Eric Flowers

Hi, I've been gone from Bend for a year and just got back and wanted to say to you blind drivers out there. Will you please pay attention to people in the crosswalks, okay? I have had so many close calls with drivers and do not want to get hit especially over at Brosterhouse (sic) and 3rd Street.

This week's letter of the week comes from local entrepreneur Katie Stewart who asks readers to rally behind her and other small business owners caught up in a new product safety crackdown. Thanks for the letter Katie. We can't change an act of Congress but we will give you a shiny new pint glass and a cold beverage to fill it for your winning letter. Swing by our office at the corner of Bond and Georgia to collect your prize.
Many of us have heard of the toy recalls that occurred as a result of some lead-tainted toys sold in 2007 and some of us have heard of the resulting law, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, (CPSIA) that was passed this past summer and takes effect February 10th, 2009. There has been some news coverage of the potential effects of this law on thrift stores and resellers of children's products, mostly the closing of these stores as they will be unable to test all of their inventory to ensure it all meets the new safety standards. This is a terrible effect of this law, no doubt, as many families around this country rely on these secondhand stores to provide quality clothes and other products for their children, and my family is no exception. However, many Americans face an even greater problem as a result of this law, and there has been an unfortunate lack of media attention given to this.

As an emergency services provider I'd like to offer a response to H. Bruce Miller's opinion piece in the January 15 issue about installing a Jersey Barrier on Hwy 97.
I believe in Jersey Barriers; they save lives. But there are many concerns that communities must weigh before committing to those barriers. I am no traffic expert, but with 28 years of emergency service experience I must weigh in on the negatives that I see. The first is response time for those called to help (in a timely manner) to the scene of an accident or other emergency. The barriers on I-5 are one example. Between Brooks and Woodburn the barrier has contributed to increased response times. If an accident is, for example, just a half-mile south of Woodburn in the northbound lanes, emergency services must come from Brooks and travel up to twelve miles to provide assistance.

Jim Owen's In My View was published for a second time within a week in Bend's daily paper. The second printing (Jan. 14) is titled "Recent oil crisis demonstrates the need for nuclear energy." An odd title in that Owen doesn't really make a case for nuclear. But I thank him for bringing up "Peak Oil."

But first let's talk about nuclear energy. Owen neglects to inform us that as a resource (uranium) it's finite like fossil fuel! The U.S. only has 11 percent of the world's exploitable sources. U.S. annual consumption is about 62,000 tons. If consumption stays flat, our uranium would last about 57 years. However, if we double, triple or quadruple production, we'd run out in short order, and with a bad investment. Fission produces only electricity, less than 40 percent of our energy needs. And, the source of the remaining 60 percent? Another problem is disposal of radioactive waste.

Is it just me, or does the different gravel they're using on streets around Bend actually cause more dust in the air?
I was lookin' South down Wall St. the other day, kinda lookin' toward the sun, and I thought I was in a temporal warp.

A few months ago I was falsely accused of something that in a million nightmares I would never suspect I would have to deal with.
You see I walk differently. My crime was walking. The perception I believe was fear based, fear that a person who looks differently might have been involved and targeted in an incident of mistaken identity. I was cleared of any wrongdoing. People decided to convict me without reason or merit. My world and family were turned upside down. For me this unwarranted attack felt like a relic of old thoughts.

In keeping with our newly minted tradition of highlighting the best (and worst) reader call outs for the Letter of the Week, we're spotlighting this nuclear missive from Jennifer Garcia who lambastes assistant editor Ric E. James' "east side garage" rundown from our Top 10 issue. Thanks for the letter Jennifer, you can pick up your prize, an Old Mill Pint glass and a Busch Light to fill it at our offices, 704 NW Georgia.
Stick That List
Dear Source Weekly and Ric E. James,
Yesterday I opened a copy of The Source, and I found a feature composed entirely of lists. One of those lists was titled "Top 10 Things You'll Find In An Eastside Garage." Now, I understand that you, Ric and company, think this is a very clever concept, but as a resident of east Bend, and a person with generally good taste, I do not think it's funny. I'm not writing this letter to criticize the lack of humorous material in your "article" because I think it does a pretty good job of demonstrating that on its own, but I do want to address the rather rude nature of the above mentioned piece.

Hi, I want to thank Bend for giving me an opportunity to explore the countless mountain biking trails in and around Bend.
As a biking commuter I will be relocating to California since I can bike commute 12 months out of the year without the worry of iced up bike lanes.

While I have a deep respect for Michael Funke and the Gay community, I must disagree with Michael's letter to The Source in which he called for President Obama to rescind his invitation to (pastor) Rick Warren. While I heavily support Gay rights, I also believe that the only way we make changes in this world is by having an open dialogue between all groups of people. If we shut out one group then how do we convince them to change their minds? I personally have never been one to listen to someone who was unwilling to listen to me.
Perhaps the inauguration of a new president, especially one of most historical significance, is not the place to be inclusive of people who are not. However the main reason I voted for Barack Obama is because he does not toe a line for anyone-even me.

It seems Bend City Council foolishly thought the time had come to dedicate one of Bend's bridges to that most un-American ideal - peace. The "Homeland" (Fatherland and Motherland were taken) is home to less than 5% of the world's population but it spends more on armaments than all the other nations in the world combined. Few seem to know this - fewer seem to consider it psychotic and sinful. Such exuberant investment does not go to waste.