Wednesday, January 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
The existence of the refuge is not in question just
because of his grandstanding and inflammatory
monologue.
I certainly hope some leadership emerges soon to
deflate this frightening situation.
Nancy Louise Clayton
s
s
s
To the Editor:
Excellent editorial — again! (“America is turn-
ing tribal,” The Nugget, January 6, page 2).
Most folks bemoan the foibles of their aging
brain and fail to recognize that their crystalline intel-
ligence has become quite large and is still expand-
ing. That is, their knowledge, experiences and life
situations are still there inside and constitute a per-
sonal wisdom that should not just be enjoyed, but
shared with others. You do that well.
One of the last functions to appear in the devel-
opment of the brain is empathy in the frontal lobe,
usually around age 20. Like all areas it grows best
with experience and instruction.
From the perspective of my own aging brain,
I disparage and don’t use social media, but social
scientists point out that today it is Facebook,
Twitter, texting (are there more?) that provide the
raw material for developing empathy and toler-
ance. Because there is so much of it, there is great
opportunity for parents, teachers and communi-
ties to help youth learn and develop capacities for
empathy and tolerance — preventive medicine for
tribalism.
Bob Collins
s
s
s
To the Editor:
Regarding the Malheur takeover issue:
I started visiting the Steens area in the ’60s while
I lived in Boise, and I’ve continued for over 45
years, including the last 35 in Oregon.
For approximately 2-1/2 years (2010 – 2012) I
was on the Steens Management Advisory Council
(SMAC). I love the Steens, eastern Oregon and
southwest Idaho, but the drive for meetings was
very tiring; so when I was due for reappointment to
SMAC I decided to not reapply.
The BLM provided the staff for the SMAC
meetings and made the arrangements for the meet-
ing places, so I became familiar with their work. I
was very impressed with the BLM and U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Malheur Refuge staff and the work they
performed. As usual I connected with the ranchers
very well, probably because they love open land-
scapes as I do. Twice, while exploring the Steens,
I got myself into problems and in both cases a
local rancher came to help. There were four on the
Council and I met a number of others who came to
our meetings, including Mrs. Hammond.
The current controversy is very unfortunate. The
Malheur refuge provides superb wildlife habitat and
is managed well. The surrounding BLM lands are
well-managed, too. The protesters want lands that
belong to all of us turned over to private owners
and local governments. The reason is to benefit log-
ging, ranching and other commercial activities that
benefit only a few.
As I understand the background, the Hammonds
made some unfortunate mistakes, as all of us do in
our life, but theirs damaged public property, violated
federal law and mandated prison-term sentences.
In my opinion the Bundys and their followers
should quietly leave. It sounds like most Harney
County residents agree, including the Burns Paiute
Tribe.
“We as Harney County people can stand on our
own feet,” said Jarvis Kennedy, a member of the
Burns Paiute Tribal council. “We don’t need some
clown to come in here and stand up for us.”
H. Tom Davis
s
s
s
To the Editor:
I am a U.S veteran who supports our govern-
ment, but do not agree with the additional impris-
onment of the Hammonds. I believe they are being
bullied by an arrogant BLM and U.S attorney in an
attempt to acquire their land.
The infraction they are charged with is certainly
not an act of terrorism, and did little or no harm to
a very small portion of their allotment. The punish-
ment should fit the crime.
As a life-long recreational user of these federal
lands in rural Oregon, I also support the rights of
grazing, mineral, and timber interests holding legal
grants and allotments, as their fees support the
administration of these lands.
Don Young
Sisters
s
s
s
To the Editor:
This January marks the 15th annual National
Mentoring Month, and Circle of Friends is partici-
pating in this campaign aimed at expanding quality
opportunities to connect more of our community’s
young people with caring adults
There is a powerful mentoring effect dem-
onstrated by research and the experiences of
young people who are connected to a mentor in
real life. Mentoring is linked to improved aca-
demic, social and economic prospects for young
people, and that ultimately strengthens our
community.
Research has shown that when matched through
a quality mentoring program, mentors can play a
powerful role in providing young people with the
tools to make responsible decisions, stay focused
and engaged in school, and reduce or avoid risky
behavior like skipping school, drug use, and other
negative activities.
For example, in a recent national report called
The Mentoring Effect, young people who were at-
risk for not completing high school but who had a
mentor were 55 percent more likely to be enrolled
in college than those who did not have a mentor.
They were also:
• 81 percent more likely to report participating
regularly in sports or extracurricular activities.
• 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly in
their communities.
• More than twice as likely to say they held a
leadership position in a club or sports team.
This same report found that one in three
young people in our country will grow up with-
out a mentor. Today, in our community, there
are many kids who could benefit from having a
mentor.
As we focus on engaging more community mem-
bers in volunteering as mentors, we will share a
simple message: Mentor IN REAL LIFE. Mentoring
relationships are basic human connections that let a
young person know that they matter, and mentors
frequently report back that their relationships make
them feel like someone is there to help them make
the right choices in life.
Beth Hanson
Program Director
Circle of Friends
s
s
s
Sisters Science Club
Schedule of Events
HOW DID WE GET HERE – CLUES FROM THE SOLAR
SYSTEM: Tuesday, January 26. Scott Fisher, Department
of Astronomy and Pine Mountain Observatory, Universi-
ty of Oregon. All elements are manufactured in explod-
ing stars, many combine to form molecules, some travel
through space on asteroids and reach planets. What can
we learn about life on earth from our own solar system?
The Belfry, 6 p.m. $5 at the door. Club donors, teachers,
and students are free.
FIFTH ANNUAL SISTERS SCIENCE FAIR: Saturday,
February 20. Student and community exhibits, experi-
ments, mouse-trap car contests, sci-art photography and
much more. Sisters High School. 12 p.m.
SCIENCE AND SOCIETY: Tuesday, February 23, Jon
Renner, Sisters High School. Science is a social, human
phenomena … an evolutionary process in which, as mem-
bers of a global society, each of us has choices about the
kind of lives we lead and the future we all might share.
Some of us have choices that can affect billions at once,
while others have much smaller ranges of choice … choic-
es that only affect a few, or even just our own selves in
perhaps very small ways … but each of us has choices.
Understanding the natural world and the
science that is used to investigate it is es-
sential if we are to properly understand
our place, and make choices wisely about
our next steps. The Belfry, 6 p.m. $5 at the
door. Club donors, teachers, and students
are free.
This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper.
23
This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper in support of Deschutes Land Trust.