Bend commits to bike lane infrastructure The city of Bend is starting to take bike lanes seriously. Last Thursday I caught up with Commute Options’ Brian Potwin at a community forum for the recently approved Riverside/Franklin bike/pedestrian project at City Hall. Below are the quick hits from the forum and a look forward. The long-term […]
Section Feature
Posted inMusic
Reggae Opera
Pop band Rebelution gets heavy on its latest album
The bouncing beat behind reggae dub rock is one recognizable sound that permeates a vast majority of songs in the genre. It’s what a band builds on top of that keystone beat that separates it from the hordes of bands employing the same basic formula. In the case of Santa Barbara pop reggae band Rebelution, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The Heralds of Spring
Fresh ingredients harbingers of the season
The snow around town has pretty much melted. The afternoon air is beginning to feel a bit warmer and spring break is just around the corner. These are sure signs that the season is about to change. In my kitchen just a few short months ago I was pouring through recipes for soups, stews and […]
Posted inCulture
Fancy Cowboy Coffee
Pour-over brewing does your beans justice
The third-wave coffee movement is in full force in Bend. Locals take their coffee selections as seriously as they take their bikes and beer. But the world of coffee art, artisan beans and micro roasting is foreign to me. I love coffee. I drink it most every day. But the extent of my palate is […]
Posted inNews
Love Wins
After 22 years, first same-sex couple marries in their rural Washington county
On the first day marriage licenses could be issued to same-sex couples in Washington state, Laurie and I headed to our rural county courthouse, expecting a long wait. In Seattle, we'd heard, couples had been lined up at the King County Courthouse since midnight. We pulled up to the courthouse on a gray winter morning […]
Posted inCulture
St. Patrick’s Day Roundup
Holidays are great. Especially ones that encourage drinking for the sake of drinking. So wear green, slam a few pint of Guinness and pretend you’re Irish for the weekend. St. Patrick would approve. March 13 Local Black and Tans Local breweries have created some innovative black and tans in honor of St. Patty’s day and […]
Posted inNews
The Year of the Woman
12 months of back-to-back victories
Women still make less than men for the same work. And there’s still a full-scale assault on our reproductive rights going on out there. But from politics to women’s health to fighting on the frontlines, the last year has been a series of wins for women on just about every front. Here’s a snapshot of […]
Posted inOutside
We Heart National Championships!
Snowshoes at sno parks and winter riding tips
Because Bend loves to host national championship sporting events (marathon mountain bike nationals, road nationals, masters road nationals, cyclocross nationals, Xterra nationals, etc.) the U.S. SNOWSHOE national championships are coming to town this weekend! Yes, snowshoeing is a thing. And yes, there’s a national championship associated with it. And though you may look at snowshoeing […]
Posted inMusic
Ladies Light It Up
These three women rock the Central Oregon music scene
Destiny’s Child sang a song about them—independent women. And Central Oregon’s music scene has been benefiting from ladies like that for a while now. They command attention as stage performers, as business owners supporting local live music and as website developers aiming to connect music fans with new social media tools. It’s time their contributions […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Local Bars Are Better
Fuel yourself without unhealthy ingredients
Hiking, biking, climbing, skiing and snowshoeing. Busy schedules, after-school sports, low blood sugar and just not enough time to sit down for a meal. These are just some of the reasons to have a power bar close by. The supermarket is flooded with choices, Grocery store power bars may have some good-for-you ingredients like oatmeal, […]
