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          BEND, OR

          Education

          The Choices Facing Community Colleges

          Decisions critical to the future of these institutions so crucial to this economic and political moment

          Economic & Business Development

          A Library of Good Ideas

          Formula for success in Central Oregon: know the users, spot the opportunities, act with vigor.

          Economic & Business Development

          An Innovative Library in Oregon, and Other Reports From the Road

          Kicking off reports from the inland Northwest, plus a happy birthday to James Baldwin

          Reports From America

          The Good Ol’ Days of the Motor Hotel Are Back

          The metamorphosis of a Bend, Oregon, motel—from its classic origins, to crack house, to upscale rustic elegance

          Education

          When High School Means a Build-It-Yourself Education

          A charter school in Oregon encourages students to shape their own learning

          Economic & Business Development

          A Community College at the Center of an Oregon Recovery Story

          When the lumber industry left, the region bet its future on technology—even though it lacked a research university

          Parks, Rec & Fun

          How to Tell Oregon Apart From New Jersey

          If Chris Christie had thought of this for his state's gas stations, maybe he'd be doing better in the 2016 race now

          Parks, Rec & Fun

          Sports and Civic Life, Bend Elks Edition

          An evening at the ballpark, with Vinnie the Elk and friends

          Parks, Rec & Fun

          Summer in the Pacific Northwest

          The Bend, Oregon, Elks open their baseball season

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          This is the site of the Our Towns Civic Foundation, dedicated to connecting innovators, reformers, civic-patriots, and dreamers across America. The reports here are based on travels and interviews over the past decade by Deborah and James Fallows. The ongoing accounts will emphasize local voices on how communities are adjusting to the economic, environmental, and technological opportunities and challenges of the era.

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