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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2016)
10 Wednesday, April 6, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Marshall retires after 44 years Hiker injured on icy Black Butte Trail By Jim Cornelius News Editor On his 21st birthday, Jerry Marshall interviewed for a position as a receiving clerk with Bi-Mart in the Rogue Valley. Forty-four years later, on Friday, April 1, Marshall hung up his spurs as manager of Bi-Mart’s Sisters store. He recalled those early days in an interview last week. “At the time, Roseburg was just the ninth store,” he said. “It was a small company and it was growing and there was a chance to advance.” And advance he did — from sporting goods manager in Walla Walla, Washington, to second assistant manager in Oregon City, back to Walla Walla as a store manager, then to Woodburn and on to Keizer, where he worked for 17 years. Through good times and tough times, he stuck with the company. In 2004, Bi-Mart became employee- owned through an ESOP pro- gram and “that just solidified working for the company — totally in control of our own destiny. Best thing that ever happened. “As long as I’ve been with them, it’s exciting,” he said of his tenure. Marshall opened the store in Sisters in 2009, where he has striven to create a family-oriented, small-town atmosphere. “The feeling that I’ve photo by JIm CorNELIuS Jerry Marshall started with Bi-Mart at age 21. tried to foster is the small- town (atmosphere) — see your neighbor and stand in the aisle and visit,” he said. Management with Bi-Mart is a demanding, but satisfying job. Growing up a farm boy, Jerry had the right work ethic to tackle a posi- tion that requires a willing- ness to pitch in till the work is done. “It’s one of those things that’s just been bred in me: You have a job, you do it,” he said. The store is thriving, and Jerry and his wife, Bev, have enjoyed living in Sisters. “Living in the Valley for 20 years, the clarity of the sun (here), the brilliance of the mountains on a morn- ing like this, is beyond com- pare,” he said. “It just makes your heart smile.” They’ll stay here, at least for now — but a lot depends on where their grandchildren are. That’s the priority for Jerry as he moves into a new phase in his life. “I’ve looked at the time I’ve spent with them and it hasn’t been as much as I’d like,” he reflected. “Tomorrow is not promised to anybody. It’s time to focus a little more on family than on business.” Kendra Owens, 30, of Bend, found out the hard way that a spring hike on Black Butte can be a little dicey. She fell on an icy stretch of trail and had to be rescued by local search and rescue volunteers. Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue was dispatched on March 30 at 12:59 p.m. to assist Owens, who had slipped on ice and injured herself while hiking on Black Butte Trail, northwest of Sisters. Kendra’s friend and reporting party, Trisha Russell, stated they were half- to three-quarters-of- a-mile up the trail from the trailhead and could not pro- ceed without assistance. Seven SAR volunteers, one SAR sergeant, one Forest Service law enforcement officer and Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD personnel responded to assist. Rescuers reached Owens at 2:20 p.m., stabilized her injury, and transported her to the Black Butte Trailhead via wheeled litter. Kendra was then released to Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD, and was transported via ambulance to St. Charles Hospital in Bend. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue unit remind those rec- reating in the outdoors dur- ing this time of the year to be prepared for all conditions on the trail. It is not uncommon at this time to experience dry ground, ice, and snow on the same trail. Be prepared with the proper clothing and foot- wear to safely travel in all conditions. photo by CoNrAD WEILEr It’s inviting, but the trail has icy spots to be alert for. LANDSCAPE MATERIALS Come In… Relax…Enjoy! Tim Westcott Ronnica Westcott Jenny Duey Mary Morgan 541-588-6611 220 W. Cascade Ave. Come in, Relax, Enjoy! DIRT BARK MULCH ROCK SAND E W HAV VEL! A R G PEA WE NO – We can straighten ‘em out – TRAILERS FOR RENT! DELIVERY AVAILABLE! Loaner Cars Deductible Assistance Windshield Replacement p 541-549-9631 541-549-DENT — 541-549-3368 — Sales • Service Rentals • Accessories 332 W. Barclay Dr., Sisters 506 N. Pine St. www.sistersrental.com This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper in support of Deschutes Land Trust.