2002 Tulip Poster Artist Named

Gerry Friberg, a watercolorist from Ferndale, has been selected to do the 2002 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival poster. The poster will be unveiled during a ceremony at Skagit Valley Gardens Oct. 11.

“I’m thrilled to death to do the poster,” Friberg states. “I knew the competition was really stiff when I was chosen. It’s a big honor.”

Ginny Bode of Bode Design in Mount Vernon will transform the painting into the poster. Bode also designs the Tulip Festival official apparel, which will be revealed Oct. 11 as well.

According to festival executive director Audrey Smith, “Friberg created her art piece with an outdoor feeling featuring, of course, a lot of tulips. She used conventional watercolor techniques for most of the painting, with a little goauche added to provide an opaque contrast to the more translucent watercolor. She describes her style as design-oriented realism.”

Friberg, who has shown her work at the Kirsten Gallery in Seattle, Harbor Gallery in Gig harbor and the Stillwater Gallery on Lake Union and has participated in a number of juried shows, has a bachelor of arts in art education from Western Washington University in Bellingham. She works in a studio at her Ferndale home.

In a related event, the Tulip Festival has begun work on the opening ceremony celebration for next year, sponsored by Washington Mutual Bank. The celebration will be held Friday, March 22, at VanZyverden Bulb Warehouse at the Port of Skagit County’s Bayview Business and Industrial Park west of Burlington. The festival runs April 5-21, 2002.

Next year’s theme is “Taste of Skagit,” focusing on what and who make up the county. Smith says the various heritages that comprise the populace will be featured, so “we are looking for contacts for all the different nationalities in our community.” Call 428-5959.

 

KLKI Takes Easy Listening over Talk Radio

KLKI 1300 AM Radio has changed its format after a dozen years as a talk-show station.

Listeners now will find the lilting voices of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Peggy Lee and many more — part of the Music of Your Life Radio Network — presented by such well known DJs as Gary Owens, Wink Martindale and Chuck Southport.

KLKI owner Bill Berry says the changes were made following the results of research that showed a growing change in demographics in the area.

“The movement is that of older people with more money,” Berry states. “One person says we’re becoming the Cape Cod of the Northwest. We tried to fit our format where it hits the most people.”

Some long-time listeners were not wholly pleased with KLKI’s decision to change to easy listening, Berry admits.

“We’ve been hammered,” he laments, “but I thought it would be over canceling Dr. Laura (Schlessinger). In fact, most of them were upset G. Gordon Liddy is no longer with us.”

Berry says KLKI will never abandon its news-weather-and-sports format. According to the research group he hired, local stories presented on the station each day outstrip the local competition 5 to 1. And the ever-popular weekend fare of classic radio shows — such as “The Whistler,” “The Lone Ranger” and “Our Miss Brooks” — will continue, he adds.

“We did it (talk-show format) for 12 years,” he states. “I’ve never liked talk shows. It’s just not the same. There’s so much fun we can have with this new format.”

 

Alliance Leaves Downtown for Parker Way Location

Alliance Office Products and Interiors, long a mainstay business in downtown Mount Vernon, has moved to 1501 Parker Way, Suite 105, near the Thrifty Food Pavilion.

Owned by Jack and Ruth Huber, the firm started in 1984 and was a regular stop for businesses in the area at 619 S. First St. Huber says he’d hoped to relocate downtown but found the Parker Way location instead.

The Hubers traded nearly 50 percent of their space — from 6,000 to a little more than 4,000 square feet — for more parking and easier access, but he admits being in the Parker Village and off the main road lessens exposure.

“Probably 80 percent of our business is from companies that call in orders anyway,” Huber states. “In any event, we’ll have a grand opening to let people know we’re here.”

Meanwhile, the accountant firm of Williams and Nulle, which recently bought the building, took over Huber’s old store and is in the process of remodeling it. That business has 5,000 square feet on the second floor above and another 3,000 square feet leased in an adjacent building.

Huber says Williams and Nulle gave him 30 days’ notice, but he felt fortunate to find the Parker Way building in plenty of time to move.

Call 336-2929 for more information.

 

WebEKG Becomes First Resident at eTech Center

WebEKG, Skagit County’s latest entry into the world of electronic technology, has moved into its new home at the eTech Center in Mount Vernon.

The eBusiness, owned by Paul Schweikert III, started one year ago at the Cascade Business Center in Burlington. Schweikert teamed up with the center’s owners, John Ellis and Dan Mitzel, to found the eTech Center on Continental Place in Mount Vernon. WebEKG becomes the anchor there.

WebEKG takes up about 12,000 square feet of the 25,000-square-foot, newly renovated brick building, which for years housed the state Department of Social and Health Service, at 1800 Continental Place.

The business tests and monitors computer architecture for Fortune 1000 companies and has developed a new line of monitoring and troubleshooting software.

 

eTech Center Welcomes Office Systems NW

Office Systems Northwest, long a presence in Skagit County although without an office, has set up a branch in the newly renovated eTech Center building at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon.

The business, headquartered in Bellingham, sells and services office equipment in the Fourth Corner counties. It’s the second business to move into the building, the first of three structures that eventually will make up the eTech Center across from the Mount Vernon Police Campus and Municipal Courts.

Office Systems has been assisting companies throughout the area with technology for more than 20 years. It’s a leader in the sales, service and support of computers, copiers, scanning equipment, printers, fax machines and security systems.

The eTech Center has been designed with computer technology in mind, with a number of smaller suites to accommodate small- and medium-sized high-tech businesses. The first, and largest, company to move in was WebEKG.

 

Bunnies By The Bay Signs Hallmark Contract

Anacortes-based Bunnies By The Bay, Inc. has signed a marketing agreement with Hallmark to sell greeting cards and gifts under license to the manufacturer of the popular stuffed animals.

Bunnies, a $5 million-a-year business with local retail outlets in Anacortes and La Conner, recently made the move to product licensing as part of its continued growth. In 1998, the company transferred its manufacturing unit to China, resulting in the loss of 30 of 50 jobs in Anacortes.

The company, which makes about 100 different styles of collectible bunnies, assorted animals and accessories, is owned by sisters Suzanne Knutson and Krystal Kirkpatrick, who started Bunnies By The Bay in their home in 1983. The chief executive officer is Jeanne-ming Hayes.

Hallmark, the first to buy a license to market a Bunnies By The Bay product, has 5,000 outlets and will sell cards and gifts with the Bunnies theme. It netted $4.3 billion last year.

 

Local Man Invents, Markets TV Lock Device

If necessity is the mother of invention, Greg Halvorson of Affordable Water Systems of Mount Vernon has created a contraption parents are going to love.

Frustrated by his own son’s television viewing habits, Halvorson came up with the device he calls TVLOK™, a simple item that locks to any TV cord, preventing children from turned on the appliance.

TVLOK is available for under $15 retail or in quantities to businesses at a discount. Call Greg or Marlys Halvorson for orders or more information at 424-5444, or through e-mail at admin@TVLOK.com. You can also order through the Web site at www.TVLOK.com.

 

Jeweler Bowen Opens La Conner Shop

Jay Bowen, a jeweler for 30 years of which 11 have been at the Cascade Mall, has opened a second shop in La Conner.

Bowen and his wife, Cindy, started Blue Gem Gallery at 109 Commercial St., across from Maple Hall, late this spring. The gallery features sales and repair of gem stones, specialized mounting, custom design and work by other artists including oil painter Ed Kanerda and photographer Ron King.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

 

Home-electronics Company Starts up in Mount Vernon

InTech Systems, a custom home-electronics design and installation company, has opened a design center and home-theater showroom in Mount Vernon.

The company, which specializes in installation of home theaters, whole-house audio systems, security, structured wiring and home automation, opened the center “to provide new home builders and contractors the design, installation and service of integrated electronic systems,” according to owners Bruce Salazar, Michael Small and Wade Stephens.

The business, at 1420 Roosevelt Ave., Suite 3, is open by appointment. Call 800-491-3475, fax 800-308-3464 or consult the Web site at www.intechsystems.net.

 

Wine Business a Hit in Anacortes

Doug Charles and Will Parks have opened Compass Wines, LLC at 1405 Commercial Ave., Anacortes.

Compass features specialty wines and wine accessories and offers storage lockers for private wine reserves. The shop is 1,100 square feet and the climate-controlled wine locker 2,000 square feet.

“We’ve got people calling from overseas already,” says Charles, a former “wine guy” at both Oyster Creek Inn and Oyster Bar in Bow.

Compass has about 10,000 bottles of wine from all over the world, but in particular Washington state, says Charles, a Washington State University graduate in food and beverage management who has been dealing professionally in wines for more than 20 years. Parks has been involved in wines for four years. Both are originally from the Bellevue area.

Stop by or call 293-6500.

 

Business-to-business Firm Offers Problem Resolution

Mary Clemons has expanded her company, Technology Management Services (TMS), to offer communications systems and project-management and problem-resolution services for businesses of all sizes in the Mount Vernon, Anacortes, La Conner and Whidbey Island areas.

“If you’re implementing a new business communications system or experiencing problems with an existing one, TMS will be your advocate to ensure a successful outcome,” Clemons states.

She has nine years of experience managing telecommunications and information technology projects.

For more information, call 360-678-1015 and write P.O. Box 2688, Oak Harbor, WA 98277.

 

SICBA Honors Carletti, Tower Pacific with Awards

Tower Pacific Construction of Mount Vernon was recently accorded the 2000 Skagit County Commercial Project of the Year Award for the new North Cascade Ear, Nose, Throat and Facial Plastic Surgery Center building at 118 S. 12th St. At the same time, Carletti Architects received an award for its Large Animal Hospital on Bradshaw Road.

Tower owner Tom Toepfer says the new structure, also designed by Carletti Architects of Mount Vernon, was built near the old one, which is still in use a block from the Skagit Valley Hospital, and with a goal of blending in with nearby private homes and medical facilities.

The clinic, owned by Drs. Gary Brown, James Gross, Gary Johnson and David Riley, sits across the alley from the original clinic at 111 S. 13th St. A third practice is in Arlington. Overall, the 20-year practice employs about 60 full- and part-time employees.

In addition to ear, nose and throat patients, the new clinic provides services for hearing testing and hearing aids, skin care, facial cosmetic surgery and laser hair removal.

Tower Pacific is also in the construction phase of a second outpatient surgery room in the 13th Street clinic, Toepfer says. That project is schedule for completion this month.

Carletti, owned by Peter Carletti, was given the Overall Project of the Year Award for the 10-square-foot, state-of-the-art veterinary hospital that includes a surgical suite, pharmacy and lab, office space and an eight-stall patient barn including two special-care foaling stalls.

 

AGC Presents Top Safety Award to Valley Electric

Valley Electric Co., Inc. of Mount Vernon recently picked up the Safety Excellence Grand Award presented by the Associated General Contractors of Washington, during AGC’s 16th-annual banquet in Bellevue.

Valley, with 1,300 employees statewide, earned the award for its outstanding set of construction safety programs, AGC says. It also won the safety award for Outstanding Subcontractor Over 225,000 Worker Hours.

A total of 17 companies from around Western Washington, as well as Yakima and Spokane, were honored during the banquet.

Valley Electrics main office is located at 3001 Old Highway 99 S.

 

BBQ Sauce Manufacturer to Compete for World Prize

Special O Cajun Bar-B-Que Sauce, Washington state’s barbecue-sauce-making champion, has been invited to compete for the world title this October in Kansas City, Mo.

According to Steve Jennings, president, the American Royal competition in Kansas City is “the Grand Daddy Championship of the World . . . the most prestigious and highest-publicized BBQ Championship on the face of the planet.”

Jennings says barbecue-sauce manufacturers from all over the world will compete for bragging rights at the Oct. 6 contest and many major retailers are there to observe.

Special O Cajun is found locally at most Food Pavilion, Cost Cutter and Thrifty Foods stores, the Skagit Valley Food Co-op and other smaller locations in the county, as well as stores in Seattle, Everett, “New York and parts of New England,” Jennings says.

 

Play It Again Sports Celebrates 10th Anny

Play It Again Sports celebrated its 10th anniversary in Burlington last month with local owners Wayne and Marlene Wegner being singled out by the national company for their pioneer spirit helping to “fuel the youth and adult sports revolution of the ’90s.”

The Wegners opened the 41st franchise store in the chain in July 1991. Today, Play It Again Sports has nearly 600 franchises.

National president Charles Kaman honored the Wegners for helping pioneer the family-oriented sporting-goods business. “The Wegners have supplied kids with a wide variety of gear for their fall, winter and spring school sports,” he said.

Play It Again Sports is located at 185 Cascade Mall Drive, near Target. Call 757-7529.

 

Lincoln Theatre Garners $250K State Grant

Legislators last month approved a $250,000 grant to help restore the Lincoln Theatre in downtown Mount Vernon.

The venerable, 75-year-old theater is on target to raise $2.4 million it needs to restore it and add improvements. It’s supported by 2,000 members of the Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation.

The gift was part of the state’s $2.5 billion construction budget. Other local beneficiaries include the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and Breazeale Interpretive Center in Bay View ($2.7 million for improvements); Skagit Valley College ($763,000 for new classroom and office building); and North Cascades Gateway Center near Sedro-Woolley ($1.3 million for sewer, sprinklers and roofing).

The college also received $9.2 million for a 40,000-square-foot classroom building at its Whidbey Island campus in Oak Harbor.

 

Auction Raises $167K for Museum

The 9th-annual art auction to benefit the Museum of Northwest Art (MoNA) in La Conner grossed $167,000 this year, according to museum officials.

The total, which includes expenses and artist payments still to be deducted, was under the $192,000 record set in 2000 when two Guy Anderson paintings were sold.

About 625 people purchased tickets to the event, held inside and outside the museum on First Street June 16.

 

Golfers Against Cancer Tourney Brings in $26K

The 23rd-annual Verizon Golfers Against Cancer Golf Classic, held last month at the Skagit Golf and Country Club in Burlington, raised more than $26,000.

Proceeds after expenses will directly benefit patients receiving cancer treatment in Skagit Valley, say organizers from the United General Hospital Memorial Trust.

 

Anacortes Theater Group Picks up U.S. Bank Grant

U.S. Bank granted more than $20,000 to northwest Washington area nonprofit organizations for the first quarter of 2001. A Skagit beneficiary was Anacortes Community Theater.

A.C.T. received $4,600 to support its capital campaign.

Other recipients included the Port Angeles Symphony, Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, Whidbey Island Center for the Arts and Whatcom County Habitat for Humanity.

 

Physicians Solicit Support for New Hospital

Physicians in Skagit County are asking residents within Hospital Districts 1 and 304 to lobby their commissioners to abandon a search for a new hospital site and to approve construction of a single hospital next to the existing Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon.

In an open letter to the districts’ residents, the United Medical Staff of Skagit Valley points out that both hospitals — District 1’s Skagit Valley at 15th and Kincaid streets and District 304’s United General near Sedro-Woolley — are more than 25 years old, “long past the expected useful life of hospitals” and in need of replacement.

But they suggest urging the district commissioners to approve construction at Skagit Valley, not in another location. The letter states that a survey of 146 local physicians showed that 121 of them (83%) “supported consolidation on the Skagit Valley Hospital site.”

Four commercial real estate brokers were asked by Affiliated Health Services, administrative body for both districts, to seek out appropriate sites for a new hospital. When one was proposed, in north Mount Vernon near Swan and LaVenture roads, physicians in the valley vetoed the plan.

“Unfortunately, the harsh reality of our situation is that there are few suitable sites in our county,” the open letter states.

 

Regence BlueShield Offers New Insurance Plan

Regence BlueShield inaugurates a new way of insuring employees this month by allowing them to choose among a variety of benefit packages and deductibles.

The so-called “defined-contribution” health plans would take some of the pressure off businesses with 50 or more employers, not all of whom want to accept the plan they’re tendered by the company.

Under this system, the employer hands the worker a voucher and sends them to a Web site. If the employee chooses a plan, listed among several, that might cost less than the one originally intended, the extra money would be deposited into an account for other health expenses.

Regence — which last year merged with Northwest Washington Medical Bureau of Burlington — says the scheme helps employers eager to move away from buying a package of defined benefits and allows employees to make those choices themselves.

The plan was started in Oregon last year and 16 businesses, representing 1,700 workers, have signed up.

Proponents fear, however, that a plan like this might be the first step toward abandoning workers to the “cruel world” of negotiations without the bargaining power of a large group.

 

Unemployment Increases in County, Elsewhere

Unemployment figures have increased on all fronts—federal, state and county-in what has been characterized as a “weaker job growth” and “slowereconomy.”

The jobless rate in Skagit County bounced up four-tenths of a percentagepoint between May and June but was still well below what it was in June 2000. The preliminary figures issued by the state Employment Security Department were 6.7 percent unemployed in June, compared with 6.3 percent in May and 7.5 percent a year ago. The latest workforce was put at 50,570 of which 47,160 were employed.

The state’s unemployment rate rose from 5.4 percent in May to 5.7 percent in June, the highest in five years.

“At least part of the increase appears due to weaker job growth than we usually see at this time of year in the trade and services sectors,” says state commissioner Sylvia P. Mundy.

Meanwhile, the nation’s unemployment rate increased to 4.5 percent as more jobs fell to a “slower economy.” It was the biggest three-month job decline since the last recession a decade ago.

In Skagit’s neighboring counties: Whatcom stood at 6.4 percent, up seven-tenths; Snohomish was 4.7 percent, up four-tenths; Island was 4.2 percent, up four-tenths; but San Juan was 2.9 percent, down three-tenths.

Meanwhile, the nation’s unemployment rate increased to 4.5 percent as more jobs fell to a weak economy. It was the biggest three-month job decline since the last recession a decade ago.

 

Home Sales Go up in June

Skagit County Realtors sold fewer homes in June than they did in the previous month or one year ago and the number of pending sales also fell slightly. The only increase in the monthly Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) report has been the cost of homes.

NWMLS says 131 homes and condos were sold in the county in June, compared to 164 in May and 167 a year ago. The median price of a home was $151,500, up from $147,750 in May, and the average price was $181,067, up from $180,009 in June 2000.

Other statistics show 261 new listings in June, bringing the inventory to 1,021 with 130 pending sales. It took an average of 98 days to sell a home that closed in June.

In the 13-county area served by NWMLS including King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, the average price for a home was $237,191, the median price $198,000 and selling time an average of 58 days.

The average cost of a home in Seattle was $265,000, compared to $67,023 in 1979, according to the NWMLS. Another interesting comparison was a three- or four-bedroom waterfront home on Mercer Island that went for $370,000 in 1979 and sells today for $2,445,250.

 

Anacortes Cinema Completed and Ready

Anacortes’s newest entertainment center, the three-screen 5-Star theater, opened for business July 26 with a gala ribbon cutting ceremony

The $1.4 million moviehouse has a 7,000-square-foot ground level and a 1,400-square-foot upper floor for offices. It will employ 15 persons.

The building is owned by Pat Brunstad and leased to 5-Star Entertainment of Port Orchard, which operates theaters in other parts of the Puget Sound area and Post Falls, Idaho.

The theater was built by Brunstad’s Heritage Construction Co., based in Ocean Shores, on a fast-track pace started in February.

Anacortes — 20 miles from the nearest moviehouse, the14-screen Odeon Cineplex theater in Burlington — has been without a cinema for more than three years.

 

Court Battle Looms over Majestic Hotel

Lon Rydberg, owner of the development company that wants to purchase the fire-damaged Majestic Hotel, filed suit against the owners when they withdrew from the deal.

The 111-year-old landmark hotel was gutted by fire last January on the night before Rydberg was to take possession. Soon after the fire, owners Jeff Wetmore and Virginia Holihan backed out to await a ruling from their insurance company.

Rydberg first filed a motion in Superior Court to force the transaction but later withdrew it. He now has filed suit seeking damages, if the owners fail to sell, for potential loss of revenue and court costs.

According to Rydberg, the parties had agreed on a price of $1.9 million. “We still want to buy this,” he adds.

Wetmore and Holihan, meanwhile, are being sued by the previous owners as well. They are seeking the money still owned on the property.

 

Quantum Wins Bid for Airport Improvements

The Port of Anacortes has awarded Quantum Construction of Anacortes the task of making improvements to the city’s airport, a job that will cost $860,000 of which most will be paid by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the port says.

Quantum, the low bidder, came in $300,000 below budget. The contract calls for a perimeter fence around the airport, new lights and signage, and runway repaving. The port says the FAA will pay 90 percent of the cost.

 

Burlington Annexes Single Lot on Westside

The City of Burlington recently received approval to annex a single lot owned by Baron Development Group, despite testimony from 10 neighbors and the county against it.

The lot is located along Markwood Road and accessible from Andis Road west of Interstate 5.

The county, which did not have a representative at the meeting, opposed the annexation request in writing, stating that the city should take in the whole block, not just the lot. Neighbors protested that annexation would open the door to unwanted development.

The Boundary Review Board listened to the neighbors and read the county’s statement and then ruled in favor of the city and Baron.

 

La Conner Gets Grant for Dock, but Not Lease

The Town of La Conner hopes to build a new dock on waterfront property owned by the state Department of Natural Resources, but although money for the dock was granted by the federal government, the DNR lease is still pending.

DNR received two lease applications, one from the town and the other from La Conner Associates, a development group that owns three acres of light-industrial land including the old Moore-Clark warehouse near the shoreline. The town has repeatedly opposed rezoning the developer’s property to multiuse so that it can build a hotel-retail-convention complex there.

La Conner Associates wants the DNR lease to add to the shoreline-development permit it received the first of the year.

The federal grant of $90,000 would be used by the town to build a 200-foot dock at the foot of Caledonia and First streets. Town spokespersons have said the dock could be used to expand services to such entities as the Victoria Clipper, which makes numerous stops in La Conner during Tulip Festival time.

 

Mount Vernon Awards Contract for City Hall Upgrade

Ebenal General of Bellingham was the low bidder to upgrade Mount Vernon’s old City Hall building at a cost of $1,139,000, the city says.

Work to convert the structure’s former jail area to offices and bring the building up to code began late last month.

The city finance department continues to occupy its offices in the 40-year-old building at 320 Broadway St. The mayor and other city staff members have moved to the new police station and municipal court campus on Continental Place in north Mount Vernon.

 

Landowner Sells Property to La Conner for Park

La Conner is purchasing property along First Street to give residents and visitors access to the waterfront.

The property, owned by Greg Kirsch at 321 N. First St., is valued at $350,000, but Kirsch has said it will sell it to the town for $235,000.

Mayor Eron Berg says the town would develop 100 feet of the 150-foot waterfront piece for public access and sell the rest to offset costs. It also plans to sell the old police building at 201 Maple Ave. for at least $225,000.

 

Mount Vernon Wins Top Water Grade from DOE

The City of Mount Vernon water-treatment plant was one of 25 such facilities in Washington to be awarded commendation for 100-percent compliance by the state Department of Ecology for all of 2000.

DOE says the plants that treat sewage from homes and waste from industries 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, met every environmental compliance test and took every sample according to the agency’s strict requirements.

“This is an incredible accomplishment,” says Ecology director Tom Fitzsimmons. “My sincere praise goes out to all of the plant operators and communities who are number one in protecting the quality of our state’s waters.”

Most of the plants were district utilities, including Birch Bay Water and Sewer District in Whatcom County and Holmes Harbor Sewer District in Island County, the two closest plants to Mount Vernon’s that received awards. Mount Vernon was one of only 11 town and city plants cited.

Land ‘Island’ Annexed by Mount Vernon

A 43-acre parcel of county land, locked in east Mount Vernon, has been annexed by the city.

The annexation of the property east of 30th Street and north of Division near the Haggen Food store includes two subdivisions.

Part of the land, some of which had been used by the former owner to grow trees, will be developed into a public park or new library.

 

Languishing Rosewood Gets Investor’s Help

The Rosewood housing project north of Centennial School in Mount Vernon received a needed infusion of money recently when Sedro-Woolley investor Jim Cook agreed to buy unsold land and sell it back to the developer.

The 37-acre development off Martin Road was looking at foreclosure from two creditors. Being sold for Self-Help Housing, the 152 dwelling plots were selling more slowly than expected, and the creditors weren’t getting paid.

Cook agreed to buy foreclosure rights from Island Construction owner Bill Massey to make the project work. Foreclosure did not apply to the 16 homes either finished or under construction but to the remaining 34 vacant lots. When all is said and done, Self-Help is expected to owe Cook $1.1 million, $300,000 to Pacific Northwest Bank and about $70,000 to the Housing Assistance Council.

Meanwhile, the plots were being sold for $48,000. Owners put in “sweat equity” to build their homes with neighbor and Self-Help Housing help.

 

Huge Fastpitch Tourney Expected to Bring Cash

The Western National Fastpitch Softball Championships, under way this month at two locations in Skagit County, was expected to draw 2,000 players, coaches, parents and fans from 21 states and put as much as $1.2 million into the local economy.

The tourney, Aug. 6-12 at Skagit Playfields at Bakerview Park in east Mount Vernon and at Janicki Fields near Sedro-Woolley, is sanctioned by the American Softball Association (ASA) and involves girls 12 and under.

Softball tournaments in the county, including the 25 or so smaller events each year, draw big bucks to campgrounds, hotels, motels, trailer parks, service stations, grocery stores, restaurants and a host of other shopping spots.

 

Power Plant Plan in Woolley Scrapped

Developers have canceled plans to build a power plant east of Sedro-Woolley, a move made shortly after the city called for more studies and residents’ objections began to grow.

Tollhouse Energy of Bellingham announced last month it was pulling out of the proposed natural-gas-fired plant at Fruitdale Road and Highway 20.

Tollhouse president Thom Fischer told the Sedro-Woolley City Council it had withdrawn its permit request because time was running out. The city had ordered an environmental-impact statement and opposition from neighbors and others was mounting.

Fischer told the council he felt the 12 jobs created by the 83-megawatt power plant would have been good for the city and that impact from the plant would have been minimal.

 

Two Fire Stations Planned for Outskirts

Two urban growth areas (UGAs), Bay View Ridge and South March’s Point, will get their own fire stations in 2002 under plans approved recently.

In Bay View’s District 6, bids for construction were requested on a new $2.1 million, 12,000-square-foot station at Peterson Road near Port of Skagit County property. The port is contributing $233,400 for it, while the district is paying $288,000. The property, valued at $225,000, was donated by owner John Bouslog. About $500,000 of economic-development cash was requested from the county.

The station will be manned by volunteers, run by Burlington’s fire department and include four bays for apparatus.

In Anacortes’s March’s Point District 13, a request from the county for $400,000 toward a station there also as been submitted.

That station will be smaller than the other, with at least one fire engine and a medical-aid vehicle.

 

Marina Opened but Receives Another Fine

The star-crossed Twin Bridges Marina finally got its doors opened and its first customers in, but the state Department of Ecology slapped it with yet another fine.

The $25,000 fine “for failing to obtain appropriate shoreline permits” brings to $59,000 the marina, below the Berenson flyover crossing the Swinomish Channel on Highway 20, has garnered from DOE.

Owners Ken, Bill and Jim Youngsman recently completed the 68,000-square-foot structure, despite work stoppages ordered by the agency and City of Anacortes, which later allowed construction to continue after concessions were made by the owners.

“Ecology is deeply concerned that the marina was constructed with no public review and without adequate evaluation about potential environmental impacts,” says Jeannie Summerhays, supervisor for DOE shoreline activities in northwestern Washington. “The Youngsmans failed to follow the shoreline permitting process — regulations that apply to all state marinas.”

She adds that letting Twin Bridges off the hook would be unfair “to all the other marina businesses in Washington who strive so hard to follow the law.”

The Youngsmans were given 30 days to appeal.

 

Curious Crowd Gathers to Get Riverside Bridge Info

About 80 people, including concerned business persons and curious neighbors, attended a city-sponsored informational meeting recently as work began on the new Riverside Bridge.

The informal, walk-in gathering in the San Juan Room of the CottonTree Convention Center, overlooking the main staging areas for the bridge’s initial construction, included Mount Vernon Mayor Skye Richendrfer, project manager,s city engineers and representatives from builder Kiewit Pacific, there to answer questions.

Some queries came from owners of local businesses that will be impacted by the traffic congestion during the three-year building stage. The mayor and others assured them that the delays would be minimal wherever possible and that impact would be greatest later during reconstruction of local streets.

Meanwhile, pilings were driven into the riverbed near the southwest corner of the existing bridge and beams laid and extended into the river as part of a trestle from which the initial foundation work would be done. The first stage, including columns, shafts and piers and removal of the trestle, must be completed by Dec. 1 when salmon season arrives. The bridge is expected to be completed by Dec. 1, 2003.

 

A Goldenrod Bridge Nearer to Reality

Proponents of a bridge linking two dead-end sections of Goldenrod Road in west Burlington may get their way.

The City of Burlington has hired a consultant to design a bridge that would cross Gages Slough next to Interstate 5, pulling together the north end of the road that ends near Skagit Harley-Davidson and the south end at Sims Honda.

So far, the city has received $1 million in federal money and $500,000 from the county in state sales tax for the project. It needs about $500,000 to complete it.

Permits are required from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state Department of Fish and Wildlife before the bridge can be approved, since Gages Slough is mostly a wetlands area.

Proponents have been angling for a bridge for several years. Plans are to construct a “smart park” for high-tech businesses on the north side of the slough and the bridge would make it more feasible, as well as a pedestrian walkway under the freeway to connect with Cascade Mall.

 

High-tech Course Offered at SVC

Skagit Valley College has added a new high-tech course to its growing list of computer and electronic offerings.

Instructor Kevin Langston has developed the Midrange/Mainframe Computer Systems (MCS) Program, a two-year program leading to an associate of technical arts (ATA) degree.

SVC has partnered with IBM, Computer Associates and Cisco Systems to help develop the course, focusing on MCS, design, administration and maintenance of enterprise-level business information systems.

For more information, call Langston at 416-7809 or visit www.svc.ctc.edu.

 

Edgewater Park Hosting Shakespeare Festival

The Western Washington Shakespeare Festival is holding its inaugural season in Mount Vernon’s Edgewater Park with two special productions running in repertory through August.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” directed by Andy Friedlander, runs Aug. 8, 9, 11, 16, 17, 23, 24 and 26.

“The Winter’s Tale,” under direction of Donald Drummond, runs Aug. 10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 22 and 25.

The performances, sponsored by Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation and the City of Burlington, begin at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and $10 Friday and Saturday. For students, children and seniors, the prices are $5 and $8 respectively. Group and family rates are also available.

For more information and reservations, call 848-6333.

 

La Conner Boat Show Highlight of August

La Conner’s newest attraction, the Vintage and Classic Boat Show, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11-12, throughout the town.

The show features tours, displays, art exhibits, vintage and classic yachts, fun and food for the whole family and free admission. It’s sponsored by KeyBank, Dunlap Towing Co., La Conner Yacht Sales and La Conner Maritime Service.

Call 466-4778 for more information, or visit www.laconnerchamber.com.

 

Last Call for Annual Chamber Golf Tourney

The “Hands Across the River” Golf Tournament, jointly organized by the Mount Vernon and Burlington chambers of commerce, takes place at Avalon Golf Club Friday, Aug. 17, starting at 1:30 p.m., sponsored by Swinomish North Lights Casino

With time running out, reservations for both golfers and diners are requested soon. It costs $99 to enter the tourney, which includes a donation to the chambers, music, refreshments, prizes and dinner. Nongolfers can eat for $15.

Call 428-8547 or 757-0094.

 

Local Rotary Provides Information on Anacortes

The Rotary Club of Anacortes has released Welcome to Anacortes: The Crown Jewel of Washington, an informational book designed for residents.

The book was developed in cooperation with the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce, City of Anacortes, Island Health Resource Center, MacGregor’s Publishing Co. and members of the Rotary.

For more information, call Ralph Frey at 588-0316.

 

Aug. 31 Deadline for S.W.A.N. Nominations

Nominations are being sought for the Business and Professional Woman of the Year Award, presented annually by Skagit Women’s Alliance and Network (S.W.A.N.) in October. The deadline for entries is Aug. 31.

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Eligibility: Lives and works in Skagit County and is actively contributing to the area.

• Excellence: Demonstrates excellence in her work, including contributions to professional associations within her field.

• Professionalism: Actively promotes professionalism of women in business, including contributions to her community, networking with and serving as a mentor to other business people.

• Contributions: Makes outstanding contributions to her community including service in charitable or nonprofit groups and cultural and volunteer activities that enhance the quality of life in Skagit County.

Applications are available from Katie Kassa, 424-3319. Winner will be announced Oct. 18.

 

Historical Museum Presents ‘Little Logger Day’

The Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner is holding a day of family activities and logging demonstrations Saturday, Aug. 25.

“Little Logger Day” includes the Bisbey Family of Sedro-Woolley demonstrating logging skills in chopping, sawing and axe-throwing competitions and stories about logging, as well as images of early logging activity captured by turn-of-the-century Northwest photographer Darius Kinsey.

Admission to the museum and all events is $3 adult and $7 for the whole family.

 

Gross Business Income Increased Last Year

Gross business income (GBI) reported by Washington businesses increased 7.3 percent to $415.8 billion in 2000, according to the Quarterly Business Review, Calendar Year 2000, published last month by the Washington Department of Revenue.

Two sectors were largely responsible for this overall gain: finance, insurance and real estate with 21.0 percent, followed by communication and utilities with 19.4-percent increase. The only sector to fall was manufacturing, with a 2.5-percent decrease in gross income.

The DOR reported taxable retail sales by selected cities in its document, including Mount Vernon. According to the chart, the county’s largest city was taxed on $427.9 million in retail sales, down 1.9 percent from 1999 when it was $436.2 million. On retail trade only, the figure was up 6.0 percent, from $270.5 million in 1999 to $286.8 million in 2000.

 

Verizon Lowers Business Phone Rates

Verizon has lowered rates for all businesses, as well as most local residential rates, as part of a scheme to decrease annual revenues by $30 million, according to the state Utilities and Transportation Commission.

The rate reductions are the result of the UTC’s investigation into GTE’s rates and review of the merger of GTE with Bell Atlantic, which resulted in the formation of Verizon.

Business rates, which were reduced and made uniform earlier, dropped 30 cents to $29.70 per month.

 

New Law Benefits Homeowners, Contractors

Consumers now have more protection from fraudulent contractors, according to a law that went into effect July 22, the state Department of Labor and Industries says.

The law increases contractors’ bonding and insurance requirements and ensures that up to 50 percent of the bond is reserved for consumers.

L&I, which registers contractors, says the number of summons and complaints to obtain payment from contractors’ bonds and sureties increased from 126 in 1982 to more than 3,500 in 1999.

L&I’s contractor-registration Web site is www.ini.wa.gov/scs/contractors.

 

Workers’ Compensation Climbs 3.59%

All workers currently receiving Washington workers’ compensation time-loss or pension benefits have been granted a 3.59-percent cost-of-living increase, effective July 1.

The state Department of Labor and Industries says the new maximum monthly benefIt’s $3,688.90 or 120 percent of the state’s average monthly wage for workers injured after June 30, 1996.