Hoss Talebi, the owner of a new family oriented food cart pod expected to open the first week of January, stands in front of his property at 122 SW 5th Street near Rigoberto's. 

Hope you had a wonderful New Year and starting off on the right path in 2024. 

Lots going on in Redmond these days. A new food cart lot is opening downtown. This one has a twist that owner Hoss Talebi hopes sets it apart from competitors. Talebi said the lot will be entirely alcohol free and geared toward families and teenagers — though everyone is welcome. Mexican, Asian and Mediterranean trucks will operate there to start and others are expected to arrive later. Judging by an overwhelmingly positive online response to the project, it looks to fill a need for a place for families to go have fun in Redmond.

We also have a story up about an Eagle Crest man who has been missing since Nov. 7. If you have seen Dale Arthur Davison or his gray Chevy Silverado with license plate 724NTW please let police now. His family has not seen him since he left the home in the vehicle nearly two months ago.

Keep an eye out too for a number of slash piles set to be burned in the area of Steelhead Falls starting on Monday, if conditions remain good. The piles will be lit and overseen by the Bureau of Land Management in order to reduce wildfire risks for the Crooked River Ranch area.

A lot of people are talking about the Oasis Village housing project here. We plan to be out there chatting with residents when the tiny home camp opens next week. Our colleague Anna Kaminski looked into Deschutes County taking a page from Redmond’s playbook on homelessness response by spearheading their own safe parking program. Read about a Redmond couple who used it to help get their life back on track.

And if you need something a little lighter to get through the weekend, dig into the Redmond wrestling team that is preparing to defend its state title. Or read about the twins who volunteer for the Redmond Food Project.

9-year-old Aiden Siverston gave us our quote of the week:

Think about supporting local journalism as one of your 2024 resolutions. We’re only here because of your support. Consider purchasing a subscription for digital access or home delivery to ensure we can remain in Redmond for another century.

Become a fan on Facebook.

Visit redmondspokesman.com or stop by our office, at the intersection of Deschutes and 6th St., and we’ll get you signed up at an affordable price. It’s a great way to support our work and stay informed about your community.

— Tim Trainor is editor of the Redmond Spokesman.