It’s Official! O’Brien New SKAT Director

Dale O’Brien, who was asked to serve as interim director of Skagit Transit upon the departure of Jim Lair, has been given the job officially at a time when the beleaguered public-transportation agency needed someone firm at the helm.

A native of Arlington, O’Brien came to SKAT as operations manager in July 1995 and served in that position until Lair’s departure as executive director in August of last year. Lair took a job with a transportation company in Colorado.

“Things are now going very well,” O’Brien says, recalling a hectic few months that included the initiation of a controversial payment system on SKAT buses, the subsequent drop in ridership and a $1.3 million fire at the Burlington bus barn and administrative center last May.

“The month of May definitely brought out the team spirit in our organization,” he says, sitting in a temporary trailer next to the fire-damaged headquarters building. “When the fire occurred, everyone stepped up and showed patience. We never lost an hour on the job.”

An electrical short in one of the agency’s 24 larger buses caused the nighttime fire as it sat in a maintenance bay adjacent to the green, one-story structure just north of the city. “The damage you see was the result of 12 minutes. The fire burned very hot, and the building received a lot of smoke damage,” O’Brien explains. Two other SKAT buses and one smaller, Dial-a-Ride bus were put out of commission temporarily by the blaze, he adds.

O’Brien also has overseen the new payment system in which riders can buy one of three kinds of cards that allow so many rides at 50 cents each, developed by Coin Card International.

“It has cost us about 40 percent of our ridership,” O’Brien says of the new pay-to-ride system, pointing out that in the industry, this is not uncommon. “I’m pleased how well it’s turned out.”

He adds that SKAT continues to “maintain status quo” with its fleet of 38 vehicles, including those under repair, and 79 personnel, despite the drop in ridership and cutback in state funding as a result of the passage of Initiative 695. Before that happened in April of last year, SKAT employed as many as 102 people. SKAT got started in the mid-county area with free bus service in November 1993.

O’Brien, who received his degree at Washington State University, worked at Skagit Valley Trucking before answering an ad for the operations manager position six years ago. Prior to that, he was manager of the Port of Juneau, Alaska. He and his wife, Lisa, have two grown children, both living in Juneau.

 

Local eBusiness Expands Internationally

WebEKG, a local high-tech company that provides computer software security, testing and problem solving for major corporations, has announced the purchase of two e-businesses, both with offices in Canada, that will help move it toward software development.

The new technologies — Decontrol Customer, a product developed by PreferSoft, Inc. of Calgary, Alberta, and Scouts Valley, Calif., and SonicMobility, a software development company, also based in Calgary — will allow WebEKG to sell complete enterprise solutions, according to president Paul Schweikert III.

“(The) PreferSoft product is built on a work-flow technology engine that we believe can be deployed for a variety of enterprise solutions, including to our existing customers where we currently provide consulting testing services,” Schweikert states. “The SonicMobility technology will be used to extend the work-flow software to include wireless capabilities, which are becoming more and more essential for businesses to respond effectively for their customers.”

Combined with the company’s existing professional services, “these technologies will allow WebEKG to compete and win in a multitude of different vertical markets with an executive team that already has experience in those markets,” Schweikert says. “We are strategically leveraging our existing expertise in developing and testing large-scale applications.” He adds that acquisition of these products eventually will position his firm in the vanguard of large-scale enterprise software companies.

Schweikert is a principal in the new e-tech campus being constructed across from the police station on Continental Place in Mount Vernon. When completed, the campus will house WebEKG and other high-tech firms dependent on fiber-optic infrastructure that can only be found now in so-called “Smart” business parks and larger cities. When fully occupied, it’s expected the e-campus will employ as many as 1,000 persons.

 

Work Begins on Skagit Bridge Replacement

Kiewit Pacific rolled its first cranes into place near the old Skagit River Bridge between Mount Vernon and Burlington, preparing for five months of intense work during stage one of the $23 million replacement project.

City officials in both cities say most of the initial work will be on the new bridge west and downstream from the existing one, whose concrete support has “1938” written on it, even though this one dates from the 1950s.

Mike Love, project manager from the Mount Vernon Engineering Office, says the summer’s work schedule was laid out by the contractor during a meeting of about 20 people in mid-June.

“They are building a temporary work bridge about 18 feet long by two car lengths on the south side of the river and west of the old bridge, with piers going out east,” Love explains. “It’s on this work bridge that Kiewit will set their cranes on and drilling rig.”

This summer, he says, the contractor will construct the foundation of the new bridge and do temporary work on the old bridge. “In addition, they’ll be working on Burlington Boulevard from George Hopper Road south to the Skagit River,” he continues. “They’ll also do a street overlay to the west of Riverside Drive on Pacific Place and complete a street reconstruction.” An unidentified portion of Stewart Street also will be worked on.

It’s necessary for Kiewit Pacific to complete its summer projects by November when “the salmon window closes” and the temporary work bridge must be removed, not only to protect fall salmon migrations but as a deterrent to possible flooding. Love says the piers could collect debris that would cause a problem.

 

Optometry Practice Up and Running in Burlington

Robert J. Johnson, O.D. has opened his new optometry practice in Paris Miki Optical Center at the Cascade Mall in Burlington.

Dr. Johnson offers consultation for cataract and refractive surgeries, comprehensive eye examinations and fitting for contact lenses and has a special interest in glaucoma management.

A resident of Mount Vernon for three years, Dr. Johnson will continue part-time at his cataract and refractive surgery practice in Arlington, where he has been located for several years.

For more information, call Lisa Keith at 757-7750

 

Specialty Running Store in Mount Vernon

Wendy Scott has recently started Skagit Running Company, the county’s only specialty running store, at 402 S. First St. in downtown Mount Vernon.

Scott says her store provides a focus for runners and walkers, with a staff trained in proper fitting techniques for shoes.

A member of Skagit/Mount Vernon Rotary and the Skagit County Physical Activity Coalition, Scott can be reached at 336-2475.

 

Davis Family Opens Ashley House Gifts

A husband-and-wife team of Jennifer and Stacy Davis has opened Ashley House Gift Baskets in Mount Vernon.

“We offer high-quality gift baskets with many different designs to choose from, such as our scrumptious gourmet basket filled with smoked salmon, pâté, salami and cheese, to name a few items,” the Davises state. “In fact, we offer over 23 different varieties of baskets and we can customize to fit specific needs.”

Each basket is hand decorated with a distinctive flair, they add.

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the in-home business can be reached by phone at 336-2461.

 

Trafton Opens Mortgage Shop in Anacortes

Anacortes native Mike Trafton has opened an office of Chase Manhattan Mortgage Corp. in his hometown.

Chase Manhattan’s only office north of Everett offers residential retail lending for single-family dwellings up to fourplexes.

Trafton, a 1976 graduate of Anacortes High School, received an architectural degree from a college in San Diego, Calif., after attending Washington State University. He and his wife of 16 years, Kim, have three children, ages 10, 8 and 6.

He is assisted in the office, at 3005 Commercial Ave., by Charmaine Johnson, formerly of Western Bank. Call 293-8970 or fax 588-8506.

 

Couple Buys, Renovates, Reopens Concrete Cinema

Ryan and Heather McDonough recently purchased the 78-year-old Concrete Theatre, put several thousand dollars into it and got it ready to reopen after a couple of years of inactivity.

The McDonoughs say they hope to present feature films, a variety of live entertainment and stage events for children and adults at the old theater, which they plan to keep open five days a week, including weekend matinees.

The two lived in Laughlin, Nev., until late last year when they decided to return to Heather’s hometown. Ryan, from New Jersey, got his mother, Linell, interested in the project, and the couple has another business partner as well.

The Concrete Theatre, a prominent fixture on Main Street, was opened in 1923 and has passed through a number of hands over the years. Last to own it was Doug Sorensen, who died two years ago. The cinema has been on the block since, but without takers until now.

Downtown business owners say reopening the theater will likely bring more business to town and give the usually quiet street more activity at night and during weekends.

 

Palmers Takes over, Reopens Old Lighthouse

Thomas and Danielle Palmer, owners of two fine-dining French restaurants in Skagit County, have reopening the old Lighthouse Inn on La Conner’s First Street and have called it Palmer’s at the Lighthouse.

The Palmers says they offer a wide variety of menu items, including Cajun cuisine.

The Lighthouse Inn was owned for many years by Tore and Diane Dybfest, who also had a stake in the Farmhouse Inn on Highway 20 until it was sold.

The Palmers also own Palmer’s Restaurant at 416 W. Myrtle St., downtown Mount Vernon, and Palmer’s Restaurant and Pub at 205 Washington St., La Conner. It was not immediately known if they planned to sell one or both of the other Palmer’s. The Lighthouse is located at 512 S. First.

 

Catering Á La King Expands Services

Catering Á La King recently completed a major expansion project at its location east of Burlington.

Owner Donna King says the new kitchen and meeting area, at 20823 Highway 20, will be multipurpose.

“Our new facility is allowing us to serve even larger events and maintain the quality and care we put into each occasion, large or small,” King says. “We are adding cooking classes, wedding ministerial services and event hosting to our ‘menu.’ It’s an exciting way to celebrate our eighth year in business.”

The full-service catering business offers customized menus and affordable pricing for any kind of event, whether served in the new facility or other venues including private homes, King states. Proposals and consultations are always provided free of charge.

For more information, call 757-4922 or e-mail cater@donnaking.com.

 

Axelson’s Undergoing Major Renovation

For Barry Harter, owner of the venerable Axelson’s Café in downtown Burlington, the time had come.

The place “where locals meet to eat” — and have met for half a century over coffee, breakfast, lunch, pie or just a bowl of chowder — has undergone a major renovation “that brings Axelson’s into the 21st century,” Harter states.

The renovation, which was to be completed in time for a grand opening celebration July 1, was done by Hansen Construction, he adds.

“Things have changed,” Harter states. “For one, we’ve gone completely smoke free now.”

The late Clarence Axelson was responsible for bringing the café, at 331 E. Fairhaven Ave., to prominence by his down-home menu and copious cups of coffee served to some of Burlington’s most colorful characters, many of whom continued to frequent the restaurant after Barry and his wife, Brenda, bought it in September 1993.

The old mural over the counter area — replete with portraits of Axelson and two former city leaders, fire chief Ted Banta and police chief Floyd Louia — was donated to the Burlington Fire Department. An engine full of retired firemen showed up at the restaurant June 11 to remove the mural.

“We toyed with the idea of changing the name to ‘Harters,’” Barry says about the new look, “but ‘Axelson’s’ is just too well known.” Indeed, when a KOMO-TV camera crew stopped in Skagit County recently to ask about the local economy, they went directly to Axelson’s and interviewed Harter.

The long-time business has gotten a reputation over the years also for its annual events: the Feb. 2 “Groundhog Stew” and Oct. 31 pie-making contests.

 

PET Scanning Technology Latest AHS Acquisition

Affiliated Health Services is providing the latest in whole-body imaging technology with the introduction of a mobile Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning unit at Skagit Valley Hospital.

The hospital becomes the only site north of Everett to offer PET scanning, used primarily to detect cancer. AHS will serve patients throughout northwestern Washington and plans to expand the service as patient volume increases.

According to Dr. John L. Espinosa of AHS’s Nuclear Medicine Department, PET helps doctors select patients who need surgery from those who can better benefit from radiation, medical therapy or chemotherapy. “A doctor does not want to put a patient through major cancer surgery if the tumor has already spread and the patient will not benefit from the surgery,” he states. “That’s where the PET scanner can help.”

 

Express Personnel Services Celebrates Move

Owners Sandy and Mark Hagen and their staff recently held a grand opening at the new offices of Express Personnel Services, a personnel staffing service, now at 525 E. College Way, Suite F, near Value Village.

“We’re very excited about continuing to serve Skagit and Island counties with our full line of staffing services,” the Hagens say. “This area has a dynamic workforce and growing economy, which creates a need for both staffing services and workers.”

EPS’s client base extends to six counties and employs more than 275,000 people a year, the Hagens add.

For more information, call 336-1980.

 

Cattle-breeding Service Moving to Business Park

All West/Select Sires, a farmer-owned service for breeding cattle throughout the western states and Canada, announced recently it will move from its long-time location on Pulver Road to a new facility at Burlington Hill Business Park north of the city.

The 60-year-old farmers’ co-op provides artificial insemination to dairy and beef farms and is one of 10 cooperatives in a larger co-op business based in Ohio.

Plans call for a new 10,000-square-foot building on 1.3 acres of land at 450 N. Hill Blvd. The facility will house the warehouse space, loading docks and freezer units for storing the bull semen used in insemination. Nearly 1 million cows can be inseminated each year for 4,000 customers through All West, producing as much as $1 million in profits, according to a spokesperson.

 

The Websons.com Partners with IronSpire

The Websons.com, Inc. of Sedro-Woolley has entered an alliance that enables it to sell an online product used by general-contracting and construction-management companies.

The Websons.com reached an agreement with IronSpire, Inc. of Portland, Ore., to sell its services in northwest Washington (all counties north of King County). IronSpire’s job site provides a secure, centralized, online workspace for building design and construction teams to manage their project information and communication.

The site allows project teams to post requests for information (RFIs), view change orders and red-line computer-aided drawings (CAD). Team members are instantly notified when schedule changes require action, questions await responses and drawing revisions need to be considered.

The Websons.com is utilizing its extensive knowledge and expertise as a Web-site development and Internet marketing firm to help local contractors, developers, architects and engineers integrate this tool into their business practice. For more information, visit the company’s Web site or call (360) 855-0899.

 

StarTouch Wireless Expands Southward

StarTouch Wireless, a pioneer provider of “last-mile wireless connectivity” to Bellingham and more than 20 cities in California since 1999, has expanded its service coverage to include Skagit, Island and portions of Snohomish counties.

StarTouch’s clients for high-speed, broadband and wireless services range from small and home offices to large companies. Its wireless Internet connection speeds range from 1 megabyte per second up to gigabyte speeds. StarTouch also provides Web hosting, virus-free e-mail, Web design, virtual private networks, network configurations and support.

For more information, call (360) 527-8640 or visit the Web site at www.startouch.com.

 

Burlington Chamber Draws Crowd for Rep. Larsen

It wasn’t so much a “state of . . .” address as it was a “glad to see you” visit last month when 2nd District U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Arlington, blew through Burlington and addressed about 90 persons attending a chamber of commerce meeting at the Outback Steakhouse.

Standing on a makeshift stage in the reception area and speaking through the Outback’s distinctive pillars and dividers, the congressman gave a brief overview of what’s happening on Capitol Hill and encouraged his constituents to ask him questions.

Several did — about child care, health care, education, safety in schools and problems with airline travel — and he responded quickly and knowledgeably, seemingly comfortable with the slightly awkward situation.

Larsen, who is proving to be a maverick voter, like his predecessor Jack Metcalf on some issues, has been lauded for his concern about business and particularly as it relates to small-business owners in northwestern Washington.

In a recent editorial, the Seattle Times praised the representative’s decision to vote against the President’s tax-cut bill, the only Washington Democrat among seven to do so.

“Most politicians don’t worry much about being mainstream until election time,” the Times wrote. “Larsen’s tax-cut vote benefits constituents and, for a first-year congressman, shows true character and grit.”

 

National Award Presented to Galen Design

Galen Design Associates recently received a design award from The Creativity 30 Annual for a trademark representing an Auburn company.

The trademark design for LOM Industries, producer of service products for Honda and other motor companies, was among 1,400 pieces chosen from more than 7,500 entries and published in the 384-page book by the HBI division of HarperCollins. Winning entries came from 35 countries around the world, as well as 36 states.

It was the 25th such award garnered over the years by Galen Design Associates and its owner Larry Larson. Galen Design is in the Old Town Grainery Building in Mount Vernon.

 

Magazine Profiles Cat Nap Inn Catery

Cat Nap Inn Bed & Breakfast Exclusively for Cats recently was profiled in Pet Services Journal, a bimonthly publication of the American Boarding Kennel Association.

The ABKA is a nonprofit trade association for the pet-boarding industry in the United States and around the world. It promotes education and professionalism and sets industry standards.

Cat Nap Inn, located at 1244 Butler Creek Road near Alger, was custom designed and built with the needs and preferences of cats in mind. While the basic room rate includes boarding, food, play time and catnip hour, additional services are available.

For more information, call 724-3513 or visit www.catnapinn.com.

 

Gold Medal Awarded to Manatee Design

Manatee Design of Mount Vernon recently accepted a Gold Award for consumer products design announced in the June 25 issue of Business Week magazine.

The International Design Excellence Award is co-sponsored by the magazine and the Industrial Designers Society of America and this year drew 1,260 entries in 11 product categories, according to Manatee spokesperson Alan Mizuta.

Manatee Design is a full-service industrial design firm specializing in innovative turn-key product designs and is located in south Mount Vernon. Call 445-2800, fax 445-0211 or consult the Web site at www.manateedesign.com.

 

Anacortes Depot Celebrates 90 Years

The Anacortes Depot is an art gallery now, but when it was built by the Great Northern Railroad in 1911, it was part of the hopes and dreams that the city would become a major rail center.

The depot was abandoned in 1956, when the last passenger train left, and was almost torn down. But citizens took up the challenge and saved it. Even so, it sat idle for about 15 years and almost fell apart at the seams.

Meanwhile, a group involved with the Anacortes Arts and Crafts Festival saw the rotting building as the site of a potential showplace and soon managed to get it up and running again, now as the Depot Arts Center and Gallery, 611 R Ave.

It took 20 years of hard work to renovate the building and today it’s on the National Register of Historic Sites.

 

Tulip Festival Named Greatest Show on Earth

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, which over the years can truly call itself “award winning,” has gotten another accolade.

Festivals.com has named the festival as the “Greatest Event on Earth” — at least on April 12, more than halfway through this year’s festival.

“To be selected, the festival must be ‘the coolest, wackiest, strangest, most fun or most colorful’ event happening on the whole planet that day,” according to executive director Audrey Smith.

“We were excited to receive this recognition as a world-class event and always appreciate the research and effort involved to give out this kind of award,” she notes.

 

SVC Celebrates 75th with Photo Spectacular

Skagit Valley College is 75 years old and decided to start a year of celebrations last month with a group photograph.

The photo, by Doug Scott, was more than just a few professors and administrators. It involved the entire community.

The aerial photograph was shot of “students, faculty, staff, emeriti, alumni and friends of the community” June 1 in the center quad area, SVC says. The college plans to use the picture for a variety of promotional purposes until the year of celebrations ends June 30, 2002.

 

Lefeber Featured in Seattle Times Section

Dan Lefeber, a third-generation bulb-flower grower in Skagit County, was featured in a Seattle Times article concerning his decision to get out of farming.

Citing health reasons, Lefeber, 48, announced earlier this year that he was selling Lefeber Bulb Co., started by his grandfather, Marinus Lefeber, in 1936.

The full-page article, in the May 28, 2001, Scene Section, included several photographs of Lefeber and pointed out the difficulties farmers have making a living in today’s world of diminished agriculture and low prices.

“There are: so many regulations, some farms hire a full-time person just to keep track of them; high minimum wage; costly salmon buffers. And now, with the closing of National Frozen Foods, no market for peas, one of the best rotation crops for Skagit farmers,” says the article, written by Times reporter Sherry Stripling, who has family in the valley.

Lefeber, Stripling reports, worked so hard to make a living that his white blood-cell count rose alarmingly some years ago and doctors feared he might have leukemia. “He never regained his strength,” the article states.

Lefeber told Stripling that “he’s going down in flames so the public can see the farmers’ plight,” according to the article.

 

Tesoro Helps Dog Trainers

Tesoro Northwest Co. recently granted $2,500 to Summit Assistance Dogs, allowing the dog-training company to purchase a new animal for their program.

Summit, a nonprofit organization based in Anacortes, provides highly trained assistance dogs to people with disabilities.

Their latest “student” is Zoey, a black-lab mix, which they found at the animal shelter in Bellingham. The dog spent her first few months with Cari Hoy, an Anacortes High School student who took care of Zoey as her senior project.

Zoey is in her final phases of training with Summit’s head trainer Sue Meinzinger and was to be placed late last month with a young child with disabilities.

For more information about Summit, call Deb Hall at 293-4675 or e-mail dlhall@home.com.

 

Diabetes Ed Program Garners Recognition

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has honored Affiliated Health Services’ Diabetes Education Program with an Education Recognition award.

The three-year award assures that the program meets national standards and honors health professionals who are knowledgeable and provide participants with comprehensive information about diabetes management.

The program is offered at United General, Skagit Valley and Island hospitals and the Stanwood-Camano Medical Center.

 

Two Local Quilt Artists Support Skagit Hospice

Internationally known quilt artists and teachers Joan Colvin of Samish Island and Heather Waldron Tewell of Anacortes donated quilted fabric art pieces to an auction benefiting the Skagit Hospice Foundation.

The auction last month took place at the Port of Skagit County and featured a variety of items, including the two quilts: Colvin’s “Bird Study #11: Blackbird” and Tewell’s “Blue Shoes.”

The newly formed foundation benefits patients and families needing hospice care through its fund-raising efforts.

Skagit Hospice Foundation reported it netted nearly $40,000 during the fundraiser.

 

Burlington Nursing Home Makes Four Donations

Burton Care Center of Burlington, which recently earned $2,000 in prize money as Nursing Home of the Year, has donated all of it to four local health-care and social organizations.

Burton received the $2,000 for being top home from its parent company, Eagle Healthcare, Inc., which owns 14 nursing homes.

The staff met and unanimously decided to give $500 each to Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation, United General Hospital Memorial Trust, Skagit Hospice Foundation and Skagit County Senior Services, according to Al Cortez, Burton’s administrator.

“There was never any doubt that we wanted the money to stay in health care,” Cortez states. “That’s what we’re all about.”

 

Sears Employees Honored for Volunteerism

Sears volunteers were recently honored at the Skagit Volunteer Awards ceremony for their on-going contributions to the community.

The award, presented by United Way and Community Action Agencies, was given to Burlington Sears Good Life Alliance. The group was responsible for painting furniture for the homeless shelter in Mount Vernon, doing clothing drives for SeaMar, gathering food for the Alger Food Bank and performing other good deeds over the last year.

The group vowed to donate one million volunteer hours nationally by the end of 2002. Locally, Sears employees have so far donated more than 744 hours this year.

 

Clear Lake Company Completes County Project

(The following news item from the June 2001 issue is being repeated to correct a telephone number.)

Industrial Resources Inc. of Clear Lake recently completed a new county facility for storing and dispensing low-grade oil products used in surfacing and maintaining roads.

The new facility, located at the Skagit County Public Works Department Road Maintenance Division on East Avon Road in Burlington, stores petroleum products the county uses in surfacing many of the 800 miles of road it maintains. The project included installation and construction of two 10,000-gallon tanks a 5,000-gallon tack oil tank and associated truck-loading systems.

Bob Cushen, operations manager for Industrial Resources, says the $438,000 construction project was completed within budget.

Industrial Resources is a general contracting firm that specializes in industrial, marine construction and maintenance projects. For more information, call 856-6700 or 1-800-755-6416, or visit the Web site at industrial-resources.com.

 

Anacortes City, Port Officials at Odds over Rezone

Okay, the Port of Anacortes won the legal battle over whether the City of Anacortes should rezone as light industrial six acres of land at the airport so the port could build two hangars there, but now the city has come up with another angle. The port must apply for a conditional-use permit before it can build.

What is more, the port must update its Airport Master Plan, fence part of the rezoned land and define the use of the hangars, which the port says will be for “community-oriented aviation,” namely recreational craft. Port officials say these conditions will stall indefinitely any plans to build there.

The airport battle, some people believe, has polarized members of the community.

The port asked the city to rezone 10 acres light industrial based on a claim they were inadvertently zoned residential in 1978. A court sided with the port and told the city to do something about it. It was decided to rezone six acres. Now comes the conditional-use permit. The port says it is suing the city for the right to build.

Stay tuned.

 

Cook Road Site Sought for Restaurant, Gas Station

A Mount Vernon firm has applied for permits to prepare a 1.5-acre plot of land near Cook Road for future construction of a restaurant and service station.

Summit Engineers and Surveyors, owned by Young-soo Kim of Mount Vernon, says it has applied for building and grading permits through the Skagit County Planning and Permit Center to start development of the land just south of the Tesoro service station near the intersection of Old Highway 99 North and Cook Road.

According to Kim, the project would eventually include a drive-through restaurant, convenience store and 16-pump, self-service gas station. The land also includes parking for 58 cars and trucks and 10 RVs.

The Tesoro station has a convenience store and fast-food counter, as does the Texaco station north of Cook Road. Both are owned by the same company.

The Skagit County Public Works Department was asked to do a traffic survey in the area.

 

Lincoln May Get $100K Gift if Matched

Edmund Littlefield of Arlington likes Mount Vernon’s 75-year-old Lincoln Theatre so much he’s willing to give its foundation $100,000 of needed funds, but only if locals contribute a matching amount.

Littlefield, who Lincoln director Peter Heffelfinger says has contributed before, issued the challenge grant last month. The $200,000 raised would become part of the $2.4 million the foundation hopes to raise over the next three years for renovation projects, which would include extending the stage and building a tower to house a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, among other endeavors.

Littlefield previously provided the Lincoln with two grants of $25,000 each to help pay for performances by Celtic groups.

 

Gasoline Flows Again in Controversial Pipeline

After nearly two full years of limited service, aviation fuel is flowing again from Skagit refineries to SeaTac International Airport through the controversial Olympic pipeline.

The section of 16-inch pipeline that operates from Allen north of Burlington to the control center in Renton was resumed the end of May. From Renton, the kerosene jet fuel is shunted to SeaTac to service aircraft.

The pipeline was closed from Ferndale south June 10, 1999, when a rupture in Whatcom Falls Park in Bellingham led to a massive explosion that killed three youths. The 16-inch line from Cherry Point refineries south the Allen was reopened last February.

According to BP, new operator of Olympic Pipe Line Co., reopening the line “follows a series of tests and internal inspections, extensive repairs and completion of a voluntary hydrotest to that segment of the pipeline.”

Getting the aviation fuel flowing was a priority because of the heavy summer travel season. A 20-inch line adjacent to the other has not been able to supply enough fuel to SeaTac and this caused traffic delays and twice last year nearly closed the airport.

“BP’s goals are simply stated: no accidents, no harm to people, and no damage to the environment,” a statement from Olympic reads. “These are goals that BP applies to all of the 15,000 miles of pipeline we manage across 33 states and goals that we bring home to Olympic, with its 400-mile interstate pipeline system in Washington and Oregon. BP’s commitment to safety and the environment is something we take very seriously.”

The explosion two years ago not only closed the pipeline but promoted passage of legislative acts, both state and federal, to protect the environment and citizens from future spills.

 

Better Weather Brings More Jobs to County

Skagit County’s unemployment rate continued to drop as better weather approached, closing in May at 6.3 percent, down four-tenths of a percentage point from April and nine-tenths from a year ago.

May figures from the state Employment Security Department showed 47,310 working out of a labor force of 50,480.

The state dipped the same fraction of a percent, closing at 5.3 percent.

Commissioner Sylvia P. Mundy attributes the state drop to “strong growth in business services and seasoned living in nondurable manufacturing, construction and eating and drinking establishments.”

Unemployment in Whatcom, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties also decreased. Bellingham’s fell from 5.9 in April to 5.7 in May and Everett’s from 4.5 percent to 4.3. Island was 3.8 percent, down from 3.9, and San Juan 3.2, down from 4.4.

Nationally, unemployment in May dipped for the first time in eight months, closing at 4.4 percent. The figure was a tenth of a percentage point below April’s 30-month high of 4.5 percent.

 

Technical Change to Law Saves $1 Billion

A small technical change to the state’s unemployment law will save the state’s employers $1 billion, according to the Association of Washington Business (AWB).

Gov. Gary Locke’s signature on SB 5317 ended four years of efforts by AWB and the Department of Employment Security to bring the state into conformity with federal unemployment law. Without this conformity, state employers faced the prospect of losing federal tax offsets they receive for their payments into the state’s unemployment insurance fund, AWB says.

Those offsets are worth $1 billion to state employers.

“AWB is relieved that this bill has finally been passed and signed into law,” says Don Brunell, the association’s president. “This legislation directly affects the bottom line of our employers.”

 

Home Sales Climb Slightly in May

Sales of homes and condos in Skagit County increased negligibly in May, ending the month at 164 closed sales compared to 122 in April and 144 one year ago. The average cost of a dwelling was $176,915, compared to $195,401 in April, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS).

More significant than the much lower price is the median price of a home, which closed in May at $151,750, compared to $162,625 in April and $151,750 a year ago.

Of the 977 homes listed in Skagit County, 138 have sales pending, up nine from April. The average time on the market was 118 days.

 

Golf Tournaments Abound this Summer

Fundraising golf tournaments are as much a part of summer in Skagit County as berries and rodeos. Here are two coming up over the next month or so:

• EDASC Golf Tournament and Wine Festival, one of the highlights of the golf season, will be held Friday, July 27, at Avalon Golf Club north of Burlington.

The tourney part includes lunch and registration at 11:30 a.m. and shotgun start at 1 p.m., followed by the popular wine fest from 5:30 to 9 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity to show your support for EDASC while promoting your business to 220 golfers,” says a sponsorship flier.

Major sponsors include Consolidated Cellular, Fisher and Sons, Haggen Inc. and the Skagit Valley Herald. But the list includes at least 33 hole sponsors and seven more for such prizes as hole-in-ones, lunch, band and chipping contest. Call 336-6114 for more information.

• The “Hands Across the River” Golf Tournament, organized by the Mount Vernon and Burlington chambers of commerce, is set at Avalon for Aug. 17, starting at 1:30 p.m.

Promoted as the “Million-dollar Tournament,” that much prize money is being offered to a golfer who shoots a hole-in-one, sponsored by Gordon Nissan. The chambers charge $99 entry, which includes a donation to the chambers, music, refreshments, prizes and dinner. Non-golfers can eat dinner for $15.

Sponsorships are $396. Call 428-8547 or 757-0094 for more information.

 

Summer Service Announced for Airporter Shuttle

Airporter Shuttle has added four new trips to its scheduled daily service between Oak Harbor/Anacortes and SeaTac Airport this summer.

This increases to nine the total number of daily round trips from both areas. The Shuttle runs two of the new morning runs directly from Oak Harbor to Mount Vernon, while a separate direct shuttle operates from Anacortes.

Call 1-866-235-5247 to book or obtain information, or visit the Web site: www.enjoytheride.com.

 

County Fair Parade Returns Next Month

The Downtown Business Community of Mount Vernon will return to a long tradition when it stages a parade the morning of Aug. 11 in conjunction with the Skagit County Fair.

The association decided to bring back the popular parade and was looking for businesses, groups, organizations and neighborhoods interested in participating. Call Jennifer Kirkpatrick at 336-9277.

Alzheimer’s Fundraiser
Slated for September

The 4th-annual North Counties Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s will take place at Hillcrest Park in Mount Vernon Saturday, Sept. 15, according to organizers.

The event is staged around the country each year to raise funds to educate, support and advocate for individuals, families and communities affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. It is put on by the Alzheimer’s Association.

“More than 4 million Americans have AD with nearly 100,000 living in Washington state,” says the association. “There is no cure, no known prevention.”

For more information on how to participate or sponsor the event, call Linda Whiteside, coordinator, at 1-800-848-7097 or e-mail her at linda.whiteside@alz.org.

 

MacGregor Visitor Guides Now Online

MacGregor Publishing Co.’s newcomer and visitor guides for 2001 are now online, according to Bob Taylor, vice president and chief executive officer.

The online guides, printed this year in full color, show the same pages as the published version of the Skagit County Newcomers’ and Visitors’ Guide and the Whidbey Island Newcomers’ and Visitors’ Guide, as well as additional information in MacGregor’s Anacortes Newcomers’ and Visitors’ Guide, says Taylor.

The Web site is: www. PlaidNET .com/guides.

 

Anacortes Ranks High for Number of Elderly

Anacortes ranks third in the state as having the highest percentage of people 65 and over, according to a study by The Seattle Times.

According to the newspaper, Sequim in Clallam County ranked first in 2000 with 44.5 percent of residents in the 65-and-older age category, which was down from 48.1 percent in 1990. Second was Gig Harbor in Pierce County with 23.4 percent, up from 20.3 percent in 1990.

Anacortes was 20.8 percent, down from 21.6 percent in 1990, the newspaper says. Following were Port Townsend with 20.8 percent and Fircrest with 20.4 percent.

The cities with the lowest percentage of people 65 and over were, in order: Duvall (3.2%), Covington (3.7%), Sammamish (4.0%), all in King County; Airway Heights in Spokane (4.5%); and Pullman in Whitman (4.5%).

Seattle was fourth in the country for large cities with people 85 and older, behind Miami, Honolulu and St. Louis.

 

State Refunds $68M in Workers’ Comp Premiums

The state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is returning $67.7 million in workers’ compensation premiums to Washington employers and associations enrolled in retrospective rating plans.

Checks were being distributed to 115 employers and associations, L&I says.

The program is an optional workers’ compensation option that allows qualified employers and associations to earn refunds for reducing workplace injuries by meeting agreed goals, such as safety education, hazard reduction and improved management of claims from injured workers.

For more information, consult the Web site at www.lni.wa.gov/retro.

 

Bellingham Film Festival Scheduled for November

The Whatcom Film Association will present Nov. 8-11 its second Projections Film Festival, which features local and regionally made films and videos.

The screenings will be offered at several venues in Bellingham, including the WFA’s Pickford Cinema at 1416 Cornwall Ave. in downtown Bellingham.

The WFA is a nonprofit film organization that operates the Pickford Cinema, a 90-seat movie theater, and produces the Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema on Saturday nights each summer. It also sponsors film-related and educational events throughout the year.

Submissions for this year’s festival are being accepted until Sept. 30 from residents of Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. For entry forms, visit the Pickford Cinema during regular operating hours, 3-11 p.m., or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Projections Film Festival, c/o Whatcom Film Association, P.O. Box 2521, Bellingham, WA 98227.

For more information or to volunteer in presenting the festival, call the WFA, (360) 738-0735.

 

Guide Offers Highlights of Chuckanut Drive

A new brochure that describes the various attractions of the 21-mile-long Chuckanut Drive (State Route 11) between Fairhaven and Burlington is available through the Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The guide presents a mile-by-mile description of Chuckanut Drive, about two-thirds of which is in Skagit County. The highlights include the Taylor Shellfish Farm, Chuckanut Manor Restaurant, Larrabee State Park and Chuckanut Bay Gallery.

The CVB produced 12,000 copies of the guide in cooperation with the Whatcom Council of Governments, City of Bellingham, Whatcom Museum of History and Art and Print and Copy Factory. The brochure was funded in part by the Federal Highway Administration.

Free copies are available at the CVB’s main office, 904 Potter St. (near the northbound Interstate 5 on-ramp/off-ramp at Lakeway Drive) and its visitor centers at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal and Bellis Fair mall. For more information, call the CVB, 671-3990 or visit its Web site at www.bellingham.org.