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I had been meaning to get to Wine Xing for months now.  Several people had recommended it to me as a great business to do a focus on.  I finally made it last week.

First of all, if you never get up to the North end of town other than to shop at Costco or Target, you are missing something.  In the industrial complex on Canyon Creek Rd. just behind Costco, there are anumber of small businesses and even an eatery or two.  Wine Xing is one of these small businesses. 

Eric and Linda Bean opened up shop in November 2005.  They were people who in the words of Eric, "just liked wine."  They had been in an active wine tasting group for over 20 years in California. 

"I really grew passionate about wine," says Eric.  So, he sold his business in 2000, and traveled the globe tasting wine.  And then came the decision to leave California.  The Beans had been through Oregon a few times when they visited relatives here and did some wine tasting.  They liked it.  Initially, they tried to locate in Newberg, but in Eric’s words, "..it just didn’t work out." 

After a few months of looking all over Washing and the Willamette Valley, and knowing they didn’t want to live in the big city, they tried to lease a place across the freeway from Bridgeport Mall.  It didn’t work out, but the property owner was able to direct them to the location they are now at in Wilsonville.

"Wilsonville is a really nice community, " said Eric, " we’ve made friends here.  That didn’t happen in Newberg. Most of our customers are local.  some work here and live elsewhere, but probably 80% of our customers live within five miles of the store."

The Beans host Wine Tastings every Friday and Saturday until 7 pm.  The charge is $10 to try 10 wines.  Five are red, and five are white.

"I like to talk about where wines come from, why they are the way they are, and discuss the wine making process," tells Eric, "well made wines should be about a sense of place."

And information is exactly what the wine shopper will find at Wine Xing - the walls have placards near each display of wine giving all kinds of information about the bottled contents.

Wine Xing is located at 25977 SW Canyon Creek rd, Suite D and is open from 11 am - 7 pm Tuesday - Saturday. 

Tucked away in the center of town is a relatively new, growing martial arts academy offering Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido.

Master C.Y. Lee, a native of South Korea,  has an impressive background. A graduate of the renown Korean martial arts university, Yong-in, and holding a  6th degree blackbelt in Hapkido, as well as a 5th degree blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do, Lee has spent over 20 years providing martial arts instruction.  Not only has he taught in his own martial arts academy, but prior to that taught for a few years at a dojo in Clackamas, and has lead and tuaght teams such as the national Demonstration Team.  (more…)

When I first moved to Wilsonville, one of the names I saw all over the place was "Jay Puppo, State Farm Insurance. "  I thought it was time to meet him, so this week I did.

Puppo is no stranger to insurance.  He started out working in State Farm’s corporate offices.  When he and his wife began to have children, they thought twice about all the moving around involved in corporate life, and decided to take the opportunity to settle down.  A State Farm agent was retiring here in Wilsonville, so Puppo took over the agency, and half of the retiring agent’s business.

That was seven years ago, and it has taken awhile to really build the business.  It took residents awhile to warm up to a new face in town.

“People in Wilsonville are very loyal,” said Puppo. 

Warm up they have, though.  Wilsonville has been growing at a fast rate, and for the first time, Puppo’s agency is on the list of the fastest growing State Farm Agencies around.  In fact, he estimates his business’ growth at about 23 percent in the past year.

That coincides with a move to a new office.  Puppo’s office was located deeper in Old Town Wilsonville.  Sometimes, he says, it was difficult to achieve visibility.  In September 2006, he moved the office to the revamped Old Fellows Hall on Wilsonville Road.  It has increased his visibility dramatically.
Other civic activities have helped to improve his visibility as well.  Puppo has made a concerted effort to be a part of the Wilsonville community with active memberships in Kiwanis, the Chamber of Commerce, and taking part in the Adopt-A-Road program with an assignment at Memorial Park. 

This is how recent the growth in Wilsonville is – Wilsonville Kiwanis only began six years ago, and Puppo was the second person to become a member. 

Puppo’s State Farm agency provides both insurance of all types, and financial services. 

“I can offer retirement planning, college savings, 401K Accounts, IRA and IRA Rollover plan, as well as auto, home, life, and medical insurances,” he tells. 

For more information, email Jay Puppo or call him at 503-582-8181.

The bold yellow walls and the inviting sign on the purple one that says “Celebrate!” say it all. After all, Pump It Up is a place for celebrating and having fun, and has been since it’s opening in March of 1986.

“We party every day,” says owner Laurie Harris.
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Even at 2:30 pm the Country Grains Deli & Bakery has customers.  One of several Art Tech students who filter in from the nearby school is asking when they’ll have rice krispie treats again.

One customer told me she was visiting home - from Europe- and she had good memories of  coming to this deli seven years ago for lunch.  She visits the deli when she comes home, and says the food is just as good as it was then.

Jessica and Jack Romaine, Canby residents, started the business ten years ago.  Both have been in the food business for their entire careers.  Jessica had been involved with catering.

The Romaine’s intentions were to start a business close to home, that would keep them accessible to their children, and allow them to be part of the community. 

They keep their catering local, and take part in the Lake Oswego and Beaverton Farmer’s Markets as well.  If you work in Wilsonville, chances are good you’ve tried one of their catered boxed lunches.

"It’s just kind of grown.  It’s turned into a fun place," Jack tells me, " We try to keep the quality up." 

If  the lunch line that forms there daily is any indication, the quality is excellent.  Pick any business day of the week, and you’ll find Country Grains buzzing with people.  A common reason people come is for the sandwiches made on fresh home made bread.  Another is the oven roasted turkey cooked right in the deli.

Personally - I show up just after opening on a Friday morning to get a perfect cinnamon roll piping hot from the oven. 

Whatever your taste, Country Grains is open Monday - Friday from 7am- 4pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. 

Country Grains is located at 8553 SW Main, Suite 100 in Wilsonville.  You can pick up a menu and get a boxed lunch to go - Call it in at 503-682-5857, or Fax  your order to 503-682-6813.

When I moved here a few years back, there was no standard medical care here.  There were plenty of chiropractors, a podiatrist, dentists, and signs of a Providence medical office that was empty. 

A few things have come, and some have gone, since then.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover an imposing sign that said "Family Practice" on my way home recently.

Upon further investigation, I met up with owner-operator, and Family Nurse Practitioner, Carla Anderson.  (more…)

Hobbytown USA appeared in Wilsonville last year just in time for the Christmas shopping season. 

Of the experience, co-owner Jesse Herro recalls it was "very much trial by fire."  He says the learning curve happened very quickly.

And they’re still going strong.  (more…)