Monday, December 6, 2021
Important News for You
Chamber News
Check out and like the
REGISTER NOW!
Chamber Holiday Luncheon
December 21, 2021, 11:30 am
Join us as we celebrate the end of 2021 with our friends from the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce with great food, lots of networking, an ugly sweater
contest, carols and more! Be sure to bring cash for our raffle benefitting
The Coffee Oasis' Family Christmas Project.
Instant Replay: Monthly Member Luncheons
Chamber Takeover at MOD Pizza
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Member News
New Chamber Members - Welcome!
New Members & Renewals for November
Thank you for your support of the Chamber!
Silverdale Rotary Offers Duck Buck Grants
Non-Profits Encouraged to Apply Now
The Rotary Club of Silverdale is proud to work with community partners to better serve our local community through the funding of Duck Buck Grants to area non-profits. We hope to assist as many organizations as possible with Rotarian labor and/or funding!
New Year's Eve at the Roxy
Party in Quincy Square
Admiral Theatre's New Year's Eve Celebration
Tickets on Sale Now

Do you have news you'd like to share about your business or organization?
We'd love to share! Please send information to Irene at the Chamber!

Member Spotlight
Whether you’re looking to buy, build or refinance your home, our experienced mortgage professionals are here to help. Here at Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation, we offer a variety of loan options that can help you achieve homeownership with the speed and service you deserve. Plus, our mortgage professionals are dedicated to finding the right loan with great rates, terms and costs to meet your specific needs. 
 
Financing a home is one of the biggest commitments you will ever make - let us help guide you throughout the entire loan process from application to closing and beyond. We look forward to putting our mortgage service to work for you!
9307 Bay Shore Drive NW, Suite 100
Silverdale, WA 98383
(360) 731-3458
Education Committee
Member Education & Training Resources
Kitsap Business Journal:
Finding Balance During the Busy Times
What a wonderful time of year! Celebrating the full breadth of the holidays, from Thanksgiving through to the beginning of January brings joy and storybook memories for all. Family gatherings, goodwill abound, extra activities to fit into the season of cheer.

Oh, but let’s also recognize that employees have been taxed because of a shortage of staff; that the product they’re in charge of producing is behind because of a lack of supplies; and that the nearly two-year pandemic has affected their mental and emotional health. Bah humbug!
How to Become a Facebook Master
Thursday, December 9, 2021, 2:00 pm
Facebook is the largest and most important social media platform for business. Learn how to post great content, leverage advertising and call features, develop schedules and routines, and more.

Attendees will learn:
  • How people see content on Facebook.
  • The connection between Facebook pages and profiles.
  • Facebook content strategies and other best practices.
  • Understand the basics of Facebook advertising

Matt Cail started out in the world of message boards and web design. During five years as a Washington, D.C., consultant, he became knowledgeable about emergency communications and competition in the online video industry. He has worked in social media, search engine marketing, web design, and online advertising.

Workshop Fee: $35
Government Affairs Committee
The Capitol in Olympia in 2017. Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that he is considering delaying a payroll tax for long-term care known as the WA Cares Fund. (Ted S. Warren / The Associated Press, file)
Inslee & WA State Democrats Discuss
Delaying New LTC Tax
Gov. Jay Inslee and some Washington Democratic lawmakers are in discussions to potentially delay the long-term care payroll tax set to begin Jan. 1.

The talks come after state Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday sent Inslee a letter urging him to delay the tax to fund the WA Cares program until the beginning of January 2023.

Military Affairs Committee
Business Resources
For over 50 years, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstanding achievements of America’s small businesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy. Now more than ever, America’s small businesses are leading the way, building back better and helping refuel our economy.

The SBA is currently accepting nominations for its 2022 National Small Business Week Awards, including the Small Business Person of the Year. All nominations must be submitted electronically no later than 3:00 p.m. ET on January 11, 2022. Winners will be announced during National Small Business Week in May 2022.
Nearly 180 million Americans Shop
Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend
According to an annual survey released last week by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics, nearly 180 million Americans shopped during the five-day holiday shopping period from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday.

“Retailers have adapted and enticed customers with a number of incentives throughout November. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend remains a significant time for friends and families to check specific holiday items off their lists,” said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. “Over the last few years consumers have shifted their holiday shopping plans to start earlier in the season.”
Get ready for the State of American Business, the U.S. Chamber's annual event to kick off the new year on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

The challenges, disruptions, and opportunities accelerated by the pandemic are creating a new economic era that American businesses will help define. During this virtual event, we will explore how competition — an essential force that drives achievement, innovation, and progress — helps shape a better future for all of us.
Kitsap County News
Kitsap Public Health District
Tuesday, December 7, 2021, 12:30 pm
Public Hearing on Proposed Sales Tax Increase
to Support New Affordable Housing
Monday, December 13, 2021, 5:30 pm
A public hearing will be held December 13 during the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners' regular business meeting to take testimony on a proposed 1/10 of 1 percent sales tax increase to fund construction of new affordable housing in our communities. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Kitsap County Administration Building at 619 Division Street, Port Orchard and via Zoom at the link here. The draft agenda is available here.
4th Quarter Community Meetings
Saturday, December 11, 2021
On Saturday, December 11, 2021, Kitsap Transit will hold its fourth-quarter community meetings online to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Three sessions are scheduled:


Executive Director John Clauson will review the 2022 budget and goals. Please join us for these virtual community meetings! 

Register today to submit questions ahead of the meeting and participate in the live Q&A portion of the meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the webinar.

For assistance in attending the meeting virtually, call 1.800.501.7433.
The Kitsap Road Report is updated each week. This latest update was released on December 3, 2021.
Bay Shore Drive NW is closed at NW Bucklin Hill Road. Intermittent road closures on Washington Avenue NW and NW Lowell St. for Sewer/Stormwater/Road improvement project.
Crews are doing various maintenance activities at the locations listed below. Expect moderate delays between 5 and 10 minutes:

  • W Belfair Valley Road from Minard to end of county maintained (MO-FR)
  • Wembly Avenue NE from John Carlson to Athens (MO-FR)

Expect moderate delays on Towne Rd. NE at the intersection with Foster Rd. NE for PSE utility boring work. One lane alternating with flagger in place during work hours. Project is scheduled to be completed by Jan 29, 2022. 
COVID-19 Updates & Resources
Vaccine Boosters Now Available for All Adults
Eligibility for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine has recently expanded to include everyone ages 18 and older. This includes the Pfizer, Moderna, and J & J vaccines. The expansion comes following recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices, and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup. 
The parameters for these vaccinations are as follows:  

  • Pzizer-Biotech - Adults aged 18 and older may receive this booster shot as early as six months after getting vaccinated. 
  • Moderna - Adults aged 18 and older may receive this booster shot as early as six months after getting vaccinated. 
  • Johnson & Johnson - Adults aged 18 and older may receive this booster shot as early as two months after getting vaccinated. 

Booster doses are especially important for those at high risk of severe COVID-19, including older adults, people with chronic conditions, and anyone living in a congregate setting. Any of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently available for use may be administered as a booster dose, regardless of which vaccine was used for the primary series. 

Everyone age 5 and older is currently eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. People who have not yet been vaccinated are highly encouraged to make an appointment today to protect themselves and those around them. 

  • Click here for a fact sheet for children ages 5-11. 
  • COVID-19 vaccine providers in Kitsap County can be found here.
The Omicron Variant:
What Businesses Can Do Now
The emergence of a new COVID-19 variant—Omicron—has raised immediate concern, even as it has also raised more questions than answers about the risks it poses. It will likely be a matter of weeks before medical experts can determine how fast Omicron will spread and how much protection existing vaccines and boosters provide. For now, experts say vaccines and boosters will likely protect people from severe illness.

Until we know more about Omicron, businesses should take action to increase vaccination and protect workers. For now, the advice of public health experts is clear: vaccination and boosters provide the best protection. Businesses should remember lessons from earlier in the pandemic: taking action now can slow the virus’ spread. There is no reward for inaction.

Here are five steps businesses can take right now to protect their employees against the Omicron variant:

1. Encourage vaccination and boosters. 
On Monday, the CDC strengthened its position on boosters, fully recommending them for all adults (up from simply making them available to all adults). Bottom line: If your employees were vaccinated before June 1, they should be encouraged to get a booster. Employers should offer paid time off to help them do so.
2. Support working parents to vaccinate their children at the same time.
Paid time off for child vaccination is especially crucial for low-income parents, and it remains the best defense against school closures.
3. Require masking.
Employers may wish to require that all workers and/or customers mask up for the extra degree of protection masks provide. The CDC recommends masking for all people over age 2 in public indoor settings located in areas of high or substantial transmission.
4. Consider limiting non-essential business travel. 
The World Health Organization advised that people over age 60 and those at high risk of illness due to underlying medical conditions delay their travel plans. And airline industry analysts are predicting a “wait and see approach” to U.S. business travel. The CDC continues to recommend that unvaccinated people delay traveling until they are fully vaccinated.
5. Stay flexible about return-to-work plans.
Companies planning to bring their employees back to the office in January should prepare for strengthened safety measures. Others may wish to delay the return as public health guidance evolves over the coming days and weeks—potentially as early as tomorrow, when the White House announces a winter COVID-19 strategy. 
COVID-19 Vaccine Resources
Kitsap County Health District is now posting a regularly updated list of COVID-19 vaccine providers in Kitsap County. This list can be found here.
Community Information
Silverdale December GreenDrinks
December 8, 2021, 5:24 pm
Bremerton December GreenDrinks
December 9, 2021, 5:30 pm
Hosted by Minder Meats
4921 Auto Center Blvd.
Bremerton, WA 98312
Visit Santa at the Kitsap Mall:
Tuesday Theme Nights
This year, go ALL OUT in your photos with Santa! We’re talking the whole family, your entire squad, and even your superhero, prince and princess alter-egos! It’s going to be your most memorable photo with Santa ever! PLUS, you can enter to win a FREE Santa Photo Package!
Silverdale Visitor Center
Holiday Fun Around the County
Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra Holiday Concert
Sunday, December 12, 2021, 3:00 pm
Contact Us
Have something to share? CLICK HERE to submit stories and
events for the Monday Morning Memo!
360-692-6800
David Emmons
President/CEO
Irene Moyer
Director of Member Relations
Brenda Kelley
Tourism Coordinator
Marisa Acuna
Finance Manager