APRIL 2021 facebook.com/MadisonParkTimes
Serving East-Central Seattle since 1983
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Madison Park Times www .M adison P ark T imes . com
Staying busy in a pandemic
For some Madison Park merchants, the coronavirus brought business, new challenges
Featured Stories
Revisiting the Park Page 2
By Jessica Keller
Madison Park Times editor This spring is shaping up like most springs for Adam Hagan, owner of Madison Park Hardware, a normal spring, when activity starts to slowly pick up as more people get out of their homes and think about home projects. It is decidedly unlike spring 2020. Late winter and early spring last year was normal enough, Hagan said. Until it wasn’t. When Gov. Jay Inslee issued a shelter in place order, many businesses had to close, whereas Madison Park Hardware could stay open and serve patrons’ needs. “We’re an essential business, I guess you’d call us,” Hagan said. So, what began as a normal spring last year, soon became hectic, as people turned to Madison Park Hardware and others like it to buy items people needed during their extended time at home. As a result, Hagan saw an increase in business, which wasn’t necessarily unusual for the time of year. “The intensity of the uptick in business was surprising,” Hagan said, adding it seemed everybody was coming to the neighborhood store at once to buy things. While on the surface, additional business during an uncertain times was a good problem to have, but Hagan points out, it came with disadvantages. “It’s sort a the catch 22 because you’re exposed to everybody, as well,” he said, adding fortunately Seattle residents are pretty good at following safety rules. Another catch 22 was on a bigger scale: the ability for merchants to keep up with demand and their shelves stocked. Hagan said, unlike others, last year a great many people wanted to plant vegetable gardens. Madison Park Hardware typically sells 100 packets of seeds a season. In 2020, however, he sold 300. “We don’t know if people ate what they grew, or whatever came out of the projects,” he said. Whatever the outcome, it soon became apparent for Hagan that 300 seed packets was fine in a normal year, but not for 2020,
SEE BUSINESS, PAGE 7
A gift to a grandson Page 6
Property Views REAL ESTATE
Photo by Jessica Keller Adam Hagan, owner of Madison Park Hardware, puts price tags on merchandise he sells at the store. This time of year is returning to its normal rhythm, with business picking back up, unlike last year when things became hectic in Hagan’s neighborhood store.
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