SaveArt! At Cordata Elementary with SpringHill Suites Fundraiser

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SaveArt1 — Families are welcomed to Cordata Elementary School with the vibrant colors and textures of children's artwork. Some of the art supplies from the SaveArt! kits includes paints, markers and cray-pas. Photo credit: Hannah Zoe.

For many travelers on the road, a hotel stay is a momentary refuge. Few have the time or opportunity to connect intimately with the community they are passing through. Guests of SpringHill Suites get a special insight, however, with SaveArt! This program gives both guests and residents of Bellingham a chance to engage with our community by supporting a local school in need.

Guests and local residents are welcome to donate to the SaveArt! program in the SpringHill Suites lobby. Photo credit: Hannah Zoe.

Now in its fourth year, the SaveArt! program is a community service partnership between SpringHill Suites by Marriott and the non-profit organization, Fresh Artists. Brought about to help ease the strain that shrinking school budgets have on their art programs, this fundraiser puts together kits of art materials and creative project guides for teachers.

SpringHill Suites has partnered with Alderwood Elementary in the past, and is now working with Cordata Elementary for their third year. “We’ve raised around $2,000 each year so far, and given the schools art kits as well as checks to use as they see fit for their art program. This year I’m really hoping that we can reach our goal of raising more. We’re aiming for $2,500,” says Keith Coleman, General Manager of SpringHill Suites on Northwest Avenue in Bellingham.

The program partners with schools where 70 percent or more of their students qualify for free or reduced-price hot lunches, a common metric used to gauge poverty levels. According to Fresh Artists, it is these schools that are most at risk for their art program funding to be reduced or eliminated entirely.

A rainy afternoon at Cordata Elementary School where children wait inside for their families. The majority of Cordata students qualify for free school lunches, a metric used to delineate poverty levels. Photo credit: Hannah Zoe.

“At Cordata, there is no specific funding for art supplies,” says Analisa Ficklin, Principal of Cordata Elementary School. “We have a budget for general classroom supplies, and art supplies are expected to come from that. However, some supplies are prohibitively expensive – things like water color paper and glazes for pottery. The SaveArt! program really helps us give children those special supplies we wouldn’t otherwise.”

For Ficklin, a child’s access to the arts is integral to providing a balanced education. “Bellingham Public Schools hold themselves to the Bellingham Promise. We hope for all children to reach their potential, to be strong leaders and find their gift. In that, we believe nurturing the whole child is important, which includes fostering their expression in the arts.”

“Currently our art program is taught through the general education curriculums,” says Ficklin. “Individual classrooms each have their own projects and it’s up to the teachers. Cordata is also very lucky in that we have a nice kiln, so clay projects are very popular here.” The art supplies given will allow those teachers to plan a variety of projects, and hopefully inspire each student’s creativity.

“There’s a little bit of everything in the kits,” says Keith Coleman. “Crayons, paper, scissors, paints. Really anything that the school has no budget for.” There’s even recycled paint color samples that can be used for mosaics and collages.

Families are welcomed to Cordata Elementary School with the vibrant colors and textures of children’s artwork. Some of the art supplies from the SaveArt! kits includes paints, markers and cray-pas. Photo credit: Hannah Zoe.

The SaveArt! program is part of a country-wide fundraising campaign to gather together art supplies for underfunded schools local to each hotel. Over the past four years the program has raised over $250,000 nationally, supporting 533 schools in 43 states.

Supporting the arts is a company mission for SpringHill Suites that stretches beyond the current SaveArt! fundraiser. The brand has rolled out an “Art of Local” series, where their hotels showcase local craft, music and even food as a way to introduce guests to the community they’re visiting and set them up for further engagement there. For our local SpringHill Suites, this includes a partnership with the Allied Arts of Whatcom County in October for their Art Night event, which transformed the hotel’s lobby into a gallery space, providing local artists the opportunity to showcase their work.

The fundraising portion of the program runs through December 31. The amount raised will be used to prepare art kits that will be shared with school children during the winter season. To support the SaveArt! program, locals can drop by the SpringHill Suites lobby and fill out a donation card, or check in with their Facebook page for a coming link to donate.

“At Cordata, we really rely on our community partners – those who help support us and volunteer with us. We just have a huge appreciation for that,” says Ficklin.

For Coleman, “The real reward of the fundraiser is just getting to see the children’s thrill in person when we deliver the supplies to the school.”

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Can You Help ATU and WTA Collect Warm Clothes and Blankets For Our Neighbors In Need?

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LocalTalk Contributor

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Bus and Bus rider photos for Whatcom Transit Authority (WTA) — Photo courtesy: Whatcom Transportation Authority

Submitted by: WTA

Until December 20, 2017, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) will be collecting new and “like new” clothing and blankets. Socks, men’s coats, blankets and sleeping bags are particularly needed. WTA will collect donated items from bins located at its Cordata Station and downtown Bellingham Station.

ATU and WTA will work with several support organizations including Opportunity Council, Hope House and others. All donations will be distributed to people in need throughout Whatcom County.

For more information, call 360-676-7433 or visit ridewta.com.

Whatcom Community College Reminds Students – We’re All In This Together

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Serena Keenan Intern from Sehome High School

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All in This Together Group Photo — The Arts and Humanities staff and faculty pose for a photo in their newly made shirts. Photo courtesy: Whatcom Community College.

For the beginning of the school year, the Arts and Humanities department at Whatcom Community College created shirts for all of their faculty that proudly proclaimed, “We’re all in this together.” Inspired by recent events and the desire for unity, a few key staff members got together to organize the project.

Rhonda Daniels took care of making sure the shirts were approved by the campus. Photo credit: Serena Keenan.

“We liked this because we felt that it gave a sense of community,” said Rhonda Daniels, division chair for the Arts and Humanities. “It doesn’t matter what community we’re even talking about, whether you’re just talking about the campus community, the political climate, diversity, anything. All of those are big issues. It’s open enough that you could really apply it to anything, use it as a lens.”

The idea for the campaign sprung out of the want for a division-wide t-shirt that also celebrated the Arts and Humanities.

“On campus, there’s a big emphasis on STEM, so our vice president for instruction asked me how can we get the spotlight on arts and humanities the way it is for STEM,” said Daniels. “There was some talk about a t-shirt for the 50th anniversary, but nothing set in stone. Then Rob Beishline in the art department showed up out of the blue with this t-shirt design, and it was like it was meant to be. We just went with it.”

However, they wanted their shirt to have a defining feature that really showed their passion for artistic disciplines. As such all of the shirts were handmade by the staff and faculty of the arts department, and the design on the shirt was drawn by Beishline.

Rob Beishline wore his division shirt on the first Friday of November, along with the other Arts and Humanities faculty members. Photo credit: Serena Keenan.

“I just sat down one day and did a bunch of drawings,” he said. “I probably did ten or fifteen quick drawings of a couple ideas and that one came about. I thought of the idea of hands, just kind of holding or embracing, and it was a design thing where it frames the text.”

After he finished the final drawn design, he brought the sketch to Karrie Keenan, the division coordinator for the Arts and Humanities, who scanned the design and worked with it on the computer to clean up the lines and put in the more formal text (like the community college logo). Once this was finished, Beishline was also in charge of creating the actual screens to work with.

They decided that if anyone wanted a shirt, all they had to do was bring one in. Daniels sent out an email to the division letting everyone know when they were planning on having their first printing session with a reminder that everyone would need their own shirt.

“When you buy a t-shirt, they’re running sometimes $20-$25 with the logo on it and even when you buy them in bulk they’re expensive,” said Daniels. “What we were trying to do was get the word out quickly, so all we actually had to pay for were the screens and the paint. We have the art space here so it was quick and it was easy.”

The screen-printing process was a team effort. Photo courtesy: Whatcom Community College Arts and Humanities Instagram.

The response from the other faculty members was immensely positive. There ended up being such a demand for the shirts that they needed three or four printing sessions when they had originally planned on one or two.

The production process of the shirts also echoed the sentiment of their chosen phrase. Many staff and faculty members took part in the printing, with everyone fulfilling a specific job or task.

“The first time there were actually half a dozen people from the division, from different departments,” said Beishline. “That was really fun and that’s when we had the most shirts to print.” He organized the process so that he and one other member of the art department squeegeed the ink and did the physical printing, but then they had other faculty members with clean hands set the shirts out to dry and bring in new shirts, which he believes made the process go much faster.

“It was like a big party in the art room,” said Daniels. “People–faculty– that you don’t always get to speak to because I’m English and that’s the French teacher. We’re all in there together, having a good time and talking, and they were excited about the energy. That was the other piece – rejuvenating, giving us a nice fresh start.”

They all agree that the printing was a really good experience for all involved. Daniels believes that the entire process was important for this upcoming year for both faculty and students.

The Arts and Humanities staff and faculty pose for a photo in their newly made shirts. Photo courtesy: Whatcom Community College.

“We wear our shirts every first Friday [of the month], the same time as artwalk, of course,” she said. “So every first Friday, we try to wear this and to remind students that we’re here. I think that, especially midterms, people start bottoming out. There’s a lot of stress. So it’s for students just to let them know that we’re here – we’re all here to support you – and for our own division – arts and humanities – for our faculty and the staff, to also give that sense of community.”

Sometimes, it is hard to remember that there are people looking out for you or people who are willing to help you. This step by the Arts and Humanities division is incredibly important in establishing a sense of community between their faculty, staff and students.

Inside WWU’s Poets and Lyricists Society

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Kendyl Barney

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Hunter Smith performs a poem at a poetry and lyric night. Photo credit: Anna Marie Yanny.

On bi-weekly Monday evenings, students at Western Washington University gather in the Underground Coffeehouse on campus. They gradually fill up the couches and tables and take seats on the floor in front of the stage. The coffeehouse is usually filled to capacity. Cacophonous chatter and the clinking of coffee cups come to a pause when the co-president of WWU’s Poets and Lyricists Society (PALS) steps on stage. Anna Marie Yanny welcomes everybody to the open mic, presents simple guidelines for the evening and mentions that PALS meets on Thursday evenings and any student is welcome to attend. She then invites performers from the sign-up sheet to the stage, one by one, to present their poetry.

Students often begin with a precursor to their performance: how many they’ll be sharing, a back story to keep in mind, how often they’ve been attending PALS meetings, or that they’ve never shared a poem before. Regardless, their performance is met with cheers, applause and snaps from the audience. As an attendee, it’s easy to be overcome by the event’s intimate nature. However, according to the members of WWU’s PALS, to participate in the club’s weekly meetings and other events is even more of a blessing.

WWU students gather at the Underground Coffeehouse in the Viking Union during a Poetry and Lyric Night. Photo credit: Anna Marie Yanny.

While many of the poets that share and develop their writing with PALS have writing experience extending to childhood, many had never written a poem prior to attending Western. One member, Symone Camargo, admits to being “tricked” into attending her first meeting. “A friend and I had written a poem together about body image and self love and that sort of thing, and they wanted to show the poetry club leaders at a meeting. They told me I could leave after we shared the poem but I didn’t know that sharing time wasn’t until the end so I sat through the whole meeting and then we got to perform at the end. It was a happy accident I guess!” A year later, Symone attends PALS meetings almost every week. She won the poetry slam last year.

Students in WWU’s PALS pose for a photo with slam poet Kevin Kantor.

Members of the club attribute much of their personal well-being and mindfulness to their poetry. Weekly PALS meetings provide an outlet for students to share their writing, practice performing, and receive constructive feedback from other writers. Jazmyn Allen, a leader of the club, explains that she’s grateful to take the time from school work and decompress during Thursday meetings. It’s like a little therapy session,” claims Allen, “It’s cool that people can open up and feel supported.”

Students in PALS mention they appreciate the direction the leaders and fellow students in the club provide for their writing. Weekly prompts, free-writes, activities and workshops inspire creativity among the community of writers. While many students may come to their first PALS meeting unsure of what to expect and share very little, the leaders find it rewarding to see these students eventually get more comfortable and open up. One leader, Hanna Webster, mentions how people gradually ease into sharing. “The vulnerability encourages others to share,” says Webster. “Seeing people come out of their shell, get in touch and blossom is rewarding to see.”

Co-president Anna Marie invites poets to the stage. Photo credit: Madeleine Banks.

Many members relate to the claim that a writer’s poetry is never as bad as they think. “Anyone can write,” states Yanny, “Everyone has a story.” The members encourage each other never to think negatively of their own work. Wyatt Heimbichner Goebel, a member who has participated in poetry slams since high school, claims all it takes is a leap of faith. PALS encourages both novice and experienced poets to share within the community of writers, allowing space for constructive critiques and suggestions from people who love listening and providing support. Shared poems are never met with harsh criticism or negativity and even suggestions for improvement are given in a loving manner.

After three years of writing and developing poetry with PALS, two of the club’s leaders have now published chapbook compilations of their poems. Both Webster’s and Allen’s books are available for purchase online through Lulu.com.

It is the supportive and welcoming community that participants of PALS continue to mention they love the best. “People come from all different walks of life, but have this common interest,” claims Yanny, “They’re good storytellers and listeners, which makes it easy to connect.” Many students claim that attending meetings and open mics feels like home. “It is comforting to have a community to be vulnerable with and know we are always there for each other, even if we don’t see each other daily,” states Camargo.

Hunter Smith performs a poem at a poetry and lyric night. Photo credit: Anna Marie Yanny.

PALS’ warm energy is contagious during Poetry and Lyric Nights at the Underground Coffeehouse. The tight-knit relationship that this community of students has developed is nothing short of invaluable. For WWU students interested in participating, information regarding weekly meetings and bi-weekly open mics can be found on Facebook through Associated Students.

Peoples Bank—A Truly Local Bank

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Jennifer Dodge

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Ali_Alsos-Horizontal peoples bank — Ali Alsos takes pride in her work at Peoples Bank. Photo courtesy: Peoples Bank.

Being part of a locally-owned and operated bank means that the decisions that affect you are made right here in our community. Local consideration, friendly support and trusted guidance is exactly what you can expect when you bank with Peoples Bank.

Peoples Bank is an experience in truly local relationship banking. Photo courtesy: Peoples Bank.

Founded in Lynden in 1921, Peoples Bank has never gone through a merger or acquisition in its nearly 100-years in business. “We changed our name from Peoples State Bank in 1995, but we have always operated independently as Peoples Bank,” says Ali Alsos, Downtown Branch Manager. “This is something in which we take a lot of pride.”

Alsos, who has fourteen years of experience in the banking industry, says that having the ability to see decisions made locally was one of the biggest assets that appealed to her when she made the decision to join Peoples Bank two and a half years ago. It is the Bank’s connection with its customers that has given Peoples Bank the solid reputation it has today.

We recently asked Alsos about financial planning and what advice Peoples Bank can give with the holidays and new year rapidly approaching. “Financial planning can be very simple, and it can also be very customized,” Alsos begins. “It really comes down to an individual’s unique situation and goals.”

Standing, left to right: Tralayna Haslett, Shelly Haynie, Sierra Schram and Eileen Russell. Sitting: Ali Alsos and Erin Tanner. Photo courtesy: Peoples Bank.

She goes on to say that financial planning can be focused on how to make a paycheck last, to how to invest for retirement. Alsos explains that as people think about financial planning, they need to think about how to get themselves set up to meet specific goals. For example, some customers are thinking about how to pay for holiday gifts without incurring debt, while others are saving for their dream vacation or first home. Others may be thinking about what it will take to save for retirement.

“Staying on track is really important to meeting any financial goal,” says Alsos. “Financial planning is about thinking about your future needs and understanding, ‘How will I cover that cost?’”

For those thinking about how to pay for holiday shopping or big-ticket items, Alsos recommends setting an amount aside each month throughout the year to avoid creating a large amount of debt. But, if you do find yourself in that situation, be sure to either consolidate all your debt into one payment, or pay more than the minimum each month to get it paid off as soon as possible. Alsos suggests keeping an eye on the prime rate as it may be a good time to consider locking in the interest rate on any variable interest rate loans with a larger balance. She also suggests setting up automatic transfers to savings accounts, so you are consistently building your savings.

Ali and some of her team at the Jingle Bell Run, a fun-run that raises money for The Arthritis Foundation. Photo courtesy: Peoples Bank.

Most importantly, if you aren’t sure what you need when it comes to financial planning, ask for assistance. In addition to helping with financial planning, Peoples Bank can help with referrals to bookkeepers and other professionals. “Talk to the bank, whether it’s the teller, your personal banker or the bank manager,” says Alsos. “They will point you to the right resource.”

Peoples Bank works hard to help customers achieve financial success through a full range of business and personal solutions to meet every need.

One such offering is Peoples Perks. Included in all Personal Relationship Checking accounts, Peoples Perks provides many benefits, from coupons for local merchants to cell phone protection, fraud protection and roadside assistance. The mobile application will even alert you as you drive by a local establishment that offers a deal through the program.

Peoples Bank’s online banking and mobile banking solutions also offer great convenience, and a way to monitor your account as frequently as desired. When it comes to technology and being careful about protecting your personal information, Alsos welcomes customers to ask questions and share their concerns.

Ali Alsos takes pride in her work at Peoples Bank. Photo courtesy: Peoples Bank.

“The team at Peoples Bank is always available to help,” says Alsos. “We’re a community bank that is truly invested in our community. Our customers and co-workers are our friends and neighbors. We take a lot of pride in that.”

As a member of the board and treasurer for the Whatcom Humane Society, Alsos is active in the community outside of her work at Peoples Bank. “I appreciate that the community is always ready to help. It’s what makes Whatcom County a great place to live!”

Ali Alsos is Branch Manager of the Peoples Bank Downtown Bellingham Office, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Learn more on the Peoples Bank website.

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Launching Success from an Early Age

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Lynn Bakeman

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Launching Success Play — Kate Zimmerman loves playing and learning at Launching Success. Photo credit: Lynn Bakeman.

What could be more natural – and better – than learning to think through play? That’s exactly what shopping at Launching Success brings to children of all ages. A sense of discovery and exploration, adventure and potential. If you’ve forgotten that, it’s time to stop by the store.

Jen Zimmerman points out the Discovering STEM engineering kits that integrate technology while valuing hands-on building and learning. Photo credit: Lynn Bakeman.

With the holidays fast approaching and the urge to find the perfect gift burning a hole in your conscience, this hidden gem of a store holds a treasure trove of solutions.

Created almost 15 years ago by retired educators as a destination store for teachers, the store has slowly and carefully broadened over ten years to include toys, crafts, pretend play, arts and crafts, and games.

The previous owners remain landlords and have welcomed the innovations of business partners, Jen Zimmermann and Kristen Krumdiack. As a former educator, Jen knows what teachers are looking for to meet and exceed their curriculum initiatives. Kristen complements Jen with her accounting skills as the store’s CPA and math whiz.

But there’s something missing here … Ah! The annoying beep and hum of technology. “We do not sell electronics. At all,” states Jen emphatically. “Our philosophy is for kids to have a hands-on experience: learning, engaging with others and developing appropriately from birth to high school.”

Customer Ryan Hayes loves visiting Launching Success. “Their selection is incredible – books, LEGO^®, arts and crafts, everything you can imagine and a thousand things you couldn’t. I end up buying something for my three-year-old every time I walk in. The owners, Jen and Kristen, are outstanding and passionate about their store, and the staff is always pleasant and helpful.”

Launching Success encourages kids to get hands on and create. Photo credit: Lynn Bakeman.

Another benefit of shopping at Launching Success is the missing parking headaches Santa has when trying to shop in downtown Bellingham or Fairhaven. As a shop local destination, Launching Success may be off the beaten path, but it is well worth the trip.

Those who have discovered the store visit frequently to explore the merchandise. Demos are available for those who ask and their events calendar has an intriguing list of free or low-cost adventures including robotics classes, stellar birthday parties or arts and crafts classes.

This past weekend, Launching Success and other specialty toy stores around the country hosted Neighborhood Toy Store Day, a holiday kick-off event for members of the American Specialty Toy Retailer Association (ASTRA). The event underscores the importance of local businesses to keep our community unique and vital and also remind us that toys should be motion-activated by kids and not a USB cord.

Jen loves the realism of this new line of Hearts for Hearts Dolls. A dollar from each sale goes back to World Vision. Photo credit: Lynn Bakeman.

Jen embraces the shop local experience and believes that Whatcom is small enough that the stores work together to support each other in the best interest of the customer. If she doesn’t have something, she’ll call her competitors to find it. The store actively donates to schools and non-profits in the belief that the love comes back to them.

Shopper Ann Lopez has been impressed by her experience. “Great selection of educational toys and games, competitive prices and very rare and hard to find items. The staff is friendly and really goes out of their way to help when you need something.”

The store is staffed with knowledgeable associates from diverse backgrounds including students from the WWU education program and a mom who home schools. They greet each customer and strive to offer a customized shopping experience so customers leave confident that they’ve made the best purchase. Plus gift-wrapping is free!

“This place is a gem!” says Meagan Kiel. “The staff is friendly and they’re always quick to offer help if I need suggestions or ideas. I love to come here for birthday gifts (they will even wrap them for you), board games and craft projects for my kids, science projects and even summer activities or preschool workbooks. It’s definitely worth checking out, they have something for everyone!”

Jen attends conferences and trade shows to keep up on trends in the industry. Currently, she’s seeing a return to traditional games that bring families together. To fulfill their mission to bring hands-on, quality toys ideal for fun exploration, they brought a globe and microscope into the store. They truly are a unique Whatcom County treasure.

Launching Success is part of a nationwide buying consortium of 80 members of The Good Toy Group. This organization helps select featured products for their quarterly catalogs. They also unite the best independent toy stores in a member-owned, cohesive, buying cooperative to share resources, leverage market power and reputation, and curate the best-in-class specialty play products.

Jen summarizes their philosophy with, “We believe in the power of play for a lifetime of learning and engagement. We want to bring the joy and wonder of childhood to everything you do.”

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Color Can Influence Your Mood

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Jonathan O'Brien Inerior Design 1 — Through understanding lifestyles, Jonathan O'Brien is able to create a space that reflects the personality of his clients. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O'Brien.

Submitted by: Jonathan O’Brien Interior Design

Ah….color…that beautiful soft blue of the summer sky causes me to take a deep breath, sink into the fresh green grass and watch the world go by….. Color has an amazing impact on our moods and our emotions.

This space was designed to be both beautiful and inviting. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.

Green is often correlated with nature, which is calm and relaxing. Think of the lush green trees blowing in the wind. It’s so soothing isn’t? Now imagine that color in your home as you sit relaxing in your own space.

The warm colors can spark your emotions from excitement to action. When we see red we think passion. And when we see red, our mood may jump to one of energy and taking action.

The passion and scent of red roses invokes love of a partner and the breezy green of the forest trees can put us to sleep because of the delicate sounds and calming color.

We associate color with emotion and inspiration.

I love creating the perfect mood in the home of a client and different colors can do that! Color is amazing! And, believe it or not, no color, like a house full of beige, can actually be really under-stimulating. We don’t want that!

Putting color into your life and your home can change your emotional reactions and your mood.

Different colors bring out different moods and can even bring out different moods in different people. The marvelous world of color has a different meaning for each and every one of us.

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Ring in the Holiday Season at the Holiday Port Festival

By

Sara Holodnick

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holiday-port-gingerbread-contest — From candy-adorned gingerbread houses by young kiddos to elaborate buildings by professional bakers, festive Gingerbread House Contest entries are a sight to behold. Photo courtesy: Port of Bellingham.

As the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter, many of us start to look forward to our favorite holiday traditions. From warming mugs of mulled cider to festive songs hanging in the air, holiday events in Whatcom County offer countless opportunities to fight the seasonal darkness (something that feels even more necessary with our early cold-snap).

The Holiday Port Festival Gingerbread House Contest is free and open to bakers of all ages and abilities. Entries don’t have to be houses—they don’t even have to be made out of gingerbread! Structures just need to be visibly edible. Photo courtesy: Port of Bellingham.

Ready to start making your holiday plans? In need of a little cheer? The Holiday Port Festival is a free, family-friendly event held the weekend of December 1 – 3, 2017 at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. This family-friendly weekend is the perfect way to ring in the season, featuring the annual gingerbread contest, dozens of performances, art activities, wagon rides, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and much more.

“The Port of Bellingham is excited to host the 27th Annual Holiday Port Festival at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal,” shared Port of Bellingham Meeting and Event Supervisor, Tiffany DeSimone. “We have a little something for everyone from free art projects to cookies and cider, princesses and Santa visits. Local schools and groups bring more than 900 performers to entertain family and friends, and with more than 100 gingerbread creations on display it is a festive location!”

Gingerbread House Contest

One of Bellingham’s most beloved holiday events is their annual Gingerbread House Contest, now celebrating its 22nd year of wowing the community. From candy-adorned gingerbread houses by young kiddos to elaborate buildings by professional bakers, these delightful food-based pieces are sight to behold. All entries will be on display at the Holiday Port Festival and everyone who attends will get a chance to vote for their favorite contest entry for the People’s Choice award.

Interested in entering the competition? The contest is free and open to bakers of all ages and abilities. Entries don’t have to be houses – they don’t even have to be made out of gingerbread! Structures just need to be visibly edible. Graham cracker walls, fences made of pretzel sticks, melted hard candy “lakes” and other creative uses of food are encouraged!

Medals will be awarded to the top three entries in each category and the top winner in the People’s Choice category will be awarded a prize from San Juan Cruises! Learn more and find the online entry form on the contest website. But don’t wait too long – the deadline to enter is November 27.

Memorable Visits and Entertainment

The Port of Bellingham’s Holiday Port Festival features performances by over 35 local bands, orchestras, choirs
and performance groups and includes more than 700 performers. Photo courtesy: Port of Bellingham.

The Holiday Port Festival features free visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, kids’ art activities with Allied Arts of Whatcom County, horse and wagon rides and free photos with winter princesses. Attendees will also enjoy performances by more than 700 performers in over 35 local bands, orchestras, choirs and performance groups.

Plus, thanks to generous donations by Haggen, Maxum Petroleum and BP, all activities are free!

Streat Food Café and Sugar & Spice food truck will be open with food available for purchase. Want photos with Santa? Those are available for purchase from Turner Photographics.

Opportunities to Give Back

Many of the Gingerbread House Contest entries are donated to a silent auction that runs throughout the three-day Holiday Port Festival. Proceeds from this benefit Toys for Tots.

“The Port appreciates the community participation in this event on the waterfront in Fairhaven,” shared DeSimone. “We look forward to seeing everyone throughout the weekend!”

The 27th Annual Holiday Port Festival runs from Friday, December 1 through Sunday, December 3, 2017 at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. This free, family friendly festival features performances by dozens of local performance groups, free hot apple cider and cookies thanks to Haggen, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, art activities for kids, horse and wagon rides and free photos with winter princesses.

Find a full schedule of events Holiday Port Festival website. You won’t want to miss it!

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Chad Abbot: Keeper of the Pervious

By

Sean Mertens

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rsz_chad_abbot_zamboni — A Cyclone Technologies CY5500, affectionately known as the zamboni, helps keep permeable surfaces clean. Photo credit: Sean Mertens.

The Public Works Department of the City of Bellingham gathers each morning in a grey walled, utilitarian lunch room. Along the north wall there is a shared kitchen complete with a fridge and two Keurigs. On the opposite wall are white boards where the day’s assignments are posted. Windows show a preview of the wet and windy weather that awaits the workers once the clock reaches 7:30 a.m. On the second whiteboard from the right, white magnets with black lettering represent each of the Stormwater Department’s fulltime employees. It was an overcast late fall day when I checked the whiteboard and saw that I would be working with Chad Abbott, cleaning pervious sidewalks.

Chad Abbott, a city worker since 2002, in one of the rare moments where he is not wearing any form of Seahawks gear. Photo credit: Sean Mertens.

Issues arise whenever man interjects its bulky physique into one of nature’s systems. The flow of storm water is usually self-regulated by our planet. The addition of cities and blankets of impermeable surfaces requires that we fix a problem we created. Without proper management, water would regroup with our oceans heavily contaminated and polluted. Along its path it would flood homes and farms, wash away driveways and hillsides, and create problematic standing puddles and flooded roads. This is why every large city employs a variety of storm water management tactics to try to keep humans and rain living in harmony, rather than discord.

One technique is to reduce the amount of impermeable surfaces, which include: concrete, asphalt, roofs, and other watertight materials. These surfaces force water to run off in sheets and negates the filtering and slowing abilities of soil. Surface water, what you see running along the road, is undesirable. Permeable surfaces, which allow water to percolate through to the subsurface have shown to be great replacements for their impermeable counterparts.

Chad and I headed out to Northshore Rd. where we would be using the city’s “Zamboni,” a specialized compact surface cleaner, to restore clogged permeable sidewalks and bike lanes. Before the zamboni, city workers had to lug out pressure washers and special vacuums to fight a losing battle. The zamboni makes it possible for a two man team to tackle whole lengths of sidewalk in a fraction of the time. Even though sidewalk cleaning may not pique the interest of many, I was looking forward to seeing this strange miniature street sweeper in action.

An example of the porousness of permeable concrete. Photo credit: JJ Harrison.

While we prepped the machine and surveyed where we would be cleaning, I got to know a little more about Chad. A loving father of four, Chad was born and raised right here in Bellingham, WA. For a brief spell he left the confines of the Pacific Northwest for Athens, Georgia but it wasn’t long until he felt the call to return home.

In 2002, after doing custodial work in the city, Chad joined on at Public Works. It was only a few years before he joined on that Bellingham first really started to see alternative permeable surfaces being installed. Now you can find the surfaces everywhere, way too much for the city to keep track of. Even with the help of the zamboni, the few sections that need to be cleaned are hard to maintain. Some, like the sidewalks along Bill McDonald, are nearly impossible to keep clean due to the tree coverage. Luckily for me, the sidewalk I found myself cleaning on Northshore is one of the easier ones to manage.

The process of cleaning is fairly straightforward. One person uses a leaf blower to remove large debris, while the other drives the zamboni which uses a combination of pressure washers, brushes and a powerful vacuum, to remove soil and debris that has been ground into the pervious. During the drier seasons, Chad and other city workers are constantly running the zamboni to try and complete the assigned cleanings. The city purchased the zamboni in 2015, and it has definitely put in enough work to become part of the team.

A Cyclone Technologies CY5500, affectionately known as the zamboni, helps keep permeable surfaces clean. Photo credit: Sean Mertens.

The work Chad does to keep the sidewalks clean is something that if done right will go unnoticed by almost all. Despite this, he takes pride in returning the sidewalks to an effective state. While I worked with him he showed a remarkable attention to detail and a keen sense of the level of contamination in the porous material. Keeping the sidewalks clean to maximize their effectiveness benefits our water quality, slows the flow of run off, and decreases standing water.

Next time you are out for a walk, take a moment to look at what’s beneath your feet. If the sidewalk you are walking on appears more porous like the concrete pictured, chances are that it’s pervious. If it happens to be raining, and Chad has taken a crack at that section of sidewalk, you’ll be able to see the water slowly disappear into the ground below. Who knows, maybe you’ll be walking the sidewalk I cleaned.

The Hirst Decision and How it Affects Vacant Land Owners in Whatcom County

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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real estate agent — Dale Serbousek has a passion for helping people find options for their Whatcom County real estate needs. Photo courtesy: Dale Serbousek.

Dale Serbousek, Managing Broker at RE/MAX,Whatcom County Inc. is passionate about educating his clients on how to navigate the new real estate landscape, following the 2016 Hirst Decision. In short order, the decision changed how building permits are issued for houses that use wells for a water source and affected land values. These changes have made buying, building or selling a home more complicated and Serbousek is committed to helping his clients make the right choice for them.

The Hirst Decision has instigated a drastic change to the real estate market in rural areas not served by municipal water systems in Whatcom and Skagit Counties. It is associated with the Growth Management Act requiring resources to be available before development can occur. Up until October of 2016, houses built with a well were considered exempt from the State of Washington Riparian Water Law which is obeyed by municipal, industrial and agricultural water users. Exempt wells are primarily for single-family homes with a daily limit of 5,000 gallons including irrigation of up to a half acre of land.

Since the Hirst Decision, the exempt wells in Whatcom County are no longer considered exempt with regard to Instream Flow rules. Instream Flows were set as minimums for the Nooksack River and Whatcom Creek to allow enough water for fish. Nooksack and Whatcom Creeks’ flows were set in 1985. This means any water right junior to the river’s or creek’s water right cannot be used if instream minimums are not met. If your well water right (for municipal and agricultural use) is younger than the instream flow setpoint date you may not be able to use your water. This is now true of wells not put to use as exempt wells after November 2016. If actual instream flows become lower than the minimum, many water rights which are junior (younger) to the instream flow minimum must reduce use to maintain the senior water right of the river. The Hirst Decision recognizes that many exempt wells may influence instream flows to the point that water use must be curtailed by exempt wells to maintain the riparian first in time, first in line water right law.

Whatcom County has thus stopped issuing building permits for new homes with wells in the Nooksack River watershed and the Lake Whatcom Watershed. This has affected property values since without water, a home is impossible to live in. Alternatives to wells are possible but for now are expensive. They include rain catchment, storage and release during low river or creek flows and trucking water for storage and use. Such a system can be designed, reviewed by a hydrogeologist and, if approved by Whatcom County, a building permit can be obtained. This is a new and untested process and will take time to develop.

Land owners are left in limbo due to the recent ruling. Some are dependent on the sale of land as it was their nest egg to be used to pay medical expenses of an ailing family member. Unfortunately, case law for situations like this don’t exist so there is no record of past performance to provide direction. There is no limitation regarding drilling a well. The limitation is on using the water from that well unless you have a water right.

The science behind groundwater flow and interactions with surface water is evolving. Ground and surface waters were thought to be separate previously. Today, it is understood that most river basins are connected to groundwater and use from one source will affect the other. It will take state government time to understand the Hirst Decision and decide if exempt wells will affect water quantity in the river, lake or stream it is connected to.

Single family homes, like nature, use more water in the spring and summer mainly due to irrigation. Most of these homes are in rural areas and utilize septic tanks and drainfields for disposal of sewage. This in time is treated by filtration and biological breakdown to provide nutrients to bacteria and plants and water is filtered and returned to where it came from. This process has many variables including terrain, soil properties, depth to the water table, rate of water use for domestic and irrigation and how much food and drink is imported to the home.

This is a complicated issue, and one that is currently evolving. If you are looking for a home in this challenging real estate climate, give Dale Serbousek a call at 360-201-7717. He can help you navigate these rough waters while long term solutions are sorted out.

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