Intalco Facing Uncertain Future

The Alcoa Intalco Works plant near Ferndale may be closed if the Bonneville Power Administration sets much higher rates for electricity.

The federal BPA is scheduled to announce June 23 new rates for public utilities, such as those operated by municipalities, and major industrial users that will become effective Oct. 1. A BPA proposal to compensate Northwest aluminum smelters if they shut down for two years has been rejected by Alcoa Inc. and other aluminum companies.

Aluminum companies are proposing a tiered rate system in which they would get 75 percent of their electricity at traditionally low rates and the remaining 25 percent at market rates. However, public utilities such as Seattle City Light oppose the proposal, saying it would result in even higher rates for their homeowners and businesses.

The Ferndale aluminum smelter, which started production in 1966, currently employs 930 workers and has had a workforce of about 1,200 when at full production. Besides the potential loss of good-paying jobs and a huge payroll, closure of the smelter also would affect property taxes. The Intalco plant has a valuation of $150 million, which is nearly 10 percent of the Ferndale School District’s tax base.

 

City Referendum Heading to Judge

A referendum on Bellingham’s storm-water ordinance is headed to Whatcom County Superior Court to determine whether it will be placed on the ballot.

People for Fair Stormwater Solutions gathered 3,200 signatures for the referendum, more than double what was required to place it on the ballot. However, Mayor Mark Asmundson, backed by the city’s attorney, utility rate and budget issues can’t be affected by referendums. The Bellingham City Council, by a 6-1 vote, decided to send the issue to Superior Court for a ruling rather than immediately placing the referendum on the November ballot.

The ordinance was passed by the city council on Feb. 12 despite opposition from many commercial and industrial businesses. It includes a fee, which became effective March 1, that charges most homeowners $5 per month and businesses $5 per month for every 3,000 square feet of impervious (covered by buildings, asphalt, etc.) surface.

 

Bookstore Moves, Changes Name

Bargain Book Co. is the new name of a bookstore chain that has moved its Bellingham store to Sunset Square.

The chain, owned by West Coast Bargain Books of Bellingham, formerly was known as Bargain Bookland.

“We have the largest, most extensive assortment of bargain computer books in Whatcom County,” says Mitch Press, president and founder five years ago of West Coast Bargain Books. “That, paired with our broad selection of general reading books and incredible prices on all inventory, lets us offer our customers a unique bookstore experience. The name change ties together all those aspects of our company.”

The Bellingham store, formerly at Cordata Centre, now is between Rite Aid and Sunset Square Cinemas.

Bargain Book Co. specializes in new books at discount prices of up to 80 percent off the original price. It also has stores under that name in Burlington, Seattle and Lynnwood and a Computer Books at Half Price store in Bellevue.

 

The Hive’s Buzz Goes Silent

The founders of The Hive, a monthly gathering in Bellingham of people with interest in technology, announced they are “temporarily suspending” activities.

The Hive, organized by Drew Fleck, John Ketcham and Kelly Lockhart, started in September meeting the second Thursday of each month at the Hotel Bellwether. The trio designed the informal gathering to create networking opportunities for people in technology businesses from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. However, only Lockhart among the founders still lives in Bellingham and she commuted to a job in Redmond. The Hive suspended activities after its April 12 meeting.

“John, Kelly and I have not decided on The Hive’s next step, but for right now this is the best way for us to handle it,” Fleck says.

Fleck adds that he provided advice to a new group but emphasized that The Hive and its founders have no affiliation with it or any other group.

 

Cozy Café Moves on Anniversary

The Cozy Café, owned by Dave and Dianne Michaelson, is moving 100 yards to a larger location at 2034 Main St., Ferndale.

The restaurant will be open in the new site by Mother’s Day (May 13) for a special brunch, says Dave Michaelson, the head cook. Michaelson makes everything from scratch and emphasizes homestyle cooking.

The new downtown location is twice as big as the former site on Third Avenue, where the Michaelsons opened the restaurant a year ago, and will hold around 40 diners.

“We’ve had to turn people away on a number of occasions,” Michaelson remarks.

Other changes include the addition of some specialty desserts. The Cozy Café’s hours are changing to 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. However, some breakfast items such as omelets and specialty pancakes still will be offered at all times.

The Cozy Café also presents special six-course ethnic meals every other Saturday. The meals, which have included Beef Wellington and French rack of lamb, are available only through reservations. Upcoming ethnic meals are listed on the restaurant’s Web site, www.ourcozycafe.com.

For more information, call the Cozy Café at 380-5926.

 

Walkers Carpet One Sponsors Literacy Tour

Walkers Carpet One of Bellingham sponsored programs in 10 Bellingham elementary schools March 29-April 5 that promoted children’s literacy.

Carpet One, a cooperative owned by individual store owners that is North America’s largest floor-covering retailer, launched the Magic Carpet Time Tour last year. The hour-long presentations at schools, focusing on children in kindergarten through second grade, feature creative story-telling, live theater and humor in an exploration of a variety of children’s stories. The program aimed to demonstrate to children the excitement of reading and to capture their imaginations in the process.

It was intended that each Carpet One store in the country would sponsor the tour at one elementary school in its city.

“After I saw the program late last summer, I decided that it was such an excellent program with such a positive message that Walkers Carpet One should make it available to all Bellingham elementary schools,” says owner Scott Walker.

Although two of the 12 schools were unable to have the program because of time and space conflicts, approximately 2,000 Bellingham schoolchildren enjoyed the presentations and received a Disney storybook as part of the program. Walkers Carpet One covered the costs of the performers, storybooks and carpet samples, totaling approximately $16,000, and donated 150 hours of volunteer time.

 

CVB Presenting Awards May 16

The Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau will present two awards at its annual dinner May 16 at the Best Western Lakeway Inn, Bellingham.

The Priscilla Sabin Award, honoring the former CVB director, recognizes outstanding creativity, efforts and community contributions by a tourism worker on the front line of the industry. The Tourism Business of the Year Award singles out a county business that has made a significant contribution to tourism or has made outstanding strides in growth and/or development within the last year.

For more information, call the CVB office, 671-3990.

 

Hagens Nominated for Express Award

Mark and Sandy Hagen, owners of Express Personnel Services offices in Bellingham and Mount Vernon, were honored with the company’s 2000 Franchisee of the Year Award.

The Bellingham office at 1321 King St., Suite 2, began operation in 1989 and provides temporary and full-time associates in a variety of fields, including office services, industrial, data processing, technical and marketing.

The Hagens were honored in April at the Express Services convention in Las Vegas, Nev. In March, they attended the company’s annual International Leadership Conference at corporate headquarters in Oklahoma City, Okla.

 

Red Cross Praises Business Donations

The donation of four custom-built playhouses from contractors and the sponsorship of other businesses helped the local American Red Cross chapter raise nearly $15,000.

The third-annual Playhouse Project: Homes for Hope received homes from H.B. Hansen Construction, The Cascade Joinery, Abbott Construction and a partnership of ANDA Construction and a Mount Baker High School class. The homes were displayed at Bellis Fair mall in Bellingham and raffle tickets were sold at The Bon Marché in the mall and by Red Cross volunteers.

“We are so grateful for the extraordinary generosity and creativity of the contractors who built these great custom playhouses,” says Shelly Parsons, public support director for the Whatcom County Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The event raised money for disaster-relief and emergency-preparedness programs and services in the county.

Event sponsors included The Bon Marché, Bellis Fair, The Bellingham Herald, Windermere Real Estate and radio station KAFE.

 

Sunrise Mortgage Moves to Harbor

Sunrise Mortgage of Bellingham, owned by David Eisenhower, has moved its office from downtown to the new Marina Square at Squalicum Harbor.

For more information, call 734-0410.

 

Landlubber Moves to Downtown

Landlubber Mercantile is the new name of the retail store that moved in late March from Sunset Square to 1322 Cornwall Ave. in downtown Bellingham.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

For more information, call 647-1909.

 

Haggen Offers Online Shopping

Haggen, Inc. of Bellingham launched March 5 an online shopping site at www.haggen.com.

The site enables customers to choose from more than 20,000 items and receive the same prices and discounts offered inside a store. After customers select their items, they pay with a credit card while Haggen’s personal shoppers collect the items ordered. Customers then may pick up pre-bagged orders through a store’s parcel pick-up area or the guest services center between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Orders will be ready as soon as three hours after being placed.

“At Haggen, customer service is very important to us and that means providing options to our customers,” says Jeff Haggen, vice president of e-commerce at Haggen. “With the new pick-up service, our customers now have a new option, which allows them to customize the shopping experience to fit their needs.”

The service currently is available only at Haggen’s Barkley Village store in Bellingham. However, all of the 26 stores in Washington and Oregon owned by the company will be participating in the program by the end of this year.

 

Company’s Stock Symbol Changes

International Absorbents Inc. of Bellingham, parent company of Absorption Corp., announced the company’s trading symbol on the stock market has been changed to IABI.

The symbol change occurred April 10, the same day as the company’s 1-for-4 share consolidation.

International Absorbents develops, manufactures and markets consumer and commercial products derived from recycled, renewable materials. The products include retail and commercial pet bedding and litter, oil and hazardous liquid spill cleanup and control, oil/water filtration and packaging. For more information, visit www.absorbent.com.

 

Grocery Customers Donate to Charity

Customers of Bellingham-based Brown & Cole Stores donated more than $13,000 late last year in the 10-week Food For All campaign.

Customers were invited to add $1, $3 or $5 to the grocery bill at checkout time during the nationwide campaign, which benefits anti-hunger programs around the world. Of the money collected, 55 percent remains in the local community and the remainder funds long-term, self-help anti-hunger programs in this country and overseas.

Recipients in Whatcom County include the Nooksack Valley Food Bank, Project Hope in Lynden, Bellingham Food Bank, Project Concern, Blaine Food Bank and Lighthouse Mission in Bel-lingham.

Also, Brown & Cole’s Cost Cutter stores recently donated 14,000 Campbell’s Labels for Education to local school organizations in Whatcom County. The labels, earned by the stores for their sales of Campbell’s products, are used by groups such as parent-teacher organizations to purchase computers and other equipment.

Brown & Cole’s 35 supermarkets in the Pacific Northwest include the Lynden Fair Market, the Everson Red Apple and Cost Cutter stores in Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine and Lynden.

 

Peoples Bank Reports Higher Profits, Assets

Lynden-based Peoples Bank reports double-digit increases in its profits, assets and deposits during 2000.

Peoples Bank saw net income rise 17.7 percent to $4.3 million, total assets increase 14 percent to $374.9 million and deposits jump 15.2 percent to $342.6 million. The locally owned bank, founded in 1920, operates 13 offices throughout Whatcom and Skagit counties and is opening a branch in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle in early June.

“Peoples Bank enjoyed a very good year and the previous year was strong as well,” says Charles LeCocq, president and chief executive officer of Peoples Bank.

Highlights of the year included the bank’s continued expansion into Skagit County. In April 2000, Peoples Bank opened an in-store office at Thrifty Foods in Sedro-Woolley and experienced solid growth at its two locations in Mount Vernon. Total deposits in Skagit County increased 50 percent to $39 million. Also, the bank opened a branch in Anacortes in February of this year.

The bank also launched its Internet banking service — www.peoplesbank-wa.com — for customers and small businesses last year, followed last month by the start of its 24-hour loan center. Opened April 16, the 24-hour loan center — accessible through the Web site or a toll-free telephone call — allows customers to apply for any home-equity, car, boat, recreation-vehicle, credit-card or personal loan 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It says customers will get an answer on their loan in as little as 90 seconds.

 

Swift Speaking On Lobbying

Former Second District Congressman Al Swift will speak on “Congressional Lobbying in the New Millennium” during the May 23 meeting of the City Club in Bellingham.

The meeting at Northwood Hall, 3240 Northwest Ave., from noon to 1:30 p.m. is open to the public. The cost of the luncheon buffet is $8.50. Reservations aren’t necessary.

The City Club exists to promote informed discussion of issues important to the Bellingham/Whatcom County community. Its members are citizens with diverse interests and backgrounds. For more information about City Club and the May 23 luncheon, visit www.cityclubonline.com or call Chase Van Gorder, 671-7900.

 

Haggen Ends Talks with Lynden on Store

Haggen Inc. announced March 27 that it had ended negotiations with the City of Lynden for the purchase of city-owned property in downtown Lynden.

The company was seeking to build a Haggen Food & Pharmacy supermarket on the property, generally bounded by Grover, Fourth, Fifth and Main streets. Although supported by most of Lynden’s downtown businesses, the proposal was ensnarled by debate over the sites of a new public library and other city facilities, as well as the opposition of some residents against downtown businesses that want to be open on Sundays.

Haggen began working on the project in the fall of 1998 at the encouragement of downtown business leaders.

 

Farmers Market Reopens Downtown

The Bellingham Farmers Market resumed operations April 7 in downtown Bellingham.

The market, located at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Chestnut Street, is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday through October. Vendors now are offering early-season produce, plant starts, fresh flowers, food and crafts.

For the second year, the organization also will operate a market each Wednesday afternoon in Fairhaven, beginning June 6.

For more information, visit www.bellinghamfarmers.org.

 

Developer of Mason Building Site Chosen

Marketplace Development was selected by the Bellingham City Council to buy and develop the city-owned downtown property formerly occupied by the Mason Building.

Marketplace Development is a partnership consisting of architect Jeff McClure and Jeff Kochman, president of Barkley Co., both based in Bellingham.

The property at 128 E. Holly St. — the intersection of Holly and Railroad streets — has been an eyesore since a fire destroyed the Mason Building. Only an excavated shell remains.

The partners plan to construct a building three or four stories high. The ground floor will have retail spaces and the upper floors will include offices and residences.

 

KGMI Receives AP News Awards

Radio station KGMI 790 in Bellingham received six awards in the statewide Associated Press broadcast contest for stations outside Seattle.

News director Shane Kussmann’s reports of the flooding and evacuation at Sandy Point last year earned KGMI first place in the spot news category. Also, KGMI’s Morning News with Brett Bonner, Debbie Schuitema and Mark Scholten was named best newscast in the state, the fifth-consecutive year KGMI has received the award.

KGMI received third-place awards for a story on local fans of the Seattle Mariners, a story on the one-year anniversary of the Olympic Pipe Line explosion in Bellingham and a feature on local children visiting Stoney Ridge Farms. It also was presented The AP’s Outstanding Coopera-tion Award.

 

Satellite Entertainment Division Honored

Audio Video Excellence, a division of Satellite Entertainment in Laurel, has been honored for its installation skills.

Sonance, a manufacturer of home-theater and audio systems, recognized the dealer for best installation of the Sonance Symphony line of in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers.

“This award is a way for us to recognize dealers like Audio Video Excellence for their technology know-how, their talent, their depth of commitment and their service to the custom installation business,” says Chip Brown, chief operating officer at Sonance.

Only two other dealers in the country received awards from Sonance.

 

MacGregor Publishing Gains Directory Award

MacGregor Publishing Co. again has been named International Publisher of the Year by the Association of Directory Publishers.

This is the fourth time in seven years that the Mount Vernon company has won the highest award issued by the international organization of 132 yellow-page directory publishers. MacGregor also received the 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98 awards for overall excellence in marketing, innovation and design of its local telephone directories.

The company also received Gold Book awards for three individual directories covering Bellingham/Whatcom County, the Skagit Valley and Whidbey Island. They competed in overall content and design against publication of similar circulation.

MacGregor employs 46 people and publishes telephone directories in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties, as well as area maps and guides for newcomers and visitors. For more information, call 671-2983.

 

Mount Baker Bulb And Flower Expands

Mount Baker Bulb and Flower recently added a 2,000-square-foot greenhouse, enabling the Bellingham business expand its retail offerings of cut flowers, bouquets and bedding plants.

Mount Baker Bulb and Flower has planted more than 50,000 bulbs of lilies, dahlias and gladiolas that will be blooming from June through August. It specializes in lilies from the Netherlands and fragrant Orientals, asiatics, dahlias and gladiolas. Flowers can be purchased on a u-cut basis or as pre-arranged bouquets.

“This year, along with the top-grade bulbs, we have added hanging baskets, decorative window boxes, patio planters and perennials to our line of products,” says owner Randy Kinder.

Mount Baker Bulb and Flower is located at 2907 Mount Baker Highway, seven miles east of Bellingham at the Sand Road intersection. Its hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. For more information, call 671-4551.

 

Labor Ready Moves Bellingham Office

Labor Ready, a supplier of temporary laborers, moved its Bellingham office March 30 to 1310 G St.

Formerly on Holly Street, the new Labor Ready office at the corner of Astor and G streets is staffed by branch manager Jan Kinney, account executive Chet Cory and customer service representative Heddy Gudjonsson.

Labor Ready, in Bellingham since 1995, provides job-ready workers for a wide range of temporary assignments. Workers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Bellingham branch opens daily at 5:30 a.m.

Labor Ready has more than 800 offices in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information, call the Bellingham office, 647-7642, or visit www.laborready.com.

 

Ocean Kayak Opens Ferndale Store

Ocean Kayak of Ferndale opened March 30 its first retail store, Johnson Outdoors, just north of the city.

The 4,000-square-foot showroom features Ocean Kayak products as well as other products made by Johnson Outdoors, Inc. companies. It offers whitewater and touring kayaks, canoes, clothing, tents, packs, books and more. Johnson Outdoors also carries a selection of first-quality, second-quality and close-out items.

“There are so many people who love our local waterways, but until now, no one else carried a complete selection of the gear needed to get out there,” says store manager Andy Wallis.

The store is just off Exit 266 of Interstate 5. For more information, call 366-4013.

 

Murphy Speaking to Accountants

Dennis Murphy, dean of the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University, will speak May 15 to the North Cascades Chapter of the American Society of Women Accountants.

The chapter is conducting its public-relations dinner that evening at Northwood Hall in Bellingham. Murphy will talk about “The Global Economy: The Decade Ahead.”

The public is invited to the event, which begins with a social time at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. For reservations, contact Stephanie Artino, 733-1010 or stephaniea@metcalfhodges.com or Diane Rickards, (360) 848-0496 or d_rickards@hotmail.com.

 

Boys & Girls Club Facility Opens

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County held a grand-opening celebration May 3 for its new facility in the Roosevelt neighborhood in Bellingham.

The 31,000-square-foot building at 1715 Kentucky St. includes two full-size gymnasiums, a teen center, an arts-and-crafts room, a computer/technology lab, a social recreation room and a community room.

Ebenal General of Bellingham was the general contractor for the $2.8 million facility and among the hundreds of businesses and individuals who were praised at the grand opening for their contributions.

 

Haggen Assists Whatcom Symphony

Haggen Inc., with headquarters in Bellingham, has funded purchase of an entire computer system for the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra.

The system includes a computer, monitor, printer and software. It will be used for various office tasks, including grant writing.

“I am continually amazed by the civic involvement shown by the people at Haggen,” says Christopher Key, administrative director of the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra.

Haggen Inc. operates 26 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the Haggen Food & Pharmacy and TOP Food & Drug names. It is the largest independent grocer and the sixth-largest private company based in Washington.

 

Barkley Co. Assists Hospice Fundraiser

The Barkley Co. has donated use of its property for the Pumpkin Patch Project, a fundraiser for Whatcom Hospice.

Pumpkin seeds were planted April 17 by students from Squalicum High School. Project manager Sal Vacca has arranged for special-education students and other volunteers to participate in the planting, growing, cultivating, marketing and eventual sales of the pumpkins. The patch is located across Woburn Street from the Haggen supermarket in Barkley Village.

The Windy Meadows Nursery of Ferndale is donating the seeds and irrigation equipment and services such as tilling of the soil and nurturing the seed into starts. The Pumpkin Patch Project also is supported by the Barkley Merchants Association.

Proceeds from the sale of the pumpkins in October will go to Whatcom Hospice, which assists patients and their families in dealing with terminal illnesses.

For more information, contact Vacca at 676-0532 or pumpkinpatchone@aol.com.

 

Broadway Family Chiropractic Opening

Chiropractors Theresa Murry and Mark Locker are celebrating the grand opening of their practice, Broadway Family Chiropractic, May 11-12 in Bellingham.

Broadway Family Chiropractic is a holistic family- and pediatric-based practice at 1810 Broadway, next to a fire station. Health consultations and scoliosis screenings for children are always provided at no charge. During the grand opening, a free computerized spinal analysis also will be offered. Broadway Family Chiropractic’s other services include personal-injury and state Department of Labor and Industry case management.

Murry and Locker earned doctoral degrees from Life Chiropractic College West in California. Their practice’s hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. to noon Fridays. For more information or appointments, call 734-9525.

 

Design Company Changes Name

Fairhaven Design Group of Bellingham recently changed its name to The Solera Group.

“At least 60 percent of our business comes from the East Coast and specifically the New York area,” says Lori Aswegan, director of business development. “Our research showed there existed confusion in the East Coast marketplace between our company and New Haven, Conn. We felt it was critical to reposition the company identity immediately to ensure that our branding efforts were not geographically confusing to our consumers.”

The Solera Group strategically positions their clients for overall profitability through the integration of design, Internet technologies, consulting and ventures. For more information, send e-mail to Aswegan at laswegan@soleragroup.com.

 

A-1 Builders Using SmartWood Lumber

A-1 Builders of Bellingham now is using framing lumber certified as being harvested in an environmentally friendly manner.

The SmartWood-certified Douglas-fir framing comes from Evergreen Ecoforestry LLC in Van Zandt. The framing was harvested, milled, kiln-dried, surfaced and graded in Whatcom County. The harvesting was done during a dry period in December by using a cable-thinning system that selectively removed trees while keeping the forest intact.

Evergreen Ecoforestry offers SmartWood-certified Douglas fir, hemlock, alder and maple products, including framing, flooring and countertops.

 

Minge Launches Heating Business

Mike Minge of Bellingham has returned to the fire of the furnace business.

Minge’s new business, Mike’s Consulting & Heating, was launched Jan. 1. It offers three brands of furnaces and all the ductwork necessary for complete heating systems. He has 35 years of experience with heating systems, including 20 years as owner of Rite Weld.

For more information, call Minge at 739-1822 or 733-6393.

 

United Way Moves to Downtown Site

The United Way of Whatcom County has moved its offices to 1511 Cornwall Ave., between Flora and Champion streets, in downtown Bellingham.

“This location definitely affords greater access and visibility for United Way of Whatcom County,” says Jim Darling, board chair and chief volunteer officer.

United Way of Whatcom County raised $1.86 million in 2000 for people in need in the county. It currently supports 60 programs offered by 27 partner agencies. Its mission is to increase the organized capacity of people to care for one another in Whatcom County.

For more information, call 733-8670 or visit www.unitedway.whatcom.org.

 

Bike to Work Day Scheduled May 18

Western Washington University, with the support of area businesses and associations, is celebrating the fourth annual National Bike to Work and School Day on May 18.

The day aims to raise community awareness about bicycling as a healthy and environmentally sound mode of transportation. Area businesses and associations are donating food, prizes and services.

Support stations will be located at the following locations: Holly Street and Railroad Avenue, the Haggen supermarket at Barkley Village, Broadway and Dupont streets, the Fairhaven transportation station at 401 Harris Ave., Sunnyland Elementary School at 2800 James St., Terra Organica at 929 N. State St. and Red Square on the WWU campus. For more information, call 650-7960.

 

Cat ’N Fiddle Salon Expands

Cat ’N Fiddle Salon has moved to larger quarters in Fairhaven’s Sycamore Building at 1200 Harris Ave.

The salon, owned by Danny Sisneros and Nicci Almanza the last four years, moved up one floor May 1 to Suite 414. The new location is allowing Cat ’N Fiddle to immediately add aesthetician services and will enable the salon to increase its staff of four stylists in the future.

For more information, call 671-3383.

 

Toolhouse Design Plans Open House

Toolhouse Design Co. is presenting an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. May 10 to celebrate its move into the Bellwether Building along Bellingham’s Squalicum Harbor.

The firm moved from Fairhaven into a 2,500-square-foot space on the second floor. The address is 11 Bellwether Way, Suite 207.

Founded in 1995, Toolhouse Design’s services include corporate and product identities, product naming, brand management, packaging, print collateral, literature systems, Web sites, interactive media, trade-show environments and trade advertising.

For more information, call 676-9275.

 

Auction Raises $90,000 for Youths

The 22nd annual KidsFest Auction on March 24 raised $90,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

More than 400 guests attended and 395 businesses and individuals donated items and money. Auction sponsors were Key Bank, BP Cherry Point Refinery and Avista Communications, while Applied Digital Imaging designed and donated all printed materials.

“The auction raised a new all-time record in support of over 4,500 kids in Whatcom County,” says Lynn Templeton, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County. “We are extremely grateful to our community for all their continued support.”

 

Nature’s Path Donates to Environmental Groups

Nature’s Path Foods, Inc., which has processing facilities in Blaine and Delta, B.C., has donated more than $24,000 to four nationally known and well-respected environmental charities.

The company donated 1 percent of sales ($2.4 million) from its four third-party certified organic EnviroKidz cereals. The donations were: $10,000 to Orangutan Foundation International, $10,000 to The Amazon Conservation Team, $2,000 to the Australian Koala Foundation and $2,000 to Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Nature’s Path Foods also launched a fifth cereal in the EnviroKidz line, Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, earlier this year

For more information on the cereals, endangered animals and related links, visit www.environkidz.com.

Founded in 1985, Nature’s Path Foods is North America’s leading third-party certified organic cereal brand.

 

Refinery Finishing $20 Million Project

The BP Cherry Point Refinery was expected to finish on May 10 a $20 million “turnaround,” a scheduled maintenance project that involved updating and repairing equipment.

The project began March 30 and drew 1,700 contract workers to the refinery, benefiting Birch Bay businesses and landlords.

“We see an influx of vibrant, busy people who partake of the services in our community,” says Meg Grable, general manager of Birch Bay Village and vice president of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce. “Often the workers from out of the area become tenants to highlight our off-season.”

 

IAAP Chapter Hosts Division Conference

Seminar facilitator Anita Reed will be the featured speaker during an International Association of Administrative Profession-als conference May 18-20 in Bellingham.

The Bellingham chapter of IAAP is hosting the Washington-Alaska Division annual meeting and leadership conference for the first time in 25 years. Judy McCoy of Camtec Precision in Bellingham is the division president.

“Administrative professionals are the backbone of business today,” McCoy says. “With cutbacks and downsizing, many of our members are now taking on the roles of middle managers.”

The public is invited to attend two professional development seminars led by Reed on Friday, May 18 at the Best Western Lakeway Inn.

For more than 20 years, Reed has developed and conducted seminars throughout the United States and the world.

Her morning session, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. May 18, is entitled “Making the Right Moves to Rise and Shine in Today’s Workplace.” Topics within it include communication skills and time management.

The afternoon session from 1:30 to 4 p.m. will be on “Career Strategy for Reaching New Challenges.” Reed will talk about the impact of energy, productivity and stress and how to acquire an energy-building personality and generate new opportunities.

The cost for admission is $60 for a single session and $85 for both sessions. Seating is limited and registration is required by calling Margaret Loudon, 650-3914.