Letters, letters, letters

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To the Editor:

First, let me address The Nugget loudly and clearly.

When Eric Dolson calls Roy Manbeck and asks for a hard copy of the letter to the editor I had faxed to The Nugget so their scanner could accurately reproduce it for the paper, I expected to see just that, an accurate copy of my letter. I did not.

The editor knows full well how simple deletions, changes and "mistakes" can alter, in subtle ways, how a letter reads. With six mistakes, I claim the editor is actively trying to irritate me into silence. I hope the danger of our silence is apparent to everyone.

It is obvious that the hard copy was needed so The Nugget could fax my letter to the Forest Service and get a completely benign-sounding reply in the same edition of The Nugget.

I seldom write to the editor as a result of the "editing style" that has been used on every one of my letters. Plain and simple, it is obvious that The Nugget is more interested in silencing its critics (I am a critic) than it is in producing an accurate small-town newspaper.

I don't know why I'm surprised; The Nugget couldn't even help but interject a line of their own into my father's obituary! The audacity!

Besides an obvious lack of personal and professional integrity, what is your problem?

Someone else can try explaining why the Forest Service is burning during times of extreme fire conditions to satisfy a fiscal year, rather than protect our safety, air quality and view of the Cascades.

Thoroughly disgusted (with both),

Roy Manbeck

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Editor's response:

Mr. Manbeck refers to "deletions, changes and 'mistakes' " regarding his letter to the editor in the September 29 issue. There were all of the above.

In Mr. Manbeck's second reference to flame lengths, the number "15" was mistakenly read as "5." Under style guidelines used by most newspapers, numbers less than 10 are converted from numerals to words (see below). Therefore, because of the misreading, "15" became "five."

This was an editorial error and it was not caught in proofreading. This altered the context of his sentence: "Let's see: 15-foot flames, 10-foot black line, extreme fire conditions...sounds like poor math and worse reasoning."

We regret this error.

Also, Mr. Manbeck used italics on the words "saturate" and "environmental." The italics were omitted when his letter was typeset. The words "in town" were underlined for emphasis in Mr. Manbeck's letter. The editor changed this to italics (again following commonly used style references), but again, the italics were not typeset.

We finally tracked this problem to a translation error between two of the three pieces of software that we use between scanning a letter and typesetting. When the final "style" of type was selected, which determines the font, size of each letter, the space between lines and paragraphs, etc., the italics were eliminated. This affects not only "Letters to the Editor," but other italicized and bold-faced copy as well.

Word-by-word proofreading by comparison to original copy, which is tedious but often necessary, should have picked up these errors. We are also working on a technical solution to this problem. We thank Mr. Manbeck for bringing it to our attention.

Finally, a quotation mark was left off the end of the final sentence.

Other changes were made for clarity and to correct misspellings:

1. The editor added, in parenthesis, the issue date and headline of the story to which Mr. Manbeck referred. This is done so that readers may review the story at issue.

2. Converted the numeral "2" to "two" and converted the apostrophe used to delineate feet to "foot" (hence, 2' becomes two-foot.) This change is consistent with style guides used by most newspapers (see above).

3. Took a portion of a sentence that was placed in quotation marks out of quotation marks because the quote was not attributed and was thus unclear. The editor also corrected Mr. Manbeck's misquote of "escapement" to "escape."

4. Changed "OK" to "okay" in keeping with common usage newspapers style.

Mr. Manbeck believes the editors are trying to irritate him into silence. This is untrue. Far from wishing to silence Mr. Manbeck, we actually look forward to his letters, despite their often mean-spirited and accusatory tone. It is true we have made changes to his content when, in the opinion of the editors, his attacks have been unnecessarily vicious or personal. We will continue to do so.

We also strive for accuracy. It is our policy to promptly correct any significant errors brought to our attention in a location as prominent in the newspaper as that where the error occurred.

Regarding our forwarding of Mr. Manbeck's letter to the Forest Service, we refer him to the policy statement that heads the "Letters to the Editor" column. We requested a reply from the Forest Service because Mr. Manbeck made complicated accusations that needed to be addressed in the same week so that readers could keep track of the debate.

Jim Cornelius, Editor

Eric Dolson, Publisher

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To the Editor:

How about letting Roy Manbeck burn in his backyard fire pit during "extreme" conditions?

How about explaining how the moisture content of forest fuel during times of "extreme" conditions somehow rises to the point of becoming controllable in the morning or evening?

How about the fact that these burns throw sparks that float into forest fuels that are rated "extreme, just a few feet away, endangering our safety? My point is proven by a letter to the editor written in the September 29 issue from Mary and Pat Poncy regarding two separate fires at their house.

It states, "... the second one was embers that flew approximately 300 feet from the Squaw Creek fire." So how do you control the wind from blowing those embers beyond the prescribed burn area?

How about the recognition of the value of unburned piles of brush to animals like quail that need cover to survive from predators and cold?

How would you respond to an assertion that our forests are managed as tree farms, leaving little or no understory for wildlife?

While you're at it, how about some justification for the damage grazing cattle do to our National Forest land for, what, $3-$5 per month in revenue, yet charging us $3 to walk down one trail (in the Wilderness) that we leave little or no mark on? We pay taxes; cattle don't, but they have better access than we do!

How about some recognition that what this really boils down to is a decision to burn during times of "extreme" fire conditions based solely on the fiscal year and "available funding," not our safety and quality of life?

One last thing, how about giving us back our view of the mountains and quit blowing smoke up our ...

Brenda Colburn

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To the Editor:

Shades of "Smoky the Bear" (only we can start forest fires): Looks as if the "Fahrenheit 451" gang is back at it again. Good-by Glaze Meadow hello "Blaze Meadow," but black is beautiful, don't you know.

The U.S. Forest Service has redefined fire suppression as fire promotion. This practice of controlled burning, can be equated to playing "Russian roulette." Sooner or later, "controlled" will become "uncontrolled," resulting in loss of homes, or God forbid, human life.

My burn permit, states: "I'm responsible for any fire damage resulting from my burn pile." I wonder who in the Forest Service will become liable and to what extent?

I quote from an old Chinese proverb: "He who plays with fire, puts ash on line."

Ernest & Verla Swehosky

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To the Editor:

In light of the "Life Chain" that Right to Life staged in Bend and Sisters, here are a few thoughts about sex, freedom and responsibility.

If abortion comes up on a ballot, then only women of child-bearing age should be allowed to vote on it.

Some people think abortion should not be a choice, but it is and has been since pre-history. Women have given themselves herbal abortions and used contraceptives long before government existed.

Women continue to make the choice to abort, even in countries where it is illegal; law only dictates whether or not they can do so safely.

If abortion is to be outlawed, we need ways to deal with the unwanted children, and the trauma forced pregnancy causes women.

Here's how my system would work:

Everyone who votes against legal abortion is put in a name pool. When a woman is forced to have an unwanted baby, that baby will be adopted by a person randomly selected from the pool.

All medical costs will be the responsibility of the adoptive parents, who must also pay for any counseling needed by the (birth) mother of the child.

This system is terribly flawed, but at least it forces the people who want to make decisions for others to be directly responsible for the situation they created.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Steffensen

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To the Editor:

Each week many people look forward to the regular columns in our local paper, those people who are lucky to live here and those passing through. I believe the responsibility of a newspaper is to express both facts and thoughts. And I think it's wonderful that The Nugget also prints responses to these articles.

I must do the same...

The articles each week by Jim Anderson add interest and share happenings in our area. People need to get educated with what's going on around them and to hear different views. This way each of us come up with our own conclusion and feelings on a subject. Jim Anderson's articles make us stand up and take a stand on many issues. They are also very often entertaining.

I know many are opposed to his views for one reason or another, but it's great that there's an expression for these views, both sides. And I thank you for sharing everyone's!

Kacy L. Brown

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To the Editor:

We want to say a big thank-you to all the firefighters who did such a tremendous job keeping the fire that started on our neighbor's property on Highway 126 on September 15 from getting into the tall pine trees near their house and ours.

The crews were there so quickly after we called 9-1-1 and they stayed very late and have checked it for a week or so.

We are truly grateful.

Russ and Eula Curtis

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To the Editor:

Today I lost a friend, a short-term friend who will be long remembered.

I met Charlie Ott two months ago, a heart attack having left him house-bound. Each day when I delivered his mail to him we talked, sometimes only a few words, other times we would carry on about nature and especially the birds and animals. He always asked me if I had seen any deer on my way to his house. He loved to look at and talk about the birds. A few times we were able to go outside together to watch the birds.

Charlie was a professional photographer and a nature lover. He told me he received his first camera at the age of 13 and was immediately hooked. After serving in the US Army in World War II, Charlie moved to Alaska and worked as the Denali National Park official photographer from 1948 to 1984. In the late 1980s he purchased property in Sisters and subsequently built the house in which he resided most of the last 10 years.

His photographic work has been published worldwide and his name will likely go down in Alaskan history.

An early visit offered clues into Charlie's photographic achievements: a framed diploma on his wall from the University of Fairbanks - an Honorary Doctorate in Photography for his contribution to Alaskan photography. A small bookcase filled with photographic books, most of which were abundantly illustrated with Charlie's photographs.

A few weeks ago several of his friends from Fairbanks, Alaska, visited. They told about his dedication to the preservation and protection of the world's land and wildlife. Apparently he took no prisoners.

When the Denali National Park Superintendent told Charlie, "You will" photograph the appearance of a noted politician in the park, Charlie acquiesced. But when that politician, who was obviously on Charlie's environmental hit list, tried to discuss Charlie's camera, Charlie replied, "I wish it was a Colt .45."

Another time Charlie received a national award for press journalism. But when he heard the award ceremony was to be held in New York City, he said, "Forget it. You can come to Alaska if you want to give me an award." And they did!

One of Charlie's desires was to make it one more time to McKenzie Pass, one of his favorite local spots. But he never recovered enough strength for us to make it happen. So I will go there for him - with his spirit and memory.

I only knew Charlie a short time. Many Sisters residents knew him much longer. I'm sure my memories will last as long.

Charlie leaves several friends in the Sisters area, including George Hochstedler, Lloyd and Liz Morrell, Joe Geary and Ed Johnson. The thank the caregivers of Hospice of Redmond and Sisters for assisting Charlie over the past two months.

Jim Mitchell