Cheryl Carson named KING 5 News Director

KING 5 News moved to its brand new, state of the art studio this week, with a new leader at the helm.  Cheryl Carson, former KING 5 Assistant News Director and Interim News Director since September, was officially presented to the newsroom as news director on Thursday, February 11.  

“We know it has been a long wait, but it was our responsibility as of one of America’s very best news organizations and Seattle’s most successful media company to find the right person for the job.  We interviewed inspiring news talent from around the country and are pleased to announce that Cheryl Carson has accepted the challenge to lead KING 5 News into the future,” said Ray Heacox, KING 5 President and General Manager.

Cheryl Carson first joined The Home Team as Assistant News Director in 2012.

Chris Barrow President and CEO of EagleView Technology Named anEntrepreneur Of The Year 2015 for the Pacific Northwest

Chris Barrow Wins Entrepreneur of the Year for EagleView Technology

Bothell-based EagleView Technology Corporation, which provides the technology for aerial imagery, data analytics and GIS solutions, recently announced that EY has named EagleView President and CEO Chris Barrow as an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 in the Pacific Northwest Region.  The award recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.  Chris Barrow and other award winners were selected by a panel of independent judges.  The award was presented at a special gala event at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel on June 5th.

Purple Haze Daze To Be Held at Sequim's Lavender Weekend, July 17 to 19

Purple Haze Daze 3 Day Party at Purple Haze Lavender Farm

Purple Haze Lavender Farm will hold its inaugural Purple Haze Daze during Sequim's 19th Annual Lavender Weekend, July 17 to19, 2015. Purple Haze Lavender Farm is located at 180 Bell Bottom Road, Sequim, WA. Admission is $10.00 for all three days.

This three day Purple Haze Daze lavender party will include the music of some iconic musical figures. Geoffrey Castle will be wielding his world famous electronic violin. Aussie Blake Noble will delight crowds with his 12 string guitar and didgeridoo. Regional funk band Open Country Joy will also be on hand all three days with their eclectic blend of funk, country and original favorites. There will also be additional musical offerings and the possibility of some surprises.

Blondie's Plate, one of the Olympic Peninsula’s rising stars in the restaurant world, will provide gourmet food and an array of beverages.  This will include their specialty drink The Moscow Mule and a favorite at Purple Haze Daze, The Lavender Margarita.

Attendees of Purple Haze Daze looking for unique handcrafted items will enjoy the twenty plus artisan vendors displaying their wares throughout the farm. Photo ops abound everywhere on Purple Haze's twelve acres of flowing lavender fields. A stop in the orchard will provide an opportunity to meet Bob and Shirley, the farm's peacock pair, and a unique collection of egg laying hens.

Should one wish to take home some lavender goodies, the farm's gift shop is stocked full with Purple Haze's own line of culinary delights, bath and body products and lavender home care items. The farm also has its own ice cream shoppe with a variety of delicious lavender ice cream, tea, coffee, and lavender lemonade. Those looking for a more permanent souvenir will have over a dozen varieties of lavender plants to choose from to take home and plant in their own garden.

You will want to attend this family fun event - especially if you missed the the Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour on the Olympic Peninsula in May.

Steve Bowles Hired by Oki Golf as New GM of The Plateau Club

Oki Golf Re-Hires Steve Bowles

Steve Bowles, local golf professional and former Director of Golf Operations at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, is transitioning back to Oki Golf as the new General Manager of the Plateau Club in Sammamish, Wash. Bowles previously managed golf operations for Oki Golf at both Washington National and The Golf Club at Newcastle.

More recently, Bowles worked with Virginia Mason, managing corporate partnerships and golf operations for the annual Boeing Classic. Bowles brings golf expertise, managerial skills, and a passion for the hospitality and golf industries with him to the Plateau Club.

About Oki Golf

Oki Golf is a collection of 11 premier Puget Sound golf courses providing championship golf course layouts and outstanding course conditions to players of all skill levels. With several Northwest golf courses located near Seattle, Everett and Olympia, Oki Golf’s challenging course designs and unrivaled guest service provide an exceptional golf experience at unparalleled value to casual golfers, tournaments and group golf outings. Oki Golf’s portfolio of courses includes The Golf Club at Newcastle, Washington National Golf Club, The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge, Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, Harbour Pointe Golf Club, The Golf Club at Echo Falls, The Golf Club at Hawk’s Prairie, The Plateau Club and Indian Summer Golf & Country Club. For more information about Oki Golf, visit www.OkiGolf.com.

You can 'Like' Oki Golf on Facebook too!

AT&T Partners with Hulu to Bring Subscription Streaming Service to AT&T Customers

AT&T and Hulu have signed a deal that will bring the popular Hulu subscription streaming service to AT&T* customers through AT&T’s websites and mobile applications.

"We know that our customers want to be able to access video on multiple devices,” said Andrew Goodman, associate vice president, AT&T content acquisition. “So we’re excited to be able to expand our relationship with Hulu and make its innovative and vast video selections available to AT&T customers on multiple screens."

AT&T customers will be able to browse Hulu programs and select the shows they want to watch through an AT&T app for mobile device viewing or an AT&T website for Internet viewing. Combined with a leading TV Everywhere catalog, AT&T customers subscribing to Hulu will have one of the best selections available of current and past season full episodes. AT&T and Hulu also are exploring the possibility of bringing a Hulu app to TV.

“At Hulu, we strive to create the best possible video experience for customers – offering them the ability to view their favorite content, when, where and how they want," said Tim Connolly, Hulu's senior vice president of partnerships and distribution. "We are excited to be working with AT&T to connect its customers with our premium content on every screen."

This offering will become available to AT&T customers later this year.

Hulu is a premium streaming television destination that offers full libraries of hit series such as Seinfeld, Empire, South Park, CSI, Nashville and current season programming from five of the six top broadcast networks. For a monthly fee, Hulu subscribers have the ability to stream a broad library of full current and past seasons from numerous programming networks including ABC, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, FOX, FX, MTV, NBC, Nickelodeon and TNT. Hulu also offers the most comprehensive collection of classic films from The Criterion Collection, as well as its own library of Hulu Originals. The deal builds on AT&T’s current contract with Hulu for its free content.

The expanded relationship with Hulu complements AT&T’s other over-the-top initiatives, including Otter Media. Otter Media is a venture between AT&T and The Chernin Group, established to invest in, acquire and launch over-the-top (OTT) video services. This includes its purchase of a majority stake in Fullscreen, a global online media company that works with more than 50,000 content creators who engage 450 million subscribers and generate 4 billion monthly views.

 

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions of people and businesses around the globe stay connected through leading wireless, high-speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. We’re helping people mobilize their worlds with state-of-the-art communications, entertainment services and amazing innovations like connected cars and devices for homes, offices and points in between. Our U.S. wireless network offers customers the nation’s strongest LTE signal and the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. We offer the best global wireless coverage.* We’re improving how our customers stay entertained and informed with AT&T U-verse^® TV and High Speed Internet services. And businesses worldwide are serving their customers better with AT&T’s mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.

Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at http://about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/att and YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/att.

© 2015 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Reliability and signal strength claims based on nationwide carriers’ LTE. Signal strength claim based ONLY on avg. LTE signal strength. LTE not available everywhere.

*Global coverage claim based on offering voice and data roaming in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier, and offering the most wireless smartphones and tablets that work in the most countries.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

About Hulu

Hulu is a premium streaming TV destination that seeks to captivate and connect viewers with the stories they love by creating amazing experiences that celebrate the best of entertainment and technology. As we pursue this mission, we strive to continue to redefine and reinvent the TV-viewing experience.

Frenzied Local Home Market Frustrating Home Buyers

Buyer anxiety is rising as the pace of home sales is faster than brokers are able to replenish inventory, according to members of Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Figures just released for March show 11,408 pending sales during the month while only 10,505 sellers listed their homes for sale during the same period.

The market imbalance is played out with rising prices, an acute shortage of listings -- particularly in areas close to job centers -- and bidding wars.

The volume of new listings (10,505) added during the month increased 9.4 percent compared to a year ago, but fell short of satisfying demand in many areas. At month end, inventory in the MLS service area that encompasses 23 counties was down almost 14 percent, dropping from 19,736 listings to 17,007. Twelve counties reported double-digit declines from this time a year ago.

Measured by months of supply, there is about 2.5 months of inventory area-wide. In King County there is slightly more than 1.3 months of supply and in Snohomish County supply stands at just under 1.7 months.

Stiff competition is reflected in part by rising prices – but MLS officials emphasized sellers still need to be realistic.

Northwest MLS figures show prices on last month’s closed sales of single family homes and condos jumped more than 6.7 percent compared to the same month a year ago. The median price on last month’s closed sales area-wide was $292,500 which compares to the year ago figure of $274,000.

Home prices were considerably higher in San Juan and King counties. For the 26 completed sales in San Juan County during March, (one more than a year ago), the price jumped 25.5 percent, rising from $400,000 to $501,900. King County prices rose about 8.8 percent, increasing from $378,000 to $411,200.

Prices on single family homes (excluding condos) rose about 6.8 percent system-wide, increasing from a year-ago figure of $282,000 to $301,143. Within the four county Puget Sound region, Snohomish reported the sharpest hike at nearly 8 percent. The median sales price for a home in that county was $340,000 last month; twelve months ago it was $314,975. Buyers can expect to pay about 30 percent more in King County where a single family home that sold last month fetched a median price of $440,250.

MLS members logged 6,769 completed transactions of single family homes and condos during March to outgain the same period a year ago by 1,016 transactions for a 17.7 percent increase. Of that total, condos accounted for about 14 percent of the volume. The median price on last month’s condo sales was $240,000, which was about 9 percent higher than a year ago. In King County, the median sales price was $269,600.

Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member real estate firms, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 23,000 real estate brokers. The organization, based in Kirkland, Wash., currently serves 23 counties in Washington state.

Cutter & Buck Names Bryan Dickson 2014 Salesperson of the Year

When Cutter & Buck, which marks its 25^th anniversary this year, sought out its top salesperson for 2014, the Seattle-based company didn’t have to look too long or, as it turned out, too far.  Born and raised in nearby Bellevue, Bryan Dickson is Cutter & Buck’s 2014 Salesperson of the Year.

“Since joining our team in 2010, Bryan has worked tirelessly to transform the Pacific Northwest into one of our strongest territories in the company and has consistently been one of our top performers year after year,” said Jake Rawson, global director of sales-golf, Cutter & Buck.  “In 2014, Bryan found creative ways to keep our customers engaged and buying our products and, as a result, he realized a significant year over year increase in his business. It’s an honor to recognize Bryan as we’re celebrating a significant milestone in the history of our company, founded in 1990 here in the Pacific Northwest.”

Dickson’s territory is vast, encompassing the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  He said he is particularly excited that this year’s U.S. Open Championship will be held in mid-June in his territory – at Chambers Bay, overlooking the Puget Sound near Tacoma and 40 miles south of Seattle.

“Chambers Bay has been a terrific partner and has generated a lot of business for us,” said Dickson, who formally received his salesperson of the year award during a recent ceremony in Orlando, Fla.

For additional information on Cutter & Buck products, contact Cutter & Buck at (800) 713-7810 or visit its website at www.cutterbuck.com.

About Cutter & Buck
Established in 1990, Cutter & Buck has become a hallmark for delivering fresh approaches to classic sportswear. Based in Seattle, the company prides itself on the design, manufacturing and distribution of premium, versatile apparel that meets the demands of an active lifestyle. With an expanding line of products for the golf, corporate, collegiate and professional sports, and specialty retail markets, the company is proud to provide its customers with safe and compliant products as a certified QCA supplier since 2011. Cutter & Buck has partnerships or licenses with the NFL, NCAA, MLB, PGA of America, USGA, PGA TOUR and USTA. The company is the exclusive North American distributor of Clique, a premier sportswear basics brand in the European marketplace. Cutter & Buck is available worldwide in golf pro shops, fan shops, resorts, specialty retailers, through premium promotional product distributors, and at cutterbuck.com.

Marci Nakano Named New Executive Director of Executive Development Institute

[caption id="attachment_9812" align="alignright" width="214"] Marci Nakano Executive Director of Executive Development Institute[/caption]

Bellevue-based Executive Development Institute (EDI) has announced that its Board of Directors appointed Marci Nakano as EDI's Executive Director. EDI is the only Pacific Northwest non-profit organization that focuses on leadership training for multiethnic professionals. Nakano will transition to Executive Director on March 1, 2015. EDI's current Executive Director, Alan Sugiyama, is retiring on February 28, 2015 for health reasons and will remain connected to EDI as Executive Director Emeritus. In this new role, he will mentor and transition Nakano to her new role and continue to represent EDI in the community.

[caption id="attachment_9813" align="alignleft" width="200"] Al Sugiyama Retiring Executive Director of Executive Development Institute[/caption]

"I am appreciative to the Board and Al for their trust, confidence and support as I take on this new role. As an EDI alumna, I am excited and honored to have the opportunity to lead an organization that has influenced my own leadership journey and look forward to continuing to strengthen and grow EDI’s programs,” said Nakano.

Nakano is currently the Director of Programs and Events for EDI and has been with the organization for nine years. She is a graduate of EDI’s 2005 Leadership Discovery program. Prior to EDI, Nakano was a Manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP, responsible for financial statement and internal control audits for manufacturing, construction and utility companies.

“The EDI Board of Directors is pleased that Marci has accepted the Executive Director position. She has the ability, knowledge, experience and most of all the passion to lead EDI. It is special to us that we are able to promote an alumna of our Leadership Discovery Program. We are also pleased that Al has accepted the Executive Director Emeritus position. He has made significant contributions to our organization and we wish him only the best as he continues to focus on his health,” said Mae Numata, co-chair EDI Board of Directors and Class of 1994.

EDI collaborates with over 50 Pacific Northwest corporations to provide business relevant, culturally tailored leadership training for Asian Pacific Islander and Hispanic participants. The leadership institute has built a community of over 800 alumni and is currently recruiting for its 2015 programs. Visit www.ediorg.org for more information

Bellevue Condo Report: Inventory Extremely Low

This is the Bellevue Condo report from A New Day Real Estate for January 27, 2015.

As of today, there are currently 130 condos in Bellevue that are listed for sale on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS).  That number is definitely a low number, but when you examine the list and realize that approximately half of those condos that are listed are located at Washington Square, it really shows how tight the condo market is here in Bellevue.


Then you add in the fact that 7 of the 10 least expensive Bellevue condos are located at the Silver Glen 55+ community and realize that at least a few of the remaining 58 condos are really not sellable because of huge and unreasonable HOA assessments.  When it all comes down to it - there are really only around 55 condos on the market in Bellevue (that are not located at Washington Square, Silver Glen or burdened with debt that make them unlikely to sell).  That means that inventory is LOW!  If you are looking to buy a condo in Bellevue right now, there is not a lot of selection available.  If you are thinking about selling your condo in Bellevue, this is GREAT news - it's a great time to list and sell your condo without a lot of competition.  Get it priced right and it should easily sell in 30-60 days.

The highest priced condo currently for sale in Bellevue is a $3.35 million dollar unit on the 41st floor of Bellevue Towers.  Besides some amazing views, this unit in Bellevue Towers features 3,403 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and has been on the market for 122 days.

The lowest priced condo currently listed for sale in Bellevue is at Silver Glen 55+ community listed at $109,950.  Outside of Silver Glen, the lowest price condo listed for sale in Bellevue is located in The Highlands condos across the street from Microsoft's Redmond campus.  The 1/1 unit is listed at $135k, but the complex has recently taken out a huge amount of trees from the property and has been discussing a future 'special' assessment against each unit owner.

As of today, there are only 41 condos in all of Bellevue that are listed at less than $500,000 asking price - and that is including at least 7 units at Silver Glen, but not including a boat slip at Newport Shores that is still listed as a condo.

Washington Wine Institute Names Josh McDonald New Executive Director

The Washington Wine Institute (WWI) has appointed Josh McDonald as its Executive Director, effective January 5.

He will be responsible for managing the complex policy and regulatory issues facing Washington winery owners who make up the second largest wine industry in the U.S., after California.

Marty Clubb, WWI President and owner of L’Ecole No 41 winery, in Walla Walla, stated “With the exciting growth of our industry in the past few years, the timing is right to build on our legislative and regulatory successes in Olympia with a full-time Executive Director who can provide critical outreach to our winery members.” He added, “Josh has the association background, organizational development skills, and political experience that will help take WWI to the next level so wineries can realize even more value for their membership.”

Prior to joining the Washington Wine Institute, McDonald was the State and Local Government Affairs Manager for the Washington Restaurant Association.  There he was responsible for building the association’s local government program and for managing the association’s interests on issues including tourism, food safety, the environment, immigration, taxation and regulation, in Olympia.

“The Washington Wine Institute has been the industry’s leading advocate before the Legislature and Liquor Control Board for many years,” said McDonald. “I am looking forward to continuing this legacy while at the same time strengthening our presence in Olympia and around the state.”

Vicky Scharlau, Executive Director of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers (WAWGG), said that McDonald’s appointment would bolster how all facets of the industry are able to work together.

“WAWGG welcomes Josh to the Washington Wine Institute.  Working together over the past decade, WWI, the Washington State Wine Commission and WAWGG have made huge strides on behalf of grape growers and wineries.  We look forward to adding Josh to the team as his hiring can only strengthen our partnership as we meet the needs of a quickly expanding industry,” Scharlau said.

Mr. McDonald holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and Government from the University of Puget Sound. He was born and raised in rural Northwest Montana.  He lives in Tacoma with his wife, Chelsea Levy, and their son, Liam.

The Washington Wine Institute is the leading advocate for Washington wineries.   WWI unites wineries big and small to make sure the collective voice of the Washington wine industry is present and strong in Olympia.

Nathan Brannon Wins Seattle International Comedy Competition

[caption id="attachment_9708" align="alignright" width="300"] L-R Sterling Scott, Cory Michaelis, Kyle Bottom, Nathan Brannon, Matt Donaher, MC and former winner David Crowe, and 2013 champ Zoltan Kaszas.
Photo credit: Peter Greyy[/caption]

After 23 shows in 26 days in 19 venues, the 35th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition has a winner.  Portland-based comedian Nathan Brannon was awarded the championship at the conclusion of the “Final-Final” show last night at Seattle's Comedy Underground. His grand prize includes $5000 cash, a recording contract with Uproar Entertainment, and a series of forthcoming comedy club bookings.

Finishing in second place, and winning $2000, was Kyle Bottom from Vancouver BC.  Third prize of $1700 went to Boston’s Matt Donaher, fourth to Edmonton comic Sterling Scott ($1500), and $1300 and fifth place to local favorite Cory Michaelis of Everett WA.

They were the survivors of a grueling contest that began November 5 with 33 comedians from the US, Canada, Australia and Japan,  selected from over 700 world-wide submissions.  That group was narrowed to ten semi-finalists, and further whittled down to these five. All ten semi-finalists also won cash ranging from $500-$900, for a total of $15,000 in prize money.

Join Us for a March on Main Street on Small Business Saturday Nov. 29

By Jay Inslee and Patrick Connor

We’re calling on all Washingtonians to join us for a March on Main Street, Saturday, November 29.

The cause: A better economy, longer-than-seasonal employment opportunities and tighter-knit communities– all of which are the bedrock of a vibrant society. And all it takes to accomplish these goals is for each of us to spend more of our money with the small businesses lining the Main Streets of our state.

Everyone is familiar with Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving gift shopping frenzy, when masses of people converge on shopping malls, raising their stress levels and blood pressure. But if you were to save some of your holiday shopping and energy for Small BusinessSaturday, you would be doing much more not only for your own health, but also for our state’s economy.

Begun in 2010, the campaign to shop small has yielded big dividends for America’s and Washington state’s economy. Last year, shoppers spent $5.7 billion at locally-owned shops and restaurants on Small Business Saturday, according to a survey conducted by American Express and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). And last year’s total marked a 3.6 percent increase over the previous year.

This same survey indicates that on average, shoppers estimate nearly one-third of their holiday shopping will be done at small businesses. Additional benefits to shopping Main Street speak to the importance of community:

• Nearly all (94 percent) of U.S. consumers say that shopping at small businesses make them “feel good”


• Two-thirds (66 percent) of consumers say the main reason they patronize small businesses is because they value the contributions the business makes to their community


• More than half (57 percent) say they know one or more of their local small-business owners personally

Small business is no small statistic when it comes to job creation. In fact, it’s primary to any economy.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy, Washington’s small businesses employed over half - or 1.2 million - of the state’s private workforce in 2011. Almost all firms with employees are small. They make up 98 percent of all employers in the state.

Need even more good reasons to choose Main Street?

• Your money stays local. When you shop at a chain store, most of the money goes back to a corporate office, but when you shop on Main Street, most of that money stays on Main Street.


• Your shopping experience is friendlier and more customer oriented. Instead of dealing with temporary workers who don’t know the merchandise, there’s a good chance you’ll be dealing directly with the owner - someone who cares very much about making you a return customer. In fact, according to the NFIB and American Express survey, 77 percent of consumers say Small Business Saturday makes them want to shop small all year long.


• You help small businesses plant lasting roots in your community. Some small-business owners cut their own salaries to keep their full complement of employees. Others have dipped into savings or taken out second mortgages to keep their doors open, or to avoid cutting back employee hours. Shopping local infuses these businesses with cash to keep their doors open.

Of course big box stores stock items that Main Street shops don’t, but you might be surprised at the variety of items that Main Street stores provide.

So how about starting a new shopping tradition this year? Don’t go all out on Black Friday. Spread the holiday cheer by shopping small on Main Street on Small Business Saturday. This new trend will benefit everyone.

Jay Inslee is governor of the state of Washington. Patrick Connor is Washington state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.

Bellevue Based Snap Skout Becomes Tack

Bellevue-based Snap Skout, a media technology startup that intelligently connects businesses and consumers through relevant online content, today announced it is changing the company name to Tack. The name change is effective immediately and will better reflect the company’s mission to help local businesses stay firmly on the map.

In addition, the company is also announcing the launch of its new advertiser product, also called Tack, at the Seattle Interactive Conference. Tack helps small businesses connect with new customers by automatically converting social media posts into online ads - and placing them adjacent to relevant publisher content.

“Our team has built a product that allows local businesses to quickly and easily promote themselves online, while providing consumers with recommended social content that is timely and relevant,” said Aaron Goodin, CEO of Tack. “Tack takes everyday social posts and transforms them into online ads that will be featured on highly-visible, local publications. Since our technology matches the ads with relevant article content, it requires minimal effort from the advertiser and provides small businesses with a premium ad placement they may otherwise not have been able to afford.”

Tack uses natural language processing (NLP), location optimizing and other technology to ensure posts show up next to the right content on its network of local publishing partner sites – including Seattle Magazine, SFist.com and MyNorthwest.com. By placing ads in real-time and in a relevant context, consumers are better able to discover and engage with the business.

Businesses can quickly and easily integrate Tack into their social networks to begin producing free online ads. Once Tack is activated, it will automatically choose the best posts to promote, and then transform those posts into social ads - that will be displayed at the bottom of online articles throughout the web. Ultimately, messages are placed in front of an engaged audience, at exactly the right time and place. Tack’s publisher partners can increase their reader engagement by offering their readers useful ads and the product opens up a new source of income.

“This is the future of online advertising,” Goodin said. “By taking already engaging social posts, turning them into online ads, and placing them directly in front of consumers, we are able to help our local business partners connect with new customers, while helping to drive an increase in revenue for publishing partners.”

About Tack

Launched in 2013, Tack (formerly Snap Skout) is a media technology company dedicated to helping local business promote themselves online through timely and relevant recommended content. The company’s product automatically converts social media posts into online ads and places them adjacent to relevant content. Tack helps advertisers reach new customers with no additional effort, and increases reader engagement and revenue for publishers.

Bellevue's Dim Sum Factory in Factoria Has Short 'Soft Opening' Now Closed for More Work

Last week I reported that the Dim Sum Factory at Factoria Mall had opened - but the opening was short lived.  Dim Sum Factory is now closed for an indefinite period while the owners work to iron out some issues.  The bakery at Dim Sum Factory is still open for business and serving up some tasty baked goods to go (or to eat inside the mall).

A sign posted on the door of the Dim Sum Factory stated that their grand opening will be posted soon.  Stay tuned for your opportunity to check out Bellevue's newest Dim Sum restaurant.