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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

...of the Way Too Liberal Media...

It is hardly "revenge," as you say, for the government to dispose of a confessed mass murderer! What kind of horse dribble are you trying to dish up? Mr. "McEvil" merely suffered the consequences of his actions. So was McEvil's life of any real value in the end? I do not believe so. Not even as garden mulch!

God may have made him innocent and good ... but, somewhere along the way, he chose the wrong path. I hope your misery subsides. Humans do have free will; you can feel good again.

Mark Kershner

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To the Editor:

Interesting how Eric Dolson, The Nugget publisher, chooses to write a lengthy article (editorial) last week comparing the death of a man in Indiana that "the government killed out of revenge" to Eric Dolson's continued promotion of Oregon's assisted suicide law.

Eric Dolson, do you really believe "the man in Indiana" chose to die? He is dead because the government caught him and the government killed him because he broke the law. What does your article really propose? That the "man in Indiana" take a trip to Oregon and have a panel of three give him a pill? That would make his death tolerable to you?

I do not believe "the man in Indiana" would have taken the trip.

I do believe that the nation's decrease in violent crime for the second year in a row is a direct result of the nation's decision to build more prisons and fill them up with those who choose to break the law. That is one public work project I am happy to support financially. I am glad that I won't be paying for "the man in Indiana" to write his memoirs and that the nation chose to give "the man in Indiana" what a jury of his peers decided was a lawful recourse for his actions.

It wasn't "an eye for and eye" or "thou shalt not kill" decision. "The man in Indiana" made a conscious decision and only because he was caught did the state impose its rule of law.

The last sentence of your "A lethal dose" is of particular interest to me. "Why didn't his death put us out of our misery?" His death didn't put me in or out of misery. You see, I have a basic understanding of what it takes for me to pass through this life and what society expects of me and what I get in return for following the laws of this society.

Those of you who are in misery should reassess your outlook of life.

Tom Lippert

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To the Editor:

After reading about Jim Smith's close encounter with a doe with fawns (The Nugget, June 13, page 1), I called the ODFW (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife). The person I spoke with gave me some useful information.

Only a small percentage of does are aggressive, only while nursing and only around canines. Nursing season is June and early July.

ODFW will destroy persistently aggressive deer, but you have to positively identify that deer. I would recommend a paint ball gun.

Hazing (chasing) deer is illegal without a permit, but permits are free.

ODFW is another one of those government agencies that aren't listed in the phone book. The Bend office is at 388-6363. Ask to talk to a live human unless you enjoy voice mail tag.

Bruce Berryhill

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To the Editor:

In response to the many letters regarding the feeding of deer:

I moved to Sisters from McMinnville, Oregon, about 15 years ago. For approximately 14 years prior to moving here, I vacationed in the area almost every summer. I have seen the area change in extreme fashion.

Of course, the most obvious change is the extraordinary increase in population, hence housing. The majority of population influx seems unsatisfied with the natural, native environment and thus enhance their property with hundreds of varieties of beautiful, green, lush shrubs, plants, flowers and lawns.

I, too, am guilty of this in a rather small undertaking. I realize what I have done. I have planted a whole lot of -- you guessed it -- DEER FOOD.

I do not think it is fair for anyone who decides to fill the yard around their house with deer food, from April to October, to put the total blame of the decimation of their deer food on their property on a person who puts out dry alfalfa and corn in the winter.

As far as the mention of not being illegal to feed deer, that may be a good thing for all us plant lovers, as we would have to think twice about everything we planted on our property.

If Central Oregon deer are a nuisance to some people, I can only say they were here, they are here and they will probably be here for a long time to come. So, Los Angeles is a good place to grow things and I don't think deer are a problem there.

Ed Turner

Squawback Woods

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To the Editor:

A poetic eulogy to my deceased and close friend Ray Sparkman, who at the time of his death was 79.

Before moving to Wichita, Kansas in 1998, he had been a resident of Sisters for 25 years. Ray was a veteran of World War II and a member of "The Greatest Generation."

Ray loved to both hike and ride bicycles. He was killed in an auto-bicycle accident in Wichita, Kansas on June 9.

We met on a trail in the woods, said hello and went our way.

But destiny had its say

for we met again one day in the woods.

He said his name was Ray,

we talked about things big and small,

and all the things of nature.

There seemed to be a communion

of environmental spirits between Ray and I

as we hiked along the trail in our poky way.

To my delight, he saw many things I missed

I'm sorry to say, the tiniest flowers

were not to escape his fascination.

I can hear Ray say, "look John!

an animal went this way".

Now I am sad to say Ray has left this earth

to ride his bicycle in the sky.

John Allen

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To the Editor,

On May 30, the Middle School Booster Club hosted a jog-a-thon at the elementary school. This event was a fund-raiser for SOAR's Middle School Sports programs.

We would like to thank all those who sponsored our third through eighth grade runners for their support. We would also like to thank the local businesses and SOAR for their contributions and assistance.

Lastly we need to thank the school district for their help in putting on the event as well as assistance in collecting donations and let's not forget all the kids who ran for 45-minute intervals to help ensure the continuation of SOAR's middle school sports programs.

Congratulations go out to all the prize winners.

Ben Ehrenstrom

Sisters Middle School Booster Club