Edward Dolle, a registered nurse with
30-years of industry experience, was appointed to the Harrison Medical Center
board.
Dolle is a district education and training director for Extendicare Health Services, and formerly held leadership roles with ManorCare in Gig Harbor and the state Department of Veterans Affairs at Retsil, according to a news release.
He filled the final vacant position on Harrison’s 18-member board. Continue reading
Giddymum’s LLC., the company behind Possum’s Boutique, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Monday.
The company operated stores in Poulsbo, Gig Harbor and on Bainbridge Island between 2007 and 2012. Giddymum’s listed less than $50,000 in assets and more than $50,000 in liabilities in a court petition.
The 21 creditors include the City of Poulsbo, local companies, and state and federal agencies.
Six months of negotiations between
Harrison Medical Center
and its 800 union pro-tech employees
ground to a halt this winter.
Harrison recently delivered what it calls its final proposal to the employees, who are members of UFCW 21. The union responded last week by giving Harrison 10-day notice of an informational picket. The picket will be held from 2-6 p.m. Feb. 19 at Harrison in Bremerton.
“This action has become necessary in order to connect with the public and patients and let them know of the challenges these health care workers are facing in the current contract negotiations,” UFCW 21 spokesman Tom Geiger said in an email.
Negotiations on the new pro-tech contract opened last summer. One sticking point in Harrison’s proposal is a clause that would not allow pro-tech employees to honor the picket lines of other bargaining units at Harrison.
Contracting company Silverdale Electric closed this winter and put its trade name up for sale.
The company, which included four electricians, closed in November for both financial and family reasons, said office manager Nicole Myers.
The Silverdale Electric name, phone number, website, signage and customer list are now for sale. Equipment has already been liquidated. Myers said the company is looking for $12,000 to $15,000.
Contact (360) 692-0330 or silverdaleelectric@hotmail.com for information.
After ending a five-year slide in 2013, Kitsap home prices were down in January.
The median price of closed sales was $213,000 in last month, according to figures released Wednesday by Northwest Multiple Listing Service. That was lower than in January 2013 ($235,000) and lower than the overall median price in 2013 ($240,000).
New listings (384) and closed sales (225) were up from January. The 5-month supply of homes in January was also substantially higher than the average for 2013. Pending sales (348) were lower than a year ago but well above December’s total of 256.
Here’s a look at the median price for closed sales in selected Kitsap areas:
Photo: Larry Steagall
The unemployment rate for Kitsap County was 6.1 percent in December, down 1 percent from 2012 and nearly 2 percent from 2011, according to a report from the state Employment Security Department.
The statewide unemployment rate for December was 6.6 percent, a five-year low. Economists said the drop in the unemployment rate was largely due to job seekers giving up on finding work and dropping out of the labor force.
In Kitsap, the civilian labor force declined by 4,300 workers between December 2012 and December 2013. Private employers in the county added 1,600 jobs over the same period.
Meanwhile the county shed 900 government jobs. That trend should reverse early in the year as Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility hires more than 1,000 worker trainees.
Lucky Wok on Callow
Avenue caught an unlucky break this winter.
Manager Francis Chooi said he recently received notice the property sold and the restaurant needed to vacate. Lucky Wok will close Friday.
“I’m very proud,” Chooi said of the Lucky Wok’s five years on Callow. “A lot of people like our food. I hate to go.”
Chooi said the business lost money initially but recently began turning a profit. He was expecting 2014 to be a good year. The restaurant has six employees.
According to assessor’s records the property at 104 N Callow Ave. changed hands in November and is owned by Gidney Chong of Bellevue.
Chooi said he heard the location will become a teriyaki restaurant.
Taxable retail sales in Kitsap County for the third quarter of 2013 were up 6 percent compared to 2012.
A total of $865 million in taxable sales were made in the county in July, August and September, according to a report released Tuesday by the state Department of Revenue. That included $455 million from retail trade, a gain of 5 percent from the third quarter of 2012. Retail trade includes businesses like auto dealerships, stores and online sellers.
Statewide, third quarter taxable retail sales were up 7.6 percent from 2012 to 2013. Numbers from auto dealers and the construction industry were especially strong.
“The increase in taxable retail sales was driven by auto sales and new construction,” Revenue Director Carol K. Nelson said in a news release. “This increase in spending shows that consumer confidence in Washington continues to improve and is at its highest level since the Great Recession.”
In Kitsap, sales of motor vehicles and parts rose from $101 million in the third quarter of 2012 to nearly $109 million in 2013. Taxable sales from the construction industry jumped $109 million to $125 million in 2013.
A breakdown of third quarter taxable sales for Kitsap is posted below with a comparison to 2012: Continue reading
Flu season
peaked in January and rates remain high in Western
Washington.
In response, Harrison Medical Center posted an educational video on flu season, the predominate strains, and ways of preventing the spread of flu.
The video is posted on Harrison’s homepage.
One flu-related death in Kitsap County has been confirmed by local health officials this season. A Bremerton woman with a confirmed case of H1N1 (swine flu) and a secondary medical condition died in January.
Flu vaccines are still widely available at pharmacies and clinics. See the state Department of Health flu page for more information.
The Kitsap Economic Development
Alliance used its Decision Makers Breakfast last week to unveil
a brand new website.
The site includes information for businesses, industry profiles, statistics, a blog and media galleries, among other features.
The website redesign was combined with a general rebranding for the organization.
If you missed the annual breakfast, the economic forecast delivered by John W. Mitchell is available via PowerPoint.
KEDA works with businesses and local governments to promote the Kitsap economy.
