Fire Safety Grants Available
If last fire season caused rural residents of Bend any anxiety, the Deschutes Rural Fire Protection District No. 2 is trying to help. Residents in DRFPD 2 can apply for grants aimed at improving the fire safety of neighborhoods and homes. Although the grant cycle is ongoing, the fire department said now is a good…
Deschutes County Republican Party to Host Anti-Muslim Speaker
On Tuesday, Feb. 20, the Deschutes County Republican Party is hosting an event called, “Understanding the Threat” at the Bend Senior Center designed to help put global and domestic terrorist attacks into perspective and will “identify specific jihadi threats in the United States.” The keynote speaker is John Guandolo, an ex-FBI agent who resigned from…
Steve Miller Band and Peter Frampton return to Bend
Steve Miller and Peter Frampton are joining forces for another summer tour—and they’re making a stop in Bend. The Steve Miller Band, an integral part of the San Francisco music scene in the late ’60s, shook up American culture with their blend of psychedelic blues and Americana roots. Fun fact: Les Paul was Miller’s godfather,…
Investing in Infill
Like many homeowners, Bendites Tim and Natalie Page were looking for a way to increase their income. Tim is a development associate for the Environmental Center, while Natalie works as an educational assistant for Juniper Elementary School. Their solution: Adding onto their home to make room for a vacation rental. “We are in fact low…
Dr. Strangerlove Champagne and Suffering
I’m a 33-year-old woman. Though I don’t want a boyfriend right now, I have a strong sex drive and don’t want to go without sex. I’ve tried the hookup apps, but besides finding sleeping with strangers sexually unsatisfying, I’m always a little surprised at how emotionally empty I end up feeling. (It’s not like I…
City of Bend Seeking Applicants for Climate Action Steering Committee
The City of Bend is looking for people to apply to a committee whose goal is to reduce fossil fuel use by 40 percent in 2030 and 70 percent by 2050. The Climate Action Steering Committee is an ad hoc committee that will be appointed by the City Council. The 11-member group will be formed…
Finally, someone calls the bridge ban effort what it is
It might have been an offhand comment not meant for wide public consumption, but when you make a comment at a public hearing, expect people to listen. According to media reports, state Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, let fly that the current bill aiming to ban a pedestrian bridge over the Deschutes River south of Bend…
Free to Wait til DVD
I planned to see “Fifty Shades Freed,” the new “Fifty Shades” movie, with my ex-girlfriend, because I apparently thrive on uncomfortable situations. This close to Valentine’s Day though, the idea seemed a little too masochistic, even for me. Christian Grey might have relished the idea, but he’s way better at compartmentalizing than I am. Instead of…
A New Principal for Summit High
Summit High School will officially have a new principal starting July 1. Superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools, Shay Mikalson, announced Wednesday that Michael McDonald, currently assistant principal at Summit, will take on the new role. Summit’s current principal, Alice De Wittie, announced in October that she would be leaving the district at the end of…
New Fire Station Coming to Tumalo
Students who attend Tumalo School won’t have to look at the old, boxy, 1970s-era fire station during recess much longer. Soon, they’ll have a state-of-the-art building to gaze at as they play tag, soccer, or just pick grass in the school field adjacent to the Deschutes County Rural Fire Protection District No. 2 building on…
Free Will Astrology week of Feb. 15
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The posh magazine *Tatler* came up with a list of fashionable new names for parents who want to ensure their babies get a swanky start in life. Since you Aquarians are in a phase when you can generate good fortune by rebranding yourself or remaking your image, I figure you might…
High and Lonesome
It’s fairly subtle, so you may not have noticed, but this week was Valentine’s Day! A “holiday” of realistic expectations and endless possibilities for bitter self-recrimination about love lost. Be it canna-infused chocolates or lubes (note: don’t mix those up), cannabis plays a growing role in industries built around love in its many forms. But…
Letters to the Editor
In response to Transportation Consciousness Shift, 2/01 John Tarentino accepts the “inevitable influx” of more people, but says that more cars and more roads are “unsustainable.” He has this turned around. It is the continuation of an increasing number of people that is unsustainable. Getting people out of their cars will only help in the…
Hot Hot Heat
If you’re anything like me, you probably choose which Bend events you’ll attend based on the music. Each year, WinterFest draws a wide array of musicians to perform outside, at night, in the cold. Lucky for us, and them, their passion and talent heat up the WinterFest stage. Before you head down to the event,…
Punk Noodle pops up at Sparrow
Punk Noodle pops up at Sparrow For one night, March 3, Sparrow Bakery Northwest is getting noodled. Punk Noodle, a pop-up by husband/wife team Ben and Britta Phillips, will serve creative Asian noodle dishes inspired by the couple’s recent trip to Japan and Thailand. A few dishes you can expect: spicy dandan noodles and rolled…
Bruce Cummings
“I like when people can see a range of things and they can pick and choose what they read. They are not just being fitted with a set of blinders.” It’s no secret that Bend tends to be a magnet for world-class athletes looking for a sweet spot to rest or retire. That trend apparently…
Modern Times Reaches Oregon
It was with some chagrin across Oregon that The Commons Brewery, the southeast-Portland outfit that specialized in delicate, Belgian-influenced ales, closed to the public after a seven-year run. (Sean Burke, its former head brewer, now runs brew operations at Von Ebert Brewing, the Pearl District-based brewpub that will replace Fat Head’s.) The Commons does still…
Prices Up, Inventory Tight
The Beacon Report, based on Central Oregon real estate statistics from our local Multiple Listing Service, recently released its report of the January 2018 figures on single family residence sales of 1 acre or less. According to the report, the Bend median price increased to $410,000, up from $395,000 in December 2017, and up 11…
True bugs can be kissers
There I was, just getting into my old 4-Runner after dropping off some French chocolate to my dear old pal, Fetty, at her place near Cascade Estates, when I felt something touch my left finger. In spite of me pushin’ 90, I still have pretty good tactile senses, so I knew it wasn’t my imagination.…
On Thin Ice
The wildfire season may be over, but that doesn’t mean the Bend Fire Department isn’t keeping busy. Every year, firefighters run ice rescue drills to practice rescuing individuals and pets trapped after falling through thin ice. On Feb. 8, Bend Fire crews ran through ice rescue drills at Shevlin Pond in Bend. Battalion Chief Dave…
Could TCOs Get KOed?
On Jan. 24, the City of Bend sent a survey to parties involved in planning events throughout Central Oregon. The Bend City Council plans to discuss potential policy changes to the areas of the City code that relate to events on private property. This includes Temporary Change of Occupancy permits, Noise Variance permits and parking…
The Best and Brightest of Student Art
Right now, the Pence Pinckney Gallery at Central Oregon Community College is filled to the brim with bright inspiration and hope. This time, every year, you can find some of the best and most wonderful art from teenagers in the community bursting along the walls and filling every nook. This year marks the 10th anniversary…
A New Chef for French Market
After living in the South of France in a small farming community for 10 years, Philip and Judy Lipton returned to the States to settle in Central Oregon. Realizing no one was doing French cuisine in Bend, they wanted to create the kind of neighborhood bistro they frequented when they lived in France. Southern French…
Bend’s Environmental Center Supports Two Bills in 2018 Legislature
During the current short session, Oregon state legislators will consider two bills close to the heart of environmental groups. The Environmental Center is supporting the Clean Energy Jobs Bill, or Senate Bill 1070—a cap-and-invest bill aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The bill, which is a 28-page brain squeezer, is brought down…
Choose Your Own Open Mic
Some do it to practice and refine their craft. Some do it to gain experience in front of a crowd. And some come to local open mics just for the fun. “It’s a great way to help people kind of conquer their stage fear,” says Jeshua Marshall, bass player for Larry and His Flask, as…
