Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal 24/03

March 2011 Vol. 24 No. 3

The Voice of Kitsap Business since 1988

Delivering A Lasting Brand Kitsap Bank’s strategy focused on telling its story better

By Rodika Tollefson When Kitsap Bank celebrated its 95th anniversary in 2004, the locally owned financial institution had more than halfbillion dollars in assets and deep community history. But over the years, the brand had been diluted a bit, with various departments within the bank using inconsistent logo and collateral materials.

“We have a great story — safety and soundness, longevity, locally owned by the same family for over 80 years (nearly 90 now), and our strong commitment to community,” said Shannon Childs, senior vice president and marketing director.

“However, we felt we could do a better job telling it.”

Childs was new to the organization and became part of an in-house team that worked on the project over an 18-month period. The process included research and brand audit, an analysis of competitors and customers, a look at corporate culture and Cover Story, page 16 $1.50 Display until April 1st

Shannon Childs, senior vice president and marketing director – Kitsap Bank

Inside Special Reports: Retirement Lifestyles, pp 6-15 Branding pp 16-18

Real Estate, pp 23-25

Editorial, pp 36-38

Human Resources, pg 27

Port Orchard Chamber, pg 32

Financial, pp 28-30 Technology, pg 31 Environment, pg 33 Automotive, pp 34, 35

Home Builders Newsletter, pp 19-22

EHL Insurance welcomes Lau as benefits consultant EHL Insurance announces the hiring of JoAnn K. Lau (formerly McGraw) as its new senior employee benefits consultant.

Lau has her Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science and Masters Degree in Human Behavior from National University in Sacramento, California. She currently is licensed in Health & Welfare and Property & Casualty. Lau can be reached at (360) 779-4448 ext. 8104 or email to joann@ehlinsurance.com.

Silverdale Chamber introduces new executive director The Silverdale Chamber of Commerce has named Kathleen Knuckey as its new executive director. She will be responsible for the daily operations of the Chamber office, implementing polices established by the board of directors, overseeing public relations, organizing and administering the annual budget, and assisting with special events and chamber related events.

“Knuckey brings to the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce extensive experience in business-to-business sales, marketing, advertising, finance, and in the real estate and building industries,” stated Angela Sell, president of the Board of Directors. “She has been a member of various professional organizations and remains active in the communities throughout the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. Kathleen brings enthusiasm and energy to the position. We are looking forward to her leadership,” Sell added.

Kitsap Bank announces promotion of Janet Silcott Kitsap Bank announces the promotion of Janet Silcott to assistant vice president/marketing officer. Silcott joined the bank’s marketing team in 2004, and manages advertising, creative projects and marketing campaigns.

“Janet has distinguished herself over the past six years at Kitsap Bank, consistently taking on greater responsibilities amidst ever-increasing demands,” said Shannon Childs, senior vice president/marketing director. “Her communications and organizational skills, technical acuity, and professionalism have all contributed greatly to our branding, advertising and community outreach efforts.”

Silcott is a graduate of Eastern Washington University and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America and Washington Bankers Association. She is also an active community volunteer, supporting a number of local non-profits, including Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Martha and Mary Lutheran Services, Cedar Cove Association, and Port Orchard’s Festival of Chimes and Lights.

2 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

Hoffman earns the LUTCF designation Lee H. Hoffman, an agent for New York Life Insurance Company, has been designated a Life Underwriting Training Council Fellow (LUTCF), the Seattle General Office announced recently. The LUTCF is conferred only upon those individuals who meet or exceed the exacting qualification standards determined by the two organizations that jointly sponsor the designation, The American College and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA).

Hoffman was awarded the LUTCF designation after completing the 6-course professional curriculum that is a combination of product-focus education, hands-on sales training and ethics. Students must also pass a series of rigorous examinations to earn the designation. The American College holds the highest level of academic accreditation and specializes in financial services education.

Hoffman has been a New York Life agent since 2007, and is associated with New York Life’s Seattle General Office in Bellevue. He is an established agent working in Manette.

Hoffman has been in the insurance business for 10 years and is Long Term Care Certified. He is active in a number of community organizations including North Mason Chamber of Commerce, Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce, Business Network International and Harborside Toastmasters.

He also is a mentor for Washington Community Alliance for Self Help and is on the board of directors for Elder Adult Day Services.

Rejuv Massage & Spa wins first place in KING 5’s “Best of Western Washington”

King 5 and CityVoter.com announced winners of the Best of Western Washington in the category of Best Massage. Rejuv Massage & Spa was voted first place out of 97 nominees.

“We are honored to be recognized not only by Bremerton, but by the voters of Puget Sound. I am so grateful to my amazing staff; we are here today because their hard work,” Owner Julie Poston replied after hearing the recent win.

Rejuv is located in Manette, at 2109 E. 11th Street, is open 6 days a week with convenient evening hours, and can be reached at (360) 405-0293, or www.rejuvthespa.com.

Lane opens Gutter Cover Northwest John Lane of Indianola announced the opening of Gutter Cover Northwest, which provides an exclusive extruded aluminum cover that that can be retrofitted to most existing gutters, both in residential and commercial applications.

Lane says the new gutter system is the sure cure of clogged gutters, a problem he says costs home owners and commercial building owners millions of dollars in damage. He is a graduate of the Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (CASH) business development training class and coaches students in start-up businesses.

Gutter Cover Northwest offers free gutter estimates and can be reached at (360) 6748718 or john@guttercovernw.com.

Bozeman to retire from port

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Poulsbo’s oldest art gallery, Potlatch Gallery, is closing doors March 31. Owner Janet Dowling cited the uncertain economy for forcing the decision to close the gallery sooner than planned.

Potlatch Gallery started storewide clearance Feb. 26, selling inventory and fixtures at 20 percent to 50 percent off.

Potlatch has been the recipient of North Kitsap Best Gallery award for 2008 and has represented more than 120 artists since its inception in 1987. Dowling said she will retire to pursue other arts venues and projects and would like to thank everyone for their support for 24 years.

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Buddy-Girl Greetings and Design Services is expanding its services and products by now offering the Kitsap County Small Business Referral and Guide Directory, a new listing resource of businesses owned and operated in Kitsap County, which is released quarterly.

The goal is to put local businesses at the finger tips of Kitsap consumers and other small business owners’. The first issue will be released in March; visit http://buddygirlgreetings.com/kdgpage.ht m for more information.

Please Join Us KEDA Annual Meeting and Luncheon Silverdale Beach Hotel March 24, 2011 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Cost: $25 members/$30 non-members

REGISTER TODAY! www.kitsapeda.org 360-377-9499 Sponsored by Kitsap Bank and Kitsap Credit Union

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Cary Bozeman announced in February he plans to retire from his job as the Port of Bremerton CEO at the end of the year. He has been with the port since June 2009, resigning as the mayor of Bremerton in order to take the job.

Bozeman, 70, has had a long career in public service that included more than 15 years on the Bellevue City Council and another six years as the mayor. His first job in Kitsap County was as the executive director for Olympic College Foundation in 1996. He served as the Bremerton mayor for eight years and was widely credited for various efforts to revitalize downtown.

Potlatch Gallery to close

Borders to close Gig Harbor store Borders was seemingly the last to get the memo that big-box retailers were going to hijack their book, music and video sales via the Internet and other competition. The result: It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, and will close nearly a third of its stores. One of those is the relatively new store at Uptown Gig Harbor.

Somewhat less nimble than rival Barnes & Noble, Borders has begun what analysts expect will be a quickly resolved struggle for the survival of its remaining stores. It’s the latest cautionary tale about the dangers retailers face when they fail to keep up with swiftly changing technology and consumer habits.

“It’s almost a case of hit-and-run,” said Al Greco, marketing professor at Fordham University. “They were crossing the street and they didn’t pay attention, and that tractor trailer (of technology) hit them.”

Borders plans to close about 200 of its 642 stores from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., over the next few weeks, costing about 6,000 of the company’s 19,500 employees their jobs.

In Washington state, Borders besides the Uptown Gig Harbor location, the store at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood will also be shuttered.

The closures are also a blow to publishers already owed tens of millions of dollars by the company, which stopped paying them in December.

Borders said it is losing about $2 million a day at the stores it plans to close, all of them superstores. The company also operates smaller Waldenbooks and Borders Express stores.

Gig Harbor Goodwill relocates A new Goodwill store will open in Gig Harbor this spring in the Olympic Village shopping center. The move makes way for an expanded Safeway project in the community.

The previous Goodwill store was located on Point Fosdick in the plaza anchored by Safeway.

Big 5 Sports, also a previous tenant in the plaza, recently moved to a newly constructed building in Gig Harbor North.

“This move allows us to remain in the Gig Harbor/Key Peninsula community, which has supported our mission through generous donations,” said Terry A. Hayes, president & CEO of Tacoma Goodwill, which oversees the store in Gig Harbor. “This location fits our needs now and gives us opportunities for future growth.”

The existing Gig Harbor Goodwill Store opened in October 2002, with the lease ending this year. The new store location will be 5500 Olympic Drive N.W. in Building E across from the Fred Meyer store. The long-term lease agreement is with WWR Properties.

The new Goodwill store will have about 14,000 square feet of retail space and keep about 20 jobs in the community, Hayes said. Diana Reinhardt will remain store manager. The store will have an attended donation station for drive-up donations.

“We look forward to working with Safeway and other tenants to ensure Goodwill program participants in the community, who are ready for work, have a chance at new jobs,” Hayes said.

“We also thank community members for their support in finding locations where we might fit.”

4 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

Good Samaritan Hospital unveils work of Port Orchard artist James Kelsey Port Orchard Sculptor James Kelsey was present for the unveiling of his newest Sculpture, “Eye of the Beholder, V” last week. His 8 foot-tall bronze work stands as the centerpiece for their Labyrinth Garden and is part of a new $400 million Patient Care Tower created for MultiCare Health System’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup.

Instead of making ‘high tech’ the focal point of the new facility, the hospital chose to concentrate on creating a healing and reassuring environment for its patients. A major part of this new emphasis uses art and beauty instead of the traditional style for hospitals of being cold and stark. While the entire art collection includes twelve wellknown Northwest artists, Kelsey’s sculpture is sole piece of artwork in the garden intended to be a place of meditation and tranquility for patients and their families.

Timothy Stimac Salon announces new hair designer The Timothy Stimac Salon focuses in high end fashion coloring and cutting, located on 4th Street in down town Bremerton, announces the addition of Donald A. Ward. Ward specializes in multi-color foiling, paneling and baliage, as well as European shapes and razor designs. He is accepting new clients Tuesday through Sunday. Call (360) 792-9911 or visit www.timothystimac.com for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Coming Next Issue...

Fuller named manager at Pioneer Way Kitsap Bank

Paratransit wins NEMT brokerage contracts

Kitsap Bank announced that Ashley Fuller has been promoted to operations manager of the bank’s Pioneer Way branch in Gig Harbor. Fuller has over ten years of banking experience, the last five in the local area. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree at the University of Washington in Tacoma. Fuller is an active member of the community, is a member of the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, and supports numerous non-profits and events.

“Ashley is an experienced banker who is passionate about finding custom solutions to meet her customer’s needs,” remarks Ginette Dalton, vice president/regional operations manager, “We are pleased to have Ashley leading our team at the Pioneer Way branch.”

Following a procurement process that began in June 2010, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has awarded the contract to broker Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) services for three “Regions,” to Bremerton-based Paratransit Services. The contract area includes nine counties, in Western Washington — Pierce (Region 5); Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and North Mason (Region 6A); and Grays Harbor, Pacific, Thurston, Lewis, and South Mason (Region 6B).

Paratransit Services has an important historical connection with the Washington State NEMT program. In 1988 the nonprofit company operated the pilot project to show that the State’s program to provide transportation for non-emergency Medicaid patients, at no cost to the patient, could be effectively managed by a centralized transportation broker. The test region for the successful demonstration was Pierce County.

Paratransit Services is today one of the largest of the State’s nine regional NEMT brokers.

The new contracts, which commenced Jan. 1, extend up to 8 years through 2018.

Grant for IslandWood’s school overnight program IslandWood, the environmental education center on Bainbridge Island, has been awarded a $4,000 community grant from Union Bank. Union Bank’s grant program focuses on creating and sustaining healthy communities in the areas where it operates.

“Support from local corporate partners like Union Bank is so important to IslandWood.

These funds will help underwrite program expenses to help ensure all students and teachers can benefit from our programs,” said Wendy Dymoke of IslandWood.

“We applaud the tremendous work of IslandWood and the impact they have in our community,” said Matt Wech, Union Bank senior vice president and Peninsula Region manager for branch banking. “We’re excited to continue to play a role in helping IslandWood inspire lifelong environmental and community stewardship.”

IslandWood is a unique 255-acre outdoor learning center designed to provide exceptional learning experiences and to inspire lifelong environmental and community stewardship.

For more information, visit www.islandwood.org.

Automotive The latest offerings from auto manufacturers.

Healthcare Quarterly

Olympic Printer Resources unveils new color laser cartridges Kingston’s Olympic Printer Resources, Inc., a remanufacturer of laser printer cartridges, has released TN-210 series color toner cartridges for the Brother HL-3040CN, HL-3070CW, MFC-9010CN, MFC9120CN, and MFC-9320CW machines.

The company is a green sustainable local business committed to protecting the environment, providing jobs to 14 area residents.

Reach them at (360) 297-8384, (800) 689-5488, or email at sales@olyprinter.com for more information.

Brown rejoins Kitsap Bank Deanna Brown has rejoined Kitsap Bank as vice president/loan operations manager in charge of accounting and system operations in the bank’s Loan Center in Bremerton. Brown most recently worked for American Marine Bank.

She has over 25 years of banking experience — the past 16 in management positions.

“We are pleased to have Deanna rejoin our team,” notes Linda Smith, executive vice president and credit administrator, “She has a wealth of loan servicing experience, and is well-qualified to oversee these very important functions of the bank.”

Deadline to reserve advertising space

March 15th For more information: Dee Coppola 800-733-7990 or email dee@wetapple.com

Leadership Kitsap seeks Class of 2012 applicants Leadership Kitsap is now taking applications for the Class of 2012. The application deadline is April 1, for this intensive 10-month training program.

The mission of Leadership Kitsap is to educate, prepare and connect a new group of committed leaders for community involvement in Kitsap County. Its vision is to create a community where there is a diverse network of effective leaders educated in public policy issues and committed to serving as stewards.

One measure of a community’s greatness is the caliber of its leaders. Leadership Kitsap is dedicated to training tomorrow’s leaders and giving them the background, contacts and tools they will need to shape and direct our future.

Visit www.leadershipkitsap.org for information about applying, or contact Kathy Nelson at exdir@leadershipkitsap.org or (360) 782-1058 for more information regarding the program.

VCB announces call for tourism nominations The Kitsap Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau (KPVCB) is accepting nominations for its annual Tourism Awards for Year 2010. Categories include the Bob Morrissey Lifetime Tourism Award, Innkeeper of the Year, Visitor Information Center Volunteer of the Year, Hospitality Award (frontliner), and Tourism Promoter of the Year. Any individual from private business, not-for-profit organization or governmental agency with a tourism product or service on the Kitsap Peninsula is eligible to be nominated.

The awards will be presented at the Kitsap Peninsula VCB Annual Meeting & Awards

Ceremony at Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo, on Thursday, March 24, 5 - 7:30 p.m.

The KPVCB also announced election of officers and board of directors for the current year. The owner of Elandan Gardens and former Bremerton Chamber of Commerce chair, diane Robinson was elected as president. Steven Gear, manager, Oxford Hotels and Jack Edwards, Baymont Inn & Suites were elected vice presidents; Sharon Shrader will serve as treasurer, and Patti Kirkpatrick, Clerk for the City of Port Orchard and incoming president of the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce, was named

secretary. Other KPVCB board members elected include Linda Fyfe, executive director, Kingston Chamber; Jack Harrington, Labyrinth Hill; John Kuntz, Olympic Outdoor Center; Jerry Reitan, Community Liaison; Lisa Stirrett, Lisa Stirrett Glass Art Studio; Ronald C. Templeton, PS Attorney at Law; Val Torrens, Cultural Arts Foundation Northwest. Board members serve a three-year term. Patricia Graf-Hoke has served as executive director since 2009.

The Kitsap Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau, can be reached at (800) 337-0580 and info@visitkitsap.com.

Foster named Five Star Employee Benefits and Insurance Professional Employee Benefits Advisor Jenny Foster of EHL Insurance in Poulsbo has been named a Five Star Employee Benefits and Insurance Professional. The Five Star distinction is truly an honor and is only awarded to Employee Benefits and Business Insurance Professionals who have scored highest in client and industry professionals based research conducted by a national independent research company under the direction of Crescendo Business Services.

Professionals are not able to “buy” their way onto the list, and the distinction is not based on sales volume but on how consumers and industry professionals have evaluated their experience in working with that individual.

Corrections March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 5

An article in the February issue of the Business Journal about Carl Zimmer ofZimmer Construction retiring stated that Pete Kelly, a 20 year employee and friend of Zimmer’s, was purchasing some of his equipment and starting his own business.

That was incorrect. It should have identified that person as Steve Kelly, who started his business, Steve Kelly Construction Company, LLC, in January.

The story also neglected to mention that in addition to specializing in excavation and roadwork for many years, Zimmer also specialized in septic system installation and excavation for many years as well.

Kelly plans to continue providing quality work in all of those areas. Reach him at 360-297-3544, or skzimmer@live.com.

There was also a story headlined, “Edward Jones financial advisor wins award for outstanding performance,” that stated the advisor was Jason Skifstadof. That was incorrect.

The Edward Jones financial advisor that received the award was Jason Skifstad.

The Business Journal regrets the errors.

Staying fit and active during the golden years

By Rodika Tollefson At age 61, working full-time out of a home office, Sharon McIntyre can become quite absorbed in her work. But she makes sure to balance it out with all sorts of activities, from regular skiing and clogging to walking outdoors and gardening.

“I work at a computer by myself and therefore I need a release, and my release is dancing, skiing and socializing with people,” she said.

In addition to being a release and a social outlet, those activities are keeping her fit.

Clogging especially is like an aerobic workout, since McIntyre is one of those dancers who like to pounce energetically to the upbeat music. A serious clogger since 2000 (and on and off before that for several years), she dances as well as assists instructor Kay Velmire with a group in Belfair and another in Silverdale. Many of her fellow cloggers are over age 55.

“You can do as much or as little as you want. You can go low-impact if you want,” she said. “But people like me jump around — we have so much enthusiasm in the

group, it’s contagious.”

While some people may not be enthused about a trip to the gym, people like McIntyre find all kinds of other highenergy stay fit. “Those of us who are this personality look for something to do that gets our heart rate up every day,” she said.

For those not looking for high-energy experiences, there are other fun activities besides mall-walking.

“As you’re aging, your body weakens,” said “Teenie” Spiker, who teaches tai chi at her Port Orchard studio and has many senior students. She said tai chi is very lowimpact and very safe for the elderly population, but additionally, it can be modified to be performed in a chair.

“One thing that helps them, especially in the aging process, is to prevent falling. It helps strengthen their small muscles and small muscle strength helps big muscles. It benefits relaxation and helps (relieve) stress,” she said. One major benefit, she added, is the ability to build awareness of the body, which leads to better balance. “It’s such slow motion, you’re taking the time to

be aware of every muscle,” she said.

With safety especially a priority for the older population, working out under the guidance of a professional is highly recommended. Janice Zabala, a personal trainer who is in charge of senior fitness programs at Silverdale Fitness, said the circuit cardio class for those 55 and older at her gym, for example, allows participants to work at their own pace and level, so it’s not like a choreographed class offered to the traditional crowd. She said the oldest member in the class is 95 and didn’t go to the gym before age 90.

“By that age, people’s bodies work differently so the exercises are designed for functional fitness… and things to increase quality of life, flexibility and range of motion versus building muscle or tone,” she said. “…For seniors, it’s all about fundamental fitness… This is a very safe way to exercise, in a group, because the

instructor will watch for safety.”

Another thing that’s different about the senior classes is the social aspect. The slow pace is conducive to talking and socializing, and for many seniors, the class is a major social outlet. They even go out to lunch together once a month. Non-members can also participate in the class by purchasing a punch card.

Fit, page 7

6 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

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New hearing aid technology available

By Dr. Megan Nightingale Can any hearing aid offer the ability to hear in background noise? Will I ever be able to hear in a restaurant or at the ball game with all that excess noise? These are questions asked by most every patient I have had the pleasure to help hear better” says Dr. Megan Nightingale of Peninsula Hearing Inc. “I have asked myself that question many times because I wear hearing aids too. Then, last April I tested out a pair of Oticon Agil Pros and the difference is astonishing. However, my experience with them started out a bit rocky.

My first experiences in background noise with the new devices on were very disappointing to say the least! My perception was that I was not hearing as well because I was not hearing all the sharp high frequency sounds that I heard with my existing hearing aids. Therefore it seemed that something was missing. I related this to a colleague of mine when I was at the Oticon presentation booth at the American Academy of Audiology convention in April of last year. He then told me that his wife had told him the same tale as she first started to wear the Agil Pros. However, he stated that while we were in a very noisy area (the middle of a convention center with thousands of other people around), I

wasn’t missing a word of what he was saying and that it is the perception of hearing much more naturally without all the extra high frequency noise that I was missing. It was then that I began to understand how fundamentally different these devices were.

I continued to wear them and after two months I happened to be at one of Poulsbo’s noisiest restaurants with a group of seven, including children. It was one of those rare nice days and the place was packed! We were seated smack dab in the middle of the place with the noisy kitchen to my right. We had two tables put together to seat all of us. I did

not think of this until after we got out of the restaurant, but I realized then that I hadn’t thought about my hearing the whole time we were there! I talked and listened to everyone with ease without having to ask for any repeats, even from the kids. A busboy dropped an entire tub of dishes and yes, it was loud and everybody turned their heads, the noise did not send me to the ceiling!

Needless to say, I am quite impressed and excited about this new technology, but is it for everyone? No. My initial impressions of the fittings I have gone through is that most tell me that they had to

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from page 6 “They’re a tight-knit group and they greet newcomers with open arms,” Zabala said.

The social experience is also a big aspect for SilverSneakers, a national program for seniors offered through some health plans and available at several Kitsap Peninsula athletic facilities. At the Gig Harbor Family YMCA, SilverSneakers activities are also available to Y members who are not covered

by SilverSneakers-eligible health plan (which in Washington state includes Group Health Cooperative and AARP MedicareComplete, among others).

Susan Buell, health and wellbeing director at the Gig Harbor Y, said the program was developed based on research showing that motion range, balance and flexibility are key factors for fitness and quality of life at any age, but especially after 40. A variety of classes are offered Monday through Friday on a drop-in basis.

“A lot of people who participate notice a more rapid improvement in their physical fitness because they’re led in the activities (by trained instructors),” she said. “It’s like having a group personal trainer. We also tend to push ourselves a little more and we go out of our comfort zone more in a group setting.”

SilverSneakers members have other activities as well, including a weekly choir group, a walking group and a craft group; plus there are get-togethers to play cards and other games, and weekend activities.

“Social experience is important to have,” Buell said. “…Planning for emotional health is just as important as for physical health.”

use the devices for a full two months to really hear the benefits of this technology especially in background noise.”

Can you catch my enthusiasm through this article? I love what I do and am so happy to share this exciting new way of helping you hear (almost) normally again!

Megan Nightingale Au.D has been in practice since 1990. Peninsula Hearing, Inc. has two offices, located at 19319 7th Avenue, Suite 102 in Poulsbo and at 1136 Water Street, Suite 103 in Port Townsend.

For more information or to demo the Agil Pros call (360) 697-3061 or (800) 540-8698.

Ridgemont opens Transitional Care Unit

By Rodika Tollefson Stafford Healthcare at Ridgemont, a nursing home in Port Orchard formerly known as Ridgemont Terrace, added a Transitional Care Unit in February. The 21room TCU was half-full within less than a week, and Administrator Annette Crawford expected the rest of the beds to be filled shortly after.

The wing previously housed 20 assisted living apartments and was remodeled in order to accommodate short-term, post-

acute care patients who need rehabilitation and skilled nursing services for anywhere from three to eight weeks. Each private room has its own bathroom and linen closet along with a recliner, flat-screen television and wireless Internet. A separate entrance has been provided for patients transported by ambulance, and the TCU itself has its own entrance separate from the nursing home. Patients can be admitted around the clock, seven days a week.

“Previously we had a unit to try to accommodate (short-term stay) but now it’s really separated, with dedicated staff, and we’ll be able to take care of more patients. They have different needs (from nursing home residents),” Crawford said.

The unit’s amenities include a training kitchen for occupational therapy and a rehab gym. Among the gym’s equipment is

a virtual rehabilitation machine that is similar to a Wii but is based on occupational therapy and is wheelchair-accessible; it also

Hearing Care From The Heart

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8 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

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allows two people to “compete” against each other.

“It’s been a great motivator to getting residents to do therapy,” Crawford said.

Ronald Schubert, MD, PLLC, is the new medical director who will be the attending physician for most of the TCU patients. He worked at MultiCare Health Systems’ Westgate Family Practice for 10 years prior to joining Ridgemont.

“We are very excited to have Dr. Schubert on board to help us open our unit,” Crawford said.

Schubert is joined by Cathy Karlson, a registered nurse who has taught in the RN program at Olympic College and has worked in acute care in a hospital. Other staff includes a full-time concierge, a housekeeper and nursing assistants, among others.

The nursing home has remained at 75bed capacity but the change has allowed for the few three-bed rooms to be changed to semi-private, plus the addition of linen closets in each room.

The transitional-care unit is a step between hospital and home or assisted living care. The stay is covered by Medicare and many insurance plans. Services include speech therapy, IV therapy, cardiac rehab, pain management and more.

“Everybody is here to get well, then go home or to their assisted living unit… We start discharge planning the day we admit,” Crawford said.

The name of the facility was changed in February to Stafford Healthcare at Ridgemont to reflect its affiliation with Stafford Suites (including the facility just down the street in Port Orchard). The Suites, along with Ridgemont Terrace and Belmont in Bremerton (now called Stafford Healthcare at Belmont) have been owned under the same company umbrella for 40 years. Stafford also has three facilities outside Kitsap County, owned by the second generation of the same Puget Sound family.

“It’s a way for us to tell people we’re part of the same company,” Crawford said.

For more information, go to www.staffordhealthcare.com.

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 9

Gig Harbor’s newest assisted living kicks it up a notch

10 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

By Rodika Tollefson Gig Harbor’s Lodge at Mallard’s Landing is a facility that lives true to its name. The resort-like atmosphere includes a warm, lodge-style décor with open spaces, cozy seating areas and wood décor. A grand staircase leads to the second floor that includes amenities like a small movie theater and a lounge with a wet bar for happy hour. An elegant restaurant, which has a complete menu and linen table settings, is open 12 hours a day.

While it may look like a holiday getaway spot, The Lodge (www.mallardslandinglodge.com) is a retirement and assisted living facility that includes 100 apartments, from studios to two bedrooms. The facility opened last May and includes 24 independent living cottages equipped with garages and full kitchens. The cottages, which are filled and have a waiting list, allow its residents to have a completely independent lifestyle while having access to amenities and activities offered in the main building (except for assisted living).

“The atmosphere provided at The Lodge is more unique than most (assisted living facilities) but I think it is the wave of

the future,” said Mike Swanson, executive director. “We try to provide a relaxing atmosphere. We want it to be comfortable and warm.”

To eliminate the institutional feel, staff wears street clothing, and all the care is done inside the apartments or other private spaces. The Lodge at Mallard’s Landing can serve residents up to the point prior to needing skilled nursing care (such as intravenous medications). Dementia patients are currently not accepted, but Swanson said that is being considered for the future.

Hospice care can be arranged for residents, and a variety of providers, from massage therapist to an audiologist and podiatrist, come in regularly. The facility is hoping to add regular visits by a physician, physical therapist and dentist soon.

“We’re adding peripheral services to make it easier for someone who lives here,” Swanson said.

Amenities on sight include an exercise room — a personal trainer also offers dropin classes several times a week — along with a spa, a full-service hair salon, a library with books and games and a small store staffed by resident volunteers. The movie theater

hosts film screenings along with social

“All the food is made from scratch and

events and church services, and activities such as Wii bowling, and crafts are available.

The Lodge also frequently schedules live entertainment, and Swanson said that program will continue to grow as the resident base increases.

Transportation is offered for appointments within a 20-mile radius, and regular outings are scheduled for shopping, sightseeing, dinners out and other activities. Not that residents really need to dine out — the restaurant at The Lodge is one of the highlights.

“The food is fantastic. The chef is as sweet as she can be — you make suggestions and she tries to have it in a day or two,” said Alice Travis, who moved in last fall with her dog, Georgette.

Although her mobility is challenging at times, Travis likes to come out of her room regularly to socialize, and has made many friends, including three other residents with whom she always dines. She said her daughter and son-in-law shopped around for retirement homes and they found the Lodge at Mallard’s Landing as the perfect fit for her.

“Everybody is so nice. If there’s anything you need, you just call the desk and they’re here,” she said.

The level of service is another aspect that Swanson said sets them apart, as well as the dedication of the staff. The facility’s key personnel also have extensive industry background. Sue Honan, LPN, the health services director, has been a nurse for more than 30 years and has worked in her current field for about eight years. Swanson is a hospitality industry veteran who has extensive experience in retirement and assisted living, including opening of new facilities. The Lodge recently added awardwinning executive chef Jennifer DuCharme to its roster. DuCharme most recently worked at Red Lion in SeaTac.

fresh ingredients,” Swanson said. “Nothing we serve goes from being frozen to the table… The upscale dining is an extremely important part of the daily residents’ experience.”

The residents can dine at any time between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on their own schedule, and family members and guests are welcome to join in. Although the restaurant is not open to the public, it serves more than 300 guest meals a month. “That’s a lot for the number of people that live here,” Swanson said. “One of the signs of how well a dining room is doing is the number of visitors.”

The Lodge at Mallard’s Landing currently has about 45 staff members, but that number will grow to as many as 100 as capacity grows. Swanson said so far the apartments are about 50 percent full, which is on track for what the company expected.

In December, the Department of Health and Human Services’ visit to the facility found zero deficiencies, and Swanson noted that only a small percentage of retirement homes get such a high score. The facility is owned by Lakewood developer DRK and is its only upscale-kind of assisted living community.

Swanson said as baby boomers retire, this type of resort-like retirement atmosphere will be more in demand. “This is attractive for retirees who’ve saved and are ready to relax,” he said. “They want to live on a cruise ship without leaving port.”

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 11

Our people in the Grand Canyon State

Washington retirees head for the sunny lifestyle of Arizona

12 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

By Rodika Tollefson When Gordy and Mary Jo Monten’s first set foot in Sun City West, Ariz., it didn’t take long to be sold on the idea of spending some of their retirement days there. Their friends, who had a retirement home there for more than 10 years, had been trying to convince the couple to visit for a long time.

“Mary Jo and I would say, why would anyone want to go back to the same place year after year?

It didn’t take us more than a day (during the first visit) to change our minds,” Gordy Monten said.

The Belfair couple now own a home in that resort-like, unincorporated city that is home to about 30,000 residents. Gordy’s father also lives there in a condo, so when the Montens spend time in Arizona, they’re still close to family. Sun City West is age restricted, with at least one member in the household required to be 55, so there are no schools but family members including young kids can visit any time.

For $350 a person per year, residents can buy a recreation card that gives them access to various tennis courts, pools, gyms and numerous other amenities. There are hundreds of clubs with minimal dues, several golf courses and a full schedule of activities.

Top that with the low cost of living (including price of gas and food), inexpensive real estate and nice weather, and it’s easy to see what makes the idea irresistible.

“This is like an adult Disneyland,” said Gordy, who pays $20 per year to be part of the metal shop, which he said has “every tool possible” including a plasma cutter, drill presses and band saws. Mary Jo has found her own activities — she belongs to a sewing club (also for $20 in dues) that has more than 500 members and its own space filled

with computerized embroidery machines, new surgers and other equipment.

“If you were to type out, in single space, all the clubs in Sun City West, you would fill out a page and a half,” Gordy said.

Thanks to the access to all the fitness facilities, Mary Jo said she’s lost weight and has been feeling very healthy. “I’ve gained muscle and I have a lot more energy,” she said. “…We just don’t have those opportunities in Belfair.”

The Montens divide their time between their Arizona and Washington homes and said it doesn’t cost a lot extra in utilities to maintain both.

“Everybody is so friendly (in Sun City West) because all of us have been transplanted from somewhere else,” Mary Jo said. “…We’re the oldest of the baby boomers. As people retire more and more, there’ll be more interest in this.”

Mike Boyle didn’t even wait to retire before buying a second home in Arizona. The owner of North Bay Mortgage, based in Belfair, has dreamed for years of the idea. After a brush with cancer a few years ago, he finally decided to embrace it. He downsized on his numerous community involvement commitments in North Mason and beyond, and now he and his wife travel back and forth between their home in Victor (in North Mason) and Surprise, about 20 miles northwest of Phoenix.

“This (Puget Sound) is the most beautiful area in the world seven months out of the year. I just can’t handle the rain and cold as much anymore,” he said.

During the February-April winter and spring season, the temperatures in northwest Arizona are still around 70 degrees and cool at night, and for baseball fans like Boyle, there’s one extremely important bonus: The Major

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League Baseball teams have their spring training in the Phoenix area. So Boyle spends about three hours working (since he can do his job from anywhere) then heads to the games.

“You can sit in the stands and be real close to the players; it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

After buying his home in Surprise, the always-entrepreneurial Boyle saw a business opportunity. Even with his years of experience in the mortgage industry, he said buying a home long-distance in a new area was challenging since he didn’t know people he could trust. So he launched Escape Winter Arizona (www.escapewinteraz.com) to help other Washingtonians looking for a vacation home in the area. He acts sort of as a middleman between buyers and Realtors or contractors. He screens the real estate agents and property managers to make sure they’re reputable and he also gets information from perspective buyers before matching them up with Realtors.

Boyle estimates that about 60 percent or more residents in Surprise are part-timers from Washington and Oregon.

“There’s so much to do there, you can stay busy the whole time,” he said. “…And the Grand Canyon is only a couple hours away — the desert is just gorgeous and the sun shines every day.”

Ron “The Ronster” Rogerson and his wife, Peggy, are looking forward to soaking in that sunshine come March. Rogerson retired at the end of February from his longtime job as senior vice president/ chief marketing officer at Kitsap Credit Union and after more than 40 years on the Kitsap Peninsula, they’re heading to Surprise.

“We are natives of Washington but we feel soaked. We want to dry out,” Rogerson said.

The couple first discovered the area in the late ‘90s after going to a Mariners spring training camp. When they drove around and saw all the retirement communities and amenities, they were sold on the lifestyle, not to mention the weather. For the past few years, they’ve visited frequently, staying a week or more at a time in

between renting their vacation home. “It’s so friendly, and people are not having a lot of stresses in their lives anymore,” he said.

The economy changed their plans of maintaining two homes, however, so the Rogersons’ retirement is bittersweet: They’re heading to Arizona permanently. But with children and grandchildren left behind in this area, they plan to visit regularly, especially during the summer when it gets hot in Arizona.

They plan is to stay active — between baseball games, clubs and travel to nearby attractions (Vegas is only about five hours away, among other things), there will be enough to keep them busy. And Rogerson said they plan to continue their tradition of volunteering and being involved in the community.

“When you get into a 55-plus (age) community, it’s relaxing and casual and people are superfriendly,” he said. “They’ll knock on your door and introduce themselves and invite you to things. You get an opportunity to meet people from all over the country, and I’m looking forward to that too.”

A number of part-time residents have also found condos to be a convenient get-away accommodation. In one Scottsdale complex for example, State Representative Jan Angel and her real estate broker husband Lynn Williams jointly own a condo unit along with Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola and his wife Dee, local Realtors Dee Marie and Gloria Morkert, and Kirby Vacuum entrepreneur Rick Eide and his wife. Next door, are well-known local Realtors Bob and Marylin Dick. In fact, so many of the units in that particular building are owned

by Kitsap residents in one form or another, that a few years ago, they elected Williams as president of the owner’s association.

“Because of the lack of maintenance, Arizona condos make sense for a lot of busy folks from other areas,” stated Robert Conrad, a Phoenixbased Realtor. “And because of the impact the national economy has had on places like Florida and Arizona, there hasn’t been a better time to buy than right now — at least not in my lifetime.”

Using talents to give back in retirement

By Rodika Tollefson When Connie Renz retired from a 32year teaching career in 2000, she wasn’t ready to transition to a slower pace. She substitute-taught and tutored in her home for a while. After moving to a new community on the Key Peninsula in 2003 with her husband, Vic, Renz found some volunteer opportunities to keep her busy — she became involved with her local nonprofit community newspaper. Still, she missed one thing: working with young kids. At first, the grandmother of five would get so restless close to the start of the new school year, she would take her grandchildren shopping for their supplies.

“I missed doing something. I also missed the kids,” she said.

For the past five years, Renz has found a way to use her passion for teaching by volunteering as a mentor through Communities in Schools of Peninsula.

The organization matches adult volunteers with students in elementary schools who need a boost with reading or math skills as part of an afterschool program. Renz volunteers to read to Minter Elementary students and tutors Purdy Elementary students in math.

“I’ve always liked to stay busy. Finding something to do with kids was really exciting,” said Renz, who had since recruited her husband, a retired railroad conductor, to be a mentor as well. Renz is

also involved with the local Friends of the Library group and the couple volunteers for other organizations together, including the Key Peninsula News, Vic’s car club and their homeowners association.

Renz figures the two of them spend about 50 hours a month total volunteering for the vari ous projects. Using the nonpartisan coalition Independent Sector’s figures for value of volunteer contributions in Washington State of $21.18 per hour (for 2008), that’s a contribution of more than $1,000 from the pair in “free labor.”

For them, it’s not about numbers.

“The best part is when you help a kid do something and two or three weeks later, he’ll teach another kid,” Renz said.

“The kids feel treated special because it’s one on one. Vic likes it because the kids he used to mentor waive and give him a hug on Wednesdays (when he’s at the school) before getting on the bus. He’s their role model.”

For Belfair’s Liz Corliss-Clark, teaching and reading has also remained a passion after retiring from a 32-year career in education. And while Corliss-Clark is active with several community organizations in Belfai r, she has found a true outlet for giving back through Global Volunteers, an organization that sends teams abroad for projects that include

teaching conversational English. Last year, she spent more than three weeks in India through the program and recently, she returned from a similar trip in Ghana — and she’s already planning another, to rural Italy, next year.

“They’re eager learners,” she said of the students she taught on those two trips. “It would be wonderful if our students realized the value of their education — those students (in Ghana and India) know it’s their only hope for the future.”

Corliss-Clark traveled with a team of individuals from similar backgrounds and was completely immersed in the culture, sharing in the food and living in guest houses within the communities where they volunteered. Th e travel was reasonably priced, she said, and she had plenty of opportunities to visit sights and landmarks in her free time.

She said she has a wonderful balance in her life that includes family and friends as well as community service, and being a global volunteer contributes to that balance. “I’m a single woman and I’m fortunate enough to be able to go. This is a safe way to travel and for me, joining peo ple who have the same goals and objectives as I do makes it even more worthwhile,” she said. “I can travel and see the world, and give back.”

Locally, volunteers are the backbone of most nonprofit organizations and many

professionals who are “slowing down” in retirement are finding they can remain active by using their talents to give back.

Newly retired Steve Parsons, who lives on Bainbridge Island, said h e thought he would travel, garden, read and take up knitting once he quit a 45-year retail career — and he did all those things but something was missing.

“It was a shock to go from running eight to 10 hours a day and just stop,” he said. A few months after closing his pet shop last year (which he ran for a couple of years while grieving the loss of his partner), Parsons offered to volunteer at the Bainbridg e Island Chamber of Commerce at the front desk.

“It was a good way to start,” he said.

“I’m using the people skills I learned during my years in retail.” Since starting out in December, he has been looking at other ways he could use his talents at the Chamber, especially in conceptual design, and is exploring other organizations, such as the Bloedel Reserve, for a potential volunteer match.

“I want to give back and I want to make sure they (the organizations) take advantage of what I do best,” he said.

He said volunteering is not just about doing something to stay busy, it’s a rewarding activity that fulfills someone’s life “in surprising ways.” “When you Talent, page 14

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 13

Assessing the impact of Healthcare Reform While it may be changing shape along the way, healthcare reform will continue moving forward — and this means significant impact on employers sponsoring health plans. Healthcare reform is clearly an important issue that moves beyond Human Resource departments. A recent survey conducted

by Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. of nearly 50 Washington State employers from a variety of industries with an average of 100-500 employees found 88 percent of respondents holding strategic discussions on the management and/or board level regarding how to prepare for healthcare reform.

Cost is certainly a driving factor for this overwhelming involvement at the executive level. With all health plans required to initiate at least some changes this year (including covering dependent children to age 26 and removing annual dollar limits on certain benefits), 29 percent of companies surveyed reported moderate (1 percent to 3 percent) cost increases simply to comply with these new mandates, with an additional 20 percent of respondents reporting significant (more than 3 percent) increases.

Employers can avoid some of the healthcare reform mandates at this time by maintaining “grandfather” status.

Employers wishing to keep their grandfathered status, however, may only make very limited changes to their benefit plans, as well as keep detailed records to prove they still meet the grandfathered requirements. It was anticipated that most employers would chose to lose their grandfathered status to allow greater flexibility for future plan changes, and the

survey indicates this to be true, with only 17 percent of companies actively keeping grandfathered status.

While healthcare reform requires attention and strategic discussions at the top levels, it is also very clear that communication with employees is a priority. When asked if they have communicated the anticipated impact of healthcare reform to their employees, 77 percent of respondents replied they had, or are planning to within the next six months.

The methods of communication varied, with open enrollment materials, staff meetings, and newsletters reported as the most popular. Whatever the way, it is clear that strong employee communications are essential as healthcare reform continues to take effect.

More information on the impact of healthcare reform on businesses is available from Gallagher Benefit Services online at www.gallagherbenefits.com/HCReform/QA.

TALENT

overall compared to those who do not volunteer. They’re also less likely to experience negative emotions like anxiety, loneliness and hopelessness and have a more optimistic look at life.

And the number of older volunteers is rising — a study by the AARP found that the number of self-directed volunteering (informal service) has gone up among adults 45 and older from 34 percent in 2003 to 57 percent in 2009; more baby boomers reported volunteering. The chief motivation, the AARP found, was the feeling of personal responsibility to help others.

That’s exactly what motivated Bill Fahlsing, a Bainbridge Island certified public accountant, who didn’t even wait to

completely retire in order to volunteer as an adviser for SCORE (which helps new or aspiring business owners through mentorships and other programs).

Fahlsing, who’s been a CPA for more than four decades, is semi-retired, still working in a tax practice after selling the biggest part of the business more than 15 years ago. He said when his doctor was getting ready for retirement, he told him everyone should give back to the community at that stage in their lives. It wasn’t medical advice, but Fahlsing took it to heart.

“I took it pretty seriously. I thought highly of him,” he said. “I truly believe in what my doctor told me, that all of us, when we get close to retirement age, should give back.”

from page 13 volunteer, you’re in the receiving end of it,” he said. “You really receive a lot by giving… This keeps my sparks flying…

It’s good for your health and it’s good for your mental faculties.”

That statement has actually been proven by research. Among the studies was a 2010 survey by United Healthcare and VolunteerMatch, which showed that seniors who volunteer tend to be more content about their emotional well-being and feel more in control of their health

14 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

Poulsbo dentist helping area families As the healthcare debate rages nationally, one Poulsbo dentist has decided to do something tangible to help individuals and families afford quality dental care. “Statistically speaking, more than 60 percent of Americans don’t have dental insurance,” said Dr. Jeromy Peterson from his new, state-of-the-art dental practice in Poulsbo. “This means that a large majority of people here locally delay dental procedures, which is not good for dental health or overall healthcare.” A recent report by CBS News cited by Dr. Peterson indicated dental disease as a contributing factor in many seemingly unrelated problems... including employment problems, heart disease and childhood school absences.

“Even here in Poulsbo we see kids in our practice who are in chronic pain because a simple cavity was not caught in time. That cavity was not caught because the parents perceived that they could not afford dental care. By the time the pain for the child is unbearable... the cost of solving the problem has escalated two or three times over what it would have been if caught a year earlier. This bothered me a great deal and I decided to be part of finding a solution.”

The solution that Dr. Peterson helped develop with other dentists across the country is both simple and quite

ingenious... and may prove to be a model for healthcare reform across the board.

“Numbers don’t lie... and we found that we could create a system where families could get earlier preventive and less expensive dental care.” The program is called QDP — Quality Dental Plan (QualityDentalPlan.com), which is now rolling out nationally.

“I sat down with my front office team and saw how much money was going to insurance companies, claim forms administration and collections costs. We also calculated how many hundreds of extra dollars families were spending by not catching potential problems that we could have found during a simple annual dental exam. When I began to run these numbers with other dentists around America, we found that we could offer our patients free initial exams, free exam x-rays, free teeth cleanings and as much as 20 percent off our usual fee structure simply by creating our own in-house dental savings plan.”

The result was QDP. “This one simple step has allowed us to eliminate the insurance company middle man, and those savings are going right back into the pockets of folks here locally. I’m really proud to be part of this forward looking cost-savings movement. This is a great system for dental care everywhere.”

Social Security 101 presented by the SSA and Parker Financial LLC The Social Security Administration (SSA) and Parker Financial LLC are sponsoring Social Security 101 a free workshop for all ages on March 15, at the Silverdale Beach Hotel from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“We’re very excited to have Kirk Larsen come speak about social security. He’s very

knowledgeable and will help shed some light on how social security works,” said Jason Parker, president of Parker Financial LLC. Larson is the Western Washington Public Affairs Specialist for the SSA. He has worked with the agency for over 17 years in both technical and managerial roles. Kirk

Teens plan ride across USA to support Hospice of Kitsap County Rohrbacher, director of Community Relations and Philanthropy with Hospice of Kitsap County at (360) 698-4611.

has presented Social Security information in both the Seattle and San Francisco Regions. He has had several articles published, and has appeared on TV and Radio shows to discuss various Social Security issues. The SSA and Federal Government organizations have recognized him for his outstanding public service.

Larson has a degree in Business Administration from California Polytechnic University at Pomona.

The event will cover: • Retirement benefits and eligibility • Can a government pension lower your benefit?

• What does early retirement do to your benefits?

• How survivor’s benefits can help your family • How does Social Security figure your benefit?

• Learn about Medicare, Disability, Spouse Benefits • What can you do online with SSA? • Learn if Social Security will be around in 30 years • Understand how to get the most from your benefits To reserve a seat for this event call (800) 514-5046 or email info@parker-financial.net.

Two Silverdale teens, Hunter and John Burroughs will bicycle from San Diego, Calif. to St. Augustine, Fla., in memory of their great grandmother and in support of Hospice of Kitsap County. The boys have dreamed of riding across the USA since they were small. They stated that “Because we know how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to realize our dream, we want to help raise awareness and support for Hospice of Kitsap County.”

For more information contact Wendy

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 15

COVER from page 1

16 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

brand promise, among many other aspects.

The team also conducted branch workshops and surveys; interviewed employees, customers and directors of the board; and did a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. “(A) brand certainly includes your logo and collaterals but it is so much more.

Brand is delivering real value to our

customers and community, and by doing so, fostering lasting brand loyalty,” Childs said.

“It’s how our customers and the public perceive and value our organization. I tell our employees that our brand is as good as the feelings and thoughts of the last person who was in touch with us, whether in a branch, on the phone, on our website or at an ATM — it’s what they think of us at that moment.”

The bank’s logo was redesigned a year prior to starting the rebranding, so the information collected during this process was used to determine the color palette, design elements, tone, key words, fonts and other pieces of the brand identity.

“All the background work led us to the decisions we made,” Childs said.

Kitsap Bank hired an outside agency for the design portion. When the new brand was unveiled, the team went back to those who gave input to show how their feedback was incorporated. Presentations were made throughout the bank during the rollout, including the introduction of a “Brand Atlas” and new collaterals.

“Pulling out all the old materials was important,” said Janet Silcott, assistant vice president and marketing officer, who joined the company part-way through the rebranding effort. “It wasn’t easy.”

To help purge old business cards and other materials, the bank had incentives for staff such as contests with prizes. Silcott said it was also important to create the same feeling and experience at all branches, so no matter if customers were in Poulsbo or Port Orchard, they felt the same way and had the same expectations. The rollout, done in several phases, included updated advertisements, new look for statements

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L-R Janet Silcott, assistant vp/marketing and Shannon Childs, senior vp and marketing director (including a visual tutorial mailed with statements a month prior) and updated ATM screens. Locations with ATM surrounds received small facelifts so that a consistent look was implemented for all the surrounds.

Childs said the brand stewardship is an ongoing effort. The brand and what it stands for is introduced as part of new employee training and continues to be a focus during various company meetings and events. “It’s an attitude, a philosophy,” she said.

Asked how the organization knows if the rebranding has been effective, she said first it was about seeing the pride in employees and receiving feedback from customers. “But I think it really connected for me when we celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2008. When I heard community leaders speak about us, I could tell that they understood our brand,” she said. “When someone from outside the organization can tell you what you are all about, you know your branding has hit the mark.”

The YMCA rebrands nationwide, refocuses core mission

By Rodika Tollefson The YMCA launched a nationwide rebranding effort last year, and members at the local branches have been witnessing various changes over the last few months.

The Christian-based health and well-being nonprofit has changed its umbrella organization name to the Y (as it has been nicknamed for years) and has introduced a new color scheme and brand identity including a new logo. As part of the process, the Y has fine-tuned its focus on three core areas: youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.

“A lot of people see us as a health and fitness facility but we are so much more,” said Michelle LaRue, communications director for the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. “We’re focusing on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility — and when you think of the Y, we want people to think of those areas…

A lot of it we are doing already and we’re being more intentional about it.”

The new brand was unveiled last July and since then, the YMCA of Pierce and

Kitsap Counties has been rolling it out in phases at its branches, which include the Gig Harbor Family YMCA and the Bremerton Family YMCA. The Y’s new logo and things like staff shirts have several color options and each branch selected its own color schemes.

“We picked multi-color at our branch.

We have lots of programs and lots of ways we serve the community — the multi-color is a representation of the diversity,” said Gig Harbor Family YMCA Branch Communications and Outreach Director Kirstin Hawkins.

LaRue said the refocused mission is not changing the programming a lot, and spiritual development continues to be an important aspect. “We were founded on Christian principles and that’s not changing,” she said. “People think we’re losing the C (for Christian) in the YMCA and we’re not.” She said part of the process entails educating the staff about being more purposeful in emphasizing the core areas New Y, page 17

There is no secret to 'branding' your business. Do try this at work

By Bill Hoke Every business needs a memorable, top of category brand name.

When your customer and prospects think of a business, you want them to think of you first.

Some call this TOMA — top of mind awareness, so when someone thinks of floor covering, for example, your company name — your brand name — pops up in their mind.

Category leaders, from car repair to insurance agents, generally are the most successful businesses. More people remember their name and they 'win' in the battle for share of market.

Big companies, such as Nike and Target, spend millions of dollars a day on advertising and promotion and this huge media push builds TOMA and when someone says 'tennis shoes', most people think of Nike and see that swoosh logo.

Same for Target who made a target their logo. It's amazing how you can brand a company when you can afford to buy television commercials and billboards and hire sports celebrities by the carload to promote products and services.

Because you are probably lacking a few hundred million dollars to create and maintain your brand name awareness, you will have to do your branding the old fashioned way, one customer at a time.

Fortunately, you can take a page from the book of Nordstrom and Starbucks who have largely eschewed advertising and found their way to the top of their categories.

The secret? There is no secret and for every business owner looking for a complicated solution to branding, you need only to look at Nordstrom who have built and maintained their brand name on providing the highest levels of customer service. They are resolved to make every single customer experience as good as they can make it. In hundreds of business workshops, I have asked if anyone was mad at Nordstrom and only twice has anyone raised their hand to express any dissatisfaction. They walk their talk and they have one of the most exalted brand

names in America.

Comes Starbucks, less than 25 years old, known the world over. I walk into a Starbucks in Auckland, New Zealand, in Milan, Paris, London, Detroit or Dallas and in every single instance I am met with a Starbucks smile, a friendly greeting a wellscrubbed face, clean environment and, consistently, a damn fine latte.

Please note, whether you like the 'bitter' taste of Starbucks coffee or not, this company does billions of dollars of business and does very (very) little advertising.

And this brings us to the one, simple

point and if you are looking for a complicated solution to a simple problem, you won't find it here.

The simple truth is: branding and TOMA, repeat sales, positive word of mouth, come largely from providing the best customer service in the category. I return to The Park Avenue Cafe because they make me feel welcome; they act like my business is important, whether I am having a single cup of mid-morning coffee or a big breakfast. Same for Hi-Lo Diner Branding, page 18

NEW Y from page 16

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 17

such as healthy living.

“We are not totally changing what we’re doing,” Hawkins said. “In the process of rebranding we’re also able to communicate about who we are and that we want to be a hub for the community… We were walking the mission already but this has provided a better framework for what we’re doing.”

The Y started out as the Young Men’s Christian Association and currently has more than 2,600 branches nationwide. The former logo has been in place since 1967 but not all branches used the brand the same way. The full transition across the country is expected to take five years.

The goal of the new brand strategy, which was the result of two years of research and input, is, “to increase understanding of the impact the nonprofit makes in communities,” the Y said in making the national announcement last July. “The YMCA has the unique capacity to address many of the challenges facing the nation today. Through its new brand strategy and framework, the nonprofit will extend its reach into communities to nurture the potential of youth and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being and provide opportunities to support neighbors.”

Rebrand or not rebrand: why and how

18 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

By Rodika Tollefson Watson Furniture Group is turning 51 years old this year, and for the past few years the business has grown both organically and through acquisitions. As the company became home to a third line of products last year, it became clear it was time to rebrand.

“We were treating our three divisions as boutique brands with little in common with each other. The rebranding will help with continuity,” said Creative Services Manager Michael Shipley, who has been leading an in-house rebranding team for the past year.

The company is getting ready to roll out its new brand any moment, and, among other things, will have a new name: Watson.

“We used to be a house of brands… and we’ve turned into a branded house,” Shipley said. “…We also want to make a push to build local and regional awareness, especially in Washington and Oregon.”

Continuity, growth and brand awareness are common reasons for undertaking a rebranding project. Some local examples in recent years include Harrison Medical Center and Kitsap Bank, or, at a nationwide level, Starbucks Coffee and the YMCA. Sometimes the reasons are more external — such as a changing economy or marketplace. Beth Bacon, who owns Zoyo Branding on Bainbridge Island, said rebranding is a good way to reevaluate a business, and even if a new look may not be needed, going through a “rebranding exercise” will help bring clarity. It’s like a business planning exercise, except it looks not only at what the company wants to do but also what the competition and the market are doing and what customers feel and want.

“If you’re a business and you feel you have too many balls in the air, too many

plates spinning, too many things going on, it’s good to do a branding exercise to narrow things down,” Bacon said.

Small businesses often make the mistake of thinking that rebranding means simply a new logo and graphics. But a complete rebranding is possible without making any changes to those components.

“A brand helps influence a logo but (the logo) is a minor part of the brand,” Bacon said. “A brand really isn’t about graphics — it’s being able to articulate what you do quickly so people get it right away. You have to identify that before the graphics can communicate that message.”

That information will also help the graphic designers to work on the visuals.

Shiloh Schroeder, owner of graphic design firm Fusion Creative Works, said even if all a business really wants is a new logo and collateral materials, she still needs to know answers to questions such as who is the target market.

“There are misconceptions about what a logo actually is. A logo should be simple,” she said. “Generally speaking, it goes in hand with other information (such as a tagline) so it needs to be appealing and not have too much crammed into it.”

Companies differ in how they approach the research stage — some go to their customers or vendors, others get employee feedback. For the Watson team, the process entailed interviewing dealers and reps regarding their perceptions about the company.

“We established a three-word brand compass that guided the process: Simplicity. Dignity. Curiosity,” Shipley said.

“The brand compass was so important — being able to define who you are, who you believe you are, and use it as a benchmark to base your decisions on… The brand compass will live on as part of the message.”

Even the shortening of the name to one word came through the brand compass —

part of “simplicity.” At the same time, the team had to be in tune with the market and the competition. “We didn’t want to look exactly like our competitors but still needed to remain in the market and look like a furniture company,” he said.

The rebranding included new logo and color palette, refreshed tone for written communications and an updated boilerplate, among other things. The rollout will be done in stages and ultimately include a website redesign.

The brand compass and the rebranding exercise will also impact visuals such as the color scheme, typefaces and tone of the written materials. Bacon’s latest rebranding project, for Bainbridge Island’s Emerald BioStructures, didn’t get into the color palette discussion until after the analysis into what the company does well.

“One of the things it does well is that it has real scientists working on the same things as the customers. The message was, ‘We’re working with you on the same road to discovery and we understand the road to discovery.’ From that, we came up with the color scheme,” said Bacon, who was brought on board as a full-time marketing consultant by the biotech company last spring specifically to develop a branding and marketing strategy.

The rebranding included new graphics, brochures, marketing materials and website (unveiled recently). Part of the reason for the rebranding was the company’s recent change of ownership: Emerald BioStructures had just divested itself of its parent company. The branding research not only showed what the company did well, it also compelled it to focus more on the separate arm of the business, sister company Emerald BioSystems, which sells technology and crystallization chemicals created by Emerald to other scientists.

“Learning that helped the company start emphasizing their custom products. It was very helpful for the business side of things to see the potential growth,” Bacon said.

Bacon believes that businesses of any size, no matter how small, can benefit from branding research — even if as simple as asking customers about their perception of the brand.

“Small businesses definitely need a brand as much as anyone because it gives a simple, clear message,” she said. “…Asking customers is a huge way of knowing your brand: They’re forming a brand in their mind whether you give them a brand or not.”

BRANDING

In our workshops, we mention Nordstrom, Les Schwab and you hear how the clerk at Nordstrom paid a customer for a tire they wheeled up to the cosmetic counter, complaining, and the clerk never mentioned they don't sell tires and the dozens of positive stories told about how Les Schwab ran to fix a flat and did not charge, repaired a lawn mower tire.

In the midst of one of these love-ins at a workshop, one person — just one person — stood and refuted one of these stories and told of a horrible incident when her problem was NOT solved and the workshop quieted as she railed on about how poorly she was treated and I thought how much damage she was inflicting to a proud brand name just because one customer, one time, fell through the cracks.

An estimated eighty percent of new business comes from word of mouth, not from fancy and expensive 'branding' strategies.

So if you want to build your brand, take care of every customer, every time. Be sure your staff, full and part time, are empowered to solve customer problems.

Leave comment cards. Leave a suggestion box. Follow up on every single problem and solve it to the customer's satisfaction before they leave the store.

Take care of your customers, give them a first class experience, maintain relationships with them honor and thank and reward them and branding will take care of itself.

(Editors note: Bill Hoke is a Manette-based sales and marketing consultant and can be reached at (360) 271-9448 or hoke@hokeconsulting.com.)

from page 17 where, when I close my eyes, I see everyone smiling, welcoming me, sitting in the cutaway VW or snuggled in a corner booth.

You don't have to advertise your way to a big, memorable brand name. What you must do is to deliver the best customer service in your category every single time, so when anyone mentions your company name; there are people around who will say, "Let me tell you how they solved my problem."

March 2011 Edition

Events And Activities Wednesday, March 2nd Kitsap HBA Remodelers, 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 3rd Developer’s Council, 7:30 a.m.

Tuesday, March 8th Peninsula Home & Garden Expo Com. Mtg, 12:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 9th Auction Committee, 12:00 p.m.

Los Cabos-Silverdale March 18-20 PENINSULA HOME & GARDEN EXPO Kitsap Fairgrounds

Wednesday, March 23rd Auction Committee, 12:00 p.m.

Los Cabos-Silverdale Wednesday, March 30th Builder Breakfast — Mayor Lary Coppola, 7:30 a.m.

Contact HBA for event location information Thursday, March 31st Executive Committee, 2:00 p.m.

Government Affairs Committee, 2:30 p.m.

Board Meeting, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, April 6th Auction Committee, 12:00 p.m.

Los Cabos-Silverdale Kitsap HBA Remodelers, 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 7th Developer’s Council, 7:30 a.m.

Friday, April 15th Builder Breakfast-Mayor Becky Erickson, 7:30 a.m.

Taprock Grill

Some Confused by Status of The Washington State Energy Code and other Building Codes The HBA receives calls fairly regularly on the recent amendments to the Building Codes, including the new Washington State Energy Code.

Different jurisdictions are handling the new energy code, in terms of enforcement, differently and there seem to be several State level rulemakings on pieces of both the energy and building code. So many of our members wonder what is going on and how to comply with the rules.

At this time, the 2009 building code and energy codes are in place. As a result, you have an obligation to build your structures compliant with those codes. However, the State Building Code Council has a rulemaking process underway related to carbon monoxide detectors as well as a rulemaking on duct testing requirements.

The energy code was delayed by an emergency vote of the State Building Code Council, at the request of the Governor, but that delay expired on January 1, 2011. It is the opinion of the State Building Code Council that the codes are in effect. The State Building Industry Association did file a suit against the new Energy Code, specifically arguing that Chapter 9 of the new code is excessive and beyond the federal requirements. Unfortunately, in mid February, the judge ruled against BIAW and in support of the code’s content.

Similar litigation in New Mexico has not received a ruling yet.

As this article is being written a bill sits in the House Committee on Technology, Energy, and Communications which would legislatively authorize an additional delay in the enforcement of the 2009 Washington State Energy Code until April 1, 2012. While the bill has strong bi-partisan support, in mid-February, the bill appeared stuck in the House committee. By the time this article appears in print, in early March, the bill will either have moved, or will have died. The House bill number is HB 1388 and its Senate companion bill is SB 5751. In mid February, the Senate version of the bill had not had a committee hearing. Hope seems to rest on the House bill.

For ongoing updates on these codes, familiarize yourself with the website of the State Building Code Council. That site is www.ga.wa.gov/sbcc. There you can easily access the latest status of code related rulemakings and add your name to their email notification list. Monitoring the State Building Code Council website will help to keep you up to speed on the latest activity.

Another key resource for information specifically on the Washington State Energy Code is the Washington State University Extension Energy Program.

They have an informative website with easily accessible information on all elements of the energy code. That site is www.energy.wsu.edu. Visiting this site will connect you to several databases including the Energy Solutions Database, and the Heating System Cost Calculator. For those implementing the residential section of the code WSU offers code support. Visit www.wsu.edu/buildingefficiency . You can email them with help on specific questions at www.energycode@energy.wsu.edu or call them directly for assistance at 360-956-2042.

The regulatory confusion on the implementation of these codes can be frustrating. There are resources available. Don’t make a costly mistake by failing to follow the code. Contact the HBA if you need additional assistance.

2011 OFFICERS President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin Ingalls, RCS First Vice President . . Wayne Keffer, CGR, CAPS Second Vice President . . . . . . . . Robert Baglio Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy Biegenwald Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dee Coppola, CGA Immediate Past President . . Ron Perkerewicz

2011 BUILDER & ASSOC. DIRECTORS Derek Caldwell • Karla Cook • John Leage Robert Lubowicki • Judy Mentor Eagleson Jim Way, CGB • Jason Galbreath • Kevin Hancock Leslie Peterson, CGA • Shawnee Spencer

2011 STATE DIRECTORS John Armstrong • Robert Baglio • Derek Caldwell Lary Coppola • Walter Galitzki • Brent Marmon Gale Culbert, CGR, CGB, GMB Wayne Keffer, CGR, CAPS • Greg Livdahl

2011 ALTERNATE STATE DIRECTOR Robert Coultas • Rick Courson

LIFE STATE DIRECTORS Bill Parnell

2011 NATIONAL DIRECTORS Robert Baglio • Justin Ingalls, RCS Wayne Keffer, CGR, CAPS

2011 ALTERNATE NATNL. DIRECTORS David Smith • Mikael Brown • Jeff Coombe

LIFE DIRECTORS Rick Courson • Jim Smalley • Bob Helm Bill Parnell • Larry Ward John Schufreider • Dori Shobert

2011 COUNCIL & CHAIRS Build a Better Christmas. . . Randy Biegenwald Built Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walter Galitzki

By Laws & Nominations . . . Ron Perkerewicz Developers Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . Norm Olson Golf Classic . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shawnee Spencer Govt. Affairs Cmte. . . Wayne R. Keffer CGR, CAPS HBA After Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBD Remodelers Ccl Chair. . . David Godbolt, CGR, CAPS Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Baglio Parade of Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dee Coppola Peninsula H&G Expo . . . . . . . . . Melvin Baird Peninsula H&R Expo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBD

HBA STAFF Executive Vice President . . . Teresa Osinski, CGP tosinski@kitsaphba.com Administrative Coordinator . . . Melissa Greil info@KitsapHBA.com Events & Administrative Assistant . . Toni Probert hbaevents@kitsaphba.com

Home Builders Association of Kitsap County 5251 Auto Center Way, Bremerton, WA 98312 360-479-5778 • 800-200-5778 FAX 360-479-0313 www.KitsapHBA.com

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March 2011 Edition

Change is all around. In December of 2010, Tom McCabe Justin left his post as Executive Officer Ingalls of the state association, the BIAW. BIAW’s leadership has Kitsap Trident Homes temporarily replaced that 2011 President position with two interim directors, Jeff Losey, EO from HBA of Tri Cities; and Art Castle, our immediate past Executive Vice President. Here in Kitsap we are adjusting to a new Executive Vice President as well. Daily we hear of old businesses closing their doors, but just as quickly a new business opens its doors. In the first two months of the year, the HBA added 10 new companies to its membership. This is positive change and your help in encouraging more to join and others to renew is important.

There are many good reasons to be a part of the HBA. Most of those reasons are constant regardless of the economy or the changing tide of regulation. Companies that are members of the HBA are more easily found by consumers and other members seeking their services and being associated is a relatively low fee compared to many other advertising options. Right now, as people drive along highway 3 they see a list of the newest members of the HBA. 24/7 the public and members are able to access our current list of members at our website (www.kitsaphba.com). Our members benefit by the HBA effort to promote our role in the industry and community through widespread advertising in all the area papers, on-line, and to support our two annual home expos. But in these changing times, membership can mean even more. Like our health insurance option, the HBA members benefit by their volume because dozens of other companies reward HBA members with special discounts. Builders using Verizon wireless can save significant fees each month by participating in the builder discount. Staples office supplies offers all members measureable cost breaks as does Federal Express and General Motors. Though most business owners work hard to control cost all the time, during these changing times, maximizing the benefits of membership can mean a positive change to your company’s bottom line.

Call the HBA to better understand the benefits available and how easy it is to use them.

In addition to those changes, the HBA will be adding a couple new events in 2011, a social in April and a family picnic in August. Your participating in HBA events is important to us and to our members. What motivated you to join may differ among you, but the ability to work with eachother and mutually benefit from our shared involvement in the HBA is a key piece of association membership. By taking the time to attend one of the dozens of HBA activities offered throughout the year, you will improve your network of industry connections and the strength of the HBA overall.

In March the HBA will hold its annual Peninsula Home and Garden Expo. It is sold out and is expected to be a great opportunity again. If you’re a member and not in the Expo, you can still sign up to help the HBA at the HBA Welcome Booth as a greeter. In this role you will have the opportunity to interact with thousands of show visitors. Please call Toni at the HBA office to sign up. Your help is important to the HBA and by participating you may change your client base. Also in March is the Builder Breakfast in Port Orchard, with Mayor Lary Copp ola. These breakfasts are open to all HBA members and are a great way to visit for a few minutes with HBA builders as well as area elected officials.

Take advantage of the changes in front of you. Let your membership in the HBA help you make the most of these challenging times. I am looking forward to 2011 and am excited about the opportunities ahead for the HBA and our membership.

Call me if you would like to learn more or contact the HBA office directly.

Good things are happening at the HBA and I encourage our members to stay involved or get involved CGP for the first time. While the staff at the HBA works hard Executive every day on your behalf, and Vice President frankly to the benefit of many companies that aren’t currently members, it is our volunteer leaders that do some of the really heavy lifting.

In 2010 important contributions were made to the benefit of the entire housing indus try by several key members of the HBA Developers Council. Their efforts affected improvements to the county ’s stormwater code and facilitated a newly crafted Rural Chapter to the County Comprehensive plan as well as the creation of important commercial LAMIRDS in the north part of the County. The Developers Council is on track again this year to be effective on finally resolving the development problems created by a development limitation within UGAs in the Comp plan’s footnote 48. Additionally, volunteers on that Council are working with DCD to make the process of using abbreviated plans clearer.

The HBA Government Affairs committee is working again on election issues, but also trying to build important communication bridges with the fire safety professionals in Kitsap to improve the dialogue about fire sprinklers and fire flow. This is a crucially important issue to housing affordability in Kitsap.

The Kitsap HBA Remodelers Council is off to a fast start having had two excellent meetings already which have resulted in a new partnership with the Kitsap Sun helping consumers better understand why hiring registered contractors is so important, and also having held a well attended training for all HBA members on better coding of employee time to save money on L&I premiums.

Several members have saved hundreds by understanding the best way to code jobs.

We have held a more than full CPR & First Aid class as well as two full classes related to the use of Quick Books. We have more educations opportunities scheduled for this year and will likely be adding classes soon.

Our annual Installation banquet was hugely successful as was our recent Roast and Toast of Art Castle. Members are looking for social opportunities and we have plans to fill those needs with our always fun July Golf tournament, but also two new events; one in April and another in August. And of course our annual dinner and auction in May, which is ALWAYS a lot of fun, set for May 13th. Get out your best pirate garb, and attend this fun and important social event and fundraiser.

We are seeing encouraging signs in our industry including the addition of several new members in January and February, new, creative lending options from local banks, and a continuing trend of most local home sales being traditional sales and not short sale or foreclosures. A recent survey of over 1,000 adults in the U.S, concluded that 87% of respondents said that homeownership is a good investment of financial resources. According to Fallon Research Communication, Inc, (ww.FallonResearch.com) the sentiment of respondents on this point was so consistent that even 72% of those that were renters agreed. Fallon concluded that this suggests that even those that do not choose to own a home, agree that there is inherent value for those that do.

I want to hear from you about your membership in the HBA. If there is anything you need or simply don’t know all that is available to you as a member, please call me. I’d be happy to help you investigate all that your membership has for you. Not a member yet?

I’d enjoy talking with you about joining.

Teresa Osinski

March 2011 Edition

Government Affairs Committee

Money $aving Programs for MEMBERS ONLY

Wayne R. Keffer, WRK Construction, Inc.

Did you know YOU have access to a huge array of discounts just because you’re a member? Save money! Max out all that the HBA has to offer! Resolve to use these benefits in 2011.

2011 Chair I recently received a call from another contractor wanting information about the EPA lead rule for renovation Repair and Painting. In a nutshell to summarize this nearly year old rule, if you do any work on a home built before Jan 1 1978 you have to be registered with the EPA and have trained workers. It is intended to protect people from lead poisoning. Lead poisoning is particularly bad for young children. The effects of lead poisoning is not limited to the children living in a home with lead based paint (or disturbed lead based paint from remodeling activity) but can be carried to your own children at the end of the workday.

As far as I can tell, the rule really affects everyone on the jobsite and there are substantial fines for non-compliance. I would be very interested in finding out how this rule has affected your business, how your customers perceive the rule when you talk to them, and what tools are you using to take care of the paperwork requirements. Your observations are important and can help us to be better contractors and serve the Kitsap public well.

The legislature is currently in session and the number of senate and house bills related to the homebuilding industry is amazing. The HBA and BIAW have done a good job sending out E-mails on some of the most important bills. When these Emails come out, please help our industry, and those we serve, by writing a sentence or two (or a paragraph) to your legislators. I have done this mostly thru Voter Voice. The process is quick, fairly painless, and most importantly I often get responses back letting me know that my voice is heard. If you need information on who your legislators are, or how to reach them, call Teresa at the HBA office. She will get you connected quickly.

For March, the Government Affairs Committee is planning on having water purveyors in the room to continue our discussions about water availability and how it relates to the fire flow and residential fire sprinklers discussion. Their input on the status of stores and infrastructure is really crucial to a full understanding of the impacts fire flow changes or sprinkler mandates could have on current customers and future ones. The March meeting is on the 31st at the HBA at 2:30 p.m. All HBA members are welcome and encouraged to come and learn more And lastly, the Affordable Housing Council annual dinner and auction will soon be here. This year we are working on a pirate theme for our May 13, 2011 event. I hope you put a big X on the date and come have a great evening of food, friends, and search for treasure as we support the Affordable Housing Council of Kitsap County. This year we will also be auctioning off one item for the sole purpose of generating revenue for our annual Build A Better Christmas (BABC) program. BABC is a long standing tradition at the HBA where we make Christmas just a bit happier for the families in the YWCA Alive Shelter during the holidays. If your company would like to donate a high-end item, event, or trip for this specific cause, please call me or Teresa with your idea. For the AHC auction, itself (the big event for the night) we need the full support of HBA members and other businesses in the community. Sponsors, donations of auctionable, new items, attendance, and bid winners, generate important money for the AHC. Please call the HBA for details.

Health Insurance — Our group health program provides members health coverage with a variety of options and hard to beat prices. Non-members can also get a quote, but to buy the insurance you need to join the HBA. Plan options have very competitive rates. Call us for a quote application or visit www.epkbenefits.com for details.

Member Advantage — As an NAHB benefit, our members have access to discounts and savings opportunities offered by many top companies. All programs, rates, and prices are subject to change without notice. The Member Advantage program includes GM, Office Depot, Hertz, Liberty Mutual, HP, Dell, FedEx and other companies as well. Visit www.nahb.org/ma to start saving your company money.

National Purchasing Program — To access the following benefits, you will first need to register at www.mynpp.com and then begin enjoying the additional membership benefits provided through our National Purchasing Program options. This program includes additional savings for our members.

Visit the website for all the options, but two popular programs are: Staples Business Advantage — offers up to 82% off of list pricing Verizon Wireless — A program that offers a 22% discount on monthly bills and discounts on wireless equipment and more If you have any questions on any of the great benefits your membership in the Home Builders Association of Kitsap County provides you, please call the HBA at 360-479-5778 or email info@kitsaphba.com. We look forward to assisting you.

Imagine the Possibilities This Month!

The annual Peninsula HOME & GARDEN Expo is coming March 18, 19, and 20 to the Kitsap Sun Pavilion. This annual expo is The Biggest AND BEST HOME SHOW WEST OF SEATTLE!®. Taking up three large buildings at the Kitsap County fair grounds, you won’t want to miss it.

Watch your paper for $1 off coupons or find coupons at many local businesses, including show sponsors Kitsap Sun, Wave Broadband, and Kitsap Credit Union.

Show hours are Friday, March 18, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, March 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For the latest information about the event, seminar schedules, and special attractions, look for the program in the Tuesday, March 15 insert of the Kitsap Sun or visit our website at www.kitsaphbahomeshow.com.

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March 2011 Edition

A Spike is a member who sponsors new members into the association. The association loses a number of members each year from non-renewal due to changes in business circumstances. This membership loss must be made up with new members if the association is to continue; without active Spikes our association would not exist.

LIFE SPIKES CREDITS Jim Smalley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380.5 Tim Burke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Gale Culbert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265.5 Dee Coppola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243.25 Dale Armstrong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235.5 Kerry Chamberlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235.5 Bill Parnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217.5 Michael Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187.5 Andy Mueller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Douglas Woodside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Kevin Parnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Bob Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.5 John Armstrong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150.75 Rick Courson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148.5 James Ingalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Randy Biegenwald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Greg Livdahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.5 Robert Lubowicki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 David Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Michael Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Larry Ward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.5 Jeff Coombe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77.5 Dori Shobert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Lary Coppola. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.5 Rick Cadwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Joanne Lockwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.5 Charlie Mackall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Donna Milner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.5 Cheryl Gallup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.5 Scott Henden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.5 Ron Perkerewicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Larry Elfendahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.5 Justin Ingalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.5 Wayne Keffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.75 Steve Crabb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.5 Steve Brett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Barry Keenan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 SPIKES CREDITS Brent Marmon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Jeff Swan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.5 Robert Coultas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.5 Dave Revis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.25 AnnaLee Todd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Joe Gates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5 Darren Devitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Welcome New Members

Thank You Renewing Members

Raymond Bishop • Better Bilt Storage Barns 5310 Anderson Hill Rd, Silverdale, WA 98383 (360) 698-1633 • doug.bishop@wavecable.com Sponsor: Robert Baglio, The BJC Group

Peter Brachvogel AIA • Perfect Little House Company 197 Parfitt Way # 120, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 (206) 780-1016 Fax: (206) 780-5187 • peterb@perfectlittlehouse.com Sponsor: Jim Ingalls, Kitsap Trident Houses Inc

24 hour emergency clean-up

ACTION

SPIKE CANDIDATES CREDITS Walter Galitzki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 Brad Reid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Corey Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Derek Caldwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Frank Murr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Jim Heins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Judy Granlee-Gates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.75 Jon Brenton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Karen Alyea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Len Mallory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Robert Simonoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Ted Bowman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Al Timm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Brett Warner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Daryl Hemley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 David Godbolt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Ken Holmgren. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Mark Khulman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Michael Glading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Rob Smallwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Ron Galla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Ron House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Daniel Ryan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 James Pickett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 John Leage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 John Ramsdell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Judy Mentor Eagleson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ken Orlob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Leslie Peterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Mike Orcutt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Molly McCabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Robert Baglio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Shawnee Spencer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Steve Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Steve Morrison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Over 25 Years Evergreen Lumber Inc (42) 10 Years to 14 Years Hanson Sign Company Inc Kitsap Garage Door Co Salisbury Woodworking Inc 5 to 9 Years A Kitchen That Works

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Poulsbo Middle School solar project nearly complete

Jennifer Carter Bremerton 360-405-5005

and know where the hurdles are, the next ones should fall into place.”

For information about CSPs and

Washington’s renewable energy incentive program, visit www.wsi-solar.com, or call WSI at (360) 598-2300.

Partners In Success In an effort to continue to offer cutting edge products and services along with quality and competitive technology applications, it is our pleasure to invite you to visit our newly designed website.

www.PNWTkitsap.com

Providing superior customer service and professionalism to every real estate transaction.

SILVERDALE OFFICE 360-692-4141 • 800-464-2823 2021 NW Myhre Road, Suite 300 Silverdale, WA 98383

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND OFFICE 206-842-2082 • 800-884-7636 921 NE Hildebrand, Suite 200 Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

PORT ORCHARD OFFICE Title Insurance Escrow Services Real Estate Resources

360-895-7799 1382 SE Lund Avenue, Suite 1 Port Orchard, WA 98366

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Heather Gutierrez Bremerton 360-405-5004

David Boone Bainbridge Island 206-369-7885

Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender © 2011 Bank of America Corporation. Credit and collateral are subject to approval.

Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend. Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

00-62-0112D 01-2010 AR70163

Ryan Christian Poulsbo 360-394-5700

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 23

A state renewable energy incentive program has resulted in a large solar energy project being installed on the roof of Poulsbo Middle School. The project, the largest of its kind in the state, should be completed this spring.

The “Community Solar Program” (CSP) was created by the state Legislature to help communities work with companies and others to create solar energy programs.

Solar developer WSI (Washington Solar Incentives) is managing installation of the 75-kW system in Poulsbo. Rick Lander, president of WSI, became aware of the state’s CSP model as lawmakers were considering it last year.

“Our state has taken a bold move and I hope to see CSPs spring up in cities and towns across Washington,” Lander said. “It’s a given that solar is good for the environment. What sets this program apart is that it’s a common-sense, market-based solution that benefits individual participants and communities as well.”

Lander is referring to Washington’s CSP structure where, unlike other states, a group of citizens can join together and put a solar array on a public “host” facility, such as a school, at no cost to the facility. A group of investors has come up with the $670,000 capital for the project. The investors are paying the school district to lease the roof space until the disposition period, which is in 2020. As part of the program, investors will receive rebates based on the amount of solar power produced (capped by the Legislature at $5,000 per year) and tax incentives.

The host facility will see immediate energy cost savings and, at the end of the incentive period, receive full ownership of the solar array.

Along with lowered energy costs, there are also educational benefits for schools.

The students will be able to monitor solar production online, and at least two North Kitsap High School students are making this their senior project.

“It’s a rare win-win and I believe this CSP program will become a great success and a model to the rest of the country,”

Lander said.

Lander points out that Washington’s weather and program is similar to Germany.

“Their solar industry went from about 1,500 jobs in 2000 to over 75,000 by 2009. Today Germany installs more solar than any other country in the world, with less sun than even Western Washington,” he said.

The state program is expected to create new jobs. Only solar arrays whose parts are manufactured in-state will receive the enhanced incentives. WSI uses modules and inverters manufactured by Silicon Energy of Marysville.

“The incentive program does more than just create jobs, it brings cash into the state,” Lander said. “Through a cash grant or tax credits, the federal government injects into our local economy 30 percent of the cost of every solar array we install.”

The solar array will take up about 7,500 square feet and have 390 modules, taking six weeks to install. On the ground level will sit a power production meter, used to monitor performance and calculate incentive payments. The project is scheduled to come on-line by the middle of March and will be the fifth largest solar array of any kind in the state.

With the Poulsbo Middle School project near completion, Lander is looking to the future. “The first one is always the toughest,” he said. “But now that we’ve cleared the way

Silverdale PeeWee Association and the Ross family celebrate groundbreaking From left to right: Jay Sandy, Adam Kanouse, Dona Ross, Ken Perry, Darin Veach, Tarence Mosley at the groundbreaking of the Dona Ross Multi-Purpose Building.

Photo courtesy Barb Landis

Ground breaking ceremonies commenced on Jan. 29, for the new Dona Ross Building at Ross Field, a multipurpose building for equipment storage and which will act as the announcers booth, as celebrated by the Silverdale PeeWee Association and the Ross family.

Dona Ross, widower of the late Pete Ross, and Ron Ross, brother of Pete Ross, are the original donors of Ross Field property to the Silverdale Pee Wee

How Green Is Your General Contractor?

Many TRC Supported Community Projects & Organizations:

Future home of Rice Fergus Miller Architects

Member of US Green Building Council The mission of the US Green Building Council is “To transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life.”

24 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

Certified LEED Professionals

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

4-H And FFA Sponsor since 1976, North Kitsap Rotary member, Bremerton Rotary member Harrison Foundation Notrh Kitsap Little League sponsor North Kitsap Soccer sponsor Babe Ruth Foundation sponsor Admiral Theater Foundation Relay for a Cure St. Patricks Day Parade Sponsor Muscular Dystrophy Association Vinland Elementatary/ PTSA Tacoma Rescue Mission The Bellringer West Sound Academy Cathlioc Community Services Max Hale Family Center Fishline Poulsbo Kiwanis Golf Tournament UW Alumni Golf Tournament Relay for Life - North Kitsap High School Habitat for Humainty - Kitsap County Soroptimist of Greater North Kitsap Kitsap Mental Health Services Golf Classic Kitsap Cancer Services - Golf Tournament Sponsor since 2003 o Whaling Days o Suquamish Foundation o American Legion Post 245

Dan Ryan, President and Adam Vega, Project Manager of TRC are certified as LEED Accredited professionals.

TRC’s First LEED Project TRC working on their first LEED project in Bremerton.

The building will be the future home of Rice Fergus Miller Architecture & Planning. Rice Fergus Miller has designed the project targeting the highest level of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification – LEED Platinum. The building is designed to use ½ the energy of the best performing building in Western Washington.

Is Your Genral Contractor Spreading Green?

Future home of Bremerton Bar & Grill

TRC sponsors St. Patrick’s Parade – Supporting & giving back to community. March 12th, 11:00am downtown Bremerton. TRC celebrates 20 years sponsoring the event! Pat O’Day will be this year’s Grand Marshall.

Family Owned Business TRC is a family owned company that has been a fixture in this community since 1957 with a business philosophy that is based on honor and commitment, a time when your handshake was your bond. www.timryanconstruction.com

Association (SPWAA).

Several companies are generously sponsoring their services, including: • Team Innovative Landscape – Site work, grading, construction management • Goit Trucking – Trucking services • Lowe’s – Construction materials • Custom Design Roofing – Roofing and labor • Advanced Garage Door – Garage door installation • Charlie Ryan Construction – Concrete site work and foundation installation • Cox Enterprises – Building assembly The Silverdale PeeWee Association has a lifetime relationship with the Ross family, with Pete Ross being the original donor of the Ross Field land for SPWA’s baseball and football fields. After Pete Ross’ death in 2008 his wife Dona wanted to continue the legacy of support from the Ross family and donated $80,000 to provide a much-needed multi-purpose building for storage, a new sc orer’s tower and other needed facilities improvements.

For more information contact: Adam Kanouse, Silverdale PeeWee Association, (360) 340-4790 or Ken Perry, Team Innovative Landscape, (360) 340-5810.

Peninsula Building Performance offers infrared technology for buildings Grant Furness has announced the opening of a new company, Peninsula Building Performance. The company offers infrared thermal imaging to detect moisture and heat loss in residential and commercial buildings. It serves the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas and the greater Puget Sound areas.

The firm employs the latest in professional quality thermal imagers and are certified in their use and interpreting the images provided.

“Our job is to help you make your building more energy efficient, a more healthy place to live or work and protect it from the weather,” said Furness. “We are not affiliated with any manufacturer.

Our sole business is providing you with the education, insight and verification services you need. Our surveys are independent and unbiased.”

Furness is a graduate of the Washington Community Alliance for SelfHelp business development training classes and is an active member of the Washington CASH business support program in Kitsap County. He is also certified by Professional Thermographer's Association and members of the Building Performance Institute and Performance Tested Comfort Systems.

Peninsula Building Performance can be reached at (360) 362-2299, grant@pbpllc.com and online at www.pbp-llc.com.

KJ Lange completes certification for Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) KJ Lange, a managing broker and Realtor with Windermere Real Estate Westsound in Silverdale recently completed the approved certification class for an expertise in Seniors Real Estate. An SRES designation from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) gives a Realtor an extra edge for families and individuals in life’s natural transitions.

Post earns SRES designation Dana Post, Broker with RE/MAX Town and Country’s Port Orchard office, recently earned a designation with the National Association of Realtors to become a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES). SRES is the only designation and marketing program specifically designed to serve senior property owners. SRES designees demonstrate requisite knowledge and expertise to council senior clients through the major financial and lifestyle transitions involved in relocating, refinancing, or selling a home.

“I have Baby Boomer parents and older grandparents, so my empathy for this group of people drew me to earning this designation. Some seniors have family to help, and some do not, but everyone involved appreciates an educated professional gently guiding them through this often intimidating process,” said Post.

Contact Post at (360) 990-0998, danapost@remax.net or on the website at www.YourKitsapHome.com.

“I view my business as a helping profession. I help people find solutions to life’s challenges and that often involves real estate. Families and couples are so much better off when they makes these plans and decisions together and I hope to be an objective party in that process,” said Lange.

“Real estate needs are never just real estate needs.”

Educated in Nursing at Valparaiso University, a two year stint as a marketing director for a home health agency helped her become very familiar of the needs of couples and families as they age.

“I would be happy if I helped someone

stay in their home and remain independent if that’s what is best for them. This type of continuing education continues to sharpen my skills and awareness” she said. “As a Windermere agent, our calling is to truly put our clients first so it fits into our company philosophy.”

The SRES course covers the different needs at different stages as we age, types of communities that can serve different activity styles, ways to help pay for the lifestyle desired, and the emotional aspects of some transitions for people.

Lange can be reached at (360) 692-6102 or visit her website at www.lifeisgoodinkitsap.com.

Old Town Silverdale – For Lease 3594 NW Byron Street In Silverdale • Appealing Old Town location • Corner of Byron & Pacific • Some water view to Dyes Inlet • On-site parking • 800 to 3,300 sq. ft. available • From $12–$15 Full Service (janitorial & electricity not included)

Please Contact: Victor C. Ulsh, CCIM Bradley Scott Commercial Real Estate

(360) 479-6900 • (800) 479-6903 www.bradleyscottinc.com

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 25

26 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

Do you know who GINA is? You should family members, genetic information about a fetus, or information about genetic services received by them or a family member. The law gets into details on DNA, RNA, etc., and when you read it, you’ll wish you had a scientist or doctor by your side!

How would you happen to receive this genetic information? Surprisingly, if you think about it, there are actually many ways for us to receive genetic information about our employees or their extended families.

One way is the “water cooler” scenario.

For instance, during the course of casual conversation, an employee mentions that their uncle had a heart attack. You have just received genetic information about your employee. It is what you do with that information that matters under GINA. It is okay to express your sympathy, and inquire about Uncle Bob’s health. It is not okay to ask detailed questions about the family’s history with heart disease, and then fail to promote your employee to a stressful position because you’re afraid he may be also prone to heart attacks.

Here’s another example. You might read an obituary for an employee’s relative, noting that they died of breast cancer. You could send a sympathy card and you might have the entire team sign it. But if you terminate your employee because you’re afraid that she might someday get breast cancer and cause your health insurance premiums to rise, then you’re in violation of GINA. Many companies require preemployment physicals. Often the physicians request a family health history as part of the process. In order to protect your company under GINA, it is very important you instruct the physician to not request any genetic information during this process.

The EEOC provides suggested language that you can employ to protect you.

In order to control health insurance costs, businesses today are adding wellness programs into the mix. These are specifically addressed in the final GINA rules. These programs usually have a health questionnaire component, which may gather genetic information. Providing that information must be voluntary as part of participation. If the data is gathered and provided to the employer, it must be done in an aggregate form. If your wellness program provides financial inducements to

encourage participation, those must also be available to those who do not provide genetic information. Remember, if you do receive genetic information from an employee, be sure you put that information in a file separate from their personnel records. It should be locked up and only available on a need to know basis.

There are some basic things you, as an employer, need to do. Post the updated EEO poster showing the GINA law. Update your employee handbook to make it clear that you will not tolerate discrimination based on an employee’s genetics and include a statement in your EEO policy to that effect. Review all of your internal employment forms to be sure that you are not inadvertently requesting genetic information. And while you’re at it, review your recordkeeping processes to ensure that any employee medical information is being kept separate of employee files. Lastly, train your managers and supervisors on this relatively new law. It’s painful training when it’s done by an attorney during the course of an EEOC complaint!

The law is more complex than can be covered completely in this article, but there are a couple more important points that need to be addressed.

When an employee needs to take FMLA to take care of an ill family member, they are required to provide medical information.

You can tailor your form to focus on the exact information you need to know when the time off request is for a seriously ill family member, in order to reduce the

amount of genetic information provided.

Also, be advised that GINA does not pertain to illnesses that an employee currently has. For instance, if an employee has breast cancer and feels they have been discriminated against, their action cannot be brought under GINA, as GINA relates specifically to their predisposition to the disease. But they may be covered for the discrimination under the ADA. We may not think that GINA complaints are common, but nonetheless, they are on the rise. About 200 complaints were brought between November 2009 and the end of 2010.

EEOC complaints overall are increasing. In 2010 there were close to 100,000 complaints filed, a 7 percent increase over 2009, costing employers more than $404 million in damages. As workers better understand their rights under GINA, complaints are expected to rise. Employers need to understand their obligations and to protect themselves by proactively complying with GINA. (Editor’s Note: Julie Tappero is the President and owner of West Sound Workforce, a professional staffing and recruiting company based in Poulsbo and Gig Harbor. She can be reached at julie@westsoundworkforce.com.

View her LinkedIn profile at www.linkedin.com/in/jtappero.

The recommendations and opinions provided are based on general human resource management fundamentals, practices and principles, and are not legal opinions, advice, or guaranteed outcomes. Consult with your legal counsel when addressing legal concerns related to human resource issues and legal contracts.)

Bainbridge Island Rotary invites applications for a vocational training team Rotary President Vicki Browning of the Bainbridge Island Rotary Club and Rotary District 5020 invites applications for a Rotary Vocational Training Team scheduled to visit a Philippine Rotary District for a month beginning June 15. The Vocational Training Team (VTT) is sponsored by The Rotary Foundation and District 5020. The focus of the VTT will be instructing Philippine elementary school teachers in the most current methods of teaching science, including computer aided instruction.

The VTT will include a Rotarian team leader and four team members, who may be either Rotarians or non-Rotarians. Applicants for team leader and member must have professional experience in the VTT focus area. Team members will be between the ages of 25 and 40. Further, applicants must reside or be employed within the District 5020, which serves Vancouver Island, and Western Washington from Pierce Co. South to Woodland, and the Olympic Peninsula.

Rotary will fund airfare for the VTT to and from the Philippines, living expenses in the Philippines and certain other expenses.

The deadline for applications is Jan. 24. Contact Browning at (206) 769-6480 or vickibrowning@johnlscott.com for application information.

Is Your Business Running Lean?

Remember to Call West Sound Workforce When You Need to... Staff Quickly and Staff Short-Term Kitsap County

Gig Harbor Office

(360) 394-1882

(253) 853-3633

www.westsoundworkforce.com

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 27

By Julie Tappero, President West Sound Workforce The supervisor sits down in your office with a serious look on her face and says, “We’ve had a GINA complaint.” What’s your reaction? Do you run through the employee roster in your head, trying to remember which one is Gina? Or do you realize that the EEOC will now be a part of your world for the next couple of months?

GINA stands for the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, which was enacted in 2008, and applied to employers in November 2009. The EEOC’s final rules went into effect in January 2011. It applies to businesses with 15 or more employees.

This law hasn’t received much attention, perhaps because most of us have not considered discriminating against an employee because of their genetics, nor have we heard of anyone else doing that. But if an employee successfully brings a charge of discrimination under GINA, all remedies available under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act are available to them. That means compensatory and punitive damages, reinstatement, back pay, monetary damages and attorneys’ fees and costs, among others.

In April 2010, Pamela Fink filed the biggest lawsuit yet under GINA, when she claimed she was terminated after telling her employer that her family had a history of breast cancer.

This case, and others like it, will be carefully watched in the coming years.

The basic premise of GINA is that employers may not use genetic information in making decisions related to employment, such as hiring, firing and advancement opportunities. It restricts employers from requesting genetic information (with some exceptions) and requires them to keep any genetic information confidential. As with other types of discrimination, it also provides protection against retaliation for employees who bring complaints.

What exactly is genetic information?

GINA spells that out for you. It is information about an employee’s genetic tests or tests of one of their family members (including extended family up to fourth-degree relatives), manifestation of a disease or disorder in their

Need to boost retirement income? Consider variable annuities

By David Hawley Here’s a sobering statistic: 46 percent of workers surveyed had little or no confidence that they will have enough money to live comfortably throughout their retirement years, according to the 2010 Retirement Confidence Survey, issued by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. So you may want to explore all possible retirement savings vehicles — including a variable annuity.

Generally speaking, when saving for retirement, it’s a good idea to contribute as much as possible to your IRA and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan. But if you’ve fully funded those plans for the year, and you still have some money left to invest, you may want to consider a variable annuity, which offers these benefits: Tax deferred earnings — Your variable annuity’s earnings have the opportunity to grow tax-deferred, which means your investment dollars can accumulate faster than if they were placed in an investment on which you paid taxes every year. When you eventually make withdrawals, your earnings will be taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. (For non-qualified

annuities, you won’t have to pay additional taxes on the amount you contributed.) There are no tax advantages to investing in a variable annuity with qualified money.

Variety of investment options offer diversification — Variable annuities allow individuals to invest in several different professionally managed investments, known as “subaccounts.” You can choose the subaccounts that best fit your risk tolerance, time horizon and long-term objectives. Keep in mind, though, that diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss.

No contribution limits — Each year, you can contribute far more to a variable annuity than you can to your 401(k) and your IRA. In fact, you can contribute virtually unlimited amounts to your annuity.

Payout flexibility — A variable annuity provides you with flexibility in gaining access to your money. You could, for instance, collect a lump sum. But you might find it more advantageous to take your payments over a specified number of years. You could even choose to receive a lifetime income stream.

Guaranteed death benefit — If you die, your beneficiary is usually guaranteed the amount originally invested, minus previous withdrawals. Some variable annuities offer death benefit options, which may increase the death benefit over time. Guarantees are based

on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

While variable annuities do offer some key advantages, there are also some considerations to discuss with your financial advisor before investing. For one thing, variable annuities are not suitable for everyone. A variable annuity is unquestionably a long-term investment. In fact, you may be assessed a surrender charge if you pull money out of the contract within the first several years after you purchase it.

However, some variable annuities allow you to withdraw a portion of your investment, such as 10 percent of your purchase payments without incurring a surrender charge, while others allow full withdrawals. Another point

to keep in mind is that if you tap into your annuity before you reach age 59-1/2, you may be hit with a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty.

One final note: A variable annuity is just that — variable. The value of your annuity will go up and down, based on what’s happening in the financial markets, and there’s no guarantee that your annuity won’t lose principal. Also, variable annuities vary greatly in their terms, features and fees, so, before investing, you’d better shop around. Consult with your financial advisor to determine which variable annuity is most appropriate for your needs. Ultimately, though, you may well find that a variable annuity may be the final piece to your retirement income puzzle.

401(k) Review and rollover can be rewarding

By Jeff Thomsen Your 401(k) offers taxdeductible contributions, tax-deferred growth of earnings potential and a variety of investment options — so it’s a great tool for building retirement savings. Yet, like all tools, your 401(k) must be used properly to get the best results. That’s why you should review your

401(k) at least annually and make whatever adjustments are needed.

Depending on where you work, you may get some 401(k) review help from your plan provider. But if that assistance isn’t available, you might want to consult with a financial professional to make sure you’re getting the maximum benefit from your plan.

401(k), page 29

HELP YOUR EMPLOYEES 28 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

www.edwardjones.com

Members SIPC

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Employee financial education benefits your entire organization.

Our no-cost program can help your employees.

• Get answers to their financial questions and concerns • Learn about meeting financial needs, such as retirement, education funding and insurance • Enhance their satisfaction and loyalty through demonstrated concern for the benefits and retirement plan decisions they face.

You’ll find that financial education is good for your employees and for your business.

Call today to get started.

Call your local financial advisor today.

Ron Rada

Pat McFadden, AAMS

Todd Tidball

8079 E Main St., Suite 111

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Jason Skifstad, AAMS Silverdale

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THE 2 PERCENT OPPORTUNITY

The 2011 payroll tax holiday may give you a chance to boost your 401(k) Provided by Jason R. Parker What would you do with an extra $1,000 or $2,000? The Tax Relief Act of 2010 will give many of us the equivalent of a two percent raise in 2011. Employee payroll taxes have been cut from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent this year. So if you pay into Social Security, you are looking at a rise in your take-home pay.

What are your plans for that extra money?

How about directing it into your 401(k) or IRA? That two percent “raise” will show up in your paychecks throughout the course of the year — it will come to you incrementally rather than as a lump sum. Still, 2 percent is nothing to scoff at — if you make $50,000 in 2011, you’re looking at $1,000 of found money.

What could $1,000 do for you over 20 or 30 years? Well, let’s see. If you invest $1,000

today and simply let it sit there for two decades with a six percent annual return, you end up with $3,207.14 in principal and interest. If the initial grand just sits there for 30 years at six percent interest, it turns into $5,743.49.

(That’s using annual compounding — if you plug in 30 years of daily compounding, it becomes $6,048.75.)

Let’s say you take this one step further and direct an extra $1,000 into your 401(k) for 30 straight years beginning in 2011. Let’s be reasonably optimistic and assume an eight percent annual rate of return across that time.

Under those conditions, your $30,000 aggregate contribution would turn into about $125,000 with compounding — and that’s not even considering the possibility of an employer match to your 401(k) during some or all of those years.

The money is significant for a couple. If you and your spouse each make $70,000, that’s an extra $2,800 coming to the two of

Washington CASH announces Business Boot Camp and workshop CASH has celebrated its tenth year in Kitsap County and provides business training and support to hundreds of local entrepreneurs. It is dedicated to working

401(K)

conservatively, but you’ll still need some growth potential in your 401(k) portfolio.

Your goals — Everyone has different goals for retirement. You might want to retire early and travel the world, while your co-worker desires to work as long as possible and then, upon retirement, stay close to home and pursue hobbies. Because you each have different goals, with different income needs, you also may need to follow different investment strategies within your 401(k).

Your other retirement income sources — If you have a variety of retirement income sources — a pension from another job, an IRA, a spouse with generous retirement benefits — you may need to invest differently, perhaps less aggressively, than if you had fewer options for retirement income.

Apart from putting away as much as you can in your 401(k) and choosing the right investment mix, what else can you do to get the most out of your plan? Here’s a suggestion: If you have worked at various jobs and you have multiple 401(k)s, consider rolling them over them into one account. You might save money on fees and reduce paperwork, but, more importantly, you’ll be able to concentrate your resources and pursue a unified investment approach, with all your investment dollars working together toward your ultimate retirement goals.

As you can see, a 401(k) review and rollover can reward you in many ways — so do whatever it takes to maximize your 401(k)’s performance.

from page 28 As you begin to review your 401(k), your first question should probably be this: “How much should I contribute?” At the very least, try to put in enough to receive your employer’s matching contribution, if one is offered. If you don’t earn this match, you are essentially walking away from “free money.” Beyond this, though, the amount you put in to your 401(k) might depend on what other retirement savings vehicles you have available. For instance, if you’re eligible, you may also want to contribute to a Roth IRA, which offers tax-free growth potential, provided you’ve had your account for five years and don’t start taking withdrawals until you’re 59-1/2.

Of course, it’s not only how much you put into your 401(k) that determines its success — it’s also how you choose to allocate your investment dollars. (Keep in mind that asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against loss.) Your 401(k) may have a dozen or more investment choices, such as stock funds, bond funds and money market funds. To choose the right investment mix, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors, including these: Your age — Generally speaking, the younger you are, the more aggressive you can afford to be with your 401(k) investments, because you’ll have decades in which to overcome the inevitable down periods of the market. As you get older, you may wish to invest somewhat more

CASH, page 30

might be higher).

• You could use the found money to pay off credit card debt or other consumer debts.

• You could even make an extra home loan payment at the end of 2011 (should it make financial sense to do so).

This tax holiday could even be prolonged.

In recent decades, we have seen some “temporary” tax cuts stick around. If the jobless rate stays above eight percent through 2011 (and it might), voices in Congress might push to extend the payroll tax cut for another year. It could happen, provided the federal government finds a way to direct more money into Social Security.

(Editor’s note: Jason Parker is the President of Parker Financial LLC, a fee-based registered investment advisory firm specializing in wealth management for retirees. His office is located in Silverdale. The opinions and information voiced in this material are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual, and do not constitute a solicitation for any securities or insurance products. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however, no representation is made as to its completeness or accuracy. Please consult your trusted professional for advice and further information. Jason Parker is insurance licensed and offers annuities, life & long term care insurances as well as investment services.)

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 29

Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (CASH) is offering a free, threehour extended boot camp orientation for business development start-up classes on Tues., March 22, at 1201 Park Avenue in Bremerton, from 6-9 p.m. Washington

you in 2011 (assuming you and your spouse don’t work for the government, the railroads or in some capacity where you don’t pay into Social Security). Everyone wants a little more retirement income, and directing two percent into your retirement plan for one year or multiple years could help.

While we’re on the subject of retirement income, the White House says that the payroll tax cut will have no effect on a worker’s future Social Security benefits.

Other options for the two percent tax break. Most Americans will simply spend the money resulting from this tax break. That’s not exactly a negative: the Obama administration visualized this as a way to pump up consumer spending.

Yet if you don’t devote the money to your 401(k), you have a number of alternatives besides spending it.

• You could open a Roth IRA with the money.

• You could create a rainy-day fund. Set up an auto-transfer of the money from your checking account to your savings account.

Let that $800 or $1,000 or $1,600 or whatever accumulate during the course of the year.

• If you have a rainy-day fund, you could put the money auto-transferred to your savings account across 2011 into a CD at the start of 2012 (when interest rates just

Investing for 30 years of unemployment we call “retirement”

By Don Cox, CPA Pacific Asset Management LLC Investing for one’s retirement is a rather daunting challenge. For most folks, investing during the retirement years is a time when capital preservation seems to be of paramount importance and becomes the driving force behind their asset allocation. The result often times is an allocation to fixed income or bonds that will not stand up to the devastating impact inflation is likely to have on their purchasing power over time.

Perhaps the best illustration of what inflation can do to the cost of living is to look at the cost of a US Postal stamp 30 years ago relative to the cost of the same stamp today. 30 years ago you could buy a stamp and mail a letter for 18 cents.

The same stamp today would cost 44 cents. Do the math and you will see that is a 144 percent increase. Because of the likely impact of inflation, preservation of purchasing power should be the driving force for asset allocation — not preservation of capital. This most likely would require a greater allocation to

equities as opposed to fixed income and bonds.

The problem with a larger allocation to equities is that historically the average investor has not fared well investing in the stock market relative to the performance of the market as a whole. The results of the Dalbar Study (DALBAR, INC QAIB 2010) which compares the overall return of US Equity Markets with the actual average return of equity mutual fund investors is quite disturbing. While the US Equity Markets had annualized returns during the 20 year period ending in 2009 of approximately 8.20 percent, the average mutual fund equity investor only realized annualized returns of approximately 3.17 percent.

There were many reasons for the difference, but a big factor was the average equity mutual fund investor’s inclination to enter the stock market during periods of great optimism (the stock market is moving higher), then sell out of the stock market when pessimism prevails (the stock market is moving lower). To say it another way, the average investor has a tendency to buy high and sell low.

Investors need to understand that the largest factor determining their success as an investor during their lifetime is not

stock selection, market timing or other gimmicks the financial services industry may put forward, but their behavior. It is imperative that investors make a commitment to being invested in all markets, good and bad, while recognizing markets decline significantly every few years. The key is to not act on fear when the market declines do occur. It is imperative to have faith in the long term prospects for investing that will overcome the fear of the present market environment that will at times be unnerving to say the least.

In summary, to preserve our standard of living through the approximately 30 years of unemployment, we call “retirement,” we should focus more on preserving purchasing power and not just capital preservation.

With the average investor’s less than stellar track record of investing in the stock market, we thought it would be helpful to suggest adoption of 10 resolutions for investors that may help them increase the likelihood of achieving their retirement goals. These resolutions were originally penned by Brad Steiman of Dimensional Fund Advisors.

• I will not confuse entertainment with advice. I will acknowledge that the financial media is in the entertainment business and their message can compromise my long-term focus and discipline, leading me to make poor investment decisions. If necessary I will turn off CNBC and turn on ESPN. • I will stop searching for tomorrow's star money manager, as there are no gurus.

30 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

CASH from page 29 with entrepreneurs who are ready to start or improve their business.

The business development training classes begin on Tues., March 29 and meet weekly for eight weeks at KCR, from 6-8:30 p.m. The training is free to low income households, and the only charge is $40 for the course workbook.

“This new extended orientation is intended to provide the basic background needed to succeed in developing their business,” said Stuart Walton, director of the Washington CASH program in Kitsap County. “Our orientation is hands-on, including worksheets, class participation and presentations from successful Washington CASH program graduates, now owners of successful businesses,” Walton said.

Topics for the eight-week business training includes learning how to start a business, from licenses, taxes, insurances to managing time. Class sessions also cover developing the business concept, sales and marketing, calculating the breakeven point, learning cash flow techniques, developing pricing, preparing financial

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Capitalism will be my guru because with capitalism there is a positive expected return on capital, and it is there for the taking. And for me to succeed, someone else doesn't have to fail.

I will not invest based on a forecast — whether it is mine or anyone else's. I will recognize that the urge to form an opinion will never go away, but I won't act on it because no one can repeatedly predict the future. It is, by definition, uncertain.

I will keep a long-term perspective and appropriately consider my investment horizon (i.e., how long my portfolio is to be invested) when determining my performance horizon (i.e., the time frame I use to evaluate results).

I will stick to my financial plan because it is time in the market — and not timing the market — that matters.

I will adhere to my plan and continue to rebalance (i.e., systematically buying more of what hasn't done well recently and selling some of what has performed well).

I will not focus my portfolio in a few securities, or even a few asset classes, as diversification remains the closest thing to a free lunch.

I will ensure my portfolio is appropriate for my goals and objectives while only taking risks worth taking.

I will manage my emotions by learning about and acknowledging the biases and cognitive errors that influence my behavior.

I will keep my cost of investing reasonable.

statements, designing sales and marketing plans. There is a strong focus on developing profit and loss statements and learning how to make a business profitable. Students in the training class will prepare an individual business feasibility plan.

Following graduation, students may apply for on-going business support training and apply for peer loans. More than fifty entrepreneurs participate in the CASH bus iness support program in Kitsap. “Our business support group program is the heart of the Washington CASH model,” Walton said. “Our peer support program keeps our start-up business owners engaged, involved and provides technical and moral support,” Walton continued. “It’s what makes this program so successful.”

Washington CASH (www.washingtoncash.org) provides business training; supportive community and capital to help enterprising individuals with limited financial resources gain access to market and achieve self-sufficiency through small business ownership. For program and pre-registration information, email stuart@washingtoncash.org or call (360) 698-4088 or (206) 914-4824.

Help for Kitsap organizations as they adopt and adapt to Telework Educating, informing and providing tools to expand local telework opportunities has been the focus of the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council’s (KRCC) Kit~Net Broadband Group since 2007. It continues this focus building upon the KRCC 2008/09 WSDOT sponsored Kitsap Telework Pilot Project.

The Telework Pilot Project recorded the experiences of 60 teleworkers from 14 local public and private sector organizations. Telework Toolkit.com — a resource for individuals and organizations wanting to learn more about telework or to start a telework program — and a report to the Washington State Legislature —

including policy recommendations — were also developed during the project.

The Telework Pilot Project received regional and national recognition, including the 2009 Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) VISION 2040 Award.

Telework Kitsap applies the experience and understanding of telework issues learned during that project The Telework Kitsap webpage is now live at http://kitsapregionalcouncil.org/telework. php. Email newsletters will be received by a growing list of Kitsap management, HR, and IT professionals. The emails and web‐page contain information, news, success stories and other telework resources

New phishing tactic surfaces

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However, small and public sector organizations have been slower to adopt telework; as they face different challenges from businesses with 100+ employees, and tend to have fewer staff‐resources available to add telework to their operation. Telework Kitsap recognizes the need to support these kinds of organizations.

Boxlight debuts external interactive projector module Boxlight has announced a new addition to their interactive line of products, the OutWrite.

The OutWrite is a projector add-on module that transforms an ordinary projector into an interactive projector. The module attaches easily to any projector and eliminates the need for dismantling or purchasing cumbersome and expensive interactive whiteboards.

The OutWrite uses a CMOS camera, IR wand and pen, and LightPen software, just as the patented and award winning ProjectoWrite interactive projector series. The interactive module was developed for users who want interactivity, but have existing projectors or specific projector requirements. The simplicity of OutWrite enables projector users to interact with their projected image in a matter of moments. The module can be mounted directly onto any existing projector or can be set on a table for portable applications.

“The great thing about the OutWrite is that the user can enjoy interactivity even if they are not ready to purchase a new interactive projector,” says Chad Harrison, National Sales manager for Boxlight. “With tightened budgets, the OutWrite is a great alternative to outfitting a user with new interactive whiteboards or interactive projectors,” he goes on to say. With the increase in interactive projectors sales in the industry, the OutWrite gives more users the ability to use the technology. The OutWrite retails for $699 and is currently shipping.

Boxlight products and services are available on-line at www.boxlight.com or by calling (360) 464-2119.

“Partners in Business” “When Olympic Radiology expanded our technology to provide real-time web access to the local medical community, NW Commnet provided an affordable, secure fiber solution.

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The latest phishing scam has cyber-criminals hijacking domain name systems (DNS) to steal critical personal information like credit card numbers, according to Internet Identity’s Fourth Quarter eCrime Trends Report.

Tacoma-based IID says that using DNS hijacking, “With ChronoPay, our hackers successful attacked ChronoPay.com, Russia’s worst fears came true. largest payment processor — and one of the largest Unlike the recent DNS payment processors in Europe — for several hours on hijackings of Twitter, Baidu Dec. 25 and 26. ChronoPay.com is the equivalent of and others, with ChronoPay PayPal here in the U.S. By redirecting the ChronoPay we have confirmation that domain to a bogus payment site, the attackers collected at people’s vital information least 800 credit card numbers from customers attempting was stolen without them to submit payments with ChronoPay. being aware of it.”

“While we’ve been warning for years that DNS hijackings could result in financial disaster, we hadn’t seen such a well-planned and successful attack of this nature until this incident,” said IID President and CTO Rod Rasmussen. “With ChronoPay, our worst fears came true. Unlike the recent DNS hijackings of Twitter, Baidu and others, with ChronoPay we have confirmation that people’s vital information was stolen without them being aware of it.”

As the translator between domain names and IP addresses, DNS is the glue that holds everything together on the Internet, from keeping time to conducting transactions to transmitting messages to sharing corporate and consumer data. By hijacking these DNS translations, attackers can drive unsuspecting surfers and corporate users to malicious sites, making large parts of the Net largely insecure. They also can intercept corporate e-mail, financial transactions, and other highly sensitive data and personal information.

Other detailed findings of IID’s report include: • Phishing attacks impersonating gaming companies increased 489 percent from Q4 2009 to Q4 2010.

• Overall phishing attacks went up 14 percent from Q4 2009 to Q4 2010.

• Phishing attacks impersonating e-commerce companies jumped over the holiday season.

In all, these attacks increased 13 percent from Q3 to Q4 2010.

pertinent to smaller and public sector organizations – major employers in Kitsap County.

Telework is not a new concept. Many people work, at least some of the time, from a home office or a “third space” — a coffee shop or library. Many large, private‐sector organizations have already established formal telework programs.

March @ Port Orchard 2011 The Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce is a membership based organization of businesses and individuals working together to promote a favorable local business climate, encourage strong community leadership and support quality of life.

Sailors of the Quarter! Four times a year the Port Desiree Steffens Orchard Chamber Port Orchard Chamber honors Sailors from 2010-2011 President the Naval Hospital.

In February we honored the following: Senior Sailor of the Quarter: HM1 Corless; Junior Sailor of the Quarter: HM2 Woody; and Blue Jacket of the Quarter: HN Bartholomew. Thank you to these individuals honored for their work, service and commitment to our country. Thank you, as well, to Chamber member Carolyn Dankers for her sponsorship of their lunches and to Amy’s on the Bay and Jay Seaton/Edward Jones Investments for their donations as gifts for our honored sailors!

Two o f the Chamber’s biggest fundraisers each year, take place in the spring: our Murder Mystery Event/Seagull Calling Festival is Memorial Day weekend and our Annual Business Showcase is Thursday, May 19th. Please consider participating in either of these events...there are many ways to be involved and support the events! And please, watch for the Best of SK ballot in the Port Orchard Independent and vote fo r your favorite South Kitsap business. Call the Chamber at 360-8763505 for more info!

President’s Message

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Spotlight on a Member — Evergreen Lumber/Jeff and Claire Swan Jeff Swan is the owner or Evergreen Lumber, located at 1325 Lloyd Parkway in Port Orchard. Evergreen Lumber is a building supply retailer whose primary customers are contractors and do it yourself homeowners. Evergreen Lumber is a project oriented business for home building and/or remodeling.

Jeff has been with Evergreen Lumber since he was 18 years old. He was born and raised in South Kitsap.

Claire, Jeff’s wife of 29 years, has been involved with the Port Orchard Chamber for many years. She served on the Board and was Board President in 1993. They have a daughter, Julie and three grandchildren. Evergreen Lumber was one of the Chamber’s first Navigator Members and has been a loyal Port Orchard Chamber member since 1993. When asked what he likes best about Port Orchard, Jeff says he loves the small town feel with the closeness to the big city. When not working Jeff and Claire enjoy boating, are members of the Port Orchard Yacht Club, enjoy traveling and Jeff likes to golf when he can. He is pleased with the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce because the chamber keeps small businesses in mind and works hard for them. When asked what one thing he would tell our chamber members he simply states, “Shop Local.”

2011 Legislative Tele-Conference Meetings The Chamber Legislative Committee presents Legislative Tele-Conference Meetings with our WA State Legislators from the 26th and 35th Districts during the 2011 Legislative Session. Join us Wed. Mar. 9th, for Representatives Haigh and Finn and Wed. Mar. 23rd for Senator Kilmer. Doors open 7:15 a.m. Meeting at 7:30 a.m. Port Orchard City Hall Council Chambers. 216 Prospect St. Port Orchard.

Thursday, March 10th, 2011, 11:30 a.m.

Location: SK8Town Event Center Program: Wellness in the Workplace John Carlson, PT and Stephanie Smith, MS, MA — Kitsap Physical Therapy Worksite wellness programming benefits both your business and your employees. Numerous studies show a direct link that healthy employees make happy employees, thus increasing productivity in the workplace. Healthy employees also keep your healthcare costs down, as well as many other benefits. As a business owner or employer there are things you can do to encourage and motivate your employees to take steps to lead to better health. The leading causes of death and disability are — heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. Most of these chronic diseases are attributed to lifestyle choices — Controllable Factors.

Learn more how you can help your bottom line by implementing wellness in your workplace! John has been working in private practice physical therapy in Port Orchard since 1989, having graduated from physical therapy school in 1987. His spectrum of experience and expertise make him well qualified to help evaluate and implement wellness programs for individuals and groups to foster optimal health and wellness. Stephanie has a broad range of experience in the health and fitness industry from Athletic Training to Corporate Wellness Coordinator for Boeing, Potlatch and more recently Kitsap Transit. She has a Masters in Exercise Physiology and Education. Meeting reservations are necessary to attend the Chamber Luncheon meetings and can be made online at www.portorchard.com or by calling the Chamber at 360-876-3505.

Please make your reservation by March 8th. Membership Luncheons are open to members and non-members. Chamber members pay $20 if prepaid and $22 at the door, non Chamber members pay $22 and must pay in advance.

Chamber Morning Seminar Wed. Mar.16th, 7:30 a.m. Call office for location

The American Red Cross will offer CPR training for all Port Orchard Chamber members March 16th, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. The class will cover: checking an unconscious victim, recognize an emergency and overcome the reluctance to act, recognizing and caring for choking, breathing and cardiac emergencies. We will also cover use of automated external defibrillator (AED). Call the Chamber office for information on per-person fee.

Chamber members will receive a free CPR key chain containing a breathing barrier and gloves. Class completion will result in a two year Red Cross CPR/AED certification.

NAVIGATOR MEMBERS Thank you to our patron Navigator Members whose additional financial support, above and beyond regular membership dues, supports the chamber capital improvement fund. Become a Navigator!

Evergreen Lumber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993 Edward Jones Investments (Ron Rada) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 Kitsap Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Rill Chapel (Pendleton Gilchrist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 Southard, Beckham, Atwater & Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995 State Representative Jan Angel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1999 North Bay Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 Amy’s on the Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007 Kitsap Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 Edward Jones Investments (Jay Seaton) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 Alfred Interwest Insurance Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2009

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Around the Sound… focus on Illahee and the nearshore environment eroding and falling into the water. While these may be necessary for waterfront properties, they’re also a hindrance to the natural ecological processes of beach environments. Sediment distribution is needed from bluffs and hilltops to keep the beaches sandy and the nearshore environment intact.

Instead of lining property with concrete bulkheads, try planting native vegetation, or “green bulkheads.” Plant roots help keep sediments in place and still allow natural beach processes to continue. The native vegetation will also be aesthetically pleasing to the eye of the beholder.

through City and County protection programs… to no avail, as jurisdictions have yet to adopt adequate plans. So, he educates the public on historic trees, hosts forest hikes while reciting the stories found in Kitsap’s trees, and continues planting efforts working with groups across the region.

Illahee was built out as a rural and later a semi-rural community, and is mostly void of urban features and urban services; such as transportation, sewers, and sidewalks with few exceptions. Amenities consist of the Port of Illahee community dock and beach area, 110-acre Rolling Hills Golf Course, nature trails for viewing wildlife, and parks with benches and picnic areas.

There has always been a community feeling in Illahee. Often people would buy a house in the area with the idea of moving to somewhere else later. Then they would find that the area was agreeable, the water and greenery admirable, and they would stay for years. In the present time, local houses use many native plants, and are surrounded with greenery. Community spirit is strong. There have been in the history of Illahee many community groups with different

purposes, and all of them have been successful.

While the Growth Management Act discourages urban growth impacts to vulnerable aquifer recharge areas supporting potable water services for people and base flows for anadromous fish, Illahee’s critical aquifer is already at water balance with over-allocated water rights.

As you look across Puget Sound you will notice a variety of characteristics — homes, docks, boats, marinas, restaurants, beaches and even hotels — what do these things have in common? They are all located in the nearshore environment.

The nearshore is the band of land between dry land and deep water, and is home to numerous aquatic species, habitats, and vegetation. This area serves as a migratory corridor for salmon, forage fish, and spawning grounds for many important species we depend on.

One way that we can help keep the nearshore environment healthy is the use of green bulkheads. Traditional bulkheads are typically concrete walls that are used to keep structures and sediments in place from March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 33

By Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes Orcas were sighted near Illahee and at Enetai traveling north several times on the morning of Friday Feb. 4, as they were captured on film by Illahee resident Jim Smith. There were reportedly two pods spotted — one with 5 or 6 and a large male while another group of 3 were sighted following further behind, disappearing around Point Heron.

The 833-acre Illahee Creek Watershed is primarily in its natural pristine state, including a salmon-bearing stream — Illahee Creek with associated wetlands, riparian buffers and flood plain. Over 60 percent of the area is classified as critical areas containing geologically hazardous areas, critical aquifer recharges, and wetlands.

1500 western red cedar trees were planted alongside Illahee Creek in a three day planting completed by Saturday Feb. 28

by Jim Trainer and his crew; James Trainer and Jeremiah Perry.

As someone who plants and propagates trees for wildlife habitat, Jim Trainer, a certified arborist, can often be seen hosting presentations about the area’s heritage trees, based on his decades of experience. Trainer has captured some of the area’s story in his book, entitled “Kitsap Trees,” compiled with photos and histories of the top-ten trees he finds most intriguing.

“To me, every tree tells a story,” says Trainer, a man who has become known as the Dr. Seuss LORAX — speaking for the trees.

Trainer has cataloged the area’s heritage trees for nearly two decades. He can tell a different story of Kitsap County history and culture with each old tree he recites. For example, non-native trees transplanted from other states or countries of origin can indicate where immigrants and settlers came from before they moved to the county and where they built their farms and homesteads.

The first humans to spend time in Illahee were Indians, probably Suquamish. Old cedars, thousands of years old used by the Suquamish Native Americans, were hollowed out to build canoes. There has been found remains of a campground, and probably there are more, because the Indians came often to hunt and dig for clams when the weather was good. It is from them that we get the name “Illahee” because this is their word for “a place of peace and rest.”

The pacific yew, found in Illahee State Park, is over 400 years old at 50 feet tall, and as Trainer points out, there can be seen broken branches remaining after Native Americans pulled them. These early inhabitants used them to construct bows and arrows or, more practical use such as paddles or eating apparatus while the bark is now recognized as an anti-cancer drug.

Trainer has garnered support to start a protection program for Kitsap’s heritage trees and advocates for their conservation

2011 Honda Fit: Fun to drive and practical, too

By Lary Coppola I confess that cars like the Honda Fit aren’t my usual or preferred fare to drive or review, but that said, the Fit is a sporty subcompact that I found surprisingly fun to drive, as well as both practical and economical.

Originally debuting as a 2007, the Fit was redesigned for the 2009 model year, resulting in a more upscale appearance, with higher quality materials and seats inside. It also benefitted from a new 1.5-liter inline four-cylinder engine giving the Fit slightly more horses and torque, while chassis and suspension upgrades improved the overall ride and handling. Larger standard wheels didn’t hurt either.

Model Lineup: The Honda Fit comes in two models with three trim variations: Fit, Fit Sport, and Fit Sport with Navigation. The primary differences are standard equipment and technology. The Fit Sport offers one-inch larger wheels, and the Fit Sport with Navi, which was our test vehicle, adds not only satellite navigation but also Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA).

The basic Fit comes with a five-speed manual gearbox ($15,100) or a five-speed automatic ($15,900). Standard features include 15-inch steel wheels; telescoping steering wheel; power windows, mirrors and door locks. There’s and auxiliary input

jack for your iPod; MP3/WMA playback; and 160-watt stereo with four speakers.

The Fit Sport upgrades with 16-inch alloy wheels, lower body flares, bodycolored side mirrors, security system with keyless entry, leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control, USB connectivity, two more stereo speakers, map lights, fog lights, and other amenities. The Sport comes with a five-speed manual ($16,860) or five-speed automatic transmission with sport mode and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters ($17,710).

The Fit Sport with Navi only comes with the five-speed automatic with paddle shifters

THE ALL NEW

34 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

2011 HONDA FIT

($19,240) and adds Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) as well as satellite navigation.

Safety features on all models include front and side airbags, side curtain airbags, seat belt pretensioners, active front head restraints, and anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).

Walkaround: The forward leaning, wedge-shaped styling of the Fit is both functional and reasonably attractive, with sharply styled headlights, large front quarter windows and an overall aerodynamic contour.

It has a wide stance, and aggressive fender flares, marked with sharp character lines along the side, which gives it some character, while avoiding some of the design quirks found on competitors such as the Scion xD. Interior: This is where the Fit stands out. It has an amazingly configurable interior, with second row seats that can be folded, flattened, and flipped into position depending on your needs.

In previous models, the quality of the materials was lacking, but along with all the other changes in 2009, Honda improved critical elements of the interior, while leaving the remarkable utility of the car mostly intact, and adding slightly more room for passengers. The Fit also got new front seats in 2009, with materials that feel more substantial and durable.

The center stack layout is among the most intuitive we’ve seen in awhile. Large knobs control the climate settings, curving around the stereo controls on the driver’s side, resulting in an easy to reach, stylish design. There are in-dash cupholders and a

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split glovebox, as well as a storage compartment under the seats for small items.

Overall, especially for a car this size, interior room ranges from almost-spacious up front, to adequate in back. Thanks to its e xpansive greenhouse with a broad front windshield, slender roof pillars front and rear that minimize blind spots and create a more airy feel to the cabin, visibility is excellent.

Surprisingly, the Fit offers slightly more cargo room than even the 50.4 cubic feet found in the versatile Nissan Versa.

Under The Hood: The Fit is powered by a 16-valve, 1.5-liter SOHC, i-VTEC fourbanger that puts 117 horses to the highway at 6,600 rpm — the only engine offered. The transmission choices are the aforementioned 5-speed manual or automatic.

Behind The Wheel: The Fit really is fun to drive, and thanks to the improved seats and the suspension changes, the ride is fairly smooth for a car this size.

On twisty two-lane blacktops, the Fit rivals the Scion xD and Nissan Versa on the fun meter, delivering relative surefootedness even during aggressive maneuvers. Handling is easy and predictable without much wallow or lean in the corners.

I did find its electric power steering a bit lacking in feel for my personal driving style, but that’s mostly a subjective measurement.

Most versions of the Fit deliver a minimum of EPA-estimated 27 miles per gallon in the City. Highway mileage ranges from 33 to 35 depending on the transmission chosen. Either way, it’s a nice fit between frugality and fun driving.

Whines: The Fit is noisy, with the engine squealing, whining and moaning, not only under hard acceleration, but even under some normal driving conditions.

Though the split glovebox offers both upper and lower compartments, both are too small to be of much practical use.

Bottom Line: The 2011 Honda Fit is much improved over the original version and offers a persuasive balance of economy, utility, fun, interior room, convenience, and comfort. It delivers Honda’s renowned engineering excellence and value, starting with a healthy list of standard safety equipment to multiple seat configurations and ample storage room. In short, it’s a great little car for the money, with lots to offer to a multitude of buyers.

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All new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee offers silky new V6 and lots more It’s also longer and heavier, adding 5.3 inches to the wheelbase, but only 1.8 inches in overall length thanks to the shorter front overhang.

Jeep’s signature seven-slot chrome grille features six chrome slats over the black slots, with the headlamps sweeping out from the top corners. The smooth frontal fascia and black airdam are recessed to reduce drag, with small foglamps set in trapezoidal housings.

Big rectangular concave sculpting defines the sides of the Grand Cherokee, with slightly trapezoidal wheel arches, black B pillars, darkly tinted glass and cool stainless steel trim.

Rear styling is reminiscent of the 1963 Wagoneer — the vehicle that started it all, with large taillights that extend into the liftgate, and four backup beams to improve the video from the rear back-up camera.

Interior: The totally redesigned interior is extraordinarily quiet — even over rough pavement — thanks to three layers of noise insulation. It’s also highly stylish, utilizing high quality materials throughout. The interior is highlighted by four additional inches of legroom in the rear, and 19 percent more cargo space than previously. The front door openings are 2 inches wider and 2 inches higher, than previously, and the rear doors open wider than before as well.

The totally adjustable front seats are remarkably comfortable, with excellent bolstering and lumbar support. The 60/40 rear seats recline 18 degrees for comfort, and enable passengers to look up at the sky through the optional dual-pane panoramic sunroof with power shade.

The three-spoke steering wheel tilts and telescopes, and includes cruise control, with audio buttons at the back of the spokes.

Instrumentation is also redesigned, with clean white numbers and needles and a nice backlight. The tachometer has a blue area from 800 to 2500 rpm — a reminder of the best fuel-mileage range.

The location and operation of controls in the center stack is well-planned, and the LED lighting in the cabin is quite pleasing.

There’s also an abundance of storage pockets and bins, including two under the cargo floor. The new rear suspension also allows the spare tire to be stored inside the vehicle under the cargo floor, instead of underneath it.

Under The Hood: The standard powerplant is Jeep’s sweet new DOHC 3.6liter V6. It puts 290 ponies on the pavement with 260 pound-feet of torque.

The 5.7-liter V8 Hemi is still an option for all models. There are two 5-speed automatic transmissions with manual modes available — one with overdrive and the other without.

Three separate off-road systems are offered, plus an optional air suspension system matched only by Land Rover — but not at the Jeep price.

The type of four-wheel drive system used depends on the engine. The 4x4 V6 uses a single-speed transfer case, while the 4x4 V8 uses a two-speed transfer case with Selec-Terrain and Hill Descent Control.

There are three levels of 4WD capability.

Quadra-Trac I — a full-time system with a single-speed transfer case and 48-52 frontrear transfer. Quadra-Trac II uses a twospeed transfer case and electronic sensors that distribute the torque according to tire slippage. Additionally, a traction control system called Selec-Terrain is standard with Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II; it allows the driver to set the system for five different terrain situations. Normal, Sport, Snow, Sand/Mud, and Rock. Each setting enables different transmission, throttle, and transfer case functions.

Behind The Wheel: We put our Grand Cherokee through its paces, on a wide variety of freeways, city streets, and winding twolane blacktops, but regrettably, didn’t have the opportunity to take it off-road. But on the

pavement, it mastered every challenge easily, with comfort and control. We were especially impressed with the handling, thanks to the redesigned chassis and suspension, as well as the all-new, silky smooth V6.

Whines: The location and position of the shift lever doesn’t lend itself to manual shifting in the Sport mode. Your elbow hits the center armrest, so you have to cock your elbow high and bend your wrist at a weird angle.

Bottom Line: The 2011 Grand Cherokee features a great new chassis, engine, suspension, styling and interior, so Chrysler isn’t blowing smoke saying that craftsmanship has returned to Detroit. This definitely is not your Mother’s old Grand Cherokee — or the Wagoneer that inspired it. This is the real deal.

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By Lary Coppola Everything about the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is new and improved — including the lowered price. There’s a powerful new DOHC V6, new suspension, more interior room, reclining rear seats, an optional Panoramic sunroof that extends over both rows of seats, and a front seat that folds flat to carry long things like 2x4’s, skis, and kayaks.

The design of the new Grand Cherokee actually began in Germany four years ago, when Chrysler was still Daimler-Chrysler, and some components are actually shared with the Mercedes ML SUV. Model Lineup: The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee comes in three models, each offered in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations.

The base Grand Cherokee Laredo comes with cloth seats, fold-flat front passenger seat, power eight-way driver seat with four-way lumbar, LED lighting, reclining rear seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, halogen headlamps, roof rails, flipper liftgate glass, foglamps, 17-inch aluminum wheels, trailer sway control, keyless ignition, electronic vehicle information center, 12-volt auxiliary outlets.

The Laredo X upgrades to leather seating, heated front seats, 18-inch aluminum wheels, nine-speaker 506-watt CD/DVD/HDD/MP3 audio, rearview camera, hands-free communication, 115-volt power outlet, and remote starting, all for an additional $4,000.

The Grand Cherokee Limited adds heated rear seats, bi-xenon headlamps with auto leveling, dual-pane panoramic sunroof with power shade, navigation, and rain-sensitive windshield wipers. There’s also additional brightwork — door sill scuff pads with bright insert and the Jeep logo, silver strakes in rear cargo area, body-colored fascias with chrome insert, chrome door handles, and exhaust tip.

The optional V8 adds $1,495.

The top of the line Grand Cherokee Overland features an air suspension system and Nappa leather seating with piping, ventilated front seats, wood and leather heated steering wheel with memory, cargo net, power liftgate, premium audio with navigation and SIRIUS travel-traffic information, 20-inch aluminum wheels, and the optional $1,495 V8.

Safety equipment on all models includes electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, ABS with brake traction control system, trailer sway control, hill start assist, hill descent control, frontal airbags, front side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, active head restraints, and tire pressure monitor.

Available options include UConnect Media Center, rear-seat entertainment system, FLO TV, Sirius backseat TV, Sirius XM satellite radio, UConnect Web, UConnect Navigation, and UConnect phone.

Walkaround: Although it’s still unmistakably a Grand Cherokee, every inch of sheetmetal is new. Styling is more fluid and aerodynamic than previously, with a more sloped windshield, resulting in better fuel economy, and less interior noise.

The Grand Cherokee has a three-inch wider stance for better handling and more interior room. A shorter nose with less front overhang, gives it a perceptibly aggressive look.

Editor & Publisher Lary Coppola Advertising Sales Dee Coppola Creative Director Steve Horn Webmaster/IT Greg Piper Graphic Design Kris Lively Office Administration Jennifer Christine Web Host Piper Computer Services Contributing Writers Rodika Tollefson Adele Ferguson Don Brunell Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes Dan Weedin Ron Rada Julie Tappero Paula Bartlett Jason Parker Press Releases

36 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

Email to pressreleases@wetapple.com The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal is a special interest publication dedicated exclusively to providing news, information and opinions to the business communities of the Kitsap and Key Peninsulas, and North Mason County. It is published monthly by Wet Apple Media. Copyright, 2011, with all rights reserved. Postage is paid at Tacoma, WA. The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal is read by more than 26,000 business, professional, political and military leaders in Kitsap, Pierce, and Mason counties. Additional copies are available for $1.50 each. Annual subscriptions are available for $25.

Reproduction or use of any editorial or graphic content contained herein in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written consent of the Publisher is strictly prohibited. The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal is proudly composed using Apple Macintosh® computers and printed by The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA. Views expressed herein are strictly the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the advertisers or ownership of The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal.

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UNIONS Watching the protestors in the state of Wisconsin reminded me how thankful I have been over the years to NOT have to deal with unions, union bosses and many union members. My father never belonged to a union, nor did my husband, nor did I, except for five years when I taught school.

The behavior and tactics of many union people are disgusting! While years ago the unions certainly had a role to support workers, it seems to me that they have become so greedy and un-yielding that it is ridiculous. They “group think” and become easily swayed by the “poor me” mentality. It is a free country and if you don’t like your job - get another one!

Many of us across the country have worked for small businesses that could not offer a lot of benefits, including health insurance. The company I worked for gave us bonuses when the company made money and if it didn’t — no bonus. We understood that. In today’s economy the people in Wisconsin are lucky to have a job.

The fact that they won’t do their part to help their state government turn things around shows absolute lack of common sense and I sure don’t have any sympathy for them.

Norma L. Card Bremerton Did you see the TV commercial where the female blond guard is saying not to cut union members or pay in the Department of Corrections because they are standing between criminals and us to keep us safe? And this coming just weeks after that poor blond female guard was killed by some creep in prison!

The unions have no shame. Where was the union for that poor dead woman? Why weren’t they fighting for more cameras throughout the facility? The unions

originally fought for safe working conditions, no child labor, and better pay. Now they fight mainly for more members (more dues in their coffers), high pension contributions (more money in their coffers) and more money from their members to spend influencing politicians and running TV commercials!

Here’s the facts: The prison walls keep the prisoners in. We spend too much on prisoner comforts and perks — that should be taken away first to save money. The prison can do with less guards and less pay to guards by using more camera technology, tear gas, etc. After all, privately run facilities charge the government less than facilities run by the Department of Corrections — why not make them all privately run?

Bottom line: If the employees can’t adjust to less pay, less benefits and less people on the job, then they can quit and there are others who will gladly take the high paying job. If the union doesn’t like it, they can take a hike and the state can outsource the facility to a private company that has no union. We have major financial problems and the unions are fighting their turf wars at our and their member’s expense. It is high time the union members rise up and toss their enormously paid union bosses and way over bloated union staff out the door.

Pauline Cornelius Olalla

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS Two recent, individual articles in the Kitsap Sun talk about “performance evaluations” for teachers. From “New Teacher Reviews,” quote, “The more precise we get on what that evaluating looks like, the more we can impact student learning,” unquote, said Central Kitsap School District (CKSD) Superintendent Greg Lynch.

Teachers doing the job that they are paid $80,000 over a 180-day period to do — teach children — causes student learning. Do not be fooled by Lynch’s comment because CKSD has performance evaluations in their union agreements. The problem is that neither CKSD nor any other district in this county or this state uses the performance evaluations that are in their union agreements — ever — not at all.

Shannon Wiggs, Peninsula School District (PSD), Program Administrator says, “If teachers are doing good things then student achievement happens.”

The PSD performance evaluation covers everything except the ability to teach. If teachers at PSD produce classes that produce less than 50 percent correct answers (grade proficient) on a test, that is not poor performance on the part of teachers using Wiggs’ rational. A school district will never have a poor or failing teacher the way the education system is established in this state.

The problem is very simple; no school union will allow any form of teacher performance evaluation to be used in this state — why? This is done to cover up the high salaried incompetent teachers within the state school system.

Larry L. Mann Port Orchard

WHAT LOYALTY? Port Orchard City Councilman Fred Chang missed the Council’s Feb. 22 meeting because as a Democratic Party Precinct Committee Officer (PCO) he chose to attend a meeting to vote on who will replace Steve Bauer instead of his Council meeting.

Is Mr. Chang’s loyalty stronger to his political party than to the citizens who elected him? Looks that way to me.

Chris Wilson Bremerton

We need to rethink our renewable energy policy

By Don C. Brunell, President Association of Washington Business In his state of the union address, President Obama stated he wants 80 percent of our electricity to come from “clean sources” by 2035.

That is a tall order. Credit Suisse estimates it will take $750 billion in capital expenditures to supply just 20 percent of our nation’s power demand from renewable sources. Needless to say, coming anywhere near the president’s goal will require us to rethink our energy policy.

First, it is important to recognize that the demand for electricity is expected to grow 30 percent by 2035. So, the president’s goal of 80 percent “clean power” is even more ambitious than it seems. The Edison Electric Institute estimates we’ll need more

than $500 billion in new generating and transmission facilities just to meet our conventional energy needs.

Second, renewable energy — mostly hydropower — currently produces about 10 percent of our nation’s electricity. The U.S. Dept. of Energy predicts that by 2035, that will grow to about 20 percent.

President Obama, remember, is calling for 80 percent.

If we are to have any chance of approaching the president’s objective, we need to rethink our renewable energy strategy.

For example, Initiative 937, approved by Washington voters in 2006, requires utilities to buy 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020 — and it limits the purchase area to western Montana, northern Idaho, Oregon or Washington.

Why is a vocal minority allowed to prevent economic development and private sector job creation?

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and user of carbonneutral, renewable biomass energy — which produces more energy than solar-, wind- and geothermal-generated energy combined.

Longview Fibre had planned to build a $100 million biomass boiler in Longview that would produce 65-megawatts of power, burn 37,000 tons of mill waste per month and boost mill productivity 30 percent over three years. However, those plans were jeopardized by new EPA air quality standards announced last December.

Faced with howls of protest from members of Congress, the agency backed off, saying it will issue a new rule July 1 to exclude biomass from those regulations.

The bottom line is Americans must be realistic about their energy future. We need reliable sources of electricity to power our homes, factories, schools and electric cars.

If we want more renewable energy sources, then we should not impose policies that restrict renewable energy.

Hopefully, the federal government will do its part by rethinking regulations that derail renewable energy projects. Industry is doing its part by retooling plants to cut greenhouse gas emissions. And the Legislature should do its part by changing I937, and allowing pulping liquors to qualify as renewable is a good start.

March 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 37

It is interesting to read in the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal (2/3/2011) how important the wastewater and water reclamation project in Belfair is to the local community, Mason County and State Government. The report says “These facilities are touted to be a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly alternative that protects Hood Canal water quality and quantities, while it meets Class A standards for future water reuse”.

The article is very informative explaining the benefit of reducing demand on established water supplies and how the wastewater and water reclamation project will reduce that demand. There is explanation of how the system removes nitrogen content in sewage, wastewater is treated to “Class A” standards for re-use and how this benefits not only the community allowing re-use of water but also benefits the ecology of the fragile Hood Canal ecosystems.

DON COLEMAN In addition, the construction has employed three construction crews of 10 for more than 60,000 hours since the My Turn project started a year ago. Not to mention the materials used and transported that created or supported even more jobs.

This is a great thing for a small community. So my question is why is a project in South Jefferson County that includes wastewater treatment along with many other environmental protections so violently opposed by a small number of people? And consider this, it’s not your tax dollars being spent, it’s private money that will generate tax dollars! I think the supporters of the Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort should start to loudly endorse the jobs created, the economic stimulation, and the effort to realize the “Tourism based economy” that is part of the economic development plan of South Jefferson. All those benefits while taking innovative steps to not only protect but to improve the environment, promote cultural resources, and educate visitors on how we can protect our land and heritage.

Let’s quit being selfish and short sighted, only finding reasons why something won’t work, and start being pro-active to find solutions that will satisfy and benefit the greater majority.

Where is the voice of the people I listen to at economic development meetings and Chamber meetings who complain about tourists that drive by but don’t stop, lack of jobs, and the difficulty making progress with a government that says it wants to improve the economy but seems to block every effort? It is no longer acceptable to sit quietly and let a few people dictate the future for you, your family and your grandchildren.

And for those that will ask, I am not a new comer to Hood Canal. I have lived in this beautiful area for most of the years since 1975. I worked for the USFS in Hoodsport while going to school. I’ve spent the last 10 years taking tourists from all over the country, and many parts of the world, out into Hood Canal to dive and see things most people only see on a National Geographic TV special. The health and protection of Hood Canal is my livelihood. I want grow old here. I want my children and grandchildren to be able to work here, learn to preserve what we have, and to take care of me in my old age.

(Editor’s Note: Don Coleman is a resident of Brinnon)

Furthermore, the initiative writers specifically excluded hydropower, even though hydropower produces 80 percent of our state’s electricity, as well as pulping liquors, a byproduct of making paper.

Pulping liquor is like black gold.

Composed primarily of wood sugars, it is used every day by paper mills to reclaim pulping chemicals, generate electricity and produce steam to dry paper. Burning this byproduct allows paper mills to reduce the amount of electricity they buy and, in some cases, produces surplus electricity the mills then sell back to the grid. Additionally, new technology allows mill owners to cut their natural gas consumption to a fraction of previous levels.

Either way, the result is the same — less demand for electricity and natural gas, which holds down energy prices for the rest of us.

Critics say that producing electricity by burning pulping liquors emits excessive greenhouse gases. But the forest products industry has made great strides in reducing its CO2 emissions, more than offsetting the pulp liquor emissions. For example, Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, which owns and operates one of North America’s largest pulp and paper facilities along the Columbia River in southwest Washington, has reduced its CO2 emissions by more than half since 2000 and has cut its water consumption by one-third since 2005.

The company points out that the pulp and paper industry is the leading producer

Political thoughts and parking Nazis…

There has been a significant amount of conjecture lately that New Jersey Governor, Republican Chris Christie, is considering a run for the White House in 2012. Thanks to YouTube, he certainly has captured the attention of a lot of people fed up with overtaxation — not only in his state, but all around the country. He’s also made a quite name for himself by not being afraid of, or intimidated by, New Jersey’s most powerful unions, and backing them down over economic and policy issues.

The rotund Christie is colorfully outspoken, and recently gave a speech on national economic policy that ignited the discussion of his presidential ambitions.

You’ll know if he’s seriously considering running for president if he starts losing the extra poundage. And remember… you heard it here first.

Speaking of the presidency… President Barak Obama is supposedly thinking about replacing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with former presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry.

If he does that, is it just me, or do you also think Hillary will start campaigning for the 2012 nomination the next day?

38 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com March 2011

We recently marked the two-year anniversary of the day President Barak Obama signed the great “Stimulus Package” into law.

Democrats nationwide claimed it was necesary to keep employment under eight percent, and would jump-start our economy.

With 21 consecutive months of unemployment still averaging above nine percent nationwide, what I’d like to know is, where are those jobs that were promised?

This past November, voters elected

more Republicans nationwide than had ever been elected at one time in the history of our country. Clearly, a majority of Americans have rejected the liberal economic policies put in place by Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

Our national debt is higher than it’s ever been, the economy hasn’t improved — which it won’t as long as we keep adding to the debt, like the President’s budget calls for. And the financially devastating — at least for for small business — parts of Obamacare LARY COPPOLA haven’t even kicked in yet…

The Last Word Isn’t the first rule of getting yourself out of a hole to stop digging?

I have found from first hand experience that the City of Olympia has an even more lucrative financial scam working than the City of Bremerton’s much-hated red-light cameras.

I’ve had to spend an inordinate amount of time in Olympia lately lobbying legislators on behalf of Port Orchard, working with other local elected officials trying to preserve funding for the Ferry System, while imploring lawmakers to stand up to the ferry unions and fix the underlying financial and mismanagement problems, as well as testifying about various bills that impact the City.

Parking around the Capital is a crapshoot at best. There is metered parking on the Capital campus, but unless you’re there in the wee hours to secure a spot, it’s usually spoken for. There is one hour

parking on the streets around the Capital, but here’s where the scam comes in. It’s all zoned parking, so you can only park in the entire zone — which encompasses about a square half mile — for one hour. Moving your car doesn’t help. The City Parking Nazis are equipped with hand-held computers that record your license number and the time your vehicle is marked. If you park anywhere in the zone — even if it’s not in the same space — for more than an hour, you’re ticketed — $15 bucks.

I found this out the hard way when I parked, met with a legislator, and left for an appointment with the City’s lobbyist about 45 minutes later, which took place miles away. I was gone for about 90 minutes, before coming back for another appointment. Although I was parked the second time for less than 30 minutes, I returned to find a ticket on my windshield.

So I called the City, believing an error had been made because I parked the second time in the same block, but in a different space, and thought perhaps since my license plate had been recorded, the Parking Nazi didn’t realize I’d moved. After leaving two messages, upon my third call, I finally connected with someone named Debra (or maybe Deborah), who I was informed was in charge of the Parking Nazis. It was she who triumphantly informed me about the parking zone scam.

When I asked her what the alternatives to parking within the zone are, with that totally uncaring, unreasonable, typically unrealistic, and heavily blasé, from another planet governmental attitude, she suggested I park several miles away in a lot offering a shuttle to the Capital. She told me they run every 15 minutes.

Knowing exactly where that lot is, I replied that it takes 15 minutes to get there from the Capital freeway exit, another 15 to wait for the shuttle, 15 more to ride to the Capital, about five minutes to walk to where my appointment would be, typically 15 to 30 minutes for the appointment, five more to walk back to the shuttle stop, 15 to wait for the shuttle, another 15 to get back to the lot, and 15 more to return to the Capital exit to get on the freeway to go home — total of more than two hours if you count the appointment time, for a 15 to 30 minute appointment. I told Debra (or is it Deborah?) I didn’t believe that was the best use of the City of Port Orchard’s taxpayer dollars, and asked if there wasn’t a more time and cost-efficient solution.

She very pointedly told me none of that was her problem, and perhaps I should either consider some other form of transportation, or just factor in the cost of a ticket every time I came down there. And bureaucrats wonder why ordinary folks despise them…

I’ll tell you this: If someone like that with what I’d view as a piss-poor attitude worked for the City of Port Orchard, I’d fire them in a New York minute. However, we don’t rip off people who park in our City that way either. And unlike Olympia, we sincerely appreciate them — and the money they spend when they come and visit.

And finally, from the “Truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense” file, comes this... I’m pretty sure most people didn’t realize that just recently we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the government’s “War on Drugs.”

Our partners in Mexico observed the occasion with a moment of silence — followed by hours of laughter.

Checking up on what they’re up to in Olympia Well, back to Olympia and what our lawmakers are up to.

Gov. Christine Gregoire wants to be able to name a secretary of education operating out of her cabinet rather than let the voters elect the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI).

She says people already think she’s ADELE FERGUSON responsible for the schools.

Politics Sen. Rodney Tom (D-Bellevue), obliged her by introducing a bill to just do that. She certainly isn’t the first Governor to want to take the reins on education. Every one I knew, which was from Rosellini onward, had his or her own education adviser who kept the executive in touch with what was going on in the schools. There was little or no consultation with the SPI who complained about it. And that’s regardless of whether the two offices, SPI and Governor,

were in the same party. It’s all about power.

Apparently things haven’t changed on that front since SPI Randy Dorn let it be known that the Governor didn’t do the courtesy of telling him about it before making it public.

I don’t think it will pass, since it requires an amendment to the Constitution.

Another turf battle raging in Olympia is that of our lawmakers protecting their own turf.

If there’s anything they hate more than initiatives and referendums, I don’t know what it is. The idea of ordinary citizens writing laws is anathema to them.

Two bills have been introduced that would, (1) require people paid to collect signatures to register each year with the state on each ballot measure they are involved with; and (2) raise the initiative filing from $5 to $500 with $450 refundable if the measure makes it to the ballot.

Leave the initiative process alone. If lawmakers spent as much time working on their main chore, writing a budget for the

next couple of years, we’d all be better off.

Another of the Governor’s yens is to combine the Fish and Wildlife Department (FWD), Parks and Recreation Commission, Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) and the law enforcement and heritage functions of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) into one. it would be called the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Fishermen in particular are having a cow over it. FWD currently is managed by a Commission that sets policy, but which would become only advisory in the new setup. Actually, I don’t think it matters that much because fisheries for some time have been run by the commercials, who are contributors to the pols the way the sports group has not. Gregoire’s argument for it is that it would save money by eliminating duplicate administrative jobs: Wanna bet those people would be gone?

New titles, new offices, same salaries.

They’re probably all members of public

employee unions and you know how tight The Guv is with the unions.

The most powerful legislator on transportation matters, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island, chair of the Senate Committee, wants to put a 25 cent fee on ferry tickets to pay for building some new boats but there’s not much enthusiasm being shown. That won’t be enough, say the finance folks, and while there might not be much fuss and furor over 25 cents a ticket, there would be over $1, which is more like what’s needed. I don’t see it passing. Haugen hasn’t even found a House sponsor yet.

Legislators are still debating installation of cameras to catch speeders through red lights, and if a public vote is needed on it.

I’m not against the cameras but in some of the intersections I frequent, the left turn light is so brief the drivers hit the gas pedal to make it and I’m afraid it might result in more rear end collisions.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, WA., 09340.)

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