Another Magical Event
Spring gives us Homegrown. Fall, Roots. And now, thanks to Chicago Bob Dougherty, summer gives us Bend Blues Fest.
On a chilly Saturday at Silver Moon music lovers were treated to a remarkable day of nonstop blues. The talent was undeniable, and the joy displayed by the bands was reciprocated by the dancing crowd. Everyone there ignored the weather and realized we were part of something truly special unfolding before our eyes and ears.
Thank you Bob, and all of the sponsors that helped make it happen, as well as Silver Moon for hosting. Already excited for next year.
— Mike Covey
Supreme Dissatisfaction
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration in his challenge to constitutional amendment 14 S1.1.2 (Citizenship Clause Doctrine), running cover for Trump’s attorney general to ignore lower court orders. This court doesn’t even bother putting together a coherent or honest majority opinion anymore. For that reason, they often don’t write them while using the shadow docket as cover, reverse engineering the Constitution to twist whatever precedent they want to overturn to their desired outcome. This is as partisan as the court always has been, but now on steroids. The majority of this court has few bedrock principles, so don’t expect any consistency from them for a Democratic executive. But if they are derelict in reigning in Trump, they will be as complicit in his lawlessness as Congress now is. They all better start taking their oath to the constitution seriously.
— Jeff Cole
Corrupted Beyond Hope of Repair
In a July 3 letter one of your readers observed that each Republican president has initiated military action in the Middle East in his adult lifetime, calling it “Groundhog Day.” The groundhogs may be more prolific than he imagines. Barack Obama, the Democratic president awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, conducted bombing campaigns against seven countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, including Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, and Pakistan. Under Muammer Gaddafi, the head of state overthrown by Obama’s imperial adventurism, Libya had experienced the highest Human Development Index – a composite of health, education, and income – in Africa. After Gaddafi’s deposition there were reports of open slave markets. My point is not to defend Trump, who is indefensible, but to stress that both parties have been corrupted beyond hope of repair by money and militarism. Even if one side might be marginally better than the other (depending on whether your glasses are rose or violet-tinted), they both are abysmal. The sooner we come together to accept that reality, the sooner we might move toward fixing it.
— Matt Orr
The Pain Behind the Show
There are currently 172 worldwide organizations (approx. 80% in USA) that are opposed to the cruelty and abuse of animals in rodeos. Many animals are injured and even killed in rodeos. Animal cruelty investigators are only able to attend a very small percentage of rodeos each year. Therefore, only a very small percentage of injuries or deaths are documented. Rodeos frequently try to cover up animal injuries and deaths.
Injuries may not be immediately visible, especially from the distance of the bleachers. These injuries may include sprains, broken bones, muscle pulls, saddle blisters, spur and flank strap wounds. Essentially, if the animal doesn’t drop dead in front of the bleachers, the audience usually doesn’t know anything is wrong.
In the last few years some rodeos are banning video from their events in an effort to thwart documentation of rodeo cruelty, and the resulting injuries and deaths. So you have to ask yourself why would the Central Oregon TV Networks support rodeos? A week or so prior to an upcoming local rodeo event the networks bombard us with rodeo footage. It is hard to believe these stations are not aware of the animal abuse associated with rodeos. This false portrayal of a fun family event is misleading.
Animal abuse at rodeos is wrong, pure and simple.
— J Tinker
The 4th of July
Thank you Bend for another fantastic Fourth of July! The day was for the memory books, dogs, chickens, goats, snakes, Guinea pigs, horses, oddly small horses, all in the best pet parade ever!
Music was everywhere, people were smiling and so happy to visit our gorgeous town!
Thank you new owners of 7/11 on Galveston for $1 hot dogs! It was a party and a celebration!
Thank you everyone who climbed Overturf Butte last night to see the fireworks, please don’t tell anyone that it is the best place in town to watch the show.
On my early morning walk up the butte today there was no sign of any trash. It looked perfect!
Thank you neighbors and friends.
Thank you for loving Bend every day and caring for this beautiful place we are so lucky to call home.
— Liza Petzke
Letter of
the Week:
Liza as Letter of the Week, you can stop by our offices at NW Georgia and Bond for a gift card to Palate coffee.
— Nic Moye, Managing Editor
This article appears in Source Weekly July 10, 2025.
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