Don't attack volunteers

It is with some surprise that I read Roger Detweiler's guest column in the October 8 printing of this newspaper and saw my name included. As I read the article fully, I felt the need to respond.

To imply that citizens who volunteer their time to something they care about have ulterior motives is speculative, and, quite frankly, offensive. I find it interesting that there were only two people other than our city manager mentioned by name by Mr. Detweiler, both of us identified as having "moneyed interests." I will leave Mr. Layne to respond as he wishes, but I personally feel that the content and contextual implications of Roger's letter were both discriminatory and borderline slanderous.

I am a member of the planning commission for the City of Sisters by my own choice. The reason I chose to put my hat in the ring was that I felt my background and experience in the mortgage industry would allow me to bring a perspective to the commission that would be helpful.

The lack of understanding Mr. Detweiler shows of what my occupation really entails is shocking. Suffice it to say that you don't walk into my office (or a bank, credit union, etc.) and get a mortgage these days. It takes a lot of work, and if you want to succeed in an extremely compliance-oriented industry, a high level of ethics.

I applied for the planning commission because I genuinely care about the future of our town, as did I'm sure the other six people on the commission.

One person on the commission cannot make a decision, that's the way the system works. The seven members of the planning commission do, indeed, represent a wide range of backgrounds and experiences - and we ALL volunteered for the unpaid position.

I have three children in the school district, and have been a frequent attendee of school board meetings (having probably attended 60 percent or more) since I moved to Sisters.

Perhaps that exposure combined with a background in finance as well as airflow management - a facilities need in the Bond - led to them asking me to, again, volunteer to be on the Facilities Bond Task Force.

Over the years we have been residents of Sisters, I have been a coach, both paid and unpaid, volunteered to announce both boys and girls basketball games, have emceed the Sisters Science Club's annual event for three years in a row, and my business is a Gold Sponsor of the Sisters Black and White Club which serves to provide scholarships to district students who may not be able to afford the pay-to-play fees required by our district.

I also serve - with Roger Detweiler - on the SPRD budget committee, another volunteer position that I am proud to contribute my time to.

Roger, your service and volunteer efforts to our community are well-known and greatly appreciated - if there weren't people like us willing to step forward and do so, the situation would be much more challenging for our city and school district administrators to fulfill the requirements of their positions (as well as comply with state and federal requirements to fill these positions). Your commitment to the Hispanic Coalition and to the arts in Sisters are to be applauded and appreciated.

Why then is my similar commitment to the city and school district publicly questioned? Guest commentaries like yours however will certainly not serve as encouragement for folks who may have been on the fence about their own ability to volunteer in their community for risk of another citizens' own "perceived conflict" earning space in our paper.

Sadly, I wouldn't fault them at all for not wanting to put their personal, professional, or their businesses' reputation at risk. It makes me question my own decision to volunteer for causes I care deeply about.