Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2022)
A4 THE BULLETIN • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 Forum Continued from A1 Piper focused his comments about increasing housing affordability on simplifying local and state regula- tions and permitting rules, forming collaboratives between the city and housing developers to generate more housing and bringing land into the city’s urban growth boundary — which limits where developments can be built — more quickly. Kebler responded to the idea of a boundary expansion by saying the city could meet its housing needs by building taller buildings in the Cen- tral District instead. She also advo- cated for putting transit options and a relocated city hall in the area to spur development. “We already know that sprawl as a solution isn’t going to work, and (the Central District) is one of our best chances to really create the housing we need without doing that,” Kebler said. Piper called the Central District Bend’s “lowest-lying investment fruit,” saying the city should work more actively with business owners in the area to encourage develop- ment. He also said the city should work to relocate the BottleDrop center, where many experiencing homelessness gather while returning cans to make a living, and define an exit strategy for the Rainbow Motel, which currently operates as a transi- tional shelter. “First, we need to erase the un- certainty that the (Central District) stakeholders are feeling with the city,” Piper said. Council candidates outline priorities Most of the council candidates ex- pressed similar themes to those from Kebler or Piper. The most crowded PAC Continued from A1 The biggest political money splash this week was a $240,000 contribution to Evergreen Oregon PAC, the fundraising arm of House Re- publicans. The source: Bring Balance to Salem PAC. Until May, the Salem PAC almost exclusively took in con- tributions. Nike founder Phil Knight, the richest Orego- nian, gave $1 million. Timber and construction groups have given contributions of $50,000 to $250,000 each to the PAC. Red Emmerson, the nation’s largest private landholder, contributed $250,000 from his Redding, California-based timberlands and forest prod- ucts company, Sierra Pacific Industries. The Salem PAC raised over $880,000 while its spend- ing prior to the May 17 pri- mary was primarily a $5,000 monthly fee to Walden Con- sulting, a Hood River firm run by former U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, and his wife, Mylene Si- mons-Walden. Since the primary, the PAC has actively spent on political races. It’s contributed $364,111 to candidates and has over $2.9 million in the bank. The PAC’s idea of bringing balance to the state capital has, so far, meant money for Re- publicans. That’s despite some of it’s biggest donors backing former state Sen. Betsy John- son’s unaffiliated campaign over former House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, the GOP governor nominee. Former House Speaker Tina Kotek is the Democratic Party candidate for governor. Knight has given $1.75 mil- lion to Johnson, and Emmer- son has given $200,000. As of Tuesday, Bring Bal- ance to Salem PAC has stayed out of the race at the top of the ballot. It’s giving to Republi- can PACs, leaders and individ- ual candidates. D N Karen Y. Pitner formerly of Sunriver March 25, 1947- September 16, 2022 Karen Pitner, age 75, passed in her home in Surprise, Ari- zona. The Neptune Society is responsible for arrangements. 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 Zack Demars/The Bulletin Moderator Allen Schauffler, left, introduces Bend mayoral candidates Melanie Kebler, left side of stage, and Chris Piper at a can- didate forum Monday. The nine candidates for Bend City Council, seated in the first row, also made brief speeches about their plans if elected. race has four candidates, all vying to fill the last two years of a term va- cated in May by Rita Schenkelberg. Relying most heavily on the exist- ing council’s record was Barb Camp- bell, who’s been on the council since 2014. Her reasoning for asking voters to return her to council chambers a third time was simple. “I’m really running on institu- tional knowledge,” Campbell told the crowd. Most of the other sitting councilors have only been in office for two years, she said, noting her ex- perience with transportation issues and urban development would be lost if she wasn’t reelected. Challenging her for the seat is Karon Johnson, a neighborhood as- The Leadership Fund, which gives money to Re- publican candidates for the Oregon Senate, has received $50,000. Evergreen Oregon PAC, the political arm of House Repub- licans, has received a total of $290,000 as of this week. The campaign funds of Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, and House Minority Leader Vikki Bre- ese Iverson, R-Prineville, have each received $25,000. Ever- green Oregon PAC is han- dled by Bryan Iverson, the Prineville consultant married to the House GOP leader. The contribution to Ever- green Oregon PAC last week was a timely transfusion for the Republicans’ legislative efforts in the dwindling days of the campaign. Adding the new money, the House GOP has now raised $1.06 million and spent $360,145. It has $769,990 in the bank. There’s no Democratic equiv- alent to the double-barreled funding shot from the state GOP-affiliated PACs and the Bring Balance to Salem PAC . The Democrats’ own PAC has fewer dollars and as the majority, more candidates to help. Future PAC House Build- ers, the political arm of House Democrats, has raised $1.5 million and spent $500,000 in 2022. With money rolled over from last year, it has a total of $1.01 million in the bank to spend. The statewide funding is- sue is showing up in some key sociation land use chair who said she doesn’t feel like the current council represents her. She said Bend should follow the path of other cities, like Boise, Idaho, and Santa Barbara, Cal- ifornia, to reduce visible homeless- ness and said, if elected, she would attempt to overturn the part of the city’s new shelter regulations that permits some shelters in certain resi- dential areas. Neither Bill Olsen, a veteran who describes himself as a semi-retired real estate broker, nor Erlin Taylor, who owns an Oregon City-based property company, attended the event. Taylor’s campaign manager spoke on her behalf, saying she’s in the race because she hears from races Democrats had targeted for November 2022. Democrats had flipped a Republican seat in Bend in 2020 when Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, defeated then-Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend in House District 54. The seat had been held by Republicans for a de- cade despite an ever-growing Democratic voter registration. Growth in Deschutes County over the past decade required a major realignment of legislative districts for the 2022 election. The new maps drawn by the Democratic majority in the Legislature created a strongly Democratic-leaning House District 54. Kropf has raised little money, instead sending more than $30,000 in his fund that rolled over from the 2020 election as a contribution to Future PAC House Builders The new version of House District 53 converted a pe- rennial Republican seat to one with a Democratic edge. While once encircling Bend, the population shift halved the district area, which now in- cludes northern Bend, parts of Redmond and other areas of northern Deschutes County. Incumbent Rep. Jack Zika, R-Redmond, opted not to seek reelection. Following redistricting, Democrats said flipping House District 53 was a key part of their strategy to hold or even expand on their state- wide 15-seat majority. But with less than a month before ballots go out to vot- ers, the fundraising difference OBITUARY Bernadette M. Delany December 17, 1938 - September 5, 2022 Bernadette was born in Merced, California to Gertrude Benson and passed away in Bend at age 84. Bernadette married husband of 64 years David on January 4, 1958. The couple spent 30 years in Alaska before retiring to Bend. She is survived by her husband David, her son Sean (Candace) and grandsons David and Tyler of Richland, Washington. Her granddaughters Margaret of Oakridge, North Carolina, Megan of Fulton, Maryland, Martie and great-grandson Bryson of Destin, Florida, and her sister Mary Ann Dighton (Jack) of Riverbank, California. She was preceded in death by son James of Clermont, Florida. Bernadette was a dedicated grandmother and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and traveling. Bernadette will be greatly missed. No services are planned at this time. neighbors concerned about the city’s quality of life and unaffordability. Voters have two candidates to choose from for one of the four-year council seats on the ballot. Ariel Mendez, an Oregon State Univer- sity-Cascades instructor and Bend Park & Recreation District board member, is facing off against Sean Sipe, a local real estate broker. Men- dez told the crowd the city should encourage development that reduces the need for a car, congestion and the cost of transportation. He said the benchmark for whether the city is well designed should be whether or not it is safe and livable for children. Sipe focused on his skills as a busi- nessperson and echoed the idea that between the two House Dis- trict 53 candidates has grown larger by the week. Emerson Levy, the Dem- ocrat, has raised just under $55,000 in 2022. The Bend attorney has received $8,600 from Future PAC House Lead- ers — the Democrats’ main fund for House races. Republican Michael Sipe has over raised $292,000. Other than a $50,000 loan from the company he owns, Cross Pointe, his largest single contribution has been $17,000 from Evergreen Oregon PAC. He’s also received $5,000 di- rectly from Bring Balance to Salem PAC. Andrew Rogers, commu- nications director for Future PAC House Builders declined to discuss any strategy to get more funds to Levy. But Rogers pointed to the new political mix in House District 53. House districts are up for election every two years. “I will say that that seat is almost a 3% Democratic edge and will be held by a Demo- crat sooner rather than later,” Rogers said. █ gwarner@eomediagroup.com the current council feels partisan. He said the city should accommodate growth by building on the land it has and also expanding the urban growth boundary. “Let’s not turn Bend into Portland, OK?” Sipe told the crowd as he left the stage. The final open four-year seat has three candidates: Julia Brown, a re- tired IT project manager, downtown business owner Rick Johns and Mike Riley, executive director of The Envi- ronmental Center. Brown echoed Mendez’s com- ments that denser housing develop- ment in the city would reduce the need for a car, and added that the city should reduce the cost of permits and the complexity of city codes to incen- tivize housing development. Johns expressed a sentiment, shared by some, that he felt unrepre- sented by the current council. He also said building permits are too hard to get and the city should focus on re- ducing congestion for cars instead of encouraging bikeability. “I’m tired of being miserable, and I’m sure you all are too,” Johns told the crowd. “I want to make this a bet- ter place, and it was a great place un- til the last couple of years.” Riley said the city should prioritize improving safety for walkers, bicy- cle riders and transit users on city streets and should respond to grow- ing homelessness by piloting man- aged camps and phasing in regula- tions that prohibit camping in public. Candidates had time for just snip- pets of their platforms Monday, but The Bulletin is sharing longer-length interviews with them on its Facebook page in the lead up to the election. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 18. █ Reporter: 541-617-7814, zdemars@bendbulletin.com OBITUARY Rachel Alicia Chiddix September 21, 1962 - September 10, 2022 Rachel Alicia Chiddix, Mama, Toto and friend to all, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 59 on September 10, 2022. She was born in Bend on September 21, 1962. She will be greatly missed and her memory will be carried on by all she met. Rachel is survived by her loving husband of 29 years, Stacey, her son Caleb and his wife Shaylynn, her grandchildren Evelynn and Oliver, and her son Jacob and his wife Karley. Please join the family in a celebration of life that will take place at the Erickson Aircraft Museum on Saturday, September 24 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
