Stolen goods scam • C1
CANCER: In the fight of her life, help in all forms B1 •
DECEMBER 31, 2011
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Serving Central Oregon since 1903 www.bendbulletin.com
2011
The year in photos Our photographers narrate slideshows of their favorite pictures from 2011:
www.bendbulletin.com/2011photos
Editors’ picks for the top local stories of the year 1. Controversies at the Deschutes DA’s office
Finally, snow arrives By Patrick Cliff
New Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty was embroiled in controversy for much of the year following his office’s handling of a grand jury investigation of Deschutes County Counsel Mark Pilliod. The incident prompted investigations by the Oregon State Bar and the Oregon Department of Justice.
The Bulletin
Though the weather is expected to dry out this weekend, the region’s ski areas received the holiday snowstorm they were hoping for Friday. Mt. Bachelor ski area received 9 inches of snow and Hoodoo Mountain Resort received 9.8 inches. As a result, Mt. Bachelor is likely to reopen the Outback chairlift today, said spokesman Andy Goggins. The decision to open Northwest Express and Summit chairs is day-to-day. “It’s going to be ideal conditions for Saturday and Sunday. We’re looking for a great close to the year,” Goggins said. Hoodoo is scheduled to be open for the holiday weekend, which will feature its annual New Year’s Eve party, according to the ski area’s website. See Snow / A7
2. Sad end to the Meyer family tragedy Bend resident Sandra Meyer was reported missing in March after her abandoned car was discovered in the Old Mill District. Her husband, John, killed himself after police questioned him in her disappearance. Her body was found in a buried utility box at the couple’s home.
3. Big leaps forward in area higher education Central Oregon Community College and Oregon State University’s Cascades Campus continued to expand. The college opened a culinary center in Bend and new facilities in Madras and Prineville. OSU-Cascades bought a building in Bend to house expanded graduate-level classes.
THE ROSE BOWL Darrel Aschbacher, of Prineville, holds the Ducks helmet he wore in the 1958 Rose Bowl.
4. Bend’s Bridge Creek water project The $68 million reconstruction of Bend’s surface water supply system drew criticism for its cost and environmental impact. In mid-December, city officials expressed willingness to re-examine the costs and benefits of the project.
Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
Former players recall Ducks’ last 3 trips
5. Facebook opens, and expands, in Prineville
By Mark Morical
The social network giant opened and opted to expand its data center in Prineville. The company also was involved in a dispute with the state over the proper method of taxing its facilities.
The Bulletin
Monday’s appearance in the Rose Bowl will be just the sixth for the University of Oregon in the 97-year history of college football’s oldest postseason game. The Ducks have not won the game since upsetting Penn 14-0 in the third Rose Bowl nearly a century ago, in 1917. Oregon lost the Rose Bowl in 1920, 1958, 1995 and 2010. The 2011 Pac-12 champion Ducks will have another chance to finally win the game when they take on Big Ten champion Wisconsin on Monday in Pasadena, Calif. The Bulletin recently caught up with three former UO players from Central Oregon who have been part of “the Granddaddy of Them All” — Prineville’s Darrel Aschbacher, who played in the 10-7 loss to Ohio State in 1958; Redmond’s Jed Weaver, in the 38-20 loss to Penn State in 1995; and Bend’s Morgan Flint, in the 26-17 loss to Ohio State in 2010. See Rose Bowl / A8
6. Bend South All-Stars almost make it ... The baseball team came within one win of playing in the Little League World Series.
7. Traffic tragedies Two disparate incidents connected only in the loss of life. Les Schwab executive Bret Biedscheid was charged in the January hit-and-run death of Tony Martin, who was left to die on Third Street in Bend. Teen Forrest Cepeda was struck and killed in July by Erik Conn, who is suspected of texting while driving.
8. Many cheers for beer: Area brewing flourishes Three breweries opened and started making their own beer. Four started or finished expanding. Ancillary businesses, like Silipint and Cycle Pub, flourished. And at least six new breweries are on the way.
Want to know how to avoid hangover? Duh
In memoriam
9. Mountain View’s historic football title The team became the first from Bend to win a state championship in 71 years.
10. Destination resorts Pronghorn Club & Resort was sold. New owner Northview Hotel Management spent $6.5 million to spruce up Brasada Ranch. Deschutes County added 1,300 acres to its resort eligibility map, but reduced the total land eligible from 112,000 acres to 22,000.
By Jeannine Stein Los Angeles Times
Local obituaries of note from 2011: Kirby Nagelhout, 55, homegrown construction magnate, July 2
Carol Johnson Bryant, 85, key figure in Bend community theater, Feb. 25
Linda Moore, 66, education advocate, Oct. 22
Hamlin “Ham” Preston Perkins, 88, Jefferson County sheriff, rancher, Dec. 10
Scott Foster, 42, alpine ski coach, Jan. 7 • Art Johnson, 82, Bend city manager from 1972-86, March 6 • James Palmer, 37, La Pine fire captain, May 13 • Paul Speck, 65, prominent Bend attorney, May 16 • Carol Mason, 67, left millions of dollars worth of real estate, and an airplane, for Central Oregon Community College, June 19 • Connie Miller, 84, youth sports and parks advocate, July 14
The year in sports, D1 • Nation and world, A2 • Other notable deaths, A2 We use recycled newsprint
The Bulletin
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Vol. 108, No. 365, 72 pages, 7 sections
TODAY’S WEATHER
INDEX Business Classified Comics
C3-5 F1-4 B4-5
Crosswords B5, F2 Dear Abby B3 Editorials C6
Horoscope B3 Local News C1-8 Movies B2
Sports D1-6 Stocks C4-5 TV B2, ‘TV’ mag
Cloudy and cooler High 40, Low 22 Page C8
Gearing up for a big night tonight, New Year’s Eve? One that will involve some drinking? Then maybe you need a little primer on hangovers, since you could be nursing one soon. You may already be familiar with the symptoms: The Mayo Clinic lists headache, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, thirst, dizziness, and inability to concentrate. What causes a hangover? Drinking too much, of course, which leads to a cascade of ill effects. And what can you do about them? Not much, apparently. A 2005 study shows no convincing evidence that any conventional remedy can prevent or cure a hangover. See Hangover / A6
TOP NEWS IOWA: A final campaign push, A3 VERIZON:abandons $2 fee, C3