Letters, letters, letters

Editorial...

It's time for the Sisters Sewer Focus Group to call it a day. The poorly-led effort is a waste of time and money.

On March 23, HGE engineer Dick Nored explained the project. A week later on March 30, paid facilitator Vergie Ries numbed citizens with a laborious trudge through Nored's presentation, reading Nored's notes - which she had copied and handed out - from a meeting which many had attended.

The first hour of the March 30 meeting was a waste of time.

Ries doesn't listen well. When Barbara Butler asked why the system's pump station's were located where they are, Ries assumed she was talking about the location of the treatment facility. Audience members corrected her - not for the first time.

Ries doesn't facilitate well. She tries to answer questions herself, rather than helping the group find the answers. This does nothing to reassure those who suspect her neutrality, and it's not appropriate.

Meetings run too long, way past the point where information can be properly assimilated.

The first newsletter that was to disseminate information was so unsatisfactory that a quarter of the focus group quit. They haven't been replaced.

The city is paying Ries $6,700 from grant funds to lead this group. Dedicated Sisters citizens are devoting large amounts of time to the project.

The community is not getting a good return on its investment.

J.C.

To the Editor:

In her opinion piece in The Nugget last week, Kay McLaren laments the departure of the anti-sewer faction from the Sewer Focus Group. According to her, they "picked up their marbles and went home, apparently because they were not hearing what they wanted to hear."

This is a crude distortion of the truth.

It has been clear from the start that the facilitator, Vergie Ries, was hired to advocate for the sewer project, not to mediate between diverse views. She has controlled focus group meetings tightly and has attempted to marginalize the opinions of anti-sewer participants. She has presented only pro-sewer speakers. She has resisted efforts to bring in expert speakers from engineering firms and colleges elsewhere in Oregon, who might present points of view different from her own.

The final straw for the three who left the focus group, as they made clear in their statement, was Ms. Ries' biased newsletter. It was presented as a "consensus" document when in fact consensus did not exist within the focus group. The newsletter presented only pro-sewer views.

It is obvious that sewer opponents were included in the focus group only to lend an appearance of legitimacy to what is in reality a propaganda effort. By leaving the focus group the three opponents have made it clear that they are unwilling to be used to further an agenda with which they disagree.

I think it is time to end the charade, send Ms. Ries packing, and restart the process with an unbiased, trained mediator who is genuinely interested in exploring the issue.

Joseph Bottero

Editor's note:

Joseph Bottero is the husband of Libby Bottero, who resigned from the Sewer Focus Group on March 16.

To the Editor:

In response to Mr. Osterlund's comments (Letters to the Editor The Nugget, March 18):

Sewer project costs are an issue that can readily be addressed. In Sisters we have some residents complaining that projected costs are not high enough, and others complaining that costs are excessive.

HGE has always taken the position of being conservative with estimates, and we have proven performance in constructing projects within our projected estimates. Since grant monies are arranged far in advance of construction, it is very difficult to secure additional monies if the budget is not adequate. Our office spends the time to carefully develop estimates for the best possible projection of costs, again on the conservative side.

All parties need to understand that the project will be put to public bid, and the city will only pay the actual cost of constructing the project.

Mr. Osterlund apparently is not aware of the facts which have been presented in numerous public meetings. Grants are offered in a realistic amount in projections, and the city in fact received $177,000 in grant monies this week. This money is nearly 60 percent of the hardship grant program through DEQ for the entire State of Oregon.

The program being presented before the city includes the cost of all connections from structures to the mains. All costs are part of the bond issue. Costs include cleaning and filling of all existing septic tanks, and costs will be provided through the bond issue.

Sewer lines will be installed not to conflict with existing waterlines.

Consider the fact that the water construction project in Sisters was bid at approximately 10 percent less than the engineer's estimate prepared by our firm, and final installed costs were less than the original bid. This is representative of estimates by our firm for the City of Sisters.

Richard Nored

HGE Engineers - Project Engineers

To the Editor:

No elected leader is "a cut above" those who elect them. Perhaps we could look to our own religious leaders and ourselves for morality and good character.

To borrow the expression from Ms. Boyce's clarification on her earlier letter "perhaps we should all pause and contemplate."

I think we should not forget a word that goes well with honor, duty, sacrifice and responsibility - it's called loyalty. I'm not saying blind loyalty, for we should question government, its spending, policy, behavior and more.

Thank-you very much to Glory Dagget's informed and intelligent response to Ms. Boyce's letter; I agree with points voiced in that reply.

I experienced quite an emotional response to Ms. Boyce's letter. It felt like a sermon. As I was contemplating my response, my 18 year old daughter, Emilie, home on a break from college, pointed out, as she sees it, I have three options.

1) Ignore Ms. Boyce's letter. Good point, we are all entitled to our opinion and our wonderful right to freely express it.

2) Write my own response which might only serve to be a different expression of view, for I am not trying to influence her insights or feelings to change, only the tone in which they seem to be preached.

3) Emilie's suggestion to her dad was, if these kinds of views in the editorials bother you so much you could stop reading them.

I love to learn from my daughter's opinions and the give and take of free expression. I enjoyed Glory Dagget's suggestion to reread the Constitution and our amendments. I also found time for our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.

There is a very old expression about America's freedom: I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it!

Thank you,

Steve and Emilie Coltin

To the Editor:

Muchas Gracias to Janis Quiros for the latest excursion to Costa Rica! Janis and Education First planned an adventureful tour of the rain forests, flora and fauna, lakes, rivers and Pacific coast.

Four adults and 16 students enjoyed this memorable experience and we all expanded our Spanish vocabulary!

The trip to Costa Rica offered many new life learning opportunities and situations to all, far exceeding any classroom education setting.

I want to thank Janis for organizing this trip and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

A fellow traveler,

Nancy Dyer

To the Editor:

It was exciting attending the Oregon State High School 3-A Basketball Championships at the Chiles Center, and thrilling to witness the sportsmanship and spirit of the Sisters High School players, coaching staff, cheerleaders, students, families and friends in attendance.

A big part of the spirit was fueled by Jody Henderson and the outstanding 18-piece pep band which added so much to the tournament ambiance.

I can't say enough about how determined the basketball players were and how well they all played. They showed you what high school basketball is all about.

Congratulations to the Sisters Outlaws and the Sisters community for their quality participation.

Sincerely yours,

Richard H. Lindquist, Portland