Outpost Project a Runaway Best Seller

John Ellis knew he had a good thing going when he decided to build a strip mall in Sedro-Woolley, despite the nation’s economic woes. The Outpost, an Old West-style mall on Highway 9 just around the corner from State Route 20 in the eastern part of the city, already is near capacity with a mix of shops.

“I’ve got four tenants moved in and I’m in the last stage of negotiations with two others, a teriyaki restaurant and video store,” Ellis says of his new venture.

The businesses there now include a Papa Murphy’s pizza store, a Subway restaurant, a video arcade with both kids and seniors in mind, and a barber shop.

Ellis, who once owned the largest real estate firm in the county (Century 21 All-Pro) and is a partner in the new eTech Center in Mount Vernon, teamed with Bill Lloyd, imported weathered wood from three dismantled barns in Illinois and built the Outpost, gambling that the time was right. Sedro-Woolley, after all, has few fast-food or take-out restaurants.

The state Department of Transportation says as many as 17,000 cars travel down Highway 9 (Township) every day, and thousands more go along State Route 20 just 100 feet away.

“We’re also across from Cascade Middle School,” Ellis points out, “and that made the arcade a winner. They have a good atmosphere and a great menu for under $5.”

Another aspect of the project was the look, Ellis continues. “The Western theme fits with the downtown appearance of Sedro-Woolley,” he explains, although “downtown” is still a mile away.

Mark Inabnit, who owns the barbershop there, says, “It’s not a typical strip mall. It has its own character, lots of parking and lots of food.”

Ellis hopes to attract tourists traveling State Route 20, especially during the busy tourist season.

 

Inabnit Loves Location for New Barbershop

For Mark Inabnit, owner of two barbershops in Sedro-Woolley, his newest at the Outpost mall on Highway 9 is everything a haircutter would want.

“It’s a great location,” he says of the shop at 108 Township, across from Cascade Middle School, “and I’m open Mondays.”

Inabnit and his wife, Kim, who is a former owner and founder of the State Street Delicatessen downtown, noticed the Western-style mall being built around the corner from State Route 20 and asked owner John Ellis for a lease.

“I like the old barn style,” he says of the weathered wood on the façade, “and I like the tenants.”

Inabnit also owns Hank’s Barber Shop on State Street, where he has barbered for five years. It was once owned by Hank Geary, who retired.

“I’d like to keep two people at each shop all the time,” he says. Now he has Lisa Gardner and himself full time at the Outpost, Tom Barber full time at Hank’s and Lisa Hayes splitting her time between the two.

“I have four chairs now at the Outpost and would like to lease as many as six stations, but that will come later,” Inabnit declares.

Hours at the Outpost are Monday, 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.,; and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 856-0430.

 

Sedro-Woolley Arcade Caters to Kids, Seniors

Cactus Jack’s is a new arcade that owners Jackson and Gail Browning have tailored to cater to both youngsters and senior citizens.

“It’s clean, fun and smoke free,” says Jackson Browning. “We don’t turn away any kids, and the seniors are starting to come in.”

The arcade, in the center of the new Outpost mall on Highway 9 across from Cascade Middle School, offers two pool tables, foosball, air hockey, a variety of video games, a jukebox, cable television and lots of inexpensive food.

“It’s one of the most affordable places to eat in town,” Gail Browning says.

“Our goal was to keep food prices down for the kids, and now seniors are coming in for a $2.25 lunch special of soup and salad,” says her husband.

The Brownings have known each other since they were kids themselves, growing up in Sedro-Woolley. Jackson worked for Gail’s father, Dale Houston, who owned Houston’s Barbershop (which is still in business at the corner of Ferry and Metcalf streets). They went their own ways, married others, divorced and then met again several years ago, got married, lived in Palm Springs, Calif., for a few years, and finally returned to their hometown.

“We don’t allow the kids in until 2:15 p.m. when the (school) crossing patrolman leaves her post outside,” Jackson states. Adults come in after opening about 10 a.m. and often play pool or games and eat from a menu that also includes chili- and corndogs, clam chowder on Fridays and, the most expensive items on the lists, shrimp, fish and chicken with chips for $4.50.

The Brownings have expanded their services to include trips for seniors and Christian fellowship on Wednesday nights, “currently with two Sedro-Woolley churches. The pastors of the churches are also on hand if kids need counseling,” says Jackson.

“Everyone in the community has been so supportive. And parents have come in to check us out and say they like the place,” says Gail Browning.

 

Greenbriar Café in S-W Has ‘Down-home’ Cooking

Sisters Lisa Huete and Tammy Batchelor recently opened Miss Loretta’s Greenbriar Café in the old Liberty restaurant in downtown Sedro-Woolley, offering “down-home-style cookin’” with Blue Ridge Smokey Mountain flair.

The restaurant’s appellation reflects Huete and Batchelor’s mother’s name, Loretta Calvert of Mount Vernon, who hails from the Upper East Tennessee town of Erwin, where the sisters were brought up listening to bluegrass music and eating beans and cornbread, fried ’taters and okra, and fried green tomatoes, they say.

“It’s a continuation of things,” explains Huete. “We serve the general fare of food, but we also have a Southern theme. We honor our mom in this way.”

Greenbriar, at 707 Metcalf St., is a large, homey, family-style restaurant that can accommodate up to 80 diners at once. Its extensive menu offers burgers, dips, omelets, cold sandwiches and other conventional breakfast, lunch and dinner items.

“But we also have the beans and cornbread, fried ’taters — lots of fried things — catfish and chicken gizzard baskets,” Huete adds.

The business, which opened officially Nov. 27, 2001, already has 10 employees and “is going very well,” attracting out-of-towners as well as locals.

“We have two luncheon specials every day and can do banquets up to 100 persons,” Huete puts in.

The sisters’ husbands, Luis Huete and Frank Batchelor, are active in the café as well. Stop in or call 855-1809.

 

Star of India Opens in Days Inn Complex

Mount Vernon again has a restaurant devoted to “authentic (East) Indian cuisine.” Star of India opened the end of last year in the Days Inn complex, formerly occupied by Town and Country, at 2009 Riverside Drive.

The Indian restaurant is owned by Paramjit “Pami” Singh, who also owns Truck City on Old Highway 99 South, Mount Vernon, and his nephew, Parvinder “Bill” Singh. They formerly owned and operated an Indian-style restaurant in Astoria, Queens, N.Y.

“My uncle was able to find this place for a good price,” Bill Singh explains. “We brought two cooks — one of them a tandoori chef — from New York to work here.”

Star of India offers breakfast, lunch and dinner from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. Featured will be the $5.99 buffet luncheon special and a $2.99 American-style breakfast. Take-out is also available. Call 424-5501.

 

Vixen Art Studio New Cooperative in La Conner

Seven local artists, headed by Amy Griffin, have opened a cooperative called Vixen Studio and Fine Art Gallery at 109 Commerical St. in La Conner.

“I wanted the name to have energy. I belonged to a power group in college called The Vixens. It’s become a signature name,” says Griffin, a graduate of Montevallo College in Alabama with bachelor of science degrees in art and psychology.

She eventually worked at Pilchuck Glass School near Stanwood and decided she liked the Pacific Northwest enough to settle in La Conner.

“We have about 40 pieces of art on consignment now,” she says of Vixen Gallery. Other artists in the cooperative include Quinn K. Thompson, Jacqueline DeGavia, Michelle Fehner, Anne M. Volmering, Douglas Bajurin and Laura Murdock. Some of the pieces for sale are from La Conner’s Joel Brock, who used to occupy the old Fred Eyre Grocery building, and Ann Martin McCool of Anacortes.

January and February have been devoted to “Kidz Art,” says Griffin. Classes are held in acrylic, watercolor, mixed-media painting, graphite drawing and collage making, with Griffin, who has taught children in New York, teaching stained-glass construction as well. The art is then displayed in the gallery.

For more information and hours, visit or call Griffin at 446-1457 or 770-4472.

 

Webefx Moves Office to Bellingham

Webefx, a Web-development and hosting company, recently moved to new offices in Bellingham. It previously was in the Al Aiken building on Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon.

Webefx, now at 4204 Meridian St., Suite 200, works with clients to communicate with their markets in a cost-effective manner, using easy-to-edit Website technology.

“We are seeing more interest in municipalities and businesses improving operations and we are no exception,” says Dave Adams, president. “I recognize there’s real value in significantly reducing the daily commute time for key personnel, provided valuable relationships with the City of Mount Vernon, Skagit P.U.D., Skagit Valley College, Valley Electric and many other (customers) in Skagit County are not affected.”

For more information, visit: webefx.com, or call (360) 527-0400

 

Anacortes Brewery Doubles Capacity

Anacortes Brewery, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, recently upgraded its brewing system by adding a 15-barrel fermentation tank and two 15-barrel storage tanks, accord to owner Allen Rhoades.

“This will effectively double our capacity,” Rhoades explains.

The fermenter is part of the former Tapps Brewery in Lake Tapps, Wash. The tanks were manufactured by Cross Distributing of California. Sound Brewing of Seattle is brokering the sale.

Rhoades says the expansion was required to keep up with demand at the Rockfish Grill, where the brewery is located, while allowing them to accommodate growing demand for Anacortes beers in other locations.

“We participated in several festivals last year and the response has been excellent,” Rhoades states. “We felt we needed the added capacity to keep up with the requests we’ve had for our beer.”

The Rockfish Grill and Anacortes Brewery celebrated its first full year in business Dec. 19.

 

Nasty Jack’s Antiques, La Conner, Turns 30

Nasty Jack’s Antiques of La Conner celebrates its 30th year in business this year.

Owner Marlo Frank believes “our store is one of a kind,” with regular arrivals of 40-foot containers of antiques from Liverpool, England, and the Midwest.

“We also have numerous stained-glass windows, Life magazines and nostalgic gift items,” she adds.

Nasty Jack’s is at the corner of North First and East Morris streets in the heart of town. It has more than 10,000 square feet of retail space, Frank adds.

 

Summersun Greenhouse Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Summersun Greenhouse and Nursery in east Mount Vernon is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Owners Carl and Cheryl Loeb say the business, at 4100 E. College Way, was founded in 1977 after they sold a smaller, 3-year-old nursery on the Westside. Their partners, Duane and Joan Melcher, later retired.

In 1997, Carl Loeb started Etera and sold the wholesale division of Summersun to California-based Color Spot but has maintained the retail division to this day. He has since left Etera.

 

Ferndale Bus Firm Awarded Tulip Transit

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has awarded its 2002 Tulip Transit contract to Bellair Charters/Airporter Shuttle of Ferndale.

The contract provides for shuttle service between Mount Vernon and the tulip fields over two weekends of the Tulip Festival, April 13-14 and 20-21. Ten deluxe motor coaches will participate on five routes.

Visitors will find nearby parking along the bus routes and will pay a “nominal fee” to ride the coaches. In years past, the narrow roads around the fields have become clogged with auto traffic, causing long delays and some anger among motorists. The shuttle is one way to see the fields without hassle.

Bellair, owned by Larry Wickkiser of Wickkiser International Companies, Inc., has been providing airport shuttle and charter services to northwestern Washington since 1985, with daily airport trips linking Oak Harbor, Anacortes and Mount Vernon, as well as points in Whatcom County. The fleet includes 30 vehicles, from vans to deluxe coaches. Call 1-866-235-5247 or visit the Web site at www.enjoytheride.com.

 

Cap Sante Signs Lease with Twin

Cap Sante Marine of Anacortes recently signed a long-term lease with Twin Bridges Marina to provide boat maintenance, repair, parts and accessories within the new shop and showroom space at the north end of the Swinomish Channel. The 7,000-square-foot shop was opened Jan. 2.

Twin Bridges, the first indoor heated dry stack marina in the state, stores up to 300 boats on adjustable racks inside the 60,000-square-foot main building and launches boats on demand with a custom-built forklift. The partnership with Cap Sante is another step the marina has made toward becoming a full-service marina.

“I am extremely pleased that Cap Sante Marine has chosen to locate at Twin Bridges Marina,” says marina owner Bill Youngsman. “They have a great reputation in the industry and will be a tremendous and positive addition to our marina and a great resource for our customers.”

Twin Bridges was opened last June after a 26-year effort to obtain permits. Cap Sante Marine has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of the marine industry, including mechanical systems and structural fiberglass and aluminum repair. It has two facilities in Anacortes and another in Kenmore on Lake Washington.

For more information on Twin Bridges, call 466-1443, fax 466-1773, e-mail info@TwinBridgesMarina.com, or visit the Web site at www.TwinBridgesMarina.com.

 

Anacortes Port Wins Victory in Airport Squabble

The latest round in the ongoing battle over rezoning at the Anacortes Airport has been won by the port authority, with a court order for the city to redesignate four acres by mid-spring.

The Port of Anacortes, which operates the airport west of downtown, wanted 10 residential acres rezoned so it could build needed hangars, citing a scrivener’s error in 1978 that led to the error in zoning. The back-and-forth battle resulted in six acres being rezoned light manufacturing but left the other four as a residential buffer.

Last October, Judge James Allendoerfer in Everett ruled the scrivener’s mistake did occur but referred action to the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, which ruled in December that the city cannot arbitrarily keep the four acres as buffer and gave it 120 days to decide on appropriate zoning.

 

Guemes Marina Given Conditional Approval

Gale Brink and Skip Heeter, partners in a new marina project on the Guemes Channel, received a conditional-use permit from the City of Anacortes to build their $7 million complex.

The Dakota Avenue Gateway Marina, which Brink and Heeter hope to start building August or September, will include a 40-slip marina, seven-unit motel, small café, parking garage and convenience store at the old Shannon Point Seafoods site off Oakes Avenue west of downtown.

The permit requires the owners to limit the height of the complex and add turn and drop-off lanes to busy Oakes Avenue, which also serves as the main thoroughfare to the Washington State Ferries terminal at Ship Harbor.

Brink tells Business Monthly they have received “a good response” from state agencies, the U.S. Corps of Engineers and others concerning the project.

Dale Fowler, the Port of Anacortes harbormaster, says the 40 new slips are needed in the area because of the high demand for moorage. “They’re really trying to address the marine business here,”

 

Skyline-area Residents Suing over Resort Plans

A group of citizens have filed a lawsuit against the developer and designer of Fidalgo Resort, a 159-unit hotel-condominium complex in the Skyline area, which was approved with conditions by the Anacortes City Council late last year.

Citizens for Responsible Development filed the land-use suit in Snohomish County Superior Court shortly after the city approved a conditional-use permit for the project, being built by West Coast Land Investments.

The city heard public testimony against the project last fall. Many citizens felt the proposed buildings would be too high and block views and that parking would be a problem. The city okayed the project with height restrictions and ordered the designer, Henry Architects, to return with new plans.

The Anacortes Planning Commission also approved the needed shoreline permits.

West Coast wants to build the resort at Skyline Way and Cabana Lane. It has put the project on hold, pending the court’s decision.

 

PSRC Employees Pitch in to Help Center

Puget Sound Refining Co. employees and administrators recently teamed with local agencies to correct problems at an emergency nonprofit family shelter in Mount Vernon.

The four-unit shelter on North Fourth Street, which offers temporary accommodations for families with two parents or single fathers with children, was closed for three months because of health concerns related to excess moisture.

PSRC contributed $5,200 and plenty of elbow grease to help clear up the problems and prepare the shelter for reopening.

“A bright white, clean and healthy environment tends to lift the spirits,” says Sandy Corrion, one of the PSRC volunteers. “We’re all stewards of the community, and I know if I were on the street, I’d want a housing option like this.”

Other funding sources for the estimated $42,000 repair job included $5,000 from Skagit County United Way, furniture donations from Friendship House and a state grant. Other PSRC employees involved in the clean-up were: Rhoda Haussler, Mark Larson, Dick Deutsch, George Barth, Aura Cuellar and June Snelson.An

 

Aacortes Library Receives Donation

The Anacortes Public Library Foundation recently received a $50,000 challenge grant from The Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation for the new library, now under construction.

The grant requires that the APLF raise matching funds to receive the full amount.

The library foundation was established in 1998 to raise $850,000 in private donations for furnishings and an expanded collection for the new library. Through last year, more than $650,00 of that amount had been collected or pledged.

For more information, call Duncan Frazier, foundation president, at 293-1173.

 

City Employees Begin Move to Burlington Copshop

Police and municipal workers in the City of Burlington recently moved into the new $2.5 million Public Safety Building on Cedar Street.

Headed by Police Chief Bud Bowers, the workers spent the day Feb. 9 moving into their new offices, a big change from their previous homes — an portion of city hall on East Fairhaven and a nearby modular unit.

The 23,000-square-foot building, behind the new Fire Hall at Sharon and Spruce streets, will be dedicated on Feb.

23 to former chief and long-time Burlington resident Floyd Louia, who died a few years ago.

The new facility also is home to the city’s court system. It has two conference rooms, showers, lockers, training room and plenty of office space.

 

Burlington Development Depends on DoT Decision

Developer Dan Mitzel would like the state Department of Transportation to get off the dime.

The state indicates it’s interested in buying the property Mitzel wants to develop into a 24-lot subdivision off Peterson Road but it’s taking its time about deciding.

DoT wants to widen State Route 20 from two to four lanes in the area as part of a $47 million project. It would require purchase part of Mitzel’s and other properties to use as a southbound freeway on-ramp. Specialists are monitoring ground water there until this spring before constructing a storm-water drainage system.

Burlington planners have approved Mitzel’s project, stipulating that the developer build a small, children’s playground park in the development.

 

Skagit State Bank Builds Anew in MV

This summer, Skagit State Bank hopes to open a new branch office at the corner of Continental Place and East College Way. Construction of the $1.2 million branch started late last year.

The full-service, 3,500-square-foot office, will replace the branch at 1515 Riverside Drive, according to co-chief executive officer Cheryl Bishop. The 1,700-square-foot Riverside branch will then be put up for sale or lease.

Skagit State was founded in 1958 by a group of men headed by Bishop’s father, the late James P. Bishop. Her brother, Jim Bishop, shares executive duties with her.

The bank has 12 offices in Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties, with headquarters in Burlington.

 

State Grant Arrives for Lincoln Theatre Work

A $250,000 state grant promised by Gov. Gary Locke during a swing through Mount Vernon last year has finally arrived to help pay for exterior renovations on the 76-year-old Lincoln Theatre.

The grant money was held up after the Sept. 11 attacks, which added to the state’s and country’s economic woes. It is part of a package totally nearly $1 billion for state construction projects.

The quarter-million for the Lincoln will be used for restoration to the façade, marquee and box office. About $2.8 million is needed for the full restoration, which includes a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, enlarged stage area and other amenities. The city purchased the old Pollack Building, which houses the Lincoln, for $900,000 last year.

 

Sedro-Woolley Given State Audit Okay, but . . .

The state Auditor’s Office generally approved of the City of Sedro-Woolley’s annual financial performances, but made a series of recommendations to help them improve them.

The state says the city’s means of handling cash and billing for utilities needs improvements. The audit recommends a separate drawer be used for each employee handing cash in the Finance Office and that the city oversee utility-account adjustments more carefully.

Sedro-Woolley’s financial statements, however, were found to be complete and accurate. It was the first time in seven years the city received any criticism for its accounting system.

 

Hospital Breakup to Cost $1M

Commissioners of hospital districts 1 and 304 approved an operating budget of $103.6 million for Affiliated Health Services in 2002, possibly the last year it will operate the two mid-county hospitals.

At the same time, it was disclosed that disaffiliation of AHS and the joint-operating board that has run it for more than 10 years will likely cost at least $1 million. This includes consulting fees of $600,000 and lawyer and audit fees of $200,000 each.

Some board members disputed a $4.4 million capital budget, which calls for equipment upgrades, because, as one member remarked, it might mean having to leave valuable computers on one of the two campuses.

Disaffiliation, initiated by District 304 which involves United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, is taking longer than expected. The decision to break up came after attempts to find a neutral site to build a new hospital for both districts failed.

 

Skagit Health Links with Regence BlueShield

Skagit Health Associates (SHA) has signed an agreement with Regence BlueShield that will keep primary-care physicians in Skagit and Island counties on the health plan’s network.

Regence officials say the deal is important to its members who live in the region and especially to those associated with Skagit Health physicians. SHA currently serves about 17,500 consumers.

“We are pleased with our long-term relationship with Regence BlueShield and our ability to work well together,” says Paul Creelman, M.D., president of SHA. “This contract expands that relationship into a working partnership that will be of value to our patients and to Regence BlueShield’s subscribers.”

SHA includes 51 primary-care physicians located in 11 clinics in the two counties.

 

Family Clinic Joins Group Heal

Group Health Cooperative and North Cascade Family Physicians (NCFP) have signed a two-year contract.

NCFP, at 2116 E. Section St., Mount Vernon, serves about 2,800 Group Health, Options and Alliant members. The 25-year-old clinic specializes in health care for the “entire family.”

“Group Health’s willingness to recognize our needs will allow us to focus on our primary responsibility — delivering quality health care to the residents of Skagit County,” says Roger Estep, M.D., managing partner at North Cascades Family.

 

National Accreditation For Local Surgery Center

Northwest Orthopaedic Surgeons (NWOS) of Mount Vernon has achieved official sanction by the Accreditation

Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), according to Laine Dowling, administrator.

Status as an accredited organization means NWOS has passed a series of rigorous and nationally recognized standards for the provision of quality health care set by AAAHC.

“Accreditation underscores our long-standing commitment to providing the highest possible level of quality care to the community we serve,” states Dowling. “The combination of our top-notch surgeons, helpful staff and new state-of-the-art facility, equipped with the latest in orthopaedic technology, including an operating room for complete on-site orthopaedic care, were the primary factors for this important recognition.

NWOS, at 1500 Continental Place, includes Drs. Kaärsten Lang, Patrick Lyon, Kenneth Oates, Stacia Smith and Paul Kaplan and was established in 1966. Its new facility was opened last year.

 

Trial Date on Blame for Pipeline Blast Set

A trial date of Jan. 13, 2003, has been set in federal court to determine who was responsible for the fatal Olympic Pipe Line blast in Bellingham in 1999.

Olympic Pipe Line and its former partner Equilon Pipeline are at odds over responsibility. Houston-based Equilon owns Puget Sound Refining Co. of Anacortes, where much of the various oil products carried through the pipeline are distilled.

Olympic contends its former Equilon-appointed chief manager Frank Hopf made money-saving decisions before the spill at Whatcom Falls Park not to perform certain inspections. He and Olympic have been named in a seven-count federal indictment alleging safety and environmental violations.

Three youths were killed in the blast June 10, 1999, when a rupture in the pipeline coming from Ferndale allowed thousands of gallons of gasoline to gush out. The gas ignited, sending a wall of flames down Whatcom Creek as far as Interstate 5.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Jacobs Rothstein set the Jan. 13, 2003, court date to provide time for lawyers to prepare their defense. A wrongful-death civil suit is also pending.

 

Home Sales up in Area, Down in County

Home sales in Skagit County ended the year on a down side, but only slightly, while in most other areas of Western Washington, pending sales were relatively high.

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS), which handles real estate transactions for 13 counties, Skagit was one of only four that reported fewer sales in December at seven. Others were Kitsap, Mason and San Juan counties.

Overall, there were 3,987 pending sales in December, which was 8.9 percent higher than one year ago.

Skagit at the end of December had 76 pending sales, compared to 83 the month before, and 122 closing sales. It also had a total of 796 active listings, 96 of which were new that month.

The average price of a home was $183,843, the median price (midway between highest- and lowest-selling home) was $163,250 and the average number of days on the market 90. The median price one year ago was $146,450, a gain of 11.98 percent in one year. By comparison, the median price of a home in the 13-county NWMLS territory was $228,500.

 

Unemployment in County Slips Back Slightly

Unemployment in Washington state stood virtually unchanged at 7.0 percent after a two-tenths of one-percent adjustment upward in the November figure. Nationally, the jobless rate rose two-tenths of a point to 5.8 percent. In Skagit County, the rate dropped one-tenth of a point but remained higher than most in the state at 8.2 percent, according to state Employment Security Commissioner Sylvia P. Mundy.

At the end of the year, Skagit had 50,550 persons in the labor force and 4,170 of them unemployed. This compares to 50,350 and 4,180 (or 8.3 percent) out of work in November. At the end of 2000, there were 52,070 in the work force, 3,390 unemployed, for a 6.5-percent rate — 1.7 percent below the 2001 figure.

Neighboring counties were little changed over the month of December. Snohomish and San Juan counties were the same at 6.3 and 5.2 respectively, while Whatcom was down 0.1 percent to 7.3 and Island 0.4 to 5.1. Whatcom’s rate was among the biggest changes since December 2000, closing 2.4 percent higher over one year.

“The rise in the rate reflects a continuing loss of jobs,” says Mundy. “Manufacturing was weak across the board, with the job losses particularly strong for aerospace firms.”

Meanwhile, the national rate increased to 5.8 percent, the highest in nearly seven years. Unemployment rose 1.8 percent last year, more than half of that since Sept. 11. The total number of people looking for jobs increased from 5.7 million in December 2000 to 8.3 million in December.un

 

County Bucks State Trend in Retail Sales

TSkagit County’s retail trade grew by 10 percent a year through the second quarter of last year, according to latest figures released by the the state Department of Revenue.

All retail trade through June 30 showed the county was up 10.1 percent, based on sales of $272,872,000 for th second quarter of 2001, compared to $247,778,000 in the same period of 2000.

Taxable retail sales showed a rise of 7.8 percent, from $444,596,000 in the first half of 2001, compared to $412,427,000 in the same period of 2000.

State totals were down a tenth of a percentage point for retail trade only, to $10,645,377,000 the first half of 2001 from $10,653,244,000 in 2000. All taxable retail sales were down three-tenths of a point, to $21,089,175,000 from $21,142,662,000.

Whatcom County was down fourth-tenths of a point and 1 percent respectively.

 

AHS Speakers Bureau Offers Topic

Affiliated Health Services’ Speakers Bureau provides speakers and presentations on a number of health-care-related topics, many at no cost.

Topics include: Medicare Update, Advanced Directives/Living Wills, Diabetes, Safe Kids, Depression and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Call 428-2348 for more information.

 

Parks to Speak at Frontier Bank Forums

Michael Parks, editor and publisher of Marple’s Business Newsletter, will be the featured speaker at the 3rd-annual Economic Forecast program, sponsored by Frontier Bank, Feb. 14.

The popular program will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the Everett Performing Arts Center. Other programs with Parks speaking were scheduled for Feb. 7 in Kitsap County and Feb. 13 in Pierce County, both as part of Frontier Bank’s annual program.

“These very popular annual events are one component of Frontier Bank’s ‘Business Connection,’ our outreach program designed for business clients,” says Barbara McCarthy, senior vice president of marketing for the bank. “We are certain that this year’s Economic Forecast will be one that is of interest to everyone, and we encourage early reservations.”

To reserve a seat, call McCarthy at (425) 514-0714.