Business FYI

People

Landau Associates, a leading Pacific Northwest engineering and environmental consulting firm, announces promotions of several employees at its office in Edmonds: Anthony Katsaros, associate and natural resources director; Linda Naoi Goetz, natural resources deputy director; Julie Bohm, marketing director; Tena Seeds, senior project engineer; Benni Jonsson, project engineer; Anthony Farinacci, senior staff hydrogeologist; Jessica Hayden-Spear, senior staff scientist; and Brian Christianson, field services manager.

Kristie Hamilton has been named online sales specialist at The Herald. Hamilton will work with classified and retail sales representatives on promoting online advertising. In addition, she will assist in online sales for Seattle’s Child, The Enterprise, Snohomish County Business Journal and La Raza. Hamilton previously served as district sales manager for Idearc Media.

Business deals

Daniel Jolly, manager of Clear Image Photo and Portrait Studio, has purchased the business from Joseph and Heidi Gogal, owners for the past 21 years. Jolly has managed the business since 2000. The ownership will change hands over a 90-day period and should be completed by year’s end. Jolly said he will continue to focus on family portraits, high school senior pictures, corporate and sports work and passport photos.

Classes, seminars

United Way of Snohomish County has joined with Cascade Bank, CityBank and Frontier Bank to provide families with the opportunity to take charge of their economic futures through financial education. The Money Smart series teaches valuable and practical skills in financial goal-setting, budgeting, credit and how to play it smart in the financial world. The Money Smart: Financial Education is a five-week series. Classes run from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, Oct. 23 through Nov. 20 at United Way of Snohomish County, 3120 McDougall Ave., Everett. Registration is required and space is limited. To register or for more information, call United Way at 425-374-5506.

The Everett office of the Washington State Department of Revenue is hosting a free workshop for new and small-business owners, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Everett Public Library, 2707 Hoyt Ave., Everett. Participants will learn about Washington excise taxes, reporting classifications, deductions, tax incentives, sales tax collection and record-keeping requirements. All receive a workbook and reference guide to Department of Revenue rules and regulations. Space is limited. To register, go to www.dor.wa.gov or call 425-356-4800.

Business news

Taxable retail sales declined 2.4 percent to $29.1 billion in Washington state during the second quarter of this year, the Department of Revenue reported. In Snoho­mish County, sales were down 4.66 percent to $1.34 billion in comparison to year-ago figures. Island County was harder hit, with a 13.7 percent decline. In general, steeper declines were in the areas of motor vehicles and parts, which dropped 13.6 percent, and building materials, which dropped 8.8 percent.

Fitch Ratings has upgraded the long-term credit rating for the Snohomish County PUD despite the current financial turmoil. The agency was boosted a notch to AA- from A+. The ratings come from the PUD’s issuance of $60 million in short-term notes to fund outstanding variable-rate bonds sold in 1995. The better rating typically will help the PUD sell its bonds and at a lower price.

Snohomish County is accepting applications from public and nonprofit agencies for projects that promote tourism and overnight stays in the county. Funding, which comes from taxes collected on Snohomish County’s hotel and motel room rentals, will be available in January and will be awarded on a competitive basis to eligible projects best demonstrating the ability to draw visitors to Snohomish County. Historically, the average project allocation has been about $6,500. To assist potential applicants, the county will host a workshop at 9 a.m. today at the Holiday Inn, 3105 Pine St., Everett. The workshop will provide information about the objectives of the funding program and how applicants can develop competitive proposals. Details of eligibility and other program requirements also are available by contacting Brent Lambert, Snohomish County Economic Development, at 425-388-3263 or brent.lambert@snoco.org. Completed applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 27 at Snohomish County’s Economic Development Division, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201.

Meetings

“Doing Well by Doing Good” will be the topic of a panel of four women business owners who share two things in common — they make it their business to give back and their businesses are flourishing — at the Women Business Owners power lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Washington Athletic Club, 1325 Sixth Ave., Seattle. Cost is $31 for members before Oct. 21, or $41 after; $46 and $56 for nonmembers. For information, call 206-575-3232 or go to www.womenbusinessowners.org.

Volunteers sought

United Way of Snohomish County seeks 60 volunteers to help people prepare tax returns at the agency’s free tax centers the operated from Jan. 22 to April 15. The centers aid low- and middle-income families. Last year, volunteers helped local people get $1.2 million in refunds. Volunteers will receive free training and be certified by the IRS. The can work in Everett, south Everett and ­Lynnwood. Speakers of Spanish and Russian are sought. Call 425-374-5506 for information or visit www.uwsc.org.

Miscellaneous

The world’s highest capacity mobile phone memory card is available at Best Buy stores this month and at Verizon Wireless stores in November. At a capacity of 16GB, the new card allows Verizon Wireless customers to hold up to 3,600 songs or 20 hours of video, and to fully utilize all their mobile phone capabilities. The 16GB card costs between $99.99 and $129.99.

John Smith, a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln, will be handed the keys to a brand new 2009 Scion XB on the showroom floor today at Rodland Toyota-Scion, located at 6816 Evergreen Way, Everett. Smith won this vehicle in a Navy Relief raffle aboard the Lincoln earlier this year. The car is a donation from Rodland Toyota-Scion to aid service personnel.

Business fairs

Home-based businesses will be a focus at the Puget Sound Home-Based Business Fair, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th St. SW. Admission is free.

Honors

The Everett Clinic is a 2008 recipient of the Golden Apple award honoring excellence in the promotion of healthy employees. The Everett Clinic is the only organization in Western Washington receiving the annual award, which is given by The Healthy Worksite Summit, a collaborative effort of the Association of Washington Cities, the Washington State Dairy Council and the American Heart Association. The Everett Clinic was recognized for its Wellness Challenge program, which gives employees an easy-to-follow roadmap to improve their health. In the first year of the program, 65 percent of eligible employees signed up for the program, exceeding the clinic’s initial enrollment goal by 30 percent. More than half of participating employees succeeded in reaching their improved health goals.

Roy Robinson RV Center in Marysville has been named one of the Top 50 Recreation Vehicle Dealers in America by “RV Business” magazine. The selections are based on sales, customer service and sound business practices, according to the magazine’s Sherman Goldenberg.

Good deeds

Sip fine wine, shop for gifts and enjoy a buffet of hors d’oeuvres and desserts at Wight’s Wonderland of Christmas Charity Gala, 5 to 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at Wight’s Home &Garden, 5026 196th St. SW, Lynnwood. Tickets are $20, and 10 percent of the evening’s sales go to Children’s Hospital. For more information, call 425-775-3636 or go to www.wights.com.

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