BUSINESS
Wallowa County Chieftain
A6
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
J’s Place survives online competition
BIZZ
BUZZ
J’S PLACE
Where: 103 SW 1st St.,
Enterprise
Email: jsplace@oregon-
trail.net
By Bill Bradshaw
Phone: 541-263-0225
Computer, guitar
store still thriving
Online: Currently updat-
ing website
E
NTERPRISE —
Strumming and tin-
kering right along,
Jay Connolly, owner of J’s
Place in Enterprise, consid-
ers himself a survivor.
He’s survived the coro-
navirus pandemic and dev-
astating competition from
online marketers. He’s
even survived several
moves of his store’s loca-
tion, although he’s always
remained in Enterprise.
“I’ve been all over the
place,” he said during a
Tuesday, June 22 inter-
view. “Actually, I’ve had
J’s Place as a business since
1996.”
Connolly, who primar-
ily sells guitars, comput-
ers and related items, took
last year off , which hap-
pened to coincide with the
pandemic. He moved from
his former location on Main
Street to the corner of NW
1st and North streets about
six months ago.
“That’s the way it
worked out,” he said. “It
wasn’t intended to be that
way, but that’s the way it
worked out.”
But the store may have
not been noticed by many.
“I didn’t have a sign on
there for quite a while,” he
said.
Guitars may be the
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Jay Connolly, owner of J’s Place in Enterprise, looks over a PC he’s been working on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. Connolly sells a
variety of guitars, computers and related equipment and repairs them, too.
most noticeable item when
one walks into the store.
He keeps a few guitars —
both electric and acous-
tic — in stock, as well as
guitar strings and other
accessories.
“I usually have just a
couple guitars in stock,” he
said. “I sell lots of strings
and things like that. I do
order PA (public address)
equipment — sound sys-
tems and things like that.”
The majority of Con-
nolly’s business is repair-
ing and selling computers.
He mostly works on PCs,
but also does Macs. That’s
where most of his business
is — ordering and working
on items for customers.
He doesn’t have a lot of
local competition these days,
as several computer stores in
the county were driven out of
business in the past decade
by online merchants.
“Actually, the compe-
tition is from online,” he
said. “When I started, there
were (several other shops
in the county), but online
just killed it off .”
But the decrease in com-
petition had nothing to do
with last year’s pandemic.
“When these guys (the
online stores) started get-
ting really popular, that’s
when it changed,” he said.
“Most of us still bought
parts and built computers,
but that changed, too.”
But Connolly still fi nds
business good and he
appreciates the support of
the community.
“It’s really good,” he
said. “I’d taken a year off
and so, coming back, more
and more of my old cus-
tomers are coming in and
I’ve really enjoyed that. I
missed them.”
Connolly is sole owner
& Skylight
Gallery
of the store and the princi-
pal operator. His wife, Jen-
nifer Hawkins-Connolly
is an art teacher at Joseph
Charter School. Together,
they have two sons,
Joshua, 27, and Gabriel,
18. Both live here, and
Josh works part time in his
dad’s store.
As a local merchant,
Connolly fi nds the commu-
nity feeling invaluable.
“The community here
has been so good to me. I
want to thank the commu-
nity for the support they’ve
given,” he said. “I can’t
say enough about Wallowa
County. We live in a really
great place.”
And he’s gratifi ed to be
back in business.
“After the break, it’s
good to be back and great
to see my old friends,” he
said. “This location is nice
and busy because you see
stuff and I think it’s pretty
easy to fi nd. I plan on
staying here until I retire
because that’s only going
to be four years.”
———
Bill Bradshaw is a
reporter for the Wallowa
County Chieftain. Have a
business tip? Contact him
at 541-398-5503 or bbrad-
shaw@wallowa.com.
Church
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Finding books is
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4. The “B” of BCE
Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
Pastor Cherie Dearth
10 AM Worship
Phone: 541-432-3102
409 West Main - Enterprise
Online AND In Person
For More Info
Worship
Online at
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
JosephUMC.org
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St. Patrick’s
Episcopal Church
85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
(Guidelines observed)
Sunday School at 10:30
Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00
100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church
Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
5. Rummikub or Risk
6. Swiss peak
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65. Ave. crossers in NYC
107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
www.bookloftoregon.com
Summit Church
Sundays at 9:30 am and 11 am
Sundays
at 10 am
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise.
at are
the required
Cloverleaf
Hall available
in Enterprise
Masks
- but made
at the door.
Pastor: David Pendleton
541.398.0597
Hwy 82, Lostine
www.summitchurchoregon.org
Stephen Kliewer, Minister
Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828
Wallowa
Assembly
of God
702 West Hwy 82
Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
Sunday School • 9:am
Worship Service • 10:am
Pastor Tim Barton
Visit Us on
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church & School
305 Wagner (near the Cemetery)
P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828
Church 541-426-3751
School 541-426-8339
Pastor David Ballard 503-810-9886
Worship Hour
10:30 a.m. - Noon
Christ Covenant
Church
Pastor Terry Tollefson
Church Office: 541-263-0505
Family Prayer 9:30 a.m.
Worship 10:00 a.m.
723 College Street, Lostine
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church
Join us at the
BIG BROWN CHURCH
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Bible Studies:
Bible Studies:
Sundays
9:30 am &
Sundays, 9:30 am &
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Thursdays, 5:30 pm
Led by Lay Pastor Archie Hook
301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR
Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044