...On Blaming it on the Californians.
Came here 35 years ago from Orange County. I loved it because there was nothing here. Just natural beauty, like California USED to be when I was a little girl. As recently as last summer, a comment was made that I wasn't a local, I was from California. I passed your test with flying colors and frankly I'm tired of hearing it.
You can call it growth, but Bend is now just another "Tourist Town" with LOTS of pot stores and beer bars. Sad. Whatever the case may be, can we please stop blaming everything on the Californians? Bend and its "locals" need to take responsibility for what is happening.
Bend prides itself on being so accepting, gay, trans, religion of choice, etc. Unless you are from California. Sad. Does anyone remember the gladiola farm that used to be located where the Factory Outlet is now? I used to buy flowers there for my elderly mother.
—"Grams," via bendsource.com
...On the Dreaded "Beer Fatigue."
Beer fatigue? Get serious! I started drinking craft beers in 1985 and am still discovering new tasty brews.
— Dennis Sargent
As I read this "piece" on beer fatigue, I feel the sting of tears in my eyes, first in sadness then disappointment. How could anyone get tired of beer anywhere especially in Central Oregon? It's a bitter pill (or beer?) to swallow.
Then I realized that the writer was a previous wine drinker and that she thinks it's "cool" that craft beer is woven through our community. Wine is fine and beer is cool, but this person is really missing the point. Beer-love is not about the Cycle Pub, getting your haircut, mountain biking or running a 5K.
It's loving your first taste of Miller Lite when you are six. It's drinking Old Milwaukee in college for $3.44 a 12 pack and buying Michelob for special occasions. It's remembering when imports like Beck, Heineken, and Lowenbrau were more flavor and more cool. It's traveling to Scotland and drinking those warm dark brews that kept you warm on dark and rainy days. It's that "first time" tasting the hops in a pale ale. It's leaving the beauty of Utah for the beer in Oregon. It's been a progressive journey, a trip; it's been an epic tale.
All beer drinkers have a similar story to tell. Life is hard and our news is rarely good. For some of us, that beer is one of the few pure joys out there. Oh yes, there are other treasures like children, nature and fall apples but even those matters can become complicated.
So, if you feel a bit fatigued, burned out, or ready for the next trend, that's fine. Go find those ciders, distilleries, or kombuchas. There are plenty of us to carry on and sustain the microbrew and beer industry. But I have a request. PLEASE don't EVER write about beer fatigue again.
— Anne Gustin
"Dear Middle-Aged Man Driving The Brown Porsche"
As I carefully pulled out onto Galveston Avenue this lovely Sunday afternoon, imagine my surprise when I glanced in my rearview mirror to see your angry face holding up the F.U. finger at me.
There's a few things I've learned living in Bend for almost 20 years direct from downtown Chicago — and one of them is to be very careful of how we react to one another on the road. This is a small town and I just might be the owner of your favorite restaurant or on the board of your children's school (or perhaps grandchildren in your case), or we might belong to the same club, etc.
You catch my drift? How embarrassing to be caught flicking off one's own neighbor or dry cleaner?! Believe me, I've been there. But I learned fast. Bendites, do not flick people off or honk. Like ever. You might as well wear a sign that says TOURIST or a bumper sticker that says "I just moved here with my big city attitude and I am still adjusting. Forgive me."
We all have those days on the road — and I am guilty of it too — but the biggest difference I have found driving in a small town is that people actually give the other drivers the benefit of the doubt. Meaning, I did look very carefully and I am glad we did not have an accident, but next time you may want to consider that the person did not actually see you, instead of believing the worst: that I pulled out in front of you just to piss you off?
Ummm...how likely is that, really?
As our town's infrastructure is stretched to the limit, it's a great opportunity to remember that we are all just doing our best out there. Thanks "Porsche Man" for inspiring me to speak up!
— Tory Junkin
... On the First Annual World Naked Bike Ride in Bend.
This event has NOTHING to do with clean air or whatever crap you're trying to spin!!!! It's live porn!!!
— Michelle Wheeler, via bendsource.com
This is clearly nothing more than pornography and everyone who is involved should be arrested and go to jail. This is protesting nothing, it's a way to try and get everyone to be ok with this crap and it's not ok. No one needs to see this. This is very offensive and should be treated and dealt with as strongly or worse than sex offenders. Really what's the difference? Little kids forced to possibly come into contact with this garbage and no fault of their own. This is an outage and should not be tolerated period. Not even once. Arrest them all, convict them as sex offenders and make them do lifetime registry.
— Darrell Kimball
Nudity is legal in Oregon, so have fun folks!
— Chad Slavin, via bendsource.com
Keep nudity between the sheets and not on the streets.
— Geri Bingham, via bendsource.com
Nudity = Pornography??? Man, your parents really messed you all up. Astounding you made it to your keyboard to type that nonsense under the crippling weight of your shame. Probably best if you avoid the event by staying in and scrubbing all that sin off your dirty filthy bodies. Just make sure you avoid eye contact with the mirror on your way to the shower as we all wouldn't want you to get aroused.
— Jacob Z., via bendsource.com
Hey, I was the organizer of this event. I just want to say THANK YOU to those who came and supported this event! We got a great reception from the city of Bend! You've shown you appreciate cyclists, appreciate our right to freedom of expression and protest, and can have fun at some silliness.
Ride on, Bend.
— Lief Bamberg
LETTER OF THE YEAR
For awarding, editing and generally keeping the Source running like a well-oiled, AP-style machine, we're commandeering this week's Palate gift card to our esteemed Editor, Nicole Vulcan. If 2018 turns out anything like 2017, you're gonna need it.
Come on in......to... your desk...once you get back from the Midwest.
And... "Thanks for reading!"
— Interim Editor, Magdalena Bokowa.