Biz Beat 11-20-2014

Tsunami Books on south Willamette was given notice earlier this fall that the building was going on the market and the longtime independent book store and performance venue would likely need to find a new home (see Biz Beat, 9/25). But we heard from store owner Scott Landfield that the building is now in the process of being sold to someone who supports the store staying put for at least a couple of years. The 3,900-square-foot commercial building is owned by Joy and Peter Detmer of Washington state and the name of the pending new owner has not been disclosed. Landfield says his rent will be going up, but he’s relieved the business can stay. Now the challenge will be to grow the business with more events and fundraising. He says Eugene musician David Jacob-Strain plans to record his next live album on the Tsunami stage Jan 16-17. Landfield is also planning some kind of crowd-funding campaign. 

Looking over the 1939 deed to the Tsunami property we noticed some shocking language, apparently common in those days, but illegal and unenforceable today: “No lot in this Subdivision to ever be sold, rented or let to any person or persons other than of the Caucasian race.” 

Saturday Market had its season finale Nov. 15 and will reopen with Holiday Market beginning Saturday, Nov. 22, and continue on weekends until Christmas Eve. Holiday Market will also be open the Friday after Thanksgiving and the five days leading up to Christmas. The market is getting a new stage backdrop this year, created and overseen by muralist Jim Evangelista, director of Reality Kitchen. The old backdrop has been the same since 1999. See holidaymarket.org.

The Egan Warming Center has a change in leadership. Doug Bales has decided to move on after six years coordinating the program that provides shelter for the houseless during exceptionally cold weather. Bill Winkley will be taking his place. He can be reached at billwink69@gmail.com or call 285-7583.

Project MyVoice Media, a Eugene-based digital media enterprise, has a new project, the Cannabis Journals, a “documentary and participatory platform about surviving and thriving through prohibition,” Director Alina Padilla-Miller says. The project seeks to use video and a website to “help give real people with extraordinary experiences during prohibition and reform, an opportunity to archive and share their stories for future generations.” Padilla-Miller has launched a Kickstarter campaign to reach a goal of $44,000 to fund the project. She can be reached at cannabisjournals@gmail.com or see projectmyvoicemedia.com.

The annual fall celebration for Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah Nov. 9, sponsored this year by Passionflower Design, drew 150 guests and raised more than $20,000 toward the nonprofit’s capital campaign goal of $200,000. The organization works to protect and enhance habitat and trails and educate the public about the Mount Pisgah area. See bufordpark.org to volunteer or contribute.

Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2014 business school rankings named Willamette University’s MBA program a “top business school.” The Willamette MBA is the only program listed in Oregon and one of only two in the Northwest. Other schools on the top list include the University of Washington, Stanford, Harvard, UCLA and UC Berkeley. Not making the list was the UO Lundquist College of Business MBA program.

In Biz Beat Nov. 6 we wrote about Giving Tuesday in regards to an event for West Coast Dog and Cat Rescue. But Giving Tuesday is also a national day of online giving to nonprofits that follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Several local nonprofits, including McKenzie River Trust, will be running a campaign on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving to build membership and support. See givingtuesday.org.