This one slipped in under the radar, and it sounds like it's for a good cause.

Clothes for Life: A sale to benefit Myanmar Relief
On July 26th from 10am-6pm in front of Newport Market.
The students of 180 student ministries from Westside church have been cleaning out their closets and will be selling them to raise money to aid the relief effort in Myanmar.

Never thought I'd have Myanmar (Burma) on a Bend blog, eh?

I received a couple of emails today regarding Central Oregon's newest microbrewery, Three Creeks Brewing Company, located in Sisters. The first was from Wade Underwood, the owner, letting me know that they are officially open for business (a few weeks early).

The other was from Geoffrey of AllAroundBend.com, with a mini-review:

Three Creeks Brewery in Sisters is open as of today!

They had a real nice black ipa, a so-so blonde, and a good pale ale. Half a dozen other beers to come in the upcoming month.

Food was decent, staff was kinda green though. Overall a great addition to the beer scene. Definitely a good thing for Sisters.
Best part is they have a mug club where for $75 a year all pints are upgraded fro 16 to a 21oz, free merchandise, special pairing dinner initiations, etc. Looks like a great deal for locals.

(Emphasis mine. Naturally, I'm most interested in hearing about the beers.)

TCBC is located on the east side of Sisters, near the town's (only) movie house in their FivePine development. It's facing Highway 20. The theme is rustic, Old West livery stable. You probably remember that I've written about it before.

Remember the Fourth of July fireworks crackdown? Anyone want to guess how that went?

Jake has the answer. (I got the email too, but since Jake already has it up, I'm being lazy and pointing to his.)

In brief: 3 actual citations at $1000 each; 152 "contacts"; 14 confiscations. I think the effort and the intent is worthwhile, but that's not too impressive.

To show their appreciation to the community (so says their ad in The Source), Whole Foods (formerly Wild Oats) is discounting everything in the store by 10% for today. (On regularly-priced items.)

The beer keeps on rolling down at the Blacksmith's Wednesday tastings; this week it's Belgian style beers.

• Poperings Hommel Ale
  Belgian Strong Ale | Poperinge-Watou, Belgium
  7.5% ABV
• Ommegang Hennepin
  Saison | Cooperstown, New York
  7.7% ABV
• Fantôme Saison
  Saison | Soy-Erezée, Belgium
  8% ABV
• Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
  Abbey Tripel | Chambly, Canada
  9% ABV
• Midnight Sun La Mâitresse du Moine
  Abbey Dubbel | Anchorage, Alaska
  9% ABV

Join The Blacksmith’s own beer connoisseur’s study group in the Anvil Room this Wednesday, July 16th, from 5-7 PM. $10 per person.

The 4 Peaks Music Festival is fast approaching. This is officially from a press release, but it's a good rundown of the schedule and activities going on.

Named one the best live concerts of 2007 by The Bulletin's music critic Ben Salmon, The 4 Peaks Music Festival returns for second year to Central Oregon's high desert this July 25-26 with even more music, camping, food, beverage, crafts and kids' fun. The momentum means a bigger and better event, expanding the 20-acre venue to 80 acres to allow for more camping and a designated family camping area. The musical line-up also blossomed into 20 bands from last year's 17 and includes highly regarded national touring bands, as well as local favorites.

Click through to read full schedule

I'm way behind on posting some things that people have sent, so I'm catching up a bit. (Caveat: I don't post every single thing sent to me, only the stuff I think is interesting/relevant to the blog.)

This YPN event is this Wednesday, the 16th.

Celebrate with the Bend Chamber Young Professionals Network (YPN) at its two year anniversary birthday bash at Bend Metro Park and Recreation District’s Hollinshead Barn July 16 from 5:30-7:30pm on NE Jones Road. Enjoy live music by Avenue H, delicious food from Fireside Red, Izzy’s Pizza and others along with beverages provided by Deschutes Brewery, Volcano Vineyards and Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Oregon. Fantastic door prizes will also be drawn at this highly attended event.

Never been to a YPN event? Now is a great time to get involved. This group is specifically designed to help young professionals network with other business professionals in a fun and inviting environment. YPN also promotes community involvement with quarterly fundraisers for local charities and nonprofits. At YPN’s most recent event in June, the group was proud to sign-up 44 attendees to donate blood for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Registration is available on-line at www.bendchamber.org/ypn or by phone at 382-3221. For Chamber members the cost is $7 in advance; $12 for non-members. The cost increases to $15 at the door.

We were downtown today during the early stages of the Cascade Cycling Classic Downtown Crit, and I snapped off a few photos of the bicyclers in action. Exciting stuff!

Click through to see the rest of the pictures

Some notes about a couple of big-name concerts coming to Bend the next couple of months. The first is Sheryl Crow, on Thursday, August 28th at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. The Ticketmaster detail is here. Tickets go on sale generally on Saturday, July 12th, ranging in price from $45 to $85—though there is an internet-only presale tomorrow, Friday the 11th on the Ticketmaster site (I presume) from 10 until 5.

The other concert is the Stone Temple Pilots, on Monday, September 1st. Ticketmaster page here. (Les Schwab Amphitheater also.) Cost ranges from $39 to $69.

The Ticket Mill in the Old Mill District sells tickets also, and they're advertising a $5 discount per ticket if you pay cash.

Sheryl Crow is cool, but STP is kind of out of left field. Which one will draw the bigger crowd, I wonder?

It started today; running through Sunday the 13th, it's

the longest consecutively run elite stage race in the country and has attracted most of North America's top cyclists and teams over the years. The quality of the race courses, the beauty of Central Oregon and the fun atmosphere of the race has made it a perennial favorite and has the competitors returning year after year.

I always think "Tour de Central Oregon" in regards to the CCC. Most of the stages are all over the place (and man they look grueling) but the ever-popular "Twilight Crit" is in downtown Bend this Friday the 11th, starting at 3pm and staggered at various times after that.

They of course close the downtown streets for that, starting at 2 (and they'll remain closed for the Summerfest this weekend)—so make sure your car is out of the area by that time or your car will likely be towed (or trapped). (I've included their route map below.)

Apparently the Blacksmith didn't limit its beer tastings to Wednesdays in June (which is a good thing); tomorrow they have a Wit Beer tasting:

This is one of those beer styles that fits in perfectly on a warm summer day. Come sample 5 unique Wit Beers this Wednesday, July 9th.

• Pinkus Organic Hefe Weizen
  German Hefeweizen | Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
  5.1% ABV
• Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel
  Dunkelweizen | Munich, Germany
  5.5% ABV
• De Proefbrouwerij La Grande Blanche
  Belgian White (Witbier) | Lochristi, Belgium
  7.5% ABV
• Chimay Triple White
  Abbey Tripel | Baileux, Belgium
  8% ABV
• Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock
  Eisbock | Kelheim, Germany
  12% ABV

Join The Blacksmith’s own beer connoisseur’s study group in the Anvil Room this Wednesday, July 9th, from 5-7 PM. $10 per person.

Hard to believe, but it's the Bend Summer Fest already—this weekend, Saturday and Sunday the 12th and 13th. For me it's the best of the "seasonal festivals" and one I enjoy visiting each year.

It is of course held in Downtown Bend, and the following streets are closed: Wall Street between Franklin and Greenwood; Oregon and Minnesota Avenues from Bond westward.

There's artists booths, a kids area, food, beer and wine, and free music on four separate stages. Including—if you can believe it—the Cherry Poppin' Daddies on the Main Stage at 8:30 Saturday night. For free.

Times are 11-10 Saturday, 11-6 Sunday. Be there!

Snapped a few pictures of the first part of our Fourth of July. We hit the Pet Parade (of course!), checked out the park antics briefly, then visited the Library's book sale and finished by checking out the free admission to the Deschutes Historical Society and enjoying their free ice cream.

Click through to see the rest of the pictures

Following up to yesterday's post about 4th of July goings-on, here's some more:

• (From the comments) The Freedom Ride! I forgot about this—bike riders meet at Pioneer Park at 2pm and cruise through town for fun.
• Straight from the comments: Also at Bend High School there will be a concert called "Sound Forth". There are several local choirs participating (I think 90+ singers and 60+ band members). It is at 3:00 at Bend Senior High.
  
  Also following the concert there will be FREE BBQ across the street at First Presbyterian Church. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, pie, brownies, popsicles. It is being hosted by the 6th-12th graders and they will be taking donations to support their mission work.
• The Deschutes Historical Society is having their annual Ice Cream Social: the Museum is open to the public and they give away free ice cream. 10 until 4.

Lots of things happening this Fourth of July, which falls on Friday this year. I've updated the calendar, but here's a rundown:

• The Pet Parade and Old Fashioned Celebration, Downtown. Starting at 10am, this is a perennial favorite; people walking pets of all stripe through downtown. Then the rest of the celebration is taken up in Drake Park, from 11 til 4, where "You'll find craft and food booths, old fashioned games like three legged races, watermelon eating contest and water balloon contest as well as wonderful live entertainment."
• Also starting at 10 (and lasting until 4) is the Friends of the Bend Library Summer Book Sale. Deals to be found here as always.
• WebCyclery's Firecracker 100 Bike Ride is a July 4th tradition (it's their 9th). "Patriotic clothing is recommended, so wear your stars and stripes! The ride is about 65 miles (starts and finishes in Alfalfa), is fully supported, and has a rest/food stop in Prineville. Meet at the corner of Alfalfa Market Road & Johnson Ranch Road (at the power station). Ride begins at 8-8:30AM (Beat the Heat)."
• It is also First Friday, and since I haven't heard otherwise, I'll assume it's still going on (didn't know if it was clashing with the holiday?). Downtown Bend and the Old Mill hosts art gallery receptions with music and (typically) wine and snacks. Starts at 5 and runs until 9 or so.
• The Fourth of July BBQ at Jake's Diner runs from 6 until 8pm, and people are welcome to watch the Pilot Butte fireworks from their parking lot.
• Of course, the annual fireworks show from Pilot Butte starts at 10pm, and lasts about 20 minutes. Don't miss it!

Outside of Bend:

• Sunriver Resort has an Old Fashioned Carnival from 4 to 8pm and provides a shuttle ($15 per person) to take you into Bend to watch the Pilot Butte fireworks.
• Redmond has their own parade downtown starting at 10am, and a fireworks show at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center starting approximately at 9pm.
• Prineville's Old Fashioned 4th of July has a multi-event race, a pancake breakfast, parade, music and vendors in the park, and fireworks from their viewpoint in the evening.
• La Pine's Frontier Days are running through the weekend, with their own parade at 10:30am and fireworks at 10pm.
• Out in Culver at Maragas Winery (north of the Gorge), they're having their Independence Day Weekend Barbecue. Through Sunday, from 12 until 5 each day. Cost is $10 for wine and cheese tasting, and there will be music and winery tours.
• Sisters Elementary School hosts the weekend's "Sisters Round-up of Gems"—free admission. Not necessarily directly related to the Fourth, but it always takes places on the respective weekend.
• Black Butte Ranch has a ton of things going on, including a Bike Decorating Party and following Bike Parade, live entertainment, and a BBQ picnic. Cost is $15 for the BBQ.

Wildfire Brewing has kegs for sale for this 4th of July. Dock sales format, and there might be some dock sale deals to be found, too.

Prices:

• 5 gallon soda-style keg (1/6 bbl): $58
• Pony keg (1/2 bbl): $74
• Full 50L keg: $113

You can find Wildfire at:

20750 High Desert Lane #107 (off of Empire across from Mt. Hood Beverage)
(541) 585-1007

Each year Commute Options Week helps commuters save gas, improve air quality and get some exercise by reducing miles traveled.

Combined, the 8,250 employees from 92 businesses who participated in the Commuter Challenge Monday through Friday from June 16-22, eliminated a record 46,390 motor vehicle miles from our local roads.

“Many of our challenge participants are year round partners but we had a lot of first-time challengers also which is encouraging” says Chloe Honaker, Commute Options Week Coordinator. A good example is Bank of the Cascades who registered all of its branches for the first time ever. “This was such an awesome opportunity to get the department involved in a shared interest, improve the health of our selves, our environment and to encourage continued mindful commuting. Thanks to our coordinator Cris and Commute Options for Central Oregon!” says Jaime Eichman in the Mortgage Center.

Continue reading press release

I just found out today that Ernesto's Italian Restaurant closed suddenly on Monday (yesterday)—here's the article that appeared in today's paper:

Ernesto’s Italian Restaurant — a fixture on the Third Street corridor since 1996 — closed Monday.

Soaring food prices, an economic downturn and possibly a theme that had run its course in restaurant-saturated Bend all contributed to the closure, said Michael Ceccanti, the co-owner along with his wife, Jackie.

“The economy in the last year and a half has really gone negative,” said Ceccanti, 59. “The harder we try, the worse it is.”

The news is pretty surprising, and sucks; I enjoyed eating there, and they had a hard-to-beat lunch deal.

Jake's Diner is hosting another Fourth of July BBQ for Vietnam Veterans this year:

Jake’s Diner and the Vietnam Veterans of America are partnering on a BBQ at Jake’s on the evening of the Fourth of July. All proceeds will be going to the Vietnam Veterans of America.

The BBQ will start at 6PM with entertainment from the “Taelour Project” in Jake’s parking lot from 6PM until 8PM.

Everyone is welcome to stay at Jake’s for a great position to watch the fireworks from their parking lot. Please, no alcohol or fireworks.

Who: Jake’s and VVA.
What: Fourth of July BBQ
When: July 4th, 2008 at 6PM
Where: Jake’s Diner
2210 NE Hwy 20
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-0118

For any more information, please call Lyle at 419-6021

It's an all-you-can eat BBQ with chicken and ribs. The only info I don't have is the price.

This year the Bend Police Department along with the Fire Department are going to be cracking down on illegal fireworks use this year; you can read it in the release I've included below, but essentially they will be patrolling on the Fourth and anyone caught with illegals will face confiscation and some steep fines.

Legal fireworks are any of the ones that are sold in town: fountains, wheels, sparklers, hand-held fountains, ground bloom flowers. Anything that flies, shoots more than six feet into the air, or explodes is illegal.

I like fireworks, but find it ridiculous the sheer number of blatantly illegal ones that people set off every year. This should be an eye-opener.

Read full release details

This is a big weekend for Deschutes Brewery; not only is it their 20th Anniversary—and they're holding a party—but they are also releasing two big beers, their Black Butte XX (in wax-dipped bottles) and their 20th Anniversary Wit.

They've got parties going on Friday and Saturday (see below) and, if their Now Pouring page is up to date, they've got both of these beers on tap right now.

Ironically, I won't be able to attend either party—prior commitments have us tied up completely. But I expect each and every one of you to go and drink some good beer for me. And take pictures if you can.

Here's the press release that the Brewery sent me, which I also ran on my beer blog:

Deschutes Brewery Celebrates 20 Years of Great Beer

To celebrate 20 years of creating some of the world’s finest craft brews, Deschutes Brewery is opening its doors to host a two-day 20th Anniversary party.

On Friday, June 27th, locals and visitors are encouraged to take advantage of Central Oregon’s beautiful June weather with a celebration outside the Deschutes Brewery and Public House in downtown Bend, Oregon. This event is free and open to the public, with live music by Scott Fox and his band, beers and a barbecue available at Locals' Night prices completing the festive atmosphere.

Then, on Saturday, June 28th, the party moves to the brewery where self-guided tours and music from the Moon Mountain Ramblers allow attendees to explore at their own pace. The brewery’s newest releases, Black Butte XX and 20th Anniversary Wit, will be poured along with the brewery’s original offerings, Black Butte Porter, Bachelor Bitter and Cascade Ale, from 1988.

When & Where:
Friday, June 27th, 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Deschutes Brewery & Public House
1044 NW Bond Street, Bend, OR 97702

Saturday, June 28th, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Deschutes Brewery
901 S.W. Simpson Ave., Bend, OR 97702

Last year about this time I wrote up the Top 8 Free (or nearly!) Summertime Activities. Since summer is finally upon us—both on the calendar and by the weather—I thought I'd revisit that list and add some more.

And "saving money" seems to be a bigger theme this year. So keeping in mind that none of these are truly free—the outrageous price of gas argues against that, after all—they're still a pretty good deal all around.

Last year's list was:

1. Climb Pilot Butte
2. Float the river
3. Munch and Music
4. Munch and Movies
5. Bicycling/mountain biking
6. Go caving
7. Take the Heritage Walk
8. Free Summer Sundays Concerts

This year's list pulls some things from last year's comments, and adds a few more. A bunch of these are kid and family oriented.

1. Regal Cinemas Free Family Film Festival: From mid-June through mid-August, Regal Cinemas at the Old Mill 16 theater shows free family movies every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am. These are always rated G and PG movies and you can see this year's schedule at the link.
2. Lava Lands. South of Bend on Highway 97 rises the unmistakable extinct cinder cone volcano of Lava Butte, which marks the Lava Lands Visitor Center. From the site:

   The Lava Lands Visitor Center is the interpretive hub for Newberry National Volcanic Monument and is located just off U.S. Hwy. 97, 13 miles south of Bend. Lava Lands offers nature walks, interpretive programs, visitor information, displays on geology, volcanology and the cultural history of Central Oregon. A small book shop offers books on the Central Oregon area.

   Cost is $5 for a Forest Service Day Pass permit; trails are self-guided.
3. Lunch & Learn. The school district is offering up free lunches for children under 18 at certain locations; the only writeup I can find is this Bulletin article. (Parents can purchase a lunch for $3.) The "Learn" part comes from the fact that at certain locations, a book reading program encourages kids to read by offering Otter Pops for every 10 books read, and a free book for every 30, as long as they read during the L&L hour. It's a great way to get out of the house, provide lunch for the kids and enjoy some outdoor time.
4. MAGIC in the Parks. I of course blogged about this the other day. Great program for young kids, entirely free.
5. Head to the Library. Visiting the Deschutes Public Library is a good way to beat the heat—plus they have a ton of other things going on, like free internet access, activities and storytimes for kids, classes, art exhibits, and, you know, books. (For instance, right now you can vote on the artwork for a new roundabout.)
6. Cheap movies at McMenamins. Okay, it's not the free movies that something like Munch and Movies offer, but the theater at the Old St. Francis School shows second-run movies for only $3 per person—and believe me, that beats the sticker-shock out of control prices at the regular movie theaters any day! Plus you can drink beer and order decent pub food (tater tots!) while watching the movie, and many of the seats are nice and comfortable.
7. Pine Mountain Observatory. Almost 30 miles southeast of Bend, at an elevation of 6500 feet, is an observatory that is open to the public during the summer on Friday and Saturday evenings. The Observatory is run by the University of Oregon and is the real deal. A $3 donation is encouraged, but not required, and there is a primitive campground nearby.
   Hat tip to KTVZ for this one, though their site seems to be down at the moment.

Lyle on the Jake's Diner blog has a post this morning which highlights some of the great dinner deals they're offering:

Tuesday night is Spaghetti night. All you can eat for a very reasonable price of $7.99 with the kids eating for $1 each. I meant this to be a night for families (especially ones that normally cannot afford to go out much).

Thursday nights, we have started a steak night that we have coined "Thank goodness it's Thursday" (thanks to Lana, our day cashier, who came up with the name and by the way is a reader of this blog so when you read this Lana, Thanks!). We sell our hand cut ten ounce Black Angus Top Steak for under Ten Dollars (I don't know of another restaurant around who does that). It allows for that person who loves a good steak to have one without killing their pocket book.

They're also soliciting ideas about what to do on Sunday nights—generally their slowest night. Click through on the link to read more.

Bend Parks and Rec is offering a fantastic free summertime kids program: MAGIC in the Parks, which takes place four days a week in the afternoon from today (June 23rd) through August 13th.

I don't see anything about this on their website, so here are some pertinent details from the brochure I have:

• Takes place from 1pm until 4pm
• Locations: Al Moody Park on Mondays and Wednesdays, Harmon Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays
• It's free for children ages 4 through 10
• Children under 8 need to be accompanied by an adult (one adult may accompany up to 3 kids)
• No registration required, kids can come and go as they wish
• Direct quote: "MAGIC is not a daycare program. Please do not leave children under the age of eight unattended."
• They may cancel (without notice) for bad weather

Anyone looking for more info can contact Laura at Parks & Rec at 389-7275, extension 129.

Just in case you can't get enough Deschutes beer and Blacksmith goodness, I notice that on the Blacksmith's blog they announced a beer dinner for tomorrow, June 24th Tuesday, July 8th.

Blacksmith and Deschutes Brewery team up on Tuesday, June 24 July 8th to create a five-course meal paired with five Deschutes brews. Mix and mingle starting at 6:00 p.m., then sit down to a gourmet meal at 6:30 with a Deschutes Brewer. $75 per person. RSVP: 541-318-0588

Yes, I'm behind on pointing to this. I was out of town all weekend.

Update: the Blacksmith's new blog entry has published the updated date for the dinner: two weeks away.

It's this weekend; I already wrote about the Iron Chef competitions they're having, but here's the overall rundown:

• Saturday and Sunday, June 21st and 22nd, from 11am to 10pm and 11 to 7, respectively.
• Downtown Bend, in the usual locations: Bond Street from Franklin to Oregon; Minnesota and Oregon Avenues from Wall to Lava.
• Beer, wine, martinis available along with non-alcoholic drinks
• Kids' area on Oregon filled with inflatable toys
• Food, food, food, and more food.

View the 2008 map (PDF) here.

Tonight's lineup of "Western Beers" is online on the Blacksmith blog:

• Mac & Jacks African Amber (American Amber | Redmond, Washington | 5.6% ABV
• Rogue Younger’s Special Bitter (English Special Bitter | Newport, Oregon | 4.8% ABV
• Green Flash West Coast IPA (American IPA | San Diego, California | 7.0% ABV
• Deschutes Hop Henge (Imperial IPA | Bend, Oregon | 8.10% ABV
• Midnight Sun La Mâitresse du Moine (Belgian Strong Dark | Ankorage, Alaska | 9.0% ABV
• Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti (Imperial Stout | Denver, Colorado | 9.5% ABV

Another "Marine Minute" dispatch from the County, which I'm finding pretty interesting. This week's topic: drinking and boating. Not trying to be preachy—I genuinely find this interesting.

Ask any ten Oregon boaters if they can legally drink alcohol while operating a boat (powered or otherwise), and there’s a good chance that six or seven of them will say, “NO!” The truth is, there is NO open container law for boaters in Oregon; while it may be legal to operate a boat with a beer in hand, the operator cannot be intoxicated.

Oregon's BUII (Boating Under the Influence) laws apply to motorized and non-motorized watercraft alike. (Remember, in a raft, everyone with a paddle is an operator!) All 48 mainland states now have a legal per se statutory limit of 0.08% BAC (blood alcohol concentration) to be considered "Under the Influence" of alcohol or other impairing substances. The U.S. Coast Guard says a boat operator whose BAC exceeds 0.08% is 10 times more likely to be killed in a boating accident than a boater with zero BAC.

Alcohol affects balance, vision, coordination and judgment. Environmental factors that come with boating - such as wind, sun, noise and motion - can magnify the effects of alcohol and accelerate impairment. Medical testing has shown that one beer consumed on a boat can be equal to three consumed on land!

Research has also shown that as little as four hours of exposure to sun, wind, glare, vibration and other motion on the water produces "boater's hypnosis", a kind of fatigue that slows reaction time almost as much as if a person were drunk. Ever spend several hours on a boat and feel like your balance was off when you come back to shore? Imagine also having alcohol in your system!

Boating and alcohol are a deadly mix. Alcohol is involved in approximately 30 percent of boating fatalities in Oregon each year, 50-70 percent nationwide. A drug or alcohol impaired boat operator who is arrested for Boating Under the Influence of Intoxicants faces the following:

• Could face fines of up to $6,250 and up to a year in jail
• Must complete a boating safety class
• Lose his or her boat operation privileges for a period of time
• Have boat registrations suspended for up to three years

Most boaters think of collisions as the greatest threat when drinking on the water. However, according to BOAT/U.S. Foundation for Boating Safety, an estimated 75 percent of alcohol-related boating accidents and injuries do not involve collisions. The greatest threats when drinking while boating include falls on board, or overboard, and missteps at the dock or when getting into a dinghy.

Alcohol makes it harder to control the gasping reflex that occurs involuntarily when the face or upper body is suddenly immersed in cold water. An intoxicated person is more likely to inhale water into the lungs when plunged suddenly into cold water.

Our suggestion is to leave the booze in camp, not on the boat. If you DO consume alcohol in camp or at home and then go out on your boat, be very aware that the alcohol you’ve already consumed will have an enhanced effect in a boating environment…possibly leading to an arrest…or worse. Appoint a designated operator…and have a safe trip.

I didn't see this coming (I really didn't): Redmond's Project Blue Book Festival (see last's year's post) is back for their Second Annual edition. Here's the email I got tonight (I bolded the date):

Hey! Last years festival was great for a first time event! And surprising how many people do not know about Redmond & Central Oregon's rich history of UFO sightings! Here is a link to one of the documented sightings: http://www.nicap.org/oregon.htm

So, just to let you know the 2nd Annual Redmond's Project Blue Book UFO Parade will be June 28th, Downtown Redmond, OR...10:00AM on 7th & 8th Streets between Evergreen & Deschutes...Free event! Staging for the parade is on 8th street between Evergreen & Deschutes, and route is twice around the block!!!

If anyone is interested in being in the parade, contact me by June 25. Ribbons for Best of Categories including; Best Alien Look-Alike, Alien Group/Family; Alien Craft, Alien Being, and Historical Alien.
Tracy Thille 408-6554

Too strange to make up. The 28th is a Saturday, by the way.

Good beer drinkers take note: on tap at Kebaba right now (I know, Kebaba, right?) is a keg of Chimay White. It's on tap for $6.50 a glass and the owner expects it to last only four or five days.

(Believe it or not, $6.50 for Chimay White on tap is a good deal.)

After that, it gets better:

The next import keg I am trying to get is a Saison Du Pont. Another Belgium beer that is equally as tasty as the Chimay. It will be a few weeks after the Chimay is gone when it goes on tap. Then every few weeks another specialty import keg.

Chimay is good, but Saison Dupont is amazing. I wouldn't have guessed Kebaba as having anything more than the usual run-of-the-mill tap list restaurants mostly have around here, but this is good to know.

The July meeting for COWPU has been posted. It's Tuesday, July 1st at 6pm at the McKay Cottage. The topic is Amazon Web Services.

Topic: Amazon Web Services - Is "Cloud Computing" the answer?

So you've created a sweet web application... now what? Age old decisions come into play when determining where to host the application, who's going to manage the servers, and how much bandwidth is needed. Is "Cloud Computing" the answer? Can you really just "throw" your application on the cloud and have all your hosting nightmares disappear?

For the next COWPU meeting we will be discussing this new paradigm of cloud computing ushered in by Amazon Web Services. This new way of doing things forces developers and administrators to think in an entirely different way when implementing a solution on the cloud.

Definitely an interesting topic for web developers. Be there!

In today's Bulletin: Valet service brings a bit of big city to downtown.

Bend Valet plans to begin operations Friday evening, and for $7, patrons can drop off their vehicle downtown and be done with it....

The company will operate from a kiosk at the northeast corner of Brooks Street and Oregon Avenue, directly across from the Pine Tavern.

Customers will be able to drop off their cars at the kiosk, and Bend Valet employees — identified by orange shirts and khaki pants — will then drive the cars across Newport Avenue to park them in the lot behind the old Elks Building, which now houses Randall & Thomas Furniture and Boondocks Bar and Grill [formerly Joker's].

They plan to run from 5pm until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays (and on special event weekends); and right now the Pine Tavern is on board, offering a $3 discount for patrons.

Overall, I'm not sure what to make of this... on one hand, it's going to be a tough sell, but on the other hand, who knows, they might be successful. Some thoughts:

• You can't just "drive across Newport Avenue" from Brooks Street to go park—there's a concrete lane divider right there on that stretch of Newport (in front of Brooks). They'll have to go the long way around. That doesn't sound like it helps traffic much.
• How long before some random person puts on an orange shirt and khakis and just takes off with the car someone gives them?
• Is this a reaction to the City backing off their plan to charge for Mirror Pond lot parking?
• According to the article, there are "roughly 40 restaurants" downtown! I knew the number was high, but not that high.

It's going to be interesting to see the reactions to this.

Ah, getting a pint of beer after donating a pint of blood. I never know if I should be worried about that kind of thing or not.

June Event: Wednesday, June 18 at Umpqua Bank in Bend from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The Bend Chamber Young Professionals Network (YPN) June event will be hosted by Umpqua Bank on Wednesday, June 18 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 390 SW Century Drive Ste. 100 in Bend, OR. The evening will feature food and drinks, door prizes, networking opportunities, and a blood drive sign-up for the American Red Cross. In addition, Cascade Lakes Brewery will offer “a pint for a pint” to all participating blood donors. Registration is available on-line at www.bendchamber.org/ypn or by phone at 382-3221. By registering in advance, the cost is $7 for members and $12 for non-members. The cost increases to $15 at the door.

YPN monthly networking events are held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. This year, the group has elected to dedicate half of its networking events to reach out to local nonprofits. The American Red Cross will be in attendance at the June YPN event with information and sign up opportunities to donate blood. For every pint donated, Cascade Lakes Brewery will provide “a pint for a pint” gift certificate for donors to redeem for one of their local brews.

The American Red Cross Pacific Northwest Regional Blood Services must collect at least 5,000 pints of blood each week to meet the needs of local patients. The organization is the sole supplier of blood and blood products to more than 80 hospitals in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. YPN invites all of its members and those interested in membership to support the American Red Cross by signing up to donate on June 18.

Got this in the contact form yesterday. Not entirely sure if I should be reading more into it or not; though it's interesting to see the new happy hour going into effect. I don't see any details about that on the website (yet); anyone want to report when it goes live?

John Churm, a successful local restaurateur with 26 years of experience in the hospitality industry, has been named general manager of Greg's Grill.

Located in the heart of the Old Mill District in Bend, Greg's Grill opened last spring and is owned by Greg and Teresa Hubert of Seattle.

Churm is a partner with the Huberts in two popular and thriving Bend restaurants, Red Robin, also located in the Old Mill District, and Carino's Italian, situated in the Cascade Village Shopping Center on the city's north end. Churm moved to Bend in 2000 from Portland, where he had worked for Pacific Coast Restaurants, Inc., and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

Read full press release

The lineup of beers for this Wednesday's Blacksmith Beer Tasting is posted:

Join us this Wednesday to taste some great beer from the East Side. This week we will be tasting the Dogfish Head 60 & 90 minuet IPA’s side by side. Plus two distinctly different and wonderful beers from Victory Brewing. And last but not least one big Belgian from New York.

• Victory Prima Pils (German Pilsner | Dowingtown, Pennsylvania | 5.3% ABV | RB: 90)
• Dogfish Head 60 Min IPA (American IPA | Milton, Delaware | 6% ABV | RB: 95)
• Dogfish Head 90 Min IPA (Imperial IPA | Milton, Delaware | 9% ABV| RB: 99)
• Ommegang Abbey Ale (Belgian Strong Ale | Cooperstown, New York | 8.5% ABV | RB: 97)
• Victory Storm King Stout (Russian Imperial Stout | Dowingtown, Pennsylvania | 9.1% ABV | RB: 100)

Join The Blacksmith’s own beer connoisseur’s study group in the Anvil Room this Wednesday from 5-7 PM. $10 per person including passed apps.

Most of those are fairly heavy and more expensive beers, so $10 is definitely worth it.

Looking back, once again catching up for two(!) previous years of blogging.

In 2006:

• We observed the launch of the Bend Weekly newspaper and website.
• Farmer's Market month.
• I wrote a bit about the Lava River Cave.
• craigslist came to Bend (pushing "BendStuff" out of the spotlight).
• Fiona Apple tickets were (nearly) free for her July 1st concert here.

In 2007:

• The Homebrew Shop moved back out to Division (from downtown).
• I first got wind of the brewpub opening in Sisters.
• I broke news about Central Oregon's first OPB news bureau, with more details following.
• Top 8 Free (or nearly!) Summertime Activities (one to revisit this year)
• Festival pictures: Bite of Bend and Sunfest.
• Redmond's UFO festival.
• We learned that the Grove was closing.

This was a flyer emailed to me in PDF format: Noxious Weed Eradication Day ("Let's Pull Together") is a program calling for volunteers to donate time pulling noxious, invasive weed species from Central Oregon forests and open spaces. It's taking place June 14th (Saturday) from 9am until noon, and volunteers will be provided with a BBQ feast at noon (if you're in Bend).

Just bring a bag of weed.

This PDF is large-ish, at almost 2 megabytes, but contains the full details plus maps of where to go to pull weeds based on what neighborhood you live in.

The other day I blogged about the Blacksmith's beer tasting Wednesdays, and I wondered aloud (as "aloud" as posting on a blog can be) what the actual beers would be. Wonder no more; I got an email pointing to the BS blog listing just what will be tasted this week:

This week will be the first installment of Beer month at The Blacksmith and we will be tasting five international beers. 

• Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse (Munich, Germany | ABV 5.0%)
• Fullers ESB (London, England | ABV 5.9%)
• Mikkeller All Others Pale (Copenhagen, Denmark | ABV 6.0%)
• Saison Dupont (Tourpes-Leuze, Belgium | ABV 6.5%)
• Black Boss Porter (Witnica, Poland | 9.4%)

Join The Blacksmith’s own beer connoisseur’s study group in the Anvil Room this Wednesday from 5-7 PM. $10 per person.

That's a nice lineup, a bit different from their usual assortment of beers (based on what they have listed online; the Franziskaner is the only cross-over that I see).

I looked at the calendar today and realized that Wednesday is the first day of the Bend Farmer's Market, the one at the top of Drake Park behind the Riverfront Plaza.

It runs from 3pm until 7pm, and should be there all summer until mid-October.

Hopefully the weather will be nice for it.

This past Saturday Deschutes Brewery had their annual Chocolate Beer Pairing Dinner, and I was extremely fortunate to get invited to attend on the house. Naturally I blogged about it, and you can read that review (with pictures) on my beer blog here. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I'd recommend it or similar events to anyone who likes beer.

Late notice, I know. The June COWPU meeting (Central Oregon Web Professionals Usergroup) is Monday, June 2nd.

Topic: Nothing in particular
Location: McKay Cottage

Hello fellow Cowpuddlians!

The first of the month is just around the corner. Our group has McKay Cottage for June 2 at 6pm. The restaurant is offering a nice dinner for anyone that wishes to purchase a meal:

- Warm Goat Cheese Salad (Caramelized walnuts, roasted peppers, mixed greens, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.)
- Pesto Chicken Pasta (Chicken and radiatori pasta served with a creamy pesto sauce, pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and mushrooms topped with fresh Parmesan.)
- Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding (Egg bread custard with chunks of tart apples and cinnamon, served with whiskey sauce.)
$11.95

Yummm... sure sounds good, doesn't it?! Please contact Jen directly if you wish to purchase a meal.

There is no speaker for this meeting, unless someone would like to step forward at the last minute. On the other hand, this might be a nice opportunity for us to socialize and chat about our projects and summer plans.

Doors open at 6pm, dinner is served at 6:30.

Melanie from Cog Wild sends this along:

You are invited to bring your ID and come to Phil's Trailhead this Thursday & Friday from 3pm to dusk and demo a Marin hardtail, full suspension and free ride bike. Cog Wild will be doing shuttles up Skyliner so you can have a fun ride back to the trailhead and Trinity Bikes is shuttling to the Lair.

If you are not familiar with Marin Bikes (pronounced Ma-rin), this is a great opportunity to check out the company that won bike of the year from Bike Magazine in 2007 and offers high quality bike builds on great frames for great prices. You can check them out online at www.marinbikes.com

Trinity Bikes in Redmond is the local dealer and will be offering 10% off Marin bikes after the demo for COTA members (never too late to join). In addition, Marin Bikes will donate $50 to COTA for every $1000+ bike purchased.

See you at the trailhead!

In May, the Blacksmith's Wednesday tastings were all Martinis. For June, they're doing beer:

Prepare to achieve beervana. During June, the Blacksmith Restaurant + Bar + Lounge gives brews their due at Wednesday tastings featuring beers from near and far. Join the Blacksmith’s own beer connoisseur’s study group in the Anvil Room every Hump Day.

Here’s the line-up for June:
June 4 = International Beers
June 11 = East Coast Beers
June 18 = West Coast Beers
June 25 = Local Beers

Price is $10 per person, including appetizers. Party starts at 5pm.

I like the sound of it—and $10 is definitely easier on the wallet than the $25 for the martinis—though I'd like to know what beers each day will actually feature. "Local Beers" is pretty obvious, naturally. But are they brining in special beers just for the tastings, or just going with what they have on tap or in the bottle?

Photo credit: Copyright © by (my friend) Simone Paddock of Emerald Bay Photography.

This is huge: Deschutes County is now posting restaurant inspection scores online and publicly available. Go here to see them.

Every restaurant in the County—even places that are not nominally restaurants, like hotels, or small food counters in other types of establishments—is online, it looks like. You can search by name, city, score, and address, and you can click through to the details for each restaurant, which include:

• The comments and details of each violation;
• Date of inspection(s) and subsequent follow-up re-inspection(s);
• Google Map of the establishment;
• Graphed view of the score(s);
• And, of course, the actual score.

Each restaurant is scored on a scale of 100—100 being the best possible score. Each violation reduces the total score, and restaurant scoring less than 70 get the dreaded "Failed to Comply" sticker.

So far, it's been very interesting to page through all the results... there have been some surprises.

However, the site comes with the following disclaimers:

[From the press release]
Posting restaurant inspection scores is not in any way meant to disparage or benefit any restaurant in Deschutes County. The scores are a reflection of the conditions observed by the health inspector on the day she or he made that inspection.

[From the site]
It must be noted that scores don’t always tell the full story of how a restaurant is performing with regard to safe food handling practices. The scoring system is not perfect and neither are health inspectors or restaurant operators. A low scoring restaurant may never make anyone sick or a high-scoring restaurant may have an outbreak tomorrow. Foodborne illness is an inexact science with MANY risk factors that influence how, when, where, and why an outbreak occurs.

Each year at the Bite of Bend, a local "Iron Chef" contest is held, featuring—obviously—local chefs from some of the fine dining establishments in the area. I get a big kick out of this (though I've never actually watched an entire match), so naturally I got excited when I saw this year's Iron Chef contestants show up on the ad HOC blog.

1st round Saturday 12:00pm
Jeremy Baumgartner (Fireside Red) vs. David Berger (Pleidies at Five Pine)

2nd round Saturday 1:30pm
Tim Garling (Jackalope Grill) vs. John Nelson (Brasada Ranch Blue Olive)

3rd round Saturday 3:00
Victor Sommo (Volo) vs. Jeff Hunt & Rich Hall (Marz Bistro)

4th round Saturday 5:00
Johnathan Bohn (Decoy Bar and Grill) vs. David Touvell (Chow)

Those are the Saturday match-ups. On Sunday, the winners from each round will face off against each other, and then the Final Battle™ will feature the overall winner against the 2007 champion, TR McCrystal of Jen's Garden. Nice.

The Bite of Bend is taking place June 21st and 22nd.

(We'll actually be missing it.)

Update: Jeremy Baumgartner is the Fireside Red chef, not Terri Gilmore.

In today's paper, there is a photo and caption indicating that the new Sonic Drive-In up on the north end (the old Tom Tom Diner location) is open already.

Cool, but puzzling as I drove by there as recently as Friday, and it sure didn't look like it was anywhere near ready to open, construction-wise. But since I keep hearing from a bunch of people how they can't wait for Sonic to open, this'll be good news.

With the summer months coming and outdoor activities ramping up, I found this dispatch from the Deschutes County offices (the "Marine Minute") on life jacket requirements interesting:

One of the most misunderstood issues regarding boating in Oregon is the life jacket or PFD (personal flotation device) requirement. Most people understand that adults need to carry them, and children under 12 (in other words, one day less than 13) need to wear them on powered boats that are underway.

The confusion begins when it comes to non-powered boats... craft such as kayaks, inflatable rafts, canoes, etc. that have no form of mechanical propulsion (an electric or gas-powered motor):

• Canoes
• Kayaks
• Inflatable rafts of any size
• Inflatable kayaks
• Multi-chambered Tubes
• Fishing Float Tubes

Oregon Revised Statute 830.005 (2) states, “Boat” means every description of watercraft, including a seaplane on the water and not in flight, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water, but does not include boathouses, floating homes, air mattresses, beach and water toys or single inner tubes.

What this means is that on anything defined as a boat in Oregon, whether powered or non-powered, one life jacket per adult on board must be carried. Children under 12 must wear a life jacket on these same kinds of craft.

The following are exempt from the life jacket requirement:

• Air Mattresses
• Single-Chambered Inner Tubes
• Water Play Toys

For additional information, visit www.boatoregon.com or call the Marine Division of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office at 541-388-6503.

Generally I think it's a good idea to wear life jackets regardless, but this stuff is good to know.

Seems like you can't go a day around here any more without hearing news of a new restaurant planned, but I notice that two of them actually, you know, opened: The Bungalow Grille and Celina's Gourmet Latin Bistro.

(No, I haven't been to either one.)

The Bungalow Grille is the new place up north in the Cascade Village Shopping Center, serving up "tropical" themed food. Apparently they also offer free valet parking, which for some reason amuses me greatly.

Judging by the menus on their website (if you can navigate it; they've taken a stuff-it-all-into-a-single-page approach which is rather unusable), they're on the expensive side. Other than that, I haven't heard anything else about them.

The only details I know about Celina's is what appeared in today's "Small Bites" in the Bulletin:

The owners of El Caporal opened Celina’s Gourmet Latin Bistro on May 9 on Bend’s east side. Chef Francisco Simental prepares soups, salads, appetizers, and entrees in the $14 to $17 range. Dishes include Talla (pan-seared salmon marinated in New Mexico chilies) and Francisco (chicken breast stuffed with pineapple, served in a creamy coconut sauce). Celina’s space was previously occupied by Puerto Alegre. Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. 547 N.E. Bellevue Drive (off 27th Street), Suite 109, Bend; 318-7567, www.celinasbistro.com.

You'll note, however, that the website address they give only points to a Register.com landing page.

This card came in the mail today, and while I assume a bunch of people probably got it as well, I'm not sure what the Park & Rec's selection criteria might be—and I figured this would be something of interest to a lot of people.

Yeah, I'm lazy/geeky enough to scan it rather than re-type in the details.

No that anyone would necessarily notice because of the weather so far, but there are controlled burns going on this week that the County wanted people to know about. (We've seen this happen in the past, when nobody quite knew what was going on.) From the County:

Last year, when controlled burns took place in the Southeast region of Deschutes County, 911 phone lines were flooded with hundreds of non-emergency phone calls for hours at a time. These calls may have prevented 911 operators from answering actual emergency calls.

This year, to help keep 911 phone lines available to actual emergency calls, please help to spread the word by sharing these media releases with friends and family.

If you have questions about a possible fire that may be different than the controlled and planned fires below, please call the 911 NON-EMERGENCY number, 693-6911.

The full details on the two planned burns follows.

Read full burn details

This weekend we had breakfast at Bella Cucina down in the Old Mill District, and I was suitably impressed to write about it.

In fact, Bella Cucina has been down in the Old Mill for quite some time and until Saturday I'd always avoided it. Why? Because of a really bad dining experience we had at their previous location (on Franklin and Third, the lava rock old Mexicali Rose building) under their previous owner years ago. Bad enough that I couldn't get rid of the tainted association.

That's all changed, and I'm sorry it took so long. I can't speak to their full menu, but BC has a good and really affordable breakfast menu (here)—I had the Italian breakfast wrap (think breakfast burrito) for only $5. That's an amazing deal, especially with the way restaurant prices have been rising out of control in Bend lately. And it was worth it—it was tasty and filling.

The space is a bit small, but comfortable, and colorful. Much more inviting than I would have guessed from the outside.

If you don't mind dealing with parking in the Old Mill District, I'd definitely recommend BC, at least for breakfast.

This weekend marks the end of Riverfest, and today is the Deschutes River Clean-Up—I'm writing this right under the wire as the event starts at 9am (view the events here):

Deschutes River Clean-Up
Come and join the Upper Deschutes Watershed Council to keep our river and its riparian area clean! Do your part during the Deschutes River Clean-Up and feel great about contributing to the health of the river. Meet at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre at 9:00 AM for bagels, coffee, & juice. Learn about all of the different clean-up sites, and then head out at 10:00 AM with a team leader for a few hours of service, smiles, and stewardship. Presented this year by the Oregon State Lottery and made possible thanks to valuable assistance from the Deschutes County, the City of Bend, and many dedicated site hosts.
Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Information: 633-3765

My friend Simone is having a big garage sale this weekend:

There's a Bowflex (you've seen 300 and of course always wanted to own one since), a 12' Lund fishing boat, Men's and Women's Golf Bag and Clubs, Bicyles and Bike Rack, assorted Camping Gear, a large Mosquito Tent, Snowboard Gear & a rolling travel bag for your boards, a Badminton Set, and more!

Plus ... Household stuff, Christmas Lights and Ornaments, Clothing (Alpaca Sweater anyone?), Shoes, Jewelry, Framed Art and Paintings... the list goes on.

We have Table Saws, Compressors, Nail Guns, Chop Boxes, Drills - the list goes on. How about a chain saw, maybe?

For the Office: a Portable Air Conditioner, Heater, Document Shredder, Swivel Chair, Mini-Fridge, Computer monitor, brandnew Epson Printer, assorted computer accessories, etc...

So come see us Saturday - 9am - 4pm and Sunday 9am - 3pm

53705 River View Drive, La Pine (just south of State Rec Road)

There's also a bunch of beer brewing equipment that may be enticing to homebrewers:

• Primary Fermenter (5 gallon carboy)
• Stainless Steel Soda Tank (5g)
• Aluminum Keg (5g)
• Bottling Kit
• Black Metal Wart Cooker (5g)
• Copper Coil (wort chiller)

She's nearly but not quite in La Pine, but it's a nice drive and it will be totally worth it.

This is pure press release, and may or may not have been something I'd ordinarily run, but the picture made me laugh. In a creepy kind of way. Plus, it's just unusual enough that I figured, why not.

Join BMC’s Eris Craven, MS, RD, LD on a shopping tour

On this shopping tour, get hands-on experience by separating fact from fiction when it comes to getting nutritious foods!

This tour will take you to Safeway & Whole Foods for a 2 hour educational tour

WHEN: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 10 a.m.
WERE: In front of BMC (walk over) or at Safeway in the Forum Shops
COST: $10 per person

Please fill out the section below, detach and send it with your payment (make checks out to “Bend Memorial Clinic”) to:

Eris Craven, MS, RD, LD
c/o Bend Memorial Clinic
1501 NE Medical Center Drive
Bend, OR 97702
Call Eris Craven at 318-3072 for questions and/or reservations!

[The form they referred to was an attachment to the original flyer; it's basically asking for Name(s), Birthdate, Number of Participants, and "What would you like to learn on this shopping tour?" I'm sure if you just typed that up and sent it in with the payment, it would be accepted.]

In addition to the May art I blogged earlier at Thump Coffee, here are this month's events:

CUPPING: Sunday, May 25 1:30pm-2:30pm

Can you taste the difference between a washed process and dry process coffee? Join our public coffee cuppings and taste coffees side-by-side. Discover personal preferences, likes and dislikes, and begin to taste and describe your personal and subjective sensory experience. You'll appreciate how many variables and steps along the coffee's path to us can influence how it tastes in the cup. Cuppings are usually the third Sunday of the month at 1:30pm - get details at www.thumpcoffee.com.

Click for full goings-on

Yeah, I'm running a bunch of press release type stuff recently, I know—people keep sending me stuff that I'm actually interested in posting. (For the record, I don't post every single thing I receive—only stuff I think is interesting or that I think readers would like. And sometimes I just get behind and something doesn't get posted at all.)

Anyway, Wednesdays this month at the Blacksmith are "May Martini Tastings"; it's basically their wine tastings that I blogged about but kicked up a notch for May. And I blogged this just in time, too: tomorrow's (May 7) tasting is themed "Martinis of the '20s."

Here's the clipped section from the press release—note the price and time!

Great Gatsby! During May, the Blacksmith Restaurant + Bar + Lounge mixes up its Wednesday tastings with the swankiest of cocktails, the martini. Join the Blacksmith’s own intoxicologist, John Hansen in the Anvil Room this week for “Martinis of the ’20s,” a journey through the martini’s history, including John's antique shaker collection.

Here’s the line-up for May:
May 7: Martinis of the ’20s
May 14: Post-Prohibition Martinis
May 21: Disco Martinis
May 28: Modern Martinis

Martini tasters will be served cocktail party-style, with appetizers included. Price is $25 per person. Party starts at 5pm.

So a bit spendy, but it still sounds like fun.

Photo credit: Copyright © by (my friend) Simone Paddock of Emerald Bay Photography.

Up until May 15th, that is. The 4 Peaks Music Festival is in its second year this year and is taking place July 25th and 26th.

The tickets are two-day passes which include camping (and parking), and right now you can pick them up for $64.50. After the 15th they'll go up in price $12, and another $12 after that.

Here are the details from the press release:

Bend’s 4 Peaks Music Festival returns bigger and better this year, with 20 bands and 80 acres of music, food, beverages, crafts, kids fun and camping. But the biggest discount on festival tickets ends Thursday, May 15. Festival-goers can save up to $24 by purchasing specially priced Early Bird tickets now for $64.50, which includes two-day festival admission and camping. Prices will then bump up to $76.50, and climb finally to $88.75 without notice as the festival nears on July 25-26.

:: THE DETAILS
For details, visit www.4peaksmusic.com. Tickets are available at Ranch Records in downtown Bend, or at www.frontgatetickets.com. Vendors interested in reserving booth space should contact Will Nash at 541-788-0314 or will@4peaksmusic.com. The 4 Peaks Music Festival information hotline is 541-382-8064.

:: THE BANDS
Bands are still being finalized, but the line-up promises even bigger headliners than last summer, while still featuring local acts. Tentatively, the band roster consists of Tea Leaf Green, Zilla, Hot Buttered Rum, Everyone Orchestra, Blue Turtle Seduction, Poor Man's Whiskey, Flowmotion, Moon Mountain Ramblers, Izabella, Acorn Project, State of Jefferson, Brent Alan and His Funky Friends, The Grain, Swampthang, Masala Mostest, Rising Tide and Black Strap.

The website for the Festival was redesigned and cleaned up quite a bit, too. Except for all the text content being giant graphics, that sucks. I know that's an arbitrary thing to comment on, but hey, that's what I do.

This month is marks the two year anniversary of Hack Bend! So my retrospective will cover 2006 and 2007.

In 2006:

• Newport Market's Thirsty Thursdays were covered;
• Deschutes Brewery was giving away beer in exchange for blood (with the American Red Cross);
• Sam Waterston was in town;
• I wrote about Alpenglow Café and Palmer's Café;
• A preliminary roundup of local restaurant guides;
• The mystery(?) of Sugarbowl Park;
• A preliminary roundup of WiFi hotspots.

In 2007:

• We found out pfundamentals was closing;
• Some first looks at Mary Jane's Park;
• Checking out nearly-hidden Riverside Market;
• Bend made Inc. Magazine's top Boomtowns;
• A really early review of Greg's Grill;
• Longboard Louie's showed up on the east side;
• A really early review of La Costa Azul;
• I discovered a Bend Brewing beer I'd never seen before;
• I declared (and still stand by) the Victorian Café the best breakfast in Bend.

May New Exhibit: Shelby Leigh

According to photographer Shelby Leigh, her work is an extension of sometimes-quiet observations and how she sees tiny moments in time. In her travels near and far — the exhibit includes photos from Oregon, Morocco and Chile — she likes to "notice the little things and bring them to others so that they too can see the beauty and intricacies that this world has to offer." Though she says her stories are infused in each image, she invites you to "let your imagination take you on your own journey to find peace, simplicity and wonder."

Read on (with an image, too)

It's confirmed; Duncan first reported it yesterday and it appears in today's paper (E-edition online only; no link). They've been downtown on Minnesota Avenue for 35 years (though not at the exact same location). 35 years! I don't even know what to say.

(And before anybody points an accusative finger as to supposed lack of community support, yes, I have bought books from them.)

On the bright side, they plan to continue to exist online (and take phone orders starting June 1). I hope that works out for them.

The Bend Bulletin has rolled out their new and improved website today (announced the other day here). Overall it's a much, much better interface, with better use of space and design and flow. The default fonts—at least on Firefox—might be a bit large for my tastes; it's possible to be well-designed and yet use too much space (six screenfuls on the home page), but by and large the site now looks like a current news site.

They still have the E-edition problem, as Jake points out—the very fact it exists is, essentially, the "problem." Another problem is the comment system: the fact that they are willing to accept and post user comments online is great, but—you have to be a subscriber (either E-edition or print) to do so. Ouch.

Still, it's a step in the right direction. Hopefully not the last.

Last month I had been invited to be on media panel at the Deschutes County offices, as the resident blogging expert representing how blogging and "new media" are becoming more prevalent in news and reporting and such. (The "expert" notion is up for debate, of course. I just do what I do.) The panel was to supplement media communications training for County employees and was held today—and I have to say, it was interesting and enlightening, and definitely something I'd do again if asked.

With me on the panel were Barney Lerten, of KTVZ; Heather Roberts, of KOHD; Heidi Hagemeier, of the Bulletin; and R.L. Garrigus from the Bend Radio Group. I've known Barney from back when he was still Bend.com, and had known of the others but not met them before. All very nice folks, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out they were already familiar with Hack Bend(!).

For the most part, it was as much a learning experience for me as for the County employees, I suspect; I talked a bit about the blogging aspect of things as it pertains to media and reporting and communication, but to a large extent I just listened to the others, all of whom come from more established channels with much more background than I.

And a big thanks to Anna Johnson, the Public Communications Coordinator with the County, for inviting me and arranging it all. Thanks!

Yes, it's a bit short on notice, but this Wednesday, April 30th, is another local blogger get-together. This time it's being held at the The Summit Saloon and Stage, downtown in the old O'Kane Building at 125 NW Oregon Avenue.

It starts at "5:30ish" and the "official" description I have to pass on is:

The first blogger meetup was a big success! Since then there's been a lot of growth and new folks have popped up in our local "blogosphere". Meetups like this are a nice chance for all of us to gather, unwind, and put some faces together with the blogs.

This event is primarily intended for bloggers who wish to meet other bloggers. If you don't have a blog, then this may not be the get-together for you. So, if you just can't stand not being there and don't already have a blog... what are you waiting for?!

I'll be there for sure. Will you?

Women who undergo routine mammograms at Bend Memorial Clinic now have the latest diagnostic technology available to them, digital mammography. BMC’s Mammography Department features a state-of-the-art system, Selenia™ digital mammography machine from Hologic®.

BMC is very excited to be able to offer the newest technology for breast cancer detection. Digital mammography is different from conventional mammography in how the image of the breast is viewed and, more importantly, manipulated. The radiologist can magnify the images, increase or decrease the contrast and invert the black and white values while reading the images. These features allow the radiologist to evaluate microcalcifications and focus on areas of concern.

Digital mammography feels identical to conventional screening from a patient’s perspective, though women may notice shorter exam times and a reduction in call-backs to obtain additional images. Demand for digital mammography is high, and women are excited and pleased that BMC offers this state-of-the-art technology.

To schedule a digital mammography at BMC call 541-382-4900.

About BMC:
Bend Memorial Clinic includes over 80 providers representing 15 branches of medicine and 30 service specialties. It is the largest multi-specialty group east of the Cascades and functions as a comprehensive referral center for physicians and communities throughout the state. The clinic has provided primary and specialty care since 1946.

Tuesday, April 29th, is Free Cone Day from Ben & Jerry's. From noon