Letters to the Editor

I have in my possession a document that ensured this Pittsburgh Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XLIII as of Christmas Day 2008. (As you are aware this was before the play-offs).
The story is: As a Christmas tradition, our family always put little anonymous gifts in each others' stockings, these we call ''gifts from Santa.''
This year (like most people) we had very little money, and my wife commented to me that our sons were upset that they had nothing to put in my (I'm the dad) stocking. So as not to disappoint them, Christmas morning when we all emptied out our stockings, in Dad's stocking was a document from none other than Santa Claus himself! This document stated that ''Dad's Christmas wish will come true. The Pittsburgh Steelers will be Super Champs for the 2008/2009 season!''

This week's letter comes from Minny Purinton who helped to organize the Obama inaugural bash at Boondock's last week, raising more than $8,000 for our local homeless shelter. Unfortunately some of the party goers made off with her commemorative posters that Purinton was planning to auction for the benefit of local schools. Can the folks who, we hope, unwittingly absconded with the posters return them to their rightful owner? Yes they can. Read on to find out how. In the meantime, Minny can collect her winner's prize, a pound of Strictly Organic Coffee, at our offices, 704 NW Georgia. - The editor.

 
I want to thank all those who participated in Bend's Inaugural Ball. From the feedback we received, many folks seemed to have had a truly whomping good time. We made enough to donate $8,500 to the Bethlehem Inn, thanks to your support. Well done, Bend!

In March of 2009 Deschutes County citizens will be voting on a local rule that was adopted by the Deschutes County Commissioners.
This local rule only applies to residents of South Deschutes County who have septic systems (which are not hooked up to some type of sewer system). The reason this rule was adopted was Deschutes County participated in a study with other agencies and determined there were nitrates in some wells that maybe could exceed DEQ limits in 50 to 100 years. The DEQ has never issued a health hazard on this matter.
This rule is unfair to South County residents; we are being penalized by this rule. Now the Deschutes County Commissioners are asking all of the County residents to vote on an issue that does not affect them, presently. But don't get complacent; all it takes is for the Commissioners, by a stroke of the pen, to make it law for All of Deschutes County who are not on some type of municipal sewer system.

Dear Source,
We, 100%, support your stand regarding the ''Jersey Wall'' needed for Hwy 97!!!
But we dare say you do not go far enough (literally). The jersey wall needs to separate the entirety of Hwy 97 (or as it is better known, ''Blood Alley'') from Redmond, through La Pine, on to Klamath Falls.

In response to Bob Bates' letter, "The Solution," I need take issue on a few points. With regard to the sustainability of current solar cell technology, I assume the consumption being referred to is the energy cost of manufacturing vs. the output energy of the cells and is not referring to a cell's efficiency (which is mostly irrelevant since the sun is an unlimited source of power). Solar cells do not decay with use or time so their total output power is determined only by how long they are in service whereas the energy cost is a fixed amount. In other words, they can be sustainable if they are used for a long enough time.

Hey, why is it that when you ask a cop here in Bend a question he answers in a way such as, 'Well I think that it is because of this!' What is up with that?
Don't they have access to a computer in their squad cars? When I ask a question about something I want to hear, 'Well sir, this is the city ordinance,' or, 'This is this because this is the law in Oregon.'

I have had numerous experiences with the police here in Bend, and quite frankly they suck. Why do they suck? Well I never see them on Skyliners road west of Mt. Washington Drive monitoring those idiots in their pickups blazing along at 80 mph. Is there a speed limit out there? I have asked questions about the bicycle lanes and whether or not it is illegal to park in that lane. Some police say yes and some say no. Well what is it? The City Hall says it is illegal to park in the bicycle lane unless it is a city vehicle or emergency vehicle.

Hi, I've been gone from Bend for a year and just got back and wanted to say to you blind drivers out there. Will you please pay attention to people in the crosswalks, okay? I have had so many close calls with drivers and do not want to get hit especially over at Brosterhouse (sic) and 3rd Street.

This week's letter of the week comes from local entrepreneur Katie Stewart who asks readers to rally behind her and other small business owners caught up in a new product safety crackdown. Thanks for the letter Katie. We can't change an act of Congress but we will give you a shiny new pint glass and a cold beverage to fill it for your winning letter. Swing by our office at the corner of Bond and Georgia to collect your prize.
Many of us have heard of the toy recalls that occurred as a result of some lead-tainted toys sold in 2007 and some of us have heard of the resulting law, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, (CPSIA) that was passed this past summer and takes effect February 10th, 2009. There has been some news coverage of the potential effects of this law on thrift stores and resellers of children's products, mostly the closing of these stores as they will be unable to test all of their inventory to ensure it all meets the new safety standards. This is a terrible effect of this law, no doubt, as many families around this country rely on these secondhand stores to provide quality clothes and other products for their children, and my family is no exception. However, many Americans face an even greater problem as a result of this law, and there has been an unfortunate lack of media attention given to this.

As an emergency services provider I'd like to offer a response to H. Bruce Miller's opinion piece in the January 15 issue about installing a Jersey Barrier on Hwy 97.
I believe in Jersey Barriers; they save lives. But there are many concerns that communities must weigh before committing to those barriers. I am no traffic expert, but with 28 years of emergency service experience I must weigh in on the negatives that I see. The first is response time for those called to help (in a timely manner) to the scene of an accident or other emergency. The barriers on I-5 are one example. Between Brooks and Woodburn the barrier has contributed to increased response times. If an accident is, for example, just a half-mile south of Woodburn in the northbound lanes, emergency services must come from Brooks and travel up to twelve miles to provide assistance.

Jim Owen's In My View was published for a second time within a week in Bend's daily paper. The second printing (Jan. 14) is titled "Recent oil crisis demonstrates the need for nuclear energy." An odd title in that Owen doesn't really make a case for nuclear. But I thank him for bringing up "Peak Oil."

But first let's talk about nuclear energy. Owen neglects to inform us that as a resource (uranium) it's finite like fossil fuel! The U.S. only has 11 percent of the world's exploitable sources. U.S. annual consumption is about 62,000 tons. If consumption stays flat, our uranium would last about 57 years. However, if we double, triple or quadruple production, we'd run out in short order, and with a bad investment. Fission produces only electricity, less than 40 percent of our energy needs. And, the source of the remaining 60 percent? Another problem is disposal of radioactive waste.