Take the Longview on Transit

This week's letter of the week comes from Earl Williams who argues that transit opponents are taking a shortsighted view of the system. We don't expect this to be the last word on transit, but it's a good starting point for future discussions. Thanks for the letter, Earl. You can pick up your winners prize at our offices 704 NW Georgia.
This is a response to the 12/11/08 "Opinion" letter by Tom Filcich titled "Transit Reporting is Biased." Mr. Filcich states that Jodie Barram said, "transit was a mistake and someone dropped the ball."
It's easy to corrupt the essence of what a person says by extracting only a small part of what was said. Jodie Barram is an enthusiastic supporter of Bend public transit; she recognizes that it is an economic stimulus IN Bend FOR Bend. (Why I voted for her.)Please note that "was" is a past-tense word. All the start-up problems of Bend public transit have been long resolved, very satisfactorily.
Professional firefighters occasionally are the cause (rather than preventers) of forest fires. A good example is the recent fire near Camp Sherman that burned about 1800 acres. It WAS a "controlled burn" that went awry. Nevertheless, it would be unwise to not continue the services of professional forest firefighters. Likewise, it would be unwise to discontinue Bend public transit because of early problems long ago resolved. (Edison had more failures than successes.)

As a private, concerned citizen, I am again compelled to respond to another childish editorial rant from The Bulletin. Case in point, the derogatory editorial this weekend about the Bend Parks and Recreation District's new office building.

Even in my youth I'm sure I wouldn't have measured up to Peter Balestrieri's image of a legitimate outdoor studly type. However, I have had to undergo numerous rehabs from injures sustained in the outdoors (not wrestling bears).

Well, it finally happened! Last night by a vote of 5 to 2 in favor, we now have the "Peace Bridge of Bend!"

I want to thank all of you for helping to convert this "loony idea" into a symbol for peace. When you have a chance, take a stroll downtown and head for the Portland Avenue Bridge.

Looking for a quick route in and out of Central Oregon? The Redmond Airport might not be your best bet. Want to check your flight status online, or check arrivals for someone you're picking up? The airport does not have a website – or even a phone number – to call for this information.