Throughout this issue are tidbits about how some of our local merchants, organizations, and businesses got started. The Sun appreciates all of their support and hopes they are successful for many more years.

STATE FARM INSURANCE, JIM NOYES

Jim Noyes opened his State Farm Insurance office in August 1961 with the goal of earning an income and providing an important service. He previously served in the military and worked in door-to-door sales and management for Watkins products. "Besides providing insurance, I get to go fishing occasionally," he says. "Last year, the highlight was catching a 66-pound King Coho. ... It's 'the one that didn't get away.'"

Green Lake € 524-6500

NOWOGROSKI RUPP INSURANCE

Nowogroski Rupp Insurance Group was established in 1942. The present owner is Michelle Rupp, a self-described "insurance brat," who took over the family business when her father died. Prior to taking over Nowogroski Rupp, she worked as an interior designer for an architectural firm in Manhattan. Before that, she worked two years for Safeco Insurance. She says owning Nowogroski Rupp is her "dream job."

Northgate € 363-1110

MIEKO'S FITNESS

Mieko Hart and her brother Seiji Hart started Mieko's Fitness in 1999. Their father ran a fitness club chain called Hart's Athletic Clubs from 1986 until its sale in 1998. Mieko and Seiji grew up helping their dad manage Hart's before starting their own chain. Today, Mieko's Fitness has clubs in Lake City, Edmonds and Magnolia.

Lake City € 417-4715

BAILINE LAURELHURST Based in Oslo, Norway, Bailine is a computer-directed system for figure-shaping, muscle-toning and weight-reduction that was developed in the 1960s. Sonja Hansen, owner of Bailine Laurelhurst, started her franchise in 2001 after Bailine helped her lose 10 pounds. "I liked the idea of women helping women as so often we care for ourselves last," she says. She formerly worked for an information technology consulting company.

Laurelhurst € 527-6888

AURORA PLUMBING

Aurora Plumbing has been family-owned since 1960. In 1987, founder Gordon Thompson sold the business to longtime employee Robert W. (Bob) Matkin, who started working there as a youth in 1967. Today, Bob continues to run the business along with wife Jeannie (who joined in 1988), their son Robb (who began helping out at age 6 and came on board full-time in 1997), several nieces and nephews and lots of great employees who may not be related but are like family nonetheless.

Aurora € 364-1140

CASA D'ITALIA

Anthony and Angeli Donatone opened Casa D'Italia Market & Cafe last year because of Anthony's love for cooking. His friends and family told him "You should open your own place," so he did. He previously managed several restaurants throughout the country. Angeli is a former school teacher who now helps run Casa D'Italia. "Both Italian, our families have had a lot of influence in the way we run our business," she says, "and, of course, the wonderful recipes handed down."

Ravenna € 522-2805

CEDAR PARK ASSOCIATES

Cedar Park Associates Computer & Research Services was started in 1986 by Bean Fairbanks and Ed Amato. Both did research and computer work for the University of Washington before starting their own business. "We wanted to help small businesses and community organizations to have the technology and information they need," says Bean. "We want to use our creative and technical skills in computers and research to help others."

Cedar Park € 361-3740

BICYCLE DOCTOR Kenny Hamm started his mobile bicycle repair business in 1990 to "follow my bliss. I feel the world would be better off if more humans biked more often. It's good for the environment and good for one's soul." He previously owned an ice cream and deli business before becoming a vegan. He has also been a mechanic. He earned his "Doctor of Bikeology" degree from "Spoke"-ane University.

North Seattle € 789-7336

CHIROPRACTIC FAMILY CENTER

Dr. David Weber, owner of Chiropractic Family Center of Seattle, is a 1983 graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic. In 1991, he opened a practice in the Lake City Professional Center. He recalls: "I grew up in a family that believed in natural health care. I chose a career as a chiropractor because it allowed me to help people heal themselves, without drugs or surgery. It was the best life choice I have ever made. It is a joy to be a provider of health care to others."

Lake City € 367-5090

CHRISTMAS IN SEATTLE

Christmas in Seattle, a store that sells Christmas decorations and related items all year round, was started on Capitol Hill in 1991 by David Neth. In 1997, the business was purchased by Barb Heathcote, a collector of both Halloween and Christmas ornaments since she was a college student. Before taking over the business, she worked as business manager for a candy cane and chocolate manufacturing company. She moved Christmas in Seattle to Lake City in November 2001.

Lake City € 726-8612

EXCEL PROPERTIES, ALIDA B. FRETZ

Alida Fretz has been a real estate sales associate since 1988. Previously, Fretz held jobs in accounting, bookkeeping, office management, purchasing, and the wholesale hardware industry. She has also been a building owner, commercial property manager, developer and investor. Fretz has owned her own home in View Ridge since 1973, but her roots are a bit more rural. "I learned the value of hard work when growing up on a dairy farm in northwestern Washington," she says.

Green Lake € 524-2135 ext. 146

LAKE CITY FARMERS MARKET

The Lake City Farmers Market kicked off its inaugural season on June 20 of this year. The market is held Thursdays, 3-7 p.m., behind the Lake City Fire Station, through Oct. 17. It is managed by the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance, a nonprofit group that also runs farmers markets in the U-District, Columbia City and West Seattle.

Lake City € 632-5234

FRAME IT LTD.

Frame It Ltd., a Northgate frame store, was first opened in 1978 by the Frame It Ltd. Corp. Current owner Rhonda Clausen Brailler bought the shop in 1986. She grew up in Wallingford and attended Lincoln High. In college, she earned a degree in fine art and art history. Before purchasing Frame It, Brailler served as director of the Wilson Galleries at Anderson University in Indiana. "I have been framing for 22 years and enjoy the pleasure of making art look great and making people happy," she says.

Northgate € 364-7477

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATES

Primary Health Care Associates at Greenlake Place is the office of Mary Starkebaum and Frank Mitchell, both primary care internists in Seattle for more than 20 years. They are joined by Kathy Graunke, a former Pac Med pediatrician, and Karin Baer, a family medicine nurse practitioner, medical assistants Vicki and Barb, and receptionist Kathi, who is married to "Bill the Beer Man" (well known to Mariners fans). Primary Health Care Associates' office also doubles as an art gallery that displays patients' artwork.

Green Lake € 524-5656

HAZEL WOLF HIGH SCHOOL

Hazel Wolf High School is named in honor of the late Hazel Wolf, a long-time Seattle crusader for social and environmental justice. Hazel Wolf High is a Waldorf school that serves the entire region. It opened in 1999 with six students in a building that was donated to the school. Today, it has 45 students and continues to grow.

Roosevelt € 522-2644

BEST OF THE NORTHWEST

Best of the Northwest, an arts and crafts marketplace, was founded in 1989 by a small core of dreamers who wanted to start an artist owned and operated arts and crafts show. More than a decade later, "Best of the Northwest" is still going strong. The next Seattle show will be on Aug. 17 and 18 at Sand Point Magnuson Park.

Sand Point € 360-221-6191

HISTORY HOUSE

The History House museum is celebrating its fourth anniversary this September. History House is a non-profit organization funded by the Burke Foundation, grants and public donations. "We are helping neighborhoods create displays which tell their story and presenting those displays in our facilities," says John Nordstrand, operations director. "We are a 'folks' museum." Currently, the museum has 30 displays.

Fremont € 675-8875

HOME CAKE DECORATING

Home Cake Decorating was started in 1962 by Irene Amundsen and her sister Thelma Sowards, who wanted to provide local bakers, professional and amateur alike, with tools and supplies. In 1964, it moved to its present location along Roosevelt Way. Today, the independently owned business is run by Irene's daughter, Greil Mooney, who is carrying on the mission of providing quality baking and wedding supplies.

Maple Leaf € 522-4300

KIDS ON 45TH

Kids on 45th sells new and used kids' clothing. It was founded in 1989 by Susan Arefi, who had been sewing clothes to be sold in consignment shops including Chickabiddy, the shop that used to occupy her current location. Arefi eventually bought Chickabiddy by borrowing $5,000 from her mother and getting help from her landlord to remodel the space. She says: "I have a great customer base. They help make it all work."

Wallingford € 633-5437

KISAKU SUSHI

Chef Ryuichi Nakano opened Kisaku Sushi this year. He has been a chef for 15 years. He started working in restaurants as a college student and eventually decided to make cooking his profession. He has worked in restaurants in Seattle, Honolulu, Hawaii and Japan.

Meridian € 545-9050

MAE'S PHINNEY RIDGE CAFE

In November 1988, Jeanne Mae Barwick bought the Phinney Ridge Cafe, a restaurant that had been around since the 1920s. She renamed it Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe and added bovine decorations to reflect her former homeland: Wisconsin. Mae's specializes in "moo-velous breakfasts" and is famous for its cinnamon rolls.

Phinney Ridge € 782-1222

McKAY/MOORE CONSULTANTS

McKay/Moore Consultants was founded in 1996 when Patricia Moore and her former boss, Bruce McKay, were laid off from a cost-control company. Rather than search for new jobs, they started their own firm, with McKay as the consultant and Moore as office manager. When McKay passed away a year later, Moore found new cost estimators to work with and kept the business going. Today, she runs the firm out of her home in Crown Hill - a 1913 craftsman house once owned by her grandparents. She is a former educator, who used to teach at Holy Angels High School in Ballard.

Crown Hill € 781-0676

JUDSON BAPTIST CHURCH

Judson Baptist Church held its first service in the Lake City Masonic Hall on March 17, 1957. Twenty people attended. In December of that year, the church hired Rev. Alexander Burghard as pastor. As the congregation grew, the church eventually built its present building, located at 12700 35th Ave. NE.

Lake City € 364-3672

NORTHAVEN RETIREMENT

In 1968, the pastor of Olympic View Community Church saw a need for safe, affordable senior housing. This led to the opening of Northaven Retirement apartments in 1972. As the years went by, another need was apparent: a place to live for seniors of frail health. In 1992, Northaven II Assisted Living was opened.

Northgate € 365-3020

CIVIC LIGHT OPERA

Civic Light Opera began in 1977 with the goal of providing affordable quality musical theater for the Seattle area. Managing director Rick May joined CLO earlier this year. A veteran actor/director, he formerly was artistic director at Renton Civic Theatre, and once had a small part in the movie "American Graffiti." He can currently be seen in a TV commercial for RVs. CLO's 25th anniversary season starts Sept. 19.

Lake City € 363-2809

RAIN CITY YOGA

Marta McDermott began Rain City Yoga in June 1998 after training to become an instructor at the Yoga College of India in Los Angeles. She decided to become an instructor after "accidentally" healing herself through the regular practice of yoga of back problems she had sustained from car and motorcycle accidents. Last year, she received additional training in India, to become a yoga therapist. A die-hard Sonics fan, she says she would love to someday teach yoga to NBA players.

University District € 729-9642

STACEY ROMBERG, ATTORNEY

Stacey L. Romberg, Attorney at Law, established her practice in 1999. She has practiced law for 14 years and represents clients in the areas of small business law, estate planning and probate.

Greenwood € 784-5305

SAN MARCO GROCERY

San Marco Grocery opened this past February. Its owners, Brian Short and his wife, Theresa Dzwonkowski, live just three blocks away. Short says the corner where their store is located has been the site of a grocery for more than 50 years. Unfortunately, the previous owners let the store get run down in recent years. Brian and Theresa bought the store with the goal of creating a family-friendly neighborhood market. He says: "We look forward to this being a great little food market for the next half century!"

Maple Leaf € 527-5941

SEATTLEONTHEMARKET.COM

Kent Welsh and his wife started their business in 1991. He was a residential remodel general contractor and certified underground storage tank decommissioner who decided to combine these skills with his wife's real estate business. He describes SeattleOnTheMarket.com as a consulting business that helps people make sound choices about buying, selling and remodeling homes.

Green Lake € 297-1557

SEATTLE PUBLIC UTILITIES

In 1997, Seattle Public Utilities was created to meet the new challenges facing Seattle and the Puget Sound region. The new department consolidates functions of the City's Water Department and Engineering Department, including engineering services, solid waste utility, and drainage and wastewater utility. The consolidation gives Seattle residents "one-stop shopping" for all city utility services: water, sewage, flood control, electricity and garbage, recycling and yard waste collection.

SIT! STAY! AND PLAY!

Judy Wilson started her pet-sitting business, Sit! Stay! and Play!, earlier this year. She previously spent 18 years at the University of Washington as a Graduate School program assistant/thesis adviser. When she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few years ago, she decided to change careers to pursue her passion. "Caring for animals is a labor of love I would not trade for the world," she says. Thankfully, she adds, she has been cancer-free for over three years.

Shoreline € 440-7529

THE SPOT TOO PUB & GRILL

In 1982, Ken and Lois Mason took over a neighborhood bar formerly owned by Paul and Bunny Engel and renamed it The Spot Too Pub. The Masons already owned The Spot Tavern in Mountlake Terrace and wanted to open a second location. In 1999, they completely remodeled The Spot Too, adding a full kitchen and cocktails. Prior to getting into the tavern/restaurant business, Lois was a bookkeeper and Ken was an assistant manager at AA Rentals.

Pinehurst € 363-0542

STEVE'S BARBER SHOP

Stephen Kegley opened Steve's Barber Shop in 1997, taking over the longtime site of Hank's Barbershop, run by the now-retired Hank Dotson. Kegley is an experienced barber who started cutting hair at the age of 14 and later graduated from Moler's Barber School in 1964.

Wedgwood € 522-4745

STONEWAY HARDWARE

Stoneway Hardware was started in 1986 by five partners. Ken Bartlett, one of the partners, recalls that the business was started as a fastener store "because there was no quality outlet left in Seattle and Ernst (the now-defunct hardware chain) was failing badly. The fasteners enabled us to grow into a full-blown hardware store by 1990. Prior to starting Stoneway Hardware, Bartlett was director of sales for a large hardware distributor.

Wallingford € 545-6910

THE WATERMILL INC.

The Watermill Inc. was established in January 1976 by brothers Joe and Jim Whitmarsh, with the help of friends. Another brother, Phil, joined the business in 1978. Joe and Jim had worked in the industry prior to starting their own business. "Joe had extensive service experience and management, and Jim had extensive mechanical and service experience," says Phil, who is no slouch either: he has a masters degree and extensive experience in the pool and spa industry. Phil adds: "The Watermill is known for its technical knowledge and customer service."

Lake City € 367-1403

WHOLE LIFE YOGA:

Tracy Weber founded Whole Life Yoga in 2001. Weber had been teaching classes at the Phinney Neighborhood Center and at her home, but decided last year to start her own studio. She studied yoga with Gary Kraftsow, author of "Yoga for Wellness." Prior to becoming a yoga instructor, Weber, who has a degree in chemical engineering and a master's in business, was a manager at Microsoft.

Greenwood € 784-2882

WIDE WORLD BOOKS & MAPS

Wide Word Books & Maps was founded in 1976. Current owner Simone Andrus is a former Wide World Books employee who purchased the store in 1997. Having worked there previously and having traveled to over 80 countries, she decided she would be well-suited to run the business. She also holds a masters degree in library and information science. "I and all the other staff have traveled extensively to all parts of the world," she says. "If we haven't been there, we know someone who has."

Wallingford € 634-3453