Number 24: the life and legend of Willie Mays
“Into the box steps The Splendid Splinter, Ted Williams, ” intoned the commentator as the Warner-Pathe newsreel flickered on the movie theater screen, “The Red Sox mighty slugger again wins the American league batting title with a mighty blast into the right-center field stands.” I watched that smooth swing and the blast with awe and…
Bend Loves Soccer: And, OK, I'll admit it… so do I, kinda
Because I'm a patriot, among other reasons, I stopped by the theater at McMenamins Old St. Francis School late Saturday morning to watch the USA vs.
The Wandering Eye Takes to the Air
You can catch The Wandering Eye (aka me) along with Barney Lerten of KTVZ and Jamie Christman, co-host of COTV’s “Talk of the Town” show, in an hour-long panel discussion on KPOV at 5 pm Friday, June 18. Tune to 106.
Dr. Reinhart's Prescription for Bend's Ills
Troy Reinhart, the president of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, has written a two-page document titled “Saving Bend Through Government Innovation.” As you might expect from a conservative Chamber of Commerce president, Reinhart thinks “government innovation” mostly means shrinking government and turning its functions over to private business.
Coasting: hiking through mud, mist and sun
At 3,280 feet high, Saddle Mountain, not far outside Seaside, is the highest point in northwest Oregon. On a clear day you can see Astoria to the north, Mt.
GOP Sniffs a “Kitzhaber Scandal” in $5,000 Contribution
Did the John Kitzhaber campaign slip cash to an official of the Independent Party to get him to post negative comments about Kitzhaber’s rivals? That’s what the state Republican Party is hinting. The GOP wants state Attorney General John Kroger and Secretary of State Kate Brown to investigate “the potential improprieties concerning the financial activity…
Getting Weird on a Saturday Night: Hellzapopin at the Domino Room
You may very well have already experienced the following scene: You: “Hey, what are you doing Saturday night?” Your friend, who probably has more tattoos than you: “I dunno, probably just watching World Cup highlights. Oh, but that’s after I go see some people pierce rusty items through their necks, eat fire and lie on…
Getting The Boot: Then end of a bad spring season for college football?
Consider me one who wasn't surprised when Phil Knight University (formerly known as the University of Oregon) quarterback Jeremiah Masoli got sacked after yet another run in with the law. Consider me even more shocked that the University’s athletic department didn't try to strike a deal to get him back on the field at some…
Breaking the Senate's Secret Chokehold
The US Senate has been described as the world’s most exclusive club, and like other exclusive clubs it has its own peculiar customs and rituals – some of them charming, many of them the opposite. One of the least charming ones is the “secret hold,” a rule that allows any senator to block action on…
Rubblebucket: They’re probably the best free show you’ll see this summer
While putting together some advance coverage for the Bite of Bend yesterday, I finally spent some time listening to Rubblebucket, a Brooklyn/Vermont-based 10-piece genre-smashing, dance-rock band that is playing for free at the annual food festival on Saturday, June 26. Rubblebucket, which combines West African rhythms with cutting-edge indie rock poppiness (and plenty of horns),…
What's Cooking, Bend?
Don't blink, the downtown area dining scene is morphing again. A pair of downtown stalwarts that includes the venerable Cork are passing the torch to a new generation of restaurateurs. Rumors that Cork would be closing have been circulating quietly for sometime and owner Carin Cameron appears to have found a buyer. According to the…
Know Your Right of Way
As the weather warms and the snow melts at higher elevations, trail users get more terrain to share. With almost 100 cars at Phil's trailhead at any given moment over Memorial Day weekend, spreading out the trail use is sorely needed. Let your tires and soles explore a little. The Farewell Trail connecting to Mrazek…
April Showers Bring May Flowers … and fossil hunting and wild cow milking
If April showers bring May flowers, then what do May flowers bring? Pilgrims, of course. Backcountry skiers and mountain bikers have been pilgrimaging to Bend lately for our coveted spring conditions. Like an anthill covered with ants, South Sister has been a magnet for backcountry skiers since the Cascade Lakes Highway opened on May 25.…
Cats, Cats… and More Cats: The indoor/outdoor cat dilemma continues
Here we go again, trying to find an equitable solution to the ecological deadlock of the growing population of both pet and feral outdoor cats that destroy birds and other wildlife. Some cat owners say, “Hey! They're cats, and cats hunt birds, for crying out loud.” On the other side of the argument are those…
Brand New: Russell is as wild as ever in Get Him to the Greek
Being an English woman abroad, I feel more fondness for Russell Brand now when I see him pictured with Katy Perry in US Magazine than I did when he lived just down the road from me, drinking in the pub round the corner from my office. As I juggle the debauched stories from his autobiography,…
Splice of Life: Science and dysfunctional parenting don't mix in Splice
Don't expect horror from this dysfunctional freak show. Splice is not scary and only pretends to be a psychological thriller. It's a “what if” scenario focusing on scientists who play God, splice together some DNA stew and then decide to raise the prototype like a child. They watch it grow, try to teach it, but…
That's MY Opinion!
Look. You have your opinions? And I have mine. HOWEVER! It must be stated – and you're probably already well aware of the fact – that my opinion carries a weeeeeee bit more weight than yours. DON'T GET MAD! It's not your fault that your views of the world are somewhat less important than the…
Kayo's Dinner House: Old Bend is alive and well on 3rd Street
Bend's dining scene has two faces – there's New Bend, where the recent proliferation of haute cuisine has upstaged good old-fashioned cooking, and then there's Old Bend, where large portions, non-eyebrow-raising prices and straightforward preparations predominate. Kayo Oakley is on a mission to bring back old-school dining in Bend and he may be the most…
Kayo's Dinner House: Old Bend is alive and well on 3rd Street
Bend's dining scene has two faces – there's New Bend, where the recent proliferation of haute cuisine has upstaged good old-fashioned cooking, and then there's Old Bend, where large portions, non-eyebrow-raising prices and straightforward preparations predominate. Kayo Oakley is on a mission to bring back old-school dining in Bend and he may be the most…
Little Bites: What's Cooking, Bend?
Don't blink, the downtown area dining scene is morphing again. A pair of downtown stalwarts that includes the venerable Cork are passing the torch to a new generation of restaurateurs. Rumors that Cork would be closing have been circulating quietly for sometime and owner Carin Cameron appears to have found a buyer. According to the…
The Gathering – Dudley's
Sounds like the title of a horror movie, maybe Dudley and a gang of teen-age buddies are drawn to a giant vampire plasma TV sitting in the desert. Or some crafty beyotch who thinks that environmentalists caused the Gulf oil disaster and gets the word out through her minions as thousands of terrified brainwashed Americans…
Swallow This: Hellzapopin' brings its salacious sideshow to Bend
If Neil Young were the godfather of grunge, then Tim Cridland, aka Zamora the Torture King, might just be the godfather of the modern circus sideshow. But the comparison might be a little more accurate if Neil Young had played lead guitar in Soundgarden, which is the equivalent of what Zamora has been doing in…
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem This is Happening DFA Records
Coming on the heels of the universally acclaimed Sound of Silver, This is Happening had mighty big shoes to fill. But rather than filling them, James Murphy (the producer/musician/vocalist behind LCD Soundsystem) decided to trade them in for some black Chuck Taylors or whatever those post-punk kids were…
Queen of the Cowboys: A family rodeo dynasty begins
This weekend, 19-year-old Shelby Ross will ride into the Sister's Rodeo Arena on the back of her 18-year-old gelding, Boss, fulfilling her lifelong dream of being the Sisters Rodeo Queen. Ross, who grew up in Sisters and is currently studying Animal Equine Science at Oregon State University, remembers the first time she saw the Sisters…
The Long Shot: Richard Esterman says he has the right to run for governor in November; he just needs 18,000 signatures to convince the state of Oregon
It’s about noon on a Thursday and Richard Esterman is walking the streets of a nondescript housing development on the far eastside of Bend. It’s cold. Far too cold for the end of May and cold enough that snowflakes are tossed from the black sky when the wind starts blowing hard enough. Esterman, his long…
The Pink Nightmare on Highway 97
Whether you were headed north or south on Highway 97 at Deschutes Junction just north of Bend, the brilliant shocking-pink building by the side of the road was pretty impossible to miss. If the color didn't get your attention, the signs would: “LIVE NUDE GIRLS!!!” “Sensual Rubdowns,” “Shower Shows,” “Pole Dancing,” and “Erotic Dungeon.” Other…
Who Wears Short Shorts?: Spillage, seepage, White House dementia and bullet building protocol
The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from an exploded bullet factory (however redundant) after escaping a burning RV, questioning karma and basic sanity for Or-Bust.com and The Source Weekly. With a “B” Our utility companies are really starting to feel like…
Our Picks for 6/9 – 6/17: Sisters Rodeo and Parade, The Zoo Story, The Lights Out & Rosa's Buds and more.
Last Band Standing thursday 10 Last Band Standing is still going, and it's finally the last round of the preliminaries, which will include some familiar names like Anastacia, Audiolized, Guy J. Jackson and David Finch, in addition to some band called Empty Space Orchestra. $3/adv, $5/door. 8pm. Boondock's Bar and Grill, 70 NW Newport Ave.…
Who Does Walden Represent?
Some of your readers may be interested in taking a look at the recently passed “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loophole Act” currently pending in Congress. The part I found most interesting is the closing of offshore tax loopholes to large corporations. An estimated $100 billion is lost through these offshore tax dodges each year…
Keep Digging Around
I begin with a question regarding the Constitution and the Declaration. My friend Carlos Wysling, with his great political articles, notes: African [Americans] were protected under these two documents. Further study will show these documents were written long before the 13 colonies would consider anybody but a white man with land [a person], so women…
Band Name of the Day: Dangermuffin (and they’re playing tonight)
With a name that sounds like a cross between a superhero and a baked good, Dangermuffin is stopping off in Bend today to play the free McMenamins show tonight. The South Carolina band is rootsy to the core and presents themselves like an Avett Brothers-esque Americana band, but when they start playing, they’re suddenly electrified,…
Restaurant of the Year: Ariana
When it comes to restaurants, of course it’s highly subjective, but there are some specific considerations: execution, presentation, creativity, ambience, service, value, consistency, attention to detail. When the field is as deep as it is here in Central Oregon, however, the deciding factor is often harder to articulate. It’s that quality that makes your eyes…
