Letters, letters, letters

To the Editor:

A group of Deschutes County citizens is attempting to remove Sisters City Council President Gordon Petrie from office. They say he has been guilty of unethical behavior.

Here is a question: If this is true, why haven't they filed a complaint with the state ethics commission? The answer is simple: Petrie has done nothing wrong and they know it.

So what is behind this vendetta? The answer to this is also simple: Follow the money. This group is supported by some local developers and business people who have long regarded Petrie as a burr under their saddles. Petrie, who was elected by the residents of Sisters to support the interests of the residents, has not always been sympathetic to those who regard Sisters mainly as a place to make money. To these people, most of whom do not live in Sisters, the city is a cash cow.

They see the city very differently from those of us who live here and appreciate the small-town charm of Sisters. For the developers, Sisters is just a place to make millions of dollars building houses. This ties in with the wishes of some of the downtown merchants, who see more houses as more money in sales for them. The point is, the interests of these people do not necessarily coincide with those of the residents - who, after all, pay city taxes, elect city councilors and are the people to whom city councilors are answerable.

For the last two years, Petrie has been part of a two-person minority on the council that has consistently attempted to preserve quality of life in Sisters. This has offended the folks who don't seem to realize they are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs here.

I urge you to think about this, and support Gordon Petrie.

Asher Yaffee

To the Editor:

Some people may complain about the ways in which the Sisters area has changed, but I'd like to point out one of best things that has grown here in the last couple of years - the SOAR program for our kids.

Since joining the program, my daughters have learned Taekwondo, how to shoot a basket, and how to cast a fly line. They have gone hiking, swimming and caving. They bring home some neat art projects. They have a place to hang out with their buddies after school.

They claim that they do their homework there (?). They definitely have fun. The community is fortunate to have such an enthusiastic group of people who share their energy and talents with our children. Thanks, folks! (Can't I just skip work and go mountain biking with SOAR???) Please vote "yes" for the SOAR Recreation District!

Sincerely,

Michele Sims

To the Editor:

I would like to remind folks that in about five weeks the community of Sisters will have an opportunity to vote on the future of its community and its children.

During the general election in November, each registered voter will get to decide whether we feel that the efforts of SOAR have been successful over the last three years and should continue in our community.

SOAR was started about four years ago because our community needed some alternatives for students outside of the school day and during the summer and vacation periods. There were no organized activities and we all know that if students don't have activities, they find their own (and many times these are not appropriate).

SOAR has filled the need in a wonderful way and there has been great community support for the activities and growth of SOAR.

I hope that the voters agree that creating a SOAR district will be a long-term investment for our community and children by giving them alternative activities that are needed. Please remember that nationwide, the highest amount of crimes and the highest amount of pregnancies occur between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m. during the weekdays. Many of those things occur because those students are not supervised or not involved in activities at school, particularly at the elementary and middle school ages.

I would highly encourage you to keep SOAR going by making it permanent in this community to address the needs of our students, not only after school but also on the weekends and during vacations. SOAR was a good idea and it's still a good idea. We need to support it!

Dennis Dempsey, Principal

Sisters High School

To the Editor:

Hi my name is Katie and this summer I've been going to SOAR because my mom works. They have activities that I can do. I have a lot of fun!

The first activity I did was going caving. I had fun going through it. We went to Skylight Caves. It's a cave that had lava in it. I saw lots of lava rocks. It was all wet and soggy inside the cave. When I was in there everyone turned off their lights and we couldn't see anyone because it was so dark! When I went I met some new people like Rima, Sara, and Tom (they're grown-ups). I also met a lot of kids too.

The next activity I went on was swimming. It's a normal pool. I had fun on the dives, but I hated the chlorine. Then I went on a hike to Black Butte. It was so tiring. I saw a lot of beautiful flowers and neat plants. We saw the fire tower where the forest (service) watches for fires. The fun part about the hike is that it was all down hill on the way back.

Then I went biking around Suttle Lake. There was a trail to follow. There were lots of hills. After we were done doing that, we had extra time so we ran relays. I was cold because the wind was blowing and it was raining.

I hope to do more activities at SOAR this summer. I've had lots of fun so far, and I'm having a great summer! Please vote for the SOAR Recreation District!

Katie Garrett

To the Editor:

Fellow citizens: Do you get the feeling that you no longer exist?

Clinton was elected twice in spite of his loose zipper. His wife seems able to accept him. What true business is it of ours?

I feel we should enact a class action suit against the House of Representatives and Ken Starr for $500 million or so. We can use the fund to investigate every member of Congress over a 25 year period to uncover any sexual misconduct. If anything is uncovered, that member should be fined $1 million to replenish the fund.

We don't want to interrupt the working of the Congress. We just want to level the playing field and keep our prurient appetites fueled.

Gloria Dagget

To the Editor:

The Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store wants the community to know this heartwarming story:

Our 14-year-old volunteer janitor, Gabriel Gillan, was heartbroken when his bike was stolen from behind the thrift store. After a police visit and a couple of calls to the insurance companies, it was decided to place a donation jar in the store to help replace Gabriel's bike. In four to five weeks, the jar overflowed, so, with Gabriel's permission, we share his thank you letter to the thrift store:

"I appreciate the donation jar that you set for a new bicycle and helmet for me. When I received the gift certificate I was so excited that my Mom and I promptly went down to Target and picked a forest green, 21-speed mountain bike with rock shocks and a lot of other great stuff. Wow, I could never fathom such a neat bike. I can never thank you enough for the unselfish giving you have shown me."

Sincerely,

Gabriel E. Gillan

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Central Oregon Council on Aging, I would like to thank Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire Department for the work done to make a client's home and yard fire safe.

It is through cooperative efforts such as this that we all can make a difference in the lives of our senior and disabled citizens. We appreciate these hard-working volunteers.

Thank you,

Karen Eddings

COCOA Outreach

To the Editor:

To the friends of J. Wayne Hanks:

Please accept our profound appreciation for your outpouring of love at his recent death. Your overwhelming graciousness through your letters, flowers, food and phone calls were for us an assurance that his memory might linger on by the waters of the Metolius.

Josephina M. Hanks