Source Warmup

Bend Entrepreneurs Donate Snowboard Company to OSU-Cascades

The founders of Bend-based snowboard company SnowPlanks, James Nicol and Ryan Holmes, donated their business to OSU-Cascades, giving students an opportunity to receive hand-on experience in running a business.

OSU-Cascades plans to operate the company through a new project called SnoPlanks Academy, which will incorporate brand leadership and management into student academics.

“This is the next, best possible chapter for SnoPlanks, to pass the brand along to future generations and see its reinvention,” said James Nicol, one of the company’s founders. Holmes and Nicol created SnoPlanks in 2012, offering sustainable, bamboo-made snowboards.

“SnoPlanks Academy will provide students resume-building experiences – from product design and supply chain management to financial analysis and go-to-market execution – that employers look for,” said team member and OSU-Cascades business instructor Todd Laurence.

[page]

Southbound Left Turn on Third Street and Wilson Closure

A closure on the southbound left turn at the intersection of Third Street and Wilson Ave started on Dec. 8 and is expected to remain closed until June 2024. The closure will allow the City to fix a technical issue with the traffic signal, preserving the function and efficiency of the signal system.

Vehicles will be rerouted south on Third Street, east on Reed Market Road and north on Ninth Street. People are advised to follow designated detour routes.

[page]

Neff-Purcell Intersection Open

The intersection at Neff Road and Purcell Boulevard opened on Mon., Dec. 11 after a long closure. The City advises people to still use caution, as contractors complete sidewalks, landscaping and other finishing touches.

People can expect intermittent lane shifts with flaggers. The new intersection added separate left-turn lanes, new southbound and westbound right turn lanes, street lighting, wider shared-use paths and improved the pedestrian corridor.

The intersection, which was supposed to open in the fall, was delayed after crews found old infrastructure remnants under the road.

“The upgrades at Neff and Purcell create a safer intersection for everyone,” said Mayor Melanie Kebler. “I’m excited that we are completing this important north-south connection.”

[page]

In Josephine County, the area library is seeking legal action to prevent residents of that area from opting out of the library’s tax district. As Jefferson Public Radio reports, Josephine County commissioners allowed a couple in Grants Pass to be removed from the tax district after the couple alleged they do not benefit from the library’s services. Several other people have since asked commissioners there to remove them as well. The library, concerned about the precedent this sets, is filing an injunction to prevent the withdrawals.

Over in Portland, Gov. Tina Kotek and the Central City Task Force on Monday presented their recommendations for addressing public drug use and homelessness in downtown Portland, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. Among the recommendations: more police officers, tax breaks for businesses and bans on public drug use — an item that will require approval by the legislature.

[page]

$16,139 / $31,080

— Cost of System Development Charges for a small house versus a large house, under a new proposed fee structure for SDCs at the City of Bend. From News, “Bend Considers Changes to System Development Charges”

[page]

“We’ve got a housing crisis going on too, and part of the reason is that we’ve gotten really good at building some of the most expensive housing products available, which are single family detached homes on larger lots.”

—Kevin Young, senior urban planner with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, from this week’s Feature story on Climate-Friendly Communities

This article appears in Dec 13, 2023 – Dec 25, 2024.