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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (May 13, 2022)
Friday • May 13, 2022 Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50 RETURN TO THE PPP LOCAL ATHLETES AIM TO REPEAT VICTORIES AT THE POLE PEDAL PADDLE • EXPLORE, B1 Deschutes Public Library eyes four new locations with potential for central library Goal to have land question settled by August, according to executive director By BrENNa ViSSEr The Bulletin The Deschutes Public Li- brary system has identified four pieces of land that have potential to be the new site of its central library project, said Todd Dunkelberg, the library’s executive director. The library began re- searching new properties for the central library after the Bend City Council decided in March against an amendment that would have allowed the library to build the project on land it had purchased in north Bend. The central library, which originally was proposed as a 100,000-square-foot building, was a key component prom- ised in a $195 million bond that voters passed in 2020. While the library board has not made an official decision to abandon the original 12- acre site off U.S. Highway 20 near Robal Lane, it appears to be the most promising path for the library system. There are only two other ways the library could move forward on its original site. The neighboring landowner would have to agree to create a master plan with the library or the city would have to create an area plan for this section of town, which is within the ur- ban growth boundary but not in the city limits. The neighbors thus far have not been interested, Dunkel- berg said, and the city doesn’t anticipate planning the area for another five to 10 years. Dunkelberg declined to share any details about the four replacement properties — chiefly, where they are lo- cated — as to not disrupt any potential real estate transac- tions, but he confirmed all four are in Bend. The goal is to have a defini- tive plan for the central library decided by August, Dunkel- berg said. “My hope is it would be re- solved by then,” Dunkelberg told The Bulletin. Very little is confirmed about the future of the cen- tral library, but some things that are known is that money to buy new land was not bud- geted into the bond, Dunkel- berg said. See Library / A4 SNOWPACK STILL LACKING Spring snow has little effect on Central Oregon drought conditions By MiCHaEL KOHN • The Bulletin onsistent snowfall this spring has helped boost Central Oregon snow- pack to 133% of normal, a surprising jolt after a lackluster winter that saw be- low-average snowpack levels. Snowpack has steadily increased from just six weeks ago when the Upper De- schutes Basin was only 54% of normal. But while the snowpack has given Bend a pretty backdrop, the region’s drought is still far from over. Recent snowfall is not the best indication of how much snow is actu- ally in the mountains, said Kyle Gorman, region manager for the Oregon Water Re- sources Department. C See Snow / A4 Central Oregon irrigation district’s outtake on the deschutes river in southwest Bend flows with water on Thursday. Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin By MaTEUSZ PErKOWSKi Capital Press To pass legal muster, a Cen- tral Oregon solar facility ex- pansion plan must provide more specifics about mitigat- ing impacts on wildlife habitat, according to a state land use ruling. However, the West Prineville Solar Farm’s devel- oper, NewSun Energy, is op- timistic the project can now proceed with “only limited re- finements to the plan criteria,” said Jake Stephens, its CEO. TODAY’S WEATHER The state’s Land Use Board of Appeals said Crook County approved doubling the solar facility’s size, from 320 acres to 654 acres, without “substantial evidence” its wildlife plan will ensure quality habitat mitiga- tion that’s reliable and durable. The developer’s wildlife plan also “lacks a schedule of per- formance measures” required under state law to ensure it will cause “no net loss” of hab- itat, the ruling said. Despite these issues, Afternoon rain High 60, Low 50 Page B5 See Solar / A4 INDEX Business Classifieds Comics POLITICAL NOTEBOOK Election rundown: Insurgents surge, Kristof’s cash, a manual ballot fix By Gary a. WarNEr Oregon Capital Bureau Despite having more than a third of the ballots in Or- egon likely already cast, the May 17 primary election continues to generate contro- versy, campaign cash and col- orful notes. More Oregonians have made their choice With five days remaining, up to 38% of ballots have al- ready been returned. The Oregon Secretary of State’s A7 B6 B7-8 Dear Abby A6 Editorial A5 Explore B1-2, 9-10 Horoscope Local/State Obituaries Office reports 383,163 ballots received as of Thursday. That’s 13% of ballots sent out state- wide. But based on the 2018 turnout, it would be more than 38% of votes in 2022. Turnout was behind the 2018 election, but projections are difficult to make because of the increase in total regis- tered voters. The largest growth has been among “nonaffiliated” voters who primarily were registered while at the DMV for licenses or other activities. A6 A2-3 A4 Puzzles Sports Weather B8 B3-5 B5 Democrats and Republicans hold closed primaries, which excludes the nonaffiliated voters from casting ballots for governor, Congress and the Legislature. The 2022 election is also the first with a postmark law that allows any ballot bear- ing a May 17 postmark to be counted up through May 24. Cook report says Schrader falls behind in reelection bid A top political forecaster See Politics / A4 The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper We use recycled newsprint Vol. 117, No. 329, 18 pages, 2 sections reported Thursday that key internal Democratic polls show U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, losing the May 17 primary to chal- lenger Jamie McLeod-Skin- ner, a Terrebonne attorney. In an article titled “May Massacre,” the Cook Polit- ical Report cited “multiple sources familiar with new polling data” that two mod- erate Democrats were in dan- ger of losing reelection pri- mary elections this month. DAILY Ruling requires revisions for Central Oregon solar project expansion plan U|xaIICGHy02329lz[
