OSU expansionis a gift to Bend

Thank you for your editorial piece in the Jan. 5 Bulletin. This kind of reasoned approach is what most of us are looking for — not the questioning and complaining that has appeared in recent articles regarding OSU’s choice of locations. Face it, most of the latter is founded solely on the fact that the development is too close to where these people live. It is a gift to Bend that OSU should choose our city to expand its four-year campus. It is a further gift that OSU has chosen to convert a worthless problem and eye sore, the pumice pit, into a pleasing and useful entity. It is not easy to do, but details which emerged at the community discussions demonstrate that the university knows what it’s doing.

Further, it is moving ahead smartly in implementing its vision. Bend will have to hustle to keep up. With problems like traffic, OSU can reasonably be expected to provide support and funding — just like any developer. Some issues, like the Reed Market/Compass roundabout complex at school rush hour beg for help now. With OSU in the picture, it will get done sooner rather than later. We need to support the city and OSU as we move through this challenging but exciting new addition to Bend’s future.

Bill Padgham

Bend

Property too smallfor 5,000 students

The preliminary plans for OSU-Cascades are out. The university will cause monumental traffic problems; there is not enough infrastructure for such a development. The ground will not support large buildings. But even with those problems the main problem of the desired location is that it is far too small.

The Bend-La Pine school district requires 11-15 acres for a 600-student middle school. They need about 50 acres for a 1,500-student high school. And we are to believe that a 5,000 student university can operate on 56 acres? By secondary-school standards, 333 acres would be needed for 5,000 students. This property is only suitable for about 750 students. Talk of dormitories, dining halls and student gathering areas actually make the need for even more area at a university than a secondary school. There is just not enough room for a 5,000-student university on 56 acres. It is a foolish exercise to consider this property for the university.

I have walked the proposed campus and have come to the realization that the buildings in the artist renderings shown at the informational meetings and in The Bulletin are extremely out of scale. For instance, the buildings shown near 14th Street and Cascade Lakes Highway would only be about 10 feet wide — not large enough for any usable classroom or living space. The larger buildings in the renderings max out at about 20 ft by 40 ft. Way too small. The renderings are distorted to give us the idea that the space is large enough. Fifty-six acres is just too small for a 5,000-student university.

There are so many roadblocks that have popped up that should cause OSU-Cascades to abandon the west-side campus. Above all of the other problems is that the proposed campus is just too small.

Cary Robles

Bend

Why woulda bishop do this?

Here we have one of the most productive priests in my history at St. Francis (47 years).

Here is a priest in “good standing.” He has done nothing wrong or illegal.

So what does Bishop Cary do to Father Radloff, a man that has:

• Devoted his entire life to God.

• Welcomed returning Catholics and non-Catholics, which increased attendance at St. Francis.

• Baptized many new Catholics.

• Gotten people involved in their church, including me.

• Preached incredible sermons that inspired us for weeks. He is a mimic of Pope Francis.

Cary stripped Radloff of all his priestly duties. He cannot say Mass anywhere. He cannot preach his amazing sermons anywhere.

Cary decided to do this to Radloff for reasons only he and Radloff know. Radloff is forbidden to disclose the reasons and has asked Cary to do so. Why would a bishop wish to do this when all is going right?

Jean Pozzi

Bend

Temporary means temporary

Many years ago, when I drew unemployment benefits, I drew them for only six weeks and only received $145 a week. Temporary means just that — temporary, not long term. Some of the people received payments for two or more years, which is far too long. Then the employment agency spends more money to retrain them. There has to be an end to this somewhere.

Bruno Baer

Bend