Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2018)
2 Wednesday, July 25, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon O P I N I O N Blues for America By Jim Cornelius Editor in Chief Letters to the Editor… The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. Let- ters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday. To the Editor: As many of your readers are aware, the new SPRD executive director, Todd Garrett, resigned unexpectedly in early July. These types of partings are never happy, but it was felt by all parties that the fit was just not work- ing. The SPRD board wishes Todd well in his future ventures. In the meantime, the board will take some time to assess where SPRD goes from here before initiating a search for a new permanent executive director. While we conduct that assessment, the board will retain the services of an interim director who is experienced at mending orga- nizational wounds, managing a public agency and communicating with constituents. Until we find that person, I will be volunteering my time as the “board-member in charge,” work- ing hand-in-hand with staff to keep the SPRD wheels turning and meeting with key partners in the community to discuss next steps for the organization. While the last few months have not been the most pleasant for the organization, I am pleased to report that our summer kids’ pro- grams are simply great as usual. Seeing happy, engaged kids running around the building learning about astronomy, physics, wilder- ness survival and computer coding — just to name a few of the topics they are studying — makes our adult aggravations seem tiny in comparison. I am also happy to report that SPRD is con- tinuing the summer community dinner, but in different form. The luau will not be held this year because we lack the expertise on staff to organize and lead this event. In years past, Shannon Rackowski led this effort but has opted out of the event this year. As a result, the board decided to take a different direc- tion. Board members and staff will host a free community dinner on August 9 to thank the See LETTERS on page 18 Sisters Weather Forecast Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny Sunny 96/60 95/56 93/56 95/60 99/60 95/55 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC Website: www.nuggetnews.com 442 E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, Oregon 97759 Tel: 541-549-9941 | Fax: 541-549-9940 | editor@nuggetnews.com Postmaster: Send address changes to The Nugget Newspaper, P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759. Third Class Postage Paid at Sisters, Oregon. Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius Production Manager: Leith Easterling Classifieds & Circulation: Teresa Mahnken Graphic Design: Jess Draper Community Marketing Partners: Patti Jo Beal & Vicki Curlett Accounting: Erin Bordonaro Proofreader: Pete Rathbun Owner: J. Louis Mullen The Nugget is mailed to residents within the Sisters School District; subscriptions are available outside delivery area. Third-class postage: one year, $45; six months (or less), $25. First-class postage: one year, $85; six months, $55. Published Weekly. ©2018 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All advertising which appears in The Nugget is the property of The Nugget and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, Inc. assumes no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements, articles, stories, lists, calendar etc. within this publication. All submissions to The Nugget Newspaper will be treated as uncondition- ally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and subject to The Nugget Newspaper’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially, that all rights are currently available, and that the material in no way infringes upon the rights of any person. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photos, or manuscripts. Early next month — August 3 and 4 — Sisters will celebrate the most American of art forms: the blues. For decades, the blues was the most muscular exponent of American cul- ture in the wider world, along with its progeny, rhythm-and-blues and rock-n-roll. The blues grew out of the fields and plan- tations of the Deep South, coalescing in the humid heat of Mississippi Delta juke joints. African chants, church music, field hollers and minstrel songs were seeded in a deep, black soil of lives hard lived and burst out in passion and fervor that would roll up the Mississippi to Chicago, plug in and blast out across the globe. It’s not hard to see why the blues connected. As Ed Kopp writes in his “Brief History of the Blues”: “When you think of the blues, you think about mis- fortune, betrayal and regret. You lose your job, you get the blues. Your mate falls out of love with you, you get the blues. Your dog dies, you get the blues. “While blues lyrics often deal with personal adversity, the music itself goes far beyond self-pity. The blues is also about overcoming hard luck, say- ing what you feel, ridding yourself of frustration, let- ting your hair down, and simply having fun. The best blues is visceral, cathar- tic, and starkly emotional. From unbridled joy to deep sadness, no form of music communicates more genu- ine emotion.” In one of the most extraordinary moments of cultural cross-pollination in history, the record “Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers” sailed across the Atlantic and lit a fire under Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Eric Burdon and who knows how many other kids with guitars, and it caused an explosion. The American blues came roaring back across the sea in the British Invasion, up-ending, well, just about everything. I went to the crossroad Fell down on my knees I went to the crossroad Fell down on my knees Asked the Lord above “Have mercy, now Save poor Bob, if you please” A soul sold to the devil, a fast life ended by poi- soned whiskey at the hands of a jealous husband (or a jealous lover) leaving poor Bob on his hands and knees barking like a dog — you don’t get more wild and weird than that. That hellhound-driven guitar and that haunted, keening wail… that’s rock-n-roll. America needs the blues today more than ever — not least because the blues stand as a rebuke to the political identitarians of both right and left. The blues is Exhibit A, that truly, uniquely American culture belongs to all of us, and, in fact, often comes from the most marginalized people in our society. And those who bleat about “cul- tural appropriation” can’t possibly argue that Stevie Ray Vaughan was anything but a blessing upon the world. Put Stevie Ray and Albert King together on “The Sky Is Crying” and you’re touching something transcendent… The blues is human — we all get ’em; we all feel ’em, and we all love shak- ing ’em off. Hats-off to the folks who are giving us the chance to do that right here in the old hometown. See you down at the Sisters Rhythm & Brews Festival. I went to the crossroad Fell down on my knees I went to the crossroad Fell down on my knees Asked the Lord above “Have mercy, now Save poor Bob, if you please” Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.
