California Plates — Finding a Note That Says, “Welcome to Oregon, Now Go Home.”
The first time I came to Bend over 20 years ago it was love at first sight. I knew this was the place that I belong. The place that felt like home. Not many people get to find that place in their lifetime, but I did.
I lived in Oregon, moved to California (due to my husband’s job) and now I’m back. During my time living in CA, I continued to come to Bend as much as possible, including renting houses and living here in the summertime. You do what you have to do to be where you love. I still love Bend and now live here full time (a dream come true).
This summer I am saddened by the anti-tourist/anti “out of state” antics that I’ve witnessed here. The other day I finished a run and found on my car a note that said “Welcome to Oregon, now go home.” Yes I still have CA plates on my car, but I AM home.
I noticed that all the other cars in the lot with out of state plates had the same note. I get that people are upset by the growth of Bend and the lack of high paying jobs and affordable housing. I’m a victim of this too. But this person (or people) doesn’t know my story, or other people’s story. They ASSUME that we are all tourists and/or rich transplants and are telling us we should leave.
It was heartbreaking to me.
In the 20 plus years that I’ve been coming here, I’ve never witnessed such contempt. I’ve always bragged about how friendly Bend is, how it is such an amazing, welcoming place. I still think Bend is amazing and I love living here. Whomever the person or group is that is going around with these messages, I urge you to think twice about what you are doing. It is unkind and sending the wrong message.
I’m not going to let you get me down. I know I belong here. Home is where your heart is and my heart lives in Bend.
— Chris Samaras.
In Response to, “Mirror Pond to Dredge or Not to Dredge, That’s the $6.6 Million Question”(8/16)
To quibble a bit with the fine investigative piece on dredging Mirror Pond, “Mirror Pond: To Dredge or Not to Dredge” cites a Nov. 2016 City of Bend survey, but leaves out an important finding. While it is true that 60 percent of respondents said it was extremely important to “ensure that historic aesthetic and iconic pond views are maintained,” 77 percent of the same sample felt it extremely important to provide improved water quality, river banks and wildlife habitat.”
Can we have healthy river conditions AND keep the dam and pond?
A sizeable portion of the public seems to think so, despite evidence to the contrary. Kudos to the City of Bend for producing the only statistically accurate survey ever done on Mirror Pond. But, can the next survey, where it lists the usual options for the future of Mirror Pond, ALSO append the cost in terms of environmental degradation and public expenditure that goes with each choice?
— Foster Fell
We asked, You Answered, “How Would You Describe the Total Eclipse, in One Word?”
Surreal — Mariah Staats
Phantasmagoric — Jessica Rae
Ecliptical — Tyler Mathers
Eerie — Karen Gojdics Smuland
Chills (Because I was cold) — Ban Tat
Haunting — Ethan Maffey
Breathtaking — Jeannie Whittle
Dreamy! — Lindsey Clark
Fleeting — Cynthia Flupachi
Dark — Sarah Guilfoy
Electrifying — Christine Alvarado
Incredible — Mandee Love
Rad — Anne Pick
Exhilarating — Richard Sitts
Beautiful — Esther Gray
Tiiight — Wyatt Gaines
Humbling — Faith Gilpin
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
— Magdalena Bokowa
Over. — Bruce Hilliard
In Response to, Smooth and Seamless, Heavy Eclipse Planning Pays Off (8/23)
Planning ahead is a heck of lot better than being caught short. The Central Oregon Emergency site was a big help for fire and eclipse updates.
It’s good to know that the counties can plan, coordinate and share together for any big event, or catastrophe. Central Oregon rocked the event and information!
— Angela Carmen
I think Wednesday or Thursday night there was a big freak out about gas and food on Facebook. I decided to go get some gas for one vehicle then and the other in the morning. I was awake so no biggie.
Left my house at 11pm from Boyd Acres by Cooley Road. Drove to Business 97 all the way down to Third Street and down past Walmart and every gas station was closed with cones in front of the pumps. I took this to mean they were out of gas. When I arrived at the AM/PM there were 60-70+ cars lined up for gas.
I wasn’t overly concerned but decided to wait anyways. It took an hour to gas up and there were more people there when I left at 1am than when I arrived. That was the only crazy moment in the whole week of the eclipse.
A manufactured Facebook frenzy.
— Matthew Bryant
It was good to plan ahead which is what I did because of the warnings. I avoided C.O. for that reason (traffic etc.) but instead hit Stanley, Idaho — but went the back route to avoid predicted delays. Awesome experience!
— Ron O’Brien
Well, now I have tons of booze and groceries and my gas tank is full. Could be worse.
— Shelly Lilja
I’m actually really proud of the planning done by Central Oregon emergency services. Multiple hippie festivals focused on a major celestial event and not a single reported case of human sacrifice.
Good job, everyone!
— Jason Adams
Letter of
the Week
Anything involving talk of evaded human sacrifice simply has to garner a win for letter of the week. Thanks for making us laugh!
Come on in for your gift card to Palate.
— Nicole Vulcan, Editor
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This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 6, 2017.
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Re: California Plates
I find that very disheartening as well. And the reality is, I think it extends much further than notes being left on cars. There is an attitude of unkindness towards anyone who is labeled a “transplant”. And I find that very unfortunate.
I lived in Atlanta, GA for nearly twenty years (I was born in Tampa, FL). I moved to Bend in
2014 when I accepted a job at a non-profit preschool. I developed a strong, dynamic music/arts program, that made a big difference in the lives of young children, many of them under-privileged and from broken family situations. Unfortunately, I was laid off this past August, due to severe financial setbacks on the part of the school.
Despite that, I have continued to be very involved in the Bend music/arts community. In 2015, I recorded a full-length CD at Soundsmith Studios in Bend, featuring many songs written for victims of tragedy, but also music deeply inspired by the natural beauty of Central Oregon. After releasing BT, I have continued to write music including a song for the victims of the Paris attack (J’adore la France), a song honoring the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor (Sweet December Day), and most recently, On This Train, a song featured here on the Source Weekly, inspired by and dedicated to the Portland train attack victims. Over this period of time I have lived in Bend, I have become devoted to writing and sharing music that promotes healing, love, and forgiveness, and celebrates divine beauty. I even wrote a song called “Heaven” inspired by the natural beauty here in Central Oregon.
“Heaven, heaven is on earth
Softer than the morning sunrise
Sweeter than a lullaby
Lovelier that the springtime
Gentle like mountain streams
Lay me down in silent rhapsody
Heaven fill my dreams”
My main avenue to share this music – posting videos on FB. I have developed an audience there, where I receive hundreds, and even several thousand views. However, in Bend itself, in the town where I live, I’ve found very little opportunity to perform or share what I do. I was slated to open up for Leon Russell, back in December of 2015…but when he passed away in November, that went to naught.
I am still doing preschool music one day a week – at a local Bend preschool. I love working with children who are 3-5 or even younger. They still possess a magic and innocence, and accept each other for who they are. Sure, there is some occasional drama but they don’t care where anyone is from, or that they come from a different background. This is the way we are born. But we lose that quality when we are cold and unkind to each other, just because we come from different places. The song “Heaven” is also about loving our child within…because everyone, no matter how old they are, is a child who just wants to be loved.
“Heaven fill my dreams, be my light
My saving grace, guide my heart
Heal my soul, help me to see
That I can learn to love
The child inside of me”
I have become a member of the music team at Bend Unity, where I have been singing for over a year now. What I love about Unity, is that everyone is accepted, regardless of where they are from, regardless of their religious beliefs/background, regardless of where they stand politically. Everyone is loved simply for being who they are. Are we achieving that same thing in Bend? Or are we creating division between ourselves? Even on a community Facebook page like I Love Bend! I see and read so much hostility directed towards each other, and a constant paradigm of us vs them. That is not sustainable and not what Bend aspires to be – a place of genuine friendliness.
I am still struggling to find another position that is sustainable, where I can use my divine gifts, that will support me in my endeavors to make a difference in the world, and to provide a good life for my 7 year-old. The most important message that Bend, the state of Oregon, this country, and the world need to learn is that it matters what happens to other people. Other people matter. Whether we know them or not, whether they are different from us or not, and whether we have any obvious connection to them or not. We are all connected on a deep level. From the words of Taliesin Namkai-Meche, who is being celebrated this weekend in Grants Pass- “Tell everyone on this train I love them”. We are all on this train together.