Copyright 2002 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article and photos below in your research. Be sure to quote the Seattle Sun as your source.

Frontier Bank offers economic forecast

Frontier Bank, the Everett-based community bank chain which has a North Seattle branch in Lake City, has scheduled several Economic Forecast events for the month of February. Noted Puget Sound economy watcher Michael Parks, editor and publisher of Marple's Business Newsletter, will be the featured speaker at all programs, presenting his outlook regarding the state of the local economy for 2002. The programs are scheduled as follows: Thursday, Feb. 7, 7:30 a.m. at the West Coast Silverdale Hotel in Silverdale, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 7:30 a.m. at the Best Western Executive Inn in Fife and Thursday, Feb. 14, 7:30 a.m. at the Everett Performing Arts Center in Everett.

Reckless rises from the ashes

Ever since a Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed Reckless Video, Maple Leaf residents have been pining for the video rental store's return. Now, it appears that the happy event may be imminent. Owner Mike Kelley has been renovating a house at 9020 Roosevelt Way NE and is hoping to reopen his store sometime in February. The space was easy to find, said Kelley, who explained that his new landlords are his in-laws, Tom and Karen Stephenson, owners of Stephenson Ace Hardware, located at 9000 Roosevelt Way NE.

Kelley's next hurdle will be to restock Reckless's shelves - 11,000 videos and DVDs were destroyed in the fire. In way, he said, this is an opportunity to improve the store's movie collection. This time when he goes shopping for movies, only the popular rentals will become part of the store's collection, he said.

Third Place Books, Honey Bear coming to Ravenna

In January, PCC Natural Markets announced that it planned to sell its former Ravenna store property at NE 65th Street and 20th Avenue NE to Third Place Co. The site was formerly home to the Puget Sound Consumer Co-op grocery chain's oldest store, which closed last year after a quarter-century of operation to the disappointment of many area residents and co-op members.

The property will now go to Third Place Co., and become the site of a new Third Place Books store and Honey Bear Bakery. Currently, the company operates a Third Place Books store and Honey Bear Bakery at Lake Forest Park Towne Center mall, located at 17171 Bothell Way NE in Lake Forest Park.

The Honey Bear Bakery began in 1986 with its original store located on the corner of N. 55th Street and Meridian Avenue N, just south of Green Lake. A second Honey Bear location opened at Lake Forest Park Towne Center in the late 1990s after Crossroads Shopping Center owner Ron Sher purchased the bakery from its original owners. Sher, who owns Third Place Co., also owns Lake Forest Park Towne Center.

The original Honey Bear Bakery store closed early last year.

According to Robert Sindelar, general manager of Third Place Co., the new Third Place Books store and Honey Bear Bakery in Ravenna are expected to open sometime in late spring or early summer, after some cosmetic renovations are made to the building.

Christmas In Seattle comes moves to Lake City

In November, Christmas In Seattle, a ornament and holiday decorating shop, opened at 12310 Lake City Way NE. The space was previously occupied by a Bonjour Photography, which moved out last June.

Christmas In Seattle had been a Capitol Hill fixture for 10 years. However, when a fire devastated another business with which the store had shared its building, Owner Barbara Witte-Heathcote had to find a new home for her shop. As a Cedar Park resident, the closeness of a Lake City location appealed to her.

Christmas In Seattle carries lights, glass ornaments and other decorating items from Christmas and other holidays such as Easter and Halloween. Witte-Heathcote said she plans to keep the store open year-round.

Greenwood-Phinney Chamber to hold awards night

The Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting and awards reception on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Live entertainment will be provided by Music Center of the Northwest and the event will be catered by Greenwood and Phinney Ridge area restaurants. Admission is free, but an RSVP is required. For more information and the location, call the Chamber at 789-1148.