Letters to the Editor…1/22/2020

To the Editor:

I am writing to thank Sisters residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season.

Because of the generosity of donors in Sisters and across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, collected more than 8.9 million shoebox gifts in 2019. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2019, the ministry is now sending 10,569,405 shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

Through shoeboxes — packed with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items — Sisters volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each gift-filled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Thanks to the generosity of donors, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 178 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories since 1993.

It’s not too late for people to make a difference. Though drop-off locations serving Sisters are closed until November 16 – 23, 2020, information about year-round volunteer opportunities can also be found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ or by calling 253-572-1155.

Thank you again to everyone who participated in this global project — many who do so year after year. These simple gifts, packed with love, send a message to children worldwide that they are loved and not forgotten.

Dana Williams

Operation Christmas Child

To the Editor:

I am not alone in being seriously disappointed about the direction Sisters is taking in its growth. I understand that the City cannot legally bar Dollar General, however surely the City can recommend to the developers that their store is entirely out of tune with what has made Sisters a desirable place to visit and to live.

It’s time for the City Council and the Planning Commission to take a stand and make every effort to support the much-touted vision process.

I cannot see how the planned expansion of Three Winds shopping center, with its removal of so many big trees, in any way reflects how most of us want to envision Sisters’ future. At the very least, I ask the Planning Commission to write a letter and/or meet with the developer explaining why Dollar General is generally frowned upon by most residents and how its presence violates our visioning process. Also, I suspect the store is doomed to fail as I doubt it can offer much useful merchandise that we can’t already find at Bi-Mart, our hardware stores, or our excellent thrift shops.

Susanna DeFazio

To the Editor:

The Ray’s health report offers our community an opportunity to come together and do something good. We can continue to support an Oregon business that has supported our community for many years in many ways, including cash donations.

Before we gather around and throw stones, let’s take a look at our own kitchens. Is there any buildup in your refrigerator? Do you mop your kitchen floor daily? Have you ever started working on lunch or dinner and forgotten to wash your hands?

I am not minimizing the importance of cleanliness. My son volunteers as a chef at a community center and goes through health inspections on a regular basis. The inspectors are dedicated perfectionists, as they should be. We need the inspectors to keep an eye on all those who work with our food.

What I am saying is that if we stone the people at Ray’s we are potentially hurting ourselves worse. I’ve volunteered at Sisters Middle School for a long time and every time I go to Ray’s and ask for their support with a party to celebrate a student book publishing, the company is right there to help.

They send lots of cash to our Friends of the Sisters Library, to name one nonprofit that I know of who is supported by their charity program.

The employees are always accommodating and friendly and do their very best to help customers in any way they can. If we fail to support the store, who will come in to replace them? Most likely a big national chain without local ties.

The next time you go to Ray’s say “thank you” to an employee for doing their best to keep the store clean and friendly. That’s a positive way to remind them that cleanliness is important to all of us and we appreciate their efforts.

Jean Nave