September 2016 – Business Memos

Local businesses provide employment for area residents and products and services close to home. Mid-county Memo Business Memos celebrate news, advancements, promotions, retirements, expansions and other noteworthy events at these cornerstones of our community. To share news of your business with our readers, Business Memo submissions for the October issue are due by Thursday, Sept.15. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. You may also mail submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, dial 503-287-8904. The Mid-county Memo fax number is 503-249-7672.

Bradford’s wants to be your Pal’s
Brad Fouts, the owner of Bradford’s Sports Lounge located on Northeast Halsey Street in Gateway has succumbed to loyal customers and added a variety of fresh seafood to his menu. And for fans of the dearly departed (and incinerated) Pal’s Shanty in Hollywood, this is especially good news. “Seafood was always a once-a-month special here before Pal’s closed,” explains Fouts. “I quit doing it for about a year and people were complaining, so I put out a full seafood menu.”

Indeed, Bradford’s Sports Lounge, formerly known as the Candy Store until some swift renovations in 2011, has adopted a few of Pal’s greatest hits. One of these is the open-face crab sandwich, which Fouts admits is one of the Lounge’s “most popular dishes.” An important note: the open-face crab sandwich is also roughly the same price as it was at Pal’s.

“We’re filling a void that Pal’s Shanty has left,” touts Fouts. “They [Pal’s] were really well known for their seafood, and when they closed, it really left a hole.”

Taking matters into his own hands, Fouts’ restaurant also offers items that Pal’s lacked, such as lobster, halibut and salmon meals, in addition to fresh chowder and shrimp bisque. At Bradford’s, you can also snag a crab or shrimp cocktail to munch on alongside your fish.

So far, it looks like the rainbow of seafood items has been sitting well with restaurant guests. Fouts claims that his restaurant went through 10 pounds of king crab legs in one week.

But it’s not just seafood that makes Bradford’s Sports Lounge such a dynamic player in the Parkrose culinary scene. Fouts has done his research and imports the breading mixture for his unique broasted chicken from St. Louis.

“It’s a nice, fresh piece of chicken,” says Fouts. “We seal all the moisture in the chicken while it’s cooking.”

Things to look forward to that may be joining the menu soon include shrimp-stuffed halibut filets and new, inventive seafood dishes that will remain seasonal.

And don’t forget: another essential renovation made to Bradford’s Sports Lounge was the addition of a paved back parking lot behind the restaurant—not that street parking normally keeps people’s taste buds at bay when it comes to mouth-watering crab.

And we probably have Bradford’s customers to thank.

Bradford’s is at 10346 N.E. Halsey St. Their website address is bradfordspdx.com, and their phone is 503-253-3660.

Grocery Outlet holds grand opening
Last month, people from near and far flocked to the grand opening of Grocery Outlet Bargain Market in Parkrose. The new store, owned by Rob Mode and husband Travis Hollingsworth, is the first full-service grocery to open in the business district in more than 40 years. “We are so excited to be here in Parkrose offering food at such great prices,” Mode said. “We have met many in the neighborhood and already have a close bond. It was a pleasure to have such great support from Travis and all of my family, as well as Travis’.”

Parkrose resident Jackie Means, who used to drive to Hollywood to not only shop at the nearest Grocery Outlet but visit friend Sheila Magby, is also happy there is a Grocery Outlet in Parkrose. “I’m so glad they opened in my neighborhood,” she said, “now I won’t have to go all the way to Hollywood to shop.”

The new store, at 10721 N.E. Sandy Blvd., is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The phone number is 971-255-0459.

“We could not be happier to serve this community and look forward to being a close part of the growth and development of Parkrose,” Mode added.

New faces welcome students at Christian school
Trinity Lutheran Christian School, 5520 N.E. Killingsworth St., welcomes a new administrator and a pair of new teachers for the new school year.

This year, Chris Herold takes over the duties of principal at Trinity Lutheran Christian School. He comes to Trinity by way of Pilgrim Lutheran Christian School in Beaverton. Herold had careers in the Boy Scouts and construction before deciding to pursue a career in education. As a teacher, he is known for creative, integrated projects, technology expertise and positive relationships with students, parents and alumni. As a principal, with input from faculty, parents and students, he led initiatives to build students’ and teachers’ technology skills in order to create a foundation supporting tuition assistance and to rebuild a thriving early childhood program. He can be reached at cherold@trinityportland.org.

Kate Bergdolt joins the staff as a combined first- and second-grade teacher. Kate grew up in Nebraska and is a master’s-level teacher who has been an educator for more than 20 years. Known for being a joyful, creative, organized and enthusiastic teacher, she has taught children in both blended and single-grade classrooms from preschool through eighth grade. She has also directed an early childhood program and taught music. She has taught in inner-city schools as well as suburban ones. Kate is known as a faith leader wherever she has served. She can be reached at kbergdolt@trinityportland.org.

Vicki Orlow-Brandt will welcome preschoolers to her classroom. A Wisconsin native, Vicki has been a longtime church member and part of the faculty at Trinity, and they welcome her back in her new role as preschool teacher. Her years of experience include starting Trinity’s childcare and summer camp programs. Orlow-Brandt is known for using creativity to harness children’s natural curiosity. Her carefully planned curriculum and great communication skills are also strengths. Her love for children shows in all she does to support and encourage their growth inside the classroom and out. She can be reached at vbrandt@trinityportland.org.

TriMet announces expanded service and addition of new buses
TriMet will add more service to two bus lines that serve mid-county. Its new fall schedule is designed to increase reliability, better match rider demand, connect people with jobs and ease crowding. The changes take effect on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Changes announced are:

• 4—Division/Fessenden: TriMet’s longest operating and busiest bus line is adding early morning and late-night weekday buses to accommodate work shifts.

• 71—60th Ave. and 73—122nd Ave.: Line 71—60th Ave./122nd Ave. is splitting into two bus lines. The renamed 71—60th Ave. line will continue to run on its current routing and frequency along 60th Avenue between Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center. The other line will be named 73—122nd Ave. and continue to operate between Parkrose/Sumner Transit Center and Southeast 94th Avenue and Foster Road. It also will have additional weekday rush-hour trips.

The increased service is driven by a new stream of revenue from last year’s passage of an increase in the employer payroll tax. This means new or improved service twice per year—in September and March—through 2025. The service expansions are based on TriMet’s comprehensive service enhancement plans developed with key stakeholders, businesses, residents and riders over the past few years.

“We look forward to adding even more service, as we’ve done every year since 2013, to help better connect people to jobs, school and recreational activities,” said Neil McFarlane, TriMet’s general manager. “It’s another step in providing more service to a fast-growing metro area while also focusing on improving our on-time performance and reducing crowding on several busy bus lines.”

TriMet is also expanding its fleet and working to improve reliability, safety and comfort for riders by purchasing new buses. The entire fleet, active and contingent, is now air conditioned and 95 percent of the fleet is low-floor. The few remaining high-floor buses will be retired over the course of the next 12 months.

Since 2012, TriMet has put 376 new buses on the road and reduced the average age of the entire fleet to about nine years. TriMet also added 77 buses in fiscal year 2016 and plans to add 50 in fiscal year 2017, 57 in fiscal year 2018 and 33 in fiscal year 2019.

Learn more about the new fall schedule at trimet.org/alerts/service-change/2016fall/index.htm.

Memo freelancer Jack Rushall contributed to this report.