Thursday, January 3, 2019

Job: Retail Specialist – Community Cycling Center

Job Title

Retail Specialist

Company / Organization

Community Cycling Center

Job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
At the Community Cycling Center, we believe that bikes make the world a better place. Our mission is to broaden access to bicycling and its benefits to help build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. We believe that all people – regardless of income or background – should be able to experience the joy, freedom, and health benefits of bicycling.

We operate a full-service bike shop on NE Alberta that serves the neighborhood, AND is a destination for people searching for used bikes & parts, or trying to ride bikes on a tight budget. The shop serves as the hub for many of our programs, which help riders build their skills and confidence; empower young people to ride to school and adults to ride to work; offer educational opportunities for teens to earn school credit; and support everyone in riding for health and recreation. We also collaborate with numerous community partners to generate pathways to employment and engagement within the growing bicycle movement by training new educators, leaders, advocates and mechanics.

The Community Cycling Center is an equal opportunity employer and strongly values diversity, equity and inclusion. Individuals with diverse backgrounds, abilities and experiences are encouraged to apply.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY
The Retail Specialist is responsible for providing excellent customer service, maintaining a clean, welcoming and well stocked retail environment and developing strong customer relationships. This position will require experience working with point of sale and inventory management systems, experience in a high volume retail environment, the ability to refine and develop workable systems, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES
• Greet customers and provide welcoming retail environment for people of all backgrounds
• Provide excellent customer service in all aspects of retail sales
• Clean and maintain retail space and stock retail floor on a daily basis
• Work collaboratively with all shop staff to maintain reliable and relevant inventories
• Work with retail management to create displays, signs and labels to showcase products in innovative and efficient ways
• Maintain and improve storage systems and retail environment to increase efficiency, capacity and inventory reliability.
• Participate in team meetings
• As a non-profit we believe that fundraising is everyone’s job. There is an expectation that all employees will support fundraising efforts.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & CHARACTERISTICS
• Personable, receptive and compassionate approach to customer service
• Prior retail experience
• Ability to maintain composure and a respectful, cooperative attitude through high stress situations
• Attention to detail and a methodical approach to accomplishing tasks
• Capacity to work independently and deliver on objectives
• Experience with POS and general computer systems
• Ability to work a flexible schedule
• A strong desire to learn and develop professional skills in the bicycle industry
• A commitment to equity and social justice

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS OR EXPERIENCE
• Proficiency in Spanish and/or American Sign Language
• Prior Bike Shop experience
• Experience with Lightspeed POS

COMPENSATION
• Full time, non-exempt employee, 32-40 hours per week, including weekends
• $14.50 per hour to start; opportunities for advancement
• Benefits valued at over $7K/year: Health, dental and vision insurance, Paid Time Off, $200 annual Used Parts Allowance, $90 annual shop allowance. Also cost +10% pricing on new parts & flexible scheduling during off-season

How to Apply

Send your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three (3) references to Jobs@CommunityCyclingCenter.org.
Please write “Retail Specialist” as the subject line. No phone calls, please.

The post Job: Retail Specialist – Community Cycling Center appeared first on BikePortland.org.



from BikePortland.org http://bit.ly/2LVWNPP

City, state will team up for new bikeway and signal on Lombard

Latest concept drawing for new crossing of North Lombard at Fenwick/Concord.

The Concord Avenue neighborhood greenway has only one gap in its 2.4 mile route between Overlook Park and North Argyle Street in the Kenton neighborhood: the offset crossing of Lombard Street (a.k.a. Highway 30). But with a new agreement between the Oregon Department of Transportation (they own and manage Lombard) and the Portland Bureau of Transportation, that gap will soon be filled.

The two agencies recently hashed out an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) so that PBOT could do the work to build a new crossing that will link Concord on the south side of Lombard with Fenwick to the north. It’s a much-needed upgrade to an intersection isn’t as safe as it should be. Not only is this a designated neighborhood greenway route, but it’s a popular connector between two neighborhoods (Arbor Lodge and Kenton) and there’s a high school directly adjacent to it.

Streetview looking west on Lombard. Concord is on the left, the half-signal and Fenwick are in the background.

Support BikePortland.

The gap.

The existing crossing infrastructure — known as a pedestrian half-signal — is also not compliant with federal guidelines. A half-signal exists when there’s a standard traffic signal for the major road, but only stop signs for the minor roads. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) explicitly prohibits the use of half-signals due to safety concerns. Studies have shown that when someone actuates the traffic signal on the main road, drivers from the side-street think it’s an opportunity to turn and they don’t realize (or they don’t see) the people in the crosswalk. As of 2015, Portland had 47 such signals and because they’re not recommended by the MUTCD, we haven’t installed one since 1986.

PBOT plans to spend $2 million in Transportation System Development Charges to improve this crossing. In addition to the full signal upgrade they plan to add ADA improvements to the curbs and sidewalk, and create a new bike lane on Lombard. As you can see in the latest concept drawing, the plan is to stripe an unprotected eastbound bike lane and create a westbound bike lane on the sidewalk for the short distance between Concord and the crossing at Fenwick.

PBOT Communications Director John Brady said today that with the IGA with ODOT now signed, they can move onto final design work. It will be a few months yet until we get an estimated date of completion. Stay tuned.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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The post City, state will team up for new bikeway and signal on Lombard appeared first on BikePortland.org.



from BikePortland.org http://bit.ly/2Rqs0zL

Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Soup! Steam the whole squash in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot, then puree it with onion, celery, carrot, apples, and broth. Quick and easy.

Continue reading "Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Soup" »



from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2VuRdbx

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Bike shop news roundup: New shop, new owners, and more break-ins

The North Tabor neighborhood has a new bike shop!
(Photo: Mount Tabor Cyclery on Instagram)

They say the only constant is change; and that’s certainly true for Portland bike shops.

In 2018 we saw several high-profile closures with 21st Avenue Bicycles, Velo Cult and all three Performance Bicycle locations closing their doors.

But the news wasn’t all bad: A new shop opened on Mt. Hood and Golden Pliers, that opened in June on North Skidmore at Interstate, has quickly become a favorite of many.

We’re sure to see more evolution in the local bike shop scene this year. Before we get too behind on this beat, I wanted to share a few news updates that have been accumulating in my notebook…

Tuite Bicycle Repair changes hands
Tommy Tuite opened Tuite Bicycle Repair in September 2015 and he recently decided to move on. Tommy and his family have moved out of the north Portland neighborhood served by his small — but very awesome! — shop. Tommy earned many loyal customers for his professional and caring work. It’s sad to see him go. The good news is that he’s moved to the east Portland neighborhood of Gateway and tells us there’s a good chance he will fire up another small bike shop closer to his new home once he gets settled and finds the right location. The Gateway area can definitely use another great bike shop. Good luck Tommy!

But wait, there’s more good news! Tommy has handed over the keys to the shop to Rachel Cameron, a professional mechanic and experienced racer who plans to keep it going. Stay tuned for more once she gets all moved in

New shop on E Burnside and 55th 
Mount Tabor Cyclery opened late last fall in the corner space of the shopping center on the south side of East Burnside and 55th. Owner Winona Ruth lives in the neighborhood and has worked as a bike mechanic for over 10 years. The shop opens at 7:00 am on weekdays for those of who commute or just like to get things done on the early-side.

Support BikePortland.

WTF Bikes is now TomCat Bikes
Tom “TomCat” Martin has taken over the shop formerly known as WTF Bikes. WTF opened in 2009 and its owner Tom Daly sold to Martin last fall. Martin is a bike industry and bike shop veteran (formerly of The e-Bike Store), but this is his first time running his own shop. During a visit in November, he told me the plan is to focus on service, entry-level commuter bikes, and rental for big events like Pedalpalooza and the Portland Winter Light Festival. Martin is also a Burning Man veteran and official Black Rock Ranger, so if you need a “Playa bike,” TomCat is the place to go. Check out TomCatBikes.com.

Multiple break-ins at Gladys Bikes
Gladys owner Leah Benson had a roller-coast end to 2018. After celebrating five years in business and re-upping her NE Alberta Street lease for another five, she was hit by thieves twice in one week. As she reported on Twitter, someone stole an e-bike off the showroom floor on Christmas eve. Then they (or someone else?) returned two nights later and broke-in through one of the shop’s main front windows. Fortunately they didn’t get any bikes on the second try, but it’s a big hit for a small shop during the slowest time of the season.

Neighborhood shops are a vital part of our local cycling ecosystem. Support yours today!

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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The post Bike shop news roundup: New shop, new owners, and more break-ins appeared first on BikePortland.org.



from BikePortland.org http://bit.ly/2TmD128

BikePortland’s top stories of 2018

Before we dive into 2019, I thought it’d be fun to share our 10 most popular stories from last year.

Here they are, in order from least to most total pageviews…

#10


12/12/18

#9


08/16/18

#8


05/02/18

#7


10/04/18

#6


01/09/18

#5


01/03/18
Support BikePortland.

#4


02/21/18

#3


10/23/18

#2


11/10/18

#1


02/23/18

Anything in this list surprise you?

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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BikePortland needs your support.

The post BikePortland’s top stories of 2018 appeared first on BikePortland.org.



from BikePortland.org http://bit.ly/2QjGqga

Sous Vide Chicken and Broccoli

Hate dry, overcooked chicken? Sous vide is the way to go! This method makes juicy, tender chicken every time. Pair it with sous vide broccoli for easy make-ahead lunches and dinners!

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from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2Au4msa

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

How to Fry an Egg

A perfectly fried egg is no mystery—it just takes a bit of practice in order to achieve mastery. Here's how to do it right, every time, with step by step instructions and photos.

Continue reading "How to Fry an Egg" »



from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2GKZnJg