Bend Pride We visited the Pride celebration this past weekend in Drake Park, and Bend sure has changed since 2005 when the Human Dignity Coalition and a few dozen brave folks threw the first public Pride celebration in McKay Park. Back in those days, many locals were hesitant to join the party, out of concern […]
Glass Slipper
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The Slipper 12/9-12/16
Pay Together City Council took the first decisive step toward keeping Bend’s roads from falling into a deepening state of disrepair at its last meeting by voting to put a fuel tax on the March 2016 ballot. It was not a unanimous vote. Councilors Victor Chudowsky and Casey Roats voted against the tax measure, ultimately […]
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The Slipper 11/18-11/25
Fueling the Future There’s no such thing as free lunch. That doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to get our metaphorical lunch. Rather, it reminds us that everything has a cost. It’s a relevant lesson as the City prepares to hold a public meeting about street funding on Nov. 30. The Street Maintenance Funding Committee—who […]
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The Slipper 11/4-11/11
The Promise of Growing Pains The process of revising Bend’s Urban Growth Boundary expansion proposal has been slow, but as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. And it is starting to look like that will be the case. While there’s no way around the fact that planning for future growth is […]
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The Slipper 10/28-11/4
Drastic Times Call for Radical Measures By Source Staff Portland has been in the news a lot lately for its struggles with affordable housing. And while there’s no magic trick to finding a sufficient quantity of housing middle and low-income folks can afford, the city has taken steps recently to address its housing shortage that […]
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Raise a Glass to Wyden
Last week, Sen. Ron Wyden hosted a 30 minute “Happy Half-Hour” Google Hangout. The presentation was a bit like watching a grandpa Skype for the first time with his grandchildren. He leaned into the computer’s camera and spoke loudly and ticked off some groaner jokes. Speaking about craft beer’s sizable impact on Oregon’s economy, Sen. […]
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The Fight for Troy Field Shouldn’t Be Over
The Death and Life of Great American Cities should be required reading for every city councilor and city planner in the Community Development Department. Written in 1961 by Jane Jacobs, it is a touchstone for planners who believe in preserving public space. An architecture writer, Jacob had no formal training—and did not hold a college […]
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Letters 6/2-6/9
IN REPLY TO “PICKS: NOT JUST A NUMBER” (5/27) I stopped by Troy field on three different times this Memorial day. Each time, Tracy and some of her dedicated people continued to read the name, age, and town that our fallen heroes heralded from, followed by a single beat of the drum. The boards with […]
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A Success Story!
A little more than a year ago, voters approved Measure 9-94, which ratcheted up the transient room tax (TRT) in the City of Bend from 9 to 10.4 percent. A portion of the funds generated from that additional tax on tourists was—and is—directed toward a cultural tourism fund for local cultural organizations to spend on […]
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Making Sense
It is almost getting tiring to say, but kudos to Rep. Knute Buehler. And, at some point, an elected official acting on his best judgment and breaking from traditional political party dogma will not be news. But, for the time being, when Democrats and Republicans are expected to follow the party’s playbook for most social […]