When setting up an appointment to talk with 92-year-old Virgil Brunson, he made two things clear: One, our meeting cannot interfere with his firewood gathering, and two, it absolutely cannot be during a Portland Trail Blazers game. If he and his partners are delivering a cord of firewood, they make sure to be done and […]
Richard Sitts
Richard Sitts grew up in the midwest, mostly in Kansas. After earning a journalism degree from Kansas State University, he worked in various capacities at newspapers in Kansas, New York, New Mexico, California and Colorado, before arriving in Bend several years ago. Highlights included working as a bureau reporter covering the Navajo Nation in Window Rock, Ariz., copy editing and writing stories for the Albuquerque Tribune, and serving as editor for a group of four weekly newspapers in central California. Once, between journalism jobs in Houston, he worked as the assistant stage manager at an old school, burlesque dinner theater. The second show every night, the dancers performed topless, as he moved curtains and props, and operated the dry ice fog machine.
Posted inCulture
Name It; He’s Probably Done It
From riding trains to reading lines to writing books, new Central Oregonian Jared McVay’s done a lot
Jared McVay says a few weeks ago, his publisher told him that among Amazon’s book sales worldwide, Stephen King is rated at number 19. McVay asked what that had to do with him. His publisher responded, “You’re number 20.” But through 12 books and counting, it’s doubtful that any of the fictional characters McVay dreamed […]
Posted inCulture
Old School Religion
Ancient faith takes root in Central Oregon with the help of Father Damian Kuolt
Some Central Oregonians might be surprised to learn that a 2,000-year-old religion is celebrated in a cozy chapel, tucked away in a retail mall on Northeast Division Street in Bend. The Saint Jacob Orthodox Christian Church of Central Oregon can be found in the Whistlestop Business Center between the Orchid Thai Restaurant and Plantd. Leading […]
Posted inCulture
Going to Work
Groups help match people with jobs
Everyone needs meaning in their life—a mission or goal that gives life a purpose. Through her job, Mia Shapiro pursues the idea that everyone has something to contribute to the greater good of humankind, and it’s her desire to make sure everyone has that opportunity. Shapiro is the program manager for the nonprofit Full Access […]
Posted inCulture
Rockin’ the Airwaves
Young DJs thrive on KPOV
It was four o’clock on a Thursday afternoon. I can’t remember where I was driving, but on KPOV-FM (88.9), the DJ dropped the 1963 classic, “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes, featuring Ronnie Spector. As the Bend traffic slowed, my mind flipped the switch to that song when it was featured in the 1973 Martin […]
Posted inCulture
Vinyl Warrior Rocks On
Every day, Keith Schuman ensures his modest store raises a ruckus
Music—no matter the genre—is often the soundtrack to some of our happiest, saddest and most profound memories. Keith Schuman, who owns Bend’s Recycle Music, says he remembers listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival as three of his older brothers opened up the draft notices they’d received in the mail. Inspired by his older brother, Doug, Schuman […]
Posted inCulture
Remembering Deshaun
A spotlight on the grief and confusion of a teen suicide, and a call for schools and communities to do more to step in
Deshaun Adderley was “the kind of kid who never left the house without saying, ‘Bye, Dad, I love you,’ or ‘Bye, Mom, I love you,’” says his father, Donavan Adderley. “And now,” Donavan adds, “I really miss hearing him say that.” Deshaun was 14 years old and a freshman at Summit High School when he […]
Posted inCulture
Rebel With a Cause
Sustaining Bend through trees
Over by 15th Street and Wilson Avenue on the east side of Bend, there’s an old juniper tree that Louise Palmer says sometimes speaks to her. She says it tells her to watch out for all the other urban trees around town. That might be a tall order for the demure volunteer who calls herself […]
Posted inMusic
Playin’ On Tulsa Time
Just 1,812 miles from here
How exactly does a rock band from Central Oregon end up headlining a benefit concert in honor of Leon Russell in Tulsa, Okla.? This puzzle involves a lesser-known rock band from the 1980s, a chance meeting in New Orleans, a memorial for a legendary rock musician, and a historic concert hall that features a spring-loaded […]
Posted inCulture
Elysia Kiyija
Program Director, Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Central Oregon
“Every child is just one positive adult away from being a success story.” Those are the words a mentor once said to Elysia Kiyija, program director for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Oregon. They’re words she now lives by. “We’re looking for people wanting to be that adult,” she adds. Big Brothers Big Sisters […]