July 11th, 2003
AM Downtown
It’s enjoyable to watch downtown Anacortes prepare for another day … and when it’s washed with summer sunlight it is beautiful as well. Laurie Gere and her staff at Gere-a-Deli get an early start, hustling in the kitchen as customers begin to trickle in. On this morning, some customers take their coffee and pastry outside to the sidewalk dining area on Commercial Avenue. Just down the street, the sun illuminates a colorful window display at Dewey Inkum & Howe, maker of rubber stamps and vendor of all kinds of delightful gifts. Shadows stretch onto the sidewalk from outside tables at the Star Bar Cafe, where two patrons sit at a small window table sipping coffee and sharing conversation. Next door to Gere-a-Deli, a contractor from McCool Construction arrives to open the doors on the building formerly occupied by The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon. The building is under renovation by owner Barbara Wells and her daughters, and is a real eye-catcher with a new coat of paint and trim. Ultimately, first and second story spaces will be available for tenants.