Tour de France? No, It’s the Tour of Meissner
The Meissner Nordic Community Ski Area offers a variety of trails catering to different skill levels, making it suitable for beginners as well as experienced skiers. It spans across beautiful terrain, including forests and open spaces, providing a picturesque setting for outdoor enthusiasts during the winter months. This Nordic ski area is managed by volunteers…
LISTEN: Grand Craft Beer: Vance Wirtz, Brewmaster McMenamins Old St. Francis 🎧
In this episode of Grand Craft Beer, cicerone Brian Yaeger welcomes Vance Wirtz, brewer at McMenamins Old St. Francis. While almost everyone knows about hidden rooms and bars, not everyone knows OSF has a brewery on-site, but hidden from view. It’s where Vance turns his lager-centric mash paddle to making everything from Bamberg-style smoked lagers…
Ballot Measure Proposed to Increase Number of Deschutes County Commissioners
Community member and local business owner John Heylin started a petition to create a ballot measure that would increase the number of county commissioners from three to five members. Heylin hopes to get enough signatures for the November ballot this year. If approved by voters, the proposed ballot measure would also set a schedule for…
Bend-Redmond Habitat Accepting Applications for Accessible, Middle-Income Homeownership
Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity is currently accepting applications for a new home in Bend. Located near SE Wilson Ave & SE 15th St., the high-performance home includes 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and is available to middle-income households. This home is a unique opportunity for both Habitat and local buyers. The project received funding from the City…
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon Celebrates National Mentoring Month
January is National Mentoring Month and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon is participating. National Mentoring Month is an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness about the value of mentoring, as well as encouraging individuals to become mentors and organizations to support mentoring programs. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon, a leading nonprofit…
COCC’s State Of The College Address
Central Oregon Community College will welcome the region’s leaders, employers, educators, organizational partners, and community members as President Laurie Chesley, Ph,D. shares the college’s current priorities, goals and key initiatives. Members of the public, as well as COCC students and employees, are warmly welcome to attend. The State of the College address will be held…
“Pure Grit” Authors And Paralympic Medalist Host Book Reading/Discussion
The authors of a book of essays about people living with physical disability will be joined by a Paralympic medalist for a reading and discussion at Oregon State University – Cascades on Jan. 23. Lily Collison and Kara Buckley, the authors of “Pure Grit,” will be joined by Kelly Crowley, a medalist in both swimming…
Homes For Our Troops To Kick Off Building Of Home For Injured Soldier In Bend
The national nonprofit organization, Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) will kick off the building of a specially adapted home for Army Sergeant Christopher Chatwin on Saturday, January 13, 2024 in Bend. SGT Chatwin was injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Community Kickoff event signifies the start of the build process and will introduce…
Central Oregon’s Cabin Fever Expo Showcases Premier RVs, Boats, and Power Sports Equipment
Beaver Coach Sales, in collaboration with Lifestyle Wake and Midstate Power Sports, announces the upcoming Cabin Fever Expo, a premier showcase of luxury RVs, boats, and power sports equipment at the Deschutes County Expo Center, January 18-21, inside the First Interstate Bank Arena at the fairgrounds in Redmond, OR. Admission is free. Three of Central…
Bend City Council Approves Nearly $10.6 Million Tax Exemption for Jackstraw
A controversial tax exemption for a local development is on its way to full approval. The Bend City Council approved a request for a 10-year tax exemption of approximately $10.6 million for mixed-use development, Jackstraw, on Jan. 3. The developers, Killian Pacific, requested the tax break through the City’s Multiple Unit Property Tax Exemption program, which…
Good Time Jambalaya
We’re heading to Louisiana this week for a dish with African, Spanish and French influences, historically made with whatever was on hand. Similar to gumbo and étouffée, jambalaya contains meat and rice but there is no file powder or okra (like in gumbo) and the rice is cooked in the dish versus served over rice…
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break: Corie Harlan, Central Oregon LandWatch 🎧
This episode of the Bend Don’t Break podcast features Corie Harlan, Central Oregon LandWatch’s Cities & Towns Program Director and the City of Bend’s Core Area Advisory Board Chair. In this lively conversation with Source Weekly publisher Aaron Switzer, Harlan talks about her passion to help create Complete Communities. They also talk about what’s coming…
LISTEN: Grand Craft Beer: Alesong’s Matt Van Wyk 🎧
In this episode of Grand Craft Beer, cicerone Brian Yaeger kicks off 2024 with Alesong Brewing and Blending’s Matt Van Wyk, whose many hats include owner, brewer, and runner-arounder to get Alesong’s award-winning barrel-aged beers all across Oregon including Bend. While Van Wyk is accustomed to fitting bungs in bungholes, his real specialty is fitting…
3 of We
3 of We is a three-piece rock band loaded with talented local musicians who united on a mission to harness high-quality music that makes listeners feel alive and expands their horizons for the past four years. “Why do we do what we do? To bring people together so you can groove and be happy,” the hard-rocking…
Horoscope Week of January 4, 2023
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I am against sex education in schools because sex is more fun when it’s dirty and sinful.” So said Capricorn author Florence King. I reject and rebel against that perverse declaration—and encourage you to disavow it, too, in 2024. In my astrological opinion, the coming months will be a favorable time…
Letters to the Editor 01/04/2024
“Sound of Freedom” I very much enjoy Jared Rasic’s shows and movie reviews. I save his reviews and check out what he writes about in his column. I’ve managed to find some movies/shows that I enjoy because he takes the effort to do the initial screening for me. I do not understand, though, why the…
Get Back in the Swing of First Friday with these Food and Drink Events
First Friday was a pretty big deal in Bend before the pandemic hit — and since then, it’s been making a steady comeback. While downtown Bend is where much of the First Friday activity has been happening, two food and drink events coming up for January First Friday will encourage you to branch out a…
Two Local Tourism Organizations See Management Shakeups
On Dec. 23, Visit Bend announced that CEO Kevney Dugan will leave the organization and take a role with Travel Oregon. Then on Dec. 27, Visit Central Oregon announced the departure of its president and CEO, Julia Theisen. Amid these announcements, both organizations credit these CEOs with several innovative programs and begin the search for…
Threat to Central Oregon Schools Determined Not Credible
A threatening message shared online throughout Central Oregon caused concern on the morning of Jan. 2. The message included a photo of a rifle and a vague message about not going to school, according to a post from the Madras Police Department. Several law enforcement agencies, including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the social media…
Is Tom McCall’s Vision Coming True?
Ever since Gov. Tom McCall in 1971 encouraged people to come to visit Oregon, “but for heaven’s sake, don’t come here to live,” the state has had a reputation for attempting to control growth and discourage newcomers. The problem with that reputation is that it empowered the anti-development sentiment that left us in the housing…
Looking Ahead to the Big Screen
The best thing about my job as a film writer and the even better thing about my lifelong love affair with cinema is that the movies never stop coming. I mean, they do; COVID showed us what a world without new movies looked like and, at least for this boy, that was indeed the darkest…
The Whys of Federal Legalization: A Recap
As I recently wrote, the U.S has never been closer to moving cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3, which would provide two major benefits: An elimination of the 280e tax code, and increased access for medical cannabis researchers. Both would be great, but still fall short of the preferable option of de-scheduling, aka federal…
Source Material: 5 songs for 2024
The new year is a lovely time, as the shedding of the past year can often feel like a fresh breath and a chance to start anew. Many take up spirited resolutions or, if you’re like me, promise to think of one and then just end up cutting out ice cream for a month. Regardless…
Picando la Noticia
Hombre desaparecido de Bend encontrado vivo John Michael McLerran, habitante de Bend, fue reportado como desaparecido el día de Navidad después de salir de su casa para ir por un café. McLerran, de treinta y cuatro años, no se llevo su cartera ni alguna identificación. La policía de Bend respondió a un llamado de asistencia…
Calling all Heroes – Your opportunity could be NOW
The real estate market in Bend, nestled in the picturesque landscapes of Central Oregon, has been a hotbed of activity in recent years. With stunning natural beauty, a thriving local economy and an influx of newcomers seeking a change of scenery, it’s no wonder Bend has become a prime destination for relocation. However, the dynamics…
Source Warmup
Missing Bend Man Found Alive Bend resident John Michael McLerran was reported missing on Christmas Day after stepping out of his home to grab a cup of coffee. Thirty-four-year-old McLerran did not take his wallet or any identification with him. Bend Police responded to a welfare check that evening at his home in the 800…
Awakening Your Inner Hero: A column helping locals live a kinder and more courageous life
You and I were given priceless gifts when we arrived into this world. One is the gift of LIFE, the other is the gift of CHOICE. We never will be able to count all our blessings. But we should try. I have been known, historically, to hyperbolize in my written and oral communications, and realize…
A Vision for More Local Food
The dead of winter isn’t usually the time when people are plucking fresh greens and herbs from their gardens in Central Oregon — but it’s certainly a time when people are dreaming of doing so. And over at the Three Rivers School in the Sunriver area, students and teachers really ARE starting to pluck greens…
Corporate Abuse And Environmental Harm Dominate Project Censored Top 10 Stories This Year
“We have made the planet inhospitable to human life.” That’s what the lead researcher in Project Censored’s number one story this year said. He wasn’t talking about the climate catastrophe. He was talking about so-called “forever chemicals,” per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), linked to prostate, kidney and testicular cancer and additional health risks, and the…
