Jess Henreys photo Misty and Chris McHenery inside Rascals Market
By JESS W. HENRYES/For The Herald — Rascal’s market, a fixture in Oakridge for many years, is again open for business. And what can be better for a community than breathing life into an Oakridge landmark building.
Chris McHenery and his wife Misty, bought the faded mini-mart last summer. Since taking over, they have been busily painting, shining and scrubbing while making plans for the future. “We came here for to make a better life for us and our boys,” he said. “It was hard to be a dad when I was up early for work, and by the time I got home there wasn’t much time to be a family.” McHenery said the move Oakridge was partly to exit the frenetic California Bay Area.
The Mchenery’s
His custom engraving business was successful, Chris said. But it required him to drive from his home in Chowchilla to his East Bay shop in Milpitas – a grueling drive that chewed 4 hours out of his workday. The commute, 2 hours in and 2 hours back, ate up time he wanted to spend with his family.
He said the company was always busy and successful. But then a medical problem took him away for over 10 months. During his recuperation, McHenery had time to be with his wife Misty and sons Ethan 11, and Logan 8. Spending time with his family gave him a different outlook – he realized what he was missing in life and wanted his boys to know him better. The 14-hour workday was no longer what he wanted. He and Misty started looking for alternatives to the daily grind.
And so the search began
The couple started searching for a place where they could start a business and become members of a community – not just another business in another town. They also had a strong desire to be surrounded by nature, where they could explore the woods and the streams in a natural environment. They found that in Oakridge.
McHenery said they had looked for a business to buy in Portland, but that the city didn’t have the right feel. A visit to the Yosemite area, made a good impression on them, but when a business deal fell through, they were back on the search. They started looking at areas with smaller towns and a lot of outdoor activities. The couple wanted to build a business to provide the lifestyle they wanted.
“When Oakridge popped up on the screen,” Misty said, “it only took 2 or 3 visits to convince us to settle here.” They saw that Rascal’s had the potential to give them a livable income. The deal was sweeter because the purchase included a house behind the store, which made the commute much shorter. “It made the decision easy,” she said.
They closed on the sale in July and opened the store in November.
“The kids love it here,” Misty went on to say. “We love country living and being around the natural beauty is what we hoped to find.”
McHenery said he and Misty always look for the best in people. “If someone needs some help, I will be there with an open hand,” Chris said. “We like helping people. We want that to be part of the community.”
Looking forward
Chris said they are studying various ideas to make the little store more attractive for customers. The building has a commercial kitchen and a small dining area. In the future they might make it into a cafe.
The store has good visibility as it sits on a bend where Highway 58 enters the Oakridge city limits on the West end of town. McHenery acknowledges that the minimal parking area will be a challenge, but it’s a problem they will overcome. “People will stop here if they want to,” he said.
Rascals Market, a long-time standard for travelers and locals alike, is located at 47393 Highway 58, Oakridge, OR 97463.
George Custer lives in Oakridge with his wife Sayre. George is a former smokejumper from his hometown of Cave Junction, a former captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. and ran a construction company in Southern California. George assumed the volunteer duties as the Editor of the Highway 58 Herald in 2022. He loves riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, building all things wood, and playing drums on the weekends in his office.
