What Changes to Title X Could Mean for Local Health Options
In Central Oregon, Planned Parenthood’s Bend Health Center serves around 7,000 Central Oregonians a year, according to stats provided by the Center in 2017. That’s about 600 to 700 patients a month. According to the staff there, about 96 percent of the services the Bend clinic provides is preventative—including screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted…
Local and State Politicians Remember Dennis Richardson
Dennis Richardson, Oregon’s Secretary of State passed away Feb. 26 after a long battle with cancer. Many politicians remember him today.
Oregon Legislature Passes Renters’ Protection Bill
SB 608 passed today with a 35-25 vote, giving Oregonians statewide renters protection.
Yikes! That Downtown Parking…
People driving in downtown Bend nearly any time of the year have to face cars or trucks that don’t quite fit into the parking stall. When the snow comes down heavy—like it has this week—cars that don’t fit into the slots create a bigger hazard. The City of Bend encourages people to park in the…
Redmond Airport to Open Wednesday—Weather Permitting
Monday’s storm closed the Redmond Municipal Airport when heavy snow damaged the Instrument Landing System, airport officials said. The airport will be closed until at least 9 am Wednesday, depending on the weather. The National Weather Service is predicting a 30 percent chance of snow at Redmond Airport after 10am Tuesday. Tuesday night there’s a…
Snowpocalypse! 2019 edition
Heavy snow hit much of Oregon Sunday night and into Monday, closing schools and causing headaches on the roadways. The 12.5 inches that fell over the last 24-hour period set a new record in Bend. The prior record for February 25 was 4.0 inches, set in 1917, according to information from the National Weather Service.…
COCC Names its Top Pick For President
On Feb. 22, Central Oregon Community College Board of Directors named Dr. Laurie Chesley at its top pick to replace outgoing president, Dr. Shirley Metcalf, who’s served as president since 2014. Currently, Chesley works as the provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs at Grand Rapids Community College in Grand Rapids, Mich.…
Redmond Land Approved for Future Development
On Feb. 12, the Redmond City Council and the Deschutes County Commissioners took concurrent actions to pass ordinances to bring 949 acres inside the Redmond Urban Growth Boundary for future industrial zone development. Of the nearly 1,000 acres, 140 will be dedicated to expansion of the Deschutes County Fairgrounds and 20 acres will go to…
Midtown Airstream Coffee Bar
Look for a silver 1960 Airstream in the Orchard District, next to Midtown Market, for coffee and pastries at Cascadia Coffee | Bar. “Two things made me choose the Airstream, really,” said owner Brian Crockford. “One was my interest in the iconic and unique design of the Airstream and the form-follows-function philosophy. Second, the way…
A Community Thread: Shimiko Montgomery
Joshua Langlais is a local photographer and the creator of A Community Thread, a project for which he interviews folks on the subject of community, its importance and how we function as individuals within it. This is an excerpt from his interview with Shimiko Montgomery from March of 2018. Shimiko, like many of us, has…
Promoting Passion
Every year, February brings Valentine’s Day, Presidents Day and of course, Zwickelmania—the annual statewide brewery open house, organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. The Guild has recently undergone a number of changes, including the hiring of new co-directors Tony Roberts and Bend local Christina LaRue. I recently sat down with LaRue over a glass of…
Rising Interest Rates and Values
Do the rising interest rates have an effect on the market value of your property? The short answer is yes. Over the last decade, home buyers have experienced incredibly low interest rates, aimed at stimulating economic stabilization and encouraging the absorption of the massive amount of real estate inventory that resulted from the Great Recession.…
Improve Your Wine & Food Pairing
Faith, Hope and Charity Vineyards is hosting a wine pairing class led by Chef Sommelier Dave Bodi. The class will review the major varieties of grapes, what they have to offer and what components of those wines play the greatest role in a successful pairing. Cuisine and Wine Pairing Fundamentals Class Fri., March 8. 6-8pm …
When every drop Count$
Flint, Mich. might be considered the modern-day poster child for contaminated water; images of murky brown fluids, pouring out of taps like chocolate pudding, splattered all over the news. Then-President Barack Obama called a state of emergency over the city’s water supply. Children contracted mysterious illnesses. Lead, byproducts of disinfectants and a cancer-causing slurry of…
Gung Ho for Shows: Muse Women’s Conference
The seventh annual Muse Women’s Conference is headed to downtown Bend Feb. 28 through March 3 for a weekend of talks from creatives and activists looking to spur social change. The event includes art installations and panel discussions with internationally recognized authors and activists, as well as keynote talks, live performances and workshops. Among the…
Free Will Astrology—Week of February 21
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Cartographers of Old Europe sometimes drew pictures of strange beasts in the uncharted regions of their maps. These were warnings to travelers that such areas might harbor unknown risks, like dangerous animals. One famous map of the Indian Ocean shows an image of a sea monster lurking, as if waiting to…
Letters to the Editor
Corrections The print edition of the story, “Many Arms” (1/30), stated that a recent Lyle Lovett show in Sisters was part of the Sisters Folk Festival Americana project, which we have found to be inaccurate. That concert was organized by the Sisters Schools Foundation. The story, “Wasted in Bend: Clothing in the Landfill” (2/14), stated…
Learn: Sauerkraut, Kimchi and Vegan Sushi
Scared to make your own sauerkraut? Learn an easy way to make it with no smell or fuss. Pure Joy Kitchen will teach you to make other popular ferments—and proper knife skills. The class ends with hands-on vegan sushi rolling with jicama “rice” and vegan “salmon” made with sprouted almonds, carrots and other yummy ingredients.…
Eagle Watch
Eagle Watch, the premier event of spring in Central Oregon for the last 24 years, is set to happen Feb. 23 and 24 at the Round Butte Overlook—a little way from Culver on Lake Billy Chinook. If you’ve been taking part over the years, you know what fun it is for anyone wanting to know…
Volunteering on the Front Lines
The situation at the U.S.-Mexican border is something that most Americans are aware of, but seeing it in person brings the reality home in a whole new way. That’s what one Bend woman says after volunteering on the Mexican side of the border. Kathryn Olney works as a trial counsel for SAIF Corporation in Bend.…
Chimp Controversy
Like some other Central Oregonians in a changing economy, Topo, age 50, Thiel and Patti—two sisters in their mid-30s—along with Jackson, Herbie, CJ and Emma, are facing eviction this spring. In this case, though, the prospective evictees are chimpanzees. Since Topo was transported to Chimps Inc., a facility in Tumalo, in 1995, the primate community…
When it comes to paying for transportation infrastructure, locals may be paying twice
In Central Oregon, housing and transportation infrastructure represent two of the region’s biggest challenges. With explosive growth in recent decades, people know the housing shortage can drive up rents and make buying more difficult. They also know that certain roads are “avoid at all costs” during certain times of the day, due to congestion. A…
Welcome to the Machine
This has to stop. “Alita: Battle Angel” is the second theatrical film I’ve seen this year that does something that a decade ago would have been unthinkable. “Alita” is about a cyborg with a human brain that teams up with a doctor of cybernetics and a boy she has a crush on to make their…
No Girls Allowed and What’s Not To Lick
No Girls Allowed I’m a female comic, so being smart and funny and having a strong personality is basically my job, as well as who I am. A friend had me stop by his business meeting at a cafe so he could introduce me to his client he was hoping to set me up with.…
Weed Pusher; Pill Pusher
“They sell drugs in the hood but the man he move the medicine/He’ll prescribe you Augmen for everything.” The Roots, “Rising Down” With rapidly expanding recreational cannabis programs here and abroad, it’s surprising when cannabis growers, dispensaries or brands are equated with “drug pushers.” People who do this have never been a part of any…
Low Risk, High Reward Art Classes
Recently, I directed a stage performance of The Vagina Monologues. We had a cast of almost 30 women, approximately half of whom had never in their lives set foot on stage to perform. Brave. The process reminded me how risky it feels for some people to create art. I forget, as I create art every…
I’m Covered In Tattoos and I Bang On Drums
Some people were born to rock. Stephanie Luke and The Coathangers are definitely those people. Starting a band on a whim because of pure passion and no desire to do anything else is pure evidence of that. You won’t get anything weak from the Atlanta-conceived band. They come full force; no regrets. Over the phone…
Supper Club Brings Social Dining
Behind Jimmy John’s in the Old Mill, where Barre 3 used to be, is a new restaurant, Boxwood Kitchen & Supper Club. If the name sounds familiar it’s because you may have ordered from the delivery service, or may have seen the boxed salads and vegetarian entrees at Market of Choice and Newport Market. The…
Aqueous Continues To Grow
It’s not often people can say that they’re living out their high school dreams. Of the people who are, most would say they’re the lucky ones. It’s especially a great achievement when the dreams are met alongside your friends. For alternative rock band Aqueous, early dreams formed in Buffalo, N.Y., have become today’s reality. “When…
