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.
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Do You Even Home Brew, Bro?

Amid a throng of local world-class brewers, these guys offer a home for those who want to brew their own
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

In a town steeped in hops and yeast, one business, housed in a stately old church on Northeast Third Street, stands out as a beer mecca. If the largest brew selection in Central Oregon—located in the upstairs portion of the building— isn’t enough to satisfy your beery curiosity, perhaps the 15 rotating taps downstairs will […]

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Kelly Kearsley

Co-founder of StartupBend, blogs about Bend’s booming business environment
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

“The world has adopted the culture of remote workers. The talent pool is now the whole world, and where you are located is less of a concern. This has been a game-changer for communities like Bend.” For anyone who has even vaguely entertained the notion of starting up a new company in Bend, there’s already […]

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Not in Our Town

Community conversations around hate come to COCC
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

On March 5 and 6, Central Oregon Community College’s 10th Annual Season of Nonviolence, sponsored by the COCC Multicultural Activities Center, is hosting two free events, bolstered by the national, community-based organization, Not In Our Town. The group’s executive director, Patrice O’Neill, will screen a film that looks at how Northern California communities responded to […]

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Representing Riders

Lucas Freeman, Bend Bikes co-founder
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

Lucas Freeman showed up on his commuter bike for our interview. I suspected he might. As a co-founder and past president of the local nonprofit, Bend Bikes, he not only talks the talk, but he rides the rides.  Freeman co-founded Bend Bikes with John Krog, Pam Hardy and Brian Potwin, filing for articles of incorporation […]

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Source Spotlight: Kim Kinney

Master revivor of outdoor gear
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

When your garage workshop is home to seven different industrial sewing machines, you better crank up those tunes. During our phone call to set up this interview, outdoor gear-repair extraordinaire, Kim Kinney, sounded like she was talking from the floor of a factory going full tilt. So a couple days later, when we settled in […]

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Source Spotlight: Nathan Pederson

Author, librarian and “Lawyer in the Library” co-creator
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

For local librarian Nathan Pedersen, procuring rare books for private collectors in such far-flung locales as North Carolina, Vermont, Massachusetts—and even the country of Scotland was just not satisfying enough. “I wanted to work in a position where I had more opportunities to do public good. I wanted to do something with a bigger impact,” […]

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Source Spotlight: Helping Vulnerable Vets

Kathy Skidmore and JW Terry of Central Oregon Veterans Outreach
Avatar photo Richard Sitts

T he words on the marquee outside Central Oregon Veterans Outreach pretty much say it all: NEED CANNED FOOD TENTS TARPS PROPANE COLD WEATHER GEAR. COVO is ramping up for its busiest time of year—the winter months—when veterans and others are most in need. At COVO, no one is turned away, and as Executive Officer […]

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