Letters, letters, letters

To the Editor:

Need or Greed? That is the question! Do the tax-paying residents of the City of Sisters need to spend millions on a large-scale municipal sewer system? Only if we are prepared for the large-scale growth and development which it will inevitably bring! And who benefits? Primarily real estate and commercial interests, most of whom do not even live in Sisters.

Make no mistake, the sewer will most definitely increase the density and cost of living in Sisters. According to the League of Oregon Cities, "growth generates far more costs than financial benefits for communities. These costs are borne by city tax- payers."

Studies on growth show that it is the current tax-paying residents who pay the bulk of the infrastructure costs for new residential and commercial development, as many Oregon cities have discovered in recent years. A city sewer will increase costs for city residents, directly by its construction, and indirectly by facilitating a large influx of growth and development.

Learn the facts! Estimated costs for only the first phase of the sewer will be close to $20,000 for every household and business in Sisters over time ($1,000 hook-up, $39/month x 40 years). Additional phases will increase this cost. This is far more than the cost of repairing or replacing the occasional failed or inadequate septic system in town with an on-site sand filter.

There are alternatives. Well-maintained on-site septic systems can last indefinitely with proper use and regular care. The EPA publishes free public information on alternative wastewater treatment for small communities in America through the National Small Flows Clearinghouse, (800) 624-8301.

Furthermore, the proposed sewer treatment plant requires the clear-cutting of many acres of beautiful ponderosa pine forest on the southeast edge of town, public land currently held by the USFS. Protect our forests and quality of life. Save money. Vote NO on the sewer.

Libby Bottero

To the Editor:

I would like to thank The Pine Needlers of Camp Sherman for their generous contribution to our Community Hall Roof Raising Fund. The Camp Sherman Community Hall is 50 years old this year and in dire need of a new roof.

The Pine Needlers held their first annual Quilt Show - Legacies Past and Present, on February 15 at the Community Hall. The event was a great success raising more than $1,000 for the new roof

The Pine Needlers are hand-quilting a full-size Ohio Star quilt to raffle off on July 14, with all proceeds going to the Community Hall remodel. To those of you who want to purchase raffle tickets, rest assured there will be more opportunities to do so before the July 14 raffle date.

A special thanks to Anne Schreiner, Jill Benhower and Libby Wilson, Community Association Board Members, for their time and effort in helping make this event a success.

We appreciate all the support we received from the local communities who attended this event and purchased raffle tickets for the quilt. This event would not have been a success without your participation.

Dave Blann, President

Camp Sherman Community Association

To the Editor:

The members Black Butte Macintosh Users Group want to thank Patrick Faughnan for last week's fine article about our group.

One follow-up comment about "the disappearing systems" and Macs: This may be a bit premature as Apple showed a profit for the first fiscal quarter of the year and had their greatest single sales winner in the new G3 computer line - which is up to twice as fast as Pentium IIs.

The G4 lineup (1000 MHz IBM power pc processor), due later this year, may also spark new interest in the computer/entertainment market.

Sincerely,

Conrad Weiler