Letters to the Editor 02/06/2013

To the Editor:

We were interested to read in The Nugget that between February 25 and March 12 voters within the Sisters School District (this means voters within the entire educational district, not just the city) will have the opportunity to cast their ballot to renew the Sisters local option school levy. It is ballot measure 9-88.

This school levy is a continuation of what we have already supported here in the Sisters School District. Voting "Yes" will not raise our taxes but rather just keep them at the current rate. Continuing with the local option raises approximately 10 percent of the current lean operating budget of the school district. This amount is the equivalent of funding approximately 13 teaching positions, a vitally important amount of money.

We strongly support this levy because these dollars are used directly to keep our Sisters Schools strong. We moved here over five years ago looking to provide our children with the best available public education in Oregon. We believe that education is the gateway to personal opportunity, to developing good citizens, and ultimately to a strong, competitive society. We have been very pleased with the opportunities available for children in this district and want to make sure that these opportunities continue to exist, even in these tough economic times. Good education may seem expensive, but to our children and grandchildren it is priceless.

The state of Oregon ranks 32nd out of 50 states in school funding per student, so we already pay less than most other states. Additionally, the town of Sisters must have an excellent school system if we are going to attract new people and business to our community.

We strongly encourage everyone in the Sisters School District to vote "yes" on this very critical measure. Every single vote is vitally important for this measure to pass. If you are not quite sure about the importance of voting for this we encourage you to visit the local option website at www.sisterslocaloption.com.

Joe Bachtold

Gwen Hanson

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To the Editor:

My wife and I moved to the Sisters area in 2002 after long careers as educators. We enjoy the small town lifestyle, the many opportunities for recreation, and the music and art culture that is available here.

I started attending school board meetings, got involved with several different committees and was elected to the school board four years ago. None of our children or grandchildren live in the area, but for us it is important to support the schools.

Sisters schools are among the best in Central Oregon and one of the top districts in the state. One of the ways to keep them among the best is through the "local option," which provides about $1 million every year. The local option helps to keep class sizes small and helps offer many opportunities for kids, which would not be available without the local option.

Please join us in voting to renew local option.

Don Hedrick

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To the Editor:

Have you checked your home value recently? If you were tracking prices during the boom years, today's number looks depressing. Thankfully, property values are slowly inching back up. Let's keep it that way. Let's vote "Yes" on the local option.

People choose to move here, start businesses and expand existing ones, in part because our schools have earned an excellent reputation. Those of us with students in this district know what a good thing we have. Our children benefit from exceptional teachers, small class sizes, full-day kindergarten, and an education which still includes science and art. We can't attract business and families here if we are known for crowded classrooms, a shortened school year, and a lack of basics like books, computers and desks. Business owners want a community where employees and families will be happy. So we all benefit by keeping Sisters a desirable place to live.

At a time when many families have needed to cut expenses, it's good to remember that a "yes" vote does not increase our property taxes one cent. Instead, it continues at the same rate since we first voted in the option in 2000. The cost the average homeowner pays is about $130 a year.

Our homes are often our largest financial investment. And our children are certainly the largest investment from our hearts. We can't afford for either to fail.

With one vote you can do two important things - keep our schools strong and our property values moving in the right direction. Vote "Yes" in March to renew a great thing.

Susan Springer

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To the Editor:

In March, voters in the Sisters School District will have the chance to continue the local option. The funds from local option supplement our school's budget and equates to approximately 10 percent of the school budget.

As the parent of a sixth grader, a former teacher here in Sisters and a 15-year resident who does business as a mortgage broker here, I urge you to vote.

I know what a difference not having money in schools can make because I was a teacher at Sisters Elementary School for nine years. One of those years, my classroom had 23 kids; I felt I could teach, leave an impact, and I really enjoyed my job. When I taught a classroom of 35, one year, there were days when I felt like I spent more time managing the classroom than teaching my students and I didn't feel the same about my job.

Class size going up dramatically could easily happen if local option doesn't pass. This would be tragic for our kids and our teachers.

People ask me all the time if the past few years in the mortgage business has been challenging (due to the economy), my answer is always, "this is a piece of cake compared to being a teacher!" On a scale of 1-10, my job is a three in regards to the complexity and stress!

Teaching is the hardest job, least supported, and most misunderstood employment situation society has. Unless you've walked the walk, or lived, eaten, and breathed volunteering, just know - whatever hurdles you've overcome in your life, teaching day-to-day is a job for saints!

We need 50 percent of our eligible voters to cast their ballots in order for the measure to even be counted! The local option did fail once because we were just shy of the 50 percent voter turnout.

So please join me in making sure that we have enough voters. And remember, every registered voter in the school district (not just those in the city limits) gets to vote on this issue. Register now, if you haven't, and cast your ballot on or before March 12. Your one vote could make the difference!

Kathy Kemper-Green

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To the Editor:

Normally my view is to constrain growth in revenue to the government leviathans, especially ones that make some poor choices. Typically I would be advocating to lower taxes whenever possible, this is not one of those cases!! A "yes" vote in March is a vote to continue an existing tax/levy that is already in place and we are already paying.

The Sisters School District has already been hit hard with large funding reductions and cutbacks. Some of this is due to lower student enrollment. But, frankly, it appears that any more significant reductions in revenue could very well break the school system.

With this letter I am attempting to reach out to and appeal to the citizens and business owners in Sisters that do not have kids in school to vote yes on the local option.

The fact is that any further deterioration of the funding for services at our schools, including and especially sports, will further drive school enrollment down, decrease local business income and hammer all of our property values.

Current families deciding to leave and new ones choosing other districts creates a hole that will drive home values down further.

Imagine a realtor explaining to a visitor or potential buyer why Sisters' schools do not offer a full array of classes anymore or have limited sports, or perhaps no sports....

Who would move here? Who would stay?

On a personal note, there are some outstanding teachers and programs in the Sisters School District that have done wonderful things for my kids. Sisters' school system still performs some things very well and others poorly, lately relying on past success and past reputation to carry the day.

The school budget process and the way the numbers are presented to the public are not transparent, and often times the school board and district management run roughshod over citizens' concerns and inquiries. Families want their children to get the most out of their schooling. Sisters School District competes with other districts to gain and retain students. The competition offers a balance between academics, art and sports. Sisters residents have an expectation that school funding would be similarly balanced. Sisters schools have been unbalanced in this way for several years.

The reason I state the above is because I do not want the endorsement of the local option and plead for a yes vote to appear to be any kind of a blanket vote of confidence for the way things are run in the Sisters school system. I hope that the local option passes again, but in return the "powers that be" need to be very appreciative and respectful of this continuation of funding by the taxpayers and make some serious changes to the way they do business and the priorities they set with our money for our kids.

Erik Knirk

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To the Editor:

Last week the Oregon Humanities Center in downtown Portland hosted an unusual topic for a Friday night: Death. Dr. Ira Byock, a Dartmouth professor of medicine and writer on end-of-life and palliative care issues, talked about how most Americans aren't receiving the kind of end-of-life care they would prefer. "In surveys," Byock says, "an overwhelming majority of people say they would prefer to die at home, but most people actually end up dying in hospital ICUs or nursing homes."

Dr. Byock stressed the importance of family discussions and of discussing decisions with one's doctor. Filling out an Advance Healthcare Directive lets your family and physician know what you want and don't want in the way of comfort care and treatment at the end of your life. It also protects your loved ones from having to make what might be unbearably difficult decisions during a medical crisis.

Advance Healthcare Directives speak for you only if you are unable to speak for yourself. You appoint a healthcare agent you trust to carry out your wishes about when to provide, withhold or withdraw care; when to provide pain relief even if it will shorten your life; and how to handle organ donation and otherissues.

Without "The Conversation" to clarify values and preferences, and filling out personal Advance Healthcare Directives, conflict can tear a family apart at a time when they need to come together and be there for their loved one.

At the bedside of a seriously ill parent is not the time to be arguing about what the person might have wanted. Without guidance from the dying parent, one adult sibling may say mom would have wanted "everything" done, while another says mom would never want to live with a feeding tube or ventilator.

Studies show that families who discuss end-of-life choices beforehand are able to mange the stress and grief process in healthier ways. With everybody on the same page, family can spend time comforting each other and the dying patient, not arguing about healthcare

decisions.

The best gift you can give your children is knowledge of your end-of-life wishes. Tell your loved ones what you want, then put it in writing. Talk with your doctor. You do not need a lawyer. You'll find all the forms you need at

http://www.compassionandchoices.org.

For more information, contact Diane Goble 541-588-0081.

Diane Goble