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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 31, 2017)
Polk County News 2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 31, 2017 Oasis out to break marijuana stereotypes By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — Oasis Cannabis in Monmouth is ready to break the pothead stereotype. “We want to remove the stigma from pot, and intro- duce ourselves and educate our community,” said Ben- jamin Figueroa. “There’s the word ‘stoner,’ but we actual- ly provide medication. We provide a service to the community. That would be my favorite part (about this business), taking away the stigma about marijuana that isn’t necessarily true.” Manager Patrick Gump agreed. “Having experience in other dispensaries and bud- tending, our greatest asset are the people who come in and see us,” he said. “They usually come in wanting something, wanting to find a little bit of peace and happi- ness, and knowing we get to be a part of finding their happiness and finding them something that will make their life a little more enjoy- able, something that will be a benefit to them.” The business had a soft opening on May 20 during the annual Monmouth-In- EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer Sherrena Jenkins, Benjamin Figueroa, Matthew Mallett, Patrick Gump, Mia Clinton and Palmer Baldwin. dependence Chamber of Commerce’s Discover MI Town, and took the opportu- nity to show people around the shop — including fami- lies. Figueroa said Oasis prides itself on its curb appeal. “We’re not trying to hide anything,” he said. “We’re trying to be part of the com- munity and let them know we’re here. We’re here to help you and educate you.” “I have extreme passion about the cannabis indus- try, everything, all the way from processing at the cannabis plant to the f l ow e r a n d s e e d s a n d everything,” Gump said. “This plant is magic.” The cannabis shop offers both recreational and med- ical-grade products, from flower to edibles — and will begin selling clones — or marijuana plant starts, and seeds. It also offers a variety of methods to consume the products, from handblown glass pipes by MJ’s Glass & Vape, out of Salem, to in- fusers. Monmouth is the third lo- cation for Oasis, and Gump said they’ve learned a few things about the business through their first two stores, one in Seaside and one in Newberg. “We have a fantastic crew out here,” Gump said. “It’s been a lot of heart, a lot of work. We’ve also learned from our past stores, so we really expect this to be the leader of the community as far as cannabis goes.” One of their goals in help- ing to break the stigma is by sharing research-based in- formation, Matthew Mallett said. “It’s natural,” he said. “We’re not synthesizing it from anything. Pharmaceu- tical companies do more work than we do.” Mia Clinton said that she saw great improvements in her patients that used cannabis when she was a certified nursing assistant. “I like helping people,” she said. “I want to give them something healthy, something that’s not going to give you this side effect, or take something away. It’s not going to kill you, and you’re not going to die from this.” With two veterans on staff — Gump and Palmer Bald- win — Oasis offers veterans discounts. T h e Mo n m o u t h C i t y Council had considered banning marijuana shops in the Main Street District, but decided to allow it at the end. Gump said he is grateful for that decision and the warm welcome he has gotten from Mayor Steve Milligan and city councilors. “We understand the 360 that took place and are very grateful for it,” he said. Oasis Cannabis is at 221 Main St. E., Monmouth. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. WOU grad ready to improve value of the chamber By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH/INDEPEN- DENCE — Vikkye Fetter is eager to begin her job as the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce ex- ecutive director. She technically started on May 22, but plans to begin in earnest — “Without train- ing wheels,” as she put it — next week. “I’m inheriting three peo- ple’s organizational system,” she said. “My first plan is to lock myself in that of- fice and re- ally see what infor- mation we have, what stuff we need, what Fetter stuff we don’t need and just have in there because no one’s had the time to go through that.” During that process, Fet- ter, 26, said she hopes to get m o re a c q u a i n t e d w i t h chamber programs, includ- ing some that could use some revamping. “Our Chamber Rewards program is one,” she said. “I don’t think that a lot of the members know that’s a thing they can be in or know what it does for them. I’m going to scavenger hunt to see what I can do to add more value to the chamber for folks, so the question of, ‘What is the chamber and what can it do for me,’ isn’t the question so much as, ‘I heard about the chamber, and I’d love to be in it because of this.’ That would be my dream.” Fetter graduated from Western Oregon University in 2013 and majored in Eng- lish. After college, she ran a haunted history tour com- pany — researching the his- tory of towns in 30 states and writing tours while managing tour guides. When she saw the job posted for a chamber direc- tor in December 2016, when former chamber director Jean Love stepped down, she went for it. “It seemed like all the skills that I’d been using my whole life was in this job,” Fetter said. The chamber board of di- rectors chose Ryan Kingsella, who announced his resigna- tion earlier this month. Rather than repost the job, board president Miriam Hau- gen reached out to Fetter. “I was really excited to hear that they were still in- terested in me, and that they remembered me at all was very flattering, and that they still thought of me for the position,” Fetter said. “I’m excited about it.” She didn’t know a lot about chambers at first — just through companies she’d worked with who be- longed to them. “As far as I knew, it was a way to get advertising,” Fet- ter said. “And it is, don’t get me wrong, but it’s also an advocacy group. It’s a net- work. It’s a way for you to get connections as a business owner and as a member that you would have to search out yourself, normally, and not be able to find.”
