OLYMPIA
Cutting-edge products from Shoreline and across Washington were on display under the Capitol Dome on Jan. 8 as the Washington State Legislature opened its 2007 session.
The occasion was the first “Made in Washington” Legislative Trade Fair in state history, according to a press release.
Producers from more than 25 legislative districts and all corners of Washington came to the Capitol Rotunda to display their wares, ranging from apples and aerospace to premium wines and a precision Stirling Engine created by students in the manufacturing program at Shoreline Community College.
The idea for the event originated from State Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds, and State Rep. Mary Skinner, R-Yakima.
“We wanted state lawmakers and leaders to see the amazing diversity of great products that are made or grown in Washington,” said Chase. “Everyone knows about Boeing, Microsoft and other giants, but we’ve paid too little attention to the importance and needs of other local producers who are shaping the future of farming and manufacturing.”
Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, said the success of the all-day trade fair was “a tribute to the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative products that are energizing our economy.”
Several products at the trade fair highlighted the Shoreline community’s leadership in renewable energy, including a display of technologies that power the Zero Energy House at Shoreline Community College.
Larry Owens, a solar specialist with Northwest Mechanical Inc. and president of the Shoreline Solar Project, was on hand to demonstrate new technologies and to tout the annual Shoreline Renewable Energy Fair, which has grown into the biggest renewable energy event of its type in Western Washington, according to a press release.
One of the exhibits at the trade fair was a display of creative pet costumes handcrafted by Flytes of Fancy, a growing Shoreline home-based business operated by Maryn Wynne, who also co-founded the Shoreline Solar Project.
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