Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal 24/06

June 2011 Vol. 24 No. 6

The Voice of Kitsap Business since 1988

Veteran Agents Survive Weathering a real estate downturn is nothing new for experienced agents

By Rodika Tollefson Hundreds of real estate brokers have left the business in the past three years as the business became tougher and tougher. But many local Realtors not only held tight for this ride, they’ve done it several times before.

We spoke with a few local veterans who have been in the industry for three decades or longer and asked them why they still like their jobs.

Georg Syvertsen, managing broker with Coldwell Banker McKenzie on Bainbridge Island, started out in sales when he was young. He stumbled into real estate after getting tired of bouncing from one location to another around the country following a corporate career.

He started out selling real estate for Pauline Deschamps in 1977 and became manager two years later. After managing the company for 20 years, he bought it after her death in 2000, and in turn sold it four years ago while staying on board as manager.

Syvertsen recalls those early days when Realtors walked around with a sheet listing properties for sale. “Back then, listing agreements were one page and purchase and sale agreements were one page,” he said, comparing it to today’s highly technical documents that can go on for 20 pages or more.

Georg Syvertsen, managing broker, Coldwell Banker McKenzie

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Inside Special Reports: Real Estate, pp 6-15 Restaurants, pp 29-33

Technology, pg 23 Human Resources, pg 24 Environment, pg 25 Financial, pp 26-27 Automotive, pp 34, 35 Editorial, pp 36-38

Port Orchard Chamber, pg 28 Home Builders Newsletter, pp 19-22

Crista manager recognized with board appointment Crista Senior Living, a retirement living community, has announced that Luis Romo has been appointed to the Puget Sound chapter of the Board of International Executive Housekeepers Association (IEHA). Romo, who currently serves as the Environmental Services Manager for Crista Senior Living, says he is looking forward o taking on a variety of responsibilities for the IEHA Board during his term over the next two years.

Weedin attends international consultants conference Dan Weedin recently attended the Alan Weiss Mentor Summit held in Las Vegas. The event included world-class consultants from all over the world who are part of Weiss’ global mentor community, of which Weedin has been a part of since 2008. The workshop topics included enhancing skills in marketing, branding, speaking, and creating diverse consulting programs to improve the condition of the client.

According to Weedin, “The opportunity to learn from Alan and the incredible group that he assembled will help me to better serve my clients.

Whenever you can get professional development of this quality, it has a big trickle down effect.”

Weedin’s consulting firm specializes in crisis leadership, risk management, and executive coaching. He is one of only 32 consultants in the world accredited by Weiss as a Master Mentor.

Contact Weedin at (360) 697-1058, dan@danweedin.com and at www.DanWeedin.com.

Lisa DiLuna joins Harborview Wellness Harborview Wellness, located at 450 Port Orchard Blvd, suite 300, in Port Orchard announced that Lisa DiLuna, who graduated from Port Townsend School of Massage, has joined its team of massage therapists.

DiLuna specializes in relaxation, deep tissue and therapeutic touch.

She extends a new client welcome for $10 off any 60 or 90-minute session.

Call (360) 895-2224 or visit www.HarborviewWellness.com to schedule an appointment.

Wernhoff Kitsap Bank Employee of the Quarter Kitsap Bank announces that Jennye Wemhoff has been named Employee of the Quarter for Q1. Wemhoff is an LPL Registered Client Services associate in Kitsap Bank’s Olympic Investment Center.

During recent months Wemhoff has taken on a number of new responsibilities while also studying to earn an additional investment license.

“Jennye takes on new challenges with enthusiasm and a positive attitude,” notes John Barmuta, Kitsap Bank senior vice president/retail banking, “Co-workers and customers alike are impressed by her friendly demeanor and strong work ethic.

She is a tremendous asset to the Kitsap Bank team.”

2 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Two become consultants, one earns promotion with Tastefully Simple Two local residents have become independent consultants with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct sales company featuring more than 60 easy-to-prepare foods: • Beky Layng of Bremerton can be reached at mrs_layngssn22@yahoo.com • Stacey Goodrich of Suquamish can be reached at kingstongirlnews@gmail.com These independent business owners offer delicious food samples at home tastetesting parties, along with easy ideas for everyday meals, recipes, serving suggestions and fun. All of Tastefully Simple’s products are open-and-enjoy or can be prepared by adding only one or two ingredients.

Also, Lori Durham, a Silverdale resident and independent consultant with Tastefully Simple, Inc., is now a team manager with the company. Durham earned the promotion through sales achievements and by adding new consultants to the team. The promotion entitles Durham to a variety of benefits, such as commissions, bonuses, allowances and more.

For more information about Tastefully Simple products, parties or starting your own Tastefully Simple business, contact Lori Durham at loridsimply@gmail.com.

Paratransit Services receives award from United Way of Kitsap County Paratransit Services United Way Giving Committee was recently honored at the United Way of Kitsap County’s Community Celebration dinner for their participation in the 201011 United Way fundraising campaign.

Paratransit Services, a Bremerton-based nonprofit company, supports the mission of the local United Way to identify and address community needs, and encourages employeegenerated efforts to organize annual fundraising activities. This year the company’s Giving Committee comprised five employees: Dee Maxell, Jacque Johns, Chris Eldridge, C.J. Chin, and Judy Rogers. On behalf of Paratransit Services they accepted the 2010 Campaign Chair Challenge Private Sector Business Award for nonprofit companies for their “Extraordinary Efforts with the United Way Campaign” in raising $11,525.

K12 Alerts opens on Bainbridge Island K12 Alerts has opened operations on Bainbridge Island. With headquarters in White Plains, N.Y., having a local market presence in Kitsap County and close to the area’s fastest growing technology companies, will help its teams expand and deliver its innovative products to K-12 schools and Higher Education on the West Coast.

“This new location enables us to provide our customers with the personalized caliber of service, expertise and support that they have come to rely on us from the East Coast and other areas of the US,” said Gregory Bender, president/CEO, K12 Alerts.

K12 Alerts also announced that it had named John Sydor as North West Regional Manager who will help lead its North West Coast expansion. “Sydor has a deep understanding of customer service, marketing and sharp expertise in information technology and communications, this experience will help K12 Alerts spread the word to North West Coast Schools and bring our incredible emergency notifications technology to market,” said Bender.

Oliveto brothers open new septic service firm Brothers, Stephen and Silas Oliveto have opened a comprehensive septic system servicing business. Clear Septic Solutions serves residents, real estate brokers, and property managers in Kitsap County by attending to all septic system needs, with a focus on inspections, repairs, and maintenance.

The firm is licensed, bonded, insured, and certified. Stephen Oliveto graduated from Central Kitsap High School (CKHS), Washington State University, and is a graduate of the Washington Community Alliance Self-Help (CASH) micro-enterprise program. Silas Oliveto graduated from CKHS, Universal Technical Institute, and is a member of The Washington On-Site Sewage Association.

Clear Septic Solutions can be reached at (360) 698-9400, experts@clearseptic.com, or at www.clearseptic.com.

Holly Ridge benefits from Comcast Cares Day About 50 Comcast employees based in Bremerton as well as family and friends performed volunteer service for Holly Ridge Center on NW Taylor Road on Saturday, April 30. Holly Ridge offers a variety of services for people with disabilities. This was the tenth anniversary of Comcast Cares Day, one of the largest single corporate days of service in the country. More than 2,000 employees helped a dozen nonprofits at locations throughout Western Washington and Spokane.

KRCC seeking volunteers interested in reviewing grant applications

Now accepting nominations for the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal’s annual 40 Under Forty leadership recognition program!

Do you know someone outstanding in their industry or profession who is deserving of recognition?

Submit your nomination today and help us highlight the best and brightest young business leaders on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Individuals must be under the age of 40 on August 15, 2011 for consideration.

For more information, visit www.KPBJ.com.

Sponsored by:

Kitsap ColoRectal has closed Dr. Johnny Green, sole physician of Kitsap ColoRectal Surgery (KCRS), has closed the practice and moved out of state. Patients are instructed to contact their primary care provider for referral to an appropriate specialist for their surgical needs. The KCRS website will remain active at www.kitsapcolorectal.com.

To request records a records request form can be downloaded from the website and mailed to Kitsap ColoRectal Surgery, PO Box 3830, Silverdale, Wash., 98383. A KCRS representative can be reached by writing to the post office box or (for a limited time) calling (360) 731-3408.

Nomination Deadline September 1, 2011

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 3

The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council (KRCC) is accepting applications for residents interested in playing an important part in the allocation of Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), local Homeless Housing Grant (HHGP), HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) and local Affordable Housing Grant Program (AHGP) funds. Kitsap County has traditionally distributed funds to projects that promote community and individual well-being. The citizens, who make up the Capital and Public Services Grant Recommendation committees, assist Block Grant Planners in developing draft action plans and conducting public meetings to review proposals for use of federal and local funds. Volunteers represent consumers of services, residents of unincorporated Kitsap County and the Cities of Bremerton, Port Orchard, Poulsbo, or Bainbridge Island.

For further information and to receive an application packet, contact Rebecca Pirtle, Kitsap County Volunteer Program Coordinator, at (360) 337-4650 or rpirtle@co.kitsap.wa.us. Application packets may also be downloaded at www.kitsapgov.com/volunteer/boards/Grant_Rec_Com_cd_ps.htm.

Completed applications should be returned no later than 5 p.m. on June 16.

Now Accepting Online Nominations!

2011 DESTINATION KITSAP PENINSULA

Tourism Roundtable educates and inspires communities, business and government leaders In a little under four hours, tourism teams, selected by committees from the City of Poulsbo, Bainbridge Island, Bremerton, and Port Orchard, North, Central and South Kitsap County, tribal and regional organizations, came together April 28 to prove the Kitsap Peninsula does have what it takes to be a major regional tourism and tournament destination.

After being welcomed to City Hall by Poulsbo Mayor, Becky Erickson, presenters got down to business briefing the 120 participants about the financial facts and tourism ranking of the Kitsap Peninsula.

Nearly everyone in the audience was surprised to learn Kitsap County ranks 38 out of 39 counties when it comes to per-

capita tourism related sales and revenues.

As the 7th largest county in Washington State, participants agreed it is time for the Kitsap Peninsula to get busy and tap into its tourism potential to generate revenues, diversify the economy, and create jobs.

Leonard Forsman, Chair, Suquamish Tribe, kicked-off the event by encouraging audience members to start believing in the rich history, culture and natural beauty of the Kitsap Peninsula.

“Tourism accounts for $252 million dollars in local revenues and more than 3200 jobs...imagine what we could do if nurturing our local tourism industry become an economic priority,” said Sharon Shrader, former Kitsap County treasurer and KPVCB board member.

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Bremerton City Councilman Will Maupin checking out the “Wall of Wonder” and the hundreds of suggestions for increasing tourism that were made by participants in the event Commissioner Charlotte Garrido, and State Representative Christine Rolfes applauded the communities for joining together to explore ideas to improve tourism potential, and take advantage of the natural assets including eco — and agritourism. Commissioner Garrido noted it was a “red letter day” for the region.

Chris Endresen, Director, Economic Development, Puget Sound Regional Council, said tourism is one of the five core economic industry clusters and that the Kitsap Peninsula has more than enough assets to successfully compete with other regions.

Guest speaker, Diane Schostak, Executive Director, Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau, said the key is collaboration and focusing on the larger picture and region, versus marketing individual cities and events.

Schostak also presented information about the Regional Tourism Council model used by the Olympic Peninsula region which has been a key factor in that areas success as one of the most visited regions in the state.

Linda Berry-Maraist, Poulsbo City Council member, and Mike Walton, Executive Director, Kitsap Public Facilities District, acted as ‘tour guides’ to Explore the Archives of DOR (WA State Department of Revenue) and Journey to the Land of SWAT (Sell What’s Available Today). Each made a presentation that demonstrated Kitsap County’s current status and tourism potential.

Berry-Mariast pointed out that Kitsap has one of the strongest retail markets in the state. “We have everything we need in place right now to really develop our tourism industry,”Berry-Mariast said.

Walton cited a long list of county assets, from the county facilities at the Fairgrounds to soccer fields for tournaments, off-road competitive bicycle trails, shorelines to kayak, one hundred miles of trails to hike.

“Let’s Sell What’s Available Today (SWAT),” Walton encouraged the participants.

One of the highlights of the Roundtable

was a Wall of Wonder — WOW. Tour guides, Patti Kirkpatrick, Clerk, City of Port Orchard/KPVCB Board member and Steven Gear, Manager, Oxford Suites/KPVCB Board challenged representatives of each city and area of Kitsap to identify visitor assets that were unique to their community. Armed with colored post-it notes, each tourism team worked together and filled up their designated area on the Wall of Wonder.

At the end of the session, it was clear that the Kitsap Peninsula has a wealth of visitor attractions. It was truly a collaborative event.

Before concluding, Patricia Graf-Hoke, Executive Director, KPVCB, invited teams to return to the Wall of Wonder to select assets they believed could be marketed regionally. Within minutes, the large map in the middle was completely covered.

“It’s painfully obvious that tourism is a relatively untapped economic development opportunity for our communities,” stated Port Orchard Mayor Lary Coppola, who also attended the event.

“What is obvious from the Wall of Wonder exercise is that the Kitsap Peninsula has hundreds of regional attractions,” Graf-Hoke said.

Because of the overwhelming success of RT1, RT2 is already underway and scheduled for early fall...possibly sooner. In the meantime, the RT Planning Team is meeting to identify committees to start focusing on issues that need immediate attention, including inter-regional transportation, strategic asset evaluation and development, and collaboration opportunities.

“This was a remarkable event and is a giant step to realizing our tourism potential,” said KPVCB board chair diane Robinson.

The Kitsap Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau maintains a robust website (www.visitkitsap.com) that lists upcoming community events and is a firststop for those seeking visitor information.

Allbee earns Topper Club award for 2010

Adapting to the “new normal”

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For example, if a research and development company were considering whether to build a new facility within Bremerton’s Community Empowerment Zone (essentially downtown), or build in Portland, state tax law could weigh heavily in the decision-making. In Washington, sales tax is charged on construction materials and construction labor…unless you are a qualifying R&D company locating in a CEZ or rural county. Choose Bremerton’s CEZ and the sales tax on construction is deferred, and later forgiven.

Oregon has no sales tax, so it is not an

issue. But if Washington state legislators eliminated this tax incentive, the added sales tax to construction costs becomes a very significant expense.

Education, workforce training, and tax incentives are only part of the economic development foundation eroding from budget reductions. But they serve to illustrate that all of us will be impacted in some way by these processes that seem so distant when we read or hear about them.

Farmers Insurance Group has honored Debra Linn Allbee of Poulsbo Farmers Insurance with its “Topper Club” award for her 2010 client service and sales. The award recognizes the top five percent of Farmers Insurance Agents Nationwide, and is Allbee’s sixth time receiving the honor.

Albee is a third generation owner of the agency, succeeding her father Larry D. Linn.

Her agency has been located in Poulsbo since 1947.

To contact Debra Linn Allbee, visit www.farmersagent.com/dallbee, or on Facebook at Poulsbo Farmers Insurance.

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 5

By Bill Stewart Deep cuts to K-12 and higher education.

Reductions or elimination of an array of social service programs ranging from child care and housing to basic health insurance and mental health services.

Unfunded workforce training programs.

Elimination of tax incentives for business.

These are only a small sample of what is pending or completed as federal and state lawmakers take on budgets unsustainable in the prolonged economic downturn. The common denominator for us? Kitsap County residents, as with everyone else in Washington, will feel it.

While what’s occurring carries many perspectives, the government right-sizing at the state and federal levels underscores a fundamental fact in the economic development world: the business climate on the Kitsap Peninsula has a lot to do with decisions that are made elsewhere, not here.

So from an economic development perspective, there is cause for serious concern about the long-term impacts the economic downturn is having on the public policy that influences Kitsap’s future. Our ongoing quest for new business investment and jobs must not only adapt to new realities, but also spur our resolve to influence the decisions that affect us most in the future.

Take the first item, reductions in education funding at all levels. The single greatest economic asset on the Kitsap Peninsula is the availability and quality of the workforce. Fully 47 percent of the resident labor force commutes to jobs outside Kitsap County. It’s good that there are jobs available nearby, and local residents can bring those earnings home (as opposed to having to relocate for a job).

But as many retire, will new entrants into the workforce be as competitive for the jobs, regardless of where they are?

The availability of that workforce pool is a tremendous asset for employers here who want to expand, and for companies outside the region looking for new expansion locations. The quality of our human resource has everything to do with the quality of education our kids and adults alike receive.

When the economy improves over time and state revenues increase, we can’t “buy back” the missed attention.

State lawmakers also are grappling over whether certain business tax incentives should be eliminated, which would in turn reduce the reductions by increasing state revenues. While there is no question there are antiquated tax credits and exemptions in Washington tax law, our economic development interests could be significantly disadvantaged if the approach doesn’t differentiate wasteful from valuable tax incentives. Let’s agree that a valuable tax incentive is one that supports the kinds of employers that create and retain family-wage jobs.

Real estate market on the slow mend, feelings are mixed

By Rodika Tollefson The national turmoil in the economy, job market, politics and other factors has been unkind to the real estate market for a fourth year in a row. Some aspects are picking up and homes are selling better than before — there’s even multiple offers in some cases — but the real estate brokers’ feelings are mixed. Some believe the market’s bottoming out and are seeing positive signs, others say they’re not out of the woods yet.

“This last cycle has been very unique and very different so a lot of us are navigating in unchartered territory. We have so much uncertainty in every sector, added together it’s causing a lot of people to be wary,” said Rich Jacobson, broker with Windermere West Sound based in Silverdale.

Mike Eliason, Kitsap County Association of Realtors executive director, said the size of membership in the association usually reflects the marketplace, and for the past four years, numbers have dropped from 1,100 to around 600. Nearly

80 members left between the end of 2009 and the end of 2010.

“This is the fourth year of a bad market and some national predictions say it will still drop. There’s a lot of concern (among Realtors). The major issue is the general state of the national economy, as well as national debt, increase in gas prices and other aspects,” he said. “The best predictions on recovery are still two to five years away, depending on who you give credence to.”

Brokers in the trenches are noting positive steps. Some are selling certain homes within a few days, others are seeing a few multiple offers.

“The buyers are out there because the deals are out there,” said Eileen Black, broker with John L. Scott Real Estate on Bainbridge Island. “The prices have adjusted so homes priced correctly are selling quickly.”

As one example of “bargains,” Black said a few years ago people couldn’t buy waterfront homes for under $1 million and now some are available for a lot less —

6 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Partners In Success

Left to right: Mindy Teigen, Sales Representative; Lori Bullard, Sales Representative/Title Officer; Julie Evalt Lender Representative; Vickie Lawrence Vice President/Sales Manager

Pacific Northwest Title will be participating in all three 2011 American Cancer Society Relay for Life events in Kitsap County.

We are sponsoring a penny marathon to help raise money for this worthwhile charity. Feel free to come by the Silverdale office and drop off your spare change in one of our decorated containers. We thank you for helping support Relay for Life!

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

which is enticing even some islanders to sell their homes and move to the waterfront.

On the other hand, 21 homes over $1 million have been sold on the island in the past year.

“I think we’re seeing the bottom price points. Affordability is very high because of low interest rates and job market is strong,” she said.

There were 1,600 active residential listings in Kitsap County in April, down 13 percent from a year ago, according to numbers provided by Sandy Foote with Windermere Real Estate/West Sound.

“It’s a good thing because there’s less homes to choose from. We have a limited number of buyers and the more houses we have, the less chances it will sell,” she said.

On the downside, 23 percent of homes sold within the last six months were bankowned (foreclosures) and another 8 percent were from short sales— two

categories referred to as “distressed sales.”

“A lot more people are buying bankowned houses. Typically they are better priced,” Foote said.

While that’s great for the buyers, for sellers it means increased competition, which in turns means their homes have to be priced very well to be noticed.

“Most listing agents are being realistic and aggressive with their pricing so we’re not seeing a lot of overpriced homes,” Jacobson said. “You have to dial the price in pretty close because you don’t have a lot of wiggle room.”

The best-selling homes are currently in the starter range — anything under $200,000 or $250,000, which is typical of any market. Realtors said buyers can find some “decent homes” in that category, but Mend, page 9

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THE STATE OF THE LOCAL REAL ESTATE MARKET

A Q&A with Frank Wilson seen the market go up and down, up and down but there’s been counterbalances.

What makes this different is so many things happening at once. Some people say there’s been nothing like this since the Great Depression.

KPBJ: Any major changes, or upcoming ones, that are affecting the market?

Wilson: Last time we saw an across-theboard fall (during the Great Depression), a lot has come out of the debacle. For example, the Securities and Exchange

Commission was formed; the Federal Housing Administration was created to ensure homeowners could renew their loans and get loans longer than five years; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was started to protect money the public had in the bank. It remains to be seen what comes out of it this time. I think it’s too early to tell — there’s still stuff to come out of that.

What’s affecting us today is the number of foreclosures and what the banks will do with those, along with short sales.

KPBJ: Are consumers changing too?

Wilson: It’s too early to tell. When we entered the bubble, people were using their homes like ATMs to finance boats and other things. They were also using them to make money. For a little while, the market was feeding that insanity… I think people are becoming more conservative, sometimes not because they’re choosing to, but because the banks are making them.

Q&A, page 12

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By Rodika Tollefson Frank Wilson has been in the real estate industry for more than two decades. His background includes being a state certified instructor and co-owner of three real estate offices. He is past president of the Kitsap County Association of Realtors as well as the association’s 2005 Realtor of the Year.

Currently, he is serving a three-year term on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s board of directors.

Known for his straightforwardness, Wilson is also credited with launching the radio show Realtor Radio, which answered questions about the local market. A resident of Kitsap County since 1987, he is currently the branch managing broker of the John L. Scott office in Poulsbo, where he manages about 50 brokers. The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal sat down with Wilson to get a feel for the “state of the local real estate market.”

KPBJ: During the last year or two, there were some wildcards affecting the market (first-time homebuyer incentives, ARM adjustments etc). Have things settled down to a more predictable course?

Wilson: In some ways, yes. It seems that our economy has bottomed and good news seems to be outweighing the bad. Last year, the market was being influenced by artificial means. From here, I would think we will begin to see a slow, steady crawl back to normal. The high number of short sales and bank sales needs to work through the system before we will see what we used to call “normal.” Short sales and bankowned properties will be in the mix for the next three to five years.

KPBJ: How does the last downturn compare to previous cycles — has it been significantly different, or just the usual change that realtors see about every 10 or so years?

Wilson: This down cycle was very much different than the others because it was an across-the-board down cycle: for stocks, businesses, the economy, jobs. I’ve

COVER STORY from page 1

8 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

The reason he’s stayed in business, he said, is because he likes working with people and making them happy. “I find the real estate business challenging as well as stimulating,” he Georg Syvertsen said.

Although he’s seen down markets several times, he said things have changed industrywide this time around. “Five to seven years ago, anyone could get into the business, they just needed a license and a sign. Now, you have to work harder to make a sale, you must invest more time, energy and your own financial resources into marketing, to be successful,” he said.

He looks fondly at the late 1990s through about 2006 as the best time of his career, as was the time when he worked for the much-revered Deschamps.

“She was a classy lady who taught a great deal of respect, business ethics and business model,” he said. “I had a great role model for many years and I was privileged to be working with her.”

Brenda Prowse, broker/owner of Prowse and Company, became a full-time Realtor in 1979 after teaching school in Australia for six years straight out of college.

She decided the teaching career wasn’t for her when she returned to the States and was planning to visit an aunt in California and work for her real estate office.

California happened Brenda Prowse to be going through a gas war so her aunt advised her to find a local realty office instead. Prowse walked into a John L. Scott office and said she wanted to work for them — and a career was launched.

She opened her own agency in Poulsbo in 1998. “I kind of always wanted my own company and the timing was right. It was scary but it was ‘now or never,’” she said.

Working without corporate restrictions has given her the opportunity to make her own decisions. “I’m the bottom line here,” she said. “I don’t have to go to someone else and say, ‘Can we do this?’”

Her husband, Hugh Nelson, is the transaction coordinator and has been working for the business for 10 years after retiring from a long career with the Navy.

The office currently has about eight people including three buyers’ agents.

Prowse’s recollection of her early days includes the lack of inspections or inspection contingencies. “We never had to worry about errors and omissions insurance either,” she said.

Proven Standards. A Solid Value.

The bottom line in her job, she said, has been gaining the trust of clients; being respected and thanked in the end has been especially satisfying. She said being able to use her business to give back has also been important. As one example, when Lions Club members refer business to her, she donates a portion of her commission back to the club.

“Success has been about being wise about the way I spend my time. There’s people I can help and people I can’t, and I have to be straightforward about it,” she said. “Plus, having people to rely on like the lenders, inspectors, contractors, title and escrow (agents) — I couldn’t be successful without them.”

Fred Depee, broker with John L. Scott in Port Orchard, bought his first home at age 20 and sold it three or four years later for profit.

He’d already had an interest in real estate but that experience gave him a taste for a potential career.

Joining the industry in 1979, he’s done every aspect of real estate. He now primarily sells plats and also owns properties.

“When you look at a Fred Depee closing statement, there’s normally three checks: one to the Realtor, one to the owner and one to the bank. I wanted to move up the latter, to a Realtorowner,” he said of his decision to evolve. “I package properties, getting them ready completely for permits to build.”

That process could take years, especially since he likes to buy what he calls problem properties, like landlocked ones. While he can buy them at a good price, they can also take a very long time to “clean up.”

Depee grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula and came back to the area after living in California for a decade. He has stayed involved in various things, like the county Planning Commission and other citizen advisory groups.

Asked about what it took to succeed in his job, he said, “The Number One asset is the right attitude. The market is always between your ears — everything in the marketplace is relevant to the amount of work you put into it. I just look for a niche I don’t feel is being filled and that’s the one I focus on.”

Carole Holmaas, associate broker with Windermere Real Estate in Gig Harbor, decided to get her real estate license in the late ‘70s after she and her husband, John, Carole Holmaas worked together as contractors on occasion.

They immediately created their own agency, which later merged with another.

The couple grew up in families involved in real estate. “We both had it in our genes,” she said.

For more than three decades, she has been specializing on waterfront homes, and has sold more than 50 properties on Gig Harbor Bay alone.

Raised in Port Orchard (a South Kitsap High grad celebrating 50th class reunion this summer), Holmaas said she’s known in Gig Harbor as the “waterfront navigator.”

“I have made a practice of learning everything I can about waterfront, its title issues, its benefits, its peculiarities and the regulations surrounding waterfront,” she said.

She has also served on many committees, including the City’s and Pierce County’s committees tasked with revising shoreline regulations.

The couple became involved in developing and Holmaas estimates that her husband created more than 30 subdivisions in Gig Harbor. “Our interest has always been in creating nice places to live,” she said.

After selling her interest in the real estate company, Holmaas joined Windermere in 2000 so she could focus on working with buyers and sellers.

“I enjoy being a part of helping buyers in particular achieve their goals and dreams,” she said. “Because my focus is on waterfront, the buyers are enthused — it’s a lifestyle. It’s very rewarding to see them enjoy their properties.”

When Holmaas first started, Gig Harbor didn’t have a multiple listing service, so a group of agents agreed to share listings among themselves. “There were few houses so we were selling dirt,” she said.

She said the work is interesting because it’s challenging. “Being in a challenging industry makes it exciting,” she said.

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Short sales gain more acceptance

By Rodika Tollefson The sharp dropped in real estate values that left many homeowners “upside down” in their loans (owing more than the home is worth), which gave rise to shot sales — banks agreeing to allow homeowners to sell the home for a price that’s less than the amount they owe, rather than letting it foreclose.

Two or three years ago, short sales were so unpopular among real estate agents, many of them wouldn’t even show their clients homes listed on the market as short sales. But within the past year or so, short sales have become quite popular among buyers.

“If buyers have time to wait, they definitely want to look at short sales because they can get pretty good deals on those homes and they are in good condition,” said Sandy Foote with Windermere Real Estate/West Sound.

“The banks have automated their systems and short sales are not as challenging as two years ago.”

Frank Wilson, managing broker of John L. Scott in Poulsbo, said the reason for the dramatic increase in short sales is because “there are a lot of people affected today that weren’t before.”

In Kitsap County, about 8 percent of

MEND

that the current administration is discussing the idea of reducing mortgage interest deductions. If that happens, even a slight reduction “would have a significant effect on the housing market because that’s one of the main reasons people buy a home,” he said.

Fred Depee with John L. Scott in Port Orchard is seeing another shift in Kitsap County, reflected nationally as well. He said government regulations such as in Urban Growth Areas are skewing property values.

“I don’t think most people realize real estate in Kitsap County is never going to be the same,” he said. “I see it nationwide. It’s been obvious but subtle the last three to four years in Kitsap.

He said the other side is that many young people today don’t think they’ll be able to afford a home, so they are losing the dream of homeownership.

“If people lose the dream of homeownership it will dramatically change the landscape,” he said.

increasing the efficiency in their short sale departments,” said Rhonda Edwards with RE/MAX Town and Country in Port Orchard.

In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department introduced a program in 2009 called Home Affordable Foreclosures Alternatives (HAFA) designed to simplify and streamline the short sale process in order to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The program which came into effect last April and sunsets at the end of 2012, provides financial incentives to loan servicers for both short sales and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure.

Edwards noted that in South Kitsap, between Jan. 1 and May almost 40 percent of sales were distressed, as opposed to 68 percent Short Sale, page 14

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from page 6 because they’re so popular, those are the ones receiving multiple bids in some instances. The average price of homes sold within the last 30 days, as of mid-May, was $235,000 excluding Bainbridge Island.

Just as they have been for the past two or three years, buyers continue to be selective, event as more of them are moving ahead with their search.

“A lot of people are looking for a bargain and there’s a lot of bargains out there,” said Richard Bell, managing broker for Allyn and Belfair at Windermere Peninsula Properties. “To sell in this market, a house today has to have a good price, undercut the competition, be staged and be better than the competitor’s.”

Brenda Prowse, broker/owner of Prowse and Company in Poulsbo, said more people are deciding they can’t wait any longer to buy. “The buyers are out there, wanting to make choices,” she said.

“They don’t want to have to do anything.

They don’t want to make repairs, not even paint.”

One trend she has noticed is investors coming back into the market, but unlike five or six years ago, they’re not after fixer-upper type properties but after bargain homes they can rent. Many of them are buying foreclosed homes as well as duplexes.

“They’re investing because this is one of the first times when you can invest into something, put down 20 percent and have it cash flow,” said Rhonda Edwards with RE/MAX Town and Country in Port Orchard. “That hasn’t happened in many years.”

Some uncertainty about the market is created by the so-called shadow market, properties banks are “sitting on” instead of foreclosing, and properties in the foreclosure process. Many Realtors believe, however, that the banks will be releasing those gradually so as to not cause even further price dips.

No matter how dim the numbers look, Foote said this area has fared fairly well.

“Compared to some of the distressed markets, the numbers are good. Compared to Florida and Arizona, they’re very positive,” she said.

Even as the market embarks on a slow incline, some long-term implications may be coming on the horizon. Jacobson noted

homes sold within the last six months were short sales, and another 23 percent were foreclosed.

“Short sales are just a tool to keep someone out of a situation they are in,” Wilson said. But on the down side, it’s a complicated transaction in an already complicated process.

“In a normal transaction, you have 18-22 people involved and now you have layers and it adds to the timeline,” he said.

There’s a large discrepancy between the number of short sales pending and the number sold, however — and that’s because the short sales have been sitting in the closing process for months.

“We’re starting to see now that most banks are streamlining their short sales. The banks are realizing they lose less money by going the short sale route versus foreclosures so they’re

Commercial real estate lags behind residential market

10 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

By Rodika Tollefson When the real estate market was taking a dive two or three years ago, the commercial market was holding its own. But now that things are picking up in the home sales department, commercial is once again lagging behind — this time, in recovery. As empty storefronts and offices remain as a reminder that the economy’s far from being back on track, commercial property owners, just like residential homeowners, are having to downgrade their expectations.

Lease rates have come down dramatically in some cases, but it’s still not enough to entice a lot of businesses to move in.

“As lenders are getting beat up by the residential market, it doesn’t impact the commercial market favorably,” said Vic Ulsh with Bradley Scott Real Estate. “There’s less economic drive to support the commercial side.”

He said there’s some interest in leasing but the market is subdued. There has been less than 1 percent drop in the vacancy rate for office spaces, which may be good but only shows mild improvement.

“I’m still concerned about the downward pressure on leasing rates and vacancy,” Ulsh said. “…Some new offices are coming in, but I’m finding more people that are saying it’s a good opportunity to relocate to get a more favorable location or space, or better rates.”

Andrew Graham with Silverdale Realty said the 35-40 percent vacancy rate on Wheaton Way is one sign of the state of the commercial market, and the news may not be better in the next couple of years.

“During the heyday people were buying buildings for too high a cost and values have dropped. Many of those were 10-year loans,

so they’re coming back as foreclosures,” he said.

The Kitsap Peninsula reflects a national trend but some industry leaders say the retail sector nationwide is improving, especially in more populated locations.

Colliers International released a white paper at the end of April that looked at the impact of bankrupted chain stores on commercial real estate. While it found that locations in the so-called Sun Belt states were recovering more quickly, the analysis showed an overall improvement.

“The retail sector is absolutely on the rise, marked by a flight to quality,” Colliers International National Director of Retail Mark Keschl said in a news release. “The recent bankruptcies of these four retailers (Circuit City, Linens ‘n Things, Gottschalks and Mervyns) caused disruption, and there will likely be more pain along the way.

Blockbuster and Borders are closing stores and many other retailers are also pursuing strategic downsizing and closures. But what we see here is that underlying real estate with good fundamentals continues to attract tenants. The location and size of those spaces has a nuanced effect on how quickly they re-let.”

Locally, there’s been some good news as well. Although Borders left Uptown Gig Harbor, a new tenant is expected to open doors as early as this fall. Developer John Hogan would not reveal any names but said in April he was negotiating with two national retailers that could be moving in between this fall and next spring.

And in Silverdale, the muchanticipated opening of Trader Joe’s is coming in June. The popular grocery retailer is opening doors in the space formerly occupied by Circuit City.

“Trader Joe’s is a very successful company. They do a lot of research,” Ulsh said. “For them to look at Kitsap — it’s a positive statement for what’s going on here in terms of demographics. It’s a positive sign, but not a sign that we’re home free.”

Rice Fergus Miller announces promotions, certifications, and new hires Rice Fergus Miller has announced promotions of six employees, certifications of two employees, and has added two more to its staff.

Bob Guyt has been promoted to principal. He is an architect and LEED AP BD+C who specializes in healthcare, senior housing, hospitality, and retail design.

Shawn Dinkuhn, LEED AP, is now a senior associate. She is a project coordinator who works with healthcare, senior housing, and hospitality projects.

Matt King, Jennifer Paige, Jeff Weis, and Elin Headrick have been promoted to associates in the firm. King, LEED AP BD+C, is an architect and project manager who focuses on healthcare services. Paige is an interior designer with a focus on hospitality, senior housing, and healthcare.

Weis, LEED AP BD+C, is a designer who focuses on fire and emergency services design and planning. Headrick is the firm’s marketing director.

Both Tim Mahoney and Hope Zorrozua recently became certified by the Construction Specifications Institute as a Construction Document Technologist.

Mahoney, LEED AP is an architect who focuses on community projects and Zorrozua is a project coordinator in the firm’s fire and emergency services market.

Alma Sisk is the firm’s new front face as administrative assistant with a background in Psychology and a Master of Business Administration. Rob Pfauth is an architect and project manager, with 30 years of experience, who will focus on the firm’s senior housing projects.

Rice Fergus Miller is an architecture, planning and interior design firm located in Bremerton. The firm can be reached at www.rfmarch.com.

Foreclosures continue to affect residential market

Blakslee joins RE/MAX Town and Country RE/MAX Town and Country announced the addition of Dick Blakslee as a broker in its Port Orchard office. He specializes in assisting out-of-state buyers with real estate needs in the Puget Sound Region as well as new construction sales, vacant land, commerical and investment property sales. Reach Blaksell at (360) 874-4581 or dickblakslee@wavecable.com.

economy. Many borrowers cannot get access to credit. Rental demand has risen.

About 96 percent of borrowers are getting conforming government backed loans. Most homes are being sold to firsttime homebuyers and investors.

Move-up buyers, who normally dominate our housing market, are in many cases frozen out because of negative equity.

Zillow reports that 28.4 percent of singlefamily homes with a mortgage owe more than the home is worth. According to housing analyst Mark Hanson, Zillow bases its calculation on the original purchase

price of the house and rarely takes into account second mortgages or refinanced first mortgages. Additionally, the analysis fails to consider that move-up buyers need additional equity to pay closing costs (8 percent or so in Washington) and may need a 20 percent down payment on their next home.

The percentage of move up buyers without enough equity to purchase another home is much higher than the 28.4 percent reported. Hanson notes that by his calculation for jumbo mortgage purchasers and conventional conforming buyers who

need additional equity to pay closing costs and the down payment of a move up purchase, 64 percent of mortgages do not have sufficient equity. This coupled with tighter credit standards, unemployment, and other economic uncertainties has suppressed the move-up buyer market and continues to starve a real estate recovery.

(Editor’s Note: Hugh Nelson is the office manager at Prowse and Company in Poulsbo and oversees the transactions closings. He blogs about real estate topics at bprowse.com. This article was posted on May 16 and is reprinted with permission.)

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 11

By Hugh Nelson A recent video report on the CDPE network interviewing RealtyTrac executive Rick Sharga (see www.cdpelive.com/110329realtytrac) identified several key factors driving the current foreclosure and distressed property market: Since 2006, the defaults greater than 90 days have occurred faster than the rate that foreclosures have been initiated, the result being that the number of foreclosures in the pipeline has been building for a long time. It is estimated that more than 7 million properties are in default or foreclosure.

State’s attorneys general, the state courts and federal regulators have pushed to delay foreclosures until documentation problems can be resolved. The number of completed foreclosures has fallen as a result of documentation problems, but this is not a sign that the backlog is clearing.

In 2010, 2.9 million foreclosures were processed and the total foreclosures are likely to exceed 3 million this year. The peak should occur this year, with 2012 looking more like 2010; however, legal delays could push the peak into next year. Seven of 10 foreclosures occur without the property ever having been listed for sale. Many homeowners assume they have no further options once they receive notice of default from their lender.

Unemployment is the biggest factor contributing to current mortgage defaults.

More than 50 percent of owners foreclosed upon still have equity in their homes, despite the high percentages of homeowners under water reported below.

Rather than lose this equity in a foreclosure, these homeowners might be better served by getting their lenders to allow a short sale or by negotiating to modify the loan with new terms once homeowners find new employment. Later this year another wave of foreclosures is predicted, as a large number of option ARM loans are scheduled to reset, causing large increases in borrower payments that may drive more homeowners into default.

The number of distressed properties coming on the market has driven home prices down to levels of the early 2000s.

Low interest rates and falling prices mean that affordability is the best it has been many years. Even though it is a great time to buy, demand is weak because buyers are uncertain about the job market and

2011 Real Estate Outlook

By J. Lennox Scott, CEO John L. Scott Real Estate Let’s start by reviewing what took place in the 2010 Puget Sound residential real estate market. Last year experienced a “surge/unsurge” with sales surging in first quarter thanks to historically low-interest rates and the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. But when the tax credit expired on April 30th, 2010, home sales took a dramatic drop.

Sales remained sluggish, but as the year progressed, inventory levels began to lower.

By the end of 2010 the three-county area of King, Snohomish, and Pierce reported about six months of inventory, which is a positive indicator (based on pending sales).

November, December, and January

experienced a mini-surge of sales by buyers who made their move when interest rates showed some upward movement. This activity didn’t cause prices to rise, but it’s a positive sign nonetheless. (A market with a supply of approximately six months is considered balanced, favoring neither buyers nor sellers.) We finished the year slightly worse for wear, but with optimism for 2011.

We are heading into 2011 with higher consumer confidence and continued nearhistoric-low interest rates. Interest rates are expected to rise slowly in the coming months and land somewhere around 5.6 percent by year’s end. Unemployment is predicted to remain above eight percent through 2012; the unemployment rate in

Seattle peaked in March 2010 at 9.5 percent and is now at 8.8 percent.

Economists are predicting that home prices in our area will continue to see moderate declines before they begin trending up; however many local markets are already starting to stabilize. Distressed properties continue to pull down the median home price because these homes typically sell for 20 to 30 percent less than normal sales. But recent reports indicate that we are working our way through the distressed inventory and these listings are expected to gradually represent a smaller percentage of the total sales in our area. It may take a little longer in areas like Pierce and Snohomish Counties because the percentage of foreclosure sales is higher in

Final Westpark dwelling to be demolished

12 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Another major milestone for the Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA) in the redevelopment of Westpark will be reached on April 19 when the last original Westpark structure was demolished. The removal of old buildings is part of the master-planned transformation of Westpark into Bay Vista, an 82-acre mixed income, mixed use community replacing the 70-year old former public housing site. Demolition has been conducted in phases over the past two years.

Originally constructed by BHA over a 9month period between November 1940 and July 1941, Westpark provided desperately needed housing for workers and their families associated with the Puget Sound Navy Yard.

Following World War II, Westpark became a public housing community that provided

rental assistance to low-income households, including seniors and the disabled.

In 2008 the Bremerton Housing Authority was awarded a $20 million HOPE VI public housing revitalization grant to assist in the transformation of Westpark into Bay Vista. Residents were successfully relocated throughout the region over an 18-month period of time, with the last family moving out in October 2009. Site preparation work and new residential construction phases were initiated following the departure of the last Westpark tenants.

A grand opening for the first new project in Bay Vista, “The Summit”, an 83-unit affordable rental property owned and developed by BHA, will be held on May 17.

Construction of “Bay Vista West”, 68 lowdensity affordable rental townhomes along

Oyster Bay Avenue, is now underway and will be completed in phases beginning in late summer.

Hos Brothers Construction and FS & GS took the lead in abatement, deconstruction, and demolition activities at Westpark.

Abatement included the removal of hazardous materials such as lead based paint and asbestos. To the greatest extent possible, BHA targeted recycling and reuse of materials during the deconstruction process.

Over 10,000 tons of concrete, glass, wood, vinyl siding, and various metals have been recycled. Usable materials and equipment were donated to local community groups and 2 outdoor public events were held where mature plants, shrubs, and trees were made available to those who wished to replant them elsewhere.

those areas.

There are still some unknowns that could have significant impact on the housing market, such as whether or not the Federal Government decides to reduce its involvement in home financing. This could mean a reduced role for Fannie and Freddie Mac and the loss of high-balance loan limits, both of which would be detrimental to the housing economy. Higher insurance fees on FHA mortgages and a possible increase in minimum down payments for FHA could also have a significant impact on many home buyers. As such, buyers in the “grey zone,” those who are trying to time the market, should strongly consider their options. What we know today is interest rates are very low, home affordability is peaking, and homes in the lower and mid price ranges are selling quickly when they’re priced right.

Housing is a long-term investment for most home owners and the greater Puget Sound area is repeatedly picked as one that is best positioned for recovery. It won’t happen overnight, but I feel confident that the future looks bright.

Q&A from page 7 KPBJ: Some agents are saying a slow recuperation is actually healthy because it’s more sustainable, would you agree with that? Why? Wilson: The slow pace is always so much better. And you don’t want the market to outpace income. The median income in Kitsap County is $60,000$70,000, which could buy a $260,000 home. How are our children going to afford to live in this community and work in their community if their income couldn’t keep up with the increase in home prices? This (slow rebound) is resetting things, but we still don’t know what will happen to interest rates.

KPBJ: Are Realtors having to do things differently to adjust to new consumer demands?

Wilson: From a consumer standpoint, it’s back to common sense, back to reality. If you want to buy a home, save money and keep good credit. It’s an honor to own a home but with it, comes a lot of responsibility. For Realtors, there’s more education involved.

KPBJ: Are things looking up in the long term?

Wilson: Why do people come to Kitsap? Because of the quality of life, quality of schools, the pace of life. That will keep our market attractive, it will keep people coming to Kitsap. As the economy recovers, Harrison (Medical Center) will move forward with expansion, and medical care is one of the dynamics that make Kitsap a magnet.

Apple iPad – Top tech tools for your real estate (and other) biz

By Rich Jacobson With technology changing and evolving so rapidly these days, as real estate professionals we’re hard-pressed to keep up to speed and to know what technology tools are worth our time and investment.

Clearly, one of the most obvious tech “toys” that offers tremendous practical value and benefit is the Apple iPad. With so much of our core business becoming increasingly “mobile,” the iPad empowers you to effectively/efficiently embrace and utilize the growing use of mobile apps and technology. It allows you to quickly connect, communicate, and conduct business tasks with ease.

Shoot and edit HD video for that new highend waterfront listing. Answer your Buyers questions immediately on-the-fly (What will my payment be? Where are the schools located? What services are nearby? What have other homes in the area recently sold for?)

And forget about lugging around that bulky dinosaur laptop anymore. The new iPad 2 is 1.33 pounds of glorious time-saving, task-hungry heaven.

There are over 65,000 apps (and growing) for the iPad. Here’s just a few of the more popular ones. These are geared toward real estate but could be useful in many other business situations and some could come in handy for home buyers too.

Keynote — This is Apple’s version of PowerPoint. I love Keynote and this is the perfect app to “wow” your clients with a slick buyer consultation or presentation.

Open Home Pro — a great application for use during Open Houses that provides a Virtual Guest Book Sign-In Tool.

DropBox — a free Web-based file hosting service that uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders with others across the Internet using file synchronization. It lets you bring all your

Liberty Hill features homes from Quadrant’s all-new Revolution Collection

City share in Bainbridge mobile home park for sale The City of Bainbridge Island is selling a share in the Islander Mobile Home Park. This share, associated with Lot #31 in the park, is located at 407 Madrona Way NE (identified as 407 in the aerial photo). Lot #31 is 3,315 square feet in size. The shareholder has the right to lease such a lot, in addition to membership in the Islander Residents Association. The purchaser will supply the mobile home and be responsible for a transfer fee, applicable permit fees and moving costs.

Beginning May 16 and continuing until 4 p.m., August 12, the City will accept bids for this share in the Islander Mobile Home Park. The winning bid will be the highest bid received by August 12 and that meets the City’s threshold amount. For more information about the parcel and the Islander Residents Association, and to submit a bid, visit the City’s website at www.ci.bainbridge-isl.wa.us.

Features include: map search, saved searches and listings synchronized with the website, private ratings and notes and the ability to share listings with your friends, agent and social network.

Zillow — The Zillow on iPad Real Estate App delivers a bold real estate browsing experience built specifically for the iPad’s interactive multi-touch device. View photo galleries of homes on iPad’s large, eyepopping touch screen where your fingertips tap, swipe, pinch, and drag to see Zestimate home values, rent Zestimates, homes for sale, homes for rent, and much more Trulia — Designed specifically for the iPad, Trulia HD is the helpful house hunting app that makes finding your next home easy and fun. Search homes for sale and for rent with full-screen interactive maps, neighborhood-specific details, highresolution photos and more.

LoopNet — Looking for an investment property, or lease space? Search the nation’s No. 1 marketplace with LoopNet’s Commercial Real Estate Search App — the first commercial real estate search application for your iPhone or iPad. Research millions of properties for owner, tenant, historical listings, mortgage info, etc.

(Editor’s Note: Rich Jacobson is a real estate broker with Windermere Real Estate/West Sound who blogs about real estate and other topics at soundbiteblog.com. This article was published April 29 and is reprinted with permission.)

5 Great Reasons to Buy or Remodel 1. LOW INTEREST RATES Mortgage rates are not expected to remain low. Buying or refinancing now can reduce monthly payments substantially.

2. GREAT PRICES Housing affordability is the best it’s been in years. As supply and demand in our housing market comes back into balance, prices will begin to rise again.

3. OUR HOUSING MARKET IS IMPROVING Inventory of homes for sale has been declining. Pending sales have steadily improved. If you’ve been waiting for the “bottom” of the market and don’t act soon — you’ll miss it.

4. ENERGY EFFICIENCY Today’s new homes are designed to save you money on your monthly utility bills, and increasingly incorporate exciting new green technologies.

5. PROFESSIONAL BUILDERS, REMODELERS & LENDERS The Home Builders Association of Kitsap County has hundreds of member companies ready to guide you through any housing questions you have.

Visit our website at www.kitsaphba.com or call us at 360-479-5778.

www.KitsapHBA.com

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 13

Poulsbo will be home to the newest Quadrant Homes community of Liberty Hill, the company recently announced. Opened April 15, the community showcases distinctive home plans and designs from Quadrant’s all-new Revolution Collection, and is already attracting strong buyer interest.

The community includes 71 homesites, all featuring new floorplans, with Craftsman exteriors and front porches. The spacious interiors include luxurious master suites, hardwood floors and white painted millwork. In addition, every Quadrant home in this community will be built to Northwest Energy Star® specifications as part of Quadrant Homes’ continued commitment to the environment and reducing energy costs for homeowners.

Community walking trails connect to shopping and restaurants at the nearby Olhava Development. Conveniently located near the Trident Submarine Base and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport, Liberty Hill is viewed by the company as a desirable location for military families.

“We’re excited to join the historic Poulsbo community, and we’re thrilled to be able to bring the ‘Built Your Way’ approach to home buyers here,” said Michael Bitz, Director of Sales for Quadrant Homes. “It’s our commitment to give people a home built precisely to their order, with a level of service throughout the process that no other builder can match.”

Quadrant backs its commitment with the Built Your Way Promise — if a customer isn’t completely satisfied with their completed home, they don’t have to buy it.

New home prices for Liberty Hill will start in the $200,000’s, and feature more than 2,000 square feet of living space, nine-foot ceilings, oversized bedrooms and stainless steel appliances. In addition, every Liberty Ridge home buyer will automatically be covered under the innovative Quadrant Assurance program (a 24-month mortgage payment protection insurance policy) in the event of a job loss.

For more details on Quadrant Assurance, please visit: http://www.quadranthomes.com/built-your-wa

photos, docs and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your iPad and even the Dropbox website!

PDF Expert for iPad — the ultimate solution for all your PDF needs. It lets you read and annotate PDF documents, highlight text, make notes, draw with your finger and save these changes being compatible with Preview and Adobe Acrobat. PDF Expert is the only iPad application that can fill PDF forms!

DocuSign — Now, you have the power to send, track and sign documents while on the go! Add documents from Google docs, Box.net or use a preconfigured DocuSign template. Instantly add iPhone photos of receipts to expense reports. Take a snapshot of a document, then drag and drop familiar “Sign Here” tabs on it for electronic signature.

Evernote — Ever have those ideas while you are out and about and before you can get a chance to write it down, you have forgotten it? In comes Evernote! This app will allow you to type or record a voice note. If you use a smartphone with a camera, you can also create notes from photos. Again, this app syncs your notes online so they are accessible everywhere (phone, computer, iPad).

Realtor.com — Find more homes for sale on your iPad with REALTOR.com, the No. 1 real estate site. REALTOR.com has more listings and updates them more often (every 15 minutes) than any other site.

Ground breaking held at Gordon Field Left to right are Dori Lechner, Parks Project Manager; Bruce Dees, Landscape Architect; Jim Dunwiddie, Parks Department Director; Mike Walton, Executive Director for the Kitsap Public Facilities District; Josh Brown, Central Kitsap Commissioner; Jim Heins, KPFD Board Treasurer; Kathleen Simpson, Parks Advisory Board; and Jim VanAntwerp, from Fields Today, Fit Tomorrow.

A ground breaking ceremony was recently held at the Gordon Field site adjacent to the Kitsap Fairgrounds and Event Center location on Fairgrounds Rd. The Gordon Field master plan involves the conversion of a grass soccer and multi-purpose field to two synthetic turf multi-sport, all weather lighted fields. Phase I is for one field to be built over the next four months, and the second field will be completed when additional capital funds are available.

The project is being funded by Kitsap County and the Kitsap Public Facilities District and managed by the Parks & Recreation Department. The plan was developed by Landscape Architect, Bruce Dees and Associates and its partners, MAP Ltd., Survey and civil Engineer and Sparling, Inc. for the Electrical design. The project is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 1, in time for the Kitsap County Fair.

Suquamish Tribe wins HUD grant to improve housing

14 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) competitively awarded $163.426 in Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) funds to the Suquamish Tribe in Washington State. The Tribe plans to combine the ICDBG grant with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to develop infrastructure to support the construction of four, affordable houses on its Port Madison Reservation in Kitsap County.

In late March, HUD announced competitive ICDBG awards totaling $1,941,109 to the Jamestown S’Klallam, Port Gamble S’Klallam and Squaxin Island tribes and the Lummi Nation Housing Authority to promote housing and community. Those awards and this award were among more than 50 competitive ICDBG grants HUD has awarded to tribes and Alaska native villages totaling some $55 million this year.

“This funding helps our country’s Native American and Alaska Native communities improve the living conditions for hard-working families who need the most help,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “This is an investment to promote neighborhood development, produce affordable housing, and help create much-needed jobs.”

Want to start a new business or grow your existing business?

This is an offer you can’t refuse.

Washington Community Alliance for Self Help (CASH) is offering a three-hour “Get Ready Workshop and Orientation” for summer business development training classes. Some income restrictions apply.

Tuesday, June 7 from 6–9 p.m.

Kitsap Community Resources (KCR) 1201 Park, Bremerton

Homes & Land brings QR Code technology to home buying Homes & Land Magazine has announced a new feature that enables Realtors to easily create a QR code for their magazine ad. When consumers see a property of interest in Homes & Land magazine, they scan the QR code with their smart phone to see more listing details, more photographs, or to watch a video of the property.

QR codes are widely used in Europe and Asia, and are catching on in North America.

The popularity of QR codes is linked to the increased use of smart phones by consumers. More than 50 percent of phones in the US are expected to be webenabled by the end of the year.

“Real estate is one industry where QR codes will have a big impact,” says Doug Smidley, president of Homes & Land. “They were a hot topic at the recent National Association of Realtors (NAR) Convention in New Orleans. Homes & Land has now taken this technology and opened up a new avenue to sell homes in the 30,000 communities we reach every day.”

Eagle Home Mortgage opens Bainbridge Island office Eagle Home Mortgage announces that it has opened a new branch on Bainbridge Island located at 600 Ericksen Avenue NE, Suite 320.

“We are thrilled to bring our mortgage banking services to the community of Bainbridge Island where we can better service out customers with a convenient, highly accessible location,” said Missy Lundwall, sales manager and a 12-year veteran of the mortgage industry. “We are also excited to announce that Linda Sutherland, an island resident with over 17 years of experience in the mortgage industry, has joined the company. She is a true professional in every sense of the word, and we couldn’t be happier to have her as a part of the Eagle team.”

Reach Lundwall at (206) 842-0375 and Sutherland at (206) 842-1914.

Some Realtors are already using QR codes on yard signs, business cards, direct mail, and print advertising. In the past, ease of use has been a sticking point in adoption of new technology by real estate agents.

“We wanted to make adding QR codes as simple as possible,” said Smidley.

“Realtors and agents simply advise us they want a code associated with their ad, and where they want it linked. We do the rest.”

According to Smidley, QR codes are an important initiative for Homes & Land.

“We are all about integrating print and the Internet, and QR codes offer a fast and easy way to do this,” said Smidley. “Consumers are becoming more comfortable with QR codes and they will be an essential part of marketing a home. As early adopters of technology, Homes & Land is offering the codes now in order to give our advertisers a substantial edge in the home selling process.”

SHORT SALE from page 9 distressed sales in the pending category. Of the 226 homes sold, 63 were foreclosed and 25 were short sales.

“That means 63 families have lost their homes,” she said. “…A lot of people don’t realize how devastating foreclosure can be for families so what I’m seeing is real estate brokers are getting trained on how to deal with distressed sales.”

Edwards is one of Kitsap brokers who have obtained that training, along with the designation of Certified Distressed Property Expert. She said this designation gives brokers the knowledge to help homeowners navigate the short sale, which is a much better situation for someone’s credit score than foreclosure.

She said short sales are not only more regulated, the bank is cooperating so there’s no uncertainty, while in the case of foreclosure the sheriff is moving the family out and the timing is often unknown.

“My goal is to help people avoid foreclosure,” she said.

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Ribbon cutting for The Summit at Bay Vista

Jean Bradford earns NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure certification

The Summit at Bay Vista, Bremerton Housing Authority’s (BHA) new 83-unit affordable apartment building, hosted a grand opening for the community on May 17.

Located on the highest point of the 82acre Bay Vista site, The Summit offers sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and nearby Oyster Bay. The completion of The Summit marks the first of what will ultimately be many new developments within Bay Vista, Bremerton’s newest neighborhood.

Containing a combination of one and two-bedroom apartments, the structure was built to Washington State Evergreen Sustainable Development Standards, incorporating energy conservation and sustainable building practices in its design.

Seventeen apartments will be available to persons who are physically challenged.

Built at a cost of $13.3 million, The Summit was designed by Ross Deckman & Associates with assistance from Tonkin Hoyne. The general contractor was Walsh Construction and site preparation work was led by Hos Brothers Construction. The building is owned by BHA and will be managed by Quantum Management Services.

The Summit has two elevators, a large community lounge, computer lab, and in the future will host a small coffee café run as a barista training program for BHA residents. Each apartment includes a combination washer/dryer and dishwasher.

Jean Bradford, with John L. Scott, has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The Nation Association of Realtors offers the SFR certification to Realtors who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate these complicated transactions, as demand for professional expertise with distressed sales grows.

“As leading advocates for homeownership, Realtors believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many, but unfortunately, there are situations in which people just cannot afford to keep their homes, and a foreclosure or a short sale results,” said 2009 NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Foreclosures and short sales can offer opportunities for home buyers and benefit the larger community, as well, but it’s extremely important to have the help of a real estate professional like a Realtor who has earned the SFR certification for these kinds of purchases.”

The certification program includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk, and provides resources to help realtors stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

Former residents of Westpark have been given a priority in occupancy of the new building.

Financing of The Summit includes Tax Credit Assistance program funds from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, HUD HOPE VI grant funds, Housing Trust funds from the Washington State Department of Commerce, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, and reinvested BHA developer fees earned from the project.

Occupancy is expected to begin in June after a Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the City of Bremerton.

New Harbor Hill Park dedication ceremony set

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 15

Mayor Chuck Hunter and the City of Gig Harbor along with Harbor Hill LLC (an Olympic Property Group company), will dedicate a new park parcel on Harbor Hill Drive on June 8 at 3 p.m. The public is invited.

Olympic Property Group (OPG), developers of the Gig Harbor North properties, is deeding a parcel of land to the city for use as a future park. OPG was granted preliminary plat approval for an 824 unit residential development in early January of this year. As a condition of the development agreement for the property, OPG agreed to dedicate the 7 acre parcel in lieu of paying park impact fees for the project. The name of the future park is still to be determined.

“This park parcel is yet another significant amenity that will enhance the overall quality of life in Gig Harbor North” Mayor Chuck Hunter said. “We appreciate OPG’s forward-thinking, collaborative, and responsible approach to land use planning in our city.”

The dedication ceremony will be at the property which is located on the west side of Harbor Hill Drive, south of the Gig Harbor YMCA. (10310 Harbor Hill Drive). At the ceremony, a representative from OPG will present a check for $50,000 to the City of Gig Harbor to help pay for the preliminary conceptual design of the park.

For additional information contact Tom Dolan, City of Gig Harbor planning director at (253) 853-7615.

Kitsap Community Foundation’s 2011 celebration of philanthropy honors Dr. Glen & Rebecca Carlson, EHL Insurance, and Nick & Coleta Corey Annual Event is an Opportunity to Salute Outstanding Volunteerism and Giving in Our Community The Kitsap Community Foundation’s annual Celebration of Philanthropy, held on Thursday, May 19th was attended by more than

180 supporters to honor this year’s award honorees: Persons Making a Difference Award recipients Nick & Coleta Corey for Corey’s Day

Communities In Schools of Peninsula would like to thank all of the wonderful volunteer mentors serving at our nine school sites for the 2010-2011 school year. The gift of your time is making a difference in our community and we appreciate all that you do.

Artondale Elementary

16 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Kristi Anderson Gerry & Joan Baldwin Chris Ballasiotes Peter Ballasiotes Kim Barnes Daniel Barnes Annelese Bulleri Jessica Cleghorn Sirkuu Daun Alexa DeYoung Taylor DeYoung Haven Doane Kristen Fagerstrom Hali French Jeanette Haapala Lee Hibbits Ann Holder Kandi Horton Karen Kretschmer Carol Krona Bruce Macdonald Debbie MacDonald Hailey Martin Kathy McCauslin Jim McFarland Harriet Mooney Gail & Pam Otto Shae Purdue Elizabeth Robinson Marissa Shields Erin Shively John Sloan Frances Steiner Penny Tennison Sue Thompson Jennifer Tobin Merle Witter

Evergreen Elementary Dolores Argabright Betty Beal Julie Coldeen Barbara Copley Sara Marcus Cait McCourt Hugh & Janice McMillan Ramona Mikelson Carol Rosebrock Morgan Slaten Virginia Thompson Mary Tyler Eunice & Dick Werner

Harbor Heights Elementary Charlie Asplin Delene Bennett Martha Bocook Patricia Borgen Sarah & Tom Brown David Cotton Corinne Cruver Diane Elliott

Ashley Fisher Beth Harvey Beth Herold Christine Hoffman Al Hurst Turi Janes Martha Johnson Kayla Knutson Lucas Marshall Micayla McDaniels Austin McShane Bob Messersmith Maureen O’Leary Jan Parmelee Robin Phillips Miki Roycroft Melissa Sanders Rachael Smith Bud Thomsen Jennell Watson Trace Wysaske

Key Peninsula Middle School Greg Anglemyer Joan & Gerry Baldwin Margaret Campbell Sam Haffly Harvey Hicks Susan McNerthney Bret Nebel Bob Love Sumner Schoenike Cheryl Stucky

Kopachuck Middle School Gerry & Joan Baldwin Morgan Condit Sirkuu Daun Don Dwyier Don Elliott John Filson Hal Hodgins Al Hurst Ole Magnuson Bob McComas Micayla McDaniels Mke Melampy Terry Nettles Walker Sandlin Cory Uddenberg Paul Van Winkle Jean Wright

Minter Creek Elementary Vivien Abel Zoey Abel Donna Bucholz Ruth Bramhall Judy Dresser Leah Folden Mera Neufelt Cheri Patch

Sponsored by:

Connie & Vic Renz Jordan Robertson David Roskoph Casey Smith David Starkweather Jenise Sweeney Neal VanDerVoorn

Peninsula High School Rory Adams Sam Haffly Gary Klauminzer

Purdy Elementary Fred Angus Stacey Brentin Shandey Cuzzetto Alex Gillett Julie Gillett Lee Greenawalt Beth Harvey Kandi Horton Barbara Horne Imelda Johnson Hailey Law Bob Love Kelly Mainelli Joyce Murray Marjorie & Bob Olmsted Jane Ostericher Connie Renz Victoria Shomo Shawn Telsey Emily St. Tours Yvonne Wagster

Vaughn Elementary Max Aikens Keegan Amrine Becky Anglemyer John & Sharon Ciccarelli Alex Chang Rachel Clark Sharon Hicks Kelsea Hill Morgan Iacolucci Erica Ma Haley Newell Kyle O’Leary Ashley Peterson Pam Peterson Kassandra Picchi Kaitlyn Ready Jo Ann & Ron Roberts Rosie Rosenbach Jessica Saar Rebecca Saar Bev Semon Lacey Shelley Kaella Thompson Dick & Jean Vanberg Eliza Weeks Lora Wood

L-R: Doctor Glen and Rebecca Carlson and Bremerton Mayor Patti Lent at the Kitsap Community Foundation’s Celebration of Philanthropy event on the Farm, and EHL Insurance for the Business Making a Difference Award. Receiving the Hannah Langer Spirit of Philanthropy Award was Dr. Glen & Rebecca Carlson and the Kitsap County Medical Society.

The purpose of the event is to salute outstanding volunteerism and giving in our community. This year’s dinner and auction generated over $40,000 that will be used to support community programs and initiatives targeted to improve the quality of life in Kitsap County. This year’s Honorary Chairs were Jerry and Nancy Reid.

Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent, Kitsap Community Foundation board member and Celebration of Philanthropy Event Cochair, recognized Kitsap Community Foundation Board Chair and event Cochair Harriette Bryant, and Planning Committee members Nancy Reid, Anita Williams, Bill Benson, Dee Coppola, and

Lisa Stirrett She had a special acknowledgement for Debbie Hill of Hill’s Worldwide Moving Services for securing the dessert auction items from, Central Market in Poulsbo, Costco of Silverdale, and Safeway of Bainbridge Island.

Established in 1993 as a IRS-certified 501(c)(3), private, non-profit organization, the Kitsap Community Foundation is a flexible, efficient vehicle for local philanthropy. Through investments, the Foundation has awarded nearly $700,000 to charitable organizations and scholarship recipients since 1999. KCF offers a variety of endowed funds that suit the charitable giving goals of its donors and investors. Through the efforts of tireless board members and volunteers, KCF is ensuring that community needs are met for good, forever. Contact the Foundation at kcf@kitsapfoundation.org or 360-698-3622.

Paratransit Services wins contract in California Paratransit Services, a Bremerton-based nonprofit company, has been awarded a six-year contact to operate Calaveras Transit, the public transit system serving the central California county of Calaveras. The award to Paratransit Services, which was the outcome of a competitive procurement process that began last December, was formally approved recently by the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. The new contract will take effect July 1.

Calaveras Transit is a deviated fixed route public transit system serving communities within Calaveras County, and extending to Columbia College in neighboring Tuolumne County. The home of Mark Twain “Jumping Frog” fame, Calaveras County is located about 60 miles southeast of Sacramento. Paratransit Services will operate the system from a facility located in the town of San Andreas, the county seat.

The new contract is a nice addition to Paratransit Services’ other locations in California, where they currently operate systems for the Counties of Tehama, Glenn, and Lake, and provide specialized service in the city of Redding.

Moore promoted at Kitsap Bank Kitsap Bank’s Cindy Moore has been promoted to the position of vice president/loan review. A University of Washington graduate, Moore has been in banking for 21 years, and with Kitsap Bank for five. She is community-minded, and finds time to give back to her community through Kiwanis and the Special Olympics.

“Cindy is knowledgeable, hard-working, and highly dedicated to the organization. Her work ethic is exemplary,” remarks Steven Politakis, executive vice president/CCO, “We are pleased to recognize her for her efforts with this promotion.”

All Creatures Animal Hospital expands, modernizes

Port of Kingston names SoundRunner management team

By Rodika Tollefson There is never a dull moment for Jim Little. A veterinarian and owner of All Creatures Animal Hospital in Gorst, Little has seen all sorts of patients besides dogs and cats —from pigs and goats to snakes and hedgehogs. He’s even treated some wild creatures like baby deer and eagles.

“I’ve always been interested in all kinds of animals. It keeps life interesting,” he says.

Little opened his clinic in 1992, around the corner from the current location, with three employees and some help from family. He had to mortgage his house to get started. “I put a lot of faith into it,” he said.

The current building became home to the practice in 1993. Today, the state-of-the-art clinic, which employs about 35 people 24 hours a day, has come a long way from that modest start. For the past several months, All Creatures Animal Hospital has been undergoing a remodeling and expansion. The new space, more than double at 5,900 square feet, has six exam rooms (including one just for exotics), an isolation room, dental X-Ray and a sterile surgical suite, among other things.

“It’s been years in the making to get to this point,” Little said.

The Port of Kingston Commissioners appointed Meisha Rouser, general manager, and Captain Ken Brazeau as operations manager for the SoundRunner passenger only Ferry service. The high speed Kingston to Seattle foot passenger ferry service resumed service on May 31.

According to Port Commissioner Pete DeBoer, “We are very pleased to have Rouser and Capt. Brazeau on board. With their collective management and operational experience, we’re confident they will be a very effective team to organize all aspects of the ferry service. Our goal is to make sure that we provide a passenger only ferry

service between Kingston and Seattle that is fast, affordable and reliable for commuters, visitors and the residents of our area.”

New boarding ramps have been installed in both Kingston and Seattle. The initial service will provide two round trips daily between Kingston and Seattle, Monday through Friday.

The ferry will depart Kingston at 6:40 a.m. arriving in Seattle at 7:30 a.m. In the afternoon the ferry will depart Kingston at 4:20 p.m. and arrive in Seattle at 5:10 p.m. It will depart Seattle at 5:20 p.m. and arrive in Kingston at 6:10 p.m. Fares will be $7 each way, and 20 and 40 trip commuter punch cards are available which will reduce the cost to $6.50.

Do it yourself business: You can’t be brilliant by yourself income rather than getting your hands dirty with printer ink.

I’m not advocating being reckless with your finances. Your expenses should be scrutinized and well placed. However, if paying for a subcontractor (bookkeeper, consultant, maintenance, copy reader, typist) can return your investment and then some because you’re freed up to do what you do well, isn’t that worth it? Small business owners get caught in the trap of being all things to all people, as well as being where the proverbial buck stops. This causes increased stress. Stress masks talent, so when you’re stressed, anxious, and sleep deprived, you can’t even do the job your good at well!

I’m a school board member for North Kitsap. In recent years, our shrinking budget has forced us to cut positions at the administrative offices; so multiple jobs have been merged giving individuals a bigger workload. The cry from the community calls out to us to trim from the top. One administrator spoke eloquently during a public comment session when he said, “I used to be able to spend my time looking for grants and other revenue sources for the district. I was always successful in finding lots of extra money. However, as we’ve reduced our staff and I’ve added several jobs to my current duties, I no longer have time to find those additional revenue sources. It’s a two-pronged loss. Less efficiency and increased stress.”

What a shame. In the world of school districts, our hands are tied by the state.

Unfortunately, too many business owners have made this same mistake deliberately with their own businesses, thus sabotaging their own business continuation. Don’t make that same mistake. As my colleague and Hall of Fame speaking coach Patricia Fripp always reminds me, “You can’t be brilliant by yourself.”

Go be brilliant.

(Editors note: Dan Weedin is a Poulsbobased management consultant, speaker, and mentor. He helps entrepreneurs, organizations, and small business owners to create remarkable results through leveraging the power of relationships. He is one of only 28 consultants in the world to be accredited as an Alan Weiss Master Mentor. You can reach Dan at (360) 697-1058; e-mail at dan@danweedin.com or visit the web site at www.DanWeedin.com.)

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 17

Patient records are now digital as well, and a new in-house laboratory allows for the processing time to be cut in half. Another change includes the oxygen delivery for patients, now integrated directly into the kennel as well as piped in to each station.

The expansion also gives staff more room to work in — previously eight people worked around each other in a 20-by-20 space.

“We always like to do very thorough exams and keep friendly contact with the clients,” Little said.

He knew they’d outgrown the space more than five years ago but it took some time to get through the regulations for adding a bigger septic tank. Little might never forget the moment in 2008 he almost signed his loan for the expansion: It was the day the stock market crashed.

While the economy put the expansion on hold for a couple of years, Little got back on track with the plan. He worked with Kitsap Bank to finance the construction, and the clinic stayed open as construction crews made the addition to the building.

Little has been in veterinary practice for nearly 30 years, starting out with another group in Kitsap. After 10 years, he decided to launch his own business — which has been growing ever since. The hospital is staffed 24 hours for monitoring in-patients, and handles emergencies until 10 p.m. “It’s always been part of my philosophy to be accommodating in emergencies with pets,” Little said.

The clinic used to see patients on a 24-hour schedule but had to scale back because of the economy, and Little hopes to build back up to that point in the future. In addition to Little, the hospital also has three other regular vets and a couple who fill in. Other services offered include boarding for birds and limited boarding for medicated cats and dogs.

Aside from a few highly specialized procedures, Little can do just about anything, including some thoracic surgeries and microsurgeries (done under the microscope). His patients have included an 80-plus-year-old tortoise and a 125-pound Python, among others.

“I like them all,” he said. “I like some pets because they’re intellectually interesting, some because they’re cute and cuddly, and some because they’re unique.”

The clinic sees an average of 130 patients per week, and he still puts in 60 to 70 hours a week (he admits the record, 96 hours one time, was too much).

“I like meeting people and talking about their pets but I also like surgery,” Little said. “…

I’ve always been interested in natural life and helping people at the same time.”

He’s done pro bono work for West Sound Wildlife Center, and has been known to accept all sorts of injured creatures people find, including owls and crows. He also does free exams for pets adopted through the Humane Society.

All Creatures Hospital will celebrate its expansion with an open house June 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a barbecue, tours, door prizes, raffle benefitting the Humane Society and the wildlife shelter, and a display of staff ’s exotic pets. For more information, visit www.allcreatures24hr.com.

By Dan Weedin I don’t get up on my roof anymore. I’m in my mid-40’s and all I see by attempting this nonsense is “bad juju (this is the technical term for stuff).” Here are my three reasons for not attempting this folly…

• I don’t want to fall off the roof. The consequences of this are pain and death; neither of which are high on my priority list.

• I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. I’m liable to damage the roof, the gutters, or some other piece of building material I don’t even know exists.

• I’ve got better things to do with my time.

Specifically, help others and make money.

I hired a very capable contractor to come and clean my roof. His guy spent 5 ½ hours on my roof making it look beautiful and charged me $495. For $495, I kept my health, I didn’t do damage to anything, and I made more than that in less than an hour.

This analogy works in your business, too.

What would you replace for the roof in your business — bookkeeping, maintenance, risk management, technology, web design, financial planning, social media implementer, copy machine fixer, travel agent, or receptionist?

I recently talked with someone who told me that due the recession, he has had to take on more work himself in order to cut back on costs. This practice of “doing it yourself ” is a fallacy. Had he subcontracted out the work, how much more revenue could he have generated? What ROI did he miss out on?

Let’s take a look at how my three reasons transition into your business: • You don’t want to hurt yourself. You’re not an expert in accounting, insurance, web design, computers, money, or copy machines. And, even if you are, you’re probably the last person who should be doing it because you put it off until the end, right? By attempting to jump on this roof, you may inadvertently “fall off ’ and damage yourself without even knowing it!

• You don’t know what you’re doing.

What is the collateral damage that you’ve created because you were doing something you didn’t really know how to do? That’s a hidden cost waiting in the bushes ready to spring up and bite you on the backside.

• Time. Your time is money and that ROI can’t possibly measure up to what you could have done in your business. Your talents and strengths got you to this point.

Take advantage of those talents to generate

18 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Washington CASH to hold Summer Boot Camp and training workshop Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help (CASH) is offering a free, threehour extended summer boot camp orientation for business development startup classes on Tuesday, June 7 at 1201 Park Avenue in Bremerton, from 6-9 p.m.

Washington 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 with entrepreneurs who are ready to start or improve their business.

The business development training classes begin on Tuesday, June 14 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 added.

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

For program and pre-registration information, email stuart@washingtoncash.org, call (360) 698-4088 or (206) 914-4824; or visit the website at www.washingtoncash.org.

The Personal Touch opens new non-profit division The Personal Touch home care announced the opening of The Shepherds and The Angels LLC, a non-profit division of its business. The Personal Touch is a licensed nurse delegated home care service providing care for Kitsap, Thurston, Jefferson, Mason, and Pierce counties.

For more information or ticket purchase, call Lisa Floyd at (360) 895-3980 or Nita Wilson at (360) 981-1400.

June 2011 Edition

Events And Activities Wednesday, June 1st Kitsap HBA Remodelers, 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 2nd Developer’s Council, 7:30 a.m.

Tuesday, June 7th FREE Built Green® Orientation, 4 p.m.

Wednesday, June 8th Golf Committee Mtg. Rolling Hills GC, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, June 14th Builder Breakfast, 7:30 a.m.

Family Pancake House Port Orchard Home & Remodel Expo Cmt., Noon Wednesday, June 15th EARLY BIRDIE Deadline Save $15 per player and reserve your golf team by today!

(Tournament is on July 8th) Wednesday 15 - Friday 17 State Board Mtg., Semiahmoo Thursday, June 30th Executive Committee, 2:00 p.m.

Government Affairs Cmte., 2:30 p.m.

Board Meeting, 3:30 p.m.

Monday, July 4th Happy Independence Day! The HBA is Closed Today Wednesday, July 6th Kitsap HBA Remodelers, 4:00 p.m.

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

In early May, Reps. Gary Miller (R-Calif.), Brad Miller (D-N.C.) and 29 other original cosponsors introduced NAHB-supported legislation designed to address the severe credit crunch for acquisition, development and construction (AD&C) financing. The credit crunch has taken an enormous toll on the nation’s economy, especially in the housing sector, where more than 1.4 million construction workers have been idled since 2006. Factoring in industries that provide materials and services to home builders, the housing slump has been responsible for a total loss of more than 3 million jobs and $145 billion in wages in all housing-related industries.

H.R. 1755, the Home Construction Lending Regulatory Improvement Act of 2011, represents a substantial step forward in the effort to restore the flow of credit to the housing industry. H.R. 1755 would address specific regulatory obstacles to the credit needs of the nation’s home builders. In a letter to fellow lawmakers seeking support for their bill, Reps. Gary Miller and Brad Miller noted that “one of the major reasons for this lack of credit is the overly restrictive actions by banking regulators which have hindered federal and state chartered banks and thrifts’ ability to make and maintain loans to qualified small home builders that have viable projects.” The bill would remove barriers to lending while preserving the regulators’ ability to assure the safety and soundness of the financial institutions they oversee.

Specifically, the measure would do the following and more: • H.R. 1755 would direct bank regulators to issue regulations to cease implementing the 100% capital lending threshold as a hard limit. This provision would also direct banking regulators not to impede a financial institution from deciding to lend to home builders with viable projects that are likely to be completed.

• Require appraisers, lenders and examiners to use the “as-completed” value when assessing loan collateral on projects that have reasonable prospects of reaching completion.

• The bill would also ban the use of foreclosure and other distressed sales as comparables in setting collateral values in determining loan amounts for new projects.

• Direct regulators to abstain from forcing lenders to curtail or call AD&C loans in cases where the borrower is making payments in accordance with the original loan documents.

• The bill would also permit financial institutions to work with struggling borrowers for a period of 24 months to realize the maximum current market value for such loans.

In order to advance the legislation, NAHB continues to urge lawmakers to cosponsor the House bill and is conducting outreach to members of Congress who sit on key committees. NAHB is also urging senators to introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

NAHB members who want to learn more about the bill and how they can help encourage Congress to act on this important legislation should contact Scott Meyer at NAHB (smeyer@nahb.org or 800-368-5242 X8144).

This article is an edited version of what appeared in the NBN Online and can be viewed on the NAHB website at www.nahb.org.

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 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 . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Taylor

HBA STAFF Executive Vice President . . . Teresa Osinski, CGP tosinski@kitsaphba.com Administrative Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . TBD 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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June 2011 Edition

We had a busy month on a local level here at the Home Justin Builders Association of Kitsap Ingalls County. We had visits from those representing the Kitsap Kitsap Trident Homes County Health Department, 2011 President Citizens United for Silverdale and South Kitsap Fire and Rescue. In addition there was a lot of time put into planning this year’s annual auction.

At the April board meeting Keith Grellner, on behalf of the Kitsap County Health Department, shared with the board some new updates that could affect set backs. Currently, set backs to a shoreline or wetland area is 100’ and you were sometimes able to get a variance to 75’. According to the State regulations this will be changed to 75’, and thus possibly allow for some properties that were unable to meet the requirements, to be developed and built out. In Keith’s presentation, he said this might not make all lots able to conform, but he could think of a handful of applications that this new rule would allow them to work. This was encouraging to hear that this could potentially have a positive impact on some properties that, otherwise, couldn’t be developed.

Also at the April board meeting Chief Wayne Senter from South Kitsap Fire and Rescue discussed with the board the consolidation discussions that have been going on to regionalize districts and create West Sound Fire and Rescue. These have been going on at least since 2007 and had included Bremerton Fire District, South Kitsap Fire and Rescue and Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue. In 2010, the merger was adjusted to only include Bremerton and South. A majority of the reasons presented to us for looking into the merge is to provide a more efficient level of service while at the same time benefiting from an annual financial savings. The departments might ask the voters in November to approve the merger. There are steps that will take place prior to you seeing that. There is still work being done to complete the work plan, they are seeking input from internal and external stakeholders, both boards must give approval and finally it comes to the voters.

We also had the opportunity to hear from Marcus Hoffman to discuss the City of Silverdale Incorporation. He met with us on a couple of occasions, once at our Government Affairs Committee meeting and also at the Developer’s Council meeting. He provided us with information of the proposed city limits and how they came to be.

He also presented a revenue comparison that included all our current cities and Unincorporated Kitsap County as well as projected revenues for a City of Silverdale. Finally we were given handouts with frequently asked questions ranging from taxes and services to addressing and a city hall.

One of the main reasons behind the move to incorporate the City of Silverdale really comes down to local control. The group wants to see local concerns resolved at a local level, as a city it would be eligible for state and federal grants and the sales tax generated by retail businesses would benefit the quality of services to the citizens of Silverdale as determined by locally elected officials.

Last, but certainly not least, this year’s annual auction has come and gone. The funds generated from the pirate themed event, took a slightly different approach than in the past. This year proceeds went directly to the operating budget, with a portion going to “Build a Better Christmas.” We are very thankful to all those who contributed, attended and helped put on the event. Next year we plan for the event to once again benefit our Political Action Committee and we look forward to another great evening that Robert Baglio will have in store for us next May.

It’s the 6th month of 2011 and a lot has happened at the HBA so far this year. As a new Executive Officer, there is CGP much to learn. I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking Executive about the future of our Vice President Association and how to manage the protracted economic problems in our community affecting our members.

Ultimately, it’s about you. The membership of the HBA is diverse, intelligent, and represents what is really good about the Kitsap peninsula. It never fails to impress me when I talk with any one of you about what you see in your industry, think about a pending regulation, or know about any number of topics.

It is important that our members know that their membership matters. It matters to the HBA, but it also matters to the community and industry as a whole. Your commitment and investment benefits your business and every other business in Kitsap County.

We will be working harder to better promote the successes of the HBA and be more vocal in our appreciation of you. Some local trade associations require your membership. We know you choose to be a member at the HBA of Kitsap County. That choice is important and we value it. There are many facets to making the most of your membership and fully capturing the return on the annual investment. Please call me if you have any questions about what benefits there are that you may not be taking advantage of.

Encourage those companies you are working with, to join the Association too. It is through our common interests and doing business together that we fully capture all that membership offers.

The HBA is currently operating with just two full time staff. We will be hiring a replacement and back to a full staff of three in the next several weeks.

However we continue to be open 5 days a week 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. From time to time the office must close due to meetings in other locations. If you are planning to stop by, a quick call in advance to be certain we are here, may help you out (360-479-5778).

I want to take a minute to call attention to Toni Probert. Toni continues to be the Expo Manager for our two annual Home Shows as well as the coordinator for several other HBA activities. She is also the first person you usually see when you walk in the door or the first voice you hear when you call on the phone. Toni has been with the HBA for 3 years and celebrated her anniversary last month. Please take a minute to thank Toni for her dedication to the HBA and you, our members. I appreciate her “can do” attitude and dedication to our objectives. Her eternally positive attitude and strong work ethic are to be commended. Happy belated anniversary, Toni!

I want to encourage all our members to read the weekly E News the HBA sends out to your email each week. This is the most affordable way for the HBA to communicate with our members and through it you can learn about the upcoming classes, events, and regulatory issues important to you. By navigating the menu on the left side of the newsletter you can scan for the issues important to you and skip directly to them by clicking the topic. We know this document can get quite large, but a quick review each week will help you to stay connected with all the important things going on at the HBA. Also, watch for the monthly green colored post card from the HBA. This card has the upcoming (known) calendar of events. Finally, friend us on Facebook! We are working hard to keep our Facebook posts up to date to let you know what is coming up or happening at the HBA.

Teresa Osinski

June 2011 Edition

Government Affairs Committee Wayne R. Keffer, WRK Construction, Inc. 2011 Chair

Last months auction was a good time for all and if you didn’t get a chance to attend, plan to do so next year. I would like to thank those folks that helped make it come together.

Thank you Leslie, Denise, Stacie, Robert, Justin, Dee, Teresa, Toni, and all whom attended and made donations.

In preparing for the auction I was privileged to talk to many of our members.

We have a very diverse membership representing all types of services related to the building industry. As I talked to them I realized that no matter what the news says many in our industry including associate members are really hurting, they are struggling to survive day to day.

It saddens me, as they are struggling new rules, regulations, and mandates are being proposed or created by those in Washington, Olympia, the federal and state agencie s, and at the local level. These new burdens added to the existing, seam to be another millstone to carry. Sometimes its not even clear who is pushing for or why increased rules, regulations or changes to the code are needed.

A strong membership in the HBA is key to the successes of our members.

The HBA has been and continues to be a strong and positive voice for the building industry in Kitsap County. My belief is a strong HBA starts with members that understand that it is important to have a positive collective voice. Members that are willing to unselfishly give there time to better our industry serving on HBA committees and citizen advisory boards.

Thank you to those who serve.

Going forward, election season is upon us, and we will be interviewing candidates to understand their view as relates to the building industry. Please take the time to attend the government affairs committee, which is open, to all.

Watch the calendar for the builders breakfast held throughout the county were we get to talk to a variety of folks such as mayors, commissioners, inspectors, etc... Again this is open for all our members.

Thank you for being a member, if you are not yet a member, please consider becoming one; it helps the building industry and all those that support it.

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Lead Rules Enforced by Washington State Department of Commerce As of March 16, 2011, the Washington State Department of Commerce will be the enforcement agency for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovating, Repair, and Painting rules related to safe practices around lead paint. If you are a renovator that may disturb more than 6 square feet in a home built before 1978, you must have Lead Certification for your firm and for at least one employee on an affected job site. For more information on this, please visit the Washington State Department of Commerce website at www.commerce.wa.gov/lead for all the information. Do not get caught without this certification. The fines are very steep.

Energy Code Enforced

by Kitsap County As of May 1, Kitsap County Department of Community Development will be enforcing the Washington State Energy Code. While the code went into effect in January, there has been some confusion about how to enforce it. Additionally, the Governor had originally asked for a delay until April.

The State Building Code Council had not granted the April delay but had extended it for several months. The legislature too considered a legislative delay, but that was not successful as of the writing of this article. For now, be aware that all permits submitted to the County, and since January in the Cities, is required to meet the requirements of the 2009 Washington State Energy Code. If you have questions about the code, a good source of information is the Washington State University Energy Office. Their website is www.energy.wsu.edu.

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June 2011 Edition

Welcome New Members

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.

Rick Smith — Harbors Edge Excavation & Trucking 7470 Alpenridge Place SE Port Orchard, WA 98367 (360) 265-6306 Email: harbors_excavation@yahoo.com Sponsor: Derek Caldwell, DBC Construction LLC

Thank You Renewing Members Over 25 Years Kitsap Trident Homes (32) Washington Water Srvc Co (26)

20 Years to 25 Years McCormick Land Co Inc Sears & Associates Insurance

15 Years to 19 Years Crabtree Drilling Company Eagle Homes Inc FPH Construction Inc Galla Construction Jennings-Heins & Associates Inc Kitsap Plumbers Group Inc Port Blakely Builders Inc Sound Excavation Inc Sullivan Heating & Cooling Inc Swift Plumbing Window & Door Shoppe, The Zwicker Construction Company Inc

10 Years to 14 Years Kelley Electric Inc Markay Cabinets Inc Randy Biegenwald CPA PS SF Kafer Construction Stephen Johnson Inc Ullrich Contracting Inc

5 to 9 Years Advanced Door Service Inc Allen & Charters Enterprises Inc All Trades Mechanical Inc California Closets Chinook Properties Inc Creative Countertops Inc

Inspection & Permit Services JMS Roofing Services John S Trapp Construction Morrison Gravel Inc N L Olson & Associates Inc Pickett Property Management Precision Concrete NW Inc Romark Corp Sonny Beez Landscaping & Maintenance Sound Construction & Coating Inc Terhune Custom Homes The Hudson Company Inc The JWJ Group LLC Viking Bank Winslow Masonry

2 to 4 Years A Better Crawl Inc Acupuncture and Wellness Center Ben Cooper Landscape Construction Inc Clear Creek Nursery Inc DG Builders Inc Eagle Harbor Associates LLC Invisible Fence Peninsulas McGavick Graves PS Northwest Decks Inc Olympic Trucking LLC Peninsula Topsoil LLC Republic Mortgage Home Loans Sterling Custom Homes Inc

First Year Renewals Clark Construction LLC Mitchell Lumber Company Orca Remodeling & Plumbing Services LLC

LIFE SPIKES CREDITS Jim Smalley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380.5 Tim Burke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 Gale Culbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266 Dee Coppola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243.5 Kerry Chamberlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 Dale Armstrong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235.5 Bill Parnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218.5 Michael Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187.5 Andy Mueller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 Douglas Woodside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Kevin Parnell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Bob Helm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.5 John Armstrong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150.75 Rick Courson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 James Ingalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Randy Biegenwald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126.5 Greg Livdahl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Robert Lubowicki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91.5 David Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Michael Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85.5 Larry Ward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.5 Jeff Coombe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77.5 Dori Shobert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Lary Coppola. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.5 Rick Cadwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Joanne Lockwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42.5 Charlie Mackall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Donna Milner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41.5 Cheryl Gallup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39.5 Scott Henden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38.5 Ron Perkerewicz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.5 Larry Elfendahl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.5 Justin Ingalls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Wayne Keffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.75 Steve Crabb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29.5 Steve Brett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Barry Keenan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

SPIKES CREDITS Brent Marmon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Dave Revis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.75 Jeff Swan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.5 Robert Coultas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.5 AnnaLee Todd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Joe Gates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.5 Darren Devitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SPIKE CANDIDATES CREDITS Robert Baglio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Walter Galitzki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.5 Brad Reid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Corey Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Derek Caldwell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Frank Murr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Jim Heins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Judy Granlee-Gates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.75 David Godbolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 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 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 Shawnee Spencer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Steve Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Steve Morrison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Bill Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Jim Ullrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

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Paladin Data Systems Introduces SMARTGov Future Cloud-based subscription service helps cities and counties meet growing demand for project and funding accountability and transparency Poulsbo-based Paladin Data Systems recently announced the availability of SMARTGov Future, the first local government project portfolio management and automated web publishing solution designed to track and report on all of the projects and programs happening in a jurisdiction. The new service enables cities

and counties to meet growing state and citizen demand for project and funding accountability and transparency.

“SMARTGov Future helps us provide residents with even greater access to project information,” said Heather McCartney, director of planning and community development for the City of Mukilteo.

Boxlight named as finalist in American Business Awards Boxlight was named a finalist in the ‘Customer Service Department of the Year’ category in the American Business Awards.

The American Business Awards are the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations — public and private — for-profit and non-profit, large and small.

This year’s Stevie Award winners will be announced on June 20 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. More than six-hundred executives from across the nation are expected to attend. The event will benefit Camfed (camfed.org), which fights poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa by educating girls and empowering women to become leaders of change.

The ceremonies will be broadcast on radio nationwide by the Business TalkRadio Network.

More than 2,800 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in more than 40 categories, including Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

“We are ecstatic to be a finalist for the ‘Customer Service Department of the Year’ for the Stevie American Business Awards. Boxlight holds great pride in our ability to provide partners and customers with the best possible service and we truly try to exceed traditional customer service expectations,” said Sunshine Nance, director of Marketing & Communications.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/aba. Boxlight can be reached at (360) 464-2119.

LinkedIn’s IPO draws $45 a share

Mercedes-Benz introduces MY ‘12 CLS-Class iPad App Taking its digital reach to the next level, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) has introduced the Mercedes-Benz MY ‘12 CLS-Class iPad App. The app is the first of a series of MY ‘12 product apps and is available now through the Apple App Store for free.

The new CLS-Class iPad App puts a spin on traditional communications by providing a media-rich, eco-friendly channel for prospects to learn more about the CLS-Class. Although created as a tool for dealership sales associates, it is available through to consumers as well.

Through logical placement and smart navigation, the app provides a smart, user-friendly experience that includes virtual tours of the interior and exterior of the vehicle, as well as an “Explore” section that allows users to customize the CLS. The app also offers a wide selection of videos that demonstrate the groundbreaking technical innovations of Mercedes-Benz.

Additional apps for MY ‘12 vehicles will launch throughout 2011 to coincide with the retail release dates.

range and capital facility planning efforts.

SMARTGov Future gives cities and counties a single, centralized tool to capture project information and provide 360 transparency - to citizens, across departments and agencies, and to the state.”

“We are constantly managing different priorities. Some stakeholders are interested in projects being completed, while citizens are often concerned about the impact of a project to them personally,” said Josh Brown, county commissioner in Kitsap County, Washington. “By automating the process of communicating project status to the public, the state and other stakeholders, SMARTGov Future improves project and funding visibility and can help ensure the success of long-range and capital facility planning initiatives.”

Paladin SMARTGov Future is available now as a subscription service in the Microsoft Windows Azure cloud. For more information visit http://paladindata.com/smartgov, or call (800) 532-8448.

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Investors hoping to cash in on online-networking snapped up LinkedIn’s IPO at $45 a share, hitting the top end of the projected price range. That gave LinkedIn with a market value of more than $4 billion — the highest for a U.S. Internet company debuting on Wall Street since Google went public nearly seven years ago. The company’s stock will trade under the ticker symbol “LNKD.” Most analysts believe demand will send shares higher even though the IPO price already is well above the initial target of $32 to $35 a share. However, LinkedIn’s valuation eventually may look modest compared with other Internet companies being touted as potentially going public in the next 18 months. The short list includes service Twitter; Web game-maker Zynga; coupon site Groupon; and Facebook, which boasts more than 500 million users.

More than 102 million people have set up LinkedIn profiles so far. An additional million join each week. The company makes most of its money from fees charged for better access to the data on its website. It earned $3.4 million on revenue of $243 million last year but expects to lose money this year as it invests in new products and more computers to run its services.

LinkedIn’s IPO raised a total $353 million. Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s co-founder and executive chairman, who made $5 million on the sale of 115,335 shares. Hoffman retains a 20 percent stake now worth $853 million. Now a venture capitalist, Hoffman, 43, also was among the early investors in Facebook, which has said it might file IPO papers before May 2012.

“Instead of coming into the counter to ask a question citizens can review all project information online. They often find their answers through our SMARTGov Future portal, realize their concerns are being met, and free up our staff resources to focus on other tasks.”

A jurisdiction can use SMARTGov Future to manage discrete infrastructure projects, such as bike lane construction and storm water improvements, or to track and publish project outcomes related to longrange and comprehensive planning initiatives. Project descriptions, maps, pictures, documents, financial information and more can be captured in SMARTGov Future with minimal involvement of IT staff. Project information can be automatically published to a public portal or password protected site for access by citizens, other departments, and state and local officials.

“Citizens are demanding government project and funding transparency and accountability,” said Jim Palmeri, general manager of sales and marketing of Paladin Data Systems. “Their questions range from ‘when is this road going to be finished’ to ‘where is the money coming from’. Add to that state mandates for reporting on long-

24 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Dealing with unexpected death in the workplace

By Julie Tappero, President West Sound Workforce It has been four years since my husband died unexpectedly. His untimely death sent my life into a chaos that lasted for several months. As a business owner, his death didn’t just impact me, it soundly impacted my co-workers, as well as my husband’s. He had worked for a small business for several years, and their family-like atmosphere was upended by the news of his death.

There is a lot written on the subject of bereavement, but we’re often not prepared to cope with it in our own businesses.

When we prepare policies on the subject, all we generally do is create bereavement leave, granting employees a number of days off, scaled to the closeness of the relative that died, and that is generally the end of our preparation.

What I learned during my experience, and have now seen played out in other instances as well, is that the death of a coworker or when a co-worker themselves is catapulted into grief, has tremendous impact on our businesses, and it pays for us to be prepared in order for us to handle it with grace, respect, and wisdom. As our workforce ages, it increases the possibility of us losing a co-worker. It was reported at the Health Industry Forum in 2010 that 627,000 working age adults die each year, and that by 2030 20 percent of our workforce will be 65 and older.

While none of us know when, or even if, this is something we’ll have to cope with, there are some simple things we can do or think about ahead of time to be prepared.

Keep beneficiary designations updated. Many times employees fill out their beneficiary forms for life insurance, 401(k), health medical savings accounts, etc. upon enrollment, and then forget about them. Employees go through transitions in their lives, such as separations, divorces, and even deaths in their own families, which should alter this information, but they fail to complete the forms. Asking employees to review and update this information annually can prevent problems.

Communicate with sensitivity.

Businesses become like family for many of us, and when a family member dies, or is experiencing the death of a loved one, it’s

natural that we all want to know what’s happened. As the employer, you want to provide information, especially to stop the rumor mill. But it is up to the family of the deceased to determine what information they want to make public. Remember that HIPAA laws apply to individuals’ rights to privacy, even after their death. Only release information that the family wants you to provide, or information that has already been made public through other sources, such as an obituary.

Keep in mind that your employee may have business relationships with people outside your company, and that you’ll want to inform them as well. It’s better to be proactive about getting the word out, so your customers or vendors are aware; this will cut down on awkward inquiries later on.

Provide support to the entire workforce. Co-workers often need some help with grief as well. The deceased’s duties still need to be performed, but it feels insensitive to place an ad for their job the day after they die. Companies often shift duties around to others until sufficient time has passed to refill the position.

Involving the staff in deciding how to handle the extra work can give them something positive to do and make the transition easier for everyone. Consider, too, that employees may feel uncomfortable to see someone else in the deceased’s chair soon after their passing. As much as possible, allow for a gradual transition of the office and duties.

If the deceased is a supervisor, employees may be torn between their grief, and their uneasiness about their own future. In this situation, it’s extremely important to assure the staff that their own situations will be handled with thoughtfulness, and that the company is concerned for them as well.

Funerals and Memorials. It’s likely that many of the deceased’s co-workers will want to go to the funeral. If possible, it’s nice to allow them to go on paid time. If it’s not possible for employees to attend the funeral, it may be good to organize a memorial service at the workplace that employees can participate in. Other ideas include creating a memory book with pictures, mementos, and co-workers stories and thoughts that can be given to the

family, or even making a plaque in the deceased’s honor Grief Counseling. Depending on the circumstances, it might be appropriate to bring in a grief counselor. When my husband passed away, a grief counselor came onsite to talk to my staff before I returned, to assist them with their own grief, and to advise them on how they could support me through the process. The hospice program is a great resource for this.

Proactive Help. During a tragedy, we all feel better if we can do something to help. Oftentimes, the bereaved can’t think of what they need done. But in the workplace, there are tasks we know we can do to be of help. We can make sure they are aware of their benefits, and assist them with any paperwork that needs to be done.

We can designate one or two co-workers to check in on the bereaved daily to see how they’re doing, and to find ways to help them. It may be that your company can allow employees to donate some of their own paid time off to the bereaved employee so they can take some extra paid days off when they need it for those hard days, or to take care of business.

Practical Logistics. Certain things have to be taken care of when someone passes away, and this doesn’t just apply to family of the departed, it also applies to the employer of the person who dies. If your employee dies, you have to process them as if they’ve been terminated. You’ll create a final paycheck, and it will be given to their spouse or the person handling their estate.

According to your policies, you will also pay them for unused vacation or PTO. You will need to get any company property, such as keys or credit cards, back. And you will have to return the employee’s personal items, which can be a very difficult thing to do. Have the employee’s supervisor, as well as someone that person was close to, such as a family friend, gather up their personal items and make arrangements to return them to the appropriate person.

Recognize that grief is unique for all of us. If you’re dealing with a bereaved employee, you will need you to be supportive and flexible as they get used to the “new normal” in their life. You may watch them be depressed, angry, unproductive, sad and teary, distracted,

anxious, or irritable.

They need your patience. They may also need the ability to take time off to tend to matters until their life gets back to some routine. When my cousin’s husband suddenly died, her employer asked her to come back to work two days later, which she did. She found herself breaking down at her desk in tears later in the week, and was told by her young boss that she needed to stop this, as it made others uncomfortable. Just a few weeks later, she quit the job, which she’d held for many years, compounding her personal distress, and costing the company a valuable employee.

Remember that people going through the grief process need support, and to know that people care. They want to be listened to, and need that more than they need advice about what they’re experiencing, what we’ve gone through ourselves, and what we think they should be doing.

Death is one of those subjects we’d all like to ignore, but when it does inevitably impact us, it gives us the opportunity to become better people than we were the day before. Our employees and our co-workers measure us by how we react and treat them at these times in their lives. In my own experience, the bonds between me and my employees were considerably strengthened as my staff vicariously traveled with me through my grieving process. If it’s possible to turn work into a refuge for a bereaved employee by providing them with a strong support system, it can make a huge difference during a very dark time for them.

(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.)

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Focus on Liberty Bay water quality improvement plans

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 25

“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ~Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac nearshore environment is affected by wastewater

By Kathleen contamination and shoreline armoring, a Byrne-Barrantes gradient in urban development extends from Liberty Bay and the Poulsbo (highly developed) to Point Bolin creeks and stormwater (relatively undeveloped), and the bay’s drains that discharge to it nearshore environment is used for spawning by contain high levels of forage fish (small fish that serve as food for sport fecal coliform bacteria and commercial fish). indicating that even Team scientists had designed and more disease-causing bacteria (pathogens) implemented a fully interdisciplinary may exist in those waters. Stormwater research and field plan, despite logistical runoff and other pathways carry obstacles. USGS scientists collaborated with contaminants into streams, lakes, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estuaries where they can infect people biologist Dan Penttila, with Suquamish Tribe through drinking water, skin contact, or biologist Paul Dorn, and with local volunteers eating fish and shellfish. of the Liberty Bay Foundation.

Untreated wastewater from leaking Geographers Vivian Queija, Ray Watts, septic systems and sewers is an ongoing and Elisa Graffy compiled databases problem in Liberty Bay, resulting in documenting spatial variation in urban elevated levels of coliform bacteria and attributes that alter natural watershed flows. shellfish-harvesting bans. In addition to Hydrologist Rick Dinicola collected water coliform bacteria, wastewater typically samples for nitrate isotopic analysis to help carries excess nutrients, such as nitrogen distinguish wastewater nitrogen from nitrogen and phosphorus that can over-stimulate the derived from other sources. He also collected growth of algae, which, in turn, harms the sediment samples for analysis of such natural ecosystem in various ways. wastewater indicators as pharmaceuticals and Development along the city’s shoreline personal-care products (PPCPs, a broad array includes three municipal and private of substances, from prescription medicines to marinas, several docks, a waterfront street, cosmetics and sunscreen). and shoreline armoring; activities associated To track the potential extent of wastewater with use, building and maintaining these influence on Liberty Bay’s nearshore structures may also affect the nearby waters. ecosystem, biologists Dennis Rondorf and The Department of Ecology (DOE) Theresa Liedtke measured stable-nitrogenbegan measuring concentrations and isotopic ratios in sediment and in organisms distributions of fecal coliform bacteria in throughout the food web. These ratios freshwater sources that drain to Liberty Bay provide information about the source of the in 2008 and 2009. Kitsap County Health nitrogen — for example, precipitation, District, the Poulsbo Marine Science Center fertilizers, and animal waste — and about (PMSC), and other local organizations are trophic structures — the “who-eats-whom” working with Ecology to identify sources and relationships that define the food web. remove them to ensure cleaner water for all.

Renee Takesue measured total-metal The Liberty Bay Foundation had concentrations in bottom sediment. conducted a 5-year study of the bay (1999Chromium and nickel contents were 2005) funded through the DOE’s Water elevated ubiquitously throughout Liberty Quality & Environmental Assessment where their manure could pollute the water. For (TMDL) Lead, Department of Ecology.

Bay, probably as a result of historical inputs Program using U.S. Environmental Protection free technical assistance, contact Kitsap “Most people don’t realize how much all associated with activities at the Naval Agency (EPA) 319 Non-Point Source Conservation District at (360-337-7171). those nutrients from everyday activities or Undersea Warfare Engineering Station at Pollution funds. The goal of the Liberty Bay Safeguard manure piles from rain & the soaps used to wash cars contributes to Keyport. To explore whether urban Nearshore (LBNS) project was to: surface runoff. The Kitsap Conservation dissolved oxygen problems in the Bay,” development affects benthic substrate and 1) Characterize the watershed utilizing District can help here too. added Lawrence. thus benthic communities, Takesue historical data and to evaluate current Wash cars at commercial car washes or There are a number of simple, but very measured distributions in the study area. habitat and water-quality conditions; on your lawn, where the soap and dirty important ways Lawrence recommends for The key part of the 2011 “Liberty Bay 2) Provide public education, encourage wash water can act as a gentle fertilizer. (Car residents and other citizens living near the Water Quality Improvement Plan” will be community involvement, and increase washes recycle wash water so it doesn’t get bay to prevent bacteria pollution: putting into actions the activities needed to citizen stewardship; and into storm drains and drain to the bay.)

Check your onsite septic system to be reduce bacteria pollution. Kitsap County 3) Reverse the degradation through Check the street drain near your home sure it is maintained and working properly.

Health District, the City of Poulsbo, Kitsap shoreline re-vegetation and restoration and make sure it is not clogged with leave or Contact Kitsap Health District (360-337County Storm and Surface Water program. Results and recommendations of that debris. Only rain should go down the drain!

5235) if you need more information on Management, Naval Base Kitsap at Keyport, $360,000 grant-funded project can be found at: Call Kitsap One at 360-337-5777 if you how to keep your system functioning well. the Kitsap Conservation District, the www.libertybayfoundation.com/content/final see a spill or illegal dumping, during business Bag pet waste and put it in the garbage.

Suquamish Tribe, Poulsbo Marine Science _report/finalreport.htm hours. After hours, call 1- 800-OILS-911.

Do not flush it down the toilet.

Center Foundation, and other groups and In 2006, to better understand how urban land Participate! Work with local government If there are streams or ditches on your individuals will work together to improve use and development affect the nearshore and neighborhood groups to share this property, make sure there is natural water quality in the Liberty Bay Watershed. environment, an interdisciplinary team of scientists information and prevent pollution. vegetation bordering the stream to filter “Liberty Bay is a beautiful and precious from the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) MultiFor more information contact: Sally Lawrence, storm runoff and pollutants. resource. The fish, shellfish and quality of the Disciplinary Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound Liberty Bay Watershed Water Quality Improvement Use proper waste management when you are water will improve tremendously if everyone Project explored the effects of urbanization on the Plan (TMDL) Leader, Washington State boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, & camping. takes time to make sure they are not impacting sound’s nearshore processes and ecosystems.

Department of Ecology, Northwest Regional Office, Manage any livestock. Make sure they have a the streams and shoreline that surround the Liberty Bay, a semi-urbanized embayment adjacent at 425-649-7036 or sally.lawrence@ecy.wa.gov. way to water away from streams and ditches bay,” said Sally Lawrence, Water Cleanup to the city of Poulsbo, was chosen because its

Roth IRA: A lifetime investment

By Pat McFadden Some investments are appropriate during your working years, while others are more suitable for retirement. But a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can provide you with benefits at virtually every stage of your life. Let’s take a quick “journey” through some of these stages to see just how valuable a Roth IRA can be.

To begin with, you can open a Roth IRA at any age, provided you have earned income and meet certain income limits. So if you’re just starting out in your career, put as much as you can afford into your Roth IRA and gradually increase your contributions as your income rises, up to the contribution limit. A Roth IRA is an excellent retirement savings vehicle because it can grow tax free and your contributions can be invested into just about any investment you choose — stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs and so on.

Of course, when you’re young, you might not be thinking much about retirement. But the earlier you start contributing to a Roth IRA, the more you could end up with – and the difference could be substantial. In fact, if you started putting money into a Roth IRA

at age 30, and you contributed the maximum amount each year until you reached 65, you would accumulate more than $766,000, assuming you are in the 25 percent tax bracket and you earned a 7 percent return, compounded annually. But, given the same assumptions, you’d end up with only about $365,000 if you waited until 40 before you started contributing.

It clearly pays to contribute early and annually to a Roth IRA. (In 2011, the annual contribution limit is $5,000 or $6,000 if you’re 50 or older.) There are additional benefits to funding a Roth IRA, such as its flexible withdrawal options, which are available to you even before you retire. Since you already paid taxes on the money you put into your Roth, you can withdraw your contributions at any time without paying taxes or penalties. Generally speaking, it’s certainly best to leave your Roth IRA intact for as long as possible. But if there's an emergency and you need access to the funds, you can also withdraw your Roth’s earnings tax free, provided you’ve held your account at least five years and you don’t start taking withdrawals until you’ve reached 59 1/2.

Now, let’s fast-forward to your retirement. Unlike other retirement accounts, such as a traditional IRA or a

401(k), your Roth IRA does not require you to start taking withdrawals at age 70 1/2 – or ever. If you don’t need the money, you can leave it alone, possibly to grow further, for as long as you like. This means that you might have more money to bequeath to your children or other beneficiaries, and they won’t have to pay income taxes on withdrawals from either your contributions or your earnings, provided your Roth IRA account has been open for at least five years. Keep in mind, though, that your beneficiaries will be required to take distributions based on their life expectancy.

As you can see, a Roth IRA can be an excellent financial “traveling companion” as you go through life. So consider adding a Roth to your portfolio – and bon voyage.

Walter to lead Kitsap Bank’s Kingston branch Kitsap Bank announces that Lucy Walter has been named operations manager of its Kingston branch. Walter has over 34 years of banking experience, and has been with Kitsap Bank since 2009 as a Retail Banking Specialist.

Walter replaces Lori Schmidt, who is now serving as operations manager at Kitsap Bank’s Sequim branch.

Columbia Bank announces Q1 earnings, declares increased cash dividend Columbia Banking System, Inc. announced net income applicable to common shareholders of $5.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, compared to $6.8 million for the same quarter of 2010.

On a diluted earnings per common share basis, net income was $0.15 for the first quarter compared with net income of $0.24 per share a year earlier.

The first quarter results included a $1.7 million expense to establish a clawback liability resulting from improved performance of the acquired loan portfolios. The first quarter 2010 earnings included a $9.8 million, net of tax, bargain purchase gain on the former American Marine Bank transaction.

“Excluding the bargain purchase gain in 2010 and the first quarter 2011 expense to establish the clawback liability, which total $11.1 million net of tax, net income for the first quarter 2011 would have grown 336 percent over the prior year quarter,” said Melanie Dressel, president and CEO. Due to the repayment of the Capital Purchase Program funds in the third quarter, 2010, net income applicable to common shareholders for the fourth quarter 2010 and beyond does not include preferred dividends paid to the United States Treasury.

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? 26 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

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Chase commits to lend $12 billion to small businesses in 2011 Chase committed at the end of April to lend $12 billion to American small businesses in 2011, a 20 percent increase over its 2010 commitment. Chase also became the No. 1 Small Business Administration lender in America in loans made in fiscal 2010.

“Small business owners are not only our neighbors but also the entrepreneurs that hire half of the employees in the United States. It’s critical that we support small businesses as they continue to fuel the economic recovery across the country,” said Michael Cleary, CEO of Business Banking in Retail Financial Services.

Chase helped fuel the ongoing economic recovery in Washington by lending $197 million to 5,900 small businesses in the state last year, according to bank officials. That is a 126 percent increase over the bank’s 2009 lending to Washington businesses with annual revenue of less than $20 million.

“This is one more way we are helping small businesses survive and grow in this challenging economy,” said Phyllis Campbell, chairman of the Pacific Northwest for JPMorgan Chase.

“By increasing our small business lending, we are helping give small businesses access to the credit they need to create jobs.”

Know your investment risks – and how to respond

By Michael Allen When you invest, you take some risks. While you can’t totally avoid these risks, you can take steps to help reduce their impact and increase your comfort level. And the more comfortable you are with your investments, the easier it will be to follow a long-term strategy that can help you meet your goals.

Let’s look at the most common types of risk related to investing, along with some suggestions on helping to reduce these risks: During Q1 2011, Chase increased its lending 64 percent to businesses with annual sales of less than $20 million. It put more than 100,000 new loans for working capital, expansion, commercial mortgages, lines of credit and business credit cards on its books in the first three months of the year.

Chase also made $25 million in grants to Development Financial Community Institutions serving hard-to-reach communities by investing capital in small business enterprises. The grants range from $2 million to $5 million for institutions across the country.

A closer look at gold Amid all the hype and euphoria, some history is worth remembering

Losing purchasing power: This risk largely applies to fixed-rate investments such as certificates of deposit (CDs). To illustrate: If you purchase a CD that pays 2 percent, and the inflation rate is 3 percent, you are actually losing purchasing power.

Your response: Despite their vulnerability to inflation, CDs can offer you some valuable benefits, such as preservation of principal. Yet if you are concerned about fighting inflation, you may want to look for investments than have the potential to offer rising income, such as dividend-paying stocks. In fact, you can find stocks that have increased their dividends for many consecutive years. (Be aware, though, that companies can reduce or eliminate dividends at any time. Also, an investment in stocks fluctuates, and you could lose your principal.)

Apart from these individual techniques to reduce investment-related risk, you should also save early and save often – because the more money you accumulate, the greater your ability to follow a longterm strategy that reflects your personal risk tolerance. That’s why it’s a good idea to contribute as much as possible over the years to your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan.

By understanding the different types of investment risk, and by acting to help lessen them, you can reduce much of the stress sometimes associated with investing — while you increase your prospects for achieving your objectives.

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 27

By Jason R. Parker America’s got gold fever. Internet headlines inform you that gold settled at another record close today. Nightly news segments show you footage of excited sellers and beaming commodities traders. Radio commercials remind you that gold has outperformed stocks in the last decade. How should you respond to all this?

There’s no doubt that in recent history, the performance of gold is startling. Across the 2000s, gold gained 278.52 percent on the COMEX while the S&P 500 lost 24.10 percent. In 2010, the S&P 500 advanced 12.78 percent and gold notched a 29.76 percent gain.

So given these numbers, why doesn’t everyone put every dollar they have into gold?

Recent price returns don’t tell the whole story. Investing big in gold may seem like a no-brainer — until you take history and inflation into account. In 1980, gold prices were up around $850 an ounce — adjusted for inflation, that’s the equivalent of about $2,300 an ounce today. Yet when 2008 ended, gold prices were at just $870 an ounce. When 2003 started, gold futures were trading at $343 per ounce.

Gold is often seen as a hedge against inflation — but from 1980-2002, annualized inflation averaged 3.55 percent and gold didn’t exactly keep pace. So if you lengthen the window of historical performance, gold hasn’t always trumped stocks.

Remember, gold is a commodity. Since it tends to have little correlation with stocks and bonds, it can play a significant role in a diversification strategy. On the other hand, gold has no intrinsic value. It doesn’t give you any cash flow. It doesn’t pay you a dividend or earn interest. Gold is only worth what people are willing to pay for it.

Right now, people are willing to pay more than $1,500 an ounce for gold. Three big factors have driven this gold rush - a consistent global demand, an assumption that the dollar will stay weak and a whole lot of speculation.

Bubbles can happen; bubbles have happened. Investors who bought gold at $560 an ounce at the start of 1980 had to wait until 4Q 2010 to break even in inflation-adjusted terms.

Those who bought gold at $850 an ounce in 1980 won’t effectively break even until gold prices top $2,300. Gold has performed astonishingly well in recent years – but past performance is no guarantee of future success.

(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. Consult a trusted professional for advice and further information. Parker is insurance licensed and offers annuities, life & long term care insurances as well as investment services.)

Losing principal: his type of risk is most closely associated with investing. For example, when you purchase a stock, you know that its value could go up or down. If it drops below your purchase price, and you then sell your shares, you will lose some of your principal.

Your response: You can’t eliminate the risk of losing principal, but by owning a mix of stocks, bonds, government securities and other types of investments, you can help reduce the impact of volatility on your portfolio. Keep in mind, though, that diversification, by itself, can’t guarantee a profit or protect against loss.

Losing value when interest rates change: This type of risk primarily affects fixed-income investments, such as bonds. If you purchase a bond that pays, say, a 4 percent interest rate, and the market rate goes up to 5 percent, then the value of your bond will drop because no one will be willing to pay you the full price for it when newer, higher-yielding bonds are available.

Your response: You can combat, or even ignore, interest rate risk by holding your bonds until they mature. By doing so, you’ll get your full principal back, provided the issuer doesn’t default, and you’ll continue to receive regular interest payments unless the bonds are “called,” or repurchased by the issuer. (You can help protect against this by purchasing bonds that have some degree of “call protection” and by owning bonds with different maturities.)

June @ 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.

President’s Message Desiree Steffens Port Orchard Chamber 2010-2011 President

Thanks to Scott Mc Lendon’s Hardware for supporting our Shop SK First program and thanks to all of the volunteers who assisted the Chamber’s Shop SK First program at the Scott Mc Lendon’s Hardware Pancake Breakfast. Thanks also to the sponsors, donors and in-kind

supporters of our Murder Mystery Event and Seagull Calling Festival which took place over Memorial Day Weekend: Harrison Medical Center, Stafford Healthcare at Ridgemont, Alfred Interwest Insurance Inc., Dana’s Heating Inc., St. Anthony Hospital, Wave Broadband, MoonDogs Too, Barry Doll Agency/American Family Insurance, Peterson & Jake CPA’s, Westbay Auto Parts, Fred Meyer, Stafford Suites, Recognition Plus, Printing Services, Fathom’s

SPOTLIGHT ON A MEMBER Karlee Chambers — Orchard Pointe

Concerts on the Bay, Port of Bremerton/Port Orchard Marina, Port Orchard Independent, Murder N Mayhem Parties, Heritage Foursquare Church, Port Orchard Library, The Candy Shoppe, Port Orchard Bay St. Merchants Assoc.

Southworth Buccaneers, Pirates of the Pacific, Bay St. Bistro, Capriccio Catering, Tommy C’s Restaurant, The Lighthouse Restaurant, the Waters Restaurant, Amy’s on the Bay, SK Fire District, Sego’s Seagulls and the Burned Parrots.

Join the Shop SK First Program TODAY!

Thursday, June 9th, 2011, 11:30 a.m.

Location: SK8Town Event Center Program: Julie Tappero, Westsound Workforce “Regulations, RCWs & Reality: Managing the Workplace in 2011” Laws that affect your workplace are constantly being passed and revised by our federal and state governments. It can be a lot to keep up with!

Small businesses are too often unaware of the regulations that affect them, as well as the resources that can help them. Find out if your business is in compliance, and if you’re taking advantage of every available benefit.

Meeting reservations are necessary to attend and can be made online at www.portorchard.com or by calling the Chamber at 360-876-3505. Reservation by June 7th.

Luncheons are open to members and non-members. Chamber members $20 if prepaid and $22 at the door, non-Chamber members $22 in advance.

Chamber Morning Seminar

We are looking for n e w participants and Renewals!

Support our efforts to educate and increase awareness of the benefits of shopping locally, while receiving promotion and marketing through the program. Call the Chamber or go to www.portorchard.com for a Shop SK First application. Only $50 per year.

Shop SK First participating businesses!

Support local businesses-Use your reward card at participating businesses and you may win $100 in merchandise or services!

Go to portorchard.com for a list of participating businesses!

Wed. June 15th, 8:00 a.m. Port Orchard Pavilion Kirk Larson, Public Affairs Specialist for Social Security Administration The Social Security Benefits Program is a complex and important program. Join us for a presentation regarding Social Security Benefits and how to get the most out of the programs. Free. RSVP’s not required but appreciated office@portorchard.com.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Cynthia Sparks 360-850-6035 Habitat Bank NW • Steve Sego P.O. Box 354, Kirkland, WA 98033 206-661-2401 Lingenbrink Orthodontics • Tresa McKinnon 1890 Pottery Ave., Port Orchard, WA 360-895-9099

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28 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Orchard Pointe Apartments is owned by Pacific Living Properties Inc. Karlee Chambers has been the manager of the 147 unit multi-family apartment complex, located on the corner of Pottery and Lippert, for over twelve years.

The mission of the company and complex is to create and provide a quality living environment to enhance the lives of their residents. The complex is well known for their tight knit sense of community and extravagant resident activities.

Orchard Pointe Apartments was responsible for bringing the National Night Out event to the Port Orchard community. This event has grown to take up the entire Waterfront Marina Park every August. Karlee says it is the forward thinking and visionary attitude of her company that draws her and her company to the Port Orchard Chamber and Chamber members to them. Karlee remains in her position and in our community because Port Orchard is a great place to work and a great community to live in. She is involved in the Port Orchard Chamber because there are individuals who work together to promote a positive local business climate, encourage strong community leadership and support quality of life.

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When business talk is on the menu: Ingredients of a successful business lunch

By Rodika Tollefson When Angela Sell, president of Silverdale Chamber of Commerce and a financial adviser with Edward Jones, tries to show off her town to visitors, she knows right where to take them for lunch: Silver City Restaurant and Brewery or Hale’s Ale. “The food is outstanding and the atmosphere is great so Silver City is my favorite to show off Silverdale,” she said. But, she adds, it can get noisy — so if it’s a business lunch with local associates, she favors places such as Roundtable Pizza, Famous Dave’s and Joseph’s (at Silverdale Hotel).

“They’re all very quaint, you can get a seat fast and conduct business, and they’re affordable with a variety of food on the menu,” she said. “…If I’m just going to a two-person lunch, I’m looking for quiet places so you can sit across one another, get lunch and have time to talk.”

A quiet place to talk is often the main requirement for a business lunch, and while many restaurants do not accept lunch reservations, frequently they are able to offer the right seating upon request. One rule of thumb to remember is that those establishments are a business, so common courtesy dictates that meeting during the peak lunch hour for just a cup of coffee may not be the best idea.

“We’re accommodating so if business people need a table with privacy or space, we will do that for them,” said Mona Sarrensen, hotel operations manager at The Inn at Gig Harbor, which includes The Heritage restaurant on site. “…We do ask our guests that if they enjoy the facilities, they also enjoy food or beverages while here.”

talking but if she’s out with a client, she’ll clarify the timeframe upfront. And if the time is limited, she’ll ask the waitstaff what items on the menu are best for an expedited lunch.

“I don’t want to be taking more of their time than they have planned,” said Lincoln, whose favorite Poulsbo business lunch venues are Sogno di Vino and JJ’s Fish House for a nicer ambiance, and The Loft at Latitude Forty Seven for a more casual outing with peers.

If she’s trying to make an impression with clients, Lincoln also likes to call the restaurant ahead of time. For example, she likes to be seated at the patio at Sogno di Vino but if she calls 15 minutes before the meeting time and the patio is busy, she can give the client the heads up.

In his City, Port Orchard Mayor Lary

He says the staff is always considerate of his and his guest’s time, which is often critical, but the booth also provides privacy for business conversations when it’s needed.

Coppola also says he’s fond of both Cosmo’s and Mary Mac’s at McCormick Woods, depending on his lunch companion.

In most cases, there should be no question about who’s paying: The person making the invite picks up the tab. For a meeting with colleagues or a standing peer lunch, however, it could be a split tab or a reciprocating pay, but there’s one rule of thumb: Know the arrangement ahead of time.

“Even in the informal, ‘let’s to go lunch’ setting, you should address ahead of time if there’s a separate tab,” said Stephanie Horton, owner of Top Dog Etiquette in North Mason. She said there’s nothing

worse than trying to calculate who owes what at the end of a meal.

For Horton, one important consideration, if she’s choosing the place, is to be familiar with the establishment — and if you’re a frequent, well-known patron, to also give the server the heads up that you’re there on business.

“Use a restaurant you have confidence in; it needs to be a nice enough place where you’re served by a waiter and has comfortable seating,” said Horton, whose preferred business lunch restaurants in Belfair are Pat’s Red Barn and JR’s Hideaway.

Etiquette dictates that the guest, or invitee, follows the lead of the host, and that applies to ordering as well. “Follow the lead as far as the courses go and order the same — you don’t want to be left behind, eating,” Horton said.

Some hosts like to ask their guests to order first, and they order the same type of food. Whatever you order, it’s probably a good idea to stay away from something too messy or too complicated to eat.

The conversation, of course, is the reason you’re there and some small talk is expected before getting down to business.

Horton suggests staying away from things that are too personal or anything negative.

And whether it’s a business lunch or a peer lunch, there’s one must: Make the topic known ahead of time.

“Even though you’re going to lunch, you should always have an agenda. It doesn’t have to be a printed one but make sure everyone knows what you’re going to talk about,” Sell said. “Although you’re eating lunch, you’re still there to conduct business, and everybody’s limited on time.”

Thank you South Kitsap! Amy’s On The Bay voted “Best Steak” and “Best Seafood” for the fourth year in a row in the Best of South Kitsap. Our patio is now open for summer. Come and join us for fabulous food and waterfront views!

To avoid the rush, Linda Lincoln, assistant vice president and manager of the Poulsbo branch of Timberland Bank, said she likes to invite people to lunch either early, before noon, or at 1 or shortly after 1 p.m.

“That way, the service goes faster and you avoid the noon hour bulk,” she said.

While restaurants don’t mind patrons lingering after a meal, time is still a factor during business lunch. Lincoln said if it’s lunch with peers, she leaves extra time for

Coppola favors Amy’s on the Bay and the Lighthouse for lunches with other political types, as well as prospective new business owners considering locating in his City. In fact, owner Amy Igloi has designated a specific booth as the “Mayor’s Table” with a brass plaque.

Coppola also donates “Lunch with the Mayor” to a number of charity auctions as well as treating the City’s Employee of the Quarter to lunch, and those are usually at Amy’s as well.

Happy Hour 3pm – 5pm Full Service Bar Open Everyday Please remember to support SK Helpline, SK School District and SK Boys & Girls Club

Amy’s On The Bay Restaurant & Bar 100 Harrison Avenue, Port Orchard 360-876-1445 www.amysonthebay.com

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 29

Casual Waterfront Dining in Downtown Port Orchard

The reinventing of McCloud’s Grill House & Saloon

30 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

By Rodika Tollefson When McCould’s Grill House & Saloon came on the market last year, Andy Graham, the listing agent, saw so many possibilities: parties, catering, family events. Not a stranger to the industry — Graham had previously built up several restaurants — he decided to buy it with a friend.

Since then, Graham has been making improvements to the establishment, both to its physical appearance and the concept.

Local groups have been taking notice of what the space can offer, but they’re not the only ones — every month, dozens of kids fill the restaurant for a free family event that includes games, karaoke singing, crafts, treasure hunting in the hay and other fun.

“We do it because it’s fun, and kids have an absolute blast,” Graham said. “We have a lot of military families here who can’t afford to do family things… It’s just something I wanted to do. We didn’t realize how big it was going to be.”

Lest adults feel left behind, McCloud’s has parties for them too. The theme changes from steam punk and “redneck” holiday weekend to “Alice in Wonderland,” and patrons dress accordingly while live music and other entertainment, both for adults and children, are provided. Regular events include dancing with a DJ and live entertainment.

To create an events-friendly venue, Graham started making changes since he took over and hasn’t stopped. Various areas of the restaurant have been remodeled and a “dance floor” with a stage has been added, among other things.

One popular addition is the riding bull, which he found stored in pieces.

L-R: McCloud’s Owner Andy Graham and chef John Snider only for food, and the menu is flexible.

“We work with groups on a budget to fit their style,” Graham said.

Fundraisers are a common affair as well, such as a carnival coming up in July that will raise money for the Boys & Girls Club, or two recent events that included live and silent auctions and raised $32,000 for the

But regulars need not worry: Many of the previous offerings, including the famed “gun smoke” hotdog (a giant, fully loaded hotdog that is wrapped in bacon) and the “Johnny Cash” burger (a three-quarterpounder that includes four pieces of bacon and three slices of cheese) will continue to be offered, as will the outdoors hotdog cart Thursday through Saturday.

One of the newer additions is a commercial smoker and the new menu will put it to use even more, with choices like pork skillet and smoked half-chicken.

“We do everything from scratch daily,” said chef John Snider, who’s been with McCloud’s for two years and had worked at the Boat Shed for a decade in the past. “…

Our applewood products are phenomenal, all smoked in-house.”

Graham said he has many more ideas, and it’s his chance to do all those things he’s ever wanted to try in the past. With a background as a “restaurant fixer,” he’s run

such establishments as Ivar’s on the Seattle waterfront and locally helped launch the Yacht Club Broiler. He’s also worked as a food and beverage director for Westin Hotels and for a while also lived the corporate life — a stint he admits wasn’t for him.

A Kitsap County resident since 1987 (except for a six-year “break” when he moved back to Seattle in the late ‘90s), Graham has been a commercial real estate broker for about five or six years. He plans to keep his finger in real estate while continue to invest time and effort into McCloud’s.

Upcoming plans include painting the building and promoting it as a wedding venue. And, he’s already thinking a much bigger scale — once he gets McCloud’s on a roll, he wants to duplicate the idea somewhere in Eastern Washington.

“But I don’t want to franchise it because I don’t want to lose the community spirit,” he said. “…I really enjoy the community aspect of it.”

WRA offering online Alcohol Server Training The 70-era riding bull has become a polular attraction at McCloud’s “The kids love to ride the bull. He gets very tired (on family night),” he said.

McCloud’s is only open starting at 3 p.m. and Graham likes those hours because it allows for the facility to be dedicated to events, everything from regular Rotary Club morning meetings (with catered breakfast) to wedding rehearsals. For event rentals, the establishment doesn’t charge for the space,

Kitsap 9/11 memorial project.

While trying to build up McCloud’s as a community place and emphasize the idea it’s a family place and more than a country bar, Graham has not lost sight of the dining aspect.

His dream is to become the best steak house in the area, and in mid-May, he took a step toward that goal: The menu was overhauled to offer steaks and new sandwiches.

Responsible alcohol service is an issue that touches almost every restaurant business, its customers, and the community where it’s located. The Washington Restaurant Association (WRA) is dedicated to promoting responsible alcohol service.

The WRA Education Foundation’s online ServSafe Alcohol program and WRA instructor-led Mandatory Alcohol Server Training (MAST) are both approved by the Washington State Liquor Control Board (LCB).After completing one of the WRA’s alcohol server training programs attendees will obtain their Class 12, or Class 13 permit.

The ServSafe Alcohol program was developed with input from experts in the restaurant, legal, regulatory, academic, insurance, medical and law enforcement fields. Together, they determined the tasks that the front-of-the-house needs to know. It’s a holistic approach that helps assure everyone has the training they need to serve alcohol responsibly.

For more information, visit www.wrahome.com/training-education/mast.

Noah’s Ark Restaurant: Third-generation family affair stayed involved, so the restaurant could stay in the family. Asked what it takes to keep the family strong while working together, she said the Garguiles, like everyone else, have difficulties and difference of opinion.

“But we always want the best outcome for the business. Our philosophy is, let our family feed your family,” she said, “so we work through our challenges.”

There’s one rule, however: no business talk at home (at least as much as possible).

She said that’s one way they stay balanced because after all, the business is built on family values. Which is one reason they’re not open on Sundays, for family day.

“My phone is always on,” Garguile said.

“But we train our staff well and we trust them.”

“People like working for us because we treat them as family,” Garguile said.

Bianca’s parents, Janet and Nick Jr., took over the business two years after opening and are still keeping hands-on. Over the years, the restaurant evolved from a takeout place (with some outdoor seating) to include a dining room for about 80 people and a much more extensive menu, and several family members have helped out.

Nick Jr. himself can be frequently seen in the kitchen, while Janet runs the administrative side of things. Bianca and her younger brother, Noah (named after his great-grandfather, the namesake for the restaurant), started helping out as children.

She became officially employed there at age 16, then two years later, took the reigns as the manager and continued working while taking business classes at Olympic College.

“Becoming manager at 18, I definitely had to step up my game but I had to start at the bottom and work my way up,” she said.

“I was ready for the challenge. My dad likes to say, ‘Burgers are our business but we offer so much more.’”

Noah’s Ark has been giving back quietly as well. For many years, the business has supported various sports group — and sports are a family tradition. Nick Garguile, a West High School grad who grew up in Bremerton, played several sports while in school, as did his children. Bianca and Noah, who have a younger sister, are both Bremerton High School grads. She said sports taught her confidence and team play, both traits that are important in business.

As the third-generation Garguile at Noah’s Ark, Bianca said she’d be happy to someday take over the business. That’s the reason she’s

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 31

By Rodika Tollefson One of Bremerton’s best-loved places for hamburgers is Noah’s Ark Restaurant, an unassuming establishment that has been owned and operated by the same family since 1974. More than one regular customer who’s moved away from Kitsap has said that Noah’s Ark is one of the things they’ve missed — and if they ever return to the area, it’s one of the first stops on their agenda.

The restaurant (www.noahsarkrestaurant.com), located on Sixth Street, has a fairly modest exterior as well as a simply decorated dining room, but the food is another story. The menu has 16 varieties of hamburgers alone (all under $6) plus a generous list of sandwiches, salads, fish & chips and other possibilities.

“We serve our food fast but I wouldn’t say we’re fast food. Everything is made to order,” said Bianca Garguile, the manager of the establishment and the granddaughter of founder Nick Garguile.

She said what makes the food different is not any sort of secret ingredient but how it’s prepared — as well as the creative recipes.

Several family members have contributed their ideas over the years, and the menu is a testament: There’s Nick’s Special Steak (Nick Garguile hailed from Philadelphia, so the Philly steak sandwich is a signature), Gary’s Guacamole Chicken Sandwich, Janet’s Special Croissant Sandwich and Bianca’s Bacon Bleu Cheese Burger, among others.

“A lot of people that work in offices only have a half hour or 45 minutes for lunch break and we can get them in and out fast and still serve quality food,” Garguile said. “What’s different about our burgers is that we use all fresh products and the sauces are homemade.”

The other aspect customers rave about is the friendliness of the staff. Many employees have been with the company for more than five years, and many high school and college students through the years have been able to work a flexible schedule around their classes.

32 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

New Key Peninsula restaurant fills niche

By Rodika Tollefson Travis Hightower has prepared all sorts of food during his 10-year career as a head chef, but it’s the good old all-American hamburger that’s been earning praises lately from his patrons. Hightower, a Key Peninsula resident of seven years, opened The Gourmet Burger Shop off State Route 302 in March, and the business had instant clientele.

Just a week into the opening, he realized his plan of running the restaurant with the help of just one person wouldn’t work and he had to hire two more employees. The restaurant, located in a high-traffic area off the highway, fills a niche — the closest diners are about 4 to 9 miles in each direction. But, according to customers, it’s the food that has helped the new eatery build a customer base.

“We’ve had good response so far from repeat customers, including one customer who came back the same day, and many are coming three to four days a week,” Hightower said.

The secret is in the freshly made burgers with an interesting “angle”: The menu includes burgers such as a Braised Onion (with beer-braised onions and horseradish Havarti) and Mushroom Swiss (with braised mushrooms, Swiss cheese and truffled aioli) and sides like Hightower’s beet chips. Even the buns are different: They’re brioche style, custom made by the 3 Clouds Bakery across the street.

Hightower shopped a couple of area restaurants before setting his price at $8.50, which includes a side. “Gourmet implies something done as good as it can be done. It means high quality, it doesn’t mean expensive,” he said.

Because of the septic tank size and permitting, the “shop” is take-out style, with some limited seating available. But while he can’t grow in physical size, Hightower does have plans for growing his business. In the summer time, he hopes to offer outdoor barbecue, and in the future will be developing a catering side.

He’ll likely grow the same way he started — slowly. The reason the burger menu is limited, for example, is so he can keep overhead small as he’s building the business. Even so, he’s been offering specials and posting them on Facebook, and he plans to add salads during the summer and soups when the weather cools off.

“Being too busy would not be too good because we have a small grill,” he said.

Hightower started in the restaurant industry more than 20 years ago after going to culinary school at Bates College. He became the head chef at a private club when he was in his early 20s and since then has learned to prepare fine food as well as work in a fast-paced environment that frequently saw large crowds.

As much as he loved his job, the fast pace took a toll after a while and Hightower wanted a way to spend more time with his 5-year-old son. So last year, with his job gone, he decided to take the plunge; after more than eight months of permitting, he opened doors to his own venture.

He didn’t know whether he would open a deli or a burger place until the last minute, so he developed two menus to be ready either way. The burger shop won, in part, because he could keep lower inventory as he got rolling — to finance the business, Hightower used mostly his own savings and some funding from family.

“It was hard to walk away from a job… but it was my chance to do it,” he said. “I really didn’t want to get out to get another job.”

He said being his own boss has been the best part so far, even as he’s learning the various facets of owning a business, including taxes and accounting. He’s already been able to leave some of the cooking to others so he could take some time off with his son. And once he finetunes his system, he said he’ll be ready for the next step.

“I wanted to be on my own and more in control,” he said. “It’s been nice to see that people are appreciative (of the food).”

Coming Next Issue...

The Inn at Gig Harbor: Heritage Restaurant caters to all occasions

By Rodika Tollefson As one of only a few hotels in Gig Harbor, and the only full-service conference space — complete with guest rooms, catered food, audiovisual, WiFi and other services — The Inn at Gig Harbor is a popular destination.

Among locals, the hotel is a destination as well, thanks to the onsite restaurant, The Heritage. The Heritage has been voted as the best place for breakfast in Gig Harbor and the best place for a buffet, among other things; its chowder consistently lands in the top three spots at the annual Gig Harbor Chowder Cook-Off.

The award-winning restaurant caters to much more than tourists and the business crowd. It’s a family-friendly place that’s equally happy to accommodate special occasions, casual lunches and parties.

Parties, in fact, are somewhat of a signature at The Inn. It wouldn’t be uncommon to spot a real sleigh set up inside during the holiday season for a chamber of commerce get-together, an overturned Jeep parked upfront for a safari party, or a hundred snowflakes hanging from the ceiling for a winter wedding. The rooms of the conference center have seen rollerskaters, disco-clad revelers and even a recreated African schoolhouse.

“We’re fairly diverse with the events we do and we’re pretty accommodating,” said Kati Wright, catering and sales manager.The Heritage can seat up to about 50 people in each of its two rooms — one open for breakfast and lunch and the other for dinner.

“We have a very loyal following of people who really like our food, said Mona Sarrensen, hotel operations manager. “…We have a very peaceful atmosphere, with no echo and ambient noise. We find that people

Environment & Ecology

Healthcare Quarterly

like to come here because they can have a conversation.”

The restaurant serves classic American food “with a Pacific Northwest flair,” all prepared fresh, with seafood (everything from Alaska halibut to calamari) and Northwest wines as the stars of the menu.

Beer from the 7 Seas microbrewery next door is also available on tap, and visitors to the brewery’s tasting room can order appetizers to go from The Heritage.

Oliver Coldeen, who has been the chef for more than 10 years, is the executive chef who leads a team of chefs from diverse culinary backgrounds. That diversity is reflected in the seasonal “fresh sheet” on the menu, Wright said.

Coldeen, well-known on the Key Peninsula for his smoked salmon prepared for an annual salmon bake fundraiser, had owned his own barbecue restaurant on the peninsula as well.

Recently, a new feature was added to the restaurant: live acoustic guitar music on Friday nights. The musician, an IT technician at The Inn, was so well-received that the music had returned weekly.

The Inn at Gig Harbor (www.innatgigharbor.com), locally owned and operated, opened doors in 1997 and currently features 64 rooms and 4,000 square feet of meeting space. In November, the lobby was remodeled.

Sarrensen said that being independently owned has allowed the business to adapt and stay flexible.

“We’ve adapted to the needs and wants of our customers,” she said. “…Because we’re not part of a corporation or chain, we have the ability to make decisions in the building without going through red tape. We’re empowered to make those decisions, and we like that.”

Deadline to reserve advertising space

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

San Carlos Restaurant: A Bainbridge Island icon

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 33

By Rodika Tollefson When Lee and Marianne Jorgenson opened San Carlos Mexican restaurant on Bainbridge Island 27 years ago in May, the idea of Mexican food was still new to the region.

Lee Jorgenson estimates that Seattle had less than a handful of Mexican restaurants — and certainly nobody had the unique Southwest twist he envisioned.

But he loved Mexican food (especially since he grew up with it) and he was tired of the two-hour commute from the island to his job in Seattle. With a background in the restaurant industry going back to high school, Jorgenson decided it was time to strike out on his own.

San Carlos (www.sancarlosgrill.com) has stayed busy since the day it opened. The couple, who had an infant and a preschooler at the time, have invested so much time and effort into their business, they only recently were able to take weekends off.

The restaurant has more than doubled its seating area gradually through the years while developing a niche. After winning the Best Entrée award at the Bite of Seattle in 1995 with the herb crab chimichanga then Best Barbecue the following year, San Carlos got on the radar of Seattleites and grew to a regional appeal. “(The food) was a little bit different to the market,” Jorgenson said.

The menu has continued to evolve and Lee still designs the specialty menu and works in the kitchen every Friday, even though he stopped being the chef after a couple of decades at San Carlos.

“I love to cook. If you want to be in the restaurant business, you have to have a passion for food,” he said.

Marianne is also involved hands-on, filling in anywhere needed, taking charge of the beverage inventory and working along with Lee every Friday.

“She’s the glue that holds everything together,” he said.

Jorgenson said among the reasons for staying successful, besides the longevity of the staff and a core customer base, is the ability to keep the business fresh.

“We work hard at staying fresh and not getting stagnant — in business, that’s very important,” he said. The changes are continuous. There’s a new tapas menu, the back deck is being expanded, and a ping-pong table will be added, as some examples.

“You can be the most creative person in the world but without a business side, it doesn’t work — you have to bring a complete package,” he said. “I think in this business, you’re almost like a Renaissance person: You have to be able to cook, tend the bar, do the public relations and human resources, fix things, design the menu; there’s so many facets to the business.”

He said variety fits his personality well, so he likes doing something different every day.

As much as the job is fun, the last couple of years have been tough, as for any business.

Jorgenson said they’ve tried to maintain quality without cutting corners and the quality of service, so it’s been important not to cut back on staff. Still, the restaurant has adapted to its customers — offering things like a tiered price menu and promotions.

“Repeat business goes a long way in sustaining our business,” Jorgenson said.

Some of the business has come thanks to the couple’s extensive community involvement. The Jorgensons, who were selected Business People of the Year in 2002 by the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce, have supported events such as the island’s July Fourth fireworks, groups such as schools and churches, and projects ranging from wildlife to environmental.

“We found that if we supported them, in turn people supported us so it perpetuated business and was a great marketing approach. Reaching out in the community is win-win,” Jorgenson said.

Jorgenson said the best part for him has been the ability to pull back a little and watch the business sustain itself, despite the ups and downs of the economy. “We’re so thankful to have what we have and be able to share that with friends and the extended island family,” he said.

He does have a few words of advice for nascent entrepreneurs: Follow your passion.

“My advice to people is, don’t stop until you find what it is you have a passion for, then do it 110 percent and you’ll be successful in life,” he said. “You do need to have a talent and affinity but when you find that niche, throw that perseverance in, and you’ll succeed.”

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon: A great blend of sportiness and practicality

By Bruce Caldwell I don’t remember when the term station wagon became so negative. I didn’t get the memo or perhaps my dog that fits so well in station wagons ate it.

The need for station wagons hasn’t abated since their halcyon days in the fifties and sixties. Styles and more importantly, marketing approaches, have changed, but hauling passengers and/or stuff is still a necessity for many families.

The station wagon variant and nom de practicality I prefer is sport wagon. Sport wagons combine utility and smaller packages that favor fun and sporty handling/driving. The 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a great example of a wellbalanced compact station wagon.

The Acura TSX is the brand’s entry level offering and the wagon is a recent addition. It adds versatility without diminishing the positive traits that make TSX sedans so popular.

Walkaround: The Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a handsome vehicle. We think it looks better than the TSX sedan. The design works well with the extended rear roof. We favor the rear ¾ view over the front angle. Stylish five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels and moderately aggressive tires fill the wheel wells and enhance the sporty look. Doors open and shut with the kind of solid, tight-fitting, precision that customers expect of Acura products. All the fit, finish, and quality elements are first rate.

Interior: The interior is perfectly

executed. Acura interior designers masterfully blend quality materials for visual and tactile excellence. You can’t expect Bentley ambiance at this price point, but there are no disappointments.

The TSX Sport Wagon caters to the driver and front seat passenger.

Adjustability/ergonomic features are great.

Legroom is stretch out perfect. Seat travel is extensive, which is good, because rear seat legroom is snug with the front seats all back.

A thick contoured leather steering wheel is loaded with auxiliary controls. It has tilt and telescopic features to accommodate a wide variety of driving positions. There are small paddle shifters for use when the automatic transmission is in the Sport mode.

Our test car was the Tech model, which means it had the navigation system. The system works fine once you master its many functions.

The Tech package also includes an upscale sound/entertainment/information system.

One other Tech package feature is a power tailgate. It’s handy, but not totally necessary given the tailgate’s compact size.

The substantial rear opening provides access to a flat cargo area. The split rear seat increases capacity and flexibility. There’s additional storage under the rear deck and recessed cargo loops.

Under The Hood: Our TSX was equipped with the 2.4-liter 201 horsepower i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and the 5-speed automatic transmission. The engine was smooth and proficient for a 4-cylinder, but

Acura V-6 engines have spoiled us.

The EPA rates the TSX at 22-city/30 highway. We got over 27 mpg on a trip to Port Angeles.

Behind The Wheel: Old school station wagons weren’t much fun to drive, but the new Acura TSX Sport Wagon drives and handles better than old school sports cars.

The TSX is a great driving car on long trips and around town. The fine suspension and brakes combine with the previously mentioned excellent interior to provide a very pleasurable driving experience.

An Acura feature that deserves praise is the excellent wiper system. During the recent record rains we used the wipers at every

speed from drizzle to downpour. These wipers get our top rating of five umbrellas.

Whines: Miscellaneous interior storage bins were on the small side. A massive owners manual overshadowed the decent size glovebox.

Bottom Line: The 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon is a great compact station wagon. It doesn’t have the capacity of a Brady Bunch wagon, but most people don’t have such large-scale needs. The TSX Sport Wagon combines the style, comfort, and handling of a sport sedan with the added space and versatility of a wagon. Regardless of what you label it, we call the Acura TSX Sport Wagon a winner.

Porsche to build new U.S. headquarters in Atlanta

34 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

New headquarters will house nearly all U.S. Porsche colleagues under one roof, including a dramatic customer experience center and test track Porsche Cars North America (PCNA) today announced it will build a new headquarters in Atlanta, the city it has called home for thirteen years.

The new complex will be located in the “Aerotropolis Atlanta” development site, near the brand new International Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It will be comprised of modern office facilities for a workforce that will eventually number 400 employees, including a Technical Service and Training Center, as well as a leading-edge Customer Experience Center that will feature a handling road course to show-off the

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capabilities of Porsche’s industry-leading vehicles. Groundbreaking is planned for this fall with the move-in date scheduled for the second half of 2013.

“The unparalleled nature of the Porsche ownership experience absolutely deserves an equally unique home. That is what we’ll create with our new headquarters — a concept completely new to the U.S. automotive industry, and one that delivers our brand and product experience to our employees, dealers and customers alike,” said Detlev von Platen, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America.

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allow us to finally bring together all our major sales, after sales and financial services capacities, thus making us an even stronger organization. It also sends a strong message to our dealers and our customers that we believe in the strength of the U.S. market and its future growth,” von Platen explained. “At the same time, this decision demonstrates our commitment to the State of Georgia and the City of Atlanta to remain a vital part of this vibrant region.”

The decision to stay in Atlanta was the result of a thorough, more than one-year long search and evaluation process that spanned metropolitan Atlanta and several out-of-state sites. The new headquarters will not only be home to PCNA, but also to Porsche Financial Services, Inc., and Porsche Business Services, Inc. which are both currently located in Lisle, Illinois.

Other Porsche businesses will also be included, building a solid foundation for further expansion of Porsche’s largest market worldwide.

“We welcome the entire Porsche team to Atlanta’s newest corporate center, the innovative Aerotropolis complex,” said Kasim Reed, the mayor of Atlanta.

“Porsche’s decision to reinforce its roots and grow its next-generation U.S.

headquarters here is a testament to the vitality and vibrancy of our city and an exciting addition to the many iconic brands that also call Atlanta home. The Porsche crest will be a perfect welcome sign to greet the hundreds of thousands of visitors and guests that land each day at the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta.”

“There’s no better place to live, work and play than Georgia,” stated Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia. “As a 13-year corporate citizen of our great state, Georgia-based Porsche employees already know that once you have ‘Georgia on Your Mind’ it is impossible to let go. Now we look forward to extending our famous Southern hospitality to the entire Porsche team — and to adding an incredible new destination to Georgia’s list of ‘must-see’ places.”

With over 25,000 cars sold in 2010, PCNA finished last year up 33 percent over the previous year. With its new headquarters, a dedicated, passionate employee and dealer body, and a strong line-up of iconic sports cars, a brand new generation of Cayenne SUVs and the latest addition to the brand, the Panamera Gran Turismo, Porsche is poised for continued success in the United States.

2011 Nissan Murano — a good thing just gets better

the upright position with a button push.

Heated seats are available both front and rear.

There’s a variety of cargo storage, including a standard dual-level console, numerous cupholders, lots of cubbies, an extra large glovebox and dual seatback pockets.

The Murano also features the same available foldaway cargo organizer originally debuting in the Rogue. It pops up from the cargo floor with a push of a button and snaps into position. It has removable, vertical, webbed cargo partitions to prevent items like grocery bags from rolling around.

It’s also ideal for wet or dirty items due to its easy-clean interior.

Other standard interior features include push button ignition; automatic door locks, dual zone climate controls; Fine Vision gauges; and an AM/FM/CD6/six-speaker audio system with AUX-in jack, VTR jack and MP3/WMA capability.

The Murano offers a huge variety of intuitive, advanced technology options including an Intelligent Key, a Bose premium 11-speaker audio system with an iPod® connector that integrates into the Murano’s standard audio system controls (LE only), a 6-CD in-dash changer, speedsensitive volume control, a 9.3GB Music Box hard drive, XM Satellite Radio with and XM’s real-time Nav Traffic, Nissan’s DVD Mobile Entertainment system with a 9-inch roof-mounted screen, and Nissan’s newest Navigation System with user-friendly graphic interface, menu structure and intelligent search capabilities.

Also available is hands-free Bluetooth, steering wheel controls for cruise and audio functions, RearView Monitor; and voice recognition for audio, HVAC, Bluetooth® and Nav. Under The Hood: Nissan’s lightweight aluminum block and cylinder head VQ DOHC V6 — the same engine found in the Z370, but tuned specifically for the Murano — puts 260 horses to the highway with 240 lb-ft of torque. The engine boasts Nissan’s Variable Induction Control System (NICS), and is married to an advanced Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with Adaptive Shift Control (ACS).

All 2011 Muranos are available with

advanced AWD that adjusts to road conditions in a tenth of a second. Nissan’s Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with a Traction Control System (TCS) is also standard on all Murano models. The system provides increased traction in all weather conditions by distributing engine torque depending on the driver’s intended direction and the actual direction of the vehicle.

Behind The Wheel: I’ve driven this version of the Murano on several different occasions locally, in Arizona, and in Florida.

Acceleration is impressive and handling is excellent thanks to the four-wheel independent suspension, and high

performance dual flow path shock absorbers. You can just feel the sports car lurking underneath this SUV. The twin-orifice speed-sensitive power steering system is similar to the one used in Altima and 370Z, and has a very nice feel, delivering the proper level of assistance for both in-town and high-speed driving.

Great braking is courtesy of large 4wheel vented disc brakes with 4-wheel, 4channel, 4-sensor ABS with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). Overall, it’s a more then pleasent driving experience Whines: There must be something, but it escapes me.

Bottom Line: Personally, I believe that Nissan is a company on a major, decadelong product roll, and is building some of the very best machinery out there across all its product lines in every market segment.

And that goes for both the Nissan and Infiniti brands. There’s a reason Murano sales have increased steadily every year since it debuted in 2003 as a model year 2004 crossover — and has done so in the most crowded of all market segments. The 2011 Nissan Murano is simply a very serious improvement over what was already a pretty great vehicle by any standard. I’ll personally be in the market for a mid-size crossover sometime soon — and in spite of all the available choices and my unique exposure to all of them — the Murano will be on my very short list.

THE NEW 2011

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June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 35

By Lary Coppola Nissan debuted an all-new version of its popular Murano mid-sized SUV for the 2009 model year, and except for some minor upgrades and refinements, the 2011 version is basically unchanged. It replaced the very successful first-generation crossover SUV noted for its sleek, trend setting styling, roomy, luxurious cabin, great performance, and terrific handling.

At first glance, the second generation Murano appears very similar, only with evolved styling, including more curvy sheetmetal, a bigger, shinier grille with a less-busy air intake under it, very large, bold, seven-element headlamps, and a completely new rear-end design — more horizontal than vertical — with dual exhaust ports under the bumper. However, styling isn’t the only thing that’s evolved.

Underneath and inside, this is a completely different vehicle than the original.

The Murano is built on Nissan’s “DPlatform” — a proven driver’s chassis that also sits underneath the popular 2011 Altima — rated as one of the best handling cars by J. D. Power, and optimized for the Murano.

The 2011 Nissan Murano is available in four trim levels models – S, SV, SL and LE. All come standard with front wheel drive and offer an advanced all- wheel drive system. Only one option package is available — the Navigation Package.

Available on SL and LE models, it offers HDD Navigation with 9.3 GB Music Box® Hard Drive, Voice Recognition and touch screen with 7-inch VGA screen and Bluetooth® Streaming Audio.

Walkaround: Nissan retained much of the styling characteristics that gave the first Murano its distinctive appearance. Nissan’s fresh, wing-like grille treatment — the new signature look for its crossover line — features wide front headlights with available High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps.

The wider, more aggressive stance is coupled with a new, ribbed hood that sweeps gently upwards into the sculpted bodylines. There’s also an all-new, dual panel moonroof with a smooth, unified glass/sheetmetal appearance.

In the rear, the glass hatch has been enlarged and restyled. The French-curved LED taillights now sit horizontally, while silencer-barrel exhausts complete the look.

Interior: The Murano’s functional interior has been upgraded into what Nissan labels a “Mobile Suite.” It’s large, but intentionally designed for only two rows of seating and cargo space. Nissan’s suite concept contends the first row is the living room, second row the reception room, and cargo area the hobby room.

The Murano’s front seats offer enhanced support, and excellent comfort, with optional double-stitched leather-appointed seating surfaces. There’s also an available 8way power driver, and 4-way power front passenger’s seat with a driver’s memory system (seats, steering wheel and mirrors).

The center stack has been redesigned and a telescoping wheel is standard.

The 60/40 fold-flat rear seat is available with a convenient feature that returns it to

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

36 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

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Regulation is inflation

By John Piazza, Sr. Piazza Construction, Inc. As a builder and owner of Piazza Construction here in Skagit County since 1975, I have experienced many changes here in the Valley. In dealing with many subcontractors, I have come to understand what “regulation” has done to not only the building industry but to all owners of small businesses, the backbone on the American economy.

Our community is struggling. We are overtaxed, over regulated and overwhelmed by increasing levels of complexity. We are outmanned by a growing army of bureaucrats who feed off the fines, fees and taxes that enables them to thrive in finding endless new ways to keep us from doing our jobs.

The goals of the government “industry” is growth and power by more regulations, more taxes, more fees, more fines, more government jobs which brings more votes for those in power.

It is a vicious cycle...and who pays for these regulations, taxes, fees, fines and government jobs? Every American who lives and breathes!

We all pay taxes. Every business man or woman is forced by necessity to pass these increases on to their customers and clients...Thus REGULATION IS INFLATION!!!

Did you know that on the state and federal levels that only 20% of our elected officials have ever owned a business? If we would change that percentage and elect people who have had business experience, perhaps the priorities of our government would change. Perhaps an atmosphere of free enterprise would again thrive, people would be paid for their productivity and we wouldn’t be taxed, pay ridiculous fees, fines and work so much bureaucratic red tape that we could do our jobs, create more REAL jobs, and get America rollin’ again!

Next time you vote...check out the experience of the person who will be representing you, your family and your interests. Has he or she ever owned a business working productively for a living? Or has he or she spent a career as a bureaucrat living like a parasite off taxes, fees and fines and working to regulate you, your family, the and your neighbors lives?

(Editor’s Note: John Piazza Sr. is the owner of Piazza Construction in Mt. Vernon. He is also a national director from the Building Industry Association of Washington to the National Association of Home Builders. He is trained in binding and non-binding arbitration as well as having served as a past president of Rotary. He may be reached at 360-661-1332 or johnsr@piazzaconst.com.)

The big debate is not about creating jobs, but how to slice or slash public spending

By Harry Kelber Although the unemployment rate edged up to 9 percent in April 2011 and 13.9 million Americans are still officially listed as unemployed, the issue of job-creation has virtually ceased to occupy the attention of Congress, the Obama administration and the national media.

As for the labor movement, unions have dropped their campaign for jobs, focusing their efforts on fighting the anti-labor laws that Republican governors and their controlled state legislatures have enacted.

President Richard Trumka continues to make speeches that call on Congress and the White House to create millions of jobs, but the truth is that his demands are not taken seriously in Washington. Indeed, there is not a glimmer of interest on the Beltway to spend the hundreds of billions of dollars needed to create amassive jobs program.

The Republicans in Congress are obsessed about slashing federal spending to the bone, particularly taking away hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicare and Medicaid. They have induced the Obama administration and the Democratic Party to make heavy spending cuts as one of their top priorities.

It is worth noting that coverage of unemployment by the mainstream media has dropped by 70 percent since the past summer, while news stories on deficit spending have doubled, according to a National Journal report.Despite some evidence that the economy is improving, mass layoffs continue. In the first quarter of 2011, employers laid off 190,389 workers in 1,393 “events,” in companies with 50 workers or more.

What Can the AFL-CIO Do for the Millions of Jobless?

It is clear that as long as there is a reservoir of millions of unemployed workers available to employers, those who are now on jobs will suffer losses in wages and benefits. Unions are being pressured to make heavy concessions in order to save the jobs of their members.

It comes down to this: Unless the labor movement comes to their aid, millions of workers will never be able to have a job again. Can we, in good conscience, abandon them?

It’s good to have neighbors with gas

By Don C. Brunell, President Association of Washington Business By 2025, the TransAlta energy facility in Centralia must replace coal with natural gas to generate electricity, but Washington has no gas to offer. Fortunately, we have neighbors with an abundance of gas — natural gas, that is — to ship to us.

In Washington, three-quarters of our electricity comes from hydropower. But 14 percent of it comes from coal burned at the TransAlta facility, which employs 600 people in good family-wage jobs and provides heat and light for 1.23 million homes. We must replace that coal with another type of fuel, and the energy source of choice these days is natural gas.

Natural gas already plays a major role in serving homes, hospitals, schools and retail centers in Washington. Bellevue-based Puget Sound Energy serves nearly 750,000 natural gas customers in parts of Snohomish, King, Pierce, Lewis, Thurston and Kittitas counties. On the east side of our state, Spokane-based Avista serves nearly 147,000 natural gas customers.

As our population continues to grow from an estimated 6.5 million today to 8.2 million in 2025, Washington will need more natural gas and electricity, but from where?

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission reports that currently half of our natural gas supply comes from British Columbia and Alberta; the remainder comes from Rocky Mountain production sites, primarily in Wyoming. Our state will rely on those suppliers and may also see an infusion of natural gas from Alaska’s North Slope and possibly from liquid natural gas if a suitable port and an accompanying pipeline receive permits.

As electric utilities across the country face eliminating coal while meeting growing energy needs, the demand for natural gas around the nation will continue to rise.

Coal, which accounts for nearly half the power production in our nation, is considered a “dirty” fuel because of the greenhouse gases, sulfur and mercury emitted during burning.

Even though TransAlta has significantly reduced its emissions, the Legislature bowed to public pressure and decided to accelerate the conversion to natural gas.

While most view natural gas as a desirable environmental alternative, much of what is called “conventional” gas is drying up. Conventional gas is where producers drill wells and tap gas pockets or formations where it flows freely to the surface.

A new wave of “unconventional” gas is filling the void. Newer horizontal deep drilling is opening up deposits which can be 10,000 feet or more beneath the surface.

This gas is in shale basins that must be fractured or broken apart and injected with water and chemicals so the gas can flow to surface. While none of those shale formations are located in our state, they are prevalent in northwest Canada and in massive formations that run diagonally from Texas to upper New York state and on into eastern Canada.

Last month, London’s online version of the Guardian newspaper reported that, in the next 10 years, the U.S. will use fracturing technology or “fracking,” which President Obama favors, to drill hundreds of thousands of wells in cities, rivers and watersheds. Both drilling and fracking are fast expanding across Europe, South Africa and Russia, as well.

But local resistance to the increased drilling is beginning to surface in upper New York, Pennsylvania and in Quebec. The rub is the sight of drilling rigs, chemicals used in the fracking process and potential groundwater contamination.

However, what may be even more troubling is scientists are learning that the new natural gas may emit equivalent levels of greenhouse gases as burning coal. Gas conversion may not be the win-win lawmakers trumpeted.

So, while it is good to have neighbors blessed with abundant gas, our elected officials must understand that there is no panacea. All fuel sources, whether natural gas, solar, nuclear, crude oil, wind power, hydro, geo-thermal and even coal, have their good and bad points.

By Carl Gipson Washington Policy Center CEO Magazine, which issued its annual “Best/Worst States for Business” recently, ranked Washington State below average at 34th. The more telling statistic from this survey of over 500 CEOs is that our state has fallen 18 spots over the last five years. In 2006 Washington ranked an above average 16th.

The survey takes into account “Taxes and Regulation,” “Workforce Quality,” and “Living Environment.”

The best states: Texas, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Georgia.

The worst states: California (50th), New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Michigan.

From the survey results... “’Do not overtax business,’ offered one CEO. ‘Make sure your tax scheme does not drive business to another state. Have regulatory environment and regulators that encourage good business — not one that punishes businesses for minor infractions. Good employment laws help too. Let companies decide what benefits and terms will attract and keep the quality of employee they need. Rules that make it hard, if not impossible, to separate from a nonproductive employee make companies fearful to hire or locate in a state.”

Seems like pretty good advice. It’s unfortunate that enough CEOs nationwide think Washington is doing a fair-to-poor job at implementing such policies. But at least we’re not Illinois, which has fallen 40 spots in five years. Ouch.

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 37

CEO Magazine thinks Washington State has slipped over last five years

Carpetbagging Kucinich, and thoughts on public office…

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich has paid a series of recent visits to our state in anticipation of his current congressional seat being eliminated when Ohio redraws its district boundaries. Kucinich, in true carpetbagger fashion, has stated if that happens, he will consider moving to another state. So far, he has declined to specifically discuss potential locations, but Washington is gaining a congressional seat in the same census-driven redistricting process eliminating Kucinich’s seat.

Kucinich has spent an inordinate amount of time speaking on Bainbridge Island, as the guest of folks who support his ultra-liberal message. Could that be because he expects the current representative — Jay Inslee — to abandon that seat to run for Governor? Inquiring minds want to know…

“I’m grateful to be invited by labor and environmentalists and peace activists and Democratic activists — to speak with them and share ideas,” Kucinich said in an interview. And while Bainbridge Island liberals have welcomed him with open arms, it doesn’t mean Kucinich will get the same warm welcome from the state party if he actually makes the move.

According to published reports, Washington State Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz said Kucinich called him and indicated he was considering running here next year. Pelz, perhaps the most politically savvy person in our state, apparently told Kucinich, “Not only no, but hell no!” A Kucinich spokesman later said Pelz misinterpreted the conversation, claiming Kucinich simply made contact to be polite due to the rumors Pelz however, isn’t being nearly as polite, being quoted in one interview saying, “He

is not an attractive candidate for Congress in Washington State. We could lose if he was our candidate.”

Pelz’s concern stems from the potential for two open seats being in play — the one currently held by Inslee if he runs for Governor, and the one in the new 10th District. He makes no bones about Kucinich’s politics being more aligned with Democratic Representative “Baghdad Jim” McDermott, than the majority of voters — even in the liberal 1st District, which covers Bainbridge, parts of North Kitsap, and the northern Seattle suburbs.

LARY COPPOLA The 64-year old Kucinich — The Last Word whose main claims to fame are being one of the most liberal members of Congress, and bankrupting Cleveland during his one term as Mayor — unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for president in 2004 and 2008. Clearer thinking obviously prevailed.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been approached by two different ad hoc groups asking me to help convince local businesspeople to seek elective office.

They both believe that if successful businesspeople were elected, we’d have a legitimate shot at cleaning up a lot of the ongoing financial turmoil government is experiencing at every level, and either eliminate, or at least slow, the inevitable regulatory and tax increases. They seemingly view me as someone who has successfully made that transition from the private sector to government.

In my experience it’s possible to run government like a business if you actually mean to — and know how. However, in my view, there is also a myriad of reasons why successful businesspeople don’t answer the call to public service.

My personal motivation stemmed from anger at a dysfunctional City government where phone calls weren’t returned, emails ignored, and some very simple questions went unresponded to for more than two years — unanswered questions that cost myself, my wife, and our business, an inexcusable amount of money. I’ve always believed that if you want something fixed right, fix it yourself, and that’s what I set out to do.

That said, the level of invasion of your personal privacy is perhaps the most chilling aspect of running for — much less being elected to — public office. Your personal and business finances become public. The most personal aspects of your private life become everyone’s business. You can become the victim of vicious rumors — and outright lies — about your personal life and/or financial affairs, intentionly circulated by political opponents.

The political spin machine operated by the local media allows for the routine distribution of massive disinformation — as we witnessed with the NASCAR debate a few years ago. It also encourages ongoing character assassination by small-minded people with personal agendas writing in the local blogs — people who are not required to even sign their names to their vitriolic commentary.

In my view, these are equal to Letters to the Editor, only in a more immediate form.

You’re required to submit verifiable identification to get a Letter published, so why are the blogs any different?

The answer is because online

advertising rates are usually set by the number of page views a given Web site generates. If an article can sufficiently stir up the cadre of regular posters, and they begin arguing with each other online, it helps drive ad rates higher. It’s that simple.

I firmly believe if the local media only allowed these folks to post using real, verifiable names, the level of discourse would become much more civil — and more intelligent folks would become engaged at every level.

While voters have a right to know who they’re voting for, I also believe that invasion of privacy is why businesspeople generally decline to needlessly subject themselves, the future of their businesses, and their families, to the vitriol of anonymous people who steadfastly refuse to allow actual facts to ever influence their opinions. That disservice by the media often leaves us choosing between the lowest common denominator of candidates for public office. And it’s the decisions those sometimes unqualified folks make after being elected that impact our businesses, the state budget, the business and regulatory climate locally and statewide, and of course, taxation.

Over the past three and half years, I’ve worked closely with a large number of elected officials from the federal and state levels on down to small taxing districts.

While we do have a fair number of dedicated, qualified people serving in public office, we also have quite a number who I seriously doubt could survive in the private sector. I let you speculate upon who they might be.

The bottom line is, unles s businesspeople like you are willing to step up, none of the things you hate about government are going to change, but are likely to get worse.

38 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com June 2011

Who is Herman Cain and why should we care?

I admit that when five of the Republican candidates for president appeared at their lecterns in the first televised debate of the season, I said to myself, oh no. Not another black guy. We’ve already been snookered into electing the first black president who has turned out to be a ADELE FERGUSON total flop at managing the Politics country.

I watched the entire debate, however, and by the time it was over, I was convinced we should have waited and made this guy our first black president. We should have withheld the honor until a black candidate appeared whose job application showed him ready, willing and able to take the reins.

Herman Cain is his name. He is 65 and has bona fides that include a masters degree at Purdue and years of CEO experience pulling Burger King

Restaurants out of the hole and rescuing Godfather Pizza from going bankrupt. He was head of the National Restaurant Association for years. Besides running for president, he has a talk show out of Atlanta.

He has never run for anything before but he wasn’t the least bit fazed by his cocandidates in the South Carolina debate, former Govs. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Gary Johnson of New Mexico, former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

“They have held public office before,” he told the audience. “How’s that working out for you?” The audience almost brought the house down.

Cain opposes gay marriage and abortion which should make him OK with the tea party folks. Like most Republicans, he wants to reduce the size of government.

He’d swap the federal income tax for a consumption tax.

He didn’t hesitate to aim one at the incumbent either, saying of the recent

disposal of Osama bin Laden, “One right decision does not a great president make.”

And our wars?

He is still trying to figure out our mission in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

I was impressed that a Fox jury of voters after the S.C. debate revealed that not one of them had been a Cain supporter prior to it but afterward nearly all were sold on him.

Unlikely as it may seem right now, just think for a minute what a race would be like between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Herman Cain. Blacks would be the most torn of all, deciding whether they want charisma or experience.

Does Obama have too much of a head start with the wipeout of our most hated enemy for the last decade, Osama bin Laden? Obama is trying to take credit for being the brains of the whole thing, but the full story has not come out yet detailing exactly how much input he had, beyond the requirement that he give the OK. As I hear it on the overnight talk shows, Lars

Larson and Laura Ingraham, the Navy Seals were ready for weeks to go but the president couldn’t bring himself to give the signal. He is a born ditherer. Even at the brink of “go,” he told them give him overnight to think it over and he’d give them the word in the morning.

I think the delay was for a last minute check with his handlers since every move made now is to ensure reelection in 2012.

One thing we’ve learned about Obama, he was created and is managed by a small covey of left-wingers. Actually, he was at the point he had to OK the effort or he’d suffer the same criticism launched at Bill Clinton when a similar raid was planned and CIA head Leon Panetta couldn’t get hold of the then president for the OK, the accusation that he was busy with Monica. By the time he was ready to answer the telephone, the window of opportunity had closed.

Clinton survived because he’s a skillful BSer. Obama’s BSing is written for him.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa., 98340.)

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Poulsbo #CBA454043 2 very nice offices in Olympic Place 2. 972 sq.ft. & 1475 sq.ft. Each contains private offices. Great parking , elevator & competitive rents.

Joe Michelsen 360-692-6102/360-509-4009.

Port Orchard #79715 $45,000 Beautiful cleared building lot in a very nice neighborhood with a paved road, Manchester water supply & electric power. Sale is subject to bankruptcy court approval. Sold as-is. No warranties.

Bob Guardino 360-692-6102/360-710-7844.

Poulsbo #173185 $250,000 Very high traffic/high visibility .86 acres commercial land next to Texaco Gas Station at the NE corner of Bond Rd & State Hwy 104 in Kingston. Approx 513' frontage on Hwy 104. Potential seller financing.

Mark Danielsen 360-692-6102/360-509-1299.

June 2011 Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal•KPBJ.com 39

Bremerton #169287 $249,999 Single family rental is perfect for high visibility boutique business. Building could be used for offices or service business. Kevin Abrams 360-692-6102/360-551-2318.