As Assistance League of Bellingham addresses our post-pandemic recovery plan, we are excited to introduce Eating Healthy, our newest philanthropic program.
We are partnering with and providing volunteer support and funds to a local nonprofit CommonThreads Farm, which supports hands-on learning opportunities through their development of approximately 25 Whatcom County school gardens. Research shows that school gardens are excellent classrooms that nurture healthy children. Gardening is the study of life. The simple act of caring for the soil and plants gives children a foundation for understanding the principles of birth, growth, death, competition, cooperation, fostering environmental stewardship along with the benefit of eating more fresh vegetables not only at school but at home. The benefits of a school garden are many.
Photo courtesy Assistance League of Bellingham
As Spring is upon us, there is much activity in the gardens. Soil preparation and scheduled seed planting will keep our volunteers and students busy. Funds from Assistance League will allow Common Threads Farm to erect several storage sheds. To identify the garden space and promote security, we will contribute signs for each of the gardens. And when the harvest is gathered, we will contribute funding for cooking classes for the students.
Volunteering is the foundation of Assistance League and participating in volunteering in the school gardens gives one a sense of belonging and a sense of community.
These nearly 250 acres of prime agricultural farmland were protected by the program in 2021 and 2023. Photo credit: SF Fask, courtesy of Farmland Legacy Program
Skagit County is currently home to about 89,000 acres of zoned farmland, a bountiful spread of agriculture the area has long been renowned for. That acreage, however, is at constant risk of decreasing as development brings more and more people to Skagit Valley. Between 2012 and 2017, about 9,000 acres of Skagit County farmland disappeared, according to agricultural censuses. About 10,000 acres of farmland was lost in Whatcom County during the same timeframe. That’s where the Farmland Legacy Program comes in. Established in 1997 by the Skagit County Board of Commissioners, the Program uses taxpayer-collected county funds to pay landowners for placing conservation easements on their land, indefinitely keeping farmland from non-agricultural development.
Farmland Legacy Program Makes a Difference
To date, the program has protected more than 15,000 acres, with nearly 200 agricultural easements monitored annually. An average of 500 acres a year are being added to the program. If this pace continues, Skagit County will have 30% of its agricultural land protected by 2046.
Bank of the Pacific’s Scott DeGraw, a commercial banking officer who specializes in agricultural lending, is a longtime Skagit County resident and farmer. DeGraw is also the chair for the Farmland Legacy Program’s advisory board, comprised of seven citizen volunteers with a variety of backgrounds.
Rows of spinach at sunrise on Fir Island. Images like these are everyday occurrences in Skagit County, where nearly 90,000 acres of zoned farmland exist. Photo credit: Clearbook Studio
Over the years, DeGraw says they’ve gone from just making sure people knew what the Farmland Legacy Program was to refining it to benefit as many people as greatly as possible.
“It’s been a great program, and we’ve got some farmers out here who’ve used it multiple times and really helped preserve a lot of farmland,” he says. “They really see the benefit of that, and we appreciate their confidence in the program.”
Skagit County Agriculture: More Than Growing Food
Sarah Stoner, agricultural lands coordinator for Skagit County, says protecting farmland is about more than just guaranteeing the production of food as a commodity, it’s also about helping prevent a wealth of land-related issues.
“Every time land is no longer being farmed, impervious surface and draining concerns arise,” she says. Every time a home is built in a flood plain, the county’s flood and emergency response issues increase. So far, 275 residential homes have been kept out of working farmland located in flood plains because of the Farmland Legacy Program.
“Farming becomes more difficult when farmland is fragmented by development,” Stoner says. “The existence of this program — and the incredible support it has from citizens paying into it, the commissioners, and the ag community — really underlines what the values are in Skagit County.”
With additional pressures upon existing farmland, which include aging farmer populations, water rights, salt water intrusion, changing weather patterns and placement of green energy methods like solar panels, the Farmland Legacy Program’s importance is only set to grow in coming decades.
This aerial map shows just some of the roughly 15,000 acres of farmland protected under Skagit’s Farmland Legacy Program. Photo courtesy Farmland Legacy Program
Payments From the Farmland Legacy Program
For landowners participating in the Farmland Legacy Program, the size of payments is determined by the number of development rights a piece of land has, Stoner says.
Two appraisals of each piece of land are conducted: the first provides a best estimate of current value, while the second estimates the land’s worth post-easement. Essentially, the landowner is paid the difference between the two figures, for the perceived loss of value for not being developed.
With real estate prices still booming and farmland highly prized, Stoner says participants are currently getting to have their cake and eat it, too. Last year, the five pieces of Skagit County land conserved by the program netted the landowners $745,000 in total.
Both preservation and profit, DeGraw says, are powerful motivators.
“People want to use the program because they want to save farmland,” he says. “At the same time, they’re looking at their long-term plans — their family, their retirement — and going, ‘I still need to try and get as much money as I can out of this piece of property, how can you guys help me?’”
This farmland — some 80 acres just off the Interstate 5-Chuckanut corridor — is currently in the process of being protected. The property’s conservation easements are expected to take effect in April or May 2024. Photo courtesy Farmland Legacy Program
Getting Started in Farmland Legacy Program
Anyone interested in the program should first consider if their property is right for conservation. “Those seeking expansion of their facilities on conservation easement ground will need to consider how this would be impacted by the amount of impervious surface that easements allow. Overall, the program is fairly flexible in how it can be utilized,” Degraw says.
“Every piece of farmland is different,” says Stoner. “Even though it’s a really straightforward process — it’s basically a real estate transaction where landowners sign a deed of conservation easement — getting to that finished point can be different for everybody.”
Stoner says the process can start with a simple phone call to her, followed by additional meetings. The entire process timeline can also differ, but generally takes an average of eight months from application process to eventual payment.
“We have a steady source of funding, so we’re able to move quite quickly,” she says. “That’s pretty uncommon. Generally, a lot of other counties and a lot of other farmland protection and conservation agencies have to source third-party funds. And for every third-party you add into the mix, it will generally add another year to the process.”
While DeGraw’s farmland is not yet part of the Farmland Legacy Program, he is surrounded by land that already is. And when he looks at the future of his farm and his family, he knows that the willingness of Skagit County farmers today will make a positive difference in the future.
“My grandson is starting to farm with me, and down the road I want to be able to see this farmland preserved for him and future generations,” he says. “And the only way we’re going to do that is through the hard work of people in our community.”
Today, Old Woburn and Old Lakeway are short residential streets intersecting with their namesake thoroughfares. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Bellingham’s street names follow many conventions: letters, numbers, state names, American founding father names, Coast Salish place names, and more. Others, however, reference historical figures and features that helped make Bellingham what it is today.
As Whatcom Museum archivist Jeff Jewell describes, Fairhaven and New Whatcom both had numbered streets until their 1903–1904 consolidation.
“One of the cardinal rules in street naming is no duplication, otherwise the fire department may not show up at the correct address,” says Jewell. “All the numbered cross-streets in the Lettered Streets had to be named. The city council and mayor could only agree that they should be in alphabetical order, leaving the naming to Lottie Roeder Roth, Bellingham’s leading historian at the time. They start with Astor for the former 14th, 15th became Bancroft, 16th became Clinton, 17th became Dupont, 18th became Ellsworth, 19th became Farragut, 20th became Girard, 21st Halleck, etc. Most of these names were prominent Revolutionary War figures.”
“The most recent street named after someone is Brian Griffin Lane, in October 2023,” Jewell says. “It intersects Finnegan Way, named (in 1944) after George Finnegan, the Fairhaven pharmacist and community booster.”
In Bellingham, history is always just around the corner.
Old Town Bellingham Founders
Old Town and downtown Bellingham have many a memory lane for city founders.
Eldridge Avenue and Edwards Street in York Neighborhood are named for pioneers Edward and Teresa Eldridge, who built the Eldridge “Castle.”
On Eldridge Avenue, the renowned Eldridge “Castle” bears the same name as the road the family platted. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Established 1852, the Roeder-Peabody Mill was Bellingham’s first enterprise. Roeder Avenue bears the family name, with Henry Street, Elizabeth Street, and Victor Street named for the captain, his wife, and their son who owned the Roeder Home (c. 1903–1908).
Historian Lottie Roth lends her name to both Lottie Street and Lottie Roth Block.
“Russell Vallette Peabody has the most streets named after him: Russell Street, Vallette Street, Peabody Street,” says Jewell, noting others named for Peabody heirs: Williams Street for Hamlin and Catherine Williams, Jaeger for Ernest and Mary Jaeger. Utter Street is named for millwright William Utter.
Industrial Legacies
Still other street and road names recall vestiges of Bellingham’s distant past.
Railroad Avenue is named for the historic Bellingham railroads that ran through it. The road runs parallel to the remnants of the 1891 trolley system, which operated until 1938 and still has rails embedded in the pavement.
Telegraph Road has a historical marker explaining its name’s origins with the 1865-1867 telegraph line. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Telegraph Road shares its name with other roads across the country along the Collins Overland Telegraph route. Planned to run through Alaska to Russia, this international telegraph operated from 1865 to 1867 until undersea transatlantic cables usurped it.
Due to the four towns’ mergers and the construction of Interstate 5 in 1966, Bellingham has many divided roads. These include Consolidation Avenue, Ellis Street, Potter Street, Franklin Street, North Street, and McLeod Road.
Roads to Campus
Two roads near Western Washington University bear the full names of significant local figures.
Winding on and around Western’s campus, Bill McDonald Parkway is named after the school’s first Vice President of Student Affairs. He coached basketball from 1946 to 1955, along with football and track and field for years before his retirement in 1977.
Just north of campus, Billy Frank Jr. Street is named for the Native American environmental and treaty rights advocate. As the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Chairman, Billy Frank Jr. led fishing rights movements influencing the 1974 Boldt Decision. In 2015, the city of Bellingham renamed the street (formerly “Indian Street”) to acknowledge Coast Salish history.
Jewell also notes that Mason Street and Newell Street were named after Washington Territorial Governors Charles H. Mason and William A. Newell, respectively. “Likewise,” he says, “Ferry Street [was named] after Elisha P. Ferry, Washington Territorial Governor and first Washington State Governor.”
Old Thoroughfares
Local roads with “Old” in their names follow the historic routes of their intersecting present-day namesakes, as in Old Woburn Street and Old Lakeway Drive near Bayview Cemetery.
In 1936, Samish Way became part of the Pacific Highway (US 99), replacing the late-1800s route to Lake Samish. Running south of Lake Padden, Old Samish Road provides parking access for Arroyo Park, Pine and Cedar Lakes, and other hikes.
Named Valley Parkway in 1972, Old Fairhaven Parkway was renamed in 1987 when it became the northern terminus for State Route 11.
Historic Fairhaven
In Fairhaven, founder “Dirty Dan” Harris named the streets in 1883 and lends his name to main street Harris Avenue.
Prominent businesspeople C.X. and Frances Larrabee, J.J. Donovan, Edgar Cowgill, and E.M. Wilson inspired street names in Fairhaven. Their names also appear in Larrabee State Park, Lairmont Manor, Bloedel-Donovan Park, and Cowgill House.
Statues of J.J. Donovan (pictured), “Dirty Dan” Harris, and C.X. Larrabee can be found in Fairhaven, where they were the source of street names. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
As Nelson describes, names such as McKenzie Avenue have unclear origins. Julia Avenue may refer to Donovan’s wife or sister, or both.
“Bennett Avenue in Fairhaven is named after Nelson Bennett, boomer of Fairhaven,” says Jewell, although Eileen Nelson also notes a Bennett Will. “Bennett Drive in the Birchwood Neighborhood is named for John Bennett, early horticulturalist.”
While Bellingham’s street plan has drastically changed for over a century, the road of its history runs straight ahead.
A brand new healthcare facility, owned by PeaceHealth, is opening its doors in Lynden on April 15 to better serve north and east Whatcom County residents and answer the growing demand for robust healthcare services. WhatcomTalk recently sat down with some of the key players in the process of bringing the new building to town.
In With the New
Rachel Lucy, director of community health for PeaceHealth, recalls the start of the project back in 2017 after the Lynden City Council and mayor expressed a need for greater healthcare services in town.
“Once we made the case to expand PeaceHealth services in Lynden and had committed funding for the construction, what really made a difference were the conversations we had sitting down with PeaceHealth and city leadership,” she says. “It just kept coming back to this being a real need in the community. People shared their lived experienced having to drive 25 minutes in either direction to get access to care and that was powerful.”
The new PeaceHealth clinic allows for many north and east Whatcom communities to receive greater healthcare in closer proximity to home. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth
Beyond Lynden, the new facility will better serve patients from many eastern Whatcom communities, such as Sumas, Everson, Nooksack and Kendall. However, the Lynden community itself played an integral role in successfully breaking ground for the site.
“We gathered with 100 community members in February 2020 and it was a small group of Lynden High School students that helped lead us through a conversation about the vision for a healthy future in Lynden,” Lucy says. “Greater healthcare access was certainly one aspect of the vision, but community members also care about mental health, access to vital supports like food and housing, and healthy activities.”
New and Expanded Services
PeaceHealth Director of Operations for Primary Care, Dan Lackey notes the versatility of the brand-new facility, and the opportunities an expanded range of services will bring.
“This is a multi-specialty clinic,” he says. “There’s the primary care and the specialty care side of the building; primary care will cover family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics. Then, we’ll also have a same day walk-in clinic available. On the specialty care side, we’ll have OB-GYN, orthopedics and cardiology services available at this location. We will have some integrated services there, as well, with Mount Baker Imaging and on-site lab service with Quest Diagnostics.”
The new Lynden PeaceHealth clinic will feature expanded service access and more healthcare opportunities. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth
“We will be moving both our PHMG orthopedic and obstetrics and gynecology clinics from their current locations on Grover Street to the new Benson Road location. It will take a little bit of time, but we eventually plan to have two providers from each of these clinics working daily in Lynden,” says Julie Bromet, Director of Operations for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Midwifery.
“Our OB-GYN clinic will be open for routine gynecology care, wellness exams and OB patients. We will have both physicians and midwives providing care at this location regularly. We will also be offering non-stress tests at this new site,” she says. “The orthopedic clinic will be providing surgery consults, pre-op and post-op care, as well as non-operative care for orthopedic conditions. All the orthopedic providers will be rotating to this site. Cardiology will be providing one clinic day per week for both new patients and follow-up visits. In addition, cardiology will also be providing echocardiography services one day per week,” says Bromet.
Sustainable Practices and LEED Design
In addition to expanded services and healthcare opportunities, the new site is also a showcase of environmental responsibility and community partnership.
“We built this facility from the ground up with a commitment to make this an environmentally sound building,” says PeaceHealth Sustainability Lead Brian Nelson. “Lynden will be our first building for PeaceHealth that will be LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) — it’s the world’s most widely used framework that helps define how buildings can be greener.”
Inside and out, PeaceHealth promotes green initiatives and helps educate both patients and staff on environmental sustainability. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth
The building boasts 162 solar panels on the roof, which will help offset a quarter of the facility’s energy demand, and the team designed water to flow through foliage on the site to help filter runoff. “It gets filtered naturally through native plants and greenery so we’re not allowing polluted water to flow into our local waterways,” Nelson says.
On the inside, PeaceHealth worked diligently to align the 24,393 square-foot building’s interior design with their sustainability initiative, while also helping support local commerce.
“We looked at everything from a green-building perspective from the materials that we used for construction down to some of the things like the doors, for instance,” says Nelson. “We used a local vendor to manufacture those. We’ve tried to try to keep things local and use green materials both inside and out. As a way of educating both staff and patients, we will have signage on campus so people can walk by and check out the cool things we included, from an environmental perspective.”
The clinic’s outdoor water filtration utilizes healthy plant filtering to avoid polluting waterways with runoff. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth
The facility uses low-flow water devices, zero VOC paints, energy-efficient lighting and equipment and features strong recycling capabilities.
Additionally, the Lynden clinic will feature artwork from local artists, thanks to a generous grant of $65,000 from the Hank and Elanor Jansen Foundation. The artwork was selected from the Jansen Art Center in Lynden.
“We are thrilled to have the support of the Hank and Eleanor Jansen Foundation for the artwork,” said Amber Asbjornsen, chief philanthropy officer for the PeaceHealth Northwest network.
PeaceHealth’s newest healthcare facility will open on April 15 for patients, with a grand opening celebration on May 16, from 4:30–6:30 p.m., inviting the community to tour the new site.
Spring is here, and with it we welcome the changing of seasons, new growth, and progress in many ways. This year, we’re looking ahead to April’s 54th annual Earth Day — a day first celebrated in 1970 that achieved a rare alliance between people from all walks of life. Environmental advocates, farmers and urban dwellers, business and labor leaders, and people from all political groups and classes…this day set off a movement commemorated worldwide (earthday.org).
That movement is close to many hearts in Washington State, and especially to those in the Pacific Northwest. It’s focused on doing what we can to better our planet now and into the future. And with changes to state and local building codes, energy standards, and more, environmental awareness is turning into action in very tangible ways.
Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing
As we enter this “green” season, our team at Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing is putting a spotlight on one of the three primary pillars of our business: energy solutions. From educating our team on the latest technologies to finding new and innovative ways to support energy savings that benefit both the consumer and the environment, our eyes are always set on what’s coming. And it’s big!
So big, in fact, you could win an electric car with our “IT’S ELECTRIC” Clean Energy Sweepstakes. We’re giving away a Ford Mustang Mach E, PLUS an EV charger for your home! Yours to keep for three years, this head-turning ride gives all the exhilaration of a Mustang with zero emissions. Now that’s a way to kick off your spring/summer in style.
Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing
Wanna enter? Starting April 1, you can score clean energy points for many qualifying purchases at Barron. Considering going solar or investing in battery backup with Barron? You’d score 16 clean energy points — that’s 16 entries(!) — to win the Mach E. How about investing in an electric fireplace, heat pump, ductless system, or geothermal? Those each come with a cool four points. High-efficiency furnaces, Aeroseal® duct sealing, tankless water heaters, and so much more…all things clean energy point to your chance to win.
Clean energy and Barron go hand in hand. This past year marks the fifth year in a row that our Solar by Barron division was awarded a top spot in the “Best Clean Energy Company” category of Bellingham Alive’s Best of the Northwest. Voted by our community, this recognition validates our efforts to support our neighborhoods and the world we live in. As CEO Brad Barron says, “Our team is incredibly proud to represent environmental stewardship in the community.”
So this spring, we encourage you to get inspired by Earth Day and make a change in your home or lifestyle — big or small. Go Solar, get a Home Performance Test, upgrade to a heat pump before the summer heat,…you name it! You’ll enjoy the benefits of energy savings for yourself and the environment, PLUS, a chance to drive away in that Ford Mustang Mach E (plus EV charger). You’ll earn clean energy points on many qualifying Barron purchases April 1 through June 30, 2024, giving you even more reasons to invest in your WholeHome™ comfort system(s). We can’t wait to partner with you! As your Pacific Northwest home and building performance experts since 1972, we stand by our mission of improving lives.
Owners Robin and Doug Robertson in front of Bellingham Training and Tennis Club. Photo courtesy of Bellingham Training and Tennis Club
For 50 years, the soundtrack at Bellingham Training and Tennis Club has been the timeless sound of tennis balls bouncing off racket strings. This iconic Fairhaven staple has been a gathering place for community and fitness since 1973. In that time, the business has gone through various stages, from first being tennis-centric to becoming a full-service fitness training facility.
Businesses tend to go through cycles as they age. Customers, teams, managers, and often owners come and go. For some companies, these cycles end with other businesses taking their place. Others, like BTTC, have become cornerstones of the community as they’ve evolved over the years. It would be easy to break BTTC up into two different eras. BR&D (Before Robin and Doug) — the first 27 years of the business — and AR&D (After Robin and Doug) — the last 23 years. When Robin and Doug Robertson took the major life step to purchase the club in 2000, they knew they had their work cut out for them but had no idea how impactful the move would be.
Robin and Doug Robertson have been making headlines since day one at the Bellingham Training and Tennis Club. Photo provided by Robin Robertson
The pair quickly went to work expanding the size of the club, allowing for a fifth indoor court, and Robin began brainstorming about how she could expand the club’s offerings. By adding the RIDE studio and the ZONE, the club transformed into a place where people can achieve their fitness goals with various approaches. With Robin running the club while Doug finished his 30-year law practice career and began teaching at Whatcom Community College, they instilled the club’s core values to: Build Confidence, Serve First, Bring Care, Always Improve, and Enjoy Life!
The beginning stages of owning a business are filled with excitement and anxiety. As BTTC and the team operating it mature, the emotions morph into a sense of pride and identity that becomes tied to the business.
“When you’ve owned and managed a business for 23-plus years, one’s persona is wrapped up in who you are for your business,” says Robin.
The club under its original construction in 1973. Photo courtesy BTTC
This feeling makes Robin both anxious and excited about what she sees as the upcoming third era for BTTC. She and Doug have decided to step out of the day-to-day operations and focus on being the club’s owners. Doug will continue teaching American Government and Economics at Whatcom Community College. Robin will take some time to decide what’s next for her. She knows she’ll be working behind the scenes at the club and continuing to teach some of the classes she loves, but most of all, she’s excited to stay a part of the community at the club as a member instead of a manager.
As the Robertsons contemplated a role change at BTTC, they approached it thinking about what to do with a mature business. When a business has been around for more than 50 years, how do you keep it fresh and improving? The couple have a strong desire to build on what they’ve accomplished over the last 23 years, continuing to grow their offerings for the community that supports them. While contemplating how to move forward, they were presented with a well-timed opportunity.
One of the Robertson’s major projects was adding a 5th court to the club. Photo courtesy BTTC
“I feel so incredibly fortunate that our stars aligned at the right time with her wanting to make a transition at the same time I am because I cannot imagine someone better suited to run the club,” Robin says. “She has the knowledge and expertise in running multiple fitness facilities.”
The someone Robin is referring to is Denise Skelton, who is selling her shares in the Riverside Health Clubs in Skagit County and becoming the general manager of BTTC. Skelton, who will step into the general manager role on July 16th, has 30 years of experience managing and owning health clubs. The melding of Skelton with BTTC allows both parties to work towards their shared goal of providing a special place for the community to come together and focus on health and fitness.
Denise Skelton will become BTTC’s new general manager in July. Photo courtesy BTTC
“This is an honor to be entrusted with this,” says Skelton. “I look forward to getting to know BTTC members and getting more involved in the community. I’m coming in with a lot of excitement and respect for the community and the Robertsons. I think what they’ve built is incredible.”
While Skelton comes in with experience, she has always looked to learn from those around her. She feels the younger generation’s insight helps keep clubs modern. While she will be running things, she values her team members and wants to partner with them in operating BTTC.
“I haven’t gotten to know the staff yet, but I’m hoping they have ideas and that I can have a diverse team with various areas of expertise,” Skelton says, “and then coach that team to take BTTC to the next phase of its existence.”
To be a part of all the exciting things happening at BTTC, learn more about what’s coming up at www.betrainingtennis.com or stop by the club at 800 McKenzie Avenue in Fairhaven.
WWU Women's Soccer celebrates after its December 3, 2022, NCAA Championship Game win. Photo courtesy WWU
Over the past few years, women’s soccer participation has steadily grown in Whatcom County. The game has surged in popularity from youth club soccer levels to the collegiate ranks — and now into the semi-professional level.
Emily Webster, a local player, has witnessed this growth in Whatcom County and Bellingham in various capacities as both a player and a coach. She currently serves as the head girls coach at Sehome High School and as a player-coach with the semi-professional indoor Bellingham United Football Club (BUFC) women’s team.
Webster has played soccer in Whatcom for most of her life, starting with recreational soccer for the Southside Soccer Club, and then with the Whatcom Development League, before joining the well-known Whatcom Football Rangers club from middle school until age 17. She then left to play with a club in Lynnwood.
After high school, Webster enrolled at Western Washington University and joined its soccer program. Webster says she appreciated how much Western’s coaches cared about each of their players as individuals.
Through dedicated players like Webster, WWU has built a top-notch program that competes yearly in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Western’s women’s soccer team won the Division II National Championships in 2016 and 2022 and is usually top-ranked yearly. The success of WWU has only helped benefit women’s soccer in the county by providing a program for young players to aspire to and compete at a high level.
The 2022 WWU Women’s Soccer team after winning the NCAA Championship Game. Photo courtesy WWU
Whatcom Community College in Bellingham allows players to participate in women’s soccer in the two-year Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). Several of Whatcom’s players have gone on to play soccer at four-year universities after playing at WCC.
Webster has observed participation explode in the county, often witnessing it on weekends at soccer pitches in and around the county.
“I’ll often spend a Saturday at Phillips 66 Soccer Park watching some of my students,” Webster says. I am constantly in awe of how many players are out there playing rec and competitive soccer. I feel like there’s been increased exposure and support for women’s soccer.”
Over the years, Whatcom County has seen more opportunities for girls and women to play the game. WWU Assistant Athletic Director, Athletic Communications Jeff Evans has witnessed the game’s growth from several professional and personal perspectives.
“Since I arrived in my position at WWU in 2015, it’s been fun to see the significant rise in women’s soccer,” he says. “Not only at WWU — with a pair of national championships — but in the community with Bellingham United supporting an indoor and outdoor women’s team and the Whatcom Waves [women’s adult team] also providing more opportunities for women’s soccer players.”
Harrington Field packed for a WWU women’s game. Photo courtesy WWU
As a community member, Evans has also seen first-hand the impact of the Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association in providing a great grassroots program, which his daughter plays in.
“Those beginnings have turned into great opportunities with the Whatcom FC Rangers and North County Alliance FC to show further the talent-rich soccer community we live in,” says Evans.
In addition to club, high school, and college soccer, Webster and other women now have another level at which to play. Bellingham United Football Club, which has long fielded men’s clubs in indoor and outdoor semi-pro leagues, now features two semi-pro women’s options. The Northwest Premier League Indoor saw the BUFC women in the championships, where they finished runner-up. During the outdoor season, the BUFC women play in the Cascadia Premier’s First Division and will play in their second season this April.
“I’ve seen a bolstering of the fanbase within the soccer community. Whatcom County has always loved soccer — playing it, watching it, etc.,” says BUFC Women’s outdoor coach Mary Schroeder. “With the addition of the women’s team to BUFC, we’ve witnessed huge support from the community and many fans at games.”
Women’s soccer in Whatcom County symbolizes perseverance, passion, and progress. With committed individuals propelling it forward, the sport at the women’s level holds a promising future for everyone involved.
As Jewell James (left) describes, he's won legal battles with the IRS to classify his carving work as a tax-exempt, ceremonial activity. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Found throughout the Lummi Reservation and Whatcom County, story poles by Lummi House of Tears Carvers are also part of a larger national story. For more than 20 years, their Totem Pole Journey has transported poles across the country to advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental causes.
The House of Tears started in the 1980s with Jewell James and the late Ken Cooper, Vernon Johnson, and Dale James. Today, Jewell James carves with another brother, Doug James, and other assistants.
“The idea was to be able to access old growth trees out of the National Forest for cultural purposes,” says James. The group also wanted to carve totem poles and story poles to place on the Lummi Indian Reservation and off-reservation locations, to share the culture for reservation youth but also with others living elsewhere. “It was the late Vernon Johnson’s idea to start locating poles off-reservation, which he was adamant about.”
Since then, the Totem Pole Journey has used local forms of traditional art for national awareness-raising.
“It became a way to do environmental messaging in a friendly way,” James says. “People will come out to see a story pole because they don’t normally see them in other parts of the country.”
The Double Thunderbird pole stands at Bellwether Plaza..“When somebody wants a totem pole for a specific area, we have to know, why is it going there? And then we have to think about, well, what images would tell the story they want to hear? Or they want to tell people you know? That’s always important,” Jewell James says. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Totem Pole Journey
The Totem Pole Journey started after the September 11 attacks, which coincided with James’ time advocating for treaty rights and tribal sovereignty in Washington, D.C.
“We decided we were going to put a pole up in Sterling Forest for the children that lost their families in the Twin Towers, as a gift,” says James. “That led us to put another pole up at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed. Then publicity led to us doing an arch where Flight 77 hit the Pentagon.”
Over decades, the House of Tears have mobilized support for movements such as the Sioux and Beaver Lake Cree’s protests for treaty rights against tar sands mining, Free Leonard Peltier, and protections of religious freedoms.
House of Tears story poles, such as the Salmon Woman Totem at Marine Heritage Park, provide placards that explain the stories and symbolism they use. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
“Those first three years of real activism in regards to off-reservation totem poles became a message system,” James says. “We decided to keep on going with the idea that we can deliver totem poles to communities where we’re calling for citizens, organizations, church groups, environmental groups, and various political activists that come together for protecting the earth.”
The House of Tears responds to centuries of oppression and colonialization of Native Americans, much of it within living memory. The Lummi Nation has experienced religious persecution, such as federal raids for owning eagle feathers.
“I think we’re one of the few entities that are nationally and internationally trying to advocate the power of our culture — and that our culture tells the story,” says James. “And the story is our relationship with the world around us.” James was actively involved in the United Nations’ Declaration and Rights of Indigenous Peoples and drafted the original paper President Obama used to accept the U.N. declaration.
Local Story Poles
“They call it politics,” James says of the Totem Pole Journey. “But for us, it’s more of a spiritual obligation to protect the world around us.” Carvings promote cultural renewal following periods of termination under the Religious Crimes Code of 1883.
“Down here we have a story telling us how the salmon came,” says James. “We have stories about how things changed around us. And so, in our House of Tears Carvers, we try to keep those stories in mind. It’s like writing a book, or a chapter; you look at a totem pole and there’s three or four stories tied to it.” It’s James’ hope that someone will come up behind the carvers and write out all the stories for each of the poles, so that 50 years from now kids will know what was intended.
The House of Tears memorial pole for the Olympic Pipeline explosion victims has moved from Whatcom Creek Trail to Whatcom Falls Park and undergone renovations. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
The House of Tears created the 2006 totem at Whatcom Falls Park memorializing the victims of the 1999 Olympic Pipeline explosion. Their other local works include the Salmon Woman Totem at Maritime Heritage Park and Double Thunderbird pole at Bellwether Plaza.
The story poles, which use commercial paints, recall traditional carvings with dyes from clays and plants. They now use old-growth logs, which lack the knots of second growth.
Jewell James (left) and Doug James (right) continue the work of House of Tears Carvers, which you can follow through social media and the press. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Carving Out a Future
House of Tears Carvers has carried on with the support of tribal leaders and long-term partners.
“Freddie Lane has worked on media outreach,” James says. “He’s working with the Children of the Setting Sun right now, working with his cousin Darrell. But Freddie would do a lot of contacts with the tribes.”
“Every tribe in the United States has been impacted by the boarding school damages; we hope to do a totem pole that will help raise awareness and financial support from the tribes, especially the gaming tribes,” says James. “We’re hoping they would do more donating to the Coalition so they can begin dealing with not only identifying the surviving former students that may have been damaged, but also dealing with the intergenerational stress and trauma that impacted Indian country.”
For the House of Tears, the story of promoting unity and healing through cultural expression continues.
Maple Creek Reach is just one of many special places in Whatcom County that Whatcom Land Trust has protected for future generations of all species over the past 40 years. Photo credit: Rich Bowers
Since 1984, Whatcom Land Trust (the Trust) has worked to protect and steward Whatcom County’s special places for future generations of all species. You’ve most likely experienced their impact without realizing it — perhaps hiking, biking, or playing in one of the 19 Whatcom County public parks created with the help of Whatcom Land Trust over the past 40 years. Lookout Mountain Reserve, Stimpson Family Nature Reserve, Teddy Bear Cove, and Galbraith Mountain are just a few you might have enjoyed.
According to board member Rand Jack, who helped co-found the organization 40 years ago, the Trust “looked to protect a variety of land — particularly natural areas — that would provide [access] opportunities and protect habitat for animals that were here long before we were.”
The very first county park the Land Trust helped establish was Teddy Bear Cove — a popular beach with a trail that winds through coastal forest and bird habitat to saltwater shoreline and tide pools.
Rand Jack of Whatcom Land Trust and the Stimpson Family cut the ribbon at the opening of Stimpson Family Nature Reserve, circa 2000.
“When it went up for sale, the Land Trust was able to step in and put out a fundraising call to its supporters, raising enough money to acquire the property,” says Board Member Chris Moench, who has served the organization since 1990. “That was done in conversation with the County Parks Director at the time, Roger Despain. We agreed the county would end up purchasing Teddy Bear Cove from the Land Trust. But the Land Trust was able to act quickly, and that was key to preventing development. Now it’s a beloved county park and the Trust holds a conservation easement.”
For 40 years the Land Trust has prioritized protecting parks to ensure public access for future generations. It’s critical to protect places like Stimpson Family Nature Reserve, “where people can visit and enjoy and appreciate the land,” says Rand Jack. “It’s really hard to convince people to protect something if they’ve never seen it or experienced it.”
When the Stimpson family first approached the Land Trust, they entrusted the process of determining how to conserve the family’s land to Jack, needing all siblings of the Stimpson family to make a unanimous decision. “It was a long process, and I think that now the Stimpson family is delighted with what’s happened,” Jack says. “Stimpson has been embraced by the community, it is a real sign of possibility, of hope. You walk these trails, you’ll hardly ever find a piece of trash. I don’t know of any other park where you walk this every day for a week and you will not see a piece of trash.”
Whatcom Land Trust co-founder and board member Rand Jack with a piece from his latest art exhibition, Carving Birds and Conserving Land, on display in Whatcom Museum’s John M. Edson Hall of Birds, Old City Hall, April 27 through October 27. Photo courtesy Whatcom Land Trust
“Conservation for the community, by the community…” is listed on the sign at the entrance to Stimpson Family Nature Reserve. That phrase represents the Trust’s commitment to community-focused conservation, and honors the ongoing and special partnership with Whatcom County Parks and Recreation.
As the Land Trust continues to grow and protect more properties, they work to align conservation strategies with other community groups, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe, and other government entities working toward shared conservation values and connecting the community with the land. The Trust’s individual properties are connected to the larger ecosystems of Whatcom County, and their protection and management have a large impact on habitat health and connectivity, river system function and climate resilience. The Trust has now protected more than 26,000 acres of land through conservation easements, land ownership and facilitation.
Whatcom Land Trust invites everyone to attend their upcoming 40th Anniversary Party at Structures Brewing on April 12.
Celebrate the Land Trust’s 40th anniversary by joining one of their upcoming events. Attend an art exhibition, chat conservation, and/or get your shovel dirty at the following upcoming 40th Anniversary celebration events.
Celebrate 40 years of conservation with live folk music, toasts from prominent community members, a raffle (including merch with our new logo), and birthday cake for everyone!
Care for the land you love this earth day by joining a work party and helping to restore a beautiful ecosystem next to Lake Whatcom.
Rand Jack & Whatcom Land Trust Fireside Chat at Whatcom Museum Friday, May 3, 5–6:30 p.m.
The latest art exhibition by Whatcom Land Trust co-founder and conservationist Rand Jack, Carving Birds and Conserving Land, wil be on display April 27 through October 27 at Whatcom Museum’s John M. Edson Hall of Birds in Old City Hall. The fireside chat will share conservation stories from the last forty years and answer audience questions.
For more details and events, follow Whatcom Land Trust on social media or scan the QR code below to sign up for Whatcom Land Trust’s e-newsletter so you don’t miss out. Stewardship work parties, the annual Spring Benefit, guided birding tours, and hiking opportunities are all planned on Trust properties over the next few months.
TJ Singh and Jasmine Pannu (pictured) both run India Mart with help in acquiring produce from their families. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
TJ Singh and his wife Jasmine Pannu recently opened India Mart with a vision to make Indian cuisine readily available in Bellingham. This specialty store offers produce, sweets, spices, and other groceries from India, Fiji, and southeast Asia.
The shop opened on January 18, 2024, but the couple had been at work for well over a year to make that happen, taking time to best understand the needs of Bellingham — a community they felt had a lot of availability to serve. “International cuisine, Indian food, is growing,” says Pannu. “There’s so many different items. My husband spent the last year looking at locations, looking at areas, making sure it was big enough, making sure we had accessibility.”
“We’re always listening to our customers,” Pannu says. “If someone says, ‘I’m looking for X, Y, and Z,’ we keep a list and talk to our vendors: “Can you help us get this?’”
India Mart is located off Telegraph Road, near the Guide Meridian and Bellis Fair Mall area. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
India Mart’s Selection
India Mart offers entire aisles of produce, noodles, flours, rices, spices and teas, and both packaged and freshly-baked sweets. Other items include health and beauty products and traditional Indian wedding supplies.
“We have an incredibly wide range of items we try to carry,” says Pannu. “People are looking for different brands, and we look to carry those — we’re looking for specific ingredients in them, for different sizing. A lot of Indian families tend to be large, so they might want a larger size, whereas someone else might just be looking for a smaller bottle.”
As Bellingham’s Indian population grows, India Mart provides many with a taste of home and other residents with opportunities to expand their culinary range.
“Indian food is so variable in its geographical scope,” Pannu says. “So we’re thinking about the wide range of products that serve not only the North Indian community, which is what we are, but South Indians as well, and trying to make sure that we can get that for them.”
India Mart’s dessert case offers fresh baked goods available in to-go boxes. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Some of the owners’ favorite offerings include dosa batter, gluten-free roti, and the sweets counter, which includes various forms of burfi, gulab jamun, and more.
International and Local Influences
Singh and Pannu saw the opportunity to open an Indian grocery in Bellingham following years of experience in both India and Washington state.
“It’s a family-run business, so it’s my husband and me and our team on the floor,” says Pannu. “We have people who help us with inventory management and our family helps us get fresh produce two to three times a week, — everyone has a role.”
Within a few months, India Mart has received community support for its customer service and dedication to supplying requested items.
Behind the counter at India Mart, paintings and other displayed items are also available for sale. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
“It’s phenomenal,” Pannu says. “People are so amazed and excited to see the vast array of spices we have. They’re ground, they’re whole, they’re aromatic. They serve an entire area that I think wasn’t being served before, [with] spices you can’t easily find elsewhere.”
Pannu says the most rewarding part of running the store has been the feedback from customers. “People are always so excited, they walk out with a smile on their face,” she says. “We get Instagram messages from people all the time, sharing that we’re introducing them to a new food. And food and eating is culture, right, it’s what we do: we sit together with our friends and family. Our hope is that they’ll introduce their friends and family to [this cuisine] as well.”
New Additions
Customers can stay up-to-date on specials and news through India Mart’s Instagram page.
“Customers can learn about the products we carry,” says Pannu. “And they can use [Instagram] as a form of communication with us. We try to post recipes on there, and they can really just learn about Indian food and where to get started.”
In addition to grocery and produce items, India Mart also sells housewares, cookware, traditional wedding items, and other essentials. Photo credit: Anna Diehl
India Mart’s team has planned to take growth “one day at a time,” says Pannu, meeting requests as they arise.
“One of our core visions is being incredibly customer-focused and customer-centric,” Pannu says. “We want to make sure we have a strong baseline and we’re able to meet the needs of our customers. Once we feel like we’re in a place where we’re able to do that, then the world is our oyster.”
As India Mart grows, they also plan to expand their community outreach.
“At some point, we want to have some customer donation programs and really work to make sure we’re supporting the community that we live, work, and play in,” says Pannu.
You can visit India Mart at 193 Telegraph Road, follow them on Instagram, or call 360.208.0800 for more information.
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