BUSINESS
4A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2015
Vaping store, lounge opens downtown
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
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vors — strawberry, cinnamon
roll and the like — hit the nostrils
walking into Columbia Vapes.
But there’s no smoke or ash
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ing lounge, recently opened in
downtown Astoria.
Vape is a colloquial term for
vaporizing nicotine-infused liq-
uid and the Oxford Dictionary’s
word of the year for 2014.
“This store exists because
of my experience with vaping,”
said Yolanda Wlodarski, adding
that she’d tried everything to
quit smoking, before starting to
vape helped ween her off ciga-
rettes completely more than a
year ago.
She, Tony Wlodarski and Al-
len Estes opened the lounge and
vaping shop earlier this month,
tapping into a rising national
trend and an increasingly popu-
lar, albeit relatively unregulated,
alternative to smoking.
Behind the lounging area,
vaping pen starter kits; custom-
izable vaporizer pens, known as
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pipe-like vaporizers; and other
variations line several display
cases, along with tanks, mouth-
pieces, cases and merchandise.
An atomizer inside the mods
heats the nicotine-infused liq-
uids, turning them into a vapor
that can be inhaled.
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small plastic vials of liquid offers
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liquids from Bellingham, Wash.-
based Mount Baker Vapor, along
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Vaping liquids typically include
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ther a propylene glycol or vegeta-
ble glycerin base.
The containers each carry
15 milliliters of liquid, costing
about $7 each. They also come
in different strengths, from zero
to 18 milligrams of nicotine per
milliliter. The shop has stayed
away from stronger liquids and
mixing its own, said the owners,
although it provides contacts for
custom mixers.
“A pack-a-day smoker could
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Yolanda Wlodarski, left, and Allen Estes, right stand in their new store, Columbia Vape, Monday.
JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Yolanda Wlodarski shows off various mouthpieces that
Columbia Vape carries in stock.
probably vape for less than $20
a month,” said Yolanda Wlodar-
ski, adding that for $30 or less,
someone can buy all their equip-
ment and a supply of liquid.
In addition to a cost-savings,
the owners see vaping as a via-
ble cessation tool. After starting
vaping at 18 milligrams per mil-
liliter when she quit smoking
more than a year ago, she said
she’s down to 6 and hopes to be
vaping with no nicotine by the
end of the year. Estes said that
after more than 50 years of cig-
arettes, he’s cut his smoking in
half since he started vaping.
The owners said they don’t
sell to minors, and they check
the IDs of people coming in
and ask unaccompanied minors
to leave. They open at 11 a.m.
Wednesday through Sunday at
1268 Commercial St. and can be
found at www.facebook/colum-
biavapes or at columbiavapes@
gmail.com
New frontier
Vaporizing products are not
regulated by the more encom-
passing age and indoor restric-
tions or taxes facing traditional
cigarettes. The Food and Drug
Administration in April pro-
posed a rule to extend its reg-
ulatory authority to e-cigarette
products.
E-cigarettes and other va-
ping products are prohibited
on Clatsop County property,
including the fairgrounds. The
Astoria School District added
e-cigarettes to its tobacco-free
policy in April.
In August 2012, Gov. John
Kitzhaber signed an executive
order prohibiting the use of to-
bacco products, including e-cig-
arettes, in state agency buildings
and on state agency grounds.
The Oregon Health Authority
recommends that businesses
and local jurisdictions prohibit
their use.
Various studies by the FDA
and other groups have found
elevated levels of various chem-
icals and carcinogens, such as
formaldehyde, in vapors from
e-cigarettes.
“It’s not a vapor,” said Ste-
ven Blakesly, a health promo-
tion specialist with the county.
“It’s an aerosol. Vapor is water
in gas form.”
The Oregon Legislature
held hearings a year ago on
H.B. 4073, which would have
extended the smoking ban for
minors to e-cigarettes, and H.B.
4115, which would have done
the same, while additionally in-
cluding e-cigarettes in the state’s
indoor smoking ban. Blakesly
said the state is waiting to hear
what the FDA decides before
moving forward.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Realtors announce
top producers
The Clatsop Association of Re-
altors’ Multiple Listing Service has
announced the 2014 Top Producers.
They are: 1. Bree Phillips, ReMax
River and Sea; 2. Barbara Maltman,
Windermere Stellar; 3. Debra Bowe,
Windermere Pacific Land; 4. Alaina
Giguiere, ReMax Coastal Advantage;
5. Farzahn Kamali, Kamali Sotheby’s
International; 6. Melissa Eddy, Wind-
ermere Stellar; 7. Reet Vaga, Kamali
Sotheby’s International; 8. Marianne
Pittard, ReMax River and Sea; 9. Kate
Merrill, Windermere Stellar; and 10.
Sally Conrad, Kamali Sotheby’s Inter-
national.
Sherry Sopko at 503-440-6456 or nc-
bia@msn.com
Lead-based paint
refresher class
offered Feb. 10
12th man ice cream
debuts at Frite & Scoop
The North Coast Building Industry
Association is offering a half-day morn-
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Refresher class Feb. 10 in Astoria. The
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The cost is $150 for NCBIA members
or $200 for non-members. Preregistra-
tion is required, and the class is limited
to 12 students. For information, contact
Frite & Scoop, the gourmet ice cream
parlor at 175 14th St., is making a Super
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through Sunday, available in scoops and
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cream with a blueberry swirl.
Frite & Scoop is open from noon to
6 p.m. Thursday through Monday. For
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Facebook or at www.friteandscoop.com
Clatsop County
Property Transactions
Seller: Clatsop County
6KHULII¶V2I¿FH
Buyer: LPP Mortgage Ltd.
Address: 32281 Hemlock
Lane, Arch Cape
Price: $1.3 million
Seller: Leon Jackson
Buyer: Bryan K. Kumm
and Debra E. Kumm
Address: 664 39th St.
Price: $348,500
Sellers: Larry T. Poor,
Stacey L. Brown and Mark
Brown
Buyer: Federal National
Mortgage Association
Address: 92904 Cherry
Road, Astoria
Price: $209,679
Seller: Clatsop County
6KHULII¶V2I¿FH
Buyer: Nationstar Mort-
gage, LLC
Address: 36144 U.S.
Highway 26, Seaside
Price: $189,547
Making
the
Dollar
INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES
BY EDWARD STRATTON
Liza Gibbons, owner
Raqad Fitness, LLC
3470 U.S. Highway 101
Gearhart
Liza Gibbons’ Raqad Fitness takes its name from
the Hebrew verb “to stamp, spring about wildly or for
joy, dance, jump, leap, skip.” The wife of U.S. Coast
Guardsman, she started her company when they were
living in Washington, D.C., but has been operating it
for two years in Gearhart and now includes morning
and evening classes taught by four instructors, in-
cluding herself. Raqad is getting ready to move, albe-
it within a few miles of her current location, she said.
Find Raqad Fitness’ rates, schedule and other infor-
mation at www.raqadfitness.com and on Facebook.
How would describe your business?
“Raqad Fitness is kind of a unique model we have.
We’re family friendly, first of all. Kids are welcome to
come in and hang out and wait while their moms are
working out. My background is public health educa-
tion, and I’m a health education specialist. After being
a stay-at-home mom for a long time … starting this felt
very similar in many ways. I try to keep it affordable
so that women can come back and make fitness a part
of their life, not just something they do occasionally.”
How did you get into this business?
“I started Raqad Fitness when we were in D.C. (in
2009). It looked a little different than this. I didn’t
have my own studio. I rented space in dance studios,
just a class here, a class there. When I moved here, I
wanted to do the same thing. After a while, I found
out through a friend that they were renting this old
space, which was previously Gearhart Workout. I told
my husband ‘what do you think about this; do you
mind? What if no one comes?’ Because I didn’t do
any advertising. He said ‘well I’m going to invest in
you, and I just want to support you.’ We put up all
the money upfront to get started, and he said ‘I have
enough for you to continue for a year, even if no one
comes.’ I did the first week of free classes, and I only
offered four classes a week when we started, and they
were packed full of ladies.”
Who is your usual clientele?
“What I love about what we’ve created here is that
there is no usual clientele. We’ve really just kind of
broke through the walls of who comes here. Do we
have moms that drive Mercedes and Porsches? Yes.
Are there lawyers’ wives and doctors’ wives and busi-
ness owners? Yes. But we also have a whole range
of people. And I’ll take people who are like ‘Look, I
can’t afford to come, but I can’t afford to go.’ And I
work with those people on like a plan that they can
afford, just so they can come and benefit.”
Seller: Macdonald Farm,
LLC
Buyers: Michael V. Cropp
and Susan C. Cropp
Address: 719 5th Ave.,
Hammond
Price: $290,000
Sellers: Darryl Tucker and
Julie Tucker
Buyers: Kasey T. Vu and
Lauren P. Cai
Address: 2420 S. Edge-
wood St., Seaside
Price: $260,500
EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian
Liza Gibbons runs Raqad Fitness in Gearhart.
Submitted photo
Olynxa Levy cuts hair and shaves faces at Oly’s Barber Shop in Uppertown.
Barber brings 30-year history to Oly’s
By EDWARD
STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
Olynxa Levy, a barber
for 30 years and proprietor
of the recently opened Oly’s
Barber Shop, describes her-
self as a tomboy.
She said she doesn’t re-
ally cut women’s hair. “I’ve
always worked in a barber-
shop. Put me in a salon, and
I probably wouldn’t know
what to do.”
Her barbershop is locat-
ed at 2910 Marine Drive,
the former location of Sa-
lon 29. But the location,
she said, has a more than
30-year history as a barber-
shop, and she’s looking to
bring back that business and
sense of community.
Levy, who’s worked for
Crossfades Analog Barber-
shop and Reef & Compa-
ny Barbers, does haircuts,
straight razor shaves and
hot towel treatments in
her 1890’s Koken hydrau-
lic-powered barber chair,
offering discounts for mem-
bers of the military, veterans
and for simplistic buzz cuts.
“This is a barbershop/
studio,” said Levy, who also
does lost-wax casting and
other jewelry-making at her
shop.
Oly’s Barber Shop is
open from 10:15 a.m. to 6
p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Fridays. It’s
closed on Wednesdays and
Sundays, and takes appoint-
ments Saturdays at 505-
989-3611.
What are some of the quirks of your business?
“Because we’re loud, it’s difficult for us. I really
need to be in a place where I can be as loud as I want
and not disturb my neighbors. Being here has been
wonderful for the last two years, but it is very dif-
ficult. And I’m actually … going to be moving. I’m
looking at two possibilities. Both locations are big-
ger than here, and I’m going to need the next month
to put in floors and mirrors and make them lovely. I
want to be a benefit to wherever we are.”
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