Letters to the Editor 9/18/24

Conversation on houselessness

To the Editor:

There are many reasons why Sisters is a unique and special place, but what repeatedly stands out to me is that our community members care deeply about their hometown and are willing to put their time, energy, and passion into making the city a better place for all. We see this everyday through the abundance of volunteerism, participation, and attendance at community events, the number of nonprofits and service organizations that support or provide important functions in Sisters, and the informed engagement in a wide range of issues. What we know about our community is that you want to be a part of the solution-making process and have a voice on important issues. And one of those issues is how we help houseless individuals and families living in and around Sisters.

On October 6 at 4 p.m., at the new Sisters Elementary School, a coalition of regional partners, government agencies, and nonprofits are convening a facilitated community conversation to listen to your ideas, concerns, hopes, and questions. The purpose of this meeting is not to solve the issue in one afternoon, but to listen and learn from each other, gather information and ideas, hear questions and concerns, and lay the groundwork towards developing a community supported action plan.

In many ways, the foundational building blocks are already in place for such a plan because of our community’s service-oriented culture and values. Volunteers, county behavioral health professionals, public safety officers, and forest stewards routinely conduct outreach to our houseless population, collect trash, organize clean up events, and provide essentials to keep folks warm and fed. Next month’s community conversation also presents an opportunity for us to learn more about these existing efforts and build on their successes.

Taking on the complex and challenging issue of houselessness requires a collaborative, regional, and collective effort. Not one agency, individual, or group can make this heavy lift alone. It will take the community to come together to share, learn, discuss, and respectfully agree and disagree on ideas to move forward. I hope you can join us and be a part of this important process on October 6.

Jordan Wheeler

City Manager, City of Sisters

Mistaken identity

To the Editor:

Greetings Nugget readers. 

Recently, I have been asked about “my views” in letters to the editor that people think that I wrote.  I respond, “I haven’t written any letters, so those aren’t my views.” After researching the letters, the author is Bruce Campbell. We have the same first name and a similar last name, but different people and different views. 

If you wonder about any future letters, first, check the full name and then ask me if there is a question. Thanks.

Bruce Carpenter

Conflict to co-existence

To the Editor:

Many of us love living in Central Oregon because of its wildlife and natural beauty. But that doesn’t mean we always appreciate wildlife nesting in our homes or backyards! Think Wild offers simple, affordable, and humane solutions so we can coexist peacefully.

Julia and her husband, local homeowners, invested much of last year in renovating their house. But then an uninvited guest started wreaking havoc: a single woodpecker—a northern flicker—moved in. The bird spent hours drilling at the siding, doing expensive damage, and interrupting Julia’s sleep. Understandably, she was stressed. She called us at Think Wild.

Our Wildlife Hotline is busy year-round, helping with such issues. Problems range from bats in attics to tree damage by beavers. We offer simple, humane solutions. Raptor perches and nest boxes provide rodent control options, for example. Think Wild offers both! Using these supports native wildlife habitat and encourages raptors to take care of your rodent problem for you. We also offer bat boxes — especially beneficial if you have mosquito, moth, or beetle issues (or if bat guano is staining your siding).

 We chatted with Julia about flickers. She sees their beauty, understands that they are native, and respects that they’re legally protected. We offered to install a flicker nest box at her property, and she was keen to try this solution. A few weeks later, she reached out with excitement: the flicker had called the new box home (instead of her siding), and she was finally sleeping in peace again! 

Such simple and natural history-based solutions are beneficial for wildlife and homeowners alike. Other approaches tend to be temporary, inhumane, and expensive. We encourage everyone to explore ways to better coexist with our wild neighbors. For more information, please contact Think Wild. 

Sally Compton

Executive Director, Think Wild

Don’t kill barred owls

To the Editor:

As a retired wildlife rehabilitation volunteer, I agree with Marvin Inman that killing barred owls to save spotted owls makes no sense and sets a bad example for the future. As the largest displacer of other species, we humans have good reason to be humble on this matter. And, with climate change accelerating, the migration of climate refugees and others of our own species is on the rise.

None of us knows whether we’ll be the one asking for refuge or the one being asked. Now would be a great time to explore responses that are more compassionate than killing the newcomers. 

Bill Stevens

Council election

To the Editor:

When this edition of The Nugget goes to print, we’ll be 48 days away from one of the biggest elections in recent history. That’s right, the 2024 (re)election of three seats on the City of Sisters City Council.

In anticipation of this upcoming election, I encourage everyone eligible to verify their voter registration and/or register to vote. Also, please consider requesting an absentee ballot if you will be out of the area during election season. Information on these and other voting topics can be found here: https://sos.oregon.gov/elections/Pages/voteinor.aspx.

Every vote counts and I’m hoping to earn yours.

Sarah McDougall for Sisters City Council — [email protected].

Sarah McDougall

Not accidental

To the Editor:

As The Nugget is no doubt aware, words matter. I herewith take issue with the willful carelessness and resulting fire that you, in my view, trivialize with the term “accident” (The Nugget 11 Sept. “Community reaches out to fire victim”).

While not arson, the incident, as reported, was not “an unexpected happening causing loss or injury not due to any fault or misconduct...”. The fire was unintentional, of course, and arguably unexpected, at least by those involved. But it was not a matter of chance or bad luck.“Improper disposal of burning materials” and “smoking” are deliberate acts often resulting in devastating, even tragic, consequences.

Ross Flavel

Editor’s reply:

The term “accidental” is the finding of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Celebrity platform

To the Editor:

Celebrity comes with a Platform, whether they use it or not it’s there at their disposal. If they don’t use it the media might use it for them. Think of the platform as a hammer that you and I don’t have.

Let’s take Brittany Mahomes for example, She, made the mistake of making her political views public, leaving her at the mercy of all the partisans, to berate her, because they don’t agree with her political views. She has an opinion based on her own views; that’s called Democracy. Partisans are simply followers; they don’t have their own opinion; they hang tight to the platform of their favorite celebrity. Brittany hasn’t said she’s voting for Trump, she simply said she likes some of his policies, that’s called research, something partisans don’t do. Celebrities should own up to the fact that they are not authorities on political matters, and their followers should do their own research when voting.

The media is salivating to hear an endorsement from Taylor. They have already suggested she leans towards Harris. Again, the media will uninvitedly jump on her platform to stir (expletive deleted), between football and intelligent political decision making. A win for everybody would be for Taylor to say to her followers, “research and vote your own conscience free of celebrity input.”

Actually, I can’t stomach the thought of voting for either of the two current candidates; I think I’ll write in Buck Meadows.

Terry Coultas