term jobs once it is completed.
The people who are spearheading this project are trying to provide a quality service for this community while making a living.
This is the perfect time to plan and shape McKenzie Meadows into a desirable retirement center with an attractive surrounding neighborhood. These folks have already done some extensive research and market analysis. The time is now to annex this property so that the city and developers can work together toward a common goal benefiting our community; providing a quality local home for our elderly community members, and providing a long-term employment base.
-Brad Simundson
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My only problem with the McKenzie Meadows annexation was addressed in the week before my letter was published, so I am in full support of the project now.
Curt Kallberg needs to tone down his rhetoric a bit so he doesn't sabotage Bill Reed's vision for this property.
I want my parents to be able to spend their last years here, if they so choose. We tend to ghettoize our seniors away from society, so I think that right next to the high school is the perfect place.
I see no need to put this up to a vote of the people. Let's git-r done.
-Bruce Berryhill
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For the life of me I cannot conceive why all the long and short term benefits of a senior community are not apparent to all in the community. I'll like to address the financial benefits, and not the ethical question of what is right to do for our mothers and fathers.
The initial benefits in construction not only benefit people in the construction trades, but also many other businesses in Sisters as well. Contractors will be purchasing gas, food, building materials, and of course lots of coffee & doughnuts. Now I'm sure some businesses will not realize increased business (not many contractors rent bicycles or purchase tourist related products), but how many of us do not know several people that will benefit from the construction stage of the project.
Later many jobs will be generated working in the facility itself. And besides hiring employees for the facility I would imagine there would be ancillary jobs such as landscape maintenance that local companies will be interested in doing. Additionally the senior living community is not only a new business for Sisters, but a business in an entirely new category that is not competing with existing businesses.
The city of Sisters will realize increased tax revenues, and by the projects nature the cost for police and fire services would be much less expensive than that of a typical residential development. Also the possibility of a larger medical clinic for the area will not only produce more jobs, but will provide much needed additional care for Sisters.
Finally, even if you are set for life, how could you not want a project to proceed that will provide for the struggling citizens of Sisters, and also enrich the lives of our seniors. To me it's a no-brainier, Sisters should welcome the Senior Living Center and related development.
-Tom Pryor
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The McKenzie Meadows Village owners (Willitts, Kallberg and Reed families) should be commended for their vision of a full and complete Master Planned development for seniors. They should also be commended for discounting land for a Senior Community for Independent and Assisted Living (80% discount of high market at peak and 75% discount in today's market). They should be praised for being willing to build a new 10-Acre City Park with full amenities and donate it to the City of Sisters. They should be praised for being willing to contribute land for a much needed Medical Clinic with Urgent Care potential. They should be commended for being willing to contribute to Affordable Housing and for consistently envisioning what will add value to Sisters Country… Without the discounted land price, a Senior Housing Community for Independent and Assisted Living could not be built because the rents would be too high and would only be affordable to a few. Keep in mind too, that if the owners of the McKenzie Meadow Village land were just about making a dollar, they could keep the land on a back burner for completing the 2006 Voter Approved Annexation, pay lower taxes in he county and complete the annexation at a later date when the real estate market returns in strength and get top dollar for their land. But, worthy of commendable praise, the owners of the McKenzie Meadow Village land are willing to annex the land into the City of Sisters now and start paying higher taxes and other associated costs so the Senior Housing Community for Independent and Assisted Living can be built. Besides being offensive, it is 'criminal' to imply or state that the Willitts family, the Kallberg family or the Reed family are all about making a buck. Each one of them has generously contributed immensely to our community.
-Keith Sampson
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Dear Mr. Anonymous:

By taking one of the finest citizens in Sisters and bringing to light his financial challenges you rallied more support for McKenzie Meadow Village Senior Housing Campus than I ever dreamed possible. For each person that spoke favorably there were five more that regretted they didn't have the opportunity to voice their respect and support.
I have good news. If you continue your path as Mr. Anonymous you have tremendous opportunity. Look carefully into my past and you will find a good selection of learning experiences that will embarrass me publicly. Look into each of my children's past and again you'll find more possibilities, as a matter of fact look into anyone's past and you'll find limitless opportunity. Perhaps you've forgotten that we're all just human and we all lead imperfect lives.
What I enjoy most about our community is that we all love Sisters and we're passionate about protecting it for future generations. It was too bad you didn't make it to the meeting. You would have heard diverse voices like Morgan, Malone, Mintiens share one thing in common. Each has the courage to speak what's in their heart.
Thank you for uniting the community in support of our seniors. May you someday learn to practice the golden rule.
-Bill Willitts
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Any official who tries to prevent the senior living/McKenzie Meadow project is doing a disservice to the community!
I have lived in the Sisters community since 1990, when I retired from being a developer for a large national firm, personally responsible for the development and/or management of millions of square feet of industrial or commercial space. I have had some experience with site selection. The tone of the recent Nugget articles and letters suggest there are many suitable alternative sites available for this project. This is a very naive way of thinking. From what I read there are ready, willing and able buyers and sellers for this site and a project developer who has identified this location as one that would work.
I don't know all the reasons why this site works for this project but I have not heard of any alternatives, probably because there are none. Available land is no guarantee of a successful project.
I personally know of scores of senior friends and neighbors who have relocated from Sisters due to the lack of senior or assisted-living facilities.
Even if the project start and any job creation is some time away I hope this city council says yes and gets the ball rolling right now.
-David V. Douthit
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Dear Bill Willitts,
Your restraint not to name "Mr. Anonymous" is admired! The people of Sisters know who this "Mr.A" is. A multitude of business community leaders shared with me, and I assume many others, the dismay that the Nugget would even print this article. I concur with Bill Willitts that the "golden stone rule" was flagerantly broken here and hope that others will respond in kind to NOT put Mr. Anonymous through the same shame he put Jerry through. Jerry is going through a tough time not unlike most Americans he is not a criminal to date! Shame on you Mr. A" and shame on the Nugget for printing such an article. As an aside I commend you Bill Willitts, and your partners, for bringing such a viable and wonderful campus of entertainment, health, business,and well being to this city against such odds. All of my family here and visiting enjoy the movie house, the brew pub and diner, the conference hall, Shubi, the health club etc. Oh and the great addition of Cloes. I also KNOW that most Sisters's people I speak with want a Senior Center HERE! Bill Willitts and and his "developer friends" are willing to step up to the plate finacially to make this community viable in an every day living sense. Why do you and Mr. "A" think this is so wrong?
-Jim Bell
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Sisters Needs a Retirement Community

I need to state, upfront, that I'm the Community Relations Director with the Aspen Ridge Retirement Community in Bend. One of my primary responsibilities is to attract and retain residents. So one would logically think that I wouldn't be in favor of a Sisters-based retirement community, competition that would pull potential residents away from Aspen Ridge.

But I am. Sisters needs a retirement community, one that provides lifestyle accomodations for seniors (over 55) - and neither politics nor funding should get in the way.

I've lived in Sisters for the past 17 years. My wife and I chose this town over Redmond and Prineville (even though they were closer to family) for the quality of the school system, the small town ambience and safety, and the outdoor recreation opportunities. My new job was also located here - but that was at a time when the town was successfully attracting employers with living wage jobs. (Attracting employers is harder now...but thankfully there is new energy behind it.)

We raised our two children here. God-willing, our plans are to stay for as long as we can afford to, hopefully to see our children return (with their children) to live and prosper in this beautiful place we call "Sisters Country."

We're in our mid-to-late fifties. In good physical shape compared to others of our generation - but clearly starting to feel the accelerating aging process.

As the reality of aging sets in for my wife and me, it's also setting in for many others of our generation, people who moved here for the same reasons, folks who feel their health will never decline to a point where they need "assistance." But we all will, whether it's from a family caregiver or a retirement community.

Let's face it, Sisters can be a challenge for "seniors" (over fifty-five.) There's no 24/7 medical facility, no real senior center (a gathering place for meals, social activities, continuing education, bus transportation, etc.) and no senior living facility where the lifestyle needs and desires of seniors can be fulfilled.

Over the past seventeen years I've seen many seniors move to Sisters, only to see them eventually leave for living situations and/or retirement communities in surrounding towns.

From a purely economic development perspective this is crazy. These people initially invested in Sisters, attracted their extended families to Sisters, then pulled up stakes because the town could no longer meet their physical and/or social needs. This cycle of attraction and lack of retention will continue unless we, as a community, pull together and work toward a well thought-out solution.

I work very closely with seniors (and their adult children) at Aspen Ridge in Bend. Recently I've counseled several Sisters-based residents. I've heard people lament the fact that, while Sisters is the ultimate place to retire, it has no strong support system for seniors. Bend, of course, has a variety of resources. The Bend Senior Center, St. Charles Hospital, and many retirement communities offer everything from independent to assisted to memory care living situations.

Here's a dose of demographic reality. In 2011 the first wave of "baby boomers" (born between 1946 and 1964) will be hitting 65. Experts predict that the demands on both assisted living and "memory care" facilities (Alzheimer's/Dimentia care) will increase dramatically over the next ten years.

Sisters is not ready for this. We are going to lose these potential residents, as well as the additional tax revenue, jobs, and retail sales benefits of a retirement community, to Bend and Redmond.

Some people, of course, will say that Sisters' need for affordable housing is more important than a retirement community. I beg to differ. Ask any realtor in town these days "who is inquiring about Sisters Country homes and property?" - I bet a majority are fifty-five and older. These are people who become devoted to a community, keep their business local and do not disturb the peace.

And these are the very people who attract other residents. I see it every day at Aspen Ridge in Bend. When I ask "how did you find out about Aspen Ridge?" more often than not it was word-of-mouth from an existing resident. Same goes for Sisters. Our "brand" is strong now, and our event calendar so full, that filling a retirement community (and fully utilizing a nearby community center) will be very easy.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Adolf recently. Mark is the developer behind the proposed Sisters retirement community next to the McKenzie Meadows subdivision. He has many years of experience developing retirement communities around the country. The guy knows what he's doing - as evidenced by his detailed reasons for the design of the proposed Sisters community.

Although Mark and his wife live in Washington state, he's very close to the Sisters community though both friendships and business dealings. Having seen many "entrepreneurs" come and go (mostly go) over the years here in Sisters, I was wary of Mark initially. After spending a couple of hours with him it's clear both his head and heart are in the right place regarding a Sisters retirement community.

So what's the problem? Funding and, to a certain extent, politics. Retirement communities are not inexpensive to build and, with the price of land in our industrial parkway still out-of-sight, building within the UGB (Urban Growth Boundary) doesn't pencil-out. Our city leaders would love to be able to offer the newly-enacted "incentive package" to Adolf - but the land has to be within the UGB.

Enter the visionary owners of land next to the McKenzie Meadows subdivision. With a clear understanding of demographic trends and businesses that fit our "Vision Statement," the owners have offered the needed land at a price that will pencil-out for Adolf.

Everything would appear to be falling in place, correct? Well, sort of. The city council appears to be getting closer to bringing the land into the UGB. A major hurdle seemingly overcome by a more economic development-oriented 2009 city council.

Funding is the big issue now. Let me explain. Funding for new retirement community buildings typically comes from large, corporate-owned retirement companies or from a few private investors. With private investment the community is typically then "managed" by a professional retirement company. (This is the case with Aspen Ridge.)

Adolf's proposed community would be slightly different. Understanding that "local owners/investors" are better than "absentee owners," Mark has been trying to find interested Sisters Country residents. People like my wife and me who are looking "down the aging road," wondering what the best senior living situation will be for us.

But here's the rub. We're still in a difficult recession, local people's investments have fallen through the floor, and recently many potential Sisters investors speculated on the creation of a new bank (Crown Point) - only to see it fall apart following a long investment-seeking process.

Local investors are holding their money close to their belts.

The need for a Sisters-based retirement community will continue to grow.

The huge "bell curve" of soon-to-be sixty-five year-olds will not disappear. They will be looking for the "ideal" lifestyle community, one that fits their active lifestyle. And we all know that Sisters fits that bill perfectly.

Let's not lose these potential residents to surrounding towns. Seniors (and soon-to-be seniors) need to make their voices heard. You can do this by attending city council meetings, writing your city leaders, even suggesting potential investors who might be interested in making a retirement community a reality.

I'd be happy to provide direction and advice about making your voice heard. Just give me a holler!

George Plimpton and me

I've always admired George Plimpton's approach to journalism. He pioneered "participatory journalism," injecting himself into the culture that he was covering. Throughout his career Plimpton threw himself into the worlds of professional football, ice hockey, played piano at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, and many other adventures.

It's a courageous approach, quickly exposing one's inexperience and lack of knowledge about the culture and lifestyle. It also forces a reporter to use all his or her investigative senses and to quickly relate to the people being covered. Plimpton had the unique ability to be both humble and transparent in worlds that were foreign to his roots, bringing his readers along for the ride.


I never had the pleasure of meeting Plimpton. But, had he been aware of my journey through the world of "work," I think he would have been proud.

When I graduated from U.Mass/Amherst (with a Bachelor of Business Science degree) I thought (rather naively) that the corporate world would be clamoring to hire me. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do or how to search for a job. I did know one thing however - I wanted to make money and live independently.

By mid-summer 1975 I was getting desperate so I started doing what any desperate, aggressive, Boston-bred, ex-hockey player does - I started knocking on doors in downtown Boston. (I also wanted to try city living, having been raised in the suburbs and craving the life of a young bachelor.)

One of the doors I knocked on was Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, right smack in the middle of Boston, just off Boston Common. The conversation with the HR person went something like this:

"You just graduated from U.Mass Bill, correct?"
"Yes I did, with a BBS in Business, marketing major."
"Have you ever worked for a corporation before Bill?"
"No I haven't, but for the past few years in school I've been a bar tender at a pretty large Polish restaurant in North Hampton. I've seen some pretty interesting things there."
"How would you like to be a Group Insurance Underwriter here at Liberty Mutual?"
"A what?"
"A Group Insurance Underwriter. We have about thirty right now. You'd have an assigned territory and determine group insurance rates based on risk factors for companies in that region."
"What's the salary range for this position?"
"Your starting salary would be $18K a year."
Realizing I had no other options and that this guy was actually offering me a job I said "I'll take it!" I still had no clue what an underwriter did.

My naivete really struck me on my first day at work. My new supervisor met me as I stepped from the thirteenth floor elevator. "Welcome to Liberty Mutual Bill, let me show you to your desk," he said. Looking out over the sea of desks, there were no cubicles at all, I thought to myself "I'm going to hate this."

So this was corporate America in 1975. They didn't tell me about this in college and, of course, I was too busy partying and playing hockey to even think about life after college. (Or even, frankly, why I was there in the first place.)

I lasted a year to the day at Liberty Mutual. I spent my lunch time either running along the Charles River or visiting the Boston Public Library, researching career paths that would take me away from city life.

Yes, I quickly realized that living a "city bachelor's life" was not for me, I loved forests and clean air way too much to ever be happy in a city. (Running along the Charles at noon was certainly an escape, as was another newly-found passion - bicyle touring and cycling to work from my hometown of Lynnfield, about 25 miles north of Boston. (My commute time was about the same whether driving or cycling!)

Digging deep into my passions during that awful year made me realize a couple of things about myself. One, I craved muscle-powered adventure and two, I wanted to get the hell out of Boston and New England. (With my reconnections through Facebook, it appears I wasn't the only young guy to hear the "Go West Young Man" call.)

So, in 1976, who was I really and where would be the best place to begin my "passions quest?"

Duhhhh! I was physical by nature (clearly not cerebral), an athlete willing to push and test myself against the world's challenges. So it made sense to pursue an M.A. in Physical Education and combine that degree in some way with my bachelors in business. (How exactly was very unclear of course, I've never been known to plan too far in advance.)

And where would this M.A. be sought? Why of course! A college in northern Arizona! For a young guy from Boston Flagstaff seemed to fulfill my fantasy of the wild west - mountains, sun, fewer people, and clean air - at least from what I could tell from research at the Boston Public Library.

Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff would become my school and home for the next two years. But I had to get there first...

January 1977: time to make the drive to Flagstaff from Boston. Possessions: a '69 Kharmann Ghia (no heat, questionnable windshield wipers, several rusted-through areas in the floor boards - covered with floor mats), a touring bicycle, some clothing, and one pair of inflatable arctic-style Air Force boots purchased at the Army/Navy store in Boston.

The trip was certainly an adventure and full of lessons. Lesson #1: don't travel across the middle of the country by car in January and, if you must, be totally prepared. By the time I got to Oklahoma US 40 was more like the skating rinks I knew so well back in Boston. A blizzard blew in and caught me totally by surprise. I was quite a sight to passing cars. Left arm out the window holding a window scraper (questionnable windshield wipers quit about 500 miles out), heater never worked so the arctic boots came in handy, and snow tires? Didn't need 'em when I left Boston....thankfully they closed US 40 and forced me into a hotel for a couple of days.

But I did finally make it to Flagstaff. At 7,000 feet in elevation Flagstaff has it's own unique weather challenges in January. So excited was I upon arrival that, on my second day, an overcast yet mild day, I decided to cycle a dirt road loop north of town and back to the motel where I was staying. Lesson #2: at 7,000 feet storms blow in very quickly, trapping and killing high elevation neophytes like me every year. At the half-way point of my trip, about 8,000 ft., a snowstorm blew in. Couldn't see the road, didn't have a compass or any survival gear, and the snow was getting too deep to keep cycling. Wound up carrying my bike along (what I hoped was) the road. While slogging through the snow I kept thinking of the headine in Lynnfield's (MA) weekly Shopper News: "Local Man Lost and Presumed Eaten by Bears near Flagstaff Arizona."

Tired, wet, and shaken, I did finally emerge from the dirt road and was able to cycle the rest of the way back to town. Interesting isn't it that, the more you survive situations that could end your life, the more confident you enter life's inevitable challenges. The key is remembering what you've survived - and how you dealt with each situation.

Prior to moving to Flagstaff I had taken up fitness running for both physical and mental reasons (I was getting "chunky" and I found that distance running calmed my aggressive tendencies - a result of years of being a rough and tumble ice hockey defenseman. Who knew that endorphins were being released!) Boston Marathon? That was for those skinny little guys....

The Flagstaff running community, however, turned me into a competitive runner. Several new friends encouraged me to train for the annual 15K coming up during the summer of 1977. Plimpton, I suspect, would have approached the challenge the same way. Interested in the whole "running culture" that was gaining national attention ( a result of Bill Bowerman's book) I decided to challenge myself by training for the race - simply to see if I could finish and what the experience would show me.

I found the running community totally different than the ice hockey community in which I was so entrenced (and totally burned out on.) Runners came from both sexes, many different shapes and sizes, as well as different racial, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In the 60's and 70's New England ice hockey was composed of white middle class men who, once their playing days were over, did not participate in lifetime physical fitness activities.

Not so with the running community. During the boom years of running in the 70's and 80's both young and old were entering road races and looking to running to add "life to the years."

to be continued....

Cole Still - A Life of Endurance

Cole Still, longtime Prineville resident (and my uncle-in-law), just turned 90 this month. I wrote the following article about his life for the Central Oregon Horse Journal and the Central Oregonian newspaper in 2003.

James “Cole” Still’s life is a study of endurance.

The third of seven children born to James and Mabel Still, Cole was raised on the family's 160-acre farm near Exeter, Missouri. Working with the horses on that farm as a child was all the encouragement Cole needed to begin a life-long love affair with horses.

At 23, Cole met up with the other love in his life, a feisty 16-year-old named Charlotte. They married in 1942. Cole left farming and hauled milk for the Pet Milk Company during the early years of their marriage. Two daughters, Connie and Carolyn were born in 1943 and 1944.

In 1948, Cole lost his milk hauling route to the new tanker trucks which could haul milk more economically. That year, Charlotte and Cole traded their pickup for a family car, packed their two children and all their belongings into it and drove to Prineville, where his brother-in-law Floyd Williamson had lined up a job for Cole at the Evans Lumber Company (which eventually became Consolidated Pine).

The Still family's involvement with horses flourished with their move to Prineville. They joined the Prineville Ridge Riders in 1951, participating in trail rides, play days, and horse shows. Cole has been President of the club for all but two of the past 52 years.

Charlotte and Cole fondly remember the names of all their horses during the 1950's and 1960's, especially those that performed well in competition.”We had a mare named Ginger in the late 1950s that set play day records in the figure-eight event that still stand today. She also won Grand Champion - Showmanship at the Prineville Fair in both 1962 and 1963,” said Cole.

The couple started endurance riding and racing in 1973. One of their most memorable rides took place that year. They rode the Pacific Crest Trail from the Columbia River to the California Border in 17-1/2 days. No easy feat, considering no one had previously ridden it in less than 20 days.

Although Cole has won many endurance races, caring for his horse's health is more important to him than any award. “I've actually got more best-conditioned awards than first place's. It shows that I've had my horses in shape to compete,” said Cole.

July 28, 1988 was a day that Charlotte and Cole's endurance riding skills were put to the ultimate test. Bob Hathrill, a longtime friend from Prineville, joined them on a five-day pack trip along the Pacific Crest Trail from Mt. Hood to the Santiam Pass.

The fourth morning of the trip started perfectly, beautiful weather and wonderful views. However, just after leaving camp at Hunt's Lake near Mt. Jefferson, Bob heard an approaching roar overhead. “It's a plane and it's coming in low,” Bob hollered to Cole and Charlotte, following behind on the trail. Seconds later, two Air National Guard jets raced over the tree tops, spooking the horses and sending them running in all directions.

Charlotte screamed, “I can't hold Stormy!” as she raced down the trail past Cole and Bob. Cole gave chase, while trying to control his own horse, Wendy, and a pack horse. The pack horse broke away and raced off into the forest, leaving Cole trying to contain Wendy.

It was no use. As Cole struggled, Wendy tried to climb the steep embankment, and threw Cole onto a pile of rocks, knocking him unconscious, severely gashing his head and injuring his knee. Meanwhile, not far down the trail, Stormy had thrown Charlotte hard. Lying beside the trail with a broken back and shoulder, she was unable to move or speak. Fortunately, Bob was uninjured and immediately gave first aid to the injured couple.

”I thought we were goners for sure,” said Cole.

With three of the four horses long gone, Bob had no choice but to stabilize the injured riders and ride for help. Many hours later, an Air Life helicopter lifted Charlotte and Cole out of the wilderness to safety. Charlotte spent seven months in a full body cast. Cole recovered more quickly, but his body still aches from all his injuries.

Their horses were all eventually recovered. Two years after the accident, the Air National Guard reached a settlement with Charlotte and Cole, never admitting any guilt for the accident.

Cole was 69 when the accident occurred. Not one to slow down, in 1994 at age 75, he won the Lily Glen 30-mile race on Knight, his jet black Arabian gelding. Cole regularly wins the twenty-five mile race at the Prineville Endurance Rides, a series of races on the National Grasslands behind Smith Rocks. Not only does he regularly win that race, he’s also the Ride Manager for the event, and has been since it's inception in 1972.

”I've tied many a ribbon on the trees in the Grasslands over the years,” said Cole.

Promoting endurance riding is clearly a labor of love for Cole Still. Since 1995 Cole has also been the Ride Manager for the Bandit Springs 30, 50, and 100-mile races east of Prineville. Cole clears trails and ties ribbons for weeks before an event. His attention to the environment and safety is appreciated by both riders and Forest Service personnel.

“I never question the safety of a trail when I ride one of Cole's races,” said Vicky Patterson, a well-known Sisters endurance rider.

Cole and Charlotte were awarded the “Ambassador Award” by the Pacific Northwest Endurance Riding Conference (PNERC) for their promotion of endurance riding in 1995. They helped form the PNERC in 1972. Cole is also the oldest member of the organization, and certainly the most active in his age group.

April 28, 2002 proved to be another test of Cole’s endurance as a rider. Having just completed his turn at the poles and barrels during the Prineville Ridge Rider’s play day events, he backed his Arabian gelding Stormy up to the arena fence to watch the other contestants. For some unexplained medical reason Stormy just “melted” and fell over with Cole still in the saddle.

“One ole boy said he swore that Stormy was shot – he went down so hard,” said Cole.

Witnesses said that Stormy fell once, then tried to recover and fell again, both times with Cole stuck in the saddle. “It happened so fast I couldn’t get my foot out of the stirrup,” said Cole. Knocked unconscious, Cole suffered a broken foot, four cracked ribs, a cracked pelvis, and pulled muscles in his back.

A year later, at 83, Cole is riding again and managing endurance races around Prineville. He won’t compete in this May’s Prineville Endurance Races because his foot cannot take hard riding – yet.

But after 32 years of competitive endurance racing you can count on Cole racing again in the near future.

Are You Still Running Bill? (Part 2)

Spring 1978. I was a graduate student at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and finishing a teaching internship at Eastern AZ College in Safford. Just completed the Tucson Marathon, feeling really good about accomplishing my goal of simply running 26 miles.

While thrilled at completing the distance, it was also a pivotal point for my “sense of self.” Having self-defined my persona (and ego) as a team sport athlete (hockey) – I realized a few very important things:

1) I was an endurance athlete with slow twitch muscle fibers
2) This was a lifetime fitness activity that could keep me mentally and physically strong
3) My participation in this activity was motivating to other people

Returning to Flagstaff to complete my degree work, I started a weekly Runner’s World magazine Fun Run for beginners, while also organizing the Big Bear 10 Miler at Fort Tuthill.

“Gonzo running” might be an apt description of our running adventures in Flagstaff. We formed the Flagstaff Track Club for the local runners, enjoying many post-run/race margarita parties at a local Mexican restaurant.

And I signed-up for the 1978 Boston Marathon. Partly for the experience, partly to visit my parents who lived in Lynnfield (my hometown), about 20 miles north of Boston.

Two friends, Tommy Hensley and Rusty Knott, joined me for the trip back to my home state for the race in April. These two guys, both living in 7,000 foot-high Flagstaff (Tommy a student at NAU, Rusty a Flagstaff native), initially encouraged me to try racing. The accompanying photo was taken in 1978 at my parent’s home. (L to R: Rusty Knott, Tommy Hensley, me)

The 1978 Boston Marathon was a “thriller” in many ways. The Boston Globe reported that a “record 4,674 runners” participated in the race. (This year 22, 849 runners finished!) Bill Rodgers, my running hero, outlasted Nike’s Athletics West runner Jeff Wells by two seconds at the finish line. Wells, realizing he had “way too much left” after the half-marathon mark, put the pedal to the metal and almost caught “Boston Billy” at the Prudential Center.

But more on Nike/Jeff Wells in part three. Both would play a pivotal role in my life in the very near future.

I finished the 1978 Boston Marathon, my second 26-mile endeavor, in 3:03. Having cut about twenty-five minutes from my Tucson Marathon race I wondered “Wow…I must be in decent shape…I wonder how much faster I can go?”

Over the next five years I would find out. And my passion for running and fitness would lead me to Oregon, then New Hampshire, marriage, and around the world.

My initial reasons for “training” were changing. Challenging my own physical limits was not enough. How could I do against other runners my age? My competitive flame, which I thought had burned out playing college-level hockey, was starting to ignite again.

Stay tuned….

1983 New England Running article

Back in 1983 I was 30, living in Exeter, NH, and working for Nike as a running footwear project manager. Always interesting to look back at who you were, where you were, and what you wrote about in the past.

Sisters Economy is Tourism-Dependent

I was about thirteen, growing up in a suburb north of Boston, when I realized that money buys cool stuff like records, event tickets, and new sports gear. And the route many of my friends used to obtain money was working in one of the main fine local restaurants.

“Hey Billy, IHop needs a dishwasher….come to work with me today…I’ll introduce you to the manager, they even split tips with us,” exclaimed Dave.

Not having much else on my mind (well…girls were starting to gain a foothold); restaurant work seemed a logical choice. Money, free food, no expenses like rent, insurance, and car payments) – what else could a boy ask for?

So began my ascent in the restaurant world from dishwasher to busboy to waiter during the summers of my middle school years. This experience would serve me well when I attended college, reaching my “high water mark” in that industry – bartender in a Polish restaurant in western Massachusetts. (My expertise was limited; thankfully “Wodka” was the most requested drink.)

It’s clear to me that, if I want to work again in my hometown, perhaps my experience in food services will serve me well.

I could probably get a job in a restaurant or hotel, perhaps with Ray’s Foods, but the economic reality is that I now have all those “adult” expenses I didn’t have to worry about as a teen, the need for a “living wage.”

The majority of jobs available in our town now are service-level positions that offer less than a “living” or “family” wage. How do the hard-working folks who have these jobs survive?

Most commute to Sisters because they can’t afford to live here. And many have sought transfers or different jobs in their hometown because of the cost of gas in relation to their wages.

I think back to the early nineties when we moved to Sisters. The town was on the path to a well-balanced employment picture. Companies like Good Family Magazines, Weitech, Questar Publishers (soon to become Multnomah), Alpine Internet, NW Telemarketing, Metabolic Maintenance, and Micromonitors were all starting up and thriving.

Employment opportunities in Sisters were good. Employees were spending money in our town, buying homes, eating in our restaurants, and encouraging their friends to move to Sisters.

Good times.

All of the companies mentioned above are now gone - except for Metabolic Maintenance (and O’Keefe’s Working Hands Creme.) And with them all the money their employees spent in Sisters.

What happened? Why didn’t we stay on the path to a well-balanced economy with many living/family wage jobs?

We were asleep at the wheel.

Our relatively new (2007) Sisters Vision Statement indicates “This economy especially supports locally conceived and owned businesses that provide a wide variety of year-round family wage jobs.”

Folks, let me tell you from experience, there aren’t many year-round family wage jobs in Sisters.

We have two beautiful business parks and lots of vacant office spaces in Sisters - and no efforts (until this spring) being made to attract potential businesses that could bring jobs. Granted, the economy took a nose dive this year but nothing was being done as far back as 2006 when the economy was still thriving.

Who’s responsible for attracting and retaining living/family wage employers? The Chamber, the City, EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon), SBART (Sisters Business Acquisition & Retention Team), SVA (Sisters Village Association), CATS (Community Action Team of Sisters), realtors/developers?

As of this spring we’re told it’s all of the above, working together, and led by CATS. An all-volunteer committee made up of a strong cross-section of Sisters business and city folk, CATS is co-chaired by Fran Willis and Chuck Newport. Two very capable and well-respected people.

But can they direct, coordinate, and manage all the people involved with the various groups noted above?

As of this post, the 2009 “updated Sisters Economic Development Plan” (first plan 2002, first update published 2005, second update planning session spring 2009 – all managed by CATS) has yet to be drafted and distributed for review to all stakeholders listed above….

And, once again in 2009, Sisters continues to be a “severely distressed community” as designated by the state.

About a year ago I wrote an article for the Nugget Newspaper titled “Will Our Kids Be Able to Return to Sisters?” Graduates, whether from college or high school, appear to have even fewer options now.

Of course there’s always food service and hospitality positions.

Which leads to my conclusion that Sisters’ revised economic development goal should be to become the very best tourist destination in the state. There’s really nothing wrong with this goal.

But it’s a big turnaround in thinking for me. And we will all have to accept the consequences.

In reality, the well-balanced employer scene we experienced throughout the 90’s was a blip on the growth graph, an anomaly we’re not likely to see again for many, many years – if ever.

Let’s forget trying to become “well-balanced” with light industry and clean, think tank, corporate headquarter-type companies. To date we’ve shown no ability to attract them anyway, although credit should be given to the SBART crew - who have absolutely good intentions but very little ammunition to work with – and a “perfect economic storm” to overcome.

So here are some thoughts on making Sisters the very best tourist destination in the state:

1. Transportation System Planning: at the very least embrace Carey Tosello’s roundabout proposals which will reinforce and enhance our arts-based community branding while slowing-down traffic. Traffic lights are “so Redmond.” I prefer the complete closure of Cascade, making it a pedestrian mall, but let’s face it no one’s going to battle the state over who “owns” the highway (Cascade Ave.) and there’s no money to buy private land for a bypass anyway.

2. Let the SVA, in coordination with our arts-based community and the new Chamber leadership (Erin Borla,) re-write and implement the Sisters Country mission statement, short and long term goals, and monitor the benchmarks along the way. Explore arts-based grant opportunities to fund a full-time “administrator” who works out of the Chamber (dare I say “economic development director?”) to oversee the new plan and keep people accountable to benchmarks.

3. Ecotourism, seemingly a cliché in tourism circles, can be a huge draw for Sisters. Bill Willitts’ ideas should be folded into the arts-based economic development plan. Sisters’ target tourist demographic loves both the high desert environment and the arts. (Wouldn’t the 52-acre forest service administrative site be a wonderful location for Sisters’ new “ecotourism” businesses and related shops?)

4. What are your thoughts?

Perhaps, with the right new tourism-related strategy and businesses, our “shoulder seasons” would be as profitable as the summer months for retailers and resorts.

Of course, all of this comes with a price. A tourism-based economy brings with it low-wage jobs, not living/family wage positions. Most employees will live out-of-town. Sisters’ housing market will be dominated by retirees, second home purchasers, and baby boomers that “made it big” elsewhere.

But, on the other hand, with more retirees attracted to Sisters Country the “senior living center” project near the middle/high schools might be a reality in the near future.

Affordable housing would become an even greater challenge – perhaps the new tourism leaders could ban together to develop/build an employee apartment complex.

Think Branson - in the high desert.

Well, maybe if my wife and I each work two tourism-related jobs we’ll both be able to live and work in Sisters…

Sisters Pioneering Spirit - Naomi Smith

Sisters Longest Continuous Resident– Naomi Smith

Sitting in Naomi Smith’s cozy seventy-four year old home in downtown Sisters, I felt as welcome and relaxed as the doe and small fawn munching grass just outside her front door. At eighty-nine Naomi continues to live a“pioneering” life while maintaining a sense of humor and optimism. (She asked for my “credentials” as I walked up to her home – then broke out laughing at the look on my face…)

Naomi Belle (Carroll) Smith has lived in Sisters since 1933. Born in 1919, in Drewsey, Oregon (a small farming community about 60 miles southeast of Burns), Naomi was one of six children born to George and Marie Carroll. “I’m pretty sure I’m the oldest continuously-living resident of Sisters,” she stated.

The Carroll’s circuitous journey to Sisters mirrors the times in which they lived. Naomi’s father, George Carroll, a WWI vet, served in Illinois as a Sergeant in the Medical Corp. After the war George was discharged back to Bend, marrying Marie Sosinsky in Dubuque, Iowa on the way home.

The Carroll’s stay in Bend was short-lived.

While visiting relatives in Drewsey, George borrowed $10,000 and bought the Drewsey Garage, which he operated from 1919 – 1923, during which time Naomi and two sisters were born. Unfortunately times got hard in the area and things had to change.The family moved back to Bend from 1923 – 1928 and George worked in a variety of trades and purchased land from his brother who owned Carroll Acres (just south of Reed Market Road at the time).

In 1928, when Naomi was ten, they moved to Burns and George purchased and operated an auto garage – and found time to play his banjo with Homer Reed’s Orchestra at dances throughout Harney County.

Life was good for the Carroll’s - until the stock market crash of 1929.With no work in Burns the Carroll’s packed up their Reo Flying Cloud Sedan and headed for Stockton, California.

“My father and his cousin, Frank Carroll, saw a “for sale” ad for a garage in Stockton so they decided to move us all there and buy it. When we got there the owner decided not to sell. We were stuck in Stockton for three years during the depression,” said Naomi.

Families survived the depression years any way that they could. The Carroll’s tried watermelon farming but it was George’s banjo playing that fed and clothed his family.

“I finally got in with an orchestra and played three years over the same radio station. I didn’t make much, but with two dances a week we managed to live,” recalled George later in life.

But by 1933 it wasn’t enough to sustain the family. George heard from family members in Sisters that new sawmills were being built. The family sold what possessions they could, bought an old four-cylinder Chevrolet and headed north in July of 1933.

Naomi, then about fifteen, recalls the road trip. “We drove over the unpaved McKenzie Pass (the Santiam Pass highway had not yet been built.) We must not have had any money because, when we ran out of gas and had a flat tire at the same time, my father asked for a dollar from my piggy bank. He walked all the way to town for gas and still had to fix the flat tire.”

The Carroll’s “squatted” on private land on the southeast edge of Sisters along an irrigation ditch, which they used for water. George built a one-room house with a separate outhouse from materials salvaged from abandoned homesteads in the area.

Unfortunately a timber company owned the land and, about two years later, the Carroll’s were evicted from the property.Again the ever-resourceful George, with the help of his cousin George Wilson who owned a team of logging horses, came up with a plan.

They hoisted and “skidded” the home on three large ponderosa pine logs a short way north along the irrigation ditch to land that George Carroll had purchased.

Today it still rests on those three ponderosa pines and is now Naomi’s home, located on the corner of South Larch and Jefferson. Over the years George added additional rooms, modernizing it for his growing family. Naomi has lived there since 1933. “My house is a cute little thing, good enough for me – I raised six kids in it,” she proudly stated.

Naomi married Ray Smith in 1940. Ray served in the army for six years and, during his enlistment, she began purchasing her home from her father – for $1,600.

“Army pay was only $100 a month and it was tough making ends meet as a homemaker. I took in ironing and we ate with my parents so I could pay $64 a month to purchase the house,” recalled Naomi.

Naomi is very optimistic about the growth and development of Sisters. “Of course I miss the old days, and the old people who lived here; the town has grown so much! But I think the Chamber is doing an excellent job for the business people,” she said.

2008 Sisters Rodeo - Outlaw Radio Interview with Organizers

2008 Sisters Rodeo - Outlaw Radio Interview with Organizers

Sisters Pioneering Spirits was an interview-style show which aired in 2008 on Outlaw Radio - KZSO 106.5 FM – Sisters' low-power student-run station located in the high school.

I was the host, Bronco Billy, and I explored the lives and journeys of “Sisters Country” people, folks who have been pioneering spirits in the community – and in their individual journeys.

This show went behind the scenes of the 2008 Sisters Rodeo – The Biggest Little Show in the World. This marked the 68th year of the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) rodeo in Sisters, an event that continues to draw the top cowboys, cowgirls and stock in the country. The rodeo ran Friday night, June 13th through Sunday, June 15th.

My guests were Bonnie Malone, Secretary of the Rodeo Association’s Board of Directors; Glen Miller, President of the Board; and Billybob Bruhns, Grand Marshall of the 2008 Rodeo Parade.

Enjoy! Check back for the other 2008 Sisters Pioneering Spirits shows that ran in 2008. Here is the link to the audio file:

Are you still running Bill?

Are you still running Bill? (part one)

I get this question a lot. And, if you're also a runner, I suspect you do too. People generally ask that question, I believe, for a couple of reasons. They're either just trying to be friendly because they haven't seen me in awhile; or they've seen me running through town, visible stress on my face, and they wonder if it's worth the effort.

Later this month I will turn fifty-six and I guess, like many aging, aching athletes I'm introspective now about why I "train."

I use the word "training" to mean any form of exercise that I do on a daily basis to raise my heart rate, make me sweat, and use the major muscle groups in my body. And yes, I still train daily except for one day a week which I spend in my office in Bend, Oregon. (I work from my home the other four days.)

In my youth, growing up in a suburb north of Boston, I was an avid ice hockey player. Some would remember me as a gifted athlete who loved to skate on the rinks and ponds around Boston. But as a youth the concept of "training" is generally far removed from the pure joy of participating in your chosen activity.

You participate out of sheer joy and excitement and your youthful body responds by growing larger and stronger. Injuries are generally easily overcome, you bounce back quickly and without fear of further injury. (My wife, a long-time youth gymnastics coach, says "kids don't have ligaments and joints, they're made of rubber.")

I'll never forget my first encounter with athletes that really "trained." Entering the University of Massachusetts, my first dorm roommate was a football player, a big lineman who "worked out" in the gym everyday and did pushups every night before bed.

Kevin tried to encourage me to "work out" with him in the weight room - which I thought was unnecessary. A new hockey player at the school, I assumed my high school years had prepared me adequately for the rigors of college hockey. Wrong.

In retrospect Kevin was right. My eighteen year-old body had aged. The wear and tear of grueling hockey games was already showing up - but my youthful attitude made me believe I was invincible. In more than a few college games I got my "clock cleaned" by bigger and stronger players who had "trained" for the rigors between the blue lines.

After college I left ice hockey behind, having played since I was about seven years old. I quickly realized that lack of daily exercise, combined with an office job (my first real job, believe it or not, was in 1975 as a Group Insurance Underwriter for Liberty Mutual in Boston) makes a guy chubby rather quickly.

I remember vividly my first day on the job. My new boss walked me to my desk, one of about fifty in an open room. As I stood there surveying the sea of people sitting behind desks I thought to myself "I hate this already." I lasted exactly one year.

So, to escape the office environment, during lunch I started running along the Charles River. This was also about the time that "running" really started to catch on across the nation. And having grown up around Boston, everyone was inspired by the Boston Marathon.

This was the start of my "training," which continues to this day. Initially an escape from the reality of an awful job, I found the changes to my body (mentally & physically) to be wonderful. My body firmed-up again as my fitness level increased and I returned to the office with an improved attitude (which research would later link to increased endorphin levels.)

By 1976 "training," for me, became a healthy addiction. (And yes, I had several unhealthy habits that began in high school and continued through college...)

But it wasn't until I finally woke up and followed my passions that my reasons for "training" began evolving. In 1977 I drove my '69 VW Karmann Ghia across country (in January, no heat or defroster, wearing inflatable Air Force boots to keep my feet from freezing), having enrolled in graduate school (physical education) at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

It was there that several new friends encouraged me to train for a local 15K race. 9.2 miles at 7,000 ft. sounded like huge challenge at the time. But I had been gradually increasing my distances, challenging myself to set goals and achieve them. I wasn't a competitor in that race, I was a "participant," finishing with a sense of accomplishment - and a hunger for more.

My reason for "training" had just taken a new turn. Could I go farther? Speed was not important to me at all. Afterall, I was a former ice hockey player who simply realized that running provided me with "exploring" opportunities. And there's no better place than the forests surrounding Flagstaff.

In 1978 a teaching internship at Eastern Arizona College in Safford provided me the time and opportunity to extend my training distances. Running in the desert also taught me a few valuable lessons. One, stay hydrated or die. Two, people shot coyotes for money, piling their skinned carcasses in the desert...but we've all seen interesting things while running, eh?

A poor graduate student at the time, Eastern Arizona College took pity on me, sent me down to the local Western Hardware Store (which sold everything from tools to shoes) to purchase a new pair of athletic shoes. Desperately in need of a new pair of training shoes, the only thing the store carried, running shoe-wise, were red split-leather Converse "running shoes."

At the time I wondered how leather, thin midsoles, and the hot desert conditions would affect my feet - but this was all they stocked and, what the hell, they were free!

I'd soon find out what happens to feet when you combine those elements with white cotton socks, no vaseline, and 26-miles of warm pavement.

Encouraged by my new fitness level I entered the 1978 Tucson Marathon - simply to see if I could run that far. My goal was simple - finish the race. A gorgeous course in and around Tucson, I started slowly and kept a steady pace. By mile 18 or so I was still feeling fine, which amazed me because I had never measured my training distances, simply ran by time.

A fellow participant came alongside me and said "If you continue this pace you could break 3:30 - the qualifying time for the Boston Marathon!" He had no idea I was from Boston. But the thought of traveling back to Boston took hold as I continued my steady pace.

It was about mile 20 when I learned my first "shoe technology" lesson (there were many more to come in subsequent years.) My light-colored red leather running shoes were becoming a deeper, darker shade across the toes. My toes had all blistered and were now bleeding - profusely.

Lesson learned - your mind and upper body can feel great - but if you get a flat tire you can be in big trouble. Or, as we say in farrier-speak, "no hoof, no horse!"

I finished the race. (As many of you know, the painful part is the blister creation, once they break the pain dissipates somewhat - and you either grit your teeth and keep going - or quit.) And I surprisingly broke 3:30 by a minute or so, qualifying me for the 1978 Boston Marathon.

Excited by accomplishing my goal of finishing a marathon, my reason for training was now evolving. I knew I could finish a marathon - but could I actually go a little faster than 3:30?

I'd find out at Boston.

(Next blog: my mental evolution from hockey player to road runner begins.)

Article published in The Nugget News 5/13/09

Sisters Remains a 'Distressed' Community by Bill M.

Sisters remains a "distressed community" by the standards of the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department (OECDD.)

Sisters earned that dubious distinction last year. This year, the community can take cold comfort in knowing that Sisters shares the label with the rest of Deschutes County.

Back in March 2008 Sisters was labeled a "severely distressed community" by OECDD. Michael W. Anderson, economic analyst with the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department, based in Portland, explained, "the agency uses both state and federal data that are available annually to look at counties statewide in four areas: percentage of the population with a bachelor's degree age 25 or higher, unemployment rate, percentage of the population below poverty and per-capita income."

Sisters received the "severely distressed" designation for being below the state average in all four categories.

At that time Oregon's overall unemployment rate was 5.5 percent, slightly above the U.S. average of 5.1 percent.Fast-forward to March 2009 and the economic situation in Sisters, as in all of Oregon, has worsened. Escalating home foreclosures combined with job layoffs weigh heavily on Sisters Country residents this year.

OECDD published the 2009 "Distressed Counties" data for Oregon last week on their Web site at www.oregon4biz.com/distlist.htm - and the news is not good.Oregon's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has jumped to 12.10 percent (up from 5.5 percent a year ago). In comparison, the US unemployment rate rose to 8.5 percent (from 5.1 percent last year).

The data for the Bend/Deschutes County Metropolitan Service Area is sobering. Unemployment more than doubled, to 14.7 percent, up from 6.7 percent a year ago.Crook County also experienced skyrocketing unemployment, hitting 18.5 percent this year, up from 8 percent in 2008. Jefferson County's rate is 16.2 percent this year, compared to 8.6 percent in 2008.

Michael W. Anderson, with the OECDD, explained recently that, when Oregon's overall unemployment rate tops 8 percent, the department shifts its data generation from singling-out distressed communities to identifying "temporary distressed counties.""The temporary methodology is used when the current unemployment rate in Oregon exceeds 8 percent," Anderson said.

"To determine whether a county is distressed, the only factor reviewed is the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for that county. If that county's unemployment rate exceeds 8 percent in a month in which Oregon's unemployment rate exceeds 8 percent, the county is distressed. All places and cities within a distressed county are considered distressed," added Anderson.

So Sisters, along with all our surrounding communities within Deschutes County is considered distressed.

The only way to come off the distressed county list is to have unemployment fall below 8 percent, which is not likely to happen anytime soon. Most observers expect the rate to keep rising throughout 2009.