2-4-2004 COVER STORY A new approach to health care — guaranteed By Rodika Tollefson    When multiple company buyouts and changes in managed care forced Greg Sampson to leave his physical therapy career in the mid-90s, he appeared headed for a new field: logging, excavating and such. Compelled by his wife to reconsider his new “farmer type” occupation, and to cater to the needs of young athletes like their sons, Sampson took the challenge...  (Full Article) 2-11-2004 RFQ: Request For Qualification Kitsap Planning and Environmental Consulting Team For Combined Sub-Area Plan and EIS RFQ 2004-124 - REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS Planning and Environmental Consulting Team For Combined Sub-Area Plan and EIS DATE: February 27, 2004, PROJECT OVERVIEW...  (Full RFQ) 2-4-2004 County accepts KREDC funding challenge    The Kitsap County commissioners, in a bold and clearly entrepreneurial move, have approved an unprecedented financial package for the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 AWB to work with State’s Emergency Management Council    This year, the Association of Washington Business (AWB) will step up its involvement with the Washington’s Emergency Management Council to help the state’s business community deal with homeland security and terrorism...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 More employers holding the line on cost shifting to employees    According to Watson Wyatt Worldwide’s 2003/2004 Survey of Strategic Rewards and Pay Practices, executives at only 18 percent of corporations plan to pass larger shares of benefit costs on to their employees, an enormous drop from last year’s 56 percent...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Questions about the Growth Management Act (Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 in a series of columns by County Commissioner Jan Angel. This series details the history of the Growth Management Act (GMA), its impact locally as well as on our state and its economy, and suggesting why and how GMA needs to be amended. The series is written from the point of view of a county government official tasked with overseeing the implementation of GMA locally on a day-to-day basis.) By County Commissioner Jan Angel Part II: Paradise Paradigm    The Washington State Growth Management Act (GMA) is at times a legacy and at times a curse to Washington citizens. The balance to be struck in growth management is not an easy one. From its earliest glimmer, legislators and officials struggled to find symmetry among its several goals...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Kitsap County firefighters receive $120,208 Fire Prevention Grant   U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee announced this week that Kitsap County Fire District 18 (FD18) would receive a $120,208 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) within the Department of Homeland Security. This represents the largest award in Washington State in the category of Fire Prevention...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 South Kitsap Family Care Clinic adds practitioners and expands hours    South Kitsap Family Care Clinic in Port Orchard recently added three new staffers. They are Audrey Van Voorhis, ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner), Margaret Sandler, ARNP, and David Billings, MS, Child/Adult Mental Health Counselor. Additionally, the clinic has expanded its hours to meet its patients’ varied needs and schedules...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Sailors in tech heaven at new Bangor rec facility    The plush, newly opened single sailor center dubbed “@ Eez” — from the military term “at ease” — at Naval Submarine Base Bangor is a tech Nirvana — a true sensory overload of computers, video-game systems, TVs and more...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Environmental Water’s song… marred by discords of misuse in Puget Sound “For it is the nature of the problems of land and water that damage to either is cumulative.” ~ Bernard De Voto, Harper’s 1954. By Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes    Ecology recently completed the newest list of polluted waters that purports to tell a more complete story about the condition of Washington’s waters than earlier lists, last updated in 1998...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 North Mason Chamber installs new officers    The North Mason County Chamber of Commerce installed its 2004 officers and honored its members with a bevy of awards at its annual installation and gala event held Jan. 17 at Lakeland Village...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 New childcare support firm opens    Business has taken a new turn for Educational Training Partners. The company has opened its first office in downtown Gig Harbor. For seven years, the training group offered services in King County and has now expanded its area of operation to Pierce and Kitsap counties...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Extra pay period in 2004 sends some employers scrambling    A quirk in the 2004 calendar (leap year) is causing some employers with biweekly payrolls to have 27 pay periods instead of the normal 26 for the year, prompting some to reduce each biweekly paycheck...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 AWB to put support behind charter schools once again    The Association of Washington Business (AWB) again threw its full support behind charter schools legislation before the state legislature in Olympia...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Washington CASH announces new classes    Washington CASH, a non-profit organization that provides business training, micro credit lending, technical business assistance and peer support to enable low-income individuals to start or expand a small business, has announced it’s first informational meeting and business class dates for 2004...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Bremerton School District principals win regional recognition from AWSP    The Bremerton School District announced that two of its building administrators have won regional recognition.    The Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP) has named Diane Metcalf, principal of Bremerton Junior High School, Principal of the Year for the Olympic Region...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Is it 2good2toss? New online garage sale available    Making room for all those holiday presents? Getting a head start on spring cleaning? Tempted to throw some things away because it’s easier than holding a garage sale in the rain? Kitsap County residents and businesses can now sell or give away “treasures” without worrying about the weather by using the new online garage sale at www.2good2toss.com...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 What’s the best way to dispose of expired medicines?    What’s the best way to throw away leftover, expired medicines? Once the answer was “flush ‘em” to ensure that children and animals couldn’t stumble on the drugs and be poisoned. Now scientists are increasingly warning not to flush drugs. Antibiotics, hormones, and other medicines are being found in waterways, raising worrisome questions about potential health and environmental effects...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Shaboom Inc. and Integral Development Associates form an alliance    Molly Gordon, CEO of Shaboom, Inc., and John Forman, managing partner of Integral Development Associates (IDA), announced a strategic alliance between the two firms to develop and deliver training and consulting solutions in both live and virtual learning environments...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Costco coming to Gig Harbor    Pope Resources announced that its real estate subsidiary, Olympic Property Group (OPG), has signed a definitive purchase and sale agreement with Costco Wholesale Corporation. Costco will acquire nearly 20 acres within the city limits of Gig Harbor for development of a future store site, expected to open in the next 18 months. The transaction is expected to close sometime between the third quarter of 2004 and the second quarter of 2005, depending upon various permit processing timelines...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Grahn recognized for volunteerism    Bud Grahn received the Agency Hands in the Community award from Allstate Insurance for his commitment to volunteering in the community. The award comes with a $500 grant from The Allstate Foundation for the Silverdale Rotary Club Foundation...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Poplars Motel to become senior housing    The Poplars Motel on Silverdale Way will soon become affordable apartments for seniors according to the Kitsap Consolidated Housing Authority (KCCHA). The Housing Authority, which intends to transform its 32,431 square feet into 32 one-bedroom units, made the decision to purchase the 35-year old motel by this July, contingent on financing...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Bozeman and Bremerton earn positive recognition    The Puget Sound Business Journal has selected Mayor Cary Bozeman as one of the Newsmakers of 2003 and the Seattle Times also identified him in the editorial page as one of the Regional Leaders of 2003...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Olympic College opens new doors in Poulsbo    Not since 1946 has a new college opened in Kitsap County… at least for Olympic College. Olympic College Poulsbo opened its doors to over 600 enrolled students on Jan. 5. Located in the Olhava development, the new $12.9 million dollar, state-of-the-art facility has been 10 years in the planning...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 IRS announces 2004 standard mileage rates    The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently announced the optional standard mileage rates to use for 2004 in computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving expense purposes...  (Full Article) 2-4-2004 Mason County PUD No. 3 moves to new location    Mason County PUD No. 3 announced that it’s customer service department in downtown Shelton began operating in a new location at 310 W. Cota St. as of Jan. 20. This is directly across the street from the PUD’s main administration building in downtown Shelton. 2-4-2004 Impressions Group Inc. signs Conoco Phillips    The Impressions Group, Inc. Of Poulsbo has executed a three year contract to provide promotional marketing, warehousing and distribution services to Conoco Phillips, Inc., parent company of Union 76, Circle K and Brown Bear Car Wash franchises.    According to Ray Norton, President, the deal calls for the firm to provide services to over 1400 locations in 7 western states including Hawaii and solidifies its position as a leader in the Northwest for providing both on-line as well as analog corporate store services. 2-4-2004 Mike Wall and Associates relocates to Allyn    After 26 years in Seattle, Mike Wall and Associates has moved to the area. Wall is a “traveling” personal property appraiser and estate sale organizer. He will appraise everything except real estate, including business and residential contents, fine art and antiques, for insurance, probate, marriage or business dissolutions, and resale or for personal knowledge.    Reach Wall at (360) 275-2057. 2-4-2004 PRSA learns from Kitsap business coach    Molly Gordon, a business coach based in Suquamish, recently addressed the Puget Sound chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Gordon discussed business coaching and how it applies to interactions with bosses, peers, clients, and others in the everyday work world with an emphasis on how coaching skills can improve organizational effectiveness.    Gordon can be reached at (360) 697-7022 or molly@mollygordon.com. 2-4-2004 Pacific Eye Care debuts Wavefront Analyzer    Bremerton’s Pacific Eye Care is one of the first vision practices in the state to install a new technology known as the Wavefront Analyzer. The machine represents the state-of-the-art in the laser vision correction technology known as LASIK.    It digitally maps potential vision imperfections that are uncorrectable using glasses, contact lenses or with conventional LASIK, and utilizes the map to customize a vision correction procedure.    Pacific Eye Care can be reached at (360) 479-9748. 2-4-2004 Stillwaters looking for program assistants    Stillwaters Environmental Education Center announced an expansion of its educational programs for the year. A program assistants’ orientation will be held on Saturday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m. to noon at Stillwaters, 26059 Barber Cut Off Road in Kingston.    A major part of the mission at Stillwaters is to increase environmental awareness by directly involving community members with programs where individuals with particular specialties (artists, birders, ecologists, botanists, etc.), can share their love and knowledge of nature with others. 2-4-2004 Arnold & Associates celebrate 10 years    Arnold & Associates announced that it has just completed 10 years in business. Established in January of 1994, Fred and Janet Arnold have steadily grown and expanded their consulting business specializing in assisting businesses through the maze of safety/health and environmental compliance regulations.    Arnold & Associates can be reached at (360) 697-5836 or via email at arnoldandassoc@earthlink.net. 2-4-2004 American Marine Bank pays dividend    The board of directors of AMB Financial Services Corporation, parent company of American Marine Bank, declared a $.35 quarterly dividend at the board’s regular December meeting. The dividend was payable to all shareholders of record as of Dec. 31, 2003. The dividend was paid January 15.