Pioneer Plaza Plans Submitted to Ferndale

Permit applications for Pioneer Plaza — a 136-acre, mixed-use urban center — were filed Oct. 17 with the City of Ferndale.

Proponents of the project already have obtained commercial zoning for all of the land, which is on the east side of Interstate 5 and south of Main Street. They now are seeking a Commercial Planned Unit Development permit for Pioneer Plaza. If approved, construction of one of Pioneer Plaza’s two proposed anchor buildings, each of which would cover 160,000 square feet, could start next spring, according to project spokesperson Doug Campbell.

“Pioneer Plaza will be a mixed-use center with connectivity to the community, allowing people to live, work, shop and play in their own neighborhood,” Campbell says. “The mix of possible uses include office, residential, hotel, retail, civic and recreation center and a nature interpretive center near the 20 acres of forested open space.”

If fully developed, Pioneer Plaza would have 807,500 square feet of buildings and 3,439 parking spaces. Features would include two retail anchors, a 75,000-square foot retail center, a 65,000-square-foot supermarket, five stand-alone restaurants, a movie theater, a 100,000-square-foot office building, an 80-room hotel, a 60-unit residential development and a 40-unit assisted-living facility.

The parties who own property in the development are led by Rawley Taplett of Wenatchee and Bob Malcom of British Columbia. Whatcom County property owners include Glen DeVore, Frank Medearis, Dick and Irene Johnson, Dimitrios and Karen Pantoleon, Daniel and Anne Cantrell, Richard and Marilyn Sievers, James and Leanne Unruh and Martin and Lydia Ruiter.

“Pioneer Plaza will help to keep, in the community, millions of dollars per year Ferndale residents currently spend away from home,” Campbell states. “All of Ferndale, from the downtown specialty and dining shops to the residential areas in need, will benefit from the public services planned.”

No tenants for Pioneer Plaza have been announced yet.

 

Pro CNC’s Growth Gains Ranking

Pro CNC Inc. of Bellingham was ranked 14th among the top 100 fastest-growing, privately owned companies in the state by Puget Sound Business Journal.

Companies were ranked according to the percent of change in their revenue from 1998 to 2000. Pro CNC’s revenues grew from $240,000 to $860,000 (254.4 percent) in the three-year period.

Pro CNC is a precision machine shop that specializes in metal-machined parts for a variety of fields, including the medical, aerospace and computer industries. The company was founded in 1997 by four graduates of Western Washington University’s Vehicle Research Institute: Mark Dudzinski, Kelsey Heikoop, Darcy Hughes and Paul Van Metre. Pro CNC moved in March from Monroe to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse at 445 Sequoia Drive, a block east of Cordata Parkway in north Bellingham.

For more information, visit www.ProCNC.com or call 714-9000.

 

National Guard Sought for Border Crossings

Whatcom County government and economic officials have asked Gov. Gary Locke to deploy members of the Washington National Guard at the county’s five border crossings.

County Executive Pete Kremen sent the letter, which also was signed by Mike Brennan, president of the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce; Fred Sexton, president of the Bellingham Whatcom Economic Development Council; and Jim Miller, executive director of the Whatcom County Council of Governments.

“Since the events of Sept. 11, Whatcom County has experienced a severe downturn in border traffic, resulting in an extreme slowdown in our economy,” they told Locke in the letter. “As the third-largest port of entry on the northern border, Whatcom County is being more adversely impacted by the tightened security and subsequent congestion at the border than most communities. Due to inadequate staffing, a majority of available lanes are not being utilized.”

While Congress has authorized the addition of U.S. Customs agents along the border with Canada, they aren’t expected to arrive at the crossings for several months. The letter writers asked Locke to call for the National Guard to assist Customs officials at all five of the county’s border crossings (two in Blaine and one apiece in Point Roberts, Lynden and Sumas).

“Our ability to conduct free and timely commerce with our largest trading partner is essential for our economic well-being,” the letter states.

Locke’s decision on the request wasn’t known at press time.

 

SPIE Receives Grant for Optics Education

Bellingham-based SPIE — The International Society for Optical Engineering — has received a $48,725 planning grant from the National Science Foundation.

The grant will support a series of three workshops addressing informal science education in optics. Participants in the workshops, sponsored jointly by SPIE and the Optical Society of America, are developing a long-range strategy to stimulate informal optics science education programs. Their goal is to raise the awareness of optics and optical-engineering career options among the general public and underrepresented populations.

SPIE and OSA intend to develop a joint education blueprint for the 21st century to ensure maximum resources will be tapped to meet the nation’s future optics science education needs.

For more details about workshop outcomes, see “announcements” at www.spie.org.

SPIE is dedicated to advancing scientific research and engineering applications of optical, photonic, imaging and optoelectronic technologies through its meetings, education programs and publications.

 

Real Estate Firm Building Office

Windermere Real Estate/Whatcom Inc., owned by Dan Washburn, has started construction on a 10,000-square-foot building for its staff.

The building, scheduled to be completed in spring 2002, will be located at the corner of West Bakerview Road and Eliza Street (formerly Alans Road) in north Bellingham. It will serve as the franchise’s headquarters for more than 50 real-estate brokers and agents in Bellingham. Windermere Real Estate currently is located in an office building at 4164 Meridian St., next to the Holiday Inn Express.

Although Fred Meyer is negotiating with the City of Bellingham over plans for a large store at the intersection of West Bakerview Road and Interstate 5 and several other commercial projects along West Bakerview are rumored, Washburn noted the Windermere building is the first one between I-5 and Cordata Parkway to have construction work begun.

Despite the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and an economic slowdown in the country, “We feel very positive about going forward with this,” Washburn says.

Exxel Pacific Inc. of Bellingham is the general contractor for the project.

 

Bergsma Paints Tribute to Nation

Bellingham artist Jody Bergsma has created an original painting, “Together We Stand, United We Soar,” as a tribute to the United States, its citizens and the courage and compassion shown by so many after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The painting features eagles and the American flag flying against a deep blue sky. A star-filled circle in the center of the picture represents the original 13 colonies. For Bergsma, this painting symbolizes the strength and resolve of the country and its people.

The painting has been reproduced as limited-edition prints and also is available in Bergsma’s full line of products. A portion of all proceeds from this image will be donated to the Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund.

To view the painting or gain more information, visit Jody Bergsma Galleries at 1344 King St., Bellingham, or its Web site, www.bergsma.com.

 

Horizon Financial’s Earnings Rise 18%

Horizon Financial Corp., the Bellingham-based holding company of Horizon Bank, reports its net income for the quarter ended Sept. 30 rose 18 percent from a year ago.

The company cited an improvement in its interest-rate spread as a primary factor in the rise of net income to $2.4 million, compared with $2 million in the same quarter a year ago. Earnings per share rose by a higher percentage, 23 percent, from 22 cents to 27 cents because Horizon Financial has been buying back some of its outstanding common stock.

“Because our deposits are repricing faster than our loans in the current declining rate environment, we achieved record net income this quarter,” says V. Lawrence Evans, chairman and chief executive officer.

As of Sept. 30, Horizon Bank had $606.9 million in deposits and $743.2 million in assets. The bank has 15 offices in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties.

 

Mindfly Receives Fourth Spider Award

Mindfly, Inc., of Bellingham received its fourth Spider Award this year for excellence in optimizing and promoting Web sites of its clients.

Mindfly’s Web services include design, development, promotion, hosting and management. For more information, call 647-7470 or visit www.mindfly.com.

 

Stratford Manor Receives Honor

The Stratford Manor Bed and Breakfast in Bellingham was honored in a poll conducted by a trade publication.

Stratford Manor, owned and operated by Leslie and Jim Lohse, was listed as a winner in the category of “Best B&B/country inn I would like to visit again and again.” Readers across the country cast their votes in Arrington’s Bed & Breakfast Journal’s “Book of Lists” contest.

Stratford Manor is located at 4566 Anderson Way. For more information, call 715-8441 or visit www.stratfordmanor.com.

 

Remodelors Council Assists Family

The Master Remodelors Council, a council of the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County, recently built a wheelchair-accessible ramp for a low-income family in Glenhaven.

Five remodeling professionals donated more than 40 hours of labor to complete the project for a client of the Whatcom Volunteer Chore Program. The volunteers were Joe Abbott, Abbott Construction Co., Inc.; Del Jacobson, Advent Construction Services, Inc.; Charlie Hudson, Hudson Remodeling; John Siehl, Rose Construction, Inc.; and Mike Ormiston, TPS Services/Four Seasons Sunrooms.

On the same day, Jacobson also delivered and installed a ramp for Whatcom Volunteer Chore Program client in Ferndale. Jacobson built the ramp in his own shop.

The Master Remodelors Council is a professional organization of remodelers and associates involved in the remodeling industry. Through education and community service, it strives to ensure and enhance the professionalism of the remodeling industry in the county. For more information about it or the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County, call 671-4247.

 

Bellingham Firm Gains Major Contracts

A Bellingham firm, 2020 Engineering, has been selected to provide civil-engineering services for two high-profile clients: Ford Motor Co. and City Investors, the real-estate company owned by multimillionaire Paul Allen.

Ford hired 2020 Engineering to assist with the design development of the proposed Rouge Visitor Center that will be built at Henry Ford’s historic River Rouge assembly complex in Dearborn, Mich. The $1.5 million visitor center will be a display for 21st-century manufacturing and demonstrate Ford’s commitment to the environment.

The role of 2020 Engineering will be to provide design features for water conservation and water-reuse systems that meet the project’s zero-waste discharge goal (i.e., a building that won’t discharge any wastewater to the environment). Also, the water/wastewater systems must meet the project’s zero-net energy goal (i.e., a building that will generate all of the energy it consumes).

City Investors owns about 45 acres of commercial property in the south Lake Union area of Seattle. A four-firm, multidiscipline consulting team that includes 2020 Engineering will prepare a “white paper” design report that will provide sustainable development guidelines for future building projects of City Investors.

Established in Bellingham in 1995, 2020 Engineering is dedicated to providing simple solutions to complex environmental issues through its sustainable civil engineering designs. For more information, call the firm at 671-2020 or visit www.2020engineering.com.

 

Couple Purchases Staaf Sails

Drew and Christine Petrou have purchased Staaf Sails in Bellingham from John Staaf, who founded the company more than 25 years ago.

Petrou was a longtime employee at Staaf Sails, which has made and sold sails and canvas products since June 1976. The company’s cruising sails are on boats that have gone around the world and its racing sales have contributed to international championships and victories in competitions such as the 1998 Victoria to Maui Race. Staaf Sales also is a dealer for sails and hardware made by other manufacturers and is active in custom canvas manufacturing for recreational and industrial customers.

Staaf remains affiliated with the company as a consultant and outside sales representative.

Staaf Sales is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and evenings and weekends by appointment in the Port of Bellingham complex at 801 Harris Ave. For more information, call 734-8559.

 

Shuttle Express Provides Boat Trip to Children

Eighteen children and their adult volunteers in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Whatcom County received an educational boat trip from San Juan Island Shuttle Express.

The boat, captained by company president Mark Goodman, cruised through Bellingham Bay and to Lummi Island. It was the first boat trip for most of the children.

“Mark’s generosity brought a great deal of joy into these children’s lives and all of our matches had a lot of fun,” says Carrie Bishop Cruz of Big Brothers Big Sisters.

 

Coalition Files Suit over Ergonomics Rules

A lawsuit has been filed against the state Department of Labor and Industries in an effort to stop implementation of its ergonomics standards.

The suit was filed by Washington Employers Concerned about Regulating Ergonomics (WE CARE) — a coalition of 23 private and public employers, hospitals, business associations and agriculture, construction and other trade associations — in Thurston County Superior Court in Olympia. The suit alleges the standards should be invalidated because of their vague and over-reaching nature and contends the regulations go too far, have no guarantee of effectiveness and will be too costly to implement.

L&I adopted the standards May 26, 2000, saying they are needed to prevent injuries resulting from repetitive motion, known as musculoskeletal disorders. Their implementation is scheduled to take place in stages, depending on the size and nature of employers, beginning July 1, 2002.

“The Department of Labor & Industries’ ergonomics rule will have far-reaching implications that carry staggering costs for businesses both large and small in Washington state,” says Jim Warling of WE CARE. “And because there is no credible scientific data to support the restrictive rules, we don’t even know if they will have an impact on reducing these types of injuries.

 

Bayside Coin Moves to Barkley Village

Bayside Coin and Jewelry of Bellingham moved in October from 3990 Meridian St. to Barkley Village.

With the move to 2925 Newmarket St., Suite 107, the store doubled in size to about 1,660 square feet, according to co-owner Charles Neeter, who started the business in 1992.

Bayside Coin and Jewelry offers a variety of jewelry, including custom-designed pieces. It also repairs jewelry and sells collector coins. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 671-7131.

 

Boundary Bay Brewery Honored for Beer

Boundary Bay Brewery recently claimed a gold medal at the 2001 Great American Beer Festival in the bock beer category.

The Bellingham brewery, owned by Ed Bennett, took top honors Sept. 29 at Denver, Colo., with its Dunklesbock, a traditional German-style bock.

Boundary Bay is a 17-barrel system brewpub located at 1107 Railroad Ave. in downtown Bellingham. The business celebrated its sixth anniversary earlier this year by opening a 3,200-square-foot beer garden.

Skip Madsen is the head brewer and Dave Morales and Aaron Smith are assistant brewers. Boundary Bay specializes in unfiltered, full-flavored ales and lagers.

The Great American Beer Festival winners in 55 categories were selected by an international panel of brewing experts. The festival, presented by the Association of Brewers, attracted 2,061 entries from 445 breweries.

For more information about Boundary Bay Brewery, call 647-5593 or visit www.bbaybrewery.com.

 

Taco Lobo Reopens after Fire Repairs

Taco Lobo, a Mexican restaurant in downtown Bellingham, reopened Oct. 1 after being damaged by a fire March 14.

Taco Lobo, opened by Luis Santos in April 1999 at 117 W. Magnolia St., was forced to close after the fire because of severe damage to the kitchen and smoke and water damage to the rest of the restaurant.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except Sundays. For more information, call 756-0711.

 

Bellingham Tennis Club Adds Fifth Court

Bellingham Tennis Club opened its fifth indoor tennis court on Oct. 17.

The addition makes the club Western Washington’s largest indoor tennis facility north of Mill Creek.

“With five indoor tennis courts and two full-time certified tennis instructors, our club is the best tennis facility for all levels of players, from kids through seniors,” says Doug Robertson, who bought the club with his wife Robin in May 2000.

For more information, call Bellingham Tennis Club, 733-5050.

 

Bellis Fair Helping Local Nonprofits

Bellis Fair mall in Bellingham is conducting an event Nov. 18 to help nonprofit organizations and charities raise funds.

The mall will close its doors at 6 p.m. that Sunday, then reopen them at 7 p.m. for “The Evening of Giving.” Shoppers who have purchased $5 tickets from a participating charity or nonprofit organization will be admitted and offered special store discounts, gifts, door prizes, entertainment and free gift wrap. The fund-raising organizations will keep all of the money they receive through ticket sales.

 

Chrysalis Inn Offers Health Seminars

The Chrysalis Inn & Spa in Bellingham is presenting in November three seminars with information on leading a healthier life.

The free seminars are:

• “Surviving the Holiday,” tips for dealing with stress and how to eat healthy foods during the holiday season, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 7.

• “Quit Smoking,” tips for people who want to successfully quit smoking, noon-1:30 p.m. Nov. 13.

• “Benefits of Caring for Your Body,” a discussion of spa treatments, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

To register for the events or obtain more information, call 392-5515.

 

Raspberry Growers Receiving Federal Aid

Washington’s raspberry growers will receive $2.8 million of the $10 million in federal funds being sent to the state for its agriculture industry.

Most of that $2.8 million will go to farmers in Whatcom County, where 6,000 of the state’s 8,000 acres of raspberry canes are located.

Raspberry growers are eligible for 4.5 cents a pound for their 2000 crop up to a maximum of $125,000 per grower. The farmers suffered very low prices for their raspberries that year. The rest of the $10 million will be used for several water-storage studies, agriculture marketing and promotion and various agriculture research projects.

 

Bellingham Marine Donates Computers

Bellingham Marine recently donated computer equipment to the Bellingham unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

The gift included five personal computers, three monitors, three laptop computers, four printers, three routers, two zip drives, one CD-ROM and one ethernet hub.

The club’s technology lab, open afternoons and early evenings, allows at least 50 children to obtain help with homework assignments.

“Bellingham Marine’s more than generous contribution of equipment is not only a gift with monetary value, it’s a gift to the future of this community,” says Penny Peterson, technology director of the Bellingham club.

Bellingham Marine manufactures floating-dock systems worldwide. For more information, visit www.bellingham-marine.com.

 

Hampton Inn Adds Event Facility

The Hampton Inn Bellingham Airport has opened Fox Hall, an adjacent building with a 3,726-square-foot ballroom.

The ballroom is capable of seating 250 people or being divided into two large meeting rooms. It includes an audio/video system, wireless microphones and a caterer’s kitchen.

“The hall, complemented with the Hampton Inn, offers value, convenience, amenities and flexibility as is desired by today’s corporate and social meeting planners assembling in our community,” says Mark Simpson, general manager of the 132-room hotel.

Both the hotel and hall, located off Interstate 5 exit 258, are locally owned and operated by Alexander and Associates Management, Inc. The Hampton Inn franchise is a member of the Hilton family of hotels. For booking or reservation information, call 677-7700 or visit www.hamptoninn-bellingham.com.

 

Haggen Inc. Raises Funds for MDA

The 27 Haggen Food & Pharmacy and TOP Food & Drug stores in Washington and Oregon raised $28,251 in August for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

During the month-long Aisles of Smiles campaign, customers could purchase a “smile” mobile at store checkstands for $1. Their entire donation went to MDA.

The three Haggen stores in Bellingham and one in Ferndale collected $11,873 — the highest amount raised in any of the Haggen, Inc., store areas.

Pacific Northwest recipients of the MDA funds include clinics at the University of Washington Hospital and Children’s Hospital Medical Center, both in Seattle; area support groups for people with neuromuscular disorders and their families; and summer camp at Camp Wascowitz near Bend, Ore.

 

3D Computer Links with Symantec

Symantec, which makes Internet security, Norton Antivirus and pcAnywhere products, has made 3D Computer Corp. in Bellingham a Symantec Solution Delivery Partner.

The partnership was made available to 3D Computer because of its technical abilities as a customer computer manufacturer with ongoing Microsoft Certified Partner status.

“Partnering with a company that is on the leading edge of this technology means 3D is better able to provide quick disaster recovery and, more importantly, prevent security issues in the first place,” says Chris Gray, 3D Computer director of operations.

For more information, call 671-4906 or visit 3D Computer at 1423 Railroad Ave. or www.3dcomputer.com

 

Barron Heating Opens Burlington Showroom

Barron Heating & Air Conditioning has opened a 2,600-square-foot showroom at 560 S. Burlington Blvd., Burlington.

The showrom includes burning gas, wood and pellet stove displays, a radiant floor heating demonstration area and operating spas.

Barron Heating & Air Conditioning also has a store in Bellingham.

 

Local Hotels Resume Discount Program

Some Whatcom County hotels and resorts are again participating in Bellingham’s Best Buys, a program the offers substantially discounted lodging rates through a toll-free reservation service.

The Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau program runs from Oct. 1 through April 30. The reservation line, (888) 261-7795), is staffed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends during the program dates. Reservations also can be made online at www.bellingham.org.

Participating businesses include Best Western Heritage Inn, Comfort Inn, Days Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Baron Suites Quality Inn and Best Western Lakeway Inn, all in Bellingham, and Resort Semiahmoo in Blaine.

 

County’s Jobless Rate Stays at 6.2%

Whatcom County’s jobless rate remained at 6.2 percent in September, according to the state Employment Security Department.

The statewide unemployment rate fell 0.1 percent to 5.5 percent.

“The effects of Sept. 11 were not full captured in our state’s labor market data,” says ESD Commissioner Sylvia Mundy. “The October data, however, is expected to reveal the unfolding effects of its aftermath, particularly at the national level.”

The department reported that 70,600 people were employed and 4,700 unemployed in Whatcom County in September. Its figures for September 2000 show 74,600 employed and 4,300 unemployed for a jobless rate of 5.4 percent.

September jobless rates for other northwest Washington counties were: Skagit, 6.1 percent; Island, 4.2 percent; San Juan, 2.4 percent; and Snohomish, 4.8 percent.

 

Low-interest Loans Offered to Businesses

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans to small businesses that have suffered substantial economic losses as a result of the terrorist attack of Sept. 11 or federal action taken directly after the attacks.

The loans will provide eligible small businesses with the working capital to pay ordinary and necessary operating expenses that they would have been able to pay had the disaster not occurred. Examples of such expenses include fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills. The application deadline is Jan. 21. To apply, call the SBA disaster area office in Sacramento, Calif. at (800) 488-5323.

The interest rate on the loans is 4 percent with a maximum term of 30 years. The SBA determines the amount of economic injury, the term of each loan and the payment amount, based on the financial circumstances of each borrower.

For more information, call the SBA or visit the Web site at www.sba.gov/disaster.