The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) invites the community to join us in recognition of October 2024 as Community Conflict Resolution Month. Governor Jay Inslee has signed a proclamation citing the impact of community mediation in Washington State, and urging the people of our state to join in observance. Additionally, within Whatcom County and across the entire world, the third Thursday in October (October 17, 2024) will be celebrated as Conflict Resolution Day.
Everyone experiences conflict. Yet, despite being a nearly universal experience, conflict can be incredibly destabilizing for individuals, organizations, and communities alike. Luckily, our community members do not need to face these conflicts alone. The WDRC is here to help the people of Whatcom County to navigate through conflict, to find productive and mutually beneficial solutions, and to preserve relationships and prevent negative outcomes.
Photo courtesy Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
One very common experience (that most of us can relate to) is conflict with a neighbor. That is the subject of the recent NPR Life Kit podcast episode Dealing with Neighbor Drama, which explores neighbor disputes, why they can create such upheaval in our lives, and how we can use those times of tension to grow in positive relationship with the people who live closest to us.
Our Executive Director Moonwater sat down with the team at Life Kit to talk about these conflicts, provide some tips for how to avoid or lessen conflict, and share how dispute resolution centers can help to bridge the divide when neighbors are unable to come to agreement on their own.
“When we approach conflict as an opportunity, it transforms the way we show up in that conversation. It has a tendency to lead towards more patience and curiosity and grace for one another, towards more compassion. We even tend to change the modulation of our voice. When we think about a difficult conversation with curiosity, we change the kinds of questions we ask and how long we’re willing to stay present in that conversation.” –Moonwater, WDRC Executive Director
The WDRC encourages our community members to honor October as Conflict Resolution Month by learning more about the roots of conflict, and committing to exploring constructive and collaborative ways to find resolution. To participate in Conflict Resolution Month you can:
Sign up for the WDRC email list to receive important updates on our work, including training opportunities and tips for dealing with conflict
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook — we will be sharing tips for dealing with conflict every day in October!
Reach out to WDRC if you find yourself caught in conflict by calling 360-676-0122 or emailing wdrc@whatcomdrc.org
About WDRC
The WDRC is a nonprofit dedicated to providing and promoting constructive and collaborative approaches to conflict. More information can be found at www.whatcomdrc.org or by calling 360.676.0122.
The tours see large crowds during the summer and into the fall and are especially popular in October during Halloween season. Photo courtesy BellingHistory/Good Time Girls
Once its own city, Bellingham’s historic Fairhaven District has stood in South Bellingham since its establishment in the early 1800s. Today, the large cobblestone-paved streets with towering brick buildings stand sentinel to a long-gone era that saw Fairhaven as a rough-and-tumble boom town with no shortage of action, success, hardships, and tragedy.
Created in 2012, the district’s Gore and Lore Tour keep some of Fairhaven’s darker, scarier elements alive during spring, summer and select weeks in October since.
Knowledgeable, costumed guides introduce participants to the spooky side of Fairhaven’s history with a touch of dark humor. Guests explore 1890s-era buildings, hear creepy local legends and lore, and uncover the history behind them. Although no ghosts have been sighted and jump scares aren’t built in, the guides remain vigilant. The tour includes discussions of death, so parental guidance is suggested.
The Fairhaven tours have earned high praise from customers. Some have been attending since 2015 and watched the tour grow and develop.
A tour stop in Fairhaven along the Gore and Lore Tour. Photo courtesy BellingHistory/Good Time Girls
“The first tour I attended was in 2015, and I’ve gone to, on average, one a year since,” says Jon Luthanen. “I learned about the origins of the Black Cat restaurant name, the local ghost hunting agency, the history of Mark Twain visiting the area, the history behind the mansion on South Hill, and some information about the headstones that line the sidewalks in Fairhaven.”
The tours are created and put on by BellingHistory with the Good Time Girls. The organization offers guided historical walking tours designed for both locals and tourists. Founded in 2011 by Marissa McGrath and Sara Holodnick, the tours are known for their lively and informative approach, featuring well-researched stories about various historical figures such as sex workers, immigrants, and laborers.
In 2017, Kolby LaBree and Wren Rivers took over and started guiding. They continue to deliver engaging tours while expanding the offerings to include year-round and all-ages educational programs. With a background in anthropology and historic preservation, Kolby and Wren — known for their dynamic storytelling — aim to make history fun and thought-provoking.
“Our passion for and knowledge of local history and ability to make it fun,” LaBree says — a combination of thorough research and understanding of good stories.”
Fairhaven’s Sycamore Square is a haunted “hot spot” along the tour. Photo courtesy BellingHistory/Good Time Girls
According to LaBree, Sycamore Square is Fairhaven’s haunted “hotspot,” but every building has a ghost story. True crime stories were everywhere during Fairhaven’s Wild West days, and the tour explores that past and tells the stories of the buildings that otherwise would be lost to history.
Additional Tours
If the Fairhaven Gore and Lore Tour has you craving more spooky history and experiences, the group also offers several other excursions.
“We also have a Downtown Gore and Lore Tour,” says LaBree, “and our tours of Bayview Cemetery are very popular, especially during October.”
The Bayview Cemetery tour looks at the history and evolution of the burial ground established in 1887. Participants visit the older sections of the cemetery and view some of its most intriguing monuments, unearthing stories of notable individuals interred there.
Bayview Cemetery is one of the additional stops in the Good Time Girls’ lineup of tours. Photo courtesy BellingHistory/Good Time Girls
Much like the Fairhaven Gore and Lore Tours, a guided walking tour of Downton Bellingham explores eerie tales from the downtown district’s past. The tour features Bellingham’s spookiest history, including stories of true crime, local legends, and other unsettling events.
In addition to some of the creepier tours, BellingHistory with the Good Time Girls also offers general history walking tours, a Shore Leave Tour and Sin and Gin Tours, which takes patrons on a journey through Bellingham’s history of vice, tracing its evolution from the Wild West era through Prohibition and beyond.
BellingHistory With the Good Time Girls Podcast
BellingHistory with the Good Time Girls also produces podcasts that cover various elements of Bellingham’s history. Episodes take a deep dive into topics like the Terminal/Tony’s Coffee building in Fairhaven that recently burned down, along with episodes on local sex workers from the late 1800s and even the history of tattoos and tattooing in Bellingham. You can find the podcast by searching BellingHistory with the Good Time Girls Podcast on your favorite podcast platforms.
For more tour information, visit the BellingHistory with the Good Time Girls website at www.bellinghistory.com. During the offseason, the group also offers private tours. Additionally, virtual, and digital tour experiences are available for viewing.
September. Octobrr. Novembrrr. DecemBRRR! The “brr” months are here, and we all know what that means: that thermometer will just keep dropping down, and down, and down. Are you ready?
Operating over 3,000 hours per year, our heating and air conditioning equipment powers through hot and smoky summers, cold winters, and everything in between. With that kind of mileage, it’s clear how vital maintenance is to keep your system performing safely and properly for the season ahead. Just like oil changes, tire rotations, and tune-ups to prevent breakdowns in your vehicle, regular HVAC maintenance is essential for your home, reducing unexpected breakdowns by a whopping 95% (iaqa.org). This can help extend the life of your investment and often keep it under warranty, should it apply.
A performance maintenance with Barron is designed to be a top-to-bottom checkup for the health of your home. Photo courtesy Barron
In addition to preventing unexpected breakdowns, safety is an important reason to maintain your system regularly. Coming home in the dead of winter to a frozen house can not only be unsettling but can lead to a domino effect of burst pipes, water damage, and leaks. And leaks from a cracked or failed heat exchanger is the real hazard, as it can cause carbon monoxide to escape into your home, resulting in serious health issues, in even the lowest of levels.
A performance maintenance with Barron is designed to be a top-to-bottom checkup for the health of your home. During a maintenance service, our trained technicians focus on returning your system(s) to the operating specifications originally engineered, catching any problem areas before they become bigger issues. Our furnace maintenance checklist includes comprehensively cleaning and adjusting interior components, checking for performance decline, and changing out your air filters, all of which help to improve your indoor air quality and performance of the unit.
Equipment does have a lifespan, however, and it’s important to consider your “cost to keep” versus maintaining an old unit. From expected deterioration due to age to dated technology, transitioning from regular maintenance to a system upgrade may actually be more cost-effective, especially when repairs become more frequent or your cost to run the unit is high.
Is it time to upgrade? Now’s a great time! As the weather cools, we’re heating up our equipment specials for Barron Silver Shield Members. With our ‘Barron Brr Bucks‘ offer, you can earn $110 for every year of your old furnace, heat pump, or water heater’s age, up to $1,100 for a full system replacement — and up to $550 for your furnace or water heater! The older your equipment, the more Brr Bucks you can earn — use them now or save them for future Barron projects!
The cold weather is coming to Whatcom County. It is time for a systems upgrade? Photo courtesy Barron
This offer applies to all Silver Shield Members — whether you sign up today or have been a member since the beginning. As always, our memberships are trade-specific, allowing you to choose between HVAC, Electrical, or Plumbing for your plan. Choose one or sign up for them all: each membership plan includes an annual performance maintenance, 20% off service discount, lifetime workmanship guarantee, priority service, and more.
And, for a limited time, we’re offering memberships at buy one, get one half off! If you’re interested in memberships for both your plumbing systems AND your furnace, for example, this deal is for you.
The “brr” months are underway! And from maintaining your current heating system to upgrading your equipment, let Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing prep your home for the chill ahead. The efficiency, safety, and reliability of your home’s most important systems matter—so turn to the team you’ve trusted for more than 50 years. As your Pacific Northwest home and building performance experts since 1972, we stand by Our Mission: Improving Lives™.
The Knights of Pythias Building facade reflects the expansion of the basement into its ground floor with the stone exterior and second-story doors, while the upper stories have doors and balconies from disused fire escapes. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Between Downtown and Fairhaven, Bellingham has fewer remaining historic buildings compared to other Washington cities. Many date only back to the late 19th to early 20th centuries, yet they bear architectural features that puzzle onlookers today.
Second-story doors, old-fashioned sidewalk tiles, and odd architectural styles are among the curious incidents. What purposes did these originally serve? Did Bellingham have its own built-over Wild West like the Seattle Underground? Some of these sights have mundane explanations, but they all reveal a vibrant history of built environments.
As Above…
“Doors to nowhere” on building exteriors have always invited speculation about the former purpose they may have served. In Bellingham, several buildings’ facades reflect historic changes to their floorplans.
The Dahlquist Building presents peculiar sights front-to-back: a ghost sign reads “Hotel Mullin” above the burnt-out upper windows in front, and a second-story red door reads “Antler Apt” by boarded windows in back. These names reflect its time as Hotel Mullin from 1913 to 1925, Antler Hotel until 1945, Moore Apartments until 1947, and finally Antler Apartments until 1976. The answer lies in the damage: a fire in the apartments’ final year destroyed the upper two floors, and the door — a fire escape — only escaped with its stairs removed to stabilize the building.
The “Antler Apartments” sign on the red door gives unfamiliar viewers a clue as to the building’s origins, while the fire damage belies the reason for the fire escape’s abandonment. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Fairhaven’s Knights of Pythias Building has likewise had its historical fire escape stairs removed from its rear wall above present-day Colophon Café and Village Books and Paper Dreams. As Fairhaven History notes, this removal in the 1970s deterred squatters from Fairhaven’s hippie community. But the second-story doors reflect the building’s internal renovations, as its current tenants occupy the expanded former basement. Inside the disused third floor, the building still has a peephole door guarding its original halls for fraternal organizations.
The T.G. Richards Building or Territorial Courthouse — Bellingham’s oldest building and Washington’s oldest brick building circa 1858 — has almost the opposite effect. It rises from the industrial waterfront as though the city is swallowing it, concealing the basement that was once its ground floor. The second story became the first when the city filled in mudflats to construct Lettered Streets — after its uses as a gold rush store, courthouse, and jail. Today, it houses the Helen Loggie Museum of Art, and the Waterfront Seafood and Bar (circa 1912) is the only remaining Old Town building on stilts over the mudflats.
…So Below
Bellingham’s sidewalks, streets, and roads also reflect what’s buried underneath the historic constructs.
Purple glass tiles on the sidewalk are a familiar site to anyone who has visited the Seattle Underground. These “vault lights” illuminate the basements underneath, manganese in the glass turning it from clear to purple after sunlight exposure.
The YMCA’s vault lights are a rare artifact in Bellingham, but historic buildings such as the Flatiron Building (Faithlife) and Breier Building (Bayou on Bay) also had underground spaces accessed by basements or even freight elevators. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
In Bellingham, Whatcom Family YMCA has vault lights above a basement space where retailers such as a barbershop once operated via the former Sunset Building. This sight has inspired local legends about tunnel systems underneath Bellingham, even incorporating the real history of Sehome Coal Mine, but the YMCA’s basement only serves as storage.
The YMCA also occupies a different building than it started with in 1903. The Odd Fellows Building earned its name after the YMCA moved to the 1906 Exchange Building in 1942 and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows moved in. The Orion, the building’s present-day bar and music venue, pays homage to its arcane history with fraternal order-themed décor.
Bellingham’s roads also bear witness to transit history with their remnants of railroad and streetcar systems. Several rails still run along the pavement of Railroad Avenue, Orchard Place, Squalicum Way near Cornwall and Squalicum Parks, and Fairhaven’s Finnegan Way and 11th Street. In Fairhaven, stretches of Harris Avenue are still paved with red bricks from the streetcar that was discontinued by 1940. The Interurban Trail, Railroad Trail, South Bay Trail, and others have converted original routes from “rails to trails.”
Railroad Avenue (pictured) earns its name from relics of the railway and streetcar systems, which have abandoned rails running across the pavement throughout town. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Architectural Oddities All Around Us
Still other architectural features of Bellingham preserve the consistent styles and materials of the past. Chuckanut sandstone has been the building material peculiar to the region since Henry Roeder first started the Chuckanut Stone Quarry in 1856. It has featured in the construction of the Lottie Roth Block, Bellingham Armory, Whatcom Falls Park’s bridge recycled from the former Pike Building, and even Seattle’s Pioneer Square.
Old buildings’ ghost signs throughout downtown and Fairhaven reflect the practice of painting advertisements onto brick buildings. Of the buildings discussed here, the Dahlquist Building, Knights of Pythias Building, and Odd Fellows Building all bear ghost signs.
Bellingham’s historic buildings bear the signature of many prominent architects. Frederick Stanley Piper built the Bellingham Herald Building, Bellingham Fine Arts Building, Eldridge Mansion, and Great Northern Railroad Passenger Station. Alfred Lee built the Old City Hall, original YMCA building, and numerous historic homes and churches. Henry Bacon, the Lincoln Memorial architect, built the 1906 George Bacon House for his first cousin in the Classical Revival (or “Jeffersonian Classicism”) style.
The Masonic Hall is the only Bellingham building in the Egyptian style, an uncommon feature. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Some of Bellingham’s rarer architectural styles include the Egyptian style of the Masonic Hall, European style of Lairmont Manor, and mix of Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Romanesque Revival styles of the Old City Hall Building (modern-day Whatcom Museum).
Bellingham’s architectural oddities don’t end with relics of historic industry. Between throwbacks like the red brick Fairhaven Tower and new murals and ornamentation all over town, new works keep the city’s subdued excitement going.
Bellingham Public Library Children's Librarian Alison Kubeny displays the selection of children's titles that will be explored in BSO's upcoming book club. Photo courtesy Bellingham Public Library
A new season for the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra offers a new opportunity for concert-goers to engage with the musical programs.
Executive director Gail Ridenour recently announced the formation of a BSO Book Club, teaming up with Bellingham Public Library, Whatcom County Library System, and Village Books, pairing a book with each concert theme. Books can be checked out through the libraries or purchased at Village Books.
“Combining reading with music creates an opportunity to connect more deeply with both,” says Michael Cox, deputy director for the WCLS. “Each of these art forms has the capacity to change how we think and feel. The Whatcom County Library System is excited to be a part of the rich and potentially unexpected conversations born from this collaboration.”
Even better, there’s a special book club for kids!
“Books and music have historically been, and continue to be, powerful and meaningful vehicles for telling and sharing stories,” says Bethany Hogland, deputy library director for Bellingham Public Library and former head of youth services at BPL. “We’re thrilled to team up with the Bellingham Symphony to provide an opportunity for deeper connection and exploration of important topics to the community that supports the Symphony’s 2024-2025 concert series.”
Bellingham Public Library Children’s Librarian Alison Kubeny poses in front of BSO’s season poster outside Mount Baker Theatre. Photo courtesy Bellingham Public Library
A Marriage of Music and Literature
Beginning with the season opening concert on September 29, the first book for adult readers is Bredan Slocumb’s The Violin Conspiracy,which connects with the BSO’s soloist piece for the concert, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto as well as to Grammy Award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery’s Banner.
“The Violin Conspiracy” is about a violin soloist in the International Tchaikovsky Concerto Competition as well as about the experience of being Black in the classical music world, which relates directly to Banner.
True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America,by Betsy Gaines Quammen is the title for the November 24 concert, which features John Williams’ Cowboys Overture, Midkiff’s Mandolin Concerto “From the Blue Ridge,” Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Ginastera’s Four Dances From Estancia. The book examines myths and stories of the West and can serve as an entry to think about new perspectives on the dream of America.
For the March 23 concert, readers are invited to read Something About the Skyby Rachel Carson, with gorgeous illustrations by Nikki McClure. Carson’s book revels in the connection between wonders of nature and the delights of poetry and other literature.
March’s concert theme is Making Waves, with an eclectic program that features Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, which incorporates recordings of birdsong, as well as John Williams’ theme from “Jaws” and Debussy’s La Mer.
The Green Mile by Stephen King is the selection for the April 27 concert, which is themed Singing Out. The symphony will be joined by the Bellingham Chamber Chorale and the Phoenix Chamber Choir.
The story of an inmate at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary’s death-row facility, The Green Mile is set in the 1930s. The concert features Bellingham soprano Heather Dudenbostel, in the symphony’s annual “Harmony from Discord” series. Each piece in this concert — Kenji Bunch’s Supermaximum, Henriëtte Bosmans’ Concert Piece, andGabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” are powerful reminders of our past.
For the children’s series, a librarian will come to the Classical Kids dress rehearsals for storytime with the library. Classical Kids dress rehearsals — which are free for families to attend — allow kids to experience the orchestra at their level. There are snacks, activities, space for movement, plus the orchestra, and sensory-friendly options with low light levels and noise-minimizing headphones for those who would like them.
BSO and Village Books are matching a 15% discount for books and tickets. Use code TAKE15 to save when ordering tickets online!
“You can find a book to complement any event or learn more about anything,” says Paul Hansen, co-owner of Village Books. “And this is such a perfect pairing of the arts — literature and music, in perfect harmony!”
A typical clinic scene. Photo courtesy Medical Teams International
Perhaps you’ve seen the big red motor coach parked outside the Bellingham Food Bank (BFB) every month or so. Have you wondered about it? It’s a mobile dental clinic, providing services for people with no other access.
The clinic, a program of Medical Teams International (MTI), is staffed by a small team of volunteers, including “retired” dentists Marc Fairbanks and Scott Jones, assisted by dental assistants Parker Barbo and Julie Gibboney.
Patient intake is handled by a team of volunteers from First Congregational Church of Bellingham (FCCB), including local veterinarian Kris Johnson and Bill Liddicoet, retired marketing executive and former president of Fairhaven Neighbors. Johnson, Liddicoet, Carol Gurguile, Anne Brody-Knopf, and Diane Bateman Cortez do intake on clinic days. “This is a way I can give back to the community that supported my practice for so many years,” says Fairbanks.
For now, the clinic only does extractions and fillings, procedures that prioritize patients experiencing dental pain and don’t require follow-up visits. They want to do cleanings and preventive care, but need dental hygienists to volunteer to provide those services. “It’s first-come, first served,” Johnson says. They try to make sure that all patients in pain get seen while the clinic is available, but triage is not always possible with patients arriving throughout the day.
Dental Care Is Essential
“We believe in treating everyone with dignity,” Liddicoet says, “and there isn’t a whole lot of dignity in sitting in a hot parking lot all day. Most patients have mobile phones, and we give them an estimate of their appointment time and text them when it’s getting close, so they can go wait somewhere comfortable or get on with their day.” Many patients speak limited English, and the volunteers use Google Translate to text patients in their own language when their turn is coming soon. “It would really help if we had volunteers who can speak Spanish or Ukrainian,” Johnson says.
Dr. Marc Fairbanks, Kris Johnson, and Bill Liddicoet. Photo credit: Kristin Noreen
“Dental care is essential,” Johnson says. “People need to sleep and eat — those are the basic things you need to be safe, and dental pain can take both of those away.” It’s common for patients who have lacked regular dental care to have all their teeth extracted so they can get dentures.
Volunteering after retirement has its own challenges. Dr. Fairbanks must maintain his professional certification, which means taking continuing professional education classes and paying his license fees. Dental hygienists must also maintain certification to volunteer.
MTI provides orientation and training for all their volunteers. “It’s a process,” Dr. Fairbanks says. “You can’t just show up on clinic day and offer to help.” Links are provided at the end of this article for people who are interested in volunteering.
Much like the better-known Doctors Without Borders, MTI responds to famines, wars, and natural disasters around the world. In the US Pacific Northwest, MTI operates a fleet of 40-foot motor coaches outfitted as mobile clinics, to provide medical and dental services to people who have no other access to care. MTI mobile clinics serve migrant worker villages, places that have experienced natural disasters, and counties with a high percentage of unhoused people. Dr. Fairbanks learned about MTI when he was invited to volunteer at a clinic for migrant workers.
A patient and volunteer outside a mobile clinic van. Photo courtesy Medical Teams International
Bellingham Food Bank Sponsorship
To use MTI mobile clinics, you need a sponsoring partner organization to pay the cost of using the mobile clinic, and a volunteer team to staff the clinic. Bellingham is fortunate to have the BFB as a partner. Our local MTI volunteer team would like more partners so the clinic can go to more locations, perhaps out to eastern Whatcom County more often where the need is great. A few years ago, there was one dentist serving the entire Mount Baker School District—that’s 16,000 people. People in underserved areas need to be able to travel to see a dentist.
The first MTI dental clinic was held at First Congregational Church, which Fairbanks, Liddicoet and Johnson all attend. Shortly after, the BFB stepped up to keep it going.
The BFB uses funds from its operating budget to pay the fee for the mobile dental clinic. “This clinic could not have happened without the serendipitous timing of Dr. Fairbanks’ retirement,” Bill Liddicoet says. “He did his first clinic the day after his retirement party.”
Since June of 2022, the BFB has hosted 18 clinics, and served 179 patients with a total procedure value of more than $86,000.
Dr. Scott Jones and Julie Gibboney work on a patient in the mobile clinic. Photo courtesy Medical Teams International
Who Can Use the Mobile Clinic?
Anyone who needs care can come; no one is turned away. They are limited by the number of patients they can see while the clinic is there. “Aging Boomers are losing their employer-provided dental insurance; that’s a big part of the demographic we’re seeing now.” Liddicoet wishes they collected more data on their patient base so they could advocate effectively.
When the mobile clinic is coming, the BFB advertises on Facebook and Instagram, and with flyers handed out at the Food Bank.
A Personal Touch
The volunteer team tries to make the clinics a fun and positive experience.
“I love talking with the people,” says Johnson. “Everyone has a story, and some of these people are isolated; they don’t get the opportunity to have conversations.” Many patients have anxiety about treatment, especially people with mental health issues, but dental pain is so debilitating and they are so eager to get help, they can usually overcome their fear. Johnson enjoys reassuring anxious patients.
The enthusiasm of the volunteer team shines through. “I think when you really connect with people, the benefits flow both ways,” Dr. Fairbanks says. Johnson adds, “You see people getting off buses coming to the clinic, and they’re grinning because they’re so happy to know their pain will be gone soon.”
MTI Mobile Clinic with BFB Operations Manager Melanie Danner, BFB Executive Director Mike Cohen, and Volunteer Bill Liddicoet. Photo courtesy Medical Teams International
A Patient’s Story
Terry Bell uses the MTI dental clinic and offered to share her story. Retired and on Medicare Part C (which does not include a dental plan), Bell needs surgery on both shoulders, and during her presurgical exam, blood testing revealed that two teeth were infected and needed to be pulled. Oral infections can cause complications during surgery and make the heart less stable under anesthesia, so that had to be dealt with before the surgery could be scheduled. Bell tried to use Unity Care and SeaMar’s clinics, but they no longer take walk-ins; you must be a clinic patient already to use their dental services. A longtime friend of the Fairbanks family, Bell found relief through Dr. Fairbanks and the MTI mobile clinic. She got two extractions and two fillings, then a previously treated abscess returned. She still needs care, but there are no clinics scheduled until September due to a shortage of volunteers, especially dental assistants.
How Can I Help?
This great community service needs your help! If you’re a dental professional, active or retired, please consider volunteering. MTI provides volunteer orientation. Your certifications must be current. If you are not a dental professional but would like to help with intake, you can sign up with MTI. Volunteers who speak additional languages besides English are especially needed.
If you’d like to donate money, you can so so through the Bellingham Food Bank; specify in your comments that the donation is to support the mobile dental clinic. You can also make general donations to the Food Bank’s operating budget via this link. Or, donate directly to MTI to help support all their programs.
The Martin Family on their newly acquired farmland. Photo courtesy Whatcom Land Trust
About three miles southeast of Acme, near the snaking banks of the Nooksack River’s South Fork, you’ll find Osprey Hill Farm.
The organically-focused family farm produces a range of crops — from culinary herbs and berries to hothouse tomatoes — while also raising poultry and livestock. Nearly a quarter of a century into operation, the farm recently took a big leap forward: increasing their land base by 54 acres by working with Whatcom County’s Conservation Easement Program (CEP) and Whatcom Land Trust.
The Conservation Easement Program is a voluntary program that protects farmland from subdivision and development by compensating landowners for their unused development rights. Created in 2002 to protect farmland, the CEP expanded its mission in 2018 to include the protecting of working forestland and areas of ecological importance. To date, about 2,000 acres of local farm and forestland have been protected, ensuring these lands stay in working production forever.
Osprey Hill Farm’s current operation. Photo courtesy Whatcom Land Trust
Land Preservation and Protection
Osprey Hill’s acquisition of 54 acres was part of a project that took multiple partners and years to complete.
Alex Jeffers, The Trust’s conservation director, says the acreage was purchased in 2014 from a company that grew poplar trees and was part of a multi-property purchase in the South Fork Valley area. The Trust purchased the land through a Whatcom Community Foundation grant, with the goal of protecting riparian areas along the Nooksack River and its tributaries before transferring the land back to local farmers.
“We’re big believers that farming and habitat conservation, and water quality and quantity goals, aren’t at odds with each other,” Jeffers says. “We wanted to put projects together that protect those environmental resources and allow folks to allow continue growing food and feeding our communities and contributing to our economy.”
After purchasing the land, the Trust partnered with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) to restore the creek that runs through the property, improving habitat and water quality. When it came time to transfer the rest of the acreage, The Trust partnered with the County’s CEP program, which removed the 54 acres’ single development right. The acreage can now never be used for residential or commercial building, other than for agriculture-based structures associated with farming.
Removing the development right lowered the property’s land value, making it accessible and affordable to Anna and Geoff Martin, Osprey Hill’s owners.
Geoff and Anna Martin with their sheep on their newly acquired farmland. Photo courtesy Whatcom Land Trust
Jeffers says this project was the first Whatcom Land Trust has done using what’s called the ‘buy-protect-sell’ model, and it’s one they hope to continue using in the future.
“It really does feel like a win-win-win-type situation,” he says of such projects. “It was great working with Geoff and Anna. Their family is doing great farming, and we were glad we were able to help expand their operations. We’re excited to be able to do more projects like this, as we have the opportunity.”
Economic Opportunity
For the Martins, who chose farming over potential careers in medicine after they met in college, expanding their farm from 15 to 70 acres would have been financially impossible without the CEP.
“For farmers, one of the biggest barriers to entry and to growth is the cost of the farmland itself,” Anna Martin says. “In the last five years, land value has increased pretty significantly.”
When the acreage they eventually purchased in 2021 first hit the market, Martin says she and her husband would drive past it and wish it was something they could afford. Eventually, curiosity got the better of them, and they called Whatcom Land Trust to begin conversations that convinced them the land was actually affordable: the loss of the property’s development right lowered the land’s value by $100,000. Osprey Hill’s purchase was also assisted by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan, which required a rigorous application process but provides a low interest rate.
As for how Osprey Hill plans to use their new land, a large part of the farm’s operation is pasture-raised meats. Martin says they intend to use most of the acreage for their poultry and livestock business. In addition to raising animals, the farm also has a licensed butchery for poultry and hares and processes the meat of nearly 40 Western Washington farmers and homesteaders in addition to their own.
A bird’s-eye view of Osprey Hill’s chicken tractors grazing across their newly acquired farmland.. Photo courtesy Whatcom Land Trust
The Martins also recently planted thousands of trees and shrubs to act as a hedgerow around their farm, helping sustain the area’s bird and pollinator population and protecting the farmland from wind events. Additional rows of trees have been planted on pastureland to provide shade for livestock, Martin says.
The use of the ‘buy-protect-sell’ model championed by Whatcom County CEP, she adds, is one that may come to benefit many farms just like theirs.
“It really is key to the future of farming,” she says. “Having exponential growth on our pasture lands was hugely important in our ability to expand our business.”
Katrina Martin is the sole owner of The Bellinghamsters, with some help from her fiance and manufacturing partners. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
As a local nickname for Bellingham residents, “Bellinghamster” has gained recognition from local gift stores and the Bellingham Bells’ mascot. The Bellinghamsters, a pet project by local artist Katrina Martin, is an online store spreading more local pride, with Bellingham- and hamster-themed plushies, accessories, and gifts.
It all started with baking Christmas cookies a couple of years ago, when Martin decided to do gingerbread hams instead of men — because Bellingham, and Bellinghamster.
“I had so much fun decorating all their little faces and expressions that I started doodling them,” Martin says. “Those doodles got turned into buttons and stickers, and from there I realized the popularity behind the Bellinghamsters and how much people were craving fun merch around that nickname.”
While an online store, The Bellinghamsters has grown quickly with positive reception at community events. The site’s Meet the Hams section describes its hamster characters — Penelope, Sammy, Tally, Pierre, Bubbles, Dante — and customers can choose a house color for their hamster plushies.
“The most rewarding part is seeing the kids,” Martin says. “I have this chart where you get to learn about each of the characters and watching them thoroughly look through each one and choose which character they relate most to — and then watching them take it home — is so cool. I see little kids pass with each hamster in a little house box, and by the end of the event I see a bunch of people walking around with the little house box in hand.”
The Bellinghamster plushies come in cardboard house boxes with multiple color options: the original yellow, green, blue, purple, pink and black. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Creative Process
The store’s range of items include plushies, stickers, iron-on patches, greeting cards, stationery, keychains, necklaces, hammy hats, and other accessories.
“The most popular are the plushies, so you have your very own little Bellinghamster to hold and hug,” says Martin. “The next most popular items would be the hats or stickers. Everybody loves a sticker, and the hats are great because everybody [in Bellingham] needs a beanie, especially when it gets cold.”
Martin has taken inspiration from lifelong interests in character designs and animation, including Build-A-Bear Workshop as her first job growing up and an influence for plushie outfits in the future.
“I draw a lot of influence from Hamtaro, of course — Hello Kitty,” Martin says. “I’m heavily influenced by Japanese animation [which] I fell in love with as a child. Animation in general, cartoons, is a big influence because my mom,was an animator. She animated on things like Brandy and Mr. Whiskers, fun games on the computer like Strawberry Shortcake, and even a Hamtaro game.”
The Bellinghamsters’ online store and physical booths offer a “Meet the Hams” board that describes the different characters featured in gift items. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Hams in the Wild
Martin’s process for creating The Bellinghamsters includes a sample design, revisions, and production over one to two months.
“This feels weird to say about a drawing, but I kind of feel out the vibes of the character,” says Martin. “See what the appearance is telling me — like what their favorite snack would be, what their personality is going to be. Based on all of that Martin decides the name and then it goes into the manufacturing process.”
The Bellinghamsters has had booths at local events such as Bellingham’s Pride, in addition to selling LGBTQ+ pride-themed items year-round. The store’s items are also available at brick-and-mortar locations such as Third Planet Boutique and the WWU Bookstore.
“I go to a number of different events around Washington state,” Martin says. “In Bellingham, I do events like the Ski to Sea Festival and Northwest Tune-Up. Sometimes I go to smaller community and this year I started going to anime conventions around the state; that’s been hugely popular, which really surprised me.”
In addition to plushies, The Bellinghamsters includes small items such as stickers, patches, and pins. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Crafting Joy
The Bellinghamsters has gained a rapid following in less than two years, both locally and throughout Washington.
“I meet so many people who have come to Bellingham for school or who have lived in Bellingham for some time in their life,” says Martin. “They see the Bellinghamsters and their face lights up. It’s so great.”
The Bellinghamsters has additional pages on Etsy and Faire, and Martin continues to vend at new in-person events.
“Every event I go to, I get to see how much joy I’m spreading in the community,” Martin says. “Whether it’s a kid getting to take home a hamster or it’s a guy and his girlfriend choosing matching silly beanies. It’s just fun, smiles, and laugh all around. And that’s the whole reason why I do this. I wanted to go into business for myself to spread joy. And it’s great to see that come to fruition.”
You can follow news and find new additions from The Bellinghamsters on Facebook and Instagram.
Wish you could change the scenery of your home office? All it takes is a trip to the hidden gem of Brinnon in Jefferson County. Here, bleisure travel is at its peak, with large rooms with work tables and plenty of after-work activities, including dinner cruises, scuba diving and kayaking offered by OlyPen Adventures, LLC in nearby Pleasant Harbor. This husband-and-wife team are ready to treat you to an evening on the water featuring a four-course dinner through Pallin’ Around Charters.
Captain Kelley Bronaugh and Katherine O’Leary-Cole own and operate both OlyPen Adventures and Pallin’ Around Charters. Their charter boat is a 1969 gem. Photo courtesy: Katherine O’Leary-Cole
Dinner Cruise in Brinnon a Charted Dream Come to True For Owners
Captain Kelley Bronaugh and Katherine O’Leary-Cole own and operate both OlyPen Adventures and Pallin’ Around Charters. Their charter boat is a 1969 gem, made in Hong Kong with mahogany from the Philippines. “We gave her a second chance, and she gave us a second chance,” Shares Katherine. They purchased the boat as a foreclosure in 2022 and spent a lot of love and time getting her back into shape. “It took us about a year to get the boat presentable, complete our commercial licensing, my husband to get his captain’s license and get insurance for the business before we took out our first paying customers in June of 2023,” shares Katherine.
It’s clear from her four-course meals, expertly executed in the tiny space she masterfully controls, that Katherine knows her way around a filet. That’s thanks to 15 years as a professional chef and restaurant manager. Their dinner cruise at Pleasant Harbor combines her love of food and cooking, with their mutual love of being out on the water. “We figured out that the boat we had purchased could not only be a dive boat, but also a dinner cruise boat” shares Katherine. “It’s much better suited for dinner cruising than diving. However, for me, the only thing that compares to serving guests a beautiful, creative meal on my boat is guiding divers on tours of our amazing Hood Canal!”
Katherine sits and chats with one of the other guests on the dinner cruise. You are free to eat wherever you like on this cruise! Photo credit: Kristina Lotz
Celebrate Work Accomplishments with a Four-Course Meal and a Side of Beauty on Brinnon Dinner Cruise
Planning a work retreat to Jefferson County? Pallin’ Around Charters can offer you a private rental of their boat for up to six people — it’s perfect for celebrating a company milestone, as a way to reward employees or to encourage employee bonding. Bleisure travel is all about work-life balance, and this dinner cruise lets you fully unplug for three hours. Wander the boat while Chef Katherine prepares each course — you don’t need to stay at the cabin table unless you want to – she will deliver your food whether you’ve decided to take in the stunning views of the harbor…including on the top deck!
You just might see orca, seals, bald eagles, giant egg-yoke jellyfish and other wildlife while you enjoy your meal. “Wildlife tends to be more active at dusk, we see more eagles, otters, seals, other birds at the end of our sunset tours than any other time,” shares Katherine.
The cruise is perfectly timed to give you a lovely sunset as you are heading back, enjoying your dessert. “The Hood Canal offers many beautiful sights, but the sunset usually is not at the top of the list because it sets in the mountains behind us,” Katherine says. “However, once you’re out on the water, you can watch the sunset through the river valleys and mountains – it truly is stunning! Compared to many activities on the Hood Canal where you are surrounded by thick, lush forest, once you’re out on the water the sky takes on a whole new personality!”
Katherine is all about presentation, so while you may be on a small boat, you get a top-class meal. Katherine explains as she is cooking that presentation matters when it comes to food, especially for those with allergies. She wants to make sure those with dietary restrictions feel like they are getting a whole meal and that it’s filling. She creates each menu for that specific charter and is able to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions quite easily — as long as you give her at least a week’s notice.
Katherine is all about presentation, so while you may be on a small boat, you get a top-class meal. Photo credit: Kristina Lotz
Bleisure During Off Seasons at Pleasant Harbor? You Bet!
Katherine loves the fall and winter seasons in the Hood Canal. There are less tourists so trails, restaurants, boat launches and other places are less crowded. Some of her favorite things are the changing leaves, surging waterfalls, fresh oysters and the chance of snow! And while storms and snow can cause travel issues, most the time it’s beautiful.
With their parent company, OlyPen Adventures, LLC, you can also book an all-inclusive weekend package — which is geared toward divers and their non-diving partners, Katherine explains. Guests stay at the couples AirBnB and go out on the boat and other adventure tours, including hiking, e-bike trips and paddling. Or, take a scuba charter that includes two dives and a lunch, which takes about six hours.
Life’s short. Work hard. Play harder in Brinnon and Pleasant Harbor with a bleisure trip. Learn more about all Jefferson County has to offer at the Enjoy the Olympic Peninsula website.
Taylor Beal, director of client & community outreach at Bellingham Real Estate Co., has a true love for our corner of the state and the team she works with.
“There are three main things I focus on for the firm,” she says. “I’m part of our marketing department — so, managing all social media our brokers have, creating content community projects, and our event coordination. Then, I help run two community platforms that we have with Live Bellingham Now, as well as What’s Up in Whatcom. I’m also a co-producer on Building Bellingham, our business podcast, which is something I get to take on this fall.”
Background
Beal’s career path in Whatcom was a little kismet and a lot of hard work. “I was part of a junior sorority from the time I was 11 through 20, and it was the year after I aged out, after my year as state president, that I was kind of looking for my big kid job and I started at a different real estate firm, which is how I met the group I’m with today,” she says. “I worked there for about two and a half years in an agent advisory role with different communications for brokers and staff. Then, in the middle of lockdown, with a lot of different shifts happening in my life, I got a job offer from this group, and they were just some of the most phenomenal people — I always looked up to them when I was working in tandem with them and now, I got this opportunity to actually work with them. I’ve been with them for almost four years.”
Photo courtesy Taylor Beal
Why Real Estate
Real estate was not always on Beal’s radar for a career choice, but the integrity of the people drew her in to the path she is on now. “If you had asked me five or six years ago, the industry that I would end up in, I don’t think I could have guessed real estate,” she says. “I connected with Bellingham Real Estate through my previous job, but I think it was the way that Leo and Chris and Tiffany operated as a group in tandem with the vision of this company to really showcase Bellingham and serve Bellingham to the best of their ability that did it for me.”
Beal is particularly passionate in her drive to continue to help Bellingham flourish and evolve while enjoying everything that makes the city so unique. “I’ve been able to really curate my job around meeting Bellingham, getting to know Bellingham, and getting to showcase that on our platforms, like with Live Bellingham Now,” she says.
Outside of Work
As a child, Beal was introduced to several different communities, and she notes the value of what those experiences gave her. “I was born in Tucson, Arizona, and we moved around a lot as a kid, just different job transfers my family experienced,” she says. “I went from Arizona to Nova Scotia, then Utah to Tennessee, and finally ended up in Washington, so I’ve been in Bellingham since I was 13.”
From 11 to 20, Beal was part of a junior sorority called Rainbow for Girls, a youth leadership organization geared toward helping girls learn leadership, public speaking skills, gaining confidence, feeling empowerment, and experiencing the opportunity to volunteer in the community. “I would not be the same person if it hadn’t been for Rainbow,” she says. “Now I get to advise and be a really good mentor to a lot of really phenomenal girls on the local and state level.”
Outside of Rainbow for Girls, directing community outreach within her firm and other community involvement, Beal enjoys comic books, movies, comic cons, and cosplay — particularly for Marvel.
Beal is a member of Whatcom Young Professionals and volunteers as events committee chair for the organization.
Photo courtesy Taylor Beal
Top 7 Under 40
In her everyday life, Beal maintains a constant level of helping and empowering others. After being named one of the Top 7 Under 40, Beal views the nomination as an opportunity to continue her passion and outreach. “I know some people who have won these types of things before, and they’re all people I really look up to and admire,” she says. “I’m hoping I can also be one of those examples of just really awesome people who make a difference in our community.”
All seven Top 7 Under 40 nominees (left to right): Nia Imani Forché Gipson, Sean Lawrence, Lindsey Payne Johnstone, Amanda Willgins, Ashtyn Mott, Remy Styrkowicz, and Taylor Beal.
An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.
Kevin Wiebe is a Ferndale native. Although he graduated from Ferndale High School, he admits he wasn't a model student. His teachers and administrators...
