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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:

Jim Cornelius' article on the Pelton Dam relicensing settlement (The Nugget, July 14, page 1) rightly describes the agreement as a potential landmark in efforts to reintroduce steelhead (and possibly chinook salmon) to streams like the Metolius River and Squaw Creek.

But the article gives the reader the impression that the licensee, Portland General Electric (PGE), is committing $135 million out of deep commitment to fish restoration.

There may be individuals at PGE who possess such a commitment, but the public ought to bear in mind that the utility built the dam over the strenuous objections of the State of Oregon, which unsuccessfully fought the project all the way to the Supreme Court.

At the time the utility promised that Central Oregon salmon and steelhead runs would be preserved, but its trap and transport plan quickly failed and those runs were extinguished in the 1960s. So, for nearly four decades PGE has been able to make considerable profits off of a public resource and a broken promise concerning the fish.

Now that PGE's license is about to expire, several things have changed. Most prominently, rather than possibly see the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs win the relicensing competition, the utility became a relicensing partner with the tribes. The tribes have a deep commitment to the salmon runs of the Deschutes Basin and that commitment is a prime reason for the recent settlement.

Moreover, federal fishery and land management agencies, like the Forest Service, have an important role to play in relicensing dams. Under current law, the Pelton complex (which is actually three dams) could not be relicensed over their objections. The Bush Administration's energy bill, now stalled in the Senate, would weaken that authority, but as things now stand, the utility would have to meet conditions set by federal resource agencies.

So, while there may be a degree of public spiritedness behind the utility's willingness to fund the experimental water tower to guide migrating fish to collection facilities and the purchase of water for instream flows necessary to meet water temperature standards for fish survival, the utility's new partner and the legal regime confronting its relicensing efforts are the real reasons for the settlement.

Michael Blumm

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To the Editor:

John Rahm's column in the July 21 issue of The Nugget is right on the money. He has laid out the future growth of Sisters for all to see -- and for everyone to work at and bring forth with as little confusion as possible.

If anyone who lives in and around Sisters thinks for one minute that the traffic will thin, the crowds will go away, or the "Sisters of Old" will be resurrected, they had better think again.

Growth, whether some like it or not, is a natural factor of man and nature. Man can never stand still, and neither will nature; if they do, both will stagnate. When fire empties the landscape nature begins filling it again before the smoke cools -- and it's not haphazard. We have to be just as resilient.

Growth, in every form we can dream up, will happen to Sisters, repeatedly. McDonald's, affordable housing and the movie theatre are just the beginning. Wait till the Lazy Z and Patterson's llama outfit are annexed into the city. Wait till the lands zoned for forest-use are changed, building density skyrockets and deer migration corridors are plugged. Wait till LCDC shudders its last and is buried. The mountains will still be there, but you'll have to work harder to see them, and "open space" will be hard to come by.

With all the growth that's coming, traffic will still flow through and around Sisters, but now is the time to quit posturing for selfish things and put together a plan that will work -- not for just YOU -- but for the good of the community.

Shucks, we might even have to plan for Sisters International Airport -- control tower and all... That is, if it doesn't fill up with houses first.

We can insure that the charm of Sisters Laura Dobbins and John speak of in their letters of July 21 is never spoiled. All it will take is a lot more TLC and harmonious thinking.

Jim Anderson

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To the Editor:

I've been wondering if anybody (including ODOT and the city council) has ever given any thought to putting in traffic control devices i.e. stop-and-go lights, pedestrian walk/wait signals, etc. instead of completely changing the streets and thoroughfares?

Wouldn't traffic control devices give everybody a chance to move instead of just traffic on Hwy 20? Planners: give it some thought maybe that's the way to go in Sisters. Devices wouldn't have to be at every intersection just some of them and I dare say that would be a lot less expensive and would not totally change the traffic flow in town.

Diana Raske Lovgren

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To the Editor:

FivePine Development Partners are to be congratulated on a thoughtful FivePine plan that is innovative, environmentally sensitive and includes land uses that will be a complement to the Sisters community.

Unfortunately in trying to create their "pedestrian protected enclave" their plan pushes the burden of traffic and parking on the adjacent residential community. The on-street parking being allowed along the south edge of the project on Coyote Springs Road will cause significant traffic congestion for nearby residents during peak periods.

Project employees/users will no doubt be using the neighborhood as a parking lot and cars turning around in driveways to find adequate parking will be a regular occurrence.

The plan shows a road through the south end of the project which allows access to an adjacent parcel and could easily be expanded slightly to provide an on-site parking solution. Hopefully Mr. Willitts and his partners will reconsider their parking design for this area and show the same level of environmental concern for the surrounding neighborhood, as is being shown in their internal project planning.

Let's not ruin the positive environmental attributes of one development to make way for the next.

Tom Tucker

Coyote Springs Homeowner

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To the Editor:

It seems that everyone has an opinion on the plans to bring McDonald's to Sisters and some have made good points for their arguments. One point that I have not seen made is the future of our existing burger joints.

The Ski Inn and the Sno Cap may well survive the summer, but what about when winter comes? A lot of us tighten our belts in the winter and given a choice, most people would sacrifice quality for price. I have a friend who is employed year round at one of these establishments, and when I asked her what she thought, she tried to maintain a positive attitude saying that they are hoping that their customers remain loyal and that their product is a whole different ballpark as far as quality goes.

I had to admire her attitude because I would probably not feel the same in her position. McDonalds' famous $1 double cheeseburger is going to cost people their jobs.

People have said that McDonald's offers living wage jobs and having been an employee at one before, I can tell you that they don't. It is easy for people who have an easy time paying all the bills to say that. The employment opportunities that McDonald's provides are for high school kids who don't have rent to pay. And considering the cost of renting a home in this area, I find that to be a very serious and valid point.

And as far as I am aware, it is the corporate office that sets the wage caps, so having local folks owning and operating the place isn't going to make a difference in the least.

Personally, I like having to drive 20 miles for a fast food burger. It makes it more of a treat.

And I think it's a shame to not only uglify our pretty little town with a McDonald's, but to disregard the welfare of our workers in this town for the benefit of a few people who probably don't need the money anyway.

Melissa Rivinius

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To the Editor:

I read with extreme interest the Letters to the Editor each week. I enjoy seeing others opinions on all the vastly varying subject matter. I notice that the main point all letters have in common regardless of topic is the option or right of CHOICE.

Whether it is fast food, transportation issues or freedom of speech we should all agree and acknowledge the constitutional right to CHOOSE. If we as a society are given multiple options in any given situation then at least one should be satisfactory to each individual and we should allow that same right to each person.

All choices should remain available even if they are not to our liking or taste and we can again "choose" not to watch, listen, frequent or participate, whatever the fact may be. We should not and cannot be allowed to censor the rights of the whole to conform to the standards of one or a few. This is one of the founding principles of our constitution and what America is built on.

Kimber Webb

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To the Editor,

We at Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store would like to thank the community for their generous donations of time, goods and money. This year we have seen more donations of clothing, housewares, linens and furniture than ever before. You all have helped contribute to our success.

We would also like to apologize for the times that circumstances have forced us to close our donation door early. We want the community to know that this happens only when we have a shortage of volunteers or when the community has given so much, we are literally filled to the ceiling and can take no more.

We would like for everyone to be able to drop off items when it is convenient for them, unfortunately this is not always possible. However, we have some simple guidelines that may help solve this issue for everyone.

As of last week, due to continued volunteer shortages, we will only be able to accept donations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

Items that are donated must be clean and salable. Clothing, linens and upholstered furniture items should not have holes or stains. Housewares such as lamps, dishes and glassware should be intact.

All appliances need to be in good working order. Anything broken can not be used. Also due to lack of space, large item donations such as furniture and appliances need to be arranged in advance. Please call and ask for the manager.

We hope that this change in available donation time will only be temporary, but we need your help. Volunteering for three hours a day once or twice a month could make all the difference in the world, not only for the thrift store, but also for our community and all the people in need that benefit from its success.

Thank you,

Shellie Miller,

Thrift Store Manager

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To the Editor:

I was very pleased to see the young men taking the initiative to start a drive to fund a skate board park.

I am not sure that the location near Sisters High School is the most appropriate. I think there is some merit to looking seriously toward the east end of town (near the weighing station).

I would like to be kept informed and would like to make a donation once things reach that stage. I have talked to John (Barreras) who had a letter in (the July 14) paper. The young people are most fortunate to have him in their corner.

Sincerely,

Lucia Powers

Portland and Sisters resident

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To the Editor:

Many of the plants which Bruce Berryhill labeled as "obnoxious" (in letters appearing in the prior two issues of The Nugget) are actually valuable sources of food and herbal medicine.

The leaves of lambsquarters make a delicious addition to salads, and are rich in vitamins A and C. Native Americans also traditionally used lambsquarters' leaves externally as a poultice to reduce swelling and its seeds for boiled mush or ground flour.

Herbalists often prescribe drinking mullein-leaf tea for coughs, colds and other respiratory complaints and a fomentation of the leaves applied externally for the treatment of hemorrhoids, sciatica, ulcers and tumors. In fact, you may have ingested mullein without even knowing it, as it is one of the key ingredients in Planetary Formulas' Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Syrup, a cold remedy sold in local natural health food stores.

The young stems and leaves of chickweed may be eaten raw or cooked and are rich in iron and vitamin C. Herbalists regularly prescribe chickweed for the treatment of various liver and kidney ailments, respiratory illnesses, rheumatism, hemorrhoids and more.

Even the boiled stems and leaves of common mallow may be eaten sparingly, according to "Wild Edible Plants of the Western United States" (Donald R. Kirk, Naturegraph Publishers). And "The Herb Book" by naturopathic doctor John B. Lust (Bantam Books) informs that the milky juice of wild lettuce "was once commonly used to induce sleep and to treat nervous disorders, and sometimes for whooping cough and bronchial problems," among other uses.

I have personally used all of these plants and consider them to be valuable gifts from nature.

Michael Cooper

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To the Editor:

Here's "a little wake-up call" for Mr. Ernest Hanson of Bend (Letters to the Editor, The Nugget, July 21): "A key responsibility of the civil government is to protect its citizens from attack by wrongdoers. This involves punishing those who break the law. It also involves defending the nation from every external attacker, including nations, other groups of people or dangerous pests and diseases. All these responsibilities are encompassed in the power of the sword (Romans 13:1-8) Therefore, pacifism is not a Christian option." ("Defense and War: A Biblical Perspective," by Ron McKenzie).

That doesn't mean we should go looking for war or make war to expand our boundaries. It means that, as a nation which has been blessed with so much, we are required to defend those who cannot defend themselves.

Saddam had many, many chances to cooperate with the guidelines set forth by the United Nations and he chose to continue in his evil ways. Therefore, we had a responsibility to liberate and defend the Iraqi people.

Someday we will all stand before God and account for our actions. We will also have to account for why we didn't stand up for the weak and oppressed when we had the opportunity.

Christ is about love but He isn't a pansy. During His life he stood firm for truth and justice. In the end, His justice will come to all. Everyone will get exactly what they deserve.

Dawn Richerson

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To the Editor:

My first time to the quilt show. I really enjoyed it but you need more benches, more rest rooms and remove some cars in front of the quilts.

I hope to come again.

Rita Thomas

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To the Editor:

Thank you for printing the various letters that you get from the cranks, as well as the normal Letters to the Editor. That's what makes Sisters special.

Stephen Borchert