Month: July 2014

Bank of the Cascades recently presented United Way of Deschutes County a $42,000 check in support of the bank’s philanthropic mission to improve the quality of life for all local residents. The donation is part of Bank of the Cascades’ program to match its employees’ giving to United Way dollar for dollar, bringing the bank’s

If you attended the Outdoor Retailer Showin Salt Lake City last year you might have been one of the lucky ones who got a taste of a classic Bend beer in a classic Bend cup. In a show of just how tight Bend outdoor retailers really are, Ruffwear, Deschutes Brewery and Silipint got together to

At the heart of every thriving economy lies civic engagement. Anyone familiar with Bend is almost certainly aware of the constant stream of recreational activities and events ranging from Summerfest and Winterfest to First Friday, Munch ‘n Music, BendFilm, the Cascade Cycling Classic, Pole Peddle Paddle, Bend Brewfest and beyond. Every week, it seems, there’s

Central Oregon is blessed with good food and no shortage of options. Did you know that restaurants and local food carts areinspected twice per year? Deschutes County inspects based on a number of criteria and many local favorites have received perfect or near perfect marks consistently for a number of years. View a complete list

Summerfest is the annual iconic downtown Bend event that hits the streets this Friday, June 11th. In it’s 24th year now, the event draws some 75,000 people with activities and events from a Children’s Zone to a Gourmet Food & Wine Street and three full size stages packed with an amazing array of musicians. Headlining

Bend is a Mecca for people that love the outdoors, and mountain biking has become signature sport for the area. However, when visiting Bend don’t forget that this is one of the best areas for road biking in the nation. We have a variety of terrain options that can challenge cyclists a little, or a

The grassy banks of the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District come alive the last weekend of August every year for one of the premier fine art shows in the country: Art in the High Desert (AHD). Recently ranked among the top 15 shows in the nation, AHD’s vision is simple: to bring truly

Bend Community ForumsA Wealth of OpportunitiesAt the heart of every thriving economy lies civic engagement. Anyone familiar with Bend is almost certainty aware of the constant stream of recreational activities and events ranging from Summerfest and Winterfest to First Friday, Munch ‘n Music, BendFilm, the Cascade Cycling Classic, Pole Peddle Paddle, Bend Brewfest, and beyond.

Bend’s Outdoor RoundtableAccelerating outdoor industry development in BendIf you attended the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City last year you might have been one of the lucky ones who got a taste of a classic Bend beer in a classic Bend cup.In a show of just how tight Bend outdoor retailers really are, Ruffwear,

Summerfest Music Line UpThis iconic downtown Bend event hits the streets on Friday of this weekend. In it’s 24th year the event draws some 75,000 people in with activities and events from a Childrens Zone to a Gourmet Food & Wine Street and three full size stages packed with an amazing array of musicians. For

Oregon Adaptive Sports is the recipient of a $2,500 grant from the MDU Resources Foundation. The funds will be used for general support to continue improving the quality of life for our adaptive Pacific Northwest participants with winter recreation options and with summer activities as well, such as golf, kayaking, cycling and rock climbing. ABOUT

The city of La Pine held a final public hearing Wednesday evening before councilors vote on a proposal to spend about $7 million over the next 25 years to transform the heart of the city. “It will be a terrific tool to really spruce up the town,” La Pine Chamber of Commerce Director Ann Gawith

Bend Park & Recreation District residents are being invited to help shape the future of Shevlin Park, the nearly century-old, 652-acre, mostly undeveloped slice of nature on growing Bend’s western doorstep. The park district said is seeking park user thoughts and experience to inform a new management plan, designed to balance park use and user

A helicopter was called in Wednesday to dip its bucket into Paulina Lake and drop water on a wildfire about a half-mile to the north, the largest of a few fires apparently sparked by more than 750 lightning strikes across Central Oregon on Tuesday, officials said. Three of the five smoke reports turned in by

Summer has arrived in Central Oregon, but something in the water is putting a damper on the fun. A parasite that is causing swimmer’s itch is in the water. “We just learned about it but it’s a little frightening,” said Lauren Laporto who is visiting the lakes with friends and family. Swimmer’s itch looks like

Snow is a wonderful thing in the winter – at ski areas, anyway. But in July? Even at ski areas, it can cause problems. Because of the winter’s heavy accumulation, Mt. Bachelor has rescheduled the opening of its downhill bike park, delayed from Friday to Sunday. “The bike trails spent the winter beneath 10 to

Deschutes County is pleased to present “Bend’s Illuminations, through the Eyes of Our Children.” The hanging wall pieces, using multiple forms of recycled materials, are on display now through October at the Deschutes County Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend, on the second floor. Touching and imaginative, the unusual and enchanting collection draws

The ingestion of lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle accounts for illness and mortality in more than 120 different species of birds in North America, according to a newly published review of scientific studies on the issue. What impact that has at the population level for species is less clear, the researchers say, as is

The U.S. House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan plan — the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act — to help put Oregonians back to work by reforming the nation’s outdated workforce development system, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., a strong supporter of the plan, said Wednesday. “Employers, workers, and job training advocates in Oregon — most

La Pine firefighters, in uniform and in a fire district vehicle, will be visiting every property in the fire district this summer, creating a database that could be critical should wildfire strike, officials said Wednesday. The purpose, they district said, is to pre-plan and collect critical data for firefighters to use when protecting homes from