Jeff comes to EADS from Sholom Community Alliance, a Minnesota nonprofit provider of senior healthcare and housing services with annual revenues of $45 million. For the past ten years, Jeff has held the position of Corporate Director of Human Resources/Chief Compliance Officer for Sholom Community Alliance. His responsibilities there also included direction of an IT department supporting 500 users on three campuses.

“Although these are challenging times for all nonprofits, the need for caring, cost-effective adult day services is growing exponentially,” states Jeff, “I am proud to be joining a passionate organization determined to meet that need.”

Jeff has served on the executive team of several Minnesota public and nonprofit organizations, including the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minneapolis Public Schools and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.  He has published articles on compensation planning, applied statistics and HR management.  In addition, he has been a presenter at many national conferences on subjects as diverse as information technology systems design, performance management, TQM and strategic planning.   He has a Masters Degree in Management from Hamline University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Established in 1984, Elder and Adult Day Services (EADS) has provided relief to caregivers by offering day health programs to care for the needs of frail seniors and adults with developmental disabilities. The centers, conveniently located in Bellevue, Des Moines and Bainbridge Island, are the only day health programs in Washington State that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), meeting rigorous guidelines for service and quality.

Not many people remember that one of their first locations was in downtown Bellevue, on Bellevue Way NE.

Dick’s has recently announced an online poll to help decide where they should build a new location: in the North end, in the South End or our beloved Eastside.  C’mon Eastsiders!  Vote for Dick’s to expand to the Eastside.

Rob, Steve and Tom have brought on seasoned eastside hospitality maven, Jean O’Neill, as General Manager of Grand Cru Mixologie Lounge.  O’Neill has created a cocktail program on the philosophy that Grand Cru will be a place where every guest can enjoy a well-made drink each and every time — from the classics to their wide selection of signature cocktails, careful thought has been put into each creation.  One of the highlights from Grand Cru’s Signature cocktails is the Rita B. Martini, a twist on the classic margarita which includes a splash of beer.

“We want to be the neighborhood lounge where each guest is not only wowed by the quality, but feel they paid a fair price.  If you are coming in to meet friends or want to make new ones, it is our goal that they have a memorable experience and leave with a smile,” says Jean.

Grand Cru Mixologie Lounge is offering a wide selection of happy hour dishes, such as the Dungeness Thai Crab Cakes with fresh orange slaw, thai chili sauce and a spicy mustard drizzle; or a Half-Pound Kobe Beef Burger served with fontina cheese, tarragon aioli, caramelized onions and french fries with spicy ketchup.  Along with the new food and beverage additions, Grand Cru has also made several decor changes throughout the lounge by adding four large flat screen TVs and cozy, comfortable lounge style furniture giving the bar a more relaxed feel.

The Lounge will be offering daily promotions that include; “$2 Tuesdays” on select microbrews; “Ladies Night” every Wednesday with cocktail specials; “Wine Lover’s Thursdays” with $3 off wines by-the-glass and half price bottles of wine; “$5 Friday’s” with an offering of cocktails, wine and food for $5 each; and “Jazz Festival Saturdays” with two live performances that start at 5 PM and 8 PM.  Each time offering will feature a different artist.  They are offering happy hour all night on Sundays (beginning September 12) and Mondays, and an early and late night happy hour every Tuesday thru Saturday  from 4 PM to 7 PM and 9 PM to Close.

Grand Cru is within walking distance to Bellevue Square and Bellevue’s financial district.  Street parking and a complimentary retail parking garage under the Ten20 Building is available and can be accessed from NE 11th Avenue on the North end of the Ten20 complex.

Hours of Operation: Monday-Thursday 4 PM-11 PM; Friday/Saturday 4PM-Midnight; Sunday: Noon – 10PM (beginning September 12)

Located at 3620 Factoria Blvd SE, just east of I-405 and south of I-90, the new 15,000 square-foot Bartell’s store was formerly the Loehmann’s clothing store.

The grand opening kicks off Monday, September 13, with a ribbon-cutting scheduled for September 14 at 10 a.m. as members of the Bartell family, employees, vendors and local dignitaries celebrate the store’s opening and Bartell’s 120^th anniversary.

“We have searched for several years for the right location in the Factoria neighborhood.  I am pleased that we will at last have a store there to serve the needs of those that asked for us. I’m excited to bring our brand of great service and value to a great neighborhood,” said George D. Bartell, Chairman and CEO of the Seattle-based chain.

The new Factoria-Bellevue store will feature a new full-service pharmacy, which will offer clinical care services and an international travel clinic in addition to traditional pharmacy services.  Product offerings will include many natural and organic health, beauty and cleaning products, nutritional supplements, a large selection of convenience foods, greeting cards and more. It will feature Bartell’s exclusive PixPlus™ department—offering digital print kiosks, a broad selection of camera and sound electronics, on-site one hour photo finishing and a passport photo center. The new store will also include a selection of beer and wine featuring many local Northwest wines.

Utilizing alternative energy technology, this will be the first Bartell’s location to have a solar energy system to supplement conventional power sources, with panels on the face of the building and on the roof.

The new store is expected to employ approximately 20 employee associates.

Founded in Seattle in 1890, Bartell Drugs owns and operates stores in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.  Family-owned and operated, it is the nation’s oldest drugstore chain.

Mike Smith was born in 1942 in Portland, Oregon, and spent his childhood growing up in Vancouver, Washington, and the Puget Sound area. He now resides in a small pulp and paper community located on the shores of the Columbia River. He graduated from the University of Portland with a degree in English Literature. Smith began drawing and sculpting at the age of two, after an interlude of baseball, he became a serious full-time artist at the age of twenty-five. He supported himself doing graphic design and other commercial art endeavors while pursuing his fine art career.

He has tried to abandon any “school” of painting and uses an autobiographical approach. His subjects are mostly found in his backyard or around the neighborhood in which he lives. His dogs, the cat, his rowboat, and ducks in his pond, are all included in the bright watercolors of his paintings. He also sculpts in bronze, paints in oils and does silk screen prints.

Smith says, “People always want to know the meaning of my work and where I get my ideas from.  My work is simply about the people and places and animals I love. Images, unlike the written word, do not dictate to you. After twenty-five years of painting almost every day, it has become my world.” It is fun-filled, colorful, and full of life.

Over the years, Smith has had more than 50 one-man shows. One of the most interesting was a double show in Leipzig, Germany – in a gallery at the American Consulate. The media he uses includes watercolor, pastel, bronze (cast and fabricated), oil, ceramic, wood, and several printmaking techniques.

Join Eastside Entrepreneurs at the all-new Grand Cru Mixology Lounge on Tuesday August 17 for a networking happy hour from 4-7pm.

Happy Hour Drink prices:

$4 Premium Well

$5 Martinis

$5 Wines

$4 Stella Drafts

$2 Tuesdays select non-draft beer

The Event will offer attendees a fixed price Passport with choices of samplings of fine cuisine, dessert and wine as well as access to special offers, giveaways, and activities. Children’s Passports offer delicious food as well as fun children’s activities. Adult passports are $30 and children’s passports are $10. Passports will be sold at the event or can alternatively be pre-purchased online here.

All passport proceeds are in support of the Children’s Response Center, a program of Harborview Medical Center and UW Medicine in Downtown Bellevue that provides services for children who have experienced assault or other traumatic events. For further information or to pre-purchase tickets, please visit our website or email me at ahinsam@microsoft.com.

The co-owners of Skin and Soul are long time friends and Bellevue natives Darcy Soreano-Kovacs and Michelle Richmond Jackling, who reported great traffic with eight tattoos and a number of gifts purchased on their first day.

Skin and Soul offers tattoos, massage, piercings, art and gifts and has a very warm and friendly atmosphere.  Stop in today or visit their Facebook Page and follow Skin and Soul on Twitter.

The Bellevue Downtown Association is a nonprofit membership organization charged with leading the evolution of Downtown Bellevue as the economic and cultural heart of the Eastside. The BDA also produces the annual Bellevue Jazz Festival, the Live at Lunch Concert Series, the Ice Arena at the Bellevue Magic Season, Walk Downtown Bellevue, and co-produces the Bellevue Family 4th with the City of Bellevue.

Downtown Bellevue’s outdoor concert series will entertain audiences with a stellar lineup of top Northwest bands every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 1:30 p.m., July 6 through September 9.  Now in its 10^th year, the Bellevue Downtown Association will present 30 concerts in the 10-week series, infusing downtown with jazz, flamenco soul, disco, R&B funk, Rolling Stones tributes and more.

Week one of the series begins Tuesday, July 6 with the Scott Lindenmuth Trio (Jazz standards at Skyline Tower), Wednesday, July 7 with New Age Flamenco (Flamenco soul at Bellevue City Hall) and Thursday, July 8 with Emerald City Throwdown (Hits from the 60s to today at Bellevue Galleria).

Tuesday and Wednesday concerts will take place in outdoor plazas and open spaces throughout Downtown Bellevue, while Bellevue Galleria’s Compass Plaza hosts each Thursday concert.  The annual Rockaraoke contest will be August 19 at Bellevue Galleria.  Concert goers can enter to win lunch for two for a year at Tap House Grill.

Event and venue information is available at bellevuedowntown.com/events or by calling (425) 453-1223.  For day-of event updates, follow Live at Lunch on Facebook (Live at Lunch) and on Twitter (@Live_at_Lunch).

Each Live at Lunch concert will also host sign-ups for the BDA’s Walk Downtown Bellevue campaign.  Participants will receive a free Walk Downtown Bellevue Starter Kit with a free Overlake Hospital pedometer, David Barton Gym water bottle, Downtown Bellevue walking map, reusable BECU shopping bag, and more.  More information on Walk Downtown Bellevue is available at bellevuedowntown.com/walk.

Live at Lunch is produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association and sponsored by Bellevue Galleria, Unico, U.S. Bank, Puget Sound Energy, 98.9 KWJZ, AM 880 KIXI, Warm 106.9, MOVIN 92.5, the Bellevue Reporter, Ilium and Tap House Grill.

Established in 1974, the Bellevue Downtown Association is a nonprofit membership organization charged with leading the continuing evolution of Downtown Bellevue as the economic and cultural heart of the Eastside. The BDA also produces the annual Bellevue Jazz Festival presented by First Tech Credit Union, the 6th Street Fair, the Group Health Ice Arena in Bellevue Downtown Park, and co-produces the Symetra Bellevue Family 4th.

2010 Live at Lunch Concert Series Schedule

Venue details and directions are available at bellevuedowntown.com/events/liveatlunch.