On Biz: Young doctor returns home to work with dad

Ben Driver gave the world of big money and big cities a try and didn't like either.

So he went back to school, earned another degree, got accepted into dental school, graduated and returned home to Roseburg to work as a dentist in his father's practice.

“I'm very happy to be here,” the 28-year-old Ben Driver said. “I love Roseburg. I was born and raised here. I couldn't wait to get back after school.”

Driver admitted with a laugh he might be a little bit of an oddball because so many college graduates from Douglas County don't return to the rural area.

Driver is a 1999 Roseburg High School graduate. He earned a degree in business finance from Linfield College in McMinnville, but after working as a financial advisor in the Portland area for four months, he decided it wasn't for him.

“I really didn't like it at all,” he said.

So he returned to school, attending Portland State University and earning a degree in biology in two years' time. He was then accepted into Oregon Health and Science University School of Dentistry in Portland and in four years earned a doctorate of dental medicine.

“I like learning, but I'm ready to start working,” Driver said of ending his 10-year college career. “I love treating people, helping people.”

His father, Mark Driver, is happy to have his son join him in his office at 1651 N.W. Hughwood Court. The older Driver has practiced dentistry in Roseburg for 30 years.

“We'll work together for a while,” said the son. “I don't know how many more years dad will work, but eventually I'll take over his practice.”

The office number for the Drivers is 672-8187.

Doors close at MC Goodwill

The Goodwill Retail Store in Myrtle Creek is closed. The doors were shut 10 days ago.

“We are very sad about the closing of the Myrtle Creek store,” said Diane Raymond, the corporate marketing manager out of Goodwill's Medford office.

A couple of customers of the Myrtle Creek Goodwill store called The News-Review to express their disappointment with the decision to close the outlet. One customer, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Myrtle Creek really needs it with all the unemployment we have here.”

Raymond explained, however, that the store has not been generating enough revenue to warrant keeping its doors open.

“ All of our stores exist for one purpose,” said Raymond. “That's to generate enough revenue to fund programs and services for individuals and families with barriers to employment so they can achieve independence. Over 75 percent of the revenue from the retail stores goes directly to fund those programs and services. It's not fair to the mission when a store is not able to help in that mission.

“It's with great sadness that we make this decision, but we're doing what is best for the mission,” she added.

The Myrtle Creek Goodwill store has been open for 11 years. Three full-time employees have been laid off.

“The store has simply been on the edge,” Raymond said. “We feel we gave it a long enough change. It was not carrying its weight.

“Southern Oregon Goodwill is so very grateful to the community for the support over the past 11 years,” she added.

Cheers to local wineries

Expect a few, or maybe a lot, more visitors to the Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua after some recent free publicity.

Editors at TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) have compiled a list of North America's top 10 wine destinations after noticing a 10 percent rise in searches for “vineyards” over a recent six-week period, compared to one year earlier. So a survey of 1,000 U.S. respondents was conducted, and 40 percent of the participants said they planned to visit a U.S. vineyard this fall.

The fifth most popular place to visit, according to the survey, is “Roseburg, Oregon,” with the following printed description: “South of Willamette Valley, Roseburg has a slightly warmer climate and is situated in the Umpqua Valley, where impressive natural scenery is all around from waterfalls to wildlife. Pinot noir is the primary varietal here, but delicious pinot gris, riesling, chardonnay, and others can also be found.”

With such a high rating by TripAdvisor, more wine lovers are sure to visit our area that now boasts about 30 vineyards and/or wineries. That means new dollars coming to central Douglas County.

Topping the destination rankings are Napa Valley, Calif., described as the undisputed American capital of wine, Sonoma, Calif., Willamette Valley, Ore., Yakima Valley, Wash., and then the Roseburg area. Completing the top 10 are Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Finger Lakes, N.Y., Traverse City, Mich., North Fork, Long Island, N.Y. and Oak Grove, Virginia.

Here's a toast to the Umpqua Valley wineries who have worked hard to make the area a popular stop for wine enthusiasts.

BIZZ BUZZ

“I believe that the economy has leveled off from the nosedive that we've experienced for the past 18 months and that we are now in a recovery mode. However, the rate of recovery is going to be at a pace that resembles a “3 steps forward, 2 1/2 steps backward” mentality. Carefully think through all of your business actions.”

Andrew Owens

Operations Manager

A&M Transport, Inc.

Glendale

• On Biz is not an endorsement, only an introduction to businesses in the community. Reporter Craig Reed can be reached at 957-4210 or creed@nrtoday.com.