Year 21 No. 7 $1
July 2013
THE DRAWING BOARD | PAGE 14
Bellingham grows as travel launch pad New Allegiant Air flights to Reno are targeting a familiar market, and it’s not Whatcom County By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
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ellingham and Whatcom County have enjoyed a number of economic benefits from Canadian visitors. Now, Reno, Nev., wants its share. When the first departure
in Allegiant Air’s renewed Bellingham-Reno service left on Thursday, June 6, it culminated a yearlong lobbying effort by Reno business leaders and tourism officials for new flights connecting northern Nevada with a lucrative travel market in Vancouver, British Columbia.
To reach that market, Bellingham will be the front door. “We’re trying to add as many elements as we can to this program, because this is a very strong market, and it’s proven to be a strong market for the RenoTahoe destination,” said Ronele Klingensmith, project manager for the Reno-Tahoe Regional Marketing Committee. Canadians have been using the Bellingham International Airport for years to take low-cost flights to destinations such as Las Vegas, Southern California, and even Hawaii. The airport’s fast growth
THE DIRT | On Whatcom County’s “dirty” jobs
over the past decade can, in large part, be attributed to its ability to attract travelers from up north. This cross-border migration, which is driven mainly by cheaper ticket prices available in U.S. airports, is not confined to Whatcom County. Coast to coast, an estimated 4.8 million Canadians in 2011 opted to skip their hometown airports and drive south, according to the Canadian Airports Council, a trade group. Many times, buying tickets at American airports instead of Canadian ones can save travelers hundreds of dollars.
By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
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The first installment of this new monthly series features Pamela Cash, pictured above, who is one of 55 contractors in Washington certified to decontaminate drug labs. SEE STORY ON PAGE 8
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TRAVEL | Page 23
BACK IN BUSINESS Semiahmoo’s new owners aim for a quick reopening Blaine hotel and golf resort sold for $19.5 million
EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL
On Alaska Airlines, the only carrier that serves both Bellingham and Vancouver, British Columbia, a one-way flight from Bellingham to Las Vegas can be up to $200 cheaper—depending on the day and time of travel— than the same route out of Vancouver, according to the airline’s website. At Bellingham’s airport, the new stream of passengers has been a windfall, leading to new business growth and expansion in its commercial terminal. How-
purchase has been completed for the Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, and its new owners say they will try to hire staff and reopen before the end of the summer season. The resort’s 200-room hotel and two golf courses, the Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club and Loomis Trails, were bought for $19.5 million by Resort Semiahmoo LLC, a partnership whose managing member is Wright Hotels Inc. of Seattle. Coastal Hotel Group, also of Seattle, will be Semiahmoo’s new
manager. Coastal was also recently installed as manager of the 91-room Best Western Heritage Inn in Bellingham, after that hotel was sold to a different Seattle company in February 2013. Semiahmoo’s new owners say their initial focus will be getting the property back in operating condition and restoring jobs lost when the resort closed in December 2012. Nearly 300 people were out of work with the shutdown last winter. It is not yet known just how many people are expected to be hired back, or if additional hires will be made. The new owners also expect to
SEMIAHMOO | Page 23
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July 2013
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GAZE SKYWARD ON THE FOURTH
LISTEN TO THE SOUNDS DOWNTOWN
The 2013 Haggen Family 4th of July Celebration will take place from 11 a.m. until the show JUL fireworks at 10:30 p.m., at Zuanich Point Park in Bellingham’s Squalicum Harbor. The event will feature “old time” games, an art show at the Squalicum Boathouse, as well as performances by several bands. More information is online at www.bellingham.com. The Port of Bellingham plans to open a former Georgia Pacific pier on the waterfront to serve as a public vantage point for the fireworks display. The Central Avenue entrance to the site, next to the Granary Building on Roeder Avenue, will open to pedestrians at 9:30 p.m., and people will walk along a designated route out to the former G-P pier for viewing, with the fireworks show starting around 10:30 p.m. Because of its undeveloped nature, there is no vehicle access and no parking on the G-P site. Spectators can walk down to the site from numerous downtown parking lots. No alcohol or personal fireworks will be allowed. For safety reasons, the Waterfront District pier will only accommodate about 1,000 people.
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership has released the lineup for the ninth annual Downtown Sounds Summer Concert Series, which will run every Wednesday from July 10 through August 7. This series will take place in downtown Bellingham on Bay Street between Prospect and West Champion streets. The free, all-ages concerts offer music, dancing, food and live family-friendly entertainment. Doors and beer garden open at 5:30 p.m.; musical acts perform from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 2013 Downtown Sounds Lineup July 10: Polecat with Mts & Tunnels July 17: Acorn Project with Galapagos July 24: Polyrythmics with The Fabulous Party Boys July 31: True Spokes w/ The Quick & Easy Boys Aug. 7: Juno What w/ Spyn Reset Downtown Sounds will feature local food vendors including Goat Mountain Pizza, Dashi Noodle Bar, ACME Farms & Kitchen and Bayou on Bay’s Oyster Bar, as well as 21-andolder beverage garden sponsored by Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, a Kid’s Corner sponsored by Little Tiger Toys, hula hooping, juggling, belly dancing and an on-site
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CORRECTION/ CLARIFICATION
Susan Templeton Home Mortgage Consultant 738-2365 NMLSR ID 94045
1616 Cornwall Ave, Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98225 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. AS988101 Expires 9/2013
According to documents provided to The Bellingham Business Journal, Reinkes Fabrication Inc. appears to have been mistakenly listed in the public record as having two tax liens filed against it by the IRS in April. As public records, these liens were then listed in the Data section of our June 2013 edition. The documents show Reinkes Fabrication does not owe unpaid taxes to the IRS, and the company should not have been included in June’s list of tax liens in The Bellingham Business Journal.
photo booth. Community sponsors include: Bayou on Bay, Cider Head, Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro, Pacific Continental Realty, Spark Museum of Electrical Invention, The Wild Buffalo, the Summer Meltdown Festival, Northern Lights Gardening, Logos, Little Tiger Toys, WTA, Groove Merchant Northwest, The Lucky Monkey, WECU, The Woods Coffee, Chrysalis Spa & Inn, Whidbey Island Bank, Cascade Radio Group and Cascadia Weekly. More information and updates can be found at www. DowntownBellingham. com.
DRINK LOCAL AT WINE & SPIRITS FEST Sustainable Connections, in partnership with Whatcom Winery and Distillery Association, JUL is holding the first annual Whatcom Wine & Spirits Fest from 1-6 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, at Bellewood Acres farm, 6140 Guide Meridian, near Lynden. The event will showcase locally produced wine and spirits by members of the Whatcom Winery and Distillery Association. It will feature more than 40 different local wines and spirits to taste, live music, games, and barbecue fare
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PLANNER | Page 4
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July 2013
BBJPEOPLE
Who’s news in Bellingham & Whatcom business Palta promoted to manager of Ferndale’s Washington Federal Ash Palta has been promoted to branch manager of Washington Federal’s Ferndale office. Palta, a resident of Ferndale, has more than 10 years of banking industry experience. He has previously served as an assistant branch manager for Washington Federal, where he has been employed since 2011. Ash Palta Palta has also held previous positions with Washington Mutual, U.S. Financial Network, U.S. Bank, as well as in software development at MSI Systems. He is a native of New Delhi, India, and earned a degree in software development from Delhi University.
McCarthy becomes partner at RMC Architects Neil McCarthy has become a partner at RMC Architects in Bellingham. During his time in architecture, McCarthy has worked on a variety of projects, including colleges, universities, multi-family housing, condominiums and religious institutions. He is currently working on a number of multi-family residences and low-income housing projects for the Bellingham Housing Authority, in addition to
low-income residences for Mercy Housing and the city of Kelso. McCarthy has also worked on projects for Western Washington University, most recently on Nash Hall with fellow partner Brad Cornwell. McCarthy has been working in the profession since 1983, after receivNeil McCarthy ing a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University. He also has a bachelor’s in environmental design and a master’s in architecture from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Carbajal named WWU’s new provost, academic affairs executive Brent Carbajal has been appointed to a two-year fixed term as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Western Washington University. He will begin serving after the current provost, Catherine Riordan, leaves the position in July. Riordan announced her resignation last month. “There is no doubt in my mind—and this is Brent Carbajal supported among broad leadership of our campus—that Brent is the right person to serve as provost and vice president for academic
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BBJToday.com affairs,” Bruce Shepard, WWU’s president, said. Carbajal is now dean of WWU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the university’s largest college with 13 academic departments. WWU currently has more than 14,800 undergraduate students and 650 graduate students, according to the university’s website. With more than 2,100 employees, it is the largest public-sector employer in Whatcom County, and among the region’s largest overall employers, as well. Carbajal has master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Washington. He has been at WWU since 1997, serving as a professor of Spanish, as well as spending eight years as chair of the university’s Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Prior to WWU, he was an assistant and associate professor of Spanish at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Curry joins Minergy Inc. of Ferndale Al Curry has been hired as regional account manager with Minergy Inc. of
Ferndale. Curry brings more than 20 years of account executive and public relations experience to the company. His primary duties will include customer relations, outside sales and quality control. Minergy’s operations consist of three divisions: land development and utilities, building services and grounds maintenance.
PeaceHealth St. Joseph nurse earns leadership award Harprit “Preet” Singh, a registered nurse at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, has been named Authentic Leader of the Year by the Northwest Organization of Nurse Executives, which represents nurse leaders throughout Washington and Oregon and is affiliated with the American Organization of Preet Singh Nurse Executives. Cindy Preston, director of patient care services for St. Joseph, nominated Singh for the award. Preston
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PEOPLE | FROM 3 said Singh is an engaged and supportive nurse leader. “Preet is always open to new ideas in the delivery of care,” Preston said. “Her team is experimenting with a ‘team model of care’ that was initiated by her staff. She is very supportive to try new ways if the outcomes include quality improvement and patient satisfaction.” Singh has 18 years’ experience as a registered nurse, she earned her master’s in nursing leadership and management in 2012 from Walden University. Since joining PeaceHealth in 2011, Singh has been nurse manager for the 29-bed medical-surgical unit that includes pediatrics. She also assumed responsibility of the house-manager group in January.
Weber joins Management Services NW as HR manager Megan Weber has been hired as a human resource manager for Management Services Northwest in Ferndale. Weber will oversee all hiring, compensation and benefits, as well as team development. She joins the company after having served as director of the Center for Economic Vitality for Western Washington University. Megan Weber Weber holds several degrees, as well as a master’s in business administration from the University of Rochester. She is currently working toward her Senior Professional in
Human Resources certification. Weber also volunteers on the board of the nonprofit Pickford Film Center in Bellingham, as treasurer. Management Services Northwest, founded in 1995 by Janelle Bruland, offers facilities management, janitorial, landscaping, maintenance and specialty services in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
ophy. He is a member of Washington Association of Accountants and the National Society of Accountants. Gene Bell & Associates provides tax planning and preparation, financial services, retirement planning, long-term care and life insurance, as well as estate and gift tax planning to small businesses and individuals.
Nathan joins Corion Landscape Management in Ferndale
Hogan joins Waddell & Reed as financial adviser
Eric Nathan has been hired as the new account manager for Corion Landscape Management in Ferndale. Nathan is completing a bachelor’s degree in economics at Western Washington University. He previously earned an associate degree from Whatcom Community College, and also graduated from Sehome High School in Bellingham. His previous experience includes work as a campaign coordinator for state Sen. Doug Erickson and Whatcom County Sherriff Bill Elfo. He also spent six years working at T-Mobile in Washington D.C., managing a team of account managers. Nathan will oversee South Whatcom and Skagit field operations, manage enhancement work and build client relationships for Corion.
Matthew Hogan has joined Waddell & Reed in Bellingham as a financial adviser. Hogan will help develop customized financial plans, recommend investment strategies and counsel clients throughout the Whatcom County area. He previously worked as a financial adviser with Edward Jones. Hogan has also worked as an emergency medical technician with Cascade Ambulance, and has additional previous experience with Whatcom County Fire District No. 8. He earned a degree from Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Waddell & Reed offers investment products and services, as well as a variety of insurance products which are offered through insurance companies with which Waddell & Reed has sales arrangements.
Hettick joins Gene Bell & Associates
Longtime WWU legal counsel retiring in July
Kevin Hettick has been hired as a new staff accountant at Gene Bell & Associates in Bellingham. Hettick graduated from Western Washington University in August 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and philos-
Wendy Bohlke, legal counsel for Western Washington University for 30 years, plans to retiring from the Office of the Washington State Attorney General, effective July 1. Bohlke, senior counsel and assistant attorney general, serves as legal counsel to
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July 2013 university’s trustees and, through the trustees, WWU President Bruce Shepard. She is also responsible for a host of other legal duties on behalf of the university. She has worked with four WWU presidents (and two interim presidents), nine WWU provosts, three community college presidents and many trustees, administrators, faculty, staff and students. She has served with five Washington state attorneys general. “For three decades, Wendy Bohlke has provided wise, prudent legal counsel to Western trustees, administrators and many others on campus. Her contributions to the university and to the state of Washington are significant,” said WWU’s Shepard. “Wendy is well known for her integrity and commitment to giving back to the community. I thank Wendy for her caring and professional service to the university and wish her the best of good fortune in future endeavors.”
Benson joins Neighborhood Mortgage in Bellingham Neighborhood Mortgage in Bellingham has hired Joya Benson to its processing department. Originally from Colorado, Benson moved to Bellingham in 2002. She attended Whatcom Community College, receiving an associate degree. Neighborhood Mortgage is a locally owned and operated, full-service mortgage broker. Send hiring annoucements to editor@bbjtoday.com.
PLANNER | FROM 2
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from Bellewood Acres. Full bottles of wine and Bellewood Acres spirits will also be available for purchase. Funds raised through the event will benefit Sustainable Connections’ programs and Think Local First campaign. Advance tickets are $20 and available online through Brown Paper Tickets (http://www. brownpapertickets.com/ event/400197) or at the door for $25.
On July 26, more than 500 people in Whatcom County will receive free confidential services, including dental care, medical exams, vision screening, hearing screening (with hearing aids provided for those in need), women’s health care, information on veteran benefits, housing assistance and much more. Project Homeless Connect is seeking about 250 community volunteers to provide guest intake, food service and other assistance.
The event’s goal is to help the more than 500 people who are homeless in Whatcom County. During last year’s Project Homeless Connect, more than 50 service providers and more than 210 volunteers provided services to over 460 neighbors experiencing homelessness. People interested in volunteering leading up to the event and on event day, should contact Abby Lund at 360-734-3055 or abbyl@ whatcomvolunteer.org.
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Forward on the water Bellingham City Council set to start waterfront redevelopment talks, public outreach events planned With unanimous approval from the Bellingham Planning Commission on June 6, proposed plans for the future Waterfront District will now move to the City Council for a new round of deliberations. According to the city, an overview presentation of the plans is expected to be held on July 15, and a public hearing has been tentatively scheduled for Aug. 5. City Council will consider the plans in a series of work sessions through the summer and early fall, with the goal of completing work before the end of 2013. The Port of Bellingham and the city of Bellingham, which are working together to chart a redevelopment plan for 237 acres of former industrial property on the city’s waterfront, are also holding a series of public outreach events that will allow locals to tour areas of the property and ask questions. A Waterfront Plan Information Fair is planned for July 17. Other activities include waterfront walking tours, boat tours, informational signage and more. Details and schedules for these events will be announced over the next several days, according to the city. The port has several events posted online (pnw.cc/mmZD5), including walking tours and cruise tours offered by San Juan Cruises. Documents and other information about the Planning Commission’s review and proposed changes are available online (pnw.cc/mmZOH). The city’s Planning and Community Development Department at 360-778-8300.
Port, WWU initiate plans for waterfront land transfers Western Washington University and the Port of Bellingham are moving ahead with plans to transfer waterfront land into a shared development entity, and facilitate the purchase of waterfront property by WWU. According to a recently approved agreement, the port will transfer six acres of Waterfront District land between the Downtown Development Area and the Log Pond Development Area into a shared development entity called Western Crossing Development. In exchange, WWU will transfer in a 24-acre parcel of land at the intersection of Hannegan Road and Bakerview Road. Once the Hannegan property is sold, the value of the Hannegan land sale will be assigned to the university and the value of the waterfront parcel will be assigned to the port, within the shared development entity. “Having Western on the waterfront will add tremendous value to the Waterfront District because it will enhance Western’s connections with the community and will attract developer investment,” Port Commissioner Scott Walker, who also serves
on the board of Western Crossing, said in a statement. ”Western is the second largest employer in Whatcom county, and that economic engine and student population has a large impact on local businesses.” WWU’s board of trustees and the port’s board of commissioners each agreed to the memorandum of understanding , which is a broad framework agreement between the Port and WWU that defines how land can be moved into Western An aerial view of the former Georgia Pacific plant, taken in early 2012. The site is one of several Crossing Development, in waterfront properties that will be under substantial redevelopment over the next few decades. order to enable developBRIAN COREY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL ment of the WWU presence in the Waterfront District. Western Crossing’s board unanimously approved the memorandum. “We are pleased and excited about this critically important MOU that moves Western closer to being part of what will be a dynamic development of the Bellingham waterfront,” said WWU President Bruce Shepard, in a statement. “Western has been committed to a presence at the waterfront since community discussions and planning first began in 2006, and that commitment is being lived out by the acquisition of property in the Waterfront District. The eventual expansion of our campus to the waterfront creates possibilities for new partnerships and collaborations for Western and community partners.” In addition to WWU acquiring a tract of land at the waterfront, the memorandum also states that the university may lease building space from a developer in the 10.8-acre parcel the port now is offering for private development parcels. This could establish WWU as an early tenant for the Waterfront District.
Port proposes split of waterfront cleanup site With a new report from the Washington Department of Ecology detailing contamination across 74 acres of Bellingham waterfront property, the Port of Bellingham wants to divide the cleanup site into two separate areas, allowing for earlier cleanup and redevelopment of the northern half. An in-depth environmental investigation shows that the soil and groundwater contamination is extensive across the site. It also shows that the contamination is found in two separate and distinct areas. The contamination was left behind by Georgia-Pacific West, which operated a pulp-mill in the area for much of the 20th
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Local business briefs, tips and leads The Markets endorses Washington’s GMO-labeling initiative The Markets grocery company in Bellingham has endorsed Initiative 522, which seeks mandatory labeling of geneticallyengineered food sold in Washington state. Voters will decide in November if the measure becomes law. “We are in favor of this initiative. We think people have the right to know what’s in their food, for dietary, religious or full disclosure reasons,” said Kevin Weatherill, The Markets’ president and CEO. ”People want to choose what they eat, and GMO product labeling will help provide that information.” Genetically-engineered foods, also referred to as GMOs, are usually defined as seeds, plants, animals or fish that have had their DNA artificially altered by genes from other species. Proponents of such labeling initiatives— similar efforts are underway in more than 20 states—say not enough information on GMOs has been made public and consumers have a right to know what is in their food. Opponents say labeling would be an expensive and unnecessary requirement. According to a ballot summary from Washington’s Secretary of State, I-522 “would require foods produced entirely or partly with genetic engineering, as defined, to be labeled as genetically engineered when offered for retail sale in Washington, beginning in July 2015. The labeling requirement would apply generally to raw agricultural commodities, processed foods, and seeds and seed stock, with some exceptions, but would not require that specific genetically-engineered ingredients be identified. The measure would authorize
state enforcement and civil penalties, and allow private enforcement actions.” The Markets is among the first largescale supermarket chains to get behind the measure. Several other Whatcom County businesses have backed I-522, including the Community Food Co-Op and Terra Organica (whose owner, Stephen Trinkaus, has received widespread media attention for placing “GMO Alert!” tags on products likely to contain genetically-engineered ingredients). The Washington Association of Wheat Growers has formally opposed I-522, as has the Association of Washington Business. I-522 has similarities to a California measure, Proposition 37, which was rejected by voters in the state in 2012.
WWU, WCC to begin new cybersecurity degree collaboration Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College are beginning a new cybersecurity collaboration that will allow WCC graduates to earn bachelor’s degrees in computer and information systems security at WWU. With the arrangement, WCC will offer a new two-year associate degree in cybersecurity, which will then allow graduates to apply to WWU to major in computer and information systems security. It will be the first collaboration that will allow graduates from professional technical programs at WCC to enter WWU with junior class standing. The program is a result of a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. It is a collaborative effort involving WCC, WWU, the University of Washington and Bellingham Technical College.
Curriculum and course standards for the new program are currently being developed by a group representing each of the collaborative partners. Course work is expected to focus on developing knowledge and skills in security management, threat analysis, computer and software forensics, and security tools and techniques. The first graduates of WCC’s program who choose to continue on to WWU could begin classwork at the four-year university in fall 2014. For more information, contact Dave Knapp with WCC’s Entry and Advising Office at 360-383-3080 or advise@whacom .ctc.edu.
Limelight Cinema to begin serving beer and wine in July The Pickford Film Center’s Limelight Cinema plans to offer beer and wine to moviegoers, starting July 4. This comes nearly a year and a half after the Pickford began selling beer and wine to patrons in one of its two theaters at its main downtown facility on Bay Street. With the change, the Limelight, which is located at 1416 Cornwall Ave. in downtown Bellingham, will only sell tickets to customers 21 years or older. More small and independent theaters are likely to begin offering beer and wine once a new state law takes effect on July 27, allowing theaters with four or fewer movie screens to apply for a $400 annual license from the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Up until now, theaters have had to receive special approval from the liquor board to obtain the necessary licenses to sell alcohol. In addition, the Limelight’s new Digital Cinema Package, a high-tech film projection system that replaces its 35 mm projector, will be installed in the coming weeks. Pickford staff have already installed similar systems at its main theater. The nonprofit film center was able to
July 2013 raise the $225,000 needed for its digital upgrade earlier this year. With the planned industry-wide phase out of 35 mm film, movie theaters everywhere have had to make similar conversions.
Draft rules for marijuana retail system expected July 3 The Washington State Liquor Control board will take two additional weeks to gather last-minute public input before filing official draft rules for a new system that will govern how recreational marijuana is grown, processed and sold in the state. The draft rules were initially expected to be filed by mid-June, but the new filing date is now July 3. “In keeping with our goal of an open and transparent process for drafting the rules, we’re going to take an additional two weeks to consider the last-minute input we’ve received,” said WSLCB Director Rick Garza. “The board was prepared to issue the rules on June 19. However, it’s our responsibility to carefully review and consider the comments we received.” June 10 was the liquor board’s deadline for collecting public input on its first cut of draft rules that were released on May 16. While the initial written comments on the rules were relatively light, according to the board, officials said it received extensive written comment last weekend and throughout the deadline day from public and private organizations. Liquor officials have also released specific dates for an upcoming public hearing on the draft rules, the rules’ adoption and the day they will officially take effect. More information is online at www.liq. wa.gov/marijuana/I-502. Current draft rules timeline June 19: Board work session on proposed rules (schedule will be posted here soon) July 3: Board files official draft rules (CR
BUZZ | Page 7
Q Laundry brings eco-friendly laundromat to Sunnyland Square An eco-friendly laundromat called Q Laundry in Bellingham’s Sunnyland Square shopping center plans to open its doors to the public on Thursday, June 20. The new laundry business is located at 810 Alabama St., near the Trader Joe’s grocery store. While June 20 will be Q Laundry’s soft opening date, a grand opening celebration is planned for Tuesday, July 9. Colleen Unema, Q Laundry’s owner, spent more than two years researching commercial laundry trends and received product advice from national laundry experts, as well as local business tips from consultants and mentors at the Northwest Innovation Resource Center, the Small Business Development Center and SCORE. Her laundromat employs eight people. “From the start our goal was to erase old-school laundromat images from people’s minds and show them smarter, cleaner, faster and better ways to do their laundry,” Unema said, in a press release. “We want people to come in to Q Laundry and be amazed.” Unema has long held a desire to open a laundromat centered on sustainability, energy efficiency, new
technology, quality and fast service. Q Laundry’s equipment includes: - Energy-efficient Electrolux machines that lock for security and send text messages to customers when cycles are complete. The washing machines weigh each load and only use an appropriate amount of water. They are programmed to handle everyday laundry items as well as outdoor gear, tech fabrics, down filled items, wet suits and even tents. The machines also feature special odor-removal settings for athletic equipment and items that have been exposed to smoke. - Three additional washer/dryer combination machines—which also have locking and text-messaging capability—that allow users to complete a full cycle of washing and drying in 75 minutes. - 45-pound capacity dryers that use reverse spin technology throughout their dry cycle. This feature prevents items from rolling or wadding and significantly decreases dry time by increasing air flow. - A custom drying booth for large items such as tents and sporting equipment.
Machines accept credit and debit cards, coin and Google Wallet. Q Laundry also offers free Wi-Fi to customers. CDK Interiors, Marcus M. Johnson Architects and The Franklin Corporation helped Unema design and build Q Laundry’s commercial space, which includes VOC-free paint, Energy Star lighting, flooring made from recycled materials, as well as efficient hot-water tanks and pumps. Q Laundry is a participant in the Community Energy Challenge and a member of Sustainable Connections, which helped Unema identify the most effective energy efficiency strategies, figure out what equipment would suit her needs and qualify for Cascade Natural Gas rebates. The nonprofit is also providing a $15,000 grant toward the high efficiency washing machines and hot water heaters. Q-Laundry also sells eco-friendly laundry products, including biosafe soaps, custom crafted garment covers and locally produced totes and satchels. Customers that purchase a reusable $10 Q Laundry Box receive free laundry soap for each load they wash.
Colleen Unema, owner of Q Laundry, which opened in June in Bellingham’s Sunnyland Square shopping center. PHOTO COURTESY TO THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL
July 2013
BUZZ | FROM 6 102) with the state Code Reviser August 7: Public hearing on draft rules August 14: Board adopts rules September 14: Effective date for rules. WSLCB begins accepting applications for all license types.
SPARK Museum in Bellingham earns TripAdvisor award The SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention in downtown Bellingham has received a “Certificate of Excellence” award from TripAdvisor, the popular travel website. Approximately 10 percent of businesses listed on the site received the annual award, the criteria of which is based on traveler reviews posted online. TripAdvisor sites receive more than 200 million unique monthly visitors, and more than 100 million reviews and opinions. To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor, and must have been listed on the site for at least 12 months. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months. “Spark Museum is pleased to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said John Jenkins, the museum’s president and CEO. “Nearly 70 percent of our visitors travel from outside Whatcom County, and we strive to offer all of our visitors an unforgettable experience. This accolade is evidence that our hard work is making that happen.” The SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention (formerly the American Museum of Radio and Electricity), located at 1312 Bay St., updated its name in early 2012. The all ages museum offers interactive exhibits and a collection of unique objects spanning four centuries of scientific achievement and cultural heritage in a world-class collection of unique objects.
Washington’s unemployment at 6.8 percent in May Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to an estimated 6.8 percent in May, the first time under 7 percent since November 2008, when the rate was 6.5 percent. The state’s unemployment rate has fallen by 0.7 percentage points since the start of the year. The state added an estimated 4,100 jobs in May, seasonally adjusted. Meanwhile, economists revised the April job numbers downward by 2,100 jobs, from a preliminary estimated gain of 3,800 to a gain of 1,700. “Washington’s labor market is continuing to recover and expand at a modest rate,” said Paul Turek, a labor economist for Employment Security. Industries with the most estimated job gains in May were government, up 3,200; education and health services, up 2,500; leisure and hospitality, up 1,500; transportation, warehousing and utilities, up 600; and retail trade, up 300 jobs. Industries showing the most job losses last month included “other services,” down 1,400; manufacturing, down 600; professional and business services, down 500; construction, down 500; wholesale trade, down 400; financial activities, down 300; and information, down 200. Most of the increase in government jobs occurred in higher education and state government. Turek said the estimated
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NWIC’s Salish Sea Research Center opens The Northwest Indian College‘s new $2.2 million Salish Sea Research Center will be fully operational by July 1, according to an announcement from the college. The facility, located on NWIC’s main Lummi Reservation campus, will support an array of research programs and areas of study, including the college’s Bachelor of Science in Native Environmental Science program. The 4,200-squarefoot building includes five main laboratories, a biology room, a wet lab, a live lab, an ecology room and an analytical chemistry room. “The Salish Sea Research Center provides our students the opportunity to work with faculty to engage in research projects and develop their science and technical skills,” NWIC President Justin Guillory said. “Of course, the building itself is great, but the learning that will occur inside the building is where our mission as a tribal college comes alive. New buildings help us build more students.” Research already planned for the facility includes an examination of Bellingham Bay nutrient and oxygen dynamics, which is going on its seventh field season this year. That project is being done in partnership with Western Washington University and Washington State University’s Whatcom County Extension. increases were due to delays in seasonal staffing reductions, which threw off the seasonal adjustment factors. Seasonal adjustment is a process in which normal seasonal changes are removed or discounted, thus making underlying trends easier to identify. When seasonal changes occur earlier or later than normal, it can cause preliminary estimates to appear larger or smaller than they really are. So far, Washington has regained about 79 percent (162,100) of the 205,000 jobs it lost during the recession. In May, an estimated 236,900 people (seasonally adjusted) in Washington were unemployed and looking for work. That includes 119,686 who claimed unemployment benefits last month.
PeaceHealth, Regence hash out new 2-year deal PeaceHealth and Regence Blueshield announced they have reached a new twoyear contract that ensures Regence members can continue receiving care at PeaceHealth facilities at in-network rates. The organizations, one a major Catholic heath care provider—and operator of St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham— and the other a major nonprofit health insurer, were in tight negotiations as a June 30 deadline to renew their contract approached. If a deal had not be reached, thousands of Whatcom County residents would have had to pay more or travel outside of the county for medical care. The new contract begins July 1, according to a press release. Details of the deal, including specific reimbursement rates, were not disclosed. The agreement covers PeaceHealth Southwest, St. John, St. Joseph and Peace Island, as well as Peace Health Medical
Northwest Indian College students, such as Aissa Yazzie, pictured above, conduct research that explores issues of importance to the region’s and nation’s tribes. NWIC PHOTO | COURTESY TO THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL
Also, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and Lummi Natural Resources, NWIC researchers have begun a project examining the dynamics of red tides. The Salish Sea Research Center was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and by NWIC’s $44
Group offices in those service areas. Earlier this month, Regence was required to notify its members that PeaceHealth would become an out-of-network provider by July 1, if a new agreement was not reached. Regence sent notification letters to more than 20,000 of its members, including those in Whatcom County.
With bridge in place, Amtrak ends extra Bellingham-Seattle route With a temporary bridge in service over the Skagit River and Interstate 5 traffic back in business, the additional Amtrak Cascades passenger train service between Bellingham and Seattle will be discontinued, according to an annoucement. Amtrak Cascades began the temporary route on May 31, in an effort to assist travelers affected by the bridge’s collapse. “Amtrak, Sound Transit and BNSF stepped up in the hours after the bridge collapse to help WSDOT quickly offer another mobility option for the traveling public,” said Washington State Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson. “I am grateful for these efforts, and that this partnership came together at a critical moment to find solutions for Washingtonians.” Information on Amtrack Cascades’ regular service routes is online at www.amtrakcascades.com.
Commodities testing firm opens new facility in Ferndale A multinational firm that provides independent commodities inspection, sampling and testing services for industry sectors including oil and petrochemicals, metals and minerals, exploration and mining, coal, as well as agri-commodities and fertilizers, has opened a new location on
million capital campaign, which has led to significant growth at NWIC in recent years. Since 2005, eight new buildings have been constructed on the college’s main campus alone and two more buildings will open within a year as a result of campaign contributions.
Slater Road in Ferndale. Inspectorate, part of Bureau Veritas’ commodities division, has opened an 8,000-square-foot facility that offers tank, rail, barge and ship inspections, gauging, sampling and draft surveys, as well as the following product testing services: diesel fuel/ASTM, crude oil, middle distillates, residual fuels, gasoline, jet fuel and liquefied petroleum gas. The company says its expansion into Whatcom County is driven by increased demand from the local refining industry. “This relocation demonstrates our commitment to drive growth and get closer to our valued refinery industry customers,” said Steve Simmons, the company’s division manager of oil and petrochemicals. “We look forward to working with our customers to deliver quality inspection and analysis results driven by the laboratory’s state-of-the-art equipment.”
Coal terminals’ study will not include broader impacts Environmental studies on proposed coal export facilities in the Pacific Northwest will not be as broad as environmental groups and others opposed to the facilities’ construction have hoped, according to Congressional committee testimony from a chief official of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The decision means the Corps, which is one of the co-lead agencies completing an environmental impact statement for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point near Bellingham, will not review a broader range of the potential negative implications of the facility’s operation. These include the effects on climate change from burning coal, traffic congestion from the transport of coal by rail, as
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THE DIRT
On Whatcom County’s “dirty” jobs
Environmental concerns motivate specialists in world of drug lab disposal Volatile work environment requires special certification, record keeping By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
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n eight years of decontaminating homes and trailers used by methamphetamine “cooks” to make the illicit drug, Pamela Cash has amassed stories that would turn nearly anyone’s stomach. With almost a decade of experience behind her, the work has become routine. But there was one job, on a property near the rural Whatcom County town of Kendall, that held a surprise even Cash wasn’t ready for. Inside a house of filth—potent, lethal chemicals strewn through unkempt rooms, a backyard overtaken by garbage piled nearly five feet high—Cash found one item that made her want to bolt from the scene altogether: an open, empty cage that looked like it had recently held some sort of reptile. A large one. “My immediate thought was: ‘They’ve got one of those giant snakes in here. I’m outta here,’” she said. All in a day’s work for Cash, who is one of 55 contractors in Washington currently certified to clean drug labs, according to the state Department of Health. To her knowledge, Cash is the only one located in Whatcom County, although the demand for cleanup takes her to job sites across the state. Drug lab cleanup is a sort of side job for Cash, who has operated Roto-Rooter Plumbing Service in Bellingham for 29 years. She said she usually works on one cleanup job per month, sometimes more depending on demand. After easier and cheaper methods to make synthetic meth were developed by clandestine cooks in the 1990s, its use spread rapidly. Today, law enforcement officials across the country still battle against the drug’s production. Reports of drug labs and illegal dumping sites in Washington state peaked in 2001, a year when more than 1,800 sites were discovered across the state, according to the Washington Department of Ecology, which keeps such records. Ecology officials say nearly all reported sites involve meth production. Whatcom County was the location of the less than one percent of the 11,407 drug sites discovered statewide between 1990 and 2009. The highest number found during that period was in Pierce County. There were no sites reported in Whatcom County in 2010, the last year records were available. Makeshift labs set up by meth cooks— most using over-the-counter medication containing pseudoephedrine along with common household chemicals and equipment—are obviously dangerous and illegal.
When they are discovered, cleanup is a complex process involving an array of tests and workers in protective gear who comb sites removing anything that might contain residue. The precautions are a necessity. Sites used to make meth can teem with dangerous acids, sodium hydroxide, flammable solvents, anhydrous ammonia, lithium and sodium metals, as well as red phosphorus. Labs can also contain debris such as pressurized cylinders and containers, chemically contaminated glassware and hypodermic needles. When a lab is discovered in a house, apartment or other property, state health officials do not allow new occupancy until the site is cleared of contamination by a certified professional. Cash said she entered the cleanup business in 2005, almost by accident. At the time, her mother was managing rental homes in Bellingham, and after one of those properties was the site of a drug bust, law enforcement officials found evidence of an active meth lab. Cash said her mother found a certified contractor to clean and decontaminate the house, paying $5,000 in advance for the job. Unfortunately, the contractor took the cash and ran. “He took her money and did nothing,” she said. So, to help her mother, and enter a new, potentially lucrative field, Cash went through the state’s certification process and did the job herself. In Washington, the state’s health department handles certifications for professionals who clean drug labs. The state offers separate certifications for workers, supervisors, contractors and trainers. Workers must complete a 40-hour course in hazardous waste handling, which are typically offered through private companies or junior colleges. Supervisors complete additional training. For contractors, who are able to bid on and accept jobs, the health department requires them to be licensed, bonded and insured as a general contractor through the
(Above) Pamela Cash, a contractor certified to clean and decontaminate drug labs, explains the features of a protective suit she wears when working on a job site. The amount of protetive gear Cash and her team members wear depends on the level of contamination present, she said. (Left) Cash in full protective gear, usually reserved for only the most contaminated sites. “You look like the Michelin man in here,” Cash said, laughing. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTOS THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL
“A lot of people probably don’t relish doing something like this, but I don’t know, I enjoy getting out there and solving problems.” state’s Department of Labor & Industries. They also must employ at least two certified cleanup workers, and at least one of them has to also be certified as a supervisor. Each certification level comes with licensing fees. Contractors pay $1,125 to start or renew a one-year certification. Cash, who works with a hired crew, said a standard cleanup job begins with a evaluation of the site. Many times state health officials have already tested the property and placed notices on the site indicating the presence of dangerous chemical contamination. But if that hasn’t happened yet, Cash will do the tests, herself. It is only after a test comes back positive for contamination that she can place a bid on a job and begin cleaning. Costs are generally the property owners’ responsibility. Cash declined to say what she charges for her cleanup services. Detailed paperwork is kept throughout the entire process, including a work plan that indicates what material will be removed from the site and where it will
be disposed, as well as photos and test results. In order to prove to health officials that a property has been properly cleaned and decontaminated, documentation is extremely important, Cash said. She said she usually tries to complete a job from start to finish in at least 45 days. The saddest part of the work, she said, and one that is unfortunately common, is cleaning out children’s bedrooms. “They’ve lost all their memories and belongings and photos and everything,” Cash said. “That’s the bad part.” But despite such reminders of the darker side of illicit drug production, Cash said she enjoys the cleanup work. Not only does it let get her outside and offer new business opportunities for her company, but it also helps her feel she is making positive changes in local communities, she said. “A lot of people probably don’t relish doing something like this, but I don’t know, I enjoy getting out there and solving problems,” Cash said. “We want the environment clean. We want the community in good shape.”
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MEETING THE NEED With expansion, Interfaith Community Health Center prepares to handle a continuing rise in patient demand By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
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oney in the nonprofit world is almost always tight. But at the Interfaith Community Health Center in Bellingham, a desire to expand and meet a growing need for affordable health care—and counter the multitude of health and social-service programs dealt funding cuts over the past several years—was enough for directors to back a fundraising campaign with a hefty $3.15 million goal. Now, with a prime component of the center’s expansion complete, its leaders believe they are in a better position to confront an increasingly uncertain future in health care. “What this project has allowed us to do is get smart and learn how to fundraise,” said Gib Clarke, Interfaith’s director of planning and development. With supporters and community members looking on, Interfaith unveiled a newly expanded facility at 220 Unity St., during an open house event in early May. The first floor of the Unity Street clinic now features 12 new exam rooms, as well as remodeled waiting areas and administrative offices. Additional expansion also adds a new in-house pharmacy at the Unity Street clinic, as well as new administration and behavioral health facilities at Interfaith’s
office at 1616 Cornwall Ave., and added space to its Ferndale dental clinic. The nonprofit center currently provides more than 14,000 Whatcom County residents with a range of affordable health services regardless of whether they carry medical insurance or have the ability to pay for care, according to Interfaith’s 2012 annual report. But with expansion, the center should be able to serve up to 3,500 new patients, said Desmond Skubi, Interfaith’s executive director. The new capacity will be a welcome addition for patients and care providers alike. Demand for Interfaith’s services has grown in tandem with rising medical costs and a sputtering economy. The center’s roster of uninsured patients has grown more than 50 percent in the past two years, while at the same time, total patient levels are up about 30 percent. The unveiling on Unity Street turned into an emotional moment for some of the center’s staff and several patients who gave remarks to visitors. Some noted the humble nature of Interfaith’s doctors and staff. For others, the clinic is just about the only place they can turn to for affordable health care for themselves and their families. The clinic’s care model centers on service for some of the most vulnerable resi-
An expanded waiting room at Interfaith Community Health Center’s facility on Unity Street in Bellingham. With new exam rooms and expanded facilities, Interfaith’s directors say they should be able to offer care to 3,500 additional patients. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL dents of Whatcom County, including 82 percent of the people in the county diagnosed with an HIV infection. More than half its patients earn annual incomes at or below the federal poverty line, defined for 2013 as a family of four earning $23,550 or less per year. Interfaith has 100 full-time and 39 parttime employees, more than 25 medical, dental and behavioral health care providers, and 38 volunteers, including 28 in its Donated Adult Dental program. The $10 million agency earned 71 percent of its 2012 revenue through patient services, 20 percent through government grants and contracts and 8 percent through private grants and donations. Mauri Ingram, president and CEO of the Whatcom Community Foundation and a member of the steering committee for the clinic’s fundraising campaign, said Interfaith is a standout element of health care in Whatcom County, particularly with its work giving access to care to low-income individuals.
Ingram said she thinks the clinic’s inhouse pharmacy will be an exciting addition to the facility, as well as an important tool to help Interfaith meet what she thinks will be one of its greatest challenges over the next several years: handling the growing needs of its patients. Revenue from the pharmacy should also help Interfaith become a more self-sustaining nonprofit operation, she added. “That’s a great thing about that component of this project,” she said. Dawson Construction Inc. has been the general contractor for the center’s expansion, said Hank Bledowski, Interfaith’s facilities manager. As a federally qualified health center, Interfaith is able to take advantage of a pharmacy program for community health clinics that offer care to medically underserved groups. Known as the 340B Program, and overseen by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration,
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DEEP GREEN Bellingham’s 2020 Engineering played a key role in the planet’s most ecofriendly commercial office building By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
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six-story building using solar panels, a rainwater cistern, composting toilets and a constellation of other systems to achieve what might be the most arduous certification process in sustainable building today. This is the Bullitt Center, extolled as the planet’s “greenest” office facility. And one Bellingham firm played a key role in its development. 2020 Engineering, which has headquarters on Dupont Street in Bellingham, designed a highly specialized sustainable water system for the $30 million, 50,000-square-foot Bullitt Center that opened in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on Earth Day, April 22, 2013. The Bullitt Center is among the most high-profile U.S. projects to have attempted the Living Building Challenge, a rigorous sustainable-building certification launched in 2006 by the Cascadia Green Building Council.
For Mark Buehrer, 2020’s founder and director, taking part in a project considered the most ambitious eco-friendly commercial development ever envisioned was a consuming process involving several years of planning and permitting. “Whenever you’re the first at doing something, it takes a lot of effort,” Buehrer said. But if the commitment pays off, 2020 will have helped prove A street-level view of the Bullitt Center, which was completed on Earth Day, April 22, 2013, in Seattle’s that self-sustaining, carbon Capitol Hill neighborhood. 2020 ENGINEERING PHOTO | COURTESY TO THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL neutral office buildings can be financially viable on a grand scale. At least, that’s what the washing dishes or bathing. registered more than 140 projects in 10 Bullitt Center’s backers hope. The Bellingham firm has worked on countries. 2020’s involvement in the project a number of other developments with Only three buildings in the U.S. have included water conservation and demand building designs geared toward low envireceived full certification. But when it estimates, as well as designs for rainwater ronmental impact. Recent projects include comes to sheer scale, the Bullitt Center harvesting using a specialized rooftop surthe the Wilkes Elementary School in surpases all. face and a 56,000-gallon cistern, compostBainbridge Island, the Bertschi Elemening toilets, and a treatment and reuse sysFrom designer to monitor tary School in Seattle, and the Greenfire tem for “greywater”—the used water from household activities such as doing laundry, Campus office and apartment complex in Projects attempting the Living Building Ballard. Challenge must survive a yearlong moniThe Living Building Challenge is an eletoring process that ensures they can hold ment tying these projects together. up to the challenge’s standards after the Considered far more demanding than buildings have been completed. its better-known compatriot, LEED (which So from now until April 2014, 2020’s stands for Leadership in Energy and Enviinvolvement in the Bullitt Center will conronmental Design), the Living Building tinue. Challenge requires projects to be self sufFuture work will include fine-tuning the ficient in energy and water use. It divides water-system designs and handing over itself into a series of components—nine control of the systems to the building’s “petals” the break down further into 20 operators, said Colleen Mitchell, a project “imperatives”—that list the requirements manager with 2020. projects must meet in order to receive cerProfessionals working inside the Bullitt tification. Center will be some of the most closely Some of the key imperatives include car- monitored office tenants in the entire free living, use of locally sourced building world. materials and a clean energy supply, and— Real-time data can pinpoint the buildthis is where 2020 comes in at the Bullitt ing’s air quality, energy and water levels, Center—a “net zero” water system that along with a variety of other measureemphasizes efficiency and on-site supply, ments. The monitoring technology treatment and reuse. The Living Building Challenge has 2020 | Page 13
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Whatcom’s home sales up 38.8 percent By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
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he market of available homes in Whatcom County shrunk in May compared to one year ago, but local real-estate
brokers posted a significant increase in closed sales. Whatcom County saw 279 closed sales on singlefamily homes and condominiums in May 2013, a 38.8 percent increase from May 2012, according to the
Northwest Multiple Listing Service, an organization that operates in 21 counties in Washington. There were 1,448 active residential listings in Whatcom County in May 2013, a 6.2 percent drop from the
1,544 listings during the same month one year ago. The median residential selling price in Whatcom County in May was $250,000, up 6.4 percent from the previous year. Average sale price in May
was $290,196, a 7.5 percent increase from 2012. In all counties the NMLS serves combined, the median sale price was $275,000; the average sale price was $343,639. In markets outside of Whatcom County,
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new listings of available homes spiked, although overall inventories remain thin. There were 11,445 new listings were reported in May, the highest number since April 2010, according to the NMLS.
Shared kitchen would aid food carts By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com With the growing popularity of food trucks in American cuisine, one Bellingham chef sees an opportunity to support small business and help street food stay local. Gregg Collier plans to operate a shared commissary kitchen and a private catering company called The Goat Rodeo in a warehouse space at 2185 Alpine Way 101, in north Bellingham. He hopes to open by Aug. 1. Collier said local foodcart operators will be able to rent out the kitchen for food preparation. He added that he also wants to develop a cooperative for food vendors in Bellingham and Whatcom County. The kitchen will emphasize cooking and food prep using local produce and food items, he said. A main goal is to connect vendors with local farmers and food producers to create a distribution and production point for communitysourced street food, he added. “This will allow the creativity and the ‘mom-andpop’ startups to take hold,” he said. Street vendors have become more popular in many American food and restaurant markets over the past several years. On Bellingham sidewalks and street corners, food trucks and carts are now a common sight. A 2012 estimate from market research firm IBISWorld suggested the U.S. street-food vending industry could have annual revenue of up to $1 billion. Collier is a classically trained chef who said he’s been in the business for more than two decades.
July 2013
Holiday Inn at airport gets approval on lease By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com Bellingham will have a new 150-160 room Holiday Inn next to its airport within two years. The Port of Bellingham commission unanimously approved a lease with Hotel Services Group LLC during a public meeting on Tuesday, June 4, to build and operate the hotel, which will be located across the street from the Bellingham International Airport. Hotel Services Group now operates in Bellingham as Bellingham HI LLC. The lease requires the hotel to be open for business by Nov. 15, 2015. But its developer will aim for earlier. “We’d like to hit the summer season for 2015,” said Dan Mitzel, chairman of Hotel Service Group. The Holiday Inn will be built on 3.77 acres of port-owned property on Mitchell Way, just south of the Pacific Cataract Laser Institute near the airport’s commercial terminal. It will include a full restaurant and lounge, an indoor pool, up to 7,000 square feet of conference rooms and meeting space, as well as surface and underground parking. The hotel should employ about 40 full-time workers, with an additional 40-50 employees expected to staff the restaurant. The project’s construction, which is valued at $18 million to $20 million, must begin by May 15, 2014, according to the lease. Mitzel said construction would likely start sooner. Hotel Services Group could begin staging equipment and making other site preparations by March of next year, he said. Excavation work could then happen in June, and the hotel’s structure could be framed and covered by November, he added. “It’s a 13-month project from start to finish,” Mitzel said. The lease requires port approval of building plans before any construction starts. In March, Mitzel presented a preliminary conceptual drawing of the hotel to the commission. That drawing showed a four-story building with a separate entrance for its attached restaurant.
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The actual design will differ from preliminary sketches, Mitzel told the commission on June 4. The lease also gives Hotel Services Group a license to clear 1.5 acres of land between the building site and the Pacific Cataract Institute. Shirley McFearin, the port’s real-estate director, said allowing the developer to clear the land at its own expense could open space for an additional gravel parking lot for the airport, while a search for a longterm tenant to use the property could continue. The land-clearing license will allow Hotel Services Group to remove trees and vegetation located on the site, which will give the hotel better visibility from Interstate 5, Mitzel said. The hotel’s proximity to the highway will play a big role in its success, he added. “I suspect that eventually that whole area will be cleared for development, and we would like to clear
it sooner rather than later,” Mitzel said. Hotel Services Group has its own construction and earthwork companies, Mitzel said, which are expected to handle the site’s preparation and the hotel’s construction. Port staff began searching for a developer for the property in fall 2012. A selection group mulled proposals from three other potential developers before picking Hotel Services Group, a Mount Vernonbased company that operates eight national-brand hotels in western Washington. Proposals were also submitted by Erck Hotels Corp. of Missoula, Montana, for a Hilton Garden Inn, a local developer represented by Dave Ebenal for a Cambria Suites hotel, and a company called Architecturally Distinct Solutions of Kelowna, British Columbia, for a Wyndham-brand Wingate Hotel, according to McFearin.
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2020 Engineering’s sustainable water-system designs among several elements helping achieve certification provides so much detail that building managers can determine exactly where resources are being drained, right down to a particular electrical outlet or shower nozzle. Mitchell said a major part of her current work with the Bullitt Center involves education and outreach to tenants, helping them understand how the building’s water systems function and how they require different care and attention compared to those found in more traditional buildings. She said this type of education is common when introducing 2020’s sustainable designs to new users. “I think even just the basic concepts are beyond what a lot of people think about,” she said.
Meeting challenges Mitchell said one of the most difficult aspects of designing and planning the Bullitt Center was squaring
the building’s sustainable features with the multi-level array of permitting and regulatory rules that come with any development. From the start, the Bullitt Foundation—the driving force behind the project, led by Earth Day founder Denis Hayes—wanted to have the center’s construction align with Seattle building codes and regulations, rather than request a special waiver, Mitchell said. While the project had the support of local, state and federal government officials, working through the pile of necessary regulations was time consuming, she said. Some issues, including how the building can discharge some of its wastewater into Seattle’s municipal system, are still being worked out. Mitchell said finding the “sweet spot” for all the building’s various sustainable systems to work
together as one unit was a key to the design process. Specific requirements for one element of the Bullitt Center would mean changes or accommodations for others. One example involved 2020’s composting toilets, which needed to be built off the ground to have functional plumbing. Doing so required input and modification from the project’s architectural and mechanical engineering teams. Since the Bullitt Center is essentially an ecosystem of green-design features, reigning in the different aspects of the project and getting all of the development’s partners on the same page was difficult, at times, Buehrer said. “Any of the ideas that any of the partners threw out there had a ripple effect through all the different components,” Buehrer said.
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THE DRAWING BOARD Longtime architectural illustrator says the digital age is shaping the future of his field | Q&A By Evan Marczynski evan@bbjtoday.com
A
s an architectural illustrator, Rick Mullen has spent decades drawing, painting and rendering a host of development proposals, including hotels, airports, housing communities and public-works projects. Mullen opened his downtown Bellingham office, Presentation Art Studio, in 1983, and since then has ridden the waves of construction booms and busts, as well as the evolving nature of architectural art, a specialized field once done entirely by hand that today is dominated by computers and digitally rendered graphics. While his medium might have changed, Mullen said his job as an illustrator remains essentially the same: take an arcane set of schematics and transform them into an image of a project’s full potential. BBJ: How did you find yourself in this profession? Why did you decide to pursue it? Mullen: I knew early on that I enjoyed drawing and had some natural talent for it, but it wasn’t until college that I started taking the idea of drawing or illustrating seriously. Early travels through Europe were also a tremendous eye opener to the wonders of architecture and fine art. With the apprecia-
tion I had for architecture and the love of drawing, it seemed to be a logical direction. There were no freelance illustrators north of Seattle doing this kind of work, so I thought there might be an opportunity. I knew Bellingham was growing, and I hoped to grow my business with it. BBJ: When you have an illustration job, is there a routine or process you follow? What’s your first step? Mullen: The first step is to be sure the scope of work is clearly understood by both parties and a written agreement for services is acknowledged. This kind of work has a way of morphing into much more than the original scope. The process then, is to build a 3-D computer model from the architect’s design schematics This is also when colors, materials and sun direction are established, which can be changed if necessary. When that is all approved, the entourage can be added in the way of cars, people, landscaping, signage and backgrounds. This is what gives the image life, character and a connection that the general public can identify with. A successful illustration allows others to see the design in the context of the real world, as a tangible part of its environment, imbued with life and activity.
Rick Mullen, in his office in downtown Bellingham, said he began his career more than three decades ago creating hand-drawn illustrations. But today, with computers and digital graphics, he has embraced the new possibilities of technology. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL It’s this artistic expression that I love about my work. BBJ: Technology has obviously changed your job tremendously over the years, but aside from that, what would you say are the greatest differences in how you do your work today versus how you did your work when you first began? Mullen: Analog (hand) versus digital (computer)—that is the greatest difference. I produced hundreds of renderings for almost 13 years before ever touching a computer. Perspective grids, measuring point systems and layers of flimsy tracing paper were required before you could start the actual final pen and ink or colored illustration. It was all done by hand, as were the architects’ designs. Now all that preliminary work is done on the computer. The computer graphics indus-
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try, or CGI, is the most profound change, but other than that it pretty much remains the same as it has for centuries: to illustrate what a proposed building project will look like when completed. I will add that the need for line work versus color has also changed. Before color laser copiers and desktop printers were available, color offset printing was your only choice and very expensive for short runs or one-off copies. Probably 70 percent of my drawings in the 8os and 90s were pencil or pen and ink. Because of the low cost of color reproduction, I rarely do a pencil or pen and ink drawing anymore. BBJ: Can you explain more about the pros and cons of analog work versus digital. Mullen: Having worked for almost 30 years in this business, I have seen the transition from hand drawing to computers. I chose to learn and utilize much of the computer graphics technology in order to stay competitive and to offer a broader range of services, and I believe I am one of the few architectural illustrators working today to offer both styles of presentation. A hand rendering (particularly a very loose style) very often suggests to the client that this is a work in progress of the artist’s or designer’s concept. It’s an expression of an idea, and it gives the viewer the ability to imagine along with the designer and more easily offer input. It’s a very tactile
and individual form of communication. A photo-realistic digital rendering pretty much says: This is how it is and will be. And it can leave a little less to the imagination. However, digital renderings do offer a level of credibility associated with marketing a project, because we are so accustomed to assuming that photos are real. A big limitation of digital rendering is that the design needs to be almost 80 percent complete in order to even start the 3-D modeling. This means a majority of the details need to be worked out and drafted in CAD (computeraided design) software before the preliminary modeling can begin and before the client has the opportunity to review the progress. I can’t tell you the number of times I have to ask: what are the colors, finishes, and materials going to be, and do you have a landscape plan? The response is, usually, “We haven’t gotten that far yet.” On the other hand, an advantage of computer models is their ability to allow you to alter part of the image without effecting the whole piece. Hand drawn paintings can be extremely difficult to change. BBJ: What is your biggest professional challenge today? Mullen: It’s two things really. Advancements in architectural CAD (computer-aided design) software have made it possible for most architecture firms to produce highly technical perspective drawings, and some CAD programs actually produce a 3-D model while drafting in 2-D. These renderings used to be reserved for the few architects or drafters who could draw by hand or they would contract these
Q&A | Page 15
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Q&A | FROM 14
Hand-drawn illustrations add feeling, digital creates detail, Mullen says services out to freelance illustrators. While the computer models are technically accurate they are not the whole picture of how a building will look in its intended environment, and can often lack good composition or any real emotion or connectivity with their target audience. They often focus too much on the technical and less on the aesthetic. Unfortunately this lower standard of rendering is becoming acceptable to many clients, and they are missing the opportunity to have a more specialized presentation with a much stronger impact. The other big issue is outsourcing. While it hasn’t been a big problem for me with local clients, in Seattle I often find I’m bidding against global rendering companies from China, India or the Middle East. It’s impossible to compete with their prices and many illustrators have simply been put out of business from it here in the States. BBJ: How do you think the building industry in Whatcom County is doing right now? Are things picking up? Mullen: Compared to the Great Recession, it has obviously picked up, but I think locally it is still a little slow. Three, maybe four new hotels, a new Costco, new medical offices are all good signs, and the housing industry has picked up considerably. I especially see this in the Seattle area. My understanding is commercial financing is still difficult, but I do know of several big projects in design development that look very promising. Much of my work is coming from other parts of the state and several projects out of state, so it is tough
(Above) Gibson Dam Hydro Powerhouse in Montana, created for Whitewater Engineering, watercolor. (Right) Holiday Inn at Bellingham International Airport, created for Hotel Services Group LLC, digital model and photography. RICK MULLEN ILLUSTRATIONS | COURTESY TO THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL
for me to determine other than what I read about locally. I believe the future downtown waterfront development will be a huge boon for construction and general economic growth in our region over the next 10 to 20 years. BBJ: If you met someone who wanted to pursue architectural illustration, and they were in the same spot you were in when your career first began, what would you tell them? Mullen: I believe it would be best to pursue an architecture degree with a strong
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same really can’t be said for much of the computer modeling generated today, which very often all looks the same. I would also add that you better love what you do and be ready to change with the industry—be creative.
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emphasis on both traditional art and computer graphics. You will have more to offer a larger architectural firms or a larger rendering company. While there is no question that computer graphics and photo-realistic rendering will be the mainstay of future architectural presentations, it is impossible to match the unique expression of an original, traditional hand-painted rendering. The
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Best Practices
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Lessons gleaned from the current state of social media
nly 37 percent of recently surveyed marketers felt their Facebook efforts were effective. Does that number surprise you? Would you also be surprised to learn that 86 percent of those same marketers said that social media in general was important to their businesses (up from 83 percent in 2012), and 69 percent said they planned to increase their overall social media presence in the coming months? The experts at Social Media Examiner released their fifth annual Social Media Marketing Study last month. The goal of the study was to better understand how marketers use social media to grow and promote their businesses. The data compiled was the result of surveying more than 3,000 marketing professionals, more than half of which were self-
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ward without being sure of the results? It seems that small businesses may struggle with measuring social media success, but they keep pushing forward because they feel social media marketing does generate extra exposure. Of those surveyed, 89 percent reported increased exposure, so it seems they are willing to look past the value of measurability. Interesting, right? The marketing study was filled with many fascinating statistics. Here are some additional tidbits to take note of: - The top five social media networks or used by marketers are, in this order: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging and YouTube. - Sixty-two percent of businesses with 10 or fewer employees felt social media reduced their marketing expenses. - Business-to-consumer companies were more likely to develop a loyal fan base (71 percent) than business-to-business companies (58 percent). - Sixty-seven percent of business-to-consumer marketers select Facebook as their platform of choice, followed by blogging at 11 percent. - Fifty-seven percent of business-toconsumer marketers plan to increase their use of Pinterest. - Business-to-business marketers are split, with 29 percent choosing Facebook
and 29 percent choosing LinkedIn as their platform of choice. - Geo-location services such as Foursquare dipped in usage, from 17 percent in 2011 to 14 percent in 2012 to 11 percent in 2013. - Fifty-three percent of businesses plan to increase their use of Google+ (down from 67 percent in 2012). - Eighty percent have no plans to use daily deal sites like Groupon in the future.
Marketers push video, blogging So, if people are pulling back marketing on sites like Foursquare, Google+ and Groupon, where are they going to focus their energies instead? According to the study, many intend to ramp up their use of YouTube and blogging in the coming months. Business-to-consumer marketers plan to spend more time on Facebook while business-to-business folks are going to ramp up efforts on LinkedIn. Armed with this new information, you may want to reconsider jumping into daily deal marketing and instead look at beefing up your presence on Facebook and LinkedIn or integrating YouTube and blogging into your marketing toolbox. Patti Rowlson of PR Consulting Services is online at www.pattirowlson.com.
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Thoughts on the keys to business longevity Guest commentary by Mark Thoma, Moss Adams LLP
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ow that we’re already halfway through the year, it is as good a time as any to look ahead at business plans and make necessary changes. As business owners work through their plans, however, they should keep in mind that planning for the next year and planning for the next 100 are two very different things. How does a company successfully achieve longevity? This has been a topic I’ve reflected on quite a bit lately as my own company marks 100 years in business this year. What are the keys to success in an ever changing and evolving marketplace? What traits do century-old companies have in common? How different do those businesses look today than they did in the eyes of their founders? Creating and sustaining an established institution and brand is an accomplishment. From my perspective, three key characteristics to longevity are the development of great talent, a commitment to customer service and establishing a deep level of trust in the marketplace. A company is only as good as its people, and customer service keeps people coming back year after year. Trust, internally and externally, gives a business the latitude to lead. Those traits certainly hold true for large international companies like IBM and GE. They also hold true for long standing busi-
nesses in Whatcom County. Even for those companies that haven’t hit their century mark, the commitment to talent, customer service and trust lays the foundation for their futures. However, those traits may not be enough anymore. The world is changing. Rapidly evolving technologies continually impact how businesses operate. A multitude of regulatory regimes across all industries provide new complexity to navigate, and an increasingly globalized economy means that most companies aren’t just competing on Main Street anymore. In Whatcom County, we see these dynamics every day. With many local businesses that have either started to, or are already providing, products and services across the border and internationally, thinking globally is a trend that is increasing. Whether it’s a business specializing in manufacturing and consumer products companies as well as those who operate in the food and agriculture industry, there are several Canadian and international businesses that are interested in or have started businesses in the Whatcom County. In a changing world, the attributes for success are more dynamic. Businesses need more acumen, agility and answers than ever before. Those are certainly themes we watch at Moss Adams, both in how we operate our business as well as how we organize ourselves to serve the marketplace. Acumen means we need advanced intel-
ligence and perspective. Agility means we have to be more nimble, move faster and stay ahead of the changes the business community faces. And answers are what we’re always striving for as new questions continue to arise. Our goal is to provide solutions for our clients, not just services, by anticipating our client’s needs before they even know they have questions. I see those traits in our business community, as well. More and more, companies find that they need to make decisions quicker. In turn, they look to us to provide them with advice and answers just as quickly. As the rate and pace of change continues to accelerate local businesses are serving their customer base at an increasingly faster pace, and doing it more efficiently. I hope that more business leaders are as
optimistic as I am. We have seen increased growth with our clients and we continue to serve more and more clients each year. We are optimistic that businesses are growing and we see the opportunity in particular for businesses in Whatcom County. People start companies to grow and last. For some that includes a short-term exit strategy, and for others longevity in their role is key. Regardless, they may not be thinking about 100 years but they can learn from the past. Priorities can change, as well as executives, employees and the needs of the marketplace. The companies that will succeed are the companies that can adapt. Mark Thoma is managing partner at the Bellingham office of Moss Adams LLP, an accounting and consulting firm.
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Recently filed public record information Public record information is obtained from a variety of sources. Business licenses and building permits are from the city of Bellingham. Liquor licenses are from the Washington State Liquor Control Board. Bankruptcies are from the U.S.bankruptcy court in Seattle. Tax liens are from the Whatcom County Auditor. Judgments are from the Whatcom County Superior Court. Listings are subject to change and are only current as of their filing dates. Due to space constraints, some public records might be omitted in print. All public records can also be found online at BBJToday.com. Building permits appear weekly, usually on Tuesdays. Liquor licenses appear every other week, usually on Thursdays. All other records appear monthly. For more information, please email editor@bbjtoday.com.
Business licenses 2013 M&T Investment Partnership, 2013 M&T Investment Partnership, 258 W. Bakerview Road, Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98226. A Maker Of Things LLC, A Maker Of Things LLC, 2808 Woburn St., Bellingham, WA 98226. A Pinch Of Love, Robert J. Currie, 1208 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. A Window Washing, Leon Joseph Nishball, 1409 G St. #B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Advanced Heating Storage of Stanwood, Wesche Properties LLC, 1941 Lake Whatcom Boulevard #3, Bellingham, WA 98229. Airbrush Tan by Heidi, Heidi Kristine George, 2833 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Airhead Rentals LLC, Airhead Rentals LLC, 1902 Midway Lane, Suite 113, Bellingham, WA 98226. Al’s Handyman Services, William Allen Loftus, 903 E. Maple St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Andrea Halsell Photography, Andrea Jane Halsell, 1537 Lowell Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229. Animal Attraction, R.B. Inc., 5206 Guide Meridian, Bellingham, WA 98226. Areca, Areca Julia Hollingsworth, 2825 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Ariel Court Development Inc., Ariel Court Development Inc., 1015 Red Tail Lane, Bellingham, WA 98226. Artisan Designs, Jenna Estefan, 1 Bellis Fair Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226. Ashkelar LLC, Ashkelar LLC, 4530 Merlin Court, Bellingham, WA 98229. AVA.AI LLC, AVA.AI LLC, 1201 Cornwall Ave., Suite 201, Bellingham, WA 98225. Barbara J. Wood Phd. Psychologist LLC, Barbara J. Wood Phd. Psychologist LLC, 1313 E. Maple St., Suite 201-593 (Gateway Centre), Bellingham, WA 98225. Beer Gang Creations, Brian Joseph Anderson, 1211 Newton St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Bella Stylez, Natasha Jurena Capaldi, 2621 W. Maplewood Ave., Apt. 209, Bellingham, WA 98225. Bellingham Flatbread and Bakery, Christie Marie Jaquette, 2500 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Bellingham Foot Spa LLC, Bellingham Foot Spa LLC, 133 Telegraph Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Bellingham Tax Service, James Velox & James, 1721 St. Paul Lane, Bellingham, WA 98229. Bicymple LLC, Bicymple LLC, 2821 Russell St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Bill Nolan Astrological Consultation, William Kenneth Nolan, 37 N. Summit Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Bloom Bellingham Prenatal Massage, Jennifer Reid LMP LLC, 1229 Cornwall Ave., Suite 203, Bellingham, WA 98225. Bloomington Botanical, Bloomington Botanical, 1733 King St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Brittany Dawn Schnelle, Brittany Dawn Schnelle, 1616 Baylon Road, Bellingham, WA 98225. Caring Companion Care, Patricia Ann Roe, 3604 Sylvan Pl., Bellingham, WA 98226. Carly Hartwick, Carly Renee Hartwick, 1201 11th St., Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98225. Carne Bellingham, Carne Bellingham LLC, 902 N. State St., Suite 104, Bellingham, WA 98225. Cascade Transcription Services, Cascade Transcription Services, 1521 James St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Cassandra Bazhaw Photographic Art, Cassandra Elise Bazhaw, 1900 Roeder Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Charles Cooper Construction, Charles Duane Cooper, 3453 Highfield Court, Bellingham, WA 98226. Christy’s Interiors, Christy Earlene Dahms, 238 Terrace Pl., Bellingham, WA 98225. Coen Cleaning, Amber Leigh Coen, 829 W. Lake Samish Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. College Pro Painters of East Bellingham, Zachary James Balvanz, 2836 Jensen Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Compass Christian Counseling LLC, Compass Christian Counseling LLC, 1313 E. Maple St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Compel Fitness LLC, Compel Fitness LLC, 1504 Iowa St., Bellingham,
WA 98229. Computer and Online Liquidators, Daniel Clyde Metcalf, 4189 Y Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Creative Openings, Tom David Anderson, 929 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Daniel C. Best OD PS, Daniel C. Best OD PS, 1 Bellis Fair Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226. Date and Paint, Lorea Hokanson, 4071 Hannegan Road, Suite R, Bellingham, WA 98226. David Matthew Caulfield, David Matthew Caulfield, 444 S. State St. #201, Bellingham, WA 98225. Dog Gone Gorgeous, Dog Gone Gorgeous LLC, 4120 Meridian St., Suite 10, Bellingham, WA 98226. Downpixel, Robert Joseph Harvey, 5826 Pacific Rim Way, Apt. 34, Bellingham, WA 98226. Drake’s Cleaning Services, Julie Anne Drake, 4268 Van Horn Lane, Bellingham, WA 98226. DSDNEY Inc., DSDNEY Inc., 2422 Franklin St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Dusty Jacket Booksellers, Kristi I. Folger, 1400 12th St., Apt. 606, Bellingham, WA 98225. Energy Consultants NW, Jaime Javier Olivarez, 3771 Westhills Pl., Bellingham, WA 98226. Equilon Enterprises LLC, Equilon Enterprises LLC, 1801 Roeder Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. ESS Support Services, Statewide Services Inc., 629 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Everbaron, Ever Baron LLC, 1319 Cornwall Ave., Suite 200, Bellingham, WA 98225. Festival Espresso, Festival Espresso, 2300 E. Sunset Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. FHB Consulting Services Inc., FHB Consulting Services Inc., 114 W. Magnolia St., Suite 422, Bellingham, WA 98225. Forest Garden Urban Ecology Center, Forest Garden LLC, 905 E. Victor St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Friendly Fulks Hair Care, Shannon Nicole Alvarado, 109 Prospect St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Gallant Design and Construction, Gallant Design & Construction Inc., 2514 Huron St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Gdaigou Purchasing, Globaleasybuy Enterprises Corporation Inc., 1313 E. Maple St., Suite 596, Bellingham, WA 98225. Grant Gunderson Photography Inc., Grant Gunderson Photography Inc., 10 Louise View Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Gridcoders, Reginald Gaines, 1800 Alabama St., Apt. 6, Bellingham, WA 98229. Hamsters Thrift Boutique, Dearbhla Maria O’Leary, 1051 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Henderson Lawn Care, Douglas Edward Henderson, 1688 Sapphire Trail, Bellingham, WA 98226. Hers, Lynn Marie Billington, 401 N. Forest St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Holcomb Cards and Consulting, Richard C. Holcomb, 1581 Avalon Court, Bellingham, WA 98226. Hotties Mobile Auto Detailing LLC, Hotties Mobile Auto Detailing LLC, 2618 Michigan St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Huntco LLC, Huntco LLC, 4326 Pacific Highway, Bellingham, WA 98226. J Meyers Property Management and Construction Services LLC, J Meyers Property Managements and Construction Services LLC, 3204 Alderwood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Jacobo’s Flooring, Jackson Jacobo Martinez, 1408 Birchwood Ave., Apt. 208, Bellingham, WA 98225. Jaymac Plumbing LLC, Jaymac Plumbing LLC, 379 W. King Tut Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Jenevieve Neros Physical Therapy, Jenevieve Lyn Neros, 2511 Keesling St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Jon Lee Van De Wetering, Jon Lee Van De Wetering, 1466 E. Sunset Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Julia Dolores McNerthney-Campos, Julia Dolores McNerthneyCampos, 1305 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Just The Tip Piercing, Ashley Nicole Lortz, 209 E. Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Kelly Anne Nolan, Kelly Anne Nolan, 3617 Westridge Pl., Bellingham, WA 98226. Klipsun LLC, Klipsun LLC, 1231 Chuckanut Drive, Bellingham, WA 98229. Leaf and Ladle, Leaf and Ladle LLC, 1113 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225.
Life Cycle Pet Cremation, Life Cycle Pet Cremation, 801 W. Orchard Drive, Suite 4, Bellingham, WA 98225. Lisa Jeffries Counseling, Lisa Jo Jeffries, 1031 N. State St., Apt. 108, Bellingham, WA 98225. LSV Solutions, LSV Solutions LLC, 2015 24th St., Unit 61, Bellingham, WA 98225. LTC Solutions Inc., LTC Solutions Inc., 3329 Sussex Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Lumilite Special Markets, Lumilite Special Markets LLC, 5373 Guide Meridian, Unit E6/E7, Bellingham, WA 98226. Lydia Estelle Blakeway, Lydia Estelle Blakeway, 4073 Hannegan Road, Suite B, Bellingham, WA 98226. Lyndz Goforth, Lyndz Brooke Goforth, 1202 17th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Manntechnik, William Charles Mann, 2721 St. Clair St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Mara Marie Makeup, Mara Marie Makeup, 1450 Greenville Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Maria Dalzot RD, Maria Lyn Dalzot, 510 E. Laurel St., Unit B, Bellingham, WA 98226. Matthew Hogan, Matthew James Hogan, 4164 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Medical Reserve Corps of Whatcom County, Medical Reserve Corps of Whatcom County, 1200 Duval St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Melanie J. Lankhaar, Melanie J. Lankhaar, 114 W. Magnolia St., Suite 103, Bellingham, WA 98225. Menchie’s Bakerview Road, Penneycandy Inc., 1301 Bakerview Road, Suite 106, Bellingham, WA 98226. Michelle Gordon, Michelle Louise Gordon, 2818 Flint St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Mikols, Sandra Rae Henderson, 2833 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98225. MK Consulting, Sarah Kathleen Murphy-Kangas, 2700 W. Crestline Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. Mobilemedia Services, Geoffrey Taylor Jones, 3305 McAlpine Road, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mt. Baker Candy Co., Horgen Enterprises LLC, 1 Bellis Fair Parkway, Suite 434, Bellingham, WA 98226. NR Ventures LLC, Vasanthan Sitampalam, 1926 Wildflower Way, Bellingham, WA 98229. Nathan Anthony Romano, Nathan Anthony Romano, 1200 Lincoln St., Unit 195, Bellingham, WA 98229. Nathan L. McAllister Attorney at Law, Nathan L. McAllister Attorney at Law, 1313 E. Maple St., Suite 208, Bellingham, WA 98225. Nicole Isaacson, Nicole Ailene Isaacson, 4260 Cordata Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226. North Seattle Sailing Charters, North Seattle Sailing Charters, 2615 S. Harbor Loop Drive, Suite 1, Bellingham, WA 98225. North of Life Farms, Andrew Donald Simpson, 1359 Welling Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Old School Tattoo, Old School Tattoo LLC, 209 E. Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Olympic Outdoorsman, Olympic Outdoorsman LLC, 336 36th St. #613, Bellingham, WA 98225. Perfect Windows, Jacob Isaac Azulay, 2808 Huron St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Pet Stylist, Analisa Marie Aragon, 4120 Meridian St., Suite 150, Bellingham, WA 98226. Pettis Consulting, Pettis Perry, 1001 N. State St., Apt. 207, Bellingham, WA 98225. Preview Properties Whatcom LLC, Preview Properties Whatcom LLC, 1313 E. Maple St., Suite 206, Bellingham, WA 98225. Rachelleye, Rachelle Suzanne Jones, 2156 E. Birch St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Relonavigator, Feliciano Taeza Terrenal Jr., 3150 Orleans St., Unit 32535, Bellingham, WA 98228. Restore It by Byron, Byron B. Cordova, 3240 Cherrywood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Riderpak, Nancy K. Braam, 4672 Van Wyck Lane, Bellingham, WA 98226. Rixrubz, Rick William Monrean, 1515 38th St., Bellingham, WA 98229. RMJ, Randy Michael Johnson, 1001 C St. #F, Bellingham, WA 98225. Rosewolf Scientific, Jeannie Rose Gilbert, 2717 W. Maplewood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Rowcliffe’s Handyman Service, Casey Scott Rowcliffe, 1516 Fruitland Drive, Bellingham, WA 98226. RV Davis Design Consultant, Richard Van Davis, 428 Kline Road, Bellingham, WA 98226. Rx-Mart Pharmacy, Rx-Mart Pharmacy, 300 E. Sunset Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225. Ryan Lambert, Ryan Alan Lambert, 4242 Wintergreen Circle, Apt. 367, Bellingham, WA 98226. Sabre Composites Corporation, Sabre Composites Corporation, 4131 Hannegan Road, Suite 103, Bellingham, WA 98226. Schneider Investments LLC, Schneider Investments LLC, 1321 King St., Suite 1, Bellingham, WA 98229. Sea-Mar Community Health Center, Sea-Mar Community Health Center, 1603 E. Illinois St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Second Date Consulting, Heather K. Davidson, 1119 Newton St., Bellingham, WA 98229.
July 2013 Sehome Village Merchant Association, Sehome Village Merchant Association, 330 36th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Serenity Business Solutions, Stephanie J. Opsteegh, 430 S. Garden St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Seth Carson Agency, Seth Carson Agency Inc., 1200 Old Fairhaven Parkway, Apt. 107, Bellingham, WA 98225. Simply Fanciful, Elisabeth Anne Hanson, 4380 Tull Road, Apt. 404, Bellingham, WA 98226. Sprial Studios, Laura Michelle Banks, 505 N. Garden St., Apt. 4-C, Bellingham, WA 98225. Staged Right Home Staging and Redesign, Stacy Denise Phelps, 4707 Fir Tree Way, Bellingham, WA 98229. Steve Hall Woodworking Inc., Steve Hall Woodworking Inc., 814 Donovan Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Subdued Spirits Small Craft Distillery, Subdued Spirits Small Craft Distillery, 1409 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Sunny Books, Sunny D. Hill, 4401 Alice St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Super Duper Burger & Teriyaki, Jina Chung, 2019 Harris Ave. #B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Tailor’d Web Design, Jesse Crowell, 826 Queen St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Taqueria Tecalitlan, Juan Carrilo, 1263 Barkley Blvd., Suite 101, Bellingham, WA 98226. The Loft at Latitude 48.5, Latitude Restaurants Bellingham Inc., 1801 Roeder Ave., Suite 120, Bellingham, WA 98225. The Urban Accountant, Linda Marie Ford, 115 S. Forest St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Three Track Mind, Desirae Louise Hill, 1119 N. Forest St., Apt. 301, Bellingham, WA 98229. Timothy Daniel Ferguson, Timothy Daniel Ferguson, 3806 Bennett Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229. Ultratees, Rachel Marie Kennedy, 1020 N. Forest St., Apt. J, Bellingham, WA 98225. Urban Greene Gardens, Michael Doyle Greene, 1205 N. State St., Apt. 37, Bellingham, WA 98225. Vertex Marine Inc., Vertex Marine Inc., 140 W. Axton Road, Suite 1, Bellingham, WA 98226. Vimi Productions, Victor Bradley Gotelaere, 1548 E. Maryland St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Vintage Touch Rentals, Bellhaven Unlimited LLC, 1305 39th St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Visionnaire Hair, Danielle Kristine Good, 3514 Northwest Ave., Apt. 2, Bellingham, WA 98225. W.I.G., Whatcom Investment Group LLC, 2665 E. 39th Terrace, Bellingham, WA 98226. Wafl Stop LLc, Wafl Stop LLC, 1219 N. Garden St., Apt. B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Whatcom Windows & Gutters Inc., Whatcom Windows & Gutters Inc., 3374 Northwest Ave., Apt. 201, Bellingham, WA 98225. WinCo Foods, WinCo Holdings Inc., 300 E. Bellis Fair Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226. Zazen Salon Spa, Lotus Blossom Corp., 11 Bellwether Way, Suite 102, Bellingham, WA 98225.
Building permits Highest-valued permits ISSUED 516 High St. (WWU Fairhaven Commons), $782,113 for commercial alteration: food service remodel in existing college commons building. Contractor: Tiger Construction Ltd. Permit No.: BLD2013-00203. Issued June 5. 1155 N. State St., $743,000 for commercial alterations and additions: shell improvements, first floor (includes added mezzanines in most units); limited exterior renovations to restore windows and storefront: The Herald Building. Permit No.: BLD2013-00131. Issued June 12. 3347 Northwest Ave., $712,458 for new multifamily four-unit townhouse building: Northwest Avenue Apartments. Contractor: GFC Construction. Permit No.: BLD2013-00062. Issued June 14. 2938 Lindbergh Ave., $305,000 for commercial re-roof: remove two existing roof layers, replace with new TPO roof. Applicant: RMC Architects. Contractor: Berschauer Phillips. Permit No.: BLD201300153. Issued June 6. 3353 Northwest Ave., $347,796 for new multifamily four-unit townhouse building: Northwest Avenue Apartments. Contractor: GFC Construction. Permit No.: BLD2013-00063. Issued June 14. 3343 Northwest Ave., $347,796 for new multifamily four-unit townhouse building: Northwest Avenue Apartments. Contractor: GFC Construction. Permit No.: BLD2013-00005. Issued June 14. 2950 Squalicum Parkway 102, $201,000 for commercial alterations: remodel of approximately 50 percent of main floor and minor remodels at basement level: St. Joseph Hospital Wynne Building. Contractor: Scoboria Construction Inc. Permit No.: BLD201300259. Issued June 12. 4165 Hannegan Road 201, $192,804 for commercial alteration/ addition: construct single-family residence as second floor of existing building (to be used as watchman’s quarters) (most work completed without permits or inspections): Donnette Studios. Applicant: Fuller Building Design. Permit No.: BLD2013-00026. Issued May 22. RECENTLY ACCEPTED PERMIT APPLICATIONS 516 High St. (WWU athletic fields), $3 million for commercial
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construction of new restroom/locker/ticket building and new grandstand (includes construction of new bunker walkway stair). Applicant: Zervas Group. Permit No.: BLD2013-00050. Accepted June 12. 111 W. Chestnut St., $1,350,000 for new mixed-use building (above existing altered basement). Permit No.: BLD2013-00285. Accepted June 12. 3015 Squalicum Parkway 200, $567,000 for interior tenant improvement, nonstructural, to remodel existing medical offices for expanded orthopedic clinic. Applicant: Ross Architecture NW. Permit No.: BLD2013-00252. Accepted June 10. 1600 Broadway St., $285,000 for commercial: additions and remodel to existing structure to create a new birthing center: Birthroot Midwifery. Contractor: Chuckanut Builders LLC. Permit No.: BLD201300205. Accepted June 11. 112 Samish Way, $200,000 for commercial alterations: eliminating mansard roof and replacing with parapets, updating dining and restrooms. optimizing drive-thru lane: McDonald’s at Samish Way. Applicant: Freiheit & Ho Architects. Permit No.: BLD2013-00138. Accepted June 11. 1204 Cornwall Ave., $86,000 for tenant improvement: convert office space into restaurant. Permit No.: BLD2013-00279. Accepted June 11. 2940 Squalicum Parkway 203, $50,000 for tenant improvement: remodel for Bellingham Ear Nose & Throat. Permit No.: BLD201300288. Accepted June 14. 400 W. Orchard Drive, $50,000 for tenant improvement: interior remodel for pet food production. Permit No.: BLD2013-00280. Accepted June 11. 715 W. Orchard Drive 3, $15,000 for tenant improvement: removal of one restroom and construction of new partition walls to expand work areas for company re-packaging chemical products: Toku-E Co. Applicant: Scoboria Construction Inc. Permit No.: BLD2013-00112. Accepted June 11.
Liquor licenses New license applications Rite Aid #5241, Thrifty Payless Inc.; Kenneth Charles Black, Gerald Cardinale, Susan Lowell, Michael A. Podgurski and Matthew C. Schroeder applied to move the location on a license to sell beer/ wine/spirits in a grocery store and operate as a wine retailer/reseller from, 1733 H St. #500, Blaine, WA 98230, to 1195 Boblett St., Blaine, WA 98230. Filed June 10. Leaf and Ladle, Leaf and Ladle LLC; Linda Rae Grosjean-Melim, Morgan Lindsey Gaunt and Jared Joseph Gaunt applied for a new license to sell beer/wine in a restaurant and for off-premises consumption at 1113 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed June 10. Semiahmoo Resort, Coastal Hotel Group LLC; Frank K. Finneran, Susan M. Finneran, Ervin William Hutsen, Linda K. Hutsen, Stuart Talbot Rolfe and Theiline W. Rolfe applied for a new license to sell alcohol in a hotel at 9565 Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine, WA 98230. Filed June 5. Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club, Coastal Hotel Group LLC dba Coastal Hotel; Frank K. Finneran, Susan M. Finneran, Ervin William Hutsen, Linda K. Hutsen, Stuart Talbot Rolfe and Theiline W. Rolfe applied for a new license to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant lounge and sell wine for off-premises consumption at 8720 Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine, WA 98230. Filed June 4. Loomis Trail Golf Club, Coastal Hotel Group LLC dba Coastal Hotel; Frank K. Finneran, Susan M. Finneran, Ervin William Hutsen, Linda K. Hutsen, Stuart Talbot Rolfe and Theiline W. Rolfe applied for a new license to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant lounge at 4342 Loomis Trail Road, Blaine, WA 98230. Filed June 4. SpringHill Suites, 360 Hotel Management Company LLC; Amaan Kurji and Feyrouz Damji Kurji applied for a new license to sell alcohol in a hotel at 4040 Northwest Ave., Bellingham, WA 98226. Filed May 28. Valley Market and Deli, Metbell Inc.; Patrick Timothy McEvoy, Michael C. McEvoy and James Allan Evans applied for a new license to sell beer/wine in a restaurant and for off-premises consumption at 1945 Lake Whatcom Blvd., Suite B, Bellingham, WA 98229. Filed May 24. Culinary Creations, Colman Management Company LLC; Colleen
R. Mitchell applied for a new license to sell beer/wine in a restaurant and for off-premises consumption, and be a direct shipment receiver (in/out of WA) at 1210 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed May 16. Acme Farms + Kitchen, Acme Farms + Kitchen LLC; Cara Piscitello, Jason Todd Williard and Joy Rubey applied for a new license to sell beer/wine in a restaurant and for catering services at 1309 N. State St., A101, Bellingham, WA 98225. Filed May 16. Recently approved licenses WinCo Foods at 300 E. Bellis Fair Parkway, Bellingham, WA 98226, was approved for a new license to be a direct shipment receiver (in/out of WA). Filed June 11. California Tacos & Fresh Juices at 4260 Cordata Parkway, Suite 108, Bellingham, WA 98226, was approved for a new license to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant service bar. Filed June 7. Beaver Inn at 115 E. Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225, was approved for a license change to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant lounge. Filed May 21. Good Burger at 5687 3rd Ave., Ferndale, WA 98248, was approved for a new license sell beer/wine in a restaurant. Filed May 20. Discontinued licenses Thai Garden at 1317 W. Bakerview Road, Suite 102, Bellingham, WA 98226, had a license to sell beer/wine/spirits in a restaurant service bar discontinued. Filed June 3.
Bankruptcies Chapter 7 Michelle Rae Stamey, case no. 13-158180-KAO. Filed June 24. Bethany Alysse Lootens, case no. 13-15773-KAO. Filed June 21. Chelsea Marie Parks, case no. 13-15770-KAO. Filed June 21. David Weldon Albertson and Diane Idelle Clark-Albertson, case no. 13-15758-KAO. Filed June 21. Lucy Ann Kosanke, case no. 13-15735-KAO. Filed June 20. Elaina Angel Phair, case no. 13-15712-KAO. Filed June 20. Jeffrey Lee Spore Jr., case no. 13-15679-KAO. Filed June 19. Charles Eason Wallace, case no. 13-15660-KAO. Filed June 18. Amanda Lee Yazzolino-Lopez, case no. 13-15657-KAO. Filed June 18. Kenneth Eugene Shockey and Sherrie Ann Shockey, case no. 13-15648-KAO. Filed June 18. Sarah Rose Adams and Melissa Kay Adams, case no. 13-15550KAO. Filed June 14. Joseph Charles Vasilinda and Sara DeAnn Vasilinda, case no. 13-15538-KAO. Filed June 13. Edwin William Hidden, case no. 13-15535-KAO. Filed June 13. Rickie Alan Egger Jr. and Cristiana Rebekah Egger, case no. 13-15533-KAO. Filed June 13. Elijah Mikhail Anthony Heinz and Constance Reanna Heinz, case no. 13-15484-KAO. Filed June 12. Denis William Clendenen and Cherie Lynn Clendenen, case no. 13-15448-KAO. Filed June 11. Jon Dale Spyksma, case no. 13-15394-KAO. Filed June 10. Leah Anne Discher, case no. 13-15394-KAO. Filed June 10. James Randolph Deming and Krista Lynn Deming, case no. 13-15342-KAO. Filed June 7. Daniel William Sygitowicz and Kelly Lynn Sygitowicz, case no. 13-15309-KAO. Filed June 6. Steven Louis Amos and Amy Christine Amos, case no. 13-15297KAO. Filed June 6. Robert Scott Loveland and April Celeste Loveland, case no. 13-15239-KAO. Filed June 4. Jorel Ryan Cuomo, case no. 13-15218-KAO. Filed June 3. Colin Peter Curley, case no. 13-15211-KAO. Filed June 3. Joseph Constant Younger and Amanda Jayne Margaret Younger, case no. 13-15167-KAO. Filed May 31. Shannon Leigh Reid and Chad Kenneth Reid, case no. 13-15132-KAO. Filed May 31. Kimberly Dawn Klingsporn, case no. 13-15077-KAO. Filed May 31. Lisa K. Miranda, case no. 13-15057-KAO. Filed May 30. Stephen Lee Bork, case no. 13-14993-KAO. Filed May 30. Magdalena Hernandez Medina, case no. 13-14941-KAO. FIled
May 29. Adam West Jensen and Jessica Dawn Jensen, case no. 13-14913-KAO. Filed May 28. Chapter 11 None reported. Chapter 13 John D. Leininger and Linda J. Leininger, case no. 13-15792KAO. Filed June 21. Dmitriy Victorovich Chernomorets, case no. 13-15534-KAO. Filed June 13. Terry Dodd and Heather Dodd, case no. 13-15073-KAO. Filed May 31. Yvonne Dee Stahl, case no. 13-15020-KAO. Filed May 30. Lynn Allen Buckley and Christine Ashley Buckley, case no. 13-14929-KAO. Filed May 28.
Tax liens Vivian O. Van Iderstine, $7,186.82 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 20. Charles E. Marquart III, $5685,09 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 20. Timothy Y. Phelps, $104,51.06 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 20. Mark H. Lent, $16,992.85 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 17. Daniel R. Quimby, $21,957.74 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 10. Quimby’s Concrete LLC, $20,019.47 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Filed June 10. Richard K. Fowler, $40,433.80 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 10. Total Confidence Martial Arts Inc., $9,050.64 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 10. Leonard and Patricia A. Braumberger, $116,880.35 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed Filed June 10. Platinum Builders Inc., $60,990.31 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed June 3. Do Construction Inc., $12,275.79 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 31. Sally SC James-Fast, $7,492.30 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 31. Roger F. Corliss, $66,180.14 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 31. Carl M. Bjorklund, $59,353.28 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 28. Angela M. Harkness, $16,242.10 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 28. Robert and Kathleen Appel, $21,875.86 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 20. Robert and Kathleen Appel, $17,281.64 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 20. James Place Child Development Center LLC, Kathleen M. Westover, Sole MBR, $25,128.04 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 20. Charles Eldon Rier, $8,541.39 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 20. Josh A. Kelling, $113,254.23 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 10. Assembly-Plus Inc., $49,079.34 in unpaid IRS taxes. Filed May 3.
Judgments Rick W. Carlson, $817.23 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 21. Premier Packing LLC, $10,628.95 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 21. Stauffer Stains LLC, $1,168.69 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 21. Elite Homes LLC, $69,498.10 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 21. Philip G. Tillsley, $5,396.68 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 21. International Composite Design, $13,047 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 19. Hillco Contracting Inc., $1,770,78 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 19. Durham Design Ltd., $5,651.22 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 18. Dan R. Johnson, $3,906.92 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17. Cathleen J. Mullins, $645.55 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17.
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Durham Design Ltd., $6,119.68 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17. Jeramie Micheal Burgoon, $4,628.36 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17. Paul Shepardson, $5,670.32 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17. Nebula Glass Studios Inc., $393.87 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17. Isha Jules, $5,678.07 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 17. Chemco Inc., $103,945.22 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 13. John V. Mallahan and Linda R. Mallahan, $650.74 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 13. Raymond E. Sanborn Jr., $873.87 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 13. Tracy R. Oien, $1,829.70 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 13. Robert Lafeen, $698.27 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 13. Northshore Hardscapees LLC, $2,664.33 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 13. Diller Construction Enterprise, $10,254.99 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 12. Myron Fales and Pamela Fales, $696.63 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 12. Lana Carleen Boykiw, $6,257.91 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 12. Remove My Junk! LLC, $1,476.58 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 12. Prodekx, $26,787.94 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 11. GNA LLC, $33,369.52 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 6. Pet Palace Inc., $3,603.42 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 6. Chazzzam Signs & Graphics LLC, $5,009.45 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 6. Blue Horse Gallery LLC, $335.63 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 6. Snook Brook Farms LLC, $3,242.07 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 6. Ballard Auto Enterprises, $4,477.69 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 6. El Amigo Mexican Restaurant Inc., $855.20 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed June 6. Pacific Northwest Karate LLC, $1,848.53 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 5. Front Street Donut Co. LLC, $626.11 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed June 3. Urban Sol Tanning Boutique LLC, $700.69 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed May 31. NW Choice Construction Inc., $5,103.77 in unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed May 31. Mac Pizza LLC, $1,761.03 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. AMCCO Carrier LLC, $4,436.32 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. Roger Eugene Flescher, $1,764.46 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. Stauffer Stains LLC, $245.09 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. Brian Glen Rommel, $510.35 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. Green Frog Cafe LLC, $2,668.08 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. Whatcom Territory Aero Service, $934.45 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31. Harkness Contracting Inc., $6,979.06 in unpaid Department of Labor & Industries taxes. Filed May 31.
Find public-record information on the Web... ...including regularly updated business licenses, liquor licenses, building permits, bankruptcies, tax liens, judgments, local roadwork reports, major property sales...
...all online at BBJToday.com.
July 2013
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July 2013
PORT NEWS
WWU on the Waterfront: A Catalyst for Greater Investment and Jobs Sponsored content provided by Port of Bellingham
PORT OF BELLINGHAM
Contact: Port Administrative Offices 360-676-2500 info@portofbellingham.com www.portofbellingham.com 1801 Roeder Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225 Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Board of Commissioners Scott Walker, District One Michael McAuley, District Two Jim Jorgensen, District Three Meetings: 3 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Agendas are on the Port website. The Port operates: Bellingham International Airport Bellingham Cruise Terminal Squalicum Harbor Blaine Harbor Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park Bellwether on the Bay Shipping Terminal Airport Industrial Park Sumas Industrial Park
W
hen redeveloping Bellingham’s industrial waterfront was still an early concept and the Port of Bellingham had not yet purchased the Georgia Pacific Mill property, leaders at Western Washington University announced publicly during the Waterfront Futures Group meetings they wanted to be part of this visionary project. Western has been steadfast in its support ever since. In June the Port Commission and Western’s Board of Trustees approved an agreement that will allow both organizations to contribute land into their shared Waterfront District development entity, Western Crossing. This important step will move funding and land in place for Western in the Waterfront District. Throughout the country there are examples of how a university in a large-scale development has added value to the development, attracted new businesses and improved university linkages to the community. “Having Western on the waterfront will add tremendous value to the Waterfront District because it will enhance Western’s connections with the community
and will attract developer investment,” said Port Commissioner Scott Walker. It is common for developments the size of the Waterfront District to seek out a university partnership. But in Bellingham, the partnership was already in place. Western has the potential of becoming a defining build-to-suit anchor tenant that will kick-off the surrounding business and commercial development. “The eventual expansion of our campus to the waterfront creates possibilities for new partnerships and collaborations for Western and community partners,” said Western President Bruce Shepard. This partnership occurred in downtown Tacoma when the University of Washington branch campus opened in the middle of a blighted redevelopment area. This urban campus added tremendous value and influenced surrounding development. It also made it less risky for private developers to invest in Tacoma’s changing downtown. In San Francisco, shortly after San Francisco State University signed a lease
in their downtown, Microsoft and other office users executed large leases in the same building. Columbia University in New York City created a similar ripple effect when it expanded into West Harlem. The Waterfront District master plan and related agreements are being reviewed and considered by the Port Commission and City Council now, with adoption likely by the end of the year. And the port already is talking
with developers interested in developing the first 10.8 acre site in the downtown area of the Waterfront District. The whole Waterfront District is 237 acres and the area envisioned for Western’s campus is about six acres. That six acres is expected to generate a great ripple effect by attracting users and developers who want to be near the excitement and energy of a college campus.
July 2013
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Serving: Bellingham, Blaine, Birch Bay, Ferndale, Lynden, Lummi Island, and all of Whatcom County.
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Organizational Adjustments Benefit All Whatcom County Businesses Sponsored content provided by Loni Rahm, and Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.
N
early 35 years ago, in September of 1978, the membership-based non-profit organization “BellinghamWhatcom County Visitors and Convention Bureau” was officially incorporated. In the years since, there have been a couple of DBA name changes which reflected the predominant interpretation of who we are and what we do. In other words, our organizational identity was altered as needed to mirror how people would look for us…primarily in the yellow pages or through the information operator in those days. The logic was (and remains) sound: to be successful, we need the travelers, businesses, media and anyone else needing our assistance and services to be able to find us. “Finding us” originally led to a phone call where the caller either had a specific question or wanted information mailed to them. Often, it also led to a stop at our visitor information center where our staff and volunteers could engage in face-to-face
conversation and travel referrals. Today, in this era of keywords and SEO, our organization’s official moniker is “Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism”. Add another dozen keywords that expand upon who we are and what we do, and people can – and do – find us! But is that enough? That’s the question we wrestled with at our 2012 Board Retreat. As travelers increasingly rely upon technology for information, destination advice, and experience evaluations, is it enough to make it easier for people to find us? Overwhelmingly, the answer was no. BWCT must continue to expand the destination resources we make available to residents and travelers when and where they are looking for the information. And it must be at a level that meets and exceeds expectations. OK – that’s customer service 101. Why were we even discussing it? Because for nearly 35 years, our organization has been membership-based.
The 300 some businesses who paid their annual dues, received specific membership benefits. It was a model that worked well for decades. But today’s tech savvy consumers expected more. Much more! They expected us to provide information about every restaurant, every retailer, every service in Whatcom County – regardless of their BWCT membership status. Satisfying the demand for comprehensive, in-depth travel information required a bold organizational move. Include EVERY business in Whatcom County! So we did. Or, to be more precise, are in the process of doing. This spring, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to establish a membership structure which included basic membership to every business in Whatcom County! For FREE! By plugging your basic contact and location information into our online data base, your business will be included in two premium travel resources: Bellingham.org and the Bellingham Experience
Coming Spring 2013
mobile app. This ensures that information seeking travelers and residents can find your business, build itineraries, map your location, and possibly take advantage of coupon offers or specials and much more. Over the next few months, new and existing members will be transitioned over into the revised membership and marketing benefits structure – each business can invest in as little or as many levels of PR and marketing services as they want. Advertising, marketing co-ops, booking engines and other products offered through Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism will continue to shine a spotlight on business partners who seek a bit more visitor exposure. This discussion and the resulting shift in the way BWCT is organized and markets is a reflection of the constant need to grow and adapt to consumer demands. We are a destination marketing organization. A very successful one. To remain successful in a competitive industry requires change. And we
July Events
Visit our website or call for more details: www.bellingham.org (360) 671-3990 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 12 July 13 July 19 July 20 July 21 July 27
Independence Day · 8:00 am Old Fashioned 4th · 9:00 am 4 th of July Weekend All-American Brunch · 11:00 am Haggen, Family 4th of July Celebration · 8:00 pm Improv Comedy - Upfront Theatre · 8:30 pm Watch Fireworks at Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen · 9:00 am 4th of July Weekend All-American Brunch · 6:00 pm Allied Arts Juried Artist Series: Mixed Media, Mixed Messages · 9:00 am 4th of July Weekend All-American Brunch · 6:00 pm Elizabeth Park Summer Concert Series · 12:00 pm 542 Music Festival · 10:00 am Art 2 Jazz Street Fair · 12:00 pm 542 Music Festival · 6:00 pm Elizabeth Park Summer Concert Series · 6:30 pm Prozak Mountain Boys · 8:00 am WWU's Grandparents intergenerational program · 1:00 pm Aces High 14th Annual Charity Golf Classic & Gala/Auction · 7:30 pm Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling · 9:00 am Padden Duathlon1 · 2:00 pm Writers in the Limelight: Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried · 12:30 pm Intro to Yoga Workshop · 6:00 pm Elizabeth Park Summer Concert Series · 6:30 pm Chuck Dingee · 7:30 pm Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling · 12:00 pm Wildlife Basics Volunteer Orientation at Northwest Wildlife · 1:00 pm Whatcom Wine and Spirits FestWhatcom Wine and Spirits Fest · 7:30 pm Bellingham Festival of Music presents the Three Sopranos · 6:00 am Tour De Whatcom · 3:00 pm Missoula Children's Theatre Presents: Robinson Crusoe · 6:00 pm Elizabeth Park Summer Concert Series · 6:30 pm The Origina Song Doctors7:30 pmA Tribute to Dave Brubeck
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism 904 Potter Street | Bellingham, WA 98229 360-671-3990 | 800-487-2032 www.Bellingham.org Open 7 days, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
are extremely pleased that this particular change will benefit every business in our community. Welcome to Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism – where every one is a member!
We’re taking reservations for the newest expansion in the Pacific Northwest!
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Note: for information about the free BWCT Membership and the online data application, please contact Mike@bellingham.org
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BUZZ | FROM 7
well as increased air pollution due to coal dust. Along with the Gateway terminal, two other export facilities have been proposed in the region: the Millennium Bulk Terminal in Longview, Wash., and a terminal at the Port of Morrow, Ore.
Moss Adams Foundation pledges $500K to WWU The Moss Adams Foundation, a nonprofit organization funded by Moss Adams LLP, has pledged to donate $500,000 over the next five years to Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics. As a part of the pledge, WWU plans to add the Moss Adams name to the soon-tobe-launched professional readiness center. “Moss Adams continually recruits and benefits from the great talent at WWU, and the firm is committed to advancing the academic success of students pursuing careers in business and accounting,” said Russ Wilson, a member of the Moss Adams Foundation board and a partner in the firm’s Bellingham office. The pledge is composed of donations from Moss Adams employees and distinguished WWU alumni, including a major pledge by former Moss Adams CEO Rick Anderson and his wife, Lori, along with a Moss Adams Foundation commitment to match partner and employee donations up to $250,000. Moss Adams and WWU have enjoyed a 30-year collaboration in educating and developing talented accounting and busi-
BBJToday.com ness professionals. Nearly 200 WWU alumni have worked at Moss Adams in the past 20 years, and in turn the firm regularly supports the university through endowment funds, event sponsorships and participation in lectures and boards.
Finish Line Auto opens in Birchwood Neighborhood A new auto finish and detail business has opened in Bellingham’s Birchwood Neighborhood, across the street from the Albertsons grocery store. Finish Line Auto Finish & Detail, located at 1619 Birchwood Ave., offers an array of automotive detailing services, as well as paintless dent repair, chip repair, window tinting and windshield replacement. It is open from 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, and by appointment on Saturdays. More information is online at www.finishlineauto360.com.
The Skin Loft tattoo, piercing studio opens in Fairhaven A new piercing and tattoo studio, called The Skin Loft, has opened in Bellingham’s historic Fairhaven District. The Skin Loft is located at 909 Harris Ave., across from Sirena Gelato. It offers private studios for expert tattooing and piercing, and focuses on giving clients oneon-one sessions with tattoo artists for both privacy and optimal working conditions, according to a press release. The studio specializes in custom tattooing and piercing, with a focus on beautification. More information is online at www. fairhaventattoo.com.
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July 2013
WATERFRONT | FROM 5
century. The port now owns most of the land and has put considerable effort into probing and sampling the site as part of the stepby-step process required by the Washington Department of Ecology, which oversees the port’s cleanup work. All the data gathered by the port is laid out and described in a formal report known as a remedial investigation. And Ecology is making the report available for public review and comment. “With the contamination where it is on the site, we have a good opportunity to separate the site into two cleanup areas and advance cleanup and redevelopment on the northern portion,” said Brian Gouran, the Port of Bellingham’s site manager. On the northern end of the site where Georgia-Pacific West operated a pulpand-tissue mill, the investigation found contaminants including metals, petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds, dioxins/furans and acidic soil.
INTERFAITH | FROM 9 the arrangement requires drug manufacturers to provide prescription drugs to clinics such as Interfaith at significantly reduced prices. Clarke said the program requires Interfaith to then pass on these lower prices to patients not covered by private health insurance or Medicaid, Medicare or Basic Health. Uninsured patients make up 23 percent of Interfaith’s patient base, according to Clarke. Patients with private-insurance coverage, who make up 8 percent of the base, will be able to buy medication at more typical prescription prices, which will drive revenue to the pharmacy. Interfaith is expected to bring in about $145,000 in annual net revenue from the pharmacy, according to Clarke. Aside from the added revenue, Clarke said the in-house pharmacy will help Interfaith improve its patient care in other ways. Since transportation can be a challenge for some patients, having a pharmacy right next door to doctors’ offices should make
Where a chlor-alkali plant operated on the southern portion of the site, the investigation found mercury, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons and alkaline soil. Currently, the legal contract between the port and Ecology classifies the 74-acre site as one cleanup area. In order to divide the site, Ecology and the port have to amend their legal agreement – known as an agreed order – to define two cleanup areas. Ecology is making the proposed amendment available for public review and comment. Those interested in reviewing the draft remedial investigation report and the proposed amendment to the agreed order can find them online (pnw.cc/mn0Af), at offices in Bellingham and Bellevue, and at the Bellingham Public Library. Comments can be submitted until July 17 to Ecology site manager Brian Sato at brian.sato@ecy.wa.gov or 3190 160th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98008. —Compiled from BBJ Staff Reports
the process of picking up medication much simpler for many, Clarke said. Additionally, with Interfaith having its pharmacists as members of its medical team, any questions from patients can be directly addressed in person, by email or phone, or through the center’s instant-messaging system, he said. While the new expansion has been cause for celebration, there is still fundraising to do. More than $2 million has been contributed to Interfaith by community donors. Fundraising managers say another $240,000 has been pledged toward the campaign, and Interfaith also anticipates an additional $630,000 from the city of Bellingham and the Washington State Department of Commerce. But the center still needs about $240,000 to meet its $3.15 million fundraising goal and complete its expansion without incurring debt. Jon Martin, president of the center’s board of directors, told visitors at the open-house event that he thought it would be remarkable if the facility’s expansion could be fully funded through community donations.
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July 2013
TRAVEL | FROM FRONT
Cheaper flights drive Canadian flyers south from coast to coast ever, noise from the greater number of jets flying over neighborhoods nearby has upset a number of residents and remains controversial. Residents and business owners opposed to the added air traffic believe increased jet noise will lower their property values and disrupt the character of neighborhoods surrounding the airport. A citizens’ group called Reduce Jet Noise formed last year to oppose the airport’s expansion. But airlines are taking advantage of the growing number of travelers that fly out of Bellingham, and some leave little doubt that the city’s airport serves primarily as an entry point to the Canadian market. One carrier, Frontier Airlines, which began seasonal flights to Denver in 2012, identifies Bellingham as the “Bellingham/ Vancouver area” on its website. But while access to Canadians is a primary reason more airlines are arriving in Whatcom County, officials with the Port of Bellingham, which operates the city’s airport, say local travelers also reap gains. “The local community obviously benefits from additional destinations that Bellingham offers,” said Dan Zenk, the port’s aviation director. “That added benefit not only trickles down to Bellingham residents but also to residents to the south.” The Allegiant Travel Company, which owns Allegiant Air, places heavy emphasis on Bellingham, more so than when it first arrived in the city in 2004, said Jessica Wheeler, a company spokesperson. While initially operating service only to Allegiant’s main hub in Las Vegas, today the airline offers flights from Bellingham to 11 destinations on the West Coast and in Hawaii.
SEMIAHMOO | FROM FRONT make a variety of capital investments to the resort. “We hope to hire staff and to welcome guests to a new and refreshed Semiahmoo before the end of the summer season,” said Stuart Rolfe, president of Wright Hotels Inc., in a press release. “We have a long list of improvements to be made. First improvements will include new premium
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“From the Allegiant perspective, we’re really going after the Canadians who come across the border,” Wheeler said. “But I think certainly Bellingham is a sizable city with lots of area around it with residents who want to have access to low-cost travel options.” The new Bellingham-Reno flights will run twice per week, with round-trips scheduled for Thursdays and Sundays. One-way fares are expected to start at about $70, according to Allegiant, excluding taxes and additional charges Jets from Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air and Allegiant Air line the apron area of the Bellingham International Airport for baggage and during a busy afternoon in 2012. EVAN MARCZYNSKI PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL priority boarding. The flights are The tourism industry, fueled largely by lousy business years during the recession, expected to run year-round, Wheeler said. casinos and gambling, moves Reno’s—and Drysdale said. Today, while visitor spendAllegiant has operated the route before, Nevada’s—economy like no other. The state ing has not returned to the level it was at but chose to discontinue the flights in 2009 takes in about $50 billion annually from prior to 2008, tourism in Nevada is making in the midst of the Great Recession, citing tourism-related activities, said Bethany a comeback, she said. decreased passenger levels and unsustainDrysdale, public-relations director for the “Tourism is very much the number one able operating costs. Nevada Commission on Tourism. industry in Nevada,” Drysdale said. “It’s the Reno businesses hope the service renewRecently, hotels in the state have begun primary driver.” al will provide a boost to tourism in their seeing a turnaround after suffering through city. While Reno’s casinos have historically played a major role in attracting visitors and continue to do so today, tourism promoters are now also emphasizing the city’s outdoor recreation options, as well as its affordable lodging and entertainment in an effort to set Reno apart from its glitzier cousin, Las Vegas, said Klingensmith of the Reno-Tahoe Marketing Committee. bedding, bringing all operating systems to full functionality, and a major cleaning of all areas of the resort. The resort’s expansive spa will be restored, and all athletic facilities will receive attention to bring them to full utility.” Prior to its closure, the Semiahmoo Resort was a major employer for Blaine, a border town of about 4,700 residents. The resort’s former majority owner was the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.
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