Bellingham Business Journal, January 02, 2012

Redlight Wine Bar, Page 3

JAN

UA

RY 2

012

Year

20

No.

1 $

2

Mover & Shaker | Patricia McKeown

Space reserved for mailing label

Jobless claims in 2011 lowest in two years

NWIC opens new $1.3 million building

BY ISAAC [email protected]

After two record-setting years, the number of people in Wash-ington receiving unemployment benefits and the amount they received shrank in 2011.

An estimated 440,000 people received benefits in 2011, a 12 percent drop from the all-time record of 503,000 in 2010 and fewer than the 470,231 individu-als in 2009.

Benefit payouts totaled about $3.2 billion for the year, com-pared to $4.6 billion in 2010 and $4 billion in 2009. More than 54 percent of the 2011 payouts were covered by federal funds, with the rest coming from the state’s benefits fund.

The average length of time Washington workers collected unemployment benefits also declined from 42.2 weeks in 2010 to about 36.2 weeks near the end of 2011.

“Some of the decline is due to an improved economy, and some of it is due to unemployed workers simply running out of benefits,” Employment Security

SEE JOBLESS | PAGE 2


Northwest Indian College opened a new Cooperative Extension Building Dec. 2, it’s seventh addition to the campus since 2005.

The $1.3 million building will house community classes on harvesting, cooking and preserv-ing traditional and other local

foods, financial skills for families, homebuyer education, basket weaving, tribal food sovereignty and developing medicinal gar-dens.

“Through the college’s exten-sion services, we connect the value of taking care of ourselves and each other with our knowl-edge of wellness, cultural arts and family,” NWIC President Cheryl Crazy Bull said in a press

release. “Extension services reach out to bring people together to share stories, skills and relation-ships.”

The 2,800-square-foot building includes sustainable features such as radiant floor heating, a green roof above the entrance and wir-ing for solar panels.

The new facility was made possible by contributions from regional tribes, including a

$25,000 donation from the Siletz Tribe of Oregon, and from local organizations such as the St. Luke’s Foundation, which also donated $25,000.

So far, NWIC has raised about $36 million as part of an ongo-ing $44 million capital campaign, with plans for three more build-ings. NWIC is a nonprofit educa-tional institution headquartered on the Lummi Reservation.

SEE STORY ON PAGE 8: Patricia McKeown took over as president of Bellingham Technical College during a tough time; in the span of three years, the college has lost 38 percent of its state funding. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ

Hurry for Best Placement! 360-647-8805 [email protected]

Presents The ‘2012 Book of Lists’ Business Professionals DirectoryAdvertising Deadline is January 13th.

Mention Code “BOL2012” for up to a 25% DISCOUNT!

2 BBJToday.com January 2012

BBJToday.comPhone Fax

Circulation:

Publisher:

Editorial:

Advertising:

Website:

BBJToday.com 1550-2007

TONY BOUCHARD

[email protected]

ISAAC BONNELL

[email protected]

OUR MISSIONTo bring to Whatcom County readers

the most complete, most fair and most in-depth business coverage possible, and

to be an invaluable tool local entrepreneurs use to grow their businesses.

ERIKA SAVOY

[email protected]

IN THIS ISSUEThe Buzz ..................................... 3

Savvy Sprouts .............................. 4

Plum Hair Studio ........................... 5

Evolve Salon and Spa ..................... 7

Patricia McKeown .......................... 8

BBJ People .................................. 9

Nonprofit news ........................... 10

Columnst: Charlie Sheldon ............. 13

BBJ Views .................................. 14

BBJ Data .................................. 16

CONTRIBUTORS

Celeste Erickson

Bruce Shepard

Charlie Sheldon

Rik Dalvit

Commissioner Paul Trause said in a press release.

By the end of December, about 70,000 workers will have exhausted all of their unemployment benefits, the most ever during a period when extended ben-efits were in effect.

“From a workload standpoint, we still had the third-highest number of benefit recipients and pay-outs ever,” Trause said in the release.

Despite the large work-load, the department’s budget is dropping by 16 percent in the July 2011-June 2013 budget period, forcing the agency to initi-ate its largest layoff in six years. By the end of Janu-ary, the department will have shed more than 500 positions, with more lay-offs expected next summer.

Whatcom jobless rate drops to 7.5%

The unemployment rate for Whatcom County held steady at 7.5 percent for the months of October and November, the low-est it’s been since January 2009 and lower than the current statewide average of 8.3 percent, according to the newest report from the Employment Security Department.

The report shows that job growth in the county is on an upward trend, though some of the data in the report give conflict-ing outlooks, said regional labor economist Reinhold Groepler. For example, when looking at payroll data, the number of non-farm jobs in Whatcom County grew by 300 jobs in November and is up 2,000 jobs over last year.

But looking at the total number of people employed shows a differ-ent picture. The number of people employed in November was 96,660, which is 1,930 fewer than during the same time last year.

“Sometimes these two measures can conflict each other. I would put more reliability in the number of jobs being created,” Groe-pler said.

The payroll data comes from employers and mea-sures the number of jobs located in Whatcom Coun-ty, whereas the number of people employed counts the number of residents with jobs, no matter where those jobs are located, Groepler added.

JOBLESS

January 2012 BBJToday.com 3

BBJBUZZNewsworthy and notable items for Bellingham business

Shea Hagan and Rebecca Ogden purchased The Ridge Wine Bar earlier this year and reopened it as Redlight Wine Bar and Coffee Roaster. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ

Redlight Wine Bar and Coffee Roaster opensBY ISAAC [email protected]

Shea Hagan and Rebecca Ogden always knew they wanted to run their own coffee roaster, they just didn’t know when it would happen. The couple drafted a business plan years ago and have been waiting for the right opportunity.

That opportunity came a few months ago when they purchased The Ridge Wine Bar from Jenny Schwartz. Hagan and Ogden remod-eled the 1,700-square-foot space at 1017 N. State St. and reopened the busi-ness under a new name, Redlight Wine Bar and Coffee Roaster, on New Year’s Eve.

The couple hadn’t planned on purchasing an existing business, espe-cially a wine bar, but all of the pieces fell into place,

Ogden said. “It was a series of crazy

coincidences,” she said. “The big thing was if we could put a coffee roaster in the back.”

The idea to offer coffee and wine developed over the years as the couple took their enthusiasm for coffee and applied it to wine, said Hagan, who has 17 years of experience in the coffee industry and used to roast and do quality assurance for Moka Joe’s until it sold earlier this year.

“One of the things we like about coffee and wine is there’s always something to learn, always something new,” Hagan said, explain-ing how the growing conditions and processing techniques of wine and coffee affect the flavor profile.

Starting Monday Jan. 2,

the wine bar will be open six days a week (closed Sundays) from 4 p.m. until about midnight and feature live music three or four nights a week, Ogden said.

With a 5-kilo coffee roaster now installed in the back room, Hagan will start roasting coffee in January to sell in the shop and to wholesale accounts. He plans to get an espresso machine later in the month and open the cafe side of the business in February.

The space has high ceil-ings and brightly colored walls that will feature a new artist every month to coincide with the Down-town Art Walk on the first Friday of each month, Ogden said.

“We want it to be a place where people can come and feel comfortable,” she said.

360.685.4200 www.GatewayTotalOffi ce.com

atewayTotal Office Experience

Grow Business with Confidence

Your GatewayExperience Includes:Full Receptionist and IT SupportPeace of Mind to get on with your BusinessCustomized Options from a Mailing Address to Annual Leases

Management reserves all rights. ©2011 Silver Reef Casino

SilverReefCasino.com(866) 383-077724/7 ACTION

EXPERIENCEEVERYTHING

EXPERIENCEEVENTS


Savvy Sprouts reopens on Northwest Avenue

After nearly five years in development, brothers Mike and Dan Hiestand of Ferndale recently launched

their business, Houstory Publishing. The company is the creator of a new product called a Home


It’s not often that a small business owner gets to launch their business twice. But such is the case for Mariana Jakobsen, owner of Savvy Sprouts, a consignment store for women and kids.

Jakobsen bought the building at 2701 Northwest Ave. three years ago and began remodeling it. Savvy Sprouts opened ear-lier this year on Earth Day, April 22 — but Jakobsen closed the shop July 1 due to a family emergency.

She reopened the store in early Decem-ber and is eager to get back into the swing

Mariana Jakobsen reopened her store Savvy Sprouts in early December. She first the business in April, but closed it in July due to a family emergency. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ

of things. “I feel better prepared now,” she said. “It

was challenging being a single mom and a sole proprietor.”

The 1,800-square-foot store is separated into several rooms, each with its own theme. There’s the eco baby boutique, with organic cotton onesies, cloth diapers and locally made items. There’s also a room for baby gear, such as strollers and cribs.

Jakobsen accepts consignment clothing for women and for children up to age 8. Though she says she’s very picky about what she accepts in the store, she’s ada-mant about reusing clothes — whatever doesn’t pass inspection gets donated to We Care of Whatcom County.

Jakobsen is also looking for local arti-sans interested in selling their products at the store. For more information, call Savvy Sprouts at (360) 671-7711.

BBJBUZZHoustory Publishing offers archival Home History Book

History Book archival jour-nal, a publication designed to help share and preserve the story of a home.

“It’s essentially a baby book for the home that is meant to stay with the home,” founder Mike Hiestand said in a press release. “Even as families come and go, the book stays behind to preserve that history and tell the

home’s unique story.”That may include infor-

mation about former and current residents; building and construction history; noteworthy news and events that take place in the home; photographs; renovations; and informa-tion about visitors and guests.

“Too many times the sto-ries and people that make

a home ‘a home’ get lost,” Mike said in the release. “This book is designed to capture those moments — to preserve that legacy.”

The brothers believe their primary markets will be real estate agents, who may choose to give them as closing gifts to clients; bed and breakfasts; homeown-ers and those looking for housewarming gifts.

While the book may not be appropriate for every home, the book works as well for new homes as it does for older homes, since new homeowners can record a property’s history from day one, something that will be invaluable to future owners, said market-ing director Dan Hiestand.

The archival-quality books, which are available in two different colors and page designs, are printed and hand-bound in the United States. For more information, contact the company at (877) 962-6500.

Joy of Pilates celebrates 4 years with party Jan. 14

Joy of Pilates will cele-brate its 4th anniversary on Saturday, Jan. 14. The stu-dio is throwing an anniver-sary party from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and invites the general public to come enjoy live music, free chair massages, light refreshments, contests and door prizes.

Entertainment will include performances from folksinger Rebecca West-lake, Rumba Northwest and DJ KitchenSink. Con-tests will include the annu-al Plank Contest. Canned food items will be collected for the Bellingham Food Bank. Bring a can to the party and your name will be put in for various raffles and door prizes.

Joy of Pilates is located at 209 Prospect St. Suite 4 next to the Whatcom Museum. The studio offers a variety of drop-in group classes and private sessions.

- Simon Johnson Pomeroy Industrial LLC

www.wecu.com

Left to right: Simon Johnson and Jim Langei

“Working with Jim Langei at WECU® was a pleasant surprise. Other than the financials, WECU® was interested in how long I have lived in our community, my involvement in the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation as well as my reputation. Instead of just looking at the numbers, WECU® really took the time to look at the total package.”

(360) 676-1168 x7320Business Services:

it’s the WECU difference!®

A local lender with hometown values -



Plum Hair Studio will be moving this winter to a larger space at 126 E. Champion St. next to Whatcom Winemakers.

Owners Glenda Berend-sen and Amy Hemnes first opened the salon four years

ago at 1305 Cornwall Ave., but have outgrown the space, Berendsen said. At 1,400 square feet, the new space has more room for retail sales and more elbow room for the seven hair stylists.

“We really will miss our space on Cornwall, but we’re pretty squeezed in

tight here,” Berendsen said. Remodeling of the new

location is already under-way and Berendsen plans to be completely moved in by February 1.

For more information, call Plum Hair Studio at (360) 733-2562.

Plum Hair Studio owners Amy Hemnes (left) and Glenda Berendsen are moving their salon to a larger location at 126 E. Champion St. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ

Plum Hair Studio moving to larger space on E. Champion

Professional services include: Audits, reviews, and compilation Assistance with year-end closing and related

accounting matters Assist in the preparation of financial statements

that are compliant with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB)

Review of internal controls Individual Tax Preparation Implementation and maintenance of fund accounting

software Form 990 preparation Preparation for audits, A-133 audit, or desk review Development of financial policies and procedures

1313 East Maple Street, Ste. 201, PMB 568 Bellingham, WA 98225Phone: 360-685-0168 Fax: 360-685-4222 Web: www.scottslabacpa.com

Scott Slaba CPA opening in January Scott Slaba’s commuting days are over. Slaba spent more than a decade commuting from Bellingham to Seattle, where he worked as a business and finance officer for King County Public Health. He retired from that job in August and starting January 1, 2012, Slaba will open his own accounting practice here in Bellingham, where he and his family have lived for 40 years. “I chose to live here and commute to Seattle because I love this place,” he said. “My wife and I also wanted our kids to stay part of this great community. Bellingham is one of the most beautiful places on Earth to live, and I’m enjoying the prospect of working back in Bellingham after a long time of being away.” Slaba offers all types of accounting and tax preparation, but he specializes in accounting for nonprofits. During his years in King County, Slaba spent most of his time performing internal audits, monitoring internal controls and helping nonprofit agencies tighten their accounting systems and cash-handling procedures. “Being around people in the nonprofit sector is especially fun because more often than not they really believe in what they’re doing,” Slaba said. “ I love helping nonprofits make things work. It’s an area of accounting I’ve spend a great deal of my professional life in and it’s work I really enjoy.” Slaba hopes that his attention to clients’ needs and personalized service will help change the stereotype of accountants and just “number crunchers.” “You might be surprised to find that accountants are, broadly speaking, a really interesting, robust, athletic, creative bunch of folks. It’s a great community to be a part of.”

SALE! SALE! SALE!

SAVE 10%-60% On Retail Priceof Designer Fragrances for Men & Women!

at PERFUME HUT located in Bellis fair #314 (KOHL’S WING)

PH & Fax 360-715-0906Email: [email protected]

PERFUME HUTFINE FRAGRANCES LOCATED IN BELLIS FAIR #314 (KOHL’S WING)


Bridal Inspirations Wedding Expo set for Jan. 8 at Lakeway Inn

Couples seeking to make their weddings memorable will find many options Sunday, Jan. 8 at the 19th-annual Bridal Inspirations

Wedding Expo in Belling-ham.

Bridal Inspirations will be presented from noon to 5 p.m. at the Lakeway Inn & Conference Center, 714 Lakeway Drive.

The Northwest’s larg-est wedding fashion show, featuring local models in more than 100 dresses, will start at 4 p.m. Dresses for brides, bridesmaids and mothers, all in a variety of sizes from 6 to 26, will be modeled. Tuxedos and

BBJBUZZ suits for men also will be shown.

More than 50 businesses that offer services for wed-dings and other special events are expected to participate. Exhibitors at Bridal Inspirations include photographers, venues, florists, caterers, hair styl-ists, spas, event and design coordinators, musicians and disc jockeys.

“The large number of Northwest Washington vendors make the show a huge timesaver for brides,” said show organizer Pam Needham in a press release. Needham is also the owner

of Alicia’s Bridal and The Formal House Tuxedos in Bellingham. “We’re a one-stop shopping experience to find who you want to work with. It’s an informal atmosphere for talking with some tremendously creative professionals. Couples that make their plans early can ensure their special day is fun and memorable rather than stressful.”

A portion of the pro-ceeds from Bridal Inspira-tions will go to Soroptimist International of Belling-ham, a nonprofit organi-zation that supports the

efforts of women and chil-dren through scholarships and service.

The first 50 brides that register and pay online will receive a gift bag full of goodies from local ven-dors. Brides are encour-aged to buy advance tickets to avoid lines at the show’s entrance and qualify for door prizes.

Tickets cost $10 if pur-chased online at www.brid-alinspirationsexpo.com or at Alicia’s Bridal, 1400 N. State St., by Saturday, Jan. 7. Admission at the door is available for $15.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph wins state award for hand hygiene

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center was among nine hospitals statewide to be honored by the Wash-ington State Hospital Asso-ciation for outstanding hand hygiene practices.

At PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, every patient care unit has a system in place to monitor safe practices. In addition, hand hygiene and safety practices are reviewed at staff meetings daily to reinforce their importance in patient care, said Joni Och, director of quality management.

“The ‘Best Hands On Care’ award validates this ongoing and important work by our caregivers,” Och said in a press release.

WSHA champions hand washing and good hand hygiene to decrease the spread of infection. In 2005, WSHA launched a statewide effort to bring hospitals together to share strategies for improving hand hygiene; in 2007, the first Hands On Care awards were given. Hospi-tals receive the award for exemplary rates of hand hygiene, using an evidence-based measuring system.

Also honored by WSHA with a 2011 award: Mul-tiCare’s Good Samaritan and Mary Bridge Children’s hospitals; Swedish Medi-cal Center / Cherry Hill; Providence Mount Carmel; and medical centers in Othello, Prosser, Sunnyside and Snoqualmie.

Massage Envy opens in Sehome

Massage Envy opened Nov. 21 in Sehome Village next to the UPS Store.

Located at 330 36th St., Massage Envy will be managed initially by Edna Christianson, who co-owns the new venture with her husband, Mark. The couple have owned and operated the Massage Envy in Ever-ett since 2006.

The Bellingham location will eventually employ 40 licensed massage practitio-ners and support staff. The business is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m, 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and Sundays from 10:00 a.m to 6 p.m.

Do you have to reach out to your banker?

Or is it the other way around?

With Union Bank, the world can be an easy place to do business. Call us today.

Commercial Banking:

Ken Altena

Commercial Treasury Services:

Janet Davidson


BY CELESTE [email protected]

Evolve Salon and Spa opened Dec. 1 at 902 N. State St. The salon features a business model where stylists work together to run the salon and each one operates his or her own business.

The model is similar to a landlord-tenant agreement where building owner Brian Finnegan rents out separate spaces for stylists and other spa treatment for their individual businesses.

“There was a little bit of risk, but at the end of the day I get more people in the space,” he said. “It’s a beautiful salon and enhances the (shopping) center.”

Finnegan was looking to rent the space when one of the stylists, Janet Todhunter, approached him about opening a salon in the building with other stylists.

She said she knew the 2,000 square foot space would be too much space for what she was think-ing, but after talking with Finnegan, this new idea emerged.

Finnegan said he knew the stylists had established clientele and knew he could take a chance on them. He furnished the space and afterward tried to stay out of the way, he said.

“The joke is I own it and know nothing about the

salon business,” Finnegan said.

Todhunter said the styl-ists all work together to run the salon. “We are like a big family,” she said.

“We have control of the atmosphere and freedom to express who we are with the decor,” Todhunter said.

Most of the stylists have worked together for years and have their own clien-tele. With the new space there’s always room for more, she said.

The salon has six chairs, with one still available and three rooms avail-able for spa services. For more information contact Finnegan at (360) 647-2856 or the salon at (360) 393-3043.

City Grill opens on Cornwall Avenue

A new restaurant called City Grill opened Nov. 15 at 1319 Cornwall Ave. The restaurant serves a variety of Western food including burgers, pasta, sandwiches, wraps, steaks, fish and chicken for lunch and din-ner.

City Grill focuses on homemade cuisine at affordable prices. Owner Frank Wang, who has been a cook for more than 20 years, makes his own soup, dressing, sauce and dip.

Sue Lu, who owns the business with her husband, said she enjoys restaurant work. She said they wanted to open the restaurant in Bellingham because it’s a lovely city and the people are nice.

“Frank loves cooking and I had a hard time find-ing a job, so we said ‘Let’s do it,’” Lu said.

Lunch specials are $7.25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner specials are $8.25 from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. City Grill accepts dine-in orders as well as carry-out orders.

Since opening Lu said she has received a lot of good feedback. One cus-tomer favorite so far is the vegetable sandwich which includes cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, bell pep-pers, sprouts, avocado,

red onion and optional lightly-seasoned tofu. The sandwich is featured in the lunch special section of the menu.

Lu said opening a busi-ness during the holiday season is hard, but she has received a lot of encourag-ing comments and she is optimistic for the future.

City Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mon-day through Friday and 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Satur-day. For more information call 360-734-3462.

Go Big Paintball moves to Bakerview, opens paint-ball field in Lynden

Go Big Paintball moved at the beginning of Decem-ber from its original loca-tion at 4120 Meridian St. to a larger space at 1301 W. Bakerview Road, Suite 105.

With 1,200 square feet, the new location allows the business room to carry more paintball supplies and other items such as airsoft guns and disc golf discs. The space is also located near Fred Meyer and offers better visibility, parking and access to the freeway, said owner Rick O’Connor.

The business has grown quickly since opening in June 2010. Earlier this year, Go Big Paintball purchased the former Semper Fi

Evolve Salon and Spa provides space for individual salon owners

Stylists Janet Todhunter (left) and Jana Petree stand in the new salon, Evolve Salon and Spa. The salon opened on Dec. 1 and is run by the stylists who rent out their individual space and each run their own business. Celeste Erickson | BBJ

BBJBUZZPaintball field, a 22-acre parcel at 2149 East Badger Road in Lynden, and is in the process of improving the eight themed playing fields and facilities.

The paintball fields, which are open on the weekends, have different themes, from WWII to Black Hawk Down.

“We’re trying to create the ultimate themed paint-ball field,” O’Connor said. “We’re trying to make it so that people come from all over the region to play here.”

With the success of the retail store and online sales, O’Connor said he is also looking at opening two new stores in 2012, one in the Mount Vernon area and one in Marysville.

Tutor Doctor NW Washington offers help for all ages and subjects

Donald and Leslee Gon-gaware of Blaine recently launched Tutor Doctor Northwest Washington, which provides one-on-one tutoring in the homes of students.

Tutor Doctor Northwest Washington, which has a pool of more than 40 tutors, primarily serves clients in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties. Recognizing that learn-ing is a life-long endeavor, tutoring is provided to stu-dents of any age in a mul-titude of subjects, Donald Gongaware said.

Along with traditional academic subjects, Tutor Doctor Northwest Wash-ington provides qualified tutors to assist with college entrance exams, English as a Second Language (ESL) studies, General Education Development (GED) tests, and specialized subjects. Tutors are available to work with students of all ability levels.

“We create an individu-alized educational plan for each student and match tutors based on the stu-dent’s academic needs and personality,” Gongaware said in a press release. “One-on-one tutoring helps students build confi-dence. Grades typically rise 10 to 20 percent in the first six months.”

Gongaware added that demand is highest for mathematics and reading tutoring, particularly for students who are behind their grade level in profi-ciency. Others who benefit from in-home tutoring

include academically gifted students who need to be challenged or are seeking admission into the university of their choice. Also, parents who are home-school teachers may seek assistance with subjects such as mathemat-ics, chemistry, physics and biology.

Donald Gongaware, a U.S. Military Academy graduate, served 28 years in the Army, Army Reserves and National Guard. He has earned bachelor’s, mas-ter’s and doctorate degrees and been a vice president of operations in five com-panies. Leslee Gongaware has more than 25 years of educational experience as a teacher, guidance coun-selor and program coor-dinator. She has a master’s degree in education and holds current teaching and counseling certificates in Washington state.

Port Aviation Director Art Choat retires

After 29 years of service, Port of Bellingham Avia-tion Director Art Choat retired at the end of the November.

Choat, who joined the port in 1982 as harbor superintendent at Squali-cum Harbor, worked in a variety of management roles in the marinas, strategic projects and the Bellingham International Airport.

During his tenure, Choat oversaw numer-ous large capital projects including the expansion and redevelopment of the Blaine Harbor, expansion of Squalicum Harbor, con-struction of a new airport fire station, reconstruction and paving of the airport runway and the multi-year expansion of the airport commercial terminal.

Fine Residential Cleaning

Over 25 Years Experience

When you require only the best!

714-1809

Insured Licensed Bonded Experienced Reputable

ProfessionalCleaning Services



In her 27 years at Bell-ingham Technical College, Patricia McKeown has been the dean of every department and been involved in the develop-ment or expansion of many of the college’s programs. So she was a natural choice to replace Thomas Eckert as president of the college in December 2010.

Her first year on the job was a busy one, with increased enrollment and shrinking financial support from the state. BTC lost 38 percent of its state funding over the past three years and may have to endure another 13 percent cut this year. But McKeown said she tries not to focus on bad news.

“I stay positive by think-ing about our faculty and the amazing students who go through these pro-grams,” she said. “We’re really making a difference in their lives.”

With the drop in state funding, McKeown has focused on bringing in grants to make up the dif-ference. Of the current budget of about $18 mil-lion, $2.3 million of that is grant money.

“We used to get just a few state grants. Now we aggressively look for grants,” she said. “But you have to be careful with grants because they come with a lot of strings attached. So you have to make sure they line up with your mission.”

The college also relies on partnerships with public and private organizations. One such partnership with Bellingham-based aerospace company Heath Tecna, the Department of Commerce, the Northwest Economic Council and several other agencies was given the 2011 Governor’s Best Practices Award for Workforce and Economic Development.

The program started in the spring and put 380 new production employees for Heath Tecna through a two-week training course. The program was hailed as “a model of private and public investments that gets laid off workers back to work quickly and effi-ciently, helping local fami-lies and a local company thrive,” according to the award announcement.

These types of partner-ships “are at the core of Bellingham Technical Col-lege,” McKeown said. “That is what makes this college as excellent as it is.”

The campus has also been a construction zone this year, with contractor Exxel Pacific building the new $30 million, LEED Silver Campus Center. The three-story, 72,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open this spring and will replace four small, aging buildings. It will house a library, auditorium, class-room space, and a kitchen and restaurant for the culi-nary program.

The next major con-struction project will be a new Northwest Center for

Patricia McKeown shines in first year as BTC presidentCOVERSTORY

Patricia McKeownBefore becoming BTC’s president, McKeown served as the college’s vice president of instruction.McKeown earned her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington in 2002, and earned both her master’s and bachelor’s in education from Central Washington University.She is also a board member on the Northwest Workforce Development Council, the Northwest Economic Council, and a member of the Manufacturing Institute Education Council, Sustainable Strategies Council and the Alcoa Community Advisory Board.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences building along Whatcom Creek. The pro-gram has outgrown the dilapidated building, which is becoming unsafe as its foundation sinks, McK-eown said.

“We’re very close to hav-ing all the funding for that project,” she said. “We’re in the design phase right now and hopefully we’ll break ground in June 2012 and finish in June 2013.”

Despite the challenges she’s faced this year as president of the college, McKeown said she is proud to be continuing BTC’s tradition of innovative and advanced training for the modern workforce.

“It’s been an honor to be in this position,” she said.

2011 Movers & Shakers

BBJPEOPLE

TAG hires Sommer Cronck as new director

The Technology Alliance Group has hired Sommer Cronck as the organiza-tion’s next executive direc-tor, officially taking over leadership from Anna Ehn-mark on Dec. 12.

“We are very excited to have Sommer at the helm

to help inform, represent, and connect our technol-ogy businesses and profes-sionals,” board president Robin Halliday said in a press release. “Sommer is an experienced web designer, programmer and passionate techno-phile. She has worked in marketing, small business management, non‐profit organizations, as well as IT and membership adminis-tration.”

Cronk brings significant

experience in marketing and collaboration that will accelerate TAG’s new initiatives, which include talent recruiting, con-necting business leaders, business development, and fun social and educational events.

“Sommer is everything that I had hoped to find in a successor,” Ehnmark said in the release. “It was very important to me that we found someone who lives and breathes collaboration and I feel confident in her ability to facilitate connec-tions and represent our members needs.”

“I stay positive by thinking about our faculty and the amazing students who go through these programs.”

Patricia McKeown

Despite significant cuts in state funding, BTC has kept its budget fairly stable by seeking out grants. “We used to get just a few state grants. Now we aggressively look for grants,” president Patricia McKeown said. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ


PEOPLEBBJ

Waycross Investment Management Company adds Hart Hodges

Hart Hodges recently became a partner at Way-cross Investment Manage-ment Company in Belling-ham. Hodges is an associ-ate professor in Western Washington University’s economic department and the director of the Center for Economic Business Research.

He will refine the Way-cross proprietary invest-ment stock used by the company while continuing his work at Western.

“One of the attractive aspects of Waycross to me is the challenge of looking at stock and bond markets through an economic lens to find value for clients,” he said in a press release. “This is where theory meets practice, and I’m excited about applying what I know to what Way-cross is doing.”

Hodges holds a doctor-ate in economics from the University of Wash-ington. He earned his master’s degree in natural resource economics and water resource systems from Duke University and his bachelor’s degree in American studies and envi-ronmental studies from Williams College.

“Hart’s academic back-ground adds enormous depth to Waycross,” said Waycross president Mike Ryan in a press release. “He brings prodigious analyti-cal and research skills and expertise in the regional economy.”

Waycross Investment Management Company manages stock and bond portfolios for individuals, businesses and nonprofits.

Making Life A Little EasierMEMBER FDIC

Our Banking Services

Give You Something Few Other Banks

Can Offer.

A Five-Star Financial Rating. These days, almost every bank offers some variety of business banking services – from check-ing accounts, to loans, to VISA and check cards, to the complete gamut of Cash Management Tools. But, before you decide to entrust your hard earned money to a bank, shouldn’t you have some idea exactly how that bank is doing with the money it already has? Fortunately, that information is readily avail-able – you can find it by going to the website of the company that evaluates banks nationwide, based on

their performance as well as how financially “sound” they are. All you have to do is log on to “www.bauerfi-nancial.com/btc_ratings.asp,” and enter the name of the financial instution you want the rating for. Because after all, what you really want from your business banking accounts – or any other ac-count – is a rock-solid bank behind it. For more information about our banking services, please feel free to stop by any of our branches or go to www.wibank.com.


NONPROFITNEWS

Village Books donates $1,376 to schools and Excellence Northwest

Through a variety of fundraisers in November and December, Village Books has donated $1,376

to local schools and to the nonprofit organization Excellence Northwest.

Every November, the bookstore sponsors “School Nights” at the store to help local schools earn store credit for their school libraries. These events bring school staff, students, families and friends into our store. For all purchases made by these school sup-porters, Village Books

donates 20 percent of the sales as store credit for the school library.

The five participating schools — Happy Valley Elementary School, Wade King Elementary School, Pioneer Meadows Montes-sori School, Cedar Tree Montessori School, and Explorations Academy — earned a combined $1,151 in store credit.

On Dec. 3, Village Books hosted a fundraising day for the local nonprofit Excellence Northwest. Dubbed “Excellence NW Day,” supporters and

members of the nonprofit earned a percentage of their sales as a cash dona-tion. This event earned the organization $225.

“Village Books’ theme has long been ‘building community, one book at a time,’” said Village Books co-owner Chuck Robinson in a press release. “Not only do we believe that books and education are impor-tant; we believe that com-munity is extremely impor-tant, and we’re thrilled to be able to help those orga-nizations and institutions that help strengthen the community.”

Bellingham Bay Rotary donates $15,000 to Northwest Youth Services

The Bellingham Bay Rotary Club made a $15,000 donation in November to Northwest Youth Services to enable it to get one step closer to completing its capital proj-ect for the Positive Adoles-cent Development Project .

The PAD Project will provide emergency hous-ing, long-term housing, laundry facilities and other drop-in services for home-less youth between the ages of 13 and 17. The gift will fund the renovation costs of the Drop-In Cen-ter, providing services to more than 70 runaway and homeless minors a year.

Northwest Youth Servic-es is the only nonprofit in Bellingham that is focused on fostering self-reliance with at-risk, runaway, and homeless youth. The agency collaborates with schools, governments, churches and other social service agencies to round out services to those in need.

Northwest Youth Ser-vices began in 1976 as a Whatcom County-only service provider, but now serves youth and families in Skagit County as well.

Holiday Port Festival raises $2,000 for charity

The Holiday Port Fes-tival, held during the first weekend in December, raised $2,000 for the Mt.

Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross, with around $1,000 of that com-ing from a silent auction of gingerbread houses, and the other $1,000 coming from donations at the Red Cross cookies and cider station at the event.

The Festival Food Drive collected 709 pounds of food for the Bellingham Food Bank, with 499 pounds of that collected by port employees and the rest from event patrons.

The Festival’s gin-gerbread house contest received 86 entries this year from bakers of all ages and abilities. The people’s choice award this year went to Jim Hildenbrand for “Enchantment,” an edible scene that included a castle, a spinning windmill and three town houses. Hildenbrand received a cruise trip for two donated by San Juan Cruises.

This was the 21st Holi-day Port Festival and the event continues to grow in popularity each year. The event featured music, danc-ing and performances by local bands, dance groups and choirs, free horse-drawn wagon and fire truck rides and a ginger-bread house display.

A Casual, Fun, Waterfront SettingOne Bellwether Way, Bellingham, WA 98225

360.392.3100 HotelBellwether.com

Ask About Our 2012 Corporate Rates!

HappyNew Year!

360-733-1230

24 HOUR

SERVICEHookin’ Since 1941

05-2887 © 2011 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM) (life and disability insurance,

annuities) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and

member of FINRA and SIPC. Paul D Twedt, District Agent(s) of NM. Managing Directors are not in legal partnership with each other, NM or its affiliates. Paul D Twedt,

Registered Representative(s) and Investment Adviser Representative(s) of NMIS. FORTUNE® magazine, March, 2008.

Paul D Twedt CLU® , ChFC® Managing Director(360) 647 - 2321 nmfn.com/bellingham

Define yourself by what you do.Fulfill your potential while you make a difference in people’s lives. You’ll sleep soundly at night representing Northwestern Mutual – named by FORTUNE ® Magazine as “America’s Most Admired” Company in its industry for the 25th time.


Northwest Wildlife Rehab Center hosts benefit Jan. 28

Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will hold its annual Wild Things benefit auction and dinner Jan. 28 at the Bell-ingham Golf & Country Club. All proceeds will be used to treat injured, sick and orphaned wildlife here in Whatcom County so they can be release back into the wild.

The auction will feature items such as weekend get-aways, luxury treatments, professional services and locally crafted items. Din-ner will consist of gourmet dishes catered by Belling-ham Golf & Country Club and include live jazz by the Mark Kelly Quartet. Tick-ets are $50 before Dec. 31 and $60 after.

Established in 2000, NWRC admits more than 950 animals annually. With just one full-time staff member and one seasonal staff member, the organiza-tion relies on volunteers and interns throughout the year.

Frozen salmon donated to Bellingham Food Bank

The Bellingham Food Bank received 1,300 pounds of frozen salmon fillets in December. The donation was made pos-sible by a partnership between Bellingham Tech-nical College and Born-stein Seafoods.

“High protein items are a critical food for the hungry families we serve,” said Mike Cohen, Belling-ham Food Bank executive director, in a press release. “More families visit us than at any time in history so donations like this are essential as we work to feed our community.”

The Bellingham Tech-nical College operates a hatchery on Whatcom Creek. After harvesting the returning salmon for eggs, the balance are donated for hunger-relief. Bornstein Seafoods picked up the fish, donated the process-ing, packaging, and freez-ing. The result is salmon packed in family-sized por-tions and ready for distri-bution by the food bank.

At Saturna Brokerage Services, we cherish the Bellingham individual who’s just like us: local, independent, and principled.

Saturna Brokerage Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saturna Capital Corporation.

800/SATURNA 360-734-9900 1300 N. State St. Bellingham, WA 98225 www.saturna.com/sbs

You’re principled. You’re accomplished. You’re involved in the community.

You’re ready to invest with a brokerage that’s just like you.

My is at capitalwww.saturna.com/bellingham


Moonwater appointed to state Charities Advisory Council

Moonwater, executive director of the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, has been appointed to the Washington Secretary of State’s Charities Advisory Council.

The council was formed by Secretary of State Sam Reed to help identify train-ing and educational needs of charitable organizations, model policies related to governance and adminis-tration of charitable orga-nizations in accordance with fiduciary principles, and emerging issues and trends affecting charitable organizations.

This appoint-ment ensures Whatcom County nonprofits will continue to have a direct link to Olympia.

Moonwater was also recently elected as co-president of Resolution Washington, the statewide association of dispute reso-lution centers. There are currently 20 dispute resolu-tion centers operating in the cities and counties of Washington, with a cover-

age area of approximately 93 percent of all Washing-ton residents.

With the recent passing of the Foreclosure Fairness Act, Resolution Washing-ton has helped the Depart-ment of Commerce to launch its Foreclosure Mediation Program, bring-ing homeowners and lend-ers to the same table to modify or gracefully exit from home loans.

Moss Adams accountants pass CPA exam

Four Moss Adams employees — Chad DeHaan, Jordan Schell, Kaitlin Beardwood and Jes-sie Zhao — recently passed the Uniform Certified Pub-lic Accounting examina-tion. Individuals must pass the exam in order to quali-fy for licensure as Certified Public Accountants.

DeHaan earned his bachelor’s degree in busi-ness management and accounting from Whit-worth University in 2006 and joined Moss Adams the same year.

Schell earned her bach-elor’s degree in accounting from Western Washington University in 2011 and joined Moss Adams the

Get your daily BBJ delivered to your inboxWant the most up-to-date business news? Then sign up for our daily email newsletter! Each day you’ll receive a synopsis of the most recent stories and public records posted on BBJToday.com.

BBJPEOPLEsame year.

Beardwood earned her bachelor’s degree in busi-ness administration and accounting from Trinity Western University in 2008 and joined Moss Adams in 2009.

Zhao earned her bach-elor’s degree in accounting from Washington State University in 2010 and joined Moss Adams the same year.

The Bellingham office of Moss Adams provides accounting and consulting services to public, private, and not-for-profit entities in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, construction, international, food/agriculture, financial institutions, and gaming operations.

Christian Health Care Center hires Reis-El Bara

Catherine Reis-El Bara recently joined Christian Health Care Center as administrator of the non-profit nursing and rehabili-tation facility.

She was hired after responding to a state-wide announcement of the administrative opening.

“I was familiar with Christian Health Care Center’s reputation in Whatcom County and already knew members of the management team through shared involve-ment in industry associa-tions,” Reis-El Bara said in a press release. “I knew right away that CHCC was a healthcare facility I wanted to be involved with and am so appreciative that they selected me for the administrator position.”

Administrators at CHCC work closely with the executive director to over-see the day-to-day opera-tions of the center. Reis-El Bara’s primary duties will include monitoring quality assurance goals, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations as well as supporting residents and their families.

During her 19-year healthcare career, Reis-El Bara has earned a nursing home administrator license and spent 10 years manag-ing two skilled nursing facilities in Bellingham.

Christian Health Care Center provides long-term care and short-term reha-bilitation services to 142 seniors and employs more than 220 Whatcom County residents.

U N I T E D W A Y O F W H A T C O M C O U N T Y (360) 733-8670 WWW.UNITEDWAYWHATCOM.ORG

THANK YOU TO THE THOUSANDS OF DONORS, ADVOCATES A N D V O L U N T E E R S

2011 CAMPAIGN. YOUR EFFORTS

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

LIVE UNITEDTM

CREATE A STRONGER COMMUNITY FOR WHATCOM COUNTY.

F O R S U P P O R T I N G O U R

DISNEY INSTITUTEWALT DISNEY WORLD

Ferndale Chamber of Commerce welcomes DISNEY INSTITUTE to

Bellingham Washington

FERNDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE welcomes DISNEY INSTITUTE to

HOTEL BELLWETHER, BELLINGHAM WASHINGTON 360-384-3042

THURSDAY, MARCH 22ND, 2012 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM TO REGISTER: WWW.FERNDALE-CHAMBER.COM/DISNEY

FERNDALE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE


At the Port of Belling-ham, job retention and job creation are at the top of our priority list. Our com-missioners and our staff recognize the responsibility of being the one local gov-ernment that was created by the state Legislature 100 years ago for economic development.

We operate the fourth fastest growing airport in the nation and we are in the process of investing $60 million in it so that it continues to serve our community and custom-ers. Rather than relying on property taxes, this is being paid for from passenger fees and Federal Aviation Administration funds that are also generated by pas-sengers.

In 2012 and 2013, we will be investing $28 mil-lion in Phase 2 of the Com-mercial Airport Terminal construction. Phase 1, which was about $10 mil-lion, added 20,000 square feet to the passenger wait-ing area. This next phase will complete what will be a 119,000-square-foot terminal – nearly triple the size of our terminal before we began expanding two years ago.

Our airport is one of the major economic develop-ment engines in Whatcom County. As our air services expand so do the many

jobs tied to the airport. Increased passengers and air service destinations help new businesses locate here because now they can reach their customers more easily and directly. Connections to Hawaii and points south see hundreds of thousands of tourists passing through our facil-ity. These travelers are likely to return to What-com County to try out the many great local destina-tions such as Mount Baker, North Cascades National Park, or the islands.

We bring new jobs to the community through recruiting new businesses and having available the facilities, infrastructure and welcoming business attitude that companies need and expect. Last year we were pleased to work with two companies who are new to Bellingham – Superior Energy and Greenberry Industrial – who are working at the shipping terminal con-structing modules that will be transported to Alaska. They plan to employ about 100 people.

We also worked with Index Sensors, an electron-ic switch manufacturer that wanted to move to Belling-ham. They plan to employ up to 50 people and the construction of their facil-ity in Fairhaven generated

BBJCOMMUNITY

about 20 construction jobs.Nearly 250 businesses

operate on port property. We work with these exist-ing businesses to help them grow or to adapt their leases to help them weather these difficult economic times. This past year, we’ve been focusing efforts on strengthening our marine trades and commercial fishing industries and we are seeing some great results from that effort. At times we cannot accom-modate a new or relocating business on our property and, when that occurs, we do everything we can to make sure they stay in Whatcom County.

We also create imme-diate jobs through our own capital projects. The port operates marinas in Blaine and Bellingham, with about 2,000 moorage customers. In 2012 we will be investing $2.4 million in dredging and building new docks at Squalicum Harbor. You can see people working right now on that

Port of Bellingham focusing on job creation

JOHNTHOMPSONExecutive director

Port of Bellingham

CHARLIE SHELDON

Index Sensors will be moving into the newly renovated 15,000-square-foot warehouse at 300 Harris Ave. This rendering shows what the building will look like when the company takes occupancy in February. Rendering courtesy of the Port of Bellingham

project. This year we will be spending more than $3.5 million repairing our shipping terminal facility so that it will continue to serve our community.

Work is underway on important environmental cleanups that will improve our marine and upland environment and prepare contaminated property for re-use and reinvestment. We have more than $8

million in the 2012 budget for environmental projects in Bellingham and Blaine. All told, we have nearly 50 different capital projects in 2012, ranging from paint-ing projects to multimillion dollar construction proj-ects. We will be spending about $2 million a month for the next two years on capital projects. Every one of those projects represents high quality jobs.

Finally, our more than 250 tenants and custom-ers at the airport, along the waterfront, and in our industrial lands pro-vide thousands of jobs to Whatcom County. The marine trades sector alone provides more than 2,000 direct jobs. Their success is our success, and contrib-utes to the economic health of this great region.

Off Beat by Rik Dalvit

BBJVIEWSBBJNOTEBOOK


BBJCOMMUNITY

From the reporter’s deskThanks for sharing your storyFour years ago I took a job as a business reporter, despite my lack of knowledge on the subject. As I prepare to leave The Bellingham Business Journal this month, I’ve been reflecting on everything I’ve learned in contributing to 51 issues of this publication.

My time here at The BBJ has been a crash course in everything from economics to real estate to owning a small business. Looking back, it was an ominous time to dive into the business beat. I started in October 2007, right as the credit crisis began unfolding into what would become the Great Recession.

Crash course indeed — by the time I got business cards I was learning about economic indicators and interviewing investment managers. Though the news I was reporting was a bit depressing at times, I was excited to be covering important issues and relating national trends to the local economy.

More importantly, I was excited to be learning about my community and the great people who live and work here. I was lucky enough to find this job right after graduating from Western Washington University and for the first time I was looking at Bellingham from the perspective of a resident rather than a student.

I began to discover that many people care deeply about this community — and not just about the number of parks or affordable homes, but about locally owned businesses and having a thriving economy.

In four years I have yet to run out of interesting people to interview. From restauranteurs to tech entrepreneurs, this town is full of people with great business ideas, people who are passionate about what they do.

If you are one of those people, thank you for sharing your story with me. You have deepened not only my connection to this city, but also everyone who reads this publication. It is a joy to walk into a business and know a little bit about the owners or remember an interesting tidbit about the business.

And if we haven’t met and swapped stories yet, I’ll still be around taking note of “For Lease” signs and looking at building permits wondering what new business is going to join our community. Just look for the guy who looks like a nosy reporter.

~ Isaac Bonnell

Communities support universities that support com-munities. That is a saying I have always thought very relevant to town-gown relations. Western and the local community support each other in so many ways. And these partnerships make us all stronger.

Often, I am surprised that some folks don’t know how involved Western is with the community, and how deeply involved the community is with Western.

Western is one of the two top employers in Whatcom County, providing long-term stability to the labor force. Western’s economic impact on the region alone of our 15,000 students and nearly 2,000 faculty and staff is enor-mous. Figures suggest that as much as $275 million enters the local economy annually.

Many individuals and businesses moving to Whatcom County cite the presence of an excellent university as an important reason for relocating here. And this area is such a great place to live that our graduates often stay here. Nearly a quarter of Whatcom County residents with bachelor’s degrees are Western alumni. That quality of life here also is a tremendous asset for the university in recruiting students, faculty and staff.

The university’s impact on the region is wide-ranging and includes helping local businesses through the efforts of the Small Business Development Center and the Cen-ter for Economic Vitality, both part of our College of Business and Economics. In 2010, the CEV counseled more than 400 Whatcom County business clients on a range of needs, creating or saving more than 200 jobs and producing more than $13 million in local invest-ment. Since its inception in 1996, the CEV has provided one-on-one business counseling to more than 5,000 local entrepreneurs and sparked more than $180 million in new local investments.

Local businesses, nonprofit agencies and residents reach out to Western as good neighbors in many positive ways — such as providing internships, service-learning and work experience to our students, critically important as they move forward in their chosen careers.

At the October 2010 Washington-BC Summit meet-ing between Premier Campbell and Gov. Gregoire, of

the seven border-related topics discussed, five were supported with data and analysis provided by research undertaken by Western’s Border Policy Research Institute an effort to help solve cross-border trade issues.

The university provides athletic and cultural events that can be accessed by all. The College of Fine and Per-forming Arts brings the arts to life for children in grades K-12 through free matinee performances held in West-ern’s professional venue spaces. In 2010-2011, this series offered eight performances and hosted 4,868 participants.

Each fall more than 800 fifth graders from local schools tour campus for Compass 2 Campus, a pro-gram designed to increase access to higher education by providing an opportunity for fifth grade students from traditionally underrepresented and disadvantaged back-grounds in Whatcom and Skagit counties to be mentored by university students. More than 900 Western students mentor these children in their schools.

Since the late 1970s, Western’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic has offered a range of services to com-munity members, including comprehensive diagnosis and therapy in language, speech and hearing for adults, ado-lescents, young children and infants. hology Department’s Counseling Training Clinicprovides free, confidential counseling to community members.

The university values its role being a good steward of place. Can we do more? Absolutely! My expectation is that new partnerships not yet envisioned will be fostered and the effective collaborations we have already forged with Bellingham and Whatcom County will only grow stronger.

Western, community collaborate in many ways

Letters to the editorThe Bellingham Business Journal accepts signed letters to the editor. The BBJ reserves the right to edit letters for style and length. Letters should be no more than 300 words.

To submit a letter, email it to [email protected] or send some good old snail mail to 1321 King St. Suite 4, Bellingham, WA 98229.

JOHNTHOMPSONWWU President

BRUCE SHEPARD


231.62 Acres$3,200,000

Numerous Semiahmoo SpitParcels, Call for Details!

3140 Mercer AveExceptional Bellingham Warehouse Close

to Downtown, I-5, Airport and Rail.

439 Acres

Jeff Johnson(360) 319-8358

[email protected] [email protected]

Mike Kent(360) 815-3898

MarinBank Owned Waterfront Condo

Development- Curbs, Utilities, etc. in place.$10,000,000 - Over $26 Million Invested

747 Marine Dr

SOLD SOLD

Pending Sale

Lease Opportunities!

Seller Financing 45,000 Sq. Ft.

$5,800,000

$717,500


BBJDATAPublic records related to business

BankruptciesChapter 7 — Straight

bankruptcy; debtor gives up non-exempt property and debts are discharged.

Chapter 11 — Business reorganization; protec-tion from creditors while business devises a plan of reorganization. Income/expense reports must be filed monthly.

Chapter 13 — Plan is devised by individual to pay a percentage of debts based on ability to pay. All disposable income must be used to pay.

The following bankrupt-cies are from Whatcom County.

Chapter 7

Timothy A. Brown, case no. 11-23562-KAO, filed Nov. 23.

Muriel K. Gibbons, case no. 11-23565-KAO, filed Nov. 23.

Nicholas C. and Kristi A. Bruland, case no. 11-23602-KAO, filed Nov. 25.

Scott A. Welch, case no.11-23650-KAO, filed Nov. 25.

Mary E. Gould, case no. 11-23634-KAO, filed Nov. 28.

Pavel V. and Svetlana I. Gorun, case no. 11-23666-KAO, filed Nov. 28.

Ryan J. and Jessika M. West, case no. 11-23670-KAO, filed Nov. 28.

Aisia Thomas, case no. 11-23689-KAO, filed Nov. 28.

Arturo and Marisol Moreno, case no. 11-23731-KAO, filed Nov. 29.

Adam B. Reid, case no. 11-23804-KAO, filed Nov. 30.

Michael J. Heath, case no. 11-23819-KAO, filed Nov. 30.

Ty Terrwyn, case no. 11-23826-KAO, filed Nov. 30.

Jonathan Y. Huston, case no. 11-23840-KAO, filed Nov. 30.

Steven K. and JEan L. Bosman, case no. 11-23865-KAO, filed Nov. 30.

Jeffrey M. and Yvonne C. Harris, case no. 11-23890-KAO, filed Dec. 1.

Travis W. and Michelle Y. Bertram, case no. 11-23950-KAO, filed Dec. 2.

Marcia L. Johnson, case

no. 11-24026-KAO, filed Dec. 5.

Nicole L. and Walter D. Croney III, case no. 11-24059-KAO, filed Dec. 6.

Gale G. Jefferson, case no. 11-24064-KAO, filed Dec. 6.

David G. and Katherine E. Lolkema, case no. 11-24101-KAO, filed Dec. 7.

David C. and Kimberly M. Bendt, case no. 11-24132-KAO, filed Dec. 8.

Diane L. Kirscheman, case no. 11-24166-KAO, filed Dec. 8.

William M. and Bonnie J. Murray, case no. 11-24172-KAO, filed Dec. 9.

Hugh P. Harkins, case no. 11-24222-KAO, filed Dec. 9.

Stephen C. Alaniz, case no. 11-24293-KAO, filed Dec. 13.

Steven J. and AnaLyn Herrick, case no. 11-24325-KAO, filed Dec. 14.

Morgan S. and Rochelle K. Simpson, case no. 11-24334-KAO, filed Dec. 14.

Hue Beattie, case no. 11-24339-KAO, filed Dec. 14.

James G. and Barbara K. Pearson, case no. 11-24353-KAO, filed Dec. 14.

Nancy L. Knaak, case no. 11-24365-KAO, filed Dec. 14.

Jeffrey L. and Jill A. Davis, case no. 11-24367-KAO, filed Dec. 15.

Katie E. Hickok, case no. 11-24388-KAO, filed Dec. 15.

Anthony L. Williams, case no. 11-24413-KAO, filed Dec. 15.

Todd A. and Debra L. Seules, case no. 11-24420-KAO, filed Dec. 15.

Rhonda L. Reed, case no. 11-24426-KAO, filed Dec. 15.

Patrick L. and Marisol Blake, case no. 11-24455-KAO, filed Dec. 16.

James R. and Darci D. Scheet, case no. 11-24511-KAO, filed Dec. 19.

Suzette L. Merrick, case no. 11-24551-KAO, filed Dec. 19.

Gilberto V. Antonio, case no. 11-24568-KAO, filed Dec. 20.

Laura K. Stangland, case no. 11-24578-KAO, filed Dec. 20.

Joseph A. and Cynthia R. Schneider, case no.

All public records collected by The Bellingham Business Journal can be found online at BBJToday.com. Business licenses and building permits are updated every two weeks. Liquor licenses, tax liens, judgments and bankruptcies are updated monthly.

Enjoy Quality of Life with merrill gardens dementia care

Merrill Gardens at Cordata is committed to providing your loved one with compassionate and dignified care.

a supportive environment that encourages independence and promotes quality of life for residents through meaningful activities with family input.

each resident has a personalized care plan designed specifically for their needs.

comfortable common areas for visiting and activities, as well as a secured courtyard and garden area.

Lic #BH 2104

Retirement, Assisted Living & Memory Care

Call to Schedule a Personal Visit!

merrillgardens.com

at cordataA one of a kind retirement community

January 2012 BBJToday.com 17 11-24655-KAO, filed Dec. 22.

Chapter 11

David R. Syre, case no. 11-24120-TWD, filed Dec. 8.

Chapter 13

Kenneth L. and Patricia A. Jameson, case no. 11-23603-KAO, filed Nov. 25.

Anna V. Zinkova, case no. 11-23688-KAO, filed Nov. 28.

Carla A. Lee, case no. 11-23816-KAO, filed Nov. 30.

Grigoriy N. and Natalya V. Yudin, case no. 11-23914-KAO, filed Dec. 1.

Mark E. and Diane F. Edson, case no. 11-24090-KAO, filed Dec. 7.

Yevgeniy A. and Anna V. Khizhnyak, case no. 11-24141-KAO, filed Dec. 8.

Kay E. Syre, case no. 11-24155-KAO, filed Dec. 8.

Danyal E. Zapata and Robert W. Blow, case no. 11-24379-KAO, filed Dec. 15.

Barry G. and Chava V. Wiebe, case no. 11-24604-KAO, filed Dec. 21.

Building permits

The following recent building permit activity includes permits for com-mercial projects in Belling-ham valued at $10,000 or more.

Accepted

3004-3008 Cinema Place, $378,219 for new commercial building, shell only. Applicant: Barkley Lifestyle LLC.

202 E. Holly St. Suites 206-209, 309-312, $110,000 to convert existing second and third floor space to eight studio apartments.

2023 Grant St., $482,000 for new 10,000-square-foot steel warehouse.

4545 Cordata Parkway L4, $60,000 to install support rack for DR machine and frame new control booth wall. Tenant: Northwest Radiologists. Applicant and contractor: Pearson Construction Corp.

23 Bellwether Way, $1,160,544 for new two-story office building above existing concrete parking garage: Bellwether Gate.

Applicant: Grinstad & Wagner Architects.

Issued

1650 Birchwood Ave., $208,676 to remove loose gravel from roof and install 60 mil. TPO roof system. Tenant: Albertsons. Applicant and contractor: North American Roofing.

300 Harris Ave., $47,000 to install prefabricated storage mezzanine. Applicant and contractor: DACO Corp.

Business licenses

The following business licenses are from the city of Bellingham:

Redlight Wine Bar & Coffee Roaster, The Ridge Wine Bar LLC, 1017 N State St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Knight’s Martial Arts, Knight’s Martial Arts LLC, 1417 Cornwall Ave. #101, Bellingham, WA 98225

Sisyphus on Hiatus, Sisyphus on Hiatus LLC, 1903 Rhododendron Way, Bellingham, WA 98229

Robinzun Services, Laird Robinson, 2628 Iron St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Baymont Inn & Suites, Harbor Investment Inc., 125 E. Kellogg Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

Stouder General Construction, Stouder General Construction LLC, 3381 Brown Road, Ferndale, WA 98248

Assessment Technologies Institute, Assessment Technologies Institute, 7500 W. 160th St., Stilwell, KS 66085

Belle Flora, Pinnacle Services Inc., 1201 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Leco Corporation, Leco Corporation, 3000 Lakeview Ave., Saint Joseph, MI 49085

Pacific Rim Cabinets, Pacific Rim Cabinets Inc., 28120 State Route 410 E #C7, Buckley, WA 98321

P M Realty Group, P M Realty Group LP, 712 Main St. Floor 4, Houston, TX 77002

Wells Fargo Advisors, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, 3101 Woburn St., Bellingham, WA 98226

Signature Stylez Design, Raprick M. Njos, 2425 Keesling St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Laura Todd Consulting, Laura M. Todd, 2628 Williams St., Bellingham, WA 98225

El Abanil, Rafael Alvarado, 3619 Byron Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225

BellMar Navigation Technologies, Bellingham Marine Navigation Technologies, 680 32nd St. #401C, Bellingham, WA 98225

Engineering Solutions of Washington State, Engineering Solutions

Inc, 192 E. Kellogg Rd #J7, Bellingham, WA 98226

H.A.T Pie, H.A.T Pie Inc., 2212 Franklin St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Cremations with Care, John D. Mason, 1261 Xenia St., Bellingham, WA 98229

Evolve Salon & Spa, Evolve Salon & Spa LLC, 902 N. State St. #101, Bellingham, WA 98225

Tubb’s Tavern, Campbell & Bowman, 118 W Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Law Office of Spencer McGrath-Agg, The Law Office of Spencer McGrath-Agg, 615 W. Bakerview Road #106, Bellingham, WA 98226

Good Mood Board Shop, Joshua D. Moody, 1225 E. Sunset Drive #125, Bellingham, WA 98226

SEE DATA | PAGE 18

Whether you do business domestically, across the border, or overseas, you need personalized tax, assurance, and consulting services. Fortunately, the right advisor is right here.Discover how our cost-effective accounting solutions have been making a timely difference to Bellingham-area businesses for more than 30 years.

Acumen. Agility. Answers.


Bellingham Gold & Silver Buyers, Gold Crown Timeshares, 4202 Meridian St. #100, Bellingham, WA 98226

English Chimney Sweep, Dave M. Krieger, 16817 S. Andal Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98274

Calypso Two, Calypso Two LLC, 202 E. Holly St. #115, Bellingham, WA 98225

Maestro Acrylics, Zimmerman & Van Veen, 1701 Ellis St. #207, Bellingham, WA 98225

Shape Social, Shape Social LLC, 255 N. Forest St. #106, Bellingham, WA 98225

Living Democracy, Living Democracy, 1346 Humboldt St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Master Auto Detail, Maria A. Garcia, 1200 Iowa St., Bellingham, WA 98229

TechWhiz, Ruddick & McElroy, 1715 E. Maple St. #226, Bellingham, WA 98229

StrEAT Food, Street Food LLC, 700 Ohio St.,

Bellingham, WA 98225

Kovolucci Group, Kovolucci Group LLC, 2701 30th St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Greater Leap Design, Bryan K. Malley, 2733 St. Paul St., Bellingham, WA 98226

Center for Independence North Sound, Center for Independence, 114 W. Magnolia St. #104, Bellingham, WA 98225

Icy Strait International, Icy Strait International Inc., 2875 Roeder Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225

Blair’s iPod Repair, Blair’s Repair LLC, 840 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Bluefin Sushi #2, D C Mun Inc., 102 S. Samish Way #105, Bellingham, WA 98225

EMB Management, EMB Inc., 1313 E Maple St. #222, Bellingham, WA 98225

R J Photography, R. Russ Kihm, 4236 Spring Creek Lane, Bellingham, WA 98226

BBJDATAPublic records related to business

Trilby’s BBQ Sauce, Flying Pigs LLC, 1522 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225

Oh Snap Event Photobooths, Kelsey M. Tolsma, 1121 Garden Drive, Lynden, WA 98264

Jamie V. Photography, Jamie M. Valenta, 3711 Donovan Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229

And Sew it Goes, Anthony C. Penzinski, 2601 N. Park Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225

Angelique M. Nordby, Angelique M. Nordby, 1400 N. State St. #103, Bellingham, WA 98225

Diane C. Pagels, Diane C. Pagels, 3126 Cedarwood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225

Butterfly & Moth Information Network, Butterfly & Moth Information Network, 2202 Franklin St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Connect Communications, Connect Communications Inc., 424 W. Bakerview Road #103, Bellingham, WA 98226

AC/DC Electrical, Matthew D. Wilson, 2919 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Jake’s Barbershop, Julie M. Wilson, 1411 Cornwall

Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225

Wire Nutz Electric, Wire Nutz Electrical Services, 13005 NE 11th Ave., Vancouver, WA 98685

Norton-Arnold & Company, Norton-Arnold & Company, 1420 5th Ave. #2200, Seattle, WA 98101

Performance Driving School, Performance Driving Schools LLC, 1420 King St. Unit F, Bellingham, WA 98229

Judy Laub MA, Judith C. Laub, 4346 King Mountain Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

Elizabeth Station, Patada Retail Consulting Inc., 1400 W. Holly St. #101, Bellingham, WA 98225

Continuous Motion, Haley E. Kensok, 112 Ohio St. #101, Bellingham, WA 98225

Sam’s Cleaning Services, Day & Day, 2000 Alabama St. #6, Bellingham, WA 98226

Little Bird Theater, Little Bird Theater, 2606 38th St., Bellingham, WA 98229

Itek Energy, Itek Energy LLC, 3886 Hammer Dr., Bellingham, WA 98226

Messer Construction, Messer Construction LLC, 2714 Huron St., Bellingham, WA 98226

Zora’s Styling Salon & Spa, Zorganics Health & Beauty Supply, 1333 King St. Unit D, Bellingham, WA 98229

Cascade Computer Consulting, Nathan A. Melanson, 2430 Henry St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Promark Aviation Services, Promark Aviation Services Inc., 817 41st St., Bellingham, WA 98229

Melrose School of Highland Dance, Melanie R. Turnbull, 839 N. State St. #303, Bellingham, WA 98225

Rose Construction, DDM3 Corporation, 1708 High Noon Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

Catherine O’Connell Attorney at Law, Catherine L. O’Connell, 4960 Northwest Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226

J D Langerman, J.D.T. Langerman, 2417 Verona St., Bellingham, WA 98229

A 1 Septic, Kenneth T. Hall, 565 Wiltse Lane, Bellingham, WA 98226

Liquor licensesNew applications

Acme Diner, Acme Diner

LLC, Don Carlin has applied to serve beer/wine in a restaurant at 2045 Valley Highway, Acme, WA 98220. Filed Dec. 15.

Contract Liquor Store #572/Sumas Liquor & Wine, Dhamivd Enterprises LLC, Varinder S. Dhami and Dilpreet K. Chhuhan have applied to assume the liquor license from Lawrence G. and Deana K. Sperry to operate a beer/wine specialty liquor agency at 444C Cherry St., Sumas, WA 98295. Filed Dec. 14.

State Street Bar, Beaver Inc., Brian J. and James R. and Nancy M. Waller have applied to operate a nightclub at 1315 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed Dec. 14.

Elizabeth Station, Patada Retail Consulting Inc., Patrick N. McEvoy has applied to be a direct shipment receiver and sell beer/wine off premises and in a restaurant at 1400 W. Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225.

Chuckanut Bay Distillery, Chuckanut Bay Distillery Inc., Kelly Andrews and Matt S. Howell have applied to operate a craft distillery at 1115 Railroad Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed Dec. 1.

360-733-4232

24 HOURSERVICE

Data-Link West Inc. 2001 MASONRY WAY #101 BELLINGHAM

JUNK& VIRUSREMOVAL

Complete Computer System Service

360.734.8911 360.306.8175

Start Your New Year Clean!


Tax liensA tax lien is a legal claim

filed in court by a govern-ment against a person or business owing taxes. Liens are civil, not criminal claims, and normally seek to attach money and/or property to pay the taxes. A list of liens is kept at the county courthouse show-ing whom the government is pursuing and how much is sought.

Bryan W. Dobb, $23,585.78 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 16.

Michele D. Champoux, $9,099.57 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 17.

Candice S. Sturtz, $55,106.91 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 17.

Terra-Medica Inc., $1,714.29 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 17.

Kevin Wiebe dba North Country Lawn Care, $57,741.50 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 21.

Century Mining U.S. Corp., $7,595.01 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 21.

Stop Drop & Clean LLC, $10,283.73 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 22.

Arthur A. Swayze, $16,427.04 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 22.

James E. Stack, $18,840.98 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 25.

Billy E. Brown, $40,303.34 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 29.

Bellingham Whatcom Radiator & Battery Inc., $3,556.28 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 29.

Robert Christoffer dba La Cantina, $7,686.92 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 30.

Southside Chiropractic Inc., $3,942.09 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Nov. 30.

FTB Inc., in bankruptcy, $5,708.12 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 1.

Dairy Best Inc., $53,562.62 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 2.

Mark E. and Diane F. Edson, $9,861.10 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 5.

Net Solutions North America LLC, $8,775.61 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 6.

Naturally Decadent Affairs Corp., $3,804.92 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 7.

Braun Corp., $8,419.70 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 7.

Nebula Glass Studios Inc., $8,806.26 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 7.

James F. and Jill A. Fox, $12,435.88 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 8.

Birch Bay Cab Company Inc., $4,239.21 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 9.

Doeden Enterprises LLC dab Golden Dreams Adult Family Home, $66,359.99 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 12.

Swans Moving & Storage Company Inc., $2,279.51 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 13.

JudgmentsWhen an individual or

business becomes delin-quent in tax payments, the state can obtain a judgment against any property or business. Judgments are filed in Whatcom County Superior Court, as are records of judgments paid or satisfied. The follow-ing information is taken

Birch Bay Teriyaki and Chinese Cafe, Yong S. and Young S. Kim have applied to sell beer/wine in a restaurant at 8036 Birch Bay Drive, Blaine, WA 98230. Filed Nov. 30.

from the Whatcom County Superior Court clerk’s office:

Jordan F. and Carey L. Barrett dba Jordan Barrett Construction, $2,326.98 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 21.

Harkness Contracting Inc., $29,138.13 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 21.

Keith W. Hinze Jr. dba Fast Sign Man, $1,540.89 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 21.

Zachary R. Hays, $153.22 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Nicholas J. Roberts, $390.20 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Roberto M. Bermudez, $333.04 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Shannon M. Harper, $183.17 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Russell D. Hilton, $379.04 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Gregory Jewett, $371.37 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Misty Holkenbrink, $477.72 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Tom C. Clark, $144.38 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Mario D. Palma, $327.02 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Zackery V. Hurst, $258.00 in unpaid Employment

Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Bridgette N. Ray, in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Nick A. Sanchez, $348.88 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Antonio Silva, $218.10 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Antonio Jimenez, $1,362,69 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Niles B. Baker, $17,747.20 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Bradley L. Wederski, $1,790.32 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

John N. Mohr, $1,417.00 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Matthew A. Croyle, $1,188.70 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Robert A. Westman, $3,359.48 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed

Dec. 19.

Maurice J. Julius, $5,840.20 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Keli L. Hughes, $881.36 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Rex B. Hildebrand, $8,987.15 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Susan M. Watt, $5,739.39 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

John C. Rasset, $2,286.42 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Dennis D. Belcoe, $1,259.05 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Terrence J. Adams, $14,204.50 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Catherine J. Zylstra, $36,955.20 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Roseleta M. Johns, $4,525.40 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed

Dec. 19.

Alexie A. Thomas, $1,186.39 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Carl J. Rathjen, $1,489.30 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Jim J. Reichmann, $615.12 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Jacob E. Tiffany, $2,252.73 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Mathew J. Rayfield, $8,772.34 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Mikal D. Seward, $2,014.00 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Travis M. Callen, $5,751.40 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Ian T. Breidenthal, $621.40 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

Vitaliy D. Sheldyayev, $969.22 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Dec. 19.

HVAC & Wood/Gas Stove Pipe


Documents

Bellingham Business Journal, January 02, 2012