Yeah, I didn't believe that headline either, even as I typed it with my own basketball-loving fingers.

The news broke this morning from inside sources who have it on good authority that the Blazers' franchise player (and former rookie of the year), Brandon Roy, would be retiring do to knee injuries. An article published this morning on ESPN.com cites Roy's "degenerative knees" as the reason he'll be ending his NBA career after just five seasons.

Roy, who was injured frequently during his time with the Blazers, averaged 19 points per game and a respectable 4.7 assists, but anyone who saw him play knows his intangible ability to take games into his own hands down the stretch was far and away his greatest asset.

Also, he holds a special spot in the hearts of many given that he has spent the entirety of his basketball career in the Northwest, having played high school ball in Seattle, then playing four years at the University of Washington before making the short trek down I-5 to make an immediate impact with the Blazers.

And what's with the Blazers and knee injuries? First it was Sam Bowie, then Greg Oden and now the beloved Brandon Roy. Is there something in Portland that degenerates the knees?

Due to a very serious family situation, Vancouver B.C. band In Medias Res, (whom I learned of through Edmonton's New Music Michael) won't be performing at Bend's Sound Garden Studio tonight. As our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their family, we can still take a look at the music they were going to share with us. Releasing their second studio LP, It Was Warm And Sunny When We First Set Out at the beginning of this year (8 years after their debut), In Medias Res have succeeding in silencing all speculation regarding the will they?/won't they? record again discussion.

It Was Warm, begins with the fast paced track " The Final Flight Of The Bees", before settling into a more down tempo garage rock album. It's a richly productive albums that ebbs and flows while moving forward through different stories. You can check out the entire album on Spotify, but before you do... be sure to listen to two special tracks below.
 
The first is an alternate acoustic version of the new album's third track "Come Back Down". It was recorded in the band's van by their lead singer Andrew Lee, seven days ago outside the hospital where his Dad was receiving cancer treatment.

The song was written through his father's eyes and this new version is one of the most honest recordings I have ever heard. The song is currently free to download, but should you choose to pay for it, the money will help pay for Andrew's father's treatment. The second track is an 11 minute journey recorded in parts, back in 2008 and 2009. It's a great listen that fills the musical space with quietly significant moments and songwriting depth.

<a href="http://inmediasres.bandcamp.com/track/come-back-down-jls-version" mce_href="http://inmediasres.bandcamp.com/track/come-back-down-jls-version">Come Back Down (JLS Version) by IN MEDIAS RES</a> <a href="http://inmediasres.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-crystal" mce_href="http://inmediasres.bandcamp.com/album/the-dark-crystal">The Dark Crystal by IN MEDIAS RES</a>

The days when a letter could travel from one end of Bend to another without physically leaving the zip code appear to be numbered.

According to a letter from Oregon Postmaster to Bend City Manager Eric King, the Post Office has concluded that it makes financial sense to shutter the Bend mail sorting facility on Fourth Street. In a summary of the proposal that was attached to the letter from Postmaster Nathan Leigh, the agency says it could save about $2.1 million annually by moving mail sorting operations from Bend to Portland. That means a letter mailed from Butler Market to an address on Reed Market will have to make the journey over the pass and back to in order to travel a net distance of less than 10 miles. Such are the realities of the modern economics of mail service in the digital era.

The savings come at a price, however.

According to the post office, 17 workers would be displaced if the facility were shuttered. It’s not clear how many of them would be offered other jobs within the agency.

Even with the loss of the local facility, local customers wouldn’t see major disruptions, according to the USPS. “Retail and other services” would be maintained at the location and mail delivery would still happen within a two-to-three-day window.

The Post Office is planning to give local customers a chance to weigh on in the plan before it is finalized. The agency has set a Dec. 27 meeting at 7 p.m. the Riverhouse in Bend to solicit public input. Customers can also submit written comments up two weeks after the meeting. Comments can be mailed to

Manager, Customer and Industry Contact

PO Box 4029

Portland, OR 97208-4029

Since founding The Nature of Words in 2005, Ellen Waterston has been the face of the literary festival, in addition to the year-around educational programs that soon followed in its wake.

But today Waterston announced that she would be stepping down as executive director this spring. She said a national search for a new director is already underway.

While she'll no longer have a job title with the nonprofit, Waterston says she'll certainly be involved in some capacity with The Nature of Words, but to what degree is uncertain right now.

Her decision is tied to her ongoing work with OSU-Cascades to develop a low-residency Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing program, but Waterston couldn't yet elaborate further as to what her role would be with that program -- should it become a reality.

Waterston says the upcoming change in leadership at The Nature of Words is a step in the right direction for the organization.

"This really is a step toward further nurturing the growth of the Nature of Words," said Waterston, "It's not as though I'm saying goodbye, and I'm actually looking forward to the new direction we'll take."

In recent years, The Nature of Words has expanded its scope from a weekend literary festival that has attracted world-renowned authors to a year-around literary group that has increasingly focused on educational programs, including the popular youth-aimed Storefront Project and school outreach efforts.

You throw a lot of things away. So do I and so does your neighbor and the vast majority of that stuff is never seen again. Well, unless someone turns your trash into clothing, of course.

Tonight at the Rubbish Renewed Eco-Fashion show, which we showcased in last week's print edition, you'll get a chance to see how local designers -- pros and first timers alike -- have turned discarded items into creative pieces of fashion.

There are two shows tonight, the first being an all-ages affair at 6pm and then an adult-beverage-friendly show at 8pm. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door.

And you should know that the event is a benefit for the Rimrock Expeditionary Alternative Learning Middle School.

If you're wondering what clothing made from refuse looks like, here's a video slideshow from last year's show.

[video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOxMp9sfBuI 575x344]

photo: Tambi Lane Photography

You throw a lot of things away. So do I and so does your neighbor and the vast majority of that stuff is never seen again. Well, unless someone turns your trash into clothing, of course.

Tonight at the Rubbish Renewed Eco-Fashion show, which we showcased in last week's print edition, you'll get a chance to see how local designers -- pros and first timers alike -- have turned discarded items into creative pieces of fashion.

There are two shows tonight, the first being an all-ages affair at 6pm and then an adult-beverage-friendly show at 8pm. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at the door.

If you're wondering what clothing made from refuse looks like, here's a video slideshow from last year's show.

The U.S. largest land management agency acknowledged on Wednesday that it’s contractors had been overly aggressive in their handling of wild horses during a Nevada round-up that was stopped short on judge’s order after animal welfare activists objected to the tactics.

The Bureau of Land Management said Wednesday that its contractor had made mistakes, but said those incidents did not amount to abuse and that the round-up which resulted in the capture of roughly 1,200 wild horses in Northern Nevada was largely conducted appropriately and humanely.

The agency said it was moving to correct incidents that included helicopters hovering too close to animals and instances in which a single animal was pursued for an unreasonably longtime from the air.

“Aggressive and rough handling of wild horses is not acceptable and we are actively taking steps to ensure that such behavior is not repeated,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey in a press release issued Wednesday afternoon.

Among the steps that his agency plans to take are:

• A review of helicopter “gather” contracts, including clarifying expectations of appropriate tactics.
• Additional training.  

Officials at the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in Bend advised residents and motorists to be aware that the agencyies are planning a series of slash burns in Central Oregon that will create visible smoke plumes.

The areas targeted for burns include the area around La Pine, a site east of Bend near Pine Mountain and locations around Sisters. Officials said they will look for windows of opportunity when the weather cooperates and expect visual and other impacts to be short lived.

Burn specialists are taking extra precautions with operation -- lighting each slash pile (leftover debris from thinning operations) by hand, rather than using long ribbons of flame to light them in en masse.

For more information, visit the Ochoco – Deschutes website .