PORT HADLOCK — The Key City Jazz trio plans a jazz dance Saturday to raise money for Port Hadlock restaurant Ajax Cafe.
The event, which will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Rosewind Common House, 3131 Haines St., will raise money to help the cafe restock and reopen after it closed in October.
“They have to licence and restock, and that’s what this is about,” said Michael Ledonna, the piano player for the Key City Jazz Trio. “We’re just trying to get them open.”
Admission will be by donation. The suggestion from Ledonna is $10 at the door. Donations also are welcome for food and drink — all of which will be provided by Ajax staff.
Ajax Cafe closed unexpectedly in late October due a failing septic system. At the time, Jefferson County officials pointed out how close the popular cafe was to the water. Any leak in its system would quickly make its way into the ground water and into the marine water and shellfish beds, they said.
A GoFundMe page set up after the restaurant’s Oct. 8 closure set a goal of raising $14,000. Currently, the page at https://www.gofundme.com/2umgq9g has raised $9,835.
The site says negotiations were in progress for purchase of the building. The owner of the business, Kristan McCary, could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Ledonna, along with drummer Jim Goldberg and bassist Gary Fredrick, used to play at Ajax Cafe every Tuesday before it closed.
“We did that for three years, and we never missed a Tuesday,” Ledonna said.
Ledonna said Ajax is an important local spot for Port Hadlock and popular with visitors during the summer.
“People would come back year after year,” Ledonna said. “It’s always been sort of a community place.”
Ledonna said Saturday’s dance will feature jazz classics and music by request played by the Key City Jazz Trio.
“It’s going to be good upbeat jazz standards,” Ledonna said, “something you can dance to.”
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Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at cmcfarland@ peninsuladailynews.com.
