Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 5, May 2003

Copyright 2003 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.

Business Briefs

Ave businesses can get new facades

Students from the University of Washington's School of Architecture took up residence in April in the old Tower Records store on University Way, hoping to put their skills to work to improve the look of businesses along The Ave.

The graduate students will spend the spring quarter working with applicants to the Greater University Chamber of Commerce's Facade Improvement Program, helping small business owners work through the program's application process, according to the chamber's April newsletter.

Inside the former music store, the space is already filled with ramshackle drafting tables, ratty couches and loud music. Posters, preliminary drawings by students for improvements to some Ave storefronts, line the walls and windows.

Businesses on The Ave can apply for Facade Improvement Grants, funded through a partnership between Community Capital Improvement and Wells Fargo Bank. Students will then help supply the creative capital.

For more information on the program, call Jim Thomas at Community Capital, 324-4330.

Ballard Chamber seeks helpers

The Ballard Chamber of Commerce is recruiting volunteers to help with its 29th annual Ballard SeafoodFest this summer. People are needed to help set up booths, barbecue salmon, hand out ice and help guide attendees around the event. Volunteers are compensated for their trouble with an appreciation party and a free salmon dinner from the barbecue booth. The two-day event on July 26 and 27 will feature some changes this year, according to chamber member Laura McLeod, the event's volunteer coordinator. The changes include expanded garden and children's areas. As in past years, the festival will feature a vast array of artisans and bands from throughout the city. To volunteer, contact McLeod at 297-3791 or laurakmcleod@earthlink.net.

Dexter & Chaney wins accolades

Dexter & Chaney, a Lake City maker of construction management software, moved up a few spots this year in Washington CEO magazine's recently published annual ranking of the state's 40 largest software companies. The ranking, based on based on company revenues, saw Dexter & Chaney move up the list from 22nd place last year to 18th place this year. Dexter & Chaney has garnered notice from other quarters recently, as well. Deloitte and Touche, the national accounting giant, named the company the 42nd fastest-growing technology companies in the state, while the Puget Sound Business Journal ranked it as the 58th fastest growing privately owned company (of any type) in the state. Dexter & Chaney is located at 9700 Lake City Way.

Epicenter building gets dressed up

Fremont's new Epicenter Building, located on the northwest corner of N. 34th Street and Fremont Avenue N, was recently wrapped with one of the more ambitious art installations in recent memory and for a neighborhood known for its thriving arts scene, that's saying a lot. The piece, a web of abstract forms of brushed steel, is the work of Fremont artist Mark Stevens. Each of the 21 figures, which climb 67 feet to the building's roof line, weighs between 400 and 500 pounds. The pieces were installed on the six-story building in late March. It is part of more than $250,000 that the building's developer, Security Properties, has pledged to spent on art for the exterior of the Epicenter Building. When completed, the building will be adorned with art on all sides. "Fremont told us loud and clear that they wanted art on the building and we agreed," said John Marasco, vice president of the Security Properties. "It had to, to live up to Fremont's atmosphere."

Janet Klinger Photography opens

Janet Klinger Photography recently opened its doors on the corner of N. 62nd Street and Phinney Avenue N., according to the March newsletter of the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce. Klinger specializes in "naturally elegant weddings and distinctive portraiture," writes chamber president Jeanne Barwick of Mae's Phinney Ridge Cafe. Klinger worked as a freelance photographer in Chicago before moving to Seattle 15 years ago. Until recently, her business was located in the SODO district. She and her husband, an architect, are Phinney Ridge residents. For more information, contact Klinger at www.janetklinger.com.

Krispy Kreme to open May 20

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. will open its long-awaited North Seattle store at 12505 Aurora Ave. N. on Tuesday, May 20. The store will feature 24-hour drive-through service, as well as indoor customer seating and a glass viewing area so customers can watch the doughnuts being made. As with the enormously popular Winston-Salem, N.C.-based chain's other locations throughout the country, the new store will have a "Hot Doughnuts Now" neon sign, which lights up every time a new batch of Original Glazed doughnuts are being made. For those who have never tried a Krispy Kreme doughnut, the sugary melt-in-your-mouth treats are best when consumed warm. The stores have also been known to draw long lines of customers. For more information on Krispy Kreme, visit its Web site at www.krispykreme.com.

High Maintenance Bitch dog gear

A new Lake City business has been getting attention from the national media lately, from the Chicago Tribune to CBS. High Maintenance Bitch, the brainchild of Lori Pacchiano, has started a mini-trend of high-end pet accessories, such as feather boa collars and martini glass squeaky toys.

Pacchiano, a Lake City resident and 1988 graduate of Shorecrest High School, launched her company last year to provide pet toys and accessories designed to appeal to female pet owners. "We know that women are tired of squeaky steaks and squeaky road kill and old bandanas," she said.

The 32-year-old entrepreneur began by selling her hand-crafted goods to local pet stores. Today, her products are carried by hundreds of stores across the country. She expresses amazement that what began as a quirky idea has turned into a pet fashion movement. "It's unfathomable. It's really surreal," she said.

Pacchiano also donates feather boas to dogs up for adoption at local agencies, "so they look a little bit more approachable."

She was recently joined in the business by her brother, Ryan, 23, a 1997 graduate of Bishop Blanchet High School.

Wallingford Chamber hiring

The Wallingford Chamber of Commerce is seeking to hire a part-time administrator to take over day-to-day operations. The chamber has been a strictly volunteer organization, but it is growing and members are unable to take over the extra work, said chamber president Tracy Allison. The position would be 10 hours a month, and would include mostly office work as well as member development, according to the chamber. Pay would be between $15-$20 an hour. For more information, call 632-0645.