People
Vivian Blossom, Snohomish County Tourism Bureau’s visitor-information specialist and receptionist, retired last month after 12 years of service. Stacey Pfeiffer has joined the staff as visitor services coordinator. She will be responsible for coordination of volunteer programs and general office administration. Andrea Sherrodd Vanni has been named the organization’s new marketing and communications coordinator.
Kudos
The Embassy Suites Hotel Seattle North/Lynnwood has received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award for the second year in a row. The accolade is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. Only the top-performing 10 percent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor.com receive this prestigious award.
Cascade Valley Hospital and Clinics has earned ISO 9000 certification from Det Norske Veritas, the organization’s national health care accrediting body. There is only one other DNV ISO-certified hospital in Washington. DNV surveys health care providers on the care they provide to ensure they meet the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services conditions of participation.
Good deeds
The Moss Adams Foundation has pledged $500,000 over the next five years to the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University. Western plans to add the Moss Adams name to the soon-to-be-launched professional readiness center.
Windermere Real Estate’s Mukilteo office will donate a day of service to benefit the Mukilteo Food Bank. Windermere Mukilteo Brokers will be at the Mukilteo QFC and Albertsons store entrances from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday to collect food donations for the Mukilteo Food Bank. In addition, there will be receptacles at both Mukilteo Starbucks locations.
Events
The sixth annual Washington State Biomedical Device Summit is today from 3 to 7 p.m. at the University of Washington Bothell campus, in Mobius Hall. This year’s keynote speaker is Mark Leahey, president and CEO for the Medical Device Manufacturers Association. Registration for will-call tickets is through Brown Paper Tickets at meddevsummit.bpt.me.
The Edmonds office of Wells Fargo Advisors will hold a special drop-in open house from 8 to 11 a.m. today through Friday to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. Complimentary gourmet coffee and pastries will be provided. The office is at 315 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds, and the phone number is 425-670-2757.
Leadership Snohomish County is accepting proposals from agencies with 501(3)c status that serve the county for community projects for the 2013-14 program year. Past project examples are viewable at www.leadershipsc.org or during a free question and answer session from 10 to 11 a.m. on July 18 at the Greater Everett Community Foundation, 2823 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett. Q&A registration is at lscimpactprojects.eventbrite.com.
Citrine Health, Hope Heart Institute and the federal Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health will present “A Women’s Health Forum: Thriving Through Menopause” from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The event is at the Women’s Wellness Center at 2817 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett. Registration is $10. Dinner is included. For more information and registration, go to www.WomensWellnessCenter.org.
The Puget Sound Partnership’s Ecosystem Coordination Board will meet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday in the Brackett Room at Edmonds City Hall, 121 Fifth Ave. N., Edmonds. The meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to address questions or comments about the regional effort to restore and protect Puget Sound.
Paul Archipley, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry and publisher of the Beacon newspapers, will speak about the future of the newspaper industry at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at Harbour Pointe Retirement Community in Mukilteo. Outside visitors are welcome. For more information, call 425-493-8555 or go to www.hpretire.com.
Total Wine &More will open a new store in Lynnwood across from Alderwood mall. In celebration, the store will offer beer and wine tastings, activities, live entertainment and more Thursday through Sunday. It is Total Wine &More’s first store in Snohomish County and the fifth in Washington.
Diamond Knot Craft Brewing is hosting the first Washington showings of “Beer Hunter: The Movie” at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday at the company’s Production Brewery and Taproom in Mukilteo. Admission is by donation to benefit the Mukilteo Food Bank. Beverages will be available for purchase and the popcorn is free. For information, call 425-355-4488.
Classes, workshops and webinars
Free tools and support to re-enter the workforce is available at three-hour free workshops, presented by YWCA Pathways to Work. You do not have to attend all of the classes. Choose the one that meets your needs. Space is limited. Please call 425-258-2766, ext. 226, or email bpatrykus@ywcaworks.org for more information or to make your reservation.
Announcements
Starting Thursday, the Future of Flight Aviation Center will offer guided tours of the center’s aviation gallery and exhibits twice a day. Senior Projects and Acquisitions Manager Ed Kaplanian will conduct the hourlong, detailed tours at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays through Sept. 20. For more information, go to www.futureofflight.org. Kaplanian, an avid aviation buff, is a volunteer commercial aviation archivist for the Boeing Co. and is the author of a monthly aviation blog, Ed’s Commercial Aviation Roundup at futureofflightnews.blogspot.com.
Marysville and Tulalip police recently partnered to roll out a new business crime-watch program. If you’re interested in starting a business watch group in the Marysville/Tulalip community, contact Lt. Mark Thomas at 360-363-8321 or email mthomas@marysvillewa.gov; Bob Rise, Business Watch coordinator at 360-363-8325 or MVP@marysvillewa.gov; or Tulalip Deputy Chief Carlos Echevarria at 360-716-4608 or email CEchevarria@TulalipTribalPolice.org.
Everett Community College will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and will be closed on Fridays through Aug. 30. The college will be closed for Labor Day Sept. 2 and return to normal hours starting Sept. 3. This is the college’s fifth year of switching to a four-day work week during the summer.
Cellular Sales has announced the grand opening of a new store at 21129 Bothell-Everett Highway in Bothell. The new location, which is near Fred Meyer, shares the building with a Sears Home Appliance store. The opening of the store is expected to create at least 10 jobs.
Bothell-based TalentWise has secured $25 million in funding from a Seattle-based private equity investor to support a strategic plan for growth. TalentWise, which experienced revenue growth in excess of 50 percent in 2012, provides human resources, hiring managers, candidates and new hires with a single, cloud-based platform that automates the end-to-end hiring process.
The local sales and use tax rates will change July 1 in the city of Stanwood, according to the state Department of Revenue. Stanwood will see a sales and use tax rate increase of 0.2 percent. The tax will be used for transportation services and increases the Stanwood sales tax rate to 8.8 percent. More information is available online at dor.wa.gov/LocalTaxRateChanges.
The U.S. Energy Department has launched eGallon, a quick and simple way for consumers to compare the costs of fueling electric vehicles vs. driving with gasoline. In Washington, the eGallon price is about $0.84, meaning that a typical electric vehicle could travel as far on $0.84 worth of electricity as a similar vehicle could travel on a gallon of gasoline.
Washington’s average annual wage grew by 3.4 percent in 2012, to $51,595, surpassing $50,000 for the first time, according to the state Employment Security Department. These figures include only those wages that are covered by unemployment insurance. Much of the increase was driven by a 6.1 percent increase in the number of insured workers earning more than $75,000.
Biz Bits runs Monday through Saturday in The Herald and on Monday at HeraldNet.com/bizblog. Send your news and high-resolution color photos to businessnews@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
