The “Showcase Lake Stevens” Business Expo is now set-up for online reservations and is filling up fast. See the map layout on the Chamber website at the following link:
http://www.lschamber.org/fair/fairrsvp.htm and sign-up for your chosen space at the bottom of the page.

Please note that there has been a remodel a the high school since our last event, so you will want to check out the map and base your booth space on the new layout, not on where you were located last year. The top of the page shows the main entrance where everyone will be entering the building.

Family
Center “Easter Bunny Help”

Families can get a little "help" with a visit from the Easter Bunny this year. Parent/caregivers in need of assistance, will be able to come to the Family Center any time Monday 3/17 through Thursday 3/20 (between 9am and 4:30 pm) to put an Easter Basket together for their child(ren). Accommodations and appointments may be possible for parents that need access at times outside of general operation hours on limited basis. For more information you can contact anyone at the Center (425) 397-7433.

Donations of candy and basket fillers are being accepted any time Monday - Thursday through distribution deadline. We have plenty of baskets, eggs & grass, but are in need of Candy at this time. Any donations are greatly appreciated and can be picked up if needed, just give us a call.

Thanks you,

Kathleen Friend, Program Manager
Lake Stevens Family Center
PO Box 288
Lake Stevens, WA
98258

Business tax workshop – March 11

The Washington state Department of Revenue will hold a free Business Outreach workshop from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. March 11 at the Everett Public Library, 2707 Hoyt Ave., in Everett . Attendees will learn about their tax reporting responsibilities. Tax reporting classifications, deductions, sales tax collection and record-keeping requirements will be discussed. Attendees also will have the opportunity to ask questions regarding taxes that apply specifically to their business. For more information, call 425-356-4800.

South Area Master Plan Meeting – March 12

The City of Lake Stevens will be hosting another meeting on March 12th regarding the South Area Master Plan at Cavelero Mid High from 7:00pm-9:00pm. The following email is a City website set up for requests for more information or comments masterplan.ci.lake-stevens.wa.us.

John Koster's Business Roundtable – March 20

Snohomish County Councilman John Koster will hold a Business Roundtable on March 20th at the Monte Cristo Hotel, 1507 Wall St. , in Everett . Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., and the meeting will begin at 7 a.m., concluding at 8:30 a.m. The 2008 legislative session will be the focus of the roundtable. Cost to attend the event, which will include a breakfast buffet, is $25. For more information or to register, call Cindy Brengman at 425-397-7799 or send e-mail to kosterbrt@comcast.net .

Who’s Making Headlines in Snohomish County?

• Governor Gregoire appoints Egils Milbergs Director of new Economic Development Commission. Milbergs was selected through a joint process involving the Governor and the Economic Development Commission. Milbergs and the Commission will play a key role in updating the state's economic development vision and strategies.
• The Unemployment Rate rose to 4.3% in January. This was nine-tenths of a percentage point lower than the comparable state rate which was 5.2%.
• The eCityGov Alliance launched its latest regional web portal designed to make it easier for companies to do business with public agencies. The new Shared Procurement Portal will be utilized by member public agencies to directly notify companies of potential business opportunities with local governments. http://ecitygov.net .
• Beginning this month, all meetings of the Snohomish County Council will be broadcast or webcast on the Internet. Residents can now watch county public hearings and council committee meetings any time by visiting the county website, www.snoco.org, and searching for "Council Webcasts".
• The City of Monroe is searching for a developer for the second planned North Kelsey shopping site after the original developer failed to close the transaction under its exclusive contract.
• Premera Blue Cross supports national Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) "Pathways to Covering America" proposal. The BCBSA outlines four key initiatives to improve healthcare delivery and quality. The proposal also describes ways of expanding coverage to the uninsured through a series of public-private solutions.
• The City of Everett plans to revamp the Broadway corridor. The new design standards for the corridor will encourage more residential and mixed-use developments. The plans call for improved alleys, lighting in all parking lots, trees between the street and the sidewalk and limiting freestanding signs to a height of 8 feet.
• The Snohomish County Council has a new vision for the publicly owned western parcel of the former Cathcart landfill site. At the top of the list for its use: parks and recreation. Baseball fields, in particular, along with open space, wetland trails and an interpretive center are under consideration. Affordable housing might be in the mix, too. GVA Kidder Mathews has been hired to do a planning study.
• The Pacific Northwest Regional Economics Conference will happen in Tacoma on May 14-16 . The program offers economic outlook sessions, both national and state/provincial, and a focus on innovation issues which meshes with efforts around our state to promote clean energy and clean technology industries, life sciences, IT and advanced manufacturing. Experts from around the world will be talking about these topics, as well as other issues concerning the economy in the Northwest. For information go to www.pnrec.org .
• The EDC of Snohomish County launches a Small Business Transportation Resource Center Program (SBTRC) , funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) . The EDC will service the Northwest Region with an office in Everett and a satellite office in Seattle . Lilly Keeffe is the Project Director and Monica Campos is the Project Coordinator for this program. This program will assist firms in developing the capacity to meet the requirements for U.S. DOT funded transportation-related contracts at the federal, state and local levels; helping firms identify projects, prepare for projects and successfully bid and perform on projects. Deborah Knutson , President of the EDC, is looking forward to collaborating with the U.S. DOT to make this a successful program for the Northwest. If you have any questions or would like more information on the SBTRC, please call Lily Keeffe at 206-718-7250 or email her at
  Lily Keeffe.
• Want to learn more? Visit the EDC homepage !