Closed since April 1 for construction, the Samish Way on-ramp to northbound 1-5 Bellingham is scheduled for reopening June 3, according to the state Dept. of Transportation. Until the ramp meets state and federal design standards, drivers must continue using the Lakeway interchange.

Jeff Kochman (in photo), president of the Barkley Company commercial real estate and development firm in Bellingham, received 2012 Whatcom Business Person of the Year honors Wednesday night (March 28). The 26^th annual awards dinner sold out at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, with about 400 attending from the Whatcom County business community and government.

Other award recipients: Chuckanut Bay Foods in Ferndale, Small Business of the Year; Infusion Solutions, Start-up of the Year, and Frank Imhof, Lifetime Achievement Award.

Publisher Tony Larson of co-host Northwest Business Monthly magazine (along with Whidbey Island Bank), commented, "The need has never been more important to focus positive attention on local job creation, volunteerism and philanthropy. Every year at this event, those virtues are encouraged, supported and recognized and I believe lead to an improvement in our quality of life and civic health.”

Other winners of the promotional giveaways, selected at random by a third-party not part of The Woods: iPads to Jennifer Ward, Bob Baker, and Jeremiah Welch; The Woods Coffee Party to Logos Bible Software (workplace), Scott Sahagian’s art class at Lynden High School (classroom) in biggest-fan contest group divisions, and free coffee for a month to Denise Chatterton (individual) as Biggest Fan after she created a The Woods coffee shop with Lego blocks.

Read an interview with the founder/owner of The Woods, Wes Herman, in our March issue "Up Close and Personal” feature in digital format here, as well as our Industry Report on specialty coffee (cover story).

Valerie Stafford, Janelle Bruland also earn top awards in Skagit, Puget Sound

Gwyn Howat, an operations manager for Mt. Baker Ski Area based in Bellingham, was named Whatcom Women in Business’ 2011 Professional Woman of the Year at its annual banquet in late October.

Bruland, CEO and president of Management Services Northwest in Ferndale, was selected 2011 Nellie Cashman Woman Business Owner of the Year by the WBO (Women Business Owners), covering the Puget Sound as a networking organization for women entrepreneurs.