What three things do you most hope to accomplish if elected? 1. Re-prioritize Bend Park and Recreation District (BPRD) planning and spending to more closely meet the needs of the taxpayers who support it. BPRD’s own polling shows support for neighborhood parks and a new swim and rec center as paramount needs. I think we, for […]
Phil Busse
Phil Busse has done his tour of duty with alt-weeklies, starting in 1992 right after graduation from Middlebury College as the first environmental beat reporter for San Francisco Weekly. After a brief detour through the University of Oregon School of Law, Phil returned to writing as the first Managing Editor for Portland Mercury. In 2006, he started the Media Institute for Social Change in Portland, through which he continues to host a summer program teaching college students to produce documentaries.
Until he was 25 or so, Phil thought that he would be a spy, and took scuba lessons to prepare, and learned to drive a motorcycle and an 18-wheeler. Perhaps, then, it is unsurprising that his favorite holiday is the Fourth of July (he loves blowing stuff up). He feels at home with Joseph Conrad's fictional characters.
Posted inNews
Bend Park and Rec: Brady Fuller
What three things do you most hope to accomplish if elected? If elected, I hope to work with other Board members to rapidly determine a multi-year waiver of SDCs for affordable housing and match that loss in revenue with a reduction in the District’s ambitions for new facilities. Second, I hope to advocate for improved […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Rookie(s) of the Year 2015
Stihl Whiskey Bar and Next Level Burger
STIHL WHISKEY BAR Call us indecisive. Or, as we prefer, say we found a yin to the yang for this year’s Rookie of the Year choice. We simply could not choose between two strong entries—each is so different and stands out for different reasons—that we are selecting both the vegan “burger” joint, Next Level Burger, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
By Any Other Name
From Kombucha Mama to Humm,
a beverage company booms
A year ago, a local beverage manufacturer was going by the name of Kombucha Mama, and boasting a label with a lotus flower. It was a name and image that reflected the simple beginning for the company. ”It was about two moms taking care of the world,” said Jamie Danek, one of the two original […]
Posted inMusic
A Second Baby
Wilderness is incubating its second album
Some bands try too hard to create synergy, to harmonize their vocals and find a groove. Not Wilderness. Like the name suggests, the band’s sound is a bit chaotic. Jared Nelson Smith’s guitar occasionally races off toward Lynyrd Skynyrd Americana, while drummer Bradley David Parsons holds down a slamming beat, creating a musical diversity that […]
Posted inCulture
Film Events 4/22-4/29
OR7 – The Journey Oregon Wild premieres the documentary OR7 – The Journey. Named as if a New York hip hop artist, OR7 is the famed male wandering gray wolf that formed the first wolf pack west of the Cascade Range in 70 years. A truly heartwarming story about rebounding wolf population, and a story […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
What’s Trending?
Mostly, our Advisory Board was positive about what they are seeing—and eating—in local restaurants. But, the panel members did have a few bones to pick. “One of the negative trends we are seeing is pricing,” said Alan Dietrich. “We are seeing prices that are exceeding what the town would really like to pay for going […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Restaurant of the Year 2015
Trattoria Sbandati
Juri Sbandati did not dream about growing up to be a chef, and he really had no dreams of moving to America. He grew up in Italy, and it is that distinctly Italian childhood—and, moreover, his self-admitted stubbornness to concede to America influences—that makes Sbandati such a pure ambassador for the country’s food and lifestyle. […]
Posted inNews
editor’s Note: In this week’s issue
It is almost like an unofficial film festival this week, with nearly every evening over the next seven days hosting some remarkable, one-of-a-kind film event—and not just a great film, but live “performances” to provide something that you simply can’t get from renting the movie at home. On Thursday, in anticipation of TEDxBend this weekend, […]
Posted inCulture
Through Tom’s Eyes
A quick shot of a now-local cinematographer’s historic career
Perhaps the most invisible force on film projects, but also the most critical, the cinematographer frames shots and essentially is the eyes through which audience see storylines and actors. In that regard, you have seen through Thomas Del Ruth’s eyes many times. He set up and filmed Stand By Me, including the iconic, fear-compounding scene […]
