Wednesday, September 13, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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SPRD offers range of classes for all ages this fall
Sisters Park & Recreation
District (SPRD) will be offer-
ing new classes this fall, and
bring back old favorites.
Photography for Everyone
is a new workshop for all
skill levels, taught by Jeff
Omodt, a lifelong photo-
graphic fanatic. Omodt will
bring examples to illustrate
various concepts and then
encourage everyone to share
their own special skills and
techniques.
This five-week class will
explore the building blocks
and concepts of making better
pictures using your own cam-
era, whether it’s an iPhone
or DSLR. Each class session
will have a skill or technique
to explore and develop, then
a homework assignment to
go out and apply what you
have learned in class. This
workshop is held on Tuesday
for five weeks, starting
September 19, from 5:30 to
7 p.m.
CarFit is an educational
program created by the
American Society on Aging,
and developed in collabora-
tion with AARP, AAA, and
AOTA. The goal for this
community-based program
is designed to give you and
your vehicle a quick but
comprehensive check on how
well you work together by:
• Promoting conversation
among older adults and fami-
lies about driving safety.
• Linking adults with rele-
vant, local resources that can
help ensure safe driving.
• Help older drivers
improve the “fit” of their
vehicles for safety and
comfort.
“This community-based
program, like the evidence-
based programs that I teach
for SPRD, is based on
real findings, pilot-tested,
driver participation, and
survey follow-up,” said
Shannon Rackowski, adult/
senior programs coordina-
tor for SPRD. “I am just a
helper,” said Rackowski.
“The real force behind this
class coming to this com-
munity is Sharon Ling,
of the Sisters Community
Luncheon.”
The class is not only for
seniors; bring the whole fam-
ily and learn tips and ideas
for car safety. CarFit will take
place on Saturday, September
16 at Sisters Community
Church parking lot. CarFit
is sponsored by AARP.
Sign up with Sharon Ling at
541-390-6075.
Hearings to deal with alleged
confession in Bend killing
BEND (AP)— A for-
mer security guard’s pur-
ported confession to killing
a woman at the community
college where he worked will
be the subject of a hearing
this week in a capital murder
case in Bend.
The first of three days of
hearings was set for Tuesday
in the case of Edwin Lara,
who is charged with killing
Kaylee Sawyer, 23, in July
2016. The killing rocked the
town, which is well-known
for its outdoor recreation and
microbreweries and lies in
the shadow of the Cascade
Range.
The Bulletin reported that
the hearing could include dis-
cussion about whether there
was a violation of a judge’s
gag order on attorneys and
investigators speaking about
the case outside court.
Lara, 32, is accused of
kidnapping, sexually assault-
ing and killing Sawyer, 23,
while on duty as a Central
Oregon Community College
security guard.
He then drove to Salem,
the state capital, where
authorities say he kidnapped
another woman and took
her to California, then shot
and wounded a man and
carjacked a vehicle carrying
three people. After a high-
speed chase on the main free-
way along the West Coast,
the California Highway
Patrol arrested Lara.
A detective from Oregon
testified that he interviewed
Lara in a California jail and
that Lara described where
he had dumped Sawyer’s
body.
Attorney Tim Williams on
July 24 sued Central Oregon
Community College and Lara
on behalf of Sawyer’s family,
The Bulletin reported. The
lawsuit describes an encoun-
ter between Sawyer and Lara
in graphic detail.
Four days later, defense
attorneys filed the motion
seeking sanctions due to a
violation of the judge’s gag
order. Williams said he has
not been contacted by the
court or anyone else involved
regarding a possible violation
of the gag order and that he
believes it does not pertain to
him.
The trial is scheduled
to start in October 2018.
Deschutes County District
Attorney John Hummel is
seeking the death penalty.
SPRD will also bring back
Painting in Watercolors with
Jodi Schneider-McNamee.
“This adult class was so
well received when it was
offered in the spring that we
thought we would bring it
back,” said Rackowski.
The Adult Ukulele, with
Peggy Tehan, and Adult Hula
Classes with Rackowski are
also on offer.
One of the special classes
offered for women is the
Women’s Fall Mountain
Biking class with LIV
Cycling USA Ambassador
and MRB enthusiast Brittany
Simonis.
S P R D o ff e r s i n d o o r
pickleball play at Sisters
Elementary School.
Visit sistersrecreation.
com, stop by the office at
1750 W. McKinney Butte
Rd., or call 541-549-2091 for
more information.