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Letters must be received by noon Friday for inclusion in the following week’s paper. Please limit letters to 250 words. Submission does not guarantee publication. Opinions printed here do not constitute an editorial endorsement of said opinions.

Letter of the week receives $5 to Palate!

RE: NEW CODE CHANGES: SOME WILL BE WELCOME. OTHERS WILL REQUIRE A CHANGE OF MINDSET. OPINION, 9/22

Complete mess created in Salem by yes you guessed it…, and carried out here in Bend by, yep you guessed it!!! This is why you have to be careful of who you vote for. You reap what you see. Developers and those who rent should be held accountable for those properties far more than they are. That means lawn and yard maintenance routinely, painting of the dwelling every five years and hold accountability to the tenants. —James Lippi via facebook.com

The fact that the city is just now limiting short term rentals in new developments is absurd. Short term rentals are one of the biggest issues that affects housing availability. There should be a limit on short term rentals and the current number should go way down. Short term rentals have caused housing issues here and the last place I lived. —Matthew Bryant via facebook.com

OLD MILL AMPHITHEATER “IMPROVEMENTS”

I realize that there is a lot going on in our world that needs attention. We can definitely do all sorts of things to make it a better place. However I would like to stand on my own personal soapbox to claim that the old Mill amphitheater is way too loud, way too bright, and way too open. The peace and quiet living up on Reed market and Brookswood during Covid was pretty nice, I don’t mean to be a crotchety old man about things, but it was peaceful without the music. Don’t get me wrong, I go to concerts, but after their so-called improvements, it is super loud, I have lights in my backyard sometimes? The traffic on Brookswood is constant for 45 minutes to an hour after each show and I get to hear whatever show is playing in my house 930 Sunday night? How did this make it through the city of Bend? Hey city of Bend, do you have any answers on this? —Kit Blackwelder

DELICIOUS BLT

While I always enjoy the Chow articles in the Source, as a life long lover of BLTs, I read with special interest last week's page about how to make the best BLT. The author's suggestion about toasting the bread in side out so to speak was brilliant as I have long struggled with bread that was too crispy and hurt the roof of my mouth behind my top front teeth. It also works very well to very lightly toast the bread if your toaster slots won't accommodate two slices of bread at once. The one suggestion missing from the article that makes all the difference was that a freshly picked garden tomato is the only kind that will make the most delicious BLT. A store bought tomato is not even close to the flavor of an Early Girl just harvested off the vine from my downtown Bend garden. It must be fire engine red for the sweetest tomato taste. In the absence of a garden at your house, one from the Farmer's Market or local produce stand will do in a pinch!!! I have been enjoying one-half of a BLT for breakfast almost every morning for the past two months. It has been a great tomato harvest this year even if I have had to share with the deer and the raccoons. Cheers to your BLT. —Madelle Poole Friess

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TAKING CARE OF THE HOMELESS

I am stunned and outraged at the Redmond city council for refusing to use the ARPA funds to help the homeless in our area. I went to a city council meeting recently and many people who spoke at that meeting shared about their Christian faith, including the Mayor and his wife. I just don’t understand how people who claim this faith can say no, we don’t want to use these funds that are to help Americans recover from the devastation that COVID has caused to help these people, who are struggling to survive. The homeless population is made up of many types of people including women and children. Saying they are all drug addicts, as if that were a reason to not help them is repulsive to me. Jesus, who you claim to love, would not approve of withholding funds as you are doing. We could make our cities a better place to live for everyone. All of you high and mighty folks who think you can chase the homeless away, or starve the homeless away are mistaken. There is no away. When you’re poor, there are few options for changing your situation. Helping people get a leg up, get some stability in their lives will help improve their quality of life, and everyone around them. Treating people like garbage and continually acting like they can literally just die is unacceptable. Bend, I’m looking at you too. We have some wonderful nonprofits and caring community members working hard on the problem and we need our city councils to step up and contribute. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. There is a ton of research and development already done, now fund it!!

—Kay Bee

Letter of the Week:

Kay, thanks for sharing your perspective. It appears that Deschutes County has stepped in to cover some of the costs using its own American Rescue Plan Act funds. But indeed, there is no “away.” Come on in for your gift card to Palate!

—Nicole Vulcan