Stewart Kirby will read from his new book Redwoodland at the La Grande Public Library Colleen Johnson Community Room, 2006 Fourth Street (on the north side of the building). This free event will begin at 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 26.

Kirby’s first print book Redwoodland begins with the alien abduction of Sam Hain to a parallel universe in the novelette “Drifting Room,” continues with a Hippie Grail myth in the novella “Cody and Heidi,” and culminates in the world’s largest amusement park and forest preserve of the future with the novelette “Redwoodland.” Terry LaBarba, author of We, the Hidden, says, “Truly poetic…Stewart Kirby’s literary work comes across as play, seeming natural, yet brilliant,” and Craig Jones, author of the Gem trilogy, says, “More than sci-fi…well-written, cleverly crafted, and incredibly interesting…what Kirby does really well is take normal people and put them into very strange situations.”

A graduate of Humboldt State University and former ranch hand, Stewart Kirby sets all of his contemporary fantasy fiction in the Goth Hick redwood world of Humbaba County, where levitating Hippies battle the forces of globalization. He has worked for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and as a movie reviewer and political humorist for a decade. His reviews appear in The Independent, lagrandelife.com, and deadbeats.eu, and he is the copy-editor for Immortal Ink Publishing. Readers interested in a literary style melding Edgar A. Poe and Hunter S. Thompson are encouraged to visit www.stewartkirby.blogspot.com.

This event is co-sponsored by the Blue Mountain Writers and by the La Grande Public Library. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please contact Blue Mountain Writers coordinator Nancy Knowles nknowles@eou.edu or (541) 962-3795.

Nancy Knowles
Professor of English/Writing
Director, Oregon Writing Project @ EOU
Eastern Oregon University
1 University Blvd.
La Grande, OR 97850
(541) 962-3795
Fax (541) 962-3596
nknowles@eou.edu

What is the link between social relationships and sales? To find out the answer to this question and much more, come hear Donald Paul discuss relationship-based sales at the next local PubTalk on Wednesday, May 23, at 6:00 p.m. at Mt. Emily Ale House in La Grande.

Donald Paul is a Northwest native, with roots near Puget Sound in Washington State. He has two degrees from Lewis & Clark College in Portland and has owned or managed businesses for his entire professional career. At various points in his career he has managed sales teams of more than 15 people and is currently the manager of the local Courtesy Home Furnishings. For more than 5 years, before returning to La Grande to care for an ailing parent, he traveled the country as Sales Manager and National Sales Trainer for The Peak Performance Group. The Peak Performance Group represented and promoted two of the top sales trainers and authors in the country, Brian Tracy and Tom Hopkins, as well as motivational speakers like the famous Zig Ziglar and Rudy Ruettiger from the movie “Rudy.” At this PubTalk, Donald’s presentation “Relationship-Based Sales in Seven Steps” will cover everything from finding customers to closing skills, and from presentation basics to customer service.

Dale Mammen will also be speaking at the PubTalk about the Liberty Theater project, and we’ll have pitches from at least two La Grande business owners. Kathy Gregerson, owner of Alma Jane’s, will talk about her store that features “sweet treasures from the past.” John Spenger, owner of Gianni’s Fine Foods, will talk about his new gourmet food business that  specializes in the production of barrel-aged balsamic vinegar products.

PubTalk® is a business networking event hosted by NEOEDD (Northeast Oregon Economic Development District) and Community Bank. PubTalks are open to all business owners or those thinking of starting a business. Tickets are $5 and include light refreshments. Contact NEOEDD with any questions: 541-426-3598 or jeffmoss@neoedd.org. Come eat, drink and network!

Jeff Moss
Northeast Oregon Economic Development District
101 NE First Street, Suite 100
Enterprise, OR 97828
Phone: (541) 426-3598, (800) 645-9454
Fax:  (541) 426-9058
www.neoedd.org
jeffmoss@neoedd.org
Growing Business :: Strengthening Communities

So true, so true…

… from MICHAEL S. MALONE

I can’t precisely place the moment when I stopped reading newspapers, but it was sometime during the dot-com boom. My family went off to Africa for a couple months one summer, cancelled our newspaper subscriptions, and when we got home never really got around to re-subscribing. Eventually, perhaps three months later, we did start again — but by then the bloom was off.

First to go was the Times. That one was easy. I didn’t write for it anymore. The kids kept me too busy on the weekend to read it. My colleagues always pointed out the interesting articles. And, most of all, because I didn’t trust the Gray Lady’s reporting anymore.

Next was the Merc. I found that the only thing I even looked at in the paper was the headlines in the business section — and I could get those stories in other places. That, and the movie listings — and when I needed those I could just drop four bits into a local newspaper rack. A few weeks ago, when the paper reprinted a column of mine in its Sunday Perspective section, I had to depend upon my 85-year-old mother to cut out the article. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have a hard copy.

Then came the Chron. Of all of them, that was the one I noticed most. I missed the arts section, especially the old Sunday pink section, and the columnists. But after a month or so, I didn’t even notice.

…

NEOEDD is updating the projects included in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Baker, Union and Wallowa counties.  The project list helps us understand the priority projects in the District and to identify projects that may be eligible for funding from federal funding sources.

Projects must have a public benefit and be sponsored by a government or non-profit organization.  Projects are accepted in the following categories: Infrastructure, Community Facilities, Technical Assistance and Energy.  Projects that have a direct or indirect impact on job creation will have greater priority.

Projects that are currently in the CEDS can be found at http://neoedd.org/documents/NEOEDD_CEDS_2011_Update.pdf. To add projects to the list, please provide the following information to lisadawson@neoedd.org by May 18, 2012: Project Name, Project Description, Job Creation, Budget, Funding Sources, Timeframe, and Sponsor Priority.

County-wide prioritization meetings will be held on May 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the Wallowa County Courthouse, Thornton Conference Room, May 23 at 1:30 p.m. at the Union County Commission Meeting Room in the Joseph Annex, and May 24 at 2:00 p.m. at the Baker County Courthouse Commissioner’s Conference Room. Anyone with an interest in setting project priorities is invited to the public meetings. If you are the sponsor of more than one project, please indicate your priorities  so that we can let everybody know which projects are most important to you.

Lisa Dawson
Northeast Oregon Economic Development District
101 NE First Street, Suite 100
Enterprise, OR  97828
541-426-3598
Fax 541-426-9058
lisadawson@neoedd.org

www.neoedd.org

Paul Anderes, Advisor
La Grande FFA
La Grande High School
708 K Ave.
La Grande, Oregon 97850
(541) 663-3371 – Classroom
(541) 663-3313 – Fax
(541) 910-3364 – Cell
(541- 963-4017 – Home

FFA Making a positive difference in the lives of young people by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education.

I have lived in La Grande for 17 years and currently help run four local businesses. I love La Grande. Bless our Chamber of Commerce. They do an excellent job for our community. Occasionally however, I have to roll my eyes a bit at their promotional materials so I write this to provide a bit of perspective. It’s important to maintain a true perspective and not be lulled to sleep by inadequate or false premises on employment or good economic health, especially in a rural city like La Grande with a large unemployment rate. It’s for this purpose that I offer the comments below in blue. I don’t claim to be 100% correct. I have been wrong before.

1. Shopping local creates jobs. Shops in Union County create employment and self-employment. These people in turn spend in the local economy.
   Comment: Yes. However, most employment in Union County comes from other sources than “shops”. This is not not by far the complete employment picture. To provide significant employment opportunities, La Grande needs larger businesses of all kinds moving into our community. Mom and Pop shops don’t provide much employment and do not stimulate growth per se.
2. Local independent shops invest more in your communities. Local businesses are proportionally more generous in their support of local charities, schools, and community events. So supporting local shops means a financial contribution to our community.
   Comment: I would eliminate the word “independent”. Our community needs more retail diversity in order to grow and prosper. La Grande has been surprisingly hostile to outside businesses over the years that could bring money and employment into our community. As a result, potential businesses give up or go to Island City instead, leaving downtown La Grande mostly dead. The La Grande city council and others need to cease any and all anti-business policies and actively seek to attract business rather than drive it away. Let all businesses come in. Let the people decide with their feet and wallets if they stay or not. That’s democracy and free trade and the foundation of prosperity.
3. Local shops sell great products at affordable prices. Some people get out of the habit of shopping locally and are then surprised by the range of products available.
   Comment: Not sure what this really means. The vast majority of products sold in Union county are not produced in Union county. There are some significant exceptions, like the Farmers Market. No one I know is in the habit of shopping in the Tri-Cities, Boise, or Portland. It’s too far. Pendleton or Baker offer no significant advantages for the extra travel. Is this advising that Cove or Imbler not shop in La Grande and vice-versa? That would be silly and counter-productive.
4. Shopping locally saves you time and money. You travel less, saving on time and fuel.
   Comment: Yes, but shopping via UPS saves me even more time and money. Thankfully, thanks to the internet, I have access to a wide variety of specialty products not available locally. If I limited myself to only products available locally, I would be very backward indeed.
5. Shopping locally retains your communities. People don’t like losing shops and services in small towns but don’t equate this with how they send their money.
   Comment:  I think people do. Definitely. For the convenience alone, consumers will shop locally if those shops and services can offer reasonably competitive products. 
6. Shopping locally retains your distinctiveness. Independent shops create distinctive shopping experiences and stock different products. Local businesses respond more quickly to the needs of local customers, stocking products to meet changing population needs.
   Comment: There’s that word “independent” again. I fear the implication is that Verizon, Quiznos, Wal-Mart, Safeway, D&B Supply etc are BAD because they are not “independent” or locally owned. All these non locally owned companies, and more, provide employment, local competitiveness, and are essential to making La Grande a lively and prosperous place.
7. Shopping locally saves the environment. Local shops often stock a high percentage of locally sourced goods that do not require long distance transportation, helping to reduce our global footprint.
   Comment: I am not destroying the environment by using products, like toothpaste, that are not made locally. That’s baloney. Please knock it off with the environmental guilt trips. 
8. Local shops are for everyone. Most people can get to their local shops easily. This is especially important for the elderly, young people, and others who rely on public transportation.
   Comment: Really!? What percentage of the population in Union County uses “public transportation” ? It’s pretty small, so that’s a “talking point” that is totally out of place.
9. Local shops value you more. Evidence from numerous surveys show people receive better customer care and service locally. These businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business, which means you get a higher standard of service.
   Comment: Businesses value repeat customers and that’s only practical when the business is local so that is good. However, all businesses survive by their reputation and repeat business so that’s not unique to the local ones. Realistically, the needed expertise is sometimes not available locally so one must look abroad.
10. Shopping local saves services. Private and public sector services cluster around shops. As shops disappear so do hairdressers, banks, restaurants, and other businesses.
    Comment: The only clustering I see is in Island City which has the reputation of being friendly to businesses, not just the politically correct ones. It seems to me to have little bearing on the preponderance of small independent shops. Shops disappear when customers disappear. Customers disappear when their money disappears. Their money disappears when their jobs disappear. La Grande has a good, eager, and competitive labor force as well as inexpensive land and natural resources. We could be attracting much much more outside business than we are. They would build, employ and invest in La Grande if we were more friendly and sought them out. That’s the bottom line.

Spend or Save Wisely

Lake Oswego, Ore. – April 13, 2012 – Consumers with newly acquired tax refund checks might notice numerous offers and incentives to spend cash right away; Better Business Bureau says to save funds for further review.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the average 2012 tax refund is roughly $3,000.

BBB warns refund recipients and big spenders to be wary of:

1. Check-cashing businesses that offer special discounts for cashing refunds.
2. “Bring in your tax refund” incentives for deposits or guaranteed credit approval.
3. Conveniently-timed “buy now” advertisements on high-end merchandise, luxury items and other expensive services, such as: furniture; electronics; cars; clothing; jewelry; cosmetic services; and vacations.

“Advertised deals could be exaggerated or misleading. In worst case scenarios, buyers end up in financial hot-water with no recourse for voiding contracts or returning purchases they can’t afford,” says Robert W.G. Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington. “In other cases, tax refund checks are lower than anticipated, but consumers have already committed to certain deals or savings plans before knowing exactly how much money they’ll receive.”

After taxes, BBB offers eight smart spending and savings reminders:

• Budget. Wait until returns are received to evaluate how assets will be allocated.
• Spend wisely. Compare deals, review purchase policies and thoroughly research companies before buying. Start with bbb.org.
• Acknowledge asterisks in ads. Make sure to read contracts and fine print carefully. Get verbal promises in writing.
• Track accounts. Make sure deposited checks are applied to accounts. Use credit cards on more expensive merchandise; monitor account activity and contest unauthorized post-transactional charges.
• Dodge debts. Consider using refund cash to cover bills, loans or student expenses.
• Save for safety. Contemplate allocating a portion of the funds in a separate account for unexpected emergency costs.
• Protect purchases. During Financial Literacy Month and year-round, utilize free financial tips and anti-fraud resources at mymoney.gov, consumerfinance.gov, ftc.gov/moneymatters and saveandinvest.org.
• Capitalize on good credit. Seek free guidance from BBB’s Managing Credit – Made Simpler at bbb.org/credit-management or find articles at bbb.org.

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Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington: For 100 years, BBB has been advancing marketplace trust. BBB is a neutral not-for-profit organization that helps consumers find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. For more information on ethical business standards, BBB Accreditation, BBB Business Reviews, Charity Reviews, complaints, events and anti-fraud tips, contact BBB or visit bbb.org.

NORTH POWDER, OREGON:  The North Powder Huckleberry Festival committee is seeking craft and food vendors for their sixth annual event, Saturday, July 28. The event is held in the heart of North Powder, located at exit 285 from Interstate 84, between Baker City and La Grande, in northeast Oregon. The festival is a lively celebration of the tasty wild berry that grows in the nearby mountains and a salute to community heritage. In addition, the Huckleberry Hot-Rod Show-n-Shine has joined forces with the festival and the Powder Valley All-School & Community Reunion Breakfast takes place on the school grounds that morning.

To apply for a vendor booth at the event, new craft vendors must submit photos of their work. The committee looks for new vendors each year, to add to the regulars and ones who have come all five years.  Below is a list of the planned festival activities.

Powder Valley All-School & Community Reunion breakfast

Festival 5K Fun Run-Walk-or-Ride

Festival Parade  (over 50 entries last year)

Aramark Huckleberry Dessert Contest & Silent Auction

Free block-long Huckleberry Ice Cream Sundae

Children’s games

Dragon Theater Puppet Show

Craft & Food vendors

Huckleberry Hot-Rod Show-n-Shine

Live Entertainment and Jam Sessions in the Park

Firemen’s Barbecue

Outdoor Movie (at dusk)

The well-organized festival has grown in events and participation each year.  It is promoted through newspapers within a 200 mile radius, websites and regional tourism publications, as well as listed in the annual state calendar of events publication and website. To request a vendor application form or seek additional information, please contact Bev Bigler, Vendor Coordinator, 541.898.2320 or blbig@eoni.com. For general event information, please contact Janet, 541.786.8006 or janetd@eoni.com

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH TRAIN OFFERS SPRING SCENERY

ELGIN, OREGON__The Eagle Cap Excursion Train will begin the 2012 season with the popular Mother’s Day Brunch on May 13. This annual excursion provides a rare opportunity to enjoy the canyon scenery draped in spring greens. The trip departs from the Elgin boarding site at 10 a.m. for a 3.5 hour train ride down the Grande Ronde River to Rondowa, then up the Wallowa River to Kimmel. At Kimmel, passengers have the chance to get off the train for a few minutes and enjoy the fresh piney mountain air before the return trip to Elgin. The meal is prepared and served by Ten Depot Street Restaurant of La Grande and includes a wonderful gourmet selection of breakfast and lunch items and beverages. Prices for this train trip are youth, $40; Adults and Seniors, $75. Reservations are required and are available through Alegre Travel, 800.323.7330 or travel@alegretravel.com.

Proceeds from the Mother’s Day Brunch benefit projects of the Friends of the Joseph Branch, a non-profit organization that preserves and presents the history and enjoyment of the century-old rail line in Wallowa and Union Counties. Members serve as volunteer hosts on the excursions and assist with equipment restoration and other railroad projects. Go to the website, www.eaglecaptrain.com, for information about membership and join in the fun.

The regular excursion season begins Saturday, June 23. Rumor has it train robbers plan to hit this trip! Be prepared for big laughs and great photo opportunities. The robbery features the antics of the Elgin Stampeders and the Gold Rush Bandits. The full 2012 season schedule will be released soon, with trips departing from Elgin and Joseph, and the introduction of the Blue Goose Steam engine later in the summer.

For additional information and photos, go to www.eaglecaptrain.com. The Eagle Cap Excursion Train is part of the Wallowa Union Scenic Railway, operated by Sierra Nevada & Pacific Rail on a stretch of the historic “Joseph Branch.” The 63-mile railroad is owned by Wallowa Union Railroad (WURR), a partnership of the two neighbor counties.

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