“Sound of Freedom”
I very much enjoy Jared Rasic’s shows and movie reviews. I save his reviews and check out what he writes about in his column. I’ve managed to find some movies/shows that I enjoy because he takes the effort to do the initial screening for me. I do not understand, though, why the movie “Sound of Freedom” was not listed in his top 15 favorite films of 2023. One can look up on the web what this movie is about…and watching it will tear your heart out. I can only assume that Jared hasn’t seen the movie. Take a look at it Jared and see if it belongs in your top 15.
—Scott Weber
RE: Jackstraw property tax abatement
Hello City Council, I stand with the Immersion Brewing folks in protest of the Jackstraw development adjacent to the Box Factory.
Perhaps, if Killian Pacific could not afford this construction project without tax deferrals, it should not have been approved to move forward. How do two units qualify as “affordable housing” for the growing population?
You should consider tax abatements for teachers, nurses and emergency service workers in Bend, who cannot afford housing rather than wealthy OUT OF TOWN developers.
You should consider offering support to the businesses losing revenue due to the closure of their parking areas and interruptions for the next two years. Represent the people of Bend, please.
— Lauren Buccola, Dean Edleston
RE: The Third Act: Black Ice. Column, 12/27
Please let Ellie Waterston know that her column in the December 28 issue was just wonderful. Probably the best thing I have read locally in a long time. I really enjoy her column. Keep it up!
—Jim Mahoney
RE: End of Year Q&A with Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler. News, 12/27
I loved Mayor Keebler’s evasive, word salad answer to your question about what the City has done to tackle homelessness (December 28 issue). With non-answers like that, carefully crafted and spun to cover the City’s complete failure to address the homeless issue, it’s obvious that our dear Mayor is grooming herself for higher office. Kudos Mayor, you’re becoming a consummate politician!
— Paul Bianchina
Empty Bike Racks Everywhere
I read a lot of complaints about the need for bike lanes and better commute options and trails in Bend. As a daily bike commuter, I feel this is BS. My experience is that Bend is loaded with bike lanes and drivers respect bikers for the most part. There are many alternate routes throughout east, west, north & south Bend available through quiet neighborhoods, parks and trails so it’s not hard to avoid busy roads. While biking around town, often, the only other bikers I see are homeless folks. Could there be a stigma? Is urban biking for the poor? The bike racks are empty, the parking lots are full. Why can a Bendite ride Phil’s 20 miles three times a week but not ride to Safeway for bread and milk? Need more exercise? Skip the gym, leave the car, ride the bike and do your errands. You’ll be glad you did it!
If you ride the same busy roads you drive (27th, 3rd, Newport, etc.) you will have a less fun experience. Broken glass, nasty exhaust, noise, debris and danger exist along auto-laden streets. Be creative! It will take riding to develop your knowledge of fun routes and shortcuts to bypass busy intersections. Start exploring! Think like a biker — not a driver. There’s so much more available from a bike! Take a few minutes to Google map your route to discover alternates to busy streets. If more bikers use the infrastructure already provided by the city, over time it will result in more. If citizens don’t use what’s provided, we can expect bigger parking lots and more lanes of traffic. Make the most of this warm winter and ride! Let’s have full bike racks, not full parking lots.
—Sean Purdy
Letter of
the Week:
You’re speaking my language, Sean! I’m often puzzled to see people riding on busy streets near where I know there are lovely off-street paths or quiet roads. It really is about exploring and thinking like something other than a driver. Happy New Year — come on by for your gift card to Palate!
—Nicole Vulcan
This article appears in Source Weekly January 4, 2023.
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Re: empty bike racks everywhere … really? There are bike racks? Where? We bought e-bikes in October 2022 and since then are constantly looking for safe places to lock our bikes. The truth is that there are very few places to safely lock a bike in Bend.
Hey Sundevils – There are two interpretations for the phrase “bike rack,” and one of them refers to the bike racks people use on their cars to cart their bikes around—assumingly to the trails, because the number of cyclists in Bend is certainly not equal to the number of people who ride their bikes where they need to go. We have a fun term for Bend here at the Source: It’s a “Bike Rack Town,” rather than a “Bike Commuter Town.” Doesn’t look like the letter-writer was referring to the car type of bike rack here, but in any case, you’re right—sometimes it does take work to find somewhere to lock that bike around town. The way I see it, if a business doesn’t have a bike rack, they’re inviting you to bring your nice bike inside!
In response to Scott Weber questioning Jared Rasic’s choice of the top 15 movies of the year perhaps he should investigate why his “top movie” perhaps did more damage to child trafficking than good, why Morman women involved with the Couples Ruse have filed suit against Tim Ballard, and politicians and Church elders in Utah have withdrawn their support for Ballard. Con man, liars and abusers should not be given high accolades, they should be held accountable for their abusive behavior.