News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
To the Editor:
Earlier this month Mark Rapp and others from the Sisters Ranger District conducted a public tour of the proposed Black Butte Fuels Project. That project proposes reduction of potential fuels (dense brush and stands of small trees) around Black Butte Ranch and also in the old-growth area just north of the ranch across Highway 20.
Mark and the rest of the Sisters District staff are to be commended for conducting a very informative tour as well as tackling a very difficult but very important issue.
The project is important not just for the protection of the ranch from potential fires (and of the surrounding forest from any fires that may be started on the ranch), but also for its orientation of trying to return the forest to a more natural state where fires need not be considered a catastrophic event and where, in fact, fire is recognized as a natural and beneficial ecological process.
The old-growth area just north of Highway 20, across from the ranch, is currently being choked out by an unnatural understory of dense brush and thickets of small trees. In the proposed treatment of the area, no old-growth is to be logged, but instead the understory and brush are to be thinned out and some prescribed fire is to be used.
Just as this old growth stand is a Central Oregon landmark, hopefully this fuels treatment and reintroduction/acceptance of fire will prove to be an outstanding example of what current forest management should be about.
Very truly yours,
Paul D. Dewey
Executive Director
Sisters Forest Planning Committee
I was extremely shocked to read on the front page of The Nugget last week that the Christmas Parade has been nixed.
Where is the old spirit of the little town I grew up in? The Christmas Parade has been a part of my life since childhood. If it's a question of our high school band to play, they're ready and excited. This is why my family chooses to live in a small town; we must keep up with tradition!
Diana Kelleher
We found it interesting that the Chamber of Commerce elected to have the Retail Committee decide whether or not to have our annual Christmas Parade.
We have been in business here in Sisters for the past 13 years. Never has the parade been a time of great retail success but we have always considered it a community event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce for the people of Sisters.
Maybe it does not draw great crowds as you see in Bend, but those who do come out for it usually find exactly what they are looking for. A small Christmas Parade with small town flavor. Those who participated in it got a great feeling of satisfaction we are sure.
Our feeling is this should have been a decision made by the Chamber of Commerce, not the Retail Committee.
Peg & Ray Buselli
Just a note of thanks to all the individuals who have contacted the Chamber of Commerce regarding the decision to cancel the Christmas Parade this year. We truly appreciate the feedback. Up until this point we had only heard from those unhappy with the event.
Please know we are still planning a celebration this holiday season, including our traditional tree-lighting, a special appearance by Santa (in a horse-drawn carriage, no less), caroling, wassailing and more. We invite everyone to bring their family, show their support and enthusiasm, and perhaps the Christmas Parade will be resurrected, if not this year, then in '97.
(A special note to all those who contacted us: Consider putting your words into action and volunteer to help with our holiday planning. Call the chamber office, 549-0251. We can use your help.)
Submitted by
Adrienne Van Bemmel, Sisters Retail Committee
On Monday, October 21 our second grade son Travis was let off the school bus.
The bus driver Cathy Levine had the stop sign out and red lights flashing when she noticed a car in her rear view mirrors not bothering to slow down. Looking back to our son standing there waiting for her to motion him across the street, she later said in our conversation, she just prayed he would not dash across the street as sometimes can happen.
The vehicle sped around the school bus not bothering to stop! Thanks to Cathy's perception of the passing car and our son obeying bus driver instructions, a possible tragic accident was avoided.
Thank you Cathy, and all the bus drivers out there for teaching our children the importance of following these important rules. You certainly have a big responsibility.
Thank you so much,
Rhonda and Justin Myrick
But thanks to the National Honor Society, my son had a fun and safe Halloween. A special thanks to the high school girls and boys who took their time to walk the children around the residences and see that they were picked up by the parent. Also, thank you Camp Sherman Fire Department and all the volunteers for making Halloween a fun evening.
Holli and Jim Helm
For some years now the buzzwords in modern policing have revolved around "community policing" and related phrases. What it all really boils down to is a community working together to solve problems and to help itself.
This Halloween we had virtually no problems reported to the police department. I don't believe this was by accident.
Community projects such as the trick-or-treat parade involving the library and our local businesses are great. A special thank you needs to go to the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department who hosted games and a haunted house in the evening. By providing these safe, fun, organized activities the sad and evil side of Halloween was prevented.
A sincere thank you to all of you who worked to help us prevent potential problems.
David T. Haynes
Chief of Police
Just wanted to give kudos to Peg Bermel, Tom Coffield and the Sisters Rotary for putting on a hauntingly, happy Halloween parade. Thanks,
The Renwicks
Maybe I'm not thinking clearly about this, so please set me straight.
I look for activities for my girls on the basis of how it will prepare them for life. You know, things that build character, such as integrity, clear thinking, team work, self-esteem; things that give quality to life. These are the things our teachers and staff at the schools say they want for our kids, too.
Track portrayed an inner drive, music portrays the beauty of their spirit. I'm wondering what you think the dance team will portray? Should I assume that it is a good character building activity because the Sisters School Board approves it? Should my girls do this? I mean, surely the school would never allow anything harmful.
I am sure they know what values this is teaching and that it is preparing them for the future. We know these girls' futures are brighter and the quality of life better because of this, don't we?
Please let me know if I should ever need to say no to a school activity or ever doubt the wisdom of our educators?
Sincerely,
Ruth Nalle
Each year the Sisters/Redmond United Way helps to give hundreds of people in our communities the ability to "Paint A Brighter Tomorrow" through services such as Meals on Wheels, Hospice, Central Oregon Battering and Rape Alliance (COBRA), and the Central Oregon Council on Aging (COCOA).
This past year, approximately 484 individuals were served in the Sisters community by United Way Agencies such as those listed above and others like the Red Cross, Dial-A-Ride, Salvation Army, Boy and Girl Scouts, and the Camp Fire programs.
Recently the COCOA program placed an outreach worker, Katie Powers, in the town of Sisters and our board was able to make and ititial $1,000 grant to Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation (SOAR) to assist that organization's activities in Sisters.
The combined goal for the Sisters/Redmond 1996 United Way Campaign is $85,000 which is $2,500 greater than our successful 1995 Campaign. Last year 94 cents of each dollar contributed was available for use by these organizations, providing necessary human care services in our communities.
If you would like an on-site presentation for you and your employees our all-volunteer staff is available and would be pleased to do so. For such inquiries, or other questions please call Gloria Phillips at 548-2497. In 1997 we plan to expand our volunteer base to enable us to personally visit you during the months of July and August for the 1997 Campaign.
Should you choose to contribute, and we sincerely hope you will, you may designate your contribution to a particular agency or agencies.
On behalf of our Board of Directors, the United Way Member Agencies and both of our communities thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely,
Members of Sisters/Redmond United Way
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