Published:
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Business Briefs
SCBJ staff
Student entrepreneurs sell their wares at GROW Washington @ Snohomish store
SNOHOMISH — Snohomish Parent Partnership students are featured at the GROW Washington @ Snohomish Store for the month of May.
Students from the ages of 11 through 14 have designed and made products including candles, cupcakes, soaps, hand-painted salt and pepper shakers, Zach’s Gourmet Doggy Treats, jewelry, Fruit Delight raspberry and blackberry jam and Truly Divine Cake Pops. The students share space with 20 adult entrepreneurs. Their products are all incubated in the store looking for future success.
GROW Washington is a nonprofit 501(c)3 formed as a micro-enterprise business development program to test and launch Washington products and service businesses. It’s located at 1204 First St., Snohomish.
For information, call Carolyn Eslick at 425-327-2093 or 360-217-7235.
Snohomish County tops U.S. in income growth
EVERETT — During the past five years, no major county in the United States had a greater increase in personal income growth than Snohomish County.
“This is not by accident,” said Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon. “We've made the conscious effort to make Snohomish County the most competitive county in the state.”
Snohomish County's personal income expanded by 40 percent, the largest five-year increase among major counties.
“This is not just about a job, it's about high-paying job,” Reardon said. “It's about creating jobs that allow our residents to afford a home and send their children to college.”
In 2009, Snohomish County residents earned a total of $30.3 billion, according to research conducted by the American City Business Journals. That was an increase from $29.8 billion in 2008 and $21.6 billion in 2004.
For a complete look at the report, go to tinyurl.com/3t6zkvv.
New Paine Field passport offers discounts to four aviation attractions
EVERETT – Starting April 30, visitors can purchase the new Paine Field passport, a keepsake-quality document that gives its holder 20 percent discounts at all four of the major aviation attractions ringing Paine Field: Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour, Historic Flight Foundation, Flying Heritage Collection and the Museum of Flight Restoration Center.
Collectively known as Paine Field partners, these attractions aspire to enhance the Paine Field “brand” by offering a visitor-friendly, seamless experience.
The 20 percent discount is valid for admission, on-site cafe and gift shop purchases. The passport costs $10 so those who want to visit all four attractions and/or make multiple visits will quickly find it saves them substantial money. The passport gives its holder these special discounts for one year from the date of issuance.
At each aviation attraction, passport holders receive a “visa stamp” to obtain their discounts. The passport features descriptions of each aviation attraction, a map of the points of interest at Paine Field and a bookmark listing special offers. In time, nearby hotels and restaurants are expected to participate. The 20 percent discount on admission is not available during the peak visitor months of June, July and August, but the other discounts continue.
Intended as a collectors' keepsake, the passport can be purchased at any of the four aviation attractions. For more information, call 425-348-3200 or go towww.painefieldpassport.com.
Prime Pacific Financial Services Inc. reports capital increase
LYNNWOOD – Prime Pacific Financial Services Inc., the holding company of Prime Pacific Bank, reported that they have successfully raised $780,000 on a planned $750,000 private placement offering as of March 31. The funds were injected into the bank as capital. The bank is considered adequately capitalized.
Prime Pacific Bank has branches in Lynnwood, Kenmore and Mill Creek. Prime Pacific Bank is a full-service community bank that specializes in the financial needs of the business community.
For more information contact Glenn Deutsch, president and CEO of Prime Pacific Bank and Prime Pacific Financial Services Inc., at 425-712-9898.
EvCC Foundation breakfast raises $32,000
EVERETT -- The Everett Community College Foundation's April 26 community breakfast raised $32,000 to support student scholarships and college programs.
More than 250 people attended the breakfast, which featured Granite Falls music teacher Andrea Peterson, 2007 national teacher of the year, as guest speaker.
"The donations we received will help students at Everett Community College get the education and training they need to survive in this tough economy," said John Olson, executive director of the EvCC Foundation. "We are very thankful for all of the generous donors who believe higher education changes lives and improves our community."
EvCC will serve more than 20,000 students this year, and the need for scholarships and other support has increased, Olson said.
The EvCC Foundation provided more than 100 scholarships and other support to students in 2010-11, but was unable to help half of all students who requested aid. For students who do receive scholarships, the funds cover about 20 percent of the cost of their education.
The breakfast is part of the EvCC Foundation's efforts to increase the number of student scholarships, emergency loans and grants. The Foundation is also working to seek out equipment and support to ensure students have the technology they need in the classroom.
The foundation, in partnership with corporations, businesses, foundations and individuals, is committed to continuing the college's tradition of serving as the region's leading provider of academic and technical education.
For more information about the EvCC Foundation or to make a donation, go to www.everettcc.edu/foundation or call 425-388-9555.
EvCC gets $15,000 service learning grant
EVERETT — Everett Community College has received a three-year, $15,000 grant for sustainability education and service learning for students and faculty studying science, technology engineering and math.
EvCC is one of 42 colleges and universities to receive grant funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The program host is Washington Campus Compact.
The project will promote education that blends community service with instruction. At EvCC, the grant will support four projects this year.
Engineering instructor Eric Davishahl and student members of the Society of Women Engineering will create a curriculum module that introduces engineering and renewable energy concepts to middle school and high school classrooms.
Biology instructor Diane Forson's environmental science class will focus on outreach by students to educate peers about nonrecyclables, recyclables and compostables.
Nutrition instructor Laura Wild and students from her nutrition course will plant a garden on campus and hope to harvest some vegetables by the end of spring quarter.
Ardi Kveven, director of EvCC's Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) and ORCA students will produce a DVD about sustainability issues.
For information about service learning at Everett Community College, go to www.everettcc.edu/ServiceLearning or call Noah Kercher at 425-259-8744.
Scuttlebutt opens new restaurant to crowds
EVERETT — Scuttlebutt Brewing Co. opened April 15 at the Port of Everett's new Waterfront Center to record crowds.
The popular waterfront restaurant and brewery, now located at 1205 Craftsman Way, almost doubled the best-day volume from its previous location at W. Marine View Drive, Scuttlebutt co-owner Phil Bannan said.
The port signed a six-year lease with multiple options with Scuttlebutt in August 2010 for the 5,560-square-foot space. This doubles the room for customers, creates more kitchen space and adds a full-service bar. The expanded bar also increases the number of Scuttlebutt beers on tap from eight to 12. Staffing has nearly tripled.
Scuttlebutt has been a tenant of the Port of Everett since the company was founded in 1996. Its former location will be removed in 2012 as part of the port's waterfront revitalization effort.
Manpower will tell if your resume works
Manpower Everett branch plans to have regular events beginning the first Thursday of the month, beginning May 5 for jobseekers.
Bring a resume and get free advice, along with coffee and doughnuts. Event hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Manpower Everett, 2731 Wetmore Ave., Suite 204, Everett. For information, call 425-252-4740 or go to www. manpowerjobs.com.
Commission for Health in chamber's old office
LYNNWOOD — The South Snohomish County Commission for Health has moved into the office space formerly occupied by the South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce at 3815 196th St. SW Suite 136, adjacent to the Lynnwood Convention Center.
The Commission for Health is a new program of Snohomish County Public Hospital District No. 2. The office will house commission staff and be the new location for Public Hospital District commission meetings as well as trainings and community forums. The commission is finalizing procedures and plans to financially support and develop health care programs in south county.
The hospital district also announced the appointment of Bob Knowles as commissioner, replacing Kimberly Cole who resigned in January. Knowles, a resident of Brier, worked for 20 years at Stevens Hospital and then Swedish/Edmonds, and is the manager of disease management for Premera Blue Cross in Mountlake Terrace.
For more information about the Commission for Health, go to www.ssccfh.org.
Group raises $40K for Snohomish education
SNOHOMISH — The Snohomish Education Foundation thanks the community for their support of the Foundation for Success breakfast on April 12, which raised a record $40,000.
The foundation thanks sponsors SBI Education Solutions, First Heritage Bank, McDaniel's Do-it Center, Fred Meyer Snohomish, Sodexo Food Services, DOWA Architects Inc., Beresford Co., Foster Pepper, Hutteball & Oremus Architecture, Everett Community College Foundation, Puget Sound Energy, Cadyville Carriage House and Peoples Bank.
Thanks to these sponsors, all of the funds raised at the event will go back to the classroom for the students of the Snohomish School District. For more information, go to www.snoed.org.
Lynnwood company adds Calif. partner
LYNNWOOD — Language Line Services, a California-based provider of interpretation and translation services, will partner with TransACT Communications, a Lynnwood company that helps K-12 school districts navigate complex compliance issues in communicating with limited-English-speaking parents.
TransACT will offer its customers — now in about one quarter of the nation's school districts — immediate access to over-the-phone interpretation services for registration and welcome center events, parent meetings, parent-teacher conferences and disciplinary hearings.
“Language Line Services shares our mutual goal of breaking down any barriers to parent involvement, one of the most important factors in improving schools and student performance,” said Rick Passovoy, president and CEO of TransACT Communications.
Language Line Services currently works with 95 percent of the 911-emergency market in the United States, as well as businesses, government agencies and banks. TransACT offers Web-based solutions to more than 3,500 school districts nationwide to help meet federal parent notification requirements, with forms and documents available in up to 20 languages.
County clerk now offers online payment option
EVERETT — Snohomish County Clerk Sonya Kraski has announced that the clerk's office has new, enhanced payment options. Citizens can now settle most Superior Court Clerk's Office financial obligations online via the clerk's website.
Users are charged a nominal convenience fee for the service to offset banking fees. In this way, only those using credit cards are paying the cost so there is zero cost to Snohomish County.
Working with nCourt LLC, an Atlanta-based government technology company, Snohomish County is now providing services that were only dreamed of two or three years ago. David Morris, CEO of nCourt, said dozens of county, municipal, probate and traffic courts in 23 other states have partnered with his company since it began offering online payments.
New ownership for Canyon Creek Cabinet
MONROE — WoodOne Co. Ltd., an international wood products company in Hiroshima, Japan, has entered into an agreement to sell all outstanding shares of stock in Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. in Monroe to Sumitomo Forestry Seattle Inc.
Sumitomo Forestry Seattle Inc., located in Bellevue, is the North American headquarters of Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd., a public company based in Tokyo with operations throughout Asia and North America.
Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. is a well-known manufacturer of custom residential cabinetry with distribution across the U.S. and western Canada. The company has been a recognized leader in the kitchen and bath industry since 1981 and has won many industry awards for its cabinetry and environmental practices.
Bill Weaver, president and CEO of Canyon Creek, said that the company is excited to join the Sumitomo family of companies.
New insurance company in Lynnwood
LYNNWOOD — A new insurance company, Mosaic Insurance Alliance LLC, has opened to serve the Puget Sound region.
Paul Pukis and Amy Drewel said they founded the business after they discovered that Puget Sound drivers were being overcharged an average of $407 each year in premiums. As a customer-focused, independent insurance company, Mosaic Insurance Alliance intends to offer drivers better coverage at lower prices.
Port, Tulalips partner for shuttle to casino
EVERETT — Tulalip Resort Casino will offer free shuttle service between the Port of Everett Marina facilities and the casino beginning May 20.
The shuttle will stop at three key port locations several times per day to pick up boaters and other community members. Stops include the south marina near Anthony's and the Woodfire Grill, the Port Gardner Inn and the Waterfront Center in the north marina.
The shuttle service is designed to run during peak visiting boater season from May 20 through the end of September.
The shuttle schedule is available on the Port of Everett's calendar of events at www.portofeverett.com and can be accessed at www.TulalipResort.com.
Dream Dinners, Cesari infomercial get honors
SNOHOMISH — Dream Dinners of Snohomish, a leading meal preparation service, in conjunction with Cesari Direct, a full-service direct response television advertising agency, was honored with a national Greensheet Award for “Most Innovative Infomercial Product.”
From approximately 400 entries, the award was given based on production quality, effectiveness of the infomercial to achieve its goals, and the success of the product in the DRTV marketplace.
The award was conferred by Jordan Whitney, an independent consulting firm for companies in the direct response television industry. Dream Dinners began airing the infomercial in spring 2010 and cites it as a major contributing factor to growing brand awareness.
Dream Dinners markets affordable, healthful meal options for busy families and individuals. Cesari Direct is one of the country's leading direct response television advertising agencies.
College, institute to test business students
BOTHELL — The Business Development Center at the University of Washington Bothell has developed a partnership with the Founder Institute, an organization created to help entrepreneurs launch technology companies.
The goal of the partnership is to enhance entrepreneurship and business development in the region through initiatives such as the inaugural UW Bothell Business Plan Competition, to be held May 6.
Student teams have submitted comprehensive business plans in hopes of capturing $20,000 in cash and prizes, including a membership in the Founder Institute fall semester. The competition's final rounds provide competing teams the opportunity to present their plans to a panel of Seattle-area CEOs serving as judges.
The public is invited to attend the competition's final round at 4 p.m. May 6 in Mobius Hall on the UW Bothell campus. To learn more, go to www.uwb.edu/bdc.
Apply now for PUD solar energy projects
EVERETT — Snohomish County Public Utility District is seeking proposals from local organizations for solar energy demonstration projects to be installed on new or existing buildings in the utility's service area. Proposals are due May 20. Projects are to be installed this summer and fall.
The demonstration projects will be funded through customer contributions made to Planet Power, a voluntary PUD green energy program with almost 3,000 participants. Up to eight solar project grants are expected to be awarded this year.
To date, 10 solar demonstration projects have been completed under the program. Planet Power also has supported solar energy curriculum at several local schools.
Interested organizations can get more details at www.snopud.com/planetpower. To answer specific questions, call Doris Abravanel at 425-783-1731.
Mountlake Terrace studies energy district
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — A resolution to explore forming an Energy Efficiency Development District was adopted by the City Council on April 18.
In 2010, the city won an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant to identify new approaches to achieving greater energy efficiency. One concept that emerged was forming a citywide Energy Efficiency District to increase both energy efficiency and economic development.
The idea behind the energy district is to have an organization that provides leadership for achieving greater energy efficiency throughout the city, encourages sustainable development and implements projects with assistance from public and private partners.
No city funds are required for exploring the concept.
Apply to get county tourism funds
EVERETT — Snohomish County is currently accepting applications from public and nonprofit agencies for funding for projects that develop and promote tourism in the county.
Funding is available for marketing only, not for capital improvements. Money is awarded from revenue collected from hotel and motel room rentals in the county.
The Snohomish County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee will review applications and make recommendations to the Snohomish County executive and County Council for final approval.
Funds will be available beginning in July and will be awarded on a competitive basis to applicants who can complete their proposed projects by Dec. 15. Historically, individual project allocation has averaged about $5,000.
Applications, available from the Snohomish County Office of Economic Development, must be completed and returned by 5 p.m. June 6.
For more information, call 425-388-3186 or email wendy.becker@snoco.org.
Everett insurance office offers motorcycle safety training classes
EVERETT — Local independent insurance agency McClain Insurance Services is the location for Washington Motorcycle Safety Training. Beginning in May, WMST courses will be offered for all rider levels from beginner to advanced and experienced at McClain's south Everett office.
WMST is an approved provider of the Department of Licensing motorcycle training program. This means that participants can take the class then test with WMST instead of at a DOL office.
A safety certificate also provides riders with a discount on motorcycle insurance. For information and to register, go to gowmst.com.
Big Brothers Big Sisters recognize volunteers
EVERETT — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County hosted a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner on April 7 at Legion Memorial Golf Course. The event was in conjunction with National Volunteer Month.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a prevention-focused youth mentoring organization that creates and monitors safe, nurturing relationships between caring adult volunteers and children between the ages of 6 and 18.
Currently, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County has 385 volunteers who donate their time, talent and energy to mentor children, raise funds and sit on various committees in support of those mentoring programs. Programs are free of charge to children and their families.
For more information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County, volunteering or fundraising efforts, call Janice Howson at 425-304-1571 or go to www.bbbs-snoco.org.
Sherwood staff to speak at conference
LAKE STEVENS — Sherwood Community Services in Lake Stevens is to present at this year's Association for Persons in Supported Employment conference. The national conference will be held in Seattle June 14-16.
Laura Lakings-Becvar, Career Connection program manager, and Susan St. John, TechSTEP program coordinator, will present an interactive, hands-on session about technology in the workplace. Their focus will be on introducing people to Apple iPod Touch and iPad technology that provides revolutionary tools for people with disabilities.
Sherwood Community Services Career Connection offers job matching services for local businesses and the disabled. Employers willing to hire a disabled worker part time, even as little as two hours a week, can have a Sherwood job developer identify possible candidates and assist with training and placement.
Big Brothers Big Sisters sets Bowl for Kids' Sake
EVERETT — The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County's annual Bowl for Kids' Sake is scheduled for May 1 and 7 at Glacier Lanes in Everett.
The theme for 2011 is “Heroes” so the organization expects to see many participants sporting superhero costumes.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizes this annual event to raise money for its one-to-one mentoring programs that serve at-risk children throughout the county. This year's goal is to have 350 bowlers raise $37,000 to go directly back to the community it serves.
The organization relies on special fundraising events like Bowl for Kids' Sake, as well as grants and funding from the United Way, in order to bring services to the community.
For additional information on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Snohomish County, go to www.bbbs-snoco.org.
Savvy technology to enhance Centennial Trail
EVERETT — Snohomish County will receive $99,080 to complete a multimedia interpretive exhibit using modern technology to depict the history of the Centennial Trail.
The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has awarded the money to Snohomish County's Office of Economic Development for its proposal “PASTforward, A Journey Along the Centennial Trail.”
The Centennial Trail is used by more than 520,000 people annually. The PASTforward project will use smartphones, Droid platforms, QR tags and interactive websites to connect trail users to significant historical points of interest that dot the former railway along 23 miles of constructed trail.
“Imagine scanning a QR tag on the Centennial Trail and then immediately being linked to historical photos of rail construction in the late 1800s,” County Executive Aaron Reardon said. “Learning about the trail just became more interesting and fun. We're honoring our past using thoroughly innovative technology.”
The entire project, which includes using repurposed roadway signs for interpretive signage and creating a new interactive website, will be completed by the end of 2011.
The county will craft a request for proposals for technological services in the coming weeks. For more information, contact Wendy Becker at wendy.becker@snoco.org or 425-388-3186.
Arlington Food Pavilion tops fund raiser for Food For All program
ARLINGTON — The Arlington Food Pavilion has raised more money than any of the other 18 “The Markets” locations in the Food For All program that ran from mid-November 2010 to Jan. 2011. The amount raised from that location was $5,000.
Of the $5,000 raised by the Arlington store, $4,094 was raised by one grocery checker, David Grandlund, who only works 20 hours a week.
Shoppers were given the option of donating $1, $3, or $5 to community charities which, for this local store, were split between the Darrington and Arlington Food Banks. According to store manager Loly Ramirez, there wasn't one shopper that made it through Grandlund's line without being asked to donate to Food For All.
“The Markets” is the only Washington-owned grocery company participating in Food For All, and has raised over $200,000 in the last 12 years since joining the program.
QFC stores selling ORCA transit cards
QFC grocery stores have become the latest vendor for ORCA (One Regional Card for All) card services. There are now nearly 100 retail locations in Snohomish, King, Kitsap and Pierce counties where customers can purchase E-purse value or transit passes for their previously issued ORCA cards.
Although the retail outlets provide options for revaluing existing cards, initially riders must acquire their cards online at www.orcacard.com, by calling 888-988-6722, by visiting a transit agency customer service office or at a fare vending machine. Once purchased, the card can be revalued at a participating retailer.
OncoGenex announces key European patent
BOTHELL — OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that the European Patent Office has granted a patent number to OGX-427, a second-generation anti-sense drug currently being developed for treatment in prostate and bladder cancer. OGX-427 is designed to reduce production of Hsp27, a cell-survival protein that can inhibit cell death in tumor cells. Hsp27 is expressed in a variety of malignancies and can be induced by cell stress such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy.
Patents covering OGX-427 and related products have already issued in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa. A number of patent applications are still pending in the U.S. and elsewhere.
According to Scott Cormack, President and CEO of OncoGenex the new patent confirms the company's position as a leader in Hsp27 anti-sense therapeutics.
A Phase 2 clinical trial of OGX-427 for approximately 180 patients with metastatic bladder cancer is planned for the second half of 2011.
360networks completes expansion to border
360networks, a facilities-based wholesale provider of telecommunications services, has announced the completion of a new route between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
This new 150-mile route provides the company's wholesale customers access to Everett, Bellingham and Vancouver, B.C., markets as well as other growth markets based on a customer's specific requirements.
According to Steve Cardwell, vice president of sales for 360networks, providing high performing and cost effective connectivity into Vancouver is an obvious geographic extension for his company's customer base.
360networks is a full-service wholesale provider of private line transport, ethernet, IP, VoIP, and local access (T1/DS3) services, on its wholly-owned fiber-optic backbone.
Local video segments highlight businesses
EVERETT — In celebration of its 100th video, NWLive (www.nwlive.tv), a side project of Everett-based production company Sierra Media (www.sierra-media.com), is launching a new video segment to showcase interesting or unusual local businesses in the Northwest.
BizBuzz segments on NWLive.tv will offer an opportunity for small businesses to access the power of video marketing.
Sierra Media founder Daniel Cardenas created NWLive as a portal to share videos that explore and celebrate northwest culture, including local artists, musicians, food and travel, original entertainment and opportunities for adventures.
As the site continues to grow, the hope is to work with small Northwest businesses to create great video content for NWLive, and to make that content available to businesses to use for their own promotions and websites.
Cardenas hopes the businesses they spotlight will be excited enough about the videos to help offset his production costs. Small businesses are free to pay what they can afford.
For more information about a spotlight on nwlive.tv, email Kelly Noland at knoland@sierra-media.com.
Charitable trust grant for Little Red School
EVERETT — Little Red School House has received a grant for $60,000 from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to complete Phase Two of an Efficiency Through Technology project that began in 2009 with receipt of a $30,000 grant award from the Boeing Employees Community Fund.
This phase includes the creation of a new web-based database and the development of an electronic records system. The funding will allow Little Red School House to create efficiencies that will result in more services being available for outreach and interventions to vulnerable infants and their families in Snohomish County.
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust was created to enrich the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest by providing grants to organizations that seek to strengthen the region's educational, cultural and spiritual base in creative and sustainable ways.
Little Red School House is a community-based service provider for families whose children ages birth to 3 have developmental disabilities, delays or are at risk of falling behind their peers.
BioLife Solutions quarterly revenue up
BOTHELL — BioLife Solutions Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of clinical grade biopreservation media products for cells and tissues, announced preliminary revenue of $611,000 for its first quarter ended March 31.
This represents 6 percent sequential growth over the fourth quarter of 2010 and 19 percent growth from the first quarter of 2010.
MedMarket Diligence LLC estimates that the current worldwide market for regenerative medicine products and services is growing at 20 percent annually.
“We expect pre-formulated biopreservation media products such as our HypoThermosol and CryoStor to continue to displace ‘home-brew' cocktails, creating demand for clinical grade preservation reagents that will grow at greater than the overall end market rate,” said Mike Rice, BioLife Solutions chairman and chief executive.
Boeing shows flight simulator hardware
SEATTLE — Boeing recently unveiled new flight simulator hardware at the World Aviation Training Conference and Tradeshow in Orlando, Fla.
The new hardware will enhance the quality and efficiency of flight training for Boeing Next-Generation 737 and 777 models. Compared to an airplane component, simEFB hardware uploads customized data faster, is purchased and maintained at a lower cost and includes all elements and systems required for training.
The Federal Aviation Administration has qualified the installation of simEFB on Next-Generation 737 and 777 training devices at Boeing's Seattle training campus.
New deadlines from USDA for organics
New deadlines have been announced for programs and grants from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Applications for Organic Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) may now be turned in as late as May 20, according to an announcement from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
EQIP is a voluntary program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers in order to help plan and implement conservation practices that address natural resource concerns on agricultural land and non-industrial private forestland.
NRCS also announced the availability of state-level Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) for 2011, to foster innovative natural resource conservation approaches and investments related to agricultural production in Washington. The deadline to apply is May 31, 2011.
More information is available at www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cig/FY11/index.html.
Sylvan Stars allows alumni to make a difference
EVERETT — Nearly two million graduates of Sylvan Learning programs nationwide can now use their experience at Sylvan to help make a difference in their communities. Through a new Sylvan Stars alumni program, Sylvan aims to build a network that allows alumni to connect with each other and to share their personal success stories as a way of inspiring current Sylvan students, including those in the Everett area, to achieve their own personal best.
According to Dr. Rick Bavaria, senior vice president of education outreach for Sylvan, many former Sylvan students feel that the confidence and academic skills they gained at Sylvan represented a turning point in their lives.
Sylvan is asking these “Sylvan Stars” to come forward and share their stories at www.SylvanStars.com in an effort to harness the power of these graduates in helping students believe in their own ability to achieve personal and professional success.
Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels.
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