So we've been watching a bit of the KOHD news since it launched this week, and I have some initial impressions.

• Very polished-looking, high production values, technology is there
• The newscasters seem comfortable, not too many mistakes or stuttering
• They seem to have an interactive portion of the (6 o'clock, at least) newscast, where they take and address user emails in real time... interesting...
• Very professional-looking
• They have none of the (extremely) poor video/broadcast quality that plagued KFXO when they started; and in fact, their quality is so good that it looks to me to even leapfrog right over KTVZ's
• I'd say where they lag behind KTVZ is the weather, though they do a very good job of it

All in all, I think it's a very successful, very well-done newscast. It certainly looks to me like it 'casts out of a bigger city/studio, not what we've come to expect locally.

Thoughts?

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #12:

Clotheslines (& no Brooks Resources)!

Yes, this is a largely snarky post that spun off from the Awbrey Butte/Brooks Resources clothesline controversy; I blogged about it on my other blog (where I was much harsher); Jake blogged about it; there's a KTVZ story about it; and now The Source has given Brooks Resources "The Boot" over it.

Brooks Resources deserves that Boot, while at the same time, giving yet another reason why the Eastside rules: No Brooks Resources developments anywhere East! String your clothesline up all you want, we don't mind!

I'm thinking I should make Tuesday the "standard" day here to run press releases; I seem to get them around this time each week lately.

This looks like a good cause if you're looking for worthwhile fundraisers to contribute to.

Because No Child in Deschutes County Should Have to Live Without Basic Needs

On “Family Day - A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children,” Entrees Made Easy will launch a yearlong fundraising campaign. The goal: To help the Family Access Network ensure that every child in Deschutes County has his or her basic needs provided for and stays in school.

...continue reading press release

Ticket sales for the Nature of Words are now underway... I got the press release last night, which is pretty detailed:

The wait is over! Registration and tickets for The Nature of Words, Central Oregon's premier literary event scheduled for October 31-November 4, 2007 in Bend, Oregon are now available. Tickets for guest author readings, workshops and the dinner and panel discussion can be purchased at The Ticket Mill, Shops at The Old Mill District, Bend in person or via phone (541.318.5457). Tickets to the two author readings only are also available at the Tower Theatre box office (phone 541.317.0700) or via www.towertheatre.org. Author reading tickets are free to students with valid ID and discounted for seniors age 65 and over only at the Ticket Mill.

...continue reading for the full press release

A little rumor birdie this weekend told me that The Blacksmith Restaurant is going to be closing down for a bit of a remodel sometime soon... there will still be a restaurant, though greatly reduced to around 10 tables (not unlike how it was when it originally opened) and the majority of the space will be turned into... a jazz bar.

That's what I heard, anyway. I didn't find anything online about it, but then, that's a rumor for you.

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #11:

East Bend Liquor

Yeah, I said it. (I also received an email suggestion for this.) East Bend Liquor is the best liquor store in town—biggest, cleanest, newest, friendliest. It's easily accessible in their (newish) location right off Highway 20 also—more so than the others in town.

But you don't have to take my word for it... here's the review from the (first) Bend restaurants blog (I've quoted it before):

The Eastside Liquor Store is the finest liquor store in Bend, with the largest selection, and the best deals to be had. Mark, the owner, takes pride in keeping his store in stock of the finest brands, and also those bottles that are hard to find. The best holiday gifts are found here, too, with your favorite brands packaged with matching glasses or shakers. Not only that, but there's all kinds of trinkets, glassware, and mixers to shop. It's not just the bare basics like most Liquor outlets in this state.

Not much more to say, is there? It rocks.

(Image courtesy of Bendistillery.)

Lyle at the Jake's Diner blog has posted the details for their World Series of Holdem for Habitat—their big poker tournament where all the proceeds are donated to Habitat for Humanity, a good cause if ever there was one.

The tourney spans two nights: October 1st and 2nd, with signups beginning at 5pm and game play starting at 6:30. If you already qualified in one of their previous poker tournaments, then skip night one; the first night is "to help those who have not qualified or have not played before to have a chance to play in the main event." It costs $5 to enter.

Night two is the main event—it costs $10 and the big "winner of the tourney will win two nights on the Oregon coast right on the beach at the Beautiful Sandcastle Motel (part of the prize has been donated by the Sandcastle)." Good deal!

Flu season is coming up, and that means flu shots. If you're looking to get your inoculation this year, you have several options:

• Bend Memorial Clinic is having their Flu Shot Clinics on October 6th and 12th 13th (Saturday and Friday Saturday, respectively) from 8am to 3pm. It's at their main clinic (1501 NE Medical Center Drive) and only cost $25. For more info, call 541-382-2811. (Thanks, Shannon)
• The Aging Well Living Well Flu Shot Fest and Health Fair is Friday, October 5, 2007 from 9am to 2pm. It's at the Bend Senior Center (1600 SE Reed Market Road), and flu shots cost $30.
• I think I heard KTVZ say that Newport Market was having flu shots on October 6th, also, for $30—but I can't swear to it and I can't seem to find anything online about it right now. Anyone?

Not too long ago I was contacted by someone who suggested I should have an event calendar here on Hack Bend that compiled all the local events I blog about into one location. I thought this was a good idea, since there really is no single calendar online that has a lot of the stuff together—you have to check the Visitor Bureau calendar for some stuff, the COVA calendar for other stuff, etc.

The Source is pretty good, but they don't show events in an easy-to-scan calendar format, and while they have quite an eclectic listing of events, even they don't get everything—and frankly, not everything they list is stuff I'd post here.

So I spent part of my weekend looking at web-based calendars I could plug into this site that would be easy to use and manage, look good, not end up taking too much of my time, and be functional. In particular I wanted an easy way to categorize events so people could filter their view for just, say, music, or beer-related events. Plus, I really didn't want to reinvent the wheel and have to write it myself.

It hasn't quite worked out that way (yet); after fiddling around with a system that looked promising, I couldn't get it to work and I realized I was starting to (already) spend far more time on it than I wanted to be—so I scrapped it and went with the next best thing: Google Calendar.

I created a new public "Hack Bend" calendar on my Google account, started adding some events, and used a nifty feature Google offers that lets you plug their dynamic calendar right into a webpage—all of which took me about 10 minutes to accomplish. So, there is now a Hack Bend Events Calendar available here.

A couple things: Google doesn't categorize events, so there's no way to search or filter by a particular event type; you see 'em all. The event view is fairly basic; clicking an event gets you a plain-text popup and you can click "more details" for the formatted view and a link to the webpage of the event (or the nearest I could find on the web, anyway).

But the calendar stuff works really well and it's a no-brainer for me to add events without having to do a bunch of extra work. And if you have a Google Calendar account, you can add these events to your own schedule. I love Google.

So basically, I'll be adding events I blog about and that interest me in the context of this website. If you have an event you want me to add, no problem—drop me a line and I'll put it on there for you. For anything I don't cover, check out The Source as well.

Ah, you can forget about the Monday KOHD launch; Shannon forwarded me an email today from their news director saying their launch will be next Wednesday at 5am instead.

Stanislaw Funk dropped me a hint that our local ABC television station, KOHD, is set to begin broadcasting Monday morning. I don't know if that's going to be just morning programming—a local news broadcast (?)—or if they're going to do evening broadcasts also. I guess we'll see!

KOHD is on cable channel 9, and analog channel 53.

Rising Star has been around forever, down on the edge of the Old Mill District before it was "The Old Mill District." Good to know they're still going strong.

(And for what it's worth, I generally have no problem running press releases... I'll be marking them as such and handle them the way I've handled the past few...)

...continue reading the press release

BMC has been a presence at the last few downtown festivals (and Munch and Music) and is keeping it up next month, too. Is it really nearly Fall already?

Bend Memorial Clinic Teams Up with Community Partners for Health & Wellness Fair

...continue reading full press release

This Saturday, September 22nd, KouseFly is playing at Silver Moon Brewing, and they're rolling out their new drummer, Cory Heun. The show starts at 7:30pm, and the best part is that it's free—there's no cover charge. Combine that with Silver Moon's $3 pints of beer and you've got a good night.

Tomorrow is The Great Drake Park Duck Race—one of those things that has lodged in my mind as a signature Bend event, like the Pole Pedal Paddle. It's a neat idea and a great annual fundraiser but it's always weird seeing tens of thousands of rubber ducks dumping into the river...

Festivities start at 11am and go through the afternoon. I've lifted the schedule from their home page:

11:00 am to 4:00 pm - Festivities in park—Music, Food & Activity Booths
12:00 pm - Kids Race (1,000 Ducks)
  2:00 pm - Race Start! (Galveston Bridge)
  2:23 pm - Estimated time winning Ducks begin to cross the 
                    Finish Line (Mirror Pond Foot Bridge)
  3:00 pm - Winners & Awards are announced at staging area in 
                    Drake Park
  4:00 pm - Festivities end

If you're new to the event, basically what happens is people pay $5 for a rubber duck sponsorship, up to 30,000 ducks are sponsored, and on the big day they're all dumped in the river at the Galveston bridge and the first ducks to float past the footbridge (no interference allowed) are the winners.

The money generated goes to support a bunch of local causes, and great fun is had by all.

Looking for something to do this weekend? On Saturday (September 15th) at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, check out the Best In Show Dog Walk. This event benefits the Humane Society and is free to spectators; if you want to walk your dog, the cost is only $12 (per dog) to enter. Anyone can enter, it's intended to be a fun and somewhat tongue-in-cheek event (the name is lifted from the movie spoof "Best in Show," about hyper-competitive dog shows).

It's hosted by David Frei, the commentator of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, and starts at 10am.

Whether your dog is mixed breed or a purebred, all canines are invited to have a howling good time. Dogs and their best friend will walk along the one to two mile paths in the dog friendly Old Mill District.

David Frei will present fun and informative commentary as the dogs walk by him and will award prizes in eight different breed groups, including mixed breeds.

Event is free to spectators who can enjoy the pet related vendors showcasing their services and products.

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #10:

Hollinshead Park & Barn

The historic Hollinshead Park is located in northeast Bend on 16.5 acres of former working ranch, dating back to 1939 when the Hollinshead family began working it as a homestead. In 1983 owners Dean and Lily Hollinshead donated it to the Park District to be preserved as a community park.

The renovated Barn is the main feature of the site, which has become a popular place for weddings and other private events. It's a nice place; we've been there for several kids functions and I was impressed—it's a nice big space that can accommodate up to 125 guests.

The Share Croppers House museum is also there in the park, as is the community garden. Yes, community garden; individual plots are provided to all members of the community during the growing season, and it's supported via volunteer efforts, too.

Though completely kid-friendly, this isn't a playground park: much of the space is open field and orchard. Perfect for running and games, just don't expect monkeybars and swings—bring balls and frisbees instead.

(Image courtesy of Bend Parks & Rec.)

The Nature of Words is the annual literary event (coming up November 1st through 4th) that focuses on writers and poets that focus on the Western landscape. They offer a variety of author readings, workshops, and panel discussions for participants over the weekend.

I figure any event supporting writing and literary work is a worthwhile cause, so I'm posting the most recent press release that was sent to me.

Read on for the full Press Release

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #9:

The Masonic Lodge

That's "Masons" as in "Freemasons"—one of the original secret societies ("fraternal organization") that conspiracy theorists love, and yes, we have a Masonic Lodge here in Bend. It's located at the corner of Greenwood and 9th, behind 7-Eleven. It was chartered on June 17, 1909, and moved to its current location in 1956.

I always wonder how many people know it's there; it's a pretty unassuming building and I admit, I overlooked it for many years myself (and I grew up here!).

I can't even tell you anything about it beyond "it's behind 7-Eleven," other than it's an actual Freemason Lodge; I just think that rocks in and of itself.

Shannon sent me a link to this on KTVZ: Boomtown bust: Bend record store closing.

Boomtown, a Bend CD store and retail fixture for 15 years, announced Monday it will be going out of business in October.

The announcement came in a letter to customers. A "going out of business" sale will begin September 21st and is expected to conclude around October 19th.

Boomtown owner Mark Capps said that it was time to move on from the business, which has sold music, gifts, jewelry, cards and toys since 1992. It has been in its current location at 910 NW Harriman in downtown Bend since 1998.

I'm stunned, but I guess I shouldn't be. Capps cites the "changing landscape of the music industry" and yeah, with everything digital and running on computers and iPods, I guess it's tough to compete in the market unless you're a BigCo.

But they also have a nice selection of vinyls (you know, actual records), and toys, and gifts and is really the kind of store Bend needs. That sucks.

As of Saturday, the 8th...

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #8:

Zydeco

I've sung the praises of Zydeco (formally known as Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails) time and again, with good reason: I think they are all-around the best restaurant in Bend. And their Third Street location (near the Reed Market Road intersection)—despite my reservations about it in the past—puts them on the Eastside by my reckoning.

My recommendation: either the ribs or the redfish for dinner, followed by almond wet cake for dessert.

Other Zydeco links:

• Bend Bulletin
• The Source
• Bend Oregon Restaurants

This story appeared in Thursday's Bulletin and on the KTVZ newscast, but I can't find a thing about it online anywhere except behind the Bulletin's really stupid "e-edition" paywall: "Redmond turns to public for a brand identity." I'll type in some choice quotes:

In an effort to draw businesses and shoppers, the area's marketing agency has designed a communitywide contest to come up with a branding slogan that will give the downtown district an identity.

The Redmond Downtown Partnership is seeking ideas from the public... for up to four words that appropriately capture the essence of what downtown Redmond is and what it can become.

They are awarding a $500 cash prize to the person whose tagline they select. Only, the article doesn't specify where to send your contest entries; presumably, you would send them to the Downtown Partnership.

Can you come up with a 4-word-or-less slogan for Redmond? It's worth some cash to you if you can. For that matter, can you come up with one for Bend? Myself, I don't think I could do it—not without coming up with something sarcastic or snarky. I guess I just didn't think cities really needed a slogan... fortunately, the article proves me wrong:

"Every community needs a brand," [Tony] Dow said.

They do? Could someone enlighten me as to what some of the local communities' brands are?

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #7:

The Medical District

Let's face it, when you need serious medical care, you head east. The whole section of town surrounding and anchored by St. Charles Medical Center on Neff Road, is the "Medical District": the hospital, surgical centers, Bend Memorial Clinic, Central Oregon Radiology, and much more encompass that area. That's even reflected in two of the street names: Doctors Drive and Medical Center Drive.

It's close to major Eastside roads, easy to access, and you can get all your healthcare needs met without having to leave the area. That's hard to beat.

(Image courtesy of ernstl: Flickr, CC)

It occurred to me as I'm writing this whole "Eastside Rocks" series that I've never defined what the east-west dividing line for Bend is exactly. For the record, the boundary is the Parkway (the old Division Street); everything east of the Parkway (including Third Street) is the "Eastside," and that's what I'm basing my criteria on.

For what it's worth, I generally consider the "Westside" to start at the river—that is, the Deschutes is the boundary, and Downtown and (now) the Old Mill District are their own separate geographic entities. (I would even be pedantic and carve out a separate "Old Town" section from the Downtown section.)

And north and south? The north section ("Northside") starts at the Third Street overpass where the Parkway, Third and Division all effectively intersect. The "Southside" boundary is right around where Third and Brosterhaus intersect, though it could be as north as Reed Market.

Keep in mind, all these boundary markers are all in my head and probably somewhat arbitrary. What do other people think of as Bend's geographic sections and dividing lines?

I whipped up a quick map graphic corresponding roughly to how I see it...

Click through to see my map

This was found posted in "Garage Sales" on craigslist: Hans Restaurant Sept. 7th and 8th.

Restaurant equipment, store Fixtures, 1/2 price wine/beer and so much more! This Friday and Saturday from 8am-11am.

Presumably this is at the downtown location. I'm particularly interested in the half price beer and wine, of course... perhaps I'll swing by tomorrow morning.

Just a reminder that school has started again this week, and that means school zone speed limits are back in effect during school days—that's from 7am until 5pm, all day, regardless of whether children are present.

The speed limit in school zones is 20 miles per hour, and this week especially, police are out in force monitoring these areas and issuing citations. So pay attention and drive safe!

You can read the general introduction to this series here.

Why the Eastside Rocks #6:

Vince Genna Stadium (& Bend Elks baseball)

The Stadium, celebrating its 60th anniversary last year, is home to the Bend Elks baseball club. Named for the legendary Parks & Rec director and longtime Bend resident Vince Genna, it has a fair bit of history behind it:

The stadium was home to various American Legion and High school teams through the 40's-60's. Then the stadium housed pro ball through 1998. Affiliated teams from the San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Angels have all had minor league teams domiciled here in Bend.

For eight years now it has been home to the Bend Elks baseball club, which has the distinction of being the longest standing organized club to call Vince Genna Stadium its home.

Located in Southeast Bend at SE 5th and Roosevelt (just off of Wilson behind Rite Aid and the Grocery Outlet), it seats up to 3,500. During the summer baseball season, a general admission ticket will cost you $5 (Tuesdays are only $2!), and food and beer are available, of course. Cascade Lakes Brewing even brews a special Golden Glove Ale just for the Stadium.

History and entertainment—what more could you ask for?

(Image courtesy of Bend Elks.)

The Iron Horse store is an eclectic antique/secondhand store down in the "Old Town" section of Bend, near downtown—it's a bit off the beaten path, not far from the Riverside Market as things go. It's one of those places that I've been meaning to write about, because it's the perfect subject for this blog, but leave it to someone from out of town to beat me to it—and to do a better job of it!

My friend Kina is from Bend, though, so it's all good.

Eddie carries home decor, western motif items, collectibles, antiques, furniture, and various clothing and memorabilia. You can’t help but feel creative when you spend time shopping there, and Eddie himself is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. A true Bend icon who’s still chugging along, selling his wares, and creating a store that is unlike any you’ve ever been to.

The gem here is the pictures Kina took; 14 great interior shots of the store that give you an idea of the varied nature of the merchandise.

Iron Horse is awesome, a Bend institution. You can find it one block east and one and a half blocks south of the four-way intersection at Galveston and Riverside, tucked in around a corner a bit.

Iron Horse
210 NW Congress
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-5175