Credit where it is due.

I was rereading the Wandering Eye column that mentions my blog, (The Downtown Squeeze Tightens, The Source, Sunday, July 29) and realized that HBM makes the same point about the relative smallness of the Bend downtown compared to other towns. He says 6 square blocks, which is probably more accurate (I added in Franklin, Greenwood and Brooks). Somehow I missed that.

Meanwhile, the new tourism director makes the same point I've been trying to make for some time: that it isn't the most effective use of money and promotional efforts to add to the events in the busy summer months. I'd even suggest that it is counter-productive ( to everyone except the people putting on those events.) We've got people stumbling into each other, instead of leisurely browsing the stores and spending money. We need to put our efforts into the slow months, the non-peak hours, days, and weeks. I guess it took a new guy from out of town to see the obvious. We need to quit gilding the lily. The Bend Film Festival is a prime example -- it doesn't get in the way of our summer traffic, and may even generate new traffic.