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C OREGON Remote lodge’s new owner plans to hold his horses (and mules), see Page C3. THE WEST GOP seeks limit on naming national monuments, see Page C6.
www.bendbulletin.com/local
THE BULLETIN • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011
IN BRIEF Crooked River Ranch fires may be arson Three recent fires in the Crooked River Ranch area may be the work of an arsonist, according to Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue. The department would like the public to help find the person responsible for setting the fires. The first one took place at 11:07 p.m. Aug. 10, the second on Aug. 12 just before midnight and the third at 2:14 a.m. Sunday. Anyone with information about these fires is asked to contact Chief Tim McLaren at 541-923-6776 or the crime stoppers hotline at 1-877-876TIPS. — Bulletin staff report
Big fundraiser’s future a bit hazy
By Andrew Clevenger The Bulletin
More local briefing, plus News of Record, on Page C2.
Oregon wildfires The following fires were burning in the mapped area below as of 6:35 a.m. Tuesday. For updates, go to www.nwccweb.us/information/ firemap.aspx. For a Central Oregon update, see Local Briefing, Page C2.
HIGH CASCADES COMPLEX FIRE • Acres: 108,154 • Containment: 95 percent • Threatened structures: 0 • Cause: Lightning
DOLLAR LAKE FIRE • Acres: 6,106 • Containment: 35 percent • Threatened structures: 32 • Cause: Lightning
SHADOW LAKE FIRE • Acres: 10,000 • Containment: 30 percent • Threatened structures: 77 • Cause: Lightning
MOTHER LODE FIRE • Acres: 2,063 • Containment: 5 percent • Threatened structures: 2 • Cause: Lightning
SUBSTITUTE FIRE • Acres: 88 • Containment: None • Threatened structures: 0 • Cause: Lightning
BUFFALO FIRE • Acres: 1,400 • Containment: 80 percent • Threatened structures: 0 • Cause: Lightning
GARDEN FIRE • Acres: 7,000 • Containment: 50 percent • Threatened structures: 3 • Cause: Lightning
UMPQUA COMPLEX FIRE • Acres: 770 • Containment: 10 percent • Threatened structures: None • Cause: Lightning Hood River
Pendleton
Dollar Lake Mother Lode Fire High Cascades Madras
Mitchell Sisters Prineville Bend
John Day
Shadow Lake La Pine
Garden Fire
Substitute Fire
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Pete Erickson / The Bulletin ile photo
A crowd dances at the 2004 Sagebrush Classic, the Deschutes Brewery’s annual charitable golf tournament and feast. Results for the event have been sliding for the past few years, according to Deschutes Brewery President Gary Fish.
Organizers assessing a disappointing first go for the redone, ambitious Sagebrush campaign By Heidi Hagemeier The Bulletin
The future of Sagebrush, the communitywide fundraising effort for nonprofits that launched this year, will likely be decided in the next month as organizers assess a disappointing debut performance. Sagebrush is the evolution of the Sagebrush Classic, the Deschutes Brewery’s annual charitable golf tournament and feast. In addition to those two events, it expanded this past year to include a downtown dining night, community scavenger hunt and private dinners as part of a six-month collaborative fundraising campaign by more than 100 nonprofit organizations. The concept was for area nonprofits to work together to raise money, then earn matching funds contributed by both large donors and area residents. The nonprofits together brought in $750,000. The match fund netted a less-than-hoped-for $31,000. It’s uncertain what will come next, Deschutes Brewery President Gary Fish said Monday. Various options will be considered, he said, from Sagebrush returning in the same form to reverting to the original model to taking a year off. “I think everything is on the table at this point in time,” he said. Fish added that aspects of the effort were successful: The nonprofits, along with becoming better interconnected,
Rob Kerr / The Bulletin ile photo
Golfers bump fists at the 2008 Sagebrush Classic. Declining fundraising for the event was one of the prime driving forces behind changing it up. “It should not be lost in this that the nonprofits raised a huge amount of money,” Fish said. “They sold it based on the leverageability of the match.” See Sagebrush / C5
Burns
Umpqua Complex Fire 50 Andy Zeigert / The Bulletin
Correction In an editorial headlined “State must respond on immunization,” which was published Sunday, Sept. 4, on Page F2, immunization-exemption rates were listed instead of immunization rates. The correct immunization rates were 51.9 percent at Waldorf School of Bend, 64.6 percent at Westside Village and 66.1 percent at Amity Creek Elementary. Those levels are well below those needed to establish socalled herd immunity. The Bulletin regrets the error.
Madras city manager to retire at end of year ern city limits. Morgan said he and his staff also have Madras City Manager Mike Morgan’s 15- worked to implement the city’s urban reviyear working relationship with the city and talization plan by investing largely in priJefferson County is drawing to a vate business. The Inn at Cross close. Morgan, 63, will retire at the Key Station and the city’s movie end of this year and is now setting theater are two investments that up a process for council members helped increase property value to choose his replacement. and boost the local economy, he Morgan has been manager of said. the city since 2004 and was the Carrying out the plan’s goals county’s first administrator before “has been fun, challenging and that, beginning in 1996. well worth everyone’s time and efThe list of projects Morgan has Mike Morgan fort,” he said. overseen during is tenure is long, Looking back, Morgan said his he said, but includes the creation greatest accomplishment is culof Jefferson Park Business Center in 2005 tivating a strong administrative team to and the city’s work on Yarrow, a 900-acre carry out the city’s business. master-planned community on the east“I like to point out that no one person does
By Duffie Taylor The Bulletin
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s proposal to pay for the bulk of his $447 billion jobs plan by raising taxes on the wealthy, in part by reducing a tax break on charitable deductions, has some members of the philanthropic community worried. By and large, charitable organizations live and breathe on the generosity of fellow citizens, said Margaret Hunt, CEO of Special Olympics Oregon, which bases its winter games in Bend. “The tax incentives that are provided are an important part of that,” she said. “We have great concerns on the possible impact on the giving community.” On Monday, Jack Lew, director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that as much as $400 billion of the president’s jobs plan would be funded by limiting itemized deductions for individuals who earn more than $200,000 a year and families earning more than $250,000. Currently, itemized deductions — including charitable donations, interest on mortgage payments and state and local property taxes — for Americans in the top tax brackets can be worth as much as 35 cents on the dollar. Obama’s plan would reduce that to 28 cents on the dollar, matching the limit for Americans in a lower tax bracket. Some philanthropic organizations expressed concerns that wealthy Americans, faced with reduced incentives, might be less inclined to donate to charities, which could hurt their bottom lines. “(W)ith so many Americans relying on the charitable sector, especially during these tough economic times, we are very concerned about proposals that could jeopardize the charitable gifts that are so important to nonprofits,” the American Red Cross’ Anne Marie Borrego said in a prepared statement. “The work of the American Red Cross — which is done each and every day — depends on the contributions and gifts from our donors. See Charities / C5
Councilor takes issue with Redmond sidewalks By Erik Hidle
raised $750,000 over the six months. He said the agencies have reported that a good portion of that is “new money” beyond what they would normally have raised in a campaign.
Buffalo Fire
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President’s jobs plan worries charitable groups
anything. I was part of a team that implemented council policy,” he said. “What I’m most proud of is forming a great management team that really works hard on behalf of this community.” As for post-retirement plans, Morgan said he will divide his time between his homes in Oregon and Wyoming and may eventually take on consulting or contracting work. “I’m going to recreate a bit first. In the end, though, I’ll remain engaged, either here or somewhere else.” Morgan’s last day is slated for Dec. 16, but he said it would be contingent on the city’s needs throughout the transition process. Duffie Taylor can be reached at 541-3830376 or at dtaylor@bendbulletin.com.
The Bulletin
REDMOND — At least one Redmond city councilor wants to see more money invested in the city’s sidewalks. But funding that wish will likely prove difficult. Redmond City Councilor Shirlee Evans challenged the amount of funds earmarked for future sidewalk upgrades after a Tuesday morning presentation on pedestrian Inside pathway im• Planned provements and upgrades, Americans with Page C5 Disabilities Act compliance. “If we don’t even have facilities for kids to walk to school, then we’re missing the boat,” Evans said. “We could use (additional) funds for sidewalks so kids who go to Obsidian (Middle School) can walk to school and get there safely.” City Engineer Mike Caccavano said $50,000 is budgeted annually for sidewalk improvements. Evans finds that figure insufficient, saying more needs to be done to connect residents to where they need to go in town. See Redmond / C5