Benton County is due to discuss the 1,000-foot rule in today’s meeting.
As a way to keep children from seeing advertisements for tobacco products, Benton County has established a law saying that two places selling tobacco cannot be less than 1,000 feet apart as the crow flies. However, this rule doesn’t apply to anyone who was licensed to sell tobacco prior to the requirement being set.
When we spoke to the business owner, Ryan Weber, about this issue in June, he said that even in 2017 when the rule was first put into place, the councilors in Corvallis expressed concern for smaller tobacco sellers, saying “maybe they shouldn’t be standing in the way of retailers and what they’re selling.” When Weber bought the shop from the previous owner, neither realized that they would be put in the position of not being able to secure a license to sell tobacco.
Weber believes that since no one under the age of 21 can enter his store and all of the advertising is inside of his store, that he should be exempted from this specific aspect of the tobacco law.
The Corvallis Chamber of Commerce will be standing up for Tokn’ as they bring the issue up to the Benton County Board of Commissioners.
Main Street Correction: Last week we said that Corvallis had lost its Main Street designation when the DCA closed its doors. Apparently, the city was granted a temporary hold. The Chamber of Commerce will be stepping up to be the fallback and will take over the Main Street designation once the DCA audit is completed.
Good Chamber News: In other news from Director Simon Date and the Chamber of Commerce, the Greeters meetups on Tuesday are starting to get bigger. These meetings are a chance for local business owners and operators to get to know one another over a cup of coffee for an hour in the morning. A different local business hosts the hour each week. Next week, the Corvallis Boys & Girls Club will be hosting.
According to Date, most of the businesses he speaks with are beginning to reach that crest in getting over the pandemic setbacks and seeing hope in the horizon.
Warm Welcome to DP Redding: There’s a new kid in town named DP Redding.
This company provides training and consultation services to people with disabilities, especially those in the Social Security Administration’s Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) program. They work with people who have physical, mental, social, legal, or economic barriers who have faced a job market that can be unfriendly toward them.
They also work to find the right employment network for a person’s personality and needs, taking a seemingly more personal approach to the task of getting each applicant’s best possible coach in place. For more information about this company, please check out their website.
If you or someone you know are looking to hire or looking to be hired and face these difficulties, then you can reach DP Redding here.
Real Estate Still Keeping Busy: Somewhat surprisingly, the business of real estate is still hopping. Most families looking to change houses will do so over the summer vacation, and since Corvallis is a family town, the selling season tends to be slowing down by September.
“By now, I’m normally dealing with buyers and wrapping up transactions, but we are putting a lot of houses on the market right now,” said Samantha Alley of RE/MAX. And houses on the market does tend to drive the sales process to some degree. “We’ll see a slowdown in the school-aged-children families as they go back to school schedules.”
Has pandemic relief been a factor in real estate? Alley says it really hasn’t. She was working in real estate when the federal government instituted the $8,000 first time home buyer credit – a program initiated in 2008 to restore confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the recession – and remembers the chaos that that program caused with buyers taking on loans they couldn’t afford.
A Hop-Skip-Jump to School’s Back: With Oregon State University getting ready to start regular classes on Sept. 22, many businesses in the area are looking toward things getting busier.
High on the list for most college students will be furniture. Furniture Share – a staple for OSU students since 1998 – is prepped for the yearly migration from homes to student housing. This nonprofit also works to bring locally grown and made healthy foods to people. If you’re setting someone up for life on their own this month or need a hand, you can find Furniture Share at 4450 Marion St, Unit C, Albany.
Aside from furniture, local restaurants, boutiques, and bars are preparing to be busier than in the “off season.” Another thing to begin to brace for is the added traffic the university brings.
Wine Walk: Wine Walk is coming up Saturday, Sept. 10, from 3 – 7 p.m. You’ll find a selection of fine spirits available at a variety of downtown locations – all within walking distance. To see which locations will be serving which alcoholic beverages, see the Wine Walk webpage here.
If you go to Corvallis Custom Kitchen & Baths, located at 602 NW 4th St. to pre-purchase your Wine Walk glass before Saturday, you could win a trip to Sun River.
Chamber Events: Coming this week from the Chamber of Commerce…
On Wednesday, Sept. 7, from 5 – 6 p.m., there will be the next webinar for how to make the most of your web presence. This is a virtual class. Find out how to register for the class here.
Friday, Sept. 9, join in the fun for the Wild Night Our Auction & Fundraiser from 6 – 9 p.m. This is a way to benefit the Chintimini Wildlife Center and gives everyone an opportunity to bid on brunch with a bird, a falconry experience, or wine tasting for eight. The auction will be held at the Philomath Scout Lodge, located at 660 Clemens Mill Rd., Philomath. Buy tickets to this event here.
Saturday, Sept. 10, from 8:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., come to the Corvallis Community Center, located at 2601 NW Tyler Ave., for Grace Center’s 5th Annual Aging Summer. This event gives participants a chance to learn about aging and to donate to the center if they wish. Click here to register.
Also on Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., there will be the Dog Tails in Parade – an event that’s all about things going to the dogs. Load up Fido and Spot and bring them on down to the Adair County Park, located at 7295 NE Arnold Ave., Corvallis, for some fun with other doggos, a doggie parade, and obstacle course – although we’re not sure if the dogs or the people will be traversing these. Find more information here.
Again on Saturday the 10th, from noon – 3 p.m., join other families for the Back-to-School Mini Golf for Families event at Beaver Falls Mini Golf, located at 2215 NE Hwy-20, Corvallis. This event is put together by the Old Mill Center. Find out more here.
And lastly, somewhat unsurprisingly on Saturday, Sept. 10, is the Wine Walk. See our detailed information about this above.
By Sally K Lehman
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