Letters to the Editor

Prioritize Long-Term Recovery We continue to allocate funding toward temporary solutions that fail to address the root causes of homelessness. Rather than investing taxpayer dollars in managing individuals in low-barrier environments where long-term progress is often limited, we should redirect these resources toward high-barrier shelters that provide structured support and require participation in treatment programs. […]

Build a Shelter The county should prioritize building a high-barrier shelter that provides comprehensive services, including access to medical care, mental health support, and pathways to stability. It’s deeply concerning that, in our community and society, we are allowing people to live in such unsafe and unsanitary conditions; referred to as dirt world. This situation […]

Time for tort reform In response to Peter Maden’s article about Oregon ski resorts and how Oregon is close to becoming uninsurable (“Oregon Ski Resort Operations Hang in the Balance” 7/1), I have a suggestion that is way overdue: widespread and dramatic tort reform. I flatly reject trial lawyer Joe Piucci’s assertion that SB 1196 […]

Another Magical Event Spring gives us Homegrown. Fall, Roots. And now, thanks to Chicago Bob Dougherty, summer gives us Bend Blues Fest. On a chilly Saturday at Silver Moon music lovers were treated to a remarkable day of nonstop blues. The talent was undeniable, and the joy displayed by the bands was reciprocated by the […]

Display of Assault at La Pine Rodeo I’ve only attended one rodeo in my life—and I left disgusted by the blatant display and celebration of animal abuse. I didn’t think much more about it until several people close to me, driven by their deep compassion for animals, began actively speaking out on behalf of rodeo […]