Fire Season in Full Effect
It was only a matter of time before fire season went into full beast mode in Oregon—and that moment is now. Governor Kate Brown declared a statewide wildfire emergency starting today, effectively activating the Oregon National Guard to work with the Oregon Department of Forestry, including using aviation assets to help battle wildfires in the…
No Charges Filed Against DCSO Deputy
On July 17, Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel issued his decision regarding the June 20 shooting of Jesse Wayde Powell by Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputy Randy Zilk. Hummel determined that Zilk’s decision to shoot Powell was legally justified, so he did not initiate criminal charges against the deputy. On June 20, Zilk responded to…
ZPizza Opens at Best Western
The Best Western Premier Peppertree opened last month on the corner of Bend’s Mount Washington Drive and Reed Market Road, and now you can dine at the attached restaurant, ZPizza. The restaurant started in the art colony of Laguna Beach, Calif., and is franchised across the country. ZPizza is known for using non-GMO wheat flour…
Help Deschutes Brewery choose new beers
Influence the next brew available at Deschutes Brewery by going to an upcoming Saturday sampling session. Each free session features a new experimental beer and you get to give your feedback. The Facebook invite says, “Mysterious beer seeks willing tastebuds for a mind-blowing voyage of discovery.” Are your tastebuds looking for a hoppy mate? The…
Lawmakers React to Trump-Putin Summit
After Monday’s meeting between leaders of two of the world’s superpowers, in which President Trump condemned the Justice Department and accepted the explanation of a hostile foreign leader over the findings of his own intelligence agencies, reactions from Oregon’s two senators were unflattering. “President Trump is repeatedly siding with a dictator over his own government…
Another Accolade from Outside Mag
When looking for an excellent brew in Bend, craft brewery Crux is the obvious choice. Or Deschutes, or GoodLife, or Boneyard Beer, or Silver Moon, or Worthy or 10 Barrel…. Maybe that’s why Outside magazine deemed Bend one of the best towns in the U.S. to make a beer run in 2018. Bonus: if a…
Butterflies, Butterflies and More Butterflies
Yes, good people, those are butterflies you see smashing into the front of your car as you drive over the highway from Sisters to Redmond or Bend, and especially in the Cascade foothills. They are NOT monarchs or moths, and they are not migrating; they’re just undergoing a huge population explosion as a means to…
Local Electeds Call for Boddie to Step Down
Accusations against City Councilor and House 54 candidate, Dr. Nathan Boddie, are prompting at least one of his fellow city councilors—and others—to call for him to step down. Oregon Public Broadcasting released a story July 6 in which Moey Newbold, a local woman who works for Central Oregon LandWatch, said Boddie groped her at a bar…
Trump Pardons Hammonds
On July 10, the president signed Executive Grants of Clemency for Dwight Lincoln Hammond Jr. and son Steven Hammond, previously given five-year prison sentences for starting fires in eastern Oregon on Bureau of Land Management land in 2012. The Hammonds’ 2015 sentencing led to the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January…
Consent and Accountability
When assessing impropriety among public figures—or anyone else—two important words act as guidelines Upon review of the information we have gathered surrounding the accusations against City Councilor Nathan Boddie, we have deep concerns surrounding both consent and accountability. Since the advent of the #MeToo movement, more than a few people have wondered, perhaps overly dramatically,…
New Rooms at the Inn
With a housing shortage, high rents and hundreds of people moving to Bend each month, it’s inevitable that some will be left out. According to the Portland State University Population Research Center, there were 3,265 new residents to the city in 2017, an increase of 3.8 percent in a single year. The Bethlehem Inn is…
Weed Better Get Some Febreze and Angry Bards
I’m sober, but my boyfriend smokes pot. I’m fine with that, but I don’t want him smoking in the house. He says it’s his house, too, so I’m not being fair. Plus, it is cold in the rural area where we live and rains a lot, so he’d have to put on a jacket, go…
Broadening Country
You may not have heard of Caleb Caudle, but it’s only a matter of time before he’s a household name in the same vein as Chris Stapleton. With smooth, yet raspy vocals, Caudle balances on a wire between country and alternative rock that allows him to sway to both sides with ease. A natural storyteller,…
Feel Good Food for Busy Lives
“The space looks huge,” I said to Gretchen Ulrich and Manya Williams as I walked into their new cafe, Plantd. The two bought Fearless Baking on Division Street in Bend, turning it into a gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian cafe and marketplace. The previous cafe felt quaint and small, so I couldn’t believe this was the…
Crowds in the Backcountry
Sarah Cuddy coordinates conservation efforts in the Ochoco National Forest for Oregon Wild. She’s worried about increased foot traffic in the woods. “With our population increase we’re seeing an increase in recreation. The sheer volume of people on the trails now is way more than we’ve experienced in the past.” Central Oregon’s population growth bears…
Size Doesn’t Matter
Warning: Vague spoilers for “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Civil War” follow. I know sometimes it feels like you need a flow chart to keep the deceptively interconnected Marvel movies straight, but now that we’re coming to the final bow for several of the actors whose contracts are nearing completion, the end game is finally taking…
Killing in the Name of
It’s kind of amazing how close the “Purge” movies come to being biting satires of modern American culture. All four films have some extremely powerful moments that elevate them into the rarified air of intelligent commentary, but also seem content to wallow in the excess of schlock and mid-’80s action movies. Sometimes it’s impossible to…
First Cuban Restaurant Opens in Bend
Diners can find Cuban food at a few restaurants in Bend, but Cuban Kitchen is the first with an all-Cuban menu. Owners Cristina and Chris Rojas moved to Bend recently from Little Havana in Miami, Fla. They say they couldn’t find the Cuban food they love, so they opened their own restaurant. If you want…
Party Time
If you fall between a certain age range, odds are you have the Beastie Boys in your blood. The hip-hop trio broke boundaries and created a party sound all their own. After original Beastie Adam “MCA” Yauch passed away from cancer, Portland-based MC Justin “Mike Double D” Enger and his crew of hip-hop musicians decided…
Bend Median Home Price Makes Large Hike in June
According to MLS data as of July 5, the median home sales price in Bend jumped from $420,000 in May to $449,900 in June. Sales volume was also up over May, with 225 sales reported for May and 259 for June 2018. This is a substantial price jump over a one-month period, representing about a…
The Eviction Mill
At first, the falling snow brought joy. Stephanie Williams’ kids gleefully scampered outside, throwing snowballs in front of their southeast Bend duplex. “It was so great to see them so happy,” says Williams, “But then I thought, if they cancel school how will I pay for daycare? I knew I couldn’t afford for them to…
Mt. Bachelor Bike Park
Mt. Bachelor is probably best known for ripping powder on bluebird days, but in the summer, the bike park has some sick downhill as well. It’s been nearly 20 years since I rode downhill at Mt. Hood’s Ski Bowl, but after the first lap at Bachelor, and some excellent tips from my co-riders, I’m instantly…
Free Will Astrology—Week of July 12
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I pay tribute to your dizzying courage, you wise fool. I stage-whisper “Congratulations!” as you slip away from your hypnotic routine and wander out to the edge of mysterious joy. With a crazy grin of encouragement and my fist pressed against my chest, I salute your efforts to transcend your past.…
Letters to the Editor
In response to, “What do you think? Seattle becomes the first major American city to ban plastic straws and utensils,” 7/3 at Facebook.com I think it’s great and a step in the right direction. As more cities and counties do this, it will prompt the production of even more alternatives. —Mary Jane Nirenberg, via Facebook…
Cannabis Sales Languish in Tax-ifornia
California activated its recreational Adult Use cannabis program on Jan. 1, and as the nation’s most populous and prosperous state, expectations were “high.” (Get it? Like when you use cannabis, is the joke. #thisisgonnabeagreatcolumn.) The state would prosper greatly, raising abundant tax revenue, and the fact that ‘it’s gonna be great, so great you guys!’…
Solar Challenge
When you think of the Oregon Trail, odds are your vision doesn’t include racing the route in a solar-powered vehicle. “There have been lots of travelers across Oregon Trail-type routes over the years, and still today, people recreate some of the wagon travel…but to my knowledge, this will be the first time solar cars are…
Mark Edward Fuller at Art in the Atrium
Mark Edward Fuller has a new series of work called “New Coordinates,” which he describes as an exploration of chaos and confusion while searching for unity and integration. Fuller, who moved to Bend after a long stint in Seattle, Wash., brings a sense of bold color, graffiti and bright energy. “I channeled my energy into…
Something Old, Something New
It’s mid-July and judging by the crowds downtown and at every drinking establishment, it’s another very good summer for local beer fans. The proliferation of new bars and restaurants dotting Central Oregon has brought a wild amount of variety to the drinking scene this summer. But some things are still eternal, as 10 Barrel is…
Going to Work
Everyone needs meaning in their life—a mission or goal that gives life a purpose. Through her job, Mia Shapiro pursues the idea that everyone has something to contribute to the greater good of humankind, and it’s her desire to make sure everyone has that opportunity. Shapiro is the program manager for the nonprofit Full Access…
