In 2014, Bend 2030 sent out a survey asking locals to weigh in about housing. They received 600 responses from people of all walks of life—many who have had difficulty finding housing. A Sampling of Responses: “My family had to find a new home this past April due to our landlords deciding to sell the […]
Bend City Council
Climate Change Resolution
As a reporter at my college newspaper I witnessed a scene that reminded me of the current wrangling over Bend’s climate change resolution. A young undergraduate was taking advantage of the open-forum hour in the school’s student center. Her topic: reducing our consumption of fossil fuels by going vegan. Surrounding her below the podium was […]
Side Notes 8/17-8/24
City Dollars Fill Pothole Funding Gap In March, Bend voters rejected the gas tax that could have paid for pothole repairs—so to fill the gaps, the City is stepping up. According to David Abbas, Director of the Bend Streets & Operations Department, the City is using street preservation dollars from next year’s budget to fill […]
It’s Time to Retire the Wild West Governance Model in Bend
Back in August 1876, Seth Bullock arrived in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, a mere one day before Wild Bill Hickok was killed while playing cards in a saloon. That quintessential Wild-West shooting prompted the local community to appoint Bullock the first Sheriff of Deadwood, right on the spot. No election, no community input. That was just […]
Side Notes 8/10-8/17
Legal Pot Increases Home Prices? Since June of 2015, home prices in Bend-Redmond have increased 10.4 percent, tracking closely the 10.9 percent increase in home prices in Oregon over the past year. In fact, the Beaver State topped the list of states with the biggest increases in home prices, followed by Washington at 10.3 percent, […]
Sally Russell: Re-election Bid to Bend City Council
As expected, Bend City Council member Sally Russell has announced her re-election bid. She says she wants to protect the city’s “soul” while leading the way for rational decisions about future growth. She also says she would like to be elected mayor by her peers. City Council members choose a mayor from their ranks. Her […]
Funding for Affordable Housing: A Step in the Right Direction
One sunny summer morning not long ago, I marched across a dusty front yard in midtown Bend with a $45 rental application fee in hand. This wasn’t exactly the house I’d dreamed of living in when I knew I was moving to Bend, but it was adequate—and available, and I was going to lay down […]
Businesses Warming Up to Local Climate Change Resolution
A resolution presented before the Bend City Council is looking to effect environmental change locally, but has been causing controversy due to the way it was introduced. The resolution for climate action was originally introduced as an ordinance before the city council—something that did not sit well with local business advocates. The most recent language […]
Old Mill Districtโs Tumalo Art Company Owner Receives Arts, Beautification & Culture Award from the City of Bend
16 June 2016 – Bend, Oregon โ Susan Luckey Higdon, manager and owner of the Tumalo Art Company gallery in the Old Mill District, received an Arts, Beautification & Culture (ABC) Award from the City of Bend in May. The ABC award which honors three individuals, organizations and businesses yearly that have made significant contributions […]
Bruce Abernethy announces run for Bend City Council
Bruce Abernethy, former Bend Mayor and a member of several local boards, announced that he will be running for Bend City Council this November. โAfter several months of careful consideration and talking with many people in the community, I have decided to once again seek election to the Bend City Council. I am therefore announcing […]

