While the housing market in other parts of the country is cooling down, real estate is reeling in Bend. According to new numbers from the government, the Bend area jumped to No. 6 in year-to-year housing for the first quarter of 2006, coming in at 34.7 percent. Bend’s 7 percent increase actually topped the nation’s hottest market, St. George, Utah in year-to-year figures.  The numbers are not based on Bend alone.  Since all of Deschutes ... [full story]

What better way to celebrate a Saturday than to take a big ole’ bite out of Bend.  that’s right, load the family up and head down to The Shops at the Old Mill for the 4th annual Bite of Bend. The event is free and takes place from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.  The food, spirits and entertainment are not to be missed according to Heidi Berkman, the special events coordinator for The Shops at ... [full story]

Marda Stoliar’s life is one of international intrigue.  A native Oregonian, she has seen all corners of the world and brought back to Bend the secret recipe to a happy, successful and fulfilling life. At age 65, the former model, high-end shoe designer and manufacturer; has become a highly sought after culinary advisor to individuals and businesses all over the world as the director and chief instructor of the International School of Baking.  While her ... [full story]

As a resident of Bend for a little less than a year, I've found that more than any other place I've lived - Oregonian's love their dogs.  They're everywhere.  Downtown.  At the shopping centers.  In the parks.  In homeowner's yards.  You can't drive down Highway 97 without passing a dozen or so vehicles with someone's pet happily staring out the window.  But unfortunately they are everywhere - unleashed.  I am a dog owner, also, and I ... [full story]

Ever since he began equipping gyms with the revolutionary Lifecycle, Augie Nieto has been one of those big wheels of business who keep the fitness world spinning. But as he clings to his life by the most fragile of threads, struggling to comprehend a fatal muscle-wasting disease, a more profound legacy is taking shape Nieto, 48, is at the forefront of a fundraising tsunami that's attacking ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) ... [full story]

Oregon’s Employment Situation: May 2006   Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in May was essentially unchanged at 5.6 percent, from 5.5 percent in April. The state’s unemployment rate has been stable this year, with the rate staying between 5.3 percent and 5.6 percent for the first five months of the year. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in May, about the same as the 4.7 percent reading in April, and at its lowest level since July 2001 ... [full story]

Festivities Take Place Amid Exciting Airfield Changes At this year’s Bend Airport Day there are more reasons to celebrate.  There has been a whirlwind of changes making the airfield experience better than ever. Saturday, June 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. the airport will be celebrating 64 years of service to Bend and a lot of big changes. “We are at a pretty significant level of expansion at the airport,” said Greg Phillips, the airport ... [full story]

With over 70,000 residents in Bend, it is no surprise that there has been an outcry from the community for public transportation.  It is an issue that has become more prevalent as gas prices rise and the city continues to grow. After facing heavy criticism in the past for not offering a transit system to keep up with the cities rapid growth; the city council met on June 5 giving the okay for work to ... [full story]

BEND CITY POLICE BLOTTER 5/31. A teenager reported the theft of handlebars, rims, and tires from his bicycle. The parts were found on another bicycle, but nobody in the surrounding area would claim the bike with the suspected stolen parts. Officers took the unclaimed bike for safekeeping. 6/1. Officers received permission to enter a residence from the roommate of a man found to be in violation of probation. Subject locked himself in the bathroom refusing to ... [full story]

The Cascade Winds Symphonic Band presented its spring concert at the Tower Theatre in Bend, Oregon on June 12, 2006.  The suggested price of admission was a donation of canned food.  Contributions from audience members netted 330 pounds of food for Central Oregon Community Action Agency Network (COCAAN), the Regional Food Bank serving Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson Counties.  The concert presented works by Rimsky-Korsakov, George Gershwin, Harry DeCosta and others.  Future concerts are scheduled for ... [full story]