Ryan James was working at the Starbucks downtown when he saw his first Freedom Ride. “Leading up to the event, there was a lot of buzz,” he said. “I remember during the morning, we had a line out the door, and then we were completely dead for two hours during the Freedom Ride.” James and […]
Source Weekly Bend Oregon
Posted inCulture
Bend Burlesque & Hot Summer Nights
Summer nights in Bend are about to get hot. On July 1, Bend Burlesque Company will celebrate summer with a new show that will have audience members fanning themselves for relief. Aptly named “These Coming Summer Nights,” the production promises to titillate, thrill, and delight with 11 entertainers, multiple acts, and live music by local […]
Posted inCulture
Mrs. Mejaski’s Majestic Majesty
Gotta Dance moves to new owners
Gotta Dance Studio and Company has been part of the Central Oregon landscape for 15 years, and Michelle Mejaski has been the face and driving force behind it since the inception. Hundreds of men, women and children have learned jazz, tap, hip-hop, and contemporary dance from the Gotta Dance team over the years. Recently Mejaski […]
Posted inNews
Three Ways to Get Help With a Down Payment
The main challenge for most first-time homebuyers is coming up with the down payment. This is difficult when rising rents eat away at potential down payment savings. Here are some options that are often overlooked: Ask the seller to pay closing costs. It is not uncommon to ask and receive up to 6 percent of […]
Posted inNews
A Ski Village at Mt. Bachelor
What Are the Chances?
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, […]
Posted inMusic
Kicked It in the Sun
Built to Spill avoids the time trap
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
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 […]
Posted inMusic
Ladies Night
k.d. lang, Neko Case and Laura Veirs
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 […]
Posted inOutside
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 […]
Posted inNews
Union Helps Win Cannabis Case
One of the strangest situations created by cannabis legalization in Oregon and elsewhere in the US is the effect, or lack thereof, of legalization on state employment law. Oregonians can get a doctor’s prescription for cannabis to treat a variety of illnesses in the state’s medical marijuana program, and Oregonians 21 and older can now […]