Collector's Corner will stay in town with a new owner
By Don Callahan
Change of hands--not really... "For 10 years we have been providing Los Gatos and the surrounding communities with a fun and safe place for parents to bring their children," according to Mike Wasserman, owner of Collector's Corner ll at 481 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Wasserman's shop offers sports cards, pogs, Pokemon and Beanie Babies. CCll has provided fair and friendly service and, over the years, has donated over $100,000 in merchandise to various organizations throughout the area, he says, and participated in more than 100 charity auctions. Does all this sound as if CCll is going out of business? Not really, says Wasserman, explaining that although he was ready to move on, he wanted to keep the collectible business in the community for the kids rather than just close the doors.
Tim Thompson, the store's manager for the last eight plus years, seemed to be the logical choice to continue the business as the owner. Thompson says that he will be proud to continue the tradition that Collector's Corner ll has established throughout the years with its donations, charity auctions, Scrip programs and customer service. With Halloween just around the corner, Thompson says, the store will continue to sell tickets for the Haunted Forest train ride in Oak Meadow Park on the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad to support the D.A.R.T. program.
Three-time Olympian ... Dr. Tore Gustafsson moved to the United States from Sweden in 1980 under an athletic scholarship to Washington State University. After 20 years of worldwide competition in the hammer throw--including the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, Barcelona, Spain and Atlanta--Gustafsson now focuses his energy on helping local Olympians, current and future, at his facility at 3691 Union Ave. Gustafsson points out that his training program tries to help prevent injury during training and to help overcome any aches and pains that may occur. "Most medical advice given is to stop training for a period of time," Gustafsson says. His theory is that it is not good for the mental and physical health of the athlete. For most dyed-in-the-wool athletes, training is a full-time job and there is no time to stop, he says. Gustafsson recently treated several Olympians in preparation for Sydney, including Adam Nelson and Tibor Geesek in the hammer throw and Nick Sweeney in the discus throw.
For the past 12 years he has assisted our own Ed Burke of the Los Gatos Athletic Club with Explorer Post 813, a track and field program for youth.
Twentieth year ... Happy anniversary to Fatima Atalik, owner of Cultured Nails at 227 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Atalik, born in Turkey, has lived in Los Gatos for the last 20 years. She started cutting hair at a very young age and wound up as the manager and hair dresser in a salon in Orange County, before she moved to Los Gatos and started in the nail end of the beauty business. Nails must have been her calling as she have many clients who have been with her from the very beginning and some who, although they may have moved out of the area to such places as Marin, Morgan Hill and Scotts Valley, still come to her for their nails. "When I was a little girl I was a professional dancer having traveled all over the Middle East with my parents and performing in such places as Iran, Jerusalem and the Baltic States."
Brand new ... The Guild, a place for hair, has just opened at 46 Elm St. and is the concept of two people who share a similar philosophy in the art of hair care. Cari Shaw, formerly at Durand Hair Salon and Susan Linville, owner of Sue's, the women's clothing shop downtown, aim to enhance the unique style of each individual. According to Linville, her partner's extensive education and innate talent in hair design, that she started when she was 13, enables her to create an effortless look for her client. Shaw adds that hair is about making a statement, with the perfect haircut and the perfect color, and it's the easiest way to add a new edge to a person's appearance. Shaw' grandfather, Alfred Barnhill, graduated from Los Gatos High School in 1932, as did her father, Buddy, class of '56 and mother, Louise, class of '59. Although not born in Los Gatos, Shaw now lives here. Linville and Elm Street have been in this column quite a bit lately. Joey's, Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio and Café Rouge, all on Elm Street were noted last month and Linville and partner Joe Zahriya were noted for opening Bizzo, a clothing store at 218 N. Santa Cruz Ave. last December.
Attorney at Law ... Katherine I. Anderson has hung her shingle out at 3 1/2 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Suite A. If that address sounds familiar, you may note that CPA Linda Lubeck, a Los Gatos Town Council member, also has her shingle hanging at the same address. When Lubeck's co-tenant left, Anderson was called because her law practice dovetailed so well with Lubeck's. According to Anderson, "My expertise is in the estate planning end of the practice of law. That encompasses the probating of estates, trust, conservatorship and guardianship administration. This works very well with Linda's tax planning and tax return preparation." Anderson received her undergraduate degree from UC-Berkeley and her law degree from Santa Clara University.
Anderson says that with the huge population explosion and dramatic increase in the number of individuals in high tax brackets the demand for estate planning has skyrocketed. W
Got a business news tip for Don Callahan's monthly business column? Fax him at 408.354.3917 or email, decallahan@home.com.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
