Letters to the Editor 11/09/2011

To the Editor:

A HUGE thank you to Sisters Fire!

We would like to thank Chief Tay Robertson and the entire team at Sisters Fire for keeping our home and pets safe from the brush fire that swept by our house on Friday, October 29.

We returned from dinner in Sisters to multiple fire trucks and fire personnel dousing the acreage that abuts our home on McKinney Butte above Sisters Elementary School.

Earlier in the day, a neighbor had started a burn pile. They believed that they had put it out by covering it up, but some smoldering embers must have remained.

When the high winds kicked up in the evening, those buried embers ignited the entire hillside, burning over an acre, right up to another neighbor's home, even burning the fence that was 20 feet from their newly remodeled home and deck. Those neighbors were not at home either when the fire broke out.

If the wind had shifted just a fraction, our home (with our pets inside) would have been engulfed in flames.

Sisters Fire responded quickly and fought for hours, well into the night, to trench the rocky terrain, douse the area with water, and fully extinguish the fire. They even returned the next day to assure that the area was secure.

It is surprising how quickly that seemingly extinguished burn pile swept fire through the area. It is so important to check the Sisters Fire website, call for permission and check weather conditions. And really douse those burn piles!

We are always so appreciative to our stellar team at Sisters Fire and are even more so now.

Thank you so much!

Suzanne & Chris Carvlin

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To the Editor:

I wonder if there are others, like me, who are getting irritated by the media/pundit coverage of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, both local and national. When commenting or reporting they say that it seems hard to know what the protestors really want. I have been to two events in Bend. I have listened to the speeches, heard the slogans and read the signs. To me, it is crystal clear what the protestors are concerned about:

1.â¯Unemployment is at the highest level since the Great Depression.

2.â¯At the same time, corporate profits are at an all-time high,

3.â¯Wages as a percent of the economy are at an all-time low.

4.â¯Income and wealth inequality in the U.S. economy is near an all-time high:

CEO pay and corporate profits have skyrocketed in the past 20 years, "production worker" pay has risen four percent.

After adjusting for inflation, average earnings haven't increased in 50 years.

5.â¯The one percent should be paying their fair share of taxes.

6.â¯The influence that corporations wield in politics, lobbyist regulation.

7.â¯Bank reform and increased regulation, commercial and investment banking should be separate.

I am 87, not an economist, not a news reporter, but even I can understand the issues being raised by the hugely diverse people gathering all over this country, tired of waiting for Congress to act on their behalf.

Gudrun Kibak

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To the Editor:

With humble pride, we would like to publicly give thanks to veterans everywhere, and especially those who call Sisters home.

Aside from answering the noble call to duty with the knowledge they may give their lives, our vets continue to serve us in so many ways. The tireless efforts of our vets to put up, take down, maintain and store the multitude of flags that line Cascade Avenue at appointed times of the year gives our community a sense of patriotism for all to see and feel. Most recently, our vets installed an additional memorial stone at Village Green Park. Loss is hard all the way through to its core, but the help the vets provide in remembering those who've passed on provides invaluable benefit to the rest of us.

Our vets, with their wounds, stories, tattoos, hearts, occasional tear, or other remembrances of their time in service, enrich our lives in so many ways. We are grateful for all you've done in the past and still today. Thank you!

Carla Merrell, Military Parents of Sisters

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To the Editor:

We appreciate the wonderful coverage The Nugget provided on our family's first Chump Car World Series Race. We are completely new to the world of building a racecar. Our learning experience went far beyond three generations preparing our "Romance Driven" car. The hidden part of the story is the support we found in the Sisters community and at the Portland International Raceway.

The Frack family adopted us and our car. Over the final month our son Greg and Bob Frack spent hundreds of late night/early morning hours in Bob's amazing shop. Lots of head-scratching time with Curt Kallberg, Darrel Tewalt, and Andre Cornalus. Without the dedication of Greg and Bob our car would have never seen the track.

Next stop was the Portland Raceway with our beautiful rolling work of art. Our experience defines the Oregon experience. More than 70 cars, over 200 drivers, plus several hundred mechanics and would-be mechanics all willing to share parts, advice, tools, and information in the spirit of keeping the cars and drivers running and safe.

Our car lasted for 90 minutes. Our memories and new friendships will last forever.

Bill Willitts