Wednesday, February 18, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Subpoenas arrive as
governor departs
By Jonathan J. Cooper
Associated Press
SALEM (AP) — Just
hours after Oregon Gov.
John Kitzhaber announced
his decision to resign, a sub-
poena arrived in a state office
building confirming that fed-
eral agents are looking into
the influence-peddling scan-
dal that led to the abrupt end
of a four-decade political
career.
The Democratic governor
gave in to mounting pressure
Friday, abandoning his office
amid suspicions that his live-
in fiancée used her relation-
ship with him to land con-
tracts for her green-energy
consulting business.
His resignation cleared
the way for Secretary of
State Kate Brown to assume
Oregon’s highest office.
“This is a sad day for
Oregon. But I am confi-
dent that legislators are
ready to come together to
move Oregon forward,” said
Brown, also a Democrat.
Unlike most states, Oregon
does not have a lieutenant
governor. The secretary of
state is next in line to suc-
ceed the governor.
When Kitzhaber closes
the door on his life in pub-
lic office, the scandal that
toppled Oregon’s longest
serving governor will still
linger. Subpoenas deliv-
ered to the Department of
Administrative Services
Friday request a massive
array of documents from
Kitzhaber’s administration.
The subpoena was the
first acknowledgment of a
federal investigation against
Kitzhaber and his fian-
cée, Cylvia Hayes. It seeks
records pertaining to 15 other
people besides Kitzhaber and
Hayes, including Kitzhaber’s
chief of staff, policy advis-
ers, Kitzhaber’s lawyer and
secretaries.
The subpoena orders the
agency to produce docu-
ments for a federal grand jury
before March 10. An agency
spokesman, Matt Shelby,
said it would provide what-
ever requested records are in
its possession.
Kitzhaber insisted he
broke no laws.
“Nonetheless, I under-
stand that I have become a
liability to the very institu-
tions and policies to which
I have dedicated my career
and, indeed, my entire adult
life,” he said in a statement.
The announcement of
the planned resignation
capped a wild week in which
Kitzhaber seemed poised to
step down, then changed his
mind, but ultimately bowed
to calls from legislative lead-
ers that he quit.
It’s a stunning fall from
grace for a politician who left
the governor’s office in 2003
and then mounted a come-
back in 2010 and returned to
his old job.
In a long statement
announcing his decision, a
defiant Kitzhaber cast blame
on the media and on “so
many of my former allies”
who did not stick up for him.
His staff released an audio
recording of him reading
the statement. Near the end,
his voice trembled and he
seemed to choke back tears.
Kitzhaber handily won
re-election in November
to a fourth term after
See goVErNor on page 15
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11
SPRD youth basketball thrives
The youth basketball
league running through
Sisters Park & Recreation
District (SPRD) is midway
through their season.
The basketball league,
which includes a 1st- and
2nd-grade league and a 3rd-
and 4th-grade league, has
been playing since January
5. The league has more than
70 kids playing in it this year.
All games are played at the
Sisters Elementary School
gym on Saturday mornings.
Parents nearly fill the
bleachers as they cheer on
their kids. The atmosphere
at the elementary school on
Saturday morning is festive
and fun as teams, coaches,
and spectators file in and out
to watch the youth basketball
league.
There is a strong line-up
of coaches at all levels this
year with Andrew Schar,
Chance Beckwith, Erik
Pronold, Mark Greaney, Brad
Tisdel and Derek Mcnamara
heading up the 1st- and 2nd-
grade league. This league has
been playing 3-on-3 games
this year, and players’ skills
have been developing rap-
idly throughout the season,
according to coaches.
Kids have been learning
how to cut off the ball to get
open, perform layups with
each hand, and play good
man-to-man defense.
The 3rd- and 4th-grade
league has been competitive
this season with each team
taking some wins and losses.
Coaching the teams this
year are long-time coaches
photo by Jerry baldoCk
youth basketball is instilling good habits and a love for the game.
Paul Patton, David Tolle,
Kyle Fischer and Cenobia
Gonzalez. Each coach brings
a unique coaching philoso-
phy to the table, and all are
committed to developing the
fundamental skills of their
players.
The game format for the
3rd- and 4th-grade teams has
been full-court 5-on-5 basket-
ball. At the end of the season,
these teams will play in an
end-of-the-season tourna-
ment after being seeded from
regular season play.
Making sure everyone
plays by the rules is the job
of referee Katie Aryanfard.
Katie is a high school bas-
ketball athlete and has been
helping develop the younger
kids on the court as their ref-
eree. At games, Aryanfard
takes the time to explain the
fouls to the players so they
can learn from their mistakes
and become better players.
According to SPRD, ref-
erees are hard to come by in
youth sports and Aryanfard
has been doing an outstand-
ing job this season enforcing
the rules and being firm with
both coaches and players.
The final games for the
1st- and 2nd-grade teams
will be played on February
28, along with the 3rd- and
4th-grade tournament. End of
season awards will be given
out to the teams, and partici-
pants will begin to look for-
ward to their spring activities.