Chocolate leads Sarah Hart in unexpected directions

By Olivia Johnson
The Portland Upside
March 2010

Photo by Rob Bednark

Sarah Hart’s appreciation for the art of chocolate led her to start Alma Chocolates, where she creates interesting chocolate-spice blends and designs custom molds.

Sarah Hart has always had a passion for food. She treasures memories of visiting her grandparents’ house as a little girl. They had grown up as rural farmers during the depression and were still very poor when Sarah and her family stayed with them.

“Making food was her way of expressing love,” Sarah says of her grandmother Alma. “When we would visit, she was up before everyone else in the morning, making everyone’s favorite pies.”

Sarah inherited what she calls Alma’s “spirit and generosity of expressing love through food.” But instead of pies, Sarah found her niche in chocolates.

Sarah owns Alma Chocolates in Northeast Portland. Not only is the name significant because of her grandmother, Sarah has also discovered that alma means “soul” in Spanish and “to nourish” in Latin.

“Food is the basic way of nurturing people,” according to Sarah.

But man cannot live on chocolate alone. Alma Chocolates also doubles as a café, serving espresso, tea, and homemade baked goods.

The tiny shop is cozy, decorated with handcrafted and antique displays featuring the work of a new local artist each month. Sarah proudly arranges a unique medley of caramels, sauces, toffees, barks, bars, bonbons, and of course chocolates, at the front counter, on worn wooden shelves, and wherever else they can fit. The unmistakable scent of melted chocolate blended with exotic spices wafts from the kitchen, which peeks from behind thick brown curtains.

To Sarah, making chocolate is an art.

“I always said that I wanted to be an artist, but it took me a while to find my form,” she smiles.
Sarah uses only high-quality ingredients for her creations, all made in the compact kitchen in the back of her store. Coming up with new recipes is her favorite part of the job.

“I read cook books in bed like they’re novels. I can picture how things will taste.”

One particular challenge that thrills Sarah is to find the best way to pair uncommon spices with chocolate.

“It’s like pairing food and wine…finding what is complimentary and what is contrasting.”
She recalls reading about how a fellow chocolatier couldn’t figure out how to use cumin with a chocolate recipe.

“So, I said, ‘I want to figure that out!’”

At other times, Sarah’s friends can play her muse.

“One of my friends really likes ginger so I invented a toffee with ginger in it.”

But Sarah’s most exclusive items are the gilded icon chocolates she began creating five years ago in her own kitchen. Made of solid dark chocolate, she sets the icons in custom-designed molds before gilding them with 23-karat edible gold leaf. There are jolly-looking buddhas, serene Virgin Marys, and half-human, half-elephant Ganesha gods from Hindu mythology.

Since chocolate is such an amazing ingredient, she believes that its presentation should match its importance.

“So much of what you could get was cheesy…just googly-eyed rabbits,” Sarah explains, clearly tired of the monotonous way companies choose to market their chocolate.

Despite her love of food, Sarah never imagined becoming a chocolatier. The youngest of five children, she grew up in Springfield, Missouri. She attended Beloit College in Wisconsin for two years before moving to Eugene in 1986, where she received both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English from the University of Oregon. She landed a teaching job at Eastern Michigan University and moved to Ypsilanti, Michigan, but returned to Portland in 1994.

She got a job at Papa Haydn restaurant and loved it.

“I come from a very academic family—everyone had gone to college—and working in the food industry was not viewed as a ‘real’ job,” Sarah explains.

Nevertheless, she went on to work at L’Auberge Restaurant. But the idea to open a chocolate shop wouldn’t leave Sarah alone.

“I listened to this voice inside asserting itself. It was like a string that was dangling in front of me, and I started pulling, and it kept going, doors kept opening.”

Instead of enrolling in a culinary school she opted to have a seasoned chocolatier, Ian Titteron, teach her everything he knew abut chocolate in the comfort of her own home. After many tests and experiments, Sarah began selling her chocolates at the Portland Farmer’s Market.

She opened Alma Chocolates in 2006. Since then, Sarah has taken her business online and opened two mini locations at the Cork Wine Shops in Northeast and Northwest Portland. She also continues to sell her treats at the Portland Farmer’s Market.

Although juggling her personal life and her business has been one of the biggest challenges, Sarah finds the time and resources to constantly stretch her skills as a chocolatier. This past year she traveled to France and took a bonbon-making class.

Sarah acknowledges the passion that drives her work ethic.

“I have always just loved that food is both creative and nurturing. It brings people together and creates community…it can be done with great love. I feel like we have a good reputation, and I want to keep pushing for that.”

Indeed, it’s a reputation worthy of Grandma Alma’s gilded legacy.

_____

Visit Alma Chocolate online at almachocolate.com or in person at 140 NE 28th Ave., Portland, Oregon, 503-517-0262.

Olivia lives in SE Portland and is working on her BA in Journalism and Theology at Multnomah University. She loves reading restaurant reviews, traveling, Frank Sinatra and Stumptown coffee.

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Friendly faces at the Ugly Mug

Story and photo by Briena Sash
The Portland Upside
November 2009

Since the Ugly Mug opened in Sellwood seven years ago, co-owner Kim Newdel’s coffeehouse has become a community of loyal employees and customers.

The old wooden door creaks as I pull it open to enter the Ugly Mug Coffeehouse. Coming off the busy street is like stepping into another realm.

The dimly lit shop is painted in warm yellows and oranges, cement floors stained and cracked. Heavy wooden countertops help create the cozy rustic atmosphere. Louis Armstrong serenades patrons sitting on the church pew and at scattered tables, reading books and papers and staring meditatively at laptop screens. Others chat and sip their lattes, chai teas and coffees from ceramic mugs.

A shelf lining the ceiling displays all sorts of mugs donated by Ugly Mug fans. Some have faces, others are molded into funny shapes, and many have been made by the customers themselves.

Freshly-ground beans and French-pressed coffee fills the air with a delicious aroma as the barista greets regulars by name. She knows most of the people approaching the counter, as well as their favorite drinks. Pam likes a mocha with whip in her own cup, Jay an Americano, Lloyd and Pauline favor medium skinny lattes.

The Ugly Mug Coffeehouse certainly holds its own in Portland’s epic coffee scene with its rich espresso and quirky atmosphere. But if you know a bit more about this locally owned neighborhood shop, you discover it is anything but typical.

Seven years ago when a young couple, Kim and Nigel, moved to Sellwood, they noticed a problem that needed fixing: there was no neighborhood coffee shop.

“I walked up and down the street,” Kim tells me, “stopping people and asking if they’d like to have a neighborhood coffeehouse.”

She received such an overwhelmingly positive response that they opened the Ugly Mug.

This is a true mom and pop shop. Nigel did most of the remodeling and woodwork, while Kim made everything from the curtains to the ceramic mugs from which customers enjoy their drinks.

“That’s why it’s called the Ugly Mug,” explains Kim with a laugh as she holds up one of her handcrafted mugs. It’s big and white with a green swirl and a few chips. It is certainly well loved.

“At the time there were no coffee shops around at all, not even Starbucks,” Kim says. “The first day we opened, there was a line out the door. We’ve never had a slow period here.”

Now Sellwood is full of coffee shops, but The Mug continues to have a big following of loyal patrons, many of whom have been coming since the doors first opened.

Why are people so loyal to the Ugly Mug?

When I started working at the Mug as a barista in June, I realized there is so much more to this coffeehouse than just, well… coffee.

Not only is it a cozy, comfortable place with delicious drinks, free Wi-Fi, famed Stumptown Coffee and scrumptious pastries. Nor is it simply the well-trained baristas impressing customers with their perfectly-pulled shots and whimsical latte art.

The Ugly Mug’s success has to do with Kim and her consciousness as a business owner. She cares about her customers, about quality and most importantly, about the community.

Kim supports her community by investing in the best local products she can find, including hormone-free Sunshine Dairy products, Kettleman’s Bagels, and delicious Voodoo Donuts. Where she can, she buys from businesses local to the Sellwood neighborhood.

“Most of our pastries come from Lilli, which is on 17th. Our chocolate, Holy Kacow, is even made in Sellwood,” she notes.

Kim is concerned not only about quality and local products, but also their environmental impact as well. She recently tested new biodegradable straws and she currently offers a ten-cent discount when you bring your own cup.

“Now I’m trying to figure out a way to encourage people to bring their own to-go mugs,” she explains.

Perhaps the best reflection of Kim’s approach to business is how she treats her employees.

“Most of our baristas stay with us for a long time. We all love each other. Until recently, our newest employee has been with us for over a year,” says Kim.

Indeed, their longest-term barista, Jen, has been at the Ugly Mug since the doors opened seven years ago! She is young and charismatic, with an infectious smile and a healthy dose of spice. Not only is it apparent that Jen loves her job, it’s very clear that people love Jen as their barista.

“She works magic,” a fellow barista told me. “She’s an awesome barista and has so much love for everyone. Not to mention everyone loves her!”

Loyal patrons and employees had a chance to express their affection when about two months ago a terrible accident landed Jen in the hospital and out of work.

“I was washing the sun tea pitcher when it shattered, cutting open my wrist. Luckily Maggie [an Ugly Mug regular and RN] was there. The paramedic told me that with this kind of cut it would have taken about two minutes to bleed to death. Maggie saved my life,” Jen professes.

“It was amazing to see the Ugly Mug community respond to Jen’s absence and misfortune. Not only were people asking about her, deeply concerned every day,” an Ugly Mug barista explains, “people were bringing in dozens of get-well cards.”

In response to Jen’s lack of income, Kim also printed out a meal plan where people could sign up for a day to bring Jen dinner. It filled up almost instantly as customers brought in wholesome home-cooked meals to offer her.

Kirsten, a fellow barista, came up with yet another plan to help out. She decorated a jar and called it “Jen’s ‘heart’ fund”, where people could donate money and kind words to help Jen recover.

“I came in to pick it up and found a piece of paper folded like an envelope,” Jen tells me, tears welling in her eyes. When she opened it up she found five hundred dollars cash, donated anonymously.

“I can feel so much love from everyone,” Jen says. “I know it’s helping me to heal faster”.

The Ugly Mug shines above the average coffee shop in most ways according to employee Kirsten Brady. Kirsten is not only an Ugly Mug barista, but also a talented artist.

This year, she and the Ugly Mug are hosting the second annual art-for-charity project, actively involving community volunteers who use their creativity to raise money for a designated local nonprofit. Last year’s art-for-charity project raised over two thousand dollars.

This year’s project, called ‘Think Inside the Box’, has over 70 participants signed-up to make dioramas out of cigar boxes. Participants are encouraged to be as creative and unique as they want. The diorama artwork will be on display and up for auction at the Ugly Mug through December. This year’s beneficiary will be Sanctity of Hope, a Portland nonprofit supporting the city’s homeless community through alternative means.

The difference, I discovered, while working at this Portland coffeehouse, is that it’s not just about coffee. It’s about community.

_____


The Ugly Mug Coffeehouse is located at 8017 SE 13th Avenue. Visit their website at
www.uglymugpdx.com or call them at 503.230.2010.

Briena Sash is an Ugly Mug barista, travel photographer, photojournalist, and longtime community volunteer. Read her blog at www.streetquotes.wordpress.com

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The journey from inspiration to entrepreneur

By Sally Murdoch
The Portland Upside
October 2009

Martin Magnia’s inspiration for converting vintage Beetle’s into modern electric cars has evolved into a new business.

We have all heard stories about a layoff spurring a new business or a mortgage payment becoming the mother of invention. For some, not fi nding a job can jumpstart a latent entrepreneurial urge, while others work decades in a career before the enterprising spirit takes hold.

No matter how one gets there, the change in thinking from worker to entrepreneur can be fascinating and inspiring. Here are some snapshots of local people breaking out on their own amidst turbulent economic times.

Bringing electric cars to the Northwest

Martin Magnia’s reputation as the go-to guy on vintage Volkswagens was well established by 2002 when he started The DDB, his VW restoration business. Visiting his shop is like entering a VW Type 3 museum: fastbacks, squarebacks and Karmann Ghias span 50 years of car technology. Business has been steady for Magnia in his shop on 78th and Northeast Halsey. Nonetheless, he recently came upon a new opportunity that fast-forwarded his skills into the future: turning vintage VWs and other European makes into electric vehicles.

Magnia had long dreamed of making the cars he loved into efficient, carbon-neutral vehicles. He outfitted Beetles as electric cars until two years ago, when he and his friend Matt, owner of Ecos Motors, brainstormed on how to widen the technology. The two put their ideas to the test by placing an electric Beetle on eBay, and watching as it sold for $26,500 within an hour. They formed a partnership that will bring three Ecos electric car models to market in 2010, with Magnia as the western distributor for all three: an electric VW beetle, the Ecos FUN which looks like a jeep, and a luxury sports car called the Ecos Harbinger.

While Magnia can build and sell new Ecos cars, he can also convert cars to electric. There are a number of charging stations in town, and with Magnia’s onboard self-charging apparatus, he says you can charge your vehicle at home for less wattage than a hairdryer. The tax credits, he points out, save money as well. Ideally, he says, it’s the European lightweight metal models from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s that make great conversions to electric engines.

With his thorough knowledge of vintage European car models and electric conversion technology, Magnia’s business is steady.

“No more oil changes, no more tune ups,” Magnia says.

All parts and manufacturing are done in the U.S., except the batteries, which are made of 50% recycled parts in China.

From craft brewing to screen printing

Tim McFall was the vice president of marketing for Widmer Brothers brewery for 15 years and an active part of helping the iconic brothers grow a small batch brewing operation into one of the country’s largest craft brewers. With Widmer looking for ways to scale back in December of 2008, McFall decided to resign his position. After a decade and a half in the beer business, McFall and his wife Robin thought about the next chapter in their lives and were now looking for an opportunity to do something different.

In January 2009, he considered running an e-commerce beer merchandise site, but didn’t see a good fit for Oregon’s smaller beer company needs. His next choice was to look for a business to buy.

McFall found a screen printing shop for sale and the more he researched it, the more he knew he could use his marketing experience at a large company to help others. At Widmer, he had observed that many screen printers began as artists and graphic designers before falling into business ownership. Some were great screen printers and artists but didn’t necessarily understand the business side of things. Widmer sought out the artists that were also good business people and kept them as vendors. Having been on the client side for 15 years, McFall knew what makes a good vendor.

“High quality product and fair pricing, but to be in business you have to know customer service and get it done right, and those were the vendors I used on a regular basis. Whether it’s a coach from a local school or parent volunteer or a marketing manager at a brewery wanting to order a product or service,” he said, “this is the job they have to do, and as a vendor it’s your number one role to help them.”

McFall’s aha moment came while the screen-printing offer was wavering. The gap in momentum allowed him some pause for thought. With some small capital investments, he could build a shop from the ground up, rather than buying one. Infinity Impressions was born.

McFall believes that a thorough understanding of business and client’s needs is what sets his company apart. They now have three employees, including a full time pressman and a team of freelancers and they just completed their first 800-piece screen printing order for a local school, ahead of schedule.

The Frying Scotsman

James King was born and raised in a small town west of Glasgow, Scotland, his home for 40 years until a chance meeting with a Portland girl (that’s me) led him to Oregon. Two years ago they married and had a baby while King kept his UK-based job on an offshore oil rig.

King’s job kept him away for 4 weeks and home for 4 weeks. When the pressure of maintaining a career overseas and a home and family in Portland became too great, he decided to look for a job here this past June.

A chef manager for 22 years in Scotland, he figured he’d be a natural in Portland’s rich restaurant scene. But proving his experience on paper, conducting interviews with a thick Scottish brogue, and competing against hundreds of other applicants, proved difficult. By mid August, he was ready to explore other options.

Encouraged by frequent Portland food cart dining as well as a New York Times article proclaiming that food carts are changing Portland’s culinary landscape, King’s entrepreneurial wheels started spinning. A visit to the British Fish and Chip Shop had him missing tastes of home, and the two ideas melded. Why not, he thought? He’d always really wanted his own chippy some day. A converted trailer showed up on craigslist one Saturday and by Tuesday the trailer was his.

Named The Frying Scotsman, the trailer opened on Sept. 14 in Portland’s eastside industrial district at 22nd and Raleigh. By 12:30 p.m. on day two, King had to post the closed sign in order to catch up with demand. By the end of the first week, he had sold 75 servings of fresh fish sourced locally from Pacific Seafood. What makes his business unique, he says, is the authentic British fish and chips made by a true Brit.

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Fourth-generation Portlander Sally Murdoch has a two-year-old daughter and two stepsons. She has owned a marketing consultation firm for over 4 years, specializing in beer, action sports and art. Contact Sally at sally@sallymurdoch.com


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Excellent food and a good cause a perfect combination

Story and photo by Edie Sidle
The Portland Upside
July 2009

Sungari Pearl gives back by supporting local businesses and charities.

What does a restaurant featuring modern Chinese cuisine have in common with a nonprofit organization? People with good intentions and caring hearts. That is exactly why Sungari Pearl partnered with Breast Friends for the month of May.

Sungari Pearl, a sustainable Chinese restaurant in the Pearl District, has a commitment to being a positive business in the community. While in today’s business world it’s easier just to focus on the bottom line, the people at Sungari Pearl also believe in creating a “harmonious environment for all” and their business practices definitely reflect this commitment.

First of all, Sungari Pearl uses locally-sourced, organic ingredients whenever possible in their food preparation. They feature fresh ingredients such as home-made sauces, wild-caught seafood, cage-free poultry, organic beef and even home-made oils. The idea is to help customers make healthy and natural food choices.

They also live the commitment to promoting a sustainable lifestyle by recycling all of their oil for bio-diesel, using reusable materials whenever possible, giving out green bags to take-out customers and encouraging customers to use their own bags in exchange for a free soup or appetizer. Even the furniture in Sungari Pearl is made right here in Oregon. Such eco-friendly practices make this caring business green, indeed. Sungari Pearl even goes a step further by caring for their community as well as the environment. The restaurant partners with nonprofit agencies and generously supports local charities even during these economically-challenging times. Specifically, they feature a “Spotlight Charity of the Month” and prepare fresh meals every Monday morning for Loaves and Fishes.

For the month of May, Sungari supported the nonprofit organization, Breast Friends, through their Thursday Jazz Nights. A modest cover charge from restaurant patrons and a cash donation from Sungari Pearl’s staff went to Breast Friends to help fund their valuable programs and services. In addition to the customary pleasant surroundings and wonderful food, customers were entertained with music from two popular groups, Acoustic Minds and The Andre St. James Trio.

Based on the premise that no woman should go through breast cancer alone, Breast Friends was created to provide emotional, spiritual and physical support to breast cancer patients, their families and friends. The nonprofit organization has recently extended these vital services to support women with cervical, uterine, endometrial, and ovarian cancer as well.

Speaking in praise of Sungari Pearl’s support, Becky Olson, president and co-founder of Breast Friends, says, “It is not every day, and especially in this economic climate, that businesses are so willing to share their wealth. It does not go unnoticed in the community.”

During the month of May Sungari Pearl’s customers enjoyed tasty food (the duck salad rolls and tang tang noodles are de-lish!) and good music in a lovely atmosphere while they donated to a worthy cause at the same time. Everyone—the restaurant, the charity, and the customer—ends up winning. What better way to spend an evening?
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Visit Sungari Pearl at 1105 NW Lovejoy Street, Portland, or online at ­www.sungaripearl.com
Find out more about Breast Friends at www.breastfriends.com

After living in Utah, Alaska, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Colorado, Edie has finally settled down in Portland. As a newcomer to Portland, she is thoroughly enjoying discovering this vibrant city!

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Tony Fuentes puts heart into business and community

By Nick O’Connor
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Tony Fuentes and son Gael, one of his main inspirations for community activism. (Photo provided by Tony Fuentes)

In 2004 while scouring the city for ways to eke further value from our daughter’s used clothes, my wife, Shannon, walked into Milagros, “a boutique for little miracles and their mamas.” Besides new stuff, Milagros sells clothes on consignment. Shannon became a regular consignor.

The storefront is located on NE 30th Avenue just south of Killingsworth, a business corner known as Fox Chase. Though modest in size, Milagros feels spacious thanks to a high ceiling, good light and a peaceful, welcoming vibe. When I first met owner Tony Fuentes there, I must have been fooled by his flowing hippie locks and self-effacing demeanor. I assumed the store—which he operates with his wife, Jennifer—defines his life.

Soon, though, I was seeing Fuentes’ name and face all over town—creator of the Portland International Short Short Film Festival (now the 10 or Less Festival); Concordia Neighborhood Association board member; contributor to the blog BikePortland.org; leader of the Keep Colwood Green! Coalition—just for starters.

Fuentes, much like Milagros, radiates a friendly, warm presence. So I was happy when he agreed to an interview. Waiting for me at the Cup and Saucer Cafe across the street from his shop, he sat ignoring a cup of herbal tea.

I asked how Milagros evolved.

“I was working freelance, doing both filmmaking and management consulting. Jennifer was being a parent. We had talked about establishing a family-friendly bookstore or coffee shop, but when we became parents our world changed. Our daughter Mila, and now our boy, Gael—they are our living, breathing investment in the future. Thanks to them, the desire to make things better has become genuine to us. Environmentalism, supporting community and building community: those three things define what we do at Milagros.”

He connects the dots, pointing out that the shop is small but from the beginning has had a play area and a room adjacent to the sales area set aside for community events and classes where parents and neighbors can connect.

Supporting local artists and selling handmade crafts have been essential aspects of the business because, Fuentes says, “helping people help themselves by creating and selling things locally mattered to us.”

In selecting products, Fuentes holds Milagros to high standards.

“Everything is sweatshop-free, environmentally and socially friendly. So people know the products they walk out with are beneficial not only to themselves but to the larger community.

“One of the hardest things on the business side has been keeping faith that our values and decision-making are important to others. This commitment has meant finding and supporting local suppliers and foregoing hot products when the country of origin or overall environment did not feel comfortable.”

Fuentes believes that people want to make right choices and do the right thing, but often are missing necessary information.

“When I explain, ‘Here’s why we’re not carrying X,’ I see the light bulb go on.”

Fuentes explains how the store has been a springboard for his and Jennifer’s political activism. He mentions their projects helping small businesses and families, protecting open space in the Cully neighborhood, and enhancing livability in Concordia.

“It’s been exciting and sometimes daunting. People look to us as community leaders, the city asks us to join various initiatives. It’s interesting because we didn’t walk into this with the goal of being leaders or activists.”

In passing, Fuentes references past occupations. He’s made films, run a record label and distribution company, worked as a rock climber with Outward Bound as well as been a self-employed guide.

As he sits back sipping tea I wonder how such an apparently laid back person has done so many things and how, given the workload of a job, a business, and a family, he manages to flourish.
As if reading my mind, he says, “On some level, doing all these things has allowed me to build a sense of optimism and resiliency.”

When I ask Fuentes for a take on the economic future, he immediately advocates for the virtues of entrepreneurship and small business.

“In the recent past . . . most jobs created to pull out of downturns were created by firms with five or fewer employees. In Portland, 75 percent of the jobs are in small businesses. Investing in that diversity, rather than investing in a few big winners, promotes resilience. I want to see political leaders focused on the real value in growing entrepreneurship.”

“When you work in a small business you know everyone you work with and what they do, have a broad view of business, and usually have more opportunity to expand your skills and for mentorship. Others have more opportunity to know what you can do. Anyone who works at our shop could start their own shop, after working there for a year.”

Fuentes is also concerned about education, Portland’s high dropout rate and the poverty that adds to it. Not surprisingly he’d like to see a youth entrepreneurship training program that works with local businesses like Milagros, where youth could learn management training and what it takes to run a business.

Business as an arena that brings students into the real world is clearly one of Fuentes’ passions, and he has more to say about it. But an hour has passed and he has to leave for his part-time job as a technical writer/consultant at Tri-Met—yet another item on the slate of things he does “on the side.”

_____

Nick O’Connor contributes to Free Fun Guides [www.freefunguides.com]. He has rejected the motto “Keeping Weird and Just Doing It In the Rose City That Works.”

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Scrap

Filling minds, not landfills

By Erika Weisensee
The Portland Upside
June 2009

What do old bottle caps, used tissue paper and out-of-date calendars have in common? They all find new life at SCRAP (School & Community Reuse Action Project). SCRAP was started about a decade ago when two teachers began passing on unused materials to other teachers at A Teacher Space, a resource center for educators in the Portland area.

The idea caught on in a big way, and today SCRAP, located at 2915 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., is an innovative non-profit store offering workshops, summer camps and a brand-new art gallery.

Simply put, SCRAP inspires people to think of new ways to use old things.

The organization is also dedicated to educating people about “reduce, reuse and recycle,” what Executive Director Kelley Carmichael Casey calls the “triumvirate” of sustainability.

“Reuse hasn’t gotten enough attention,” says Kelley. At SCRAP reuse is front and center.

SCRAP staff and volunteers teach people how to make useful things, even beautiful things, out of items that might otherwise go to landfills. At a values level, SCRAP challenges people to think differently about waste and consumption. The goal is for people to ask themselves, “What do I already have at home that can serve another purpose?”

Stocked with arts and crafts supplies and thousands of reusable items, the store is an ideal, budget-friendly resource for artists, teachers, and families looking for craft projects.
“SCRAP is for everyone,” Kelley says enthusiastically.

The store has traditional arts and crafts supplies like paper, paintbrushes, matting, frames, yarn and buttons. Yet it also sells unconventional items such as poker chips, old game pieces, metal doodads, computer parts, and old wire. When put to use creatively, these things find new life in fun projects and one-of-a-kind works of art. For example, SCRAP shoppers have transformed bottle caps into jewelry, robot eyes, and adornments for a menorah.

This sort of creativity combined with donations from community members helped divert 65,000 pounds of materials from local landfills last year.

“We get new donations all the time,” says Kelley. “So the store is new and fresh and interesting.”
Here’s a list of customer favorites sold at SCRAP: memory foam from the aviation industry, old logo travel coffee mugs, upholstery samples, duct tape, handmade Nepalese paper, cardboard tubes, X-rays, multi-colored drill-bit spacers, buttons, feathers, lenses of any kind, vintage ephemera, National Geographic magazines and slides. By making a tax-deductible, in-kind donation to SCRAP, people receive the satisfaction of keeping usable items out of landfills while providing creative materials to the community.

Right next to the store, a workspace encourages people to do projects on-site.

“You can pick out your materials, do your project, and then only pay for what you’ve used,” explains Kelley. With scissors, adhesives and glue guns, glitter, plenty of room, and a sink for cleaning up, it may even be more convenient than doing the project at home.

SCRAP’s new RE:Vision Gallery, located in space just off the store, is another source of inspiration for casual crafters, artists and art lovers, and anyone concerned about the environment. All art displayed at Re:Vision must include at least 75% reused materials.

“SCRAP both provides the materials and shows the art,” explains Volunteer Resources Manager and Arts Program Coordinator Bethany Moore. “The idea behind the gallery is to show people that SCRAP materials can be used for fine art.”

The gallery opened May 9th with “New Beginnings,” a collection of reuse art featuring creations by 11 local artists. The diverse show included a paper bird sculpture made out of old maps, reused photography framed in an antique window, and various pieces composed of things like broken doll parts, rulers, old books, reclaimed wood, metal and wire. Beginning June 5th, the United Plastic Quilt Project exhibition by the Leave No Plastic Behind organization will fill the space.

SCRAP is open Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. SCRAP is closed on Monday and Tuesday. This summer the organization is offering four separate weeks of summer day camps for children ages 6 to 12.
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For more information, visit www.scrapaction.org

Erika Weisensee is a writing mom. She lives in Milwaukie and teaches writing at the University of Portland.

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“Reuse” is in style

Local store helps environment and thrives economically

By Amanda Grier
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Chris Gauger, owner of Here We Go Again women’s consignment shop, dresses her store and her community. (Photo by Amanda Grier)

Nothing says Portland better than “reduce, reuse and recycle.” And nobody knows better than Chris Gauger, owner of “Here We Go Again,” a women’s consignment store she started 17 years ago. During a lunch meeting, Chris has much to share about the role of running a local business, the importance of good customer service and the fun of letting go of of the day-to-day stuff in order to create new cross-promotional ideas.

Chris hails from Lincoln, Nebraska where her mother and sister run a consignment store called “One More Time.” She came to Portland with her husband after earning a master’s degree in dance. In 1992 she opened her first consignment store on Barbur Blvd. in Southwest Portland. Chris has since changed her southwest location to the popular and walkable John’s Landing and she has opened a second store in the hip neighborhood of Northeast Broadway.

Chris can claim success at a time in which, as she puts it, “economizing is cool again.” Other than being cool, it is also practical. She asserts that women go through their clothing more rapidly than men because we are expected to be fashionable and to wear new things more frequently. But men need not worry, they can shop in a neighboring men’s consignment store across the street from her Broadway location. Her concept is great because it focuses solely on women and is tailored to fit their busy lifestyles. While shopping, the busy mom can recycle her old batteries during the Earth Day battery drive. The working woman can stop by for after-work shopping hours, usually offering further discounts and complimentary snacks. And the anytime shopper, hoping to find the perfect outfit, can get great fashion advice and kind customer service that will leave her exuding confidence.

Chris, raised to value volunteering, emphasizes friendly customer service. She believes in exceeding customers’ expectations at her stores. At special events she is often likely to combine both this quality of charity and business. This winter she held the SOUP-ER Bowl, to support the Oregon Food Bank by collecting soup cans during the Super Bowl. Next she is looking to start a neighborhood drive for those hard-to-get-rid-of and where-do-you-take-them-anyway styrofoam blocks from appliance packaging. And finally, her standard practice with clothing that does not make it to resale is to take it to the emergency food/clothing pantry on Hawthorne called Fish Emergency Service.

During our brief lunch date Chris continues to cycle through many more fresh ideas she has for making her business more green and more local. She wants to get locally recycled paper bags with handles not only to encourage reusing but in order to “complete the circle.” We agree that this is the fun part; by letting her staff take more ownership of the day-to-day operations of the stores she frees up some time for creative thinking.

Last month I joined in as Chris supported the locally owned Northwest Women’s Fitness Club by offering free weight training in her store on a Saturday morning. It was an hour long “Soup Can Arm Sculpting” class that ended with a glass of water on a silver platter and some freebies to the gym. Her ability to connect and bring people together does not stop there. Chris is reaching out and networking with other local businesses in order to meet new customers and to create new opportunities.

Chris regards networking in the community as important and doesn’t think that women do this enough. She enjoys mentoring women, including her staff, who typically work for her for three to seven years. She also enjoys supporting locally owned establishments, and is active in her local business associations. Clearly she is tapping into the heart of what it means to be a Portlander.
As our conversation comes to an end, Chris lets me know of a few hundred new consignments she needs to get ready for the weekend. So if you want to pick up a green habit or two, stop into “Here We Go Again Consignment and Resale” to experience just what Chris has to offer. And if you want to simplify your life, bring in a bag of clothes in good condition for resale.

You never know what you might find.

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You can stop by the Here We Go Again Consignment and Resale stores at either 0511 SW Carolina Street Portland, OR 97239 or 2438 NE Broadway Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. Or visit the web site at www.hwga.com

Amanda Grier is a Footwear Distributor/Kid’s Footwear Buyer for Adidas, and loves to write, read and learn about the community and Portland.

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Free: bike repair classes

By Edie Sidle
The Portland Upside
June 2009

Photo by Jason Bietz

Jason Bietz of River City Bicycles firmly believes that if you have a basic understanding of your bike and how to fix and maintain it, chances are you will venture out to more remote, beautiful surroundings. Not only will you feel more confident with your bike, you will enjoy your biking experience more. And that is exactly why he offers training on how to work on your bike.

Jason offers you freedom, independence and more options—things every one of us values immensely. After all, what are you going to do when you are out enjoying a beautiful sunny day on your bike (ah, the glorious Portland summers…) and you suddenly get a flat? Or you’ve talked yourself into doing a bike race and unexpectedly, miles into the race, something goes wrong with your bike—groan!

Once a week Jason teaches bicyclists the basics – how to repair flats, clean and lubricate a bike, do basic adjustments, and how to work on the brakes and derailleur. He even offers some riding tips and shifting techniques. The classes last from 45 minutes to an hour and the groups range in size from a few to 15 or so. The participants are a mix of people—young, old, male, female—but they all come with one goal: to become more comfortable and competent with their bikes. The best part is that River City Bicycles offers it free of charge, a wonderful service to the community.

Few class participants know that Jason not only knows his stuff, he is a an expert on the subject. While he was working for Cyclesport in Ashland, Oregon, Jason had the opportunity to go to United Bicycle Institute (UBI). UBI is one of only two technical schools that offers professional-level training on bicycles. The institute offers information in lecture format, as well as hands-on experience. Advanced subjects, such as frame building, are also available for those who are seeking special skills and knowledge.

After training at UBI, Jason joined River City Bicycles. He took over and expanded the popular training classes.

River City Bicycles is well known for supporting the cycling community. In addition to the maintenance classes, they routinely offer free technical support at cycling events as a way of supporting customers and cyclists in general. This is a valuable service to the cyclists, particularly since cycling is rarely 100 percent problem-free. So if you ever talk yourself into that bike race only to find things going amuck, it might be the River City Bicycles folks who put you back on track, allowing you to finish the race.

Sponsoring many teams over the years, River City Bicycles and Jason Bietz have bought into the heart-and-soul of Portland’s competitive cycling community in a big way! Their enthusiasm and generosity contribute to Portland’s reputation as one of the most bicycle-friendly places in the United State. As they say on their website: “Cycle Nirvana Awaits.”
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To find out more about the free bicycle classes at River City Bicycles, visit them online at
www.rivercitybicycles.com

After living in Utah, Alaska, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Colorado, Edie has finally settled down in Portland. As a newcomer to Portland, she is thoroughly enjoying discovering this vibrant city!

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