Barley (and Beer) Prices on the Rise: Thanks La Nina!
A crappy winter and spring may result in beer drinkers shelling out more for their favorite swill. Because of flooding in Australia and Canada, two of world’s largest barley producers, the price of the coveted crop has increased significantly.
New Public Art Piece Coming to Bend
A couple weeks ago, we toured Bend’s prolific public art collection for a profile of the Art in Public Places program. Now, the latest addition to that collection has been unveiled.
John Kroger ‘s Campaign Cash
Attorney General John Kroger continues to bring in major money, assumedly for his re-election in 2012 although no campaign web site could be found, www.johnkroger.
Redmond Tax Activist Sizemore Wins Early Release
Redmond resident and anti-tax activist Bill Sizemore was released from jail today in Marion County where he had been serving a sentence on tax evasion charges. Sizemore was released after serving 18 days of a 30-day sentence according to a report from the Oregonian’s Jeff Mapes who wrote that Sizemore was released early after earning…
Hyperbole in Hyboria: Conan the Barbarian comes back to life without Arnold
Over the last week, I've been hearing that the new Conan the Barbarian is not just a bad movie or crappy end-of-the-summer blockbuster, but an actual stain on the name of Robert E. Howard (author of the original Conan stories) and an offense to filmgoers everywhere. Now, I've been known to drop hyperbole bombs to…
Recap of the High and Dry Bluegrass Festival
When it comes to outdoor music festivals, the annual High and Dry Bluegrass Festival at John and Nancy Hancock’s Runway Ranch east of Bend is a throwback. A throwback to simpler times when acoustic bluegrass and folk music was a festival norm and the gatherings to listen to it were often at people’s homes or…
Move Over Rebecca Black…
Because now there’s J.G.
Oregon’s Senators Announce $14 Million in Transportation Projects
In a move that could be a boon for Oregon’s economy and provide additional recreation opportunities, our senators, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, announced yesterday that the state has secured more than $14 in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funds are to be used for highway interchanges, road widening and improving alternative…
Free Tonight: The Parson Redheads
While plenty of you live music hounds may be planning to hit up the John Butler Trio show up at the Athletic Club, there is an awesome free concert down at McMenamins Old St. Francis School — The Parson Red Heads.
Cycling News: Salo’s school-food tour, Horner presents tonight, better bike lanes
Sara Salo, spokeswoman and organizer of the School Food Tour, leaves for her 6,000+ mile trip tomorrow. Her self supported bike tour is an effort to promote healthy eating and cycling for both transportation and recreation.
Internet Jihadist Calls for the Death of “Jew” David Letterman
Stars and Stripes reports that an “Internet Jihadist” has called for the death of David Letterman, asking American Muslims to “cut the tongue of this lowly Jew and shut it forever.” This follows a joke Letterman made on his talk show about Osama bin Laden and senior al-Qaida muckety-muck Ilyas Kashmiri.
Free Show Tonight: The Devil Whale
In last week’s paper, you know, the big Best of Central Oregon issue that included an awesome full-page illustration of a slam dunking Teen Wolf, also featured a story about a Utah-based band called The Devil Whale. That show is finally here and it’s tonight down at the McMenamins Old St.
The Traveling Camera: No Return Wilderness
This is probably not the road you want to drive with your mini van. The Nez Perce Pass from Idaho into Montana cuts through some serious wilderness and some jaw-dropping scenery.
Blind Pilot’s New Album Is Coming
A little over a month ago Portland band Blind Pilot announced plans to release the group’s second album We Are The Tide (also the name of a song they’ve been performing live for the last 3 years). On September 13th, that plan will finally come to fruition when the record hits shelves and your favorite…
BEND'S BAGEL SCENE IS NOTHING SPECIAL
I love your annual “Best of Central Oregon” feature and I decided to test your tastes by purchasing some bagels from Rockin’ Daves, your best choice for bagels in Central Oregon. Your praise, to me, was excessively effusive.
DON'T TRASH BEND'S GARBAGE
While leaving my trash at the Knott Landfill yesterday I was exposed to what I believe was a misconception on what constitutes waste. What had recently been disposed of on the concrete floor of the landfill's dumpsite were many large boxes (some boxes appeared to be unopened) of brand new footwear. From the number and…
Rules of the Road Go Both Ways
I ride a bike to work. Sometimes, I drive. The friendly BPD (Bend Police Department) have been out in force lately ticketing cyclists, but this new push to make bicycling safer here in Bend needs to address both the cyclists AND the cars. First, if you're on a bike, you're a vehicle. Period. Follow the…
Our Fresh Straight Poop Has Never Been More Affordable
Monday, Aug. 8 Life on the downgrade: Stock market resumes plunge on first Monday after Standard & Poor's lowers US credit rating; Dow drops 634 points … US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner rips S&P, says it has “shown really terrible judgment” … Street fighting men, and women: Rioting in Britain enters third day, spreads from…
Getting the Mortgage Modification Runaround
Pfc. Aaron Collette came home to Bend from Iraq in June to a warm welcome from family and friends. But the welcome from JPMorgan Chase wasn't so friendly: It was taking away the home his father, Tim Collette, bought five years ago. Tim Collette, a building contractor, put $125,000 down and took out a $230,000…
Bittersweet Homecoming: Bend's famous foreclosure fight, spillway scare, farmer's market on the move and more!
After several years of lobbying, Bend veterans finally got their wish for a new veteran's center in Central Oregon. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. was in town last week to christen the new center that opened on NE Forbes Road. The center will offer counseling and referral services to veterans and their families. It replaces an…
Gold Fever: As the markets tank, gold is skyrocketing, but will its value live up to the hype?
It's a Tuesday and, at least for a day, the stock markets are showing a gain, mostly due to the fact that the Fed has announced that it will be keeping interest rates low in the wake of the S&P's historic downgrade of the U.S.' credit rating. And at the same time, the price of…
Our Picks for 8/18-8/25
An Evening with Chris Horner thursday 18 One of Bend's most famous residents, pro cyclist Chris Horner, is giving his hometown residents a look into his life as part of Team RadioShack and what it's like to race in the Tour de France. Horner, as many know, suffered injuries in a serious crash during the…
Local Boy: The Dirtball may have hit it big with the Kottonmouth Kings, but he hasn't forgotten Bend
Some people live in Bend. Other people are from Bend and they'll let you know about it. David Alexander, who you're more likely to know as The Dirtball, belongs to the latter faction and despite the fact that he's a successful solo rapper in addition to belonging to a highly popular hip-hop collective, The Kottonmouth…
Little Bites: Thai Made Easy: Daughter of local Thai purveyors goes mobile with the Thai on the Fly cart
Maam is always smiling. Maybe that's because she knows her Thai food, dished up from a small mobile food cart called Thai on the Fly and usually found beside the Aspect board shop on Galveston Avenue is some of the best in town. Maam (she only offers her first name) is the daughter of one…
A Big Helping of Talent: The Help packs in powerful performances from some of Hollywood's most capable actresses
In 2010 the Deschutes Country Library chose Kathryn Stockett's New York Times best selling debut novel, The Help, as the “Novel Idea… Read Together” program's book for the year. The program, which just wrapped it's eighth year, started based on the question, “What would happen if everyone in Deschutes County read the same book?” The…
Cinemapathy: 30 Minutes or Less feels like 120 minutes or more.
If there's one thing I hate about the current state of film criticism, it's that so many critics (mostly online) view movies through a cracked lens of jaded cynicism and detached boredom that it makes me wonder whether they even enjoy the world of film to begin with. Specifically, there's a word that drives me…
Glee-sterbate
Okay, let me start out by saying that I have never – not even once in my life – masturbated in a movie theater. This is a point of pride for me, because I'm sure many of my readers can't say the same. The way I see it, a movie theater is a sacred place;…
Fighting Cartoons: Bleach: Soul Resurrección manages to put you in charge of the anime
I know nothing about the anime series Bleach. At first I thought my ignorance would help me. I thought that I’d be able to play the game without complaining that they modeled the spikes on the hero’s hair wrong, or forgot to include my favorite character. I thought I could focus on the gameplay. Bleach:…
Thanks, Kids: How Little League baseball made me proud to be from Bend
I was in Virginia last weekend, sitting in a hotel named after a Confederate general and watching, of all things, kids from Bend, Oregon, play baseball. As you should know by now, Bend's all-star Little League team (from the South division) went all the way to the championship of the Northwest regional championship. They were…
Happy Days Are Here Again: The Return of Bee Swarms to Central Oregon
Dan Kraus of Bend brought me the good news about a month ago. Dan’s a meteorologist and astronomer, who, like most people who deal with the stars and the weather, can’t help but be interested in other things that take place around him. He called with the message I love to hear: “Jim, there’s a…
Bend Council Weighs Reduced Fees for Builders
The Bend City Council is holding a public hearing as they consider extending the system development charges (SDC) deferral program for builders in the City of Bend, a measure which offers builders and developers some economic incentive. The council will also hear a staff recommendation on a request from the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA)…
Pennsylvania fugitive arrested in Bend
A wanted fugitive from Pennsylvania was arrested early today in Bend after his whereabouts were discovered after a 130 mph pursuit between the fugitive and Oregon State Police occurred. According to a press release from the Oregon State Police “On August 15, 2011 at approximately 10:00 p.
