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EDITOR’S NOTE:
Years ago, a movement began to transform the neglected Central District into a vibrant, walkable, livable neighborhood. Some improvements have been made but there’s still uncertainty from developers who are skeptical about city support. Julianna Lafollette looks into the Promised Land and what’s holding it back.
The Redmond airport is set to transform from a smalltown feel into big city flair with jet ways and expanded food/retail space. In a mere two years, passengers won’t be walking on the tarmac to board flights.
We have a review of Kusshi, the Japanese Peruvian restaurant in Bend and details about two new restaurants opening this week. Our Sound article profiles a local composer with an impressive resume of songs including “Let It Go” from “Frozen.” Plus where you can visit the area’s first, dedicated hummingbird garden.
— Nic Moye, Managing Editor
LIGHTMETER:
We
PRESENTED BY HARVEST MOON WOODWORKS
Victoria Tompkins
OPINION
In Bias Crime Reporting, Accurate Data is Key
eter Madsen’s feature story from last week, “Bias in Our Backyard,” explored the numbers around bias crimes in our area, and the state, in the five-year period since state and local authorities began collecting such data. The numbers available, from the years 2020-2023, were quite striking, with marked increases in the number of bias crimes reported year over year. But as Madsen began to explore the data provided by local police, including the Bend Police Department, and then also explored data collected statewide, a few interesting things emerged: One, that reporting can be spotty and subjective. Cops and district attorneys have a lot of discretion when it comes to reporting something as a crime that targets people for their identity. What’s more, some people affected may fear reporting the crimes at all. About 42% of violent bias crimes are never reported, a figure Madsen cited from the U.S. Department of Justice. Authorities can cite that figure because of the number of people who call into the DOJ’s Bias Response Hotline but then never actually file a report.
act upon, the prevalence of crimes that target people due to their identities. Doing a story like this is important — not entirely to highlight how “racist” or “bigoted” a community is — though those issues did make themselves clear throughout the reporting. In spite of a recent backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the federal level (which have had ripples even the way our local governments do business), preventing and addressing crimes happening in our communities should still be a priority.
Another interesting facet of the story: numbers can vary widely. While all Oregon law enforcement agencies are required to report bias crimes to the Oregon Uniform Crime Reporting program, not everyone does so consistently. In 2023, 20 law enforcement agencies in Oregon reported no data at all — largely, a UCR report stated, due to a refusal to upgrade to the necessary software. Some of the counties that reported low numbers, or no reporting, include those in our backyard, including Crook, Harney and Wheeler counties. As the story pointed out, having gaps in data — or seeing some agencies decline to participate at all — makes it hard for governments to understand, and then
When George Floyd was killed by police in 2020, it set off a chain reaction across the United States. People wanted more done to address systemic racism in policing, and systemic racism in society in general. In Oregon, one of the ways our government addressed that was by mandating that law enforcement agencies begin tracking bias crimes. To address a problem, we need to understand the problem thoroughly. Five years into the effort of tracking that data, it’s clear that the data needs to be even better tracked, and discrepancies in reporting need to be addressed. These crimes may happen to individuals, but they affect entire communities. In this epoch of American history, when rhetoric around illegal — and even legal — immigration is causing a chilling effect for communities with large populations of immigrants; when DEI is considered a dirty word among some; when local communities of color are canceling events out of fear of backlash, accurate reporting about the bias incidents in local communities can help authorities engage in better prevention and intervention efforts. Crime is crime, and the more we know about the nature of it, the better jobs law enforcement and prosecutors can do in addressing it.
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your thoughts to editor@bendsource.com.
Letters must be received by noon Friday for inclusion in the following week’s paper. Please limit letters to 250 words. Submission does not guarantee publication. Opinions printed here do not constitute an editorial endorsement of said opinions.
Letter of the week receives $5 to Palate!
BIAS IN OUR BACKYARD
Having read your piece this morning I feel compelled to say that much of what happens in terms of biased encounters is never reported. I thought I’d checked a neighborhood. It was the north end of La Pine where I bought my last central OR house in 2017. The absence of obvious Trump support didn’t insulate my son and I. He’s biracial. He and his sisters went to Summit in the early 2000’s. My son had the most bad encounters, almost too many to enumerate. People who wouldn’t allow him to serve them as a bud tender as he was a POC, jobs he felt he couldn’t accept because he got called the n word every time he went to that particular establishment, his sister harassed downtown at an after party, in her wedding gown no less. A cousin who is from the Bay Area and NOT biracial handily suggested the perpetrator back off. The final straw was my son raking pine needles on my acre and having neighbors on a walk pretend to shoot him, fall of 2019. The second time by he went to the fence and said I really don’t like that, to which they replied, "better trigger than n word." I decided my family history of, at that time, 40 years in Central OR was done. Just done. My son has some mental health issues that cause enough grief. We moved to near the Palm Springs area in CA and he says he never gets a side eye. My ex, his dad, won’t walk down his own street on the east side of Bend without his second, very white, wife because of all the confederate flags. It’s nice that numbers are being kept but this has gone on for decades, I was just ignorant of it. And being from LA and SF realize now how sheltered I’d been.
When we know better, we do better, but as much as I’d like to come back to CO I can’t do it to my kids. They visit the family house on the river and very much keep to themselves. My youngest, who lives in Brussels, wouldn’t bring her two littles to the pet parade in their stroller 3 years ago because she was afraid there might be trouble, and the stroller was unwieldy, so the toddler toddled
and the baby was in a front carrier. That my daughter even had to consider her mode of transportation based on possible scenarios at a holiday parade crushes my soul. But that’s the reality. Maybe we need more bias training.
—Kerry L.
[Editors note: We agreed to let Kerry use only the first letter of her last name due to her concerns about repercussions.]
BEND,
BEERS AND BEYOND
All local beer aficionados should thank Brian Yaeger for a great beer fest last weekend! Without his initiative and his hard work, this would not have happened. Already looking forward to a repeat that will be bigger and better next year! Thanks Brian!
—Mary B. Robinson
ANNUAL COUNT SHOWS 17% INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS
This situation reflects a direct failure of our City Council and the low-barrier housing policies they have aggressively promoted. The city purchased and renovated hotels, an endeavor that was far from inexpensive reportedly using state funds and grants. However, with anticipated shifts in funding under the current administration, there is growing concern about whether the financial burden of these projects will ultimately fall on local taxpayers.
Compounding the issue, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has allowed individuals to live in our forests, creating dangerous conditions for both the environment and surrounding communities. Now that some areas have been closed for restoration and occupants removed, the broader consequences of this decision are becoming increasingly clear. It’s likely that this also contributes to the Point-in-Time (PIT) homeless count, distorting our local data and needs assessments.
Low-barrier housing has proven to be an ineffective and unsustainable solution. Despite significant public investment, it has created a revolving-door
system that traps individuals in homelessness without addressing the root causes. These programs fail to provide a true path to recovery or reintegration.
What is urgently needed are high-barrier solutions and comprehensive programs that combine medical care, mental health treatment, and addiction services. Participation should be mandatory, with clear expectations and accountability, so that individuals are empowered to rebuild their lives and contribute meaningfully to the community. This is where our county and city need to work together with their "joint homelessness coalition" but it doesn't seem to be working. All of these agencies need to work together to solve issues that are not political but true community issues.
Another unintended consequence of the low-barrier model is its tendency to attract unhoused individuals from out of state, drawn by the availability of free services with minimal requirements. This influx increases pressure on already overextended local resources and undermines our ability to serve the needs of our own residents.
Furthermore, while there is much discussion around the need for affordable housing, our city has failed to hold developers accountable for including deed-restricted affordable units on both sides of town. This must become a clear and enforceable priority. We cannot continue allowing development especially on the west side to cater solely
to high-income buyers. A $1.2 million townhouse is not affordable. Instead, such developments foster inequity and accelerate gentrification, leaving lower-income residents behind. It also has created this East Side / West side divide. Our workforce including teachers, mail carriers, refuse industry workers, and service industry personal should be able to work and afford in the neighborhoods they work in.
It is time to re-evaluate our approach. We must prioritize structured, results-driven, and accountable services that address the complex challenges facing our unhoused population, while also promoting fairness and true affordability in our housing policies.
—Nicole Perullo
Letter of the week:
Thanks Nicole for your comments. For letter of the week, you can stop by our office for a gift card to Palate.
—Nic Moye
Food Banks Forced to Cut Services
NeighborImpact is cutting two food distribution programs after its food supply dropped 25% in April. A mobile pantry at the American Legion in Redmond, which normally serves 277 people, ended in May. On June 27, Fresh Express Home Delivery will also end. That serves 380 homebound individuals. NeighborImpact has 59 partner food pantries which are all seeing a reduction in food supplies.
“We’ve put this off as long as we can, but the food just isn’t there despite spending thousands of dollars a week to fill in the cuts from the federal level,” Carly Auten, director of food programs, said in a news release.
Shepherd’s House Ministries is urgently appealing to the public for donations after a 17% federal cut in food support. It’s asking for protein donations including eggs, peanut butter, chicken, beef, pork and other meats. Those can be dropped off at their location on NE Division Street.
“We’re facing an urgent shortage that affects our ability to serve our community effectively,” says Curt Floski, executive director at Shepherd’s House Ministries.
—Nic Moye
The Dust is Settling on a More-Supportive Juniper Ridge
A partial closure and designated Temporary Safe Stay Area in 'Dirt World,’ an unhoused encampment north of Bend, is now in effect
By Peter Madsen
Tom Cheney took a morning walk where he lives in Juniper Ridge on June 2. Neighbors took a break from home-improvement projects to greet him and chat. Dogs, some fenced and others loose, barked and played while their owners swapped notes about the area’s influx of new residents.
Monday morning, Juniper Ridge, better known as “Dirt World,” entered a new dawn as an officially sanctioned camp for the unhoused. It lies in a vast juniper forest north of Bend located on shared city and county property.
“We see about two to five new people each day,” said Cheney, 69, and a longtime unhoused resident. “They usually come at night and set up somewhere out of the way.”
As of June 2, the unhoused at Juniper Ridge are allowed to occupy a Temporary Safe Stay Area, which is sandwiched between Highway 97 and railroad tracks that run north-south. The area is also where many unhoused residents have already been sheltering. The TSSA guidelines allow for RVs, trailers and vehicles as shelter, but technically do not allow tents or makeshift shelters.
$180 million
— The cost of upgrading the Redmond Airport.
“I think that the uncertainty over what exactly the City is planning, where exactly it's planning it, and the timing of it are causing people to sit back and watch a little bit.”
—Dale Van Valkenburg with Brooks Resources in “Promised Land.”
Matthew Stuart, the City of Bend’s real estate and facilities manager, also spent the morning of June 2 at Juniper Ridge. He noticed about eight people still residing on the east side of the train tracks, which is the de facto eastern perimeter of the TSSA. But they had made progress in relocating their belongings; they knew that they could retrieve the last of their things in the coming days, he said.
“Overall, everyone we talked to was aware [of the TSSA] and was finishing up and relocating from the property,” Stuart said. “It’s not smooth for the people, but from our standpoint, it’s gone well. We’ve been out there communicating and trying to help where we can.”
The TSSA was developed in a joint meeting on April 28 between officials with Deschutes County and the City of Bend, whose respective properties meet at Juniper Ridge. Officials, concerned about fire hazards and waste issues, enacted a partial closure of Juniper Ridge while outlining the TSSA there within.
“We have somewhere for people to go,” Stuart said. “It makes conversations a lot easier.”
Covering 170 acres of city and county property, the TSSA includes five hygiene stations that offer potable water, handwashing stations and portable toilets. There is also a dumpster for refuse. Contractors remove waste from abandoned campsites while security officers visit four times a day. Mitigating open-fire risks and issues stemming from dogs are the immediate priorities for officials, Stuart said. Service providers have also begun active case management with Juniper Ridge residents to get them into supportive housing.
The TSSA isn't meant to be a permanent solution; officials anticipate a 50% reduction in space and services by Dec. 31. The next step, Stuart said, is a full closure of the TSSA by Dec. 31, 2026.
Since the U.S. Forest Service’s China Hat sweep on May 1, Juniper Ridge residents said they’ve noticed a lot of new faces.
Cheney has split his time between China Hat and Juniper Ridge since becoming unhoused in 2016. He recently worked at a Bend gas station, walking several miles each way along Highway 97, until he had a dispute with a manager. He stays busy doing odd jobs while helping out neighbors in the TSSA, he said.
Alora, a woman in her 30s who declined to give her last name, came out to greet Cheney. In the previous days, Alora had finished hauling her shelter from east of the railroad tracks, and she was exhausted.
“Wait, is today Monday?” she said. “Yes! That means the shower truck comes today.”
While brushing her teeth, Alora said she woke up recently to find new residents' RV a stone’s throw from her shelter, which she fashioned out of pallets, tarps and rock walls. Her border collie, Shadow, had a run-in with the newcomers’ dog; as a result, she now keeps her dog tied to a line, but she’s worried about future encounters. Alora preferred the living arrangement she’d had on the east side of the tracks. Now, she says, everything is in limbo again.
“We’d all make dinner together, watch over each other’s stuff,” Alora said, adding that since the relocation, “I used to be able to have my dog off leash, but now I can’t. There’s a lot more stress.”
Cheney ventured to the now-closed section of Juniper Ridge to retrieve some lumber. But a 10-foot piece of aluminum siding, resting on a pile, caught his eye.
“I can scrap this!” Cheney said. “It’s worth about 10 bucks. Freebie!”Balancing the sheet on his head, Cheney plodded 10 minutes to a friend’s shelter. Westin Harrel was home, tinkering beneath the treehouse he fashioned in a juniper tree with new pallets and tarps. Beneath sat a small living room and a small shelf, lined with books. Harrel had already built the treehouse before the area it’s in was enveloped by the TSSA boundaries. Officials said whether a person’s shelter was technically prohibited, such as tents or, well, treehouses, wasn’t the top of their enforcement priorities.
“I brought you a present,” Cheney said.
The two stood chatting about how Harrel would use the aluminum to reinforce his roof.
Stuart, the City’s real estate and facilities manager, said he hoped the TSSA could be the leg up unhoused people need as they move toward affordable housing.
“If the [TSSA] works, it could be a model for the future that we can use elsewhere,” Stuart said. “We’re giving it a try; so far, so good.”
—This story is powered by the Lay It Out Foundation, the nonprofit with a mission of promoting deep reporting and investigative journalism in Central Oregon. Learn more and be part of this important work by visiting layitoutfoundation.org.
Tom Cheney, a longtime unhoused resident at Juniper Ridge, helped a friend source aluminum siding for his shelter on June 2.
Peter Madsen
Bend Chamber CEO Takes Job with the City of Bend Chamber CEO Katy
Brooks transitions to new Economic Development Officer position
By Julianna LaFollette
The Bend Chamber announced on May 28 that its CEO, Katy Brooks, will step into a new role with the City of Bend on June 30. Having seen significant growth in Bend’s economy since she joined the Chamber in 2016, Brooks hopes to bring her expertise in growth and community opportunity to her new role as Economic Development Officer.
The position aligns with a new Bend City Council goal to increase community prosperity through job growth, workforce development and livable wages, according to a City of Bend press release.
This goal, Brooks said, sets the table for developing strategies and opportunities to support Bend’s economy while growing industry sectors that provide an influx of jobs and revenue into the community.
as far as building business, building companies and creating opportunities for startups all the way up through growth,” she said.
According to the Bend Chamber, it is the third-largest membership organization in Oregon, pushing solutions for businesses and the community.
“We're blessed with the fact that people want to live here. Our challenge is to make sure that it's also a place where there’s opportunity to grow a business. In other words, it's a great place to live and a great place to work and own a company or grow a company,” Brooks told the Source.
Being with the Chamber for nearly nine years, Brooks has seen how Bend’s economy has shifted and expanded. Her first impression when she started at the Chamber, she said, was feeling like she landed in a candy store.
“The amount of collaboration and opportunities – the startups, the energy of this town – is pretty profound and it’s only grown since,” she said.
Within the last several years, many organizations, companies and startups have laid roots in the area, she added, making a difference in how many locals can find a job in Bend, and how much the community is growing, both in population and economy.
“It’s why we're ranked so high in so many of the magazines… Bend is really doing something very special,
According to Brooks, the Chamber has contributed to who Bend is as a community, taking on issues that other Chambers typically don’t, including child care, the lack of affordable housing, changes in workforce development – issues that many people don’t realize have a significant economic impact. She hopes to bring some of this focus to her new role with the City.
“We are thrilled to welcome Katy to our team, bringing a wealth of deep experience in economic development in both public and private sectors to help drive our City's vision for economic prosperity,” said City Manager Eric King in a press release.
“With a proven track record leading transformative initiatives such as establishing a workforce homeownership fund and forming the Central Oregon Business Alliance to unify regional economic forces, Katy will lead the charge in implementing innovative strategies that empower our community, strengthen our local economy, and ensure opportunities for Bend’s businesses and residents.”
While the Chamber has not yet selected a new CEO, Brooks said the Board of Directors is currently putting together a recruitment plan. According to Brooks, there will likely be more information within the next two to three weeks.
“It's been an honor, really, to work on not just helping businesses grow and being an advocate for them, but also really getting at some of those issues that it takes collective effort to correct,” Brooks told the Source. “I'm really proud of the work this team has done… I'm sad to go and happy for the opportunity.”
Have You Been Following The Embezzlement Scandal At The Eugene Weekly — As Reported By The Eugene Weekly?
Days after Gov. Tina Kotek revived the extradition of the alt-weekly's bookkeeper, editor Camilla Mortensen dishes on writing about an embezzlement stranger than fiction
By Peter Madsen
If we tracked watercooler topics here at the Source, the story of the Eugene Weekly embezzlement would top the chart.
Here's the skinny: the former bookkeeper of the “Eugene Weekly” was indicted by a grand jury of embezzling about $100,000 (or more like $300,000 considering unpaid debts) from the paper between 2021 and 2023. The bookkeeper, Elisha Young, 38, got picked up on a national warrant in Ohio on May 6. The crazy part? Young walked out of jail just days later because the Office of Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek declined to cover extradition costs. After public outcry, it reversed the decision to cover the fees. Yet, an arrest warrant will have to be reissued. Back on the lam, Young could be anywhere.
The Eugene Weekly broke the news in December 2023 and has covered it since. Other outlets, such as The Oregonian and The New York Times, have reported it, too, shedding light on other extraditions that failed for lack of state funding.
We spoke on the phone with Eugene Weekly Editor Camilla Mortensen to catch up on the latest.
(This interview has been condensed for length and clarity.)
the Source: What's the latest?
CM: We haven't gotten any calls that she's been arrested again. I keep checking with the Ohio jail.
tS: What’s it like being in the middle of this saga?
CM: It is not what you sign up for when you become a newspaper editor [laughs].
One thing that's really heartening is the number of people that have called the governor's office and the district attorney’s office. Newspapers matter to so many.
tS: How weird would it be if you won journalism awards for the embezzlement coverage?
CM: I am up for an award for a story I wrote about getting stalked, so it wouldn't be out of the question!
tS: I've read that the Eugene Weekly now has certain accounting safeguards. When it comes to hiring editorially, has anything changed?
CM: No, because I actually have some fantastic reporters who have criminal records. We’re really big on redemption. I had an employee who had a heroin problem. He left and got clean. And we hired him back because he was a great employee.
tS: Do you think you might write a book about all this?
CM: I feel like this is almost a made-forTV movie. It's been so dramatic. As soon as I feel relief, I'm like — this isn't done yet.
tS: What’s been a surprising plot twist?
CM: I never saw the governor turning down the extradition. What else? One thing I didn't know is that, as a business, you don't just have to prove that the money was taken; you have to prove the person wasn't supposed to take it. I was like, well, she wasn't supposed to give herself a raise. We had to go back and show how our raises and reimbursements work. Luckily, we did have that in place.
tS: Do you feel this might be a scarlet letter on your career? Or, will people see you as the brave captain who weathered a hurricane and returned to port?
CM: My copy editor bought me a t-shirt for my birthday that says: I run a tight shipwreck. [Laughter.] One really gratifying part is that all the journalists I talked to understand that editors don't handle the finances; we handle the content.
tS: Do you wonder what redemption might look like for Elisha?
CM: A detective said she could be made to pay restitution. I sincerely hope she can turn her life around. It can't feel good to have hurt the paper and the community. Read the full version of this story at Bendsource.com.
—This story is powered by the Lay It Out Foundation, the nonprofit with a mission of promoting deep reporting and investigative journalism in Central Oregon. Learn more and be part of this important work by visiting layitoutfoundation.org.
BendChamber
Brooke Tache
Eugene Weekly editor Camilla Mortensen in her office.
Redmond Airport Gets Final Costs Approved, Construction to Begin Soon
By Julianna LaFollette
On May 27, the Redmond City Council approved final cost estimates for the Redmond Municipal Airport expansion in the amount of $98,059,847, as well as other approvals on designs and inspection costs. The final approvals come ahead of the upcoming expansion, which is set to begin on June 18. With a rapidly growing region, and passenger counts increasing from 500,000 to 1.2 million over the past 10 years, the Redmond Airport expansion will accommodate capacity demands, improve ADA accessibility and enhance passenger experience.
While the official groundbreaking will take place on June 18, Jodi Low with the Redmond Airport, says passengers will start being rerouted through the airport concourse on June 17. The project is expected to continue through 2027, with a grand opening in 2028.
During construction, passengers can expect certain changes when traversing through the airport. All boarding will take place in gates one through five, and
passengers will be guided along a clearly marked route once outside on the tarmac, to bypass construction of an underground baggage tunnel.
In August, other detours will take place to reroute people through a tunnel to keep passengers safe during construction.
While Low said the initial construction on the baggage tunnel will result in a slightly longer walk, the
trek will shorten up in August, when the airport adds storage containers to create a covered walkway for the duration of the construction.
The expansion will add more than 80,000 square feet of new space including seven new jet bridges, eliminating the need for passengers to walk outside. Other additions include expanded waiting areas, additional terminal passenger seating and over 6,000 square feet of new concessions. Additional amenities coming with the expansion include new restrooms and a post-security service animal relief area.
The project is estimated to cost about $180 million and will be paid for through state and federal funding, grants and an airport bond. Revenue from the airport, including money from parking and concessions, will also go toward funding the expansion. Taxpayers will not be directly paying for any of the expansion project.
PAUL EDDY
LIVE TUNES AT THE PUB
Central Oregon’s own Paul Eddy will play hits through the decades, plus songs from his latest album, “Oregonian.” Thu., June 5, 5:30pm at Cascade Lakes Brewing Pub at 7th Street. 855 SW Seventh St., Redmond. Free.
CONQUER THE CANYON
RUN THE DRY CANYON TRAIL!
With 5k, 10k and half-marathon distances, this annual race winds through both urban and natural landscapes. Steep rocky walls and twisted junipers make for great views while you run! Post-race celebrations include music, beer, food and local health and wellness vendors. Sat., June 7, 9am at Centennial Park. 446 SW 9th St., Redmond. $45-$85.
Above and below are renderings of what the airport improvements will look like.
Photos courtesy Redmond Airport
A vision for a walkable, mixed-use community in the Bend Central District is on the horizon, but progress on housing is stagnant as barriers to development remain
By Julianna LaFollette
Just east of downtown Bend lies the focal point of a long-planned revitalization aimed at transforming the widely undeveloped Bend Central District into a walkable, mixed-use community hub.
With a vision that transforms the so-called “underutilized” area, advocates have been working with community members and the City of Bend to help invest in the central area, creating a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood where people can live, shop and dine in the heart of Bend. The area, which consists of housing, retail and industrial-use businesses, as well as empty lots, is between the Bend Parkway to the west, 4th Street to the east, and NE Revere Avenue to the north and the railroad to the south.
In 2016, the City of Bend identified the BCD as an opportunity area, suitable for new growth. It was highlighted as a place that could welcome additional residential units and higher-density growth. As a result of this, the City prescribed different development standards in the BCD, allowing mixed-use developments and greater heights – four or five story developments.
But since that initiation nearly 10 years ago, progress has been slow.
With advisory boards and City decisions, certain infrastructure and planning efforts have moved forward, promoting more development in the area. Recently, a beloved Bend cocktail bar, Dogwood, moved onto Second Street in the BCD, paving the way for other businesses to follow suit, giving the area more charm and appeal. A brewery, Funky Fauna, also recently took over a space previously occupied by Humm Kombucha on Second Street.
Kurt Alexander, the president of the BCD Business Association and the developer for Dogwood, believes a continuation of businesses coming to the area will entice housing developments to go up.
“These cool, small artistic businesses are catalyzing forces... Campfire Hotel was a catalyst. Dogwood at the Pine Shed is a catalyst. Funky Fauna was a catalyst,” he told the Source. “One of the reasons I did Dogwood was to make it more palatable for me and the other developers to be able to develop up, create housing and to make this the live/work district.”
Housing developments are seen as the next step to accelerate the overall development of the area. But uncertainties around the vision and the City’s plans for
the area are leaving some developers hesitant to make the first move.
In recent years, the City has made several attempts to assist in revitalizing the district. Last summer, the City approved plans for a pedestrian bridge, called the Hawthorne bridge after the street it will be placed upon, that will serve as an amenity and connection to and from Bend’s downtown, set to start construction in late 2027 or early 2028. In September, the City purchased several lots along Franklin Avenue and Second Street, with plans of turning them into a new city hall building and public plaza space.
The current priority for the City is infrastructure in the BCD, upgrading streets and sidewalks on Second Street and improving pedestrian safety on Franklin Avenue, officials say.
But with the city hall project lacking an official timeline, developers say it’s difficult to move forward without clarity on the City’s other official plans for its properties.
Investing in a vision
Central Oregon LandWatch, the public lands watchdog organization, has been involved in the BCD since about 2016, when the City was looking for opportunity areas within the city limits of Bend.
“Looking at all of those places, it was like, there's one place here that really has so much potential, but just really needs a lot of TLC. It needs more time, needs
“We’ve got to get more going on down there to help that momentum move forward. It's an exciting project, tons of potential, the location is amazing. There are just some hurdles we’ve got to figure out.”
—Dan Van Valkenburg
more resources, it needs more attention,” said Corie Harlan, LandWatch cities and towns program director.
“This is just one of the places in our community that has so much potential and does really have tremendous community support behind what the vision for that place is.”
Harlan serves as the chair of the City’s Core Area Advisory Board, which advises the Bend Urban Renewal Agency on implementing core area tax increment financing, which can be used to invest in future projects in the area. The program allows any new tax dollars generated from yearly growth or redevelopment of the property to go back into the area.
“TIF is really the main tool that we have to support developers coming in, from a financial perspective,” said Matt Stuart, the City of Bend’s real estate director.
The dollars
can
be used in various ways to promote
Julianna LaFollette
City of Bend
A rendering of the Hawthorne Bridge, which will connect downtown Bend to the Bend Central District.
development: through transportation projects, development or businesses assistance or affordable housing systems. The first round of funds, according to Stuart, is currently going toward street improvement projects on Second Street and Franklin Avenue.
While Harlan acknowledged that progress has been slow, she hopes the current infrastructure improvements in progress, including one currently underway on Second Street, will help catalyze more private developments.
According to Harlan, CAAB hopes to see more clarity from the City regarding its timeline on the vision for the city-owned properties in the BCD. More information about future plans, she said, will help promote development and, specifically, housing.
Housing first
Dale Van Valkenburg, director of planning for local developer Brooks Resources, agrees that housing is a priority in the BCD to spark other development. However, no one wants to be the first.
“Being that first project to prove that it can work — being the first resident in some new housing down there, you have to have some faith in what the vision is and that it's going to change,” said Van Valkenburg, who also serves as vice-chair on the CAAB.
Brooks Resources became involved in the BCD around 2016. The group currently owns a property off of Franklin Avenue and Second Street, most recently used as temporary shelter building for The Lighthouse, as well as the Blue Dog RV facility. It owns another property along Hawthorne Avenue, next to the planned pedestrian bridge.
As the pandemic was starting, Van Valkenburg said, the company, along with Taylor Development, had plans to build 150 residential units in a mixed-use building. The group, however, put the project on hold due to escalating costs and uncertainty around Cityowned properties in the BCD.
While Van Valkenburg says he believes in the vision and wants to see more development, high costs and economic uncertainty are adding another barrier for developers.
“Costs are really high. So, you just have a difficult time being able to foresee getting the rents that will actually pay for the project. And then, you add to the fact that it's sitting in the Central District which, right now, is not a real comfortable place. There's issues down there,” Van Valkenburg said.
Among those “issues” that property owners report: the high concentration of services for the city’s houseless population.
Within the defined BCD, are two shelters and a BottleDrop Redemption Center, which is heavily utilized by the population as an income source.
“That's kind of what people think of first when they think of the Central District right now.” said Van Valkenburg.
Tension within the BCD
In the last few years, crime in the BCD has taken its toll, adding another difficult factor to the overall vision. Last year, Bend Police made a targeted attempt at crime reduction due to the number of offenses within the area.
According to Sheila Miller, Bend Police communications manager, officers respond to NE Second Street for calls of all kinds on a daily basis, from trespassing, unwanted subjects on private property, mental health issues, drug issues, people leaving trash or human waste or drinking out of open containers.
Between August 2023 and August 2024, there were 4,854 calls for service in an area between Hawthorne and the railroad tracks to the south, and from the Bend Parkway to NE Fourth Street. Within those calls, officers took 732 cases, identified 1,145 offenses and made 600 arrests. Some 17% of all arrests in the City of Bend
Construction on the Hawthorne Bridge is set to start in late 2027 or early 2028.
took place in this corridor during that time frame.
Eliza Wilson with the Homeless Leadership Coalition questioned crime statistics in the BCD, saying it could be simply due to more people in the area calling the police.
“Are there actual crimes occurring more in that general location, or are people calling the police more often? There's a difference. People have bias toward people experiencing homelessness in the same way they have bias toward other marginalized groups. And so, when I hear that, I'm always like, ‘OK, is that accurate, or are people just calling more often,'” Wilson said.
The BottleDrop Redemption Center, on Second Street and between the City’s properties and Dogwood at the Pine Shed, is a highly trafficked area. Many people loiter within the vicinity of the facility.
Upon reaching out to the Oregon Beverage and Recycling Cooperate, the nonprofit that runs the Bottle Drop facility, it referred the Source to a statement it made in a January article from The Bulletin. The statement said that moving the facility requires a complex evaluation process and has the potential to negatively impact local residents and nonprofits.
Another of the City’s properties in the BCD includes a former motel transformed into a shelter, the Rainbow Motel. Developers say they are unclear on the City’s timeline for the shelter, which was initially meant to be temporary.
According to Stuart, the motel property is the potential site for a future city hall. In the meantime, the City is using it to address shelter needs. Since the continued use of the area is dependent on state funding, Stuart said, there is no set timeline for discontinuing shelter operations.
“I think that some people don't want to see people experiencing homelessness, or struggling. I get that, but it's the reality of every city in America, Wilson told the Source. “We have a housing crisis. I want business in our community, but we also want to make sure people have access to the care that they need.”
A push for clarity and momentum
“There's a lot of tension, maybe, with redeveloping an area that is also providing and has turned into kind of a hub for unhoused services,” said Harlan with LandWatch. “That's a tension that we really just need to get in and grapple with and start to figure out – how are these puzzle pieces gonna fit, what needs to move, what's staying. Those are the kinds of questions that having them answered is going to be so helpful for moving the vision of that place forward.”
Brooks Resources sees the City’s plans for the city hall as a big step in the right direction, as well as converting the Rainbow Motel from a shelter to a longterm supported and affordable housing project.
“I think that the uncertainty over what exactly the City is planning, where exactly it's planning it, and the
timing of it are causing people to sit back and watch a little bit,” Van Valkenburg told the Source.
According to Stuart with the City of Bend, there is currently no decision on what’s going where and what the components are. The City, he said, is currently doing a financial technical analysis for the future city hall and has plans to do a larger master planning effort around the properties it owns.
Stuart said the City intends to wrap up that work toward the end of 2025, seeking direction from the City Council on how to move forward, which will help dictate a timeline for development. At this point, Stuart said, he does not foresee delivery of a new city hall prior to 2030, but the timeline will depend on the results of the analysis.
“We’ve talked with Council, and the direction is that we would like to look at moving city hall to this area. There’s obviously a lot of steps to that,” Stuart told the Source. “There's a lot of pressure for this area to develop, but we also need to be patient and give it time to develop.”
The City is also in the final process of acquiring an additional piece of property in that vicinity that is necessary to meet the minimum site size needed for a potential city hall, according to Stuart.
Van Valkenburg with Brooks Resources says the CAAB is proactively pursuing ways to get projects up in the area and is working with the City to discuss how they can help them better pencil out.
“We’ve got to get more going on down there to help that momentum move forward. It's an exciting project, tons of potential, the location is amazing. There are just some hurdles we’ve got to figure out,” Van Valkenburg added.
According to Harlan, the main challenge in front of the agencies involved is identifying incentives and partnerships that can get mixed-use and housing developments off the ground.
“The pieces are there, the seeds are planted, and it’s happening. Albeit, maybe a little more slowly than we’d all like to see, but it’s definitely happening,” said Harlan.
Julianna LaFollette
City of Bend
SOURCE PICKS
WEDNESDAY 6/4
DRAG RACERS OF BEND
QUEER SOCIAL RUNNING CLUB
This is a weekly event, but fits with our theme! This queer trail-running club is open to all. Expect about 3 miles on trails at a 10-minute mile pace. Wed., June 4, 6:30pm at LOGE. 19221 SW Century Dr., Bend. Free.
FRIDAY 6/6
PRIDE KICKOFF PARTY
A SIZZLING START TO THE WEEKEND
There’s no better way to dive into a packed weekend of events than to get sweaty dancing with all your pals. Hosted by Cliché, with support from Jenn + Juice, this will be a celebratory and inclusive night of dancing and Pride magic. Fri., June 6, 8pm at Volcanic Theatre Pub. 70 SW Century Dr., Bend. 21+. $15 presale; $25 at the door.
FRIDAY 6/6
GLITTER NIPS AND RAINBOW BITS
“WHERE EVERY BODY SPARKLES”
If it wasn’t already on hand, find some glitter, don the sparkles and join Bend Burlesque for a flamboyantly fun time. All of the show’s profits will be donated to local queer and trans community efforts. Fri., June 6, 8pm at Bunk+Brew. 42 NW Hawthorne Ave., Bend. 21+. $25-$140.
SATURDAY 6/7
TROT, ROCK, ROLL & STRUT
5K FOR ALL
A joyful, all-abilities 5k race—come in costume or proudest Pride gear and start your Saturday with some movement. Treats, surprises and prizes along the way, all fueled by a killer playlist and lots of highfives. Sat., June 7, 10:15am at Drake Park. 777 NW Riverside Blvd., Bend. $15.
SATURDAY 6/7
LA BON FRUITY
JUICY BURLESQUE
La Bon Burlesque is celebrating Pride this year with fruit-inspired acts that celebrate queerness, color and unapologetic self-expression. Sat., June 7, 7pm at Craft Kitchen and Brewery. 62988 NE Layton Ave., Bend. Bright, bold, fruit-forward outfits encouraged. 18+. $25-$35.
SATURDAY 6/7
BEND PRIDE AFTER PARTY
DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY
Keep the party going with six DJs across three stages. More dancing, more fun outfits, more queer joy! Sat., June 7, 8pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. 21+. $20.
SATURDAY 6/7
THE HOUSE DOWN
DRAG BRUNCH AT SUNRIVER BREWING
An all-ages event, with a specially curated drink menu and fabulous performances. Breakfast is included in the ticket price. Bring your ones to tip the queens! June 7, 10am-1pm at Sunriver Brewing Eastside. 1500 NE Cushing Dr., Bend. $50.
SATURDAY 6/7
BEND PRIDE
CELEBRATE ALL DAY
With the theme, “Never Going Back,” this is the main event put on by Bend Pride organizers. Celebrating progress, resilience and community, expect vendors, live music and food at this all-ages, all-day party. Sat., June 7, 11am-5pm at Drake Park. 777 NW Riverside Blvd., Bend. Free.
SUNDAY 6/8
DIVA DRAG BRUNCH
SASHAY, SLAY AND SOUFFLÉ
Featuring drag, burlesque, acrobatics and dancing— performed by the best of the best across the Pacific Northwest. June 8, 11am at Campfire Hotel. 721 NE 3rd St., Bend. 21+. $25.
SUNDAY 6/8
POOL PARTY
BOOKEND YOUR WEEKEND WITH CLICHÉ
Rounding out Pride weekend, Cliché will host a poolside party! Hot weather, hot tunes, cold beverages. Sun., June 8, 2-6pm at Campfire Hotel. 721 NE 3rd St., Bend. 21+. $20.
Courtesy Cliché
Courtesy Campfire Hotel
S SOUND Getting to Know Bend's Own Disney Composer, Dave Metzger
With "Frozen," "The Lion King," "Moana," "The Tonight Show," and much more to his credit... Dave is a musical powerhouse
By Julie Hanney
Whether you have children or not, you have almost definitely heard the song, “Let It Go,” from the movie “Frozen.” Guess who orchestrated it?
Dave Metzger. How about the Broadway version of "The Lion King?" Again, Dave. And then there’s “Mufasa,” the prequel to “The Lion King” that came out last year? He was the lead composer on that one. The same is true of the 2023 movie, “Wish,” which was his first big break as a lead composer on a film. Over the span of his career, Dave has been the orchestrator or arranger on dozens of Disney films as well as other studios' projects including “Ant-Man,” “The Avengers,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2,” “The Simpsons Movie” and many more.
the Source: You've had such an amazing career as a composer and arranger. Your IMDB goes on for days! How did you get started composing music.
Dave Metzger: I started writing music when I was 12 years old and that came about by being incredibly fortunate to be randomly placed in a choir class when I was in seventh grade. The teacher was well-known composer Joyce Eilers, and I noticed that a lot of the music we were singing was music she had written, and that spurred me on during the first Christmas vacation to do a quick arrangement of a song. I brought it in, and she saw some kind of promise, I suppose, and immediately took me under her wing. Whenever I would write music, she would always at least give it a read-down in rehearsal, and then pretty quickly we started performing music that I had written in concerts. So, I was incredibly lucky to get that feedback when I was very young, of what the music I was writing sounded like.
tS: What was the next step after writing for your own middle school choir?
DM: I grew up in Corvallis and I was very fortunate that the high school band teacher was kind of legendary. So, I switched to band, and it was the same thing where anything I would write, he would perform. And when I was 16, I saw the first "Star Wars" movie and John Williams' score really just hit me head-on. I knew at that point, that's what I wanted to do for my career, to be a film composer.
tS: Your main instrument is the bass guitar, so did you also do some gigging when you were in college?
DM: Yes, through college and my 20s I played bass in different bands just as a sideline to make money to survive, because writing at that point, well, I was still getting my feet under me.
tS: Your first big breaks were writing for legendary jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, “The Ice Capades”
Show with Jay Leno.” We were just at the point of moving from Southern California back up to Oregon, and Jay Leno had just taken over. There was a brand new band, and Branford Marsalis was the leader. A friend of mine was hired to be the music supervisor, and knowing they needed all new music, he asked me to write charts for the band. So, the first five years we were back in Oregon I wrote 250 or so pieces for “The Tonight Show.”
and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”. How did they come about?
tS: Wow, such a life-changing moment. So, did you go to college to study music?
DM: Yes, knowing, especially back then, that Los Angeles was where all of the film industry was, I knew I needed to go to school down there. So, I went to college in Southern California, and I was on the seven-oreight-year plan, I can't remember how long it took me to get through because I was mostly interested in writing music, so I wasn't really fully going to classes when I should have been.
DM: Where I went to college was one of the top jazz schools in the country and so a lot of my classmates ended up being top-call session musicians in the studios of Los Angeles, and in fact, I still hire a lot of them when I have scores I’m recording down there. Two of my great friends were hired to be in Maynard’s band and so they recommended me to Maynard for writing charts for the band. “The Ice Capades” was kind of similar. A friend of mine knew the guy who was producing music for the Ice Capades and recommended me to do arrangements for them. And the same deal with “The Tonight
"… it’s beyond belief and I don’t even know how it happened, but I’m very appreciative for it every day."
—Dave Metzger
tS: It was in the 90s that you first started working in the film industry?
DM: Yes, my first film orchestrations started in the 90s. I was actually 36 years old when I got my first film break, and it was “Speed 2,” which was a 20th Century Fox movie. This movie connected me with Mark Mancina, who was hired to produce the music for the Broadway version of "The Lion King." He and I hit it off, and he asked me if I would be interested in orchestrating [this project]. This solidified our relationship even more for films as he kept writing for films and I became his orchestrator, arranger and occasional additional music composer.
tS: I recently read that the Broadway version of "The Lion King" is now the third longest running and the highest grossing Broadway show in history.
DM: Oh, it’s incredibly stunning and unbelievable to me.
tS: What’s it like, stepping back and looking at your career now?
DM: It’s so amazing to me that I’ve been able to have this career while living in Oregon. It’s just been a dream come true. Even composing under my own name at the late age I had that actually finally happen, is something I had given up on 10 years ago. I’m so incredibly thankful that I’ve been able to live in Salem for a long stretch, and now in Bend for several years…it’s beyond belief and I don’t even know how it happened, but I’m very appreciative for it every day.
Composer Dave Metzger davemetzgermusic.com
Dave Metzger at a “Wish” event in Hollywood
Disney Studios
CALENDAR
4 Wednesday
The Astro Lounge Karaoke Get here early to put your name on the list! Drink specials every night. 9pm-2am. Free.
Bevel Craft Brewing Larkspur Stand This local bluegrass band blends Americana, folk, and country blues into a lively acoustic sound. Enjoy a pint in the beer garden and soak up the sweet harmonies and high-energy picking of this Central Oregon favorite. 6-8pm. Free.
Blacksmith Public House Head Games Trivia Join us for a Head Games Trivia session every Wednesday night! Put your thinking caps on and bring a team of your smartest friendsFREE to play! Friendly for all ages and team sizes! Compete to win FANfest Concert Tickets First Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
The Capitol The Capitol Karaoke Music Weekly Karaoke at its finest! Central Oregon’s premiere karaoke experience has just moved locations! Now at the Capitol! Drink specials! Air guitars! Come see for yourself. 8pm-1am. Free.
Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market
Paul Eddy Local singer/songwriter sings hits through the decades, plus originals from his new album “Oregonian” on Bandcamp. 5:30-7:30pm. Free.
The Cellar Live Music with Danger Gently Head down to The Cellar every Wednesday to enjoy live music from Danger Gently, a talented rotating cast of characters playing old-timey jams! 6-8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Scott Foxx Solo Come enjoy a fun night with multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter Scott Foxx. He’s a pro, and it shows. 7:30-9:30pm. Free.
Crosscut Warming Hut No 5 Jesse Meade Relax with a pint and enjoy great local music from Jesse Meade. 6-8pm. Free.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House
Head Games Trivia Night Eat. Drink. Think. Win! Head Games multi-media trivia is at Deschutes Bend Public House every Wednesday. Win prizes. Teams up to six. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
M&J Tavern Open Mic Night Downtown living room welcomes musicians to bring their acoustic set or turn it up to 11 with the whole band. Bring your own instruments. 6:30pm. Free.
Market of Choice Bend Scrabble Club at Market of Choice We meet upstairs. We use the 7th edition of the Scabble Players Dictionary. New Scrabble players are welcome. If you have a Scrabble set, please bring it as a backup. 6-8:30pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Mellow Wednesday Acoustic Open Mic and Jam hosted by Derek Michael Marc Sign-up sheet is available at 6:30pm. 7-9pm. Free.
Pinky G’s Pizzeria MUSIC BINGO Join music Bingo (think Bingo and Name that Tune). Great food, cold drinks and good times. Free to play and prizes for each round winner. 6-8pm. Free. Ponch’s Place Bingo Wednesdays at Ponch’s Place Enjoy Bingo at Ponch’s Place on Wednesdays. 5:30-7pm. Free.
Prost! - Bend Trivia Prost! UKB Trivia is now at Prost! Genuine UKB Trivia is no average trivia night! Meet up with friends, win gift card prizes for top teams! Enjoy Prost’s authentic beer and food menu. Trivia is free to play, with no buy-ins! 7-9pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Swing Night with Haute Mélange Space to dance, special guests, fantastic food trucks and some of the best craft beer in Bend. 6pm. $10.
Worthy Brewing - Main Pub and Brewery Funk Around and Find Out Funk Around and Find Out is a high-energy funk/fusion ensemble that brings a fresh, groovy twist to popular tunes spanning decades. Inspired by groups such as Scary Pockets and Pomplamoose, it’s a sonic experience that will have you dancing and grinning from the first note. 7:30-9:30pm. Free.
5 Thursday
The Astro Lounge Karaoke Get here early to put your name on the list! Drink specials every night. 9pm-2am. Free.
Austin Mercantile Live Music Every Thursday Join at Austin Mercantile for live music every Thursday. Offering a light happy hour menu — daily flatbread, chili, charcuterie, soft pretzels and more! 4:30-6:30pm. Free.
Bar Rio Live Music at Bar Rio Grab your favorite bites and sips and relax into the music— ranging from jazz and blues to pop and flamenco. 6-8pm. Free.
Blacksmith Public House Karaoke with DJ Chris Join us on our indoor stage for Karaoke night! Every Thursday from 6:30-8pm. We have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, great drink options, and lots of food trucks! Family and dog friendly. 6:30-8pm. Free.
Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Thursday at Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Thursdays at 6:30pm at Bridge 99 Brewery with Useless Knowledge Bowl. It’s no ordinary trivia night, Team up to win house gift cards! Great brews, cocktails, and more. In-house menu and food truck options available! It’s free to play. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 63063 Layton Ave, Bend. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Bunk+Brew Karaoke Thursdays Sing your heart out at Bunk + Brew’s Karaoke Night! Whether you’re a pro or just love the spotlight, all voices are welcome. Food carts available all evening! Located in the Historic Lucas House Living Room for winter. 7-10pm. Free.
The Capitol Party Latino @ The Capitol Get ready to dance the night away at the hottest Latino party in town. Join us at The Capitol the first Thursday of every month for a night filled with vibrant music and amazing company. A quick dance lesson will be offered at the beginning of the night. 8:30-11:45pm. Free.
Cascade Lakes - Pub at 7th Street Paul Eddy Local solo artist sings hits through the decades, plus songs from his new album “Oregonian.” Free.
Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market Bingo in Support of Think Wild Win cash prizes while supporting wildlife conservation, rescue and education. No registration required. Cash or Venmo accepted for card purchases. Come out and have fun! 5-7pm. Free.
The Cellar Live Irish Trad Music with The Ballybogs! Join us for a night of live music featuring Bend’s Irish Trad band, The Ballybogs! Every Thursday at The Cellar. Seats fill up, so get there early if you can! 6-8pm. Free.
Charlies OK Barber Shop Chasin’ Bandits feat. Christie Strode at OK Barber shop Alley Chasin’ Bandits will play in the Alley next to OK barber shop during Madras community First Thursday.. Food Carts, beer and wine available. Stroll through the vendor booths at First Thursday then stop in at the Alley and grab a beer and listen to some great tunes. 5-7pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Anderson Knight Koenig Anderson Knight Koenig is a Bend-based singer/songwriter. 7:30-9:30pm. Free.
Crave Bend COMEDY OPEN MIC NIGHT Comedy Open Mic Night on the SW side of Bend! Adults only encouraged. Intimate, smaller venue, healthier food and beverages, and an interactive night of comedy every Thursday! Hosted By Hopper. 7-9pm. Free.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House Stand-Up Comedy It’s time for Stand-Up Comedy with Soul of Wit Productions! Get ready to laugh until your sides hurt at this hilarious night of comedy. First Thursday of every month, 7-9pm. $25.
The Dez Lounge Open Mic Join Joyful Lane at open mic night! Enjoy NA cocktails, charcuterie and dessert while listening to local talent! 6-9pm. Free.
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Dogwood At The Pine Shed Let’s Have a Kiki A weekly 2SLGBTQIA+ night hosted by Cliché, with a new featured resident DJ each month. Kicking off the series in May with DJ Lunallday. Let’s have a kiki! 7-10pm. Free.
Elements Public House Trivia Night at Elements Public House with QuizHead Games Come be all you can be with Trivia Night every Thursday from 6-8pm! Featuring QuizHead. games. Located at the north end of Redmond. Full bar and great food! 6-8pm. Free.
Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards Grits n’ Gravy Grits n’ Gravy, formerly known as the Dry Canyon Trio is a smaller version of the full band, Dry Canyon Stampede. A folksy take on traditional country music featuring Lilli Worona, Mike Biggers & Kurt Silva! Lilli Worona is a well known fiddle player and singer/songwriter in Central Oregon. 5-8pm. $15.
Hayden Homes Amphitheater Mumford & Sons - 2025 Tour The band kicks off their summer tour at Hayden Homes Amphitheater, their only Pacific Northwest play, for what promises to be a dynamic evening brimming with emotion, percussive foot stomps and anthemic singalongs. 6:30pm.
The Lot Rusty McRae Rusty McRae is a solo act with rhythm accompaniment. Old and new country music, plus rock, & blues. Fairly new to Central Oregon, after 30 years living and working in Nashville, TN. Rusty was a guitarist and fiddler for traveling bands since the ‘90s. 6-8pm. Free. Midtown Yacht Club Bingo for Bunnies Play bingo, win great prizes and support the bunnies of Ember’s Bunny Rescue! Family friendly, bring your friends. 6-8pm. $3 per bingo card.
Pangaea Guild Hall Intro to D&D Workshop Calling all adventurers! Have you wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but have no idea where to start? Pangaea Guild Hall presents an “Intro to D&D” workshop series hosted by yours truly, Guildmaster Chris! Learn to build and play your own D&D character. Call or email to reserve your spot! 6-9pm. $10.
Ponch’s Place Trivia Thursdays at Ponch’s Place Trivia Thursdays at Ponch’s Place with QuizHead Games. 6-8pm. Free.
River’s Place Mari & The Dream Blending a kaleidoscope of genres into their own unique sound. With influences ranging from blues and psychedelic rock to emo, funk, folk and punk— they defy categorization. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Tensas & The Mourners, Jackrat & Dogger Tensas & The Mourners are a dark yet energetic roots rock band from Colorado hell bent (no pun intended) on giving a hell of a live performance. Commonly referencing stories of loss, turmoil and hollow victories Tensas and the Mourners has a distinct sound that is difficult not to enjoy. 7pm. $12-$15.
Silver Moon Brewing Trivia on the Moon Come down to Silver Moon Brewing for a night of trivia! Teams are welcome to show up in groups up to 8 people. Silver Moon also offers seating reservations for $20 donations that all go to F*Cancer! If you would like to reserve a table please contact the Trivia on the Moon Facebook page. 7pm. Free.
6 Friday
Live at the Vineyard: The Substitutes Rock the Night Away with The Substitutes at Faith Hope & Charity Vineyards! Get ready for a high-energy night of classic rock with The Substitutes—Central Oregon’s self-appointed “Rock and Roll Border Patrol” since 1996! These rock veterans have been defending your right to rock for over two decades. 6-9pm. $15.
In its second year and supporting Sisters Trail Alliance, the Barnduster Gran Fundo is an untimed, mostly self-supported gravel ride. The event organizers put an emphasis on fun and encourage riders of all levels to join. Sat., June 7, 8am at Fir Street Park, Sisters.
Courtesy Barn Duster Gran Fundo
ummer
Music festival
UNE 6TH - HELLER HIGHWATER
JUNE 13TH - TWIN ENGINES DUO
JUNE 20TH - BROKEN CHARLEY
CHARLEY
JUNE 27TH - SIDNEY JOSEPH
JUNE - SIDNEY
JULY 4TH - RUSTY FRETS
JULY 11TH - BILL POWERS
JULY L 18TH - LOS DOMINANTES DEL VA V LLE
JULY 25TH - ROD DEGEORGE
AUGUST 1ST - THE ROCKCHUCKS
AUGUST 8TH - DRY CANYON STA T MPEDE
AUGUST 15TH - JEN HOWARD
AUGUST 22ND - LONG GONE WILDER
PM 8PM
AUGUST 29TH - KYLE HUBBARD
UGUST 22ND - LONG GONE WILDER T H - KYL
5PM - 8PM EVERY FRIDAY | OUTDOOR RINK *FREE ADMISSION*
LOCAL BREWS. FAMILY FRIENDLY.
OOD FRIE DLY.
GOOD VIBES.
CALENDAR EVENTS
Start warming up your 2011 singalong voice for two nights of Mumford and Sons at Hayden Homes Amphitheater! Sway to foot-stomping anthems and tender ballads Thu., June 5 and Fri., June 6, 6:30pm.
Bend Cider Co. Lilli Warona & John Shipe
Come out to Bend Cider for a lovely summer evening in our beautiful backyard. This week we will be featuring the very talented Lilli Warona & John Shipe, performing Americana/folk. Enjoy delicious ciders, beer, wine & n/a beverages. Tapas menu on site, outside food welcome. Kid & dog-friendly. 6-8pm. Free.
Big E’s Sports Bar and Grill Karaoke Night A Fine Note Karaoke will be up and running again every Friday night. Please come out and share in our celebration. 8pm. Free.
The Capitol Maxx Eddy A sharp, chaotic and hilarious comic seen at Netflix Is a Joke and SF Sketchfest. Free for Bend Comedy Festival pass holders, or grab individual tickets now! 6:308:30pm. $20.
The Capitol Proper with Giancarlo & Mr. Danimals Monthly DJ Residency with Giancarlo (Fantastic Voyage) & Mr. Danimals (House of Sutiki.) First Friday of every month, 9pm-2am. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Almost Almost serves up takes on rock music spanning the wildest decades, from the gritty ‘70s to the rebellious ‘80s and grunge-fueled ‘90s. 8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Commonwealth DJ Dance Party with TRUNORTH Join TRUNORTH as he makes his way down from the 49th parallel, spinning the latest and greatest, raising the bar on this year’s playoff season. Join him Friday and Saturday nights at The Commonwealth Pub and cheer on the beats from soul, to funk, to today’s hits. 9pm-Midnight. Free.
Cross-Eyed Cricket Olivia Harms & The Roadrunners Olivia Harms was born Western music royalty, but the rhinestone cowgirl has stepped out on her own to craft music that is equal parts Texas, Bakersfield and Nashville country, making her very own honky tonk sound. 9-11pm. Free.
Desert Inn Sports Bar & Grill Chasin’ Bandits feat Christie Strode Chasin’ Bandits play country, rock & Southern rock tunes. Christie Strode adds her vocal talents to many of your favorite songs. The Desert Inn has a great menu w Prime Rib Fridays. Catch this talented band first Friday monthly all season long. Great vibes off the Culver Hwy! First Friday of every month, 7-10pm. Free.
The Dez Lounge DJ Preet DJ Preet serves as your in-house resident DJ for First Fridays at the Dez. Dress festive and come prepared to enjoy vibrant beverages accompanied by spicy beats and luscious soundscapes. First Friday of every month, 6-9pm. Free.
Domino Room School’s Out Rock Show with Hella Shy & Punk Lab Music Flow is bringing the youth for this high-energy showcase of our most advanced young rockers from our music school. Student rock bands Hella Shy and Punk Lab will serve up a rockin’ show you will not want to miss! 6-9pm. $15-$20.
Hardtails Bar & Grill Stage 28 Karaoke
Come out for a night of Stage 28 Karaoke with your host Miss Min! What’s your go-to karaoke tune? Come to Hardtails for a fun Friday night and sing your heart out! 8pm-Midnight. Free.
Hayden Homes Amphitheater Mumford & Sons - 2025 Tour The band kicks off their summer tour at Hayden Homes Amphitheater, their only Pacific Northwest dates, for what promises to be a dynamic evening brimming with emotion, percussive foot stomps and anthemic singalongs. 6:30pm.
M&J Tavern Vanderwalls with Mougli and the Blues High-energy and experimental alt-rock! 9pm. Free.
Revival Vintage Revival Vintage Porch Party with The Tortilla Chips Enjoy the tunes of the Tortilla Chips out on the front porch of Revival Vintage while shopping vendors in the driveway. Pop into the mobile tattoo bus for some ink or head indoors to peruse vintage treasures. Complimentary bevs and bites provided by local sponsors! 4-9pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing The Crazy Happy Silly Funny Nerdy Show: A Comedy Focused Variety Show That’s CHSFN for short and each show we’ll put on a unique mix of people and personas fitting any or all of the show’s adjectives. Performance styles may include stand-up comedy, storytelling, improv, live music, rare or odd talents and even a TED Talks style speech. 7-9:30pm.
Silver Moon Brewing An Evening with Tony Smiley Tony Smiley has captured audiences with raw rhythms of live looping. This musical savant loops his way through a unique genre of music that you won’t find anywhere else. All with a witty, engaging and energetic stage presence. 7pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing So Much House: Fluffy Stuff & Luxo SoMuchHouse: Bend debut DJ set by Fluffy Stuff with support by Luxo. B2B set by Its Fine & MStarkDJ. Dance, community, house music. Join for this special night! First Friday of every month, 8pm-2am. $15.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Pride Kickoff Party Cliché is back to kick off Pride 2025 in Bend at Volcanic Theatre Pub with support from Jenn + Juice! Come celebrate with the community in an inclusive enviorment. Tickets will sell out! 8pm. $15-$25.
The Yard @ Bunk + Brew
Bend Burlesque: Glitter Nips & Rainbow Bits
Time to bust out your glitter, rainbows and pride for this fabulous show that celebrates our queer and trans community. It’s gonna be naughty, it’s gonna be flamboyant, there will be glitter everywhere! 8-10pm. $25-$70.
7 Saturday
Live at the Vineyard: Motel Kalifornia Eagles Tribute Relive the Classics! The Eagles formed in 1971, and their impact on rock music is undeniable—five #1 singles, six #1 albums, and a collection of Grammy & American Music Awards. Motel Kalifornia pays tribute to their unforgettable sound while also rocking hits from America, John Denver, The Doobie Brothers. 6-9pm. $35.
The Ale Apothecary Tasting Room
Lunchlady & Long Operators Lunchlady and Long Operators bring their unique and high-energy sounds to the Ale Apothecary for a night of raucous debauchery. 6-8am. Free.
Austin Mercantile Saturday Afternoon Live Music Austin Mercantile is now adding live music on Saturdays! Serving wine, beer, lite happy hour menu, gifts and home decor. Hope to see you soon! 4:30-6:30pm. Free.
The Belfry Zepparella Zepparella shows replicate the nuance and detail of Led Zeppelin’s catalog while honoring the powerful improvisational journeys for which Zeppelin shows were renowned. 8-11pm.
Bend Cider Co. Seismic Standard & Paggi
Enjoy this pop-up concert at Bend Cider in Tumalo with Portland-based folk/Indie trio Seismic Standard. 4:30-7:30pm. Free.
Bevel Craft Brewing 6th Anniversary Party! Vintage & reserve beer releases, live music from One Mad Man and April O’Neil & the Trapper Keepers, flash tattoos by Ali Fay and the K9 Kings Flying Dog Show. Noon-9pm. Free.
The Capitol Rare Form w/ Soft Clip and Mafimi (Montly DJ Residency) Bend’s finest nightclub. featuring bend’s finest djs, atmosphere and premium sound system. First friday features: Rare Form w/ Soft Clip and Mafimi First Saturday of every month, 9pm-2am. Free.
Century Commons Taps and Trucks
The Jugulars The Jugulars have been entertaining audiences in central Oregon for six years. They play everyone’s favorites, as well as several originals. Bring your dancing shoes. 5-8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub The Substitutes For over two decades we have dedicated ourselves to honoring the tradition and integrity of what it means to be a rock band. 8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Commonwealth DJ Dance Party with TRUNORTH Join TRUNORTH as he makes his way down from the 49th parallel, spinning the latest and greatest, raising the bar on this year’s playoff season. Join him Friday and Saturday nights at The Commonwealth Pub and cheer on the beats from soul, to funk, to today’s hits. 9pm-Midnight. Free.
Craft Kitchen and Brewery La Bon Burlesque Presents: Fruity La Bon Burlesque is celebrating Pride this year with fruit-inspired acts that celebrate queerness, color and unapologetic self-expression! 7-9pm. $25- $35.
Crave Bend Shameless: Storytelling Comedy Competition Round 1 Hosted by Hopper Shameless is a no-filter, storytelling competition where comedians take the mic to share their most jaw-dropping, hilarious and completely uncensored true stories. $20.
The Dez Lounge Pete Kartsounes Join local singer songwriter Pete Kartsounes as he shares his music with us in an intimate setting at The Dez! Enjoy NA herbal cocktails, tapas and desserts. 6-8pm. Free.
Hayden Homes Amphitheater Yacht Rock Revue - Yacht Rock Forever Tour Presented by CANN Embark on a nostalgic voyage through the shimmering seas of music with Yacht Rock Revue, the ultimate purveyors of the smooth, yacht rock sound and who many reverently consider the keepers of the Yacht Rock fire. Hailing from Atlanta, GA, this sensational band has captivated audiences worldwide with their immaculate renditions of classic hits from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. 8pm. $37.50.
Courtesy Mumford and Sons FB
McKenzie General Store & Obsidian Grill Skillethead at McKenzie General Store
McKenzie General Store loves being able to provide free family friendly live music to our community of locals, adventures and travelers alike! With our outdoor beirgarden, restaurant and general store we’re sure to have all you need for an unforgettable evening! 6-9pm. Free.
Pangaea Guild Hall Celestial Celebration: Gemini A celebration of those born under the star sign of Gemini. Join us for a night of bespoke cocktails, fine food and more! All ages. 6-11pm. Free.
River’s Place Saturday Jazz Sessions Unique blend of indie-folk and soulful jazz. 6-8pm. Free.
Velvet One Mad Man Music One Mad Man: loops together multiple instruments to create moody, driven backdrops accompanied by smooth vocals. First Saturday of every month, 9pm-Midnight. Free.
Volcanic Theatre Pub BENDing Strings: Pacific Northwest Rock Night Starting the night with Sungrater from Bend, then Fluid Druid from Portland, Batwave from Bend (celebrating their 1 year anniversary), and ending the night with Spirit Mother from Eastern Oregon. 8pm. $18.
8 Sunday
Bar Rio Live Music at Bar Rio Grab your favorite bites and sips and relax into the music—ranging from jazz and blues to pop and flamenco. 6-8pm. Free.
The Commons Cafe & Taproom Trivia Night Sunday Funday Trivia with Sean. Gather your team, or roll solo and find a spot early in the cafe, knowledge tests begin at 6pm. Prizes for 1st and 2nd place. 6-8pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Head Games Trivia Night Eat. Drink. Think. Win! Live multi-media trivia every Sunday @ 6pm. The Commonwealth Pub - Bend Free to play. Win prizes. Teams up to 6. 6-8pm. Free.
River’s Place The Brainy Brunch Trivia! Useless Knowledge Bowl Trivia presents “The Brainy Brunch!” Bring your crew of friends or family and a pen/pencil! Play for fun and gift cards, play for free! Experienced, independent, locally owned and operated! Noon. Free.
River’s Place Great American Trainwreck Americana/bluegrass/southern rock. 5-7pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Open Mic at the Moon Get a taste of the big time! Sign-up is at 4pm! Come check out the biggest and baddest open mic night in Bend! 5-8pm. Free.
Tower Theatre The Dollop - The Dollop Podcast Live 7:30pm. $26.5-$76.5.
Volcanic Theatre Pub Overtime: The Long Way Home Tour w/ Krizz Kaliko Overtime embarks on The Long Way Home Tour, set to kick off in support of his upcoming album of the same name. Joined by legendary rapper Krizz Kaliko and Chandler P. 7pm. $30.
9 Monday
Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Mondays at Bridge 99 Trivia Mondays at 6:30pm at Bridge 99 Brewery with Useless Knowledge Bowl. It’s no ordinary trivia night, Team up to win house gift cards! Great brews, cocktails, and more. Inhouse menu and food truck options available! It’s free to play. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 63063 Layton Ave, Bend. 6:30-8:30pm. Free.
Bunk+Brew Backyard Open Mic Mondays Bring the energy and hit the stage! Sing, rap, tell jokes or vibe out with the crowd. Killer eats from food carts and beer truck flowing all night. 6-10pm. Free.
The Commonwealth Pub Monday Night Musicians Showcase: Hosted by FAFO Come showcase your sound, discover fresh talent and enjoy a night of incredible live music. Hosted by Funk Around & Find Out, we’re creating a space where musicians can stretch out, jam, tighten up or spark something new. Full backline provided. 6-9pm. Free.
Crux Fermentation Project Trivia Night @ Crux Trivia Night at Crux! First place team wins a $25 gift card! 6-8pm. Free.
Elixir Winery and Tasting Room Locals Music Night and Open Mic Bend’s friendliest open-mic! All genres welcome. Oregon and international wine, beer and tapas menu available all evening. 6-9pm. Free.
Immersion Brewing Open Mic hosted by Bend Comedy All performance types are welcome! All ages are welcome to attend and perform! All acts are eligible to audition to perform in a future Bend Comedy show! 7-9pm. Free.
JC’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Karaoke kicks off at 8pm with our awesome host Van! Come early to get a prime seat. Happy hour lasts all day and our pool tables are free Mondays. 2 & 8pm. Free.
On Tap Locals’ Day Plus Live Music Cheaper drinks all day and live music at night, get down to On Tap. 11am-9pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Beertown Comedy Open Mic Voted #1 Open Mic and Locals Night, Beertown Comedy’s Open Mic happens every Monday at Silver Moon Brewing. Free to watch and perform! Sign-ups at 6:30pm, show at 7pm. With 20 spots available, bring your best jokes and get noticed for paid gigs. Laughter guaranteed! 6:30-9pm. Free.
10 Tuesday
The Astro Lounge Karaoke Get here early to put your name on the list! Drink specials every night. 9pm-2am. Free.
Bevel Craft Brewing Puzzled Pints Join us for a fun night of word and logic puzzles! Come solo or bring a team—everyone’s welcome and you can join in anytime. Challenge your brain, enjoy great beer and play for free in a laid-back, friendly atmosphere. Let the games begin! 6-9pm. Free.
Bunk+Brew Backyard Trivia Tuesdays! Big brains, cold beers, bragging rights! Battle it out under the stars with rotating trivia themes and epic prizes. Grab food from the food carts and drinks from the beer truck. Think you’ve got what it takes? 7-9pm. Free.
The Capitol The Capitol Karaoke Music Weekly Karaoke at its finest! Central Oregon’s premiere karaoke experience has just moved locations! Now at the Capitol! Drink specials! Air guitars! Come see for yourself. 8pm-1am. Free.
The Cellar Open Mic Open mic at The Cellar hosted by Mari! 6-8pm and all are welcome! 6-8pm. Free.
The Commons Cafe & Taproom Open Mic StoryTellers open mic nights are full of music, laughs and community. Mason James is the host. Poetry, comedy and spoken word are welcome, but this is mainly a musical open mic. Performance slots are a quick 10 minutes each, so being warmed up and ready is ideal. If you wish to perform sign-ups start at 5pm in the cafe. 6pm. Free.
Crosscut Warming Hut No 5 Head Games Trivia Night Live multi-media trivia every other Tuesday at Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5, Bend. Free to play, win prizes, teams up to 6. Please arrive early for best seats. Every other Tuesday, 6-8pm. Free.
Elements Public House Trivia Tuesdays at Elements Public House UKB Trivia is experienced, independent, locally owned and operated! Team up to win house gift cards! 7pm. Free.
M&J Tavern Karaoke Sing your heart out in downtown’s living room. 8pm-Midnight. Free.
Mountain Burger Trivia Tuesday at Mountain Burger Come to Trivia Tuesday at Mountain Burger! Fun and prizes await! 7:30-9pm. Free.
Northside Bar & Grill Karaoke with DJ Chris Ossig Karaoke with DJ Chris. 7-9pm. Free.
Open Space Event Studios Beginner
Comedy Improvisation Ready to grow, laugh and surprise yourself? This beginner improv class at Bend Institute Of Comedy is a fun, supportive space to explore creativity, build confidence and connect with yourself and others. No experience needed—just curiosity and a willingness to play. 6:30-8:30pm. $250.
Pinky G’s Pizzeria TRIVIA NIGHT Test your knowledge in a casual/laid-back atmosphere. Pizza, beer and trivia. Free to play and prizes for 1st and 2nd place. 6-8pm. Free.
Silver Moon Brewing Midnight Morning, Jackrat and Long Operators Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Midnight Morning is a musical brotherhood that has seen it all. Attend one show and you can feel the grunge oozing from the conflagrations, saturating you in nostalgia. 6pm. $15.
MUSIC
From Page to Stage: How Opera Transforms Stories into Music Learn more about the connection between literature and opera. June 5, 6-7pm. Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-312-1032. lizg@deschuteslibrary. org. Free.
Young Artists Scholarship Recital Sunriver Music Festival will feature the 2025 Young Artists Scholarship recipients who are among Central Oregon’s finest young musicians. All are invited to attend and be inspired by the future of music. June 6, 7-8pm. Community Bible Church at Sunriver, 1 Theater Dr., Sunriver. Contact: 541-593-1084. information@sunrivermusic.org. Free.
DANCE
Cuban Salsa Dance Class Series Come learn Rueda de Casino (Cuban Salsa) in this fourweek introductory series! This is a vibrant, community-oriented dance from Cuba that is popular around the world. Fridays, 6-7pm. Through June 27. Unity Dance Collective, 917 NE 8th St., Bend. Contact: 541-610-8865. Sawbouska@gmail.com. $15-$40.
Fire Line Dancing Lessons Free dance lessons each Tuesday night, alternating between swing and line dance sessions. Basic steps, fun for beginner and intermediate dancers. Tuesdays, 7-8pm. Through Sept. 30. Blacksmith Public House, 308 SW Evergreen Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-604-8878. Free.
ARTS + CRAFTS
The Cottage Craft Club Bring a craft, in-process project, garments for mending, or art supplies yearning to be used. We’ll settle into The Cottage at Pomegranate for a calm evening of crafting & conversation. Tea will be provided & some art supplies will be available for spontaneous creating! Free to attend. Sign-up required. First Wednesday of every month, 5-7:30pm. Pomegranate Home and Garden, 120 NE River Mall Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-383-3713. hello@ pomegranate-home.com. Free.
Rebecca Sentgeorge Watercolors
Rebecca Sentgeorge is exhibiting watercolor paintings based on her years of living in China and Japan. The exhibit will be in the mezzanine gallery June-July. June 1-July 31. Touchmark at Pilot Butte, 1125 NE Watt Way, Bend. Contact: 541-238-6101. rsentgeorge@gmail.com. Free.
PRESENTATIONS + EXHIBITS
The Oregon Archaeology Roadshow
The 13th annual Archaeology Roadshow, held at the Deschutes Historical Museum in Bend, focuses on the archaeology of art and craft and features dozens of exhibits and activities hosted by archaeologists and heritage specialists—representing universities, tribes, federal and state agencies, companies and nonprofit organizations. June 7, 11am-3pm. Deschutes Historical Museum, 129 NW Idaho Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-389-1813. info@deschuteshistory.org. Free.
Third Thursday Open Mic at the High Desert Music Hall Spoken word open mic night for all poets, storytellers and writers. This is an in-person program. Join us at the High Desert Music Hall for a spoken word open mic night the third Thursday of the month. All writers and readers and word-lovers invited to attend and read. Every third Thursday, 6-8pm. Contact: 541-312-1063. paigef@deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
WORDS
Current Fiction Book Club We will discuss “Isola” by Allegra Goodman. June 4, 6-7pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 541-306-6564. julie@ roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
Finding the Path to Your Visual Story Francesco Sedita and Prescott Seraydarian discuss what it takes to create a graphic novel. June 7, 10-11am. Downtown Bend Library, 601 Northwest Wall Street, Bend. Contact: 541-3121032. lizg@deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
Bend-based One Mad Man pairs looping instrumentals with smooth vocals. Catch the local’s original sounds at Bevel Craft Brewing Sat., June 7, as part of their sixth anniversary party.
Courtesy One Mad Man FB
Finding the Path to Your Visual Story
Writing Develop ideas for your own graphic novel with Francesco Sedita and Prescott Seraydarian. This workshop is intended for young writers ages 10+ (participants 10 and over may attend unaccompanied by a caregiver). Registration is required. June 7, 11:30am-12:30pm. Downtown Bend Library, 601 Northwest Wall Street, Bend. Contact: 541-312-1032. lizg@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
Local Author Saturday Four Bend-based authors will be at Roundabout Books Noon-2pm to talk about their books. Authors will be seated around the store to talk about their books at your convenience. June 7, Noon-2pm. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 541-306-6564. julie@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.
Tall Annie: A Life in Two Genders Author Anne Graham shares her story. June 7, 3-4pm. Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-312-1032. lizg@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.
OUTDOOR EVENTS
2025 Conquer the Canyon Run Run Through the Heart of Central Oregon! Boasting stunning unique geological features, Redmond’s Dry Canyon Trail is the perfect setting for your quest to conquer the canyon! The steep rocky walls and twisted juniper serve as a tribute to the area’s tormented volcanic past. Weaving through the interesting, majestic landscape, leading you to the center of historic Redmond, you’ll catch impressive natural views and eye-catching city scenes as you finish strong to the cheers in Centennial Park! June 7, 9am. Centennial Park, Evergreen, Between 7th and 8th St., Redmond. Contact: race@layitoutevents.com. $45-$80.
BarnDuster Gran Fundo The second edition of the Barnduster Gran Fundo gravel ride, in support of Sisters Trails Alliance. With an emphasis on fun, the Barnduster is an untimed, mostly self-supported ride, designed to bring gravel cyclists of all levels together for a day of riding and revelry. June 7, 8am. Fir Street Park, Sisters. $95.
Butterfly Walk Explore the delicate and beautiful world of butterflies with the Deschutes Land Trust and Amanda Egertson. Learn how to safely (safe for you AND the butters!) catch and identify butterflies as you delight in up-close encounters with these fluttery creatures. June 6, 11am-1pm. Metolius Preserve, near Camp Sherman, Sisters. Contact: 541330-0017. event@deschuteslandtrust.org. Free.
Evening Bat Walk Join Sara Rose of the Audible Bats Project for a briefing about the native bats of Oregon. Look and listen for bats in the night sky. Learn about the benefits bats offer humans. Hear about the daily challenges these fascinating creatures encounter. June 7, 8-9pm. Lapine State Park, 15800 State Recreation Road, La Pine. Contact: 541-536-2428. stephanie. swift@oprd.oregon.gov. free.
History Wander Join the Deschutes Land Trust and Martha Lussenhop for a history wander at Camp Polk Meadow Preserve and the nearby Camp Polk Cemetery. Camp Polk Meadow Preserve has been an important place for people for thousands of years. Today it is known as a local nature preserve. June 7, 10am-1pm. Camp Polk Meadow Preserve, outside Sisters, Sisters. Contact: 541330-0017. event@deschuteslandtrust.org. Free.
Post-Burn Tour Join the Deschutes Land Trust for a tour of the prescribed burn completed this spring at the Metolius Preserve. The Land Trust is working with our partners at The Nature Conservancy and Deschutes National Forest/ Sisters Ranger District to reintroduce fire to the Preserve. June 6, 2-4pm. Metolius Preserve, near Camp Sherman, Sisters. Contact: 541-3300017. event@deschuteslandtrust.org. Free.
Redmond Running Group Run All levels welcome. Find the Redmond Oregon Running Klub on Facebook for weekly run details. Thursdays, 6:15pm. Contact: rundanorun1985@gmail.com. Free.
Santiam Wagon Road Walk Join the Deschutes Land Trust and Leslie Olson to explore the 150-year-old Santiam Wagon Road at Whychus Canyon Preserve. Hike back in time and imagine traveling West in a wagon train to transport wool from eastern Oregon to the Willamette Valley, or East to graze livestock. June 6, 9am-Noon. Whychus Canyon Preserve, outside Sisters, Sisters. Contact: 541-330-0017. event@ deschuteslandtrust.org. Free.
VOLUNTEER
Bunny Rescue Needs Volunteers
Looking for more volunteers to help with tidying bunny enclosures, feeding, watering, giving treats, head scratches, play time and fostering. All ages welcome and time commitments are flexible — weekly, monthly or fill-in. Located at the south end of Redmond. Email Lindsey with your interests and availability: wildflowerbunnylove@gmail.com. Ongoing.
Redmond Family Kitchen Dinner Family Kitchen is continuing to provide nutritious meals to anyone in need, now in Redmond! Volunteers prepare dinners and clean up afterward. Email Tori with any questions or sign up here: https:// www.signupgenius.com/go/RedmondDinner Mondays-Fridays, 2-4:30pm. Mountain View Fellowship, 1475 SW 35th St, Redmond. Contact: 631-942-3528. tori@familykitchen.org. Free.
Thrive Moving Volunteers Support your neighbors by helping them move to their new home. If interested, fill out the volunteer form or reach out! Ongoing. Contact: 541-728-1022. TCOmoving22@gmail.com.
Trail Improvement Project In honor of National Trails Day, volunteers will work with BPRD staff to trim back overgrown vegetation along the edge of the trail corridor to improve passage. Projects will be on multiple trails throughout the park on both flat and uneven terrain. June 7, 9am-Noon. Shevlin Park, 18920 Shevlin Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-389-7275. info@bendparksandrec.org. Free.
GROUPS + MEETUPS
The Beaver Den Book Club Beavers are remarkable animals that shape ecosystems through their dam-building and habitat creation, influencing other species and environmental processes. To better understand their impact, we host a monthly science reading event where we critically evaluate research papers on beavers. Join us to discuss and explore these fascinating studies together. First Wednesday of every month, 6-8pm. Bend CoWorking, 150 NE Hawthorne Avenue, Bend. Contact: 541-699-1606. maureen@thinkwildco.org. Free.
Osprey Natural History Talk + Osprey Watch Info Session Osprey Watch is a citizen science project tracking osprey nesting success across habitats. Join a Think Wild presentation and learn about volunteer opportunities and nest safety from Pacific Power. Connect with local birders, get updates on nest cameras and engage with regional wildlife groups. June 7, 4-5pm. Redmond Library, 827 Southwest Deschutes Avenue, Redmond. Contact: Klanuza7290@gmail. com. Free.
FUNDRAISING
K.I.D.S. (Kids Inspired Do Succeed) Celebration and Fundraiser K.I.D.S. (Kids Inspired Do Succeed) Celebration and Fundraiser at On Tap Bend! We are raising money to send local underserved kids to camp and to provide local summer and after school activities. Music will be provided by the Doc Ryan Band. June 6, 5-7:30pm. On Tap, 1424 NE Cushing Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-382-5542. kids-inspired.org. Free. Vamonos Outside Swap Meet Join
Vámonos Outside for a special fundraising event featuring second-hand outdoor gear, clothing and footwear available for purchase. All proceeds will directly support our programs, helping to create more opportunities for Latine and BIPOC communities to engage in outdoor recreation. June 8, 9am-5pm. Vamonos Outside, 330 SE Bridgeford Ave. Unit 8, Bend. Contact: Eduardo.romero@vamonosoutside.org. Free.
EVENTS + MARKETS
Bend Handmade Market Come discover the best PNW makers and artists at Urban Craft Uprising’s handmade market! June 7, 10am-5pm. Downtown Bend, Downtown Bend, Bend. Contact: 360-791-1723. info@urbancraftuprising.com. Free. Fill Your Garden Central Oregon Flower Collective’s second annal Fill Your Garden market! Browse plant starts, seeds and fresh flowers. Enjoy demos from local flower farmers and a Q&A with master gardeners, all about growing in Central Oregon. This market is not to be missed! June 7, 11am-4pm. Pomegranate Home and Garden, 120 NE River Mall Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-3833713. hello@coflowercollective.com. Free.
Pride Party 2025 Celebrating 50 years! Featuring a support corner, vendors, food, body painting/glitter, dancing, healing stations, arts & crafts, music and an ABBA karaoke drag-off! June 6, 11am-5pm. Craft Kitchen and Brewery, 62988 NE Layton Ave., Bend. Free.
Terrebonne Grange June Flea Market & Crafts Fun flea market full of buried treasures! Household goods, tools, furniture, jewelry, antiques, yard art, rustic finds, collectibles, guy stuff, seasonal decor, wood crafts, honey, baked goods and lots of miscellaneous. June 6-7, 9am4pm. Terrebonne Grange Hall, 8286 11th St., Terrebonne. Contact: 541-419-8637.
Traveling from Colorado, Tensas and The Mourners bring its roots rock sound to Silver Moon Brewing Thu., June 5, 7pm.
Courtesy Tensas & The Mourners FB
By Nic Moye
GUNG HO "In a Landscape" Returns
Classical pianist performs in remote areas
Classical pianist Hunter Noack is traveling to some of the most peaceful and scenic locations in the west for concerts. The “In a Landscape” series takes classical music into the wild. Noack is performing at three locations in Central Oregon. His 1912 Steinway Model D concert grand piano is hauled on a flatbed trailer.
Audience members can wander the landscape while wearing headphones to blend the beauty of music with nature or bring their own chairs for sitting. Houck’s first stop locally will be at Kahnee-Ta Resort in Warm Springs on June 1. The program will begin with Tribal members taking the stage to share stories about the culture and traditions of the Warm Springs, Wasco and Paiute tribes. Beadwork, photography and art will also be for sale. A special guest, Native American flutist, James Edmund Greeley, will also perform. No outside food or drink is permitted.
Noack will return on June 16, to perform for three nights at Black Butte Ranch. Brooks Resources developed Black Butte 50 years ago. Families of the first three presidents for Brooks Resources will attend opening night: Mike and Sue Hollern, Bob and Janis Harrison and Trish Smith, wife of the late Bill Smith. Concert goers will need to bring their own low back chairs. Outside food and drinks is not allowed, but dogs on a leash are.
On June 19th, the classical pianist will perform at Wine Down Ranch in Prineville. It’s a quarter mile walk
uphill from the parking area. Guests will need to provide their own chairs or blankets. Dogs as well as outside food and drink are allowed, with event organizers encouraging picnics.
“In a Landscape” is now in its 10th season, with 305 concerts. Noack, who created the series, grew up kayaking, fishing and playing piano in Central Oregon. At age 14, he left to study at Interlochen Arts Academy. He has held concerts in iconic landscapes like Crater Lake, Yosemite and Joshua Tree National Parks. He’s also collaborated with dance companies and toured with Pink Martini. Tickets to his local concerts are $45.
In a Landscape Sat., June 1 4-5:30pm Kah-Nee-Ta 6811 Hwy 8, Warm Springs inalandscape.org/events/ $45
In a Landscape Mon.-Wed., June 16-18, 6-7:30pm Black Butte Ranch
13899 Bishops Cap, Black Butte Ranch inalandscape.org/events/ $45
In a Landscape Thu., June 19 6-7:30pm Wine Down Ranch
6500 McKay Creek Rd., Prineville inalandscape.org/events/ $45
Concertgoers are encouraged to bring picnics to Wine Down Ranch.
Arthur Hitchcock
FOOD + DRINK
Bend Farmers Market The Bend Farmers Market is a true farmers market dedicated to supporting the viability of local farmers, ranchers and food producers who offer fresh local produce, protein and farm products to the people of Central Oregon. Wednesdays, 11am-3pm. Through Oct. 9. Brooks Alley, downtown Bend, Bend. Contact: bendfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Free. Farmers Market Farm-fresh produce straight from local growers! One-of-a-kind products: handmade, unique and full of character! Live music, food and beer—because Sundays should be fun! Free Community Booth supporting local nonprofits and initiatives! Sundays, 10am2pm. Through Sept. 28. Worthy Brewing - Main Pub and Brewery, 495 NE Bellevue Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-241-6310. Free.
Redmond Farmers Market Discover the heart of our community at the Redmond Farmers Market! Fun for the whole family. Here, local farmers and artisans come together to share their passion for fresh produce, handmade goods and unique crafts. Fridays, 3-7pm. Through Aug. 29. Centennial Park, Evergreen, Between 7th and 8th St., Redmond. Contact: 541-570-8946. Harvesthouseevents.rdm@gmail.com. Free.
Sisters Farmers Market Join us on Sundays June-Oct for a vibrant community gathering featuring fresh produce, local goods, live music and community activities.The market hosts a diverse range of over 45 Central Oregon vendors weekly. Sundays, 10am-2pm. Through Oct. 26. Fir Street Park, Sisters, Sisters. Contact: sistersfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Free.
Sunriver Farmers Market Discover a wide variety of fresh, farm-to-table products from dedicated local vendors. From freshly butchered meats to seasonal produce, there’s something for everyone. Thursdays, 10am-2pm. Through Aug. 28. Sunriver Resort, 17600 Center Dr., Sunriver. Free.
BEER + DRINK
$10 Coffee + Breakfast Burrito Fridays Your Fridays just got an upgrade! Introducing our breakfast burrito and coffee special with our besties, Bend Breakfast Burrito. Every Friday you can get a breakfast burrito + 16oz drip coffee (or 12oz cold brew) for just $10. Fridays, 7:30-11:30am. Boss Rambler Coffee, 1009 NW Galveston Ave., Bend. $10.
$10 Wing Wednesdays A new weekly special: $10 Wing Wednesdays at Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market. Choose from one of the house-made sauces like Char Sui, This IPA BBQ and Spicy Staycay Pineapple or go naked! Wednesdays, 11am-9pm. Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market, 21175 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend. $16 Fish Taco and House Margarita Fridays Join for 3 fish tacos and a house margarita for only $16 every Friday at Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market. Fridays, 11am-9pm. Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market, 21175 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend.
Apres Ski Happy Hour Swing by Sunriver Brewing Co, Galveston Pub for $5 pints of award-winning craft beer and enjoy our Apres Ski, happy hour food and drink specials weekly 3-5pm. Cheers, Galveston Pub. Mondays-Fridays, 3-5pm. Through June 30. Sunriver Brewing Co. - Galveston Pub, 1005 NW Galveston Ave., Bend. Free. Cross Cut Warming Hut: Locals’ Day! Tuesdays are Locals’ Day. Every Tuesday enjoy $1 off regular size draft beverages. Come by the Warming Hut and hang out by the fire. See you soon, Bend! Tuesdays. Crosscut Warming Hut No 5, 566 SW Mill View Way, Bend.
Educators & Nurses Apprecation Day
We’re raising a glass to those who give so much! Join us for Nurses & Educators Day, where we show appreciation for the heroes in scrubs and classrooms. 50% off all beers and ciders for nurses and educators every Tuesday. Cascade Lakes Pub on Reed Market, 21175 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend. Contact: 458-836-7866. jesse@ cascadelakes.com. Free.
First Friday Oyster Night Viaggio Wine Merchant’s monthly celebration of super-fresh oysters from Washington’s Hama Hama Oyster Company accompanied by an incredible roster of perfectly paired wines, Champagne, craft beer, and European-style small plates. Come early for the best seats and selection and find out why this party is the talk of the town. First Friday of every month, 3-9pm. Viaggio Wine Merchant, 210 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-299-5060. info@ viaggiowine.com. Cost varies.
Flannel Friday Happy Hour Come on down in your Northwest best for Happy Hour! 4-6pm every Friday. $2 off drafts, $1 off everything else. Fridays, 4-6pm. Contact: taryn@ thealeapothecary.com. Free.
Friday Happy Hour Tapas & Wine Kick off the weekend the right way! Every Friday from 4pm on, swing by for a relaxing and social evening at Elixir Wine. $10 wine specials by the glass and $2 off regular glass pours, including our own Oregon & Washington wines. Fridays, 4-7pm. Elixir Winery and Tasting Room, 11 NW Lava Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-388-5330. tastingroom@ elixirwinegroup.com. Free.
Happy Hour Enjoy beautiful Pacific Northwest wines at a huge discount. All happy hour wine is $9 for 6 oz. rosé, white, red. We rotate the wine monthly. May 12-13, 3-5pm. Testimony Wine Bar, 307 NW Sixth St., Redmond. Contact: 5412677979. testimonywine@gmail.com.
Happy Hour Every Day Make every afternoon a little brighter with a hint of British charm at The Commonwealth Pub! From 3-5pm, enjoy drink specials and a cozy pub vibe that’s perfect for winding down. $3 PBRs $5 RPMs $6 Margaritas $7 Wine Happy Hour bites from Whappos! Mondays-Sundays, 3-5pm. Through Dec. 18. The Commonwealth Pub, 30 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-668-6200. thecommonwealthpubevents@gmail.com. Free.
Industry Appreciation Day! 20% off for all Industry friends every Wednesday from 2-8pm! Wednesdays, 2-8pm. Contact: taryn@ thealeapothecary.com. Free.
Riedel Glassware Exploration Join us for a guided tasting experience where you will sample a curated selection of 4 wines in a pinot noir, bordeaux, flute and white wine glass. Fridays, 2-3:30pm. Through June 27. Willamette Valley Vineyards, 916 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541306-6000. bend@wvv.com. $40.
Sangria Sundays Like Sundays in Spain, just add paella. Every Sunday, 2pm-close at Bar Rio in Downtown Bend. Sundays. Bar Rio, 915 NW Wall St., Bend. Free.
Strata Extravaganza 12 breweries from all over Oregon, including some local favorites. Swag giveaways, live music and tasting flights all day, highlighting a variety of beer styles to help you hone your palate. June 7, 11am-8pm. River’s Place, 787 NE Purcell Blvd., Bend. Free.
Taco Tuesdays Join us for a margarita & three tacos for $20! Follow us on Instagram for our specials, live music and events. Tuesdays, 2-10pm. Bar Rio, 915 NW Wall St., Bend. Free.
Walnut Ridge Tasting Join us for a special evening featuring Walnut Ridge Vineyards, a boutique winery nestled just outside of Eugene. Enjoy a curated flight of four estate-grown wines for just $10—complimentary for Flight Club Members. Meet owners Aaron and Alisha Young! June 6, 4:30-6:30pm. Flights Wine Bar, 1444 NW College Way, Bend. Contact: 541-728-0753. events.flights@gmail.com. $10.
Wine Mondays! Every Monday night all glasses of wine are $9! This is an opportunity to try wines from our vast wine list all night long and pair with either tasty small plates or delicious dishes by creative chef Nikki Munk. Mondays, 4-9pm. Portello Wine and Spirits, 2754 NW Crossing Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-385-1777. admin@portellowinecafe.com. Free.
Wine Wednesdays Wine up and wind down, all glasses $10. Every Wednesday, 2pm-close at Bar Rio in downtown Bend. Wednesdays. Bar Rio, 915 NW Wall St., Bend. Free.
Industry Night Every Sunday is Industry Night! If you’re a bartender, server, chef, cook - anyone in the biz - come unwind with: $5 Hornitos or Monopolowa, $7.50 draft domestic beer + well whiskey, and $3.50 tallboys & $10 man-mosas (on special for all!). You work hard-cheers to you! Sundays-Noon2am. JC’s Bar & Grill, 642 NW Franklin Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-383-3000. jcsbend@gmail.com. Free.
Italian + French Wine Tasting Join us for a fantastic offering of French and Italian wines with Bill Elbring of North Berkeley Imports. Special flights and by-the-glass options with Bill behind the bar to answer questions and offer tasting notes. No reservations needed! 3-6pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore some amazing wines! June 7, 3-6pm. Viaggio Wine Merchant, 210 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-299-5060. info@viaggiowine.com. Free.
Ladies Night Hey ladies! Come out for $8 limoncello-spiked bubbles and $2 off all menu cocktails every Thursday. Thursdays, 2-10pm. Bar Rio, 915 NW Wall St., Bend. Free.
Locals Day! Locals Day at the Ale! $2 off drafts and $1 off wine and cider! Wednesdays, 2pm. The Ale Apothecary Tasting Room, 30 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: taryn@thealeapothecary.com. Free.
Locals’ Day Come on down to Bevel Craft Brewing for $4 beers and cider and $1 off wine all day. There are also food specials from the food carts located out back at The Patio! Tuesdays. Bevel Craft Brewing, 911 SE Armour St., Bend. Contact: holla@bevelbeer.com. Free.
Locals’ Night at WaypointBBC Locals’ Night at WaypointBBC! $5 draft beer, $8 house red and white wine and $8 specialty cocktail. Tuesdays, Noon-10pm. Waypoint, 921 NW Mt Washington Dr., Bend. Contact: 458-206-0826. Waypointbbc@gmail.com. Free.
Power Hour Come check out our new Power Hour deals: $3 draft Coors Light, $5 draft beer, food cart specials that will make your taste buds dance! Mondays-Thursdays-Sundays, 8-9pm. Midtown Yacht Club, 1661 NE Fourth St., Bend. Contact: 458-256-5454. midtownyachtclub@ gmail.com. Free.
Wings + TRIVIA + Whiskey Enjoy $0.75 wings, $4.50 well whiskey, $6 seven & sevens while testing your knowledge with Trivia, hosted by our amazing Cole! Take on our infamous “physical” challenge - think paper airplanes, musical chairs, limbo etc! Come eat, drink and bring your A-game! Wednesdays, 7pm. JC’s Bar & Grill, 642 NW Franklin Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-3833000. jcsbend@gmail.com. Free.
Yappy Hour at the Crater Lake Spirits Tasting Room A dog-friendly happy hour with craft cocktails, free pup cups and a spacious dog park. Enjoy sunshine, sips and tail wags all summer long. All friendly, social dogs welcome. Leashes required outside the dog park. See you there! Thursdays, 3-5:30pm. Through Aug. 28. Crater Lake Spirits Distillery Tasting Room, 19330 Pinehurst Rd., Tumalo. Contact: 541-3180200. socialmedia@craterlakespirits.com. Free.
HEALTH + WELLNESS
“For the Health of It” Health and Wellness Fair Join BPRD for a free, fun-filled afternoon focused on your health. We will have over 40 health and wellness providers offering health screenings, demonstrations, community resources, raffles and giveaways. We are also hosting a free community BBQ lunch. June 10, Noon-3pm. Larkspur Community Center, 1600 SE Reed Market Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-382-7275. leighl@bendparksandrec.org. Free.
Central Oregon LGBTQ+ Peer Connection Online Support Group A peer-led support group for adults (ages 18 and older) who identify as LGBTQ2SIA+ and are living with mental health challenges. A diagnosis is not required to participate. This group is facilitated by Central Oregon peers. Schedule: Meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Every other Tuesday, 6-7:30pm. Contact: 541-316-0167. info@namicentraloregon.org. Free.
Popular podcast, The Dollop, draws fans of both history and comedy. To experience the lively storytelling and improv of Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds in person, head to the Tower Theatre Sun., June 8, 7:30pm.
Courtesy The Dollop FB
CHOW C A Bright, Beautiful Fusion of Japanese Technique and Peruvian Soul
Kusshi brings bold Nikkei flavor and date-night vibes to Bend’s westside
By Donna Britt @donnabrittcooks
On Bend’s ever-growing culinary map, Kusshi has landed with confidence, elegance and a style all its own. Once a popular pop-up with a strong local following, Kusshi is now a dynamic new brick & mortar restaurant delivering fresh and refined Nikkei cuisine, the inspired fusion of Japanese and Peruvian culinary traditions.
At the helm are Chef Ian Skomski, a veteran sushi chef with 24 years of experience; Chef Marcus Mitchell, a master of Peruvian cuisine; and Yayoi Moylan, a hospitality expert whose thoughtful front-of-house leadership completes the power trio. Together, they’ve transformed Kusshi from its humble beginnings into a permanent, thoughtfully designed space that offers a front-row seat to one of the most unique culinary fusions in Oregon.
Kusshi exudes warmth from the moment you step inside. With minimalist Japanese touches accented by earthy Peruvian charm, the space is intimate and inviting. It’s perfect for a relaxed dinner, special celebration or a stylish date night. You can see the chefs at work behind the sushi bar, slicing pristine sashimi or plating each dish with meticulous care.
What makes Kusshi so compelling isn’t just the quality of its seafood or its polished service, though both are superb. It’s the vision and synergy. Nikkei cuisine isn’t a gimmick here; it’s an inspired conversation between cultures and every dish on the menu contributes to that dialogue.
I started my evening with the Hamachi Carpaccio, made with yellowtail, ponzu, olive oil and a whisper of jalapeño. It was delicate and vibrant, delivering a perfect bite, both in balance and beauty. Then came the Sashimi Ceviche, a stunning plate of chef’s choice of fresh scallops and two types of tuna, brightened with leche de tigre, olive oil, radish and kaiware. It was artfully arranged and utterly refreshing, a reminder of just
how well Kusshi does with layering acidity, freshness and visual appeal.
But the standout dish of the evening? Seared Hokkaido Scallops. Buttery, rich and deeply satisfying. The scallops were perfectly caramelized and rested atop a bed of miso butter cabbage and pickled shimeji mushrooms. Umami-forward and hearty, this was easily the most indulgent dish of the night, and one I’d return for in a heartbeat.
Fans of sushi will not be disappointed by the Bluefin Tuna Toro nigiri or Bigeye Tuna sashimi, which arrive with a pristine presentation and a flavor that speaks to the quality of ingredients and precision of the kitchen. Each bite is cool, fresh and expertly constructed.
Happy Hour runs Wednesday through Saturday starting at 4 p.m., and the menu is a showcase of small plates that deliver big impact. The popular poke wontons offer crispy, savory bites layered with seasoned fish and avocado. The fried shishito peppers are a perfect snack, lightly blistered and salty with the occasional surprise kick.
For something bolder, don’t miss the beef heart anticucho, a classic Peruvian street dish reimagined with elegance or the crispy pork belly. The lomo saltado, a comforting dish of wagyu beef, crispy potatoes, sautéed onions, tomato, soy glaze and light, sticky rice, is a satisfying entrée that pays homage to Peruvian-Chinese fusion roots.
Kusshi’s bar program is just as creative as its kitchen. A highlight is the Pisco Sour, a nod to Peru’s national cocktail, with a delightfully frothy finish. For something tropical and unexpected, the Pineapple Pisco Punch delivers bright citrus and herbaceous notes. There are also thoughtful non-alcoholic options, including the Chicha Morada, a gorgeous purple elixir made with purple corn, pineapple, orange and warming spices. Delicious and refreshing.
The sake list is well-curated, offering a range of profiles from crisp and dry to floral and aromatic, making it easy to find the right pairing for your meal.
Across the board, Kusshi nails the details. From the gorgeous plating to the consistent freshness of every bite. Each dish is thoughtfully composed, remaining true to its Japanese or Peruvian heritage. Specials rotate frequently, encouraging return visits and culinary exploration. The service is attentive without being obtrusive, reflecting Yayoi Moylan’s clear focus on hospitality that feels personal and genuine.
Kusshi isn’t just one of Bend’s best new restaurants. It’s a destination in its own right. Yes, it’s on the spendier side, but absolutely worth it for the quality, creativity and sheer joy of the experience. Whether you’re sitting at the sushi bar watching the masters at work, sipping a Pisco cocktail or indulging in a perfect bite of scallop or sashimi, every moment feels special.
Kusshi delivers on flavor, innovation, hospitality and atmosphere. If you’re craving something elevated, exciting, and entirely original, this is the place. And just so you know, there’s not a big sign announcing the location, so once you pull into the shopping area, also home to Brave Collective, Nature’s Bling and Bend Pet Express, keep looking around the corners and you’ll spy the unassuming chalkboard sign that points to the place.
Kusshi
113 SW Century Dr., Suite 204, Bend Wed.-Sat., 4-9 pm 541-593-1213
@kusshinw on Instagram or facebook.com/kusshinw
Left, Hamachi Carpaccio is a standout on the Kusshi Happy Hour and regular menu. Middle, the Chicha Morada, made with purple corn, pineapple, orange and spices, is one of several NA drinks on the Kusshi cocktail menu.
Right, Kusshi’s Seared Hokkaido Scallops on a bed of miso butter cabbage and pickled shimeji mushrooms.
Photos by Donna Britt
LITTLE BITES
By Nic Moye
Savory Social Club
Amaterra offers members an elite experience
Anew restaurant/wine bar is opening in downtown Bend on Friday, June
6. Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club is taking over the space once occupied by Domain Serene Wine Lounge. This is its second Oregon location. Amaterra has a vineyard estate and winery in Portland’s West Hills.
The Bend menu features starters like Wagyu Carpaccio with cucumber, snap peas, chive, tempura, citrus aioli and BBQ sauce or seasonal hummus made with caramelized carrot and candied pistachios. Entrees include signature “chicken-fried” pork chops, scallops, salmon roulade and steak & fries. Plans are in the works to add a smash burger in the near future. Prices range from $27 to $49.
Amaterra charges a one-time membership fee of $25 which can be applied toward the purchase of two bottles of wine. It also provides access to the Portland location. A wine tasting and
snack menu is offered from noon to 4:30. Dinner and bar hours are 4:30 to 9 or 10pm, depending on the night.
Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club
Opening Fri., June 6
Tue.-Thu., Noon-9pm, Fri.-Sat. Noon-10pm, Sun. Noon-9pm 909 NW Bond St., Bend amaterrawines.com/bend/ $25 One Time Membership
El Sancho East Returns
A fresh look with fan favorite menu items
Nearly a year after a fire destroyed its building on the east side of Bend, the owners of El Sancho reopened on Monday, June 2 at that location on NE Dekalb Avenue. The fire on June 20, 2024, was ruled accidental. A small line was awaiting the grand reopening at 11am.
Everything is brand new, but the restaurant and menu of Mexican street food will be familiar to fans. Customer favorites are still being served. “The tacos, the pork carnitas tacos, beef barbacoa tacos, those are kind of our top Sancho Bowls,” said co-owner Joel Cordes. “Really popular are plantains, obviously, the margaritas.”
Customers seemed excited to revisit the east side location. One of the first women in line said she ate there twice a week before the fire. El Sancho also has a west side location on NW Galveston Avenue and a food truck at
Crux Fermentation Project.
The Galveston location also underwent some changes. The city of Bend is putting in a sidewalk along NW 13th Street, where El Sancho had some outdoor seating. Cordes says they decided to streamline the menu as of Tuesday, June 3, removing what he calls "extra stuff" and sticking with the regular hits like tacos, Sancho Bowls, chips and salsa.
As for the east side spot, Cordes said, “I think we’re just really excited to be back and ready to go again with a fresh new look.”
Amaterra Kitchen & Social Club
Spacious outdoor seating is dog friendly with mountain views. The new vibe is fun and colorful.
Photos by Nic Moye
CULTURE
C College Counseling: Helpful or Highway Robbery?
Private college counseling is a growing industry, but questions of equity and accessibility remain
By Lauren Shein
Once students reach their junior year, they seem to cross a very important threshold—they are no longer just high school students; it is time to plan for the future. Whether it be questions from well-meaning adults, discussions with older friends or the constant flow of college mail into students’ inboxes, the thought of college becomes an undeniable aspect of everyday life for the university-bound.
Of course, preparing for the future is exciting, but with this excitement comes fear, and the immense pressure can quickly become overwhelming. Students are inundated with information, amplifying confusion and leaving them wondering where to even begin the process of planning their futures. This is where private college counseling comes into play.
Though the industry has played a quiet role in the world of college admissions for decades, it has exploded in recent years, increasing from approximately $1.97 billion in revenue in 2013 to $2.88 billion in 2025, according to a report from IBISWorld. This growing niche is present in our own community, which supports at least 10 college counseling businesses. However, even as college consultants gain popularity, many high schoolers and their families remain in the dark about these services and how they impact the college admissions process.
So, what does a college counselor do? While the answer may differ from counselor to counselor and student to student, their main duties are helping students strengthen their academic and extracurricular resume, research colleges they are interested in and write their application essays.
“I help them pick classes that are gonna align with their interests and also, from a college application standpoint, [will] allow them to be most competitive in the college application process,” said Sophia Basurto, owner of 3C Admissions. “I help them think about activities…A big piece is coming up with a balanced list of colleges…Then we move to the essay.”
Arguably, the primary benefit of a private counselor is the one-on-one attention. According to Katie Lamarre, a local college counselor and owner of Journey’s Consulting, this level of personalization is simply not possible when working with a school guidance counselor or Future Center coordinator.
“College counseling is only a smidgeon of their job,” Lamarre explained. “If you think about all the academic counseling [high school counselors] do and all the parent communication…I just don't think that they are able to spend the same amount of time independently with each student.”
This can only be expected, as the average student-to-counselor ratio in Oregon high schools is 330:1, significantly higher than the recommended ratio of 250:1. Due to this shortage and the wide array of duties assigned to high school counselors, the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that only 20% of counselors’ time is spent on college-related work and public high school students receive only 38 minutes of in-school college counseling per year.
Taken together, the abundance of services and oneon-one assistance often win praise from students and their families. Summit High School junior Gemma
“I think it’s a pretty expensive resource that probably most families can’t afford…I don’t think the level of counseling is equitable to everybody.”
—Nica Broadman
Moussa, for one, has appreciated the help of her college counselor, with whom she has worked since middle school.
“I'm very indecisive about what I want to major in or what I'm interested in, and it kind of changes every week,” said Moussa, whose counselor has helped her find schools with flexible major declaration processes and small, academic environments. “I think [private college counseling] is really helpful, especially if you're kind of confused on where to start your college journey.”
Jonathan Cupit, a senior at Summit, has been similarly satisfied with his experience.
“It relieved so much stress that usually surrounds the college process because I knew in the back of my mind, like, OK, if something comes up, then we'll work on it together and we'll be able to tackle it and move forward,” Cupit explained. “[I] could kind of relax a little bit throughout the whole process instead of being so on edge.”
Unfortunately, the positive aspects of private college counseling are often overshadowed by a widely-recognized issue: to many students, the service is simply not accessible.
According to a Miami Herald article, the average hourly cost for college consulting services is $250, though some may charge significantly more. Many counselors also offer package deals, in which clients can receive a wide range of services for a set price, often thousands of dollars. While many of Bend’s local college counselors strive for affordability, offering payment
plans and sliding pricing scales, not all families are capable of squeezing college counseling into their budgets.
As Brian Taylor, the managing director of online college consulting company Ivy Coach, stated in The New York Times, “Is that unfair? That the privileged can pay? Yes. But that’s how the world works.” Ivy Coach charges astounding prices of up to $1.5 million for its five-year admissions package, a far cry from the cost of local college consultants, but the idea still applies.
This underlying financial inequity is why Nica Broadman, a junior at Bend Senior High School, sometimes feels guilty for working with a college counselor.
“I think it's a pretty expensive resource that probably most families can't afford,” Broadman explained. “I don’t think that the level of counseling is equitable to everybody.”
There are resources available in our community to combat this issue—each of Bend’s major high schools operates a Future Center, where students can receive college admissions advice and learn about crucial parts of the process, such as writing essays and applying for scholarships and financial aid.
In addition, local college consultants such as Basurto and Suzanne Moore of MOORE Educational Services offer their services pro bono to low-income students. Moore has even participated in a program providing college counseling to high-achieving high schoolers in Ukraine. Other counselors work with local organizations like the Office Group to help disadvantaged teens achieve their college goals.
“I do think if a student were to reach out to myself or a local counselor…and they had a financial need…I know I would provide assistance,” said Basurto.
The internet also offers near-infinite sources of college advice, but according to Lamarre, random web browsing is not equivalent to the guided research facilitated by a college consultant. After all, a simple Google search can pull up hundreds of articles, leaving students overwhelmed and confused.
“I do use Internet resources and I want the students to use those,” she said. “But I also want to guide them to the ones that are going to be accurate and the ones that are most efficient and they're going to learn the most from.”
However, Basurto always recommends College Essay Guy as an online resource, and Moore is a strong proponent of websites like College Board and College Data. Without question, a college consultant is the most comprehensive resource for college-bound students. The world of private college counseling is invaluable to those who can access this resource, but as prices soar, this group of students comprises only a fraction of local high schoolers. The industry is incredible and inequitable and, above all, an enigma. After all, the wealthy are often the only ones who understand that these services are even available.
Bend’s contingent of college consultants are selfless, dedicated to the success of the students they serve and determined to expand the accessibility of college counseling, but the industry itself is built upon privilege, and that is a fact that no one can change.
Max Basurto
College counselor Sophia Basurto discusses college plans with a local student.
FRIDAY JUNE 6
THURSDAY JUNE 19
THURSDAY JUNE 12
THURSDAY JUNE 26
SC SCREEN
The Next “Barbenheimer?" Can “Stitch-ion: Impossible”
By Jared Rasic
While I wouldn’t completely give them all the credit, the simultaneous release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” on July 21, 2023, did a lot to revive interest in returning to the movie theater. While the movies were both critically and financially successful, it wasn’t wholly the films themselves that generated so much excitement; rather, it was the cultural prevalence of social media/meme culture and that attending the opening weekend of both movies felt like an unmissable event. Thus, “Barbenheimer” was born.
As someone who loves the communal experience of watching movies in a dark room filled with friends and strangers, I have a vested interest in the survival of theaters and genuinely can’t imagine living in a town without one. So, ever since Barbenheimer, I’ve been looking for that next big cultural event that will bring people back out to the movies. Many months ago when it was announced that the “Lilo & Stitch” live-action remake and “Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning” were both being released on May 23, 2025, I thought this could be it: “Stitch-ion: Impossible” could be so big as to save theaters for another few years. While I don’t think either film has remotely captured the cultural zeitgeist the same way as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” did, “Mission: Impossible” managed to make over $200 million opening weekend, with “Lilo & Stitch” pulling in an astonishing $341 million… both actually doing better than “Barbenheimer,” so maybe they’re more culturally relevant than I thought. Obviously, box office success doesn’t remotely equal quality, so I went to a double feature of both just to make sure.
I wasn’t a kid when the animated “Lilo & Stitch” was released in 2002, so I don’t have a nostalgic connection to it, which let me watch the live-action remake with a fairly unbiased eye. As a big fan of director Dean Fleischer
Camp’s previous film, “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On,” I was pretty damn excited anyway, even though I find the voice of Stitch to be a bit obnoxious.
Funnily enough, I found the CGI version of Stitch in the remake much less annoying than the original. While he’s still a rambunctious agent of chaos, Camp does a lovely job investing the audience in this relationship with Lilo and her sister Nani and giving Stitch more depth to his lovingly animated self.
There are a few curious changes to the source material, but most of them make the movie feel more like a product of today than the more innocent days of 2002. There’s genuine tension here that Nani will lose custody of Lilo and that some convenient Disney magic won’t make it go away. Because of this, I found myself more invested in Maia Kealoha’s Lilo and Sydney Agudong’s Nani than their animated counterparts. That doesn’t track across all the characters, however, as Zach Galifianakis looks embarrassed to be playing the alien scientist Jumba and Courtney B. Vance’s Cobra Bubbles is wasted in a way the character wasn’t in the cartoon.
As much as I think Camp brought a good-hearted warmth to this live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” there is a generic flatness to some of the lighting and shot compositions that make the film look and feel like a cheap, direct-to-streaming remake. Still, even with its flaws, compared to the abysmal live-action
“Snow White” from earlier this year, it’s a massive step in the right direction.
Next came “Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning,” which is being marketed as Tom Cruise’s last time stepping into the shoes of super spy Ethan Hunt. As someone who isn’t a fan of Tom Cruise as a human being, I still find myself amazed at his dedication to the craft of being one of the last movie stars left on Earth. Whether he's long-distance power-running, hanging off the
be the next cultural
juggernaut?
I wish I had a monster as a best friend. Other than my cat, I guess.
side of an ascending airplane, or getting into a knife fight in nothing but his chonies, there, quite literally, isn’t anything he won’t do to entertain an audience.
In a way, that’s the biggest strength and hidden weakness of the entire “Mission: Impossible” franchise: the spectacle outweighs everything else, including dialogue, plotting, character, and logic. This is fine to an extent since the spectacle is why people are going to these movies in the first place, but it makes it hard to critique the films as a whole because the spectacle is so jaw-dropping that it basically outweighs all the things that don’t work.
My main issue with “The Final Reckoning” is the same one I had with 2023’s “Dead Reckoning: Part One.” There is no world where this story needed to be split into two movies. With a combined running time of, I shit you not, 334 minutes, the entirety of both films could have been easily told in a single, three hour film. In fact, the entire first hour or so of “Final Reckoning” is spent retconning the entire franchise to make it all feel like one intertwined epic narrative. There are moments in the first act that feel more akin to the series finale of a TV show than the supposedly final film in a blockbuster action series.
Aside from “Mission: Impossible 2,” the last film, “Dead Reckoning: Part One” was my least favorite of the franchise, so “Final Reckoning” (which is very much just “Dead Reckoning: Part Two”) had an uphill battle to make the first part more interesting, which, to some extent it pulls off, but there’s still not a lot of story here. Ethan Hunt and his spy family have to find two parts of a cruciform key to shut down an evil AI bent on taking over the world. The 334 minutes of convoluted storytelling do nothing to make the plot (or central villain) compelling, but luckily, the action set pieces are still astonishing.
Two sequences in “Final Reckoning” completely reminded me why the experience of movie theaters still matters to me: a ten-minute, dialogue-free underwater scene on a sunken submarine and the biplane set piece in all the trailers. In the packed IMAX auditorium where I saw this, you could feel everyone holding their breath during the submarine sequence. When it was over, the entire theater erupted in spontaneous applause. In a hundred years, those moments will be treated with the same gravity as the work of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Jackie Chan. Yes, the movie is a mess, but it’s a glorious one. While I don’t think “Stitch-ion: Impossible” was quite the cultural moment I thought it would be, it was still lovely to see a packed theater, eagerly awaiting Tom Cruise to sacrifice his body for our entertainment or to see a lobby full of the next generation of kids, carrying buckets of popcorn and dressed in Stitch onesies. Maybe what makes something a cultural moment shouldn't be decided by meme culture or the traction it gets on social media, but by the memories it creates. Long after the last theater in the world closes its doors, I’ll remember that moment of awe-struck spontaneous cheering and how, for just a few hours, this dark room full of strangers found itself connected.
“Lilo & Stitch”
Dir. Dean Fleischer Camp Grade: BNow Playing Everywhere
“Mission: ImpossibleThe Final Reckoning”
Dir. Christopher McQuarrie Grade: B+ Now Playing Everywhere
Courtesy of Disney
Courtesy of Paramount
New Hummingbird Garden is a First for Central Oregon Pollinator Pathway Bend teams with BPRD and others to provide hummingbird habitat
By Damian Fagan
Novelist W.P. Kinsella’s line in Shoeless Joe, “If you build it, he will come,” is a common mantra associated with habitat restoration projects for a good reason: the transformation from empty field to lush meadow takes time and/or action to bring back diversity. In Bend’s Orchard Park, that means prepping and planting an area to attract hummingbirds and other pollinators by staff and volunteers from Bend Park & Recreation District, Pollinator Pathway Bend, East Cascades Bird Alliance and Wild Birds Unlimited.
“The project is a small one, about 650 square feet,” said Gwen Bartonek, Pollinator Pathway Bend president. “In coming years, a plan to double it in the adjoining landscape is under consideration.” That space is located next to the gazebo by the play area, and there are hopes that this becomes a learning garden for the community.
A total of 12 vol unteers assisted in pre paring the site by removing existing vegetation and roots and prepping the soils before planting native plants designed to attract hummingbirds.
Sanco (Worthy Garden Club Executive Director) and Barb Rumer (Pollinator Pathway Bend past-President).” Mike Duarte, park services landscape manager for BPRD, was also involved in the project and helped procure funding for plants.
Starts of penstemon, fireweed, hummingbird mint, phlox, buckwheat, currant, lupine, serviceberry and scarlet gilia were planted for their nectar rewards for hummingbirds, but also to attract insect pollinators. The native plants were sourced from Wintercreek Nursery, Great Basin Nursery, and Rumer's private collection. Though hummingbirds thrive on flower nectar produced by flowers with red, tubular-shaped flowers, they also nectar from other plants and also eat spiders, gnats, mosquitoes, caterpillars, and other insects.
“The plan itself had gone through many, many different incarnations,” said Bartonek. “It was developed by myself with consultation from Lisa
“This garden is a first for Central Oregon, and while it will take several years for it to become established, we hope that it will provide a sanctuary for hummingbirds and other pollinators for many years to come,” said Bartonek. “Rufous and Anna's hummingbirds are the most predominant species here, with rare sightings of calliope, black-chinned and Costa's hummingbirds, too. All hummingbirds migrate in winter, so having early blooms like currant and serviceberry
are important first foods for them.”
In addition to which plants hummingbirds prefer, the group looked at other issues such as which groundcovers attract insects that hummingbirds feed on, the water needs of various plants, and plants that provide perches for hummingbirds, not to mention eliminating plants that might produce flowers or seeds that are toxic to children or pets. Fourteen different plant species were used in this initial planting.
The garden project was inspired by Dr. Doug Tallamy, professor and author whose book “Bringing Nature Home: How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens” draws from numerous habitat restoration projects including his personal story of transforming his home and acreage into a nature sanctuary. Tallamy views hummingbirds as insectivorous birds that happen to also eat plant nectar.
Pollinator Pathway Bend is dedicated to its mission to create and connect pesticide-free habitat to support imperiled native pollinators. Through ongoing collaboration with local partners, the organization is expanding community stewardship and encouraging residents to take part in restoring vital habitat
across Central Oregon. There are many ways to get involved —from planting and maintaining native gardens to helping with education and outreach. The results of this work can be seen throughout Bend at the Pollinator Gardens in Al Moody Park, Bond/Wall Triangle, Brooks Park, Franklin’s Corner, and Orchard Park — living examples of how community-driven efforts can help pollinators thrive.
“A personal goal of mine is to come watch the hummingbirds dive bomb one another over their "territory" — hummingbirds are incredibly territorial and watching them protect their turf is endless entertainment,” added Bartonek. Yes, build it and they will come.
Hummingbird Garden
Orchard Park
2001 NE 6th St., Bend ecbirds.org/hummingbird-garden-at-bends-orchard-park/ Free
Pollinator Pathway Bend
Pollinatorpathwaybend.org 503-750-3136
GwenBartonek
GwenBartonek
By Nic Moye
Archaeology Roadshow
Portland State University’s Archaeology Roadshow returns to the Deschutes Historical Museum Saturday, June 7. The theme is ‘The Archaeology of Art and Craft.’ The free event will be on the lawn outside the museum.
Sixteen exhibitors with archaeologists and experts from universities, federal and state agencies, tribes and nonprofits will have presentations and activities such as atlatl or spear throwing, Klamath basketry and tule duck decoy making. Information will also be on hand about laws related to the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act. Admission to the museum is also free Saturday with three presentations on the hour inside.
are encouraged. No live plants or animals are allowed. The experts will not authenticate or appraise items.
“There have been many stone objects like points, jewelry, household items, and pottery,” the Museum’s Membership Officer Tracy Alexander told the Source. “In 2019 someone brought in a huge movie projection screen that had been used in an outside venue. Hand painted around the edges were advertisements for local businesses!”
The Roadshow first came to Bend in 2019. In the past, the event has drawn around 300 visitors. It’ll kick off at 11am with a tribal welcome.
PSU
A panel of experts in archaeology and geology will also be available to identify personal artifacts brought by the public. Historical items including stone, bone, woven and plant artifacts
Reviving the River
The Deschutes River is one of the biggest stars of summer providing opportunities to float, surf, paddle board, fish and more! For the past 29 years, volunteers have provided the TLC needed to help keep the river healthy. About 250 volunteers are needed this year for the annual cleanup on Saturday, June 28.
There are six different sites on the Deschutes River where volunteers will pull invasive weeds and remove litter from stream banks while paddlers and scuba divers will remove debris from the river channel. The six sites are LaPine State Park, Sunriver, Farewell Bend Park, River bend Park, First Street Trail and Tumalo State Park.
7
“The riparian areas (or streambanks) are really the last line of defense to protect the water quality in the river,” Miller told the Source.
“When riparian areas are thriving with native vegetation instead of non-native plants and invasive weeds, the root systems of the native plants can stabilize the streambank soils and prevent erosion.” It also provides wildlife habitat and food as well as shade to cool stream temperatures.
The Upper Deschutes Watershed Council coordinates the cleanup every year. Education and Development Director Kolleen Miller says in the past they’ve removed a canoe, wood stove, a safe, several wedding rings and thousands of flip flops. Last year volunteers found two guns still in their gun case, which they handed over to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office. Last year, volunteers removed more than 2,000 pounds of garbage and weeds.
“The Deschutes River Cleanup is a critically important opportunity for community members to volunteer their time, educate themselves or donate to support our work to take care of the river we all love,” Miller says. “The Deschutes River cleanup is an awesome way to come out, learn about the Deschutes River, meet like-minded river folks and celebrate the incredible place we get to call home.”
Deschutes River
Kelley Hanby
DeschutesHistorical
Texas THC in Turmoil Proposed bill takes aim at hemp products
By Joshua Jardine
Texans who enjoy having access to legal THC may soon be SOL. As of this writing, a bill which would ban all hemp derived THC consumables was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott. As someone with a long history of enacting terrible legislation, it’s expected he will sign it. In doing so, he will eliminate a growing industry which analysts say has created over 50,000 jobs, and has generated over $8 billion annually in tax revenue. MJBizdaily shares that ”Texas has the nation’s largest market for hemp-derived THC products.”
I’ve lived in Texas, in the summer. This tracks.
Texas doesn’t exactly have a progressive attitude towards cannabis. Simple possession can result in jail time, there is no Recreational Adult Use program, and the medical program is one of the most restrictive in the nation. The list of qualifying conditions is short, and those approved through a physician’s recommendation are limited to edibles and topicals, none of which may contain more than 1% in THC of the entire products weight (i.e a one gram gummy may have no more than 10 mg of THC.)
LOVE to get high. And because it was now legal to process hemp for cannabinoids, processors found there were other fun things you could extract.
As a Missouri Department of Health report stated “One recent study found at least twenty-six different intoxicating compounds in hemp-derived cannabis products readily available on the market, the most common being Delta-8tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), THC-P, Delta-9 THC, HHC, THC-A, Delta-10 THC, THC-H, THC-B, THC- JD, THC-X, HHC-P, and Delta-11 THC.
(New goal: Try THC-X.)
As I’ve written here previously (“Getting High Down South: Delta 8 and THCA y’all”), I had a chance to try some of these while in Nashville at a head shop that sold products containing many of these. I sat down for an in-store flight of three hemp derived dabs, and bought some THC-A flower for later. Overall, it was better than not having tried it, but I was eager to get back to the Pacific Wonderland flower I had brought with me. (Um, that I forgot was in my suitcase, I mean.)
Those 50,000 jobs came about when in 2019 the legislature passed a bill to support the state’s hemp growers which legalized “consumable hemp products.” Which at the time, was believed would be CBD. As The Texas Tribune reports, “Though that 2019 law does not allow products to contain more than trace amounts of delta-9 THC, it did not establish that same threshold for other hemp derivatives.”
Delta-9 is what you find in cannabis products sold in Oregon dispensaries, which overwhelmingly sell products grown from cannabis plants. Hemp plants, which is where CBD is taken from, have it as well, in small amounts. The Feds have placed an utterly arbitrary limit of .3% delta-9 THC for hemp -derived products. Any more than that, and it’s a drug, and cannot be sold outside a regulated Adult Use or Medical program.
It was believed that passing the bill would establish a market for CBD products, and it did. But despite what the Church and State in Texas might have you believe, people love, love,
All these intoxicating hemp derived cannabinoids were not what the Texas legislature had in mind, and should Gov. Abbott sign the bill, it’s going to leave Texans with far more limited choices. From the bill, “Legal consumable hemp products would be limited to isolated CBD or CBG cannabinoids. All other cannabinoids, even those that do not cause impairment, would be banned and criminalized.” The bill would go into effect September 1, 2025, so stock up, Longhorns.
Not just consumers would be getting screwed. Want to manufacture CBD or CBG products? That’ll cost you $10,000 per year. Want to sell them? That’s $20,000 per year.
Texas isn’t alone. California has banned “intoxicating hemp products,” Alabama has banned smokable hemp, and other states are making moves to do the same, in some cases to protect the sales of a regulated cannabis program. All of this could be addressed with a new Federal Farm Bill, which Congress is now two years late in passing. (The 2018 Farm Bill expired in 2023.)
Don’t hold your breath.
Enrique Macias
Shakespeare character who says "You kiss by the book"
Indian bread 58. "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" entertainer
61. "To your health!"
62. See 46-Across 64. White-plumed bird
65. Leap in a tutu
66. Designer Wang
67. Dunderheads
68. Beat the tag, perhaps
69. 6/6/44
By Brendan Emmett Quigley
Pearl’s Puzzle
Puzzle for the week of June 2, 2025 Difficulty
Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters V E R Y M A C H O exactly once.
The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote: “A neighbor suggested I put horse manure on my strawberries. I’m going back to ” - author unknown
Answer for the week of May 26, 2025
ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLES
DOWN
1. Chooses, with "for"
2. Wellington resident
3. "Schindlerís List" character?
4. Nay's opposite
5. Start, as a delivery
6. One in a chord
7. Monk's hood
8. "The Rehearsal" channel
9. Charon's realm
10. Halloween charity
11. Be compelled to
12. Falafel bread
13. See 41-Across
18. Walter Payton Man of the Year org.
22. "I ain't fronting"
24. Look for answers
25. Sports talk radio habitue
26. Jeweler's unit
27. Soaked
29. Mayor on "The Simpsons"
30. "Nope, can't ___ that"
31. Like a despot
32. What spitting spiders spit
33. Idyllic spots
35. Ornamental shoulder decoration
40. Shoot for
45. Millions of decades
47. "Did you hear that?" triggers
48. Said
52. ___ corda (sofr pedal)
53. Static meme, say
54. Spur (on)
55. Oft-told tales
56. Wassailing time
57. Debate position
59. Je ne sais quoi
60. Neuter
62. Crate diggers, at times
63. Criterion Collection item
L C W T I A V U D U A V D W L T C I
“The gardener cultivates wildness, but he does so carefully and respectfully, in full recognition of its mystery.”
—Michael Pollan
“The gardener cultivates wildness, but he does so carefully and respectfully, in full recognition of its mystery.” - Michael Pollan
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ASTROLOGY
By Rob Brezsny
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s time for your Uncle Rob to offer you some fundamental advice for living. These tips are always worthy of your contemplation, but especially now. Ready? Being poised amidst uncertainty is a superpower. You may attract wonders and blessings if you can function well while dealing with contradictory feelings, unclear situations, and incomplete answers. Don’t rush to artificial closure when patience with the unfinished state will serve you better. Be willing to address just part of a problem rather than trying to insist on total resolution. There’s no need to be worried or frustrated if some enigmas cannot yet be explained and resolved. Enjoy the mystery!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Acclaimed Cancerian poet Lucille Clifton published 14 books and mothered six children. That heroism seems almost impossible. Having helped raise one child myself, I know how consuming it is to be a parent. Where did she find the time and energy to generate so much great literature? Judging from the astrological omens, I suspect you now have access to high levels of productivity comparable to Clifton’s. Like her, you will also be able to gracefully juggle competing demands and navigate adeptly through different domains. Here’s my favorite part: Your stellar efficiency will stem not from stressfully trying too hard but rather from good timing and a nimble touch.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was the Colossus of Rhodes, located on a Greek island. Symbolizing power and triumph, it was a towering statue dedicated to the sun god Helios. The immediate motivation for its construction was the local people's defeat of an invading army. I hereby authorize you to acquire or create your own personal version of an inspiring icon like the Colossus, Leo. It will symbolize the fact that the coming months will stimulate lavish expressions of your leonine power. It will help inspire you to showcase your talents and make bold moves. PS: Be alert for chances to mobilize others with your leadership. Your natural brilliance will be a beacon.
ented focus.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir were two feisty, independent, strong-minded French writers. Beauvoir was a trailblazing feminist, and Sartre was a Nobel Laureate. Though they never officially married, they were a couple for 51 years. Aside from their great solo accomplishments, they also gave us this gift: They proved that romantic love and intellectual equality could coexist, even thrive together, with the help of creative negotiation. I propose we make them your inspirational role models for now. The coming months will be a favorable time to deepen and refine your devotion to crafting satisfying, interesting intimate relationships.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Over 2600 years ago, ancient Babylonian astronomers figured out the highly complex cycle that governs the recurrence of lunar and solar eclipses. It unfolds over a period of 18 years and 11 days. To analyze its full scope required many generations of researchers to carry out meticulous record-keeping with extreme patience. Let’s make those Babylonian researchers your role models, Capricorn. In the coming months, I hope they inspire you to engage in careful observation and persistent investigation as you discover meaningful patterns. May they excite your quest to discern deep cycles and hidden rhythms.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s biggest structure built by living things. Lying beneath the Coral Sea off the east coast of Australia, it’s made by billions of small organisms, coral polyps, all working together to create a magnificent home for a vast diversity of life forms. Let’s make the Great Barrier Reed your symbol of power for the next 10 months, Virgo. I hope it inspires you to manage and harness the many details that together will generate a robust source of vitality for your tribe, family, and community.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): One of my favorite poets, Arthur Rimbaud, wrote all of his brilliant work before he became an adult. I suspect that no matter what your age is, many of you Libras are now in an ultra-precocious phase with some resemblances to Rimbaud from age 16 to 21. The downside of this situation is that you may be too advanced for people to thoroughly understand you. You could be ahead of your time and too cool for even the trendsetters. I urge you to trust your farseeing visions and forward-looking intuitions even if others can’t appreciate them yet. What you bring to us from the future will benefit us all.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Blacksmiths still exist. They were more common in the past, but there are many 21st-century practitioners. It’s a demanding art, requiring intense heat to soften hard slabs of metal so they can be forged into intricate new shapes. The process requires both fire and finesse. I think you are currently in a phase when blacksmithing is an apt metaphor. You will need to artfully interweave passion and precision. Fiery ambition or intense feelings may arise, offering you raw energy for transformation. To harness it effectively, you must temper your approach with patience, restraint, and detail-ori-
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 18): I invite you to try this visualization exercise, Aquarius: Picture a rosebud inside your body. It’s located in your solar plexus. Imagine it’s steadily and gently opening, filling your body with a sweet, blissful warmth, like a slow-motion orgasm that lasts and lasts. Feel the velvet red petals unfolding; inhale the soft radiance of succulent fragrance. As the rose fully blooms, you become aware of a gold ring at its center. Imagine yourself reaching inside and taking the ring with your right hand. Slip the ring onto your left ring finger and tell yourself, "I pledge to devote all my passionate intelligence to my own well-being. I promise to forever treat myself with tender loving respect. I vow to seek out high-quality beauty and truth as I fulfill my life’s mission.”
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I foresee the arrival of a living fossil, Pisces. An influence you thought was gone may soon reappear. Aspects of your past could prove relevant to your current situation. These might be neglected skills, seemingly defunct connections, or dormant dreams. I hope you have fun integrating rediscovered resources and earmarking them for use in the future. PS: Here’s a lesson worth treasuring: While the world has changed, a certain fundamental truth remains true and valuable to you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): You have had resemblances to cactuses in recent days. It hasn’t always been pleasant and cheerful, but you have become pretty skilled at surviving, even thriving, despite an insufficiency of juicy experiences. Fortunately, the emotional fuel you had previously stored up has sustained you, keeping you resilient and reasonably fluid. However, this situation will soon change. More succulence is on its way. Scarcity will end, and you will be blessed with an enhanced flow of lush feelings.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I foresee abundance emerging from modest sources. I predict breakthroughs arising out of your loving attention to the details of the routine. So please don’t get distracted by poignant meditations on what you feel is missing from your life. Don’t fantasize about what you wish you could be doing instead of what you are actually doing. Your real wealth lies in the small tasks that are right in front of you—even though they may not yet have revealed their full meaning or richness. I invite you and encourage you to be alert for grandeur in seemingly mundane intimate moments.
Homework: What is the best surprise gift you could give yourself right now? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
AWAKENING YOUR INNER HERO A COLUMN TO HELP LOCALS LIVE A KINDER AND
MORE COURAGEOUS LIFE
By Burt Gershater
Love is what we all want. Admit it or not… we do. In order to receive it we must practice living it. We all need to get better at love and the better we get, miracles happen.
I LOVE YOU I do.
Do I know you?
Maybe.
Maybe not.
So, what do I remotely mean when I say, “I love you?” Am I just blowing some mushy, gushy smoke your way? Are you ready to stop reading and move on to something more real?
Please don’t.
Trust me.
My words today potentially will stick with you long enough to make a difference in your life and in at least a few others’ lives, too.
Let me tell you a true story that I have blessedly been living the past few weeks. I met a new friend awhile back over at the gym I go to four to five times a week. Don is his name, and I love him. He is a devout Christian. I am a devout Jew and wear a yarmulka on my head so everyone can tell. And if you know me at all, you know I don’t believe in coincidences. There is something to learn in every moment of the waking day.
Don is a walking animal. He walks six to eight miles nearly every morning starting around 6am…and fast. I can’t walk as far or as fast as he does. Aging and injuries have set some hardto-accept limits. Oh, and Don is a few years older than me. One day, he said, “Hey, Burt. Let’s walk a few laps together.” The track at Larkspur Community Center, in Bend, circles the workout area that includes people of all ages and genders exercising on stationary bikes, weights of all kinds, a cross-country ski machine, stretching areas, and a treadmill if you’d prefer to avoid slow people like me on the track. It’s a fourteenth of a mile long so you’ve got to walk a lot of laps to get very far.
Back to the main topic, love. A few steps into our first walk, the miracle began. Over time, Don and I had gotten to know each other enough to know we were both spiritually-guided old fellas. Very different pathways in many ways, but in other ways, the same pathway.
Here are a few of the topics that quickly made it into our walking time together: God, love, forgiveness, gratitude, kindness, humility, mystery, unity, connections, purpose, and joy. Most
of these times I have been able to walk faster and longer than I thought I would or could. Our discussions took us into another realm, and my pain gave way to a blissful awareness and appreciation of our unity. Frequently we’d say some thing like, “This is heaven” with smiles that many of our buddies working out inside the track couldn’t possibly miss.
On our second day, I offered up a suggestion to my dear friend: As we walk around the track, let’s halt our conversation and look at each of the folks working out. Let’s not focus on what they’re doing, or what they’re wearing or anything in the physical realm. Let’s focus on each ones’ essence, their spirit, their holiness.
REALLY SEE THEM.
In our discussions we’d already agreed that every one of us have these essential qualities, and way too often we forget to focus on these parts. Maybe not forget, many of us haven’t ever been trained to look and see through our spiritual lenses. I wasn’t, until relatively recently. I am thankful, nearly every day, that I have lived to be nearly 80 years old and can see more clearly than at any other chapter of my lifetime.
Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you!
Don really liked my suggestion. We stopped talking and looked at and saw all our workout buddies through our “love lenses.”
And it worked!
It works!
We all have this lens. It was given to us at birth. At the end of the first lap, we looked at each other and with no words, we kept on walking and seeing…and learning. We saw angels, holy people, dedicated folks of every kind. We saw pain. We saw serenity. We saw heaven right down here on Earth and we were still just walking around the little track in Bend, Oregon.
That’s my story…that’s our story.
I love you!
—Burt Gershater is a local counselor, leadership trainer, speaker and writer. He can be reached at info@burtgershater.com.
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Tap into Central Oregon's hungry crowd in our Cheap Eats edition, the definitive guide to affordable eats! We deliver your mouthwatering deals directly to the wallets of locals and tourists alike, showcasing your value-packed menus and irresistible specials.
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TAKE ME HOME
By Karen Malanga, Kristin Marshall and Jonny Malanga, Brokers, NestBend & REMAX Key Properties
Lakeside Living and Lasting Legacy
The intimate geography of Central Oregon's forest cabins
Each of Central Oregon's cabin communities has developed its own distinct character over generations. The cabins along the Metolius River are known for their fly-fishing heritage and traditional craftsmanship. Meanwhile, Elk Lake's residences have evolved into a tight-knit summer community with annual traditions dating back decades.
What’s more, these micro-communities have fostered connections that span generations. From annual family gatherings and picnics to outdoor concerts and kayak races, anyone lucky enough to own one of these special properties can create long-lasting memories made in the iconic nature of Oregon.
Did you know? Central Oregon boasts about 3 million acres of public land. This fact is one of the reasons our region is so special. Within these beautiful areas, privately owned “recreation residences” (aka forest cabins) provide a cozy retreat, with over 1,500 such properties scattered throughout the region, according to recent data from the U.S. Forest Service. Specific to our area, and the special places Central Oregonians love to recreate, Elk Lake has 32 privately owned recreation residences, Paulina Lake has six, Crescent Lake boasts 72, Odell Lake offers 66 and the Metolius River hosts 108.
Maybe you're saying to yourself, "I'd love to own a cabin on the lake!" If so, it's important to understand two things. Firstly, that it's rare to come across the sale of a recreation residence. These
cabins tend to be coveted by owners and seldomly come to market. Secondly, that the buyer purchases the home and leases the land from the forest service.
This unique ownership structure means financing can be challenging. Most purchases require cash transactions. Additionally, the infrequency of sales makes valuation complex, as each property is truly one-of-a-kind in both location and character. However, for those who do secure these rare opportunities, the rewards extend far beyond the real estate investment. If you are serious about attaining a cabin retreat, it’s important to work with a professional agent who is well-versed in this type of property and sale.
Recreation residences in Central Oregon offer a gateway to a world of adventure, relaxation and natural beauty. And yet, owning one isn’t just about acquiring property. It's also about becoming a steward of Oregon's natural heritage. Ownership of these distinctive properties comes with responsibilities beyond traditional home ownership. Forest service cabin owners become de facto stewards of some of Central Oregon's most pristine landscapes. Which is very special in and of itself.
As Central Oregon continues to grow and evolve, these recreational residences stand as living connections to the region's past while providing their fortunate owners with an increasingly valuable foothold in their future.
