As a steady current of wind kicked up dust through the vacant lot opposite from Pioneer Park that has been the location of the Occupy Bend village for the past two weeks, protesters hurried to cover tables strewn with the remnants of the previous night's meal and pamphlets explaining citizens' rights.
But as the wind began to blow harder, in what seemed like a turn of positive karma or deus ex machina, local contractor James Rice of Mr. Rooter Plumbing drove in to spray several hundred gallons of water meant to quell the dust storm. And while the ground was dry by sunrise, the dust gently refracting in the morning light, Rice's donation of water is an appropriate representation of the communal spirit that seems to be the aim of the temporary village.
The protesters are encamped legally on the plot, which is owned by the city and was once the location of The Bend Bulletin. At a city council meeting last week, members of the Bend Police Department and city officials agreed to allow Occupy Bend Village to continue their stay in the lot until October 29. When asked what the Bend Police Department's course of action would be if the occupants do not leave by October 29, Police Liaison Steve Esselstyn said that they would be cited for trespassing.
