Obama Should Stick To His Guns

Posted inOpinion

Obama Should Stick To His Guns

Eric Flowers

While I have a deep respect for Michael Funke and the Gay community, I must disagree with Michael's letter to The Source in which he called for President Obama to rescind his invitation to (pastor) Rick Warren. While I heavily support Gay rights, I also believe that the only way we make changes in this world is by having an open dialogue between all groups of people. If we shut out one group then how do we convince them to change their minds? I personally have never been one to listen to someone who was unwilling to listen to me.
Perhaps the inauguration of a new president, especially one of most historical significance, is not the place to be inclusive of people who are not. However the main reason I voted for Barack Obama is because he does not toe a line for anyone-even me.

Posted inOpinion

The Battle of Peace Bridge

Eric Flowers

It seems Bend City Council foolishly thought the time had come to dedicate one of Bend's bridges to that most un-American ideal - peace. The "Homeland" (Fatherland and Motherland were taken) is home to less than 5% of the world's population but it spends more on armaments than all the other nations in the world combined. Few seem to know this - fewer seem to consider it psychotic and sinful. Such exuberant investment does not go to waste.

Posted inFood & Drink

Hong Kong’s Bamboo Makeover

Eric Flowers

Hong Kong has long been known by locals as one of the Bend's stalwart Asian restaurants offering up consistently solid takes on Cantonese, Szechwan and Mandarin dishes. Locals also know Hong Kong as home to the Bamboo Room, a little lounge around the back of the restaurant through a windowless door that announces "No Minors".

Posted inFood & Drink

Hong Kong’s Bamboo Makeover

Eric Flowers

Hong Kong has long been known by locals as one of the Bend’s stalwart Asian restaurants offering up consistently solid takes on Cantonese, Szechwan and Mandarin dishes. Locals also know Hong Kong as home to the Bamboo Room, a little lounge around the back of the restaurant through a windowless door that announces “No Minors”.

Posted inFood & Drink

Hotter Than Pancakes: Start planning now for local produce this summer

Mike Bookey

Mid-January probably seems like a strange time to bring up what you're going to eat this summer. But if you were a farmer, growing your own food, you bet you'd be thinking about it now. And if you want to buy into a local vegetable crop, now is the time to do your research and join a CSA.

CSAs (an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture) are a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a local farm and to receive a weekly bag of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, meats, or combinations of different farm products during the growing season - typically late spring through early fall. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people loosely become "shareholders" - thus the term CSA share.

Posted inFood & Drink

Hotter Than Pancakes: Start planning now for local produce this summer

Mike Bookey

Mid-January probably seems like a strange time to bring up what you’re going to eat this summer. But if you were a farmer, growing your own food, you bet you’d be thinking about it now. And if you want to buy into a local vegetable crop, now is the time to do your research and join a CSA.

CSAs (an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture) are a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a local farm and to receive a weekly bag of produce, flowers, fruits, eggs, milk, meats, or combinations of different farm products during the growing season – typically late spring through early fall. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people loosely become “shareholders” – thus the term CSA share.

Posted inNews

Mr. Westlund Goes Back to Salem: Catching up with Oregon’s new state treasurer

Mike Bookey

Just days after Ben Westlund was sworn into office as state treasurer, we spent some time on the phone with the Tumalo resident and former state legislator to see how he was settling in and what he had up his sleeve for the days and years to come as one of the state's three constitutional officers. Westlund, the first Central Oregonian to hold the office of treasurer, had already hit the ground running by the time we talked to him and here's what he had to say about his staff, healthcare and his decision to transform himself from a Republican to an Independent to now a Democrat.

Posted inOpinion

An Arrogant Mayoral Selection

Mike Bookey

Being mayor of Bend is no big deal. Rather than being elected by popular vote, the mayor is chosen by a vote of his or her fellow city councilors. And the position is largely honorific; the mayor chairs city council meetings, but aside from that has no powers beyond those of any other councilor.

So the City of Bend most likely will survive the selection of Kathie Eckman as its new mayor. Just the same, the choice is disturbing both because of the way it was made and because of what it says about the temperament of the new council majority.
Eckman was elected last November, along with Jeff Eager and Tom Greene, as part of a slate of candidates heavily bankrolled by the real estate and development lobby. She was picked as mayor on the strength of those three votes plus that of Chris Telfer, who immediately waved good-bye to the council to take up her new job as a state senator.

Posted inOpinion

The City Shuffle Parsing the council appointment, our snow blog, and the virgin auction

Mike Bookey

As noted in this week's Boot former councilor and now state Sen. Chris Telfer (R) stuck around city hall just long enough to orchestrate the installation of her hand picked mayor, Kathie Eckman. After Eckman won on a "party line" vote over Mark Capell, Telfer packed her bags for Salem leaving the council to fill the two years remaining on her term.

And if the mayoral contest was any kind of litmus test, expect a divided council to narrowly appoint another person with strong ties to, or at least support from, the Bend Good Ol' Boys Club (i.e. the builders, realtors and Chamber lobby).
Upfront's money is on Don Leonard, a former planning commissioner who ran unsuccessfully in November against Jim Clinton. Leonard subsequently filed for the position opened by the sudden death of councilor and former mayor Bill Friedman. The council ultimately filled that seat with Jodie Barram, another planning commission vet, who lost a close contest to Jeff Eager in November.

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article