130-year-old facade
revealed
 During
National Historic Preservation Week in early May, specialty sporting goods
retailer Gazelle Sports unveiled its downtown Kalamazoo building's
original facade, constructed in 1874. The facade will be restored to its
original appearance.
Gazelle Sports is remodeling the building where it has
operated since its inception in 1985, and expanding into the building
next door to increase retail space by 50 percent. Upon completion of the
estimated $1.5-million project, the upper floors of the buildings will
house Gazelle Sports' corporate offices and four townhouses.
Anthony J. Abdallah, son of Anthony Abdallah, owner of
Jewel Gallery, a family-owned jewelry store in Northville, is running
for Wayne County Sheriff. Mr. Abdallah has 20 years of experience as a
police officer and attended the FBI Academy for white-collar crimes and
Internet crimes against children.
Douglas Milkins, president of A. B. Milkins, a
99-year-old custom and fine jewelry store in downtown Wyandotte, has been
named chair of the Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital Board of Trustees. Milkins
was a member of the boards for Michigan Retailers Association and the
Michigan Jewelers Association in the 1980s.
Nancy Layher, widow of Kenneth Layher, who passed away
in February, is keeping open the family-owned jewelry store, Layher
Jewelers in Sebewaing. The family had celebrated the business's 75-year
anniversary in 2003.
Rob Peterson, head gemologist at Rottermond Jewelers
in Milford, demonstrated the new Gemesis cultured diamond to guests from
the Gemological Institute of America. Rottermond Jewelers is the only
Michigan store to sell Gemesis diamonds, which are created by machines
that use high heat and intense pressure to create synthetic diamonds that
are reputed to be indistinguishable from natural diamonds.
Ron Dufina, owner of The Balsam Shop on Mackinac
Island and two Village Inn Restaurant locations, will open a third location
of his restaurant in Pellston Regional Airport. Since the airport building
is owned and operated by Pellston County, a selection committee considered
five applicants for the restaurant operation before granting Dufina the
contract.
He will also operate a gift store in the airport. The
official opening day is expected in late June or early July.
The Coffee Beanery, a leading coffee retailer based
in Mt. Morris Township, is expanding aggressively in metro Detroit. The
retailer has opened or plans to open 25 new locations by the end of July
and 200 new locations in a 100-mile radius of Detroit in the next two
years, according to Chief Operating Officer Owen Stern.
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