6B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020
COFFEE BREAK
Ring presented at engagement ceremony is unhappy surprise
DEAR ABBY: When my
then-boyfriend asked me to marry
him, he didn’t have a ring ready,
but I happily accepted his pro-
posal. We were in
our late 20s and
had been dating for
almost 10 years. He
then took me to the
jewelry store so I
could select one to my taste and
liking (within budget). We took
a picture of the ring, and he told
me he would bring his mother
back to the jewelry shop with him
so she could help with the price
haggling.
A week later, he told me he had
made the purchase and we both
couldn’t wait for our engagement
ceremony as we took the next step
in our relationship. On that day,
to my surprise, the ring he put
on my fi nger wasn’t the one I had
selected. However, in front of his
family, my family and probably
40 guests, I pretended nothing
happened.
I wasn’t happy
DEAR
at all and told him
later, in private, that
ABBY
it wasn’t the ring I
chose. His answer
was, his mother thought this one
would look better (in my opinion,
cheaper and tackier) than the
one I liked and that I was overre-
acting. I told him that had he not
taken me shopping, I would have
appreciated any ring he bought.
He brushes me off when I try to
discuss it.
Why did he take me and then
disregard my opinion? Am I over-
reacting, Abby?
— FOOLED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR FOOLED: You are not
overreacting. Your fi ance’s mother
had a lot of nerve. She apparently
rules the roost and chose that
occasion to assert herself. Worse,
it appears her son values her
opinion over yours. He owes you
an apology.
If this happened recently and
you are not yet married to this
prize, the two of you should con-
sider making a return trip to that
jeweler.
Hopefully, this scenario won’t
be repeated with the selection of
the wedding rings.
DEAR ABBY: My husband was
a drug addict 18 years ago. It was
a very hard time for us; he went
through rehab and we almost
divorced.
Fast-forward: He has been
doing well, and we still have our
have with her. Also, my husband
will probably want to disown her
for this betrayal. What do you
suggest?
— BETRAYED IN SOUTH
CAROLINA
DEAR BETRAYED: If your
sister knew you wanted to keep
this from your son until he was
older, she did betray your trust.
Once you have calmed down, talk
to her, ask if what you were told
is true, and if it is, why she would
do such a thing. Once you have
all the facts, your husband must
be told the cat is out of the bag so
the two of you can decide whether
you want to continue a relation-
ship with this sister. And because
a predisposition toward addic-
tion can run in a family, have that
long-overdue talk with your son
about it.
problems, but he hasn’t used
heavy drugs for 17 years. To calm
his anxiety, he just has an occa-
sional drink or uses CBD oils.
My sister-in-law told me
last weekend that my sister
told our son (who was 17 at the
time) about my husband’s drug
issues when he was younger.
We always kept my husband’s
past quiet, feeling that we would
have that conversation with our
son eventually, when we were
ready.
I’m furious that she told him.
It should have been our choice,
not hers. She has violated my
trust. There has been a lot of ani-
mosity between my husband and
my sister in the past, so I am sure
she did it out of spite. I am so
upset I am afraid I’ll explode and
ruin the tenuous relationship I
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
Surprise fi rework
show delights,
angers Bend
residents
site inspected. In Bend,
the city’s risk manage-
ment offi ce must inspect the
organizer’s insurance. Next,
an organizer must get the
approval from the Offi ce
of the State Fire Marshal,
and fi re and police offi cials
must sign the permit.
According to the permit
on fi le with Bend fi re offi -
cials and sent to The Bul-
letin, the show’s sponsor
was Watson Compa-
nies, which owns Red-
mond-based residential
developer Hayden Homes
and the nonprofi t housing
organization First Story.
Calls to Watson Com-
panies president Hayden
Watson were not returned.
Over the past 15 years,
the public hasn’t been noti-
fi ed about numerous fi re-
works shows around Bend,
including at Bend Elks
games at Vince Genna
Stadium, Summit High
School’s homecoming,
Oregon WinterFest and
weddings, said Connolly.
“In this case, it seems
the intent of the Old Mill
was to be mindful of the
risk of COVID-19, where
events such as this would
draw a large crowd and
potentially cause spread of
the disease,” Connolly said.
Russell said the episode
highlights how diffi cult it
is to hold any kind of com-
munity event during the
pandemic.
“This was well-in-
tended,” she said. “And you
know, doing things now is
diffi cult. Many people are
experiencing some very real
hardships. We’re all looking
at ways to lift people’s
spirits.”
By Garrett Andrews
The Bulletin
BEND — Around 7 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 16, the sky
above Bend’s west side lit
up with a vivid pyrotechnic
display — more than 1,800
shells whistling, popping
and exploding in bright and
glittering colors above the
Les Schwab Amphitheater.
In all, the professional
display by local pyrotechni-
cian Gary Mattison lasted
around 15 minutes.
But Nov. 16 was no hol-
iday. There were no fes-
tivals occurring in town,
no notable recent sports
victories.
Residents, outside their
homes and online, were
confused. More than 200
people called 911.
In actuality, an anony-
mous donor had sponsored
a professional fi reworks
show to “bring happiness
and cheer to the commu-
nity,” a fact that came to
light through the circula-
tion of a post on the Old
Mill’s Facebook page that
appeared about the same
time the fi reworks began.
“A private donor has
sponsored a brief fi rework
show that will be visible to
most Bend residents this
evening,” the post read.
“They hope to bring a bit of
happiness and cheer to the
community, and to remind
us that if you have the
means, please consider sup-
porting our Central Oregon
non-profi ts this holiday
season.”
Robin Judice/Video screenshot
Fireworks explode over Bend the night of Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. The 15-minute pyrotechnic display thrilled some resi-
dents of the Central Oregon city and irked others.
Comments on the Face-
book post quickly displayed
the division that’s been
a defi ning feature of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
“With the civil unrest
going on right now, it
was so scary!” wrote one
person. “I am all for sup-
porting nonprofi ts, but this
caused fear to so many
people and animals. If only
we had known in advance!”
A number of people
chastised the organizers
and the Old Mill on behalf
of dogs and people with
post-traumatic stress dis-
order, notably military vet-
erans. Some noted that
many Bend residents,
including many in the
less-affl uent parts of town,
could not see the display,
but could hear it.
Still, many people
defended the show and
asked that their neighbors
not be so uptight.
“Covid has made people
bitter and mean,” one
person wrote. “They don’t
want anyone celebrating
anything anymore! Great
job on the fi reworks.”
Bend Mayor Sally Rus-
sell lives in a part of town
where she could hear the
display but could not see
it. She went to bed unsure
what she’d listened to.
In the morning, Marney
weather
Smith, director of the
amphitheater, called with an
explanation and a promise
O ld Mill offi cials would
think differently when con-
sidering future shows.
Russell said she’s
received much feedback, as
well, ranging from thrilled
to the incensed.
“We’re all on edge,” she
said. “Some people want to
think the best; some people
want to go to a darker place.
It’s indicative of the way we
live now. …
“I think the surprise
came from the commu-
nity not knowing what it
was ahead of time, so many
didn’t know where the
sound came from,” Russell
said.
Fireworks shows do not
require an event permit
with the city or the approval
of the Bend City Council.
There is also no require-
ment for organizers to
notify the public ahead of
time. But the people behind
Monday’s surprise show did
have to pass several steps
to get a general fi reworks
display permit in Bend,
according to Bend Fire &
Rescue Battalion Chief
Patricia Connolly.
First, they had to apply
with Bend Police Depart-
ment and Bend fi re offi -
cials to get their display
AROUND OREGON AND THE REGION
Astoria
Longview
38/49
Kennewick
35/45
St. Helens
35/48
TIllamook
33/43
29/41
36/45
33/47
Condon
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
Partly cloudy
Sun through
high clouds
Mostly cloudy
Clouds limiting
sun
Showers
possible
19 38 24
42 25
43 25
44 21
Eugene
0
3
3
29/47
42 29
46 32
43 29
2
3
3
La Grande
1
27 41 29
Comfort Index™
Enterprise
3
3
2
27 41 29
Comfort Index™
5
44 32
43 31
2
4
3
ALMANAC
NATION (for the 48 contiguous states)
High Thursday
Low Thursday
High: 90°
Low: 8°
Wettest: 0.79”
50°
22°
50°
22°
47°
27°
PRECIPITATION (inches)
Thursday
Trace
Month to date
0.22
Normal month to date 0.56
Year to date
3.22
Normal year to date
8.83
Trace
1.88
1.28
15.76
14.15
0.23
4.30
1.89
33.28
19.52
AGRICULTURAL INFO.
HAY INFORMATION SUNDAY
Lowest relative humidity
Afternoon wind
Hours of sunshine
Evapotranspiration
40%
S at 7 to 14 mph
6.1
0.07
RESERVOIR STORAGE (through midnight Friday)
Phillips Reservoir
Unity Reservoir
Owyhee Reservoir
McKay Reservoir
Wallowa Lake
Thief Valley Reservoir
8% of capacity
27% of capacity
43% of capacity
23% of capacity
21% of capacity
26% of capacity
STREAM FLOWS (through midnight Thursday)
Grande Ronde at Troy
1540 cfs
Thief Valley Reservoir near North Powder
0 cfs
Burnt River near Unity
10 cfs
Umatilla River near Gibbon
196 cfs
Minam River at Minam
110 cfs
Powder River near Richland
21 cfs
Canadian, Texas
Houlton, Maine
Mullan Pass, Idaho
OREGON
High: 56°
Low: 22°
Wettest: 0.49”
North Bend
Crater Lake
Newport
WEATHER HISTORY
Heavy rain in Southern California brought
14 inches of rainfall to the mountains and
7.96 inches to downtown Los Angeles on
Nov. 21, 1967. All the rain caused severe
local fl ooding with damaging mudslides.
SUN & MOON
SAT.
Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
6:59 a.m.
4:17 p.m.
1:02 p.m.
11:00 p.m.
SUN.
7:01 a.m.
4:16 p.m.
1:28 p.m.
none
MOON PHASES
First
Nov 21
Full
Nov 30
Last
Dec 7
New
Dec 14
26/48
Sisters
Elkton
22/42
38/51
Brothers
18/39
Beaver Marsh
14/42
Roseburg
30/48
Burns
Jordan Valley
18/43
Paisley
14/46
Frenchglen
15/45
Klamath Falls
18/44
Hi/Lo/W
49/41/r
45/29/c
44/27/pc
52/44/r
39/23/pc
52/43/r
46/37/i
36/22/c
42/31/pc
47/39/r
40/33/c
43/37/c
45/32/pc
42/26/c
40/26/pc
41/31/c
44/25/c
45/25/c
Hi/Lo/W
51/46/c
44/30/c
43/27/c
53/42/c
42/19/c
55/44/r
50/39/r
38/22/c
44/32/pc
52/41/r
48/34/pc
47/40/r
43/33/sf
40/28/r
40/26/c
48/35/pc
42/23/c
42/18/c
Grand View
Arock
22/46
17/42
Lakeview
12/45
McDermitt
14/45
RECREATION FORECAST SUNDAY
REGIONAL CITIES
City
Astoria
Bend
Boise
Brookings
Burns
Coos Bay
Corvallis
Council
Elgin
Eugene
Hermiston
Hood River
Imnaha
John Day
Joseph
Kennewick
Klamath Falls
Lakeview
Diamond
15/41
15/45
Shown is Sunday’s weather. Temperatures are Saturday night’s lows and Sunday’s highs.
MON.
Boise
24/44
Fields
29/47
SUN.
18/38
Silver Lake
19/45
Medford
Brookings
Juntura
15/39
37/53
40/52
Ontario
24/40
13/45
Chiloquin
Grants Pass
Huntington
17/37
32/48
Coos Bay
14/36
21/42
Seneca
21/45
Oakridge
Council
19/38
John Day
Bend
THURSDAY EXTREMES
TEMPERATURES Baker City La Grande Elgin
13/36
21/46
Florence
Powers
17/40
Baker City
Redmond
37/50
39/51
Halfway
Granite
29/46
Newport
39/52
Comfort Index takes into account how the weather will feel based on a combination of factors. A rating of 10 feels
very comfortable while a rating of 0 feels very uncomfortable.
23/44
32/46
30/45
35/50
42 30
3
Corvallis
Enterprise
27/41
27/41
Monument
24/42
Idanha
Salem
TONIGHT
Comfort Index™
Elgin
29/42
La Grande
26/41
Maupin
Baker City
29/42
Pendleton
The Dalles
Portland
Newberg
29/43
Hood River
26/42
36/49
Lewiston
Walla Walla
26/41
Vancouver
32/45
Forecasts and graphics provided
by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2020
City
Lewiston
Longview
Meacham
Medford
Newport
Olympia
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Powers
Redmond
Roseburg
Salem
Spokane
The Dalles
Ukiah
Walla Walla
SUN.
MON.
Hi/Lo/W
43/34/pc
45/40/r
39/28/pc
47/37/c
50/42/r
44/39/r
40/26/c
42/32/c
42/33/c
45/42/r
51/43/r
48/30/c
48/40/r
45/40/r
39/30/c
41/34/c
40/27/c
42/35/c
Hi/Lo/W
44/39/sf
49/43/r
39/29/pc
50/33/r
51/44/c
48/41/pc
44/25/pc
49/37/pc
47/35/r
49/46/r
54/44/r
45/32/c
51/39/r
51/43/r
38/31/sf
46/38/r
38/28/sn
46/39/r
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice
ANTHONY LAKES
PHILLIPS LAKE
Mostly cloudy
High clouds
31
18
36
22
MT. EMILY REC.
BROWNLEE RES.
High clouds
Partly sunny
38
28
42
22
EAGLE CAP WILD.
EMIGRANT ST. PARK
High clouds
Mostly cloudy
30
15
38
27
WALLOWA LAKE
MCKAY RESERVOIR
High clouds
Mostly cloudy
40
26
42
33
THIEF VALLEY RES.
RED BRIDGE ST. PARK
High clouds
High clouds
38
24
41
29