Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2015)
BUSINESS 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015 EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian Brian Harriger, center, and Patrick Gore work at Smoke ’N Vape Bloc, which includes many pieces of paraphernalia for smoking and vaping. Smoke, vape shop opens downtown Second in Astoria By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Downtown Astoria, without DYDSLQJORXQJHDWWKHEHJLQQLQJ of 2015, now has two. Yosef “Joe” Alburati, who RZQVWKH7H[DFRVWDWLRQLQ$V WRULD H[SDQGHG KLV EXVLQHVV ventures downtown into Smoke ¶19DSH%ORFZKLFKKHRSHQHG 0DUFKLQWKHIRUPHU7LHQGD /D &RVWHQLWD +LVSDQLF JURFHU\ VWRUH QH[W WR 0DOWHUQDWLYH DW 0DULQH 'ULYH 7KH VKRS MRLQV&ROXPELD9DSHVRQ&RP mercial Street as the second GRZQWRZQYDSLQJORXQJH “It’s the new thing to the new generation,” said Joe Alburati, XQDSRORJHWLFDERXWWDSSLQJLQWR WKHJURZLQJWUHQGRIYDSLQJWKH LQKDODWLRQRIYDSRUL]HGQLFRWLQH ³$FURVVWKH:HVW&RDVWLW¶VUL GLFXORXVO\SRSXODU´ Joe Alburati owns two stores, DVPRNHVKRSZLWKDYDSHVKRS QH[W GRRU ZLWK EXVLQHVV SDUW ner Sadek “David” Alammari entering the store’s main corri- dor, all black slat walls, shelves DQG EDFNOLW JODVV GLVSOD\ FDVHV SDFNHG ZLWK HYHU\ PDQQHU RI VPRNLQJ DQG YDSLQJ VXSSOLHV DORQJ ZLWK GHWR[LQJ GULQNV a wide selection of lighters, knives and other merchandise. $EDFNURRPLV¿OOHGZLWKERQJV DQGRWKHUZDWHUSLSHV 0R$OEXUDWLVDLGWKDWEHIRUH SHRSOHKDGWRWUDYHOWR8QGHUWKH %ULGJH&LJDUHWWH6KRSLQ8QLRQ town to get the same stuff. The SDUWQHUVKHDGGHGGLGQ¶WWKLQN downtown was alive enough at night and wanted to do some- Submitted photo WKLQJORFDOO\LQVWHDGRIRSHQLQJ Smoke ’N Vape Bloc is run by partners, from left, Yosef “Joe” DVKRSLQ3RUWODQG Alburati, Sadek “David” Alammari and Muhamed “Mo” Alburati. The original idea, he said, ZDVWRVWDUWDYDSLQJGLVSOD\DW LQ 0DGHUD &DOLI +HOSLQJ KLP chemicals, while educators have WKH7H[DFRZKLFK-RH$OEXUDWL run the store in Astoria is cousin EHHQUHSRUWLQJLQFUHDVHGXVHRI FDPH WR $VWRULD IURP &DOLIRU 0XKDPHG³0R´$OEXUDWL YDSRUL]LQJGHYLFHVLQVFKRRO QLD¶V &HQWUDO9DOOH\ LQ WR %H\RQG D VRFLDO WUHQG YDS The Alburatis said the store manage, before he bought it LQJD¿FLRQDGRVKDYHKDLOHGWKH would have a sign telling minors from his uncle last summer. SUDFWLFHDVDZD\IRUSHRSOHWR to not go beyond the front lobby The Alburatis come from a FHDVHVPRNLQJ%XWKHDOWKRI¿ of the store, which sells clothing, ORQJ OLQH RI HQWUHSUHQHXUV DQG cials have sounded alarm bells, candy and other merchandise. VDLGWKH\KRSHWRPDNH6PRNH VD\LQJ WKH YDSLQJ OLTXLGV FRQ Beyond that, they said, ¶1 9DSH %ORF D FKDLQ VWDUWLQJ WDLQ WKHLU RZQ KDUPIXO PL[ RI customers will be ID’d before ZLWK0DGHUDDQG$VWRULD (PSOR\PHQWULVHVDELWRQWKHFRDVW 6HDVRQDOO\ DGMXVWHG XQHP SOR\PHQW WKURXJK )HEUXDU\ GURSSHG LQ &ODWVRS &ROXPELD and Tillamook counties, ac- cording to data released Tues- GD\ E\ WKH 2UHJRQ (PSOR\ PHQW'HSDUWPHQW 6HDVRQDOO\ DGMXVWHG ¿JXUHV FRPSDUH H[SHFWHG FKDQJHV with actual changes. ,Q &ODWVRS &RXQW\ WKH SHUFHQWVHDVRQDOO\DGMXVWHGXQ HPSOR\PHQW UDWH LQ )HEUXDU\ ZDVDSHUFHQWGURSIURPWKH SUHYLRXVPRQWKDQGDKDOISHU FHQW GURS IURP WKH \HDU SULRU It was lower than the state rate SHUFHQWDQGVOLJKWO\KLJK HU WKDQ WKH QDWLRQDO UDWH SHUFHQW &ODWVRS &RXQW\ KDV WKH HLJKWKORZHVW HPSOR\PHQW rate of Oregon’s 36 counties. The county added 200 non- IDUPMREVLQ)HEUXDU\PRUH WKDQ H[SHFWHG 7KDW OHIW QRQ IDUP SD\UROO HPSOR\PHQW DW 17,640, 600 more than the same SRLQWODVW\HDU6WDWHHFRQRPLVW Erik Knoder said the increase ZDVPRVWO\DWWULEXWDEOHWRH[LVW LQJEXVLQHVVHVDGGLQJHPSOR\ ees, from one to a dozen. 2YHUWKHSDVWPRQWKWKHSUL YDWHVHFWRUDGGHGMREVDQG JRYHUQPHQW HPSOR\PHQW URVH E\ /HLVXUH DQG KRVSLWDOLW\ JUHZE\MREVWUDQVSRUWDWLRQ warehousing and utilities added 40; and local government edu- cation added 60 as the school year continued after the winter break. Industries adding the most MREVRYHUWKHSDVW\HDULQFOXGHG UHWDLO WUDGH OHLVXUH DQG KRVSLWDOLW\ DQG SURIHV sional and business services 7KH LQGXVWU\ VKHGGLQJ WKH PRVW MREV LQ WKH SDVW \HDU ZDVSDSHUPDQXIDFWXULQJ Jobless rates for Feb. 2015 * Area Clatsop Feb. Jan. Feb. 2015 2015 2014 5.6 6 5.9 Columbia 7.1 7.7 7.4 Tillamook 5.6 6.1 6.3 Oregon 5.8 6.7 6.9 U.S. 5.5 5.6 6.7 *Preliminary, seasonaly adjusted rates. Source: Oregon Employment Department Daily Astorian graphic \HDUSULRU,WKDVWKHUGORZ HVW XQHPSOR\PHQW UDWH RXW RI Oregon’s 36 counties. 7KHFRXQW\DGGHGMREVLQ )HEUXDU\DVSUHGLFWHGWKDWOHIW QRQIDUPSD\UROOHPSOR\PHQWDW 10,080, 120 more than the year before. 2YHU WKH SDVW PRQWK WKH SULYDWH VHFWRU JDLQHG MREV DQG JRYHUQPHQW HPSOR\PHQW increased by 50. Durable goods PDQXIDFWXULQJ DGGHG MREV /RFDO JRYHUQPHQW HGXFDWLRQ grew by 60. 3ULYDWH VHFWRU HPSOR\PHQW rose by 30, and government HPSOR\PHQW LQFUHDVHG E\ RYHU WKH SDVW \HDU ,QGXVWULHV DGGLQJWKHPRVWMREVVLQFHODVW \HDUZHUHPDQXIDFWXULQJ DQG WUDGH WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ DQG XWLOLWLHV ,QGXVWULHV ORV LQJ MREV LQFOXGHG SURIHVVLRQDO DQG EXVLQHVV VHUYLFHV DQG FRQVWUXFWLRQ /RFDO governments, including school GLVWULFWVDGGHGMREVRYHUWKH year. Columbia County 0DQ\ &ROXPELD &RXQW\ &ROXPELD&RXQW\¶VSHU residents commute elsewhere FHQWVHDVRQDOO\DGMXVWHGXQHP for work, so it is not uncom- SOR\PHQWUDWHZDVDSHUFHQW mon for the total number of GURS IURP WKH PRQWK DQG WKH HPSOR\HG SHRSOH UHVLGLQJ LQ Clatsop County Property Transactions Seller:&KULVWLQD/7UROLQJHU Drive, Gearhart Buyers: David I. Pullin Price: $600,000 DQG&DURO&3XOOLQ Address: 3DFL¿F Sellers: Adrian J. Sieg- the county to change without a similar change in the number of SD\UROOMREVORFDWHGZLWKLQWKH county. Tillamook County 7LOODPRRN &RXQW\¶V SHUFHQWVHDVRQDOO\DGMXVWHGXQ HPSOR\PHQW UDWH LQ )HEUXDU\ ZDVGRZQSHUFHQWIURPWKH SUHYLRXVPRQWKDQGSHUFHQW IURPWKH\HDUSULRU7KHFRXQW\ has the eighth-lowest unem- SOR\PHQW UDWH RI 2UHJRQ¶V county’s, tracking alongside &ODWVRS&RXQW\¶VUDWH 7KH FRXQW\ ORVW MREV LQ )HEUXDU\ZKHQLWZDVH[SHFWHG to gain 60. That left non farm SD\UROO HPSOR\PHQW DW PRUH WKDQ WKH \HDU SULRU DQG D JURZWK UDWH RI SHU cent. Over the month of February, WKHSULYDWHVHFWRUVKHGMREV and governments trimmed 10. 7KH SURIHVVLRQDO DQG EXVLQHVV VHUYLFHV LQGXVWU\ DQG SULYDWH educational and health ser- YLFHVLQGXVWU\HDFKORVWMREV /RFDO JRYHUQPHQW HGXFDWLRQ JDLQHGMREVEXWRWKHUORFDO governments cut 20. 2YHUWKHSDVW\HDUWKHSUL YDWHVHFWRUDGGHGMREVDQG governments trimmed 10. In- GXVWULHV DGGLQJ WKH PRVW MREV LQFOXGHGUHWDLOWUDGHSUR fessional and business services HGXFDWLRQDO DQG KHDOWK VHUYLFHV DQG IRRG PDQX IDFWXULQJ/HLVXUHDQGKRV SLWDOLW\ZDVGRZQMREVRYHU the year. 7KH 2UHJRQ (PSOR\PHQW 'HSDUWPHQW SODQV WR UHOHDVH WKH 0DUFK FRXQW\ DQG PHWUR SROLWDQ DUHD XQHPSOR\PHQW UDWHVRQ$SULODQGWKHVWDWH ZLGH XQHPSOR\PHQW UDWH DQG HPSOR\PHQW VXUYH\ GDWD IRU 0DUFK$SULO 7R REWDLQ WKH data in other formats such as in ([FHO YLVLW ZZZ4XDOLW\,QIR org, select Economic Data, and FKRRVH/$86RU&(6 BIZ BRIEF Job fair on for MXQLRUVVHQLRUV &ODWVRS(FRQRPLF'HYHO RSPHQW 5HVRXUFHV 2UHJRQ (PSOR\PHQW'HSDUWPHQWDQG 3DFL¿F 1: :RUNV DUH RUJD QL]LQJDFDUHHUDQGMREIDLUIRU &ODWVRS &RXQW\ KLJK VFKRRO MXQLRUVDQGVHQLRUVIURP DPWRSP$SULODWWKH &ODWVRS&RXQW\)DLUJURXQGV They are reaching out to the business community to UHJLVWHU IRU DQG SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKLV LPPHGLDWH HPSOR\ PHQW FDUHHU RSSRUWXQLW\ DQG EXVLQHVV VHFWRU H[SRVXUH IRU students, about 550 of whom IURP$VWRULD-HZHOO.QDSSD Seaside and Warrenton high schools will be in attendance. Three target areas for em- SOR\HUVLQFOXGH +LULQJQRZIRULPPHGL DWH SRVLWLRQV RU IRU VXPPHU MREV /RRNLQJ IRU FRPPLWWHG DQG VNLOOHG HPSOR\HHV WR ¿OO career technical trades, voca- WLRQVDQGDSSUHQWLFHVKLSSRVL tions. 6KDULQJFDUHHURSWLRQVLQ &ODWVRS &RXQW\ IRU RXU FRO lege-bound students, both at &ODWVRS &RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJH and four-year colleges and XQLYHUVLWLHV 0DQ\ VWXGHQWV are not aware of the diverse SRVLWLRQV DYDLODEOH LQ PDQ\ industries locally. To register, visit www. SDFQZRUNVFRP FDOO /LQ da Wyss at 503-325-4821, H[W RU HPDLO KHU DW OLQ da.l.wyss@oregon.gov. Em- SOR\HUVDUHDVNHGWRUHJLVWHUE\ $SULODVWKHOLVWZLOOEHGLV tributed to all the high schools WRSUHSDUHWKHVWXGHQWV To volunteer, or for further TXHVWLRQVFRQWDFW&('5DQG 6PDOO%XVLQHVV'HYHORSPHQW &HQWHU ([HFXWLYH 'LUHFWRU .HYLQ/HDK\DW RUVEGF#FODWVRSFFHGX PDQQ DQG &DUROLQH 5 6LHJ /DQH$VWRULD mann Price: $365,000 Buyers: 0LDFKHO - 0DQQ DQG-XG\00DQQ Sellers: James Franz and Address: 150 Kensington $OH[LV.KRXU\ Ave., Astoria Buyers: 0DUN 5 %DUQHV Price: $379,900 DQG+HDWKHU5H\QROGV Address: &KHOPVIRUG Sellers: Sam Kwang San Ave., Astoria /LXDQG$QJHOD/DQJ/LX Price: $360,000 Buyer::HQG\/+HPVOH\ Address:([SHGLWLRQ Sellers: David S. Shan- EDWARD STRATTON — The Daily Astorian Rafael Otero and his wife Patricia O’Donnell (not pic- tured) fixed their carriage guest house on the north slope of Astoria into a couples bed and breakfast. Making the Dollar INTERVIEWS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES BY EDWARD STRATTON Rafael Otero, co-owner Windwater Bed & Breakfast 172 Duane St. Astoria 503-338-8702 or stay@windwaterbedandbreakfast.com 5DIDHO 2WHUR DQG 3DWULFLD 2¶'RQQHOO KDYH ¿[HG XS their 1980’s carriage house into the Windwater Bed & Breakfast, which overlooks Astoria from the north VORSH2¶'RQQHOOZRUNVDW&ROXPELD0HPRULDO+RVSL WDOZKLOH2WHURSULPDULO\KDQGOHVWKHEHGDQGEUHDNIDVW 7KH EXVLQHVV LV D ORQJWLPH GUHDP RI WKH FRXSOH ZKR moved to Astoria from San Francisco more than a de- cade ago. How would you describe your business? “We’re going for something a little different than what you see here in Astoria. It’s not a Victorian, so we’re go- LQJPRUHZLWKWKHPRGHUQ,W¶VJRLQJWREHDVSDFH«ZH WKLQNLW¶VDVSHFLDOVSDFHDQGZHWKLQNWKDWLWZLOODSSHDO to our guests. I’ve done a little research with the commu- nity, what’s out here. I’ve reached out to a lot of business owners in town. I took some classes at the college, be- cause this is a new venture for us.” How did you get into this business? “I and my wife moved here 11 years ago, and it’s VRPHWKLQJZH¶YHDOZD\VZDQWHGWRGR%XWOLIHKDSSHQV and 10 years went by, 11 years went by, and we never UHDOO\ GLG ZKDW ZH ZDQWHG 6R WKLV SDVW \HDU ZH VDLG ‘you know; let’s focus on what we really wanted to do.’ :HIRXQG$VWRULDLQDÀXNH:HZHUHGULYLQJWKURXJK DQGZHVSHQWWKHQLJKWKHUHDQGZHWKRXJKWµZKDWDVSH FLDOSODFH¶:HGHFLGHGWRPRYHKHUH:HTXLWRXUMREV LQ&DOLIRUQLDDQGZHSXUFKDVHGRXUKRPHNLQGRIJRW LQYROYHGLQWKHFRPPXQLW\,W¶VMXVWP\ZLIHDQGPHVR ZHMXVWGLGWKLQJVOLNHZHJRWLQYROYHGZLWKWKH&ODWVRS &RXQW\+LVWRULFDO6RFLHW\DQGZHIRXQGWKDWDORWRI SHRSOH KDG WKH VDPH SDVVLRQ ZH GLG ZLWK UHVWRUDWLRQ and history.” What is your main clientele? “In the 10 years we’ve been here, we’ve seen Astoria grow, everywhere from the breweries, to the distilleries, to the eateries, and I’ve done a little research for what’s RXWKHUHIRUSHRSOHWRVWD\:H¶UHQRWJRLQJWREHDELJ market. We’re not going to have a lot of rooms. We’re MXVW JRLQJ WR KDYH RQH VSDFH IRU KRSHIXOO\ RQH FRX SOHWKDWPD\ZDQWDOX[XULRXVURPDQWLFJHWDZD\$QG we’re going to kind of market it as that.” How will you do differentiate your business from other bed and breakfasts? ³,¶P KRSLQJ WR SUHVHQW P\ JXHVWV ZKHQ WKH\ FRPH KHUHZLWKDJLIWFHUWL¿FDWHWRRQHRIWKHORFDOHDWHULHVLQ town, where they can go have breakfast or lunch at their own time. Not to say that there’s not going to be stuff here to eat. It’s also a way to involve the community, the local restaurants. It will be a little different than what the other B&Bs are doing. They usually serve break- IDVWEHWZHHQDQGDP,¶YHWDONHGWRSHRSOH6RPH SHRSOH OHDYH HDUOLHU VRPH SHRSOH GRQ¶W JHW XS XQWLO o’clock. So there’s that short window. We want you to EHFRPIRUWDEOHKHUHZHZDQW\RXWRKDYHWKHSULYDF\ and we want you to have choices.” non and Bonnie Boyd Shan- DQG/RUL'(EULJKW non Address: 296 Silverside Buyer: 70&- 3DFL¿F 6W+DPPRQG //& Price: $335,000 Address: 6 +HP ORFN6W&DQQRQ%HDFK Sellers: Richard S. Price: $350,000 0LWFKHOO DQG 9HOGD & 0LWFKHOO Sellers: &KDUOHV : %HUJ Buyer: George Ruth HUVRQDQG&KDUORWWH0%HUJ Address: 0LOO 3RQG erson /DQH$VWRULD Buyers: 'DU\ / (EULJKW Price: $335,000