Cannabis Edibles and Children
Oregon is considering legislation to address an issue no parent should ever have to contend with – non fatal pediatric cannabis overdoses. While childless, I have been enlisted by friends with children who have eaten cannabis edibles, and had adverse reactions. Thankfully, the worst of it was their offspring being, well, really high, then sleeping…
The Loving Fungi
About 10 years ago Willis Mitchell was invited to forage for mushrooms. “I was just fascinated. Oh my God! This is food? This tastes amazing! And then I found out they’re highly medicinal and I could not stop educating myself about them!” His passion eventually led to the recent opening of an apothecary, The Loving…
‘Did You Love the World and the World Not Love You?’
Overgrown indie-rock kids, rejoice! Two stalwarts of melodic, ‘90s-originated indie rock — Pedro the Lion and Grandaddy — are bringing their trademark blends of quirky, earnest songmaking to Bend this spring. Pedro the Lion is celebrating 30 years of existence with a tour-pitstop at the Volcanic Theatre Pub on March 27. Grandaddy is touring in…
First Friday Fun!
The boutique store, Clementine Urban Mercantile, on NW Wall Street in downtown Bend, held its grand opening on the First Friday of November 2015. “We have been open for all of them since. That is 122 First Fridays!” owner Gwen Whitten told the Source. First Friday in downtown Bend started more than 20 years ago…
Free Will Astrology, Week of March 5
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In systems theory, “critical points” are moments when long periods of small changes gradually accumulate, and then suddenly erupt into a big shift. Nothing appears to happen for a while, and then everything happens at once. Ice becomes water, for instance. I suspect you’re nearing such a pivot, Pisces. You’ve been…
Young Dancers Showcase Strength and Toughness in Addition to Artistry and Grace
It’s a chilly night and there’s a sheen of frost on the pavement outside Academie de Ballet Classique in Northeast Bend. But inside the warm and brightly lit studio space in Wagner Mall, a small group of dancers are anything but cold as they’re put through their paces in something Lindsey Clements calls “choreo corner.”…
Inspiring a New Generation of Musicians
The first thing you notice when walking into the Cascade School of Music at the corner of NE Third Street and Franklin Avenue in Bend is a symphony of sounds you don’t usually hear at once. Strings, piano, vocals and a hint of drums float overhead in an odd swirl of music as dozens of…
Ponderosa Players Offers a Professional Acting Stage for Central Oregon Youth
Maddie Palombo started acting and performing in plays as a youngster but says she didn’t start taking it seriously until high school and definitely never thought she’d pursue a career as a drama teacher. But two years of studying with local theatre power couple, Kisky and Dash Holwerda, gave her a glimpse into a future…
Remembering Fleetwood Mac
As the world was emerging from the pandemic, a group of musicians in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, was trying to figure out how to put their mark on the world. They settled on starting a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. “Fleetwood Mac is legendary and one of those bands that means so much to so many people,…
With a Referendum on ODOT Funding, Oregon Is Damned If We Do…or Don’t
Over the past several weeks we have heard arguments both for and against the notion of putting a citizen-led repeal of new gas taxes on the May ballot, rather than a November one. Proponents said it gets the question of future funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation answered sooner. Opponents said it subverted the…
The Feasibility of Building a Large Arena in Bend
Whether the city of Bend needs and could sustain a large public assembly venue that could hold up to 2,000 people is at the heart of a new study presented Monday, March 2 to the Bend Economic Development Advisory Board. Visit Bend hired CSL Consulting for the study, indicating that it fits its overall mission to support the community in seeking a sustainable future. Currently, about 68% of the lodging…
Lead Toxicity in the Wild Ones
My first experience with lead toxicity as a veterinarian was in a sweet basset hound that developed acute lead poisoning from licking lead paint dust from his paws. Currently, in the wildlife hospital at Think Wild in Bend, we see a different manifestation of the same toxicity, from an avoidable source. In mid 2025, a…
City Council Moves Home Hardening Code to a Vote, Discusses Defensible Space Code
Oregon cities including Ashland and Sisters have recently adopted new home hardening requirements in their development codes, and it appears that Bend may soon follow suit. On Feb. 25, the Bend City Council moved a home hardening code proposal forward for an April 1 vote, with May 15 discussed as the proposed effective date. The proposed requirements, which fall under Oregon Residential Specialty code Section R327, would mean new homes need…
Classified Staff at Central Oregon Community College Could Strike for the First Time
The clock is counting down to what could be the first-ever strike of classified union workers at Central Oregon Community College. At an impasse over contract negotiations, the union started a 30-day cool-down period on Feb. 23. After that, the union could vote to authorize a strike at any time, with a 10-day notice. Contract negotiations have been underway since…
Two Heroes
When they tell you “You can’t go on that path, it is beyond you!” —grab that path as your destiny. ~Likutei Sichot Hero #1 Just recently I met a woman, Julie Lorenzen, at the Larkspur Community Center where I do my morning workouts. The Center has become more of a holy sanctuary to me than…
Sip Happens at Minnie’s
On any given evening in downtown Bend, the sidewalks along Wall and Bond Streets hum with the usual mix of après ski glow, Patagonia puffers and the anticipatory buzz of dinner reservations. But inside the newly opened The Westman is a softer scene. One that invites you to sink in, warm up and linger over…
Sahasi Chori (Brave Girl) Puts a Human Face on Trafficking
For the last few years, I’ve been the lead shorts programmer for the Bend Film Festival, which has involved me watching hundreds and hundreds of short films over several months of submissions. One thing I’ve learned in that time is that it’s easy to tell when you’re watching a terrible one, but when you discover…
Mortgage Rates in Historical Perspective
With mortgage rates recently dipping slightly below 6%, many buyers are asking the same question: is that actually a good rate? The answer depends entirely on perspective. Compared to just a few years ago, anything above 5% can feel high. But historically speaking, today’s rates are far more reasonable than many headlines — and group…
‘Much Ado About Nothing’
William Shakespeare wrote his romantic comedy, “Much Ado About Nothing,” in 1598. Since then, it’s undergone many adaptations, including a Meadow Sky Productions which is opening this month at the High Desert Music Hall in Redmond. “We’ve set the story in a different world than originally written, creating a fantasy world and setting inspired by…
Letters to the Editor, Week of March 5
Let’s not spring ahead It’s time to change clocks again. Is there anything more idiotic, more wasteful, more unnecessary? The Sun and the Earth could care less how we define time. Leave the clocks alone! —James Scott History repeats itself Seeing the same comments on social media about the attack last night as I heard 25…
