Home brewed, international flavor

BY JOSH OJALA for the VBJ

"We're doing awesome."

Rare earth, everyday people

BY JOSH OJALA for the VBJ

Rare Earth Décor is a small retailer that has spent nearly a decade offering nature-based decorative items and furniture to Ridgefield shoppers.

A fish in, not out of, water

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

With a name like Pacific Northwest Best Fish Co., it's clear that co-owner Kelly Beckwith has set a high bar for a business based in a region that prides itself on knowing its way around a fishing pole.

Refueling On Value Through Cosmetics

BY J. MAURY HARRIS for the VBJ

Hefty bailouts and a barrage of incentive programs signaled turmoil for the American automotive industry in 2008, but jumpstarted a shift in consumer behavior.

Staying power

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

In 1882, the same year President Franklin D. Roosevelt was born, a hardware store opened in Vancouver on lower Main Street.

A new strategy

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

Last August, as retail unemployment hit 16 percent in Washington state, Minuteman Press owner Jeanne Jolivette did what for some small stores was unthinkable - she expanded her business.

From the silver screen to Hazel Dell

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

In a brave new world filled with new offerings from the likes of TiVo, Netflix and Amazon.com, trying to expand on the traditional video store might seem akin to trying to bring back the beeper.

One for the birds

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

Scott Lukens, founder of Backyard Bird Shop, a supply store for birding enthusiasts with locations in Vancouver and the Portland area, makes a living from a lifetime obsession with feathered creatures.

New home, same flavors

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

Vancouver neighborhoods, like pizzas, come in many different styles.

And while some prefer the diverse mix in the downtown area, others are more enamored with east Vancouver's wide open spaces

New building, same feeling

BY MAT BOES of the VBJ

Hosting boisterous parties and serving Southern-style food comes naturally to Dodge City Bar and Grill co-owner Ray Kutch.

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