Police Chief Mike Krantz reviewed crime data for 2020 for the Awbrey Butte, Century West, and Summit West neighborhoods in a Zoom meeting Wednesday evening.

Summit West saw the largest increase in motor vehicle-related thefts last year, with a jump of over two-and-a-half times compared to 2019.  This included both stealing items left in vehicles and stealing the car or truck itself.

Most of these vehicles were unlocked, often with valuables in plain sight or the key in the car. These crimes of opportunity are easily thwarted by simply locking up and pocketing the key. See the flyer below for more tips on protecting your vehicle.

To watch a recording of the hour-long presentation and discussion, click here.

Summit West neighbors have been invited to join a virtual meeting with Chief Mike Krantz this Wednesday evening. The meeting has been organized by other westside neighborhood associations, who welcome all area residents to participate.

The Chief will discuss local crime statistics for 2020 and answer questions specific to each neighborhood. Residents may also raise other concerns that involve the police and get direct answers.

To join the Zoom meeting, click here. Or, launch the Zoom app and enter Meeting ID: 885 0820 8466; Passcode: 202020. If you're unable to attend, a recording of the meeting will be available on the SWNA web site.

To review the 2020 crime report for Summit West, click here.

Leaving vehicles unlocked leads to the main type of crime in Bend -- unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.

Night work at the intersection of 10th Street and Newport Avenue will start Sunday night, March 21st. Work hours will be from 8 pm – 7 am, for 5 nights, from Sunday night through Thursday night.

• Newport Avenue will be open to through traffic during daytime hours.
• Access to business will be maintained from NW Ogden, NW Milwaukee, and alley ways between NW 9th and NW 11th Streets.

With more roundabouts going in across the City, make sure you understand how to navigate safely. This instructional video shows how to properly use a multilane roundabout.

The City will reconstruct the roundabout at Skyliners Rd. & Mt. Washington Dr. this spring. Closures and detours will be in place from approximately March 29th through April 23rd. (Schedules are weather-dependent.)

Crews will remove and replace the existing roadway surface with a hot mixed asphalt concrete. Look for signs on the road for work hours and detours. For more information, click here.
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The Central Oregon Chapter of SCORE is recruiting volunteer small business mentors. As COVID declines, Bend small businesses are in need of mentoring help to survive.

If you have expertise to share, this might be a great way to get back in circulation after being vaccinated. To learn more, contact local chapter chair and Summit West neighbor, Jane Vaillancourt.
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The Discovery Park Community Garden has raised bed garden plots available for rent for the 2021 Season! 

Assignment of available garden plots to new gardeners will be done by lottery. To participate in the lottery, send an email to gocomga@gmail.com by April 2nd. Include your full name, phone number, and preferred email address, and type “DPCG” in the subject line of the email.

To find out more about community garden plot rentals, click here.

For other March news from VisitNWX, click here.

Neighborhood Impact is sponsoring a free series of sessions for those looking for rental housing in this competitive market. If you or someone you know wants to be better prepared, pre-register using the link below.

The 4-session series will cover fair housing rights, budgeting for rent, understanding leases, and applying for housing.

Dates/Times: Four Thursdays from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM starting March 18th.

To register: click here.

The City of Bend will begin a limited reopening of some of its public facilities for in-person services beginning Monday, March 1. Public meetings continue to be held virtually. Please see the “City Meetings and Events” calendar at the bottom of www.bendoregon.gov for updates about public meetings.

Modifications will be in place, including a requirements for face masks and physical distancing. To help limit the number of people accessing City facilities, the City asks community members to continue conducting City business online or over the phone whenever possible.

Below is information on which City facilities will be open. For phone numbers, web links, and other information, click here.

• City Hall, 710 NW Wall Street, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Permit Center at City Hall, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Utility Billing, 639 NW Franklin Avenue, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bend Police Department, 555 NE 15th Street, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Municipal Court lobby and service windows, 555 NE 15th Street, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Some major road improvements will be undertaken this spring and summer that are outside the SWNA boundaries, but are likely to affect everyone living on the westside.

Columbia Roundabouts
The City will be improving the intersections of Columbia Street/Colorado Avenue and Columbia Street/Simpson Avenue with roundabouts to improve safety and reliability. Travelers should expect road closures and detours for about 10 weeks at each location:

• Columbia Street / Colorado Avenue: early March through mid-May
• Columbia Street / Simpson Avenue: mid-May through July

All construction is expected to be finished in August 2021.

Newport Corridor Improvements
Virtual Open House:  the City has an online “virtual open house” on the project website for those seeking more information.

A major infrastructure project along Newport Avenue will kick off in March. The project will:

• Rebuild the road from College Way to 9th Street
• Rebuild aging and failing stormwater infrastructure
• Replace the existing sewer trunk line and water distribution pipes
• Install new sidewalks, curb ramps, lighting, landscaping and signage

Construction begins with replacement of an aging water line at the intersection of 10th Street and Newport Avenue. The project will result in temporary closures and detours.