Celebrate summer in Bellingham while enjoying the area's many outdoor summer concert series. Photo courtesy: Downtown Bellingham Partnership.
There are few activities more satisfying on a warm summer evening than listening to live music outdoors — especially when the cost is absolutely free. For years, Bellinghamsters have enjoyed free outdoor summer concerts in city parks and downtown. This year’s lineup is as promising as ever, with a variety of musical styles represented. Expect lots of funk, blues, and rock and roll. But most of all, expect a rollicking good time. With abundant tunes, sunshine, food trucks, bikes and bare feet, it doesn’t get much more Bellingham than this.
Put on by the City of Bellingham’s Parks and Recreation department, Concerts in the Park is a summer-long series held at three of Bellingham’s finest city parks. Food is available for purchase at all three venues, with local food trucks serving up the goods. Biking, walking, and taking the bus are always encouraged at these events, as parking fills up fast. Bring a blanket and some snacks, and get ready to dance!
Concert-goers gather under 100-year old trees at Elizabeth Park’s gazebo. Photo credit: Brandon Fralic.
2. Boulevard Park Concert Series
Come for the show and stay for the sunset at Boulevard Park. Photo credit: Brandon Fralic.
3. Music at Maritime
The Senate perform at Maritime Heritage Park in 2015. Photo credit: Brandon Fralic.
4. Downtown Sounds
Each Wednesday between July 6 and August 3, Bay Street closes to traffic and turns into a music venue for Downtown Sounds. Photo courtesy: Downtown Bellingham Partnership.
Chef Andy Nguyen will share tips and inspiration for home cooks each week at the Wednesday Market in Fairhaven. Look for him next to Terra Verde Garden's booth. Pictured with Chef Nguyen is Terra Verde's Skuter Fontaine. Photo courtesy: Bellingham Farmers Market
When Chef Andy Nguyen started his restaurant career, the ingredients he worked with came off a truck. “You called up to say I need half a pig, strawberries, salmon, whatever, and then it would show up on the next delivery,” he recalls. Now, Nguyen sources ingredients from farmers and producers who live 10 minutes away from his Whatcom County home and the Drizzle Lynden kitchen where he is turning out simple, creative dishes inspired by the abundance of local farms.
In Whatcom and Skagit counties, “I have everything I need at hands’ reach,” Nguyen says. Starting this month, the chef will share his enthusiasm for local food and farmers by appearing each week at the Fairhaven Wednesday Market from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. to answer questions, share recipes and provide inspiration for home cooks. Look for him next to Terra Verde Garden’s booth on the Fairhaven Village Green. The Wednesday market is open noon to 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays through August.
Chef Andy Nguyen of Drizzle Lynden uses local, farm fresh finds from the Bellingham Farmers Market Wednesday Market in Fairhaven to create these splendid spreads. Photo courtesy: Chef Andy Nguyen.
“Chefs are really important,” says Skuter Fontaine, who owns Terra Verde with his wife, Amy. “They can give us the best feedback. Someone like Andy who is a regular customer gives us really excellent feedback. Selling directly to chefs also fills out farmer market sales and helps the farmers market as an organization. When someone eats at a restaurant that features local produce, it helps people get familiar with what’s grown locally and how to prepare it.” Fontaine hopes visitors to Nguyen’s Wednesday market booth will try something new and then return with a recipe to share.
Nguyen sees the Wednesday market appearances as one more way he can support local farmers. “No one gets to see how hard they work,” says Nguyen, who lives with his wife and two-month-old son in Everson. “It’s easy to get up on a Saturday and buy radishes at the market. Because I visit them at their farms, I see them in their boots and tank tops with their farmers’ tans.” Or, their pajamas. Once when Nguyen was in an early-morning rush, a farmer friend harvested produce for the chef before he had even had time to change out of his pajamas.
Nguyen, who regularly shops the Bellingham Farmers Market both downtown and in Fairhaven, adds, “It’s gratifying to see dollars going back to support them and the community.”
Learn tips from Drizzle Lynden Chef Andy Nguyen at the Wednesday Market in Fairhaven from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. now through August. Photo courtesy: Bellingham Farmers Market
The 26-year-old chef was born and raised in Whatcom County. When he started out, cooking was “just a job.” The culinary school at Bellingham Technical College changed that. Instructor Chef Michael Baldwin “pushed me to go somewhere, to learn and to make a difference,” Nguyen says. With Baldwin’s encouragement, Nguyen moved to a restaurant in Sun Valley, Idaho, and then to the W in Seattle. “At the W, here we were in the middle of the city, and people would be walking in the door with amazing mushrooms” and other locally sourced foods, he says. “I began to truly appreciate where our food comes from.”
To be closer to home, Nguyen left the W to work at Chuckanut Manor on Chuckanut Drive. There, with the support of owner Pat Woodcock and the inspiration of general manager and former Willows Inn sommelier Eric Bemis, he added new life to the historic roadside restaurant with a seasonal menu that drew heavily from Whatcom and Skagit county farms, including his legendary Wednesday farm-to-table dinners sourced from the Fairhaven Market.
Now at Drizzle Lynden, that commitment continues. When Drizzle owners Ross and Dana Driscoll decided to expand by opening a store on Lynden’s Front Street, they recruited Nguyen as chef and asked him to craft a menu to showcase their vinegars and olive oils. It’s the continuation of a partnership that began when — to build their brand and familiarize local shoppers with their olive oils and vinegars — the Driscolls hired the young chef to create six-course pop-up dinners at the shoe-box-sized space of the original Drizzle location. “They gave me a shot,” he says. Thanks to that experience, Nguyen adds, “I can cook anywhere. I think them every day for the experience. I was able to practice and to learn.”
Chef Andy Nguyen showcases local food and farmers in his simple, creative dishes at Drizzle Lynden. Photo courtesy: Chef Andy Nguyen.
All that experience is on display at Drizzle Lynden where Nguyen’s menu features produce and products from 20 local farmers and producers in rustic sandwiches, salads, pastas and desserts. The Drizzle Boards are gorgeous palettes of meats, terrines, fruit and artisan cheeses paired with the chef’s homemade pickles, olive relish and chutneys. Nguyen uses Drizzle vinegars to pickle local vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, onions, beets, radishes and rhubarb. The chef and his four-person crew make up small batches of salads and other dishes so that each order is as fresh as possible, ensuring diners experience the vegetables and other ingredients at their peak. “It’s just as it should be,” Nguyen says. “The food you see is the food you get. How simple is that?”
It is with excitement that United Way of Whatcom County (UWWC) welcomes Patricia (Patty) Boyce as a permanent member of UWWC’s team as the new Coordinator of Development and Community Impact. At the same time, UWWC says goodbye to Kristi Birkeland who has served as the Community Engagement Manager for the past three years.
For the last five years, Boyce has served as a temporary Lead Campaign Executive during the fall working with a variety of companies and organizations to build successful workplace giving campaigns. She has also served as a volunteer on UWWC’s Fund Distribution Committee, helping to review grants and participate in site visits of funded programs. She brings with her an exceptional variety of talents such as fundraising, community engagement, and high-level organizational skills to name a few. Boyce will start her full-time position with UWWC on July 1.
Birkeland has been involved with United Way in a variety of ways from being a Campaign Coordinator at a previous workplace, to volunteering on the Fund Distribution Committee. Over the last three years, she has been an integral part of UWWC’s team, helping to implement successful workplace giving campaigns that raised nearly $2 million each year, creating processes and documents to convey UWWC’s work in the community, and she worked year-round with top supportive companies to keep them involved with UWWC’s important work. She is looking forward to staying connected to United Way as a donor and volunteer as she moves on to new adventures. Birkeland’s last day will be June 15.
As the organization transitions and readjusts these positions, their long-time Director of Development, Tamara Tregoning, will become the lead staff for the United Way Campaign from this point on. She and Boyce look forward to continuing to serve the community through successful workplace giving and ongoing engagement with all of their constituents.
Sample Whatcom Blue at Twin Sisters Creamery in Ferndale.
If you like cheese, Twin Sisters Creamery in Ferndale has a white and blue just for you. Husband and wife owners Jeff and Lindsay Slevin make about 170 wheels a week — a process that can be viewed by the public through the window of their Cheese Shop on Portal Way every Tuesday.
Open since July of 2016, Twin Sisters Creamery’s Cheese Shop, located at 6202 Portal Way in Ferndale, offers between 60 and 70 varieties of cheese in two brightly lit cases, dividing local and imported cheese. “I think it’s a total gift because we can invite the customers in to meet us,” Lindsay says. “Right off the get-go, the community support, and the tourists and the RV park — people just coming in to check us out — has been really great.”
Husband and wife owners Jeff and Lindsay can be found vending cheese at Twin Sisters Creamery’s Cheese Shop.
The spacious shop also provides ample room for Lindsay’s cheese tasting and pairing classes where specialty cheeses can be sampled with a variety of accompanying beverages.
Lindsay’s route to cheese manufacturing started with retail and distribution. “I have been in the grocery and retail industry for 18 years,” she shares. “I was a food service director. One of the categories I was responsible for was cheese, and not on a specialty cheese level at all — but I really was interested in cheese.”
After working for the large-scale cheese importer and distributor DPI Specialty Foods for nearly 10 years, Lindsay’s passion began to grow. She was able to take a variety of internal cheese classes and programs through DPI Specialty Foods, Town and Country and Whole Foods. In 2012 Lindsay became a Certified Cheese Professional through the American Cheese Society. She then connected with Willapa Hills Farm, a diverse creamery that allowed her to do test batches. Jeff’s background in manufacturing and computer programming from a system analyst perspective complemented his and Lindsay’s desire to go into business making top-notch cheeses of their own.
The making of Twin Sisters Creamery cheese can be viewed at the creamery Cheese Shop on Tuesdays. Photo credit: Jane Sandelman.
For Lindsay, the decision to make raw milk cheese came from her desire to go back to basics and the roots of cheese making. When it comes to cheese, she’s somewhat of a purist. But the decision also came from being in the industry, working for an importer and knowing the safety of it. “We age for 60 days because we are a raw milk cheese producer and it does take that long to make blue ‘blue,’ as well to get the creaminess that we like,” Lindsay says. “Raw milk cheese is a very safe product and the regulation is aging 60 days. The key to safety is the cleanliness of your facility. That’s why we have the windows and that’s why we have the drains that we chose and the flooring that we chose.”
In addition to cleanliness, Lindsay feels safety is also in knowing the herd the milk comes from. Lindsay and Jeff specifically chose Jersey milk from Twin Brook Creamery in Lynden. Testing takes throughout several stages of the cheese making process, as soon as when the milk comes in all the way to when the cheese goes out.
The creamery’s blue cheese, Whatcom Blue, is mild, approachable and creamy, though not as sharp as some blue cheeses can be known for. Lindsay shares that people who think they don’t like blue cheese often end up enjoying theirs due to its creamy texture and flavor. “It’s fun to see the flavor coming through in our cheese because of Larry’s milk,” Lindsay says “Jersey milk has a high level of butter fat to it. It’s just beautiful milk and you can feel that coming all the way through the cheese and its color and its creamy texture and flavor.”
A variety of cheeses — both local and imported — can be purchased at the Twin Sisters Creamery’s Cheese Shop, located on Portal Way in Ferndale.
Lindsay and Jeff named their creamery after their two twin daughters, Lexi and Maddy. “The twins are our daughters and they truly are our inspiration,” Lindsay explains. “Spending years talking about wanting to do your own thing and then finally getting the courage to go ahead and say ‘let’s do it,’ — they inspired us,” she adds. “You want the best for your kids and you want them to follow their dreams, so we really thought the best way to show them to find true happiness and whatever they are passionate about would be to actually do it. It’s kind of like leading by example.”
Twin Sisters Creamery’s Cheese Shop is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information about Twin Sisters Creamery, including a full list of products, upcoming classes, a mouth-watering cheese gallery and more, visit Twin Sisters Creamery online.
Having trouble figuring out the best way to celebrate the fantastic dads in your life? Want to avoid giving him the same, predictable present again this year? Some dads are just plain hard to buy for because they already have what they need and want or prefer to choose it themselves.
But this year, you don’t have to worry about how to make the day memorable. WhatcomTalk has you covered with this collection of fabulous options for food, drink, exercise, gifts and activities throughout Whatcom County. With this list, you’re sure to plan a perfectly unique day for the fabulous fathers in your life.
Get Moving
Whatcom County is famous for its bevy of outdoor recreation opportunities and WhatcomTalk has written about most of them, including enough detail to get you started on your planning. Check out this overview and simply click the links below for more details:
The whole family can be out on the bay with a little help from the Community Boating Center in Fairhaven. Photo courtesy: Community Boating Center.
Bellingham also has many urban trails suitable for a leisurely walk or bicycle and more rugged, rural ones to help dad enjoy a more muddy adventure.
Take a Taste
Whatcom County is rapidly becoming known as the home of the local brewery. Most offer something called a flight, which allows your fabulous father to choose from four to six smaller samples of his choice. It’s a great way to try new styles and compare flavors in search of your favorite. Several new breweries have opened since this WhatcomTalk article was written, so take dad to a new one or honor his old favorite. Most breweries in the area also offer family-friendly dining.
Treat dad to a cold, refreshing brew this Fathers Day.
If dad prefers a mixed drink, take him to one of the many Whatcom County cocktail options. We’ve written about freshly made cocktails and cocktail bars of Downtown Bellingham alike. With these offerings, you’ll be sure to find something to keep your favorite father relaxed and happy.
Eat Up
Delicious, fresh and savory fare is available for breakfast, brunch, lunch dinner and dessert in Whatcom County. Bellingham has so many yummy breakfast spots we had to write two articles about them here and here. Of course, there’s also dad’s favorite old-fashioned bismarck experience at Rocket Donuts.
After a fun-filled day of outdoor adventures, pub crawling and more, sate dad’s appetite at one of Bellingham’s many restaurants, food trucks and more.
Lunch and dinner are covered in these articles about Bellingham’s perfect lunch sandwich, burger, pizza, and food trucks. Portions are generally ample and affordable.
If dad is trying to eat healthier he might enjoy a fresh salad or one of the many meals offered in Bellingham farm-to-table restaurants. We’re sure you’ll find the just right meal to satisfy his appetite.
Boogie Down
If dad prefers live music and dancing, many local venues will offer shows on Father’s Day weekend. Check the calendars and Facebook pages for the venues featured in this article about local music venues. Whether its rock, bluegrass, soul, or blues, Whatcom County has some talented musicians that will keep dad’s fingers snapping.
Buy Local
Find the perfect gift for dad this Father’s Day at local businesses like Village Books.
If a present is what you had in mind, Whatcom County has a number of businesses ready to help you find the perfect gift for dad. Although this article about giving the gift of experience was written around Christmas-time, it’s also appropriate for Father’s Day.
Whatever gift you choose, consider buying local first. This practice keeps our local economy humming and supports the business owners in our community. You can take it one step further by patronizing a local store in this directory of businesses practicing and supporting sustainability.
All in One
Can’t decide among the many options you have to choose from? Then perhaps you’ll enjoy the Bellingham Fête and Car Show,which offers them all. A fête is a large festival or party and this one is hosted by Wilson Motors on Iowa Street to raise money for a local membership organization fostering sustainable business practices, Sustainable Connections.
Join the fun at this Father’s Day at Wilson Motors’ Bellingham Fête and Car Show. Photo courtesy: Wilson Motors.
The event is not only full of activities dad might love like classic, antique, and electric cars, breweries, wine tasting, food trucks, and live music. This outdoor festival also features kid’s activities like bouncy houses, face painting, performers from the Bellingham Circus Guild, and pony rides. Everyone will be able to find something interesting.
Of course, there are so many more restaurants, businesses, and activities available that we couldn’t list them all. If we’ve missed some, please help us out by posting in the comments below. We at WhatcomTalk wish you and yours a very happy, healthy Father’s Day.
The first thing you notice about Dave Mauro — if he’s wearing shorts — is the massive tattoo decorating his right shin. At first glance, it appears to be a random collection of squiggly lines and characters, but closer inspection reveals dates, names and elevations. Each line is a mountain. Each date and elevation, a summit — representing the seven highest mountains on Earth.
Dave summited Mount Everest on May 20, 2013. In doing so, he became only the 65th American to climb the Seven Summits — the highest point on each of Earth’s continents.
What, then, does mountaineer Dave Mauro do when he’s not climbing mountains? He writes about climbing. He works as a financial planner in Bellingham. He golfs with comedian Ryan Stiles and spent several years performing improv at the Upfront Theater.
Dave’s tattoos represent his successful climbs of the Seven Summits. Photo credit: Phil Rose.
As an original cast member of the Upfront, Dave performed improv shows every week for about seven years. He was recruited by Ryan Stiles in the theater’s early days. “He talked me into giving it a try and of course, I got hooked. He is so incredibly good at what he does,” Dave says. “I had passable functional skills, but he’s got true talent. And there is a difference.”
But it takes more than passable functional skills to climb Earth’s tallest mountains. It takes courage and motivation, continuous training, and perseverance.
Reaching the Seven Summits wasn’t always on Dave’s to-do list. He didn’t start climbing until age 44. “It kind of came to me more than me going to it,” Dave explains. He was going through “one of life’s low ebbs” when his brother-in-law, Ty Hardt, approached him about climbing Denali. An accomplished climber and filmmaker based in Anchorage, Ty wanted to film a documentary about the climb and invited Dave along.
Having “retired” from climbing after summiting Mount Baker in 1993, Dave needed some convincing. He didn’t believe that he could make it to the top of North America’s highest peak. But Ty believed in him. “It was really the only good thing I had in my life to hold onto,” Dave admits. “Looking back I realize now that a guy who feels he’s got nothing to lose is actually a pretty dangerous guy.”
Dave at the summit of Mount Everest with a photo of his friend, Al Williamson, who died a few months earlier. Photo credit: Mingma Chhring Sherpa.
And so, he went. Climbing Denali was life-changing for Dave, and with one down, he resolved to tackle the remaining six continental summits.
Like Denali, Dave had his doubts about Everest. In “Reaching the Sky: From Bellingham to Mount Everest,” Dave admits, “I had re-read Jon Krakauer’s ‘Into Thin Air’ and decided I would never climb Mount Everest.” But after reaching his sixth continental summit — Carstensz Pyramid — Dave knew he could take on Everest. Dave writes, “the notion of climbing it seemed inexplicably doable…I would put my fear aside and reach for the sky.” And reach the sky, he did — at 29,029 feet.
From training for the climb at Bellingham Athletic Club to raising money for the Bellingham Boys and Girls Club, Dave kept home in mind at every step along the way. He set out with a goal to raise one dollar for every vertical foot of Mount Everest and ended up exceeding the goal by raising over $32,000.
The Boys and Girls Club kids were very supportive. “They would draw pictures of a mountain with me on the side of it and an abominable snowman chasing me,” Dave recalls. “One little 8-year-old by the name of Lily…apparently had seized upon the financial aspect of what I was doing. Her picture had me on the side of Everest with dollar bills literally shooting from my chest. Like I’m an ATM at 20,000 feet, here comes the money!”
Dave writing and enjoying the view in Africa. Photo courtesy: Dave Mauro.
Three years after Everest, Dave has readjusted to “normal” life in Bellingham. “I think it’s the greatest city in the world and I love it more every year I live there,” Dave says. These days, he climbs a little closer to home. Dave explains, “For fun, I pick a fight with a big mountain once a year.” Last year he summited Mount Rainier, and this year he’s leading a climb at Mount Hood. He also plans to publish a book about his climbing adventures.
“I spent about two years writing a book about the seven year period of my life where I was climbing the continental summits,” Dave says. Having already written the book, he hopes it will be picked up by a publisher soon. He anticipates spending some time on the road, doing book talks and promotion. Ultimately, Dave wants to have an impact on his readers. “You want to be heard. And you think it matters because it can have some kind of an impact on people’s lives,” Dave says. “I want that book to live.”
The Thorndikes in Ferndale look forward to welcoming Shiloh into their family, but they need the community's help. Photo credit: Jen Martin Photography.
A 7-year-old girl, born with Down Syndrome and a heart defect, was abandoned on the streets of China on Christmas Day 2014. She was frightened and alone until local police found her. After several days of no one coming forward, she was placed at a local orphanage.
But a Ferndale couple doesn’t see this as a sad story. They see a young, precious girl who would be a cherished part of their family with the community’s help.
“We desire to make her part of our family and would be honored to bring her home here to Washington,” Elizabeth Thorndike said.
Daniel and Elizabeth Thorndike married in 2007 and are owners of Dan’s Automotive in Bellingham. They currently have three children: daughters Savannah, 8, and Shelby, 5, students at Lynden Christian Elementary School; and son Shayland, 2. Shelby has Down Syndrome, which affects cognitive development.
“Since the day we said ‘I do,’ adoption has been on our hearts,” Elizabeth Thorndike said. “We have three beautiful children who make our lives magical and teach us more about ourselves every day. We love being parents and have had some beautiful lessons of unconditional love along the way.
“With the birth of our second daughter, Shelby, God took us on a new amazing adventure,” she continued. “She was unexpectedly born with Down Syndrome. Since that beautiful day in March 2011, we have learned strength, patience, how to be an amazing team, and most of all that God created each one of us uniquely, and with love and purpose!”
The girl the Thorndikes wish to adopt, whom they would name Shiloh, will need heart surgery as soon as she arrives. She has Tetralogy of Fallot, a congenital heart defect that usually is treated with corrective surgery in the first year of life in the United States.
“If she had been born in the U.S., she would have had this corrective surgery already,” Dan Thorndike said. “She is currently stable but needs the surgery ASAP.”
The surgery also makes this adoption process more expensive and complicated than most. To make the adoption possible, the Thorndikes are appealing to the public through a GoFundMe campaign to raise $45,000 for both the adoption and the surgery.
The Thorndikes already are receiving support from their church, Abundant Life in Bellingham.
“I can’t think personally of better parents to bring a special-needs child into their home,” said Jonathan Hanson, lead pastor at Abundant Life. “Elizabeth also wants to inspire others to adopt and help them find tools for being adoption parents.”
The Thorndikes already have received pre-approval for their adoption from China’s government. If enough funds are raised, “We are hoping we can bring Shiloh home in the next 3-4 months,” Dan Thorndike said.
Emma Carlton, 16, of the Bellingham Bay Swim Team qualified for the 2016 US Olympic Trials in the 100 Meter Butterfly with a time of 1:00.84 at Speedo Sectionals at King County Aquatic Center in March. Carlton, an incoming junior at Mt. Vernon High School, is Bellingham Bay Swim Team’s first swimmer to qualify for this meet and will travel to Omaha, Nebraska the last week in June. The US Olympic Trials is the second fastest meet in the world, only behind the actual Olympics.
“I am not nervous at all. I am one hundred percent excited for this meet and if I was nervous, I would take deep breaths and enjoy it because it only comes once every four years,” said Carlton. “My expectations are high. I expect to go in there and swim as fast and as hard as I possibly can because I know I have an amazing gift from God. But, I also want to go and have fun.”
Carlton currently is nationally ranked 61st of all-time in Top 100 for 100 Meter Fly/Long Course for 15-16-year-old girls. She owns thirty individual team records and is .19 off of the Local Swimming Committee (LSC) record set by Dana Kirk (Bremerton), a 2004 Olympian in the 100 Fly.
Head Coach Sean Muncie said that this is the most talented group of young swimmers he’s ever worked with and when he arrived four years ago, he told the swimmers as much “…but where do you want to go and what are we going to do about it?”
The Olympic Trials will be televised live June 26 through July 3, 2016, on NBC. Carlton will race the 100 FLY on Sunday, June 26 with qualifying heats at 6:00 p.m. via NBC Sports Net.
The Bellingham Kids Traverse, hosted by Recreation Northwest, returns for its 4th year. Photo courtesy: Recreation Northwest.
Parents, mark your calendars. The 4th annual Bellingham Kids Traverse takes place June 26, 2016. With an all-new venue and sweet incentives at the finish line, this year’s race is sure to be a winner.
The Bellingham Kids Traverse is modeled after the popular event for parents of a similar name, the Bellingham Traverse. Now in its 15th year, the Bellingham Traverse is a relay race designed to celebrate the journey of wild salmon. Both races are organized by Recreation Northwest, a local non-profit whose mission is to “promote outdoor recreation and bring people together to enjoy, preserve and improve the places where we play.”
Recreation Northwest’s Executive Director, Todd Elsworth, explains that the Bellingham Kids Traverse was born out of the success of Bellingham Traverse. “We want to provide an opportunity for kids to do it, and promote active, healthy, family activity,” Todd says.
Racers approach the finish line enthusiastically after their mile run. Photo courtesy: Recreation Northwest.
With that goal in mind, the Bellingham Kids Traverse offers a three-leg race that consists of a 1-mile run, 1.5-mile mountain bike, and a 0.5-mile obstacle course before the 0.25-mile trek to the finish. Approximately 200 participants are expected to compete.
The Race
The Bellingham Kids Traverse is open to children between the ages of 6 and 12. Racers can compete solo (Chinook), tandem (Coho) or as part of a team (Chum), with each division further separated into age groups. Recreation Northwest has a little fun with the salmon theme, offering encouraging words for each division on their website. “Chinook are tough. Coho need a buddy. Chum need all the help they can get.” And just like a salmon’s life cycle, this race ends right where it begins.
“The 1-mile run will circumnavigate the perimeter of the park,” Todd says. “You’ll be able to watch the kids pretty much the whole time they are running.” This visibility is an improvement over past years. Previously, the race was held at Civic Field, where it was sometimes tricky for spectators to view the action. But moving to a new venue should solve that problem.
The New Venue: Squalicum Creek Park
Squalicum Creek Park is a popular destination due to its zip line, off-leash dog park and other attractions. This year, it will also play host to the Bellingham Kids Traverse.
Managed by Bellingham Parks and Recreation, Squalicum Creek Park is the new venue for the Bellingham Kids Traverse. This relatively new neighborhood park — best known for its, zip line, off-leash dog area, ball fields, and extensive playground — is perfectly suited for the race. “You’ll be able to see the kids pretty much 90% of the time,” Todd says. “Bring the grandparents and everybody to watch.”
Nestled between the Birchwood and Columbia neighborhoods, Squalicum Creek Park is conveniently located for many families. Recreation Northwest would like to encourage as much car-free travel to the park as possible. The best solution, of course, is for nearby families to simply walk or ride their bikes to the race.
Friendly Competition
While ribbons are awarded to the top finishers, the focus of the Bellingham Kids Traverse is on family fun more than competition. “A lot of parents and kids think, ‘I’m not a racer,’ ‘I’m not competitive,’” Todd says. As a father himself, Todd understands. “This is really just about getting kids out and having a good time.”
Reaching the Finish Line
A cyclist competes on the 1.5-mile mountain bike course. Photo courtesy: Recreation Northwest.
Teams finish the race together. After completing their run, bike, and obstacle course segments, the final stretch is a quarter-mile team run to the finish line — where refreshing incentives await. Once competitors finish, they’ll be treated to root beer floats made with Mallard ice cream and Boundary Bayroot beer. Adults can get in on the action, too. “We’ll have root beer floats for sale for parents and the rest of the family,” Todd says.
Making It All Possible
Of course, the race wouldn’t exist without its generous partners, sponsors, organizers and volunteers. Todd especially wants to recognize race director Jen Gallant. As director of Girls on the Run at Whatcom YMCA, Jen helps inspire young girls to be “joyful, healthy and confident.” Todd says, “Jen brings a high level of enthusiasm and encouragement to get all the kids excited and motivated to have fun.”
“Chum” teammates pose before the big race. Photo courtesy: Recreation Northwest.
Village Books owner and event sponsor Chuck Robinson is also looking forward to this year’s race. “Those of us at Village Books have been fans of the traverse for years, and of the kids traverse since it began in 2013,” Chuck says. “We’re extremely proud to be a sponsor of this great event for young folks.”
It takes a village to organize the Bellingham Kids Traverse, and the community can help by volunteering. Jobs range from setup and takedown to crowd control, parking, and course marshaling. Visit the volunteer page on Recreation Northwest’s website for more information.
Jason Dallmann, Board President of ReUse Works, announced earlier last week that Dori Eppstein has been hired to replace founding executive director, Duane Jager, who will is retiring this month.
As chief executive officer of the corporation, Eppstein will be responsible for implementing policies set by the board of directors, including management of the financial, programmatic, and administrative functions of the corporation.
Eppstein brings years of leadership experience in both the non-profit and entrepreneurial arenas and will oversee operations at Ragfinery and Appliance Depot, the two job training businesses run by ReUse Works.
“After being interviewed by board members and management level staff, Dori was embraced by all as the right person to take our nonprofit to the next level,” said Dallmann.
Eppstein is the former executive director of Hearts and Horses Therapeutic Horseback Riding Facility in Loveland, CO., where she turned a struggling nonprofit into a successful and financially stable organization. Since moving to Bellingham in 2014 she’s been a professional consultant as a life and business coach.
“I am so happy to be joining an organization that has a proven track record and a solid foundation,” she said.
Eppstein received her Master’s Degree in psychology from San Diego State University and has been an instructor, student advisor, and Dean of Student Activities at community colleges in Colorado and California.
“Dori’s educational background is an added benefit for our job training programs,” Dallmann said.
Eppstein’s priority will be to grow ReUse Works’ recently launched textile reuse business, Ragfinery. While the nonprofit’s ten-year-old Appliance Depot is self-sustaining, its newest “jobs from waste” business, Ragfinery, is still in its infancy and relies on grant support as well as the need to build a larger customer base.
A welcoming reception for Eppstein will be held at Ragfinery, 1421 N. Forest Street, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 16.
After five decades of operation, Barron Heating, AC, Electrical & Plumbing continues to be a local leader in meeting the heating needs of residents....
Put on by the City of Bellingham’s Parks and Recreation department, Concerts in the Park is a summer-long series held at three of Bellingham’s finest city parks. Food is available for purchase at all three venues, with local food trucks serving up the goods. Biking, walking, and taking the bus are always encouraged at these events, as parking fills up fast. Bring a blanket and some snacks, and get ready to dance!
