A Bellingham web-design company demonstrated it will go a long way - 5,366 miles - for customers.
Rick O’Connor of Blu Sky Web Solutions recently returned from the Cannes Film Festival, where he promoted www.cannesbuzz.com, a Web site targeting the festival’s estimated 28,000 visitors, as well as movie fans throughout the world.
Blu Sky Web Solutions developed www.cannesbuzz.com after discerning a void in the information available at the festival, renowned for attracting international celebrities as well as first-time filmmakers. The site includes schedules of movie screenings, movie reviews, lists of open and private parties, information about accommodations, and much more. As part of the site’s promotional launch, O’Connor distributed 1,200 free CDs of Cannes by Night 2004, which was produced by internationally known performer Richard Tyler and features “mellow lounge music,” he said.

Black Dog Productions is pleased to announce the launch of a new division for video production. The new division, Exhibit A, will focus on legal video documentation. The Director of Exhibit A, John M. Spain, II, has been producing legal video for the past 5 years. Mr. Spain’s legal video work has helped settle approximately $220 million in legal cases. Black Dog Productions’ Exhibit A is Whatcom County’s first business to specialize in legal video production.
Utilizing state-of-the-art videography and editing techniques, Exhibit A services include depositions, mediation and trial presentations, and photographic and video documentaries. Exhibit A also offers audio-visual support and commercial production for area lawyers. Several Whatcom County attorneys are already utilizing Black Dog’s new division for client cases.

Bellingham Technical College has formed yet another partnership in order to offer its graduates more options toward four year degrees. College president Gerald Pumphrey recently signed an agreement with the University of Phoenix that will allow BTC grads to pursue a bachelor’s degree in information technology.
While the University of Phoenix has five campuses in the Puget Sound region, they also offer a program called FlexNet that spares students much of the commuting.
The University of Phoenix is the largest private university in the country with more than 140 campuses and learning centers in 29 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Their offerings are directed primarily at professionals who want to further their educations.
About 1,800 students are enrolled in this state. The average age is 34 and most have 12 or more years of work experience.
“Companies need cutting edge skills,” Pumphrey said. “If you want to stay competitive, you have to engage in lifelong education.”

House to Home Inspections is a new locally owned and operated home inspections business is now serving Whatcom and Skagit counties. John Wagner of Bellingham, owner and operator of House to Home Inspections, specializes in residential home inspections. Wagner is a member of the Mt. Baker chapter of American Society of Home Inspectors.
House to Home Inspections also serves the for sale by owner market, providing sellers with a detailed report to provide to potential buyers. Finally, homeowners who have lived in their homes for several years can utilize the services of House to Home Inspections as a tool for general home maintenance.

Whatcom County unemployment fell sharply in May. The rate fell to 4.7 percent, down from 5.1 percent in April and 6.1 percent in May 2003.
Washington’s preliminary seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for May fell two-tenths of a percentage point to 6.1 percent. The comparable national rate was unchanged in May at 5.6 percent. Washington’s non-adjusted unemployment rate fell three-tenths of a percentage point to 6.1 percent in May.
“May’s unemployment rate drop continued the downward trend that started in the fall of 2003,” said Sylvia P. Mundy. “Both the business services and the transportation and warehousing industries showed particular employment strength. Modest improvement in manufacturing also contributed to the brighter employment outlook.”

A disability need not prevent anyone from being self-employed.
That’s the message conveyed by a new Web site, developed by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) of Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics in association with the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).
The Web site, titled “Self-Employment Resources for DVR Customers and Counselors,” is a compilation of links that provide information on a variety of self-employment subjects.
The site can be viewed at http://www.cbe.wwu.edu/sbdc/dvr/. The purpose of the site is to assist both those who are pursuing self-employment and DVR counselors who are supporting those efforts. To fulfill the dual purpose, the site is organized into separate sets of links for counselors and entrepreneurs.
Business information includes resources from the SBDC main Web site, plus information that has been developed specifically for entrepreneurs who have disabilities. Information for DVR counselors focuses on training resources in self-employment.
The SBDC has provided consulting services for DVR customers since 1997. Business development specialists at the SBDC assist these future business owners with feasibility studies and help them with writing business plans.

Ann M. Veneman, agriculture secretary, announced the availability of $13.2 million in grants that will support the development of value-added agriculture business ventures and support the development of alternative sources of renewable energy.
Priority consideration will be given to those grant applications that have at least 51 percent of project costs dedicated to planning activities for a bio-energy project. Grants are available to independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures interested in a competitively-awarded grant to fund one of the following two activities: (1) planning activities needed to establish a viable value-added marketing opportunity for an agricultural product (e.g. conduct a feasibility study, develop a business plan, develop a marketing plan); or (2) acquire working capital to operate a value-added business venture that will allow producers to better compete in domestic and international markets.
Awards will be made on a competitive basis. Applications must be received no later than July 30, 2004. Detailed information about application and program requirements were included in the June 15, 2004, publication of the Federal Register.

The Port of Bellingham and Georgia-Pacific Corp. today announced they have reached a tentative agreement for the port to acquire all of Georgia-Pacific’s Whatcom County real estate. The proposed transaction will involve no cash but the port will assume responsibility for known environmental cleanup of the site. The proposed transaction includes renewable leaseback provisions to give Georgia-Pacific the flexibility to continue operating the tissue mill as long as it is economically viable for the corporation.
The port and Georgia-Pacific have been in discussions about public ownership of the site since late last year, when company officials first contacted the port. The Waterfront Futures Group recently released a draft plan that recommends public ownership of this key waterfront property.
Property included in the tentative agreement includes all of the company’s waterfront property (approximately 137 acres), plus more than 100 acres at locations around Whatcom County.
According to the agreement, as development plans for the waterfront unfold, the port will offer portions of the property for sale to other entities for commercial, educational and institutional development.

Heritage Northwest, Inc., a subsidiary of Montana-based Heritage Bank, has opened an office in Fairhaven.
The bank offers a full array of residential loan products, including conventional, FHA, VA, and refinanced loans, real-estate and construction loans,
The Fairhaven office, launched in April, includes Marcia Rohrer, business development officer. Hallingstad and Rohrer offer more than 30 years of combined experience in loan originations and processing.
Heritage Bank’s expansion into Washington occurred after Hallingstad and Rohrer, both longtime employees, moved to northwest Washington.

Mark Wayne is proud to announce the opening of his exclusive business, Palm Country. Open since mid April, the tree nursery features tropical cold-hardy palm trees that withstand the Northwest’s cold, dark winters.
“People are pushing the northern limits of plants previously thought to be tropical,” said Wayne.
English Bay in downtown Vancouver has over 100 palms lining the boulevard, as well as Victoria’s City Center and Tsawwassen’s business district. In Seattle, the Woodland Zoo, Seattle Arboretum and Bellevue Botanical Garden all have outstanding palm specimens.

The Old Fairhaven Winery in Finnegan’s Alley Atrium has expanded to offer its own line of Fairhaven 1890’s historical theme wines.
The eight varietals include three white and five reds, which such names as Red Bus Reisling, Bay Hotel Brothel Chardonnay and Sycamore Square Syrah. Their signature wine is a Sangiovese specially created for the winery and titled Finnegan’s Alley Sangiovese. Each bottle reflects a Fairhaven theme and a historical story on the back of the label.