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COVER STORY
Bainbridge Island’s Airbiquity
holds the key to OnStar success
More than one million OnStar-equipped vehicles using local technology
By Lary Coppola |
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| Airbiquity’s top management team, L-R: Meredith Green, CFO; President & CEO Kamyar Moinzadeh, and VP of Product Development, Leon Hong. |
Telematics is a term most people — even those who are fairly tech-savvy — probably haven’t heard. Yet it’s something millions of us hold in our hands daily if we drive an automobile. Telematics is a combination of wireless communications software, vehicle monitoring systems and location-based services aimed at providing drivers with safety and information. Today, telematics systems can utilize wireless data transport technology patented by a Bainbridge Island firm, Airbiquity, originally utilized for the E-911 function in cellular phones. It delivers mission-critical data for safety and security applications over the voice channel of either analog or digital cellular networks, and is recognized as the fastest and most reliable technology available today.
One company understanding this, and licensing Airbiquity’s technology is OnStar. OnStar is an in-vehicle safety and security system installed in more than 50 models of vehicles (Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, Saturn, Saab, Hummer and GMC Trucks) built by General Motors, as well as by the Acura division of Honda. The one millionth OnStar equipped vehicle using Airbiquity’s technology has already rolled off the assembly line... (Full Article) |
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Attention Fellow Golf Professionals
and Friends of Randy Fossum |
| Our friend Randy has been enduring a long fight with brain cancer. We need your help in order to help Randy and his family. Please join us for the “Awesome” Fossum Golf Benefit. The format of play will be a Two-Net Stableford Stroke Play event. Entry fees are $100 per player, or $400 per team. In addition to the entry fee, we are asking that all golf courses donate a golf package for four with carts, to be auctioned off during the golf tournament. Randy needs our help NOW, so please make this event a priority. Entry includes, greens fees, cart rentals, range balls, and post event banquet. Click HERE to dowload the PDF entry form. |
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Gig Harbor business owner uses
imaginative marketing to create buzz
By Rodika Tollefson |
| “On Saturday, April 30, the Gig Harbor waterfront will host honorable guests, bridesmaids and groomsmen, and friends of family, all witnessing the nuptials of a special couple. Gig Harbor Mayor Gretchen Wilbert will officiate the ceremony, which will be followed by refreshments including cakes and a fashion show. Public invited... (Full Article) |
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Suquamish Tribe one of
county’s largest employers |
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Chartered in 1985, Port Madison Enterprises and its seven-member board of directors are responsible for overseeing the economic development of the Suquamish Tribe... (Full Article)
(Editor’s Note: This is part of a continuing series of profiles of companies participating in the Kitsap Economic Development Council’s (KEDC) Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program. Recently Leonard Forsman of the Suquamish Tribe sat down with the KEDC’s management team for an in-depth BRE survey. The purpose of the survey is to help the KEDC assess the local business climate and to identify any hindrances to a company’s continuing prosperity and expansion in the community. The survey also seeks to identify the positive factors in the local business climate and how to best capitalize on these factors.) |
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You need a roadmap to know
where you’re going
Chances of failure skyrocket without a written business plan
By Wendy Miles |
| In last month’s column we introduced the Kitsap Business Assistance Center and our community’s business need for it. There has been a steadily increasing flow of calls and counseling sessions in our downtown Bremerton office since its opening in January, a true testimony of that need. Why does this need exist... (Full Article) |
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Should you be saving those receipts? (Part II)
By Christopher T. Mutchler, CPA |
| Just about every taxpayer who itemizes deductions as part of their Federal income tax preparation routine knows that Washington State residents now have the option claiming an additional deduction for sales taxes paid. The deduction is allowable for 2004, and the IRS has published Optional Sales Tax Tables for taxpayers who do not (or did not) keep receipts. In addition, sales tax paid on certain large purchases, such as cars, motorcycles and boats, can be added to the optional sales tax amounts... (Full Article) |
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United Way of Kitsap County to offer
‘90 Minute Marketing Plan Workshop’
to all local non-profits |
| United Way of Kitsap County has announced it will offer ‘The 90 Minute Marketing Plan’ workshop to all local non-profit organizations on April 12, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Kitsap Community Resources, 1201 Park Ave in Bremerton... (Full Article) |
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Small firm proves big work can be done locally |
Transforming a residential hillside into a commercial retail space requires planning, an in-depth understanding of land use regulations and experience. WestSound Engineering, Inc (WSE) of Port Orchard has the needed experience and knowledge.
One example is when Craig Baldwin, owner and head engineer of WSE provided the feasibility study and cost estimate to the Parr Auto Group during the bid preparation for its major expansion off Highway 3. After the successful purchase of the property, WSE prepared applications and obtained permits for site plan approval, special use permit, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, WSDOT utility permit, and plan approval for on-site and off-site improvements... (Full Article) |
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BlueJackets looking at rookie season sellout
By Lary Coppola |
| Officials of the Kitsap BlueJackets, the locally owned minor league baseball team set to begin play this season, recently announced that as of mid-March, it had already sold 51 corporate sponsorships, encompassing 91 percent of its total available outfield signage... (Full Article) |
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How good an investment is your home?
By Jim Thatcher |
| Most people agree that home ownership is a good thing. But is a home really an “investment”? In a way, it is. But keep this in mind: Your home, by itself, is almost certainly not the type of investment that’s going to help you meet your long-term goals, such as a comfortable retirement... (Full Article) |
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Environmental
House passes Hood Canal package
Geoduck population may be part of the answer |
| Troublesome dissolved oxygen levels and recent problems with massive fish deaths prompted the legislature to create the new Select Committee on Hood Canal this legislative session – and with less than a month left in the legislative session the House has passed a package of bills based on the committee’s recommendations... (Full Article) |
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Environmental
This Earth Day, plant trees…
and create a path to peace
“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope. We also secure the future for our children. I call on those around the world to celebrate by planting a tree wherever you are... we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its life-support system…assist the Earth to heal her wounds and in the process heal our own.”
~ Kenyan eco-activist Wangari Maathai, in her acceptance of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize on the 8th of October, the first woman from Africa to be honored for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace.
By Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes |
| With that award, the Norwegian Nobel Committee demonstrated that environmental protection has become yet another path to peace... (Full Article) |
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Will “Contactless” card make credit
and identification cards obsolete?
New level of speed, accuracy, and security now possible |
| What does a healthcare facility in Atlanta have in common with Qwest Field in Seattle, and why is MasterCard involved? No, it doesn’t have anything to do with an athlete getting hurt. It’s the next wave of technology aimed at making our lives easier and more efficient... (Full Article) |
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David Clark
Thoughts from across America
How do we begin? |
Last issue’s column asked those who still care about this country to speak up.
I’m not the only one thinking what I’m thinking.
Roughly 25 percent of those responding simply said they agreed with what I wrote. Another 25 percent wrote about what they were doing... (Full Article) |
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Bremerton Symphony Orchestra & Chorale
perform final concert of the season |
| “Melodious Finale,” the last concert of the 2004-2005 Season of the Bremerton Symphony, will feature the Symphony Orchestra and Concert Chorale under the direction of Elizabeth Stoyanovich. The concert will open with combined selections for orchestra and chorale including Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Poulenc’s Gloria with soprano guest soloist Deborah Stephens... (Full Article) |
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Washington Technology Center
receives major SBA grant |
| The Washington Technology Center (WTC) recently received a Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program award from the Small Business Administration (SBA). The grant will be used to lead a statewide program that encourages the commercialization of technology research and investment in entrepreneurial technology companies... (Full Article) |
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Black Hat Seattle Training set for May |
| Black Hat, Inc., the computer security firm that sponsors the renowned Black Hat Briefings and Def Con, recently announced its first stand-alone training in Seattle. It will take place at the Red Lion Seattle, on May 23-24... (Full Article) |
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Tribes warn public about scam |
| “The public should be wary of anyone who claims to be a tribal member offering tribal membership for a price,” said Brian Cladoosby, president of the Association of Washington Tribes and chairman of the Swinomish Tribe... (Full Article) |
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Online Registration opens for SBA Expo ‘05: |
| Small business owners, entrepreneurs and others who would like to take part in the National Small Business Week celebration this month at the U.S. Small Business Administration’s SBA Expo ‘05 can now register online to attend the event, the SBA said... (Full Article) |
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Olympic Printer Resources
moves to new location |
| Olympic Printer Resources, Inc., a firm that recycles and remanufactures printer toner cartridges, recently moved into a new larger facility in the Arbor Business Park off Bond Road between Kingston and Poulsbo. The new address is 26127 Calvary Lane, Suite 200, Kingston... (Full Article) |
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United Way denounces questionable web site
Charity cautions to be wary of possible scam |
| United Way of Kitsap County, together with United Way of America, recently denounced the activities of an organization identifying itself as the “United Ways Charity Foundation... (Full Article) |
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Gig Harbor Costco plans move forward |
| Poulsbo-based Olympic Property Group (OPG), in conjunction with Costco Wholesale Corp. and Northwest Capital Investors, has submitted applications with the City of Gig Harbor for a 25-acre shopping center on OPG’s Harbor Hill project. The applications submitted to the City are for site plan review and a binding site plan for a proposed Costco store and more than five acres of additional multi-tenant retail space... (Full Article) |
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Soroptimists have scholarships available |
| Soroptimist International of Greater Bremerton recently announced the availability of scholarship applications for women... (Full Article) |
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Angel investor market sustains
modest recovery |
| The national angel investor market, which consists largely of wealthy investors who supply emerging businesses with start-up capital, showed signs of a sustainable recovery in 2004, according to a new report from the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics... (Full Article) |
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State approves $7.8 million penalty for Qwest
Failure to file contracts with other carriers
results in largest-ever WUTC fine |
| State regulators recently approved a $7.8 million penalty against Qwest Corp. for the company’s failure to file business contracts with rival carriers who use Qwest’s phone network... (Full Article) |
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Humble Abode sets date
for celebrity golf benefit |
Kitsap Cancer Services (Humble Abode) will be holding its 2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Benefit for Cancer at Kitsap Golf & Country Club on Friday, May 20. Kitsap Cancer Services is a local non profit organization dedicated to providing life enhancing support services for cancer patients, their families and caregivers. All services are offered free of charge to its clients.
For more information about KCS, sponsor information, support group information or to register for the tournament, call (360) 779-5282 or visit www.kitsapcancerservices.org. |
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American Express Financial Advisors moves |
Peter Taafe, certified financial planner with American Express Financial Advisors, Inc., recently announced that the office has moved into the Washington Mutual building at 500 Pacific Avenue, Suite 301 in Bremerton.
Taafe can be reached at (360) 377-9200, toll free at (888) 399-2044 or via the web at www.petertaafe.com. |
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State GOP re-launches “CantwellsCash.com” |
| The Washington State Republican Party has unveiled an updated version of its website on U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell’s broken 2000 campaign pledge to not except PAC money. The address is www.cantwellscash.com. |
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Tucker Trail Saddles expands |
Chimacum Tack in Port Hadlock is Trucker Trail Saddles’ newest and only dealer west of the I-5 corridor.
Each Tucker saddle is hand-crafted and built with a patented Gel-Cush shock absorbing seat for comfort on the trail.
Chimacum Tack can be reached at (888) 846-9822. |
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Local company expanding |
| Integrity Northwest, parent company of ShopLocalBiz.com recently announced the grand opening of Northwest WebSource. It provides a complete package of internet related services – internet hosting, domain registration, shopping carts, email, secure SSL certificates, web traffic statistics, etc. Reach Northwest WebSource at www.nwwebsource.com. |
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EEOC releases 2004 discrimination statistics |
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its charge statistics for fiscal year 2004. There were a total of 79,500 charges filed, down slightly from 2003 and 2002.
Race discrimination (35.1 percent) remains the subject of the highest percentage of charges, with sex discrimination (30 percent) a close second.
Retaliation claims (27.9 percent) have almost doubled since 1993. A retaliation charge is where the claimant alleges the employer took adverse action against the claimant as a result of a previous complaint. The previous complaint could be a previous discrimination charge or simply an internal discrimination complaint. |
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Safeway and WorkSource
form hiring partnership |
Safeway has formed a statewide partnership with WorkSource to recruit workers for its Washington stores.
The partnership agreement includes WorkSource advertising positions and hiring events, screening applicants to make sure they meet minimum requirements, and assisting Safeway in meeting its diversity goals. In return, Safeway agrees to help prepare job seekers for the openings by participating in workshops, employer panels and similar events at WorkSource centers. |
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Art Anderson Associates
solving Florida congestion |
Art Anderson Associates is working with local planners on Florida’s west coast to solve the congestion problems on the bridges connecting the mainland to the barrier islands. Chief Naval Architect Andrew K. Bennett, P.E., leads the team, providing water transportation expertise to a growing base of clients needing to move people via ferries, water buses, and water taxis.
Art Anderson Associates can be reached at (360) 479-5600 or on the web at www.artanderson.com. |
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Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration April 23 |
On Saturday, April 23, at 9:30 a.m., the Poulsbo Tree Board is holding a combined Arbor Day tree-planting/rain garden planting and inauguration in Austurbruin Park. The focus will be on the small wetland in the middle of the park, and they will be planting a variety of native conifers and shrubs around the margin of the wetland. The long-term plan is to help this area develop into a mixed alder and conifer woodland.
There will also be a small demonstration rain garden at one corner of the park, and installation of educational signage regarding rain gardens, wetlands, and backyard wildlife habitat.
Funding for the project and the event came from the Puget Sound Action Team. |
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