Just announced this morning on KTVZ.com: Cessna is closing its factory here in Bend.

Due to a continued slump in plane sales, Cessna Aircraft Co. announced Wednesday morning that it will shut its factory at the Bend Airport and lay off the fewer than 200 people still working there, moving assembly of the Corvalis line of planes to its Independence, Kan., facility.

The Bend closure comes as part of an announcement of eliminating 8,200 jobs, or 20 percent, of parent company Textron's global work force as the recession continues tt weaken demand for planes.

Cessna, the world's largest plane-maker, denied the always-persistent rumors that it had planned all along to move the Bend work to its Kansas headquarters.

From the Volcano Vineyards blog today comes the news that the downtown local winery is closing their tasting room, but with good reason: they plan to open a larger space.

We are working on opening a winery facility here in Bend for the production of our Magmita Sangria and our second label, Magna Wines. Because of permitting and licensing issues, we can’t have the tasting room open – the OLCC allows three locations under our winery license: we have our main winery facility in southern Oregon as one, our house is another (from where we ship) and the third is now the tasting room, but that will be transferred to the new winery space.

No word on when—things are taking longer than they thought—but it's certainly refreshing to hear of a local business actually planning on expanding in this economy.

They make good wine, too. Pop in to their tasting room on Brooks Street to try some before they move.

The names in the title refer, of course, to Deschutes Brewery's two latest special-edition beers, and this Wednesday (according to Twitter), the Brewery is hosting the release party for these beers at their pubs.

"Festivities" should start around 5pm, and if previous release parties are any indication, there will be specially-themed menu offerings (made with the beers in question) to accompany the new beers.

The swine flu is all over the news these days, and while it hasn't reached Oregon yet, that hasn't stopped Deschutes County and BMC from issuing notices and information regarding it. The best defense, of course, is to stay informed.

From Deschutes County:

Public health officials in Oregon are stepping up surveillance for a new strain of influenza known as swine flu, after 40 cases have been confirmed in multiple states along with the numerous cases in other countries including Mexico and Canada. No known cases have been confirmed in Central Oregon or the State.

Keep reading

Sorry for the late posting on this one, it slipped by and I was lame. Press release, last minute but there still may be opportunity for those interested.

Jackalope Grill Dinner With St. Innocent Wines

Monday, April 27, 6:00pm, with St. Innocent Winemaker Mark Vlossak

St. Innocent Winery was founded in the mid-Willamette Valley near Salem, Oregon, at the southeast corner of the Eola Hills, in 1988 by Mark Vlossak. Both its wine and winemaker are now considered to be among the best of Oregon. Wine Advocate named Vlossak one of its 2004 “Wine Personalities of the Year,” writing that “Mark Vlossak continues to grace consumers with the finest Pinot noirs Oregon has fashioned to date . . . . Vlossak’s dedication to quality and his commitment to delivering value to his customers is exemplary.”

Dinner With St. Innocent Wines Menu & Pairings

• Grilled Wild Caught Gulf Prawns - Israeli couscous, citrus beurre blanc - 2007 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Blanc
• Thai Style Mussels - jasmine rice, coconut milk, lemon grass, chilies and cilantro - 2007 St. Innocent Freedom Hill Vineyard Chardonnay
• Pan-Seared Duck Breast - parmesan risotto, roast beets, fresh blueberry sauce - 2007 St. Innocent Villages Cuvee Pinot Noir &  2006 St Innocent Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Roast Rack of Venison - truffled potato puree, pinot noir jus - 2006 St. Innocent Anden Vineyard Pinot Noir & 2006 St. Innocent Seven Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
• Cheese Course - a selection of cheeses and a bit of dark chocolate - Cellar Selection from St. Innocent Winery

For more information about St. Innocent Wines and our presenter, Mark Vlossak, visit stinnocentwine.com.

Cost is $65 per person. Call for reservations 318-8435. Visit jackalopegrill.com for info. The Jackalope Grill is located at 1245 SE Third St. in Bend, Oregon.

Odds and ends that have come across my email that I wanted to blog about.

• Heather Mezzetta sends in: "Bend Yoga is offering 20% off retail just for donating 2 canned food items at the studio. Donations will support NeighborImpact. We carry a nice selection from Jade, Breathe, lululemon and more."
• The All Around Bend book is out; it's currently at "Between the Covers, Paulina Springs Books (both redmond and sisters), the Deschutes Brewery tasting room, and [the] website's store (paypal). It will hopefully be at various outfitters, the visitor bureau, and other stores by May."
• Deschutes County issued a Cascade Lakes Highway road update: "As of April 22, access is limited. The Spring River Road (Forest Road 40) has been cleared to Cascade Lakes Highway (Forest Road 46). Forest Road 4270 has been cleared between Road 40 and 42. South Century Drive (Forest Road 42)has been cleared to Cascade Lakes Highway."

The guys over at 10 Barrel Brewing (formerly Wildfire and primarily served up at JC's) have a neat idea: behind-the-scenes video.

This video is the first in a series that gives a little insight into what we, as a small brewery in Bend, Oregon, go through on a daily basis.

You can view this first video here.

Busy lately, but I was able to post some items to the Twitter account. (Re-post, actually, since I was "retweeting" other people's tweets.) Reproducing here.

• Tomorrow (April 21st), there is a book release party for the new book, B is for Beer, at Between the Covers on the corner of Bond and Delaware. It's a beer-themed party, naturally, so when you buy the book, you get Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Starts at 6:30.
• Also tomorrow is Ben & Jerry's free cone day. From noon until 8pm, swing by the Old Mill District and score some free ice cream!

Here's a neat resource for you baseball fans: an enterprising reader has pulled the entire 2009 Bend Elks game schedule into an online calendar here. Carl says,

I'm planning on buying season tickets to the Bend Elks this season, and I thought I'd share with you an iCalendar file I created with the team's entire 2009 schedule. Anyone can view the calendar, and anyone using iCal, Google Calendar, or another calendar program that supports the .ics format can download or subscribe to it.

I'll see about pulling it into the Hack Bend Calendar, as well. Thanks Carl!

Silver Moon Brewing is the venue to be for live and local music these days. Tomorrow, April 15th, it's "Bend's newest eclectic jam-rock group Broken Down Guitars" will be playing starting at 7pm. Here's a blurb:

With powerhouse lead singer/ rhythm guitar player Stacie Johnson, A.J. Blum on lead electric guitar, Jamie Houghton on bass and David Potter on drums, Broken Down Guitars will perform original songs often inspired by local poet Jamie Houghton's award-winning lyrics. Broken Down Guitars has recently played to packed houses at The Bend Distillery Downtown Martini Bar and The M & J Tavern. Check out the band website at http://www.myspace.com/brokendownguitars.

No word on cost/cover charge. None?

Next week, April 21st, The Smile Ease out of Anchorage, Alaska, will be kicking off a 9pm show with a $5 cover. Their blurb:

We have been compared to The Shins, Broken Social Scene, and The Flaming Lips. In the last couple years, we have shared the stage with CAKE and the Mountain Goats, released our first album and toured the NW. This is our second tour and we are currently working on releasing our second album, which will be out in the fall. (www.thesmileease.com)

And, better late than never, I suppose, I have a calendar of Silver Moon music for the month of April (I know, I know, I'm lame for missing this the beginning of the month):

Submitted details for a workshop at Bend Yoga in a couple of weeks:

What :
Yoga for Peak Performance Workshop
Athletic performance enhanced by yoga and meditation
Cost: $20
When: Saturday, April 25 1:00 - 3:00PM
Where: Bend Yoga 155 NW Century Drive Suite 113
Contact: 541-322-9642 (YOGA) info@bend-yoga.com

Description:
There is much more to athletic performance than fitness level and well-practiced skills. To perform well the athlete must also prepare the mind and nervous system for the rigors of training and competition, as well as deal with the unbalanced musculoskeletal demands of sport-specific training.

Yoga is an ancient practice in calming the mind and opening the body. As a compliment to all other athletic pursuits it prepares the athlete for mental focus and the ability to relax under pressure. On the physical side, yoga better prepares the body to sustain impact and prevent against injury.

Designed for amateur and competitive athletes alike this challenging but restorative workshop presents yoga as a tool for stress management, relaxation, and mental focus, as well as providing an entertaining and engaging yoga workout. It is also perfect for coaches who want to help their athletes reach deeper states of relaxation and flexibility. Previous yoga experience is not necessary.

This came in as a press release but it sounds pretty cool. Sesquicentennial fun!

Westward Oregon! Celebrates Oregon’s 150th Birthday In May with 1859 Stagecoach Rides, Encampment and Dinner

In partnership with the Des Chutes Historical Museum and Bend Parks & Recreation, Deschutes County is proud to sponsor Oregon’s largest 150th birthday event. Westward Oregon! is a living history weekend to be held May 29 and 30 at Tillicum Ranch that includes 1859-era stagecoach rides, an encampment, and a pioneer-style dinner and dance that will take participants clear back to when the state was born!

The two-day celebration is designed to give local residents a flavor of what life was like in 1859 when Oregon became the 33rd state in the Union.

Westward Oregon will give participants exciting, hands-on experience of 1859 Oregon life through three educational and fun activities:

Territorial Express Stagecoach Rides
Traveling along historic roads between Sisters and Bend, participants can ride in a historic replica stagecoach and re-live travel 1859-style. Travel back in time and ride an authentic stagecoach through beautiful Deschutes County. Fares are $100 per passenger, $150 for “shotgun” seats. Seating is limited; please reserve your stagecoach passenger seats now.

Westward Oregon Encampment
For Deschutes County, permanent human settlement was nearly 30 years in the future. On both Friday (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) and Saturday (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), historic Tillicum Ranch will be transformed into a tent encampment, complete with re-enactors and demonstrators who will help participants experience what life was like in an 1859 encampment. Admission to the encampment will cost families of four only $15! Mingle with soldiers and townspeople, watch wheelwrights, coopers, blacksmiths, spinners, and tailors practicing their trades. Pet a cavalry horse and visit with the stagecoach drivers and their mules.

The 1859 Evening of Nostalgia
The dinner and dancing benefit event starts at 6:00 p.m. and will feature costumed re-enactors and the music from 1859! Come with your own posse dressed in the styles of the era. Evening of Nostalgia tickets are priced at $70 per person for non-Museum members and $60 for members, please call for table discount rates. Take a scenic wagon ride around the Tillicum Ranch encampment at dusk. A few of the silent auction items include tickets to this year’s Pendleton Round-Up, two tickets to Happy Canyon and the event’s Friday round-up-including RV parking.

Proceeds from Westward Oregon! will help to support the Des Chutes Historical Museum and their efforts to restore and record local history.

For more information about Westward Oregon! please call 389-1813 or visit
www.deschuteshistory.org.

I haven't paid enough attention in the past to see if this has happened before, but this Saturday (the 11th) are two different roller derby bouts—basically both leagues in town have a bout on the same night (different places). Which one to go see?

First up is the Lava City Roller Dolls, whose bout is at the Indoor Sports Center up north:

The Lava City Roller Dolls (LCRD) will be hosting a Home bout with the Smokin Ashes taking on Treasure Valley Roller Girls of Boise, Idaho. The action takes place at The Central Oregon Indoor Sports Center (COISC) on Saturday, April 11th, at 6 p.m. The Ashes are ready to “BURY THE TREASURE OF VICTORY” of those girls from Idaho! Roller Derby fans won’t want to miss a minute of the action!

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 at the Central Oregon Indoor Sports Center located at 20795 High Desert Lane, Bend
Doors open at 5:00 pm. Bout starts promptly at 6:00 p.m.
Advance Tickets for this event will be available on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Price: $10 advanced, $12 at the door, $6 seniors and children under 12, Kids 5 and under get in FREE!

Then, downtown at the Midtown Music Hall, we have the Renegade Rollergirls:

The first co-ed roller derby bout in Bend! The Renegade Rollergirls; Bend's only non-profit Roller Derby League, will hold their 6th bout of their 3rd season at Midtown Music Hall, located on Greenwood Ave. The Renegades all star team will be competing in an co-ed bouting event titled, The Rolling Rodeo, against the Spokane Outlawed Roller Derby travel team. This event will be the first co-ed roller derby bout to be played in Bend.

April 11, 2009. Doors open at 7 p.m., $10 for general admission, 10 and under are free. Presale tickets are available at Riverside Market, Aspect, or from your favorite rollergirl. Tickets are also available for purchased at the door beginning at 2pm the day of the event.

$10 either way, so it sounds like it could be a bit of a toss-up. Though the Renegades are a rougher bunch...

This is one of the more unusual events I've heard of, but it's definitely worth blogging about. If you're unhappy with the way the government has been handling the economy lately (among other things), this might be for you.

You've no doubt heard of the many Tea Party Rallies being held all across the country to protest the bailouts, wasteful spending, the corruption of earmarks, passing a record $700 expenditure bill without reading it, the rapid addition to our national debt (future bankruptcy?), the promised increase in taxes (re: cap & trade, the hidden tax) and the ramifications of all on our economy, job growth and unemployment. In addition, there is government ownership and control of private businesses on the horizon, and the promise of more massive spending and foolish government entitlement programs and amnesty to illegal immigrants, which are now costing the American taxpayer $350 billion a year.

So, a few of us are a little peeved and want Washington to Hear us.

A Tax Day Tea Party is planned for Bend to be held at Troy Park, next to McMenamins, on April 15th from 3:00 to 7:00. We invite all Central Oregonians to attend the rally, bring your tea bags, your signs, and your folding chairs for a good time with grassroots speeches, music, and a march through downtown. If you' like more information, let me know.

A bit more info can be found here.

All in the spirit of the Boston Tea Party, of course.

Yes, I'm behind on posting stuff, apologies. This press release is from two weeks ago, but still relevant.

The United Way of Deschutes County is seeking volunteer teams from area businesses as well as individuals to lend a hand during the 13th annual Days of Caring to be held May 29 & 30.

Days of Caring, the signature event of the United Way of Deschutes County, is a county-wide effort matching local businesses and individuals with non-profit agencies for a day of community service. Projects are scheduled during three different time periods—Friday morning, Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Volunteers can help repair and paint bicycles, build sandboxes for children, plant flowers and refresh landscaping, erect a swing set for a child care facility or apply a fresh coat of paint—to name a few projects scheduled for this year.

Keep reading

Just in case you missed it, the article ran in Saturday's Bulletin. The Old Mill Martini Bar is closed for the time being, until they can get a new OLCC license.

Apparently a "change of ownership" is the cause of the snafu, pending OLCC investigation. No word on when they'll open up again.

FootZone is organizing the first-ever "Larkspur Lollipop" Kid's Run and 10K coming up April 25th, which sounds like a neat event for a good cause: proceeds from the race are going to Family Access Network (FAN).

April 25th is a Saturday, and the 1.2-mile Kid's Fun Run will start at 8:45am, with the 10K road race beginning at 9, both starting from Larkspur Park. Larkspur is the big park next to the Bend Senior Center on Reed Market.

If you're interested in participating, download the PDF entry form from their website. Sign up by April 16th and fees are $10 for kids and $15 for adults; after that it's $15 and $20, respectively.

It's official: the Bulletin reports that Olive Garden has filed for their building permit for Bend. They plan to be located next to Staples and Michaels on the north side of town, in the big empty lot just southeast of them.

Of course, this only means they're still probably two years out from opening. And I can't remember if Olive Garden is relatively inexpensive or not, but I'll guess that they'll be pretty popular regardless.

I'm sure Johnny Carino's is thrilled.