Anyone who skis or snowboards at Mt. Bachelor Resort sooner or later asks an existential question: Why isn’t there a lodge or village at the mountain? Other big ski resorts around the continent offer such amenities and convenience. From the big ones like Whistler in British Columbia to smaller ones like Snowshoe in West Virginia, […]
Pacific Northwest
Kicked It in the Sun
If you’re looking for impartiality, you won’t find it in this article, because Built to Spill is one of my favorite bands of all time. I’m biased. I was 20 the first time I heard “Perfect From Now On,” the band’s 1997 album. It helped me through many dark days, exposed me to what a […]
Bend Pride and Troy Field: Two Big Winners
Bend Pride We visited the Pride celebration this past weekend in Drake Park, and Bend sure has changed since 2005 when the Human Dignity Coalition and a few dozen brave folks threw the first public Pride celebration in McKay Park. Back in those days, many locals were hesitant to join the party, out of concern […]
Ladies Night
What happens when three of the most incredibly talented women in songwriting combine goals and dreams to create an album together? A self-titled album called “Case/Lang/Veirs.” It all started with an email sent years ago from k.d. lang to Neko Case and Laura Veirs, suggesting that the three make an album together. The successful, soulful […]
The Sweet Sounds of Spring
Thanks to hearing device technology from Central Oregon Audiology, I am acutely aware of the cacophony of hundreds of male Pacific tree frogs in Central Oregon’s irrigation ponds, decorative water features, and drainage ditches that are making their presence known to one and all. They are gleefully summoning their lady-friend partners to come join them […]
Precautions Urged to Help Save Bats
Portland, Ore. – Visitors using public lands are encouraged to help fight the spread of white-nose syndrome and save bats in the Pacific Northwest. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has devastated bat populations in eastern North America, killing an estimated six million bats since 2006. In March 2016, Washington’s first case of […]
More Money, More Problems
Communities place a lot of trust in local law enforcement. The uniform, the badge, and the title are bestowed upon trained professionals who are hired for peacekeeping and protection. That trust was violated by former Deschutes County Sheriff Office Captain Scott Raymond Beard, 46. Beard worked in the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office as head of […]
Sides Notes 6/22-6/29
Popular personal-finance website WalletHub recently released its 2016 Car Insurance & Credit Scores Report, shining a light on a controversial pricing policy among the automotive insurance industry: the direct use of an individual’s credit score in determining policy costs. In Oregon, WalletHub found a 68 percent fluctuation in premiums based on credit. Data also show […]
Damaged Sidewalk Nearly Sidelines Home Sale
This week’s article is about an actual real estate experience recently encountered with a sidewalk in need of repair. Both buyers and sellers should take note. As most Bendites know, there are a lot of sidewalks uprooted by tree roots in Bend. Replacing the damaged section with a new sidewalk is only a temporary fix, […]
Summer Fair & Arts Events
June 25 Central Oregon Pride FESTIVAL—In the wake of the devastating massacre in Orlando, Central Oregon Pride is here, offering an opportunity for a deeply wounded group of people to come together and celebrate with friends, family, and allies. “Pride has always been the time for people to say, ‘We’re here; we live here too. […]

