For a relatively small place, it's impressive how well Bend replicates the benefits of big city living without any of the hassle that usually goes along with it. Per capita, Bend probably has more musicians, artists, galleries, readings and performances, microbrews, bars, gourmands and restaurants than most large urban areas. And while a backyard of snowcapped mountains and wildflowers makes up for most everything else, like a grocery store I can walk to and reasonable public transportation, the only real loss I have felt from my former big city life is diversity. I feel this acutely in many aspects of the day-to-day. But as an appreciator of food, its impact can be devastating.
There is, fortunately, one steadily growing ethnic enclave in Central Oregon and with that has come culinary treats. The Mexican community has more than doubled since 1990 ushering in a stream of taquerias and ristorantes. More exciting, since the population reached a critical mass about 10 years ago, Bend has seen the opening of its first ethnic markets.
ยกSi, Estamos Abiertos!: Mexican markets spice up Bend's culinary scene
Feeling So Good!
Been on vacation lately and thought you were feeling so much better for the much-needed rest and relaxation? Or could it be you spent a week downing blended drinks where there's a heap of anti-depressants in the drinking water? Why cities are afraid to post results of what's mingling in their municipal water supply is a real shame, especially since almost half of bottled water is really tap water. Cities could be using this information to their advantage for a whole new genre of marketing. Wouldn't it be great to choose your water according to your needs and desires?
Feeling a little run down, choose water from a source that has high levels of anti-biotics in it. Sport teams looking for a leg up, they can have their training camps where trenabolic and other anabolic steroids mingle in the drinking water. The entire art of mixology could change – as you certainly can't add pharmaceuticals to people's drinks – but you can add water.
Rooted at the Revival
There was a moment at the Bend Roots Revival on Saturday night as Mosley Wotta was rhyming over the sounds of Empty Space Orchestra when Sound Check looked around and thought, “Damn, this is kind of crazy.”
Not the bad kind of “crazy,” but the sort of wow-there-are-is-a-ridiculous-amount-of-people-here-just-to-see-local-music sort of “crazy.
Look Who's Evil Now: Evil Dead gets a comedic makeover from the 2nd Street Theater
Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981) was the first horror movie that had me falling out of my theater seat laughing. It was so gory and funny at the same time. It seems that co-directors Chris Kas and Sandy Klein have a similar intention with their production of Evil Dead: The Musical at the 2nd Street Theater. The musical is twisted, hilarious and something you might want to see more than once.
The Evil Dead movie was made on a shoestring budget and there's no denying its cult classic status, spawning two sequels and countless rip-offs. I initially thought that a musical adaptation would be sacrilege. Then I considered that Evil Dead 2 was actually a parody of the first film and Army of Darkness had hero Ash (Bruce Campbell) spewing one liners amidst Three Stooges-type humor, so why not a musical comedy? Garnering both Raimi and Campbell's seal of approval, Evil Dead: the Musical was born. The musical has been shown in Toronto, New York and Dallas, and this group in Bend takes on the project with plenty of gusto.
Our Picks for 9/30 – 10/8: Evil Dead, Art Hop, Knobody of Hieroglyphics
Evil Dead: The Musical
Opening thursday 1
Check out our preview of this comedic adaptation of the classic horror romp in the Culture section of the paper. Blood, guts, chainsaws and dance number! What else could you ask for out of your local theater community? Plays October 1-31, Wed – Sat. at 8pm, Sundays at 6pm (No performance Oct 4). $20/adults, $18/students and seniors 62 and up. 2nd Street Theater, 220 NE Lafayette Ave.
Art Hop
friday 2
This super-sized Art Walk takes over much of downtown and beyond with great art appearing in a number of businesses. Don't forget about the complimentary wine and food. Begins at 5pm.
Settling the Score: Legislators get their “green” cards, Metolius campaign gets a nod and more
OLCV Gives Telfer A Failing Grade
Central Oregon's first-term legislators emerged on the opposite end of the spectrum on environmental issues, according to the legislative scorecard released this week by the environmental policy watchdog group Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV). The non-profit has been tracking the votes of individual legislators on environmental policy issues for more than three decades and compiling the information into post-session scorecards for voters.
According to the most recent scorecard, newly elected state Rep. Judy Stiegler supported nearly three-quarters of the legislative items identified as being pro-environment by OLCV and other Oregon environmental organizations. First-term senator Chris Telfer, however, secured only a 15 percent pro-environmental voting record, according to OLCV, which singled her out for criticism in its news release.
Pahlisch's Belated Dog Park Bitch
On its website, Pahlisch's Deschutes Landing development describes itself “as the next step in authentic Northwest living” with “unparalleled views of the Three Sisters Wilderness, the historic Old Mill District, and the heart of downtown Bend.”
Apparently, one prospective buyer thinks his unparalleled view would be ruined by the sight of – how gross! – a dog park across the river. And thanks to him, and Pahlisch, the fate of the park is in jeopardy.
Pahlisch has complained that the Bend Metro Park & Recreation District didn't go through the proper paperwork for getting the park approved. As a result, Park & Rec has had to file a formal application that will go before the city planning and zoning commission sometime later this month.
Sidewalk Bikers
Here's a clue, because you obviously missed all the other ones. If you look down and see small horizontal lines across the pavement, if everyone around you is on foot, if you see store fronts on one side and cars on the other, you may be on a sidewalk.
The Land Of The Free: Polanski comes home, McVeigh exhumed, Facebook polls, and more
The author has been sent on the road to discover a lost country formerly known as America. He is reporting from a Peanut Festival (where else?), wondering about allergies and, more so, the Polish sausage he just inhaled, on assignment for Or-Bust.com and The Source Weekly.
Osama, You're Next!
So maybe he did have sex with a 13-year-old girl and plead guilty to it in 1977, then fled to France so he wouldn't have to serve any time. But he couldn't accept his Oscar for Best Director for “The Pianist” in 2003 for fear of arrest – wasn't that punishment enough? Guess not: Someone in bankrupt and burning California (where teens having sex with actors is suddenly taboo) took the time to regularly track Polanski's whereabouts until, at last, the director was taken into custody while flying into Switzerland on Saturday. Of course France (where sex with minors is deemed chic) still sides with Polanski – an even dirtier old man at 76, however talented – with the country's culture minister citing the director's “exceptional artistic creation and human qualities.” Up Next: Michael Bay is arrested for “Pearl Harbor” and “Transformers 2.”
Size Does Matter
In H. Bruce Miller's recent article “Shrinkage Might Not Always be a Bad Thing,” he states, “Is a little shrinkage necessarily a bad thing? Certainly not for the schools. The overcrowding problem will be eased. Teacher/student ratios will improve and there'll be more of everything from library books to pencils to go around.”
Hmm. Well, some schools in the Bend-LaPine district are actually experiencing greater-than-projected enrollments this year, while others are indeed shrinking. Due to an equally diminished budget, hiring additional teachers is not an option for schools with expanding populations. Where do the needed teachers and administrators come from? They come from the schools that are shrinking, resulting in larger class sizes. As a specialist teacher at a school that has experienced a significant drop in enrollment and a few staff rearrangements, I can attest to the fact that in most grades, our classroom sizes have increased and our student/teacher ratios have gotten worse.

