OK I'm totally Slacking.......

So now I'm down to cannibalizing my other Blog for Content......sheesh....

Fun note about the "Proxy Tree"

Read about the "Proxy Tree" that I use instead of a photo of myself.....

Here's what I've been up to today.......

Check out the Damage to the Sixth Street.........

I think it's going to be a busy couple of weeks...............

Restaurants can Change Communities

This article was published a couple of years ago. Someone mentioned it to me last week, and suggested I post it. Hope it's still relevant............

Restaurants can change communities!

By

Maui Meyer

A version of this article was published in the spring newsletter of the Chef’s Collaborative, the recognized leaders of the “Slow-Food” movement, which is a group of restaurateurs attempting to reintroduce the art of healthy dining, back to the American people.

I’ve been in the hospitality business all my life, but I was unprepared for an interesting change that took place back in 1998 and has led my partners and I to altering the way we view life, and the hospitality industry. I found out that restaurants are a natural agent for change in a community. Read on and find out how.

I came to my adopted home for good in 1991 after graduating college. My new home was Hood River, Oregon, an old farming/lumber town that recently found a new life in the sport of windsurfing, and now enjoys some level of success in the “Extreme Sports!” afterglow.

“Something” drew me (and others) here. The easiest way to describe it was that it had a great quality of life, but that would be an oversimplification. It has a large set of basic elements that made me feel, well, whole.

I opened a restaurant, and the best we could do to serve our market was be a bar and grill. We met with moderate success, but still something was missing, all the pieces were not there for me personally. Over time, our staff began maturing and opening their own locations. Today they thrive as well. We are a close-knit community of businesspeople.

Then an interesting thing happened. In 1998, one of my managers (now a partner) suggested we go for “Green Smart” certification. It’s a program that got us thinking about our inputs and outputs as a restaurant. As we attempted to apply the “reduce reuse recycle” model to our business, more things started to happen.

Our food quality went up. Our costs went down. There was more cohesiveness in our staff. After a few months of this slight transformation, we began to question our vendors. Where was our food coming from? What REALLY was in it? The answers were so inadequate that we began retool our entire business.

We have, over the last few years, reduced our waste stream by almost 70%. We source our food locally, and almost immediately found that we can actually pay more because we waste less, and we get a better product out of it. Currently, we support four family farms with our accounts.

Our fish, when it is in season, is wild, net caught salmon. We receive forage direct from the pickers and our crop ranges from Morels to Chanterelles, Shiitakes, huckleberries, raspberries, and a litany of other less known products.

Additionally, we support our local dairy farmers and other suppliers from out of the area, choosing to use organic in every instance where the product is being fairly produced and traded. (It took a long time to convince some suppliers to stop charging a premium for handling “organic” products).

In short, we have thrived over the last years. But all of that, all of the success we have had pales in comparison to what has happened in the last year.

In this last year, our efforts became viral. The work, the ethic, and the concept of shopping locally, and building a business that has the triple profit motive of Community, Economy and Ecology, began to creep into other restaurants and into other businesses.

By using our structure as an example we’ve been able to show people that a healthier product not only tastes better, but it doesn’t have to cost more. (We serve many “organic” products and still have an average check of $12.00) We’ve helped other restaurateurs develop their own supply of local farmers to provide them with quality products, and they too have come to understand the importance of buying from local vendors, people who you can reach on the phone if you have real problems, and people who will return your dollar into the local economy again and again and again.

Now instead of figuring out how to make our restaurant sustainable, our community is considering how to make the entire town and county sustainable. Our actions have, in part changed the way 20,000 people will live their lives going forward.

At first it might not seem natural to have a bar and grill be such a part of this community change, but now we see that not only is it a natural part of proving that the sustainable model works, it is the logical platform from which to begin.

Where else but the restaurant you dine in regularly, should you be exposed to food that is actually better for you than the processed-chemically injected meat product you find in most stores?

What other place could have more impact than the trusted local restaurant where our patrons’ dine multiple times per week? In short, there is no better place from which to change the core of a community than through our patron’s taste buds. The daily actions of each and every one of the small, neighborhood restaurants across the country could have a similar, profound impact.

If you lead by example you can show that quality food, when grown with a respect for the environment and the local community, processed minimally, and served responsibly (in preparation and price) isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Each plate that goes out the door proves over and over and over again that as restaurateurs we do not have to settle for the status quo. We can lead in our community vision, a vision of a whole life where community is created by business, and our food actually tastes like someplace.

Consider, as you close your books, count your inventory, and receive your products, what the far-reaching impacts of your actions are. Are you leading your community? If you are not, envision that you could, because just like a chef with specials to create, the raw products are all there in front of you to spread the word that your community doesn’t have to taste like every other community. It can be distinct, cultural, proud and self-reliant. It all begins at the plate you place in front of them.

Aim higher. You might find that piece of your business and your life that’s been missing all these years. The reason why we love what we do.

The Oregon Business Summit

Just got back from the Oregon Business Summit. A Truly great day. In Oregon, many of the Civic minded business leaders and Policy makers were there. Quite impressive. Kulongoski, Wyden, Courtney, Minnis Kitzhaber, Westlund. Some flashes from the Day........



Judge Grasty and Laura Pryor, both concerned about Eastern Oregon's place in the plan.....Lane Schetterly cornered in the hall by friends and questions.........Ted Kulongoski walking around having casual conversations with people.......Ashley Henry and Nik Blosser getting Kudos from Dennis Wilde of Gerding Edlen, Paul Woodin, Gary and I cornering legislators and gaining participants for the Community Renewable Energy Association (CREA) A Big look member getting questioned on progress........Hustling to get numbers for Wyden's staff on the PL-106 Funds that went towards the Mt. Hood Search ($60K)...........

The Oregon Business plan has chosen Sustainability as their diferentiator for the State. It's a good one, and many of Oregon's companies are already leading the way. It's interesting to see it being fused into our DNA. Sustainability is, of course, our future, but it's jingoism without an action plan. Nothing excites me more that talking about sustainability in the business context. It's a total power tool.

Anyway, Great, intense day. Lots and Lots of great conversation with Ron, Les, Barbara, Bill Fashing and I.....

Wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Christmas.....great, uneventful, enjoyable, no major family trauma......:)

Went to the coast just before New years, and hung out with the family. Back in September, Nathaniel and I buried a silver dollar under a brick in the Coaster Square in Cannon Beach. Quite accidentally, I recalled it at breakfast, and we went on over there to check it out. Like finding buried treasure!

Hunting........


Got it.


Andy Crafts was sworn in as the student City Councilor........



And, Very Sadly......Scott McKay Retired. Great working with you Scott! I'll miss you on the Q-board!

December...........

Jan's Birthday was earlier this month, and we try to get to Portland for a couple of days. We don't really go overboard on the gift thing, but just enjoy ourselves. Tried out Gracies at the new Hotel Delux, Walked around a bit, saw the new tram. Good time..........







Came back, and pretty much right away, we were into the Mt. Hood search. The family was right across the street from my office. We had friends and family up on the hill for a long, long time. Joe Wampler (the Sheriff) did an amazing job of keeping it together for everyone.

It was tough to describe what everyone put into that search. On Monday, a deputy came in to tell us about the costs. Pretty much the board said keep on going until you can't do it anymore.......

Well....Ice storm is on its way. Looks like anymore has arrived....

Maybe the next post will be cheerier......Sorry.

Mt. Hood and the Climbers........

Ok. Many have asked why I'm not posting about the Climbers on Mt. Hood. So here goes.

About five minutes ago I watched the Blackhawk land at the port and the body of Kelly James removed and put in an Anderson's van.

I can't tell you how sad it is to see the Family trying to hang on given the news, that like an onion, peels off to a more somber mood. I walk past them on the street, they are around town and have been for a week. I've wathced the copters go up and down, heard reports of climbers, volunteer searchers, and our staff. I Feel Awful.

Joe, his staff, the Crag Rats, everyone has been doing an amazing job. Amazing. I suppose that we will get an update tonight at the Meeting, but I personally fear that all is lost, and my sympathies go out to the families.

I'm not going to post any photos of this weekend. Hood River, however has so much beauty, and alot of pain. Everyone knows that I think it's a rare place to be, but this is one of the downsides to living in a place of such beauty.

My condolences to the families. Please know that Hood River is with you now.

Late October and November

Sheesh! Always catching up….
After that great dinner, I had yet another great treat. Ron Kurahara joined me at my lunch buddy lunch meal on Tuesday. I’m the lunch Buddy for a young kid at Westside, and Ron’s son is in my Buddy’s class, so Ron joined us all for lunch. That’s Dakota sitting next to him. Good fun.

I traveled to Hawaii later that week to see my mom. Emma’s getting along. She’s in a 24 hour care facility now, and has had a recent spate of surgery, and other health issues. It is very sad, but I’m hopefull! She’s gaining weight by the day, and we had a nice visit.
Ate Dinner with Luana,
Ate Dinner with Ian and Noa
Breakfast with the Sisters, which included a trip to Char Hung Sut……..(See San Francisco Trip Post from May this year)

And………hung with the niece (Keolamau) and generally enjoyed the brief trip.


Let’s see……..Got home, and it was…………Halloween!
I broke down and bought a cool costume. More for me to watch his expression than it was for him. That stuff is cool. While I was in Hawaii, I got Julia a little outfit for the occasion as well.

We collected a TON of candy. (No thanks to Shane and Julie……Remember, Drum Set for your Kid you two……) and generally had another Hood River special evening with our friends, walking the downtown.

The Next Day, Nathaniel and I looked at all the candy, and decided that about half of it had to go. So we went to Ground, and handed out Candy. Fortunately, Doug Beveridge was there. B.e.v.e.r.i.d.g.e……..(It’s a funny story. We used to share an office and after about a year of listening him leave his name, I always make a joke of it. Imagine a year of hearing “….. Please tell him Doug Beveridge called…..yes, Doug…….B..E..V…..E..R...I...D.G.E. Yes, thank you.” After awhile we’d all just start laughing uncontrollably every time he started to leave a message.

Anyway. Nathaniel managed to give it all away…..
Weekend……Loaded up the kids, went to Powell’s bookstore in PDX, and no trip to Powells is complete without a slice of Rocco’s………Nathaniel got his mits on a Shonen Jump Magna, and now it’s all about Dragon Ball Z…….Asian Pulp!


The weather has been outrageous here this last week! 10 year type floods. On top of that, Nathaniel has the Chicken Pox! So…….My tour of duty was a couple of hours while Jan and Co. (The FCA Staff) worked on the FCA Branding material. We toured the oh so impressive flood stage Hood River. Half the town was out there!

Lots and lots of damage and drama!

Cattail Creek Farmer's Dinner and The Deschutes........

Very cool 48 hours.

We had our second Farmer's Dinner last night. Sold out, John Neumister of Cattail was our featured producer along with Dan and BShaw of Columbia Gorge Organic Mushroom......

Off the chart.

Here's my table of Guests (Well, Family and Supporters)



And a Shot of the Entree. Lamb Three ways.



This is Jan Jackson of Capital Press taking photos of John and Ben talking......



Some Prep, Introducing Luke Nance, our Kitchen understudy (Welcome Luke!)



The Next day, Julie cornered me and made me take here out on some property touring because now I'm so busy that the only time we get to talk is in the car to and from. She's a former assistant who is now the ED of the Farmer's Conservation Alliance, a group I'm dedicating alot of brianpower to. It makes what was once a quiet relaxing drive to a distant property to tour into a full blown brain drain..........



Turns out the guy is very conservation minded and was one of the first people to lease his water rights back to conservation groups. Made for instant connections.

It was a nice property on the Deschutes!

Fall Lingers.............

All I see is accidents these days......Here's a couple of accidents from this last month!



It's wierd how many accidents I'm stumbling across these days.......


September and things have started to slow down.....finally. The money is tight, but doable for the winter. I've spent much of September helping out get the Sixth Street caught up and organized.....Bit of this and that. We had the Sixth Street Dinner......Ate lots of Sushi, watched Ben recap the Summer during our Employee "guess how much we served?" Game........Holy shit we serve alot of food.........





....I hosted a delegation of Ukranians at the Yasui building this month too. THey are in the US for three weeks looking at Green Buildings. It is amazingly touchy to speak about challenges in our construction when they come from a country that has so much less stability in it than ours. Nice people. From Liviv, or Lion, in the Ukraine...



....Saw a Nacell on the Freeway the other day. We've been seeing alot of tower parts, but a Nacell is not that common. Looks like another tower is on the way......



....Nathaniel is at another school, and they took a tour of the Fire station, and did the whole spiel...very fun.......





We did photos for the FCA (Farmer's Conservation Alliance) a group That I'm involved with. Getting this group together has some of it's challenges, which roughly illustrate the complexities of the Rural Urban issues we face. Regardless, it was fun. GReat group of people who came up with an amazing invention that will, hopefully make a difference in Rural Oregon.





Jan Did the Art Direction, Peter Marbach took the Photo......


We went to a charity auction on Saturday night......"It's a lawnmower!" says Craig sheppard!



Cindy Kurahra and Kris Reynier Busted stealing desserts while their husbands bid on a trip to France........



And a great Sunday Hike to a beautful waterfall.......



Great Month....looks like the weather is changing....cold.......