Wednesday, June 3, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
who also happened to have only one arm.
Change of plans. I excused myself to the other
ushers and led these two to another gate close to
where Mr. Payne9s trailer was parked. She was
explaining to me that her son was just finishing his
first year of school. It had been so rough because of
the way the kids were treating him that he said he
never wanted to go back to school.
John was in his tack room still catching his
breath, but without hesitation, he came out, intro-
duced himself with a big, warm smile that I will
never forget, and sat down on the step of the trailer
so he could talk to the boy face to face. As John
was explaining what he had been through, there
was such empathy and compassion that the boy9s
mother and I were in tears. She was squeezing
my arm (and for days there was a slight bruise 4
which I didn9t mind at all).
This little guy went from sad and defeated, shar-
ing his stories of all the bullying, to smiling and
hopeful&
When they were done John pulled out an eight-
by-10-inch color photo, autographed it with a
lovely personal note of encouragement, and as he
wrote a phone number on it he said, <this is my cell
number which very few people in the world have,
and it is for you to call anytime day or night if you
want to talk.=
I was so impressed. There were no cameras, no
audience, just a world-class man making a young
boy9s day, and quite possibly changing his future.
Still gives me goose bumps.
Diane Prescott
s
s
s
To the Editor:
I9ve been reading the letters every week for
months now and watching the news every day
where I feel I will get most of the truth.
I9m a 76-year-old male with over 50 years built-
in immunity to flu viruses, colds, pneumonia. I take
no shots for this.
My wife and I have retirement money to live on
so we have been OK! There are many people for
and against opening business. I think remarks to
Make us
your natural &
organic foods
destination!
Located in the Cascade Village
Shopping Center, Bend
Open every day, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Isolated shopping hour: 6 to 7 a.m.
Family Owned & Operated for 20 Years
ccb#203769
s
s
s
To the Editor:
I want to express praise and gratitude to two
people who expressed thoughts that ring true for
me and that I hope more people will take to heart.
In this week9s Nugget, May 27, T. Lee Brown, in
her <In the Pines= column, shared some real insight
in her response to the action of the construction
worker who threw the long plank too close to
her little child and her. Although I don9t always
respond as she did 4 too often I react rather than
respond, due to fear or anger 4 I truly hope that I
would have the grace to carry in me those <Aggro
Passes= she speaks of.
Also, I so appreciate Wendie Vermillion9s very
thoughtful and well-said Letter to the Editor that
expresses, among other things, concerns I, too,
have about those times I need to shop for necessi-
ties and be among <the public.= I think we need to
take this COVID-19 pandemic seriously and, much
as it9s a bother and can feel like an infringement
on our personal rights in this free country, adhere
to the precautions and mandates we9ve been given.
I9m a senior and, so, am in the high-risk category
and I greatly appreciate it when I see other people
wearing masks. I don9t necessarily know where
they have been and to which virus they might have
recently been exposed that they could be exhaling,
sneezing, or coughing onto me and others.
I was shocked to see how many people from dis-
tant locales drove into central Oregon for Memorial
Day Weekend! What happened to <Stay Home-
Stay Safe?= How many of those people shared their
coronavirus germs with this region over that week-
end? I guess we9ll see what happens to the tally
of cases over the next week or two and get some
• Large organic
produce selection
• Huge organic &
natural selection
storewide
• Meat cut &
ground fresh
daily
• Huge bulk-foods
department
• All your favorite
local brands &
items
• Only 20 minutes
from Sisters
• Proud to be
100% locally
owned
• Re-Roof & New Construction
• Composite, Metal, Flat &
Cedar Shake Products
• Free Estimates
• Transferable
Warranties
• 10-Year Workmanship
Guarantee
541-526-5143
Jim Cornelius and Councilor (Richard Esterman)
were a bit strong for their stance.
I think the rise of suicides, bankruptcies, depres-
sion medicines, stress deaths have to all be weighed
out with common sense. I will wear a mask when
required and I feel needed.
I also will have compassion for those that are
going through great loss, physical, mental, business
loss.
I will try to help any way I can.
Chet Davis
Have a story
idea for
indication that way.
People, please do wear a mask when you go into
a public place!
Kathryn Johnson
s
s
s
To the Editor:
Governor Andrew Cuomo9s almost-daily admo-
nition to his New York citizens is: <Wear a mask.
It9s the smart and right thing to do.= With the tragic
worldwide pandemic virus ever present among us,
this admonition clearly applies to the citizens of the
Sisters community.
This responsibility is all the more needed while
patronizing our local stores which have the good
fortune of remaining open for business during this
crisis. However, during numerous visits to some of
our local merchants these past days, it has been dis-
tressful and agonizing to observe the cavalier atti-
tude of some of these merchants and their helpers
failing to wear any kind of face covering.
I am disdainful of confrontation and have
restrained from a polite comment asking them to
be responsible and wear a mask. These merchants
should realize the mask is for their protection and
for the protection their customers. Further, we have
a sizable senior citizen population whose vulner-
ability is exacerbated by this thoughtless type of
conduct. To our much needed and hard working
merchants of Sisters: Don those masks!
Wayne Carter
s
s
s
To the Editor:
I am putting in a plea to the Chamber of
Commerce to quickly organize some kind of July
4th parade through downtown Sisters with all the
trappings of a Rodeo parade and more.
We need some kind of celebration during this
period of time. Everything of any fun has been
canceled.
Let9s not give up on fun for young and old alike.
We need the stimulation and the merchants need
business.
This will just be for us Sisters folks not for the
tourists.
Diana Raske Lovgren
The look and feel of true
hand-forged ironwork is different...
The
Nugget?
We9d love to
hear it!
Send an email to
editor@nuggetnews.com
23
“Your Local Welding Shop”
CCB# 87640
...than mass-produced,
powder-coated or
painted cast iron
or fabricated steel.
All our products are
finished with a natural
patina – age-old
wax and oil finishes.
541-549-9280 | 207 W. Sisters Park Dr. | PonderosaForge.com
THANK YOU to all our readers
who have let us know how much
they appreciate The Nugget Newspaper
We are encouraged by your words
and honored by your support!
Readers of The Nugget Newspaper can support us by supporting
our advertisers, as we will continue to do in any way possible
through and beyond this crisis. Those readers who have signed
on with supporting subscriptions are valued partners.
Readers who would like to make a fi nancial contribution to keep
professional community journalism thriving in Sisters can visit
NuggetNews.com and click on "Subscriptions & Support" or drop a
check in the mail to: The Nugget, PO Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759