Develop the canals!
As an alternative to the entire Bend population trying to access reduced parking and limited areas of the Deschutes in the downtown area, how about the canals! This water is already flowing through the growing eastside population; we could use it. This would involve some collaboration, like the Bend whitewater park. It would be possible!
— Tim Baker
Demand lawmakers act now!
As recent summers have made clear, wildland megafires are no longer a regional anomaly, but have become a global hazard. NASA reports that, due to human-induced climate change, “Extreme wildfire activity has more than doubled worldwide.”
Hotter temperatures evaporate soil moisture and dry vegetation, making it more likely to burn. According to physicist Phillip B. Duffy, “What would have been a fire easily extinguished now just grows very quickly and becomes out of control.”
More intense wildfires are just one symptom of a much larger problem. A study in the journal Science concludes that global soil moisture is in “permanent” decline because of our warming climate.
The drying of continents, driven by increased heat and evaporation, has been so pronounced that the transfer of water to the oceans has altered the distribution of our planet’s mass and affected Earth’s rotation on its axis.
As continents dry and water resources are polluted and overused, researchers warn that the world has entered an era of “global water bankruptcy,” in which critical water systems can no longer realistically recover to their former state. This includes the largest groundwater reserve in the United States, the Ogallala Aquifer, which supports Great Plains agriculture.
As evidenced by the huge wildfires in Oregon, deadly European heatwaves, and rapidly expanding “mega-drying” regions in South Asia, the atmosphere has no borders.
As guests of this world, we must insist that our legislators enact policies to cut emissions, conserve water and protect Earth’s life‑support systems on which we all depend.
—Terry Hansen
Resignation of OSU-Cascades Dean
OSU-Cascades recently announced that Sherman Bloomer is no longer employed as dean of the university. The school said it would have no further comment. According to The Bend Bulletin, Bloomer resigned. He was quoted as saying his decision was financial and based on his need to access his retirement accounts. However, it is widely known that Bloomer’s departure was related to sexual misconduct involving students, which raises many questions. Why was Bloomer allowed to retire instead of being fired? Given the nature of the allegations against Bloomer, why have details been withheld from the public? It appears that the university’s actions are intended to protect their reputation as well as Bloomer’s instead of serving the public interest.
Oregon universities received more the $1 billion in state funding for the years 2025-2027. Publicly funded entities like OSU-Cascades should be required to operate with more transparency than what OSU has shown. Parents entrust the safety of their college students to the administrators, faculty, and staff of the schools their kids attend. Sexual misconduct by a university leader should be made public for the benefit of current and prospective students and their families as well as the local community that supports the school. It is time for our colleges and universities to be held accountable and be required to be more forthcoming about issues that impact our local community like the firing of Sherman Bloomer or have their public funding reconsidered.
— Terry Scalzo
Letter of the Week:
We support your demand for transparency, Terry! As letter of the week, you can stop by the Source for a gift card to Palate coffee. —Managing Editor Nic Moye
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
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