Embarking on 25 Years of Publishing Cascade Business News

(Photo above by Marcee Hillman Moeggenberg)

I’ll start this chapter (chapters) of Mom’s incredible journey in 1992. Her life story could easily fill a trilogy.

Pamela Hulse Andrews, born in Kansas but a long-time Oregonian, moved to Long Beach California for a change of pace and some sun. There she met Andy and married, thus the Andrews was added to her name. They had just experienced the LA riots which was quite traumatizing, as it was very close to their home.

I called her to see how things were, and she said, “We’re leaving California, we’re going to buy a ranch in Louisiana…” “What?!” I said, cutting her off. “…or Central Oregon,” she continued.

Can you imagine what the cultural landscape of Central Oregon might look like if she had gone to Louisiana? Or better yet, what Louisiana might look like?

Shortly after they found a little ranch in Alfalfa, just east of Bend, and made the move. In 1994, Mom started Cascade Business News (CBN), and shortly thereafter, Cascade A&E, dedicated to Arts and Culture in Central Oregon. In 1998, Mom mentioned that her sales manager was leaving to become a financial advisor, and my ears perked up. I saw this as a great opportunity to get out of the Portland rat race. I was living there at the time with my wife, Cindy, and our two young boys, doing outside sales (estimates) for a construction company, while Cindy stayed home to raise the kids and help her brother with the family wine business.

“Mom, you should hire me for the sales position. I’ll move your grandkids down to be close, and I can raise the boys in Bend,” I told her as I pitched myself for the job. I was very familiar with Bend, visiting from Portland every winter to ski and summers at the Inn at the 7th Mountain swimming pool. I loved the idea!
I said, “Remember I worked for my sister-in-law at the little newspaper in Sandy, selling ads for a special project while I healed from ankle surgery?” I figured the grandkids, and my “experience” selling ads would secure my employment for sure. However, Mom said, “Let me talk to my advisors and get back to you in a week or so.”

I was in a bit of shock, but understood. I think she was getting some push back from her husband and maybe some friends that family can be great to work with, or sometimes work out horribly.

About a week later she called and said, “Get your resume together and come down for an interview.” So I did, and made sure to put that time at the Sandy Post far forward.
When I arrived for the interview, it was very formal. I think that’s the first time I met… “Pamela.”

Pamela was all business in the interview, and although I always had a way of making Mom laugh, my tricks weren’t working on Pamela. Even so. I knew I was a shoe-in for the job.

I didn’t mention to Pamela that I knew Mom.

I also knew I was the best candidate at the time. The employee pool wasn’t what it is today. Or maybe it was? So I went back to Portland and a few days later she called and offered a commission-only sales job. No title. We became a great team, a sort of yin and yang.

From then on she was “Pamela” when in work settings. In fact, most people weren’t aware we were related — although we were mistaken as couple on a few occasions when out for lunch meetings, etc. Very embarrassing!

In 1999 we formed Cascade Publications, Inc. With CBN as our horse, we started helping others with their projects and expanding our own, including Cascade A&E, Cascades East, Sunriver Magazine and more. We also embraced the digital age, offering news through websites and e-newsletters. We grew the company every year until the recession, but we made it through and have been growing again every year since 2011. We stayed frugal and paid off our debt and paid down mortgages — we felt like we had put CPI back in a really good position.

So, in February of 2017, having just returned from her art retreat in the mountains of San Miguel, Mexico, Pamela said, “I want to retire this time next year,” and so we set out to create a plan. We looked at all options, but it always came back to keeping the business going, even if that meant Pamela would send editorials from a far off beach, or Coachella.

She would have celebrated 25 years of publishing CBN September, 2018.

In October of last year, before we could really put a plan in place, Pamela showed signs of what we at the office thought might be small stroke, but of course she wasn’t having it. She felt fine, she said, but we convinced her to get checked out — and after a couple weeks of this and that they finally found the tumor.

She quickly became Mom again.

It was easier for me to say goodbye to Pamela than it is to say goodbye to Mom, but they will both be sorely missed by many people, for many different reasons. She leaves behind a great legacy, with several awards from different entities being named in her honor. She leaves behind a thriving business as well, thanks to the great team we had in place. Marcee, Kalea and our recent hire Natalie in production, David in sales, our many freelance writers and contributors helped make the transition fairly smooth, but not without numerous challenges. Many thanks to them, as well as friends and family of mine and Mom’s, for your help along the way.

Goodbye Pamela.
Goodbye Mom.
Thank you for everything, we love you.

Cheers to 25 years!