Consumer Cellular hooks up seniors

0713 Tactics 01The wireless-communications industry thrives on the latest and the greatest; witness the masses who camp out in front of Apple stores every year or so anticipating the newest iPhone. Consumer Cellular, a Tigard-based wireless service and phone provider, is not one of the trendsetters.

Shipbuilder Fred Wahl stays afloat

0713 FOB FredWahl 01For Fred Wahl, the best part of building commercial fishing boats for a living is rolling his finished products, painted and polished, down to the water along the northeast edge of his Reedsport boatyard and seeing them pop half an inch off their cradles for the first time, floating.

West Coast port traffic by the numbers

0713 FOB BTN 01The Port of Portland just can’t catch a break. If it’s not a dispute between unions or a grain-terminal lockout, then it’s an ugly kernel of genetically modified wheat prompting countries to halt all exports. In 2012 Portland was the 11th largest container port on the West Coast and one of only three, with Seattle, where traffic fell. And year-to-date through April, every unit and tonnage is down double digits — containers, grain, autos, break bulk — except one. Mineral bulk grew 20%.

Director’s cut

0713 FOB JomaFilmsIt can happen here. That’s the mantra of Anne Lundgren, co-owner of Joma Films, a film production company launched three years ago in Ashland.

From the Editor: A vast territory

0713 EditorLetterWhen Ashland writer Jennifer Margulis decided to tackle this month’s cover story on wolf tourism in Eastern Oregon, she never imagined she’d actually see a wolf. After all, tour operators warn clients the chances of seeing one of the state’s 50 or so Canis lupi are about one in a thousand. But there it was: lurking in an alpine meadow, skinnier than expected and much more fearful.