Letters, letters, letters

To the Editor:

My wife and I moved here in October. We purchased a lot in the Buck Run subdivision and three city lots in the commercial district. While our home is being constructed, we are busy planning a building for our business.

We knew that building now would cost us many thousands of dollars to provide sand filters and engineered septic systems. But, you know what? We didn't mind! It was worth it to live here in beautiful Sisters.

Now, with two brand spanking new septic systems, why would we want to get behind this idea of a city sewer?

We are going to cater to all the wonderful local folks as well as the tourists. This means that anything that might cause a home to become uninhabitable, like a sewer failure, would mean potentially fewer customers. It means that a health threat to the city could drive away tourists.

What got me interested in backing the sewer was the realization that for many citizens, much more is at risk. The risk of old, inadequate septic systems failing. The risk of having to spend money they may not have to repair a failed system. The risk of losing their homes because a repair is just not possible. The risk of having to pay much more for a sewer if one is mandated.

None of these potential risks comes close to the one that I feel is the most threatening. That is the eminent economic threat that is insidiously engulfing our city even now. Sprawl.

A sewer would allow for more businesses and residences in the city limits. Those new businesses mean jobs and taxes to the city. We have a system to define our community for the future - zoning. Would you like to see better or more stringent requirements? Go to your city hall and get involved.

Let's not let the doomsayers frighten us into making bad economic decisions. The future of Sisters is in its citizens' hands.

Finally, please remember to exercise your right to vote. Let's not lose the dwindling grant monies now available. Register to vote and then vote "yes" for Sisters, "yes" for a sewer.

Your new neighbor,

Allan Herauf

To the editor.

For those of you decidedly for or against the sewer, there is probably not much anyone could say that could change your mind. So this letter will not attempt to do that. But what about those of us who want to continue to gather information and make an informed vote on May 19?

My plea to the citizens of Sisters would be to trust the focus group information. The group is made up of intelligent, concerned and trustworthy citizens just like you and me, trying to help all of us do the right thing for our town.

The meetings are, and have been, open to us all to ensure fairness and balance. The focus group, I believe, is the best resource we have for gathering accurate information on both sides of the issue. We need to trust that these people know integrity and truth when they hear it and will not be influenced one way or the other against their will.

If, when all is said and done, the group is in favor of the proposed sewer, I will trust their decision. And conversely, if they decide the sewer is not a good thing for our community, I will vote accordingly. I trust they will have looked at all aspects of the issue and use their best judgment.

After the vote on May 19, we will still need to come together as a community to manage and protect the future of Sisters. We will still need enthusiastic and energetic people to believe in our town. We can't afford to let personal agendas get in the way and risk having a community too weary to care anymore.

Don't let it be an illusion that Sisters is a special place to live. Get involved in the process! Be informed! There is no conspiracy!

Sincerely,

Dianne Herauf

To the Editor:

Sisters should have a sewer.

Let us not be short-sighted, but look toward the future. We can still preserve Sisters' small town feel. How? With a sewer, we'll be able to avoid the rampant sprawl that is occurring now, by building inside the city on land that is now unbuildable. With good zoning laws, we can manage growth that will benefit all of us, by keeping Sisters small, pedestrian and bicycle friendly.

Melanie Curry

To the Editor:

Our saying "yes" to the Sisters sewer system is saying "yes" to working as good neighbors for the livability of our neighborhood. Saying "yes" to the sewer system is saying "yes" to taking responsibility for the future of this neighborhood.

The cost of taking responsibility will never be lower than it is today. Do it this time. Say "yes" to the Sisters sewer system.

Terry Whatley

To the Editor:

At last Monday's sewer workshop, Sisters resident John Groom distributed information for consideration to the Focus Group and some of the public regarding a STEP system alternative.

In response we'd like to provide the following information:

A STEP system, along with 11 other treatment alternatives, was considered for Sisters, however, HGE (the engineer firm hired by the city to research and design a system) found that STEP systems were not the most cost-effective alternative.

Construction and annual operating and maintenance costs for STEP treatment and waste water disposal and the favorable option of aerated lagoons were similar. But problems and recurring costs associated with a STEP collection system were significant enough for HGE's engineers to eliminate it from consideration.

In addition, DEQ will not allow subsurface and groundwater disposal which are the options mentioned in Mr. Groom's letter. The waste water treatment and disposal alternative recommended by HGE complies fully with DEQ requirements.

The goal of the Focus Group is to provide clear and accurate information to the registered voters of Sisters, from the experts that have presented us with information. We'd like to thank Mr. Groom for his interest in the project and look forward to answering questions from the public in the future.

Focus Group Members,

Melanie Curry, Dave Elliott, David Ellison, Elizabeth Molino, Steve Shunk, Donna Stadler, John Tehan, George Sproat, Mark Rapp

To the Editor:

On May 19, voters will have the opportunity to create a special county-wide library district. The measure would provide libraries in the county with adequate and stable financing and would remove the libraries from the jurisdiction of the county commissioners.

Libraries would be administered by elected boards of directors representing the geographical areas. The county commissioners have urged library personnel and volunteers to develop a plan to achieve adequate and stable funding for library services.

If the voters approve a permanent tax rate, facilities will be improved and expanded, library hours will be increased, and library inventories will increase substantially.

The Sisters Library has always enjoyed strong support from the residents of this area because it is one of the major players in Sisters. Show your continued support and mark your ballot "yes" on the library proposal.

Bob Brockway

Friends of the Sisters Library

To the Editor:

If I write this in big enough letters, will the voters in Deschutes County see the importance of supporting our library system?

It is not just the Sisters Library, it is Bend, Redmond, LaPine, and Sunriver too. All of our county libraries will close next September if the ballot measure fails. It is not as if the Sisters Library closed and you could go over to Redmond and get a book. None of the doors will be open.

Do your part in seeing that this catastrophe does not happen. Please vote favorably to have a library system with a tax base which does not depend on the county commissioners. I feel strongly about this issue. We're proud of our libraries and want to keep them open.

Respectfully,

Eloise Mynott

Vice President, Friends of the Sisters Library

To the Editor:

As the community is well aware, the Sisters City Council, on April 7, decided by a 3-2 vote to apply for a technical assistance grant rather than proceed with a construction grant for a community center.

The committee that has spent many months gathering information, studying options and preparing a grant for submission at this time respectfully disagrees with the council's decision.

That decision indefinitely delays pursuit of a desirable facility in this community which would have been located on high school property. A site in town would be desirable for many reasons, but until such time that a sewer system is developed, it would be extremely difficult to have enough land for a community center, much less a senior assisted-living facility, or even low-income housing within the city limits of Sisters because of drainfield constraints.

We want to acknowledge and thank an outstanding group of people who believed in building a community center for Sisters, including:

Susan Mayea, from Deschutes County, for many hours of technical assistance; Scott Steele from Lombard Conrad Architects, for the donated hours of his and his staff's time for site analysis and design of a beautiful building; Deschutes County Sheriff Greg Brown, who was willing to donate personal time for oversight construction of the project; the Sisters School District, which was willing to donate $150,000 worth of land, technical support equivalent to 25 percent of a center's operating budget, infrastructure components and transportation for youth who would use the building

The Kiwanis Club of Sisters voted to donate an estimated $90,000 from proposed sales of the Kiwanis building to the project; Council Sheryl Whent and Kathy Pittman were willing to address the needs of the community now; Ted Eady generously offered to donate $100,000 worth of land.

We thank Barbara Warren and Neil Thompson for their knowledgeable counsel; Ed Fitzjarrel for many hours of thoughtful participation with the committee; the Rotary Club of Sisters and several individual members who participated in development of the plan; the Sisters Community Improvement Commission; and many others who wrote letters of support for the program.

Carole "C.B."Davis for the Community Center Committee

To the Editor:

I am writing in regard to the recommendations of the National Marine Fisheries Service in regard to saving our salmon and other fish. These recommendations are only common sense and they should be adopted immediately. They should also be strengthened in many cases and not diluted to suit the timber industry or agriculture.

Governor Kitzhaber must do his part and work hard to make the state accept fully the Fisheries Service' recommendations and to strengthen them where needed. The asinine, destructive practice of clear-cutting should be absolutely prohibited, not only on state or public lands but also on private lands!

Clear-cutting is an ugly disgrace to the supposed intelligence and decency of man! Besides being an ugly eyesore, clear-cuts help drive species to extinction, they cause destructive and deadly mudslides, and are a heavy burden to the taxpayer. They also add heavily to the siltation and destruction of our streams and lakes and make our drinking water polluted and often unfit to drink.

Clear-cutting should be absolutely outlawed with heavy fines for violation!

Governor Kitzhaber must know of the thousands of jobs lost to Oregon's commercial fishing industry because of the collapse of the coho fishery, all due to the greedy, intolerant lumber industry, agriculture and ranching. The health of our streams and lakes ruined by their vandalism must be restored as soon as possible. And they should be forced to help in the restoration. And their vandalism be brought to a halt immediately before too much harm has been done.

Sincerely,

Dr. Charlie 0tt

To the Editor:

We would like to thank everyone who contributed so generously to the Multiple Sclerosis Walk and Roll held in Bend Saturday, April 18.

The money that we raised goes toward the fight against M.S.

M.S. is a disease that can randomly attack your nervous system. We are pleased that so many people in Central Oregon wanted to help with donations.

Sincerely,

Julie Froehlich & Peggy Kristovich

To the Editor:

A big thank you to all the great volunteers we had this year during all the Sisters Starry Nights Concerts.

I would like to extend a special thanks to the concessions volunteers. We raised an additional $1,900. This could not have happened with out the help of Ray's Food Place and all the people that purchased Super Stars through the store.

Last but far from least, Papandrea's Pizza for letting us take over the kitchen every time we needed to bake and their employees for putting up with us. See everyone next year.

Jackie Erickson