Source Weekly March 9, 2023

The Source Weekly 704 NW Georgia Ave., Bend, OR 97703 t. 541-383-0800 f. 541-383-0088 bendsource.com info@bendsource.com

EDITOR’S NOTE:

It’s another edition packed with lots of great info and fun stuff! Jack Harvel updates us on the state of child care in Central Oregon in this week’s Feature, and shares info on the plans to sweep the unsanctioned camp on Hunnell Road in News. In Chow, Donna Britt interviews the new owner-chef of 5 Fusion about his plans for the popular downtown Bend restaurant. Our sex therapist-columnist Jane Guyn offers her wisdom to a struggling couple in this week’s column, and in Screen, Jared Rasic muses on his 1,000th story in the Source Weekly and lets us turn the tables on him for a podcast interview. That’s just some of the info you’ll find inside this week’s issue; as always, thanks for reading!

LIGHTMETER:

On the Cover: Cover design by Jennifer Galler.

Call for Artists: If you're interested in being a SW featured artist, email: production@bendsource.com.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

PRESENTED BY HARVEST MOON WOODWORKS

Courtesy @lonepinecoffee

EDITOR

Nicole Vulcan - editor@bendsource.com

REPORTER

Jack Harvel- reporter@bendsource.com

REPORTER / CALENDAR EDITOR

Allie Noland - calendar@bendsource.com

COPY EDITOR

Richard Sitts

FREELANCERS

Jared Rasic, Jessica Sanchez-Millar, Doone Lupine Williams, Donna Britt, Scott R. Bowler, Dr. Jane Guyn

SYNDICATED CONTENT

Amy Alkon, Rob Brezsney, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Jen Sorensen, Pearl Stark, Tom Tomorrow, Matt Wuerker

PRODUCTION MANAGER / ART DIRECTOR

Jennifer Galler - production@bendsource.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Nathan Elston - design@bendsource.com

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Ashley Sarvis, Ban Tat, Trinity Bradle advertise@bendsource.com

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Sean Switzer

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Angela Switzer - angela@bendsource.com

PUBLISHER

Aaron Switzer - aaron@bendsource.com

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HARVESTMOONWOODWORKS.COM

CUSTOM. CABINE TS

OPINION

On the Homelessness Issue, One Step Forward, One Step Back

Ask people in Central Oregon about homelessness and most of them are bound to say that something needs to be done. Certain streets and roads have been ostensibly given over to sub-par and unsafe forms of housing for human beings. A former mayor of Bend just passed away while experiencing homelessness. The situation is dire.

But even while most of us can agree that something needs to be done, when that “something” is introduced, you can be sure that the consensus is going to end. Some were happy to hear that Bend’s largest encampment on Hunnell Road was due to be cleared this month. Others believe it’s inhumane and even against the law to forcibly remove people. On the opposite side of town, near Murphy and Third Street, some will be pleased to see a public managed camp finally open, after so much discussion about the prospect of such a thing over the past several years. Many of those living nearby – as is always the case when a camp is proposed near someone’s home — will have the opposite view, and will push for a camp to be put “anywhere but there.”

The topic of homelessness is among the major issues of our time, and everyone is going to have an opinion. It’s important to listen to those voices that have a stake in the problem – from nearby residents to business owners to the people experiencing homelessness themselves – though at some point, with the input gathered, it falls on local leaders to make a decision.

Managed camps, a more humane solution that offer things like basic sanitation and trash service, have to be

located somewhere. Leaders at the city and county level, knowing that they’re bound to upset someone with any decision, ultimately, have to make one. It’s the job description. And this week, that “something” involves finally landing on a site for a camp. This week, leaders at the city also made the call to delay its clearing of the unsanctioned camp along Hunnell Road – another decision that is likely to upset some and please others.

These are not easy decisions, and local leaders make them equipped with a breadth of public input that most of us could not imagine. This is of course what they signed up for in taking public leadership roles – and even knowing that, once in a while we should take the time to acknowledge the difficulty and to offer some praise for moving forward.

With the decision to open up a camp along Murphy, we are seeing what many have been calling for — to see the county and the city collaborate on solutions and use their various resources – in this case, American Rescue Plan funds from Deschutes County and land from the City of Bend – to move forward on a major issue. Local leaders formed a Joint Office on Homelessness for this very reason, and after what has seemed like several years of idea-hatching, it's good to see something concrete finally happening. If the city and the county deliver on their promise to get this camp funded, staffed and constructed over the next several months, it will be the results the public has been waiting – often impatiently – to see.

MAAS, TABITHA JOHNSTON, LAUREN HOFFMAN, LAURA ACEVEDO, COURTNEY MCLAUGHLAN, BRIAN LOUDIS, KELLI SMITH & LINX ALEXANDERSON

NO WAY OUT

Thousands of residents in the Boyd Acres Neighborhood are in danger if an evacuation is needed. Those living in the area bounded by the railroad tracks on the west, Cooley Road on the North, NE 18th Street on the east and Empire Avenue on the south are in trouble. And the city continues to "fill in" with more residences.

There are only three exits for this neighborhood: Cooley to the west, and Boyd Acres Road and NE 18th to the south (to Empire). There are no exits to the north or east. In an emergency all three exits will be jammed to gridlock. If the emergency comes from the railroad, Cooley and Empire may be closed. Does the city have an evacuation plan? Do the police have a traffic control plan? This is a dangerous situation.

Cooley should be extended east to Deschutes Market Road. 18th should be extended north to Highway 97. And Yeoman Road should be extended west to connect with 18th. These extensions would provide "some" relief for evacuations. They are needed right now!

Expanding this view, where will evacuees go? Bend has only one highway to the south, one to the east and one to the north. If needed, could everyone get out of town on these three roads? Not likely.

The State of Oregon needs to improve Highways 97 and 20 for high capacity (continuous four lane) from border to border. Bend needs to improve access and connectivity through and around town to overcome obstacles created by the railroad, canals and the Parkway. Planners at all levels need to get ahead of this issue, not wait for a disaster.

—James Scott

DOES AMERICA NEED SUMPTUARY LAWS?

Ancient Roman democracy had curbs on individual economic behavior. They had a highly placed government

HAVE

SOMETHING TO SAY?

official called the “censor,” who had two responsibilities: to enact a census; and to watch out for wealthy people who were acting irresponsibly with their wealth. One historian writes, “The Roman Republic labored all throughout its history to curb conspicuous expenditure.” One example was the elaborateness of funerals. Kings may have buried their family members in pyramids, but democracies buried them in simple ways to show one person is just as good as another. In Rome, personal accounts of adult “spendthrifts” were turned over to legal guardians until they could learn how to deal with income and wealth.

Many of our young American athletes, media stars, Hollywood starlets and studs, investment speculators, drug lords, corporate executives, lottery winners, heirs and heiresses, come into a horde of cash they have little ability to manage, so they spend like bandits and set horrible examples for the rest of the country. Rome didn’t tolerate that because they knew it led to monarchy and aristocracy. America doesn’t care.

—Kimball Shinkoskey

CONCERT TICKET MONOPOLY

I am 60 years old and am proud to say that I got to see many of the greatest concerts ever, from AC/DC and The Stones to Elton John, Bob Seger, even Ella Fitzgerald and so many more. But we had to put effort into getting tickets...many times we would stay the night in line at the former Memorial Coliseum to purchase tickets as soon as they went on sale. We bought what we needed and maybe picked up a couple extra for friends. But now with Ticketmaster/ Live Nation having the monopoly on purchasing tickets, allowing people to purchase however many they want (not need), then those unscrupulous people turning around and selling them for

ridiculous prices, true music fans don't stand a chance. (Isn't that called scalping which used to be against the law?) Are the musicians aware of this or do they not care as long as they get paid? Maybe a class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster/Live Nation would stop the monopoly and once again allow the TRUE FANS the chance to see their favorite bands, not just the ones with money to burn. So grateful I got to see Dave Matthews last time he was here...I can't even imagine how much scalpers are getting for this year's show...It's just wrong!

—Diana Cockerill

MCCALL’S LESSONS FOR US ALL… ABOUT PICKLEBALL

McCall, Idaho, where I recently visited to ski and play with friends, left mostly great first impressions and a super idea. The area is stunning, but I was slightly bummed by the absence of a curbside recycling program (so wrong to have to even consider tossing out the aluminum, paper and plastic). There were, of course, many positives. After a morning of skiing one day, we played pickleball in a simple, perfectly scaled multi-use facility, funded and built by a local church. The building, with a heated floor and about the size of a small gymnasium, accommodates a broad range of activities for a broad range of ages. We boomers were there to play arguably the fastest growing game in the U.S.! This shared space provides an important refuge for socialization and recreation in places where the winters

can limit outdoor activity, for those who may not ski, snowmobile, ice skate, etc. Kind of like Bend. In warm weather, the local parks always seem to have folks playing on the court, the slide, or just hanging out. In the winter, our parks seem barren, save for the dog walkers. As a winter option, wouldn’t it be super to have a small space to play, within walking distance? Could neighborhoods find resources to create such a community asset, on a donated lot ...or a corner of an existing neighborhood park? Back to pickleball, and how it relates: pickleball is popular, but is also creating conflict in some neighborhoods, due to the repetitive noise created when paddle meets ball, and inevitable chatter and laughter from happy players! Indoor space, which buffers noise, is limited to two wonderful private facilities in Bend. Both charge reasonable fees to function, yet the fees remain inaccessible to many. Both facilities are also near or at capacity. Wouldn’t it just be the coolest if there was a neighborhood-scale gym, with heat and ventilation, in the ‘hood for some quiet pickleball and other recreation? Win, win, and win!

—Kevin Tanski

Letter of the Week:

Kevin, I like your grand plans around winter recreation. Get that going, would you? Come grab a gift card to Palate to fuel your planning.

—Nicole Vulcan

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!

Last Mask Mandate Lifted

More

By Jack Harvel

Oregon is lifting the last of its mask mandates more than three years

after COVID-19 swept across the country. Though masking hasn’t been required in public settings for about a year, the state required health care settings to continue to enforce masking rules for both patients and workers. Oregon Health Authority is rescinding required masking on April 3.

In a statement on March 3, State Epidemiologist Dean Sidelinger said the decision to lift mask requirements, “stems from data in recent weeks showing overall decreases in circulation of the three respiratory pathogens that triggered a surge in visits to hospital emergency departments and intensive care units last fall. As of today, COVID-19 test positivity is at 10% and is expected to continue dropping; influenza test positivity is at 1.2%; and RSV test positivity is at 1.6% (antigen tests) and 3.5% (molecular tests).”

OHA said it announced the end of

mask mandates a month ahead to allow health care providers time to adjust policies and procedures that ensure patient safety and allow the public to “plan health care visits and protective measures.” It encouraged people at risk of severe disease to consider continued mask use, and said some health care settings may continue to require masks without a state mandate.

“Masks remain an effective way to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses. People are recommended to wear masks when they are sick, and individuals – particularly those with health conditions that put them at high risk for severe illness from a respiratory virus exposure — should continue to wear masks wherever they feel comfortable,” an OHA press release said.

OHA will also let Executive Order 22-24 expire. In November 2022, thenGov. Kate Brown issued the order in response to a surge in COVID, flu and especially respiratory syncytial virus,

Man Shoots Sheriff’s Office

or RSV. The order designated emergency health care centers, deployed volunteer health care professionals and gave more flexibility to state employees to address the surge in cases. Though RSV cases spiked much earlier than in previous years, test positivity is now closer to a typical year according to OHA surveillance data.

The announcement coincides with the resignation of James Schroeder, OHA’s interim director, who submitted a resignation letter on March 3. Gov. Tina Kotek appointed Schroeder just two months prior after requesting the resignation of his predecessor, Patrick Allen.

Cops say suspect was seeking confrontation with law enforcement after his father was arrested for allegedly attempting to lure a minor for sexual conduct

By Jack Harvel

Nicholas Ryan Preston-Cooper allegedly fired a high-powered rifle at the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, March 2 around 9 pm. Dispatchers received a call reporting an armed man fired a round into the building, but the suspect wasn’t found on the scene at the time. Investigators spoke with the person who reported the shooting, and were able to locate the suspect’s vehicle near Preston-Cooper’s residence in the Sunriver Business Park.

Detectives surveilled Preston-Cooper and saw him loading up his Jeep Cherokee with “items,” and then began traveling toward Highway 97. Preston-Cooper fled at high speed after realizing law enforcement officers were attempting to stop him. He drove north in the southbound lanes of Highway 97 away from Sunriver, at which point cops halted their pursuit. Officers reengaged Preston-Cooper when he turned back onto southbound Highway 97 near the High Desert Museum and were able to deploy spike strips, hitting the suspect’s vehicle and ultimately stopping him south of the Sunriver exit on Highway 97.

Officers detained Preston-Cooper without incident, and discovered a rifle, shotgun, handgun and ammunition in his car. In interviews after the arrest, Preston-Cooper suggested he sought confrontation with law enforcement after the arrest of his father, John

Matthew Cooper, who deputies arrested earlier that day for allegedly sending sexually suggestive text messages to a minor.

“He was hoping to have confrontation with law enforcement. And another possible motive for his behavior for his

actions was an attempt to possibly free his father from our custody in our adult jail,” Sgt. Jason Wall told the Source Weekly.

Cooper’s arrest occurred after a 17-year-old girl’s mother reported the elder Cooper for allegedly sending sexual text messages after offering her a job at his business, Cooper Racing and Repair. Police posed as the girl, and Cooper allegedly offered her alcohol, sent explicit photos and requested explicit photos and sexual favors. During the investigation, Cooper said he’d hired other teens before. The Bend Police Department is asking anyone who may have had inappropriate contact with Cooper to contact its non-emergency dispatch line at 541-693-6911.

Police charged the younger Preston-Cooper with 15 counts related to the shooting and subsequent car chase. A bullet penetrated the wall of the sheriff’s office building, but nobody was present where the round was found, and no officers or the suspect were injured during the chase.

than three years after COVID was detected in the U.S., and a year after general masking mandates were lifted, health care settings will no longer require masks by April 3

Come April 3, masks will no longer be required in health care settings.

Police arrested a man charged with shooting at the Sheriff's office. No one was injured.

Marco Verch

Courtesy of the Deschutes County Sheriffs Office

City Delays Hunnell Sweep

The City of Bend will wait until Deschutes County establishes managed campsites before it removes tents, cars and RVs from Central Oregon’s largest homeless camp

By Jack Harvel

The City of Bend is postponing a planned sweep of Hunnell Road after Deschutes County signed onto a plan to contract for a managed camp on the intersection of Murphy Road and Highway 97 in south Bend.

Bend asked the county to partner with it at the commissioner’s regular meeting on Feb. 22. The City offered to provide an acre of City-owned land for the managed camp and asked Deschutes County to use $100,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to hire a service provider to oversee operations.

The City declared Hunnell Road an unsafe campsite in December, but decided to wait until March to remove people to avoid depriving people of shelter during the coldest months. In addition, it would allow the Coordinated Houseless Response Office time to offer support to people living there. The City also cited increased traffic from road projects in the area would “significantly add to the safety concerns for people utilizing the camping area.” But on Feb. 27, Deschutes County Director of Public Works Chris Doty told commissioners that the road department never requested the campsite be removed, and that other routes can be taken to avoid driving down the portion of the road where people live.

“We’ve characterized giving [contractors], or allowing them to access, via the southern part of the project would be ‘nice to have’ versus a ‘got to have.’ I think by now the contractors kind of fig-

County Commissioner Phil Chang suggested two to three months may provide enough time to establish a camp.

“All this planning we’re doing around organized, managed service locations will be wasted if we scatter the people that are currently at Hunnell to the wind before these locations are available,” Chang said.

screen tenants, provide fencing, support services and have rules of conduct.

“Your brain kind of goes to the fact that we don’t want to move Hunnell down to a different location. We’re talking about medically fragile people. People that are looking for help. People that probably want a better situation. The real struggling troublemaker types, they’re not going to be told what to do and they’re not going to be going there anyway,” said Deschutes County Commissioner Tony DeBone.

told commissioners they’ll soon have permits approved on their proposal to create a 20-unit shelter-style village by Desert Streams Church at the corner of 27th Street and Bear Creek Road.

Houseless Strategies and Solutions Director Cheyenne Purrington said the $100,000 funding from Deschutes County could cover costs, provided infrastructure is established free of charge.

ured out that that access isn’t something they should be counting on and have not necessarily had a conversation with us about pressing on any sort of issue with regards to the folks down on Hunnell,” Doty said during a joint work session with commissioners and City staff.

The City said it won’t sweep the Hunnell campsite until a managed camp is open, but there’s no clear timeline on the project. Deschutes

Several members of the public spoke at the commissioner’s March 3 meeting, raising concerns about how a managed camp would be run. Chang drew a distinction between a managed camp, like the one the county is contracting for, and unmanaged camps like the current state of Hunnell Road. The county’s managed camp will prioritize the medically vulnerable, and Chang said he won’t agree to a contract that doesn’t

The 1-acre location could hold up to 30 people. Some 80 to 100 people are currently living on Hunnell, so the County is exploring other opportunities for managed camps or safe parking spots. Another possible location is east of Bend, outside of city limits. Since that piece of land is zoned as exclusive farm use land, safe parking isn’t allowed. DeBone and Chang differed on allowing those shelters, with DeBone favoring a land use exemption from the governor’s office, while Chang wants the county to draft a safe parking ordinance allowing sites on rural county land.

County officials named Central Oregon Villages as a potential contractor, its executive director Nicky Merritt told the Source they'd want more information before becoming involved in the project. The nonprofit currently operates two pallet shelters outside of Bend Church, and Central Oregon Villages board member Chuck Hemingway

“I would say that the $100,000, for a nine-month window, that we look at extending with an emergency order, would cover the initial setup and startup costs — assuming there are pro-bono contracting supports like grading, gravel, electrical and other connections as well as probably a full-time staff person that would be available to support the location — that could be a case manager or a split between a case manager or a supervisor,” Purrington said.

The City postponed the camp closure the day its new city code regulating camping on public rights of way went into effect. Previously, the City had to declare a campsite dangerous before removing it, but the new code forbids camping in certain zones and requires people to move at least 600 feet every 24 hours. A joint letter from the Oregon American Civil Liberties Union, the Bend Equity Project and lawyer Thaddeaus Betz asked the City to halt implementing the code over potential conflicts with constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishments.

The homeless encampments along Hunnell Road will remain for now, until a managed homeless camp can be set up.

“Your brain kind of goes to the fact that we don’t want to move Hunnell down to a different location. We’re talking about medically fragile people. People that are looking for help. People that probably want a better situation. The real struggling troublemaker types, they’re not going to be told what to do and they’re not going to be going there anyway.”

—Tony DeBone

Jack Harvel

La Ciudad retrasa el desalojo en Hunnel

Por / By Jack Harvel Translated by / Traducido por Jéssica Sánchez-Millar

La ciudad de Bend está posponiendo un desalojo planeado sobre la calle Hunnel después que el Condado de Deschutes firmara un plan de contrato para un campamento controlado en la intersección de la calle Murphy Road y la carretera 97 en el sur de Bend. Bend le pidió al condado colaborar con ello durante la junta de comisionados del 22 de febrero. La ciudad ofreció aportar un acre de terreno perteneciente a la ciudad para el campamento controlado y le pidió al Condado de Deschutes utilizar $100,000 de los fondos de Ley para el Plan de Rescate Estadounidense para contratar un proveedor de servicios para supervisar las operaciones.

En diciembre, la Ciudad declaró al campamento de Hunnel Road como inseguro, pero decidió esperar hasta marzo para desalojar a las personas y evitar privarlas del refugio durante los meses más fríos. Además, le daría tiempo a la Oficina de Respuesta Coordinada

para Personas sin Hogar para apoyar a la gente a vivir allí. La Ciudad también mencionó que el aumento de tráfico causado por los proyectos viales en la zona “aumentaría bastante la preocupación relacionada con la seguridad para las personas que utilizan la zona de acampar.” Pero el 27 de febrero, el Director de Obras Públicas del Condado de Deschutes, Chris Doty, dijo a los comisionados que el departamento de carreteras nunca pidió que se quitara el campamento y que se pueden tomar otras rutas para evitar que haya tráfico en la zona donde vive la gente.

La Ciudad dijo que no desalojará el campamento de Hunnell hasta que se abra un campamento controlado, pero no hay una fecha clara para el proyecto. El comisionado del Condado de Deschutes, Phil Chang, sugirió que dos a tres meses pueden dar tiempo suficiente para establecer un campamento.

La última orden sobre el cubrebocas cancelada

Por / By Jack Harvel Translated by / Traducido por Jéssica Sánchez-Millar

Después de más de tres años que COVID-19 se extendió por todo el país, Oregon cancela la última orden sobre el uso del cubrebocas. Aunque el uso del cubrebocas no se ha requerido en establecimientos públicos por alrededor de un año, el estado requirió que los establecimientos de atención médica continuaran cumpliendo las reglas sobre el uso del cubrebocas tanto en los pacientes como en los trabajadores. La Secretaría de Salud Pública de Oregon (OHA por sus siglas en inglés) está anulando el uso requerido del cubrebocas a partir del 3 de abril.

En un informe del 3 de marzo, el epidemiólogo del Estado, Dean Sidelinger dijo que la decisión de anular los requisitos del uso del cubrebocas, “se deriva de la base de datos de las últimas semanas que muestran la disminución en general de lot tres patógenos respiratorios que desencadenaron un aumento en las visitas a la sala de emergencias y a las unidades de cuidado intensivo el otoño del año pasado. Hoy en día, las pruebas positivas de COVID-19 están en el 10% y se espera que continúe bajando; el rango de pruebas positivas de influenza está en el 1.2% y el rango de pruebas

positivas de RSV (virus sincitial respiratorio) está en el 1.6% (pruebas de antígeno) y 3.5% (pruebas moleculares).”

OHA dijo que anunció el fin del mandato del uso del cubrebocas con un mes de anticipación para permitir que los proveedores de atención médica tengan tiempo de modificar las políticas y procedimientos que aseguren la seguridad del paciente y permitan al público “planear visitas de atención médica y las medidas de protección.” Enfatiza a las personas con riesgo de una fuerte enfermedad a que consideren el uso continuo del cubrebocas y dijo que algunos

establecimientos de atención médica podrían seguir pidiendo el uso del cubrebocas sin una orden del estado.

Un informe por parte de OHA indicó que “Los cubrebocas siguen siendo una forma efectiva para reducir la transmisión de virus respiratorios. Se recomienda que las personas usen el cubrebocas cuando estén enfermas, en especial aquellas personas con problemas de salud que las pone en un riesgo más alto de contraer una fuerte enfermedad debido a exponerse a un virus respiratorio, estas personas deben continuar usando el cubrebocas en donde gusten usarlo.”

Courtesy Adobe Stock

Child Careless

By Jack Harvel

For every five children in Deschutes County, there’s only one available spot in an accredited child care business, according to a 2020 study from Oregon State University. For infants younger than two, there’s just one per 10. A county is considered to be a child care desert when fewer than 33% of children have access to child care, and Deschutes County, like almost every other county in Oregon, is below that benchmark.

NeighborImpact, an antipoverty nonprofit in Central Oregon, tracks available spots in child care and the estimated demand for spots. It found that there are 6,783 children enrolled in child care in Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes counties for students under 12 — and estimated there’s a demand for over 22,000 child care slots.

Why is child care so scarce?

COVID and subsequent worker shortages revealed just how costly a lack of child care is. In January 2020, just as many women were in the workforce as men. COVID erased that progress, and in just a year women worked at the lowest level since 1986. Governments tried to step up to support the industry. The federal government spent over $10,000 per child in 2021, up from $6,800 just two years prior. But that emergency COVID funding won’t last forever, and the federal government is expected to return to pre-pandemic funding norms by next year.

“I don't know that we as a society have figured out the answer to [funding child care] yet. Because in order to pay a teacher a wage that's worthy of the work they are doing, you have to charge the family a rate that is beyond what most can pay. How do you reconcile that?” said Karen Prow, director of child care resources at NeighborImpact. “A lot of times the conversation moves to subsidy, because there needs to be a subsidy to close that gap. What's happened in the past is, who has subsidized child care is the child care owner, the teachers in the program, and as we move forward, and look to be able to adequately pay, that subsidy on the back of the provider and teacher goes away. So I think that we're in a really uncomfortable place right now of figuring that out.”

The average cost for day care in Oregon is over $13,000 a year, according to the Economic Policy Institute, more than the average tuition at a four-year public college. Oregon early childhood teachers are required to either gain an associate’s degree in early childhood education, development or special education, a Child Development Associate credential or work full time for a year in a group program for children. Oregon also

dictates staffing ratios, mandating at least one teacher per three pupils for children under one year old and gradually allowing more students per teacher as kids age. Despite needing a college degree or training, the pay in early child care is low. A study by the University of California Berkley found the average child care worker in Oregon made $12.46 an hour in 2019, just a dollar and change above the minimum wage.

“It's very difficult to attract a labor force to an industry that does not pay well yet asks for higher education and certification qualifications for you to even work in it. As an individual, you're paying for a degree or certificate for a very low paying job. The only answer is to find a funding stream that can even out the costs and make this an industry that is stable long-term that people are attracted to it to work in,” said Katy Brooks, executive director of the Bend Chamber of Commerce.

The Bend Chamber started looking at how it could improve child care in Central Oregon about five years ago, after noticing a correlation between workforce loss and the availability of child care. It started a child care task force in 2018 and hired now-city councilor Megan Norris as a “child care accelerator” in 2019 to identify ways to address the lack of affordable child care. Norris left the job in April 2021 after COVID caused a lot of child care operations to shut down or scale back, and Brooks said the task force absorbed some of the job’s responsibilities. Beyond attracting staff to a low-paying industry, child care providers also face an uphill battle when building or renting sites. It’s competing with businesses that have a more sustainable business models, and often require remodeling to fit the needs of students.

“The problem with child care is, if you're most likely looking at a commercially zoned space to put your

child care business in, there's been less than 3% vacancy of commercial space in the Bend area for years. So child care providers are competing with software companies and banks, and you name it,” Brooks said. “The tenant improvements that are required are pretty significant. So if you're a person that has a space available, it's just easier to go with something that's more stable and doesn't require you to revamp your entire facility to accommodate the users.”

Subsidizing child care

OSU-Cascades’ early childhood learning program

Little Beavs sought to attract more people to child care, while also offering students and faculty child care services. It opened in the fall semester of 2020, when about half of the classes had an in-person option. About 120 OSU-Cascades students are parents, and since the program started 60 children have been enrolled in Little Beavs.

“The child care service gave student-parents the chance to attend classes in person and focus, knowing their children were in care, instead of attending remotely while also caring for young ones. The services also allowed faculty parents flexibility to teach in-person and gave staff parents who were required to work on campus peace of mind,” said Christine Coffin, director of communication at OSU-Cascades.

Little Beavs ties into OSU-Cascades' early learning training programs. Students going into the field can get 40 hours of tuition paid for and make money working in the program. Still, OSU-Cascades said it’s tough to retain students in such a low-paying industry.

“In general, what we're finding is that the child care field, even though a student may be very interested and attracted to that field, it's challenging for them,

Central Oregon, like most of the country, is a child care desert. COVID-era funds supported early learning, but what happens next?

because the field doesn't pay well and there are other fields where they can earn higher salaries,” Coffin said.

In July 2021 OSU-Cascades and Central Oregon Community College got $1 million in federal funds and an additional $250,000 in federal grants to expand its program into Little Kits. Little Beavs is run out of three OSU-Cascades classrooms, but Little Kits would have its own dedicated child care center at both the OSU-Cascades campus and St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, but the details are still being worked out.

“St. Charles is looking to provide child care for its employees. And those conversations are still ongoing around a possible partnership opportunity there,” Coffin said. “At this point, we've moved focus to figuring out the sustainable operations of the center.”

Little Beavs struggles with some of the same issues other child care programs face. It costs slightly less than the average child care provider for staff and students, but even at the discounted rate it costs $1,200 for students under 2 to attend to daycare full time. There’s also quite a waitlist, and the program is booked through the 2023 school year.

NeighborImpact received funding to increase child care services from the state. Prow, NeighborImpact’s child care resources director, said there are more people approaching them wanting to start a child care business, but they often hit a wall when searching for a location. The nonprofit received over $8 million from the state to support new child care providers and expand existing ones.

“We're providing financial support, but also educational support. So these private providers can learn best business practices in their program. Right now, we're trying to get 1,400 more child care slots in Central Oregon through this grant,” said Hannah Kuehl, NeighborImpact’s associate director of grants management.

The program offers seed money to get started, but also advises businesses on sustainable funding models — which often relies on accepting state and federal funding. Prow said people starting a child care business often charge industry standard rates, without considering additional funding sources.

“They don't give enough consideration to the fact that that might not cover their cost. And then they start digging into their savings. And they start really

being that one who subsidizes the business, and then they close,” Prow said.

Though some COVID-era funding is set to expire, legislators are still attentive on the issue. The Oregon Senate passed Senate Bill 599 requiring housing providers to allow child care services in rental homes. Jason Kropf (D-Bend) introduced a bill that would sponsor early learning programs that increase childhood literacy. Federally, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act to distribute grants to providers in child care deserts.

“By increasing workforce training and retention efforts and expanding and building more child care facilities, this bill will help ensure more parents can find the quality child care they need at a price they can afford,” Merkley said in a press release.

Despite the immense challenge of starting a child care business, Prow said Central Oregon is tackling of the crisis differently than other affected communities. She said different individuals and organizations have combined forces to support early learning.

“I think Central Oregon has done a great job of coming together as a community to solve this crisis. We have a long ways to go. We have business owners and elected officials, city planners, we have people coming to the table, engaging in conversations to find solutions,” Prow said. “It did not seem like that is happening around the nation. That feels really unique and hopeful to me that we are going to be able to support all these new providers looking for space, looking for ways to open their business. I think we have something here in our community that's not replicated across the country.”

Most Oregon counties are considered child care deserts, and all Oregon counties are considered child care deserts for zero-to-two year olds.

Though the population has grown, the number of available slots in accredited child care lags behind demand.

SOURCE PICKS

FRIDAY-SATURDAY 3/10-11

ERIC DARIUS

GET JAZZY

Eric Darius is a professional jazz saxophonist, vocalist, composer, songwriter and producer. Sway to sultry and smooth songs from Darius at The Oxford. Dress up and get out for a night of romantic jazz music! Fri., March 10, 7-9pm and Sat., March 11, 5-7pm & 8-10pm. The Oxford Hotel, 10 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend. $55.

SATURDAY 3/11

EARTH EDM HOUSE MUSIC PARTY

GET PRIMAL

The DJs—Mienne, So Much House, B2B, It's Fine and MstarkDJ, lko and Filthy B—will bring music to get people up and dancing. From primal to bass to house to EDM, attendees will feel the flow all night! Sat., March 11, 8pm-1am. High Desert Music Hall, 818 SW Forest Ave., Redmond. $10.

SATURDAY 3/11

SUNDAY 3/12

TUESDAY 3/14

THE DUDE DAY IN DOWNTOWN BEND

ROBES, BOWLING AND WHITE RUSSIANS

Tin Pan Theater will show “The Big Lebowski,” and special deals on White Russians and more will happen at local bars and restaurants downtown. Go to the website and see where to snag an iconic vodka, coffee liqueur and cream cocktail to celebrate The Dude Day! Sat., March 11, 11am-8pm. Downtown Bend. Free.

SATURDAY 3/11

LUCKY LEPRECHAUN 5K/10K RUN AND WALK

RUN, HOP, SKIP OR WALK IN YOUR BEST GREEN GARB

Get out and get green this weekend in Sisters! Runners are invited to wear costumes and show spirit at this chip-timed event. After the races, enjoy music, food and more! Sat., March 11, 10am-Noon. Three Creeks Brewing Co. Production Facility, 265 E Barclay Dr., Sisters. $30-$45.

CHARLIE PARR

NOVELISTIC, MULTI-LAYERED STORIES

Blues and folk man Charlie Parr performs songs full of life, energy and storytelling lyrics. Parr’s music is quick-paced and humorous. The Belfry stage will be graced with Parr’s presence this Sunday — don’t miss it! Sun., March 12, 7-10pm. The Belfry, 302 E Main Ave., Sisters. $20.

SUNDAY 3/12

DOPAPOD & YAK ATTACK

GROOVY FUNKY JAMMY

Dopapod is a hypnotic funk band and has never performed in Bend before! The band’s music touches on many genres—rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk and more— but adds a futuristic vibe to every song. Yak Attack will join the stage to add to the wide range of funky jams. Sun., March 12, 7:30-11:30pm. Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend. $25/adv, $30/door.

TUESDAY 3/14

PUZZLED PINT AT CRUX

CASUAL, SOCIAL PUZZLE-SOLVING

It’s a night for gamers and beer lovers! Challenges range from crossword clues to code breaking, word play and logic problems. Attendees work in teams to unravel and answer the puzzles while sipping on something tasty from the tap. Tue., March 14, 6-9pm. Crux Fermentation Project, 50 SW Division St., Bend. Free.

CAROLE KING: HOME AGAINLIVE IN CENTRAL PARK

A THROWBACK FILM EVENT

A feature-length concert documentary about musical icon Carole King and her concert on The Great Lawn of New York City’s Central Park. King performed in front of an audience of over 100,000 people. Don’t miss this feature! Tue., March 14, 6:15-7:45pm. Sisters Movie House, 720 Desperado Court, Sisters. $15.

TUESDAY 3/14

THINK WILD TRIVIA NIGHT

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CENTRAL OREGON'S WILDLIFE

Head to this wildlife-themed trivia night, benefitting Think Wild wildlife hospital and conservation center. All the questions are created by Think Wild and are specific to Central Oregon outdoors. If you think you know about the area, head to 10 Barrel, and if not, head over anyways to learn! Tue., March 14, 7:309pm. 10 Barrel Brewing Co. Pub & Brewing Facility, 62950 NE 18th St., Bend. Price.

WEDNESDAY 3/15

ARGENTINE TANGO CLASSES AND DANCE

LEARN TO TANGO WITH FRIENDS

Been wanting to get into tango but not really sure where to start? Learn from the pros on Wednesdays. No partner is needed, and the first class is free! All levels are welcome. Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm. Sons of Norway Hall, 549 NW Harmon Blvd., Bend. $5-$10.

Courtesy IMDB

Courtesy Dopapod Facebook

Courtesy Charlie Parr Press

Courtesy High Desert Museum

Courtesy YouTube

Without Music There Is No Dance

Yogini and dancer Tenley Wallace brings a fusion of tribal belly dance, yoga and teachings from ancient dances of Arabia and Asia to Bend

By Doone Lupine Williams

It's Women’s History Month, so let’s continue the dialogue on embracing fearless and eternal feminine power through music and performance art. More importantly, let’s discuss the vitality and continued progression that affects our mind, body and the modern world when we honor and practice deep-rooted historical traditions in these two mediums, especially dance. I recently had the opportunity to connect and interview Bend-based dancer, yogini, herstorian, visionary and powerhouse of a woman, Tenley Wallace.

“Without music there is no dance,” says Wallace. “Dance saves lives.”

Starting out as an underground VJ in the early revolution of the ‘90s San Francisco electronic music scene, Wallace was immersed into a world where dancing became a culture and a community; a home. Wallace nostalgically shared with me stories of endless San Francisco nights in a warehouse on 150 Folsom Street that housed shows from sunset to sunrise with some of the best DJs from around the world, along with visual art and what became a family of dancers that blossomed Wallace’s dance career.

“I had masters of ANY genre of dance easily accessible in SF and the East Bay — so I took advantage of that to the best of my ability,” she said. Over 25 years, Wallace traveled, studied and integrated an international explosion of ancient disciplines from around the world — practices, art and culture that were are on the edge of extinction, especially from India, Tibet and Nepal.

“I have traveled the world to study with legendary masters in dance and yoga, to receive the most authentic teachings and related cultural experiences, or more accurately, to embody full sensory transmissions, so when someone studies with me or experiences my performances, they are getting an authentic lineage-based experience. There are too many posers in this world diluting the riches of our global cultures,” Wallace said.

In addition to an integral loyalty to the music and

culture from different regions in the world, Wallace focuses on a multi-sensory experience with a heightened devotion to ancient ritual to invoke a sacred space for her students. “In other words, I am dedicated to cultural preservation. After so many students around the world continued to give me feedback how my style was unique, well taught, high integrity with alignment and uniquely powerful for women, I developed and expanded my personal home practice into this format and now teach around the world,” she said.

On her first trip to India in 1996, Wallace began developing Temple Tribal Fusion — a fuse of her learnings and her own subgenre of dance that had been building since she was 28. TTF includes tribal belly dance (birthed in the ‘90s from her home in San Francisco), Odissi Indian Clas-sical Dance (daughter of a very ancient Temple Dance), flamenco (great-granddaughter of ancient Indian Temple Dances), North African and Middle Eastern dances from Arabia, and also traditional belly dancing. Wallace began teaching in 2006 then went fully online and international in 2013.

From the core, Temple Tribal Fusion has a strong foundation in the principles and practices of Yoga.

“Yoga, just like dance, literally has saved my life — many, many times. I'd even say, above all, yoga is the foundation of my life, work, spiritual discipline — no exaggeration.” stated Wallace. “TTF is the cohesion of my life’s study, passion, discipline and devotion to dance, yoga, empowerment practices and transformational modalities, with a focus to awaken women into their full vibrancy, authenticity and right use of power.” This complete body-mind-energy system enables women to expand into their unbound potential in radiant health, lead by Yogini wisdom, with the goal of self-mastery and vitalization of body, energy, heart and mind for women. TTF stems from ancient feminine power — which holds some of the richest cultural expressions of music, costuming, storytelling, and prayer.”

For those craving a physical and spiritual awakening, this is an experience locals won’t really find anywhere else. Wallace offers classes locally both in person and online, and is planning a week-long series starting April 4 at Central Oregon Community College.

Learn more about her work at templetribalfusion.com.

Tenley Wallace, founder and creator of Temple Tribal Fusion.

Tenley Wallace

CALENDAR

8 Wednesday

AVID Cider Co. Taproom Bingo with a Brit Join with the favorite bloke Michael as MC, and win prizes, swag, gift cards, weekly cash prize and an end-of-the-month cumulative cash jackpot. $10 per booklet (5 games/booklet).

6:30-8:30pm.

Cabin 22 Trivia Wednesdays Useless Knowledge Bowl Live Trivia Game Show! It’s not your average quiz night. Team up to win gift cards. It’s fun and free to play, with Locals’ Day featuring Crater Lake and local craft beer specials. Get here this week!

6:30-8:30pm. Free.

Corey’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Sing your heart out at Corey’s! Grab friends and drinks for some Coreyoke. 9pm-Midnight. Free.

Craft Kitchen and Brewery Comedy Open Mic Sign-up 7:30pm. If you’ve ever wanted to try stand-up comedy, this is where you start!

8-10pm. Free.

Crosscut Warming Hut No 5 Paul Eddy Relax with a pint and enjoy great local music!

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.

Elixir Wine Group Locals Music Open Mic Night Come down for open mic live music, award winning wines, handmade empanadas and other small bites. This is the only working winery, grape to glass in Deschutes County so come on down for a tasting! 6-9pm. Free with glass of wine.

Elixir Wine Group Locals Music Night & Open Mic Join a cozy community of appreciative musicians and patrons. Great music, great wine and beer, great times. Small bites available.

6-9pm. Free.

Hub City Bar & Grill DJ Dance Music Dj dance music in the top 40s. 8pm-Midnight. Free.

JC’s Bar & Grill Trivia Nite with Trivia Girl Compete with your peers and test your knowledge of current events, music and other random categories while enjoying 75 cent wings! Also, JC’s trivia separates themselves from the rest with a physical challenge! 7-9:30pm. Free.

M&J Tavern Open Mic Night Downtown living room welcomes musicians to bring their acoustic set or turn it up to eleven with the whole band. Bring your own instruments. Goes to last call or last musician, which ever comes first. 21+. 6:30pm. Free.

Midtown Ballroom Chase Matthew and Dillon James Catch the show! Rock out to these tunes. 8:30pm. $22.

Seven Nightclub & Restaurant The CO Show The CO Show is a free comedy showcase! Doors open at 7pm show starts at 8pm! Central Oregon Comedy Scene and Karaokaine productions have teamed up to bring this show to you! It’s co-hosted with multiple hosts, co-produced for Central Oregon! 8pm. Free.

Volcanic Theatre Pub Forty Feet Tall Childhood friends Cole Gann and Jack Sehres started Forty Feet tall as Los Angeles teens. Influenced by grunge, post-punk and alternative rock, their hard-edged, expansive sound and high-energy performances scored them slots at venues including the Troubadour, Roxy and the Whiskey. 8-11:59pm. $15.

Northside Bar & Grill Accoustic Open Mic with Derek Michael Marc Head down to the Northside Bar and Grill Wednesdays to catch local artists perform live. 7-9pm. Free.

9 Thursday

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.

Bend Elks Lodge #1371 Bingo Bingo at the Elk’s Lodge. Win cash prizes. 6-9pm. $23.

Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Thursdays UKB’s live trivia game show is like no other. Team up to compete for gift card prizes! Brews, ciders, mixed drinks, pizzas and food truck options. Indoor and outdoor seating. 6-8pm. Free.

Corey’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Sing your heart out at Corey’s! Grab friends and drinks for some Coreyoke. 9pm-Midnight. Free.

High Desert Music Hall Comedy Open Mic Night Come tell your jokes, every 2nd Thursday of the month. All are welcome to perform. Sketch, improv and musical comedy encouraged also. Second Thursday of every month, 7-9pm. Free.

Hub City Bar & Grill DJ Dance Music Dj dance music in the top 40s. First Monday-Sunday of every month, 8pm-Midnight. Free.

Big E’s Sports Bar Big E’s Open Mic Three song/15-minute limit. Minors allowed. Singles/ duos/trios. No drum sets. Great food and beverage from Big E’s Sportsbar menu. Original music or covers. A warm and friendly environment to share those precious creative moments. 6-9pm. Free.

Northside Bar & Grill Long Gone Wilder

Classic rock and jam band takes the stage. 7-9pm. Free.

River’s Place Heller Highwater Stand out vocals and excellent harmonies and guitar. 6-8pm. Free.

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.

The Cellar—A Porter Brewing Company The Ballybogs and Friends Grab a pint, relax and enjoy live music by an amazing group of artists that brings the best Irish trad music in Central Oregon. Every Thursday at The Cellar. 6-8pm. Free.

The Suttle Lodge & Boathouse

Alicia Viani Fireside Show This week, Alicia Viani will share her music. 6-8pm.

10 Friday

Craft Kitchen and Brewery Philanthropic Funnies A monthly showcase of Central Oregon comedians that donated 100% of all tickets and tips to a local nonprofit charity. This month Craft is donating to Indigenous Helpers. They are cultivating Indigenous re-connection to land, water, food, medicine and spiritual practices. 8-10pm.

Faith, Hope and Charity Vineyards

Heller Highwater Trio Heller Highwater Trio rocking out at the most beautiful venues in Central Oregon in the vineyard. Come listen to a truly fun concert! Lead vocalist, rhythm guitar, percussion, Heather Drakulich along with Tom Brouillette and John Luce. 5-8pm. $15/adults, free/children 12 and under.

General Duffy’s Annex Standup

Comedy Show Stand-up comedy show at General Duffy’s annex restaurant! Doors open at 7pm. 21+ show. 7-10pm.

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.

High Desert Music Hall Bend

Burlesque Presents: The Ides of March It’s time for a little revenge! Tired of all those naysayers? Come on down to the High Desert Music Hall, and get your fill of sweet, sexy and sultry revenge acts! The show we have in store is sure to be one for the books! 8-11pm. $20-$30.

Hoodoo Ski Area Friday Night Lights Enjoy bonfires, live music and more every Friday night at Hoodoo, thanks to Ablis CBD. 5pm. Free.

Big E’s Sports Bar Karaoke Night Friday night karaoke with A Fine Note Music and DJ Jackie J. 8-11pm. Free.

M&J Tavern “P”ucker “S”unch Put these good ol’ boyz in a room and you betcher arse they have seen and done it all! Come on down for a rockin’ good time! 9pm. Free.

Silver Moon Brewing Victory Swig

Victory Swig plays a mix of rhythmic covers and originals from a wide variety of genres including, but not limited to, rock, southern rock, funk, soul, reggae, dub, ska and R&B, sprinkled with lots of jam, that gets listeners having fun and out on the dance floor. 8:30-11pm.

Silvermoon Brewing Barringer & Baker Join Mark and Bob for an evening of music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Bob Baker on electric violin and Mark Barringer on guitar and vocals. 6-8pm. Free.

The Oxford Hotel Eric Darius For Eric Darius there are no limitations to breaking new ground. Internationally known as an elite saxophonist, songwriter, producer and performer, Darius dropped, “L.O.V.E Feat. Brian Culbertson” the third single from his seventh studio album, “Breakin’ Thru,” which debuted at #2 on the iTunes Top 40 Jazz Albums Chart. 7-9pm. $55.

11 Saturday

The Belfry Thunderstorm Artis Thunderstorm Artis is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Soaring vocals meet dextrous, layered guitar and intimate storytelling that can evoke the poetic lyricism of Passenger in one song before sliding into the wrenching neo-soul of Leon Bridges in another. 7-10pm. Bridge 99 Brewery Stage 28 Karaoke Come out for a night of all ages Stage 28 Karaoke with your host Miss Min! What’s your go-to karaoke tune? Come to Hub City every Wednesday and Thursday night and sing your heart out! 6pm. Free.

Craft Kitchen and Brewery Comedy at Craft: Temple The Bard Based in Eugene, Temple The Bard (they/she) likes to spin yarns woven around threads of vulnerability and truth. An evening with Temple is an evening filled with fabulous stories about hippie mafias, Queer mating rituals, slapstick capitalism, 1980’s television commercials and manic pixie dream cryptids. 8-10pm.

Flights Wine Bar Live Music at Flights Come grab a great glass of wine, have an incredible dinner and enjoy live music every Saturday at Flights Wine Bar. 6-8pm. Free.

High Desert Music Hall Earth EDM House Music Party Come get primal with the DJs—Mienne, So Much House, B2B, It’s Fine and MstarkDJ, lko and Filthy B. 8pm-1am. $10. Northside Bar & Grill Tiger Lynn Classic pop and dance music! 8-11pm. Free.

The Outfitter Bar at Seventh Mountain Resort Coyote Willow Coyote Willow is an Americana band hailing from Bend. This exciting artistic partnership joins Tim Coffey’s soulful guitar, Kat Hilst’s powerful cello and the duo’s rich vocal harmonies, creating a unique blend of folk, roots, blues and intricate instrumentals. 4-7pm. Free.

Pine Forest Grange Hall Bend Community Contra Dance Bend Community Contra Dance: live traditional music and couple dancing akin to square dance. Come solo or bring a partner to join in the fun. Band: Trees are for Hugging and Local Callers. The Pine Forest Grange is an alcohol, drug and smoke free zone. 7-9:30pm. $10.

River’s Place Saturday Jazz Sessions Evan Mullins and Kyle Pickard come together for lots of improvising, standards, gems and original voyages. 6-8pm. Free.

Snuggle up at the Suttle Lodge for a fireside show with Alicia Viani on Thu., March 9 from 6-8pm. Her velvety, smooth vocals are perfect for a chill night out in Sisters.

Courtesy Alicia Viani Press

Silver Moon Brewing JuJu Eyeball

JuJu is back at Silver Moon for some more fab Beatle music. This will be a great night and also the birthday weekend for one of the band members. 8-10pm. $10.

The Oxford Hotel Eric Darius For Eric Darius there are no limitations to breaking new ground. Internationally known as an elite saxophonist, songwriter, producer and performer, Darius dropped, “L.O.V.E Feat. Brian Culbertson” the third single from his seventh studio album, “Breakin’ Thru,” which debuted at #2 on the iTunes Top 40 Jazz Albums Chart. 5-7 & 8-10pm. $55.

12 Sunday

The Astro Lounge Local Artist Spotlight Sundays This is a chance to listen to Central Oregon’s newest and upcoming local artists. They have earned their spot to perform a two-hour show, changing weekly, every Sunday. Support local top notch talent! 7-9pm. Free.

The Belfry Charlie Parr Charlie Parr is an incorruptible outsider who writes novelistic, multi-layered stories that shine a kaleidoscopic light on defiant, unseen characters thriving in the shadows all around us. Parr is supported by Marisa Anderson, referred to by The New Yorker as “one of the most distinctive guitar players of her generation.” 7-10pm. $20.

Corey’s Bar & Grill Karaoke Sing your heart out at Corey’s! Grab friends and drinks for some Coreyoke. 9pm-Midnight. Free.

Flights Wine Bar Trivia at Flights Wine Bar

Join Sundays for trivia with King Trivia! Free to play! Get a group together, and come get nerdy! Awesome prizes and as always, delicious food and drinks! 4-6pm. Free.

Domino Room Dopapod & Yak Attack

Parallel 44 Presents Dopapod & Yak Attack at the Domino Room. The venue is overjoyed to finally host one of the favorite East Coast bands with one of the favorite West Coast bands. Make Dopapod’s first visit one to remember. 7:3011:30pm. $25/adv, $30/door.

River’s Place Trivia Sundays at Noon Trivia Sundays at Noon, with UKB Trivia, at River’s Place. This is no ordinary contest, this is a live trivia game show. Bring your bunch and win gift card prizes for top teams! Indoor and outdoor seating available. Great food and drink options available. Noon-2pm. Free.

Hub City Bar & Grill DJ Dance Music Dj dance music in the top 40s. First Monday-Sunday of every month, 8pm-Midnight. Free.

River’s Place Use’ta Do Old school country roots with guit-fiddle and mand’lin. Come celebrate more daylight! 5-7pm. Free.

Silver Moon Brewing Not’Cho Grandma’s

Bingo Silver Moon is partnering with the YOUNI Movement to guarantee the best bingo experience in all of Central Oregon! Not’Cho Grandma’s Bingo is the OG of bingo, high energy bingo that promises to entertain from start to finish! 10am. Free/GA, $10/early entry.

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.

13 Monday

Bridge 99 Brewery Trivia Mondays UKB’s live trivia game show is like no other. Team up to compete for gift card prizes! Brews, ciders, mixed drinks, pizzas and food truck options. Indoor and outdoor seating. 6-8pm. Free.

Northside Bar & Grill Karaoke with DJ Chris Karaoke with DJ Chris every Monday. 7-9pm. Free.

On Tap Ghost of Brian Craig An evening with acoustic multi-instrumentalist Brian Craig blending folk, rock and country with originals and select covers. 6-8pm. Free.

Silver Moon Brewing Comedy Open Mic Comedy open mic every Monday at Silver Moon Brewing in the Green Room. Sign-ups at 6:30pm. Presented by Tease Bang Boom Productions. 7-8:30pm. Free. Worthy Brewing Head Games Trivia Night Eat. Drink. Think. Win! Head Games multi-media trivia is at Worthy Brewing Co. in Bend every Monday. Win prizes. Teams up to six. 7-9pm. Free.

14 Tuesday

The Cellar—A Porter Brewing Company Music Night at The Cellar, Featuring Central Oregon Music & Musicians Grab a pint, sit back, relax and enjoy live music by Central Oregon musicians! Second Tuesday of every month, 6-8pm. Free.

10 Barrel Brewing Co. Pub & Brewing Facility Think Wild Trivia Night

Join Think Wild at 10 Barrel’s Eastside Pub for a night of wildlife-themed trivia! Test your knowledge of Central Oregon’s wildlife, outdoors and conservation to win great prizes! $1 from each beer sold will be donated to support Think Wild. Be sure to bring a charged phone to submit answers! 7:30-9pm. Free.

The Belfry Jive Radio’s “Welcome Us To Sisters” Concert A free concert featuring Cruz Contreras of the Black Lillies to celebrate Jive Radio’s move to the Belfry. 7-10pm. Free.

The Commons Cafe & Taproom Storytellers Open Mic StoryTellers open mic nights are full of music, laughs and community. Ky Burt is the host. Sign-ups start at 5pm sharp in the cafe, and spots go quick. 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. 6pm. Free.

Crux Fermentation Project Puzzled

Pint at Crux Puzzled Pint is a casual, social puzzle-solving event happening at rotating bars on the second Tuesday of the month. These puzzles often incorporate crossword clues, code breaking, word play and logic problems. “Game Control” will be there to give hints and verify answers. Completely free, come any time! 6-9pm. Free.

High Desert Music Hall Redmond Chess Club Redmond Chess Club meets Tuesday evenings at the High Desert Music Hall in Redmond. Come join for an evening of chess! Everyone is welcome. Sets provided or bring your own. Contact Gilbert at 503-490-9596. 6-9pm. Free.

Worthy Beers & Burgers Head Games

Trivia Night Join for live multi-media trivia every Tuesday night. Win prizes. Teams up to 6 players. 7-9pm. Free.

15 Wednesday

Tower Theatre MANIA: The ABBA Tribute

From London’s West End to Las Vegas, MANIA the ABBA tribute (Formerly ABBA MANIA) remains the world’s No. 1 touring ABBA tribute show. Formed in 1999, this production has sold out theaters and concert halls across the globe, with over 3,000 live concerts in over 30 countries, bringing the music of the beloved Swedish supergroup to 3 million people. 8pm. $29.50-$64.50.

Volcanic Theatre Pub True Loves West Cost Tour 2023 Listening to the Seattle-based funk and soul group, True Loves, is like walking down a favorite neighborhood street, slapping five with friends, checking up with clerks in their stores, admiring your dark sun-glassed face in their windows, ducking under flowerpots and smelling the familiar smells of your most cherished locale. 8-11:59pm. $18.

MUSIC

The Cascade Chorale Presents: A Celebration of Women Composers!

This concert is a dynamic celebration of music by women composers. Come be amazed at this joyous journey across the ages and around the globe as we explore the wealth and diversity of women’s musical inspirations from the 1500s to today. March 11, 7pm and March 12, 3pm. Nativity Lutheran Church, 60850 Brosterhous Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-419-5227. cascadechorale@ gmail.com. Free.

Free Music Education Workshop with featured Artist Eric Darius: Jazz at the Oxford Meet, listen, ask questions, learn and “jam” with the pros: Georges Bouhey & Studio20 are hosting a free music education workshop with featured artist Eric Darius. Doors open 10am. Whether you play or not, all ages/instruments welcome. Contact lessons@desertjazz.net or visit www.desertjazz.net/events-1 to learn more. March 11, 10:30am-12:30pm. The Oxford Hotel, 10 Northwest Minnesota Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-771-8916. lessons@desertjazz.net. Free.

Kristi Kinsey Blues Jam Open jam with full band hosted by Kristi Kinsey. Sundays, 5-8pm. Hub City Bar & Grill, 2498 S. Highway 97, Suite E, Redmond. Contact: 541-923-7101. happyhubcity@gmail.com. Free.

Public (ROCK) Choir Come sing your face off with the live rock band in a fun, non-threatening group where all skill levels have the chance to sing great songs loud. No experience needed. The group will lead you through the whole night of rock/pop favorites. Check website for more info. Thu, March 9, 6-8pm and first Monday of every month, 6-8pm. Through Dec. 4. Broken Top Bottle Shop, 1740 NW Pence Lane, Bend. Contact: 541-728-3798. info@getyourvoiceup. com. $18.

Sunday Crystal Bowl Sound Bath with Reiki Sound bath is a passive healing journey with crystal bowls. Bring comfy clothing, pillow and blanket or mat. Sundays, 5:30-6:30pm. Through Aug. 27. Unity Community of Central Oregon, 63645 Scenic Dr., Bend. Contact: 541350-8448. clare@kevinkubota.com. $10-$20 sliding scale.

DANCE

Argentine Tango Classes and Dance

Join every Wednesday for Tango classes and dancing! Your first class is free. 6:30-7pm Tango 101 class, no partner needed! 7-8pm all levels class. 8-9:30pm open dancing. Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30pm. Sons of Norway Hall, 549 NW Harmon Blvd., Bend. Contact: 541-728-3234. tangocentraloregon@gmail.com. $5-$10.

Country Swing Dance Lessons Come join for partner country swing dancing! They have beginner, advanced and circle dance lessons. Check the Cricket Instagram to find out which it is this week! Come with a partner, or come single and they’ll find you one! See y’all there! Every other Thursday, 7-8pm. Through Dec. 30. Cross-Eyed Cricket, 20565 NE Brinson Blvd., Bend. Contact: 541-382-4270. Free.

Scottish Country Dance

A chance to socialize and get a bit of exercise, too. Beginners are welcome. All footwork, figures and social graces will be taught and reviewed. Mondays, 7-9pm. Sons of Norway Hall, 549 NW Harmon Blvd., Bend. Contact: 541-508-9110. allely@ bendbroadband.com. $5.

FILM EVENTS

18th Annual Backcountry Film Festival

Calling all skiers, backcountry adventurers, thrill seekers and winter enthusiasts! Get ready for the annual celebration of winter wildlands through this collection of short films. It’ll make its grand return to Central Oregon in person and indoors for our eighteenth Winter Wildlands Alliance Backcountry Film Festival! March 9, 7pm. Volcanic Theatre Pub, 70 SW Century Dr., Bend. March 11, 6:30pm. SHARC, 57250 Overlook Rd., Sunriver. Sisters Movie House, 720 Desperado Ct., Sisters. Contact: 541-233-6110. karen.walsh@ discovernw.org. $18-$20.

Carole King: Home Again - Live

In Central Park

The brand new feature-length concert documentary presents musical icon Carole King’s triumphant May 26, 1973, homecoming concert on The Great Lawn of New York City’s Central Park before an estimated audience of 100,000. Directed by George Scott and produced by Lou Adler in 1973 but never before released. March 14, 6:15-7:45pm. Sisters Movie House, 720 Desperado Ct., Sisters. Contact: 541-549-8833. inquiries@sistersmoviehouse.com. $15.

The Dude Day in Downtown Bend

It’s time to abide and join Downtown Bend in a fun day to celebrate The Dude with robes, bowling and white Russians. Watch “The Big Lebowski” at the Tower Theatre and Tin Pan Theater. Also, go to men-centric businesses for fun! March 11, 11am-8pm. Downtown Bend, Downtown Bend, Bend. Contact: 541-788-3628. downtownbend@gmail.com. Free.

Eric Darius is king of smooth, groovy, jazzy jams. He is a saxophonist, vocalist, composer, songwriter and producer who tells stories through his music. Catch Darius Fri., March 10 or Sat., March 11 at The Oxford Hotel.

Courtesy Eric Darius Press

ARTS + CRAFTS

Artists Exhibit Dry Canyon Arts Association facilitates art exhibits throughout the city of Redmond to inspire a culture of art lovers. Come experience some of Redmond’s amazing artists exhibit their work on the walls of a new farm to table restaurant “Feast Foods Co.” Wednesdays-Sundays, 3pm. Through May 21. Feast Food Co, 546 NW 7th St, Redmond. Free.

Cute Bunny Paint Party Come have some fun and bring a friend to River’s Place in Bend for a fun paint party! This time River’s Place is doing a cute bunny in a field. Perfect for Easter or Spring! Includes: 16x20 canvas, paint, brushes, etc. March 13, 5:30-8pm. River’s Place, 787 NE Purcell Blvd., Bend. Contact: imaginaryrebelartstudio@gmail.com. $35.

Kreitzer Open Gallery and Studio Give the gift of a contemporary realist David Kreitzer original. Stunning Central Oregon splendor, water, koi, fantasy, figure and floral. SF Chronicle: “Kreitzer demonstrates the poetic intensity of the old tradition.” Mondays-Sundays, 11am-5pm. Kreitzer Art Gallery and Studio, 20214 Archie Briggs Rd., Bend. Contact: 805-234-2048. jkreitze@icloud.com. Free.

Saturday Wheel Throwing: Beginnings

This class is for beginning potters. It helps people work on the process of throwing through targeted projects. Students will go through throwing, trimming and glazing. This session will focus on lidded jars and mugs. Saturdays, 10am. Through April 1. Tumalo School of Pottery & Craft, 65093 Smokey Butte Dr., Bend. Contact: 458-202-9430. yvonne@tumaloschoolofpottery.com. $225.

Second Saturday at the Gallery Enjoy free food and libations at the Artists Gallery Sunriver Village the 2nd Saturday of each month. Work of 30 local artists is on display and here’s your chance to meet some of those artists. Second Saturday of every month, 4-6pm. The Village at Sunriver, 57100 Beaver Dr., Sunriver. Contact: 541-593-8704. Free.

Visual Joy and Perfection: The Artistry of Master Fine Artist David Kreitzer

Join David in the Kreitzer Gallery and Studio, and experience sublime and healing Central Oregon splendor landscapes, the human figure, koi, California vineyards, floral and fantasy oil and watercolor images. Thursdays-Sundays, Noon5pm. Kreitzer Art Gallery and Studio, 20214 Archie Briggs Road, Bend. Contact: 805-234-2048. jkreitze@icloud.com. Free.

PRESENTATIONS + EXHIBITS

Know Underwater: What Can Algae Tell Us? Learn what algae research can tell about the future of aquatic ecosystem health and macroalgae’s potential to play an important role in future sustainable diets. Presented by James Fox, Research Associate in the Department of Microbiology at Oregon State University. In collaboration with The Roundhouse Foundation. March 14, 6-7pm. Redmond Proficiency Academy - Glacier Building, 657 SW Glacier Ave #2710, Redmond. March 11, 1-2pm. Sisters Firehouse Community Hall, 301 S Elm St, Sisters. Contact: 541-312-1029. laurelw@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.

Our Common Ground: America’s Public Lands as a Political and Conservation Success Story Join professor and author John Leshy at the Tower Theater as he discusses his new book, “Our Common Ground: A History of America’s Public Lands.” Professor Leshy will offer some lessons that history suggests for future public land policy, explore contemporary challenges and share insight important to ONDA’s conservation work. March 14, 6-8:30pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-330-2638. kdiaz@onda.org. $10.

Season of Nonviolence Community

Conversations: Emerging From Our Homes Join facilitator LeeAnn O’Neill in a conversation that asks, how does the way you move through your community affect your sense of safety and vulnerability? This conversation is a chance to reflect on our personal roles in creating greater safety for all as we move through our communities. March 13, 5:30pm. COCC Redmond Campus, 2030 SE College Loop, Bldg 3, Rm 306, Redmond. Contact: 541-383-7412. cwalker2@ cocc.edu. Free.

THEATER

Acting Class with Writer-Director-Instructor John Breen Bend Institute of Comedy Presents Acting & Scene Study with writer-director John Breen where he’ll apply his imaginative, liberating approach to getting in the moment on stage or on camera for both dramatic and comedic scenes. Some Meisner work, physical work, character work, internal energy and scene breakdown process! Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30pm. Through March 28. Redmond Grange Hall, 707 SW Kalama, Redmond. Contact: 541-604-2072. improvbend@gmail.com. $145 earlybird discount by Feb 22.

Cascades Theatrical Company’s Cascades 10 Fest Get ready to experience the best of PNW theater! Join for CTC’s Cascades 10 Fest, 3 showings of 10-min original plays by local actors, directors and playwrights. Whether you’re a seasoned theater-goer or a newcomer to the world of live performance, there is something for all to enjoy!

Fri, March 10, 7:30-10pm, Sat, March 11, 7:30-10pm and Sun, March 12, 2-4:30pm. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend. Contact: 541410-5866. info@openspace.studio. $15.

Sunriver Stars Open 2023 Season with “A Nice Family Gathering” Sunriver Stars presents Phil Olson’s “A Nice Family Gathering.” The story takes place with the first family gathering at the Lundeen household since Dad died. Dad comes back as a ghost to tell his wife of 35 years he loved her, something he neglected to do while living. March 9-11, 7-9pm, Fri, March 17, 7-9pm and Sat, March 18, 2-4pm. The Door (a church in Sunriver Business Park across from Three Rivers School), 56885 Enterprise Rd., Sunriver. Contact: 541-593-7445. ronpugh@live.com. $15-$20.

WORDS

Puppet Show & Storytime! “Jamie

O’Rourke and the Big Potato!” Join for a special puppet show based on Tomie DePaola’s book, “Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato!” This is a free event! Please register all children who are attending at the Eventbrite link. Adults will be standing-room only or seating in the café. March 11, 11-11:30am. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 541306-6564. julie@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.

Writing & Resilience: HIIT for the Heart Explore how to use writing to work through intense emotions. This is an in-person program. Registration is required. In this high-intensity-interval-training-style workshop, Dr. Emily Carr will share some top secret tips and tricks for processing stress and other negative feelings. March 9, 5:30-7:30pm. Downtown Bend Public Library - Brooks Room, 601 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-312-1063. paigef@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.

Raging Writers Writing Workshop & Open Mic Raging Writers is a free, inclusive and respectful creative writing opportunity and open mic. No food or beverage available, but plenty of inspiration and energy on tap. Located every 2nd Sunday at Spork. Second Sunday of every month, 3:30-5:30pm. Spork, 937 NW Newport Ave., Bend. Contact: icooper435@gmail.com. Free.

Nonfiction Book Club Please join to discuss “American Baby: A Mother, a Child, and the Shadow History of Adoption” by Gabrielle Glaser March 10, 9:30-11am. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 541-3066564. julie@roundaboutbookshop.com. Free.

Season of Nonviolence Community Conversations: Relationships for Resilience In a time of intensifying social and ecological crises, in a cultural context of individualism, the pressure to practice “selfcare,” build “personal resilience” and “transform oneself” is pervasive. Join facilitator Christina deVillier in this conversation that explores dynamics of our strongest relationships and seeks to name practices that underpin resilience. March 9, 5:30-7pm. COCC Prineville Campus, 510 SE Lynn Blvd, Prineville. Contact: 541-383-7412. cwalker2@cocc.edu. Free.

OUTDOOR EVENTS

Bend Rock Gym BIPOC Climb Night

Join Vamonos Outside and the BRG for its monthly BIPOC climbing night. Second Tuesday of every month. Bend Rock Gym, 1182 SE Centennial Ct., Bend. $15.

Lucky Leprechaun 5k/10k Run and Walk Lucky Leprechaun 5K/10K, chiptimed event, will be held in beautiful Sisters. Run, hop, skip or walk in your best green garb! Stick around for the finish line shenanigans with live music, best dressed contest and more! Free Lil’ Leprechaun run for the kiddos! 250 participant cap! Register today! March 11, 10am-Noon. Three Creeks Brewing Co. - Production Facility, 265 E Barclay Drive, Sisters. Contact: 971-4098461. $30-$45.

Scones on the Cone! Stop by for hot coffee and homemade scones at the top of the cinder cone. Sunrise ski/snowboard! Woooooo!

Saturdays, 7:15-8am. Through March 31. Mount Bachelor Ski Resort - West Village, 13000 SW Century Dr., Bend. Suggested $2 donation.

SheJumps Annual Get the Girls Out! Get the Girls Out is a national campaign to unite women and girls as they support, challenge, mentor and inspire each other in the outdoor sports world. SheJumps is partnering with Mt. Bachelor to bring GTGO to our Central Oregon ski/ride community! All are welcome, see you up there! March 8, 9am. Mount Bachelor Ski Resort - West Village, 13000 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: isequeira@shejumps.org. Free.

MANIA formed in 1999 and is the world’s No. 1 touring ABBA tribute show. At MANIA shows, the band members perform with high energy. Sing and dance with the tribute band at the Tower Theatre on Wed., March 15 at 8pm.

Courtesy Mania Abba Press

TICKETS: BIT.LY/P44PTIX

PARALLEL 44 PRESENTS EVENTS CALENDAR

GUNG HO

By Allie Noland

Adventure Meets Art Through Film

Discover Your Forest hosts Backcountry Film Festival in Bend, Sunriver and Sisters to fundraise for youth education

Storytelling takes many shapes and forms, and this weekend, it’s through film. The Backcountry Film Festival is coming to Central Oregon as Discover Your Forest’s major fundraiser—Bend on Thursday, Sunriver on Saturday and Sisters on Sunday.

Discover Your Forest is a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting discovery of the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Crooked River National Grassland through educational programming. The nonprofit works closely with the U.S. Forest Service. The money raised from the film festival will go toward winter conservation education programs, according to Karen Walsh, Discover Your Forest executive director.

The films cover a variety of topics, including diversity in the outdoors, pushing boundaries, learning from difficult experiences, the beauty of nature and more. Each film not only shares a special story or message, but also visually awes the viewer with artistic shots and creative production.

“Soñodora” is the first film in the lineup and follows Vanessa Chavarriaga on her trailblazing journey to make space for people like her in the backcountry. Walsh said she is especially excited for this film because of the stunning shots, female representation and empowering spirit.

Discover Your Forest runs free, hands-on conservation education programs for elementary school students, middle school students and the community. Community members can participate in “Snowshoe with a Ranger” and one-hour interpretive ski and snowboard tours on Saturdays and

Sundays through March 26. The nonprofit also educates elementary and middle school students on snow science during the winter months. These free winter programs are made possible by fundraising events and donations.

“We want to educate our young students about being good stewards of the environment and what that means,” Walsh said. “We do snowshoe programs with them. We teach them about their local watershed. We teach them about the importance of snowpack and what that means to our water.”

Discover Your Forest invites Central Oregon out to these outdoor adventure films to feel inspired and to support forest education. Tickets are available online.

Bend Showing

Thu., March 9, 7pm

Volcanic Theatre Pub 70 SW Century Dr., Bend discoveryourforest.org

SOLD OUT

Sunriver Showing

Sat., March 11, 6:30pm Sunriver SHARC

57250 Overlook Rd., Sunriver discoveryourforest.org

$18

Sisters Showing

$20

“Soñadora” is the first film of the lineup and features Vanessa Chavarriaga’s story about making space for people like her in the outdoor industry.

Micheli Oliver

Taiko of Bend Club (Starts March 2023)

Taiko is a form of group drumming with elements of dance and martial art. The Taiko of Bend Club is a beginner’s level club practicing outdoors in Drake Park. Come fragrance-free. Check website for start dates, times and more details: joannamoore.com/taiko-bend. Wednesdays, 5-6:30pm and Saturdays, 10-11:30am. Through Nov. 4. Troy Field, NW Bond Street and Louisiana Ave., Bend. Contact: joanna@desipotential.com. Free.

WaterWise Landscape Webinar: Drip

Irrigation Fundamentals This is part of a series on learning how to design a yard using the principles of watershed-wise landscaping. Poor irrigation practices are the number one reason plants fail. Want to save your landscape? Join! March 15, 7-8pm. Contact: 541-317-3000. conservation@bendoregon.gov. Free, registration required.

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. Ember’s Wildflower Animal Sanctuary and Bunny Rescue, 2584 SW 58th St., Redmond.

Volunteer: Help Businesses Prosper!

Share your professional and business expertise. Become a volunteer mentor with SCORE in Central Oregon. The chapter is growing. Your experience and knowledge will be valued by both new and existing businesses in the community. To apply, call 541-316-0662 or visit centraloregon.score.org/ volunteer. Ongoing. Contact: 541-316-0662.

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.

Volunteer with Mustangs To The Rescue Volunteers wanted to help with daily horse care at Mustangs To The Rescue. No experience necessary. Call and leave a message or email. Ongoing. Mustangs To The Rescue, 21670 SE McGilvray Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-330-8943. volunteer@mustangstotherescue.org.

Volunteer with Salvation Army The Salvation Army has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities for almost every age. Salvation Army has an emergency food pantry, the groups visit residents of assisted living centers and make up gifts for veterans and the homeless. Ongoing. Contact: 541-389-8888.

Volunteering in Oregon’s High Desert with ONDA Oregon Natural Desert Association is a nonprofit dedicated to protecting, defending and restoring Oregon’s high desert for current and future generations. ONDA opened registration for its spring 2023 stewardship trips. For more info, visit its website. Ongoing.

Volunteers Needed for Humane Society Thrift Store Do you love animals and discovering “new” treasures? Then volunteering at the HSCO Thrift Store is a great way to combine your passions while helping raise funds to provide animal welfare services for the local community. For more information visit the website at www.hsco.org/volunteer. Ongoing. Humane Society Thrift Shop, 61220 S. Highway 97, Bend. Contact: 541-241-3840. abigail@hsco.org.

GROUPS + MEETUPS

Bend Ukelele Group (BUGs) Do you play Uke? Like to learn to play? Beginners and experienced players all welcome to join the fun every Go play with the group! Tue, Dec. 6, 6:30pm and Tuesdays, 6:30pm. Big E’s Sports Bar, 1012 SE Cleveland Ave., Bend. Contact: 206-707-6337. Free.

Hysteria Comedy Collective: Comedy Writing Workshop Welcome to Hysteria, a comedy collective open to all female-identifying, trans and non-binary folks. Whether you are a seasoned performer or completely new to the scene, Hysteria invites you to join the community of professional, novice and aspiring stand-up comedians. Its mission is to create a space where there is support for each other’s growth as writers/performers, give and receive feedback on materials and foster a more inclusive, progressive and artistic comedy community. Third Wednesday of every month, 5:30-7pm. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend. $10.

Board Game Social Club Join every Thursday for Board Game Social Club! Come in and join other gamers in the game library. Whether you’re new to town, board gaming or both, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with other board game players! See you there! Thursdays, 6-10pm. Through Dec. 1. Modern Games, 550 SW Industrial way #150, Bend. Contact: 541-6398121. hello@moderngamesbend.com. $5.

Bend Parkinson’s Support Group

Monthly Meeting Parkinson’s Support Group Meetings third Wednesday of every month at the Best Western Premier Bend. Patients and caregivers are welcome to join. These meetings serve as a resource for educational and emotional support. Focusing on providing local services, bridging the gap between medical care and wellness. Fun and engaging! Third Wednesday of every month, 2-3:30pm. Best Western Premier, 1082 SW Yates Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-668-6599. carol@parkinsonsresources.com. Free.

Cacao Ceremony Embark on a heart-opening journey in this intimate cacao ceremony. For millennia, Mayans have cultivated a deep and healing relationship with this master plant. Medicine woman Michelle Ericksen shares the history, science and magic of cacao in an evening of connection and introspection. Each month features a unique experience. Sun, March 12, 6pm, Fri, March 24, 6pm, Sun, April 9, 6pm and Fri, April 28, 6pm. Michelle Ericksen, 1410 SW Juniper Ave., Redmond. Contact: 541-603-8485. drmichelle.ericksen@gmail.com. $40.

Open Hub Singing Club

An unforgettable evening of singing... together! All voices are welcome and wanted. No previous singing experience required. All songs are taught in a call-and-echo, aural tradition process. Group singing is one of the most ancient technologies of belonging. Led by community song leaders, Ian Carrick & Kira Seto. Wed, March 15, 6-7:30pm. Becky Johnson Center, 412 SW 8th St., Redmond. Contact: 541-312-1029. laurelw@ deschuteslibrary.org. Free.

Competitive Cribbage Play nine games of cribbage versus nine different opponents. Cash prizes awarded based on number of wins. Mondays, 5-8pm. Deschutes Junction, 2940 N Hwy 97, Bend. Contact: 541-530-1112. rickyticky1954@gmail.com. $2-$18.

Bend Italian Culture and Language

Meetup Group

The group of people are interested in learning the culture and language of Italy. It welcomes all who have an interest in this area. Join this Saturday for a time of learning, culture, conversation and making new friends. Joshua and Patricia are looking forward to meeting the attendees. Saturdays, 10am-Noon. Dudley's Bookshop Cafe, 135 NW Minnesota Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-981-0230. spaceneedle62wf@ hotmailcom. Free.

Release, Renew and Become You: Weekly Two Hour Retreats Is it time for you to let go and move on? Your inspired self is yearning to be seen, known and heard. This retreat series offers reflective exercises, inspiration and ceremony to identify your fears, honor your past, clarify your vision, chart your path and intentionally begin your journey forward. Held in the RiverWest Neighborhood. Tuesdays, 9-11am and 7-9pm. Through March 28. Contact: molly@ invitinggrowth.org. Sliding scale (see website).

Viking Descendants: Tracing Norwegian, Swedish and Danish Ancestors

The March presentation centers on Norwegian research, but will include links and similarities with Swedish and Danish research, too. Topics include the unique naming patterns in Scandinavia, and the importance of finding the farm or village your ancestor came from. March 14, 10-11:30am. Williamson Hall at Rock Arbor Villa, 2200 NE Hwy 20, Bend. Contact: 541-317-9553. info@bendgenealogy.org. $5 for non-members.

FUNDRAISING

Assistance League of Bend’s Dream Trip Raffle Enter to win an extraordinary escape with Assistance League of Bend’s Dream Trip Raffle. The winner can choose one trip from four selections: private countryside villa in Umbria/ Tuscany, private ocean view villa on the island of St. Martin, family fun at Disney World and custom winemaking experience in Sonoma. All proceeds will benefit children and adults facing hardship in Deschutes County. March 9-April 19. $25.

Forty Feet Tall is a grunge, post-punk and alternative rock band that performs with unbeatable energy. This band will perform on Wed., March 9 at 8pm at the Volcanic Theatre Pub.

Courtesy Forty Feet Tall Press

Give a Little. Help a Lot. The generous leaders at The Sparrow Bakery are donating a portion of the proceeds of the day to Family Kitchen! They’ll also accept donations at the cash register and are encouraging all of their customers and fans to donate at least $10 either in-person or online. www.familykitchen.org/ donate-now. March 11, 8am-4pm. The Sparrow Bakery, 2748 NW Crossing Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-760-5677. info@familykitchen.org. Varies.

Snowlab Ballers Bingo Join at The Brown Owl and Lucky’s Woodsman and help raise scholarship funds for SNOWDAYS! Plus sign up for your chance to win your very own pass to the Snowlab where you can design, build and shred your own skis/board. Cash, prizes and fun for all ages!

Tuesdays, 6-8pm. Through March 28. The Brown Owl, 550 SW Industrial Way, Bend. Contact: 541822-3799. eventsbreakingfree@gmail.com. Free.

FAMILY + KIDS

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” This event is in partnership with Dechutes Public Library, Assistance League of Bend and Boys and Girls Club of Bend. Assistance League of Bend will be in the lobby prior to the film to give away free books! March 10, 6pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. Free.

Family Process Art Play Connect with your little through creativity as you engage in the process of making together in our beautiful studio space. Each class includes themed process art invitations with different materials for children to explore, experiment and create with.

Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10am-Noon Through March 23. Wondery Art + Adventure School, 19550 Amber Meadow Dr Suite 190, Bend. Contact: 541-2365990. sarah@wonderyschool.com. $15.

Pi Day Party! It’s Pi Day at Mathnasium! Join as they celebrate Pi in all kinds of fun as tasty ways. There will be activities, prizes, raffles and of course: pie! Completely free, everyone is invited! March 14, 5-7pm. Mathnasium of Bend, 61249 S Hwy 97, #160, Bend. Contact: 541-6409491. bend@mathnasium.com. Free.

Rad Camps Presents Friday Night Skiing and Riding at Hoodoo Rad Camps’ guided night skiing trips leave from Bend in the Rad Vans at 4:30pm after school and head up to Hoodoo Ski Area. Participants can ski with our guides or explore on their own. Ages 7-17. Visit radcamps.com. Fridays, 4:30-10:30pm. Through March 17. Highland Elementary School, 701 NW Newport Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-204-0440. info@radcamps.com. $99.

Wild Wednesday Art Adventure The group will begin class at the studio with themed process art invitations with different materials for children to explore, experiment and create with. The group will then go on an art adventure exploring a nearby natural area. Each week will include a new topic/concept to explore outdoors, journaling and projects inspired by nature. Wednesdays, 1-4:30pm. Through March 22. Wondery Art + Adventure School, 19550 Amber Meadow Dr Suite 190, Bend. Contact: 541-2365990. sarah@wonderyschool.com. $180/month.

FOOD + DRINK

Adult Class: Spanish Cuisine Spanish cuisine has amazing flavors! Join in this handson class where the group will make a 3-course meal that explores the beautiful flavors of Spain. Each course will be paired with wine. March 10, 5:30-9pm. Kindred Creative Kitchen, 2525 NE Twin Knolls Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-640-0350. kindredcreativekitchen@gmail.com. $95.

Youth Class: Soup Soup is good for the soul! Have your child age (7-17) join in this fun hands-on class. The group will make a variety of heart-warming seasonal soups. March 11, 5:30-9pm. Kindred Creative Kitchen, 2525 NE Twin Knolls Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-640-0350. kindredcreativekitchen@gmail.com. $50.

Long Shadows Wine Dinner You may have heard of or tried the wines “Pedestal,” “Feather” or “Poet’s Leap,” all made by Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla. Join to celebrate their 20th anniversary for a special 5-course wine pairing dinner, discussed by Matthew Wollen, Northwest sales and marketing manager. March 15, 6:30pm. Flights Wine Bar, 1444 NW College Way Suite 1, Bend. Contact: 541-728-0753. flightswinebend@gmail.com. $150.

International Woman’s Day Beer

Dinner Diamond In a Rhinestone World Beer Dinner feat. Tonya Cornett, Jess Rezner & Maddy Mccarthy’s exclusive collaborative beer! Celebrate International Women’s Day with 10 Barrel master brewers for a paired four-course dinner and a female brewed beer tap takeover! March 8, 6-10pm. 10 Barrel Brewing Co., 1135 NW Galveston Ave., Bend. Contact: 714-943-5025. jordan. egger@10barrel.com. $85.

Bend Zen Meditation Group Bend Zen sits every Mon, evening at 7. Arrive at 6:45pm to orient yourself and meet others. The group has two 25-minute sits followed by a member-led Dharma discussion from 8:05-8:30pm. All are welcome! Learn more and sign up for emails at www.bendzen.net. Mondays, 6:45-8:30pm. Brooks Hall at Trinity Episcopal Church, 469 Wall St., Bend. Contact: bendzensitting@gmail.com. Donations accepted.

Guided Forest Bath Forest Bathing is the practice of immersing yourself in the forest through sensory connection. This practice will slow you down and deepen your relationship with nature and others. It is a great practice for friend groups and families. This guided experience is hosted by Missie Wikler, a certified forest therapy expert. Saturdays, 10am-Noon Through March 25. Shevlin Park, 18920 Shevlin Rd., Bend. Contact: 541-316-9213. missie@romingyogabend.com. $35.

How to Be a Beginner (Again!) Perimenopause, empty nesting, a new decade, career or relationship shift. . . Just when we women think they’ve figured it out, midlife makes them beginners, again! Alchemize uncomfortable beginner-ness into your new favorite self with community, laughter and mindset work over 8 weeks. March 9, 6pm. Ceiling: Unlimited Studio, Cline Falls Rd., Bend. Contact: 503-481-0595. michelle@ ceilingunlimitedhealthcoaching.com. $400.

Introductory Aikido Course Join an 8-week aikido course starting Feb. 15, covering the basic principles, movements and arts of aikido. Learn to calm your mind, handle conflict peacefully, defend yourself proactively and grow in confidence. Includes instruction in dojo etiquette, history, ukemi (rolling) and basic aikido techniques. Gi and belt included. Wednesdays, 5:30-6:45pm. Through April 5. Oregon Ki Society, 20685 Carmen Loop, Suite 110, Bend. Contact: 541-350-7887. cfhc@hotmail.com. $100.

Kirtan: Celebrate With the Bend Bhakti Collective Kirtan, sacred song, dance and community. Celebrate with the Bend Bhakti Collective. Thursdays, 7pm. First Presbyterian Heritage Hall, 230 NE Ninth St., Bend. Contact: 541-382-4401. Free-$20.

Masculine Embodiment Journey 7-week journey for fathers, sons and husbands. Radical accountability and authenticity in a small group around a sacred fire in the pines. Online checkins plus one-on-one coaching included to help you find more vitality, presence and love. No man turned away for lack of funds. Brotherhood is the medicine. Wednesdays, 7-9pm. Through April 12. Private Home, Deschutes River Woods, Bend. Contact: 541-668-7594. admin@masculineembodiment.com. $1,350.

Notice Your Nudge: Invite Growth Life is too short for stagnation—the universe keeps asking you to become your inspired self. It’s time to live to your potential! This group will meet once a week for eight weeks to awaken intuition, clarify vision, and chart steps in the direction that has been nudging you all along. Thursday, 9-11am and 7-9pm. Bend, River West Neighborhood, NW Columbia, Bend. Contact: molly@invitinggrowth.org. $600 (includes eight, two-hour sessions).

Locals’ Night with The Bluegrass Collective Monday is the day to be at Silver Moon Brewing! Come on down and join the local family all day every Monday! Silver Moon offers $3 pints of the core lineup beers and $4 pours of the barrel-aged beers all day. Come down and sample what’s new while also enjoying the brand new food menu! It’s a steal of a deal that they won’t be chasing you out the door for! Mondays. Silver Moon Brewing, 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend.

Whiskey Tuesdays The Cross-eyed Cricket Watering Hole is offering exclusive access to a library of top shelf whiskeys every Tue. One-ounce pours for reasonable prices. Come by and try something new, or sip on your favorites! Tuesdays, 11am-11pm. Cross-Eyed Cricket, 20565 NE Brinson Blvd., Bend. Free.

HEALTH + WELLNESS

Crystal Sound Bath to Transmute

Trauma To transmute something means to change its form. Are you ready to change the way you react to your traumas using gentle sound waves? March 12, 5-6:30pm. Nature’s Bling, 133 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-668-1716. sirahkreitzer@gmail.com. $30.

Community Grief Ceremony This is a soul-cleansing rite that helps you find your way back to wholeness, peace and self-acceptance. Community Grief Ceremony is a safe way to learn how to lean into grieving within and among community. Communal grieving offers something that people cannot get when they are grieving alone. Thu, March 9, 7-9pm, Fri, March 10, 9am and Sat, March 11, 9am. Unity Spiritual Community, 63645 Scenic Dr, Bend. Contact: rootedandopen@gmail.com. $200.

E-booklet Discussion: “The Power of Gratitude” How does gratitude open hearts, making for a happier life? How can people be grateful, even during difficult times? Please join for an Eckankar soul adventure discussion on the benefits of gratitude. The group’ll try a spiritual exercise, share inspiring stories and discuss practical ways to live gratefully. March 8. Free. Grief Reframed for Teens Teens need each other now more than ever. This safe space allows teens to hold and be held as they navigate the struggles of growing up and dealing with loneliness, loss, divorce, death and anxiety, in these challenging times. Both a grief counselor and licensed mental health therapist are present. Wednesdays, 6-7:30pm. Good Grief Guidance, 33 NW Louisiana Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-223-9955. info@livingundone.com. $50.

Parent Grief Group The parent group is open to any caregiver who would benefit from the support of others along the journey of loving our kids into being, no matter life’s challenges. whether it be through divorce, death, illness, conflict, addiction, anxiety or depression. Tuesdays, 6-7:30pm. Good Grief Guidance, 33 NW Louisiana Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-223-9955. info@livingundone.com. $50.

Thriving with Diabetes Classes Synergy Health & Wellness hosts spring Thriving with Diabetes 4-week classes. The classes are designed to help adults with Type 2 Diabetes lower HbA1c, decrease complications and have a better quality of life. Each class is taught by registered dietitian nutritionists and certified diabetes educators. More at https://www.synergyhealthbend.com/ diabetes-education-program.html. Saturdays, 9-11am. Through March 25. Synergy Health & Wellness, 361 NE Franklin Ave. Building C, Bend. Contact: 541-323-3488. info@synergyhealthbend. com. Covered by most insurance plans.

Ripple Wellness Presents: Autoimmunity & Inflammation Seminar Dr. Lexie, N.D. is hosting a free dinner and autoimmunity and inflammation seminar! Learn her approach to effectively addressing signs of hormonal imbalance, thyroid conditions, autoimmune disorders, inflammation, fatigue, pain, weight issues and more! March 14, 6-8pm. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave., Bend. Contact: 541-410-5866. info@openspace.studio. Free.

Yoga and Sound Healing Join for a guided sound healing and restorative yoga workshop. You will be led through relaxing, renewing and rejuvenating experiences using sound, yoga props and blankets to soothe body and mind. Benefit from the many health advantages of restorative yoga and experience deep meditation, relaxation, renewal and resonance. Sun, March 12, 10:30am and Thu, April 13, 3-5pm. Sunriver Resort, 17600 Center Dr., Sunriver. Contact: 541668-1716. sirahkreitzer@gmail.com. $55.

Drop In Monday Meditation Open to all! Come join in the beautiful gardens for meditation and healing! Mondays, 6:30-7:30pm. Blissful Heart Wellness Center, 45 NW Greeley Ave, Bend. Contact: 510-220-2441. cathleen@blissful-heart.com. Donation based.

Hot/Cold Therapy 541 SocialClub, a mobile sauna/ice plunge is coming to River’s Place. Spend 20 minutes in sauna then 3 minutes in ice bath, repeated twice. Warm up inside the tap house afterward to enjoy some food and beer (life is all about balance, right?). Registration required. Visit riversplacebend.com/events. Feb. 17-March 12, 2-5pm. River’s Place, 787 NE Purcell Blvd., Bend. Contact: 541-525-5532. riversplacebend@gmail.com. $55.

Dopapod is a funky jam band looking to add a taste of future to each of its songs. From rock to indie to bluegrass, listeners can hear a variety of genres at a Dopapod concert. Jam with the band on Sun., March 12 at 7:30pm.

Courtesy Dopapod

SCREEN

SC May the Source Be With You: March Edition

Jared Writes His 1,000th Article

By Jared Rasic

Jared’s 1000th Article

A chat with our film reviewer as he passes a major milestone

By Nicole Vulcan

This doesn’t make me feel old at all, but with this article, I’ve officially written 1,000 stories for the Source Weekly, on and off since September of 2010. I’m glad my 1,000th story landed on the date of my monthly column, so I can just take a moment and say three thank yous. One to Aaron and Angela Switzer for giving me the space to write in an honest-to-god wonderful alt-weekly for so many years and one to Nicole Vulcan, who, since she became editor, has made every single article I’ve written stronger with her patience and brilliance.

Thanks also to anyone who has ever picked up a Source and read one of my stories. I’ve gotten plenty of kind letters (and hate mail!) over the years and I’ll never take for granted getting to share my thoughts while also amplifying other voices in the community I love so much. I’ll write for the Source for as long as they’ll have me and I’ll never stop being honored to get to share my love of film, food and culture with each and every one of you.

Anyway! Enough of that! Here’s a few of the things I’ve been enjoying this March in what I like to call “The Mild Yet Endless Winter of 2023.”

In Pod We Trust

As much as I love listening to and discovering new podcasts, I think I’ve recently realized something about myself: I still haven’t found a podcast that I listen to as regularly or am as obsessive about than “Welcome to Night Vale” (and that was the second podcast I ever discovered after Marc Maron’s “WTF”). I mean, I even got a “Welcome to Night Vale” tattoo recently that was based off a throwaway joke from the first season.

I’ve listened to the 200+ episodes multiple times, so I know I have to find something I love as much as that very

specific blend of “Prairie Home Companion” and “Twin Peaks” that I only get from Night Vale. One I recently discovered that is helping fill the hole is “The Bright Sessions,” a serialized fiction podcast which follows the sessions of a therapist to people with superpowers. It has the excitement of an unpredictable story, while also containing some pretty profound truths about the human condition.

“King Falls AM” is even more like “Night Vale,” as the narrator is the host of a talk radio show in a weird mountain town, but after the first few episodes the show differentiates itself enough from Night Vale not to be redundant. What’s really neat about this one is that the host Sammy Stevens is new to the fictional town of King Falls, so he gets to discover the strangeness of the community at the same time as the listeners do. It’s easier to jump into than Night Vale, so check it out.

Now Streaming

Normally when shows come back after many years off the air, they don’t return with the same magic that made

them popular with fans in the first place. But Starz brought back the cult classic series “Party Down” last week, after it was unceremoniously canceled after two seasons back in 2010. With the same creative team (Rob Thomas, the guy responsible for “Veronica Mars,” and Paul Rudd, among others) and most of the original cast returning, the first two episodes have felt like a hilarious and honest coda to the series. With only six episodes airing, this will be a very small-time commitment to fans of the original.

Not that you need me to tell you this, but even for people who could not care less about video games or horror, “The Last of Us” series is a banger. Deeply character driven while also being a frightening remixing of the zombie genre, “TLoU” is one of those shows that not only keeps getting better with every episode, but also keeps the same amount of tension even while waiting week-to-week for the next entry. The show is already renewed for another season, so it’s the perfect time to check out the show that everyone you know is talking about. It’s worth it.

Source Weekly film reviewer and arts, culture and food writer Jared Rasic penned his 1,000th story for the paper this week. To mark the occasion, Rasic joined us on our Bend Don’t Break podcast to chat about film.

Source Weekly: Do you remember the first film you watched, or the first one that stood out for you?

Jared Rasic: “Robocop,” 1986. We had it on VHS, and that movie still to this day is just one of the most violent movies ever made. So I think maybe that kind of broke me and then the rest of my life has been like, maybe I should watch a romantic comedy.

The first theatrical experience I can remember was seeing “Jaws” with my dad, because I will always remember the kids on the banana boat. Ever since then I've been terrified of banana boats.

I think TV was definitely my babysitter for long stretches of time.

SW: That reminds me of that Simpsons episode where all the kids are being crazy, they're like, oh, wait, hold on, we'll take care of this and then she puts on the TV and all the kids just settle down.

JR: That was me for sure. I was definitely — I guess the nice term now is, I was an indoor kid, as opposed to the chunky kid that got beat up all the time in school. It wasn't until, like, I think maybe 15 or 16 years old when I was like, genuinely starting to watch movies and looking at them as works of art as opposed to just something to stare at and eat Fruit by the Foot.

SW: What is it about film that excites you the most?

JR: I think the thing that I love about film is that it's such a collaborative effort. Like right now I'm screening movies for the Bend Film Festival and I'm watching these shorts, and within 30 seconds, you know whether something's going to be good or not. Every time you see a good movie, it's kind of a miracle whereas, like, you know, an artist like a painter, or a poet or a musician, some of that is a very solitary pursuit, but I think with films, it's very much like you watch a movie that's amazing, and you're like, 100 people were on the same exact page to make this and I love that.

—Listen to the entire podcast from our Podcasts tab at bendsource.com.

Jared Rasic

Joel and Ellie forever!

Courtesy HBO

"Prairie Home Companion" meets "Twin Peaks."

Courtesy Welcome to Night Vale Website

He’s worked in famous kitchens on both coasts, including Daniel Boulud’s namesake in Manhattan and Michel Richard’s Citrus in West Hollywood. He was the sous chef when the French brasserie Balthazar opened in SoHo in the Spring of 1997. But Sascha Lyon, the new executive chef/co-proprietor of 5 Fusion & Sushi Bar in downtown Bend attributes those opportunities to luck.

“That was all good fortune, nothing else. I’m a good cook. I can hold my own in a kitchen. That’s why I ended up not getting thrown out of those kitchens. But I got into them out of luck, being at the right place at the right time,” he says.

Here are more excerpts from the Source Weekly’s recent conversation with Chef Sascha.

Source Weekly: Did you ever consider doing anything else?

Sascha Lyon: Pro baseball. But since the Dodgers or Yankees weren’t looking to draft me straight out of high school I decided to cook instead. My family traveled a lot because of my dad’s job so I spent three to six months a year in Europe from age three to 15.

I always loved food and eating and I was a very adventurous eater. I still remember one time on a train ride from Florence to Venice we had a 15-course meal. I was around 9 years old and I still remember that experience.

SW: At 15 you were helping in the French kitchen of L.A.’s posh L’Ermitage (now closed). Wow.

SL: Yes, it was like walking into the “Ratatouille” kitchen! Everything was gleaming copper and in the dining room it was all sterling silver, crystal and Villeroy

Chef Profile: 5 Fusion & Sushi Executive Chef Sascha Lyon

New chef and co-owner of 5 Fusion talks baseball, luck and omelets

By Donna Britt @donnabrittcooks

& Boch china. And that was it. From that point forward I worked full time all the way through high school and my mom started sending me to cooking classes.

SW: What is the best restaurant work experience you’ve ever had?

SL: In retrospect, I can say working at Daniel was the best experience but while I was there it was so hard. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. We were

really celebrating the traditions of Japanese and French but in a very modern way. The goal is to really drive this into a Japanese brasserie. It’s fun, it’s lively, it’s energetic, it’s approachable, it’s easy to understand.

You go back to a restaurant because of the experience; it created a memory. So the last thing I want to do is disrupt that at 5 Fusion because I know

what to do. I want to inspire those that are here but I also want to be inspired myself. Together we can, in a very collaborative effort, build a program. I want to give space to those that have decided to join me on my endeavor and help fulfill my ideas of what this restaurant can be. I don’t want to get in their way. We also need to be competitive in the marketplace by paying well and providing benefits and creating an incredible work environment that people want to be in.

SW: What’s a nugget of advice for someone interested in becoming a chef?

SL: Figure out what is your niche passion in food. What do you really love? Inform yourself and read as much as possible. Work as long as you can for as little as possible in the best restaurant you can possibly get in to.

SW: What’s the best thing you ever ate?

a tiny team; the pressure was immense. When you’re cooking at that level there is no room for error because people are expecting perfection.

SW: You’ve come into an iconic Bend restaurant with a great reputation and a lot of fans. What are your hopes and aspirations for 5 Fusion?

SL: I want to find us rooted in much deeper traditional Japanese with modern influence and classical French. French and Japanese cuisines have coexisted for 150 years, informing each other, elevating each other, but never competing. They just continue to grow each other, so that’s where I want to go with the restaurant. I want to see this restaurant

people want to be able to come and get the dishes they want and recreate those memories. At the same time you want a restaurant to grow. So I'm really looking at this and asking myself what do I have to do to usher 5 Fusion into the next decade? To do that I have to build a team of inspired, talented individuals that have a level of excitement and enthusiasm, not only for their craft, but also for the team itself.

SW: What is your philosophy as a leader?

SL: My goal has always been to surround myself with as much talent as possible. I don’t want to be the one who knows everything, telling everyone

SL: Oh god, I don’t think anyone’s ever asked me that before! There’s really nothing better than a perfectly made soft omelet that’s smooth on the outside with the herbs nice and green and creamy inside, when you put the fresh chevre in there it just melts from the warmth. And then having some bitter greens with that with just some olive oil and salt. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten and probably my favorite thing to make.

5 Fusion & Sushi Bar 821 NW Wall Street #100, Bend 541-323-2328

Open Tuesday – Saturday 4pm – 8:30pm 5fusion.com

Executive Chef Sascha Lyon is now at the helm of Bend’s popular 5 Fusion & Sushi Bar.

NY Steak and Maine Sea Scallops with Tedorigawa Yamahai Junmai and Silver Mountain Sake.

Tuna Miso Chip and Tempura Shishito, on the menu at 5 Fusion.

Photos courtesy Sascha Lyon 5 Fusion

LITTLE BITES

By Nicole Vulcan

Cuban Kitchen Reopens

Bend’s first Cuban restaurant is getting another run. Cuban Kitchen, which opened in 2018 but closed down during the pandemic, has opened a new location along NE Third Street in Bend, in the former Szechuan Restaurant location.

Like its past iteration that was located off of Century Drive, the new Cuban Kitchen offers hot Cubanstyle pressed sandwiches made on a plancha, or flat panini-maker. Sandwiches include the traditional Cuba no with smoked ham, gar lic pork, Swiss cheese, roasted mojo and pickles, along with other sandwich flavors such as Ropa Vieja, thin-sliced beef or chicken breast.

Also on the menu are larger plates that include roast pork, citrus marinated beef, ground beef with potatoes or a “tropical bowl” with beans, rice, lettuce, onions and a guava sauce –all coming with two side dishes. Sides worth trying include the moro rice and the maduro, or sweet plaintains, as well as the tostones.

Christina and Chris Rojas opened the original Cuban Kitchen in 2018 after moving to Bend from Little Havana in Miami, Florida. When they couldn’t find the food they loved in town, they decided to make their own space to enjoy it. With the reopening of the restaurant, the rest of Central Oregon can once again enjoy those flavors, too.

The new Cuban Kitchen opened the first week of March and is located at 1600 NE 3rd Street in Bend. It’s open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday.

Cuban Kitchen 1600 NE Third St., Bend On Facebook: facebook.com/cuban.kitchen.33

Holm Made Toffee Wins Big at Oregon Chocolate Festival

Locally made toffee company, Holm

Made Toffee, is having a good week. The company competed in the 19th annual Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland over the March 4-5 weekend and took home three awards. Holm Made won the “Best in Show” category and the “People’s Choice” award, and finally, took home the award for Best Chocolate Candy. With only seven award categories – including Best in Show, Best Chocolate Bonbon, Best Chocolate Tablet, Best Chocolate Candy, Best Chocolate Beverage, Best Raw Chocolate and People’s Choice – it was quite the sweep for Holm Made. In 2020, the company’s Original Hazelnut Toffee also won the bronze medal in the toffee category of the 2020 International Chocolate Salon. In a span of 10 years, Holm Made has won 13 awards at the festival. The Bend-based company got its start selling its homemade creations at farmers markets, typically starting with a base of dark chocolate and hazelnuts before adding other toppings. The sweet treats are found in dozens of stores around Central Oregon and are shipped around the country. Find Holm Made Toffee at holmmadetoffee.com.

Holm Made Toffee’s Randi Holm receives an award at the Oregon Chocolate Festival. At right is Karolina Lavagnino, festival founder/coordinator.

A Cuban sandwich from Cuban Kitchen.

LisaSipe

Courtesy Oregon Chocolate Festival/Facebook

An Awesome Lizard

Venture into the high desert to see side-blotched lizards strut and hunt

By Scott R. Bowler

Lizards are awesome, right? Colorful and interesting. Like snakes, but faster and with legs. Many of the resident lizards in Oregon’s high desert have interesting and evocative names, such as the long-nosed leopard lizard or desert horned lizard or western whiptail. And then there’s the one that might benefit from a PR review: the ubiquitous little side-blotched lizard. While descriptive, “side-blotched” just doesn’t have quite the same ring, but the side-blotched lizard is an interesting critter and widespread enough to be one of our most often encountered high desert denizens.

If you’ve seen a lizard in the Oregon high desert, chances are you’ve encountered Uta stansburiana.

Although it can be hard to see on some individuals, both male and female lizards show that eponymous “side-blotch,” a dark spot on the chest wall behind their front legs. As with most species, males and females differ somewhat in appearance, with the males a bit fancier and colorful, especially in spring mating season (coming right up!). Brownish to light tan from a distance, males up close exhibit light turquoise dorsal spots and sport an orange wash on their sides and chin; females are lighter and creamy to tan, with sometimes a bit of orange, and often show a line of dark V spots down their tails. Both are a pale bluish gray underneath, and often have loose rows of small, irregular dark spots on their backs.

Interestingly, their scales are neither smooth and shiny (such as in alligator lizards) nor spiky and rough (as in Western fence lizards), but appear to be tiny rounded “beads.” They are generally small, around 5 inches in total, with about a 2-inch body and 3-inch tail. Every other species of adult lizard in our area will be longer, with some reaching up to 10 inches.

Their favored habitats include sandy soil, pebbly and hard-pan desert flats, small rock piles and outcroppings, and rocky escarpments or even canyon walls. Side-blotched lizards are serious predators of arthropods, AKA “bugs:” insects, mites, spiders,

scorpions, centi- and millipedes, isopods and pill bugs. Rarely found in areas that are heavily treed, their preferred hunting grounds are areas with sparsely scattered shrubs, grasses and forbs that provide a variety of habitat for their many-legged prey.

Side-blotched lizards are among the earliest reptiles aroused in spring. This early spate of activity may be related to their generally smaller, thus easier to warm, bodies — an advantage that also makes them the most likely species you will encounter on sunny March days.

On hotter days, they’ll be active earlier and later in the day, avoiding the intense midday sun.

If you are lucky enough to observe them hunting, it’s fun to watch as they visually stalk their diminutive prey, pouncing or leaping the last several inches to make the snag — reminiscent of scaly, short-legged little cats…or not.

Another amusing behavior visible in March and April occurs when the males are courting mates. They become quite self-absorbed and focused, and thus can normally be approached quite closely by a patient observer. Then you’ll see him showing off his enhanced aqua spots and orange coloring while doing quick little push-ups and head-bobs — so attractive to the ladies.

After mating, females lay a small clutch of one to five eggs, and may do so two or three times in a season, depending upon conditions and prey levels.

In Oregon, side-blotched lizards range throughout most of Malheur, Harney and Lake counties, and arcing north/northwest through eastern Deschutes and Jefferson counties, all of Crook and Wheeler counties. Keep a lookout for the quick little critters darting among the bushes and rocks when you walk around in Oregon’s Outback in places including the Oregon Badlands Wilderness, Fort Rock, Fossil Lake and the Lost Forest, Obsidian Buttes, the edges of the Alvord Desert edges and all through the Owyhee. They’re abundant, easy to discover and fun to watch while they conduct their spring antics.

If you’re starting to think that the high desert reveals another wonder under every rock and bush, you’re right. Every wild inhabitant fills its niche, and even the little ones with drab names offer more to think about once you take the time to get to know them.

—Scott R. Bowler is a retired science educator and a volunteer with Oregon Natural Desert Association. Read more of his work at onda.org/author/scott-bowler.

See a lizard with no leopard spots, no horns and no prominent stripes, but a big dark spot right on the chest wall? You’re likely looking at a side-blotched lizard. The male version of Uta stansburiana (both photos) is common across the high desert.

GO HERE

By Allie Noland

Ski for All with OAS

Oregon Adaptive Sports hosts a fundraiser to spread outdoor accessibility awareness

Riders of all abilities will join together to take on the Summit Games at the sixth annual Ski for All on Saturday, March 18. This event is hosted by Oregon Adaptive Sports as one of its major fundraisers. OAS is an adaptive sports organization that provides access to life-changing outdoor experiences for people with disabilities.

To keep OAS running, fundraising is critical to keeping outdoor recreation accessible to Oregon residents.

“It's not a disability that prevents somebody from being a skier or a mountain biker. It's not a disability that prevents someone from achieving a high quality of life. It's the barriers that are fabricated in front of them — societal, policy, social, various types of barriers that have been created over time. And OAS is working to remove the most significant barriers for people with disabilities to access the outdoors,” said Pat Addabbo, OAS executive director.

OAS focuses on five pillars of access: access to affordable and stateof-the art adaptive sports equipment, individualized safe and successful outdoor experiences with instructors, financial accessibility to programming through scholarship, accessible transportation and general inclusion. OAS has and maintains over $300,000 of adaptive outdoor gear and continues to invest thousands each year in equipment, according to Addabbo.

At Ski for All, attendees will see all sorts of equipment in action—bi-skis, mono-skis, two track skis, three/four track skis, Snow’Karts and more.

“The event itself is a full day, sort of ski-a-thon, combined with a scavenger hunt,” Addabbo said.

Participants will receive a Summit Games guide with a list of challenges, including the most vertical feet, ran dom location visits, mind-boggling puzzles, seeing who can hit the most trails and more. As the day goes on, participants can tick challenges off their lists, earn points and win priz es at the end of the day. The top three participants in youth, teen, adult and masters age will be awarded prizes. Costumes are encouraged.

Participants can either just have fun with it, or make it an intense day of competition.

“There are people who get really dialed in, and they know exactly how long it's going to take them to get up the mountain, on which lift, and how many vertical feet they'll get. They eat their lunch on the chairlift. There have been people that have gotten 50-60,000 ver tical feet in a day. It just floors me,” said Gail Webber, OAS president.

Central Oregonians are invit ed to register online at oregonadap tivesports.org, spread the word, raise money and get up to Mt. Bachelor to support accessibility to the outdoors.

“The success of the fundraiser relies on there being a large number of participants, each one gathering a large number of small donations,” Webber said. “If you can get all of your friends to give a small amount of money, when you start adding it up, it becomes a sig nificant amount. And it's fun.”

OAS hosts lessons on Mt. Bachelor seven days a week. Say "Hi" next time you see someone in an OAS orange vest.

SMOKE SIGNALS

The Latest in Cannabis

Fentanyl gummies, a cannabis double murder and more in the world of weed

By Josh Jardine

While you were getting high, things happened. Here are some of them now.

Fentanyl gummies: This is the story most of you may have already heard — a scary news item, but it looks to be fiction, which is scary as well.

On Feb. 24, news outlets reported that fentanyl and heroin were found in packages of cannabis gummies sold in Philadelphia, after two people overdosed. (“Overdosed” is often confused with “fatally overdosed,” leaving some people to believe the gummy eaters had died. They had not, and have since made full recoveries.)

CourtesyPexels

Fentanyl and cannabis gummies are not a good idea, and it now seems they also are not a real thing.

First, these were not cannabis gummies con taining THC sold in a regu lated, licensed dispensary. These were the not-terribly-prophetically named “Delta 8 THC 600 MG Happy Cubes” by Strictly Delta, derived from hemp, and purchased at your trusted source for safe and healthy products, a Tobacco Hut in Montgomery County.

“If anyone has any of these gummies, do not eat them. We need to get the word out that some of these packages contain deadly drugs — fentanyl and heroin,” warned Montgomery County DA Kevin Steele at a press conference.

But hold up, because just four days later, DA Steele announced that actually, the gummies did not have any fentanyl or heroin, after further testing. The false positives is a jawn unto itself, involving National Guard-supplied mobile drug testing gear that Steele claimed to be able to test at levels so low as to be fictional.

While “Two Morons Ate Too Much Delta 8” is the real story, this is another example of the myth of fentanyl being added to “cannabis” products. It also erodes the public’s belief that fentanyl is actually being added to pills and powder drugs, which are resulting in record high fatal overdoses.

Oregon cannabis industry figures killed: Two longtime Oregon cannabis industry figures were murdered in January in Houston, Texas, in crimes some believe are possibly connected to illicit cannabis.

Dana Ryssdal, co-founder of Oregon-based cannabis distribution company LTRMN Inc, was found shot to death

in a Houston area home, which also contained 129 pounds of cannabis, 10 pounds of hash oil, and $36,000 in cash.

In the trunk of a car at the house police also discovered the body of Rogue Valley Cannabis co-founder, James Martin III, who had also been fatally shot. No suspect(s) have been identified by authorities.

Both men were well-respected, longtime players in the Oregon cannabis scene and contributed greatly to the development of Oregon’s regulated cannabis industry.

Sell weed on Twitter: (Not literally, unless that’s what you actually do, in which case, Jah Speed.) In a first of its kind move, Twitter announced that, with certain conditions, they will now accept ads for cannabis products, services and events.

Prior to this, only CBD topicals were allowed to advertise on the app, which is the first of the social media giants to offer this opportunity to the cannabis industry. This change applies to Twitter's U.S policies, as Twitter has allowed cannabis adverts in Canada after national legalization passed in 2018.

Cannabis-related ads are still not allowed on Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok, and account holders frequently experience warnings, and even account deletions, on those platforms solely over cannabis-related content. (That’s why so many cannabis content IG accounts have “V. 2.0” or greater in their profile names.) Mark Zuckerberg, a man who should be consuming cannabis more so than anyone, continues to officially ban cannabis content or ads.

Whether this move by an admittedly cash-strapped, increasingly flopsweaty Elon Musk moves the other SM Oligarchs to allow cannabis ads remains to be seen. But the cannabis industry remains unique, with high taxes paid at every stage, paired with a widespread advertising ban on the most popular social media platforms and other marketing channels.

With regulated cannabis sales projected to hit over $30 billion in 2023, and over $50 billion by 2028, it seems unlikely platforms will be able to resist the enormous potential ad revenue for much longer. Prepare for cannabis-based ad targeting; they KNOW you high.

Crossword “But Is It Art?”

THE REC ROOM

By Brendan Emmett Quigley

ACROSS

1. Periodontist's study

5. Leg day muscle

9. Barbecue brand

14. Totally adrift

15. In tuneful unison

16. Madder than all infinite levels of mad

17. 1990 Grammy Award-winning song for Best Rap Performance

19. Initial venture

20. Something hastily put together

21. Like celebrities whose time has past

23. "Burnt Norton" poet

24. Turntable speeds, briefly

26. Camera lens part

29. Galaxy, e.g.

32. Full of

35. Figure seen on Renminbi

36. "When the ___ Breaks"

37. Band torn by some athletes

38. Crude container

41. Bother

42. John who plays guitar with Dead & Company

44. Dunkin' purchase: Abbr

45. Lip

46. File menu command

50. Outlook status

51. One on a coffee run, likely

52. Line of credit?

56. "The Fisherman and His Wife" writers' surname

58. ___ theory

59. Butcher block?

61. Rules outlined in the Ten Commandments

64. Unopposed incumbent's opponent

65. Garden for nudists

66. "___ Rice's Mayfair Witches"

67. Uber alerts

68. DJ's equipment

69. Color strip in a sidecar

DOWN

1. Roof feature

2. Hardly surprising

3. Golden Ball winner in the 2022 World Cup

4. Parked it on the couch, maybe

5. Place where people are in tents

6. Buzzing activity

7. Sweetie

8. "I need food, badly"

9. Router's offering 10. Tending to break down

11. Wasted questions?

12. No. on the Uber app

13. Her lightsaber's color is yellow

18. Android ___ (driving companion app)

22. Drug on sheets

24. Iranian scratch

25. Walked with heavy feet

27. Champagne chillers

28. Goes looking for

30. Meas. taken with calipers

31. Stately tree

32. Skate park features

33. "It matters to me"

34. Large fruit bat, by another name

38. Morsel not used in dinner

39. Wander about

40. Spraying weapon

43. Running man?

45. Waterproof lock protector?

47. Sideline reporter ___ Oliver

48. Like fancy car tires

49. Sci-fi characters that are typically eaten on moonless nights

53. Inventor of the game Poohsticks

54. Vacuous

55. Gym freebie

57. Exotic French-speaking getaways

58. Like some memes

59. Hamilton's here: Abbr.

60. Bad guy

62. "An ___, on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell" (John Dryden poem)

63. Brief moment

Puzzle for the week of March 6, 2023

Pearl’s Puzzle

Puzzle for the week of March 6, 2023

Difficulty Level

We’re Local!

Questions, comments or suggestions for our local puzzle guru?

Email Pearl Stark at pearl@bendsource.com

Difficulty Level: ●●○○

© Pearl Stark mathpuzzlesgames.com/quodoku

Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters

Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters exactly once. FISHY CLAP

Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters

exactly once. The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote:

F I S H Y C L A P exactly once.

distance running is 90% mental and the other

The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote: “Long distance running is 90% mental and the other _________."

— Rich Davis

The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will

Answer for the week of February 27, 2023

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLES

“Long distance running is 90% mental and the other

- Rich Davis

Answer for the week of February 27, 2023

“February makes a bridge and March breaks it.” — George Herbert

“February makes a bridge and March breaks it.” - George Herbert © Pearl Stark www.mathpuzzlesgames.com/quodoku

Breaking Barriers for Breaking Barriers for Women in Business Women in Business

ASTROLOGY

By Rob Brezsny

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A financial advisor once told me I could adopt one of three approaches to running my business: 1. Ignore change; 2. always struggle with change, half-immobilized by mixed feelings about whether to change or stay pat; 3. learn to love and thrive on change. The advisor said that if I chose either of the first two options, I would always be forced to change by circumstances beyond my control. The third approach is ultimately the only one that works. Now is an excellent time for you Pisceans to commit yourself fully to number three—for both your business and your life

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Repressed feelings and dormant passions are rising to the surface. I bet they will soon be rattling your brain and illuminating your heart, unleashing a soothing turbulence of uncanny glee. Will you get crazy and wise enough to coax the Great Mystery into blessing you with an inspirational revelation or two? I believe you will. I hope you will! The more skillful you are at generating rowdy breakthroughs, the less likely you are to experience a breakdown. Be as unruly as you need to be to liberate the very best healings.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You finally have all you need to finish an incomplete mission or resolve a mess of unsettled karma. The courage and determination you couldn't quite summon before are now fully available as you invoke a climax that will prepare the way for your awe-inspiring rebirth. Gaze into the future, dear Taurus, and scan for radiant beacons that will be your guides in the coming months. You have more help than you know, and now is the time to identify it and move toward it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Our sun is an average star in a galaxy of 100 billion stars. In comparison to some of its flamboyant compatriots, it's mediocre. Over 860 light years away is a blue-white supergiant star called Rigel, which is twice as hot as our sun and 40,000 times brighter. The red supergiant Antares, over 600 light years away, has 12 times more mass. Yet if those two show-offs had human attitudes, they might be jealous of our star, which is the source of energy for a planet teeming with 8.7 million forms of life. I propose we make the sun your role model for now, Gemini. It’s an excellent time to glory in your unique strengths and to exuberantly avoid comparing yourself to anyone else.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The philosophical principle known as Occam's razor asserts that when trying to understand a problem or enigma, we should favor the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions. While that's often a useful approach, I don't recommend it in the coming weeks. For you, nuances and subtleties will abound in every situation. Mere simplicity is unlikely to lead to a valid understanding. You will be wise to relish the complications and thrive on the paradoxes. Try to see at least three sides of every story. Further tips: 1. Mysteries may be truer than mere facts. 2. If you’re willing to honor your confusion, the full, rich story will eventually emerge.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My favorite Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, wrote the following: "In us, there is a river of feelings, in which every drop of water is a different feeling, and each feeling relies on all the others for its existence. To observe it, we just sit on the bank of the river and identify each feeling as it surfaces, flows by, and disappears." I bring this meditation to your attention, Virgo, because I hope you will do it daily during the next two weeks. Now is an excellent time to cultivate an intense awareness of your feelings—to exult in their rich meanings, to value their spiritual power, to feel gratitude for educating and entertaining you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How might your life come into clearer focus when you uncover secrets that inspire your initiative and ingenuity? What happens when resources that had been inaccessible become available for your enjoyment and use? How will you respond if neglected truths spring into view and point the way toward improvements in your job situation? I suspect you will soon be able to tell me stories about all this good stuff. PS: Don't waste time feeling doubtful about whether the magic is real. Just welcome it and make it work for you!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s not the best time to tattoo a lover's likeness on your abdomen. Maybe in May, but not now. On the other hand, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to see if your paramour might be willing to tattoo your name on their thigh. Similarly, this is a favorable period to investigate which of your allies would wake up at 5 am to drive you to the airport, and which of your acquaintances and friends would stop others from spreading malicious gossip about you, and which authorities would reward you if you spoke up with constructive critiques.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world. They may grow as high as 350 feet. Their roots are shallow, though, reaching down just six to 12 feet before spreading out 60 to 100 feet horizontally. And yet the trees are sturdy, rarely susceptible to being toppled by high winds and floods. What's their secret? Their root systems are interwoven with those of other nearby redwoods. Together, they form networks of allies, supporting each other and literally sharing nutrients. I endorse this model for you to emulate in your efforts to create additional stability and security in your life, Sagittarius.

We'll identify the challenges and barriers faced by many women

We'll identify the challenges and barriers faced by many women during various stages of various stages of their career development and how we can their career and how we can collectively make improvements in supporting collectively make improvements in supporting rising leaders within our organizations. rising leaders within our organizations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "There are no unsacred places," wrote Leo poet Wendell Berry. "There are only sacred places and desecrated places." Poet Allen Ginsberg agreed. “Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!” he wrote. “Holy the solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements! Holy the cafeteria! Holy the mysterious rivers of tears under the streets! Holy the sea, holy the desert, holy the railroad.” With Berry's and Ginsberg's prompts as your inspiration, and in accordance with current astrological imperatives, I invite you to invigorate your relationship with sacredness. If nothing is sacred for you, do what it takes to find and commune with sacred things, places, animals, humans, and phenomena. If you are already a lover of sacred wonders, give them extra love and care. To expand your thinking and tenderize your mood, give your adoration to these related themes: consecration, sublimity, veneration, devotion, reverence, awe, and splendor.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What's the best way to be fulfilled? Hard work and discipline? Are we most likely to flourish if we indulge only moderately in life's sweet pleasures and mostly focus on the difficult tasks that build our skills and clout? Or is it more accurate to say that 90 percent of success is just showing up: being patient and persistent as we carry out the small day-to-day sacrifices and devotions that incrementally make us indispensable? Mythologist Joseph Campbell described a third variation: to "follow our bliss." We find out what activities give us the greatest joy and install those activities at the center of our lives. As a Capricorn, you are naturally skilled at the first two approaches. In the coming months, I encourage you to increase your proficiency at the third.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Mackerels are unusual fish in that they must keep swimming nonstop. If they don't, they die. Do they ever sleep? Scientists haven't found any evidence that they do. I bring them up now because many of you Aquarians have resemblances to mackerels—and I think it’s especially crucial that you not act like them in the coming weeks. I promise you that nothing bad will happen if you slow way down and indulge in prolonged periods of relaxing stillness. Just the opposite in fact: Your mental and physical health will thrive as you give your internal batteries time and space to recharge.

Homework: Who or what do you belong to in ways that keep you free? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

UNDERSTANDING INTIMACY:

By Dr. Jane Guyn

Not Feeling It

Can a marriage last if everything else is fantastic, but has no sexual chemistry?

I hear a lot of people talk about getting back to the way things were in the past — passionate and sexy. But, what if there isn’t necessarily something to get “back” to because it wasn’t there in the first place? Can a marriage last if everything else is fantastic, but has no sexual chemistry? Or at least one person isn’t into the other? I don’t have a low libido. I’m just not into my husband even though he’s a great person, very attractive and my best friend. What should I do? I care about sex but it’s non-existent in my life.

— Not Feeling It (for him)

I get asked this question almost every week. When you love your husband, but don’t feel sexually attracted to him, it’s very challenging. If your husband desires you and you’re not aroused by him, he might think it’s because you have a low libido. It sounds like this isn’t the case in your situation. You’re interested in sex, but not with your partner — and this isn’t new for you.

It’s assumed that newlyweds have frequent, passionate sex. While it’s true that New Relationship Energy is a phenomenon that typically involves heightened emotional and sexual feelings of excitement, not everyone who gets married experiences this effortless (and often fleeting) elation and passion.

Some people who aren’t turned on to their partners consider trying consensual non-monogamy. But, as I’ve mentioned here in the column in the past, consensual non-monogamy works best when the relationship is overflowing with sexual energy, not when the couple is sexually depleted and disconnected.

So here you are, in a loving relationship with someone who’s your best friend and who wants to be sexual with you. You’re feeling stuck. In your case, you describe him as a great person who’s also attractive. I hear you. I’m completely against what some people might call “duty sex” — participation in sex ONLY because one person feels obligated to the other. The reason that I’m so against duty sex is that I’ve worked with many people (mostly women) who have participated in duty sex over years and even decades. Often their bodies end up feeling completely numb when they’re touched by

their partners at all. This is because they’ve overridden their body’s natural feelings. When this happens, they can feel resentful or even disgusted by any kind of touch. Eventually they have a very difficult time getting any pleasure from sex. Some people also identify as asexual. This isn’t usually exactly the same situation as what I’m describing here, but duty sex is also very damaging to asexual people.

Sexual turn-on is something that’s multi-layered. There are things about our bodies that impact our desire. There are things about our homes (our “sex nests”) and our relationship that impact our desire. Most importantly — our previous experiences, emotions, sense of eroticism and energy combined with our mindset have a huge impact on what arouses us. I recommend finding a sex specialist (sex therapist or professional sex coach/sexologist) so that you can dig into what’s been going on between you over time. If we were working together, I’d want to know what happened in your life before you met your husband, how your upbringing influenced you both sexually, and how specific things about your sexual history with your husband have impacted you. Sometimes knowing what these things are can make a big difference in how you feel.

You’re not alone in this. But if you continue your relationship without getting help from someone who can shine a light on what might be really going on, you could end up with significant problems. Sometimes situations like this end up in emotional distancing or even infidelity. This is an important part of your life. Take time. Look inside and you can both have the relationship of your dreams.

You got this.

Xoxo, Jane

PS: You haven’t mentioned how your husband feels about this situation. For some partners, what feels like a great (but sexless) relationship is actually very painful — even soul crushing.

TAKE ME HOME March Mailbag

Happy March, everyone! Since I con tinue to have several folks reach out with their questions, stories, opinions, and what have you, it seems like the right time to have another mail bag. For those who have not read this column before, every month or two I like to take some time out and answer and respond to the various emails I get from our readers. So, thank you to everyone who has taken the time out of their day to read this column, and extra kudos to those who have reached out to me with their real-estate-related ques tions and topics!

I received quite a response from people about the homeless camp that has been announced on the south end of town, off Third Street near the Les Schwab Tires and across the street from the Holiday Inn Express. While I will not be advocating for either side on this issue, because of the numer ous people who raised the issue with me, I felt compelled to respond in some fashion. You can imagine most of what I read was from people who live and work near there, who chimed in with concerns about having a homeless camp (managed or unmanaged) estab lished near them. Like every other site that has been linked or rumored to be any kind of facility for those experi encing homelessness, those located in the immediate vicinity tend to be quite vocal in their opposition. A term often thrown around to describe this type of behavior is “NIMBY” or Not In My Back Yard, for those unfamiliar. NIMBYs are often associated with trying to prevent large-scale housing developments and certain commercial development in their neighborhoods, and certainly homeless camps, managed or unmanaged, fit here, too. While it may

PRICE ROUNDUP

way to prevent this is to use a local, rep utable, title and escrow company. If a seller demands that they use their outof-state title company that you are unfamiliar with, please take some extra time to verify that the company is legitimate. Thanks again to everyone who has reached out with their emails full of stories and opinions! Jason, I wish you the best in Nevada thank you for sharing your perspective! Nancy, thank you for your kind words; I look forward to reading your emails!

Listed by Marcella Schoenberg of John L. Scott Bend

Listed by

Listed by Betsey Little of Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty

BEND | 2275 NW LAKESIDE PLACE

$2,975,000 | 3 BD | 3.5 BA | 3,441 SF | 1.14 AC

•

BEND | 1894 NW FIELDS STREET

$1,398,000 | 3 BD | 2.5 BA | 2,047

• Open Kitchen w/Stainless Appliances

• Light & Bright Great Room wFireplace Upstairs w2 Bed, Full Bath & Loft

• Beautifully Landscaped & fully fenced

• Attached 2 Car Garage

Korren Bower | Principal Broker 541.504.3839 | korren@bowerteam.com

BEND | 20356 ABERDEEN DRIVE

$679,900 | 3+ BD | 2.5 BA | 2,244 SF

• Large Office on Main Level + Flex Space Hardwood Floors & Newer Appliances

• Alley Accessed 2 Car Garage

• Established Neighborhood W/ Mature Trees .15 Acre Lot with Fully Fenced Backyard

Jodi & Brandon Kearney | Brokers 541.693.4019 | jodi.kearney@cascadesir.com

Market Share Report

MLS# 220157136

MLS# 220159927