East Portland Chamber of Commerce members mediate and celebrate

Learn the secrets of mediation they learned at their “Chamber After Hours” and see how they helped with the grand reopening of the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel ‚Ä¶

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Chamber After Hours
“After Hours” allow members and guests to gather, network and learn at an evening event once every quarter, in addition to the groups weekly Wednesday morning meetings.

Everyone who came to the East Portland Chamber’s “Chamber After Hours” event at Bill Dayton’s (on the right) Pizza Baron was greeted by the savory smell of pizza, served by event sponsor (left) Nancy Chapin, The Support Group on May 18.

Bridget Bayer, guest speaker at “Chamber After Hours”, explains why and how a professional mediator can help them save big bucks on lawyer and court fees.

This After Hours topic was on how the mediation process can help business people in their every-day lives. “Mediation is,” Bridget Bayer, professional mediator, explained to the group, “a simply way of resolving a dispute without going to court.”

Bayer said mediators are impartial, have no authority to make decisions, don’t give legal advice and guide a discussion maintaining a safe, open environment ‚Äì while being optimistic that the process brings progress.

“The benefits of going to mediation,” Bayer continued, “are many. The parties involved have control of the outcome. Sessions allow for candor and are usually fast and informal. Moreover, the process often leads to building a better relationship as parties find creative solutions to their disputes.”

After hearing how mediation works, those gathered broke into small groups and used role-playing and practiced using some of the concepts they’d learned.

To learn more about mediation, contact Bayer at (503) 752-8517.

While most of our East Portland Chamber of Commerce members were hidden behind dignitaries, EPCC supplied ceremonial ribbon and giant scissors as they do for grand openings across East Portland.

Chamber members provide ribbon cutting at Portland Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel
Hard to believe it was 30 years ago when this, the first “airport hotel” in Portland, opened its doors in 1974. The owners completely remodeled the hotel over the last year.

“This is the first major renovation and upgrade,” the hotel owner, Harold Pollin, told us. “The $5.5 million [renovation] project gives the property the feel of an elegant, brand-new hotel.”

The gala event on May 23 was attended by Chamber president Greg Zuffera, and Ambassadors JoLynn Walker, Lisa Upshaw and (holding camera) David F. Ashton. The East Portland Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors provided the ribbon and ceremonial scissors. With a snip, the hotel was officially reopened.

Celebrating the “grand re-opening” of the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel are Greg Zuffera, BC Graphics; hotel owner, Harold Pollin, Lisa Upshaw, Bay Bank.

After brief remarks, about 100 dignitaries were led into Mt. Adams banquet hall for a lunch of Endive and field greens, wild salmon served over a crisp potato cake, tomato caper vinaigrette and asparagus bundle. To top off a delicious meal, the guests were served a decadent ganache cake with cr?®me anglaise. No wonder this hotel caters many East Portland banquets and events.

Parkrose own Michael Allen Harrison played for the event

After lunch, we reminisced with Pollin, with the owner, about their first advertising campaigns. Your author took the photos used in their first advertisements some 30 years ago!

For more information about the East Portland Chamber of Commerce, check their web site at www.eastportlandchamber.com.

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