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Vote 2020: All the Source Weekly’s Candidate Endorsements
We’ve spent months interviewing candidates to arrive at these endorsements. To see the interviews that helped us make our decisions, visit the Elections section. >>Versión en Español aqui.<< Local Races Vote Melanie Kebler for Bend City Council Pos. 1 Vote Anthony Broadman for Bend City Council Pos. 2 Vote Chris Piper for Bend City Council…
After Clashes at Pilot Butte, District Attorney Announces Charges
Black Lives Matter protesters, the Bend Police Department and a pro-Trump brigade clashed three weeks ago. The BPD wanted 22 people charged, but the DA charged seven
Bend Developers May Build Dorm-Style Housing
NEWS—New arrivals and recent graduates may soon have the option of living in a dorm with a shared kitchen in high-density areas in Bend.
Listen: OSU’s Peter Sparks Talks Psilocybin 🎧
For this week’s episode of “Bend Don’t Break” we talk with Peter Sparks, professor of psychology at Oregon State University – Cascades. We wanted to have Sparks on in light of Measure 109 on the general election ballot which would legalize the use of psilocybin (psychedelic mushrooms) in a clinical setting. It would make Oregon…
Central Oregon Gives Sets an Ambitious 2020 Goal
The local program that helps Central Oregon nonprofits raise funds toward their end-of-year giving goals is back—this time, with a far more ambitious goal. Local nonprofits can sign up now to join Central Oregon Gives, the program created in 2019 by the Source Weekly and What If We Could. Last year, the program raised over…
Children of the Candy Corns
Halloween, more than almost any other holiday, is about fun. Unlike Christmas, Easter, Mothers or Fathers Days, all of which involve a certain amount of stress and sacrifice if not guilt, Thanksgiving is fun but it’s a lot of work. Halloween is a lot of play, nearly unmatched in its unbridled hedonism. It’s like New…
Glacier Funeral
On Oct. 18, on South Sister, the Oregon Glaciers Institute held a funeral for Clark Glacier, pronouncing it “dead.” Well, they almost held the funeral. Due to rain and wind conditions the team was unable to make it to the glacier itself, where they planned to livestream on Instagram while commemorating the life of the…
High-Performance Homes
Technology is evolving at an unprecedented rate. Change is happening so rapidly that it’s hard to keep up with the newest of the new. This change and evolution is widely accepted amongst the public in certain sectors, but support is still lagging in the home-building sector. Comparing the auto industry, which has continually pushed forward…
The Lovely Ghosts
Ultimately, every love story is also a ghost story. At some point or another, one person loses the other and then all that’s left are memories and empty rooms; a never-ending ellipsis sprawling out into the future like an unfinished sentence. “The Haunting of Bly Manor” is a nine-hour-long mini-series that combines love, death and…
We Heart Locals’ Nights
It’s that time of year: The tourist numbers are starting to dwindle, and the traffic is (relatively) slowing—meaning it’s locals’ time to spread out on the trails and at local watering holes. Local breweries have your back this time of year—OK, anytime of the year, really—with Locals’ Nights offering discounts and specials. Here are a…
Learn About Gravel Biking in the Skyline Forest
Ever wanted to bike the Skyline Forest, but don’t know where to go? An upcoming webinar gives locals the chance to learn about gravel biking on the privately owned land. The Deschutes Land Trust—which has long worked to help preserve the forest and protect it from development—is partnering with Dirty Freehub for a virtual event…
Race on Your Own and Against Other Runners and Riders with 10 Barrel’s Race Series
We know—you wish racing wasn’t so siloed and solo this year… but alas. For those looking to add a healthy dose of competition to their running or mountain biking routines, the 10 Barrel “Riding Solo” and “Running Solo” stage race series continue through the first week of November. Each week there’s a new course to…
Crater Lake Enters the Tequila(ish) Game
Crater Lake Spirits is adding an entirely new flavor profile to its lineup of spirits—but don’t call it tequila. The Bend-based spirits maker is rolling out the next in its Rare Spirits Collection, this time featuring a product made from agave. The Agave Spirit Reposado will taste like a tequila—but since the spirit was aged…
Musicians Say “No” to Trump
With its Wagnerian orchestral soundtrack, exceptionally low camera angles, and sweeping shots of white marble columns reaching up toward the heavens, the recent Republican National Convention served as an answer to the question, “What would happen if the producers of “The Apprentice” did a remake of Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will?” Which makes sense, given that two…
Vote YES on Measure 9-134, regarding Deschutes County New Pot Businesses
Editor’s note: The print edition of this issue had a “NO” in the title. Because this measure asks voters to decide whether new additional marijuana businesses should be allowed in the county, our vote is YES. Is there anyone else out there that yearns for the return of a pro-business Republican party? Where have the…
Heavy Mental
Heavy Mental I’m a woman who recently stopped talking with a guy I’d been seeing because, frankly, I didn’t find him intelligent enough. He is a good guy, but just a little dim for me. When I told my friends this was the reason I ended things, they said it was a bit snobbish. Does…
Letters to the Editor 10/22/20
Editor’s note: Over the past several months, my staff and I have been hard at work interviewing the many candidates running for Bend City Council, Deschutes County Commission, state legislative seats and more. In the midst of this pandemic, we took extra precautions and met each candidate outdoors, giving them a minimum of 30 minutes…
Free Will Astrology—Week of October 22
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I vote in American elections, but I’ve never belonged to a political party. One of my favorite politicians is Bernie Sanders, who for most of his career has been an Independent. But now I’m a staunch advocate for the Democrats. Why? Because Republicans are so thoroughly under the curse of the…
Vote Jeff Merkley for Oregon U.S. Senator
A September poll from Civiqs had Jeff Merkley leading this race by 20 points. While this could be a sign of good governance on Merkley’s part, it doesn’t hurt that his Republican competitor, Jo Rae Perkins, is a QAnon conspiracist who falsely claimed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler plotted to start Oregon’s wildfires. It turns out that…
Vote Joe Biden for U.S. President; Kamala Harris for Vice President
When we look back upon this endorsement, we’d like to recall some of the reasons we saw promise in the eventual President Biden, rather than the near-endless reasons to cast a protest vote that sees #45 exit his self-made swamp. At most basic, Americans need a president who will deliver both honesty and decency and…
¡Es hora de votar!
Consejo municipal de la ciudad de Bend Posición 1 – Melanie Kebler Posición 2 – Anthony Broadman Posición 3 – Chris Piper Posición 4 – Rita Schenkelberg Condado Deschutes Comisionado del condado Deschutes – Phil Chang Alguacil del condado Deschutes – Scott Schaier Elecciones en el estado de Oregon Senado de Oregon Distrito 27 –…
The Source Weekly Update Oct 21
In this week’s update, we attempt to ease local paranoia about mail-in ballots. We will discuss what to do in the event that you do not receive your ballot as well as provide some comfort with statistics on voter fraud. Source Weekly – Bend, Oregon · The Source Weekly Update Oct 21
Vote Melanie Kebler, Bend City Council Pos. 1
Bend’s City Council position 1 race has two qualified and competent candidates running—and while the position is nonpartisan, the two bring differing backgrounds and philosophies. While it’s true that a city council’s role lies in handling the mundane business of roads and sewers and city codes, increasingly it’s clear that Bend also is sorely in…
Vote Anthony Broadman, Bend City Council Pos. 2
As City Councilor Bill Moseley’s dramatic tenure comes to an end, we welcome the progressive idealism Anthony Broadman will bring to this seat. Where Moseley’s attitude was often cavalier and self-absorbed, Broadman will represent Bend’s blue voters with measured pragmatism. As an indigenous rights lawyer, Broadman’s life’s work is centered on advocating for the underserved…
Vote Chris Piper for Bend City Council Pos. 3
With two veteran councilors walking away this year—including one moderate and one decidedly conservative councilor—the next iteration of the Bend City Council is undoubtedly going to look very different. We’d be pleased to see a progressive council that’s also not afraid to stand up to powerful private interests—and at the same time, we recognize that…
Vote Rita Schenkelberg Bend City Council Pos. 4
Bend City Councilor Bruce Abernethy, who is not running for re-election, has served as both a Bend City Councilor and Mayor on and off for the last 20 years. During that time he’s gone from a die-hard champion of Bend’s “slow growth” movement to a more moderate voice in City politics. He was raised in…
Vote Phil Chang for Deschutes County Commissioner
For most voters in Deschutes County, the County Commissioner position is not something to spend a lot of time worrying about. However, it’s one of the most powerful elected positions in the region. Commissioners play an oversight role for public health—which has never been more meaningful than during the pandemic. They also oversee the sheriff’s…
Vote Ellen Rosenblum for Attorney General
In the race for Oregon’s Attorney General—the position responsible for enforcing state laws and advocating on behalf of the state in federal (and other) courts—only one of the candidates on the ballot is an attorney, making the choice in this race relatively simple. Ellen Rosenblum served as a federal prosecutor and judge before first becoming…
Vote Eileen Kiely Oregon Senate District 27
Tim Knopp has been serving in District 27 (Redmond, Tumalo, Sunriver and Bend) since 2013 and during his tenure, the votes he has cast are stacking up against him. He voted against the Student Success Act, which will bring in an estimated $18 million to Bend-La Pine Schools. He was among the Republican senators to…
Vote Shemia Fagan for Oregon Secretary of State
Deciding who to support in the Secretary of State race has come with much discussion and challenges, but Democratic nominee, Shemia Fagan, is the candidate we find most ready for the job. Amid a field of candidates in the primary, we opted to endorse Jamie McLeod-Skinner, while also lamenting that McLeod-Skinner did not choose to…
Vote Scott Schaier for Deschutes County Sheriff
More attention has been placed on law enforcement agencies in recent months, and with that comes a more informed conversation around the impact that its leaders can have on an organization. As Central Oregon grows and changes, we believe it’s time for new leadership at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s office. While L. Shane Nelson has…
Vote Yes on Measure 107 – Campaign Finance Reform
Vote Yes on Measure 107 to amend the Oregon constitution and allow state and local governments to put campaign contribution limits in place. If this passes, it gives Oregon lawmakers the green light to draw up regulations around limiting contributions. The influence of multinational corporations and wealthy donors has disproportionally tipped the scales away from…
Vote Jack Zika for Oregon House District 53
Throughout this campaign, Jack Zika has riffed about being “the housing guy.” While said lightheartedly, Zika has indeed had some big wins for housing for both Bend and Redmond in the two years he’s served as representative. He was behind the bill establishing a state pilot program that carved out land outside both Bend and…
Vote Yes on Measure 108 – Vape Tax
Measure 108 would create a tax on nicotine vaping and heated tobacco products. Under the ballot measure, the monies would first go to the administration and enforcement of the tax. The remaining revenue would then be allocated to the Oregon Health Authority for medical and health care-assistance programs, including mental health services and other programs…
Vote Jason Kropf for Oregon House District 54
We would love to be framing this endorsement solely around the various positive attributes these two candidates bring in representing Bend in the Oregon State Legislative Assembly. We’d love to focus on voting records and backgrounds, as we do with most campaigns. Unfortunately, this race has been positively stained by a voracious string of attack…
Vote Yes on Measure 109 – Clinical Use of Psilocybin
Measure 109 legalizes the use of the plant medicine psilocybin in a clinical setting. It was spearheaded by two Portland therapists, Sheri and Thomas Eckert, who have been working to make psilocybin legal and accessible for years. Psilocybin may induce an altered state of consciousness with feelings of euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in…
Vote Yes on Measure 110 – Drug Decriminalization
We are all veterans of the War on Drugs. And at this point, we have little to show for it. Unfortunately, the history of this conflict is one where community members suffering from addiction have been thrown in jail and branded as criminals for life. But the tide is turning. This election, voters have the…
Vote Alex Spenser for Oregon's Congressional District 2
Oregon’s Congressional District 2 is famous for its impossible construction. It’s so large it could be a state—stretching from Ashland to Hood River and the border with Idaho. We were severely disappointed to see, after the stellar campaign that Jamie McLeod-Skinner ran in this district in 2018, winning Deschutes County, that the Democrats had little…
