A few questions for local Bend residents... (Portland, Redmond: 2014, HOA)

[Masterful_Man]

I have a few questions for the local folks from Bend OR:


1. How should we refer to locals from Bend OR?
(Bendites? Bendoans? Bendians? Benders? Bendies?)


2. Does Bend OR ever suffer from serious water shortages?
(like certain parts of the southwest, Arizona & CA for instance)


3. Are there any issues with the local power grid? Power outages?


4. Are the local hospitals & medical clinics pretty good?


5. How often do you guys see wildlife, such as bears, cougars, elk, deer, eagles, falcons, etc.?


6. How bad is road traffic in the Bend metro area?


7. If single folks could chime in, how is the dating environment there in Bend?


8. Lastly, how would you rate the local airport over in Redmond?


Thanks in advance for those who respond.

[Thom52]

No one else jumping on this?
I will give my opinions, and they are only opinions.

1) Bendites is the term I use. Not sure if that has people cringing.

2) Bend water is from the mountains through creeks and aquifers and depends on snowpack. The City talks water conservation, but they say they can't do anything about my development HOA requiring me to have a lush green lawn. Southern CA is guaranteed water from Northern CA, so S CA doesn't really have shortages. I survived one of the worst shortages in the Bay Area in the 70's. Nothing like that so far in Bend, but wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if severe shortages happen as population increases and snowpack decreases.

3) Local grid seems to be keeping up. My neighborhood is underground lines and is not a problem. Experiences vary wildly depending on neighborhood. Internet....well that is another story. Lower your expectations on internet speed and reliability.

4) Bend has THE major hospital for Central Oregon. Good luck on finding a GP if you are on Medicare or some subsidized form of health insurance. We have an ample supply or orthopedic surgeons, but good luck on scheduling a colonoscopy. i.e. Generally a slim choice of specialists, but given enough time you can usually get into a decent doc.

5) Deer wander through neighborhoods and on roads. Drive cautiously, not like my wife. Marmot sightings are cool, until you spot one in your yard. Mtn Lions are moderate population. I have yet to hear of anyone spotting a bear. Raptors are plentiful and make it a challenge to own a tiny dog or small cat.

6) Bend has Urban Growth Boundaries, which concentrates housing. Road infrastructure has no plans to keep up with this density. Traffic is terrible if you have lived in Bend 10 years or more. Laughable if you lived in Seattle area recently.

7) I just had my 40th wedding anniversary so no help there. If you aren't looking for a partner that is into some sort of fitness thing, you are in the wrong town.

8) Airport traffic is not a problem at least. Flight destinations are limited, pricey, regularly rescheduled or cancelled. May be late by a few hours as a normal thing. A lot of people drive over to Portland, spending the night at each end of a trip, to avoid the likely chance of missing a connection. Find a hotel in Portland that offers free parking while on your trip, if you spend the night there to defray the cost of the hotel. It is not a bad airport if you are doing a single hop to Seattle/Portland/SF/LA.

[BendLocal]

I don't like the trendy labels that Bend based tourist organizations promote. We are Oregonians.

Originally Posted by Thom52

5) Deer wander through neighborhoods and on roads. Drive cautiously, not like my wife. Marmot sightings are cool, until you spot one in your yard. Mtn Lions are moderate population. I have yet to hear of anyone spotting a bear. Raptors are plentiful and make it a challenge to own a tiny dog or small cat.

Plus elk on the northwest side of town and rattlesnakes on the east side of town. Coyotes are all over this area and could be an issue if you have animals.

Originally Posted by Thom52

A lot of people drive over to Portland, spending the night at each end of a trip, to avoid the likely chance of missing a connection. Find a hotel in Portland that offers free parking while on your trip, if you spend the night there to defray the cost of the hotel. It is not a bad airport if you are doing a single hop to Seattle/Portland/SF/LA.

Excellent summary. Flying out of PDX is the option I use when I have connections I can't afford to miss. But it adds at least 5 hours each way to my trip.

[Thom52]

Originally Posted by BendLocal

I don't like the trendy labels that Bend based tourist organizations promote. We are Oregonians.
.....

says "BendLocal"

[BendLocal]

Originally Posted by Thom52

says "BendLocal"

"BendLocal" is not one of the trendy names I was referring to. FWIW that handle was selected to inform readers that I am local compared to some others that were posting information that didn't reside in Bend at all or had just moved to town.

[OR-Girl]

1. How should we refer to locals from Bend OR?
(Bendites? Bendoans? Bendians? Benders?
Bendites is the word I’ve heard often. Have never heard the other terms you mentioned.

2. Does Bend OR ever suffer from serious water shortages?
(like certain parts of the southwest, Arizona & CA for instance)
Not in the 16 years I’ve lived here

3. Are there any issues with the local power grid? Power outages?
Not unless someone gets drunk and runs into a nearby power pole. Or a windstorm knocks something down. Or a squirrel fries itself in the transformer (yes, this actually happened recently).


4. Are the local hospitals & medical clinics pretty good?
I have had limited experience with these, but when I have needed services, there were no problems at all. Not sure about others’ experiences with OHP, but I’ve had no problems scheduling procedures.

5. How often do you guys see wildlife, such as bears, cougars, elk, deer, eagles, falcons, etc.
Tons of deer. They’re fun to watch until they eat your flowers and vegetable gardens. That can be a real problem. I’ve seen quite a few eagles, heard of a few cougar sightings, but never experienced it myself. Bears? Haven’t even heard of a sighting. I live on the east side of Bend and have never seen a rattler, so not sure why a previous poster listed that. And I can’t imagine coyotes giving anyone problems, I’ve seen just a few in all my years here.

6. How bad is road traffic in the Bend metro area?
It’s definitely gotten worse in the last 5 years, but I certainly wouldn’t say Bend has a traffic problem. Unless you’re trying to get through Sisters during the rodeo or annual quilt show! 😫


7. If single folks could chime in, how is the dating environment there in Bend?
No experience there, but I’ll agree with the previous poster who said it might be difficult if you’re not into being active outdoors.

8. Lastly, how would you rate the local airport over in Redmond?
Very minimal experience here, but it is so easy to get in and out of! A little more expensive, but I prefer it so much over driving to Portland and dealing with the craziness of a large airport.

[BendLocal]

Central Oregon is loaded with wildlife of all shapes and sizes.

https://www.bendbulletin.com/slidesh...central-oregon

Though there is no shortage of rattlesnakes in Central Oregon ...

https://www.deschuteslandtrust.org/n...e-rattlesnakes

Northern Pacific rattlesnakes are denizens of lower-elevation, dry, rocky habitats in sagebrush country and sparse, sunbathed juniper-pine woodlands.

Wildlife in Central Oregon: Venomous animals strike

"I walked past a boulder, and it just jumped out and bit me," Walsh recalled recently. "The initial pain wasn't bad enough for me to really look down and check. Within probably five minutes, my whole body got really tingly and numb. My mouth was numb. About ten minutes in, it was getting hard to breathe."

COUGARS AND RATTLERS AND BEARS, OH MY! WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT CRITTERS IN THE HIGH DESERT.

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon is home to about 25,000-30,000 black bears (many of which are not actually black, but cinnamon or brown in color).

Plenty of them make their homes in wilderness areas surrounding Bend, so here’s what you should know if you’re hiking, fishing, or camping in bear country:

Natural World: Why Coyotes Like It In Town
(Hint: There are cats there)

A recent television report about coyotes living in Bend surprised some people. It shouldn't, since there are coyotes living all over North America today, eating mule deer fawns, chickens and cats

Coyote Summer Safety

Coyotes are back—or always seem to be—in the news. One tried to run off with a small dog out near the Sisters Airport a while back, but the owner's big dog changed the coyote's mind and it dropped the little dog.

Here are ODFW's suggestions for wise human behavior to prevent unwanted wildlife interactions:

1. Do not leave small children unattended outdoors if coyotes have been frequenting the area.

2. Feed pets indoors and do not leave pet food or water bowls outside

3. Supervise pets when they are outside; if possible, keep them leashed. Do not leave cats or small dogs out after dark

4. Secure garbage and garbage cans in an area inaccessible to wild animals (use bleach to remove odors that could attract coyotes)

5. Harvest fruits and vegetables as they become ripe and do not allow them to accumulate

6. Never leave food or water out for feral animals or wildlife

7. Bring livestock and fowl into barns, sheds or coyote-proof enclosures at night

8. Trim and clear vegetation that provides cover for coyotes or their prey.

9. Remove bird feeders. Coyotes are attracted to them.

10. Secure compost piles

11. Clean barbecues regularly

12. Build a coyote-proof perimeter fence

When taking a pet dog for a walk in wild places, keep it close (on a leash preferably), and don't let it go exploring on its own in unknown places

[BendLocal]

Cougar spotted in Awbrey Butte neighborhood

A homeowner on Northwest Hale Street reported seeing the cougar attacking a deer on the homeowner’s property. The homeowner was able to scare off the cougar as the deer ran away, according to Corey Heath, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist.