BUSINESS NOTES | September 2011

Fellowship: Donald Byrd, artistic director of Spectrum Dance Theater, 800 Lake Washington Blvd., will be one of the first Fellows at the new American Academy in Jerusalem. 

He will travel to Israel in October to research and develop a new dance work based on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Nomination: Lee Rhodes, of Glassybaby, 3406 E. Union St., has been nominated for Entrepreneur Magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, as the only female nominee in the Established Entrepreneurs category.

Leaving: Wes Bard is leaving his position as executive director of Park Shore Retirement Community, 1630 43rd Ave. E., at the end of September for a new position in South Carolina.

Return to the Park: Ropa Bella returned to Madison Park in May to the former Maison Michel space, 1928 43rd Ave. E., Suite 8, after only nine months away.

Ropa Bella has been in the vicinity for more than 20 years, most recently in Madison Valley, at 2717 E. Madison St. It was formerly in the Arboretum Court and then in the storefront now occupied by KeyBank.

Pearson & Gray also returned, moving in at 4110 E. Madison St.

New store: John Sheard, owner of Cookin’, 4224 E. Madison St., and Red Wagon Toys, 4218B E. Madison St., is opening Park Bench Gifts at 1928 43rd Ave. E., Suite 9, in early October.

Sold: Longtime Madison Park restaurateur Karen Binder sold Madison Park Café, 1807 42nd Ave. E., after 33 years in business. 

After spending time with her family in Hawaii, she’ll return to Seattle to continue her catering and wine-selling businesses.

Chef Celinda Norton’s Café Parco, an Italian restaurant, will open in Madison Park Café’s place this fall.

New owners: Stan Moshier and Lori Campbell sold Bing’s Bar & Grill, 4200 E. Madison St., to George and Kylie Marshall in early June.

Moshier and Campbell had opened Bing’s Bodacious Burgers in 1999.

Closed: Gentlemen’s Consignment, which specialized in men’s designer clothes, closed its doors at 2809 E. Madison St. for good in late June. It had been in business since 1989.

Owner Joanne Corsi also closed the European-style café Bella Dolce in late June. 

While Corsi heads for Florida, Lisa Waxman Johnson is opening a second New York Cupcakes soon in its spot.

Opening: Chef Carolyn Ferguson has opened a second Belle Epicurean café in the former Island Video storefront at 3109 E. Madison St.

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