If you weren’t one of the folks who crammed themselves into the second level stage of the Summit last night, you missed a wacky comedy show straight from Los Angeles. Redmond native Randy Liedtke hosted and headlined a homecoming show that was opened by Kyle Kinane – a guy Liedtke refered to as his "favorite comic right now.
Last Night’s Comedy
Posted inNews
Bend Population: A Hidden Exodus?
For the second time this year, The Bulletin has carried a story that seems aimed at dispelling persistent speculation that people are moving away from Bend in droves.
Posted inFood & Drink
The Spitter
There are some things that are never OK, for example spitting on the floor in a public place. I make reference to the gentleman on Saturday night who convincingly hucked a huge loogie high into the air so that it landed in a slimy spat in the middle of the bar area. Instantaneously, I told him that he had to leave and when I came round to show him the way out he replied, “I’m not drunk! I haven’t even been drinking.” Which is unfortunate because then he would have an excuse for his absolutely insolent behavior.
This isn’t the first time I’ve had to kick someone out of the bar for spitting on the floor. The other time was many years ago when I had a guy from Oklahoma who kept expectorating on the floor for no apparent reason other than he clearly thought that our wood floor would be more pleasant with a good spit-shine. When I told him that if he hucked on the floor one more time he would have to leave, he quickly proceeded to spit again, as obviously he was accustomed to dribbling as he pleased, much like a slobbering bulldog. On his way out he excused himself by stating he was from Oklahoma. Which don’t get me wrong, we all know that Oklahoma has more than its fair share of rednecks and hicks, however I have never met another Oklahoman who thinks that it is OK to spit inside.
Posted inFood & Drink
Home at Last: Chloe at FivePine shines in its new digs
Dishes go global at Chloe. In the year and a half that Chloe was open in Redmond, the restaurant
gained a considerable reputation and loyal following despite its
strip-mall location. Chef Jerry Phaisavath and his wife Elaine,
however, sought a new space that would be more compatible with what
they envisioned, where they could take Chloe to the next level. They
have found it in Sisters. Opening in January at the FivePine complex
just as you enter town from the south on Highway 20, Chloe has really
come into its own. From the menu to the décor to the service, it's hard
to imagine that the restaurant was ever anywhere else.
The room,
awash in earth tones, wood and stone, stands out from its
white-tablecloth, New-American brethren. Stylized scenes, shapes and
materials taken from nature are cleverly incorporated into every
surface and accessory. There's a terrarium built into the wall by the
host stand. The ceiling above the clover of semicircular booths in the
center of the room features tiny twinkling lights against a black
background emulating the night sky. Upholstery is modern, but if you
look closely you'll find a geometrical pattern of oblong leaves. By far
my favorite touch is the basket-woven moose head mounted over the
fireplace in the cozy bar area. From the light fixtures to the cutlery
(the knives have flat handles perpendicular to the blade so it stands
up straight when set down), you can tell that every detail was
carefully considered.
Posted inFood & Drink
Home at Last: Chloe at FivePine shines in its new digs
Dishes go global at Chloe. In the year and a half that Chloe was open in Redmond, the restaurant
gained a considerable reputation and loyal following despite its
strip-mall location. Chef Jerry Phaisavath and his wife Elaine,
however, sought a new space that would be more compatible with what
they envisioned, where they could take Chloe to the next level. They
have found it in Sisters. Opening in January at the FivePine complex
just as you enter town from the south on Highway 20, Chloe has really
come into its own. From the menu to the décor to the service, it’s hard
to imagine that the restaurant was ever anywhere else.
The room,
awash in earth tones, wood and stone, stands out from its
white-tablecloth, New-American brethren. Stylized scenes, shapes and
materials taken from nature are cleverly incorporated into every
surface and accessory. There’s a terrarium built into the wall by the
host stand. The ceiling above the clover of semicircular booths in the
center of the room features tiny twinkling lights against a black
background emulating the night sky. Upholstery is modern, but if you
look closely you’ll find a geometrical pattern of oblong leaves. By far
my favorite touch is the basket-woven moose head mounted over the
fireplace in the cozy bar area. From the light fixtures to the cutlery
(the knives have flat handles perpendicular to the blade so it stands
up straight when set down), you can tell that every detail was
carefully considered.
Posted inOpinion
My Dog’s No Outlaw
My dog likes to hike and bike as much as I do. The one-size-fits-all
leash laws punish all for the actions of a few. Not to mention that
putting dogs on-leash does not necessarily quell the worries over
unruly dogs. The dogs that killed Diane Whipple in San Francisco were
on-leash, returning from a walk at the time of the attack.
I propose
that we collaborate on a more sophisticated tiered-licensing system
that separates the Cujos from the Lassies. Incidentally, it could be a
moneymaker for a resource-limited city. I would happily fork over a $50
fee to participate in the system. I'd even volunteer my time if that
would help the city make it happen. It could look something like this:
Posted inCulture
We Don’t Need No Hatchery: Inaugural steelhead festival comes to Old Mill
The Bucket brings a wild fish to hand in the high desert. You don't have to be a wader-clad and sleep-deprived steelhead
fisherman to know that there is something missing in the waters of our
once-teeming Northwest rivers, but it doesn't hurt.
Steelhead, the
iconic fish that once proliferated in rivers from the Oregon coast to
the interior of Idaho, are becoming fewer and fewer every year. Even as
groups like the Deschutes Basin Land Trust and Confederated Tribes work
to restore salmon and steelhead runs on the Upper Deschutes Basin,
populations of native fish across the region are falling and in some
cases dwindling to the brink of extinction. While hatcheries continue
to churn out fish for sport and commercial fisherman, recent studies
have confirmed what anybody who has felt the arm-jolting take of a wild
fish on a swung fly already knew - hatchery fish are a sub-par species
that make a poor substitute for their wild brethren.
Posted inOutside
Cry Wolf: Wolves to be de-listed…Is that really a good idea?
Editors note: This is the first in a two-part essay about the proposal
to remove wolves from the federal Endangered Species List.
Preparing for life on the De-List?Well,
it sounds like those ranchers in Wyoming who shot and killed the
("misbehaving") wolves that (allegedly) killed their livestock (and
immediately posted photos to prove what mighty hunters they are), and
others of their ilk are going to get their way. There is a move afoot
with the feds to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List before
they even get the opportunity to enjoy roaming free in Oregon.
Even
with President Obama's call for "good science," it may just be that he
picked the wrong guy to run the Dept. of Interior. Secretary Ken
Salazar, a rancher turned politician from Colorado, wants to follow the
flawed Bush Bunch and keep the "Big Bad Wolf" syndrome alive.
Posted inOutside
May Days: Mountain biking and PPPing
April Shower bring May Flowers-as well as mountain bike races and Pole Pedal Paddle.
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY
Mountain
Biking season has arrived! The WebCyclery Cascade ChainBreaker Mountain
Bike Race, the traditional opener in Central Oregon, is coming May 10.
Yes, that's Mother's Day- last year, Barry Wicks brought his mom to the
race.
Beating the Sandtrap: Mountain Biking Millican OHV Trails in SpringThe race will use the same course as last year-the
Cascade Timberlands property just west of Shevlin Park, which is a
great mix of singletrack, doubletrack, short climbs, dry creekbed
crossings, a gravel road or two and a few man-made obstacles.
Categories will include:
Pro = FAST!
Cat 1 = Experienced riders with lots of mojo
Cat 2 = Riders looking for adventure and working on speed to move up to Cat 1
Cat 3 = New to the sport and out for a good time
Singlespeed = One gear, simplicity and some pain
Tandem = Two riders, one really big bike
Don't
miss this big event-over 200 cyclists compete and over $1,000 in cash
and prizes will be awarded. For more information, visit
www.webcyclery.com.
Posted inCulture
Stealth Wars: Newest Riddick delivers but doesn’t dazzle
Kill, Kill, Kill. Hunter or hunted? I can never tell.
Crawling through tight steel
airducts, hesitating every time I hear a guard's voice, I feel like I
did when I was escaping prison-hunted, fearful and sneaking in order to
stay alive. But when I'm in a dark room with the mercenaries piloting
this ship, who stand unaware as I creep up behind them with my knives
poised to open their throats, I remember that I'm a hunter-one of the
galaxy's greatest monsters.
Like the Metal Gear Solid games, The
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is a hybrid game of
action and stealth. Killing and hiding alternate seamlessly as I guide
Riddick, the shaved-headed hero voiced by Vin Diesel, as he attempts to
elude-and eliminate-the mercenaries who captured him after he escaped
his last adventure.