When it comes to job satisfaction, it’s a pretty safe bet to say there aren’t many people happier than Bend Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer Katy Brooks. Sitting in a downtown teahouse, she exudes exuberance as she talks about her eight-month anniversary on the job. “But who’s counting?” she adds with a fleeting smile. […]
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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Source Spotlight: Shannon Talbo
Promoting artists big and small in Central Oregon
“My mission as an event producer in Central Oregon is to create opportunities for the community to be entertained, inspired and connected.” — Shannon Talbo When it comes to your work life, it could get a lot worse than rubbing elbows with a rock goddess and a hip-hop godfather. But that’s just one of the […]
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Source Spotlight: Ed Kimball
Will sing or fish for pleasure
Ed remembers a good stretch of about seven years during which he skied 200 days a year. “I’ve always loved the outdoors.” What was it that drew Edward and Barb Kimball to Central Oregon 40 years ago? Was it the skiing, fly-fishing, beautiful scenery, or just the great outdoors in general? Try all of the […]
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Courtney Van Fossan
Meet the bike activist and mom improving mobility, one bike ride at a time
Van Fossan says that more and more, she is wanting to leave the car behind, especially for all those easy trips around town, “so there’s not so many of us driving in cars alone,” she adds. Something as simple as riding a bicycle can help improve one’s mental health— and can even bring a grown […]
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Source Spotlight: Nancy Blankenship
Deschutes County Clerk: A job title that means serving locals, all day, every day
“That’s when you get the joy out of the job, when you get to help the people. That just brings a lot of joy and satisfaction.” — Nancy Blankenship At some time or another, most people in Deschutes County end up going to the County Clerk’s office to take care of official business. And of […]
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Source Spotlight: Diane Hodiak
Local environmental nonprofit leader
“We’ve had a tremendous number of people who want to get involved now and we need to engage now more than ever before. People are discovering that non-involvement is not going to get us to where we need to be.” — Diane Hodiak “People call us a political organization, but we’re not. We’re just doing […]
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Source Spotlight: Forging a lifestyle
Central Oregon retiree carves his own niche
“When I start carving wood, I can lose track of three hours and not know what even happened. I just get zoned into it.” — George Blackman On a recent breezy morning, volunteers gathered at the Central Oregon Veterans Ranch in the high desert backcountry between Bend and Redmond to hang a new sign to […]
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Source Spotlight: John Schweiter
Need a job in Central Oregon?
John Schweiter hires a couple dozen of employees every week—and he’s just getting started
“What I look for most is empathy and heart, because those are things you can’t teach. My whole passion in life is to to employ people in good jobs.” — John Schweiter As a youth, John Schweiter rode his bicycle around what was then a much smaller Bend. As a young adult, he ran a […]
Posted inMusic
Classical Boom
Black Violin may just turn the Tower on its ear
With a definite departure from only classical or bluegrass music, these guys are not your grandparents’ string players. Heck, they’re not even your parents’ string players. The duo Black Violin whips up a high-energy hybrid of classical, hip-hop, rock and other musical genres that reaches out and grabs the listener by the ears. Head-bobbing is […]
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Source Spotlight: Chelsea Woodmansee
Cheers! Brewfest boss thrives on the community of beer
“The best thing about beer is that it creates such a cool community and I don’t see that going away any time. I feel honored to be a part of it.” — Chelsea Woodmansee She is the Beer Goddess. It says so right there on her business card. Chelsea Woodmansee has earned that title, as […]