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Readers write

The My Turn column “Welcome to Bondville – now vote no” (Sierra Sun May 7) was such a refreshing point of view. We commend her on her grasp of the facts she so eloquently stated. Bond measures are pure and simple tax increases. Homeowners and renters alike are affected by these increases. To further her point she stated that more money is not the answer to better educate our children. Children, properly motivated and encouraged can learn anywhere. Lastly, she states that the “bond” or “tax” measure can make the difference in whether families have nutritious food or any food at all. We could not agree more. Enough is enough! We got your message: No more taxes.

Mike and Stacey Bennett

Meeks Bay



Recent questions were raised regarding the way school facilities are funded. As head of the Facilities Department for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, I have participated in presentations sharing the goals Measure L, and how we have worked hard (past and present) to earn the trust of the community.

That trust is important because we know that, at some point, we will have to come to the public again for their support. This is how school facilities are funded. It is how our community funded school projects in the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, and the ’90s. This is not unique to our district. If you go to communities where they have good school facilities, it will be because they pay for them, and often much more than we do. The state simply doesn’t provide all the funding needed to build new schools. It provides even less to fix old schools.



We are concerned that this is not a great time to go out for a bond, and have said so in our presentations. Unfortunately these improvements will need to be done either today or tomorrow. If this bond doesn’t pass now, the next chance will be 2010. Construction costs are rising dramatically, and we can be certain that the cost tomorrow will be much more than today. We try to structure facilities bonds in a way that minimizes the impact on taxpayers as much as possible, and still deliver a project to the public that meets our mission of providing quality educational facilities.

While we are projecting our enrollment to turn around in the coming years, as it has in the past, we have stressed that the main purpose of this bond is not to deal with growth. It is about the ongoing work of upgrading and renewing aging buildings. It is about addressing safety issues, and about building facilities that meet the needs of our students entering the workforce today and in the future.

John Britto

Truckee

In the morning if you are up early enough you get the rush hour on Glenshire Drive. I only go as far as Olympic Heights and it is just out of control in the amount of traffic. I think to myself that is Truckee really that big to have a morning commute.

Then trying to return home at any given time to Olympic Heights you have that person(s)right on your tail and you let them know that you are turning (called a blinker) and have to yield to any traffic coming from the direction of Glenshire. You get no slack! They are up your tail and going as fast as they can to try and push you (sometimes pass you when you are turning in that direction). Last minute a car comes over the rise and I have to stop or change my mind and go to the other entrance so I don’t get rearend.

This is in a car (walking or riding a bike is just crazy; something bad is going to happen) If you are one of those impatient people in a car (resident of whatever subdivision), show some respect to others driving on the same roads that you are. I would like to get home and not to a hospital because of someone else’s impatience. This happens everyday and is getting worse.

If you have lived here long enough you know of the horrific accident involving motorcycles versus car. It was a fatality accident. Don’t put mine or your families’ lives in danger just because you may be a few minutes off you perfect schedule.

Judy Holland

Truckee

When I first read in the Sierra Sun that O.B.’s was closing, I was stunned, and that has progressed to distressed. O.B.’s is a fine restaurant with great food, great ambiance, reasonable prices, a friendly, competent staff and a committed, hard-working owner. The truth is so much more than that. It is a place that captures a piece of history of the West and especially the roots of the Town of Truckee. We have always brought our out-of-town family and guests to this amazing place so they too could have the opportunity to savor both the food and the history. If lucky, a train would run by, a reminder again of being a railroad town.

Shame on the Town of Truckee for not doing more to protect the special sites and heritage of the historic downtown. It is not progress when you lose what makes you unique. The area should have official designation and registration as a historic landmark and National Heritage Site. With the closing of O.B.’s a special place has already been lost, the heart of the historic downtown. If nothing is done, the soul of Truckee will be lost as well. Truckee will become just another faceless town off of Interstate 80 on the way to somewhere else.

Ruth Epstein

Truckee


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