Bend Blogs

UtterlyBoring.com: Where Americans Are Moving

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:18:21 -0700

While this is a few months old, this interactive map is a really fun toy to play with. Click on a county in the US, and it will show (based on 2008 IRS data) where people are coming from that are moving to that county, and where they're going if they're leaving, and more stats about the type of people that are moving. Deschutes County has by far the most activity in Oregon east of the Cascades, but it's fun the click on the massive population areas like Los Angeles and New York to see the country light up. It's also interesting to see the large amount of folks leaving areas like Detroit and the huge amounts of folks moving to areas like Portland.

Hack Bend: Downtown Bend’s Subway closes

Jon — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:24:49 -0700

The Subway restaurant that has been open downtown for over a year and half has officially closed its doors, the Bulletin reports.

The Subway Sandwiches location that opened in downtown Bend in January 2009 closed Wednesday night. Owner Chris Griffin is moving the equipment to a new Subway location he plans to open next week in Redmond.

Griffin, who owns five Subways in Central Oregon, said downtown Bend, with its many eateries, is a difficult place to operate. The site “wasn’t quite performing at the level we hoped it to, so that’s the reason” for the closure, he said.

Images by Jeff Kennedy: New endeavor!

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:35:00 -0700

For those who don't know yet I've entered into a new endeavor. I'm joining forces with 2 very talented photographers - Kimberly Teichrow and Tambi Lane! We've formed a photography cooperative called Studio 3! More to come!

Bend OR Bust: Kicked to the curb

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:03:00 -0700

This past spring and summer, construction crews were hard at work putting in or replacing handicap ramps at intersections throughout the city. This work has been going on for more than five years.
The city found out Wednesday that almost all of the redone handicap ramps are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
This is how we work in America. We don't want to fund government with taxes (yikes!) so there is little government oversight. Then, we hire private contractors to follow ADA rules and put in the new ramps.
Naturally, these contractors have no idea how to follow basic ADA instructions and the city did no checking on its own because it had no money to do so and, well, private enterprise knows how to do this work better than any city crew could ever do.
Well, this is how private contractors roll: They get paid to do the work incorrectly and then get paid again to fix their own mistakes.
And, we wonder why our country is in this economic hole.
As Barney Lerten at KTVZ.com reports, it's going to be an expensive correction:
"The city will have spent about $7.5 million on ADA fixes since 2004, by the end of the current fiscal year, including $3.2 million in long-term debt and about $2.5 million from the general fund.

"Depending on how far from the exact specs they are, city Accessibility Manager Susan Duncan told councilors it could cost anywhere from $2,500 to $5,500 per curb ramp to get them compliant. Do the math, and the total cost ranges from $15 million to $34 million - the latter figure, by comparison, twice the city’s overall $17 million deficit estimate for the next six years."
The goal of private contractors is to rip off the government (actually, taxpayers) and then turn around and blame the government for letting them rip off the government/taxpayers. These contractors put welfare abusers to shame.
It's no wonder Americans have a low opinion of their government. It's also beyond belief that Americans have anything but a low opinion of private contractors or corporations.
The lesson, in this "teachable moment," is to get yours while you can and to hell with everyone else, particularly your own government.
Now that's the American spirit.

thumpology: ART: “Yallah! Artivism for Peace” Fundraiser for TheBedouins.org

Kent — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:41:19 -0700

“Yallah! Artivism for Peace” Fundraiser for TheBedouins.org

Can skateboarding and street art become instruments of peace between Arab and Israeli youth? That’s the mission of Euijin and Nathan Gray, local artists and founders of a new nonprofit group, The Bedouins, which will exhibit “Yallah! Artivism for Peace” throughout September at Thump Coffee in downtown Bend.

“‘Yallah! Artivism for Peace’ validates art as a vehicle for creative expression with a positive purpose,” explains Nathan Gray. Building off a previous project between skaters from Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, The Bedouins was founded in 2009 by the Grays to “develop creative projects that inspire humanity.”

For the Grays, skating art is about making connections through a common interest. Having grown up in Saudi Arabia, Nathan offers that “focusing on human experiences across divides holds potential where politics fails.”

Nathan believes that “skateboarding in its essence is about abolishing rules, flipping the script, and transforming something wasted and desolate like islands of concrete or road barriers into something positive. In this vein, skating is about transforming entrenched prejudices and misunderstandings.”

“Yallah! Artivism for Peace” is the first of a series of events meant to raise money to bring the Arab and Israeli skaters to the United States for a national tour, intended to share alternative perspectives of the Middle East using a grassroots approach. Read more at www.theBedouins.org.

thumpology: Featured Cup: Ethiopia Mordecofe Direct Trade, Organic

Kent — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:40:58 -0700

Ethiopia Mordecofe Direct Trade, Organic has returned this year better than ever! One of our all time favorite coffees that you’re sure to fall in love with if you haven’t already. Stumptown writes: “We’re proud to be offering Direct Trade Mordecofe for the third consecutive year. Haile Gebre left his government post as director of all cooperative business in Ethiopia to return to his grandfather’s land to cultivate coffee. His farms and washing station are located in Guji’s Mora Mora River Valley in southern Ethiopia. Haile’s process includes a 6-hour washing technique that leaves his coffee beans perfectly clean. After soaking, the coffee beans are gently dried on raised beds.” Read more about this coffee.

G5 Search Marketing Blog: Can Facebook friends and Twitter followers help users find the perfect apartment?

G5 Guru — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:32:45 -0700

By Amy Belasen

The debate continues as to whether social media is an effective marketing tool for apartment housing communities. While social media sites can drive traffic back to your website, is that enough? Is it worth the time?

What can a Facebook page do for my community?

In addition to driving traffic, sites such as Twitter and Facebook increase brand loyalty by creating user-friendly profiles, making friends and interacting with potential residents. Social media is also a virtual way to gain referrals—modern day “word of mouth” technology. With one-click “share” button technology, Facebook users post links that are shared with hundreds of their closest friends.

Nielson calls these shares “organic advertising” for a company, derived from a consumer instead of from traditional advertising methods. The April 2010 Nielson study proves that what Facebook friends say matters. Organic ads are better recalled, read with greater awareness and with more purchase intent than nonorganic ads. According to Nielson, “70% of people trust consumer opinions posted online.”

For the apartment leasing company ForRent.com, adding a “share” button to listings greatly improved their visibility with 58,000 new listings shared on Facebook in less than one year (Eyeballs and Purse Strings).

We helped North 38, a student housing community, develop a measurable direct marketing campaign tied to their social efforts online. A “Refer a Friend” widget allows North 38 to collect leads directly from their Facebook page.

It’s about community involvement.

For other multifamily communities, social media is used to engage current residents as an online extension of the offline community. While referrals may be encouraged, there is no easy way to refer apartment pages or to track the success of social referrals with a minimal time investment. For this reason, most multifamily social media sites seem to be rather simple, offering an online bulletin board listing upcoming events and other announcements within their communities.

Simple isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

A community page allows residents to become just that—more of a community. Sharing photos, invites and events strengthens ties between community members in an otherwise busy world. In just a few minutes, residents are able to find out what’s happening in and around their community by viewing Facebook status updates and Twitter feeds.

With the sense of community cultivated within cyber walls, and the ability to shrink or stretch the time investment in these sites, perhaps social media usage isn’t just about the bottom line. Whether or not sites like Facebook and Twitter generate measurable results, they build a sense of community for residents, making them feel better about the place they’ve chosen to live – which could result in more referrals and longer occupancy periods. It might even help them remember to get the rent paid on time.

Working Mom Goes Green: Propane in my shaving cream: The interview

Shannon — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:00:00 -0700

Yes, a video! This is my first one so I decided to interview my husband about his shaving cream. He's such a good sport!

The Central Oregon Veteran: VA Adding Three Health Issues to Agent Orange List

coveteran2u — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:46:20 -0700

After a 60 day review period, the VA will begin paying on three other diseases that have been identified as the results of Agent Orange exposure.

Trusting the Land: The Kids Are Alright

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:06:00 -0700

The Kids Are Alright
photo by Sherry BerrinsYou might think you know Outward Bound - wilderness jaunts for teens; river rafts filled with kids learning to challenge not just the elements, but themselves; troubled kids climbing up a rock face, linked securely by ropes to their belayers - and linked even more strongly by growing trust to their teachers and companions; business executives leaving not just their cell phones and I-pads behind, but their cherished roles, as they move slow step after step up the last stretch of a guided mountain summit climb.
I confess to once being cynical about Outward Bound and any of the other Get in touch with yourself through nature... programs. I. lived in the Colorado Plateau for twenty-two years, the heart of hundreds of similar expeditions and guided adventures. We local river runners, hikers and climbers were more than a little cynical about the organizations that we thought packaged wilderness and served it up as a relatively safe freeze-dried meal.
Still I have always believed that any experience that weaves human connection with the living earth has value - and any organization that promotes earth awareness is far better than a workshop in playing video games. So two weeks ago when our Land Steward Sherry Berrin invited me to go with her to Rimrock Ranch to meet a few dozen Outward Bound teens and their leaders, I wanted to learn more. The young women and men were going to clear invasive knapweed from floodplain around a mile plus of Whychus Creek. That was my first dose of reality about Outward Bound. I hadn’t realized the organization put its students to work on the land.
Sherry and I drove out to Rimrock Ranch and through the big gate onto the property. She’d told me the ranch was owned by Gayle and Bob Baker who had entered into a land preservation agreement with the Land Trust in 2006. Whychus Creek, to be an important link in the restoration of steelhed and salmon in Central Oregon waters, runs for 1.65 stream miles through the property. The ranch holds rich habitat for wildlife: mule deer, elk, river otter, mountains lion, beaver, golden eagles and other birds and animals.
Sherry and I pulled up to a big tree that shaded a few dozen Outward Bound students and their leaders. The early August sun burned down. Sherry and I waited while the kids were briefed, then we all walked and drove down a steep dirt road to the creek. Sherry handed out digging tools and showed knapweed to her volunteers. She explained the importance of removing it - that knapweed, like all invasives, gobbles up soil and nutrients that native plants and livestock forage need to fluorish. She explained that the knapweed had probably been brought in accidentally through contaminated seed or ballast.
I watched the kids’ faces. A few of them looked bored.. Most of them paid close attention. A few of them were clearly chomping at the bit to get going. I was also eager to move on - not to yank knapweed but to get out of the 90+-degree heat back into the shade. Call me a wuss, but once I reached 55, my thermo-regulation system began to break down!
I took a few minutes to ask the group two questions: Where did they come from? Had they ever lost a natural place they loved? I’ve asked those questions in readings and talks for the last twenty-five years - in presentations for Elderhostel students, workshops for college students, land trust Writing from Place circles for adults and children. No matter the age of my listeners, most of them have a story to tell and often, tears to shed.
The Outward Bound teens told us about losing a little woodlands just beyond the edge of their suburban home that they had called The Wild; a patch of grass and trees in a big city downtown and the family of rock doves that lived there; a stretch of lonely beach along the Pacific Coast. Their young eyes were sad. Their voices were quiet. When we were done talking and listening, Sherry led everyone out to the edge of the floodplain.
Two young women and a young man came up to me. Jen was a dark-eyed, dark-haired girl with a serious gaze. “I wanted to tell you a little more,” she said, “about why I’m here.” “Me too,” her friend Christopher said. The second girl grinned at me. Her blonde hair was pulled up under a Greenpeace cap. “Me three,” Amanda said. (I’ve changed names to protect their privacy.”)
“I was anxious about going on Outward Bound,” Jen said. “So I made myself do it. I was really afraid of the part where we run rivers. I’ve always been afraid of water. And, hiking up high? Forget it. But, I’m not a child anymore and I realized I need to challenge myself. That’s the heart of what I’m doing here. Challenge. This is the Challenge Jen Summer. And I love it. Every time I do something I’m scared to do, I end up knowing I’ve just had the best time in my life.”
Christopher nodded. He is a tall sturdy young man with an open smile and intent eyes. “My challenge was more to push myself physically. I love working hard, climbing hard, running hard, but most of all the working hard part. I love how I feel at the end of a day of hard work. I knew I’d get to be intensely physical most of the time. And I have. And now,” he dug into the dirt around a knapweed, “I’m the Exterminator!”
I told Chris about my best guy friend, a National Parks work crew leader and former wilderness ranger. “He and his buddies call each other Brush Hogs,” I said. "They’re the ones guaranteed to get a job done. He says there is nothing better than pushing yourself hard for ten hours, then coming back to camp for a meal, a fire and sleeping under a big sky.”
“That’s it!” Chris said. “That’s how I want to live the rest of my life!”
Amanda stepped forward and showed me a woven bracelet around her wrist. “Me and three of my best friends wear these. See, the threads are gold and brown. We started a campaign to send money to a group that protects Asian tigers. We raised five thousand dollars by cookie sales, garage sales, getting paid for tutoring other kids and just plain nagging people. Plus, I just found out I’ve been accepted in a sustainability Honors program at a cool college. This,” she waved at the creek and the canyon walls, “this is the world I want to live in.”
We exchanged e-mails. I asked them to write me and promised to send them some of my essays. Then the heat won out and I went back up to my car. I opened the windows, jacked up the air-conditioning and looked out at the golden-green rangeland and the elegant mountains. I made a few notes about the three young people. Challenge. Hard work. The world I want to live in. I understood that my ignorant cynicism about Outward Bound had been smashed. Not just by Jen, Chris, Amanda and their teachers, but by the Rimrock Ranch owners’ commitment to conservation and Sherry Berrins’ patient teaching.
I rolled up the windows, turned around and drove back to Bend. Despite the heat, I saw the signs in leaves and grasses that Fall was coming. I knew I’d come back to Rimrock Ranch in cooler weather and when I did I’d bring with me the memory of the Outward Bound gang putting their young hearts, minds and bodies to work for restoration.

Central Oregon Athlete: Bryan brothers video interview

Josh Cordell — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:50:45 -0700

Bryan Brothers’ full interview with FOX’s Greta van Susteren

My Back Pages: I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Bank Trust FAIL

jessefelder — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:40:00 -0700

Fleck: "I wouldn't own a financial stock with a gun at my head." - Business Insider
More than a 10% banks remain at risk of failure even as indicators show some nascent signs of revival - WSJ
Is Pennsylvania's capital only the beginning of a wave of muni defaults? - WSJ
The Cult of Equity is dead. Long live bonds. - FT
Face It, Nobody Is Bullish Anymore... - Business Insider
...Except the Insiders - MarketWatch
Why Labor Day Is the Best Time to Buy a Car - NY Times

For links like these in real time follow me on Twitter.

Posted via email from jessefelder's posterous

The Blacksmith Restaurant: This Friday and Saturday, Sept 3 & 4 The Blacksmith presents::::::DJ FLIP

Hardy — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:31:57 -0700

DJ FLIP

After DJ Flip acquired a set of turn tables in 2000, he cannot stop but rock the dance floor. He’s spins at clubs/bars from Seattle to Texas, not limiting himself to any certain genre of music. Hip hop, dance, top hits, electro – you name it, he busts it out to keep the party going. Dj Flip spends his free time making new mixes and out doing his last performance. To check out DJ Flip, check out this link.

DJ Flip is at The Blacksmith this weekend. Come make him feel welcome and show him what your booty got.

Party begins at 10 p.m.
Friday Sept 3 and Saturday Sept 4
No Cover
The Blacksmith is setting the golden standard in Bend nightlife.
211 NW Greenwood
Bend, OR 97701
541.318.0588
www.bendblacksmith.com
follow us on twitter and facebook

Bend Oregon Real Estate News: Home Sales Pace Slows

Dan Evans, Broker 541.410.9060 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:01:00 -0700

My apologies for not having posted for sometime. My father has been diagnosed with mesothelioma ("asbestos cancer") and I've been helping him seek and get treatment. Many thanks to all of you who have offered your support, prayers and best wishes as we continue to battle.

After increasing for the last several months, the pace of home sales in Bend slowed for the second month in a row in August. 118 single family houses on one acre or less were reported sold last month, down from 141 in July and from 135 the same month a year ago.

Perhaps the homebuyer tax credit had a bigger impact on sales than I'd previously been willing to give it credit, as buyers were motivated to buy sooner to qualify for the credit of up to $8,000.

That said, more than 200 pending sales from July and August are still in escrow (buyer and seller signed a sale agreement during those months and are proceeding to close the transaction). 146 of those deals were signed in August alone.

So despite the lower numbers, I remain confident that the level of sales will continue to be fairly balanced with the number of homes listed for sale. As it stands now, there is just under 6.5 months of available inventory.

As always, please feel free to call or email me with any questions you may have. 541.410.9060. Subscribe to Bend Oregon Real Estate News: [feeds.feedburner.com]

Homeless on the High Desert: Breaking!! Republicans release party platform …

homelessonthehighdesert — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:56:14 -0700

If Greg Walden and the Christo-Fascist Republican Party somehow manage to reclaim a majority this November, Party Officials have declared they will shut down the government, bailout the international bankers and insurers, steal Social Security and give it to the international bankers and insurers, destroy the middle-class, bailout the richest two percent of the country, [...]

The Ardent Thread's Weblog: Getting back to business

The Ardent Thread — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:37:15 -0700

So here I am, standing in my new studio space which is TWICE the size of my old studio, and I love it. The glass doll case on my bookshelf is still empty while I await the return of the ningyo, but there’s no rush. I’m still tripping over boxes that have yet to be [...]

Bend Sux: Good Clean Sucky "Fun"

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:14:00 -0700

Years ago, a natural gas company hereabouts used to run a TV commercial showing kids playing soccer in the pouring rain.

"This is the Pacific Northwest, where life doesn't stop for the weather," the voiceover said.

"Yeah," I would say to myself, "because the people are too dumb to come in out of the rain."

In all fairness, I don't think the people in Bend are THAT stupid -- but they sure as hell have a weird idea of what "fun" is.

To a real hard-core Bendite, virtually everything is "fun."

Cutting firewood in knee-deep snow and sub-zero temperatures? "It was fun!"

Driving to work through snow and ice? "It's fun!"

I really, truly believe that if you put a Bendite in a Nazi concentration camp for six months and then asked him what it was like, he'd say: "It was FUN! I lost 30 pounds! And I met some really interesting people! That Dr. Mengele is quite a character!"

Thus, when a cold front moved through Central Oregon on Aug. 30 and SNOW actually fell in locations to the south of us and in higher elevations to the west of us, one of the local TV news stations posted the headline on its Web site: "August Snow Brings Fun Taste of Winter."

Dude. When it snows on Aug. 30, that is not "fun." That is HORRIBLE. That SUCKS to the max.

Anyway ...

Although there were two suckerrific weekends in the latter part of August, with occasional rain and highs reaching barely into the 60s, the summer weather pattern basically continued through the month. Only two days legitimately earned a sucky rating, though several others were marginal.

August Totals

Days of Sun: 29
Days of Suck: 2

YTD Totals

Days of Sun: 140
Days of Suck: 103

High Desert Musings: Big Weekend at the Museum!

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:13:00 -0700

There's a lot happening here this weekend, as many of our programs are in their final summer week. If you haven't caught our Desert Dwellers Shows, Monday is the last day. Shows are 11 and 1 daily. Meet our badger, skunk, porcupine and raptors, and learn about the characteristics that make the High Desert home to so many species.

Also, the sawmill is running this weekend as well. Meet the millhands and watch it spin from 10-3.

And, this is the last weekend that active duty military families can take advantage of free admission to the Museum thanks to the Blue Star Museums program. We appreciate all that you do!

Starting Monday, our kids' programs begin again - stay tuned for all the details. Have a safe and relaxing Labor Day and enjoy our beautiful Central Oregon weather. See you at the Museum!

UtterlyBoring.com: Time Killer For The Day

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:05:21 -0700

Yes, it may be on a kid's site, but Whizzball is a fun puzzler that unfortunately has the stupidest username signup (you're best off just mashing the keyboard to find an available username).

Jane Johnson Photography: Cowgirl Magazine: Fall Fashion Issue

Jane — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:56:18 -0700

The September | October Fall Fashion Issue of Cowgirl Magazine is on stands now, and I can’t wait to show you a peek at the 17-page fashion spread we shot on location at the Bend Airport with a $7 million private jet! Those will come tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s a peek at the cover.

Deborah Donohue is wearing a bronze sheared beaver jacket with silver fox trim by Morris Kaye & Sons. Deborah’s stunning “Elegant Ranch” sterling silver and Kingman turquoise collar ($3,900) and matching earrings ($219) are from Two Grey Hills in Corrales, New Mexico.Reed Pocos Reflections, also known as “Roxy,” is an American Quarter Horse mare owned by Julie Miller of Twisted Wire Ranch.

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Cowgirl at your favorite bookstore, western retailer, and resort! Finally, if you think you have what it takes to be a Cowgirl model, you’re invited to come to the open model call this Saturday from 1pm - 4pm at Desperado Couture, located in the Old Mill District in Bend. Both male and female fashion models are welcome! Happy Thursday!

Pomegranate Seeds: Euro tea towels... and the best little café curtains I didn't have to make

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:30:00 -0700

Tea towels are a little obsession of mine. Like totes/handbags, you can't have too many. When they're brand new, I use them on our table or island counter to set up appetizers or glassware/bar station. Once someone spills wine or googs artichoke dip on them, they go into the wash and become nice dishtowels. I like to have one good one hanging on the oven door, too.

So I was thrilled to find these lovely European tea towels for Pomegranate. They're nicely oversized, beautifully designed, and made of thick, soft cotton. They make a great hostess gift, and also can be the easiest café curtains you never made. Photo above shows our funny little table on the front porch of the shop. We store display pieces, etc. underneath it, and I hated seeing boxes and stuff piled up underneath it. So I did the French thing and attached a little café curtain. The whole thing took maybe ten minutes. Bought a cheapy tension rod and curtain clips at Shopko; folded three black & white tea towels to hit just above the floor; clipped them on the rings, and voilà – my cute curtain treatment. You could do this for a window, console table... any place that needs a little cover.

I personally love the hot pink and orange "Flores del Sol" towels, and black & white fleur tea towels (they can go very modern, especially with granite countertops), but the ones that have been a big hit are the bees, on a pale yellow background, made in Holland. You'll just have to come see them...

On the Subject of Being Awesome: So, Who's Riding The Mexican Train?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:26:00 -0700

It was late in the morning one perfectly average summer's day, and Rusty the cat was laying in a patch of sunlight that was streaming in through the glass door. His eyes were shut and his tail twitched lazily to a rhythm that only he knew the beat to. As he lay there absorbing the rays, Tank the dog walked up next to him.
"Heya Rusty," said Tank, "you awake?"
Rusty remained silent.
"You awake?"
More silence.
"You awake?"
Rusty sighed irritably.
"What do you want, Tank?" he asked.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Trying to enjoy life," groaned Rusty.
"Butchoo aren't doing nothin'," Tank said confused.
"If you knew that, why did you ask what I was doing?"
"When I want to enjoy life," Tank continued, ignoring the cat, "I play fetch."
"Tank, you still haven't realized that you're supposed to bring the ball back."
"I don't think you get the game, Rusty. But it's okay 'cause yer a cat."
"Do you have a point, Tank?" asked Rusty.
"Heya Rusty?"
"Yes, Tank?"
"Wanna play?"
"No Tank," replied Rusty. "I'm sleeping."
"Oh okay," said Tank, and he left the cat to his sunbathing.

My Back Pages: Gong Golf

jessefelder — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:03:00 -0700

They might have to turn this into a Ryder Cup event...

via youtube.com

Posted via email from jessefelder's posterous

Downtown Bend: Drop and Hop!

Chuck Arnold — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:49:39 -0700

High Desert Gallery of Central Oregon: 6XA6.COM -- Opens Today at High Desert Gallery in Bend Oregon

High Desert Gallery — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:44:00 -0700

Our annual fine art original print show, 6XA6 (6 by A6) opens today, Thursday, September 2, 2010 at 5pm! We hope you can join us!

What's 6XA6? High Desert Gallery Artists have worked at Atelier 6000 (A6) to produce a selection of original hand pulled fine art block prints, etchings, and monoprints. Selected artists include: Cristina Acosta, Grace Bishko, Glen Corbett, Paul Alan Bennett, Patricia Freeman-Martin, Kimry Jelen, Ingrid Lustig and John Simpkins. The show and receptions should be a hoot and we hope you can attend. As a reminder: Our two artist receptions are on Thursday September 2, 2010 from 5-8pm and Friday September 3 from 5-9pm. We'll have Doug and Katie Cavanuagh providing music during First Friday Gallery Walk.

Need directions to High Desert Gallery? Visit: Find Us! or call 541-388-8964 / 866-549-6250.

For more information and to view images and read artist statements please visit: 6XA6

The Wandering Eye: The Bikies Corral a Downtown Parking Space

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:39:16 -0700

They’ve taken away an on-street parking space in downtown Bend to put in a rack for 12 bicycles. The politically correct response would be to jump up and down and cheer, but pardon me if I don’t join in.

The multi-bike rack, called a “bike corral,” was installed in a parking space in front of Thump Coffee on Minnesota Avenue. It cost about $3,500, according to The Bulletin’s account, and was paid for by the Downtown Bend Business Association and individualRead More...

Trusting the Land: A Haiku for the Land

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:30:00 -0700

Outside, clarity.
Non-essentials dissipate.
Nature leaves her mark.

By Karyn V.

The Bend Buzz Blog: The Great Rotary Duck Race

Kyla — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:28:59 -0700

It’s time to get your ducks in a row and head to Bend, Oregon! The Great Rotary Duck Race returns to (aptly named) Drake Park in downtown Bend for its 21st year, on Sunday, September 12. And, for the price of a $5 duck, you just might win the grand prize of $20,000 toward a Chevrolet, Cadillac or Honda from Lithia Motors. Or, you could win a pair of diamond earrings from Saxon’s Fine Jewelers, tires from Les Schwab, golf at Awbrey Glen, or one of the other great event prizes.
Post time is 2 pm at the Galveston Street Bridge, when 30,000 ducks bob and weave their way downstream to the Mirror Pond Foot Bridge, on behalf of children’s charities.
To clarify: The ducks are plastic, the prizes profuse, and the fun extends to kids and adults alike. Even if you don’t win a prize, you’ll enjoy the outrageous display of frenzied spectators cheering on 30,000 unruly ducks. Tickets are on sale now. Link here for details or contact your favorite Bend Rotarian directly.

The Schedule:
11:00 am: Festivities begin in Drake Park, including music, food & activity booths
12:00 pm: Kids Race (1,000 Free Ducks)
2:00 pm: Ducks hit the water
2:23 pm: Estimated time when Ducks begin to cross the Finish Line
3:00 pm: Winners & Awards are announced at the staging area in Drake Park
4:00 pm: Festivities end

The Prizes:
Lithia Motors: Retail voucher toward purchase ($20,000)
Lakeside Lumber: Gift Certificate for AZEK composite decking ($2,000)
Saxon’s Fine Jewelers www.saxonsfinejewelers.com: Diamond Earrings (1/2 ct. total weight-$1,000)
KBNZ TV: Weber Genesis E320 Grill ($800)
Les Schwab Tires: $500 Gift Certificate
Les Schwab Tires: $500 Gift Certificate
Combined Communications: 2 Nights Oregon Coast Lodging ($360)
Awbrey Glen Golf Club: Golf for Four ($360)
Mirror Pond Cleaners: Gift Card for Cleaning Services ($200)
Xtreme Car Wash: Gift Card ($200)
KOHD: Dinner at Crossings at the Riverhouse ($100)

The Beneficiaries:
Bethlehem Inn
Boys and Girls Club
Deschutes Children’s Foundation
Education Foundation for Bend-LaPine Schools
Family Kitchen
Grandma’s House
Healthy Beginnings
KIDS Center
Saving Grace
Shots for Tots
Volunteers in Medicine

Eponaleah's Photoblography: Bring me your dogs!

eponaleah — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:26:13 -0700

I will be taking pet portraits at the Mini Pet Mart in Bend this coming Sunday (September 5 – I know! Can you believe it is September already?!) Prices are going up in October, so this is one of the last opportunities to procure my photographic services at this low price! Check out the galleries [...]

MediawithAK: Make A Splash Without Spending A Penny

Alex Kaufman — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:26:00 -0700

The chicken and egg scenario plays out every day with business leaders trying to decide if they should advertise to attract customers, or shouldn't advertise since they don't have the money to spend. If you have the magical product that is so in demand you don't even need to promote it, then consider yourself lucky and enjoy your success. For the rest of the world, there is a third direction you can go if you want to get on the radar of consumers without an ad spend.

Give it away.

Well, it's not quite that simple, but almost. I'm not saying just change the price to free and hope that turns into an ROI. It won't. I'm saying figure out how you can help out in your local community by making something free, and build an event around that concept. Heck, just two nights ago a bowling alley in Flint, Michigan was on the NBC nightly news for simply giving away bowling to sad looking kids one night a week. You'd think they were curing cancer. Nope, just offering up a generally underused asset for one night a week. It filled the place up, created some lifelong customers, and they surely sold many gallons of soda at 1000% profit. Is bowling popular in the summer anyway? Nope. They got more mileage out of that move than many thousands of hard cash on advertising.

While you are hosting a group for free, have a fundraising raffle, silent auction, or the like to raise funds for donation. Or charge for the service a small amount and have that be the donation. It'll get people in the door, get you publicity, and not cost hard dollars. Raise money for a children's cause, the homeless, arts and culture, you name it! There's no shortage of ways to help out. The added boost is that the charities you work with will help bullhorn your name out there as part of the event, and they often have large networks to talk to.

Grow your business while doing good. You can do both.

Alpine Blogs: Handbrake and Youtube

Dustin Davisson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:12:46 -0700

I ran into some issues recently while converting a dvd to mp4 video for Youtube.com use. I used the default settings in handbrake for an mp4, which uses the h.264 encoder, and names the files as m4v’s. Once uploaded, Youtube failed to convert all he videos for use.

I’ve since messed around with Handbrake and found the proper settings for ease of use, and smallest file sizes, for quicker uploads. Under presets, I leave it as normal, although you may want to save these settings as a Youtube preset. I use no video filters, or anything typically, unless I have a particularly troublesome video.

The settings used are an mp4 file for the container, MPEG-4(FFmpeg) under Video, as seen in this screenshot:

Next, for audio settings, you want to ensure you’re using AAC(faac) under the audio tab. This should be the default. And the one final trick, that kept causing me trouble, is ensure the filename ends in mp4, rather than m4v, which handbrake defaults to.

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best minimum wage job a middle aged guy ever had: Downtown Comings and Goings,

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:38:00 -0700

You know how when you drive into a small town, sometimes the only mass market restaurant they'll have is a Subway Sandwiches? They must have a killer model; to be able to niche themselves next to gas stations and convenience marts.

So what does it say about downtown Bend that the Subway is leaving after only a year or two? Or that the owner would rather locate in Redmond?

This is a guy who owns 5 Subways, so one presumes he knows what he's doing.

Is this a reflection on the restaurant situation? (Too many? Too fancy? Not enough casual type dining business?) Or on downtown businesses as a whole?

I do believe that people WANT to be downtown, and that it doesn't always make sense for them to be there. Sure if rents had plunged to normal levels, say only 25% more than the rest of Bend. But I'm guessing most tenants are paying twice as much as they'd have to pay most places.

There is a certain -- shall we say? -- dedication one needs to be in downtown Bend. A willingness to wait a little longer, try a little harder, pay a little more to be there.

NEW BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN

The Closet, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10.
Showcase Hats, Oregon Ave., 8/11/10,
Red Chair Art Gallery, Oregon Ave. 7/13/10.
Earth Sense Herbs, Penny's Galleria, 7/12/10.
Mad Happy Lounge, Brooks St., 6/2910
Common Table, Oregon Ave. , 6/29/10.
Looney Bean Coffee, Brooks St. , 6/29/10.
Bourbon Street, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
Feather's Edge, Minnesota Ave., 6/22/10
The BLVD., Wall St. , 6/13/10.
Volt, Minnesota Ave. 6/1/10.
Tart, Minnesota Ave. , 5/13/10
Olivia Hunter, Wall St. 4/5/10.
Tres Chic, Bond St. 4/5/10
Blue Star Salon, Wall St. 4/1/10.
Lululemon, Bond St. 3/31/10.
Diana's Jewel Box, Minnesota Ave., 3/25/10.
Amalia's, Wall St. (Ciao Mambo space), 3/12/10
River Bend Fine Art, Bond St. (Kebanu space) 2/23/10
Federal Express, Oregon Ave. 2/1/10
***10 Below, Minnesota Ave. 1/10/10
Tew Boots Gallery, Bond St. 1/8/10.
Top Leaf Mate, 12/10/09
Laughing Girls Studio, Minnesota Ave. 12/7/09
Lemon Drop, 5 Minnesota Ave., 11/12/09
The Curiosity Shoppe 11/5/09 25 N.W. Minnesota Ave, Suite #7.
Wabi Sabi 11/4/09
Frugal Boutique 11/4/09
5 Spice 10/22/09
Cowgirls Cash 10/17/09
***Haven Home 10/17/09
Dog Patch 10/17/09
The Good Drop 10/12/09
Lola's 9/23/09
**Volcano Wines 9/15/09
Singing Sparrow Flowers 8/16/09
Northwest Home Interiors 8/5/09
High Desert Frameworks 7/23/09 (*Moved to Oregon Ave. 4/5/10.)
Wall Street Gifts 7/--/09
Ina Louise 7/14/09
Bend Home Hardware (Homestyle Hardware?) 7/1/09
Altera Real Estate 6/9/09
Honey 6/7/09
Azura Studio 6/7/09
Mary Jane's 6/1/09
c.c.McKenzie 6/1/09
Velvet 5/28/09
Bella Moda 3/25/09
High Desert Gallery (Bend) 3/25/09
Joolz
Zydeco
900 Wall
Great Outdoor Store
Luxe Home Interiors
Powell's Candy
Dudley's Used Books and Coffee
Goldsmith
Game Domain
Subway Sandwiches
Bend Burger Company
Showcase Hats
Pita Pit
Happy Nails

BUSINESSES LEAVING

Subway Sandwiches, Bond St. 9/2/10.
Urban Minx, Minnesota Ave., 8/11/10
Old Bend Distillery, Brooks St., 6/19/10.
Staccato, Minnesota Ave. 6/18/10.
Showcase Hats, Minnesota Ave., 6/1/10
Cork, Oregon Ave., 5/27/10.
Wall Street Gifts, 5/26/10
Microsphere, Wall St. , 5/17/10.
Singing Sparrow, Franklin and Bond, 5/15/10
28, Minnesota Ave. and Bond, 5/13/10.
Glass Symphony, Wall St., 3/25/10
Bend Home Hardware, Minnesota Ave, 2/25/10
Ciao Mambo, Wall St. 2/4/10
***Angel Kisses 1/25/10 (Have moved to 'Honey.')
Ivy Rose Manor 8/20/09
***Downtowner 8/18/09 (moving into the Summit location)
Chocolate e Gateaux 8/16/09
Finders Keepers 8/15/09
Colourstone 7/25/09
Periwinkle 6/--/09
***Tangerine 7/21/09 (Got word, they are moving across the street.)
Micheal Cassidy Gallery 6/15/09
St. Claire Coffee 6/15/09
Luxe Home Interiors 6/4/09
Treefort 5/8/09
Blue 5/2/09
***Volcano Tasting Room 4/28/09** Moved to Minnesota Ave.
Habit 4/16/09
Mountain Comfort 4/14/09
Tetherow Property 4/11/09
Blue Moon Marketplace 3/25/09
Plenty 3/25/09
Downtown Doggie 3/25/09
***King of Sole (became Mary Janes)**
Santee Alley
Bistro Corlise
Made in Hawaii
EnVogue
Stewart Weinmann (leather)
Kebanu Gallery
Pella Doors and Windows
Olive company
Pink Frog
Little Italy
Deep
Merenda's
Volo
***Pomegranate (downtown branch)**
Norwalk
Pronghorn Real Estate office.
Speedshop Deli
Paper Place
Bluefish Bistro

Frequency: The Bulletin's music blog: Subpop signs Shabazz Palaces

Ben Salmon — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:32:57 -0700

Ten months before Pitchfork declared Shabazz Palaces “rising,” I wrote this post imploring you to do whatever it took to listen to Seattle’s mysterious, vanguard hip-hop act. Problem was, that was tough to do, because the Shabazz Palaces EPs weren’t particularly easy to get, and the group had a minimal presence on the web, with no [...]

Jack and Mrs. Elliott Move to Bend: Maté is not as Interesting as Coffee

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:11:00 -0700

I was downtown yesterday afternoon, in The Wine Shop and Tasting Bar, sipping a very nice chianti from Jack's Glass when Santiago, the energetic owner of Top Leaf Maté, located next door, popped in to catch up on a tennis game showing on the widescreen TV.

(I have no idea who was playing. There were people leaping about, that's all I know.)

I mentioned to him that I'd recently given up drinking coffee because coffee, even decaf, causes feelings of anxiety while other caffeinated beverages do not.
He had an explanation: coffee's anxiety-causing mechanism is not due to its caffeine, but due to its acidity, which causes jittery stomach discomfort.
There certainly is a somatic component to anxiety: a gnawing feeling of emptiness and discomfort in the gut, giving plausibility to his claim.
But I have a couple problems with the explanation.
First, when I was a coffee drinker, jolts of dread would wake me in the middle of the night to worry, at length and uselessly, about things over which I have no control. The jolts came with cold sweats and a racing mind, but none of that hollow gut feeling. And since I very seldom drink coffee after 4 in the afternoon, there would not be any coffee in my stomach.
Second, what about other acidic beverages, like orange juice? Jack loves the tart juice of a freshly-squeezed orange, and suffers no ill effects after a big glass.
But there is no question in my mind that something present in both full-caffeine and de-caffeine coffee that is responsible for my anxiety. Just what it is, remains a puzzle.
So I've been drinking tea and feeling miles better. I've trained the staff at Townsend's Tea House to prepare matcha green tea the way I like it: very concentrated and served in a small cup.
And somehow I came home last night with a Top Leaf Maté window sticker and half kilogram bag of maté.
I made a strong cup of it last evening. Like tea, it's calming, like tea, it doesn't seem to trigger anxiety, and like tea, it's not as interesting to drink as good coffee.
To me, tea and maté simply lack the richness and complexity of coffee. You can tart up either beverage with flavorings, the way soccer moms at Starbucks conceal the coffee in their drinks under milk and flavorings, but that ain't how Jack rolls. When Jack drank whisky, he drank it neat. When Jack smoked a pipe, he smoked English, not aromatic (flavored), blends. When Jack orders a pizza, it's usually a simple pizza Margherita.
So as much as I love the smell and taste of a good cup of strong coffee (just a teaspoon of milk, please), it's just not worth the tsuris.

TBD blog: 100,000 live bees plead for help on billboard

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:09:13 -0700

This is ingenious - if your not scared of bees...By Tim Nudd on Sep 2 2010

Honey-bee populations are mysteriously dwindling worldwide. In England, the Banrock Station winery created the "world's first ad with live bees" to call attention to the problem. They used queen-bee pheromones to attract a giant swarm of bees (as many as 100,000, according to the BBC) from a nearby honey farm to spell out an "SOS" message on a billboard. No bees were harmed and no one was stung during the stunt. The winery is also donating 5p to the honey-bee cause for every bottle sold. Clare Griffiths from Banrock Station tells the BBC: "We thought there was no better way to raise awareness of the British bee decline than get the bees to tell their story themselves. We hope the billboard has created a bit of a buzz in Devon and beyond." Via Copyranter.

Original here:

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Joan Quick: Terry Fox Memorial – Thunder Bay, Ontario

jquick99 — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:35:55 -0700

We were talking to some bikers at a Tim Hortons regarding what she we do in Thunder Bay, and Joe said we needed to see the Terry Fox Memorial. As we walked away, I laughed to myself that it would have been “funny” if we said “Who’s Terry Fox?”. As I was telling this to Ralph, he said “Who isTerry Fox?”. Ahem…he’s too young to remember the made-for-tv-movie!

For others who don’t know who he is, this is from Wikipedia: In 1980, Terry Fox, with one leg having been amputated due to cancer, embarked on a cross Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research. However, the spread of his cancer forced him to end his quest after 143 days and 3,339 miles, and ultimately cost him his life. He ended his run just outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy: Essay: The Jefferson Jays

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:30:00 -0700

I went to junior high at Jefferson Jr. High in Eugene, way back when. In those days, junior high was for kids who were in 7th, 8th and 9th grades. Later, Jefferson became a racism-free zone and then became an alternative school, changing its name to the Family School.

The first time I was at Jefferson school I was probably in 4th or 5th grade. We went there to watch my Dad play city league basketball. He was all of 30 something, and he was very good. I'm not just saying that either. My Dad has always been a jock. He was even better at football than basketball, back in his high school career.

Ralph the jock.

Jefferson school seemed so big to me then, being a grade schooler. We didn't even live in that part of town yet, and I didn't know that Jefferson would someday be my school for three years. That for one whole year, I would walk across wet grass in moccasins, showing up to school with sopping wet feet. To be cool. (Though nobody else noticed or appreciated my efforts at coolness on that one.)

During spring break of 5th grade, we moved to West Eugene, and I attended Ida Patterson Elementary. That was a really nice place to land. I don't remember what the name of our mascot was at Patterson, but at Jefferson we were the Jefferson Jays. What kind of a name is that, I wondered? Blue jays? A bird? Kind of dumb, couldn't they have though up something better and tougher than that? Over the years, I let it go. I became a Churchill Lancer, an Oregon Duck and an Oregon State Beaver. (Not that those mascot names were much better, except for the Lancers. Who chooses those names anyway?)

Recently we started filling up our bird feeder with all kinds of goodies. It turns out that all kinds of goodies attract all kinds of creatures: deer, squirrels, chipmunks, doves, chickadees, some unidentified birdies and four or five Blue Jays. Those Blue Jays are tough. They are mean! The Blue Jays dominate everybody but the deer and the squirrels, and the squirrels even keep their distance for a while, making sure that the Jay on top of the pile of food has a chance to fill up a bit before venturing in.

The Blue Jays hog up most of the peanuts, eating them all if they get the chance. The chipmunks and squirrels love peanuts too, of course, but it takes them longer to pick them up and take them home since they can't fly and the Jays can.

So, am I proud to have once been a Fighting Jay? Not really. But at least I now understand how they got their reputation. They will steal your nuts, if given a chance.

John Gottberg's Blog: Jody Denton Heads for New Orleans

John Gottberg Anderson — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:26:57 -0700

Former Bend restaurateur Jody Denton is on the move again. Denton confirmed yesterday on Facebook that he has been hired as a consultant for New Orleans’ new Restaurant R’evolution, expected to open next year. He will be working with chefs John Folse (of Louisiana) and Rick Tramonto (of Chicago), who plan to serve “contemporary Creole cuisine” in the French Quarter’s [...]

The gr8ful grind: A bee working hard on a flower. ...

Gr8fulTed — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:56:00 -0700

A bee working hard on a flower. Red Rocks State Park, Morrison, Colorado; July, 2007.

Blooming Eventually: Snip

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:46:00 -0700

A year ago yesterday, the chickens did this to their heads.

Yesterday, I discovered this.

Coincidence? I think not.

From now on, Sept. 1 shall be National Scissors-In-The-Closet Day.

Bronco Billy In Sisters Oregon: Asson has Hat in Ring for Council Seat

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:38:00 -0700

(This article appeared in the 8/31/10 issue of the Nugget Newspaper)

David Asson.photo by Bill Mintiens

By Bill Mintiens

David Asson is one of six candidates running for a seat on the Sisters City Council in the November 2 election.

Asson, 73, has lived in Sisters for the past four years. Prior to moving here, the Assons lived for 43 years in Beaverton. David and his wife of fifty years, Carolyn, have four married children and thirteen grandchildren. Two of their married children live in Sisters Country. The pull of family and the natural beauty of Sisters Country motivated David and Carolyn to relocate to Sisters.

"We had been visiting our kids in Sisters for years and finally decided that it would be a great place to live," said Asson.

Originally from Rupert, Idaho (population 4,000), Asson grew up on a farm but knew that agriculture was not going to be his career path.

"I enjoyed the work but frankly I didn't relate to the industry. I enjoyed accounting and bookkeeping in high school and eventually went down that career road," said Asson.

David earned a BBA from the University of Portland and an MBA (business management & accounting) from UCLA. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve. A Certified Public Accountant, Asson's career was spent with national CPA firms as well as running his own management and consulting practice for over 20 years.

"Most of my professional days were in management consulting, CFO-type positions, and business systems/computer system consulting for medium-sized firms around the U.S. I spoke with my last client just a few days ago so, for the most part, I'm mostly retired," said Asson.

Not one to sit around, Asson has been involved in many volunteer efforts since moving to Sisters. He is a director of the Sisters Historical Society, treasurer of the Timber Creek Homeowner's Association, and served as a member of the 2009 Sisters Budget Committee.

Asson is also a published author. He's written two books in recent years. "Bringing in the Hay," a nostalgic history of the old hay stacking era and "Forty Years to Idaho," a historical account of the epic journey of European immigrants through western coal mines to Idaho homesteads.

These days David enjoys woodworking in his shop, working on his computer, and playing with his grandkids.

"I like to have variety in my days and, now that I'm retired, I have the time to devote to city council issues if I'm lucky enough to get elected," said Asson.

When asked what qualifies him to become a city councilor, Asson spoke to his extensive business experience, financial perspective on Sisters, and desire to recruit companies with jobs.

"I'm mostly retired and I served on the (Sisters) budget committee recently," he said. "I bring reasoning and research to the council. I see so many assets that just need to be coordinated. Talented people, good cash reserves; we don't have to add a lot of infrastructure, we just need to market what we've got.

"I think if we had more people (in the community) working we'd be in much better shape. We need more - and better - jobs. In my business, our clients were all small manufacturing or services-oriented companies so, much of the time, I was going out and knocking on doors (to keep new business coming). We have to get out and talk with the retired professionals here in town, asking them 'don't you know some companies that might be interested in Sisters?' If you keep looking, keep talking, you'll eventually get companies; you have to move cautiously, methodically keep asking for business."

Asson feels that the council could use his financial expertise.

"In the few meetings I've been in with the council I felt that, at times, there wasn't enough knowledge about interpreting financial statements, financial results. I'm not sure they always understood what the statements said."

Along those lines, Asson feels that his attention to detail and ability to plan are needed on the council.

"The handling (hiring process) of the economic development manager position is a good example. (Councilor) Bill Merrill asked a lot of good questions, wanted more details about the position in writing and it never happened," he said. "I would have had everything written down and detailed before we agreed to the position, before we essentially wrote the $30,000 check. I'm a stickler for details. I'm not sure that, if there is a plan for the position, that everyone (councilors) agrees. We haven't set the policy very well for EDCO to follow," said Asson.

Regarding the issue of urban growth, Asson said, "I advocate planned growth that's in harmony with nature. We need to target the kinds of businesses we want. At the council work meetings, twice a month; we should be establishing the goals we want to see three to five years from now."

Asked about the state-designated "severely distressed community" listing, Asson said, "I don't think we're a severely distressed community personally. There are a lot of people out of work for sure, but it's not because of the City of Sisters; they've done a good job of controlling costs within the city."

Asson believes the present council could function better as a team.

"I was impressed in the budget meetings with the council," he said. "But I sense there's conflict within the present council; three councilors seem to be controlling the voting. I don't like that. If I was a councilor I may vote their way sometimes but not always. I believe the disharmony could be smoothed-out by more deliberate, fact-based discussions versus emotion-based discussions. Unfortunately I don't think our present councilors share their thoughts among themselves as well as they could."

Asson was originally running as one of three candidates - including Jerry Bogart and Virginia Lindsey - supported by the Citizens for Sisters political action committee (PAC). This past July Asson became treasurer of the PAC as the group began meeting weekly about campaign strategy. Citizens for Sisters was formed in the 2008 campaign and raised more than $11,000 to support the slate of Lon Kellstrom, Jerry Bogart, and Pat Thompson. All three were elected. (See related story, page 1.)

Last week Asson decided to leave the PAC and his position as treasurer.

"Late this past Friday afternoon I notified the sponsors of the PAC that I wished to run independently and would be resigning the treasurership as of Monday, August 30," Asson told The Nugget. "I want to give myself more flexibility in presenting my message to the community. While I share many, if not most of the PAC candidates' views, I feel it may be more advantageous to me and the community, if I take my own path and do my own marketing," said Asson.

Asson says he received some pushback about his decision but still feels it was the right thing to do.

"The mayor was disappointed, but he's still supportive of my decision. And a few community members encouraged me to do this as well," said Asson.

Three city councilor positions are up for election - those currently held by Bill Merrill, council president, Sharlene Weed and Jerry Bogart. The Sisters City Charter states that in any election the top two finishers receive four-year terms, the third-place finisher receives a two-year term.

The Blender: Happy 90210 Day!

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:11:12 -0700

It's September 2, 2010, which translates numerically to 9/02/10, making today the most fitting day in the history of time and space to celebrate the legacy of the soap-opera-influenced teenage drama, Beverly Hills 90210.

People are actually celebrating 90210 Day.

If you're not familiar with this show, it was an ongoing saga focused on rich teenagRead More...

Solar Power -- PV Panels: How Much Solar Energy Do you Need for your Home?

Stephanie — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:22:49 -0700

How Much Solar Power do you Need?

When it comes to home solar power, many people are concerned about two questions: (1) how much does it cost and (2) how much solar energy do you need for your home?

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that a residential solar installation should be 5-7 kilowatts (kW) in size to generate the approximately 920 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month that most American homes use. Given current solar power costs for solar panels and installation, you’ll be investing about $30-45,000 to be able to go off-grid with your own home energy.

However, federal, state, local and utility incentives can help you reduce that cost, if you qualify! (here in my home state of Oregon, the savings are up to 50%). But, if you go with a DIY solar panel system, the savings can be even greater!

Before you consider an entire home solar panel system, think about easing into solar energy. We love these “7 Baby Steps to Go Solar” from CalFinder:

#1—Install DIY kits with built-in panel inverters, or microinverters, like those offered by Solar Sphere’s DIY Solar Kits or Sustainablog’s green shopping site. These panels deliver AC (alternating current, the kind your electrical panel requires), and are easier to wire into your home’s electrical system.

#2—Or choose GoGreenSolar’s 250-watt, grid-tied, Plug N Play Solar Power Kit, which plugs directly into any household outlet and delivers 1 kWh of electricity a day. Plug in 10, and you have lighting and emergency electrical backup covered.

#3—Akeena Solar, whose 175-watt Andalay solar panels won the Kansas Climate and Energy Project Take Charge Challenge, is merging with Westinghouse, the appliance giant, and changing its name accordingly. In 2009, Akeena sold its trademark plug and play Andalay panels through retailers, including 21 Lowe’s locations in California.

#4—Ready Solar offers a “kit in a box” with web-based performance monitoring whose modular design allows for simple expansion.

#5—And Armageddon Energy plans to offer a solar panel in the form of hexagon that – snapped into three other panels – forms a “solar clover.” One unit delivers .33 kW, and the product should reach the market in 2011, but like many too-good-to-be-true products advertised as plug and play, installation is slightly more complicated.

#6—The same is true of Lumeta PowerPly’s [video] flexible “peel ‘n stick” solar modules (think Contac Paper), which deliver 2.25 kW in 34 minutes on flat roofs.

#7—Last, but far from least, consider Clarian Technologies, which currently offers a truly plug and play unit called Sunfish, rated at 1 kilowatt and costing about $3,000 (or a mini-Sunfish at 200 watts and $800 or less). The units, equipped with all-UL electronics and a GFCI circuit breaker to protect homeowners and linemen from electric shock, are lightweight and help reduce distribution line losses.

Solar power for your home could be easier and cheaper than you think

While you wonder about how much solar energy you need for your home, consider the fact that solar panel prices have dropped 50% or more recently, solar technology continues to improve efficiency of solar cells and rebates and tax incentives continue to be generous in the economy and under the current administration.

The Brew Site: Hop Press: Deschutes Brewery VIP Tour and Media Event

Jon — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:45:48 -0700

Last week I was invited to a special VIP tour and media event over at Deschutes Brewery, and I wrote about it for my weekend Hop Press article. It was pretty cool, and there are a number of interesting tidbits I learned.

Green Lakes Organic Ale: The Brewery loves this beer, even though it’s more problematic to brew than other beers—due to it’s certified organic status. For instance, not only do the ingredients need to be certifiably organic (or at minimum in the case of hops, salmon safe), but they have to properly prep the equipment before brewing to remove the residue of previous (non-organic) batches—things like vacuuming out the grain conveyors.

Twilight Ale: The breakout summer seasonal—actually one of Deschutes’ most popular seasonals—the hop schedule for Twilight is most interesting. They want to get lots of hop flavor and aroma into the beer without making it bitter like an IPA (“clean” beers are what the Brewery strives for), so to get that with Twilight there is hardly any first-hopping (merely 4 pounds per 150 gallons), no second-hopping, and a ton of third hopping (finishing and aroma hops). And then more hops are added to the whirlpool (the stage where they’re separating hops from the wort).

Central Oregon Athlete: COA best of August

Josh Cordell — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:12:58 -0700

Here are the most popular posts of the past month:
• Bend Basketball Trick Shots
• 2010 Oregon high school XC preview
• Jesuit girls XC train in Central Oregon
• 2010 Oregon prep volleyball preview

The Bend Buzz Blog: Choices, Choices: The Dissident, the Hammerhead, or the Knotty Blonde?

Kyla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:11:03 -0700

The Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Festival

If there is one thing Bendites like, it’s their beer. With seven world-class craft breweries within walking distance of each other, an official Ale Trail, and a barrelful of annual events featuring beer, residents of Bend, Oregon can swill the suds with the best of them.

Last week, thousands of beer drinkers – from aficionados to couch potatoes – came together to celebrate the good old days of aging beer in oaken casks. Due to the overwhelming interest in the 2009 premier of the Little Woody Barrel-Aged Brew Festival, the bacchanal returned to the Des Chutes Historical Museum in Downtown Bend for two full days on September 3 and 4, 2010. Exhibitors included Deschutes Brewery, Ninkasi, McMenamins, Three Creeks Brewing, and Bend Brewing Company.

The Little Woody celebrates the ancient brewing technique as adapted by American craft brewers, featuring beers aged in wine barrels, whiskey barrels and oak barrels, which uniquely flavors and intensifies the beer. In addition to showcasing the wide variety of barrel-aged beer from local and regional microbreweries, this year’s Little Woody offered bourbon tasting from some of the region’s finest distilleries.

Mark your calendar for the first week of September 2011. The Gnomes and their best beers and bourbons will be back!

On the Subject of Being Awesome: Haul of Heroes: Reviews for 9/1/10

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:57:00 -0700

Wow, I had to check what day it was when writing the title. Yikes. Anyways, here are my thoughts on what I read this week:

Brightest Day #9, W: Geoff Johns w/ Peter Tomasi A: Various
This bi-weekly DC event book has been hovering at the "mediocre enough to not read" level for a while now. The last two or three issues have finally answered a few questions, and the plot is actually moving along, with Martian Manhunter and Deadman both getting significant development this issue. The main problem this series has is its lack of balance. With such a large cast, many characters--notably Aquaman and Firestorm--are getting slighted. There just isn't enough room in the book to keep all of the stories moving, and so a few of them have done absolutely nothing of importance for nine issues. The overall plot is really the driving force behind the series, rather than the individual arcs, and luckily, that is intriguing enough to keep me reading.
Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2, W: Alan Heinberg A: Jim Cheung
Twins Billy and Tommy of the Young Avengers team want to find their mother, the Scarlet Witch. There's just one problem: so does everyone else. The Avengers, Magneto, the X-Men and Quicksilver all have their own plans for the woman responsible for the deaths of Vision, Hawkeye, Jack of Hearts and Ant-Man, not to mention causing the mutant genocide. All of these super-powered interests clash in this series, and it makes for what is probably the best of the new Avenger series's. Accompanied by gorgeous art from Jim Cheung, writer Alan Heinberg expertly maneuvers the large cast of this book through the plot, progressing the stories of each group, while still keeping every individual character relatable and interesting. A brilliantly executed book in terms of both art and writing, the only flaw to this series is that it only comes out bi-monthly.
Cowboy Ninja Viking #9, W: AJ Lieberman A: Riley Rossmo
As you can probably figure out by its title, Cowboy Ninja Viking is one of the most fun things you will ever read. This series stars Duncan, who has a very special case of multiple personality disorder: his personality's are--you guessed it-- a cowboy, a ninja, and a viking. He was specially engineered by the US government to retain these personalities and become a lethal soldier known as a "triplet." This series is an action book of the absolute highest quality, with weapons you've never heard of, characters you love to cheer for, and more on-liners than every Clint Eastwood film ever made. All of the triplets have violent, interesting, and usually hilarious interactions with each other, but despite the superficial appeal, this series does not skimp out on story. There are huge conspiracies in every issue of CNV, and more questions asked with every answer given. An all-around brilliant series, if not the best one on the market today. Read it.
DMZ Volume 3, W: Brian Wood A: Riccardo Burchielli
This is one of the most challenging series I've ever read. When I say challenging, I don't mean hard to understand ("Manhattan is a war zone in America's second civil war" is pretty straightforward). I mean that this series challenges the way you think about how our country works and should work, or if it even works at all. From the perspective of the New Yorkers caught in the middle, both sides are the wrong side, and that's what really makes this series unique. DMZ asks you "Look at those conservative rednecks! Aren't they a bunch of a**holes?" and you have no choice but to say, "Yeah, they are! I hope they lose!" Then writer Brian Wood turns you around and points to the other side. "And by the way, have you seen these liberal f***s? What a bunch of ignorant pricks." And you go right along with him again. "No kidding, they suck! I hope they lose!" And it's not until you pause after a chapter or volume that you realize what Wood did. "Wait. Both sides are wrong. Neither side could ever be right. How is that possible?" DMZ is the most compelling war story you'll ever have the pleasure of reading. Do yourself a favor and challenge your thinking with a healthy serving of DMZ.

Photos Northwest Blog: ISO 12800

Gary — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:46:47 -0700

I took the camera out last night with it set to ISO 12800. Now, maybe not a lot of you understand what that means, so I’ll try and explain. There is a trade off between “film” speed (it’s ability to respond to the light it is trying to capture) and quality. The higher the film [...]

Bend Light: A House

stephenarcher — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 22:06:23 -0700

The world I live in is as generous as my imagination. Or not.

Tangled and True: after school snack.

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:42:00 -0700

Lily has been in school going on 4 weeks now, I'm wishing she'd started a little later so that I could have used all these back to school ideas I've been seeing. I just saw this fun snack on blonde designs. I may have to sneak it in even though she's been going for awhile.