EmTech NW auto repair moves to new location in Port of The Dalles

Bailey Wilde lifts a truck for some inspections at EmTech at their new location at 3620 Crates Way in the Port of The Dalles.

Ray Emig, owner of EmTech NW LLC auto and diesel repair

Emtech NW automotive and diesel repair has moved to a new location in the Port of The Dalles. 

The automotive shop, owned and operated by Ray Emig, is now at 3624 Crates Way just west of Fix Auto and next to Crestline Construction. 

Emig said he and his crew have been working hard the past few weeks to make the transition as seamless as possible. 

And he wanted to ensure customers that the shop was open and repairing vehicles. 

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EmTech’s new location - click on it to enlarge the image.

“This is a good move for us,” he said, noting it opened up another customer base in the Port District.”

The shop previously operated across the street from Big Jim’s on East Second Street in The Dalles. 

Emig is joined by mechanics Shelby Bucher and Bailey Wilde.

Shelby Bucher was busy today, Nov. 4, at EmTech NW auto and diesel repair.

“Our focus is on serving our community not only with great auto and diesel services but doing it at a price that our community can afford,” Emig said. “We do vehicle care right, caring for all aspects of your vehicle's health according to manufactures specs. Whether you need a routine checkup or fluid change, or it’s time for a new engine, we’re here to help, so get in touch today.”

You can reach Ray and the  EmTech shop at (541) 980-0518

Suffering from FOAF? Cure it with a Qwik-Change

Kent Sasser and Deven Beeks check fluid levels on Ann Marie Woolsey’s vehicle on Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Deven Beeks eyes that oil as he fills the crankcase. Oil changes go a long way toward getting the most out of an engine, delaying costly repairs.

By Tom Peterson

You ever have that sensation you’ve been driving your car on borrowed time? 

Engine sounding grindy?  

Maybe the brake pedal just went a little too far to the floor? 

Or that burned-out taillight is about to get you pulled over?  

Well, you may not know it, but you’re Suffering from FOAF - fear of auto failure. 

It’s as common as a cold.

And it can be excruciating with a long drive in front of you.

Thankfully it can be cured. 

You just need the right person - someone to put those flames out like a gorge wind on a birthday cake.  

Kent Sasser is your guy. 

He’s been under a lot of hoods.

Qwik-Change can handle compacts to diesels, but prices vary depending on the size.

Albert Olson with Oregon Fish and Wildlife has been bringing this truck to Qwik-Change for years. He said it was money well spent to prevent breakdowns in remote areas such as Post, Oregon. He is a fish screen fabricator for ODFW in The Port of The Dalles.

Thousands. 

He’s been working on cars since he was 14. 

He spent 27 years working for Ford garages both in The Dalles and Milton Freewater/Walla Walla. 

And he bought Qwik-Change Lube Center at 700 E. 2nd St., The Dalles 10 years ago. Happy Anniversary Kent! 

Time flies.

But the work, the work is what keeps him going. Making sure people's cars are in good shape, and putting them right when they’re not. 

Kent said the standard Qwik Change Lube service starting at $48.95 goes a long way toward squashing your FOAF.

Good Man, Kent.

Sasser helps Ann Marie Woolsey reset her oil change light. Woolsey said she liked the convenience of the shop with first-come, first-served service. “I like these guys, and I want to support downtown business,” she said.

Here’s how.

• First, they’ll get you plugged into the computer and log your mileage and other pertinent information.

• They will check your brake fluid and add some if needed. 

• They’ll check the clutch fluid and add some if it is applicable.

• They’ll check the power steering fluid and add some if needed. 

• They’ll check and top off the windshield washer fluid.

• They’ll check the air filter and suggest a new one if it is too clogged with dirt - that car has to breathe.

• They’ll check the automatic transmission fluid if applicable.

• They’ll drain the old oil and replace the oil filter and add beautiful clear oil to your crankcase.

• They’ll check the gear oil in the manual transmission if applicable.

• They’ll check the gear oil in the rear differential.

• They’ll check the fluid in the transfer case if applicable.

• They’ll check the gear oil in the front axle differential if applicable.

• They’ll lube all the grease zerks underneath the vehicle.

• They’ll check your battery posts for corrosion and clean them if necessary. 

• They’ll check for damage to the constant velocity joints on the axles.

• They’ll generally inspect the underneath of the car, especially looking for possible exhaust leaks or other leaks that could be dangerous.

• They’ll start the car and recheck for leaks or drips. They’ll recheck all caps to ensure they are secure.

• They’ll check all your lights.

• They’ll check the wiper blades.

• They’ll even have you honk your horn, especially if you're going to portland ;)

And Kent ain’t pushy.

Beeks checks the taillights on Woolsey’s vehicle in the final steps of completing the service.

“We don’t hard sell anything,” he said today. “We tell people what we found and make recommendations, and we let them make the decisions.”

But if you do need some work done, Qwik-Change mechanic Caleb Smith is on hand to help. He can tackle a lot of problems and has been certified by Nissan and Mercedes-Benz in years past. If he can’t fix it, Kent can tell you who can. 

On a side note, Kent said he hired Smith years ago while working for Ford in The Dalles. He even helped him move to Bend a few years back. And when he returned to TD, Kent hired Caleb a second time.

And here is something convenient. No appointment is necessary. They are open Tues. - Sat. from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from Noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 541-296-2460.

“You’ll be done in 20 or 30 minutes,” Kent said. 

Just what the doctor ordered.

Grit Row’s Pothier outpaces pandemic, looks to lift others

By Tom Peterson

It’s an average Monday at Grit Row next to The Dalles Gorge Athletic Club on Pomona Street. 

But it’s anything but average.

Kathy Pothier is wearing her ball cap, electric-orange spandex and chatting up her class as they work through an hour of rowing and upper- and lower-body work.

Black lights have turned the room a dark hue of purple as bright colors pop and rowing machines whir. 

Michael Jackson's Thriller jams in the background.

“This is a lot more fun,” said Maggie Justesen, a 19-year-old college student who attends Mount Hood Community College. “Nice atmosphere. Good People.” 

And none of the sense that people are watching you.

It’s kind of freeing, she said.  

“It’s a little dark. So, no one can see me. That’s kind of nice.”

Carmen Toll feeling great.

Two rows away, Carmen Toll, former director at The Dalles Art Center, is stretching out.

The 65-year-old has been working out with Grit Row for 18 months.

“I thought you had to be young to do this,” she said, noting she had not exercised much before meeting Pothier. “I’ve never done sports or anything. I was raised a proper woman and a minister’s wife. And I am a darn good cook and seamstress. I am an expert. But at 65, you have to keep moving, or lose it.” 

“I feel great,” she said. “When I was off for a month, I felt a big difference. I used to get brain fog. Not now.”

During the workout, Pothier challenged the class to a 100-meter rowing sprint, and they all dig, bending legs and pulling back on the handle.

Paddles spin against water inside the rowing machines at Grit Row, providing resistance as students pull for meters on the electronic readout.

At the end of the challenge, Pothier points to the neon 4 written in marker on her forearm. The student with a time ending in 4 has won some free swag - a bar of custom made honey soap from La’Don Homestead - made by another local female entrepreneur - to kick off her “BEE engaged initiative to continue supporting services and organizations that serve The Dalles.

“Rowing is an amazingly effective low impact + full body workout,” Pothier said. “Every stroke utilizes 86% of your muscles allowing you to build aerobic endurance, increased range of motion and muscular strength in a way that is easy on your joints. Grit row pairs rowing intervals with resistance training on the mat, using light weights or bodyweight, for a full body workout.”

Pothier is not only here to pump up her class, but she’s also in The Dalles to pump up the local economy. She buys gift cards and gifts from local businesses to give away to her students for participating in Grit Row and for working on building their own strength.

Win-win, she said.

People have taken notice of her business of late.

She has also been asked to move her studio to Hood River, even Seattle. 

And it would mean more money for her.

She gave a “solid no.”

She’s believes in creating and supporting businesses where she lives in The Dalles. Pothier noted there is a strong group of female business owners who are helping to invigorate the area. Pothier pointed to the Workshop, Studio Fit, Sunshine Mill and a number of other businesses with strong women pushing The Dalles forward.  

Brenna Campbell proudly points out that she has surpassed the 100,000-meter mark in rowing after class. Campbell owns and operates Brenna’s Mosier Market.

After class, Brenna Campbell points to the wall. She has rowed more than 100,000 meters, and she proudly displays the milestone written on a mirror at the front entrance of the room. 

Brenna operates Mosier Market and is also a big supporter of homegrown businesses. 

“It’s addicting,” Campbell said of attending class. “I looked around trying to find the right thing. Then I found Kathy and rowing, and I love it. It’s an individual workout where you focus on yourself. And we all talk and have a good time and you don’t have to be self-conscious.”

Pothier also calls out for group rows during the session, where all of the students get into the same cadence of rowing. They sync up.

“It’s intense. It’s great,” said Mo Burford, 34. 

And it’s a total workout, he said. On this day students were not only rowing but then going to the mats for lunges, squats and crunches. 

“It’s a full body workout,” he said. “I’m a runner and the cardio is pretty good. Sarah (Cook) and I come together. It’s guaranteed exercise.”

Sarah said she was hooked. 

“On some level, I'm sure it's just my body telling me it likes being exercised, lol, but I think you're right when you mention some kind of special tone or vibe in the room, and I think that's a huge part of why I'm committed now. There's a way that Kathy instructs that is just innately body positive: there's constant emphasis on listening to your body, and any sense of challenge has to do with our own metrics.”

Students also work together to pick a charity and raise money for a nonprofit which she now calls BEE Engaged, buy local and support services and organizations that support The Dalles community.

If one photo could say it all, this might be it for Kathy Pothier.

Pothier said they were able to donate almost $3,000 in total to Haven + SafeSpace last year and hundreds in cash and in gifts for the holidays to The Next Door from Grit Row along with donations from many who row with her.

And here’s something Pothier would never tell you. 

She’s too humble.

So, I will.

The kid’s got moxie.

Who starts an exercise business in a pandemic? In a city park, no less. 

Kathy, that’s who.

That’s because it takes stamina, character, and, well … grit. She comes by it rightly.

The former division1 NCAA rower for the University of Massachusetts has been digging in since July 2020 with the business, pouring profits back into the community and more equipment. And recently, she moved her studio, which now includes 10 WaterRower machines and 9 stationary bikes, to The Dalles Gorge Athletic Club, 731 Pomona St.

New Owners of The Dalles Athletic Club, Colleen and Tim Dahle. Photo by Kathy Pothier.

She is leasing the old dance studio at The Dalles Athletic Club. She said of new owners, Tim and Colleen Dahle,

“They have been doing great work here,” noting courts had been resurfaced, the parking lot re-paved and they were looking to work with Denae Manion to paint a mural in the near future.

 “The Dalles is rapidly changing,” Pothier said. “It feels like The Dalles is cresting. People are getting energized, engaged and inspired. I am proud to be a part of that.”

Grit Row offers three different classes: Grit Row, Grit Ride & Grit Power.

For more information click here - Grit Row.

Small Biz, Big Heart: Five Element Acupuncture reopens its doors

Rachel Moore-Beitler and Five Element Acupuncture is reopening on the Heights in Hood River.

Rachel Moore-Beitler is the Gorge’s only Five Element Acupuncturist.

After a year out of the office doing outdoor house calls for clients, she is heading back to the treatment room next week on the Heights in Hood River.

Five Element acupuncture is unique because the needles are gently inserted and then removed right away, making for interactive sessions.

Rachel started her private practice in 2016 and has delighted in offering compassionate care to a variety of clients over the years.

“Each treatment is different because everyone’s stress shows up so differently. I love caring for caregivers because I believe we all win when we lift each other up.”

You can find out more on her website at www.rachel5element.com

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