BUSINESS NEWS 8 • MARCH 2022 COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL Family-owned businesses adapt amid pandemic Some have reevaluated and expanded By ABBEY McDONALD Coast River Business Journal It has been two years since the û rst c oronavirus case was identiû ed in Oregon, and since then fami- ly-owned businesses on the North Coast have weath- ered pandemic surges alongside their communities. Some businesses that stayed aû oat during the pandemic did so by reevaluating their approach 4 and in some cases 4 expanded . ‘We’re pretty optimistic and easygoing’ Danny and Yvonne Lee, a couple who own Hobo Junction in Long Beach, pivoted to focus on online sales for the û rst time, and were surprised with how much demand there was. Their salvage store near Paciû c Avenue sticks out, surrounded by sculptures and piles of û shing equipment. On the right side of the house sits a pile of û oats, bought from local û shermen , nearly as tall as one of several life-sized decorative skeletons on the property. The secondhand equipment became one of their bestsellers during the pandemic, according to Danny Lee. <Anytime there9s a lockdown in a state, you can tell because the sales pick up on Etsy,= he said. He û gures that most of the û oats went to dec- orate people9s homes and nautical-themed restau- rants. One man drove from Texas to û ll his truck with it. Joe9s Crab Shack, which has no locations in Oregon or Washington state , was another buyer. <I was surprised that these were even selling,= Lee said. <They9re such a big box, too. Over 50% of our price is shipping.= The couple bought the property around 20 years ago from a man who amassed a collection of things like û shing equipment in the yard, baubles and Mar- ilyn Monroe collectibles. The couple has kept up PHOTOS BY ABBEY McDONALD Yvonne and Danny Lee are the owners of Hobo Junction in Long Beach. with the general theme and has added their own art and work from local artists to the mix. Lee said the pandemic brought more customers looking to decorate their yards. One popular item has been Lee9s metal recre- ation of the robot Bender from the cartoon <Futur- ama.= The sixth incarnation of the character stands See Page 9 Q: My lawn looks very unhealthy. How can I green it up and get rid of the weeds? A: BRIM9S Farm & Garden 34963 Hwy. 101 Business Astoria • 503-325-1562 For beautiful gardens & healthy animals www.brimsfarmngarden.com First, correct the acidity with an application of fast-acting lime. Lime will correct a low ph caused by our abundant rain, which reduces the effectiveness of nitrogen. This simple ph correction is enough to green up the grass during the rainy season. Also apply a slow-release organic fertilizer or a thin layer of compost. Wait until the soil warms up, (50+ degrees), to see if you still have a weed problem. Once the grass is growing better and is greener, you may be able to ignore a few weeds. If weeds persist, identify them, and choose the best method to eradicate them. Danny Lee makes metal art and said that his sculptures of Bender, from the television show ‘Futura- ma,’ have been popular at Hobo Junction.