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Washington State

Department of Licensing

Information on how to obtain a business license, start a new business, trade name and business record search

Washington State Office of Trade and Economic Development

Lists federal, state, local, nonprofit, private sector and U.S. Small Business Administration resources available to Washington's entrepreneurs.

See also our Small Business and Companies subject pages.

Community Home Ownership Center

A free information and referral service for first-time, low-to-moderate income homebuyers. Links to homebuyer educational seminar schedule around the state.

Farm Finder: Washington-Oregon

Hosted by WSU. A directory to locate local farms and crops. Searchable by different criteria including "Certified Organic". Also links to Farmers Markets and farm recipes.

Find-it! Consumer

A search engine which provides a single stop for searching more than 100 consumer protection and public safety web sites with emphasis in Washington state information.

Northwest Justice Project

Provides contact information on NJP's Coordinated Legal Education Advice and Referral service (CLEAR), a free legal assistance project for qualified Washington residents.

Sex Offenders Links in Washington State

From the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs website. Links to the Sex Offenders Lists in different counties in Washington state.

Washington Festivals and Events Association

Washington Festivals and Events Association provides information on events such as festivals, conferences, and seminars.

Washington Law Help

This non-profit organization's website serves as a clearinghouse for legal self-help information and tools on non-criminal legal problems affecting low-income people in Washington state. Some self help categories include family (divorce), elder law, government benefits, immigrants, housing, employment, health care etc. Some materials and forms are also available in Chinese, Laotian, Somali, Spanish, Russian and Vietnamese languages.

Washington State School Report Card  (www.k12.wa.us/EdProfile)

This page contains general information about school demographics, student academic performance (including Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) test results), and staff characteristics for each school in Washington State.

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction  (www.k12.wa.us)

Official home page of SPI.

Classified job ads from WorkSource
(https://fortress.wa.gov/esd/worksource/StaticContent.aspx?Context=ClassifiedAds&CurrentPage=ClassifiedAds)

Links to all newspapers in WA State that have online classified ads, plus helpful information on resumes and job search.

Washington State: Unemployment Insurance  (go2ui.com)

Now you can apply for unemployment benefits online using this site developed by Employment Security Department.

WorkSource  (go2worksource.com)

A comprehensive employment website for job seekers, business and employers.

See also our Employment subject page.

Access Washington(Official State Government Site)
(access.wa.gov)

Comprehensive Washington state government information and services. Link to all state agencies with communities information.

Literacy Now: Literacy Network of Washington
(literacynow.info/)

Literacy NOW operates the Washington State Adult Literacy Hotline and Directory which is a searchable database of more than 100 adult literacy programs throughout Washington State.

Washington State Cities & Towns
(www.mrsc.org/byndmrsc/cities.aspx)

Washington State Counties(www.mrsc.org/byndmrsc/counties.aspx)

Washington State Data Book(www.ofm.wa.gov/default.asp)

A statistical reference document that profiles most frequently requested information about Washington. Chapters include population, economy, government finance, human services, criminal justice, education, natural resources, environment, energy, transportation and local government.

Washington State Historical Facts and Symbols
(www.ofm.wa.gov/databook/facts.asp)

Washington State Office of Regulatory Assistance (ORA)
(www.ora.wa.gov/)

Provides citizens access to information on state regulations, agency rules, permit requirements, business license and links to cities, counties and economic development councils.

Washington State Symbols
(www1.leg.wa.gov/Legislature/StateSymbols/)

See also our Government subject page.

LibWeb  (sunsite.berkeley.edu/Libweb)

Link to all types of libraries' websites for 100 countries, including Washington State and the United States.

Libraries in Washington State
(access.wa.gov/education/libraries.aspx)

Census 2000 for Washington
(www.ofm.wa.gov/census2000/default.asp)

Crime Data in Washington
(www.waspc.org/index.php?c=Crime%20Data)

Current and archival crime statistics for Washington state, broken down by county and city.

VolunteerMatch  (www.volunteermatch.org/)

A national organization bringing volunteers and agencies together. Search for volunteer opportunities throughout the U.S.

Volunteer at FVRL
(www.fvrl.org/aboutus/volunteer.cfm)

Be a volunteer at your local library. FVRL welcomes you!

Oregon State

211info

Dial 2-1-1 for health and human services referral information in the Portland/Vacouver metro area. Spanish-speaking operator is available. Also has an Online Directory of Services that covers community services in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Cascadelink  (www.cascadelink.org)

A community network serves Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA metropolitan-region, with information on government, election, arts/entertainment, education, organizations, etc. and an event calendar.

Crimemapper  (www.portlandpolicebureau.com/police/index.cfm?c=cjida)

An interactive neighborhood crime mapping site for crime statistics. Developed by the City of Portland.

City of Portland (Official homepage of the city government)
(www.ci.portland.or.us)

Farm Finder: Washington-Oregon

Hosted by WSU. A directory to locate local farms and crops. Searchable by different criteria including "Certified Organic". Also links to Farmers Markets and farm recipes.

Multnomah County Library  (www.multcolib.org)

Oregon Employment Department  (www.emp.state.or.us/jobs/)

Oregon State's employment job site. Search job listings by category or by location. It also provides an Online Claims System for filing benefit claims.

Oregon Encyclopedia  (www.oregonencyclopedia.org)

An authoritative and creative resource on all things Oregon. A project in progress to be finished by 2009 to celebrate the state's sesquicentennial.

OregonLive  (www.oregonlive.com)

An affiliation with the Oregonian, the local newspaper for Portland, Oregon. Features news, weather, sports, entertainment, classified ads, politics and travel information.

Oregon.gov  (www.oregon.gov)

Oregon State Government's official web site.

Portland Maps  (www.portlandmaps.com)

Searching by street address or by intersection, the City of Portland provides a wide variety of public data through this site. The datasets include assessor/taxlot information, aerial photography, elevation, schools, zoning maps etc., with links to crime statistics.

Northwest

Columbia Gorge Economic Development Association
(business.gorge.net/cgeda)

Provides a comprehensive overview of "Life in the Gorge", "Area Economic Profile", "Business in the Gorge" and about CGEDA.

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center  (www.columbiagorge.org)

A museum which mission is to preserve, conserve, exhibit and interpret the cultural and natural history of the Columbia River Gorge.

Columbia River Gorge Visitor's Association
(www.crgva.org)

Focus is on the area's calendar of events, tourist and recreation information.

The Dalles Chronicles  (www.thedalleschronicle.com)

Summaries of top stories and news throughout the Columbia Gorge.

Gorge Net  (www.gorge.net)

An online community network featuring community resources, calendar, businesses and recreation for the gorge area.

Center for Columbia River History  (www.ccrh.org/content.htm)

Its mission is to promote broad public discussions about Columbia River Basin History and its connection to the present.

Digital Collections: University of Washington Libraries
(content.lib.washington.edu/index.html)

Unique collections of historical photographs, documents, and other visual resources depict the history, natural sciences, and regional cultures of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Nature of the Northwest  (www.naturenw.org)

A comprehensive information center for nature and outdoor recreation in Oregon and Washington.