Protesters line up in a designated protest zone to be heard by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who was in downtown Redmond on Thursday to mark the groundbreaking of the Fifth Street repaving. Most were protesting health care overhaul proposals in Congress.

REDMOND A colorful but mostly subdued crowd met Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., on Thursday morning, assembling to voice opposition to government spending and involvement, but mostly about the proposals to overhaul health care.

Wyden was in Redmond, one of two stops in Central Oregon on Thursday, to mark the official groundbreaking for the Fifth Street repaving, which is funded by $3.5 million in federal stimulus funds.

From the east side of the street, the senator delivered remarks on how the stimulus is putting people to work in Oregon, while protesters packed into a marked designated protest zone on the west side. Protesters were separated from Wyden by a lane of traffic and a parked bulldozer.

Police Chief Ron Roberts had no concerns about the roughly three dozen demonstrators. Roberts said demonstrations of this size were a near-daily occurrence when he was a lieutenant in Eugene, along with regular traffic-snarling Critical Mass bike rides and occasional protests drawing thousands to the federal courthouse.

Roberts said he met with one of the organizers before the demonstration and got an explanation of what they planned to do.

Its nice to be able to at least have the conversation with these people, to work with them, because we want to be able to facilitate the opportunity to have a voice, as long as its within appropriate means.

Craig Brookhart, a demonstrator from Prineville, said he feels like the government is waging war on us.

Brookhart said hes concerned about increasing taxes and spending, and the inaccessibility of elected officials. He wasnt hopeful that Wydens visit to Redmond would be any different.

Im here to see if hes going to do anything but cut the ribbon, but I kinda doubt he is, Brookhart said. Im just fed up with the whole bunch of em.

Greg Peed, 50, from Red-mond, isnt completely opposed to health care reform, but hes concerned Congress is going about it the wrong way.

And those opposed to reforms havent always protested productively, Peed said, particularly by depicting a section of one House bill dealing with end-of-life care as a call for euthanasia and death panels.

Thats a terrible distraction, and were acting stupidly to even argue about that little phrase, Peed said.

Peed would like to hear more discussion of a plan like former Gov. John Kitzhabers Oregon Health Plan, where even the poorest were expected to pay some portion of their medical expenses, but he doesnt expect a plan coming from someone outside Congress to gain much traction.

Theyre running at this like a warehouse fire with 100 garden hoses, Peed said. Theyre just making a muddle.

There was one minor verbal exchange Thursday when Jim Rogers, of Redmond, called out to Wyden to ask if the senator would hold a town hall meeting soon.

Tom Towslee, Wydens state communications director, stepped between Rogers and Wyden and explained that there had been two local town halls in the spring.

Rogers told Towslee that jobs were scarce in the area, noting that they were in the parking lot of Parr Lumber, which closed in March.

What about these jobs out here, theyre not good enough for you? Towslee said, gesturing to the ripped-up street.

Rogers said he was laid off from his job as a chemical salesman last month, and described Towslees response to his questions as snotty.

The project that brought Wyden to Redmond, the repaving of Fifth Street, is popular with city officials and downtown business owners.

Joe Lochner said he was preparing to replace the sidewalk in front of his Fifth Street insurance agency when he learned that the work had been included in the stimulus bill.

Im very excited, he said. It was the 11th hour. I was all ready to go, and the city calls me and says, Obamas going to take care of it.

Wyden visited La Pine in the afternoon, where he found a largely supportive audience at the La Pine Community Clinic.

With Wydens help, the clinic recently received a $651,000 grant and was designated a federally qualified community health center, allowing it to collect a larger reimbursement for Medicare and Medicaid patients.

Clinic staff said theyd seen no protesters at the La Pine event, and many of the people there to hear Wyden were broadly supportive of health care reforms.

Conrad Ruel, 65, from the Three Rivers area, said hed be willing to give up the public option a government-subsidized insurance pool for regulatory reforms and investments to improve the current system.

Ruel said hed like to see clinics available as an alternative to the emergency room for the uninsured, better pay for primary-care physicians and restrictions on medical malpractice lawsuits.

I dont know if people are ready for it now with all the problems in the economy, Wall Street, with people unemployed, to make a big jump like a public option right now, Ruel said. It just scares people because of the amount of misinformation going around. I would sacrifice that to get some reform.

Today in Seaside, Wyden will hold his first town hall since the Senate went into recess. Since he was elected to the Senate in 1996, hes held at least one town hall in every county every year.

Although Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Reps. David Wu, D-Ore., and Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., have faced boisterous and sometimes angry crowds at their recent town halls, Wyden said hes looking forward to his.

Weve had more than 500 of them. I, by now, figure Ive heard just about everything, he said. And as far as Im concerned, as long as people are respectful of their neighbors, its all part of the democratic process.