A6 The BulleTin • Friday, January 22, 2021
Continued from A1
It’s just a lot of paper
A lot of trees died to churn
out the 1,500 bills and resolu-
tions submitted by House and
Senate members for the 2021
session.
In normal years, about
20% of bills make it to the full
House and Senate for consid-
eration.
House Speaker Tina Kotek,
D-Portland, and Senate Pres-
ident Peter Courtney, D-Sa-
lem, are eager to cap the time
lawmakers are in Salem and
the hours staff in the Capitol
have to work on preparing
bills and support materials.
That’s a formula for an extra
high attrition rate on legisla-
tion not fast-tracked from the
beginning.
Drawing lines for 2022
Along with the official cri-
ses in front of the Legislature,
the House and Senate com-
mittee on redistricting will
be closely watched. Every 10
years, the new U.S. Census
numbers are used to re-draw
60 state House districts, 30
state Senate districts and five
Congressional districts.
If the Legislature cannot
agree on the new district
lines, the mapping of state
legislative districts goes to
Secretary of State Shemia Fa-
gan, while congressional lines
go to a federal panel. There
are often court challenges. But
the new boundaries will be in
place for the 2022 elections.
COVID-19 vs. open Capitol
State political reporters re-
cently held an online meeting
with legislative leaders and
Gov. Kate Brown to get a pre-
view of politics and policy
agendas for 2021.
The Capitol has been
closed to the public since
Brown declared a state of
emergency in March as
COVID-19 began its spread
through Oregon.
The Legislature has held
three short special sessions
to deal with emergency mea-
sures tied to the pandemic,
wildfires and police reform.
Senate Minority Leader
Fred Girod, R-Stayton, said
the regular session of the Leg-
islature should not continue
with the public only able to
take part via online testimony.
“You do what you can to
make it so that the public has
a right to come in and testify,”
Girod said.
“There are billions of
dollars that are going to be
spent.”
Girod, 70, said he knew
that with its many older
members and those with
health issues, the Legislature
included people who were in
high-risk categories for seri-
ous illness and even death.
Devereaux
But he argued a year of
Oregonians being limited
to virtual involvement was
not acceptable in a transpar-
ent democracy. Opening the
Capitol in some form was
“worth the risk.”
Courtney sharply dis-
agreed.
“I am not willing to play
God with this stuff,” said
Courtney, 77.
Oregon’s five short days of
special sessions since March
had avoided any infections.
But the regular session would
require many more gather-
ings in Salem. Reopening the
Capitol would increase the
viral exposure on each person
inside.
“You may be willing to take
the risk, but I am not,” Court-
ney said.
Capitol security
Violent assaults on the Or-
egon Capitol on Dec. 21 and
the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 are
driving an aggressive review
of security in Salem.
Oregon is one of 20 states
that does not require visitors
to pass through metal detec-
tors to enter the state Capitol.
It’s one of 45 states that allow
some form of open carry of
firearms, including AR-15
semi-automatic rifles and
other “long guns.” It’s even
one of about 20 states that
allow the guns to be carried
into the Capitol.
Senate Minority Leader
Christine Drazan, R-Canby,
said most protesters would
say they carry the guns as an
expression of their Second
Amendment.
An incredulous House Ma-
jority Leader Barbara Smith
Warner, D-Portland, vigor-
ously disagreed.
The recent attacks show
that the presence of armed
protesters has a different mo-
tivation: “It’s to intimidate,”
she said.
All aspects of security are
under review, but any changes
would be announced in pub-
lic in advance and any change
to gun laws would likely re-
quire legislation.
Courtney lives in Salem
and has worked in the Capitol
since he was first elected to the
Legislature in 1981.
Surveying the reality today
— the Capitol shuttered for
10 months, the attack on the
Legislature, concrete blocks
placed in front of the en-
trance, lower outside windows
shielded against future riots by
plywood, yards of fencing and
National Guard troops on the
grounds — makes Courtney
immensely sad.
“This is really a traumatic
thing to have Oregon, which
is the most open Capitol in
the nation, about to become a
fortress,” Courtney said.
“I never thought I’d see that.
It breaks my heart.”
e e
gwarner@eomediagroup.com
Continued from A1
Lockdowns have taken a
toll on business owners across
the state and beyond with ris-
ing debts forcing some to close
their operations permanently.
Gymnasiums and other indoor
recreation facilities are bearing
the brunt of the closures, es-
pecially in Deschutes County,
where such businesses are not
permitted to open due to the
“extreme risk” COVID-19 cate-
gory rules.
Roger Lee, executive director
of Economic Development for
Central Oregon, said the inabil-
ity of gymnasiums and fun cen-
ters to generate revenue could
be the tipping point for many.
“We have forecasted that
business failures would multi-
ply in this quarter as a result of
the past 10 months of forced
closures or curtailment of oper-
ations,” said Lee. “Despite sev-
eral rounds of federal stimulus
through PPP and other govern-
ment loan and grant programs,
there is not enough money in
either the national treasury or
state coffers to backfill COVID
losses, particularly for those
businesses most impacted by
executive orders.”
Damon Runberg, regional
economist for the Oregon Em-
ployment Department, said it’s
too soon to know the full extent
of Central Oregon’s business
closures because the lockdowns
are ongoing.
“All we can say is that we are
not out the woods and the eco-
nomic catastrophe from this
public health crisis continues
to do permanent damage to
Outbreak
Continued from A1
All Redmond-based care-
givers can be tested for
COVID-19; caregivers are
asked to stay home and get
tested if they have symptoms,
no matter how mild. Other
protections include increasing
air filtration, requiring caregiv-
ers who care for patients to use
N95 respirators and eye pro-
tection throughout their shifts
while the outbreak is ongoing,
boosting hand sanitizer and
cleaning throughout the facil-
ity and asking caregivers to eat
in the cafeteria or outside patio
rather than in a break room,
according to the hospital.
Late last year, 160 nurses
at each of the four St. Charles
hospitals — Redmond, Bend,
Madras and Prineville —
Survey
Continued from A1
The survey data, which
is routinely gathered by the
city every few years and was
reviewed by the Bend City
Council in a meeting on
Wednesday, will help the new
council determine the city’s
goals for the next two years.
Close to 70% of residents
deemed the creation of af-
fordable housing a high or
urgent priority, according to
the survey, which is similar to
the results two years ago. That
percentage jumps up among
renters specifically. Almost
80% say affordable housing
is considered an urgent need,
compared with 61% of home-
owners who consider it an ur-
gent need, said Tony Iaccarino,
a project manager with DHM
Research, at the council meet-
ing Wednesday.
Housing and addressing
homelessness also appeared
to be more of a pressing issue
Dean Guernsey/For The Bulletin
Sharman Watt, owner of Central Oregon Gymnastics Academy, has
been forced to close down her thriving business of 20 years due to
COVID-19 restrictions.
many of the region’s businesses,
particularly those who rely on
public gatherings where physi-
cal distancing is difficult,” Run-
berg said.
Watt’s main problem is cov-
ering her rent, which contin-
ues to pile up even though her
business is closed. She esti-
mates she will need $100,000
to pay for rent and other costs
for the gymnastics center until
September, the next possible
month she thinks a profit is
possible.
Without government help,
she has turned to crowdsourc-
ing and fundraisers. A Go-
FundMe campaign has so far
raised around $21,000.
“We are trying to keep the
doors open for her through the
summer to try and get us back
to that fall enrollment period,
to help keep the bills paid,” said
Aric Shafer, whose 9-year-old
daughter Skylar attends pro-
grams at the academy.
Teachers up next for
COVID-19 vaccine
Deschutes County has the
green light from the Oregon
Health Authority to issue vac-
cines to kindergarten through
12th grade teachers.
Those in the so-called 1B cate-
gory can expect to be contacted
by their employers about how
to sign up for a vaccine, accord-
ing to Deschutes County Health
Services.
About 2,500 teachers can be-
gin getting their vaccinations
against COVID-19 starting this
weekend, the county said in an
emailed statement.
The county and St. Charles
Shafer said families like
his are eager to get their kids
back into the facility not only
to compete but help lift their
morale. Shafer said the gym
serves as a “second home” for
his daughter and its closure has
caused her emotional distress.
She is “depressed and mop-
ing around the house because
she can’t do her usual exercise
and can’t get her energy out
and see her friends,” said Sha-
fer. “It’s really hard to watch her
affected in such a way.”
Watt said the emotional
stress of broken routines runs
across all age groups. She says
her programs are especially
important for young girls who
suffer from anxiety or other
stress disorders.
“Kids out there need pro-
grams like this,” said Watt, who
opened the academy in 1998.
“Some are extremely shy or
they are extremely anxious.
There are middle of the road
Health System are coordinating
with the school districts and pri-
vate schools regarding schedul-
ing appointments online. If there
is enough vaccine available, the
county will reach out to child care
facilities as well, according to the
prepared statement.
County residents who want to
be notified when they are eligible
for the vaccine can go to vaccine.
deschutes.org to sign up.
Those 80 years old and up not
in an assisted living facility will be
eligible for a vaccine Feb. 8, ac-
cording to the county.
To date, 12,290 residents have
been vaccinated in Deschutes
County.
— Bulletin staff report
signed a petition urging hos-
pital administrators to boost
staffing and provide more
personal protective equip-
ment. The petition came af-
ter administrators blamed
among people who said they
have lived in Bend for a longer
period of time, he said.
“Those who’ve been here
longer, more than five years,
are clearly, definitely noticing
big changes in these particular
areas,” Iaccarino said.
The preference of what kind
of housing should be built,
however, has changed signifi-
cantly compared to two years
ago, Iaccarino said. In 2018,
residents reported no pref-
erence between having sin-
gle-family homes built over
town homes or duplexes.
In 2020, roughly 50% of
respondents said more sin-
gle-family homes should be
built, compared with 25% who
preferred town homes.
“What is driving that shift?
We think it’s renters,” Iaccarino
said.
According to the survey,
63% of renters who responded
wanted more single-family
homes built. Michelle Neiss,
president of DHM Research,
said the pandemic could be
influencing people’s opinions.
With more people staying
home, people may be wanting
to have more space or a back-
yard to enjoy.
“There’s been some national
conversation about people
moving to suburbs in the pan-
demic,” she told the council.
Some priorities around
transportation have also
changed. In 2014, only 52%
of those surveyed approved of
the conditions of the roads in
Bend, compared with 67% in
2020.
“(Fixing roads) is no longer
seen as urgent of a priority as it
used to be,” Neiss said.
The research group also
asked a new question about
how residents prioritize ad-
dressing the racial equity gaps
with housing, policing and
other city services. About 75%
of respondents said it was im-
portant, with more than half
of those people calling it “very
important.”
kids who do it because it’s fun,
but there are a lot of kids who
need these programs to work
out their issues. They are miss-
ing a huge portion of their
childhood.”
Watt’s business will remain
closed as long as Deschutes
County remains in the “ex-
treme risk” category, which oc-
curs when a county has more
than 200 new infections per
100,000 people for more than
14 days. Deschutes County re-
corded 793 new cases from Jan.
3 to Jan 16, which is 410 cases
per 100,000 people.
The next level down from
extreme risk is high risk. Gyms
in high-risk counties can open
up with 25% of normal capac-
ity or a maximum of 50 people,
whichever is smaller.
“Gyms and recreational
indoor facilities in town are
all very strapped,” said Katy
Brooks, chief executive of the
Bend Chamber of Commerce.
“We have to reopen soon or
these folks will be going out of
business.”
Watt anticipates the losses to
increase well into the second
half of the year but remains
hopeful that the academy can
survive and start getting back
to even by the end of the year.
She gets her motivation from
the hundreds of kids chomp-
ing at the bit to get back to their
gymnastics routines.
“I can’t let it go for these kids.
They would be devastated if
they didn’t have this,” said Watt.
“The community needs this so
if we can survive we are going
to survive.”
e e
Reporter: 541-617-7818,
mkohn@bendbulletin.com
nurses in an email of spreading
COVID-19.
There have been 71 deaths
and 15,275 cases associated
with all workplace outbreaks
that have been reported to
date, according to the Oregon
Health Authority COVID-19
weekly report. Nationwide,
the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention reports
373,670 positive test results
among medical caregivers and
1,269 health care workers have
died from COVID-19.
“We hope our community
understands and will help us
by following all COVID-19 re-
strictions, both inside and out-
side our facilities,” said Aaron
Adams, chief executive officer
for the Redmond hospital, in a
prepared statement.
e e
Reporter: 541-633-2117,
sroig@bendbulletin.com
One gap that was clear was
reflected in the question about
local policing. According to the
survey, 69% of white residents
rated local police positively,
while only 56% of people of
color rated the police with high
marks.
Roughly a third of respon-
dents said their top priority for
policing was for Bend Police to
work with social service groups
to address mental health and
homeless related calls.
At the end of the presenta-
tion, some councilors called for
the city to push harder to get
more representation from the
Latino community in the sur-
vey. The phone survey was not
offered in Spanish.
An online survey, which was
offered in Spanish but not sta-
tistically valid because people
could self select to take it, only
had four respondents.
The full surveys can be
found at the city’s website.
e e
Reporter: 541-633-2160,
bvisser@bendbulletin.com
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1981, remembers working
with Devereaux on the histor-
Continued from A1
ical society board.
Devereaux had his own
Burleigh remembers De-
fascinating history as a war-
vereaux’s intelligence and
time pilot. On July 14, 1945,
humble nature in everything
he was flying a Corsair F-4U
he did.
in an air battle near Japan
“I really thought a lot of
and he shot down a Japanese
him and enjoyed every bit
bomber. When he returned to of time I spent with him,”
his aircraft carrier, he
Burleigh said. “He’s
crashed while land-
been a solid part of
ing.
our country around
After the war, De-
here.”
vereaux began work-
Chris Piper, who
ing for Brooks-Scan-
served on the Bend
lon as an accountant
City Council from
and was promoted
2019 to 2020, said
to controller. He also Devereaux
he met Devereaux
entered public ser-
at a veterans event
vice as a city councilor. The
shortly after being appointed
council appointed him mayor to the council. Devereaux be-
for one year in 1968, when the came a mentor to Piper and
city’s population was 13,000
offered advice for serving on
people.
the council.
Bend resident Harriet
“He provided his words of
Langmas, whose late husband, wisdom and guidance on the
Sam, served as Bend mayor
council,” Piper said. “His in-
from 1982 to 1985, remem-
sight was very helpful.”
bered Devereaux’s passion for
Piper would see Devereaux
local history.
at other veteran events and
Langmas described him as
the two would joke with each
a champion for keeping his-
other. Piper remembers De-
tory alive in the city. He was
vereaux’s sense of humor and
twice president of the De-
compassion for people.
schutes Pioneers Association
Piper imagines the soldiers
and served on the board of di- who served with Devereaux
rectors of the Deschutes His-
in World War II would have
torical Society.
admired his attitude and lead-
“He always just had a spirit
ership.
of livelihood for whatever he
“He is just a very honorable,
was doing,” Langmas said. “He generous individual that never
was a great participant, and he focused on himself,” Piper
will be sorely missed by all.”
said. “He focused on others.”
Ruth Burleigh, 94, who was e e Reporter: 541-617-7820,
kspurr@bendbulletin.com
Bend’s first female mayor in
Gymnastics
QU
S
Legislature
IRIE