The Silverdale Chamber of Commerce announces the grand opening of Catie’s Creations’ storefront at 3541 NW Carlton St in Old Town Silverdale on Feb. 23. Catie’s Creations will be hosting an open House from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. with refreshments available all day long. The actual ribbon cutting will be held at 4 p.m.

Catie’s Creations has been in business since 1999 and continues to grow each year. Screen printing and promotional products were added in 2007, and sublimation was added in 2008. In early spring of 2009, they added both vinyl and direct to garment printing. read more »

There is finally a bit of good news from Olympia. The state’s Revenue Forecast Council reports that tax revenues for this biennium will be $96 million higher than projected last November, and state tax collections for 2013-15 are projected to grow by 6.6 percent.

But we shouldn’t get too excited. Even with this additional revenue and the cuts the Legislature made in December’s special session, lawmakers still need to make up about a $1 billion deficit to balance the budget.

Even if they manage to close the gap this time, the basic problem remains: The state budget is unsustainable. Without systemic change, we face a future of ever larger deficits. read more »

The Kitsap Economic Development Alliance encourages attendance at its annual membership meeting. The purpose of the meeting will be to provide its 2011 Annual Report of performance and financial condition, present the KEDA Priorities and Work Plan, and to elect directors to the KEDA board.

In addition to the investor member business noted above, it will introduce the Kitsap Aerospace and Defense Alliance and present an address on Kitsap’s Place in Aerospace. read more »

The Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau (KPVCB) announced that it, the Kitsap Public Facilities District (Kitsap PFD) and Kitsap County have formed the Kitsap Peninsula Facilities & Event Coalition. The purpose of the Coalition is to identify existing and potential conference, event, meeting, sport, tournament, and recreation facilities and venues that can be aggressively marketed to achieve maximize public and private economic benefit today and in the future, according to Patricia Graf-Hoke, executive director of the KVPCB. read more »

The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is seeking input from the public on draft rules for implementing portions of the workers’ comp medical network that will launch in 2013. Specifically, the rules cover injured workers’ visits to non-network providers — what L&I can pay for and who can decide to reopen a claim.

“After the network launches, injured workers can see a non-network provider only for an initial visit,” said Beth Dupre, assistant director for Insurance Services. “After that they must transfer to a network provider. Since providers outside our network cannot receive payment after the first treatment, we’re eager to find a way to make the transition to network providers as smooth as possible for everyone.” read more »

The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Tacoma Narrows Bridge meets again Wednesday, Feb. 22, to continue reviewing new toll rate options.

The public meeting to be held at the Gig Harbor Civic Center, Council Chamber, 3510 Grandview Street from 6 to 8 p.m., is the third in a series of four in which the CAC reviews current toll rates, considers new toll rate options, and reviews costs and revenues for the bridge. read more »

Directors to oversee commercial exhibits and entertainment at the Kitsap County Fair are needed. Applications are being accepted for both of these volunteer positions on the Kitsap County Fair Board, a nine-member advisory group appointed by the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners that assists with the planning and operations of the annual county fair. For more information and an online application, visit www.kitsapgov.com/volunteer/ or contact Volunteer Services Coordinator Rebecca Pirtle at (360) 337-4650 or rpirtle [at] co [dot] kitsap [dot] wa [dot] us.

Local artists and others knowledgeable in the visual arts are encouraged to apply for openings on the Kitsap County Arts Board. The Arts Board, whose members are appointed by Kitsap County Commissioners, promotes and encourages private and public programs that further public awareness and develop an interest in the arts and cultural properties. The ordinance establishing the “1 percent for Art Program” tasked the Arts Board with: read more »