The best things about Bend, to name just two, are its fresh air and clean water. Not even Mastercard can put a price on these. For those who live in major urban areas and believe you have these two priceless necessities of life, visit Bend. Of course, we don't have fresh air when an inversion hits in December while folks are stoking their wood stoves or during August when wildfires make Central Oregon's skies mimic Los Angeles' smog. But, most of the time, the air is wonderfully clear and the Cascade Range feels so close you could reach out and touch Mount Bachelor and the Three Sisters.
So, you would think a ban on burning yard debris would gain unanimous support from our city council. Not so. Thankfully, four of the seven councilors voted, in August, to ban the burning of yard debris within city limits. This amazing act allowed Bend to join the 20th Century just 9 years into the 21st Century.
Those who voted against the ban and for filthy air, not to mention potential wildfires, were: Mayor Kathie Eckman, former mayor Oran Teater and newcomer Jeff Eager. These three, while nobly serving their city for a modest monthly stipend, paradoxically sympathize more with the anti-government tea-baggers. They don't see that Bend's air is worth protecting. Afterall, what's freedom mean if you don't have the freedom to burn your own pine needles in your own backyard. It reminds me of some those featured in Ken Burns' recent documentary on the National Parks who didn't believe places like Yellowstone or Yosemite were worth saving from development and exploitation.
In the 1980s, Bend allowed torching household trash in burn barrels. Talk about toxic waste. Thank god those days are gone.
The city faces pressure to preserve its great water. That's a subject for another post.
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