Archive for March, 2012
Here’s a (link) to an article in The Province about the number of Canadians flying out of U.S. airports. Canadians flying out of nearby U.S. airports has grown and is expected to continue, according to the article.
Of particular interest here was the percentage of Canadians that used the Bellingham airport last year: 62, according to the article. That’s up from 55 percent six years earlier.
Here’s a (link) to an interesting map put together by the Tacoma News Tribune which shows all the state liquor applications to sell spirits in Washington state, including Whatcom County. The map is updated through mid-March.
By zeroing in on Whatcom County, you can see it’s quite a few applications filed, particularly in Bellingham.
I’m back in the office after a week away, so I appreciate your patience while I catch up.
Here are some interesting items I spotted while looking over the latest building permit applications filed in Bellingham:
– An application to build a four-story, eight-unit apartment building called Garden Street Apartments at 1016 N. Garden St.
– An application to build a three-story, 38-unit residential building at 835 N. State St.
– At the Meridian Village shopping center (which has Marshalls as an anchor tenant), a tenant improvement permit put in a Carter’s baby and children clothing store.
– At 4492 Meridian St. (north of Walmart), an application to convert a residence into a pho and bubble tea restaurant.
Businesses holding unclaimed property can learn about their obligation to report it to the state through free workshops being offered around the state by the Washington State Department of Revenue.
Unclaimed property includes unclaimed paychecks, utility deposits, bank accounts, refunds, life insurance proceeds, stocks and bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes. Businesses have to report unclaimed property after losing contact with owners for an extended period, generally three years.
Businesses and individuals can search http://claimyourcash.org to see if they have any assets to claim.
Unclaimed Property Audit Manager Barbie Schneider said businesses can view the 2012 workshop schedule and register online by going to http://dor.wa.gov and clicking on the workshops and education link on the left. Courses include unclaimed property basics and information for financial institutions and for local governments. Questions can be directed to UCP@dor.wa.gov.
– Travis Surmi has applied for a state beer/wine liquor license at the former Lightcatcher Café space at 250 Flora St. According to application, the proposed new name for the space is Cheese Meat(s) Beer.
– HomeSkillet, a new restaurant going into the Sunnyland neighborhood, is aiming for a Tuesday, May 1 opening, said Tina White, who is opening it with her husband, Kirby. The restaurant is going into 521 Kentucky St. and will offer “basic, old-fashioned comfort food,” Tina White said.
– A liquor license application was filed for a grocery store at 5637 Ariel Court in Ferndale. The store’s proposed name is CL Super Market and the applicant is Jatinder Singh.
– Changes are afoot at Poppe’s Bistro & Lounge which is at the Lakeway Inn & Conference Center at 714 Lakeway Drive. Renovations are planned to improve the lounge’s sound system, lighting and exterior patio, said Larry MacDonald, who was recently appointed general manager of the Lakeway Inn.
MacDonald has 30 years experience in the hospitality industry and is a Western Washington native.
“We want to make it (Poppe’s) more of a local establishment,” MacDonald said in a press release. “We’ll be offering entertainment every night and introducing new food and beverage menus.”
Here’s the latest list of companies that have registered to do business in Bellingham. Most are new companies entering the market, but some are existing businesses adding another location, changing address or changing ownership:
Four Starrs Boutique, 1 Bellis Fair Pkwy #324, Bellingham
Sixstarperformance.com, Douglas L Ward, 2055 Fraser St #208, Bellingham
Stumpy Tree Service, Lance G Malmberg, 26 Stable Ln, Bellingham
A year after opening, the dog daycare facility Rover Stay Over on Hannegan Road has more than doubled in size and has added grooming services.
The expansion included new kennel spaces and a larger outdoor play area, said Rover manager Sydney Scheffer in a news release.
The new salon offers bathing, brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, haircuts, de-shedding, flea baths, and more for both cats and dogs. While the facility currently only offers boarding and daycare for dogs, plans are in the works to add cat boarding in the near future.
To celebrate the grand opening of the grooming salon and Rover’s one year anniversary, an open house at 6451 Hannegan Road is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 14.
Attendees can tour the facility and enter raffle drawings for free kennel stays and grooming services. For details, see roverstayover.net.
The number of Whatcom County bankruptcy filings in February were slightly higher than the previous month.
Last month 65 filings were reported locally, up from 63 in January, according to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District in Seattle. While up from the previous month, it’s down from a year earlier, when 74 filings took place.
Nearly three-quarters of last month’s filings were Chapter 7 personal bankruptcies; the rest were Chapter 13 reorganization filings.
Skagit County had 47 filings in February, up from 37 in January. In the western district, which includes Seattle, 1,195 bankruptcy filings took place last month, down 1.1 percent from a year earlier.
Here’s an update from the Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa about its expansion project:
Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa will host a ground breaking ceremony 2 p.m. on Friday, March 16 marking the launch of Phase VI in the property’s development. The ceremony will be held in the Silver Reef parking lot with a reception to follow.
New construction will include the 10,000-square foot Event Center and The Theater, a 150-seat tiered seminar theater with state-of-the-art audio/visual technology.
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