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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2019)
Wednesday, August 28, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Helping wildlife get by By Jim Anderson Correspondent A brand-new wildlife rehabilitation facility, Think Wild, has opened east of Bend. A lot of people from Bend, Tumalo, La Pine, Sisters, and Redmond came out to check out what Think Wild was all about. The facility once housed another wildlife rehab facil- ity that went out of business. Think Wild is an entirely new organization. It has a board of directors made up of local people who have diverse professional backgrounds and experiences. With Michelle van Hilten as the executive director and Max Lipman as director of wildlife reha- bilitation the new facility is already taking in injured ani- mals and preparing them to re-enter the wild. And they also have 11-year-old Payton Johnston from La Pine to bring new life into the operation. In 2015, when Payton was seven years old, she and her mother, Amanda, began transporting sick and injured wildlife from southern Deschutes County to the previous facility. She started helping out regularly, then became an indispensable member of the staff. <Dr. Cooney was so very good to me; he told me all about what he was doing as he worked on an injured or sick animal, and why the work he was doing would See THINK WILD on page 13 5 Jeff Husmann named boys soccer varsity coach By Rongi Yost Correspondent The boys soccer team will have a new coach this year: Jeff Husmann, who has extensive experience as a coach and leader. Husmann graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to get his mas- ters degree in English. After college, Jeff led bike trips all over New Hampshire, which culminated in a bike trip to Velo Echappe, France. The numerous bike trips led to a middle school lan- guage arts teaching position in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, where Jeff spent the bulk of his 19-year teach- ing/coaching career. While in Moultonborough, Jeff was named the head Nordic ski coach, started the program from scratch, and coached the team to five state championships over his 15-year tenure. He was also the varsity girls soccer coach for six years, and took them to their first playoff win in school history. 25% OFF In 2018, Husmann decided he wanted to move west, and although he didn9t have a job, he packed up and in June moved to Montana. He told The Nugget he wanted to be closer to the mountains and the snow. He was hired at Turning Winds, a thera- peutic boarding school that helps teenagers with addic- tion problems, and is located in Yaak, Montana, which is about 40 miles north of Libby. At Turning Winds, Jeff designed and implemented the English curriculum, facil- itated group therapy sessions, and led outdoor skiing, hik- ing, and biking trips. <Yaak is very remote, with only two businesses in town,= Husmann said. <It9s a place where people go to get away from people. A lot of Vietnam vets have found seclusion there, there9s lots of hippies and folks living off the grid. But the thing I really missed about teaching while I was in Yaak was the connec- tions with families and com- munity, so I decided to look for another job.= EST. 1995 PHOTO BY RONGI YOST Jeff Husmann will lead the Outlaws soccer squad this year. Jeff was offered a job in Libby and Seely, Montana, as well as Sisters, and for him Sisters was the best choice. <It9s obvious that Sisters is a proud school, with a community that endorses the arts, music, and sports,= said Husmann, <and the proxim- ity to family was also very important to me.= Jeff has a brother in Bend who he hasn9t lived close to for 25 years. Husmann told The Nugget that life took them different directions, and now they9re both thrilled to have the opportunity to live close to each other. This will be the first time Husmann has been a head coach for boys soccer, and he9s excited about the oppor- tunity and the season ahead. Husmann said, <It9s already obvious to me that the boys soccer team has a very supportive group of families, which seem excited about someone new taking over the reins. They have high expectations and I9m up for the challenge. <Of course we want to get wins this season, but the larger goal is that players feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves. The most important thing to me is getting to know the players and their families.= Husmann noted that coaching is just another vehi- cle where kids can be taught valuable lessons. <Sports isn9t an end in itself,= said Husmann. <It9s an extension of the classroom.= $50 OFF Whitetail & Mule Deer Chandeliers! Reg. price $599-$799 Offer expires 9/4/19 Women’s & Men’s Summer Wear From Custom orders welcome. We ship , too! 290 W. Cascade Ave. 541-549-8424 www.mackenziecreekmercantile.com 311 E. CASCADE AVE., SISTERS | 541-549-4251 | OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK, 10 AM TO 5 PM | FACEBOOK.COM/ANTLERARTSINC Huge LABOR DAY SALE Friday-Monday! Largest discounts of the year on bikes, clothing and gear! ANNUAL DEMO/RENTAL BIKE SALE STARTS FRIDAY! 2018 413 W. Hood Ave., Sisters | 541-719-1213 BLAZINSADDLESHUB.COM