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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

While not an employee of the Deschutes Public Library System (DPLS), I am a member of the Sisters Library Advisory Council. So, as a private citizen and library patron I am going to express my personal opinion on the present stalemate between the City of Sisters and DPLS.

To begin with, I think we've been the unfortunate victims of the antics of two very opinionated roosters on opposite side of the fence. Indeed, both Mayor Steve Wilson and library head Michael Gaston got off on the wrong foot.

But then progress of attorneys representing the DPLS Board and the Sisters' city fathers hasn't come close to finding a solution either. The consequences of the posturing and bickering are costing library patrons in the Sisters area quality of library services.

The problem -- from my perspective -- began when Deschutes County Commissioners presented the City of Sisters with the title to the present library building.

The library facility was not built by city or county money, but only on land owned by the people of Sisters. The county had no right to just up and give away a building that was paid for by library funds and library patrons.

Enough is enough. We have the future to think about; the people of the Sisters area need a bigger library that will provide the services they (we) need.

I know of a man who can solve this absurd dilemma, and if asked I bet he'd jump right in and help us as he did all through his time as governor of Oregon and statesman in Washington: Mark Hatfield, a man of honor and creditability.

I don't know Senator Hatfield personally, but I'm sure several of our readers do. Ask him if he'll step into the hotbox one more time and save our library as he did the Hatfield Marine Science Center and so many other Oregon treasures.

Jim Anderson

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To the Editor:

Everyone concerned about the Squaw Creek/Steens land swap should look at the property.

Follow along on your fire map from the Sisters Ranger Station. Section numbers are in the middle of the squares on the map. Private land is in gray.

All parcels are west of Squaw Creek, except for 50 feet on either side of Mr. Stroemple's existing driveway from Three Creek Road to the creek.

The driveway is just south of the bridge over the main irrigation canal about three miles south of town: 67705 Three Creek Road.; all of the SW 80 acres west of the creek in Section 21; the southern eighth of section 20; nearly all of Section 29 west of the creek; the part of Section 30 east of 1505 from just south of 500 to a half mile north.

This is the part I have the most trouble with. He would own road 500, blocking access to roads 520 and 530. These roads go down to some incredible scenery on Squaw Creek.

I think that this swap would also make sections 17, 31, 32, and 33 likely swap candidates.

Bruce Berryhill

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To the Editor:

I read with interest the letter that Cynthia Gardner wrote to correct some inaccuracies presented in the letter to The Nugget on April 10 by Ms. Gager.

Biblical inaccuracies were not the only mistakes made by Ms. Gager, however. One can read any well researched book such as "From Time Immemorial" by Joan Peters to discover some basic historical truths which have been ignored by Ms. Gager, such as:

• Most of the modern Arab states were founded after the Jewish people began their quest for nationhood.

  They were carved from the former Ottoman Empire.

• Large numbers of Arab migrants began to arrive only after Jewish resettlement had made the land livable and attractive. The Jews drained the swamps and made the deserts bloom. These Arabs had no ties to ancient Palestine. The only people with continuous ties were the Jewish people.

• The Arabs were the aggressors when modern Israel became a state in 1948. At the end of the war which they began, the Arabs refused to sign a peace treaty. They still refuse. Therefore, the war which they began has never actually ended.

• 600,000 Jewish refugees fled to Israel from Arab nations after their lives were threatened and their property expropriated.

  They were absorbed by Israel. About the same number of Arab refugees fled what is now Israel during the war the Arabs began when Israel was declared a state. They were interred by their Arab brethren in refugee camps and kept there as political fodder.

• The Suez war began after the President of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, refused to allow British, French and Israeli ships to pass through the Suez Canal.

• In 1967, the Arabs blockaded Israel in an effort at economic strangulation.

  By all international standards, a blockade is an act of war. It was only after the Arab blockade and the subsequent inaction of the rest of the world that Israel defended itself and emerged victorious in the Six Day War.

Sincerely,

Bernice Werzberger

Editor's note:

Bridgette Gager answers her critics below...

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To the Editor:

My, so much vehemence over my little letter to the editor.

Mr. Golden indicated that Rabbi Jerome M. Epstein "submitted" a response to the New York Times regarding the article I quoted.

Rabbi Epstein's key concern appeared to be "stressing a single issue, archaeology, and a relatively minor one at that..." And you're right if there was no science of archaeology, there would be no conflict with the Bible. But those darned archaeologists are a special breed; part scientist, part detective and armed with "carbon dating," (they) come up with some amazing findings.

Archaeologists can find 60 million year old dinosaur bones on a barren plain and reconstruct and date the creature perfectly.

Yet, only 3,000 years ago, three and a half million Jews wandered the barren Sinai desert for 40 years and these archaeologists, after searching for 25 years, couldn't find one artifact? Not even a piece of pottery, some bones, a few utensils?

The Exodus? I'm sorry, it's a great story, but it never happened. The Jews didn't escape from Egypt but evolved from the indigenous people of Canaan.

These same archaeologists were also able to date the Bible to the Second Century B.C. and determined that it was written by a group of Greek-speaking Jews. That's why the Bible isn't history. It was written centuries, if not a millennium after the events occurred, plus there are so many other factual discrepancies.

Mr. Coltin says I'm spewing "goyum propaganda" and "that opinions are seldom the same as facts." But he doesn't question my facts.

And let's look at my "goyum" sources. The man who compiled the new Torah, which views the "Bible as a human rather than a divine document" is David Lieber of the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Is he goy?

And Israel Finkelstein, the author of 'The Bible Unearthed," is the leading archaeologist arguing that the Bible, while composed of wonderful and important stories, is anything but an historical document.

Does it really sound like a goyum propaganda, Mr. Coltin?

Brigitte K. Gager

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To the Editor:

I want to thank Gary Frazee for finding my wallet and the Sheriff's Office for delivering it to me.

Three weeks ago, I accidentally dropped it in a restaurant. The place was crowded and I did not notice it missing until the next day. we searched everywhere, inside and out, but did not find it.

Last Monday (May 6), Gary found it in the bushes on a street behind the elementary school. It was stripped of everything important. I have spent many hours canceling cards and replacing driver's license, Social Security and such.

It saddens me to think anyone in our town could not return a wallet with all kinds of ID inside.

Maggie Bull

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To the Editor:

Thank you for the article about National History Day in your last issue (The Nugget, May 8, page 1). Attending the competitions at both the state and regional levels was very educational, interesting and challenging to our young people.

I believe that all the students who participated in the event should be congratulated. There are many, many hours of hard work invested in producing an entry of this magnitude for National History Day.

Many of the sixth grade students from our school participated and although they may not be eligible to attend the National competition this year, as a parent, I know how much time and energy they put into these various entries.

So, I would like to say, congratulations! I am very proud of you! So, hats off to you...

Kelsey White; Jake Sonnier; Nolan Tichener; Kelcy Blann; Charlie Phillips; Evan Sims; Katie Taylor; Rebeccah Lovegren.

Good job! You're all winners in my book!

Paula Lovegren