California’s Still Battling Its Worst Wildfire Ever. Here’s How to Help
At last estimate, the three wildfires burning in California had killed 42 people, with 200 still missing. Fires have burned nearly 200,000 acres and displaced hundreds of thousands of people in Paradise, Calif. and Chico, and also around Malibu. Last Sunday, the Oregon Department of Forestry deployed two strike teams to help battle the Camp…
Riverbend Brewing Closing its Brewpub
Bend’s Riverbend Brewing is closing its original brewpub this month. Its leaders say they’re closing due to personal health concerns, but say they’ll continue to brew beer for distribution as they look for another location. “It comes as sad news that, as of November 19, 2018, our original brew pub will be closing its doors…
At OSU-Cascades, an Increasing Rate of Diversity
Oregon State University-Cascades just released its enrollment numbers for the start of the 2018-2019 school year. One of the most striking stats: A higher rate of enrollment for students of color. Among its first-year enrollees, OSU-Cascades is reporting a rate of close to 23 percent—or 22.9 percent—students of color. That stat comes from a relatively…
McLeod-Skinner’s Feat in Deschutes County
Although Jamie McLeod-Skinner didn’t win the election in Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District, she did accomplish something that no Democrat has ever done before—getting more votes than Greg Walden in Deschutes County. According to unofficial county elections results from the Deschutes County Elections, Democrat McLeod-Skinner garnered 45,020 votes in Deschutes County, to Republican Walden’s 44,392. To…
What’s Next for the Council?
Bend City Councilor Sally Russell won the election Tuesday to become Bend’s first directly elected mayor. It was a crowded race, with six candidates in the running. According to the latest unofficial results released by the Deschutes County Clerk, Russell took 50.18 percent of the vote—amounting to 21,666 votes as of Wednesday morning. Next in…
School Start Time Changes: The Domino Effect
Bend-La Pine Schools announced new school start times last month—a change the district’s been considering for years. The new times have less to do with convenience, and more to do with studies showing that adolescents learn better when they start their days later. The process of changing school start times took the district two years…
Give Guide 2018
Peek inside the week’s Give Guide and you’ll find no shortage of nonprofits, working for good in Central Oregon. Props to them all. But here are a few that are newer to the scene, which you might not yet have on your radar. TRACEs Central Oregon The Foutz Foundation Friends of the Children ChickTech Moon…
A Love of Space and Music
Bend is home to actors, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs and plenty of other talented people from all over the world. Jim Wetherbee is one of them, having moved to Bend after retiring. He has an especially unique story, even for Bend. Wetherbee spent more than 31 years at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as an…
Young Reflections
This year marks the 15th annual Church of Neil—at least, founder Andy Fecteau thinks it’s probably the 15th time he’s put on the small, one-day festival celebrating the music of Neil Young. About 15 years ago, Fecteau says he was the owner of Rebound Physical Therapy and had just opened a sports performance lab within…
Family Ties to the “D”
In 1917, my great-grandfather, John Cronin, moved to Powell Butte, a small farming community east of Bend. He was born and raised in Ireland and came to Oregon in search of adventure and opportunity. He found it in a sheep ranch. A decade later, his nephews John and Matt Daly followed him to Central Oregon.…
To Russia and Back
Lucas Warford has lived in Portland for about 10 years, witnessing a variety of creative and talented people come and go from his band, Three For Silver. While he says Portland is a whirlpool of creative forces, he also feels disconnected from the city’s music scene. Three For Silver plays what some people would describe…
TRACEs Central Oregon
TRACEs (trauma, resiliency and adverse childhood experiences) Central Oregon partners with other nonprofits to help adults and children in the area thrive. According to Katie McClure, director of TRACEs, in the fall of 2016 a group of organizations commissioned a review of what other communities were doing to address adverse childhood experiences. What they found…
Three titles for that early holiday shopper
Get a Head Start Ready or not, the holidays are just around the corner. With that in mind, here are three titles already on the shelves that would make a perfect gift for someone on your list or, you know, just for yourself. A Booklover’s Dream Imagine browsing the shelves of your favorite bookstore and…
The Foutz Foundation
The Foutz Foundation is a labor of love, founded by husband and wife team Brian and Genny Foutz. Following the death of his brother, Travis Foutz, in May 2017, Brian Foutz created the nonprofit to honor his brother’s legacy. Before his death, Travis was training to become a music teacher at Central Oregon Community College. The…
Tiny Home Community
Tiny homes have fascinated many people as a possible solution to the housing affordability crisis. Detroit, Mich., has recently started a rent-own tiny home community that even minimum wage earners can afford. A book and videos on the program provide ideas to other states to adapt it to their situation. In a nutshell, Cass Community…
Friends of the Children
You might have heard of volunteer programs that place a positive adult with a child in need of extra support. Friends of the Children builds on that model—but does it by enlisting “Friends” who earn a full-time salary for their mentorship. Founded in Portland in 1993 by Duncan Campbell, a Portland-area man who himself experienced…
Apartnering Up
Apartnering Up My husband and I started having problems when I found an email he sent to his ex-girlfriend saying, “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He’s never complimented me during our five years together. He revealed that he and his ex…
ChickTech
The color pink and the word “chick” might not seem like the first choices for those committed to female empowerment—but the people behind ChickTech don’t see it that way. The nonprofit wants the word “chick” to be seen as empowering, not degrading. And they chose pink as a signature color for their organization, in an…
Ways to Support Art in Central Oregon
Bend Art Center Continuing the great work started by Pat Clark, ScaleHouse and Bend Art Station, Bend Art Center provides a place for artists to gather, learn, grow and exhibit their work. The space offers a variety of workshops for beginner to advanced students and is often a place where artists find and connect with…
Moon Country Snowbusters
Way back in the same year man first walked on the moon, Moon Country formed as a nonprofit to help the Oregon State Snowmobile Association with trail grooming efforts. Over the years since, the clubs have evolved, changed, backstepped and grew, leading to the current Moon Country Snowbusters, formed in October 2017. The name pays…
River’s Place Opens
River’s Place is located across the street from Costco. Featuring an indoor tap house with beer, wine and seating, outside you’ll find five food trucks: Hogan’s Hoagie Stop, We’re the Würst, Wubba’s BBQ Shack, The Jerk Kings and Red Road Pizza Company. When the weather is nice, check out the outdoor play area and fire…
Free Will Astrology—Week of November 8
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I am not currently a wanderer or voyager or entrepreneur or swashbuckler. But at other times in my life, I have had extensive experience with those roles. So I know secrets about how and why to be a wanderer and voyager and entrepreneur and swashbuckler. And it’s clear to me that…
Poke Soul Night
Looking for a unique date night? Poke Row and Eclectic Soul have collaborated to offer a night of yoga and sushi. Start the evening by getting stretchy in a guided yoga class. After you’ve worked up a sweat and your appetite, head over to Poke Row for a glass of sparkling wine, a poke bowl…
Letters to the Editor
Don’t Lie To Me! Hasn’t every parent stated that declaration since you were a child? I have made many a decision based on this premise. Trust, friendships, partnerships etc. Are all based on one’s belief in others’ words. Personally I have no friends who lie, and don’t want any. I find lying and liars despicable, and feel…
Move Over, Pumpkin Spice
As soon as people finish carving pumpkins, many begin thinking about what to make for Thanksgiving. What kind of pie to bake? Which vegetables to roast? Whatever they pick, it usually means pulling out spices not used in a while—particularly nutmeg, allspice and cloves. But how long do spices last? Historically, spices traveled hundreds or…
Teacupfuls Second Location Grand Opening
Teacupfuls, known for bubble tea, bubble waffles and coffee, is opening a second location in downtown Bend, between Sora Sushi and Mantra Indian Kitchen & Tap Room. The grand opening is Saturday, Nov. 17. In celebration they’ll have giveaways, a free gift with purchase and a raffle to win one of 10 Fifty/Fifty thermal bottles.…
Challenging Beers for the Past 25 Years
To the Central Oregon resident who only occasionally pays a trip to Portland, it can often seem like the city grows a couple new breweries with every visit. Such is the feeling that pervaded at a recent visit to Beer O’Clock, a hip Pearl District taproom which serves as a showcase for whatever’s new and…
Nonprofits can and should listen to their communities. St. Charles didn’t.
Hospitals in the United States represent a prime example of the conundrum in American values. On the one hand, they’re institutions aimed at serving the greater public good of fostering health across a community. On the other hand, they’re tasked with managing complex budgets and sometimes making tough financial decisions—whether they’re for-profit or nonprofit institutions,…
Trail Champion
During the 2018 Oregon Trails Summit in October, Bruce Ronning considered the idea of leaving early to head to the coast for vacation. He’s now happy he stayed, because after lunch, the Oregon Recreation Trails Advisory Council presented him with the annual Doug Newman Memorial Award. Among his career accomplishments, Ronning served for eight years…
Mercury Rising
There are different kinds of secrets in Hollywood. Some have been kept close to the vest and will probably never see the light of day until decades from now…if ever. Others are “secrets” that are well known in the film industry, yet no one talks about because of the balances of power. People knew for…
The Hunt for the Red Schlocktober
Man, I love submarine movies. The creaking of the hull, the intensity of enclosed spaces and the dominant personalities aboard make it one of the most entertaining and grueling genres possible. Films like “Das Boot,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Crimson Tide,” “Below” and “U-571” are such great examples of the genre that to make…
Beyond Buds is Beyond Badass
There’s no shortage of books about cannabis out there. The groaning, overstuffed top shelf of an ancient Ikea bookshelf in my front room speaks to that in… volumes. There are grow guides, “history of cannabis” reference sources, cookbooks, cannabis spa guides and “how to roll joints” handbooks. When the Great Cascadia Earthquake hits, I may…
