For the time being, forget buying a bottle of liquor in Bend on Sundays or holidays. You’ll have to go to Sunriver, Sisters or Prineville.

Beginning this Sunday, under a law passed during a special session of the Oregon Legislature in February, the state’s 237 liquor stores run by independent operators are allowed, but not required, to open on Sundays and holidays.

But not all operators are deciding to take advantage of the opportunity.

Two of the three liquor stores in Bend, on the north and south ends of Highway 97, don’t plan on opening on Sundays or holidays. The third, at the corner of 27th Street and east Highway 20, plans on increasing its hours on Dec. 1.

Stores in Sisters, Sunriver and Prineville will open on Sundays and holidays. Those in La Pine and Redmond won’t. The Madras store will open on Sundays beginning in mid-May, said owner Rod Poole.

In Central Oregon, business owners cite several reasons for not expanding their hours.

”Most of our business would be the hard-core drinkers who get their half-gallons on Saturdays and go to the grocery store for a half-case of beer on Sundays,” said Cheryl Stoddard, owner of the liquor store in Redmond. ”It’s just one more alcohol problem, and I can’t see it penciling out financially.”

Said Robin Holmberg, owner of the south Bend liquor store: ”I think it’s nice to have the store closed once a week. We don’t have to be like California or other states that are open seven days a week.

Besides, he said with a laugh, ”I have to go golfing on Sundays.”

On the other side is Vicki Kisor, owner of the Prineville liquor store.

”Basically, we talked to our customers and got comments of 20-to-one please do,” she said. The Prineville store will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. ”With the reservoirs and fishing season around the corner, I’ll check it out. If it doesn’t pay, I won’t do it.”

The new law, passed during the February special session, is designed to raise an additional $3 million in revenue for the state general fund through 2003, part of the Legislature’s strategy to eliminate an $845 million budget shortfall.

Liquor stores also will be allowed to stay open on legally recognized holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.

Gov. John Kitzhaber, who tried unsuccessfully to persuade legislators to approve his tax increase proposals, allowed the Sunday-sales bill to become law without his signature.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.