One by one, latecomers walked to the far side of the well-lit Bend Park and Recreation District community room to retrieve a seat from the stack of black chairs on the opposite wall. The mood was solemn but anticipatory for the Dec. 2 Mirror Pond Ad Hoc work group meeting. It was a mixed bag […]
Section Feature
Posted inCulture
Used is the New Black
Vintage pieces go beyond standard rack items
Tucked downstairs in one of the most ignored buildings on Bond Street (number 841, home to a small wine shop, an antique store and Rich Music), down an M.C. Escher maze of staircases under Townshend’s Tea, is a new consignment shop, appropriately called “The Basement.” Opened last week, the clothing store is more of a […]
Posted inNews
Take Me to the River
If the city is working toward water conservation, why are environmentalists so upset?
During a special meeting on Friday, the Bend City Council, ostensibly, voted in favor of the environment when they pledged to limit drains on Bridge Creek, the city’s main water supply source. The small Tumalo Creek tributary remains at the center of a discussion about how to improve flows in the watershed, particularly in the […]
Posted inOutside
Going Big in Nepal
Bend climber Chris Wright records two first ascents deep in the Himalaya
Starting in mid-October, Bend’s Chris Wright, along with his partner, Scott Adamson of Utah, battled deep snow, frigid temperatures, oxygen deprivation and terrifyingly steep cliff faces to claim two impressive first ascents in Nepal. Snowy, far-flung climbing expeditions, however, are nothing new to Wright. Last November, the 30-year-old part-time Timberline Mountain Guide and area avalanche […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Gift Guide (part two!)
Shopping for Him!
First tier gifts: Father, son, husband First step for buying a man a gift is to recognize that every male has his inner superhero—that fantasy brewing that he can save the day, that he is a burly lumberjack, a swashbuckling pirate, a rocket scientist. Find a gift to help him unleash that dream. To further […]
Posted inOutside
What to Give MacGyver
Sometimes going natural means going hi-tech
For some, tech gadgets may seem antithetical to an authentic back-to-nature experience. After all, isn’t the point of hitting the trails, slopes, and peaks to unplug and enjoy the natural world? Perhaps. But even the backpacker who revels in starting a fire with friction or creating a shelter out of twigs and buckskin understands the […]
Posted inCulture
Liar, Liar, Spandex on Fire!
The Armstrong Lie is stunning (and not just for cycling fans)
“I didn’t live a lot of lies, but I did live one big one.” That’s how the new documentary from director Alex Gibney opens, with a half-confession from disgraced cycling superstar Lance Armstrong. It is a perfect first line and sets the tone for the rest of the stunning film, which chronicles Armstrong’s miraculous cancer-be-damned […]
Posted inMusic
Re-imagining Christmas
Naomi Hooley and Rob Stroup’s folksy take on holiday music
One is a smoky-voiced, piano-playing, 70’s-inspired vixen; the other a dusty blues guitarist and singer. Both longtime members of the Portland music scene, Naomi Hooley (of Moody Little Sister) and Rob Stroup (Baseboard Heaters, The Imprints) have teamed up to release the definitive Pacific Northwest Christmas album, Naomi Hooley and Rob Stroup’s Winter Wonderland. The […]
Posted inNews
Preserve the Pond?
Despite the cost and complexities, Mirror Pond ad hoc committee
says “you betcha”
After dancing around the issue for nearly two hours—and for years before Monday evening’s meeting inside the Bend Park & Recreation District office building—the Mirror Pond ad hoc committee casually called a vote: Should we keep Mirror Pond or not? Suddenly, at least a few of the roughly 50 community members in attendance sat up […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
Gift Guide
Shopping for Her!
Gals are different than guys. We hope that is not late-breaking news for you. Yes, Venus, Mars; among other differences. What is relevant right now, though, is that shopping for women is different than shopping for men. Certainly some gender-neutral gifts are fine, like a sub-freezing sleeping bag or bike accessories. In this week’s issue […]
