Running Start: An Opportunity for College in High School

By

Katauna Loeuy Intern from Squalicum High School

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Running Start is a program that allows high school juniors and seniors to attend college early. In Whatcom County, this opportunity is hosted at Bellingham Technical College and Whatcom Community College. However, there are a variety of Running Start programs throughout Washington and Hawaii. Running Start holds many benefits for participating students and their futures.

Running Start students take classes at Whatcom Community College. Photo credit: Katauna Loeuy.

Senior Alyssa Jones has been a part of this program, full time, since her junior year. “A benefit I didn’t realize before doing Running Start is that you get to experience the atmosphere of college before going to a four year university,” she says.

Along with this advantage, Running Start allows students to gain both high school and college credits simultaneously, which allows them to excel beyond the average high school junior or senior. Also, full time Running Start students or part time students who are taking summer courses have the opportunity to receive their Associate’s degree with their high school diploma. This is incredibly beneficial for students financially because Running Start is essentially free. The college does not charge participants in this program for tuition. However, summer classes aren’t covered, nor are additional book or lab fees. Some students may qualify for book loans to help cover the cost.

Another Running Start advantage is that students are granted the freedom to choose the times of their classes. This flexibility improves students’ time management and scheduling skills, as well as communication abilities when coordinating with student advisors. Proficiency in these areas helps students stay on schedule and develop responsibility.

Students communicate with their advisors inside Whatcom Community College’s LaidLaw building. Photo credit: Katauna Loeuy.

There is a learning curve to the program. Some participants find it difficult to balance both high school and college at first. Alayna Singh, a senior attending Squalicum High School and Whatcom Community College part time, says, “Commuting to and from school is always stressful, especially my first year of Running Start. It took a while to get the hang of it.” Singh notes that the experience has helped her improve her scheduling and communication skills. As with most things, proficiency comes with time.

It only takes five simple steps to enroll in the Running Start program. First, students must attend an information session which are held regularly at Whatcom Community College. Times and dates for these sessions are displayed on WCC’s events calendar. Next, students need to be admitted into Running Start. To complete this process, an application for admission, parent permission form and fee waiver petition must be submitted. The packet will be processed, then students will receive a confirmation email. Afterward, students will meet with their high school counselor to ensure that they are taking the correct courses that are required for graduation. Then, it’s time for their classes. Each individual will meet with a college advisor to provide support and ensure the student’s schedule meets their needs. Lastly, students who would like to participate in this program need to attend a college orientation. During this experience, students will be given a tour of the college, as well as information on how to be successful in the diverse collegiate community.

A Running Start pamphlet introduces students to the program. Photo credit: Katauna Loeuy.

Participating students find several differences between high school and Running Start. To begin, Running Start students are expected to act like college students. In college, if assignments aren’t turned in on time, professors are not as lenient. Also, it’s imperative to truly comprehend information learned in college classes because tests take up the majority of students’ grades in Running Start. The grading system also differs.

Every college professor is unique. Running Start allows students the chance to choose their professors. Many individuals make these decisions based on recommendations from their peers or from the online site “Rate My Professor.” It’s prudent for students to sign up quickly; otherwise classes may fill up and they’ll be forced to make another choice.

Running Start increases students’ ability to build knowledge for future benefit. In addition, graduating high school with an Associates Degree gives them a debt-free leg up for the future. And with Running Start, the future is looking better than ever.

Alzheimer Society of Washington: Supporting Whatcom County

By

Lauren Brigolin

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The Alzheimer Society is a powerful force for good in Whatcom County. Photo courtesy: Alzheimer Society of Washington.

Over 5.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. This degenerative brain disease is the most common type of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. It afflicts people of all ages and demographics. Yet, despite the fact that it’s becoming more common, diagnosed and recognized, it is still often whispered about.

Photo courtesy: Alzheimer Society of Washington.

That’s where the Alzheimer Society of Washington comes in. Based in Bellingham, the organization brings education, connection and support to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. “We help people right now – who need help right now – getting through the dementia journey,” says Executive Director Jan Higman. “I think it’s critical for people to have that help, support and education.”

The Alzheimer Society of Washington has served Whatcom County since it was founded in 1983. They provide Care Partner Support Groups for caregivers and individuals experiencing early stage memory loss. They also have Staying Connected, a weekly program for people with early memory loss concerns. Their services and events help make memory screenings and supportive environments more accessible to the community. They want to ensure that no one feels alone.

Joe Allen gets ready for some delicious cake with Joanne Friese and Beverly Brownrigg. Photo courtesy: Alzheimer Society of Washington.

“Support groups are very important because we see people come in that are so isolated and feel like there is nobody out there,” says Leslie Jackson, RN and educational coordinator. She enjoys “watching the transition when they first come to the support group, and then they’re laughing by the time they leave!”

From the very beginning, the Alzheimer Society of Washington was created to support volunteers, family and friends of those affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses. Frank and Josselyn Winslow are two of the society’s founding members. Their journey began when Josselyn’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the 1970s.

Frank and Josselyn quickly realized there was little help for people with dementia at that time. Josselyn discovered she had no power to advocate for her mother after she entered a care facility, because her mother had not made an advance directive. At the time, there was no legal way for a daughter to speak for her mother with dementia.

Mildred Schmidt and Leslie Jackson chat together. Photo courtesy: Alzheimer Society of Washington.

Frank and other Whatcom County residents went to Olympia to help advocate for a law that would allow the family members of those with Alzheimer’s disease to speak for them.

“Frank recognized that after my mother died, the doctor had to understand to put Alzheimer’s disease [on the death certificate] and the bureau of statics had to know to count it,” Josselyn says.

The significance of correctly labeling a cause of death leads to big impact in studying these kinds of diseases. Research is determined by numbers, so when a disease like Alzheimer’s is correctly identified, it informs people that this is a field that needs to be focused on.

Due to Frank’s work in Olympia, awareness of the importance of accurate labeling was raised. When he later passed away, his death certificate was correctly labeled. “I was gratified that Frank’s death certificate said ‘vascular dementia’ because if the doctor had not been aware, it would not have been there.”

“I’m hoping that with what we’re doing and the help people are getting, sooner or later, people will speak out about Alzheimer’s and all the dementias,” Josselyn says. “It will be something where a whole lot of people and the system helps.”

As a founder and board member, Josselyn has helped the Alzheimer Society of Washington since its inception. Today she is working to make the community as a whole more dementia friendly.

“It’s inspiring to see the growth of the society,” Jackson says. “In the beginning, there were a few people going to support groups and now there are 26!”

The Alzheimer Society of Washington greets everyone with compassion and are ready to help anyone who walks through their door. Their events, volunteer opportunities and resources are readily available to the community. Living with Alzheimer’s can be challenging, but it’s so important to know you are not alone.

Alzheimer Society of Washington
1301 Fraser Street Suite A-1
Bellingham
360-671-3316
alz@alzsociety.org

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MaryLou Richardson Heals with Laughter Therapy

By

Cassandra Darwin

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Directly after an impromptu laughter session, MaryLou Richardson (left) was happy to indulge me with a smiling photo. Photo courtesy: Cassandra Darwin.

They say that laughter is the best medicine. After learning more about laughter therapy and even participating in an impromptu session, I am a believer. MaryLou Richardson enjoys painting, baking, boasting about great-grandchildren and teaching local residents to use laughter to improve their health. This remarkable woman is the leader of the Bellingham Laughter Club.

Born in Bellingham in 1927, MaryLou has seen a lot change over the last 90 years. She went to elementary school in a one room schoolhouse in Glacier, WA where her parents ran a lodge. She met her husband, Walt Richardson, when she was a sophomore at Bellingham High School. They were married for 58 years and had four kids. MaryLou proudly told me that her family has 30 members now including grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She recently set aside an evening to enjoy a cup of tea and her homemade cookies with me, so I could learn about how she is using laughter to make a difference.

MaryLou asks herself, “Have I made a difference today?” She shares her gift of laughter to help others improve their health. Photo courtesy: Cassandra Darwin.

Over a decade ago two of MaryLou’s friends started Bellingham Laughter Club. She joined them for a session without knowing too much about it. Around the same time her husband had become ill and she was not sleeping well. But after that first laughter session she went home and slept for a solid 12 hours. After her husband passed away, MaryLou attended the training to become a certified laughter leader and went on to take over the Bellingham Laughter Club. The club had regular meetings where attendees were encouraged to smile and laugh through a series of exercises.

Participants begin with “ha ha ha,” “he he he” and “ho ho ho” at high pitches and low pitches. By the time I finished practicing these sounds with MaryLou, I couldn’t contain my own genuine laughing. According to World Laughter Tour, “In the supportive environment of our therapeutic laughter sessions, clubs and events, participants learn how to laugh without the aid of jokes. Simulated laughter quickly becomes genuine, beneficial giggles, chuckles and belly laughter.”

Due to MaryLou’s age-related macular degeneration and loss of eyesight, she is not currently able to manage club rosters or drive to meetings. While discussing the frustrations that come along with aging, even for a sprightly nonagenarian, MaryLou said it is easier to handle because, “I have learned to laugh.” Despite her vision loss, she persisted and found a way to share laughter therapy with some of Bellingham’s most vulnerable residents.

MaryLou has been leading laughter therapy sessions for 10 years as part of the Bellingham Laughter Club. Photo courtesy: Cassandra Darwin.

She still regularly visits four local senior and memory care centers to lead laughter sessions with their patients: The Bellingham at Orhcard, Brookdale, Mt. Baker Care Center and St. Francis. “Many of these residents are so alone,” MaryLou told me of those who do not get visitors. She described one patient who came to a session feeling very upset and proclaiming, “Nothing can help me.” MaryLou pleaded with the patient to give her a chance and by the end she was smiling and clapping along. She had another participant tell her, “This is the first time I have laughed in seven years.” At times like these MaryLou knows that she is truly making a difference.

“I believe that every person is given a gift of some kind. And they are given that gift in order to give it away. I’ve been given the gift of laughter. It has helped me so much and so I am giving it away to those who don’t have anything to laugh about,” said MaryLou. In the past, MaryLou has hosted a laughing session in Elizabeth Park on the first Sunday of every month during summer. She hopes to do the same this year and it will be free for everyone to attend—her gift to the community.

Directly after an impromptu laughter session, MaryLou Richardson (left) was happy to indulge me with a smiling photo. Photo courtesy: Cassandra Darwin.

The health benefits of laughter are not a joke. According to the Mayo Clinic, laughing does more than lighten your mood. It causes physical changes when your body takes in more oxygen-rich air, your heart, lungs and muscles are stimulated and endorphins are released to make you feel good. Laughter has been proven effective to relieve symptoms of stress and pain. And long-term benefits can include an improved immune system and decreased depression and anxiety. These benefits have personally affected MaryLou. She believes laughter is one of the reasons she has been able to recover from a minor stroke and heart attack.

I am so grateful to MaryLou for sharing her story and laughter with me, and for teaching me to exercise my smile. If you would like more information about laughter therapy in Bellingham, including corporate, private or group sessions, you can reach MaryLou Richardson at 360-734-4989.

LaserPoint Awards & Promotions: The Business of Supporting Business

By

Lauren Brigolin

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LaserPoint Uber dog — This cool cat, Uber dog, greets all customers to the business. Photo credit: Kathy Cross.

It may seem like a small thing: a favorite pen you picked up around town, a chip clip you received at a business event and now use regularly, or a beloved t-shirt that brings back the memory of your favorite local shop. These items can seem inconsequential, but they’re woven into the fabric of our daily lives and, with them, the memory of the business or organization whose name they bear.

Kathy Cross President of LaserPoint Awards & Promotions is always looking for something new like this water-bottle with built in Blue-Tooth speakers. Photo courtesy: LaserPoint Awards & Promotions.

LaserPoint Awards & Promotions was founded in 1997 and became one of the first businesses in the Pacific Northwest to introduce laser engraving. Their services now include embroidery, screen printing, imprinted products, engraving and more.

LaserPoint helps companies find the best solutions to achieve their sales and marketing goals, including retail promotions and branding. They work together with clients to cultivate ideas. Their goal is to find the right fit for each business or individual.

“I’m very thankful of our customers, because they’ve become friends,” says Kathy Cross, LaserPoint Awards & Promotions President. “There is a relationship; we work together to make great ideas. We love that part of our business.”

Their collaborative approach has made them stand out in the local business community. Kathy and her husband, Randy Cross, were honored for their work when LaserPoint Awards & Promotions was named 2016 Small Business of the Year by the Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce.

“My husband does all the engraving,” Kathy says, noting that businesses aren’t their only clientele. “People come in because a pet died or a loved one has passed, or they are thanking someone or remembering someone. He’s really good at interacting with everyone, so what they get is exactly what they had in mind.”

Promotional items are advancing and LaserPoint is paying close attention to products like this light up water bottle that’s powered with solar panels. Photo courtesy: LaserPoint Awards & Promotions.

LaserPoint makes it easy for repeat customers by keeping a history of clients’ past projects. This makes reordering t-shirts, engravings and other products quick and easy. These records also make it possible for past designs to be used in new and innovative ways.

Kathy and Randy Cross look out for their clients. Kathy stays up-to-date on the most helpful up-and-coming products by attending industry events like the Promotional Products Association International Expo. With over 12,000 distributors and nearly 4,000 companies under one roof, this five-day event is the ideal place to source new ideas.

“I know what I’m looking for,” Kathy says. “I go shopping for my customers, looking at what would be good for their businesses.”

This year Kathy found plenty to explore – everything from water bottles with built-in Bluetooth speakers to waterproof bags of varying sizes and solar-powered light-up water bottles. Technology is becoming more accessible for promotional products and Kathy is closely monitoring all the trends.

“There are simple common-sense things,” Kathy says of selecting the correct promotional item. “How many people buy a jar opener? Nobody! How many people buy chip clips? Nobody buys them, but they are valuable. If you have chip clips, you use them all the time. A jar opener is always in the drawer.”

LaserPoint helps create custom items for businesses, like this dog’s Uber sunglasses! Photo courtesy: LaserPoint Awards & Promotions.

LaserPoint’s integrity-driven creative team does more than assist businesses by crafting awards and promotional products. They also help create custom marketing programs for the business’s target audience. From attracting new clients to building team spirit, LaserPoint is ready to help.

Whatcom County businesses trust LaserPoint Awards & Promotions to ensure their logo is perfectly printed, embroidery is high quality and custom engravings tell their story. The knowledgeable solutions LaserPoint provides are sure to succeed.

LaserPoint Awards & Promotions
205 E. Kelly Rd.
Bellingham
360-398-8714

Whatcom Land Trust Achieves National Recognition

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Seven Hikes in Whatcom County WatsonLake Scenic — Photo credit: Kate Galambos

Submitted by: Whatcom Land Trust

Whatcom Land Trust is pleased to announce that it is being recognized for having completed the rigorous process to achieve renewed accreditation from the Land Trust Alliance’s Accreditation Commission, a program promoting national quality standards for ensuring permanence in the conservation of American lands. Whatcom Land Trust was one of 34 land trusts nationwide to receive this distinction. Whatcom Land Trust was awarded its initial accreditation on August 16, 2012.

According to the commission, “These land trusts have earned the highest mark of national recognition. And these community-based organizations are saving land people care about, town-by-town, across America.” Accredited land trusts have conserved nearly 20 million acres of farmland, forests, wildlife habitat and important water supplies. In Washington State the Columbia Land Trust and the Methow Conservancy joined Whatcom Land Trust in achieving renewed accreditation.

“This recognition reflects our dedication to protecting and stewarding the places, resources and standard of living that make living, working and playing in Whatcom County so special,” said Executive Director Rich Bowers. “It demonstrates that our work meets national standards for conservation excellence and assures the public and the Whatcom Community of our commitment and promise to the importance and permanence of land protection.”

The distinction and seal awarded by the Commission indicates these accredited groups demonstrate sound finances, ethical conduct, responsible governance and lasting stewardship of the lands they protect. The Commission is an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by strengthening land conservation across America.

Accredited land trusts must renew every five years through an in-depth process of self- and peer-review. Successful completion confirms compliance with national quality standards and provides continued assurance to donors, landowners and communities served of their commitment to forever care for their land and easements.

Whatcom Land Trust’s President Chris Moench added, “The achievement of accreditation affirms that Whatcom Land Trust does its work at the highest standards. Those standards apply to the lands we commit to protect and care for, to the integrity of the way we manage the funds our supporters give us to do that conservation, and to the relationships we maintain with our supporters, partners and to the broader community. Here in Whatcom County we are blessed with a remarkably beautiful and verdant natural heritage. Whatcom Land Trust is honored to be the key local organization enabling individual land owners, concerned citizens, businesses and others in their efforts to protect that heritage for future generations. We take that work very seriously.”

Photo credit: Kate Galambos

Locally Trained Brigadoon Service Dogs Enrich Lives across the Northwest

By

Hannah Zoe

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Dogs in training are regularly brought out on the town to practice their skills in situations they may experience later with their future companions. Photo courtesy: Brigadoon Service Dogs.

As I walked into the kennel and training room at Brigadoon Service Dogs, the puppies were yipping and jumping for joy. It was all tails wagging and mouths smiling. A large black lab laid serenely nearby, watching with interest as I entered. He was an older graduate, a paragon of composure and a model for what the younger trainees may one day become.

A professional dog trainer for over forty years, founder Denise Costanten saw a gap in the supply of quality service dogs available nationwide. “I’m just a dog trainer but I saw a need and wanted to take my skills and use them to help people in the disabled community,” she says.

Volunteer, Lisa Sohni, with Buttercup demonstrating one of her basic commands. Photo courtesy: Brigadoon Service Dogs.

Denise started her non-profit in 2004 and is accredited by Assistance Dogs International. She has received multiple awards and honors for her work. She stresses that Brigadoon’s dogs are handled and trained with care and consistency, so they will be of real benefit to their future owner. “There are those fly-by-night service dog outfits that will give a shelter puppy some basic training and a vest, then sell the dog and disappear,” Denise says. “We’re not that. I care about connecting people with dogs that can really help them and ensure the dog is equally cared for. We train our clients for weeks before and after they’ve made the adoption.”

In her first year of operation, Denise graduated three dogs. Since then the number has steadily risen and today Brigadoon averages ten service dog graduates a year with an unending waitlist for their adoptive homes. In order to get those ten, there are 20-30 dogs in training at various stages of development. Not all will become certified. “Perfect dogs aren’t common,” says Denise. “If I see a character trait that would prevent a dog from doing their service and it’s not improving with training, I would rather release them from the program and adopt them out so they can join their forever home sooner rather than later.”

At the Brigadoon kennel, volunteer Katie soothes some of the more excited dogs in training. Photo courtesy: Brigadoon Service Dogs.

In addition to using local volunteers to help raise the puppies in their homes, Brigadoon partners with three regional correctional facilities, including Stafford Creek where the dogs are paired with incarcerated veterans. “For each prison, I’ll spend a week training inmates on how to train our puppies,” explains Denise. “I’ll bring a dog that is close to graduating to demonstrate all the handling skills, like how to hold a leash and walk through doors.” Denise also leaves the new trainers with some extra references, including five DVDs and the classic book, Don’t Shoot The Dog! by Karen Pryor.

Denise has heard from wardens that her program has had a profound effect on the inmates caring for the dogs. “There was an inmate who was always celled alone and didn’t really communicate with others,” she says. “When he began working with one of our dogs, he really opened up and his behavior changed because of it – he let people in again. It’s really a wonderful thing, how the responsibility of caring for a dog can be a part of someone’s rehabilitation.”

A Brigadoon dog demonstrates one of its skills by warning its companion of a curb in their path. Photo courtesy: Brigadoon Service Dogs.

Brigadoon trainers and volunteers use only positive reinforcement techniques to modify behavior and are especially reliant on clickers. “Our training is all about keeping the commands and rewards consistent across all the different handlers that a puppy works with,” explains Denise. “It’s what’s fair for the dog and it teaches them to do the same behavior for every person that asks it of them.”

Service dogs from Brigadoon find their forever homes all along the west coast, but many end up in south Puget Sound around the army base. For veterans with diagnosed PTSD, adopting a Brigadoon service dog is free of charge. For someone who has a traumatic brain injury or PTSD, a service dog can help with their balance, give them confidence in public and can even be trained to help remind them to take their medications.

Dogs in training are regularly brought out on the town to practice their skills in situations they may experience later with their future companions. Photo courtesy: Brigadoon Service Dogs.

Brigadoon trains each of their dogs with the same foundational skill set. When they have matched them with a client, they fine tune their training to suit their particular needs. For a woman with impaired depth perception, her dog will stop before reaching a step or curb. For a gentleman with limited mobility, his dog can help open doors and turn on lights. “One family we worked with had a child on the spectrum who had the tendency to run, so we trained a dog to follow her scent so her family wouldn’t lose her in crowds,” Denise recalls. “In the end, when the family brought the dog home, the little girl stopped running away because she didn’t want to leave her new friend.”

For every Brigadoon Service Dog graduate, it takes $30,000 worth of training time, lodging and fuel over their two years of schooling. Brigadoon doesn’t receive grants for their work and relies on community financial support and volunteers to keep them operating. For volunteer and board member, Lisa Sohni, supporting Brigadoon has been incredibly rewarding. “When you’re working with a dog, you get to be in the moment, just you and them. The world kind of melts away while you help them become someone’s rock in the future.”

Over the Moon About Moon Valley Organics

By

Taylor Lisa Bailey

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Moon Valley Organics 0 — Kim and Aaron Otto stand on their field with their dog, Fritz, in the background. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.

Over two decades ago, Aaron and Kim Otto began the farm that we now know as Moon Valley Organics. What started as Kim trading ice cream for vegetables with Fortunate Farms wound up opening the door to an internship, with Aaron, Kim and their daughters moving to the farm for a summer. Aaron had always dreamed of being a farmer and the experience they had there was so positive that when the owners offered to sell to the Ottos, they accepted.

“The first year was hard. I think we only sold 10 grand,” Aaron says with a laugh. “We had two kids at the time, so that wasn’t enough to make ends meet. We both got jobs for the winter and we studied really hard, trying to figure out how to make this work.”

Moon Valley uses greenhouses to grow plants from seed, giving them more freedom and flexibility with what they can grow. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.

Those early days of self-driven study echo in the farm’s educational endeavors today. Every summer they accept 30-35 interns and students to live with them through WWOOF. They take pride in being able to teach each student what they want to learn, anything from vegetable farming to beekeeping, woodworking, canning, mechanics and so on. “We look at it as a labor resource, but also as a way to give back and teach,” Aaron said.

After that first challenging year, things started looking up. “We came back the next year and really turned it around,” Aaron says. “I think we sold over 100 grand.”

“That was 25 years ago,” says Kim. “We came in to organic farming before it was cool. It was a different time. That was our vegetable farming history. A partnership fell apart, so we went back to the drawing board. We wanted to be small farmers and that’s when we started our herb farm, Moon Valley Organics.”

I take a sip of their delicious homegrown tea and smile. Today, the dream of those two young parents has grown into reality. You may recognize the Moon Valley Organics label from their lip balms, bar soaps, liquid soaps, rejuvenation rubs, lotions and herbal salves.

This freshly-pressed bar of soap bears the Moon Valley Organics logo. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.

“We found that these products were ones we could sell through the winter,” Aaron says. “We dreamed of being able to send our kids to college – all the stuff people want to do, but on a farmer’s wage … Kim’s love for herbs, my love for farming and both of our love of homesteading is why it works. That’s where Moon Valley comes from.”

The company has expanded to sell online, wholesale and at local stores like the Community Food Co-op and at Pike Place Market.

“The theory behind our products is to make organic skin care products at almost the same price as non-organic ones, so that customers can cross over,” says Aaron. “We’ve always wanted to take store shelf space and make it organic. Being an organic farmer, you’re very aware of the damage to the earth conventional farming can cause and the confusion of non-farmers between natural, organic and conventional farming. We just want to heal the earth and help with healthy lifestyles.”

Kim and Aaron were pioneers in the organic farm movement. Now that organics have gained popularity in our area, they’re moving on to focus on helping the bees.

This is Kramer, the Polish chicken. Though the other chickens tend to ignore him, he’s much loved by the people on the farm. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.

“#Helpsavethebees,” Kim tells me with a smile. “We started that a few years ago with our lip balms, where we donate 10 percent of our net profits back to organizations that facilitate saving bees and pollinators.”

They donated $8,000 last year to places like the Pesticide Action Network, Monarch Joint Venture, Xerxes and small grassroots organizations, gleaning information from Xerxes. They are also donating five acres of their land to pollinators by planting nectar plants they need to survive.

“These are long-term gardens,” Aaron says, “for long after we’re off the farm. We’re making an ecosystem, putting in annual flowers and 25-35 different species of native plants.”

An endearing part of the culture Kim and Aaron have built at Moon Valley Organics is the family atmosphere. Their kids grew up on the farm, Aaron’s parents were heavily involved and they’ve formed lasting relationships with many employees. They still get Christmas cards from past interns.

Kim and Aaron Otto stand on their field with their dog, Fritz, in the background. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.

“My dad was an MDND and my mom is an herbalist, so they helped us with recipes,” Aaron said. “Now my father has passed, but Kim has taken on a lot of that role and educated herself, becoming a knowledgeable herbalist, doing formulations of the products. That’s kind of how we split our energies: she’s the formulator and HR, and I’m the farm manager, brander, business guy.”

Kim smiles as memories come to the surface. “We were raising our kids and would trudge them along, out to the fields and sit them down. They’d play and eat dirt.”

“Yeah and Ferrin, our newborn,” Aaron picks up, “she would sit on the ground while Kim picked zucchinis and you could tell where they had been because Ferrin would kick her feet around and leave these little ‘Ferrin-marks.'”

“Kick her feet and eat dirt,” Kim says with a laugh. “So fun.”

Their daughters are grown now. The oldest, Lyric, is 25 and works for their farm, doing sales. Their youngest, Ferrin Storm, is 22 and studying at the University of Washington.

Be sure to look for Moon Valley Organics. Their locally made, sustainable products really are exceptional. Plus, you’ll feel great knowing you’re supporting a family farm that supports our community and environment in turn.

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Free Events and Gatherings at The Center for Mindful Use

By

Kenneth Clarkson

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Satori Center for Mindful Use 4 — CMU offers classes like yoga, which help enhance patrons health and wellness. Photo courtesy: Center for Mindful Use.

It may seem that cannabis has been legal in Washington state for a long time, but it’s actually been a mere six years. With the relatively recent legalization of cannabis, there’s still a need for deeper conversations on its usage and place in our society. Cue The Center for Mindful Use (CMU). Created as a free public space where people meet to discuss and learn about legal cannabis, the center has since evolved into much more. Located behind the Satori Cannabis Boutique, various canna-friendly events and gatherings take place here throughout the month.

All Center for Mindful Use events are canna-friendly. Photo credit: Mike Hiestand.

From meditation to yoga and hoop dancing to drum circles, there’s a little something for everyone. Or perhaps it’s better to say there’s a whole lot of everything for everyone. All CMU activities are rejuvenative, relaxing and informative. Participation makes one well-rounded in body, mind and spirit.

Cannabis is not permitted in the Center and teachers do not advocate its use (mindful use often means no use), but some have found the use of cannabis beneficial and participants are encouraged to show up as they are.

Most recurring classes take place throughout the week at 5:55 p.m. These weekly gatherings take place in Bellingham’s Forum de Freedom located inside CMU. They are free or donation-based, encouraging everyone to come and give these mindful activities a try.

Participants hooping at Joy Love’s Northwest Hoop Dance class at The Center for Mindful Use. Photo credit: Mike Hiestand.

There is meditation every Monday. Wednesdays are for yoga. You can hoop dance every Thursday with hoop coach Joy Love or participate in a two-hour drum circle on Fridays. The newest gathering is the Boomer Yoga Class, also known as “Movement as Medicine.” This class is a yoga gathering for those 55 and older and takes place every Friday at 11:11 a.m. One of the most popular weekly offerings at the center — SLOW Stretch — takes place every Monday at 7:30 — just after meditation. It is exactly what it says: slow, mindful, guided stretching that offers what we all need: a regular opportunity to rest body, mind and soul.

Although weekdays at CMU are jam-packed, there’s still time for a variety of classes on cannabis education and other mindfulness activities throughout the rest of the month.

A variety of different events take place at The Center for Mindful Use. Check out their weekly events at 5:55 p.m. Photo credit: Mike Hiestand.

During the month of March, there are a wide variety of events scheduled, in addition to their weekly gatherings. For example, on March 8 there will be an Energy Awareness Circle. This monthly gathering is for community members to come together and discuss what it means to live in an energetic body. During the Energy Awareness gathering, you’ll learn different breathing and visualization techniques to help you set goals and calm your mind. Other current offerings include: Concious Dance, an Everyday Mindfulness class and FloWednesdays with Steve Remo, a monthly gathering for Bellingham’s Poi community.

Not only is CMU a place to converse about cannabis, it’s a place to become immersed in community and participate in activities that promote wellness, health and prosperity. To stay up-to-date on CMU events, check out their Meetup page at www.mindfuluse.org or like their Facebook page.

The Center for Mindful Use
100 Maple Street, Suite B
Bellingham

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Ghost Judy Hopes MBT Will Become Dailey & Vincent’s New Haunt

By

Ghost Judy via Lauren Brigolin

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Ghost Judy can't wait for Dailey & Vincent. Photo courtesy: Mount Baker Theatre.

I have been meandering through the ornate halls of Mount Baker Theatre (MBT) since it opened in 1927. Everyone calls me Judy. I love floating through this historic palace and watching the theatre’s interesting visitors. I plan on staying for a long time to come; truth is, I never want to leave. Why would I, when I get to see so many incredible shows and performers from all over the world?

Dailey and Vincent became instant friends and began working on songs together. Photo courtesy: Mount Baker Theatre.

I cannot wait to hear Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent of the bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent. They are multi-Grammy nominees and three-time International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainers of the Year. I have a soft spot for their music’s mixed Irish, Scottish and English roots, and the influence of jazz elements bluegrass uses.

Now, I’ve been hovering around and listening to people talk about these two – and I’ve been taking notes. Both gentleman sang with their families at varying points. Dailey grew up singing all over Tennessee and Kentucky and is a skilled musician, vocalist and songwriter. People say his singing brings people together and makes them feel right at home.

Dailey & Vincent are elite entertainers in American music; bluegrass, traditional country and gospel music. Photo courtesy: Mount Baker Theatre.

I learned that Vincent started singing at the age of three. His abilities to arrange and create captivating music is highlighted by his skills as an accomplished musician and vocalist. The individuals who make up their band include Kentucky native Jeff Parker, former Gold City Quartet member Arron McCune, innovative fiddler Patrick McAvinue, banjo player Jessie Baker, Grand Ole Opry regular Buddy Hyatt and lead guitar player Shaun Richardson.

The thought of Dailey & Vincent and their incredible band playing in Bellingham brings such a thump to my ghostly heart. You know, one of their usual haunts when they aren’t playing the Grand Ole Opry House is the Ryman auditorium in Nashville. Now, we ghosts have a well-connected community and my ghostly friend, Riverboat Captain Thomas Green Ryman, isn’t the fondest of performers in his building. I am so happy he’s chased them all the way to us! I know they’ll love MBT as much as I do … maybe we can haunt it together.

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Leslie Wargo is Feeling Clarity After Her 31-Day Float Challenge

By

Cassandra Darwin

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Maker:L,Date:2017-8-28,Ver:5,Lens:Kan03,Act:Kan02,E-ve — After successfully completing the 31 day float challenge, Leslie Wargo described feelings of content and clarity. Photo credit: Cassandra Darwin.

Leslie Wargo recently completed a 31-day float challenge to raise awareness about float therapy as a treatment for PTSD, anxiety, OCD and other mental health issues. This personal journey gave her deep insight. It wasn’t her first dive into the float pod, however. Over the last 18 months, Leslie has been floating weekly and has seen tremendous growth in her personal life.

Leslie on the first day of her 31 day float challenge. She embarked on this journey to raise awareness about float therapy as a form of treatment. Photo credit: Tim Fuller, Still Life Float and Massage.

Float therapy is the practice of floating in skin-temperature water with a high concentration of Epsom salt, which makes you buoyant. This removes stimuli so you can be still for an hour. Without the distractions of seeing, hearing and touching, your mind and body can rest in a very unique way. Leslie describes float therapy as a way to clear the clutter from your mind.

Floating has become a time for her to meditate, something she’s tried to do at home unsuccessfully because of outside distractions. “It’s my ‘me’ time and my therapy,” Leslie says. “The best therapy is in that float pod every week.”

The day after completing the challenge, she found herself missing the practice – missing herself. “How cool is that?” she says. “For someone who has hated myself for most of my life, it’s a huge thing for me to say, ‘I miss me and I am comfortable with myself.’”

Floating for a solid month allowed Leslie to reach a new level of self-acceptance. The extended timeframe of this challenge led her to explore an area of herself she’d previously shut off. Becoming more comfortable with herself opened her up to start thinking about dating and the possibility of being in a relationship.

Leslie enjoyed the lounge after a float session, about half way through the month long challenge. Photo credit: Tim Fuller, Still Life Float and Massage.

Near the end of her float challenge she made a list of 150 things she wants out of a relationship. The ideas just flooded out of her after pondering the issue and reaching a new level of clarity during her float session. “I want to feel adored, cherished, devoted and somebody’s first priority,” Leslie says. “Prior to this, I would have felt guilty and ashamed about saying that. Who am I to think I deserve that?”

After many of the float sessions, she says, she “came out feeling like either I was a goddess, a queen or a warrior. If you take those archetypes, who am I not to ask for these things? I really am in a whole different headspace.”

This clarity in thought is widespread. Leslie has gained the ability to make rapid-fire decisions as opposed to thinking about something for three days. She now says with confidence, “This is what I need to do for me.”

After successfully completing the 31 day float challenge, Leslie Wargo described feelings of content and clarity. Photo credit: Cassandra Darwin.

Leslie notes the many physical benefits of daily floating. Her line of work is physically demanding and during the float challenge she noticed she recovered more quickly from back pain and soreness. She slept better and experienced an increase in her focus and energy that enabled her to finish jobs more quickly. On days she thought she would be too tired or sick to fit in a float session, she pushed through, ultimately completing 34 consecutive days of floating. In the end, she found that a float session did much more to help her body recuperate – even more quickly than if she had rested at home.

“She reported to me that she felt more pain-free, physically, than ever before and was able to reach those coveted deep and lucid moments that can happen with frequent floating,” says Tim Fuller, co-owner of Still Life Massage and Float. “Those are hard to put into words; you really have to experience them yourself.”

Tim describes the benefits that people can achieve from floating on a regular basis, even without committing to a month of daily sessions. “Floating can be such a powerful tool in the tool box,” he says. “It gives one a safe place to process thoughts without judgment or consequence, a place to escape and feel the weight of your problems lighten.”

He explains that it literally quiets the mind and stops the constant chatter that helps fuel anxiety. And this is being proven at the LIBR Institute, where pre- and post-float fMRIs are taken of the brain. “They’re finding that the effects of floating are comparable to many of the effects of anti-anxiety and depression medication,” Tim says.

This artwork, a gift from Leslie, hangs at Still Life Massage and Float in front of her favorite float room. Photo credit: Tim Fuller, Still Life Float and Massage.

Leslie hopes that one day everyone will be able to enjoy floating as a recognized form of therapy. She can see changes in herself – both internally and externally – that she knows would benefit others. “I think all of us could accomplish so much more with our lives if we shut off that noise around us and got real about who we are and what we want,” she says. “A lot of us want that, but we don’t know how to find it through the commotion and the chaos in our own minds.”

You can learn more about Leslie’s story and see how floating has helped relieve her symptoms of PTSD and anxiety in part one and part two of an interview with Tim Fuller.

You can read more about Leslie’s 30 day float challenge to raise money for float therapy research.

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