This week brings sad news from Hawaii, where Woody Harrelson’s application to open a medical marijuana dispensary was rejected by state officials. The state approved eight applications out of 60 submitted. The eight stores permitted under state law in Hawaii will consist of three in Honolulu, two on the Big Island, two on Maui, and […]
Central Oregon
Rayni Williams’ Unique Vision
Rayni Williams’ photography tells a story, calmly. Her nature work, cityscapes and portraits find the ghosts hidden within regular perception. For example, a rain-drenched bench downtown late at night doesn’t just convey the chilly expanse of the evening; instead, her lens finds the isolation of the moment. A photo of Smith Rock doesn’t just capture […]
Rural Studio’s Affordable Design-Builds
Social media is a great source of ideas and inspiration about new solutions to affordable housing. As a realtor, one newsfeed that caught my eye recently included $20,000 homes created by architecture students at Auburn University’s design-build program called Rural Studio. Rural Studio “seeks solutions to the needs of the community within the community’s own […]
Presumed Guilty
“12 Angry Jurors” is a combination of a few different things. It takes the script based on Reginald Rose’s 1954 teleplay and small pieces of the script for “12 Angry Women” by Sherman Sergel and mashes them together. The 1957 Henry Fonda film is still in circulation, so multiple generations are familiar with the seminal […]
The Power of Music
Chuck Hemingway is a soldier with a song. He wrote the lyrics for “Outside The Wire Again” and the song was put to music by Mark Quon. The song sheds light on the ghostly images that haunt him and the way his mind travels back to the deafening roar of an ambush: “John buddy what […]
Luxury is Afoot at Sole Footbar
Magic is afoot, or in any case, magic is given to one’s foot at an enchanting new spa catering to soles in Bend. Owner Christina Frazier opened Sole Footbar in January and Bend’s new foot sanctuary now features nine massage therapists. “I feel so blessed to have such an amazing group of people working here,” […]
“Tarzan,” the Musical, Swings Into Bend
Bend Experimental Art Theatre (BEAT) will present the Disney musical production “Tarzan” from May 6 to 15 at Summit High School. The cast for this award-winning musical includes more than five dozen young performers and a live orchestra of youth musicians. Local actor Steven Livingston is playing Tarzan and Eva Merrill plays Jane. The play […]
Democratic Primary Endorsement for U.S. Senator
Sen. Ron Wyden, 67, is up for re-election this year. The incumbent was first elected to be one of Oregon’s two U.S. senators 20 years ago, in 1996. His career in Congress began 35 years ago in 1981 in the U.S. House of Representatives, a post he was re-elected to seven times, never with less […]
2016 Woman of the Year: Alice Elshoff
As co-founder of Friends of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Alice Elshoff’s patience with the armed occupation near Burns unraveled on Jan. 9. She had patiently watched the armed takeover of the 188,000-acre preserve, admitting that she didn’t take it seriously at first. On that early Saturday in January, however, all that changed. She fired […]
Liz Lawrence
On a recent ride along with Sgt. Liz Lawrence of the Bend Police Department, the integrity, honesty and caring nature of the officer comes across clear as day. Lawrence, who has been a part of Bend's police force for 25 years, makes herself available 24/7 to help people, leading BPD’s mental health unit, called the […]

