Gere Takes S.W.A.N.’s Business Crown

Laurie Gere is presented with the coveted Business and Professional Woman of the Year Award from S.W.A.N., whose current president, Lydia Ledesma Reese, stands nearby.

Laurie Gere, a teacher turned restaurateur whose community involvement is almost legendary in her adopted home of Anacortes, was named Business and Professional Woman of the Year in Skagit County last month.

Gere, owner of the popular Gere-a-Deli on Commercial Avenue and its ancillary catering business, has been a resident of Anacortes for 26 years and during that time, served in a long list of community and business organizations, among them the chamber of commerce, American Red Cross chapter and Skagit County Developmental Disability board. she’s also been on that city’s planning commission and recently was appointed to the board for the local hospital district and advisory board for the high school business and marketing department.

The 17th-annual Professional and Business Woman of the Year Banquet is presented in the third week of October to coincide with National Business Woman’s Week. Presented by Skagit Women’s Alliance and Network (S.W.A.N.), the event was held at the CottonTree Convention Center Oct. 18 and was attended by about 250 persons.

The other 2001 candidates included:

• Harriet Follman, owner of The Follman Agency, Burlington.

• Joan Penney, academic dean, Skagit Valley College.

• Audrey Smith, executive director, Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

• Sandra Tonkin, real estate agent, Prudential Skagit Realtors, Mount Vernon.

• Kathi Williams, retired GTE employee development manager and community volunteer, Burlington.

The judges this year included Pam Baird, Sharon Dillon, Nancy Gentry, Dick Nord and Susan Cook, the 2000 S.W.A.N. Award winner.

Each candidate must be a resident and employee in Skagit County and is nominated for her professionalism, contributions to community and excellence in her works. From the slate of nominees, six are chosen as finalists and then the judges select the overall winner following interviews.

Former winners have been, in order since 1985: Carol (Pritchard) Poppe, Judy Menish, Geneva Sasnett, Cheryl Bishop, BJ Kendall, Carol Kirkby, Pat Hyatt, Nan Hough, Judy Montoya, Dorothy (Bluhm) Urbick, Judi Knutzen, Maureen Dickson, Lola Lang, Linda Freed, Shirley Osborn and Cook.

 

2002 Tulip Poster Unveiled during Gala Night

With drum roll and twinkling lights, artist Gerry Friberg lifted the black veil to reveal her 2002 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival poster to the delight of 250 business and civic leaders assembled for the event last month.

The poster, prepared by Ginny Bode of Bode Design, features a bemused cat on a wicker chair surrounded by colorful tulips high above distant fields of more tulips.

The unveiling took place at Skagit Valley Gardens and was sponsored by Peoples Bank, whose Barb Lowery and Jim VanderMey assisted in the ceremony. Verizon, another sponsor, disclosed its latest SuperPages book that also displays the poster on the cover. Official apparel for the festival was unveiled as well by Bode Design and Perennial Favorites.

Friberg, of Ferndale, was selected a year ago to do the poster for the 19th-annual festival April 5-21, 2002. Each year, an artist is selected by a committee from a group chosen by public acclaim. Most of the posters over the years have been produced by artists and graphic artists in the Skagit and Whatcom area.

The ceremony began with introductions by Larry Otos, current president of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, and Audrey Smith, the festival’s executive director. They acknowledged as a whole “more than 400 sponsors” of the annual event and singled out the night’s food and beverage vendors: City Bakery and Café, Market Place Bistro at the CottonTree Inn, Skagit River Brewing Co., Pasek Cellars Winery, Fidalgo Bay Roasting Co., La Conner Seafood and Prime Rib House and Robert’s Red Apple, as well as Birch Equipment and Rental for supplying lighting in the parking lot.

Then Kyle Ackermann and Torre Gunerius gave a drumroll for the official unveiling.

Meanwhile, artists displayed examples of their works in hopes of being selected for the 2003 poster during a public showing at the Cascade Mall Oct. 17. Six finalists were selected from the large turnout, with a Poster Selection Committee slated to interview the prospective artists for the job.

The 2002 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival begins officially Friday, March 22 with a gala opening ceremony celebration at VanZyverden Bulb Warehouse in Burlington, sponsored by Washington Mutual Bank. To participate, call 428-5959.

 

Nilsen Takes over Helm at Beleaguered Etera

Etera Gardens, the perennial growing division of Etera Corp., was purchased last month by Northwest Horticulture LLC for an undisclosed sum. It’s expected the Internet division of the former company will be sold separately.

Founded in 1997 by local nurseryman Carl Loeb, Etera filed for bankruptcy last summer. The new company, headed by president and chief executive officer Lars P. Nilsen, a former Coca-Cola senior manager, employs 65 persons full time and will continue to be headquartered in Mount Vernon. Before the bankruptcy, as many as 350 employees worked for the firm.

“The purchase positions Northwest Horticulture as one of the leading growers of perennials in the U.S. with 25 acres of state-of-the-art production facilities and 700 acres of production fields,” a statement from Etera says.

“The company will continue to market the Etera brand and will focus on providing superior quality products to both retail garden centers and greenhouse growers across North America. Northwest Horticulture will utilize its unique patented Etera Growing Process to further build upon the competitive advantage it has in the industry, the statement adds.

Etera built greenhouses on Riverbend Road in Mount Vernon and Mabton in Eastern Washington and also grows plants on Fir Island.

 

PSRC under New Ownership — It’s Shell Now

As part of an agreement paving the way for a $38.6 billion merger of Texaco and Chevron, the latter company is selling Equilon Enterprises, owner of Puget Sound Refining Co. of Anacortes, to Shell Oil Co., according to Equilon.

Under the plan, Shell and Saudi Refining will purchase for $2.1 billion plus about $1.7 billion in debt Texaco’s stake in joint ventures involving about 4,500 service stations, most of them in the West, and Equilon, which operates four refineries including PSRC, as well as other Texaco holdings.

The multibillion-dollar sale of Texaco to Chevron was announced two months ago after approval by the Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general in states where Texaco operates.

Shell already is a part owner of PSRC, having combined forces with Texaco in the Western states three years ago under the banner of Equilon. To make that merger happen, Shell had to divest itself of many of its holdings, including its refinery at the northern half of March’s Point near Anacortes, selling it to Tesoro.

Where once March’s Point included Texaco in the south and Shell in the north, now it will be Shell, or its subsidiary, in the south and Tesoro in the north.

 

Bouslog Plans Mall, Subject to Dike Regulations

John Bouslog would like to build a large-scale mall at the Burlington end of the Skagit River Bridge but must wait until Dike District 12 and the city iron out the wrinkles in a dike set-back dispute.

The planning department has suggested no business be allowed to build within 500 feet of the dike, plus 100 feet the dike itself would assume, or a total of 600 feet of the river. Bouslog’s property, now a pumpkin patch south of Brim Tractor and north of the present bridge construction west of South Burlington Boulevard, and another retail property owned by Ron Rennebohm a quarter mile to the west, would be prohibited if the dike district got its way.

“We already sold 300 feet to the dike district last year and we support flood control,” Bouslog states. He was part of the stormwater LID that was approved earlier east of the boulevard, where he owns the old DeWaard and Bode appliance store building and land behind it. “The city’s caught between us,” he adds, referring to the dike authority and developers.

Bouslog, a dairy farmer by trade, wants to build a retail business park with four buildings — three at 22,000 square feet and one 11,000 square feet — and parking for a little less than 400 vehicles on 7.5 acres of land. He says that while he has no potential tenants signed up, there’s “a lot of interest in this area,” especially since the bridge work actually began.

He says the complex would include “primarily retail” but perhaps a restaurant and professional office space as well. If approved, the project would begin next summer.

“Until construction began (in July), people were reluctant to locate in the area,” he says. Bridge construction is expected to last three years.

Margaret Fleek, Burlington’s planner, says discussion on the dike district request is continuing.

“We’ve seen no detailed review of (Bouslog’s) project. He needs a traffic and hydraulic study and wants to move about 41,000 cubic yards of land fill. It’s a high-traffic area,” she say

 

McNaughton Opens Bookstore Downtown MV

Mount Vernon’s newest book store, The Tattered Page, opened recently at 610 S. First St., downtown.

Pamela McNaughton, a former probation officer, worked part-time in a used book store in Houston, Texas, “just to get the experience.” She found Mount Vernon “near mountains” in a cooler climate by reading a copy of Best Small Towns in America, and moved here lock, stock and books — 10,000 of them.

Born and reared in Louisiana, McNaughton has about 1,200 square feet of retail space near the theater and restaurants. Her books include all varieties: nonfiction, general fiction, classics, children’s, sci-fi/mystery, Christian, romance and western.

“It’s mainly a used-book store, but I will do searches on line. I’m different from Easton’s (Mount Vernon’s other used-book store),” she says. “I’ll also take trade for credit.”

 

Photographer Wess Starts Portrait Studio

Robert Wess recently opened a portrait studio, concentrating on family photography, at 300 S. First St. in downtown Mount Vernon.

“I was in Bellingham for seven years and then worked at Etera,” Wess says. The Etera job, involving catalog layout and imaging, recently ended when the company declared bankruptcy. “I opened this shop in August.”

Wess, married with one child, plans to continue doing family portraits and commercial work, building the company a little at a time. He’s the only employee at present.

 

SkagitPages.com Attracts Local Businesses to Web Site

A project 2 1/2 years in the making has come online to provide local businesses with a forum not unlike the Yellow Pages of a phone directory. It’s SkagitPages and it’s owned and operated by Ken Wolcoski and Frank Nichols.

“Every business in the county will get a free listing and a free profile on Skagit Pages,” Wolcoski, an Anacortes developer, states. “It’s meant and designed to work like a library.”

Using Web technology and a matrix of up to 10,000 pages to host the names and profiles of the businesses, Skagit Pages is a “local showcase Web site (that) provides the initial matrix interface,” according to Wolcoski and Nichols’ company WebMatreX®. “Now it’s quick and easy for the user to find what they want and do something with it when they find it.”

The listings and profiles, provided at no cost, would be only the first stage of benefits subscribing businesses would receive. For a nominal charge, they could have a text-based, rotating ad in the corner of a home page, an expandable mini-Web site within the Web site, a photo ad, hosting and even coupons customers could print and use.

Wolcoski says businesses are now being sought to sign up under the categories that best suit their description. Call 770-5785 for more information, or visit the Web site at www.skagitpages.com.

 

P.U.D., Finance Company Latest Webefx Customers

Webefx, LLC, a Web-development and hosting company based in Mount Vernon, has added two more clients to its growing list.

Skagit County Public Utility District No. 1 recently launched its Web site featuring account access, special projects, a frequently-asked-questions section, employment postings, newsletter, information on water quality and conversation, and numerous links for kids.

“We’re very pleased with the new site and feel that our customers will be well serviced,” says Gary Chrysler, information/communications systems administrator for P.U.D. “Skagit P.U.D. works hard to provide helpful information and to be accessible to residents for their questions, concerns and suggestions to help our community.”

Meanwhile, Washington Finance Officers Association (WFOA) also launched its site aimed at promoting excellence in governmental finance through leadership, education and communications for the public benefit.

“The new Web site offers many opportunities for interaction by the members (and others who are interested) on various topics,” says Mike Bailey, WFOA representative and City of Lynnwood finance director.

For more information on Webefx or any of their clients, call 848-9591.

 

Farmers Supply Store to Undergo Expansion

Skagit Farmers Supply in Burlington is undergoing a major expansion of its warehouse and retail store.

Located at 1276 S. Burlington Blvd., the farmer-owned cooperative has completed stage one, expanding its warehouse to 5,000 square feet, and embarked on the store renovation, expected to be completed in “two or three months,” according to general manager Ken Kadlec.

“We won’t close the store during the renovation,” Kadlec adds.

More than 400 farmers and producers are voting members in the co-op, Kadlec says. It’s locally owned and operated with other locations in Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, Stanwood, Oak Harbor and Freeland.

According to available figures, the company did $31.6 million in gross sales in 1999. The renovation is costing “several hundreds of thousands of dollars,” according to Kadlec.

 

Destiny Ice Cream Expands Menu in S-W

Destiny Ice Cream and Espresso of 813 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley, has expanded its menu to include fresh bagel sandwiches and salads, according to owners Lisa and David Forsythe.

The business, which previously included only snacks, espresso and ice cream, now can provide a dining option to customers.

Destiny opened last January and is now open seven days a week. Call 855-9334.

 

Anacortes Developer Applies to Build $7M Marina

A public hearing was planned this month on an ambitious $7 million marina developers want to put in along Guemes Channel west of downtown Anacortes.

The marina would provide 40 slips for boats up to 60 feet in length near Lovric’s Marina on Dakota Avenue.

“It’s a designated harbor area,” says developer Gale Brink, who with Skip Heeter owns Baraka, the development company. “We’re into the permit stage and Nov. 14 there’ll be a public hearing on the project.”

He says the marina’s chances of being constructed are “good to excellent. . . . We’ve had a good response from state agencies, and the (U.S.) Corps (of Engineers) is dealing with its backlog. The best-case scenario is that we’ll start construction in August or September 2002.”

Other private and public marinas have lamented the fact few slips are available for the demand, especially where larger vessels are concerned. The Port of Anacortes, which owns and operates Cap Sante Boat Basin downtown, is renovating some slips to accommodate larger boats, but not without controversy. People on waiting lists with smaller vessels believe they should be accommodated first.

Port of Anacortes Harbormaster Dale Fowler welcomed the development.

“They’re really trying to address the marine businesses here. That’s a really good thing,” he says, adding: “The 40 slips won’t faze the demand, however.”

The new marina, located where Shannon Point Seafoods used to be, includes a two-story parking garage, seven-unit motel, café and convenience store.

 

Skagit Habitat Looks to the Future

Skagit Habitat for Humanity has announced two new projects in La Conner and Sedro-Woolley and a expansion of its commitment to home construction to include home renovations.

Hardy VanRy, executive director, says the “next building project will take place on South Fourth Street in La Conner. “The new home will be fully handicapped accessible to accommodate Habitat’s new family partner, who should be able to move in late next year.

“The Habitat house will replace the man’s existing house, which is not handicapped accessible and has been deemed extremely unsafe,” VanRy adds.

He says another house is in the planning stage for Sedro-Woolley. So far, Habitat homes have been built in Sedro-Woolley, Conway and Mount Vernon, where two projects have included a single home and an eight-home complex on East Division Street, which is now complete. The latter project included three homes, each with a sponsorship including Catholic Parishes of Skagit County, six area Rotary clubs and North Puget Sound Association of Realtors.

Habitat homes are built worldwide with volunteer labor and donated materials and funds in partnership with low-income families. These partner families must contribute more than 500 hours of “sweat equity” on their homes and pay back a zero-interest mortgage to Habitat.

Call 428-9402 for more information.

 

60-foot Cellphone Tower for Burlington Hill

The Burlington City Council has approved plans to build a 60-foot cellular-phone tower on Tinas Coma, or Burlington Hill.

Arguments against another cell-phone tower delayed council action for several months, but it was approved last month.

The tower, built by Nextel, would have space for three carriers.

 

Burlington Receives High Marks from State

The City of Burlington recently received a positive audit for 2000 from the state Auditor’s Office, which the year before found discrepancies in the city’s internal controls.

The 2000 audit found the city was in compliance with all state, federal and local regulations, including internal controls and finances. In 1999, an audit cited the city for lack of control over cash flow in the municipal court system. It also found an employee in accounting had falsified records and absconded with cash.

 

Morris Street Focus of La Conner Refab Efforts

The Town of La Conner is about to embark on its largest public-works project in history — the $5 million renovation and improvements to Morris Street, which leads from the northeast entry to town to the heart of the tourist center.

“We’ll be doing significant modifications,” says Mayor Eron Berg. “These will include repairs to the sewer lines, new asphalt, new sidewalks and possibly undergrounding the wires.”

He says the work, to be completed July-September 2002, will make the area “more pedestrian friendly.”

A number of businesses, from Tillinghast Seed near the start of Morris Street to First Street on the west, will be inconvenienced by the work, Berg says, but he hopes they will be pleased with the outcome.

 

La Conner Associates Gets Bid on Shoreline

The ongoing battle over zoning between the Town of La Conner and developers who want to put in a retail and hotel complex beyond the south end of First Street took a new twist recently when the state granted the developers lease rights on shoreline property abutting the planned center.

Vaughn Jolley, who heads up La Conner Associates and has been negotiating with the town since the early ’90s on the property’s future, says his development firm received the lease agreement from the Department of Natural Resources.

Meanwhile, Jolley and his partners have sued the town for not negotiating in good faith. They want their 3.02 acres of former Moore-Clark warehouse and fish cannery rezoned from industrial to multiuse. Their plan is to build a hotel/convention center with parking and turn the old warehouse, if possible, into a retail center of shops designed for tourists.

The town was promised $90,000 in grant money for a new public dock on the shoreline property administered by the DNR, and its loss of the lease may put the grant in jeopardy, according to Eron Berg, the town’s mayor.

“They (La Conner Associates) will have to pay for the lease, which we would not have done,” Berg states, adding that, ironically, about “80 percent of the money (paid to the state) will come back to the town.”

Because of the court suit, Berg was reluctant to talk about the property issue. “We can’t even have a dialogue,” he says of any rezone negotiations.

“We’re still confident the suit will be dismisssed before we go to trial,” Berg adds, pointing out that the DNR shoreline lease issue and property rezone should be kept separate.

On the shoreline issue, he says, “The biggest loss to the town is we don’t know if we can keep the $90,000 in grant money and reprogram it into a different public facility.

“The losers are the people of La Conner and in this case the business owners of La Conner,” Berg concludes.

 

New Dialogue on South MV Annexation

Opponents and proponents of the annexation of South Mount Vernon, deadlocked over issues of taxes and controls, have agreed to revisit the situation with hope of finding compromise, according to the two sides.

“We extended the olive branch,” says Mayor Skye Richendrfer. “We’ve been making a lot of movement with the property owners and good dialogue is coming out.”

“We met with the mayor’s staff and will soon have a study session with the city council,” adds attorney Tom Moser, representing the owners. “We’ve still got areas that need to be worked out.” He says he hoped a working plan could be devised by early November.

The city annexed 410 acres on both sides of Interstate 5 south of the present Blackburn Road city line. Richendrfer has said the area is ripe for development, with some emphasis on high-technology industry. Fiber-optic cable to carry high-tech telecommunications is slated for the area. The city also has put in new sewer and storm-water system there as part of the urban-growth area it’s responsible for.

A number of property and business owners in the area are fighting against annexation for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that they had moved there in the first place to avoid city controls and taxes.

“The last place we want to go is court,” Moser says. “I think there’s an open door now.”

 

Edgewater Park Playground Dedicated

The ribbon was cut recently on Edgewater Park’s renovated playground area, which the mayor says is being “heavily used.”

The playground is the result of a partnership among the city, the Rotary Club of Mount Vernon and Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, which contributed in one way or another.

“I go across the (Westside) bridge often and I see that the playground is being heavily used,” Mayor Skye Richendrfer says.

During the dedication ceremony in mid-September, Lowe’s employees laid down wood chips in the play areas and demonstrated their safety. They also shared expert knowledge on drainage systems for the chips to suit the damp Northwest weather.

Rotary contributed to the playground as part of their Legacy project.

 

Film Involving Local Star to Be Shot in MV

Mayor Skye Richendrfer believes allowing films to be shot in Mount Vernon can only be good for the local economy and is “a clean industry” as well. He was responding to recent film shooting here with local actor Chad Lindberg.

“We are very excited to have two Mount Vernon High School graduates in the industry,” he says, also referring to Jim Caviezel.

“We also have had scouts here looking at locations (in and around Mount Vernon),” the mayor states, naming Paramount and Dream Works as two studios showing interest. “It’s a clean industry. It’s good for the economy.”

The Lindberg film, “The Flats,” is a low-budget, independent project shot with local talent the end of September and early October. It was written and directed by Tyler and Kelly Requa.

 

Dignitaries Talk about Northern State Plan

Construction of a regional multipurpose recreational park at the site of the old Northern State Hospital east of Sedro-Woolley is a little closer, following a gathering last month of local, state and national leaders at the proposed center.

The 720-acre site, if fully developed, would include a wide variety of recreational opportunities, starting with soccer, softball and baseball fields. Plans also call for hiking trails, picnic areas, an RV center, an equestrian center and multipurpose building on the history of logging and fishing in the region. Only about 170 acres are developable, however, after studies have concluded wetlands and other natural land areas must be left as is.

“I’m optimistic we’re going to break ground for this in 2002, with ball fields first,” says Louis Requa, head of the task force and an original organizer with the Rotary Club of Sedro-Woolley during the mid-1980s.

“We have $3 million secured for play fields. We hope to start the permitting process in January 2002 and work on the play fields when the dry weather comes about May,” he adds.

Funding for the ambitious development is coming from a number of sources, including $500,000 from the county in returned retail-sales tax.

“A lot of the money has come from the Upper Skagit Tribe as well,” Requa states. That and federal money will go toward widening and improving Helmick Road just east of the complex. The road also leads to the tribal center.

County Commissioner Ted Anderson, in whose ward the Northern State complex would be built, says the center will benefit not only the local economies but also those outside county lines.

 

SKAT Approves Pollution Reduction Proposal

Skagit Transit’s 18 fixed-route diesel buses may operate with substantially lower emissions as early as next year if a proposed air-pollution project gets final approval. The SKAT board recently presented the proposal for an Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel project to be funded by the Puget Sound Refining Co. in Anacortes.

The project would include fitting each of SKAT’s regular-route buses with a catalytic soot filter that would reduce most of the pollutants normally associated with diesel engines. Emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter would be reduced by more than 90 percent, PSRC says.

The new clean diesel will become commonplace after federal regulations are implemented by 2006, but in the meanwhile, the fuel is considerably more costly and is produced only by the Tosco refinery in Ferndale.

PSRC’s proactive step to improve the local environment and stepping forward to provide this kind of commitment was praised by SKAT maintenance manager Ben Haigh.

“Frankly, it’s highly unlikely we would have been able to find any other source for these kinds of dollars if PSRC hadn’t come through,“ he says.

“This project is very beneficial to SKAT as well as the entire community,” adds John Cheney, Skagit Transit Board chair. “We’re very pleased to provide our support to this project.”

 

Boeing Begins 10% Layoff Despite New Orders

China put in a big order for Boeing commercial jetliners, but pink slips continue to be handed out as part of a downsizing because of poor aircraft sales and cancellations.

The first notices were issued Oct. 12 for the vanguard of redundant workers leaving Dec. 14. By year end, 10 percent of the workforce — nearly 10,000 employees — will be laid off.

The first round of cuts were to include 1,900 fabrication workers in the Seattle and Portland area, as well as two locations in Canada.

As many as 30,000 jobs in commercial jet manufacturing and ancillary businesses were expected to be let go by the end of next year.

Boeing, despite its location in King and Snohomish counties, is Skagit County’s largest employer.

 

WorkFirst Holds Annual Breakfast Meeting

Business and community leaders joined Skagit Valley College administrators recently for what has turned out to be an annual event celebrating successes in the partnership centered on WorkFirst, a welfare program designed to help low-income families find jobs.

“Through partnership, we can bring an employee in trained in the skills and ready to fit your needs,” says Bruce Alexander, who serves as local administrator of the program through SVC and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

WorkFirst takes welfare recipients, trains them and helps them find and keep jobs. It partners with DSHS, Employment Security, State Community and Technical Colleges and Community Economic and Technical Development, as well as the Private Industry Council, Economic Development Association of Skagit County, SVC and Upper Skagit Tribe.

The largest partners are the businesses willing to hire WorkFirst graduates. Some of those Alexander acknowledged were Washington Mutual Bank, Pacific Northwest Bank, Skagit Resort and Costco Warehouse.

“Employers say, ‘If you can train people with those skills, we have jobs and can hire them,’” Alexander remarks. “That’s one of our key things.”

He says one of the problems WorkFirst faces is the lack of funding, with only $1.6 million allocated for the whole area. But he points out that training is continuing and new ideas are forthcoming. “We’re not sitting here looking at old stuff,” he states. “We’re looking at new stuff, too.”

 

Two County Toxic Sites Cited by State Agency

The state Department of Ecology has added 42 properties — including two from Skagit County — to its list of sites that have toxic contamination.

The sites added at the end of August include: Custom Plywood Mill and Tecnal Corp., both in Anacortes.

Cleanup is required at sites where levels of toxic substances are above standards set in the state’s Model Toxics Control Act of 1989.

Of 8,899 contaminated sites identified over the past 13 years, more than half have been cleaned up and removed from the state’s hazardous-sites list and about one-third of them have cleanups in progress.

 

Home Prices Drop Sharply After Sept. 11

Like many businesses around the country, real estate companies in the Puget Sound area reported a downturn during September as brokers, agents, sellers and buyers focused attention on the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the East Coast, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Skagit County was no different, seeing a more-than-5-percent drop in activity. fifty-three fewer houses were listed in September than in August, NWMLS says.

The average price for a house plummeted from $197,733 in August to $170,586 in September, but the median price (halfway between highest and lowest selling price) was down only $3,500 to $156,500.

The NWMLS says there were 176 new listings in September, raising the inventory to 930 with 113 sales pending and 140 closed. The average number of days a house was on the market was 100, compared to 93 in August.

 

Piazza Construction Garners Project of Year Award

Piazza Construction of Mount Vernon recently won Skagit Island Counties Building Association’s Project of the Year Award for a single-family residence over 3,000 square feet in size.

The SICBA award for 2000 was accorded for an Anacortes home with an “unbelievable view of the water,” says Bill Inman of Piazza Construction, Inc., the project manager.

 

Brown-McMillen Celebrates 30 Years in Real Estate

Brown-McMillen Real Estate recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Started in 1971 by Allen Brown and Gary McMillen, the Burlington company has served hundreds of families with their real estate needs, as well as developed a number of residential and commercial projects, over the years.

Present staff includes: Tod LeHecka, Mary Jo Reitsma, Shelah and Fritz Inman, Tim Reichert, Meade Sprouse, Jan Scally, Ron Wortham, Jeff Ingman, David Huynh, Holly Holmes, Dick Best and Galen Kindred.

Call them at 757-6013 for more information.

 

HomePlace Receives Senior Services Award

HomePlace Inc. recently received the Senior Services of Washington New Organization Award at SSOW’s annual conference in September.

SSOW recognizes a relatively new organization with the award for its dedicated efforts to improve services for older people in the state. Nancy Gentry, RN and chief executive officer of HomePlace, accepted the award.

HomePlace Corp. consists of three facilities: HomePlace Special Care and Where the Heart Is Assisted Living in Burlington, and a HomePlace in Oak Harbor.

 

Edward Jones Donates $1M to WTC Victims

The financial-services firm Edward Jones recently donated $1 million to aid victims of the Sept. 11 attack on the East Coast, according to local representative Timothy U. Price.

The firm designated $500,000 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and the same amount to United Way’s September 11th Fund. In addition, Edward Jones will match dollar for dollar any money contributed by its associates.

Price is an investment representative at 1616 N. 18th St., Suite 140. Edward Jones also has offices in downtown Mount Vernon, Burlington and Anacortes.

 

KeyBank Employees ‘Make Difference’

KeyBank employees from Mount Vernon took a day off recently to help “make the difference” as volunteers. They chose as their project the old Rosario School near Lake Campbell.

“We cataloged books, painted outhouses, carried out files from lab facilities, revarnished bookcases and did some outdoor gardening,” says Cynthia Tyler, one of the organizers.

She says all seven KeyBank Mount Vernon employees participated in the project Sept. 20. They were: Darlene Birkett, Mo Ludan, Pam Stradford, Tyler, Kris Tully, Terica Wright and Amy Zavala. Mark Tennant also helped.

“It was a very enjoyable day,” she adds.

The one-room schoolhouse is no longer in use but is maintained as an historic landmark.

 

Cap Nap Inn Helps out Humane Society

Kolleen Fox and Hans Kruithoff, owners of Cat Nap Inn Bed and Breakfast Exclusively for Cats just north of Alger, recently donated 1,500 pounds of cat food and cat litter to two nonprofit agencies.

They chose the Whatcom County Humane Society and Saving Pets One at a Time (SPOT). for their donation.

“We’re proud to be part of their mission for the past two years,” Fox states. “We wanted to give back to the community. Both (agencies) do great work and play significant roles in helping animals in our community.”

Cat Nap Inn was custom-designed and built with cats’ needs and preferences in mind. It’s located at 1233 Butler Creek Road, about two miles north of Alger in Skagit County.

 

Lincoln Theatre Benefits from State Grant

The Lincoln Theatre campaign fund got a little heavier recently with the arrival of a state grant for $28,500. The theater’s nonprofit foundation says it now has $1.35 million of the $2.8 million it needs for renovation of the historic building in downtown Mount Vernon.

The grant was proffered by the Preservation Works for Washington Historic Rehabilitation program through the federal Historic Preservation Fund.

The 75-year-old theater on First Street near Kincaid is being renovated to expand its repertoire of films, plays, events and larger-scale theater productions.

 

Skagit Land Trust Receives Phone System

Interconnect Systems, with offices in Mount Vernon, Bellingham and Everett, has donated a new telephone systems to the Skagit Land Trust.

The system, valued at $5,000, was installed in the Mount Vernon office of the land conservation and stewardship organization. The donation included four digital telephones and in-house voice mail. Other companies that supported the donation include Vodavi Communications Systems, manufacturer of the system, and TWS Co., which provided a five-year warranty.

 

Cascade Candy Donates Proceeds to SPF

Cascade Candy Co. is donating a portion of the sales from its famous Royal Dessert Apple™ to Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland (SPF).

The La Conner candy company owners Chuck and Joan Kiser say they supports the local farming industry by utilizing locally grown apples and berries for their products and SPF through membership and participation in fund-raising events.

Jonagolds used in Royal Dessert Apples come from Merritt’s Orchard in Bow.

For more information, call 466-2971.

 

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland Honored

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, the Skagit-based organization dedicated to “protecting farmers, farming and farmland,” was recently honored as a Founder of a New Northwest 2000 Award.

The award was presented at a three-day Sustainability Forum in Portland, which designated 31 organizations such as SPF from Alaska to California as “Founders.”

“We’re honored to be included with a group of exemplary businesses, community organizations and individuals committed to making a productive future for people and the natural resources they depend upon,” says Bob Rose SPF executive director, who accepted the award.

Other awards were meted out to Wildcatch/Capilano Pacific of Bellingham and eight other state organizations and individuals.

 

United Way on Target to Reach Goal

The United Way fund-raising campaign is in full swing and, according to chair Peter Browning, “It’s been a great start.”

A number of corporations in the Skagit County area pledged to United Way in a big way before the kickoff in September.

“We do have a concern that the events of Sept. 11 will have an affect on local giving,” Browning, the county’s health officer, laments. “It’s important for people to know that United Way contributions are kept local. We serve 23 member agencies.

“A lot of people don’t realize that United Way serves as an agent for the smaller organizations that don’t have the size or ability to raise funds on their own,” he adds.

Browning says about 40 percent of the $725,000 target has been achieved. “We’re well within a reasonable goal,” he says.

For more information, call United Way of Skagit County, 755-9521, for more information.

 

Business Resource Center Presents Classes

The Skagit Valley College Business Resource Center is presenting two classes aimed at human resources for local businesses.

• “Employment Law and Hiring,” Nov. 10, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn the law that governs recruitment, selection, orientation, training and development. Cost $70.

• “Performance Appraisal and Compensation,” Nov. 17, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn to provide motivational performance appraisal and compensation and benefits systems. Learn to discipline and terminate employees. Cost $70.

To register or find out more information, call 416-7873. The Business Resource Center is located at 204 W. Montgomery St. in downtown Mount Vernon.

 

Festival of Trees Kicks off Annual Fundraiser

The Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation’s annual fundraiser, Festival of Trees, will be held this year Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 24-25, at St. Joseph Center, 215 N. 15th St., Mount Vernon.

The gala kick-off banquet is slated for Friday, Nov. 23.

Businesses sponsor trees and wreaths and volunteers decorate them for display, using winter and Christmas themes. The trees are judged and given awards. For two days, the public can view the trees and enjoy music presented by local performers. Anyone wishing to may purchase a tree or wreath through the auction process.

For more information, call the foundation, 428-2140.

Last year’s event, the 12th, raised $180,000 to help purchase a central fetal monitoring system at the hospital’s Family Birth Center. About 600 people attended the gala and more than 5,000 participated in the public days.

 

WWU Business Forum Features REI CEO

Dennis Madsen, chief executive officer of the outdoor sports equipment firm REI, will be the speaker for Western Washington University’s inaugural Bellingham Business Forum.

The event starts at noon, Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Best Western Lakeway Inn in Bellingham.

“This forum is a highly visible expression of the strengthening connections between the university and the business community of Whatcom and Skagit counties,” says WWU President Karen W. Morse.

“Madsen’s appearance has drawn great interest from business people,” says Rick Haggen, chair of the forum and co-chair of Haggen Inc. “He represents the kind of speaker the university plans to bring to each subsequent forum over the years.”

For more information, call Haggen at (360) 650-8214 or Stephanie Bowers, executive director, (360) 650-3027.

 

Nov. 28 MV Christmas Parade Looks for Participation

The Downtown Business Community of Mount Vernon is looking for participants in this year’s Christmas Parade, Dec. 2.

To receive an entry form, call Jennifer Kirkpatrick at 336-9277; they must be returned by Nov. 28. Applicants will receive a letter of confirmation, map of route and parking, check-in time and map of disbanding route and area. Other rules will be in force as well.

 

County History Museum Sponsors Skagit Virtual Tour

The county recently launched a virtual tour of Skagit history on its Web site.

Developed by Janet Oakley of the Skagit County Historical Museum and county Web developer Brian Young, the Web site — www.skagitcounty.net/museum.htm — is a virtual tour of the general store at the museum on Fourth Street in La Conner.

“It’s definitely a partnership with the county,” says Karen Marshall, director of the museum. “Janet created the concept and the entire staff helped with it at some stage.” Young designed the Web site for the museum.

Oakley says the purpose of the site it to permit students who otherwise might find it difficult to come to La Conner an opportunity to see it online.

 

Minimum Wage to Increase to $6.90 Jan. 1

Workers earning minimum wage in Washington state will be paid $6.90 per hour starting Jan. 1, 2002, a raise of 18 cents an hour over the current rate.

The minimum wage is recalculated each year in September as a result of an initiative approved by voters in 1998. It tied the wage to changes in the federal Consumer Price Index for urban wage earners and clerical workers.

For more information, consult the state Labor and Industries Web site at www.LNI.wa.gov/scs/workstandards/minwage.htm.