Ella's Blog

Ocean Shores News May 2009

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 15:07:13 -0500

May 2009

Ocean Shores

A Community Garden in Ocean Shores

A group of volunteers held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 9^th for a community garden on a section of land behind the Galilean Lutheran Church. Event organizers hope to turn the church-owned land, which measures just under a quarter acre, into “Garden by the Sea”, a place where residents can rent plots to turn into their own private gardens.

In addition to private plots, there are plans for a children’s garden and an herbal labyrinth plus a separate “food bank” garden in which all produce in the garden will be donated to the Ocean Shores Food Bank.

The children’s, herbal labyrinth and food bank gardens will be maintained by volunteers. Garden supporters plan on seeding the garden this spring and hope to have a harvest by late summer or early fall.

Speed Limits go down at the Beach

Drivers will have to pay close attention to speed limit signs around town, as many of them will be changed in June, 2009.

The City Council voted 5-2 to approve a controversial ordinance that will lower the speed limits on several city streets including Point Brown Avenue, Ocean Shores Boulevard, Duck Lake Drive, Chance a la Mer and Marine View Drive.

Most of the changes are 5 mph drops. For example, the section of Point Brown Avenue between the entry gates south to Albatross Street will be changed from 30 mph to 25 mph on both sides of the street.

More ships in Port of Grays Harbor

Port of Grays Harbor officials say a new shipping agreement with a Norwegian company will dramatically increase incoming vessels, eventually bringing in a ship every two weeks.

Deputy Director Leonard Barnes said a regular schedule shipping line service agreement with recently established Partner Shipping promises new vessels into Marine Terminal 4, starting with a ship in mid-June. The agreement makes the Port one of the company’s two West Coast shipping sites.

The Partner Shipping Web site said the company, which launched in 2008, has operations shipping throughout Europe, The Middle East and West Africa. The company hopes to jump on the market between the U.S. and the South Pacific.

Barnes said the shipping business is facing tough times along with many industries in the current economy. He said Partner’s decision to operate out of Grays Harbor in such times attests to the Port’s strong location, workforce and transportation infrastructure.

Pontoons on the way to Grays Harbor

We were promised that the Pontoons would bring hundreds of “family-wage jobs” to Grays Harbor. At a bill-signing ceremony on the campus of Grays Harbor College, Governor Gregoire made it happen. The state will spend $700 million to both train the workers necessary and construct a huge graving dock on the Harbor to build the floating pontoons necessary to construct the Highway 50 floating bridge across Lake Washington between Seattle and its eastern suburbs.

Gregoire signed the legislation authorizing the funding and separate legislation authorizing the bonds to pay for the construction project. The legislation also authorizes tolling to begin soon on the existing floating bridge.

At lease 250 construction jobs will be created to build the graving dock and another 100 workers will be needed to construct the pontoons themselves. Factoring in the ripple effect of the new jobs, the governor said as many as 3,000 jobs could be induced from the project at the height of construction in 2013, but she wants construction of the graving dock to start by next year.

Marine Resource Committee to look at Coastal Issues

The county commissioners have appointed an 11-member Marine Resource Committee, tasked with looking at coastal issues and ensuring that local, state and federal decisions on marine issues aren’t made in a vacuum. The task force, mostly made up of fishermen, marine experts and environmentalists, will host its first public forum at a0 a.m., on June 20^th, at the Rotary Log Pavilion in Aberdeen.

County Commissioner Al Carter said the group will be charged with looking after issues that impact all areas of the coast, for example, a private company’s proposal to set up wind turbines off the coast and a push to develop wave energy platforms. Carter said: “We have wind energy, we have wave energy we have the potential for oil drilling and gas drillilng.u’ve got etland issues and estuary issues. I don’t want people who don’t live on the coast making arbitrary decisions including the federal government. They don’t live here.

Those appointed to the committee include Bob Burkle of Montesano, with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife; Roberta Davenport of Rochester, with the state Department of Natural Resources; Eric Delvin of Olympia, with the Nature Conservancy; Kathy Greer of Westport, with the Surfriders organization; R.D. Grunbaum of Ocosta, with Friends of Grays Harbor; Don Harders of Hoquiam, with the Lone Tree Oyster Co.; Robin Leraas of Aberdeen, with the Port of Grays Harbor; Don Samuelson of Aberdeen, with Deep Sea Charters; Ray Toste of Westport, with the Washington Crab Fishers Association; Joe Schumacher of Taholah, with the Quinault Indian Nation; and Lorena Marchant of Aberdeen, with Grays Harbor College.

Ocean Shores Convention Center - June 2009

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3

4

5

6

City Study Session

3PM

Drivers Safety       9AM – 1PM

Drivers Safety        9AM – 1PM

ACT 1PM

O.S. Chamber Business After Hours 5:30PM

Kite Challenge on Beach             11AM – 4PM

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Kite Challenge on Beach             11AM – 4PM

1:30PM City Council & Public Workshop

City Council 6:00PM

Master Gardeners Meeting

9AM

O.S. Municipal Court 1:30PM

Flag Day Parade at 11AM

(CC Restrooms Open) and Dance at Shilo Inn 6:30PM

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Set-Up Convention Center for Square Dancers

Set-Up Convention Center for Square Dancers (Plywood Floors)

Square & Folk Dancers               Move In 7AM             1200 People

No Catered Meals

All Meals ON OWN

Square & Folk     Dancers           1200 People

No Catered Meals

All Meals ON OWN

Square & Folk         Dancers          1200 People

No Catered Meals

All Meals ON OWN

Square & Folk Dancers           1200 People

No Catered Meals

All Meals ON OWN

Father's Day 21

22

23

24

Sand & Sawdust Set-Up 25

26

27

Priest Days

250 Attendees

All Meals Catered



Priest Days

250 Attendees

All Meals Catered

Priest Days

250 Attendees

All Meals Catered

Priest Days

250 Attendees

All Meals Catered

Priest Days

250 Attendees

All Meals Catered

Sand & Sawdust Festival

Sand & Sawdust Festival

28

29

30

Sand & Sawdust Festival

National Assoc. of Postmasters of the United States

(NAPUS)            300 People           All Meals Catered

National Assoc. of Postmasters of the United States

(NAPUS)            300 People           All Meals Catered

Planning a visit to Ocean Shores? Go to our website for lodging, dining, shopping, activity information, and even driving directions!www.TourismOceanShores.com

Looking for a great deal ? www.oceanshoresdiscounts.com

Ella M. Kiaupa,

Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties

888-469-3100 Toll-Free

360-289-3100 Office

360-580-1945 Cell

360-289-3111 Fax

www.oceanshoresNow.com

"The finest compliment I can receive is a referral. Thank you."

Welcome to my World -

Ocean Shores, Washington!

Ocean Shores News April 2009

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:39:12 -0500

April 2009

Ocean Shores

Ocean Shores Interpretive Center expanding

The Interpretive Center is expanding and has some new activities for visitors. Locals and tourists will be able to explore a new trail, exhibits and a playground. Students from North Beach, Aberdeen and Hoquiam high schools designed and constructed the Interpretive Trail as part of their senior culminating project. The trail which is about 500 feet long leads visitors through a small coastal forest with a wetland area and a boardwalk.

The courtyard was funded by a $21,000 federal forestry education grant the Interpretive center split with the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds. The grant came via revenue generated from timber harvests under the Secure Rural Schools & Community Self-Determination Act, a federal measure that backs improvements to public schools, roads and stewardship projects.

The exhibit features a weather station that displays temperature, wind direction, humidity, atmospheric pressure and precipitation readings. It also has story boards and information on how to read tide charts.

4^th of July

The City of Ocean Shores approved a $39,706 request from the police and fire departments to fund a Fourth of July operational plan.

The plan would pay for emergency “staging” stations at different beach approaches, which include increased police and fire personnel, ambulances and firefighting equipment.

The new ordinance, which goes into effect this year, bans fireworks within city limits except for between the Marine View Drive and Damon Beach approaches, at lease 100 feet away from the dunes. The new ordinance also reflects state law on the discharge of fireworks, allowing them only during the following days and hours.

June 28, noon – 11 p.m.

June 29 – July 3, 9a.m. – 11 p.m.

July 4, 9 a.m. – midnight.

In 2007, dune fires burned more then 20 acres over Independence Day weekend and two firefighters had to be taken to the hospital with symptoms of exhaustion because there weren’t enough personnel to give the firefighters a break.

Third Annual Music Festival

The floor of the Ocean Shores convention Center will be thumpn’ with the annual music festival on July 3rd & 4th.

Country Schedule (Saturday)

1p.m. to 4 pm. – Country Jam

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – Country Dinner

7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Country Dance.

Gospel Schedule ( Sunday)

9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Gospel music

NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARBOR

Youth Job Program

Work Source in Grays Harbor expects new federal funding for a summer youth job program. The federal stimulus grants will fund the youth summer jobs for temporary seasonal labor. The program targets young workers of a certain income level, the ages were expanded to include 16 to 24 years old. Based on how much money Grays Harbor will receive will determine how many positions they can fill.

Fishing to be fantastic this Salmon Season

California and Oregon are severely curtailed this year due to declining Chinook populations, fishermen in Washington are planning for a decent season.

“It’s going to ba a great season,” said Doug Frickle, the president of the Washington Trollers Association, who expects it to be about the same as last year, “but we are happy to have any opportunity to fish for salmon and to support our families and incomes.”

According to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the upcoming salmon season in Washington is similarly structured compared to recent years with Chinook quotas close to 2008. The biggest bright spot is that coho quotas are substantially higher, which reflects the increased abundance of both hatchery and natural coho stocks.

For recreational fishermen in Westport subarea, the season begins on June 28, with fishing allowed Sunday through Thursday until July 23. Fishing will then be permitted seven days a week until September 20.

Annual assessments for Grays Harbor

The state House approved legislation requiring counties statewide to conduct assessments on an annual basis with the conversion taking place by 2014. The measure passed 77 to 17. The state Senate approved the bill on a 40 to 5 vote. All of the legislators who represent Grays Harbor voted in favor of the measure.

Of the state’s 39 counties, 20 of them already use an annual property tax assessment system. Grays Harbor’s property tax assessments are done every four years.

Stimulus Money for Olympic National Park

The park will receive more than $57.8 million in economic stimulus money to put local residents to work building trails, rebuilding ecosystems and renovating campgrounds. Olympic receives the greatest share of the state’s $65 million in stimulus funding generated toward national parks. Nationwide more than $750 million will be spent on the parks system.

This is the most significant investment made in our National Parks in decades, the immediate benefits will be with the creation of new jobs and for generations to come our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy these special places.

At Olympic National Park, the money will be used to convert two miles of abandoned road to trail, demolish and replace the operationally-obsolete Hoh sewer system, rehabilitate four park road bridges, replace historic roofing park-wide and restore much of the ecosystem along the Elwha River, including the removal of dams.

Ella M. Kiaupa,

Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties

888-469-3100 Toll-Free

360-289-3100 Office

360-580-1945 Cell

360-289-3111 Fax

www.oceanshoresNow.com

"The finest compliment I can receive is a referral. Thank you."

Welcome to my World -

Ocean Shores, Washington

Planning a visit to Ocean Shores? Go to our website for lodging, dining, shopping, activity information, and even driving directions!www.TourismOceanShores.com

Looking for a great deal ? www.oceanshoresdiscounts.com

Ocean Shores News - March 2009

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:52:55 -0500

March 2009

Ocean Shores

Largest Turnout for Clam Fest

The third annual Clam Fest was the largest ever. It may have been called a Razor Clam Festival but the way it packed people in made the Ocean Shores Convention Center feel like a sardine tin.

It’s estimated that 9,000 people attended the festival. The clam chowder pots ran out fast as clam fans went from booth to booth trading $1 tickets for small cups of chowder. There were booths of all sorts of clam memorabilia for those who really dig razor clams.

The festival also hosted the razor clam queen and king, Berda and Bob Augustus who do a lot of community service. There were 16 entrants in the amateur razor clam chowder competition, so the competition was tight. All top spots were taken by Ocean Shores’ residents.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARBOR

Stimulus Cash for Grays Harbor

Grays Harbor will receive more than $2,4 million in economic stimulus money, trickling down from the federal government to local agencies and even to make public housing more energy efficient as well as construction of roads and sidewalks.

Grays Harbor County was awarded $750,000 toward its road realignment and paving projects alone the Wynoochee-Wishkah Road corridor. The total project will cost the county $28.j8 million and will be funded through grants and county road money.

The City of Aberdeen received $730,000 toward the $948,000 sidewalk revitalization effort along Heron Street. The city of Hoquiam has been awarded $195,000 to help finish the city’s downtown sidewalk revitalization project.

The Housing Authority of Grays Harbor was awarded $627,184 to fix up low-income residential buildings. The money will be spent on buildings that are part of the authority’s low-rent program.

The Housing Authority has 12 months to spend the money. The road projects need to be started within the next 120 days.

Plans to turn Wood Waste to Biofuel

Harbor-based wood chip manufacturing company Willis Enterprises LLC has proposed building new wood-based biofuel plant to create liquid fuel and up to 80 new jobs.

Company president Paul Willis announced he is seeking funding for a new $2.5 million to $35 million bio-refinery of Hoquiam to produce lingo-cellulosic liquid fuel from wood products alongside his current chip operations. The plant would require 35 to 50 workers with another 15 to 30 new jobs for harvesting and gathering materials.

The project plans to seek state and federal grants for constructing the new facilities and the City Council unanimously approved voicing support for the proposal.

Higher Revenue for the Port

The Port of Grays Harbor’s operating revenues of $9 million for last year were a 25% improvement over the year before. The higher revenue reflects increased shipping traffic which account for almost 70 % of the Port’s operating revenue. But for the third year in a row, the Port’s operating expenses, $9.2 million, exceeded its revenues because it allowed the Port to catch up on a backlog of maintenance projects it had not been able to address in years past.

The Port handled more cargo in 2008 than in any year over the past decade and saw its business activity overall increase 27 % over 2007. The cargo was heavy on agricultural products, biodiesel from Imperium and autos. This represented a continued shift away from timber products, which was mainstay for years bat has slowed to a trickle over the past decade.

The growing agricultural export business and a marketing agreement between the Port and the Pasha Group to bring a variety of cargoes to the Harbor seems certain to bring in more business. In order to attract more business they might need to investigate dredging the shipping channel to a deeper depth.

Job Cuts at Imperium

Imperium of Grays Harbor announced that 24 employees will loose their jobs in response to a global drop in demand of biodiesel. The increased cost of feedstock for producing biodiesel and the drastic changes in regular gasoline and diesel prices during the past 18 months has undermined the stability of the company.

The Seattle-based company has undergone a number of challenges since opening its Hoquiam facility in August of 2007, the largest biodiesel plant in the country at the time and employed about 60 Harbor workers.

John Plaza, founder and CEO of the regional biodiesel manufacturing company, said that the staff cuts had to be made to reduce costs and save money for the company’s future.

Some of the best Forcast for Coho Salmon

This year’s salmon returns are expected to be some of the best since 2001 for Washington. More than 1 million Columbia River coho are expected to return this year, which is nearly double last year’s return but Oregon and California show diminishing numbers of salmon

The Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted three options for this year’s ocean salmon season. The options virtually shut down sport and commercial fishing off the coast of California to allow salmon to rebound, while offering limited commercial and sport salmon fishing in Oregon.

In Washington the coho salmon runs appear to be some of the best in years, which could give commercial and sport fishermen a much needed boost. Coho options for all fishermen are eight to nine times that of last year, and Chinook fishing will be allowed, the Council said.

Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival from April 24 through 26^th

Huge flocks of shorebirds scuttle across mudflats and take to the air in massive flocks. These birds feed and prepare for the next leg of their long journey to Arctic breeding grounds. Birders come from all over the world to Grays Harbor to spot birds, take classes and seminars or go on guided field trips.

Some of the birds fly 15,000 miles during the migration, which is one of the planet’s great wildlife spectacles. The massive shorebird migration from wintering grounds in South America, Central America and the southern United States funnels millions of birds through Grays Harbor mudflats, beaches and marshes.

The Shorebird Festival will be held at Hoquiam High School this year. Birders should sign up now for limited spots on field trips as they fill up very fast, they can logon www.shorebirdfestival.com or phone 800-303-8498. The festival itself offers free and pay-to-play field trips to great birding spots.

PUD considering raising Power Rates by 4%

Grays Harbor PUD commissioners are considering raising power rates by 4% to offset declining revenues and increased costs from the Bonneville Power Administration. The increase would be about $3.35 per month on the typical Grays Harbor home using 1,300 kilowatt hours. In addition to raising rates, the commissioners are also “looking at all possible cost saving measures,” including cuts in services.

A Marine Resource Council for Grays Harbor

There are plenty of marine resource councils along the Puget Sound but no such groups along the state’s coast. The county commissioners officially created a Grays Harbor Marine Resource Council. The Legislature allocated $50,000 to help set up the group last year. The group will now be charged with looking after issues that impact all areas of the coast, including recent discussions about a private company wanting to set up wind turbines off the coast and a push to develop wave energy platforms.

Seaport receives a $50,000 donation

Ken Birdwell, a software developer from Bellevue WA has donated $50,000 to the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority to ensure kids have an opportunity to continue to learn about the nautical ways of the Lady Washington. The developer for Valve Software said he spent 4 weeks on board the tall ships in 2007 and walked away having nothing but “life changing moments.”

After paying a fee to cover on-board expenses and signing a contract, volunteers join the crew and take part in many of the normal activities of sailing a tall ship, such as climbing the rigging, weighing anchor and greeting guests at various ports.

Birdwell said he found out the ship’s education program was also geared to youth and he wishes he had the chance to hang out on a tall ship when he was growing up. Seaport Executive Director Les Bolton said the donation couldn’t have come at a better time, as the recession has taken quite a toll on the revenue the Lady Washington usually brings in. The Seaport is grappling with cutbacks everywhere and is planning its first trip down the Columbia River in more than a decade in an effort to find new ports of call and new sources of revenue for the ship. The donation will be used to support the Seaport’s educational and volunteer programs.

A Windfall of Housing

The cities of Aberdeen and Hoquiam will share about $1.2million from a new federal grant geared toward the acquisition of foreclosed or abandoned properties to build new homes for low-income residents. The money came from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and the beneficiaries of the money will be Neighborworks of Grays Harbor and Habitat for Humanity.

The City of Hoquiam gets $448,918 in neighborhood stabilization funding while the City of Aberdeen gets $756,938. Hoqiuiam City Administrator Brian Shay, said a portion of Hoquiam’s money will be given to Habitat for Humanity, which uses mainly volunteer labor to build homes for low-income residents.

Aberdeen plans on giving around $200,000 to Habitat. The rest of the money would likely be given to Neighborworks and could be used to offer low-interest loans to first-time home buyers and to help low-income residents afford homes. Money paid back would go right back into the program. The money can also be used to acquire homes and properties that have been abandoned or foreclosed on and to fix up existing homes or build new ones.

March/April Convention Center Events Calendar

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

March 22	March 23	March 24	March 25	March 26	March 27	March 28
W.O.W. Move-in & Set-up 11AM – 7PM	W.O.W. 7AM- 8:30PM Vendor set-up 550 Attendees No Catering All Meals on Own Full Facility	W.O.W. 6AM- 6PM 550 Attendees No Catering All Meals on Own 11:45AM – 1:15PM * LUNCH BREAK *	W.O.W. 7AM- 6PM 550 Attendees Breakfast & Lunch on Own 11:30AM–12:45PM * LUNCH BREAK * Catered Dinner 7PM	W.O.W. 7AM- 12:30PM 550 Attendees Breakfast & Lunch on Own Conf. finished at 12:30PM Possible lunch rush	Razor Clam Festival Set-Up	Razor Clam Festival 8AM – 8PM Pancake B-fast, Vendors, Live Music, Chowder Cook-off, & activities
March 29	March 30	March 31	April 1	April 2	April 3	April 4
AAOS begins SET-UP (Pacific Hall)	AAOS Set-Up (Pacific Hall)	AAOS Set-Up (Pacific Hall) (TENTATIVE) Jury Trial	ACT Meeting 1:30PM AAOS Fine Art & Photo Show Set-up Full Facility	AAOS Fine Art & Photo Show Judges Reception Full Facility	AAOS Fine Art & Photo Show Open to public 12PM – 6PM	AAOS Fine Art & Photo Show Open to public 10AM – 6PM
April 5 AAOS Fine Art & Photo Show Open to public 10AM – 4PM Art to be picked up between 4:30PM –5:30PM	April 6	April 7 AARP Drivers Safety Class 9AM – 1PM O.S.F.D. Accident Scene Safety Meeting 7PM – 9:30PM	April 8 AARP Drivers Safety Class 9AM – 1PM	April 9	April 10	April 11
April 12	April 13 City Council Meeting 6:00PM	April 14	April 15 Ocean Shores Municipal Court 1:30PM	April 16	April 17	April 18 Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet 4PM – 11PM Catered Dinner

Planning a visit to Ocean Shores? Go to our new website for lodging, dining, shopping and activity information and even driving directions!www.TourismOceanShores.com

If you, or anybody you know, have thought about buying or selling some property or building a new home, I would be more than happy to assist you in finding your dream in or around Ocean Shores.

If your property is currently listed with another agent, please disregard this letter.

I hope you enjoy the Agent Newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me.

If you do not wish to receive the Agent Newsletter from me, please reply to this e-mail with the word 'REMOVE' in the subject line.

Ocean Shores News - February 2009

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:59:15 -0500

February 2009

OCEAN SHORES NEWS

Fantastic Clam digging Weekend

It couldn’t have been a better weekend for clam diggers. The weather was warm and sunny and plenty of nice size clams. Dan Ayres, shellfish manager with the Department of Fish and Wildlife said that all three days of clam digging were very good.

He said that clam digging beaches saw about 29,500 “digger trips” over the weekend. He added that new numbers from the University of Washington estimate each “digger trip” on a razor clam weekend can add $49 to the local economy.

Offshore Energy Project

A company interested in converting wave energy to electricity is poised to ask the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for permission to build five or six test converters off Ocean Shores and Grayland.

Grays Harbor Ocean Energy already has a federal permit to a feasibility study and now it is interested in actually building and installing a wave energy converters but has not yet officially applied to do the construction.

Project supporters believe it could supply enough energy to power the entire Olympic Peninsula and make Grays Harbor one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the world.

Last July, the commission issued a preliminary permit to Grays Harbor Ocean Energy, giving the company exclusive rights for a feasibility study at the designated locations for the next three years. That permit did not authorize any construction. The deadline for Grays Harbor Ocean Energy to apply for the pilot project license is July 31, 2010.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARBOR

Car Shipments ready for Export

Shipment of vehicles have flooded into Aberdeen, 200 or 300 a day, as the Port of Grays Harbor prepares for their export.

A California-based auto shipping and processing company called the Pasha Group is coordinating the shipment of these vehicles. About 1,100 of these vehicles were loaded on the Jean Anne for shipment to Hawaii to replace a fleet of card for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The Jean Anne typically rotates between San Diego and the Hawaiian islands. When Enterprise car rentals purchased the 1,100 vehicles at a Seattle auction, they asked the Pasha Group to help move them.

Michael Pasha, general manager of port development said a small group of locally hired workers helped inspect and process the cars with tests on batteries and tires, then numbered and labeled the vehicles. A separate division of the company then worked to hire local longshore workers to load the vehicles.

“we’re really happy about the working relationship with the Port and the local labor unions,” Pasha said. “That’s why we’re here.”

Harnessing the Power of the Tides

Grays Harbor PUD and the Pacific County PUD are working to get funding for the proposed tidal energy generation project, they hope to power homes from tidal movements running in and out of Grays Harbor. Grays Harbor PUD General Manager Rick Lovely predicted the movement could produce about 1 megawatt of power, enough to light up about 100 homes. He hoped to have a pilot program in the water by 2011. Putting an underwater turbine beneath the channel from the Chehalis River into the Harbor could capture the energy from the flow of tides along the river.

PUD spokeswoman Liz Anderson said the first phase of the effort cost about $150,000 as the districts first measured velocity and scouted potential sites. The next phase of the project would cost about $2 million to fund studies, permits and other feasibility research. The third and final phase of research would be constructing and installing a pilot device to actually test the concept and power output, this could cost another $4 to 5 million. The utility districts plan to apply for $1.5 million in federal funding for the research the rest would come from regional partnerships with companies or organizations.

This is not ocean wave energy and it is not wind energy, a number of companies have designed devices that should work for the project but a lot of additional studying has to be done.

Breaking Ground for a $20 Million Liquid Bulk Storage Facility

Gold shovels cut into the dirt of marine Terminal 1, tossing the first scoop of a new bulk storage facility. Port officials and local city officials took turn welcoming the company to the area.

Grays Harbor commissioners, officials and county commissioners lined up next to representatives of New Orleans-based Westway Terminals, which plans to begin operations this fall.

Westway Terminals specializes in moving and storing liquid bulk around the world. They hold almost anything but oil products, often storing molasses or various chemicals. They expect to store methane on Grays Harbor and expand to other products.

The company expects to bring about a dozen vessels into the Port each year and increase that number as the facility develops. About five to ten full-time positions could be created.

Home Prices decline

Single family home prices in Grays Harbor County lost 10.9 percent of their value over the past year, with a median price of $155,000. Over the past five years, local home values went up 55 percent.

Even though the Harbor closed only 749 home sales in 2008 as opposed to 1,010 in 2007, the decline wasn’t as precipitous as in other counties.

Grays Harbor homes kept their value better than some and in the survey of 16 Western Washington counties, the Harbor home prices were put in the middle of the pack.

Convention Center Event Only – March 2009

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Northwest Festivals & Events Conference 150 Attendees On Own for all Meals	Northwest Festivals & Events Conference 300 Attendees Optional Workshops w/ 3 catered meals available, otherwise attendees are on own for meals	Northwest Festivals & Events Conference 300 Attendees Breakfast on own Optional Luncheon & Banquet dinner otherwise attendees on own for meals		Beachcombers Fun Fair Set-Up	Beachcombers Fun Fair 2PM – 8PM Exhibit Check in	Beachcombers Fun Fair 9:30AM – 5:00PM featuring seminars, vendors, booths, displays & guided beach walks on Sunday. Sat. Evening Seminars 6:30PM – 8:30PM Food Available
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Beachcombers Fun Fair 10AM – 4:00PM Beach walks at 8AM & 9AM Food Available	North Beach School District Career Day		Clean & Free Set-Up	Clean & Free by the Sea NA Event 3PM – 1AM 1000+ Attendees On Own All Meals	Clean & Free 8AM – 1AM 1000+ Attendees On Own All Meals	Clean & Free 8AM – 1AM 1000+ Attendees On Own All Meals
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
Clean & Free 8AM – 12PM 1000+ Attendees 9:30 AM Catered Breakfast is Optional		St. Patrick's Day Set-up for G.H.C.H.	G.H. Comm. Hospital 7AM-5PM Breakfast & Lunch Catered Dinner on Own			Set-Up for Washington Wastewater Operations Workshop (W.O.W.)
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
W.O.W. Move-in & Set-up 11AM – 7PM	W.O.W. 7AM- 8:30PM 650 Attendees No Catering All Meals on Own	W.O.W. 6AM- 6PM 650 Attendees No Catering All Meals on Own 11:45AM – 1:15PM * LUNCH BREAK *	W.O.W. 7AM- 6PM 650 Attendees Breakfast & Lunch on Own 11:30AM–12:45PM * LUNCH BREAK * Catered Dinner 7PM	W.O.W. 7AM- 12:30PM 650 Attendees Breakfast & Lunch on Own Conf. finished at 12:30PM possible lunch rush	Razor Clam Festival Set-Up	Razor Clam Festival 8AM – 8PM Pancake B-fast, Vendors, Live Music, Chowder Cook-off, & activities
29	30	31
AAOS begins Set-UP (Pacific Hall)	AAOS Set-Up (Pacific Hall)	AAOS Set-Up (Pacific Hall)

Planning a visit to Ocean Shores? Go to our new website for lodging, dining, shopping and activity information and even driving directions!www.TourismOceanShores.com

If you, or anybody you know, have thought about buying or selling some property or building a new home, I would be more than happy to assist you in finding your dream in or around Ocean Shores.

If your property is currently listed with another agent, please disregard this letter.

I hope you enjoy the Agent Newsletter. If you have any comments, please e-mail them to me.

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Ocean Shores News January 2009

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:08:51 -0600

January 2009

OCEAN SHORES NEWS


Upcoming Event

Ocean Shores Antique 7 Collectible Show Feb 14-15, 2009

Ocean Shores Convention Center is holding their 7^th Annual Antique Show. There will be over eighty booths offering quite a selection of antiques and collectibles, including furniture, American art, class, dolls, jewelry, dolls and much more. For a small donation to charities one can have their antiques evaluated. Last year's events raised $4,235.90 for the Ocean Shores Food Bank and the SeaPal Quilters for their quilt guild charities.

Repayment of Utility fund will have to wait

OCEAN Shores - The latest audit report of the City of Ocean Shores revealed that the city had not taken any action to repay the $1.9 million overcharged to the utility fund between 2001 and 2006. The State Audit's Office had recommended the city pay back the fund as soon as possible. Repayment options range from a lump sum payment or installments over the next 3, 10 or even 20 years. However, the city currently lacks the funds to begin any sort of repayment plan, according to Mayor Dean Bunkers, adding the city wouldn't be making any transfers back into the utility fund at least this year.

However, Bunkers is optimistic that by 2010 the city's budget will begin to stabilize enough to start examining a repayment plan. In December he came up with a plan to create more than $520,000 in savings and revenue that included collecting fees from inter-local medical aid agreements, buildings, life safety inspection permit fees and "banked" property tax levies. Bunkers said his goal is to have a payment plan in place by the end of this year. Until the budget situation improves, Bunkers said repayment will have to be on hold. "We will just have to wait and see how our revenues turn out," he said.



NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARBOR

A proposed Seaport Landing project for the Tall Ships.

The tall ship Lady Washington and her companion vessel, the Hawaiian Chieftain have received a new proposed landing area. The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority announced that the Miller Hull Partnership, a Seattle architectural firm specializing in public projects, will conduct a two-day workshop Jan 14 and 15 for the Seaport's Board of Directors to help develop a collective vision for the project and help it move toward completion at no cost.

The Seaport Landing project, which includes the construction of a new home port for the tall ships will include Seaport offices, learning center, museum and gift shop. The Seaport Landing, which has been in the works for more than three years, is to be located on the riverfront of South Aberdeen, across the Safeway near the Chehalis River Bridge. The Seaport has signed a 30-year lease with the Department of Natural Resources for the water rights.

The association with Miller Hull is part of the One-Percent Solution, a public architecture program that connects non-profit organizations with architecture and design firms willing to donate their time, experience and services at no cost. Currently there are more than 450 firms across the country that pledge more than 175,000 hours annually. "I was impressed by the project's goals," said Craig Curtis, a partner who has been with Miller Hull for 22 years, "and when I saw the site, I was blown away by the potential for an incredible transformation."

According to Joe Follansbee, the director of communications and membership at the Seaport, the budget for the landing hasn't been finalized, but the cost is being estimated between $4 million and $6 million dollars. A capital campaign to raise funds is unofficially underway and the Seaport is investigating federal and state grants, as well as working to garner community support, which Follansbee says will "demonstrate that Grays Harbor is behind the project."

For those wishing to make donations, visit www.historicalseaport.com or call 800-200-5239.

Much of Harbors cut off

Recent snow and rain has flooded western Washington. Kelly Stowe, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Transportation, said highways quickly shut down overnight, leaving Grays Harbor and northern Pacific County limited to a few local roads. With U.S. Highway 12 blocked near Devonshire Road, state Route 107 at Montesano and U.S. Highway 101 closed outside Raymond.

Grays Harbor Undersheriff Rick Scott said deputies were busy with rescues. He warned drivers trying to find local routes through the area to avoid roads with water over them. "We've spent a lot of time rescuing people who have ignored road closed signs," he said. "That is a crime. ... We may begin to take enforcement action." Emergency supplies were being flown into the county and local stores had received shipments of emergency supplies and fuel.

The Pasha Group signs agreement with Port of Grays Harbor

The Pasha Group, which arranged the recent shipment of Kia vehicles to Marine Terminal 4, joined the Port of Grays Harbor in marketing agreement allowing them a year to study the feasibility of establishing a large-scale automotive processing facility in Aberdeen.

Stan Gabara, vice president of automotive with The Pasha Group, said the company is very attracted to the location, storage, transportation and workforce connections offered at the Port and believes the Grays Harbor is uniquely and strategically positioned to be a major automotive processing and distribution facility long into the future. The Pasha Group, which manages transport for a variety of cargoes, expects to bring in several more vehicle shipments during the next six months as it evaluates whether the Port can be developed into a permanent facility. The Pasha Group has large automotives sites including a 157-acre facility near San Diego, which employs 275 people before counting long-shore and shipping workers.

Gabara said Grays Harbor has the potential to grow into a large, long-term facility including warehouse storage, car washing stations, body and repair shops and other support facilities. The Port Commissioners unanimously approved signing the marketing agreements, which prohibits the Port from seeking competing companies for the Terminal 4 site. If another company approaches the Port, the Pasha Group has the first chance at the location. Billy Swor, secretary of the International Longshore Workers Union Local 24, was joined by other union leaders to welcome the company.

Willis Enterprises move progressing

Willis Enterprises, a Harbor-based wood chip company, plans to have its move to Port of Grays Harbor property in Hoquiam complete within a couple months. President Paul Willis said the final barge load of chips left the Aberdeen facility on Jan. 9. The company has been storing logs at its new Marine Terminal 3 site and is starting new construction. He mentioned that the project had received 13 of its 15 permits so far. He plans to move forward with concrete work at the terminal, which sat vacant for many years before he signed a 10-year lease in September.

He expected the Aberdeen facility would be closed by the end of February. The new plans also include installing a crane and support facilities in March. Work would be going on at the Port site and would go into full production by March or April. Port Commissioner Stan Pinnick said that

he was pleased that the terminal was starting up operations again. Mike Johnson, contracts administrator for Port, said the terminal was also undergoing some infrastructure improvements including new pilings and electricity systems.

Willis said he has been working to find more space for logs as inventory has backed up during the transitions. The logs have been stacking up while his storage has started to run short. He said though the move has been going a little slower than he would like, but he believes the project has great potential. "Hopefully, the economy returns and it will be a good project in the long term," he said.

Weyerhaeuser mills go quiet

The Weyerhaeuser Company announced that it will permanently close its sawmill and the Pacific Veneer mill in Aberdeen. The closures, effective immediately, put 221 people out of work. Weyerhaeuser has eliminated nearly600 employees in the Aberdeen area since 2005, between the closure of the large log sawmill, the Cosmopolis Pulp Mill and layoffs at the Aberdeen log sorting yard and elsewhere. "It was kind of a shock," said Ray Calica, president of the Local 3099 of the Western Council of Industrial Workers. "For the community, this is going to have a very large impact. There are a lot of dollars and tax dollars that are not going to be spent in the Harbor and surrounding areas.

Pontoons will be built here

State officials finally decided that the pontoon project for the Evergreen Point floating bridge in Seattle will be located on Grays Harbor, bringing with it 250 construction jobs as the facility is built and 100 more to construct the pontoons. The $306 million pontoon construction project could start as early as August. The news comes as sharp contrast to layoff and plant closure news such as the Weyerhaeuser announcement earlier this week that it will close two local mills permanently.

The issue of where the site will be is still up in the air. The state is considering two Hoquiam sites and one in Aberdeen. Officials from both cities said they're just glad it's coming to Grays Harbor, but whichever city gets it will see significant tax revenue. Program Director Julie Meredith with the state Dot said that a shortened schedule will have engineers looking at how to start building pontoons before the full-scale facility is finished - wherever it ends up. Meredith said the department will recommend one of the three proposed sites within a couple months and finish an initial

environmental review by year's end, but preliminary construction may begin this summer. She said they may not have the time to wait until the full facility is up and running.

Engineers plan to work with local contractors to try new forming and structural methods to start building the 23, massive concrete pontoons needed to support the structurally vulnerable Highway 520 bridge in Seattle. A $2 million to $5 million preliminary construction contract could create early carpentry, steel work and concrete forming jobs.



February 2009

Sun

Mon

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Groundhog Day

Drivers Safety 9AM – 1PM Sign-up         289-2357

Drivers Safety 9AM – 1PM

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City Council Meeting 6PM

Stores Online Mtg. 8AM- 4PM 100 People Catered Lunch

FBLA Event 250 Attendees

8AM – 3PM

Catered Lunch

GH Comm. Hosp          8AM-4PM 100pl. Catered Breakfast & Lunch

Move-in\ Set-Up Antique & Collectible Show

Valentine's Day

Antique & Collectible Show          10AM – 5PM

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Antique & Collectible Show          10AM – 4PM

President's Day

(Holiday)

Municipal Court 1:30PM

West Region EMS Conference

600 Attendees

Catered Breakfast & Box Lunch        Dinner on Own

West Region EMS Conf.

600 Attendees Cater.Breakfast

Lunch-On Own

12:30PM -1:30PM               & Dinner too anytime after 5PM

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EMS Conf.

Final Day

600 Attendees

7 am to 1 pm

Cater.Breakfast

Lunch-On Own

City Council Meeting 6PM

Mardi Gras

(F.E.R.C.)    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Meeting Times Vary 9AM-10PM

Habitat for Humanity      Back to the 50’s Dance     5:30PM-11:00PM

Buffet, Raffles & Dancing

Planning a visit to Ocean Shores? Go to our new website for lodging, dining, shopping and activity information and even driving directions!www.TourismOceanShores.com



Welcome to my World -

Ocean Shores, Washington!

Ocean Shores News December 2008

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:17:15 -0600

December 2008

Ocean Shores

A proposed new Medical Complex

David J. Freeman, an architect of Snodgrass Freeman & Associates, announced that he is working with a developer to build a $7.8 million, 42,000 square foot urgent care clinic at a 1.5 acre site at the corner of Point Brown Avenue and Magellan Avenue. Dr. John Holmes, of Coastal Family Medicine, has decided to merge his practice with the proposed medical complex set to open in early 2010.

The new facility could employ up to 30 people, including three family practitioners, two physician assistants, four nurses and a few specialists. Plans are to include a health spa, a drive-through pharmacy as well as classroom space for students in the nursing and medical technician programs at Grays Harbor College.

Seniors join the Virtual World

OCEAN SHORES The game is being played in a virtual bowling alley on a wide-screen television at the Harbour Pointe Shores assisted living facility via a Nintendo Wii. Community members raised more than $400 to purchase the console, games, four controllers and charging stations. Volunteers installed the game system at Harbour Pointe and last week, residents got a chance to experiment with it.

The Ocean Shores facility is one of the latest in a growing number of senior communities to get a Wii console. The Wii is gaining popularity among seniors because it operates using a remote control equipped with a motion detector that not only makes it easy to use, but gives senior citizens a welcome break from a sedentary lifestyle, says Wolf, the facility’s executive director.

New Energy Project in the Country

Grays Harbor Ocean Energy has filed new federal permit applications in seven states, hoping to create the largest new energy project in the country. The company already has a preliminary permit to do a feasibility study off Grays Harbor to see if it’s possible to make money by converting wave and wind energy into electricity.

The company has filed applications with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for projects in Rhode Island, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. Project founder Burton Hamner told that off shore oil platforms that use the movement of the ocean to pump air through turbines, creating electricity and that all of the potential sites could be managed as one project by the company. The total construction cost would be $20 billion to $30 billion and net cash flow would range from $3 million to $5 million annually.

This past summer, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a preliminary permit to grant the Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Co. the exclusive right to conduct a feasibility study for generating power from wind and wave energy on a 28-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast from Ocean Shores to Grayland over the next three years. The permit does not authorize any construction. The company’s proposal for the Ocean State includes building 100 structures resembling of.

The Grays Harbor project foresees as many as 90 260-foot tall steel wind turbines, as well as wave energy converters to convert ocean waves and wind into a renewable source of energy. Hamner has previously said the project could supply enough energy to power the entire Olympic Peninsula and make Grays Harbor one of the largest producers of renewable energy in the world.

On Grays Harbor, the feasibility study will seek to find out if the turbines would affect gray whale migration patterns and flight patterns of birds, according to Hamner. Hamner said the study will also examine whether or not the locations of the turbines could limit the areas in which fisherman can fish.

Winter in Ocean Shores

On December 13-14 the residents of Ocean Shores woke up to the beautiful sites of fallen snow. Seldom does Ocean Shores to get snow, especially snow that stays on the ground for a few days. One resident said that she lived here for 17 years and never sow anything like it. It was a treat for Ocean Shores.

The Chamber of Commerce helped the community by providing free snow clearing assistance to snowbound merchants during the pre-Christmas storm. Leslie Reedy, Executive Director, was able to get a large piece of equipment donated by a local community person, Bill Sisco. Her husband Steve Reedy donated his time to do some sorely needed snow removal. The service was provided so that the residents of Ocean Shores could more safely complete their holiday shopping and chores.

Clam dig starts Thursday to Sunday

The first clam dig of 2009 is set for Thursday, Jan. 8, to Sunday, Jan. 11, on Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks beaches. Long Beach will be open from Friday, Jan. 9, to Jan. 11. As with previous weekends, beaches will only be open from noon to midnight.

Ayres, Fish & Wildlife coastal shellfish manager said the best time to start digging at all beaches is an hour or two before low tide. He suggests that clam diggers take lights or lanterns with them for safety purposes. He also recommends checking weather and surf forecasts before heading out.

Dig dates and evening low tides are:

 Thursday, Jan. 8 (4:13 p.m., -0.2 ft.) Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

 Friday, Jan. 9 (5:07 p.m., -0.8 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

 Saturday, Jan. 10 (5:58 p.m., -1.1 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

 Sunday, Jan. 11 (6:45 p.m., -1.2 ft.) Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, Mocrocks

Beaches scheduled to open are:

 Twin Harbors Beach, which extends from the mouth of Willapa Bay north to the south jetty at the mouth of Grays Harbor.

 Copalis Beach, which extends from the Grays Harbor north jetty to the Copalis River, and includes the Copalis, Ocean Shores, Oyhut, Ocean City and Copalis areas.

 Mocrocks Beach, which extends from the Copalis River to the southern boundary of the Quinault Reservation near the Moclips River, including Iron Springs, Roosevelt Beach, Pacific Beach and Moclips.

 Long Beach, which extends from the Columbia River to Leadbetter Point.

Additional digs are tentatively scheduled for Feb. 6 to 8. Those openers will depend on the outcome of marine toxin tests closer to those dates, Ayres said.

Harvesters are allowed to take no more than 15 razor clams and must keep the first 15 they dig, regardless of size or condition. Each digger’s clams must be kept in a separate container.

A license is required for anyone age 15 or older. Any 2008 Washington state annual shellfish/seaweed license or combination license is still valid. Another option is a razor-clam only license available in annual or three-day only versions. Descriptions of the various licensing options are available on the WDFW website at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

Ayres also reminded diggers that Washington’s beaches, which are managed by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, are considered state highways and all rules of the road apply. Seatbelts must be worn at all times, the speed limit on the beach is 25 mph and pedestrians have the right-of-way and vehicles must yield at all times.

Also, visitors should not park on approaches to the beach in order to provide clear passage for vehicles that are entering or exiting.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARBOR

Economic Stimulus Package.

Local economic leaders are discussing how and if they can get a piece of the economic stimulus package Gov. Chris Gregoire is hoping to bring back to Washington state. County Public Services Director Paul Easter and Aberdeen Public Works Director Larry Bledsoe said they’ve already submitted road and infrastructure projects to the state to be considered for the package.

Deputy Port Director Leonard Barnes said the Port is already in the permitting process for a marina vessel haul-out and boat repair work yard in Westport, which could generate 50 construction jobs and may add 150 permanent new jobs to Westport. That project costs $7.3 million. Barnes said the Port is also trying to get permits to upgrade its Terminal No. 1 at a cost of $4 million, which would generate more than 50 construction jobs and another 50 permanent new jobs.

Other projects mentioned by economic development leaders include barge slip improvements at Satsop Development Park to give a tank manufacturer access to the Chehalis River, a research & development laboratory and riverbank improvements near Mary’s River Lumber Co. in Montesano, which is looking to expand.

Temporary lay off for Hoquiam Plywood Company

Hoquiam Plywood managers have decided to cease production, shut down the plant temporarily and lay off about 120 workers in a strategic effort to “sit out” a stagnant housing market. General Manager Mark McFeely said

prices and demand for plywood have dropped so low that the company’s seven-member board has concluded that manufacturing new inventory is not in the plant’s best interest and it cannot continue to operate at a loss when no one is buying plywood.

As workers wait to return to the plant, they and their families will not receive benefits. McFeely said most workers know the closure is an investment in making sure the company remains financially secure instead of operating at a loss until it goes bankrupt. Most workers are OK with the closure, he said, but it’s still difficult.

Wind-Wind Project

In 2001, Craig Dublanko, the chief financial officer for the Coastal Community Action Program began thinking about using wind turbines to generate electricity of low-income housing. It includes the construction of four 1.5-megawatt wind turbines on 29 privately owned acres in the hills off County Line Road where Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties meet. The energy produced will be sold to the Grays Harbor PUD and the profit used to fund CCAP’s many social service programs.

After approval by the Pacific County Board of Adjustment, all permits for the project are now in place and CCAP can move forward to complete financial arrangements. It can also sign a contract with General Electric for the turbines, which are tentatively scheduled to be delivered by July 2009 and up and running two months later. During the lifespan of the turbines, which is expected to be 25 years, it is predicted that as much as $720,000 will be generated annually.

CCAP received $2.7 million in new markets tax credits from Shorebank/Wells Fargo and $3.5 million in renewable energy tax credits from Midwest Wind Finance. With the help of state Sen. Jim Hargrove it also received a $5 million state grant for the project, which will cost between $13 and $14 million.

The original idea was to equip low-income houses with smaller, individual turbines that would turn the meter backwards. When this idea wasn’t feasible, Dublanko and CCAP went back to the drawing board and decided on using larger turbines. With grants from the Renewable Energy Assistance Clearing House and A World Institute for Sustainable Humanity, CCAP set up a test tower in Moclips in 2002 to track wind and then shifted the study to Grayland in 2004 on undeveloped property owned by Randy Rust who supported the project.

“There was a huge learning curve,” said Dublanko. “We aren’t in the wind energy business, so we had to educate ourselves.” “Most of the concerns surrounded noise the turbines would generate and how they would impact wildlife, especially raptors and migratory birds such as the marbled murrelet. But CCAP was able to show that there would be no detrimental impact. Not only was the State of Washington Department of Wildlife convinced, so was the Greater Grayland Neighbors Association.

As Dublanko sees it, the turbines won’t only benefit CCAP. He hopes the 256-foot-high turbines, each with three 145-foot blades, will produce opportunities for tourism in Grayland, that they will promote awareness and education for sustainable energy and will help to re-brand the area as a green hub.

Small Electricity Bills for November

This month, Grays Harbor PUD customers will have a little more for the holidays thanks to a smaller electricity bill.

The public utility district decided to give the $5 million refund it received from the Bonneville Power Administration this fall back to ratepayers by reducing charges on November’s utility bills. The $5 million Bonneville repaid to Grays Harbor in October covered overpayments in 2007 and 2008.

Bonneville plans to refund money collected from 2001 to 2006 by reducing its power bills to the public utility districts over the next several years. In 2007, the court ruled that Bonneville had overcharged the public utility districts and ordered them to come up with a way to return the money.

Hoquiam envision Downtown over the next Decade

As 2008 comes to a close, the Hoquiam City Council is looking at its downtown with visions of the past and the future. City officials praised new plans to renovate the historic La Vogue’s Department Store into a 20-suite boutique hotel and restaurant next year. Many members seemed anxious to see how the $4 million project could boost downtown business.

And the council voted unanimously to approve the building’s addition to the Hoquiam Register of Historic Places, which mandates historical preservation while allowing certain financial and construction benefits. Mayor Jack Durney said the council needs to think about what Hoquiam will look like in five or 10 years.

City Administrator Brian Shay also announced a new $400,000 grant to install or improve sidewalks along U.S. Highway 101 through the city, the sidewalk project was considered one of the two most essential transportation projects in the county as the city prepares to redo sidewalks throughout town this year.

Riverfront Development

Aberdeen’s first major waterfront development, complete with eight 80-foot tall condominium buildings along the Chehalis River, cleared its first permit hurdle.

The proposed waterfront development could feature as many as 252 new housing units in eight, 80-foot-tall buildings intended for “middle income residents,” according to the permit. The bottom level of the buildings would feature commercial storefronts. The permit mentions the possibility of a marina in the future and some kind of public access.

In fact, the only way the hearings board would approve the project is under condition that the public have access to the waterway. The developers said they planned to do this by creating some kind of wooden boardwalk, using examples of the boardwalks found in Bremerton and Nanaimo, British Columbia.

$900,000 split between Port, Satsop and City of Westport

The county commissioners approved splitting $900,000 in state economic development dollars between three projects benefiting the Satsop Development Park, the Port of Grays Harbor and the City of Westport.

The Port gets $300,000 to help build a rail switch and crossing for incoming tenant Westway Terminals, a liquid bulk handling and storage company. Another $300,000 will be used for dredging work at a barge slip located on the outskirts of the Satsop Development Park so a tank-manufacturer can use it to float giant steel tanks down the river. The last $300,000 will be used to help upgrade the sewer system in Westport’s marina district.

All three All three projects have the potential to attract or create dozens of jobs, the commissioners said. The money comes from the county’s distressed area capital funds — .09 percent of the state’s sales tax generated locally that the state then returns to the county specifically for economic development projects. Projects qualify for the funds so long as their proponents can prove that jobs will be created or retained with the state’s money.

Logo Contest for Seaport Landing

The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority is holding a contest to design the logo for Seaport Landing, a proposed new port for the tall ships The Lady Washington and The Hawaiian Chieftain, on the Aberdeen waterfront. The project is currently in the design and fundraising stages, and the logo will be a key component in communications for the project, according to Joe Follansbee, communication director for the GHHSA.

Follansbee said Seaport Landing will serve as a multi-use visitor destination and ship maintenance facility that will “transform a degraded, industrial shoreline on the Chehalis River into a vibrant attraction and anchor point for Aberdeen revitalization efforts.”

The logo design contest is open to anyone. Rules, an entry form and Seaport Landing Materials can be found at http://www.historicalseaport.org/. The public will get their chance to vote on submitted logos on the Historical Seaport Web site. Prizes include gift certificates for a sailing package on the Lady or the Chieftain and a certificate for two youths ages 11 to 17 to sail aboard the tall ships next summer to the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound.

Deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Monday, Feb.2. Judges will select three finalists for online voting, which will take place Feb. 5 through Feb. 15. Winners will be announced Feb. 17. For more information, call Follansbee at 589-0766, or e-mail jfollansbee@historicalseaport.org.

Timberland Bank receives Bailout

On Tuesday, Timberland Bancorp, Inc. announced that the U.S. Treasury had purchased $16.6 million in senior preferred stock, with a related warrant to purchase up to $2.5 million in common stock sometime in the next 10 years. The money was purchased using the billions of dollars authorized by Congress to bail out financial institutions in the wake of the economic meltdown impacting the country.

Michael Sand, Timberland’s President and CEO, said Wednesday that his bank certainly didn’t need the funds, but the bank applied for it in order to increase the financial institution’s capital reserves. Sand said some local residents may be feeling the economic pinch when they get turned down at larger banks that don’t have the capital to invest in new loans. That’s why the federal government is investing in community banks that are already financially solvent to pick up some of that slack. Sand said while the economic crisis is impacting nearly all facets of the economy including his own bank, Timberland is doing better than a lot of other larger banks out there.

Timberland operates 21 branches in Washington state, including branches in Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Ocean Shores, Montesano and Elma.

Ocean Shores News November 2008

Ella Kiaupa (Coldwell Banker, Ocean Beach Properties) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:41:06 -0600

November 2008

Ocean Shores

Winter Fanta-Sea Craft Show

OCEAN SHORES — The day after Thanksgiving, or “Black Friday” has long been considered the biggest shopping day of the year. Ocean Shores was holding its annual Winter FantaSea Craft show for those who want to get a head start on holiday shopping.

The free, three-day bazaar took place at noon Friday at the Convention Center and ran until 3 p.m. Sunday.
More than 70 local artists and crafters had thousands of handmade items for sale, including wood carvings, stained glass, ceramic keepsakes, pottery, signs, greeting cards, fresh wreaths and centerpieces, jewelry, candles, table runners, place mats and children’s toys.

“You name it, we’ve got it,” said Helen Lord, event spokeswoman. “You’ll find a variety of unique, hand-made things you won’t find anywhere else.”

Santa Claus made an appearance at the event from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Shoppers could take their photo with St. Nick for $5 that were processed and ready to be picked up the same afternoon. All proceeds from the photos will benefit the Friends of the Clinic, a civic group formed in February to raise money to repair the Coastal Family Medicine offices which were damaged by last December’s storms. Money will go toward patient needs.

Big Wave Surfing

The first tow surfers showed up on the Oregon Coast a little more than five years ago. The phenomenon is now getting started off Ocean Shores and Westport, Washington. Surfing can be a dangerous sport, the main risk would be drowning. The cause of that would be potentially just getting held under for a couple of waves at a time or hitting the reef on the bottom. Or a wipe-out where the lip of the wave actually comes down and hits you while you're surfing and then you could potentially hit your board. There's a whole bunch of stuff that can go wrong at any given moment. That’s one reason surfing is no longer an individual pursuit.

New Public Construction in Ocean Shores:

759 Pt Brown Ave #A Ocean Shores, WA 98569
The Boardwalk Shops of Ocean Shores: a new retail condominium complex. This is an exciting opportunity for Business Owners & Investors to own an affordable high visibility retail unit centrally located in downtown Ocean Shores.Complex features 7 individual units connected by an extensive boardwalk. Unit A is 18' x 40', faces Pt Brown & features a front & back entrance leading to the boardwalk. Metal roof, bead-board walls & wood floors create an authentic beach'' feel. Lots of details & extras

New Fire Station for Ocean Shores

New Ice Cream and Desserts Shop

NEWS FROM AROUND THE HARBOR

$77 Million for Wind Power

The Grays Harbor PUD authorized an estimated $77 million investment in wind power. The decision follows the collapse of its $27 million proposal to purchase power generation assets at the Cosmopolis Pulp Mill. That power would have been produced by burning wood waste.

The utility district’s commissioners unanimously approved increasing their share of the proposed Radar Ridge wind project from 5 to 10 percent to 64 percent — the maximum share of the project not yet claimed by other Northwest public utility districts.

Energy Northwest — a joint-operating agency comprised of 24 Washington public utility districts — generates electricity for public utilities and municipalities. It has a proposal to build the Radar Ridge wind farm on public land leased in Pacific County.

To finance the deal, the PUD would have to issue municipal bonds. It also hopes to obtain federal financing through low-interest Conservation Renewable Energy Bonds. PUDs in Grays Harbor, Clallam, Mason and Pacific counties agreed to participate in the project. Energy Northwest planned to seek additional investors this month to get enough support to begin construction by 2010.

To meet the renewable energy requirements approved by voters in Initiative 937, the PUD needs to have 50 to 60 megawatts of installed wind power by 2016 and 60 megawatts by 2020, PUD General Manager Rick Lovely said. It already has 20 megawatts from the Nine Canyons wind farm operated by Energy Northwest in Eastern Washington. Radar Ridge will produce a total of 48 to 60 megawatts of power, depending on the size of the turbines installed in each wind tower, Lovely said.

Tank Company to move into Turbine Building

SATSOP — Officials signed a 15-year lease on Thursday with an Olympia steel tank manufacturing company to move into part of the WPPSS-era Turbine Building at the Satsop Development Park. Chuck Travelstead, the president and CEO of the company said he expects to start manufacturing steel tanks at the park by the first part of next year.

The agreement calls for the company to pay $4,000 per month for the first year, which will escalate up to $38,000 toward the end of the contract. The company will also pay $3,000 per month to help cover security and additional expenses the park has to pay for the company’s presence as well as $5,000 a year for use of a nearby Satsop-owned barge slip on the Chehalis River, which was last used some 25 years ago in the construction process of the nuclear facility.

BMT, which has 60 employees, manufactures steel tanks of all sizes for a variety of purposes, but mainly the petrochemical industry. They often partner with many different companies in that process that may want to re-locate to Satsop to be closer to their partner company. More than $9.7 million will have been invested into the renovation of the Turbine Building to allow BMT to move in.

The state chipped in a $5.053 million grant to cover much of the conversion of the vacant building for the company, but cost overruns forced the Satsop board to chip in $1.5 million of its own cash. The county commissioners also authorized $250,000 from its job growth/distressed area capital fund, which is made up of a “refund” consisting of .09 percent of the state’s share of sales tax revenue generated from the county and is geared for public infrastructure and economic development. In addition, BMT Northwest is expected to invest more than $3 million of its own capital to improve the building.

The company is only using a small portion of the Turbine Building now, but plans are to use the entire 300,000 square-foot space — a lot of it for storage. The facility was originally designed to house two steam turbines for the nuclear power plant that was never finished and finally mothballed in the 1980s. Because the building was never occupied, permit issues and major delays occurred at the county level when officials there maintained the 1970s building should be considered “new construction” and, thus, go through much stricter code requirements than if it had been considered an “existing” building.

BMT Northwest had been located in Olympia, but has to move out because condo developments are encroaching on the property and the lease wasn’t renewed. The Satsop property will also allow the company to expand its employment base — from 60 to about 72 in the near future — and manufacture more tanks and even larger ones.

“I hope you realize with your 60 employees how much that means to Grays Harbor and our economy,” said Chamber of Commerce President LeRoy Tipton.

Looking ahead after Storm

There are new fiber optic connections and even better power lines going out to the farthest reaches of the Harbor to help prevent outages. There are new power poles up and even a brand, spanking new BPA Tower — replacing the one that crashed onto Basich Boulevard in Aberdeen, after being hit by wind gusts that may have reached up to 100 mph last December.

Some cities have bought new generators. The City of Hoquiam brought in a new emergency services building.

The National Weather Service says it will strive to do a better job notifying the public when severe storms hit the coast and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell has secured $2 million for a Doppler radar system for the Olympic Peninsula, although it has not yet been allocated by the full Senate.

The Weather Service also added a battery to its wind speed monitor in Hoquiam — a need that had existed for years. Plus, the Weather Service is talking with the Grays Harbor PUD about installing another wind speed monitor at the PUD shop in Ocean Shores.

Overall, things are better compared to one year ago today when the wind hit like a freight train and didn’t give up for 36 hours straight, leaving the Harbor battered, bruised and a little shell-shocked, emergency service personnel told The Daily World.

Meantime, the Grays Harbor PUD has spent the last 10 months making upgrades to the system. Much of the power outages across the Harbor were the result of fallen trees. Anderson said the PUD has been working with customers to “remove trees that are endangering our lines” as well as encouraging property owners to buy low-growing trees. There’s even a list of such trees and information on the district’s tree trimming program on the PUD Web site, www.ghpud.org.

The PUD is adding new fiber optic cable to all of its substations. “It means in the future the PUD will be able to better determine the extent of an outage by knowing which meters are out of power, especially as power is restored to larger areas,” Liz Anderson, the Grays Harbor PUD spokeswoman said.

The PUD installed a new cable serving the customers on Neilton Peak. The district also installed devices to ensure that momentary gaps of power don’t result in a longer-term outage. Substations are being improved in east and north Aberdeen and the district also completed “an infrared survey that identifies any faulty equipment in the system,” Anderson said. “The PUD then adjusted or replaced this equipment before it failed, which means fewer outages and increased reliability.”

In August, about a dozen Bonneville Power Administration crew members from Olympia installed a new 105-foot tower on Basich Boulevard in Aberdeen. The old transmission tower fell during the December storm. The tower blocked Basich Boulevard for days, prompting residents who live beyond the Hospital Hill-area road to find other ways to get around it. The tower was probably the most visible transmission line to fall during the storm, although a couple other towers also fell in the area. The new tower has a wider berth and crew members put it in deeper holes so that it could withstand higher winds.

Speaking of Basich Boulevard, in May, the Aberdeen City Council finally approved a paving project to connect Basich Boulevard to the Herbig Heights neighborhood. The connection had been delayed for years because of neighbor fears that it would increase traffic in that area. In September, the road finally went in. Mayor Bill Simpson said it was an emergency services matter because it provided a second route to the hospital if the main one was blocked.

Transportation also became an issue during the storm as dozens of trees — maybe even hundreds — came down on Highway 12 and the Blue Slough Road, isolating Aberdeen and Hoquiam from the rest of the Harbor for more than a day.

Carlberg said it became apparent that the county needed to prioritize “at least one access route in and out of Grays Harbor so in the event that emergency medical service units must transport patients to other facilities, we could depend on at least one route being maintained. This was the case, as you remember, with the critical PUD lineman getting to Harborview. It became apparent that we would need to do our best to maintain at least one route for emergency egress for patients in need of transport as well as getting supplies, equipment and essential personnel in and out of the area.”

It was that isolation factor that led the City of Hoquiam to seek out and begin installing a whole new building devoted to emergency services. Aberdeen already has a city emergency operations center at the Aberdeen Police Department and an alternate location on high ground at Grays Harbor Community Hospital’s East campus, Carlberg said.

Myers noted, “I am very concerned that the county, given the deep budget cuts that must be made for next year, will have to continue to struggle with emergency management duties with less money, staff time and financial support. It is a stark reality for all government agencies. We must find a way to properly fund emergency management.