Plan Set to Move Forward Pending Funding, Scheduling Issues Drive down Reed Market Road during five o’clock traffic and there is no question that the major thoroughfare is in need of some major improvements.  What was in question at the Bend City Council meeting June 21 is how the city will pay for the much needed updates. City staff and consultants from Parametrix and Otak have been working for a year to come up with both ... [full story]

Governor Ted Kulongoski announced that the Oregon State Police will go online today with a new website which publishes information regarding dangerous sex offenders residing in Oregon. The site was established in accordance with HR 3486 in order to provide information such as name, address, physical descriptions, pictures and conditions of release regarding high risk offenders.    http://sexoffenders.oregon.gov/“This new website http://sexoffenders.oregon.gov/ will give Oregonians information about the most predatory sex offenders in their communities,” said Governor Kulongoski. ... [full story]

One of the rituals of buying a house or refinancing a mortgage is signing a stack of paperwork. The time it takes to slog through these documents can seem interminable, but can you imagine how time-consuming the process would be if you actually read the stuff you were signing? My husband and I are as guilty as probably the rest of you. In the past, when a notary has shoved papers across our dining room ... [full story]

Long to celebrate the holidays of yesteryear?  Then grab the kids and head to downtown Bend for the Original Old-Fashioned July 4th Festival in Drake Park. From a pancake breakfast to heart runs to marching in a parade with your pet, there is patriotic fun to be had for everyone. Spark Your Heart Get the old heart pumping with an early morning 5K walk or run at 8:30 a.m. on July 4 at Troy Field.  ... [full story]

When you get an invitation to a summer wedding, the heat is on. The burning question? What am I going to wear? (No, not "do I really have to go to this?" Of course you do!) "You put away what you really think and dress to repress. Er, respect," says Kimberly Bonnell, author of "What to Wear: A Style Handbook" (St. Martin's Griffin; $12.95), and an online style pro. After all, most couples getting married ... [full story]

When Boston visitors book the Onyx Hotel's Go Fish Package, they get the opportunity to visit the New England Aquarium, one of Boston's main attractions and home to a vast array of marine life.   MYRTLE THE TURTLE - The New England Aquarium is home to Myrtle the turtle who has been a popular attraction for more than 35 years. CNS Photo courtesy of New England Aquarium. Be sure to watch the sharks at feeding time inside the ... [full story]

Chris Basserman’s letter to the editor (June 22 issue) complaining about trailer park residents being compensated when they’re evicted made me mad enough to respond. Basserman thinks that because he wasn’t paid when his apartment building was torn down to make way for condos, that displaced trailer park residents should be treated bad. He should have some compassion for these people. Many (like me, age 73) are elderly. Many (like me, with my SSI) have ... [full story]

What an enchanting story about an amazing women who has truly seen the world and come back home again! Thanks for writing such an informative and feel good story about Marda Stoliar! It made me smile inside! I read all your articles K. Guice, and they are top notch! - Alisa, Bend  [full story]

The hybridization of a gasoline engine is a wonderful thing. Especially when it's pushing more than 300 horsepower in a sport sedan built to take it. Hybrids, combining an electric motor and battery pack with a gasoline engine, are heralded for their fuel economy and substantial reduction in tailpipe emissions.   Lexus GS 450h Sedan But the system also brings a stunning boost in horsepower when applied to larger engines, such as that in the Lexus GS 450h ... [full story]

Here’s the dilemma: you want to hike and you want to fish, but many of the area’s rivers are flowing high and many of the trails in the high country are still muddy or under snow. What do you do? The answer is the Metolius River. The natural beauty and the geologic history keep drawing me back to the Metolius. My favorite hike is from Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery up to Canyon Creek, a five-mile ... [full story]