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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1983)
Kiva Moves East to West Grocer/Bookseller/Wine Merchant Moves Downtown in October 1970, George Brown, hailing from the Mid west and most recently from Wennatche, Washington, where he had picked, warehoused and loaded apples, opened a book store in the building at 136 East 11th. George had no training or experience to operate a retail business, only a B.A. in Anthro pology from Kansas University, the encouragement of friends opening other businesses in the building, and a flair for learning by doing. Over the years the store gradually expanded into groceries with a focus On natural foods,- Oregon, imported and rennetless cheeses; and wines from around the world and the Northwest. Many of the busi nesses that spawned in that bldg., destined to be known as the Kiva, grew into successful busi nesses themselves—Birken stocks, Lazar’s, and Down to Earth. On Tuesday, July 5, the Kiva opened at its new location, 125 West 11th—east to west. Three lanes of oneway traffic and a lack of free, convenient parking no longer separate the Kiva from the people living, shopping and working downtown. The new building, formerly Porter’s, is bigger and brighter. Wider isles and plentiful on-site parking have prompted many statements of appreciation. For George per sonally, the new location pro mises many possibilities, but of special importance is escaping the infamous Emerald Towing r who routinely “hooked” unsus pecting customers from the emp ty lot east of El Sombrero. George hopes never again to drive a distraught and crying customer to the Emerald lot where their cars have been im pounded. The service of grocer, book seller and wine merchant was quickly restored following the move, due to the combined ef fort of 17 Kiva co-workers. George was quick to credit the collective and individual effort that went into the move. Moving a household is one thing, but can you imagine moving a grocery store—and all those books and wines and shelves and coolers? Capitalizing on their multiple skills, talents, and learning abil ities, everyone participated in planning and executing the move. There were several little meetings; teams were formed with specific tesks like heavy equipment, labeling shelves and boxes, etc. After closing on Thursday, the move began, and following many overtime hours and a couple all-nighters, the Kiva restored service 10 am Tuesday morning at its new loca tion! Improvements and repairs coincided with the move. Most obvious are the new, air-tight cabinets with see-thru lids for enhanced display of the Kiva’s extensive bulk food selection. Immediate plans call for repaint ing the outside, adding shelving for 25 new (and exclusive) 1 French and Italian wines, and a “new titles” section in the book store. Future plans are not fully developed, although additional storage, bike racks, a wrap around awning, and energy effi cient improvements are noted. It’s a nice new space George con cludes, “but of continued prime importance is service to our cus tomers.” Many have already expressed their appreciation for the ser vices the Kiva brings to down town. Residents like those at Olive Plaza, and area businesses —McAyeal’s Wardrobe Clean ing, Willy’s, DeFrisco’s, and Atrium Flowers (who sent a bou quet)—have joined in welcoming the Kiva. As David Dillman, Bon Marche manager and re cently elected Downtown Association President, said in a recent Register-Guard article, empty storefronts are a liability to surviving businesses down town. More “attractions,” more stores filling empty buildings is welcome news to downtown. Stop in-soon and sample the “attractions” the Kiva has to of fer: books on food, health and cooking, a large selection of world literature (Russian, Chi nese, Japanese, English and American); groceries, cheeses and natural foods, many locally grown and produced; a good se lection of vitamins and supple ments; and an excellent wine selection. The Kiva is open 10 am-7 pm Monday through Saturday. —Bill Snyder EUGENE— COPYCERIER • BINDING • STAPLING • FOLDING FAST, LOW COST OFFSET PRINTING AND PHOTOCOPYING 410 E. 11th • 344-4062 o' o' >, 2 commitment Committment R e8 Committment C‘ -C Vo How’s your spelling? 3 ? How’s your grammar? Only your typesetter knows for sure! Your secret is ours! On any regular job we’re watching out for your small errors. and we’ll-inform you if we think your copy needs further editing. $ 15/hr. editing chg., no min. PROD Camero WOrk 435. n302PEPAKFSTION ,.0 / /390 Edit Ino Str IENT eet Design Jondplpero import service ) REPAIR & MAINTENANCE AUDI DATSUN FIAT HONDA MAZDA PORSCHE RENAULT SUBARU TOYOTA VW VOLVO FREE ESTIMATES ALL WORK GUARANTEED MON. FRI. 9-6 3 343-9427 o 2795 WILLAMETTE AuRoRA Silk emn 2 kahiwes , yarns, oreteet Fabrtes 1 KImRO hand oveo colors 4HOBLAIR Feidous 1P Suroaus - • 8by oumed -83-2359 African drummer Obo Addy with his band Kukrudu returns to the WOW Hall, Saturday, July 30, for a special evening of African and jazz music. Also appearing will be the ever popular reggae band Arousing Spirit. At the WOW Hall African Drummer Obo Addy Master Drummer Obo Addy brings an interesting blend of tradi tional African tribal music and original Western-style compositions to Eugene on Saturday, July 30. A native of Ghana, Addy combines the sounds of his native drums with guitar, trumpet, saxophone, and bass, in his group Kukrudu, which means “earthquake.” The son of a priest and medicine man of the Ga tribe in Ghana, Ad dy was surrounded by the drumming, dancing and singing that ac companied his father’s work. Throughout his youth, he developed a thorough understanding of traditional song and dance, and eventually achieved the status of Master Drummer, a special honor reflecting ex treme skill and knowledge. Addy came to Seattle in 1975, at the invitation of the Washington State Cultural Enrichment Board, where he performed and taught his art to University of Washington professors. This was followed by con cert tours and TV appearances around the country. He also taught in the public schools in Portland and Seattle, including the Jefferson High School in Portland. Addy and Kukrudu present a visually as well as musically interesting performance, with colorful Ghanian costumes and traditional per cussion instruments. Addy’s original compositions range in style from traditionally in fluenced songs to the more contemporary, incorporating both African and Western influences. The performance promises to be a lively and exciting one. 5th & Pearl 484-0686 Mondays • Wednesdays • Fridays Salad Bar Special Small Salad Bar & Medium Drink Only $1.35
