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 Bend Chamber
 777 NW Wall St, Ste 200
 Bend, OR 97701

 Phone: (541) 382-3221
 Fax: (541) 385-9929
 info@bendchamber.org
 www.bendchamber.org

Bend Chamber Weekly E-News
July 25, 2008
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator

• Deschutes County unemployment rate remains stable

• Tetherow Golf Course could be one of the top course’s in the U.S.

• Cessna featured on Flight International Web site

• City to begin street resurfacing

• In the News

• Attention Leaders: Chamber Opportunity Available

Deschutes County unemployment rate remains stable

     While Crook and Jefferson counties saw slight decreases in their unemployment rates, Deschutes County’s rate remained the same.
     Deschutes County stayed at a 6.1 percent unemployment rate. According to the State of Oregon Employment Department press release, “Normally we see a slight up-tick in the June rate. The gains in June were below expectations.”
     Though the percentage remained the same, the month of June did see an increase of 1,250 jobs to the area. This is actually 1.6 percent higher than last year. Some of the largest gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and retail trade.
     The Employment Department’s press release also stated, “Overall, the county’s employment has shown mixed trends this year, a flattening out after the rapid growth the county has seen in recent years.”
     Nationally, the unemployment rate increased slightly from 5.2 percent in May to 5.7 percent. The State of Oregon also saw a marginal increase from 5.2 percent in May to 5.5 percent.
 

Tetherow Golf Course could be one of the top course’s in the U.S.

     With its official opening only days away on July 26, Tetherow Golf Course has received more great press, this time from www.TravelGolf.com.
     Writer Brandon Tucker said, “It has the potential to become the northwest's most talked about new golf course outside of the Seattle area's Chamber Bay.”
     The course was designed by renowned Scottish golf architect David Mclay Kidd. The article goes on to talk about Kidd’s interesting layouts and the advantage of knowing the home turf.
Tucker also describes Tetherow as a resort course that won’t be straightforward for golfers. “Instead, a round out here comes with a good amount of trickery, with different routes to play many holes,” he stated.
     With several other courses mentioned in the area, Tucker says Bend could be considered a top golf destination.
 

Cessna featured on Flight International Web site

     Cessna’s Bend manufacturing facility was recently featured on the Flight International Web site for its increased production rates. According to the article, Cessna’s use of the Textron Production System has helped the company improve workplace safety, raise productivity, and generate higher customer satisfaction.
     General Manager Mark Withrow told Flight International the Textron Six Sigma system has helped the facility to streamline production while preserving the quality and reliability of Cessna’s aircraft.
     “We’ve seen a significant reduction in labor hours per aircraft, and Bend is on track to cut the number of factory related incidents in half this year,” he said. “And, most importantly, I’m happy to report that along with a flawless on-time delivery record this year, our employees’ work has received the top score for quality on all post-delivery customer surveys.”
 

     The City of Bend has started its summer street resurfacing projects. According to the city, there will be limited access to homes and businesses during the construction process. Some of the resurfacing work will be done at night or early in the morning to help avoid traffic delays.
     The streets to be paved will be closed to traffic until work is completed and the asphalt is cool enough for traffic. Some projects will require two days to complete. The City requests that residents do not park anything on the affected streets until the project is complete. Vehicles may be towed. If your yard irrigation waters the street, please turn the system off until the project is complete. In addition, keep your pets away from construction activities.
     The city would like to remind businesses and residents project dates are subject to change due to unseasonably cool or wet weather or equipment problems.
     Some of the streets involved in the project include NW Newport, Mount Washington Drive, Boyd Acres Road, and N Division. For a complete list of streets and schedules visit the city’s homepage at www.ci.bend.or.us.

In the News

     It’s Fair Time in Deschutes County
     Central Oregonians are gearing up for the 2008 Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo. All the fun and action will start on Wednesday, July 30 and end Sunday, August 3. Make sure to check out all the exhibits, attend the rodeo, and enjoy some of the great concerts. For more information go to www.expo.deschutes.org.
     French lawmakers end the 35-hour work week
     While many employers are looking at flextime or switching to a four day work week in the United States, businesses in France can look at extending work hours beyond 35 hours a week. On Wednesday, French lawmakers ended the decade long experiment and will allow companies to explore more hours as well as more workdays. Currently, white collar workers only work a maximum of 218 days. That number has now been increased to 235 days. The original intent of the law was to increase jobs. Many workers have stated their personal lives could suffer with this shift.
     Oil’s decline continues
     With traders and investors questioning the economy, oil prices dropped below $125 a barrel on Thursday. This is a 15 percent drop from only a few weeks ago when oil reached a peak price of $147 a barrel. The Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration reported Americans have used 2.4 percent less fuel over the last four weeks compared to last year at this time. Experts say this is a significant shift for the oil industry.