Biz Beat 12-20-2012

Anybody want to buy a weekly newspaper? Not this rag, of course, but The Jefferson Review and the Scio News are currently on the block cheap in order to “avoid imminent closure,” according to a notice from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Cash only and the deadline for inquiries is Friday, Dec. 21. Call the owner at 971-3217. Contrary to conventional wisdom, print publications still have a lot of life left in them and not all are shrinking to oblivion. Some media pundits are predicting that newspapers will make a comeback when advertisers recognize that print ads have more impact per dollar than web ads. At least one study has shown that print content has more credibility and memorability with readers than web content. One indicator of print’s potential: Rupert Murdoch is busy buying up newspapers, large and small.

Off the Waffle is holding an “official End of the World” grand opening of its new downtown shop between 8 am and 1 pm Friday, Dec. 21, at 840 Willamette St. The original south Eugene store remains at 2540 Willamette. See offthewaffle.com or call 654-4318. Hours at the new location have not been finalized, say owners Omer and Dave Orian.

Eugene physician Pamela Wible tells us she has been hired as “the official health-care blogger” for The Oregonian newspaper. Wible is getting national attention for her new book, Pet Goats & Pap Smears: 101 Medical Adventures to Open Your Heart & Mind. Her book describes how she enlisted local residents to help her design her one-person medical practice, providing high-quality care with low overhead (her office is at Tamarack Wellness Center). Find her blog at http://wkly.ws/1ee

What’s a cash mob? The Springfield Chamber’s Greeters Committee is holding its networking gatherings in local small businesses and encouraging members to show up expecting to spend $10 at the business. A cash mob was scheduled at the new location of Euphoria Chocolate at the Oakway Center in Eugene Dec. 19. Last month the cash mob at The Arc Lane County raised $419, which bought 1,200 pounds of clothing for the disadvantaged. See arclane.org for other ways to support The Arc.

American Denturist College is now open at 1241 Oak St. in Eugene and is enrolling students from across the nation. The new college expects to train 200 students per year and to generate $8 million a year for the local economy, according to Todd Young, director of education. Classes start Jan. 7. The two-year program costs about $38,000, including books and fees, according to the school catalog. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that denturists made an average of $35,000 a year in 2010. Young says the college will help fill a void from the closing of the denturist program at George Brown College in Toronto. Call (800) 544-6267 or email todd@americandenturistcollege.com for more information.

Mountain Rose Herbs was honored with the 2012 Oregon Sustainability Award at the Northwest Environmental Conference and Trade Show in Portland in early December. The business was cited for its “uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture, sustainable business practices and a steadfast focus on the pure aestherics and freshness of botanical products.” See http://mountainroseherbs.com