IN REPLY TO "TROUBLE ON THE REZ" (7/9)
The reservation has overcome many obstacles and sincerely tries to provide for its members, but their image to the public and to themselves could be improved a degree. The buildings seen from the highway are not attractive to the traveling public nor to the tribal members. Either improve the buildings or tear them down and put in parks; if the buildings are improved, perhaps they could be used as historical interpretations of tribal history, or as small shops, coffee shops, bakeries etc., that provide tribal members with jobs and diversification in commerce. One of the most important buildings to either improve or totally replace is the tribal courthouse. It is rundown and just plain looks terrible. There is no sense of pride going to work there and one can see it just by the attitude and dress of the staff. You don't have to dress in a suit and tie, but you don't have to look as if you just came in from working in the yard. Create landscaping, benches, etc. that also make the outside of the building look good. Legal buildings don't have to look dismal. The tribe could have their own construction crews do the work and that would also improve their skills and teach other young tribal members a skill to take forward. There is always a creative way to accomplish improvement.
—Joselyn Houk
IN REPLY TO "LETTER OF THE WEEK" (7/24)
Dave—yours (regarding OSU-Cascade) is the real letter of the week. And yet The Source puts grousing about downtown parking over the heartfelt perspective of a 50-year resident. Really?
—RJ
I see from a letter in your 7/24 issue that there's a Sinatra Cafe in town. Is the name a tribute to the late Francis Albert from Hoboken, aka The Chairman? If so, where is this place?
—Bob Woodward
Editor's note: Due to a typing error, the name of the cafe was changed in the letter. It is actually the Sintra Cafe.
IN REPLY TO "BEYOND THE GARDEN" (7/24)
I've been there (Next Level Burger, reviewed 7/24) twice already and I love the concept, the focus on healthy, tasty, and compostable, and of course the taste of the food. The kale salads are wonderful—a huge bowl of kale that fills you up! I tried the quinoa burger and the black bean burger on the tahini kale and avocado kale salads. The chili was delicious as well!
—Lisa Shepard
IN REPLY TO "PARKING IN DOWNTOWN BEND NEEDS A MAKEOVER" (7/24)
Mary Robinson deserves nothing. Her false sense of entitlement does not alleviate her of the responsibilities of a clearly posted 2-hour time limit; it's there for a reason. It's not as though parking attendants have the option not to do their job due to a sporting event. Just because you're visiting the area does not entitle you to special treatment.
—megmegmeg
I fail to see how your poor planning is the fault of Bend's parking policies or any of the downtown businesses that you will now not be visiting. You go over the time limit, you pay. What is hard about that? You say that Bend has "built a reputation as a friendly, family oriented place to visit." So your idea of family friendly in downtown is streets completely dominated by car traffic and the associated noise, danger, and pollution that accompany them? I forgot, being able to park your car anywhere you please without paying a dime is your god-given right as an American right? Heaven forbid you might have to walk a few blocks! Sorry we are not free of the "constraints and hassles" that would allow you to freely drive your car right up to the front door of your destination (why don't we get rid of sidewalks while we're at it, you would be able to park even closer). The fact that there is any free car parking at all downtown is frankly ridiculous. We should be charging hourly rates for every space, all day, just like any progressive, sustainably-oriented city needs to (read "The High Cost of Free Parking" by Donald Shoup if you're skeptical). Downtown Bend needs more bike parking, more space for pedestrians and less car parking. It should be a destination that people want to experience, explore and enjoy, not a couple noisy throughways for motor vehicle traffic.
—Ross
Ms. Robinson typifies a certain repugnant subset of Bend, Ore., you know the one, the "wag more, bark less-until-I-don't-like-it" crowd. Obviously, she could have parked a couple of blocks off of Bond and had unlimited free parking, parked in a for-pay lot, ridden a bicycle, taken a cab, or pissed in the adult diaper she should have been wearing. For the love of god, please take your family to the Old Mill from here on out so we don't have to hear your entitled caterwauling. This is the same subset that is so development horny they would pave a road to the top of North Sister if they could, but heaven forbid someone tried to make the city about anything other than grown-ups who recreate for a living or geriatrics here to pass their remaining days in some overpriced McMansion and bring in a four year university. On a side note, while I would love to see the university plunked right down at the gated entrance to Broken Top and piss all of the NIMBYs off, the city should do the unthinkable and invest in smart, sustainable, and livable east side infrastructure and the University should be the anchor for that.
—Sorry to see you go
Letter of the Week
Sorry to see you go -You had us at "caterwauling." (Actually, you had us at "adult diaper," but we are trying to be more grownup these days.) Those big words sure can work up a thirst! Stop by our office for your $5 gift certificate to the wonderful Palate coffee shop.
