Letters, letters, letters

Last updated Dec 14, 2004 12:0pm0

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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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 recent Oregon Leadership Summit, an Intel spokesman noted that only one-fifth of 395 four-year college graduates the company has hired in this state in recent years came from Oregon schools.

Only 11 percent of master's degree holders were hired locally. Only seven of 441 doctoral students in engineering and computer science came from the Oregon school system. This in a company that employs 15,000 in Oregon.

Anyone interested in the difficulties facing schools in the state should plan to attend this Wednesday's Town Hall meeting: What Can Be Done to Stabilize School Funding?

Senator Ben Westlund, the Oregon School Boards Association and the advocacy group Stand for Children will be presenting the facts on school funding trends (per pupil spending, administrative costs and the like), the view from the legislature and what can be done, both locally and more broadly.

If you are concerned about loss of school days, increased class sizes, cuts in school music, arts and honors programs, and endless fundraisers that are never enough, come and make your views known.

Town Hall meeting on education, Wednesday, December 15, 7 to 9 p.m., GFP Enterprises, 307 W. Sisters Park Dr., Sisters (see related story).

Sincerely,

Merry Ann Moore

Committee for Sisters School Children

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To the Editor:

The McDonald's isn't really about McDonald's. Or about Cache Mountain. Or nice people. Or burgers. Or "give back."

To allow one of the biggest multinational corporations in the world into this town is a huge mistake.

Aesthetics aside, it gives any and every other exploitive fast food, big box, junk-o-rama corporate monster the most powerful tool in their kit to position themselves in or around Sisters wherever they can figure out a spot they can wrench into compliance.

That tool is legal precedent.

So what direction do we take? This is the real debate, the point around which the decision should be made. Do we --the good people of Sisters -- actually and wholeheartedly want to open the door to unstoppable corporate development because it carries a price we will surely pay? Let's not just watch this happen.

If we want to protect Sisters from an invasion that will be inevitable, we need to do it with this decision, right now.

It may be our last best chance.

Melissa Ward

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To the Editor:

I read that McDonald's is proposing a restaurant in Sisters. Get this: Ashland has had a McDonald's for over 15 years, on a busy highway, 1/4 mile from I-5. Three weeks ago, McDonald's closed. Didn't move or remodel. Just closed.

They said they did not have enough business to justify staying open.

Funny thing, because like Sisters, Ashland is a tourist town. You would have thought the tourists and travelers along I-5 would be enough to keep McDonald's open. However, most locals did not go.

I truly believe that the locals, by not patronizing McDonald's, contributed to the closing. Something to think about.

Keith Massie

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To The Editor:

I find it amusing that the opponents against Cache Mountain Development, who originally called themselves "Citizens Against McDonald's," are now calling themselves "Citizens for Responsible Land Use" and are now denying that McDonald's was their main issue for trying to block Cache Mountain Development's project.

Lois Lloyd

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To the Editor:

Though I generally agree with Mr. Guggenheim's disparaging remarks in last week's "Letters" regarding the blighted, black-eyed couplets of Sandy, Madras, and Redmond, they are poor analogies for Sisters.

Each consists of two adjacent one-way streets onto which ALL of the highway traffic is directed ALL the time, all at speeds of 30-35 rather than our 20.

What is proposed for Sisters is a "pressure-relief" system that leaves the bulk of the highway traffic on Cascade, traveling at the same speed on the same route it travels now. Cascade would remain the most direct and preferred route through town, by design. Hood and Main would be available on either side of Cascade as a way for traffic to flow smoothly through town, also at 20 mph, on those days when traffic backs up on Cascade.

These two streets are secondary to the primary and traditional route, Cascade, which remains the formally designated highway.

This was NOT the configuration advocated by ODOT, but rather the considered recommendation of 15 or so of your fellow citizens who spent 40-50 hours apiece in study, meetings, and discussion agonizing over how to preserve Sisters' unique character while providing an effective mechanism to manage our severe but intermittent traffic problem.

There's a copy of the Couplet Refinement Plan at City Hall. Anyone who wants to make an informed and meaningful contribution to this important and very controversial discussion will need to read it and understand it.

Pot shots grounded in the fermenting pool of local hearsay are a far less effective form of opposition than reasoned arguments based in fact.

In closing I would like to thank Mr. Guggenheim for offering an affordable option that would actually work. The British study he quoted suggests road closures as a traffic reduction measure. I suggest we start with Highway 20, at Suttle Lake.

John Rahm

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To the Editor:

With the snow falling, I was hoping that you would allow me to reach out to my fellow snowmobilers.

Our season is upon us and I am very passionate about our sport. I wanted to take the time to remind those who enjoy this wonderful outdoor activity how important it is to be respectful of others and to our environment.

It is a privilege and not a right for us to be able to ride our wonderful trail system and beyond. Slow down when our fellow citizens on skis, snow shoes, dog sleds or foot, are present. Stay on the trail when required and stay out of the wilderness. Be safe, stay to the right, take it easy and don't speed in the parking lots to show off. This does not impress people; quite the opposite.

Our sport can be a little obnoxious if we don't be conscientious of others and our surroundings. If you truly love to ride, we all have to practice being responsible or we will continue to lose our riding areas.

For many years now snowmobiles can have almost unlimited power straight out of the box. So why insist on adding an after-market pipe that is twice as loud or more. This is just one more negative impression people will get. Instead of buying the after-market product, apply those dollars toward a machine that the factory had designed with more power, by their engineers, without all the extra noise.

Please stay involved and support local clubs and take time to join the Oregon State Snowmobile Association (OSSA or Oregonsnow.org) every year as they are our vehicle to help keep our sport alive.

Ride right... Ride smart. Thanks for your time.

Dan Rosauer

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To the Editor:

I wish to thank all those fantastic folks who have continued to send your Campbell's product lables to the elementary school. For a little over a year I have been the Campbell's label lady, and we are doing well.

I am turning this job over to a new resident of our community so please keep up the good work. To those of you who haven't joined in on this project, it is so easy and costs you only a minute or two.

There is a box at Ray's Food Place on check stand one or you can use the box in the office at the elementary school.

This does a lot of good for our children and it cost us no taxes. It is important to keep the front of the label in good shape.

Thanks again,

Sammy Corfield

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To the Editor:

I think of this often but felt this is as good a time as any to share my thoughts. During this holiday season of hope, love, sharing, and caring I would like to say thank you to the wonderful citizens of Sisters and surrounding community.

This time of year most of us are preoccupied with commercial preparation and celebration. Many are far too busy to take on a new task. But the people of Sisters never cease to amaze me. For you all are a giving bunch. I'm fortunate to know you and truly appreciate your thoughtfulness. I am the SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) coordinator at the elementary school and I see many gifts being exchanged this year, none of which you'll find under a tree.

This year we have 54 students in the program and 65 permanent volunteer readers. We have 22 substitute readers and every student is reading twice per week (that's not to say I'm not interested if you want to volunteer!).

The teachers and school staff have been awesome to work with. To top that, we have a wonderful, unsolicited bookstore promotion with patron "Angels" helping out, too. Incredible!