Do you know where your food comes from? Do you know your farmers practices? Do you want to? Knowing where your food is grown and processed is an important part of healthy living. Last year the Crook County Small Farm Alliance received a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant intended to promote farms that market directly […]
Bend News
The Elusive Oktoberfest Beer
Oktoberfest, the weeks-long Bavarian beer festival and fun fair that is to Germany what apple pie is to the USA, kicks off in Munich Sept. 17. Bend’s own downtown Oktoberfest, somewhat smaller-sized but no less ribald and fun, takes place on the 16th and 17th. The main difference between the two: Germans will drink Märzen […]
Mysterious Bikelane Art
Bikers, walkers and other active commuters may have noticed the varied road stencils marking bike lanes in Bend. Some of those stencils feature cyclists with a funky hat or other accoutrements. Most of the stencils are funded by the City of Bend’s street department Right of Way—that is, except the ones marking Riverfront Boulevard. When […]
Art on the Walls
If you make it beautiful, they will come. That’s what Douglas Robertson, founder of the High Desert Mural Festival (HDMF), believes. Unfortunately, a quirk in the wording of the Oregon Constitution is restricting where the event can display its art—a hurdle Robertson is hopeful will soon be overcome. An accomplished artist with over 25 years […]
Broadway Revisited
Though it debuted more than 40 years ago, “A Chorus Line” remains both entertaining and relevant to today’s theater-goers. Given the increasingly competitive job market—with application processes that often feel like Broadway tryouts—Shore Thing Productions’ take on the award-winning musical aims to resonate with modern-day audiences. Broadway veteran Michael Heaton, who was just getting his […]
Fixing Our Schools
When Bend teacher Travis Overley was a student teacher at Bend High School, teaching in front of a class of more than 40 students was common. At Bend High, however—one of the oldest buildings in the Bend-La Pine School District—Overley says it wasn’t just the size of the classes that stood out. “Kids are sitting […]
BendFilm Announces 2016 Films
BendFilm has finally announced its opening night film, as well as the entire slate of feature films for the 13th annual festival, taking place Oct. 6-9. This year promises to be filled with films that not only challenge and educate, but also entertain. All told, there are 10 narratives, 10 documentaries and 68 shorts. The […]
Letters 9/7-9/14
Sustainable Living It’s time for Bend to make sustainable living a priority. Climate change is knocking on our doors, and the community cares about preventing it. Youth especially. Climate Action legislation is the perfect way for this generation of voters to act out of their concern for the future of their children. The City Council […]
Into the Dark
Take a look at most prints from before Japan’s introduction to the West and you’ll likely find them quite pale and muted. But with the opening of Japan to the West and the introduction of different dyes, all that changed. If you want to see the contrast for yourself, start at the A6 Studio & […]
Fuel for the Fires, Inside and Out
Wildfires are a constant concern. Coal-fired power is on its way out. With biomass technologies, some say they may strike at both issues at once.

