This is the second of several articles over the next few weeks profiling Middletown businesses, including how they are faring in the aftermath of the devastating Valley Fire last September.
MIDDLETOWN >> Lower Lake resident Rita Caroni loves the sense of community in Middletown so much that she opened a boutique shop here in 2011 with her partner in business and life, Dayle Marshall.
“She’s the artist and I’m the business person,” Caroni said. “Dayle makes a lot of what the store carries.”
The retail shop, 2 Women Traders, marked its fifth anniversary on July 11, an event the two women hope to commemorate with a celebration at their store later in July.
Since the couple rented the shop, which took three months to renovate, it has become a showcase for Marshall’s art work that is well-known in the local art scene and has been displayed nationally, including engravings of the names of the first responders killed in the 9-11 World Trade Center attacks in New York.
Half of a wall in the shop is dedicated to Marshall’s art, including round wood wall hangings engraved with the signs of the zodiac.
Like several other Middletown retail shops, 2 Women Traders carries an eclectic mix of goods, primarily catering to an “enlightened” or New Age clientele.
From War to Peace is the name of a line of art and jewelry the store carries that is made from “Peace Bronze,” an alloy created from disarmed and recycled nuclear weapons systems and components. Don’t worry, though, none of the items glow. Its creations include “Beers Not Bombs” bottle openers and “Make Wine Not War” bottle stoppers.
“We’re very big on fair trade suppliers, such as Beyond Borders, where most of the money goes back into the community or to the artist,” Caroni said. “Most are either local (Lake County) or in the U.S.A.”
Among items sold in the shop are books, including several from local author Barbara Sinor, incense, locally-made palm and soy wax candles, Native American spirit sticks and smudge sticks, Himalayan salt lamps made by Aloha Bay in Lower Lake, soaps and lotions from The Soap Shack in Lakeport, wind chimes, along with scarves, jewelry and socks.
“I’m known as the Socks Queen,” Caroni joked. The shop carries a wide but uniquely-designed variety of socks.
Hand-held labyrinths engraved by Marshall are another popular seller. The labyrinths allow the user to trace a complex pattern with a finger as a way to relax or to help meditate.
“We’re known for our labyrinths everywhere in the world, except Middletown,” Caroni said, pointing out most are sold to tourists.
Caroni is proud that the store carries “on purpose” a large number of items priced under $25, including many under $10.
“We don’t have a lot of expensive items here,” Caroni said. “Our prices are affordable.”
While the items may not have a high price, the quality is high, even in the small tokens shaped like clover leafs, hearts and stars with one-word messages that sell for $1.60. Many of the items are handmade or hand-engraved, such as small soapstone animal creations and ceramic Raku medallions.
Another popular item, especially among locals, is a red coffee mugs with a white engraving by Marshall. The front reads, “Rising from the ashes” while the back states, “Valley Fire, 2015, Middletown, Cobb, Anderson Springs, Hidden Valley.”
But last September’s devastating Valley Fire is certainly more than just writings on coffee mugs for Caroni and Marshall. The blaze has had an adverse effect on sales among many local retailers, including 2 Women Traders.
“Since the fire, our sales have been cut in half,” Caroni said. She estimates that 60 percent of business comes from locals and 40 percent from tourists.
“A lot of our customers had second homes in Cobb but lost them in the fire,” Caroni said.
She also said she understands that it will take more time for some or many of the lost houses to be rebuilt. But at the moment, time is not on the side of 2 Women Traders.
“The store was paying for itself before the fire,” Caroni said. “It’s not now.”
She said, “One day we may only sell a $5 card, then have no sales for two days, then a good day of $500 in sales.”
One of the biggest draws to the area for tourists, especially from other northern California counties, was the Harbin Hot Springs Resort that was destroyed in the inferno.
“When Harbin rebuilds, I hope that will bring the tourists back,” Caroni added. Until then, “We’re going to keep this store open as long as we can.”
2 Women Traders is at 21168 Calistoga St. (Hwy. 29) in Middletown, (707) 987-3870. Their hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
