Guest Editorial: Death With Dignity
By Jo Zucker My children hardly remembered when their grandmother had hair. Her body was ravaged by five years of chemotherapy, and her spirit waned with each round of treatments. Her doctor finally uttered the words we had long dreaded: “There’s nothing more we can do.” So she contacted Compassion & Choices. My mother did…
PICK: Pickin’ & Paddlin’
MUSIC—Not only does the monthly Pickin’ and Paddlin’ offer free demos of canoes, kayaks and standup paddleboards, it also presents a sampler of great bands, starting with the fast banjo and guitar picking of The Student Loan. 5-9 pm. Tumalo Creek Canoe and Kayak, 805 SW Industrial Way. $5, children under 12 free.
PICK: Your Grandma’s Cookbook
COOKING—Perhaps the Oregon Trail was never confused for the “spice trail,” but over the past century, chefs in the state certainly have learned to forage the natural flavors and wonders here, from Dungeness crabs to tart Marion berries. McMenamin’s “history pub” series presents “Your Grandma’s Cookbook, A Century of Oregon Eating, 1880 – 1980.” 7…
PICK: SoloVox (electronica)
ELECTRONICA—Like a hyper sheep dog, the wildly popular Portland-based SoloVox rounds up chaos and holds it in loosely organized electronica jams, punctuated by jazzy piano licks and celebratory R&B remixes. 10 pm. Dojo, 852 NW Brooks. $5.
Brewtal Breakdown Festival at BTBS
saturday 23 Brewtal Breakdown Festival FESTIVAL—A weekend filled with excessive amounts of beer and music. No location in town will be pouring and picking more than Broken Top Bottle Shop, where Deschutes Brewery takes over the taps and a dozen local bands play in a fundraiser for the Bend Roots Revival. Check out The Cutmen,…
PICK: David Grisman Bluegrass Experience
friday 22 David Grisman Bluegrass Experience MUSIC—An inspirational newgrass mandolinist, David Grisman has spent more than 50 years perfecting his picking, playing with acts from the Grateful Dead to Bonnie Raitt. A true legend in his craft, the godfather of folk plays his signature bluegrass mixed with jazz dubbed “Dawg music” in honor of the…
PICK: Innovation Day Bend: Aerial Robotics
ROBOTS—Warm Springs has been tapped as one of the nation’s testing grounds for drones, and that fact is expected to inspire a cottage industry of robotics in Central Oregon. Innovation Day provides a snapshot of the future. They are watching you, so why not watch them for a day? Pre-registration required (soaroregon.com). 7:30 am (robots…
Editor’s Note: In this week’s issue, cults!
What is often forgotten about the cult leader Jim Jones is that before his name became synonymous in 1978 with poisoned koolaid and an alarming mass suicide, he was better known as someone who helped poor families find housing. He was friends with the political elite of California, and named by mayor George Moscone as…
Portland’s Just Lions Playing Wedding in the Woods This Weekend
This weekends über-DIY music festival, Wedding in the Woods, brings together a dozen local bands as well as three out-of-town acts: Minor Islands from the Bay Area, Lo & Behold from Redding, Calif. and Just Lions from Portland. We got in touch with the ’90s-style pop rockers to chat about their upcoming gig in the…
ScaleHouse Sessions: Stephanie Gervais
International wearable art maker and performer, Stephanie Gervais will be speaking at Tin Pan Theater tonight, Monday Aug., 18. Presenting an interactive conversation exploring identity and transformation. Artist Stephanie Gervais combines sculpture & the body in performance & photography in order to explore adornment, disguise and identity transformation. Most recently based in Brazil, Stephanie will…
Crews Working to Fix Gas Leak on Riverside Boulevard
Fancy a smoke near Riverside Market? Think again. Crews from Cascade Natural Gas, Bend Fire, Bend Police and Bend Water Utilities are working to fix a natural gas leak on Riverside Boulevard between NW Hood Place and the Riverside Market. Air levels and wind conditions are being monitored to protect public health and safety, and…
Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night
saturday 23 Shakespeare in the Park THEATRE—With witty fools, foolish wits, disguises, malcontents, marriages and epic shipwrecks, Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s most classic and goofy comedies. The sunset ambiance of Drake Park and a crew of Pacific Northwest actors make for an unbeatable Shakespearian experience. 7 pm. Fri., Aug. 22, and Sat.,…
What in the World: Ferguson, Iraq, and Ebola
FERGUSON: St. Louis County Police named Officer Darren Wilson as the police officer who shot unarmed black teen Michael Brown. Police are also saying that Brown fits the description of a man who alleged manhandled a convenience store clerk and stole a box of cigars minutes before the shooting. Accounts of what led to the…
New Adventure Galley Video
Adventure Galley is a truly Oregon band. The synth-obsessed dance-rock crew was born right here in Bend, check track four on their demo tape titled “Pilot Butte.” The six-piece grew up in Eugene in the early 2010s, winning a MySpace competition (yes, MySpace still existed in 2010) that secured them a record deal, and have…
WINNER! The Best Best of Party, Friday 7 pm Crow’s Feet Commons
We are so excited to have our 2014 Best of Central Oregon edition of the Source on stands now! Read the full list of winners as voted by you, more on some of the top finishers and of course the cheeky staff picks. Did we mention you won Best Reader? Hob nob with other winners…
Fire Report: Closures at Cultus Lake
The following areas remain closed to provide for public and firefighter safety during mop-up, rehab and demobilization of fire equipment as much of this work will require delivery and removal of resources via helicopter. West Cultus boat-in Campground is closed. Closed National Forest Service System Trails include: · Deer Lake Trail #6 from the Deer…
Skin Wars with Natalie Fletcher: Episode 2 TONIGHT!
TONIGHT! Local body painter Natalie Fletcher competes in round two of Skin Wars on GSN. This week’s challenge looks right up Natalie’s camouflage body-painting alley. We can’t wait to see what how she does! Join Natalie at Riverside Market tonight at 9 pm to watch the episode live. And check this out! Natalie Fletcher won…
Best of Best of Answers
Every year we collect hundreds of handwritten and online ballots during our Best of Central Oregon voting. We almost always get a good laugh out of some of the ridiculous answers that our readers submit, so this year, we thought we would share the giggles with you! Here is a list of our favorite answers…
Boys on Film
Once a year for 12 years, director Richard Linklater summoned a cast of actors—including his own daughter Lorelei, who was nine when the project began, and Ellar Coltrane, who was six—to film Boyhood, an utterly unique story of an utterly conventional American childhood. Boyhood is set in the 21st century, so there are divorced parents…
Best Produce
There’s nothing quite like biting into a sweet, tender peach picked at the height of ripeness. It’s a rare treat in a world where most grocery store produce ripens on a truck as it travels thousands of miles from the orchard to the chain store. At the Bend Farmers’ Market, fresh, local, and organic are…
Best Variety Show Host
Shanan Kelley pointed out that naming her best variety show host is like saying she’s our favorite only child. She’s the one-and-only variety show host in town, and with her team of expert humorists, musicians and film crew, she’s been putting together live episodes of The Night Light Show at Tin Pan Theater for the…
Film Events 8/13-8/21
GMO OMG This alarming (and somewhat alarmist) documentary focuses on the loss of seed diversity and how lab assisted genetic alteration of food can affect freedom of choice around the world. The most interesting aspect of the film is not the parade of information about GMOs and some of the effects they could have on…
Complete Winners List
BEST OF BEND Best Chef Winner: Chef Andres Fernandez at Ariana Honorable Mention: Chef Jeff Hunt at Spork Best Fine Dining Winner: Zydeco Kitchen and Cocktails Ariana Restaurant Best Service Winner: Zydeco Kitchen and Cocktails The McKay Cottage Restaurant Best Sushi Winner: 5 Fusion & Sushi Bar Kanpai Sushi and Sake Bar Best Steak Winner: The…
Around the World
On the heels of a successful career as executive chef at Broken Top Bottle Shop (note: winner of 2014’s Best Of Central Oregon for Vegetarian Food), Bethlyn Rider is branching out on her own with Bethlyn’s Global Fusion Farm to Street Food Truck. Drawing inspiration from the film The Chef, Rider says she felt constrained…
The Big Refresh
Back when the Source first wrote about Bend band Harley Bourbon in 2011, front man John Forrest was 22, chugging orange juice with bourbon—a drink known as an American Screw—around bonfires and rumbling loudly at local venues with his band’s take on outlaw-country-inspired punk rock. Three years later and now 25, Forrest still fronts Harley…
Best Auto Repair
All too often, the typical auto repair shop experience is anything but “happy.” For Bend drivers, that’s not the case at Happy Danes, a shop owned by Kaj and Michelle Larsen who are—you guessed it—a couple of happy danes. Kaj (pronounced “K-eye”) has been working on cars since he was 16 years old, when he…
Taste Like You’ve Been There Before
As the biggest beer event of the summer, Bend Brewfest should be a can’t-miss for local beer fans and tourists. Unlike most beer events, Brewfest has multiple personalities—and just a little local knowledge combined with common sense should guarantee a fantastic—and productive—time at the event. Probably most important is choosing the best time to attend.…
Source Suggests 8/13-8/21
JPNSGRLS Normally I’m against removing vowels and unnecessary letter capitalization in band names (I’m talking to you Strfkr and tUnE-yArDs), but after taking a good hard listen to JPNSGRLS, a Queens of the Stone Age-esque crew that includes exactly zero people from Japan and zero women, I’ve concluded that the Vancouver, BC, band’s loud, danceable…
Best Radio Personality
Although not old enough to attend concerts during Detroit’s musical heyday—from Motown’s catchy R&B to the proto-punk of The Stooges—Kris Arnold’s hometown still has left its mark on her music sensibilities. With long, spiky blond hair, Arnold strongly resembles '70s punk diva Debbie Harry, and she admits, she likes her music “Down and dirty gritty.”…
History Through Portrait
Local painter Sheila Dunn already has one painting hanging as a part of Visit Bend’s Tin Pan Alley Art collection, a portrait of Klondike Kate, Bend’s famed dancer turned philanthropist in Gasoline Alley between Wall and Bond Streets in downtown. And over the summer months, Dunn has been meticulously dedicated to a new piece, one…
2014 Best of Central Oregon
Even if only a myth, the first known concept of a pageant was a toe-to-toe competition between Athena and Aphrodite. According to Greek mythology, Zeus sent a minion to judge the “fairest of them all,” a judgment (in Aphrodite’s favor) that set in motion a chain reaction resulting with the all-out Trojan War. All told,…
Best Lunch (Sunriver)
Sunriver Brewing Company reflects the style and sensibility of the city it calls home—easygoing, approachable and fun. Serving as much of a centering point for the town as anywhere else, the brewpub has recently expanded its production facilities, a measure that says a lot about its popularity and aspirations. Its beers are fun and dedicated…
Eugene Comes to Bend
Playwright Neil Simon can sometimes get a bad rap. It is easy to pick on him for being the poster boy of “safe” and “easy” theater because of his shows like Barefoot in the Park and Sweet Charity. Most of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, in thier liftime, never achieved even a modicum…
Nerd Rock
Portland’s Adam Sweeney does a bit of everything; just check out this post from late last month referencing Portland soul singer/songwriter Kelsey Mousley: “Gearing up for another session with Kelsey Mousley tomorrow. I love nerding out on new mic and pre configurations. #livetrio #rnb #nerd” For this guy, being creative involves a lot more than…
Best Brother/Sister Writers
Growing up in Central Oregon offers plenty of material for creative writers. Just ask Benjamin Percy and his little sister Jennifer, both of whom have made names for themselves among American Literati. Ben, who describes himself as a “side-burned, growly voiced author,” has set much of his fiction in and around Bend — including his…
Poetry Isn’t Just for the Birds
For nearly a decade, Larry Jacobs, Don Kunz, John Kvapil, Peter Lovering and John Martin have been meeting weekly to collaborate on their mutual hobby. It’s not fly-fishing or custom cabinetry. Not classic cars or Texas Hold ‘Em or beer. They find themselves more often in bookstores than bars, and spend a good deal of…
Musical Chairs
The Bend Roots Festival has been in five different locations in as many years. Starting in the cross-street parking lots of the Victorian Café and Parrilla Grill, the local music festival upgraded to the Century Center in 2011 only to be canceled last minute at the same location in 2012. Then, last year placed Bend’s…
Best Fine Dining (Sisters)
Like many businesses in Sisters, the quality and sophistication at Jen’s Garden far outpaces what is commonly expected in a small town. One of the finest and best-thought-out restaurants in Central Oregon, if not the state, Jen’s Garden nestles cozily into two rooms of a French country house—and, of course, spills over into a comfortable…
Being the new kid in town
Whatever, Mom If you ever moved as a child, you probably remember the anxiety of being the “new kid.” Unless, of course, the move happened before age five or six, in which case your only recollections likely exist on account of whatever your parents told you—which could, in fact, be total baloney (no offense to…
Out of Town 8/13-8/21
eugene saturday 16 Huey Lewis and the News Best known for their cheeky late ’80s MTV hits (“Hip to Be Square,” “Heart of Rock and Roll”), Huey Lewis and the News is a surprisingly earnest and quality R&B band. So much more than a novelty act squeezing out money from reconstituting their decades-old hits, the…
Best Butte
If you like buttes, then you live in the right place. Bend is surrounded by hundreds of them. Between Pilot Butte and Newberry Crater 22 miles to the south, there are more than 70 cinder cones that rise 100 feet in height or more. One of my favorites is Luna Butte, located 15.5 miles south…
Our Picks 8/13-8/21
thursday 14 Bend Brewfest Kickoff BEER—When we say, “There is no way you could taste all of the beers” at BrewFest, please don’t take that as a challenge to do so! But yes, it is a matter of balancing quality with quantity as 40-some of the best brewers from the west coast are on hand,…
Best Chef
While he’s not the namesake of the Westside upscale eatery Ariana—that would be his lovely wife and co-chef—Chef Andres Fernandez is certainly one-half of the inspiration behind the meals at one of Bend’s finest dining establishments, and one outta two ain’t bad. After meeting in culinary school at COCC a decade ago, Ariana and Andres…
Best Beer Named After a Person
A decade ago, Gary Bonacker, Sunnyside Sports co-owner and mountain bike pioneer who spent the '70s and '80s bombing around Mt. Bachelor on a clunky bike, hit perhaps his hardest obstacle yet: He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. But Bonacker, now 60, went through chemotherapy and survived with his wit, charm and dedication…
Whatcha Doing, Candidate?
In a recent Bend Chamber debate between House District 54 candidates Knute Buehler (R) and Craig Wilhelm (D), the doctor and the war veteran (respectively) found themselves in agreement on many of the issues. In an effort to help clarify the differences—and similarities—between the candidates, we asked each 10 political questions (and five fun ones)…
Best Tattoo Shop
When you’re getting a piece of art riveted onto your body that’s going to last the rest of your life, there’s no screwing around. Monolith Tattoo Studio gets that. That’s why they hire only the most qualified and talented artists. The shop's staff are versed in every aspect of tattooing, grey scale realism, traditional, color…
Best Bartender
A bartender for nearly 20 years, Cori Hamilton first started at Monet’s Garden, a popular bar that she launched in the ’90s. “It was originally a way to pay my way through school,” she explains. “Then I realized the schedule, co-workers, creating cocktails and friends that I make in this business are exactly what I…
City Council Roundup
On a City Council agenda packed with development and infrastructure issues, only one item inspired debate at the Aug. 6 meeting. Tucked at the end of the consent agenda—typically a cluster of items approved collectively by a motion with little fanfare at the start of the meeting—was a contract amendment authorizing the city to spend…
Best Childcare Facility
As a single parent of an almost-five-year-old, I know how agonizing it can be to find top-notch childcare. So here ya go, parents: Whether you’re looking for just a couple weekdays sans kiddos, or you’re virtually in need of a pseudo-mom, Westside Shorty’s tops our list for outstanding childcare. Open year-round for children ages three…
Best Coffee
Dave Beach started roasting as a hobby while a student at the University of Oregon. At the time, he explains, his then-girlfriend was out of town for a term, and to fill the time, he picked up the new hobby. When she returned to Eugene, she dumped him, but the skill set—and love for coffee…
Putting Together the Pieces
Five years ago, Bend’s economy—largely based on tourism and a housing boom—fell apart. What had been a blessing—a giant leap forward in housing prices—suddenly seemed like a curse as residents fell behind on mortgage payments, and the region’s biggest economic driver was more of an economic anvil than advantage. And, with people across the country…
Best Place to Nerd Out
Duncan McGeary has owned Pegasus Books in the same location on Minnesota Avenue. for 30 years. He is the second owner only to Mike Richardson, now the publisher of Dark Horse Comics in Portland, who owned the shop for five years before McGeary took over. The downtown store is legendary for anyone in Bend who…
Best Happy Hour
While it’s a rare treat to be excused from my desk during typical happy hour hours (who gets off work at 4 pm?!), I’ve made the hard-driven sacrifice to try just about every discounted eating and drinking scenario I could reasonably get my mouth around in Bend. As far as quality and bang-for-my-buck is concerned,…
A Healthy Healthcare System
In the political campaigns shaping up for November’s election, perhaps the most heated battleground is the continued tug-of-war over healthcare coverage—namely, Cover Oregon, the effort to provide reasonably priced and comprehensive healthcare for uninsured residents. Leading the charge in Oregon have been gubernatorial hopeful Dennis Richardson and Monica Wehby, who has been lambasting Sen. Jeff…
Best Western Wear
Cowgirl Cash is not a traditional western wear store–it’s a BEND western wear store, and owner Rebecca Charlton understands the difference. After all, she comes from a long line of Central Oregon cowgirls. Her mother, Jeannie Smith, was the Deschutes Rodeo Queen in 1962, and Cowgirl Cash pays homage to her spirit, offering clothes, boots…
Best Health Club/Gym
The facilities at Juniper Swim and Fitness Center are remarkable, and so incredibly versatile—with slides and a splash parks pleasing for kids, and outdoor Olympic-length lanes for the serious athletes (and almost always a lane open!). But, dear teenaged Juniper lifeguards: Sitting outside all afternoon by the pool is what is known as a “cush”…
Letters 8/6-8/11
IN REPLY TO “GOT BIG FEELINGS ABOUT THE UGB?” (8/5) Extending the Urban Growth Boundary costs taxpayers more than infill building. This is shown in a 2013 report, downloadable at www.friends.org/infrastructure. If the UGB is extended who wins? Developers and real estate agents. Who loses? Bend taxpayers. —Pissed-off taxpayer IN REPLY TO “HOTEL, MOTEL, NEIGHBORHOOD…
Best Bend-Inspired Tattoo
While tattoos dedicated to fleeting human loves are often ill-advised, paying homage to a city is a far less risky proposition. That’s not to say a person can’t fall out of love with a city, but their new object of geographical affection isn’t likely to be jealous of the former lover. That’s why we sought…
Best Opportunity To Market Bend
Last fall, taxpayers voted on measure 9-94, a transient room tax increase that set aside funds to be distributed fairly among Bend’s arts organizations. Nice job, taxpayers. The opportunity to start a granting program for the arts that will potentially help to bolster tourism in shoulder seasons and winter months, diversifying tourism offerings and injecting…
Neither Sleet, Snow nor Forest Fire…
One of the unexpected casualties of June’s massive Two Bulls Fire that raged through the forests just west of Bend was the ultra-fun mountain bike race, Blitz 2 the Barrel. With fire and smoke threatening the flank of Mt. Bachelor, organizers postponed the early summer race to now, late summer. Blitz 2 the Barrel is…
Best Hangover Food
The D&D takes pride in the fact that they mix the stiffest drink in town while also serving the best hangover food, no matter the time of day. It is comforting to know that it's possible to get obliterated and then build it right back up again all under the same roof. “The fact that…
Best Calves
Every type of athlete has a muscular calling card (think: swimmers’ sculpted lats, runners’ killer quads). For cyclists, it’s cut calves that call out to passersby—sinewy and strong as they pump the pedals. And while there is no shortage of impressive gastrocnemii (that’s Latin for “stomach of the legs”—fitting, since at their peak, they are…
Goodbye, Lake Abert?
Lake Abert is dying, if not already dead. But unfortunately, unless you are a limnologist, serious birder or just love Oregon for everything it has, Lake Abert doesn’t seem to matter. To begin with, Lake Abert, Oregon’s only saltwater lake, is a desolate place that (once was) a popular stopover for migratory waterfowl. It is…
Best Cheap Eats
For 19 years, Gene Fitzsimmons has been making mole. Every Monday at the Taco Stand, he cooks up his special recipe and slings the daily special for not much more than the cost of a mass-produced failure of a foot-long Subway sandwich. A local’s favorite and still mostly cash-only (they’ll take your card if you’re…
Best Bicycle Shop
A local fixture for more than 30 years, Hutch’s Bicycles has grown alongside Bend’s bike culture. When Jim Lewis—who has worked with bikes since he started building them in his garage at age 9 and has never been employed by any other company—was tasked with opening the first of two Bend shops on the eastside…
