A8 THE BULLETIN • THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021
EDITORIALS & OPINIONS
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
Heidi Wright
Gerry O’Brien
Richard Coe
Publisher
Editor
Editorial Page Editor
How good a grade
does the Larkspur
center deserve?
T
he newly completed Larkspur Community Center is a
win for the community and the Bend Park & Recreation
District.
Warm water pool. New fitness
center. All that and more for the
place that is also home of the Bend
Senior Center. It’s set to open on
April 5.
The district says it’s the biggest
monetary project in its history at
more than $18 million. And the dis-
trict also claims it saved money.
When government officials con-
gratulate themselves for doing such
a good job of saving money, there is
reason to be skeptical. So let’s take a
closer look.
The district said at its meeting
Tuesday night it saved $195,859.78
on the $18 million project. It also
is proud of the relative amount of
the additional expenses wracked up
in change orders — $718,582.22 or
about 4% of the project.
The district did not take the low
bid for this project. Oregon allows
governments to use alternative bid-
ding as long as they comply with
additional regulations. The district
went with what’s called CM/GC for
construction manager/general con-
tractor. Instead of just taking a low
bid, the district chose to have a com-
petitive selection process for a con-
tractor to manage the project. Sub-
contractors were still bid out. The
idea is that CM/GC can enable the
contractor to help develop the proj-
ect so there are fewer problems and
maybe money can be saved.
Does it really work? Of course, we
can’t just zip to an alternate reality
and see what happened under a low
bid Larkspur. Oregon law does, at
least, require governments to do a
report and try to prove that CM/GC
did work.
The district’s report suggests it
did. It says some parts of the pro-
posed project were removed, such as
a water slide. That saved money. It
also says the contractor suggested to
staff shutting down the senior center
The park district does use low bid
contracts for, well, normal new
park construction. But as things get
more complicated, it does rely on
some of the alternative contracts
permitted by Oregon law.
during a portion of the construc-
tion to allow the contractor to move
faster. OK, but a temporary closure
would have never come up if the
project had not been CM/GC?
A better argument may be the
percentage of the project cost for
change orders that $718,582.22 or
about 4% of the project. By way of
the contrast, consider the district’s
construction of the Pavilion, the fa-
cility with the ice rink. The district
utilized a low bid. It was a $9.1 mil-
lion project and it had a higher per-
centage of change orders — more
than $650,0000 or about 7.8%.
The best argument may be one
provided courtesy of the city of
Bend. The city’s sewer plant expan-
sion project was perhaps a more
technically challenging project than
the park district’s Larkspur expan-
sion. The city went for a low bid
contract. The project begun in 2013
went sour for pretty much everyone
involved. It cost the city millions
more than anticipated, ended up in a
legal tussle with contractors and de-
layed completion. The city did a ma-
jor rethink of when to use what kind
of bidding for projects.
The park district does use low bid
contracts for, well, normal new park
construction. But as things get more
complicated, it does rely on some of
the alternative contracts permitted by
Oregon law. That might not always
save money. It might save the district
and the taxpayers from a big mess.
Pass bill that would
require notification
about youth suicides
T
he second leading cause of
death among people aged 10
to 24 in 2018 in Oregon was
suicide. In that year, there were 139
youth suicides in Oregon.
How does Oregon reduce that risk
of youth suicide. House Bill 3037
in the Oregon Legislature tries. It
would require the “medical exam-
iner to notify the local mental health
authority in cases of suicide involv-
ing individuals 24 years of age or
younger and requires” the Oregon
Health Authority to develop a state-
wide post-intervention strategy,
according to a summary of the bill.
Mental health authorities, schools
and colleges have appropriate ways
to contact friends and families.
That can be critical in reducing the
trauma and reducing the risk of ad-
ditional suicide.
But they need to know. Pass HB
3037.
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.
Growth of what for what?
GUEST COLUMN
BY CYLVIA HAYES
T
here is light at the end of the
tunnel with vaccination ramp-
ing up and infection rates drop-
ping. It is truly amazing that vaccines
were developed so quickly and shows
what humanity can do when we put
collective effort toward big problems.
Though there’s still a long way to go
to be free of the COVID risk, we are
now, blessedly, beginning to recapture
elements of normalcy, like hugging
grandkids and going to our favorite
restaurants. I have to admit I missed
hugging a lot more than I expected!
While it does feel like spring and
a new beginning is right around the
corner, it’s important to note that
the COVID-19 experience is a cul-
ture-changing event. We won’t have
the same normal on the other side.
There’s no getting around the pain
of a new normal for those who lost
loved ones. However, from a societal
perspective, there is much to be em-
braced because in many ways, our old,
familiar normal wasn’t good enough.
Consider the economic model con-
sidered normal which says we must
have constant economic growth for
well-being.
Even before the pandemic, more
than 50% of Americans were living
paycheck to paycheck. More than half
of us were already living below or near
the poverty line (and bear in mind,
the arbitrarily-delegated U.S. poverty
line is a measly $26,200 annually for a
family of four). Most at that marginal
level were working long hours and
multiple jobs just to pay monthly ex-
Hayes
penses, stay slightly
above water and do
their part to keep
the economy grow-
ing. You could make
the argument the
economy wasn’t
working for them
but rather they were
working to feed the
growth economy.
At the same time, income inequal-
ity in the U.S. was off the charts,
higher than any other G-7 country
including the U.K., Japan, Italy, Can-
ada, Germany and France. More than
ever before, achieving the American
Dream depends upon your ZIP code.
Due to imbedded biases in financial
systems and economic structures, up-
ward mobility in this country is con-
strained, as never before, by income,
race and neighborhood. We have ac-
cepted as normal a Robin Hood soci-
ety, in which wealth is systematically
distributed upward from lower-in-
come to the rich.
This same economic system that
was failing millions of Americans,
relied upon chewing up ecosystems
and wildlife species at a rapacious
pace. Such large-scale sacrifice of en-
vironmental health for economic
growth was accepted as normal. It
should serve as a stunning existential
wake-up call that when COVID-19
shut the economy down for a time,
the planet benefited. Air and water
pollution dropped; climate change
emissions went way down; wildlife
got a reprieve. All of that took place
because we were forced to push pause
on an economic system that is funda-
mentally unsustainable and destruc-
tive and it’s proof that the planet will
heal if given a chance.
Long before COVID, there was al-
ready a robust New Economy move-
ment delivering concrete examples
of people earning livings doing work
that heals and helps, companies de-
livering social and environmental
profits as well as financial profits and
cities and countries stepping off the
limitless growth tract and succeed-
ing. There are many already showing
us that a more beautiful economy is
possible.
It’s said that if you don’t ask the
right questions, the answers don’t
matter. COVID-19 isn’t what broke
the economy; it merely revealed fun-
damental flaws in societal and eco-
nomic norms that have been hin-
dering upward mobility, eroding our
sense of security, connection and
well-being, and devastating our envi-
ronment. Instead of asking how do we
get the economy growing again, we
need to be asking growth of what and
for what?
The economy is not an act of
God or a force of Nature. It is a hu-
man-made construct. We invented it,
which means we can reinvent it. We
can create a better normal if we really
decide to.
e e
Cylvia Hayes is CEO of 3EStrategies, founder of
The ReThink, and former first lady of Oregon.
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How about a Shevlin South for the people of Bend?
B
BY JUDY CLINTON
end has an historic and unique
opportunity to protect an area
on the Deschutes River, like a
Shevlin Park or Riley Ranch in the
Southern part of town. Now it is
Central Oregon Irrigation District
(COID) land west of Brookswood
Boulevard and east of Mt. Bachelor
Village.
This land is a needed refuge for
people from all over town to hike,
walk their dogs, enjoy big trees and
the river, bike, run, bird watch or just
sit and think.
The land has large rock outcrops,
interesting topography, mature pon-
derosas and Douglas firs, wildflow-
ers, important habitat for nesting
birds and various mammals. This
property also functions as a local
transportation corridor with bike
and pedestrian trails linking south-
ern Bend to the Mill District, down-
town and the Larkspur Trail. All this
in the middle of Bend.
The Bulletin editorial of Feb.18,
and columns by Allan Bruckner and
Cylvia Hayes, observed that Bend
will need more parks and open space
as it continues to grow and densify.
Many Bend residents are upset with
clear cutting of large ponderosas to
make way for new housing develop-
ments.
If no action is taken, this special
land will be a victim, like many oth-
ers recently, to complete tree and
shrub removal and land leveling,
thereby destroying its wildlife and
scenic values. The big difference this
time is that this property is the LAST
remaining large natural parcel on the
river.
This property is slated to become
a large subdivision. For the Bend
GUEST COLUMN
community is this the best use of this
unique land? I don’t think it is. I pro-
pose that this property be saved as
permanent open space while provid-
ing COID with reasonable compen-
sation.
In its present state, lots of trees
provide shade and a cooling effect in
summer and a more healthful and
better environment for Bend’s citi-
zens throughout the year. The prop-
erty is home to numerous plants and
animals, with many depending on
the nearby river. It provides respite
to people seeking solace in a natural
area conveniently located inside the
city. It is beloved by many residents
as evidenced by the number of peo-
ple using its many trails.
With Bend’s current densification
plans, citizens will increasingly need
natural open spaces. This property
is the last opportunity for saving, for
public use, such a significant tract of
unique undeveloped land anywhere
near the river. It should not become
yet another housing development
when it is so special and treasured.
The Deschutes River, ponderosas,
and rock outcrops are exactly the fea-
tures that define the natural setting
that is Bend.
We can all agree that we are fortu-
nate that we do have some great large
parks: Shevlin Park on the west side,
Riley Ranch in the northwest, Pine
Nursery in the northeast, but noth-
ing in the southwest.
This is our opportunity to estab-
lish a new, large natural park in the
southern part of Bend. Compared to
the existing large parks, its central lo-
cation will provide good access from
all directions and new opportunities
for enjoyment by all of Bend resi-
dents.
In the 1920’s a visionary civic or-
ganization, the Women’s Civic Im-
provement League, saved Drake Park
for posterity. Why can’t we do the
same thing for future Bend?
With a communitywide fundrais-
ing effort that includes Bend Park &
Rec, this property can be preserved
as a large natural park. With this vi-
sion, let’s aspire to creating a signifi-
cant new park along the river, a place
where nature can continue to flour-
ish, to be enjoyed by all of Bend’s res-
idents.
This new park would be a big an-
niversary present for the people of
Bend — what a wonderful way to
celebrate the 100th anniversary of
Drake and Shevlin parks.
e e
Judy Clinton lives in Bend.