Letters, letters, letters

To the Editor:

The Sisters Ranger District recently sent out the Environmental Assessment for the Santiam LSR Restoration Project to the public.

As part of this timber sale were two unprecedented proposals to change the definition of snags and future snags. One proposal would allow the cutting down of dying trees that were to be designated as snags. The other proposal would allow the logging of "declining" trees over and above the original plan.

The Forest Service refers to these reckless, and in my opinion illegal, changes as "Proposals for Improving Sale Viability." In layman's terms that means increasing the volume of the timber sale and the timber industry's profits.

This is nothing more than a naked attempt by the Forest Service to reward their number-one customer while penalizing wildlife and disregarding the public's interest in protecting our forests. I urge everyone concerned to write Sisters Ranger District Ranger William Anthony and tell him to withdraw these two reckless proposals at once. Anything short of that would be a betrayal of the public trust.

Steve Huddleston

To the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sisters High School parents and the Sisters community for their support of our fall sports teams.

It means a great deal to our coaching staff and athletes that you are always there for us. Many businesses have allowed our students to display schedules and team posters in their windows, and several have put up banners supporting our teams this fall.

Their efforts are very much appreciated by our student athletes.

In addition, I would like to thank our coaching staff and athletes for their hard work and dedication this past sports season. Sisters High school had a very successful fall. We participated in 136 contests and were victorious in 91 of those contests.

Congratulations to all of our teams!

The last group of people I would like to thank is our volunteer fire department members who were at all our football games. Mr. Don Rowe and his volunteers are to be commended. Thank you so much for your time and support of our kids.

The community, parents, coaches and students have started the 1997-98 school year off great. Thank you once again for your support.

Mary Flande, Athletic Director

Sisters High School