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Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com

Business happenings around the county

People

Steve Litch, of Western Facilities Supply in Everett, recently completed a sales seminar offered by Spartan Chemical Co., one of Western's suppliers.

Tom Gray retires today as executive director of Bethany of the Northwest. Gray led Bethany for 14 1/2 years and served 42 years in the health-care field.

Anne Spangler is the new general counsel for Snohomish County PUD. Spangler previously served as a chief counsel for Tacoma Public Utilities, and she has extensive experience in issues of land use, construction, real estate, transportation and environmental matters.

Seanna Carveth, senior planner for Snohomish County, received the Built Green Pioneer award at the 2008 Built Green Conference in Seattle. The award recognizes Carveth's efforts in developing and maintaining the Built Green program.

New business

Third Dimension Salon has opened in the new Snohomish Station Shopping Center in Snohomish. Kerri Almaas is the salon director. She has nearly 10 years of experience in the industry. The shop is the 15th salon, the first in Snohomish County. The shop offers the latest in haircuts, colors, perms and professional products.

Brim Tractor, which has a store in Everett, recently expanded its product line by becoming the sole retailer of JCB construction equipment in much of Western Washington. Brim now offers backhoes, mini-excavators, skid steers and other JCB products.

Workshops, classes

The Home Depot offers the following free clinics in April: Water conservation at home, 10 a.m. Saturdays; tiling floors and walls, 11 a.m. Saturdays; selecting and planting perennials, 1 p.m. Saturdays; and creating an organic garden, 1 p.m. Sundays. The workshops are designed for people of all abilities. To locate a Home Depot, call 800-430-3376 or go to www.homedepot.com.

Kenneth Brooks, regional marketing champion for Staples, will lead an Empower YOUniversity seminar on marketing from 7:30 to 9 a.m. April 8 at United Way of Snohomish County, 3120 McDougall Ave., Suite 200, in Everett. Cost is $15 for Everett Chamber members, $45 for nonmembers if registered by Friday. Call 425-257-3222 or e-mail info@everettchamber.com.

New and small businesses can learn about state excise taxes, reporting classifications, deductions, tax incentives and record-keeping requirements through a Washington State Department of Revenue presentation from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. April 9 at the Everett Public Library, 2702 Hoyt Ave. Call 425-356-4800 or register online at www.dor.wa.gov.

Pathways for Women YWCA presents its free Pathways to Work employment support class for individuals re-entering the work force because of divorce, separation, death or disability of a spouse, or loss of welfare; from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 9-22, in Lynnwood. Transportation and childcare assistance may be available. Call 425-258-2766, ext. 226, or e-mail cfisher@ywcaworks.org.

Business news

The Everett Area Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution at its board of directors meeting March 13, supporting Boeing's protest of the U.S. Air Force aerial tanker contract with Northrop Grumman-EADS. The resolution noted that the contract, had it been awarded to Boeing, would have generated 9,000 jobs for the company, with many of those jobs created at Boeing's Everett plant. The chamber, in its resolution, said the federal government should consider policies that strengthen U.S. economic and national security interests.

Haggen Food & Pharmacy in Stanwood has installed a ScriptPro robotic system to prepare and label patient prescriptions and include dosing information. Andrew Charter, vice president of pharmacy at Haggen, said the new system improves accuracy and provides more time for pharmacists to work with customers and answer questions.

The Sears dealer store in Marysville recently received the Five Star Excellence Award based on overall sales performance during a Sears conference in Florida. The store is owned by Les Tripp.

Pacific Earth Works of Monroe, a general contractor specializing in landscape construction, recently learned that two of its projects won Environmental Awards from the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals. The Brightwater wetland mitigation won a Grand Award in wetland construction. And a Fanutelory waterfront residence won a Grand Award in residential construction.

Rob and Caroline Elliott have opened a new PostalAnnex+ store at 1519 132nd St. SE, Suite C, in south Everett, The company offers mailboxes, packaging supplies, photocopying and custom packing. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Call 425-357-0500 or e-mail pa7013@postalannex.com.

Edmonds Harbor Inn, 130 W. Dayton St., Edmonds, has joined the Best Western chain of hotels. The hotel, which includes 91 guest rooms, an outdoor heated pool and a 24-hour fitness center, is owned by Mark Raden. Reservations can be made at www.bestwestern.com.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board announces the expiration of the 10-year lease for Liquor Store No. 006, 6608 64th St. NE, Suite A, Marysville, as of Aug. 31. State law allows for leases of a maximum of 10 years with the option to renew for 10 years.

Fred Meyer in Everett is carrying the TerraCycle line of environmentally friendly gardening products. The products include Worm Poop plant foods and fertilizers. TerraCycle packages its products in recycled beverage and yogurt containers, some of which are collected by children during fundraisers. For information on its recycling program, go to www.terracycle.net/brigades.

Express Personnel Services has changed its name to Express Employment Professionals. For more information about the full-service employment firm, call 425-339-8400 (Everett and north Snohomish County) or 425-775-4903 (Lynnwood and south Snohomish County).

Local farmers and crafters who plan to participate in the new Monroe Farmer's Market are encouraged to apply by April 7. The market will open June 3 for the summer. For information, call Beth Stucker, 360-793-0636 or 425-238-4104; or Lynn Gose, 360-794-4926.

Special events

Comprehensive Wealth Management, a Lynnwood-based financial planning and investment firm, is sponsoring an auction to benefit Edmonds Community College scholarships and grants, at 6 p.m. April 12 at Inglewood Golf Club, 6505 Inglewood Road NE, in Kenmore. The event includes bidding on both silent and live auction items, a wine reception and a lavish sit-down dinner with a menu created by Doug Wilson, executive chef at Ten Mercer in Seattle. Corporate tables are available for $5,000. To donate or for more information, call 425-640-1512 or e-mail lorrie.gomes@edcc.edu.

Meetings

Barbara Wallace will cover the art of staging at the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women's general meeting, 6 p.m. (social hour), 7 p.m. meeting April 10, at the Mill Creek Country Club. Registration is $30. For information, call Dana Fox at 425-285-1025.

The Workforce Development Council Snohomish County's annual meeting will be 7:30 to 9 a.m. April 15 at Everett Station. Featured speaker is John Gardner, vice president, economic development and extension for Washington State University. Registration is $30 or $240 for a table for eight, and space is limited. Call 425-921-3423 or go to www.wdcsc.org.

Mill Creek Toastmasters Club 861267 meets 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday each month at the Mill Creek City Hall's council chambers, 15728 Main St. Visitors are welcome. Call 425-218-1661, go to http://millcreek.freetoasthost.ws or e-mail laura@millcreek. freetoasthost.ws.

Good deeds

The YMCA of Snohomish County honored its outstanding policy and program volunteers at a special recognition dinner March 11 at the Everett Holiday Inn. More than 2,500 YMCA volunteers provide assistance with policies, programs and activities. Volunteers of the year included:

n For Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Ann Boyce of Stilly Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force and Steve Erickson of Cascade Bank;

n For Everett YMCA, Shon Grimes and Bill Finley of the Everett Clinic;

n For Marysville-North County YMCA, Danen Barnhart of Boeing and Gail Miller of the Marysville School District;

n For Monroe-Sky Valley YMCA, Jim Jones of Bell & Ingram and Paul Cavassa of Cavassa and Associates;

n For Mukilteo YMCA, Al Carlo of Boeing and Matt Martin of State Farm Insurance;

n Southeast YMCA, Pam Shinsato of Snohomish School District and Andrew Siguenza of Crane ELDEC;

n And for YMCA trustees, Mike Zubovic of Aviation Technical Services.

Snohomish County is asking charities, churches, employers, local governments and social service agencies to help notify county residents who are eligible for the federal economic stimulus payment but may not be aware of it. To receive the payments, as much as $600 per person, $1,200 for couples, and an additional $300 per child, a federal tax return must be filed. For information and for resources that can be used to notify residents, go to www.irs.gov.

The IRS will help seniors and low-income residents find free tax assistance by calling 800-829-1040 or by going to www.irs.gov and entering "free tax help" in the search field. Help also is available at the IRS office, 3020 Rucker Ave., Everett. The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The hours will extend to 5:30 p.m. from March 31 to April 11. The office also will be open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 12.

Claudia McClain, owner of McClain Insurance Services in south Everett, recently launched a Web site for teen drivers and their parents, www.teendriverinsurance.com/ McClain. The site includes safety tips, a teen driver-parent driving contract, and a number of helpful links.

Send your Business FYI news and color photos to Mike Benbow, Business editor, The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206, by fax to 425-339-3435 or by e-mail to economy@heraldnet.com.