Small-business Happenings for October 30, 2013

Managing multiple generations of employees seminar topic

BAKER CITY – An Oregon Employment Department official will talk about managing multiple generations of employees in the same workplace during a seminar Tuesday in Baker City.

“Managing Generations in the Workplace” will be presented by Grant Axtell.

The seminar will run from 1:30 p.m. to

5 p.m. at Baker City Hall, 1655 First St.

Cost is $25 per person. Pre-registration is encouraged. To register, call 541-523-6331 extension 224 by Monday.

Light snacks will be served.

Axtell will discuss tips for creating a work environment that enables members of all four generations to work together well.

The interactive seminar will include an introduction to the four generations currently co-existing in the workforce: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y.

Stedfeld offers divorce mediation in Union County

LA GRANDE – Robin Stedfeld, mediator and facilitator in La Grande, has added divorce financial mediation to her mediation practice. Stedfeld, who holds a master’s degree in counseling, offers mediation and facilitated conversations to businesses, organizations and families. “I’ve been doing a lot of mediation with parents on custody and parenting time issues,” Stedfeld said. “It makes sense to provide mediation for all aspects of divorce, including finances. So earlier this year, I signed up for a comprehensive training on property and debt division, child support and spousal support mediation.

“Mediation is a chance for people to resolve their differences privately without resorting to more adversarial approaches like litigation and going to court. It is especially helpful when important relationships are at risk,” Stedfeld said.

When an agreement is reached, Stedfeld writes it in a form that can be filed with the court. “People don’t realize how many different kinds of issues can be resolved through mediation – all sorts of family disputes, but also many workplace and business conflicts. It is a recognized alternative to ‘taking it to court’,” Stedfeld said.

Stedfeld first trained as a mediator in 1996, but continued training and began her mediation practice in 2011. She is qualified to provide family and workplace mediation, and has experience in employee relations and nonprofit management. She welcomes questions and will provide confidential phone consultation about using mediation for a specific concern. Stedfeld can be reached at 541-910-1305, or

rstedfeld@gmail.com.

Bean opens full serviceauto repair shop

LA GRANDE – La Grande resident Ben Bean recently opened BandB Repair, a full service auto repair shop at 1202 N. Willow St. in La Grande.

Bean was born and raised in La Grande and graduated from the local high school in 1982. Following high school, he studied heavy diesel mechanics at Wyoming Tech in Laramie, Wyo. He has worked in the automotive industry since leaving Wyoming Tech.

Following a long absence from

La Grande, Bean returned about four years ago to take care of his father, Ariel S. Bean. He ran a shop at home part-time until Ariel’s recent death, then moved his shop to the Willow Street location.

Bean, who works at BandB with Mark Landers, offers general auto repair, and specializes in suspension and alignment. He sells accessories and equipment for ATVs and four-wheel-drive trucks. He also works on motorcycles, especially Harley-Davidsons.

BandB Repair is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The phone number is

541-605-0400.

Boutique, hair salon opens on Fourth Street in La Grande

LA GRANDE – Restoration Hair Company and Boutique is set to open at 1602 Fourth St. Friday.

The new shop offers women’s clothing and features a beauty salon. Stylists are Amanda Tsiatsos, Brooke Troyer, Becca Riomondo and Felycia Gladden.

Walks-in are welcome.

The phone number is 541-663-2489.

Ribbon cutting slatedThursday at Elgin Subway

ELGIN – The Elgin Chamber of Commerce is conducting a ribbon-cutting ceremony at

4 p.m. Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the Subway in Elgin. The restaurant is located at 84 N. Eighth Ave.

Bank of Eastern Oregon announces new mortgage program

Bank of Eastern Oregon announced the recent addition of RuraLiving, a new rural residential mortgage program. Under the new program at Bank of Eastern Oregon, qualified borrowers can receive affordable, flexible financing for country homes.

Until now, acquiring financing for rural and hobby farm properties has been met with limited financing options. The RuraLiving Home Mortgage program offers long-term 30-year and 15-year fixed rate financing, with a competitive rate advantage.

“RuraLiving is different than most traditional home mortgage programs,” said Arletta Arnspiger, BEO’s mortgage lending manager. “This program is specifically designed for rural homes and hobby farm properties that do not follow traditional mortgage financing guidelines.”

To learn more about the residential mortgage program, contact a Bank of Eastern Oregon loan officer at a local branch or loan production office, or call 1-877-472-6217.

About this column

Small Business Happenings covers Northeast Oregon’s small-business community. The column carries news about business events, startups and owners and employees who earn awards and recognition or make significant gains in their careers.

The column, is editorial in nature and is not ad space or a marketing tool.

Email items to biz@lagrandeobserver.com or call them in to 541-963-3161.

Baker County residents can submit items to news@bakercityherald.com or call them in to 541-523-3673.