WHIDBEY
BUSINESS Page A4
HELPING THE HELP HOUSE: Employees from Windermere’s Oak Harbor office will be helping out at the North Whidbey Help House Friday, June 20 as part of the real estate company’s community service program. The company will be spending the day helping with painting, repairs, cleaning and yardwork. WWW.WHIDBEYNEWSTIMES.COM
Saturday, June 18, 2014 • Whidbey News Times
Boat crowd excites organizer BUSINESS CHATTER By RON NEWBERRY Staff reporter
When Michelle Curry agreed last year to organize hydroplane races in Oak Harbor this summer, she knew she was facing a tight deadline and some uncharted waters. First, she had never attended a hydroplane race before. Yet she was now in charge of the Oak Harbor Hydroplane Races. “Not even Seafair,” said Curry, a real estate loan officer at People’s Bank in Oak Harbor. “My first race was the first weekend of September last year in
Spanaway down at nationals. I wanted to see exactly what I had gotten myself into.” She had to wait another month before the American Power Boat Association approved the race, date and time, leaving her 10 months to plan and execute the race, which is set for Aug. 16-17. She’s been busy ever since, promoting the event and lining up sponsors. On June 7, Curry was pleased to see the number of people who came to preview some of the race boats at the Show & Shine Boat Show at Flyers Restaurant & Brewery in the sun.
“I was doing a clicker counter,” she said. “My goal was 500. We stopped counting when we hit 500.” She said the feedback was encouraging. She’s still seeking sponsors and volunteers. She said VIP waterfront suites are available to reserve. Curry can be reached at 360-941-9690. Thirteen classes, including Grand Prix hydroplanes, will be racing in the event, which is part of the APBA Inboard Hydroplane and Flatbottom Racing circuit. The big-budget unlimited hydroplanes are not a part of the event. Raffle tickets to win a free boat ride are still being sold at the Oak Harbor Chamber
of Commerce until the drawing on Aug. 10. Curry is expecting attendance for the Oak Harbor event to be as big as 10,000. ROUGH CROWD: It’s never too early to break out the belt-sander to practice a few test runs. Frontier Building Supply in Oak Harbor is bracing for its annual belt sander races, which will take place at high noon July 18. The event features contractors and anyone else who’d like to race a belt sander in front of the store. Winners at each Front Building Supply location, including its outlet in Freeland July 25, will advance to the grand finals in Anacortes Aug. 1. BIZ BITS: For fans of hot dogs and bratwurst, a clever way to find out if “Coupe’s Last Stand” is open for lunch on a given day near the Coupeville Wharf is to go to the Coupeville Library website (www.sno-isle.org), check out the webcam and look for the red and white umbrellas. Chris Reissner, owner of A Paw in Hand pet boutique on Pioneer, got a surprise visitor earlier this month when a black cat walked into his store unescorted and wandered around the store. After a snack, the friendly cat was reunited with its owner. “It was hysterical,” said Katy Reissner, Chris’ mother who also works in the store. Got any business news? Contact Ron Newberry at rnewberry@whidbeynews group.com
File photo
A pet parade introduced last year during Fourth of July festivities on Pioneer Way was popular for all parties involved. A car show is planned this year.
Merchants adding car show on Fourth By RON NEWBERRY Staff reporter
In an effort to attract more visitors to Pioneer Way on the Fourth of July, Oak Harbor’s downtown merchants are adding a car show to the mix. Anyone with a slick car or motorcycle they’d like to show off is invited to participate in the Motorized Classics show, organized by the Downtown Merchants Association. From 2-5 p.m. July 4, cars will be allowed to park on Pioneer Way as long as they’re registered in the show. There are more than 90 parking spaces available with room elsewhere if needed, said Kathy Collantes, who’s running the event and is a broker at Go Realty on Pioneer. “We did it last year to some extent,” said Collantes, pointing to participation from the Island Classic Mustang Club. “We thought it would be a good
idea to do it again. This year, we’ve opened it up to anybody. As long as it’s nice and clean, you’re welcome.” Those interested in participating in the show must register in advance and may do so by contacting Collantes at 360-632-6740. Admittance to the street will occur from 1:30-2 p.m. at Dock and Pioneer. The car show is the latest idea to draw business to Pioneer Way following the Fourth of July grand parade, which begins at 11 a.m. and will travel along Bayshore Drive before connecting with Pioneer at a later stretch. The parade was rerouted away from Pioneer Way’s historic core during and after it was changed to a one-way street in 2011. The car show will join a pie bake-off and pet parade, popular ideas that were incorporated last year. Other events on Pioneer include a vendor fair that will begin at 10 a.m.
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