In this Issue of C.O. Local BUZZ…

🌄 Bend, OR Weather NOAA Forecast for the Cascade Mtns

📰 Local News - What’s a Happening?

 🙌 Central Oregon Gives

🏠 Thistle & Nest taking applications

🚁 Leading Edge Flight Academy completes helicopter operations hangar

🏘️ Public Input Sought for Prineville Reservoir Resort - Prineville

🚨 Deschutes County Sheriff's Office faces spending scrutiny

🗣️ American Legion sponsors oratory - Sisters

📅 Lots of Events

❄⛄ Winter Wonderland Downtown

Northern Oregon Cascades forecast from NOAA

Wednesday

Rain showers likely. Snow level 5000 feet. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy in the evening, then becoming partly cloudy. A chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 5000 feet. Chance of precipitation 50 percent.

Thursday

A chance of snow showers in the morning. Partly cloudy with a chance of rain showers. Snow level 5000 feet. Chance of precipitation 30 percent.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy. A slight chance of rain showers in the evening. Snow level 5500 feet. Chance of rain 20 percent.

Friday

Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of rain showers. Snow level 6000 feet.

Friday Night

Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. A 50 percent chance of rain showers. Snow level 6500 feet.

Saturday

Rain showers likely. Snow level 6000 feet. Chance of rain 70 percent.

Central Oregon Gives is here!

We are so excited to kick off another season of giving. This year’s campaign is set to run from November 8 – December 31. Feel free to read up on the amazing work that these nonprofits are doing year round and start donating!

Want to get involved? If you are a nonprofit still interested in participating please email us at [email protected].

If you are a business interested in sponsorship, employee matching or incentive donation, email our team at [email protected] to learn more.

Thistle & Nest Accepting Housing Applications

Thistle & Nest, a Central Oregon based nonprofit, is proud to announce the launch of an ambitious and impactful Affordable Housing Initiative, aimed at addressing the pressing housing crisis in our local communities. This initiative will make the dream of homeownership a reality for hundreds of families and individuals struggling to find affordable and safe housing options in Central Oregon.

Skyrocketing housing prices along with increasing challenges in accessing housing, Thistle & Nest is taking proactive steps to ensure that families in Bend, Madras and Prineville have the opportunity to live in a safe and stable home. The nonprofit is committed to making homeownership accessible for individuals and families who may have previously thought it was out of reach. Homes will be available for purchase in Bend starting in early 2024, and in Madras and Prineville starting in 2025. The waitlist is open to households that have an approval letter from a lender and meet the program requirements.

Key features of the Affordable Housing Initiative include:
1. Affordable Pricing: Thistle & Nest Nonprofit is working closely with local governments, Oregon Housing and Community Services, land owners, developers, and Kine & Kine Properties to offer homes at significantly reduced prices, making them accessible to a broader range of income levels.

2. Financial Assistance: Thistle & Nest Nonprofit provides financial assistance and possible down payment support to eligible homebuyers, reducing the barriers to homeownership.

3. Geographically Diverse Communities: Thistle & Nest is currently developing homeownership communities in Bend, Madras & Prineville – providing opportunity for hundreds of families to obtain the dream of homeownership. The nonprofit plans to acquire land for communities in Redmond and Sisters in the upcoming year.

4. Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Homes: The homes offered through this initiative are designed to be energy-efficient, reducing utility costs and environmental impact, and to be built with quality, low-maintenance products.

5. Homebuyer Purchase Support: Thistle & Nest is committed to comprehensive homebuyer education and support to ensure that new homeowners are well-prepared for the responsibilities of ownership. We act as a conduit between our buyers and their lender, and partner with NeighborImpact to help households obtain the required education.

Interested parties can learn more about the first steps toward a home purchase by visiting www.thistleandnest.org, or by emailing [email protected].

Leading Edge Flight Academy completes helicopter operations hangar at Bend Municipal Airport’s new heliport

Leading Edge Flight Academy has constructed a new helicopter operations facility after years of effort and support from the FAA, Bend city, and Oregon state. The facility provides safer and specialized training for pilots, separate from general flight operations. It includes offices, training spaces, a simulator, and a large helipad. Students and instructors appreciate the focused environment and exposure to real-world aviation scenarios, enhancing their learning experience. Leading Edge Flight Academy prioritizes student success through top-notch training and a team with extensive aviation experience.

Public Input Sought for Prineville Reservoir Resort

The Prineville Reservoir Resort first closed in 2019, after leaving a 50-year lease with the Bureau of Reclamation.

After BOR stated they were not going to renew the lease, the Oregon Park and Recreation Department took over management of the property from the private party that ran it before.

Now, the parks department is enlisting the help of the Portland State University Center for Public Service to ask the community what they’d like to see the resort space become. “This survey includes a series of questions exploring recreation and facility needs and goals for the Crook County area, and the Prineville Reservoir resort area,” says the survey intro. Through an online survey, the group hopes to gain ideas for the public. The survey takes 10-15 minutes and can be found at www.prinevillerecsurvey.com/?src=r33h7.

The resort sits on the northern shore of Prineville Reservoir on Bureau of Reclamation land. It had more than 80 campground site, RV sites and tent sites, a six-room motel, full restaurant, boat launch, fueling facility and moorage.

“Many of the facilities at the resort require significant renovation and reinvestment. At the same time, the reservoir levels have been inconsistent, with some lower-water levels due to drought and some higher water levels. This has reduced reliable boating access to the site and challenges some assumptions about future uses,” states the survey. The survey asked questions about recreation use, what’s important to the community and what kind of facilities they’d like to see.

The group is also hosting a public meeting sharing initial survey results on Nov. 14, held online. The meeting runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and registration can be found at https://pdx.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAof--sqDovHdTwBgO5dYOLhLkqmy7ziVCO.

The survey states that the parks department hopes to present options to the public later this year.

Deschutes County Sheriff's Office faces spending scrutiny

The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office faced a financial setback, overestimating its starting funds by more than $2 million, per county records. The discrepancy resulted from altered payroll processes and early payments for ordered vehicles, causing concern among officials like Commissioner Phil Chang, who worried about the impact on the office's budget throughout the fiscal year.

The office's expenditures, highlighted by an anonymous satire website called “DCSO Follies,” drew attention. While the website criticized the leadership, some allegations—such as the purchase of a $3,115 slushy machine attached to a $7,500 golf cart—were confirmed, justified by the office as aiding community outreach and emergency response during events.

Other expenses included payments for fitness trackers, fruit bowls for staff health, contracts for park patrols, and a costly free meal program for employees in the jail. Overtime spending among officers increased significantly, partly due to training and major incident investigations.

The website's claims stirred debate, with a candidate for sheriff disassociating himself from it, while former employees criticized the office's spending habits, citing wasteful purchases and excessive overtime claims.

Moreover, the Sheriff’s Office's budget reserves declined consistently since 2020, prompting a tax increase request, which the County Commission approved, citing various factors like inflation and increased demands due to state law changes and crises such as fentanyl, mental health, and homelessness.

Despite some commissioners expressing confidence in the office's financial decisions, concerns lingered. Former employees suggested the substantial funding discrepancy warranted an audit, while officials sought a detailed explanation for the inaccurate budget forecast.

^{This is article is a summary from The Bulletin by Brice Doyle}

American Legion sponsors oratory

The American Legion High School Oratorical Contest is open.

Sisters American Legion Post 86 is sponsoring the contest in the Sisters area. The contest is an opportunity for students from Sisters High School (and home- school students) to earn scholarships that can be used in any college or university in the USA.

Students can earn scholarships totaling more than $25,000, and over $200,000 can be awarded each year.

For more information, go to https://www.legion.org/oratorical/ where you can learn the details and watch orations from previous national oratorical contests.

Interested students who would like more information or who want to enter the contest may contact [email protected].

Application deadline is January 2, 2024.

What’s Up Central Oregon?

November 15th (Wednesday)

❄️Winter Wonderland Downtown Bend

Starting Nov. 15th, Bend downtown stores will be decorating their windows and stores for the 2023 Winter Wonderland contest.  Sponsored by Downtown Bend Association, contest winners will be announced Jan 15th.  In the meantime, wander the streets of downtown seeing the magic that store owners have created for the holidays. 

November 16th (Thursday)

🖼️🎵 Third Thursday At The Grove 921 NW Mt. Washington Dr Bend 5pm to 8pm

🛍️🍷🍺 Ladies Night @Downtown Bend 5pm- 8pm

🎭 Outside Mullingar @The Bend Church 680 Northwest Bond Street Bend 7pm-10pm

🎨🍺Paint & Sip @Initiative Brewing 424 NW 5th St Redmond 6pm-8pm

😆 Andy Woodhull @Volcanic Theatre Pub 1375 SW Commerce Ave, Bend 8pm

November 17th (Friday)

😆 Crackin' Up Comedy - Brent Lowrey @General Duffy’s Annex 404 SW Forest Ave Redmond 8pm-9:30pm

😆 Under The Moon: Comedy @SilverMoon Brewing 24 NW Greenwood Ave Bend 8pm-12am

The 24th Annual Holiday Food & Gift Festival returns to Redmond November 17-19 at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.

November 18th (Saturday)

🎿❄🍺 Ski Wax & Beer @River’s Place 787 NE Purcell Blvd, Bend 12pm-4pm

🩰❄️NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet @Tower Theatre Bend 1pm - Other shows available check the website for more info

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦🖼️ Family Fiesta @High Desert Museum 59800 US-97 Bend 1pm-4pm

😆 Improv Showcase 500! Presented By Bend Institute Of Comedy @Open Space Event Studios 220 NE Lafayette Ave Bend 7:30 PM - 09:00 PM

November 19th (Sunday)

🎵 The Young Dubliners @Tower Theatre Bend 7:30pm - 10pm

Deschutes Public Library Calendar

Find On Going Events like Locals Day, Trivia and Bingo 👇

Got an upcoming event you want us to share?

Click here to let us know about your upcoming Event!

Meet Jules!

Meet Jules! Jules is a gorgeous Labrador Retriever-Beagle (or another Hound) mix girl who's approximately 3-4 years young and around 40 pounds. This girl was rescued in Mexico's Baja California Sur region and brought to our rescue partner, as she was very pregnant at the time. Not even 12 hours later, Jules went into labor and gave birth to 17 puppies! Our rescue partner says Jules was by far the most pregnant dog she had ever seen. All of her puppies came out unassisted and they all survived. Jules just finished her treatment (Finished 7/11/2023) for having tested positive for Heartworm shortly after she arrived with us. But she is a happy, loving, loyal pup and ready to find her forever home. She is potty trained, loves her treats (maybe too much!), and will cuddle with you on the sofa any time of the day. She will go in a crate but she would rather be outside, or right by your side. Jules loves kids, but not so much the squirrels and other critters (and may not like cats, either). She knows that when she sees her leash, it's time for a walk and she loves to go. Submit your adoption application today and don't miss this opportunity to bring this wonderful girl home for a home trial towards her adoption. Jules is with a foster family in Bend, Oregon. Will you be her hero?

Foster family write up:

"Jules is a very sweet dog who is longing to find her forever person/family to hang out with. She loves to be with her humans and she will follow you everywhere in the house so she will not miss out on any fun. Equally, she loves hanging out outside. She is energetic and has a zest for life even when she was undergoing some medical treatments. She never lost the sparkle in her eyes and always looks like she's smiling. She is a great cuddle buddy with the softest coat and ears.

She's normally quick to do her business when let out in a securely fenced backyard. She is kid-friendly, potty trained and crate trained; she'll go back into the crate easily if you throw a small treat inside. Jules will sleep through the night without needing to go outside or whining/scratching the crate.

She is not a restless/anxious dog. She can relax inside and lay by you; she will follow you from room to room and become your little shadow. She is not a loud dog but barks an average amount (when someone is walking by the house/fences, deliveries/visitors at the door, etc). Currently, she quite enjoys being an office mate when the foster parent is working from home.

She walks on her leash well enough but gets super excited when she sees her leash to go on a walk, she will jump up as high as your head. Once the leash is on, all she can think about is busting through the door and getting out, so we consider her a door dasher/flight risk at this time. She is strong; much stronger than she looks for her size, and she is a puller. She gets a little too excited about the walks and she will go after wild animals (squirrels, rabbits, deer etc), neighborhood dogs walking by or cats, bicyclists, cars driving by, etc. So, she does have tendencies of leash aggression and it would not be a good idea to "say hi to another dog on leash. Due to her power, double leashing her on walks is highly recommended. She can settle down after a bit of walking though (5-10min), and if there were zero distraction, she can be a good little walker. Picking a quiet route and time of day to walk would be helpful for the handler. How she would do at a dog park is unknown but likely not a good idea at this time for reasons listed above. Keep Reading

steps to adopting 

Do you have a favorite Local Cause or are you a Local Non-Profit? We would love to do a “Local Cause Spotlight” about your Non-Profit. Give us a shout and we’ll be in contact.