Bellingham Business Journal, September 05, 2011

Year 19 No. 9 $2

SEPTEMBER 2011

Zen Dog Doga, Page 5

City plans to buy Chuckanut Ridge for $8.23 M

Profile | Fairhaven Rug Gallery

BBJ STAFF editor@bbjtoday.com

Arshia Fathali has owned and operated the Fairhaven Rug Gallery for six years. A native of Iran who moved to Vancouver, B.C. when he was 19, Fathali hand-picked the approximately 3,000 rugs that fill his shop during trips through Iran and the Middle East. Mark Stayton | BBJ

Bellingham’s Persian carpet connection

BY MARK STAYTON mstayton@bbjtoday.com Arshia Fathali, owner of the Fairhaven Rug Gallery, has not one, but two favorite parts of his unique occupation. The first is the rush of buying a rug. This takes him to his native country of Iran, to cities like Shiraz, to the rug bazaar of Tehran, or to the countryside, where he visits and lives with nomadic tribesmen.

There he will look through thousands of handmade Persian rugs, some made of

glistening silk adorned with mesmerizing geometric patterns, others displaying a simple, symbolic image conveying some aspect of nomadic life and history.

“When I buy the rug, when I’m actually physically standing there, and I get a chance of picking a rug, through a hundred. And I get that sensation that I made the correct decision,” he said, eyes wide and voice rising in excitement as he recalled the feeling. “There are times that I feel like, ‘Oh my God, I overspent! You weren’t even going to buy rugs and you

just picked like 20 rugs!’ And that’s something I struggle with, but I actually need and like and appreciate the excitement of it.”

On his seven-week-long buying journeys through Iran, Fathali will experience this excitement quite often, picking out hundreds of rugs from the thousands up for sale.

The second great joy Fathali takes in his occupation is connecting one of his rugs,

The Bellingham City Council voted unanimously at an Aug. 15 meeting to purchase Chuckanut Ridge, approving a deal crafted

by Mayor Dan Pike that positions the city to buy the property for $8.23 million using Greenways funding and park impact fees.

The purchase is set to close Sept. 29, and will close nearly 20 years of debate about the fate of the 82-acre property, also known as Fairhaven Highlands.

“This is an historic moment, and a great deal all the way around for the entire community,” Pike said in a news release.

“Securing public ownership of this property meets our commitment to protecting natural green settings and access to open space, providing parks and trails citywide, and preserving neighborhood character.”

The property is one of the last large, wooded properties remaining within city limits. Purchase of portions of the property was an idea included in both the Beyond

SEE RIDGE | PAGE 2

SEE RUGS | PAGE 8

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Greenway levy (1997) and the Greenway 3 levy (2006). The purchase of all or portions of Chuckanut Ridge is supported by the Greenway Advisory Committee and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

The economic downturn and the failure of Horizon Bank in January 2010 put the property within the financial reach of the city. Washington Federal acquired a portfolio of Horizon loans when that bank failed, including a loan made to Greenbriar Northwest Associates LLC secured by a deed of trust on the Chuckanut Ridge property. The bank started foreclosure at a trustee sale, resulting in Washington Federal acquiring title to the property last month.

Greenbriar Northwest Associates, a local housing developer, paid approximately $16 million for the property in 2004. Later, near the height of the real estate boom, Greenbriar offered to sell it to the city for $26 million.

However, an appraisal conducted in 2010 placed the property value at $8.87 million. The current assessed value of the property, according to the Whatcom County Assessor’s Office, is $11.7 million.

The agreement approved by the City Council includes paying for the property with $4.5 million in Greenways 3 acquisition funding, approved by voters in 2006; $500,000 from parks impact fees collected on the southside; and a loan of approximately $3.23 million from the Greenways endowment fund.

Pike said that throughout the many legal steps and negotiations required to arrive at this point, he has particularly appreciated Washington Federal’s support and partnership in the city’s efforts to acquire the property for public benefit. Tom Kenney, senior vice president for Washington Federal and the bank’s regional executive in northern Washington, echoed Pike’s words. “Washington Federal is very pleased to have played a role in helping the people of Bellingham secure this beautiful property as protected public space,� Kenney said in a news release. “We appreciate the patience and support of those who worked with us during this lengthy process.�

September 2011

IN THIS ISSUE The Buzz ..................................... 3 Zen Dog Doga .............................. 5 Fairhaven Rug Gallery .................. 8,9 Medical marijuana collectives ......... 10 Nonprofit news ........................... 11 3six0 Music ............................... 12 BBJ Data ................................... 13 BBJ Views ................................. 14

OUR MISSION To bring to Whatcom County readers the most complete, most fair and most in-depth business coverage possible, and to be an invaluable tool local entrepreneurs use to grow their businesses.

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Correction The article “Making music to make a living� in the August issue incorrectly described the music DJ Yogoman plays during reggae night at Boundary Bay Brewery. He specializes in Jamaican music, from ska to rocksteady to dub. We regret this error.

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September 2011

BBJBUZZ

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Newsworthy and notable items for Bellingham business

From left to right: Barista Christina Gomez, owner Hedy Hanni and manager Jonathan Lawson show off the designated quiet room that will serve as the main seating area for Time in Play Cafe, opening Sept. 17. The cafe will also feature a 2,200-square-foot kids play area. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ

Time in Play Cafe opening downtown Sept. 17 Time in Play Cafe, a new coffee shop opening Sept.

17 at 311 E. Holly St. in the brick building next to Saturna Capital, will be as much a place for adults as for kids.

The business will occupy the entire first floor, which is already separated into five distinct rooms — and owner Hedy Hanni has a plan for each of them. At the back of the building is a 2,200-square-foot gym space that will be devoted to a kids play area, complete with tumbling mats, a 32-by-32-foot wooden play structure and art tables.

“My idea was to basically design a space where kids would have physical exercise space even in the winter,” Hanni said. “The idea came out as a desire to develop a place that parents would want to be as much as their children.”

The front half of the space will house the coffee bar, a small room that is available for private rentals, a similar-sized room devoted to showcasing local artists, and a large designated “quiet room” that will serve as the main seating area for the coffee shop. The space features brightly colored walls, high ceilings and large windows that look out over the street.

Time in Play Cafe will be open daily from 8 a.m. to

6 p.m. The children’s play area will open at 10 a.m., though Hanni plans to offer exercise and stretching classes for parents and kids in the play area starting at 8 a.m.

The cost to use the play area is $7 per child. Children age 2 and younger are free.

Man Pies takes home top Bite of Bellingham awards For the first time in the six-year history of the Bite of Bellingham, which was held downtown Aug. 20, one restaurant took all three top awards.

Man Pies was awarded Best Bite for its steak and bacon mashed potatoes dish. The restaurant’s wild berry surprise with vanilla cream earned it the title of Sweetest Sweet, and Man Pies Roast Coffee with cardamom cinnamon cream won Dreamiest Drink.

Several other restaurants received lots of votes, leading the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, which organized the event, to award an honorable mention to Silver Reef Casino and Spa for its lobster macaroni and cheese.

About 5,000 people flocked to the 1300 block of Cornwall Avenue from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. to taste what 20 local restaurants and cafes had to offer.

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership, downtown’s neighborhood association, is a nonprofit organization that promotes a vibrant city center.

Haggen exec Don Haggen dies at 80 Grocery executive Don Haggen passed away Friday, Aug. 25 after a brief illness. He was 80 years old.

Haggen, along with his brother Rick, grew the family business, Haggen Inc., to be the largest independent grocer in the Pacific Northwest, with 29 stores. His parents, Ben and Dorothy Haggen, operated a single store in Bellingham when he joined the business in 1957.

In 1973, Don and Rick Haggen became the primary stockholders and Don became president of the company. Don and Rick served as co-chairmen until earlier this year, when they sold a majority stake of the company to Comvest Group, a private investment firm in Florida.

Haggen also served in leadership positions in other organizations, including the Coca Cola Chairman’s Council and the Western Association of Food Chains. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Sept. 1. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

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BBJBUZZ Dan’s Automotive moves to larger space Dan’s Automotive, a Bellingham service and repair center, has moved to a larger facility after achieving 74 percent growth in its second year of business.

Dan’s Automotive now has three bays for customer vehicles after moving to its new facility in June. Dan’s Automotive is located in the Sunset Pond Business Park at 705 Sunset Pond Lane, a quarter-mile northwest of Sunset Square.

“By going from one bay to three and adding a technician, we’re able to maintain quick turnarounds for our growing clientele,” co-owner Nate Kaemingk said in a press release.

Kaemingk is an engineering graduate of Western Washington University’s renowned Vehicle Research Institute.

Dan’s Automotive was founded Aug. 1, 2009

by Dan and Elizabeth Thorndike. Dan’s Automotive is a Chrysler/Jeep/ Dodge specialist offering comprehensive diagnostic and repair service. The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Satur-

days by appointment.

For more information about Dan’s Automotive, call (360) 441-3923 or visit www.dansautomotivebellingham.com.

Pacific Nutrition & Wellness moves clinic to Barkley Village Pacific Nurtition & Wellness, a weight loss and wellness clinic, moved at the beginning of August from its old space on Birchwood Avenue near the hospital to a larger

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location in Barkley Village.

The new suite, located at 2930 Newmarket St. Suite 115, is about 2,000 square feet and includes a large room for physical training and group fitness classes, something the old space lacked, said owner Melanie Machado.

“Here we have full-scale physical training and we have room for all the equipment,” Machado said, adding that she also likes the additional foot traffic in the Barkley area.

Pacific Nutrition & Wellness offers individualized nutrition coaching and physical training programs for clients with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and for those who have recently undergone weight loss surgery.

Machado started the clinic in Edmonds in 2004 and opened the Bellingham office in 2007.

The expansion of the Bellingham office is a result of an increase in demand from both the local area and Canadian clients. The Bellingham office employs three medical nutrition therapists, and Machado is currently looking to hire personal trainers and yoga instructors.

For more information, call (425) 776-7333 or visit www.pacificnutritionwellness.com.

Superfeet named one of country’s best places to work Superfeet Worldwide has been named to Outside magazine’s fourth annual “Best Places to Work” list. Superfeet was ranked No. 6 out of 50 selected companies. The full list and related story will be published in the September issue of Outside magazine.

Outside’s “Best Places to Work” project celebrates innovative companies setting a new standard for a healthy work-life balance.

The list was compiled with the help of the Outdoor Industry Association and Best Companies Group.

The yearlong selection process began with an outreach effort that identified a wide range of nonprofit and for-profit organizations with at least 15 employees working in the United States. Participating companies were then sent confidential employeesatisfaction surveys and

September 2011 employer-questionnaires to collect information about benefits, compensation, policies, job satisfaction, environmental initiatives, and community outreach programs.

“We are deeply honored and excited that our employees’ response ranked Superfeet sixth out of 50 companies,” LaVonne Gordon, vice president of people, values and culture at Superfeet, said in a press release. “Our successful business is a byproduct of having quality people work for us, not the other way around. Most companies treat employees as ‘human capital.’ They ask, ‘What value and contribution do these people bring to our business?’ At Superfeet we ask, ‘What value and contribution can we bring to our people?’”

Superfeet Worldwide employs close to 100 people in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. The company continues to grow each year and is more than 30 percent employee-owned.

Work remains elusive for those who run out of benefits Three out of four Washington workers whose unemployment benefits have run out since November 2009 are still looking for work, according to a recent survey by the Employment Security Department (ESD).

In April, the ESD emailed a survey to claimants who had access to a full 99 weeks of unemployment. The agency sought to find out if people have returned to work, the employment services they’re using and the barriers they’re running into while looking for new jobs.

“The survey contradicts the perception that unemployed workers wait until their benefits run out, then quickly find work,” ESD Commissioner Paul Trause said in a press release. “We know there aren’t enough jobs to go around right now, but there may be additional factors that keep employers from hiring these workers.”

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Construction starts on new Labels Consignment building Construction is now underway on a new twostory retail building for Labels Consignment at 3927 Northwest Ave., next to the Jerry Chambers car dealership.

Owner Sage Bishop bought the property in April 2010 with the intent to build a new home for the women’s clothing store.

“When they decided to widen Northwest, that piece of property caught my eye,” she said. “It just seemed like a good opportunity.”

Bishop opened the business in 2004 with the downtown location at 1512 Ellis St. and opened a second store in Bakerview Square in 2007.

The plan is to move the Bakerview store into the new building in February.

The new building will have 4,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor — compared to 2,400 square feet in Bakerview Square — with a smaller upstairs for storage, offices and a break room.

“It’s really close to our Bakerview location so hopefully people will still keep their shopping patterns the same,” Bishop said. “We’re close enough that it should be easy to find.”

Despite the sluggish economy, the consignment clothing industry is alive and well, Bishop said. People are spending less with each visit to the store, but more people are coming through the doors to buy and sell clothes.

September 2011

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Zen Dog Doga teaches poses for your pooch After training with a Seattle doga instructor, Chelsea Johnson is ready to start leading classes for dogs and owners of all shapes and sizes

BY MARK STAYTON mstayton@bbjtoday.com Sit. Stay. Center your chi... good dog.

Doga — yoga performed with your dog — is coming to Bellingham. And with positions such as the “fire hydrant� and “double dog down dog,� complete with visions of tranquil yoga studios populated with furry friends, it’s hard not to chuckle at the thought.

Unlike traditional yoga, however, giggling during a doga session is completely acceptable. “It’s OK to laugh,� said Chelsea Johnson, the 22-year-old owner of Zen Dog Doga. “It’s just supposed to be a fun experience with you and your dogi.�

Classes will be held weekly at Tails-a-Wagging starting September 11, Johnson said.

While stretching the centuries-old practice of meditative movement to accommodate canine counterparts may seem like a gimmick to some, doga is gaining momentum across the United States and beyond. Studios are entrenched in Seattle, New York and Florida, and are popping up as far away as Hong Kong and Japan.

The way Johnson understands it, doga and yoga are two separate things.

Instead of alarming yoga purists, she said doga is meant to be a healthy bonding opportunity for you and your four-legged

companion, a time to calmly interact while still providing light exercise to both yogi and dogi.

For Johnson, a longtime yoga student and obedience trainer at Tailsa-Wagging, the path to creating a doga class was a natural one to follow.

Johnson lives in Lynden and works in Bellingham, sometimes on split shifts, leaving her little time to bond with her miniature dachshund Apple.

She began practicing yoga at home, instead of in Bellingham studios, to be closer to her dog. Apple, however, started taking her own interest in Johnson’s sessions. “She always had this fascination with me when I was on my mat,� Johnson said. “She’d come up to me and lick my face and want to sit with me.�

Then Johnson remembered a show she’d seen weeks earlier on Animal Planet, K9 Karma, where the host practiced doga and generally spread good doggy karma around New York City. “I thought, ‘Wow. Where can I find a doga studio in my town?’� Johnson said. After initial research showed just a few dedicated studios in the nation, Johnson began to wonder why Bellingham shouldn’t have its own location.

She contacted Brenda Bryan, who founded Barking Buddha Doga in Seattle in 2006, for advice on how to get started. Bryan, who

Chelsea Johnson and her miniature dachshund Apple demonstrate the flying dog pose in Boulevard Park. Johnson, owner of Zen Dog Doga, said she started looking into doga after Apple became increasingly interested in her yoga sessions at home. “She always had this fascination with me when I was on my mat,� Johnson says. “She’d come up to me and lick my face and want to sit with me.� Mark Stayton | BBJ offers instructor training classes, accepted her application and Johnson spent three days in Seattle learning doga poses and training methods. Bryan also offered advice on how to deal with critics of the unconventional discipline. “She said to keep yourself positive because not everyone agrees with doga,�

Johnson said. “There’s always going to be somebody in this world that disagrees with something you do.�

So far, however, Johnson said that reactions have been positive, if inquisitive.

The most common question asked is, “Can big dogs

do doga?� The answer is yes, with modifications of poses. And no, your Great Dane won’t balance on your shins in the “canine crunch� position.

In order to keep a relative peace in the studio, Johnson will give participants with a handout to help the dogs acclimate to doga at home. Positive reinforcement obedience techniques will also be employed during the class, but through her training Johnson learned that even rambunctious dogs can eventually become peaceful — with practice. Just don’t be flustered if an errant bark interrupts your

focused breathing. “People always ask me, ‘What if my dog barks in class?’� Johnson said. “They’re dogs! They’re just expressing that they’re confused or unsure. The more consistent they are in coming, the more they will learn to settle down.�

Like anyone starting a business in this economic climate, Johnson is justifiably a little nervous about her upcoming venture, but scores of yoga classes available in the area attest to the practice’s popularity.

The fact that her sessions mix yoga with dogs makes things a little more interesting, but not unthinkable.

“I’m on fairly shaky ground here, because nothing like this has been done here before,� Johnson said. “But a lot of people in Whatcom County like their dogs, and a lot of people in Whatcom County like their yoga, so I don’t see why this would have a problem here.�

If Zen Dog takes off, Johnson said she hopes to expand to Ferndale and Lynden, eventually opening her own dog training facility and doga studio.

To sign up for classes, contact Tails-a-Wagging at (360) 733-7387. Johnson can be reached at zendogdoga@gmail.com.

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BBJBUZZ New owner, new name for Camcord@ Large Jordan Donovan had been working at Camcord@Large for less than three years, and had been manager for half of those, when owner Wilson Large made a startling comment.

“Hey Jordan,” Donovan remembers him saying, “You should buy the company from me.”

Donovan said he thought Large was kidding at the time, but after a year-and-a-half and a name change to Current Media Productions, Donovan became the owner of a company specializing in his passion, video production, in late June.

Donovan said the name change was something he and Large had been working on for more than a year.

“We wanted to get the word ‘camcord’ out of the name,” Donovan said, con-

sidering that the shop uses and rents high-definition digital cameras. “We don’t want people to think that we’re using old, over-theshoulder camcorders to shoot with.”

The shop, located downtown across the street from the Whatcom Museum of History and Art, offers what Donovan calls “four pillars” of services: video production, rentals, media transfers and duplication.

After being in the same location for 26 years, the shop is now fairly wellknown and receives quite a bit of walk-up traffic.

Transfers are the most popular service with local customers, Donovan said, due to both to the wide variety of media types the shop accepts, and because everything is done inhouse.

“We can transfer almost any media type created in the past century to CD or DVD,” Donovan said. “I say century — it’s kind of an exaggeration, but only a little bit because I’ve actually transfered film from the ‘30s and ‘40s.”

Before working at Cur-

September 2011 planning a more comical approach.

With the help of some funny, screenwriting friends he has made since he started performing improv, Donovan will mock up and pitch off-thewall commercials to local businesses to try and drum up production revenues.

Jordan Donovan took over the reins at Current Media Productions on June 30, after the business changed names from Camcord@Large. He is now the third owner of the shop, which has been in business on Prospect Street for 26 years. Mark Stayton | BBJ rent Media Productions, Donovan said he was unemployed, bouncing around from one odd-job to the next. In his free time he performed at the Upfront and iDiOM theaters, and volunteered at video production studios to work his way into the industry. One day, while working security for a pilot TV show in Mount Vernon, Donovan was approached by Large, who had seen him perform in the iDiOM’s “Serial Killers” show, and asked to drop

by the shop and turn in an application.

As the new owner, Donovan has already begun updating his business. The shop has been redecorated with new furniture and local art, and cutting-edge rental equipment is on the way.

He is also revising the shop’s marketing strategy, and along with modern means such as boosting the shop’s social media presence and tapping into the wedding industry through trade shows, Donovan is

Industrial Credit Union awarded $1.5 million grant Industrial Credit Union, headquartered in Bellingham, was recently awarded $1.5 million through the U.S. Department of Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.

The funding is a part of a nationwide round of awards totaling $142.3 million for 155 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) serving struggling communities in states across the country.

ICU was one of 25 credit unions to receive part of that funding.

ICU will use the grant to create a business lending department to assist local

businesses and spur job creation.

“Industrial Credit Union is taking the holistic approach to building financial strength for its members and community by leveraging these funds to establish a small business and microenterprise loan program,” Terri Salstrom, ICU president and CEO, said in a press release. “The objective is to deploy $21 million in loans over a 2.5 year period to support small businesses, which we project has the potential to create 1,500 jobs in Whatcom County. We expect the program to be fully operational by early 2012.”

Industrial Credit Union was recognized with this award in a historic funding round representing the largest single round of monetary awards in the CDIF Fund’s history. The Department of Treasury established the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund in 1994 to provide credit, capital and financial services to underserved populations.

ICU, founded in 1941, is a not-for-profit cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by more than 22,000 members.

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BBJBUZZ WWU Clean Energy Program receives $15,000 grant The Puget Sound Energy Foundation recently donated $15,000 to support Western Washington University’s innovative new Clean Energy Program, which the university is in the process of designing to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding green energy economy.

“We appreciate the generosity and vision of the Puget Sound Energy Foundation,” Western Provost Catherine Riordan said in a press release. “This new program will help position our state to lead the nation in the next wave of economic expansion and innovation.”

Western’s Clean Energy Program will integrate research and outreach with a unique interdisciplinary curriculum. The Puget Sound Energy Foundation donation via the WWU Foundation will support development of the program’s interdisciplinary curriculum and new courses.

“Education and environmental stewardship are two of the Puget Sound Energy Foundation’s principal targets for support,” Andy Wappler, chairman of the nonprofit foundation, said in the press release. “This new academic program at Western meets both of those funding priorities. What’s more, the program’s faculty and students will help to create a greener energy future – and that benefits everyone.”

The Clean Energy Program will continue Western’s tradition of research innovation, environmental leadership and commitment to undergraduate education. Three colleges within the university – the College of Business and Economics, Huxley College of the Environment, and the College of Sciences and Technology – have collaborated to produce a program that harnesses expertise from throughout the campus. All three colleges are nationally recognized for their outstanding educational programs and demonstrated educational excellence.

This multi-college pro-

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gram will support interdisciplinary learning while fostering an approach to problem solving that encourages cross-discipline thinking. Research will cover a wide range of investigation related to clean and renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Planning for the program includes future bachelor’s degrees as well as a minor in science and technology and a minor in policy, economics and business. Graduate degrees in both the sciences and arts also are being considered. Students will gain core competencies in energy-related science, policy, technology, economics and business and have opportunities to participate in energy research with nationally recognized faculty mentors.

The WWU Foundation is currently seeking donors who are interested in funding named endowments to support the program. The university is also planning to seek state and federal permanent public funding.

Both Western and Puget Sound Energy are nationally recognized leaders in the area of clean and renewable energy. Western, which now is 17th on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of the nation’s top 20 green energy purchasers in higher education, purchases 100 percent of its electrical energy from green sources via renewable energy credits (RECs). Western buys its electricity from PSE and has worked in partnership with PSE on promotion of renewable energy.

In 2010 PSE was ranked

by American Wind Energy Association as the country’s second-largest utility producer of wind power.

PSE owns and operates two large wind-power operations in Washington: the Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility near Dayton, and the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility near Ellensburg. Their combined 430 megawatts of generating capacity is sufficient, on average, to meet the power needs of about 130,000 homes.

The utility currently is building its third and largest wind farm, the 343-megawatt Lower Snake River Wind Project near Pomeroy, Wash. PSE also is involved in other renewable-energy initiatives, such as generating electric-

ity from the methane gas emitted by King County’s Cedar Hills Landfill, and partnering with northwest Washington entrepreneurs who are generating electricity from dairy cow waste.

Value Village reopens in new, larger space Carol Dittrich enjoys a VIP reception Aug. 2, which featured employees modeling the store’s wares and serving hors d’oeuvres.

“I’m not really sure what it is,” said Lisa Patterson of the hors d’oeuvres she was serving. “I think it’s a beet with a nut on top.” Mark

Zervas Group Architects celebrates 50 years Zervas Group Architects celebrated 50 years of business in August with a public open house at its downtown Bellingham office at 209 Prospect St. Founded in 1961 in Bellingham by the late James E. Zervas, Zervas Group Architects has grown to a 12-person firm. The firm’s partners are Michael E. Smith, Terry Brown, and Sharon Robinson.

Smith said the partners share a commitment to meaningful design, community enrichment and technical excellence, values that are expressed in the firm’s diverse portfolio of award-winning residential and commercial projects.

Brown added that the firm’s sustainable design practice is a natural extension of its modern organic roots, a legacy of the apprenticeship that Jim Zervas served under renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The construction or remodel of many Whatcom County educational facilities have been designed

by Zervas Group Architects, including Northern Heights Elementary School and Shuksan and Kulshan middle schools in Bellingham, plus multiple Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College buildings.

The firm’s designs also were used for construction of the new Bellingham International Airport passenger terminal, Lynden City Hall, the Whatcom Transportation Authority headquarters and two of the first LEED Gold buildings in Whatcom County: the Whatcom Educational Credit Union (WECU) Loan Center in Bellingham and the WECU Ferndale branch. Other notable projects include the Arne Hanna Aquatic Center, the Gateway Building and newly built Pickford Cinema, all in Bellingham.

For more information about Zervas Group Architects, call (360) 734-4744 or visit www.zervasgroup. com.

Stayton | BBJ

BY ISAAC BONNELL ibonnell@bbjtoday.com Value Village reopened Thursday, Aug. 4 in a larger space at 150 E. Bellis Fair Parkway, across the street from its old location.

“We’re very excited about the relocation of this store to a bigger, newer location,” store manager Laura Diaz-Price said in a press release.

“The extra space will allow us to have even more quality items on the sales floor and process

more donations, which will help garner additional revenue for our nonprofit partner, The Arc of Washington.”

With 30,000 square feet of retail space and 16,000 square feet of storage, the new store is about twice the size of the old one, and perhaps the largest in the Puget Sound region, district manager Brian Willey said. Value Village has 270 stores in the United States, Canada and Australia, 23 of which are in Washington.

The Bellingham location was closed for two weeks at the end of July to move inventory and hire additional staff.

“We added 10 employees for this store and we’ll probably add another 10

by September for our busy season,” Willey said, adding that Halloween is the busiest time of year for the company.

Value Village is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

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BBJBUZZ Registration for the ThinkBiz conference is $69 per person or $175 for a group conference of three. To register, call set for Sept. (360) 383-3200 or visit www.thinkbiznw.com.

15-16 at Whatcom CC Washington Western Washington University’s Small Busijob openings ness Development Cenhit 3-year ter, a part of Western’s College of Business and high in Economics, will co-host ThinkBiz 2011 with spring Whatcom Community College and Constant Contact on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 15-16, at Whatcom Community College’s Heiner Theater.

ThinkBiz is a training and networking conference ideal for anyone interested in growing, managing or starting a business.

The purpose of this event is to provide local businesses with a high quality, reasonably priced opportunity to learn more and earn more in their business. More than 16 workshops are available and taught by trained instructors. All attendees receive a thumb drive with workshop material from all instructors, as well as deals from sponsors.

ThinkBiz will have two keynote speakers: business broker Dan Jourdan and Whatcom County’s own “BizProv� master, Galen Emanuele. New this year are Hands On Help workstations where attendees can get one-onone help with business topics and technology such as QuickBooks, Outlook, Constant Contact, exporting or get a photo taken for social media marketing purposes.

In April, job vacancies in Washington state reached their highest point in three years, according to a new report by the Employment Security Department (ESD).

An estimated 60,087 jobs were available, an increase of 55 percent from a year earlier and nearly double the number that existed in spring 2009. The last time the survey showed a larger number of vacancies was in spring 2008, when there were nearly 75,000 job vacancies. “In order for unemployment to come down, we need more jobs and more hiring,� ESD Commissioner Paul Trause said in a press release. “This survey shows that employment conditions are gradually improving.�

Job vacancies hit an all-time high in fall 2006, with nearly 91,000 open positions. That number dropped rapidly the ensuing three years, hitting a low point of 32,037 vacancies in fall 2009.

The number of unemployed job seekers declined from a peak of about 337,000 in spring 2010 to around 312,000 at the same point in 2011.

At the same time, the total labor force (which includes employed workers and unemployed workers who are actively looking for jobs) also declined, by an estimated 51,926 (seasonally adjusted).

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September 2011

Fairhaven Rug Gallery

Arshia Fathali helps Erinn Haley and her son Ben look through a stack of Persian rugs.

Haley bought a smaller rug from Fathali years ago and was shopping for a larger replacement. Mark Stayton | BBJ

COVERSTORY RUGS | FROM PAGE 1 the sum of his labors overseas and in his gallery, to the right customer. By offering home consultation services, keeping the buying experience in his shop low-key, and by allowing customers to trade in previously purchased rugs for credit on new ones, Fathali does his best to make sure every rug finds the right home. “It’s very important to me,� he said. “I don’t have an aggressive style of selling. I take my time and I let my client really feel and appreciate what’s in the art of handmade rugs. Based on that, my job is only to kind of push the client toward the right direction where they can pick the best rug they can, for their personality, for their budget and for the room.�

Inside the gallery When asked about his least favorite part of the job, Fathali mulled the question over for nearly half a minute, pondering what it could possibly be, then exclaimed, “I don’t have one!�

One walk through his shop, located in downtown Fairhaven, makes it easy to see why. Nearly every inch of his 6,000-square-foot gallery is covered in stunning carpets, stretching across the floor between waist-high piles of rugs and hanging on ropes from the high ceiling. Lighting fit

for a museum illuminates the brilliant colors and textures of his approximately 3,000 rugs, some over 20 feet long, complemented with art and artifacts from his travels through the Middle East.

Fathali said he is known for having oversized rugs, something that not only draws buyers from Vancouver and Seattle, but often from across the country. He relies mainly on word-of-mouth advertising, counting on satisfied customers to return and bring their friends.

Fathali moved to Vancouver, B.C. from Iran when he was 19. He was studying art and general studies at Capilano University until, just before final exams, his car was broken into and his laptop and school supplies were stolen, he said. Instead of finishing school, Fathali decided to move to Seattle to work in a rug shop, something he knew little about at the time. After working there for a year, Fathali started taking his own clients,

making trips back to Iran to buy rugs and visiting trade shows across the U.S. to sell them. “I’m always thankful for the thief who broke into my car because it really changed my life,� Fathali said.

Eventually Fathali opened his own store in Seattle. Six years ago he was making a trip to Vancouver on business when he stopped in to Boundary Bay Brewery for a meal.

A patron there suggested Fathali visit H Z Trading Company, a grocery outlet in Fairhaven, to try their smoked salmon. On his way out of the store, Fathali noticed a “property for sale� sign on the door.

Enamored by the location and size of the store, he called the owner immediately and persuaded him to lease out the property.

He then closed down his Seattle shop and moved to Bellingham.

City rugs vs. nomadic rugs Fathali said the journey of each rug, beginning with wool sheared from sheep in the Iranian countryside and ending in a perfectly

“I’m always thankful for the thief who broke into my car because it really changed my life.�

Arshia Fathali, Fairhaven Rug Gallery

September 2011

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BBJToday.com

Fairhaven business owner often takes 7-week-long trips around Iran, to purchase rugs to bring back to the U.S. matched room of a client, is what interests him so much in the millennia-old Persian art form.

Depending on where the rug is made, it will follow one of two distinct creation processes, leading to two very different types of rugs.

City rugs, he said, feature more ornate, organized patterns, finer fill material such as silk, and more knots per inch, leading to a smoother feel. Nomadic rugs are categorized by having more simple, symbolic and free-flowing designs, and by having fewer knots per inch.

Makers of city rugs use stationary vertical looms, while nomads traditionally use horizontal looms that can be packed and traveled with. However, both types of rugs are handmade, knot by knot, requiring hundreds of hours of labor to complete.

“There’s no easy place to start. You’ve got to be committed. You have to be persistent. You have to basically create the art, one knot at a time,” Fathali said. “Whether you have a good day or a bad day, it’s just about your level of commitment. And that’s what I really appreciate in the arts of handmade rugs.”

Did you know...?

The section of our website, BBJToday. com, that recieves the highest traffic is our Public Records section.

While it may not be the most exciting to read, public records can be a valuable way to keep up on local businesses.

For example, we publish business licenses online every two weeks. We often see existing businesses renewing their licenses, but we also find a lot of small businesses that we never knew about — and probably would never have discovered if it weren’t for public records.

What’s your favorite part of the paper? Let us know. ~ BBJ Staff

Sanctions interrupt rug shipments Recent events have placed quite a burden on rug shop owners around the country. On July 1, 2010, President Obama signed into law the toughest sanctions ever placed on Iran in an effort to slow their nuclear program. All imports from the country were blocked from America, and 90 days were given to clear all Iranian imports from U.S. Customs.

Fathali was in Fairhaven when he heard the news, and immediately set out on a seven-week buying spree to gather as many large Persian rugs as he could.

Considering the last round of U.S. sanctions placed on Iran lasted from 1979 to 2000, he didn’t know if he’d get another chance.

“I bought a little under 1,000 pieces,” he said. “I do like to say the weight because it shows the massiveness of the shipment.

There were about 12,000 pounds.”

Due to the fastapproaching deadline to clear his rugs through customs, Fathali had to send his rugs via air freight, instead of by ship, to

Prices in the rug gallery range from $25 for a placemat-sized rug to more than $10,000 for an oversized silk rug. The large space features more than 3,000 rugs. Mark Stayton | BBJ Seattle. His rugs showed up in U.S. Customs only two days before the deadline.

While his friends fretted, Fathali talked to customs agents to expedite his clearance.

“I have a story to tell!” he said with a grin. “I was able to get my rugs Sept. 29, 2010, which was the last day that you could import Iranian rugs to the United States. And I’m glad I did

it. It was a bold move, due to the retail market today.”

Unfortunately, the art of making Persian rugs by hand is on the decline.

Fewer people are getting into weaving and buyers are turning to cheaper imitations, Fathali said.

“I’m a lot more positive than most people, but you could say it’s a dying art,” Fathali said. “The energy of the world has changed.

People don’t have as much patience as they used to.”

Regardless of the future of the ancient art, Fathali hopes his spacious Fairhaven gallery, filled and covered with thousands of authentic specimens, will represent a little piece of Persia for customers from Bellingham and beyond for years to come.

Find out more To see more photos of the Fairhaven Rug Gallery and hear more stories from owner Arshia Fathali, check out the audio slideshow on our website, BBJToday. com.

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September 2011

Medical marijuana collectives seek clarity in law

BY ISAAC BONNELL ibonnell@bbjtoday.com It’s pretty easy to walk past one of downtown’s newest businesses. There’s no sign for Northern Cross, a medical marijuana collective that opened in April, and you can’t see through the grey tinted windows.

For perhaps one of the more controversial businesses in town, Northern Cross is hidden in plain sight — and that’s how owner Martin Nickerson wants it. On one hand, his downtown location provides easy access to the more than 1,300 medical marijuana patients who use the dispensary. On the other hand, it also attracts more attention from those who might shut it down.

“It’s tough to run one of these and keep within the legal boundaries,” Nickerson said.

Though Washington voters approved medical marijuana in 1998, state law is still vague about how to provide prescription holders with medical marijuana. Dispensary owners such as Nickerson are pushing the state to define the rules — in part by petitioning lawmakers and also by simply being open for business.

“That’s why we are here and showing the public

that we can be a good, tax-paying business,” Nickerson said. “It’s a great business that we’d like to see succeed and obtain the public’s acceptance.”

Technically, Northern Cross is a nonprofit collective, meaning it’s a group of prescription holders that have joined together to provide medication for each other. The collective has its own network of growers that provides the dispensary with about 30 strains of cannabis and a 25 different types of “medibles,” food made with marijuana-infused butter or oils.

This type of edible medicine is very popular, Nickerson said, because it’s easy to control the dose. Most of the items at Northern Cross are organic and they also offer gluten-free and sugar-free options.

“We don’t promote smoking; we prefer vaporizing and eating it,” Nickerson said.

Prices for medical marijuana vary for each collective, but typically range from $5 per gram to $20 per gram depending on the strain of cannabis.

Nickerson isn’t the only one in Bellingham running a medical marijuana collective and seeking answers from the state. Dennis Crowley opened KGB Collective in Fairhaven at the

beginning of July, knowing that the rules could change at any time.

“So many people are panicked about what might happen. It’s scary, for sure, because you never know if the laws will change,” Crowley said. “The law is so general it’s just crazy.”

The law currently allows individual patients to have up to 15 cannabis plants and 24 ounces of useable cannabis at a time. Collective gardens can grow up to 45 plants at a time for a maximum of 10 patients.

The problem with this system, Crowley said, is that is requires a large number of growers with the know-how to tend to a collective garden.

“People that just start growing (cannabis) often don’t succeed,” he said, drawing similarities to novice backyard gardeners. “There’s also security factors of growing it, too — people break in and steal it.”

Collectives also have to deal with the intricacies of the prescription process.

Before selling cannabis to a patient, the collective first verifies that the prescription is real and still valid (most have to be renewed yearly). But there is no standard prescription form, leaving collectives to do some sleuthing to authenticate the prescription and

Martin Nickerson opened Northern Cross, a medical marijuana collective, in downtown Bellingham six months ago. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ sometimes having to tell patients that they paid for a fake prescription.

“It’s hard to tell someone ‘No’ because of a paperwork issue, or they come in without real prescriptions and they paid for it,” Crowley said. “There needs to be one standard card or one standard form. If all the doctors were on the same system, that would make it easier.”

A growing number of places that offer medical marijuana prescriptions are moving to an online prescription verification

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system, which Crowley said he supports.

The vagaries of the current system have prompted a new push to decriminalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol.

“There’s no clairty on what the law allows,” said Alison Holcomb, campaign director for New Approach Washington. “It’s not clear whether you can provide access to patients the way a licensed and regulated business would. And from the patient’s perspective, there are no standards about the quality of canna-

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bis they are receiving.”

New Approach Washington is currently gathering signatures around the state for an initiative that would allow distribution of marijuana to adults 21 and older through marijuanaonly stores that would be licensed and regulated by the Liquor Control Board (LCB). Production of cannabis and the processing of cannabis-infused products would also be regulated by the LCB. Under the proposed initiative, taxes on marijuana sales would add an estimated $215 million in revenue for the state. New Approach Washington has until December to gather more than 241,000 signatures.

“Most of the dispensaries that we’ve talked to appreciate that this would give them some structure and assurance that what they’re doing is safe under state law,” Holcomb said.

While awaiting more definition from the state, most dispensaries have put in place a series of precautions, such as listing prices as donations and being staffed with volunteers rather than employees.

At Northern Cross, Nickerson makes sure that the volunteer staff of eight people complies with the one provider per patient rule, meaning there are never more patients than volunteers allowed in the secure area. This means patients sometimes have to wait in the lobby during busy hours.

“Our lobby will fill up sometimes,” he said.

“There’s a huge need for this in Whatcom County.”

September 2011

NONPROFITNEWS Kulshan Community Land Trust celebrates 100 homes The Kulshan Community Land Trust (Kulshan CLT) celebrated its 100th home Aug. 26 at the Boundary Bay Beer Garden.

In honor of the achievement, a few local restaurants will be offering special menu items from August through midSeptember. La Fiamma will revive its Kulshan Community Land Crust pizza, Mallard Ice Cream will feature the Kulshan Cherry Liquor Treat and Boundary Bay Brewery will serve up its Kulshan Shingle-Hop Single-Hop beer. “Kulshan CLT is one of the few community land trusts nationally to reach the landmark of 100 homes, and more than 100 families whose lives have been enriched by affordable homeownership,� executive director Dean Fearing said in a press release. “We’re proud of our track record and continue to work to meet the demand for affordable homes in our community.

Thanks to our members and supporters for helping Kulshan CLT reach this milestone.�

For more information, visit www.kulshanclt.org or call (360) 671-5600.

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BBJToday.com

will volunteer their time, seeing patients in their offices during regular business hours. They will decide the number of patients they will accept each month. Patients will pay a program fee of up to $30 to help cover the cost of coordinating the program.

For more information, call WAHA at (360) 7886594 or visit www.whatcomalliance.org.

Community Energy Challenge reaches 500 homes The Community Energy Challenge (CEC) celebrated a milestone in August: completion of 500 home energy assessments and helping more than 200 local households complete energy efficient retrofits.

The CEC is a collaboration between two nonprofit organizations: Sustainable Connections and the

Opportunity Council. The program guides participating Whatcom County homes and businesses through each step of a lowcost efficiency improvement plan.

The CEC has found potential annual savings of up to 20-30 percent of energy costs per home and three to five percent annual savings per business. The program also supports approximately 60 local construction sector jobs through efficiency retrofit projects.

For more information, visit www.communityenergychallenge.org.

Walmart donates $25,000 to Ferndale Food Bank On, July 31, the Ferndale Food Bank accepted a $25,000 grant from Walmart to support its Farm Food Recovery Project.

The project has volunteers collect in-season produce, dairy and meat products, which would otherwise go to waste, from local farms and grocery stores. The food is

then distributed to more than 2,500 clients of the food bank, who would not normally have access to fresh, local food due to its relatively high cost.

The grant was one of 11 awarded by Walmart’s Washington State Giving Council to nonprofit organizations across the state, totaling $375,000.

Get daily updates Catch up on daily business news by signing up for our newsletter online at www.bbjtoday.com

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Created through a partnership between the Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access (WAHA) and the Mt. Baker District Dental Society, the WPAD brings together volunteer dentists with low-income, uninsured Whatcom County residents who are in need of restorative dental care, such as fillings.

The project has recently received a significant grant from the Washington Dental Service Foundation.

Participating dentists

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September 2011

BUSINESSBIRTH

3six0 Music focuses on band essentials

BY ISAAC BONNELL ibonnell@bbjtoday.com Before Corey Shek and Scott Watts were business partners, they were bandmates. Now as the owners of 3six0 Music, the two are still groovin’ to the same beat and playing off each other’s strengths.

Their cozy store, located in the old A-1 Reglazing space in Old Town, features just the essentials needed to start a rock band: drums, guitars, amplifiers and all the accompanying accessories. And more importantly, they will also repair instruments and amps, should something unfortunate happen. “We’re aiming to be a musician’s music shop,�

Shek said. “We’re focused on the basic rock band setup. We target the local music scene, from ama-

teurs to professionals.�

Shek is the guitar specialist of the two, and Watts is an expert on all things drum-related. With their experience playing in local bands and performing together, the two have seen just about every possible way to break an instrument and know just as many ways to fix it.

The back room of the store functions as the repair room. Tools and various parts abound and guitars hang from the wall, waiting for their turn on the workbench. In just five months of business, Shek has already fixed more than 25 guitars. “I didn’t go to school to be a luthier, but I’ve been around guitars all my life,�

Shek said.

Drum repair is also in demand and keeps Watts

busy, as indicated by the stack of drums with broken heads or missing pieces.

Watts previously owned DSW Drums, a downtown percussion shop, from 2001 to 2006. He built a reputation for himself over the years and gets a lot of work from high school bands other music shops. “Repairs are big for us.

With the economy, people don’t want to buy a new guitar or drum, so they’re fixing up their current guitar or drum,� Watts said.

Behind the repair room are three practice rooms, where Shek, Watts and other local musicians hold classes for students of all skill levels. Before school let out for the summer, 3six0 Music had about 40 students each week coming in to take lessons. Watts said he expects that to pick

Guitarist Corey Shek and drummer Scott Watts opened 3six0 Music in April to cater to local musicians in need of new equipment or repairs. The two have played in bands together for years, so working together feels natural, they say. Isaac Bonnell | BBJ up once classes start again.

Opening a music shop has meant a lot to both Shek and Watts. For years, music and work were separate endeavors. “Now I get to focus more on my passions,� Shek said. “I absolutely love doing this. I love coming to work every day.�

3six0 Music Owners: Corey Shek and Scott Watts Address: 1012 W. Holly St., Bellingham Opening date: April 1 Square footage: 1,200 Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon-Fri, closes at 5 p.m. Sun Phone: (360) 756-6567

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September 2011

BBJDATA Public records related to business

Bankruptcies Chapter 7 — Straight bankruptcy; debtor gives up non-exempt property and debts are discharged.

Chapter 11 — Business reorganization; protection from creditors while business devises a plan of reorganization. Income/ expense reports must be filed monthly.

Chapter 13 — Plan is devised by individual to pay a percentage of debts based on ability to pay. All disposable income must be used to pay.

The following bankruptcies are for Whatcom County.

Chapter 7 Adam J. Adams, case no.

11-18928-KAO, filed July 27.

Jerome L. and Margaret A. Applington, case no.

11-18932-KAO, filed July 28.

Lenedra J. Carroll, case no. 11-18965-KAO, filed July 28.

Susanne L. and Jesse J. Seales III, case no.

11-18987-KAO, filed July 28.

Linda J. Fletcher, case no.

11-18989-KAO, filed July 28.

Eddie P. Soo, case no.

11-19001-KAO, filed July 28.

Agustin E. Galvez-Cruz, case no. 11-19007-KAO, filed July 28.

Eric D. and Debbie Wentz, case no.

11-19027-KAO, filed July 28.

Ann T. Rook, case no.

11-19087-KAO, filed July 29.

James R. Farmer and Mei G. Koh, case no.

11-19107-KAO, filed July 29.

Aaron C. and Rita M. Kombol, case no.

11-19120-KAO, filed July 29.

Richard R. and Roberta L. Hillaire, case no.

11-19204-KAO, filed Aug. 2.

Kevin J. Elgie, case no.

11-19234-KAO, filed Aug. 3.

Charles R. and Marian F. Olson, case no. 11-19261KAO, filed Aug. 3.

Milton W. Goodknight, case no. 11-19264-KAO,

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BBJToday.com

filed Aug. 3.

Mark A.M. and Melanee J. Mulholland, case no.

11-19265-KAO, filed Aug. 3.

Verna L. Sievi, case no.

11-19273-KAO, filed Aug. 4.

William A. and Lenore E. Gordon, case no.

11-19318-KAO, filed Aug. 4.

Brenda J. Thomas, case no. 11-19332-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Daniel F. Lindeman and Brianna S. Murphy, case no. 11-19333-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Karen A. Schaumberg, case no. 11-19345-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Shirley L. Donohue, case no. 11-19346-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Bruce M. and Jill S. Machado, case no.

11-19371-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Brian L. and Heidi M.

Pakaluk, case no.

11-19375-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Todd E. Ulrickson, case no. 11-19377-KAO, filed Aug. 5.

Anne E. Cooley-Lyonais, case no. 11-19413-KAO, filed Aug. 8.

Jesten L. Bergman, case no. 11-19465-KAO, filed Aug. 9.

Randy L. and Laura A. Snow, case no. 11-19466KAO, filed Aug. 9.

Alaura H. Seiler and Rudolph R. Walbrun, case no. 11-19525-KAO, filed Aug. 10.

Norene J. and Larrygene Binggeli Sr., case no.

11-19785-KAO, filed Aug. 17.

Racheal D. and Neel W. Larson II, case no.

11-19839-KAO, filed Aug. 18.

Heather C. Longstreth, case no. 11-19843-KAO, filed Aug. 18.

Jesse P. Menish, case no.

11-19851-KAO, filed Aug. 18.

Celina C. Winchester, case no. 11-19953-KAO, filed Aug. 19.

James L. and Denise

E. Boyles, case no.

11-20039-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

Marianna B. Reed, case no. 11-20043-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

Susan L. Winder, case no.

11-20044-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

Diego T. K. Linan, case no.

11-20045-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

Julie A. ZavalaMarantette, case no.

11-20052-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

24.

Amy K. Schilder, case no.

11-20074-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

Tamara J. Neyens, case no. 11-20084-KAO, filed Aug. 24.

Kathy L. Miller, case no.

11-20098-KAO, filed Aug. 25.

Brett L. and Nicole D. Nichols, case no.

11-20117-KAO, filed Aug. 25.

Dacia N. Serrato, case no.

11-20067-KAO, filed Aug.

SEE DATA | PAGE 15

Ronald C. and Julia J. Olson, case no. 11-19658KAO, filed Aug. 13.

Ronald W. and Lucille M. Radonski, case no.

11-19732-KAO, filed Aug. 16.

Erin M. Sorensen, case no. 11-19736-KAO, filed Aug. 16.

Megan J. McBride, case no. 11-19738-KAO, filed Aug. 16.

Rebecca J. Garcia, case no. 11-19742-KAO, filed Aug. 16.

John N. Donahue and Truc Thi Nhu Ngo, case no. 11-19774-KAO, filed Aug. 17.

Towing

Are you an expert in your field?

What is this “Move Over Law� I keep hearing about?

The easy answer is this; If you see Police, Fire, Aid or Tow vehicles with emergency lights activated on the shoulder you are required to slow down. If it is safe and legal to do so you are also required to move over a lane to give them room to work. The thing to remember is that slowing down does not mean slamming on your brakes, you simply need to make an effort to reduce speed. This law is designed to raise awareness for the people who have to work on the shoulders and keep them safe.

Follow us

www.johnsonstowinginc.com

Would you like to share your knowledge with others?

Call The Bellingham Business Journal at (360) 647-8805 for more information and you can be one of our experts next month.

Johnson's Towing Inc. 360.733.4232 24 hour service

Computer Service

Real Estate I’ve had my Home on the market for some time now without results.

Why Hasn’t My Home Sold?

1 ) Inflated Asking Price: The #1 reason. Any home can sell however the “Market sets the Dean Haskins Sales price.� 2) Condition: First impressions REALTOR/Managing Broker are powerful in a Buyer ’s perception of the home. 3) Showing Accessibility: Difficult to sell your home when potential buyers can't easily gain access. 4) Market Exposure: Requires strategic plan with an on-line emphasis. In a Buyer ’s Market, getting it sold requires advanced techniques along with an experienced Marketing Professional. Hiring your friend (or yourself) may not be the best option. I have a marketing degree and would be honored to share more information at any time!

Dean Haskins

REALTOR/Managing Broker NORTHWEST HOMES Team (360) 733-2800 www.NorthwestWashingtonHomes.com

Expert Advice

What is the Back to School check list for my Computer?

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Eric E Johnson Data-Link West Inc (360) 734-8911

Space Available 647-8805

BBJVIEWS

14

BBJToday.com

September 2011

Off Beat

BBJNOTEBOOK

by Rik Dalvit

From the reporter’s desk I hadn’t expected my reporting on medical marijuana collectives to start this way: “Do you have a prescription?”

“No.” “Do you want one?”

All I had to do was spend $140 and a few minutes telling a naturopathic doctor who was holding a special clinic that weekend how stressful my job is and I could get a one-year prescription for medical marijuana.

Without a prescription, I wouldn’t be able to get passed the lobby of a dispensary. I had hoped to descirbe the inside of these dispensaries.

However, to do so would require me to spend $140 (can I expense that?) and lie about not being able to handle the stress of my job. (I’m a journalist — I thrive on deadline pressure.)

In the end, I decided that I didn’t need a medical marijuana prescription to pursue this story.

Besides, the two dispensaries I visited are quite nondescript.

I’d love to hear from you about where you stand on medical marijuana. How do you feel about having collectives in prominent retail locations?

What do you think about the push to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older?

Letters Support for local veterans As an Army veteran, I am both grateful and a little humbled to find that our local Whatcom County veterans will now be getting more help, especially at a time when they need it more than ever. During a recent County Council meeting in August, a new program, which was initiated

by County Executive Pete Kremen, is designed to provide aide to our military veterans. Many of us know how difficult it has been in the past to seek help, much less get it. I’ve lived in Whatcom County for many years and seen first hand the support that Pete has given our troops.

That support has been genuine and heartfelt.

This new program is another example of Pete’s commitment to those of us who have served.

As a proud veteran who served my country in Vietnam, I want to say thank you to Whatcom County for leading the way to take care of those of us who have done our duty to protect the United States of America and the free world.

George Kolakowski Bellingham

Letters to the editor The Bellingham Business Journal accepts signed letters to the editor. The BBJ reserves the right to edit letters for style and length. Letters should be no more than 300 words.

To submit a letter, email it to editor@bbjtoday. com or send some good old snail mail to 1321 King St. Suite 4, Bellingham, WA 98229.

BBJCOMMUNITY

How companies can squeeze cash from their balance sheets In the current economic climate, with income and resources continuing to ebb, companies need all the cash flow they can get. Some are freeing up cash with tax savings. How? One method is to evaluate assets for any applicable incentive, including bonus depreciation, to capture every available tax deduction.

Analyzing and changing the tax treatment of fixed assets can substantially reduce current federal and state tax liabilities or, for companies with net operating losses, increase the loss available for carryback to obtain refunds of taxes paid in prior years.

Fortunately, Congress extended and enhanced the 50 percent bonus depreciation enacted in 2008. Under tax laws passed in December, the bonus depreciation was increased from 50 percent to 100 percent for qualified investments made after September 8, 2010, through the end of 2011. The bonus depreciation falls back to 50 percent for 2012 and expires at the end of that year.

The two-year incentive period isn’t limited to smaller companies or capped at a certain dollar level. However, only new property qualifies for the 100 percent bonus depreciation.

So, for example, if a company purchases $500,000 of qualifying property eligible for the 100 percent bonus depreciation deduction, it could claim a $500,000 depreciation deduction for the property on its 2011 tax return.

Changing the company’s accounting method is another technique to claim additional tax deductions in certain circumstances. For example, if a business is using its book method of accounting to determine deductible repair and maintenance costs of its real estate, it may be overpaying current income tax. By changing its tax accounting method for repair and maintenance expenses, the business may be able to deduct eligible costs now instead of later, reducing current taxes and strengthening cash flow.

This opportunity applies to most any company with real estate assets, but it has particular relevance for real

TEGAN JOHN LONG THOMPSON

Senior Manager Moss Adams LLP

estate investors and operators whose primary business is commercial property. The benefits could be substantial for businesses that own a great deal of real property or have other assets with long useful lives — such as heavy equipment — on their books. Examples of activities that could be eligible for immediate deduction include repainting, repairing leaks, and repairing or replacing roofing materials on buildings.

Businesses that use their book capitalization policies for tax often capitalize more costs than they’re required to under the tax law, and this significantly delays the deduction for these costs. For instance, when a business repairs a building, it often capitalizes and depreciates the repair costs in the same manner it would for the building itself.

That means the business will recover depreciation deductions over a period of up to 39 years. Yet these expenses are, in some cases, immediately deductible.

A thorough review of repair and maintenance expenses can often uncover capitalized assets that should originally have been expensed for tax purposes. The current tax law allows taxpayers to change their method of accounting for certain properties, and with that change eligible expenses previously capitalized may be deducted in the current tax year.

The IRS has raised repair and maintenance expenses to Tier 1 status, which means the agency will scrutinize them carefully. Talk to your accountant if you’re considering taking advantage of these deductions.

September 2011

15

BBJToday.com

DATA | FROM PAGE 13 Adam S. and Danielle L. Craver, case no.

11-20128-KAO, filed Aug. 25.

Gary L. Tiffany, case no.

11-20165, filed Aug. 26.

Chapter 13 Glenn A. and Shanan K. Hoekstra, case no. 11-1119030-KAO, filed July 28.

Debora A. and Fred Mowrey Jr., case no.

11-19108-KAO, filed July 29.

Candace P. Carson, case no. 11-19302-KAO, filed Aug. 4.

Donald R. Mace II, case no. 11-19430-KAO, filed Aug. 8.

Michael P. and Judee C. Corgiat, case no.

11-19740-KAO, filed Aug. 16.

Paul S. and Christa L. Armstrong, case no.

11-20027-KAO, filed Aug. 23.

Ann M. Cline, case no.

11-20108-KAO, filed Aug. 25.

BUSINESS BUSINESS of

...

Brent S. Boatman and Stacey A. Warner, case no. 11-20129-KAO, filed Aug. 25.

Business licenses

The following business licenses are from the city of Bellingham.

Onyx Coffee Bar, Onyx Coffee LLC, 1015 Railroad Ave. Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225 Barcode Re-Sourcing, Barcode Re-Sourcing Inc., 1414 Meador Ave. Suite 104, Bellingham, WA 98229 Ping Li’s Chinese Foot Spa, Ping Li’s Chinese Foot Spa LLC,159 W. Kellogg Road, Bellingham, WA 98226

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ECBS Consulting, ECBS Consulting LLC, 1808 40th St., Bellingham, WA 98229 VIP Nails Spa, Bruce Ly, 3908 Meridian St. Suite 106, Bellingham, WA 98226 Consultek Solutions, Consultek Solutions LLC, 2339 N. Shore Road, Bellingham, WA 98226 RealChem Northwest, RealChem Northwest Inc., 2603 151st Place NE, Redmond, WA 98052

SEE DATA | PAGE 16

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16

BBJToday.com

BBJDATA Public records related to business

Columbia Place, Morningstar Senior Living LLC, 2315 Williams St., Bellingham, WA 98225 Dayspring Construction, Dayspring Construction Inc., 4798 Bittrich Antler Road, Deer Park, WA 99006 Wertman Contracting, Wertman Contracting LLC, 1045 Barnhart Road, Lynden, WA 98264 Kira Lieberman, Kira Lieberman PC, 119 N. Commercial St. Suite 1100, Bellingham, WA 98225 JEM Contractors Inc., JEM Contractors Inc., 12805 Shorewood Drive SW, Burien, WA 98146 Daevodx Stone Glass Metal, David A. Johnson, 2500 Samish Way Unit 20, Bellingham, WA 98229 Bruland Taxi, Tyler D. Bruland, 345 Cedar St. Unit B, Lynden, WA 98264 Silowleetsa Arts, Doralee C. Sanchez, 2877 Smokehouse Road,

Bellingham, WA 98226 Blockbuster Video #52851, Blockbuster LLC, 1315 W. Bakerview Road Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98226 Blockbuster Video #52096, Blockbuster LLC, 2900 Woburn St., Bellingham, WA 98226 TWR Construction, TWR Construction Company Inc., 3799 Bear Creek Road, Canon, GA 30520 School Day Uniforms, Shelley L. Simons, 2765 Murphy Place, Bellingham, WA 98226 Northland Contracting, Northland Development Company, 18127 109th Ave. SE, Snohomish, WA 98296 J. Hughes Construction, J. Hughes Construction Inc., 312 173rd Place SW, Bothell, WA 98012 Emerald Pool & Patio, Emerald Swimming Pool of Orego,1885 Highway 99 N., Eugene, OR 97402

Saw Service of Washington, Saw Service of Washington Inc., 1602 Carolina St. Suite D9, Bellingham, WA 98229 Viscosity Technologies, Alan R. Hooton, 700 Sunset Pond Lane Suite 6, Bellingham, WA 98226 Travelex, Travelex Currency Services Inc., 121 W Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225

September 2011

Puratos Bakery Supply, Puratos Corporation, 3235 16th Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98134 Talerico Excavating, Talerico Excavating LLC, 6407 161st St., Puyallup, WA 98375 FurEver Friends, FurEver Friends LLC, 501 Meador Ave. Suite 110, Bellingham, WA 98225

C M Medical, C M Medical Inc., 1607 Northshore Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226

McKesson MedicalSurgical, McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc., 8741 Landmark Road, Richmond, VA 23228

Emily Sandall Foundation, The Emily Sandall Foundation, I4213 Springland Lane, Bellingham, WA

Master Insulation & Services, Master Insulation & Services LLC, 433 Tahoma St., Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Beamer Graphic Designs, Krista A. Beamer, 2611 Grove St., Bellingham, WA 98225

Clear Management Services, Clear Management Services LLC, 4400 Carillon Point, Kirkland, WA 98033

West Coast Tax Services, West Coast Environmental Services, 1520 Toledo St., Bellingham, WA 98229 Crawford Door Company, Crawford Door Company LLC, 9720 SW Hillman Court Suite 205, Wilsonville, OR 97070 Interior Technology, Interior Technology Inc., 9720 SW Hillman Court Suite 205, Wilsonville, OR 97070

Nexxpost, Neopost Northwest Inc., 1303 Commercial St. Suite 3, Bellingham, WA 98225 Bellingham Flat Bread & Bakery, Ellett Jaquette & Cupples, 2500 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225 Abstract Electric, Abstract Electric Inc., 407 E. Harvard Ave., Shelton, WA 98584 Bravo Environmental NW, Bravo Environmental NW Inc., 6437 S. 144th St., Tukwila, WA 98168 DoggiezBest, DoggiezBest LLC, 2218 King St., Bellingham, WA 98225 Fat Cat Fish, Fat Cat Fish LLC, 6069 Hannegan Road, Bellingham, WA 98226 Commercial Sound & Video, Downstream Partners Inc., 2732 1st Ave S., Seattle, WA 98134 General Relevance, George Hartdegen IV, 1715 E Sunset Drive #3, Bellingham, WA 98226 Wanna Get Fit, Wanna Get Fit LLC, 728 Fieldston

Road, Bellingham, WA 98225 DNT Services, DNT Services LLC, 520 Valley Highway, Acme, WA 98220 Full Moon Enterprises, Full Moon Enterprises LLC, 2312 Elizabeth St., Bellingham, WA 98225 All Fixed Autointerior, All Fixed Autointerior Inc., 2828 Valencia St., Bellingham, WA 98226 Advanced Computer Design, Hibbing & Neumann-Marley, 2629 Birchwood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225 Necia, Necia R. Knutzen, 1013 N. State St. #106, Bellingham, WA 98225

Building permits The following recent building permit activity includes permits for commercial projects in Bellingham valued at $10,000 or more.

Accepted 1321 Cornwall Ave., $15,000 for tenant improvement: combine two retail spaces into new church. Tenant: Redeemer Church.

1100 Lakeway Drive, $650,000 to remodel interior and face lift of exterior, including new siding, entry canopy and windows. Tenant: Washington Federal.

Applicant: Carletti Architects P.S. 1329 N. State St. Suite 306, $50,000 for tenant improvement: complete shell space into office (no known tenant at this time).

103 E. Holly St., $30,000 to construct new ADA restrooms and ramp in vacant tenant space.

Contractor: Sondale Homes Co. 703 W. Holly St., $90,000 for foundation retrofit and interior improvements to restrooms and stairs.

Applicant: Zervas Group.

1312 Bay St., $31,000 to install new alcove at north entry, remove metal door unit at south entry and install new awnings over both entries. Tenant: American Museum of Radio & Electricity.

Applicant and contractor: Landmark Enterprises Inc. 237 W. Kellogg Road, $38,000 for eight signs at Whatcom Community College. Applicant and contractor: The Sign Post Inc. VU Western Washington University, $350,000 to remodel sixth floor Viking Union food service area. Tenant: Aramark.

Applicant: Studio Merg Strazzara. Contractor: Tiger Construction LTD. Issued 19 Bellwether Way, $1,176,747 for new mixeduse shell only building.

Applicant and contractor: Ebenal General Special Projects Inc. 3009 BTC Lane, $120,000 to reroof Automotive Technology Building.

Applicant: RMC Architects.

Contractor: Hytech Roofing Inc. 3014 BTC Lane, $80,000 to reroof Civil Engineering Building. Applicant: RMC Architects. Contractor: Hytech Roofing Inc. 3010 Squalicum Parkway, $100,000 for tenant improvement: combine two medical office suites into one space, remodel interior and enclose front entry. Tenant: Whatcom Occupational Health.

3927 Northwest Ave., $513,741 for new

Define yourself by what you do.

Fulfill your potential while you make a difference in people’s lives. You’ll sleep soundly at night representing Northwestern Mutual – named by FORTUNE ® Magazine as “America’s Most Admired” Company in its industry for the 25th time.

Paul D Twedt CLU® , ChFC® Managing Director (360) 647 - 2321 nmfn.com/bellingham 05-2887 © 2011 Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM) (life and disability insurance, annuities) and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), a subsidiary of NM, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, and member of FINRA and SIPC. Paul D Twedt, District Agent(s) of NM. Managing Directors are not in legal partnership with each other, NM or its affiliates. Paul D Twedt, Registered Representative(s) and Investment Adviser Representative(s) of NMIS. FORTUNE® magazine, March, 2008.

September 2011

17

BBJToday.com

two-story retail sales building. Tenant: Labels Consignment. Contractor:

By The Bay Construction.

1414 Cornwall Ave., $18,000 to replace windows at street and alley elevations.

1063 W. Bakerview Road, $246,500 to construct site-perimeter retaining walls and two stormwater retention vaults for new hotel. Tenant: La Quinta.

Contractor: EA White Construction.

1063 W. Bakerview Road, $5,792,470 for new 81-unit motel with common meeting rooms and recreational areas on main floor. Tenant: La Quinta. Contractor: EA White Construction.

1010 Lakeway Drive, $13,000 to install four wall-mounted signs.

Applicant and contractor: The Sign Post Inc. 1008-1072 Lakeway Drive, $10,000 to install signage for two clock towers. Applicant and contractor: The Sign Post Inc. 1114 Potter St., $13,520 to construct foundation for new manufactured boiler house for aquatic center.

Applicant and contractor: PSF Mechanical.

3773 E. McLeod Road, $40,000 for two new portable classrooms sharing pair of exiting systems. Tenant: Squalicum High School.

1329 N. State St. Suite 306, $50,000 for tenant improvement: complete shell space into office, no known tenant at this time. Contractor: Emerald Builders Inc. 703 W. Holly St., $90,000 to repair existing foundation, add pair of accessible restrooms and contract new stairway to basement. Tenant: Parberry. Applicant: Zervas Group. Contractor:

Pearson Construction Corp.

701 W. Holly St., $90,000 to repair existing foundation, add pair of accessible restrooms and contract new stairway to basement. Tenant: Parberry. Applicant: Zervas Group. Contractor: Pearson Construction Corp.

VU Western Washington University, $350,000 to remodel sixth floor Viking Union food service area. Tenant: Aramark.

Applicant: Studio Merg Strazzara. Contractor: Tiger Construction LTD. 311 E. Holly St. Suite 101, $20,000 for tenant improvement: new espresso bar cafe with children/adult play area in entire main floor of apartment building.

Tenant: Time in Play Cafe.

356 36th St., $17,000 for seven signs. Tenant: Ace Hardware. Applicant and contractor: The Sign Post Inc.

Judgments When an individual or business becomes delinquent in tax payments, the state can obtain a judgment against any property or business. Judgments are filed in Whatcom County Superior Court, as are records of judgments paid or satisfied. The following information is taken from the Whatcom County Superior Court clerk’s office: Bellingham Vacuums Inc., $7,068.78 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

Bellingham Whatcom Radiator & Battery Repair, $6,092.33 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

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Brett Wiltses Plumbing LLC, $163.09 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

Gentry’s Appliance Repair LLC, $1,856.35 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

McKinnon Plumbing Inc., $8,349.09 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

Naturally Decadent Affairs Corp. dba Sorellas, $2,057.39 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

The Gateway One Corp. dba Iowa St. Chevron, $9,102.72 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

American Petroleum Inc. dba Center St. Chevron, $49,349.37 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 24.

Russell H. and Marlene A. Riviere, $909.03 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 23.

Kenneth M. Cassell dba Cascade Creek Manufacturing, $151.56 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 23.

John F. and Kathryn L. Costanti dba Fairhaven Bay Seafood, $928.09 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 23.

Hopfcorp LLC, $11,808.33 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 23.

Melissa Y. and Johnny D. Felix dba KMB Seafoods, $2,942.66 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 22.

Jeff N. Kudsk dba JCK Enterprises, $7,322.18 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 12.

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Donald R. Mace II dba Bellingham Home Maintenance Repair & Salvage, $1,569.02 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jamie L. Owens dba Love Your Lawn, $530.29 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Penny Hillaire, $485.59 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jamie Peck, $545.54 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Cesar Luna, $2,924.56 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Graham Davis, $547.66 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Seamus B. Cassidy, $1,215.04 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

David T. Earle, $634.73 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jim D. Everhart, $3,949.15 in unpaid Employment Security Department

taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Aurel B. Caeru, $838.66 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Ryan M. Kiel, $544.68 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Joshua D. Meyers, $1,020.56 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Cathy A. Ballew, $1,015.78 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jessica L. Delgado, $5,383.54 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Justin M. Huerta, $671.38 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jeremy E. Harris, $1,616.92 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Alexander J. Allred, $14,032.58 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Donald L. Beld, $621.40 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Casee A. Adams, $1,697.59 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Richard S. Gillmere, $544.19 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Joshua R. Haltom, $1,702.60 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Leo R. Morris, $5,703.18 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Matthew T. Olson, $1,850.74 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Julie A. Boome, $1,417.00 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Tucker B. Cowan, $1,676.08 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Billy R. Scarpete, $611.20 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

SEE DATA | PAGE 18

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BBJDATA Public records related to business

Taleah L. Fennell, $1,346.04 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Justin V. Mergel, $1,933.96 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Timothy J. Wilson, $994.72 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Joshua D. Rehberger, $153.59 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jolene M. Taylor, $337.60 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Allen Parrott, $476.56 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Hector R. Sanchez, $503.72 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

John A. Kamphouse, $343.85 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Paula Puentes, $259.00 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Marianne L. Zweegman dba Zweegman’s Adult Family Home, $846.89 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Marine Industries LLC, $13,457.94 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Maria M. CacaresBjorklund and Susan B. Koelsch dba Fantasia Espresso & Tea, $1,555.80 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 18.

Sharon A. Serrano dba Lynden Nutrition Center, $647.81 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 18.

C&H Management Services Inc., $472.30 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 17.

Michael Nelson dba AAA Taxi, $10,058.32 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 17.

Terry L. Savadge dba Happy Campers Daycare, $348.08 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 12.

Leonard Sansone dba Perfect Timing, $797.82 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 16.

Sand Dollar Property Management dba Birch Bay Get Away, $1,748.78 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Pioneer Post Frame Construction, $19,763.10 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 19.

Jack D. and Pennie S. Ruth dba Jack’s Tractor & Backhoe Service, $3,362.90 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

International Composite Design dba Triton

R&R Excavating Inc., $1,748.44 in unpaid

Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

North Pacific Stair LLC, $854.40 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Kestrel Homes Inc., $72,381.48 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

John A. and Jean M. Hess dba John’s Chem Dry Carpet & Upholstery, $2,271.95 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Michelle R. Mousseau and Jonathan R. Grover dba Boos Parlor, $3,206.83 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 9.

Steven E. Veldhuizen dba Veldhuizen Co., $1,328.55 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 9.

Wasisco Ventures LLC dba Treasure Hunt, $9,552.18 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 9.

Jean M. Hess dba A All Tec Blind Cleaning, $757.32 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Donald R. Burse dba Sound Flooring, $4,334.85 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

Espinoza Inc., $2,192.48 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Brenda L. CampeauFruhling dba Twice as Nice, $4,029.30 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

Downtown Bobs LLC dba Bob’s Burgers & Brew, $12,914.38 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Definitive Avionics LLC, $544.30 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Larry and Leona Mount dba Mounts Berry Farm, $378.65 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 10.

Brenda E. Reeder dba Hot Shotz Martini Bar and Restaurant, $925.64 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 5.

Ryan D. Caillier dba CP&J, $2,284.67 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 9.

Jimmy M. King dba Kings Cleaning, $5,281.82 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 9.

Stephen M. Howell dba Reinnovation, $1,241.69 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 9.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT,

THIS GUY MAKES GOOD

CHOICES.

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cartwright creative group 114 W. Magnolia St, Suite 443 360.671.9359

Miguel A. Cano dba Above Board Construction, $5,201.82 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

September 2011 Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 3.

Yury J. Galeas Melendez dba Junior Flooring & Construction, $6,001.18 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 3.

Ronald L. and Sharon L. Wolfmeyer dba Wolfmeyer Enteprises, $7,416.61 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 1.

Della M. Reed dba Best Image Framing, $1,474.88 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 1.

Green Frog Cafe LLC, $2,625.06 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 1.

Michael K. Swanson, $367.40 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed Aug. 1.

Stop Drop & Clean LLC, $4,957.47 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 27.

Four U Printers Inc., $6,943.80 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

Mt. Baker Lanes Inc., $6,967.50 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 27.

Haines Tree & Spray Service Inc., $21,817.78 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

La Vie En Rose Bellingham LLC, $1,761.62 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 27.

Becklund Ferrari Group dba Tivoli, $231.29 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

La Cantina Birch Bay LLC, $8,321.74 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 27.

Cornerstone Natural Stone LLC, $1,362.66 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 2.

Health & Exercise Prescriptions Inc., $1,426.27 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 2.

RR Ground Home Inc., $9,539.99 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed July 27.

Swans Moving & Storage Inc., $10,903.62 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed July 27.

N. Olson dba C&T Chipping & Hauling, $3,383.12 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 26.

Christopher S. and Brittin N. Olson dba C&T Chipping & Hauling, $4,460.56 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 26.

Meridian Performance Services Inc., $6,540.17 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 26.

Keith W. Hinze Jr. dba Fast Sign Man, $1,721.42 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 26.

Jesse Weatherby, $297.71 in unpaid Employment Security Department taxes. Filed July 27.

Weston Roofing LLC, $2,964.66 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 27.

West Coast Fight Club LLC, $368.79 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed July 27.

Ismael Mendez dba Ismael Landscaping, $3,737.08 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed July 22.

Liens A tax lien is a legal claim filed in court by a government against a person or business owing taxes.

Liens are civil, not criminal claims, and normally seek to attach money and/or property to pay the taxes.

A list of liens is kept at the county courthouse showing whom the government is pursuing and how much is sought.

Definitive Avionics LLC, $18,322.81 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Aug. 2.

Premier Packing LLC, $12,642.24 in unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes. Filed July 27.

NI Inc. dba Northwest Insulation, $121,645.13 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed July 22.

Border Tire LLC, $4,094.67 in unpaid Employment

Christopher S. and Brittin

Startouch Inc., $39,817.63 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed

September 2011

BBJToday.com

July 22.

Stephen J. and Dale E. Mason, $49,757.39 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed July 26.

Jon A. and Rebecca M. Peterson, $16,812.86 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed July 27.

Triad Electrical Contractors Inc., $59,621.51 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed July 27.

Peterson Property Reconstruction, $10,623.95 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed July 28.

Eric J. Larson, $35,075.52 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed July 28.

James A. and Carolyn Wynstra, $172,687.28 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 2.

Michael D. Hill, $3,686.83 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 2.

Barnine Stephens, $37,086.14 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 3.

Ricardo M. Lomedico Jr., $349,588.13 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 4.

Michael T. Novak, $6,683.76 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 5.

Allen Godsey, $109,911.19 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 5.

Andy L. Cassidy, $8,498.52 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 5.

Duane G. Rasmussen, $19,938.19 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 8.

Garmail Dulay dba Dulay Holding Carrier, $21,733.86 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 8.

NI Inc. dba Northwest Insulation, $100,684.37 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 8.

James L. Branham, $126,419.49 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 11.

James L. and Mary E. Branham, $6,727.80 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 11.

Wildwest Express Inc., $19,182.48 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 11.

Donald R. and Rosemary A. Peterson, $11,153.75 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 12.

Swans Moving & Storage Company Inc., $8,293.14 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 12.

Martin and Patty Lynam, $220,984.87 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 16.

Martin Lynam, $9,510.75 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 16.

MBS Corp., $53,670.26 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Aug. 16.

The Secret To Success Is Not So Much Talent As It Is Determination.

19

20

BBJToday.com

$395,000 MLS# 169879

Brand New Commercial Condo in Walton II Bldg. Office, Retail, etc.

$825,000

12,324 sq. ft. Main Bldg. plus 4,947 separate Bldg. lots of Parking.

Multitude of uses.

September 2011

$650,000

Medical Office Building, 2220 Cornwall Avenue.

Excellent free standing office building with abundant parking. Currently built out as medical offices, lot have expansion potential.

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Harris Ave. Development Site

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Jeff Johnson (360) 319-8358 jeff@jeffjohnsonrealestate.com

Mike Kent (360) 815-3898 mike@mikekent.com