Seattle Rep's Sharon Ott Can Play To An Audience

Sharon Ott, the Seattle Repertory Theatre's artistic director, entertained nearly 100 people at Overlake Hospital Auxiliaries' Northwest Talks lecture series yesterday.

"I can't talk about theater for an hour," Ott said as she began her speech.

Then her combination of lighthearted and serious anecdotes about repertory beginnings around the country, her personal experiences in Hollywood, stories about playwrights and production, not only ate up the allotted time but made the audience hungry for more.

The tidbit Ott shared that was most discussed at the post-lecture lunch?

"More people attend theater here in the Northwest than attend the sporting events," she said.

Honored: Mary Odermat of Medina received Eastside Catholic High School's Distinguished Service Award earlier this month.

Odermat has filled numerous volunteer roles at the school, from vice president of Eastside Catholic to board trustee, as well as serving on countless committees.

But the one they still talk about, both Director of Development Peggy Dynes and Eastside High spokeswoman Helene Johnson agree, was the day Odermat stepped into the main office. She answered the never-quiet phone between helping students with a multitude of problems.

"This is the most hectic job on campus," Johnson said. "Most volunteers would run the other way if they saw this task coming their way."

Dining in style: Yarrow Bay Grill at Kirkland's Carillon Point won Seattle magazine's Best on the Eastside restaurant award - for the third consecutive year.

General manager Allan Aquila credited the service, kitchen staff members and award-winning chef Vicky McCaffree for earning the award.

Dream store: Clodagh Ash of Bellevue, patiently waiting for husband, Bob, at a Eagle Hardware & Garden store, came up with her perfect shopping complex.

"Wouldn't it be great," she said, "if they could build an Eagle and a Nordstrom Rack together?"

Green machine: Jens Molbak coined philanthropy at the grocery store, giving customers a chance to donate their spare change to local nonprofit organizations when they dump their coins into one of his Coinstar machines.

Molbak, president and chief executive officer of the Bellevue-based Coinstar, developed the coin-counting machines in 1994, originally designed to return store coupons and cash vouchers, minus a service fee.

Since Coinstar added the philanthropic division less than a year ago, the company has given about $70,000 to charitable groups.

Count on more this next year.

Coinstar just added the donation option to 83 machines in Houston, to help the March of Dimes.

Making green stuff for charity runs in Molbak's family.

His parents, Laina and Egon, have been big community contributors ever since they began their popular Molbak's Nursery in Woodinville.

One last grin: The delivery truck in downtown Bellevue carries an advertising license plate that reads: FR84YOU.

Sherry Grindeland's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in The Seattle Times Eastside edition. You can reach her by phone at 206-515-5633 or 425-453-2130, e-mail at sgri-new@seatimes.com, fax at 425-453-0449, or mail at The Seattle Times Eastside bureau, 10777 Main St., Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98004.