© 2001
The Nugget Newspaper
Sisters, Oregon
All rights reserved

Comments to
Eric Dolson, Publisher

Letters, letters, letters
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Letters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor. The Nugget reserves the right to edit, omit, respond or ask for a response to letters submitted to the Editor. Letters should be no longer than 300 words. Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned. The deadline for all letters is noon Monday.

  To the Editor:

I am writing in response to your August 1, Opinion article "It's a free country," (The Nugget, page 18).

Your first sentence leads the reader to believe Sisters High School Nutrition Program supports the cola industry. Let me enlighten you.

The cola machines do stand in the cafetorium opposite the kitchen. They are set up with timers shutting off sales from 6:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. If the timers fail, the cola company is called to service the machine and the power its turned off until the timer is fixed.

With the limited hours of operation, the students have little opportunity to make a purchase since the machines do not come back on until they are back in class.

After 3 p.m., most of the student body makes a grand exit off campus. They do not stay at the high school and spend their money on the vending products.

Sisters School District is a sponsor of the Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Program.

Students cannot purchase any food or beverage determined by ODE to be of low nutritional value one hour before the scheduled breakfast meal service through one hour after the lunch meal service is over.

So you can see, even though the machines stand in the room across from the kitchen, the student who stays on campus for the meal service can not spend their lunch money in the machines.

As the Coordinator of the Sisters School District Nutrition Services Department I do not advocate the placement of cola vending machines in any school also.

I want to let the reader understand the Nutrition Services department does not support the use of or receive any profits from the machines.

As a sponsor Sisters School District is also required to provide on going nutrition education at all school levels. We do this and have been accredited for doing so.

It is the Sisters School District Nutrition Services goal to offer good nutritional choices the students LIKE to eat.

Janice Comfort

Sisters School District Nutrition Services Coordinator

* * *

To the Editor:

In response to the "Opinion" column in August 1 Nugget (page 18), all I can say is "Right On!"

Health experts all decry the terrible diet of our children, especially teenagers. Along with the dangers listed, obesity, diabetes, etc. studies show high sugar diets cause an earlier and earlier onset of puberty. Such advertising and promotion in the school should be curtailed.

We are all susceptible to the siren song of slick advertising. How often has our "freedom" to vote intelligently been swayed by the PR, grooming and presentation of a particular candidate. It's unfair to expect our young people to be more discerning than we are in regard to what is good for them and what is not.

Respectfully,

Mickey Duehren

* * *

To the Editor:

On Friday, August 3, the "deer vs. driver" problem was brought home in a tragic way.

At 7 a.m., squirrel-feeding time here, I noted a large doe, an old friend whose twin fawns were gamboling about, lying in the far yard. As I neared, she struggled to rise and move away but it was obvious that her rear legs were nearly useless.

A friend and neighbor watched with me as she attempted to drag herself away. I contacted Sisters Veterinary Clinic which gave me telephone numbers for deer "rehab" persons as well as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Within an hour of the call, David Doran of ODF&W arrived with an officer from the Sheriff's Office.

After a period of observation it was obvious that the animal was suffering and beyond help, so the officer did the necessary merciful deed.

Even though I covered the blood from the doe's demise, the twins continued to sniff the area. They spent the rest of the day, until dark, looking for their Mother.

At this moment, noon Saturday, they are still here -- currently lying on a neighbor's lawn (from which they will be chased when the neighbors return, to add to the trauma of losing their Mother!).

I cannot forget the haunting eyes of that poor animal -- it struggled from the road where it was hit into my yard for safety for itself and its young -- only to meet death.

Residents of Tumbleweed Turn and others who routinely use it for access to National Forests for the most part ignore the 20 m.p.h. speed limit.

Parents who allow small children to ride small bikes in the middle of the road, as if it was a private drive -- some who allow small children to ride tandem on three-wheel ATVs -- you may expect this to happen to your children!

Imagine looking into the eyes of a child lying in the road! It would haunt you forever as that deer continues to haunt me -- even as I see the fawns and wonder if they will make it on their own!

At 20 m.p.h. you stand a good chance of being able to stop -- to avoid killing a deer or someone's child. Those odds drop as your speed rises -- think about it!

Russell B. Williams

* * *

To the Editor:

Knapweed is considered to be a nuisance by Sisters city ordinance. You can be fined for letting knapweed set seed if your neighbors complain.

Now that knapweed is flowering, it must be bagged and put in the trash to keep it from spreading seeds.

If you need help identifying noxious weeds, the Forest Service office in Sisters has some pamphlets and you can talk to their ecologist Maret Pajutee.

Please help stop the spread of knapweed. You can find out who owns the vacant lot near your home by calling the County Clerk's office or going to http://www.co.deschutes.or.us/dial/.

Bruce Berryhill

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