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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

This letter is written in regards to the proposed "land swap" deal with Multnomah Publishers and the Forest Service.

Please be aware this is our public land currently "up for sale" to a private, profiteering, commercial company who will only gain from this friendly little deal.

The city council alone will decide our "best interests" in this negotiation. I feel this is a dangerous precedent in regards to protecting our public lands, especially one of the few wild, untouched areas close to Sisters and our beautiful gateway from the west entry.

This kind of negotiation will only open up further "swaps" of this nature! Please attend the Thursday, 7 p.m., city council meeting or call your city council to let them know how you feel!

They need our input.

Shirley McBride

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To the Editor:

On October 27, 2000, the Planning Director of the City of Sisters recommended construction of a new 150' lighted steel tower on city owned property on the southeast corner of town (file number SP00-06).

Spectrasite Communication of Wilsonville has proposed construction of the tower to accommodate Sprint PCS and other potential users.

Sisters and the surrounding area are currently well served by AT&T Wireless, U.S. Cellular, Nextel, Western Radio, and other communication providers.

According to a representative of Spectrasite, Voicestream Wireless PCS service will soon be provided from one of the wooden poles adjacent to city hall.

The question is whether it is good land use policy for the City of Sisters to recommend construction of a 150', lighted steel tower on city owned property?

It is interesting to note that Sisters residents, business and visitors have had available to them excellent mobile phone and radio coverage for some time.

How has this been possible without lighted steel towers within the city limits? Simple, locate the transmission equipment on mountains and hills away from view.

Why is it now necessary to locate a 150-foot lighted steel tower within the city limits? It is not necessary at all.

A representative of Spectrasite agreed with me last week that there is no technical problem with putting Sprint PCS transmitters on existing poles in the area thereby eliminating the need for a new 150-foot steel, lighted tower.

They also agreed that the tower will be visible from Highway 20 on the east end of town.

The tower's red beacon or strobe lights will probably be visible from a much larger area at night. Since the planning director's recommendation did not include any conditions, of course, once constructed the tower could be used for a whole variety of purposes, including television and radio broadcasting, microwave relay and the like.

These are all very legitimate and desirable services that are currently and will continue to be provided by existing facilities or newly constructed facilities on mountain tops like Five Mile Butte, Grey Butte, Awbrey Butte, and Grizzly Butte among others.

I encourage you to send your comments, for or against, to: Neil Thompson, planning director, City of Sisters, P.O. Box 39, Sisters, Oregon, 97759.

You can also join me at the (planning commission) hearing at city hall on Wednesday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m.

David Herman

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