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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (May 9, 2021)
A6 The BulleTin • Sunday, May 9, 2021 Park & Rec Continued from A1 Borja sees the biggest chal- lenge facing the district to be its response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. He also sees the rapid pace of growth in Bend to be a challenge for the district as it handles more peo- ple, which creates stress on its infrastructure. Borja says he is the most qualified candidate for the position because of his lived experience and professional background in outdoor education and commu- nity outreach — he has worked with the park dis- trict, the Boys Borja and Girls Club of Bend and Bend-La Pine School District. “Most importantly I am qualified because I care and am invested in making sure this district’s patrons have access to green spaces and can fully access BPRD’s opportunities,” said Borja. Robin Vora Vora, 67, emigrated to the United States at the age of 13 from Bombay (Mumbai), In- dia. He spent his career in re- source man- agement, working with the U.S. Forest Ser- vice and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- Vora vice. Vora has been a forester, ecologist, wildlife biologist and man- ager, working in seven states. Among family members, how- ever, he is known as the “En- ergizer Bunny” for his tenacity and drive, he said. Vora moved to Oregon in 2002 to take a deputy district ranger position in Bend. Since arriving in Bend he has served on the board of a soil and water conservation district and the Orchard Neighborhood Asso- ciation board. He has volun- teered with a number of local organizations including Tower Theatre, Deschutes Land Trust, East Cascades Audubon Soci- ety and others. Vora says his priority for the park district is to expand the network of trails, create new parks in underserved neigh- borhoods, increase native veg- etation in city parks and install a fish passage through Mirror Pond dam. Vora also said COVID-19 has presented challenges due to lost revenues from canceled programs. He also thinks the district is challenged in providing fair access to parks and recreation for all socio-economic groups and minorities, and wants more programs and staff to serve minorities. The lack of a fish passage over the Mirror Pond dam presents another challenge, said Vora. He wants a fish pas- sage put in place if the dam is to be retained. He is, however, against dredging the pond. “The public should not pay for dredging Mirror Pond,” said Vora. “The pond appears to be stabilizing, if dredged it will only fill in again.” Vora says his work experi- ence in natural resource sci- ence management and active involvement in parks, trails, and recreation programs qual- ify him for the job. “I believe in the broad mis- sion of the Bend Park & Rec- reation District, serving all peoples with a wide range of priorities,” said Vora. “I hope to make a significant contri- bution to the District and my community. Position 3 Position 3 is a race between the incumbent Nathan Hov- ekamp and newcomer Lauren Nowierski-Stadnick. Nathan Hovekamp Hovekamp, 55, is the current board chair. He describes him- self as a “die-hard bird nerd” and has lived in Bend since 1997. He has a busy pro- fessional life, employed by Central Or- egon Land- Watch as wildlife pro- Hovekamp gram direc- tor, and by Central Oregon Community College as a biology professor. His goal for the park district is to maintain its current high standards of excellence, he said. The biggest challenge for the district, Hovekamp said, is keeping up with Bend’s rapidly growing population. “It is particularly difficult and expensive to secure land for new parks and easements for new trails and trail connec- tions as residential develop- ment continues its torrid pace in Bend,” said Hovekamp. He will also continue to push the park district “to give careful thought” to ensuring affordable and equitable access to programs and equal distri- bution of amenities across the entire district. Looking forward, Hov- ekamp is excited about Alpen- glow Park, still under construc- tion in southeast Bend. This and other future parks need to retain big trees and protect as much naturalized open space as possible, he said. Hovekamp is also pushing the District to complete the Deschutes River Trail through the city by filling in the re- maining gaps. “The District manages al- most half of those riverbank miles and bears responsibility for their careful stewardship,” said Hovekamp. Lauren Nowierski-Stadnick Nowierski-Stadnick, 36, is a graduate of MIT where she earned a degree in chemical engineering in 2006. Three years later she graduated from Car- dozo School of Law and is currently a civil law attorney in Bend. Nowierski- Nowier- Stadnick ski-Stadnick, who grew up in Yonkers, New York, is also a competitive powerlifter and plans to re- turn to competition in 2022. At MIT she played ice hockey, lacrosse and field hockey. She believes her background in sports, science and law makes her uniquely qualified to be- come a park board member. “I love creative problem solving and advocacy and I would be honored to use my skills to benefit the commu- nity,” she said. Nowierski-Stadnick says she wants to improve transpar- ency over how the park district spends public funds. “Continuing to improve ac- cessibility to the financial in- formation and decision-mak- ing process should be easy and cheap, and it should improve community confidence,” she said. Nowierski-Stadnick also wants to grow the district in a way that reflects the growth of Bend, namely the expansion of biking and walking trails to connect parks and neighbor- hoods. This includes increas- ing access for underrepre- sented populations to park and recreation facilities. Nowierski-Stadnick likewise wants to see trail improve- ments through town, espe- cially around Mirror Pond. She believes that the park district needs to quickly obtain ease- ments between Drake Park and Pacific Park to complete that section of the trail. She also advocates for better technology to help people find and use trails. She wants to make the park district’s website more user-friendly, with better trail maps and improvements to recreation information. “We have a tremendous park and trail system, and technology that does not do it justice,” said Nowierski-Stad- nick. “It would be great to im- plement a more user-friendly website or app to allow resi- dents and visitors alike to fully appreciate the tremendous recreational opportunities we have here in Bend.” Position 5 Position 5 is a race between two candidates with lengthy experience in the environment and parks: incumbent Deb Schoen and challenger Eliza- beth Hughes Weide. Elizabeth Hughes Weide Hughes Weide, 63, is a re- tired environmental consul- tant and project manager who spent much of her 32-year ca- reer in North- ern Califor- nia, assessing the environ- mental im- pacts of vari- ous projects, including the expansion of Hughes Weide parks and the construction of bike paths. “As an environmental con- sultant and entrepreneur, I am uniquely qualified to assist the (park district) with future park expansion requiring river access and impacts to ripar- ian habitats and threatened and endangered species,” said Hughes Weide. In addition to her environ- mental background, she is also a Master Gardener with the Oregon State University Exten- sion Program and spends sum- mers at the Hollinshead Com- munity Garden as a mentor for the community gardeners. She is also a dog lover and spends part of her time with her four Australian shepherd dogs, which she shows at agility and obedience competitions. Hughes Weide advocates for equitable access to parks. She said she wants to ensure Amer- icans with Disabilities Act compliance and coordination with special needs groups. “I will encourage outreach to diverse populations within the district,” she said. Hughes Weide said funding will be a challenge for the dis- trict going forward, especially after the park board approved system development charge (SDC) waivers for several af- fordable housing projects in Bend. “Reducing funds for park ex- pansion does not make sense,” said Hughes Weide. “Every- one in Bend deserves access to quality parks, and as Bend grows, the parks must continue to expand to meet the needs of our citizens.” Hughes Weide said she in- tends to work with the park board and district staff to eval- uate other options to support affordable housing goals in Bend without adversely im- pacting park expansion. Hughes Weide said the focus over the next few years needs to be on the expansion of multi-use trails and bridges on the Deschutes River Trail Sys- tem and the interconnection of with other trails throughout the area, including U.S. Forest Service trails and the Bend Ur- ban Trail System. “Ultimately, the expanded multi-use trail system could The Bulletin file The Bend Park & Recreation District’s headquarters is next to the Deschutes River. allow bikes, pedestrians, run- ners, and other users to access miles of uninterrupted access along the Deschutes River and throughout Bend and sur- rounding communities,” said Hughes Weide. Deb Schoen Schoen, 63, has lived in Bend since 2013 and has 40 years of experience in the parks and recreation industry after a career with the Tualatin Hill Park and Recreation District. “My passion and concern are accessibility, affordability, and equity regarding public resources and offerings,” said Schoen, who is sometimes seen around town driving a 1963 Volkswagen dune buggy with her husband. Schoen, who has been on the board since January 2020, said she wants to focus on di- versity, equity, and inclusion as the board makes decisions related to pol- icy and pro- grams. “Our con- tinued focus should be on building community, Schoen minimizing or eliminat- ing barriers to participation and increasing opportunities for people to be in and enjoy nature,” said Schoen. “Com- munity members deserve close-to-home access to parks, trails and natural spaces.” As for challenges faced by the park district, Schoen said the district will need to focus on rebuilding after the pan- demic lockdowns, including hiring staff, adapting to state rules and building back pro- grams. She also identified land acquisition in underserved ar- eas as a challenge. Looking ahead, Schoen said the district must continue to work with community part- ners to address affordable housing, childcare and trans- portation connectivity through trails and parks. e e Reporter: 541-617-7818, mkohn@bendbulletin.com Attention Parents of 2021 Grads! Help make some memories! The Bulletin is publishing a special Class of 2021 Graduation section on May 30 to celebrate graduating Central Oregon high school students. Enter a congratulatory message or a short biography along with a photo for just $25. Your messages will be grouped together by school and published in full color. Call The Bulletin Advertising Dept. for more information. 541-385-5809 Advertising deadline: Monday, May 17 CALL NOW! 541-317-3544 Find it all online bendbulletin.com 127 SE Wilson, Bend JULIA KENNEDY It’s Mother’s Day. Stop in to find her perfect gift. Open today noon - 4 pm 103 NW Oregon Ave. • Downtown Bend • 541-306-3176 • redchairgallerybend.com