Cover Story
The Hub of Possibility
Redmond is undergoing a sort of renaissance, with significant projects underway that will expand cultural and recreational options and change how drivers navigate the city’s east side. Much of the new activity is driven by public input and the passion of those involved. Diving into The Hub Katie Hammer has two words to describe how…
Free Will Astrology Week of Oct. 30
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the late 18th century, Balloonomania came to Paris. Large crowds gathered to watch inventors and impresarios send hot air balloons into the sky. Spectators were astonished, fearful, and filled with wonder. Some wept, and some fainted. I suspect you’re due for your own exhilarating lift-off, Scorpio — a surge of…
Holiday Gift Shopping Begins in Redmond
To kick off the holiday season, the 49th annual Snowflake Boutique will transport you to a winter wonderland. The Cascade Lakes South Building at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond will be full of crafts, art and food items. Shoppers can fill their bags with gift and holiday items and pay for everything on the…
The Brip Brap Makes the Hip Hap
Gnar-buckets EnduroCross racing is returning to Redmond. The American Motorcyclist Association EnduroCross series will pitstop at the First Interstate Bank Center on Nov. 8 — the fourth of six rounds winding through America’s Western states. While the pro category boasts household names like current series leaders Trystan Hart, Jonny Walker and Ryder LeBlond, the AMA…
Learning How to Listen and Reset
The latest album from Redmond musician Casey Hurt is an intimate portrait of the past decade involving life-changing experiences. His nephew passed away in a car crash 10 years ago. His album, “Back to the Start” dropped Oct. 12, the anniversary of his nephew’s death. It’s Hurt’s fourth solo album, and the first one released…
Redmond’s First Dispensary Expected to Open in December
Oregrown appears to be on track to open in Redmond in early December. It’ll be the first retail marijuana store in the city. Oregrown is currently remodeling a space in the business/shopping center at 2127 Highway 97. A final city inspection is scheduled for the first week of December. Oregrown has locations on NW Wall…
First-Year Results of Updated Tree Code are In
The City of Bend’s Planning Division staff presented its inaugural review of the effectiveness of the updated Tree Preservation Code during a City Council work session on Oct. 22. Since August 2024, the City processed 766 development applications, of which 711 were exempt from the Tree Preservation Code because they pertained to lots an acre…
It’s All About the Birria
Redmond has an abundance of food carts — and food cart pods — these days. Not long ago, Wild Ride was the epicenter of cart culture. But in the past several years, we’ve seen an explosion of places where people can grab a bite, have a seat and, in most places, also have a beer.…
New Digs for Housing Works
Housing Works, Central Oregon’s regional housing authority, has operated out of a downtown Redmond building for years, building affordable housing and helping people obtain housing assistance, get homeownership training and more. It recently sold its historic building, making way for the Dry Canyon Arts Association and other businesses, and has a new facility underway. Plans…
One Good Turn Deserves Another
It’s not a secret, and it’s nothing new: Central Oregon has too few homes for the people who already live here — not to mention the ones who keep coming — and the housing we do have is expensive. On this page, over the years we’ve advocated for all sorts of solutions: for governments to…
High Tea in Central Oregon
The sophistication of Afternoon Tea is a tradition that’s been revived in Redmond. Steep Teahouse & Gifts began serving High Tea in July, when Kelle Doran and her husband moved from Prineville to Redmond and bought the business on NW 7th Street, which was formerly Maple Moon Home & Gift. Steep is packed full of…
GABF is Down with UPP
Five medals from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) were awarded to Bend’s new UPP Liquids en route to being named Best Brewery of the Year in the 251-500 barrel class. But locals are the real winners. Some 8,315 brews were submitted to GABF, America’s most auspicious beer competition, where 250 of the world’s most…
Letters to the Editor Week of Oct. 30
Supporting Equality & Equity There has been an ongoing policy discussion within the Redmond School Board in regard to Equity and Equality in our school. Some have tried to turn those two words into political wedges. I planned on speaking at the meeting, but the citizen comments list was full when I went to sign…
Bar Rio is Morphing into The Rio Room
Bar Rio in downtown Bend is rebranding into a private event space called The Rio Room. The last day for the public to visit Bar Rio is expected to be Thursday, Oct. 30. After that, the owners will focus on renting out the space for rehearsal dinners, business luncheons, birthdays, holiday parties and more. The…
Bend Considers Adding a Fee to Discourage Natural Gas in New Homes
The Bend City Council is struggling to define a policy to encourage all electric appliances and heating/cooling systems in new construction. The City is working toward a goal of cutting fossil fuel use by 70% by 2050. According to the City’s website, half of local emissions come from energy use in buildings. Residential buildings are…
Rich Man/Rich Man
I think Aziz Ansari meant well when he sat down to write ”Good Fortune” and really thought he was trying to unpack the unfairness of the gig worker system in America, and how easy it is to make one or two small mistakes and end up homeless and destitute. While “Good Fortune” has some solid…
The Sounds of Yemen Are Coming to Bend
What began as a few friends playing music together in the Middle East turned into an international tour with a stop at Silver Moon Brewing in Bend. El Khat is a three-person minimalist band, using mostly homemade instruments. “I wasn’t planning on starting a band, I was working on some tunes that afterwards became the first…
Building Confidence, Character and Grace
A Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid,” will be center stage in Redmond this November. Ovation Performing Arts is putting on the production. The non-profit primarily serves homeschooled families and describes itself as a Christian-based organization. Jonathan Shepherd and his wife have run OPA for the past decade, developing young actors from around Central Oregon. For…
Savage in Bend (or Redmond)
Readers get a two for one, because this week is the Redmond issue AND Halloween! So why not answer a question about a haunting? Lynn J. asks, “Is the SCP Redmond Hotel really haunted?” This tale begins way back in 1906, when William and Fannie Wilson built the original Redmond Hotel, a wooden two-story structure…
Bend’s Still on Top
Most of us already know why people move to Bend—because at one point, we did the same thing. But why does it continue to top Oregon’s “best places to live” lists, and yet not a single Oregon city appears in U.S. News’ Top 275? Back in 2000, Bend’s population was 52,029. A decade later, it…
