Shortly after joining The Bulletin in 2015 and getting to know Dave Jasper, I sensed he would be a great columnist. 

Most days when he came to work he’d have a rant or an interesting observation, usually something quite relatable; or a tale about his twin daughters and their older sister; or an odd encounter with another human. Sometimes he’d tell us stories about his childhood days in Miami, meeting his lovely wife, Catherine, and their adventures. And oh yeah, skateboarding. 

Dave is a storyteller, through and through, and he’s really good at it.  

As his editor, I asked him to write a column back then. If I recall correctly, the suggested column was specific to writing about family life. He declined because he said his daughters would seriously disapprove. 

Then, last spring, I suggested again he author a column. This time, the topics could be anything (well, almost anything) he wanted to write about. As you probably know, he said yes. The result, “Dropping In” is published each week in GO! and online. 

Dave and his family have lived in Bend for almost 25 years, so he’s seen the once-small town evolve into the tourist mecca that it is today. He has roots in the community. He’s known by the public for his passion about art, music, books and skateboarding from his countless stories penned for The Bulletin. He’s clever, self-deprecating, unafraid to share his emotions and just as fearless about sharing a cynical opinion, but one that often resonates with many true Bendites. Best of all, he’s a talented writer who can convey his thoughts in a wonderfully descriptive way, which is not something many people can do. 

When Dave started writing his column, The Bulletin saw an immediate response. He’s written about roundabouts, the conditions that cause our streets to form cracks and why the hell do people in the right lane speed up in passing zones?  

Tears flowed while editing the column about his beloved dog, Kaloo, who had to be euthanized before Dave could get to the vet’s office to say goodbye. And the one about missing his late father.    

Many columns have made coworkers and readers laugh out loud, too. 

Not many news publications are lucky enough to have a columnist. The Bulletin is fortunate we have David Jasper. 

— Jody Lawrence-Turner, projects editor