Letters to the Editor 11/20/24

Appreciation

To the Editor:

Hats off to the Sisters School District for its Veterans Appreciation Celebration held at both the elementary and high schools on November 12.

The assemblage of students from all three schools, including the intermediate school, and the program of patriotic/service songs, as well as recognition of both Sisters area veterans and Sisters HS graduates who have gone into military service after graduation, was absolutely heartwarming. Appreciation goes both ways. We veterans received appreciation for our service from students and staff; in turn we extend our appreciation to the students and staff for their recognition. Nicely done.

Len Knott

Veterans Day is every day

To the Editor:

Last week, many organizations hosted Veterans Day celebrations. We as a society need to keep veterans in our thoughts daily, and not just one day a year. Many veterans still struggle daily from PTSD, aftermaths of sexual assaults, and depression. Their tour of duty may have ended but some are still living in the theater.

The Veterans Administration (VA) is doing a better job of providing mental health care but it is not enough. The suicide rate in Oregon among veterans is significantly higher than the national veteran suicide rate. If you know a Veteran in a mental health crisis and they are thinking about hurting themselves, get help right away by dialing 988 then press 1, or text 838255, or start a confidential chat. If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 800-799-4889. Let the veteran know that they are not alone — not just one day a year.

Laurie Kimmell, MSgt, USAF (Ret.)

Protecting Owyhee Canyonlands

To the Editor:

I recently read an inspiring op-ed from Congressman DeFazio advocating permanent protections for the Owyhee Canyonlands. I’ve been working on this for more than a decade, and for more than the past five years, Senator Wyden has worked with stakeholders to craft and pass protective legislation for Owyhee Canyonlands. While these protections are supported by over 70 percent of Oregonians, no version has yet cleared the Senate. The “Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act” has strong bipartisan support, but has been stalled since passing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last December.

With extremely limited time left for Congress to act, DeFazio’s call to use the Steens Mountain model can also work here. National Monument designation would give Senator Wyden leverage to reach a deal with Congressman Bentz — assuming Bentz is genuinely committed. Mr. Bentz recently introduced another Owyhee bill, offering weakened protections, undermining long-standing conservation law, and disregarding agreements Wyden made with the Burns Paiute Tribe.

Collaboration with the executive branch can break through this gridlock. Senator Wyden told me personally last June to “keep up the pressure.” I must wonder why he’s hesitating in calling for Monument designation now at this 11th hour? This high-stakes political gamesmanship is risking one of the greatest conservation opportunities left in the West — yet Wyden is not moving to ensure his bill’s passage. Does he truly believe Congress will suddenly overcome its historic dysfunction, and current disdain for conservation, and pass something that is consistent with his commitments to his constituents? Unlikely!

I now urge Senator Wyden to work with the Biden administration to designate the Owyhee Canyonlands as a National Monument — now. We can’t afford to wait!

What Brian Doyle says here is vital and brilliant: “…you cannot control everything. All you can do is face the world with quiet grace and hope you make a sliver of difference. You must trust that you being the best possible you matters somehow. That being an attentive and generous friend and citizen will prevent a thread or two of the social fabric from unraveling.”

Right?!

Scott R. Bowler

Remember when?

To the Editor:

Enjoyed the “Remember when” in The Nugget.

Remember when the Sisters Post Office was in the Oliver Lemon’s Building, and the Fathom Realty property had a brick building with a gold bank of Post Office boxes that are now at the Pony Express, and the Administration building was the High School?

The Sisters Pumphouse was a Texaco with my relatives living in the house next to it and Spoons was my uncle’s home.

Carrie Buchanan

Living Well With Dementia

To the Editor:

On behalf of Living Well With Dementia Sisters, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful community for the tremendous support shown at the Care and Connect Resource Fair for Dementia Support. The event was a resounding success, with over 50 attendees coming together to learn, connect, and access resources dedicated to supporting those affected by dementia and their care partners.

This event would not have been possible without the participation of our local organizations, vendors, and, most importantly, the residents of Sisters who believe in creating a compassionate, dementia-friendly community. Each person who attended or contributed to the fair played an essential role in fostering an environment where individuals and families dealing with dementia feel supported and valued.

Living Well With Dementia Sisters was born right here in Sisters, and we are excited to continue working together with our community to make it a place where aging is embraced and individuals with dementia can live well. We look forward to future events, collaborations, and initiatives that will bring us closer to a more inclusive and understanding Sisters.

Thank you again for your invaluable support. Together, we are making a lasting impact.

Bill Kelly, Director

Living Well With Dementia Sisters

School board

To the Editor:

The November Sisters School Board meeting covered a wide range of topics and actions. There were two school presentations. The first, by Steve Stancliff, principal of Sisters High School, highlighted an inspiring project called Monster Art, a collaboration between first-grade and high school art students. The project began with first graders, guided by art teacher Paige Catalina, drawing imaginative monsters. High school students in Bethany Gunnarson’s 2D/3D art class then created 3D clay models based on these drawings. On Halloween, the high school students surprised the first graders by delivering the finished models in person, creating a heartwarming moment. The positive response to this project has encouraged further collaboration between the three schools, now on the same campus.

Sisters Middle School principal Tim Roth spoke about the positive impact of integrated grant funding on academic support and growth. With the use of tools like i-Ready and Oregon Data Suites, along with support from educational assistants, the school is able to track and enhance student progress more effectively. Furthermore, the enrichment classes, which offer additional help for students who are below grade level without pulling them out of core classes, have been particularly successful. This approach helps students stay integrated with their peers. Mentorship between eighth graders and sixth graders is also contributing to improved academic and social outcomes, highlighting the value of peer support.

In other business, enrollment numbers are on track with the district’s typical trends. A recent meeting with Rooted Homes explored other options for affordable workforce housing to support the district’s staff. Additionally, the old elementary school is currently being remodeled into a Community Center.

The consolidation of the three schools is fostering exciting new collaborations and opportunities. For those interested in learning more about what’s happening in the district, the community is encouraged to sign up for the weekly district newsletter at ssd@ssd6.org. The Sisters School District is grateful for the ongoing support of the community.

Curt Scholl, Superintendent

C4C Forum

To the Editor:

On behalf of the C4C team, thanks to all the folks who braved winter flurries to attend our community forum, “Are the Kids Alright?” on Sunday afternoon. It was a wide-ranging and thoughtful discussion about local youth well-being, and we were inspired to see so many residents interested in such an important topic.

An event recording is now available at http://www.bit.ly/C4Ckids, along with a packet offering statistics, local resources, recommended reading, and ways you can stay engaged on this topic.

We hope this is just the starting point for many new discussions and youth-focused initiatives in our community. A few initial takeaways from our team:

1. Center youth voices when making decisions about their well-being. And when we ask for their opinions, listen to understand rather than reinforce our preconceived notions.

2. There is a hunger for more discussion about the impacts of social media and “addictive technology” on both youth and adult wellbeing. We’re exploring opportunities to go deeper on this topic soon.

3. We should celebrate all that’s going well for local youth, while acknowledging that not every kid is thriving. There’s more we can do to ensure no one is left behind.

4. There’s so much talent in this community. We should all be thinking about ways we can share our expertise with local youth, be that through mentorship, volunteering, offering internships, etc.

Immense thanks go out to our panelists Faith Keeton, Charlie Kanzig, Lindsey Overstreet, and Amy Formica; to the C4C board for their support; to The Nugget as our co-presenter and a contributor to thoughtful public dialogue on this topic; to our main sponsor, St. Charles Health System; to Starshine LLC for providing on-site childcare; to Sisters Elementary School for hosting us; and to all the youth-oriented organizations who tabled at the event.

Kellen Klein

C4C Executive Director