Gallery features artist whose works adorn Kirkland walls

Stop by Parklane Gallery during tonight's Kirkland Artwalk and say hello to Ross Nicoll.

The longtime Eastside resident's oil and water-color paintings are featured at Parklane, an artists' cooperative, this month.

Nicoll's work is well-known to anyone who frequents downtown Kirkland. He's the hand behind the town's three outdoor murals.

The largest is on the side of the Kirkland Antique Gallery and features — what else? — old stuff. (The shop is on Third Street but the mural faces the antique mall's parking lot on Park Lane.) Nicoll also painted the Parisian street scene in Lakeshore Plaza, near the Coffee and Cone ice-cream store.

My favorite is the mural with icons of Kirkland, on the side of the Eagles Club on Central Way. You need to crane your neck to see it since the parking lot next door became a commercial complex.

"I painted them in the early 1990s," said the 77-year-old Nicoll. "I had help from other Parklane artists. They need to be touched up a bit, but I don't do ladders as well these days."

Cover girl? Laila Terry-Pantenberg of Bellevue is one of 25 semifinalists in Cosmopolitan magazine's national cover-model search. She was selected from more than 5,000 entries.

The insurance underwriter learned she was a semifinalist last month but was sworn to secrecy.

"It's been hard to keep it a secret," said the 19-year-old. "I shared it with my mother, but we couldn't tell anyone."

The Newport High grad hesitates to describe herself as a professional model, even though she does occasional modeling for small clothing designers and boutiques. She does have a portfolio, thanks to a friend who is a photographer.

"I don't have an agent," she said. "That's what makes you a professional."

She will be in next month's issue, which should hit the newsstands Tuesday. Readers will vote for their favorite of the 25 at cosmopolitan.com. The top four will be flown to New York City for a photo session and featured in the July issue.

The only other Washington state semifinalist is Dani Leavitt from La Conner.

Bad "carma"? The 1995 Buick Park Avenue must know how Cheri Brennan of Redmond feels about it.

She didn't buy the car, she inherited it from her mother. She reluctantly gave up her Cougar for the land yacht, talked into the trade by her siblings.

In the year she's been driving the Buick, she has been rear-ended three times. Even parking lots aren't safe. A hit-and-run driver bashed into her there.

"The car was in the body shop this week to get its third new bumper, thanks to the latest encounter with an inattentive driver," Brennan said.

Repairs were supposed to be finished Tuesday.

That's when the body shop called to explain the car wouldn't be ready until today.

As the Buick was being moved from the car-wash bay to a parking spot, the employee smashed into something, requiring further body work.

"I'm convinced this car has targets on it," Brennan said. "My other theory is that maybe everyone running into me is a Husky. I have WSU (Washington State University) vanity plates and you know how Huskies are in awe of us Cougars."

Stylish departure: Rose McCord of Bellevue helped open the bank at the corner of Northeast 8th Street and 106th Avenue Northeast in December 1970. Today it is Washington Mutual, then it was Pacific First Savings and Loan.

McCord officially retires tomorrow.

Despite her request to leave quietly, co-workers didn't let her just slip away, said the branch manager, Bonnie Scott. They had the traditional cake, balloons, funny cards and a big potluck.

McCord worked as a personal banker and a number of her customers showed up for the celebration.

Said one who asked to remain anonymous, "Rose IS the Bellevue Branch of Washington Mutual."

The final departure from her 32-year career was done with style.

She rode home in a limousine.

One last grin: Jules Bresnick of Bellevue e-mailed me a long list of interesting trivia.

First on the list was, "It is impossible to lick your elbow."

At the end it said, "At least 75 percent of the people who read this will try to lick their elbow."

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com