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 […]
Mirror Pond
Posted inNews
Scenes from the Women’s March for Action
Thousands show up for second annual march
Were you in Drake Park this Saturday morning? Then you couldn’t miss the thousands out there for the Central Oregon Women’s March for Action, on the anniversary of the inauguration of the 45th president. According to the Facebook page for the event, 3500 people attended. Source photographers were on scene to capture the action.
Posted inNews
Stuck in the Muck
Mirror Pond’s owners ask DEQ to step in against the city
A local investor group, Mirror Pond Solutions, is calling for the City of Bend to take more action to address the problem of sediment buildup in Mirror Pond. The City of Bend is calling into question the methods by which that group is basing its claims. On July 29, Jason Conger, attorney for Mirror Pond […]
Posted inNews
Bend Brewing Co. Announces Purchase of Adjacent Lot on Mirror Pond
Bend, Oregon—Bend Brewing Co. (BBC), established in 1995, and the second oldest brewery in Bend, Oregon, is pleased to announce the purchase of the riverfront lot next to its downtown brewpub location. This premier piece of real estate, on Bend Brewing Co.’s neighboring south side, stretches from Brooks Street to Mirror Pond and has sat […]
Posted inOpinion
Mirror Pond Dam
Now that PacificPower has announced it's planning to keep the Mirror Pond dam after all, we can all breath a temporary sigh of relief. While in some quarters this decision by the energy company has upended the apple cart of “progress” on Mirror Pond, for those who share the sentiment that the best solution for […]
Posted inNews
Top Local News Stories of the Year
1. Mirror Pond This year, the Mirror Pond debate continued to ebb and flow. In March, Bend City Council narrowly voted to support the ad hoc committee’s “preferred alternative”—a hybrid plan that would have maintained the pond while removing the failing Newport Dam. By July, that committee was reportedly preparing to make an offer to […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Waste of Public Process
Mirror Pond
If we were to ask Franciscan friar and philosopher William of Ockham for advice (as in “Ockham’s razor”), he’d probably tell us the simplest solution, the one that relies on the fewest assumptions, is best. In this case, that would probably be taking out the failing Newport Dam and letting Pacific Power pay to restore […]
Posted inOpinion
Letters 3/24-3/31
IN OPPOSITION TO THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP In response to the March 26 letter from Stan Baker asking readers to support the TPP “Free Trade” agreement, I urge readers to check out Elizabeth Warren’s speech on the Senate Floor, probably on YouTube, against this impending catastrophe. This secret Act effectively gives international corporate governance power to bypass our […]
Posted inNews
Doing the Dam Thing
A plan for Mirror Pond moves forward despite dissent
When the Mirror Pond Ad-Hoc Committee first presented its hybrid proposal for addressing the failing Newport Avenue dam last November, the plan was well received. For a time, it seemed as if the committee had accomplished the impossible—bridging the chasm of public opinion between those who want to repair the dam and save Mirror Pond […]
Posted inNews
City Council Votes 4-3 to Support Mirror Pond Redevelopment Plan
Lat night, City Council narrowly voted to support a plan put forth by the Mirror Pond Ad Hoc Committee and recently approved by the Bend Park & Recreation District Board, to replace the failing dam with a more natural feature that would maintain Mirror Pond. The proposal’s success relies on a public-private partnership and investment […]