Category: Local Stories

▶️ Spoken Moto building moved to its new home

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March 20, 2023

Spoken Moto — the building — is in a new location.

The building for the popular coffee, motorcycle and hangout spot was moved in the middle of the night Saturday from its old location near the Box Factory to Bend’s Central District.

After cutting off the bottom four feet of the building and hoisting it onto a truck, it was on the move.

Work now begins to prepare it for a summer opening across from the BottleDrop.

Plans for the new location include an outdoor area for live music, a farmers market and food trucks.

RELATED: Spoken Moto building move keeps its history, opens door to expansion

▶️ Bend teacher nominated for national award develops students’ research skills

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March 20, 2023

After years of collegiate study and teaching that has taken her from prestigious Cornell University to the Cascades, Megan Kruer found her calling at a local middle school. And now she is reaping the rewards with a state nomination for a national award for her work at Seven Peaks School in Bend.

Walk inside Kruer’s 7th-8th grade classroom and you’d see things you might expect: Desks and laptops — and even a fluffy class pet bunny. But Kruer’s style as a language and literature teacher is anything but average.

“I am a researcher at heart. I think that that factors in a lot,” Kruer said.

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The Oregon Historical Society honored Kruer last week with a nomination for the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award — the result of her work with students for the Oregon History Day contest. It’s a chance for students to submit papers, exhibits, documentaries and more about a historical event.

“I really emphasize in independent research skills for my students and learning how to navigate databases is how to find primary sources. Those are things that I think my expertise and experience just make me really comfortable doing,” Kruer said.

Research has been a theme throughout her education from an undergraduate degree in comparative literature and French to a doctorate in romance studies and French literature at Cornell.

Seven Peaks School’s international baccalaureate status drew her to the middle school classroom after 10 years teaching college.

“So really, you know, taking away some of the expectations around the things that are supposed to be taught in school and just leaning in a little bit more, especially in middle school, with what the students are excited to learn about,” Kruer said.

The age group might be different, but the essentials are the same.

“I think post-COVID resilience is something students really need and projects like National History Day and Oregon History History Day teach that. So they learn that even though they hit a hurdle and they can’t find a source if they keep pushing or seek help, they can probably get there. So that experience, for me, is way more important than all the things they learn about inoculation or the westward expansion,” Kruer said.

Kruer will be put against nominees from other states in June for a chance at the top prize and $10,000.

▶️ Bend low-income e-bike rebate lottery applications open

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March 20, 2023

The City of Bend opened applications Monday to provide a $2,000 instant rebate for up to 75 qualifying, low-income households toward the purchase of an e-bike. The money was made available through a $150,000 mobility grant from Pacific Power last fall.

Applications can be found at this link or at www.commuteoptions.org/ebikes. 

To qualify, applicants must make 80% of the area median income or less. That’s $50,350/year for a single-person household, $57,550/year for a two-person household or $71,900/year for a four-person household. They must also be Pacific Power customers. 

RELATED: Oregon EV rebate program to be suspended May 1

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The rebates will be awarded through a lottery process. The lotteries will happen April 17, May 1 and May 15. 

Applications will be open through May 12. It’s suggested that people apply early because if they are not selected through the first or second drawing, the city says those applications will be moved forward to the next drawing.

If a person wins the lottery, they will be able to visit a participating retailer and the $2,000 will automatically be taken off the purchase price at the point of sale. The rebate can also be used towards bike safety equipment.

More than 200 show up for Deschutes Co. shred event

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March 20, 2023

Final numbers are in on last weekend’s Deschutes County shred event. 

Residents had a chance to drop off documents for shredding, get rid of old medications and to properly and respectfully dispose of old, tattered American flags.

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said 210 cars rolled through during the two-hour event. 

RELATED: Free Deschutes Co. shredding, medication and flag disposal event Saturday in Bend

People dropped off 60 different kinds of medication and 44 flags.

Others donated food and cash for a local food bank.

DCSO and Republic Services will be holding more shred events on the following dates from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

  • May 20th, La Pine: 51340 US-97, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office sub-station, La Pine 
  • July 22nd, Sisters: 703 N Larch Street, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Sisters 
  • September 16th, Terrebonne: Terrebonne Elementary School at 1199 B Avenue 

People who show up are asked to limit their documents to no more than four boxes. If you have more, you’re asked to call Republic Services at 541-352-2263 to determine how to dispose of your items.  

DCSO says it can take paper clips and staples but cannot take plastic bags or three ring binders.

Medications accepted are prescription, patches, ointments, over the counter, vitamins, samples, and medications for pets. No sharps, thermometers or inhalers are allowed.

La Pine temporary library opening Tuesday

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March 20, 2023

The Deschutes Public Library is opening a temporary La Pine location Tuesday morning.

The location across the parking lot from the actual La Pine Library will open at 10:00 a.m.

The main library is undergoing renovation and is expected to reopen in the fall. Updates to the La Pine Library include bright and open spaces that welcome customers with amenities such as flexible meeting and tutoring rooms, an enhanced children’s discovery space, improved lighting, a cozy fireplace and reading area and a large community gathering space.

The upgrades are being made possible by a November 2020 bond measure approved by voters.

RELATED: New Bend Stevens Ranch Library designs, concepts revealed at public meeting

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▶️ Get Outside: Sisters Trail Alliance

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March 20, 2023

They’re the ones helping keeping the trails safe for you to explore.

Recently, they’ve been in the news for people vandalizing their signage out on the trails.

These folks put in thousands of hours of volunteer work to help keep us active and enjoying nature in Sisters country.

Emily Kirk got to meet up with the Sisters Trail Alliance to hear about their efforts.

RELATED: Sisters trail post vandalism suspects spotted on Forest Service camera

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RELATED: Get Outside: Leading Edge Flight Academy

 

 

▶️ Bend HS open house Wednesday to show off new campus renderings

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March 20, 2023

Thanks to a bond measure passed last year, Bend Senior High School is getting a new modern look.

Renderings of the new campus have been drawn by BBT architects.

On Wednesday March 22, school officials and architects will present the designs to the public. Community members, family members, and alumni are all invited to review the drafted designs.

“Community voice is important in this process and there will be additional opportunities for input from staff, students, families and community members on the project,” said Dr. Steven Cook, Superintendent of Bend-La Pine Schools. 

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The meeting will take place in Bend High’s Perseverance Hall from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The first hour will be a presentation by the architects and the second half is for questions and answers. 

Groundbreaking for the new campus is scheduled for summer of 2024. 

 

▶️ Milky water in La Pine blamed on ‘abundance’ of air

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March 20, 2023

The City of La Pine is informing water customers that if their water appears milky lately, it’s due to air in the city’s mainlines.

“When I was filling up a glass of water, I noticed it was bubbly, a little cloudy. It didn’t taste off, but it looked a lot different,” La Pine resident Gayle Smith said.

In a release sent out Monday morning, the city said two 16-inch mainlines were tied into the existing water system last week, which resulted in an “abundance” of air in the system.

In addition to the water appearing milky, the city says there have been reports on Facebook that the water tastes different. The city says this is also due to the air in the system.

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“Through the construction process, air gets into the line,” La Pine City Manager Geoff Wullschlager said. “Four miles of 16-inch pipe is a lot of ground to cover and offers a lot of opportunities for air to be introduced into the line. What people are experiencing is just oxygenated water. There’s no additional chemicals or any other substances that have been introduced into the system.”

The city says it tests the water twice a month and that there has been no positive tests for bacteria since May 2021. It also says the new lines were tested for bacteria multiple times before being connected and during the construction process.

City utility workers are flushing hydrants at high spots in the system to try pulling air out of the lines faster, the city says. That effort will continue for another couple of days.

The city says instances of air may appear in the water for another 7-10 days.

The public can view the test results for themselves by reaching out to Assistant City Manager Ashley Ivans at aivans@lapineoregon.gov or Wullschlager at gwullschlager@lapineoregon.gov. 

▶️ McKenzie Pass ski tour shortened due to avalanche concerns

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March 18, 2023

Skiers paid tribute to the skiing mailman of McKenzie Pass on Saturday.

The John Craig Memorial Ski Tour and Race kicked off with 275 registered skiers.

The Oregon Nordic Club hosted the event, which got its start in the 1930s.

The course differed this year due too much snow.

Usually the Mount Jefferson Snowmobile Club grooms all the way to Dee Wright Observatory, but this year the slopes along Windy Point proved a little dicey to negotiate.

Earlier this month the club’s snow cat was almost pushed off the road by an avalanche near the scenic overlook.

The annual event honors Craig, a pioneer postmaster who carried mail across the pass by horse in the summer and skis in the winter. He was found dead in his shack near the top of the pass in the winter 1877.

 

Related: ▶️ PHOTOS: Avalanche pushes snowcat to edge of Windy Point