Central Oregon Community College

As a faculty at Central Oregon Community College, I’m deeply troubled by my institution’s decision not just to invite Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer as the commencement speaker, but to stand by this decision in the face of opposition from students, faculty, staff and community members.

Colleges play a vital role in preparing students for a diverse world. It is imperative to provide students with opportunities to engage in open dialogue, learn from various perspectives and develop critical thinking skills. However, it is equally important to draw a line when the views being expressed perpetuate discrimination, intolerance and prejudice, views that stand in direct contrast to COCC’s values.

By inviting Rep. Chavez-DeRemer, we risk normalizing harmful rhetoric at a time when LGBTQ+ lives are under siege. What should be a celebration for the accomplishments of our graduates is now just another reminder to LGBTQ+ students of the divisive and hateful measures being introduced at a rapid pace seeking to erode trans rights, safety, dignity and legislating them out of existence.

COCC student, faculty, and staff representatives have all written letters objecting to the speaker but, similar to how the decision was initially made, those voices have not been represented in the choice to move forward. To address the harm caused and regain trust, it is essential COCC President Laurie Chesley invest in support for recruitment and retention of LGBTQ+ students and staff and develop a more inclusive process to ensure diverse perspectives are represented in decisions that affect the entire COCC community.

— Kirsten Hostetler, Bend

In the case of the fire levy, our mayor and city manager chose to market a 280% increase using emotional appeals vs presenting easy-to-understand cold hard financial facts at the announcement as to why the levy was needed and if passed, how the levy funds would be spent in terms of personnel, training, needed new equipment, infrastructure improvements, etc. Interestingly, when some details were released one week after the ballots were mailed, fire and medical call volumes were actually down for 2023. Revenue exceeded expenditures for the fifth year in a row. Yes, interesting!

If our city leadership’s thinking was strategically sound, prior to announcing the planned 280% levy increase, the mayor, along with the other six councilors and the city manager would have prepared and presented to the public via The Bulletin and the 13 neighborhood associations an easy-to-understand “complete” plan detailing how the new funds were going to be allocated and how they would address any current and future operational concerns. But that’s not how it works in Bend.

As usual, our current leadership chooses to make decisions first and then market them without providing critical facts. Sadly, it’s not the type and scope of citizen engagement that our mayor and the other councilors promised when they asked for our votes. What we got on this issue were long speeches and a 70-minute meeting with the mayor, the finance director, and Bend Fire Chief Todd Riley, with limited opportunities to ask questions, before we were dismissed. We deserve much better from them, and frankly, from our local newspaper for not asking the right questions and reporting the answers.

Maybe that’s the real reason that voters only narrowly (52-48%) approved the request for the 280% levy increase!

— Bill Gregoricus, Bend

The fate of one of Bend’s most popular and beloved trails is being decided now. Save Bend Green Space discovered that as part of Central Oregon Irrigation District’s (COID) license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to operate the Siphon Power Plant in the Deschutes South Canyon, COID was required to establish and maintain the Canopy Trail as a recreational trail. The Canopy Trail includes the trailhead on Brookswood Boulevard and the tree-lined foot path that connects to the trail leading to the Deschutes River Trail.

Save Bend Green Space made a filing with FERC alerting the agency that COID intends to sell the parcel that contains the Canopy Trail. FERC has informed COID that it must amend its license agreement to able to do this and must get input from Bend Park & Recreation District (BPRD) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) on the proposed change of the Canopy Trail from a recreational trail to a public easement. FYI — an easement could be a narrow, paved walkway between houses or fences without the trees, open irrigation canal and habitat that currently exist on the Canopy Trail.

If the Canopy Trail is important to you, please email BPRD and OPRD today to urge them to advocate for the trail’s preservation. The Canopy Trail was established as a public benefit necessary for COID to operate the Siphon Power Plant; COID should not be allowed to take away this benefit to the community.

— Roberta Silverman, a member of Save Bend Green Space

Do you have a point you’d like to make or an issue you feel strongly about? Submit a letter to the editor.