Radiator shop expands into rental business
9Botten's Radiator, located at 1053 N.E. Lafayette Ave. in McMinnville, has expanded to add equipment rental services.
Owners include Alan and Shannon Botten and Shannon's parents, Richard and Johanne Edwards. Alan and Richard will play the central on-site roles, as Shannon will continue as a special education teacher at Duniway Middle School and Johanne will retain her job at Buchanan Cellers.
Members of the Edwards family own a larger and more diversified rental business in Portland called Barbur Blvd. Rentals. The Portland parent company will supply items like tables, chairs, canopies and tents on a reservation basis.
Alan Botten took over the radiator business, launched in the family barn by his, Jim, five years ago. It has occupied its current Lafayette quarters since 1995.
He said his business plan called for expansion into new lines of business all along.
He said the rental side will stock automotive and construction tools, lawn and garden equipment, ladders and scaffolding, appliance dollies and welding outfits, plumbing and electrical tools, and tractors, loaders and trenchers. He said some of the larger items will have to be stored off site, so reservations are advised for them.
"It's an adventure to see how well it does," Botten said. If it takes off, he will look into ways to expand his offerings, he said.
The Initial feedback has been "really outstanding," he said.
"I think a lot of people now days are really into buy local and keeping the money in town," he said. And he said, "I enjoy helping people out and solving problems."
For more information, call 503-472-1599.
:
MORNING THUNDER
Local chef Rich Chavez is planning to open a downtown cafe under the Morning Thunder name Wednesday. The cafe is located in The Courtyard, a set of shops in the historic Bennette Building at 619 N.E. Third St.
Chavez spent seven years cooking at McMinnville's Wild Wood Cafe. He left in November to begin laying plans for his own restaurant.
He said the focus will be on American-style food with everything prepared in a fresh and healthy fashion. Half the menu will be vegetarian, he said.
Chavez said he will start with just seven tables, but plans to expand into the courtyard area by September. A specialty will be pancake hush puppies for children, coated with powered sugar or served with fruit toppings, he said.
:BEEF OR BUCKS
Several local winners were announced Friday in the Les Schwab tire company's 49th annual free beef promotion. Winning their choice of $500 worth of beef or the cash equivalent were William Reber Jr., Jacqueline Brawand, Brandon Quinn, David Spencer and Deirdre Errand.
The Oregon-based company drew the names of 1,500 customers all told. That qualified them for $750,000 in giveaways through 432 company outlets in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada and Utah.
Les Schwab, which recently moved its corporate headquarters from Prineville to Bend, now boasts more than 6,600 employees in seven Western states. It launched the program in 1964 to thank customers in small, rural farm and ranch communities where the company got its start.
The McMinnville outlet is locattted at 170 N.E. Highway 99W.
:
CLASS MOVE
Heather Rocklin has moved her Thursday meditation classes, which run from 6:45 to 815 p.m., to the 4 Elements Yoga Studio at 424 N.E. Fourth St.
Classes run $5 for students with identification and $10 for everyone else. The focus is on using tttzt tt father father teachings to find inner peace.
The studio will also be offering a two-session workshop, "Radical Homemaking 101," from 6 to 8 p.m. the Sundays of March 11 and 25. It will focus on ways an individual can reduce his ecological impact and gain greater life satisfaction with less effort.
The course will be taught by Kris Gabrielsen. It runs $30.
For more information, contact the studio at 503-687-1750 or Gabrielsen at 503-474-2938.
:PTA FUNDRAISER
The Sue Buel Elementary School PTA is teaming up with McMenamin's on a "Husky Family & Friends Night Out," set to run 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at the Hotel Oregon, 310 N.E. Evans St.
Half of all food and beverage sales during the event will be donated to the PTA for use for school needs, including field trips, assemblies and school supplies. For more information, contact Shelly Brown at 503-807-9092.
:IMAGE PRESENTATION
Tracy Hayes of Animist Design will give a free business presentation titled, "What Does Your Image Say To Others?" It is set for 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 5, at Orchards Bistro, 313 N.E. Third St.
Hayes, who has been a graphic artist for more than 30 years, will cover how a business can establish and maintain an effective image. She will also address what constitutes good logo design and how to work with creative services providers.
For more information, call 503-560-5929.
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MERIT INFORMATION
An informational session, "Explore and Define Your Business," will be offered through the Chemeketa Small Business Development Center's MERIT program from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7. It will be held at the offices of the Housing Authority of Yamhill County, 135 N.E. Dunn Place.
To register, visit www.merit-microenterprises.org.
:DRAGON GATE
A sign posted at the Dragon Gate Chinese Restaurant indicates it is closed for remodeling. The sign gave a shutdown date of Feb. 29, but did provide a reopening date.
No one could be reached at the restaurant, located at 1310 N.E. Baker St., in a strip mall anchored by the Dollar Tree.
Molly Walker, the News-Register's business editor, can be reached at mwalker@newsregister.com or 503-687-1272.
