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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

And you thought that the Florida elections were screwed up! How about the suggestion in the December 20 Nugget that the U.S. Forest Service take the Barclay Ranch in exchange for a 20-acre parcel of the 80 most valuable acres of undeveloped Forest land adjoining Sisters. (See Letters to the Editor, Denny Ebner, page 2).

Even the loosest interpretation of their authority, which has already given us thousands of acres of stripped forests, wouldn't permit that idea to fly -- I don't think.

Next, how about using the traffic on Camp Polk Road as another reason for giving private interests that 20 acres? That traffic comes from the growth in Indian Ford Ranch, Junipine Acres, Squaw Creek Canyon Estates -- not from the Industrial Park!

Would all the people and supplies and trucking in that 20-acre business park come and go by horseback? Who are we kidding?

Next, how about the Mayor's plan to re-zone that 20 acres and "letting the chips fall where they will" as to business getting that same 20 acres. Who is he kidding? I'm anxious to see how Federal officials react to the Sisters mayor rezoning Federal land. I suppose anything is possible!

In summary, if the same effort and ingenuity had been applied to completing the stalled-for-15-years Comprehensive Plan, instead of being used for what at the best is devious efforts to get public land for private business, that plan might now be complete.

That said, what happens to any part of that acreage or any of the corridors would now be a moot point and those areas might already contain the modest income housing so badly needed in Sisters.

Patriots, stand up and refuse to give up that 20 acres!

Russell B. Williams