The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

To the Editor:

Paul Patton's letter in the March 7 issue attempted to cast The Nugget's coverage of the Sisters School District's frequent fumblings as slinging mud. But mud can only be made where there is dirt.

It's bad enough that the district routinely fails to navigate simple mathematics related to school budgets and new construction (this isn't calculus, folks) while willfully snubbing the basic tenets of our Constitution that mandate separation of church and state. But after repeatedly being caught with their pants down, the district's response has been to circle the wagons, defensively painting Mike Morgan's investigative efforts as a "vendetta" and decrying freedom of the press vis-a-vis The Nugget's function as a newspaper. What a great role model for our kids.

As a taxpayer whose hard-earned dollars helps fund a school district mired in mismanagement, I'm disillusioned and outraged that everyone in the district who was complicit in the Sonrise fiasco hasn't been let go.

Thanks to The Nugget for its unbiased and comprehensive reporting and to Mike Morgan for his efforts to uncover the truth. For the district has repeatedly shown that without the harsh glare of sunlight on these transgressions, they're bound to happen again.

Michael Cooper

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To the Editor:

Why must we be at odds with one another over religious or spiritual beliefs and differences? It is disheartening to read letters that do nothing but form divided lines within our community that could have far reaching effects. It makes me want to scream "why can't we all just get along?"

How about we focus all this energy on living a compassionate life where we do no harm to others. Easier said then done, yes I agree, but small steps can and do lead to big hurdles.

Andrea Clarke

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To the Editor:

Thank you to Tia Duerrmeyer and The Nugget for last week's senior-related columns. I commend the senior council along with Sharlene Weed and Carrie Ward for reaching out to our seniors and for working to bring a senior center to fruition.

After visiting the senior centers in Bend and Redmond, I am convinced that a similar facility would be a real asset to Sisters. These facilities offer a place for meals, games, dances, various classes, fitness activities, organizing outings from short hikes to European trips, assistance with government/community programs and tax preparation and simply enjoying friendships.

I've become acquainted with many of our seniors and have developed a real appreciation for how much they give to the community. Many of them actively volunteer in our schools and Habitat for Humanity, as well as support other organizations and community events with both their time and financial contributions.

I sincerely urge other individuals, organizations, businesses and community leaders to join us in supporting our very deserving seniors.

Jan Morgan

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To the Editor:

This month's Interim Week at Sisters Middle School provided me as a parent the opportunity to chaperone a group of middle schoolers. As the day approached, three days and many hours on the bus with these kids was a daunting concern. I have to say, that they should all be complimented for their good-humored behavior, courteousness, eagerness and respect for one another.

These kids were a pleasure to become acquainted with and spend time with.

Interim Week brought me a greater understanding and appreciation of this age group, as well as their teachers. I saw how these activities allowed the students to see their teachers in a different and more well-rounded and human light, which was what they had hoped for. What caught my attention was how the teachers were given the opportunity to see their students in a different light. During one entertaining conversation, I heard a smiling teacher comment to her student, "why, you're a very different kid here than in the classroom." He just smiled back.

This is an amazing opportunity for our teachers to enrich their teaching approaches. Then it struck me. I was seeing Principal Kathy Miner's goal of incorporating the "multiple intelligences" into the middle school program come to life.

Until now, I've seen this model loosely associated with elementary school programs. Only to be forgotten at the middle school level. This early teen group seems to thrive when introduced to new activities. Our school is fortunate to have such a rich and enthusiastic source of teachers and parents from which to pull a wide array of talents and skills.

This offers our kids a diversity that we parents cannot possibly present by ourselves. My goal as a parent is to produce well-rounded, responsible citizens of my children. The middle school's interim week program takes a rousing step in that direction.

Lorna Clarke

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To the Editor:

A big thank you to Gary Frazee for all his years of service to the City of Sisters! How great it will be to continue to see him out and about, doing what he loves doing!

Judy Bull

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To the Editor:

Al Gore took his hysterical ranting about global warming to its zenith recently with his Oscar for the movie "An Unconvenient Truth."

Now we discover that "Saint Al" uses 20 times the energy of the average person in just one of his mansions. This, in addition to his personal jet travel, shows the hypocrisy of his stance on energy use and the environment.

If this isn't bad enough we are subjected to his latest environmental jargon. To quote, "we are carbon neutral and we buy carbon offsets to compensate for our excessive use of energy."

Is this like buying dispensations from the church for sins one is committing? A company called Terrapass, in California, wouldn't you guess, sells these. They claim a method to reduce and store methane from cow flatulence and can sell this as a carbon offset. Please!

Saint Al thinks he has the answers for all of us and has set himself up as some sort of messiah of the environmental movement. Of course, anyone who dares to offer another opinion or oppose this cause is demonized and accused of heresy. There is credible opposition. Recently Rush Limbaugh gave a list of five books off the top of his head, two of which have proven there is no connection between global warming and hurricanes.

The Oregon State Climatologist, who is in disagreement with the present theoretical environmental hysteria, will soon be fired by our Kool-aid-drinking governor. Two years ago we had 26 hurricanes, last year none.

We must be very skeptical of human beings who want everyone but themselves to radically change the way they live because they have found the "answer." The God of my understanding created a world and a universe much too complex and dynamic for any mere mortal to understand in even the smallest of ways.

I am afraid Mr. Gore has a God complex. Beware Saint Al, messiahs live in fragile circumstances.

One other conclusion is that Mr. Gore couldn't gain the political power at the ballot box to control our lives, so he is taking a different tack. I simply don't trust his newfound altruism. Bear in mind that he is still a politician and addicted to power.

Terry Burke

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To the Editor:

We are tigers, mighty, mighty tigers. We are the Tiger Cub Scouts, Den 1, Pack 139. Our goal in writing to The Nugget Newspaper is to show the Tigers how media can be used to communicate. By writing to the newspaper our words will reach a lot of people.

We are in the first grade at Sisters Elementary School. Our scouting adventure begins as Tiger Cubs with exciting indoor and outdoor activities. We learn to do things by ourselves. We are taught to do our best and be helpful to others. To be nice, to be respectful, not to talk while other people are talking.

Tiger Cubs are fun! Our den leader is nice; he volunteers his time. Terry Surface is our den leader, and he is teaching us to be model citizens and how important communication is. In order for the Tigers to see how many people we have communicated with please take a moment of your time to send us an E-mail at [email protected] Subject: Tiger Cub response.

Thank you.

Spencer Kemp, Chayce Sproat, Spencer Hannaman, Chayse Head

Den Leader Terry Surface