Blog

Dari Mart gets more sustainable

Good news! Customers can now buy a "grab•n go green" reusable shopping bag for just 50¢ at 43 Dari mart stores in the southern Willamette Valley.

I was at the kickoff event on Friday, Jan. 15., when Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken and Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy thanked Operations Manager Kathy Gibson for taking such a huge step to improve the environment.

By switching to re-usable and paper bags, Dari Mart has eliminated the circulation of 1,382,800 plastic bags annually. That’s a lot less plastic bags in the world! And Dari Mart is the first convenient store in Oregon to do so.

When you purchase one of these convenient bags from now until Feb. 15, Dari Mart will give 100 percent of the proceeds to FOOD for Lane County.

To express their appreciation, Board Member Chuck Hauk of FOOD for Lane County attended the kick-off event held at Dari Mart’s Harlow and Game Farm Road location.

What does Dari Mart have planned next?

“We plan to replace the lights in our coolers with more energy efficient LED bulbs. We will also be replacing cooler door seals to keep the cold air in and the warm air out,” Gibson says.

Dari Mart will also be bringing back their “comeback cups” to encourage everyone to reduce, reuse and refill.

So remember, the next time you stop in to get your favorite Lochmead Farms dairy products or a quick snack, pick up a "grab•n go green" reusable bag.

What a wonderful way to make a difference in our community!

Written by Mike McGillivray filed under: Blog - Community Jan 15 2010

Finding time for winter

I’ve found a new appreciation for winter and the outdoors that I had sort of forgotten I had. When I was in junior high, I started snow skiing. I loved the sport and I did it every year through college. I haven’t been on skis or on the mountains since, for many reasons that mostly involve time and money.

This past weekend, my wife and I took our kids to Santiam Pass to play in the snow and go tubing. We have talked about it for many years, but for one reason or another we never made it to the winter wonderland so close to our home. This year, everything seemed to fall into place. We all had snow pants, warm coats, gloves, hats and boots. It also helped that all of the kids have arrived at an age that allows them to last in the cold for a couple hours.

We packed up snacks, drinks, snow-tubes, snow chains, a shovel (yes, a shovel – there have been too many people getting lost and stuck in the snow this year not to have survival gear), and all the warm clothes we could find. Once on the road, we found the highways clear of ice and snow thanks to the great folks at ODOT.

After some research, I discovered there weren’t too many places to go play in the snow, according to the area’s Sno-Parks designations. I also learned that it’s nearly impossible to get a Sno-Park pass if you don’t know where to go. I tried Bi-Mart and a few other retailers that sell hunting passes with no luck. We took our chances and started toward the mountain without a pass with the idea that one of the stores along the way would have them. Fortunately, that assumption was correct and we were able to pick-up a $4 day-use pass at a store near Blue River.

Arriving at the slope, we found a spot to park, got the tubes inflated (thanks to a power inverter and an electric air-pump) and headed to the hill. We stayed for a fun-filled three hours, which was much longer than I figured the kids would last.

Each child discovered his or her own style of riding. But stopping was the most important part, due to the frigid pool of water created by a drainage pipe at the bottom of the hill. We saw quite a few people who didn’t realize what was at the bottom go into the water and come out a freezing cold mess, so my wife and I took turns running defense at the bottom of the run just in case one of the tubes got out of control. Fortunately, the kids stayed dry and warm and had a great time on their first trip to play in the snow, so much so in fact that we’re already planning our next trip.

So what did I learn from all this? You can always find a reason to stay home. But what fun is there that? Tis the season to do away with reason! See you on the mountain!

Written by Mike McGillivray filed under: Blog - Life Jan 06 2010

Thanks CAWOOD team

The CAWOOD staff inspire and delight me – every day! I’m so lucky to work with each of them. They reminded me of that with the perfect holiday gift. It’s a bas-relief of irises carved on a piece of basalt. I love natural things. I adore irises. And who, but me, knew my favorite stone is basalt.

So, this is a public thank you to them, but also a tribute to them. A company is only as strong as the passionate people who come to work every day. Our firm’s always been blessed with outstanding talent, but this team also truly understands the value of collaboration. They play to their strengths, and they focus on moving clients toward their goals.

Many companies struggled in 2009. It wasn’t an easy year. At CAWOOD, we had one of our best years. I attribute that to two things: 1) we launched a marketing campaign in 2008 and it paid dividends this year – proving that advertising does pay and 2) our incredible team keeps delivering and achieving measurable objectives for our clients – proving that measurable results make a difference.

So, there’s only one thing left to say: Thanks CAWOOD team, THANKS!

Written by Liz Cawood filed under: Blog - Work Dec 28 2009