THE SPOKESMAN • TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2022 A3
LocalNews
National Night Out fills Centennial Park
BY LEO BAUDHUIN
Redmond Spokesman
More than 1,000 people gath-
ered in Centennial Park Tues-
day, August 2, for Redmond’s
fifth annual National Night Out.
The national campaign,
which started in 1984, aims to
build partnerships between lo-
cal police departments and the
communities they serve and
to aid in crime prevention and
awareness.
This year’s Redmond event
included food, booths featuring
community members, live mu-
sic from local band The Substi-
tutes, a bouncy house for chil-
dren and a variety of Redmond
Police Department-run events.
“This is an opportunity to
build relationships with the
community,” Redmond Police
Lt. Jesse Petersen said.
Redmond Police ran a do-
nut eating contest, a police dog
demonstration and a dunk-a-
cop tank. Officers also set up
cones along the street for people
to try to navigate while wearing
goggles that simulate alcohol
impairment. Other local law en-
forcement and first responder
agencies set up displays of their
own, giving out free stickers
and fire helmets and opening
up their vehicles for children to
explore.
Claudine and Chuck Day,
who live just outside Redmond,
said they liked having the op-
portunity to connect with local
law enforcement and link up
with people they knew in the
Redmond community.
“It’s awesome to have the
community come out,” Red-
mond Fire & Rescue Fire Mar-
shal Tom Mooney said.
He said the event provided an
opportunity for the fire depart-
ment to engage with and con-
nect with the community out-
side of a crisis situation.
“Generally, when we’re seeing
folks, they’re having a bad day,”
Mooney said, and he enjoyed
the opportunity to meet the
people he serves outside of that
context.
For others, the event served
as an introduction to the city.
Robert and Candice Johnson,
originally from Grants Pass,
were in town to learn about
Redmond after expanding their
plumbing business to the city.
Candice Johnson said they were
at city hall to secure permits
when they saw Redmond police
setting up outside for National
Night Out.
Candice said National Night
Out served as a fantastic show-
case for the town’s friendliness
and community feel.
“I’m really happy with this
city,” she said.
█
Reporter: lbaudhuin@
redmondspokesman.com
Photo by Leo Baudhuin/Spokesman
A Redmond Police Department officer gives a demonstration with one of the department’s dogs at National Night Out.
Thornburgh developers pull
plan to purchase state land
BY TIM TRAINOR
Redmond Spokesman
Developers of the proposed
Thornburgh Resort near Eagle
Crest ended their plan to pur-
chase 400 acres of state land.
But according to developer
Kameron DeLashmutt, the de-
cision has “no effect” on the
future of the project, which he
says will continue to move for-
ward as designed.
Liane O’Neill, communi-
cations officer with the De-
partment of State Lands, con-
firmed the application was
pulled on Friday, July 29.
Central Oregon Landwatch,
which opposed the sale and
helped organize opposition
to it, called the withdrawal a
“huge win” for the area.
“For Cline Buttes and the
many people that enjoy this
landscape, we are excited to
know this area will remain
state-owned public land,” said
Ben Gordon, executive direc-
tor at organization. “We are
reassured to know the applica-
tion has been withdrawn.”
DeLashmutt said the deci-
sion to withdraw the applica-
tion will not effect the housing
and golf development that he
has been planning since 2003.
The resort, which would sit
west of Eagle Crest between
Redmond and Sisters, has been
appealed dozens of times and
is one of the most litigated
projects in Deschutes County
history, according to county
staff.
But DeLashmutt said prog-
ress is being made at the site.
Crews are already using access
roads on the north and south
ends of property that will even-
tually be dotted with 300 sin-
gle-family homes, 27 cabins,
an 80-room hotel, golf course,
clubhouse and more. He said
they are currently laying out
the golf course and he expects
some homes to be built and
Bulletin graphic
This file map shows the approximate location of the proposed
Thornburgh Resort.
owners moved in by late 2023.
DeLashmutt said it was a
mistake to try to purchase the
adjoining state land, which he
has under lease until 2032. The
terms of that lease severely re-
strict any development. He de-
scribed the public process nec-
essary to complete the sale as
unnecessarily controversial.
Once he saw the public op-
position, DeLashmutt said “we
should have just pulled it right
then.”
DeLashmutt said over the
past year his planning team has
scaled back the resort’s “devel-
opment and water footprint”
on the resort, mostly by reduc-
ing landscaping, grass lawns
and the size of some lakes.
He said the resort will be “the
most environmentally sensitive
project in the West.”
LOCAL BRIEFING
Redmond Police asks
public for help in
shooting investigation
The Redmond Police De-
partment is seeking public as-
sistance after multiple gun shots
were fired at a home in south-
west Redmond on July 30.
At about 1:07 a.m. Saturday,
police responded to the 3500
block of SW Antelope Avenue
and found bullet holes in the
home, police said in a statement
Saturday.
According to police, there
were six people in the house at
the time of the shooting — two
minors and four adults. No-
body was injured in the shoot-
ing, the release said.
“We don’t often have shoot-
ings that occur or shots fired
within the city limits,” Red-
mond Police Lt. Jesse Petersen
said. “It happens, but not often.”
At this time, the police de-
partment is asking neighbors
in the area to check their front
door/external cameras and to
alert police if they have video
evidence of the shooting. Any-
body who witnessed the shoot-
ing is encouraged to call the
non-emergency dispatch num-
ber at 541-693-6911.
City says political signs
can’t be on public
property
Redmond city code pro-
hibits placing private signage,
such as ballot measures, po-
litical candidate, yard sale /
moving, and registration signs
on any public property. This
includes roundabouts and me-
dians.
Many signs have been ap-
pearing throughout Red-
mond. And with the general
election a few months away,
the problem is compounding.
“Please check the place-
ment of your campaign signs
to make sure they comply with
the legal requirements,” said
code enforcement officer Erin
Smith. “Make sure your cam-
paign volunteers who are plac-
ing signs on your behalf are
also aware of the right of way
restrictions.”
Avelo adds direct flights to Palm Springs
BY TIM TRAINOR
Redmond Spokesman
Redmond Airport will add
a direct flight to the desert.
Avelo Airlines, a Hous-
ton-based carrier, announced
Thursday it will offer non-
stop service from Redmond to
Palm Springs, California, via
twice-weekly flights that start
November 11.
The flights will leave Red-
mond at 10:45 a.m. on Fridays
and return at 5 p.m. on Mon-
days. Jim Olson, head of com-
munications for Avelo, said
the midmorning departure
and evening return flights
will make it easy for travelers
to get away for both weekend
and weeklong trips.
“Flying direct at such a con-
venient time can get you in for
a round of golf before dark,”
said Olson.
Avelo will use a Boeing 737
aircraft, which seats 189 pas-
sengers, to fly the routes. The
flights have a roughly two-
hour duration.
Olson said Central Ore-
gon and Southern California
are a good match for air con-
nections, since a number of
travelers want to go in both
directions year round. In the
winter, for instance, Califor-
nians like to get up to Central
Oregon to ski while Orego-
Submitted photo
The airline Avelo began direct flights from Burbank, California, to Redmond in May. It will
add twice-weekly flight to Palm Springs, California, in November.
nians might be looking for a
warmer beach vacation.
Palm Springs has a lot of
second home owners and re-
tirees that travel seasonally
between the two regions, so
Olson said Avelo thinks the
flight to inland Southern Cal-
ifornia will be successful as
well.
Avelo has been operating a
direct flight from Redmond to
Burbank Airport in Los An-
geles since May 2021. Olson
said that route has been suc-
cessful for the company, with
more than 80 percent of seats
filled, and he thinks the com-
pany will consider additional
expansions between Redmond
and the wider West Coast.
Avelo is a discount airline
that does not offer a first class
section or connecting flights.
It serves nearly 30 destina-
tions, including now 12 in the
West, with its base of opera-
tions at Burbank. In addition
to Redmond, the airline is
adding connections to Palm
Springs from Eugene and
Santa Rosa, California.
Zach Bass, Redmond Air-
port director, said the Palm
Springs flight ups the number
of direct connections from
Redmond to 10. Six commer-
cial airlines are currently op-
erating out of the Redmond
Airport and Bass said he
hopes to increase both num-
bers as air travel bounces back
from the pandemic.
To start, the new Red-
mond-Palm Springs flight will
be offered on a seasonal basis.
Olson said Avelo will consider
its options in the spring, once
they have information on the
number of passengers that
have used the service.
The new flights between
Redmond and Palm Springs
are being offered at a dis-
counted introductory fare of
$39 for one-way travel. You
can book at the Avelo website,
AveloAir.com.
█
Reporter: ttrainor@
redmondspokesman.com
Carpet
Vinyl
Hardwood
Laminate
(541) 526-5543
1950 SW Badger Ave #102,
Redmond, OR 97756