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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2015)
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Vintage aircraft to fly over Sisters Rodeo Dixon retiring from BBS Two vintage airplanes will fly over Sisters Rodeo on Sunday, June 14, as a special addition to the rodeo’s 75th anniversary celebration. The aircraft, a P-51 Mustang and a Skyraider, are from the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras. Both are single-seater fighters and fighter-bombers. The P-51 was flown in World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Skyraider was flown in Korea and Vietnam, and remained in service in many nations until production ended in 1980. The flyover is being spon- sored by The Mountain Group, LLC, Kevin and Laurie Adams, of Camp Sherman. Kevin Adams has an interest in antique airplanes, often vis- iting air shows in the West. Special events abound this year. The Saturday morning parade, led by Grand Marshal R.L. Garrigus, will honor 30 former Sisters Rodeo queens and princesses, see the return of a Sisters Outlaw Marching Band, and try to contain Ronald McDonald in his big red shoe float. The One Arm Bandit is back, with a parade Carol Dixon is a beloved teacher — a career and a call- ing she loves and has had every success in pursuing. She is not, however, very suc- cessful at retiring. She did it once, from the Sisters School District, and very soon found herself as head teacher at Black Butte School. Now she’s retiring from that position. Maybe this time it will stick. “I don’t think I was ever really out,” she said of her 2002 retirement from Sisters School District. “I knew I wasn’t ready to retire… I think I’ll always be a teacher in some capacity. It’s my identity. It’s what I love.” Dixon always knew she wanted to teach. Education was inculcated in her and her sister from childhood, and no other career path beck- oned so strongly as teaching English. Leaving it wasn’t really an option, so she was ready when the late Toni Foster, the sparkplug of the one-room, multigrade Black Butte School put out the call. “Toni Foster called me and wanted me to come out and do some writing with presence that thrills the audience. The parade will also include the Oregon State University Beaver and University of Oregon Duck, along with alumni and booster trucks. Dan and Jeri Fouts will ride in the Duck Truck as spe- cial guests. Fouts, who is in the NFL Hall of Fame, has missed one rodeo since 1973, and was the parade’s grand marshal in 1983. His wife was one of the founders of Sisters Starry Nights and among the first Sisters Citizens of the Year. Ticket sales are break- ing records. The ticket office recommends getting tick- ets quickly. The ticket office at 220 W. Cascade Ave. in Sisters will be closed after Thursday, June 11. Sisters Rodeo will begin June 10 with Xtreme Bulls followed by four rodeo per- formances June 12-14. For tickets and information, call the ticket hotline at 541-549- 0121 or 1-800-827-7522. Tickets may be purchased two hours before each perfor- mance at the rodeo, as avail- able. For information visit www.sistersrodeo.com. 17 By Jim Cornelius News Editor photo by JiM cornelius Carol dixon: lifelong learner; life-long teacher. the kids,” Dixon explained. “That started it.” She was soon immersed in the small but vibrant pro- gram, doing what she loves most, which she describes as learning while her students learn. The new and unusual environment was appealing. “It was enjoyable having the kids year-to-year as a sin- gle group,” she said, “because you become like family and you get to see them grow up.” Dixon will stick around for a bit to help with the tran- sition to a new head teacher at BBS. Then she’s going to act like a real retired person and travel to Southern Africa for an extended tour to see the African wildlife and cul- ture that has long fascinated her. She and her husband, Steve, will stay in Sisters. “I enjoy this community very much,” she said. “I really appreciate the empha- sis on the arts. It’s very important to me.” And, most assuredly, she will be engaged somehow, somewhere in doing what she loves, what she is — teaching and learning.