The SpokeSman • TueSday, SepTember 27, 2022 A7
REDMOND SPOKESMAN
Write to us: news@redmondspokesman.com
GUEST COLUMN
Former mayor
supports Fitch
in November
BY ALAN UNGER
I
support Ed Fitch for Mayor of Redmond and here
is why.
I was the mayor of Redmond for eight years, right
after Ed’s tenure as mayor and before George Endicott’s.
The mayor is the voice of the city and works with others
to keep Redmond a great place to live.
Shortly after he was elected in 1998, Ed asked us to
meet with him for breakfast at the League of Oregon Cit-
ies conference. He told us that the league
was not going to be able to solve our wa-
ter supply problem.
Historically Redmond utilized ditch or
river water, which we had plenty of. By
the 1990s, however, Redmond was transi-
tioning to well water — which we did not
have sufficient rights to.
Unger
To address the problem, Ed started
the Central Oregon Cities Organization
(COCO) to help all of the cities in Central Oregon ad-
dress our municipal water rights, as well as other issues.
He then worked with our public works director Mary
Malloy to secure ground water rights for Redmond. We
now have a dedicated supply of ground water rights for
Redmond well into the future.
The Central Oregon
Cities Organization is
Ed knows the right people
now the voice of Central
Oregon in Salem.
and knows the right
In 1999, a developer
things to say. He has the
pushed hard to use al-
proven ability to work with most all of the Dry Can-
yon south of Highland
Republicans, Democrats
Avenue for a private golf
course. Three members
and independents to
of the council were sup-
achieve a community
portive. Ed convinced the
majority of the council,
consensus, get things
however, to turn down
done and move Redmond the proposal and preserve
the canyon for public use.
forward in a positive
By 1999, Downtown
direction.
Redmond was choked
with highway traffic. Be-
cause of the amount of truck traffic it was even difficult
to have a conversation on Sixth Street. It took longer to
get through Redmond on 97 than to drive to Bend.
As mayor, Ed worked with ODOT, our state legislative
delegation, the governor and our federal delegation to
solve the problem. With the help of the council, he ini-
tiated the downtown urban renewal district to generate
Redmond’s share of the needed funds towards a reroute
of Highway 97 out of downtown.
Both our federal and state governments agreed to that
funding formula. State and federal funds were then allo-
cated to Redmond to build the reroute.
Ed was also instrumental in getting the funding for the
Glacier Highland couplet and in getting 23rd Street con-
nected to 19th Street at Highland Avenue.
In early 2001, Ed came to the council and said that we
needed to build the Maple Avenue bridge across the Dry
Canyon to address our growth on the west side and to
ease traffic congestion.
He noted we could pay for it with system development
charges, which new construction would pay instead of
using property taxes. It was novel at the time but now it
would be hard to imagine Redmond without that bridge.
This is what Ed does and these are only a few examples.
This is what our mayor needs to do.
Ed knows the right people and knows the right things
to say. He has the proven ability to work with Republi-
cans, Democrats and independents to achieve a commu-
nity consensus, get things done and move Redmond for-
ward in a positive direction.
We need Ed as Mayor today. Join me in voting for Ed.
█
Alan Unger is the former mayor of Redmond.
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GUEST COLUMN
Tears for a queen, tears
for the past and ourselves
BY LLEWELLYN KING
I
have a feeling that with the burial of
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at Wind-
sor Castle, a gallant and dutiful mon-
arch has been laid to rest, but so has an
empire. And millions have been given li-
cense to weep for her and for ourselves.
The British sum-
moned up centuries
of history in a show of
pageantry that none of
us will see again — and
which, in truth, may
never be seen again.
It was, if you will, the
King
spectacular to end all
spectaculars.
The British buried their longest-serv-
ing monarch, and, I think, they also bur-
ied memories of an empire and of a time
when ceremony was part of the art of
governance.
I was born into that empire in a British
colony and was brought up in its traditions
and with the expectation that it would last
forever. When the queen ascended to the
throne in 1952, it was seen in the colonies
as a new beginning; that somehow Brit-
ain would rise again; that there would be
another grand Elizabethan period like the
one that began in 1533.
When the queen was crowned, In-
dia had already gained independence in
1947. But we still clung to what Winston
Churchill said in 1942, “I have not be-
come the king’s first minister in order to
preside over the liquidation of the British
Support your local paper
I have recently met with the editor of
the “new” Redmond Spokesman news-
paper, Tim Trainor. I was very impressed
with his professionalism and experience.
Kudos galore to Tim and his staff. They
are all working very hard to make the
Redmond Spokesman a paper locals, like
myself, will be proud of. They are specif-
ically supporting and inviting local Red-
mond entrepreneurs to participate in the
success of the newspaper. As an example,
they have invited a neighbor of mine and
myself to write a monthly column, mine
being the “ABC’s of Entrepreneurship.”
I urge the Redmond community to sup-
port this vital local enterprise.
Gary A. Einhorn
Redmond
Ed Fitch for mayor
Let’s elect Ed Fitch a very experienced
candidate for Redmond mayor. Electing Ed
to this position means we will have a mayor
with deep experience for hearing and work-
ing with a growing and changing Redmond
population. Being devoted to community
service he has served as chair of the Red-
mond Development Commission, the city
attorney, and president of the Redmond Ex-
ecutive Association. He has also been a par-
ticipant in the South Highway 97 Commit-
tee seeking ways to more efficiently move
Highway 97 traffic through the city. He cur-
rently serves on the Redmond City Coun-
cil. This experience and understanding of a
wide range of community issues means he is
well-suited to move Redmond forward from
day one. Mr. Fitch has outlined a compre-
hensive list of his priorities on his web page,
and I suggest you study his views for leader-
ship on a number of important priorities for
our growing community.
Elect Ed Fitch mayor of Redmond.
Gloria Olson
Redmond
CONTACT YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
• email is preferred: news@redmondspokesman.com
Redmond
Mayor George Endicott: George.endicott@
redmondoregon.gov, 541-948-3219
Deschutes County
Read and recycle
█
YOUR VIEWS
How to submit:
• or mail to: 361 SW Sixth Street, redmond or 97756
Empire.”
when Churchill died, when John Lennon
But that was coming. The forces of
was shot, when Diana, Princess of Wales,
democracy and, more so, the forces of
was killed in a car crash, and when Nel-
son Mandela died, the world wept then
self-determination were at work in what
Prime Minister Harold Macmillan was to as now.
Public ritual is public healing, and the
describe, in his epic 1960 speech to the
queen’s state funeral — the first one since
South African Parliament, as a “wind of
the death of Churchill in 1965 — was a
change.”
way for us to cry for the myriad hurts in
That wind blew steadily until the Brit-
ish Empire was indeed liquidated and
our lives and across the human condi-
had been replaced
tion.
The queen’s funeral was, with
When you can
by the loose, frater-
nal Commonwealth. its extraordinary pageantry,
hug a stranger and
The empire had
shed a tear, one is
a reminder of the past, and a
dribbled away. The
connected to all of
Union flag came
humanity in a way
reminder that it, indeed, is past.
down, and new
that transcends class
flags went up from
and race, religion,
Burma to Malawi.
and wealth and poverty. Briefly, we are
In Britain, the shrinking of its global
one, seemingly in grief for a remarkable
reach was hardly marked, as life changed
monarch, but also in grief for ourselves.
and other struggles occupied the nation.
There is an expression that one used to
The queen’s funeral was, with its ex-
hear in Britain and may still do, “It does
traordinary pageantry, a reminder of the
one good to have a good cry.”
past, and a reminder that it, indeed, is
The world has had a good cry, thanks
past.
to an august queen, who died at 96 after
Most of those among the extraordinary presiding over a dwindling empire and
throng that sought to enter Westminster
a surging affection, over a very human
Abbey were, at best, only subliminally
and often dysfunctional family, and who
aware of the farewell to much of British
smiled through, carrying her nation and
history.
the world with her.
Throughout the queen’s lying-in-state,
Her final act was to let the world cry
there has been another force at work.
for itself, as much as for her. Well played,
I believe when we have these occa-
ma’am. Now rest in peace.
Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of
sions to weep, we weep for ourselves, for
“White House Chronicle” on PBS. He wrote this for
all of our hurts and failures, and for all
InsideSources.com.
the pain of the world. When FDR died,
County Commission Chair Patti Adair: patti.adair@
deschutes.org, 541-388-6567
County Commission Vice Chair Tony DeBone: Tony.
debone@deschutes.org, 541-388-6568
County Commissioner Phil Chang: phil.Chang@
deschutes.org, 541-388-6569
Your Legislators
Rep. Jack Zika (District 53): 503-986-1453; 900
Court St. ne, h-387, Salem, or 97301, rep.JackZika@
oregonlegislature.gov
Sen. Tim Knopp (District 27): 503-986-1727; 900
Court St. ne, S-425, Salem, or 97301, Sen.Timknopp@
oregonlegislature.gov
State
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown: 254 State Capitol, Salem,
or 97310; 503-378-3111; www.governor.oregon.gov.
Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read: oregon.
treasurer@ost.state.or.us; 350 Winter St. ne, Suite 100,
Salem or 97301-3896; 503-378-4000.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen F. Rosenblum:
Justice building, Salem, or 97301-4096; 503-378-4400.
Oregon Legislature: Legislative documents and
information are available online at www.leg.state.or.us.
Federal
President Joe Biden: The White house, 1600
pennsylvania ave., Washington, d.C. 20500; 202-456-
1111; to send comments, go to www.whitehouse.gov.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley: d.C. office: 313 hart Senate
office building, u.S. Senate, Washington, d.C., 20510;
202-224-3753; fax 202-228-3997. portland office: one
World Trade Center, 121 S.W. Salmon St. Suite 1250,
portland, or 97204; 503-326-3386; fax 503-326-2900.
baker City office, 1705 main St., Suite 504, 541-278-
1129; merkley.senate.gov.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden: d.C. office: 221 dirksen Senate
office building, Washington, d.C., 20510; 202-224-
5244; fax 202-228-2717. La Grande office: 105 Fir St.,
no. 210, La Grande, or 97850; 541-962-7691; fax, 541-
963-0885; wyden.senate.gov.
U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz (2nd District): d.C. office: 1239
Longworth house office building, Washington, d.C.,
20515, 202-225-6730; fax 202-225-5774. medford
office: 14 n. Central avenue Suite 112, medford, or
97850; phone: 541-776-4646; fax: 541-779-0204;
ontario office: 2430 S.W. Fourth ave., no. 2, ontario, or
97914; phone: 541-709-2040. bentz.house.gov.