calendar Don t miss out! Tulip Valley Winery hosts their always fun annual Fidalgo DanceWorks is pleased to host the next After Hours

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1 JULY Commercial Avenue Anacortes, WA Volume 24 / Issue 7 calendar Thursday, July 3 11:45 am 1:00 pm Ambassador Luncheon Tuesday, July 8 4:00 pm Membership Division Meeting/Chamber Chat Session Wednesday, July 9 2:30 pm Economic Development Division Meeting Thursday, July 10 4:00 6:00 pm Multi Chamber Business After Hours Tulip Valley Winery Thursday, July 10 3:45 pm Governmental Affairs Division Meeting Wednesday, July 16 3:30 pm Marketing & Promotions Division Meeting Thursday, July 17 Business After Hours Fidalgo DanceWorks Friday, July 18 Finance/Executive Meeting cornerstone members TESORO 5:30 pm 7:00 pm 10:30 am Tuesday, July 22 3:30 pm Board of Directors Meeting Anacortes School District Conference Room Tuesday, July 29 VIC Volunteer Meeting 9:00 am Puget Sound Refinery Multi Chamber After Hours at Tulip Valley Winery Don t miss out! Tulip Valley Winery hosts their always fun annual all chamber after hours July 10, 2014 from 4:00 6:00PM. Meet fellow chamber members from all over the county in this beautiful and lively setting. Why Attend Business Happy Hour? Meet potential new customers Strengthen ties with existing customers and clients Check out some of Skagit Counties best businesses! Don t forget your business cards and bring a door prize for maximum exposure. Tulip Valley Winery: State Rt. 536, Mt Vernon, WA. Please RSVP online. business after hours Fidalgo DanceWorks Fidalgo DanceWorks is pleased to host the next After Hours event on July 17th from 5:30 7:00. We will be in our lovely Annex studio serving drinks and snacks. Enjoy tours of the studios, videos of past shows and photos with your favorite Nutcracker characters. In addition we are excited to introduce Julie Wenzel as our new Executive Director and Amy Guerrra as our Artistic Director. Julie comes with a history of leadership in non-profit performing arts organizations and is excited to find her new place at FDW. Amy has been an instructor and FDW and brings years of ballet instruction to her new position. Come meet and greet and enjoy time with fellow business people of Anacortes. Fidalgo Danceworks is proud to be part of the amazing arts community here in Anacortes: 901 Third Street. Please RSVP online and bring a gift for the give-away!

2 Apply Online Today! Applying for a home loan is now easier & more convenient. RealEstate.BankofthePacific.com All loans subject to credit approval. Certain fees and restrictions may apply. Your Anacortes American print subscription now includes premium access to local news and online-only content from your computer, tablet or mobile device. Visit goanacortes.com! a message from the president Over the next few months there will be much discussion about Shell s Crude Oil unloading facility. On May 5, the Board of Directors of the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce voted in support of Shell Puget Sound Refinery s development of a rail facility, which will allow them to take in crude oil that arrives to the refinery by train. This project is crucial to our community; here are some talking points for you to consider: The refinery employs more than 700 people (Shell employees and contractors) with an annual payroll of about $45 million. Keeping these jobs in our community is important to not only the people who work at the refinery but also to the county as a whole. Most of the oil that Shell refines comes from the fields on Alaska s North Slope, where production has been in decline for years. That crude needs to be replaced with oil from other sources in order for the refinery to remain viable and competitive to other west coast refineries. Shell is committed to the safety of the workers at the refinery and the people and environment of the surrounding community. Its rail facility will be designed with state-of-the-art safety and environmental features. The Shell team has conducted a thorough analysis to identify potential risks and all have been addressed. Maintaining a viable Shell refinery in our area is critical to ensuring that essential fuels such as gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel are available to customers. Shell contracts with more than 75 local firms in the region, and those contracts total more than $125 million annually. This economic activity is critical Tesoro general manager, Dan Cameron, with Shell general manager, Tom Rizzo at Waterfront Festival Kick off Dinner. to the success of our communities. Shell is a good neighbor, with annual giving over $300,000. Mark Lawrence Simply Yards Landscape and Design Mark@simplyyards.com tourism Anacortes is a huge hit at the 2014 NW Writers Conference Our Anacortes Marketing and Promotions representative, Tricia Sharp, attended the 2014 Northwest Writers Conference in Spokane Washington. The goal was to persuade published writers to come and experience Anacortes for one of their upcoming writing assignments. Tricia was assigned to give 10-minute presentations to different groups of writers from the entire northwest region. After explaining how Anacortes is a hidden gem of world-class restaurants, hotels, attractions and shopping the writers started taking notes, asking great questions and giving great feedback: You re right we don t write about Anacortes enough, we always write about how it is a gateway instead of a destination. I need to come back up there and check it out again. Eileen Flaherty, Freelance Writer I had no idea Anacortes was so cool, what a fresh perspective I thought Anacortes was just an old rich retirement community. Nancy Jo, PNW Writer Tricia is putting together a bank of opportunities for enticing the writers and has already had a great response from our members. If you haven t already contacted Tricia to be added to the list of itineraries, please contact her ASAP at tsharp@anacortes.org 2

3 AT THE FRAMEMAKER Regional Fine Art and Custom Picture Framing 420 Commercial Ave. Anacortes member profile Vivi s Kitchen Viviano Arenas was born in Mexico. She lived in El Paso, Texas until She then moved to Friday Harbor with her two children for a short period of time, until she got a great job opportunity with the Anacortes School District where she has been since 1993! She has had a passion for cooking her entire life and decided to fulfill her dream by opening Vivi s Kitchen. She offers authentic, homemade Mexican dishes that are made from the heart. She is available to cater any size event. You will see her often walking down Commercial Avenue with a basket full of delicious tamales, salsas and guacamole. She is located at nd Street, (360) Give her a call and see what kind of scrumptiousness she can bring to your next event. Vivi would like to thank Anacortes for all their support and believing in her cooking. In her spare time she enjoys gardening. meet your board Jody Ayon Jody was born in Salem, Oregon and lived there until age 13, when her family moved to Southern California. She graduated high school in 1983, married, attended college, started a family, divorced, and made the big decision to pack up her two sons and move back to the Pacific Northwest in Once she arrived in Washington, she lived in Oak Harbor and worked at several temporary jobs until she began work as a contractor at the Shell Refinery in 1994 as a timekeeper in the instrument and electrical shop. In 1998 she became an administrative assistant in the maintenance department. In 2000 she was hired as a Shell employee and soon after became the executive assistant to the general manager and refinery leadership team. In 2008 she was promoted to communications and social performance coordinator, which is her favorite of all the positions she has held at the refinery over the 20 years she has worked there. In her current role, she gets to manage Shell Refinery s donations to local non-profits and employee volunteer activities in the community. I have the best job in the refinery says Jody. It s something I am passionate about! I love being involved in the community, and it s nice to feel like what I do makes a difference in someone s life. Jody continued. I moved to Anacortes from Oak Harbor about two years ago, because I love this community so much! This is my home. Now I don t just work here, I get to live here too. Jody is a proud graduate of the Leadership Skagit class of Since graduating, Jody has served on the boards of Youthnet, American Red Cross, and Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Jody is of the opinion that Leadership Skagit opened her eyes to the many needs and opportunities to make a positive difference in the Skagit Valley. Being a chamber member is so valuable Jody said. It helps me to stay informed, involved and connected. As an Anacortes Chamber Board member for the last several years, Jody is impressed by the professional staff and chamber board that works hard to provide great customer service and value to its members. It s a great team says Jody. There is a lot of passion and energy! 3

4 DOES YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR KNOW YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS? IF NOT LET'S TALK. Jeffery C Pleet Financial Advisor. 630 Southeast Midway Boulevard Oak Harbor, WA Member SIPC CIPF 25th Annual Anacortes Waterfront Festival Beautiful weather, great events, happy attendees and awesome volunteers what an incredibly fun weekend! Thank you again to our community partners for making this festival possible: Shell Puget Sound Energy, Port of Anacortes, Dakota Creek Industries, Trident Seafoods, Island Hospital, Skagit Publishing, Tesoro Refining and Marketing Co, Bank of the Pacific, Les Schwab Tire Center, Anacortes American, Gere-a-Deli, Irishman Enterprises, Judd & Black, Mad Hatter s Ice Cream, Samish Indian Nation, Sebo s Hardware, Whidbey Island Bank, Williams & Nulle, Pacific Party Canopies, Anacortes Marine Insurance, Business Bank, Fidalgo Bay Resort, Lakeside Industries, Lorvic s Sea-Craft, Marine Supply & Hardware, Peoples Bank, Transpac Marinas, Upstage Boutique and Men s Store, A-1 Mobile Lock & Key, Anacortes Yacht Charters, Curtis Payne Insurance, Edward Jones Gary Thramer, Eslick House Watch, Fidalgo Country Inn, Fidalgo DanceWorks, Flooring Connections, Gateway Yachts, Island Rentals & Suppy, Islands West Real Estate, Mystic Sea Charters, Nantucket Inn, Robin Pestarino, Skagit Adult Day Care, Simply Yards Landscape and Design, Sunrise Inn, and Washington Federal. We also would like to thank the sponsors of the 2014 Milk Carton Derby: Edward Jones Jeffery Pleet, Quantum Construction, Anacortes Construction Services and Mister T s Embroidery & Trophies! 4

5 Tim Eslick, Proprietor Tel: Cell: Anacortes WA Supporting Home Owners At Home Or Away... Allen Workman Managing Broker Considering Buying or Selling Real Estate? Experience Matters Full time top producing Real Estate Broker Experienced Negotiator Exceptional Marketing Top Search Engine Placement RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL 5

6 CARRIE WORRA Mortgage Consultant NMLS Cell: The Lender You Can TrusT! Contact us for all of your home-financing needs. ESTHER SPENCE-CRABB Mortgage Consultant NMLS Cell: Commercial Avenue Anacortes, WA WA: CL (NMLS ) Not a commitment to lend. Borrower must meet qualification criteria Ambassadors April Breckenridge Anacortes Sun Jack Hamilton Cap Sante Court Retirement Community Barry Harter Central Payment Corporation Linda Harvey Anacortes Ship Harbor Inn Rich Heidecker Youth Dynamics Brenden Jones Bank of the Pacific Lisa Helm-Morrow KeyBank Sarah Jurkovich Washington Federal Kari Kennedy KeyBank Matt McKay Nantucket Inn; Anchor Catering Catherine Mers Windermere Real Estate Therese Rudzis Individual member Veronica Spencer Take Shape For Life Mary Staley Marketing WITH Mary Boyd Veer Seaside Autobody & Accessories John Williams Skagit Publishing member renewals Anacortes Rotary Club Ana-Cross Stitch Inc Bayside Specialties, Inc. Cap Sante Heated Mini-Storage and U-Haul Convenient Integration Emerald Forest Productions Evans Funeral Chapel & On-Site Crematory Fidalgo Island Rotary Club Lynne Jordan Land Title and Escrow Bill Mitchell Pacific Party Canopies Inc R & R Charters Rehema Ministries Richard Riddell Anacortes Town Crier Smuggler s Villa Resort The Cat s Meow Tulip Valley Winery Vital Aging Clinic Walgreens Drug Store thanks... Thank you to Scott Richards Insurance for sponsoring, Bob Hyde for presenting and Swinomish Casino & Lodge for catering and hosting a great State of the Port luncheon! Thank you to the following businesses for bringing a gift for the give-away: EDASC Port of Anacortes Skagit Publishing Windemere Real Estate Catherine Mers Thank you to the Majestic Inn & Spa for hosting a beautiful evening in their new ballroom and to the following businesses for bringing a gift for the give-away: Ace Hardware Apothecary Spa Champions Real Estate Services Chicago Title Company Fidalgo Pool & Fitness Home Place Special Care Center Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation Majestic Inn & Spa Papa Murphy s Pizza Scott Richards Insurance The Troll House 819 COMMERCIAL AVE STE. B ANACORTES, WA (360) HOURS: MON FRI 9AM 5PM new members CLASSIC STYLE & COMPANY LLC 705 Commercial Avenue Anacortes, WA Lori Maul lorilmaul@hotmail.com Apparel - Retail & Wholesale Boutique store featuring handmade sweaters. CHUCKANUT VALLEY VETERINARY CLINIC 896 N. Burlington Blvd. Burlington, WA (360) Tami Schorno tami@chuckanutvet.com Veterinarian Mixed animal practice offering wide array of services and 24/7 patient care. LIGHTHOUSE MEMORY CARE 3502 K Avenue Anacortes, WA (360) Lissa Sterbentz Director@Lighthousememorycare.net Health Care, Dementia Care To serve our residents and families with compassion, dignity, and respect by providing a quality home and appropriate activities for our residents so their lives can be as fulfilling as possible. Come see us for all your vehicle or vessel needs! Registration renewals, title transfers, disabled parking placards, monthly tonnage, trip permits, dealer work. 6

7 COMPU MAT TER COMPUTER REPAIRS WEBSITES & HOSTING Commercial Ave, Anacortes of Course COMPUTER ECYCLE DROP OFF Serving ANACORTES Since 2007 ambassador profile Cameron Bigge Dr. Cameron Bigge is the owner of Fidalgo Island Chiropractic Clinic in Anacortes, Wa. He was born and raised in Anacortes and is proud of it. As a young boy Cameron had migraine headaches. A local chiropractor fixed his neck bones and permanently relieved his headaches. For this experience he is forever grateful towards the chiropractic approach to human health and inspired him to become a chiropractor. Dr. Bigge moved back to Anacortes because he wanted to give back to the community that gave him so much as a child. He is grateful to be close to his family, the great people of Anacortes, the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL) and the plethora of activities to do in the area to fill his adventurous soul. He is an avid runner, hiker, rock climber and bike rider. You may see him riding his bike around town and on the Tommy Thompson trail, hiking and running the 40+ miles of trails in the ACFL or climbing the rock faces on the south face of Mt. Erie. Dr. Bigge is first and foremost a patient of chiropractic. Chiropractic care allows him to stay healthy and function well with what ever life throws his way. Anacortes Brewery 20th Anniversary T he Anacortes Brewery is celebrating their 20th Anniversary! To celebrate, the brewery will be throwing a 20th anniversary party Saturday, July 26th at the Heart of Anacortes located directly behind the Rockfish Grill. This all-age community event will feature great food, music and beer garden. The event runs from noon to 8pm and is free to the public. Come on down and enjoy the fun and help your local brewery celebrate their milestone. Chamber Chat with the Chamber Staff Tuesday, July 8, :00 5:00 pm Chamber Board Room 2% Tourism and Visitor Information Center Contract for Services Presentation BUSINESS INSIGHTS Wasted Days and Wasted Nights Whether it s our Anacortes chamber or Port, an EDASC event or our Tulip festival, there are phenomenal opportunities here for networking to promote your business. Yet time and time again, I find myself cringing when I overhear a great introduction wasted by poor preparation. The cringe-worthy conversation usually goes something like this; It s great to meet you, local entrepreneur, so tell me, what do you do? Which brings and uncomfortable pause and the dreaded Well as our failed networker trails off with some meandering explanation, followed by both parties looking down at the floor and slowly wandering away. An elevator speech could have saved the day; succinctly telling prospects what you do, who you do it for and how you do it. Eliminate wasted days and wasted nights at networking events create your elevator speech today! What s my elevator speech? Fair question! I help people take control of their business, overcome roadblocks and explore new opportunities. My services are free and I m ready to work with you! Would you like to know more? Call James, your free and confidential business adviser at (360) to review your approach to business preparation. Business Insights is a service of EDASC, enhancing our quality of life through the creation and preservation of healthy businesses and good jobs. Learn more at 7

8 PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID ANACORTES, WA PERMIT NO Commercial Ave., Suite F Anacortes, WA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED chamber officers Executive Board PRESIDENT Mark Lawrence Simply Yards Landscape and Design PRESIDENT ELECT Karin Baldwin Quantum Construction TREASURER Matt Miller Read Me A Story PAST PRESIDENT Kathy Larson Puget Sound Energy BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE Carol Van Iterson Bank of the Pacific vic (visitor information center) statistics May 2014 May 2013 Visitors Phone Calls Information Requests Volunteer Hours May 2014 May 2013 Relocation Requests 9 12 Web Visits 10,866 12,822 Web Page Views 27,107 32,966 Thank you, volunteers! Visit us on the web at Board of Directors Darren Boarnet Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co. Jody Carlisle Shell Puget Sound Refinery Duane Clark Cap Sante Court Retirement Community Colleen Craig Windermere Real Estate Peggy Flynn pflynn+associates Laurie Gere City of Anacortes Jim Gordon Freedom Wireless Media, Inc. Bob Hyde Port of Anacortes Gary Jacobson Attorney Brian Johnson Anacortes Construction Services Chris Long Jolly Mon Charters Duane Knapp Pearl Buttons Andy Schwenk Northwest Rigging Bernadette Stanek Island Hospital Chris Terrell How It Works Mark Wenzel Anacortes School District Chamber Staff Stephanie Hamilton Executive Director Mary Talosi Visitor Information & Operations Director Cecilie Miller Event & Communications Director Tricia Sharp Marketing & Promotions Coordinator Kristi Daniels & Crystal Johnson Licensing Sub-Agents Saturday, July 19, 2014 Downtown Anacortes 10th to 3rd Street 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Photography by Steve Berentson Newsletter designed by LMac Graphics