Bellingham Business Journal, February 04, 2013

By Evan [email protected]

An ownership change last fall at the Chrysalis Inn and Spa in south Bellingham gave

the managers of the waterfront hotel’s in-house restaurant and bar a slate for a new concept.

Formerly known as Finos, the first-floor eatery operated for years with a “European” theme, suited to a hotel and spa retreat.But the restaurant unveils a new skin in February, with an updated look and menu, as well as a new name: Keenan’s at the Pier.

New executive chef Rob Hol-mes and restaurant manager Sam Kisbye said they’ve given the establishment a more local vibe.

“The direction that we’re going with this new remodel and new


When Charles Perry laid out his company’s plan to build a housing develop-

ment that could bring hundreds of new college residents to Bell-ingham’s Puget Neighborhood, he faced a tough crowd.

Perry, managing partner for Ambling University Development Group, based in Valdosta, Ga., shared the proposal to an audi-ence of about 120 people in the cafeteria of Carl Cozier Elemen-tary School in early January.

Most attendees weren’t happy. Jim Legally, who lives in the

nearby Samish Neighborhood, was one of them.

“I’ve had it up to here with liv-ing around students,” Legally said. “I don’t want them living around me.”

Ambling wants to build a 164-

unit complex, called Univer-sity Ridge, with an estimated development cost of about $30 million. It will consist of four apart-ment buildings and a detached clubhouse. Resi-dence buildings’ height will vary between four and five stories.

According to a project pro-posal released by Ambling, the complex will be able to house approximately 576 tenants.

The development will be built on a steep and heavily wooded, 11.5-acre piece of land roughly

three miles from Western Wash-ington University, and bordered by Consolidation Avenue, Puget and Nevada streets. It will have a

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NEW NEIGHBORSGeorgia firm proposes $30M student-housing project for the

Puget Neighborhood, but some see nothing but trouble ahead

A conceptual drawing shows one of four buildings the Valdosta, Ga.-based Ambling University Development Group wants to build in its proposed complex, three miles from Western Washington University.

The main entrance of the complex will be off of Con-solidation Avenue. ILLUSTRATIONS BY HUMPHREYS & PARTNERS ARCHITECTS


While Whatcom County’s first jobless estimate of the year showed a jump in unemployment, economists said overall the coun-ty has recently shown some of the best job growth in Washington.

The unemployment rate for Whatcom in December was 6.9 percent, according to a pre-liminary estimate from the state Employment Security Depart-ment.

That estimate is below the level from December 2011, when unemployment stood at 7.9 per-cent. But it is up from November

2012, when the jobless rate in Whatcom was estimated at 6.5 percent.

Earlier this month, statewide unemployment in December was estimated at 7.6 percent, the lowest rate Washington has reported in four years. Yet econo-mists pointed out that the state’s decreasing workforce—as more out-of-work residents decide to give up their job hunts—could bring “artificial” drops in the unemployment rate.

While jobless estimates are sea-sonally adjusted at the state level, county estimates are not due to

Seasonal losses push local jobless rate to 6.9 percent

NORTHWEST REBOOTThe Chrysalis Inn & Spa’s in-house restaurant

unveils new look, new menu, new name

JOBS | PAGE 3

HOUSING | PAGE 6

insiDE THis issUE:THE 2013 BOOk OF LisTs

Our annual rankings of the top firms in Bellingham and Whatcom county

KEENAN’S | PAGE 7

2 BBJToday.com February 2013

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FITNESS OPEN HOUSEWanna Get Fit, a fitness studio that opened in downtown Bellingham

last month, will host an open house from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 8.

The women-only studio is located at 1201 Cornwall Ave., Suite 107. It is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 4-7 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.Owner Lisa Press is a certified personal trainer and Silver Sneakers instructor. She has teaching credentials for TRX and Rip Trainer equipment, as well with training classes in yoga and Pilates.

STATE OF OUR SmAll CITIESThe League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County will

present, “The State of Our Small Cities,” a roundtable discussion featuring

Mayors Gary Jensen of Ferndale, Scott Korthuis of Lynden, Harry Robinson of Blaine, Bob Bromley of Sumas, Jim Ackerman of Nooksack, and John Perry of Everson. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 16, in the Council chambers of Ferndale City Hall, 5694 Second Ave.Mayors will share successes and challenges facing their communities, including topics such as: growth and the challenges that come with it, how the Growth Management Act is affecting their cities, demographic changes in the last few years, how exchange rates for the Canadian dollar affect their cities, economic development and business opportunities, water supply versus demand, crime rates and law enforcement, and sustainability issues.

FARm TO TABlESustainable Connections hosts the Northwest Washington Farm to Table Trade Meeting from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 22.Covering Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan and

Island counties, and beyond, the trade meeting fosters direct

connections for local farmers, fishers, food producers, regional buyers and

others interested in sourcing local ingredients and selling their food products.The event will be held at St. Luke’s Education Center, 3333 Squalicum Parkway in Bellingham. Registration costs $20 per person at Brown Paper Tickets and includes a light lunch and snacks; $45 for a trade table (includes registration).More information: www.sustainableconnections.org

WWU mASKEd BAll ANd AUCTIONWestern Washington University’s College of Fine and Performing Arts will host its fourth annual Masked Ball and Auction,

sponsored by the Dreier Family, at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Hotel

Bellwether in Bellingham.The Masked Ball and Auction is an opportunity for art and education advocates to support CFPA scholarships in the areas of art, design, music, dance and theatre. Guests will enjoy a sit-down dinner, short live auction, live music, performances and

dancing. This year’s event will showcase special CFPA alumni guests, including Heidi Grant Murphy, John Olbrantz, Steve Arnold, and Jovon Miller.Tickets are available through the WWU Box Office and cost $75 for the evening. All ticket proceeds directly benefit scholarships for CFPA students. WWU Box office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For individual tickets or disability accommodations, contact the WWU Box office at 360-650-6146 or visit www.tickets.wwu.edu.

30-YEAR mIlESTONELocal naturopathic physician Dr. Mark Steinber commemorates 30 years in practice

with an open house from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 1313 E. Maple St., Suite

102 in Bellingham. All are welcome and refreshments will be provided.Steinberg will also be introducing new members John Donald and Teresa Bujacich to the practice. Resident expert in intravenous therapies, Dr. Maria Putney, will be available for instructions and questions, as well.

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their smaller sample sizes.Anneliese Vance-Sher-

man, a labor economist with the Employment Security Department, said when it comes to year-over-year job creation, Whatcom County has been a high note in Washington.

The county’s overall non-farm employment grew by 2.1 percent in 2012, com-pared to statewide growth of 1.5 percent, according to state estimates.

“Whatcom County is one of the counties that is leading the state in terms of proportional growth,” Vance-Sherman said.

Still, almost every industry in the county saw monthly job losses from November to December 2012.

Service-providing employers shed 800 jobs, and total private-sector employment was down by 700 jobs, according to the December estimate.

In the public arena, state-government agencies in Whatcom County dropped 300 employees.

Local growth was seen in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which added 100 jobs.

Vance-Sherman said job losses in December were not uncommon, since many retailers and seasonal employers reduce their staffs after the holidays and construction projects are put on hold due to winter weather. She added that hiring in recent years has usually picked up around March and April.

Whatcom’s overall work-force grew by 360 people in December, bringing its total to 108,420.

The state estimates 7,520 people were out-of-work yet actively seeking employment in Whatcom last month.

Compared to other counties in northwest Washington, Whatcom has one of the lower December jobless estimates. San Juan County posted the lowest estimate in the region, at 6.9 percent.

Island County unem-ployment was estimated at 7.9 percent, and Skagit County posted a jobless rate of 9.1 percent.

The lowest unemploy-ment estimate in Washing-ton came from Whitman County, at 5.4 percent.

The highest was in Ferry County, which reported 13 percent unemployment, according to initial esti-mates.

More information online: www.esd.wa.gov/employ-mentdata.

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Roberge joins lakeway Inn as new executive chef

Peter Roberge has been named the new executive chef at the Best Western Lakeway Inn & Conference Center in Bellingham.

Roberge, who has 14 years of food-service experience, is directing all food-service operations at the Lakeway Inn, includ-ing Poppe’s 360 Neigh-borhood Pub, The Oboe Café, on-site banquets and off-site catering.

The executive chef is introducing new menus

for both restaurants, plus banquets and catering clients. He said a common theme

for the cuisine will be “local new Ameri-can.” Some new menu additions include grilled salmon with pan-seared bok choy and jasmine rice; seared halibut with smashed fingerling potatoes, tomato jam and lemon beurre blanc; and creamy three- cheese macaroni and cheese in a rich béchamel sauce.

Western Solar’s miller selected for board of state solar group

Joshua Miller, owner and operations manager of Western Solar in Bellingham, has been selected to serve on the 2013 board of directors for Solar Washington, a nonprofit group dedicated to advancing the state’s solar industry.

Solar Washington is an association of solar-energy equipment manufacturers,

system integrators, dis-tributors, dealers, design-ers, installers, consultants, students, teachers and solar enthusiasts. It is online at www.solarwashington.org.

Cook joins Whidbey Island Bank in Bellingham

Whidbey Island Bank has hired Deborah Cook as a real-estate loan officer in Bellingham.

Cook has more than 22 years of lending and real-estate experience in the Pacific Northwest. At Whidbey Island Bank, she will be responsible for the origination of residential, custom construction and land/building site loans in Whatcom County.

Previously, Cook was employed at Wells Fargo as a home mortgage con-sultant, and was also a licensed senior loan officer at Security First Mortgage in Bellingham. She was also an independent broker and owner/operator at CityView Mortgage Professional, also in Bellingham, for 11 years.

Two Bellingham RE/mAX agents earn top career honors

Brandon Nelson and Josh Shiflett of RE/MAX Whatcom County have been given the company’s Hall of Fame Award, which honors agents who have earned more than $1 million in commissions during their careers.

Nelson has been with RE/MAX What-com County since 2007, and has worked in the real-estate industry since 1996. He was the top RE/MAX’s agent in 2008.

Shiflett, a Bellingham native, has been in the real estate industry for more than nine years and joined RE/MAX Whatcom County in 2005. He focuses on residential, new construction, multi-family and vacant land, and is also a licensed Managing Bro-ker, a Certified Negotiation Expert and an International Real Estate Specialist.

“Earning this award is a huge accom-plishment,” said Lori Reece, owner of RE/MAX Whatcom County. “Brandon and Josh have worked hard to achieve this out-standing level of success. They continually exceed expectations, making us and this community proud.”

Richardson joins Wells Fargo Business Banking in Bellingham

Ron Richardson has been named senior business banking relationship manager for Wells Fargo in Bellingham.

As a relationship man-ager, Richardson works with small and medium-size businesses to provide customized financial solu-tions.

Richardson, a 13-year financial services veteran with eight years at Wells Fargo, is based in Belling-ham and serves business

customers throughout Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties.

He most recently worked as a senior business banking relationship manager for

Wells Fargo in Prescott, Ariz.He began his financial services career in

1999 as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch.

Sudden Valley home inspector earns advanced certification

Rodger Althage, owner of RCA Home Inspections in Sudden Valley, recently completed more than 300 home inspec-

tions to earn certification by the American Society of Home Inspectors.

ASHI, a nonprofit orga-nization established in 1976, provides education and support for indepen-dent home inspectors. Certified members have performed at least 250

home inspections, passed the National Home Inspector Examination and met continuing-education requirements.

Althage is one of only seven active home inspectors in Whatcom County who have earned the certification. He is licensed by the state of Washington as a home inspec-tor and structural pest inspector, and is a certified verifier for Energy Star new con-struction in the state.

Berghof promoted at Kelly Services of Bellingham

Kelly Services of Bellingham has appointed Kiera Berghof as its new Puget Sound area manager.

The company provides an array of out-sourcing and consulting services, as well as professional staffing services on a tem-porary, temporary-to-hire and direct-hire basis.

It also provides technical specialists in fields such as accounting, finance, engi-neering, health care, information technol-ogy and science.

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BBJPEOPLEWho’s news in Bellingham & Whatcom business

Peter Roberge

Ron Richardson

Rodger Althage

Tyler Kimberley is taking over as the new president of IMCO General Construction in Ferndale.Kimberley, who was formerly the company’s vice president of operations, takes over for Frank Imhof, who has served as IMCO’s president for the past 34 years. Imhof will continue at the company as CEO.“This is a time of transition, but most of all, a time of opportunity,” Frank Imhof said. “There are many areas of growth-potential for IMCO and for IMCO employees.”Kimberley began working summers for IMCO as a laborer while in college. He earned his bachelor’s in construction management from the University of

Washington, moving on to work full-time for Frank Coluccio Construction in Seattle.Kimberley then returned to IMCO in 2007.As president, Kimberley will have direct responsibility for IMCO operations and personnel. Imhof will concentrate on long-term business plans and business strategies, according to the company.

Tyler Kimberley named new president at ImCO General Construction in Ferndale


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total building area of nearly 230,000 square feet.

University Ridge will be laid out along a wind-ing roadway with parking spaces set on either side, according to the project’s conceptual drawings. A main entrance off Consoli-dation Avenue will lead to the complex’s clubhouse.

Perry said his com-pany would like to have

the development built and ready for tenants to move in by the start of the 2014 fall academic quarter.

Despite the fact that Ambling uses “university” in the project’s name and that most of its tenants will likely come from WWU, the school has no official connection or involvement with the housing develop-ment, said Steve Swan, WWU’s vice president for university relations.

Construction of Univer-sity Ridge will be done by Exxel Pacific of Bellingham. Civil engineering and sur-veying will be completed by Jepson Engineering, also of Bellingham.

Glen Peterson of Hum-phreys & Partners Archi-tects of Seattle will handle the building and landscape design.

Peterson said the prop-erty will be styled to mesh with the topography and

character of the surround-ing neighborhood.

University Ridge will fea-ture two and four-bedroom units, all fully furnished. Monthly rents include all utilities except electricity, according to the project proposal.

Perry said rents will be between $550-650 per per-son, with variances based on a unit’s size and added features such as balconies or patios.

The complex will also likely include a variety of amenities such as a fitness center, theater, bike racks and outdoor grilling areas, according to the proposal.

Neighbors opposedResidents in opposition

speak of ongoing problems with college-age residents already in the neighbor-hood. They say they are tired of rowdy late-night parties, garbage thrown in streets and front lawns, and heavy street traffic that comes with rental proper-ties sometimes housing four or more people each.

“It’s been a hot topic in Bellingham for years,” said Mary Chaney, president of the Puget Neighborhood Association, of her neigh-bors’ issues living near students and other younger residents.

Ambling insists that life in one of its student-housing properties is not a free-for-all. Among other company rules, all tenants must pass criminal back-ground checks, they must adhere to the behavioral codes-of-conduct estab-lished by their colleges, and Ambling limits the number of guests tenants can invite for visits.

Tamara Finan, a regional vice president with Ambling and a former

property manager, said excessive noise and unruly behavior are not tolerated in the company’s student-housing developments, which are staffed by on-site managers.

“We run a very strict, controlled environment, as much as possible,” she said.

Ambling is among the leading national firms in the private student-housing industry. The company has built 55 student-housing projects in the U.S. since its founding in 1997. It also develops on-campus uni-versity housing and dining halls, among other projects.

Almost all of the compa-ny’s development is based on the East Coast, primar-ily in the South. University Ridge in Bellingham will be Ambling’s first project in the Pacific Northwest.

Perry said his company picked Bellingham due in part to a strong market potential it sees inside the college town of roughly 80,000 residents. He said Ambling learned of the market from a person familiar with the Belling-ham area—someone Perry has declined to name.

In the zoneOpponents of the project

worry that with denser resi-dential development, their neighborhood’s character will be more difficult to keep intact. Bellingham’s Puget Neighborhood is dominated by single-family housing, and many resi-dents want it to stay that way.

Yet University Ridge will sit on land zoned by the city to be used for apart-ment buildings or other large, multi-family develop-ments.

Perry said he understood the backlash. Whenever projects are slated for land adjacent to low-density development, he said, opposition is not uncom-mon.

“I understand when you have an immediately con-tiguous tract of land with different uses, particularly one that is of higher den-sity, you’re going to have opposition,” he said.

Kathy Bell, a planner with the city of Bellingham, said the development site has been designated for multifamily use for as long as she can remember. For many who live near the site, Bell said it’s important to remember their homes are also on land zoned for denser use.

“I’m really trying to educate people and inform them that zoning is really important to consider,” Bell said.

What’s next? Chaney hopes Ambling’s

developers will listen to residents’ comments on the University Ridge proposal, and be open to making changes to their plans, including possibly reducing the height of the buildings or creating landscaping buffers between the stu-dent apartments and other homes in the area.

Perry said his company is already working with neighborhood leaders to find solutions to some of the major concerns, includ-ing issues with increased street traffic.

The project is still in its initial stages. But Perry said his company would like to start construction by June of this year.

Bell said Ambling has not yet submitted a land-use application to the city. But the company has filed a variance application that will establish the height of the buildings Ambling wants to place adjacent to Puget Street, which is on the east border of the development site.

Once city officials review the application to ensure its completeness, they will issue a public notice and schedule a hearing regard-ing the allowable height variance of the complex’s buildings. During that hearing, public comments related to the buildings’ height will be allowed, Bell said.

As the process moves forward, residents will also have chances to make com-ments on other aspects of the development.

State law requires the city to accept written com-ments, Bell said. And if the city’s planning director or the chair of the planning commission decides an additional hearing is neces-sary, one can be scheduled, she said.

Based on the sheer num-ber of people who showed up to the developers’ meet-ing at Cozier Elementary in January, Bell, who spoke during the meeting, sug-gested the city will likely schedule such a hearing.

Yet for some residents, any concessions or changes made by Ambling might be lacking, no matter what.

For Chaney, the fact that the University Ridge prop-erty is zoned for denser residential development means her neighbors might just have to accept that the apartments will be built.

“Realistically something can and will go in there,” Chaney said. “Is this [proj-ect] a good fit? I’m not quite sure.”

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menu is basically the best of the Northwest,” Holmes said.

Holmes said the menu will feature locally sourced food from farms and food producers in Whatcom County and surround-ing areas, as much as possible. He wants to provide a great-quality, fine dining experience with the pretense that might come from visiting an upscale restaurant, he said.

Kisbye called it “casual fine din-ing.”

Menu items will rotate with the changing seasons. In winter, for example, offerings will include plates with hearty food: root-based vegetables, potatoes, braised short ribs and steaks. Other items will be made available throughout the year, including seafood once it’s in season.

Full meals are likely to range from about $15 to $30, Holmes said. The dinner menu obviously features more expensive items, he added, but Keenan’s menu is one designed for customers in any mood or occasion.

“I want it to be a place where people can go casually, but I also want it to be a place where people can go, get dressed up and be wined and dined,” Holmes said.

Weekly menu specials will be coupled with weekly wine specials from Keenan’s full bar.

Similar to the food menu, the bar features wine, beer and liquor options from local and regional

producers, Kisbye said. One product the restaurant

manager is particularly excited about: vodka from the recently opened distillery at BelleWood Acres farm near Lynden.

Keenan’s location will present challenges, both Kisbye and Hol-mes admit.

The restuarant is somewhat hidden near the 10th Street entrance of the South Bay Trail that goes over pier at Boulevard Park. It’s a spot outside Belling-ham’s main shopping areas.

Kisbye said Keenan’s will try to build a following from word-of-mouth, particularly from people in the nearby South Hill Neigh-borhood, and also from people walking along the pier.

Other changes are designed to broaden the restaurant’s customer base. Breakfast at Keenan’s will now be open to all visitors, not just to guests at the hotel.

Kisbye said he wants to move Keenan’s away from being thought of as solely an in-house hotel res-taurant. He sees opportunity for a neighborhood eatery in an area where no others currently exist.

“That was really the goal,” Kisbye said, “to be a place where everybody could come.”

Keenan’s operates from 7:30-10:30 a.m. and from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. Happy Hour is from 3-6 p.m.

The restaurant is also available for private parties and receptions.

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(Above) Executive Chef Rob Holmes, left, and Restaurant Manager Sam Kisbye, in the main dining room of Keenan’s at the Pier in the Chrysalis Inn & Spa. The dining room seats 50 people, and there is also additional seating out-side and in the “living room” area of the hotel.

(Right) While it might be difficult for guests to enjoy the outdoor seating at Keenan’s at the Pier in winter months, in warmer weather the restaurant will be able to offer outdoor water-front dining with views of Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTOS | BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL


Promoting economic de-velopment, recruiting new

businesses and helping ex-isting businesses thrive are top priorities for the Port of Bellingham. Throughout the state, ports are charged with economic development and in Whatcom County your port takes this role seriously.Last year the scope of this job ex-

panded when Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws selected the Port of Bellingham to serve as the countywide Associate Development Organization (ADO). The ADO is the lead agency in each county for economic development. One of its responsibilities is to receive calls from the state Department of Commerce when businesses and in-dustries are seeking new locations. With the transfer of the ADO, the Port of Bellingham expanded its business retention, expansion and relocation services. When those calls with new prospects arrive, port staff works closely with the business and the state officials to see if the right site is available in Whatcom County.

To meet that new role, the port also developed a new website that show-cases all available business, indus-trial and commercial properties with an easy-to-search database. The new site: www.whatcomprospector.com, allows all commercial real es-tate brokers and owners to add their properties to the website so that site selectors can easily find them. It also has useful demographic and site analysis information about each community in the county.The port reached out to local com-

mercial brokers and arranged with the Commercial Brokers Association to have their properties automatical-ly upload to the site. At the time of its launch, Whatcomprospector.com already had 749 available properties and buildings in its database. In the coming weeks, the port will reach out to thousands of site selectors across the country by emailing them information about this new site and the many benefits of doing business in Whatcom County.Economic development is very

competitive because organizations throughout the nation are active-ly pursuing the same jobs, busi-nesses and investment. Research

indicates that at least 98% of busi-ness site-location happens on the Internet. That means that any economic development organi-zation without an effective web presence gets bypassed without even knowing it lost its chance. WhatcomProspector.com gives Whatcom County a competitive advantage and keeps our com-munity on the list of locations for business investment. The site is an interactive Geographic

Information System (GIS) mapping program that provides enhanced economic development and site se-lection services to the business com-munity. It allows users to search for available commercial buildings and sites as well as generate site-specif-ic demographic and business analy-sis reportsThe port’s priority is to help at-

tract and retain high-skilled, good paying jobs in Whatcom County. With WhatcomProspector.com, the port can provide potential compa-nies with the tools they need when making decisions about where to lo-cate or expand. The goal is to spread the word that Whatcom County is a great place to do business.

New Economic Development Website Showcases Available PropertiesPORT NEWS

February 2013

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Taxable retail sales across Whatcom County increased during the third quarter of 2012, accord-ing to recent data from the Washington State Depart-ment of Revenue.

Bellingham saw an 8.9 percent increase, going

from $531,251,999 in total taxable retail sales during the third quarter of 2011 to $578,607,012 in 2012.

Whatcom County as a whole saw an increase of 7.9 percent to $860,867,507. The county’s largest per-centage change from 2011

occurred in Sumas, which increased its third-quarter sales by 47 percent to $7,059,979.

In the retail trade sec-tor, a subset of all sales that excludes non-retail busi-nesses such as construction and services, Whatcom’s

sales increased 7.2 percent to $420,283,003.

Bellingham reported a 6.9 percent increase to $327,497,008 in its retail trade sector.

Statewide, taxable retail sales increased 5.4 percent to $28.8 billion during the

third quarter of 2012. Retail trade rose 7.3 percent to $13.1 billion statewide.

Construction was among Washington’s top-performaning industries, construction up 6.1 percent to $4.6 billion.

—BBJ Staff

Whatcom County retail rose nearly 8 percent during 3rd Quarter last yearWashington’s high-speed Internet improved in 2012

A majority of Wash-ington communities saw better access to high-speed Internet in 2012, accord-ing to the 2012 Annual Broadband Report from the Washington State Broad-band Office.

Last year, more than 500 of the state’s 629 Census-designated communities saw increased access to broadband through wire-line and/or wireless provid-ers.

Washington now ranks tenth in the nation for access at 3 megabits per second, and third in broad-band adoption.

“These statistics are encouraging and the result of some great work across the public and private sec-tors,” said Rogers Weed, director of the state Depart-ment of Commerce.

The report is the third annual report on the state’s broadband network and includes data based on the National Broadband Map, which is compiled from information gathered by the Broadband Office. The report also includes the progress of five Local Tech-nology Planning Teams working under grants from the Broadband Office and the results of the Office’s Evergreen Apps Challenge, which encouraged the use of public data for the com-mon good.

Additional highlights:- 98.7 percent of the

state’s residents live in areas where broadband is available, 83 percent of the state’s population live in households with Internet access and 73.8 percent of the state’s population regu-larly use their home broad-band connection.

- Gross business income from broadband-enabled electronic shopping in Washington grew for the third-straight year, topping $3.1 billion in 2011.

- Washington is second only to California in the number of “apps economy” jobs at 49,800 in April of 2012.

The report also con-tains recommendations of the Broadband Advisory Council for continuing the growth and evolution of broadband networks and their use.

—BBJ Staff

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Bellingham added to index of improved housing markets

Bellingham’s housing market is a new addition this month to the National Association of Home Build-ers/First American Improv-ing Markets Index.

In January, the number of Washington state mar-kets included in the index doubled from three to six, according to the Building Industry Association of Washington. Nationwide, the index grew 20 percent this month, from 201 to 242 improving metro areas.

In Washington, the Bellingham, Kennewick, Longview, Seattle, Spo-kane and Yakima housing markets made the index in January due to improve-ments in housing prices, employment and new building activity, according to the BIAW.

Kennewick and Longview joined Belling-ham as new additions to the index.

“The industry is still struggling here in Belling-ham, but it’s heartening to see a record of slow, steady improvement” said Audrey Borders, BIAW president and Bellingham-based gen-eral contractor.

The monthly index iden-tifies housing markets that have shown improvement for at least six consecutive months using three sets of data: employment growth from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, house-price appreciation from the government-sponsored enterprise Freddie Mac, and single-family housing permit growth from the U.S. Census Bureau.

BC shoppers are not exempt from sales-tax, state says

The Washington State Department of Revenue has issued a reminder to retailers that shoppers from British Columbia do not qualify for the state’s non-resident sales tax exemp-tion.

State officials said several retailers have contacted them saying that residents from the Canadian prov-ince were claiming they qualified to purchase items without paying sales tax.

According to the depart-ment, while the exemption is available to residents of any state or province with a sales tax rate less than 3 percent, it does not apply to jurisdictions with either the Harmonized Sales Tax now in effect in British Columbia, or the 7 percent provincial sales tax that replaces it on April 1, 2013.

Residents of states such as Alaska, Oregon and Montana and certain prov-inces, including Alberta, do qualify because they have no sales tax.

The Department advises retailers to direct British Columbia residents to visits the agency’s website for more information (pnw.cc/h8YEK).

Retailers that provide the exemption are liable for any uncollected sales tax if audited.

Grants bring Fern-dale library project closer to $5.4m goal

Fundraisers for the new Ferndale Library have received two grants totaling $10,000 from Puget Sound Energy and the utility’s

charitable arm, the Puget Sound Energy Foundation.

With a matching pledge from a Whatcom Com-munity Foundation donor, the library project will receive $20,000 in new funding, which now brings it less than $500,000 toward

reaching its fundraising goal of $5.4 million.

The project is a collabo-ration between the city of Ferndale, Whatcom County Library System and What-com Community Founda-tion. The new library will be built near Ferndale’s City Hall on Main Street.

“This library will help addresses the community’s need for a safe, accessible place to gather and learn,” said Brian Gentry, PSE’s manager for local govern-ment and community rela-tions. “Once completed, it will increase the commu-nity’s vitality and livability and provide a centralized place to disseminate infor-mation especially in an emergency.”

To learn more about the project, or to donate online, visit www.newferndaleli-brary.org.

All American marine completes ownership restructure

Matthew Mullett, CEO of All American Marine Inc. in Bellingham, has pur-chased all remaining shares of corporate stock that were held by business partner and company founder Pat Pitsch, according to a com-pany announcement.

Mullett joined the boat-building company as CEO in 1999 and has served as the managing partner of its shipyard in Fairhaven since he became co-owner in 2003.

Under the new corporate restructuring, Mullett has appointed All American Marine’s business devel-

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BBJBUZZRecent news items from BBJToday.com

Sumas man invents ice scraper with detachable flashlightAfter a six-year development process, Jeff Latham of Sumas has made his invention, the Icy Light, available for purchase online and in a number of Whatcom County stores.Latham’s Icy Light is an ice scraper with a detachable flashlight, allowing users to see in the dark when clearing ice and snow from vehicle windshields a n d w i n d ow s. Th e Sumas inventor hired intellectual-property specialists at the Hughes Law Office in Ferndale to conduct a patent search for his design and a patent application is currently pending.Latham also received guidance from Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center while developing his product.

“The ability to illuminate the area around you in times of darkness as you prepare for travel is a great safety benefit on many levels,” Latham said. “Removing ice and snow from vehicle

windshields while being able to see around you is an easier and safer task with Icy Light.”Icy Light is currently available for $9.95 at NAPA Auto Parts in Everson, Lynden and Ferndale. The product can also be found in various Whatcom County hardware stores and farm and garden stores, as well as online at www.icylight.com.Latham conceived the idea in winter 2005 while working in Bethel, Alaska.

He has since developed and improved the design of Icy Light, modifying it numerous times to make it more functional for users while still being viable for large-scale production.

BUZZ | PAGE 11


opment manager, Joe Hudspeth, to the position of vice president of business development. The company’s controller, Del McAlpine, is now the vice president of finance and corporate treasurer.

All American Marine, founded in 1987, was originally known for its 32-foot alumi-num boats and “6-pak” charter boats. Since then, the company has diversified its prod-uct line to include patrol boats, research vessels, survey boats and high-speed pas-senger ferries.

Bob Wallin Insurance seeks nom-inees for charitable donation

Bob Wallin Insurance is looking to give $1,500 to a Whatcom County nonprofit, according to a company announcement.

Nominations will be accepted starting Feb. 1, and up until 5 p.m. on Feb. 28. They can be made online at www.bobwallin.com/community.

In March, nominees will be posted online, and community members can vote for which organization gets the money. The winner will be announced in April.

To qualify, an organization must have an operating office in Whatcom County, have a current 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, and have its nomination form submitted before deadline.

For more information, contact Suzanne Taylor of Bob Wallin Insurance at 360-734-5204.

Bellis Fair holiday retailer wins national company award

Last year’s holiday shopping season was particularly successful for two Bellingham entrepreneurs.

James and Amanda Hagarty, operators of the Go! Calendars, Games & Toys store at Bellis Fair Mall, had their store named as the company’s “Calendar Store of the Year.”

The Hagartys, who have run the sea-sonal store since 2011, received $2,500 for winning the award. The store’s recent sea-son opened last September and will close by the end of this month.

Go! Calendars, based in Austin, Texas, operates more than 860 stores in the U.S., most of them open for just a few months around the holidays. Each location is run by an independent operator.

“James and Amanda did extremely well across all of our categories,” said Mike Hejny, the company’s executive vice presi-dent of merchandising and store opera-tions. “Their kiosk outperformed some of our larger stores because they had some great folks working for them and were able to provide outstanding sales and service to their customers.”

Nooksack Valley disposal again hits recycling milestone

Nooksack Valley Disposal & Recycling topped more than 6 million pounds of materials, yard waste and food waste recycled by Whatcom County residents for the second consecutive year in 2012, according to recent numbers released by the company.

Residential customers recycled 2,683,127 pounds of newspaper, mixed paper, cardboard, glass, scrap metal, plastic, alu-minum cans and tin cans in 2012, down slightly from the previous year, likely due to economic factors such as smaller newspapers and less consumption. Yet the company’s yard waste/food waste recycling program again rose to 3,384,000 pounds, up 70 tons from 2011.

Nooksack Valley Disposal, founded by Dan and Steff Leidecker in 1971, serves more than 6,700 residential customers in north Whatcom County, including the communities of Lynden, Everson, Nook-sack and Sumas.

Whatcom home sales, prices con-tinued to climb in december

In another sign of Whatcom County’s improving housing market, recent numbers released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service showed a 15.9 percent increase in sales of single-family homes and condos in December 2012 compared to the same month the previous year.

The MLS stats also showed a 16.4 per-cent increase in the category’s median price during the same period, as well as a 17.6

percent increase in the average price of homes sold in the county last month.

All total in western Washington, MLS members reported 5,267 closed sales on single-family homes and condos in Decem-ber 2012, an 11.1 percent increase from the previous year. Closed sales around the region from all of last year jumped 14.8 percent from closings reported in all of 2011.

Brokers with the listing service noted the number of offers made by buyers greatly outpaced the number of homes on the market across the region in December. This imbalance is driving up prices and depleting an available-home inventory that has already been worn thin, they said.

But brokers cautioned against sellers ask-ing unreasonable prices for their homes.

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Best new business: Perch and Play1707 N. State St.www.perchandplay.com

Best customer service:Village Books1200 11th St.www.villagebooks.com

Best business sign/logo: Logos Bible Software1313 Commercial St.www.logos.com

Best place for a latte: Caffe Adagio1435 Railroad Ave.www.caffeadagio.com

Best auto-repair shop: Keith Cox Autobahn 1814 Ellis St.www.keithcoxautobahn.com

Best place to take your significant other for dinner: The Steak House at Silver Reef4876 Haxton Way, Ferndalewww.silverreefcasino.com

Best location for Free Wi-Fi: The Black Drop

300 W. Champion Stwww.blackdropcoffeehouse.com

Best place to work out: Bellingham Athletic Club1616 Cornwall Ave.4191 Meridian St. www.bellinghamathletic-club.com

Best car dealer: Wilson Motors1100 Iowa St.www.wilsonmotors.com

most community-mind-ed company: PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center2901 Squalicum Parkwaywww.peacehealth.org/whatcom

Best place for an after-work drink: Boundary Bay Brewery1107 Railroad Ave.www.bbaybrewery.com

Best real-estate agent: Lylene Johnsonwww.johnsonteamreal-estate.com

most environmentally responsible business: The RE Store2309 Meridian St.www.re-store.org

Best place for a quick business lunch: Brandywine Kitchen 1317 Commercial St.www.brandywinekitchen.com

Best “sick from work” excuses: “Mount Baker-itis” “I fell off the ‘fiscal cliff ’”

If you had $1 million to give to a local nonprofit, which one would you chose?: Blue Skies for Children2505 Cedarwood Ave.www.blueskiesforchildren.org

By Evan Marczynski [email protected]

When he learned that readers of the Bell-ingham Business

Journal had selected him as the BBJ’s Business Person of the Year, Tyler Byrd was caught off guard.

“It was unexpected,” he said, “and exciting.”

In recent years, voters have given the award to individuals who have spent decades establishing them-selves in the community. Yet the 32-year-old Byrd is proving that young profes-sionals in the region can also capture the attention of the Bellingham business world.

Byrd is president and CEO of Red Rokk Interac-tive, a Bellingham-based marketing firm that spe-cializes in developing digi-tal advertising campaigns. He founded the company in 2008 with his wife and brother.

Last April, after spend-ing several years telecom-muting, Byrd moved Red Rokk into its downtown Bellingham office at 114 E. Chestnut St.

The company employs eight people in Bellingham, and one part-time worker in its Portland, Ore. office.

Having grown up in Whatcom County, and just having returned to live in the area last year, Byrd said he was excited to be back and working in Bellingham.

Red Rokk Interactive is online at www.redrokk.com.

Also receiving a sig-nificant number of votes this year: Andy Anderson, owner of Index Sensors and Controls; Lylene Johnson, a real-estate agent with the Muljat Group; and Ken Bothman, owner of La Fiamma.

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BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR

Hometown: Byrd grew up in Whatcom County and graduated from Ferndale High School. He has lived in various locations around the U.S., but moved back to area with his wife last April. He now lives in Bellingham. Education: He completed three years of studies toward earning a degree in international business from Linfield College in Oregon. First job: In his teenage years, Byrd began his work life as a dishwasher at the now-closed Edric’s restaurant in Birch Bay.

MATTHEw BERGSMA PHOTO | COURTESY Of GRAVIT DIGITAL

Tyler Byrd, President & CEORed Rokk Interactive

Congratulations to the winners!Thank you to those who voted!


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Feb 1 • 11:00am Stoked month-long pottery exhibit at Good Earth PotteryFeb 1, 2 • 8:00 & 10:00pm Improv Comedy - Upfront Theatre • 8:00pm Mystery Spot at the Idiom TheatreFeb 3 • 8:00am Community Breakfast at the Rome Grange • 5:30pm Phrasings in Word + DanceFeb 3 • 11:00am PFC's Ballet in Cinema Series: An Evening with Sol Leon and Paul Lightfood at the Pickford Film CenterFeb 5 • 7:15pm Yoga Beginners’ Course: 4 week series Begins (8 classes)Feb 6 • 10:30am Free Concerts Bellingham Music Club at Trinity Lutheran ChurchFeb 7 • 11:00am An Evening with Crystal Pite (Nederlands Dans Theater)Feb 7, 8, 9 • 8:00pm Mystery Spot at the Idiom TheatreFeb 8 • 7:00pm Alzheimer Society of Washington's Second Annual "Affair to Remember Mardi Gras Style"Feb 8, 9 • 8:00 & 10:00pm Improv Comedy - Upfront TheatreFeb 10 • 8:00am Community Breakfast at the Rome Grange • 2:00pm Valentine's Partner Yoga Workshop • 5:30pm Phrasings in Word + DanceFeb 12 • Monthly Brew: The Top 7 Tips to Audit Proof Your Tax ReturnFeb 14 • St. Valentine's Day • 11:00am PFC's Ballet in Cinema Series: Notre-Dame de Paris (La Scala) • 8:00pm Comedy Central Live presents Gabriel Iglesias Stand-Up Revolution at the Mt Baker TheatreFeb 15, 16 • 8:00 & 10:00pm Improv Comedy - Upfront TheatreFeb 17 • 8:00am Community Breakfast at the Rome Grange •11:00am PFC's Ballet in CInema Series: La Bayadere (Bolshoi Ballet) at the Pickford Film Center • 3:30 Chris Morgan Live: On the Wild Side at the Mt Baker Theatre • 5:30pm Phrasings in Word + DanceFeb 18 • Washington's BirthdayFeb 19-23 • 7:30pm MBT Winter Repertory Theatre presents: Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY at the Mt Baker TheatreFeb 22, 23 • 8:00 & 10:00pm Improv Comedy - Upfront TheatreFeb 24 • 3:00 pm MBT Winter Repertory Theatre presents: Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY at the Mt Baker TheatreFeb 26-28 • 7:30pm MBT Winter Repertory Theatre presents: Stephen

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February EventsVisit our website or call for more details: www.bellingham.org (360) 671-3990

Several thousand travel industry representatives, including four from

Bellingham and Whatcom County, just wrapped up an annual multi-day convention and exchange hosted by the National Tour Association. Although there were excellent educational seminars and presentations, special events, guest speakers, and awards, the star of the show remains the 4-days spent in one-on-one appointments with tour operators from across North America. These 10-minute scheduled appointments provide the perfect opportunity for DMO’s (Destination Marketing Organizations) like Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, and suppliers – including Bellair Charters/Airporter Shuttle, San Juan Cruises and Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa—to familiarize ourselves and our products to tour companies who generally fall into one of three categories: ■ The ones we know and already work with; ■ The ones we know peripherally and would like to get to know better; ■ The ones we are making first introductions to.The ones we know and already work

with are the easiest appointments. They know who we are and what we have to offer. These 10 minutes fly by in a flurry of ideas about “new and/or improved” reasons to maintain the tour products they have, and motivate them to expand upon them. We also trouble shoot any challenges

they may have faced and make sure we have a solid calendar that avoids potential conflicts or high room demands that may interfere with their tour success.The ones we know peripherally and

would like to get to know better are a bit trickier. We’ve gotten past the “first date” and are pushing gently for a stronger relationship. They’re familiar with our area primarily because they pass through

on their way to and from somewhere else. The goals

here are simple – turn a bathroom break into a lunch break. Turn a lunch break into a half day. Turn a half day into an overnight. And so on. We want them to spend

more time in our area because then they spend more money. It’s trickier because in order for them to linger longer with us, they have to cut short a part of their itinerary that someone else is benefiting from. The ones we are making first

introductions to can be the most interesting. These appointments might be with new tour operators representing growing foreign markets like China or Brazil. They can be with established tour operators considering expansion into new territories. They might be with tour operators who want to take advantage of new transportation options such as Allegiant / Alaska / Frontier non-stop flights to and from BLI.In this situation, the 10 minutes goes by far too quickly and becomes a platform intended to whet their appetite for more information. Quick and thorough follow up is crucial to keep them interested in our destination.Why do we put ourselves through this

“speed dating” frenzy? Because the resulting business provides a key component of our tourism consumer mix. Leisure travelers continue to represent

the largest portion of Whatcom County’s visitors. They have a tendency to prefer weekends over weekdays, and “bunch up” around holidays and specific seasons

depending upon their

indoor and outdoor interests. Business travelers

and convention delegates are less

sensitive to seasonality since much of their time

is spent indoors. And more often than not, they prefer to meet during weekdays – the perfect complement to the leisure and family traveler. Group tours provide the “filler” to these

two slices of economic bread. They book far in advance, taking advantage of traditional holes in lodging schedules. They come in a pack: 30 to 45 at a time, which can be enough customer incentive for a small business to justify adding a special tour or extending their hours for the group. And did I mention these travelers want to spend money?The tour operators involved in NTA move

more than 11 million travelers , who buy 6 billion dollars of packaged travel. Per year. How can you become more involved

in this lucrative arm of tourism? NTA President Mark Hoffman has agreed to conduct a workshop in Bellingham this spring to provide group tour business development advice and encouragement. We will provide additional information as soon as we have a firm date. But to make sure you are on our invitation guest list, please email [email protected] .

Most of WA NTA delegates



In an age of economic uncertainty, it helps to be an optimist. For Terry Cor-rigan, chair of the board at the North-

west Workforce Council and vice president at Haskell Corp. in Bellingham, watching Whatcom County recover from a national financial crisis and recession has been a gradual process. But in his mind, there are plenty of rea-sons to think positive.

The construction executive is entering his second year leading the board of the regional workforce organization, a group that combines perspective from both the public and private sectors to address work-force development issues.

While Whatcom County enjoys a slowly improving employment picture, expanding workforce and declining jobless rate, Cor-rigan knows that employers and employees must be ready to adapt to new changes and challenges in the professional world.

BBJ: Do you think we should take What-com County’s recent decline in unemploy-ment as a sign the economy is improving, or do you think there’s a deeper story behind the numbers?

Corrigan: I think it’s a bit of a muted recovery, but definitely a recovery. In this community, I think there’s a real positive influence on our economy with our prox-imity to [British Columbia], and I think that will continue to grow.

B.C. has a wealth of natural resources

and a lot of energy and precious metal-type resources that are going to continue to be developed. So, that will be good for this economy.

But there’s still some big challenges, not just locally but nationally, in terms of employment and growth.

BBJ: What do see as the major challenge?

Corrigan: For employers, it’s going to come down to the fact that there’s a lot of pressure right now on state programs, in terms of post-secondary education. In training our workforce, I think some of that is going to fall onto employers more so than they have maybe seen in the past.

Certainly [a challenge is] getting our workforce educated and helping people upgrade their skills so they can be more marketable. Some implications related to employees, especially in our locale, is that trying to keep 20-40 year olds in the com-munity is a challenge. Not only because there’s not a lot of opportunities from an employment standpoint, but socially, they seem to be wanting to migrate outside the area.

From an employee standpoint, they’re probably going to have to be willing to relocate in some cases. Until our local economy gets up and humming again, I think there’s going to be some pressure on people to go to where the work is.

In general, I think employees have to be willing to upgrade their skill sets to improve themselves, and there’s opportuni-ties locally here with [Bellingham Techni-cal College] and Whatcom Community College, and certainly Western [Washing-ton University].

BBJ: What’s your advice for companies looking to hire?

Corrigan: I would say they should be open to new employees that aren’t neces-sarily experienced in their specific industry.

I think we have a lot of prospective employees out there that have more univer-sal skill sets. They have com-munication skills, and they have an ability to learn.

We [at Haskell] have been looking at dif-ferent employees recently that haven’t had a background in our business, but they have the attributes we’re looking for.

BBJ: What about advice for people looking for work right now?

Corrigan: As I mentioned, they have to be willing to improve themselves, especially if they’re looking for work in a techni-cal field. In anything to do with science, technology, engineering and math—what’s referred to as STEM—you certainly have to be willing to stay up on the technology.

That usually means getting the current training and certifications, and that takes effort.

But the system is out there for people to be able to do that, locally. Yet there are limitations.

At the Northwest Workforce Council board, we’re hearing often of the challenges that [local workforce training programs] are facing with finances. All the while, they have an increased demand for their ser-vices. Classes are full, and they don’t have the resources to expand them.

It’s kind of ironic that at the same time you have this high demand for training, the money’s not there. So, it’s a Catch-22 that the whole system is dealing with right now.

Part of how we deal with that is by net-working. That’s one of the things about the Workforce Council board that I find very rewarding.

There’s a lot of different organizations that partner together and there’s a syn-ergy there. Especially in times of strained resources, that’s a plus.

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at the Northwest Workforce Council

Terry Corrigan, who is entering his second year as chair of the Northwest Workforce Coun-cil, in his office at Haskell Corp. in Bellingham. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

at a glance: northwest Workforce council

Authorized under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 , the organization is a 27-member board responsible for governance and oversight of the workforce development system in Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties.Its main functions include advocating for the regional workforce, targeting industry sectors with worker needs and aiding job-training programs. More information: www.nwboard.org.


Bellingham Public School Foun-dation to award $14K in grants

The Bellingham Public School Founda-tion announced it will award 22 grants totaling $14,000 to the city’s elementary schools, middle schools and high schools in 2013.

The funds will impact more than 7,000 students, according to the foundation, and will provide money for enhancements to literacy, math and leadership development curriculum, as well as assist with differenti-ated learning, bring additional technology into classrooms and provide transportation to community-learning programs.

The “building-based” grants give schools flexibility to determine how to best desig-nate the money, according to the founda-

tion. More information is available at foun-dation.bellinghamschools.org.

lifelong-learning instructors to preview local classes

The Academy for Lifelong Learning, supported by Western Washington Uni-versity, will host a fall program preview from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal’s Second Floor Dome Room.

The academy is open to all interested adults regardless of age or educational background.

No registration is necessary to attend the preview.

More information is available at www.wwu.edu/all or by calling 360-650-3717.


Kathleen Casprowitz already owns 17 Sylvan Learning Centers, including one in Bellingham that opened in

1994. But by the end of the year, she wants her

business to nearly double in size.Most of the new centers Casprowitz will

open, including five in and around What-com County, will look different from the more than 800 Sylvan locations around the globe, which provide extra-curricular tutoring to grade-school students.

Instead of brick-and-mortar centers, her new franchises will be mobile, enabling tutors to set up just about anywhere, including community centers and elemen-tary schools. While Sylvan students have traditionally spent time working out of lesson books, in the new mobile locations, many will instead be seen clicking and tap-ping on iPads.

Casprowitz is one of Sylan’s franchisees throwing full force behind the company’s new digital platform, called SylvanSync. The new technology provides a Web-based curriculum and new tools for instructors to gauge their students’ educational needs and progress.

It also allows franchise owners to expand without the need to build or lease addi-tional physical space.

“I don’t think we could be expanding if we hadn’t gone digital,” Casprowitz said.

Her build-out will be quick. Casprowitz wants to soon have mobile centers operat-ing in Blaine, Lynden, Sedro-Woolley, Ana-cortes and Langley, British Columbia.

The franchise owner is based in Surrey, B.C., and began growing her company after opening its first center in north Vancouver in 1987. She expanded into Bellingham shortly after.

Today, Casprowitz’s franchise spans the West Coast, with several locations in Ari-zona along with others in the Northwest.

Sylvan’s multi-million dollar digital makeover is seen by the company as a way to modernize itself in one fell swoop, mak-ing its centers more attractive to parents of students in need of tutoring while offering new opportunities to franchisees, said Nick

Kouwenhoven, vice president of commu-nications and support for the Baltimore, Md.-based firm.

Going digital also capitalizes on a grow-ing convergence of technology and educa-tion.

“Students today spend a great deal more time with technology and tablets than they ever have,” Kouwenhoven said.

Privately run tutoring centers have found a niche inside the education franchising industry, which is estimated to gener-ate about $40 billion in annual revenue, according to Franchise Help, an online resource for prospective franchise owners.

Casprowitz said during any given month, her centers provide services to nearly 25,000 students. She also employs about 50 people, including center manag-ers and part-time, professional teachers who work as tutors.

Tanya Rowe, Bellingham Public Schools’ executive director of communications and community relations, said she didn’t know enough about private tutoring centers to comment on where they fit within the world of public education. But she said stu-dents in Bellingham schools are utilizing extra-curricular services like those offered at Sylvan.

“I know that many of our families access these and other services and find them helpful,” Rowe said.

Kouwenhoven said Sylvan puts signifi-cant effort into training and supporting its franchisees. An owner is able to purchase rights to open Sylvan centers in a specific territory, or within multiple territories.

New franchisees need $75,000 in start-up cash, and Sylvan suggests interested owners should expect an initial invest-ment of between $180,000 and $300,000, depending on location.

Franchise fees range from about $42,000 to $48,000, also depending on location.

Kouwenhoven said by law the company cannot comment on how lucrative a fran-chise operation can be.

An ideal candidate for franchise owner, he said, would be someone with a dual interest in education and private business ownership.

“Effectively, we’re looking at people who have a passion for education and a passion

for business, sort of a combination,” he said.

It was within that merger that Casprow-itz found her calling, she said. Her centers cater to all students, but she said the tutor-ing services are of particular help to those who have fallen behind the learning and comprehension level of their classmates.

Casprowitz said she won’t “pull punches” when it comes to assessing the current state of American education, which she described at being in a crisis state and lag-

ging behind other developed nations. With new technology, professionally

trained teachers and the ability to expand the reach of her tutoring centers, Casprow-itz is excited for the future of her business, which she believes is a vital component in the education of thousands of students.

“I think Sylvan has done groundbreaking curriculum development,” she said. “Even after 25-plus years, I can still get tears in my eyes about some of the kids we work with.”

Kathleen Casprowitz in the Bellingham Sylvan Learning Center on Meridian Street. Casprowitz opened the Bellingham location almost 20 years ago. Today, she operates 17 cen-ters in Canada, Washington and Arizona. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

dIGITAl TUTORSTechnology makes expansion possible for

owner of Bellingham Sylvan Learning Center


during the last several months of 2012, elected officials and political pundits debated what to do about the

so-called “fiscal cliff ”—a combination of higher taxes and spending cuts that would go into effect at the beginning of 2013.

After much wrangling, President Obama and Congress came to an agreement on legislation to address the cliff, and on Jan. 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law.

So what does this mean for you?

Individual Tax RatesThe new law retains the current indi-

vidual tax rates of 10, 25, 28, 33 and 35 percent, thereby preventing tax hikes for most Americans.

Taxpayers with higher incomes ($400,000 for individuals and $450,000 for married couples filing jointly), however, will now be subject to a tax rate of 39.6 percent. The act doesn’t extend the 2 per-cent payroll tax holiday that was enacted in 2011, so all wage-earning taxpayers will see their social security withholding increase this year.

Investment Tax RatesThe act keeps the current, favorable

long-term capital gains rates of zero percent and 15 percent, but creates a 20 percent rate for individuals with income exceeding $400,000, and $450,000 for mar-ried couples filing jointly. The same rates are applied to qualified dividend income.

It’s important to note that individu-als with income greater than $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing joint-ly) will also be subject to an additional 3.8 percent surtax on their investment income.

Estate and Gift ImplicationsThe lifetime gift, estate and generation-

skipping transfer tax exemption will con-tinue to be $5 million, adjusted for infla-tion. For 2013, this is $5.25 million.

The act increases the top estate and gift

tax rate from 35 percent to 40 percent, which is significantly better than the 55 percent rate originally scheduled for 2013. The act also retains the portability rules, which allows a deceased spouse’s unused exemption to be passed to a surviving spouse and added to his or her lifetime exemption.

Alternative minimum TaxThe act provides alternative minimum

tax relief by increasing the exemption, which is now $78,750 for married couples filing joint tax returns, and will be indexed for inflation in future years. Without the legislation, many more taxpayers would have found themselves subject to the tax when they filed their 2012 return.

Temporary Extensions of Certain Tax Benefits

The following tax benefits were tempo-rarily extended in 2012 and 2013:- Election to claim itemized deduction for state and local sales taxes- Itemized deduction for qualified home mortgage insurance premiums- Exclusion for up to $2 million of debt discharge income from qualified home mortgage forgiveness- Above-the-line deduction for up to $250 for teachers’ out of pocket classroom expenses- Deduction for qualified tuition expenses- Credit for nonbusiness energy property - Tax-free IRA distributions of up to $100,000 if donated to a charity (may be used to satisfy required minimum distribu-tion requirements)

Permanent Extension of Certain Tax Benefits

The following tax benefits have now been made permanent:- Income exclusion for adoption assistance - $1,000 Child Tax Credit per child as well as expanded refundability- Expanded Child and Dependent Care Credit- Expanded Adoption Credit- Beneficial changes to the student loan interest deduction

- $2,000 contribution amount to Coverdell ESAs

Other Individual Tax Changes Coming back in 2013 are the personal

exemption and itemized deduction phase-out rules. For individuals whose income exceeds $250,000 ($300,000 for married couples filing jointly), there will be a limi-tation on personal exemptions and item-ized deductions. This will make income and deduction planning much more important in the future.

Also new in 2013 are eased restrictions on “in-plan” Roth rollovers. This means that if you have been making 401(k) con-tributions under an employer-provided retirement plan and the plan allows for Roth designated contributions, you are now permitted to convert your 401(k) contributions to a Roth account within the same plan. Please note that the conversion has income tax implications, so a tax pro-fessional should be consulted when consid-ering this strategy. Finally, the American Opportunity Tax Credit for higher educa-tion expenses was extended through 2017.

Business Tax ImplicationsThe act also provides good news for

businesses by extending the following tax benefits through 2013:- Section 179 depreciation expensing amount of $500,000 (also retroactively extended for 2012)- 50 percent first-year bonus depreciation- Accelerated 15-year depreciation for qualified leasehold, retail, and restaurant improvements- The Work Opportunity Tax Credit for hiring certain employees- The Research & Experimentation Tax Credit

As you can see, there are many tax implications resulting from the fiscal cliff deal. If you have questions about how these may affect you, contact your tax profes-sional.

Kira Bravo has been in public account-ing since 2004 and focuses on tax planning, compliance, and consulting for closely held businesses, their owners and high net worth individuals.

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Whatcom County’s hous-ing market is showing some of its best signs of improve-ment in five years, but a stronger outlook will bring new challenges for sellers and buyers in 2013, accord-ing to one local real-estate expert.

The county’s median home sales price in 2012 was $250,000, an increase of 3.2 percent from 2011, according to an analysis by Lylene Johnson, an agent with The Muljat Group in Bellingham. The total

number of homes sold last year also increased by 12.8 percent to 2,077, which is the county’s highest level since 2007.

Johnson, who has tracked local real-estate data for years, used fig-ures from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service along with her own histori-cal records to analyze the housing market in commu-nities of Whatcom County.

Bellingham’s median sale price in 2012 rose by 3.8 percent to $275,000, while its total number of sales rose by 17 percent to 942.

With improvement in the market, Johnson said

potential buyers need to be prepared. Getting their finances in line is an important first step, she said. Buyers must know exactly how much money they are able to borrow from lenders, and obtaining pre-qualification on loans is vital. They will also benefit from good market research, so they can be certain if a particular house is a good fit, she said.

“Buyers need to get themselves ready financial-ly,” Johnson said. “ [And] if it’s a really great house they need to know that, so they can make an appropriate offer.”

For sellers, Johnson said it is important to know that while housing prices are stronger, buyers will still be looking for reasonably priced homes.

“Prices are not spiking,” she said. “Sellers must make sure their properties are fixed up, that they are attractive to buyers, and they need to price them responsibility and realisti-cally.”

In what was a constant factor in housing markets across western Washington last year, the inventory of homes for sale in What-com County remains tight, Johnson said.

A lack of available homes has driven up prices and has also made the process of buying more aggressive, since sellers usually receive

multiple offers for their homes.

Johnson said she wasn’t sure if Whatcom County’s housing inventory would drastically improve in 2013. It might, she said, as prices strengthen and potential sellers take signs of a better market as impetus to list their homes.

But many homeowners

remain underwater with debt, and smaller-scale home contractors still struggle to get financing for new building projects, she said.

Local inventories could grow in 2013 if more small-er-scale builders enter the market, or if home prices continue to rise, she said.

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Speaking to business leaders during her State of the City address, Kelli Linville said she

still recalls downtown Bellingham as the vibrant city center it was in her childhood. One that existed before economic downturn, and before the creation of Bellis Fair Mall and other local retail centers.

“We are in a different era now,” Bellingham’s mayor said, during her remarks on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

Downtown revitalization plans were among a span of topics Linville covered in her speech during a special event hosted by the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of

Commerce and Industry.Linville spoke and answered questions

for a little under an hour in a banquet room at the Best Western Lakeway Inn and Conference Center. The mayor is entering

her second year of a four-year term.With projects across the city in various

phases of planning, Linville devoted a good portion of her comments to new devel-opment plans, including updates on the Waterfront District project being done in coordination with the Port of Bellingham.

Waterfront-planning activity is expected to pick up in 2013 now that the port and city have completed a draft of the sub-area plan for the new district.

Project leaders are entering a regulatory review phase, which includes a compre-hensive analysis by planning officials and advisory groups. A review and public-hear-ing process by the city’s Planning Commis-sion will follow.

The mayor said she plans to have the project in front of the Planning Commis-sion by March.

While not going into great detail during her remarks, Linville said multiple changes have been made to the project’s phasing and investment structure throughout the eight-year planning process. But one com-ponent she has made sure stays intact, she said, is a plan for the site to include new

parks and public space near the shoreline.Linville said much of her first year in

office was spent strengthening relation-ships between the city and other regional government agencies, as well as between the city and private business.

The mayor said she wants city leaders to focus on making strategic partnerships with investors and developers as revitalized mixed-use districts downtown and on the waterfront take shape.

Linville also noted she would like to begin developing renovation plans for several city-owned facilities, including the Municipal Court Building on C Street and the downtown Federal Building on Magno-lia Street.

She mentioned the possibility of mov-ing city offices out of the Municipal Court Building at some point, then opening the facility to new tenants or other uses.

She also said the Federal Building’s future needs to be decided.

“We have under-utilized and non-utilized facilities that the city owns, and we need to make sure we’re maximizing them,” Linville said.

In address, mayor linville says development will move forward

Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville gives her State of the City address, Jan. 15. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

THROUGH THE ROOF

Improved housing market could test buyers, sellers


BUSINESS lICENSES#1A Lifesaver of Washington Inc., #1A Lifesafer Inc., Street address: 710 Sunset Pond Lane, Building B, Suite 10, Bellingham, WA, 98226. Mailing address: 4290 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242. 2324 Management, Gregory Pesho, 2324 Williams St., Bellingham, WA 98225. 30 Minute Hit Bellingham, 30MHB Fitness LLLP, Street address: 2039 Moore St., Bellingham, WA 98229, Mailing address: 4537 65A St., Delta, BC V4K 4Y7, Canada. Adam & Eve’s Landscape & Handyman Service, James Allen Main, 516 Danby Dr. #10300, Bellingham, WA 98226. Advanced Options, Tad Matthew Enholm, 4000 Flynn St., SPC 131, Bellingham, WA 98229. Alice Clark, Alice Clark, 2804 Ellis St., Bellingham, WA 98225. All County Properties LLC, All County Proper ties LLC, 3794 Britton Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Alpha Soft, Robert B. Finch, Street address: 1217 Toledo St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Mailing address: PO Box 28295, Bellingham, WA, 98228. Arlis’s Restaurant, Ryan David Caillier, 1525 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225.

Artful Body Works, Robert Joseph Sill, 2610 Undine St., Apt. 2, Bellingham, WA 98226. Bad Dad Studios, Awestruck Creative Enterprises LLC, 1284 Sandstone Way, Bellingham, WA 98229. Baker Creek Storage, Baker Creek Public Storage LLC, Street address: 1621 Baker Creek Pl., Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 3516 Rust St., Gig Harbor, WA 98332. Barbara Ann Durdle, Barbara Ann Durdle, 119 N. Commercial St., Suite 320, Bellingham, WA 98225. Bear’s Gift Shop, Billie Jean Kinley, 3057 Cagey Road, Bellingham WA 98226. Bellingham Bodyworks, Kinsey Liana Jackson, 901 Harris Ave., Suite 2, Bellingham, WA 98225. Bellingham Healing Center PS, Bellingham Healing Center PS, 103 E. Holly St., Suite 517, Bellingham, WA 98225. Bellingham Parking LLC, Bellingham Parking LLC, Street address: 3703 Bennett Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: PO Box 5327, Bellingham, WA 98227. Bellingham Water Taxi, Sean C. McNamara, 1028 17th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Bespoke Papery, Kelly Lane McCann, 2614 Patton St., Bellingham, WA 98225.

Best Day Ever LLC, Best Day Ever LLC, 492 W. Lake Samish Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Best Western Heritage Inn, Shelby Company LLC, 151 E. McLeod Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Big B’s Bargain Store & More, Bryan Wallace Bruner, Street address: 4739 Guide Meridian, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 184 E. Smith Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. BigSteelBox USA Corp., BigSteelBox USA Corp., Street address: 5955 Guide Meridian, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: PO Box 333, Salmon Arm, BC, V1E 4N5, Canada. Bill Miller Consulting, William D. Miller, 506 S. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Birchwood Engineering, Birchwood Engineering LLC, 2933 McLeod Road, Bellingham, WA 98225. Birdseye Marketing, Boyd Rutherford, 3525 Stoney Ridge Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Boo’s Parlour LLC, Boo’s Parlour LLC, 952 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Bright Construction, Michael Thomas O’Neil, 1221 Carolina St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Cam’s Home and Office Repair, 521 Whatcom Street LLC, 521 Whatcom St.,

Bellingham, WA 98225. Cara-Mia LLC, Cara-Mia LLC, 701 Chuckanut Shore Road, Bellingham, WA 98229. Caswell’s Helpdesk, David L. Caswell, 2100 Electric Ave., Apt. 410, Bellingham, WA 98229. Cello Studio of Megan Minkema, Megan Elise Minkema, 711 E. Laurel St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Clean Tech Northwest, James Hale Grigoreas, 2639 W. Maplewood Ave., Apt. 23, Bellingham, WA 98225. Cogent Critical Systems LLC, Cogent Critical Systems LLC, 2314 Birch St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Color and Design Consulting, Richard Todd Davis, 2711 Clear water Cour t, Bellingham, WA 98229. Covalent Associates Inc., Covalent Associates Inc., 4217 Samish Crest Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Crystal Nails and Spa, Dongru Chorvat, Street address: 2925 Newmarket St., Suite 234. Mailing address: 3828 Brownsville Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Design Knack, Marla Ann Tyree, 3023 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Eltrich Family, Chris Eltrich, 2401 H St., Bellingham, WA 98225. ENV Events, Entertainment 5 LLC, 2104 Humboldt St., Bellingham, WA 98225. EXP Realty International Inc., EXP Realty International Inc., 1313 E. Maple St., Suite 234, Bellingham, WA 98225. Freedman Consulting Group LLC, Freedman Consulting Group LLC, Street address: 1155 N. State St., Suite 412, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: 65 Lake Louise Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Fuhgedaboudit LLC, Fuhgedaboudit LLC, 1838 Lakeside Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229. Geoffrey Martin Wilce, Geoffrey Martin Wilce, 109 Prospect St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Golden Foot Massage, Golden Foot Massage LLC, 207 E. Chestnut S., Bellingham, WA 98225. Green Gorilla Recycling LLC, Green Gorilla Recycling LLC, Street address: 710 Sunset Pond Lane, Suite 9, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: PO Box 183, Lynden, WA 98264. Gypsies, Valerie Ann Billings, 1200 Harris Ave., Suite 111, Bellingham, WA 98225. H Built Equipment Repair, Simon Frederick Destaffany, 3473 Slater Road, Bellingham, WA 98248.Hair By Tara, Tara Lynn Stensrude, Street address: 902 N. State St., Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: 2832 Alderwood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Halvorson & Willner PLLC, Halvorson & Willner PLLC, 119 N. Commercial St., Suite 190, Bellingham, WA 98225. Healing Tree Massage Therapy, Ilsa Snow Wood, 103 E. Holly St., Suite 517, Bellingham, WA 98225. Henderson Lawn Care, Douglas Edward Henderson, 1688 Sapphire Trail, Bellingham, WA 98226. HKA, Heather A. Kahn, 1300 37th St., Bellingham, WA 98229. House and Baby, Hyewon Jin Grigoni, 2152 E. Birch St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Ibiz Shout-Out LLC, Ibiz Shout-Out LLC, Street address: 4411 College St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Mailing address: 1225 E. Sunset Drive, Suite 145-789. In Transition Life Coaching, Career Speak Media Inc., 321 Parkridge Road, Bellingham, WA 98225. Inside Pitch, Northwest Cascade Sports Inc., 1750 Moore St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Irongate Enterprises LLC, Irongate Enterprises LLC, 1645 Jills Court, Suite 104, Bellingham, WA 98226. Joy Of Pilates Inc., Joy Of Pilates Inc., 209 Prospect St., Suite 4, Bellingham, WA 98225. Kashmir Baby LLC, Kashmir Baby LLC, 907 16th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Kenneth A. Taylor DDS PS, Kenneth A. Taylor DDS PS, 610 Dupont St., Suite 132,

Bellingham, WA 98225. Learning Team, Christopher Emile Panerio, 1225 Railroad Ave., Apt. 405, Bellingham, WA 98225. Lifestyles Massage & Skin Care, Lifestyles Therapeutic Massage Center LLC, Street address: 2314 James St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: PO Box 203, Bellingham, WA 98227. Lightwheel Collective, Lightwheel Collective, 101 Bayside Road, Bellingham, WA 98225. Management Concepts, Debra Joanne James, 4131 Hannegan Road, Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98226. Marr Family LLC, Marr Family LLC, 3121 Chandler Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226. Martha Jane Rikard, Martha Jane Rikard, 6006 Fazon Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Matthew Brouwer Enterprises, Matthew Lane Brouwer, 5210 E. North St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Mattress Depot USA, Kamsar Inc., Street address: 4225 Guide Meridian, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 1685 H St. #1196, Blaine, WA 98230. Mindful Construction, David Nathan Gallant, Street address: 107 Briza Court, Bellingham, WA 98229. Mailing address: PO Box 5386, Bellingham, WA 98227. Miranda Kay’s Hairstylin, Miranda Kay Ridgely, Street address: 109 Prospect St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: 2415 Xenia St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Motel 6 #44, G6 Hospitality Property LLC, Street address: 3701 Byron St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: PO Box 117508, Carrollton, TX 75011. Mothership Glass, Mothership Glass LLC, 1803 Franklin St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Nate’s Brew, Bethany Lynne Harkness, 1810 1/2 22nd St., Bellingham, WA 98225. New Day Restorative Massage, Elizabeth Ann Pryor, 1223 Lakeview St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Nor th Pine Painting LLC, Nor th Pine Painting LLC, 1709 Edwards Court, Bellingham, WA 98229. North Wave Electric LLC, North Wave Electric LLC, Street address: 802 Marine Drive, #B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: 1157 Humboldt St., Bellingham, WA 98225. NWDP Inc., NWDP Inc., Street address: 1001 C. St., Building J, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: PO Box 641, Bellingham, WA 98227. Oceanside Properties 818 LLC, Oceanside Properties 818 LLC, 12 Far Summit Pl., Bellingham, WA 98229. Peace Of Mind Engineering, Peace Of Mind Engineering PLLC, 1112 Roland St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Peripheral Nerve Clinic, Peripheral Nerve Clinic PS, 2000 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225.Pogo Crafts, Willow Blossom Peppers, 1910 Ponderosa Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Premier CNG, Steven Wayne Money, Street address: 4145 Bakerview Spur, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 3166 Mount Baker Highway, Bellingham, WA 98226. Professional Solutions, Laurie Margaret Brockmann, 1715 Knox Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Property Endeavors, Property Endeavors LLC, Street address: 3121 Chandler Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: PO Box 100, Everson, WA 98247. Rachael Catrell, Rachael Johanna Catrell, Street address: 1417 Cornwall Ave., Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: PO Box 28067, Bellingham, WA 98228. Rainshine Realty, Owner Assisted Realty LLC, Street address: 2100 Grant St. # 201, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mailing address: PO Box 28775, Bellingham, WA 98228. Ray A. Lentz CPA, Roy Lentz, 2509 Cedarwood Ave., Suite 3, Bellingham, WA 98225. RCR Auto Body, Riggs Custom and Restoration Inc., 5984 Guide Meridian, Bellingham, WA 98226. Redbox Automated Rental LLC, Redbox Automated Rental LLC, Street address: 3227 Northwest Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225.

Mailing address: 1 Towr Lane, Suite 1200, Oakbrook Terrace, IL, 60181. Renewable Ear th Finance LLC, Renewable Earth Finance LLC, 2040 Fairhaven Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229. Right At Home, SSM Evergreen Enterprises Inc., 114 W. Magnolia St., Suite 109, Bellingham, WA 98225. Robin’s Billing, Jeffery Michael Lloyd, Street address: 3221 Heights Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 1324 Toledo St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Sarah Elizabeth Tenbroek, Sarah El izabeth Tenbroek, 2110 Iron St. , Bellingham, WA 98225. Southside Chiropractic, Sean G. Marcella, 1200 Old Fairhaven Parkway, Apt. 103, Bellingham, WA 98225. Stitched Creative Design Studio, Young & Cowan, 1127 16th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Susan Neelley Counseling, Susan Neelley, 1101 Harris Ave., Suite 22, Bellingham, WA 98225. TCBY RS, Maher Inc., 829 Samish Way, Bellingham, WA 98229. Terra Nova Industries, Terra Nova Industries dba Terra Nova Industries Inc., Street address: 114 Stuart Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 1607 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA 94595. The Cicada Building Company, Abigail Norton, 2726 St. Clair Pl., Bellingham, WA 98226. Transform It Inc., Transform It Inc., 4251 Northridge Way, Bellingham, WA 98226. Transformational Health Partners, John C. Donald, 1313 E. Maple St., Suite 102, Bellingham, WA 98225. Victor H. Plucy, Victor H. Plucy, 3031 Orleans St., Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98226. Vov Vacuum Services, Vitaliy V. Oros, Street address: 307 Telegraph Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 1209 Woodstock Way, Apt. 204-D, Bellingham, WA 98226. Wearable Art Jewelry Tamara Kelly Designs, Tamara Lee Kelly, 6 Bracken Pl., Bellingham., WA 98229. Whatcom Sustainable Fund, Whatcom Sustainable Fund LLC, 2070 Fairhaven Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229. Wilson Nissan, Wilson Automotive LLC, Street address: 1516 Iowa St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Mailing address: 1100 Iowa St., Bellingham WA 98229. Windermere Mortgage Services/Whatcom, Windermere Mortgage Services Series LLC, Street address: 515 W. Bakerview Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mailing address: 601 Union St., Suite 2100, Seattle, WA 98101. Wizard Consulting, John Anthony Bodven, 2921 Kulshan St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Ziggy’s Detail Shop, Ziggy’s Detail Shop, 503 W. Laurel Road, Bellingham, WA 98226.

lIQUOR lICENSESNEW APPLICATIONSBobby Lee’s; Keith Vernon Kastler and Shirley Jean Kastler applied to assume a license from Selmc Inc. to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant lounge at 108 W. Main St., Everson, WA 98247. Filed Jan. 23. Starwin Sam’s #5, Urban Market LLC; Jessica Solen applied to assume a license from Gasmart Inc. to sell beer/wine in a grocery store at 2604 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed Jan. 22.San Juan Cruises, Pacific Cruises Northwest Inc.; Drew M. Schmidt and Nancy L. Schmidt applied to sell beer/wine a restaurant at 355 Harris Ave., Suite 104B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed Jan. 17. Steakhouse 9, Steakhouse 9 LLC; Wendy Cimoch, David Frear, Tracy Frear and Richard Mark Kildall applied to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant lounge and for catering services at 115 E. Homestead Blvd, Suite A, Lynden, WA 98264. Filed Jan. 11. RECENTLY APPROVEDCafe Rumba at 1140 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225, was approved for a

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Bellingham Office address: 4265 Meridian St #104 Bellingham, WA 98226

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Mt Vernon, WA 98273

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BBJDATAInformation in the public record

Public record information is obtained from a variety of sources. Business licenses and building permits are from the city of Bellingham. Liquor licenses are from the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Bankruptcies are from the U.S.bankruptcy court in Seattle. Tax liens are from the Whatcom County Auditor. Judgments are from

the Whatcom County Superior Court. Listings are subject to change and are only current as of their filing dates. Due to space constraints, some public records might be omitted in print. All public records can also be found online at BBJToday.com. Building permits appear weekly, usually on Tuesdays. Liquor licenses appear every other week, usually on Fridays. All other records appear monthly. For more information, please email [email protected].

dATA | PAGE 19

February 2013 BBJToday.com 19 new license to be a direct shipment receiver (in WA only). Filed Jan. 8. Maple Falls Wash-A-Ton at 7797 Silver Lake Road, Maple Falls, WA 98226, was approved for a license change to be a direct shipment receiver (in WA only). Filed Jan. 4. Soy House Restaurant at 414 W. Bakerview Road, Suite 112, Bellingham, WA 98226, was approved for a license assumption to serve beer/wine in a restaurant. Filed Jan. 4. American Legion Albert J. Hamilton Post 7 at 1688 Bakerview Road W., Bellingham WA 98225, was approved for a license change to serve beer/wine/spirits in a private club. Filed Jan. 2.DISCONTINUEDEastside Market & Deli at 1011 E. Grover St., Lynden, WA 98264, had a license to sell beer/wine in a grocery store discontinued. Filed Jan. 22.Siam Cafe at 5687 3rd Ave., Suite B, Ferndale, WA 98248, had a license to sell beer/wine in a restaurant discontinued. Filed Jan. 22. Mixers & Elixiers at 7785 Silver Lake Road, Maple Falls, WA 98226, had a license to sell beer/wine in a specialty shop discontinued. Filed Jan. 15. The Reserve Restaurant Lounge at 115 E. Homestead Blvd., Lynden, WA 98264, had a license be a direct shipment receiver (in WA only) discontinued. Filed Jan. 2.

BANKRUPTCIESCHAPTER 7Rebecca Marjorie Bruce, case no. 13-10527-KAO. Filed Jan. 23.Nancy M. Massy, case no. 13-10509-KAO. Filed Jan. 22.Michael George Burrill, case no. 13-10474-KAO. Filed Jan. 21.Maurice Adrian Patterson and Lorine Ewing Patterson, case no. 13-10463-KAO. Filed Jan. 21.Michael Gordon Van Parys, case no. 13-10364-KAO. FIled Jan. 17.Linda Gwynn Dunkley, case no. 13-10315-KAO. Filed Jan. 15. Gonzalo Barrera and Yara Barrera, case no. 13-10213-KAO. Filed Jan. 10.C and B Construction LLC, case no. 13-10199-KAO. Filed Jan. 10. Darlene Mae Berglof, case no. 13-10158-KAO. Filed Jan. 9.Aleksey Bulanov and Tatyana Bulanov, case no. 13-10144-KAO. Filed Jan. 8.Christopher Michael Schneider and Jennifer Ann Schneider, case no. 13-10133-KAO. Filed Jan. 8.Laura Emily Zawicki, case no. 13-10131-KAO. Filed Jan. 8.Christopher D. Wright, case no. 13-10057-KAO. Filed Jan. 4.Jordan Philip Radke and Kirsten Joy Radke, case no. 13-10021-KAO. Filed Jan. 3.CHAPTER 11No cases reported.CHAPTER 13John Edward Waltz and Sylvia Darlene Waltz, case no. 13-10625-KAO. Filed Jan. 25.Alvin White, case no. 13-10397-KAO. Filed Jan. 17. Richard Zoland Bowen, case no. 13-10292-KAO. Filed Jan. 14.Jay Andrew Young, case no. 13-10245-KAO. Filed Jan. 11.Starlare Hovander and Steve Harlan Hovander, case no. 13-10038-KAO. Filed Jan. 3.

TAX lIENSHarkness Contracting Inc., $7,152.41 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Jan. 14.Ryan Caillier, Arlis’s Restaurant, $8,163.35 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Jan. 14. B&J Fiberglass LLC, Keith R. Olsen (MBR), $15,145.67 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Jan. 14.

Re b e c c a B o u rd e a u a n d Ro g e r Myklebust, $459,240.18 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Jan. 7. Robert and Myla Opsvig, $7,119.30 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Jan. 7. NY Holding LLC, Mike Novak (sole MBR), $3,424.54 in unpaid IRS taxes. FIled Dec. 31. Marsi Danielsen, $6,629.25 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 31. Johnsons J.B. Investments USA Ltd., $348,637.71 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 26. Century Mining U.S. Corp., $9,507.40 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 26. ADC Marketing Inc., $41,777.21 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 26. Greg C. Gobbato, $21,674.78 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 21. Lori C. Nichols, $6,538.58 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Dec. 21.

JUdGmENTSDiller Construction Enterprises Inc., $11,317.38 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 24. Hans S. Kleinknecht, $3,305.51 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 24. Claassen Enterprises LLC, $7,161.94 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 24. Altus Industries Inc., $4,157.88 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 24. B&B Paint Co. Inc., $4,378.08 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 22. Zachariah L. Beckwith, $1,060 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 22. Harkness Contracting Inc., $10,409.96 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Jan. 17. C&H Management Services Inc., $12,229.22 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 17. JE Leppala Construction LLC, $1,757 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 17. Jason Murphy, $3,884.96 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 17. Pacific NW Roofing, $12,741.01 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 17.Modern Interiors Inc., $6,315 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 15. B&J Fiberglass LLC, $1,918.14 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 14. Diller Construction Enterprises Inc., $13,381.84 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 14. Whiteaker Builders Ltd., $2,869.24 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 14. Denise Michell Lariviere, $4,947.36 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 9. Muscle Marketing USA Inc., $618 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 9. BN Natural Stone LLC, $6,604.93 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 9. Bay City Construction Company, $1,603.49 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 9. Cash Corp., $1,732.77 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 9. Lincoln Green Nursery LLC, $7,585.68 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 9. Platinum Builders Inc., $15,532.40 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 9. ATCO1 Services LLC, $3,858.42 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 9. John N. Tsoulouhas, $7,401.05 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Hurricane Holdings Inc., $279.90 in

unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. JSpor t Inc., $1,437.20 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Sports Unlimited LLC, $365.40 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Francisco C. Juminez, $16,531.17 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Cleanworks Bellingham LLC, $448.45 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Grand View Sign & Awning Co., $688.23 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Zippy Services LLC, $1,183.80 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. Larry H. Montgomery, $4,316.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 4. DL Construction Inc., $20,248.08 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 3. DK Auto Sales LLC, $4,406 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Jan. 3. K. Gretchen Woody, $328.24 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Jan. 2. Sheri A. Davis and Richard T. Davis dba D&S Construction, $38,882.15 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 28.R&R Excavating Inc., $6,131.27 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Matthew J. Simmons and Jessica M. Simmons dba Simmons Automotive Services, $3,505.88 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Weston Roofing LLC dba Western Roofing, $9,457.90 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Al’s Mower & Saw Inc., $15,012.58 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Adan G. Baldovinos dba Baldovinos Landscaping, $3,844.23 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Bellingham Whatcom Radiator & Battery Repair, $1,980.07 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Copper Hog LLC dba The Copper Hog, $13,292.15 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Green Frog Cafe LLC dba Green Frog Cafe, $4,256.31 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Pegasus Corporation, $2,713.38 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Robles Inc . dba Luis Mexic an Restaurant, $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. B1 Builders Inc., $5,758.60 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Northern Pacific Transportation, $2,222.80 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Alvaro Vicente Ortiz dba Vicente Labor Contractor, $2,928.36 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Juan Vicente and Maria Vicente dba Vicente Farms, $2,689.62 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Way To Go Travel Inc., $360.83 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Dykstra Construction Services dba Dykstra Construction, $4,472.16 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Port Investments Inc. dba Bayside Cafe, $5,312.01 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. La Cantina Birch Bay LLC dba La Cantina, $2,484.19 $255.27 in unpaid

Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Charles E. Rier, $2,854.36 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Premier Packing LLC, $46,135.03 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Katie Caroline Kippenbock dba Life’s A Party LLC, $389.19 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Cory Alan Bakker dba Goods Nursery & Produce, $339.50 $255.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed Dec. 27. Alexander S. Range dba Round The House. $2,087.06 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Dec. 24.

BUIldING PERmITSISSUED2172 Division St., $1.6 million for commercial additions and alterations: reconstruct existing two-story building for offices, education and other ancillary uses accessory to new building wing housing animal kennels: Whatcom Humane Society. Contractor: The Franklin Corporation. Permit No.: BLD2012-00368. Issued Jan. 18. 3001 Cinema Place, $300,000 for tenant improvement: complete shell space in new building for restaurant: Zen Sushi Bar. Applicant: Catch Design Studios. Contractor: West Coast Property Maintenance. Permit No.: BLD2012-00475. Issued Jan. 17. 709 W. Orchard Drive 4, $120,000 for tenant improvement: enlarge tenant space (currently suites 3 & 4) into adjacent suite 5: interior remodel and infill garage door: Family Care Network. Applicant: Ross Architecture NW. Contractor: Scoboria Construction Inc. Permit No. BLD2012-00501. Issued Jan. 17. 715 W. Orchard Drive 7, $90,000 for tenant improvement: enlarge tenant space

(currently suites 6 & 7) into adjacent suite 5: interior remodel: Family Care Network. Applicant: Ross Architecture NW. Contractor: Scoboria Construction Inc. Permit No. BLD2012-00502. Issued Jan. 17.

1302 Bay St., $20,000 for commercial: establish occupancy for additional dining areas in existing building, install new header in doorway: Bayou On Bay. Permit No.: BLD2012-00396. Issued Jan. 17.114 W. Stuart Road, $240,000 for tenant improvement: finish out new space for beverage and limited food retailer: BevMo! Permit No.: BLD2012-00436. Issued Jan. 15.620 W. Kellogg Road, $70,000 for commercial solar panel installation: Auxiliary Services Building at Whatcom Community College. Contractor: Ecotech Energy Systems LLC. Permit No. BLD2012-00494. Issued Jan. 10. 1 Bellis Fair Parkway 714, $17,500 for commercial: remove seating and install free-standing food service station in existing restaurant: Old Country Buffet. Contractor: S.D. Deacon Corp. of Washington. Permit No.: BLD2012-00392. Issued Jan. 7. 1926 James St., $51,000 for commercial: install racking systems in new retail auto parts store. Applicant: Seizmic Engineering. Contractor: Corstone Contractors LLC. Issued Jan. 2.ACCEPTED629 Cornwall Ave., $150,000 for commercial tenant improvement construct interior lateral resistance steel frame and related improvements. Permit No.: BLD2013-00012. Accepted Jan. 18.2435 Strider Lane 107, $50,000 for commercial tenant improvement, create office and storage space, with new second-level space. Applicant and contractor: Craftsman Construction & Remodeling. Permit No.: BLD2012-00507. Accepted Jan. 17.3011 Cinema Place 103, $40,000 for tenant improvement for new restaurant

in portion of new shell building: Subway. Permit No.: BLD2013-00009. Accepted Jan. 16.410 W. Bakerview Road 108, $30,000 for commercial tenant improvement, adding kitchen space, ADA bathroom, small dining room limited to four tables. Permit No.: BLD2012-00487. Accepted Jan. 15. 2015 Alpine Way, $10,000 for commercial installation of two modular structures to be used as office space: Clarus Fluid Intelligence. Applicant and contractor: Bellingham Bay Builders Inc. Permit No.: BLD2013-00007. Accepted Jan. 15. 110 W. Stuart Road. $36,000 for tenant improvement: interior remodel to combine several tenant spaces into one retail furniture store: United Furniture. Permit No.: BLD2012-00506. Accepted Jan. 14. 2332 James St., $150,000 for commercial tenant improvement to create clothing store: Labels. Permit No.: BLD2012-00509. Accepted Jan. 11. 140 E. Bellis Fair Parkway, $65,000 for new 32-foot by 72-foot storage building to suport WECU financial offices. Permit No. BLD2012-00479. Accepted Jan. 11. 2336 James St., $25,000 for commercial tenant improvement to create nail shop. Accepted Jan. 11. Permit No.: BLD2012-00508. Accepted Jan. 11. 516 High St. (WWU Fraser Hall), $2.9 million for commercial alterations: replace plumbing/mechanical/electrical systems, add fire sprinklers, replace elevator and stairs, replace restrooms and renovate lecture halls. Applicant: Mahlum Architects. Permit No.: BLD2012-00377. Accepted Jan. 10. 2172 Division St., $1.4 million for commercial additions and alterations: reconstruct existing two-story building for offices, education and other ancillary uses accessory to new building wing housing animal kennels: Whatcom Humane Society. Permit No.: BLD2012-00368. Accepted Jan. 10.


Client: Whidbey Island BankPub: Bellingham Business JournalAd: SBA Ad Live: 9.834" x 12.75"Trim: 10.866" x 13"Bleed: N/A

For more information, just call us at (360) 757-0170, or visit www.wibank.com

What An SBA Preferred Lender Can Do For You. As an SBA Preferred Lender, we can initi-ate, process and approve your loan internally. And about 95% of the time, that’s exactly what we do. That means less red tape and a lot less waiting for answers. In fact, most of our SBA loans take only a couple of weeks from applica-tion to being approved. But quick approval isn’t the only thing appealing about our SBA loans. They also offer very competitive interest rates, longer terms that

can lower your monthly payments, and no pre-payment penalties. If anything does arise during the loan process, the experienced staff in our SBA Loan Department can easily handle it for you. Why not see if an SBA loan is a good fit for your business? Call or stop by and talk with any of our commercial lenders. It just might be the most straightforward meeting you’ve had in quite a long time.

But quick approval isn’t the only thing appealing about our SBA loans. They also offer very competitive interest rates, longer terms that

fit for your business? Call or stop by and talk with any of our commercial lenders. It just might be the most straightforward meeting you’ve had in quite a

But quick approval isn’t the only thing appealing about our SBA loans.

with any of our commercial lenders. It just might be the most straightforward meeting you’ve

had in quite a

Bellingham Business Journal, February 04, 2013

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