Suddenly, This Odd
Lawsuit Seems Germane
A 58-year-old former zookeeper is suing the Woodland Park Zoo
for discrimination.
According to court documents, Ellen Leach—a 23-year employee
of the Woodland Park Zoo—claims she was terminated in 2004
after an on-the-job injury left her unable to lift 100 pounds without
assistance. In her filing, Leach—who worked with elephants and is
currently the founder of a cat behavioral consulting company—says
she was told she would be “laid off” since she would not be able to
restrain, lift, or capture an escaped animal on her own.
However, responding to the charge that she couldn’t restrain escaped
animals, Leach’s complaint argues: “Ms. Leach is fully capable of
capturing escaped animals such as water fowl, weighing much less
than 40 pounds.” Adding logically, “Manually capturing or restraining
larger animals would put both animals and keepers at risk.”
Leach’s case is expected to be heard in June. NANCY DREW
Global Warming
On Saturday, December 22, 10 customers walked out of the Globe
Cafe and Bakery, Capitol Hill’s beatnik vegan haunt.
According to an employee, the customers were tired of waiting for their
food—after already paying for it—and moreover, they were
tired of listening to the owner,
Michael Leaf, berate his
staff.
A few days later, Leaf shuttered the business, which opened back in
1990. The irascible owner blames Seattle: “We decided we had to change
the menu and the clientele revolted against us,” Leaf says. “People
are just bitches. They’re not willing to wait 30 minutes [for
food].” Leaf says he’s leaving for Bellingham and he’s taking the
Globe with him. “Seattle’s a shithole,” he says. “[The Globe]
has been a marvelous thing and it will continue to be. Seattle doesn’t
deserve it anymore.”
The Globe is one of Seattle’s oldest vegan institutions. The small
storefront on 14th Avenue and Pine Street—filled with a long wood
table and chairs—often had electronic and industrial music
playing over the sound system and was known for its meat-free
lasagna, biscuits and gravy, and of course, poetry readings.
However, during the last three months, the breakfast spot
imploded—seeing revenues drop to barely $200 some days, according
to employees.
And while Leaf blames the customers for the downward spiral, a long
list of Leaf’s disgruntled employees are blaming him. They say he had a
bad temper and allege he drank on the job.
Leaf would not address the allegations on record.
The Globe will officially close January 1. Leaf would not say when
his restaurant would reopen in Bellingham, but he says the
Globe’s current location will become an Italian restaurant. JONAH
SPANGENTHAL-LEE
Changing Clothes
Atlas Clothing, a Capitol Hill vintage-clothing shop on south
Broadway, is moving to Fremont.
Atlas co-owner Jamie Hoffman says he’s purchased the lease to the
Fremont Antique Mall in central Fremont and will soon put Atlas’s
building on Broadway and Pike Street, which he owns, up for sale. “The
market’s just right [for the sale],” Hoffman says.
Atlas will move in to its new Fremont spot—which will be
roughly the same size—on February 1, and the shop’s name
will change to the Antique Fremont Atlas Mall. JONAH
SPANGENTHAL-LEE
