RE: Exploring Climate-Friendly Communities. Feature, 12/14
The article "Exploring Climate Friendly Communities" feels out of touch with the realities of navigating our town by way of alternative transportation (walking, biking, bus, etc.). Car-free zones and walkability sounds like a dream, don't get me wrong. But this is all aimed at benefiting the rich. It doesn't make sense to spend many millions of dollars and displace more people (the article mentions displacement, but this reeked of virtue signaling and I'm having a hard time believing it) to build CFZs when the City of Bend won't spend the money to upkeep the abysmal transportation options we currently have on the east side of town.
Specifically, the bike lanes out east are littered with broken glass, cinder, and trash year-round. There are even threads online about how to ride a bike in this town without getting frequent flat tires. I read so many lofty ideas about infrastructure and city planning that all sound great, but there are simple solutions at a fraction of the cost that would benefit those that need it. The problem is they just aren't sexy ideas.
I think most of us know what this is really about: we keep spending money to optimize the already transportation-friendly west side instead of addressing the low hanging fruit out east.
—Craig Gorder
Tom Throop Letter of Gratitude
Tom Throop was our state Representative for District 54 and later a Deschutes County commissioner. We should be grateful for all the good things he has done for this community.
In the mid 1980s there were 17 hydro projects proposed within 15 miles of Bend on the Deschutes River. Benham Falls, Pringle Falls, Dillion Falls and 14 other places where there was a drop in the river. Tom helped energize the community to fight these projects and as chairman of the House Revenue Committee, he worked with Governor Kitzhaber and others to get the upper Deschutes into the state Wild and Scenic program. There will be no dams built in that segment of the river. It later got national recognition.
As a county commissioner, Tom had a building moved that was scheduled to be demolished. He had it moved to Kansas street where it became home to the Central Oregon Environmental Center. For these and many other reasons, our community owes Tom a debt of gratitude.
—Craig B. Lacy
RE: Bend's Tree Code: Too Much of a Compromise? Opinion, 12/14
The perfect words were written in the Opinion Page on December 14, 2023, "In Bend, money doesn't grow on trees, but you can use it to cut them down."
—Angela Kamm
Support Jamie McLeod-Skinner
A common complaint I've heard, "politicians are all the same, all corrupt." Untrue! We have the opportunity to elect someone whose ethics go farther than words. Jamie McLeod-Skinner will NOT take ANY contributions from corporate PACs. No one is better qualified to represent us in DC as CD5 Representative. Jamie has visited every corner of our district, listening to differing beliefs, and emphasizing our commonalities — a safe place to live, healthy food, preserving a woman's right to health care, good education and opportunities for our children, care for our seniors and veterans. Jamie has international experience serving in war-torn places, repairing schools and hospitals, designing, building water and sanitation services as a civil engineer, in wildfire recovery throughout Oregon. From her own experiences, she understands growing up poor. Her work in emergency preparedness, affordable housing and protecting our watersheds at Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board prepares her to lead us in this time of intractable problems. As a farm owner, I appreciate she understands climate crisis, drought, and our environmental challenges. A lawyer, she is expert on water and tribal law. I've known Jamie six years. There is no one I would prefer to have represent us in Washington. She is doggedly determined to help craft public policy to make our lives better. I've seen firsthand how much she cares, and nurtures relationships with staff and people she meets. Not a typical politician, Jamie has a passion to serve as a public servant. I'm excited for Jamie McLeod-Skinner to represent us.
—Abby Kellner-Rode
RE: Deck the Halls with These Holiday Jams. Sound, 12/14
Thank you, Richard, for sharing these. I will add them to my holiday playlist. I like all the backstory too as it makes it more fun to listen to. I love the way music can take you back to certain times in your life and you can remember exactly where you were and who you were with the first time you heard a song. Cheers to you!!!
—Nicole Perullo
Letter of the Week:
Our resident DJ/copy editor loves the feedback, Nicole! Enjoy your gift card from Palate for Letter of the Week.
—Nicole Vulcan
