What Makes Bend Special by Jim Schell

Opportunity Knocks announces the publishing of a condensed book entitled What Makes Bend Special. Condensed books are designed to be read in an hour or less.

The book, subtitled Discovering Your Place in the Northwest’s Most Dynamic Community, is written for Bend’s existing and newly-arrived citizens, as well as for those who are considering relocating to Bend. The purpose of the book is to help the reader:

1. Understand how Bend works
2. Become a more-informed voter
3. Embrace Bend’s unique culture
4. Get involved in making Bend a better place to live

4,000 people move to Bend every year, many of whom have unique skills and talents. The other thousands that already live here and are just as talented and skilled. The benefit these citizens could bring to our community if they understood what makes us tick and were motivated to get involved would be exponential. This book is intended to provide that motivation.

What Makes Bend Special outlines the three community-wide elements that make us unique: talent, energy and collaboration. It then breaks the community down into five sectors, explains where the opportunities to get involved lie within those sectors and provides insights on how to get involved in helping to make our community a better place to live.

Author Jim Schell has written four books published by New York publishers, including co-authoring the now-in-its-fifth-edition, small-business best seller Small Business for Dummies. He has written six condensed books published by Lights On Publishing, a Bend-based publishing house. Over his 24 years in Bend, Schell has been actively involved in all of Bend’s five sectors — business, nonprofit, government, education and faith-based.

Opportunity Knocks is What Makes Bend Special’s organizing partner. The project’s funding and distribution partners include the Bend Chamber of Commerce, EDCO (Economic Development of Central Oregon), Visit Bend, OSU-Cascades, COAR (Central Oregon Association of REALTORS), Cascade Relays Foundation, Deschutes Brewery, Brooks Resources and Miller Lumber.

What Make Bend Special is available for purchase at Visit Bend and participating book stores.

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