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Wednesday, April 18, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The people behind The Nugget...
Sue Stafford has always
had a deep and abiding love
for Sisters — and for the writ-
ten word. She combines them
as a freelance reporter for The
Nugget.
“I’ve been a writer since
I was able to hold a pencil,”
she said. “It’s the way I pro-
cess stuff.”
Stafford got her start as a
Nugget freelancer in 2013.
She had been involved in
establishing senior pro-
graming at Sisters Park
& Recreation District and
approached The Nugget about
writing an occasional column
geared toward senior issues
and interests. “Of a certain
age” continues to be featured
in the paper — but Stafford’s
work expanded greatly from
that start.
Soon, she was writing fea-
ture stories, and then she took
on the City Hall beat for the
paper.
“The City beat is always
a tough one in a small town,”
said Editor Jim Cornelius. “It
requires a particular blend of
temperament and reporting
skills. You have to be able
to set aside your own policy
preferences and biases —
even on issues that affect you
as a citizen. And you have to
be able to translate sometimes
dry and complicated policy
issues into something that is
both interesting to read and
readily understood. It’s a real
challenge, and Sue delivers
on it week in and week out. I
rely on her heavily.”
For her part, Stafford said
the “hot seat” of the City beat
“hasn’t been a problem.”
The feedback she gets on the
street is gratifying.
“I get a lot of apprecia-
tion from people,” she said.
“They tell me that I explain
things in a way that’s easily
understandable.”
She acknowledges that
sometimes it’s difficult hav-
ing to confine herself to
observation and reporting,
when the issues at hand affect
her as a citizen living within
the city limits of town.
“I don’t get to be Joe
Citizen,” she said. “I don’t
get to have an opinion. That’s
hard, because I’m a very
opinionated person! I work
really, really hard to be as
objective and factual (as pos-
sible) and to tell all sides if
there are sides to a story. I
don’t have an agenda when
I write a story. To me, it’s
professionalism.”
While she likes being The
Nugget’s City reporter, it’s not
her favorite part of the job.
“The articles I really like
to do are the history articles,
the features (on a) person,”
she said. “I like people. I love
to hear their stories… It’s
the human connection, that’s
Sue Stafford
what it is. That’s why I love
the feature stories.”
She has a similar love of
place. Sue has been com-
ing to Sisters since she was
a young girl, camping along
the Metolius River in Camp
Sherman. She once rode in
the Sisters Rodeo Parade with
her best friend. The place is
graven on her heart and soul.
“When I leave, which I
seldom do anymore, when I
come over (the pass) and see
Black Butte, I say, ‘Ah, I’m
home,’” she said. “This is my
heart space and my energy
center.”
Her love for Sisters has led
her to preside over the year-
old Three Sisters Historical
Society, which wrapped up
a season of Fireside Stories
with regional historians this
week.
She’s also a gardener,
though she admits that she
doesn’t go at it as hard as she
PHOTO PROVIDED
used to on the wet side.
Sue Stafford is a freelance City reporter, feature writer, and columnist for
“I used to love to garden,”
The Nugget Newspaper.
she said. “My physical limi-
tations are making it less fun the paper,” she said. “It’s just has a real sense of respon-
than it used to be. And the fun to see what I’ve put down sibility for what she does
deer are always a challenge.” on Saturday and Sunday in and she cares deeply about
Though she’s been in the print.”
her town,” he said. “She’s
saddle with The Nugget for
Cornelius said that he rock-solid reliable and really
five years and turns in mul- appreciates Stafford’s work sees below the surface of
tiple stories each week, the ethic and productivity and her things. I have to say that our
print run always gives her a insights into the issues that Thursday-morning conversa-
charge.
matter in Sisters.
tions that start the work week
“I get an adrenaline rush
“Sue works hard and takes are one of my favorite things
every week before I pick up her coverage seriously. She about the job.”
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continue its journalistic mission
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PHOTO BY GARY MILLER
