Letters to the Editor 12/11/24

Tone it down

To the Editor:

Immigration & the law: Believing that one cannot be part of a solution unless he or she recognizes and identifies the problem, I offer this to my neighbors here in “Sisters Country.” There is no need for misleading or incendiary language in expressing one’s viewpoint.  Many of us do it without thinking, almost reflexively.  A letter appearing in last week’s Nugget provides an example typical of this: The author thanks “Sheriff (sic) Vander Kamp for his open and unwittingly timely response to law enforcement and immigrants in the November 13 edition” of The Nugget. 

I find nothing in Sergeant Vander Kamp’s remarks indicating that they were made “without meaning to” or “through ignorance” or “through lack of knowledge or awareness.”   

The author has “noticed a shift in the new administration’s game plan as to how to coerce, bargain, threaten local law enforcement to aid I.C.E. in transporting illegals to “concentration camps.” No mention is made of what that shift is. 

I hope that all law enforcement agencies will work together under the law and not at cross purposes. If local cops pick up someone for an offense and discover that the alleged offender is in this country illegally, it would be aiding and abetting criminal behavior to merely look the other way.  Letting I.C.E. do its job is not the same as doing it for them.

Finally, and to my point, further language in the letter trivializes the Holocaust by comparing it to the legal apprehension of those guilty of violating our laws by vetted qualified sworn officers of the law in order to merely return them from whence they came. When the ovens go up on those 1,400 acres down there along the border in Texas and people start going in and not coming out, we can revisit the issue. ‘Til then let’s all just tone it down a bit.

Ross Flavel

A note from the city

To the Editor:

On behalf of the City of Sisters and our local agency and nonprofit partners, thank you to all who participated in the Community Conversation on Houselessness in October. Over 90 community members gathered at the new Sisters Elementary School to discuss this important issue. Following presentations from local organizations and nonprofits, participants shared their concerns, ideas, and questions in lively table discussions.

The key themes from those conversations included housing and sheltering, safety, support services and systems, provider coordination, and community education and information. The full notes and summary from the meeting is posted online at https://bit.ly/sistershouseless. We invite all community members to review the report and share additional thoughts with us via the comment section on the website.

The public input so far also indicated that our community partnership needs to improve our efforts in key areas: providing more public communication and information to keep people informed about new and ongoing initiatives; coordinating more effectively with agency partners and nonprofits; and developing concrete next steps along with an actionable plan. The community partnership is committed to meeting regularly, developing an actionable plan, and further informing and engaging with the public.

One of the questions frequently asked was about plans for an emergency cold weather shelter this winter. On that front, last month the City Council adopted Resolution 2024-22 which authorizes temporary shelter facilities during severe weather emergencies. Under this model, the declaration of an emergency allows local organizations to set up and operate emergency overnight shelters during severe winter weather. For information about the rules and parameters, visit https://bit.ly/sisterscoldweather.

We’re pleased to share that so far the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter has secured a location and submitted the necessary documents to be able to operate a temporary emergency cold weather shelter at 222 N. Trinity Way through March 15. This building, which has been used as a cold weather shelter in the past under emergency authorizations, also continues to serve as a food bank and community resource center. For more information about their plans, please contact the Sisters Cold Weather Shelter.

Reflecting on the summer of 2023 and the processing of the emergency shelter application and the ensuing public hearings, the community’s response to staying engaged and bringing ideas to the table that meet the needs of Sisters is much appreciated. There is still much more work to be done, but we believe these initial steps to bring our partners together and invite the community to be a part of solutions will deliver better outcomes for all.

Jordan Wheeler

City Manager

Biden pardon

To the Editor:

The Nugget’s Jim Cornelius gives us a history lesson on the origins of the presidential pardon, but tells us next to nothing about the facts relating to the pardon of Hunter Biden by President Biden. According to historian and newsletter author Heather Cox Richardson, Trump-appointed Special Counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden with firearms and tax offenses that, according to U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, would not have been charged if he had been anyone other than the President’s son.

The pardon came after Trump’s announcement that he plans to appoint conspiracy theorist Kash Patel to head the Department of Justice (DOJ). Patel’s appearances in right wing media suggest he is obsessed with Hunter Biden, including statements about Hunter Biden’s laptop that prove Hunter and Joe Biden engaged in crimes with Ukraine and China. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) spent two years investigating these allegations and turned up nothing, yet Patel insists the DOJ should focus on Hunter Biden as soon as Trump loyalist Patel is in charge of the Justice Department.

Trump’s people, including lawyer Rudy Giuliani and his ally Lev Parnas, spent more than a year trying to promote false testimony against Hunter Biden by their Ukranian allies. Earlier this year, in a documentary produced by Rachel Maddow, Parnas publicly apologized to Hunter for his role in the scheme.

As legal commentator Asha Rangappa noted, “People criticizing the Biden pardon need to recognize that for the first time, the FBI and Justice Department could literally fabricate evidence or collaborate with a foreign government to ‘find’ evidence of a ‘crime’ with zero accountability.”

While much of American media has been consumed with President Biden’s pardon of his son, the important story, which affects the future of the nation, is that Trump has nominated a deeply problematic candidate to run what could be the nation’s most important department. Biden’s mistrust of our legal system under Trump is a profound warning for us all.

Roger Detweiler

Message from the school district

To the Editor:

The Sisters School District held its final meeting of 2024, addressing several key topics. Enrollment numbers have stabilized, and the new elementary school is nearing completion, with only minor details remaining. The board also discussed its collaboration with Parks & Recreation on repurposing the old elementary school into a Community Center, as well as the impact of PERS on the district over the next two biennials.

A highlight of the meeting was a presentation by 12 ninth-grade Biology students, who shared their findings from this year’s Trout Creek Conservation Area (TCCA) Forest Ecology Study. They reviewed the history of the TCCA, highlighted focal species, and presented key conclusions and recommendations for future forest management. The students also fielded questions from the school board and community members, expressing a desire to participate in discussions about land use decisions on adjacent properties. Their insights will inform the Forest Service and Deschutes Land Trust on managing the TCCA.

Additionally, David Thorsett, who has served on the Sisters School District Board of Directors for over five years, announced his resignation. He will remain in his position until a new board member is appointed. Community members interested in this role can find details and application forms at the District Office.

Lastly, I encourage everyone to stay informed by signing up for the weekly district newsletter at [email protected].

Wishing you all a safe and joyful holiday season!

Curt Scholl, Superintendent