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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2018)
16 Wednesday, May 16, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon The people behind The Nugget... Jodi Schneider McNamee The classic school assign- ment — “what I did this sum- mer” — sent Jodi Schneider McNamee down the trail to becoming a writer. The sat- isfaction of telling a story well and getting a positive response feeds the creative soul. While her vocation is as a credentialed creative arts teacher, she has long taken writing classes and written poetry. When she came to Sisters from California six years ago, she decided to take a bold step toward fulfilling her ambition of truly becom- ing a writer: She walked into The Nugget. “A new town,” she thought. “I’m going to walk in the newspaper and see if they’ll let me write.” They did — and it worked out. “I actually found that the newspaper is my place,” she said. “I love that I get to write the good news. There’s always something wonderful and awesome in the paper.” Schneider McNamee writes features — often focus- ing on the arts — and writes the regular “Paw Prints” col- umn, and is developing a new food column. Cooking is one of many creative outlets for the multi- talented artist. “It’s therapeutic for me in the kitchen,” she said. “It’s sort of like when I’m painting. It relaxes me.” Jodi continues to teach art, holding classes regularly in Sisters. Much of Schneider McNamee’s work — from writing to painting — revolves around her love for animals. All kinds of animals. As a painter she enjoys paint- ing wildlife and as a reporter and a columnist, she enjoys enhancing people’s relation- ships with their pets — and the pets’ relationships with their people. She feels that it is impor- tant to communicate on behalf of animals. “They don’t have a voice,” she said. While living in Diamond Bar, California, she trained as a veterinary technician. “I was just thrown right into it, and I loved it,” she said. “I just love being around animals. It’s just so rewarding.” While she lived in the megalopolis of Southern California for 26 years, she says, “I was never, ever a city girl. I wanted to leave for so long.” Jodi grew up in New Jersey — but in a wild corner of the Garden State. “I grew up in the woods,” she said. “I grew up in a little one-horse town in New Jersey, right next to the bor- der of upper New York state. I was like a female Huckleberry Finn.” When she came to Central Oregon, her Realtor steered her to the right spot for a woods-running artist, telling her, “You’re an artist; you belong in Sisters.” She’s always brimful of ideas, and she’s willing to take on any story that I throw her way. — Jim Cornelius Now, she’s discovered that she’s also a natural reporter. “I love being a reporter,” she said. “I’ve never written down the questions I ask peo- ple. I feel like it comes very naturally to me.” She’s interested in people, and finds that covering the “good news” in Sisters gets her engaged in ways that she wouldn’t ordinarily be. “If I’m not working and I’m at an event I’m actually very shy,” she said. Nugget Editor in Chief Jim Cornelius relies heav- ily on Schneider McNamee’s work. PHOTO PROVIDED Jodi Schneider McNamee loves writing and animals. “Jodi’s passion for her subjects comes through in her writing — and you can’t fake that,” he said. “She truly loves the work, and that communi- cates both to the subjects of her stories and columns and to the reader. She’s always brimful of ideas, and she’s willing to take on any story that I throw her way. I know if there’s an animal anywhere around it, Jodi’s going to be all over it.” Now you can help The Nugget continue its journalistic mission The Nugget Readers like you can join our loyal advertisers in bringing The Nugget to Sisters — for free — every week! Thank you for supporting us! Make a fi nancial contribution to keep professional community journalism thriving in Sisters... ܂ $50/year Supporting Subscription ܂ $100/year Sustaining Subscription ܂ $________ Other Contribution Three easy ways to support community journalism: • Complete the form below and mail today • Call 541-549-9941 and pay by credit card • Go to NuggetNews.com to contribute online Name __________________________________________________________________ Address _________________ City ______________ State ____ Zip _________ Visit NuggetNews.com, stop by the offi ce at 442 E. Main Ave. (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri), call us at 541-549-9941, or drop a check in the mail. Phone ______________ Email ___________________________________________ ܂ Check enclosed ܂ Please charge my credit card Visa/MasterCard __________________________ Exp. __ /__ Security Code ___ Mail to: The Nugget, PO Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759 PHOTO BY GARY MILLER
