Letters, letters, letters

To the Editor:

I heartily concur with Michael Blumm (Letters, January 28), that "a good deal more public information" must be shared before Sisters goes forward with a sewer. Mr. Blumm's own letter epitomizes this fact.

I spoke with Mr. Blumm and discovered that his own suspicions are based on a lack of information. He has not attended any of the city's sewer workshops nor has he attended the chamber meetings where the sewer was discussed. He does not receive the fact sheets that are mailed with city water bills.

Mr. Blumm is working under the basic assumption that sewer = growth, and that those who benefit from this growth should pay for the sewer according to their degree of benefit. I believe that those who would benefit from a sewer should pay for the sewer according to their level of use (residents and businesses alike). But there's more to it than that.

Both the sewer and growth are inevitable. Sisters will eventually have a sewer, and Sisters will continue to grow.

Septic systems fail regularly in Sisters, and they will continue to fail. When a resident's system fails, s/he may or may not be able to afford the state and county mandated replacement system. When a business' system fails, the owner usually can afford the replacement. I ask you Mr. Blumm, who needs the sewer more?

The city and its residents have time to develop growth control mechanisms that will define the future of Sisters. The sewer will also allow the community to grow inward rather than outward, managing growth by avoiding sprawl.

Growth does not always mean more people and McDonald's. Sometimes it means more money put into a system to make the system work better.

The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce is a community advocate. We did not jump into the decision to support a sewer with narrow self-interest. In addition to our over 175 business members, the chamber represents the interests of over 65 individuals and non-profit organizations in the Sisters community.

We care about the health and welfare of our community and we want to be actively engaged in the conversations and decisions that affect Sisters' future.

Sincerely,

Stephen Shunk

Chamber Manager

To the Editor:

I'm writing to you concerning the matter of our forests, particularly the human inhabitants therein ("Trashing Sisters Forests, The Nugget, January 28).

Littering/dumping or "trashing" as it was phrased, is becoming extremely prevalent in the forest areas off the Three Creeks Road south of Sisters.

I, myself, have a belief that people should always exit the forest with more "matter foreign to the forest," than they entered with. Let alone littering or dumping more into it. Our forests are extremely valuable resources and should not be taken for granted.

I feel most of the population would agree with me and share some of the same opinions I've expressed in this letter thus far, but what about people "living in the National Forest?"

I feel the problem with living in the forest is "environmental impact." Throughout my life, I've met many people who have lived in the forest and every one of them practices low-or-no-impact camping. I feel most of the problems do come from the "weekend partiers," and from people who are too lazy to take their trash to a sanitation site. Some people just want to live with nature and actually do care about and respect the forest around them.

As it would almost figure, I lived in the forest until just last week, in the very tent pictured above the article titled "Trashing Sisters Forests." Some people aren't just "weekend partiers making a trash heap out of the forests south of Sisters." At least not the person who wrote this letter or the person whose tent was pictured on the front page of last week's Nugget.

Craig Ingram

To the Editor:

Thank you to all who came by or called to say so long. While I was looking forward to my new position at Bank of the Cascades, saying good-bye was difficult and very sad for me.

Sisters is extraordinary and you, its residents, are very remarkable. Five years ago, you welcomed me into your community and allowed me to become part of your lives. I carry many wonderful memories with me. I look forward to seeing many of you again.

To all of you, be safe and prosperous.

Janet M. Hiatt