Art Veranda

Art Veranda

WEST BRANCH – Patricia Riegle’s new art gallery sure attracts the clientele. Since opening Art Veranda, a web site from which Riegle sells her work, the self taught artist has sold her oil paintings, charcoals, sketches and watercolor paintings as far away as Los Angles and Tampa.

Reigle caught art-lover’s attention before beginning her online venture.

Her work has been shown at the annual Greater Michigan Art Exhibit, Midland’s Eldon B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, the Besser Museum in Alpena, Enchante' Art Gallery in West Branch and the Medical Arts Center in West Branch, among others. Riegle’s art is also featured at Morse Clark Furniture in West Branch, and Imagine That in Midland.

“I am working to get accepted in professional galleries nationwide,” Riegle says. “It takes time starting out. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

But Reigle’s art is on display in several homes nationwide. Each year she donates work to Love Without Borders Ministries. When not involved in community works around West Branch, Riegle, a member of the West Branch Creative Arts Association, finds time to mentor beginning artists.

You can view and purchase the art at www.artveranda.net.

– Story by SUSAN RIGGS, photo by JERRY NUNN

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Don’s Dumpsters

Standish

For buoyant and easy going Donald Emerson, hauling dumpsters to and from job sites seemed a job made for retirement; something he knew, something he’d done and something his brother-in-law did down state.

“I like this job because the customers are always happy to see me,” Emerson said. “I am not someone to call when something goes wrong.” Honest and direct, Emerson said in five years he would like to see himself doing about three loads a day, 10-15 containers in all and “enough to keep me in living expenses, and perhaps let me be a snowbird.”

Emerson prides himself on having containers to the job site on time and taken off site in a timely manner. “They need it when they are ready for it, they don't want to pay workers to stand and wait for the dumpster,” Emerson said.

– Story by SUSAN RIGGS, photo by PAULA BELDEN

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Focus on business

Like the mythical Phoenix reborn, enterprise rises from the ashes of our smoldering economy. Or so it seems in Northeast Michigan, as you will see by the list of DBA’s filed over the past two months in the eight counties of Info Northeast coverage. The businesses just begun, along with those renewed, represent industries as diverse as the folks who live here. In talking to the owners we find service and lodging, unique shops and high tech ideas turned profit and those conversations remind us what makes this country great.

These entrepreneurs are not crying about the state of our economy.

They are reaching out, past what they’ve experienced and on to those things they know. From the artist to the grandmotherly child care provider, from bridal shops to hairstylist, these folks shape their future and they are incredibly excited. We cheered for them as they uplifted us.

Each had a dream that drove them to open a business. They now have detailed accounts of what they expect from the future. Each month we’ll run a list of DBA’s. And each week we will get in touch with a few of these entrepreneurs, whether community stalwarts or hopeful startups, to see if we can glimpse their dream. Check back to this page next Thursday for a glimpse of your own.

For now, to see DBA filings, click here.

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Coming soon

To an online newspaper near you

Since the earliest stages of Info Northeast planning, we vowed to serve the needs of our communities – businesses, organizations and individuals alike. Later this week we again make good on that promise, by publishing every DBA filed in our eight county area during the months of July and August.

Compiled and formatted over the past month by business reporter, Susan Riggs, along with my daughter and all-around Info Northeast handy-girl Allison Nunn, the list will be the start of a regular business section highlighting the best that Northeast Michigan’s entrepreneurs have to offer – the unique shops, the start-up industries and the daily issues that most affect them.

Susan and Allison are hard at work, putting the finishing touches on what we feel will be an appreciated service. Once complete, we’ll run the list and aim to do another every month from now on. Between times Susan will check in weekly with some of those business owners to see how their new endeavor is fairing, to examine their products and fill you in on the services they offer.

Until then, Laura Nickerson pitched in with her review on a pair of existing businesses – Quench a thirst for wine, beer, tea or home decor – found below.

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