Bend's Transportation Costs
Bend residents will have an opportunity this week to weigh in on a proposal that would create a new street tax to tackle some $30 million worth of needed street projects that currently have no source of funding.
City staff last week presented councilors with several ways to approach the almost $100 million in backlogged transportation projects that have been largely idling since the start of the recession. Councilors endorsed a plan that focused much of the short-term efforts on the Reed Market Road corridor between 3rd Street and 27th Street where the major east-west arterial would be widened to three lanes. The project also includes a multi-lane roundabout at 15th Street and a new bridge at American Lane. However, residents will have a chance to discuss their transportation priorities with city staff at Thursday night's open house from 5-7 p.m. at the Bend City Hall, 710 NW Wall St.
The High Desert Journal recently released its 12th issue. This biannual literary magazine continues to focus on its mission statement of "dedicating itself to further understanding the people, places and issues of the interior West" though in my opinion, the journal is going off in new and exciting areas that may have seemed absent in earlier issues.
When I spoke with editor Elizabeth Quinn about the surprises contained in the glossy, full-color pages, she highlighted several authors, both local and regional, that help make this issue more forward moving, and thinking. One of our state's favorite poets, Oregon Poet Laureate Paulann Petersen, has two poems in this issue. Her work always contains that surprise or turn-of-phrase that demands further readings. The poem "Speak, harsh land" by 18-year-old poet Nathaniel Dunaway, who was discovered through The Nature of Words, also appears in issue 12.
In Central Oregon, the Chinese New Year was a bit quieter than the massive fetes found in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. But at Five Fusion and Sushi Bar, owned by Chinese-American Lilian Chu, the holiday was in full force.
Joanna Lee, a graduate of Bend High School who has been playing music since cutting her teeth at church performances with her two musically inclined parents.
An animal being shot by a lead projectile is one thing, and a creature eating lead is another, but usually the outcome is the same, the animal dies. That's what's facing our eagles all too often.
Travel to the lost world of Paulina Lake Lodge, just 45 minutes from Bend and you will feel transported to a wintry haven, far from the traffic lights and noise that can at times feel claustrophobic to so many of us who made the move to Bend for a life of serenity.
I embarked on the journey out to Paulina Lake with two rafting buddies, Sandy Arch and Tom Clawson, whom I met on a trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon. These guys are a work hard/play hard kind of couple that I knew would make this short little jaunt extreme in everyway.
The folks over at the Des Chutes Historical Society like to keep us in tune with our town's history, so we went ahead and let them vote off-ballot for a category they created all on their own: Historical Bend Hottie.
Here is the message we received.
Whether you've just started dating or you're 12 years, two kids, a bad back and 10 pounds of belly fat into a relationship, keeping your love life from getting boring can be difficult. We went to the unofficial sex experts of Bend - or "sexperts" if you're getting all technical - the staff of the Pretty Pussycat. Here's their advice that will almost certainly help you spice up your love life and make sure you'll get lucky on a regular basis.
I’m just gonna say it. Valentine’s Day confuses the hell out of me. The day that may or may not have been created by a greeting card company seems to have become a day of mandatory gift giving. If you’re single, you’ll probably have to endure a day full of couples making out in front of you and having bouquets of roses meant for your coworker being delivered accidentally to your desk. If you’re in a relationship, you probably didn’t do it right, so just apologize already.
My Valentine’s Day usually involves ignoring the grand gestures everyone else around me seems to be receiving, then fighting with the person I told not to get me anything because he didn’t get me anything, then getting drunk.
This year, I’ve resolved to do it better. So I asked my coworkers what their plans are. If all else fails, there's always the Hoff.
There are a couple options for what to give the object of your affection on Valentine's Day.
There's always the heart-shaped box of chocolates or chalky candy hearts from a drug store, and the ubiquitous cliche cards that say something like "I choo-choo-choose you!" above a picture of a train. Of course, you could splurge on jewelry, maybe one of those "open heart" necklaces that actually looks like a snake made by Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman at Kay Jewelers.
But no matter what you decide, you'll probably have to eat. And luckily, many restaurants serve special Valentine's Day menus that go above and beyond their everyday offerings. Below are a few options. Because while celebrity designed jewelry is nice, you can't eat cubic zirconia.
Do you eat corn? Yes? Well, have I got a movie for you. Have fun sleeping after this, corn-lover!
Slow Food High Desert is screening King Corn tonight at COCC - Grandview Hall at 6:30 p.
Sushi lovers have been eagerly anticipating the announcement that the new Japanese restaurant from Kanpai's owner would be opening soon and they got their wish Friday when chef Michael Murphy and owner Justin Cook announced that Boken is taking reservations. The restaurant is located in the Breezeway adjacent to Mirror Pond Plaza in the former home of the Downtowner, and, more recently, Lola's.
Happy Valentine's Day, Bent Readers! Here, have a cupcake:
Probably one of the best Valentine's presents I've received in a while was waking up this morning at my house on Hill Street and Delaware and realizing that I could, for the first time ever, walk across the street and buy a muffin and a cup of coffee instead of driving downtown or starving until lunch, because I'm too lazy and/or don't have gas in my car. This is because Gotta B Gluten Free opened this morning. Happy Valentine's Day, indeed!