Letters 3/12 - 3/20 | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Letters 3/12 - 3/20

Department of Corrections: In our Beer Issue's "Brewing Timeline" we incorrectly listed the establishment years of two Redmond breweries. Juniper Brewing Co. actually opened in 2014 while Wild Ride Brewing will open later this year. Sorry for aging Juniper an extra year, and sorry to open Wild Ride before its time. We just can't wait!

In reply to Letter of the Week, (Letters, 3/6)

The recent Boot titled, "A Barrel Heading Over the Falls" provides excellent justification for Mr. Almquist's Letter of the Week of March 5, 2014. I agree with Bob!

The Community of Bend and State of Oregon should explore all recent, public decision and process relating to Central Oregon. To start, how about the Miller's Landing park development? The 2014 BPRD Budget Committee selection process is another excellent topic of discussion and debate. To quote Bill Murray, "What about Bob?" (Frank Oz, Touchstone Pictures; 1991).

—Justin L. Gottlieb

Learn the rules of the road

Now that the weather is warming up, I thought it would be a good time to review some simple driving rules to bear in mind when bicycles are on the road.

First, if you're on a bike, you're a vehicle. Period. Follow the rules of the road because quite frankly you make the rest of us look bad. Ride on the correct side of the road, in the bike lane if there is one. Signal your turns, because I can't read your mind, and it annoys me when I sit in my car and wait for you, and then you turn.

Drivers, your turn. Slow down. I repeat, SLOW DOWN and pay attention to what you're doing. Don't yack on your phone, it's illegal anyway. Also, you don't have to swerve into the oncoming lane if there is a cyclist next to you in the bike lane. Really. Most cyclists don't have a death wish to suddenly leap out of the safety of their lane. The head-on collision you're about to cause is much more of a possibility.

Here's the biggie, and my personal pet peeve. If you see a bike stopped at a stop sign waiting to cross the street, DON'T STOP and wave them across. YOU have the right-of-way. That means you, you folks driving on Portland and Newport Avenues.

Bicycles are vehicles, just like a car. If you stop for me at an intersection, I'm just going to make you mad because I still can't go. The reason? The guy coming the other way isn't going to stop BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE TO! He has the right-of-way, just like you. Please treat bicycle riders like any other car at a stop sign and I will cross when it is safe for me to do so.

Seriously, if I want you to stop, I'll get off my bike, and stand in the crosswalk, at which point you will be obligated by law to stop for me because I am now a pedestrian pushing my bike. Here's the secret; Pedestrian means "on foot". So yes, please stop for people who are standing at a corner, but bicycles in the street are VEHICLES, treat them like a car.

As a driver AND a bike commuter, I thank you. I know there's got to be a way for us all to share the road—let's learn the rules of who has the right of way, slow down, and we can all share the road safely.

—Aimee Bancroft

In reply to letter of the week "Response to Mirror Pond, Etc," (Letters, 3/13)

Hello, I am a recent transplant to Bend from Louisville, KY, and after reading a recent letter to the editor just basically bitching about Bend or the people in it, I felt compelled to compile this. Unfortunately, there is no way I could limit this to 250 words. So I give you permission to either edit this at will [Editor's Note: We did...] or maybe you can find another area to put this.

[The greatest hits of] 50 REASONS TO LOVE BEND

1. The weather—300 days of complete or at least partial sunshine.

4. The Deschutes River and river trail system...just love love it!

7. All the Micro-breweries—26 of them in Central Oregon with 18 of them just in the town of Bend.

10. The best tasting water ever and I've been around....And you don't fluoride the water...Thank-you!

11. All the bike/ski shops in this town. Actually all the outdoor oriented shops in this town... so many to choose from.

13. Kombucha everywhere...Along with beer. Love!

14. The super friendly people in this town everywhere I go, even my one time I was pulled over by a cop.

15. Franklin ave/Newport ave. Love all the locally owned outdoor eats, stores, shops, and cafes.

16. The food trucks! For a town of this size- so many and so damn good and healthy!

23. So many festivals and music...and special kudos for having a film festival, literary festival, TEDx, music festivals, art...So much!

24. The large mostly hidden alternative healing and metaphysical presence in this town. Amazing loving folks.

28. Phil's trailhead with what? 50 some-odd mountain bike trails from just one trailhead!

29. Cascades Lakes Highway and all the lakes (hence the name) and all the assorted trails

30. Mount Bachelor ski resort just 20 mins from town!

31. You don't use salt on the roads!

33. The Source Newspaper- Love it...except for the Hollywood gossip page (seriously, a whole page?). So much better than our alternative rag back home for a lot of reasons.

34. The Cascade Business News newspaper is free here. It's over $60 a year for the subscription back home.

35. NO SALES TAX!!!

44. All the farmer's markets!

45. All the waterfalls, hot springs, camping, mountains, lakes, rivers, desert, and ocean from minutes away to a few hours!

48. Where else can you snowboard and mountain bike on the same day? Cross country ski and kayak or paddleboard on the same day...Actually within a half hour or less of each other.

49. The overall open-mindedness and progressive nature of most of the town.

50. The negatives? I've been here 10 months now and my only negative that I will mention is that you have a Walmart and all that it entails as far as community costs.

Thanks.

—Bob Vanassen

In reply to "Kicking the Tires," (News, 3/13)

The City of Bend has taken a financial beating with Juniper Ridge and the Bulletin lot to the tune of millions, but these losses are nothing compared to the expenses that the purchase of the PacifiCorp dam will bring to the tax-payers of Bend. This dam will not last forever and will be decommissioned. The structure is made of wood that can not be replaced because it is buried in rock. The Band-Aid repairs using sheet pile that are nailed to the failing wood structure won't last. All of these expenses can be avoided by the City of Bend by allowing PacifiCorp to decommission the dam at their expense. With a restored river the City of Bend could then consider options for new river projects that are sustainable and environmentally sound. I understand the emotional attachment to Mirror Pond by many residents, but the realities of this proposition need to lead the decision. The question is do we decide with our heart or our brain.

—No More Money Pits

Letter of the Week!

Dear No More Money Pits—We couldn't have said it better. No seriously! Do you want a job as our cub reporter? We don't pay much, though. But we can pay you in $5 gift certificates to Crow's Feet Commons. Thanks for the Letter of the Week.Stop by and pick up your first paycheck at our offices when you have a chance.

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