Upfront

As a newspaper supported entirely by local advertisers (i.e. mom and pop businesses) we're not huge fans of Internet shopping, which serves as a giant cash vacuum, siphoning dollars out of the local economy to some faceless corporation. The notable exception is our annual Charity Auction, which turns the whole Internet cash vacuum model on its head.

Each year the Source, working with local businesses that donate all of the items for the auction, donates all the proceeds from the annual bid-fest to a local non-profit. This year the auction raised almost $4,000 for the Partnership to End Poverty, a local umbrella group that works to coordinate and fund local initiatives aimed at addressing the root of poverty in Central Oregon. It's an issue that's come into sharp focus as of late as the local and national economy falters, unemployment climbs to double digits and families are having a hard time making ends meet.

So Shoe Me!

The face that launched a thousand shoes.In a Los Angeles Times article this week, former Secret Service agent Patrick J. Lennon was quoted as saying, "Thank God, Bush apparently played a little dodge ball when he was younger."
You probably know what this former agent is talking about, but if somehow you missed this, Upfront will fill you in with a one-sentence recap: Some Iraqi journalist removed both of his shoes during a press conference and tossed them at President Bush on Sunday - and this is actually a sign of severe disrespect in the Arab world.
This was all during a "surprise visit" to Iraq by the president and very likely the last trek of his waning presidency to the embattled nation. The only "surprise" to be seen was the look on Bush's face as he somewhat deftly dodged each shoe toss…but this look of surprise soon melted into the same sly little smirk we've come to love to hate over the past eight years. Bush subsequently likened the shoe missles to a campaign heckler or one driver flipping off another. Oh President Bush! Not even a size 10 loafer whizzing past your temple can dampen your reckless disregard of public opinion.

Opening Day - Finally?
Most of Upfront's friends have given up their
snowdance routines out of frustration and re-focused their energies on
other more productive activities like tree trimming, recreational
drinking and couch surfing, but we have word from reliable sources that
snow is in fact on the way - finally.
While the powers that be
at Mt. Bachelor say they still don't know if they will be able to open
this weekend, they're planning to hold a "Snow or No Snow" party from
noon to 4pm Saturday at the mountain with all pass holders receiving a
free beverage and a chance to hit the tubing or rail jam parks - snow
permitting. It's been a frustrating non-start to the season for the
mountain's staff and legions of seasonal employees who are still
waiting to start work.

Have a white washed ChristmasMuch to the chagrin of Blue America, the whole impeach Bush thing never got beyond a bumper sticker slogan. But there are still apparently some hard feelings as evidenced by the decision this week to censor one of the decorations submitted by Congress for the White House Christmas Tree.
Seattle area artist Deborah Lawrence found out earlier this week that her congressionally commissioned Christmas bulb won't be hanging this year on the Bush Christmas tree. Lawrence was one of dozens of artists tapped by Congress to submit decorations for the tree. She chose to use her submission as a tribute to her local Congressman, Rep. Jim McDermott, a left-leaning statesman who had pushed for an impeachment of Bush. Lawrence's submission, a nine-inch bulb covered in swirling red and white strips with text alluding to McDermott's support for Bush's impeachment also referenced Washington's 1919 labor strike and the state's suffrage movement. But it's the impeachment references that caught the attention of the public after McDermott started telling her friends about the political message on her submission, which was initially accepted by the White House.

Re-Nailin' Palin
Who you callin' turkey?Even though we've devoted a lot of Upfront and WTF
space to Alaska's most endearing governor Sarah Palin and we're pretty
sure that 75 percent of readers would like nothing more to never hear
her name again, we couldn't resist. Short of Palin actually dressing up
in a stars and stripes bikini and shooting a moose with a rifle while
waving to the Russians, Palin's recent "Thanksgiving Turkey Massacre"
video, which has become a staple of YouTube e-mail forwards says it all.
Some
background: As part of her duties as governor of the great state of
Alaska, Mrs. Palin must pardon a Thanksgiving turkey. Unfortunately,
the rest of the turkeys at the Triple D Farm & Hatchery outside of
Wasilla, were not as lucky.
The scene: While Palin talks about
her VP run and her appreciation for "good Americans who are just
desiring of their government to kinda get outta the way and allow them
to grow and progress and allow their businesses to grow and progress,"
a turkey is stuffed into a killing cone where its throat is slit and
it's bled out into a trough. While Palin answers a question about
budget cuts, another unfortunate fowl is crammed down the cone.

Don't you know, I am the man?Upfront was less than surprised to see that the local daily endorsed former planning commissioner Don Leonard to fill the seat opened when Councilor and former Mayor Bill Friedman died Nov. 9 after undergoing back surgery. Leonard, who ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Jim Clinton in the Nov. 4 election, failed to gain the newspaper's endorsement in that race. But the paper suggested at the time that the Leonard would make a suitable councilor and that the city council ought to consider appointing him should a vacancy arise. No doubt the paper's editorial board was looking forward to the prospect that current councilor Chris Telfer would be leaving the city for the legislature, which in fact she is after defeating Democrat Maren Lundgren in the race for Senate District 27. Friedman's death, however, added another wrinkle, which allows the current "lame duck" council to appoint for Friedman's seat before Telfer vacates for the statehouse. That's important because three of the current council's members, Bruce Abernethy, Linda Johnson and Peter Gramlich, all part of the so-called progressive bloc, will be leaving office Jan. 1. Taking their places are Jeff Eager, Peter Greene and Kathie Eckman. All three of whom ran on a small government, pro-growth model and received significant contributions from the building and real estate industry. We can guess what kind of appointment they will make when they have control of the council in January.

While most eyes were on the presidential race, Upfront watched as the Bend City Council quietly shifted in favor of the builders and developers lobby which again poured money into several races and came away the big winner with three of its four candidates winning seats.

However, the election was quickly overshadowed by news that longtime city councilor and two-time former mayor Bill Friedman was hospitalized in critical condition following complications from back surgery.
On Sunday, news broke that Friedman, 72, had died.
So long, BillDetails about the exact circumstances around Friedman's death were slow to emerge, but the city announced on Monday that it will hold a memorial service 1 p.m. Saturday at Farewell Bend Park, which in true city council fashion will include a "citizen comments" open mic session per Bill's wishes.

The Queen of Shock

Trick-Or-Driving
Upfront was primed to launch a tirade on this page about the apparent death of trick or treating, seeing as how last Friday we only had three groups of masked children come to our door. But we soon learned, upon arriving in a different neighborhood, that kids are still hitting the streets en masse to get a free sugar fix and that Upfront's dearth of trick-or-treaters was due to our non-streetlight, plenty of broken-down cars street.
Apparently, kids and their parents, not unlike Hemingway, enjoy a clean, well-lighted place to knock on doors. While there were plenty of costumed children in this pristine neighborhood, there was one troubling practice we witnessed: parents driving their children from house to house. Folks were loading up the kids for a 25 foot trip to the next house and then repeating this process all the way around the block.

Upfront along with about 17 million other Americans suffered through Gov. Sarah Palin's guest appearance on Saturday Night Live this past week. Like the rest of the country we had tuned in to see if SNL alum Tina Fey would reprise her Palin bit. She did, but we also got a solid dose of the real Sarah Palin, whose appearance on the show was, we presume, supposed to showcase how she can handle a good natured ribbing. The guest spot, which included appearances with Lorne Michaels and Alec Baldwin at the top of the show and another cameo on Weekend Update, registered an "11" on Upfront's Weird-O-meter. To say it was awkward really doesn't sum up the difficulty of watching Palin throw her arms in the air while Amy Poehler executee a mocking, self-referential rap on the same stage.
It didn't help that the material just wasn't funny.
Pundits have cited the appearance as evidence that McCain and Palin are lacking in some fundamental judgment skills (her for appearing, and him for letting her go on), but Upfront wonders what SNL was thinking. Honestly, did they really think we wanted to see Sarah Palin?
Because if the show does, they've got bigger problems than keeping the Tina Fey cameos coming after Nov. 4.