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For eight years, Becky Bilyeu has run Touchstone
Coffee House at 7631 N.E.
r
Glisan St. as a community space.
“People have had birthday
parties here. One woman held
her retirement party from the
U.S. Coast Guard. One lesbian
couple met at Sacred Grounds
and got married at Touchstone,
and another couple had their wedding reception at
Touchstone. Many life-changing events involving
the community have happened at Touchstone,”
says Bilyeu.
According to Bilyeu, she is being forced to
close shop because the landlords are not renewing
her lease. “Touchstone was never about making
money. 1 did not operate it for financial gain but
out of service to the community and to give myself
and my employees jobs. Because 1 was not able to
sell the business and pass it on, I am left with no
livelihood after our lease is up April 30, and I am
being left with a considerable amount of debt from
the business," she says.
Bilyeu has one hope left for keeping
Touchstone’s legacy alive. Much the way she was
mentored by Holly Mulcahey of It’s My Pleasure, Becky Bilyeu (right) and Tiffany Richardson
Bilyeu has mentored Tiffany Richardson, whom she glow from a supportive community that is
hopes can find a new space and carry on the Touchstone Coffee House's eight-year legacy.
Touchstone torch.
“I want to be very clear that I did not choose
Follow the Adventure Lawyer
to close Touchstone.... 1 would never choose this.
Attorney William Knuths is the Clark Kent of
I always imagined it would be passed on to some
the legal profession. A quick spin in the phone
one else and they would just continue to grow it,”
booth and he is a contract guide for Alyson
Bilyeu says.
Adventures, a Florida-based gay-owned tour
Richardson has worked at Touchstone for
operator that designs trips primarily for the sexual
almost two years and, according to Bilyeu, has the
minorities community.
drive and energy to carry on.
Knuths, a native Oregonian, had been a guide
“I want to sell it to her as cheaply as possible
for student exchange programs for many years, and
and pass the name on to her,” says Bilyeu. “If once the travel bug bit him, he said, nothing has
Tiffany is not able to secure a location for a new
stopped it. “While dating a Parisian, I was taking
Touchstone and the ability to purchase my equip biking trips with a GLBTQ company in France.
ment and inventory, 1 will need to liquidate the
Alyson asked if I’d like to work with them, and
entirety of Touchstone as we all know it to pay off now 1 take chunks of time off from my law practice
what bills I can.”
to do this," said Knuths.
Touchstone has participated in numerous fund
He is particularly excited about next summer’s
raisers for charities such as Sisters of the Road,
trip to the Galapagos Islands. “Some trips are
Cascade AIDS Project and the Sexual Minority
popular year round, but this is more of a trip of a
Youth Resource Center and has supported the
lifetime. After a year off, we’re bringing Galapagos
Portland Lesbian Choir, the Lesbian Community
back with a bang by opening it up to gays and
watch
Local Folks, Local Produce
Food Syslen'
Project,
In Other Words, Metropolitan
Community Church of Portland and Bridgeport
Community Church. After years of supporting the
community, Bilyeu asks for
community support in the four
months Touchstone remains.
“I encourage everyone in
the community to come out
and support Touchstone during
its final months,” Bilyeu says.
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Big City Produce
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William Knuths (standing) scouts the rapids with his group of rafters during Alyson's July 2006
Splash trip in the Grand Canyon.