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WWU to Be Comcast Cable Technology Test Site

Posted on: Friday, 26 May 2006, 06:00 CDT

By The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

May 23--Western Washington University and Comcast announced an agreement that will make the campus a test site for new cable television technologies.

The seven-year agreement will have Comcast making infrastructure improvements to its network serving the campus and residence halls.

When the company completes those improvements by September, students will have access to all the latest cable television and high-speed Internet services Comcast has to offer, including more than 250 Digital Cable channels, premium movie channels like HBO, Showtime and Starz, Comcast ON DEMAND, digital video recording and programs delivered in high-definition format.

Residence hall students also will have access to Comcast Digital Voice, the company's residential phone service, and Comcast high-speed Internet services, including the company's broadband portal, www.comcast.net, video mail, Rhapsody Radio Plus and PhotoShow deluxe.

Residence hall students currently have access only to Comcast's analog cable television service.

Other areas of campus are expected to benefit too. For example, the Wade King Student Recreation Center will be able to add digital music to the workout areas after the equipment is updated. In addition, the new agreement calls for Comcast to provide foreign language channels for use in classrooms.

Residence hall rates are not expected to increase because of this agreement, although individual students will have the option to pay the additional cost for premium channels, as would any other cable customer. Basic cable is included in residence hall rates.

Comcast Corp. (www.com cast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, and has 2,700 employees who serve more than 1.1 million customers in Washington state. MAGAZINE FEATURES CAT NAP INN Cat Nap Inn Bed & Breakfast Exclusively for Cats is featured in the May 2006 issue ofCat Fancy Magazine.

The issue features Cat Nap Inn as "A Swanky Stay" and profiles owners Kolleen Fox and Hans Kruithof's journey of bringing a dream to life.

Cat Nap Inn was custom designed and built with cats' needs and preferences in mind. The inn is committed to the cats' health and safety and a pleasurable experience for both the owner and cat.

Guests enjoy spacious suites with a garden view or the entertainment of a fish aquarium. While the basic "room rate" includes boarding, food, playtime and even catnip hour, additional services are available, ranging from care for diabetic guests to massage sessions.

Tours are welcomed and encouraged during lobby hours. For more information, call 360.724.3513 or visit www.cat napinn.com. RE/MAX AMONG TOP FIRMS IN SALES RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc., again ranks among the country's top 500 real-estate firms in sales volume, according to the REAL Trends survey released this month.

RE/MAX Whatcom County was ranked 469th in 2005 for closed transaction sides, which means it represented either the buyer or the seller in residential real-estate transactions. The Bellingham-based firm also was the only Western Washington agency north of King County that earned a ranking in the top 500.

"We're so proud of our agents and our support staff, who have enabled us to rank in the top 500 for a third consecutive year," said Lori Reece, RE/MAX Whatcom County's broker and co-owner. "Most of the other agencies on this elite list are in metropolitan areas with much larger populations and housing inventories."

RE/MAX Whatcom County, founded by Dean and Lori Reece in 1991, has grown to more than 90 Realtors. Its five offices are located in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Sudden Valley and Point Roberts. For more information, call 647-1313 or visit www.nwhomes.net. COMPLETES FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM Angie Miller, a food service field marketing specialist for Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores, recently graduated from an intensive 14-week management program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Miller completed the food industry management program at USC's Marshall School of Business. The program is designed to develop general management skills, leadership qualities and communication expertise.

Miller, based at Haggen's corporate headquarters in Bellingham, previously earned a bachelor's degree in restaurant management from Indiana State University. She joined Haggen in 1994 and is part of the marketing support staff for the food-service departments in stores throughout Western Washington.

Headquartered in Bellingham, Haggen Inc. operates 32 supermarkets in Washington and Oregon under the Haggen Food & Pharmacy, TOP Food & Drug and Fairhaven Market names. It is the largest independent grocer in the state of Washington.

Send your business news to business@bellinghamherald.com, send a fax to 756-2826 or mail it to Business Notebook at 1155 N. State St., Bellingham, 98227. Please include a contact name and phone number.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham, Wash.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

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Source: The Bellingham Herald, Wash.

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