Dear Jim: Our wood deck gets hot, almost too warm to be comfortable, in the summer sun. It seems to make adjacent rooms hotter. I am also tired of the maintenance. What decking options do I have to keep it cooler? -Ron H. Dear Ron: An old dark discolored deck can become comfortably warm in the summer. This heat will reradiate in through windows and make your house walls warmer. If the prevailing breezes are ... [full story]

Being a first-timer to the chocolate fountain, I was a little nervous. For those unfamiliar with the latest party phenomena, a chocolate fountain is basically a fondue pot engineered to explode like a volcano. Chocolate shoots up through a center pipe, then cascades down in three tiers, or “curtains of chocolate” as the professionals call them. Actually, I was perfectly relaxed about the whole chocolate fountain experience until the hostess began giving instructions. There are always two ... [full story]

Well, the good news is the President has finally come up with an immigration policy. The bad news is nobody can figure out what it is yet, but hey, give the man his props; he gave it a shot. Sensing what could be called a somewhat dissatisfied electorate in the same way a 13 acre glacier might be referred to as an ice cube, he delivered his long awaited speech on immigration and uncharacteristically revealed ... [full story]

"The Da Vinci Code" Anagrams being an oft-used device in this bloodless tale of bloodlines, rose lines and poorly-scripted flatlines, the urge to join in was too great to resist.  Unwittingly (and that's part of the film's problem), the letters of "The Da Vinci Code" ("DC") spell out its own secret warning - DC: Avoid it Hence. For the three of you who have been stuck in some sarcophagus since the international bestseller of the ... [full story]

BEND CITY POLICE BLOTTER A woman was arrested after her two-year-old child was found wandering near her residence unsupervised.  Suspect was found sleeping on her couch and was in possession of methamphetamine. 5/19/06 Four teenage boys were found to be in possession and use of firecrackers in a residential area near Madison & Hollowtree.  5/19/06 A Bend man was arrested for driving while under the influence of intoxicants.  He was leaving K.O.’s south when stopped, and during his ... [full story]

Basketball:May 25th, ThursdayThe Central Oregon Hotshots defeated the Portland Chinooks 132-123 in overtime during their last game of the season.  Baseball:May 24th, WednesdayIn the State Baseball Playoffs, Class 4A Redmond beat Sheldon 5•4 and Class 3A Madras won over McLoughlin 9-2. The Bend Lava Bears lost to the West Linn Lions 7-6. Softball:In the State Softball Playoffs of Wednesday, May 24th, Class 3A South Umpqua beat Madras 6-5 and Class 2A-1A Vernonia whipped Culver 5-0. Golf:Ron Hegge got a ... [full story]

The key to a good putting stroke is keeping the wrists solid and still.  But that can be easier said than done.  A friend of mine used to be way too ÒwristyÓ in his putting stroke but now his wrists stay completely solid throughout his entire stroke, making him a much more consistent putter.  He told me the following drill helped him a lot: ·         Set up to your ball as you would for a regular ... [full story]

This is a time of year - with the NBA and NHL playoffs in high gear - when role players and unlikely heroes can make pivotal contributions to championship efforts. With that in mind, we have compiled our list of 10 of the most unlikely sports heroes - athletes who made names for themselves based almost exclusively on putting forth their best efforts on the biggest stages. These are athletes who have come from out ... [full story]

David Salazar, a first-generation Colombian-American, is one of a growing number of Hispanics taking their places in the small-business ranks. Culturati Research, a marketing-research firm he co-founded in San Diego two years ago, earns $2 million a year providing Procter & Gamble, Nestle and other companies with marketing data on the booming Hispanic marketplace. "There are so many business opportunities out there. ... You just have to get your hands dirty," said Salazar, 29. The ranks of Hispanic-owned ... [full story]

The world separating Carl Durrenberger and William Swanson couldn't be wider. Durrenberger, 29, is a chemical engineer and market developer for Hewlett-Packard's ink jet printer division in San Diego. Swanson, 57, is chief executive of Raytheon Co., a defense contractor based in the Boston suburb of Waltham with annual sales of $22 billion. But their paths collided in a burst of national headlines recently after Durrenberger revealed on his Web log, or blog, that a collection of ... [full story]