Girl Wonder
Central Oregon is known for producing Olympic-level athletes who excel in winter sports but rarely do water sports come to mind. This year, an 11-year-old girl from Bend is making a name for herself in the competitive swimming arena. One of the youngest swimmers to qualify for Bend Swim Center’s competitive Silver Squad, Annika Huang…
Nest Bookshelf
Birds: What Do Flamingos, Owls and Penguins Get up to All Day? By Alex Bond, illustrated by Henry Rancourt Explore a full day of birds and discover a variety of new facts through sky dancing, scavengers and migration. Did you know flippers are the wings of a penguin and that pink flamingos can dance? Bond asks…
Learning Made Fun
Due to the Great Recession, Bend’s last brick-and-mortar children’s museum, Working Wonders, closed in 2009, leaving families of young children with few options for indoor, hands-on learning. Children’s Museum of Central Oregon, a nonprofit founded in 2015, is aiming to change that by raising enough money to build a learning center with STEAM-based exhibits, projected…
The 2023 Best of the Nest
Loving what you do and working hard at it are the keys to success. Thanks to our vibrant community of dedicated individuals and businesses who deliver top-notch services and products on the daily, raising a family in the high desert is a dreamy endeavor. This year, Nest followers rallied in great numbers to voice their…
Best Arts Instruction: Let’s Paint
Sarah Swoffer has creativity in her DNA. In founding Let’s Paint, which offers art instruction to children, parents and everyone in between, Swoffer has been instrumental in helping her students explore their own artistry by nurturing creativity and confidence. Growing as an art teacher during her time with Westside Village Magnet School, she knew painting…
Best Dance Studio: The Dance Connection Bend
There’s no such thing as a dancer without passion; they do it because they feel it in their bones and soul. Owners of The Dance Connection Bend, Amy Adams, Lauren DuBose and Paige Coduti, feel that emotion and pass it on to every student who enters the doors of their studio. “We believe that dance stretches…
Best Learning Specialist/Tutor: Sylvan Learning of Bend
No two students learn the same way and it’s a huge mistake to assume they will. That’s one reason why Sylvan Learning has expanded so widely over the years. Audra-Marie Bohn, the director of Sylvan of Bend, explains: “Sylvan sets up individualized learning plans customized to each and every student, and we use expert teachers…
Best OB: Dr. John Murphy
Right away, it’s easy to tell how much Dr. John Murphy cares about his patients. “I feel continuity of care is truly the best form of medical care,” he says. “Every time a patient sees a different provider, a small piece of information can be lost. We try and give our community the best continuity…
Special Help for Special Kids
Receiving news that your child has special needs can prompt a devastating turn of events. “The future you imagined, it’s all changed,” says Leslie Seidel, whose son Luke was diagnosed with autism at age two. Fortunately, early childhood special education resources are available through the High Desert Education Service District, which includes Bend-La Pine, Crook…
Best Photographer: Natalie Stephenson
Natalie Stephenson always knew she wanted to be a photographer. “I was given my first camera at age nine, creating a lifelong love for photography and a desire to be a professional photographer from a young age,” says Stephenson. “For me, it was a passion for creativity in capturing people’s expressions or a beautiful scene, inspiring emotion in…
Health Expert Q&A
Mary Rogers, MD FAAP Central Oregon Pediatric Associates Q: My six-year-old son was diagnosed with asthma a year ago. We have since moved to Bend and thankfully, he has had zero symptoms here. Should we see a physician about his condition or just assume he has grown out of it? A: That is amazing that…
Career-Changed K9 Finds a Forever Friend
Abby Durrell, a 10-year-old homeschooler in Sunriver, Oregon, was struggling with anxiety and stress due to various medical conditions that caused speech delays, balance issues and blurred peripheral vision. “In May of 2020 we ended up in the ER where she was diagnosed with chiari malformation [a condition where brain tissue invades the spinal canal],”…
Editors Note Summer 2023
What a sight to behold—a line of ducklings trailing proud parents as they navigate the river currents, a bucking kid goat frolicking in the field and a nest of peeping chicks visible from the window. Here, at my house, we also have a new baby! Poppy is a bouncing Aussie/heeler puppy who is melting our…
It’s Baby Season!
After a long winter, most Central Oregonians look forward to warmer weather and a little color to the landscape. The High Desert morphs as flowers bloom, leaves sprout and the opportunity to spend more time outdoors finally arrives. Spring and summer signal a time of new life, especially for the array of animals, domesticated and…
Food and Farm Trail for the Whole Family
Here in Central Oregon, we are blessed to live in a thriving agricultural community where farm-fresh produce grows right around the corner. From juicy purple plums to crisp green kale, and grass-fed beef to local honey, so many nourishing options abound! Children love picking out food and are more likely to eat their vegetables if…
