Sales tax explained
Businesses have the opportunity to learn how to comply with the new destination sales tax legislation effective July 1.
The workshop is being sponsored by the Island County EDC and Langley Chamber of Commerce and will be conducted by Washington State Department of Revenue representative Gary Davis.
The workshop is offered at no cost to businesses and is scheduled for Monday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. at the South Whidbey High School campus. Computers will be available to assist businesses in navigating and using new Department of Revenue on-line tools.
Although the workshop is free, reservations are required. To reserve or for additional information, call 678-6889 or 1-888-506-7999.
Brooks joins Countrywide
Devin Brooks, a five year resident of beautiful Oak Harbor, recently retired from the Navy and joined Countrywide Home Loan as a home loan consultant. After 20 years of service in the Navy, Brooks said he is excited to convert his skill-set of effective communication, reliability, and quality performance to provide clients with the highest levels of customer service industry-wide.
“The Countrywide decision-making process is a local one which enables me to expedite solutions to all your purchasing, refinancing and line of credit needs,” Brooks said in a news release.
Countrywide Home Loans is located at 32785 State Route 20 in Oak Harbor. You can reach Brooks at 240-8134 or, on his cell at 360-320-9991.
Cray, Goodwin, named to board
Harmsen & Associates, Inc., has named Bill Goodwin, PE, and Robert Cray, PLS, to the board of directors.
Cray is a long-time owner and surveyor of Fakkema & Kingma in Oak Harbor.
Goodwin has been elected to the position of chairman of the board and Cray will serve as a director-at-large. Doug Slager, PLS, will continue as president and CEO of the firm.
Goodwin has 33 years of civil engineering experience with private and public clients throughout the greater Puget Sound region.
Cray has 42 years of land surveying experience with private and public clients throughout Island and Snohomish counties.
Harmsen & Associates, Inc., is a 60-person, civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and land use planning firm with offices in Monroe and Oak Harbor serving clients throughout the Puget Sound region.
Boost your
real estate sales
Dr. Alesa Lightbourne, PH.D, will give two “Communications Skills to Boost Real Estate Sales” seminars on June 12 and July 10, both from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce. These seminars are fun and fast paced. Sharpen your skills and earn eight hours of real estate continuing education credit. When the market gets tough, the tough get marketing. Cost is $79. For more information, call 360-941-3177 or email at alesa@lightworks.us.
Credit union expands reach
Navy Federal Credit Union announced Friday the expansion of its field of membership to include all branches of the armed forces, including Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force active duty, reserve, and guard personnel and all Department of Defense civilians.
“We have a long and proud history of serving the men and women of the Department of the Navy and their families,” said Cutler Dawson, president and CEO of Navy Federal Credit Union. “In today’s military environment, however, all branches of the armed forces share resources, conduct joint operations, serve on the same bases, and use the same exchanges, commissaries, and medical facilities. So we believe the time is right to extend that legacy of service to all of the men and women of the Department of Defense and their families.”
Navy Federal, among the 2008 Fortune 100 “best companies to work for,” has over 7,300 employees. It is the world’s largest credit union with over $35 billion in assets, three million members and 150 branch offices.
Haugen wins LaFond award
The Island County Economic Development Council has presented Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, with the LaFond Economic Partnership Award for Community Commitment and Service.
Haugen received the award in large part because of her sponsorship of Senate Bill 6195, which designated Island County as “rural” for purposes of economic development funding and will provide the area with an additional $40,000 in basic rural funding and enhanced its eligibility for other programs.
“Senator Haugen has continued her work on rectifying Island County’s eligibility requirements for over four years,” said Sharon Hart, executive director of the EDC.
The LaFond Award was recently established by the EDC to recognize individuals for their community service. It is named after EDC three-term president John LaFond, who passed away last November.
