The Redmond School Board accepted the resignation of board member Jim Diegel, effective June 30, 2006.  Diegel was appointed to the board in May 2003 to complete the term of Neil Thompson.  He served as vice chair for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years. "Jim has contributed tremendously to the work of the board during the last three years," said Chair Tim Carpenter. "Our discussions as a board have been enriched by his keen insights, good ... [full story]

Dear Jim: My family likes to be cool during the summer, but the electric bills kill my budget. What are the best ways to use ventilation to stay comfortable without using the air conditioner as much? - Michael A. Dear Michael: Proper ventilation can keep you feeling cooler and reduce your electric bills for air-conditioning. The actual air temperature in your home is not really important. What is important is how you feel. Human nature being ... [full story]

Dear Jim: I want to use filtered water to remove chlorine when bathing and showering. Installing a whole-house filtering system is expensive and seems wasteful. Is there any way to filter just the bath water? - Jerome H. Dear Jerome: When people think about filtering and purifying the water in their homes, they usually think about water used for drinking and cooking. Actually, the exposure to chemicals in water is also significant when hot water ... [full story]

Dear Jim: I like the idea of generating my own electricity with solar cells. I will save on electric bills and have electricity when the utility's power goes off. Are solar cells systems available for home use? - Ron H. Dear Ron: The proper term for solar cell systems which produce electricity is PV (photovoltaics). PV systems are available for providing electricity for homes and some homes use it exclusively. The silicon-based solar cells directly ... [full story]

Dear Jim: Our water bills are pretty high. We still have two old water-guzzling toilets which we like and they flush well. What can we do to them to save water instead of purchasing new efficient toilets? - Claudia H.    This shows a dual-flush kit installed in a clear toilet tank. Notice the instructions on the handle indicating which way to move the handle for more or less water. - Athena Controllable Flush   These are the actual ... [full story]

The Deschutes County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) has selected the 2006  “Big Chainring” Award recipients. Since 1996, the Big Chainring Awards have been awarded annually to honor individuals, businesses and public agencies that have made significant contributions in the support of better bicycling in Central Oregon. The awards were presented by BPAC Chair Bill Hilton June 4th, 2006 at 1:30pm during the Commute Options Fair at the Les Schwab Amphitheater. New this year ... [full story]

Jo Eva Lunsford had been relaxing on her patio Saturday, June 17, reading a book and thought nothing of having her garage and side door open.  It is what she regularly did when she was going back and forth from the garage to her home in southwest Bend.  “I went inside and headed back towards the bathroom,” Lunsford said.  “I saw this man’s hand on the door as he was closing it.” Lunsford said she doesn’t ... [full story]

BOISE - Today, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety issued the results of a study that demonstrates states with nighttime and passenger restrictions for teen drivers record significantly lower crash and injury rates than jurisdictions that do not. According to AAA, the state of Oregon recorded death and injury rates for 16-year-old drivers that are 20 percent lower than in a comparable jurisdiction without such restrictions. The restrictions are part of graduated driver licensing (GDL) laws ... [full story]

West Coast Collegiate Baseball League Bend Elks at Aloha Knights - Play-by-Play Jun 17, 2006 at Gresham, OR (Oslund Field) Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Bend Elks........... 100 010 210 - 5 11 3 Aloha Knights....... 000 240 00X - 6 9 0 ------------------------------------------- Bend Elks starters: 9/cf Rife; 34/1b Wentzell; 12/rf Desme; 14/3b Yates; ... [full story]

West Coast Collegiate Baseball League Bend Elks at Aloha Knights - Play-by-Play Jun 16, 2006 at Gresham, OR (Oslund Field) Score by Innings R H E ------------------------------------------- Bend Elks........... 000 000 001 - 1 6 1 Aloha Knights....... 220 030 00X - 7 8 0 ------------------------------------------- Bend Elks starters: 9/cf Rife; 2/2b Wong; 34/1b Wentzell; 14/3b ... [full story]