Biz Beat 3-28-2013

Eugene Bicycle Works is a new nonprofit community bike shop in Eugene. It partners with local retail bike stores to collect used bike parts as part of the Bucket Full O’ Parts project at the Center for Appropriate Transport. Donated parts are used to build affordable bikes for youth and people with limited resources. The public can drop off used bike parts at any of the participating shops, such as Arriving by Bike, Collins Cycle Shop, Hutch’s Bicycles, Life Cycle Bike Shop, Paul’s Bicycle Way of Life, REI, Simply Cycle or 10/10 Cycles. See catorgeon.org or call Noah Roberts at 683-3397.

Dates have been set for the 30th annual Art and the Vineyard Festival at Alton Baker Park. The festival is always associated with the Fourth of July and last year the holiday was on Wednesday, which complicated scheduling. This year is better. The Fourth falls on a Thursday so that day and that evening’s Freedom Festival Fireworks will kick off the popular art, wine and music event, which will run through Saturday, July 6. The festival is a major fundraiser for the Maude Kerns Art Center, supports regional artisans and attracts about 30,000 people. The deadline for applications for artists who want to participate is March 29. For information on sponsorship, vending, performance and volunteering, call 345-1571 or visit mkartcenter.org

The Many Rivers Group Sierra Club will have its first official office in Eugene starting in early April, according to Sally Nunn, club chairperson. The office will be in the Growers Market building, 454 Willamette St. No phone number yet, but to volunteer in the office, contribute or otherwise help out, email sally.nunn@oregon.sierraclub.org or find the local chapter at oregon.sierraclub.org

Kitsch-22, the vintage clothing store and art gallery at 1022 Willamette St. in Eugene, will have a grand opening under its new ownership from 6 to 9 pm during the First Friday Artwalk April 5. Featured works will be from local artists Richard Quigley, Wendi Kai, and Marie Slatton-Valle. New owners are Allison Ditson, Rebecca Welton and Norman Lent. Kitsch was bought in December from Mitra Chester of Deluxe and Aaron Chester of Perk Espresso. It was renamed Kitsch-22 by the new owners.

We mentioned Springfield Farmers Market in this column back on March 7, but failed to say that it changed its name last fall to Marketplace@Spout! It’s located at 4th and A streets in Springfield and is open from 3 to 7 pm on Fridays. Sprout! is planning a “Stalkholder Meeting” from 4 to 8 pm Saturday, April 20, with lots of food, beverages, live music, dancing, auction and prize giveaways. Suggested donation is $5.

SheerID is a new national business based in Eugene providing merchants and service providers with opportunities to offer discounts to verified active duty military personnel and their families, and other targeted groups. David Shear, Marci Hansen and Jake Weatherly are co-founders. “We are a team of marketing geeks, programming whiz kids and creative account advisors who are transforming the world of ecommerce,” reads the company’s mission statement at sheerid.com