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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

At the start of this season, the Sisters Outlaws football team was without a ranking. We finished being one of the top four teams in the state.

In the Capital Conference, critics believed that we wouldn't finish in the top three, but we finished League Champions. Thanks to our outstanding coaching staff and to the dedication each and every player made to the team, we made it to the state semi-final game. What a blast.

Living in a small town has its pros and cons. We had injuries that constantly challenged our coaches to find the right player to fill that position. We asked men -- yes, men -- to reach deep into themselves and find a way to get the job done.

I've had wonderful things written about me in articles, and none of that would've happened without our offensive line (Mathew Rivera, Matt Bliven, Nathan Teeney, Josh Kelleher, Robert Hedin, and Steve Mills) making time available to make things happen. Thanks for all your hard work. It was an honor to play behind you.

To tell each teammate how proud I am of you would be an understatement. To speak about each player, The Nugget would have to dedicate the entire paper for the football team.

To our fans and supporters, being on the field and having the grandstands full (home and away) cheering us on truly makes a difference. Thank you so very much.

Special thanks to Syd, Charlie, Mom and Grandma for all the excellent food you prepared for our team. Thanks, Buckles, for the breakfasts. Thanks Mr. Abbajay for letting us use your barn, and thanks Mr. Reed for preparing the practice field in the barn.

To Coach Macauley, we have one problem: Eight months, 22 days, 10 hours and 45 minutes until we begin next season.

Thanks to all that made this season so memorable.

Respectfully,

Pat Burke

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To the Editor:

This letter is to provide additional information regarding Lon Kellstrom's November 28 letter as well as Eric Dolson's article regarding "School district taps foundation donations," (The Nugget, November 28, page 1).

Lon has served on the School District Budget Committee since 1994 and is a city council member. I appreciate the work he has done in reviewing public budgets and overseeing taxpayer money. He often brings a voice to the table that needs to be considered.

Updated current total cost estimates from our architect is $20,823,385, which is a further reduction of $51,222 since the estimate Lon was referring to. This includes a contingency of $888,328.

The board is proceeding into a Construction Management/General Contractor process that will allow further value engineering and incentives to lower costs.

With the excellent bid climate we anticipate over the next several months, costs will continue to decline.

Also, in the successful May 15 bond election, the estimated tax rate was $1.49 per thousand. Due to continued new construction in the area, the amount levied was only $1.39.

As new construction continues the rate should continue to decline in future years.

Regarding the foundation, there is a variety of targeted accounts that donors establish for particular purposes. One of those targeted accounts is the superintendent's discretionary fund. Contributions are made to the account with the donor's intent to allow me fund disbursement discretion.

As Mr. Dolson pointed out, I try to use this fund primarily to offset expenses that would normally be paid from general school district funds.

This does allow some flexibility and that seems to be a point of concern. A clear, transparent view of fund distribution is necessary and a point that Eric makes. I agree.

If there is any confusion we should change the practice.

Rod Morris, our foundation chair, and I have discussed this issue, and the foundation board will make changes in procedures for the sake of clarity.

Qualified independent third party auditors audit the entire foundation funds as well as the entire school district's funds annually.

The results are always public information.

However, because something is in an audit document doesn't necessarily make it easily understandable upon first inspection.

Another clarification to be made is that all targeted accounts in the foundation are separate from the Foundation general account, which is by far their largest account. The proceeds from large fundraising activities, such as Starry Nights, are directed to the foundation general account.

In this account the foundation board responds to requests from school staff, parents and students to fund particular projects through a board decision process.

Twenty-five percent of the money in the general account is set aside for the Foundation Endowment Fund.

It is hoped that the endowment will begin generating a significant amount of interest earnings in the future, thereby reducing fundraising activities.

Steve Swisher, Superintendent

Sisters School District

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To the Editor:

After reviewing your story on the "School district taps foundation donations" (The Nugget, November 28, p. 1) leaves me as a taxpayer with more questions as to the actions of Steve Swisher and board.

While I take my hat off to the many hours the members of the board serve in a thankless job, I am left with some concerns.

First, your story didn't cover if any independent consultant was called for by Mr. Swisher to commit the district to need to increase the sewer line by 20 to 40 percent. Since Mr. Swisher is not a developer or engineer, the story leaves the reader to believe that Mr. Swisher made this call.

If Mr. Reed had any involvement in this decision and received a personal benefit or even the perception of one from increasing the line by having the district paying for half, then you do have a story for the taxpayers.

The story also leaves me with this question. Was the cost of sharing the expense beneficial by sharing it 50/50 with both parties having the line serve both properties equally? It could be that the future development may receive a greater then 50 percent benefit. An independent consultant would have been able to make this call.

Did the board or it members have any input in the decision with this added cost? If they did and you have a board member who didn't abstain from that decision or possible vote, you clearly have someone who had a conflict of interest and appropriate actions need to be taken with the State Attorney General's office on possible ethics charges.

Since many reporters don't have an understanding as to how development projects work, I can only ask that these questions be reviewed so this community knows that the board and its members were not part of an activity with a conflict of interest.

Since newspapers are always quick to try and make a story when there is not one, I for one am not quick to past (sic) judgment until all the questions are answered.

Sincerely,

Dan Berrey, CCIM

Commercial Concepts

President/Developer

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To the Editor:

Our recent tax bill was a wake-up call! The lavish proposed high school is impractical, and caused the increase.

Since 1998 our district's school growth was 1 percent or a total of only 14 students.

We saw a 13 percent drop in our K-4 population since 1998 -- a time of huge economic gains in the country and the county. That economic situation has changed. We do not need a new Taj Mahal high school. The present Sisters High School can accommodate 550. It currently has 415 students (excluding the 29 Flex students).

Why this effort for a school for 700, with a 920 seat auditorium? Egos? Conflicts of interest?

Why not a new middle school (the real need anyway) on the 35 acre Lundgren Mill property that the school district owns? Middle school kids need their own space and sense of community away from high schoolers. Savings of $9 to $12 million are possible!

Incomes for retirees are lower, forcing them to move. Higher paying jobs for young families are not here, and high taxes frighten them.

Rumor that the Lundgren property is too close to the airport fly way is just that -- a rumor.

Mr. Chris Schmoyer, associate planner in the County Community Development Department, assured me that if the city votes against annexation in March 2002, then NO school.

The land would remain in our Urban Growth Boundary -- a great future asset for our city.

There is nothing wrong in changing the current direction and being prudent. What say you school board and city council?

Mel Bryan

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To the Editor:

The Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District would like to thank our community for their generous donations to the families of the fallen New York firefighters.

Our check in the amount of $13,264.05 has been sent to the Uniform Firefighter Association Widows and Children Fund, 204 East 23rd Street, New York NY 10010. They have started distributing funds and have informed us that they do not deduct administrative fees.

Update on our Thermal Imager Fund: Since the October 31 issue of The Nugget, we have collected $675, which brings the total amount to date $14,003.35. We are only $5,996.65 away from our goal of $20,000 to purchase the thermal imager.

We are still pursuing other funding and local donations are still greatly appreciated and all donations are tax deductible. We hope to reach our goal to purchase the camera no later than March 1, 2002.

Several members of the community have asked us questions regarding donations for the Christmas Toy and Clothing program, our Christmas Dinner and our Spirit of Christmas Tree.

Cash donations are always appreciated and are tax deductible.

New toys may be dropped off at the main station at any time. We will have tags on the Christmas tree as soon as we receive them.

All Spirit of Christmas Tree presents should be returned unwrapped to the main station as soon as possible.

Our Christmas dinner will be held on Christmas Day at 1 p.m. If you wish to donate items for the dinner such as turkeys and/or hams, please bring them to the main station no later than December 15.

Thank you again for your support of our fire department. All of our volunteers and staff wish you and your families a safe, happy and healthy holiday season.

Don Rowe

Fire Chief

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To the Editor:

Hello from Alberta, Canada!

I am trying to find two friends from Sisters, Oregon, that I have lost track of and am hoping that you may be able to help.

They are twin sisters, now in their mid-50s. Their names are Kam Galante and Kim Givich -- though I think Kim has married in the past five years and I don't know her married name.

At one time they owned a lovely boutique called Twin Sisters Leather and Disney Store in Sisters and were somehow involved in a newspaper (or it's distribution) in a neighboring community... possibly Bend.

Do you know these ladies or possibly anyone who might? I miss them and their friendship and would love to reconnect with them. Unfortunately I have moved recently so they won't be able to locate me either.

My name is Karen Craig. My address is now Apt. 206 -- 639 -- 14th Ave., S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2R 1H9. My email address is [email protected]