Gov. Kate Brown Declares Deschutes County Drought Emergency
Deschutes County joins a growing list of Oregon counties—now 15 deep—designated by Gov. Kate Brown as drought emergencies following today’s announcement. With today’s addition of eight counties, nearly half the state is experiencing an official drought emergency. In addition to Deschutes, Grant, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Morrow, Umatilla, and Wasco counties have been added. “The majority of our state…
Friday Mixtape: Double-Threats
By: Josh Gross Lots of musicians publish tell-all memoirs. Some tell a little more than others, like The Dirt, the collective autobiography of Motley Crue, which is a thrilling, though somewhat tawdry read. But those books are often written by ghostwriters, not the artists themselves. I recently found a copy of Woody Guthrie’s lost novel,…
Editor’s Note: In this week’s issue
Beer week may need to rebrand itself. What started three years ago, has expanded into a ten day melee. And,our beer reviewer provides some suggestions about where to go, and how to survive the many events. I also encourage you to check out our “Go Here” section which lists several beer company endeavors into the…
Solstice Brewing Embraces Roots with Name Change to Ochoco Brewing
The Prineville-based brewery now formerly known as Solstice has never been shy about its roots. When it released its first beer back in 2012, the brewery reclaimed a not-uncommon slur for the city, calling it Prinetucky Pale. So it’s only fitting that the new name—Ochoco Brewing Company—honors the operation’s Crook County origins. The name also…
Side Notes 5/14-5/21
OSU-Cascades announced that Emilie Cortes will give the commencement speech for the Class of 2015 on Sunday, June 14. Once a San Francisco investment professional, Cortes left her 17-year career to follow her passion for adventure travel and mountaineering. She now serves as the president for Call of the Wild Adventures, Inc., which leads adventure…
Go Here 5/14-5/21
Back in 1972, long before the advent of Meetup, a group of Madras-based outdoor enthusiasts got together and formed the Desert Trail Association to promote recreational exploration of arid Oregon landscapes. The group petered out in the 2000s but re-launched this year and is sponsoring a full series of hikes including a couple this week.…
Our Salute to Sisters
Alpaca by Design With their biggest sellers being the three S’s—sweaters, socks, and scarves—Alpaca by Design keeps Central Oregon residents cozy all year long. “It’s considered by many to be hypoallergenic,” says owner Steve Segal. “It’s also warmer than wool, very colorfast, wicking, water-resistant, odor and stain-resistant, and of course soft.” One of the largest…
By The Horns
The back room of the clubhouse at the Sisters Rodeo grounds is filled with about a dozen men and women, all wearing blue jeans and work boots; volunteers who run the Sisters Rodeo. They are debating whether there is more drinking at the annual Sisters Quilt Festival or the Sisters Rodeo. “Definitely the quilt,” announces…
The Grand Seduction
The Roman goddess Venus mostly focused on love, beauty, and sex, depending on how various artists employed her. For Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who wrote Venus in Fur in 1870, she spawned generations of S&M, from his novel about obsession and mockery, all the way through 50 Shades of Gray. Somewhere in-between is Venus in Fur—an…
Sisters Restaurant Roundup
Black Butte Ranch, The Lodge Bar / Pub / Lounge, Fine Dining 13899 Bishops Cap. 541-595-1260. blackbutteranch.com. $$$. Brand 33 at Aspen Lakes Pacific Northwest 16900 Aspen Lakes Dr. 541-549-3663. aspenlakes.com/restaurant. $$-$$$. Bronco Billy’s Ranch Grill & Saloon American 190 E Cascade Ave. 541-549-7427. broncobillysranchgrill.com. $$. Los Agaves Mexican 291 E Cascade Ave. 541-549-0777. …
Out of Town 5/13-5/20
mcminnville thursday 14 – saturday 16 McMenamins UFO Festival It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No really, this nuclear physicist says it’s a UFO! This festival commemorates the infamous Trent sighting of a UFO in 1950, one of the most credible UFO sightings to date. Speakers include witness and abductee Travis Walton, researcher and author…
A Bridge, Not Far
It’s heady times for beer around here, with Central Oregon Beer Week breathing down our necks, the new edition of the Bend Ale Trail Atlas due up shortly, and summer—as everyone knows, the most important outdoor-beverage season—seemingly around the corner. It’s a good time to take stock and visit some of the smaller Bend beer…
Letters 5/5-5/12
LOUD BIKES SUCKLoud bikes suck. If you ride one, you are trash. We should all be pestering the Bend City Council to enact and enforce an ordinance to target loud bikes. There will be the “hard to enforce” excuse for not acting. But, really, it’s as easy as requiring and enforcing the presence of the…
Art Watch 5/13-5/20
Metal Magic A fairy tale carriage, a fire-breathing rhino, a frozen phoenix. These are among the inhabitants of Sisters artist Ken Scott’s imagination. Inhabitants, rather than creations, because they appear when he shows up for them, like lovers in a misty, moonlit meadow. “Everything I do is all wrapped up in the fact that metal…
Picks 5/13-5/20
thursday 14 Patchwork Players THEATER—The Patchwork Players performs a repertoire of one-act plays to help raise funds for Circle of Friends, a Sisters-based program that connects healthy adult mentors with vulnerable children. Drinks will be available to sample and purchase from Bend Distillery’s line of Crater Lake Spirits. So raise a glass to community theater…
Source Suggests 5/14-5/21
HDCM Series: Ensemble Paradiso Chamber music is traditionally written for small groups of musicians with no conductor, and only one performer to a part. The final performance in the High Desert Chamber Music Series this season concludes with Ensemble Paradiso. The L.A.-based group makes its HDCM debut featuring celebrated violinist Jessica Guideri, formerly of the…
The Restaurant Formerly Known As
“I want to make a little party every day,” says owner Jen McCrystal. She is standing near the swinging door between the dining room and a backroom kitchen. For the past decade, McCrystal has managed, owned and cooked at Jen’s Garden, inspired and detailed French cuisine in Sisters. But a year or so ago, she…
Unholy Matrimony
You know what seems horrible? Getting divorced! You know what seems extra horrible? Getting divorced in Israel! In Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, Viviane, an Israeli woman, unhappily married since she was a teenager, finally decides to put her terrible marriage out of its misery. Good move, Viviane! Only, thanks to arcane religious laws,…
Film Events 5/13-5/20
Queens of the Roleo A documentary about 11-time world log rolling champions out of Lewiston, Idaho. All female, all badass, all really good at balancing on floating logs that are spinning in water. Funded by a Kickstarter and produced by local journalist and former TV executive Dave Jones, this film picks up an otherwise footnote…
Don’t Change Horses Mid-Waterpark Construction
Bend is in the middle of two major capital projects—a whitewater park and the Simpson Pavilion ice rink. Moreover, there are also several issues swirling around Bend Park & Recreation District (BPRD) regarding what role the agency should play in creating and preserving “livability” in the region. Without a compelling reason to do so, it…
Greetings from Sisters
Perhaps a numerologist would have something to say about the lineup of anniversaries this year in the small town of Sisters—it is the 75th anniversary for the rodeo, the 40th for the quilt festival, and the 20th for the folk festival. But for us, what we see is a testament to the enduring cultural offerings…
Sisters Events
Spring Cleanup: Whychus Canyon Preserve VOLUNTEER—Roll up your sleeves and help the Deschutes Land Trust with a spring clean up at Whychus Canyon Preserve. We’ll do our best to clean winter’s clutter by clearing and repairing trails, pulling a few weeds, and generally making the Preserve look tip top! May 13, 10am-1pm. Whychus Canyon Preserve, outside…
Robbing the Prince to Pay the Pauper
In our recent endorsement interview for Bend Park & Recreation District (BPRD) Board Position 1, we spent a good amount of time discussing “system development charges” (SDCs), a fee that housing developers pay toward Park District (and City) projects. Why so much attention to this topic? Because the City wants BPRD to join in offering…
Another Type of Green
Medical and recreational pot businesses have been facing an ongoing struggle with the banking system, often being forced to deal only in cash. Many banks in states like Oregon and Washington have been hesitant to do business with marijuana operations for fear of being federally prosecuted. In February 2014, the Obama Administration introduced new guidelines…
Just Along for the Ride
Singer-songwriter Steve Poltz’s flight from Denver to Los Angeles was cancelled. He then rented a car to drive the distance with his partner on tour, singer-songwriter Grant-Lee Phillips. I caught them on the phone just as they were re-writing “Mammas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” for their Mother’s Day gig in…
