I understand that the Bend branch of the DMV is planning to lease a location in the Brookswood Plaza. For many reasons, this is an inappropriate location for the DMV.

I'm shocked...shocked!!! You didn't give The Boot to MeShell Ma Bell when she went to Spain on our dimes, or should I say thousands. Maybe she doesn't see the bumper stickers that say, "Make Local Habit," because she rides around in limos with tinted windows and can't see the real world.

We recently visited Bend, Oregon, and, while there, we were pleasantly surprised that a Bob Dylan concert was happening on August 27, 2010 at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in town.  The general admission tickets were available at a price of $48.50, with this price published in several papers, as well as on the website. The announcement stated that tickets could be purchased over the web as well as at the local ticket office in the Mill District, adjacent to the amphitheater. We mentioned this concert to our friends (handicapped and in their 60s) living in Albany, Oregon. Since Bend was such a small town (we live in Los Angeles), my wife offered to drive the five minutes to the ticket booth to save the Ticketmaster charges ($8.50 per ticket = $34 for 4 tickets), which to us retirees represents a hefty sum.

Matt Orr opened Pandora's Box with his comments about chemicals. The debacle that PGE caused in the Hudson and the federal government's slow response to the BP oil disaster will be looked on as a minor problem when we see the results of the chemical industry pumping glug into our soils and water every day. Virtually every gardener in the US of A uses chemicals of one sort or another in his and her garden. Even those products that (are supposed to) evaporate and altered by sunlight and soil are adding their elements to the total accumulation.

Here, in our part of the country, we have been dumping chemicals into the soil for generations. Not only chemicals, but oil, gasoline, and God-knows what else have been dumped into toilets, backyards and other places. A small blurb in the press a while back stated scientists are wondering about the effect of drugs dumped into the toilet and now sitting in sewage ponds everywhere, leaching into ground water; things like birth-control pills, steroids and growth hormones. And, as the saying goes, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!"

- Jim Anderson, Sisters

“McDonald’s Super Sized Signage” (August 4), contains references to “super sized meals” and “oversized portions.”

To set the record straight, we eliminated the “Super Size” option from our menu six years ago (2004) and strive to offer our customers menu choices and variety such as, Premium Grilled Chicken Salads and Sandwiches, Fruit n Yogurt Parfaits and new Real Fruit Smoothies.

Our customers, including our youngest guests, rely on us to deliver quality, wholesome food and we take that responsibility very seriously. Our popular four-piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal which includes Apple Dippers, low-fat caramel dip and a one percent low-fat white milk, provides less than one third of the government’s daily recommendations for total fat, sodium and calories according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and the current USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We are dedicated to making our customers feel good about choosing McDonald’s food and beverages.

McDonald’s has been a leader in providing customers with comprehensive nutrition information in our restaurants for more than 35 years. Our website, www.mcdonalds.com provides a nutrition analysis of our menu items to help our customers balance their McDonald’s meal with other foods they eat. Our goal is to provide them with the information they need to make sensible decisions about balance, variety and moderation in their diet.

As a 38-year resident of Central Oregon and a second-generation McDonald’s Franchisee I am proud to employ more than 300 residents at my restaurants. In addition to our local contributions to schools and community programs, I played an integral part of opening of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Oregon and have served on their Board for 12 years. While McDonald’s is a global brand committed to providing quality food choices to our customers, my husband, Mick, and I are 38-year local residents and local owners who have raised our family in Central Oregon and are committed to giving back to the community where we work and live.

- Nanette Bittler,

McDonald’s Franchisee Bend, La Pine & Sisters, Oregon

Editor’s note: As most American’s already know, McDonald’s phased out the Super Size meal several years ago and replaced it with the “Large Size” and “Extra Large Size,” if there’s a difference other than in name please let us know.