The young man who answered our questions (Brandon) was most helpful and mailed all the…read moredocumentation we need. Great service.

Some of the judges need to have more compassion. They don't care about the people struggling just…read moreto make it. They make things as difficult as possible. I couldn't be in the courtroom. They send mail to wrong addresses. They never give information that is needed.

This building looks like what I thought a Oregon courthouse should look like. It was built in 1940…read moreand served as the courthouse for years. It is still used by the courts but it has been outgrown, Today the jury rooms are here with the courts located next-door in the Justice building which was built in 1978.

I love having a downtown Post Office. Very convenient, and the service and friendliness is superb.read more

The gals who work at this post office are amazing. They are very friendly and efficient, even when…read morethere is a long line and I can imagine they are under some stress. Also, they always provide options in terms of cost, packaging, turnaround, insurance for whatever you are delivering. I hope that nothing changes in this post office!

As with National Park rangers, interacting with US Forest Service folks is invariably a pleasant…read moreexperience. I came in for maps, and maps they have aplenty. Not only maps, but also lots of outdoor-related literature such as the Roadside Geology of Oregon and other books. And some trinkets. But I was impressed - not surprised - with the helpfulness of the ranger at the counter in explaining what they had in the way of trail and 4WD maps for the Deschutes and Ochoco forests. Super helpful. If you need forest service information or materials, drop in. You'll be glad you did.

A nice space with a friendly staff…read more I have been to several forest offices through just blanket adventuring and have found that the one at Deschutes to be categorically one of the finest. The facility is well maintained, beautiful and expansive. The staff are friendly and ready and eager to help. Parking is ample and one of the well defining characteristics of the Forest office is the dog park adjacent to the Forest which offers a great deal of space for you or your friendly pooch to run wild. Definitely a great stop while in and around the town.

Honestly, Oregon drivers are on another level of reckless. Tonight a car blasted through the Whole…read moreFoods parking lot doing at least 60 mph--like pedestrians don't even exist. Yesterday it was a different car, swerving right next to me twice because the driver was in some huge rush to grab a DoorDash order. And it's not just once in a while--this stuff happens constantly. People here run into you while you have the walk signal. They turn right into crosswalks without even looking. Half of them are on their phones, zoned out, or acting like basic traffic rules don't apply to them. And somehow every single one of these people has a driver's license. It's insane. It's dangerous. And it's exhausting trying to walk anywhere without almost getting hit ten times a day. You'd think the police would crack down on it, but they don't. This state has some of the worst enforcement and some of the least aware drivers I've ever seen. It feels like nobody is actually paying attention, and pedestrians are the ones stuck dealing with the consequences.

I've had repeated interactions with the Bend Police Department while living unhoused in this city…read more In my experience, many of these contacts have felt unwarranted and intrusive. Officers have approached me without clear cause, asked questions that felt more like intimidation than community policing, and at times have seemed to be monitoring my movements. As someone exercising my constitutional rights, this has been upsetting. Being homeless should not automatically make a person a suspect or a target for harassment. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and fairness regardless of housing status. I hope the Bend Police Department will review its practices toward unhoused residents, provide more training on constitutional rights and respectful engagement, and focus on real community safety rather than repeated contacts that feel like harassment. Harassment is a crime, and so is stalking. This police department is involved in both!

This is one of my favorite cities to visit to get some cool weather in September. It is about a 3…read morehour drive from Portland and under 30 minutes from the Redmond Municipal Airport. There are a variety of hotels, motels, and B&B's between downtown and the Old Mill District. If you want a quieter environment, stay in the Old Mill District area. Bend has some beautiful landscapes full of different outdoor activities. Flow riding on the rapids of the Deschutes River, jogging along the river paths, shopping in town, and dining at some wonderful restaurants. I also love that Oregon is tax-free on merchandise, so the price of goods is the total price. Bend still had that small town feel even though it is quickly becoming more popular with people moving here for a better family environment.

I feel like Bend is now known as a playground for Californians with too much money. Growing up, I…read moreonly visited a few times, mostly related to a youth organization I was in; it's about 2.5 hours east but my family wasn't into skiing or anything and there were rivers, lakes, and reservoirs much closer to home. But rather than just sit at home and stare at each other we decided to take a drive to Bend when I was home recently. When we go my mom likes to drive by the house which my grandparents lived in for a few years whilst she was in college, before moving back to Eugene, and there's not usually anything in particular we're here for. This was not really an exception. We did stop at the Last Blockbuster, since my nephew was along and wanted to. We went to the downtown district where there are some cute shops. I got a permanent bracelet at Nashelle and I love it; I wish that I was closer because they had some really nice charms to go with it. Bend Burger has good burgers. But what people usually come to Bend for is the recreation. Located in the Deschutes National Forest and at a high elevation, Bend is a place for skiers. Mt. Bachelor isn't too far away. Suttle Lake is nearby as well, so if lake recreation is more your bag you'll find it here as well. Volcanic eruptions in the state has left some of the area covered in lava beds. Fishing, rafting, and so on are all popular activities in the area.

Everything about the library sysyem was terrific until the planning started for the new library…read more The new library is in a word overkill and a hugh waste of taxpayers' money. And when thinking about the planning for the opening of the new library and the virtual closing of the existing downtown library the planning is in my mind nonexistent. Bend is a city of 100.000 and we virtually have no ibrary at this time. The plans for the remodeling of the existing downtown library are again a waste of $. It is in a word "perfect" as is. I would guess that if the public had any idea of how the $ were to be spent (wasted) the library bond issue would have been voted down! The plan of how to spend the bond proceeds should have been "as needed" instead of spend (blow) it all!

Human Citizens of Bend:…read more How are you so fortunate to have this amazing collection of resources? I came here to say: The staff have always been most helpful. Thank you for helping me with kindness and empathy when I needed it.

Too much money, no surprise unaffordable housing, but yet...just tax us some more…read moreIntended affordable housing at Stevens Ranch...800,000 dollars, who is this intended for?

If you love corporate sellouts and tax breaks for their developer buddies, you'll love the leaders…read moreof this place. If you love congestion, potholes, and completely closed roads for months, this is the place for you. Spending millions on projects that less than 1% of the population will use. It's sad how a handful of garbage leaders can ruin an entire city.