Letters to the Editor

Support for a Performing Arts Center Thank you for your September 25 article and your October 2 opinion piece about the need for a performing arts center in Central Oregon.  I would love to see this come to fruition. I am concerned, however, that all acreage that would support a large center is being gobbled up by commercial and residential development. How […]

Red Light Cameras While safety is an important goal, spending $2.3 million on just four red light cameras for three locations is not a wise use of public funds. The data cited is national in scope, not Bend specific, and does not prove that these cameras will meaningfully improve safety in our community.The city itself […]

Are We Willing to Change? In the 2004 movie, “The Village,” the monsters outside of the village are referred to as “those we do not speak of.” The monsters are in fact people in costumes with intent to keep people, based on fear, motivated to never leave the village. In the wake of the assassination of […]

The Rhythm of the Seasons Nature moves in cycles—seasons of growth, harvest, rest, and renewal. Yet so many of us try to live as if we are machines, expected to produce and perform without pause. Over time, this leaves us depleted, disconnected, and longing for balance. As a nurse practitioner and trauma-informed coach, I’ve seen how honoring […]

Do Not Become Complacent or Complicit Until recently, some actions by the current administration may have seemed defensible, but three recent measures clearly indicate a concerning authoritarian leaning. One, firing the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Dr. Erika McEntarfer after a disappointing jobs report. The nomination of E. J. Antoni from the Heritage Foundation, a […]

Bend’s Midtown Crossings: Moving through the muddy middle This summer, the build-out of the voter-approved 2020 Transportation Bond projects (looking at you, Greenwood and Olney) has tested the patience of our community — but it is a test we can pass. The win on the horizon is a safer, more balanced transportation system with better […]

Re: New Leadership Steps Into the Tower’s Spotlight (Aug. 6) Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about the Tower Theatre. We value community input and want to clarify a few points while also extending an invitation to experience what’s happening on our stage. The Tower is proud to serve as a nonprofit […]

Re: New Leadership steps into the Tower’s Spotlight (Aug. 06) The Tower has long been a community asset that has forgotten it’s a community asset. Far too many people running the place kept it very stale. Almost exclusionary. With only plays and events the old guard approves of. It’s a travesty the theatre is not […]

New Library on East SideWe live on the southeast end of Bend. Every day we pass the new library being built and I’m wondering if anyone else but us think it looks like a prison. Or a prison cruise ship. It has zero Central Oregon vibe to it and has us wondering if the Bend […]