Hannegan Seafoods closes
Hannegan Seafoods, a storied Bellingham seafood market, has shut its doors. Signs in the windows of the locked storefront at 6069 Hannegan Road read, “Hannegan Seafoods Closed (07/23/15-12/31/24).” The business’ website and Facebook page didn’t reflect the closing as of Jan. 27. But Hannegan Seafoods’ owner, longtime fishing industry entrepreneur Andy Vitaljic, died in September 2024 at the age of 91 according to an obituary posted online. A 2017 Facebook message about the store from Vitaljic described Hannegan Seafoods as a “factory outlet” for “excellent wild seafood at the best price” and reflected on his family’s history in Bellingham, which dates back to 1912.
La-Z-Boy opens
Furniture retailer La-Z-Boy has opened its first standalone showroom in Bellingham at 222 Telegraph Road, the site of a Meridian neighborhood Rite Aid that closed in 2023. The newly renovated 16,000 square foot La-Z-Boy Home Furnishings & Decor building had its soft opening the week of Jan. 13, said store staff, with a grand opening planned for Wednesday, Jan. 29. La-Z-Boy also has “comfort studios” inside Samuel’s Furniture in Ferndale and Rolfson’s Home Furnishings in Mount Vernon.
Adored, V’s change hands
Adored Boutique in Bellingham’s Fairhaven neighborhood has a new (and sole) owner: Melissa Hatcher, who has managed the clothing, accessories and gift store since it opened in August 2020. Hatcher said the ownership change at the start of the new year is a kind of homecoming since her grandfather owned a boat-building business, Wright Boat Company, that was located in the same space the boutique now occupies at 913 Harris Ave. A Valentine’s themed celebration of the new ownership is set for Thursday, Feb. 6.
V’s Barbershop, at 414 W. Bakerview Road in Bellingham’s Bakerview Square, also greeted the new year with new owners: Amanda and Steven Remigio. Amanda, who said she’s been cutting men’s hair for about 20 years, purchased the franchise location that originally opened in 2010. V’s has more than 60 barbershops nationwide.
WECU, Barron detail 2024 giving
WECU announced its charitable giving in 2024 reached a record $503,450, exceeding the previous year’s $491,000 in donations to local organizations. The Bellingham-based credit union said its top donations were $125,000 for its Education First Grant Program covering several Whatcom and Skagit county nonprofits, $94,000 for scholarships and $50,000 for food banks. WECU, founded by Bellingham teachers in 1936, said it restructured its giving programs in 2019 “to prioritize charitable giving that supports education in various forms in our community.”
Ferndale’s Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing, meanwhile, said it had donated $100,320 to 12 nonprofits in the first year of its Barron KARES program, which selects a different charity each month. Donations are tied to customer purchases.
Annual Economic Forecast Night set
The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) said its annual Economic Forecast Night on Feb. 20 will feature a return keynote by economist Christopher Thornberg. EDASC said Thornberg became nationally known for forecasting the subprime mortgage market crash that began in 2007 and the subsequent recession. Thornberg, who also spoke at the 2023 event, will “look at what the new administration will mean for the national economy as well as drill down on state and local issues of importance, including housing supply and factors affecting the workforce.” Tickets for the dinner at Swinomish Casino & Lodge in Anacortes are available at skagit.org.
WWU digital marketing program launches
Western Washington University is launching its first-ever digital marketing certificate program for businesses. The 12-week online course, set to start in February, leads to a Digital Marketing Management and Ecommerce Certificate and covers web analytics, conversion rate optimization, search engine optimization, paid search, social media marketing and other skills. Associate Marketing Professor Mark Staton said with studies showing 90 percent of business transactions begin with some sort of search engine query, the new program “will teach business owners how to grow their digital footprints, and how to efficiently grow their customer base.”
Frank Catalano writes about business and related topics for CDN; reach him at frankcatalano@cascadiadaily.com.
