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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2012)
street roots 6 Aug. 31 2012 A good read and a little humor on Second Avenue EVERYBODY'S Wfe ■ | > MBI BIK.C RFNTAI <* I V ia I ^1 i F i l i W BY K A RA DIM ITRUK C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R VINTAGE+CLA5SY+AFFORDABLE he intersection of Southwest Yamhill and Second Avenue is bustling with several active and colorful storefronts. The street rumbles with the noises of a local MAX stop, Portlanders taking lunch breaks, shoppers looking for a deal, and tourists enjoying a sunny day. Also at this corner is David Somers, a Street Roots vendor, smiling and exuding a sunny aura while selling the most recent Street Roots issue in front of the darkened windows of the old Borders facade. T NE PO R TLA N D , OR 5 0 3 .8 9 3 .4 5 1 9 W W W .PD XB IK ER EN TA LS.C O M David Somers CENTRAL CITY Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Hooper Detox 8c Sobering Monday, Sept 10th 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Lett Bank Annex 101 N. Weidler Commemorative coins to the first 400 people! www .centrcdcityconcer n . org 503-294-1681 Where the book store failed, David succeeds, selling his newspapers to both his loyal customers of six years and to the ever- changing pedestrians that frequent the commercial area. The daily interaction with customers keeps him in sales, even in the challenging print market. “I was here six years ago when Borders was still here,” he says. “I like the people.” David has lived in Portland for 12 years, and his commitment to the city and his customers is unwavering, through good and bad weather and economic cycles: “I don’t like the rain, but I like the people. Plus, (the city) has a lot of resources, and I like to help people. “I love people and I love meeting people. I greet them with a ‘how are you this afternoon,’ or ‘have a wonderful day.’ They come back and they buy the paper.” David engages his customers daily in an unassuming and endearing style that seems a little out of place in an area that thrives on flash and flair. P H O T O BY COLE M ERK EL He begins his conversation with a friendly smile and ends with a much-appreciated one-liner, revealing that quality in a sale isn’t always about a quick and easy transaction. of them that day!” David’s amiable personality reminds us of an age when sales and shopping was an art that involved the vendor and customer, __ "I1 m n o t y o u r frien d ly n eig h b o rh o o d w h e n re la tio n sh ip s w e re b u ilt an d tre a su re d . Spiderman, I’m your friendly neighborhood paper man.” David recognizes the value of a dollar and, more importantly, of each person he encounters and sells to. “I have a lot of customers. One Friday during the new issue, I started with 40 papers and I sold all This is not a lost art, as David Somers exhibits. He maintains and preserves it with a smile, chuckle and quick-witted joke anyone with a heart would appreciate: “Cheese? I’m not a rat,” he says as he poses for his photo. VENDOR WORK ADS Answers to puzzles on page 15 1 O 0 s ia_ 3_ 0 a 1 V 3 9| 9 3 a V a 3 V d S d V S a v o O n a M 3 d 0 d 1 0 1 V IAI N 0 9 9 0 a H 9 P li Ml 9 6 8 8 Z 9 8 9 9 L 6 8 L P 6 8 I 8 L 9 Z P Z 8 9 L 6 8 Z L 8 9 9 Z 9 L 6 9 8 I L d V Will do housework, mowing lawns, laundry, babysitting or house sitting. Contact Laura through Street Roots 503-228-5657 DETOUR 3035 S.E. D ivision • P ortland, O R 97202 503.234.7499 i V I A 9 n 9 0 À n r 3 ± 3 |N ± V ± I n I _a__3_ IAI V 3 s Dependable, mature person interested in assisting ethical and safe person(s) with house sitting, pet care, plant care, yard work, laundry, organizational projects, etc. Please call 503-228-5657 and leave your contact information, preferably a name and email address. References available upon request. a 3 9 1 V w w a V 3 3 S H 9 1 1 3 a V 3 3 A 3 L 8 Z 9 V 6 L 9 Z P L 8 9 9 8 Z 9 8 6 L 8 9 P P L 9 6 6 I 8 8 8 Z 9 P J m i 11«J1iiw MMwPSRI28 In "Religious Fervor" In the Aug. 17 edition of Street Roots, It was erroneously stated that the Church of England was moving toward ordaining women as priests. In fact, the Church of England, which Is Independent from Roman Catholic Church, Is actually considering allowing women to be ordained as bishops. The Church of England voted to allow the ordination of women as priests In 1992. Please report any errors to our managing editor, Joanne Zuhl, at 503-228-5657, or write to joanne@streetroots.org Don’t miss a single issue! Visit our web site at www.streetroots.org, friend us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get regular updates.
