On January 27th & 28^th, as part of the “Growing a Great Business Series,” four new workshops will be offered for small business owners, or those thinking about starting a business.   Participants can choose from classes in Business Development, Financial, Marketing, and Business Operations Planning.  Each 3 hour class is $20, or participants can take ALL classes for $55.

Instructor James Dunn from Seattle’s Washington CASH (Community Alliance for Self-Help) returns to Lopez for his fifth visit to lead these lively interactive workshops.  He consistently receives high marks.  Teri Murray, an Orcas island resident who participated in his Online Marketing Workshop last month commented on her class evaluation form: “James has that rare combination of being extremely well informed about his topic, amusing and very insightful about the participants’ ideas and proposals.  I’m still quoting him whenever I can.”  James takes great pleasure working with entrepreneurs to help them build the lives they want to lead by following their passions and making money in the process.

The Lopez Island Family Resource Center (LIFRC) is committed to helping islanders gain self-sufficiency through education and training.  The ResourceCenter began offering classes in 2007 and since then the program has continued to grow. Classes are made possible by grants through Communities Connect network, Broadband USA, Harvest Foundation, and San Juan Economic Development Council, in collaboration with the Lopez Island Library. Continued

A great letter from John Evans:

There is a small but loud group of individuals on San Juan Island, calling themselves “the Alliance?” who are opposed to the US Customs and Border Protection Agency renting the former Windermere offices in Friday Harbor. Some things just don’t change.

I am old enough to remember when self appointed groups objected to people of color or different ethnic background moving into the neighborhood. In their small minds, “those people” were bad for businesses and lowered property values.

I am old enough to remember when self-appointed groups made an issue of candidate John Kennedy’s religion in the presidential election. He was Catholic. Small minds speculated the United States would be ruled from the Vatican. Continued