Cover Story
From the Wheelchair to the Mountaintop
Every morning Jeff Rasmussen wakes up, looks himself in the mirror and says the same thing: “How am I still here?” “It’s insane. I literally shouldn’t be here,” he says. In November 2012, Rasmussen collapsed in his living room in Palm Desert, California. His girlfriend and her two children happened to be in the room…
The New Normal, Again
Oregon dropped its mask mandates and distancing requirements on July 1. Now, after just a little over a month of “back to normal,” Governor Kate Brown announced that mask mandates will return. When restrictions were lifted, the state recorded under 200 new cases a day. The seven-day average when this article went to print was…
Ya Just Never Know…
Well, it’s happened again—another mystery: Why are there Pygmy horned lizards in Sun Mountain (where I used to live), between Bend and Sisters, and none in my pal Al St. John’s backyard just down the road (where he used to live)? Could it be he had different ants than I did, and the horned lizards…
Source Weekly Update podcast 8/6/21
In this week’s podcast: A first look at a new village for unhoused people in Redmond and an art show challenging Bend’s racial stereotypes. Source Weekly – Bend, Oregon · Source Weekly Update podcast 8/6/21
Letters to the Editor 8/5/21
Editor’s note: I don’t think I am alone in being astounded that it’s August already. It seems like all of 2021 has involved waiting for something—waiting for a change in leadership, for a vaccine to arrive, for a summer that looked more like ones we have known in the past… and then August arrives and…
Out Of The Junipers, a Proposed New Camp for the Unhoused
Urban and rural houselessness often don’t look the same and have different solutions. In more-urban Bend, the rising population of unhoused has inspired both great acts of compassion from houselessness advocates and drawn ire from NIMBYs who want unhoused camps out of sight and out of mind. In rural Redmond, houseless populations aren’t as acutely…
Noticias en Español
Las personas sin hogar en zonas urbanas y rurales a menudo no tienen el mismo aspecto y constan de soluciones diferentes. En la zona más urbana de Bend, el aumento en la población de personas sin hogar ha inspirado grandes actos de compasión por parte de las personas que abogan por las personas sin hogar…
DA's office, Bend PD need to be on the same page
At this point in the year, it’s safe to say the weather is not the only thing that’s boiling hot. Politics have hit a fever pitch, and that temperature extends across numerous branches of government. Failed Bend-La Pine school board candidates who didn’t bother to speak to anyone but Fox News during their candidacy are…
Chef Spotlight: Jamar Adams
Chef Jamar Adams grew up in Prineville, joined the Army as a young man, was deployed in Iraq, and ultimately became a member of the Army’s elite Special Forces. Upon his retirement from the military, Adams spent time thinking about his next move before deciding on a second career as a chef. He put himself…
BIPOC Art Show Seeks to Challenge Bend’s Racial Narrative
Hang around Bend long enough and you’re sure to see it: the bumper sticker that reads, “Be Nice You’re in Bend.” While benign enough on its face, at least one group of local creators and artists of color see it as a sign of exclusion and supporting the status quo—one in which Bend maintains the…
Queens of the COVID Age
Drag brunch, drag bingo, drag hiking, drag birthdays… drag house plant workshops? Those who haven’t yet ventured out lately may not have seen all the sweet (& salty) events that local queens have been busily propagating in Central Oregon. These events are selling out in days, if not hours, and are among the hottest (sometimes…
Taking the Plunge into Gravel E-Biking
I’ve cranked more than a few miles over the years on bicycles: road bikes, mountain and my true passion, gravel. I’m not speedy but I can go the distance. I don’t mind rough terrain. I love a long climb and a rippin’ descent. And most of all, I love exploring, especially the backroads of Oregon—even…
May the Source Be With You
I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. I’ve noticed things seem to be almost completely back to normal even though the Delta variant has started rearing its ugly head. But they’re not normal. I know it’s easier to think they are, but there are still many bare shelves at grocery stores and a lot of…
Source Material
It’s that time again—a Source Material music recap for the month of July. The past month has really hit home for me that the pace at which we consume and talk about music is just at a stupidly fast rate. Albums and songs released at the beginning of the month seem like they came out…
Painting the Town
Nothing brings a city alive quite like street art. Splashes of color across an alley can inspire onlookers, address social issues or simply improve the mood of those passing by. The High Desert Mural Festival states on its website that it is a nonprofit focused on “supporting projects that enhance the public arts culture of…
At Home in Sisters
Driving through Sisters, visitors will be transported back to a town with an Old-West theme throughout. Situated just Northwest of Bend, Sisters offers an unparalleled natural beauty and an abundance of recreation opportunities. The city’s name is derived from the proximity to the Three Sisters mountains that blanket the backdrop and offer awe-inspiring views at…
The Bend Ale Trail Relaunches, with More than Just Breweries
It seems difficult to fathom nowadays, what with nearly 30 breweries in Central Oregon today, but when the Bend Ale Trail launched in 2010, it would’ve required the six-fingered man to count all the stops on the nascent hop-hike. That was an era without Sunriver or GoodLife or Crux; an era when almost everyone offered…
Pop-Up Barbecue, Breakfast Burritos at The Commons
Barbecue From carts to festivals to brick-and-mortar restaurants, Central Oregon has plenty to enjoy in the way of barbecue. Newer on the food scene in Bend is Cypress Southern Kitchen, a pop-up restaurant offering a good old-fashioned Southern BBQ every other Sunday through September. Cypress Southern Kitchen sets up its pit barbecue and scratch Southern…
Brawl Straps & Quarantine Wolf
Brawl Straps I’m a woman in my early 20s. The guy I’m dating brought me to meet his friends. His male friends were warm and friendly. The women were awful. One deliberately kept saying my name wrong (it’s not exactly exotic), and two others glared at my miniskirt. Another said something about how low-cut my…
Free Will Astrology—Week of August 5
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The next two months will be a propitious time for you and your intimate allies to grow closer by harnessing the power of your imaginations. I urge you to be inventive in dreaming up ways to educate and entertain each other. Seek frisky adventures together that will delight you. Here’s a…
