I've stopped reading the sports pages -- at all. I glance at the headlines, that's about it. I've also stopped reading the 'People' style sections -- because I don't watch 'reality' shows, I don't recognize any of the names. Not proud of my ignorance, just saying.
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It can be hard sometimes to visualize a point. I find that saying I pay 2.00 a foot rent in downtown Bend never resonates much with out of town storekeepers until I multiply it times their sq. ft. Then their eyes grow wide.
Linda has been saying for some time, now: "We get nearly 200 books a day in trade!" Most people shrug it off -- doesn't sound like all that much. Just as an experiment, I counted the books in the display table in front of the store -- 5 ft. long, with three rows of books -- and it came to exactly 200 books. So, about 15 linear ft. of books per day. When Linda stacks that number of books on her sorting table, it's like she disappears behind a great wall.
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Just to keep score. Yesterday was our second slowest day of the year. Thanks, downtown promotions!
Check out Jasper's blog, Otter Space Pirate, for his take on things; I swear I didn't try to influence him.
I'll say it again, especially since the Bulletin has an article about just how "local" the Farmer's Market really isn't -- these events aren't put on for the benefit of local merchants, even if local merchants buy into the notion.
That's manifested by the way they set up; with just a little thoughtfulness, they could set their booths up in a non-disruptive way. But since it doesn't matter to them, they are usually pretty careless. I try to tell the workers that if they would just move something a couple of feet, but they ignore me.
Saturday, there was a huge truck and trailer parked across the sidewalk on Bond. I called the liaison officer, and he agreed that it was parked illegally, and got it moved. Simple -- if you can just get a guy with a uniform to ask. Unnecessary with a little bit of foresight.
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9 comments:
I really need to figure out how to post the photo's I've taken over the last several years.
Seeing is believing.
Could you put your book table out on the sidewalk next to the street to block off the space right in front of your store?
Or packing crates, a fence, or something? Just to define Y O U R space?
When you look at downtown Bend, it has a pretty good number of dining establishments. I would suspect that their numbers probably do pretty well on event days.
"I'll say it again, especially since the Bulletin has an article about just how "local" the Farmer's Market really isn't -- these events aren't put on for the benefit of local merchants, even if local merchants buy into the notion."
Speaking of local merchants and businesses, I found it odd that with all the good craft breweries in Bend, the ONLY beer served at Summerfest was Ninkasi from Eugene.
Ninkasi also was the only beer being served at the Munch 'n' Music event in Drake Park on Thursday.
I guess they lined up the concession with Cameron Clark. Which Cameron has a perfect right to do, of course. Still, I found it irritating. And a little embarrassing.
RDC: Yeah, downtown restaurants were slammed at lunchtime Saturday.
I wouldn't call it being influenced as much as being made aware of the inequality, which observation then subsequently proved. If it wasn't people ignoring our entrance and standing back to the door listening to the bands.. it was the general sense of entitlement (and arrogance?) the sound engineers acted under when approached about their equipment boxes on the sidewalk. That and jazz is something I really want the choice of being subjected to or not..
Get ready Dunc: You'll need to do a piece on The Ultimate Admission of Reality & The Emperor Has No Clothes...
The downfall of Cascade Bancorp. The End is Nigh.
That can't be right? CACB was one of the main sponsors of Summerfest, surely they wouldn't foolishly spend money on a fluffy promotion if they were in trouble.
Why, that would be promotion gone mad!
Good to hear from you, Paul-doh.
Dunc, I just got back from having lunch at a shop downtown on Tin Pan Alley, and the owner said the porta-potties and hulking alcohol control enforcer parked at the alley entrance discouraged most customers from entering the alley. And of course his regular customers didn't want to brave the crowd.
He also expressed sympathy for those that feel the farmer's markets should open up and allow locals space.
Blackdog: Yeah, I heard that Deschutes would be doing the beer at the Music & Munch event, but when I was there I saw Ninkasi. I like Ninkasi well enough, but we have some mighty fine beers here, too.
Jasper: LOL! Yeah, one should be asked if one wants to have to listen to a music type that one doesn't care for. I would not want to be subject to a bunch of cowboy music, myself. But, if Superchicken teaches anything, it's that you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
But C3 events gets to call the shots, don't they?
BD said: Speaking of local merchants and businesses, I found it odd that with all the good craft breweries in Bend, the ONLY beer served at Summerfest was Ninkasi from Eugene.
That's because Ninkasi fucking ROCKS! Sadly, it consistently whoops the Deschutes Brewery's offerings (and any other CO microbrew) on a much more limited budget.
Mmmmmm, Tricerahops.........
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