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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 2, 2021)
A4 THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021 Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin Shoppers stream into WinCo Foods on opening day Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Winco Continued from A1 Monday was a “soft open- ing” for the grocery store as the company wanted to pre- vent large crowds that could violate the state’s COVID-19 rules. Deschutes County re- mains in the extreme risk cat- egory, which requires grocery stores to permit 50% of capac- ity. There were no balloons, free-giveaways or other fanfare. “Normally we try to draw as many people as we can in the community to an opening, but as responsible business people we didn’t want to do that,” said store Manager Steve Corbin. “We wanted to do what was safe for our employee- owners and our community. So we Councilor Continued from A1 Throop quickly set to ruf- fling feathers on the council, according to testimony from fellow councilors, who said he quarreled with them and wrote unprofessional communica- tions to staff. On Jan. 27, Throop com- mented on a photo showing fellow Councilor Jennifer Hol- comb and three other people have just asked (shoppers) to be respectful, wear masks and shop as they normally do.” In their masks and face shields, shoppers perused the spick-and-span store, filling up their gray shopping carts with all manner of fruits, veg- gies, bulk items, and packaged goods. In addition to the usual grocery sections, there is also a sushi bar and a take-out pizza department near the checkout stand. The bulk foods section func- tions as it normally does, but Corbin explained that touch- points are sanitized every two hours, while scoops and tongs are replaced with freshly sani- tized ones every four hours. The store, which is open 24/7 except Christmas Day and early closure for Thanksgiving, is employee-owned and notably does not accept credit cards. It does accept debit cards, checks, cash, WIC and EBT. Like Trader Joe’s and Costco, WinCo has its own cult fol- lowing. The bullet-gray decor, wide- open aisles, and warehouse feel do bring up comparisons to wholesale retailers like Costco or Sam’s Club. But the food products are more diverse, making WinCo more in-line with a traditional grocery store such as Fred Meyer. Shoppers in Bend on Mon- day all agreed that the low prices attracted them to the store. “What we noticed when we came to Bend was the prices not wearing masks at a local gym, calling them “pathetic terrorists.” He said Friday he was frus- trated with a movement un- derway in Madras involving business leaders and members of the City Council to flout COVID-19 guidelines, which could accelerate the spread of the deadly virus. Holcomb read a statement Friday chastising Throop for his unprofessional conduct and calling on him to resign. Another incident involving a councilor was discussed by the council Friday. Royce Em- banks had raised his voice and stormed out of a meeting during public comment after a resident criticized Embanks’ wife, The Madras Pioneer reported. Embanks apologized and the council decided it was suf- ficient to not sanction him. e e Reporter: 541-383-0325, gandrews@bendbulletin.com are higher here compared to grocery stores in the Valley,” said 26-year-old Kevin Hunt, a welder who moved to Bend five years ago. “But the prices (at WinCo) are unbeatable.” Nearby, 82-year-old Ruth Ferguson of Crooked River Ranch, a retired stenographer, was gathering some fresh pro- duce. She wasn’t aware Mon- day was opening day but driv- ing past she saw it was open and had to stop in. “I was happy to see it finally open. I have been waiting pa- tiently,” said Ferguson. “I am familiar with WinCo stores. I love ‘em. I like the variety and the bulk food section, and let’s face it, the prices are good. One aisle over, retired Bend resident Douglas Smith was shopping Monday morning for his wife, who was working from home. “She is making the bacon; I am bringing it home,” said Smith, his cart steadily filling up. He was pleased at the look and feel of the store and called himself a “big fan” of WinCo. “Look at everything they’ve got here. It puts most grocery stores to shame,” said Smith, 67. “And the prices are reason- able too; for people who are retired, it’s easier on the pock- etbook.” e e 11,000 Republicans in Oregon leave the party BY BETSY HAMMOND The Oregonian More than 11,000 regis- tered Republicans in Oregon, or 1.4%, have left the party since Election Day, state voter registration figures show. Some of those departures were likely the result of ad- ministrative actions to cor- rect voter rolls to reflect vot- ers known to have died, left the state or otherwise lost qualification to vote. State- wide registration totals also reflect a loss of almost 8,500 registered Democrats, or 0.8%, since early November. But it is clear that an un- usually large number of vot- ers have disavowed their Republican Party identities, particularly in Washington County, where the number of Republicans fell by nearly 1,900, or 2.3%, over the past two months. Most of the Republican defectors appear to have re- jected all party affiliation, rather than moved to a dif- ferent party. Oregon’s count of unaffiliated voters rose by more than 10,000 since Elec- tion Day, records show. One of Oregon’s highest profile Republicans, former gubernatorial nominee Kn- ute Buehler, told the New York Times he canceled his Republican Party registration recently after the Republi- can Party of Oregon issued a statement condemning the 10 Republican members of Con- gress who voted to impeach President Donald Trump and aligning itself with conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 in- surrection at the U.S. Capitol. Long a moderate in his party, Buehler cast himself as an all-out supporter of Trump during his unsuccess- ful May 2020 primary race for Oregon’s 2nd Congressio- nal District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives won by Ontario Republican Cliff Bentz. According to the Times, Buehler called quitting the Republican party “very pain- ful.” Reporter: 541-617-7818, mkohn@bendbulletin.com Claire Lillian Nichols of La Pine, OR Aug 10, 1947 - Jan 26, 2021 Arrangements: Baird Memorial Chapel of La Pine is honored to serve the Nichols family. Please visit our website, www.bairdfh.com, to share condolences and sign the online guestbook. Enjoy chore free living at it’s finest! OBITUARY DEADLINE Call to ask about our deadlines 541-385-5809 Monday - Friday, 10am - 3pm No death notices or obituaries are published Mondays. Email: obits@bendbulletin.com CALL NOW! 541-317-3544 127 SE Wilson, Bend