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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2016)
18 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon LETTERS Continued from page 2 To the Editor: To the guy flying the UAV at the airport on the 4th of July: I must admit to a little bit of envy; you must’ve gotten some spectacular footage of the drag races, as well as the whole event. As a drone flyer myself — and one who has (not necessarily happily) registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FA33YEM9WP) — I must also admit to a certain amount of anger and frustration. Surely you must know that flying UAVs over people is against the law, as well as being potentially hazardous to bystanders. You also may or may not be aware that so far this year firefighting aircraft have been grounded on several occasions due to UAVs being operated in the vicinity of wildfires. We’re at the very beginning of the UAV revolu- tion, and it’s not too far a stretch to imagine the FAA imposing an outright ban on all personal-use UAVs. To you and all UAV pilots who may be tempted to get the cool shots: Please don’t give the feds any further excuses to shut us down. Pete Rathbun s s s To the Editor: The economy is booming and Sisters remains dependent upon tourism and recreation activi- ties. EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon) and City of Sisters leadership have been working diligently to bring new industry into our community. The land at and around the air- port has been designated for industrial and com- mercial development. Private and government dollars have been invested in the airport to cre- ate better opportunities for economic advance- ment. The activities proposed at the airport can be diverse, and a skydiving venture is but one of the enterprises that is permissible in an airport setting. Sisters Airport is expanding and improving its services for pilots and aircraft. I understand that over 80 percent of city residents voted to annex the private airport into the city. It is unrealistic to then ask the Bensons to not expand the business oppor- tunities for their airport. I am a private pilot and own an airplane. For four years I rented a hangar in Prineville because there were none in Sisters. Once Sisters Eagle Airport built their hangars I rented one. Now I spend money in Sisters to hangar and fuel my airplane. I frequently spend time at the airport and have met many people who fly to Sisters to enjoy the amenities of Sisters Country. As the air- port expands, more economic impact will be felt community-wide. There are 4,800 licensed airplanes in Oregon. Some of these planes travel to or over Central Oregon for work or pleasure. With the more afford- able fuel prices, air travel is increasing and it is not fair to assume that the skydiving airplane based out of Sisters Airport is responsible for the increased noise in the area. I volunteered at the 4th of July of event where hundreds of people came to see and learn about airplanes, classic cars and skydiving. Money was raised to support the very successful aviation pro- gram at Sisters High School, which can introduce youth to aviation careers. The expansion of the airport and its services has prompted much local discussion in recent weeks. I encourage people to find ways to communicate their views and opinions in a respectful manner. Perhaps we can explore how we can seek com- mon ground through efforts such as the Speak Your Peace initiative. John Dunlap s s s To the Editor: At the outset, we want to say that we have the highest respect for the individuals operating the Eagle Airport. They are good people, smart entrepreneurs, and in the past have been good neighbors. However, not all business decisions are good ones, and the decision to initiate a commercial skydiving operation is, in our opinion, a flawed venture. It has dramatically increased the level and frequency of air traffic and engine noise in our community. It has deprived many of the enjoy- ment of their homes by the constant, relentless and grating sounds of an airplane engine four days a week. This is especially disturbing because this activ- ity takes place during the warmer months when many wish to be outside enjoying their property, listening to the sounds of nature, and experiencing the peace they treasure in this community. In our opinion, the recreational benefits to a limited number of skydivers and the questionable financial benefits to Sisters pales in comparison to the price paid by so many residents, as well as visitors. Part of being a good neighbor is knowing when your own self interests disproportionately and adversely impact the legitimate interests of those around you. Although we don’t criticize Eagle Airport for experimenting with this venture, we think time has shown that the drawbacks far exceed the limited benefits. Some comments have suggested that the City of Sisters develop noise ordinances or take other regulatory action to either halt or severely restrict this and potential future activity. A more simple and expedient solution may be for the operators of Eagle Airport to reconsider their decision to launch a commercial skydiving business due to the nega- tive impact on so many in the broader community. David Adler & Marcy Edwards See letterS on page 20 “I was just going in for 10 minutes.” But then the check-out line was so long. Even with the windows partly down, the heat can rise from 80º outside to 102º inside the car in a short time.* Parked cars are deathtraps for dogs: On a 78-degree day, the temperature inside a parked car can soar to between 100 and 120 degrees in just minutes, and on a 90-degree day, the interior temperature can reach as high as 160 degrees in less than 10 minutes. Animals can sustain brain damage or even die from heatstroke in just 15 minutes.* FURRY FRIEND S 501 ( c )( 3 ) FOUNDATION www.furryfriendsfoundation.org Friends don’t leave friends in parked cars! *www.peta.org