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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

After reading "Citizens protest exclusion from sewer," (The Nugget, September 19, page 1) it became apparent that we must defend our good name by addressing the false statements made by city planner Neil Thompson.

Thompson said "he 'begged' Gundersen not to spend large amounts of money on a sand filtration septic system, and to wait to build. You might end up spending that money and then spend it again to get sewer service to the property."

His statement is blatantly false. He never "begged" us nor even suggested that we wait to build, neither did he ever say we would spend money again and again. Just the opposite is the truth, not only for us but also for the other property owners on S. Tyler and S. Maple!

We were told several times by Thompson "If you want to live in your home now instead of waiting for a couple years you will have to put in a septic system. It could be two years before the sewer comes past your property."

We asked him if he would force us to hook up to the sewer if our septic system was working just fine. Thompson said, "I would never force you to hook up to the sewer, but the county might."

So we asked Erick Mone at Deschutes County, if the county would force us to hook up. Erick Mone said, "That's not our call, it's for the City of Sisters to make that call." Obviously, Thompson did not know what he was talking about.

We absolutely cannot and will not allow Neil Thompson to publicly state that we are liars! All eight property owners in Buck Run declare Neil Thompson never informed any of us that we would have to pay for our own infrastructure or laterals. He never told any of us that we were not part of the sewer system. He always said "you might have to wait a couple years before you get it."

Sincerely,

Arthur and Virginia Gundersen

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To the Editor:

As a tax-paying resident of Sisters, and a member of the City Council, I was extremely disappointed to see the Director of the Deschutes County Library District take out a full page advertisement in an attempt to "spin" public sentiment in the district's favor.

This action taken during a time of intense negotiations between the City and the District only further illustrates why it has been so difficult for both parties to reach agreement on the issues.

By presenting a copy of the district's letter to the city's attorney as a factual summary of the situation, Michael Gaston does the residents of Sisters a disservice. To better present a clearer picture of the City's position a review of the facts needs to be made:

1. When the building that houses the Sisters Library was constructed, it was the City of Sisters who applied for the LSCA grant. Not the newly formed library district.

2. At the time of construction, the residents of Sisters owned, and still own, the land the building was placed on.

3. The City of Sisters solely holds title to, and is responsible for the maintenance of, the property that currently houses the Sisters Library.

4. The newly formed County Library District was promoted to voters as a way for libraries to become financially independent of the county and cities. Yet, Mr. Gaston still wants the residents of Sisters to continue to financially subsidize the new district's operations.

5. All agreements between Sisters and Deschutes County to provide a free location for the library terminated with the passage of the district vote. At that time, city residents became equal members of the newly created county-wide taxing district. All residents of the county pay the same rate per thousand of assessed value.

6. Contrary to Mr. Gaston's advertisement, there is no provision in the original LSCA grant that prohibits the collection of rent to help offset the cost of maintenance.

7. The district has not provided the city with any current correspondence from the LSCA granting agency that forbids the collection of rent, as Mr. Gaston states.

8. Finally, the city declined to participate in binding arbitration to settle this issue because it was felt that it would be highly unlikely both parties would be able to agree on a arbiter. In addition, it was felt that the issues are clear from a legal view.

The city council remains committed to protecting the city residents from "double taxation." The people living inside the city boundary should not be expected to pay more for library service than those living outside the boundary.

Each of us places high value on public libraries. But, no matter how noble a cause the principle of basic fairness cannot be set aside.

I would also like to encourage Mr. Gaston to cease using the veiled threat of withholding any future expansion of the library if the city does not yield to his position. This is counter-productive to any further discussions.

I personally feel it may be more fruitful if the city council were to negotiate with the full district board, instead of Mr. Gaston individually. Ultimately, I am convinced that finding a solution to these issues will require a commitment by both parties to work together, not public posturing.

Working to serve the residents of Sisters,

Steve Wilson, Mayor

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To the Editor:

I guess Sheriff Stiles has answered Sisters' questions...

"To be real honest, if you want local control, you need your own police department."

You'd think no one in Sisters voted for him...oh wait, they didn't.

Christopher Bangs

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To the Editor:

On September 5 you tore into Molly Ivins and other liberals for being nearly illiterate when it comes to economics.

Consider that they may be as literate as you but looking at the world from another viewpoint.

Where you see airline deregulation as being great because it increased air travel and lowered prices so dramatically (helped by a booming economy), she refers to the poor service to small communities and the abysmal way that passengers are treated. (She also notes the part played by the FAA, which you ignore.)

Where you see trucking deregulation as resulting in lower costs, she notes the way drivers are "driven" to long hours on the road to make a living.

You criticize Ms. Ivins because she "makes the common mistake of confusing markets with monopolies" but how often does a "free market" remain free? The market is now free to be manipulated by powerful interests, as you note, but the natural drive of capitalism is toward consolidation, as history has shown.

Molly's point is that regulation is needed "in the case of natural monopolies because a monopoly will just gouge the hell out of consumers." That is a knowledgeable view of historical economics.

In short, you see the situation differently and it's wonderful that both sides can be presented for the readers to consider.

But don't make the mistake of thinking that liberals don't understand economics. It's just that they have a value system different from yours.

You note that markets are soulless mechanisms for the exchange of goods. Shouldn't we be looking for more than just that?

If you're looking for efficiency and profits and liberals are looking at the human condition, why can't we combine the two? Maybe then we could enjoy prosperity more.

Peter Shelby

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To the Editor:

This is a copy of an e-mail I sent to Senators Wyden and Smith.

Dear Senator, I write this with my heart still full of the pain of losing Mike Selves (from Pendleton) in the Pentagon attack. Even though this particular pain is personal, the pain I feel for all of the victims, families and nation is equally intense.

It does not, however, compare to the fear I have that our mutual pain will cause this country to react in a vengeful, hateful manner. We MUST NOT debase ourselves by sinking to the level of reactionary terrorists. WE MUST NOT initiate a war to continue the killing and hatred.

We must seek justice, not revenge. We must act from compassion not hatred and we must rise above our initial feelings of rage and lead the world into a truly new era of stability and sanity. You have the power to guide this nation in this most difficult time. Please, please don't listen to the vocal war mongers and believe that they represent America.

Now is the time to show who we really are: A loving, strong, compassionate nation which tries to listen to the agony of the world and responds in a humane way.

Thank you for your time,

Barbara Secrest

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To the Editor:

We are horrified at the recent attacks on New York and the Pentagon, and we add our prayers to those offered by so many others.

But violence will not solve terrorist acts. The United States should stand for PEACE. Please urge our leaders to use wisdom and restraint in choosing a course of action.

With love and unity,

Central Oregon Worship Group

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

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To the Editor:

Four years ago we were volunteers in the Republic of Georgia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. Nancy taught in the American School and I worked with the Georgian Forest Service.

We have developed, over the years, a friendship by fax and e-mail. The attached fax we received at 2:30 a.m., September 12 from our forester friend Vladimir Abashidze; we would like to share his concerns with you.

Joe and Nancy Holder

Our condolence for the victims of the attacks in New York and Washington. We are so shocked that (we) could not find the right words to express our feelings.

We hope that this tragedy should consolidate people all over the world to (make) safe our planet.

Always with you,

V. Abashidze

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To the Editor:

I'd like to thank Jim Anderson, Jane Stevens and the Sisters Veterinary Clinic for helping me take care of an injured baby squirrel that fell out of a tree at my home.

I feel fortunate that there are people who do wild animal rehabilitation.

The squirrel is doing well.

Thanks again,

Marilyn Cornelius

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To the Editor:

For the past 47 years firefighters across the nation have participated in an event called "Fill the Boot." We have stood at intersections and collected money donations for The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA).

On behalf of the Sisters/Camp Sherman Fire Department and the MDA, we would like to thank the people of Sisters and those passing through for their generous contributions. This year we were able to fill the boot with approximately $1,500.

This more than doubled the amount collected last year.

I would also like to thank all the firefighters who generously gave of their time to help with this event. A big thank you needs to go out to Mason McCoy who has been organizing this event in Sisters for the past few years. He did a great job again.

Look for us Labor Day weekend 2002! Lets see if we can double the amount again!

Sincerely,

Denise Wheeler, Firefighter/EMT-B

Sisters/Camp Sherman RFPD

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To the Editor:

The weekend before the terrible attack on our country, we were able to enjoy two days of beautiful weather, great music, and wonderful displays by local artists at Sisters Folk Festival 2001.

We're pleased to say that the festival was a success.

The Festival wouldn't be possible without the financial, in-kind, and physical support of many, many organizations, business firms, and individuals. We're most appreciative of our sponsors, who we acknowledged in our program and from our stages.

We'd like in this letter to thank some unsung folks who made the festival as good as it could possibly be:

Gary Frazee and Lee Christenson, City of Sisters Public Works Department (and Lee -- special thanks for getting the power back on Saturday night!); Sisters-Camp Sherman RFPD for making our artists comfortable before and after their performances.

Dave Glick and Jim Erickson and their troop of Boy Scouts for providing security at the Village Green. Sisters Coffee Company for the coffee, coffee maker and thermos we used to support our artists and volunteers. Jody Henderson, Kelly Johnson, and Americana Project students Chris Berger, Nathan Harpham, Adam Hillis and Dana Massapoust for festival performances, videotaping, etc.

Frank Deggendorfer, for on-site volunteer service above and beyond the call. Gary Woods for help in setting up our Village Green Main Stage. John Soutter for designing our seating layout in the Main Stage tent, and helping us with database development. High Mountain Jazz at Sisters for their spirit of collaboration.

Renee Perin for coordinating our numerous, enthusiastic volunteers and Lee Tomlinson, our stage manager and part-time MC.

We look forward to staging Sisters Folk Festival 2002 the second weekend in September next year.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions you'd like to share with the board, please e-mail us at [email protected]