Wednesday, August 31, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Local business wins
national award
By Andrew loscutoff
Correspondent
Sisters Country, boasting
some of the most popular
cycling routes in the state,
can now boast one of the
best bike shop businesses in
the country. Blazin Saddles
was awarded the Best Bike
Shops award by the National
Bicycle Dealers Association
as one of the 150 best bike
shops in the United States.
Blazin Saddles had to pass
the first round of application
filtering. The next step was
a visit by a secret shopper
to observe the staff and test
their mettle.
Being in the top 150 is
a big honor for co-owner
Casey Muedt, who said he
was extremely proud of the
award, pointing to the exper-
tise, knowledge, and helpful
personality of his staff. In
fact on the wall in the shop
hang several certifications
for specialized repairs, which
he believes are essential. He
supports his staff as much as
he can to help them develop.
“I have customers from
Portland, Seattle, and even
California coming because
they have heard of our ser-
vice-first mentality,” said
Muedt.
Although much of his
business comes from across
the region, he remains pas-
sionate for his presence in
the community. Events such
as managing the bike valet
at the Sisters Folk Festival
or supporting Crest the
Cascades ride are just a few
of the examples.
Muedt noted that over the
past five years he has seen
recreational cycling in Sisters
elevated year after year.
This is exciting for him
and he loves to see the town
thrive on outdoor recreation.
His thought was noticeably
emotionally driven, as Muedt
grew up in Sisters only to
come back in his early 20s
to open the shop with the
help of his mother, and
part-owner, Jackie Zanck.
Muedt, who is always look-
ing to continue the influx
of recreational riders in
Sisters Country, pointed to
the Sisters Cycling Guide as
a proud contribution to the
movement.
LETTERS
Continued from page 12
destroyed in this country. In fact, crime has
been falling steadily in the nation for the last
30 years and is lower than it was in the 1980s.
I don’t provide “evidence” of that, Jenson,
but you can Google that information, too.
After all, if you’re going to complain about
Bonnie Malone’s lack of examples, you ought
to cite some of your own.
R.T. Tihista
s
s
To the Editor:
I don’t think that there is a lot of merit in
the “tit for tat” that takes place with letters to
the editor. And everyone has a right to their
own opinion. But I do think it necessary at
times to correct some wrong thinking or at
least provide information to allow some to
rethink their statements.
I am referring to the letter from Jensen
Newton (August 24 letter to The Nugget)
referring to the letter to The Nugget (August
17) from Bonnie Malone who had written
to challenge some of the interview by The
Nugget of Sheriff Shane Nelson and Black
Butte Chief Denny Kenney.
Mr. Newton took exception with Ms.
Malone not giving specific cases where law
enforcement focused on an individual just
because of the color of their skin. We need
only go back a few decades to the atrocities
committed by law enforcement in Mississippi
and other states in the South to remember
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how racism was rampant. It took years, but
some of those responsible were finally brought
to justice.
If that is too far back, let us look at the inci-
dent subsequent to Hurricane Katrina where
New Orleans police officers shot and killed
unarmed African Americans walking across a
bridge. It took a while, but they were finally
convicted. And now we have others awaiting
trial.
I’m pleased that Mr. Newton wants to
defend law enforcement, but we can’t be blind
to the fact that racism still exists. I was in law
enforcement for 30 years, retiring as sheriff
of Benton County here in Oregon. We did not
have many African Americans in our county,
but we had many Hispanics. I always tried
to instill in my folks that everyone was to be
treated with respect and dignity.
Are there incidents that require quick judg-
ment in life-and-death decision-making? Yes,
there are, and I have been there. But there
doesn’t seem to be the same training or lead-
ership to be better prepared for making these
decisions. And this goes beyond race. Chief
Kenney should know that, having come from
a department which has had much scrutiny
about many shootings and excessive-force
complaints.
Sheriff Nelson made a good point in say-
ing a discussion about a deputy’s (or police
officer’s) procedure at the time of a stop may
not be appropriate. But the deputy or officer,
most of the time, sets the tone at the time of
the stop.
Stan Robson
C o m f o r t
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