June's Power Hour Featured Sidney Transplants

June's Community Power Hour was Tuesday, June 20 and it featured some of Sidney's recent newcomers and allowed them to answer some basic questions about their experiences here.

Newcomer Hunter Simmons, AmeriCorp Chamber intern, moderated Bobbie Selensky, Roseburg, OR, Marley Manoukian, Malta MT, and Ryan Payne, Missoula, MT and South Carolina.

Selensky has always lived on the coasts. She moved her to be with the one she loved and they were married here. She said she missed her friends, family, and the much easier access to water she had left back in Oregon but appreciates the tightly-knit community. She works remotely but is very active in the Elks Club. Selensky and her husband golf in their spare time. She said that you can find everything you need in Sidney but she wishes there was a Costco or some kind of larger clothing store.

Unlike Selensky, Manoukian came to Sidney for work. She works for the Richland County MSU Extension in ag and horticulture. She is also involved in the MonDak Livestock Growers Association. She said a lot of her friends and family already live in the area and Malta, MT, is a lot like Sidney so there is not much to miss. She had gone to college in Missoula, though and she misses the high amount of entertainment opportunities there. She was surprised at how many opportunities there are in Sidney.

Both Selensky and Manoukian said their favorite event to attend in Sidney is the Richland County Fair.

Payne was used to a much different environment than Sidney. He said one of the things that stood out about Sidney is how flat it is. He came here from Missoula for work and now works at Netzer, Krautter & Brown, P.C. He enjoys running and exploring the area and events throughout the MonDak region. He said he wished there was live music more often in Sidney but his favorite events in Sidney have been the artist series at the MonDak Heritage Center and the Demolition Derby.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce generally holds a Community Power Hour on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 8-9 a.m. The location can vary from month to month so check out the Sidney Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for information on next month's Power Hour.