Jumping On the Obama Bandwagon
The contest for the Democratic presidential nomination won't be over until after the Texas and Ohio primaries on March 4 - if then - but Barack Obama already has blown Hillary Clinton out of the water when it comes to raising money from Bend contributors.
Mission: Bruckner Is Blackmailing Us
The running feud between Allan Bruckner and The Shepherd's House got nastier this week, with the executive director of the mission accusing Bruckner of waging a "vendetta" and practicing "blackmail."
Burley, Whisnant Buck Mortgage Reforms
A bill to make small reforms to the subprime mortgage lending industry narrowly passed the Oregon House yesterday, with no help from Central Oregon's two Republican legislators.
OHSU Ducks Responsibility
As a general internist in Portland for 30 years, I often treat a patient with needs that require the expertise of a consultant. When faced with the question of where the patient should be referred, among the important criteria we discuss are the facility's patient safety record and its insurance coverage in case the medical…
They’ve Got Us on Their List
On Feb. 4, 2008, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a story in which the following was stated: "Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with…
The Growth Machine Crashes and Burns
Andy High, director of government affairs for the Central Oregon Builders Association, wrote a piece published in the "other" newspaper on Jan. 13. Andy claims that COBA continually gave warnings to the city council going back to perhaps 2005. In mid-2006 COBA claimed awareness that new home starts were declining and "warned jurisdictions" to reflect…
Got Tased? It’s Your Fault
Amnesty International, famous for their efforts defending the human rights of terrorists and criminals everywhere, are now, with the full support of the Source, weighing in on the subject of TASER use. The premise is that TASERS are the primary factor in hundreds of deaths among those unfortunate enough to have been Tased. The reason…
Rudeness at the Tower
This past Sunday’s concert at the Tower featuring bluegrass legend Del McCoury was something that I had been looking forward to all winter.Bend rarely gets such a performer in town, and as Del mentioned, he had to "cross about 16 mountains to get here. While Del and the boys put on a fantastic show Sunday,…
Tuscany Comes to Central Oregon
No, What I said was I need some EXERCISE!Upfront likes to spend some of our idle hours browsing through the Central Oregon real estate offerings on craigslist, just to get a feel for what's currently on the market. Most of the time what we come across is pretty routine - faux-Craftsman bungalows in Northwest Crossing,…
Word Up!: Suzanne Burns and others get literary at Word Café
Welcome to the Doll Hospital. Local writer Suzanne Burns reads from her flip book at Barber Library. The first reading by Dave Eggers I attended exploded midway through, as two dwarfs dressed in medieval armor burst into the San Francisco bookstore, battling through the crowd. The event ended then and there, and we all knew…
Fly Like An Eagle: Lake Billy Chinook boasts world class gathering
American Bald Eagle adult. Come see them at Eagle Watch 2008.If you're a cross-country skier, snowboarder and looking for something else to do on your weekend, here it is: Eagle Watch 2008. It's an opportunity to see lots of eagles and hawks close up, learn about birds in general and raptors in particular. All you…
Digging into the Corn: Local notables, trail work and the science of snow
Skiing on Broken Top — South Sister and her covered moraine in the background.Spring Corn We have been fortunate this year to have the snowflakes fall… and fall… and fall some more. So much snow has fallen, in fact, that seldom skied areas have seen tracks in the past month. Ralph Tadday and others made…
Clash Around the Campfire: The Future is Unwritten gives a glimpse of a punk icon
Cooler than you.There's no doubt Joe Strummer was a cool guy. I wouldn't have wanted to be in The Clash with him, but I would've definitely enjoyed sitting around the campfire telling stories with him, which is exactly how this outstanding documentary, Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, is woven together. I was shocked and…
From Sociopaths to Special Effects: My 2008 Academy Awards predictions
can’t you hear me knockin’?It was a year of exceptional films and acting performances in 2007, possibly the most competitive Oscar field ever. Three Best Picture nominees are based on major novels. Cinematography and special effects soar to new levels. Both veteran and novice actors roll out an uncanny breadth of talent and emotion. So,…
A Spoonful of…Sherry?: Exploring Grandma’s Drink
I’ve recently spent some time watching Mary Poppins with my 2-year-old daughter, which got me thinking about sherry. Mr. Banks, as you might recall, has a penchant for the sweet libation and I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve drawn on such inspirations before, sipping rum during a read of Treasure Island and curling…
A Spoonful of…Sherry?: Exploring Grandma’s Drink
I've recently spent some time watching Mary Poppins with my 2-year-old daughter, which got me thinking about sherry. Mr. Banks, as you might recall, has a penchant for the sweet libation and I thought I'd give it a try. I've drawn on such inspirations before, sipping rum during a read of Treasure Island and curling…
Blacksmith is Back: Finding comfort in fine dining
A glimpse of the New Look Blacksmith.After a total remodel in which a new illuminated alabaster bar greets diners, Executive Chef and co-owner Gavin McMichael has updated the Blacksmith's menu, honed the service and revamped the interior to bring a fresh mix of modern and rustic touches to the Blacksmith's solid "new ranch comfort food"…
Blacksmith is Back: Finding comfort in fine dining
A glimpse of the New Look Blacksmith.After a total remodel in which a new illuminated alabaster bar greets diners, Executive Chef and co-owner Gavin McMichael has updated the Blacksmith’s menu, honed the service and revamped the interior to bring a fresh mix of modern and rustic touches to the Blacksmith’s solid “new ranch comfort food”…
Whose Playground? As Bend grows, forest recreation users vie for a place in the snow
It's early afternoon on a bluebird Saturday, and the locals and tourists are out in force at the Virginia Meissner Sno-Park off Century Drive. Joseph Rodriguez is just coming off the trails, a pair of skinny skis in his hand.
Double Bay Area Goodness
With three appearances in Bend within the last year, Hot Buttered Rum is in danger of being mistakenly added to our roster of bluegrass bands - and we wouldn't complain if they did join our team. The San Francisco acoustic-that-sounds-electric band is teaming with fellow Bay-Area roots musicians The Waybacks for a co-headlining tour. Since…
Pinback Au Naturale
Smith (left) and Crow (right), deep within the realm of sickly soul.Pinback is a band of human beings. We suspected as much, but we had to see it to believe it.
The members of the San Diego-based band have a reputation for superhumanly intelligent melody and prolificacy, and their sound on studio recordings is a…
Blues to the Bone: Hillstomp reminds us why we dig the blues
They've got the bluesman strut down nicely.Henry Kammerer of Portland's gritty blues duo Hillstomp is trying to explain why and how he and his bandmate John Johnson play the blues and after hitting some dead ends: He remembers a quote from Keith Richards. In an impressively accurate impression of the Stones axe man's swaggering, drunken-sounding…
Ol’ Fashioned Barn Dance: Brent Alan says a barn might be one of Central Oregon’s best music venues
This ain’t your uncle chester’s kinda barn.In addition to its "this-is-cowboy-country" architecture and street names, Sisters is also home to a deeper, more community-rooted attitude rarely seen these days. And it's most visible within the town's musical community. This is a town with less than 2,000 people and maybe another few thousand living in the…
Businesses to Media: Be Positive … Or Else
Members of the Central Oregon business community apparently believe they can make the real estate slump go away if they just think positive - and lean on the news media go along with their spin.
Salem’s Queens of Denial
Denial is not just a river in Egypt, as the old joke says. Apparently it runs through Salem too.
Pinback Video & Photos & Homeopathy
As you’ll know if you’re a savvy Bend concertgoer and/or faithful Sound Check reader, Pinback packed the Domino Room last Wednesday night. Despite sickness and technical problems, they pretty much tuned up the joint. Here’s some complimentary video and photos of the action, including a hidden close-up of Rob Crow’s cup of healing tea. Read…
