Knight Foundation to continue non-profit support here

The Eye gives its wise philanthropic decision-of-the-month recognition

to the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the billion-dollar, Miami-based foundation established by the two brothers who formed Knight Newspapers, which today is the Knight-Ridder media chain.

The foundation, explained Vice President Penelope McPhee, in Boulder with other foundation staffers to get a sense of where the community is headed and what it needs, supports on-profits in cities where Knight-Ridder newspapers do business. Last year, however, Knight-Ridder traded ownership of its Daily Camera paper here to Scripps-Howard for two California newspapers, so the foundation faced a tough decision. In the past, groups ranging from the Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center to The Flatirons Center for the Arts, have received Knight grants. After serious soul-searching and realizing that media properties can change hands, McPhee said the Knight Foundation decided to continue to support Boulder County organizations, where it already has been active. And that’s very good news for the many non-profits here always in search of funding.

As Boulder Business and Professional Women organizers were decorating their Broker Inn room for the Boulder Authors Fair, featuring mystery writers, they hit upon the thought to create a tape outline of a body on the floor outside the front door. But what would really look crimelike, they thought, would be some of the yellow tape police use to cordon off an accident scene. Just about then, members of the Boulder Sheriffs Department, leaving their own meeting next door, walked out, encountering the imaginary murder scene. After a quick trip down to their police vehicles, up came the “Do Not Cross Sheriff Line” yellow tape, which was followed by another successful fund-raiser for Project Self-Sufficiency and the Colorado BPW Foundation. If only the Ramsey case had been that easy …

Attuso’s restaurant, 1739 Pearl St. in downtown Boulder, has been purchased by East Coast chefs Karla Pugliese, 34, and Tom Pugliese, 41. Here’s the scoop: The two, from Gaithersburg, Md., had wanted to move to the Front Range. They flew out here and looked at some restaurants but couldn’t find what they wanted through traditional brokers. So they just went ahead and moved here.

They were looking for Italian, and Atussio’s came on the market. Since the sale went through Dec. 18, Karla and Tom have added 10 seafood specials a night, “which actually are doing really well,” Karla reports. “We’ve sold more seafood than we do veal and chicken.”

Beside the seafood, the pair have also changed the interior into “more of a garden room –bringing the outside in,” Karla says. And as for the former owners, Frank and Terry Impostato? “They’re in early retirement,” Karla reports.

More tasty news: Rocky Mountain Joe’s, famous for delivering breakfasts and lunches at 1410 Pearl St. for 18 years, has opened a second location at North Broadway and Quince — that’s the site of the old Judy’s Cafe. Owner Darrell Ritchie employs about 10 people there and about 20 people downtown, according to Manager Ronnie Rice, who managed Pearl’s Restaurant & Bar from 1989 to 1993.

Rice says the menu at the new Rocky Mountain Joe’s in North Boulder is almost exactly the same as downtown. And also as quaint. “It’s a great cafe,” he says. “It’s all one room. When I walk in there, it’s exactly what I picture a breakfast cafe would be. It’s a nice place. I like north Boulder.”

They want some, too: Broomfield Economic Development Corporation President Don Dunshee says the City of Broomfield is still in search of a few good restaurants. Now that the city’s office and industrial space is filling up, good places to sit down for a meal are glaringly absent. Level 3 and Sun employees apparently are growing restless for table service.

The Eye ponders what the dinnertime talk is about in the household of Longmont’s new economic development director, John Cody, who comes to the job from a similar position as vice president of the Adams County Economic Development agency? Apparently, possible relocating companies is often off-limits. That’s because across the table sits Cody’s wife, Susan Grafton. Everyday Grafton goes to work to the her offices at the city of Westminster, where she’s the director of economic development.

Several Boulder businesses are preparing for their eminent move into the old Dot’s Diner location at 8th and Pearl in downtown Boulder. Bedell’s Antiques, owned and operated by Diane Bedell, will be moving into their new store , 767 Pearl St., on April 15. Diane’s husband Bill says the couple is excited to be out of temporary existence. They will continue to offer sterling silver tea sets, pitchers, trays and a collection of art glass and lamps from Tiffany, Loetz and Lalique. Their new neighbors who also are relocating are Spruce Confections, West End Gardener and The Wine Library.

Top fund-raising “jailbirds” in Boulder’s annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Lock-Up were Lyle Means, who raised $1,600, and Vern Bauer, who brought in $1,230. The March 3 event, where participants were “held” at Rafferty’s jailhouse and had to phone friends and associates to raise their bail, brought in nearly $38,000 from the 103 participating jailbirds.

AT&T Cellular donated cell phones for the calls, and Boulder Police Department officer went out on “arrests.”

As if you didn’t have enough to think about keeping your computers running as Y2K approaches, the Boulder police are now warning of possible Y2K phone scams. A so-called bank employee calls, telling a would-be victim they need personal and account information to “protect” them from the Y2K bug. Remember, the police say, legitimate banks would never do business this way. Never furnish any information to strangers over the phone.

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