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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
August 15, 2008
By Courtney Linville, Communications Coordinator

This Weeks Highlights....

• Oregon Interchange goes solar

• KOHD receives national attention

• Central Oregon & Bend touted as emerging Golf Destination

• In the News

• Upcoming Chamber Event

     Earlier this month, Governor Ted Kulongoski broke ground on a new solar right of way that will be located at the Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 interchange in Tualatin.
     “Before the year is over, this ground will hold the nation’s first Solar Highway project, and Oregon will make history using the power of the sun to light this interchange,” said Kulongoski. “More importantly, this project will represent a new era for energy in Oregon.”
     Kulongoski touted the project as an effort from the entire state of Oregon. All designs, supplies, construction, and installation will be completed by Oregon companies. PV Powered, Inc., a local Bend company will supply the inverter for the project.
     The 8,000 square foot solar panel system will generate about 112,000 kilowatt hours a year. This is 28 percent of the kilowatt hours needed to light the interchange.
     Under the Renewable Portfolio Standard, passed in 2007, the state of Oregon must get 25 percent of its electricity from renewable resources by 2025.
     The solar project is expected to be completed by December 2008.

KOHD receives national attention

     As Bend’s ABC news station KOHD prepares to celebrate its first birthday, it is receiving national recognition as the first fully digital, hi-definition station to be constructed.
     In a recent Broadcastingcable.com article, Scott Chambers, President of Chambers Communications, said he wanted to create a very sophisticated media facility.
     When KOHD took to the airwaves, it was already prepared for the digital transition. The station did not install any analog equipment because it didn’t make sense with the impending transition. “Scott wanted to do it right, right from the beginning,” KOHD General Manager Upham told Broadcastingcable.com. “He wanted to come on air with the best possible product, and not have to convert it later.”
     KOHD launched on September 27, 2007.
 

Central Oregon and Bend touted as emerging Golf Destination

     According to Worldgolf.com Central Oregon and Bend are fast becoming a golf destination. Writer Brandon Tucker said, “Full of different little destinations, Central Oregon is like a Russian nesting doll.”
     The article touts such courses as Pronghorn, Tetherow, Sunriver Resort’s Crosswater, and Aspen Lakes as places with “stellar golf pedigree.”
     Central Oregon is also seen as a place where the avid golfer can play year-round. To see this article or the reviews for some of the courses go to www.worldgolf.com.
 

     Oil continues to decline: As the summer season begins to close and drivers look for alternatives, oil reached a new low on Thursday of $112 a barrel. Analysts say the price could continue to drop as the thirst for oil has decreased from the United States. Even with lower prices at the pump, many drivers are still cutting back on consumption. As of Thursday, AAA reported the national average for regular unleaded is $3.778. The average for Oregon is $3.967. Analysts also report the increasing strength of the dollar has contributed to the falling cost of oil.
     Best Buy Airport Vending Machines: MSNBC recently reported Best Buy Co. Inc. will add vending kiosks inside many of the nation’s major airports. The program will be called “Best Buy Express” and will be a self-serve machine. Items to be stocked in the kiosk include cell phone adaptors, computer accessories, digital cameras, portable date storage devices, headphones, travel adapters and other electronic gizmos. By September 1, the company hopes to have machines installed in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and San Francisco airports.
     New report: Majority of Americans overweight by 2048: A new government study shows if Americans continue on the same trends they hafe for the past three decades, every adult could be at least mildly overweight by 2048. Researchers say two-thirds of the population is already overweight and any increase should be worrisome. The projections are based on a study which took place from the 1970s to 2004. In an interview with Reuters, Dr. Lan Liang from the federal government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, stated the problem of increasing waistlines will also correlate with the increase of healthcare costs. She and her colleagues believe the healthcare costs will practically double each decade as Americans continue to gain weight.

 

    August 19: SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS STORIES- PV Powered- PV Powered started its journey in a 600 sq ft garage and in a span of six years has moved into a 100K sq ft facility. Join the CEO of PV Powered, Gregg Patterson, as he shares an overview of what the company did well and what it didn’t. Patterson will also dive into key insights that will help future entrepreneurs navigate the technical, organizational, cultural, and financial challenges of growing a manufacturing business in Central Oregon. Please RSVP for this event by noon on Monday, August 18 at www.bendchamber.org.