Letters, letters, letters

To the Editor:

Only you as a voter can stop the extravagant spending at the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department. In the last four years the sheriff's budget has gone from $6.86 million to $13 million. How can a 90 percent increase be justified when the county's combined inflation and population growth rate during that period was 26 percent?

In the last two years $720,000 was spent on new vehicles including fancy Ford Expeditions at $28,175 each. So far, the sheriff's massive 100 vehicle fleet has cost the taxpayers $1.9 million. New radios recently took $1.64 million of your tax money and the phone bill has now ballooned to $100,000 a year. Has this runaway spending reduced crime? No. Crime increased 12 percent last year.

Your sheriff's department has expanded far beyond what is required by state law. They are now patrolling U.S. Forest Service land when that job belongs to the Forest Service. They are conducting truck inspections and patrolling main highways (20 and 97), a State Police responsibility.

When the voters shot down the levy last May, a major tax cut was expected. What did they get? A new levy that was reduced by only 4 cents per $1,000 (assessed value) meaning an owner of a $100,000 house will see a $4 per year saving. Is that a tax cut Sheriff Greg Brown?

We can have public safety at a lower cost. Stop the extravagant spending and building by again voting "no" on September 15.

Howard Paine

To the Editor:

The upcoming "mail-in" election on September 15 will have a major impact on Deschutes County residents.

A "yes" vote will continue sheriff and library services at essentially their past levels. A "no" vote will close the libraries and reduce sheriff patrols and jail services to a very minimum.

Some people will tell you that this threat is blackmail to pass their tax levies. The truth of the matter is that the voters have approved several property tax measures in the past eight years that have modified the manner in which funds are raised for government services. Both the library and the sheriff must operate within these laws. They have no alternatives.

No money approved by the voters, no or very limited services. It's that simple.

Do you want a deputy to respond when your house is burglarized or you have a vehicle accident? Do you want to be able to check out a book for pleasure or research a project? If these services are important to you, vote "yes" on both issues when you mail in your ballot.

Charles H. Trachsel

To the Editor:

Recently we had an awakening experience. When we stopped at the Sisters library to return some books we were surprised to see a closed sign on the door in midweek.

A mistake surely but on closer examination we saw a notice explaining a library closure on Wednesday, August 12, to give staff an opportunity to prepare for permanent closing on August 29.

Of course, we had been reading the newspapers and mailings about the pending closure but until that day it did not seem real.

We cannot let the libraries remain closed. A community needs library services, a basic need for all ages and so easy to fill.

Let's all be out there to vote on September 15 and keep the libraries a continuing part of our lives.

Jack and Mary Morton

To the Editor:

Our community needs a strong library system with more books, more open hours, and more programs for both adults and children. That's why I encourage Sisters area residents to vote "yes" in September for the one-year levy that will keep our five county public libraries open.

As a retail book seller, I view the Sisters Library as an invaluable community asset and not as "competition." It's vitally important that our community be a literate one. Good reading habits, instilled at an early age, never die out.

One of my fondest memories of childhood is the weekly visit to the library my mother always insisted that we make. Every Friday I'd check out the maximum number of books. The entire stack would be read by next Thursday, and I'd eagerly await our Friday afternoon walk to the neighborhood branch library.

This is an opportunity parents and children in the Sisters area should always have available. Let's work to keep all the libraries in Central Oregon alive and well.

Dick Sandvik

To the Editor:

Since the library measure passed so handily in May, it is natural to assume that it will do so again. However, since the alternative is so drastic we cannot become complacent.

As a Sisters Branch volunteer, I saw how important the library is to people of all ages so let's not let them down. Please, mark your ballots and keep these important doors open.

Pat Vandewater

To the Editor:

Soon an old friend will be leaving - hopefully for not too long. The Sisters Branch Library will be part of the closure of the Deschutes County library system on Saturday, August 29.

Many of us enjoy our library experiences. It unites the community over several boundaries: age, race, interests, etc. and brings people together.

Not only do we get to choose from many thousands of books and magazines at our local library, the newer technologies allow searches on the Internet for books, articles and information - either from the library or home.

Anyone who has been at one of the monthly Friends of the Library community presentations certainly has had an evening of pleasure with friends, new and old.

Watch the children's faces at any of the summer reading programs offered at the Sisters Library. Such awe and wonder and happy spirits. This alone would be enough to give full support to such a wonderful community service.

Hopefully, many of you will support my position and vote "yes" for libraries on September 15. Bring our friend back.

Sincerely,

Conrad Weiler

To the Editor:

I am writing in support of SOAR. As a working mother of a child with disabilities, I would be lost without the child care SOAR provides after school.

My son is now 14 years old and has special needs. I am aware of no private child care providers who provide care to children of this age. They usually provide care to younger children and, as a result, my son has had no other options than SOAR. Fortunately, SOAR has excellent after school program for students whose parents work .

SOAR also solves the desperate need in Sisters for a parks program. Last summer, they provided many fun activities for kids ranging from swimming, to biking and hiking, and from craft activities to shop. Other activities are offered during the long winter months, such as Taekwondo.

My son has participated in several activities and, not only did he have fun, he was able to interact with other kids his own age. The Taekwondo teacher, Tim Davis, has attracted numerous students to his classes where the children learn discipline, martial arts skills and physical conditioning.

As a special education teacher, I have worked with at-risk students and have observed the problems which arise when there are no after school and weekend activities. When this population of students has nothing to do, they frequently get into trouble.

Let's spend the money now on these students rather than after they have committed a crime and been incarcerated at McLaren at a whopping cost of $46,000 per person, per year.

SOAR is an efficient and well-managed organization that stretches its scarce dollars to support kids as best they can. In fact, they have supported many teen-agers in the community by hiring them to help run their programs and play with kids, who love having these teen-agers involved in the program. Please support SOAR!

Ellen Wood

To the Editor:

Last week, the board of directors of Sisters Habitat for Humanity passed a resolution supporting SOAR's effort to establish a recreation district.

As a member of the Habitat board and a past member of the SOAR board, it pleases me that the organization dedicated to building houses for low-income members of our community has endorsed the program of an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life here. Seems like a natural to me.

In their resolution, the Sisters Habitat board urged its volunteers and the community at large to support formation of the recreation district. Let's make it happen at the ballot box.

Tom Worcester

To the Editor:

The Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration had another successful, fun, family Country Fair - but it wouldn't have been possible if we didn't have the support of many, many people and businesses in this wonderful community.

Space does not allow us to mention everyone but I must say having the support of Robin Davis, manager at Ray's Food Place, makes the fair possible.

As important are you the community and all the visitors who continue to support our efforts. There were lots of smiling children. Thanks so much.

Please support our community businesses - we all benefit. See you next year at the Sisters Country Fair.

Sincerely,

Marcy Currie, Jayne Simmons, Mary Hargreaves, Chairpersons and the members of the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration