Business News

Nickelby’s opens in old Sehome Denny’s

Nickelby’s Restaurant is a new casual family eatery that opened near Samish Way last month.

“We offer something for everybody,” said Patricia Greget, general manager of the restaurant. She has 20 years of restaurant experience, including the last six in Bellingham.

Nickelby’s menu features a range of dishes from turkey and prime rib to catfish. Nickelby’s also provides an all-day breakfast menu.

The restaurant is open 24 hours a day from Tuesday through Saturday. Nickelby’s is in the same building as the former Denny’s restaurant. Next year, Nickelby’s owners plan to add an outdoor seating section.

Ashley Businesses owns three Nickelby’s Restaurants in Washington, including one in Tumwater that opened in 1987, and one that opened in Bremerton this year.

 

Korvan reaches 1,000 mark

Lynden-based Korvan Industries built their 1,000th harvester in October. The landmark harvester was a blueberry harvester.

Korvan builds harvesting equipment for raspberry, blueberry, grape, olive, citrus and coffee around the world. The company has been in operation since 1985 and currently employs 65 people.

Korvan has made the top selling grape harvesters in the United States for the past four years and is the number one manufacturer of specialized berry equipment in the world.

 

Credit union earns honor

Industrial Credit Union of Whatcom County recently won the Legacy Award from the Washington Credit Union Foundation. The award recognizes an outstanding grant project recipient.

The award selection committee evaluated all recipients of community service grants since 1999 to decide the winner of this first Legacy Award. The credit union foundation partnered with ICU in several projects, most notably a food drive, which has become a great success since its inception. The foundation recognized ICU for partnering with media outlets to offer local businesses publicity for taking part in the drive. This approach led to record breaking yields. The Legacy Award was established to recognize a grant project that became a self-sustaining, community-wide activity.

 

Insurers’ losses near $10 billion

Property and casualty insurers have seen $9.3 billion in claims arise from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The figure comes from a review of financial statements conducted by Weiss Ratings, an independent firm that rates financial institutions in the United States.

General Reinsurance Corporation and National Indemnity Company, both owned by Berkshire-Hathaway, had combined losses of nearly $2 billion, or nearly 21 percent of the total losses.

 

Flexibility key to happiness

Giving employees more control over their schedule may lead to greater satisfaction, according to an OfficeTeam survey. When asked what would increase satisfaction most in their current job, a leading one third of workers polled identified more flexibility in their schedule.

“Firms have made staff reductions and are relying heavily on remaining employees,” said Liz Hughes, vice president of OfficeTeam. “But more work often means longer hours. A flexible schedule can alleviate some of the burden and allow for greater work-life balance.”

OfficeTeam is a staffing service specialized in administrative professionals. The survey polled 613 workers.

 

Incumbents fare well in November elections

Off year elections saw little change in city and county administration.

In Bellingham, Mark Asmundson turned back a challenge from Brett Bonner in the mayoral race. Asmundson captured just over 54 percent of the vote. Louise Bjornson, John Watts, and Terry Bornemann all retained their Bellingham city council seats. Dan McShane and Sam Crawford both retained their seats on Whatcom County Council.

 

Ergonomics passes, emergency service measure fails

An initiative designed to repeal ergonomics regulations enacted by the state Department of Labor and Industries passed both in Whatcom County and in Washington State. Nearly 59 percent of Whatcom County voters supported Initiative 841, which was sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Washington. The initiative was also supported by a broad range of business interest groups in the state.

A measure to include a levy for emergency services in property taxes was rejected by more than 56 percent of Whatcom County voters. Both Whatcom County and Bellingham city government officials sought the levy as a means to take emergency services financing out of the general budget.

 

School district earns air quality award

The Bellingham School District was one of only 16 school districts in the nation to win a national Environmental Protection Agency indoor air quality award. District representatives received the award at an October symposium in Washington, D.C.

“Indoor air quality has been a high priority within the district for several years,” said Dale Kinsley, superintendent.

The EPA created Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools, a voluntary program teaching schools to identify, resolve and prevent indoor air quality problems through low-cost and cost-free initiatives.

 

Permitting activity remains robust

Both volume and value of construction permits issued this year continue to outpace similar activity last year, according to the monthly permit update issued by the Whatcom County planning department.

So far in 2003, nearly 1,000 permits have been issued for single family dwellings. Numbers in October 2003 were significantly higher than last year, with 92 single family residential permits issued compared to 55 permits one year ago. While the number of commercial permits was lower in 2003, the value of permits issued this year is higher.

Condominium development was also up over previous years. There have been 18 units approved in the Birch Bay area, and more than 60 are still in the pipeline. Another 60 units are planned for Point Roberts. Through the first 10 months of 2003, the total value of issued permits exceeds $211 million outside the area’s cities.

 

Real estate market surges

Washington home buyers bought homes in record numbers during late summer and early autumn, according to a Washington State University real estate market research paper.

During the third quarter of 2003 home sales activity was up by 27 percent compared to the same period in 2002. Increased demand coupled with slight increases in mortgage rates meant affordability decreased from the second quarter of this year. However, housing affordability was still above the level in the third quarter of 2002.

More than 44,000 housing units were sold across the state between July and September, the strongest quarterly sales numbers since WSU began preparing statistics in 1994. The median price for an existing home in Washington was $208,000, 8.6 percent higher than last year. This increase shows housing prices are rising more rapidly than inflation.

 

Port part of redevelopment program

The Port of Bellingham was the only west coast port selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to take part in a program designed to establish a new model for revitalizing waterfront communities.

Portfields is an interagency federal program that will encourage waterfront redevelopment with an emphasis on restoring marine habitat. Agencies will provide resources to help ports to meet both community economic goals and environmental recovery targets within the context of a working waterfront.

This program is an outgrowth of a federal Brownfields program. Created in 1996, Brownfields coordinates more than 20 agencies in the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated industrial properties.

Port of Bellingham joins the ports of Tampa Bay and New Bedford, Massachusetts in this program. Ports were selected because of their commitment to waterfront revitalization and to innovative approaches in facilities planning and habitat restoration.

 

Sales up for Blue Mountain Mobile

Northwest Computer Supplies announced a sharp sales increase on their line of Blue Mountain Mobile notebook computers in the second quarter of 2003. Blue Mountain Mobile is a series of business class notebook computers designed to run on Intel wireless technology, not the desktop processors now common in lower end laptops.

 

Tangles offers glimpse of new you

Fairhaven’s Tangles Salon is now offering consultations using BeautyWorks computer hairstyling imaging.

A consultant takes a digital picture of the client, which can then be matched on screen with a variety of styles. The repertoire of style choices is updated quarterly.

Besides different styles the program can also depict different hair colors.

Clients receive a card showing four possible styles that they can share with friends and family to get opinions on which look suits them best.

 

Termination workshop planned for new year

Tapping into Your HR, a Bellingham based human resources consulting firm, will present “Terminations - What’s an employer to do?” on Jan. 27. The workshop is intended to give employers ideas on ways to end their relationships with employees and avoid wrongful termination lawsuits.

Workshop presenters are Raquel Hansen, principal consultant for HR Insights, and Jack McCallum, principal of HR Balance. The seminar will be held at Fox Hall.

 

Port welcomes two airport tenants

Bellingham Aero Aviation Services and Bellingham Aviation Services have signed leases and will provide aircraft fueling and other services at the Bellingham International Airport.

“The potential of having an avionics shop, a turbine mechanic, aircraft airframe work, interior work and other professional services . . . will be invaluable,” said Jayne Mickas, chair of the airport advisory committee.

Bellingham Aviation Services will begin operating in January. They will provide full line services for arriving and departing aircraft, including refueling, maintenance, repairs, inspections, and sales and service. The company plans to construct a 25,000 square foot facility and is developing a business plan for a regional and long haul charter service.

Bellingham Aero Aviation Services will also provide aircraft fueling services. In addition the company plans to begin an air taxi charter service, and is in the process of establishing a seaplane service that will provide flight instruction for students seeking a seaplane license.

Lynden restaurant makes preeminent pie

Dutch Mothers raspberry pie was named best pie in America by http://www.roundamerica.com.

Bill and Barbara Windsor of Atlanta traveled to all fifty states earlier this year in search of the best pie in the country. During their five month odyssey, the couple tasted 167 pies in 2,500 cities. The Windsors wrote about their findings on the Internet, saying Dutch Mothers raspberry pie was “unlike anything we’ve ever had.”

The restaurant only produces raspberry pie when fresh berries are available. It includes a thin layer of cream cheese between bottom crust and filling.

Dutch Mothers bumbleberry pie was ranked 11th in the nation by the Windsors.

 

Semiahmoo Resort earns four diamonds

Washington State’s chapter of the American Automobile Association awarded Resort Semiahmoo a four diamond rating.

“We’re proud to earn this designation again,” said Don Guglielmino, spokesperson for the resort.

Four-diamond status is reserved for less than 10 percent of resort and lodging properties reviewed by AAA.

Five Columns opens on Samish Way

Five Columns is a Greek restaurant that recently opened in the site of the former Rib-N-Reef. Owners Dimitri and Dini Christopoulos changed the name to reflect the restaurant’s unique interior decor. Other interior improvements included remodeling and adding a subdued lighting system.

 

Fairhaven web site purloined for foul purpose

A web site designed to promote the tourist opportunities in the historic Fairhaven district was stolen in the dead of night by an offshore pornographer. In order to reclaim their Web site, the Fairhaven Association may be forced to buy it back for $1,100.

John Servais, who runs Fairhaven’s commercial Web site, tried unsuccessfully to reregister the historicfairhaven.com domain with Network Solutions. Instead he awoke one morning to discover Network Solutions had siphoned off the expired domain to a porn company.

With as many as 20,000 brochures annually directing tourists to the site, the association is eager to reclaim their domain.

While Servais is pursuing legislative change through area representatives to tighten laws to prevent this kind of domain poaching, the Fairhaven Association is also accepting donations to ransom their domain.

 

Freeland implements new street design standards

The East Oregon Street extension in the Silver Beach neighborhood is the first to be designed according to a new set of standards. Freeland and Associates used innovative design techniques including roadside grass swales for treating water runoff, stormwater filters, and engraved concrete surface and a narrower road. During construction the engineers controlled erosion using grass sod and bark mulch.

New standards are demanded by the city of Bellingham to protect the Lake Whatcom watershed.

 

Visitors bureau wins marketing award

The Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau won best tourism project and best of show for their Girlfriends Roadtrip program. The awards were handed out at the annual meeting of the Western Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus.

Girlfriends Roadtrip is a marketing campaign offering more than 40 packages, discounts and freebies to female visitors to Whatcom County. Packages include a celebrity estate escape, an international slumber party, a readers retreat getaway, and the world cuisine getaway. The roadtrip was publicized in 15 regional media outlets and in national travel magazines. Participating businesses each reported more than $750 each in new spending by travelers.

Women travelers are an increasingly important market segment. More than 72 million women traveled in the year 2000, according to a travel industry survey.

 

Bellingham Transfer wins safety award

Bellingham Transfer and Storage earned the Great West safety award for outstanding achievement in highway safety among movers logging under five million miles a year. Steve Davenport, vice president of Bellingham Transfer and Storage, accepted the award at the Washington Trucking Association and Washington Movers conference in Ocean Shores.

 

Lewis purchases Northwest Events

Lewis Publishing purchased the “Northwest Events and Lifestyle Review.” The magazine was founded in 1987 and has been published since its inception by David Hull of Bellingham.

Elisa Claassen will edit the magazine. She also edits “Sudden Valley Views,” “The Pet Gazette,” and “Destination Northwest” for Lewis Publishing Company. She has a journalism degree from Western Washington University.

“I would like to enhance the coverage of the arts and entertainment in the Whatcom County arena with more in-depth coverage and features of artists of various types and mediums,” Claassen said.

Acesha Westhoff will be the magazine’s advertising representative. She has been an advertising representative for the Lynden Tribune and other Lewis publications for the past four years.

Northwest Events and Lifestyle Review focuses on arts and entertainment in Whatcom County but also reaches Skagit County and the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. The magazine won the Bellingham mayor’s arts commission award in 1988. The first issue published by Lewis came out in November. The magazine will receive a new look and updated design with the February 2004 issue.

 

New entertainment magazine coming
in January

“Entertainment News Northwest” is a new monthly arts and entertainment magazine set to debut in January. The magazine will offer event listings and coverage of arts events and organizations. The free distribution periodical is being launched by a group including the publishers of “Fourth Corner View” magazine.