Category Archives: Local Businesses

By Carrie Wenninger | CNA Media Team

“Go within.” These wise words can be found on Psychic Sister’s website at Psychic-Sister.com.

However, if you wish to find this charming and eclectic shop at 1829 N.E. Alberta St. you’ll either need to use your intuition, or know the entrance is actually around the corner on 19th Avenue. You can also ask for directions via 971.420.2962 or Portland@PsychicSister.com.

Look for the orca mural – if you don’t know the plight of Lolita and the Southern Residents, search Google – and the black-painted double doors.

Feeling called? Accept the invitation and step into Psychic Sister’s mirrored anteroom. If you’ve come this far, don’t turn back now…

An alchemical mix of all things metaphysical – plus vintage clothing and a great hall of a community gathering space – await on the other side of the portal. Pardon, the beaded curtain, as do bewitching founding sister (aka owner) Dreamy Sea and her curiously calming, pint-sized pup Purple Rain.

Dreamy, who claims a natural affinity for the mystical since childhood, has run a clothing line, operated as a professional psychic, and founded her first-born sister shop in Olympia, Washington, in 2012. She felt called to expand the lineage and, while in Portland for an industry conference, was offered the opportunity to lease the space.

Opening the smaller retail area in April 2018 and the larger community room behind it in November, Dreamy noted, “Offering an accessible and inclusive place to create community feels like a mandate for me and, perhaps, an energetic priority for the neighborhood.”

Former occupants included the Wild Unknown and the Red Rose Ballroom. Further back, and far harder to envision, a meat packaging plant once called this lovely, high-ceilinged great room home.

Today, there’s a curated, museum-like feel to the place, with calming and positive energy emanating forth from both the products and services for sale, as well as from Dreamy and her employees.

Psychic readings? Check. Rocks, gems, crystals, cards? Indeed. Metaphysical books, Tarot decks, clothing both new and old? That too.

Classes on strengthening your intuition, healing with sound, and a safe and welcoming community space with the potential to act as a gathering spot for your highest self? Yes, and so much more.

Your spirit is truly welcome here.

Carrie is a Concordia resident and lives on 29th Avenue. As a freelance writer with a penchant for poetic prose, she tries to look for the humor in everyday life. She also is a mom and world traveler who, with her partner, owns a company that restores and repurposes vintage homes. Contact her at WurdGurl@gmail.com.

By Vanessa Miali | CNA Media Team

A worldly tea connoisseur is not someone you’d think of driving a TriMet bus, MAX train or Portland Streetcar, but Brendon Constans, has done it all.

“I’m a transit nerd who realized that I like riding, but not driving.”

After seven years of driving, he knows all Portland-area neighborhoods and chose Concordia to open his own Lovejoy’s Tea Room at 3286 N.E. Killingsworth St. It’s an offshoot of the original Lovejoy’s in San Francisco.

Stepping back in time with the charming decor, enjoying delicate tea sandwiches on unique mismatched china while relaxing with a steaming pot of tea is what Lovejoy’s is all about.

The mood is calm and the atmosphere inviting with its gallery of quirky keepsakes and vintage cabinets full of lacy table linens.

Brendon said he has always adored tea and spent his 18th birthday traveling in England and Ireland. He stayed at bed-and-breakfast establishments and dined in tea rooms.

“It’s all about the experience of sitting and enjoying the tea. The formal presentation attracts you and then you get distracted with the food.”

Lovejoy’s tea list is deep with more than 40 varieties from around the world and a featured tea of the day. The majority of the black teas come from England’s Taylors of Harrogate and some from Portland’s The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company.

The menu offers several options that include a bottomless pot of tea and ala carte. Tempting the diner are more than a dozen house-made tea sandwiches, ranging from pear and Stilton to walnut chicken salad, plus the traditional fare of vegan shepherd’s pie, sausage rolls, salads and quiche.

Brendon is already giving back to the community. During Lovejoy’s March grand opening, he treated the full Queen’s Tea experience to 15 residents of Kenton Women’s Village, a transitional housing project.

The Queen’s Tea is the premier offering at Lovejoy’s and comes with your choice of two tea sandwiches two salads a warm freshly-baked scone with preserves and Devon cream, a crumpet with Meyer lemon curd, fresh fruit, a petit four, and a shortbread tea biscuit.

Exceeding profit estimates for the first month is only the beginning of the tea room’s good fortune. Brendon attributes much of the success of Lovejoy’s to the employees.

“I have an amazing staff,” he pointed out. “They’ve all been so flexible and willing to help.”

Call 503.567.7888 or visit LoveJoysPortland.com/reservations to book a table for Wednesdays through Sundays between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Vanessa Miali has lived in Concordia for 18 years. She is a former public relations professional with two kids who cooks every day and gardens occasionally.

By Gina Levine CNA | Business Manager

The holiday season has begun. That means holiday shopping is gearing up. As you look through these pages of CNews, it’s a sure thing you’ll find a service, event venue or a retailer that offers the perfect gift for even the most particular person on your gift list.

CNews relies on advertisers to pay the printing and postage costs that help us fulfill our mission to help build community among Concordians. I work with those advertisers, and I can assure you they’re a collection of nice and hardworking individuals and groups who are proud to serve you.

So please consider them in your holiday shopping. (And, when you visit them, please thank them for helping CNews pay its bills!)

Moreover, I encourage you to shop throughout the neighborhood this holiday season. It’s become easy to shop online and watch the packages arrive on the doorstep.

It’s more fun to shop Alberta, Dekum and Killingsworth streets and 42nd and 33rd avenues. We have countless artists, artisans and other makers here. Their one-of-a-kind items will surely please the people on your gift list. And you’ll have stories to tell your gift recipients about meeting those makers.

There are specialty shops that are mostly locally owned, along with chain stores and franchises managed by your neighbors. We are lucky enough to have many treasured stores to be found within walking distance: bike stores, print shops, pet supplies/boarding, specialty books, grocery stores, and even some of the non-browsing type businesses (e.g., high-end auto restoration, metal salvaging, business consulting, commercial bakeries, and health and wellness services).

Don’t forget the purveyors of food and beverages. They’ll restore you during your shopping. Most sell gift cards too – possibly the easiest means to check off a few entries on your gift list.

Then there’s the economy. The American Independent Business Alliance offers these among the benefits of spending locally:

• Each dollar you spend at independent businesses returns three times more money to your local economy than one spent at a chain, and nearly 50 times more than at online mega-retailers.
• Small businesses donate more than twice as much per sales dollar to local nonprofits, events and teams compared to big businesses.
• Local management of business means residents with roots in the community are involved in key development decisions that shape our lives and local environment. Shop Concordia!

Gina Levine is an Idaho native who moved to Portland 12 years ago and lives in Concordia with her hubs and three kiddos. She spends her free time volunteering at local schools and the CNA Social Committee. If you’d like to advertise in CNews, give her a ring at 503.891.7178. You’ll be happy you did.

By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team

When bike enthusiast Dave Stoops moved to Portland from Connecticut in 2002, he was 18 and ready to get out on his own. Dave’s two sisters had already moved here and, when visiting them, Dave had the opportunity to experience the Pacific Northwest.

He’d fallen in love with the wilderness outside the city — the Wallowas’ meteor showers, the high desert, the beautiful coast line and the forests.

Discovering cycling as a young adult showed Dave he could live a healthier life by changing his mode of transportation. He began making a living as a bike courier.

That mode would open his eyes to a lot more of what the world had to offer. Bike camping – or bike packing – is one of those offerings. It’s touring the countryside by bike. Survival items are loaded into bicycle bags called panniers. After a few stops and scenic surroundings, you reach your destination, set up camp and enjoy reflecting on your day with some fireside food and beverage.

“I personally like this type of tourism because it lets you experience the world a lot slower than driving by in a car, but allows you to cover a lot more ground than back packing,” Dave said.

Biking also became his sport in 2003 when he joined the bike polo group at Alberta Park. “Other than the banged-up shins and hands over the years, I would say bike polo has primarily taught me how to crash out on a bicycle and walk or roll out of a collision. This skill saved my life when I was struck by a car while commuting to work one morning.”

Then the bike became his livelihood in 2007 when he started his own company, Black Star Bags to design and manufacture panniers.

A housemate of Dave’s – and another cross country tourer – found a beat up sewing machine in a “free” box near their home at 14th Place and Killingsworth Street. It inspired Dave to start designing his own panniers.

After a year of teaching himself how to sew, he began test riding a variety of prototypes. Soon, he opened a small shop on Alberta Street at 10th Avenue, which he outgrew and moved to southeast Hawthorne Street. in 2011.

But his heart and home are still in Concordia. “After paying rent for 10 years, in 2012, I was finally ready to purchase a home and start a family,” Dave recounted. It’s across 33rd Avenue from McMenamins Kennedy School. “Concordia was my first choice.”

Tamara Anne Fowler is Edit Kitten, a writer with 20-plus years of experience offering a sof ter, gentler approach to editing and coaching. Her personal editors — Armani, Max Factor and Spicey’D — are also her cats. Visit her at EditKitten.com or contact her at Tamara@EditKitten. com

By Rachel Richards | CNA Media Team

Visiting NEPO 42 on a Tuesday during daily happy hour, you’ll see couples, families, singles and dogs. And you’ll sense neighborhood camaraderie.

Bartender and manager Fred Stephenson greets many who enter by name. “If I don’t know someone’s name, I do know their face,” he said. He’s worked there since NEPO 42 opened 10 years ago with only three employees, and he’s watched the staff grow to 23. “The area has grown, and the place has grown with it,” Fred explained. “Other spots have come and gone, but we’re consistent, and we’re still here.”

Thirteen indoor tables – and 11 outdoors on the dog-friendly patio – are among the draws, even for the staff. “I just want to hang out with dogs all day. My dream came true,” said one employee.

Another draw is the menu, elevated from standard pub fare, according to regular customer Judah Macauley. “There’s an excellent 20-tap beer list and solid, well done – but not overly fussy – food. It’s a good family establishment where I can bring my kid for weekend brunch or grab a quick beer with my wife.”

“The house salad with fried capers is the bomb,” noted another customer.

The name and spelling of NEPO 42 came about after friends and mentors shot down owner Matthew Firosz’s initial list of 50 potential names. “I was fixated on something with the numbers so, when you heard it, you knew where it was,” he recalled. “A graphic artist buddy who knew Portland loved the NOPO thing for north Portland, and we realized there wasn’t a NEPO. So we put the two things together as NEPO 42.

“This place has gone above and beyond my wildest dreams,” he reported. “I truly feel blessed every day, and I love that this is a place where I still want to hang out.” What does he credit for that success? “The neighborhood was willing to grow with us, and I have an amazing staff that ‘gets’ the neighborhood and wants to be friends with our guests.”

From behind the bar, Fred added, “We’re not any one thing. This place’s identity became its own because of the people. The people are the color on the wall.” That’s all part of what attracts return customers. Many on their way home say, “See you tomorrow, Fred.”

Rachel Richards is a 16-year Concordia resident who loves her community. She has a background in counseling/education and uses her passion for helping others in her work as a real estate broker. Contact Rachel or learn more about her at rachelrichardsrealtor.com.

By Marsha Sandman | CNA Media Team

The season is here for arts and craft shows. Concordia neighborhood is full of artists, designers and makers.

Calley Dodero is one of them, and she converts everyday objects into joyful bursts of magic. In her skillful hands, paper is converted into items of wonder. Her fruitful imagination brings forth ornaments, decorations, masks, jewelry, glittery houses, three-dimensional scenes and so much more.

Although some artists are burdened with carrying heavy loads and cumbersome displays into crafts shows, Calley delights in the ease of moving her products to market. She says she usually sells out and always has a great time.

Early inspiration came from her parents. “My background is rooted in craft and has been propelled by my parents,” she said.

Her father is a ceramic artist and her mother works in textiles. As a child, Calley helped them at craft shows and at the family art gallery in southern Oregon.

There she was instilled with a love of craft and design which lead her to work as a floral designer, event decorator, window dresser, paper crafter and jewelry designer.

As a compulsive crafter, she worked for seven years crocheting baby accessories and fingerless gloves which sold in stores throughout the Concordia area.

“This most current incarnation of my creative self has been inspired by a love of paper crafting and the exploration of the medium,” she explained. “As much as I love to create art pieces, I have always had a desire to connect art to the everyday.”

After designing a new piece, she will assess how to produce it economically and efficiently with a balance of passion and practicality. She says she appreciates the benefits of being self-employed and working at home with her two kids and her self-employed husband.

Calley displays a spark of joy and creativity in her home, personality and life. “I love all things vintage and am compelled to create all sorts of objects inspired by my collections.” She offers her wares online at CalleyDodero.squarespace.com and on Etsy. As for craft shows, she’s in four this year:

• Plucky Maidens Holiday Fest, Oaks Park, Nov. 16-17.
• Monticello Antique Vintage Christmas Show, 8600 S.E. Stark St., Nov. 16-Jan. 6.
• daVinci Arts Middle School Arts Fair, 2508 N.E. Everett St., Dec. 1.
• Crafty Wonderland, Oregon Convention Center, Dec 7-9. Calley’s items are on sale at:
• Frock, 1439 N.E. Alberta St.
• Blithe & Bonny, 4140 N. Williams Ave.
• Theas Vintage Living, 1204 N.E. Glisan St.

Contact her at CalleyDodero@yahoo.com.

After living east, south, north and west, Marsha Sandman is home at last. And she wants to hear your story. Contact her at MarshaJSandman@ gmail.com.

By Rachel Richards | CNA Media Team

Palette42, 5126 N.E. 42nd Ave., opened in May and offers an eclectic and multicultural blend of items by local entrepreneurs and consigners.

Bobbie Stewart’s shop is a unique business model that offers local designers, makers, artists and authors a place to showcase and build their businesses, and offers customers a place to shop for local artisan items from clothing to books to beauty products to coffee.

Bobbie created Palette42 to help multicultural brands grow from startup to mainstream. “This is a teaching store in which a lot of people are given the opportunity to work as a collective to build their individual brands,” she pointed out.

Bobbie has lived in northeast Portland since age 2, and her commitment to community stands out – especially during her difficulty finding a retail space to lease, initially as a boutique combined with a natural hair salon.

She would call about spaces for lease and say she was an African-American business serving African-American women. Frequently she would not receive a call back.

So she created her current business model of a boutique that recruits entrepreneurs to lease space, requires a modest rent and labels each product with its maker’s information so customers can find the product again.

Each retailer has a business license, insurance and the social media necessary to drive people to the shop.

“My mission is about who I serve more than anything else,” Bobbie said. “I can’t do business and make it about myself – I want to be a true support person.”

With the opportunity for a three- month lease to try out selling at the retail level to a one-year lease with retirement investment, her unique model is one that gives new businesses a chance to grow.

The bright modern space showcases many unique, colorful items. Just a few pieces from the 45 makers are:

• Essance, a line of organic vegan face and body products
• How Sweet It Is, a local confection with caramel corn and peanut brittle
• Soapbox Theory, dishware and lunch boxes for boys and girls printed with images of children in many shades of brown.
• Essence of African Style and Pieces by Sherelle
• Designs by Le’yon The space is one in which customers can touch, smell, and try things on with price points from $5 to $40.

Interested in selling there? Visit the shop Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., or apply at Palette42. com.

Palette42 is giving the neighborhood opportunities at many levels and owner Bobbie invites neighbors, “Come and play in the store.”

Rachel Richards is a 16-year Concordia resident who loves her community. She has a background in counseling/education and uses her passion for helping others in her work as a real estate broker. Contact Rachel or learn more about her at RachelRichardsRealtor.com.

By Steve Elder | CNA Media Team

Walk into Kargi Gogo and you’ll experience the warmth and charm of a Georgian home. That’s the country, not the state.

Kargi Gogo opened July 18 in the former home of Big Egg at 3039 N.E. Alberta St. It’s the cheery yellow brickand-mortar iteration of a downtown food cart, which owners Sean Fredericks and McKinze Cook closed three years ago.

Kargi Gogo literally translates to “good girl,” a term of endearment in Georgian, and the business’ cheerful girl logo embodies that. She tops the menu that offers items designed to please meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans and glutenfree diners.

At its base, Kargi Gogo serves khachapuri – breads stuffed with cheese and other fillings, including one with an overeasy egg and butter – plus the pillowy, filled dumplings called khinkali.

Also on the menu is another favorite of Sean’s, Georgian wine. “Much of it is made in large clay vessels buried underground, the same way it has been for 8,000 years.

“We’re bringing wines to Portland that have never been here before and we’re always adding to our selection.” To see a sample menu for other Georgian treats, visit KargiGogo.com.

Sean and McKinze know their Georgian food and wine. They served in the Peace Corps in Georgia from 2010 to 2012.

“We fell in love with the food, but also the Georgian culture of hospitality and generosity,” Sean explained. “We knew we couldn’t get that food back in the states, so we came back and opened the food cart in 2013.

Since closing the cart at the end of 2015, the couple sold Georgian spices online and cooked for a few events. They also traveled – including spending most of summer 2016 in Georgia – and pursued other interests.

McKinze got a full-time job that she continues to enjoy, and Sean spent 2017 as a marketing consultant until he decided at the end of the year to open Kargi Gogo.

“We’re trying to create the warmth of a typical Georgian home and, as soon as I saw the character and charm of this space, I knew it was perfect,” he said.

He’s as pleased about the space. “It also has a large kitchen, which is helpful when making so much dough.

“Alberta Street is such a busy and lively area with a great sense of community, and the neighborhood has been wonderful about welcoming us in.”

Steve Elder, East2@ ConcordiaPDX.org, is an inactive lawyer, a developer, activist and old grouch.

By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team

Shannon Guirl lights up the world. And it all started with inspiration from Alberta Street. Shannon grew up in Chicago and traveled through Europe prior to landing in Brooklyn to work on film and television documentaries like “Bowling for Columbine” and “Shut Up and Sing” about The Dixie Chicks, plus reality TV shows like “American Pickers” and “Cash Cab.”

She worked primarily as an editor, but also assisted with filming on documentaries and documentary-based TV shows. After 12 years in the film & TV industry, Shannon found she had hit a wall. She needed something different.

In 2009, she took a ceramics class in Brooklyn and learned the basics of slip casting and mold making.

“I researched and designed my first lamp on my own after work and on the weekends,” Shannon explained. “It was a combination of the textures and materials I had become familiar with while exploring past mid-century designs. I felt the curves and shapes expressed a more modern version of the mid-century look.”

After that, it was mostly reading books, watching YouTube.com videos and talking to other ceramicists, turners and makers that helped Shannon develop the skills to make her product and run her business.

She was drawn from Brooklyn to Portland in 2010. “Through my work with Etsy, I could see that the makers in community, and I wanted to be part of it.”

Shannon released her first design, The Alberta on Kickstarter.com that same year. The campaign was successful and she raised more than $50,000 in seed money to start Caravan Pacific.

Shannon assembled and packed each lamp for all of the backers. “It was a wonderful feeling to be supported by so many people and feel their excitement in producing that first design,” she recalled.

“During my time in Portland, I’ve had the honor to be included in a number of formal and informal groups that support women-run businesses and designers, including the League of Women Designers and the Join Collective. “

I think sharing what you’ve learned and what you’re struggling with in a supportive environment helps create an atmosphere of inclusiveness and learning,” she added. “I really hope I never stop exploring and challenging myself. It’s been quite an adventure already.”

Shannon currently produces a collection of ceramic lamps for Rejuvenation as well as her own collection, available on Caravan-Pacific.com. “Concordia is a great place to call home. I just love it here.”

Tamara Anne Fowler is a copy/content editor, fiction editor and accountability coach. Visit her at EditKitten.com, email her at Tamara@ editkitten.com or call 310.359.6038. She would love to hear from you.