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…