Letters to the Editor 02/17/2010

To the Editor:

I am an avid horseback trail rider who loves to ride the wonderful horse trails on Peterson Ridge. These trails are used by local equestrians, as well as by folks who trailer from all over Central Oregon to enjoy the beautiful forest and spectacular mountain views.

The horse trails are completely separate from the mountain bike trail system on Peterson Ridge, in order to ensure the safety of the horseback riders and to keep the horses' hooves from damaging the tread of the bike trails.

Unfortunately, some local equestrians appear to be intentionally riding on the bike trails, even though they are clearly signed in multiple places as being bike trails where horses are not permitted. It's giving all horseback riders a bad rap.

If you know who may be doing this, please ask them to keep their horses off the bike trails.

The mountain biking community built the bike trail network, and they raised thousands of dollars to have an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared for the Forest Service's trail application process. The mountain bikers were gracious enough to allow the horse community to include several new horse trails under the bicyclists' EIS. The result was that we horseback riders got to create some new horse trails without having to raise the money for our own EIS.

The mountain bikers have been good neighbors to the horseback community, so it's pretty discouraging to see equestrians returning the favor by damaging the trails the bike riders worked so hard to build.

I know how frustrated I feel about ATVs tearing up the trails, and I imagine right about now the mountain bikers are feeling the same way about horseback riders.

So bottom line, if you know anyone who rides horses in the Sisters area, please pass along the word that having horseback riders on the bike trails is giving all equestrians a black eye.

Kim McCarrel

•••

To the Editor:

I hope you vote YES for the gas tax. I hope the citizens of Sisters wake up and realize that without a local gas tax only the taxpaying property owners in the city limits will pay for the town roads.

This gas tax will make it so that all who drive here will pay for the roads.

Look who is against this tax issue: those who do not live in the city limits. Who will pay for their using our roads? We who live here will. A property assessment kind of a tax has been talked about, but roads need to be paid for. The question is WHO will pay?

All, or just those who live in the city, I think it is really the question.

A vote for the gas tax is a vote for users to pay. A no vote is a vote to pay the whole bill. I say no free ride for those who do not live in our town.

David Culver

•••

To the Editor:

I can't imagine how difficult it is going to be to search for a new school superintendent with our current school board.

Our hostile school board micromanages the district, and unfortunately they have a very difficult time understanding the scope of their duties. Often they end up in deep waters which they know nothing about.

Have you ever wondered why it's so difficult to keep a superintendent? Could it be that our current board does not know what they are doing?

Our current school board will lead you to believe that our schools are the best in the state; however, if you read OregonLive.com under Oregon Education, read the article about the top nine schools in the state, you will notice Sisters is not mentioned at all.

The only way to change our schools for the better is to eliminate our current school board. The only way to keep a good superintendent is to eliminate our school board. The only way to brighten our children's future is to change our school board.

We put them there, we can certainly recall them. Ask the hard questions, and dare to make an unpopular decision. Stand up!

Thank you,

Michele Williams

•••