Letters to the Editor - 3/31/2021

Analyzing Sisters’ roundabouts and traffic patterns

To the Editor:

The March 17 issue covered one of my favorite topics: roundabout(s) and Sisters’ traffic patterns.

First of all, I believe roundabouts are wonderful. When the first one was built on the west end of town, I questioned whether or not a simple, less-expensive option (traffic light) might have accomplished the same goal as the red-blinking light seemed to attest during the construction phase. But I came to believe with all the housing and other growth (and schools) it was probably the best means of assisting traffic flow.

The article by Sue Stafford on March 17 was most enlightening, and while I agree with the thought that it is needed as we grow, I also believe another location would also greatly benefit from a traffic circle — and that would be where Highway 126 heads to Redmond. This circle could or should also encompass the FivePine, Sisters Movie House, and Three Creeks Brewery area as well.

Lastly, I recall several months back The Nugget had published an overhead drone-photo of traffic looking west showing Highway 20 and Hood Avenue. I might be repeating others here when I say that I would be in favor of altering traffic patterns through Sisters, with eastbound traffic going east in two lanes, and the westbound traffic on Highway 20 also expanded to two lanes. Something similar to what Philomath, Oregon, did several years back.

Barry Valder

Reasons to support the Cloverdale fire district levy

To the Editor:

With Cloverdale area’s continued growth and difficulty in recruiting volunteers, the Cloverdale Fire District Board of Directors voted unanimously to place a five-year levy on the ballot to enhance emergency response in the District.

This levy ensures hiring three full-time firefighter paramedics. The Sisters Fire District will provide a fully-equipped Advanced Life Support ambulance 24/7 at the Cloverdale Road station. There will be at least two firefighter-medics on call 24/7. At least one will be a certified ALS paramedic.

Volunteers live all over the District, and their response times vary greatly. Many are employed outside the District and may not be available to respond. Central Oregon Community College students studying Fire and EMS Sciences sleep at the station. They respond to emergencies when available, but are early in their studies and not yet fully qualified to perform many necessary fire and medical duties.

Medical and motor vehicle emergencies represent the majority of calls, most of which occur when District stations are unstaffed, or staffed only with students.

Cloverdale Fire District currently has no paid paramedic. If the Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District ambulances are on a call in their ambulance district, typically the only advanced life support available to Cloverdale residents is from either an air ambulance or Bend or Redmond fire districts. The delay can be tragic.

With the increasing number of emergencies over the years and the increasing age of many residents, me included, I am thankful the Cloverdale Fire District Board of Directors has taken this action.

Please support Measure 9-142 to provide the enhanced fire and emergency medical services in the Cloverdale area.

David Hiller

Former volunteer firefighter, engineer, lieutenant and captain with Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District

It’s time to return to full-time, in-person school in Sisters

To the Editor:

Time to normalize our schools.

The “Oregon School Metrics,” as outlined in the State RSSL guidance, have been loosened last week. This should allow all Sisters Schools to return to full-time, in-person education. I hope the Sisters school administration is currently working on a plan to swiftly return our schools to five-day-a-week, in-person education; we do not need to wait for the next school year.

I would like to thank the Sisters school administration for informing the state government that our local Central Oregon school districts want to move forward to normalizing the education of our children, with safety procedures at the schools in place.

I also would like to thank the Sisters school personnel who got to work with in-person education of our children, at least on a part-time basis, before much of Oregon. This is unlike many of Portland school teachers who readily accepted vaccines before others, then held their community hostage, refusing to teach in-person.

Steve Barlow