Letters to the Editor 05/04/2016

To the Editor:

Recently, I was on my way to work when, out of nowhere, a deer on a suicide mission hit my car. The impact was so severe that my side airbags deployed and the safety mechanisms in my car brought me slowly to a halt and also phoned 911.

I was not injured, but I was pretty shaken up.

Three separate people stopped to see if I was OK, and one couple, whose name I did not get, stayed with me until I had made all the necessary phone calls and reached my husband to come rescue me. They were so sweet, kind and caring that I wanted to publically say "Thank You!!"

They did tell me that they also live in Sisters and had recently experienced an encounter with a deer. So they knew how disturbing the incident can be. I am constantly reminded of the wonderful community we have the privilege of calling home.

Thank you again to everyone who stopped and showed me the kindness of the human spirit!

Bette Johnson

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To the Editor:

Now that Sisters City Council has cleaned up it's own house it's time to look at what needs to be done to restore the reputation of the city and community. There still remain many lawsuits and threatened lawsuits over allegations of favoritism and discrimination. This prevailing theme of fear and conflict indicates our City government is broken, and that needs to change.

Over the past two years many key positions of City staff have turned over, with new faces and personalities in charge of providing prompt, professional and courteous service to our community.

The resignation of City Manager Gorayeb affords an opportunity to seat at this key position a person of vision with leadership skills who can influence change in the prevailing dynamic of conflict our city has become sadly well-known for.

This person will be charged to work with staff to assure they "get it right" the first time and assuring all citizens are treated equitably with the rules applied as written and mistakes are not made by staff that lead to the type of controversy and lawsuits we've seen over the past five years.

Councilors have embraced the "Civility Project" ("Speak Your Peace") and have spoken with praise of a great staff in-house. Yet they have still to recognize and address the problems that continue to linger, and those issues need to be addressed as well. 

For the community's reputation to be truly restored, once a new city manager is seated it is time for Council to take a hard look at what remains. Council needs to show true leadership by reaching out to those who have lingering issues created through errors and actions of former staff, elected and appointed (planning commission) officials, and find a way to resolve those issues. Only then will the community be able to truly move forward.

Ky Karnecki

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To the Editor:

My name is Erik Pronold, and I am in favor of the Sisters school bond that we will be voting on soon. I am for this bond because I know that it is an investment in our vibrant young community.

Our community is based upon the youth of our community. The environment that we have here is perfect for kids to thrive, and it is what makes Sisters so desirable for many young families. Our facilities are deteriorating and are in dire need of updates to keep our buildings from getting worse and for our sports teams to enjoy safe and competitive surfaces.

Not only does the school benefit and the parents and children that attend but those that own homes also benefit from a high-caliber school system. When young families move here for the renowned schools they bring their consumer dollars, too. They also bring added jobs when they move their businesses here. The kids themselves provide labor and also spend money here. The young families volunteer here to improve all social aspects that drive our economy.

I love this community and I love to see our kids thrive. I may be even a little too prideful of our little town. All of this is because of the people who come together to make everything happen. When I coach Little League or basketball or flag football I see how amazing these kids are and I hope that we can give them everything they deserve and them some.

We NEED to invest in our community and we NEED to pass this bond. Please join me in voting for this need in our beloved little town.

Erik Pronold

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To the Editor:

We wish to encourage Sisters residents to vote "yes" for the proposed school bond at the May 17 election.

We recently returned to Sisters after four years in Bend and have been very impressed by the quality of education offered here in Sisters. We have amazing staff that truly cares about our kids. The sense of community that we, as a family, experience every day through the schools just does not exist in a larger place like Bend.

However there are several things to be addressed. These necessary repairs include the fact that the high school track needs to be mended.  We were shocked to hear that the Sisters track has been deemed "non-meet-worthy" and that our kids can't have any home track meets. 

The classrooms are not safe enough and need upgrades to meet safety recommendations that have arisen from the recent spate of school shootings. Additionally, we need to improve accessibility for people with disabilities at all three of our schools.

Supporting our school district benefits all of us here in Sisters. A strong school district drives the economy and real estate values in our town. 

Join us in voting "yes" for the Sisters school bond on May 17.

David and Annie Winter

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To the Editor:

Isn't it wonderful to see all the new businesses opening in our town? Successful business owners need great employees to prosper. And one key reason families choose to move here is the quality of our schools.

Funding Measure 9-108 won't benefit only moms and dads. We all profit when business owners attract employees they need - whether they're salaried professionals or high school students working summer jobs. We all keep our property values growing, too.

In planning this bond, our school district listened to voters and found a less expensive way to repair the high school roof. Also, the bond makes our schools more secure with door upgrades and security cameras to bring buildings up to state safety standards and - more importantly - help save young lives. Today, our student athletes can't host meets on our part-gravel, condemned track. This bond allows everyone in the community to use the improved track, tennis courts and other sports facilities. Learn more about how the bond improves our community at http://www.ourschoolsourcommunity.org.

You see the link between schools and our local economy when you visit a new restaurant and find service slow because the owner couldn't hire enough help. And the active construction in our industrial parks right now? Let's keep it going!

We can't expect to maintain a competitive edge and pay less in taxes than our neighbors. And yet that's what we're doing. Specifically, Sisters' tax rate on the assessed value of our homes compared with Bend, Redmond and many other Oregon communities is a lot lower. Let's invest in our community and keep our "bragging rights" about Sisters schools.

Let's not lose a good thing - vote yes on Measure 9-108.

Susan Thomas Springer

Mom & Businesswoman

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To the Editor:

I am offering a cash reward for the return of, or the arrest of persons responsible for stealing my dead brother's tools from his elderly father.

If this was done by mistake, please return them.

Although my brother and I had our differences, I loved him and in some ways we are quite a lot alike.

You can leave the information with any family member at the theft location, mail to: P.O. Box 2146, Fairview, OR 97024 or voicemail/text 503-309-7020.

Joe Stambaugh

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To the Editor:

This is the kind of thing that can happen when citizens don't pay attention to what is going on at City Hall until it affects them directly.

Andrew Gorayeb should have been replaced (as city manager) when the last mayor was ousted, for behavior not conducive to a thriving community and putting their personal interests ahead of the town's.

Someone doesn't have all the answers just because they say so - and once a bully, always a bully. It shows again in his response to Council's action by not taking responsibility, not accepting help offered, and playing the victim.

We need to vet candidates more closely, demand accountability and not give carte blanche to people we place in positions of trust. I hope this will be a wake-up call to the citizens of Sisters to get and stay involved, speak your piece, be aware of who your city council members are and their values ... and hold them accountable.

If you can't make the meetings, listen to the recordings online and become engaged with the process so this doesn't happen again.

Diane Goble