Allegiant Air adds Palm Springs flights
Allegiant Air recently announced seasonal nonstop jet service to Palm Springs from Bellingham beginning Jan. 17, 2007. The low-fare carrier will celebrate the convenient new service to the Palm Springs International Airport with introductory fares as low as $49 each way.
“We are pleased to extend another low-cost and convenient option to the Whatcom County and Vancouver communities,” said Maurice J. Gallagher, Jr., Allegiant Air president and CEO. “We are confident the entire region will enjoy the low-cost, nonstop jet service to Palm Springs, as they already do to Las Vegas.”
Allegiant will launch the new seasonal scheduled service from Bellingham International Airport to Palm Springs International Airport with two flights weekly, on Wednesday and Saturdays.
Allegiant also now offers 10 nonstop flights, six days a week from Bellingham to Las Vegas.

Aluminum Chambered Boats unveils new defensive panel
Aluminum Chambered Boats announced it has applied for a patent for a new composite protective panel for small boats that is able to stop ammunition from AK-47s and other small arms fire.
The company also announced it has formed a partnership with Northrop Gruman Corp., a global defense company, to help market the technology.
The U.S. Marine Corps is sending a boat to the company’s Bellingham factory to have the panels installed for a test.
“This technology has the potential for a worldwide application for all kinds of multimission watercraft,” CEO Larry Wieber said.
Company officials claim the development of these panels will result in lower weight, increased stability and increased hull strength for the boats.
Aluminum Chambered Boats was founded in 1998 and now employs 110 people.

Horizon Air bringing larger aircraft to Bellingham
Horizon Air announced it will be bringing larger aircraft to Bellingham for its most popular Bellingham flights, beginning in March 2007. Select flights currently operated with 37-seat Q200 turboprops will be replaced with 74-seat Q400 turboprops.
Beginning March 18, the current schedule of eight flights with Q200s will be replaced with three flights operated with Q400s and four with Q200s. The larger aircraft will boost the overall number of seats on the route by 25 percent. More than 6,700 passengers a month fly out of Bellingham International Airport aboard Horizon Air to SeaTac International Airport in Seattle.

Taxable retail sales increase 10 percent in second quarter
Taxable retail sales in Washington increased 10.5 percent during the second quarter of 2006, the biggest percentage gain in 16 years, according to the Washington State Department of Revenue.
Sales by Washington businesses reached $27.6 billion during the April-June period, a $2.6 billion increase over the second quarter of 2005.The 10.5 percent gain was the biggest percentage increase since sales rose 10.9 percent during the second quarter of 1990.
Retail trade was up 9.2 percent to $12.3 billion. Retail trade tracks sales at retail outlets and excludes such volatile sectors as construction.
In the retail trade sector, computer and software sales were up 30.2 percent to $306.7 million; building materials and garden equipment rose 12.8 percent to $1.5 billion; RV, boat and motorcycle sales increased 11.7 percent to $441.7 million; and jewelry and luggage sales were up 10.2 percent to $106.4 million. In the service sector, accommodations sales were up 13.1 percent to $483.4 million, while restaurant and bar sales were up 5.6 percent to $2.1 billion. Construction sales were up 19.8 percent to $5.3 billion.
Complete results for all counties and selected cities, including breakdowns of sales by industry sector, are available online at http://dor.wa.gov/content/statistics/2006/qbr206/default.aspx.

Small Business Development Center expands research
Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has added an expanded research center to its many services.
“We are one of the few SBDCs in the country to have a dedicated research center and the only one in the state of Washington,” said Tom Dorr, SBDC director. “Based on the increasing demand and client feedback for our research services, we have dedicated greater resources and personnel to bolster our research efforts, and ensure we are able to meet the needs and demands of our clients.”
The research center works in partnership with SBDC certified business advisors to provide secondary research to help companies plan for the future, adjust to changes in the marketplace or identify business problem areas. Research services include: local/regional/national demographics, analysis of financial statements and comparisons with industry standards, industry trends and outlooks, industry associations, tradeshows and publications, new market channels, review and feedback on business plans and collateral marketing pieces.
Sherri Daymon, SBDC certified business advisor, has been promoted to manage the research center. Three new business research analysts have also been added: Amber Porter, Amelia Cook and Traci Harstad. All three are in their second year of the MBA program at Western and are serving in graduate assistantship positions.

Microsoft names Northwest Computer to Advisory Board
Northwest Computer has been named to Microsoft’s Partner Advisory Board, according to company Vice President Ethan D’Onofrio.
The Microsoft PAC board is an invitation-only advisory council formed by Microsoft to provide direction intended to enhance the company’s strategic planning. Northwest Computer occupies one of 10 seats on the board, which represents all of the system builders in North America. The Bellingham-based technology solutions provider was identified by Microsoft as one of the top partners in the North American market.
Northwest Computer manufactures computers and servers under the nationally respected Blue Mountain brand name, and designs, installs and manages computer networks for commercial clients throughout northwest Washington. The locally-owned company has become a regional technology leader since it was founded in Bellingham in 1990.
“We’re pleased to be asked to sit on the PAC board,” D’Onofrio says, “It is an honor to be selected by Microsoft to join this prestigious council.”

Flat Rock Productions moves to new offices in Langley
Flat Rock Productions, the building design firm owned by David Price and Eric Richmond, has moved its offices from Bayview Corner to Langley on South Whidbey Island.
Their contributions to the design scape of Whidbey Island include The Bayview Cash Store, Useless Bay Coffee Company and residential projects all over Whidbey Island and the Puget Sound. Recently featured in the September issue of Coastal Living magazine was a Sunlight Beach home they designed for a local family living abroad. Designing long distance for the project meant setting up a web site for the clients to log into and interact with Flat Rock during the design process.
The “Flat Rock Boys”, as they are known around Langley, met at the University of Washington, where they both graduated from the College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Price and Richmond have designed and built homes for their own families on Whidbey Island.

Ryzex honored for environmental achievements
Ryzex announced that it has been selected by Inc. Magazine to its inaugural list of “The Green 50,” a list of the nation’s most successful environmentally responsible companies. The honor includes featured coverage on both the Inc.com and Fastcompany.com ripostes, and a conversation with Ryzex Founder and CEO Rud Browne as part of an IncTV “Green 50” podcast.
Ryzex has an internal policy of zero waste, recycling everything from plastic and paper to the coffee grounds and donuts from morning meetings. To date in 2006, the corporate location has recycled more than 225,000 pounds of waste. Moreover, the company recently took its environmental stance to a new level by implementing several internal and external programs to augment its core business, including the recycling of any electronic waste both for business customers and the general public.

Bellingham Birth Center hits milestone with 100th birth
Bellingham Birth Center, founded in 2004, announced that baby number 100 was born in the birth center on Oct. 1. “Porter Ray” was born to parents Amy McKenney and John Chesbrough.
Their midwife Ann Tive who has privileges at the birth center said, “I think it’s just wonderful that women in Bellingham have this option. They seem to be choosing it with increasing frequency.”

Whatcom Tech Prep Consortium gets state grant
Washington Governor Christine Gregoire recently announced that the Whatcom Tech Prep Consortium is one of eight Washington high schools received $7,500 each to support efforts to expand and encourage pre-apprenticeship programs. The money, $60,000 in all, was awarded by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) and the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council.
“These grants are important to many people,” said Gov. Gregoire. “They are important to our high school students who want to pursue careers in the building trades but do not know where to start. They are important to the building trades, which are going to need talented young people to replace tradesmen and women ending their careers. They are important to Washington because skilled workers mean strong families and a strong economy.”
In these “Running Start for the Trades” programs, high schools work closely with local apprenticeship programs to prepare students to enter apprenticeships immediately after graduation. The grants will be used to create opportunities, as well as to encourage and support students to ensure they have the job skills and the academic prerequisites to succeed in an apprenticeship program.
The grants were part of Gov. Gregoire’s 2006 legislative proposal to expand and strengthen apprenticeship opportunities for high school students.

New ski magazine to debut in January
Funny Feelings, LLC, independent publisher of the award-winning quarterly Frequency The Snowboarder’s Journal, announced the launch of a new magazine, The Ski Journal.
“We’ve been planning The Ski Journal for several years. Since the first issue of Frequency TSJ, skiers – pros and regular subscribers – have asked us when we were going to produce something of the same quality for them,” said publisher and Frequency TSJ founder Jeff Galbraith.
Featuring the highest-quality paper, printing, and design in the industry, The Ski Journal is a community brought together in a limited edition coffee-table quarterly. The Ski Journal is a year-round catalogue of the sport’s culture, not just another gear guide.
Releasing in January 2007, The Ski Journal features skiing’s top writers and photographers, as well as a global perspective and an appreciation for all aspects of skiing and ski culture.

Emerald Bay moves office to Ferndale
Emerald Bay Events has relocated to its new offices and banquet hall to Ferndale at the former Bingo 262 site. Emerald Bay will undertake the first phase of its remodeling plans, refashioning the banquet hall. Upon completion, the space will hold in excess of 600 honored guests for weddings, corporate parties, trade shows, social celebrations and more. After the first phase of the remodel is completed Emerald Bay plans to remodel the kitchen, add a warehouse and showroom to provide party rentals and also a five star restaurant. The restaurant, which will be named “The Empire’s Club”, will feature the finest exotic foods from all over the world. Emerald Bay Events continues to operate the recently remodeled banquet space Emerald Bay at the Bellingham Yacht Club.

StarTouch acquires ABTECH Digital Wireless Network
StarTouch, Inc., a leading regional provider of Wireless Internet and data services, has acquired the wireless network of ABTECH Digital Wireless, a leader of high-speed Internet solutions and services based in Monroe.
ABTECH’S existing wireless coverage area strategically extends StarTouch’s services into the greater Snohomish and King County markets. Together, StarTouch and ABTECH power fixed wireless services in both the business and residential markets.

Local clothing store invited to workshop in California
Gary’s Men’s and Women’s Wear represented Bellingham as one of seven stores from around the nation invited to the Robert Talbott Workshop, and was the only retail store chosen from the west coast. Gary and Barbara Lupo, owners, went to the workshop to learn more about Robert Talbott’s products. Six other stores accompanied them from Kansas, New York, Florida, Michigan, and Colorado.
The workshop involved viewing the various aspects of the Robert Talbott Company. This included a tour of the Talbott Winery in the Salinas Valley, a walk through of their factory and retail store in downtown Carmel, Calif., and a round table discussion talking about how Robert Talbott’s products can better serve business owners.

SPIE to launch two new online journals
The International Society for Optical Engineering announces the launch of a new journal, the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (JARS) and The Journal of Nanophotonics (JNP). These online-only journals will begin in January 2007. Wei Gao of Colorado State University has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of JARS and Akhlesh Lakhtakia of The Pennsylvania State University has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the JNP.
JARS will focus on important new remote sensing technologies and applications. The online-only format provides numerous features and advantages, including multimedia capabilities, full color, and rapid publication. JNP will be one of the first two SPIE journals to publish multimedia video and audio files. The online format also accommodates publication of color imagery.
The new journal will use an online peer-review system, author-prepared manuscripts, and an article-at-a-time publishing model to enable rapid publication almost immediately upon final acceptance.
The journal will be published as part of the SPIE Digital Library (http:// spied1.org)

WWU opens Center for Law, Diversity and Justice
In keeping with its tradition of innovation and incorporating the success of its 15-year-old Law and Diversity program that prepares students from diverse backgrounds for law school, Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College launched a Center for Law, Diversity and Justice (CLDJ) in October.
In keeping with Fairhaven’s core mission of social justice, the CLDJ will explore the intersections between social justice, legal processes and a diverse society with faculty, staff and students at Fairhaven and across the WWU campus, and with community members from Whatcom and Skagit counties. The Center also seeks to provide a site for student advising and exploring support activities for those involved in the law, diversity and justice concentration.

The Black Drop Coffeehouse receives Golden Cup award
The Black Drop Coffeehouse of Bellingham has received The Golden Cup, awarded by The Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) for brewed coffee excellence.
“The Golden Cup is intended to motivate coffeehouses, cafes and restaurants to learn how to improve the quality of their brewed coffee. We’re happy to then recognize those who can satisfy the SCAA’s high standards,” said Ted Lingle, SCAA executive director.
Alexarc Mastema of The Black Drop Coffeehouse first became an SCAA Certified Brewing Technician to complete the requirements of the award, which consisted of evaluating brewing procedure, equipment, and measuring the quality of the resulting coffee. A sample of the resulting coffee was then tested at the SCAA’s laboratory in their headquarters in Long Beach, Calif. Mastema is the only Certified Brewing Technician in Washington.

La Tene Tile gains contracts
La Tene Tile, a Bellingham artisan manufacturer specializing in handcrafted decorative tiles, recently gained contracts with five East Coast showrooms.
The showrooms, two in Florida and one in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, will market the decorative tile to the public as well as contractors and interior designers. La Tene Tile’s green (environmentally friendly) products also are offered in Bellingham by 23rd Street Interiors, Erickson Interiors and SVC Interior and Design.

Keller Williams Western joins brokers association
Keller Williams Western Realty recently joined the Commercial Brokers Association (CBA). Keller Williams Commercial Division now has access to over 10,000 commercial and business opportunity listings for sale and lease.

Hilltop Restaurant expands catering capabilities
Bellingham’s Hilltop Restaurant, located on Guide Meridian, has expanded its kitchen to handle growth in its catering division.
The Hilltop’s catering sales for business and social events have doubled in the past year, according to owner Tom Kilpatrick. “We were able to handle more catering events after moving into our new building in 2004, but demand already is approaching our capacity after we were named a finalist for 2005 Small Business of the Year by Northwest Business Monthly,” Kilpatrick said. “Since we make many menu items from scratch, we needed more room for food preparation and baking.”
The 665-square-foot addition was recently completed.

Business Wire and Vocus enter strategic alliance
Business Wire, the global leader in news distribution, and Vocus, Inc. (NASDAQ:VOCS), a global leader in on-demand software for corporate communications and public relations, announced that the two companies have entered into a strategic partnership in which Business Wire will use a private label version of Vocus’ PRWeb press release distribution platform to provide a new search engine optimized (SEO) and social media distribution service.
The partnership will utilize Vocus’ proprietary PRWeb press release SEO methods and social media distribution channels to give Business Wire customers maximum visibility on the Internet and in social media networks.
Business Wire’s selection of Vocus to create and host its EON newswire is an acknowledgment of the broad appeal and rapid adoption of the PRWeb service.
Vocus will create and host for Business Wire a co-branded version of the PRWeb direct-to-consumer and SEO service. Business Wire members may disseminate press releases so they will be indexed by major search engines, distributed to thousands of news sites, including Google News and Yahoo News, and delivered through more than 20,000 RSS feeds that collectively reach tens of millions of consumers and thousands of journalists daily.

Direct Copier Services purchases Laser Tone
Direct Copier Service has purchased Laser Tone, a Bellingham business which offers remanufactured cartridges and service for laser printers and small copiers.
“It just fits in nicely with what we already do,” said Brian Haney, owner of DCS. “We will continue giving Laser Tone customers the high quality service they have been accustomed to, plus, give them the additional benefits that long standing DCS customers have been enjoying for years.”
DCS has always sold remanufactured and OEM cartridges and can match any previous Laser Tone pricing.
Healing Arts relocates to new building in Fairhaven
Jan Templeton of Templeton Health and Marie Matteson have moved their offices to a building on Finnegan Way, in the lower garden entry level across from the Fairhaven Library. The new space has larger offices and room for holding seminars.
Templeton is a Certified Biofeedback and Clinical Aromatherapist, specializing in nutrition and bio-identical hormones. Utilizing the art of “quantum biofeedback” , the client’s body identifies both the imbalances or stressors and the natural remedies it wants. Matteson is an Integrative Massage Therapist and Counselor specializing in injury treatment, and has been practicing in Bellingham for 11 years.

Candi’s Jewelry & Gift Gallery moves to Birch Bay Square
Candi’s Jewelry & Gift Gallery, formerly of Ferndale, has relocated to Birch Bay Square. Candi’s Jewelry specializes in unique fine jewelry, sterling silver, customized pieces, stemware and gift selections. In addition to the change in location, the store has also added Sandra Schoenherr to the staff as the new gift manager.

Left Coast Furnishings expands furniture line
Left Coast Furnishings, a contemporary furniture store located in downtown Bellingham will be expanding its furniture selection to include Palliser stress-free, reclining and glider chairs. Palliser is the largest home furniture manufacturer in Canada and has been in business for over 60 years. Each of the three new styles has eight models available. These chairs will be offered in a large selection of fabrics and leathers, with also several colors and finishes for the base.

Sporting goods store marks three years in Bellingham
Play It Again Sports, at Sunset Square Mall in Bellingham celebrated its third anniversary on Nov. 2. Locally owned and operated, Play It Again Sports buys sells and consigns new and used quality sporting goods equipment. Play It Again Sports is the only sporting goods store in Whatcom or Skagit County that builds its business year round on the buying and selling of used equipment.

North Coast Credit Union gets awards at state event
North Coast Credit Union recently received two awards for its branding and web site at the Washington Credit Union League’s 2006 Spectrum Awards. The Spectrum Awards program honors excellence in credit union communications and marketing in Washington State.
North Coast Credit Union received the first place Web site Award (www.northcoastcu.com), and honorable mention (second place) for the Branding Award, both in the $50-$150 million asset size category. The honored works were created in collaboration with Baron & Company, a full-service marketing firm located in Bellingham.
“Everyone here at North Coast Credit Union is very proud of these awards,” said Terry Belcoe, CEO of North Coast Credit Union.

PIER chosen by Houston transit company
AudienceCentral announced that The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas, (METRO) has implemented a PIER communication system for key stakeholders throughout METRO’s $2 billion transportation expansion project. METRO has already planned and received approval for this sizeable expansion project for bus lines and light railways, which will increase public mobility by the year 2014.
AudienceCentral’s PIER system, a Web-based system for managing public information and internal communications, was proposed as a complete solution for METRO’s communication needs. The expansion project was already in the planning stages, however, and had been garnering large amounts of public interest. As a result, the system needed to be implemented quickly. AudienceCentral was able to provide rapid implementation: www.metrosolutions.org went live within 10 days from date of implementation.

Whatcom CC, BTC offering Retail Management Program
Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Technical College, supported by leading grocery retailers, have begun offering a Retail Management Certificate Program.
The 10-course program is endorsed by the Western Association of Food Chains. It provides students and grocery employees the opportunity to gain business skills and enhance career opportunities in the retail food industry.
The Retail Management Certificate Program includes 10 courses: Business Writing, Business Math, Microcomputers, Oral Communications, Introduction to Management, Accounting/Bookkeeping, Introduction to Marketing, Human Resource Management, Human Relations and Retailing. Many of the courses will be transferable to four-year institutions.
Students who complete the 10-course program will receive certificates both from their educational institution and the WAFC, as well as an honorarium from WAFC. Also, many WAFC members are providing additional incentives for their employees.

Blue Sea Sysems presents new 360 Panel System
In its quest to create the ideal marine electrical panel, Blue Sea Systems embarked on an extensive collaborative effort with their worldwide customer base of boat builders and electrical suppliers. In response to the input they received, Blue Sea Systems developed its new 360 Panel System. This panel system has a unique open architecture design which allows the company to build marine electrical panels for every customer’s unique needs. The new panel system enables customers to have the AC and DC power management and monitoring functionality that they want.
The new 360 Panel System has standard panels that customers can choose from, or customers can design their own from a variety of modules — analog and digital meters, gauges, circuit breakers, battery switches, AC source selector switches, mimic panels, with more to come. Four circuit breaker actuator styles are available—toggle, raised rocker, flat rocker, and push button. Circuit breaker current ratings from 1A to 250A can be used in the same panel. With the new 360 Panel System, customers get the panel that they want, at a price that is similar to standard panels, and delivered in days.

Canadian furniture store returning to Bellingham
United Furniture Warehouse, a Canadian company that closed its Bellingham store in 2003, is planning to return to the city. The company has reached an agreement to be a tenant in a proposed new retail center on Meridian Street, across from Wal-Mart.
According to Bellingham architect Douglas Landsem, the company will occupy about 19,000 square feet of space at the new center. No date was announced for a scheduled opening.

Holiday Cirque on Ice comes to Bellingham
The Mount Baker Theatre announces two performances of Holiday Cirque on Ice on Dec. 9 at 3 and 8 p.m.
Holiday Cirque on Ice is an exciting new ice show produced in the tradition of the world-renowned Moscow Circus on Ice. This new production is a collaboration between Michael McPherson, formerly of Cirque du Soleil, Patrice Marques from Broadway on Ice with Scott Hamilton and Lido de Paris, and Bresner Artists, producers of Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet all “on ice” for the St. Petersburg State Ballet on Ice.
Tickets are available for $55, $47 & $20 with a $1 service charge for non-MBT members. Tickets can be purchased by calling 360.734.6080.

Semiahmoo Resort to hold bridal open house
Semiahmoo Resort will host its fourth annual Bridal Open House on Sunday, Feb. 18, from noon-4 p.m.
The event offers brides-to-be a first-hand look at the affordable luxury provided by AAA Four-Diamond Semiahmoo Resort, which was named “Best Northwest Destination Wedding Site” for 2006 by Seattle Bride magazine. Guests will be able to view some of the resort’s stunning indoor and outdoor venues, as well as sample hors d’oeuvres from the resort’s catering menu.
Local photographers, florists, wedding coordinators and other vendors will also be on-site to showcase their services and to answer questions. Attendees will get a chance to sample cake from different bakeries, get wedding tips from bridal consultants, watch a bridal fashion show and win prizes.
The cost is $10 per person and reservations are required. Seating is limited; please RSVP no later than Feb. 9, by calling 360.318.2018.

National adult soccer tourney coming to Bellingham
The Whatcom Sports Commission has been recently awarded a two-year bid to host the United States Adult Soccer Association’s Veteran’s Cup. The Veteran’s Cup will be coming to celebrate its 10-year anniversary to be played at Northwest Soccer Park July 17-22, 2007.
The Veteran’s Cup soccer tournament was established in 1998 by the United States Adult Soccer Association with the intention of providing high-level soccer to both men and women 30 years of age and older. The current Veteran’s Cup tournament is a six-day event with an anticipated 130-140 adult soccer teams, comprising approximately 4,400 players, referees, family members, and supporters, who will be descending upon Bellingham and Whatcom County.
Last year in Wilmington, N.C., the event drew 96 teams representing 25 states around the country and from as far away as an over 60 men’s team from Tokyo, Japan.
Last year’s event provided nearly a $7.5 million impact on the Wilmington, N.C., economy.