Sandy Belk, owner of Chickadees |
A choice spot on a busy streetcorner is a boost for any
business, but for the past few years the commercial spot on the corner of Arctic Avenue and the Glenn Highway has been less a boon and more a burden.
It used to be Fisher’s Fuel’s Palmer gas station. Then Fred
Meyer moved in across the street with its fuel rewards program and business
suffered. The former gas station sat empty for a while, its paint slowly
peeling away, until it became Husky Electric. But that business didn’t take
root – the store was soon shuttered again.
Now it has new life as an antique/local goods/consignment
shop called Chickadees. Run by Sandy Belk, who has lived in Palmer with her
husband, Brad Ohs, for 11 years, the store is filled with home and garden accents. You can also get local eggs there and Belk said she would be selling fresh
local tomatoes and cucumbers as soon as they’re available.
Some in the mental health community might recognize Ohs' name as the former administrator of North Star Behavioral Health's Lazy Mountain facility. He recently opened his own mental health practice, Mindful Exchange, just a few blocks away from Chickadees. Belk’s heart is in art and design. She said she’s been
collecting antiques, architectural salvage items and vintage clothing for years.
“Everyone has always told me, ‘You need to have a shop,’”
Belk said.
Recently, the timing was right and her dream of opening a
shop became a reality. She opened the store last weekend.
Bold colors and intriguing finds make the store a fun stop. |
“These are things I have collected specifically for the
shop,” she said. “I do consignments … I buy estates, I do shop Craigslist.”
And, she said, she has a network of friends who want to sell upscale home décor items that aren’t quite right for a garage sale and who don’t want to bother with Craigslist.
“It’s word-of-mouth, small-town Palmer,” she said.
So how do the eggs and veggies enter in? Belk said she has
worked in animal husbandry for years, working for veterinarians, managing
farms. She is working with a local woman who has 30 free-range hens in a big
yard and who brings fresh eggs in daily. She has a line on a few different
farmers who will sell tomatoes, cucumbers and other delicious local
produce through the summer. Belk said to check for signs outside that will
announce what’s fresh each day.
Belk initially hoped to have more ag-related offerings; she
has two wagons full of plants right now, including some geraniums. But in her
open, windswept lot, the plants are taking a beating. Unless the wind stops and
the sun makes a pronounced appearance, Belk said she’ll hold off putting pretty
baskets outside.
Why “Chickadees”? Belk said she’s a birder and loves the
hardy little birds who stick around all winter long, bringing cheer to
the long, lightless days with their hopeful song. She wants her store to
be a fun, bright spot in keeping with its namesake’s character.
Chickadees is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to
6 p.m. Call 745-2200 for more
information.
-- Rindi White