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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

I read with extreme interest the guest commentary by City Councilor Lon Kellstrom regarding high/low density.

Congratulations Lon, in admitting you had the wool pulled over your eyes in regards to the density issue in Sisters. You invite people to let the councilors know what our feelings are toward density. I'm appalled that the city council let Neil Thompson run roughshod over you and put in place his idea of what Sisters needs in the way of cramped living and now he doesn't live and work here anymore.

That's one good thing but he was allowed to screw up our town without benefit of public input or formal vote or anything. Where were all the councilors when Thompson decided how things should be?

Former members of the planning commission grew tired and disgusted about the way things were going and quit being on the commission because a deaf ear was turned to their input regarding these issues.

As for me, I vote for four houses to one acre. Is that still possible or has Thompson's influence totally made space between houses a thing of the past?

Respectfully,

Diana Raske Lovgren

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To the Editor:

Opponents of the war against terrorism in Iraq try to paint a picture that Iraqis are not grateful for being liberated from Saddam's murderous regime by the American-led coalition, or as being ungrateful for our sacrifices, but that is far from the truth.

Three of the newly selected leaders of the Iraqi interim government have commented directly on that subject.

In his inaugural address to the Iraqi people last Tuesday, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, said that "I would like to record our profound gratitude and appreciation to the U.S.-led international coalition, which has made great sacrifices for the liberation of Iraq."

No one should have missed that statement because he said it first in Arabic and then in English, so even the media should have been able to understand him. Do you suppose his words would have made front-page headlines if his comments had been negative?

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told the U.N. Security Council much the same thing last Thursday: "We Iraqis are grateful to the coalition who helped liberate us from the persecution of Saddam Hussein's regime. We thank President Bush and Prime Minister Blair for their dedication and commitment."

I wonder why most papers have chosen to ignore those comments? Is the media, per chance, trying to affect the outcome of the next election? Are most papers really just partisan political rags trying to disguise themselves as true "news" papers? What ever happened to truth in reporting that is supposed to be ingrained in reporters?

John Miller

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To the Editor:

Thank you Lon Kellstrom! Thank you for standing up for the majority of residents in the community of Sisters!

We are so lucky to live and work in one of the crown jewels of Oregon. The natural beauty and livability of Sisters is the reason most of us have chosen to live here. Higher housing density will change that livability forever. High density housing has no place in a rural community such as ours.

The course we set for our housing density will forever affect our area. The preservation of our trees, parks, bike trails and open spaces will be in severe jeopardy. Not to mention having your neighbor living right on top of you. What is so bad about having a back yard with a swing set, or a lawn big enough to play a game of croquet or badminton?

With the way things stand now, we will have so many homes on a single acre that you will give up these privileges.

Please don't let us become another Portland, Gresham or Hillsboro.

Our Mayor and City Council have a very important decision to make concerning the future of how our little town will be and look. So the next time you see one of our city leaders, please express your opinion to them as soon as you can. By saying nothing, you may have to live with the consequences.

And the next time you see Lon Kellstrom, be sure to thank him for standing up for what most of you want but haven't expressed: to keep our home town the most livable place in Oregon.

Curt and Lori Kallberg

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To the Editor:

This thank you to the community of Sisters is belated but heartfelt. On behalf of myself and my sons and our extended families, I'd like to thank everyone for the prayers and support offered throughout Rob (Kurtz') illness -- they were the wind beneath our wings.

Thank you to those who organized the bead project and everyone who participated. We will treasure those beads. Thank you, students, for the posters, cards, letters, and emails. More than anything, Mr. Kurtz wanted to return to his classroom and students. Thank you to our friends and colleagues at Sisters schools, the Sisters Library and the CRFPD for your loving support.

I especially want to thank those who planned Rob's memorial and the gathering afterward. When I was at a loss, you stepped up and pulled it all together. Thank you to everyone who spoke at the memorial - friends, students and colleagues. And thank you for recording the service.

Thank you all for the lovely cards and kind thoughts. To everyone who offered assistance and found me at a loss, let me assure you that the hugs and words of comfort offered freely meant more to me than any meal could. Bless you all!

Linda Kurtz