Opening Outdoors: Pat Addabbo and Oregon Adaptive Sports

We all know Central Oregon offers a spectacular array of outdoor activities, but they are not always accessible to everyone, including people living with disabilities. Beginning as a group of volunteers, Oregon Adaptive Sports has been working to increase outdoor access for all since 1996. Now a local nonprofit group, OAS is empowering Central Oregonians to engage actively with our beautiful lands in skiing, bicycling, golf and more.

We spoke with Pat Addabbo, Executive Director of Oregon Adaptive Sports, about their programs, the inspiring experience of a profoundly injured former athlete, their summer programs, and a fundraiser coming up in September with Bob Weir.

You can find more information about Oregon Adaptive Sports at oregonadaptivesports.org and more about their September fundraiser at bigstockfundraiser.org.

A Vision for Bend with Laura Fritz of Envision Bend

The City of Bend is creating a new vision for our collective future by talking to our friends and neighbors, organizations and businesses.

Key to that project is the nonprofit group, Envision Bend. They describe the work on their website, envisionbend.org, as follows:

Envision Bend has launched the Bend Vision Project to engage community members in developing a vision action plan for this place we call home. Listening to all voices we are learning firsthand about the challenges our community faces—and how we can build on opportunities to move Bend and Central Oregon forward.

Bruce and Steve spoke with Executive Director Laura Fritz about the issues, process, and goals of the Bend Vision Project, and how you can make your voice heard in the future of our community.

Summer Pride and All It Means with Alex Simpson of Out Central Oregon

Summer Pride Festival in Central Oregon truly gifts us with a "magical spirit" as guest Alex Simpson of Out Central Oregon describes it on the Tuesday Point, June 7.

And Pride, Pride Month, Drag and much more have even more profound significance for our LGBTQIA+ community.

Hear Alex talk all about it with a touch of their own magic.

Summer Pride takes place June 25 from Noon to 5pm in Drake Park in Bend.

Find more on Summer Pride, Pride Month and LGBTQIA+ gatherings and activities at outcentraloregon.com and look for the KPOV tent at the festival.

Local Youth Juniper Rook (she/her) on the Life and Times of a Teen Activist

In 2018, 12-year-old, yes, 12-year-old Juniper came to KPOV to tell the community that she was organizing a student walkout to demand safe schools.

Juniper, now 16, and a Redmond Proficiency Academy student has become a highly effective activist. We recently profiled her again on the Point about another student walkout on gun safety and related bills in the Oregon legislature.

She also discussed her activism, history, motivation, the challenges and prejudices she faces as a young female activist, and a powerful letter she wrote to the Redmond City Council.

KPOV gave Juniper a platform to speak, she found her activist voice, and took off!

Horses on the Ranch with Darcy Bedortha

Darcy Bedortha is the founder of an equine therapy nonprofit in Central Oregon called Horses on the Ranch. She talks about how she worked to build this organization and tells some powerful stories.

Kenny Adams, The Father's Group

Kenny Adams is Executive Director of The Father’s Group of Central Oregon. The Father’s Group was founded by several Black fathers who were concerned about experiences their children were having both in school and in the broader community. Their mission is to enhance the lives of children through education, leadership and networking, while strengthening our community, eliminating barriers, and helping them reach their full potential.

Child Care Crisis in Central Oregon with The Bulletin's Zack Demars

Special Projects Reporter for the Bulletin Zack Demars talks with Bruce about what makes Deschutes County a child care desert and the choices facing working parents. “Cracking Open the Childcare Crisis” is the topic of the February 2022 City Club Forum.

Juniper Rook, Youth Gun Control Organizer and Advocate

Listen to this amazing interview with Juniper Rook, a Student at Redmond Proficiency Academy. She talks about the efforts she and her friend Isabella Richards are undertaking to address Gun Control, gun deaths, and student participation in creating policy on gun control that takes the needs and voices of our young people into account. She will specifically address two bills to address gun violence in the Oregon Legislature this session.

KPOV was the only media outlet initially accepting her request for an interview before the protest. Our interview led to Juniper having an opportunity to appear in other print and broadcast outlets as well as appear before the school board and city council.

Dr. Dawn Nolt from OHSU talks COVID Variants

Dr. Dawn Nolt talks about COVID variant Omicron in Oregon as of Jan-Feb 2022. She brings attention to new developments and how we can save each other and our hospital front-line workers. Don’t believe in vaccines or social distancing? Better brush up on your medical degree! Dr Nolt of OHSU Doernbecher inspires and educates us on how to stop the evolution of new variants sooner than later.