Living in Elephant Country: When mammoths ruled the earth

Posted inOutside

Living in Elephant Country: When mammoths ruled the earth

Jim Anderson

Where’s Big Bird?They were BIG, very big, stood about 12 feet to the top of their wooly head, about as long as a school bus and weighed around six tons. As long as you didn't bother them, they probably wouldn't bother you, if you got one mad, however, you were in a heap of trouble – but I'll bet they tasted good.
I saw a tooth and part of a tusk of one years back when I took a bunch of budding paleontologists on an OMSI fossil-collecting trip up the Columbia River near Arlington. One of the young men, an up-and-coming geologist (now retired), found it in sand and gravel deposited by the Missoula Floods. That tooth was massive, big as a football! Yes, by Jove, you have it: the Wooly Mammoth.
These magnificent early elephants roamed all over this country as the snow and glaciers of the last Ice Age melted, building up sprawling lakes around Millican, Christmas Valley, Fort Rock and Great Basin. Dire wolves and saber-toothed tigers feed on mammoths and ground sloths while cranes and herons that stood twice as big as present day species scavenged leftovers and man was living in his cave training wolf puppies to help him kill mammoths and sloths.

Posted inOutside

Shoulder Season: Plenty of post summer and pre-winter fun to be had

Pam Stevenson

It’s a dog’s worldNow that autumn has arrived, Oktoberfest has come and gone and the days are (alas!) getting noticeably shorter, "Shoulder Season" is just about here. For those who have been reading this column lately, you'll catch my double entendre. Life in a sling can crimp your outdoor style unless you're creative. Likewise, the in-between season can present a motivational challenge when the roads are too icy to ride but there's not enough snow yet to ski. No telling what this year has in store for us, but last year I hiked through 6 inches of snow on the Green Lakes Trail on October 6th and skied into Todd Lake on October 20th. The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a warmer and wetter October than normal for us, and lots of snow in mid-November. No matter, Shoulder Season is an ideal time to take a break from your normal sports and do something a little different.

Posted inFood & Drink

Dos La Rose: La Rosa brings its award-winning Mexican up the hill

Eric Flowers

The much-awaited new La Rosa in Northwest Crossing has finally opened.
Located within walking distance from most the Northwest Crossing homes means a built-in clientele. We sauntered in on a Tuesday night at 7:30 expecting to have no problem getting a table. The place was packed, but as luck would have it, there was one little table, recently vacated, next to the kitchen.
The new menu has been streamlined into a less overwhelming format. Although there are actually more items on each page, the way it’s arranged is more user-friendly. Dishes are separated into categories such as appertivos, burros and mariscos and the signature “rose” still denotes a house specialty.
When we sat down in our chairs, the newly polished floor felt like an ice skating rink as we skidded around in our seats. Chips and house salsa arrived almost immediately as did water and a server to take our drink order.

Posted inFood & Drink

Dos La Rose: La Rosa brings its award-winning Mexican up the hill

Eric Flowers

The much-awaited new La Rosa in Northwest Crossing has finally opened.
Located within walking distance from most the Northwest Crossing homes means a built-in clientele. We sauntered in on a Tuesday night at 7:30 expecting to have no problem getting a table. The place was packed, but as luck would have it, there was one little table, recently vacated, next to the kitchen.
The new menu has been streamlined into a less overwhelming format. Although there are actually more items on each page, the way it's arranged is more user-friendly. Dishes are separated into categories such as appertivos, burros and mariscos and the signature "rose" still denotes a house specialty.
When we sat down in our chairs, the newly polished floor felt like an ice skating rink as we skidded around in our seats. Chips and house salsa arrived almost immediately as did water and a server to take our drink order.

Posted inNews

After the Storm:Humane Society of Redmond works to repair reputation, debt situation

Mike Bookey

At a Deschutes County Board of Commissioners work session on July 9, the true financial problems of the Humane Society of Redmond came to light. There was, of course, already plenty known about the monetary crisis the animal shelter had found itself in by this point, but the public was nonetheless surprised when board members told county commissioners that they had no other option but to close the facility…unless they could strike a deal with the county.
Since then, the county has floated the humane society more than $41,000 to keep its doors open and is discussing the possibility of loaning the shelter almost $1 million to keep the organization afloat. Call it a hometown bailout.
The initial meeting with the county came only a matter of days after the executive director of the Humane Society of Redmond, Jamie Kanski, said she was asked by HSR board members to resign in the wake of making the shelter's financial woes public. Fast forward to mid-September when the shelter announced that their current debt was in the neighborhood of $1.5 million. Just days later, HSR board president Dale Gilbert stepped down from his position amid criticism from HSR members.
These are the flash points of the long and winding saga that is the much-troubled story of the Humane Society of Redmond. In between the lines are stories of long-lasting financial and organizational mishaps, some downright bad luck, all of which is peppered with infighting between shelter members, board members and staff. Also lost in the shuffle is a focus on the programs and staff positions that were cut as a result of significant budgetary cuts.
But it's important to note, as new HSR board president Dr. Rachel Oxley, a Redmond-based veterinarian, notes that the shelter is indeed open today, and there is certainly hope for a shelter that some had come to think of as a lost cause.
"There has definitely been a focus on people rather than the animals, and I'm really hoping and have been working on bringing the focus back to where it should be," Oxley said.
She went on to say that the board is currently in the middle of several efforts aimed at not only reestablishing a sense of organizational structure to the HSR, but also rebuilding some trust from the community that has been lost as a result of the financial shortcomings.
 

Posted inOpinion

A Custom-Made Resort Exemption

Eric Flowers

At the Deschutes County Commission hearing earlier this month on a plan to metamorphose Aspen Lakes Golf Estates into a destination resort, there were a lot of comments about how the owners of the development, the Cyrus family, are longtime Central Oregonians and good people.
It's true that the Cyruses have been here for generations, and we have no doubt they're fine folks.

Posted inOpinion

All Jacked Up: New stealth rates at Bachelor, Call for photos and McCain Deathwatch

Eric Flowers

Mt B.

Early season pass sales ended on Tuesday and it appears that the move to reduce pass prices this year has paid off for Bachelor, which reported on its website that it is seeing an increased number of pass sales. In response, the ski area is jacking up Saturday rates (all season long). The surprise move was announced on the company's website, though Upfront isn't sure when the news appeared. Mt B. says it is raising Saturday rates in order to "maintain an enjoyable on-mountain experience while accommodating a larger core of season pass holders." The mountain isn't saying just how much the Saturday rate will be, but it will be equivalent to the ski area's holiday rate, which last year was $66. Mt. Hood Meadows has a similar pricing structure and is charging peak prices for holidays as well as Saturdays and Sundays between December and March 1.
Upfront thinks we can hear some of that newfound goodwill leaking out of the Bachelor bubble.
Wanted: Awesome Snow Shredding Pics
Speaking of Mt. B, the mountain scored a nice marketing coup this past month when Powder Magazine featured a pic from Bachelor that was shot by local photographer Brian Becker. Coincidentally, the Source is looking for amateur (though pros are welcome) photographers to submit some of their favorite powder shots, big airs and other worthy pics for a photo page in our annual Snowriders Guide, which publishes Oct. 16. Send your favorite digital photos from the past season (seasons) to info@tsweekly.com by Monday, Oct. 6, though preference will be given to early birds. While there will be no monetary compensation, do it for the Glory - just like a real Source staffer.

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