Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2021)
A10 THE BULLETIN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 EDITORIALS & OPINIONS AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Heidi Wright Gerry O’Brien Richard Coe Publisher Editor Editorial Page Editor The right way to preserve Bend’s historical homes B end’s west side can be fertile ground if you are looking for an older home that is a piece of Bend’s history. The Wienecke, Emil and Ottilie House on NW Federal Street is even individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Bend’s Landmarks Commission moved Tuesday night to take some baby steps to encourage more pres- ervation of historic homes in the area around NW Federal Street and NW Awbrey Street. If you own a home in the area the commission is discussing, it would be a good idea to find out more. Historical preservation is an admirable target. But it can come with many strings attached. For some people, owning and pre- serving a home in a formal historic district is an honor. Bend has two historic districts already, the Bend Old Town Historic District and the Drake Park Historic District. They help to retain distinctive architec- tural and historic characteristics. There can be grants and historic tax credits for property owners. For others, it’s complicated. It can add a new layer of restrictions and cost to home improvements. Vinyl windows and nonhistoric siding ma- terials are frowned upon. A historic district can also put upward pres- sure on home prices. And in Bend, major home alterations in a historic district, require a hearing before the Landmarks Commission before they can proceed. The area discussed Tuesday night is not necessarily ripe for a full-on historic district. A study prepared for the Land- marks Commission looked at 318 homes. Only one home outright qualified and only 36% were deemed eligible for listing in the national reg- ister. Many homes had been signifi- cantly modified with vinyl windows or with “Craftsman-inspired design elements that were never historically present, introducing a false histori- cism that renders the property” inel- igible, according to the study. Commissioners briefly discussed an option between what exists now and a historic district. It’s called a local landmarks district. “In land- marks districts, design review is lim- ited to major changes (such as new construction, exterior alterations, and demolition),” the study said. Property owners can also be encour- aged to reverse things, such as siding so more homes are eligible for his- toric listing. A majority of the members of the Landmarks Commission seemed to clearly want more homeowners to try to preserve the historical charac- ter of their homes. But they absolutely were not plotting to impose anything on residents. “We don’t want to give them the impression that there is someone working behind the scenes about to pounce on them,” Commissioner Robin Vora said during the meeting. First and foremost, a majority of the homes do not qualify. Commis- sioners want to share information with homeowners, so they know they have options. Homeowners don’t have to in- stall vinyl windows. They can make choices that help retain the historic character. Commissioners talked about meeting with neighborhood associations and finding other ways to spread the word. It’s ultimately up to the neighbor- hood if it wants to help preserve its historic character or allow it to fade. Contact the Landmarks Com- mission, if you want to learn more. Email senior planner Heidi Kennedy at hkennedy@bendoregon.gov. Oregon shouldn’t hide names of government employees A bill in the Oregon Senate could essentially blind Or- egonians to who works in government. Senate Bill 550 requires every public employer to set up a system so employees can require their em- ployer to use a unique identifier in- stead of the employee’s name in re- cords. And then the public employer would be forbidden from disclosing or using the name of the employee in response to a public records request. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale. His of- fice did not respond to an email. Gorsek is a former police officer. You may remember that last sum- mer Portland Police officers covered their names on their uniforms with masking tape and replaced it with a number. It was to protect them from peo- ple putting their personal informa- tion online. To make widespread secrecy the rule in who works for government entities is an unsettling challenge to the ability of the public to hold their government accountable. This bill should not move forward. Editorials reflect the views of The Bulletin’s editorial board, Publisher Heidi Wright, Editor Gerry O’Brien and Editorial Page Editor Richard Coe. They are written by Richard Coe. My Nickel’s Worth Take freedom seriously I was 12 when I first visited Wash- ington, D.C., with my grandparents, just one year before John F. Kennedy was struck down by Lee Harvey Os- wald in Dallas, Texas. And, just as I remember where I was on that day, and on the day Bobby Kennedy was shot and killed in Los Angeles, where I grew up, then Mar- tin Luther King Jr., I will never forget what I saw on my TV on Jan. 6. I didn’t think I could feel more hurt, more ashamed or more embarrassed as I did by those thugs and vile ani- mals that were desecrating and disre- specting those beautiful buildings, the monuments to our democracy and our freedoms. I wanted to cry, but decided they weren’t worth it. But why weren’t more people disturbed and hurt by what they witnessed on their televi- sions? Have we become so indifferent and blasé because we’ve been hurt too many times? What will it take? How many more wars must be fought, how many more people killed, how many more maniacal power-hungry despots like Hitler, Mussolini, Trump (yes, Trump) will it take before we value and protect our precious American values and we take freedom seriously and personally? If not now, when? — Rose McLoughlin, Bend Don’t divide the country Why in the world would The Bul- letin print Arnold Schwarzenegger’s opinion that the individuals involved in the riot at the Capitol building were comparable to the Nazis in Germany? None of us know what type of in- dividuals made up the majority of the crowd and, it may be only a minority of troublemakers participated in the riot. Do you know? Then print it. If not, this hyperbole will only serve to divide the country more. Much of what the Democratic leadership has been doing does re- mind me of pre-war Germany. The left-leaning rioter’s in Portland and other Democratically controlled cities could just as well have been wearing “brown shirts” as they did in Ger- many. I don’t recall Democrats like Merkley and Wyden condemning these riots. Book burning in Germany tried to eliminate the past, elimination of heritage by tearing down statues and monuments serves an equal purpose. Also, consider the suppression of free speech by the left. Some Democratic leaders are encouraging retribution against Trump supporters, some com- panies are being boycotted because they supported Trump policies and left-leaning tech companies are sup- pressing conservative views and Dem- ocratic wrong-doing (Biden’s alleged collusion with Communist China). Finally, Schwarzenegger mentions the “Night of Broken Glass” in Ger- many. The riot at the Capitol is rem- iniscent of the burning of the Reich- stag in Germany by Hitler’s cronies which was then blamed on the Jews. Did Soros or some wealthy leftist fi- nance some of the rioters? It has been done before, but I am only speculat- ing. If you think I am a subscriber to conspiracy theories, I am not. I want proof. At the end of the war, I wonder how many people in Germany wished they had been more vigilant as Hitler slowly took over. The Nazis had the Jews for scapegoats, the Democrats seem to be using the conservatives in the same way and are covering up their own misdeeds, largely with the help of the media. I see troubled times ahead. — John Russell, Bend Consider donating your relief payment Bravo to Joette Storm and her letter from Jan. 17 in support of direct relief payments with a sharper focus on get- ting the money to those suffering the greatest hardship. She’s dead right that those of us either working or com- fortable in retirement don’t need that help. So let’s take matters into our own hands. If our dutiful federal represen- tatives sow future bounty indiscrim- inately, those of us who don’t need it can redirect it to any number of local nonprofits. Check around. It’s breathtaking how much they do and how little they’re noticed. Oregon, Deschutes County, Bend, are much better places because of their existence. And, for the skeptical reader’s ques- tion: “Did he follow Ms. Storm’s im- plied advice?” Yep. Sent my $600 re- lief payment to the Bethlehem Inn. The inn doesn’t charge, and that gift covered the cost of a homeless family staying for five nights. Felt good to hit the website’s submit button. You should try it, too, for any of the many local groups doing equally good work. — Dwain Fullerton, Bend Letters policy Guest columns How to submit We welcome your letters. Letters should be limited to one issue, contain no more than 250 words and include the writer’s signature, phone number and address for verification. We edit letters for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We re- ject poetry, personal attacks, form letters, letters submitted elsewhere and those appropriate for other sections of The Bul- letin. Writers are limited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Your submissions should be between 550 and 650 words; they must be signed; and they must include the writer’s phone number and address for verification. We edit submissions for brevity, grammar, taste and legal reasons. We reject those submitted elsewhere. Locally submitted columns alternate with national colum- nists and commentaries. Writers are lim- ited to one letter or guest column every 30 days. Please address your submission to either My Nickel’s Worth or Guest Column and mail, fax or email it to The Bulletin. Email submissions are preferred. Email: letters@bendbulletin.com Write: My Nickel’s Worth/Guest Column P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 Fax: 541-385-5804 Many Americans want payback; we need a uniter A BY TIMOTHY SHRIVER Special to the Washington Post fter the shocking attack on our Capitol on Jan. 6, many Americans feel it’s time for payback. That former President Don- ald Trump, his Republican enablers and the white supremacist, conspira- cy-minded seditionists all deserve the contempt of the nation and a lifetime ban from dignity. In these circumstances, the word “unite” — a word on which Joe Biden ran for president and a vision in which many of us believe — has itself drawn contempt. Uniters are seen as wishy-washy and spineless. Nothing could be further from the truth. No one I know who hopes to wear the label of “uniter” is suggest- ing that those responsible for sedition and violence should not be held ac- countable. Shallow calls to unite from Republicans responsible for one of the most divisive days in U.S. history won’t work either. Here’s what makes a uniter ap- proach distinctive — and why unit- ing the country remains the essential and urgent challenge of now: When facing polarizing forces, uniters make the high-risk step of crossing divides. Think of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Think of Nelson Mandela inviting his former jailer to dinner. Think of the Good Friday Agreement in North- ern Ireland. In each of these instances, enormous division and injustice was transformed by avoiding contempt. When facing factions and hostile inter- ests, uniters search for creative solutions that create common purpose grounded in transcendent principles such as truth, goodness, justice and peace. For uniters, the enemy is often a condition in the human heart. Man- dela was a uniter who spent his en- tire life opposing racism that he saw deep in the hearts of his oppressors. Mahatma Gandhi opposed colonial- ism, but he did so with a vision of a free and nonviolent Indian democ- racy without demonizing the British. Mother Teresa opposed the caste sys- tem but rarely scapegoated Indians. Abraham Lincoln opposed slavery but sought a country with “malice toward none.” I can tolerate a lot of debate about the qualities of a uniter, but being told that trying to unite our country is a coward’s path is too much. On the contrary, being a uniter is the more difficult path because uniters risk the hatred of all those — on the left and the right — who have become con- vinced that hatred and destruction of the other side is the only path for- ward. Lincoln offered malice toward none and was murdered a month later. King offered a world where love defeats hate and gave his life for it. My uncle Robert F. Kennedy said that what our country needed in 1968 was love, and eight weeks later, he was gone. Too frequently, uniters pay with their lives, because when hatred and contempt rage out of control, the one who calls us to the self-sacrificing work of uniting is often the victim. Biden ran to be a uniter. People may oppose him, but at least they ought to understand the enormity of what he is trying to do. Does he have to respect the vote from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to overturn the election? No. Should he invite Mc- Carthy to join him in rushing resources to schools and children in crisis around the country? You bet. Should he invite Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to dinner at the White House? Not until Cruz faces the truth of his actions and offers to change. But can Biden treat him with dignity and ask him to join in generating new solutions to the challenge of immigra- tion that affects so many Texans? Let’s hope so. And instead of exhausting his political capital to drive a stake through the heart of Trump, should Biden use that same energy to convince Trump’s 74 million voters that there is an Amer- ican future in which they belong and to which they can contribute, full of the faith, freedom and justice that they es- pouse? For sure. I want justice. I want no part of rac- ism and lying and sedition. And I’m choosing love to oppose them all. You can accuse people like me of many things, but please don’t suggest we’re choosing the easy road. Uniting peo- ple without compromise and without contempt is the hardest road of all. And the only one that will heal our country today. e e Timothy Shriver is chairman of Special Olympics and a co-founder of Unite, a civic and social issues initiative.