Letters to the Editor

Editorial...

Bob Chandler, owner and editor of The Bulletin since 1953, died last Friday, July 12. A huge presence in central Oregon over the decades and deeply involved in the evolution of Oregon, Chandler leaves a legacy for this region and his profession.

He was the quintessential editor, a breed often characterized by impatience and sharp tongue. It was said of Chandler he did not suffer fools gladly. Indeed. He could be acerbic with those he felt did not recognize or fulfill their responsibilities. There was little tolerance for those he felt were wasting his, or their, time.

He could also be gracious, generous and kind, though few saw this side of the man. He dedicated thousands of hours and millions of dollars to efforts he deemed worthy.

But Chandler was above all The Editor. He believed passionately in the importance of newspapers and their role in the community. He believed that role to be one of leadership and active, partisan participation. Upholding this responsibility had a high cost, but it was one which Chandler was willing and well suited to pay.

In passing, Bob Chandler casts a large shadow.

To the Editor:

When I thought to drive the mile in for mail Saturday and remembered that it was quilt show, providence told me to put my bike in the pickup and park the pickup at the weigh-station, if I should encounter bumper to bumper traffic... and such it was, backed close to a mile out of town toward Bend.

Such a gift prudence had given me: Putting me on a bike, she had put me on a needle to thread my way through the flowing color and fabric of people blanketing Sisters streets.

My eyes were captured by the rich array of quilts everywhere, and my bike-needle threaded all the display streets and challenged my attention to not thread any pedestrian. It brought an internal smile that I even remembered what had brought me into Sisters in the first place... to see if I had any mail.

When I was back home at lunch time with my mail, it dawned on me that while my eyes had been glued to hanging quilts, they had been seeing a much bigger quilt: Sisters, filled with people spilling out onto its streets, or even filling them, making traffic secondary to the energy of something much more fundamental.

Sisters still has the opportunity to recognize possibility that has not yet been foreclosed... fertile ground to plant and tend, before it is brought to sterility that development can bring, if it lacks vision.

And I wondered if having the author of "How to Make an American Quilt" as a participating guest might be a metaphor for a community working as author for a larger quilt, filled with meaning, color and diversity. Do we have authors in our midst who have the capacity to focus meaningful community vision for what we want, what can still be? I think so.

On Saturday, the quilt was Sisters, a quilt still in the making.

Emil Smith

To the Editor:

A tremendous thank you and a big round of applause is due to the Sisters merchants who provided free water during the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show on Saturday, July 13.

As anybody who was in Central Oregon during that day knows, it was a very hot day. I'm sure there are a lot of people like myself who don't think about it until it is too late. You can be very sure that your thoughtfulness in providing the free water prevented a lot of heat-related emergencies.

The quilts were beautiful and I, at least, was able to enjoy them longer due to the water. Thank you!

Larkelyn Keener, Tumalo

To the Editor:

At the Sisters/Redmond Hospice Volunteer meeting last Thursday, July 11, the volunteers were given a name of a seven-year-old boy who has an inoperable brain tumor. His name is Craig Shirgold and he lives in Keen, New Hampshire.

He has told the "Children's Wish Foundation" that he would like to receive one million get well cards so he can have his name in the "World Book of Records." So, I'm asking all you single people, parents, grandparents, service organizations, in fact, just everybody, to get those pencils, pens, crayons, paints, typewriters, computers, etc. and drop Craig a card.

You can make it a family project and make him a card. How about the Girl Scout and Boy Scout leaders making this one of your projects for a day? This would be a good day-care center project. Children love to paint! I could go on and on but if you would just sit down and take 10 minutes out of your busy day to make a seven-year-old boy's dream come true I know we would all feel better.

Please send your get well cards or letters to Craig Shirgold, c/o "Children's Wish Foundation," 32 Perimeter Center East Atlanta, GA 30346. They need to receive these cards by August 15.

I'm thanking all of you in advance for Craig. As I'm writing this, I can't help think what a small request for a seven-year-old boy with an inoperable brain tumor.

Carol Parkhurst

To the Editor:

Sisters Habitat for Humanity would like to express its sincere appreciation to our local BP station for the recent contribution of nearly $2,000.

This donation came about as a result of the partnership established between the BP Oil Company and Habitat. These funds, earmarked for Habitat construction, will advance the goal of providing affordable housing for families in the Sisters area.

Barbara Sherman, Sisters Habitat