The iconic crane shed building was destroyed without a demolition permit during an August night in 2004.

Crane Shed article sparks memories

Enjoyed your recent article on the Crane Shed. In 1996, I was moving my newly formed scented pinecone company from Portland to an area closer to the source. While driving around Bend I noticed the shed. It was vacant at the time and inquired about it. The owner was producing boxes in the building next door, and we agreed on a six-month lease. The place was a mess with no security or loading docks but for the short time I would be using this space, it was perfect. There were so many pigeons in the building I would cover the pinecones prior to spraying them to keep the bird poop off them. We ended up shipping all our orders that year and the following year we moved to La Pine which is where we have been for the last 28 years. It was a beautiful building, and I was saddened when it was torn down, but it gave me a wonderful introduction to Central Oregon.

— Ron Church, Tucson

A republic, if we can keep it

This week marks the 237th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, and the national holiday of Constitution Week, September 17th — 23rd. The 17th of September being the day in 1787 our forefathers walked out of the constitutional convention, to announce the new form of government. The church bells rang and the citizens all came out to see.

When asked what form of government they had created, Benjamin Franklin famously said, “A republic, if you can keep it”.

Some might speculate as to what he meant in that brief statement. One might say that a democratic republic, being founded upon the consent of the people, also requires the active learning of its structure and meaning, and continued involvement of the people to keep it alive and well. It’s a great time for citizens to take some time and read it, and have informed conversations about how it is holding up in their community today.

— Rachel Nordenhök is Bend National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Constitution Week Chair.

Guns in schools and Summers and Lopez

Redmond School Board members Michael Summers and Keri Lopez, both candidates for State office in November, voted in 2022 to continue to allow concealed weapons in Redmond schools.

Senate Bill 554 (2021) closes a loophole, allowing school districts to prohibit even those with concealed carry licenses from carrying firearms on their property. The board voted 3-2 not to adopt this simple, clarifying policy.

Summers said he feared the “unintended consequences” for his friends who “conceal every day [as] part of their uniform.” But it’s the real unintended consequences of bringing weapons on school grounds that keep me up at night.

We can’t trust this careless approach to public policy. Guns continue to be the leading cause of death for U.S. youth ages 1-19, surpassing car accidents in 2020. Our region’s approach to gun safety should reflect our values. Firearms should be safely stored at home and kept out of schools.

Fortunately, we have better candidate choices: Emerson Levy (House District 53) and Anthony Broadman (Senate District 27).

In the state Legislature, Rep. Levy has fought for safe schools and rapid law enforcement response, including securing $2.5 million for Oregon schools to install panic alarm systems.

As a City Councilor and gun owner, Broadman has worked to close the background check loophole, which allows gun dealers to complete a sale without a completed background check after three days.

Our children deserve to be free from gun violence. Please join me in voting Anthony Broadman for state Senate and Emerson Levy for re-election to the state House.

— Debra Gaisford, Bend

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