Tag Archives: Lakeridge High School athletes

An Excellent Public Servant and Three Outstanding Entrepreneurs – Part II

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In my first post on this topic, I told you about my admiration for a law enforcement officer and a small business entrepreneur in West Linn, Oregon.

I’m proud to know both Chief Oddis Rollins and Scott Andersson of Ace Computer Repair, LLC. https://thebeerchaser.com/2026/06/23/beerchaser-notables-an-excellent-public-servant-and-three-outstanding-entrepreneurs-part-i/

Chief Oddis Rollins
Scott Andersson

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. This is a long post. If you’re receiving it through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative isn’t clipped. (# External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

Both young Elliot Schwartz, a recent Lakeridge High School grad and Don Fuchs, a former colleague at the Schwabe law firm, also deserve commendations for their entrepreneurial efforts and to be “honored” as Beerchasing Notables.

You’ll Take a “Shine” to Elliot

I first met Elliot over one year ago when he came to our house and pitched his window washing service. He greeted me by my first name and gave an eloquent and somewhat aggressive pitch on why we should join our neighbors and hire him.

My first reaction was “This young guy seems pretty brash.” We didn’t need the service then and I turned him down. Then about one month ago, Elliot brightened our doorstep again. I’d seen him doing a number of my neighbors’ homes with his team and I decided to give him a try.

Part of the rationale was that my wife of forty-six years had informed me if she ever saw me on a ladder again, that I (not her) would be leaving the house and moving to an apartment. (#2 – #3)

Elliot

Well, he did an outstanding job and Elliot insisted that before I paid him, I walk around the house and inspect his work. And our windows did shine. I thought Elliot had an interesting story, so I invited him in to interview for Thebeerchaser.

So how did 18-year-old Elliot become an entrepreneur? Perhaps he was born with a passion for sales because he started selling candy in second grade, followed by opening successful lemonade stands.

His parents were very supportive although they didn’t tell him what to do – he wanted to do it. His dad makes his living as leadership coach and it’s evident that some of this rubbed off on Elliot.

His siblings went to private school at the prestigious Oregon Episcopal School, but the young entrepreneur wanted to go to public school and chose Lakeridge where he lettered in soccer.

From his freshman to junior years, he worked part-time in commissioned sales reselling Nike shoes and did pretty well. After seeing others advertise residential window washing on social media, he decided at the end of his junior year to form his company.

In that short time, PaineCrime Window Cleaning has hired two technicians (window and roof cleaners) and a door-to-door sales rep. (Check out his website) “Streak-free, spot-free glass for homes and businesses across Lake Oswego, West Linn, and the greater Portland metro.”

He developed his logo himself through AI and now also has merchandise. The reviews on social media are excellent – here’s two examples:

“The work these guys did was outstanding. My windows have never been cleaner. I would highly recommend them and definitely going to be using them again!”

“PaneCrime Window Cleaning services my business in the Irvington area and does an amazing job! Very thorough job cleaning of the exterior windows, punctual and great to do business with!”

Talking to this remarkable young man was a pleasure. He stated:

“My grandfather, Robert Abel Davies III, has been a huge inspiration to me from an entrepreneurial perspective throughout my life. He told me that I should always strive for excellence, and everything else will follow. That philosophy has really guided how I approach PaneCrime Window Cleaning and everything else I do.

His five-year plan includes starting college at San Diego State University in the fall majoring in finance and accounting. It wouldn’t surprise anyone who knows him to see him have a successful career in sales.

He keeps a journal for self-reflection and states he loves learning from other people and states, “I want to continue spreading positivity.” (#4 – #5)

I’m sure that Elliot’s parents are proud of him. I am too and I just met him. Give him a call for windows “So clean, it’s criminal!”

Don Fuchs – Lawyer turned Entrepreneur

I spent the last twenty-six years of my career working at an outstanding regional law firm based in Portland – first as Business Manager and the last thirteen as the Chief Operating Officer. Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt – now known as Schwabe – had a great team-oriented environment and I’m proud to say – Management had an open-door policy. (#4)

During that time, I saw many excellent law school students start their careers as summer law clerks, join the firm as associates and go on to become partners. Others, after an initial tenure at the firm, moved to careers in public service, as in-house counsel for our clients or became corporate executives.

Some of my favorites were undergrads at the Business School at Willamette University and then earned their law degree at the school. Willamette University’s joint JD/MBA program through the Atkinson Graduate School of Management, has an excellent reputation.

It was to the firm’s benefit to have young lawyers who, besides being skilled in legal theory, understood the requirements of running a business. In Schwabe’s case, when I retired in 2011, we had about 150 lawyers and five offices. Three of my favorites from Willamette Law School with Business School credentials were Don Fuchs, Jeff Hern and Tom Tongue. (#5 – #7)

Don Fuchs
Jeff Hern
Tom Tongue

Both Hern and Tongue are now partners and have thriving corporate practices – Tongue also was appointed as Schwabe CEO in 2025 and Fuchs is now CEO of Harris Thermal Transfer Products – an Oregon corporation based in Newberg.

But I want to focus on Fuchs today, because he is an unintriguing entrepreneurial story as well as one of family values. The first time he visited my office with some suggestions shortly after he started as an associate in 1998, I have to admit my reaction was similar to my initial encounter with young Elliot Schwartz – “This guy’s a bit cocky and brash.”

When Don returned with some constructive ideas – rather than just gripes – I was impressed. That said, I have to admit that his record as a four-year letterman (1990 – 1993) on the Linfield University Basketball Team, predisposed me to listen. This was affirmed when I saw how his elbow jumper helped our Lawyer’s League basketball team. (And he was a good teammate.)

I got to know Don well and I was saddened for the firm, but happy for Don, when he told me he was leaving to pursue his dream for the start-up Legal Anywhere – which he co-founded in 1997 and continued building while also meeting his billable goals as a new lawyer.

Legal Anywhere® became the market leader for enterprise collaboration and file sharing for law firms and corporate legal departments around the world. (#8)

In 2003, he became the Chief Sales and Strategy Officer, a position he held for almost fifteen years until the investors sold the company to High Q. He managed the sell side of the merger and acquisition process.

I’ll use AI to summarize Don’s career:

“(He’s held) senior leadership roles in global software sales, business development, and sales at various companies, including Opus 2, HighQ, and Legal Anywhere. He also co-founded and served as CEO of BK Direct and Compli Corporation.

Fuchs’ background is unique — he began his career as an attorney, later founded and sold legal technology companies, and then transitioned into running a 140-year-old family-owned manufacturing business – Harris Thermal Transfer Products, founded in 1885 and acquired by his family in the 1980s.”

In 2022, his career had a major transition – from software to heavy industrial manufacturing, when at the request of his dad, he took over as CEO of Harris Thermal Transfer. He wasn’t pursuing this position, but his family loyalty trumped his affinity for technology.

A few of the pictures below are from a recent visit I had with Don at the impressive Harris facilities and offices. He was definitely in his element. (We also agreed that we were both too old for a game of one-on-one.) (#9 – #10)

The company designs, fabricates, and repairs custom thermal‑process equipment for industries such as power generation, renewable energy, oil & gas, chemical processing, water treatment, food & beverage, mining, and pulp & paper.

You can see why family values are important to Don. (#11 – #12)

I’ll finish with a digression from his professional exploits….

His four years lettering for the Linfield Wildcats under legendary Coach Larry Doty, demonstrate his character, persistence and sense of humor. His freshman year, Don felt that he wasn’t getting enough playing time and Coach Doty seemed to ignore his pleas.

He informed Coach he was going to invoke a personal hot-water boycott after practice and games going forward until his playing time increased. Don told me that it was the middle of winter and he would exit the shower hyperventilating.

I asked him why the coach would care and he replied, “I was young and foolish and this was my first foray into sales and marketing…” It did get at least get the attention of Coach Doty and his teammates who “enjoyed seeing me frigid.”

Notwithstanding the boycott, his playing time the first two seasons didn’t end up to his satisfaction, but in his third season (1992-3) the Wildcats finished with a 28–0 record in conference play, winning the conference title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.  “Fuchs’ consistent scoring and rebounding helped maintain the team’s high level of play throughout the season.” (Linfield University)

He was team captain the last two years and the only basketball player in Linfield athletic annals to receive the Don Porter Scholarship Award for the highest GPA all of his four years. (#13 – #15)

So #24 ended with a great college basketball tenure as well as an impressive and ongoing professional career. And don’t be surprised if Don hires Elliot Schwartz when he returns to Oregon from his studies at San Diego State.

External Photo Attribution

#1. West Linn Police Department Website (Police Home | City of West Linn Oregon Official Website).

#2 – #3. PaneCrime Window Cleaners (PaneCrime Window Cleaning: Streak-Free Windows Guaranteed).

#4.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons – PacWest Center 

#5. Linked-in Site for Don Fuchs (Don Fuchs | LinkedIn).

#6 – #7. Schwabe Law Firm Website (Counsel and solutions tailored to our region and your industry).

#8. Facebook Site for Legal Anywhere ((26) Legal Anywhere: Overview | LinkedIn).

#9 – #10. Harris Thermal Website – (Oil and Gas Industry Solutions – Harris Thermal).

#11 – #12. Courtesy of Don Fuchs

#13.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Linfield wildcats wmark.png – Wikimedia Commons) This logo image consists only of simple geometric shapes or text. It does not meet the threshold of originality needed for copyright protection, and is therefore in the public domain. Source: Linfield University – 2025.

# 14. Golinfieldwildcats.com  ( Doty earns record, Wildcats snap losing skid – Linfield University Athletics).

#15.  1992-93 Linfield Basketball Team courtesy of Don Fuchs.

A Good Way to Get Back to Your “Roots”…..

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Roots is a new establishment that had its grand opening May 18th in the Palisades Marketplace in Lake Oswego.   This not-for-profit public house has interesting and unusual trappings, but is not unique in Oregon.

The Oregon Public House reviewed by Thebeerchaser in a 2015 post asserted that it was the world’s first non-profit pub when it commenced operating in 2013 and even got national publicity on their mission.

Shortly after that in 2014, Ex Novo Brewing, opened its doors claiming to be the country’s first nonprofit brewery.

A Willamette Week article, described the two as follows:

“The nation’s first nonprofit brewery opened around the same time as the nation’s first non-profit beer pub in a rash of Obama-era do-gooderism, at a time when people could make a difference without braving tear gas.  Even if you didn’t know these were pints with a purpose, you’ll love…..” (Willamette Week 3/2/17)

Now in these days of intense competition in the micro-craft industry, there are a lot of establishments that are not making a profit – albeit not intentionally – so let’s distinguish the objectives of the those above and the new Roots Public House in Lake O founded by Derek and Katie Abbott.

Their goal is to make a profit – just that whatever financial returns are derived, are directed to select charitable (or sometimes governmental) organizations.   The model allows the patron to select the organization which garners the overage on his or her pint.  (You place a token in the appropriate jar.) Katie Abbott said that the Oregon Public House (OPH) was an inspiration for their plans.

Roots has identified four areas in which their efforts are focused:

  Education          Hunger          Arts          Literacy

The four recipient organizations when we visited this month are below.  These may change at some point in the future but will be restricted to local causes:

Lake Oswego School District Foundation          Lakewood Theater

Tualatin  Food Pantry          Lake Oswego Library

Customers have a choice which worthwhile cause to support.

Those who are suspicious or possibly have a cynical view of human nature, may dismiss this benevolence based on creative accounting.  For example, do the owners get a substantial salary which would be considered an expense and deducted before the bottom line figure.  Roots pledge is “We give 100% of our profits to local charities.  You GATHER, we GIVE.”

OPH is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit while both Ex Novo and Roots are LLC’s which allows them to maximize deductions.  Katie and Derek currently do not take salaries although all of their staff are obviously compensated – former Lake Oswego or Lakeridge High School students who are now college seniors or graduate students and work during the summer or part-time when school is in session.

Regardless of the manner in which they accomplish their motto – for OPH it’s “Have a Pint – Save the World”) and at Roots, it’s “Gather and Give”  – Thebeerchaser’s position is that the individuals behind these establishments, even if taking a salary, are working for far less than they otherwise would be taking home in order to promote worthwhile philanthropic endeavors.

A great looking family…..

Katie and Derek Abbott have a good story – Texas natives who moved to Oregon in 2002 to complete graduate studies – they both have backgrounds in education and Derek is a math and AP statistics teacher at nearby Lakeridge High School where he has taught for fifteen years.  Katie at one time worked for Marylhurst University.  Falling in love with the Northwest, they decided to plant their Roots here.

A homebrewing hobby ultimately led to the desire to have their own pub.  They built out the bar area (about 250 square feet)  themselves including the attractive woodwork starting in April which “took us about six weeks to complete – generally two hours per evening and on weekends about five hours per day.”

Woodworking is a family venture….

Their are plusses and minuses to their location.  The bar itself is tucked into a niche one sees to his left when walking into Palisades.

There are five tables and the bar has four seats to drink one of their beverages – a cozy environment but one which can also accommodate a community gathering.

Cozy ambiance with the Lammers

Some pub enthusiasts might prefer not to have their favorite watering hole in a grocery.

Palisades Marketplace, however, is a cherished community store with long-term and friendly staff that has a tradition of supporting the community.

It has a great deli and bakery within shouting distance of the bar and an excellent selection of wines. Katie stated that they have been a great partner.

Big enough for a community gathering

Palisades Marketplace – a community tradition in Lake O

Besides, there are subtle, but practical advantages to picking up a growler of your favorite beer or just having a pint at the bar when you make the trip to pick up a quart of milk or the organic veggies you forgot for your stir-fry dinner.

Roots has an impressive lineup on tap for a small operation with14 diverse micro-crafts, two hard ciders, a hard seltzer, two wines, three Kombuchas and a few non-alcoholic offerings.

There is certainly a case to be made for Katie’s assertion, “We have the best selection of draft beers in the area.”  And at $5 and $6 their pints are very reasonably priced. ($1 off at “Happiest Hours,” which are from 6:00 to 8:00).  Don’t be surprised to see a special whenever you pop in including some nights when wine is featured.

Currently, their food selection at the bar itself is limited to snacks such as pistachios, chips and salsa, chex mic and Bratwursts. (However, remember you can get that corn dog or macaroni salad by walking a few feet to the deli…..)

I have to admit, Thebeerchaser will return for a Happiest Hour when a beer and a Brat can be rung up for only $10.  Roots is open every day from 2:00 to 8:30 although they may cut back slightly during the winter months.

Janet and I joined our good friends, Michael and Pat Lammers, on a Saturday afternoon and I had one of my favorite IPA’s – Sticky Hands IPA (8.1%) from Block 15 Brewery in the great town of Corvallis.   

Michael – a dark beer aficionado opted for the Great Notion Double Stack Imperial Stout notwithstanding that “…it is fermented with an irresponsible amount of maple syrup…” and it has an 11% ABV…

Janet and Pat both enjoyed a pint of the Breakside Sugar Cube Hazy IPA (5.6%) because they wanted to try a hazy brew and to assuage some of Michael’s guilt for the sugar consumption in his beer…..

Derek and Katie are striving to make their establishment a community gathering place with events such as trivia nights on Tuesday for which they have regularly drawn 30 to 45 people.   It’s family oriented and minors are welcome.

They have also partnered with the Ceramics Dept. at Lakeridge for a “Plants and Pints Night” where for $20 participants consume their favorite beer, get a hand-made ceramic with a class taught by Nicole Forbes from Seven Dees Landscaping and chose the appropriate succulent plant to take home. All proceeds go to the school.

 

We were served by Sophie French, a delightful young woman who works at the pub during the summer while attending the University of Portland where she will be a senior and majors in Human Biology.

She is also a member of the notable UP Women’s Soccer Team and has had an outstanding record in both high school and intercollegiate soccer.  Her one year at the University of Idaho, she made the Big Sky All-Academic Team.

An amazing scholar athlete

Sophie and her twin sister, Lille according to a 12/3/15 article in the Lake Oswego Review “Twin Sisters Pull Off Rare Athletic Feat,” were well known for their diverse achievements in sports.

“Growing up, Lakeridge twins Sophie and Lillie French played virtually every sport that was available to them.  There was basketball, soccer, swimming, water polo, baseball, softball, tennis and track in their childhood.”

Not only a great athlete, but an academic all-star

And by the way, if you check out Roots’ website, which is very well done, don’t get confused in your Google search — there is a Root Public House in Flagstaff, New Mexico that looks interesting, but requires either a road trip or some airline tickets……

So how has the first three months gone for the two young entrepreneurs?   In response to this question, Katie replied, “Well there hasn’t been one time when Derek and I both wanted to quit on the same day!!”  

She stated that their intent is to expand to more locations so other communities have the opportunity to support their local community and share the fellowship a public house provides.  This  has been an ongoing faith journey for them.  “We love the way this helps us give back to the community and the community has loved it to this point and given back to us.”

Regardless of whether you are running low on foodstuffs and need to resupply your pantry at Palisades Marketplace, you should make a point to hit this new venture. Show your support for this wonderful couple.  They radiate enthusiasm and their efforts to “Gather and Give” and make their community and state a better place are commendable.

Besides, when doesn’t a Bratwurst fit into the plan……..?

Roots Public House      Palisades Marketplace    1377 McVey Ave.    Lake Oswego