By Diana Saenger

Janine Rego and two other artists recently pooled their talents and love of vintage items to open the Thank You Dear Heart Vintage Shop on Main Street in El Cajon. The artists are also members of The Local Mercantile Shop, the big red barn on East Main and Los Coaches Road, and decided to open a place where Rego could do workshops with her chalk-based paint, one of the latest decorating trends.

“I started doing workshops over there in the patio, but at night or when it rains I couldn’t have workshops,” Rego said. “At first this store scared me as I only wanted a workshop, but when my friends, Dave and Pam Nutt, Marilyn Petersen, Dana Andersen and Carole Matteson chimed in, ‘let’s do this together;’ it came to be.”

It was about six years ago when Rego, who loved antiques and vintage things, started buying things at different venues and occasionally selling something on Craig’s List and flea markets.

Her business grew, especially with the items she would re-create with the chalk paint. A little touch up here or a complete redo on a piece of furniture and Rego realized, “Hey, I can do this.”

Rego and her husband Mike are always looking for new items. They have a grown son and daughter, who like to keep a look out for treasures for mom’s shop. Rego chose the name for her shop because, “I’ve said that to people all of my life.”

“Mike has a good eye for picking up items and turning them into terrific pieces like shelves or doors that sell rather quickly,” Rego said. “There are many people who have garages full of items to get refurbished or refinished. We’re open three days here, but people can usually find me the other days at the Mercantile.”

The store has vintage and antique items of all different kinds from beer bottles to baby items; unique older window and door frames creatively redone, cabinets, porcelain and collectible dishes, a former accessory cabinet redone by Mike, window framed art and many other unique items.

Rego is often asked the difference between Vintage and Antique but says it’s mostly in the eye of the beholder. Some sources insist that an antique must be at least 100 years old, while a vintage item can be from virtually any decade or era. A 100-year-old couch might be described as antique furniture, but an Art Deco couch from the 1930s would be considered vintage. One difference between vintage and antique appears to be the perceived relevance of the item. A horse-drawn wagon from the 1880s would be considered an antique, since it exists primarily as a relic of a bygone era. A restored 1957 Chevrolet convertible would most likely be described as a vintage car, since it is evocative of a specific era and still has a considerable number of collectors today.

“The customers we attract are different according to our partners,” Rego said. “Dana is very colorful, French romantic, country, which some call shabby schick, but its’s pretty in pink and purple and lace and sells very well.  Marilyn has a lot of antiques. Carol is really into country. Dave and Pam find the most interesting collectables and sell the most items; with many asking “what is it and where did you get it?”  My stuff is all over the place because I’m really into the painting. I use paint that’s chemical free paint from the American Paint Company because they offer an all-natural, zero VOC, eco-friendly, and solvent free paint and finishes. I recently earned the # 10 spot on best sales from the company and they are putting in a full page ad in Flea Market Design magazine of their top ten sellers.”

Because her shop is right in the middle of where the weekly car show takes place, Rego also consigns to car drivers who bring in items to sell; like Mark Lueck, known locally for his art and pin striping of cars, who does the framed window art. Rego is eager to meet new customers who love what they have in their shop.

Thank You Dear Heart Vintage Shop
162 E. Main St, El Cajon,
(619) 454-1275
open Wednesday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
check them out on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thank-You-Dear-Heart/278337232254848

Local feed store strives to meet the needs of pet owners
by Debbie Norman

Marty Barnard keeps current with feed products. “We try to keep current with pet health issues and make every effort to match feed with the customers pet,” Barnard said. There are so many products on the shelves of her store, the choices could be quite confusing. But answers can always be found with her knowledgeable staff: Scott, Dennis, Dale, Brian and Bobbi; always there with a smile ready to help answer your questions.

Along with the tack, Barnard offers consignments for folks wanting to sell their own items. She also has catalogs on hand for orders of tack and supplies she might not have currently in her store. “I can get almost anything ordered for customers. We have many catalogs for customers to look through,” Barnard said.

Barnard offers another service not offered by many, leather repair. She repairs items right there in her store from saddle parts to boots at a fraction of the price it would cost to buy new. “Customers are looking to save money and repairing instead of replacing can really help,” she said.

The Barnards buy their feed in bulk, which gives the customers the best products for the fairest prices. Walking around their store, the products seemed endless. Inside the main building  are the pet products and feed, outside in large storage buildings are livestock feed, wood shavings, fencing, saddle racks, dog houses, rabbit hutches and so much more. 

When it comes to owning a pet or livestock,  it is  worth a  trip to check out East County Feed. East County Feed is located at 10845 Woodside Avenue in Santee, just west of the Hwy. 67 bridge . For more information Marty Barnard and her helpful staff can be reached at (619) 562-2208.

Editor’s note: Check out East County Feed’s ad and weekly coupons on the ‘Best Friends.’

Marty Barnard works on leather repairs.
Photos by Debbie Norman
Dennis is ready to help.
Bridles, halters and leadropes.
Dog houses and rabbit hutch.
Shelves lined with supplies.

Kamps Propane a real neighborhood asset
By Diana Saenger

Kamps has been serving the EastCounty residents with propane deliveries since 1969. John Kamps started the company in the San Diego area before moving the headquarters to Manteca, California. Each of the individual branches of the company is operated like its own headquarters, with a manager, training and a full range of propane services and technical expertise on propane applications.

 Propane, a by-product of the gasoline refineries, is a green fuel with a low carbon footprint and one of the cleanest of fossil fuels. The Environmental Protection Agency has deemed propane an attractive option for avoiding greenhouse emission in nearly any application.

 Working with propane is not a job to take on lightly. There are federal, local and state requirements that must be constantly met. Craig Linden, Kamps manager, works with the San Diego County  Hazard Materials Divison on a regular basis in regards to the chemicals the employees use. Handling a hazardous material requires drivers to pass a test about Federal Hazmat regulations and become a licensed commercial driver with special permits to carry and use a hazardous material.
 

 In addition to home and business delivery, Kamps fills 100-pound cylinders for consumers and also sells those cylinders through the local service stations. They also carry a range of propane-powered equipment and appliances. Federal tax credits under the Economic Recovery Act have up to $1500 tax credits available for home energy improvements.

 Some companies run their vehicles on propane. Linden, who had prior experience with propane, is an inventor and earned a BA in Business Administration from San DiegoState, oversees the operation at the Alpine facility. “We have six delivery vehicles,” he said. “At one time propane was a popular vehicle fuel and that is coming back. We have two trucks that run on propane and two more ordered.”

 Because of the economic situation Kamps has been more flexible with customers feeling the crunch. “We’re happy to take calls from customers who need adjustments or are concerned about problems,” Linden said.

 Kamps offers new customer specials, incentives to switch from another company and several plan options. These include:

* E-Z saver plan – calculated over a year and divided into 12 monthly payments
* Credit Challenged – Will Call when needed and pay at that time
* Senior Discount
* Electronic Reader Discount

 “The Electronic Reader is the new SMART System that Kamps has spent nearly $3 million to implement,” Linden said. “It’s a meter that goes on the tank and displays the Tank Fuel Level, Outside Temperature, Inside Temperature, and the Time, and we can read all of that remotely.”

 The system can also send an immediate alert for Low Fuel Level, Unusual Usage and Low      Inside Temperature. There’s no cost to the consumer, and customers who elect to have the new SMART system will have a $.05 per gallon discount on all propane purchases for using the system. Kamps expects the system to be fully deployed within this year.

 “This has come about because John Kamps is very progressive about his business,” Linden said. “While some companies are still stuck in the same technology they had 40 years ago; that’s not his method. The company is family owned, but if he sees a way to improve the company or the product, he goes for it. We have 12 employees who because of Kamps’ standards, share a positive attitude which makes for a great working relationship overall.”

 John Kamps has seen a consistent growth in his company which he attributes to good managers who focus on customer satisfaction. “We're right here, and we're ready to earn your business every day,” the company bio states. Linden said this is something he learned in college and now puts into practice as a Kamps’ manager.

 “I’ve learned how important the customer is and how important it is to maintain good relations with them and respect them as consumers and our customers,” he said. “I think in the past few years our focus on this has created a great customer base and a great team.”

 Kamps Propane, Inc.
16245 Alpine Blvd.
(800) 797-4427, (619) 390-630
Mon. – Fri, 8 a,m., - 5 p.m.

 Photo: Kamps team Credit: Kamps
 Photo: Craig Linden Credit: Diana Saenger