Friday, June 25, 2010

'Buddha Bar' has green on the mind

Bookstore expansion promotes local and organic products

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From left to right, Meg Mazzocchi, Catherine Mann, Cheryl Welch and Brittany McGee test the tables at Chapter One Bookstore’s new “green” café and shop. Photo by David N. Seelig

Chapter One Bookstore has grown beyond a bookseller in its 40-year history in Ketchum.

The bookstore has now added a café, the Chapter One Buddha Bar. Organic wine, beer and chocolate, as well as gift items, art and cards are for sale in the new addition, which is in the back of the bookstore.

"We were careful in selecting products that were organic and grown close to us," said Catherine Mann, co-owner of the Buddha Bar.

The new space is "green," from the paint on the walls to the lights overhead. Co-owner Cheryl Welch said they searched to make sure items such as their teas did not compete with others in town.

The Buddha Bar will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. or until 11 p.m. if people are in the store. On Wednesdays, there will be an 8 a.m. meditation led by Ryan Redmond. Donations will be accepted.

The bookstore will host a wine-tasting party with organic beer, organic teas and coffees on Thursday, July 1, from 8-10 p.m.

The wine tasting will be conducted by Frazer Ford from J. W. Thorton Wine Imports, who will serve "bio-dynamic" organic wines. The wine tasting will cost $10. Wine by the glass and bottles will also be available for purchase.

The evening will also feature live music with Gabrielle Sanborn on viola and Everett Ford singing. There will also be music by singer and songwriter Sheryll Mae Grace and a reading by Harry Dreyfuss. Wood River Valley artist Sue Dumke will exhibit her metal prints on brushed aluminum, Nina Fox will display Buddhist photo cards and Meg Mazzocchi will show watercolor landscapes and wildlife paintings.

The Chapter One Buddha Bar plans to host book signings and other events.

"Ketchum is always an interesting place," Welch said. "It's always changing and people are interesting."

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com

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