News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
To the Editor:
The Sisters community will have another opportunity to pass the bond issue that will permit our schools to avoid both a space crisis and a serious decline in academic excellence brought about by lack of funds for equipment and maintenance over the next six years.
Many community citizens have worked long and hard over the last two years on a school board-appointed committee to develop a plan that will provide the education our children need at the lowest conceivable cost.
The middle/high school is overcrowded now. A new middle school would cost at least twice what is being proposed in this bond issue. Passage of the proposed bond will permit going to year- round education or some other alternative schedule two years from now when the elementary school also runs out of space.
I hope all of the voters will take the ample time that exists between now and May 21 to fully understand all aspects of the crisis that looms on the horizon. Contact anyone involved with the Sisters schools and get the facts. Best of all, visit the schools and talk to the people educating our children.
Sincerely,
Jim Knapp
Last week's report in the Bulletin that many applicants for Intel jobs failed because of weakness in math and English, supports my contention that too much emphasis is placed upon sports, not enough on basic education. How many Michael Jordan Jobs are there?
This should not reflect upon the many dedicated, capable teachers -- rather it is an administrative failure.
We are facing another such failure when we feel that a place like Sisters, with two schools a mile apart, needs a high salaried superintendent. This will not, in my opinion, advance our educational standards, but will give us a high- priced PR and fund-raising person!
(I think that the failure of the last bond issue was again administrative failure in attempting to add in a variety of miscellaneous money needs, which to many taxpayers spells "slush fund" by any other name.)
Hopefully it will fail again, if anything other than new schools is presented.
Another administrative failure is the permitted use of our new high school for a non- denominational church. No one questions temporary need such as a fire or a flood, but unless and until I see a land purchase agreement or a building program, I would recommend that the other churches cease fund drives for expansion and ask for equal time! Do our administrators read the papers about lawsuits over separation of church and state, in other schools?
Regarding the uniform dress code -- I can say nothing but good about the concept, but when does it spread to the administrators? I think that the students would have a little more respect for them, if they, too, took their appearance into consideration. They don't have to wear dropped crotches to be accepted -- a neat shirt and tie might do it! Let's keep a little daylight upon our educational leaders.
Russell B. Williams
In last week's Nugget we read a letter from the Sisters AARP that proposed that students in Sisters be required to wear a uniform while attending school. Members of the Sisters AARP feel that requiring students to wear uniforms would make students take more pride in themselves and that disciplinary problems would subside.
Our right to dress in our own unique styles gives us a sense of individuality. How can a student be proud of who they are and what they are becoming if they can't even choose their own clothes? Students have a need to express themselves in order to have a feeling of self- identity.
Having attended schools in both Southern California and in Copenhagen, Denmark, we have seen schools that lack pride and have problems. Sisters High School is not one of them. Here student artwork decorates the halls instead of graffiti, and there are actual doors on the bathroom stalls.
If any of the members of the AARP visited our school, this is what they would see: a school full of teen-agers taking pride in their differences and in their beautiful school. We invite anyone in our community to come and spend a day with us at Sisters High School. It's only then that one can experience what really goes on here and make judgments about what is best for us.
Sincerely,
Tirza Jensen & Melinda Hughie
Proud members of the class of '96
Just outside of Bend is the National Guard's Youth Challenge Program. It is a 10-week program for high school dropouts. It can give them their high school credits to graduate and helps teach them community service.
Earlier last week, the people in Washington, D.C., warned the program that their promised funding of $10 million might be taken away to -- get this -- redecorate the Pentagon. It is just me or does it seem they have their priorities mixed up?
How will it affect this program? Death. No more program. Without that $10 million, they can only graduate this last class, then it's all over. Ironically, this program only needs one-tenth of this money to survive.
How can we kids achieve the future if they are cutting it off at the source? They expect so much from the kids of this country, yet they give us so little to work with. Think of all of the teens who now can't be helped by this program. It has saved over 200 teens from Oregon from a life of no opportunities to one with a future beginning to shape.
All of the doors are slamming shut for the dropouts who won't be able to get the key to unlock the padlock of opportunity. The key is the program. In the words of the teens of the Youth Challenge Program, after hearing of the possible closing:
"We don't know what the future holds, But we know who holds the future."
Sincerely,
Molly Johnson, eighth grade student
An article in the March 6 issue headlined "City Accused of Public Meeting Violations" reports City Administrator Barbara Warren as saying that some planning commission meeting minutes from last December had not yet been transcribed.
Ms. Warren is surely aware that the minutes I have particularly been trying to obtain were of a planning commission public hearing on the comprehensive plan on August 30, 1995... more than six months ago.
The excerpt below is from a letter written to the Sisters City Council on December 14, 1995, a copy of which went to the City Administrator:
"Additionally, I do not think it too much to ask that minutes of public hearings be typed and available for inspection within a reasonable time after a meeting. How do you ever know what happened, who said what, what business was transacted, if you do not have the minutes at hand for reference?
A case in point is to try and look up public hearings before the planning commission on the comprehensive plan. Try it. You will be frustrated because on November 3 the minutes of the public hearing before the planning commission on August 30, 1995, were not available. Nor were they on November 27. Nor were they on December 13 when I started listening to the tapes myself to check on points discussed that night."
Further, they were not available when I inquired in January. Nor in February. Nor on March 4, the last time I asked.
The city staff response to questions about meetings is always that you can listen to the tapes. Without an agenda or minutes to read, how does one know if there were any discussions, presentations, or actions in which a particular citizen might be interested?
A city council which is interested in keeping citizens informed would insist on the availability of public records.
Sincerely,
Shirley Petrie
In today's cynical times it's easy to forget that our world and our community is filled with compassionate, caring individuals. The following story helps us to remember:
On Friday, March 8, students from Sisters High School sold ice cream sundaes at the elementary school to raise money for Doernbecher Children's Hospital. The event was well-publicized, and most students brought their dollars for a sundae. Some forgot; a few others didn't have a dollar to bring.
So, at lunch time, one of the school employees sat down and wrote a check for $60 - enough to make sure every child who wanted a sundae got one.
I won't share her name because I'm not sure she wants it shared. But to one of Sisters Elementary School's "guardian angels," many thanks -- from the elementary students, the high school Associated Student Body and the patients of Doernbecher Children's Hospital.
Sincerely,
Lora Nordquist
Activities Director, Sisters High School
We would like to thank all those members of the Sisters community who supported the annual Fund-raiser Raffle for Hospice of Redmond and Sisters.
This year our raffle was a trip to Hawaii for four nights and five days. The trip included air fare, hotel and car for two. We could not have put this raffle together without the participation of Desert Wings Travel. They have supported Hospice of Redmond and Sisters the past two years. Thanks to all the Sisters community who continue to support our efforts.
This year's winner is Lyn Woodland of Redmond.
Hospice of Redmond and Sisters
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