Letters to the Editor 04/17/2019

To the Editor:

The last time I checked, Sisters has no rail line, nor an airport that can handle large quantities of freight. That means that all goods that we receive here in Sisters like groceries, medicines, fuel, hardware, lumber, etc. arrives by truck. Mostly large, long-bed trucks.

Each time I drive west out of town I notice there is usually a large truck parked along Highway 20 while I’m guessing the truck driver makes his/her way, walking along the busy road, back to town for a meal or other supplies.

Lately I’ve noticed quite a few trucks parked between McDonalds and the newest hotel, on Rail Way, which impinges on the traffic flow on that little side street.

My guess would be that once that hotel opens for business it won’t be an option of truckers to stop there.

During the bad-weather events, when the pass is closed for avalanche removal or due to an unfortunate accident, or if the trucks have mechanical problems there just isn’t anywhere for them to stop.

Sisters is growing. New businesses will be needing more supplies, thus more truck traffic.

It might be a thing for us to start planning now, to have a location just off the highway, away from residential areas where the trucks may park for awhile when the drivers need to rest, get food or repairs. There will be many things to consider. Will the area need to be regulated? How long is too long to stay? Where exactly is there room to park big trucks? I’m NOT suggesting an actual truck stop, but we might just need to start planning for the inevitable.

Kara Mickaelson

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To the Editor:

I want to thank Tom Donahue for writing the commentary “Goodnight Molly” (The Nugget, April 3, page 8).

I recently had a near miss with my big boy Odin and hearing Mr. Donahue express the emotions we all have for our faithful, trusted and well-loved companions was inspiring as well as a reminder to let them know in little ways how important they are to each one of us.

Bernice Rossana

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To the Editor:

As a resident of Sisters, I’m surrounded with its sense of community. The annual celebrations, festivals, and volunteerism have contributed to nurturing a heartfelt fellowship based on respect for each other and the community.

Because of this, I’m saddened and troubled to see the Confederate flag flown in the community. Displaying this flag has long been and continues to be controversial throughout the United States due to its inseparable association with segregation, slavery, and white supremacy. This extraordinarily divisive symbol has no place anywhere in our country, much less in our community.

Kathy Liverman

s s s

To the Editor:

2,100 trees to be cut down is grossly overkill in my mind! That figures out to be 210 trees per mile based on the 10-mile timber-killed area and the Camp Sherman Junction.

I count maybe 200 trees that should be taken down — the rest should be allowed to die on their own time; some may even manage to survive!

I pray the Oregon Department of Agriculture will ban (the herbicide) Perspective from use in the state of Oregon. It should be banned on the entire western forests.

Cutting 2,100 trees along the iconic Sisters-Suttle Lake highway will gut the “Welcome to Central Oregon” feeling as you come down off the Santiam Pass and enter the long straightaway into Sisters. It will now be an ugly swath through the remaining bushes and only be a massive 12-mile firebreak 100-150 yards wide! Let’s call it the Dead Tree Valley Canyon, “Welcome to Central Oregon.” Is that really what Sisters and the Forest Service want to happen? I would like to think that an Oregon State (University) forestry graduate would be more sensitive to his planning and projects in his

district.

I have been in the Sisters-Camp Sherman area a long time — since 1951 — and have seen many changes — mostly all bad! I fished here when you could keep the fish. I hunted here; I worked here; I even fought fire here — and we put them out “pronto.”

I have lived here in Camp Sherman permanently since 1995 and I feel very strongly about destruction of habitat, forest, and quality of life in Central Oregon. We moved here and spent most of our life here because of trees, rivers, and solitude here in Camp Sherman. Please don’t destroy it in the summer of 2019.

The best solution would be to cut only the hazard trees and let the rest of them stand — as a reminder of a public mistake by ODOT and the U.S. Forest Service so that hopefully it will never happen again!

C. Childrey

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To the Editor:

Ah, statistics! It is amazingly easy to throw out a random assortment of numbers from “studies” without noting dates, conditions or sources of populations from which these results emanated. This is seemingly the methodology of JK Wells in his April 10 letter, equating our homeless population with the rise in crime and subsequent need for more law enforcement.

A quantum leap to be sure!

Undoubtedly Sisters is growing and enticing more tourists with our attractive development. Clearly we will eventually need more law enforcement. However, to compare our five to seven verified homeless crimes with cities like Seattle, Vancouver, BC, and a national average, with no basis for comparison except the word, “homeless” coupled with wild speculation, is not justified. How about focusing on this small town’s efforts to see the humanity in every homeless person via providing food and shelter, but above all tolerance rather than judgment in each situation?

Providing basic human needs tends to support the best in a person, rather than promoting the potential worst. I am grateful for all the volunteer efforts to do just that in our small burg!

Wendie Vermillion