JET CITY MAVEN - VOL. 5, ISSUE 9, SEPTEMBER 2001

Copyright 2001 Park Projects. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Jet City Maven as your source.

All That Dance moving to Wedgwood The September/October issue of the Wedgwood Community Council's newsletter reports that the former shop space for Wedgwood Cycle, 8507 35th Ave. NE, has a new tenant: All That Dance, a dance studio that is relocating from the Bryant neighborhood. The grand opening date for All That Dance's new location is Oct. 1. Wedgwood Cycle closed its doors on Feb. 28 after 19 years in business.

Santa Fe Cafe in Ravenna closes

After 19 years in business, the Santa Fe Cafe in Ravenna at 2255 NE 65th will serve its last meal on Aug. 31.

Owner Greg Gibbons said he and his partner and brother, Steve, decided to close the restaurant for a variety of reasons including Steve's decision to go into semi-retirement, concerns about the economy and the decision of other key employees to leave. Gibbons said he will keep the Santa Fe Cafe restaurant on Phinney Ridge going because it has desirable amenities such as a lounge, a deck and an office. The Phinney location opened in 1987.

One employee who had decided to depart is John Torretta, kitchen manager of Santa Fe's Ravenna location. Torretta started work at the Santa Fe 19 years ago as a prep cook and worked his way up. He hopes to make a career change by starting nursing school next year. While it's not known what business will take over the Ravenna space, Torretta said it would be a good location to start a new restaurant.

"It's a great location,' Torretta said. "For 20 years people have gotten used to there being a restaurant (here)."

PCC names new CEO

In August, Puget Consumers Co-op, also known as PCC Natural Markets, promoted chief operating officer Tracy Wolpert to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Wolpert has been serving as acting co-CEO with Randy Lee, since November when PCC's board decided against renewing the contract of CEO Jeffrey Voltz.

Lee will resume his role as chief financial officer. PCC will not refill the position of chief operating officer.

The CEO change-over coincided with PCC's decision to close its store in Ravenna, the neighborhood where the natural food market chain got its start 40 years ago. The store closure angered some local residents and members. PCC explained that the decision was prompted by slumping sales and its members' desire for bigger stores with more products as being among reasons for the decision. PCC currently owns seven stores with three located in North Seattle.

Things have been looking up for PCC in recent months. The company recently announced that first-half earnings are up significantly over the same period last year.

In related news, PCC also announced that Don DeSantis, a CPA, has been elected chairman of the company's board of trustees.

Gasworks Park Kite Shop moving to bigger space

Gasworks Park Kite Shop and Goodwinds Kites, a business that has been located at 3333 Wallingford Ave. N since 1987, is moving to a new location: 3420 Stone Way Ave. N. Owner Kathy Goodwind explains that her retail kite store/wholesale kite parts and supply business has simply outgrown its old space. She says of her new location, which will open its doors on Sept. 1: "It's a nice place and puts us closer to more foot traffic." For details, call 633-46780.

Peck Building nearly completed

The "Center of the Universe" just got bigger. A new building , located at 701 N 36th St. in downtown Fremont, is nearly completed. It has four full stories with a fifth, partial story on top.The Peck Building will feature street-level retail space on the first floor, a second floor for parking, which building owner/developer Michael Peck said was "designed so you wouldn't notice it," two stories of office space and a top story of live-work space for artists and architects. Out of retail spaces, one has already been leased - to a sushi bar called Chiso's. The Peck Building replaces a 1-1/2 story mini-warehouse.

Second Skin opens in Greenwood

A business called Second Skin opened its doors at 6826 Greenwood Ave. N. this past spring. Owner Jobeth Capps, a Greenwood resident for the past 11 years, is an esthetician who offers skin treatments such as facials and waxings. Prior to launching Second Skin, she worked for other Seattle-area spas, including one at the Four Seasons Olympic Hotel. A graduate of Central Washington University, with a degree in community health education, Capps has done "everything under the sun," from cleaning houses to working for the Health Department. She said she moved to Greenwood because she had friends who were already living in the area. "It's a nice, friendly neighborhood," she says. "I love walking my dog here."

Ex-banker in Greenwood sentenced

Roberta Andrina, a former personal banker at the Greenwood branch of Bank of America, was sentenced to a 366-day prison term in July for embezzling.

Between 1998 and 2000, Andrina illegally withdrew $142,000 from customer's certificates of deposit and savings accounts. Andrina's prison term will be followed by a five-year term of supervised release.

Andrina was employed at the Greenwood branch for over 20 years. She targeted the bank's elderly clients, especially those who were single or had no one else to help them keep track of their funds, according to Michele Della Pella, branch manager.

The theft was detected in May 2000 after a customer filed a complaint, which prompted an investigation that resulted in Andrina's arrest and eventual conviction. The victims of the embezzlement have been fully reimbursed by the bank.

In addition to her prison sentence, Andrina has been ordered to pay full restitution of Bank of America. To date, she has paid back about $20,000.

Della Pella advises bank customers to hold on to their bank records and receipts so that account information can be verified should anything seem out of line. (