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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2000)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR To the editor: My people, My heartfelt thanks go to all of you who had enough confidence and trust in me to vote for me in the recent election. I’m sorry that I didn’t win, but it’s a moral victory that “we” got Reg Butler elected to Tribal Council. Again, Dee’s “block vote” prevailed. But to all of our constituents, I say “do not despair, we’ve taken a step in the right direction, and I for one am already thinking of next year.” As a Native American, every time I say Jim Thorpe’s name, I literally choke up with pride. This warrior was the epitome of all athletes. His exploits at Tiny Carlisle Indian school in Pennsylvania were legendary. From 1907 to 1911, he led them to track and football victories over the nation’s largest and best colleges. He was an All- American football player twice. In 1912, at the Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, he accomplished probably the greatest athletic feat of modern-day sports. He captured gold medals in both the decathlon and pentathlon, 15 track and field events. While awarding Thorpe his gold medals, King Gustav of Sweden told him, “Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world.” Thorpe also played professional football and baseball. He was instrumental in forming what is now the National Football League. At that time, he was its biggest star. He played baseball for the New York Giants. In 1950, the Associated Press recognized Thorpe as the “greatest athlete of the half-century.” My reason for writing this paper is anger. Recently, ESPN conducted a poll, naming Muhammad Ali as the “greatest athlete of the century.” Thorpe was not even mentioned. Now granted, Ali is probably the greatest “boxer," but that’s all he did. Sports Illustrated also conducted a poll for the “greatest athlete of the century.” Micheal Jordan was first, Babe Ruth was second, and Thorpe was clear back in seventh place! Again, granted, Jordan is probably the greatest “basketball” player ever, but the greatest athlete? He couldn’t make it in class “C” baseball and his golf game is a joke. Ruth’s records have been broken. 4 To the editor: My name is Tyler Billmyre and I am a sixth-grader at Ardenwald Elementary School in Milwaukie. I am a student body president and involved in sports in the Milwaukie area. I am writing this letter to tell you about a once in a lifetime opportunity. I was one of 33 students selected to travel as a People to People Student Ambassador to Australia this summer. It is a 16-day trip where I will learn about the history, culture, foods, living conditions, and current events of Australia. I will be able to receive a high school and/or college credit for completing this program. We put in a minimum of 12 hours of classroom time to prepare for our trip. The People to People Program was founded by the 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1956. When the program first started, it sent 16 delegates and in the year 2000, People To People will be sending more than 13,000 delegates to countries like Australia, China, U.K., Europe, and South Africa. I am writing this letter to seek help for raising the monies needed to fund my trip. The tuition for the program is $3,274, which pays for all my meals, transportation, accommodations, and education activities, due by May 2000. I am planning on having a raffle, collecting popcans, working for my father on weekends, and seeking contributions. I am asking if anyone can help me with a donation for a raffle or cash contribution, please call Kathleen Steele at 503-760-4746 or Danielle Billmyre at 503-653-9071.1 plan on giving a copy of my journal and/or speech to my contributors so they can share in my experience. On completion of the program, I will have gained a wealth of knowledge that most will not have the chance to experience. To make me a more rounded individual and to enhance my leadership skills. To make new friends and to tell them of our life in the U.S., in the hopes that they would like to learn about our life and culture. It will help me to problem solve and work as a team. To bring home to my family, friends, and community a memory to understand people in other countries, with the hope that one day there will be world peace and that they are people just like us! What a better way to learn than by firsthand experiencing it. Thank you, 2710 SE Olsen St. Tyler Billmyre Milwaukie, OR 97222 ______________________ To the editor: We are Native Americans. In 1993, we purchased a building on the Siletz River approximately one mile upstream from U.S. Hwy. 101. We have tried to get approval from Lincoln County to live in our building, but we have been stopped at every turn. So how do you explain such an insult to the greatest athlete of all? TV maybe; Thorpe wasn’t on two or three times a week. How do you go from the greatest athlete of all time to nothing in 50 years? While I was at Chemawa Indian School, I met Dick and John Thorpe. I was almost in awe that they had Jim Thorpe for a father. So, to Dick, John, Grace, and Jim’s other four kids, I say I am sorry. Sorry that such a travesty was allowed to happen by a world that should have remembered. Thank you, I remain C.W. Case, Sr. 503-653-9071 We have seen how our Anglo neighbors have been treated by Lincoln County. They have been able to get the approvals they ask for or the county ignores their open and notorious violations of county land use laws. We believe we are being singled out for bad treatment because we are Native Americans. Do you, our neighbors, feel you have been treated unfairly by Lincoln County employees? Have any of you been denied an opportunity to speak to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners? Have any of you been told you cannot see public records? If any of you answer “yes” to any of our questions, please call us at 1-800-727-6010 or e-mail us at 76002.1007@csi.com. Your support in this matter will be greatly appreciated by us. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Willie and Debi A. Owens
