The Nugget Vol. XLVI No. 32
POSTAL CUSTOMER
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
www.NuggetNews.com
PRE-SORTED STANDARD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sisters, OR Permit No. 15
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Going for the record...
Firefighting foam deployed in crash By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
Julie Tadlock smashed records in the deadlift in a powerlifting championship competition in New Orleans last month. See story, page 3. PHOTO COURTESY OF POORGAMER
Homeless shelter draws opposition By Bill Bartlett Correspondent
In the last 10 days dozens of flyers have been posted along Cascade, Hood, and Main asking readers to oppose the establishment of a planned emergency shelter in an industrial area on West Barclay Drive. Some of the flyers were tacked up with the permission of
business owners and others were placed without their approval, or on public property. No person or organization is taking responsibility for the flyers, and as quickly as they go up some citizens are removing them in objection to the nature of the messaging. The intent and verbiage See SHELTER on page 7
Chinese program comes under scrutiny By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief
An international story detailing Chinese funding in American public schools raised eyebrows in the Sisters community last week. The Daily Mail, a British daily tabloid, ran a story on
Inside...
July 30 reporting that “China is funding America’s public schools to the tune of $17 million dollars, it has been revealed, with Republicans now probing the disturbing donations. “The report by Parents Defending Education states See CHINESEon page 14
Last week’s fire of a fully loaded fuel tanker truck headed for the Space Age station in Sisters was brought under control by the quick actions of the driver, neighbors, Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District and a specially equipped fire engine stationed at Redmond airport. The tanker truck was carrying 11,200 gallons of diesel and regular unleaded gas in its two tanks. Each tank has three cells to separate fuel types. Only one cell was breached when a passenger car drove through the stop sign at Cloverdale Road and See FOAM on page 9
Hilgers takes over SHS athletics By Charlie Kanzig Correspondent
Matt Hilgers has taken over the role of athletic director for Sisters High School following Gary Thorson’s tenure of five-and-a-half years. Hilgers moved to Sisters in 2021 after a number of years working at Taft Middle School and High School in Lincoln City. He spent the past two years teaching social studies at Sisters Middle School and coaching the varsity baseball team. His wife, Brittney, teaches language arts at Sisters High School. The couple has two children, ages 5 and 7. Athletics play an important role to Hilgers. He was a three-sport athlete at Redmond High School, where he graduated in 2004. Hilgers credits sports for making his high school years more palatable. “I didn’t really like school so much and sports gave me a reason to go to school,” he said. Upon graduating Hilgers attended Chemeketa
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Hilgers family is putting down roots in Sisters. Community College in Salem, where he played baseball. He finished his undergraduate degree at Western Oregon University and had the good fortune to get into coaching at nearby LinnBenton Community College during those years. Having grown up in a one-team town in Redmond (Ridgeview did not open until 2012), Hilgers has kept an affinity for such places,
including where he did his student teaching, along with his time at Taft. “I love the sense of community in a one-high-school setting like Sisters,” he said. “It’s fun to be the only show in town.” Hilgers recognizes the challenges of the job as athletic director and is grateful that Thorson, who is back as See HILGERS on page 14
Letters/Weather ............... 2 Trailgrams ........................ 4 Announcements...............10 Obituaries ............. 16, 17, 19 Crossword .......................19 Meetings .......................... 3 Sisters Salutes ................. 9 Entertainment ................. 11 Fun & Games ....................18 Bunkhouse Chronicle ...... 23