The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

To the Editor:

As many of your readers are aware, the new SPRD executive director, Todd Garrett, resigned unexpectedly in early July. These types of partings are never happy, but it was felt by all parties that the fit was just not working. The SPRD board wishes Todd well in his future ventures. In the meantime, the board will take some time to assess where SPRD goes from here before initiating a search for a new permanent executive director.

While we conduct that assessment, the board will retain the services of an interim director who is experienced at mending organizational wounds, managing a public agency and communicating with constituents. Until we find that person, I will be volunteering my time as the "board-member in charge," working hand-in-hand with staff to keep the SPRD wheels turning and meeting with key partners in the community to discuss next steps for the organization.

While the last few months have not been the most pleasant for the organization, I am pleased to report that our summer kids' programs are simply great as usual. Seeing happy, engaged kids running around the building learning about astronomy, physics, wilderness survival and computer coding - just to name a few of the topics they are studying - makes our adult aggravations seem tiny in comparison.

I am also happy to report that SPRD is continuing the summer community dinner, but in different form. The luau will not be held this year because we lack the expertise on staff to organize and lead this event. In years past, Shannon Rackowski led this effort but has opted out of the event this year. As a result, the board decided to take a different direction. Board members and staff will host a free community dinner on August 9 to thank the community for its support for recreation in Sisters.

The focus of the dinner will be on recreation in its many forms here in Sisters. We'll offer opportunities to learn about recreation programs at SPRD, provide booths for signing up your kids for fall sports and offer lots of fun things for kids of all ages to do. Any donations from participants will go to SPRD's senior scholarship fund. We hope to see you on August 9th at the Village Green for one of Sisters' premier summer events. Look for more details about the event in The Nugget and the SPRD website.

Our fall activities guide will be out this week. It's loaded with a combination of the tried and true programs we offer and quite a few new activities like kid yoga, adult yoga and holiday-oriented cooking for kids. Also, if you are planning to sign-up a child for a team sport, please take note of registration deadlines. We cannot guarantee your kiddo will get on a team if the registration is not in on time.

We at SPRD are quite aware of the added new responsibility that we have taken on with the voters' approval of a local option tax levy to provide additional funding for program enhancement, fee reductions, infrastructure maintenance and staff retention. We will report to you through our various guides and periodic articles in The Nugget Newspaper on our progress in spending those funds wisely.

If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to reach out to staff or to me, directly, until we have a new executive director in place. I can be reached at [email protected]

Jeff Tryens

SPRD Board President

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To the Editor:

Thank you for the nice article about my quilting ("Computers and quilting are a perfect match for prolific artist," The Nugget, July 18) but there is one thing that needs to be corrected.

While I do volunteer for over 20 hours for the Quilt Show each year, I only volunteer about eight hours total each year for the Picnic in the Park, which is now the Quilters Affair Dinner, at the Sisters High School. I am not there every day during Quilt Show Week.

Michael Denton

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To the Editor:

I was surprised last week to see Craig Rullman devote almost half of his Bunkhouse Chronicles column to what amounted to a put-down of letter-to-the-editor writer Michael Wells. I was further surprised that the editors of The Nugget allowed it.

Typically columnists, employed by a paper and having a recurring forum, do not comment, favorably or unfavorably, on the opinions expressed by unpaid members of the community. It's simply not done.

I read all Rullman's columns and have met neither him nor Wells.

Rullman totally missed the nuance of Wells' letter.

Letters are opinion; whether to argue a point is the writer's prerogative.

Not only did Wells state his opinion, with which I agree, of Rullman's writing style, but he also showed him how it's done.

He had a theme and cleverly stuck to it.

As a further bonus, Wells reflected one of Rullman's nearest and dearest themes back at him.

Wells' allusions were apropos to his theme and ubiquitously understandable.

One didn't have to be a regular cruiser of online AR parts sites to get the connection.

Wells accomplished a lot in 154 words.

Rullman is the "grown man feigning injury and writhing around for attention." He writes a provocative column in a chaotic style that often leaves readers wondering exactly what (in the world) he's trying to say, then resorts to name-calling when someone is provoked.

Rullman took a cheap shot. It was an unprofessional use of his column. His solo version of "good cop, bad cop" contrasting the two writers cheapened it further. Censorship? No! Nothing of the kind. Rullman's position on The Nugget and journalistic ethics preclude his using his column in this petty way. There's an important distinction between a blog and a newspaper, between a letter to the editor and a weekly column. Hopefully, Rullman can rein himself in so the editors don't have to.

Allyn Hardman

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To the Editor:

A couple of things around Sisters that I think need attention:

The "live" ODOT traffic cam at the roundabout is never "live" and records but one photo every 24 hours in the late evening, period. I can only guess why, but I, for one, like to check it now and then to see just how bad the traffic really is.

The other thing that needs looking into are the 20 MPH speed limit signs at the east and west ends of town. They need to be bigger. Ideally, it would be helpful to have monitors that show one's speed, such as the one on Camp Polk Road and the road up to Three Creek Lake.

I've spoken with ODOT, to no avail.

Judy Bull

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To the Editor:

About the dead and dying ponderosa pines along Hwy. 20 west of Sisters, here is another idea for ODOT and the USFS to consider:

The Weyerhaeuser Company has developed a way to treat plants that will preserve their natural color. Now, why not combine this material with ponderosa green dye and helicopter-spray the dead trees? Green once more - end of problem. Until the needles drop!

Joe Holder