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Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Stan’s Refrigeration celebrates 50 years Originally published in The Chronicle Vol. 141 November 8, 2023 WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
A lot has changed in St. Helens throughout the last 50 years, but one constant has been Stan’s Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Inc., which just celebrated a half-century in business. Stanley Rohloff has owned and operated Stan’s Refrigeration since 1973. He even built the building that houses the headquarters for the operation at 58481 Old Portland Road in about 1979. There are four employees at the business. Something that he’s enjoyed over the years is the people and providing great service. “I enjoy people. You know, treat them right. Then they keep coming back or tell their friends. We never advertised too much,” Rohloff said. “I built this, got new stuff, hired more people. It just kind of grew. Treated people good and delivered things to them. We have free delivery; we don’t charge. You gotta be friendly with them, treat them right.” Rohloff started the business when he was 38 when he began, and in January, he will turn 89. Despite his age, Rohloff still comes in and works in the shop every day. Before owning his own business, Rohloff worked 18 years for Thermo King in Minnesota and specialized in refrigerator repair. Rohloff’s sister lived in St. Helens, and he started his business when he moved to St. Helens. “My sister and brother-inlaw were here, and they kind of spread the word a little bit. I was busy from day one,” Rohloff said. “We kept growing and growing and hiring people.” Rohloff said that in the 50 years he’s been in St. Helens, business has been steady. In the early days, Rohloff focused on refrigeration, but
he was also capable of repairing appliances, which became an important piece of the services he provided. Of course, having been in St. Helens for half a century, Rohloff has seen the town change a lot over the years. “50 years ago, the town was a lot different. It was just the core town,” Rohloff said. “You got off the highway a block, and there was nothing.” Rohloff said all their work and products are guaranteed, and they want to make sure that if people buy from Stan’s, those products can be relied upon. While Rohloff wants to ensure that they are offering the best products, one of the challenges he’s had recently is the lack of a refrigerator repairman who can carry out house calls to do maintenance. It has been difficult to find refrigerator repair people who are entering the local market, as most enter the commercial market to make more money, according to Rohloff. In the meantime, Rohloff said they can still provide the maintenance people need if they are willing to bring their appliances to the shop. Rohloff hopes that they will be able to get a new refrigerator repair person in soon to address these difficulties. While Rohloff is almost 90, he has already made plans to pass the business on to long-time employee Steve Gibbs. Gibbs has worked at Stan’s Refrigeration for 27 years, and Gibbs has been “doing it all” in the day-to-day operations of the business. Rohloff said that Gibbs has been an excellent employee who was ready to make an extra effort for customers “day or night.” With 50 years on the books and no end in sight, Rohloff said that though the refrigeration repair is their “only holdup,” they are committed to serving the community. “We’re here for them, and we’re doing the best we can right now,” Rohloff said.
Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.
Stan Rohloff started Stan’s Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Inc. in 1973, more than 50 years ago.
Will Lohre / Country Media, Inc.
The building which houses their many refrigerators and appliances was built by Stan in 1979, after six years of running the business out of his house.
Clatskanie City Council welcomes new member Originally published in The Chief Vol. 132 November 10, 2023 WILL LOHRE Country Media, Inc.
Following a 4-3 Clatskanie City Council vote, Russell Finney-Leggroan was selected as the council’s newest member. Finney-Leggroan was welcomed to the council during their most recent meeting on Nov. 1 and will fill the vacancy after Jim Helmen resigned in September. “We received two letters of interest. One is from local citizen Bob Emminger, and the second is from Russell. Both gentlemen appeared before the City Council last night and gave a brief pitch as to why they wanted to serve,” City Manager Greg Hinkelman on Nov. 2. “The sitting councilors were allowed to ask questions, of which a couple did. A vote then took place with a 3-3 tie. Legal counsel then instructed the mayor to make the decision, which he chose Russell.” Hinkelman said that all the councilors “were appreciative of both candidates and also expressed
that it was a tough decision.” Finney-Leggroan will see out the remainder of Helmen’s term, which is slated to end Dec. 31, 2026. About Finney-Leggroan The Chief reached out to Finney-Leggroan about his appointment to the council. Finney-Leggroan said he was interested in the position because he has regularly attended council meetings and believes he can make a difference on the council. “I care about the community. The thing is, I didn’t realize how much I cared about the community until I started going to those city council meetings, and realized how many of the things about the community there were to really talk about,” Finney-Leggroan said. “You know, how money’s spent, what improvements were made around town, things that are on other residents’ minds.” Finney-Leggroan said he is a “good listener,” and his extensive banking career has helped him work with people and numbers, and he is also a detail-oriented person. With those qualifications in mind, Finney-Leggroan said that being on the council
Courtesy photo from Finney-Leggroan
New Clatskanie City Council member Russell Finney-Leggroan.
would be a good way to focus more on the community. A non-native to Clatskanie, Finney-Leggroan bought a house and moved to Clatskanie from Portland
in 2021. While he said he hadn’t considered living in Clatskanie due to his work, when he found the house that he settled in, he fell in love with the house and
area. Finney-Leggroan said that part of what made him feel at home in the area was the welcome he received from his new neighbors. The warm reception gave Finney-Leggroan a renewed appreciation for the closeknit environment of a small town. “I lived in Estacada when I was growing up. So I was used to a small town. So I knew what small town love was like, but I had no idea that Clatskanie would be so warm and welcoming as Estacada was when I was growing up,” FinneyLeggroan said. “Clatskanie felt like a big neighborhood. It felt like a suburb without a city.” Another aspect that made Finney-Leggroan feel at home was the connections he built through going to the Clatskanie Farmers Market during the summer. One of the issues that Finney-Leggroan thought he could help with was the issue of the sewer plant. “That’s a big thing for communities. And I thought well, that must be a lot of work for somebody, and it sounds like they’re talking about money and talking about details. I was a loan
underwriter as part of my banking career, and loan underwriting is risk management,” Finney-Leggroan said. “I’ve got a career in numbers and risk management, and I’ve done some administrative jobs, so I thought I could be of some help.” Finney-Leggroan said he’s never thought of himself as a politician, but he decided to submit a letter of interest, and “everything fell into place.” A believer in fate, Finney-Leggroan said it felt like he found his place. One piece of that feeling of belonging in Clatskanie is that the Jolmas, a historic Clatskanie family, built the home he moved into. One thing Finney-Leggroan wanted to emphasize to the people of Clatskanie is that he’s willing to listen to residents about any topic, and is “very reasonable.” “I just want people to know that I’m approachable. I’m always willing to hear what someone’s point of view is,” Finney-Leggroan said. “I have small town experience in Estacada, and I know what it’s like to live in a small town. So, I just want to be able to help as best I can.”
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