|
|
|
|
SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
Banquet & Meeting Facilities |
| This is a list of prominent meeting and banquet facilities on the Kitsap Peninsula and vicinity... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
Why hiring a professional event planner
increases chances of success
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Whether your company is planning an internal event or a public party, the logistics could become quite intricate. Hiring an event planner requires an investment, but professional planners say it is money well spent. Not only does that bring in professionals who know the ins and outs of events, but also allows the company to not dedicate its time, efforts and human resources to making them happen... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
B&B — It also stands for Bed and “Business”
By Maura Hallam Sweley |
| Business travel can be a less-than-appealing venture. Early morning flights. Crossing time zones. Days packed with meetings to justify the cost of travel. And, at the end of the day, an anonymous hotel room that is indistinguishable from hundreds of other hotel rooms... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
Bainbridge Island resident carves a niche
in high-end event planning
By Rodika Tollefson |
| David Doxtater has been behind the scenes of all sorts of high-caliber events: from the World Trade Organization’s Seattle meeting and the Seattle Symphony’s grand opening, to the Tacoma’s Tall Ships festival, Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game opening ceremonies and the New Year’s Eve celebration at the Space Needle. Doxtater is not just a privileged onlooker during local presidential receptions or well-known public events — he makes them happen... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HOSPITALITY & MEETING FACILITIES
State hotel rates soaring |
| Washington hotel rates have been soaring compared to last year, according to the latest Wolfgang Rood Hospitality report released this past February — with January the most recent month for which information is currently available... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
The pitfalls of working from home
By Maura Hallam Sweley |
| It’s a rare employee who hasn’t dreamed of the relative luxury of working from home. And although there are many benefits, from ditching the killer commute to having more control over your work schedule, there are also a number of pitfalls that most who work from home — whether they are telecommuting or self-employed — can fall victim to... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
Courtesy Ford:
A successful father-son partnership
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Earlier this year, Courtesy Ford of Poulsbo celebrated its 25th anniversary — an important milestone considering it has been under the same ownership the entire time. Perhaps even more remarkable, however, is the fact that the father-son team of John and J. Rick Hern started that dealership during an economic downturn, selling used cars, and have since expanded their company to include several locations and types of dealerships... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
Historic Gig Harbor home
becomes upscale family affair B&B
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Gig Harbor’s newest bed and breakfast just opened in June, but bookings are already coming in solid. The Green Gables Edgewater is not an ordinary B&B. The spacious estate, located on Lay Inlet, caters to an exclusive clientele coming mostly by recommendation to the property owner, Tim Moyer... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - FAMILY & HOME-BASED BUSINESS
Home-based business model proves
successful for Herron Island lawyer
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Merry Kogut fell in love with Herron Island, a small private island off the Key Peninsula that can only be accessed by ferry (or boat), many years ago. When she decided to turn her weekend getaway there into full-time residence, she decided she would need to work from home. After years of working for the government sector, she returned to where she began her career after college: practicing law... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
KPS repays providers’ surplus notes in full
Notes paid off a year early
Company one of only two insurers nationwide
to ever successfully emerge from receivership
By Lary Coppola |
| Saying, “This is a great day for KPS,” KPS Health Plans President and CEO Elizabeth Gilje proudly announced that the company would make the final installment of surplus note repayments to the health care providers that basically kept the company in business during its receivership and subsequent financial restructuring... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
Lap Band surgery comes to Kitsap
By Rodika Tollefson |
| People who are inflicted with morbid obesity, overweight by 100 pounds or more, know how extremely difficult it is to lose weight, exercise and eat better. That’s a challenge for even many healthy people... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
A conversation with Linda Brown,
CEO of The Doctors Clinic
By Rodika Tollefson |
| Linda Brown was recruited by The Doctors Clinic eight years ago. Since she took the helm, the organization has grown from about 50 health care providers to 70, in addition to 400 employees... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
Harrison offering alternative
to total hip replacement |
| For people looking for alternatives to total hip replacement, Harrison Medical Center now offers hip resurfacing, a better option for younger and more active individuals who have hip problems... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Washington’s average annual wage,
unemployment benefits rise — again |
| The average annual wage in Washington state increased by 5.4 percent, to $42,584, from 2005 to 2006, according to the Employment Security Department. Broken down by week, the average weekly wage went from $776 in 2005 to $818 in 2006. It is the largest spike since 1999, when the average wage rose by 8.4 percent... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
CFO survey finds integrity
most desired leadership quality |
| The mark of a good leader may lie in his or her ability to be honest and upstanding, a new survey suggests. Nearly one-third (31 percent) of chief financial officers (CFOs) polled said the more important quality for a business leader to possess is integrity. Experience and communication skills followed each receiving 27 percent of the response... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HUMAN RESOURCES
Employee incentives good for business?
A recent study says, “Yes.” |
| A recent study of nearly 20,000 organizations shows that employee incentives do, indeed, appear to be good for businesses. The study, undertaken by researchers James Combs of Florida State University’s department of management, David Ketchen of Auburn University’s department of management and Yongmei Liu of Florida State University’s department of risk management and insurance, real estate and business law, used a technique called “meta-analysis” to mathematically combine the findings of 92 previous studies... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
Strawberry Meth: What parents should know
By Rodika Tollefson |
| The methamphetamine epidemic continues to sweep the United States, with county law enforcement from 44 states reporting last year that meth was the No. 1 drug problem in their counties... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
KPS endowment creates lasting gift
for Kitsap youth |
| KPS Health Plans has donated $30,000 to the Group Health Community Foundation, establishing the KPS Child and Adolescent Health Endowed Fund... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
New audiology and hearing aid
clinic opens in Port Orchard |
| Joy Nilsson, Doctor of Audiology, has opened Nilsson Audiology and Hearing Aid Clinic, at 3311 Bethel Road SE, Suite 110, in Port Orchard... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
Public health nurses back in Port Orchard |
| When the Health District office in Port Orchard closed in April, the District’s public health nurses were without office space to see clients in the Port Orchard community. The Health District public health nurses are back in Port Orchard on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and are scheduling client appointments at the Kitsap Community Resources office at 1211 Bay Street, during regular office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - HEALTHCARE QUARTERLY
Abiding HomeCare expands services |
| With the rapidly growing market for senior “in-home” care in Kitsap County, Abiding HomeCare is expanding its services, adding additional caregivers, and enlarging its office space.
According to Randy Hardin, Abiding HomeCare’s executive director, the additional office space will be utilized not only for training staff, but for offering training to family members who provide home care to loved ones as well.
“We want to help family caregivers do a better job of caring for their loved ones and themselves”, stated Hardin. “Serving as a family caregiver is one of the most rewarding and yet demanding ways a person can help those in need.”
Abiding Homecare can be reached at (360) 692-6929, (877) 266-2856 or www.abidinghomecare.com.
|
SPECIAL REPORT - ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
Marine Science Center reopens its doors
By Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes |
| As the doors flew open and the first visitors filled the entrance, it became clear that efforts to resurrect the Poulsbo Marine Science Center went well beyond the public’s expectations... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Bremer Trust sells JC Penney’s building |
| The Bremer Trust entered into a contract in May to sell the J.C. Penney building to Metrovation, a Bellevue developer. The site, seen by Bremerton city leaders as a key to the Harborside District redevelopment plan, would include a grocery store, restaurants, retail stores, a health and fitness club, and top-floor residential, according to preliminary plans. Third Place Books is planned as the anchor... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Are FHA and VA loans the “new subprime?”
By Maura Hallam Sweley |
| In the wake of the subprime lender fiasco of recent months, where a slew of mortgage companies specializing in providing subprime loans — high risk mortgages granted to individuals who otherwise may not have qualified for a more standard, “A paper” loan — went out of business, there have been considerable changes in the regulations that govern subprime lending, making it more difficult for borrowers who may have been granted a subprime loan in the past to obtain a mortgage... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
Bremerton’s long-range parks plan
sparks interest
By Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes |
| The City of Bremerton is in the process of updating its Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan which has not occurred since the last adoption in 2001... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
2007 Brownfields grants awarded
to two Kitsap Peninsula projects |
| Grant-Solutions of Kitsap County reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected both grants it applied for in the latest round of federal aid made available by the EPA’s national “Brownfields” redevelopment initiative... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
Comments sought on cleanup alternatives
for Eddon Boat Park
By Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes |
| The City of Gig Harbor, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), received up to $400,000 in grants to cleanup the Eddon Boathouse properties in Gig Harbor. The first site was funded in 2006 and the adjacent property was selected for an additional grant this week... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
National renewable energy lab
highlights leading utility green power programs |
| Mason County PUD No. 3 recently received recognition from the federal government for providing some of the lowest prices in the nation for renewable energy. The recognition came in the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) annual ranking of leading utility green power programs... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Swartz wins Coldwell Banker
customer appreciation drawing |
| Kathy Swartz received a $200 gift certificate from Betty Bostic, sales associate with Coldwell Banker Park Shore Real Estate... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
White Horse Golf Course’s opening
delayed yet again
By Maura Hallam Sweley |
| The White Horse Golf Community development, a planned community of 224 luxury homes and a 456-acre, 18-hole golf course situated between Kingston and Indianola, has had to delay the official opening of its golf course yet again. The current scheduling hitch is due to a delayed permit review at the Kitsap County Department of Community Development office... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Real estate competition
heating up on the Key Peninsula |
| The area known as Minter on the Key Peninsula is about to become “real estate central.” Earlier this year, Steve Skibbs, broker of Windermere Key Realty who also owns Port Orchard and Gig Harbor Windermere offices, announced he will move the Key Center office to a building that formerly housed a local restaurant. Now, plans are underway for a John L. Scott office to move to the same area, which already is home to Green Acre Homes Realty... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Two Penny’s Team members
complete Star Power University course |
| Sean Thompson and Kevin Bailey of Penny’s Team Real Estate (Penny McLaughlin, owner/broker) in Bainbridge/Poulsbo participated in an intensive, three-day buyer specialization course, learning 340 principles, strategies, systems, and techniques for building a powerful and effective business, focused on helping buyers find the home of their dreams faster. Program content also emphasized helping buyers secure the best home value and efficiently completing a quick, smooth, hassle-free and money-saving transaction... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Downtown Port Orchard plan
moves to final stages
By Rodika Tollefson |
| The Port Orchard City Council is expected to make final changes in June to a proposal for a so-called Downtown Overlay District (DOD). The plan has been undergoing public discussions for more than a year and has received opposition from many downtown residents. Among the more contentious points is a proposed height increase for commercial buildings... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
Commercial Real Estate
and Construction Roundup
By Maura Hallam Sweley and Rodika Tollefson |
| Commercial construction is still going strong all around the Kitsap Peninsula, with various projects ranging from mixed use to health care facilities in the works. A sampling of projects that are under way... (Full Article) |
SPECIAL REPORT - KITSAP PENINSULA REAL ESTATE
City Villa in Bremerton part of sub area plan
By Rodika Tollefson |
| A 22-acre high-density proposed development in Bremerton’s planned Wheaton-Riddell District Center uses the concept of new urbanism to provide a mix of residential and commercial amenities in a compact, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood... (Full Article) |
|
|
| |
|
