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Local business briefs, tips and leads Canadian eyewear retailer opens shipping center in Blaine A Vancouver, British Columbia-based company that sells eyewear and other vision-care products online has opened a new production and shipping facility in Blaine. Coastal Contacts Inc., which operates the retail website Coastal.com, plans to run the 13,000-square-foot warehouse 24 hours a day to ship glasses and contactlens orders to various locations in the continental U.S. The facility employs about 70 people, according to the company, but more workers will be added if consumer demand fuels growth. The Canadian company’s founder and CEO, Roger Hardy, said the U.S. is Coastal.
com’s fastest-growing market, according to a press release. With the new facility in Blaine, the company reports it will now be capable of shipping orders less than one day after they are received online. As one of the world’s largest online retailers of eyewear and related products, Coastal.com posted sales of $196.1 million in 2012, according to the company. More information is online at www. coastal.com.
Big Brothers Big Sisters in financial struggle, seeks support The nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington is asking local donors for help as the organization, which provides volunteer mentors for at-risk youth in Whatcom and Skagit counties,
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says decreased funding has put its programs in difficult financial straits. A loss of funding has forced the nonprofit to cut its programs, lay off full-time staff and shrink its operating budget. The organization now reports that to remain financially viable, it needs at least 100 people to donate at least $80 on a monthly basis. Directors with the organization said one of its most significant yearly grants, which totaled $84,696 in 2009, dropped to $4,689 in 2012. Another major grant, which averaged $184,879 annually, ended in 2010, according to the organization. Individual contributions have also dwindled. Last year, the nonprofit brought in $14,947 from individual donors. The combined losses were deciding factors in the organization suspending its well-regarded “School Buddies” program this year. The program offered mentorship to more than 100 children in nine local schools. “While we don’t have a facility to showcase our program, the impacts to our community are profound,” Colleen Haggerty, the nonprofit’s executive director, said. “What we do changes lives. When a child thrives as they do with a mentor, the effects ripples into the community in positive ways. I don’t think this community wants to see us close our doors.” For more information, call Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington at 360-671-6400, or visit www.bbbs-nw.org. The nonprofit plans to host a pledge drive from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, in the beer garden at Boundary Bay Brewery in downtown Bellingham. The event will feature entertainment, raffles and food.
PeaceHealth announces new alliance, gets approval for Skagit partnership PeaceHealth has signed a letter of intent with UW Medicine to form a strategic alliance between the two nonprofit health care systems. The deal is expected to be finalized by Sept. 30. PeaceHealth operates nine medical centers, laboratories and other medical services and facilites in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. That includes the St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, Whatcom County’s only hospital and the county’s largest employer. UW Medicine’s facilities include Harborview Medical Center, Northwest Hospital and Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, University of Washington Medical Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest. The two organizations will remain legally separate and independent, according to a press release, and each group’s governance will not be affected. No government regulatory approval is required for the alliance. The PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center also received approval from the Washington State Department of Health for its planned alliance with United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley. State approval is required whenever certain health care providers, including hospitals, plan to build certain types of facilities or offer new or expanded services. A long-term deal between PeaceHealth and United General was announced last November after approval by commissioners of Public Hospital District 304 in Skagit County. Under the plan, PeaceHealth will lease and operate the hospital, but the facil-
June 2013 ity will still be owned by the Public Hospital District.
Draft rules issued on state’s future marijuana market Washington state’s road to a recreational marijuana marketplace is getting shorter, as the state Liquor Control Board issued initial draft rules on Thursday, May 16, that the agency says reflects its initial thoughts on what such a market might look like. The board will accept public comment on the rules until June 10. Voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana use through the passage of Initiative 502 last November. Liquor board officials plan to begin a formal rule-making process in June. The rules are available for download online at pnw.cc/llprs.
Hoagland Pharmacy to open new location in Sedro-Woolley Hoagland Pharmacy will open a new location in Sedro-Woolley on June 3. The new pharmacy, located at 640 State Route Highway 20, will offer a variety of products and services, including prescription filling, over-the-counter medication, respiratory supplies and services, diabetic shoes and insoles, lift chairs, medical equipment and more. “We intend to bring personal and caring customer service to Sedro-Woolley and the surrounding areas,” said co-owner Mike Hoagland (who runs the company with his wife, Rosa Hoagland). Hoagland Pharmacy has operated in Bellingham for more than 32 years, providing health, educational and veterinary medication services. The company employs a staff of more than 70 people. The Sedro-Woolley pharmacy will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays. The durable medical department will operate during the same days and hours, but will also be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The pharmacy can be reached at 360503-1676; the durable medical department can be reached at 360-503-1670; and the respiratory department can be reached at 360-503-1675.
Airporter Shuttle moves central Bellingham pickup location Airporter Shuttle, which offers bus service to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from a variety of western and central Washington locations, has relocated its central Bellingham pickup location next to the GuestHouse Inn on Lakeway Drive to the McDonald’s restaurant at 112 S. Samish Way. The company said the move will give residents on the south side of Bellingham, as well as students at Western Washington University, better access to the Airporter Shuttle. Company officials also said they are working with a nearby business to work out a future parking arrangement for passengers. There will be no parking for Airporter passengers available at the McDonald’s or surrounding businesses when the move takes effect. Airporter Shuttle’s other Bellingham stop, at Bellingham International Airport, remains unchanged. The company is online at www.airporter.com.
Bellingham officials offering new low-income housing funds BUZZ | Page 9