the Source February 26, 2026

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We could’ve written volumes on the number of impressive women supporting other women in Central Oregon. This issue only highlights a handful of the organizations created by and for women. AdventurUs focuses on the spirit of outdoors, inspiring women to push beyond their limits. Central Oregon Women in Construction offers support and mentoring. Soroptimist International empowers girls and women by removing barriers to education. And Fashion Workshop is a new nonprofit teaching skills at little to no cost in areas with few resources.

In other news, a review of a new food truck; details about an upcoming community forum for anyone interested in learning about the local homeless population and Ellen Waterston reflects on what the world needs now.

—Managing Editor Nic Moye

LIGHTMETER:

OPINION

Apparently, Oregon Doesn’t Always Send Its Best to Washington

It all sounds so familiar: A high-ranking official is accused of inappropriate behavior.

Nothing to see here, the White House says — it’s obviously the work of a disgruntled employee.

Next come allegations against the official’s spouse. A few days of news reports, vague details of calls to the police related to sexual assault, and then, in a sad repetition, no charges are filed. No real investigation commences.

In these times, this is what we have been taught to expect when it comes to allegations of misconduct against members of the current administration.

Perhaps we should thank “The Daily Show” for its moment of levity on this situation: Amid the invasions of Venezuela, the occupations of American Heartland cities and the Epstein files, the accusations against Lori ChavezDeremer (formerly our representative in Congress) of an affair with an employee, using official travel for personal purposes and drinking on the job feel like the “old days,” when those were among the worst things politicians got caught doing. As “The Daily Show” put it, they’re “relieved to see a Trump cabinet member ruining her life instead of the country.”

But “The Daily Show” made those comments back when it was just the Labor Secretary who was embroiled in scandal. Since then, her husband, an anesthesiologist with a practice in the Portland metro area, is facing his own set of accusations for actions that allegedly took place inside the offices of the Labor Department in Washington, D.C.

It’s already weird enough that an Oregon doctor who’s not employed by the federal government is spending

his free time hanging out with staffers inside the mundane bureaucratic offices of The Swamp — but add in the fact that Shawn Deremer is accused of sexually assaulting not one but two different women there, and it goes from weird to just downright concerning.

Apparently, Oregon doesn’t always send its best to Washington.

At this moment, when public officials and even former royals are facing consequences for their inclusion in the Epstein files, perhaps the best we can hope for — barring an actual investigation that might signal to the women that someone cares about and believes their stories — is just what happened: The doctor from Oregon should be banned from the Labor Department’s headquarters.

Shawn Deremer does not have any “board actions or closed malpractice claims on file,” Willamette Week reported.

“When Donald Trump and his team were assembling their second-term Cabinet, former Rep. Lori ChavezDeRemer appeared to be one of their least controversial choices,” MS Now opined, speculating that the pileon of accusations against the couple may intensify calls for Lori ChavezDeremer’s resignation.

For a former mayor of a Portland suburb and one-time House member, Chavez-Deremer has certainly done well for herself. Heck, even being covered in “The New York Times” — however unflatteringly — is a signal that you’ve arrived. But given the level of criminality and ethical and moral failings we are seeing in this administration, we’re not holding our breath on seeing any real consequences against her, or her husband.

Letters

SUPPORT THE WILDLIFE BILL

I value living in Oregon for the breathtaking array of wildlife —from whales, puffins and oystercatchers on the coast to the elusive Sierra Nevada red foxes of the Cascades, and the great gray owls I’ve witnessed in forests near Sunriver. HB 4134—the 1.25% for wildlife bill — is critical to pass in this short legislative session. The wildlife I listed are a handful of 300 species in Oregon at high risk of vanishing without immediate action. The state list grows higher every year. Adding 1.25% to Oregon’s third-lowest lodging tax in the nation makes sense. Instead of just promoting wildlife through tourism, Oregon will be giving back. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is ready to go with a State Wildlife Action Plan awaiting funding. The bill also includes key provisions for adding wildlife crossings, improving coexistence with wolves, supporting wildlife rehabilitation facilities like ThinkWild, detecting and removing harmful invasive species, and for an Oregon Conservation Corps to help reduce wildfire risk in and near communities.

Wouldn’t you be willing to help wildlife and Oregon’s quality of life for the price of a cup of coffee? That’s how small 1.25% is! Time is short. HB 4124 has the support of hunters, anglers, ranchers, birders, wildlife supporters, and most of all, the students I was fortunate to witness in action at the wildlife lobby day Feb. 11. This is their future. Let’s do this for the children.

—Marina Richie

LOYALTY AGREEMENTS

A “Loyalty Agreement” in my opinion borders on an ethical violation. Loyalty driven politics can lead to the favoring of one candidate over another and that in my opinion is putting a finger on the scale. It fosters cronyism and favoritism, which I’m personally against. In Redmond, we addressed cronyism, favoritism and nepotism by letting the voters decide if they wanted it or not and the voters voted against it. That’s democracy. A loyalty agreement of any kind prioritizes personal allegiance to some person or group. It makes candidates feel pressured into agreeing to sign it knowing that if they choose not to they would be “ostracized” in some way. That is not Democracy, but instead a form of Autocracy and for those unfamiliar with that term it’s when an individual or small group has/flexes absolute power over something. We are presently

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? Send your thoughts to editor@bendsource.com.

Letters must be received by noon Friday for inclusion in the following week’s paper. Please limit letters to 250 words. Submission does not guarantee publication. Opinions printed here do not constitute an editorial endorsement of said opinions. Letter of the week receives $5 to Palate!

experiencing that at a national level, and we do not and should not allow it to leak into our local elections. We must work together to ensure our processes are fair and equal for all.

—Clifford B. Evelyn Sr.

BEND’S PROPOSED NATURAL GAS APPLIANCE FEE

I am a retired professor from Cal Poly San Luis Obipso, CA. I taught air quality and environmental science in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Dept. I now live in Bend in the Larkspur neighborhood. For the record, we have recently retrofitted our 1989 house with an electric heat pump HVAC, and electric heat pump water heater system. Both systems will pay for themselves within 3 - 5 years (depending on changes in electricity prices).

I have looked at the City of Bends formula for the proposed natural gas appliance fee. It only considers carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from combustion. This is part of the concern with gas appliances, but not all. Recent studies showed that all natural gas appliances leak methane. Methane is about 80 times more potent than CO2, although it has a shorter half life in the atmosphere.

Key Findings on Methane Leaks from Appliances per Stanford and others (e.g. UC Davis):

Total Impact: Residential gas stoves release 30,000 tons of methane annually in the U.S.

Leakage Rate: About 1% of total gas consumed by stoves leaks unburned, which is higher than previously estimated.

When Leaks Occur: The majority of leaks (over 75%) happen when the stove is not in use, attributed to issues like loose fittings or permeation.

Water Heaters: Natural gas water heaters also contribute significant, though less frequently measured, methane leakage, with one study suggesting they leak around 91,000 tons annually in the U.S.

This leakage has a climate impact comparable to the annual CO2 tailpipe emissions of 500,000 gasoline-powered cars.

Because methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas—more than 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period—these leaks represent a significant, overlooked source of climate-warming pollution. I believe the Bend ordinance should include methane leaks in the calculations of emissions for gas-fired appliances and cook tops.

—David Morrow

DEFEND THE ENDANGERMENT FINDING

I strongly oppose any repeal of the Endangerment Finding under the Clean Air Act.

The Endangerment Finding is not a political preference; it is a scientific determination based on extensive evidence that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Repealing it would not invalidate the science. It will simply strip the federal government of one of its most important tools for protecting Americans.

Climate change is already harming communities across this country. It is increasing wildfire intensity, worsening air quality, driving extreme heat, destabilizing insurance markets, and straining public infrastructure. These impacts are measurable, costly, and borne disproportionately by children, seniors, rural communities, and low-income families. Ignoring this reality does not reduce risk, it transfers risk to the public.

The Clean Air Act exists precisely for situations like this: when pollution demonstrably threatens human health. Greenhouse gases meet that statutory standard. The Endangerment Finding has been rigorously reviewed and repeatedly upheld. Repealing it will undermine scientific integrity, create regulatory chaos, weaken business certainty, and erode public trust in federal institutions.

Regulatory retreat is not a strategy. It is abdication. American communities and businesses need durable,

science-based policy signals to plan investments, protect public health, and compete in a rapidly evolving global energy economy.

Future generations will live with the consequences of this decision. I urge you to uphold the Endangerment Finding and maintain the Clean Air Act’s mandate to protect the health and welfare of the American people.

—Kathryn Patrick

Letter of the Week

Kathryn, as letter of the week, you can stop by the Source office at NW Georgia & Bond to pick up a gift card to Palate coffee.

—Managing Editor, Nic Moye

City of Bend to Prohibit Concealed Carry in Some City Buildings

A new ordinance would ban all firearms from certain municipal property

By Kayvon Bumpus

The Bend City Council is moving forward with an ordinance that would ban all firearms in at least three city-owned buildings, removing an exemption for concealed carry license holders.

In June 2025, an Oregon state law, Senate Bill 243, was passed, banning gun modifications that allow rifles and handguns to be fired at a much faster rate. Also referred to as the “Community Safety Firearms Act,” SB 243 did more than just ban bump stocks and nix switches, however.

The bill also revised Chapter 166 of Oregon’s state code, allowing local governments to restrict concealed carry license holders from carrying weapons into buildings “owned or controlled by” a local governing body, if the buildings are “used by the governing body for official meetings.”

Prior to the passing of SB 243, licensed concealed carry holders were given the only civilian exception to a ban on guns in public buildings in

Oregon. Violation of that ban was, and is, a Class C felony offense, without the proper paperwork.

Now, paperwork or no paperwork, municipal and county governments can enforce a total ban on firearms in buildings that host “official meetings.” Governing bodies must notify the public online of all buildings that fall under such policy and post signs explaining the restriction at “all normal points of entry” to said buildings.

“Because the Bend City Council generally acts through ordinances and resolutions, rather than policies or regulations, Council gave direction to staff to draft an ordinance as allowed by SB 243,” reads a staff report from the City Attorney’s office.

At a Jan. 7 City Council meeting, the idea for the ordinance came from Councilor Mike Riley, with Councilor Megan Perkins signing on with an “enthusiastic yes,” she said.

Currently, the City Attorney’s office anticipates that three buildings will be

covered by the ordinance, which had its first reading unanimously approved at a Feb. 18 City Council business meeting and is likely to be officially adopted at a March 4 business meeting.

Those buildings are City Hall, the Municipal Court building and the Public Works Campus at Juniper Ridge. “All three buildings are sometimes used by the City Council for official meetings, which corresponds to the scope of authority granted by the legislation,” reads the staff report.

“As a longtime advocate for reducing gun violence, I was grateful when Senator Anthony Broadman helped to champion [SB 243] last session,” Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler told the Source. “This is the same ability the legislature previously granted school districts in order to keep guns off their school campuses. The places where we hold our public meetings should be safe for everyone to gather, provide input and watch their government work.”

LOGE Camps Heads Toward Bankruptcy, Slapped with $9.4 Million Foreclosure Lawsuit

New reporting from the Flathead Beacon sheds light on a company in crisis

By Peter Madsen

Troubles at the company that owned LOGE Entrada in Bend are affecting its properties throughout the American West. Further reporting has borne out: LOGE Camps ousted its CEO for misrepresenting a real estate portfolio that is in “significant distress.” Then came a $9.4 million foreclosure lawsuit. A Montana staff has since been rendered jobless and without living accommodations, on short notice. Which is to say nothing of the repossessed PistenBully. As evinced by two subsequent, jaw-dropping investigations by the Flathead Beacon in the past week, the Source’s Feb. 3 story about LOGE Entrada’s closure was only the smoke of what has turned out to be a roiling, corporate-wide dumpster fire at LOGE Camps, the holding company that put the kibosh on operations at numerous properties throughout the West. The Flathead Beacon is an award-winning news organization based in Kalispell, Montana.

As summarized by the Beacon, the lawsuit alleges defendants Radify Essex, LOGE GP Holdings LLC, LOGE Holdings LLC and former LOGE CEO Cale Genenbacher failed to pay their debt obligations on two notes after the loans reached full maturity in early 2025. The cumulative amount owed is $9,402,514.90, with interest accruing at a rate of $3,112.34 per day since Oct. 14, 2025, the media outlet reports.

The Flathead Beacon uncovered the extent of the turmoil at LOGE (which is an acronym that is pronounced “lodge” and stands for Live Outside, Go Explore) when it

Teen arrested for bathroom vandalism

Bend police arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with a series of incidents involving someone urinating on floors and other items in various public restrooms. Police say the teen made TikTok videos showing the activity at a variety of locations including Americana on Bond Street, a high school, a diaper changing station and restrooms at Bend parks. Police received multiple complaints on Feb. 4 and arrested the teen at his home on Feb. 21 on suspicion of 24 counts of second-degree criminal mischief, one count of second-degree disorderly conduct and urinating in public.

New airline starts in Redmond

Breeze Airways will begin direct flights from Redmond to Las Vegas and Provo/Salt Lake City on March 13. With Breeze, there are five airlines at Redmond Municipal Airport with 10 nonstop destinations. In a presentation during a joint meeting between the City of Redmond and Deschutes County Commissioners, Airport Director Zach Bass says he is actively working to recruit Southwest Airlines as the next carrier. Bass says passenger volumes have more than doubled since 2014 and the airport is expected to see an 11% increase in the first six months of this year. In 2025, 1.3 million passengers arrived and departed from the terminal. Construction to expand the airport will finish in 2028, which will include seven jet bridges.

—Nic Moye

1,300

—The

received and verified a trove of internal emails to investigators that mentioned a lack of cashflow and an inability to pay required operating costs. This crisis preceded LOGE closing the historic Izaak Walton Inn at Essex near Glacier National Park in Montana.

More details on the financial issues are available at the Flathead Beacon website.

“I had never rock climbed before because I was told, ‘Don’t do it. It’s not for you.’”

—68-year-old Nancy Clark who did, indeed, go rock climbing.

RN

REDMOND NEWS

Redmond Mayor Ed Fitch calls it “vision impossible.” The City of Redmond is looking at potentially expanding its Urban Growth Boundary by 1,270 acres on the east side in the coming years to accommodate future population growth. It’s a project Fitch is passionate about. The city’s population is around 38,000 and growing. Fitch wants the city to get ahead of and plan now for future growth.

“It’s hard to get people to focus long-term because there’s so much right in front of us in terms of work that we have to get done to meet the current demands that we have,” he told the Source.

On Feb. 17, Redmond city councilors and Deschutes County commissioners listened to an informational presentation by Chris Moore with DTJ Design in Colorado. Fitch says he asked Chuck Koon, a friend, and Hayden Watson of Hayden Homes to fund the $70,000 preliminary master plan, which he says they did with no strings attached.

The property, owned by the County, is north of Highway 126 and the Redmond airport, adjacent to the planned CORE3 multi-agency emergency response center. The eastern side is bordered by U.S. Bureau of Land Management property, and the northern border abuts privately owned land. The tract sits between Redmond’s urban growth boundary and urban reserve area. RURA is a designated, long-term planning area outside Redmond’s current UGB. It earmarks high-priority land for a future 20-to-50-year expansion to meet long-term population needs. The County has the authority to decide any amendments to the RUGB and RURA. The City is responsible for the preparation, adoption and amendment of public facility plans for any RUGB amendments.

The area could provide an estimated 8,400 housing units with room for commercial development and open space. In his presentation, Moore identified utility limitations as a weakness, in terms of scale. Fitch says the City has enough water to sustain a population of up to 55,000.

“We need a new plan in the Deschutes Basin where cities are

Building a Strategic Long-Term Master Plan

Redmond is eyeing 1,200 acres on the east side for a future housing development, but many steps need to be taken

By Nic Moye

SYCO BILLY’S STRING BAND

AMERICANA MEETS FRANCE

Catch a free show at Blacksmith! This high-energy five-piece masterfully blends Americana and folk with a French twist to create a bold, genre-defying newgrass sound, making for unforgettable live shows. Fri., Feb. 27, 6:30-9:30pm at Blacksmith Public House, 308 SW Evergreen Ave., Redmond. Free.

THURSDAY 3/5

assured of water in the future, because we’re required to accept growth… From a land-use perspective, from water, utilities, power, all that kind of long-range planning has not yet been fleshed out in terms of state and regional policy, but it really has to be. We’re getting to the point where we really need to have that discussion,” Fitch explains.

Within the tract of land are 318 acres that include a surface mining zone in connection with the Negus Transfer Station. The county recently invested $20 million to build the 35,000-square-foot facility on NE Maple Avenue which opened in 2024. Fitch says the transfer station may need to be moved down the road. At the joint meeting, county commissioners bristled at the idea after spending millions to build it.

Fitch wants to bring the entire 1,270-acre plot into the Redmond UGB, which would require state legislative approval. “The way our current law is structured is that you can only have incremental additions to your urban growth boundary. This would not fit into the current rules and regulations for urban growth expansion so we would have to have a special legislative enactment… I think it’s critical that it comes in as

one unit because…that enables you to pre-plan where the infrastructure is going to go, how big the infrastructure has to be, and it provides for a really integrated development that will provide a really significant high level of livability for all types of housing. We look at the ability to have parks, trails, school sites already pre-selected. It’s going to be a much more efficient way of developing.” He wants to complete a master plan first to take to state lawmakers, the governor’s office and Department of Land Conservation.

The first steps would involve a feasibility study that would include an environmental site assessment, a study on transportation, economic impact, utility and infrastructure as well as public engagement. That would take up to a year and need to be included in a future budget. Fitch is hoping funds will be included in the 2027-28 budget and go before the state legislature sometime between 2029-2031.

At its meeting on Feb. 23, the Redmond City Council pushed the discussion to December when it meets to discuss priority goals. By January there will be a five-seat county commission and possibly some new Redmond city councilors and mayor.

THE SECRET IDENTITY OF WONDER WOMAN: AN EXPOSE GIRL POWER

International Women’s Day is March 8 – and before that, learn about a legend of feminist lore. Many superheroes have a secret identity, but secrets abound in the life of Wonder Woman’s creator, William Moulton Marston. A Harvard educated lawyer, psychology professor and creator of the lie detector test, Maston was also a feminist. This event contains mature content and is intended for adults 18 and older. 11am-Noon at Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond. Free.

FRIDAY 3/6

SINGING FOR SUFFRAGE

SONGS FROM THE PAST

Singing was part of the fight for women's suffrage; perhaps the songs softened the message a bit, or perhaps not! Join us as we analyze suffrage songs from the past that helped spread the message for female rights. 10-11am at Redmond Senior Center, 325 NW Dogwood Ave., Redmond. Free.

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Qristy Kurtz became obsessed with fashion when, as a teen, she took a sewing class at Mountain View High School. She earned a business degree in college and worked in fashion retail in Bend and Portland for many years. Fast forward to present day, and Kurtz is animated while talking about her new venture, Fashion Workshop — a mobile sewing classroom. She registered as a nonprofit in July and created a female board of directors.

Kurtz wants to teach useful skills and ignite a passion for sewing, like she has, especially in rural areas. Her Fashion Workshop trailer is fully contained with a generator, wi-fi and packed with supplies including thread, fabric, patterns, needles, scissors and sewing machines. “The idea is that we can take it anywhere and provide access to sewing and design education and community wherever it’s needed,” Kurtz says excitedly. “It’s really ingrained in me, this concept of equity and inclusion and being able to, not just have this thing available in the center of Bend but be able to take it to Madras or Culver or John Day or La Pine.”

Kurtz plans to partner with local entities like the Redmond library as well as create local stop-and-sew events at

places like farmers markets. She envisions pulling out her vintage Singer sewing machine which is featured in a giant picture on the trailer’s exterior. “The idea with that is like, ‘Oh, my grandma has a machine like that.’ OK, let’s use it. Do you have five minutes? Do you want to sew something? We have a really cool leather patcher machine, too. I envision having little kits for leather coin purses. So, people can stop, do a little tool design and…they can make themselves a little coin purse and then walk away.”

As she gets Fashion Workshop off the ground, she has sewing classes scheduled in March at the Redmond and Prineville libraries. She also plans to attend Rubbish Renewed in May which is an eco-fashion show and fundraiser for local schools. Kurtz also plans to be at the Open Arts Center on a weekly basis once it’s fully open. She wants to be responsive to community needs.

“Something that makes us unique is that we provide everything. So, you can take a sewing class, and we will provide the sewing machines. We will teach you how to use it. It usually takes 25 minutes to learn to sew.”

Kurtz also wants to offer a class through Central Oregon Community

Free & Low-Cost Sewing Classes & Community

Fashion Workshop is on a mission to make design and sewing accessible to everyone

By Nic Moye

College’s continuing education program. “One of our first main classes is going to be a blanket coat class… If you have an old quilt, a family heirloom, a blanket or something that you love,.. let’s turn it into a coat, which will be really fun.” Repurposing or recycling old materials is an important part of her theme, “Make it new. Make it you.”

Kurtz says she’s funding her dream with her own money and donations. She’s also selling sewing supplies through her website and, for a fee, offering private socials of around 10 people for birthday parties or girls’ night.

“This is definitely a labor of love… This is such an emotional thing… I really want it to be: ‘Fashion Workshop belongs to the people who are part of it’… My dream would be to have a regular rotating schedule of after-school programming so that we can do more of that career and technical education.”

Kurtz sews every day. She’s currently working on an art project called “100 Dresses.”

“It’s based on an old children’s book from the ‘50s that deals with prejudice and bullying and some of these different topics that weren’t popular back then,” she explains. At the time of this

interview, Kurtz had made 89 of the 100 dresses and was wearing number 45. “I’m hoping to do a performance art component where we video theater students trying them on and then get reactions… They’re all made from the same base pattern but they’re all incredibly different. So, there’s just this wonderful inspiration…You can have something that’s exactly the same but all of us make it incredibly different.”

While Fashion Workshop has been a dream of hers for at least a decade, she also sees it as an extension of Oregon’s history. “How do we get us all to connect about this thing that we super love? That’s a big part of Oregon’s heritage, really! The sportswear industry in Portland is mad with Nike and everything else.” Kurtz is determined to do her part, by making fashion and sewing accessible to everyone, everywhere.

Sewcials

Thu, Mar 5 4-6:30pm Redmond Library 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond Wed, Mar 11 6-8:30pm Crook County Library 175 NW Meadow Lakes Dr., Prineville fashionforeveryone.org/event-list Free

Soroptimist International of Bend Empowers Girls and Women

In the process, they break the cycle of poverty

By Sophie Elliott

If you are looking for a volunteer organization that truly supports women, Soroptimist International of Bend may be the group for you. One of the longest-standing women’s clubs in Bend, the organization has been serving the community since 1943. With a mission of providing women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment, members focus on causes that directly impact women, including human trafficking, intimate partner violence, women’s education, and period poverty. For decades, they have raised money to help women in the community get back on their feet and host monthly meetings that are open to the public to highlight key topics and upcoming events.

Jan Swander, president of Soroptimist International of Bend, has been a dedicated member of the organization since 1997. She has been president of the Bend chapter for the last two years. One of the programs she is most proud of is the Live Your Dream Award that “provides cash awards for head-of-household women seeking to improve their earning potential. The money can be used toward tuition, books, childcare, carfare or any other education-related expense.” Through fundraising and a partnership with Central Electric Cooperative, the members award $2,000 to two deserving women annually.

Vicki Cocanower says her favorite part of the club is “hearing the stories of the women who receive the Live Your Dream Awards and following their journeys after receiving the award.”

Once the recipients are selected, they host a celebratory brunch featuring speakers and community members. The goal is to make sure the women who receive this award feel supported and celebrated.

Another recent project raised money and awareness for human sex trafficking in the Central Oregon area. Terri Swendsen, vice president of the organization, has been heading this endeavor by partnering with local nonprofits such as the At Project, JbarJ, and In Our Backyard.

The list of initiatives the Soroptimist club carries out continues to grow. The list includes Bras for Bend, an annual drive that collects new and gently used bras to support survivors of human trafficking. A community baby shower, collecting new or gently used baby items to distribute to families in need through DHS, and their annual holiday wreath fundraiser to raise money for the Bethlehem Inn, Shepherd’s House, the Live Your Dream Award, and others. All of these projects show their immense dedication to both local and global issues.

Board member Carol Laird told the Source, “Our common thread is that we care deeply about breaking the cycle of poverty and empowering women as a key part of that.”

Currently at 20 members, the club is open to all genders and would love to bring in fresh voices. They have an upcoming fundraising event, Not’cho Grandma’s Bingo, at Silver Moon Brewing on March 29 from 10am-Noon. Seats can be reserved ahead of time on Eventbrite.

Building Support

Central Oregon women in construction mentor women in a male-dominated industry

By Kim Cooper Findling

Bend architect Heidi Slaybaugh was often met with a request. Male colleagues in leadership positions would reach out to ask if she would mentor their female staff. “The male leaders couldn’t address the questions they were hearing from female colleagues,” recalled Slaybaugh, principal at Cole Architects. “Most architecture firms are run by men, and they needed help responding to questions about what it takes to be a successful woman in this industry. Women needed to hear tips and tricks from another woman.”

Over these conversations, a common theme emerged — locally, there was significant demand for female mentorship in architecture firms. Rather than meet that need one mentorship at a time, in 2024, Slaybaugh, along with BBT Architects Project Architect Genevra Obregon, founded the community group Central Oregon Women in Construction (COWIC). Initially focusing on women in architecture, the group quickly expanded after a kickoff meeting. “It became clear that there was a need for support for women in design firms, engineering and construction, as well,” said Slaybaugh. “We decided, let’s include any woman in these careers.” Obregon added, “We wanted to empower women in this broader industry dominated by men.”

Two years later, Central Oregon Women in Construction has a member list of 137, formed mainly by word of mouth, and holds various monthly events. Some are social meetups, or roundtable discussions. Others are outings, like site tours to construction projects, either those in progress or recently completed. “It’s helpful to see sites at different phases, to learn about hard choices made to accomplish goals, to see other’s work,” said Slaybaugh. “Women can be more nervous to ask questions in a male-dominated group. A mostly female tour creates a

safe space to ask anything.” Last year, the group toured the new Sisters Elementary School, Mid Oregon Credit Union and the renovated historic post office, now The Westman Hotel. Obregon and Slaybaugh brought different perspectives and strengths to the group. They met while working together at BBT Architects; Slaybaugh was established in her career while Obregon was still seeking licensure. Together, they offered perspectives from various points on the career path. While direct mentoring emerged as the initial demand, Obregon reported that simple networking has become just as important. “People in smaller firms, people who just moved here, they just want to meet others,” she said. “You come to one of our events and you know you’ll meet someone in the same industry, and that you’ll connect with someone over something relatable.”

While the group is female-centric, men in architecture, engineering and construction are not excluded. Men who have expressed interest in understanding how they can support women in the industry have also benefitted.

“Men may not even realize that they are doing something that a female colleague might find intimidating,” said Obregon. A recent topic was workplace safety. “We began with just the women and heard about unique safety challenges a woman might face on a construction site. Then we opened up a roundtable conversation to everyone so that women could share with the group ways to help everyone feel safer.”

COWIC membership is free and informal; the leadership team is ad hoc and driven by interest—who wants to help, or host an event. “We continue to gain traction, and to see more involvement,” said Slaybaugh. “It’s great to be giving back, to give more than I got early in my career.”

Nancy Clark says there’s a picture of her, taken just after she finished her first-ever rock-climbing route, that makes her smile every time she sees it. “I had never rock climbed before because I was told, ‘Don’t do it. It’s not for you.’ You know, that story we get told sometimes as women,” recalls Clark, 68. “I was standing there, and my hard hat is all cattywampus, hanging off my head, and I was just so excited because I had done this climb, and I found how easy it was and how well I had done.”

Clark’s first time climbing, in 2019 in Leavenworth, Washington, was with AdventurUs, a Bend business that offers travel “designed for women, by women.” It’s the brainchild of Saveria Tilden, 52, who started the business in 2019. She was working in marketing when a friend suggested that they climb Washington’s Mt. Rainier. That was a pivotal moment, she said. She discovered she loved the outdoors. Even more important, she realized she needed to help other women discover their outdoorsy side, too.

Clark is one such woman who has benefitted from the curated women-led trips that AdventurUs offers, where you show up and most of the planning (food, lodging, logistics) is done for you, and the gear (bikes, kayaks, harnesses, etc.) is at hand and ready for you to use. All you have to do is decide what type of experience you want to pursue, be it mountain biking or paddling or a myriad of other options. The company also plans bespoke trips for small groups, where those participants can leverage an existing trip’s itinerary or design a customized trip.

Clark, who’s been on four AdventurUs trips, says that while picking up new skills is valuable, it’s the exhilaration you walk away with, the “sisterhood that is joined,” and the abundant opportunities to test personal boundaries that make the experiences so “powerful.”

Tilden said that AdventurUs stems from her belief that it was necessary to create comfortable, inviting travel opportunities for women, where they can enjoy the outdoors, see the world, and maybe learn a new skill.

AdventurUs Offers Trips and Adventures for Women, Led by Women

From a weekend camp in Bend where you can try a variety of outdoor pursuits to a trek on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, there’s something for every woman

By Dallas Finn Calvert

“It’s all about feeding those adventures for everybody. It’s in all of us. Sometimes we just need help figuring out what that means and how we define it,” said Tilden. Along those lines, AdventurUs offers a variety of typically female-only trips and occasional “plus one” trips, such as this October’s jaunt to New Zealand, where all genders are invited.

Tilden hosted her pilot event in Bend in the spring of 2019, right before the onset of the global Covid pandemic that shut down travel and personal interactions. She thought the business might not survive. The first flagship event was based at the recently closed LOGE Camp, where several of Tilden’s friends and acquaintances enjoyed a long weekend of fun on the water and in the forests. Tilden said she’s working on moving the camp to Elk Lake Resort.

Women arrive on Thursday for the flagship event and during the long weekend they create their own schedule, choosing among the offerings that include mountain biking, paddling, rock climbing, hiking, caving, yoga, inner-journey workshops and painting.

“All of these classes are led by professional women teachers and guides, many of whom are Central Oregonians. All of the classes that we do are really beginner friendly, and we provide everything."

“We try to make it as easy as possible,” Tilden explains. “What we hear from a lot from women is they didn’t realize the amount of thought and decision-making that goes into their lives every day, for everything, right? When they get to us, they get to turn their brains off because we have everything planned, and we feed them. They just need to know what time to be someplace and everything else is taken care of. It allows them to reconnect with themselves and with the other women in ways that they didn’t realize they needed.”

Lindsay Kinney, 42, of Kansas City, Kansas, is an avid mountain biker and lifelong athlete. She came across AdventurUs on Instagram and was intrigued enough to book a flight out for the Flagship Camp four years ago.

“It just sounded like something so unique that I hadn’t heard about before, and I’m definitely drawn to kind of the opposite of the patriarchy, basically being able to be around more women and diverse communities. I love being outside and trying new things, so I decided to sign up,” she said by phone from Kansas, where she’s the associate director of No Divide KC, a nonprofit arts and humanities organization. “I was at the tail end of my marriage, and it was like an adventure to just try on my own and kind of get a refresh in life.”

She arrived in Bend not knowing anyone but made friends with whom she’s gone on subsequent AdventurUs trips. She also was excited by the new athletic endeavors she tried, including snowshoeing, rock climbing at Smith Rock and exploring caves.

“It was a lot of firsts on that trip,” Kinney said. “I honestly went away feeling liberated. I felt more independent, and more freedom, and I felt a true connection with the women. We didn’t talk about what people did, although I’m sure we did towards the end of the weekend, for jobs. It was just, like, ‘We’re all here on this adventure.’ It was the best kind of camp.”

AdventurUs has several globe-trotting adventures on offer, including a trek across the Camino de Santiago in Spain in May in which participants will hike, bike, and horseback ride; a July long-distance hike on a tour of Mont Blanc that’ll take participants to France, Italy, and Switzerland; a kayaking and hiking in Croatia and Slovenia in September; and hiking in Japan’s northern-most island of Hokkaido in September.

Stateside, the Flagship Adventure Camp is set for June 4-7. Additionally, there’s a whitewater trip on the Salmon River in Idaho Aug. 10-15. Tilden says it’s a “special” trip that includes private flights to and from Boise to the river, the first night in a hotel, and then a multiday river adventure of rafting and camping.

For most trips, Tilden works with local operators and guides, predominantly female, although there are a few husband-and-wife guide teams with which AdventurUs partners.

“We really like to support women guides,” Tilden said. “That’s something that’s really important to me when I go places, is requesting women guides because women are so underrepresented, especially in outdoor and adventure travel, that I feel like it’s really important to request them and require them because it shows the need and the demand.”

AdventurUs, in partnership with SheJumps and Between Evergreens, offers a free speaker series the last Tuesday of the month, January through April. The “Empowering Women Through Adventure” speaker series is held at the Embark coworking space in Bend.

SOURCE PICKS

THURSDAY 2/26

BRASS JAGUAR

LOCAL POP AND ALTERNATIVE

Working within the realm of both experimental pop and alternative electronic, Brass Jaguar is the moniker of local producer and singer Elijah Goodall. Textural beats beneath ethereal vocals provide the map for a lyrical narrative that is both unwinding and weaving, often in the same breath. 7:30pm at Volcanic Theatre Pub. 70 Sw Century Dr., Bend. Free. FRIDAY 2/27

JOEY COOL BREWING & UNCONVENTIONAL KINGS - GONE SINCE NOVEMBER TOUR

HIP-HOP AND R&B

His name reflects a nonchalant bravados but don’t be deceived — Joey Cool is the epitome of both effortless swagger and lyrical prowess. Having worked alongside hip-hop stalwarts like Tech N9ne and Kevin Gates, and landing a memorable spot alongside global superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Joey Cool has a flow that is smooth and cuts through the winter cold. Joey Cool’s confidence and charisma shine through in every performance. 7-10pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $17.59.

BALL PIT COMEDY SHOW

COMEDY AND FUN

This isn’t your typical sit-and-clap comedy show. At this show, you can expect a stacked lineup of bold comedians who can handle improvisation and participation from the audience that make the entire room a stage for the show. Moe for the comedy, stay for the chaos, and bring your sense of humor. 8-9pm at Craft Kitchen and Brewery. 62988 Layton Ave., Bend. $5 online, $10 in person.

SATURDAY 2/28

THE WALKAWAYS—PORTLAND’S PHISH COVERS COVER BAND

ALTERNATIVE LIVE PERFORMANCES

The Walkaways are Portland’s Phish Covers Cover band. Yes, they only play songs that Phish has covered. Every show is unique - and the group covers a variety of songs Phish has covered. Whether you’re a Phish nerd, or don’t know Phish at all, you’re going to love getting down at the Walkaways show. 7-10pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $14.38.

SATURDAY 2/28

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION DINNER

FOOD AND CULTURE

An inspiring evening honoring the strength, brilliance, and legacy of Black women. As they celebrate Black History Month, they will uplift the stories that shaped us, acknowledge the resilience that guides them, and honor the power that continues to move their communities forward— curated and emceed by Afrocentric students. 5-7pm Central Oregon Community College. Coats Campus Center. Wille Hall. 2600 College Way, Bend. Contact: 541-330-4376. mlegrand2@cocc.edu. Free.

FRI-SAT 2/27-2/28

'SPRING AWAKENING'

LIVE PERFORMANCE ART

Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, "Spring Awakening" explores the pressure and desires of adolescence. With a contemporary rock score that transformed the musical theater genre, "Spring Awakening" contrasts its 19th century German sorting with an electric energy. Recommend for audiences 15+, parental discretion advised. Fri, Feb. 27, 7-10pm and Sat, Feb. 28, 2-5pm and 7-10pm at Ponderosa Playhouse. 211 NE Revere Ave., Ste. 4, Bend. Contact: 541-410-1487. info@ponderosaplayers.com. $25.

SUNDAY 3/1

BEND POPS ORCHESTRA WINTER CONCERT

LIVE MUSIC AND POP CULTURE

This is a journey through epic soundtracks and beloved themes! No reset. No save points. Just one unforgettable afternoon of music that transcends pixels and brings your favorite soundtracks to life. Level up your concert experience by wearing your favorite video fame or TV-themed costume! 2-5pm at Caldera High School. 60925 SE 15th St., Bend. Free.

TUESDAY 3/3

RACHEL SUMNER & TRAVELING LIGHT

JAZZ AND SOULFUL LIVE PERFORMANCE

Fresh off a first place win at the 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition, Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light have been captivating audiences throughout the Northeast. With songs as sweet and biting as the nectar and venom in her voice. Sumners lyric-forward writing and penchant for snaking chord progeressions demand something far beyond folk conventions, highlighting the acrobatic range of her brilliant bandmates. 6-9pm at Silver Moon Brewing. 24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend. $14.38.

WEDNESDAY 3/4

LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO

MULTICULTURAL LIVE PERFORMANCES

The group sings a traditional music call isicathamiya (IS-Cot-A-Mee-Ya), which developed in the mines of South Africa. It was there that the black workers were taken to work far away from their homes and families. 7-9pm at Tower Theatre. 835 NW Wall Street., Bend. $39-$59 (plus $8 Historic Preservation fee).

S SOUND Kimberly June—A Long, Winding Path to Making Music

By Ezra Oncken

When it comes to making music, every musician has their own journey. And Kimberly June has been on that road — with plenty of twists and turns along the way — for as long as she can remember.

She began singing solos in her church choir at a young age, unknowingly kicking off her lifelong passion for music. After years of participating in talent shows and summer programs, when the time came, June recalls, “I was the first person in a massive family, for generations to follow an artistic career, and I truly know I had no choice. I tried to pass music off as a hobby until I called my parents crying just after starting college, apologetically breaking the news that I had to do music ... there was no other choice.”

After studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston for a period, June transferred to Belmont University, where she fell in love with the Nashville music scene. At just 22, she quickly signed a publishing deal there and married another songwriter and producer. With the mentorship and collaboration of veterans of the industry, she easily gained her footing in Tennessee.

However, June’s journey in art was not meant to conform to the 9-to-5 routine of Nashville. So, at 25, burned out and disconnected from her passion, she went to Hawaii, leaving the industry, her marriage, and her past in Nashville. There, she found healing and recovery, now being able to release music on her own terms. And although she works with producers and recording studios in LA and Nashville, she can now manage her music from anywhere. She has brought that spirit with her since she arrived in Bend toward the end of last year, noting, “I decided to spend this winter in Bend, and just yesterday I was in my room here doing two different recording sessions with producers in Nashville via Zoom and Sessionwire. I’m a full-on indie artist doing it my way.” And June’s way is highly personal, as she puts it, “I have found that my mind works very differently than most people.” What once felt like a curse—having songs pop up in her head all the time—has become a blessing. And as the music comes to her in chunks, with lyrics, melody, and instrumentals all together, she allows her songs to develop at a natural pace, regardless of whether that takes days, weeks or months.

Distilled into a few words, June describes her style of music as “Indie folk-pop and soft-rock.” However, she does not let that confine her creativity,

having grown up loving genres like 90s grunge, R&B, jazz, and Latin music, to name a few. When describing her musical inspirations, June says, “I find myself pulling from all different genres when I create, not on purpose but because it’s just ingrained in my brain at this point.” And it’s through this mixture of influences that she can show her message. A self-described “health and wellness” enthusiast, yogi, and mental health advocate, June spent the last month designing new journals with her 27 favorite writing and introspection techniques, and is excited to begin selling products that feel authentic to her mission. “I write my songs based on my own life experiences... some about relationships, but more recently, I write about how incredible and mysterious life is, mental health, spirituality, and the essence of love, in both romantic and non-romantic senses.”

At Silver Moon on March 12, June will perform her most popular tracks alongside her new, unreleased musical explorations. She has a few favorites, including “Someone Who Gets Me,” which was featured in the Netflix show, “Love Is Blind.” “I was jumping up and down screaming when I saw it... what a thrilling feeling,” recalls June. Her music has also been featured in “The Rookie” and ABC’s “Nashville.” Those wondering what to expect, Kimberly says, “I feel deeply, and in turn, so do the listeners... there’s also some sass, humor, and sarcasm... and maybe a few passive jabs at an ex-boyfriend.”

Kimberly June Thur, Mar. 12, 7-10pm Silver Moon Brewing 24 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend bendticket.com/events/kimberly-june-3-12-2026 $12.24

CALENDAR

25 Wednesday

The Astro Lounge Karaoke with Christina Karafun catalog gives you thousands of songs to sing to. 9pm-1am. free.

The Capitol Karaoke Drink specials! Air guitars! Come see for yourself. 8pm-1am. Free.

The Coyote Free Line Dance Lessons Free beginner-friendly line dance lessons every Wednesday with instructor Alex Reininger. Learn two fun dances in one hour—no experience needed! 7-8pm. Free.

Silver Moon Brewing Rogue City Renegades Rogue City Renegades combine soaring virtuosic guitar solos, a rhythm section dripping with emotion and soul, and lyrical themes of freedom, healing, gratitude, and vulnerability. 7-10pm.

The Commonweath Pub Kevin Dorin An accomplished songwriter, storyteller, and all around entertainer - Kevin Dorin’s music crosses genres while always dipping a toe in the blues. 7:30-9:30pm.

26 Thursday

The Coyote Free Hip-Hop Line Dance Lessons Free beginner-friendly hip-hop line dance lessons. 7-8pm. Free.

Hola! - Downtown AROMA Thursdays Savor authentic Latin cuisine, sip on delicious handcrafted margaritas, enjoy a complimentary Latin dance lesson, and dance to the sounds of DJ PANDA. 7:30-11pm. 0.

The Lot Jenna Hansen Jenna is a versatile singer with experience performing both solo and with a band. 6-8pm. Free.

Mountain Burger Doc Monos Doc Monos live! Good food, great music and an amazing time. 6-8pm. Free.

Mountain Burger Derek Micheal Marc Live at Mountain Burger! 6-8pm. Free.

River’s Place Her Mountain Majesty & Sarah Brunner An evening featuring sets from two emerging artists from the Pacific Northwest folkrock scene. 6-8pm. Free.

Stoller Wine Bar Bend Live Music at Stoller Join us for our Live Music Series, featuring local artist we know and love. 6-8pm. Free.

The Commonweath Pub Pete Kartsounes and “Brother Gabe” Johnson Accomplished singers and songwriters Pete Kartsounes and “Brother Gabe” Johnson are teaming up for an evening of unforgettable music. 7:30-9:30pm.

The Suttle Lodge & Boathouse Suttle Lodge’s Fireside Concert Series: Ian George Fireside live music.RSVP required for overnight lodging guests. 6-8pm.

Volcanic Theatre Pub Brass Jaguar Working within the realms of both experimental pop and alternative electronic, Brass Jaguar is the moniker of producer and singer Elijah Goodall. 7:30-9:30pm. Free.

27

Friday

The Astro Lounge Live local sounds with assorted DJs. Live local sounds from different artists every Friday and Saturday. 10pm-2am. Weekend cover charge.

LIVE MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

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Dance your heart out to jam tunes when Oregon Fryer and the Smoke Drifters hit The Belfry Saturday night.

Blacksmith Public House Syco Billy's String Band This high-energy five-piece masterfully blends Americana and folk with a French twist. 6:30-9:30pm. Free.

Blacksmith Public House Syco Billy String Band This high-energy five-piece masterfully blends Americana and folk with a French twist. 6:30-9:30pm. Free.

Craft Kitchen and Brewery

The Bend Bachelorette Comedy Show Who will our lovely Bachelorette choose? Host: Christine Keefer! with music by Atillion! 21+ only· $15 online. 8-9:30pm.

Hardtails Bar & Grill Stage 28 Karaoke A night of Stage 28 Karaoke with your host Miss Min! 8pm-Midnight. Free.

Monkless Belgian Ales - The Abbey Live House Show Settle in for a night of live music & good company. 6-8pm.

Silver Moon Brewing Sonic Benders Booty-shaking soul/jazz/funk featuring some of Bend’s finest players. 7-10pm.

Silver Moon Brewing Joey Cool & Unconventional Kings - Gone Since November Tour Razor-sharp bars and unapologetic delivery have earned him respect from industry heavyweights, having worked alongside hip-hop stalwarts like Tech N9ne and Kevin Gates. 7-10pm.

The Commonweath Pub DJ Chris Come dance the night away with hits from the '70s to today with DJ Chris. 8-10pm.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon Bandits: Unitarian Universalist House Band The UUFCO’s house band, Bandits, is putting on a concert! 6:30pm. $20 suggested donation.

28 Saturday

The Belfry OREGON FRYER w/ Smoke Drifters These Americana jam bands bring the country/blues vibe with lots of original music and some old favorites to keep you rocking! 7-11pm. $15.

Craft Kitchen & Brewery Comedy at Craft: Ball Pit An interactive stand-up experience where the jokes come fast… and so do the ball pit balls. Yep — this is your chance to (gently!) toss those balls 8-10pm. $5 online / $10 door.

Crave Bend Shameless Storytelling Series: Coming of Age Brave comics share hilariously awkward growing up stories, competing for the championship. 7-8:30pm. $20

Faith, Hope & Charity Vineyards Live at the Vineyard: Lilli Worona & Mike Biggers Two well known Folk/Americana musicians on the central Oregon music scene. 5-8pm. $15.

Open Space Event Studios IMPROV SHOWCASE 500 by Bend Institute of Comedy Featuring the return of comedian Liam Gibler, and some new hilarious players. Fast laughs, bold risks, zero scripts. 7:30-9pm. 20.

River’s Place Saturday Jazz Sessions Jazz Folks w/Sarah Owen ~ Classic jazz from the Great American Songbook 6-8pm. Free.

Silver Moon Brewing Jazz Night w/ PoiKilo Explorative harmony, groove, melody, and vibes, PoiKilo astrally projects into the minds of their audience and presents their truest forms to them. 7-10pm.

Silver Moon Brewing The Walkaways Portland’s Phish Covers Cover Band They don’t play Phish songs, they only play the songs Phish has covered, which happens to be a list of 700+ of the greatest songs in rock history. 7-10pm.

The Commonweath Pub A Brave New World A heavy backline of bass and double drums. Original songs from their self titled 2021 album are combined with classic sleeper covers. 8-10pm.

Volcanic Theatre Pub Music Flow Youth Rock Fest Student rock bands of Bend unite! Bringing the youth for this high-energy showcase of young rockers from music school. 5:30pm. $21.

1 Sunday

Caldera High School Bend Pops Orchestra Winter Concert A journey through epic soundtracks and beloved themes! No resets. No save points. Just one unforgettable afternoon of music. 2-5pm. Free.

River’s Place Skinny Dennis Bill Sterling (guitar, vocals) and Rodney Toogood (bass, vocals). Classic rock, ‘80s indie pop, and original songs. 5-7pm. Free.

The Commonweath Pub Shineola Shineola, the alter ego of SHINE, has one main aim- to get the audience singing at the top of their lungs! 4-6pm.

3 Tuesday

The Commonwealth Pub Groove Therapy with CyDefects Y CyDefects returns to one of our favorite stages for a night of deep funk, jazz fusion, and pure groove-based healing. cydefects. com 7-9pm.

Silver Moon Brewing Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light Fresh off a first place win at the 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition, Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light have been captivating audiences throughout the northeast. 6:30-9pm.

Silver Moon Brewing Shelby Natasha & Maria Jackson Shelby Natasha is a Seattle based alt-folk musician and music producer. 6:30-9:30pm.

The Commonweath Pub CyDefects - Tuesday Night Jazz A serious jazz fusion act, bringing a dynamic blend of funk-oriented grooves and rock energy to stages across Central Oregon. 7-9pm.

4 Wednesday

Silver Moon Brewing Russell Johnston A coastal folk-rock / Americana artist drawing influence from Zach Bryan, Ben Howard, and Pearl Jam. 7-9pm.

The Commonweath Pub Franchot Tone Warm guitar strums, breezy melodies and an easygoing vibe. 7:30-9:30pm.

MUSIC

Cascade Chamber Players | Music in Public Places, Central Oregon Symphony A free concert by the Cascade Chamber Players, a Central Oregon–based string quartet with decades of experience. Feb. 28, 2-3pm. Sunriver Public Library, 56855 Venture Lane, Sunriver. Contact: 5413173941. info@cosymphony.com. Free.

High Desert Wind Quintet | Music in Public Places, Central Oregon Symphony High Desert Wind Quintet performs a free concert Feb. 28, 2-3pm. COCC Barber Library, 2600 NW College Way, Bend. Contact: 5413173941. info@cosymphony.com. Free.

The Jazz Folks 2.0 Stellar big city Jazz featuring Sarah Owen on trumpet, Seth Burrows on guitar, Mathew Williams drums, and Tom Freedman on bass. Feb. 28, 6-8pm. River’s Place, 787 NE Purcell, Bend. Contact: 541-525-5532. riversplacebend@gmail.com. free.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo The group sings a traditional music style called isicathamiya (Is-Cot-A-Mee-Ya), which developed in the mines of South Africa. It was there that Black workers were taken to work far away from their homes and families. March 4, 7:30-9:30pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700. info@towertheatre.org. Tickets: $39 - $59 (plus $8 Historic Preservation fee). Women of Americana Songwriter, singer, slide guitar, and clawhammer banjo player Cristina Vane has a breadth and depth of serious musical skill. Brennen Leigh is an American songwriter, guitar player, mandolin player, and singer. March 3, 7:30-9:30pm. Tower Theatre, 835 NW Wall St., Bend. Contact: 541-317-0700 info@towertheatre.org. Tickets: $39 - $59+

FILM EVENTS

Mountains of the Moon Chris Benchetler’s film—set to the timeless tunes of the Grateful Dead, and captured using cutting-edge cinematography—takes the viewers on a surreal journey of nighttime landscapes. March 4, 6:15-8pm. Sisters Movie House, 720 Desperado Court, Sisters. Contact: 5415498833. inquiries@sistersmoviehouse.com. $17.

ARTS + CRAFTS

Be Right Back: Call and Response Performance During the Be Right Back exhibition, Post-it notes held in a soft, knit basket offer visitors the option to respond to the question, “Where would you go if your Post-it said, ‘Be Right Back’?” These collected responses become part of a Call and Response, a spoken word community activation. Feb. 27, 5pm. Scalehouse Collaborative for the Arts, 550 NW Franklin Ave, Bend. Contact: info@scalehouse.org. Free.

Growing Healthy Plants in Central Oregon’s Challenging Soils Learn why local soils behave as they do, how plants respond, and which amendments truly help. Feb. 28, 10am-1pm. OSU Extension Redmond, 3800 SW, SE Airport Way Bldg. 4, Redmond. Contact: 650224-6750. info@schoolofranch.org. $90.

Pine Needle Basket Weaving Intro

Coiling is the ancient art of spiraling and stitching pine needles into functional beauty. Feb. 28, 1:30-5:30pm. OSU Extension Redmond, 3800 SW, SE Airport Way Bldg. 4, Redmond. Contact: 650224-6750. info@schoolofranch.org. $135.

Weed Management: The War is On! Learn to identify invasive weeds with free apps, explore effective strategies to combat them Feb. 26, 5:30-8:30pm. Contact: 650-224-6750. info@ schoolofranch.org. Free.

PRESENTATIONS + EXHIBITS

February 2026 Central Oregon

PubTalk Celebrates the vibrancy of the natural products and consumer packaged goods community. Feb. 26, 4:30-7pm. Open Space Event Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave, Bend. Contact: info@edcoinfo.com. $32-$48.

Free Day at the Museum Everyone gets in free at the High Desert Museum! Feb. 28, 10am4pm. High Desert Museum, 59800 S. Highway 97, Bend. Contact: 5413824754. info@highdesertmuseum.org. Free.

THEATER

Little Women: The Musical Mountain View High School is proud to announce its upcoming production of Little Women: The Musical, a heartwarming adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel. Fri, Feb. 27, 7-9pm, Sat, Feb. 28, 7-9pm, Sun, March 1, 2-4pm. Mountain View High School Auditorium, 2755 NE 27th St., Bend. Contact: 541 355-4558. amy.james@bend.k12.or.us. $12-$16.

Spring Awakening Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, SPRING AWAKENING explores the pressures and desires of adolescence. Thu, Feb. 26, 7-10pm, Fri, Feb. 27, 7-10pm and Sat, Feb. 28, 2-5 and 7-10pm. Ponderosa Playhouse, 211 NE Revere Ave. Ste. 4, Bend. Contact: 541-410-1487. info@ponderosaplayers.com. $25.

WORDS

Wings of Fire Book Launch Party An early morning launch party for the new Wings of Fire! March 3, 7-8:30am. Roundabout Books, 900 NW Mount Washington Dr., #110, Bend. Contact: 5413066564. events@roundaboutbookshop.com.

Writers Gone Wild: The 2026 Women’s Creative Compass Retreat Three days offgrid at Breitenbush to soak, write, and reconnect with your creative instincts. Fri, Feb. 27, 4pm, Sat, Feb. 28 and Sun, March 1-Noon. Breitenbush Hot Springs, 53000 Breitenbush Rd SE, Detroit. Contact: 615-668-1433. sara@writersgonewild. com. $650-$875.

ETC.

Black History Month Celebration Dinner An inspiring evening honoring the strength, brilliance, and legacy of Black women. Feb. 28, 5-7pm. Cenral Oregon Community College, Coats Campus Center, Wille Hall, 2600 NW College Way, Bend. Contact: 541-330-4376. mlegrand2@cocc.edu. Free. Irene Forte to Make In-Store Appearance at Wren & Wild in Bend, OR Irene Forte, founder of the eponymous luxury skincare line crafted in Italy, will be on site to meet guests, share the brand story, answer questions. Contact: Wren & Wild Mandy Butera Info@wrenandwild.com 541-480-3252 Feb. 26, 3-5pm. Wren and Wild, 112 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend. Free.

Wave Goodbye to Clutter! Wave Goodbye to Clutter in your home with these Five Essential Steps to a Decluttered and Organized Home. Feb. 25, 1-2pm. Sunriver Public Library, 56855 Venture Lane, Sunriver. Contact: 541-312-1063. beccar@deschuteslibrary.org. Free.

OUTDOOR EVENTS

Kids Ninja Warrior CompetitionUNAA Regional Qualifier - Spring Ninjas, get ready for the ultimate thrill – our Ninja Warrior Competition and Season 10 Last Chance Area Qualifier Event, officially sanctioned by the prestigious Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association Age 6-13. March 1, 12:30-7pm. Contact: info@ freespiritbend.com. $49.

Tour of Meissner 2026 The Tour of Meissner, a classic-only ski tour, highlights Meissner Nordic’s 47 kms of groomed trails at Virginia Meissner Sno-Park. March 1, 8am-1pm. Virginia Meissner SnoPark, Century Drive, Bend. Contact: 541-316-0831. info@meissnernordic.org. Free.

GROUPS + MEETUPS

Bend Chess and Go Club Casual gathering for players of Chess and Go/Baduk/Weiqi. Informal and welcoming to players of all skill levels. We love teaching new people! Thursdays, 6-9pm. Crux Fermentation Project, 50 SW Division St., Bend. Contact: 425-354-8867. leifawiebe@ gmail.com. Free.

Bend Photo Society Meet Up Are you a photographer looking to collaborate, commiserate, network, elevate our industry, then this is the place for you. We are looking to create a community where we don’t have to feel so alone in our field. Join us for our first meet up of the year! Feb. 25, 5-7pm. Funky Fauna Artisan Ales, 1125 NE Second St., Bend. Contact: 541.640.1089. bendphototours@gmail.com. FREE.

BUGS (Bend Ukulele Group Weekly ukulele jam, open to all levels. Jam and sing along. Free for first timers. Play and sing along with old song favorites and experience the fun of playing this amazing little instrument. Tuesdays, 6-8pm. Pickleball Zone, 63040 NE 18th St., Bend. Contact: (206)-707-6337. sherilfoster@yahoo. com. $5.00.

Death Café Eat tasty treats, drink tea and discuss death. Free of agenda or ideology, the aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives. Facilitated by End of Life doula, Cheryl Adcox. Ages 16+. No late admittance: entry is closed at 6:10pm. Feb. 27, 6-7:30pm. Rosie Bareis Campus, 1010 NW 14th St., Bend. Contact: 5413121029. laurelh@ deschuteslibrary.org. 0.

Entrepreneur’s Fair and Networking Event Join local entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals, and trusted service providers for an open, approachable networking event designed to help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Not a formal workshop or sales pitch. It’s a space to ask real questions, make meaningful connections, and discover resources that support your next step. Feb. 25, 5:30-6:30pm. Larkspur Community Center Event Room, 1600 SE Reed Market Rd,, Bend. Contact: 415-390-6004. info@compasscpa.net.

Locals Night We love our Bend community, and Locals Night is our way of saying thank you. It’s our chance to unite neighbors and build a close-knit community. Show your Bend or Redmond ID to enjoy exclusive specials all day long! Last Wednesday of every month, Noon-9pm. Amaterra Kitchen + Social Club, 909 NW Bond Street, Bend. Contact: (541) 246-3266. info@ amaterrawines.com. Free.

Marijuana Anonymous Marijuana Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share the experience, strength and hope with each other that we may solve our common problem and help others to recover from marijuana addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using marijuana. Entrance on Staats St. Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm. Bend Church, 680 NW Bond Street, Bend. Contact: 541-633-6025. curbdaherb@gmail.com. Free.

OSU-Cascades Tours for Community Groups Join OSU-Cascades for free monthly community tours showcasing campus history, academic programs, and sustainability initiatives. Walk through Tykeson and Edward J. Ray halls, view public art, and see how a former pumice mine is being transformed into a vibrant university campus and innovation district. *Registration Required* Fri, Jan. 23, 10-11:30am, Fri, Feb. 27, 10-11:30am, Fri, March 27, 10-11:30am, Fri, April 24, 10-11:30am, Fri, May 22, 1011:30am, Fri, June 26, 10-11:30am, Fri, July 24, 10-11:30am, Fri, Aug. 28, 10-11:30am, Fri, Sept. 25, 10-11:30am, Fri, Oct. 23, 10-11:30am and Fri, Nov. 20, 10-11:30am. OSU-Cascades, 1500 sw Chandler dr, bend. Free.

Rally League Night We are starting pingpong and foosball leagues! At the first few meetings, we will have round robin play, gauge interest and determine league formats. All ages and levels welcome. Wednesdays, 5-8pm. Rally Recreation, 549 NW York Dr, Bend. Contact: 541241-8581. info@rallyrecreation.com. $8-$10.

The Reset : A Restorative Wellness Experience at Juniper Preserve A two-hour restorative experience featuring yin yoga, sound bath, mindful reflection, and herbal elixirs. The Reset is a two-hour restorative wellness gathering designed to support deep rest, reflection, and renewal. This experience offers a calm, sensory-rich space to slow down, gently reset the nervous system, and reconnect with a grounded Feb. 28, 4-6pm. Juniper Preserve, 65600 Pronghorn Club Dr., Bend. Contact: 5416935388. info@juniperpreserve.com. $85. Ribbon Cutting for SecuraCore—February 26 Join us to celebrate the grand opening of SecuraCore’s newest location! Enjoy snacks, drinks, and a tour of the new building—we can’t wait to celebrate with you! Please send your RSVP to Matt at matt@mysecuracore.com. The ribbon cutting is Powered by WaFd Bank! Feb. 26, 4-5pm. SecuraCore, 404 NE Norton Ave, Bend. FREE. Scrabble Club Meet upstairs. Club uses the 7th edition of the Scrabble Players Dictionary. All levels welcome. Wednesdays, 6-8:30pm. Market of Choice, 115 NW Sisemore St, Bend. Contact: 828-707-4390. testudine2002@yahoo.com. Free.

Understanding Homelessness in Central Oregon Please join members of the community in learning more about homelessness in our community and the steps you can take to help with this issue. The forum will include a panel discussion on homelessness, visits to any of the 40 agencies participating, and tours of mobile outreach vans. March 3, 5-8:30pm. Westside Church, 2051 NW Shevlin Park Road, Bend. Contact: 541-350-8592. barbarabelzer@ yahoo.com. free.

Women’s Cancer Support Group We are a group of women cancer survivors providing support and information to those newly diagnosed with cancer and/or undergoing treatment. We are here for you. Thursdays, 1-3pm. First Presbyterian Church, 230 NE Ninth St., Bend. Contact: judyerickso@gmail.com. Free.

Yoga Mama 6-Week Series Develop a yoga and mindful practice that will build strength and flexibility and help balance out your emotions. Reduce common “mom” tensions. Tuesdays, 6:30-7:45pm, Tuesdays, 6:30-7:45pm and Tuesdays, 6:30-7:45pm. Through May 12. Contact: 5412413919. info@freespiritbend.com. $144.

Yoga Wall 6-Week Series Experience the magic of the Yoga Wall with gentle support that helps you feel open, balanced, and strong. This welcoming series realigns the spine and pelvis, eases tension, explores safe inversions, and builds a nourishing mind-body connection through weekly focused movement and breathwork. All levels encouraged. No Class 3/26 Thursdays, 6:30-7:45pm and Thursdays, 6:307:45pm. Through May 14. Contact: 5412413919. info@freespiritbend.com. $144.

FUNDRAISING

2026 Polar Plunge & 5K Fun Run

Benefitting Special Olympics Oregon Polar Plunge is your chance to step out of your comfort zone by jumping into an unforgettable experience that directly impacts the lives of Special Olympics Oregon Athletes. Sat., Feb. 28, 9am-Noon. Riverbend Park, 799 SW Columbia Street, Bend. Contact: 503-248-0600 Ext 108. polarplunge@soor.org. Free.

Wildlife Wine and Paint Night Join Think Wild for a Wildlife Wine and Paint Night! Unwind with a glass of wine while discovering the incredible stories and adaptations of Central Oregon wildlife. Feb. 27, 6-8pm. The Bend Wine Bar & Winery Tasting Room, 550 SW Industrial Way, Bend. Contact: 5413160067. becca@thinkwildco.org. $65.

FAMILY + KIDS

Clothing Bonanza- Bend Drop 2/25

Redmond Drop 2/26 Come check out our Clothing Bonanza for ages 14-27. Located in the Drop, a safe place for ages 14-27, where you can connect with peers. Check out our website for even more info! Feb. 25, 2-5pm and Feb. 26, 1-4pm. The Drop, 1340 Nw wall st, Bend. Contact: 541-749-7598. Teresa.DelPrete@ Deschutes.org. FREE.

Kids Line Dance Lessons Free Kids Line Dance Lessons every Wednesday, 5–6 PM at The Coyote, taught by instructor Alex Reininger. Recommended ages 4–12 yo. Kids stay active while parents enjoy food, drinks or mocktails, pool tables, TVs, and full bar seating. Wednesdays, 5-6pm. The Coyote, 910 NW Harriman St., Bend. Contact: mindfulmotionmentor@gmail. com. Free.

FOOD + DRINK

Moonlight Dinner Series An unforgettable fusion of high-altitude adventure and refined Cascadian cuisine. Feb. 28, 4-8pm. Mt. Bachelor, 13000 Century Drive, Bend.

BEER + DRINK

Aligoté Tasting Study Explore this misunderstood grape through the lens of some of the most sought-after producers and their exceptional bottlings. Feb. 26, 5:30-7pm. Viaggio Wine Merchant, 210 SW Century Dr., Bend. Contact: 541-299-5060. info@viaggiowine.com. $45 ($35 Wine Club).

CRAB FEED Powell Butte Community Center 2nd Annual Crab Feed Powell Butte Community Center. Two seating times 1 to 3 and 4 to 6. Feb. 28, 1-6pm. Powell Butte Community Center, 8404 S. Reif Road, Powell Butte. Contact: 541-408-0256. events @pb-center.com. $65.

HEALTH + WELLNESS

Access Bars and Body Process Gifting and Receiving Did you know your body’s first language is energy? Group trade of Access Bars and Body Processes is a great way to connect with others in the area and receive! If you have taken a Bars or Body Process class, join! What’s possible if we receive bodywork regularly? Everything! First Tuesday of every month, 5-7pm. The Blissful Heart Hidden Garden, 105 NW Greeley Ave, Bend. Contact: 541-848-7608. jenniferevemorey@gmail.com. Free. Community Moon Gathering A chance for individuals to connect with the energy and wisdom of the moon, and with other people looking to do the same thing. Includes: Grounding meditation, short overview of the lunar phase and how to work with it in a practical way, reflection, sharing, energy healing and more. Feb. 28, 3-4:15pm. Bend Yoga Center, 1230 NE 3rd Street, Suite A230, Bend. Contact: yoga@bendyoga. center. $10-25.

Harmonic Flow: Yoga + Sound Bath Immerse yourself in an evening of deep relaxation and renewal. Harmonic Flow Yoga is your sanctuary for letting go, finding balance, and reconnecting with your inner harmony—an ideal way to end your week and month. Ages 15+ welcome. Fri, Feb. 27, 6:30-8pm. Contact: 5412413919. info@freespiritbend.com. $40.

Immersive Breathwork & Sound Healing Reset your nervous system, clear stress, and open your heart through an immersive breathwork journey led by expert facilitator Brighton Loughlin. With personal headphones, eye masks, and powerful breathwork, this session helps you reconnect you to yourself and finishes with a grounding gong and crystal bowl sound healing. Feb. 27, 7-8:15pm. Hanai Center, 62430 Eagle Road, Bend. Contact: 5308598528. brighton@ beyondbodywellness.co. $40.

Introduction to Meditation: All Skill Levels Welcome Our gathering consists of a short intro, group meditation practice (in chairs or bring a floor cushion), and then a few minutes for discussion, questions, and sharing. Led by Austin, a Redmond resident and experienced meditation guide. This group is open to everyone and designed to support relaxation & happiness. Wed, Feb. 25, 5:30pm. Redmond Library, 827 Southwest Deschutes Avenue, Redmond. Contact:

Psilocybin-Supported Reiki Mini Journey A gentle, guided psilocybin mini-journey held in a safe, reverent container. Reiki support, emotional care, and reflective space intertwine to help your voyage land with clarity, integration, and ease. Limited spots — held with love in Bend. Thu, Feb. 26, 6-9pm. Pine & Prism Wellness Collective, 856 NW Bond St., Suite 202, Bend. Contact: 9186715457. hello@pineandprism.com. $300.

Sonic Bliss ~ Breath & Soundbath Experience Drop in deep, into your lungs, your heart, your body and your Spirit within this healing 432 Hz Crystal Bowl, Didgeridoo, Reiki, Soundbath and Breathwork Experience. Reiki energy heals. So does conscious Breath, Music and pure Sound. They are all flowing freely - come feel the Sonic Bliss! March 1, 6-7:15pm. Unity Community of Central Oregon, 63645 Scenic Drive, Bend. Contact: 8088870830. lisacswisher@gmail.com. $28.29.

The Slow Down Series: Breathwork and Meditation for Relaxation A relaxing session of guided breathwork and meditation that is centered all around slowing down and embracing the present moment. Get ready for a peaceful gathering where you can quiet down the outside world and reconnect with yourself. Wed, Feb. 25, 6-7pm. Hanai, 62430 Eagle Rd, Bend. Contact: 949-274-2731. jane@thewowphase. com. $20.

Yoga + Community Tea With Do Yoga Outside An hour of slow, intentional yoga and 30 minutes of Tea + Community Wednesdays, 6-7:30pm. Through Feb. 25. Yoga + Community Tea, 3091 NE Nathan Dr, Bend. Contact: 5416102779. hayley@doyogaoutside.com. $25.

Zero for Life™: The Science-MeetsSoul Method to Alcohol Freedom A Curiosity-Based Workshop for Living Your Most Vibrant, Authentic Life. What might life feel like without alcohol? This science-meets-soul workshop explores alcohol’s impact on the brain, stress, sleep, and emotional regulation, plus an EFT tool to calm cravings. No labels. No pressure. Just clarity, insight, and the power to choose Feb. 25, 5:30-7pm. The Haven CoWorking, 1001 Southwest Disk Drive, Bend. Contact: 5035770233. cricket@cricketfixes.com. $25 - $45.

CHOW C Pizza Week Roundup

It’s cool learning about new flavors and places to eat pizza

By Dave Clemens

by Ashley Sarvis

My Pizza Week adventure was amazing. Last week I told you that I was going to try all of the featured pizzas that The Source posted during this special week, that rivals some of the more popular observations, like Cat Herder Day, Take Your Teddy Bear to Work Day and The Festival of Sleep. I’ve decided that there’s no sense in critiquing each pizza, since yumminess is in the tastebuds of the devourer, and I didn’t run into a pizza I didn’t like. What I will share is that this experience had me looking for some places and flavors I never knew existed in Central Oregon. It was almost like a saucy cheesy goodness scavenger hunt for my friends, family and myself.

I tried pizzas I never would have tried, at restaurants and food trucks I had never been to. Worthy Brewing’s pizza had potato on it! I would have never tried it, and now I know that Alicia got the idea when scooping out potatoes for potato skins. There was

also a pizza at the I Love Ceviche food truck that had shrimp on it! Chonie’s Pizza’s “Lone Star Luau” was great, and I think the owner and his fiancee should get married already. Anybody who can spend all day working in a food truck with someone and still love them at the end of the week has demonstrated they’re in it for the long haul. Fat Tony’s is in the middle of a neighborhood. Great pizza, at a place I would have never found!

I ate a lot of pizza in the last week, and I love pizza, but the best part of all this was getting out and about, finding new places and meeting new people. I learned that pizza-people are passionate about their craft, and we all benefit from it. This was lots of fun. My thanks to The Source for a cool idea. Meanwhile, my doctor says my blood type is now “marinara,” but that should work itself out in plenty of time for Burger Week. Until we meet again, buon appetito!

The Luck of the Bendite Midtown Yacht Club finds magic with PotLuck

By Jared Rasic

Every once in a while, a food truck comes out of nowhere with a concept so pristine and perfect that it immediately feels like it has always been part of a town’s culinary landscape. Places that open with such effortless attention to detail and handmade craft that the diner realizes they were missing something they never knew existed. Most recently, we’ve seen this with Wandering Ranchero and The Dominican, two spots that were instantly embraced by the foodie community in Bend.

The newest truck that deserves this level of love is PotLuck, freshly installed in the spot formerly occupied by Lively Up Yourself at the Midtown Yacht Club. PotLuck’s concept is brilliant: a menu built around all of chef/owner Brandy Rautenkranz’s favorite dishes. From sliders to bánh mì, all the way over to jambalaya, doner kebab, and a downright unbelievable spicy chicken curry, Brandy’s menu is multifarious, combining the variety of a potluck dinner with the specificity of her complex and delectable palette.

“PotLuck became an idea last summer, actually,” says Rautenkranz. “Sarah and Elliot (of Lively Up) talked about selling. I immediately thought of all the things that I could do in that truck. I

landed on creating a menu of all of my favorite foods, but making it shareable so folks could try lots of things while playing bingo or trivia, or listening to the live music at Midtown.”

I’m not trying to overhype anyone, so just go to PotLuck and experience the perfection of her doner kebab with razor-thin, tender chicken, enhanced with a lovely Turkish seasoning that doesn’t lean heavily on the cumin and paprika, instead finding a delicious symmetry with the tomato-cucumber salad and garlic labneh to create a kebab unlike any I’ve had outside of Portland.

Not into kebab? A) What is wrong with you, but also B) then try the spicy chicken curry, which I have not stopped thinking about once since trying it. Served with pillowy naan and hitting notes of spice that were not only unexpected, but greatly appreciated, this curry has made its way into my rotation immediately. “The curry is over a decade in the making,” says Rautenkranz. “While living in Portland, I would make quick dinners using this storebought vindaloo paste in a jar. It was suddenly discontinued. I searched everywhere. I decided to make my own. The first attempt did NOT work out, but the current recipe has three varieties of dried chili peppers — one variety that I have to purchase online — that you toast and soak and blend, along with lots of seeds you toast and grind, and then more ground seasonings and garlic and onions. It’s a process, but it’s worth it.”

You will not believe how worth it until you try this curry.

Spice-averse? The Turkey Burger Sliders with Tillamook cheddar and a surprisingly, delicately sweet cranberry sauce made me immediately nostalgic for Thanksgiving, while the Salmon Cake Sliders are a seafood junkie’s delight.

Rautenkranz only uses Beaver tartar sauce, so believe me when I say we’re in good hands.

Don’t even get me started on the classic house-made Hamburger Helper for the kiddos and the Tofu Bánh Mì that not only comes correct with the tastiest vegan mayo I’ve ever had, but is so loaded with pickled carrots, cucumbers and fresh jalapeños that I’m now spoiled for life on Bánh Mì. Bend has a plethora of great Bánh Mì, but I’m not sure I’ve had a better one than at PotLuck.

What’s really remarkable about Chef Rautenkranz (and PotLuck in general) is that even though I was fairly blown away by everything I tried on the menu, her dishes were all such incredibly done concepts that I’m just as excited by whatever else she chooses to do with the menu. As sad as I would be to lose the Chicken Curry, I trust that whatever would replace it would be equally as amazing. “I intentionally chose the name PotLuck, so I would have freedom to do what I wanted with the menu,” says Rautenkranz. “I am not tied to any

specific regions or flavor profiles. I have lots of ideas to add to the menu once I get settled. I have Sunday supper special ideas, and I have a few ideas for brunch items. Lots of people have asked about side items, so I am coming up with things for that.”

Again, I don’t want to overhype anyone, but I tried nearly everything on the PotLuck menu and there wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t truly special. Chef Rautenkranz doesn’t tackle her dishes in predictable or boring ways; instead, she approaches each concept like an engineer, building flavor profiles from scratch with what seems like a genuinely intuitive artistry. I can’t wait to go back to PotLuck again. Hopefully, I’ll see you there.

PotLuck

Wed-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 11am-7pm Midtown Yacht Club 1661 NE 4th St. instagram.com/potluck_bend/

C Women’s Issues Are Everyone’s Issues

CULTURE

Recommendations for a book of fiction, an essay collection and poetry

By Ashley Redwood

Here’s a woman’s issue for you: RAGE.

Does the phrase, “woman’s issue,” irritate you?

Good. It should. The anger of being told you’re too much and not enough, sometimes in the same breath. Of watching autonomy slip away in real time. Of staying calm on the surface while everything tightens around you. Because issues that affect women affect everyone. The rage in these books isn’t niche—it’s what all of us feel.

Whether you feel dismissed and ignored or not, I’ve compiled a short list — just three books— that get at something experienced widely: the rage of being told your pain isn’t real, your anger isn’t justified, your experience doesn’t matter. But they also give us something else that matters: those fierce bonds between women that make the rage bearable. The bonds that sometimes turn rage into something we can use.

This month — Women’s History Month — I have one book of fiction, one essay collection, and one book of poetry for you. These books aren’t about politics — they’re about what happens when women’s autonomy, choices, and voices are threatened, dismissed, or erased. Whether it’s systemic or personal, structural or intimate, it all costs everyone something.

Women aren’t allowed to be angry. Feel anger inside, sure… but show it? Definitely not. Last year’s adaptation of “Nightbitch” by Rachel Yoder brought maternal rage roaring into the mainstream conversation.

In “Nightbitch,” when a woman pauses her career to become a stay-at-home mom, she has nowhere to express the stupefying reality of putting her life and career on hold, only to be told to be grateful for it. What no one warns you about is how confusing it is to be grateful while also feeling all of these other things: left behind by your partner, unpaid, lonely in the absence of the village everyone promises, ignored on the sidewalk or in a doorway, irrationally irritated by a pile of clothes on the floor, overstimulated by noise, light, and touch. She doesn’t have a space where she’s allowed to fully feel much other than grateful, or happy, or blissful and barefoot, the don’t-blink-because-they-growup-too-soon state of mind. So when the mother portrayed in “Nightbitch” starts to turn into a dog (think: werewolf), she finally has an outlet for the feral part of her, the ugly, angry part she had pushed down for so long. “Nightbitch” comes out at night, and she is free.

These same feelings reverberate through Kate Baer’s new poetry collection, “How About Now,” which explores

the reclaiming of the self on the journey through middle age. Her poem, “Birth of a Mother,” addresses the silent turmoil of women’s lifelong expectations as mothers, likening it to a dragon turning within her. In “Birthday Request,” she encourages us to live fully and defy anything that constrains self-actualization in middle age: “I had a friend who said, / We’re too old to wear crop tops. / I’ll never forget the way she said it. / I never liked crop tops, but look, / I’m wearing one today.” We transform, we mold our lives and our bodies to fit the needs of others. But the dragon, that’s the part of us that won’t be tamed by gendered expectations of woman, of the body, of the role of partner, mother, wife. This part stays restless, shifting, even unresolved— and the crop top gets worn anyway.

Then there are our bodies—and what happens when they change in ways the world would rather ignore. I’m talking about perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause. Have you felt rage at your medical concerns being minimized, dismissed, and, at worst, silenced? The Big M: 13 Writers Take Back the Story of Menopause is an essay collection edited by Lidia Yuknavitch that features women discussing menopause at all stages. In it, Pacific Northwest writer Monica Drake writes about how divorce court indignities mirror how patriarchal systems cause women to loathe their bodies and themselves. She writes, “When we say THE CHANGE, the biggest change is the one that is taking place right now, in releasing body shame, reproductive health shame.” This collection is beautifully book-ended by Yuknavitch with the following line from her essay, Transmogrify: “If you find you must lay some bodies down in order to continue changing and growing, bodies like rage, or sorrow, or guilt…do it. We honor the parting. We know what weight you carried. Let go. Lift your heart.”

Take comfort that we are in this together, because, as Kate Baer tells us in her poem, “The Bridesmaid’s Speech”: “There is very little women choose / to keep from one another. How / lucky are we to know a love like this.” And herein lies an emotional truth: the bonds between us— should we recognize and embrace them—are stronger than what divides us.

A mother who transforms into a dog to access her feral rage. A dragon that never stops turning, never settles into the role. Women collectively refusing to be shamed about their bodies. Here are the “women’s issues” we honor this month.

WHAT CASSIE'S READING

“The

—It’s March 1980, and Carol Girard and her husband live an ordinary life in a small town in the Adirondacks. They have just had their first child and the future seems clear. Until something extraordinary happens: communication from intelligent life on another planet. And so begins a decades-long exchange of messages with this mysterious, faraway civilization.

Tracing five decades of love, loss, ambition, and self-discovery, The Radiant Dark is a stunning examination of a family navigating their lives with the knowledge that we are not alone.

SC SCREEN

Ever since the first trailer for Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” was released, I’ve been obsessed with finding out why they’re selling the film with the quotation marks around the title. No one does that. Five minutes into the film, I figured out why. This isn’t Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights; this is very much Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights,” with quotations, a few exclamation points and maybe a dollar sign. Purists who feel deep connections with the 1847 novel will probably be endlessly annoyed with this loose “adaptation” of the source material.

I have no real connection to the novel, so I can only look at the film as an outsider with a very basic knowledge of Brontë’s plot. I know Brontë took great care to accurately describe and set her story in the Yorkshire moors of Northern England. While some of the film was shot in those very locations, Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” is set somewhere between a water-worn cover of a bodice-ripping romance novel and the liminal state between death and rebirth known as the bardo. The sky is red and false, the moon large and painted, the sex both chaste and rough.

Cathy (a strong, but terribly miscast Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (a brooding, but terribly miscast Jacob Elordi) are two monstrous humans whose love is so toxic, dangerous and unhealthy that it doesn’t just destroy everyone around them, but also poisons the picturesque countryside around them. This obsession turns the windswept estate of Wuthering Heights into a filthy and decaying hell and Thrushcross Grange from a lavish manor into a grotesque, Cronenbergian nightmare of flesh-colored longing.

Are we supposed to be rooting for Cathy and Heathcliff to get over themselves and build something healthy together? I have no idea. The way that Emerald Fennell writes these characters makes me think that she despises them both and takes pleasure in putting them in a life-size dollhouse and leaving it out in the rain. Cathy is a narcissist, at best, and Heathcliff is, without question, a sociopath with some murderous

50 Shades of Jacob Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” goes for a Hot Goth Winter

By Jared Rasic

tendencies, so spending 140-minutes waiting to see if they get together is tantamount to caring if the most toxic couple you know are calling it quits or not. It’s fun to watch, but don’t expect my emotional investment.

That’s the biggest problem with “Wuthering Heights” in a nutshell: it’s a stunning facade with nothing behind the expertly painted backdrops. Don’t get me wrong, Elordi and Robbie have so much chemistry that the film must be impossible to watch for their significant others, but don’t we need more than sexiness here? When Heathcliff picks up Cathy by her corset with one hand, I might have said under my breath, “More like Jacob OhLordy,” but I can’t tell if Fennell thinks her audience is rooting for their eternal love or anxiously anticipating their breakup sex.

With a transcendent original soundtrack by Charli XCX, breathtaking cinematography from Linus Sandgren and a film-stealing performance from Alison Oliver (who also managed to steal HBO’s “Task” last year), “Wuthering Heights” is still a wildly entertaining bit of camp that is too hetero to become a queer cult classic and too actively unintelligent to please classic lit fans. What we’re left with is the cinematic equivalent of culinary fusion, but instead of a perfect distillation

of umami like Thai BBQ, we’re left with something off-putting like spaghetti and bananas or shrimp with cottage cheese.

“Wuthering Heights” also feels achingly, obsessively horny, while stranding Robbie and Elordi to summon sexual heat by just making out constantly and putting their fingers in each other’s mouths. I didn’t necessarily expect Elordi to hang dong, but I’m still surprised a movie so animalistic with its urges and impulses acts like French kissing is the height of romantic sex. The kinkiness and rough stuff that come into play in the third act is winked at like a perversion that Fennell thinks is adorable, but refuses to take seriously.

After “Saltburn” and “Promising Young Woman,” Fennell proved that she could make movies that felt immediately like a product of their time and I’m not sure whether I mean that as a compliment or not. I’ve never gone back to rewatch either film because I feel like they already stained my brain from seeing them the first time and “Wuthering Heights” is more of the same. You’ll get everything you need from it on the first try. I have so many conflicting feelings about “Wuthering Heights” that it’s hard to know whether I even liked it or not. Visually dazzling, emotionally inert. Maximalist production, minimalist writing. Prurient and chaste. Decadent, but hollow. Messy and mannered. I know that I was entertained, but I’m not sure that it’s actually a good movie or says anything about romance, obsessive love, or the human condition. The film is like a deceptively shallow pool; you’ll break your neck trying to dive in because the water looks refreshing and sure seems deep from far away, but maybe you’ll die with a smile.

“Wuthering Heights”

Dir. Emerald Fennell

Grade: D+

Now playing at Regal Old Mill, Sisters Movie House, Redmond Cinema, Madras Cinema 5

LITTLE WOMEN

The Broadway Musical

Book by Allan Knee

Music by Jason Howland

Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein

Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott

FEB. 27th– MAR . 8th

February 27, 28 and March 6, 7 at 7pm March 1 and 8 at 2pm

By Nic Moye

Understanding Homelessness in Central Oregon

A free community forum provides information and opportunities to get involved

“

The goal is really to help the larger community to become more aware and educated about what it means to be homeless, what’s being done to help with the problem of homelessness, and so it’s primarily an educational goal,” says Barbara Belzer with the Central Oregon Homelessness Alliance, explaining why the nonprofit is hosting its second annual community forum on the issue.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is the evening of Tuesday, March 3 at Westside Church. Belzer says about 40 local nonprofits that provide support to the homeless are participating and will staff tables to answer questions and provide information. Audience members can also tour mobile outreach vans from Mosaic Community Health, Shepherd’s House and the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council Workforce Team.

Speakers this year include Eliza Wilson, board chair of the Homeless Leadership Coalition, who will explain how the local landscape has changed over the past year for the homeless population. Rick Russell, executive director of Mountain View Community Development, will lead a forum with four people including two formerly homeless individuals: Dr. Josh Reiher, who’s the head of Mosaic’s street medicine mobile clinic, and filmmaker Jezza Neumann, who’s working on a project about homeless families.

The Homeless Leadership Coalition maintains a homeless dashboard that provides a community snapshot. It saw a 1% increase from December to January in the number of adults or head of households assisted. During the same time period, there was an 18% increase in the number of people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Nearly 1,300 of the homeless assisted in January were children.

Belzer says after last year’s forum, she saw more cooperation among agencies. “From last year’s forum, we became aware of how important it was for the agencies,” Belzer says. “They talked to us a lot about how much they enjoyed being able to get together and have that opportunity to network.

While most of the audience is expected to be people involved with one of the advocacy groups, she’s hoping anyone from the general public with an interest in issues related to homelessness will attend to learn more about the complex experience of being homeless and volunteer opportunities working toward solutions.

Community Forum on Understanding Homelessness

Tue, March 3, 5-8:30pm Westside Church 2501 NW Shevlin Park Rd, Bend cohomelessness.org/events/2026-central-oregon-homelessness-forum Free

THE PSYCHEDELIC FRONTIER EXPLORING INTENTIONAL PSYCHEDELIC USE IN THE MODERN WORLD

By Mary Casanave Sheridan

Bridging sacred and celebratory use

Q: I used mushrooms, LSD, and ecstasy recreationally through my 20s and 30s for parties and deeper connections. After taking a break to focus on family, I’ve recently returned to mushrooms through guided journeys and microdosing; experiences that have been profoundly healing and nothing like my past use. I’m curious about reintroducing psychedelics into my life recreationally and romantically. I don’t want to cheapen these powerful spiritual tools, but I remember them being fun and bonding. Any guidance on making this shift?

A: Your question resonates deeply with me. Even after over 20 years of psychedelic use and supporting hundreds of others through these experiences, I continue learning about the delicate dance between sacred and celebratory contexts. What you’re experiencing isn’t contradiction; it’s evolution. The playful exploration of your younger years wasn’t “less than,” it was exactly what you needed then.

The Sacred in— the Celebratory Here’s what I’ve learned: once we’ve tasted the sacred power of these medicines, every experience becomes ceremonial to some degree, no matter our intentions. The medicines don’t distinguish between “recreational” and “spiritual” use, they simply amplify whatever’s present in us and our connections. Rather than asking if recreational use cheapens the sacred, consider: can we bring the sacred to celebratory and intimate contexts?

needs attention. Be honest about what triggers might emerge.

Practical Harm Reduction in Social Settings

Take only familiar and tested substances, consider having a trusted sober friend present, and understand how crowd energy affects your experience. Large gatherings can amplify both euphoria and anxiety unpredictably. Have a transportation plan, and exit strategy.

Navigating Intimate Connections

When sharing these experiences with romantic partners, preparation becomes even more critical. Essential safeguards include clear boundaries beforehand, discussing past experiences, individual needs and expectations, ensuring comfortable retreat spaces.

Safety first! The landscape has changed dramatically over the years. Fentanyl contamination now makes substance testing essential. Use products like DanceSafe fentanyl test strips and Miraculix testing kits to verify substance identity, purity and potency. Don’t take anything unless you are sure what it is, how much you are taking, what the risks are, and what to expect. Resources like PsychonautWiki and Erowid remain invaluable for dosing

Consider consulting a health care provider, especially if you have health conditions, particularly mental health, cardiovascular, or seizure-related conditions, or are on psychotropic medications. Also, start with lower doses, you can always take more if you want.

The Shadow Work of Recreational Use

Recreational contexts can surface unexpected shadows like jealousy, fear, social anxiety, or old behaviors. This isn’t reason to avoid these settings, but to approach them with the same preparedness we’d bring to sacred work. The medicine doesn’t distinguish between contexts when revealing what

The Relationship Evolution Piece Psychedelics in intimate relationships require ongoing consent conversations throughout. Boundaries and needs can shift dramatically in expanded states. What felt comfortable at the beginning might not later.Honor when someone needs space or support, and remember that it’s always OK to change your mind. The medicine can reveal relationship truths we weren’t prepared to see.

Working WITH the Medicine

The most important reframe: we work for the medicine, it doesn’t work for us. We get what we need, not what we want. Avoid using these substances to make something happen, avoid difficult conversations, or when in crisis.

The Cyclical Wisdom

There’s profound beauty in bringing the same reverence to a dance floor that we bring to ceremony. Not because we’re diminishing the sacred, but because we’re expanding our capacity for it. The key isn’t choosing between sacred or celebratory, but approaching both with deep respect, preparation, and willingness to receive whatever gifts they offer.

—Questions are encouraged. Please send to Mary@myco.vision and they may be answered in future columns.

THE THIRD ACT A COLUMN ON AGEISM AND AGEING

By Ellen Waterston

What the World Needs Now

I’m on the Baja where I lead an annual writing retreat. I started this column before I headed out of town and am now picking up where I left off, or trying to. It’s not easy. Instead of the wall of my office, from where I’m sitting I have an uninterrupted view of the Pacific. Big breakers focus their might on rearranging the shoreline. Brown pelicans cruise like too cool jazz notes inches above the water. Female grey whales, having calved in Magdalena Bay, cavort and spyhop their way to the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez, the ultimate baby whale nursery. When the time comes to begin the migration north, these cows and their young go last, following the newly pregnant females, and the adult and juvenile bulls. What I want to know is how do they figure all that out? How does any of this work? It’s nearly 6pm here. The songbirds grow silent. The wind picks up slightly, palm fronds clacking in the breeze. The only manmade sound I hear is the tick tick of the fan suspended from the palapa roof. Silhouetted figures begin gathering on the nearby beach in hopes they’ll see the green flash. Others congregate at a volunteer-run greenhouse where Olive Ridley and Leatherback turtle eggs are incubated, safe from two and four-legged predators. Today’s hatchlings will be released after sunset when there are fewer gulls, caracaras, frigatebirds and ravens on the prowl. That something so much bigger than any one of us humans is constantly going on around us is writ large here. I wish we all saw that, stopped believing we’re the something bigger.

But back to what I wanted to say before the Baja interrupted. How about that double dose of comfort food February 2026 served up for us Norte Americanos to enjoy, the Super Bowl and the Olympics! We all got to kick back and enjoy two athletic traditions, reassuring in their familiarity, their reliability. Winners, losers, rules and regulations, some injuries, some disappointing results, but in the end a good time had by all. Overlooking the hype and overthe-top fanfare associated with both, you must admit there’s nothing quite like families and fans gathering to cheer on their favorite teams or favorite individual competitors while dining on beer brats or chicken wings. For me, watching Madison Chock and Evan Bates ice dancing at the Olympics was a valentine in motion. (BTW, dancers, on average, cover the equivalent of three football fields by the time their four-minute

routine is over.) What about the thrill, make that relief, as A.J. Barner made a long-awaited Seahawk touchdown! We learned the backstories of these superior athletes who hail from every corner of the globe…and that includes not only Olympians but also the football players of Panamanian, Colombian, Mexican and Nigerian heritage on the 2026 roster. Seventy percent of NFL players are black. For fans of football, the game mattered more than anything else. As fans of the Olympics, we forgot our differences, we’re all part of the same team cheering for our country, for America. When it comes to pageantry the Olympics have their eye-popping opening ceremony, replete with parades and fireworks. The Super Bowl equivalent? The halftime show. Taking the stage this year was Bad Bunny, recent winner of Best Album at the 2026 Grammy awards, the first time a Spanish-language album has won in the 67-year history of the ceremony. At the Super Bowl, the Puerto Rican rapper delivered a 13-minute performance in Spanish that left commentators and journalists scrambling to interpret every detail of the bold, bawdy (enough with the crotch-grab) performance, notably its cultural and political messages. He made one clear. “America the Beautiful” embraces not only Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the United States, but also the countries and territories that are part of the Americas which Bad Bunny belted out in one long breath. Seven million residents of the United States speak an Asian language at home. Projections suggest that the U.S. could become the largest Spanish-speaking population by 2050. Where I had dinner last night on the Baja I heard Italian, French, German, English, Swedish and Spanish spoken at tables nearby. The one peaceful world nation genie is out of the bottle. I dearly hope it’s impossible to get it back in.

Valentine’s Day is also a February fixture. We humans should take a page from the grey whales who celebrate it every day. It’s how you discern between grey whales and other whales in the water…the grey whales’ spout erupts in the shape of a heart. As Bad Bunny brazenly reminded us, love is what the world needs more of. Happy Valentine’s Day every day.

—Poet and author Ellen Waterston is a woman of a certain age who resides in Bend. "The Third Act" is a series of columns on ageing and ageism.

TAKE ME HOME

By Olivia Bates REMAX Key Properties

Why Staging Is One of the Smartest Investments You Can Make Before Selling

Iam reaching my one-year anniversary in real estate, and I can confidently say that staging is not optional if you want top dollar for your home.

Surprisingly, sellers have felt uneasy when the word “staging” comes out of my mouth. It means getting rid of their perfectly acceptable furniture to put more furniture in the home for a short period of time?

I’ve had sellers look at me sideways. It can feel personal! This is your home, your memories. Here’s the hard truth: once you decide to sell, it stops being your home and starts becoming a product.

Buyers don’t just purchase a home, they’re investing in a feeling. They walk through the door and instantly ask if they can see themselves in the home. If the answer is distracted by clutter, old used furniture, or family photos, you lose emotional momentum as a seller.

Staging isn’t about making a home look “fancy,” even though the fanciness can inspire potential buyers to say “If I buy this home, I could live like this.” It’s about creating a neutral space.

In today’s market, the first impression starts online. Professional photography, video, and digital marketing only work if the home shows well. A staged home looks cleaner, larger and more elevated.

I’ve gotten so many questions about artificial intelligence and its role in furnishing a home, but the photos are only half of the equation. An AI-staged home will get more showings, but will it transpire into more offers? The data says no.

Traditional staging tends to generate more believable, lived-in appeal in

photos, whereas AI-staged homes can increase views but don’t create the same emotional appeal that real furniture does.

Here’s something I tell my clients all the time: You’re moving anyway. Why not do the extra legwork at the beginning when you’re not under deadline pressure? The last week before closing is chaotic enough. Packing while juggling inspections, negotiations and timelines is stressful. If you declutter and depersonalize early, you’re ahead of the game.

And financially it makes the most sense. Staged homes consistently sell faster and often for more money. Even small adjustments like removing furniture, bringing in neutral bedding, and adding intentional pieces can increase perceived value. Buyers interpret a well-presented home as well-maintained. That perception matters.

I’ve seen it firsthand. Two similar homes. Same neighborhood. Same price range. The staged one gets multiple offers while the non-staged one sits.

My job isn’t just to put a sign in the yard. It’s to position your home to win. That sometimes means having honest conversations. And once sellers see their home professionally staged and photographed, they almost always say the same thing: “wow, I didn’t realize it could look like this!”

Staging isn’t about erasing your personality; it’s about creating space for the next buyer to imagine theirs. If the goal is to sell quickly and for the highest possible price, staging isn’t an expense. It’s an investment.

ASTROLOGY

By Rob Brezsny

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Sufi mystics tell us that the heart has "seven levels of depth," each one bearing progressively more profound wisdom. You access these depths by feeling deeper, not thinking harder. Let’s apply this perspective to you, Pisces. Right now, you're being called to descend past surface emotions (irritation, worry, mild contentment) into the layers beneath: primal wonder, the wild joy you're sometimes too cautious to express, and the sacred longing that can lead you to glory. This dive might feel risky. That’s good! It means you're going deep enough. What you discover down there will reorganize everything above it for the better.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In woodworking, “spalting” occurs when fungi colonize wood, creating dark lines and patterns that make the wood more valuable, not less. The decay creates beauty as long as it isn’t allowed to progress too far. Here’s the metaphorical moral of the story for you, Aries: What feels like a deteriorating situation might actually be spalting, Aries. Are you experiencing the breakdown of a routine, a certainty, or a plan? It could be creating a pattern that makes your story even more interesting and heroic. So keep in mind that an apparent decomposition may be transforming ordinary into extraordinary beauty. My advice is to play along with the spalting.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I suspect you will soon be invited to explore novel feelings and unfamiliar states of awareness. As you wander in the psychological frontiers, you might experience mysterious phenomena like the following. 1. An overflow of reverence and awe. 2. Blissful surprise in the face of the sublime. 3. Sudden glimmers of eternity in fleeting moments. 4. A soft, golden resonance that arises when you hear arousing truths. 5. Amazingly useful questions that could tantalize and feed your imagination for months and even years to come.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In traditional Balinese culture, Tri Hita Karana is a concept that means there are three causes of well-being: harmony with God, harmony with people, and harmony with nature. When one is out of balance, all suffer. I’m wondering if you would benefit from meditating on this theme now, Virgo. Have you been focused on one dimension at the expense of the others? Are you, perhaps, spiritually nourished but socially isolated? Or maybe you’re maintaining relationships but ignoring your body’s connection to the earth? Here’s your assignment: Do a Tri Hita Karana audit. Which harmony is most neglected? Add to your altar, call a friend, or go walk in the great outdoors—whichever one you’ve been shortchanging.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are a diplomat in the struggle between beauty and inelegance. Your aptitude for creating harmony is a great asset that others might underestimate or miss completely. I hope you will always trust your hunger for classiness even if others dismiss it as superficial. One of your key reasons for being here on earth is to keep insisting on loveliness in a world too quick to settle for ugliness. These qualities of yours are especially needed right now. Please be gracefully insistent on expressing them wherever you go.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The bad news: You underestimate how much joy and pleasure you deserve— and how much you’re capable of experiencing. This artificially low expectation has sometimes cheated you out of your rightful share of bliss and fulfillment. The good news: Life is now ready to conspire with you to raise your happiness levels. I hope you will cooperate eagerly. The more intensely you insist on feeling good, the more cosmic assistance you will garner. Here’s a smart way to launch this holy campaign: Renounce a certain lackluster thrill that diverts you from more lavish excitements.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If I were your mentor, I’d lead you up an ascending trail to a high peak where your vision is clear and vast. If I were your leader, I’d give you a medal for all the ways you’ve been brave when no one was looking, then send you on an all-expenses-paid sabbatical to a beautiful sanctuary to rest and remember yourself. If I were your therapist, I’d guide you through a 90-minute meditation on your entire life story up until now. But since I’m just your companion for this brief oracle, I will instead advise you to slip out of any silken snares of comfort that dull your spirit, cast off perks and privileges that keep you small, and commune with influences that remind you of how deeply you treasure being alive.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In classical music, a “rest” isn’t the absence of music. It’s a specific notation that creates space, tension, and meaning. The silence is as much a part of the composition as the sound. I suggest you think of your current pause this way, Sagittarius. You’re not waiting for your real life to resume. You’re in a rest, and the rest is an essential part of the process you’re following. It’s creating the conditions for what comes next. So instead of anxiously filling every moment with productivity or distraction, try honoring the pause. Be deliberately quiet. Let the silence accumulate. When the next movement begins, you’ll understand exactly why the rest was necessary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Biologist Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize by developing what she called “a feeling for the organism.” She cultivated an intimate, almost empathic relationship with the corn plants she studied. She didn’t impose theories on her subjects. She listened to them until she could sense their hidden patterns from the inside. When you’re not lost in self-protection, you Cancerians excel at this quality of attention. Here’s what I see as your task in the coming weeks: Transfer your empathic genius away from people who drain you and toward projects, places, or problems that deserve your devotion and give you blessings in return.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Interesting temptations are wandering into your orbit. You may be surprised to find yourself drawn toward entertaining gambles and tricky adventures. How should you respond? Should you say “Yes! Now! I’m ready!”? Or is open-minded caution a wiser approach? Conditions are too slippery for me to arrive at definitive conclusions. What I can tell you is this: Merely considering and ruminating on these invitations will awaken uplifting and inspiring lessons. PS: To get the fullness of the blessings you want from other people, you must first give them to yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sufi writers describe heartbreak, grief, and longing as portals through which divine love enters. They say that a highly defended ego and a hardened heart can’t engage with such profound and potent love. In this view, suffering that makes the heart ache strips away illusions and fixations, allowing greater receptivity, humility, and tenderness toward all beings. I’m not expecting you to get blasted by an influx of poignancy in the near future, Leo, but I’m very sure you have experienced such blasts in the past. And now is an excellent time to process those old breakthroughs disguised as breakdowns. You are likely to finally be able to harvest the full power they offered you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The engineer Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) said he envisioned his inventions in intricate detail before building them. He didn't need literal prototypes because his mental pictures were so vivid. I suspect you Aquarians now have extra access to this power. What scenarios are you dreaming of? What are you incubating in your imagination? I urge you to boldly trust your thought experiments. Your mental prototypes may be unusually accurate. The visions you're testing internally are reconnaissance missions to futures that you have the power to build. Regard your imagination as a laboratory.

By Brendan Emmett Quigley

Pearl’s Puzzle Difficulty Level

Puzzle for the week of February 23, 2026

Difficulty Level: ●●●○

Spread out a Beethoven symphony?

Gives again, temporarily

With 54-Down, big fan of Jerry Garcia, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme

“Didn’t need to know that”

___ and left no crumbs

Drug dosed as microdots

Pickle place?

Seafood delicacy

Most insignificant

Oscar winner Octavia 45 Woman’s name that becomes another woman’s name when you add She or Rosa to the front

49 Burning hot

52 Please, in Potsdam 53 River through 14 states

54 See 10-Down 56 A handful 57 Had down pat 58 Medium strength?

59 Big Sri Lankan export

with

Fill in every row, column, and 3x3 box with each of the letters

exactly once.

The highlighted letters read left to right and top to bottom will complete the quote: “A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the ” - Bill Vaughan

Answer for the week of February 16, 2026

ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S PUZZLES

"In the end, I am just a guy wearing spandex that turns left really fast." — Short-track skater Olivier Jean

"In the end, I am just a guy wearing spandex that turns left really fast." Short-track skater Olivier Jean © Pearl Stark