E-bikes = litter
We totally agree, the Bird E Bikes are horrible. They are dangerous. I almost got knocked down by a family of 4 on the sidewalk on Sunday. I am in shape but I am in my late sixties. The family riding the Byrd Bikes we're not wearing helmets and flying though the downtown area on the sidewalk. The Bikes are left all over town, it's like a new litter we have to deal with. Who's great idea was this?
—Susan Myers
Apparently in its infinite wisdom, the city is telling displaced city houseless folks to go to China Hat. So the city is talking out of both sides of the mouth. According to a recent TV news story the eviction notices now being served by NFS on China Hat are not being enforced and campers stated the city told them to go there....
Time for action by NFS and county to prevent China Hat from becoming a forest fire. A 5 mile buffer zone between dispersed camping and residential areas would be a start. Or banish dispersed camping when it is adjacent to residences. Dispersed camping in this area is nothing more than an unlabeled homeless camp that is huge. Extreme fire danger too close to homes. Fires happen there frequently and untended campfires have been seen on multiple occasions. This is a huge safety issue for those of us who live nearby.
—Marilyn Hofmann-Jones, Bend
The other 98%
Ban Viagra.
If pregnancy is "God's Will,"
Then so is
Impotency.
—Ronelle Dietsch
Overpopulation is the issue
The Bulletin published two pieces a few weeks ago that have similar themes. An editorial stated that Oregon "is underbuilt by 100,000 homes which is slowing growth." An Opinion Piece by a Mr. Sipe states that Deschutes County's population has grown by 63,000 since 2021 and Central Oregon's road infrastructure has not kept pace.
It is important to define a problem before you attempt to solve it. This has not been achieved in the aforementioned articles because the writers are addressing only the symptoms of the real problem, overpopulation, the source of many problems including Global Warming. Our society has been treating the symptoms of overpopulation for years, but they continue to get worse. Bend rapidly paves over nature with new housing and what have we gained? The Parkway worked for a time and is now crowded. Drilling wells deeper and lining canals will work for a while and then...? We double gas efficiency in vehicles, but in several years have twice as many vehicles. This is classic "kicking the can down the road," and there may not be much "road" left.
A rising population results in a reduction in freedoms since more regulations are developed to control the masses, i.e. permits to visit recreation areas, zoning laws, and parking regulations. This is to say nothing of congestion, diminishing natural resources and increasing waste.
Our political leaders don't address overpopulation because they like the expansion of the tax base and short-term benefit to the economy. The economy takes precedence over a sustainable environment. Will Central Oregon be a better place to live when it gains an additional 100,000 people? Voters should challenge candidates for public office, especially city council, for answers.
—John Russell, Bend
Concert phone ban is ableist
As the parent of a disabled daughter, what if her respite person needs to get in touch with me because she's having a seizure? Have medical issues even been thought about? We'll either have to take her with us or just not attend. It's a shame that people can't just leave their phones in their pockets during a concert so artists make you lock it away. We take a couple photos and then put it on vibrate and place it in our pocket and enjoy the show. It's sad.
—Diane S. Cole, Bend (from BendSource.com)
Keep cars off Pilot Butte
Close Pilot Butte to vehicular traffic. The current paving project will improve the road surface but it will encourage more and faster traffic guzzling fossil fuels, spewing toxic fumes, increasing noise levels and endangering pedestrians and cyclists.
Design the road for the safety and accessibility of walkers and runners, disabled and elderly folks using walkers or canes and people using strollers filled with babies and toddlers. Create a designated lane for cyclists.
Create a shuttle system from Pilot Butte State Park parking lot around the Butte to the summit. Provide shuttle service on a regular basis and charge a small fee to defray expenses.
In the interim, close the road to vehicular traffic daily until noon. Use volunteers to photo vehicles exceeding speed limits or driving dangerously.
Pilot Butte provides a unique opportunity for people to use their own energy, not fossil fuels, to enjoy this marvelous creation of nature. Happiness is safety, fun, friendship, fitness and fantastic scenery in a traffic free environment on Pilot Butte.
—Sue Bastian, Bend
Letter of the Week:
All too often, letter writers complain about problems without offering solutions. But Sue Bastian's letter is refreshingly different. It is chock-full of thoughtful suggestions, and we appreciate reading them. Sue, please swing by the Source to pick up your gift card to Palate.
—Renée Alexander
CORRECTIONS:
A self-proclaimed sky obsessive noted that we mislabeled Nancy Bogue's photo in Damian Fagan's June 15 article, An Appreciation of Clouds. Those are cumulus clouds, not "asperatus" clouds. If you want to see actual asperitus clouds (the proper spelling), you'll find them in Damian Fagan's image captioned, "Cloudscapes give structure to the sky." We have corrected these captions in the online story.
Also, a few keen-eyed butterfly fans noticed our photo mix-up in last week's Natural World story about butterflies and their host plants. To see the correct images and captions, visit bendsource.com/ bend/butterflies-of-central-oregon-and-their-host-plants/Content?oid=17055039.
Thank you, readers, for keeping us on our toes.
