Looking for a way to get out and about, and to benefit a good cause at the same time? This might be your jam. Tickets are now on sale for the 4th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, taking place at Ridgeview High School in Redmond March 26. Here’s how it works: students from the ceramics classes […]
Pacific Northwest
10 Barrel, Brewpub Chain
It could be difficult to imagine for the Bendites (and their dogs) who pack around the bonfire pit every weekend on Galveston Avenue, but 10 Barrel Brewing Company has become a brewery with a national presence, one that even rivals Deschutes in spots. This is thanks to two things: An A-B InBev-affiliated distribution market that […]
Made in Central Oregon 2017
Itโs here again: That time of year when we celebrate some of the many makers, dreamers and doers who make our region special. Turn to these pages for some inspiration and information about some of C.O.โs greats.
Natural World: Owls, owls and more owls
Recently I’ve had some interesting phone calls to my home and travelin’ phones, giving me cause to suspect the alien barred owl population (from the eastern United States and Canada) may be on the rise, and people are confusing them with our native great gray owls. Great grays are owls of the open spaces in […]
The Dirt on Dirty Diesel School Buses
“Kids are like hummingbirds. They breathe a lot,” said Dr. Paul Lewis at a recent Oregon Senate committee hearing on Environment and Natural Resources. “Their lungs are small and a lot more of this stuff gets in there…when exposed early in life, there are a lot more decades for those changes to your cells to […]
State Marine Board Considers a Lifejacket Requirement
Lifejacket sales will get a big boost this summer if the Oregon Marine Board gets its way. House Bill 2320โintroduced this legislative session at the request of Gov. Kate Brown on behalf of the Marine Boardโwould require persons using a nonmotorized craftโincluding inner tubes, air mattresses and pool toys, in a river or stream, to […]
Gas, Cars and Roads
Roads are one of those core government services that are a great reflection of a community. It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation, when your right tire goes deep into a pothole, slamming your teeth together, you’re going to curse “government.” The leaders of our cities and states know this, and that’s why no matter […]
Greg Walden Makes It Into Stephen Colbert’s Monologue… For the Wrong Reasons
Last night’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert featured Colbert reading a passage from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson or, should we say, Wayne Tracker’s “secret” journal. Before he dived in however, Colbert touched on the Congressional Budget Office’s report on the new Republican healthcare bill, unveiled by none other than Congressmen Greg Walden last week. “24 […]
Bend Meets Bohemia
A tale of young artists, pursuing their creative dreams, consumed by love, loss, heartache, jealousy โ and oh yes, typically lacking the rent money. How contemporary! The seeds of an upcoming TV “dramedy,” perhaps? Not quite. We open on roommates Rodolfo and Marcello, one a poet, the other a painter. It’s Christmas Eve in 19th […]
Pimp Hand Strong
When you hear the name “The Pimps of Joytime,” it’s hard to imagine how perfect that name actually is for the band. Every song off of every album sees the band absolutely pimping the idea of just letting go and having fun. Their funk is a deep funk you feel in your soul, making it […]

