April 2010 Newsletter

April
2010
Serving Port Townsend, Tri Area & Port Ludlow
April
Speakers
Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce
luncheon meetings are held at the Port
Townsend Elks Lodge, 555 Otto St., at
noon each Monday, federal holidays
excluded. Everyone is welcome!
April 5 – Daniel
Erickson, Coldwell
Banker Town &
Country
Sales Management: How do
sales managers develop and
grow business? People skills that will keep your
business thriving, the importance of planning
for success, setting priorities and problem
solving are some to the areas Dan will focus on.
April 12 – Mike
Pollock, Jefferson
Transit
Mike will talk about new
routes being introduced on
April 11 to make getting
around Port Townsend and
Jefferson County by bus even
easier!
April 19 – Janette
Force, PT Film
Festival
Janette will introduce
the Chamber to the Port
Townsend Film Festival and
the demographics of its
audiences. She promises not to just talk about
their incredibly cool movies!
April 26 – Will
O’Donnell, PT
Farmers Market
Did you know that Port
Townsend is home to one
of the nation’s biggest and
most successful small-town
farmers markets? Will plans to update Chamber
members on growth at the market, changes
and additions in 2010.
Jefferson Transit will debut new routes April 11 to make getting to work more efficient and convenient . Schedules match starting and quitting times for most
major employers. Photo by Janice Wrhel
Transit rolls out new routes
By Christina Pivarnik
With the upcoming 40th anniversary
of Earth Day, it’s a great time to
celebrate going “green” by riding the
bus!
Jefferson Transit is launching
improved routes effective April 11 to
make getting around Jefferson County
even easier. The new routes were based
on public input to make riding the bus
as convenient as possible for everyone.
As an example, there will be more
rides and earlier/later service to Castle
Hill, Fort Worden and North Beach.
Every bus will go both downtown and
uptown in Port Townsend, increasing
dramatically the daily number of
trips to these areas. The new in-town
“connector” routes will run in opposite
directions, shortening round-trip rides
in many cases.
And commuting by bus just got
much easier with schedules that match
the starting and quitting times for most
major employers. This means you’ll
be able to avoid the dreaded two-hour
“parking shuffle” downtown. Top
that off with saving money – up to
$7,200 per year if you give up your
car – and enjoying the fact that life just
got much better. Not to mention that
riding the bus reduces stress by giving
you a few minutes to relax. Longdistance commuters will realize another
advantage – the ability to go between
Port Townsend’s downtown/uptown
and Brinnon, Quilcene, Poulsbo or
Sequim without transferring buses.
How can you find out about the new
routes and how to use them?
• Go to jeffersontransit.com to
review the new schedules and route
maps.
• Pick up a new bus schedule on any
Jefferson Transit bus or at the Visitor
Information Center near the Haines
❱ Continued on page 2
Thanks to our Platinum, Gold and Silver members
Platinum member Gold members
Silver members
Bungalow on the Bluff
Sirens
Valley Tavern
Finnriver Farms & Cidery
NW Olympic Glass
Build trust with employees
Kris Nelson
President
It seems when I ask most
owners of small businesses
their favorite and least
favorite
parts
of their
businesses,
the answer
often
seems to be
employees.
I am no
different.
My single
Kris Nelson
favorite
thing about
my business is my staff. They
are amazing, incredible, and
do way beyond what I ask of
them. They are people who
take pride and ownership in
their work. I don’t know how
I got so lucky, but I am.
It has not been all
roses, though. I have also
experienced many employees
who don’t bother to show
up, lie, steal and harm each
other and my business in a
variety of deliberate and nondeliberate ways.
The employee-employer
relationship is a complex one.
There are style differences,
expectation and qualification
differences, and personality
differences. Actually, now
that I think about it, the list
of things that can go right or
wrong in a work environment
is pretty immense.
What I want to share here
is not any of those things,
but rather, what I have
learned about the basis of a
good working relationship.
To me, the whole dynamic
starts with trust. The
employee trusts the employer
to be in charge of making
sure the books balance and
the customers come, that
their jobs – as long as they
follow some predetermined
guidelines – are secure,
and that they get paid so
they can provide for their
lives. This is an enormous
responsibility.
The employer, in turn,
entrusts the employee
with the success of their
business, which most likely
the employer has worked
incredibly hard and given
much of herself to create. It is
often the employer’s lifeblood
and passion.
Every one of us dreams
of finding employees who
care for the well-being of our
businesses as much as we
do. It is interesting that we
all, whether employees or
employers, make these leaps
of faith every day with out any
thought to it. When you stop
and think about the delicate
balance of this agreement, one
word leaps out: trust!
Unfortunately, this
agreement can and often does
break down. The employee
needs or thinks she deserves
more than she is getting,
she doesn’t feel valued or
respected (a huge factor by
the way), or sometimes she
simply doesn’t recognize or
care about the fine balance of
this dynamic.
On the other side of this
relationship is the employer,
whether wonderful or horrible
as a boss, trying to balance
numbers – including the
cost of employees. Labor
and Industries coverage,
unemployment coverage,
Social Security and any
benefits quickly add up,
and the cost often gets the
unknowing business owner
in trouble. Most people don’t
realize that it costs somewhere
between 20 to 30 percent more
per hour in taxes and benefits
for an employee.
The problem that concerns
me is that employers with
added monetary stresses are
starting to see their staff more
as numbers than individuals
and are focusing more on
employee productivity and
employee theft than successful
work environments for
employees to thrive in. We
are now figuring out ways to
be able to reduce our part of
having to trust our employees
– all the while wanting more
from them.
We spend lots of money
on equipment to see what
“they” are doing. We have
moved away from a manual
on guidelines and expectations
and seem to be heading
toward something closer
to a signed guarantee of
contract performance. Though
every employer’s style is
different, and I by no means
am suggesting that mine
is the best, it seems to me
unlikely that more and longer
manuals with more and longer
requirements will somehow
make employees care more
about our businesses and
therefore strive for our
success.
I understand the
uncomfortable risk of having
to trust our employees with
our success. I have been
burned by it many times,
but turning them into human
robots has never worked for
me. Time and time again I
have been rewarded by the
success of trusting my staff far
more than I have been burned
by it.
We all want guarantees,
but in a human relationship
that is simply not possible.
By entrusting our employees
with the success of our
businesses, they are given
the opportunity to achieve–
and yes, some won’t;
however, in my experience,
most do far better than
just what our measured
expectations require.
For me, getting to know
my staff has given me the
opportunity to find out what
they need and what their
ideas to make the business
succeed are. My two cents:
Listen to them. Trust them.
Give them a chance to
invest in their success – our
success.
April
events
April 10-11 • Port
Townsend Antique Show
at the fairgrounds starts
at 9 a.m.; Sue McIntire,
385-1013.
April 17 • Earth Day
Clean Up! There will
be an effort on the part
of Main Street and the
community to put in a
little extra for our clean
environment; Mari
Mullen, 385-7911.
April 22-25 • Centrum
hosts its Choro Workshop.
A public concert in the
fort’s Wheeler Theater is
at 7:30 p.m. on April 24;
385-3102.
April 24 • 13 Annual
AAUW/UWF Kitchen
Tour on Marrowstone
Island, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tickets: $14 in advance,
$18 on day of event.
Lunch tickets, $14, must
be purchased in advance.
Obtain tickets at Dana
Pointe Interiors, Dream
City Catering, Green
Eyeshade and Kitchen &
Bath Studio; 379-6454
April 24 • NW
Maritime Center Swap
Meet is from 8 a.m. to
1 p.m.; Sue Cook, 3853628.
April 24 • Spring
Migration Cruise starts
at 1 p.m. at Point Hudson
Marina, $55/person.
Sponsored by PT Marine
Science Center, 385-5582
ext. 104.
April 24-25 • 10th
Annual JeffCo EXPO
starts at 9 a.m. at Jefferson
County Fairgrounds; Sue
McIntire, 385-1013.
April 28 • Walk a
Mile in her Shoes. Meet
at Rotary Park at 6 p.m.
Registration forms found
at Port Townsend Police
Department, Food Coop, Jefferson Healthcare,
Dove House; Jeannie
Ram, 385-5292.
2 April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter
Passenger ferry
plans in the works
Mixer
celebrates
a pair of
businesses
Michelle West, at left, of Evergreen
Fitness and Linda Lockwood cut a ribbon
at the March mixer at Evergreen Fitness
to celebrate Linda’s new business:
Linda Lockwood Accounting & Business
Consulting Services.
Marketing plan touts new ferry
By Christina Pivarnik
With the new Chetzemoka
ferry coming online in August,
the City of Port Townsend
is collaborating with various
regional tourism partners on a
marketing promotion to build
awareness and excitement about
the new ferry with its improved,
reliable access to the Olympic
Peninsula and the north sound.
“We’re looking forward
to the launch of the new ferry
connecting Port Townsend and
Keystone,” said Port Townsend
Mayor Michelle Sandoval.
“Our business community
and the entire region depend
upon a reliable and efficient
transportation linkage to our
economic base, and the ferry
is our most critical link to our
cities and towns.”
The marketing promotion
is planned to capitalize on the
cultural significance of Chief
Chetzemoka for the area.
He was known as a peaceful
man and wise diplomat who
epitomized collaboration
between the local tribe and the
original settlers. The campaign
will honor not only the chief but
also that spirit of cooperation
through partnerships that will
expand the reach and impact of
the new ferry.
Washington State Ferries,
the Olympic Peninsula Tourism
Commission, the city Lodging
Tax Advisory Committee, the
Jefferson County Chamber of
Commerce, the county Tourism
Coordinating Council, Whidbey
Island tourism entities, the
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe,
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
and the Port Gamble S’Klallam
Tribe will partner in the
promotion.
It will include a teaser
campaign to build a little
buzz centered on “Who is
Chetzemoka?” It then will
evolve into a pre-launch
campaign around “What is
Chetzemoka?” that speaks to the
spirit of the chief and celebrates
the Native American culture
and history of the region. It
will culminate in “Where is
Chetzemoka?” as part of the
launch, and will address the
increased access that the new
ferry brings to the Olympic
Peninsula and Whidbey Island.
The marketing promotion
will be launched in early April
to include media outreach,
social media, advertising and a
community event.
Christina Pivarnik is the
contracted marketing director
for the City of Port Townsend.
Long talked about and
longed for, passenger-only
ferries may soon be a reality as
a quick way to get to Seattle.
There are currently two
proposals under way that will
connect both Kingston and
Port Townsend to Seattle.
The Port of Port Townsend
has submitted a grant request
for federal funding in the
2010-12 biennium. The port
is the applicant for a $1
million federal transportation
appropriation that went
to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray
for her consideration and
inclusion in the transportation
appropriation bill.
The money would be used
for purchase of a passengeronly boat for service between
Port Townsend and Seattle,
equipping and refitting of the
boat, plus start-up operational
expenses. The boat could
operate seven days a week as
early as this fall.
The Port of Kingston has
recently purchased two vessels
for its passenger-only ferry
service between Kingston
and Seattle, which is slated
to begin in October. The
port purchased The Spirit of
Kingston, a 72-foot catamaran
ferry that was built five years
ago by All American Marine
in Bellingham. The vessel was
recently in the Port Townsend
Boat Haven for inspection,
which it passed.
The Port of Kingston
has also purchased the
MV Victoria Express from
Victoria Rapid Transit, the
operators of the passenger
service between Port
Angeles and Victoria. The
passenger ferry would offer
two commuter runs in the
morning and afternoons,
Monday through Friday,
starting in early October.
Transit: New routes coming
❱ Continued from page 1
Place Park-and-Ride.
• Go to Google Transit
(maps.google.com) and click on
“Get Directions.” Enter your trip’s
beginning and ending addresses,
date and time you wish to travel,
and then choose “By public
transit” from the drop-down
menu. Trip options will appear
automatically, complete with
maps and approximate travel
time. Google Transit will even
compute how much money
you’ll save by taking the bus
versus driving your car. For
example, you’ll save more
than $40 for one round-trip to
Poulsbo from Port Townsend!
• Call Jefferson Transit
customer service at 360-3854777.
Give it a try for free for two
weeks, from April 11 through
April 24. And especially
remember to ride Jefferson
Transit on April 22 – Earth Day.
As Jefferson Transit notes: “No
fuss. Ride with us!”
Chamber contacts
Chamber Staff
Executive Board
Interim Director
Jennifer Wells MacGillonie
[email protected]
President
Kris Nelson
Siren’s Pub
Business Office Admin.
Janice Wrhel
[email protected]
Vice president
Kim Aldrich
Cobalt Mortgage
VIC Manager
Karen Anderson
info@ptchamber
Secretary
Molly Force N.D.
Prosper Natural Health
Past President
Mike Cavett
FairWinds Winery
Treasurer
Kerry Robinson
Frontier Bank
Directors
Dana Petrick
Dana Pointe Interiors
Chuck Russell
Valley Tavern
Patrick Irwin
Platt Irwin Law Firm
Fred Obee
The Leader
Linda Streisguth
Puget Sound Energy
Thatcher Bailey
Centrum
Vi Koenig
PT Laundromat
Jeff Chew
Peninsula Daily News
Marliyn St. Clair
Victoria House
Piper Diehl
Ludlow Bay
Wellness Spa
Kathy Sharp
Piano Studio
David So
Inn at Port Hadlock
Nancy McConaghy
Coldwell Banker
Le Hornbeck
PT Computers
Newsletter
Advertising
Kathryn Peterson
of the Leader
360-385-2900
We welcome your
editorial submissions
on topics of interest to
Chamber members. We
reserve the right to edit
all submissions. Please
submit articles to
[email protected].
440 12th Street
Port Townsend
360-385-7869
www.ptchamber.org
April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter 3
Briefly...
Mixer April 13 –
Peninsula Credit Union
The April mixer is hosted by Peninsula
Credit Union at its Port Townsend branch.
Diana Kenyon, branch manager, invites
Chamber members to celebrate Peninsula
Credit Union’s one-year anniversary at its
current location. There is the usual food,
drink and fun.
The party is set for 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday,
April 13 at 1250 W Sims Way, across the
parking lot from QFC.
Open house, ribbon
cutting at T’s Restaurant
The Chamber Ambassadors will help T’s
Restaurant celebrate its grand opening
with a ribbon cutting.
It has been nine months since Nancy
and Gary Tocatlian moved to their new
location at Point Hudson.
“We couldn’t have done it without all
your support, smiles and hugs. You have
no idea what that means to all of us,” the
Tocatlians said. “We’ve had some bumps
along the way, but hopefully when you
dine with us next time, you’ll notice that
we have grown into our new, wonderful
space.”
On Monday, April 19 from 4 to 6 p.m., T’s
hosts its grand opening with celebratory
ribbon cutting and specials on drinks and
food.
Ambassador program
welcomes all!
The Jefferson County Chamber
Ambassadors are having a great time!
This is an ever-growing fun, social group
that is getting together once a month.
We spend some time talking about new
businesses that we can welcome, or
businesses that have something new
going on that we can celebrate. We are
planning upcoming open houses and
ribbon cuttings. The rest of the time is
spent eating, drinking and laughing –
and getting to know fellow Chamber
members better.
The next Ambassadors meeting is
on Thursday, April 29 at the Upstage
Restaurant, 5:30-7 p.m. We would love
more Ambassadors from Port Ludlow
and Tri-Area, and plan to have future
gatherings in those communities.
Hadlock Days vendors
and volunteers needed
for this year’s event
Hadlock Days is a community event that
delivers fun for the whole family – and
builds relationships in our community.
This year’s event is July 9, 10 and 11.
The Hadlock Days Association is looking
for vendors to participate. Vendor forms
can be found on its website, hadlockdays.
com.
4 April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter
Chamber about building relationships
By Jennifer MacGillonie
Executive director
April has
never been
my favorite
month. It’s
tax month!
In my old
life (Don’t
we all have
an “old life”
from before
we arrived
here?), I
Jennifer MacGillonie
actually
was an
accountant and tax preparer.
I worked with my dad in the
Magnolia neighborhood in
Seattle, where we both grew up.
We had a small accounting and
tax practice, and I had many
clients with small businesses.
I loved doing accounting, but
taxes? Not so much. The weeks
leading up to April 15 were
crazy and stressful, but we
always had a big celebration
dinner when it was over and
closed the office on April 16 so
we could sleep in.
When I moved to Port
Townsend nine years ago, I
purchased The English Inn
B&B. Most people only
know me as a B&B owner.
Besides the fact that I was on
the Chamber board for six
years, I’m sure many members
wonder what I know about
business.
Always good at math
and numbers, I started doing
bookkeeping while I was
in college studying biology
and chemistry. In the 1980s,
I worked for Seattle’s Best
Coffee, working my way up to
accounting manager. I started
my own accounting practice 20
years ago, and joined my dad’s
tax practice when he moved
it from Fairbanks to Seattle. I
had a wide variety of clients,
many from the old Norwegian
neighborhood of Ballard,
including one of the crab boat
Vote for our nominees
in contest for the best
of the Northwest
It’s on! More than 900
nominees are currently
competing for the title of the
Northwest’s Best, sponsored
by KING 5 TV. Voting ends
Sunday, April 11.
Many Jefferson County
Chamber members are nominated
this year. Please vote for your
favorites today – and let’s show that
Port Townsend is the Northwest’s
Best!
We congratulate the following
Chamber nominees: Palace Hotel,
Harborside Inn, Manresa Castle,
Puget Sound Express, Wooden
Boat Festival, Fort Worden State
Park, The James House B&B, Inn
at Port Hadlock, An Inn Between,
Chevy Chase Beach Cabins,
Commander’s Beach House, Port
Townsend Aero Museum, Old
Consulate Inn, Holly Hill House
B&B, Morgan Hill Cottage, and 7
Cedars Casino.
Please vote for Port
Townsend as the Best Tourist
Town at best.king5.com/
contests/best-of-northwestescapes/4764.
captains on “The Deadliest
Catch” TV show.
My dad passed away in
2000, and wanting to escape
the “big city,” I moved to Port
Townsend. I continued my
practice here, and still have a
few loyal clients that I have
worked with for many years.
Being an accountant taught me
to be very organized, detailoriented, and able to handle lots
of different projects at once.
I always say my best talent
is being able to balance any
checkbook. But I also don’t
think I fit the stereotype of an
accountant.
Many people ask me
what the Chamber can do
for their business. One thing
the Chamber can offer is
relationships. Being a business
owner can be very isolating.
We get stuck in our offices or
stores, working with customers
and employees, and running
our businesses. I started going
to Chamber meetings when
I moved here just so I could
meet people. I have seen many
friendships develop from this
Chamber. It’s not all about
getting new customers and
networking, it’s also about
connecting with other likeminded people. The Chamber
facilitates this, giving people an
opportunity to meet and get to
know our neighbors, leading to
friendships and relationships.
Sure, we all would like more
customers, and we join Chamber
to get them. But Chamber is
also about building community
through relationships. I wanted
to share a little about my past
to show we all have a story.
Knowing each other’s stories
leads to making connections and
relationships.
Being a Chamber member
makes you part of a community.
It’s not always about what
Chamber can do for your
business, but how you can
be part of the community of
business in Jefferson County.
Eissinger joins RE/MAX First Inc.
RE/MAX First Inc. of
Port Townsend is pleased to
announce John Eissinger, GRI,
has joined the firm. He will be
the designated broker for the
company according to owner
Charlie Arthur.
John brings 10 years of real
estate experience to and has been
an associate broker for the past
six years. He is also a licensed
real estate instructor.
He is active as a State
Director with the Washington
Realtors and in the community
through LTAC and Sunrise
Rotary. RE/MAX is located in
the Madrona Hill Office Buiding,
2500 W. Sims Way. Call 360301-2378.
‘Fam’ tours valuable
to our VIC volunteers
By Karen Anderson
The volunteers at the
Visitor Information Center
are continuing the 2010
Familiarization Tours in style.
The end of February
marked the second tour of the
new year, with a third right on
its heels. These tours are set
up between Chamber members
and the VIC with the intention
of helping the volunteers get to
know some of the businesses
in East Jefferson County a
little better.
January’s Fam Tour was
with four of the delicious
restaurants in downtown Port
Townsend: The Spot Café, The
Public House, The Silverwater
Café and Sirens Pub.
February’s tour was with
four very different and unique
B&Bs in the Uptown portion
of Port Townsend. One of the
newer B&Bs in Port Townsend
is the Takaki House. It’s set
off the road a little and easy
to miss if you’re not on the
lookout for it. Once you’re
there, though, you’re in a
wonderful, peaceful haven of
Port Townsend. A private oneroom getaway with a backyard
view that bypasses lower
Sims Way and takes you right
out into Port Townsend Bay.
Margaret Takaki is a humble
artist with beautifully detailed
work. You just might leave the
Takaki House with a sculpture
under your arm as well as
some beautiful memories.
Just up the road, we walked
into the Old Consulate Inn
and received the intricate
history on this grand, old
Victorian. Mike, Sue and
Marianne DeLong know this
house inside and out. Eight
unparalleled rooms, each with
its own private bathroom,
and a large dining area on the
main floor make for a true
Victorian experience. Ceilings
follow the peaked roofline and
cantilever into the bedrooms.
A game room in the finished
basement includes a standardsize pool table and an ornate
Scrabble board. If you like hot,
thick soup, full of flavor, Mike
One of the newer B&Bs in Port Townsend is the Takaki House. It’s set off the road a little and easy to miss if you’re not
on the lookout for it. Photo by Karen Andeson
The tour of Fort Worden opened some eyes among the volunteers, who
thought they knew all there was to know about the fort. Photo by Karen
Anderson
makes the best in the carrot
variety!
One of the great things
about this tour was how close
these accommodations are
to each other. After leaving
the Old Consulate, many of
the volunteers trotted up the
street to the Bungalow and
Hideaway on the Bluff. Each
of the two gorgeous private
rooms in the same location
has been made to feel as if
the other doesn’t exist. Both
have an incredible view of the
bay from the top of the hill
on Washington Street. One
room is casual, while the other
is quite modern. They offer
a completely different feel
from our typical historic Port
Townsend.
At our final stop, we were
greeted by John Eissinger in an
apron, welcoming us into the
historic farmhouse B&B. The
Blue Gull Inn’s quiet sunroom
on the back of the house looks
out onto a gorgeous gardenscape. Some of the rooms’
private baths have deep, jetted
tubs with brass fixtures, and
large windows with light
curtains to ensure the bather
gets ample sunlight for a
relaxing bath. Renee Eissinger
served delightful teacakes and
sandwiches around her large
dining-room table. I felt right
at home in such a pleasant and
airy atmosphere. We have such
a variety of places to send
overnight/vacationing guests
in our lovely town!
March gave our volunteers
a fantastic tour of Fort Worden
State Park. Everyone says
they’ve been to Fort Worden.
They’ve seen Fort Worden.
They’ve hiked Fort Worden.
We were taken to places we
didn’t know existed at the
fort. We got the dirty details
about all things Fort Worden,
from its pre-fort days to its
current uses. Fort Worden
can accommodate more than
1,200 people at once. During
the summer months, it is
completely booked. Think
of how many people that
means are coming into Port
Townsend! The amount of
information the fort volunteers
have is vast. Fortunately, for
us, they made a book – and
we got a copy of it! Come into
the VIC to learn about the fort,
whether you need to know
how to get to Battery Tolles or
how much Alexander’s Castle
rents for this year.
More tours are in the works.
We will be including Port
Hadlock and Port Ludlow in
future Fam Tours.
Thank you to those
who have participated in
our Volunteer Fam Tours
this year so far! The Spot
Café, The Public House,
Silverwater Café, Sirens Pub,
Takaki House B&B, The Old
Consulate Inn B&B, The
Bungalow and Hideaway on
the Bluff, The Blue Gull Inn
B&B, and Fort Worden.
April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter 5
Ludlow
Friday
Market
to open
Main Street Earth
Day cleanup set
By Arlene Obtinario
Sandie Schmidt, Port Ludlow
Friday Market manager, is
looking forward to opening
day on Friday, May 7, and is
busy lining up vendors for
the outdoor marketing venue
designed to entice both local and
visiting shoppers.
The market opens at 9
a.m. and closes at 2 p.m. and
continues on each Friday
through Sept. 24.
The Port Ludlow Friday
Market sets up next to the
lower Port Ludlow business
center, which is just below
Oak Bay Road off of Breaker
Lane. There is ample parking
in and around the commercial
center, and several of the
local businesses welcome the
additional traffic.
In fact, Chamber of
Commerce businesses Ludlow
Bay Massage & Wellness Spa,
Dana Pointe Interiors Inc,
Therapeutic Facials, Hear For
Life Audiology LLC, Karen
The Port Ludlow Friday Market sets up next to the lower Port Ludlow business
center, which is just below Oak Bay Road off of Breaker Lane.
Best & the Best Team, Coldwell
Banker Forrest Aldrich and the
two Port Ludlow banks – Kitsap
Bank and Columbia Bank– are
all located in the commercial
centers supporting the festivities
of the Port Ludlow Friday
Market.
Sandie is enthusiastic about
opening day and exclaims,
“New vendors come and go
each week,” so there is always
a wonderful variety of products
and “your favorite vendors are
eager to start.”
Take the opportunity to
visit with and purchase from
the following Port Ludlow
Friday Market vendors:
Pescador Farms Produce
Stand with Pete and Kathy,
Ike’s Fresh Seafood, Chou’s
Flower Arrangements, Skunk
Island Furniture featuring
handcrafted outdoor furniture,
Gert from Oma’s Acres, and
The Bell Street Bakery.
New vendors interested in
participating in the Port Ludlow
Friday Market can contact Sandi
at 360-437-0882 or sjsandra5@
msn.com.
WSU president to host Town Hall
The public is invited to a Town Hall meeting
from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on April 27 with
Washington State University President Elson S.
Floyd.
The meeting takes place at Northwest Maritime
Center and Wooden Boat Foundation, 431 Water
St., Port Townsend. A reception follows the
6 April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter
meeting.
President Floyd says he would like to gather
ideas about how to more effectively align
Washington State University’s initiatives with the
issues facing Jefferson County.
To learn more, contact Janet Johnson at
[email protected] or 509-335-7564.
Port Townsend has a long
and proud history of supporting
Earth Day, with volunteers
stepping forward each year to
rejuvenate the town by picking
up litter, weeding, painting
and planting more greenery to
beautify the environment.
Since the Port Townsend
Main Street Program started
the Earth Day Spring Clean
Up in Port Townsend in 1991,
local merchants and volunteers
have joined in, planting
flowers, touching up business
storefronts, weeding treewells
and cleaning sidewalks.
Volunteers are invited to
join in to make Port Townsend
sparkle for spring.
“Our volunteers are the
heartbeat of the Spring Clean
Up,” says Mari Mullen,
executive director of the
Port Townsend Main Street
Program. Thinking about
volunteering? Main Street
invites you to join in Earth
Day activities. Please wear
work clothes, and bring garden
gloves and tools. Meet at 9
a.m. at Adams Street Park on
Saturday, April 17.
To learn more, contact the
Port Townsend Main Street
Program at 385-7911 or
[email protected].
The Port Townsend
Main Street Program thanks
Henery’s Garden Center
for its support of Earth Day
activities.
Breakfast meeting to focus
on transportation update
Mark your calendars to
attend the Transportation
Merchant Breakfast on
Wednesday, April 28 from
8:30 to 9:45 a.m. at The Public
House in Port Townsend.
On the agenda are service
updates from Jefferson
Transit, details about a
new private shuttle service,
Washington State Ferries
fuel surcharge update, a
report from the Port of Port
Townsend and the Port of
Kingston on passenger-only
ferries, and Main Street news.
The cost is $5 at the door
for members and $7 for nonmembers. Coffee and muffins
are served.
RSVP to the Port
Townsend Main Street
Program, admin@
ptmainstreet.org or 385-7911.
Snelgrove certified in animal acupuncture
Dr. Hank Snelgrove, owner
of Oak Bay Animal Hospital
in Port Hadlock, has received
his certification in veterinary
acupuncture from the Chi
Institute of Veterinary Medicine.
The institute is associated with
the University of Florida’s
School of Veterinary Medicine
Neurology Department.
Snelgrove attended postdoctorial courses at the Chi
Institute over the past two years
and successfully passed his
qualification examination. This
qualification permits him to
administer animal acupuncture
for various conditions, ranging
from pain management and
arthritis to gastrointestinal and
behavioral problems.
Listed on the register of the
China Society of Traditional
Chinese Veterinary Medicine,
Snelgrove is currently studying
Chinese herbal treatments
to complete his master’s in
traditional Chinese veterinary
medicine through the Chi
Institute.
He is available by
appointment at Oak Bay Animal
Hospital, 385-PAWS (7297).
Profiles
Sepler a friend
of Fort Worden
By Patience Rogge
Every property owner in Port
Townsend knows Rick Sepler
as the director of Development
Services and Planning
Department for the City of Port
Townsend, but few may be aware
that Rick also serves as president
of the Friends of Fort Worden
State Park Conference Center.
When I asked Rick how
he became involved with Fort
Worden, he explained that since
he first moved to Port Townsend
20 years ago, he and his family
have gone to the park almost
daily from their home nearby.
When he learned of the
existence of the Friends of
Fort Worden, the nonprofit
organization dedicated to
raising funds to enhance the
park and provide amenities
not in State Parks’ budget,
Rick felt becoming an active
member was not only payback
for the enjoyment the park had
given his family but also the
perfect community activity for
a civil servant involved in often
controversial decisions.
“Fort Worden is a
much-loved asset everyone
appreciates; no one argues with
that,” he states. As a board
member for the past several
years, and now as president,
Rick has loaned his considerable
talents as an artist and an
organizer to Friends’ activities.
The Fort2Fort Bike Ride, a
supported charity bicycle tour
to be presented on Sunday, June
6, is Rick’s special project.
As the name implies, the tour
includes a fun ride from Fort
Worden to Fort Townsend State
Park, a more challenging loop
between the two parks, or a
metric century round-trip to Fort
Flagler State Park and back.
“I’m an adult-onset athlete,
and bike riding is the perfect
antidote to my sedentary
lifestyle. I’ve participated in
rides all over the state, so this
project is a natural extension
for me,” he explains. “Bike
Magazine has called Port
Townsend the best place to live
and bike in America. We have
the terrain, not too much traffic,
Rick Sepler
and spectacular scenery in East
Jefferson County.”
Now in its fourth year, the
Fort2Fort is anticipated to
attract between 200 and 300
riders coming from all over
the Puget Sound region. Rick
notes that local businesses and
civic organizations have been
supportive of the ride – the
Jefferson County Chamber
of Commerce is among its
supporting sponsors. The ride
will be staged from McCurdy
Pavilion, where food and
beverages will be available
along with entertainment
provided by local musicians.
All proceeds will directly
benefit Fort Worden,
providing funding for building
restoration, interpretative
signage, community programs,
trails, historic programs and
recreational facilities.
For more complete
information about the Fort2Fort
Bike Ride, visit fort2fortride.
org. For information about the
Friends of Fort Worden and its
activities, visit fwfriends.org.
Team Jefferson leading
effort to bring broadband
Broadband access may
be the most cost-effective
strategy to improve
public efficiencies and
expand local economic
development.
Through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009, stimulus
dollars are being made
available to fund projects
through the Broadband
Technology Opportunities
Program (BTOP).
In an extraordinary
innovative and
collaborative effort,
more than 25 public and
private anchor institutions
across Jefferson County
have come together in
a broadband coalition
to advance economic,
education, health-care,
municipal and public safety
interests. This coalition is
convened and led by EDC
Team Jefferson, Jefferson
County’s economic
development agency.
The broadband coalition
is partnering with the
Northwest Open Access
Network (NoaNet)
and Washington State
Department of Information
Services in support of the
BTOP broadband project.
The coalition has been
meeting since December
2009 to develop this
proposal for funding,
which, if successful,
would significantly
improve fiber and
wireless technology in
East Jefferson County.
Coalition participants
include Jefferson County;
City of Port Townsend;
Port of Port Townsend;
Jefferson County PUD
1; Brinnon, Quilcene,
Chimacum and Port
Townsend school districts;
Jefferson County and
Port Townsend libraries;
East Jefferson Fire Chiefs
Association; health-care,
law-enforcement and
emergency services; Fort
Worden and Fort Flagler
state parks; Jefferson
County courts and others.
Jefferson County is one
of 19 counties working
with NoaNet to prepare
the request for round-two
funding.
The grant proposal
results will be announced
by September.
Export strategies seminar set
by county’s Team Jefferson
Do you export? Are you interested in
exporting? Do you need new foreign buyers?
Want to learn about fresh export markets?
Statistics show 95 percent of potential customers
are outside the United States. Tap into a large and
growing market share!
The Jefferson County Chamber of
Commerce and EDC Team Jefferson are
teaming with the Export Finance Assistance
Center and invite you to attend a seminar
designed for both new-to-export companies
and experienced exporters.
At the seminar you will learn to:
• Identify foreign markets and newly available
resources.
• Learn how to access working capital.
• Understand loan and working capital
programs geared toward start-ups and small
businesses.
• Learn how to make your operation globally
competitive.
• Explore free and low-cost services and
programs provided by the state, U.S. Department
of Commerce, Small Business Administration,
and Impact Washington. All are designed to help
you find buyers and expand and finance exports
at little or no cost.
Join us from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, April
19 at the WSU Spruce Room in Port Hadlock.
Space is limited! To register or learn more, call
the Jefferson County Chamber office at 3857869.
The seminar will be interactive, with plenty of
time for networking, questions and one-on-one
counseling sessions. Let us help you grow your
business in the global marketplace!
April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter 7
volunteer of the month
Brantner: he’s a natural!
By Karen Anderson
When I told Ron that he
was our April Volunteer of the
Month, he declined. “Give it
to someone else,” he said. Just
saying those words made me want
to bestow him with the title of
VOTM even more. Ron is a long
time member of the Elks Lodge
and the Chairman of the Board
of Directors for the local credit
union. He’s used to being elected
for various things. So deal with
it, Ron!
Ron Brantner spent most of
his life in and around Chicago. He
was painfully shy while in school.
I wouldn’t normally allow myself
to tell the community something
like that about someone, but this
is Ron we’re talking about here.
These days, when asked how
he’s doing, his stock response is,
“Eh, the same… charming and
good looking.” Shy, Ron is no
longer. The good looking part
came naturally. The proof is in the
pudding… he’s won four beauty
pageants. The charming part he
had to work on by taking drama
and public speaking classes when
he was in high school and college.
But, it turned out, he was a natural
at that, too. He never wrote a
speech for any of his public
speaking classes,
he just got up
and started
talking.
Once the
comfort settled
in, he took it a
step further and
started dancing.
Ron Brantner
Picture, if you
will, a pink plaid
jacket doing the Jitterbug across
the floor. Ron knows all the
moves. He still makes sure each
of the ladies get a chance to take
a twirl when there’s a dance at
the Elks. What else could go with
good looks, charm, acting, and
some soft shoe? Music, naturally.
If there’s a concert in town, you
can bet you’ll see Ron there. He
volunteered for Centrum for eight
years, listening to the fiddles in
particular, and he makes sure
that he hears the PT Summer
Band any time they perform. He
never learned an instrument, but
his appreciation for music has
continued to grow to this day.
Ron has a lot of stories, and no
matter what the subject is they all
have a punch line. He attributes
his sense of humor to his younger
days when he was too shy to
play the leading man (voted
“Leading Man” by the girls in his
high school drama class), so he
took the comedic parts. He also
became quite the prankster. Watch
out on April Fool’s Day. Chances
are that if you’re in Ron’s good
graces, you may get an unusual
phone call or news which will get
you wondering.
Ron worked in and operated
various credit unions throughout
his adult life. It wasn’t
something he told me, but his
ethics are outstanding, and there
were a couple of work related
stories he relayed which had an
enthusiastic and vindicated fist
pump at the end. Here’s the best
part, being a member of various
groups where long, tedious
meetings are required, Ron
made sure those meetings were
as interesting and as lively as
possible. He would do anything
from dressing up and making
a grand entrance, to singing
his reports. Anything you can
imagine. Ron is the guy you
want to have your next meeting
with. The man has no shame. He
doesn’t care if you are laughing
with him or at him, as long as
you’re laughing. But keep an
ear close to the ground and one
eye over your shoulder, because
he could be sneaking up on you.
Well, naturally.
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage Paid
Port Townsend, WA
Permit No. 34
VIC visits on increase
The trend of lots of visitors
coming in our door is continuing
as once again March numbers top
past years. We had 811 visitors
sign the guestbook in March (788
in 2009, 804 in 2008).
We are starting to get ready
for the busy spring and summer
months. So if you have ever
been curious about meeting
the visitors who are arriving in
Port Townsend, or if you have a
yearning to help people out and
answer questions, want to go on
our great famaliarization tours
or just need something more to
do – come down to the Visitor
Information Center and volunteer.
Make sure QuickBooks is working for you
By Linda Lockwood
You’re using the immensely popular
QuickBooks software to maintain the “books”
for your business, but errors in the way you’re
using this great software might be causing you
to unknowingly under-report your expenses
and over-pay your income taxes!
QuickBooks is fabulous bookkeeping
software, and its ease of use is a real attraction
for owners of small businesses who want to
maintain their own books. But QuickBooks
will not force you to follow generally accepted
accounting principles, and it will dutifully
allow you to post transactions incorrectly
just as easily as correctly. You hear the little
“chime” and feel confident that the posted
transaction sent the money to exactly the right
accounts.
But these incorrect postings can result in
account balances that bear no resemblance
to your business’s actual financial condition,
which means that the financial statements you
give your CPA for your annual income tax
filings could be incorrect and could cause you
to pay a lot more in taxes than you really need
to.
Here are some common bookkeeping sins
that QuickBooks might be allowing you to
commit:
8 April 2010 Port Townsend Chamber Newsletter
Your credit card and accounts-payable
payment transactions don’t get posted to
expenses.
You double-book the revenue when a
customer replaces a bounced check.
You’re using a petty cash fund but don’t
accurately record the expenses when the
money is spent.
You’ve lent your company money and it’s
slowly paying you back. But you’ve failed to
correctly record the loan in QuickBooks and
perhaps you’re not receiving interest.
Your payroll taxes are not being properly
calculated and expensed.
You have multiple businesses being tracked
in one QuickBooks company – allowing you
to transfer payments between bank accounts
without properly recording the related
expenses.
You don’t use the proper procedures to
ensure that all your expenses are getting
recorded. This is especially an issue if you use
automatic payments and debit cards.
These are just a few examples of common
mistakes that can cause you to “overstate”
your net income, which will result in paying
taxes on income you never earned. But don’t
despair; most of these issues can be easily
corrected by modifying parameters in your
QuickBooks setup or changing some of
the procedures you’ve been using to post
transactions.
Most business owners view bookkeeping
as a “necessary evil” and are often lulled
into believing that “as long as the transaction
posted, it must be right.” But this “head in the
sand” complacency could be causing you to
pay lots of money to Uncle Sam that you don’t
need to.
This is your money, so spending a little
time to make sure your “books” accurately
reflect your business results could help
ensure that you’re not giving it away
unnecessarily!
Linda Lockwood lives in Port Townsend
and operates a bookkeeping/accounting
and business-consulting service. She
specializes in helping companies establish
and maintain their bookkeeping systems,
to ensure that their account balances are
always accurate. Linda has over 17 years of
accounting experience, and her professional
and straightforward approach to accounting
solutions can be a real benefit to small
businesses. Contact her for an “accounting
tune-up” or for any bookkeeping questions
or issues you may have: 360-531-0854 or
[email protected], or visit
lindalockwoodconsulting.com.
Member of
the month
•
Subway
Sandwiches
Mickey Davis
1300 Water St.,
No. 101
Port Townsend,
WA 98368
360-385-1463