Street roots., October 30, 2009, Page 4, Image 4

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C B B B B B Ä TIN a Ä
Street r o o t a l B
Education * Dialogue ♦ Independence
‘We are
like
family'
VENDOR WORK
ADS
Will'exchange work to any local dentist. Trying to
get new dentures. Painting, remodel, etc, Leave
message at Street Roots, 503-228-5657 for John
Alden.
Married, out of work. Will work for you doing any
odd job. References. Trying to keep apartmentCall
Seah at 509-218-8124.
Marshall and Julie W.: Lots of experience and local
references. Very reasonable rates and quality work
with some extras, mower and some yard hand
tools. Will do any work within reason on bus line or
if you pick us up. Also willing to deliver papers.
Please call (503) 946-3959 or (503) 774-3350.
Season conies to a close a t
the Park R ose market,
but the bonds rem ain
Very experienced landscaper and mover. Willing to
do any job: Clear and current license. No vehicle,
limited tools. Call me anytime at 503-839-3965.
Rick Buck.
BY ELIZABETH SCHWARTZ
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
'arty Bastian and I sat in chairs
outside the Street Roots office on a
cloudy October morning and
chatted about his life as a newspaper
vendor. He is 52 years old and, as he told
me, is “always hoping for the best.” The
main thing he was hoping for on that
morning was a regular job.
Street Roots vendors are self-employed.
They purchase their newspapers for
25 cents a copy and keep the difference
between that and what they receive selling
th e papers. Hours they spend sick or
getting health care reduces their income
from sales. Marty was recently laid up with
lower back pain, which cut into the amount
of money he could contribute to his housing
costs. .
. Marty knows down to the penny how to
budget his money so that he can remain
housed. He told me that if he works seven
days a week selling newspapers at the Park
Rose Transit Center and the Park Rose
-R^aersU M a rk i e t on. Saturdays J a s. flia cn&.a n, ••
H
Kevin Bynum: Street Roots vendor and guitarist
seeks to exchange an honest days work for a
decent-playing, accoustic guitar. Call Street Roots at
503-228-5657 or Kevin at 206-888-9336.
Bill Atkinson: Yard work, moving, misc. Four-hour
minimum, $10 an hour. Call Street Roots office at
503-228-5657.
Vicki Sittinghawk: House cleaning, very thorough.
References. Call 503-287-4174.
Bruce Heino: Available for yard work, general
assistance, four-hour minimum, wage negotiable.
Please call the Street Roots office or contact New
Seasons at 33rd and Killingsworth.
Handy man needs work: moving, painting, yard
work, clean-up. If I can sweat and you can be doing
something else, please call me at 503-803-2533.
average o f ab ou t $ 4 5 p e r w e e k . H e s a v e s at
least $10 of that money to buy more
newspapers (40 newspapers) each week.
VENDOR PR O FIEE
Marty Bastian
Mother Nature’s
Earth Friendly Baby Products
Large selection
of eloth diapers & wraps,
natural baby & mama
care products,
baby slings & carriers,
organic cotton
baby clothes, wooden toys,
personal service
l
I
I
The rest of his income from selling Street
Roots and doing odd jobs for acquaintances
goes toward rent and general upkeep. FoocL
stamps help take care of his nutrition needs.
Of course, some weeks Marty sells
significantly more than 40 newspapers.
Most vendors tell me that Street Roots sells
well right after it is published, but sales are
pretty lean the second week of the edition.
Bad weather and unpleasant economic news
cart also eat into sales rather dramatically.
Marty enjoyed talking about spending his
Saturdays at the Park Rose Farmers Market,
and seemed sad that it is closing for the
winter at the end of October. He smiled,
telling me how he helps the market’s
organizers, Steve and Joy; set things up each
2627 SE Clinton St.
503-230-7077
Saturday morning. “We do things to help
each other out at the m arket”
The vendor pointed to the dark green
hooded sweatshirt he was wearing. Steve
and Joy had given it to him in early October.
It had been a cold and windy morning, “I’ve
worn it every day since they gave it to me.”
The sweatshirt has the Park Rose Farmers
Market logo embroidered on the front, lying
over Marty’s heart. “We are.like a family at
the market,” he said. “We feel comfortable
with each other.”
As Marty and I talked about how he
budgets his money, I thought that I could
learn some lessons from him about the
value of a penny. He is careful and lives on
little income. For example, he bicycles
nearly an hour one way from his house to
the Park Rose Farmers Market in order to
sell newspaper! to shoppers. The Park Rose
Transit Center is a little closer to home. It
takes about 40 minutes to bike there to
work. He’s trying to save his money for a
little gas engine for his bicycle to improve
his commute.
1 He is too far from the Street Roots office
to ride his bike there, so he buys a two zone
transit ticket oil days he needs to go to Old
Town to purchase newspapers.
Marty told me that Park Rose is in transit
zone 3. Consequently, he rides the bus and
Max back home on his transfer, then rides
his bicycle the rest of the way to work in
order to save 50 ceiits each week.
Besides a gas motor for his bicycle, Marty
is looking for two things that he thinks will
make his life easier. The first one is a
competent chiropractor he can afford and
who will help Turn with his lower back
problems.
The second thing is a job as a prepcook
or dishwasher in a restaurant He told me
that he has had 31 years experience as a
prepcook and is actively searching for th at
kind of a job. It needs to be near good
public'transportation or within walking or_
biking distance of the house he shares with
friends.
“Most restaurants are either laying
people off or not hiring ” He said that soirte
restaurants are advertising for prepcooks,
but he says they are too far away from
public transportation for him to be able to
work th e re .,
-
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