Letters to the Editor 04/13/2016

To the Editor:

I have been following The Nugget's articles about assisted-living settings in Sisters, most recently Sue Stafford's in the March 30 issue.

As she so aptly stated, "The saga of Pinnacle Alliance Group of Yakima versus McKenzie Meadow Village continues." The barriers that Pinnacle Alliance Group has, and continues, to put forth against McKenzie Meadows are reminiscent of a 6-year-old bully in the community park sandbox who kicks and throws sand at anyone else who attempts to bring his/her bucket and shovel in. This sort of behavior is abhorrent to me.

Does Pinnacle Alliance Group not know that there are over 70-million baby-boomers out there, many of whom are in their 60s taking care of aging parents? Call me crazy, but I believe many of these individuals would gladly welcome assisted-living options here in Sisters, either for their parents or themselves as they continue to age.

I'm certainly one of those individuals.

Also, one need only look to the perpetual wait-lists that Absolute Serenity Senior Care has at their two adult foster homes in order to know that there is a huge need for retirement and assisted-living settings in Sisters.

I have many older adult neighbors and friends who are aging in place in their homes and they would happily welcome the aforementioned options.

The last thing they want to do is have to move to Bend or Redmond for care as they age.

Their home is here.

So come on Pinnacle, play nice in the sandbox and get going on your own construction and let McKenzie Meadows do the same. There is ample room for both facilities and the need for them is only going to continue to grow.

Kay Payne

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To the Editor:

We are writing to express our support for the upcoming school bond that will be on the May ballot.

Over the past several years we have noticed many of the facilities beginning to show signs of wear-and-tear, and frankly some things cannot be overlooked any longer. Last fall, I attended the boys soccer playoff game and I have to say I was quite disappointed and a little embarrassed that our soccer field was little more than grass fields with some make-shift "bleachers" on the hill for spectating.

This year our daughter began high school track, and because our track has been "condemned" we are not allowed to have any home track meets. This is a loss to our athletes as it requires them to travel away to every single track meet, and a loss in revenue for our community when we can no longer host meets including the Rotary Invitational which brought in teams from all over, staying in our hotels and eating in our restaurants. With the passage of this bond there will be upgrades to our current track and football facility, which will allow it to accommodate soccer, lacrosse and most importantly improve accessibility.

Along with a long list of deferred maintenance projects there are two other important things that the bond will fund. First and foremost are improvements in safety and security. Unfortunately, in the world we live in today we need to have the ability to safely, quickly and effectively lock down our schools. Finally, refinancing existing debt to allow additional funds to go back into the school's base operating budget.

Please consider voting yes on Measure 9-108. Visit http://www.ourschoolsourcommunity.org to find complete details on what the bond will fund and how these improvements will make our schools a safer and more inviting place!

Angela & Olin Sitz

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To the Editor:

I'm voting in favor of the proposed Bond Measure 9-108 and I urge everyone who values this community to do so.

Our family moved to Sisters nine years ago specifically because of the quality of the public schools, and because of the connectedness of the community that supports it. In the wake of the past recession we have experienced even more the determination of this community to support our schools because without the ability to offer a quality education in Sisters, this community could not prosper.

Many people move here directly for the schools or because their children and/or grandchildren are here and with each move, new families means new businesses are developed, existing businesses are more prosperous and the local economy is strengthened - serving all of us.

Sisters schools are the heart of our community, directly or indirectly they unite all of us - those with children and those without - it's the nuclear foundation that generates new development, new vision, and a new economic future. Our schools provide incredible learning opportunities thru the diversity of their unique programs, but these programs cost money, and they are based on enrollment.

This District is served by dedicated staff, which is asked to make compromises and adjustments to best provide for its' students' needs and to keep enrollment viable and growing. However, without much-needed improvements we cannot be competitive with other districts when it comes to the overwhelming core issues of safety - personal safety, building safety, safety in athletic use and safe accessibility for those that need it.

Why would we ever put at risk what we treasure the most?

We live in one of the most ideal communities, but we must - as a community - support that which makes us strong, our schools.

Please help support our schools to make them a safe and productive place to teach and learn in by voting in favor of Bond Measure 9-108.

Wendy von Kalinowski

Parent, school volunteer, Sisters business owner