Letters to the Editor 07/24/2013

To the Editor:

In response to Jim Anderson's letter concerning fighting fires and having more fire-prone area residents support separate fire protection plans rather than burden the entire community:

It seems to me that we live in shared communities, Central Oregon, Oregon, United States, and share responsibilities, benefits, and costs. Otherwise we become more divisive and less communal.

To follow Anderson's thinking, people might ask, "Why should I pay and support schools when I have no children in schools? Why should I be taxed for libraries when I don't use them? Why should I pay for highways that I don't use?"

Imagine the bureaucracy and costs of having to monitor where you live, what you use and what you don't use.

I would rather see us remain as a total community and share all responsibilities rather than distributing them for different users.

Conrad Weiler

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To the Editor:

A comment on your article of the firefighter deaths July 16.

Reference was made to property owners preparing their property for the impingement of wildfire. In the late '60s or early '70s the USFS put out a film on structure defensible space in the wildland-urban-interface. It highlighted the aftermath of the Tollgate fire that occurred in Sisters and showed how proper preparation can prevent the loss of structures from a wildland fire.

David Ullmann

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To the Editor:

Reading all the pros and cons of the proposed seven-foot paved sidewalk in our woods, many thoughts crowded in.

How many Americans would give their eyeteeth to have a small chunk of the natural beauty in our national forests - and we are determined to lose it a "sidewalk" at a time.

Who gets the money from all the trees which will be cut down to accommodate the equipment to build this "speedway," let alone the pavement itself? What are the proposed economic benefits for Sisters other than a little (darn little) gasoline and oil for some ATVs?

In a previous letter I suggested that Sisters has an unequalled opportunity, speaking of cutting trees, by buying the USFS property, building a year-round first-class theater. Neither this sidewalk in the woods nor a three-month-on/nine-month-off amphitheater will provide full store fronts, eliminate the two-year ownership cycle of many local businesses.

There are buildings there which would modify into dorms to accommodate large theater groups, symphony orchestras, St. Olav's Choir - to become the equal of any cultural center in Oregon on a full-time basis.

Start thinking Sisters Cultural Center - forget sidewalks in the woods.

Russell B. Williams

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To the Editor:

Readers may remember the letter I sent to The Nugget's editor a few weeks ago, which reported three men on motorbikes illegally riding along the Park Meadows Trail in the Deschutes National Forest. That trail has dirt tread, which puts a brake on speed.

If the proposed paved trail from Sisters to Black Butte gets built, you can bet that -despite regulations forbidding motorized use - its winding curves and speed-promoting surface will become a magnet for thrill-seeking motorbike riders. The Sisters Ranger District has an insufficient budget for policing the trail.

The Sisters-BBR Trail would be an abomination defiling the natural landscape and shattering peace and quiet in our national forest. If built, it will be bad for the environment, bad for Tollgate property values and bad for taxpayers, who will ultimately be asked to fund a portion of the trail's maintenance.

Don't believe that last point? The Sisters Trails Alliance (STA) initially estimated the cost of the trail to be approximately $1 million. Yet the Multimodal Transportation Program Project Application grant request subsequently made to ODOT was for $2.8 million. You can bet the cost will go even higher, especially if the economy continues to improve, which will boost the cost of raw materials. The STA is in way over their heads on this project.

Joni Mitchell said it best when she sang, "Pave paradise, put up a parking lot." Let's not pave over our national forest. Keep the natural character of Sisters-area forests intact. Tell the STA and Forest Service you oppose the Sisters-BBR Trail.

Michael Cooper

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To the Editor:

Thank you for hosting the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. This was my second year.

I would like to share one observation that was troubling to me. I was unhappy with your decision to allow so many vendors from outside the area on show day. I feel like this event is so important to the livelihood of the local merchants and that allowing outside vendors creates unfair competition for them. In addition, I felt that the outside vendors contributed to a more carnival-like feel to an event that, in the past, had a more classy, hometown feel. Thank you Sisters, but lets get back to the core mission of this amazing event in your amazing community.

Joy Monjure

Everson, Washington

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To the Editor:

We have recently learned of a Sisters Trail Alliance (STA) proposal to clear acres of undisturbed woodland to pave trails; Crossroads to Tollgate to Sisters and Tollgate to Black Butte Ranch. A project of this public impact should meet several criteria:

1. Awareness and support: Apparently a few local entities have written letters to support it, but in the absence of an informed public, how much credence do they have? We can't find evidence of public support or legitimate surveys anywhere - not even in The Nugget.

2. Benefits: The STA case in their grant application for public funds is based first on the "need for connectivity." People in the areas to be connected might be surprised to learn that they are suffering from a "connectivity" problem.

"Healthy, active lifestyles" is the next rationale. If people in this outdoor paradise don't take advantage of it now, they are unlikely to be inspired by a paved path in the woods.

"Economic Development" is cited as a means to build tourist trade. If people haven't been sufficiently motivated to visit this delightful destination, clearing acres of forest and paving them over probably won't motivate them.

3. Cost: There is no publicly available estimate for the total cost. The grant application for the Crossroads-Tollgate-Sisters portion states $826,581 for the 2.11-mile route. Being conservative and assuming the Black Butte Ranch part could be built for 25% less per mile, it would cost over $2 million. So the overall project would cost over $3 million. Weigh this cost against the Sisters Ranger District's low usage projected in their environmental analysis and you get an extremely high

cost-per-use.

There are some serious questions surrounding this proposal. The answers we have found are not very convincing. If there are more positive arguments for it, the public forum is the appropriate venue to air them. And, the only fair means to ensure a democratic process.

Patricia Schulte

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To the Editor:

There has been an ongoing problem with cars blocking the only fire hydrant near the intersection of Hwy. 20 and S. Locust Street which, despite email to the public works department, is being ignored.

This past Saturday the hydrant was constantly being blocked by visitors to the special event in Creekside Park. I placed a call to Deschutes County Sheriff's Office and a Deputy Flory responded to the scene. He explained to me that Mayor Boyd has officially asked the sheriff's department to "use discretion" regarding citing for parking offenses during special-event weekends in Sisters, and as a result deputies were not enforcing many parking violations.

I pointed out to Deputy Flory that to block a fire hydrant effectively is placing the public at risk, especially at a location across the street from a gas station, several other businesses and numerous private residences, where this particular fire hydrant is the only one available for a several-square-block area.

Deputy Flory agreed and looked to see if there was a state ordinance that he could use as an alternative method of enforcement to a city ordinance, and was successful in finding one. He then issued citations to the two cars parked blocking the hydrant. While he was preparing the citations I explained that it was not my desire to have the cars cited, but rather the city be advised that their request was unlawful. He told me there was nothing he could do as he was following department instruction as per Mayor Boyd's request, and suggested I use this example to once again file a complaint with the city.

I placed my own traffic cones in the city right-of-way to effectively block the area and protect the hydrant, and in turn protecting visitors from being cited. Later that afternoon Deputy Flory drove past and paused to observe what I had done, then left the area without comment, which I took as confirmation that he agreed with my action.

It seems to me that Mayor Boyd has effectively placed the health, safety and welfare of the public at risk with his directive to the sheriff's department to not enforce a parking ordinance, especially in the matter of blocking a fire hydrant. This is inexcusable. The time it would take to move the cars blocking a hydrant could mean the difference of life or death in the event of a fire emergency.

Ky Karnecki