New Library on East Side
We 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 Planning department has been smoking some bad stuff. We’re curious what others’ think of it.
—Nancy Rice
When Forest Management Changed, So Did My Hometown — And Now Our Forests Are Burning
I grew up in rural southern Oregon, where logging was more than an industry — it was the backbone of our economy and the lifeline for our schools. Timber sales didn’t just employ people; they funded education, sports, and community programs.
Then, in the late 1980s, federal forest management shifted. New restrictions, prompted by the listing of the northern spotted owl as a threatened species and changes at the U.S. Forest Service, cut timber sales dramatically. Environmental protests made national news, with activists chaining themselves to trees. But in my town, the impact wasn’t symbolic — it was personal.
We had two mills: Gregory Forest Products and the Swanson Group. Mr. Gregory, who owned his mill, gave every graduating senior in our tiny school a $500 scholarship. Within a few years of the timber cutbacks, his mill shut down. Parents of friends were out of work. My family’s business suffered.
The school district had to choose between maintaining extracurricular programs or protecting academics. They canceled everything — sports, clubs, even music — the fall of my junior year. And yet, the families hit hardest by layoffs dug into their own pockets to bring back at least two sports per season.
Fast forward to today and the conversation is dominated by catastrophic wildfires. Lives are lost. Homes are destroyed. Insurance premiums sent skyrocketing and insurance companies unwilling to issue coverage. Millions of acres burn every summer. From where I stand, this isn’t unrelated — it’s the direct result of decades of reduced logging and passive forest management.
Without sustainable timber harvests, our forests have grown overcrowded and choked with underbrush. Trees stand too close together, competing for resources. Dead wood accumulates. All of it becomes explosive fuel for fires. In the past, logging — alongside controlled burns — acted as a preventive measure. Clear cuts created firebreaks. Selective thinning kept trees healthier and more resistant to pests like pine beetles, Douglas fir beetles, and emerald ash borers.
Timber is one of the few truly renewable resources we have. Managed wisely, it provides jobs, funds communities, and keeps forests healthy. We need a forest policy that reflects both ecological science and economic reality—not one that sacrifices rural towns while unintentionally setting the stage for today’s wildfire crisis.
It’s time to return to active forest management, where logging isn’t the enemy, but a tool—one that can protect both our environment and the people who call these forests home.
—Kammi Kusner
A Warning We Can’t Ignore: The DOJ and Our Democracy
The recent exodus of experienced attorneys from the Department of Justice is more than a bureaucratic shuffle — it is a clear signal that our democracy is under threat. These are not routine staff changes but the departure of highly experienced, nonpartisan attorneys who have served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. They are leaving because political pressure is making it impossible to enforce the law impartially.
When this kind of institutional expertise is driven out, our justice system loses its backbone. The DOJ becomes weaker, less able to protect civil rights, prosecute corruption, and defend democracy itself. If political power can bend justice to its will, no one’s rights are safe.
This isn’t just a Washington story. The health of our democracy directly affects every community, including ours. We should pay attention, speak out, and remind our leaders that the independence of the DOJ is not optional—it’s essential.
The warning signs are here. Let’s not ignore them.
—Colette Whelan
Letter of
the Week:
Thanks Colette. As letter of the week you can stop by our office to pick up a gift card at Palate coffee.
—Managing Editor Nic Moye
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
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The new layout creates more white space and appears brighter. However, on this page at least, the subheads need to provide some separation to the stories – can’t tell when one ends and the next begins. Also the smaller navigation subtabs and text, as around this comment box, are almost illegible on my display.
I think the new library building looks like books lined up on the shelf! I love the way the design lets light in all the angled windows so it’ll be bright and airy inside, but without direct sunlight that can damage books. I also appreciate that our community is making such a significant investment in a public resource designed to encourage thinking, exploration of new ideas, and the importance of the stories and experiences of others!