As we reported in a web story last week, on Dec. 5, the Bend City Council had its first reading of an ordinance that would see Bend’s consumption of plastic bags cut down significantly. The new ordinance, up for a second reading later this month, would prohibit retailers from handing out plastic bags at the […]
Bend City Council
Posted inNews
Powering the Dredge
The latest proposal to fund Mirror Pond dredging includes increasing franchise fees for Pacific Power
Leaders in Bend are looking at a new way to fund the dredging of Mirror Pond: Increasing franchise fees for the utility that owns Newport Dam. The proposal, which became more of a reality following last week’s meetings with PacifiCorp—which owns Pacific Power—would see the City of Bend contributing $300,000 to dredging, with Bend Park […]
Posted inNews
Bend City Council Announces Appointee Process
The Council seeks to fill newly elected mayor Sally Russell’s remaining two years as a councilor
After Sally Russell takes her newly elected position as Bend’s mayor, it will leave the City Council absent one councilor. That spot will soon be filled by a Council appointee. According to the City of Bend, the city charter requires that a vacancy on the Council be filled within 30 days of declaring the vacancy […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t Start Naming Councilors Names Yet
As 2018 fades from view, we see 2019 approaching with a host of new leadership. A new Deschutes County Commissioner will join the ranks. An avowed advocate for schools—in the form of a current Bend-La Pine Schools board member—moves to the Oregon House, representing District 54. In District 53, a younger, moderate politician replaces longtime […]
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Election 2018
Waves of Red and Blue… and White? Before you vote this election, think beyond party lines
**LOOKING FOR ELECTION RESULTS? GO HERE. ** Talk to any candidate about their confidence in any given race, and chances are—even in the races that seem the surest wins—they’ll tell you they’re not holding their breath about winning. Party-line politics might play big in other parts of the state, but here in Central Oregon, a […]
Posted inNews
City Council Votes to Censure Boddie
Five members vote on reprimand for controversial councilor and House 54 candidate
The Bend City Council has made a move to publicly reprimand one of its own. During Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Councilor Barb Campbell read a motion to censure Councilor Nathan Boddie, whose term ends in January and is running for Oregon House District 54. Councilors voted 5 to zero to censure Boddie. (Mayor Casey Roats was […]
Posted inOpinion
Vote Barb Campbell for Bend City Council position 6
Three candidates are running for position 6 in Bend’s City Council race, including incumbent Barb Campbell, Sarah McCormick and Ronald Boozell. With Boozell in the Deschutes County Jail yet again on charges related to non-payment of child support, it leaves two serious contenders to consider. Campbell is the owner of Wabi Sabi, a downtown Bend […]
Posted inOpinion
Boddie’s behavior shows a lack of commitment to the district
As we prepare for the November election and we begin to schedule our endorsement interviews, it’s become glaringly obvious that Nathan Boddie lacks a true care for District 54—the district for which he currently holds the Democratic nomination. We reached out to Boddie yet again this week to ask about his campaign and received no […]
Posted inNews
OSU-Cascades Gets State Bond
The university beat its goal of raising $10 million from private donors
Oregon State University-Cascades will be growing. The university announced June 28 it received over $10 million in private gifts, exceeding the philanthropic match required for state bond money for the next academic building on the Bend campus. These gifts—including private donations from the Tykeson Family Foundation, Charles McGrath and anonymous sources—combined with the $39 million […]
Posted inOpinion
Involve the public in all discussions about dredging Mirror Pond
Wherever you land on the issue of dredging Mirror Pond, some things are certain: Many people have strong opinions about dredging the pond—and those opinions vary widely. When there are varying opinions about a matter that has the potential to affect public budgets, the public should have every opportunity to gather information. Until 2016, there […]
