Chet’s Hardware— Family Owned and Island Dedicated

Chet’s Hardware on Catalina Island is a neighborhood staple for the residents and the mariners passing through.

By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS

CATALINA ISLAND — Originally opening its doors in 1962, Chet’s Harware founds itself in the hands of Edward and Patricia Cassidy, and the store quickly became an institution for the island. Fifteen years after opening the store, their son Mike Cassidy purchased it from them and has been running it with his wife since then. As one of Catalina’s oldest businesses and because of its unique location on an island, Chet’s Hardware expands beyond the standard stock of what the aisles of a hardware store have to offer and has become a useful shop for mariners and DIY-ers as well.

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The original hardware store was owned by a man named Chet,” said owner Cinde Cassidy. “The family that purchased the store from Chet held the name during their tenure, and then when the Cassidys purchased the business back in the 70s, the store name was so popular they decided not to change the name. I love it when people say, “I spoke to your husband, Chet.” It’s funny and makes for a good smile.”

In June of 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chet’s Hardware migrated from its original location to find a new home in what most recently was the Vons Express grocery store on C atalina Avenue. Prior to the Vons, the location was the Atwater Arcade. The move was finished in June after starting demolition on the location in January 2020.

“We absolutely love our new location, and it feels like moving “home,” if you will. We were able to create a Covid pod with our staff, and during the closures of the pandemic, we bonded together as a team to build the new location and move during an emotionally uncertain time. The move was much more positive [for] us as we bonded as a team in ways we otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to.”

The new location offers more shelf space for products that cater to the year-round traffic of boaters passing by, as well as the tools for home improvement for the residents on the island.

T he little hardware store has a 16’ space dedicated to marine supplies for the very present boating community that sees and lives on the island. Chet’s carries some basic items regularly but can also order items for those staying for a visit. In addition, the larger space allowed the store to introduce a 200-square-foot nursery filled with ever-changing flowers, fruits, and vegetables. In collaboration with the Catalina Island Conservancy, the nursey also offers plats that are native to the island. Chet’s also offers a locksmith service and will make special orders upon request and appliance replacement.

C het’s Hardware is the handyman’s toy store and offers a collection of products for any project. For more informa- tion on the store or to get in contact, please visit https://www.chetshardware. com/.

Medical Center

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For ticket and sponsorship information, visit cimcfoundation.org/ Catalinaville.

Sponsorship for the event ranges between $5,000- $50,000, and upon availability, a single ticket is $625, and couples tickets are $1,250.

In addition, exciting news came to the Medical Center this past January. On Jan. 18, UCI Health and CIMC announced a clinical affiliation between the University of California, Irvine’s leading academic health system, and Catalina Island’s sole emergency, primary, and acute care services provider. The affiliation builds on a collaboration launched in 2016 when UCI Health began providing emergency medicine specialists to expand care in the Medical Center’s emergency department. The CIMC emergency department evaluates and treats 2,600 cases yearly, a 33 percent increase since the UCI Health collaboration began seven years ago. In addition, patients have consistently ranked CIMC’s emergency services as among the best in the nation.

In June 2017, the CMIC finalized the purchase of Leo’s Catalina Drugstore, long known and loved by locals as the “uncommon corner drugstore.” Adding Catalina Island’s only pharmacy to its portfolio of services enabled the CIMC to continue to provide outstanding healthcare services to the community and make improvements. Leo’s operates as an independent local pharmacy, serving the community’s needs, with little change in how it performs under CIMC, including insurance relationships.

The integration of Leo’s also allows the CIMC to improve the quality of life for those undergoing specific cancer treatments, with the eventual provision of infusion therapy for chemotherapy patients. This makes it easier for patients to receive care at home without traveling to the mainland for cancer treatment.

The CIMC announced on June 19 that Leo’s Pharmacy is offering each child in your family a free 30-count bottle of Health Mart® Children’s Chewable Multi-Vitamins each month. Call or visit Leo’s to enroll at (310) 510-0189.

For more information about the CIMC, the fitness center, “Catalinaville Beach Party, or Leo’s Pharmacy, please visit https://cimedicalcenter.org/.