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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 2021)
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 21 Bill Bartlett People behind The Nugget... ... REPORTER IS DRIVEN BY CURIOSITY SITY What9s with the stone blocks along Highway 20 by the Sisters Mobile Home Park? Where does the hay that leaves Sisters farms end up? What brings a new busi- ness to Sisters? Lots of folks ask them- selves such questions 4 but Bill Bartlett isn9t satisfied till he gets answers. That9s a quality that makes him a perfect fit for a community newspaper. <I9m curious to a fault,= Bartlett says. Bartlett is putting his curi- osity 4 and his chops as a photographer and a writer 4 to work as a freelance con- tributor to The Nugget. <Bill is a tremendous asset,= said Editor-in-Chief Jim Cornelius. <His back- ground and interests give him a fresh perspective and insight into the activities of Sisters Country. He made a significant contribution to the Sisters Oregon Guide this year, and I look forward to his work each week for the newspaper.= Bartlett9s writing and photography work grew out of business enterprises. <I spent my 20s and 30s in advertising in St. Louis, Chicago and New York working on the promo- tion side for major national brands,= he said. <I ran cam- pus and spring break pro- grams for Anheuser-Busch and Reynolds Tobacco, among others. (I) created the Budweiser Comedy Club, co-produced the first Billboard Music Awards and am credited with shopping cart advertising. I took the Gilley9s (Texas) mechani- cal bull national as part of a long neck campaign for Budweiser.= He was a success 4 but an epiphany shifted his course. <One day I woke up and realized that while legal, I was basically in the busi- ness of conspicuous con- sumption to young 4 very young adults4 of harmful products,= he recalled. <So I quit and bought a printing company. That branched into desktop publishing predating Kinkos, and office supplies. Over the next 35 years I was a serial entrepreneur starting and/or buying and selling a variety of small businesses: women9s equestrian apparel, collectible toys, animal flooring, grooming tools, sports and music memora- bilia. Some succeeded, some failed& All of my endeav- ors, successful or not, were immeasurably personally satisfying.= The fire of curiosity fueled Bartlett9s move into international travel. <I can read about some- thing, but I9d rather see it with my own eyes,= he said. <In theory, I retired early in 2005, but as I had travelled internationally for years for business I found myself with this little travel agency 4 Cascade Travel & Photo that is a boutique, concierge level travel shop operated PHOTO PROVIDED Bill Bartlett’s curiosity fuels his passion for international travel, backcountry exploration, and for writing about and photographing the life of Sisters Country. from home.= Bartlett9s photographs were his entre into freelanc- ing for The Nugget. He sub- mitted several news and fea- ture photos, then confessed to the editor that his true pas- sion lies in writing. Writing clear, compelling business proposals honed his skills, and set him apart from competitors. <Writing served me well in the business world,= he said. <Writing has been a cornerstone of my success in business,= Also, I just derive great pleasure from it.= <It wasn9t exactly bad news that Bill Bartlett the photographer wanted to become Bill Bartlett the columnist and reporter,= Cornelius said. <Having a high level of competence in both writing and photogra- phy isn9t as common as you might think. It9s great for a freelancer to be comfortable, capable 4 and enthusias- tic 4 across the board with both. And then Bill combines it with that relentless curios- ity about all things, great and small. That9s a combination that9s hard to beat.= Bill and his wife Anne are active in the commu- nity, having moved here just three years ago from Ashland. Anne, is a retired Episcopal priest. Bill serves as President of Rotary Club of Sisters and is a therapy dog handler volunteer at St. Charles. Anne is a mentor for Circle of Friends. The couple has four children and eight grandchildren. While Bartlett comes across as an extrovert 4 ready and willing to talk to anyone about anything, espe- cially in pursuit of a story 4 he notes that <there9s a con- templative side to me.= He feeds that side with solo treks into the Sisters backcountry. <I go out every day, seven days a week, with the dog,= he said. He enjoys exploring on foot or on his bike, and dur- ing the winter he skis and snowshoes. TELLING THE STORIES OF THE SISTERS COMMUNITY Through boom and bust, good times and hard times, for more than four decades. THE NUGGET NEWSPAPER VALUES OUR READERS We’re here for you and we deeply appreciate your support. Your supporting subscriptions help make it possible for Nugget staff and freelance writers to continue telling the stories of the Sisters community through changing times. The Nugget Newspaper 541-549-9941 • 442 E. Main Ave., Sisters Readers who would like to make a fi nancial contribution to keep professional community journalism thriving in Sisters can visit www.NuggetNews.com and click on “Subscribe & Support” or drop a check in the mail to: The Nugget, PO Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759
