Eggplant Caponata Tapa
A tapa is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be hot or cold and are often combined to make a full meal. The word itself is derived from the Spanish verb tapar which means “to cover” and historians have concluded that the original tapas were thin slices of meat or bread used to…
Lowered Standards
Standardized test scores are down by 9% in Oregon, and both Bend-La Pine Schools and the Redmond School District trended down in all three subjects. The 2021-22 school year was the first time students have taken standardized tests since the 2018-19 school year, after the pandemic disrupted education. Though test scores were down in BLPS…
Las rentas podrían aumentar
Las rentas podrían subir hasta un 14.6% para los habitantes de Oregon que renten una propiedad que tenga más de 15 años de antigüedad para el 2023. La renta promedio en Bend es de $1,836 según RentCafe, una compañía de datos con acceso al precio de la renta de todos los apartamentos de Bend que…
Run the River for Street Dog Hero
Street Dog Hero is giving Central Oregon a reason to run this weekend. For all ages and all experience levels, the Street Dog Hero Third Annual Heroes on the Run 5K event is back. Attendees can listen to live music, meet adoptable dogs, run for a cause and find their favorite food cart to eat…
District Removes Inspirational Murals from Bend School
For a period of about 10 months, the walls of William E. Miller Elementary School in Bend were adorned with inspirational quotes and the original works of a local artist. In August, the murals were painted over. In the summer of 2021, a teacher at Miller was feeling anxious about returning to school. Between the…
‘Cutting Out Everything That’s Not a Bear’ with Mosquito Bob
On Aug. 15 I received an email from someone only identified as Mosquito Bob in my inbox, hinting about a location. “Hey man, I know a place in the pines that’s magical, enchanted, whimsical, creative, entertaining, dangerous, exciting and unique,” Mosquito Bob wrote. “I would like to share it with folks.” Reporters are used to…
Horoscope Week of September 22, 2022
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the coming weeks, you should refrain from wrestling with problems that resist your solutions. Be discerning about how you use your superior analytical abilities. Devote yourself solely to manageable dilemmas that are truly responsive to your intelligent probing. PS: I feel sorry for people who aren’t receptive to your input,…
Letters to the Editor 09/22/2022
Midterm elections and democracy Democracy in the U.S. is facing severe challenge as evidenced by extremists using their position, social media and lies to destroy the impact of institutions and political norms—not for altruistic purposes, but to secure power for minority rule. As our democracy has aged, its population has changed from a homogeneous body…
Lady Bird in the Old Mill
The former leader of the culinary team at Drake and later Washington Dining & Cocktails, John Gurnee, announced a new fine dining experience in the Old Mill at the former location of Flatbread Neapolitan Pizza. Lady Bird is set to open this fall continuing selling wood-fired pizza like Flatbread before it, as well as its…
Crave Mini Donuts Now at On Tap
Crave Mini Donuts, the food cart that serves an array of delightful small donuts, has moved. Crave, formerly located at the Bend Factory Stores parking lot, moved to On Tap in earlier this month. Crave Mini Donuts was originally started in McMinnville before moving to Bend in the spring. Regular donut flavors include Boston Crème,…
Wild and Scenic Film Festival Rolls into Bend
Inspiration happens through various formats. The Wild and Scenic Film Festival presented by Oregon Natural Desert Association and sponsored by E2Solar at the Tower Theatre brings inspiration through visual storytelling on Friday, Sept. 30. The short films highlight activists working on environmental issues across the globe. And in the case of “National Parks ‘One Star…
It’s Viola Davis’ World
I know this is incredibly obvious, but most movies are full of crap. If it’s not a documentary, it’s definitely full of crap, and if it says, “Based on a true story,” it’s usually just as full of crap as the rest. Look at “The Conjuring” franchise. There’s more evidence that the Warrens were snake oil…
Band Fact Sheet: THICK
Expressing anger and getting out your frustrations actually feels pretty good sometimes. If you’re having trouble doing so, listening to a song from Brooklyn’s THICK will probably help you release that tension. The passion this punk trio has is one to get you inspired. Not only is THICK’s music relentless and powerful, but it’s also…
Seeking School Board Member
Bend-La Pine Schools is seeking to replace a vacant seat on the school board. Board member Janet Sarai Llerandi Gonzales resigned on Sept. 10 after moving out of the district. On Sept. 13, the BLPS board chair announced the board would be seeking a replacement at an upcoming school board meeting. Applications for the position…
Central Oregon Real Estate Mailbag
Q: Should I buy my first house right now? -Leslie R A: Lots of ways to tackle this question. The answer is not the same for everyone as everyone’s circumstances can be different. Sure, rates are higher today than they were a few months ago. The consolation prize is that prices are down and inventory…
Vote Emerson Levy for Oregon House District 53
A lot has changed since the last time voters cast their ballots for Oregon’s House District 53. Due to redistricting following the recent U.S. Census, the boundaries of the district changed to incorporate more of Bend and less of Redmond. Additionally, incumbent Jack Zika decided not to run again, making this a competitive race with two…
Vote Jason Kropf for Oregon House District 54
Incumbents in a race typically have an advantage for a number of reasons—name recognition, yes, but also, if they’re doing the work that voters sent them to do, it’s difficult for a newcomer to gain an advantage. In the race for Oregon House District 54, Republican challenger Judy Trego can’t exactly be deemed a newcomer,…
The Third Act: We’re in what some refer to as the “Psychedelic Renaissance
If change is the only constant, why is it so hard to change one’s mind about things? Witness the ill effects inflexible thinking is having on many aspects of our society. But sometimes, some special times, taken separately or together, compassion, modern research and aboriginal wisdom prevail, resulting in change that is for the good…
The Flamingo Room is Feeling The Local Love
Opening another bar is like deciding to have another child. All you remember is how much fun you had with the first one and how cute it was (at least in the beginning), forgetting all about the long, sleepless nights and dirty diapers. That’s how Brian Trottier explains how he and his wife Ashley came…
Growing Places
I’ve been a part of the Bend theater scene on and off for a long time, and there aren’t very many predictable aspects of that world. I’ve acted in a few dozen plays, stage managed a handful and directed two of them, so I tend to feel like I have skin in the game when…
