16 Wednesday, September 2, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon s LETTERS Continued from page 12 tarnish a diffuse movement that shares the slo- gan <Black Lives Matter= with legal entities within the movement, one of whose found- ers has identified herself as a Marxist. For nearly everyone who has expressed support for Black Lives Matter (including Republican Senators Mike Braun and Mitt Romney), the slogan Black Lives Matter signifies opposition to the violence with which George Floyd and other Black people have been treated 4 to the deaths and injuries that Black people are sub- jected to because of the color of their skin. I personally am well-acquainted with Marxism. I studied it in school and spent con- siderable time in the former Soviet Union. I am not a Marxist. I do not support anarchy. I oppose violence. I am a retired lawyer who was in private practice, who worked as in- house counsel at U.S. Bank, and who served as general counsel for two international chari- ties. I am a wife and a mother. I support Black Lives Matter because until they do, all lives cannot matter. Mary Chaffin s s s To the Editor: Driving through Sisters this weekend on beautiful summer evenings, I was appalled to see the crowds gathered outside bars and restaurants. Of course, you can9t eat or drink with a mask on. It is the large numbers of people in close proximity to one another that was dis- turbing. Also, some of our businesses are not enforcing the wearing of masks in their estab- lishments. It is easy to say we live in a small town with only a few reported cases and we don9t need to be inconvenienced by having to follow state guidelines like the larger cities. This is why we continue to see the spread of the virus. Inconvenienced by wearing a mask? Uncomfortable? Can9t breathe as well? I saw real inconvenience first hand recently in one of our hospitals. Front-line workers are taking so many steps to keep patients safe. Wearing PPEs, using hand sanitizer before entering the room, after entering the room, before leaving the room and then outside the room, before continuing on to the next task. By not doing what we know helps prevent COVID-19, we are contributing to the spread of this virus. Sisters has so many out-of-town and out- of-state visitors, we do not know where the virus may be lurking. Please, we all want to be able to return to a life that allows us to move about. Doing simple things to prevent more cases is essential. Debbie Barnes s s To the Editor: I want to thank Commissioner Henderson for his August 12 letter to the editor stating that if the Deschutes National Forest needs more funding to reduce hazardous fuels he will advocate for it. The time for that advo- cacy is now, and yesterday. In 2009 a group of environmentalists, tim- ber industry representatives, fire fighters, the Forest Service, and other community partners secured $10.1 million in a national competi- tion to implement forest restoration and fuels reduction work across 257,000 acres of for- est stretching from Black Butte Ranch to Sunriver, wrapping around the cities of Sisters and Bend. I was one of three authors for the proposal, so I am intimately familiar with the package of work that became the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project. Between 2009 and 2019, those $10.1 mil- lion allowed the Deschutes National Forest to complete over 120,000 acres of thinning, mowing, and prescribed fire treatments. Some of those treated acres became key anchor points where fire fighters were able to stop the Pole Creek and Milli fires from advancing into Sisters area subdivisions. Those fires clearly demonstrated that fuels reduction work helps us contain fires, reduce their severity, and protect our homes. This restoration work also employed over 100 members of our commu- nity over that 10-year period. The 10 -year $10.1 million award expired in 2019 and there are still 30,000 acres within the 257,000-acre landscape at high or extreme risk of wildfire. The Deschutes Collaborative and the Forest Service have sought an extension of their 10-year award and got a positive review from the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program advisory committee. Unfortunately, the advisory committee gave positive reviews to a total of $70.3 million of projects nationally for 2021 and Congress has only appropriated $40 million for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program in recent years. Congress will need to be prodded to increase Appropriations for this program which could provide sorely needed wildfire protection, habitat improvement, and employment for our community. Despite holding a seat on the Steering Committee of the Deschutes Collaborative, Commissioner Henderson does not appear to have listened well enough to understand the need to advocate for these appropriations to protect his constituents from wildfire. County Commissioners can have a lot of influence on forest management and funding when they know what to ask for. I ask for your vote and pledge to do better for our community and our forests. Phil Chang r e m m u s r u o y l l For a t h g i r s d e e n t c e j o pr here in Sisters! Lumber • Hardware • Paint Fencing & Decking • Doors & Windows FREE Local Delivery! Hours: M-F 8 to 5, Sat. 8 to 4, Closed Sundays 440 N. Pine St. • 541-549-8141 • www.hoyts.net Gypsy Wind Clothing Summer Sale… 50% OFF! 183 E. HOOD AVE. • OPEN WED.-SAT., 10 A.M.- 4 P.M. DO YOU HAVE A TEACHER THAT HELPS YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND MATH? OR ONE THAT TAKES AN INTEREST IN YOUR UNIQUE ABILITY? OR DID YOU VOLUNTEER IN A CLASSROOM AND WERE AMAZED AT HOW THE TEACHER CONNECTED WITH THE STUDENTS? NOW YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THEM IN THE NUGGET’S… SISTERS OUTLAWS Educator Honor Roll THANK Hope for a child. Change for a nation. Extended lockdowns have created extreme diffi culty for many people in Uganda who depend on their daily wages to eat. Hope Africa International has been able to meet these desperate physical and emotional needs by providing food and through outdoor, small group education. Janith is 10 years old and has been waiting for a sponsor for a year. Would you consider investing in Janith’s life? Sponsor Janith today at HopeAfricaKids.com Your monthly gift of $39 will provide Janith with school fees, uniforms, shoes, food, medical care, and the hope that is found only in Jesus Christ. Your sponsorship pledge makes an impact on your child’s life that is both immediately transformational and eternal. Learn more about Sisters-based Hope Africa International at HopeAfricaKids.com. This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper Newspaper. SELECT RACKS! Write your personalized thank-you message * and send it to leith@nuggetnews.com or drop it off at The Nugget offi ce, 442 E. Main Ave., Sisters. It may appear in a full-page salute in the Sept. 30th issue of The Nugget! * Limit to 55 words