Shell Takes over Old Texaco Refinery

What goes around comes around, or so you would gather with the latest shuffle of refinery ownerships on March’s Point.

Shell, an illustrious name in Anacortes since the mid-’50s, is back. But not at the northern tip of the peninsula, as in years past, but where its one-time competitor, Texaco, used to be — and where Puget Sound Refining Co. (PSRC) was until a recent merger agreement between Texaco and (let’s not get too confused here) Chevron.

You see, last year, Chevron acquired Texaco to form Chevron Texaco, but Texaco was required to divest its interest in Equilon, the Houston-based parent company of PSRC, which meant also getting rid of PSRC. Shell, which had to do the same with its Anacortes refinery in 1998 when it and Texaco combined forces on the West Coast, has now moved in to take over PSRC under the new name of Shell Puget Sound Refinery.

An old Shell hand-turned-Equilon (Texaco), Tom Smith, will continue to run the refinery for Shell.

“This company is firmly committed to our customers and our partners,” Smith states. “The Shell mission is ‘helping people build a better world’ and we think it starts with caring for our employees and their futures, and certainly includes caring for our community and the environment around us.”

Texaco originally opened in 1958 a few years after Shell went on line to its north, receiving crude oil from several sources, especially later from Alaska. The two refineries always have processed crude into a variety of commodities including vehicle gasoline, aviation fuel, kerosene and other derivatives. When Shell joined Texaco, it sold its refinery to Tesoro, which continues to process fuel there today.

“What may be really confusing to the local community is seeing the Shell logo on what was the Texaco refinery,” explains Smith. “Especially when it used to be seen on the refinery next door, which is now Tesoro.”

What’s more, he adds, many Texaco service stations are now owned or licensed by Shell. But under the agreement with Texaco, Shell will begin to phase out this brand with the intent to convert many Texaco stations to Shell over the next couple of years.

“The change is historic,” says Smith. “We celebrate our Texaco heritage, which has been very important to many employees and this community. But being a part of a large, stable and well-run company means we can look forward to many years of continuing investment in our community.”

Remodeled Mount Vernon City Hall Now Open

It used to be that drunks being processed at Mount Vernon’s downtown police station had to scoot over so other jail inmates and officers could pass through a narrow corridor where the breathalyzer was. That’s all been changed now.

For one thing, the police department isn’t downtown anymore; it’s on Continental Place, along with the municipal court. The mayor’s office, also, was in that building for a while, until $1.1 million worth of renovations on the old city hall were completed.

The city — and Mayor Skye Richendrfer — celebrated the grand opening the last day of February, with cake and punch and tours of the facility.

“What we’ve done is provide a place that’s worthy of this community and the very important business of the public that our staff is charged with,” says Richendrfer.

The mayor’s office itself is a major change, from a narrow outer office and cubbyhole behind the fire station to an upstairs room lit by late-winter sun, replete with conference table, knickknack shelves, large-size desk, computer stand and space enough to greet a champion basketball squad. On the other side is another, larger conference center.

“I’m happy as can be to be back downtown,” a gleaming mayor, dressed in brown sports coat and tie, notes. “You don’t miss the downtown area and the familiarity with it until you’ve been gone for a while. I can tell you that I’m thrilled to death, and most of our staff is thrilled to death to be back, too.”

The two-plus-year renovation took its toll on businesses and neighbors to the complex, now at 910 Cleveland Ave., with street work being done in tandem with the building renovations.

“Our citizens have been so very patient,” Richendrfer states. “This project has been very disruptive. You see how the new façade ties in with the renovation on Cleveland, the antique lighting. I’m very proud to have been part of an organization that was able to accomplish the remodel.”

Work to the 14,000-square-foot building was in dire need. It had been built in 1964 and not updated since. When first built, the police department itself numbered only 10 men, and over the years that changed dramatically. With the move to Continental Place, police left behind a compact area still not large enough to hold the mayor’s office, financial department and planning and development section, which had been housed temporarily in a portable next to the public library.

At least for the time being, there’s now plenty of space for those and other departments.

 

Tulip Festival Swings into Action for 2002

Even while the county’s movers and shakers were kicking off the 2002 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival at Van Zyverden Brothers Warehouse at Bayview Business Park, plans for next year’s festival were going into action. Randy Dana, a former Tulip Festival poster artist, was selected to do the 2003 artwork.

Tulip Festival is the valley’s biggest tourist draw, running this year from April 5 through 21, and features not only the gorgeous array of tulip, daffodil and iris flowers in fields west of Mount Vernon and Burlington, but also events all over the county.

As many as half a million people were expected to spend some time (and money) in the county over the three-week festival. About 350,000 came in 2000.

According to festival statistics, 57 percent of those attending had come the previous year, 86 percent came specifically for the festival and about one in six stayed overnight — half of them in local hotel, motel or bed and breakfasts. All told, the visitors spent nearly $14 million in the county, $5.4 million on plants and bulbs, $4.8 million on food and beverages, $1.4 million on accommodations and the rest on sundry purchases.

Many visitors from the south get off at Conway and course their way around Fir Island to land in the fields bear Best Road and closeby La Conner. Others get off at Kincaid, use Mount Vernon as a jump-off spot and either drive out McLean and other roads to the fields or, on weekends, use the inexpensive shuttle, this year sponsored by Suzuki via Gordon Nissan Suzuki. Visitors from the north might get off at Burlington, take a side trip upriver and spend some time in Sedro-Woolley where activities are planned, or go straight out Highway 20 to find the fields.

No matter how you cut it, everyone benefits from the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Even the state, which in the past has garnered as much as $848,000 in sales taxes alone!

 

Etera’s Successor Raising the Bar on Plants

Northwest Horticulture LLC, formed after its predecessor Etera Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy nearly a year ago, is banking on springtime sales and the company’s patented planting method to pull itself out of a hole.

Lars Nilsen, the firm’s chief executive officer, expects to sell $15 million worth of plants this year, up $3 million from last year, utilizing the company’s extensive greenhouses on Riverbend Road in Mount Vernon and 13 acres more in Mabton, Eastern Washington.

The firm was featured in February as a cover story in Greenhouse Grower magazine.

Etera, founded by Carl Loeb, owner of Summersun in Mount Vernon, filed for Chapter 11 last July after sales via Internet failed. The company was split into the Northwest Horticulture segment, a grower that today ranks 48th in the country, and separate PlantAmerica, an Arlington, Va.-based company specializing in Web-site services to garden centers and nurseries nationwide.

Northwest purchased a million square feet of greenhouse space on 25 acres, the patented “bottomless pot” growing system devised by Loeb, and the Etera brand. It employs 73 persons full-time and up to 250 more seasonally.

 

Pipe Manufacturer T Bailey to Move, Expand

T Bailey Inc. is moving and expanding into Port of Anacortes property less than a mile away from its current home.

Gene Tanaka, founder of the manufacturer of giant industrial pipes, says the new property is an old gravel pit that T Bailey will rent for $2,800 a month with an option to buy.

“We’ve wanted to expand,” Tanaka says. “We’re leasing with the intention of buying the land across from the sawmill (Snow Mountain Mill). The site is 22 acres of which about 10 are usable.” The address is 9628 March’s Point Road, on the east side of the peninsula.

Port commissioners approved the 30-year lease in mid-March.

T Bailey is located now on 4.5 acres at 1241 Bartholomew Road near the principal entrance to Shell Puget Sound Refinery. It also has a facility in Anacortes on T Avenue.

Tanaka and his partner, Darrell Lehmann, were hoping to purchase the port property if it can sell or lease the property it occupies now — which, Tanaka says, “is a bit of a white elephant. We are talking to the refinery, but they want to buy land, not a facility.” On the new property, they hope to build towers that can hold wind-powered electrical generators used in the construction of huge pipes that are sent all over the world for use in major industrial complexes.

 

Bella Soul Recently Moved to Riverside

Bella Soul Salon and Day Spa has moved to a new home next to Riverside Health Club, at 331 Pacific Place, Mount Vernon.

Owned by Ingrid Thornton, the business formerly was on Victoria Avenue in Burlington.

 

SkagitPages Occupies Space at eTech Campus

SkagitPages.com, the interactive on-line directory for Skagit Valley residents and businesses, has moved to its new location at the eTech campus, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon.

The Internet firm develops “the most complete, easy-to-use and up-to-date online resource to help local businesses connect with consumers and other businesses,” Ken Wolcoski, a principal with the firm, says.

“Our new location allows us to be at the center of business in Skagit County and take advantage of high-quality fiber-optic connections,” he adds.

Meanwhile, the company has launched its interactive on-line directory.

“Everything is in one place,” Wolcoski states. “Whether you want to find a business or browse our calendar of events, all the information is packaged in an east-to-use format.”

Find SkagitPages.com on the World Wide Web.

 

Walkers Has New Home near Karl’s Paints

Walkers Healthy Pet has moved to 1515-C Freeway Drive, next to Karl’s Paints, in Mount Vernon.

“We are excited about the new location, which will better serve our customers with its convenient I-5 access and increased parking options,” says Scott Price, president. “(There’s) more retail space, so we are able to add services for our clientele.”

“We are please to have Walkers. They are a nice addition to our neighborhood,” says Dale Ragan, owner of Karl’s Paints and a co-owner of the commercial property.

Walkers has taken over the space formerly occupied by The Tile and Stone Connection, also near Maryott’s Honda and WoodCraft Wood Floors.

Walkers offers pet foods made only from “human-grade” ingredients and chelated minerals. It was formerly located in downtown, next to the Mount Vernon Café, and also has a store in the Fairhaven District of Bellingham.

 

Bates Abrasives Takes up New Residence

Bates Abrasives, Inc. a manufacturer of cutt-off and grinding wheels, has moved into its new 42,000-square-foot facility built to accommodate its continued growth.

President Paul Anderson says the company outgrew its former Burlington plant and now has additional manufacturing, engineering and warehouse capacity in the new location at 872 North Hill Blvd. in the Burlington Hill Business Park.

“For the past 26 years, we have built our business on quality products and excellent customer service,” Anderson states. “this new facility will allow us to continue our steady growth and our commitment of serving our customers.”

For more information, call 757-4010 or visit Bates’ Web site at www.batesabrasives.com.

 

Old Cascade Clear Resold to Bellevue Firm

Advanced H2O Inc. of Bellevue recently purchased Clearly Canadian Beverage Corp. of Burlington, the bottling plant for Cascade Clear Water.

Cascade Clear, founded by the Duffy family of Burlington in the mid-’90s, was sold to the Vancouver, B.C.-based firm three years ago and continued to bottle and sell the popular water and flavored beverages found under that brand throughout the Northwest.

Advanced H2O reportedly paid $2.1 million in cash for the production facility, assumed another $2.2 million in debt and will pay a further $2.0 million from sales.

Meanwhile, Advanced also announced it was building a new production facility off Pease Road. Contractor is Dan Mitzel

.

DeCamp & Stradford under New Ownership

As a salesman, Don Olson liked the product so much he decided to buy the company. Only this company is one of the oldest continuous businesses in Skagit County — DeCamp and Stradford Furniture of Burlington.

Owners Gil DeCamp and Lew Curran decided to retire. Olson, who worked for them, decided he would buy the business and keep it going.

Olson, a 1991 graduate of Burlington-Edison High School, was employed by DeCamp and Curran for 12 years before approached to buy the company. He has one full-time and one part-time employee.

The store, at 533 E. Fairhaven Ave., began in the 1920s and fell into the McKay family’s hands before DeCamp went to work for them in the 1950s. He and Bus Stradford bought it in 1961 and changed the name. Stradford retired in 1971.

 

Hitchman and Hammer Continue Buer’s Legacy

Eloise Hammer and Dee Hitchman, sisters, recently partnered to continue as owners and operators of Buer’s Anacortes Floral and Gift.

The business, at 720 Commercial Ave., specializes in special-occasion floral pieces, a unique gift line, custom silk designs, weddings and funeral arrangements, European garden baskets, tropical plants and more.

The company was formerly owned by Hammer and Hitchman’s late parents, Richard and Esther Buer. A third generation — the present owners’ children — has already started in the business.

For more information, call 293-5412.

 

Popular Restaurant Chain Setting up in Cascade Mall

Chuck E. Cheese, a restaurant with a theme to attract children and adults alike, has leased space at the Cascade Mall and hopes to open this summer, according to mall marketing director René Morris.

The 11,000-square-foot, family-style restaurant with a mascot mouse named Chuck E. Cheese will be located near the Sears end of the mall, far away from the food court area. Morris says a new entrance to the mall is being built to accommodate visitors.

Chuck E. Cheese is owned by CEC Entertainment of Texas, which operates about 340 restaurants. Another 60 are franchised. It’s represented in 45 states.

 

New Car Repair Shop in Sedro-Woolley

Cliff Ballenger and Freddie Vela have opened Puget Sound Automotive, a new automotive repair garage, at 334 Metcalf St., Sedro-Woolley.

“We specialize in honesty, customer satisfaction and integrity,” says Vela. “We’re concentrating on public relations and standing behind our work.”

Vela and Ballenger do all kinds of general automotive repair and also specialize in performance work, 4x4 pickups and vehicle-buyer inspections “starting at $24.99.”

Call 855-0743.

 

Another Skagit Office for Edward Jones

Edward Jones, an investment and financial-services firm, has opened another office in Skagit County, at 606 E. Fairhaven Ave., Burlington.

It’s the second Burlington office and the fifth in the county for the national company, which has more branches than any other firm of its kind, expect to reach 10,000 by next year.

James Fix is the investment representative at the new office. Terry Fife is the broker at the other Burlington location, 160 Cascade Place.

“Terry has set an outstanding example for me to follow,” Fix states. “His dedication to the people who trust Edward Jones has been instrumental in the growth of our firm, and I look forward to carrying on that tradition.”

Other offices in Skagit County include 1120 - 12th St., Anacortes, and two in Mount Vernon: 307 S. First St. and 1616 N. 18th St.

Call Fix at 755-1424 and ask him also about his “financial workshops.”

 

Early Bird Tax a New Service in MV

Jessie Conley has opened Early Bird Tax Service at 525-G E. College Way, near Value Village, in Mount Vernon.

“I saw a need for a tax office that could provide a service in which the clientele are not rushed,” says Conley.

“Each client is given a full understanding of his/her situation with our tax advisers, who provide essential tax planning and information about the changes in the new tax law,” he continues. “In addition, I wanted to avoid the high prices and feeling of intimidation that larger tax firms may create.”

For more information, call 848-6400.

 

Peoples Bank Launches New Branch in Burlington

Peoples Bank recently opened its fifth Skagit County office location, this one inside the new Haggen Foods store in Burlington.

The new branch, at 757 Haggen Drive, is managed by Karen Poirier and offers a full range of personal and business banking services, including an on-staff real estate loan representative.

The branch has extended hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., following the model of the bank’s other grocery branches in Mount Vernon (Haggen’s) and Sedro-Woolley (Thrifty Foods).

“Customers seem to appreciate the convenience of our new location, our extended banking hours and the personal service we provide,” Poirier says.

Other branches are located in Anacortes and on Riverside Drive in Mount Vernon. Peoples is a $410 million, independent community bank, based in Lynden. It was founded in 1921 and operates 15 offices in Skagit, Whatcom and King counties.

Clothing Store Her Closet

Now Sells Furniture, Gifts

Her Closet in Burlington already had a great reputation for its used women’s attire, now it has expanded to include antique furniture and gifts as well, says manager DiAnn Sager.

The store, at 113 E. Fairhaven Ave., sells large and small furniture pieces, gifts and home-décor items, such as lamps, pillows, bath accessories and candles, Sager says.

“Of course, we still carry high-quality consignment women’s clothing at bargain prices,” she adds.

Call 755-5054.

 

Anacortes Bookseller Expands Next Door

Pelican Bay Books has expanded its used-book facility by taking over the space next door, the former Wild Things, whose owner retired about one year ago.

Located at 410 Commercial Ave., Pelican Bay now offers a larger line of used and collectible comic books in the store.

By taking over the other location and cutting a hole through the wall between, the bookstore “just about doubled the space,” a spokesperson says.

Call 293-1852.

 

Applied Digital Imaging Expands Nationally

Applied Digital Imaging, a Bellingham-based copy house with customers in the Skagit area, recently partnered with a design firm in Southern California that specializes in creative solutions for the music and entertainment industry.

In addition to Top Design Studio of Los Angeles, Applied Digital Imaging services several other out-of-state clients, some with international distribution.

Founded in 1987, Applied Digital Imaging is the largest copy house in northwestern Washington. Call (360) 671-9465 or visit the Web site at www.applieddi.com.

 

Westel Consulting Now Reaches Four Counties

Westel Consulting Services of Bellingham has expanded its service area to include Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. The company offers telecommunications solutions through partnerships with leading firms, such as AT&T, Cisco Systems and Nortel Networks.

Founded in March 1997 in Snohomish as a telecommunication consulting company, Westel specializes in high-speed Internet digital access for hotels and motels.

Call (360) 733-6062.

 

Taco Time Getting Ground-up Makeover

Mark Mauden says it’s about time his Taco Time in Mount Vernon got a makeover, only this one started with the complete demolition of the old familiar structure at 600 E. College Way.

The old restaurant was leveled early last month. The yellow-and-green sign out front says: “See you in June.”

“We hope to have it done by June,” Mauden projects. “It’ll be about 400-500 square feet larger than the old store.”

 

Motel in Alger Targets Travelers Seeking No Frills

Alger isn’t much of a destination point. It has a roadhouse-style tavern, a couple of video stores, a store, a church and a few small construction-oriented businesses. And now it has a motel.

Builder Lance Yohannan is just finishing work on the motel, Whispering Firs, across from the Alger Bar and Grille, on the old Pacific Highway, a half mile off Interstate 5.

“It’s clean, quiet and affordable,” says Yohannan, who hopes also to capitalize on the nearby Skagit Speedway in season. “We have a Western motif on the outside and it’s lodgelike, with pine furnishings, inside. It’s comfortable, and we have refrigerators and microwaves for visitors who want them.”

Yohannan says the 13 “no frills” units will cost “about $55 a night.”

Call 724-FIRS (3477).

 

Mini Storage Built at I-5’s Alger Exit

A new residential and commercial mini-storage business has just been completed behind the Texaco station at the Alger exit of Interstate 5.

The Alger Mini Storage, at 1878 Patrick Lane, includes seven sizes of units from 5x5 to 30x40 with 12x14-foot doors and key-pad access. Gate hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Owned by Tom Buggia of Alger, the facility includes both heated and unheated units, warehouse space, spacious outdoor parking, lock boxes, on-site management and room for vehicle, boat and RV storage.

Call 724-5200 for more information.

 

Sacré Bleu! No More Palmer’s Downtown?

One of Mount Vernon’s most upscale (and Continental) restaurants, Palmer’s, has closed down so that owners Thomas and Danielle Palmer can concentrate on growing their latest venture, the old Lighthouse Inn in La Conner.

“We have moved (to La Conner),” Thomas Palmer says. “We have a great view, same fabulous food and the same, wonderful service.”

The Mount Vernon Palmer’s was started as short-lived Brian Boru’s Irish Restaurant and Pub by the owners of a similar eatery on Post Alley in Seattle. The Palmers took over a few years later, transformed the front into a swanky-looking French restaurant with awning and attracted a clientele from all over northwestern Washington.

Many in Mount Vernon and elsewhere considered Palmer’s an anchor location that could, over time, help build the city’s reputation as a destination point.

Meanwhile, the Palmers bought the Lighthouse last year from Dianne and the late Tore Dybfest and have sunk tens of thousands of dollars into renovations into the venerable restaurant along the Swinomish Channel. More recently, they sold their other La Conner outlet at 103 Washington St. to Casey and Susan Schanen, who have renamed it Nell Thorn Restaurant and Pub.

The Palmers briefly tried one other venture over the past year when they operated another Palmer’s at Sudden Valley Golf Course, which recently reopened as another Bob’s Burgers and Brew.

 

Kitchens By Design New/Old Business Here

The following is a corrected version of a new-business item that ran last month:

After a decade of installing and servicing kitchen cabinetry for others in Skagit County, Dave Graham has gone retail, opening Kitchens By Design in Mount Vernon at 107 Cedar St.

Graham installed kitchen cabinets on contract with Eagle Hardware and Garden and its successor, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse in Mount Vernon and Smokey Point, as well as Home Base in Bellingham.

“His love has always been retail and he wanted to get back into it,” Graham’s wife, Serena, says, adding that he worked in retail in Hawaii many years ago. “It was good timing for us.”

When one of his customers dropped the Crown line of cabinets, he called the company in Utah and offered to be its representative here.

“They said yes, and we now take care of their customers from Lynnwood to the Canadian border,” Serena Graham says.

They also inherited a fine showroom in their new business location, which formerly was the Lyndale Glass outlet in Mount Vernon. There they can show their cabinets, countertops of all kinds, and even a plumbing line for customers. “We do the complete kitchen,” Serena Graham adds.

For more information, call 848-6721.

 

‘Return to Sender’ Posts Record Results

MacGregor Publishing Co. of Mount Vernon recently posted the results of its 5th-annual “Return to Sender” phonebook recycling program.

This year, 16 elementary schools and more than 5,000 schoolchildren throughout the county collected more than 89,000 pounds of used telephone books, enough to partially insulate 55 Habitat for Humanity homes, according to MacGregor chief executive officer Bob Taylor.

The winners were Big Lake School with 241 pounds per student, Viewcrest Christian with 100 pounds and Mount Vernon Christian with 59 pounds. Big Lake collected a total of 41,756 pounds.

“We sincerely appreciate MacGregor Publishing Co.’s continued efforts on our behalf,” says Hardy VanRy, executive director, Skagit Habitat for Humanity. “It’s a great way to encourage children to recycle, while at the same time helping to provide warm, safe homes for working families.”

Partners in the effort were Waste Management, Skagit River Steel and Recycling, Puget Sound Truck Lines, Thermoguard Insulation, Hot Stuff Pizza at Conway Union 76 and Domino’s Pizza. The pizza companies provided pizza parties for winning classrooms.

 

New Habitat House Construction Started

Construction has started on a new Skagit Habitat for Humanity home in La Conner — the first since completion last year of the eight-home Division Street project in Mount Vernon.

The 960-square-foot home is being built for Dean Flood, a resident of La Conner for more than 25 years, who was disabled in an automobile accident some years ago.

The home features wider doors to accommodate his wheelchair, a bathroom compliant to standards set by the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and a driveway that accesses the outdoor entry ramp system.

Located at 924 S. Fourth St. next door to Dean’s old home, the house is being built by volunteers and friends who will take on the 500 hours of “sweat equity” Dean, as a Habitat recipient, would otherwise be asked to provide.

Building materials also are often donated by local businesses.

Habitat has built homes now in Sedro-Woolley, Mount Vernon and La Conner and also plans upgrades to existing houses in the area. For more information, including applications, volunteer work or donations, call 428-9402.

 

Home Sales Down Slightly in Skagit

Sales of homes in the county dropped slightly in February, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which handles transactions for 13 counties in the state.

February’s closed sales for homes and condominiums totaled 70, down from 94 in January and only six below last year’s February figure.

New listings added up to 182, bringing the inventory to 839. In January, there were 232 listings and 843 on the market, a drop of 1.99 percent. In February 2001, total activity was 856 with 238 new listings.

Pending sales in February totaled 114, compared to 91 in January and 124 in 2001.

The median price of a home in Skagit County remained about the same. The price between the highest and lowest sale was $149,450 in February, $147,825 in January and $156,500 a year ago.

Houses were on the market for 96 days average, 11 fewer than one year ago.

Throughout the NWMLS system — King, Snohomish, Pierce, Kitsap, Mason, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Cowlitz, Grant, Thurston, San Juan, Island and Skagit counties — there were 9,082 listings for a total of 25,072 homes on the market; 5,527 pending sales; 3,947 closed sales; and $195,000 as a median price for a home.

 

‘Crazy for the Arts’ Set for May 4

Fundraising to build a performing-arts center at the college in Mount Vernon is proceeding, with a monetary gift from the late Burl Ives and his wife and an annual dinner-auction set for next month.

The Skagit Performing Arts Council (SPAC), a coalition of area performing organizations, presents its 3rd-annual extravaganza, “Crazy for the Arts,” Saturday, May 4, at the Pacific Showroom next to the Skagit Valley Casino on Bow Hill. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the silent auction, with dinner at 7 p.m. followed by a live auction. Tickets are $50 per person.

The contract to build the $18 million structure with 700-seat auditorium and convention space was recently awarded to Baugh Construction, which built Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Architect Marc Estvold of Anacortes was appointed executive director for the project.

Fundraising was bolstered by a $6 million lead gift from the Jack McIntyre family. Another $8 million in Public Facility District funds also has been allocated. In February, Ives, a world-renowned singer and actor who died in Anacortes in 1995, and his wife Dorothy provided an endowment of $120,000 toward the center.

The $4 million or so remaining is being raised through fundraisers, like the dinner-auction, or through application of grants and donations from the community. For more information, contact the council at 424-5206, or visit the Web site at www.skagitarts.net.

 

Windermere Donates Cash to Local Charity

Sales associates and staff with Windermere Real Estate’s Anacortes office recently teamed up with the Windermere Foundation in donating $500 to Love Inc. of Skagit Valley.

The organization links those in need to the local churches and volunteers who assist them, especially those who are homeless or need financial aid.

WRE/Anacortes Properties is owned by James Scott and his son Nate Scott.

The Foundation was created in 1989 to provide funds to social service agencies that offer housing and services to low-income and homeless children and families.

 

Simon Painting Hangs in United General

A large oil painting by Conway artist John Simon hangs in a hallway of United General Hospital as part of a new effort to bring fine art into Affiliated Health Services’ facilities.

The painting, “Boulder Creek,” is the first piece purchased with funds donated to the new fine-art program.

A memorial fund was set up in the name of Michele “Michael” Kjosen, former owner of Wildflowers Restaurant, who died of cancer in August 2000. That memorial trust was established in Kjosen’s name to begin a fine-art program at UGH.

A quilt designed by Susan Wells Hall of Mount Vernon also was donated last June to Skagit Valley Hospital.

 

Arts Association Provides $2K in SVC Scholarships

The Skagit Art Association recently presented a check for $2,000 to the Skagit Valley College Art Department to award as scholarships for two deserving students.

The money was raised during the Tulip Festival’s “Art in a Pickle Barn” display.

“This donation has become a very gracious and supportive tradition over the past few years,” says Ann Reid, chair of the department. “Each year, we select two promising art students who are transferring to a university to complete a bachelor degree in art.”

Recipients were to be announced at the end of the last quarter.

 

Christianson’s Nursery Big Winner at Garden Show

Christianson’s Nursery of Mount Vernon walked away from the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle recently with a gold medal and the prestigious People’s Choice Award for their show display, “Mole’s End Revisited.”

John and Toni Christianson built the display, among a total of 26 at the 2002 showing of Northwest gardening at its best, at the Washington Convention Center in Seattle.

The display was designed along the lines of an English garden allotment where residents lease or tend a plot of land in their neighborhood. The Christianson’s say they used only a quarter of all the plants they produced for the display, taking only the best selection of roses, tulips, hydrangeas, peonies and hellebores.

Local businesses that helped with the display included Lefeber Turf Farm, Skagit Gardens, the former Chenoweth’s Nursery and Tillinghast Seed Co.

 

i.m.c. Celebrates First Full Year in Business

Innovative Marketing Concepts (i.m.c.) recently celebrated its first year in business helping other businesses in the county with strategic marketing.

“It’s been a great year,” says owner Tammy Cannon. “Business is alive and well in Skagit County. I’ve been privileged to work with a host of businesses in our community.”

The company provides a “whole concept” approach to marketing a company’s product or service.

For more information, call 421-1720.

 

State News Involves Redistricting, Ecology, L&I

Agencies of the state of Washington have issued the following press releases over the past several weeks:

• The Department of Ecology presented Skagit County with $382,641 in grants to the Health and Public Works departments to assist in funding local solid- and hazardous-waste programs. These include hazardous waste, home composting, the fight against illegal dumping among others in the Puget Sound region.

• The Legislature passed two concurrent resolutions amending the redistricting map for six of the state’s newly proposed legislative districts. This affects those living in the east Skagit County area, including Sedro-Woolley, which would now be in the 39th Legislative District instead of the 40th.

• Up until recently, Wal-Mart, being the huge size it is, was allowed to handle its own workers’ compensation claims through the state Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). That right has been revoked for eight years, but the company, based in Arkansas, will still be able to self-insure its 9,500 state employees. About 400 companies are allowed to self-insure rather than pay into the state insurance system, affecting about 800,000 workers.

• Candidate spending increased by 76.79 percent from $70.4 million in 1996 to $124.5 million in 2000, even though there were 203 fewer candidates, according to the Public Disclosure Commission in Olympia. The commission says spending by the major political parties increased almost 112 percent and expenditures for state Supreme Court jumped 255 percent. A fact book with more information can be found at www.pdc.wa.gov.

 

What’s Been Going on in Skagit County?

Skagit County’s Board of Commissioners has been busy the past several months.

• The board has received notice from the state Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation that the Dalles Bridges outside the Town of Concrete and the Rainbow Bridge near La Conner have been listed in the Washington Heritage Register.

• The county has issued the first bonus check for agricultural landowners who have volunteered to be salmon buffer program participants. Commissioners appropriated $1 million last year to provide a one-time signing bonus of $40 per acre per year through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to encourage local participation. The first check was awarded to Eric Stollwerck, whose family set aside 1.8 acres into the buffer program.

• The county has helped the Town of Concrete purchase a patch of land planned for Silo Park. The county bought the three lots along State Route 20 for $60,000 from Skagit State Bank and gave them to the town, which will pay the county back over six years at no interest. It is likely the lots, at Main and Superior, will be used for ball fields.

• The board voted unanimously to award $10,000 in Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) funds to Big Lake School for the construction of a play shed. Parents of the school have raised more than $30,000 as matching funds for the project.

 

Burlington Provides Raises for Some Employees

Nonunion employees of the City of Burlington, including the city administrator, city attorney and public-works director, have received pay increases, approved by the city council.

Administrator Jon Aarstad received a 4.1-percent raise to $73,032 a year. Attorney Marylyn Nitteberg was granted a 1-percent increase to $69,552 a year. Rod Garrett, Public Works director, will now receive 470,944, or 8 percent a year more.

Other nonunion employees were given raises of from fourth-tenths of a percent to 34 percent, totaling $67,300 a year in additional labor costs.

 

S-W Sending New City Hall Plan to Voters

The day the vote came up whether to tender a proposal on the old U.S. Forest Service building as a site for a new city hall, City Councilman Bruce Grandy was ill. The vote 3-3, with councilmembers Tom Storrs, Rick Lemley and Ted Meamber in favor of the site and Dean Miller, Mike Anderson and Dean Warner against.

That was in February. Last month, the council took another vote, and this time Grandy was there, on the “for” side. The 4-3 vote sent the plan to the ballot May 21.

Mayor Sharon Dillon has lobbied to put the building, on State Route 20 next to Crossroads Square, into eminent domain status to allow the city to work with the owner without having to pay excise tax.

It was necessary that four votes be cast in favor of the plan, without a tiebreaker, usually reserved for the mayor.

The city has offered $1.6 million on the languishing Forest Service building, which included a large area in back for city vehicles and equipment. The voters are asked to approve a $3.5 million bond, which will also go toward repairs.