Letters to the Editor 07/16/2008

To the Editor:

We believe there is a simple change that can be made at the Barclay/Highway 20 intersection that would significantly reduce the number and severity of accidents there.

The change is simple: extend the 35 mph speed zone to beyond the McDonald's/Chevron intersection (Rail Way).

With the current and future development in that vicinity it's almost certain that the speed limit will eventually be reduced anyway, why not do it now?

Joyce and Glenn Brown

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To the Editor:

I am not sure what adding new speed limit signs and lowering the limit further out of town is going to accomplish.

Traffic coming into, going through, and leaving Sisters is already ignoring the posted speed limits, pedestrian right of way, and stop signs on the side streets. Anyone trying to make a left turn, or even a right turn for that matter, onto Cascade knows that it isn't always the amount of traffic, but how fast they are going, that makes it difficult and downright dangerous.

The letter writer who said that 15 cars passed before they could get across the street in a crosswalk was lucky they got across so fast.

A light at Barclay would be a disaster. I recently passed through a town that had a signal at an intersection and a sign that said, "Don't Take Green for Granted." That says it all.

Now there is talk of "right turn only" signs at Barclay. Short of a barricade on the center divide, these signs will also be ignored.

Until Sisters has a way of consistently enforcing the current and any new posted signs and various other violations that are a common occurrence on our streets, the situation will only get worse. It is time that the "powers that be" look towards establishing our own police force and not depend on an already overused, busy county sheriff's department.

Diana Field

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To the Editor:

The recent passing of John Bolton reminded me that while many accomplishments of an individual are known by the public, often some accomplishments go unrecognized.

"What are we going to do about it?" John asked me one summer day several years ago. We were sitting outside at a local business open house and the "what" was an announced plan by a millionaire and his attorney to trade many acres of juniper and sagebrush in the Steens Mountains of southeast Oregon for National Forest land along Whychus Creek (then Squaw Creek) just south of Sisters.

This local land was prime public land, but the Forest Service could not take any public position for or against the exchange, but we both knew they were opposed to it.

We put our heads together along with others in the community and began a major effort to tell the public what was about to be lost. Our combined efforts led to a public forum attended by 200 concerned citizens, all but five opposed to the land exchange. Together, the community successfully opposed the efforts of a U.S. Senator, a major local environmental organization, a national environmental organization, a local environmental lawyer, a newspaper, and the millionaire to make the exchange.

A few weeks later, John and I met privately with Rep. Greg Walden who assured us the proposed land exchange was a dead issue.

And it all began with John's question, "What are we going to do about it?"

Jim Fisher

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To the Editor:

I'm one of the life-long Sisters residents who had never been up to the falls before last week's article ("Chush Falls a unique Sisters attraction," The Nugget, July 2, page 18).

Our family had a great outing. My thanks.

I might have taken from the author's disdain for the new name of our "crick", that he had a bit of an attitude. I'm sure he didn't intend or foresee the discomfort, annoyance and outright fear of some of the visitors we encountered on the trail who had expected an "easy" hike at the end of a drive "accessible to passenger cars."

His attitude would be better suited to the B-Bar-B (a venerable but long-gone Sisters watering hole) than the pages of The Nugget.

Ben Walsh

Portland, Oregon