Letters, letters, letters

The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

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To the Editor:

Walkers, bikers, birders, trail users, all you outdoorsy types, UNITE.

Sisters is in the beginning planning stages for a community multi-use pathway system.

Where would you like to see a pathway connecting your neighborhood with an existing Forest Service trail or creek trail?

Or a paved path connecting residential, commercial or industrial areas?

Planning an alternate transportation system is a major goal of our community-wide Transportation System Plan (TSP). and master parks plan.

Developed over the next several months, these plans will guide Sisters' transportation issues for decades.

The CATS alternate transportation committee needs your input. Please come to our first meeting on Monday, April 17, 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Thank you, CATS transportation committee.

Tim Clasen

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To the Editor:

Two groups of snowmobilers deserve special thanks for their help during the Oregon Nordic Club's John Craig Memorial ski race and tour.

This is an annual cross-country ski event on McKenzie Highway. Bill Rice, Ken, and Bob from the Sisters Sno-Go-fers snowmobile club spent hours shoveling snow to help get the ski course ready for the event. The skiers really appreciate their hard work!

We'd also like to thank two Good Samaritan snowmobilers who stopped to help a ski racer in trouble during the race.

He was having chest pains and blurred vision.

The Good Samaritans rushed him to the race start area, where he got medical attention from the Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue. At the hospital, he was diagnosed as having a heart attack, but his recovery seems to be excellent.

We believe the snowmobilers are from the Sisters area, but they left without leaving their names.

Sincerely,

Bill Martin (Event Chair) and Mike Bogar, Oregon Nordic Club

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To the Editor:

I have been a volunteer with Hospice of Redmond, Sisters and Grant County since 1996. I also serve on the board of directors of this hospice and have since 1994.

I have also been a volunteer and board member of Sisters Habitat for Humanity since Hort Hammond founded the Sisters affiliate in 1990.

All of that is just to say that National Volunteer Week is April 9-15 and Hospice of Redmond, Sisters and Grant County has asked me to write to ask you for a little publicity for the volunteers that make so many of these community out reach programs work.

The fact is, that almost everyone I know in the Sisters, Camp Sherman, Black Butte Ranch community is a volunteer for at least one very worthwhile humanitarian cause. Many folks are involved in more than one and, of course, when special needs arise we see people all through the community volunteering to help.

Hospice is a little less known than some of the volunteer organizations.

As you can imagine the emotional, spiritual and physical stress that accompanies the end of life can be overwhelming for both the patient and their loved ones.

Not a few patients die alone except for the Hospice staff and volunteers. Yes, it's sad when the doctor tells a patient that he probably has no more than six months to live and that he should get his affairs in order. Especially when the patient is alone or loved ones are far away.

Volunteers receive thorough training in order to be helpful to families and patients. They are dedicated folks who are our friends and neighbors. They not only believe that the Golden Rule applies to us, they practice it.

It would be good to give recognition to the Hospice volunteers and all volunteers during the week of April 9-15.

Sincerely,

Sam Goodwin

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To the Editor:

Our family would like to thank Jeri Fouts and Susan Arends, along with all the volunteers for another incredible Sisters Starry Nights season.

We recognize the amount of hard work and dedication it takes to create such a warm and spectacular event.

The fact that the proceeds from Sisters Starry Nights helps provide better learning opportunities for our children, makes this event even more rewarding to our community.

You deserve tremendous credit and a well deserved rest!

Many thanks,

The Willitts Family