Omicron Incoming
A new COVID variant detected in South Africa is causing concern among Oregon Health officials. South African scientists announced a new variant, now called the Omicron variant, was spreading in their country last week and it’s already been detected in 20 other countries. Scientists are working to understand the novel variant, but it’s currently unknown whether…
Editor’s note:
This week’s Shop Local issue marks the beginning of the season known as “all things holiday.” Saturday, Nov. 27—the day after the madness that is Black Friday—is what is known as Small Business Saturday, a nationwide effort to get people to shop locally and to understand why it matters. This week’s feature section focuses on…
An Artist’s Life
I remember quite clearly the first time I had a conversation with Pat Clark. I was hanging an exhibition of student work from an arts residency I had completed with almost 2,000 middle school students in Central Oregon and Portland. It had been a daunting task, and a lonely one— traveling to a new school each…
How to Make Local Business Owners Dance
“Cha-ching!” Leela Morimoto’s phone exclaimed, pretending to be a cash register. “What did you sell?” I asked when I saw the smile appear on her face, knowing the sound was a notification from Etsy telling her someone just made a purchase from her shop, Leemo Designs. “A magnetic fridge white board,” said Morimoto. “That’s the…
Shopping Local For All Your Christmas Needs
Shopping local is a great way to support local businesses in the community. This holiday, find the perfect gift for a loved one at one of Central Oregon’s annual holiday markets. Local vendors, food, music and fun are guaranteed to heighten the holiday feels all season long. Friday 11/26 Holiday Market @ The Grove Local…
Projects Prioritized
After nearly a year of work, the City of Bend’s Transportation Bond Oversight committee will share its priorities for the next five years with the Bend City Council Dec. 1. Voters approved the $190 million bond in 2020 to improve traffic flow, east-west connections and improve neighborhood safety. City staffers scored the projects based on…
Noticias en Español
Después de casi un año de trabajo, el comité de supervisión de bonos de transporte de la ciudad de Bend (TBOC por sus siglas en inglés) compartirá sus prioridades para los próximos cinco años con el concejo municipal de Bend el 1o de diciembre. Los votantes aprobaron el bono de $190 millones en 2020 para…
New Parking Rules in Old Bend
The Old Bend Parking district pilot program expires at the end of the year but is likely to be renewed with a few tweaks. The City started the program at the start of 2021 after Old Bend residents complained that on-street parking was limited in their neighborhood from floaters, downtown shoppers and people visiting Drake…
Shopping and Shipping Local
The season of giving is coming up and before that comes the dreaded season of shopping. A lot of people’s Amazon carts are probably filling up with all the gifts they plan to give to friends and families this holiday season, but local retailers believe there’s a better way. Life may be a jungle, but…
Outdoor Mask Mandate Lifted
The Oregon Health Authority lifted outdoor mask requirements for large public gatherings on Wednesday, ending the three-month-long mandate as COVID infections trend downward from the most recent surge. Health officials said mask mandates, as well as a gradual increase in vaccinations, have helped reduce transmission rates. “While it’s too soon to lift all mask precautions,…
Artist Fact Sheet: Gregory Alan Isakov
While on tour, Gregory Alan Isakov will request index cards on his rider. He challenges himself to fill up at least one index card a day as a way to keep his writing skills sharp while facing the lack of down time that the road brings musicians. Once you listen to his music, this wouldn’t…
Hummingbirds in Winter—What Do We Do?
The topic of a lot of my phone calls, emails and text messages this fall has been about hummingbirds and feeders in winter, and to be perfectly frank about it, it’s a worrisome conundrum. Right off the bat, sugar water is not the only food for hummingbirds; sure, they get an instant shot of energy…
Dispo Black Friday Deals
The typical products for Black Friday shopping tend to be televisions, cell phones and maybe even a computer or gaming console. Every year people stand in long lines and raid stores for that deal on the item of the year that won’t last into the afternoon hours. Copping a brand new 60-inch 4k TV and…
Leaping Sickness, Junk Male
Leaping Sickness I thought I was happily married. Recently, I found a cherry Chapstick in my husband’s coat pocket – a kind he’d never buy. He claimed he randomly grabbed it at the drugstore checkout. Last week, he said he’d be visiting his mother at the nursing home, but I later learned he never showed.…
The Dinner Party Returns
Ah, the dinner party. Remember it? That thing you’d spend all week agonizing over, only to see plates passed and glasses clinked and people laughing, as if they had no idea that you’d nearly overbaked the chicken and the dessert didn’t come out quite the way you planned. … With the holidays upon us and…
Free Will Astrology—Week of November 25
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Poet Renée Ashley describes what she’s attracted to: “I’m drawn to what flutters nebulously at the edges, at the corner of my eye—just outside my certain sight. I want to share in what I am routinely denied or only suspect exists. I long for a glimpse of what is beginning to…
Native Foodways, Native Stories
Taking time out for giving thanks on just a single day is an odd thing to ponder for Spring Olson, a local farmer and the daughter of a chief in the Kingikmuit tribe. Native people give thanks every day for what the land—and the sea—provide, Olson told the Source in 2019. Back then, Olson was…
Bachelor Delays Season
Mt. Bachelor pushed back the start of its season from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, citing warm temperatures and lack of snowfall. The start date is dependent on more snow, but no specific benchmarks are set for snowfall. Mt. Bachelor Director of Marketing Leigh Capozzi told KTVZ that there’s too much exposed grass and rocks…
With Districts Official, Here’s to Clean Campaigns
This week, with a decision by the Oregon Supreme Court, the lines drawn during 2021’s redistricting process essentially became official. Those lines were redrawn due to population changes revealed during the 2020 U.S. Census, creating a geographically smaller Oregon House District 54 in Bend and dividing Redmond between House districts 53 and 59, which includes…
May the Source Be with You
Ahhhh, November. The month where we stare out the window at the cold foggy mornings as we sip $16-a-pound coffee while playing Evanescence so loudly the neighbors call the police again. No? That’s just me, huh? I don’t believe you, but I accept your judgement willingly. November is the month where my Seasonal Affective Disorder…
Offers In a Seller’s Market
The first two quarters of the year brought a very heated home market. It was and is a seller’s market, meaning that due to lack of inventory and high demand from buyers, the seller has more leverage during negotiations. As a home seller it’s important to identify goals for the home sale. For some it’s…
