Bend Mayor Jim Clinton proclaimed the second Saturday of December to be Wreaths Across America Day in the city. First Lieutenant Marvin Kennedy accepted the proclamation and thanked the mayor. On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Bend Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and the Civil Air Patrol will place wreaths on veterans' graves at Deschutes Memorial Gardens. Wreaths are laid on veterans' graves at Arlington National Cemetery and at other cemeteries across the country. The ceremony is free and open to the public. The ceremony will be held from 9 to 10 am at 63875 N Hwy 97.
A special Bend City Council roundtable discussion will be held on Dec. 10 regarding short-term (aka vacation) rentals. The meeting will include a presentation, a public comment period, and a roundtable discussion breakout, and will be held in City Council Chambers at 710 NW Wall St. from 4 to 7 pm.
The Work Group on the Prevention of Profiling by Law Enforcement recently released a report and recommendations to the Oregon Legislature. The work group includes Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum, Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson, Kayse Jama with the Center for Intercultural Organizing, and members from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and several other organizations. Fair Shot For All, a coalition of labor and community organizations, released a statement on the report provided by the work group.
"Every day people are targeted based on their race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, language, housing status, sexual orientation or gender identity," said Kayse Jama, Executive Director of the Center for Intercultural Organizing.
The work group made several recommendations to the Legislature, which included improved training, providing complaint investigation information to the Law Enforcement Contacts Policy & Data Review Committee (LECC), and developing an accountability structure between the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, the LECC, and law enforcement. In July, Gov. Kate Brown signed House Bill 2002 into law—which prohibits Oregon law enforcement from profiling.
"However, simply making something illegal does not mean it does not still occur—and our work is far from over," Jama said.
