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A magazine celebrating the style and uniqueness that exists in high desert living.

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Page 1: Central Oregon Living - October 2011
Page 2: Central Oregon Living - October 2011

2 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

Page 3: Central Oregon Living - October 2011

is a product of The Bulletin’s Special Projects Division, 1777 SW Chandler Ave., Bend OR 97702.

All content is the property of The Bulletin/Western Communications Inc., and may not be reproduced without written consent.

Printed by The Bulletin Western Communications Commercial Print Division.

Story ideas may be submitted to editor Ben Montgomery for consideration. Contact him at (541)383-0379 or [email protected].

Staff members for The Bulletin’s special projects division include: Martha Tiller, Special Projects Manager; Ben Montgomery, Special Projects Editor; Lyle Cox, Photographer; Nicole Werner, Special Projects Assistant; Stacie Oberson, Special Projects Coordinator; Clint Nye, Graphic Designer.

Published Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011

HIGH DESERT LIFESTYLES5 the value of remodeling9 greenest of the green10 keep winter from your path11 celebrate the joy of giving12 event calendar13 form meets high-tech function

RIGHT AT HOME14 cobbled up with fruit17 locavore’s corner

19 the brew’s in the beef22 interior color statements

IN THE GARDEN26 garden calendar28 rotate the bed

30 expert advice31 office aspirations

AUTUMN 2011

ANNISSA ANDERSON, a freelance writer and public relations consultant, also studied culinary arts and worked as a pastry chef in another life. She writes regularly for The Bulletin and other local publications.

Writer and singer/songwriter LAUREL BRAUNS is a regular contributor for The Bulletin, Bend Living and VisitBend.com. She is currently teaching guitar and exploring Bend’s legendary running trails. She performs music around town with her band, the Sweet Harlots.

AMY JO DETWEILER has worked as OSU Extension Horticulture Faculty for 10 years, educating in home and commercial horticulture, and providing annual training for the local OSU Master Gardener™ Program.

KRISTY HESSMAN has written for a variety of publications including The AP wire service. She is a native Oregonian and active Bendite. Her garage currently contains: three bikes, two backpacking packs, one tri wetsuit, a bouldering crash pad, two sleeping bags and four pairs of running shoes.

GREGG MORRIS is a local freelance writer and musician. You can find him around town finishing articles at the local tea shop, performing with his band, Organic Music Farm, or homeschooling his 6-year-old daughter. Free time is spent with his family or executing his duties as a member of the Deschutes Co. Search and Rescue team.

KATHY OXBORROW owns Oxborrow Consulting, which assists public and nonprofit agencies. She grew up on a Nevada cattle ranch and returned to her roots after stints in San Francisco and Portland. She lives near Bend and enjoys riding her horse, Sara.

ROBERT SPRINGER is a freelance writer living in Sisters. He has worked in the banking, television and information technology industries. In addition to writing, he enjoys being delightfully distracted by his school-age twins.

DOUG STOTT, owner of Redmond Greenhouse, is a radio talk show host, TV personality and writing contributor for area publications, all providing him avenues for sharing his profound love of gardening, people, and his dedication to serve and educate. He attended COCC, and served overseas in the Navy before marrying his wife, Sherry.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Central Oregon Living

15Cobbler Recipes

7Remodeling

Cost vs. Value

23Vibrant Autumn Colors

FEATURES

Cover photo by Nicole Werner

Central Oregon Living

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 3

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EDITOR’Snote

Going Dutch by the campfireI once fancied myself a

cobbler guru. Cherry cob-bler was my specialty.

But before I come across as a braggart cu-linaire, it’s important to put this youthful self-assurance into perspective.

On a Boy Scout camp-ing trip when I was about 13, I was introduced to the Dutch oven and the pos-sibilities this frontiersman’s

tool held in campfire cooking. A Dutch oven expert on the trip showed us how to use these cast iron pots to make everything from dinner rolls to pizza — and yes, a delicious cherry cobbler.

Apparently my sweet tooth works in direct corre-lation with my long-term memory because the “camp cobbler” recipe stuck with me. It was delicious, but just as important, it was easy.

Here are the steps:• Open one can of fruit pie filling; dump into Dutch

oven.

• Open one box of white cake mix; dump over fruit.

• Top with quarter-inch layer of butter slices; cover.• Set over hot coals, top with more hot coals, cook

and eat.From then on, armed with my own Dutch oven,

I made this recipe each time I went camping. Fam-ily and friends loved it, but I must admit it typically turned out a little sloppy. Some might (and did) clas-sify it as “soupy.”

But this was camping, after all. And I was young. And hey, wanna try it a la mode?

All this accorded me a pass on my cobbler’s lack of shape, but as I journeyed into adulthood, things changed. Regardless of what’s to blame — finer, more discerning expectations, less rugged camping trips, the popularity of the Food Network — the cobbler fell somewhat out of favor.

It was liked; it just wasn’t loved like it used to be. It remained a part of camping, but it often took a backseat to the most sacred of campfire sweets: s’mores. And my Dutch oven remained clean, a sorry condition for an otherwise seasoned camping com-panion.

Thankfully, my Dutch oven took a break from re-tirement this summer to prove it still had something left in the pot. During a camping trip the weekend of my wife’s birthday, I decided to make one last go of my standard cherry cobbler recipe, the result of which would double as a surprise birthday cake.

The pressure was on but I came through in the clutch, creating the most perfect campfire cobbler of my life — perfectly browned crust, sweet cherries which held their shape ... a masterpiece.

In this edition of Central Oregon Living, freelance writer and a culinary guru in her own right, Annissa Anderson, talks about what makes a cobbler a cob-bler, and even shares a couple of cobbler recipes you can try in your own kitchen. (See “Cobbled Up With Fruit” on page 14.) With her tips and a little practice, you’ll have perfected this British American desert in time for the Holidays.

But if you happen to fancy your cobbler in a Dutch oven, perhaps in place of a birthday cake, take my ad-vice: let it cool before adding birthday candles. Or else be prepared for a colorful and relatively waxy treat.

Ben Montgomery is The Bulletin’s special projects editor.

63485 N Hwy 97, Bend • 541-330-50842071 S Hwy 97, Redmond • 541-548-2066

4 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

Page 5: Central Oregon Living - October 2011

by Gregg Morris / for The Bulletin Special Projects

The decision to remodel is a complex one. It can be filled with delusions of grandeur or nightmares of cost overruns.

Value and logistical analysis wrapped in a web of emotional considerations, a home remodeling project can be a gateway toward realizing your home’s potential or, when not properly planned and researched, a regret that siphons money from your family’s bank account.

Five years ago, with the country enjoying a real

Whether considering a home remodel for

investment or for comfort, here are a few places to start — and a few things

to stay away from.

The VALUE of REMODELING

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 5

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estate boom, it wasn’t unusual for a project, such as a kitchen or bath remodel, to recoup 100 percent of its cost through the resale value of the home. These days, as people look at the long-term benefits of their homes, comfort and emotional value have become as significant as monetary gains.

Each spring, Remodeling magazine publishes its Cost vs. Value report, detailing the country’s remodeling projects and each project’s value in added resale value. The report looks at 35 different remodeling projects and breaks them down by region.

According to the report, interior renovations lag behind exterior upgrades in recoup value, with

non-essential features producing less resale value.

Here’s a look at five areas of the home and where the true value of remodeling each area lies (and does not lie):

The KitchenThe kitchen consistently ranks

as an area with one of the highest rate of return on your investment.

While the national average is down from years past, a minor kitchen remodel (costing $23,000) on the West Coast recoups 94.8 percent of its value.

The report findings reveal that, as a general rule, an affordable renovation usually recoups more than costly ones. Therefore, major kitchen remodels ($63,000) only recouped 84.5 percent.

“Countertops make a huge splash,” said Mike Davis of TMT Home Remodelers and chairman of the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) Remodelers Council. “You should have your cabinets done as well, either purchasing brand new ones or just having them refinished.”

While you may not recover all your costs, expensive changes,

“A partial job, unless it’s a maintenance issue, is a big mistake. Doing a project in phases will cost

the project a whole lot more money in the long run.”

Mike Davis, TMT Home Remodelers / Bulletin File Photo

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such as high-end energy efficient appliances, add to the functionality of the kitchen and may garner savings from reduced energy costs.

The Master Suite“Bathrooms, along with kitchens,

get a big return,” said Davis. “A

lot of people are tearing out their fiberglass showers and putting in tile shower/tub combos.”

A complete master suite addition ($124,000), on the other hand, recouped 72.7 percent of initial investment costs, according to the Cost vs. Value report. Specialty additions include soaking tubs and custom walk-in closets.

Another idea to enhance to

a room’s comfort is adding an additional heat source. A radiant floor heating system, either electric or water-based, provides a huge level of comfort.

One common mistake people make when remodeling occurs in the planning phase.

“A partial job, unless it’s a maintenance issue, is a big mistake,” Davis said. “Doing a project in phases will cost the project a whole lot more money in the long run.”

The Entryway“Creating a nice facade is

your first step in remodeling to sell your home,” said Steve Wells, a Duke Warner real estate broker who recently

sold his remodeled westside home. “It’s the first thing prospective buyers see.”

Even if you are not planning to sell, it is also the first thing you see when you come home.

With a cost vs. value recovery rate of more than 100 percent, the top recommendation on Remodeling magazine’s list is replacing the front door with a

PROJECT (TOP 10) JOB COST RESALE VALUE RECOUPEDEntry Door Replacement (Steel) $1,353 $1,732 128.0%Minor Kitchen Remodel $23,210 $21,991 94.8%Basement Remodel $74,974 $68,648 91.6%Deck Addition (Wood) $12,838 $11,744 91.5%Window Replacement (Vinyl) $12,760 $11,328 88.8%Window Replacement (Wood) $13,804 $12,175 88.2%Attic Bedroom $60,135 $52,749 87.7%Major Kitchen Remodel $63,803 $53,923 84.5%Deck Addition (Composite) $16,956 $13,922 82.1%Siding Replacement (Vinyl) $13,114 $10,674 81.4%

PROJECTS (BOTTOM 10)Sunroom Addition $83,463 $45,245 54.2%Home Office Remodel $31,479 $17,801 56.5%Backup Power Generator $16,351 $9,462 57.9%Bathroom Addition $47,052 $32,057 68.1%Master Suite Addition $124,579 $90,616 72.7%Family Room Addition $100,023 $73,551 73.5%Garage Addition $69,912 $51,882 74.2%Roofing Replacement $24,712 $18,829 76.2%Entry Door Replacement (Fiberglass) $3,835 $2,930 76.4%Bathroom Remodel $18,864 $14,517 77.0%

— Statistics courtesy of Remodeling Magazine

WEST COAST AVERAGES

Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report

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steel entry door. It provides a large impact for little investment.

The worst thing you can do, according to local remodelers, is underestimate the impact of Central Oregon’s weather.

Temperature swings of more than 50 degrees are common to this area. These swings wreak havoc on an unprotected wood door, especially if your house faces south or westward.

The GarageAccording to Davis, garages are

a catch-all in the home.“There a lot of companies that

build cabinets to hide your junk,” he said. “They end up giving your garage a special feel when finished.”

Meanwhile, discretionary upgrades, such as epoxy-coated floors, have fallen out of flavor.

Mike cautions homeowners with misconceptions on the costs associated with planning an addition to the home or garage.

“It takes a fair amount of money to do a room above the garage,” he said. “While you are saving on concrete costs, the cost of the labor, framing and roof are still there. You will see some savings, but not as much as [you may think].”

And with an average recoup rate of 74.2 percent, according to the Cost vs. Value report, the decision to add on must be beneficial to the homeowner and not based on the ability to sell.

The LandscapingAnother asset to a beautiful facade

is quality landscaping.“One of the best things you can

do is replace or prune existing shrub work,” said Bill Schumacher, president of Springtime Landscape and Irrigation. “Fixing the hardscape (such as brick or pavers) also creates a nice entry.”

These days, people are creating their own private spaces, complete with gardens, water features and sitting areas. This adds to the comfort and livability of your outdoor area.

“Doing nothing is probably the worst thing you can do,” said Schumacher. “Lack of maintenance is also not very smart. We can put in a $50,000 system, but if you don’t take care of it, it won’t look good.”

When weighing the value of a potential remodel, Davis says it’s best to “invest some time up front toward making decisions, particularly with the design.”

These decisions should be based around a general understanding of a house’s possibilities and accepting its limitations.

“We lived in the house and paid particular attention to what the house needed to reach its full potential,” says Steve Wells. “We noticed some flow and lighting problems that we made sure to include in our remodel design.”

It is a good idea to talk to a local real estate broker about projected value increases in the areas you would like to remodel. And, don’t forget to discuss all of the project’s benefits and pitfalls, financially and emotionally, with the members of your family.

“The biggest compliment we have gotten (as remodelers) is that their friends couldn’t tell it was a remodel,” said Davis. “We try to make it look like we weren’t ever there.”

Photo by Lyle Cox

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Greenest of the GreenThis year’s Green and Solar Tour to highlight the area’s most ‘exceptional’ homes.

by Robert Springer / for The Bulletin Special Projects

There’s green, and then there’s GREEN. The 2011 Green and Solar Home Tour is shooting for the latter.

The free event, put on by the Cascadia Green Building Council, will highlight the “greenest of the green this year,” said Murray Perkins, this year’s tour director and also a builder of energy efficient homes.

“Our objective for the tour this year is to lead the green and solar building industry,” he said. “This year we tried to highlight homes that are exceptional.”

The tour, on Saturday, Oct. 1, will feature seven homes, including the first two net-zero homes in Central Oregon, Perkins said. Net-zero homes use high-efficiency building practices and renewable energy systems like solar to produce the same amount of electricity as they use over the course of a year.

In keeping with the green theme, tour goers are invited to either share a ride from COCC or bike to the homes in Bend, which are conveniently clustered this year. Bike routes are available online.

Six of the homes are in Bend; the seventh is in Sisters. Perkins said that previous tours have involved homes in other areas of Central Oregon, including Redmond and Crooked River Ranch.

The tour kicks off with a meeting at 9 a.m. at Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) Campus Center, where attendees will hear “speakers on all topics green,” Perkins said.

Vendors will be available to answer questions. The tour starts at 10:30 a.m. and runs through 5 p.m. Builders and/or homeowners (a couple of the houses are occupied) will be at the houses.

One of the builders, Jim St. John, has the smallest home on the tour at 647 square feet. Though it may seem small, it was designed for a certain type of buyer — and it’s sold.

“I’ve lived in Bend for 37 years,” he said. “I feel like more people are downsizing their homes and more people don’t want to have a big house that they have to clean and heat.”

The little house in Northwest Crossing has

everything that the couple who bought it need, just in an intentionally smaller footprint.

“Some of the green features include bamboo floors with cork backing, using a lot less material because the house is small, and a standalone fireplace for heat instead of a furnace,” St. John said. “Everything has a gold rating from Earth Advantage.

“It has a mini dishwasher so you use less energy and water. Besides, two people don’t need a full-size dishwasher. It has a two-burner cook top stove and a convection microwave. It has everything a normal house would have.”

Builder Bill Hull has two homes on this year’s tour, including one of the net-zero homes. As one might

imagine, designing and building a net-zero home involves rethinking many common construction practices. It all starts with the shell, Hull said.

“The shell is the first thing that we concentrate on,” he said. “We try to build a super insulated, air-tight house using 12-inch walls. We use R47 insulation in the floors and walls and R60 in the ceiling.

“We also use ERV [energy recovery ventilation] systems, which allows fresh air in but retains the heat. Since we have a very well-insulated, air-tight shell, it really doesn’t take much to heat the house; it has a low heating load. To heat and cool the house, we use a ductless heat pump, which is three times as efficient as an electric furnace. And it has a solar powered hot water system.”

Those 12-inch walls are the key reason the house is so energy efficient. At double the thickness of traditional walls, the 1,530-square-foot house is air tight and snug.

“A normal wall is six inches,” Hull said. “In the net-zero house, you actually have two two-by-four walls separated by a five-inch space, which has insulation blown into it.

“In a conventional wall, the stud goes from the inside to the outside of the wall. It has very little insulating value so cold can literally go right through the stud into the home. By having two separate walls, you really cut down on that.”

In addition to net zero homes, another new wrinkle in this year’s show is a LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity home in east Bend.

“It’s a three bedroom, two bath home,” Perkins said. “And it’s a LEED Platinum home, the highest level of certification, which is pretty unique for a low income home. They did it with a lot of volunteer hours from Cascadia.”

Builders, including Hull, are seeing more demand for energy efficient homes such as the ones on this year’s tour.

“Customers are becoming more and more energy conscious,” he said. “They’re starting to rethink the way they’re living.”

Green & Solar Tour of Homes: Saturday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

SolAire Homebuilders HD Architecture; Duey Brothers Custom Homes Rob Tomcho/Jeff Perry; Jim St. John Construction, LLC

Shelter Studio, Inc.; W. H. Company

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 9

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To Bob Claridge, owner of Bobcat & Sun in Bend, an outdoor snow-melt system is constructed to sup-ply 150 BTUs per square foot of surface area in order to melt snow at a rate of one inch per hour.To home and business owners, an outdoor snowmelt system sim-ply removes the hassle of shovel-ing the driveway, sidewalk, deck, stairs and/or entryway through the duration of Central Oregon’s unpredictable winters.“Shoveling snow from a path or driveway is a big job. An under-ground snowmelt system can relieve you of this task automati-cally,” Claridge said.Claridge points out that such a system offers a higher level of safety to a property with, say, a

steep driveway or a high-traffi c walkway, helping to prevent slips, falls and other accidents.Installed mostly under concrete, asphalt or pavers, a snowmelt sys-tem consists of a series of tubes fi lled with a non-toxic antifreeze solution. An in-slab sensor detects both temperature and moisture, automatically turning the system on when the snow starts to fall.

“The brain of this system lies in the in-slab sensor, though we offer home and business owners a way for them to bypass the sensor by switching the system to manual, if they so desire,” Claridge said.For this type of radiant heating system, the goal is to raise the sur-face temperature to between 35 and 40 degrees, which will melt snow at a rate of about an inch per hour. Though such a system is quite reliable, Claridge points out that Mother Nature can still prove a formidable opponent to snow-melt systems.“Several factors may affect our de-sign parameters including colder temperatures along with an in-creased wind chill factor as well as greater amounts of snowfall

accumulating during a weather event. These situations need to be discussed in advance of the de-sign and installation process. What does the owner expect from the fi nished product? He may be will-ing to shovel snow by hand oc-casionally or have a larger boiler installed to provide more BTUs per sq. ft.”

HOME TECHNOLOGY

Keep WINTER out of your path.

SOLAR & RADIANT HEATING SYSTEMS

541-389-7365 CCB# 18669

Treat yourself to the safety and convenience of radiant fl oor driveways and paths.

www.bobcatsun.com

Offering creative and energy efficient solutions to today’s floor heating needs.Call us to learn how we can help you get

your home ready for winter.Bobcat & Sun is your local authorized applicator with over twenty years of experience. Call us today to discuss your project needs.

10 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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Celebrating the Joy of GivingAssistance League of Bend’s Gala of Trees money for a number of child-centered causes.

by Kristy Hessman / forThe Bulletin Special Projects

This November, the Assistance League of Bend wants to help the community Celebrate the Joy of Giving.

That is the nonprofit organization’s motto for this year’s annual Gala of Trees. The event, a fundraiser for the League’s many outreach programs, is set to take place at The Riverhouse Convention Center in Bend on Saturday, Nov. 12

from 5:30 to 11 p.m. “The event has been

around for quite some time and has helped us in our

endeavor to help the children and the needy in our

community,” said Assistance League Gala Chair, Carolyn Palanuk.

Tickets are $100 apiece to attend the black tie-optional

event. The cost includes a glass

of champagne or sparkling

cider, hors

d’oeuvres, a sit down dinner and dancing. Throughout the night, guests will have the

opportunity to bid on items in the live and silent auction and participate in a dessert dash, where tables bid on their favorite desserts. A balloon popping game will also be held during the event.

“The balloon popping is where guests can buy a balloon for $20 with a gift certificate inside,” Palanuk said. “You may get something worth $150 or $20. Men love to pop those balloons.”

The Assistance League of Bend was founded in 1989 and chartered in 1993. The organization focuses on the root causes of poverty through a variety of philanthropic programs and projects. Money raised goes toward the mission of improving the quality of life for adults and children in the community.

In years past, the Gala of Trees has raised as much as $35,000 for the Assistance League’s numerous programs including:

Operation School Bell — The Assistance League’s main philanthropic program, Opera-tion School Bell provides grade school through high school children in need with new clothes.

“Last year, we helped clothe 1,300 children in Bend-La Pine School District,” Palanuk said.

The children in need are identified and given a voucher. And on an assigned day, the kids go shopping at Wal-Mart and choose their own school-appropriate clothing.

“Being able to buy the things that they want is really exciting for them,” Palanuk said.

Senior Caring — Is a program that provides companionship, gifts and personal items to seniors in nursing homes throughout the community. Volunteers take flower arrangements, gifts and necessary personal items. Emotional support is also provided for

seniors through the program. Secret Santa — The Secret Santa

program provides Christmas parties and Christmas gifts to nursing home

residents during the holidays.Breakfast with Santa — The

breakfast is an annual event for foster children and their families held

at the Pine Tavern Restaurant in Bend. Hats, Hats, Hats — Members of the

Assistance League knit hats for cancer patients going through chemotherapy treatments. “The

women come up with gorgeous patterns and colors that add a spark to the patient’s lives,” Palanuk said. More than 1,000 hats have been made and distributed through the program.

These Kids are Cooking — The program teaches children how to handle kitchen utensils so they don’t hurt themselves. “A lot of kids are home alone after school, so this program makes sure they know how to handle kitchenware and prepare themselves a healthy snack,” Palanuk said.

Be There Be Square — The program provides incentives to school age children to improve attendance at school by providing awards and coupons.

The Gala of Trees is one of the League’s biggest fundraisers, and Palanuk said they hope to get as many people to the event as they can

to raise money for these worthy programs.But Palanuk also said she understands the

economy can make it difficult for people to attend.

“If people are unable to come, they can send a check or a donation, we are also looking for any type of donation or even sponsors for the event,” Palanuk said.

There are many ways to help and continue the joy of giving year round.

For more information about donating to the Assistance League, becoming a sponsor of the Gala of Trees, or buying a Gala ticket, call 541-389-2075. Gala-goers who purchase their tickets by Wednesday, Oct. 5 will have their names entered into a drawing to win a special prize.

Gala of TreesSaturday, Nov. 12, 5:30-11 p.m.Riverhouse Convention Center$100 / Includes champagne/cider, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dancing, and auctions.

For more information please call541-389-2075, or visit asssistanceleaguebend.com.

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 11

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Central Oregon LivingHIGHLIGHTS OF THE UPCOMING WEEKS IN HIGH DESERT MUSIC, ART, FOOD AND FUN.

EVENT CALENDAR

SaturdaysTUMALO FARMERS MARKET: Free admission; 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Tumalo Garden Market, off of U.S. Highway 20 and Cook Avenue; 541-728-0088. (Through Oct. 8)

WednesdaysBEND FARMERS MARKET: Free; 3-7 p.m.; Mirror Pond parking lot, eastern end of Drake Park; 541-408-4998 or www.bendfarmersmarket.com. (Through Oct. 12)

Saturday, Oct 1PRINEVILLE FARMERS MARKET: Free; 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Prineville City Plaza, 387 N.E. Third St.; 503-739-0643.

GREEN AND SOLAR HOME TOUR: Tour sustainable homes in Central Oregon; with a kickoff and presentations on the homes and their technologies at Central Oregon Community College, Wille Hall, in Bend; free; 9 a.m. presentations, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. homes open; www.greenandsolarhometour.com.

PAULA POUNDSTONE: The sharp-witted and spontaneous comedian performs; $39 or $49 in advance, $44 or $54 day of show; 7:30 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

EDDIE SPAGHETTI AND HILLSTOMP: The Seattle-based, blues-rock artist performs; as part of Bend Fall Festival after party; $10; Doors open at 9 p.m.; Astro Lounge, 939 N.W. Bond St., Bend; 541-388-0116.

Sunday, Oct. 2OREGON OLD TIME FIDDLERS: Fiddle music and dancing; donations accepted; 1-3:30 p.m.; Pine Forest Grange, 63214 N.E. Boyd Acres Road, Bend; 541-447-7395.

“WHO SHOT THE SHERIFF?”: Buckboard Mysteries presents interactive murder mystery dinner theater; reservations requested; $39.95, $29.95 ages 5-12; 6 p.m.; Tumalo Feed Co., 64619 U.S. Highway 20, Bend; 541-350-0018 or www.buckboardmysteries.com.

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 1-2BEND FALL FESTIVAL: A celebration of all things fall featuring activities, music, races, art and food; free; Family Harvest Area closes at 5 p.m. Oct. 1, and at 4 p.m. on Oct. 2; downtown Bend; 541-389-0995 or http://www.c3events.com/events/Bend-Fall-Festival/.

Tuesday, Oct. 4THE SPEAKEASY: An open mic storytelling event; those born in the 1930s or whose

parents or grandparents lived through the depression can speak about surviving the downturn; donations accepted; 7 p.m.; Innovation Theatre Works, 1155 S.W. Division St., Bend; 541-977-5677.

Wednesday, Oct. 5RAILROAD DAY CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: Celebrate local railroad history, with games, train rides, tours, displays, reenactments and more; free; 3:30-6:30 p.m.; Art Station, 313 S.W. Shevlin Hixon Drive, Bend; 541-389-1813 or www.deschuteshistory.org.

SPEAKNOW: High-school students compete in a spoken word competition; $3, free to participate; 7 p.m., registration at 6:30 p.m.; PoetHouse Art, 55 N.W. Minnesota Ave., Bend; 541-728-0756 or [email protected].

Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 6-9BENDFILM: The eighth annual independent film festival features films at McMenamins Old St. Francis School, the Tower Theatre, Regal Old Mill Stadium 16, Sisters Movie House and the Oxford Hotel; $175 full festival pass, $110 full film pass, individual tickets $11 in advance, $12 at the door; 6 p.m.; throughout the day Friday-Sunday; 541-388-3378, [email protected] or www.bendfilm.org.

Friday, Oct. 7REDMOND FRIDAY FARMERS MARKET: Free admission; 3-7 p.m.; Redmond Greenhouse, 4101 S. U.S. Highway 97; 541-604-5156 or [email protected].

FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK: Event includes art exhibit openings, artist talks, live music, wine and food in downtown Bend and the Old Mill District; free; 5-9 p.m.; throughout Bend.

Saturday, Oct. 8JANE GOODALL LECTURE: Primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall speaks about her experiences in the field and reflections on conservation issues; $35, $20 students and seniors, $75 preferred; 1:30-2:30 p.m.; Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center, 3800 S.W. Airport Way, Redmond; 541-548-2711 or www.chimps-inc.org.

Wednesday, Oct. 12SHANGRI-LA CHINESE ACROBATS: Acrobats perform balancing feats, martial arts displays and more; $30 or $35; 7:30 p.m.; Tower

Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

Thursday, Oct. 13RIDERS IN THE SKY: The comedic Western musicians perform; $34 in advance, $39 day of show; 8 p.m., doors open 7 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

Friday, Oct. 14DAVID GRISMAN BLUEGRASS EXPERIENCE: The mandolinist and dawg act performs; $22 plus fees in advance, $25 at the door; 9 p.m., doors open 8 p.m.; Midtown Ballroom, 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; 541-788-2989 or www.randompresents.com.

Saturday, Oct. 15DINNER-DANCE FUNDRAISER: Barbecue dinner followed by a dance; proceeds benefit the Honor Flight of Eastern Oregon; $8 or $4 ages 11 and younger for dinner, donations requested for dance; 5 p.m. dinner, 7 p.m. dance; Crook County Fairgrounds, Carey Foster Hall, 1280 S. Main St., Prineville; 541-447-5451.

“MAGIC NO LONGER SUCKS”: Dan Sperry performs his macabre and gruesome magic act; $20; 8 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

Friday, Oct. 21TOWER OF POWER: The urban-soul musicians perform; $40-$50; 7:30 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

Monday, Oct. 24THE GREEN: The Hawaiian reggae act performs, with Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad; $12 in advance, $15 day of show; 8 p.m., 7 p.m. doors; Domino Room, 51 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; 541-788-2989.

Thursday, Oct. 27MILES DAVIS EXPERIENCE WITH AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE: A multimedia musical production paying tribute to jazz musician Miles Davis; featuring photos, film clips, and performance by trumpet phenomenon Ambrose Akinmusire; $30 or $35; 7:30 p.m.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700.

Saturday, Oct. 29SWINGING WITH THE STARS: Local celebrities dance with local professional

dancers in a competition modeled on “Dancing with the Stars”; $20-$80; 6 p.m.; Bend High School, 230 N.E. Sixth St.; 541-312-8630.

Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 29-30“THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW”: Showing of the 1975 R-rated film starring Susan Sarandon and Tim Curry; featuring dancing and singing along; $10; Saturday evening showing is ages 21 and older. Sunday showing is all ages.; Tower Theatre, 835 N.W. Wall St., Bend; 541-317-0700 or www.towertheatre.org.

Friday, Nov. 4FIRST FRIDAY GALLERY WALK: Event includes art exhibit openings, artist talks, live music, wine and food in downtown Bend and the Old Mill District; free; 5-9 p.m.; throughout Bend.

Saturday-Monday, Nov. 5-7CENTRAL OREGON SYMPHONY FALL CONCERT: The Central Oregon Symphony performs a winter concert, under the direction of Michael Gesme; featuring a performance by Three Leg Torso; free but a ticket is required; 7:30 p.m.; Bend High School, 230 N.E. Sixth St.; 541-317-3941, [email protected] or www.cosymphony.com.

Friday - Saturday, Nov. 11-12FREAK MOUNTAIN RAMBLERS: The Portland-based Americana group performs; free; 7 p.m.; McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond St., Bend; 541-382-5174 or www.mcmenamins.com.

Saturday, Nov. 12HIGH DESERT CHAMBER MUSIC BENEFIT GALA: Includes live music, dinner, a silent auction and a raffle; registration recommended; proceeds benefit High Desert Chamber Music programs; $85; 6 p.m.; Broken Top Golf Club, 62000 Broken Top Drive, Bend; 541-306-3988, [email protected] or www.highdesertchambermusic.com.

Thursday, Nov. 17“A CHRISTMAS STORY”: Preview night of Cascades Theatrical Company’s presentation of the story of a young boy and his quest to get a BB gun for Christmas; $10; 7:30 p.m., doors open 6:30 p.m.; Greenwood Playhouse, 148 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend; 541-389-0803 or www.cascadestheatrical.org.

12 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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HOME DECOR

FORM meets HI-TECH FUNCTION

856 NW Bond • Downtown Bend • 541-330-5999 • www.havenhomestyle.com

We carry a beautiful selection of Traditional, Transitional, Tuscan and Rustic home furniture, lighting, designer rugs, wall décor and accessories. We also offer interior design services.

Call us to schedule a complementary consultation.

The words “picture tube” are gradually disappearing from the lexicon of today’s society. Yet, they remain fresh in the minds of interior designers and homeown-ers alike who, until the advent of LCD and plasma televisions, struggled to hide these 27-plus-inch monstrosities.“In today’s world, the TV is not the villain it used to be,” said Jack-ie Anderson, interior designer at Haven Home Style in downtown Bend. “No longer do we have to hide it, and no longer do we have to buy the big, deep armoires.”Instead, according to Anderson, furniture makers are creating cabinets and stands that accom-modate (and at times, accentuate) today’s thinner, lighter and more stylish televisions.Beneath a shell of traditional styles, these pieces feature com-partments and access points to meet to technological and A/V needs of the modern household — watching movies, gaming, computing, streaming media, sur-round sound, etc.“Furniture’s come a long ways to-ward addressing the technology

that’s out there,” Anderson said. “It’s not your grandma’s enter-tainment center anymore.”For those who still opt for hiding their television moni-tors when not in use, bulky armoires have turned into thin-ner cabinets that, while often-times still the focal point of a room, are much thinner (think bookshelf).And for those who like their big-screen LCD to be the focal point of a room, traditional consoles provide an aesthetic base while supporting the components, wir-ing and connectivity required of

today’s entertainment centers.According to Anderson, so-called

“hidden technology compart-ments” are becoming standard within today’s home furnishings. End tables, desks, and even cof-fee tables are being designed to address the needs of our world’s iPod wielding, laptop toting, plug-and-play populace.“It’s all in the name of accommo-dating today’s technology and, hence, today’s lifestyle,” she said. “People are left with these deep, dinosaur armoires; now they can just put clothes in them.” For in-novative design ideas for your technology issues, see the design staff at Haven Home Style.

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 13

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Cobbled Up with

by Annissa Anderson / for The Bulletin Special Projects

It’s not a crisp, crumble, buckle, slump or pandowdy. A cobbler is a simple, homey dessert like those, but it is still distinctly itself.

The deep-dish fruit pie is characterized by a dense biscuit crust on top and a fruit filling, with no crust beneath. In some versions, the crust completely covers the fruit, while other versions have a dropped-biscuit topping that leaves some of the fruit exposed.

A Northwest favorite, cobblers are especially popular during fruit harvest times. In early- to mid-summer, ripe seasonal berries like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, Marionberries and raspberries are baked until thick and jammy, under a tender biscuit crust.

A sweet fruit filling hides beneath

a dense crust to create this Northwest favorite.

FRUITPhotos by Nicole Werner

14 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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With late summer come ripening stone fruits — cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines and apricots — with flavors that are even sweeter when cooked.

Finally, in fall, the tree fruits — apples, pears and quinces — are ready and usually in abundance, perfect for pie and cobbler filling.

The name “cobbler” is thought to have come from the phrase “to cobble up,” meaning to put together hastily. Unlike many desserts, a fruit cobbler can be assembled by hand and baked in almost any kind of ovenproof dish.

Since a cobbler is meant to look rustic, it is a dessert favored by home cooks.

Cobblers may have originated in the early British American colonies. English settlers, lacking the ingredients for some of their traditional puddings, instead covered a stewed fruit filling with a layer of dropped biscuit dough before baking.

Many derivations have emerged from

Making individual cobblers in ramekins makes for a nice presentation for entertaining small groups. This cobbler, adapted from one in Cory Schreiber’s Wildwood cookbook, makes use of a cookie dough topping. Fresh, in-season peaches work best, but the cobbler can also be made any time of year with frozen peaches.

Ingredients: Peach purée: 1 cup chopped peeled peaches2 tablespoons apple cider2 tablespoons sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peach filling: 4 cups sliced peeled peaches3 tablespoons cornstarch1/2 cup packed light brown sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Snickerdoodle topping: 3/4 cup flour1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon slat1/2 cup sugar4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature1 large egg1 egg yolk1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract2 teaspoons granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method: 1. To make the purée: In a small saucepan, combine the peaches, cider and sugar. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the peaches are soft. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool. Purée in a food processor and set aside.

2. To make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the peaches, peach purée, cornstarch, brown sugar and salt. Mix well. Distribute the filling evenly into six 5-ounce ramekins, or into a 10-inch cake pan. Top with the butter pieces.

3. To make the topping: Preheat the oven to 350°. Sift the flour, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together into a medium bowl; set aside. In a mixer bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, beating until creamy. On low speed, blend in the dry ingredients.

4. Use a tablespoon to drop the snickerdoodle batter on top of the fruit. In a small bowl, blend the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the batter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned. Let cool slightly and then serve.

Peach Cobbler with Snickerdoodle Topping (Serves 6)

English settlers, lacking the ingredients for some of their traditional puddings, instead covered a stewed fruit filling with a layer of

dropped biscuit dough before baking.

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 15

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the first, simple cobbler recipes, but the basic definition still holds true.

All or part of the fruit filling of a cobbler is usually cooked with sugar and a thickener, like cornstarch, flour or tapioca, before it is baked with the topping.

The biscuit topping can be subtly flavored with spices, like nutmeg or cinnamon, or left plain and sprinkled with sugar. Biscuit dough is either dropped by spoonfuls, rolled into balls and strategically placed, or even sometimes rolled into ribbons and draped over the top.

It is easy to mix and match parts of cobbler recipes. The basic idea is

a biscuit crust over fruit filling, so if the topping of one recipe appeals but the filling of another sounds better, mix it up. Just make sure the amounts are similar so that the resulting dessert is not missing part of its crust or lacking in gooey fruit.

Mixing fruit is also fun. Certain fruit combinations just go well together, like blueberries and nectarines, peaches and cherries, and apples and cranberries.

While using fruit in season is best, using re-hydrated dried fruit or frozen fruit during winter months will let you cobble up one of the best comfort desserts year-round.

Marionberries are a hybrid of two blackberries, named after Marion County, Oregon. If you can not find Marionberries, blackberries are a fine substitute. Cornmeal is a common addition to cobbler toppings, giving a toasty corn flavor to an otherwise standard biscuit.

Ingredients:Filling: 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup water 6 cups ripe Marionberries 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cornmeal topping: 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup fine white cornmeal 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/3 cups heavy cream 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Method:1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, blend the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in the water and 3 cups of the Marionberries. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and clear. Stir in the vanilla and let cool slightly. Pour the cooked mixture and the remaining 3 cups fresh berries into the bottom of the dish; set aside.

3. To prepare the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cream and mix until the dough comes together. Turn out into a floured board and knead 8 to 12 times, or until smooth. Cut the dough into 9 portions and roll into balls. Combine the brown sugar and the 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Dip each ball into the butter, then the sugar. Place the balls on top of the fruit. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the topping is lightly browned and cooked through. Let cool slightly and serve.

Marionberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Topping (Serves 9)

16 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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Area distilleries are creating spirits using local products, local know-how.by Chef Bette Fraser / for The Bulletin Special Projects

Man can’t live by beer alone. Neither can woman.

Bend’s fabulous water, juniper berries and brilliant sunshine got a couple of visionaries thinking about gin and vodka. When we order a martini or a bloody mary, we can appreciate their hard work and vision.

BendistilleryJim Bendis was the trailblazer in 1996

when he started Bendistillery. He was aware of the delicious water flowing down from the Cascades but also looked around at all of those juniper berries growing seemingly everywhere.

Jim set out to make an all-natural gin using what resources Central Oregon provided. The result was Cascade Mountain Gin.

Following the gin came Crater Lake Vodka, made from corn, which is filtered 10 times over native lava rocks. Over one Thanksgiving weekend, the filters were left running and the vodka was filtered 100 times. The vodka was so smooth, a new product was born. Diamond 100 Vodka hit the shelves in 2006.

Cofia, the hazelnut espresso-infused vodka, is made with the Crater Lake Vodka and blended with real Oregon hazelnuts, brown sugar and DuLusso coffee. Excellent in hot drinks such as Cocoa Puff Martini, it also adds a subtle flavor in baking and cooking.

If you love a great bloody mary, try some Mazama Infused Pepper Vodka next time. Infused with a combination of hot and sweet peppers, this all-natural vodka — named for the mountain the blew and became Crater Lake — will add some punch to your mary.

All of Bendistillery’s products are made using all-natural ingredients. Consider that perhaps one of the reasons Bendistillery has been awarded gold medals for all of their products. In fact, Cofia was honored as the best flavored vodka in the world.

Bendistillery moved to their current

location in September, 2010. While they currently get their peppers for the infused pepper vodka in Oregon, they plan to build a hoop house or greenhouse to grow their own peppers and botanicals. They plan, in essence to become a distiller that is truly a ground-to-bottle operation.

The distillery, tasting room and gift shop is located on a 24-acre farm off Highway 20 between Bend and Sisters. It is open for tours and tastings. Check their web site for hours and days: www.bendistillery.com.

Oregon Spirit DistillersMeanwhile, spirit enthusiast, Brad

Irwin, was busy crafting ideas of his own. In September, 2010, Brad and his wife, Kathy, launched Oregon Spirit Distillers.

Brad’s first spirit is the smooth, 80-proof vodka made from Pendleton wheat. While vodka is, in theory, a flavorless, odorless, colorless spirit, every vodka drinker will attest to the fact that his or her favorite vodka has a distinct flavor profile.

Brad’s vodka has a subtle sweetness with vanilla notes that can be attributed to the fact that it is made from wheat. It is a different flavor profile than that of some vodkas that are made from grains such as rye.

With success have come more products. Oregon Spirit Distillers recently released their Distillers Choice line, available only at the

tasting room for “in the know” locals. The Distillers Choice Line will release selections of 25 to 100 bottle spirits from time to time.

Their bourbon, aged in American oak barrels for two years, is made from barley. The inside of the barrels have some char, similar to wine barrels, to achieve a certain flavor profile depending on the desire of the distiller. Brad wanted his bourbon to be smooth enough for drinking neat, but not too bold to participate in a cocktail. The result was worth the wait.

Black Mariah, a Marionberry cordial, is liquid sunshine and tastes just like Oregon’s famous berry. Delicious on its own, it can also be enjoyed with champagne, mixed with a margarita or topped with ice cream. It is a Marionberry gone to heaven.

In 2007, the first Absinthe was imported into this country legally since it was banned in 1912. Oregon Spirit Distillers makes an Absinthe from a variety of botanicals and herbs, including fennel and anise. While there is much written about absinthe, most of it is folklore.

Absinthe or a form of it was consumed by the ancient Greeks and others through history. Stop by the distillery and Brad will show you how to enjoy this popular and delicious drink. It has been part of our drinking culture for centuries because it is an all-natural product that can be enjoyed as an aperitif when mixed with water.

Coming soon is their Merrylegs Gin, named for their beloved Corgi Merrylegs. The gin, available in a few weeks, will be a non-traditional, oude jenever style, or known as Dutch or Holland gin.

When touring the distillery and tasting room, you can see the copper still imported from Germany and the casks where the bourbon is aged. The tasting room is open on Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. For further information, visit their web site at www.oregonspiritdistillers.com.

Chef Bette Fraser is the proprietor of The Well Traveled Fork, hosting cooking

classes, culinary tours and providing catering services. She can be reached

at WellTraveledFork.com or 541-312-0097.

LOCAVORE’S CORNER:

STILL keeping

it LOCALBendistillery19330 Pinehurst Rd., Bend541-318-0200www.bendistillery.com

Oregon Spirit Distillers490 NE Butler Market Rd., Ste. 110, Bend541-382-0002www.oregonspiritdistillers.com

RECIPESCocoa Puff Martini Made with Cofia Hazelnut Espresso Vodka and Crater Lake Vodka / Created by the Bendistillery Sampling Room

2 oz Crater Lake Vodka 2 oz Cofia Hazelnut Espresso Vodka 1 oz chocolate syrup 1 oz half & half splash vanilla syrup

Mix ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Strain into a chocolate graham cracker rimmed martini glass. No garnish needed.

* * * * * *

Black Mariah BrambleCreated by Oregon Spirit Distillers

Black Mariah Merrylegs Gin Lime Juice Simple Syrup (to taste)

Shake Merrylegs Gin, lime juice and simple syrup with ice, strain into glass filled with crush ice. Top with Black Mariah float.

Central Oregon

DISTILLERIES

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 17

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Local ranchers merge brew culture with the cattle business.

Local cattle ranchers Rob Rastovich and Matt Borlen (left to right) re-use beer mash as feed for their cattle, which they market as ‘Beer Beef’ throughout Central Oregon.

BeefThe Brew’s in the

by Kathy Oxborrow / for The Bulletin Special Projects

What do you do if you have beef to sell, live in an area with nearly a dozen microbreweries and want to support sustainable ranching?

You fertilize your hay fields with “beer water” and feed your cows beer mash (spent wheat, hops and barley), waste byproducts of brewing beer.

Then you market your product as Barley Beef.

Barley Beef is a partnership between Rob Rastovich and Matt Borlen, two local cattle ranchers. Rastovich also has a day gig as a

computer programmer.The Rastovich family has been

on their ranch in southeast Bend for almost 100 years.

Borlen, who was an infant when his family moved to Bend in 1972, doesn’t spend much, if any time, near a computer. Borlen said he likes “wheels and motors.”

Together, Borlen and Rastovich are a perfect pair.

“Bend has had this huge influx of breweries come on, and it just made sense to us to market the beef as part of the microbrewing culture that’s here,” said Rastovich.

Everything a cow eats affects the taste of the beef. Barley Beef has a different taste than corn-fed

beef, the kind of meat we buy in supermarkets, the partners said.

“It’s on the leaner side,” said Borlen.

A beer mash diet adds a flavor that beef from cows that are only grass fed don’t have. So it’s a new entry in the trend to consume locally produced products free of antibiotics and hormones.

After Rastovich weans his steers, he takes them to Borlen’s ranch in Alfalfa where they begin their beer mash diet supplemented with pasture during the summer and hay in the winter.

Unlike the beef most of

Photos by Lyle Cox

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 19

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us consume, which changes hands several times before it makes its way to our dinner plate, the Barley Beef guys emphasize that they retain ownership of their cows until they are butchered and their beef sold.

“I can actually tell you the spot on the Central Oregon property where each cow was born,” said Rastovich.

Borlen and Rastovich were just two guys who used to sell their cows at auction every fall and get new cows in the spring, usually

losing money on the deal. They said they thought that was just the way a farmer was supposed to work — “buy retail and sell wholesale.”

“We figured there had to be some way to get more out of these cows, so I hooked up with Matt to see what he was doing,” said Rastovich.

That’s when they came up with the idea of Barley Beef.

Borlen’s other day job figured into their plan to market Barley Beef.

Agri-Cycle, a company started by Borlen’s father to dispose of septic tank waste, had started picking up

beer wastewater as well. In 1993, Agri-Cycle signed a contract with Deschutes Brewery to haul away its high-strength wastewater.

“The wastewater can’t go to the city,” said Borlen. “It has too much sugar and protein in it.”

This August, Agri-Cycle picked up four loads a day from Deschutes Brewery and applied it to hay fields at the Borlen Cattle Company, the Rastovich Family Farm and other Central Oregon farmers free of charge.

“If Agri-Cycle didn’t pick up

the wastewater, we’d have to treat it at the brewery, and that takes lots of capital,” said Tim Alexander, the utilities manger at Deschutes Brewery.

It’s an arrangement that works for everyone. Deschutes Brewery eliminates the need to invest in costly treatment equipment, Agri-Cycle makes money hauling it away, and farmers and ranchers receive fertilizer high in nitrogen at no cost to them.

Agri-Cycle also removes the spent grain from most of the microbreweries in Bend and Redmond, which it then feeds to

“Bend has had this huge influx of breweries come on, and it just made sense to us to market the beef as part of the microbrewing

culture that’s here.”

20 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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the Barley Beef cows and the beef Borlen Cattle Company sells to Deschutes Brewery.

Alexander said breweries have always sold their spent grain to farmers, but it’s pretty rare to have everything so close together—the brewers, the hauler, the hay fields and the cows. That’s what makes the Barley Beef story so unique.

“If you go to Deschutes Brewery today and have a burger and a beer, that cow that you’re having the burger from ate the beer that you’re drinking,” said Rastovich.

James Meskill, the general manager at Deschutes Brewery and Public House in downtown Bend said it all started as a 20-pound order of beef for a meatloaf special. It’s now turned into a daily order of 70 pounds during the summer months for the burgers.

When asked where they see their newly formed partnership and Barley Beef marketing efforts going, Rastovich replied, “It’s where we are not going. It’s not to get to the level where we’ve got a thousand head of cows and we become the corporate entity that we are the antithesis of now. Our goal is to provide local farmers a way to sell their beef to local people and retain ownership.”

For more information contact www.barleybeef.com.

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Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 21

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When choosing paint colors, it is never about just one color. Decorating is more than making a place pretty; it is about creating a space that em-bodies a feeling that refl ects what you love and who you are.

Decorating requires the interplay of colors and light to be appealing. Remember to use the 60:30:10 concept — use your dominant color at 60 percent, secondary color at 30 percent, and your accent color at 10 percent.

Choosing a somewhat neutral color for the dominant color and weaving it throughout the entire home will create a more unifi ed look. Look at your art, fabric, carpeting and the fur-niture in your home, paying attention to t h e beiges, grays

or whites in the background. Use these colors as your launch pad.

White is as diverse as every other color in the spectrum. Every white has an undertone — it may tip toward yellow, pink or blue.

To choose the other colors for your palette, look in your closet at the clothes you wear, your art, and fabrics in your home. This will help you de-termine the colors you’ll be happy surrounding yourself with.

To create a room with interest and warmth, your decorating palette should appear intentional. To achieve this, each key color must appear at least twice in a décor.

If the trim or moulding in your home is not what you would like it to be, then make it disappear by painting it the same color as the wall. If the trim or moulding is beautiful, then paint it a lighter or darker color than the walls to accent it.

Think of your ceiling as the fi fth wall in your room. If you have a lot of white in the room, then a white ceiling would tie in nicely. If not, then pull the color from the walls onto the ceiling for an enveloping feel. If that’s too dark, then choose a lighter color from that same color strip.

If you make a drastic color change, it may take several days before you are accustomed to your new surroundings. So relax and embrace your new colors. Information provided by Norma Tucker, Denfeld Paints.

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22 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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Vibrant Autumn Colors

Autumn leaves steal the show each year, but a number of garden perennials also burst with a rainbow of colors each fall.

by Doug Stott / for The Bulletin Special Projects

As we acclimate to the autumn season, knowledgeable gardeners and landscapers know now is a great time of the year for planting some of the best fall-blooming perennial flowers.

With the soil still warm from the disappearing summer heat, roots of freshly planted ornamentals will quickly establish themselves, offering not only sought-after autumn color,

but hardy plants that will return year after year.

With this fantastic opportunity upon us, it would be fun to look at some of the premier perennials that will help light up your rock garden and borders this autumn season.

In horticultural terms, “fall perennials” are typically plants that take center stage in the garden as the days shorten and cooler temperatures arrive.

Most are noted for dynamic bursts of color in the late summer, early fall season. Many of the newer introductions are also well-suited for pots and baskets.

In addition, plant breeders have brought to the market some plants that offer contrasting textural foliage.

Before you head out to the tool shed to grab your shovel, let’s first take a look at some of the choices you will encounter at your local garden

center. We will also review proper planting techniques, which should give us a better chance for winter plant survival.

One of my favorite, super hardy fall bloomers are the asters (Michaelmas). This wonderful group of late-season sensations offer colors of white and pink and shades of bluish purple. They are drought and deer tolerant once established and will provide year after year color with

Asters

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their daisy-like blooms.Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium

purpureum) is a great heirloom perennial that has graced countless rock gardens through the years. Usually placed in the back of beds due to its height, this plant will always be a showstopper in late season. With blooms that are shades of purple (nice fragrance) to some showy white flowers, you should be impressed.

Butterflies usually flock to the flowers, adding additional interest to this great plant.

Helianthus (perennial sunflower) is another great selection that should be on your list if you are looking for a tall, striking plant for the back of your flower border.

Although similar in nature to the common annual sunflower, this plant will come back year after year, spreading by both seed and root stolens. Helianthus are great picks if you are looking to attract butterflies and other beneficial insects.

When it comes to drought tolerance, look no farther than Autumn Joy (Sedum). With their

fleshy leaves and light purple, late-season blooms, this plant always attracts a lot of attention at the garden center.

Growing to medium height, this selection is maintenance free as well as insect and disease resistant.

When we mention heirloom traditions, the perennial garden mum most certainly comes to mind. With a full range of colors, this late-season explosion of color is hard to miss.

I will mention, however, that not all of these showstoppers are of a perennial nature, so I advise you to read the label for hardiness ratings before you purchase.

The super hardy perennial, Helenium, is almost sure to please even the most discriminating gardener. With its daisy-like blooms and non-stop summer-through-fall blooming, this plant should be high on your list of “must have” plants.

This particular plant is also a great attractant for beneficial insects and is quite resistant to harmful insects and disease. They come in vibrant autumn colors of yellow, rust, mahogany and browns.

This fast-growing clumping perennial can usually be divided in just three years so you may be able to share it with many of your gardening friends.

When it comes time to re-visit your local garden center you will no doubt stumble across multiple (more than 20) varieties of Rudbeckias. With striking yellow/gold blossoms, this plant serves as a sign that autumn is just around the corner.

The species of plant is also referred to as a coneflower as well as a black-eyed Susan. Certainly this is a must have for just about every rock garden.

When it comes to the cool blues of late summer, the drought- and deer-resistant perennial, Russian Sage, will certainly take center stage. Countless homeowners have found this rugged late bloomer to be the perfect match for late summer blooms.

Spires of pale blue blossoms last well over a month, cooling down the last blasts of High Desert summer heat.

A conversation would just not be complete if we did not mention the continually blooming Violas. Treasured for their sweet fragrance, these little frost-resistant bloomers are great in the rock garden and hanging basket, as well as decorative patio and entrance way planters.

Because we live in the sun-drenched High Desert area, most of our flowering choices are usually sun lovers. But since a few of you may have a shady side, let’s take a quick look at some of hardy choices available.

Topping the list is the white and pink daisy-like blooms of the Japanese Anemone. You may also want to search out selections of Solomans Seal, spectacular Hostas (noted for their unique variegated leaves and fragrant blooms), Solidago (Goldenrod), Bugbane (white flowers), and a close favorite of mine, the non-stop blooming Columbines (shooting stars).

As you shop the shelves of local garden centers, don’t forget to add a little contrasting foliage of

Autumn Joy Garden Mums

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Blue Fescue, Morning Light Miscanthus, or the bronze orange blades of Autumn Fire Sedge (Carrik) grasses.

As with all plants in the garden and landscape, make sure to mix in ample amounts of organic compost, plus applications of a well-blended organic fertilizer. Observations over the years have revealed that plants fed with organics, versus synthetic foods, withstand our harsh climate much better and sustain less winter damage.

I have also noted less damage from insects and disease, as well as greater drought tolerance following this practice.

Installing drip irrigation around your garden to water your new and older plantings will most certainly add to the overall health and vigor of your garden. Inexpensive as well as easy to install. I am quite sure you will be an instant fan of this effective watering type application.

I just love the autumn season here on the High Desert, and I’m sure you will find it to be the perfect time to add a little color to your backyard. Grab your shovel, a pair of gloves and enjoy the early days of fall.

Joe Pye Weeds

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Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 25

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Master Gardener Events

October Continue to water and mow your lawn minimally.

At the end of October into November, blow out your automatic irrigation system for the winter.

At the end of the month, put down a winterizer fertilizer on your lawn at a rate of 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, using a soluble or mixed soluble slow-release nitrogen fertilizer. A common winter fertilizer has an N-P-K of 10-5-14. You would need 10 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet with this ratio.

Spread two to four inches of compost or mulch on top of your vegetable garden.

Harvest and store apples; keep at about 40 degrees with moderate humidity.

Pick your green tomatoes before a heavy frost hits. Only mature green tomatoes can be ripened off the vine. Mature tomatoes are light green in color with a reddish tinge on the blossom end. The pulp inside of a mature tomato should be jelly-like, not firm. To ripen, wrap them individually in newspaper and place them in a box so they are not touching one another in a room at 60 to 70 degrees. Check them every three to four days for rotten ones. They will ripen over a three- to four-week period.

Save seeds from the vegetable and flower garden, dry and store.

Time to pick out your pumpkins from the local growers for all of your fall festivities.

Harvest sunflower heads; use seed for birdseed by hanging the flower heads upside from a structure or tree. The birds will get a tasty treat, and you will get surprise sunflowers popping up next year. You can also toast the sunflower seeds and treat yourself.

Cut back your perennials to 1 1/2 inches above the ground and with pine needles or wood bark

mulch to protect the roots through the winter. Some perennials that prefer additional mulch for winter protection include pincushion flower (Scabiosa), lavender (Lavendula), and veronica.

Regular roses need special winter care including winter mulch. For more information, check out the rose care publication at: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/ec/ec1624-e.pdf.

November Plant a cover crop in your garden area to come up

next spring. You can plant winter wheat, cereal rye, winter rye, triticale, winter barley or winter peas.

Plant any new grass seed or wildflower seed now to come up in the spring.

Plant a window garden of lettuce, chives and parsley.

Place mulch around berries for winter protection.

Store garden fertilizers and supplies in a safe, dry place, out of the reach of children.

Start your compost pile for next fall. Do not use grass clippings or plant debris that may have pesticide residues, disease or insects in your compost pile.

Wrap the trunks of young, think barked trees (maples, aspen, ash) in November, with paper tree wrap to prevent sunscald. Remove it in the spring (April). Do not leave the tree wrap on though out the summer as it may harbor unwanted insects. Wrap your new trees two to three years in a row until the outer bark has thickened.

Now is a good time to remove and discard paper wasp nests from the eaves of your home. At this time of year, the nests may be empty. Wasps only occupy their nests for one season. Remove at dusk when wasp activity slows down.

Become a Master GardenerInterested in becoming an OSU Master Gardener? The OSU Master Gardener program is celebrating its 30th year in Central Oregon in 2012. OSU Master Gardeners are individuals who are trained volunteers in the areas of general gardening and plant problem solving. Applications for the class of 2012 are available. For information contact 541-548-6088 or go on line at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/ to download an application.

Subscribe to High Desert GardeningBe sure and sign up for a new year of High Desert Gardening for a color newsletter with local tips and articles on Central Oregon’s landscapes and gardening. It is available electronically or in hard copy. To check out a sample of our newsletter online. Call us at 541-548-6088 or visit us at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/announcements/high-desert-gardening-newsletter.

Garden Segments - Good Morning Central OregonFridays, 6:30 & 8:30 a.m., COTV-11

Nov. 8: Winter Care for Young TreesNov. 22: Winter Care in the GardenDec. 13: OSU Master Gardener TrainingDec. 27: Holiday Plant Care

GARDEN CALENDAR by Amy Jo Detweiler / Special to The Bulletin

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We know it works on greasy dishes, but does Dawnreally work on cleaning up your garden insects?You’ve heard it before: a little bit of dish soap, water and a spray bottle, and you’re armed and ready for battle with garden pests such as whiteflies or aphids.

But does it really work?

In a comparative study of both commercially available insecticidal soap and dish soap, both were effective at reducing pest populations on plants. In fact, one study showed that dish soap was even more effective in reducing pest populations than the commercial insecticidal soap.

However, those plants treated with dish soap also sustained plant damage. The components in dish soap remove the waxy cuticle on insects (this is good) but also removes it from the plants (not so good). In the long run, it is worth spending the few extra dollars to buy the commercially formulated insecticidal soap as it will be safe to apply on plant material and also manage your pest population.

Fact or Fiction?

Using Dish Soap to Control Pests

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 27

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Rotating the BedBy Laurel Brauns / for The Bulletin Special Projects

According to Doug Stott, owner of Redmond Greenhouse, gardening in Central Oregon isn’t for the faint of heart.

“You have to be a true cowboy to be a gardener in this area,” he said. “There is such a short growing season, and gardeners work so hard. There has to be a return on investment.”

While it may take extra effort to

achieve success in the garden here in the high desert, one of the keys to a good harvest is proper preparation. It so happens that fall is the best time to start thinking about caring for your soil and rotating crops to assure proper nutrients for each plant.

PlanningCindy Jeffers, who manages

Landsystems Nursery in Bend, recommends keeping a record of what you produced from your garden

in the summer as you prepare for the next season.

“Write down what did well and what got too big,” Jeffers said. “Did the crops produce the way you wanted them to? Were you happy with the kind of vegetables you grew?”

She also recommends creating a sketch of the garden in order to remember where you planted things the year before, and to assure proper plant rotation.

Crop RotationThere are three main reasons for

rotating various crops, according to Stott. One is to reduce the impact of insects, the second is to prevent disease infestation, and the third is to assure that different plants are getting the proper nutrition.

For example, onions and other root crops are particularly vulnerable to the onion root maggot. It is not cold enough in the winter to kill the eggs and larva of this pest, so the

Careful planning and preparation in the fall will make for a bountiful garden next year.

Looks like we’re trading rooms this year. Yeah!

And fewerpests!

My new place has lots

of light!!

28 | Central Oregon Living | Autumn 2011

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bugs will remain in the soil until the following year, ready to attack the next round of onions, unless the onions are moved to another area of the garden.

Jeffers also recommends always rotating broccoli and radishes, especially if there has been a problem with worms the year before.

Rotation is also important for proper plant nutrition.

“Different plants have different micronutrient needs,” Stott said. “They might have a hunger for something another plant would not.”

While Stott believes there is a complicated and lengthy science to crop rotation, the most important thing is that the gardener rotate his or her crops. Period.

WinterizationAfter making a careful record of

last year’s crop, it is time to clean up your beds. Clear your garden entirely of plant debris, as plants can hold insects and disease that you’ll want to remove from your garden.

Stott recommends burning or throwing away these decaying plants instead of composting them. The compost will re-enter the soil and carry insects and disease with it.

After the bed is clear there are a number of options:

Green Manure CropSew in seeds of winter rye and

clover, then irrigate the beds to get germination. After the crop grows a green layer on the surface of the soil, turn it under.

This will add nutrition the soil through the nitrogen fixation properties of these plants, giving your soil a natural recharge.

Cover with Fertilizer and Compost

This is the route taken by many organic gardeners. After removing all traces of last year’s plants, rototill the garden and apply an organic fertilizer to the surface.

The kind of fertilizer that is applied is one of the most important steps to assure a healthy crop in the future.

Stott says the most important thing is that the fertilizer you choose has multiple single ingredients like kelp and fish bone meal.

“It is all about the soil, and a fertilizer rich in nutrients makes all the difference,” said Stott. “We have no natural organic content in the soil to speak of here in Central Oregon.”

After applying your preferred fertilizer mixture into the soil, it is time to add a three-inch layer of compost and let your garden sit through the winter. Rotating the soil at this stage will only increase the likelihood that weeds will emerge.

Plant a second cropA final option before winterizing

your garden beds this fall is to declare a second growing season, then cross your fingers for an Indian summer.

Take advantage of the early fall/late summer sun and grow lettuce, chard, spinach, green onions and peas, all of which are frost resistant.

The soil is still warm this time of year, and gardeners can protect plants by building frames over the beds, allowing the second crop to potentially grow into November.

Whatever gardening approach you decide to take this fall, spending a little extra time clearing and caring for your soil can greatly improve your chances for a healthy and hearty harvest next year.

Autumn 2011 | Central Oregon Living | 29

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The pendulum pickleexpertadvice

The country’s six banking regulators have been hammering out rules for what’s known as the qualified residential mortgage (QRM). If they in fact decide that a qualified residential mortgage must include at least 20 percent down, the ability for you to obtain a mortgage for a home purchase could be greatly affected — and probably not

for the better.In an attempt to curb the kind of lending practices that

helped lead to the mortgage meltdown, this new proposed law requires lenders to keep on their books 5 percent of the value of mortgage loans that are packaged into securities for sale to investors. The 5 percent risk retention is intended to ensure lenders maintain skin in the game.

One of the criticisms of the private-label securities that were so popular during the housing boom is that lenders were making poor-quality loans because the loans would be securitized and sold to investors around the world, effectively making any future losses caused by the bad loans someone else’s problem.

NAR (National Association of Realtors) and other industry groups supported the goal of protecting against these kinds of poor loan writing practices, and they also wanted to ensure safe, affordable conventional mortgage

financing remained available for responsible borrowers who took out loan amounts that they could afford.

This is already occurring. Have you recently experienced obtaining a loan? It is extremely meticulous and tests one’s mettle. This is as polite as I can make it sound. I now counsel my 750-plus credit score buyers with this: be prepared for an intense medical exam without painkillers or blue gloves.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, the Federal Reserve, the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency are leaning toward requiring 20 percent down. Considering that conventional mortgage loans, including those with 10 percent or even 5 percent down, were not the loans that posed a problem to the mortgage market — and which today continue to perform well — it seems the 20 percent requirement is excessive.

More importantly from the standpoint of sales, requiring households with good credit risks to come up with 20 percent down could have a devastating impact on home ownership, causing additional disturbances in our current housing market.

The challenge would be especially hard for first-time buyers. According to data from NAR’s 2009 Home Buyer and Seller Profile, more than 75 percent of first-time buyers put down less than 20 percent. Only 13 percent made a down payment of 20 percent or more. Even among repeat buyers, almost 65 percent of them made down payments of less than 20 percent.

Allow me: 20 percent down on a $200,000 purchase is $40,000. This is just the down-payment; you have closing

costs as well. Closing costs are about 7 percent of the purchase price, so in this case an additional $14,000 is due at signing.

Sure, you can negotiate the seller contributing toward your closing costs, yet the current maximum amount of this concession is 3 percent of the sales price. Closing costs have been on the rise these past three years because lenders are spending more time and money to process loans due to new stricter regulations. I’m seeing a pattern here.

Lawmakers thought the exemption made sense because they recognized that conforming loans were never part of the mortgage mess. It was the “exotic” loans — the stated income, negative amortization, and others — that caused the problems. What humors me here is that the term “exotic” was never used back in the day. I saved marketing materials from one institution (who is no longer in business) that promoted interest-only loans and cannot find the word “exotic” anywhere.

The monster is huge, and this proposed regulation is like the giant blob that will suffocate the system. We need to simplify, not complicate matters. Sadly, “simple bureaucracy” is an oxymoron.

Should this law pass, home purchasers can look forward to even tighter restrictions on qualifying. Your local Realtor Association, along with NAR, is fighting against this restrictive proposal. This is but one of many proposed regulations to “solve” the housing market. Stay alert.

Cindy King is a principal broker at Steve Scott Realtors.

COBA unveils new online plan centerThe Central Oregon

Builders Association (COBA) has an exciting new service for those in-terested in a successful avenue of obtaining a bid on your remodel, home improvement or new con-struction projects.

Find an architect to design your new home or commercial building or a remodeler to expand or

improve your home. You can find a builder to bid on the construction of your new home. Whether you’re looking for a painter, plumber, electrician or any one of another 50 different categories, COBA CX may make your life easier.

COBA CX is a new, full-service residential and com-mercial online bid and plan center offering printing of plans, project listings and permit information for both residential and commercial building projects.

COBA CX is online today. It was created in Central Oregon by local programmers. CX stands for “connect,” and the service will give the public, contractors, trades and suppliers an online invitation to bid via a web portal.

The main goal is to keep our local building industry contractors and trades working and bring revenue back to Central Oregon. COBA CX has already created or ex-panded several jobs right here on the high desert.

At first glance, this may seem like a service just for builders, but COBA is making the bid process available to the public at no cost.

In order to participate, e-mail your name, address and contact information along with your project plans and de-scription to [email protected]. Also give us a bid deadline. The customer may decide to have contractors send bids directly to them or to COBA CX for pickup. COBA will put the project information into the bid system, and you will get your bids at no charge.

For those who want access to the entire software sys-tem, where they may see all jobs open and available for bid — both residential and commercial along with state-wide permit information — the annual subscription starts at $525 for non-COBA members and $200 for COBA members.

There will be both private and public projects on COBA CX. COBA CX already has residential homes for bid representing nearly every category of work, with many more coming online. There are public jobs from all over Oregon, and we’ll be adding jobs in Washington and Idaho in the near future.

For all that information, and to get you in front of contractors bidding actual jobs, it makes sense to check into COBA CX today. Because it’s a subscription service, you won’t find it online, but you will find information at www.coba.org.

Save time and money by letting the innovative new online system collect bids for your project. COBA CX con-tractor members are essentially hiring an extra team to look for jobs and permits each week, helping to free up time for other jobs.

Add to that the discounts you may receive if you qual-ify for Worker’s Comp Insurance from SAIF, cell phones, fuel and credit card processing affinity programs, and many of our members say it pays to be a member.

COBA CX also has competitive pricing on printing and reproduction of plans. Our prices are value-driven and hard to beat. We’re a nonprofit that’s been around since 1972, serving the building industry and our com-munity.

If you would like more information please visit the COBA website at www.coba.org or call COBA at 541-389-1058.

Tim Knopp is the executive vice president of the Central Oregon Builders Association.

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Attractive Ideas Put to Work

A look at innovative products that enhanced the look and functionality of a new conference room.

Last July, a conference room within the heart of The Bulletin headquarters — publisher of Central Oregon Living — received a facelift.

Described as a room “where ideas are born” by Bulletin management, the room was utilized for meetings, staff training, presentations,v brainstorming sessions and special events. And yet aesthetically, it was suffering from an identity crisis.

So The Bulletin’s management staff met with Patti Julber, an interior designer with Complements Home Interiors of Bend, with the goal of creating a room

that’s both attractive and functional.“I wanted to create an environment that breeds

thoughtfulness and creativity while easily adapting to the needs of various people and departments,” Julber said. “I believe we accomplished this.”

As she led the way toward creating a room that’s both aesthetically and technologically pleasing, Julber utilized a number of new and innovative products for home and office design.

Here are some of these products and why Julber chose them for this project:

1. Luxury Vinyl (Flooring) Tile - FreefitA vinyl floor that mimics the look and feel of

rustic hardwood, Julber selected Freefit luxury vinyl tile for a few standard reasons: it looks good, is long-lasting, cleans up well and provides little to no maintenance. But Freefit tiles offer a level of versatility that other floor tiles don’t.

“The benefit is if there is ever a problem such as a deep cut or scratch in the tile, it is easily replaced,” Julber said. “The Vinyl tile is held in place by its weight and suction. It is not glued down and can be laid over either concrete or plywood.”

2. Wall Covering - Thermoplastic from MDC Wallcoverings

Before its facelift, this conference room was surrounded by four simple white walls. Julber wanted to change this, so she created an accent wall using Thermoplastic wall panels from MDC Wallcoverings.

“It adds dimension and texture to a room that had very little personality,” she said. “The color was in keeping with the wood, but a little richer with the bronze finish.”

3. Woven Texture Window Coverings - Hunter Douglas

Since the room is multifunctional, hosting everything from seminars to blood drives, incorporating an element of privacy into the design was important. To achieve this, Julber selected woven texture window coverings from Hunter Douglas.

“Woven textures add texture and color to the room without adding a lot of heaviness to the space,” she said. “The use of the room determined what kind of window covering we would need.”

4. Magnetic White/Blackboards - Mike Spring, Akamai Woodworks

A lot of brainstorming occurs within The Bulletin’s conference room, so it was important to include a mechanism for sharing and recording information. Rather than buying and installing a standard whiteboard, Julber designed two custom-made magnetic boards — one for chalk and one for dry-erase markers — that span nearly the length of the room.

Mike Spring of Akamai Woodworks built each board.

“The magnetic whiteboard and blackboard created a space for writers, photographers and designers to put tear sheets up so that the space was functional as well as beautiful,” Julber said.

5. Audio/Video System - Abbajay Automated Control Systems & Standard TV & Appliance

Not only was the look of the conference room updated; the technology was updated as well. The audio/video system, which included a new Sony monitor, a sound system and a webcam, was installed by Abbajay Automated Control Systems.

“They also trained The Bulletin’s staff on how to use all the up-to-date equipment,” Julber said.

See a full description of the project in our Late Summer 2011 edition of Central Oregon Living. For

more information, call Patti Julber at Complements Home Interiors at 541-322-7337.

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