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