Bend named an ‘Oregon Heritage All-Star Community’
Bend has been designated by the Oregon Heritage Commission as an “Oregon Heritage All-Star Community.” The commission created the All-Star program to recognize the strong efforts by communities to broadly preserve and develop heritage resources.
The formal presentation of the designation will be given by Christine Curran, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, at Wednesday’s Bend City Council meeting.
An All-Star designation requires that communities meet at least 15 of 20 criteria related to local heritage. These include heritage tourism efforts, historic preservation programs, photo and document archives, museums, historic cemeteries and more.
“Bend displays wonderful collaboration on heritage efforts,” said Todd Mayberry, coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. “Important historic resources are preserved and nonprofits, the city and county are working together to be sure they are recognized and celebrated. We are looking forward to exploring more of Bend’s heritage resources when we bring the statewide Oregon Heritage Conference to town in 2018.”
The city is required to maintain at least 15 of the criteria to maintain the Heritage All-Star status. Technical assistance will be provided to Bend and six other all-star communities to maintain, sustain and expand the heritage offerings and facilities.
“As a fourth-generation Bend resident, I’m particularly proud of our heritage and believe it’s part of what makes Bend so attractive,” said Mayor Casey Roats. “I’m pleased that Bend has received this designation that recognizes the work we’ve done to preserve our heritage. Continuing to value and protect our local historical resources is more important than ever in this rapidly growing and changing community.”
Assistance is available for communities seeking to acquire Heritage All-Star Community status. Oregon Heritage of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which houses the Oregon Heritage Commission, offers technical support, workshops, grants and other resources for all heritage projects in the state.
To learn more, visit http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/hcd/pages/index.aspx or contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.Gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685 .
