The thrill of racing is peppered with a bit of danger at the annual Pole Pedal Paddle. Isn’t that part of the fun, anyway? A mad pack of downhill skiers jostling like pinballs down the slopes? Racing as fast as a sports car down Mt. Bachelor on the skinny wheels of a bicycle—and gravelly pavement? […]
Section Feature
Posted inNews
Double-Crossed by the Department of Justice
Five years ago, the DOJ screwed over a pot dealer in a case
that’s now undermining America’s ability to extradite other international fugitives
David Mendoza first realized something was off in the summer of 2006, when he was rear-ended by a US mail truck. He had been driving through Portland, headed south toward Bend, where his construction company—called ETA because of Mendoza’s reputation for being late—was restoring the historic Liberty movie palace, which Mendoza had purchased a few […]
Posted inMusic
Pedal to the Metal
Santa Cruz band The Chops Tops burn rockabilly rubber
Santa Cruz rockabilly band The Chop Tops’ very name suggests a rumbling hot rod barreling down the strip of Anytown, USA in the 1950s. The group also sports other classic American attributes, including music self-described as “revved up” and relationships with sponsors like Murray’s Pomade, the classic hairstyler, and T.U.K. Original Footwear, a rock ‘n’ […]
Posted inCulture
When it’s Good, it’s Good
World champion slam poet Buddy Wakefield delivers
The first time I call Buddy Wakefield, I get his voicemail. “This is Buddy,” says the familiar, melodic baritone I’ve heard deliver devastating poems that twist from hilarious to downright tragic. A week earlier, I had received a to-the-point email in a response to an interview request: “Just call,” it read, in its entirety. And, […]
Posted inNews
Election Time. Vote Often!
Our picks for the May ballot
U.S. Senate (Democratic Party): JEFF MERKLEY This is a slamdunk. Merkley has proven to be an impressive advocate for reasonable forest service policies and has been outspoken against NSA’s surveillance programs. U.S. Senate (Republican Party): JASON CONGER There are a number of candidates running in the Republican primary for Senate who haven’t made a statewide […]
Posted inOutside
It’s an oddity, but true
William Sullivan sees unique features in Central Oregon
Oregon author and hiking guru—and, yes, he deserves that title—William Sullivan has traversed nearly every inch of Oregon, and now is headed for Deschutes County for a little show and tell. For the past quarter-century and with his collection of guide books (and even historical fiction on airline hijacker D.B. Cooper), Sullivan has mapped out […]
Posted inMusic
Grey Area
Pakit Liquidators closes, in other news…junkyard for sale
The lack of independent small-scale music venues has been a chronic problem for the burgeoning Bend music scene. Almost exactly a year after the infamous Horned Hand shut down amid noise ordinance and zoning controversy, Bend will loose another DIY concert outlet. Pakit Liquidators, the 17-year old junkyard that has been hosting shows since last […]
Posted inMusic
Good Day Sunshine
Susy Sun, Seattle’s anti-rain
Susy Sun has a particularly ironic name. After all, she lives in Seattle, a city with a gray cloud ceiling that lasts through nine months of the year. And that’s not the only incongruity: Her particularly squeaky-clean pop outlook contrasts with the rugged, folky alt-country that is at the heart of the Seattle indie scene […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Earl of Sandwich
Hot Box is more than a hot box (although it’s that, too)
An enticing red picnic table has appeared on the lush green patch of lawn outside of Pine Mountain Sports at the corner of SW Century Dr. and SW Colorado Ave. Nestled along the wall of the business is an innocuous-looking white cube, housing Bend’s newest food cart. Hot Box offers a short, but specific menu […]
Posted inOutside
True Grit
By and for women mountain bike clinics kickstart riding season
The perfect day for Meredith Gentry is heading out to the North Fork Trail on Bend’s westside with her mountain bike, shooting past Tumalo Falls and rocketing back down the Farewell Trail. Gentry said it’s a challenging ride, but the scenery is more than worth it. Four years ago, the Austin transplant started Grit Clinics […]
