Bend-La Pine Schools to hold public meeting about future of Troy Field
In order to move forward with its sale of Troy Field to a developer, Bend-La Pine Schools will first have to apply for a zoning change. The 0.8-acre property currently has a Public Facilities designation. The district is hoping to have that changed to Commercial Limited. The next step in that process is a public…
Bend’s DJ Raider Mystic drops video for Raider Nation mixtape
The 2015 NFL season doesn’t kick off for more than a month, but the Raider Nation is ready. Bend’s own DJ Raider Mystic, who founded the Bend Oregon Raider Nation (BORN) in 2013, recently released a Raider Nation mixtape for the upcoming football season. Fans of the Oakland Raiders are somewhat notorious. GQ once called…
Meet the Shop Dog: Maddie
MADDIE—OREGON NATURAL DESERT ASSOCIATION Like many young Bendites, Maddie works a couple jobs to get by. While her main gig is at ONDA with her owner, Conservation Director Dan Morse, she also puts in occasional hours at the Source Weekly, with her other owner, Sales Rep Kimberly Morse. When she’s not at the office, Maddie…
Meet the Shop Dog: Mr. Gibson
Walk into the administrative offices for Saving Grace—a nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Central Oregon—and you’ll likely be met by an affable golden retriever who, despite his ability to sprawl across the entryway, is still an exuberant puppy. His owner, Assistant Executive Director Trish Meyer has had the fur ball…
Meet the Shop Dog: Ronix
Holding court in the patch of grass between vegan food cart Earth Below and a picnic table, Ronix looks like a friendly fella. But get close, and the sweet guy is so shy he turns his head away when approached by strangers. Owner Sierrah Umhauer, who runs the cart, says he wishes he could be…
Canine Colleagues
This June marked the 17th annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. (By comparison, Take Your Daughter To Work Day started 23 years ago.) In Bend, however, that “holiday” is celebrated every day at some workplaces. While the impulse may be a simple side effect of Central Oregon’s fondness for canine companions, bringing pups to…
Pounding the Pavement
Driving across Bend is a little like playing Minesweeper, only the potholes don’t explode. So it’s not surprising that, in a recent survey by DHM Research, 61 percent of respondents described road conditions in Bend as “poor” or “very poor.” And data backs up that gut feeling. Because road damage has outpaced funding for repairs,…
Side Notes 7/29-8/5
Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday ordered state agencies to improve their efforts to conserve water. The executive order establishes a goal of reducing water consumption by 15 percent or more at all state-owned facilities by December 31, 2020. Agencies will be required to give a progress report on November 1, 2015, and annually for the…
Letters 7/21-7/28
A DOWNSIDE TO THE CCC Although the Cascade Cycling Classic (CCC) may be considered a plus for Bend, I recently experienced the downside of this event. Apparently in signing up to host riders, an inconsiderate neighbor across from me agreed to also host an RV. Their drive is 45 degrees and short so they essentially…
Full of Gas
Last week, like most weeks during the summer in Bend, thousands of tourists poured into town. There were the Phish shows; two nights that pulled thousands of fans from across the Northwest to Les Schwab Amphitheater. And, there was the Cascade Cycling Classic, a five-stage road bike race that attracted a different crowd; hundreds of…
Run, Slap, Run
Seven years ago, Carrie and Scott Douglass ran the Golden Gate Relay together, one of the burgeoning number of approximately 200-mile running races that split up the chore among a dozen or so runners. Since then, they also have run the Bourbon Chase and Reno-Tahoe Odyssey Relay, and these events have become not just a…
Go Here 7/29-8/5
What’s the difference between walking and hiking? Well, the steepness of the climb (from no elevation gain along the riverfront, to darn near rock climbing summits). Yup, it is a good reminder that just like Mt. Bachelor offers everything from a green circle to black diamond, the terrain around Bend has a grab bag of…
Who Let the Dogs In?
“We have water dishes, shade, etc., and we love having dogs,” says Crux manager Aaron Childers. In fact, originally, Crux had planned to be an off-leash dog park and bar; however, they could not find an insurance company to underwrite the idea (insert boos and growling here). Even so, the concept remains, as evidenced by the wide-open…
Film Events 7/28-8/5
Saving the Ocean with Carl Safina: Stories of Hope and Innovation With all the dour news about ecological collapse, it is nice to have some smart and optimistic stories. This Boston-produced series explores various locations—and provides uplifting (but guardedly so) stories about marine conservation. The program is hosted by marine biologist and writer Carl Safina—and…
Kickstart Your Beer
Rat Hole Brew Pub, the small taproom and Southwestern restaurant tucked into an unassuming corner of the Old Mill District, is expanding. And they’d like your help. Earlier this week, Rat Hole—named after the storage barn on the outskirts of Bend where brewers Al and Susan Toepfer built their 2.5-barrel brewery—put up a page on…
Theatrical Release
From a distance, it’s hard to tell how much celebrity suffering is actually theater. Asif Kapadia’s shattering documentary Amy certainly qualifies as theater in its own right, piecing together great amounts of archival, never-before-seen video footage of late musician Amy Winehouse with dramatic effectiveness. Much of Kapadia’s film is narrated by the star herself, inter-spliced…
Art Watch 7/29-8/5
As part of its “Clean Water Works” campaign, the City of Bend and its Arts Beautification and Culture Commission have selected three local volunteer artists to paint four of the city’s storm drains during the first week of August. The goal is to use art as a way to increase awareness about the connection between…
If You Don’t Know Me By Now
Country music superstar Martina McBride will bring her famed songs and smile to the Deschutes County Fair on July 30, but will she be serving her refreshing iceberg wedge salad? When you have accomplished as much as McBride has—she’s a three-time Academy of Country Music Top Female Vocalist and four-time Country Music Association Female Vocalist…
Smoke Signals 7/29-8/5
Bend City Councilors will be making local rules that impact the time, place, and manner in which recreational marijuana is grown, processed, and sold. So we asked them about their past, present, and future marijuana use. Here’s what they had to say (or not). Councilors Sally Russell, Nathan Boddie, and Barb Campbell did not respond…
For a Limited Time Only
Usually, good free stuff comes with a catch. (Buy two, get one free. Absolutely free, with confirmed credit score. Free coupon, expired yesterday.) Not the case with Wilco’s surprise album Star Wars, released on July 16. This album came out of left field for many, as Wilco self-released it without fanfare. Bam! It was there.…
Burning Books
In Julian Smith’s first book, Crossing The Heart of Africa, published in 2009, he (literally) followed the footsteps of Ewart Grogan, a distinguished Englishman and late 19th century adventurer who bushwacked 4,500 miles from Sudan to South Africa. And, in his most recent book, Smokejumper, released in mid-July, Smith shadows another, more contemporary adventurer, Jason…
Effects Pedal Junkies Find Their Voice
In August 2013, Bend rock quartet Isles turned heads with an impressive first splash as they introduced themselves with Viracocha—35 minutes of beautifully-sculpted instrumental ambient rock. Largely inspired by a series of improvised jam sessions, the songs are built on meandering song structures that give the EP an innately organic feel. Washed in layers of…
Our Picks 7/29-8/5
thursday 30 Art of the West EXHIBIT—The opening reception for High Desert Museum’s new exhibit depicting the Western region of the United States. The reception will include an intimate preview of art plus demonstrations from some of the 35 artists participating in the exhibit, including a painter, beadworker, and mixed media artist. 6 – 8…
Source Suggests 7/29-8/5
Tony Smiley, Keez Bend favorite Tony Smiley brings his one man band to the Volcanic Theatre Pub for an evening of electric melodies. As a multi-talented one-man band, Smiley has earned the distinction of a loop ninja, putting other one-man bands to shame, and earning him a cult-like following. Smiley blends rock, hip-hop, tribal fusion,…
Meet the Shop Dog: Elroy
There are technically two shop dogs at Sunnyside, but Elroy has seniority. His more junior canine colleague Happy has been spending less time in the office since she suffered a bout of wanderlust that landed her in the slammer for a night. Elroy currently works 30 hours each week and has been coming in with…
