From the Bulletin story on Stars. "The fact of the matter is, whether you accept it or not, there is a different mentality here in Bend," (Stars owner) Randy Kaiser said. "It's a different culture, and I can't explain it."
Heh.
Hah.
I could say, "Finally! Someone gets it!!"
What I've always said about Bend, it has a thin veneer of civilization, overlaying a redneck town.
Not that there's anything wrong with it.
I had a discussion with a relative newcomer, (hey, anyone here less than 20 years...) and I said, "You'd think that Bend being such a small (13,000), blue collar town back then could be hard on those who are different, that there might be small town judgment and gossip, but that's not what I remember.
"What I remember was a kind of "live and let live" mentality. A kind of surprising acceptance of people's differences. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was very racially accepting -- I don't think it was. But if you were a resident of Bend, there was a wide acceptance."
I should add, as long as you didn't push it. You wouldn't want to sashay past some of the bars on Bond at 2:00 in the morning....
What I remember from most of the bars back then was country and or rock music. Lots of drinking, and probably a whole lot of scuffles and driving around drunk. (It was a different world back then.)
I remember how different it felt to come back to downtown Bend after living in Eugene for college, and seeing how everyone dressed down. No one lived ostentatiously, it seems to me.
It wasn't cool.
Anyway, that's what I remember, for what it's worth. I can't totally vouch for it's accuracy. It's from a kid's perspective.
Heh.
Hah.
I could say, "Finally! Someone gets it!!"
What I've always said about Bend, it has a thin veneer of civilization, overlaying a redneck town.
Not that there's anything wrong with it.
I had a discussion with a relative newcomer, (hey, anyone here less than 20 years...) and I said, "You'd think that Bend being such a small (13,000), blue collar town back then could be hard on those who are different, that there might be small town judgment and gossip, but that's not what I remember.
"What I remember was a kind of "live and let live" mentality. A kind of surprising acceptance of people's differences. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was very racially accepting -- I don't think it was. But if you were a resident of Bend, there was a wide acceptance."
I should add, as long as you didn't push it. You wouldn't want to sashay past some of the bars on Bond at 2:00 in the morning....
What I remember from most of the bars back then was country and or rock music. Lots of drinking, and probably a whole lot of scuffles and driving around drunk. (It was a different world back then.)
I remember how different it felt to come back to downtown Bend after living in Eugene for college, and seeing how everyone dressed down. No one lived ostentatiously, it seems to me.
It wasn't cool.
Anyway, that's what I remember, for what it's worth. I can't totally vouch for it's accuracy. It's from a kid's perspective.