Letters to the Editor 08/29/2007

To the Editor:

I thought the era of hubris which allowed folks to build a tunnel through an old growth sequoia so motorists could drive through and pose beside the tree ended in the past century.

But then came Fidelity National Financial. Fidelity proposes to build between 500-1,000 homes in a portion of Skyline Forest located in the middle of a national forest.

They really should receive an Oscar for this sheer act of arrogance.

Forest Road 4606 passes near the proposed development. During the winter, this road is closed to motorized vehicles to ameliorate the stress snowmobiles, cars and trucks would have on the mule deer, elk and other animals who make their living in this part of the woods. Imagine the effect a city the size of Sisters will have situated where no one is currently meant to drive.

A few years ago, I housed two Swiss exchange students during a homestay visit. They marveled at the empty, unsettled land that is Skyline Forest. One night while searching the skies for shooting stars, they remarked on the value of knowing no people reside in certain areas.

"It is too late for Switzerland," they said. "You cannot travel anywhere and not see lights burning in the woods, strings of lights climbing the mountains and people living everywhere. There is no wilderness in Switzerland. Don't let that happen here."

Some say that we need to be creative when dealing with a development "on an unprecedented scale." Or maybe, precedent should remain unaltered. Maybe if two 16-year-old teenagers can grasp the concept, we should pay attention to what they are saying. Maybe enough is enough.

Trudy Berne

s s s

To the Editor:

Residents of Sisters and outlying communities should listen to what Fidelity National Financial has to offer in exchange for local support for the company's development of between 5,000 and 7,000 acres of Skyline Forest.

But we should do so with a large dose of skepticism and caution. No matter what is promised in a quid pro quo deal, we potentially stand to lose much more than we gain.

Nobody has yet talked about the impact that Fidelity National's mammoth development would have on Whychus Creek's water levels and efforts to restore the creek's historical resources.

The northwest corner of Skyline Forest overtakes Three Creek Road about five miles south of Sisters. Over a dozen roads lead out of the Skyline Forest's western boundary to Three Creek Road - the gateway to Whychus Creek, southern portions of the Metolius Windigo Trail, Three Creeks Lake and trailheads for the Three Sisters Wilderness.

Should Fidelity National's gargantuan development be allowed, the impact to this beloved Recreation Area could well turn it into a Wreck Creation Area.

But the biggest impacts will likely be felt closer to home by residents of Sisters, Tollgate and Crossroads. How will the thousands of new residents of Fidelity National's new development travel west to the Willamette Valley from their homes and back? Probably initially through Sisters' already congested streets.

But you can also bet that ODOT would ram through a plan for a Sisters southern bypass that will reroute highway traffic past the doorsteps of homes in Crossroads and Tollgate, degrading quality of life and property values. And ODOT's deferred eastbound passing lane on Highway 20 two miles west of Sisters? It would be a done deal.

Sisters is currently a lovely, little town in an area whose natural beauty and peaceful lifestyle are the envy of all who visit. Let's keep it that way.

Michael Cooper

s s s

To the Editor:

My grandmother lived in Sisters many years ago when it was a much different place. She lived in a cabin alone and cut her own firewood at age 80!

I am glad that she never witnessed her beloved land of Sisters and all of Central Oregon become the commodity of real estate investors and developers that it is today.

Back then, promises of "preservation" tied to agreements for development were tricks that no one would buy.

My suggestion is that the entire forest be cut down, developed and sold immediately in order to avoid this slow death happening in Central Oregon today. Why not just get it over with?

Lance Moore

s s s

To the Editor:

Re: Skyline forest proposal: I hope the politicians don't let this happen. There are lots of deer and occasionally elk in that area. It would be a shame to drive them further into already developed neighborhoods.

The traffic that the development would create would be almost unmanageable. We are not developed to the point of bringing in an additional 2000 families. I'm thinking of the schools and the other services Sisters would have to provide.

I vote a big NO.

Kathy Hansbrough

s s s

To the Editor:

The recent articles about the propriety of the Sisters School District issuing $2.1 million in full faith and credit obligation bonds without a vote of the residents of the district should be the concern of everyone.

According to the article in The Nugget of August 22, these bonds were sold on the basis of an opinion from the law firm of K&L Gates in Portland that a vote of the people was not necessary. One of the partners of the firm, Ann Sherman, was the bond counsel who represented the school district in the issuance of the full faith and credit obligations. You can be sure she received substantial compensation for her efforts, and the bigger question is if this is a conflict of interest that the school board should have considered when following her advice.

It matters little that the Oregon Department of Education approved of this tactic to circumvent the requirement that approval of the bonds must first be put to the vote of the people. This is like having the fox tell you that he is doing a good job guarding the hen house.

The only government agency that could approve the legality of the transaction is the Oregon Department of Justice under Hardy Myers. Since no opinion was apparently sought, or yet to be given, this is a very controversial action taken by the Sisters School Board.

It is now a done deal; the school board itself cannot be sued even if the action was illegal, and how could a taxpayer claim damages against the law firm? Perhaps they found a loophole in the law; perhaps not, but we just don't yet know if it is legal. If the issuance of these bonds does turn out to be illegal, it will put a sorry face on the entire school board and further erode public confidence in a body that is not always trusted.

It is time for all of us to demand that an end be put to this practice by writing to Oregon Rep. Gene Whisnant for legislative action if necessary but better yet to demand that our school board bring the issue to the voters before they spend our money, just like Measure 50 requires.

Ken Ehlers

s s s

To the Editor:

School will be starting in a couple weeks and still nothing, absolutely NOTHING, has been done about the speeding on East Cascade Avenue.

Big trucks, small trucks and cars roar over this street all daylight hours. No patrol cars, though we see an unmanned speed control car parked here and there (and a lot of times in the town hall parking area).

The whole idea is ridiculous. The way to stop speeding is to hand out tickets to the violators. This city and its so-called police force should be ashamed of themselves.

Jane Lawson

s s s

To the Editor:

I would like to draw attention to an ugly little red and white NO Trespassing sign on one of our county roads. Shame on you whoever put up the no trespassing sign on Jordan Road where it comes off of Highway 20. Shame on you who are trying to keep the public off of public lands and, in this case, one of the oldest routes through Central Oregon.

Jordan Road has been a county road since long before Sisters or Redmond were towns. Currently between Highway 20 and Cloverdale Road, the road, with a 60-foot easement, is open to bicycles, foot traffic, horses, wheelchairs, llamas, donkey carts and other non-motorized conveyances.

From Sisters, after a brief spell on Highway 20, Jordan Road provides a lovely route between Sisters and Cloverdale and Fryrear roads and BLM lands to the east.

May I suggest that you take down your offensive little sign and put up a nice interpretive sign. You could say: "Welcome. You are about to travel on Jordon Road, one of Central Oregon's oldest county roads. This road was established in 1879 by A.J. Warrin as a road connecting the Cascades routes to Prineville. From Sisters, the road travels to Cloverdale, upper Dry Canyon, to Barr Road. It crosses the Deschutes River at Tetherow Crossing (also est.1879) and goes to the Crooked River near Smith Rock. It was a vital conduit for early settlers to the area. Early settlements like Cloverdale and Sisters sprung up along the route to provide travelers food, supplies and rest, etc."

If you are clever, you might even be able to find pictures of the route - or perhaps Sisters Country Historical Society would be happy to help you make a map.

Michele Morseth