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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

A copy of a recent edition of The Nugget was brought to me by an irate Sisters resident in which you refer to the OSP as an "anachronistic" agency whose only function has been replaced with cell phones.

I am the Bend Area Commander and have been so for over eight years. In those eight years I have never been contacted by you for any factual information on functions and/or performance of the OSP.

I would enjoy the opportunity to do so.

I certainly understand that your opinion may differ from mine on the performance and need for the Oregon State Police but hopefully I can at least provide you with some factual information from which you can draw your conclusions.

Ron Nelson, Lieutenant

Bend Area Command

Oregon State Police

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To the Editor:

Being a State Policeman for over 18 years I have some thoughts and questions about your article:

How recent was the flight to Eastern Oregon in the King Air? Was it past administration or current?

How have I been distorting highway statistics to justify my existence?

I deal with many people each day that would disagree with your "us versus the public" attitude. What do you mean by that?

Your article is similar to one previously written. What is your real motivation behind them?

Eric Brown

Editor's reply:

Both Lieutenant Nelson and Sgt. Brown of OSP suggested that our editorial was not based on facts, but while each responded quite personally, neither provided facts of their own.

However, a clarification is needed: We recognize that many of the individuals working for the OSP are fine men and women and probably excellent police officers.

That said, the idea that the public would suddenly erupt in a frenzy of reckless driving if we eliminated OSP troopers in unmarked cars monitoring radar guns is false.

We could hire two teachers in Sisters for the cost of one OSP senior trooper giving speeding tickets on the Santiam Pass. That is a choice we would make.

E.D.

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To the Editor:

Several years ago, the State of Oregon in all their wisdom, decided to cut the number of troopers working from the Gilchrist Barracks.

The reaction of the people who depend upon them to enforce Oregon State Law? "The area will be overrun with every crook that is looking for a haven!" Was it? Yes.

Mayhap those of this great state should look to the record of all of the county deputies. We, here in northern Klamath County, must depend upon the OSP almost exclusively.

We are graced with one overworked deputy who must cover all of the residences from Chemult to the Deschutes County line and from Willamette Pass to Lake County.

Yes, Oregon school are not now comparable to the Oregon schools when I graduated from high school in 1958. Back in my time teachers taught classes then doubled as instructors in sports, driver training, and anything else the Superintendent could assign to that poor, underpaid, overworked person.

And bless them all, I ended up with a very good education for a school with only 412 high school students.

Yes, there is a budget crunch. Yes, the school budgets are always cut, right along with a lot of other budgets. Do you really believe that if the OSP is eliminated, the schools would be enriched? Don't you ever believe it!

Who will pay for the county deputies? Each and every person who lives in any county in the state will pay larger tax bills -- be they state or local.

Another, perhaps larger, point to be made on the idea of eliminating the OSP. Who will be there when those county deputies need assistance? You? Your neighbors? Your newspaper? I think not.

Law enforcement must be left in the hands of trained professionals. Any other hands are called vigilantes. Check Oregon history on the vigilantes and why the state decided to hire professionals.

Iola L. Johnson, Gilchrist

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To the Editor:

I read your (editorial) in The Nugget about the Oregon State Police. I would like to tell you what the state police means to us here in Gilchrist and through our great state.

You stated that county deputies could better do their (OSP) jobs at less cost. Where are we going to get all of these deputies? We have one deputy who patrols all of Northern Klamath County. Ninety percent of his work takes him into the many subdivisions we have.

Police protection here in Northern Klamath County comes from the state police. We live and travel on one of the most dangerous highways in the state, Highway 97.

Our troopers work long hours keeping us safe. If the budget was cut like you suggest then our lives would be in danger.

I used to think if you needed a cop go to the nearest cafe, you would find one having coffee. One day I went for a ride along with the state police. That was all I needed to change my attitude.

You stated that on a recent mission top OSP officers flew in a multi-million dollar King Air. Please don't judge all of the state police by what a few might have done wrong.

Our game trooper works countless hours protecting our wildlife from illegal hunting and fishing.

We had two fine troopers killed in the line of duty September 2 1997, near Crescent. It was mushroom season in our area which means thousands, not hundreds, of people invading into our small community of Crescent Lake.

One of the troopers worked that night on his day off so the other trooper wouldn't have to work alone. We had a trooper shot two years ago working by himself, he still works many nights without back up because there isn't enough money in the budget to hire new troopers.

It is the state police who protect us. If you had your way we would have no state police protection here in Gilchrist and through out the state.

If our kids can not get to school safely then what good would it be to take two-thirds of the OSP general fund budget, $100 million, and spend it on schools? We need blue troopers on highway patrol.

It would improve the livability of Oregon to increase the number of troopers on our highways not decrease like you suggest.

Stella Wright, Gilchrist

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To the Editor:

As I always pick up The Nugget on Wednesday morning, I picked up last week's (June 5). I read the Letters to the Editor and was appalled to read Mr. Lippert's letter.

I am amazed at the gall an uninformed person can possess. I just graduated from Sisters High School last week and I want to tell Mr. Lippert about the school district he lives in.

First of all, he is lucky to live in a district that truly cares about the students. Every single teacher and staff member in Sisters loves every single student. When he wrote his letter, he must not have remembered the many different fund-raisers that the community puts on to help fund our schools.

How many other school districts have community members who put in their resources to build and sell a house, all of the proceeds going to the schools (Adair baseball fund-raiser)? Who else has huge musical performances come to our little town and put on a concert for free (Starry Nights)? Part of the livability of any community is its school system, and we have an excellent one.

I know that $600 sounds like a lot of money, but it is a $1.64 a day investment into the future. The students coming out of Sisters will be your doctors, your lawyers and your leaders of tomorrow.

If the taxes going to the schools, not Mr. Swisher, still bother you, I'm sure Mr. Reed would help put your house on the market. Maybe then you can move to a community that doesn't care.

Haley Gordon

Class of 2002

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To the Editor:

Your editorial comment regarding Britain's Royals made me sad and angry ("A royal pain," The Nugget, June 2).

It is no wonder that people in the rest of the world are perceived as holding the United States in such low esteem, when people such as you spout such drivel.

Anyone who lives in a country where they "rent out rooms" at the leader's house, and/or members of government are investigated as suspects in the disappearance of young people who work for them, and where the president is investigated for "inappropriate" behavior with female young people ought to be more sensitive when making such public comments as you have.

To use your own publication as your personal soapbox is distasteful, arrogant, and conceited. Your time might be better spent "reporting the news," rather than trying to be "the news maker."

Tom Anderson

Editor's reply:

Our friend Tom Anderson is Canadian. Queen Elizabeth of England is also Queen of Canada, a wonderful country that did not cut strings to the mother country as decisively as did the U.S.

We failed to note that in celebrating her great works last February the Canadian Prime Minister lauded her for bearing witness to national growth, being present for important events, being committed to Canada and having affection for Canadians.

She must have been exhausted at the end of the day. -- E.D.

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To the Editor:

The entries this year were bigger and better, making the 62nd Sisters Rodeo Parade a great success.

Without your participation it couldn't have happened. Thank you to all of you who participated.

The volunteer team we had worked very hard this year as it was the largest entry year we have worked with. Thank you each and every one.

A special "thank you" to the Sisters Chamber Special Events Team that assisted us; our jobs were easier because of you. What a community asset this team is.

Participants, take a break and start thinking about the 2003 Sisters Rodeo Parade, we hope to see you there.

Sisters Rodeo Parade Committee,

Ron Alexander, Director, Alinda Dunn, Vickie Allen and Marcia Williams, Co-Chairpersons

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To the Editor.

The Kiwanis Club of Sisters fourth annual Rummage Sale on May 31 and June 1 was a resounding success.

Funds raised this year totaled $4,500. All of these funds will be returned to our community in the form of programs for the children of Sisters.

The Kiwanis Club extends our thanks to all the merchants and residents who donated goods to the sale, the Kiwanis members who sorted, priced, and hauled all those items, the volunteers who conducted the sale, and to all the people who attended the sale.

Once again, our community has demonstrated that people can come together to help one another. We look forward to Rummage Sale 2003 and the opportunity to continue to serve our community.

Leart Jett, Rummage Sale Chairperson