There were numerous choices to fill this bill: The Old Ray’s Food Place building, the hotel on Century Drive and Mt. Washington Drive or any additions to Oregon State University-Cascades, but the one that really seems to stick in the NIMBY craw is the Evergreen Housing Development at the intersection of SW Shevlin Hixon Drive […]
Staff Pick
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Job (When you don’t wanna work in Bend)
Freelance Writer, Graphic Designer, Social Media Guru, Etc.
In Bend, it’s typical to hear someone mutter, “Doesn’t anyone work in this town?” Well, friend, why live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth if you’re going to sit in an office all day? Many Bendites have found ways to make a living without working a traditional 9 to 5 desk job. […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Silver Lining on a City Council Decision
A New Spot For Outdoor Concerts On The East Side
If you’ve been keeping up with the ongoing, dramatic saga surrounding noise and concerts in the City of Bend, then you know that earlier this year the City Council voted to limit the number of Temporary Change of Occupancy permits. What does this mean to the live music community? The Century Center, one of the […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Community Problem Solving
A New Warming Shelter For People In Need
It was already past the worst of winter when I set foot inside the Sagewood Sanctuary on Greenwood Avenue, near Bend’s downtown. The year 2018 won’t go down as one of the worst winters, but for someone who lives without permanent—and properly insulated—shelter, temps that dip below freezing pose a host of challenges and dangers. […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Kept Secret
Floating the Deschutes
Floating the Deschutes River is a pastime near and dear to Bendites’ hearts. (That part about the Best Kept Secret? That was a joke, peeps. If you’re a local, no need to read any further.) On any given weekend, you can find happy faces floating through town on tubes and, in some cases, questionable floatation […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Supporters of Local Food
Central Oregon Locavore, Bend farmers markets and High Desert Food & Farm Alliance
“Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in.” Frances Moore Lappé, author of “Diet for a Small Planet” Locals, how many times have you touted local beer, local culture or the fact that your parents’ parents’ parents came here on the Oregon Trail—thus vetting […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Way to Win the War on Cars
Electric bikes
Ooo, girl! Shock me like an electric bicycle. Bend locals are revolutionizing the road scene and cutting down on traffic and parking problems with electric bikes. Sometimes referred to as e-bikes, these machines are for everyone from novice riders who need an extra push, to dedicated riders who want to go far and wide. E-bikes […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Waste of Public Process
Mirror Pond
If we were to ask Franciscan friar and philosopher William of Ockham for advice (as in “Ockham’s razor”), he’d probably tell us the simplest solution, the one that relies on the fewest assumptions, is best. In this case, that would probably be taking out the failing Newport Dam and letting Pacific Power pay to restore […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best New Recreation Opportunity
Bend Whitewater Park
Nothing puts a kink in an otherwise lovely summer day like having to take a land-based detour on your float down the Deschutes. Of course, it’s better than the serious bodily harm that can come from freefalling over the dam. So we’re pretty psyched about the approaching completion of the Bend Whitewater Park (aka the […]
Posted inBest Of Central Oregon
Best Missed Opportunity
Troy Field
To be fair, the City tried to “save” the not-quite-an-acre of grass enclosed in chain link across from City Hall. It made an offer on the parcel but Bend-La Pine Schools wanted more. While no one would disclosed what the City offered, it was clearly less than the $1.9 million price tag on the property’s […]