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To the communities of Bend, La Pine and Sunriver,

On behalf of the staff and students of Bend-La Pine Schools, I’d like to offer my hearty thanks to the voters and local community for your overwhelming support of the construction bond on the Nov. 8 ballot. Thank you for showing your commitment to students and public education by supporting this measure, which will upgrade safety and security, modernize classrooms and provide for critical maintenance and preservation projects across our district.

I believe the approval of this bond will ensure a better future for our students, our schools and our community.

Thank you to the many volunteers who helped lead the advocacy campaign. Thank you, also, to the numerous civic leaders, businesses, students and community members who endorsed the bond and helped support its passage.

As we move ahead with 89 proposed projects, we will seek to honor the trust our community placed in us. We take our financial stewardship seriously and will aim to keep community members informed as the work progresses in the months and years ahead.

I am proud to be part of this community and, alongside our staff, will continue to strive to make our schools the best in the state and a source of pride for local residents.

— In partnership, Steven Cook, superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools

RE: “It’s legal to hunt from the Deschutes River Trail” Bend Bulletin Editorial 12/06/22

My family and I are a part of a large and growing segment of concerned citizens who feel that the impacts of hunting/shooting along the Deschutes River is increasingly dangerous.

The increase in year-round recreational river and trail users, their children and animals are a prime safety concern.

This is essentially a residential area with anomalous, remnant shooting zones. While it is legal to hunt in these areas, the constant violations and egregious behavior of these hunters (our home has been hit by shot on numerous occasions, shooting after dark, shooting out of bounds, trash, etc.) makes this a recipe for disaster. This is a relatively small area, and there are many other places to hunt nearby (ex. Crane Prairie, Wickiup).

Several among us are avid hunters and understand this area is far from ideal, yet very appealing to lazy hunters who have no regard for our community, nor do they follow the simple etiquette of “real” hunters. Efforts with the Forest Service (property owner) regarding our concerns has met with obfuscation at best. What will it take for action? Does someone, or their child or their pet have to be injured to have logic prevail and close these zones? Will the Forest Service pay attention then? To simply state “it’s legal” is a cop out. Why should we be held hostage during hunting season.

— Kate Jones, Bend

Per a recent article in The Bulletin, some parents in Crook County do not want their children exposed to children’s books that contain LGBTQ content. These parents think such books should be housed in a different part of the library so their little darlings won’t be exposed to today’s realities.

Well, (1) if you don’t want your kids reading certain things, then monitor closely want they do read — in other words, be proactive and personally responsible for your child’s education and don’t try to make the library system do your job for you; (2) what, pray tell, is so bad about children reading about LGBTQ issues? If you have raised your children to your values, there won’t be a problem; (3) the kids are going to find out about these issues one way or another; far better that they get information from responsible sources; and (4) LGBTQ is here to stay; ignoring it won’t make it go away.

Wake up, people. Get your head out of the sand. Embrace reality. It’s liberating.

— Mike Koonce, Bend

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