Hack Bend

New BendFilm series

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:55:53 PST

If you've ever wanted to participate in BendFilm but just didn't have the time or money (or whatever) to attend the annual local film festival, they're kicking off a new monthly series at McMenamins Old St. Francis School that will let you catch up.

(I missed posting this yesterday, it was the first day for this, sorry about that. Look for it again next month though.)

BendFilm is kicking off a new film series at McMenamins Old St. Frances School. It is called "Reel Indies". Doors open at 6:00 and films begin screening at 6:30 pm. Tickets cost $6.00 for BendFilm members and $7.00 for the general public. This will be a monthly series screening in both Sisters (at the Sisters Movie House) and in Bend. For more information, please contact BendFilm at 541.388.FEST or email info@bendfilm.org

Press Release: Free Document Shredding Event & Food Drive Set for Saturday, March 20

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:39:39 PST

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and Data Delete of Oregon are collaborating March 20, to provide residents the opportunity to safely destroy personal documents and learn identity theft prevention tips. At the event, the Sheriff’s Office will also have a deputy available to collect outdated or unwanted prescription medication or over-the-counter drugs.

Data Delete of Oregon will be offering on-site document destruction at no cost to the public Saturday March 20. The event will take place at the Bend Sheriff’s Office parking lot, 63333 W Hwy 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

NEW this year: The Sheriff’s Office is asking event participants to consider bringing a donation of non-perishable food to benefit Neighbor Impact (www.neighborimpact.org). A Neighbor Impact representative will be at the event to collect food items and to answer questions about the organization.

The drug disposal program is designed to keep unwanted or unused medications away from abusers, children and animals. The program is also intended to reduce negative environmental impact by using proper disposal practices.

“We want to make Deschutes County citizens aware of the risks of improper document and drug disposal while helping local families at need in the community,” said Sheriff Larry Blanton.

The event is intended for private residential document shredding and drug disposal, not for business or company disposal. At the event, the Sheriff’s Office will also have an information booth to provide citizens with the information on how to avoid becoming an identity theft victim and what to do if you believe your identity has already been stolen.

No advance document sorting is necessary as shredding equipment can destroy paperwork with paper clips or staples attached. File folders and binders may also be shredded.

The Sheriff’s Office will continue its efforts of providing this service on a quarterly basis at Sheriff’s Offices in Sisters, Terrebonne and La Pine.

RIP KOHD

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 09:47:08 PST

As of yesterday, KOHD news is no more.

The first story I saw about it was this one Thursday evening, twittered by KTVZ's Nina Mehlhaf.

Employees at the ABC affiliate were informed this morning [Thursday] that the station will become a Bend bureau for KEZI, Chambers Communications' sister station in Eugene. Bend employees will then create local packages for KEZI-produced Bend cut-ins.

Their last locally-produced newscast was last night at 11pm.

Yesterday morning KOHD posted their official notice/letter on their Facebook page:

Unfortunately, KOHD News viewer’s habits are not reflected positively in Nielson ratings. Factor in the dramatic impact of the economic conditions since The Great Depression, we now are taking the next logical step and changing our news product that better matches the current trend of how people get their news.

The result, after careful thought and review, KOHD-TV has made the decision to discontinue the station’s current schedule of news programming. KOHD will air its last regularly scheduled newscast in its current form at 11 PM on March 5th.. However, a news team will remain at KOHD, providing solid local coverage for the Bend market with news and weather updates – both on-air and online – throughout the day. These updates will air more frequently than the current long form shows, including reports every half hour in the morning, weather updates every hour during the day, and news updates again in the evening at 5, 6 and 7pm. At 11pm there will be a 10 minute broadcast that will give viewers all the day's local news, weather and sports.

It's unfortunate that this (once again) gives KTVZ a virtual monopoly on local TV. I think KTVZ upped their quality when they had serious competition, despite the sometimes painful-to-watch efforts of their newcomers, but I remember back before KOHD (and Fox) offered any alternatives, KTVZ was really frustrating: such is the quality of the lone TV station in a small market.

Is Bend/Central Oregon large enough to support more than one local TV station/news program? Obviously three years ago we all thought so, but now the answer apparently appears to be "no." Which sucks.

First Friday

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:00:00 PST

It's the first Friday of March, so downtown Bend, the Old Mill District, and Northwest Crossing are hosting their monthly First Friday Art Walk. Art galleries and businesses will be open from 5 until 9pm (or later), many offering music and refreshments also. Here's the details I have on the calendar:

The streets of Bend fill with art patrons on the first Friday of every month as art galleries in Downtown Bend, the Old Mill District, and Northwest Crossing stay open late with receptions for guest artists and special presentations of new exhibits.

In addition, the First Friday experience also includes musical performances and refreshments at selected galleries. 5-9pm.

Catch the free shuttle driven by Bend's own John Flannery of Green Energy Transport to take you from downtown Bend to the Old Mill District and Northwest Crossing to celebrate wine, art & music all over Bend. The shuttle runs from 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. and leaves from 900 Wall St. beginning at 5 p.m. The loop is about an hour and is free for riders.

The Downtown Bend site has a good guide for the various businesses that are participating tonight—check it out and plan your night around it.

Press Release: 2010 High Desert BMX racing season begins

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:38:56 PST

Season runs from March 20th through October

The High Desert BMX is a local non-profit organization located in Bend, Oregon at Big Sky Park. BMX racing is an all age family oriented sport that competes on local, state, and national levels. Training and race events are held several times per week. Our goal is to provide a safe, structured and positive place for families and community to learn and compete in BMX athletics.
One day free trial memberships are offered and loaner gear is available.
Annual membership in the American Bicycle Association is required thereafter.
For more information, please check out our web site www.highdesertbmx.org

WHEN:
Opening day Saturday March 20th registration and practice 12:00-2:00. Races begin ASAP
Mondays and Wednesdays beginning March 22nd- August; registration and practice 5:30-6:30. Races begin ASAP
September and October times TBA

WHERE:
Big Sky Park and Sports Complex located at 21690 Neff Rd Bend , Oregon 97701

ABOUT:
HDBMX is a non profit organization run entirely by volunteers. The organization is creating partnerships with other local groups to promote this healthy and enriching hobby. Our efforts reflect what is happening in many communities. The number of BMX racers around the world has steadily grown and the hobbyists and professionals have created an exciting culture. BMX racing has even become the newest Olympic sport. Anyone interested in learning more is invited to contact High Desert BMX

ACTIVISM:
High Desert BMX participates annually in local community coat drive, canned food drive and Toy drive fundraisers. Also HDBMX raises funds for the Leukemia research in a “Race for Life” event.

Silver Moon's March calendar

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:00:00 PST

Silver Moon kicks off their March music calendar with tonight's non-musical show: the Volcanic Theatre presentation of David Mamet's "Bobby Gould in Hell", a one-act play. The doors open for that show at 7pm tonight, and unless you pre-bought tickets for the $7 price (via bendticket.com), the cost is $10 at the door.

Here's their full March calendar:

Day	Band/event	Time	Cost
2nd	Volcanic Theatre- Bobby Gould in Hell	8pm	$7/$10
3rd	Lynx and Janover	8pm	$7
5th	Tony Smiley	9pm	$5
6th	Tone Red	9pm	$5
9th	Open Mic with Tall Adam	8pm	Free
10th	Bend Poetry Slam	8pm	$5
11th	Peace of Mind Orchestra	8pm	$5
12th	One Horse Shy CD Release	9pm	$5
13th	Blind Citizens/ Manifest Destiny (two acts featuring local poets/spoken word artists)	9pm	$5
14th	2nd Annual Jim Jam in Remembrance of Jim Witty	1-4pm
17th	Mark Ransom and The Mostest	8pm	$5
18th	Great American Taxi Smokestack and The Foothill Fury	8pm	$10
20th	Nettle Honey/ Mai from Moon Mountain	9pm
21st	John Cruz	7pm	$15/$17
24th	HERstory Open Mic In celebration of Women’s History Month, proceeds benefit Human Dignity Coalition	7pm	$5
25th	10 Foot Tall and 80 Proof	8pm	$5
26th	Disco Organica	9pm	$5
27th	Gary Fulkerson CD Release	9pm	tbd
28th	2010 Roller Rumble Race Series (new event, six consecutive Sundays!)	7pm	$5
31st	Elephant Revival	8pm	$7

Kohl's

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:26:02 PST

Kohl's is opening this week to much fanfare—actually, they opened yesterday, but their Grand Opening celebration is this Wednesday, the 3rd, according to the Bulletin. (According to the Kohl's website, the Bend Grand Opening is the 24th.)

This is one of those places, like Olive Garden, that a lot of people are excited about; certainly the construction over the past few months behind the Bend River Promenade (right next to the Parkway) has been highly visible and kept it fresh in people's minds.

But I can't help but think about Gottschalks all over again; and we all saw how that turned out. (The Bulletin mentions this too, and points out that Kohl's has actually been profitable during this recession.)

What do you all think? Excited, or blasé?

If you go, Kohl's hours are 8am to 10pm Monday through Saturday, and 9 to 9 Sunday.

Bend Brewing turns 15!

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:07:08 PST

I almost missed this by my wife spotted the news on the Downtown Bend site: Bend Brewing Company is turning 15 this month and this Saturday (February 27th) they're having their 15th anniversary party!

Here's the skinny from the Downtowners:

Saturday, February 27th marks the fifteenth anniversary of the BBC. The anniversary party will last all day, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with half-priced appetizers and $2.50 pints of beer, both of which will be served until closing time that evening.

From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., visit the BBC Garage Sale. Miscellaneous merchandise, including shirts, hats, pint glasses and more, will be offered at very good prices. Guests will also have the opportunity to win tons of great raffle prizes from 5 to 10 p.m.

From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., enjoy live music on the patio from The Buck Rodgers Band, known far and wide for their progressive alt rock with a twist of psycho-billy and infused psychedelic jams. Fire pits will keep revelers warm as they boogie, and a server will be on hand to ensure crowds are adequately fed and watered.

I bolded the best parts. It's gonna be epic. Who's going to be there?

Congrats BBC!

Ignite Bend 4 - Thursday the 25th

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:41:25 PST

Depending on when you are reading this, either tomorrow or today is Ignite Bend 4. I don't know how this slipped completely under my radar, but Ignite is definitely something cool you'll want to see—either in person at the Tower Theatre or via live webcast.

Here's the meat of the press release:

Tower Theatre ‐ Bend, OR
February 25, 2010 ‐ 7pm (Doors open at 6:30pm)

Ignite Bend 4 will be webcast live thanks to our multimedia partner, Pinnacle Media. Presentations may also be selected for inclusion in the O’Reilly “Ignite Show” which highlights a different talk from Ignite events around the world for weekly broadcast at their site.
ABOUT IGNITE BEND – If you had five minutes on stage what would you say? What if you only got 20 PowerPoint slides and they rotated automatically every 15 seconds? Around the world people have been putting together “Ignite” nights to share their answers. Visit the Ignite Bend website to find out more about local events.

And here's the schedule of speakers:

Kevin Smyth – What is Ignite?
Michelle Goodin – 143 Species in 4 Days (or something like that)
Ethan Maffey – 100 Live in 2009
Meri Glade – Stories from the Camera Phone of a Technomad
Nick Reese – “Try Not To Die”: Advice on Completing Your First Triathlon

Intermission: 30 minutes (Kousefly)

Jeff Browning – Ultramarathons
Janette Sherman – I wish my life was a musical
Paul Arney – 6 months in 901 words, a poem.
Shannon Hinderberger – Vacationing Nebraska Style
Justin Iverson – Dr. Strangecoop or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Egg
Paul Evers – Conviction

Admission is free but: "Tickets are still available here: http://ib4.eventbrite.com. Reserving an advance ticket is the best way to guarantee admission to what we hope will be a full house."

Beer news

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:29:45 PST

Couple of beer-related items kicking off today.

First, McMenamins is having their last-Wednesday-of-the-month Limited Release beer tasting tonight, starting at 5pm:

Bring all your beer-minded friends out to try a specially released beer, with pints selling at Happy Hour prices all night long (or 'til the keg is kicked!).

"Admission" is free though you'll still pay for the beer, of course.

Also today is the grand opening of 10 Barrel Brewing's new westside brewpub, over on Galveston. The Bulletin has a short writeup today, with a few details:

The pub will open at 11 a.m. daily and will serve 10 different 10 Barrel beers, plus a full menu of pizzas, burgers, salads and more. The 3,000-square-foot building has an 80-person capacity, as well as four large garage doors that will be opened when the weather permits, said co-partner Garrett Wales.

The new pub's address is 1135 NW Galveston, in the former DiLusso Bakery building.

Bend on Wikitravel; Shoji's

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:17:32 PST

I was browsing the Bend page on Wikitravel (ever checked out Wikitravel? It's basically Wikipedia for travel guides) and though I was expecting something pretty sparse, there's actually more detail there that touches on some decent points.

(Though it could really use a good editorial hand going over it.)

But I will give credit to the fact that it revealed something that I don't think I already knew (or if I did, I didn't blog about it): Shoji's is closed. The Japanese flair restaurant that was over by Shopko closed last summer (confirmation from the Bulletin).

Odd place to get restaurant news; you'd think if something was closed it wouldn't still be on the wiki page.

Cascade Winds: From Russia With Love

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 23:30:14 PST

Even though the upcoming Cascade Winds Symphonic Band's winter concert sounds like a James Bond movie, in reality it "will feature important literature either about Russia, or from famous Russia composers." Don't be dissuaded by that, though; the (always) free concert is coming up on Sunday, March 7th, at the Summit High School Auditorium.

The Cascade Winds Symphonic Band will present the second concert of their 2009-2010 season, From Russia With Love, under the baton of music director Dan Judd, March 7, 2:00 p.m. at Summit High School auditorium. Featured soloist is Dr. Mark Babbitt, trombone professor at Central Washington University. The concert is free, although donations are gratefully accepted, open to the public and suitable for all ages. For more information visit www.cascadewinds.org or call 593-1635. Summit High School is located at 2855 NW Clearwater Drive, Bend.

Of course, now I have the theme song to that Bond movie stuck in my head.

Hat tip to Jake.

Wednesday night music

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:46:44 PST

Every Wednesday McMenamins offers up free music starting at 7pm; tonight they are featuring Blue Turtle Seduction as part of their "Great Northwest Music Tour."

This five-piece rock / bluegrass / reggae / hip-hop hybrid from South Lake Tahoe, CA, captures the upbeat party vibe and jovial ambiance of their hometown, and hits the Pacific NW in support of their latest work, 13 Floors.

It's all ages as well, so you don't have to worry about leaving the kids with a sitter if you're heading down to check it out.

Over at Silver Moon, they are featuring Wayne Newcome and Problem Stick, starting tonight at 8pm. Cover is $5 and the show starts at 8pm. Unless they otherwise specify (and they haven't), assume the Silver Moon shows are not all ages.

Silver Moon Theater

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:27:43 PST

Silver Moon Brewing is not only one of the music hotspots of Bend, they're even moving into theater now. I got this email about it, which I think is interesting:

I'm excited to announce that Volcanic Theatre and The Actors Realm will be launching its first production, “Bobby Gould in Hell” by David Mamet at Silver Moon Brewing on Tuesday, March 2nd at 8pm.

Beer Theatre is an exciting new concept that brings live theatre to audiences and alcohol induced revelers. The short one-act plays are often thought provoking and always funny. The first show Bobby Gould in Hell begins when a misogynistic narcissist wakes up in Hell to be interrogated by the Devil himself. The Devil, who would rather be fishing, attempts to convince Bobby that he has been indeed a ‘Bad Man.’ The lunacy continues when The Devil and his Assistant bring a woman ‘down’ as an eye witness to attest to Bobby’s ‘acts of a bad man.’ Mamet’s razor sharp dialogue is blazingly original and on occasion profane, but ultimately is exactly what you’d expect from the Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright: Very Smart. Bobby Gould in Hell is the ideal play to begin Volcanic Theatre’s quest to thrill audiences all over Oregon and bring live intimate theatre to bar patrons and audiences alike.

Pre-sale tickets $7 at www.bendticket.com. $10 at the door. Doors open at 7PM.

Small-cast, one-act plays could work well in their more intimate venue, I think.

Weekend happenings

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:22:41 PST

A bunch of stuff going on this holiday weekend.

Saturday

WinterFest of course continues at the Old Mill District, from 11am until 10pm with a schedule full of events:
- 11:30am: High School Cross Country Ski Sprint Races
- 2pm: Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe demos
- 5pm: The U.S. Cellular Rail Jam – Snowboard Competition
- 5:30pm: The Dirty Words live on stage
- 7pm: Brynna Dean and Her Sympathetic Strings live on stage
- 8:30pm: Hell's Belles live on stage
Ruff Wear is holding a Demo (Sample) Sale from 2 to 4pm: "Ruff Wear Demo and Used Gear Sale - Get your Ruff Wear gear for up to 70% off. We will be selling used, sample and returned gear at major discount. Proceeds to benefit COTA (Central Oregon Trail Alliance)." Cash only sale, and all sales are final.
Also starting at 2pm is the Central Oregon Symphony Children's Concert being held at the Bend High School Auditorium—this show is completely free and will be fun and interactive for kids (recommended for ages 5 and older).
Silver Moon Brewing is hosting a WinterFest afterparty starting at 9pm, featuring Brynna Dean and her Sympathetic Strings (who also plays WF at 7pm). Cost is $3 to get in if you have a WinterFest button, $5 otherwise.
Saturday is also Zwickelmania, a free Oregon beer celebration hosted by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Our local breweries are participating with free tours (roughly scheduled from 11 to 4) and have some specials planned:
- Deschutes Brewery will have samples of 2009 Super Jubel available in the tasting room (along with tours).
- Bend Brewing is featuring a special tour of the brewhouse and they should have their award-winning HopHead and Outback X on tap.
- McMenamins Old St. Francis School is featuring their "1000 Mile Journey Baltic Porter, the 1000th batch brewed on site at St. Francis".
- Silver Moon Brewing will be holding tours and I just got an email saying, "To celebrate Valentine's Day, [the brewers] have put together a half barrel of Chocolate Snake Bite Porter, and it is due to be tapped around 12 noon today."
- 10 Barrel, Cascade Lakes, and Three Creeks will all be doing tours, as well.

Sunday

More WinterFest from 11am to 6pm, including:
- 1 to 2pm: The Sled Dawg Races (for humans)
- 1, 3, and 5pm: Metal Mulisha (motocross)
Valentine's Day at the Blacksmith, mixing up aphrodisiac cocktails with Columbine starting at 1pm. ($25)
Montana Slim String Band plays Silver Moon Brewing at 7pm. Cover is $8, or 2 for $15.