NEWS
Redmond Won’t Ban Confederate Flags
The Redmond City Council decided against a resolution that would ban the flying of “hateful symbols” By Jack Harvel
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y a split margin, the Redmond City Council this week chose not to consider a resolution that condemned symbols of hate in public parades. The issue came up after a Confederate flag was flown in the Redmond Chamber of Commerce’s Fourth of July Parade. Councilor Ed Fitch proposed a resolution, which condemned symbols of hate like Nazi and Confederate flags,
"When we have our community parade we do that to honor, to honor our nation, to honor our community and to honor ourselves. That’s what it’s all about and when you put flags like that in a parade the symbol is to honor that flag." —Ed Fitch to be considered at the next month’s council meeting. One Redmond resident spoke against the resolution during the public comment section of the meeting on Aug. 10, arguing that the float did not portray the flag positively, and that it illustrated the United States overcame the Confederate forces to maintain what was, at the time, a divided nation.
Courtesy Redmond City Council
Two other people sent letters that were supportive of the three councilors who pushed for the resolution. “I believe that it is important for the Council to come out with a strong statement of condemnation, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people,’” Colleen Shearer wrote to the council.
Fitch said his reason for promoting the resolution was not to criminalize flying the flag or to condemn the float, but to avoid honoring racist symbols. “The Confederate flag is to be remembered but not honored, and that’s the distinction,” Fitch said. “When we have our community parade we do that to honor, to honor our nation, to honor our community and to honor ourselves.
The Redmond City Council opted not to add a resolution condemning “symbols of hate” in public parades at its Aug. 10 meeting.
That’s what it’s all about and when you put flags like that in a parade the symbol is to honor that flag.” Redmond Mayor George Endicott said his opposition to the resolution was solidified after speaking with veterans on the topic. “I made up my mind after attending a function at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Saturday evening,” Endicott said. “Every person who approached me reminded me that we fought in combat to protect our freedoms; this included the right to
protest, to take stances contrary to others and to speak in ways that are unpopular. Every person felt the right to free speech overrides any feelings of emotional turmoil.” Councilor Krisanna Clark-Endicott said her role in the City Council isn’t to dictate public thought or have any jurisdiction over the parade. The vote to add the resolution to the next agenda failed by a margin of four to three, with Councilors Clifford Evelyn and Jon Bullock joining Fitch in supporting the resolution.
Big Fire Fully Contained
With the quelling of a major fire, air quality in Central Oregon expected to improve By Jack Harvel
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n air quality alert from the National Weather Service expired at noon on Monday, bringing an end to a hazy weekend of unhealthy air quality in Central Oregon. Temperature drops are expected from the high 90s of the weekend into the 70s by midweek. Fire officials hope the lower temperatures and increased humidity will improve visibility and air quality but warn that fires are still just a spark away. “We are at our highest level of industrial fire precaution levels. So, no firewood cutting, no anything with an open flame,” said Jean Nelson Dean, Deschutes Forest public affairs officer. The Middle Fork Fire in Lane County ignited under these circumstances and is currently burning on over 9,000 acres and is only 7% contained. On Aug. 10 Oregon Gov. Kate
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Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the Middle Fork Complex Fire. “As we are in the middle of another very challenging fire season, now is a good time for Oregonians to make a preparedness plan and get 2 Weeks Ready,” said Brown. “A good first step is to sign up to receive emergency notifications by visiting oralert.gov. I encourage all Oregonians to understand wildfire risks, pay attention to fire restrictions and be sure to check in with friends and family members who may need help to get disaster prepared.” The Middle Fork Fire continues spreading as the Bootleg Fire, for a time the largest fire in the United States before being surpassed by California’s Dixie Fire, reaches 100% containment. The Bootleg Fire raged for 39 days and torched over 413,00 acres before reaching 100% containment
WWW.BENDSOURCE.COM / AUGUST 19, 2021 / BEND’S INDEPENDENT VOICE
Courtesy Inciweb
A plume of smoke rises over the Middle Fork Complex Fire in the Willamette National Forest.
this week. The Dixie Fire was burning on nearly 570,000 acres as of Monday, according to CalFire. Another big
fire, the Grandview Fire near Sisters, burned over 6,000 acres in late July and is now 100% contained.
