Letters to the Editor 11/26/2008

To the Editor:

Now that the City Council race is over, it's time to think about what it means. 

Recently released certified results from the county showed that only Kellstrom was elected by a majority of the voters.  And the difference between second and fifth place was a mere 25 votes, barely over 1 percent of the votes cast. 

So what were the voters saying?  After all, the candidates all agreed on many important issues: supporting the Sisters vision, preserving the current urban growth boundary, and supporting an alternate route for Highway 20 rather than a couplet. 

The winning candidates seem to think the voters liked their ideas about attracting business, so they now plan to deliver on their promise to "welcome economic development" or put Sisters into "the economic development business."

But the newly elected councilors should approach their roles with the humility that their narrow victory requires.  Jerry Bogart, so quick to "hit the ground running," beat Mayor Boyd by a mere eight votes, Holzman by 15. He and his colleagues should "hit the ground listening" in order to find out what Sisters voters actually want.

An election this close gives no mandate for getting into "the economic development business" or any other difference between the candidates.  The City Council should evaluate any new action carefully, with citizen input, rather than assuming they already have permission to proceed.  For example, an economic development director might be a good idea, but the council needs to tell the citizens what services they plan to curtail or fees they will raise in order to fund this.

Winning the election did not give the "victors" the right to act on their instincts, only the obligation to serve the people of Sisters.  I urge the City Council to set priorities only after consulting with their constituents.

Eva Eagle

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To the Editor:

I have been reading with interest the articles about making the "alternate route" down Locust Street and through the Industrial Park that is used for Quilt Show and any other busy time a permanent route with a roundabout at Locust and Barclay Drive.

We have lived here for 22 years and almost from the beginning there has been talk and arguments about how best to address the traffic problem through Sisters.

A bypass; Hood and Main being a one-way street with Cascade being a pedestrian mall or remaining the same; and other variations on a theme. No one ever agrees and nothing gets accomplished.

The permanent "alternate route" seems the best solution, although it means something must be done where Barclay Drive meets Highway 20. That dangerous intersection needs a traffic light or perhaps the alternate route will have to join the highway further west.

The roundabout at Locust and Barclay should work very well if we learn from Bend's mistakes and make it huge, so big trucks are not riding up over the edge.

My last point is that the speed limit on Barclay should be changed to 25 or preferably 30 miles per hour. We want to encourage through traffic to use that route and 20 miles per hour in that open area is ridiculous. I avoid that stretch as one can go 40 miles per hour on Locust until almost in town and I understand that the speed limit through the Industrial Park is strictly enforced.

Mickey Duehren

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To the Editor:

Dear Mr. Morgan: Tell your friend that all children deserve an education whether they are disabled or healthy. As far as the bus seen driving with no child on it, there was a child on it. It is our extended learning bus that transports kids that need extra help.

Our buses hold 84 children at three to a seat. Fifty-six average children fit comfortably and the average for our buses is 60 kids. This does not include our special needs bus which comes out to a 70 percent average capacity. Our routes go every direction and we try to be as efficient as possible.

The buses with tinted windows are designed to keep vandalism down and the inside cooler on hot fall and spring days, not so you cannot see how many children are on the bus!

If you were to watch the buses in the morning, you would notice they are mostly at capacity and they get depleted as students are let off at each school. It is the same on the routes going home; it is simple math. We here at the district go further than most people in other jobs because people like you keep making the district look bad.

OAR 581-053-0002 says school districts shall provide transportation in compliance with all applicable laws and administrative rules. So get your facts straight before you start making accusations. Our new administration, Superintendent Elaine Drakulich and Director of Operations Leland Bliss, have been and still are trying to mend damage done in the past and get the trust of the public.

I am one who would know because I am the district mechanic. At the transportation department we work hard at staying within our budget, with parts and supplies costs soaring over 30 percent, and getting bids on the best part for the cheapest cost. The transportation supervisor optimizes routes to save fuel.

Gene O'Brien