Letters to the Editor

Deschutes County Commission’s Not So Funny Comedy of Errors Oh, the irony! Last Wednesday [Dec. 3], I watched with incredulity as Patti Adair and Tony Debone called for public comment in a room full of interested citizens they themselves had silenced. Per The Source, “Adair requested that a public hearing be held [emphasis added] before any decision-making by […]

Bend’s green energy policy Recently, the Source printed a letter arguing that Bend City Council’s measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not worthwhile because “the world has seen the realities and moved on” from combating climate change. To support its thesis, the letter observed that China is building new coal plants. However, China has […]

Parking Problem Parking on Deschutes Market Road adjacent to the Pine Nursery dog park has been in the news recently. There used to be access to the dog park from Deschutes Market Road before the roundabout was put in. Some residents from the apartment complex Solis also used to park there. Safety may be a […]

Opinion: When Kids Are Left Behind, Our Community Loses, Too Every child deserves to feel like they belong — but for many kids with disabilities or those impacted by trauma, school can become a place of stress instead of possibility. Too often, these children are misunderstood, excluded or left behind because the system wasn’t built […]

Natural Gas causes health hazards Natural gas releases carbon emissions, causes health hazards within homes and wreaks intense environmental destruction through fracking. Geoff Reynolds’ letter to the Source claimed that in 2023, households using electricity contributed 63% of residential carbon emissions while only 29% came from gas. The link he cited, at the U.S. Energy […]

Supporting a new kind of leadership After reading a recent interview with County Commissioner candidate John Heylin, I’m convinced he’s exactly the kind of leader Deschutes County needs right now. Heylin’s background — growing up in a working-class family, serving in the Peace Corps and running a small business in Bend — has grounded him […]

Correction/Clarification for publicationIn the letter, “A Lack of Oversight” (Oct. 29, 2025), the author implies that NeighborImpact has operational oversight or involvement in the permanent supportive housing project at Cleveland Commons. This is inaccurate. NeighborImpact does not operate, manage, or provide services at Cleveland Commons. The agency’s only connection to the property is ownership of […]

Supporting Equality & Equity There has been an ongoing policy discussion within the Redmond School Board in regard to Equity and Equality in our school. Some have tried to turn those two words into political wedges. I planned on speaking at the meeting, but the citizen comments list was full when I went to sign […]

The Hawthorne Bridge Literally Elevates Bend’s Future In response to the letter of the week from October 8th criticizing the City of Bend for investing in safer public transportation via the Hawthorne Crossing and instead suggesting the City and County divert these funds to a performing arts center and “prioritize an investment that directly benefits […]

Random Act of Kindness My husband Tom and I went to Pizza Mondo for dinner this past Saturday.  Tom was wearing his army military cap. A fellow Bendite, Michael and his wife, were just finishing their pizza. They thanked my husband Tom for his military service, graciously offered us their table and generously paid for our […]