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Winter Woes, Mountain Hopes: Bend's Preparation for Seasonal Shifts
Published 4 months, 1 week ago
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Good morning, this is your Bend Local Frequency for Thursday, December 18.
If you stepped outside early today, you probably noticed it still feels a little more like late fall than deep winter. After an unusually warm December across Central Oregon, forecasters say incoming storms could finally bring the snow many skiers, snowboarders, and local businesses have been anxiously waiting for on the mountains. That shift matters not just for play, but for jobs tied to winter tourism, from lift operators to downtown bartenders.
At the same time, there is growing concern about how prepared Oregon’s roads are for real winter weather. Central and Eastern Oregon lawmakers are pushing the state transportation department to seek emergency funding to keep highways plowed and repaired after years of deferred maintenance. They point to potholes, failing shoulders, and damaged guardrails, warning that if funding does not come through, winter driving could get more dangerous, especially on the rural routes many Bend commuters and freight haulers depend on.
Here in the region’s event world, the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center remains a powerhouse, drawing close to a million visitors a year and generating more than 100 million dollars in economic impact. But county leaders are warning that the aging facility is expensive to maintain and could slip into the red without new revenue. That means the concerts, expos, and festivals that bring visitors to local hotels and restaurants are also part of a bigger conversation about how we invest in public venues that drive the local economy.
If you are looking for things to do today, Bend is fully in holiday mode. This evening, the River’s Edge Golf Course transforms into the Reindeer Room, a holiday pop up bar pouring festive cocktails and serving seasonal bites with sweeping views of the city. Over in downtown, the Tower Theatre hosts its family friendly Swingin’ Tower Christmas show, a high energy mix of big band style holiday tunes and storytelling that has become a local favorite tradition.
For a quieter, more creative night, writers and word lovers can head north to Redmond for the Third Thursday Spoken Word Night, where anyone can step up to the mic and share seven minutes of poetry or prose while grabbing food and drinks from the Wayfarer Club.
This has been Bend Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
If you stepped outside early today, you probably noticed it still feels a little more like late fall than deep winter. After an unusually warm December across Central Oregon, forecasters say incoming storms could finally bring the snow many skiers, snowboarders, and local businesses have been anxiously waiting for on the mountains. That shift matters not just for play, but for jobs tied to winter tourism, from lift operators to downtown bartenders.
At the same time, there is growing concern about how prepared Oregon’s roads are for real winter weather. Central and Eastern Oregon lawmakers are pushing the state transportation department to seek emergency funding to keep highways plowed and repaired after years of deferred maintenance. They point to potholes, failing shoulders, and damaged guardrails, warning that if funding does not come through, winter driving could get more dangerous, especially on the rural routes many Bend commuters and freight haulers depend on.
Here in the region’s event world, the Deschutes County Fair and Expo Center remains a powerhouse, drawing close to a million visitors a year and generating more than 100 million dollars in economic impact. But county leaders are warning that the aging facility is expensive to maintain and could slip into the red without new revenue. That means the concerts, expos, and festivals that bring visitors to local hotels and restaurants are also part of a bigger conversation about how we invest in public venues that drive the local economy.
If you are looking for things to do today, Bend is fully in holiday mode. This evening, the River’s Edge Golf Course transforms into the Reindeer Room, a holiday pop up bar pouring festive cocktails and serving seasonal bites with sweeping views of the city. Over in downtown, the Tower Theatre hosts its family friendly Swingin’ Tower Christmas show, a high energy mix of big band style holiday tunes and storytelling that has become a local favorite tradition.
For a quieter, more creative night, writers and word lovers can head north to Redmond for the Third Thursday Spoken Word Night, where anyone can step up to the mic and share seven minutes of poetry or prose while grabbing food and drinks from the Wayfarer Club.
This has been Bend Local Frequency. We'll see you tomorrow with more local updates.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI