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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

For all of the years that I have been paying taxes, and in every community that I have lived, every school district has been near financial ruin. Now that has been near 40 years!

The same story, the same plea and the same ploy.

First there is a local media blitz about increasing class size. Then a month later some programs are going to be cut. Those programs are usually arts or sports. This campaign is usually close to a ballot being proposed to ask the taxpayers for more money. And right before Election Day, they lay a teacher off. In my 40 years of paying those taxes I don't recall a single class being eliminated except maybe basket weaving.

This newspaper is particularly furtive in promoting its agenda. For two weeks in a row they have printed interviews with adolescents who have been coached to bemoan the demise of their favorite non-academic program.

I have to admit that the May 24 edition of this newspaper has given me some hope. Just maybe all the moneys that I have contributed over my lifetime to the school system, and all those people that I have helped educate are using that education to see through this oft repeated scheme.

There is a simple solution to this dilemma.

If an activity is not required in order to graduate then it should be funded entirely by those parents who want their children to participate in that activity.

Sincerely,

Tom Lippert

Editors reply: Mr. Lippert claims the students we interviewed were coached. The fact is, budget cuts affect our schools in ways which will be felt first by students who have fewer course selections and larger class sizes. Youth of this age need no coaching to have an opinion.

Is it furtively furthering an agenda to give them a voice in the discussion?

Mr. Lippert's idea about parents funding all non-core school activities is an interesting one. It is attractive in its simplicity, but may have some complicated consequences.

We invite reader response.

ED

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To the Editor:

I am disturbed by the arrogance of Don Larson of American Tower Corporation regarding the cell towers his company intends to construct throughout Deschutes County.

In The Nugget article last week he gave the impression that there is nothing that the locals can do to prevent the intrusion of the 150-foot towers.

Mr. Larson also implied that the citizens of this county would prefer 13 150-foot towers (the golf net towers are 120 feet) to more numerous 65-foot towers whose peaks would be level to the height of the juniper and pine trees of the high desert and therefore discreet and palatable.

This is just not so.

Take a drive down any of our highways and what you will notice is that with the exception of the golf towers and the Awbrey Butte towers, there are no structures or telephone poles extending higher than the tree line.

Let the case be made that it is Mr. Larson's company that would prefer fewer but higher towers as they would be much more cost effective and economical to his corporation.

American Tower noted that if the towers "are not visible from the highway, they won't work." Perhaps, but we can insist that a firm from Boston not be allowed to enter our community without any regard to our environment, visual or otherwise.

They are disregarding the impact that 150-foot structures will have on all of us that live here.

It is true that many of us will benefit from better cellular reception; 65-foot towers nestled among the trees can achieve that improved reception.

Even though the county planner, Damian Syrnyk, stated that towers must be sited where they can be screened by topography and vegetation, you can be sure that American Tower will push for the 150-foot height since that is what the current Deschutes County rule is.

Please make an effort to let our County Commissioners and the American Tower Corporation know that it is in everyone's best interest to construct lower towers (65-70 feet) that won't intrude upon the landscape.

Sincerely,

Betsy Mennesson

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To the Editor:

In memory of Eugene Dod:

Thanks for being a walking marriage seminar to this community without ever saying a word.

We watched your life, your courage and devotion to Norma for 15 years without one utterance of complaint. Your lack of words but life of commitment spoke volumes to all who knew you.

Thank you, Eugene, for helping me to see that "I Do" means forever, for whatever -- even a wheelchair.

You will be remembered deeply.

Jenny Denzer

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