New faces in Newcastle

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
After 16 years of owning and operating the Sundowner Inn, Clint and Stacey Sieber have closed that chapter of their lives and passed on the torch. The sale of the motel closed in November of last year, with Jason Bushong of California purchasing the business. Bushong also owns the apartment complex across from Isabella’s.
“Selling was something Clint and I had talked about a year before. Unfortunately, the sale fell through. When the opportunity came up this past October, we sold,” Stacey said. “We wanted to concentrate on our families and have some time to do things together.” 
While Clint and Stacey enjoyed the many friendships they made in their years running the motel, they are excited for Bushong, his sister Jacinta Domini and her husband, Scott, who will be managing and operating both the motel and the apartment complex. 
Bushong said that he purchased the Sundowner because he wanted to make another investment in a nice, small community. He was born in Washington state, where he developed a love of outdoors, and he likes the small-town atmosphere of Newcastle. 
“I love having a part of such a nice town and only wish I could possibly move to Newcastle someday,” Bushong said. 
The Dominis were already considering a move to the area, relocating from Colorado to Newcastle late last summer to manage Bushong’s apartment complex. The couple was looking at a home with some acreage, and through a connection from that, they learned about the motel. With Bushong looking for another business venture, it was the perfect opportunity, Jacinta said. 
“The community has been very welcoming,” Jacinta said, noting that they immediately felt at home in the community. “[This community] just feels like a big family.”
Stacey has been very welcoming to the couple and has also been a huge help as they navigate this new experience, Jacinta said, and she has been willing to answer any questions that Scott and Jacinta may have. 
Even other business owners have offered their help, Scott said, in his plan to open a food trailer on the motel property. 
The plethora of wildlife in the Newcastle area — even in town — is another reason why they fell in love with the area, the Dominis said. Whether it be deer, turkey or other wildlife, Scott and Jacinta enjoy being able to appreciate the wildlife. 
The couple said that they are anticipating future plans for the motel. According to Scott, the Siebers had done some remodeling and he and Jacinta plan to continue remodeling to bring the motel up to date. 
In addition to working on the guest rooms, they plan to gut and redo a section of the motel as a long-term stay unit. As for the exterior, one side of the building has already gotten a new look of log siding, and plans are to do the same to the rest of the motel and add a green metal roof. 
“We’ve got a lot of work on the inside of the building first,” Scott said. In addition, Scott plans to open his food trailer on the location as a separate business in the late spring, and he will be selling Korean beef bulgogi. 
But remodels are just part of the couple’s plans. Jacinta said that they have aspirations for the heart of the motel and will continue Stacey’s motto of “Just Like Home.” They hope the motel can truly have that homey feel. 
“I wish them all the joy and friendships that I experienced there,” Stacey said of the new owner and managers. 
Scott and Jacinta are excited to get to know the community more and serve it as business owners, they said, and they have loved living here over the past several months. 
“People just get along with each other here,” Scott said. “It’s hard to describe, but this place is special to us.”