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Redmond Airport is economic
powerhouse
An
article in Economic Development for Central Oregon's "eCon
Update" told just how important the Redmond Airport is
to Central Oregon's economy. Passenger boardings at the
Redmond Airport grew by 22.4 percent in the year ending
March 31, which far outpaced the average growth of 4.9
percent at other airports in the Northwest. Redmond saw
its largest month ever for passenger boardings in
August, with 22,380. A slight down side of the growth
has been longer lines at the airport and difficulty at
times finding parking spots, but Redmond is trying to
take care of that with an expansion project that will
quadruple the terminal from its current 33,000 square
feet to 130,000 square feet by the end of 2008. Despite
the airport's phenomenal growth, Airport Manager Carrie
Novick said recently that Redmond isn't going to have
jetways like Portland or larger airports in the
foreseeable future. On a somewhat related note, the Bend
Municipal Airport is finally getting a restaurant on the
top floor of the Flight Services Building. Café 3456 is
scheduled to open by the end of the year.
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October 13 GAC to feature
candidates
Join the Bend Chamber's Government Affairs Council at
the Bend Golf & Country Club at 7 a.m. on Oct. 13 for a
special, 2-hour meeting to hear from candidates for Bend
City Council, Deschutes County Commission and local
state legislative offices. Candidates will not debate,
but will have a few minutes to talk about their
positions and answer questions. Space is limited, so if
you're interested in this special event, contact Lindi
at the Chamber office, 382-3221, to reserve a spot. The
cost for Chamber members who aren't members of the GAC
is $20 for breakfast. You also may sign up online
HERE.
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Car raffle tickets going quickly
A
few tickets still are available in the raffle sponsored
by the Bend Chamber and local car dealers to win a
$25,000 car of your choice. The Chamber and some Chamber
member non-profit organizations are selling raffle
tickets for $5 each (with a limit of four per person)
for the chance to win a car from any of nine local
dealers, or $25,000 credit towards the purchase of a
more expensive vehicle. The lucky winner will be
announced at the Bend Chamber Holiday Party at The High
Desert Museum on Dec. 7. Some non-profit organizations
have been selling tickets and will keep $2 of every
ticket they sell to benefit their programs. For
information, call the Chamber office, 382-3221.
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Second annual Central Oregon
Benchmark Survey is in progress
The Bend Chamber, the MBL Group, LLC, and the Human
Resource Association of Central Oregon still are
conducting the second annual Central Oregon Benchmark
Survey, which provides data regarding average pay and
benefits practices for more than 150 positions in 22
different job categories. Businesses in Central Oregon
are being asked to take part in this survey, and those
who participate are eligible for a drawing for one free
survey or one hour of MBL consulting time. Survey
participation is free and all participants are eligible
to receive a 50 percent discount off the survey purchase
price. Information: go to
www.mblgroup.com and look for the COBS link in the
lower right-hand corner.
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What's important in November's
election? A lot
Last week's survey question was, "What's the most
important race or issue for you personally on the
November election ballot, and why?" We received a lot of
mail on this one. Some replies:
"The most important race is for Bend City Council.
The city of Bend needs to focus on basic infrastructure
and safety services and consistent, clear and courteous
service to citizens. The most important measure is 48,
the state spending limit. The only way to control
government is funding. Uncontrolled spending means
uncontrolled government."
"The (Bend-La Pine) school bond is critical. We
have to accept the fact that our explosive growth also
means that there are more kids in schools. The
construction that this bond will finance is quite
necessary. And out property taxes will not go up. It's a
no-brainer."
"I will be voting to defeat any candidate who does
not behave with moderation, Democrat or Republican.
Candidates who do not have the ability to understand and
appreciate different points of view need to go away so
that all our levels of government can move towards
effective compromises. Let's get away from bsound bite'
positions and really dig into issues until we find what
seems to work best for the most."
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2006 Industry Week coming soon
Economic Development for Central Oregon is playing host
to its third annual Industry Week from October 16-20.
The week is designed to build momentum in recognizing
and showcasing the significant contributions made by
tri-county manufacturers, technology-based companies and
other businesses that export a majority of their goods
and services outside the region. Events include business
roundtables in Bend, Prineville, Redmond and Madras,
seminars and the Bend Venture Conference at the Tower
Theatre on Friday, Oct. 20. For more information, go to
EDCO's Web site,
info@edcoinfo.com or check out the Industry Week
insert in Cascade Business News.
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This
week's survey
question
What's the most significant challenge your business
faces as we enter the fourth quarter of 2006? Please
e-mail your responses to:
jeff@bendchamber.org.
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