Bend’s new mayor, who is beginning his third term as a city council member, holds a Ph.D. in physics, started a series of high-tech companies and is very interested in alternative energies. He raced motocross in the early-'70s, is passionate about superconductivity and is pretty sure he’s tested more water-heating solar panel designs than anyone […]
Section Feature
Posted inNews
Nowhere to Turn
Bend’s leading LGBTQ organization falls on tough times
There is no doubting the need for organizations like Bend’s Human Dignity Coalition. Jadin Bell, a gay teenager from La Grande, died Sunday after he was taken off life support. The 15-year-old was hospitalized after he attempted to hang himself on Jan. 19. Bell was a victim of bullying. Sadly, such torture is commonplace. But […]
Posted inOutside
First Tracks
Bob Mathews and the history of Mt. Bachelor Nordic skiing
In 1973, Bob Mathews traveled west from Minnesota on his way to Mexico City when he stopped in Oregon to help his friends move from Monmouth to Bend. Then something eerily familiar happened—he started bartending, got a job at the mountain and then straight-up moved here. At that time there was a small cross-country loop […]
Posted inCulture
An Unexpected Journey to New Zealand
Bendite Scott Baxter goes there and back again to work on The Hobbit
When you’re talking about "Lord of the Rings" fandom, you’re talking about a very specific kind of obsession. I read The Hobbit for the first time when I was 12. I saw all the Lord of the Rings films in the theater, then again on VHS, and again on DVD in their extended editions. I’ve […]
Posted inMusic
The Venue Two-Step
Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers bring country rock to Liquid Lounge
By most accounts, Bend bar Liquid Lounge is not often associated with singer/songwriter shows. It’s probably better known for black light parties, grinding, DJs and the best place to wear your spandex halter top on a Saturday night. And though its name changed from Boondocks Bar & Grill early last year, the former Elks Lodge […]
Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides
The Love Issue
Behold, Bend's Finest
God, do we loathe Valentine’s Day. All the expectations of grand gestures, all the flipping through cards and never finding the right one, all the balloons, all the candy, all the stuffed bears, all the thoughts of maybe-she-won’t-mind-if-we-skip-it-this-year, all the things covered in chocolate, all the mother-loving restaurant reservations you forget to make until just […]
Posted inNews
Get Ready for some Lawmaking!
Central Oregon’s conservative delegation preps for a left-leaning Salem
It’s gonna be a good ol’ time for the Dems this year as they now hold a majority in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Senate. And then there’s that Democratic Governor, too! Yes, the next five months or so are sure to be interesting with such a liberal stronghold on the statehouse. […]
Posted inOutside
First Ascents
Brooke Sandahl and your favorite routes at Smith Rock
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installment in our five-part series on the pioneers of Central Oregon’s famed outdoor sports scene. In the past 100 years, a handful of people have helped progress the accessibility and notoriety of our adventure sport scene. These icons of the outdoor world, in a pursuit of their own fresh […]
Posted inMusic
Beta Love
Ra Ra Riot
Label: Barsuk For the first time, Syracuse band Ra Ra Riot has finally released an album that pairs well with their name. Unlike their two previous chamber pop albums that centered around heavy strings, Beta Love features more driving bass and popping synth, making it fully cheerful and rebellious. Imagine fist pumping and skipping down […]
Posted inMusic
Dark Muse
Portland’s indie-folk duo The Helio Sequence sings somber poetry on latest album
When I was younger, I used to escape frustrations surrounding relationships by writing angry poetry. Most of the time, my brain was so scrambled I used imagery only I understood. The music of Portland ambient-rock outfit The Helio Sequence, which will play the Tower on Feb. 6, takes much the same route. Rather than tell […]
