A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the Badlands Brewery Crawl, an effort by the Oregon Natural Desert Association to raise awareness to get the Badlands east of Bend designated as a Wilderness Area. Now, ONDA is pushing April 1st as a "Day of Action" to further the process:

ONDA.org announces its April 1st Online Day of Action:

The Oregon Badlands can become a Wilderness NOW
If we show a huge upsurge in public support!

Join Hundreds of Oregonians TODAY as we coordinate a mass movement of voices in support of Badlands Wilderness.

Click here to take action.

Whats an online day of action?

• It's your chance to take 1 minute and have the impact of many thousands.
• It's your chance to make your voice heard with hundreds of others.
• & It's our chance to push this effort over the edge and make the Badlands a true Wilderness!

The Badlands will only become a Wilderness if we show Senator Wyden (our chief ally) that he HAS the support he needs to move this proposal forward.

Home to 1,000 year old Junipers, rare and unique wildlife, and ancient Native American pictographs, this pristine, high desert landscape is just 15 miles from downtown Bend an area that has tripled in size in the past decade. If we want to keep this precious wild place for the generations of Oregonians that will continue to move here, visit here, and prosper here we need to protect wilderness.

Take 1 minute and help to protect the Badlands forever!

That’s our opportunity today.

Picked this up via KTVZ: Blues legend BB King and classic rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd will be playing the Les Schwab Amphitheater this year, on July 6th and 10th, respectively.

KTVZ reports that the King concert will cost $39 for general admission, and $59 and $79 for two tiers of reserve seating. Nothing on Ticketmaster yet for it.

The Skynyrd concert, on the other hand, is listed on Ticketmaster with a price range of $41 to $74; KTVZ says $37 and $70, so there must be a $4 service charge on top of what they're reporting, so keep that in mind.

Monday I took the kids over to Bouncing off the Wall (meeting some friends with their kids), and I have to say, while I'm still a little skeptical over the long-term viability of such a place as a business, for parents with kids looking for something to do, this is a great place to go.

The concept is simple: it's a place filled with all those "play inflatables" you see at carnivals and festivals: slides, bouncy castles, like that, and the kids get to play on them. That's it.

Our new 11,000 square foot facility is home to 12 HUGE, interactive inflatables where kids can bounce, climb and slide their way to equally impressive fun! In addition, we also offer a variety of other activities including an infant/toddler play area, enrichment toys, games and Animaland, an interactive stuff-your-own animal adventure. For mom and dad, we have a comfy place for you to catch up on the morning paper, check your email via our wireless Internet, or visit with a friend while we help supervise the kids!

The price is $7 for the first child, and $6 per subsequent child (adults and kids under 1 are free). While this may seem steep at first, there's no time limit, so if you're there for a few hours, it really becomes more worth it.

(Compare to those same festivals where tickets for one turn on one of those things typically run $1 to $1.50 apiece.)

There are places for the adults to sit—some comfortable couches, as well as a few small tables with chairs—and you can buy snacks and drinks (or bring your own, I believe). My kids had a great time, so I can definitely recommend it.

They're located south of town, just off of Reed Market, on the corner of Paiute Way and Centennial Court (the old Cascade All-Star Gymnastics building).

Bouncing off the Wall
1134 SE Centennial Court
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 306-6587

The Jackalope Grill and WineStyles present a Women’s Wine Dinner on Monday April 7 at 5:30pm. The evening features a special four-course meal paired with wines. Carol DelMonico, a certified life coach, and writer Linden Gross will speak briefly on how to slow down and take time for yourself. Cost is $60 per person. For reservations, please call WineStyles at 389-8889. Seating is limited.

For more, visit www.jackalopegrill.com. The Jackalope Grill is located just off Reed Market road in the Scandia Plaza, 1245 SE Third St. (S. Hwy. 97) in Bend.

About the Speakers

Carol Delmonico is a Certified Life Coach and RN. She has studied Nonviolent Communication for four years and facilitates workshops and classes based on this model. She runs a successful coaching business where she specializes in working with individuals who are ready to commit to living in balance with their personal values. Carol can be reached at 541-389-0831 or visit her website www.intobalancecoaching.com.

Linden Gross is a national magazine journalist, bestselling writer and writing coach, who draws on her editing and writing background - as well as her experience with and love for teaching - when working with others. She specializes in helping people to express their truth and their story, and in the process to extend their writing abilities. She believes that we all have the ability to find the writer within.

The title says it all. Though if you're unfamiliar, "COWPU" stands for Central Oregon Web Professionals Usergroup. The meeting is indeed on April Fool's Day.

Topic: Make Your Site Go Faster with Web Caching (by Ricardo Newbery)
Location: McKay Cottage

A presentation by web application developer, Ricardo Newbery, on web caching principles and technologies. We will talk about basic principles and concrete examples of application caching, proxy caching, and browser caching.

Doors open at 5:30.

The local economy—the implosion of it, along with the housing market, more specifically—is becoming an issue. This weekend the Bend Economy Blog ran a great post: 5 Things Bendites Should Do Now.

What can Bend do now? Well, maybe we should put the question a little differently: what should people do when they're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no money? The answer is to protect their own interests, make their little corner of the world the best possible place to live, and band together to prevent outsiders from coming and taking their stuff. Because life's not going to get easier around here for a while.

I don't always follow those anonymous economy blogs too closely, but in this case, consider it required reading.

Apologies for the slow week around here; I've had some other stuff come up that have, shall we say, taken a certain amount of precedence for my attention elsewhere. But, the week's over, I have next week off for spring break with the kids, and it's time to relax. The blogging should pick up.

As always, if you have anything you want to share, drop me a line.

This came in as a press release and seems like a cool event, even though it's the first time I've heard of a brewery crawl in a grassroots campaign like this. They'd welcome people from the media, too.

(Incidentally, the other two breweries are Deschutes and Bend Brewing.)

The Oregon Natural Desert Association is on the move, amping up its campaign to protect the Badlands of Central Oregon as an official Wilderness this spring and on Thursday, March 27th will host a Brewery Crawl for the Badlands.

Just 15 miles east of Bend, the Badlands is home to 1,000 year-old Juniper trees, unique wildlife, exceptional spring wildflowers, and incredible lava flow formations. But as our community continues to grow, it is vital that we protect this amazing area as one of our last wild places.

Right now Bend has its best opportunity to preserve the Badlands as a Wilderness and so, the time is now for fans of the Badlands to show their support and take action to preserve this priceless resource for future generations.

Join ONDA on March 27th for a ‘Badlands Brewery Crawl.’ Starting at five o’clock at the Silver Moon Brewery on Greenwood and moving to two more fine brewpubs downtown, ONDA will be generating important visibility and action for the Badlands all night along the way. Come toast the High Desert and celebrate this effort to protect such an amazing wild place in Central Oregon with ONDA on March 27th!

And right now what can you do? Go to www.onda.org and check out our new action website when you click “take action for the Badlands” on the right.

Here we go again. This may be a perennial favorite: The St. Patrick's Day pub guide!

This time around, I'm also noting when a place has a specific St. Patty's thing going on (I've bolded the name and included a blurb).

I've also broken last year's rule of "not restaurant lounges, and nothing fancy" with The Blacksmith and The Village Grill. The Blacksmith is fancy, but I love their beer bar and they have some specials; and The Village Grill, while largely restaurant, is also at least half sports bar, so I'll qualify it.

In The Source this week, H. Bruce Miller explores the size of pint glasses at the "Big Four" breweries in town—literally taking a measuring cup in and pouring his beer into it to see exactly how much beer each place pours.

For some background, there are two commonly used types of "pint glasses": shaker glasses (the straight-walled glasses most people are familiar with) and imperial pint glasses (curving, bulbous-type at the top to hold more liquid). The problem is, shaker glasses typically hold only 14 ounces (a true pint is 16 ounces), and some "cheater" glasses only hold 12. Sometimes you can get a full 16 ounces if you fill right up to the rim and no foam or spillage is involved—not likely. The imperial pint glasses hold 20 ounces, but the same caveats apply—it has to be a full pour to get the exact 20.

(See The Honest Pint Project.)

Anyway, HBM determines the four breweries pour as such:

• Deschutes: imperial pints, but about 18 ounces: $4
• Bend Brewing: shaker glass, about 12 ounces: $4
• Cascade Lakes: imperial pints, about 18 ounces ("a bit over"): $4
• McMenamins: shaker glass, about 13 ounces: $4.15

It's a good start, but I'm also curious about other places in town. The other two brewers, for example—Silver Moon and Wildfire (via JC's). I know that Silver Moon serves up in shaker glasses (though I think they're only $3), but I don't know about JC's/Wildfire.

And then there's other places in town. The Blacksmith, for instance, serves their beer up in two types of glasses (neither of which are pints): a tall straight-walled glass (like a pilsner glass but maybe more like a stange), and a large snifter, all for $4 (on draft).

So who's going to be doing the rest of the legwork on this? Let me know.

A year ago, in March 2007:

• JC's had their grand opening in their expanded space. (Their Wildfire beer started pouring the following month.)
• I let you all in on how to dig up information on local property.
• I published a St. Patty's Day pub hopping guide (which I may re-run for this year!).
• We explored a bit of the history of Harp Hall.
• Neighborhood house fire! (With pictures.)
• Exploring Bend parks online.

Next Event: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at the Renaissance Homes Design Center 5:30-7:30 p.m.

This month, the Bend Chamber’s Young Professionals Networking (YPN) event will be hosted by Renaissance Homes. Attendees will enjoy beverages, food, door prizes, networking games and more at Renaissance Homes’ 3,500 square foot Design Center showroom on Wednesday, March 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 55 NW Wall Street, Building A in Bend. By registering in advance, the cost is $7 for members and $12 for non-members. The price increases the day of the event. Registration is available online at www.bendchamber.org/ypn or by phone at 382-3221. Interested young professionals can save significantly by signing up for an annual membership that includes all of the future events for just $35.

What is YPN?
Established in June of 2006, the Bend Chamber’s Young Professionals Network has become a vital part of Bend’s business community. YPN events are geared towards those aged 40 and under - or young at heart. Past event hosts have included, Columbia River Bank, Bend Memorial Clinic, Century Insurance, The Shops at the Old Mill, and more.

The purpose of the Young Professionals Network is to provide young professionals with top quality networking, community involvement and professional development opportunities in a fun, professional and friendly environment.

For more information, visit www.bendchamber.org/ypn.

Upcoming Events (All networking events start at 5:30 p.m.):
April 16 ~ High Desert Bank
May 21 ~ Brasada Ranch
June 18 ~ Umpqua Bank
July 16 ~ Annual Social Event TBA
August 20 ~ Community First Bank/Old Mill District
September 17 ~ Fincham Financial Group
October 15 ~ Clear Choice Health Plans
November 12 ~ Central Oregon Builders Association

I got this from Melanie over at Cog Wild and it sounds pretty cool:

Kids Mountain Biking Camp for mountain bikers between the ages of 8 and 16. Camp will include developing riding confidence for cross country and downhill biking, bike maintenance and trail work. Our camp has been designed to help children develop new biking skills and learn an appreciation for the outdoors that will last a lifetime!

There will be 3 Sessions, with each session being two days a week for three weeks. You can sign up for either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday - or all four days! Each session is 4pm to 6pm, with Session Three also being offered from 1pm- 3pm.

Dates:
Session One
Monday/Wednesday Camp: May 5th - May 21
Tuesday/Thursday Camp: May 6th - May 22

Session Two
Monday/Wednesday Camp: May 26th - June 11
Tuesday/Thursday Camp: May 27th - June 12

Session Three Early
Monday/Wednesday Camp: June 16 - July 2 (1pm - 3pm)
Tuesday/Thursday Camp: June 17 - July 3 (1pm - 3pm)

Session Three Late
Monday/Wednesday Camp: June 16 - July 2 (4pm - 6pm)
Tuesday/Thursday Camp: June 17 - July 3 (4pm - 6pm)

Details:
Cost: $230 per camp, sign up for more than one session and each additional session is $195 (15% off). Camp is open to riders of all levels - beginner to advanced. There will be 12 riders maximum per group with a 6 to 1 guide ratio.

What's included: A Cog Wild t-shirt, transportation from the Westside of Bend, healthy snacks and water.

What's not included: Bike & Helmet - Riders will need their own. Riders are also encouraged to carry a camelback or have water bottle cages with water bottles - water re-fills will be available. Patch kit, spare tube and tools are recommended but not required.

Start/End location: Pine Mountain Sports at 255 SW Century Dr at the roundabout at Century Drive & Simpson Ave.

To Register: Call Cog Wild at 541-385-7002

Ah, March is the month of that eminent beer drinker's holiday, St. Patrick's Day, and McMenamins has two days of celebration scheduled for it this year.

On Saturday, March 15th, is their Day One. Free (as in, no cover or minimum charge), music starts at 1pm, and it's family friendly. They'll have their Irish Stout on tap, naturally, and it's an easy-drinking beer.

Then, on Monday the 17th (St. Patrick's Day proper), is their Day Two. Same deal, only the music starts at 4pm.

Late notice, I know, but I only just saw this myself via Kina (in Baker City, no less): The Dara Hatcher Foundation Fundraising Auction:

Tuesday, March 11, 2007, 5-8 p.m.

Deschutes Brewery, Brewing facility & Mountain room
901 SW Simpson Ave.
Bend, Oregon

Join us at the Deschutes Brewery for a selection of their world-class beers donated for this very special event. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be provided.

$20 donation, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Dara Hatcher Foundation. Come for the cause and discover some great auction items!

Funds raised this evening will help enable Dara and Dante to remain in their home, cover Dara's COBRA payments, and assist with the payment of her mounting medical bills.

Dara Hatcher is a single mom raising an eight year old son (Dante), and she was recently diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. She had a successful surgery but now faces mountains of medical bills and still has months of treatment ahead of her.

Definitely a good cause, and there are other ways to donate, as well. Check out the website for more info.

March events and such at Thump Coffee.

CUPPING: Sunday 3/23, 1:30-3:30pm
This is where the sensory adventure begins! Come to our public coffee cuppings and taste coffees side by side. Discover personal preferences, likes and dislikes, and begin to taste hints of citrus, fruits, wines, chocolate, spices and possibly flowers. You will appreciate how a skilled roaster took meticulous time and care to bring those flavors out instead of roast them away (see this month's Thumpology). Cuppings are usually the third Sunday of the month at 1:30pm - get details at our website and by subscribing to the newsletter.

Read more...

...along with a bunch of local bloggers. Here's the link to the online article; the dead-tree version appeared on the front page. It's a pretty good article, gives a good overall picture of how blogs can affect the media and the community.

Not much more to say. I just like the meta-ness of me pointing to the Bulletin pointing back to me.

While I'm on the subject of beer from my previous post, I checked the Now Pouring page on the Deschutes Brewery's website and saw this:

Mirror Pond Pale Ale Experimental Trials!

We here at Deschutes Brewery are always looking at ways to improve our beer, this includes our flagship brand Mirror Pond Pale. We are trying to provide a pale that has more hop flavor and aroma. We would like to enlist your help to pick the pale that is most desirable. You will be presented with two 10oz snifters and a comment sheet on which you will be ask to pick the one you like the most and rate it. Feel free to leave comments. Thank you from Deschutes Brewery. $4.25

Now that's interesting... I don't necessarily agree that there's anything that needs "fixing" or "improving" with Mirror Pond Pale Ale, but I like the fact that they're soliciting customer feedback for it. That seems pretty progressive. I'll definitely have to drop by and rate the beers.

The Blacksmith Restaurant has put their beer list online. I note this because since their rennovation, they are the best beer bar in town, with selections no one else has.

(Of course, if I'm wrong, I'd be happy to check out any other beer bars that people care to point out...)

And that's just their draft beers; their bottled beer list is here.

The Jackalope Grill’s Chef Timothy Garling and Anam Cara Cellars present an “Almost St. Patrick’s Day” winemakers dinner on Sunday, March 9. Starting at 6:00 pm, a special four-course menu will be served with wines selected and introduced by Anam Cara Cellars owners Nick and Sheila Nicholas.

According to Chef Garling, Anam Cara Cellars “represents a real find.” The winery has been tipped as a "Rising Star" among Oregon Pinot Noir producers by Decanter Magazine. And its 2005 Nicholas Estate Pinot Noir was given four stars by British writer Linda Murphy in her “Oregon Pinot Noir Grows Up,” Decanter article.

Read full press release

This sounds like fun; I was aware of Bistro Corlise as the new restaurant downtown, and a French one in particular, but I haven't been there yet. The old Vino Mercato space. I don't think we've had a French restaurant since, what, Le Bistro on Third Street? (Where Ernesto's is now.)

Bistro Corlise will host an Open House & Tasting with complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres for First Friday, March 7, 5:00-8:00pm. The restaurant will be closed for dining, but the bar will be open. For more, please call 385-6979 or visit http://www.bistrocorlise.com. Bistro Corlise is located downtown Bend at 916 NW Wall Street.