The 24th Annual Gingerbread Village was unveiled Monday at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel lobby. Creations were inspired by scenes from the wizarding world. The event came together with more than 1,000 volunteer hours, an estimated 1,200 pounds of dough, 800 pounds of icing, 200 pounds of white chocolate, 250 pounds of almond paste, and hundreds of pounds of candy.

Workers from Shoreline's Irons Brothers Construction joined local businesses and the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties in partnership with Kindering, the largest and most comprehensive therapy program in the Northwest for children who are disabled, medically fragile, or at risk.

Last Friday, Shannon spoke with Alison Morton, Director of Development at Kindering, about the great work their organization does and how the MBA's Painting a Better Tomorrow program helps their mission.

Everett, Wash.—A united Snohomish County Council passed a budget Monday that staves off most public safety cuts with help from a modest property tax increase.

Shannon talks to new member Vikram Deol of the Deol Group about MBA events and other member benefits.