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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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.

To the Editor:

In response to Mr. Mike Mehring's urge to vote no/no on the school monies issue, I would like to say that I am indeed that "waitress that serves you in the local restaurant" whom he states cannot afford another new school.

I am here to state that we cannot afford not to.

It tends to make the parent of a first grader nervous when front page after front page reads about school budget cuts, teachers being let go, programs being eliminated, dilapidated school structures with heating and electrical systems needing to be replaced and updated.

Although Mr. Mehring advocated home schooling, to me going to school and sitting in the stands is as American as apple pie. Home schooling is a choice the minority choose -- there are reasons why (class size perhaps?).

My first grader deserves the best education available. If we need a different building to accommodate the rising population then, dang-it, give my kid that space he needs. Everybody needs tools to learn and perform. A logger needs a sharp ax and saw, not to mention a forest.

And although you may get to the Olympics on a wild card most Olympic swimmers need a pool to learn to swim in (pathetically, the world saw that outcome).

Registered voter/ waitress/mom/wife,

Becky Aylor

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To the Editor:

In regards to Mike Mehring's letter, (The Nugget, September 27):

Mr. Mehring has said that kids learn by example, which is completely true. Yet Mr. Mehring has used the wrong example. We are not going out and buying the newest, nicest things we want. We are going and out buying the newest, nicest THING that we NEED.

We are projecting to build a new high school. The old high school will turn into the middle school.

Many private schooled and home-schooled students do, as you state, do quite well without out having fancy physical facilities, and so can public schooled students. We are not necessarily asking for "fancy physical facilities." We are asking for reasonable space.

Have you ever seen a home school or private school that has 40 students per teacher and some students have to resort to sitting on the floors because there are not enough desks or chairs?

I also feel that we have a truly responsible school board. They are advocating living within our budget. Next year our school district will face even more severe budget cuts than this year. A projected 6 percent cut would equal approximately four teachers which would raise classroom sizes well above the 35 student mark.

With less money coming from Salem, a local option is a necessity to keep our schools going.

You have suggested that we should consider long-range consequences. I project that, if we wait to build, the school that we are trying to build the cost will rise considerably due to inflation. In fact the school that we hope to build will cost an additional $1 million every year we wait. From simple mathematics I know that $20 million is much cheaper and more reasonable than $25 or $30 million.

As a part of the leadership class at SHS, I would like to invite you to our school so you can see first-hand the problems that our students and teachers are facing.

Joel Meyer & the SHS Leadership class.

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To the Editor

As a child of a single, working mother (who worked as a retail clerk) -- I can tell you that my mom voted "yes" to every school measure she was presented with.

There were many times she struggled to pay her bills, however, she always recognized the need for all children to have quality education. (Thanks, mom!)

It's a matter of priorities. As my mom knows, there are times we are asked to make a small sacrifice for the good of something larger than ourselves. This is one of those times. We have the opportunity to insure that the school children in this district have access to adequate school buildings, current textbooks, and the necessary programs to prepare them to take a productive place in our community.

The members of the school board looked at facts and figures, wrestled with wants and needs and listened to input from many members of the community before placing these two measures on the ballot. This was not a decision lightly made. I trust their hours of hard work -- that this is the best option for our school district.

If we look in our hearts, in addition to our pocketbooks, we know it is the right thing to do. Please vote YES - YES for the school children of Sisters.

Deb Sether

Editor's note: Deb Sether's husband, Glen Lasken, serves on the Sisters School Board.

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To the Editor:

We moved to Central Oregon three years ago and chose the Sisters School District to make our home. We made this choice as a result of the district's reputation. We feel that the teachers and staff of the district are doing a great job teaching our children the skills they will need to get through life.

However, great teachers are only part of the puzzle in providing a quality education in the 21st century. In addition to excellent teachers you need parents who are involved in their children's education, support from the community and first class facilities (or at the very least, adequate facilities) where students can learn the skills necessary to survive in this ever changing world.

By voting "yes" on the upcoming school option and bond we will have taken a great step in providing the children of Sisters such an environment.

Sisters has proven to be a wonderful area to raise children. Along with scenery that few areas can match, the community has so much to offer in areas of culture, art and recreation. Let's look into the future and not be short-sighted in our views. We need a new school and we need it now. The longer we wait the more expensive it becomes to build such a facility.

Let's show the children that we value them and want the best for them by voting "yes" on November 7, for the school option and the local bond. It's the right thing to do and it's the right time to do it.

Sincerely,

Keith and Debra Williams

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To the Editor:

This November we have the unique opportunity to do the "right thing" for Sisters' kids. By voting for the local option and school construction bond we will be providing for the current and future needs of the students of Sisters School District.

If you, or one of your children, have recently spent any amount of time in our current middle school you are already aware of the urgent need for its replacement. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit any of our schools, we urge you to take advantage of the weekly tours now being offered each Tuesday at 8:15 a.m. to see for yourself the conditions in which we are asking children to learn and do their best.

Sisters School District staff and Sisters community members are proud of the continuing success of our students. Our high test scores and quality of graduating classes are the results of the teamwork of a hard working community. Our students also need a quality environment in which to learn.

The schools they go to must be safe, have adequate space, and meet the needs of a changing society. A yes-yes vote will provide the space and opportunities our students deserve.

The teachers of the Sisters School District urge you to vote yes on the local option and school bond measures. It's the right thing to do.

Kelly Powell, on behalf of Sisters teachers

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To the Editor:

My mother has always hated her middle name: Prudence. It's not so much that she disliked the grandmother she was named after, but more because of what the name implies: caution, forethought, frugality, discretion. It is not a word that elicits much excitement.

Prudence, however, is the best word to describe the meeting of the Sisters School Board. With caution and forethought the subject of the current bond levy and local option tax were discussed. Frugality and discretion played their roles in two ways: any amenities that might be perceived as "extras" were cut; the sooner the new high school could be built, the more money it will save the taxpayers in the long run.

Board members and participants watched their "dream school" melt away -- no indoor swimming pool, no covered tennis courts, no field house and no performing arts center. What was left was simply this: the need for a new school.

In every classroom these days, you can find a child with an unusual name but I doubt if you'll find one with the name "Prudence."

The name has gone out of fashion, but its meaning has stayed the same. Certainly, there is no excitement over the prospect of having to pay more taxes, but when all the facts are looked at carefully the taxpayer will come to the same conclusion as our Sisters School Board. In the name of "Prudence" we need a new high school.

Vote "yes, yes" on the school bond and option tax.

City resident,

Paul Bennett

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To the Editor:

Please register now to vote.

Participate in one of our greatest rights our free and open society has to offer -- the peaceful transfer of power.

It's too easy to be cynical and apathetic, even though it is your choice to simply exist and not partake. It is easy to register: go into the Post Office, ask for a voter registration card, fill it out, mail it, and in our wonderful state, your voting form comes right to your post office box or home mail box.

We are bombarded by a marketing blitz these days, by the candidates. However, we also have many state and local measures that can affect our lives, including a voters' pamphlet that is very helpful in showing the candidates and explaining the measures.

Thirty years ago, I remember seeing a TV ad showing one drop of water falling into a metal bucket; as the sound changed from water on metal to water on water, the screen went dark for a moment, coming back to reveal an overflowing bucket.

Our vote is not just a drop in a bucket!

Please remember we are a government "of the people, by the people and for the people," the power of our government is derived from our consent, the consent of the governed, the voters.

We are a people in a democracy that forms a republic, a sovereign nation made up of sovereign states and a work in progress...

Thank you,

Steve Coltin

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To the Editor:

Oregonians will have an opportunity to join a national trend by voting on November 7 in favor of Measure 6, better known as "Oregon Political Accountability Campaign," a measure to reform campaign spending.

An affirmative vote for Measure 6 will be a step toward improving "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people."

This measure will put a dent in the influence of "Big Money" in our political campaign process. It will level the political playing field by making it possible for candidates to run for office in Oregon without being a millionaire or requiring the support of multimillionaires.

Candidates who voluntarily choose to run under this act will be limited in the amount of qualifying money they can raise and/or spend. There will also be a limited amount of public funds available.

Maine, which passed a clean money campaign reform act in 1996, will have one third of its candidates running for political office in November under the reform act.

Oregon could be the fifth state to pass the campaign finance reform act. Hopefully Congress will get the message to reform campaign spending for federal office seekers.

For additional information, with respect to Oregon's Ballot Measure 6, call 1-877-922- 3247 or fax 503-796-6893.

John Allen

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To the Editor:

Words cannot convey the gratitude felt by our family for the outpouring of love, support and financial assistance shown to us in the past month.

While we have always felt blessed to live, work and raise our family in this community, not at any time did we ever imagine being the recipients of such caring.

When news of Larry's needed surgery and insurance denial surfaced, we immediately felt the embrace of our co-workers, friends and family, casual acquaintances and total strangers.

We received the "green light" this past Friday, September 29, from Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital, both medically and financially. What seemed out of our reach has become a reality and we're finally able to accept the fact that surgery will happen and Larry's health can be restored.

Your prayers and caring will see us through.

With our heartfelt thanks,

The Perry family

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To the Editor:

On September 23, a spaghetti dinner was held at the elementary school to help raise funds for the Perry family for Larry's much-needed surgery.

The dinner was a huge success. So many people were involved in helping with this dinner, we couldn't even begin to name all of them.

We wish to thank this wonderful community for their love and support of a family in need. Many people donated food items for the dinner, items for the auction and time and talent. Without each and every one of you, this dinner would not have happened.

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the heart!

Sherri Hermens and Nancy Dempsey and the entire staff of Sisters Elementary School

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To the Editor:

I would like to thank the citizens and businesses of the town of Sisters for their kind and open hearted response to us since our house fire.

I have lived with my feet in two towns for a full year. Neither one has fully been my home.

That has all changed since this fire. Call me crazy, but at this point I would not trade this experience for anything! So much blessing has come out of it through the people in this town.

Houses can be rebuilt, and things can be replaced, but people cannot. Before I ever knew my house was on fire, people in this town were lining up to meet our needs. Individuals and businesses have stood by us every day since that fateful afternoon.

Today, my feet are firmly planted in Sisters. No matter where I lay my head in this town, I know it will be with good people. This kind of gift from heaven cannot be taken away. Just as God's church is not "a building," so my home isn't either. My home is in the people of Sisters.

Thank you all so much.

Such a blessing you all are. May I live up to your excellent example.

Sincerely,

Michelle Poutre` Ehr

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To the Editor:

Almost 100 eighth graders from Sisters Middle School camped at Scout Lake for three days in September. Their days were filled with outdoor activities, small group discussions of peer pressure and leadership, service opportunities, campfires, and lots of good food and fun.

Our fourth annual eighth grade retreat allowed our students to grow as a team and to learn more about the wonderful area in which they live.

It took the efforts of many, many people to make this retreat successful.

I would like to commend them here: the U.S. Forest Service, led by the indomitable Cindy Glick, who provided shelter and staff; those who provided facilities; the businesses whose generous donations of food helped us keep our costs low and preparations simple; our Sisters High School counselors, who sacrificed sleep for three days but kept on going like Energizer bunnies; 24 parent volunteers, led by Cheryl Crawford and Betsy Mennesson, who fed and nurtured us; Brad Tisdel, whose vision and hard work are central to our retreat; and finally, the wonderful staff of Sisters Middle School, who donate long hours to planning and leading the retreat.

Our students are blessed to live in a place where this level of support for them exists.

Sincerely,

Lora Nordquist

Principal, Sisters Middle School

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To the Editor:

A sad good-bye to a beautiful horse, a gentle soul, and heartfelt thoughts to the woman who loved him.

Most people in Sisters did not know Polvoro, but many in Tollgate did. To those who amusedly watched her take Polvoro and her dogs on daily walks through Tollgate, to the grandparents who brought their grandchildren by to feed him apples and carrots, to everyone, including this city boy, that received their first riding experience on his gentle back, he will be missed.

It was a common sight to see Polvoro meandering about the front yard. He would greet anyone that came by, slowly walking up, nudging your hand to pet him. His gait was so smooth and relaxed, you did not need a saddle ride him, but he seemed to enjoy walking alongside of you much more.

I remember sitting in the back yard one day, eating corn chips -- Polvoro standing behind me, his head on my shoulder, watching me eat, occasionally stealing a chip out of my hand.

Some people nicknamed him "really big dog." More than anything else, he was a true companion and friend.

Francois Arends

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