Rush Residential, a division of The Rush Companies, has announced plans to build 82 homes in Harbor Crossing, giving more buyers the opportunity to own a home in Gig Harbor.

“Gig Harbor has been a coveted address for decades, but hasn’t been affordable for all buyers,” said Scott Walker, vice president of Rush Residential. “There is a significant opportunity to extend the Gig Harbor lifestyle to a broader set of buyers by creating more diverse housing options.”

Rush plans to begin construction this month of its detached homes and its first townhome development within the Harbor Crossing community. read more »

Kitsap County received four grants from the Washington State Department of Ecology to build green stormwater retrofit projects in Manchester, Illahee, Silverdale and in some county parks. The grant funds will be combined with funds from the Kitsap County Surface and Stormwater Management utility.

These green stormwater projects will use native plants, healthy soils and permeable pavement to manage stormwater on properties in a cleaner, more natural way. They will result in healthier water in area streams and Puget Sound.

The Department of Ecology grants total $2.8 million and will be used for projects costing about $5.3 million. read more »

Garden Vision LLC, in collaboration with Glenwood Gardens, is offering a garden-oriented educational briefing on June 2 at noon at Glenwood Gardens. “Sustainable Landscapes to Save the World” is the topic of this one-hour presentation by Kate Easton, founder of Garden Vision.

Based on a recent research paper Easton wrote and her 20 years of experience as a professional horticulturist and landscape designer, the presentation will explain how anyone can easily apply sustainability principles in their landscapes in three areas: design, implementation and hygiene. read more »

Business Examiner

The average cost for a typical American family of four receiving health care through an employer-sponsored preferred provider organization this year is $20,728, according to the 2012 Milliman Medical Index (MMI). While the 6.9 percent increase over 2011 is the lowest rate of increase in the 10 years of this study, the $1,335 increase surpasses last year’s record of $1,319.

“The average rate of increase this year dips below 7 percent for the first time since we began analyzing these costs, but the total dollar increase is still the highest we have seen,” said Lorraine Mayne, principal and consulting actuary with the Salt Lake City office of Milliman Inc. read more »

Boxlight has announced the release of the company’s 3D printer, the ModelMaker by 2Bot.

For the first time, physical models can be inexpensive and easy to engineer. Users can take preliminary designs, make a physical model, then see and “feel” what changes are needed 10 times faster than with other 3D printers. ModelMaker is so fast, models can be made in the time it takes to teach a class, using materials as inexpensive and common as foam building insulation.

Our user software, 2Bot Studio, can be learned in minutes and offers direct access to files from all 3D solid modeling programs. read more »

Kingston — Craft roaster CB’s Nuts has partnered with Friehe Farms to plant Washington’s first commercial Valencia peanut crop. The yield from the planting at Friehe Farms in Moses Lake, Wash., will be processed into CB’s PB natural peanut butter and sold at Whole Foods, PCC and other stores throughout the Pacific Northwest this winter.

“Drought conditions in the Southwest, the traditional growing region for the Valencia peanut, have had a significant impact on availability of this crop for commercial food producers like us,” said Clark Bowen, CB’s Nuts founder and chief roaster. “We have been working on peanut crop trials with WSU Extension Franklin County for the last seven years and are thrilled to finally put the first seeds of a commercial Valencia peanut crop into Washington State soil.” read more »

An article from the Business Examiner:

Job satisfaction is low among employed North Americans, according to a survey by Right Management.

“Job satisfaction is an easily understood workplace indicator,” said Jeff Gerkin, general manager for Right Management in the Western region. “We’re not asking about fulfillment or enthusiasm, but just job satisfaction. Nevertheless data unmistakably tilt in the wrong direction. Half as many respondents say they’re satisfied with their job compare to those that are unsatisfied. Sorry to say, this comes as no surprise when it comes from workers in the U.S. and Canada, who’ve been giving their grumpy and frank feedback for the past two difficult years.” read more »

He will run against incumbent Commissioner Charlotte Garrido in the Aug. 7 Democratic primary for the District 2 seat, which represents South Kitsap.

Coppola, 61, was elected mayor of Port Orchard in 2007 and was widely credited with improving the business climate as well as making city government more efficient and customer service oriented. During his four years in office, the city annexed McCormick Woods and the Bethel Corridor area that includes the Fred Meyer store and other significant commercial property that brought considerably more sales tax revenue to Port Orchard.

Coppola’s leadership in managing the city’s budget helped Port Orchard avoid staff and service cuts that many other cities had to make during the recession of the past few years. read more »

OLYMPIA — On May 24, the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) will host a new live auction of the rights for 18 state liquor stores. Following the online auction that ended April 20, top bidders on 18 state liquor stores did not pay their posted bid, sacrificing their deposit.

Bidders representing 149 state liquor stores have already paid a total of $25.9 million in bid fees to the state.

“This has been a highly successful auction process,” said WSLCB business enterprise director Pat McLaughlin. “We have already collected nearly $26 million in bids plus about one million more in fees.” read more »