Neighbors 4 Redmond holds gatherings to issues around town, region; climate change was Sunday’s focus
(Update: Adding video, comments from speaker, co-director)
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A group called Neighbors 4 Redmond held its latest community gathering, to discuss issues related to climate change, at the High Desert Music Hall on Sunday.
"It's important to know how our county and our city works, if you expect to be a solid citizen," co-director Mike Toibin said.
Neighbors 4 Redmond is a group with more than 100 members around Central Oregon, meeting to talk and learn about pressing matters around town.
For example, "we watched how ballots are counted, which is a fascinating thing," Toibin said. "We were at the sheriff's department to see how 911 works. I think everyone lives here, we need to know what's going on."
The group discusses topics from elections to the environment, as well as things they like and dislike.
On Sunday, community members, along with Bend City Councilor Anthony Broadman, Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch, and Deschutes County Commissioner Phil Chang, met at the High Desert Music Hall in Redmond. Attendees got to hear from two guest speakers.
They listened to topics related to climate change in Central Oregon from Randy Furman, and the changing jet stream and coming "mega-drought" from speaker Al Graf.
Furman has a bachelor's of science in Earth sciences and has been a science teacher for 31 years.
He said, "I think it's very important that everybody understands and knows what's going on with our climate and changes in the weather that are happening."
Before the talk, Furman said, "We're going to take a look at the last 50 years in Redmond and how what the weather looked like back then, and where it seems to be going right now."
The other speaker, Al Graf, studied atmospheric physics on a NASA fellowship.
Toibin said, "We have to learn to adapt, accept the change and know that it's going to happen, whether you like it or not."
Neighbors for Redmond meets every month. Next month, they'll be talking about dispensaries, and in April, they'll be discussing the upcoming election.
