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Thanksgiving Weekend SHOP LOCAL

SHOP LOCAL Black Friday & Small Business Saturday COLUMBIA COUNTY

A PUBLICATION OF The Chronicle &

The Chief

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Shop Local The Chronicle and The Chief, in partnership with our local businesses, proudly presents the following special section, Shop Local Small Business Saturday.

This special presentation highlights Small Business Saturday and provides insight into Columbia County’s Keep It Local campaign.

We are all in this together to help sustain and boost our local economy, support our small businesses and strengthen the livability of our community.

We encourage you to join us in shopping locally during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 27 and throughout the holidays.

Jeremy C. Ruark Publisher / Executive Editor Zoe Gottlieb General Assignment Reporter Katherine Mace Marketing Consultant James Yang Creative Director Kelli Nicholson Office Manager Jon Lowrance Driver The Chronicle The Chief

Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

Published by The Chronicle and The Chief

Let’s rally around our small businesses SOUTH COLUMBIA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Guest Column

We all love convenience.

We love to have the things we want delivered to our front door. It’s easy, and today it can also be very inexpensive.

However, this convenience and “value” comes at a great cost: The cost of community, local businesses, and local jobs.

As we move into the holiday season, now is a great time to shop local.

Columbia County is full of dynamic small businesses.

These great local businesses range from retail stores, restaurants and bars, all the way to professional services like tattoo studios, insurance agencies, and graphic design firms.

By taking the time to engage with local business owners and professionals you not only support those business owners, but their employees, and their families.

Small Business Saturday is quickly approaching, and this single day can have an outsized impact on the bottom line of our small local businesses, especially as we try and exit a business suppressing pandemic. If you are unsure of what is available, the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is a fantastic resource.

Visit https://sccchamber. org/ and you will find a directory of member businesses that we know will do a great job of catering to your shopping needs this holiday season. The Chamber of Commerce is also hosting local businesses at the annual Holiday Gift Shop Bazaar Nov. 26 - 27, Dec. 3 - 4, Dec. 10 - 11, and Dec. 17 - 18.

Let’s rally around our small businesses, their families, and our neighbors and do our holiday shopping local this year.

Keep your money where you call home, support our local economy of friends and neighbors and help build a thriving community by shopping local first.

Locally owned businesses create more prosperous, connected, and generally better-off communities across a wide

range of metrics. A significantly large portion of our money is cycled back through our local economy when we buy from independent, locallyowned businesses rather than national chains. This money is then used to make purchases from our friends’ businesses, aid neighbors in need, or support another local retailer — ultimately strengthening the base of our whole community.

Here are just a few reasons why we support shopping local.

1. Keep it unique - Oneof-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinct character of our place. It’s what distinguishes the uniqueness of our community compared to a chain store that looks the same anywhere else.

2. Supporting our community - Local businesses donate more per sales dollar to local nonprofits, events, and teams than national chains.

3. Shop local means more jobs - Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally, and in our community, provide the most jobs to residents. Let’s encourage more start-ups!

4. Service shines - Local businesses often hire people who better understand the products they are selling and take more time to get to know their clients, customers, and patrons.

5. Keeping it local - Local businesses are owned by your friends and neighbors who live in this community, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in our community’s future — just like you. For every dollar spent locally and at independent businesses, more per dollar stays in the community than when you shop at national chains or national online retailers.

Join the chamber in shopping local first this holiday season!

The South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is located at 2194 Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens and may be reached at 503-3970685.

Visit https://sccchamber.org/ for a directory of member businesses that will cater to your shopping needs this holiday season. The Chamber of Commerce is also hosting local businesses at the annual Holiday Gift Shop Bazaar Nov. 26 - 27, Dec. 3 - 4, Dec. 10 - 11, and Dec. 17 - 18.

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HOME • AUTO • BUSINESS • EMPLOYEE BENEFITS • MEDICARE

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Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

South Columbia County Chamber-Shop Local events

SOUTH COLUMBIA COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Guest Column

Chamber membership Black Friday Sale This year the Chamber is offering a 20% discount for all new or renewing

memberships. The South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based organization that partners with businesses, professionals, and organizations.

We work to build a healthy local business economy and improve the quality of life in the local community. Join over 150-member

businesses and organizations, ranging from solopreneurs to organizations to large businesses, and gain access to networking and marketing opportunities. The chamber offers members monthly opportunities to meet, market, and network with other businesses in South County. Recognizing 2021 has presented some challenges to small businesses, we have doubled our discount this year!

Our sale will run Nov. 26 – Dec. 3. Details on how to take advantage of this sale will be shared on our Facebook page on Nov. 26, https://www.facebook.com/ southcolumbiacountychamber.

Holiday Gift Shop Bazaar Join us for the second annual indoor pop-up gift shop at the Chamber Building, located in the heart of St. Helens, at 2194 Columbia Boulevard.

The chamber started the Gift Shop last year to create an opportunity for local makers that do not have a brickand-mortar retail space to sell their giftable items. Last year was particularly rough for small sellers as many holiday bazaars had been canceled. The Gift Shop provided a real opportunity, not only for makers but for the community to take part in the shop local movement.

Based on feedback and the popularity of last year’s event, we are proud to make this an annual event. Besides having as many as eight different vendors each weekend, we will have Christmas carolers and visits from Santa Clause.

We are featuring makers, crafters, and vendors selling locally made and sourced items that are gift-able. The Holiday Gift Shop runs for four weekends starting Black Friday and will feature up to eight different vendors

Jeremy C. Ruark / The Chronicle

The South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Gift Shop is located inside the chamber building at 2194 Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens.

each weekend. Join us Nov. 26-27, Dec. 3 - 4, Dec. 10 11, and Dec. 17 - 18, Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Details and vendor lists on Facebook or https://sccchamber.org/events.

For more information, contact the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce at 503-397-0685.

The Chamber office is located at 2194 Columbia Boulevard in St. Helens.

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Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

Published by The Chronicle and The Chief

Renewed support for Keep it Local ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

Keep It Local Columbia County is reaching new heights this year with its Keep it Local for the Holidays 2021 campaign.

Eighty-four businesses have already pledged their support to the campaign, which officially began Nov. 21, according to Keep It Local Columbia County’s Facebook page.

Keep it Local for the Holidays is a seasonal program under the umbrella of Keep It Local CC, an organization which provides free marketing and social media supports to local Columbia County businesses.

“Instead of going outside the county for the holidays, there is so much to discover in Columbia County,” the campaign’s description reads. “Keep it Local for the Holidays is a campaign to promote the wonderland of Columbia County’s businesses and nonprofits. This campaign helps locals and visitors become aware (of) local gift ideas, drinks, food, artists, and more for the holidays!”

The idea for Keep It Local CC originates from the findings of a study developed by the former director Natasha Parvey in 2015.

“We were established back in 2015, because 73% of our county residents work outside the county, (which is) a really significant thing when we think about people dining locally during lunch hours or shopping locally,” Trass said. “So many people work in Portland, Astoria, Longview or Hillsboro across the county, which naturally leads into (the question) how do we support small businesses?”

The group works alongside the chambers, St. Helens Main Street Alliance, and Columbia Economic Team to best fulfill the organization’s mission of enriching local business.

“We’ve been described as the glue that keeps Columbia

County together and helping bond each of the cities which have historically been kind of like silos from one another, not really knowing what each other are doing,” Trass said.

According to Business Oregon, Keep It Local CC is one of 20 beneficiaries of its Rural Opportunity Initiative ROI grant. The $45,000 grant for Columbia County was allotted specifically for the organization to “upgrade its countywide business directory website” and “provide marketing and web training to small businesses to increase their capture of local consumer spending.”

Creating social media awareness was identified as one of the primary needs of local businesses.

According to Trass, the organization ran a survey prior to its announcement of this year’s holiday campaign to identify where businesses are struggling as they recover from pandemic losses.

“I was really surprised the top four out of five things were all social media related,” she said. “The top 82% (of respondents) said they would like us to feature them in posts.”

Trass said she intends to set aside some of the funds for building up Keep It Local CC’s web presence and making educational

resources accessible to local businesses.

“One of the things I was looking at was the website and I was like, okay, this is something that definitely can use - new modern design, better search engine optimization, and just overall better usability,” she said. “Not only does the ROI grant now cover helping our website business directory serve businesses better, but it also is going to be a project that’s going to do more digital education for business owners throughout 2022 to June 2023.”

Benefits for shoppers Trass said people who choose to shop from Columbia County small businesses can fill out “Wonderland Cards” through Dec. 31 provided by participating businesses for the chance to win exciting prizes.

The Wonderland Card works similarly to a punch card, with 20 squares for business to sign after a participant purchases $10 or more worth of goods at their store. Entrants with all of their squares filled are eligible to win $1000, along with 20 other possible prizes.

Among the prizes are gift cards, certificates, and products from local businesses.

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Courtesy photo

Keep It Local CC Director Sierra Trass poses with a sign promoting the upcoming holiday campaign.

Contest guidelines state that the drawing will happen Jan. 5, live on Keep It Local Columbia County’s Facebook page and the drawing’s winner will be notified.

Full details of the contest are available on Keep it Local Columbia County’s Facebook page and the Keep It Local Columbia County website.

Local shoppers can also look for the Keep it Local for the Holidays’ online cat-

alog. The catalog can assist shoppers by directing them to local businesses carrying their desired product.

Keep It Local CC organizers will continue to advertise their “Shop Local Saturday” event taking place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, on their Facebook page.

Benefits for business Trass said Keep it Local

for the Holidays 2021 has so far been well received by the businesses in the area.

“The campaigns have really good feedback, especially since a lot of business owners knew about it. The ones that do have really liked when I go up to them person. They’re like, ‘Oh, I’m so happy you’re doing this again.’ (They) don’t even question it, just sign up,” Trass said.

Trass expects that renewed shopping interest as the pandemic eases should help boost local business profits.

“I think we’ll see a lot of consumers purposely choosing local because I know we were trained to do that during the pandemic when we were trying to help businesses survive,” she said.

St. Helens radio station KOHI AM 1600 features local business topics Monday through Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. as part of the Keep it Local campaign.

The Chronicle and The Chief also feature frequent business profiles in our Who We Are and our Where We Live series. Read more at thechronicleonline.com and in the Wednesday print editions of The Chronicle and at thechiefnews.com and in the Friday print editions of The Chief.

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Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

Published by The Chronicle and The Chief

Join the tradition: Holiday Window Display Contest Shop Small Saturday, Nov. 27 through New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.

It is easy to participate, according to organizers.

There is no cost, just share your information so you are on the list to stop by and judge, and for us to promote your business.

Please include the following information in your email to: sthelensmainstreet@gmail. com.

St. Helens Main Street Alliance is sponsoring a Holiday Window Display Contest.

Participating businesses are invited to use their creativity to decorate windows using lights, scenery, paint, and any other

creative decorative elements.

The contest is designed as a celebration of local businesses aimed at helping to spread holiday cheer and increase foot traffic this holiday season.

The contest will run from

• Name of business • Decorated storefront address • Contact Person email and phone number For more information, contact the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce at 503-397-0685.

Metro Creative Connection / The Chronicle

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Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

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Local business preserves the past ZOE GOTTLIEB chronicle2@countrymedia.net

A local store is lending a hand in preserving the past.

In a building that now holds a three-floor antique and secondhand goods store, 2Cs Vendor Mall was once the home of a longstanding fraternal organization, and later, a Pendleton garment factory.

Current 2Cs Vendor Mall Owner Mitzi Ponce rents from Philip Stanton, who bought the property in 2016. His family corporation owns various properties in St. Helens, including Molly’s Market, Plymouth Pub, and Running Dogs.

Ponce said she used to work in high tech before she turned to managing antiques, a move which has helped her transition into retirement.

“I don’t really fit in well with in a corporate world,” she said. “This is something that aligned with my own interests and hobbies. I had booth space in the store, under the previous owners. (When) they were ready to retire from owning the store, I was ready to retire from my job, and it just kind of worked out.”

A brief history The 2Cs Vendor Mall building, located on 215 S. 1st St., was built in 1927 and once housed an international, nonsectarian fraternal organization

called The Order of Knights of Pythias. The fraternity was founded in Washington DC by Justus H. Rathbone in 1864 and became the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under U.S. Congress.

According to Ponce, the Pythians ran a JC Penny, which helped it finance its large gatherings.

“The way that we understand it is that back in the day, they would build a larger building than they needed for their lodge and a commercial portion of it would pay for the mortgage,” she said. “That way, instead of indebting your members into the future for building a new lodge, you actually had a commercial organization that was paying that bill every month.”

These events were held in the ballroom, an area of the building which still stands today.

“That ballroom was their Kingdom Hall, but then they also have rented it out to the old John Gumm school, and they would have dances over here, rented it out for weddings and for bands and for private parties and things like that,” Ponce said. “Since the very beginning, people in St. Helens have had events up there.”

The Pythians used the Lampson carrier system to manage their transactions, according to Ponce.

“They were a spring-loaded

pulley device,” she said. “The accounting was up in the loft over the front door. And so, the people on the sales floor would put the money in this carrier, and then pull the cable and it would go zinging up to the accounting, and they would take care of the money and then send the receipt back down.”

Ponce said she still receives comments from customers who witnessed the Lampson carrier in action.

“We still have people, at least once or twice a month come in and tell us that, you know, this is the first store where they got a real pair of big boy pants and the cashiers used the pneumatic tubes to send the money zinging around,” she said.

Once the property changed hands in the 1980s, it became a Pendleton garment factory, where young women spent hours together in tight quarters, dyeing fabric and working looms.

“In the very back of the building where you go up the ramp and where we have retail sales, at one time that was a steam press room. They took the sweaters and they would put them on the steam presses in order to size them,” Ponce said.

The name Pythias originates from the age-old story of Damon and Pythias, who lived around 400 B.C. and attended the school founded by renowned Greek philosopher

Courtesy photo

2Cs Vendor Mall keeps history alive inside this building that was once a longstanding fraternal organization and before that a Pendleton garment factory.

Pythagoras.

According to legend, the pair was cemented by loyalty and friendship, having withstood many trials together.

The fraternal order stands for three principles the knights upheld through large events and gatherings: friendship, charity, and benevolence.

Unique features Ponce said that the building’s unusual architecture

contributes to its allure.

“It’s funny, on our surveillance cameras, we can see people there trying all the doors they want to go in,” she said. “They’ll get up on those steps of the pews in the ballroom to look into those old radiators up there and look out the windows because they just want to know what’s in the building.”

Ponce told The Chronicle why she believes the building’s features are explored so

thoroughly by residents and tourists alike.

“I think we all like a little bit of a little bit of fun in our lives, right? We have people who come in who they ask us if the building is haunted, who really want it to be haunted.

Right, so we have some stories and we can share those stories with them,” she said.

­­­­

See 2CS Page 7

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From Page 6 A thriving business With over 70 vendors, 2Cs offers a selection of handcrafted and antique goods for interests of every niche.

“We’ve got some people who focus on this century, and some people who are more interested in The Depression Era. I’ve got people that don’t care what era what it was, they just want things that are rusty and fun. So, you know, they’re all different,” Ponce said.

Ponce said the shop goods come from both the vendors, who require a St. Helens-issued license, and secondhand dealers, who only require a permit from St. Helens Police Department.

Vendors each have their own section in the store, and an individualized approach to managing their collections.

The oldest object in the store’s possession, said

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Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

Published by The Chronicle and The Chief Ponce, is glass dating back to the 1800s.

Shoppers passing through 2Cs may find themselves intrigued by a Bible less than an inch in width and height or the images inside of a Stanhope lens.

Stanhope lenses are any kind of object with a pinhole in it that gives you a view of an image or series of images, similar to a kaleidoscope, according to Ponce.

“Sometimes we see them as rings,” she said. “So, the ring will just look really odd.

It looks like a stainless steel or a sterling setting with a hole in it and you’re thinking what’s missing, but no it’s a Stanhope lens.”

Ponce is on constant watch for the collectible, she said.

“Right now, we have an ivory colored barrel, and it has a little pinhole in it and when you look through it, you see five scenes from Niagara Falls,” she said.

Ponce said that the 2Cs development has given an old property a second life

and worked to preserve its legacy as a historical building.

“I think there’s a lot of synergy there, because we see so many times when older buildings go into disrepair and then they’re torn down. You lose the building, right, and then you have the expense of erecting a new building,” she said. “Here you have one that’s being maintained, is a commercial driving venue, and brings people in.”

The dealers have created the warm and inviting atmosphere of 2Cs, a fact which Ponce said she wants her customers to know.

“We’ve worked really hard to get a group of dealers in who want to create an experience for customers, not just to bring in a lot of stuff that they can buy, but to create an atmosphere if they walk into their booth and give them a specific experience,” she said. “To the extent that we’re successful or that we’re well liked, it’s because of our dealers.”

Shop Local in Rainier RAINIER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Guest Column

“As we head into the holiday season—there are great ways to celebrate your favorite holiday and support Rainier businesses,” said Natasha Parvey, President of Rainier Chamber of Commerce. “We encourage everyone to visit Rainier for great gift ideas, holiday décor, and sharing a meal with a friend, as Rainier businesses prepare to make this time of the year special for you.”

Rainier Chamber of Commerce is a membership-driven organization that connects, promotes and advocates for Rainier business community. Rainier has a mix of retail, professional services and industrial businesses. This holiday season, Rainier Chamber of Commerce urges you to

shop local.

Due to global supply chain challenges, some holiday essentials will be more difficult to find than previous years. Rainier businesses are working hard to be creative to offer your family a beautiful Christmas experience.

Local businesses are essential to a healthy and vibrant community.

There are many ways that you can support local businesses this gift-giving season, including referring family and friends to some of Rainier’s unique finds,

purchasing a gift card to a local restaurant, posting positive reviews online and more. Small businesses in Rainier give generously to local charities, youth teams, and local events. They can’t continue this essential community work without your support.

Come shop local in Rainier!

To learn more about Rainier Chamber of Commerce or see a listing of business members, visit www.rainierchamber.wixsite.com/rcoc.

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Thanksgiving Weekend - Shop Local

Published by The Chronicle and The Chief