Letter to the Editor 09/16/2009

To the Editor:

My sister Cathy was hosting a breakfast conference at Windows on the World, on the top floor of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

After the plane hit, she was trapped. I like to believe that she was overcome by the smoke, somehow that seems kinder than her having to ride the building down as it fell.

She was a single mom, living and working in the shadow of those huge buildings. I grew up in those buildings, used to go to lunch, visit my mom at work (on the 86th floor) and shop in them all the time. My mother and father, brother, his wife and two children all live in Battery Park City, also in the shadow of those buildings (three blocks away).

I never, ever get to experience this anniversary without having to watch my sister die on television, again and again and again. We never found her, she turned to dust in that black hole. No burial, no grave stone, nothing. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her and miss her.

What a waste, she was 41, beautiful and very much alive, and now she's gone, for what? Geo-political-religious conflict? The Palestinian/Israeli conflict? I still don't understand what the heck any of that means or why America should be involved.

What I do know for a fact is this: 15 of those bastard hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. They were born there, raised and educated there. In the America that I once knew this would have been black and white, not grey, it would have been grounds enough for our country to declare war on the folks that really did this to us.

But we never did, why? For oil? Because the Saudis are such good $140 per barrel oil buddies of ours? I just don't get it. They kill 3,000 Americans and we smile and pay $4 a gallon for gas?

Well, Cathy's still dead, her daughter Kate is an orphan and the Saudis are still the richest SOBs on the planet. They kidnap our children and force them to be sex slaves, they own our presidents and claim to control our military (actually the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia called our soldiers "his dogs")...

Go figure, I can't. I still seem to be the only one that's really mad about this. Why aren't other people mad? They ought to be.

Andrew T. Gorayeb

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To the Editor:

The Sisters Area Veterans Assistance Program (SAVAP) thanks the citizens and businesses of the Sisters area for their wholehearted support over these past few months. We now have our filing with the IRS for 501(c)(3) non-profit, registered with the State of Oregon.

Our mission is to provide assistance to veterans that are not able to apply for medical treatment at the VA clinic in Bend or VA hospital in Portland.

This application process can be confusing and, if not done correctly, would cause a delay in the approval for a Veterans Administration ID card. By helping the vets in this process it would allow them to go directly to the Bend clinic for immediate registration.

This initial process would enable veterans to make appointments with various medical facilities in Bend and with the agencies in the Portland area. Time is essential to ensure the veteran gets as much immediate attention as possible.

Our organization depends primarily on contributions, grants and/or fundraisers at the various events that are held each year in the Sisters area. We are an all-volunteer group; nearly all members are veterans themselves that see a definite need to help those vets that sometimes fall through the crack, because they just don't know who to talk to or where to begin the process.

We have a service officer that works with the VFW and American Legion in the preparation of these forms. Two members of our volunteer staff are on call 24/7. Many vets can't get to the Bend VA office due to lack of transportation, illness or their work schedule.

Contributions are seriously needed to cover some of the initial costs of procuring office equipment, supplies and the possibility of renting a small office in Sisters. Our intent is to man the office a minimum of five days a week, with additional on-call nights and weekends.

There is currently a huge need for this service, and as service members begin to return home to Central Oregon, the need will even get bigger.

Contributions can be made through the South Valley Bank in Sisters in the name of Sisters Area Veterans Assistance Program or send to Sisters Area Veterans Assistance Program, P.O. Box 1535 Sisters, OR 97759.

Receipts will be provided to all donors.

Your SAVAP staff,

Tom Barrier (541) 408-5594

Juan Sanchez (818) 634-0735

Tom Salgado (541) 410-4293

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To the Editor:

The 14th fabulous folk festival featured fantastic favorites! Wouldn't miss the Sisters Folk Festival for anything! Thanks to everyone who made it possible. Already looking forward to the 15th.

Paul and Sue Edgerton