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Wednesday, May 11, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
O
P
I N I O
Support Sisters School Bond
For eight years, the Sisters School District
has had to make tough financial choices, trying
to weather the storm of the Great Recession
and a steep decline in enrollment. Through all
of that time, the district did its best to keep cuts
as far away from classrooms and programs as
possible. That meant that maintenance of plant
and infrastructure took the hit.
With enrollment starting to stabilize, it’s
time to catch up to work that has to be done to
maintain the public’s investment in its schools.
The $10.7 million request that Sisters vot-
ers will decide upon in the May 17 election
was honed down from a bigger ask, based on
public feedback. Voters and taxpayers spoke
and the district listened. That’s the way it’s
supposed to work.
The request is adequate to meet the dis-
trict’s needs and to enhance facilities that will
help the district attract and retain students.
Schools must rely on robust enrollment to
stay financially viable. Quality facilities are
necessary to help Sisters schools to return to
a healthy, sustainable level of enrollment and
funding. The safety enhancements called for in
the district’s plans are overdue and necessary.
Refinancing the district’s existing full faith
and credit debt will have an immediate posi-
tive effect on the general fund budget, freeing
up some $240,000 annually that can be put to
use in the classroom.
Sisters schools are a central part of the
life of the community — and a reflection of
who we are as a community. Supporting the
bond request will ensure that our investment
is maintained and that the heart of our com-
munity remains vibrant.
—Jim Cornelius, News Editor
Letters to the Editor…
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer’s name, address and phone number. Let-
ters 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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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:
My all-time favorite fictional character
Ron Swanson once said, “Honor: if you need
it defined, you don’t have it.”
If you’re reading this, Mr. Gorayeb, honor
doesn’t involve making co-workers uncom-
fortable no matter what your definition of
appropriateness is and it certainly doesn’t
involve accepting $15,340.48 for essentially
getting to be on vacation for two months.
Furthermore, accepting over $100,000 in
severance for leaving a job voluntarily, with
a victim mentality to boot, is not only dis-
honorable but, as councilman Asson put it,
disgraceful.
Good luck with your next job.
Jayson Berray
• • •
To the Editor:
Hats off to City Councilor David Asson for
speaking up on behalf of taxpayers and voting
against this expensive settlement with the ex-
city manager.
Hard not to feel like our community was
bullied into it by Mr. Gorayeb’s threats of
litigation. Fulfilling his contract’s minimum
compensation is more than enough out of our
pockets, especially as he resigned rather than
accept responsibility for his part in the prob-
lems, and refuses to cooperate with the coun-
cil’s requirements for self-improvement.
This time around, let’s hire someone in-
house to lead the city team, someone who’s
worked their way up through the ranks and
shown they can work amicably with city staff
and city council. City staff has many dedi-
cated workers who could lead the team better
than anyone from outside.
Bill Stevens
• • •
To the Editor:
Is it really in the best interest for our com-
munity to have all of the gory details of the
city manager mess made public, and exactly
what purpose would it serve?
Based on what details have been offered,
See LETTERS on page 8
Sisters Weather Forecast
Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunny
Sunny
Slt. chance t-storms Chance t-storms
75/42
78/43
76/46
67/43
Sunday
Monday
Partly sunny
Partly sunny
67/43
66/na
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N
Schools superintendent
reaches out
students, staff and commu-
nity members that partici-
Guest Columnist
pate in them.
Most importantly, I have
It seems like just yester-
day I was signing my con- discovered a hard-working,
tract and trying to figure reflective staff and com-
out all the logistics of tran- munity that have a “can-
sitioning into Sisters. As I do” attitude and care about
approach the end of my first providing top-notch experi-
year as the Superintendent ences for our students. This
of Sisters School District I is the cornerstone to mak-
find myself reflecting on my ing Sisters not just the best
school district in the region,
experiences.
When considering a but one of the best in the
move, my wife, Kellie, and state.
I feel this fits well with
I were looking for smaller
towns as we wanted our my personality and edu-
four children to experience cational philosophy. As
an educa-
that close-
tor, I feel a
knit/com-
strong sense
munity feel-
urgency
ing that we
I believe I need to hear of
to make
had grow-
we are
ing up. I
from all of our residents, sure
doing the
was nervous
best we can
about mak-
not only parents and
to develop
ing a move.
the criti-
I wondered
family members.
cal thinkers
if my expe-
and life-
r i e n c e s
long learn-
of grow-
ers that will
ing up in a
small town were distorted be able to adjust to our
by the “good old days” e v e r - c h a n g i n g w o r l d
mindset that we often have w h e n t h e y l e a v e o u r
when remembering our schools.
Finally, I have realized
childhood.
While doing research that even with the many
about Sisters we discovered community forums, presen-
a strong school system and tations to local organiza-
a supportive community that tions, and my attendance
boasted about strong part- at countless community
nerships and volunteerism. events, I still have not had
Even though there is always the opportunity to meet all
room to improve, what I of the people that are a part
have discovered is that the of the Sisters community.
I have connected with
reality in Sisters is better
many community mem-
than the research.
I have found the research bers to get an understand-
does not do justice or appro- ing of the priorities around
priately capture the part- education, and I believe
nerships with Sisters Folk I need to hear from all of
Festival, Sisters Schools our residents, not only par-
Foundation, Sisters Park ents and family members.
& Recreation District and We all know that great
the Science Club, and the schools have a huge impact
experiences that these on our graduation rates,
partnerships afford our our local economy, future
workforce, and property
students.
These partnerships sup- values.
That’s why we need our
port programs like the
Americana Project, IEE, business and community
outdoor education, guitar leaders and retired neigh-
and ukulele building, culi- bors to let us know where
nary arts, flight science, they stand on school-related
Chinese language, and Seed issues. For those who I
to Table. Not to mention the have not had the pleasure
traditional school supported of meeting, you can con-
co-curricular activities like tact the district office as I
band, choir and athletic pro- continue to seek partner-
grams that round out a com- ships and feedback on how
prehensive school system. to improve the experiences
These experiential learning provided to our students
opportunities are described and the Sisters School
as transformational by the District.
By Curt Scholl
Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and
are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.