2 Wednesday, March 18, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon O P I N I O Editorial… A time to pull together Just as a wildfire can create its own wind, whipping up a firestorm of destruction, the public health crisis surrounding the COVID-19 virus has the potential to have far-reaching and long-lasting effects on the Sisters community. And just as Sisters has weathered the impacts of wildfire, we will weather this cri- sis, too. Hopefully, the aggressive measures being taken now will mean the crisis will fade and Sisters, the nation and the world can return to our normal lives. But it will require pulling together to get there. It9s natural in the face of fear and uncer- tainty to withdraw into the safety of hearth and home; in fact, it9s a prudent safety precaution. But there are things we can 4 and should 4 do to support our local community even while we9re protecting ourselves. Local businesses are going to be hit hard by a severe contraction in economic activity. Every little bit of support will help them. If a lot of us do a little, we can together weather this crisis. Quarantining yourself? Stock up on a bunch of good books (the bookstore will deliver). Don9t want to go out to a restaurant? Order a meal or two a week to go from a local restaurant (some offer curbside pickup). Call a local shop and buy a gift card to use after the crisis has passed. Local families with children are going to be under duress due to the three-week closure of Sisters9 schools. Perhaps, if your circum- stances allow, you can reach out and help them with childcare 4 or maybe just keep an eye on your neighbor9s kids while they stay at home. This crisis is also likely to increase the need at the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank; donations, especially of cash, are welcome there. Sisters prides itself on being a tight-knit, resilient community. There is no time like the present to demonstrate that to the world. Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief Letters to the Editor… The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer9s name, address and phone number. Letters 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 Unpublished items are not acknowledged or returned.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 10 a.m. Monday. To the Editor: Indivisible Sisters had our first Get to Know the Candidate meeting of 2020 at Sisters Public Library the evening of March 4. About a dozen Sisters citizens met Carina Miller, who hails from Warm Springs, graduated from the University of Oregon, and is running for Oregon9s District 30 Senate seat. That is the seat that Senator Cliff Bonham vacated to run for Representative Greg Walden9s seat in U.S. House for District 2. It is currently occupied by Lynn Findley. Carina (or any candidate, for that matter) has courage because campaigning for a pub- lic seat in this political world is very diffi- cult to say the least. Just ponder running for office yourself and what that would put you and your loved ones through. On the campaign trail, some people can be very uncivil; it is no longer uncommon. Yet, there she was in her first