In this episode of Bend Don’t Break, Aaron sits down with Gabe Charalambides, founder of Odyssey—one of the first legal psilocybin retreat centers in the U.S. Gabe shares his unconventional journey from aerospace engineer to psychedelic wellness pioneer, driven by a long-standing passion for meditation, Buddhist philosophy, and mental health. The two dive into the […]
LISTEN: Bend Don’t Break, Gabe Charalambides 🎧
Posted inOpinion
Shifting Priorities Around Exploitation for the Sake of Immigration Reform
Recent reporting and concern from an Oregon senator reveal a deeply troubling pattern: A focus on a quota of 1 million deportations in the U.S. per year at the federal level is resulting in other investigations, including those aimed at stopping the exploitation of children, being put by the wayside. It is ironic at a […]
Posted inTake Me Home
Before the Moving Trucks Arrive
The ink is dry, the keys are in hand, and the excitement is palpable — you’ve officially bought a new home! While the urge to immediately fill every room with furniture and boxes is strong, taking a breath and tackling a few key projects before moving day can save you significant time, stress, and money […]
Posted inSmoke Signals
Weed News Roundup
GLASSHOUSE RAID – California’s cannabis producer Glasshouse found itself in the national spotlight when federal law enforcement agencies raided a production facility. On July 10, Drug Enforcement and ICE raided grow warehouses in Camarillo and Carpinteria, located in California’s Central Valley. Agents served immigration and naturalization warrants, resulting in 360 arrests, 14 children taken into custody, […]
Posted inOutside Features
Serving the Community
If there’s one thing Central Oregon loves, it’s volleyball. The volleyball community in Central Oregon has been continuously growing, and with it, the opportunities to compete. This past year, members of the community came together to form the High Desert Volleyball Association, one of Central Oregon’s newest 501(c)(3) nonprofits. The nonprofit was born out of […]
Posted inMusic
Reggae Rise Up Oregon
For years, the Reggae Rise Up music festival has taken the rhythm and culture of reggae music to fans across the country, and this year, it is finally making its Oregon debut this August at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. Some of this year’s headliners include Stephen Marley, Iration, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid and many more. With three […]
Posted inSound Stories & Interviews
Composer Chris Thomas Does It All
Chris Thomas is a composer, cellist, conductor, professor, Comic-Con sound designer, film scorer… and I could keep going on and on. He is a musical treasure in both of his two home bases: Los Angeles and Bend. A native Oregonian, from Pendleton in fact, Chris realized as a child that he had original musical ideas spontaneously springing up […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
A Letter to Bend City Council and Deschutes County Commissioners I am again writing to demand the immediate removal of the Confederate flag currently displayed on the east side of Highway 97, between the access road to Dirt World (where the dumpsters are currently located) and the highway’s southbound-to-northbound turnaround point. This flag is especially […]
Posted inFilm
Marvel Goes Retro
I don’t know if I’ve ever admitted this to myself, but sometimes I think I was born into the wrong time. Don’t get it twisted: being there for the birth of the internet, social media, AI, virtual reality and all kinds of other tech breakthroughs has been cool, but as a child of the ’80s, I […]
Posted inColumns
Awakening Your Inner Hero
We all have love wisdom from heaven. We just have to slow down, breathe slowly, find a quiet place and listen to our tender, wise hearts and souls. We also have to keep learning from others who know more. I rarely know the content of my monthly messages when I sit down to type. Wendy, […]