Cover Story
Keeping the Home Fires Burning
The chief underlying cause (of the housing shortage) is the ongoing low levels of new construction this decade. On a population growth-adjusted basis, Oregon built fewer new housing units this decade than we have since at least World War II. —Josh Lehner, Economist, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis The affordable housing crisis in Central Oregon…
Happy Hour Guide – Winter 2020
Happy Hour Guide Winter 2020 Hold it in your hands, one of two ways Looking for a place to meet for drinks after work or a day on the mountain? Stash one of these handy guides in your desk or car, so it’s ready when you need it. On the go and wondering where you…
Trend: Boozy Coffee
Bend has a wide array of boozy coffee offerings. Boneyard Beer makes an adult coffee slushie with Irish Cream and local Coffee 4 Kids cold brew. The Oaxacan Speedball from Dogwood Cocktail Cabin is made with mezcal, creme de cocoa, amarula, cold pressed coffee and crushed ice. Not a big mezcal fan, I was surprised…
Trend: What’s Gin Your Cup?
Central Oregon has a lot of quality spirits coming down the pipeline—and right now, nothing seems to be running hotter than gin. Looking outward, gin has had record-breaking sales globally. “I think there’s a lot of great gins being produced right now,” says Shelly Hopson, operations manager at Oregon Spirit Distillers on the new trends…
Trend: CBD Cocktails
If it seems like you’re seeing CBD in everything these days, you’re not dreaming it. Local producers including Ablis and Boneyard offer cans of fizzy CBD beverages, found everywhere from markets to bars. In Central Oregon, you’ll find plenty of places adding CBD shots or beverages to drinks. At Riff Cold Brewed., you can add…
Trend: Mocktails
A 2018 report by Berenberg Research revealed that survey participants in their early 20s—as well as teens—drank about 20% less than millennials. The millennial generation, in turn, drank less than Boomers and Gen Xers did during their young days. Thus, the current rise of mocktails—drinks that look good in fancy glasses, but don’t contain booze. (It’s…
Don’t Get Spooked by Good Music
I won’t lie to you—the video for “Mine” is a little creepy. But creepy in the way that creepy things are cool. Like the movie “Coraline.” And honestly, would you expect anything else from a band named Scary Busey? Bend’s resident hard rockers, with help from Rich Peterson of Bendtopia, have created what looks like an…
Local Tween Baker is Back
On the previous episode of “Kids Baking Championship” young bakers were challenged to turn a regular dessert into a Neapolitan dessert by including chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Due to overly sweet Neapolitan sandwich cookies, Sahana was sent home. More spoilers coming: you’ve been warned. Episode three begins with Celebrity Pastry Chef Duff Goldman in front…
Police Use “Chemical Irritants” on Suspected Snow-Blower Thief
Two local elementary schools were put on lockout yesterday during the arrest of a man who allegedly stole six snow blowers from Home Depot. Jeffrey Randall Short of 1031 1/2 Columbia St. was arrested and charged yesterday with second-degree burglary, four counts of first-degree theft and possession of cocaine, according to a press release from…
Salmon People
How do ancient teachings—passed down through generations of Native Americans—apply to contemporary perspectives on the environment? Where do spirituality, pragmatism and ecological science intersect? In a society that depends on scientific studies and policy solutions to describe and mitigate the destruction of the environment, poet, artist and social organizer Elizabeth Woody uses the power of…
May the Source Be with You
It’s 2020 and I’m once again the luckiest and most privileged person I know. Getting to go into another year writing for the Source Weekly is amazing, but knowing that the people of Central Oregon are reading my super nerdy words never fails to make me feel truly wonderful. I love this community and I…
I Have A Gleam… & Spurner Phone
“I Have A Gleam…” I’m a straight woman, and at my recent birthday party, several people remarked about this other woman, also straight, “Whoa, is she infatuated with you, or what?” Straight women getting intense girl crushes on me has actually been a pattern in my life. Weird. A friend says I have “charisma” but…
OLCC’s drawn out application process a burden to the industry
Upon the passage of Oregon Senate Bill 218, signed into law by Gov. Kate Brown on June 17, 2019, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission instituted a moratorium on all new marijuana producer (farming) applications that will last until at least Jan. 2, 2022. As such, those who submitted a new producer application anytime within the…
Two Grants Ask for Big Ideas
For local artists looking for opportunities to support their creative endeavors, check out these two. Bend Cultural Tourism Fund Perhaps one of the best byproducts of Bend’s tourism is the taxes that come from it—which get directly turned into art opportunities. The application for the Bend Cultural Tourism Fund, stemming from hotel/short term rental taxes…
Sounds From Tornillo
Tornillo sits just outside of El Paso, Texas, and as of 2017 had an estimated population of 1,120. It was in this tiny town that the Montana-formed The Lil Smokies recorded its latest album. After immersing themselves into the environment and nature there to come up with a new take on the band’s string heavy-roots…
It’s Always ‘Sunny’ at Bend’s New Italian Food Cart
Disclosure: I am still relishing in a euphoric state induced by cuisine from Sunny’s Carrello. Maybe it was the velvety texture of the house-made Semolina pasta. Or the bright and savory characteristics of their homemade pesto. Or perhaps the balanced crunch of Maldon salt flakes, delicately sprinkled over grilled foccacia bread. Some food carts in…
Band Fact Sheet: Pure Bathing Culture
One of the finest groups in the Portland scene is making a trip near Sisters to perform at The Suttle Lodge. Pure Bathing Culture took four years to release a new full-on project—2019’s “Night Pass.” We would have received the record sooner, but as can happen in the industry, there was a fallout with the…
Source Spotlight: Deb Schoen
Deb Schoen was sworn in as the newest member of the Bend Park and Recreation District Board of Directors on Tuesday. Schoen had a 40-year career working for the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District and has lived in Bend for around six years. While here, she’s continued her work in parks, commuting back and…
Emerging Cocktail & Spirit Trends
Scanning the sea of glass bottles shelved in the liquor section of Newport Market, I looked for new local spirits. Not having luck, I posed the question to the attendant. He told me he couldn’t think of anything new but said the gin section keeps expanding. Gin keeps having a moment Growth of gin in…
Managing Expectations when Buying Rental Property
When purchasing rental property, buyers should consider several factors, including capitalization rates, rental comparisons, neighborhoods, the target demographic for said rental property and vacancy rates. It’s no secret that Central Oregon has experienced a tight rental market for several years. We continue to hear that there is a shortage of rental property in Central Oregon…
Free Will Astrology—Week of January 23
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m a big fan of self-editing. For example, every horoscope I write evolves over the course of at least three drafts. For each book I’ve published, I have written but then thrown away hundreds of pages that I ultimately deemed weren’t good enough to be a part of the finished text.…
Chick-fil-A Set to Open, Minus Major Protests
Chick-fil-A slated to open a restaurant in Bend, though not all community members will be willing to offer the fast food chain their support.
Letters to the Editor
Editor’s note: I admit it: I’ve spent a bit too much time this week on Twitter and the websites of various national news outlets. With the Senate impeachment trial starting, I’m as riveted as many of you. Meanwhile, local elections are happening as early as May—and the partisan rhetoric spewing out of Washington, D.C., has…
Salute Italian Opens Downtown
You may have noticed a vacancy along Bond Street after the folks at Citizen sold their restaurant. While the sellers, who also own Bowtie Catering, left the downtown spot to focus on their growing catering services, a new restaurant has been brewing with only speculation as to who or what would be taking its place—until…
Plant-Based Eatery and Juice Spot in the Works
It’s been only a short time since the abrupt closing of Bad Wolf Bakery, but according to a display in the otherwise covered-up windows, Deeply Rooted will open as a juice, food and craft spirits hub. Deeply Rooted will serve as a plant-based restaurant serving locally-sourced fresh-pressed juice, specialty food items and signature craft cocktails,…
Wasted in Bend: Plastic Bottles
What do carpets, tennis balls, and fleece jackets have in common? They all give plastic water and soda bottles a second life. Disposable drink bottles, made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, can be recycled into many different products. PET bottles make an easy target for critics of a wasteful society, but they’re as useful as…
Kids on Climate
Students around the globe have been inspired into action by the courage of 17-year-old Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist who was named Time’s “Person of the Year” in 2019. Two years ago, Thunberg began walking out of school, spending the days in protest outside the Swedish Parliament to demand stronger climate action from political…
Once It Was, “Where’s Walden?” Now, It Might Be, “Where’s the Dem?”
For the first time in over two decades, voters in the 2nd Congressional District of Oregon can be sure they will elect a new person to represent them in the U.S. House, following Rep. Greg Walden’s announcement that he would not seek re-election. Walden, who first won the seat in 1998, has been the target…
Commentary: On Powder and Polka
The email could not have been more exciting if Ullr had typed it himself. “It’s Official…” screamed the subject line. “We’re Opening!” It was Nov. 27, and just like that the ski season was on. So, too, began one of the more frustrating aspects of having upward of 4,300 acres of powder-choked glades, bowls and…
