Despite all of these great attributes, Bend has struggled in the past few years. Businesses have shut down, unemployment has skyrocketed, foreclosures are on the rise and their general economy often ranks in the top 10 worst in America.

I am over in Bend right now while my wife is here for work. I decided to find a nice coffee shop to work at this morning and ended up in a trendy looking section of downtown Bend. Unfortunately for business owners, downtown is dead. Empty commercial space lines most streets, restaurants sit virtually empty and the roads are all but a ghost town. If you are a small business owner, downtown Bend is probably one of the worst places for your storefront in all of Oregon right now.

I parked and walked into a wonderful coffee shop called Thump on Minnesota Street. They serve Stumptown and offer free wifi. The place was packed, unlike so many of their neighbors. Afterward, I asked the owner for a lunch restaurant suggestion and he pointed me to one of his favorites, and now one of mine after the amazing sandwich I just had. All told, I spent 3 hours in downtown Bend, found 2 great businesses to frequent and spent money.

When I returned to my car, it sat alone, the only vehicle parked on that side of the street for an entire block. I had a green envelope on my windshield; I was issued a parking ticket. Apparently that street, and most other downtown bend streets, have a 2 hour parking limit. I was a patron at locally owned businesses, spending money for 1 hour too long. Shame on me.

See, Bend, when you are in the type of economic situation that you’re in, parking tickets on empty streets are the last thing you should worry about. Sure, I know that I violated the time restriction, guilty as charged. However, I was one of very few people spending money in your community. I was supporting the businesses that have managed to stay alive during one of the worst economic downturns in modern history. One that names Bend as its poster child for what went wrong.

Instead of enforcing laws that keep people from spending more time and money in your once vibrant downtown, why not remove those restrictions and encourage people to hang around? I need a place for dinner tonight and will want to have a coffee while working again tomorrow. Should I go to downtown Bend for those trips or not? As I look at my $22 parking ticket from the City of Bend, I can tell you I’ll take my business elsewhere.

Bend, save the parking tickets for when you unemployment drops below 17%, for when your housing prices are no longer down 40%-60% from their highs and for when businesses start opening in your downtown, rather than closing.

Founded in 2006, The American Center for Sustainability is a Portland based, volunteer powered 501 (c) 3 non profit organization whose goal is to help develop a more sustainable, local food web across Oregon. ACS believes that many of today’s issues can be resolved in the backyards and green spaces found in urban and rural communities. Launching projects such as the Annual Plant Project, which provides free plant starts to Oregon non profit organizations; ACS hopes to not only provide nutritious plants but additionally encourage education and skill building through community gathering spaces. “Through our commitment to fresh air, clean water, healthy soil and food security we believe that collectively we can shift the ‘American Dream’ into a sustainable reality,” said Ken Burrow, founder of the American Center for Sustainability. Since its inception in 2007, The Annual Plant Project has distributed more than 100,000 free seedlings to Oregon non profit food initiatives.

Participating Restaurants: Bete- Lukas Ethiopian Restaurant, Bridgeport Brewpub, Chaos Café and Parlor, Echo Restaurant, Papa G’s Vegan Organic Deli, Proper Eats Market & Café, Bethany’s Table, Trébol Restaurant and Tequila Bar.

The project raises awareness of how the 2010 Census will count LGBT households. Concerned that these communities might not be targeted in traditional Census marketing, former Census Bureau Partnership Specialist, Niva Bennett, reached out to the Mayor’s office—the only government office in the region with a liaison to the LGBT community, Clay Neal.

“Each year, about 4.5 billion dollars are expended in Oregon based on federal Census data,” said Mayor Sam Adams. “Accurately counting our LGBT community means Portland will receive its fair share of targeted federal funds to support LGBT-related programs and services.”

Initially, representatives of the Mayor’s Office and the U.S. Census Bureau collaborated to produce the videos through the Bureau’s Partnership Support Program, which paid for Kurz Design & Productions to produce the two spots (in addition to in-kind donations from Kurz Design & Production.) The PSAs, April Snapshot and Boxed In can currently be viewed by the public and downloaded from YouTube.

“I’m proud of our messaging and its effectiveness,” said Niva Bennett. “We were able to produce a campaign for a community that otherwise might have been left out.” The PSAs underscore that the Census is about how the individual identifies, not how other people identify them.

A release party will be held at the Q Center (4115 N. Mississippi Ave.) on March 18, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Attendees will include Mayor Sam Adams, Multnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, the filmmakers and the PSA cast and crew. All are welcome to attend this free, family-friendly event.

“It’s all about ownership,” said Michael Kurz, PSA director. “The Census questionnaire enables people to own their identities.”

One of the most interesting boostrapped companies I’ve followed during my tenure here on Silicon Florist has to be ActiveTrak (the startup formerly known as GadgetTrak). And honestly, I always saw them as a dark horse around here.

They have a compelling consumer-focused product that helps people recover stolen laptops and mobile phones. They get major media coverage more than any local startup I know. And they continue to pitch as hard as any company—they’ve presented at OEN’s Angel Oregon three times—I’ve seen. And yet, they couldn’t really seem to land funding. Until now.

To read the full story and hear how much money they took, head on over to SiliconFlorist.com.

This Traffic Safety Operation is being conducted as a result of the increased number of vehicle versus pedestrian and bicycle collisions in the city over the last several months. As these collisions have continued to increase over the winter months, the McMinnville Police Department wants to ensure the public that we are doing everything in our power to decrease preventable traffic collisions between vehicles and pedestrians and bicyclists on our shared roadways. Additionally, our goal is to increase driver and pedestrian awareness, and educate all users of the McMinnville street system.

This Traffic Safety Operation will specifically target traffic violations committed by pedestrians and bicyclists, but will also address vehicular traffic as well.

If you have any questions concerning the upcoming Pedestrian Safety Operation please contact Sergeant Tim Symons.

Coffee aficionados have been asking the question over and over again: Is Stumptown Coffee Roasters of Portland, Ore. — the most conspicuous exponent of coffee’s “third wave” — the new Starbucks?

Wait, you haven’t heard of the third wave? Get with the program! In cities across America, a fervid generation of caffeine evangelists are changing the way we drink coffee. They tend to be male, heavily bearded, zealous and meticulous in what they do. And the coffee they produce is as much an improvement over Starbucks and its rivals as Starbucks was over Taster’s Choice. Stumptown didn’t make a movement by itself. There’s Intelligentsia in Chicago and Counter Culture in North Carolina, and as far back as the 1980s, some roasters, like David Dallis of Dallis Coffee, were seeking to import beans from single farms, roasting them less rather than more and generally doing the things that separate this movement from its Seattle-based progenitors in the ’70s.

Read the whole story from Time.com by clicking here.

“Parents and caregivers are urged to protect children and others from electrical injury by regularly checking to ensure their homes are free from potential hazards,” said Chris Myers, Pacific Power safety director. “Instruct children at a young age on how to avoid unsafe behavior around electrical equipment both inside and outside of the home.”

Electrical safety information and free safety materials are available online at www.pacificpower.net/safety. Or call toll free at 800-375-7085.

Myers also recommends checking to ensure that safe conditions exist in daycare facilities, in hotel rooms when traveling, and in the homes of neighbors and friends where children play.

Pacific Power offers the following reminders for safely using electricity inside the home:

• Don’t overload electrical circuits. This is a common cause of fires.
• Use outlet plug covers if small children live in the house.
• Never use electrical appliances near water. Hair dryers, radios and other bathroom or kitchen appliances should be kept away from sinks and tubs.
• Use extension cords wisely. Never exceed the load rating, always dispose of damaged cords and don’t use extension cords as a replacement for permanent wiring.
• Attach extension cords to appliances before plugging them into outlets.
• Always disconnect by pulling on the plug – not the cord.
• Unplug appliances before attempting any repairs.
• Use three-pronged grounded plugs only in three-prong outlets; never cut the third prong off a plug.
• Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters – outlets with test and reset buttons – in bathrooms, garages, near kitchen sinks and outdoors, as they are designed to shut off power during a short circuit or grounding event.
• When performing electrical do-it-yourself projects around the home, always turn off circuit breakers and then test circuits to make sure they are de-energized before performing any work. Professional electricians can help ensure large projects are done according to electrical codes for your home.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) maintains strict regulations related to Phytophthora ramorum (sometimes referred to as Sudden Oak Death) to protect forest health, landscapes, and nurseries across the country. Nurseries in Oregon and California have an outstanding record of compliance with these rules.

However last year, the South Carolina Assembly passed legislation that limits California and Oregon growers from shipping to that state unless they comply with additional inspection, documentation and advance notice requirements which overstep the federal rules.

States are prohibited from taking such steps under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Plant Protection Act, which gives the federal government the exclusive power to protect plants sold in interstate commerce.

The suit, which names the State of South Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, challenges that state’s regulation as unconstitutional. “It is disappointing that the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, which runs programs to promote its home-state products for sale in other states as well as at home, chose to follow this path,” said Robert Dolezal, CANGC’s executive vice president.

California and Oregon are leading states for production of nursery products, shipping ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, bulbs, and other horticultural products to the nation and the world. Nurseries in Oregon and California have had their shipments blocked or plants destroyed as a result of the regulation.

“California nurseries are fully complying with the federal APHIS order,” Dolezal continued. “Protecting our customers in other states and shipping clean plants is in the best interest of everyone in our industry.”

OAN executive director John Aguirre agreed. “Nurseries take very seriously the threat of plant diseases,” he said. “Over 70% of Oregon’s nursery sales are destined for buyers outside our state. Oregon growers cannot allow states to violate federal law in an effort to close their markets to our growers.”

There is specific precedent for the plaintiffs’ action. In 2004, the California Association of Nursery and Garden Centers successfully sued the State of Kentucky under similar circumstances. “Despite that precedent, our polite requests were ignored and we had no other option but to defend our nurseries from being cut off from their customers in South Carolina,” Dolezal said.

“We are disappointed that we were forced to take this action, but the impact on our members’ businesses left us no choice,” said Dolezal.

The two associations seek injunctive relief to invalidate the regulation. They expect a swift ruling from the U.S. District Court in light of the clear-cut law and precedent.

The plaintiffs in the suit are represented by attorneys Jim Lehman and Daniel D’Alberto of Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, LLP of Columbia, South Carolina, and Neil Shapiro of the Law Offices of Neil Shapiro in Monterey, California.

The Kizashi, available in four trim levels and with optional AWD, is a jack-of-all-trades that’s ready to do battle against a number of cars simultaneously: Front-drive sedan staples, such as the Mazda6, Nissan Altima, and Honda Accord; all-wheel drivers like the Subaru Legacy; even luxury likes including the Acura TSX and Audi A4 are in Kizashi’s cross hairs. Suzuki needs to hit the targets, too—sales have been down significantly lately as the company tries to figure out its lineup and maintain its relatively small dealer network. (There are two Suzuki dealerships in the Portland/Vancouver area.)

However, what Suzuki has done with the Kizashi is very impressive. They’ve created a sports sedan with world-class driving dynamics, given it unexpectedly high-end features, and priced it on the low end of the spectrum. With the right marketing, this should be a segment buster.

My review model is a mid-level Kizashi SE with AWD mated to a CVT (continuously variable transmission). FYI, this model happens to be very similar in size, fuel economy, power, and price to the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5i (I reviewed the 2.5i Limited in January).

EXTERIOR STYLING
I like the Kizashi’s appearance. It’s not over the top, but it’s not vanilla. Rather, it’s a classy blend of sport and sophistication, and nearly everyone I showed the car to liked its looks. One thing is for certain: Cover up the badges and most people wouldn’t guess this is a Suzuki.

Of note are the car’s signature dual exhaust cutouts, which provide a clean, edgy look to the rear fascia. Also of not is the car’ size. It’s longer than a VW Jetta by 3.8 inches, but shorter than a Subaru Legacy by 3.3 inches.

INTERIOR
The Kizashi’s interior is very impressive and feels, sounds, and looks like it came out of a much more expensive vehicle. The interior is finished in black and tan with silver accents. The dash’s black finish is slightly rubberized, and although not quite as nice as some of its luxury competitors, it’s not plasticy, either. All Kizashi’s also include push-button start/stop and SmartPass keyless entry.

The comfortable, moderately bolstered power driver’s seat (with two memory buttons) allows for a good driving position. The thick leather-wrapped steering wheel feels good in the hands, and it tilts and telescopes. Steering wheel controls include cruise, audio, and trip computer. Two gripes: The driving position I liked made the steering wheel block the top of the speedometer and tachometer, although not enough so I couldn’t read the gauges, but enough that I noticed. Secondly, there was a slight rattle somewhere in the dash.

Rear seating consists of a 60/40 folding bench with center arm rest, cupholders, and pass-through to the trunk. Rear leg room is ample, the trunk is sizable, and overall interior space is on par with the competition.

The SE’s audio fare consists of a seven-speaker stereo with CD player, XM reediness, and USB input; sound quality is commendable. A 10-speaker 425 watt Rockford-Fosgate system, as well as Bluetooth, are available on the upper end GTS and SLS models.

ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN
The Kizashi comes with a responsive, free-revving 2.4-liter four cylinder engine making 185 horsepower and 170 ft./lbs. of torque. This puts it above all four-cylinders in its class, sans the Acura TSX and Audi A4. The 16-valve, DOHC mill is smooth all the way up to its 6,660 RPM redline, although it does made a bit of noise in the upper range. It is, however, very quiet at cruising speeds.

This Kizashi features Suzuki’s optional i-AWD system, allowing the car to be operated in FWD or AWD. On my trip to Astoria, I kept the car in AWD 90% of the time, and it performed seamlessly. All AWD Kizashis come with a CVT that includes the ability to select five speeds manually by moving the gear shifter up or down. The system was surprisingly responsive, and less clunky that some “manumatic” shifters I’ve used. FYI, the six-speed manual transmission is only available on FWD models.

Fuel economy for AWD versions is rated at an EPA-estimated 22 city, 29 highway; I got 26 MPG with about 70% highway driving.

RIDE/HANDLING
When it comes down to it, the Kizashi simply out-drives many of its competitors. Its chassis feels like a car costing thousands more than it does.

A fully independent suspension with front and rear swaybars and KYB shock absorbers creates a nicely tuned sport suspension, and the electric-assist steering is quick. The SE models get upsized 17-inch alloy wheels shod in 215/55/17 Dunlop tires.

On the highway, the ride is supple and controlled. However, it’s in the curves where the Kizashi’s chassis comes alive. When driven spiritedly, the car feels planted and solid with minimal body roll. The suspension, engine, and drivetrain work well together, and the car never feels unsettled. I also found this car more fun to drive than the Subaru Legacy 2.5i; it simply feels sportier in just about every aspect. Frankly, the Kizashi is a hoot to drive. Another FYI: Buyers looking to add even more sport to this sports sedan may prefer to upgrade to the GTS or SLS with the larger 18-inch wheels and meaty 235/45/18 tires.

When it comes time to stop, braking is handled by four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, EBD, and brake assist. The Kizashi also has traction control, skid control, eight airbags, and a five-star government crash safety rating.

A TRUE COMPETITOR
Make no mistake: Suzuki has created a very competitive and affordable sports sedan with the Kizashi. My SE AWD stickers for $23,004, the only additional features being $125 worth of floor mats and $130 for metallic paint. It’s a great price for a car with such wonderful driving dynamics, not to mention plentiful amenities. To top it off, Suzuki backs the powertrain with a 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Suzuki needs the Kizashi to be a success, and luckily, it’s built a world-class car. Now, they’ll need some world-class marketing to get the word out.

Don’t let Kizashi’s price fool you: The car is “that good,”and should not be overlooked by people shopping for sports sedans.

LINK
Suzuki Kizashi (SuzukiAuto.com)

In life, there are those who take the road less followed. Oregon State Treasurer Ben Westlund’s was miles past where the pavement ends.

His path took him from Apple Valley, Calif; to the shores of Lake Oswego; to the painted hills of Eastern Oregon; to rural Deschutes County; and then to the statehouse, where he served as a legislator and as Treasurer.

In Central Oregon and then the Capitol, where Westlund spent much of the past 13 years since being first elected in 1996, he was known for his easygoing wit and his signature sign off: “Down the trail.”

Westlund’s journey ended too soon. He died early Sunday in Bend, when he lost his battle to cancer. He was 60.

The son of Long Beach oilman Bernard “Bud” Westlund, and Dorothy Reynolds Westlund, he was born Sept. 3, 1949. He spent his first 16 years in Apple Valley, Calif., where his father had a successful real estate development. His family returned to the Northwest with his two brothers. He graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., where he earned a degree in education and history.

He helped start a successful mining venture in Christmas Valley, and then a marketing company in Portland. In the 1980s he started ranching in Eastern Oregon and named his operation High Country Herefords, and launched a cattle genetics operation in Oklahoma called Taurus. His best-known and most economically successful prize-winning Hereford bull was named Reggie.

Westlund married his wife, Libby Bishop, a high school classmate and friend, in1987. After selling his registered Hereford herd in 1990 they settled on the Deschutes River in Tumalo, outside of Bend. They have two children; BJ, 21, and Taylor, 17. Ben dutifully called home every night at 8 p.m. during his years at the Capitol to say good night to his family.

A lifetime fan of baseball, specifically the Los Angeles Dodgers, Westlund also was part-owner in the 1990s of a minor league baseball team, the Bend Bandits. While it was fun to own a team, Ben recounted that the best part of the experience was traveling the state with his kids, watching their team play.

A friend convinced him to run for the legislature in 1996 and Westlund was elected to the Oregon Legislature House of Representatives. In 2003, he was appointed to the Senate and successfully won the seat in 2004. He quickly earned a reputation as a problem solver and as an advocate for Oregon families.

In his 12 years in the state Legislature, he was a co-chairman of the budget-drafting Joint Ways and Means Committee and championed legislation that created the State’s Rainy Day Fund, Public Safety Memorial Fund and the Oregon Cultural Trust. He was the chief legislative advocate for creating the Cascades Campus of Oregon State University in Central Oregon.

He survived an initial bout with lung cancer in 2003. A political moderate who started his career as a Republican, Westlund bucked his party and was the cosponsor of legislation to give marriage-like rights to same-sex couples. He staged a brief campaign for governor as an independent in 2006. He fought for consumer protection and was the co-author of Oregon’s health system reforms in 2007, and was elected as Oregon’s 27th State Treasurer in 2008. He is the only state treasurer to be elected from east of the Cascades in recent memory.

As Treasurer, he gained national attention for his initiative to expand investment transparency and led a series of reforms to increase accountability and options in the Oregon 529 College Savings Plan. He was instrumental in securing a $20 million settlement in 2009 for families who are saving for their children’s futures.

He worked to the end and he was a hands-on, creative and collaborative leader who sought to bring out the best in his staff. In the final quarter of 2009, the returns earned by the State Treasury investment division were in the top 1 percent of large public pension funds.

In his speeches, he frequently joked that while folks can learn lifelong lessons in kindergarten, you can learn a lot about being Treasurer from ranching. For instance, watch out for predators, sunshine is the best disinfectant, and watch where you step.

Westlund’s legacy will live on in Oregon, in the form of the cultural trust and public safety fund, which provides money to families of officers killed or injured in the line of duty. His legacy also will live on in the memories of friends and Oregonians whose lives he touched, and those who spoke with him, or were fortunate enough to meet him in his travels down almost every road – paved or not — across the state he loved.

Down the trail, Ben. Down the trail.