Business

By Lori Lindner
North Liberty Leader
SWISHER– What started as a hobby for Swisher resident Tracy Griffin has turned into not just a career, but a reflection of her passion and personality.
Griffin is the owner and chief photographer of T Marie Portraits and Photo Booth.
About eight years ago, Griffin and her family were hiking through Palisades Park on a nice fall afternoon, and she happened to have a camera with her. She took photos of her children to commemorate the day.

SOLON– Ask and ye shall receive.
It was time for some updates at the Solon American Legion, and thanks to an outpouring of support from a variety of sources, Stinocher Post 460 underwent a facelift in 2015.
“If you haven’t been in this Legion in the last two or three months, you’re in for a big surprise,” said Legion Finance Officer Curt Phillips. “There’ve been an awful lot of improvements done here within the last year.”

“Somethin’ ‘bout a boat
Sittin’ on the sea
Out there in the wind
Floatin’ on the free
Take you ‘round the world
Bring you back home
Gives a man hope…”
- Jimmy Buffett’s “Somethin’ ‘bout a boat.”
SOLON– Maybe the song should be, “Somethin’ ‘bout a stock tank.”
Several years ago, Cedar River Tank Tours started out as a conversation over cocktails in a garage. It evolved into a local tourism business based in Solon, growing in patrons and popularity.

SOLON– There are many things to love about Italy: its wine, its warm people, its masterful historic artists, bold history and ancient architecture.
Its food.
The Red Vespa Italian Restaurant now brings some of those fine Italian qualities to the heart of downtown Solon.
Aziz and Angie Longou are the couple behind the venture, the long-anticipated eatery that opened Aug. 25. Aziz has many years of experience as a chef and restaurateur in the Corridor area.
“I started cooking in 1978, and I think I did a good job,” said Aziz.

NORTH LIBERTY– Cody Chen is used to serving up hot, delicious Chinese take-out cuisine.
Now, he and a family member can also create a beautiful kitchen counter on which to serve it.
Cody, owner of Yang Chow Wok, and his cousin, Lam Chen, have established a second business in the North Liberty area, L&C Marble Granite Supply.
Lam learned the trade of cutting and installing beautiful stone– primarily marble and granite– in Hong Kong, where Lam’s family has a long-established business in the industry.