Prepaid service plans are highly favored for their flexibility, affordability, and ease of use, appealing to a broad spectrum of consumers. These plans allow users to pay upfront, eliminating the risk of unexpected bills and helping them manage their budgets effectively.
Whatcom County residents now have new options for low-cost, pay-as-you-go Internet and mobile service: NOW Internet and NOW Mobile from Xfinity. With all-in monthly pricing, no contracts, or credit check required, NOW products deliver flexible connectivity to customers when they need it.
Furthermore, the simple setup processes that is manageable via an online platform or app, adds a layer of convenience. NOW offers incredible flexibility by giving customers the ability to subscribe, pause or cancel their Internet, mobile, and TV service online or through the Xfinity app.
Reliable Internet
Consumers seeking a better experience than Internet service provided by 5G home Internet may be interested in NOW Internet because it delivers a more consistent and reliable connection at a better price point than Internet from cellular companies. The service is backed by the nation’s largest landline network that delivers better than 99 percent reliability, uses AI to detect and proactively fix disruptions before consumers experience them, and is built with rigorous security and privacy protocols.
Affordable Mobile
With upwards of 90 percent of data traffic from smartphones running over a WiFi connection, not cellular, WiFi is critical to the mobile experience. Unlike existing prepaid providers, NOW Mobile uses WiFi to the customer’s advantage by tapping into more than 23 million hotspots across the country, a groundbreaking new feature in the prepaid market that was built around low prices and limited capabilities for years. NOW Mobile is finally bringing a great experience along with some of the best prices in prepaid.
The NOW Portfolio
A New Option for Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Customers
As the government begins to wind down the Affordable Connectivity Program, with May expected to be the final month with a partial credit of $14, millions of people will be searching for another option for cost-effective connectivity. NOW Internet and Mobile will provide customers with reliable connectivity regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in ACP — supplementing Comcast’s longstanding low-income broadband adoption options Internet Essentials and Internet Essentials Plus, and Xfinity’s current suite of offerings.
Prepaid plans are a popular choice for many people seeking control over their financial and service commitments. If you among them and would like to know more, you can find out more about NOW Internet and NOW Mobile here.
Disclaimer: Andy Colley is a senior director and copywriter for Comcast NBCUniversal.
The Schooner Zodiac takes residents and tourists on multi-day cruises and day trips throughout the Salish Sea each spring into early fall. Photo credit: Taylor Hodges courtesy Schooner Zodiac
On a beautiful spring or summer day, it’s not uncommon to glimpse the two-masted schooner Zodiacbobbing on the waters of the Salish Sea. For decades, it has conducted private charters and public cruises, transporting locals and tourists from the Bellingham Cruise Terminal into the splendor of the San Juan Islands and beyond.
In 2024, the Zodiac is celebrating its centennial with a special public open house on Sunday, May 19. In order to fully appreciate the present, it’s often helpful to learn about the past. Like many aged vessels, the Zodiac has had one heck of a voyage.
From Maine to California
The history of the Zodiac begins some 3,000 miles away from its Bellingham berth, on the coast of Maine.
It’s here, in the town of East Boothbay and the Hodgdon Brothers Shipyard, that the wooden windjammer was constructed from the designs of renowned yacht builder William H. Hand, Jr. The first public mention of the ship’s pending construction comes in a May 1923 Boston Globe article.
Clocking in at 160 feet long, with a 127-foot long deck and a beam (maximum width) of just over 25 feet, Zodiac was originally built for Robert Wood Johnson II and John Seward Johnson I, the sons and heirs of Johnson & Johnson co-founder Robert Wood Johnson I.
The crew of Zodiac, circa 1925. The ship was owned by the heirs to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical company in the years prior to the Great Depression. Photo courtesy Schooner Zodiac
When their father died in 1910, the two sons — then still teenagers — inherited a massive fortune before going on to grow the family company into an even more lucrative enterprise than it already was. The Johnsons used the Zodiac to sail along the East Coast, reaching as far north as Canada’s Labrador region in 1925. They also entered the vessel in a transatlantic race from New York to Spain in 1928; the boat finished fourth.
In its early years, the Zodiac was described as having five staterooms and a main cabin, with an Atlas Diesel engine and plenty of sails, according to a 1931 sale notice.
In 1929, the ship was purchased by Montreal’s Arthur J. Nesbitt, a banker who renamed the schooner Airdeane after his two sons, Aird and Deane. Nesbitt docked the ship in Nova Scotia and sailed Canadian waters in the Labrador region for two years, and also cruised the West Indies.
According to an article written by Nesbitt’s grandson, the vessel had electric refrigeration, a heating unit and — perhaps most impressively — a grand piano. In 1931, Nesbitt donated Airdeane to the Grenfell Mission, an organization that gave medical and educational services to those in Labrador and Northern Newfoundland.
Sometime that same year, it was purchased by the San Francisco Bar Pilot Association and renamed the California. It’s unclear how the vessel reached the Pacific, though the Panama Canal seems likely, if it was sailed.
The Zodiac in its early years. Through the decades, the ship changed names and home ports. Photo courtesy Schooner Zodiac
Bellingham-Bound
The association substantially remodeled the California, putting the ship into service as its largest-ever pilot schooner. The ship accompanied larger vessels through Bay Area waters, and had her bow sheared off in collisions three separate times according to a National Register of Historic Places document.
In 1972, California was retired as the last sailing vessel to ever serve as a pilot ship in the United States. Six years later, a group of sailing enthusiasts bought the boat and formed the Vessel Zodiac Corporation, working to restore the again-re-named schooner to its former glory.
The interior of the ship combines 1920s elegance with modern comfort, and features well-maintained living quarters made of varnished woods. Photo courtesy Schooner Zodiac
By early 1982, the Zodiac was being held at Seattle’s Lake Union Dry Dock — the same year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It found its way to Bellingham in the early 1990s, where it has remained since. The vessel is owned by the Bellingham’s Mehrer family, which been part of the ship’s history since the corporation was formed in 1978.
Today, Zodiac is among the last schooners of its kind, and is the largest in Washington. It’s powered by a 400-horsepower Caterpillar diesel engine, features a mainmast over 12 stories high, and has the West Coast’s largest working mainsail.
Lovingly maintained by volunteers, Zodiac’s interior is one of varnished mahogany, oak, and teak, combining 1920s elegance with modern comfort. There are modern appliances and three restrooms, two of which feature hot showers.
Zodiac can carry 49 passengers on day sails, and can bunk 26 people for overnight trips. The ship’s galley frequently offers meal service, including weekend evening salmon dinners. The ship’s 3- to 10-day cruises operate from May to October, with three-hour day trips through the end of September. It’s also bookable for family reunions, corporate retreats, field trips, and even weddings.
It’s not unusual to glimpse the Zodiac at-sea from a Washington State Ferry. Credit: Matt Benoit
Bob Boroughs, the Zodiac’s marketing director, says vessel’s connection to history is palpable when on-board.
“Everything on-board still functions the way it was originally built 100 years ago,” he says, “as far as sailing the boat.”
Celebrate the Centennial
On May 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Zodiac’s birthday open house will be in full swing at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. Ship tours will be available, as will a Village Books pop-up store with book signings by local authors Tom Crestodina and Todd Warger.
Good Time Girls’ Kolby LaBree, a Bellingham historian, will run a 1920s Bellingham slideshow, and the Schooner Martha’s Robert d’Arcy will interview Captains Tom and Calen Mehrer on the Zodiac’s restoration and future, with time for audience questions.
For more information, please visit the ship’s website.
Unity Care NW Outreach & Enrollment Specialist Neyda Gonzalez celebrates the generous shipment of Bombas socks that she and other team members will provide to those most in need in our community. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW
It sounds simple, but putting on clean, comfortable clothing every day is a powerful thing. With the help of their customers and Giving Partners, Bombas wanted to offer new, clean clothes to everyone who needs them.
Bombas, based in New York City, makes comfortable essential clothing tested for durability. Since 2013, for every pair of socks purchased, a pair of socks has been donated to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Through this simple concept of One Purchased = One Donated, Bombas has reached across the entire nation, warming feet and creating hope for unhoused friends and neighbors. Their network of 3,500+ Giving Partners helps them distribute an item for every item purchased. Unity Care NW is proud to be one of their partners providing clothing items for those most in need in Whatcom County.
A simple gesture like providing warm dry socks can be the first step to building trust and rapport to get individuals connected with the services they need. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW
Getting Socks Out to Our Community
Unity Care NW serves approximately 2,500–3,000 unhoused patients each year. In the last six years, Bombas has generously provided nearly 10,000 socks for Unity Care NW to provide to unhoused and struggling individuals and families in Whatcom County. Unity Care NW’s team gives out essential clothing items through individual outreach and through local nonprofits working with unhoused community members to increase the reach of the distribution.
“Small gestures, like providing socks to keep someone’s feet dry and warm, could be the first step to building rapport and trust to get them connected to services that will lift them out of homelessness,” says Unity Care NW Population Health Manager Nicole Fields.
More Than Socks
This year Unity Care NW was thrilled with the news that Bombas has expanded their giving to include underwear and t-shirts. Along with 5,000 donated socks, the health center received more than 3,000 pairs of underwear and 600 t-shirts, as well! These items will be crucial for clients at The Way Station, a health and hygiene center for unhoused community members opening later this year.
100 Million Donated!
In May 2023, Bombas surpassed 100 million products donated. They used this opportunity to help shift the public perception of homelessness by bringing greater awareness to the breadth and complexity of the experience through the voices of individuals with lived experience. Their hope is that with greater understanding comes greater capacity for compassion and opportunity for human-centered solutions.
For Trixie, her four-month experience with homelessness began after leaving the military sector. She slept in other people’s cars and couches until the VA could admit her in to housing.
Soulieo experienced homelessness for 10 years. While his nights were spent sleeping behind buildings, apartments, job sites, or on friend’s couches, he spent his days working two jobs. Neither paid enough to help him secure housing.
Legacy ran away from an abusive household, beginning a four-year long period of homelessness. As she waited for more permanent housing, she bounced back and forth between shelters and organizations where she was often the only girl and the youngest person there.
You can read more of their stories and find out data on the realities of being homeless here.
About Unity Care NW
Unity Care NW is a local, nonprofit health center that makes sure everyone in our community has access to care by providing high-quality, affordable, primary, medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy services, and innovative programs to ensure wrap-around whole person care. Each year Unity Care NW serves 1 in 10 Whatcom County residents, more than 24,000 people.
Over the years, A1DesignBuild has worked with many local agencies to build personal relationships and lend a helping hand. These tiny desks were built in 2020 by A1 employees, to be given to children attending Title 1 elementary schools in the Bellingham School District. Photo credit: A1DesignBuild
Since adopting a co-operative business model in 2017, Bellingham’s A1DesignBuild has donated more than $100,000 worth of funds, material, and labor to the local community.
When large racial justice demonstrations broke out in 2020, A1DesignBuild employees marched in solidarity with other peaceful protestors at Bellingham rallies. But General Manager Patrick Martin felt even more could be done to ensure the community understood the company’s commitment to lending a supportive hand.
The company put together a community outreach committee, with members and employees paid for their time. Many of them donated that money right back to charitable causes.
The company is proud to be inclusive and includes a rainbow-colored logo in celebration of Pride Month in June. Photo credit: A1DesignBuild
In time, the benefits of having a transparent, nonprofit branch to their company became clear, and for the last two years, A1DesignBuild worked to create “A1andALL.” This January they were officially granted nonprofit status and made their first donations to nearly a dozen community partners in April.
The majority of funds came from the 12 co-op members themselves, who agreed to donate 10% of their patronage dividends (before taxes) to the cause. In total, over $7,800 was available, with only about $1,500 held back for donations later this year.
McKai Morgan, a residential designer at A1DesignBuild, says “A1andALL” is a tangible embodiment of the company’s longtime spirit of giving, dating back to its 1955 inception.
“The more we can do, the more we can uplift our immediate community,” he says.
After several years of planning and paperwork, A1BuildDesign’s new nonprofit, A1andALL, was granted certified nonprofit status in January 2024. Photo credit: A1DesignBuild
Plenty to Give
This spring, A1DesignBuild provided help to Lydia Place, Whatcom Peace and Justice Center, Planned Parenthood, Road2Home, Opportunity Council, Vamos, and several close-to-their-office groups in the Birchwood neighborhood.
These include Friends of the Family Resource Center and Birchwood Food Desert Fighters, the latter of which helps stock A1-built food pantry boxes with free, nutritious food amid the neighborhood’s food desert, where fresh produce and healthy foods are hard to come by.
That desert was formed in 2016, when a longtime neighborhood Albertsons store closed. As part of leaving, the company issued a “non-compete” clause for the building, ensuring that another grocery store could not occupy the building until 2042, according to the Bellingham Herald. This has left some of the city’s lowest-income residents with whatever they can find at nearby outlet, drug, and convenience stores.
Among A1andALL’s latest projects is an update to previously-built food pantry boxes in Bellingham’s Birchwood neighborhood. The area has been a food desert since an Albertsons store closed in 2016. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
A1DesignBuild originally built and installed the boxes several years ago, but time and weather have left some in need of repair or replacement. Three of them will be replaced by reconfigured metal newspaper boxes that A1 has ordered.
The project is in need of public help to cover residual expenses associated with the box project, and half a dozen people have already stepped up. Half of the donations are recurring monthly amounts between $10 and $50, something that A1’s Justus Peterson points out as emblematic of the charitable nature of both A1DesignBuild and Bellingham at-large.
“There are so many like-minded people in this community that are more interested in giving than taking,” he says. “We’re more of the ‘we’ mindset instead of the ‘me’ mindset.”
The Impact and the Future
A1 has not just thrown money at local organizations but been a boots-on-the-ground presence in lending a helping hand. The impact is tangible.
A1DesignBuild employees have lent their time and talents to build items like bed frames and desks for those who need them. Peterson even helped a woman transport her new furniture to a new living situation.
A1DesignBuild worked with Shuksan Middle School’s Family Resources Center several years ago, building bed frames for families in need. Photo credit: A1DesignBuild
“I think there’s a sense of ownership when you have something that’s your own,” he says. “When these folks get that bed frame, and they’re no longer sleeping on a mattress on the floor, it’s a little bit empowering.”
Morgan said the company also worked with Alderwood Elementary School on an ADA-accessible garden bed project, and are hoping to do similar projects with others in the future.
When Mike Feeney, an A1DesignBuild designer, personally walked a check over to the nearby Family Resources Center at Shuksan Middle School, he was told A1’s donation was equal to a week’s worth of supplies for every person they serve.
Having grown up in Bellingham and been grateful for the opportunities the community has given him, Peterson feels confident that together the community and A1DesignBuild can make a world of difference for those who need it most.
“Bellingham is a part of who I am,” he says. “And to really honor that and pay that back, I feel an obligation to my community. To make sure we’re trying to make it a better place at every opportunity that we’re given.”
Looking ahead, A1DesignBuild is hoping to grow their giving, both financially and in the number of community members they can help.
“We’re dreaming big numbers in the future, where we can change the way things get done,” Feeney says. “It’s a really incredible experience to be a part of this. There’s no downside to it at all.”
Halliday (left) contributes the dark and cooling influences in the space to the otherworldly dream states Jenson creates. Photo courtesy Foxhole
Some see downtown Bellingham’s Foxhole as a goth club, and others as a witch’s lair. People have described it as European, otherworldly, and as an American parlor from a bygone century. It’s possible to view it as a bar, and certainly true that it is one of the few places the curious can go to sample and learn about absinthe. Best of all, it’s easy to experience it as a piece of inhabitable artwork, created by two Bellingham artists and a crew of their friends.
Jordan Jenson was born and raised just north of Seattle, then spent most of her adolescence and young adulthood in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Jenson doesn’t fall easily into any artistic category, but seems to be more of a creator in general. The thing that drew her into fine arts was not necessarily a drive to express herself, but more of a curiosity, a desire to try new things and learn new skills.
“My hobby has always been collecting hobbies,” she says with a laugh. “I’ll pick something up that I’m interested in, dive into it, and then three or six or eight months later, I’ll decide that I want to try something different and dive into that. ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’ definitely applies.”
She moved to Bellingham for a break from being so immersed in downtown Fremont, with its landscape of bars, restaurants, and nightlife.
The idea of a relaxed and dreamy space was at the top of the list when Jenson and Carter began to conceptualize. Illustration courtesy Foxhole
“I wanted an adaptability challenge, so I moved here without knowing anybody, without having any connections whatsoever, just to prove to myself that I could do it,” she says.
Upon arriving, she found herself on the 200 block of West Holly Street, with a job at the well-known taco bar Black Sheep. As she grew into her new surroundings, she soon became the manager there, and then at its sister business, Goat Mountain Pizza. It was there she would meet her future partner in crime, Mack.
An Artistic Force
Mackenzie Carter is originally from Syracuse, New York, but began work on an art degree in Seattle. “I was the kid who was making designs with my macaroni in my high chair, and then building little cities out of sticks under the bleachers at my brothers football games,” she says. Carter’s mother was a photographer, and that influence led her to a degree in photography and digital media.
Jenson collected new skills in the process of making Foxhole a reality, including the carpentry needed to create the upstairs seating. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
She finished her degree in Albany, New York, and it soon became clear that spending time at a computer editing photos was not the future she desired. Then, against all odds, her partner at the time was offered a job in Skagit County, and Carter decided a change of pace — and a return to her old stomping grounds — was in order. She first took a job at L&L Libations, and by July of 2021 found herself on the 200 block of West Holly Street, working at Black Sheep.
Carter had been developing a style of illustrating interior spaces for several years, so when COVID lockdowns kicked in, she solicited friends and family to send photos of the places where they were quarantined. As businesses reopened, she added a handful of bars to her pool of inspiration, and soon she had an art show at one of those bars. She also offered prints for sale at a monthly market operating in the old Lorikeet restaurant, which happened to be organized by Jenson.
Carter’s background in chronicling real spaces was put to use when sharing the vision for a place that did not exist yet. Illustration courtesy Foxhole
A Team Comes Together
In December of 2022, members of the group of businessmen that owned a string of businesses on the 200 block of West Holly Street approached Jenson with an intriguing question: One of the businesses was closing, and they wanted to know what she would do with the place, if it were hers.
The ideas came quickly, mostly revolving around the brainstorm of a comfortable, lounge-style wine bar, full of class but not pretension. Fortunately, she knew someone turn to for help bringing those ideas to life: a stylish figure with a clear aesthetic, who happened to have a talent for drawing the interiors of bars.
A wild array of artwork decorates the staircase, and its impressive chandelier. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
Jenson invited Carter to collaborate, and the two quickly discovered they fit together naturally, and balanced each other well. Jenson brought the concept of decorating the place as if the visitor were in a dream state, and introduced whimsical and hallucinatory concepts.
“At one point I wanted a fish tank, but inside an old-school, 1950s TV set,” she says. “Just things on display that make you say ‘Wait a minute, where did that come from?’”
Carter brought a different flavor, mixing a goth counterculture style with Gothic art, as well as newer aesthetics like dark academia, to add a cooler tone to the overall feel. Although the group of owners had some ideas of their own, they couldn’t deny that Carter and Jenson were making very attractive and convincing suggestions.
The neon “cootie-catcher” is the only indication of Foxhole’s location, and marks the door that transports visitors to another world. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
Transforming the Space
After an intensive few months spent perfecting their concepts, Jenson and Carter pitched their idea three weeks before the existing business was set to close; they began work the first day the space was empty. They touched up some areas that needed attention, and quickly began adding to their skill sets. “There were lots of firsts for us. I’m a mason and Jordan’s a carpenter and a seamstress now, because of this,” says Carter. “And we’re both plumbers and electricians as well as interior designers.”
With repairs and upgrades in place, the two started hunting down the materials that would transform the space. They frequented thrift stores from the northern border to the Seattle metroplex, and ordered tons of fabric and material samples.
Beware of snakes when ordering absinthe, snacks, or non-alcoholic mixed drinks. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
For the mosaics that spread across the first floor, Carter visited masonry stores to collect castoffs, and saved every scrap that came off the walls. Other materials were purchased new and — no matter where the materials came from — the pair were relentless in finding the exact colors and textures they wanted.
They brought in a small army of friends to help, trading favors for assistance with construction and decoration. When it came to decorating, they say they couldn’t have done it without the help of their friend Sam Boroughs.
“Sam is an antiques dealer at Penny Lane, and he would walk by every day while we were doing the build out, and when we finally opened he fell in love,” says Carter. “He said he wanted it to be his living room, and started coming by and bringing us goodies about once a week; little trinkets, like the miniatures we have downstairs, or candle holders.”
Carter collected cast off pieces of ceramics throughout the region, then spent an estimated 100 hours to create the mosaics that cover many of the downstairs surfaces. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
The Finished Product
From homey touches, like baubles donated by friends, to the edgier oddities, like the shards of broken mirror set into the staircase, there are countless small details to admire. There are also some massive pieces, like the mosaics that took Carter around 100 hours to create, and the monolithic, two-story-tall curtains that Jenson custom-made.
One wall is filled with framed artwork, some of which was created by friends, and some of which was discovered in second-hand bins; another is made of white-painted bricks and a faux fireplace, which stands next to an impressionistic altar of sorts.
Equally as interesting is Foxhole’s menu. In addition to a curated mix of wines is a selection of beer, cider, and liquor. But what really stand out are the mixed drinks. Some are familiar and others are adventurous, but all of them bear evocative names. And because they want to welcome all who are interested in coming, there is also a well-thought-out section of non-alcoholic mixed drinks.
Candles only enhance the moody atmosphere that envelops anyone that enters Foxhole. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle
“Our clientele is a wide range of people: 21-year-olds in college, the queer community, some of our goth friends come through,” Carter says. “We had a book club come in last Sunday [whose members] were all dressed up and got the absinthe drip together. Someone else just had their 75th birthday, and we were their first stop.”
Carter is emphatic that Foxhole is not for anyone — it’s for everyone.
“So long as you can be accepting of everyone when you’re here,” she says. “And if you can’t do that, then you can’t be here. That’s the only real rule.”
Foxhole 215 W Holly Street Opens at 4 p.m. Monday – Friday Open until 12 a.m. Friday & Saturday View Mack Carter’s art on her Instagram page
Don't miss the Party on the Prairie: Centennial Celebration Concert on June 22, 2024. It's one of them any free activities celebrating Yelm's 100-year history. Photo courtesy: City of Yelm
The history of the Yelm, Washington area — like every place in America — started long before it became a city. First named Shelm by the Nisqually due to the way the heat waves danced across the open prairies, it was a crossroads for Native American trails leading to the Cowlitz River and Naches. These trails were used for trade with white settlers — and eventually the Northern Pacific Railroad. This year marks the Yelm Centennial and the City is celebrating with some fun things to do in Yelm that you won’t want to miss!
Yelm, Washington: A City Built by Fire
“Yelm was built out of fire,” shares Line Roy, City of Yelm communications and recreation coordinator. “Three fires threatened to end everything. One in 1908, One in 1913, and the most devastating in 1924, in which the entire business district of Yelm burned to the ground, directly leading to the incorporation of Yelm.”
After three fires nearly destroyed Yelm, Washington, a push was made to become an official city in 1924. Photo courtesy: City of Yelm
Since Yelm was still not an official town, there was no fire department or fire hydrants. Roy explains that even if help had come from nearby towns with a fire department it wouldn’t have helped. The 1924 fire devasted the settlement. Most of the buildings found in Yelm’s downtown district today were built after the fire of 1924. Some good came from the tragedy, however: it is believed the Yelm Women’s Civic Club pushed for the town’s incorporation.
“The special election was held on December 6, 1924, with incorporation papers filed with the secretary of state on December 8,” shares Roy. “A total of 72 votes were cast for incorporation, with 48 votes against, and RB Patterson was elected as Yelm’s first mayor. Once Patterson became mayor, one of his first tasks was to work with the newly seated city council to establish a fire department and create a water system to fight fires.”
Since the City’s incorporation in 1924, the population has grown from about 384 according to its first census, to just under 11,000 now. Roy notes that while the population grew slowly until the 1970s, it has continuously doubled every 10 years since then.
Celebrate the Yelm Centennial With Things To do in Yelm
Celebrate the Yelm Centennial whenever it’s convenient for you with their self-guided historical walking tour. Just download the Historic Walking Tour of Yelm and you are all set! The pamphlet gives a brief history of Yelm, a map with 10 historical sites listed along with photos of each site and an excerpt about them. All sites are ADA accessible. The great thing about the walking tour is you can do it whenever you want and take as long as you want — maybe stop and have lunch or shop in the locally-owned businesses on your way!
In addition to the walking tour, the City is planning a birthday party in December, a museum pop-up, a Centennial mural and more. Be sure to follow the City of Yelm on Facebook for updates!
Known as the Gateway to Mount Rainier, Yelm, Washington, is a great getaway destination.Visit in 2024 and experience the Yelm Centennial celebration. Photo courtesy: City of Yelm
Yelm Prairie Days and Concert
This year the free Yelm Prairie Days will be even more fun, as they celebrate the Yelm Centennial. If you’ve never been, it’s definitely worth the drive. Experience this vibrant celebration of creativity and community spirit, featuring a chalk art contest, an exciting ‘touch a truck’ experience, a delicious pie baking contest, and a host of fun games and activities for kids — there’s something delightful for everyone to enjoy! Try your hand at axe throwing or other fun old-time activities.
And this year, be sure to not miss the Party on the Prairie: Centennial Celebration Concert happening June 22, 2024, at 5 p.m. at Yelm City Park (108 SE McKenzie Avenue). The evening will include Nashville recording artist Adam Craig with local favorite Hoque & Moore opening. Then, stay for the spectacular drone show, all a free part of Prairie Days! There will be vendors open during the show with food and drinks available, including a beer garden. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs.
Celebrate the Yelm Centennial with events throughout the year, including Fourth of July, Prairie Days, and a birthday party. Photo courtesy: City of Yelm
“We are so excited to celebrate our Centennial year,” shares Roy. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Yelm has had such a storied history and to get to highlight some of that, while also celebrating the changes and growth our community has witnessed, is an incredible honor.”
The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center invites the community to join us for a fun run that is more fun than run on Saturday, June 8th. This Bellingham-based fun run benefits the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and is hosted by Wander Brewing. Beginning with donuts at the WDRC office, participants will ‘wander’ (or sprint) along the 0.62-mile-long route to Wander Brewing. At the finish line, enjoy a pint of beer or root beer (included with all registrations), food trucks, and the fanfare of this exciting friendly competition while raising funds to advance our mission to provide and promote constructive and collaborative approaches to conflict.
Wander to Wander 1k
Saturday, June 8th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Start: WDRC at 206 Prospect Street in downtown Bellingham
Finish Line: Wander Brewing at 1807 Dean Avenue in Bellingham
Distance: 1k or 0.62 miles
Brief calisthenics will help the crowd warm-up for the race, with the start whistle blowing shortly after 11 a.m. Participants may wander at any pace that is comfortable along the marked route .62 miles to Wander Brewing. Each registered participant receives a donut, a beverage of their choice and a commemorative medal. Participants are encouraged to partake in the festivities at the finish line at Wander Brewing. Festivities will include music, raffle tickets, a food truck, and fanfare. All ages, abilities, as well as pets are welcome. Costumes are encouraged. We hope you will join in the fun and support the WDRC!
This event is ADA accessible, and volunteers will be available to support racers who need assistance.
The Container Village has been a recent addition to the waterfront, which is still developing long-term over a history with numerous firms. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
In urban planning, the term “urban villages” has emerged to describe city districts with mixed residential and commercial use and accommodations for street, bicycle, and foot traffic. The City of Bellingham has created a list of burgeoning urban villages among its own districts.
Bellingham’s urban villages include the areas that have seen the most development and tourism in recent years. While their goal of promoting sustainability and human connection remains a challenge, these urban areas have progressively defined the “subdued excitement” at Bellingham’s heart.
Barkley Village
The City of Bellingham has described Barkley Village as its best-realized model of an urban village. Primarily managed by Talbot Group, it has developed since the late 1980s to include numerous apartments and condominiums within walking distance of the greenspace and commercial area.
The main square is home to Barkley Village Haggen, Starbucks, MOD Pizza, Jimmy John’s, and local businesses such as Hamman’s Gallery and Statement Apparel. Regal Barkley Village has become the city’s central moviegoing hub, with other food and beverage chains built around it. Other destinations to the north include branches of numerous banks, Bellingham Public Library, Robeks Fresh Juice and Smoothies, and On Rice Thai Cuisine.
Barkley Village is one of Bellingham’s most developed urban villages. Barkley Boulevard, designed with bicycles and foot traffic in mind, eventually leads to Northridge Park. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Downtown District
Every city needs a thriving downtown, and Bellingham is no exception. The urban village includes much of the Central Business District, which features local shops, the public arts, and numerous buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Fairhaven District
As one of the original towns to consolidate into Bellingham, Fairhaven has long prided itself on a vibrant, walkable, and artistic community. The area became a hippie haven in the 1960s, with new developments such as the 2019 Fairhaven Tower paying homage to the historic red brick buildings.
The urban village includes Marine Park and Bellingham Cruise Terminal to the northwest, Fairhaven Library to the northeast, Post Point to the southwest, and Padden Creek to the southeast. In between, you can find the restaurants, breweries, shops, and galleries that have come to set it apart.
Fairhaven has long prided itself on being a vibrant, walkable, and artistic community. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Fountain District
At the start of the Guide Meridian, Fountain District commemorates the historic site where people and livestock stopped for water on the original 1880s wood plank road. Present-day Fountain Plaza includes a decorative fountain (completed in 2021) and a flower mural named “Shattered: Creating Beauty From What is Broken.”
The city’s redevelopment plan for Fountain District started in 2010. Since revisions in 2020 increased floor area and bike parking, the area has grown into the urban village criteria.
Completed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fountain Plaza has become a thriving gathering place at the heart of the Fountain District. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Samish Way
The plan to transform Samish Way into an urban village started in 2009, with major revisions and developments in 2019. The area has gained hundreds of new residential units. One of the most recent projects, Samish Commons, repurposes the former Aloha Motel’s sign for a mixed commercial, residential, and office space.
Since Samish Way became part of Pacific Highway 1 (Highway 99) in 1936, and connected with Interstate-5 in 1960, most of its businesses have been fast food restaurants, motels, and gas stations. The urban village developments have introduced businesses such as Trove Cannabis and Mochinut, while mainstay restaurants have remained on the way to the Haggen branch. The city has also developed expansive bike lanes across the road.
Old Town District
As described in a previous WhatcomTalk article, Bellingham’s Old Town District borders the Downtown and Waterfront Districts at the former townsite of Whatcom. It includes many of Bellingham’s oldest buildings within one area, including the 1856 Pickett House, 1858 T.G. Richards Building, and 1890 Lottie Roth Block.
Lottie Roth Block, a building once used for storefronts and offices and now housing apartments, reflects Old Town’s long history as a mixed-use area. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Waterfront District
Over several decades, Bellingham’s waterfront has transformed from an industrial center to a mixed-use urban center. The Georgia-Pacific pulp mill, operational from 1963 to 2007, originated several buildings that stand at Waypoint Park, including the historic “Acid Ball” structure the park incorporated on opening in 2019. The area has undergone cleanups by the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot Project since 1996.
Alongside Whatcom’s famous relay race, Ski to Sea, the Fairhaven Association is once again hosting “Bellingham’s biggest street fair,” on May 26. Executive Director Heather Carter sat down with WhatcomTalk to promote the exciting programming and events at this year’s Fairhaven Festival!
Festival Day
“We’re looking at 39 years of this festival,” says Carter. “We’re great partners with Ski to Sea, but different entities. The festival itself will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and our beer garden will be open from noon to 7 p.m. that day, as well.”
This year’s festival spotlight will be on artisanal creations and celebrating homemade goods. “We’re focusing — both from a beer garden standpoint and a street fair angle — on artisans,” Carter says. “Our local craft breweries are participating alongside cideries and wineries in the beer garden. Our artisan market is all local, handmade items from Whatcom, Skagit, and Island Counties.”
Local Association members will also be participating, but most of the vendors are regionally based artisans. “We have several categories of artisans featured,” says Carter. “We have jewelry and food — homemade foods like honey, candy, barbeque sauce, and hot sauce. We have some great plants this year, home goods like candles and eco-friendly businesses like Pumped Bellingham. We have a real variety.”
Vendors will set up from Mill Avenue to McKenzie Avenue on 11th in Fairhaven. Presenting Sponsor Superfeet will have a booth right in the center of the lineup. “The prime area of the village will be closed to car traffic,” Carter says. “We’ll have the live entertainment stage at the Village Green.” Dance and party music band, The Atlantics, along with funky music group, Cozmic Sauce, and rock-funk-soul band, North Sound Soul, round out the live entertainment lineup, facilitated by the FireHouse Arts & Events Center.
Amenities
Parking will be on a first-come, first-serve basis in the lot on Harris Avenue near Evil Bikes for $20 cash-only. For those arriving on two wheels, a bike valet will be set up on North 10th Street for easy drop off and pick up.
“There is no entry fee,” says Carter. “Obviously, the beer garden costs money for drinks, as well as if you want to buy something from a vendor. There are also a few corresponding events that weekend with nearby businesses.”
Support for the Fairhaven Association
Every year, the Fairhaven Association hosts a variety of beloved community events around the historic neighborhood and the Fairhaven Festival is a large part of their continued success.
“The Fairhaven Festival was created to support the Fairhaven Association, from its inception,” Carter says. “We’re raising money for activities and events that take place here in Fairhaven. For example, we don’t charge for any of the Winterfest activities like Santa, the carriage rides, the lights throughout the Village, or the Luminary Walk. We’re raising money to continue to support those community events.”
For Ski to Sea participants, spectators, and nearby Western University students, the festival is a favorite yearly tradition. “People participating in the race want a place to just sit back and relax after they’ve competed,” says Carter. “This is also a great event for Western students, who know all about it and go every year. It is the biggest street fair in Bellingham. Anyone can just come and enjoy themselves, whether that’s the craft beer or the artisan market or the live entertainment.”
Join Historic Fairhaven for a day of great tunes, delicious food and wonderful company with the upcoming Fairhaven Festival on Sunday, May 26!
Whatcom Transportation Authority in Bellingham will run extra bus service on Route 14 between Western Washington University and the Ski to Sea Festival in Fairhaven. Free parking will be available at WWU’s Lot C, located on Bill McDonald Parkway at West College Way. Buses will depart from a bus shelter on the west side of Bill McDonald Parkway. The bus shelter is called Bill McDonald Parkway at WWU Rec Center. Buses will depart approximately every 15 minutes from 11:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. After 7:15 p.m., Route 14 will return to its regular Sunday schedule. Riders can catch Route 14 to return to Lot C from the shelter at 12th and McKenzie (near Haggen). Riders can also catch Route 1 between downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven. Route 1 departs every 30 minutes on Sundays. Each ride costs $1 cash. Exact change only. WTA will also accept all valid WTA bus passes. For more information, call 360.676.7433.
Bellingham Repertory Dance (BRD) is excited to announce the return of our summer dance intensive for teens! It runs August 5-9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily at Presence Dance Studio in downtown Bellingham. For registration, more information, or to request a scholarship, visit bhamrep.org.
Photo courtesy Bellingham Repertory Dance
Throughout the week, dancers ages 13-18 will develop and hone new skills, train with dancers from other schools, and learn material from BRD’s professional repertory. Students will take a variety of contemporary dance classes and daily workshops, taught by BRD company dancers and alumni. At the end of the week, students will present their work in a conclusive showing open to family and friends.
Dancers complete this workshop with a sense of community, tools for improvisation and composition, and exposure to a wide variety of styles and teachers made possible by the company’s collaborative nature. After a five year hiatus, BRD is excited to revive this highly anticipated intensive for Bellingham’s community of teen dancers seeking more dance opportunities this summer!
Bellingham Repertory Dance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering high-level dance productions, as well as class and performance opportunities for the community. Visit bhamrep.org to learn more about BRD and how to get involved.
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