Biz Beat 4-24-2014

Family physician Alison Erde, M.D., has practiced medicine in Springfield for 12 years and is now relocating her solo Prevention Plus Clinic practice to south Eugene to be closer to home. The clinic is now at 3225 Willamette, Suite 1. She tells us she trained at UCLA and completed a women’s health fellowship. “I am something of an anachronism,” she says. “I have a holistic approach to wellness.” Her “special interests” are in menopause, mood issues, sports medicine and preventive health care. Her website is a work in progress, but she can be reached at 726-1865.

Fletcher’s For Children is closing after 36 years, according to owners Judie and Ron Fletcher. The business first opened in 1978 at 133 W. Broadway next to the Bon Marche, but moved to Valley River Plaza across from Valley River Center in 1996. The store’s original motto was “We deliver everything but the baby.” The Fletchers sent out a notice last week saying the business had managed to “adjust its business model and product mix many times,” but “It is increasingly hard as a small business to compete against the internet and big box stores.”

Edge of the World Games & Comics now has its first retail store at the corner of Hwy. 99 and Barger Drive, upstairs in the Farmers Insurance building. Grand opening was April 18. “This new location will truly be a geek’s paradise store,” says owner Paul Fong, “offering shoppers 1,800 sq. ft. of high-quality retail space, making it the only store in Lane County to get video games, comic books and soon collectable card games at one location.” Call 688-7529 or find the business on Facebook. 

Glenwood Place, an affordable housing project in the Glenwood area, has been approved by the Springfield City Council for state funding and tax credits. HACSA, the Lane County affordable housing agency, is partnering with the nonprofit Cornerstone Community Housing on the project. The $186,306 HOME grant will help fund phase one of the project development. When completed, Glenwood Place will be a mix of commercial ground floor space with 130 affordable housing units along Franklin Boulevard. 

The city of Eugene’s Business Commute Challenge is coming up the week of May 10-16, and it’s an opportunity for friendly competition among local enterprises to encourage employees to walk, bike, carpool or telecommute to work. Last year, 2,100 people representing 172 business teams participated. See commutechallenge.org for information and to sign up. 

A saved and restored Civic Stadium should prove to be good for business, as we mentioned in this column March 5, and local businesses are getting involved in raising money for Friends of Civic Stadium (FoCS). The group needs to raise at least $3 million for the renovation and other costs. Bagel Sphere was one of the first to pledge support through a percentages of sales. Now Tsunami Books (second Saturdays), Capella Market (May 7), The Kiva (every Sunday) and Arriving by Bike have joined the list. Any others to talk about? Meanwhile, FoCS has created an escrow account at Evergreen Land Title. All donations will be returned if the funding goal is not met. Find the growing list at savecivicstadium.org along with information about FCS and the escrow account.

Terra Firma Botanicals is experiencing record high sales after 32 years in business and is expanding with a new production facility and warehouse in west Eugene. The new facilities are expected to be ready by June 1. Terra Firma was founded by River Kennedy and her daughter Shay Kennedy is acting production manager at the company. Vince Panero, formerly of Coconut Bliss, is now director of sales and marketing. See terrafirmabotanicals.com or call 485-7726.

KLCC’s Spring Radiothon ended April 11 with a total of $281,000 pledged. About 2,400 KLCC listeners became members or renewed their membership during the campaign. The public radio station based in Eugene has continued its streamlined approach to Radiothon, asking for contributions only during “power hours,” and leaving the rest of the day free of solicitations. Listeners can still contribute. See klcc.org. 

The free Small Business Clinic “Ask the Experts” series will continue from 5 to 7 pm Thursday, May 1, at the Eugene Public Library. The focus at 6 pm May 8 will be on starting a restaurant, coffee shop or food cart, with Roger Wong. The focus at 6 pm May 22, also at the library, will be on marketing with Kathleen Gage. A third open session will be May 29. Space is limited and registration or appoints are required for these events and sessions. Call 682-5450.

Tickets for the Oregon Country Fair are now on sale at TicketsWest outlets (Safeway stores and elsewhere), by phone at (800) 992-8499 or online. No tickets will be sold at the fair site. OCF runs July 11-13 in Veneta and LTD will again be providing free bus service from Eugene and back each day. If bought in advance, ticket prices are $23 for Friday, July 11; $25 for Saturday, July 12; and $23 for Sunday, July 13. Tickets purchased the days of the event are $25 for Friday, $29 for Saturday and $25 for Sunday. OCF is a nonprofit organization that “demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and seeks to model sustainable living for other organizations, events and in the living of daily life.” See oregoncountryfair.org.