Bend, the Bubble-and-Bust Capital of America, is about to get some really big-time recognition: The Eye has it on excellent authority that the New York Times is working on a story about our current economic calamity.
Sorry for the delay on this, but as promised in the Source’s Local Music Issue, here you have the music video for Anastacia’s "Grains of Sand" directed, edited and produced by Tim Cash of Far From Earth Films.
Anastacia "Grains of Sand" directed by Tim Cash from FARfromEARTH Films on Vimeo.
This is why you don’t poach a jump you don’t know the speed for. Hopefully this guy is recovering and has learned some valuable lessons about watching before trying and physics.
Council Roundup
The Bend City Council and staff head into an intensive round of budget talks this week that will produce the blueprint for next year's spending priorities. One person involved with the budget process said it's off to a positive start, but expect some tough negotiations this year between staff who are facing another round of potential lay-offs and the council. Also, it remains to be seen how well the council will work together to prioritize and, ultimately, compromise. To date, there hasn't been a lot of consensus on the council over issues of budgeting and planning. A recent vote to continue weekend transit operations with money previously designated for a left turn lane at the airport narrowly passed on a 4-3 vote. Similarly, a proposal to raise construction fees on builders to a rate that would allow the city to fully recover its costs was approved recently on a slim 4-3 margin.
In other city news, the council approved a new downtown taxing district that will generate about $120,000 for downtown improvement programs and administration. The move is a continuation of the existing downtown economic improvement district (EID) with some tweaks. The new district will tax property owners at a slightly higher rate (15 cents per square foot per year versus 11 cents) and the additional funds will offset loses from the dissolution of the fee-based Downtowners group, essentially creating one pot of funding.
Downtowners Executive Director Chuck Arnold said it's a more equitable way to fund activities that benefit all of downtown, including beautification efforts, marketing, event planning and his own full-time position.
"We're all in this together. Certainly there are those who don't want to be a part of something, but you have to wonder why they would have located where they (did) if they didn't want to be part of where they located," Arnold said - and if you can make sense of that you're probably a Navajo code talker. Regardless, Arnold points out that less than three percent of property owners objected to their inclusion in the district, as opposed to the 11 percent who opposed it during the last tax election in 2007.
At the end of last month, the folks in Bend (well, those of them who hadn't been paying attention) were stunned by the news that Cessna was closing its manufacturing plant here and laying off its last 200 workers.
The word has slowly spread through the local music scene over the past couple of days, but the Blender got official confirmation today that Tim Vester, front man of raucous punk rockers the Kronkmen, has left the band.
After a nine-year run with the Kronkmen and countless local and out-of-the-area shows, Vester decided over the weekend to step away from the band, citing personnel reasons.
The current issue of Business Week has a fascinating story headlined, "Once booming, Bend, Oregon tumbles." It runs through the all-too-familiar litany of woes: home sales and prices tumbling, unemployment soaring, businesses closing.
Oregon's freshman senator, Jeff Merkley, has carved a couple of new orifices in Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz over Luntz's plan for derailing health care reform.
Why does winter linger in Central Oregon like a particularly stubborn case of toenail fungus? Meteorologist Adam Clark of KOHD has the answer - sort of.
Adopted in 1927, our official state song, "Oregon, My Oregon," is getting a little creaky, with lyrics about Oregon being "conquered and held by free men" and "blest by the blood of martyrs."
Wake up seven days a week with the Cascades Reader. Get local news, event information, podcasts, discounts and more. Sign up now!
We'll send a verification code to %EMAIL%.
Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.
Sending to:
