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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2016)
Polk County News 8A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 24, 2016 Fee Mail ready to be town’s ‘assistant’ Store offers shipping, copies, faxes, party supplies and personal mailboxes By Emily Mentzer Fee Mail The Itemizer-Observer EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer Traci Weston, manager at Fee Mail, shows off some of the furniture on display in the store on Broad Street in Monmouth. Benefit Concert for the Polk County Food Bank Sunday, August 28, 2016 • 12 - 2 pm Dallas 1st Presbyterian Church 879 SW Levens St, Dallas, OR Performance by Cash & Co. Luann Cash-Rits, Sally Clark, Dan Apperson and Joan Coleman. Come and enjoy the music and help our Food Bank and the people who are supported by this facility. Canned foods and/or cash donaions gladly accepted. MONMOUTH — Need shipping? Tablecloths for a family party? Decorations for that wedding or baby shower? How about a quick gift shipped to a friend across the country? Or a personal mailbox? Fee Mail on Broad Street in Monmouth has you cov- ered. “We’re kind of the town’s personal assistant,” said manager Traci Weston. “You have to pay us, but we’re cheap. We care. We have whatever you need done.” The business fills a gap in Monmouth and Independ- ence, from UPS and FedEx shipping to getting a copy made or sending a fax, West- on said. Stepping into Fee Mail doesn’t feel like walking into a shipping store, with furni- ture and knickknacks Where: 169 S. Broad St., Monmouth. Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. arranged around the shop. Weston has six local vendors offering their arts and crafts for sale in the shop. “We’re helping local peo- ple make money so they can keep it local,” Weston said. “The ladies who sell their stuff are all from the area. This is how they make money. They can still sell their products online, or you can walk in and buy it.” The combination ship- ping and handmade arts and crafts means someone can touch and feel a product before buying it — unlike online shopping websites. Often the artist or crafter is available to meet at the store and talk with potential cus- tomers in person. Weston coordinates Toys For Tots for Benton and Polk counties each year, and will make Fee Mail the head- quarters for the annual toy drive. Coming from a non- profit background, Weston has used her new job to find other resources for those in need. “We had a young lady come in and say, ‘We’re going to be homeless; we need to rent a private mail- box,’” Weston said. “I re- ferred her to several agen- cies, but I was still frustrat- ed, so I put it out there on Facebook saying, can any- body help.” Another time, one of her vendors needed a boost in income to move to a new house. “She wasn’t asking for a handout,” Weston said. “She said, ‘I make stuff. I sell stuff. Come shop.’ So I waived my commission for that time period knowing that she needed last-minute help.” Sojourn donates shampoo By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — While the American Red Cross sends more help to Louisiana — including de- ployments from Polk County — Sojourn International is doing what it can to aid the flood victims: donating shampoo. The hair-care manufac- turing company based out of Independence recently established a distributor in Baton Rouge, La. “Debbie (Boulton) and I got a phone call from the owner of JKL Salon and Spa in Baton Rouge, who said i t ’s r e a l l y b a d ,” s a i d Matthew Boulton, co-owner of Sojourn. “People just haven’t got their basic needs.” They’d just made a run of shampoo, so they increased the batch to donate 154 liters to shelters in Baton Rouge to help with basic hygiene. Matthew said he is heading to Louisiana Wednesday (today) to help distribute the bottles. Thousands have been evacuated because of the his- toric flooding in Louisiana and remain in shelters. Co- owner Debbie Boulton said Sojourn is happy to help in whatever capacity they can. Hot outside? We have AC! Sunday Monday “If they have other needs, that’s kind of what we’re there for,” Debbie said. “If we can help with clean up or serving food, we will. The fact that we’re 100 percent biodegradable means if the drainage sys- tem isn’t working properly, nothing in our product is going to compromise the environment and make things worse.” Matthew said he is a bit worried about getting around once he lands in Louisiana. “This next week they’re getting another huge set of torrential rains,” Debbie said. Youth Leagues for boys and girls, ages 5 and up! Friday Karaoke Cosmic Night 7 pm - 10 pm Cold and wet? We keep you dry and warm all season! Birthday party packages! Fresh food. Family safe. Climate controlled. Wednesday Tuesday Fees are subject to change. Thursday Saturday Fall/Winter adult leagues are filling up fast! Call or stop in today! 394 Main St, Dallas 503-623-4267 Follow us on Facebook