Hit the Ground
Thirty years ago, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami owned a jazz club in Tokyo. It was a tiny place. During the day, he served coffee; at night, the club became a bar. Murakami closed up himself, arriving home as the yolk-y sun was rising in the sky. It had never occurred to him to do anything…
Ladies Night: Menopause The Musical heats things up in Bend
Bra busters at 2nd street. How would you like to see a hilarious musical that ends with wily middle-aged women from the audience gathering on the stage for a Rockettes-inspired kick line? What about the live seduction of one of the male audience members or a full-on Tina Turner performance? How about a bunch of…
Get to Know Your Fisher Birds: There’s more than one way to catch a fish
World TravelerIf you're a bird, there are several ways to catch fish. You can snatch them off the surface as bald eagles do, you can dabble for them, or dive straight into the water.
White pelicans, those gorgeous soaring birds of our inland lakes, are dabblers. They usually travel in pods of 10 to…
The Dog Days of SummerMountains, rivers and sharing it all with your best friend
Wallowing in the wallowas. BACKPACKING
Due to our huge snowpack, backpacking season has been a long time coming this summer, but it is FINALLY here! My friend Patty and I have a favorite annual tradition: A weeklong backpacking trip with our dogs somewhere within a day's drive of Bend. We load our packs with tents,…
Time for a new Soul? Soul Caliber IV
Next week in the stars cabaret vip room. In yet another sequel to the popular fighting game genre, Soul Caliber IV takes on the next generation systems in style. Included in the original fighting character list is Darth Vader for the PlayStation 3 and Yoda for the Xbox 360, but each Star Wars character will…
Cast This Vote Out to Sea: Sugary bipartisan romp goes nowhere fast in Swing Vote
And that’s how I plan to roll my way into the semis.Swing Vote is a schmaltzy fairy tale that dives deep into unbelievable land, reviving the old Hollywood formula that if you do the right thing and follow your heart, everything will be fine.
Due to a malfunctioning voting booth, Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a…
Kung Fu Mummy: Latest incarnation should be permanently buried
seriously, does my foot smell bad?The Mummy franchise has risen from the dead again, but just barely this time. Riding on its past blockbuster success and Brendan Fraser's comedy/adventure star power, the latest in the trilogy, The Mummy: Tomb of the Emperor, should have stayed entombed. Even if you're prepared to wrap yourself in layers…
Sample Platter: Asian Sensations, your best bet on East meets West here in Bend
BO RESTOBAR
The newest establishment in what is becoming Portland-based Bo and Steve Kline’s Asian restaurant empire. Chef Kline, a native of Thailand, puts an artistic flair on each dish. “New World” sashimi, Koreadilla and Peking Duck Spring Rolls are a few of the international offerings. 550 NW Franklin Ave. 617-8880.
CHAN’S
…
Sample Platter: Asian Sensations, your best bet on East meets West here in Bend
BO RESTOBAR
The newest establishment in what is becoming Portland-based Bo and Steve Kline's Asian restaurant empire. Chef Kline, a native of Thailand, puts an artistic flair on each dish. "New World" sashimi, Koreadilla and Peking Duck Spring Rolls are a few of the international offerings. 550 NW Franklin Ave. 617-8880.
CHAN'S
…
Quick Bites: Fair Food, Corn dog dipping and virgin funnel cakers
more than just a phallic symbol. I just spent a week working at Deschutes County Fair, and I think I’ve gained five pounds.
Quick Bites: Fair Food, Corn dog dipping and virgin funnel cakers
more than just a phallic symbol. I just spent a week working at Deschutes County Fair, and I think I've gained five pounds.
A Fresh Concept: Jackson’s Corner revives the neighborhood corner store
Fresh baked and hot off the grill at Jackson’s.With the closing of Delaware Market, it seemed as though the neighborhood corner store in Bend had gone extinct. There are still a few hanging in there on the Eastside, but with property values skyrocketing, you can’t blame the market owners for opting to cash out.
…
A Fresh Concept: Jackson’s Corner revives the neighborhood corner store
Fresh baked and hot off the grill at Jackson’s.With the closing of Delaware Market, it seemed as though the neighborhood corner store in Bend had gone extinct. There are still a few hanging in there on the Eastside, but with property values skyrocketing, you can't blame the market owners for opting to cash out.
…
An Indie God, Flip-Flop Jams, and Hip-Hopping Hot Rods
Look at those delightfully bright eyes. Thursday 7/31 With the big Alice Cooper show at the fair and string of events lined up for the weekend, the Domino Room didn't do too shabby for a Thursday night. Having seen Oberst in Bright Eyes a year prior, Sound Check walked in with an already expected presentation.…
Ghost Tigers From Beyond: Tiger Army is coming, lock up your caskets
You should see his underwear. The word "psycho" conjures many images: psycho killer, psycho ex-girlfriend/boyfriend, psychosomatic, psychologist, psychosexual, any number of suffixes will bring about an exponentially larger number of thoughts. When you attach -billy to the prefix, the visuals shift to a highly stylized music genre, which is succinctly defined by the band Tiger…
From Utah, With Love: Matt Lewis freestyle raps, loves alt-country and Alaska
Vandals shirt meets acoustic guitar. That’s a good way to describe Matt Lewis.Matt Lewis and his band live in Utah and they don't have a problem with that. Some musicians might think of Provo, Utah as about the last place they'd want to call home base. Hell, some folks, buying perhaps a bit too deeply…
Our Picks for the week of 8/8-8/13
World Hoop Day friday 8 Bring your hoops to Harmon Park and help raise money to create quality hoops for underprivileged children in Central Oregon and around the world! The Hula Hoop craze continues to build and gyrating Bendites from young to old can be found pretty much everywhere these days. Relive your childhood and…
Calling All Skaters:The Division Street Skatepark Project wants you to help them build a dream park
You want a skatepark? Then get your ass out there and build yourself one. That is the philosophy that fuels a group of local skateboarders looking to build a park below the Highway 97/Division Street underpass.
The fact that there is a faction of Bend's skateboard community out to create a new facility is…
The Glass Slipper: Bend’s Rational Water Plan
They don't call this "the high desert" for nothing. Scant rainfall (about the same as Los Angeles gets) means Central Oregon depends on winter snowpack for most of its water.
The Boot: Oregon’s Own Daddy Warbucks
Oregon’s Megaphone. Loren Parks is a man of many interests. The 81-year-old multimillionaire made his bundle from Parks Medical Products in Aloha, OR.
Before moving to Nevada in 2002, Parks gave more than $6 million to Oregon politicians and ballot initiative campaigns, most of them conservative. After he left the state, the money kept…
Home Sweet Home (Foreclosure): The local real estate market, ticket price collapse, etc.
Crash, what crash?
Some folks continue to look for a silver lining, or at least a light at the end of the tunnel, for the local residential real estate market. Witness the industry folks who say prices are holding steady even as sales volume has plummeted. (And even that is up for debate as one…
That Wasn’t Skynyrd You Heard
Note to Shelby Harwood: I hate to break it to ya, kid, but "Lynyrd Skynyrd" effectively died in a plane crash in 1977! No offense, but I suspect you hadn't even arrived on the planet yet. I was a mere 16 when I saw them at the Long Beach Arena (in Long Beach, CA) earlier…
Another Septic Standoff
In late 1994 when I had my home built a septic tank was installed on the property by Mike Daly Construction. Just this past Monday I learned that it’s a steel tank although all my paperwork and county documents state it’s concrete.
Open City Selection Process
Approximately four weeks ago I submitted my application for consideration as a possible member on the Juniper Ridge Advisory Board. Last week on KTVZ Juniper Ridge was a featured news item and Oran Teater was interviewed as a "member" of the Advisory Board.
Finish What Ya Started
I just want to give a big shout out to the city for such a dynamic job of paving 14th street last Friday morning. Oh wait, I completely forgot, they abandoned the project for the weekend.
Butt Out
Damn- I can't stop world hunger, Darfur, corporate thieves, evil K Street lobbyists, but I can, with thousand of others, try to save a little bit of the world I call home. The next time you step out your door don't look up - look down and start counting the number of butts lying around…
Westlund: Alley Aide Is a Little Too Cagey
The state treasurer campaign of Democrat Ben Westlund, hit last week by a Republican revival of an old "sex scandal," has struck back with charges that one of rival Allen Alley's top campaign aides was involved in shady practices four years ago.
Westlund Finds an Unlikely Ally
Democratic state senator and treasurer candidate Ben Westlund, under attack from Republicans over an 11-year-old "sex scandal," got help from an unlikely quarter: the conservative blog Oregon Catalyst.
GOP’s Titanic Idea: Sell Oregon’s Water
File under "Yeah, THIS Is Gonna Fly": Oregon Senate Republicans want to sell Oregon water to "water-poor" out-of-state customers.
Republicans Resuscitate a Westlund “Sex Scandal”
The blogosphere - or the Republican neighborhoods in it, anyway - is abuzz with news of a "sex scandal" involving Democratic state senator and state treasurer candidate Ben Westlund and a former State Capitol aide.
Conor Oberst Video from the Domino Room
Conor Oberst brought his newly formed Mystic Valley band to the Domino Room last night and played a set that showcased material from his soon to be released self-titled record, which he’s releasing under his actual name, rather than his Bright Eyes alias. Last night’s show may have disappointed those looking to hear a Bright…
Wyden Wants to Snuff Out Toy Lighters
With the economy tanking, gasoline prices soaring, the war in Iraq dragging on and the war in Afghanistan heating up, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden has trained his sights on … dangerous cigarette lighters.
Greetings From Kayonu Toe
Remember John Hummel, the local lawyer and Bend city councilor who abruptly resigned and launched a major career change? He's alive and well and blogging in Liberia.
Phone Book Harassment
Letter of the Week
If you own or rent a house in Central Oregon you know what this week's letter writer is talking about. We put the phone book bombardment right up there with the Bulletin's Marketplace free classified in the pantheon of unwanted commercial litter.
Elite is Kind of Neat
In the middle of May this year, a friend of mine was kind enough to post a response to C.T.
Micro Cosmos: Silver Moon’s Noble India Pale Lager
The trend in IPA's over the past few years has been to go obnoxiously big, as evidenced by one local brewery's not so long ago makeover of its IPA. This approach is generally embraced by Northwest drinkers who gobble up malt and hops like a pre-Subway Jared at an Old Country Buffet.
From the Eye of a Dog: The Art of Racing In The Rain, By Garth Stein
The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein puts a canine in the narrator's seat and gives readers a chance to experience life through the eyes of a dog. From the clumsiness of birth to the agony of old age, the character of man's best friend, Enzo, guides readers through love, loss and…
Get Elevated: Bend’s underground art festival, part deux
Underground and off the wall. Last October, Bend got its first taste of the local underground art scene when Oxygen Tattoo decided to put together a showcase of local alternative talents. This year, the festival is back, with a name - Elevate Art Festival - a bigger and better line-up of music, art, vendors and…
The Robbers are Coming!: The invasion of the robber flies
Not all flies are "bad," this robber fly is dining on a bot fly. Summer is waning and it's time for the adult robbers to show their rapacious heads. They have been growing up in dung heaps, soil and leaf debris, and compost piles, devouring anything that tasted good.
Fortunately, these robbers are not as…
Miles and Miles of Trails: Ultra Running, Ultra Mountain Biking & More
Taking a ride on the wet side. THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PASS
Alan and Bev Abbs are ultra runners from Red Bluff, Calif. who came to Bend a couple of years ago to compete in the Raid adventure race held here. That same weekend, they read an article…
E3 2008…Yawn!: The electronic expo announces some cool titles, but the event’s new format isn’t
Resistance 2: One of the few highly anticipated titles in ’09. Each year, the major video game and computer software companies gather to showcase what they have in store for the coming year at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). The show began in 1995 and has been mostly held in Los Angeles with a few different…
ABBA Attack: The music never stops
Why, lord? Why? Why, lord? Why? Meryl Streep never ceases to amaze, and what she does in Mamma Mia!, a screen adaptation of the hit musical featuring the mighty works of ABBA, is so good that I almost forgave the movie's shortcomings. Almost.
It breaks my heart to report that I didn't enjoy this…
eX-istential Stew: This installment belongs back in the filing cabinet
The FBI: Screwing up the X-files since 1993.One question was burning in my mind as I strolled out of a screening of The X-Files: I Want to Believe: Why was it made? Was it the product of marketing research - a sufficient amount of X-Files fans loyal enough to see this film no matter what?…
Dining on a Budget: Good food at good prices… without the golden arches
BALDY’S BARBEQUE Who knew some of the best BBQ to be had was in Central Oregon? Check out the great a la carte lunch deals, including the beef brisket sandwich for $6.25, add fries or mashers and slaw or beans for an extra $1.50 and make it a platter. Baldy’s relatively inexpensive, unpretentious, powerfully flavorful…
Dining on a Budget: Good food at good prices… without the golden arches
BALDY'S BARBEQUE Who knew some of the best BBQ to be had was in Central Oregon? Check out the great a la carte lunch deals, including the beef brisket sandwich for $6.25, add fries or mashers and slaw or beans for an extra $1.50 and make it a platter. Baldy's relatively inexpensive, unpretentious, powerfully flavorful…
Quick Bites: CSA’s That Walk
These days pretty much everybody knows that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to support and reap the benefits from local small farms. At the beginning of the season you sign up and pay anywhere from a portion to all of the yearly cost.
Quick Bites: CSA’s That Walk
These days pretty much everybody knows that Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to support and reap the benefits from local small farms. At the beginning of the season you sign up and pay anywhere from a portion to all of the yearly cost.
The Interloper: Cia Mambo holds up surprisingly well
Musseling in on downtown. With so many restaurants biting the dust (Ernesto's, Kayo's, etc.) you might think the dining scene here is tanking, but there are several stepping in for the casualties. Gone but not forgotten is Hans, the downtown pastry-shop-turned-fine-dining restaurant. In its place is Ciao Mambo, a fast-paced, lively pasta and pizza eatery.
…
The Interloper: Cia Mambo holds up surprisingly well
Musseling in on downtown. With so many restaurants biting the dust (Ernesto’s, Kayo’s, etc.) you might think the dining scene here is tanking, but there are several stepping in for the casualties. Gone but not forgotten is Hans, the downtown pastry-shop-turned-fine-dining restaurant. In its place is Ciao Mambo, a fast-paced, lively pasta and pizza eatery.
…
Sound Check: The Peaks Prevail
It's almost impossible to pick out the highlight of any multi-day music festival, but at 4 Peaks last weekend, the pinnacle came precisely at the moment that Matt Butler climbed atop a specially designed pickup truck rooftop platform in the center of the crowd on Saturday night.
Conducting his Everyone Orchestra (consisting of damn near…
String Sisters: The female acoustic powerhouse that is the Sweet Harlots
Fiddler in the greens.I hadn't exactly heard The Sweet Harlots when I arrived at a classically cozy house near Harmon Park. I'd heard of the duo, and I'd heard music by each of the members of the group, but it isn't until Laurel Brauns begins strumming her guitar and Julie Southwell commences massaging melodies out…
Brooks & Dunn vs. Alice Cooper: Who’s older? Who’s more drunk? Who should you see this week?
If you’ve got this much blood on your clothes, laundry probably isn’t your biggest problem.This week, two longstanding, albeit utterly different, popular music acts will arrive in Central Oregon to either get your fist pumping or your cowboy boot covered toes tapping. There's Brooks & Dunn, the popular country icons of the Coors Light genre,…
Our Picks for the week of 7/30-8/7
The Gourds, Wayne Newcome saturday 2 There are a few bands that Bend can't seem to get enough of and The Gourds are one of them. The alt-country rockers from Austin, Tex. are playing a special Bend show for all of us who can't get over the mountains for the Pickathon festival. All of you…
Living Art: On the street with Bend’s best unsung artist
We met at the Westside Tavern last December, a stool between us and Ferris Bueller's Day Off on the TV. Pointing to the screen he sighed, "The downturn of society…" I, however, considered John Travolta a sign of the Apocalypse, underscored by his contribution to Hairspray. Two beers and all of Francisco's money later, now…
Sheriff Blanton’s Secret List
Doesn’t share, gets booted. There could be as many as 6,671 Deschutes County citizens walking around legally with concealed handguns. Or maybe there are only 6,156. We have no way of knowing, because the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office gave us the first number and the Oregon State Police gave the second.
We also have…
Reuse, Recycle, Rebrand: A proud tradition of reinvention, pot shortages and more
Name changes have a long and storied history in this country of great re-inventors. Take Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. who became Snoop Dogg or John Osbourne who morphed into Ozzy Osbourne thanks to heavy metal and heavy sedatives. Then there's the transformation of Marion Morrison to film icon John Wayne. And don't forget another film…
NOW, WHO’S UP FOR A GAME OF JOHN DEERE CHICKEN RACE?
Letter of the Week
Like John Lithgow's character in Footloose, this week's feature letter writer takes the hard line on public groovin'. Log on tsweekly.
His Cold Dead Hands
I recently read your article on your opposition to the Second Amendment and wanting to have all those who have concealed permits disclosed and published.
Several years ago one of my family members was assaulted while attending an event out in rural Deschutes County.
Better Lights are the Answer
I want to divorce my car. Really! I'm getting so tired of the traffic in Bend! You know what I mean - horn honking, bumper riding, finger flicking – basically city people who have moved here from wherever and taught their rude ways to their children.
Don’t Check Parenting at the Door
This letter is an outcry.
UGB expansion must include plans for infrastructure
The most foolish move Bend could make, being $20 million in debt, would be to rush the addition of 20 years of build-able residential land to the urban growth boundary (UGB) with no planning for infrastructure. Infrastructure was completely ignored when the last addition was made to the UGB in the 1990s.
Exploring the Ted-Gordon Connection
Democrats are hoping to make some of the oily scandal swirling around Alaska's Ted Stevens stick to his fellow Republican Sen. Gordon Smith.
