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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2018)
2 Wednesday, March 21, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon O P I N I O N SCA needs a helping hand By Cheryl Peterson Principal, Sisters Christian Academy Letters to the Editor… The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writerʼs 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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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: Sisters Habitat for Humanity has made such a wonderful difference in the lives of so many of our local people. I am very impressed with all they do. Every time I hear from a Habitat homeowner about how buying a new, well- insulated house has changed their lives, I get tears in my eyes. Thank you to all the people in the Sisters area who have made this possible Sue Edgerton s s s To the Editor: Let us be honest, all accidental deaths by cars, drugs, guns and yes cell phones are a trag- edy. Annually over 3,200 people die needlessly from the use of cell phones while driving, 11 percent of these are under 20, another 421,000 are injured. By the outcry of so many for some type of gun control to stop needless death or injury to the 100,000 who are annually affected by guns. Where is the outcry about cell phone mis- use? More than four times the number of peo- ple die or are injured by cell phone distracted driving. Should we ban all cell phones? No you cry it’s our right to have and use our precious phones. Then just ban everyone under 21 from having a cell phone; no again you cry it’s our right for our children to have a cell phone. In reality your phone is a privilege not a right and yes if used responsibly they never kill anyone. But isn’t that the reality of guns, which actually is a right under the constitution of the United States of America? Guns themselves don’t kill people, just irresponsible users for See LETTERS on page 28 Sisters 3eather Forecast Courtesy of the National Weather Service, Pendleton, Oregon Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Rain Likely Rain/Snow Likely Snow Likely Chance Snow Chance Snow Chance Snow 52/35 45/26 37/23 38/22 43/24 45/33 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC Website: www.nuggetnews.com 442 E. Main Ave., P.O. Box 698, Sisters, Oregon 97759 Tel: 541-549-9941 | Fax: 541-549-9940 | editor@nuggetnews.com Postmaster: Send address changes to The Nugget Newspaper, P.O. Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759. Third Class Postage Paid at Sisters, Oregon. Editor in Chief: Jim Cornelius Production Manager: Leith Easterling Classifieds & Circulation: Teresa Mahnken Graphic Design: Jess Draper Community Marketing Partners: Patti Jo Beal & Vicki Curlett Accounting: Erin Bordonaro Proofreader: Pete Rathbun Owner: J. Louis Mullen The Nugget is mailed to residents within the Sisters School District; subscriptions are available outside delivery area. Third-class postage: one year, $45; six months (or less), $25. First-class postage: one year, $85; six months, $55. Published Weekly. ©2018 The Nugget Newspaper, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. All advertising which appears in The Nugget is the property of The Nugget and may not be used without explicit permission. The Nugget Newspaper, Inc. assumes no liability or responsibility for information contained in advertisements, articles, stories, lists, calendar etc. within this publication. All submissions to The Nugget Newspaper will be treated as uncondition- ally assigned for publication and copyrighting purposes and subject to The Nugget Newspaper’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially, that all rights are currently available, and that the material in no way infringes upon the rights of any person. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of artwork, photos, or manuscripts. How many times last winter did we grab the hand or arm of a friend and carefully, cautiously inch our way across ice-cov- ered sidewalks and roads? Walking on a slippery slope of any kind is best done when we hold hands. In our current culture, rais- ing children can be a very slippery slope. Racism, violence, disrespect, greed for money and power are on every social media source, in the newspa- per, and on the television. Lives can be torn apart in seconds and in only sec- onds more, the world can see and hear it. It concerns all citizens. And bringing sweet children into all of this? Yep, it’s a slippery slope indeed. Then there are the abys- mal statistics about our current education system. In spite of thousands of educators pouring their lives into their students, the U.S. currently ranks 17th in the world in sci- ence, and we’re in 25th place for math. Counting on the current educational system alone to support our children, to help them reach their full educa- tional potential, is a slope we’re already sliding, not advancing upward. Studies show that stu- dents who attend schools like SCA measure sig- nificantly higher than their peers in respect for authority; moral integ- rity; donating more time, money, and volunteerism to local churches, local communities, and global causes. They have signifi- cantly higher achievement test scores; higher college attendance; and stronger marriages and family ties. Sisters Christian Academy is an accredited educational alternative in our community with cer- tified teachers, that offers parents a choice. SCA isn’t “against” other edu- cational options. It is for offering children a qual- ity and unique educational opportunity. Parents and grandpar- ents of our students are deeply moved by the car- ing, skill, and commitment of our families and staff. It’s a safe place where children are truly seen and known. It’s a fun place where academics and liv- ing life as a beloved child of God are celebrated, not shunned. It’s a “holding hands on a slippery side- walk” kind of place where parents and teachers are united. However, it is not a place without life’s bumps and struggles. It’s a real place where teachers and administrators, who all love Jesus and have a biblical worldview, come alongside kids. These folks walk children through truth-telling, forgiveness, and restoration. Kids learn in context how their faith is a strong foundation in life’s struggles. It’s a pro- cess that both matures them and empowers them. As stated before, we all walk a slippery slope in raising up this next gener- ation. At this time, Sisters Christian Academy also faces an economic slope. Due to our extremely low tuition rates and a declin- ing student enrollment, we may need to close our doors. Our board is decid- ing this month whether or not we will be open- ing for another year. Will you consider support- ing our school, joining hands with us so that we can continue to provide a strong, solid choice for families who are seeking an effective, holistic, and powerful education for their children? It’s time to hang on to each other and help Sisters Christian Academy continue to exist. Please contact the school if you are able to join hands with us in these slippery times. Find out what you can do to help by calling us at 541-549- 4133. Or, better yet, stop by for a visit. The coffee’s always on. Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.
